Adios Big Country!

Well everybody it looks like I am outta here! "Chapter 2: Abilene" of my life in the broadcasting world has finished up and "Chapter 3: Eugene" is about to get started. I just wanted to reminisce about a few things that I will either miss, or will never forget. I also wanted to say a few thank you's and goodbyes.
First, I want to start it off by saying I had an amazing time here in the Big Country. I love the Texas friendly way. Coming from California...friendliness is just unheard of!

My anchor team... The "A" Team... Downing, Kyna & Randy. Wow! What a blast I have had with each of you. D-Bolls thanks for teaching me so much. I promise I will take my medicine! ha. Your knowledge about life is endless. KG... thanks for being a true friend. I will cherish our friendship forever. Thank you for always putting me in my place, Lord knows I need it! ha. AND remember P90x is only a DVD player away! Randy, How are you always so calm? You inspire me! Thanks for being a great dinner date & friend. Best of luck to all of you guys in the future.

Then there is Tyler Edwards. Tyler, you have been my rock. Always trying to make me laugh and "de-stress" when I go crazy. ha. You have taught me so much. I will miss our nights at the Seafood Tavern, there have been so many. I know this is not a goodbye, I will be calling to bug you. I promise to answer my phone when you call! I know you will need to vent now! ha.

David Robinett... the Yoda in the Sports world! Thank you for taking me under your wing and showing me the ropes. I value the endless hours we have worked together. I will catch ya on facebook!

Manny Diaz... you are a work-horse! I promise you your hard work will pay off. It has been fun!
I am going to try my best to make it to your wedding!

To all of the other reporters and newsroom... Thanks for listening to me...putting up with me...I know I am a handful. But I leave you with this... 1. Clean out your edit bays! 2. Sports is more than just 3 minutes! 3. Always be true to yourselves and do not be afraid to speak your mind.

Now to the coaches, players and teams... what a dream to begin my first on-air job covering the teams of Friday Night Lights. I thank you all for making my life so easy. I will miss this part of my job the most. I can only hope Eugene treats me as good.

Everyone else, I hope you enjoyed Sports: Dapper Style. But. it is time for me to "Level Up" and move on to another one of life's adventures.
If you want to keep in touch... Catch me on facebook....
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=11703606&ref=name

That's all folks... Dueces!

3rd Time Around for #4

The highlights continue for Brett Favre...Favre's on again off again on again comeback is the talk of the sports world.


Just over 18 years ago, Brett Favre was drafted 33rd overall by the Atlanta Falcons.Had an amazing career, no one can argue that. Hands down, Favre is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.

But c'mon Favre... when is enough, enough? Wouldn't one want to go out with a bang. To let us remember the good...not the soap opera that continues today.

From the infamous words of Mike Gundy, "I'm 40, I'm a Man." Well Brett Favre may need to take a hint... be a man and step aside.

In January 2008, ESPN covered every tear during his “retirement” press conference, only for him to “itch” for a comeback in June. A movie-like break up between Favre and the Packers landed Favre in New York for the ’08 season.

Then the Jets drafted Mark Sanchez, and in turn, they released Favre. This was because he was set on retirement and wanted to spend more time with his family—we all never expected him to come out of retirement once again.

So, the saga continues... Favre is now the oldest starting quarterback in the NFL at this present time playing for the Minnesota Vikings.

Personally, I think it is a personal vendetta Favre has on the Packers... oh what a game that one will be.

This thought brings me to 3 words... "Let's Go Defense!"

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL? Uh-Huh...

Oh football, oh football you are back in my life…sigh.
It’s funny; it’s bittersweet for me this time of season. Don’t get me wrong in ANY way; I love the game, all aspects. No ifs, ands or buts. Well, there is one BUT, ha-ha.
The fact, that I have absolutely no life when it is in season.
But, this isn’t my first rodeo in the Big Country… the focus this year to do maximum coverage without wearing myself thin.
So far, we are 2 days into the “2-A-Day” season… I have seen Wylie’s new stadium, and got to see Jim Ned’s new turf (awesome!). Not to mention, they let me throw the ball around…and gave me a standing ovation! Thanks guys
So, so far so good. The key is to remember, just like in the game, to have fun!!! It ain’t worth doing, unless you have a little fun.

