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I can't believe it!... We scheduled an event at Texoma Harley-Davidson and got a beautiful day for a change. Usually it is either rainy or too cold, but Saturday was simply super (Thank You Lord).
The crowd response was good too. From nine o'clock in the morning until around three in the afternoon, the dealership was packed with riders and friends. One of the big drawing cards was the chance to win a new bike on the roll of the dice.
This group of beautiful young 'Angels' helped with crowd control and kept the flow to the table organized. Participants had to register in advance and show up at the table in the order of registration.
Riders and friends got one roll of the six dice. Each dice had a letter on one side instead of numbers, and if the dice spelled out the word HARLEY the winner would take home a new ride. There was a steady stream at the table with hopes of a new Harley-Davidson dancing in their heads.
We had the face-painting ladies on site again and they were a big hit. Usually I say something about face-painting for the kids, but.....
...as it turns out, kids of all ages took advantage of the face-painting. Here events manager Tiffany shows off some artwork on her face.
Something new at a Texoma HD event was the leather work of Skid.. He was personalizing leather belts and bracelets,..and was busy most of the day.
J B and the gang from Ringtail Bar-B-Q was on hand to feed everyone and his stuff simply gets better and better. If there is a better lunch than a chopped beef sandwich, chips, and a Coke,..I don't know what it is.
Live music filled the air and kept the large crowd entertained. The local area is blessed with some great musicians and Texoma HD is proud to give them a place to showcase their talents.
Selina was busy at the sewing machine from the moment we arrived until late in the day. It seems like everyone had a new patch for their jacket or vest. Plenty of HOG (Harley Owner's Group) members had new patches applied, and they came from Panther Creek and American Eagle chapters as well as the local Texoma Chapter.
Thanks again for the big turnout, and we look forward to our next event on May 3rd at Texoma HD. Ride Safe and keep the shiny side up...
Given the number of good teams, drivers, and equipment at the Sprint Cup level of NASCAR, it is obvious that it takes a little 'luck' to be consistent in this sport. When King Richard Petty was accumulating those 200 victories, he was doing it at the expense of others who barely made the field. Maybe five or six cars had a chance out of the 40 cars starting the race. In present times it is just the opposite with 40 of the 43 cars in the race standing a chance of visiting 'Victory Lane.'
Kevin Harvick has a victory already this season, having taken the checkered flag at Phoenix in the second race on the schedule.... but he could have had three or four more wins if equipment had not let him down.
This weeks race at Fort Worth was the latest nightmare in Harvick's dream of winning a championship this year.
The race was delayed from Sunday to Monday due to rain in North Texas all weekend. Kevin had his 'lucky charm' in his son with him before the race and you have to admit he looks pretty good in his cowboy hat.
Harvick had a good starting spot in the race, having qualified 3rd for the Duck Commander 500 mile event.
I had that feeling of doubt over his starting spot in this race. Usually Harvick does not qualify well but makes up for it with good driving and quick pit stops. The crew was almost giddy over how well the car was running and optimism was running high....BUT on lap 28 the engine let go..BANG! End of day ! Only a 43rd finish by Dale Jr was worse than Harvick's 42nd.
The bad luck with the car is starting to mount up.. A 41st finish in Las Vegas due to a burned up front hub... A 39th finish in Bristol due to a faulty oil line that caused a fire...and a 7th place finish at Martinsville when a tire chain holding up the rear end broke, causing lengthy pit stops. I guess you could throw in the 36th finish at Fontana,..but everyone was having tire problems at that place.
Monday's let down was just the latest of problems that have to be overcome IF Harvick is to make the chase. That lone victory may not be a guarantee to put him in the field with different winners in each of the races thus far. With engines being supplied by Hendrick Motorsports, this was the farthest thing in the mind of crew chief Rodney Childers before the drop of the green flag Monday. He remains confident that the crew is supplying Harvick with a fast machine, but if things don't turn-around soon, everyone will be standing on the outside and just watching others compete for the Championship.
