 |
 |
« June 2006 | Main | August 2006 »
Monday, July 31, 2006 - 23:35:24
On Paul Eells: Nicest guy I ever knew in sports reporting has died
Click here for the state police report on the Paul Eells accident tonight, which claimed the life of the 28-year veteran "Voice of the Razorbacks."
From the report, Eells' Chevy Impala apparently cross the median of I-40 near Russellville and collided head-on with a westbound car.
Many of us older Razorback fans will remember the night in 1974 that Bud Campbell signed off on the sports report and then woke up the next morning to learn that he had been killed in a car wreck just a little later that evening driving on Rodney Parham. Bud and Paul were similar men, though I only knew Bud personally through my parents and was just a teen at the time. Both had that superb baritone voice that made listening to the Razorbacks on radio so much fun.
I've known Eells professional since he arrived in Arkansas to broadcast the UA-Vanderbilt game in 1978, and he stayed in the position as KATV sports director and Voice of the Razorbacks until now, easily the longest tenure of any UA sports broadcaster. I can say, and everyone who ever covered the Razorbacks will agree, that he was the nicest guy and most courteous, friendly guy they'd ever been around.
There will be no one who can adequately fill the roll of yelling "Touchdown Arkansas" quite like Paul did ever again.
Sunday, July 30, 2006 - 22:58:15
Springdale will wait a year for its team
According to this report, the Wichita Wranglers have agreed to play out next season in Wichita before moving to Springdale in 2008, when its new stadium there will be ready. Check out: www.ballparkwatch.com/
Friday, July 28, 2006 - 17:28:19
To do Friday: Faith and Tim
There are still some tickets in the $56 range (the only $86 tickets left wou
ld be late turnbacks by the artists) for the Faith Hill and Tim McGraw Soul2Soul II show tonight at Alltel Arena. Though 8 p.m. is the listed time, we're hearing that you shouldn't expect any singing until 8:30 p.m., though they'll keep you entertained with video screen fun. There is no opening act: the husband-and-wife sing together, sing separately and sing together for two and a half hours, wrapping up at 11 p.m. Call the arena box office at 975-9000.
Take a 'Sideways' trip to Altus
This weekend marks the Altus Grape Festival. Besides it making a good time to stop by the local wineries in the area for free tours, there will be plenty of fun events at City Park in Altus: grape stomps, food, music, crafts, street dances, amateur wine-making contest, Bacchus look-alike contest.
It runs until 11 p.m. tonight and runs from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and admission is free. Take Interstate 40 to exit 41, about an hour and a half to two hours from Little Rock.
J.R. and Henry's Sports Column: Football, and finding balance
J.R. and Henry: Finding balance
Football season is almost here. Schedules are circulating, preseason polls are exploding on the Internet and the SEC Media Days began on Wednesday. We are only a few days from August, which means two-a-days and, hopefully, a better understanding of how the offense will look and who will be lined up under center when Arkansas takes on USC in Fayetteville on Sept. 2.
Unfortunately, we don’t yet have answers to either question right now, which is a tough way to go into a season. We went to Coach Charles Ripley’s tailgate party the other night at the magnificent Stephens Center on the UALR campus to listen to Arkansas quarterback’s coach Alex Wood. The man is impressive. He had a clear understanding of his message and where the strengths and weakness exist on offense. He’s articulate and funny and brightens the room when he speaks.
To go along with Wood’s NFL experience, he has bagged a couple of national championships while serving as an assistant with Miami in the '90s. Wood’s discussion of the Razorback offense, however, did nothing to better our understanding of what we can expect this season. “We need to find balance on offense,” was Wood’s central message. Something that has been said over and over again by all the coaches this offseason.
Arkansas, as we all know, has led the SEC in rushing three of the past four seasons. The Hogs, during that time, also saw Darren McFadden cross the 1,000 yard mark as a freshman, joining the ranks for Herschel Walker, Emmitt Smith and others, as only one of a few freshman to accomplish such a goal in the SEC. Another impressive back, Felix Jones, garnered an All-American accolade as a kick returner. But even with these two impressive backs (and an accomplished run blocking offensive line) the Hogs still finished a dismal and unacceptable 4-7 in 2005.