To Be Continued…

So we are back home in the Ruff House and it has a different feel.

It's Playoff Time!

What an interesting few weeks it has been. The theme... out with the old and in with the new. No, not really more like this... See ya, Quincy Carter. Adios, David Bowie. Hello and Welcome Randy Hymes.

The Riders on a 2-game winning streak and have really pulled together the past couple of weeks. Players stepping in into other positions and playing with injuries. For example, what a guy Randy Hymes is. A class act indeed, the wide receiver has not thrown the ball since his days at Grambling State and after 2 games (let's hope I do not jinx this) he has yet to allow a turnover.
With Hymes at QB it forces WR Fred Howze, who has been battling a shoulder injury, to suit up and step in.

When talking with Dock about the quality of guys on this team, he can never say enough good things.
Since the beginning of the season Dock saying this team is not about one or 2 players, but rather about the entire group of guys.

Dockery is also proud of the way he took only 5 veteran players from Katy, Larry Brown, Carlos Alsup, Juan Reese, Darvin Peterson and Joey Longoria, and developed a playoff bound team for the first time in franchise history. These guys have developed into a real family.

It's funny, I haven't talked about how much fun I have had this season hanging, traveling and covering the Ruff Riders.

From the business/ professional aspect it's been great. I mean this is usually the sports world's “off-season” because we are not covering high school football.
It's been fun getting to know all of the players and coaches.

On a more personal tip, I want to actually thank the Ruff Riders for the memories. There have been some fun ones. From long 8 hour bus rides, to playing dominoes at the hotel, eating some crawfish, throwing back a few cold ones and even hitting the links.
(Yes, Naka and Monte Joe, I had to go there, and I will keep the scores confidential.)

But... wait... what am I talking about? The end of the season?
These guys have one more game left! At least...

So go Ruff Riders! Handle Sonny Cumbie and the San Angelo Stampede Express. Give them a good warm welcome to our house... And for me, that's all for now...


VS.

Traveling Across Texas with the 'Riders

So here we are back at home for the first time in a month and boy, there is no place like home!
It has been an adventure for the Riders (and myself) being on the road. Very Interesting to say the least. All in search of a home playoff berth.
Starting off with the road trip to Odessa. Well this one was probably the most normal trips.
Quincy Carter was not in the lineup, sitting out due to a back injury. So everyone was a little nervous about Bowie stepping in. But hey, he may not have the resume like Carter, but he filled his shoes pretty well. The Riders won 40-27, holding Dennis Gile to only 51 yards passing and no passing touchdowns.
So what a way to begin a 3-game road trip, things were looking up for Coach Dock and his Riders.
Then comes the trip to Corpus Christi. I must say we had some fun on this trip.
Stayed at a nice hotel, ate at Crawdaddy's... and let me tell you when they say “Spicy” Crawfish, by golly they mean it. It was delicious. We headed back to the hotel to watch the Texas Longhorns defeat ASU to head to the College World Series. Got up early the next morning, worked out at the gym, (I am doing the P90X workout & if you haven't tried it, it's amazing!!) Anyway, back on track... headed to the arena and the guys got into game mode. As for me, I kinda hung around preparing for our radio broadcast.
By the time of kickoff we knew what kind of game this was going to be. I can't even describe. It was a disgrace to the game of football. The Corpus Christi Hammerheads really have no class. We thought the game in El Paso was bad, we hadn't seen nothing yet!
One of the Hammerheads was ejected not once, but twice from the game! What made him step foot back on the field still remains a mystery. But the player pushed and shoved the Ref on to the floor. The Hammerhead was arrested immediately and charged with aggravated assualt. Three(1 player 2 times) Corpus players left the game and 2 Riders were told to leave. 11 personal fouls
It was a tough one to watch after the first ejection. It seemed as if the game was out of hand.
With 5 turnovers, the Riders took the loss 44-35. But still no worries, Abilene was still in good position in the Lone Star Division. The Hammerheads may have to forfeit the game due to violation of IFL rules. That's what you get when you cheat.
Then comes along the San Angelo game.
Here is a funny story for you all... So I arrive at the San Angelo Coliseum, my co-anchor, Kyna Grigsby came along. I reported to the press box area and a member of the San Angelo press had the nerve to ask me, “What is my function?” I mean really? My function? Such an open-ended question but I knew where he was going. I wanted to reply, “Oh I am David Bacon's personal cheerleader.” But I held back and replied, “I do the color commentary for Ruff Riders broadcast.” Let's say I was a little insulted, but I guess it goes with the territory...As for the media fella, well he didn't respond and went and sat down. Hope he felt bad!
Riders ended up losing the game, 56-26. With 5 minutes remaining in the 4th Quarter, Q-Carter stepped foot on the field for the first time in a month. What a spark, a rush of energy that came over the Riders. The guys rallied behind their QB and put up 14 points in that time. Not pulling out the win, but getting some chemistry back.
So we find ourselves back home hosting Odessa. Coach Dock telling me the playoffs are secure and they are looking to go out with a bang!
A bang on the 4th of July that is!
Let's all hope the Riders can get back to their winning ways and get something going before the post season.

