Great Time Waster

Like most young boys I collected baseball cards but didn't take it to another level like many of my friends.  I didn't have store my prized cards in special cases or keep them locked down in hyperberic chambers. Ok...I don't know anyone who went that far but I wouldn't be surprised if some collectors do (did).

I never cataloged mine by year, team, card number or packed-up my collection to attend card shows. Nor did I eagerly await the latest issue of  Beckett to see if my 1984 Dane Iorg Fleer card was worth a few more cents. Nope...I wasn't that intense.

.

***WARNING***  Hardcore collectors should not read the next line...It might be a literary punch to the gut.  You were warned!.

Most of my cards ended up attached to the spokes of a Huffy. I caught a lot of grief from my parents for "wasting" 50 cents on a pack of cards where the goal was to save any Cincinnati Reds player I might get then send the rest to a brutal demise. Do kids still do that today?

The point of this....I stumbled upon a cool site for baseball card junkies or the average fan looking for a trip down memory lane. This is a great time waster.

http://baseballcarddatabase.com/

HFF On iTunes

Thanks to our progressive and forward thinking news department we (once again) take advantage of technology to provide KFVS content to viewers.

Each week Heartland Football Friday will be available on iTunes. The best part of the deal...It's completely free of charge.

Directions to get the video podcast:

• There is a link on the Heartland Football Friday site that will take you straight to our iTunes page.
• If you open iTunes. Login to the iTunes Store. In the upper right there is a window called "Search iTunes Store". If you type in KFVS you will see our current podcasts listed. You can also type in Heartland Football Friday in the search.
• You can go to this direct link. http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=328003163 It should open iTunes on your computer and take you straight to the page.

Bret Campbell Returns To The OVC

I must admit I found this a bit surprising when I read this e-mail from Murray State Assistant Athletic Director-Media Relation Dave Winder.

I think it's a good move for the Racers program. Bret Campbell brings a wealth of general basketball knowledge (X's and O's) to Murray State and a lot of  Ohio Valley Conference knowledge to the table. He has been in the league since 1992 as an assistant or head coach. I just hope (for all involved) Campbell's recent issues at UT Martin do not negatively the the Racers program or Murray State University.

Coach Campbell resigned as the Skyhawks mens head basketball coach back in June after an internal audit showed he cashed checks for summer basketball camps (which goes against school policy) and a contract with Anaconda Sports that did not have school approval.

Here is the official release from Murray State concerning the hiring of Bret Campbell:


 CAMPBELL JOINS MSU BASKETBALL AS DIRECTOR OF BASKETBALL OPERATIONS

 August 21, 2009

Murray, Ky. --- Murray State Head Men’s Basketball Coach Billy Kennedy announced today that Bret Campbell will join the program and serve as the director of basketball operations.Campbell is no stranger to the Racers and the Ohio Valley Conference after leading the program at UT Martin as head coach for the last 10 seasons.

“I’m excited to have someone with Bret’s experience and abilities join our program,” Kennedy said. “He’s going to be an excellent addition to our staff.”

 “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to work with Coach Kennedy and his staff,” Campbell said. “I have great respect for Murray State and their commitment to their athletics department.”
Campbell is a veteran of 17 years in Ohio Valley Conference basketball having been the head coach at UTM from 1999 to 2009 and at Austin Peay as an assistant from 1992-99.

Last season, he led the Skyhawks to a school record 22 wins and their first regular-season championship.

Prior his time at UTM and APSU, Campbell was an assistant coach at Central Florida (1989-92), Birmingham Southern (1987-89), Kennesaw State (1985-87) and his alma mater, Valdosta State (1983-85).

He and his wife, Marcia, have three children, daughter Caitlin, 15, and sons Cannon, 12, and Carter, 10.

Return Of Michael Vick & Brett Favre

If you have flipped on ESPN or any other sports network (television, radio or the web) no doubt you have heard the big NFL news: Michael Vick is out of federal prison and back in the NFL (signing with the Philadelphia Eagles) and Mr. Indecisive Brett Favre comes out of his second retirement to play for his third (Minnesota Vikings) team in three seasons.

