Going to war with writer’s block and a ticking deadline

So, we meet again, my old nemesis! The blank page and the deadline – archenemies of writers everywhere across all time.

It has been a while since we’ve clashed. Life has been very interesting since I last stared at an empty sheet with no earthly idea what I want to say. I’ve spent a lot of time lately talking about sports, so I want to give that a rest this week. I could talk about politics, but that’s been too wrapped up in sports or vice versa.

So here we sit – me with my fog-addled brain and you with your stinking, blinking cursor. Since you absolutely refuse to make words on your own I must do all the heavy lifting myself. Speaking of heavy lifting, I spent Sunday at the Texas Renaissance Festival with my son Colton. I’m working on a story about the men of iron who entertain us each week in the jousting arena. We took advantage of the day to celebrate my wife’s birthday.

Actually, it wasn’t much of a celebration. Sandy and our two oldest sons, Wesley and Luke, work at the Renaissance Festival, so the best we could do was pop in and out every once and a while and say hi. The celebration will come sometime this week. For now, it was enough for us to be there.

I did something Sunday I’ve never done in all the years I’ve been attending TRF – I wore my Lone Ranger costume. Now wait, before you get on my case about the Lone Ranger not being a renaissance period character, keep in mind that it was the first ever Heroes and Villains weekend at TRF. There were many more costumes much more modern than mine.

Even the jousters got into the superhero act with Superman, Wonder Woman and Thor taking on Doctor Doom, the Terminator and the Count of Monte Cristo. If you want to know how it turns out you’ll have to read my story next week. There will be no spoilers here!

Speaking of spoilers, that reminds me that we have a new Star Wars movie coming out in about a month. Honestly, I’ve got a bad feeling about this one. I don’t like what I’ve seen in the movie trailers so far. They hint at Luke turning to the Dark Side. The imagery and tone are very different than any Star Wars movie before it. I hope I’m wrong, but I’m going in with very low expectations for The Last Jedi. (More on that next month.)

So, that leads me back to this blank page and desperately needing a topic before I run out of time. It’s been my experience that nothing pushes a writer (or husband) better than a deadline. I bought Sandy’s gift the day before her birthday. I usually buy her Christmas gifts a day or two before Dec. 25. Here I am trying to write a column the night before it’s due. I’m tired, my brain is fried and I just can’t think of something profound to pontificate about.

Quite often at this time of year I get upset about the premature presence of Christmas and the over-commercialism of the holiday. While that is a perennial issue with me, I have to admit that this year, for the first time in a very long time, I’m actually looking forward to Christmas. I can’t explain why my mood and attitude have changed, they just have.

My mood may yet sour, however, if I can’t find anything to write about this week. I’m rapidly running out of time and I just can’t take a week off. I’ve got to write about something. I guess I could hang up a “gone fishing” sign, but I went fishing two weekends ago.

My lifelong friend, Kevin McConnell, invited me to join him and some of his buddies on his boat on Sabine Lake. We had a blast catching redfish. It just didn’t feel right throwing back fish that were too big to keep (they had to be under 28 inches). I caught the biggest fish of my life and had to let them go. Still, we easily caught our limit and had an amazing time doing it.

So, that brings me back to this blasted blank page. As much as I want to stay away from sports, it’s tempting to welcome Pete Incaviglia as the new manager of the Sugar Land Skeeters. I met him last week and I really like him. From what I’ve learned about him, I think Skeeters fans can expect to see an aggressive and fun brand of baseball this spring.

Thinking of the Skeeters, the Star teamed up with the Skeeters in the 8^th annual Great Grown-Up Spelling Bee to benefit the Literacy Council of Fort Bend County. In the bee, teams of three players compete. We made it to the second round, which is further than the Skeeters did last year. It’s also further than I have ever gone in a spelling bee. I was in one once in elementary school and went out on the first word. It was one of my greatest Charlie Brown moments!

It’s safe to say the Achilles heel of this journalist is most definitely spelling. Thank God for spell check features on computers! How I made it through the pre-spell check era of newspapers I’ll never know. I can tell you I’ve thoroughly worn out a couple paperback dictionaries.

