Posted: April 19, 2012 |
Damn! This has been one of those weeks!
Covering the news never gets old, and it never gets easier. Journalists have feelings and emotions too. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had to choke back tears when reporting a story. I’m a father, husband, friend, and I hurt too.
But, this week has been “off the charts.”
Dick Clark was my hero. He is the reason I wanted to be a broadcaster. I marveled at how he handled the microphone. How smooth he was in front of the camera. You should hear some of his old radio air checks. He was the one guy you knew would never die.
I lived for American Bandstand.
When I was stationed overseas in the sixties, we got American television about two weeks behind everybody else. We had Armed Forces Radio, but American television shows is what we lived for. American Bandstand was one we made sure we cooked dinner and the whole family sat and watched.
Levon Helm of the Band died this week, and while his music will live on forever, I was always amazed at how this guy would just keep putting out great songs, with great lyrics. “Up on Cripple Creek” and “The Weight” remain classics forever.
But you know what I remember Levon Helm for the most? The movie, The Right Stuff. Remember? He played Sam Sheppards little right hand man. “Got a stick of Beamens?”
The news I dreaded the most though was Pat Summit. I’ve known for a couple of weeks that this would be her last year as coach of the UT Lady Vols. I’ve known that family my whole life. I hurt real bad for what “Sis” is going through. It reminds me that I’m also getting older, and I don’t know what challenges I will face before I die.
We’re selfish when it comes to our heros. We dread the bad news, the inevitable, the end.
I’m still trying to figure out what that all says about me
Posted: March 21, 2012 |
I like Peyton Manning. Always have. I think he’s one of the best, and certainly a first ballot Hall of Famer. I was certainly hoping he became a Tennessee Titan, because I have Titan’s PSL’s and season tickets that would have doubled in value. Not to mention, as a member of the Titan’s Network, I would have had access to Peyton throughout the season. That would have been way cool.
Oh well.
I’ve often wondered what our infatuation with sports stars is all about. There was non-stop coverage of Peyton’s every move during the “Manning Tour” of teams. We followed his car down the interstate. We had aerial coverage of him walking in and out of his house. Getting out of his car. I mean, really? What’s it like to live in that world?
Peyton Manning is one of the best. He was raised right. Came from a great family. Lived in the shadow of “Archie.” He could be mayor of Knoxville Tennessee right now. He could be governor of the state, no question.
It’s no surprise he chose the Denver Broncos to finish his career. Who wouldn’t want to be around John Elway? I don’t doubt that there were many a night where the Manning clan gathered around the TV to watch the amazing Elway, while Archie Manning “dissected” and explained his every move to his boys Eli and Peyton. Now, you get to work with one of your boyhood heroes?
No brainer.
We can learn a lot from watching Peyton Manning continue to grow and mature. We see a lot of the values and convictions we wish we had, and hoped we passed along to our children. I’ll pull for him every time he takes the field, except against the Titans.
Peyton Manning. Class act.
Posted: March 20, 2012 |
I’ve been told by a dear friend of mine, that I need to revisit a blog I posted over the holidays.
I’ve made some progress, but apparently, I need to “buckle” down.
Thanks chief!
Posted: December 26, 2011 | 
As I enjoy the holidays, I’m reminded that’s there’s much to do in 2012. Here goes.
I pledge to be more organized, and not constantly be “chasing my tail.”
I pledge to be a nicer, more patient person. My personality needs a little work. (at least I own up to it)
I pledge to keep my emotions in check. I tend to get a “little” excited, and over the top.
I pledge to lose more weight. I lost over 40 pounds this year, and it wasn’t enough. Not getting any younger.
I pledge to work harder than I ever have.
I pledge to inspire my employees to be better than they’ve ever been. I won’t tolerate “short cuts”
I pledge to “mend” the relationships I’ve damaged this year.
I will “listen” more, and try to “talk” less.
I will not be defeated.
I pledge to leave it all on the field of play. What good is it to play, if you’re not going to give it everything you’ve got?
These are just a few things I’ve got to work on. I’m sure I’ll be reminded of more.
Thank you for your support.
Posted: March 11, 2012 |
I’m always told, “hey, thanks for telling it like it is” and I wonder if I’m supposed to do it any other way?
If you know me, then you know that I pull no punches. Sometimes it gets me in trouble. No, it ALWAYS gets me in trouble. But when it comes to reporting the news, then, that’s the only way to do it.
TELL IT LIKE IS IS!
The public wants the facts. Good and bad. They want accurate and credible reporting, so that they can form an opinion, or just be informed. The national news media has become too biased, and that worries me. It used to be, you could read the paper, or watch the evening news, and get the information you wanted. I don’t remember Walter Chronkite, or David Brinkley EVER taking time during their newscast to tell us what they think. To give us THEIR opinion.
Now, you can’t get away from it.
I’ve been living and working in Clarksville all my life. I’ve been in the media nearly 40 years. I walk a “fine line” in this town between friends, sponsors, and newsmakers. I know more about some people than I could ever report. It’s good that I do.
But when it comes to getting it right, you expect me to do that. You expect me to ask the questions that you only imagine you could ask. I’m not afraid of any public figure. I’m not afraid to ask anybody, anything. The public has a right to know.
So, the next time you accuse me of being “this” or “that,” remember, I’m the guy who knows. I’m the guy you can depend on to find the answers to the questions you want answered. I’m the guy who understands you don’t care what I think, you care about the facts.
And I tell it like it is.
Posted: March 4, 2012 |
The one thing that remains a constant in Clarksville, is that every single day, somebody says something about the Leaf-Chronicle. We have a “love/hate” relationship with the Leaf-Chronicle.
We constantly complain about the content, we’re never happy with it, and we always, ALWAYS, talk about what’s NOT in the paper. It’s a catch 22 for those who work in that industry.
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t
Recently, Gannett, (the parent company of the Leaf-Chronicle) announced they were moving to a “pay model” for their online web content. Some people think this will be the end of the newspaper business.
Not so.
The fact of the matter, is that the DELIVERY of the news has changed.
It’s always been a ludicrous assumption to think that newspapers could continue to exist by printing a paper, and throwing it in your yard. Everything is immediate. The internet has made it possible.
I think what we’re most disappointed about is that times have changed. The generation that “grew up” reading newspapers has moved on. The next generation is online. We didn’t teach them the importance of reading the paper, and now it’s going away.
The Leaf-Chronicle is going to be ok. Their challenge is coming to grips with the fact that they’re not the only game in town anymore.
The internet made THAT possible.
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