It was clear that if UA Coach Houston Nutt was not going to be fired at the end of last season, then the Razorbacks needed to find balance, because running the ball, no matter how successfully, did not translate into a winning season. Nutt’s conservative offense and ball control kept Arkansas in games, but never seemed to make the Hogs a threat to score when points were desperately needed.
Coach Wood repeated the phrase “finding balance” several times when talking about the Arkansas offense. While McFadden, Jones and redshirt freshman Michael Smith have not been void of praise, it seems that Wood, in reviewing tape from last season, has come to understand what should seem obvious but apparently hasn’t been to the coaching staff in recent years past: Arkansas has to be able to move the ball in the air to beat good teams.
No one is suggesting that Arkansas is going to implement five-wide receiver sets and toss it 65 times a game, Air Force Academy style per Wally Hall. Those offenses, while fun to watch, have yet to produce a serious BCS championship contender. Wood stated that “you can’t win without running the football.” He’s right, of course. But you can’t win without passing it either.
Most recently, it was good to hear Nutt’s comments at SEC Media Days about the play-calling on offense. Nutt stated “it will go down with Gus calling the plays.” Whew. After the spring game, we weren’t sure what was going to happen with this offense, particularly with the rumors swirling that Malzahn had quit. “To disrupt a play-caller I think is very damaging, where you hurt his rhythm, hurt his train of thought. We won't be trying to veto each play every time he calls a play, to answer your question,” Nutt stated.
But some other comments in the same interview still give us pause on how much the offense is going to be different from last year, or just “tweaked” as Houston is fond of saying and mentioned again at Media Days. Look, we get it that McFadden is a bad mofo. But his badness still only got us 4 wins in Houston’s system last year. Arkansas’s offense doesn’t need tweaking. It needs tossing. And then starting over.
Sadly, that isn’t likely to happen. When asked repeatedly at media days about who was going to be calling the plays, Houston stated over and over that Gus would be calling the plays. But that begs the question. Whose plays is he going to be calling? Nutt noted that the playbook for each game would be put together by the offensive staff at the beginning of the week. “Again, I'm going to go back, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday preparation is done of the first-and-10 calls, third-and-long calls, most of that is done. . . . Everything in line, everything in order as we study. There's not going to be that many surprises. That's the thing about playing-calling. I think sometimes it gets a little bit misconstrued. There's work that was done and preparation. You have an idea on third-and-eight, these are our top three. Third-and-three, these are our top three plays.”
So is Malzahn’s offensive genius going to be watered down to a three-play option given a particular down and distance?
Nothing is going to be fixed with this offense if the coaching staff just adds a few pass plays to the existing play book, and then proclaims triumphantly “We’ve achieved balance!” That’s not the way it works, guys. You can’t just run the ball twice, pass the ball twice, and think that’s going to solve all your problems.
In other words, balance is great, but we’d much prefer it if the Houston and Company would start focusing on variety and imagination in playcalling, something that has been completely missing for six years. That’s what we were hoping Gus would bring to the table, and what we know he would if allowed to run his offense, and not some “tweaked” version of Houston’s failed philosophy.
J.R. and Henry blog their sports column regularly on Little Rocking.
The Mind of Matt: Movies and metal for Friday
Matt Smith of Market Street Cinema and rock touring fame checks in:
MOVIES
"The Heart of the Game" opens today. Stewart Deere from the Arkansas Times is just one of the local film critics that love the movie. Joe Franklin at The Buzz 103.7fm gives it both of his thumbs up. Looks like we are the home of the docs right now. "Wordplay" and "An Inconvenient Truth" are currently playing as well.
"A Prairie Home Companion," which features music much like Hannah Blaylock and Eden's Edge (winners of the Arkansas Times Musicians Showcase) is still on the screen. We have copies of their new CD at the cinema; you should buy a copy and support local music! "The Lost City" and "Water" will end on Thursday, Aug. 3. We open "Scanner Darkly" on Friday, Aug. 4. If you need more info, or you want to sign up for our weekly newsletter go to www.marketstreetcinema.net
We get the newsletter out each week with details on films and other events at Market Street Cinema. Gives us a chance to send you a little write up on the film -- stars, synopsis, running times, that type of thing. Extra Info! We can tell ya about free movies, screenings; we even have special events for our members.
