Coach Spradlin Takes the Cooper High Road

Sometimes in life, we have to make hard decisions.

We’ve all had to do it…

For a parent, it might be disciplining a child knowing you’re going to have to watch them cry. For a boss, it might be letting a good person go because they’re underperforming in the workplace. For another person, it might be ending a relationship knowing it’s going to break the heart of someone you care about. For a coach, it might be letting three talented players go because they don’t meet your team’s expectations.

They all sting a little – but you make the hard decision because it’s the right thing to do.

I want to applaud Cooper High School Head Coach Mike Spradlin and his staff for making a tough decision on Friday night by removing three players from the team indefinitely. It would’ve been easy for the coaches to turn a blind eye to what was happening. That would’ve been the easy thing to do. Instead, they made a decision that could potentially cost them their opportunity at a state title.

I also applaud Spradlin and AISD Superintendent Heath Burns for their transparency. It would’ve been easy to try and cover this up or deny it; I’ve seen other districts do it. Instead, they were forthcoming about the situation without compromising the privacy of their students.

Who were the players and what did they do? At the end of the day, it’s really not that important. We all made mistakes in our teenage years. Sure, some of our mistakes were worse than others. But at the end of the day, these guys are just kids. Yes, they play on a popular football team in a town where high school football is everything. But as kids, they deserve privacy…and they deserve second chances.

Win or lose this Saturday, we should all take pride in the fact that Cooper High and Mike Spradlin chose the high road. In a day and age where teams look past players’ poor attitudes and actions, Cooper refused to do that.

As a head coach, Mike Spradlin is naturally in a position to for people to look up to him. On this occasion, Spradlin showed us what being a role model is all about.

Funny Movie

My wife and I went to see a silly new date movie over the weekend. Morning Glory is one of those romantic comedies that are usually very forgettable. This one was a little different for me. First, Harrison Ford is in it. Second, it was set is a morning TV news broadcast. It was pure, escapist fiction...but there were several scenes that made me laugh out loud, and I was the only one the theater laughing. The alarm going off in the middle of the night was all too recognizable. The anchor waking up just in time to pretend to be alertly reading the teleprompter script and the youthful exuberance about the importance of the job were certainly close to reality. The deadline of the clock and the concern about the stories in the stack are real. Both led to some funny and recognizable scenes. The problems with individual egos were exaggerated, but certainly part of the business. It was set in New York, and the concerns about tenths of a rating point and the concerns about the most minute of details remind me of why we stay here in Abilene. My wife enjoyed it for different reasons. She was probably laughing more at me than at the screen.

Election Day + 22 Years

Here we go with another election day. We are planning extensive coverage of all of the important races and issues on the ballot. Election days are big deals in TV news. There is a lot of real-life drama waiting for the results and hearing from the winners and losers. The people we choose in these elections have authority to levy property taxes and then decide how local, state and federal government organizations should spend that money for the services they provide. It takes a lot of work, and it's a big job to get the information, make sure it's right and then pass it on. It's one of the reasons why many reporters decide on this business.
Election coverage is at best tiring and trying. At worst, it's exhausting and frustrating.
I remember election day, 1988 vividly. I started early...before six that morning for our regular Daybreak cut-ins back when KTAB was in the old building. I was finished with my morning shift and the preliminary election work about 3:00 in the afternoon. I was going to go home to rest and see my family before coming back up about 6:45 for the election coverage that evening. It was a presidential election. That year, it was between George Bush, the 41st President and Democrat Michael Dukakis. There were also a lot of important elections in Texas and across the Big Country.
My friend and co-worker Ned Austin came running out with a camera as I was getting in the car. He said there was a call on the scanner of a B-One Bomber with an in-flight emergency and he was going to see if he could get video of it. In-flight emergencies are not uncommon. It's usually a minor problem and they land just fine. But not this time. We saw the big, beautiful plane flying over with an obvious problem. A bright red flame trailed along under the wing at least twice the length of the big plane. Ned got the video that later proved to be important for the accident investigators.
The plane was still a relatively new weapons system, and some of the problems had not been fixed. This one had a problem with the fuel line...and the escaping jet fuel was burning.
The crew fought to keep control of the big plane and bring it back in. The pilot decided that wasn't possible...so he and the other officers aimed it to a remote area just Northwest of the city...away from all of the homes and businesses. The pilot ordered the co-pilot and the offensive and defensive systems officers to bail-out. Then he pointed the nose down and pulled his escape hatch. All four men got out safely. The big beautiful bomber crashed into the vacant field. It was destroyed, but there were no injuries and no other significant loss of property. His heroism prevented a possible bigger disaster.
The crash made a challenging day for news reporters a day that really makes us realize why we ever wanted to do TV news. When the day was over and we had given our reports of the crash and the election results, we felt like we had finished a marathon. Exhausted, elated, delighted and proud of the way we covered the news and especially thankful for the brave men who kept that big fuel-laden plane away from people and homes.
I hope the election is the biggest story of this day.

