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When you mention his name most people will have a puzzled look on their face,...but actor Burton Gilliam has been in over a dozen motion pictures, various television shows, and a ton of commercials. He brought Pace Pacante Sauce a ton of sales with his line about the foreign pacante sauce being made in New York City...and he cries, "New York City?...Get a rope!"
His most famous scene came in the movie 'Blazing Saddles' with Gene Wilder and Cleavon Little. The cowboys are all gathered around the campfire eating beans when nature takes its course.
Actually it was an all-star cast with names like Harvey Korman, Madelin Kahn, Slim Pickens, and Alex Karras also being featured performers. Denison's own John Hillerman also had a part in the flick, but would become prominent later in the TV series 'Magnum P.I. He was the guy who was Magnum's boss.
Back to the point of this posting,.. Burton Gilliam now does TV commercials for several area auto dealerships.. Remember the line, 'We don't care how you get here,..just get here?' That's Burton !
Burton was also in 'Paper Moon' with Ryan O'Neal... That was his first picture and impressed the director and producers with his natural Texas accent and sense of humor.
He has worn those same chaps for almost fifteen years and they are starting to come apart. A mutual friend of ours brought Burton to our house for a fitting for a new pair of chaps. My wife is a seamstress without peer. If it can be made out of any material, my wife can do it, and most of the time without a pattern to work by.
Burton came by for a fitting and three weeks later came by to pick up the finished product.
The next time they update his commercials for the dealerships look for the newer chaps. They are lighter than his old ones as they are made from buffalo hide. Momma reinforced all of the stress points and he seemed to be extremely pleased with the outcome.
Not only did he like the chaps but now we are almost buddies. We are going to have lunch sometime soon,...IF he can find the time in his busy schedule.
It was suppose to be one of the biggest mismatches in the long and storied series between these two schools. Odds-makers in Las Vegas had installed the Oklahoma Sooners as a three touchdown favorite over the Texas Longhorns... but a funny thing happened on the way to the Fair (literally).
As the State Fair of Texas surrounded the Cotton Bowl in a sea of fun and adventure, the two rivals collided again in a yearly battle that dates back to 1900. In a vote of college football coaches this rivalry is only topped by two others, Michigan & Ohio State, and Army vs Navy. Texas has a lead in the overall series with 61 victories, compared to 44 for Oklahoma, with 5 games ending in a tie. Since World War II the series has been more competitive with Texas winning 35 times, Oklahoma 33 times, and the two battled to a tie on 3 occasions.
The Sooners came into the game unbeaten in four outings and ranked number ten in the latest coaches poll. It is said you can never predict the outcome in a rivalry of this magnitude and maybe that is true...but Texas was coming off a 50-7 drubbing by TCU last week and was determined to turn their season around at the expense of the Sooners. A solid drive on their first possession and then another score off an Oklahoma turnover and the Steers found themselves on top 14-0 as the first quarter came to an end.
The Texas defense was determined to hold down the high octane offense of OU and they accomplished their mission completely.. Texas held Oklahoma to just 67 yards rushing while Longhorn runners went crazy with 313 yards rushing.
Texas Head Coach Charlie Strong has been under fire over the past few weeks as his team has suffered big losses at home and on the road. Quarterback Tyron Swoopes lost his job to freshman Jerrod Heard and maybe that was the catalyst in Saturday's game. The running and throwing of Heard gave the Steers the early momentum. He finished with 115 yards passing the ball and 21 yards on the ground. To say that Texas planned to run the ball against the vaulted defense of OU would be an understatement. The Longhorns ran the ball 58 times and went to the air on 12 ocassions. The longest run of the day came in the third quarter when it looked like Oklahoma might be on the verge of a comeback. Texas tailback D'Onta Foreman burst through for an 81 yard run to the OU ten yard line that put away any hopes for an OU comback.
It goes into the books as the first Texas-OU victory for Coach Charlie Strong, and might have saved his job in Austin. Texas blue-bloods had starting thinking they might have the wrong man for the job after three straight losses, but Saturday's 24-17 win has put him back on the top of the mountain for Texas fans. Strong admitted after the game he had received a phone call from former Texas Coach Mack Brown telling him to 'keep battling' and not to give up his long range plans.
The job as Head Coach at Texas is arguably one of the top five positions in the country... and Strong has a number of young players fighting for him and the pride of Texans everywhere.. Note Texas Governor Greg Abbott on the sidelines rooting for his Horns.