Alas, that brings me back to this blank page. Seeing how my time is up, I’m going to have to submit this for publication. I’m sorry if I’ve wasted your time getting to this point. In the meantime, if you have any topic ideas, please feel free to share them with me.

Astros highlight spectacular year for Houston

Houston strong!

History earned!

World champions!

What’s not to love about the story of Houston, Texas, in 2017? It’s been an amazing ride with the city hosting both the Super Bowl and the World Series in the same year.

Think back to January when the Houston Texans defeated the Oakland Raiders 27-14 in a playoff game and advanced to the divisional round, capping a 9-7 regular season and the AFC South title. A few weeks later Houston hosted Super Bowl LI, which proved to be the most exciting game in the 51-year history of the NFL championship game. The heavily favored New England Patriots fell way behind the Atlanta Falcons, only to come back and win it in overtime. The Patriots were down 28-3 late in the third quarter, but won 34-28 behind the arm of Tom Brady.

Houston hosted the biggest Super Bowl event in history with huge festivals, concerts and activities that will have a memorable and lasting impact on the city.

As we moved into spring, baseball began to percolate. The Astros took off on an astronomical start to the season. Locally, we celebrated the Sugar Land Skeeters 2016 championship with their ring ceremony. On the sports front, Houston has been enjoying the limelight this year. Nationally, however, storm clouds of racial and political unrest began tearing at the country’s seams. Just when it seemed things were about to get ugly, Hurricane Harvey hit. Although the storm came ashore south of us, it lingered for days and dumped up to 50 inches of rain, causing the worst flooding in Houston’s history. This is where Houston’s character and strength began to surface.

All discriminating factors of race, religion, ethnicity, etc., were thrown out as we all came together and rose to the challenge of survival and recovery. Houston discovered a resilience, strength and unity that have always been at the heart of the community but it came bursting forth in unimaginable ways. We showed a nation struggling to get along what it means to come together. In our darkest moment we found our finest hour.

New heroes arose in the form of a furniture salesman, a football player and hundreds of guys with fishing boats. Stories known and private have been etched upon the pillars of strength and unity that now define our town – H-town. All the while we turned our attention – as we normally do that time of year – to football. The Houston Texans, under the leadership of J.J. Watt, were instrumental in recovery efforts and, more importantly, in bringing the city together.

Meanwhile, the Astros continued to churn along as a force in baseball every bit as mighty as the storm that brought death and destruction to the Bayou City. Not only did the Astros rise to meet the challenges of Harvey, but they did it without losing steam on their way to recording 101 regular season wins.

In a city filled with a history of sports letdowns and the weight of Harvey heavy on our hearts, the Astros offered a glimmer of greatness. The Astros bandwagon took the city like a bullet train. Longsuffering fans painted the town orange as the Astros took charge of three of the Major League Baseball’s most storied franchises. First to fall were the Boston Red Sox. Next up were the New York Yankees. Finally, we faced the Dodgers – the team with the best record in baseball.

The Astros took the Dodgers in seven games ­­– seven wild, heart-stopping, adrenaline-pumping games. And then we danced in their house.

With the exception of a few, rare postseason trips, the Astros have been a poster child for baseball futility. It took the franchise 10 years before experiencing a winning season. Their first trip to the World Series in 2005 ended in a 4-0 sweep by the Chicago White Sox. They lost more than 100 games a season for three years from 2011-2013, going 162-324. They were a dismal 70-92 in 2014 when Sports Illustrated did the cover story predicting the Astros would win the 2017 World Series. Well, here we are and that they did!

Thank you and congratulations to manager A.J. Hinch and players Jose Altuve, George Springer, Carlos Correa, Dallas Keuchel, Justin Verlander and the rest of the team for making #HoustonStrong and #AstrosGreat!

With just under two months to go, there is still plenty of history to be made in Houston’s stellar year of 2017.

It doesn’t have to be sports history, but it could be. The Texans are 3-5 and have suffered several season-ending injuries, including Watt’s broken leg and now Deshaun Watson’s torn ACL. The road ahead will be hard for the Texans, but the AFC South is still wide open with half the season left to go. It’s time to man-up and move on. The Astros earned it. The Texans must make it happen.