So for now Powder Puff is out (that’s me)

Thanks for reading!
Michelle Dapper, KRBC Sports Director


So are you Ruff Enough?
Tune into 96.1 The Wolf!

Riders Look to Nail 'Heads Again.

Well let me begin by saying this... Coach Dock told me he intended to enter the Bye week with a record of 6-3. Now it is clear we are on that very road. Only one win away from that goal.
What a big win over the El Paso Generals!
So I read in the local paper the other day that a woman reporter was to write the article recapping the El Paso/Abilene game. I thought to myself, so what?
Before I get started here, I just want to say I am not a Feminist in any way. In fact, I dislike any extreme view points what-so-ever. But I wondered to myself why her gender was even mentioned.
I mean, granted I or very few women have put on pads and gone head-to-head with the boys on the gridiron. However, as I see it right now, it's Indoor Football for crying out loud. How many guys out there have even tried it? Thats what I thought.
When reading Ms. Daralyn's article I found it hilarious. Comparing Big guys to the Lil guys. I loved the way she poked fun at the whole situation. It was brilliant.
Here's a link...
http://http//www.reporternews.com/news/2009/may/24/abilene-big-guys-win-over-guys-in-bad-camo/
So as I start to recap... you decide for yourself who is a big guy and who are the little fellas. (After all, these guys are all big to me...jeez I'm only 5'2)
Here goes...Abilene stormed out and took an early lead in the ball game. QB Quincy Carter (who is 6'2) hooked up with WR Juan Reese (5'10) for a 15-yard touchdown pass to make it 7-0. DB Darvin Peterson (6'0) then recorded a rouge, (a what?) extending Abilene’s lead to 8-0. So how many Abilene IFL fans knew what a rouge was? Pretty cool to tack on an extra point.In the second quarter, Abilene got right back to work. Quincy Carter ran in a one-yard touchdown run to make it 14-0. Carter hasn't used his feet much this season, but when he does he makes things happen and finds the end zone.
The Riders shut down Generals QB Tommy Jones (6'5 definitely a BIG GUY!). He went 16 of 30 with 1 interception and 5 TD's. A quieter night for the IFL's leading passer.
'Ol Mr. Carter finished with 13 for 28 and 187 yards with 4 TD's and 1 INT . As Carter got hurt in the second half, Backup David Bowie(6'2) stepped in. Folks, his name is pronounced Boowie for the record. He is at a mere perfect, 2 for 2 and a TD on his first pass of the season. I was impressed with this guy...he even uses his feet.
So bottom line we beat the Generals with our backup quarterback...without any fan harassment or taunting the players... or theft in the locker rooms.
Now, we head into another matchup with the Hammerheads. The last game of the homestand and you can bet it will be up to the hard hitting Defensive Unit and the wide selection of wide receivers to make some big plays. However we pull out the win... we will do it with class and style.

Thanks for reading!

VS.

VS.