All Photos courtesy of the Dallas Morning News
Saturday (October 3rd) the City of Denison held it's annual 'Fall Festival' on Main Street in the downtown area. Main and cross streets were marked off by police and thousands poured out to visit the various booths on display. Any kind of food you can think of was there for your enjoyment, as well as many different organizations wanting your support for their efforts...
You could walk the entire five block area and not see any space between the vendors. What you are looking at is the many different tents erected in the middle of the street. There were also vendors set up on the curbs on each side of the street.
My main reason for attending the festival each year is the car show they always have. As you can probably figure out from previous postings, I have a distinct fondness for cars.... especially older cars.
This is a 1933 Plymouth 5-window coupe.. Ford and Chevy usually dominate the Hot Rod field, so it was nice to see a Plymouth. Really a nice looking coupe and I especially liked those custom made headers.
Dot brings her 1939 Ford Coupe to the show every year and I always take time to view it. I love the fact she keeps it as original as possible. That 85-horsepower flathead engine was a stroke of genius by Henry Ford. Plenty of power and sounded great through a set of glass-pak mufflers. Ford made this engine from 1932 through 1953.
I remember this car from one of the car shows at Texoma Harley-Davidson in years past. It is a 1937 Chevrolet Coupe and is so clean you could eat off of it. It came from the factory with a 216 cubic inch 6-cylinder engine, but now sports a 350 cubic inch V8...and small details are really finished off nicely in this car.
Proving that you are never too old to learn something is this pick-up on display Saturday...It is a 1927 Ford Model T.. See the owner sitting inside? I struck up a conversation with him and he became the instructor. I figured the truck would have the same transmission as the cars of that period.....WRONG!
Take note there is no gear shifter on the floor!... and that lever to the far left is not an emergency brake. Observe the three pedals on the floor. The pedal on the left is first gear (or low).. once the truck gets moving, the lever is pushed all the way forward to shift into high gear. The middle pedal is used for reverse and the pedal on the right is for braking. A lever under the steering wheel was used for throttle control.
And this is the original 4-cylinder engine that came in the Model T Pick-Up.. Very basic, but if you stop to think about it, it was at the top of technology charts for its day.
A 1923 Ford T-Bucket Roadster...and a really impressive one at that. A lot of these old car are fiberglass kit cars, but I think this one was all metal.
1932 Ford 5-Window Coupe... The owner drove it up from Arlington this morning to be in the show. I talked with him for a few minutes about this fine looking ride. He has owned it since he was fourteen years old and sold the original 'roadster' body and kept the chassis. About ten years ago he decided to build a coupe and remembered he still had this frame and front end sitting in the grass behind his shop. BAZINGA!!.. Now he has this fine ride.
1939 Cadillac LaSalle...and powered by a 409 cubic inch Chevrolet engine putting out 400 horsepower with an automatic transmission. The interior is sort of a horsehide material almost identical to the stuff that came from the factory. This car is also owned by a woman and she drives it daily.
I have admired this car for a long time... It is a 1950 Chevrolet Deluxe 2-door sedan...and looks like it just rolled off the assembly line. Everything about it looks like brand new and it is authentic right down to the heater,..which was an option in 1950. I owned a 1950 Chevy business coupe my senior year in high school and it was the talk of the school..
Another extremely clean representative... This is a 1947 Chevrolet Fleetmaster.. top of the line for the day. A Chevy 350 V8 powers this ride down the road with ease. I especially like the way he has 'frenched' the headlights, and kept the stock grille that was so prevalent on the 1946, 47, and 48 Chevys.. The interior was just as clean as the outside of this beauty.
There was also plenty of Mustangs and Chevy Nova's as well as newer cars in the show, BUT I am an old school guy and these were the cars that I really enjoy seeing brought back to life. The weather was super and nothing like two years ago when it was a cold and damp day. Thank You Lord !
I was really disappointed in the turnout for this car show... Evidently some of the participants got upset over the decision to NOT award trophies and the cancellation of the drag racing event.
On the other hand, my thanks to those that did display their cars this time around. Next weekend is the Fall Fest in downtown Denison and that always brings a bunch of vintage autos for display on Main Street.
This weekends event was scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, but I only took in the Sunday display and just a few cars were on the grass at Forest Park.
This 1932 Ford Roadster greeted us as soon as we found a parking place (there was plenty of parking since so few car owners turned out). This car was on display last year and still looks like a million bucks. Chevy powered, dropped front axle, and disc brakes all the way around,..just some of the great features on this ride.
This '32 three-window coupe is owned by a woman and she drove it up from Dallas for this show. She told me she had just returned from a trip to Kentucky in this car and it rode like a dream. Yes,..those are air-conditioning ports on the dash. A 5 liter Mustang engine is couple to a four-speed transmission to power this excellent ride down the highway in style.