As for other films opening around town:
"MIAMI VICE" - go see it. I thought it was great. Hey, I liked "HEAT," "THIEF"
and "LAST OF THE MOS"! "THE ANT BULLY" -- good for the kiddies. "JOHN TUCKER MUST DIE" is exactly what you will think if you buy a ticket to this thing.
You will want to kill the guy. I promise. Save your time and money. To get some info on those films hit up www.searcycinema.com or www.silverscreencabot.com or even btmcinema.com -- if you are in Hot Springs and can't get on the lake because it is raining ...
METAL
Speaking of the lake and the rain ... I could not hit the wake board today or yesterday. Rain. I know we need the rain. I understand. But, I guess I am just the opposite of everyone else. See, I like the rain on weekends and holidays.
You really can't ride the Hyperlite on weekends and holidays anyway. The weekend warriors are out in force. They are chopping up all of the water. Running around in anything that will float. Anything! Up to the point that it is dangerous. Dangerous to you and those clowns. It is a total waste of time to even try and go. I just skip the pain. What a mess.
But, a good sunny weekday ... YES!
Wednesday was such a day. Now, I got to ride that board. I am looking for the adrenaline rush. Remember, Jim Harris does golf -- I skydive! I know it gets old for Mandi and Julie or whoever is on the COBALT that day to always drive and pull the ski, tube, kneeboard freak. What makes it fun? What makes it METAL? The right tunes, man!
You got to have the right music and it has got to be LOUD! Loud enough to be heard over the boat motor and the wind. You need a hardcore system. I have such a system. Built by none other than DAVID GANN from Audio Express. I got to sing the praises of this sound guru. The man is a TOP 10 (nationwide) custom stereo install tech. XM radio, Sirius radio, Alpine CD head unit, 6 mid-range speakers, 4 huge subs, amps ... the guy works magic with fiber glass. He has had his work featured at CES -- Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and at the Spring Break Nationals in Daytona. HE ROCKS! Give Diamond Dave a call at 501-268-1222 for the boat stereo hook up!
"Kick Start My Heart" -- Matt
Matt Smith blogs at Little Rocking regularly on his two biggest loves in life, outside of Mandi, that is: music and heavy metal music.
Thursday, July 27, 2006 - 15:45:18
R&B pianist Floyd Dixon dies
Living Blues called Floyd Dixon "a musical genius" with "impeccable piano technique." Dixon, a West Coast jump blues and R&B pianist, singer and songwriter, died of kidney failure yesterday in Los Angeles at the age of 77. He was best known for the 1954 song "Hey Bartender" (later popularized by The Blues Brothers).
Alligator Records send out a press release on Dixon's death. It said that Dixon stood alongside Charles Brown, Ray Charles and Arkansas's own Louis Jordan "as one of a few artists who helped transform swing music into rhythm & blues. ... Dixon was one of the true heroes of early R&B and jump blues."
Dixon was born in Marshal, Texas, on Feb. 8, 1929, and his family moved to L.A. when he was 13. The self-taught pianist first recorded for Supreme Records in 1947 and then for Modern Records in 1949. He switched to Aladdin Records and had his first hits, "Telephone Blues" and "Call Operator 210" in 1951 and 1952 before hitting it big in 1954 with "Hey Bartender" for the Cat label. Here's more in Dixon from Alligator, the label for his 1996 "comeback" album "Wake Up and Live!"
After Dixon won a few talent contests in Los Angeles, bandleader Johnny Otis encouraged him to record. Dixon recorded his first single, "Dallas Blues," while still working his day job at Orenstein's Drug Store. He went on to record hits for a number of labels, including Modern, Supreme, Aladdin, and Specialty. By the time he released the classic "Hey Bartender" 1954, Dixon was an established star in the West Coast R&B scene. He toured constantly and at various times shared the stage with the likes of Ruth Brown, B.B. King, Charles Brown and Ray Charles. It was an early tour with Charles that Dixon encouraged Ray to switch from his suave Nat King Cole approach to a more gospel-inspired delivery. Charles took his advice, and the result for Ray Charles was an unsurpassed string of R&B hits.