Aside from football and baseball, the Houston Rockets are off to a fast start and have the potential to be a powerhouse team this year. And let us not forget Houston’s other orange team, the Houston Dynamo. They are in the playoffs and could bring more glory to H-Town.

I don’t think a major city in this country has ever had so much potential for sports glory than Houston does right now. Let’s do this thing! Let’s show the world just how #HoustonStrong we are!

NFL players disrespect America when they take a knee during anthem

Apparently I spoke too soon.

A month ago I wrote a column about the Houston Texas surpassing the Denver Broncos as my favorite sports team. It was a reaction to a number of off-the-field actions – primarily kneeling during the national anthem – that irritated me. I was proud that the Texans refused to take a knee while the anthem was played, unlike many players and teams in the NFL, including the Broncos.

All of that changed Sunday when most of the Texans kneeled during the anthem in protest of comments team owner Robert McNair made during an owner’s meeting last week. My respect for the Texans took a serious nosedive when that happened. My respect for the NFL in general is tanking fast.

The protest arose after McNair was quoted as saying, “we can’t have the inmates running the prison” during an owner’s meeting to discuss player protests during the national anthem. Since then, McNair has issued two public apologies and has said he was not referring to his players as inmates.

I fully support the right of players to free speech and to make statements about various issues. It’s encouraging to know that the players feel strongly enough about important social issues to want to make a public statement.

I completely and wholeheartedly disagree with their chosen form of protest. Kneeling, or taking a knee, during the presentation of the flag and the singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” sends only one clear message – disrespect for the country. It is not an acceptable form of protest. It does not convey any message but disrespect and disapproval of the United States of America, its people and the veterans who sacrificed everything on behalf of this country.

The players can say that they are protesting comments by a team owner or the social injustice of police brutality, but the message they send is directed squarely at America. It’s an insult against you, me, and every person who has served in the military.

I never served in the military, but I am an Eagle Scout. In my 40-plus years as a Scouter I have had a great deal of flag etiquette and patriotism drilled into me. I have studied this subject and taught many boys how to properly salute and care for the flag. Anything done to intentionally besmirch the flag or the anthem serves only to spit in the face of every American and those who gave their lives for our country.

The whole kneeling protest began last year when former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began sitting or kneeling while the anthem was played. He said it was in protest against police brutality, especially against blacks. A small handful of other players joined in his protest.

Earlier this year President Donald Trump created a firestorm about the issue when he tweeted his displeasure with the kneelers. That got a large number of NFL players to take a knee. It was in an owners meeting with league officials to discuss the matter that McNair made his unfortunate remark.

From my perspective, the players who are upset with “John” (representing the source of their protest) responded by kicking “George” (America) in the groin. They keep on kicking George in the hopes that John will reform. These players have followed Kaepernick’s example like so many lemmings off the side of cliff. (Maybe they should call the NFL “Nitwits Following Lemmings.”)

These players have many platforms from which they can make their protest. Former Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon simply wrote “Rozelle” on his headband when he had a beef with the late NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle. He didn’t kneel during the national anthem or try to lead others in a protest. It made his point without insulting anyone else.

Between social media, player interviews, or by following McMahon’s example, the players wishing to make a statement can do so without degrading the very country and the sacrificed lives that gave them the right to protest.

I’ve also noticed that these same players who think it’s OK to disrespect the flag and national anthem do not use the occasion of their player introductions to kneel or make a statement. No, they’d rather bask in their own glory and take a dump on Old Glory.

My advice to these players would be to take a knee at the end of the game, not at the beginning. In the meantime I find myself struggling not only with team loyalty, but with loyalty to the NFL in general. Fortunately we have Major League Baseball to keep things fresh and interesting. If you haven’t noticed for the last couple weeks, the Houston Astros have really given us something to stand and cheer for.

By the time this column appears in print, the Astros will either be world champions or preparing to play Game 7 of the World Series. The way these games have been going, Astros fans are living on the edge of their seats – if they can sit at all! #GoAstros #HoustonStrong

Photos by Max Siker

Houston Texans players kneel during the national anthem Sunday before the game in Seattle. The players were protesting comments made by team owner Robert McNair at an owners meeting earlier in the week.