Praise the Lord!... It's a 1955 Chevrolet!! My favorite year of all time. I had a '55 in high school and still kick myself for letting it get away.
This one is a daily driver as well as a frequent visitor to the drag strip. Jacked up in front to help with the weight transfer coming off the line.. and check the lettering right below Grice Machine Shop..
A 327 cubic inch engine! I have rebuilt about half a dozen of these engines and they really are strong pullers. Nice looking headers and Mallory ignition. Ram intake with after-market carburetor definitely makes this a fast-lane Chevy.
If you saw any of the hot rod movies of the 1950's you will remember this one.. Seems like every hot rod teenager of the '50s had to have a 1950 Mercury with a chopped top.
This one was not only chopped, but lowered extremely low. Skirts and flamed paint job really makes this ride stand out in a crowd. Headlights and taillights were both given the 'Frenched' effect.
A 1970 Oldsmobile 442... This was an extremely clean car. I'll bet he spent hours shining on this jewel in the early morning hours. Lots of chrome contrasting with the basic black and white colors really were impressive.
And yes that is the original 455 cubic inch Olds engine that came in the car. Obviously, the owner has added quite a bit of chrome goodies to make this engine compartment one to be proud of. Nice and neat work on arranging all the wiring and hoses around the engine bay.
At quick glance I thought this was a 1948 Cadillac Coupe, but it is a 1947 Mercury Coupe...and that is a '48 Caddy grille. The car was a deep metallic green in color and you could not tell it without seeing the sun shine directly on it.
The interior of the Merc had a nice camel color to blend with the dark green and the combination was super. I especially liked the original pedals on the floor and the instrument panel just as they came from the factory. Good looking ride !
I saved my favorite of the day until last, and I chose it over the '32 coupe and roadster only because of its rarity. You just don't see these cars everyday...or in just any car show.
This is a 1940 Oldsmobile Coupe... Just about all GMC models (Chevrolet, Cadillac, Olds, Buick, and Pontiac) shared this basic design, but each had its own little details.
The two-tone paint is separated by orange pin striping and the colors were super and deep. I like that the owner kept the running boards on the side of the car also. The coupe was really impressive and the owner drove it down from Sand Springs, Oklahoma to be a part of the show.
Chevy short block and really dressed out well. The manufacture's identification plate on the firewall is also a neat touch.
Thanks again to the car owners for bringing out their rides for others to see and enjoy. It's always a joy for me and my family to see the older model cars and a chance for me to show the grandchildren the difference between the junk on the road today...and the way real cars used to be.
2015 Dallas Cowboys Roster
As we prepare for the 2015 regular season of the National Football League,..all teams have reduced their rosters to 53 players. The Dallas Cowboys released over a dozen this weekend to attain the 53 man limit. This is the way they will look heading into the Sunday night opener against the New York Giants.
In 2014 I was happily mistaken when I picked Dallas to be 9-7 for the season, but I was probably not the only one surprised when the Boys finished 12-4. They might have gone even farther if not for that call in the Green Bay game ( I promised I would not lose my temper over that call again.)
Dallas will open the season with only two quarterbacks on the roster. Tony Romo will start and Brandon Weeden will back up.
On Tuesday (September 22nd) the Cowboys made a trade with the Buffalo Bills for veteran quarterback Matt Cassell. He has been in the NFL for eleven years and played with Minnesota and Kansas City before Buffalo. With Romo out for the next seven games due to a broken collar bone, Cassell is listed as Weeden's back-up,..but may challenge for the position.
A lot has been made over the free agency loss of DeMarco Murray since last season. The Cowboys plan to fill the running back spot with a 'committee approach.' Over the weekend Dallas sent a 7th round draft pick to Seattle for Christine Micheal, a three year veteran with little playing time for the Seahawks. He will join Joseph Randle, Darren McFadden, and Lance Dunbar in the group effort at tailback. All of them will follow Tyler Clutts from his fullback spot.
#30 is Christine Michael, who hardly touched the ball in his two years with the Seahawks. The former Texas A&M star is 5'10'' and tips the scales at 220 pounds. I foresee him as a front runner in the Cowboys 'group effort' at the tailback spot.
A couple of new faces will also join the receiving corp for Dallas in 2015. Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams, and Cole Beasley return, and rookies Devin Street and Lucky Whitehead made the team. Look for Whitehead to be used to receive kickoffs and punts.