Well We’re Back!! Ready for Game 2 of this 3-game home stand!
The Riders are coming into this week off a big, well-deserved win.
The Abilene Ruff Riders defeated the Corpus Christi Hammerheads last Saturday. The Ruff Riders entered the ball game on a two-game losing streak while the Hammerheads were coming off a big road win over the Odessa Roughnecks.
Head Coach Gerald Dockery told me before the game… the Riders need to win all of these home games and they intend to go into the BYE week standing at 6-3 on the season.
As many know star wide-out, Jerale Badon is out with a broken ankle and had to have surgery. Luckily for the receiving core, Badon will now step in as an assistant coach. Doc told me Jerale is his eyes and ears of this core.
Starting a recap…
Corpus struck first in the contest as QB Cory Miles found WR Schuyler Anderson for a 22-yard touchdown pass to give the Hammerheads a 6-0 lead, this all coming after a Ruff Riders fumble on offense.But Abilene retaliated on the ensuing drive as Quincy Carter drove the Ruff Riders down the field and capped off the drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to WR Fred Howze to tie the game at six. Then Quincy Carter struck again and hooked up with Mychal Carrillo for a 15-yard touchdown reception to give Abilene a 13-6 lead. Abilene’s defense…one word… WOW! Making big stops throughout the game… Joey Longoria forced WR Nathaniel Dunn to fumble the ball which was recovered by Danyell Robertson at the Abilene 24 yard line. The defensive unit played a big role in the game, making big stops, interceptions, sacks and not to mention some big hits.
DB Joey Longoria now leads the IFL in interceptions as he grabbed his 8th of season. The guy is averaging about one a game! Phenomenal!
An unfortunate note, the Riders lost the Beast for the season, former Player of the Week, Rico AKA the Beast Brooks. He broke his fibula and will be out the rest of the season. The Doc said you can’t replace a guy like Rico… people just have to step up!
Quincy Carter, had another 7 Touchdowns added to the list. One in which he took into the end zone on his own 2 feet.
It was interesting to see how the team really focused up, rallied together and pulled out the victory to snap the streak. All season long we have mentioned the “Never Say Die” attitude the Ruff Riders have and they seem to never let up.
But this week I think presents itself with the biggest test yet. The Ruff Riders host Lone Star Divisional leader the El Paso Generals who are 5-1 on the season.
The Riders lost to the Generals 2 weeks back, but I believe they want their REVENGE.
Let’s just say the experience in El Paso was not an example of that wonderful Texas Hospitality. It was more like some Texas Hostility.
So Tonight I leave you with one request: Make the Generals feel welcome, BUT also let them know whose house they are in!! (that’s 2 requests)

Thanks for reading!
Michelle Dapper, KRBC Sports Director
So are you Ruff Enough?
Tune into 96.1 The Wolf!

Until next time…go Ruff Riders!

On the Ruff Road with the Riders

Well it's been awhile as the Ruff Riders and I have been on the road for the past 2 weeks.
What a 2 weeks it has been!
The Ruff Riders having traveled 2,000 miles the past 2 road trips, to Wichita, KS and then to El Paso.
First let's take it up in Wichita. The Riders suffering their first loss outside of Texas, ending a 2-game winning streak by a score of 49 to 33.
Carter had 5 TD's against the Wild, but the keys to a victory would be consistency.
Let me tell you my hats off to these guys...that was one heck of a road trip. I didn't even play a game and I was exhausted.
So a week goes by and we head to the wild west of El Paso. In a battle with the Generals for first place.
The pressure was on and the Riders told me they enjoy being on the road. While they enjoy being away from home, I know they are not satisfied with losing.
The game against El Paso got interesting lets just say.
Quincy Carter had another 5 TD's, now third in the IFL averaging about 204 yards a game.
The El Paso Generals QB, Tommie Jones leads the IFL with 225 yards per game. But to argue, Quincy Carter has more completions and less interceptions. So far this season Carter has impressed on the field.
So why the 2 losses? Well for one it is hard for any team to win on the road and in these guys defense they were some LONG road trips, about 32 hours total on a bus.
For the most part this is a relatively young team, only returning about 5 men from last season.
So what have I noticed from hanging around on the road trips?
I like how the guys have grown together so fast. The guys look out for each other. 20 something guys from all walks of life coming together to form one unit and what a fun bunch of fellas to be around.
The Ruff Riders are still a work in progress. Finding so much about each other and about themselves.
I look forward to the rest of the season as they will put it all together.
So this week Abilene hosts Corpus Christi. Last time the Riders met up with the 'Heads, Willis Hogan blocked a field goal and recovered it in the end zone to give the Abilene their first lead of the game, 33-27, with just over five minutes to play.
Two plays later, the Ruff Rider defense forced a fumble to preserve the comeback victory.
So now the Riders find themselves without their leading receiver, Jerale Badon. Coach Doc telling me the Riders remain focused.
So Game 7... the Riders have their toughest test yet, adapting to adversity.
So for now Powder Puff is out (that’s me)
Thanks for reading!
Michelle Dapper, KRBC Sports Director
So are you Ruff Enough?
Tune into 96.1 The Wolf!
Until next time…go Ruff Riders!