UPDATE: Harvick became the Sprint Cup series first two-time winner by taming the 'track too tough to tame.' Kevin's Budweiser #4 dominated the field to capture the Southern 500 at Darlington on Saturday (4-12-2014) night.
Harvick became the first driver to win from the pole position at Darlington since Dale Jarrett did it in 1997. The second win of the season assures Harvick a place in the chase as long as he remains in the top 30 drivers in points. NASCAR's Sprint Cup drivers will take next weekend off before the Saturday night race at Richmond, Virginia on April 26th.
I was shocked Thursday night when Dave Letterman announced he was planning on stepping down from the Late Show sometime in 2015. He said he had met with CBS officials earlier in the day to advise them of his decision.
As I think back on this move, I believe I am in a position where I have seen the late night format from its earliest program to the current state. During the black and white days of television, Steve Allen was the original host of the 'Tonight Show' on NBC and he was followed by Jack Parr. Johnny Carson followed Parr and set the standard for late night comedy and variety. It was Carson who opened the door for Letterman by bringing him back time and again for national exposure. Letterman was given a late, late show on NBC following Carson and was being groomed as the successor to Johnny, BUT when the time came Jay Leno was given the job and Letterman was left hanging..... Enter CBS.
I worked for CBS and was with their affiliate in Sherman/Denison at this time. The network took advantage of all of its affiliate stations being at the Jerry Lewis Telethon in Las Vegas to make the announcement. A previous attempt at late night programming with Pat Sajack was not working out and CBS signed Letterman for the gig. He has grown comfortable with the position and even enjoys making joke about CBS and New York City politicians. It's the entertainment community that really embraces Letterman and they have provided some great moments in TV. From Farrah Fawcett to Madona, they have all been on the set with Dave...and who can forget the night Drew Barrymore bared her breast to Dave and the expression on his face?
Dave scared the entire nation with his health problems over the years. He made fun of undergoing a colonoscopie and it has since become a routine procedure for all. In 2000 Letterman had by-pass surgery to his heart and friends like Bill Murray and Jerry Seinfeld filled in for him while he recuperated.
When he returned to the air Seinfeld was in the midst of a monologue and Dave simply walked out... Jerry turned to him and said, "I thought you died." It was one of the classic moments of the program.
Thursday night Dave combined his time at NBC and CBS and said he had been behind the late night desk for 34 of his 68 years and it was time to hang 'em up. He has not always seen the same side of a political situation as I, but he has never failed to make me see the humorous side of it. Democrat, Republican, or Independent, we can all agree on one thing... Letterman has proved Johnny Carson right and he has been one hell of a late night host. Thanks Dave.
Good Night Kids !!
UPDATE as of 4/10/2014: CBS has named Stephen Colbert as the replacement for Letterman
Colbert has been a regular on the Comedy Channel and before that was a writer & performer on John Stewart's Daily Show. Letterman announced last week he would step down sometime in 2015.
Texoma HD will celebrate its annual Birthday Bash on April 4th and 5th. It will be a great affair with live music, food, demo rides, and .... Well let me pause and let the TV commercial tell you more. They can usually do a better job.....
I really look forward to the demo rides. Riders will get the chance to ride as many models as they wish, so if you are trying to decide between a touring model and a softail, this is the event for you. In the past I have been perfectly content with the bike I owned, BUT one ride on a newer and different model, and I came home with a new bike.
This is my 2006 Road Glide and I bought it on the spur of the moment but it turned out to be a super bike. It was Cobalt Blue with silver accent lines from the factory, but I did the pin-stripping in orange to make it different from others. Vida Loca in Bonham, Texas air-brushed the skulls on the saddlebags.
Hope to see you at the Birthday Bash !
We got a new dog yesterday... Roxie is 13 weeks old and growing daily. She will join Sarge in guarding our backyard. Sarge is almost eleven years old and I thought it was time to start grooming his successor. The Sergeant has been with us since he was eight weeks old. He grew exceedingly fast and now tops the scales at just over 120 pounds.