On Tuesday (9-15-2015) Dallas traded for Oakland Raiders wide receiver Brice Butler. He will help fill the void created when Dez Bryant broke his foot in the season opening WIN over the NY Giants. Bryant is expected to be out for 6-8 weeks. If Butler plays in 5 games this season Dallas will give up a 5th round draft pick in 2016.
At tight end there is no one better than Jason Witten, and he returns for a 14th year. He will be joined by James Hanna, Gavin Escobar, and rookie Geoff Swaim from the University of Texas.
The offensive line has gotten a lot of publicity over the last year with just about all publications predicting them to walk on water in 2015. With all the number one draft picks among them, they might just be able to do that. Travis Frederick will anchor the line at center, while Zack Martin, Ron Leary, and Mackenzy Bernadeau will play guard. La'el Collins, Doug Free, Tyron Smith, and Darrion Weems fill out the tackles.
Okay,... Just making sure I still had your attention!! Let's move over to defense, which I thought was a real weak spot for Dallas in 2014...especially in the secondary.
The Cowboys used their top pick in the NFL college draft to fill that need when they picked Byron Jones out of the University of Connecticut. Jones can play safety or cornerback, but remember he is a rookie and will need some learning time. Corey White, Tyler Patmon, Morris Claiborne, and Brandon Carr will play on the corners, while Barry Church, Jeff Heath, Danny McCray, and J.J. Wilcox are the safeties.
Pressure on opposing quarterbacks was a top goal of defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli over the off-season but two of his top players will start the season on the suspension list of the NFL. Defensive end Greg Hardy and linebacker Rolando McClain both will sit out a few games to begin 2015.
The Cowboys will go with Randy Gregory, Jack Crawford, DeMarcus Lawrence, Jeremy Mincy, and Ryan Russell at defensive end to begin the season. The interior tackles will be Nick Hayden, Tyrone Crawford, Devon Coleman, Terrell McClain, and Ken Bishop. They will have to man the battle stations until Hardy and Rolando return on October 5th.
Linebacker has been a position filled with injuries for Dallas over the past couple of seasons, so they open the 2015 year with six of them. Andrew Gachkar, Anthony Hitchens, Keith Smith, Kyle Wilber, Damien Wilson, and Sean Lee, who has missed most of the past two years with knee operations. As of Monday (9-7-2015) the Cowboys released linebacker Jasper Brinkley to make room for offensive tackle Jordan Mills, who they claimed off the waiver wire of the Chicago Bears.
Familiar faces will man the specialty positions for Dallas as Dan Bailey will handle the kick-offs, Chris Jones the punting, and L.P. LaDouceur is again the long snapper.
That is the 53 man roster to begin the season, but Dallas is not counting guard Chaz Green, who tore up a knee in training camp and can't play yet. Linebacker Mark Nzeocha is being carried as a non-football related injury, and of course, veteran cornerback Orlando Scandrick is out for the season with a torn ACL muscle.
For the past four and a half years the Cowboys have been under the guidance of Head Coach Jason Garrett, and he has a record of 42 wins and 32 losses. This years team has the 'potential' to be his best yet, BUT you will never see me inside of a casino because I am not a gambler. There is a lot riding on the play of one or two players, and other players are unknown quantities.
While history will show me to be a dedicated Dallas Cowboy fan dating back to 1960, I just can't see them anywhere close to the 12-4 record of 2014. Hopefully, I am wrong, but I see this years team as a 10-6 group and maybe that is good enough for the NFC Eastern Division Championship. Good Luck Dallas! Go 'Boys !
2015 N.F.L. Season
Sept 13th Dallas 27 New York Giants 20 (1-0)
Sept 20th Dallas 20 Philadelphia 10 (2-0)
Sept 27th Dallas 28 Atlanta 39 (2-1)
Oct 4th Dallas 20 New Orleans 26 OT (2-2)
Oct 11th Dallas 6 New England 30 (2-3)
Oct 18th Open Date== No Game
Oct 25th Dallas 20 NY Giants 27 (2-4)
Nov 1st Dallas 12 Seattle 13 (2-5)
Nov 8th Dallas 27 Philadelphia 33 OT (2-6)
Nov 15th Dallas 6 Tampa Bay 10 (2-7)
Nov 22nd Dallas 24 Miami 14 (3-7)
Nov 26th Dallas 14 Carolina 33 (3-8)
Dec 7th Dallas 19 Washington 16 (4-8)
Dec 13th Dallas 7 Green Bay 28 (4-9)
Dec 19th Dallas 16 NY Jets 19 (4-10)
Dec 27th Dallas 6 Buffalo 16 (4-11)
Jan 3rd Dallas 23 Washington 34 (4-12)