Riders Ready for Stampede Express

So here we are again back on the home turf this time having a little West Texas match up against the San Angelo Stampede Express.
Before we get into all about the Stampede, let’s recap last week’s game against the Corpus Christi Hammerheads.
While I was enjoying the islands of Hawaii on vacation, the Ruff Riders got off to a slow start against the Hammerheads as they came out on top 14 to zip. Get this, starting QB Michael Bishop was late due to a flight delay. First, of all my initial reaction is why doesn’t the Quarterback live in the city he plays? But that’s the way Corpus runs things I guess. I couldn’t imagine if Quincy Carter didn’t live or practice here.
But that’s neither here nor there.
So it’s 14-0 and K Nich Pertuit comes through and nails a 31-yard field goal to get the Riders on their way.
But it was the defense that came through in this game. DB Joey Longoria, WOW what a game for this fella having 2 interceptions on the evening, 1 in which he returned for a TD and take the lead in the game.
QB Quincy Carter went 15-of-29 for 117 yards passing and 1 touchdown. Not the greatest night, but got the job done. Carter hooking up with WR Fred Howze for a six-yard TD. Howze had a big night as he stepped up and stepped in for former ACU Wildcat, Chris Morris and doing a good job at that.
Carter has been getting a lot of attention lately as he makes his stable return into the football world. He caught the eyes of the Dallas media again. DFWReporting.com came to town on Tuesday to talk with the former Dallas Cowboys QB about his past, present and what his future holds. When talking with former KRBC weekend anchor and now senior reporter for DFWReporting. Com, Kimberly Torres she said ‘ol Q-Car was extremely honest and takes all the blame for how and where his career has gone. I was glad to see that happen.
This week lies a tough test ahead the San Angelo Stampede Express. This is a battle for first place in the Lone Star Division.
Abilene stands at 2-and-1 and looking to claim that top spot, while the Stampede is 2-and-0 having only played 2 games.
The Stampede Express’s coach is former Snyder Tiger and Texas Tech Red Raider, Sonny Cumbie.
It is Cumbie’s first year as head coach but he is no stranger to the game of arena football having played for the AFL, LA Avengers.
When talking with the Riders about the keys to success this weekend they said they are not going to focus on the Stampede, but rather focus on themselves and their game.
We know San Angelo will bring a good crowd… but Ruff Riders fans stand behind your team. How cool would that be if the Riders took the top spot in the Division? I sure wouldn’t mind.
So the keys to a victory… Offense needs to click… Defense needs to make big stops and the Riders need to play as a team.
A problem? Not at all.

VS.

Thanks for reading!
Michelle Dapper, KRBC Sports Director
So are you Ruff Enough?
Tune into 96.1 The Wolf!

Until next time…go Ruff Riders!