Although he continued to perform and record sporadically through the 1960s and early 1970s, Dixon nearly dropped out of music altogether, living a secluded life in Paris, Texas. He was invited to perform in Sweden and quickly developed an international following. With reissues of his older material beginning to surface, European interest in Dixon continued to rise. In 1980, he joined the European Blues Caravan tour with old friends Charles Brown and Ruth Brown.
Dixon performed occasionally on the West Coast during the 1980s and even spent time on the road with the then-unknown Robert Cray and Little Charlie & The Nightcats. In 1984 he received a "Billboard" Blues Award for "Hey Bartender," recorded by the Blues Brothers. The following year, he received a "Billboard" Country Award for the song, recorded by country singer Johnny Lee.
In 1993 Dixon received the Rhythm & Blues Foundation's Pioneer Career Achievement Award. This helped him secure gigs at major outdoor blues festivals, including the Monterey Jazz Festival, the Sacramento Blues Festival and the Chicago Blues Festival.
In 1996 Dixon's album "Wake Up And Live!" was released on Alligator Records. The album won the 1997 Blues Music Award from The Blues Foundation for "Comeback Album of the Year." The CD reintroduced Dixon to old fans and brought him many new ones. He never stopped performing, and he recorded another CD, "Fine, Fine Thing," for the HighJohn label in 2005. In June 2006, Dixon recorded a live CD/DVD with fellow pianists Pinetop Perkins and Henry Gray, scheduled for a fall release on HighJohn.
Conversations: The film 'Lady in the Water'
What a Revolution!
Movies in the Park is TONIGHT!
To do Tuesday: Blues Traveler
The Mind of Matt -- Movies ands Metal: On Motley Crue
Blues royalty loses another
The Mind of Matt: More rock from Wisconsin
Biloxi's coliseum reopens to big show
"Wordplay" brings in the dough
The Mind of Matt: Saturday in rocking Wisconsin
To do Friday: Temptations revue, local plays
The Mind of Matt: Movies and Metal, still in Wisconsin
Quickie review: Ministry preaches to the masses
Introducing 'Conversations': The film 'Down in the Valley'
Medeski (Scofield) Martin & Wood hit the Midwest
Here's some hot casting
Smarmy critic angers a darn good director
J.R. and Henry's Sports Column: New Busch Stadium
The Mind of Matt: They know how to rock in Wisconsin
To do Wednesday: Ministry, movie
Who needs 'Rocketboom' when you've got Maria and the '9'?
Renaud brothers film earns Emmy nod
The Mind of Matt: Movies and Metal (in Wisconsin)
The Mind of Matt: Local hits on the big screen
The Mind of Matt: Movies and Metal
Hot Springs club changes hands
Review: Another view of Michael Buble
To do Thursday: Tiffany
More golf coming at Eagle Hill?
The Mind of Matt: 'Pirates,' hard rock
Review: Michael Buble
Too good to be true
More Wednesday to do list: Sister Hazel, Movies in the Park
Now, can you imagine: The I-40/540 series?
To do Wednesday: Michael Buble at Alltel
Sports Column: J.R. and Henry on MLB at mid-season
Former Pink Floyd singer Syd Barrett dies
"Aquaman's" box-office record is short-lived
OK, I'm a World Cup soccer convert
A look back at Edgefest
To do Friday: Zombie
'Rocketboom' goes boom
More Sean Rock on video
LR native author and his Atlanta digs
To do Thursday: Louis Jordan night
The rich get richer: Live Nation gobbles up House of Blues
'24,' 'Grey's Anatomy' top Emmy noms
Sports Column: J.R. and Henry skip work, watch Wimbledon
No Movie in the Park tonight
Anybody see any good fireworks displays this week?
Don't ever say it's your "final" tour
The 'nothing' city
'Superman' is soaring above all others
Back from Hot Springs
Last chance to see Rep's 'A Chorus Line'
 |
-
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
RSS Feed |
 |
  |
| © 2004 - 07 Arkansas Times. All Rights Reserved. |  |