I'll start with the most recent story (Favre). I think my views are in the minority...I'm glad he's back...I think his return is a good thing. If you have a rooting interest in the Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, New York Jets or Green Bay Packers you probably feel differently. Those fans not welcoming Brett back to the NFL...I get that.

Why the hate for Farve from others? His return brings another storyline to the season in more ways than one. I can't wait for Monday October 5th when Favre and his new team hosts his old team...Green Bay. The two meet at Lambeau Field November 1st. I can only imagine what the atmosphere will be that night.

Sure Favre is tiptoeing the endzone of his career...enjoy what he has left to offer the game and be happy you get to watch one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL. Can't we find more important things in the sports world to get worked up about than the retirement / return / retirement / return of Favre?

A great football fan once said...."A league without Brett Favre is a Brett Favre-less-league."
Ahh...words to live by.

As for Michael Vick...I will ride the fence. Do I think he deserves a second shot? Yes.
Am I a fan of him? No...never have been.
I've always thought he was an overrated QB. With that said I can find arguments "for" and "against" him returning to the NFL.

If I were a team executive I would look into the possibility of signing a great athlete like Vick. After all...winning is everything in the NFL...You lose and you lose your job. On the flip side Is it really worth the cost? Forget Vicks salary the true cost of signing him would be...Can I look at myself in the mirror, sleep at night and come to some sort of peace with the horrible acts he was a part of while taking part in a dog fighting operation…tough questions. I'm really glad I am not in the position to have to face that scenario.

[Disclaimer]
I could write paragraphs of my disdain for anyone committing cruel acts to animals. There is no justification for the senseless brutality. My wife and I have a dachshund and couldn't imagine harming her...For all intents and purposes she is like our child.

SEMO Football Scrimmage Time Change

If you are planning to watch the SEMO football scrimmage this Saturday...The start time has been moved to 7:00 pm and should go until 9:00 pm at Houck Stadium. The scrimmage puts the finishing touches on Southeast's fall camp.  The Redhawks open the season hosting Quincy September 3rd.

For everything you ever wanted to know about Quincy Universtiy football click here.

The last time SEMO played Quincy was the November 10th, 2001 season finale Redhawks won 38-6 and finished the season 4-7.  It was the second season under head coach Tim Billings. 

Some numbers on current head coach Tony Samuel:

• He never lead a team against Quincy
• In 11 seasons as a head coach Samuel is 45-80 (11-23 at SEMO)
• Two winning seasons (both at New Mexico State) 7-5 in 2002 and 6-5 in 1999
• He is 2-1 in season openers with the Redhawks

Countdown To Football...UFL Style!

Back from vacation and ready to roll. If you read this blog with any regularity you will notice I just had a vacation at the end of June...Now another a little over a month later!

Well... Due to football season and television ratings periods Sports Director Todd Richards and I have a small window to take our vacations, so they get crammed in over the summer. No more vacation time for me until after Christmas. I'll do a better job to post at least 4-6 times a week.

Ok...On to the business at hand... In one of my first posts I wrote about the upstart UFL (United Football League). Click the link to revisit the earlier blog post.

To be honest...My first thought was... "Can it work and ultimately survive in our NFL dominated country?"....Safe bet - It won't last. No matter how long the UFL exists I will do my best to become a fan and support the league. I just hope the league and game stay on a more traditional path and avoids the pitfalls of the XFL. Remember the this rule? No coin flip to determine possession they let a player from each team try and recover a fumble. Sounds like something I did playing football with friends in my backyard (when I was 12).

For what it's worth...The start of the UFL is fast approaching. It will be interesting to see how the media covers the inaugural season.

--- --- --- ---
RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - The United Football League will play its first game Oct. 8 in Las Vegas.
The UFL announced the schedule for its inaugural season Thursday. The four teams will play six games each through Nov. 20. The championship game will be Nov. 27 in Las Vegas. Games will be on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
San Francisco will play at Las Vegas in the first game. The other two franchises are in New York and Florida. They face off in Orlando on Oct. 10.
Games will also be played in Hartford, Conn., and Los Angeles.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)