Game 2:Riders look to Grill Beef

So here we are heading into Game 2 of the regular season.
But first, before we get into all of that lets wrap up the opener against Odessa.
The Riders came away victorious in Game 1 defeating the Roughnecks 39-24.
I was talking with Coach Dockery about the big win and I asked what was the one thing that impressed him the most in the game. He responded with only 2 words. Quincy Carter.
Carter went 18-of-31 for 235 yards passing and 5 total
touchdowns. Quite a performance I must say. Coach saying in our conversation that he was happy to see Quincy perform at the level he knows he can.
On the Ruff Riders Forum here is what one fan named Molly had to say...
Congratulations on a great win over a fine team!!
This old Katy Ruff Riders fan heard (online at 96.1 The Wolf) exactly what I was hoping to hear and what we missed last year in Katy. I heard a great quarterback take charge. Way To Go-Quincy! I heard New Ruff Riders, Badon and Morris exceed my expectations! As expected, I heard old Ruff Riders, especially Mr Longoria, and Mr. Peterson start off where they left off Yes sir, I'll be listening up in the next game, too. Nice job on the broadcast, The Wolf Ruff Riders team! WELL DONE to all! Thanks for a great Game One!
That is pretty exciting to see the fans are still following the Ruff Riders team.
What I think is even cooler is how the local talent has really stepped up and performed in a big way..
Former ACU Wildcat, Chris Morris registered 6 catches for 83 yards and 2 TD's. Abilene's own, Jerale Badon (who signed the week of the game) impressed coaches and fans, having 4 catches for 91 yards and also 2 Touchdowns. Way to represent guys!
Another fan, Karla wrote on my blog...
I am excited that the Ruff Riders are here. I don't know all the ins and outs about it, but I have watched it on TV many times. It will be more exciting to see it in person...
When talking with fans about the game they could not believe how fast it was. Indeed it is... the field is shorter and narrower and only 8 guys are on the field at a time.
When talking with Coach Doc about areas of improvement or where he thinks the biggest opportunities for the Riders are... well, penalties.
I think everyone is still learning the rules and regulations because they did change a bit when the United Football League and the Intense Football League merged last year. After a couple more go-rounds I think all the problems will be weeded out.
This week the Riders welcome the Omaha Beef to the Big Country. What do they know about beef? They ain't had Texas steak that's for sure!
Well, this is the first meeting ever between these 2 teams.
The Beef are in the United Conference Central Division. They currently stand in 3rd place at 1-2. They won game 1 against the Wichita Wild and have had 2 losses since to the Billings Outlaws and the Sioux Falls Storm.
It should be a battle this evening. Coach Dockery said the Beef play a whole different type of football, focusing more on their running game. So that means our defense needs to step up and make big stops and the offense needs to continue to put points on the board. Good Luck Fellas.
I want to thank you for reading.
For now…the team has nicknamed me "Powder Puff." Thanks guys.
Michelle Dapper,
KRBC Sports Director

Are you Ruff Enough?
Wanna hear the game?
Tune into 96.1 The Wolf w/ David Bacon & I!

VS.

Ruff Expectations

So everyone is wondering what they can expect from the Abilene Ruff Riders Football season. Well I am here to say everyone is in for a real treat.I have been out to numerous practices and scrimmages and the first thought that comes to mind is how quick the game is. I mean the pace of the game is fast! I think if anyone who has a love for football will enjoy watching the players zip around the field.
Former Dallas Cowboy, Quincy Carter will be starting at QB for the Riders. People frequently stop me and ask, “Does Quincy still have it?” All I can say is… YES! The guy has still an arm! More importantly, I think he has become a real leader on the field. So, folks enjoy the spiral soar through the air…Carter is here.
I was talking to kicker, Nicholas Pertuit and asked what fans can expect? He responded, “Fast, Big, players…with big hits and nice plays.”
Defensive Back, Brandon Henry summed up the game for me, he said, “Crunch Time.” So Abilene get ready your Ruff Riders are here. I hope you excited as I am to watch these fellas show us what they got.
Thanks for reading. For now…they nicknamed me “Powder Puff." Hey, That's okay.

Michelle Dapper,KRBC Sports Director

How I did on the $3 a day / Money Savers Challenge

So.... Here goes...
The KRBC News team was challenged to eat for only $15 a week.
At first, I thought this can't be done. I will starve!
See the secret with me is... I need to eat . Ever since I was little, whenever I would get cranky it would usually be because it was that time...time to eat! My family makes fun of me to this day.

Then I began thinking about my co-workers. Ha ha this should be good. How are we all going to get along? Have good newscasts if we are all starving?

Well, truth is after we went shopping and bought our food for the week, I was not starving or hungry! I had enough food to last me the entire week and then some.
It may not be the food you desire or crave (FYI, the thing I craved the most = chips&salsa)
but you get by and make due.

From this challenge I have learned I need to budget myself a little more on the food situation.
It would help me save a lot more money.
So, would I do it again, sure! I love a challenge.
Coupons are a good way to get more for your money.

How did my competition do? well you may just have to check out their blogs.
So the question that everyone wants answered... Did I cheat? Well, if I didn't buy it does that count as cheating?

Quincy Carter to lead the Ruff Riders

How do you feel about the Former Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Quincy Carter coming to town to lead the Ruff Riders??

You sound off and I will tell you my thoughts later....

