Booing president a right, but it seems wrong

By Joe McAdory

I was a bit surprised Sunday night when many fans attending the Washington Nationals’ home-opener against the Braves booed President Bush as he made the season’s first pitch. Granted, it’s people’s right in this great nation to boo whomever they please, but it seems that booing the president is like booing the nation itself. The president, whomever it is, is a symbolic figure of America much like the flag and bald eagle.

Maybe folks were booing policies or poor decisions made by this administration. There are a few of those to choose from. Regardless, it seems that people have less respect for this nation than they once did. One thing’s for certain: folks boo leaders in other places and they get thrown in jail or worse. At a baseball game in America, they get hot dogs and peanuts.

Mayor promptly responds

By Joe McAdory

I ran a blurb in my Friday column mentioning graffitti, some obscene, on the walls of the concession stand at the old ball fields (Smallwood Park) across Pepperell Parkway from Wal-Mart in Opelika. I’m pleased to announce Opelika mayor Gary Fuller has already contacted city officials about taking measures to either cover the graffitti or destroy the useless building.

However, the fields could also be on West Point Home property, private property the city can’t do anything about. Regardless, I’m very pleased with the prompt response.

Auburn’s Nix headed to Turner Field

By Joe McAdory

Former Auburn High and Auburn University pitcher Michael Nix will be one of two minor league pitchers to join the Braves this weekend at Turner Field in Atlanta for a two-game series against the Indians. Friday’s game begins at 7 p.m., while Saturday’s first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.

Nix has spent much of spring training with the big league club, along with a number of other minor league pitchers, to provide relief on the mound in live games and during batting practice in an effort to preserve the arms of the team’s regulars. He has appeared in three games, pitching one inning each time. Nix’s ERA is 3.00, while allowing one run on one hit. He has walked three and walked two.

Nix played last season with the Braves’ AA affiliate in Mississippi. He will more than likely be assigned to Mississippi or AAA Richmond following Saturday’s game.

Where did Doonesbury go? I have the answer

By Joe McAdory

For conspiracy theorists wondering why Doonesbury is no longer on the Opelika-Auburn News editorial page, there is a pretty good reason. Gary Trudeau, the artist who creates the comic strip, is apparently on a three-month vacation. It’s hard to run Doonesbury for three months when there is no Doonesbury to run.

Until he returns, we’re plugging the space with Mallard Fillmore, another politically-oriented strip.

Atlanta tornado photo for sale

By Joe McAdory

Want to purchase an incredible photo of the tornado that smacked downtown Atlanta March 14? Shane Durrance, who I read somewhere in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution once lived in Phenix City, took this incredible photo (link to it is: http://atlantatornado.org/)

Photos for sale range from 8x12 ($49.98) to 24x36 ($209.98). It seems a bit pricey, but at least some of the proceeds are going toward recovery efforts to clean up the mess.

I couldn’t imagine being at the top of one of those downtown skyscrapers (the Westin, for example) when that thing was coming. It must have been a scary night for the patrons at the Sundial, the cyclonic restaurant at the top of the hotel that actually rotates.