He was our first 'big' dog as we have always been partial to terriers. We still have the two inside terriers, a Wire-Haired Fox Terrier and a Schnauzer. Everyone tells me they are not suppose to like each other but our two play and frolic from early morning until its night-night time.
The Schnauzer is Cosmo and the Fox is Lillie and as you can see, they are a handful.
The new German Shephard is Roxie and she was originally adopted by another couple,.. but living in an apartment was not the right situation for this girl. They hated to lose her but we promised to provide a good place for her to grow up and be part of our family. She and the Sarge seemed to like each other at first meeting.
Sarge is starting to slow down in his daily activities and maybe Roxie can learn a few things from him in his remaining time. I fixed her first meal with Gravy Train and she crunched it up like she had been eating it all of her life.
Sarge has been living the single life since Emma died three years ago. They were also a good match,..Emma being part Boxer. We saved her from a rescue club that had just about given up on her being adopted. She was a very good dog and loved being a proxy mom for Sarge when we got him.
Roxie will have some big shoes to fill as Sarge has been a great watch-dog for us. Strangers and the city meter-readers are intimidated by just his glaring look. In all the dogs I have owned over the years, this will be my first German Shephard, but I have heard nothing but good comments about them. Roxie is off to a good start as Momma already has her 'sitting' for a dog biscuit.
She loves to run and play...and our big backyard is a match made in heaven. Looks like it going to be a good relationship.
I know you have heard this story from me before, but the actions of the National Collegiate Athletic Association this week simply endorses what I have said for many years. SMU is judged on a different level than other schools. Cheating will not be tolerated in amateur athletics and with that I totally agree...but SMU did nothing that Texas or Texas A&M (or many other schools) did back in the 1980's.... BUT the NCAA needed a small school to make an example of. They would never screw with the big state-supported schools and lose out on all the revenue they generate. So in 1986 they stripped SMU of their football team with the death penalty. It would be a move costing SMU an additional season in 1987, and ultimately the demise of the historic Southwest Conference. It would be 25 years before SMU had a football season worthy of being rewarded with a bowl game.
Now the SMU basketball team is the recipient of the NCAA's wrath once again. Despite posting a record of 23 wins and 9 losses this season, the Mustangs were passed over for the 64 team field in the NCAA Tournament. Teams that did make the tournament DESPITE having the same record or worse than SMU are listed below.
2014 NCAA Tournament
Eastern Regional:
Coastal Carolina 21-12
Memphis 23-9
North Carolina 23-9
Providence 23-11
Milwaukee 21-13
Southern Regional:
Colorado 23-11
Tulsa 21-12
Dayton 21-10
Western Michigan 23-9
Stanford 21-12
Western Regional:
Oklahoma State 21-12
Weber State 19-11
Oklahoma 23-9
Nebraska 19-12
La Lafayette 23-11
Oregon 23-9
American Univ 20-12
Midwest Regional:
Kansas State 20-12
Texas 23-10
Wofford 20-12
Remember too that SMU was the 23rd ranked team in the country and had defeated three (3) top ten teams this season. Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown was devastated by the news as over one thousand fans, players, coaches, and media watched the selection results over a giant screen at Moody Coliseum.
It has been thirteen years since a nationally ranked team DID NOT make the NCAA Tournament.... So why now? SMU will play in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) and has been placed in the number one overall ranking in their bracket. The headquarters of the NCAA is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and I wouldn't piss on it if it was on fire. They are simply a money-making organization and the welfare of college athletics are far from their aim.
Coach Brown took the news optimistically and immediately looked ahead to the NIT games.
The Mustangs will have the home court in their first round game of the NIT... and they have a record of 10-1 on the home floor.
UPDATE: SMU won their first game of the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) Wednesday night, defeating the University of California at Irvine by the score of 68-54. The win by the tournament's number one ranked team moves the Ponies' record to 24-9 this season. It was also the first post-season win for coach Larry Brown in 26 years. SMU was led by Cannen Cunningham with 17 points.
Ben Moore also added 11 points in the victory. SMU will take the weekend off before facing Louisiana State University in a second round game Monday night.
