Where have you gone Eddie LeBaron ??? … and

Eddie LeBaron
BobLee
August12/ 2019

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Aug12,2019

 

Where Have You Gone Eddie LeBaron… and

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CONFESSION: It’s been “several weeks” since we last convened here.  I owe you an explanation i.e. excuse.

Ten days of this self-imposed sabbatical I was in Madison WI  – think “Chapel Hill with lots of lakes and much worse winters” – overseeing the care and treatment of Twinkle & Scooter while their Mom and Dad were in Dallas.  I had my IPad rather than a Laptop which makes posting a hassle.  I coulda done it if All Hell had broken loose but Hell is still hanging by a slender thread, at least for now.

The rest of this sabbatical was my ongoing determination NOT to employ THIS PAGE as a WMD in America’s Socio-Cultural War… yet.  I will probably have to by this time next year but not now.  I’m not concerned with offending anyone; but I do want to spare even those who share my socio-cultural POV of a reminder how perilous these times are… and will surely become more so.

I am using BL EN FUEGO for doing that.  Feel free to visit there if my uncensored opinions re: America’s Socio-Cultural War is of interest to you.

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Which brings us to Eddie LeBaron and Other Stuff

I saw a headline last week about some player on the Washington Redskins complaining about something.  Not sure (and don’t care) if it was about a contract he signed… or his imitation of Colin Kaepernick. .. or if he beat up his girlfriend.  The usual NFL story.  I didn’t bother to read anything but the headline. Redskins Helmet

It dawned on me that I cannot name ONE current Redskin or even who their Head Coach is... and I have zero guilt about admitting that.  They still ARE “The Redskins” aren’t they?  Frankly, I don’t care if they are “The Redskins” or “The Confederate Flags” or whatever.

NOTE:  I realized recently that I can only name ONE ACC Football player for this season – Dabo’s long-haired QB – Trevor Lawrence.   I cannot name a single UNC or State or Duke player or ever how many teams are in The ACC these days.

I’m not bragging at all.  Simply indicating where “that sort of stuff” is among my priorities these days.

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My personal decision to resign as an NFL fan is entering its 3rd (or 4th) season.  Last year I did watch the 2nd half of The Super Bowl.  Have not decided if I will get that involved this year.

Growing up in Eastern NC in the 50-60s… “our team” was The Redskins.  They were a woeful team but that is how the TV markets were assigned pre Falcons and certainly many decades before Panthers.

LeBaron SmallQuarterback Eddie LeBaron is the Redskin I recall the most.  Eddie LeBaron was famous for being very small – 5’7″ – 168 lbs.   He was from The College of The Pacific which always sounded very exotic to me.

The NFL only played nine games in those days (making Jim Brown’s records all the more remarkable).  The Redskins would win at least one and no more than three games each year.

One year my Dad and I traveled to Washington on the train to see a game.  We drove to Wilson to catch the train.  It was quite an adventure.

Eddie LeBaron died in 2015,  He was 85.  Other Redskins of that era were Jim Podoley, Don Bosseler and Sam “The Toe” Baker.  A UNCCH halfback named Ed Sutton was also on those teams.  The coach was Joe Kuharich.  The team’s fight song – Hail To The Redskins – was and is a cool fight song… I assume “they” still are allowed to play it.

That was 60 years ago but I know more about them than I do the current team… which is nothing.

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Those lovable scallywags on the UNC Board of Governors are “in the news” again.  Interim President Bill Roper apparently “neglected” to include on his “stuff that I do that everyone needs to be aware of” report that he receives $5,000,000 for serving on various medical-related corporate boards-of-directors… YIKES!

LINK…

I’ve never received $5,000,000 for doing anything.  If I did I believe I would remember it.  Wouldn’t you?

FWIW, Bill says “Oops, I didn’t mean to omit all of that…”

The possible “conflict-of-interest” opportunities for Interim President Roper are – of course – ASTRONOMICAL.  But UNC System Board Chairman “Harry The Hammer” Smith assures one and all that that probably won’t happen… and if it does – “Harry The Hammer” will do his very best to not let us find out.

Sleep well tonight North Carolinians.  “Harry The Hammer” and Bill Roper are in charge.  Yeeee Ha!

A bit of “good news” re: The UNC System … a blue-ribbon search committee has been formed to find a permanent President of The UNC System.  Appointed chairperson of this committee is Kim Strach. Kim Strach

Kim Strach is one of the very few “Smart & Honest” people who has served in North Carolina State Government.  She was Executive Director of The NC Board of Elections for the past six years and was an investigator for the NCBOE prior to that.  Her integrity and intellect was  an anomaly among the Bi-Partisan Den of Thieves that is “Jones Street”.

Kim did such an outstanding job in her position with The NCBOE that current NC Governor “Restroom Roy” Cooper moved really quickly to have her removed.

Roy replaced her with “one of his political hacks” he could count on to overlook everything “Restroom Roy” wants overlooked.  Which will be A LOT come next November.

Kim Strach is sooo darn smart and honest she would make an outstanding UNC System President herself… but that’ll never happen.

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USAToday had an interesting article on Monday about the rapidly rising salaries of Non-Revenue College Sport Coaches.  Former NCSU AD – and dear friend of our own The Bob Kennel – Debbie “Frau” Yow is quoted extensively in the article

LINK TO THE ARTICLE.

The vast improvement of NCSU non-revenue sports during The Yow Era is often – and rightly – cited as one of Debbie’s major achievements.  The hiring of Mark Gottfried is never cited as one of ….

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The NCAA, this past week, announced that it cannot – and will not – stop any Power5 athletic/academic institution from “doing what UNCCH did for 18+ years”.   Despite strong recommendations to enact rules to prevent them from doing it.

LINK

The universally disrespected NCAA sided with institutional administrators by ruling that any school that wants to operate a blatant Eligibility Scam is free to do so unencumbered by NCAA meddling.

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Long time Triangle-area Sports Guy Jeff Gravley is leaving WRAL-TV5 after 35 years.  I’ve never met Jeff but he has always seemed affable and far too good and decent a person to work for Jim Goodmon.  Jeff says his future plans are “undecided” at this time.  Uh Oh!Jeff Gravley

When I first read the story I assumed Jeff was going to Swoffy’s  ACC Network which would seem logical.   BUT… I checked with my WRAL “insider” and learned Jeff’s departure is yet another “cost-reducing” move necessitated by Jimmy Goodmon Jr.’s on-going gross mis-managment of  daddy’s TV station.

BREAKING NEWS:  Jeff was “offered” a 50% pay cut (after 35 years of loyal service to “The Goodmons”) – Take It or Leave It – so Jeff is opting to Leave It.

It could be worse.  It coulda been another Greg Fishel Mess.  WHOA!  I have been assured THAT IS NOT THE CASE!

Whatever… Jeff seems like a “good guy” so we wish him well doing “whatever”.

More BobLeeSays Columns … LINK

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