Grab a Paddle; REAL Reality TV

“Grab A Paddle!” The slogan for Kayakers may soon be true for all of us in NWA. Yes, I know, my life must be boring to write about the weather. And it’s probably true that only old people talk about the weather. But man, did it pour today. I was afraid that the small town that I work in was going to become an island and I had no way off (which is actually possible, if it rains more). Anyway, God did promise not to destroy the earth by water again, but he didn’t say anything about a small town and a few neighborhoods in NWA. So, if you are reading this, what have you learned? That I’m old and boring. Oh well. Both are probably true.

 At least my Sweet 16 predictions came true this weekend. I am not sure what I am more excited about: My predictions were almost all right and we have all #1’s in SA or the fact that Texas lost (and they lost badly). Oh, who am I kidding, I am much more excited that the ‘horns were humiliated! It was awesome. But now we have the table set for a great Final Four. I will officially turn off the cell phone Saturday at 5 pm and plant myself in front of the TV. The two games are must see. And for those of you that think “reality TV” began with Survivor, you really do need to get a life. Real reality TV has been played out in sports for years. There are no directors, no producers, no one gets voted off (well, except for the stupid college football BCS system). If you want to see real emotion, real tragedy, real stories, then watch the games Saturday. We have lots of storylines: Can Memphis finally break thru? Will UCLA come short in it’s 3rd straight FF? Will Bill Self’ change his image of being “the best coach not to win a title” and win a big game? Will Tyler HansIdon’tknowhowtospellhislastname come through, or will he suffer another painful loss, “Oh So Close”. 

And you think Simon & Paula don’t get along? Who would want to miss Roy Williams coaching against his former team, Kansas. Don’t think there won’t be some bad feelings there. Not on Roy’s part, but, in case you have not heard, he is not well liked in Lawrence. These are real storylines that aren’t made up by a director. That is reality TV. You keep your bachelors, your idols, fat camps, houses, and islands, I’ll take the real life stories! Like watching Brett Favre saying he can’t summon the mental strength to come back again b/c the pain of losing is worse than the joy of winning. And for all of his records, his first ballot HOF career, and his being in the argument for being in the top 5 QB’s of all time, he will always have to live with this: his last pass cost his team a trip to the Super Bowl. Now, that’s reality. Get a life, Simon. Go do something relevant.

Sorry, got off on a rant. Can you tell how I feel about reality shows? Now, on to my picks. I am not feeling real good about half of this, b/c Memphis is playing so well. But, in the Semi’s I will pick UNC over KU by 10 & UCLA over Memphis (very close). On Monday night, UNC will cut down the nets and beat UCLA by a score of 79-70. “Ol’ Roy” will win his second championship. And, while I am not a UCLA fan, I am a John Wooden fan. And I wonder if this will be his last Final Four? I hope not.  Best wishes, coach Wooden, I hope you get well soon and are around for a while longer. Now, everyone go to SI.com and read Reilly’s piece on Coach Wooden. It is must reading and you will want to print it up and share it with others.

Precious In The Sight …

Today is a sad day for many of us, but joyful in heaven. Monday morning, while sitting in her chair, Mrs. F, a precious and godly woman, went to be with her Savior. My guess is that her late husband was excited to see her too. Mrs. F’s passing once again reminded me that my prayer support is getting thin. You see, I have a special love for Mrs. F. Very early in my ministry, back when I knew that I knew it all, there were a group of 10 ladies who prayed for me at least 30 minutes a day. Mrs. F. was one of those ladies. Now, time has passed since college, and I am not saying she still did that every day the past few years when we didn’t see each other regularly, but she was a woman of prayer. And her prayers meant a lot to me. Heaven’s gain is our loss. She was a godly wife, a loving mom, and a true servant. Thank you, Mrs. F., for the difference you made in my life.

Changing lanes suddenly, it is the first night of the Sweet 16. Here are my picks for the Weekend. In the East take Carolina over Wazzoo, & The Ville over The Pearlettes. And the Heels will dance over the Cards on Saturday. In the Midwest, Take Kansas & Davidson over ‘Nova & the “Stinking Badgers”. And it’s Rock, Chalk, Riverwalk Jayhawk! In the South, I just pray that Memphis beats Michigan State, b/c even though I like the “H to the Izzo”, his team plays ugly basketball. And dear Lord, between Austin & Palo Alto, please let the Smarter Team win. That’s all I ask, Lord. And if The Tigers can get past the Spartans, I think they will be able to take Beale Street south to the Alamo Dome. In the West, UCLA will dominate WKU (it won’t be close), and Xavier ends “Huggy Baby’s” season (it will be close). And UCLA will make the 4th number 1 to be in San Antone. Now, do I really believe four #1’s will make it? No. But I don’t want Texas to be there, and I don’t think Stanford is capable of beating both TX & MU; and while I would love for Davidson to beat KU, I don’t think the slipper will fit. And yes, I am just praying that Davidson beats WU, it’s not much of an educated guess. But I can’t root for ’sconsin. Having any Big 10 team in the final sets basketball in general back 15 years. It’s just not good for the game.