So here goes.. I am excited Quincy Carter is coming to town. I hope this can be a good,

positive experience for him. Sometimes people tend to listen to all the hype written or reported about certain individuals. Yes, Quincy has gotten into some trouble. But, I am a firm believer that people can change, but they have to want to change.

The thing I enjoyed most about my chat with Mr. Carter was his honesty. When I asked him about his troubles in the past, not once did he deny or try to beat around the bush. Instead, he told me he has made some mistakes and will be taking it one day at a time from here on out.

I hope the best for Quincy. Everybody makes mistakes and the goal is to not to make the same ones twice. Quincy told me he likes to prove people wrong and I hope he does just that for anyone that has ever doubted him.

Good Luck Quincy Carter and welcome to Abilene and the Ruff Riders!

Still in the Doghouse?

So the name Michael Vick has appeared back in sports headlines.

The imprisoned NFL star will be allowed to serve the last two months of his 23-month sentence for his dogfighting plea under home confinement because there is no room at a halfway house for him.

I find it funny because when I am at the gym people come up to me and ask me my thoughts.

Well...Here we go....

If let out, Vick will be on electronic monitoring and will only be allowed to leave home for activities approved by his probation officer and eligible for release in July. Ok fine.

There is no guarantee that Vick will be back in the NFL in 2009. Roger Goodell has said he won't consider reinstatement until Vick's legal obligations are settled.

But if Vick does get reinstated, it is hard for me to imagine that there will be too many teams lining up to give away draft picks to grab a guy who has been in prison for the past 18 months and is due to get $15 million in 2009 from his current contract. However, the teams that have expressed interest... the 49ers, Raiders, Vikings, Seattle, and hey, the Jets just lost Brett Favre.

But Really? Okay, I do believe the guy will have a fair shot at being reinstated. I mean he did the crime, and he did his time. BUT, I think there is so much "mo' better" talent out there these days.

Vick is only 28 years old and clearly has a career left. But, I just don't think it brings a good presence to a franchise.

So to put it bluntly, I think Vick is tainted because when I hear Michael Vick... I can't help but to think of this...

and it disgusts me.

ACU Infractions: Sound Off!

What a huge day for Abilene Christian University and its alumni. We want to hear your thoughts on the major announcement by the NCAA. Does it change your outlook on the school? Do you think what the university is accused of doing is really that big of a deal? How do you feel about ACU's response to the matter?

This is the place to sound off! Post your comments in the area below. We want to hear from you!

Dapper's Ride to Fame

Wow! So I just drove a real live monster truck!!!! Man, all I can say is WOW!!!
Such a rush...
I took a drive with Ron Leach, the event coordinator for the Monster Truck Thunder Slam here in Abilene. Get this, I am sitting in the drivers seat and he says to me, "Don't press on the gas too hard, you will go straight through the windshield." I am like okay. He then replies, "Don't press too hard on the brake, you will go right through the windshield." I am like okay, what the heck do I do???

well I drove that truck! That's what I did and I even drove over some crushed cars!!
Boy, was I pumped after! Another case of an adrenaline rush. I live for that feeling.
I love extreme sports in any fashion and i have jumped out of a plane twice...
and this experience was right up there. Props to the monster truck drivers, it is way harder than it looks!

check out my ride:

http://bigcountryhomepage.com/content/fulltext/?cid=101722

Super Bowl XLIII: Who Will Prevail?

Can the Arizona Cardinals pull off the upset and complete another unlikely Super Bowl title run, like the New York Giants did last season? Or will the Pittsburgh Steelers' top-ranked defense lead them to an unprecedented sixth Super Bowl crown?

It's kind of funny, when thinking about the match up you automatically consider the Steel Curtain to take the game against the Cardinals, after all the Men of Steel have had the toughest schedule in the NFL and pulled off a 12 and 4 season. After all, defenses win championships.
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I have a natural liking to the underdog in match ups...so I tend to lean towards the Cardinals.
But, the more I read and the more I talk to people, the more I hear people are going for the Cardinals. A recent article on ESPN.com says the nation is backing the Cardinals.

So, does that now make the Cardinals the favorite? Or do people as a whole like the underdog, David and Goliath theory?

Let the little man succeed. So I am going on a limb here, and say Cardinals 24-21 over the Steelers.

