AT THE MACON CITY AUDITORIUM FOR THE GA. SPORTS HALL OF FAME INDUCTION, I REALIZED THE LAST TIME I WAS IN THE BUILDING I WAS A TEEN D.J./ROADIE FOR A THOMASTON HORN BAND CALLED FONZO AND THE BOOTLEGGERS. THAT NIGHT, THEY OPENED FOR TWO BRITISH GROUPS, FREDDIE AND THE DREAMERS AND HERMAN'S HERMITS.
WE HAVE LOST PRO WRESTLER OLE ANDERSON WHO RECENTLY PASSED AT AGE 81, ONE OF THE FOUR HORSEMAN WITH ARNE ANDERSON , WHO DEPENDING ON THE PROMOTER WAS EITHER OLE'S BROTHER, NEPHEW, OR COUSIN. OLE TOOK A LIKING TO A YOUNGSTER AND TAUGHT HIM THE ROPES OF THE BIZ. THAT KID BECAME RIC FLAIR. RIC LATER HAD A STEP-DAUGHTER WHO ATTENDED UGA SO RIC WAS INTRODUCED ON THE FIELD DURING A DAWGS GAME. IN THE PRESS BOX I GREETED HIM AND NOTICED RIC WAS WEARING A SPARKLE JACKET AND BLUE SUEDE SHOES.
EX-GA TECH COACH PAUL JOHNSON WAS INDUCTED INTO THE SPORTS HOF AND I PUT A MIC ON HIM AND TRIED TO GET CONFORMATION THE BLOCKED FIELD GOAL TD RETURN AGAINST FSU BY LAMAR COUNTY'S LANCE AUSTIN WAS THE GREATEST PLAY IN TECH HISTORY. HE ADMITTED IT WAS A GREAT PLAY BUT WOULD NOT BITE AS THE GREATEST. NEAL HIGHTOWER SEZ TECH'S GREATEST PLAY WAS WHEN THE "BEAR" WENT FOR TWO AND THE TECH DEFENSE HELD.
MY OLE COLLEGE CLASSMATE , UGA SPORTS INFORMATION CHIEF , CLAUDE FELTON WAS INDUCTED. A PRESS BOX TRIO FOR THE AGES, CLAUDE, CHARLES GORDY, AND ME. WHEN CLAUDE LEAD COACH KIRBY SMART INTO THE POST GAME PRESS ROOM HE'S GREETED BY 50 REPORTERS AND 10 TV CAMERAS. HOWEVER, WHEN I FIRST STARTING COVERING THE DAWGS ONLY FOUR WERE IN THE LOCKER ROOM LOOKING FOR QUOTES FROM COACH VINCE DOOLEY. JESSE OUTLER FROM THE ATLANTA PAPER, HARLEY BOWERS FROM THE MACON PAPER, THE ATHENS BANNER-HERALD REPORTER AND ME. ONLY LATER DID LOREN SMITH BEGIN ;HIS POST GAME SHOW WITH THE COACH. THERE WERE NO TV CAMERAS UNTIL # 34.
IT STARTED WITH ME PHONING COACH DOOLEY AND ENDED WITH HIM CALLING ME. AS A TEEN CUB REPORTER I WAS LOOKING FOR AN INTERVIEW FOR MY 7;30AM RADIO SPORTS SHOW. COACH DOOLEY HAD ACCEPTED AN INVITE TO SPEAK TO THE THOMASTON TD CLUB, SO I DECIDED I WOULD PHONE HIM AND GET A QUOTE ABOUT COMING TO THOMASTON . I DIDN'T KNOW YOU DON'T PHONE AN SEC COACH AT HOME BUT THE OPERATOR LOCATED THE DOOLEY'S HOME NUMBER AND CALLED HIM AROUND 9PM. COACH DOOLEY ANSWERED AND WAS CORDIAL WHEN I ASKED ABOUT A NEWS BITE.
LATER, WHEN COACH DOOLEY BEGAN HIS BOOK WRITING CAREER, HIS AGENT FOUND ME HAD COACH DOOLEY PHONE ME WHEN HE WAS HOLDING A BOOK SIGNING IN THE AREA. THERE'S SOMETHING KINDA HEADY ABOUT SOMEBODY YELLING DOWN THE HALL AT THE RADIO STATION. "HEY DAVE, COACH VINCE DOOLEY WANTS YOU ON LINE ONE."
THEY CALL THEM DONALD TRUMP'S WILD BUNCH, THE NEW YORK YOUNG REPUBLICANS. AT THEIR ANNUAL GALA, NATURALLY , THE DONALD WAS GUEST SPEAKER. A HANDSOME YOUNG BABE ATTENDED WEARING RHINESTONE COWBOY BOOTS, COWBOY HAT AND A SASH ACROSS HER DRESS THAT READ," MAKE AMERICA COWBOY AGAIN."
THEY ARE NOT TOUCHING A CHIP OF AN ICEBERG WITH THIS PPP LOANS IN THOMASTON AND UPSON COUNTY. GO COUNT AND SEE HOW MANY BABER SHOPS WE HAVE, PPP LOANS SAYS WE HAVE 348. LONG LONG WAY TO GO IF THEY DO IT RIGHT.