Uncharted Territory

Just a few thoughts following the Rangers' historic first round victory, clinched late Tuesday night:

First, my sincere apologies to my co-workers for the several high pitched screams during the course of ALDS Game 5. There were about a half-dozen moments that had me jumping up and down like a little kid. When Ian Kinsler slammed the door shut with a home run in the 9th, I absolutely lost it. My thanks especially to David Robinett for putting up with a temporary noisy neighbor, and Manny Diaz, whose desk I sat at for all 3 Rangers victories.

Second, I would like to thank everyone I work with for indulging me, or at the very least, not treating me like an absolute lunatic, for my loud outward expressions of rabid Rangers fandom. I have worn the same shirt, my brand new Rangers AL West Championship t-shirt, to work on every game day thus far, and will continue to do so until this magic ride ends. Guys, I promise not to let it get smelly. And let it be known that I am in fact getting work done during these games. No, I'm not nearly as engaged as I normally am. But the newscast can't be sacrificed, no matter how important the game is, and I appreciate Stephanie Harris, Randy Turner, and associate producer Stetson Samuel for getting the job done. And to Austin Kellerman for not firing me.

Third, this still hasn't sunk in. Maybe it never will. This is special. We Rangers fans are in uncharted territory. After the Game 4 loss, I walked around like the season was already over, because I've come to expect this team to come up short. Maybe the Rangers will get killed in the next round. Or maybe they'll make it to the World Series. Who knows.

Fourth, BRING ON THE YANKEES.

Fifth, The Texas Rangers are the only team never to have won a postseason series.

Sixth and finally, IT'S TIME!!!! GOOOOOOOO RANGERS!!!!!!!!!!!

Hairy Problem

I try to take a quick check of the mirror before the camera comes on at 5:30 for KTAB Daybreak. I have a comb and can tackle an unruly waft of hair pointed inappropriately in, out or sideways. I have a problem commonly called a "widow's peak." It's genetically recessive. It's always been a problem. When I was little, it gave me something in common with Eddie Munster. The "widow's peak" often sneaks out from under the rest of my hair on my forehead. It's worse if I try too hard to fix it. But, I noticed it on a recent promotional spot we recorded about the Ready, Set, Home segment. A newsman's hair should be like a football referee. It's there to do a job...but it should never call attention to itself.

Nude? Who Knew?

I'm heading to the Abilene Public Library at lunch time to check out some books on photography. I've already scouted them out on my computer, read the summaries, and know which ones I want. I head downstairs, grab my three books, and take them home.

I grab a snack, sit in front of the TV and begin to browse. I start with The Complete Guide to Light. It has a sunset, building, and angelic child on the cover. How lovely.

After looking at the first several pages, I realize the pictures in it aren't all that great. So I begin to thumb through quickly, and land on a complete full-frontal nude woman. With her head cropped out, of course. I freak out and close the book and drop it on the coffee table.

What the heck? There is nothing on the front or back cover, or in the summary online, that indicates there are nude photos inside. There is a flower girl on the cover. I assume there are more naked photos, because the book kind of shows several of the same type of photos demonstrating different kinds of lighting. I don't know that there are more than one, because I'm not about to find out.

A man here at the station informs me that this is nothing new. Growing up pre-Internet, he used to go to the library and look at nude photos all the time.

I suppose some sort of warning label would just draw attention to the bad pictures inside, but you would think there would be something to alert innocent eyes that they're about to see something completely inappropriate. I am sure that if there were a website with that picture on it, it would be blocked by the library computers.

And for the record, I don't buy the "it's just art" argument. It's a naked woman posing for the camera.

Employee Gets Doc's Note from Chuck Greenberg

We've all done it. We make a silly joke or say something we probably shouldn't have and immediately reply with the phrase, "just kidding!"

Although, the truth is we were just kind of kidding. Actually, we meant it.

That's the way I look at this strange note I received via Facebook today:

I've had employees have their significant others call them in sick. I've had workers send text messages. But, sumbitting a fake doctor's note via Facebook?

Sure, Mark Moseley was joking when he "tagged" me in this post. Deep down, though, he was also hoping I'd post a comment saying, "how funny! Why don't you take a much deserved day off and enjoy the ballgame." Well, too bad buddy!

The difference between Mark and some folks is that he'll still show up for work. He'll physically be there. We can't count on his mind (poor Randy, Stephanie and Brittany).

Nevertheless, it'll be interesting to see how many Big Country workers make that sick call, sit back, grab some popcorn, and enjoy a little Rangers baseball. Something tells me Chuck Greenberg may have a stack full of doctors notes to sign at the end of the day...