UPDATE: SMU defeated Louisiana State 80-67 Monday night in a second round game of the NIT.
The Mustangs displayed their 5th rated defense to smoother the Tigers in the second half while shooting 67% from the floor. SMU got 16 points each from Nick Russell and Nic Moore to improve their record to 25-9 this season and 10-1 when playing at home. They will now face the University of California Wednesday night in a third round contest. Cal defeated Arkansas to advance in the tournament.
UPDATE: SMU defeated the University of California 67-65 Wednesday night to punch their ticket to the Final Four of the National Invitational Tournament in New York City. Nic Moore hit a 3-point shot with 12 seconds to play to eliminate the Golden Bears.
Markus Kennedy led SMU in scoring with 19 points and strong rebounding under the boards. The win was the 11th in 12 contests inside Moody Coliseum on the SMU campus, but now the Ponies are headed for Madison Square Garden in New York and the NCAA Final Four will be in Arlington, Texas. Who is smiling now NCAA?
UPDATE: SMU continued it's winning ways by downing Clemson 65-59 in Tuesday night's semi-final game of the National Invitational Tournament.
The Tigers actually led by 12 at the half, but a strong defense by SMU in the second half ended their season. The Mustangs were led by Markus Kennedy, who had 21 points and 9 rebounds in the winning effort. SMU will play Minnesota on Thursday night for the NIT Championship. The Golden Gophers won over Florida State 65-62 in their semi-final game.
UPDATE: The Championship Game of the National Invitational Tournament lived up to advance billing as the lead changed hands 17 times in the game. Neither SMU or Minnesota ever got more than a four point lead over the other. With five seconds to play it was still not settled, but Minnesota prevails over the Mustangs 65-63 to win the NIT Title.
SMU got 17 points from Nic Moore and Nick Russell added 15 more. The Ponies end their season with 27 wins and 10 losses. Congrats to the Golden Gophers on the win.
We celebrated Saint Patrick's Day on Saturday at Texoma Harley-Davidson...and it was a huge success. Most of the new models of HD motorcycles were on display and available for riders to test ride. Despite a rainy day forecast, the weather held off until late afternoon and the riders came out.
The dealership has undergone a lot of cosmetic changes over the past year, so if you haven't visited us lately, you need to do so. The girls at the table were the first to greet visitors to the dealership and direct them to the various departments of Texoma HD.
Jeffrey came all the way from Venus, Texas to be with us on Saint Patty's Day. If you remember the old television show 'Barney,' Jeffrey played the part of BJ, the smaller dinosaur who was Barney's friend. Rusty (red beard) works in the parts department of Texoma Harley and was the hit of the day with his costume.
J B and his crew from Ringtail Bar-B-Q took on the task of feeding the crowd and came through with flying colors once again. His 'pulled pork' is to die for, and the side dishes are equal to the meat. Check out the green mashed potatoes to commemorate the Irish holiday.
'Spur 503' provided the musical entertainment for the crowd and performed super, as usual. The band plays a blend of light rock and country music, and they are a regular at Loose Wheels Club, behind Texoma Medical Center.
The girls in the Motor Clothes Department were dressed for the occasion and decked out in green to avoid getting pinched. From the left, Jill, AnneMarie, and Ashley pose for a great shot. Robin and Cathy showed up later and missed out on the photo op. They were also wearing green tee shirts so I didn't get to pinch them either. Sometimes a guy just can't get a break.
Momma was busy at the sewing machine most of the day as riders wanted patches applied to vests and jackets. She had a green bandana and elf ears, BUT her tee shirt came from the HD dealership in Dublin, Ireland. You can't get any more Irish than that!
Momma did take a break for a photo op with Jeffery. Needless to say, he can't wear clothes off the rack, so they agreed on a plan to alter and create some clothes for him in the future.
It was a great day and we appreciate the turnout. Our next big shindig will be April 5th when we celebrate our Birthday Bash at Texoma Harley-Davidson... Make your plans now.