Roots Remembered

On January 12th, Indianapolis Colts Head Coach, Tony Dungy announced his retirement.


I spoke with former Cooper Cougar, Indianapolis Colts Running Back about the retirement of his head coach and asked him if he was sad...Rhodes replied, "Not sad, just grateful
that he was my coach and for how much he taught us."
-DOMINIC RHODES, COLTS RB

In an article, Dick Vitale wrote, "Tony Dungy is class personified. He is a special person. Dungy never forgot where he came from, remembering his roots."

I admire this. Wherever your career takes you, how ever much money you make, success life brings...just don't forget where you came from.

A couple of weeks ago, my co-worker, Sam Nichols told me, "Dapper, don't ever lose yourself."
Meaning I should keep on smiling.

Simply, words to live by.

Dominic learned something and so did I.

Ode to Good Baseball

Well Rickey Henderson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame today and I have to say I am really excited. It really makes me think back...

If you are not familiar with the former left fielder Mister Henderson here's some stats:
Henderson has widely been regarded as the sport's greatest leadoff hitter and baserunner
He holds major league records for career stolen bases, runs scored and leadoff homeruns.

Rickey Henderson, the 1990 AL MVP, was a 10-time All-Star who swiped 1,406 bases, one shy of 50 percent more than Lou Brock, who is in second place with 938. Henderson batted .279 with 297 homers, 1,115 RBIs, 2,190 walks and 2,295 runs. He owns the modern-day season record with 130 steals in 1982 and the career mark with 81 leadoff homers. He played for Oakland, the Yankees, Toronto, San Diego, Anaheim, the Mets, Seattle, Boston and the Dodgers.

Quite a career to say the least. It's funny, growing up in the Bay Area I did not realize how much good baseball I was fortunate to see! It was all in my back yard.(After all, I am a die-hard LA Dodgers fan)
Wow, I saw Rickey Henderson steal countless bases. I grew up with the "Bash Brothers" aka Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire (pre-steroids, haha). Great pitching from Dennis Eckersley, there was Dave Stewart, Dave Parker and even Carney Lansford. (Just to name a few).
Then across the bay the infamous SF Giant, Barry Bonds...

It's funny... you truly take things for granted when they are right in front of you. I grew up hating the A's and the Giants, but I loved to watch them play. Strange. But I look back now...such good baseball at that time. So now I can say that I was blessed.

Rickey Henderson, it was an amazing experience to watch you play. To see you sprint around the bases like no one else could. But my favorite thing about Rickey Henderson...Rickey Bleeds Blue and played for the best franchise in the MLB... The Los Angeles Dodgers!!!

Where I am at today...

So I am fresh back from vacation and getting
back into the swing of things around here.

Two weeks back in California couldn't have gone any better.

After a long 5 months of covering high school football, working endless hours, a well-deserved vaca is just what I needed.

It's kind of funny, I recall way back when I first started my gig here in Abilene... Sports Director, David Robinett said to me, "Dapper, Football Season is a whole lot of hard work."
Me being me, I thought, yeah, but it can't be that hard??

Boy was I wrong. During my school days I worked 3 jobs (as a grocery manager, a personal trainer, and an AP for the Sports Dept. at KTVU) and took about 17 units a semester and got it all done and still managed to have a life. So I figured it couldn't be that bad. Football season here in the Big Country is more hard dedicated work than I could have ever imagined.

Ha ha. Difference now, my job is fun! So the long hours, well they do take a toll on you, but are WELL worth the time you put in. Most of All, the work is fun. Who wouldn't want to cover sports on a daily basis?

So in December my time off finally came. I headed home to SF for some quality time with the family and friends.

My goal of the trip... to enjoy every minute and take it all in.

Things I missed the most? (not in any specific order) Fantastic Sushi, World's Best Seafood, the ocean, bars/clubs that are open past 1am, the hustle and bustle of the city life, traffic(I know, weird), public transportation, my favorite dance radio station 92.7, sitting around with family and friends and doing absolutely nothing! That is just to name a few...

Although, I would love to spill all the juicy details of my 2 wonderful weeks in California - lets just say I am keeping that private :)

But, I will tell you I had a LOT of fun.

It was hard to come back, but my life is here for now and my goal is to make the best of it in the work that I produce.

So Beware Big Country... Dapper's back!