Back in the day this writer spent his second decade playing some kind of ball at a Boys Club. Many of my fondest memories are of attending Baseball games at Ponce de Leon Ballpark, home of the Atlanta Crackers, which featured a giant magnolia tree in center field,
and the Rose Bowl field,
home of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Baseball team.
Then there was Alexander Memorial Coliseum,
The Thrillerdome (http://basketball.ballparks.com/NCAA/ACC/GeorgiaTech/)
home of the Georgia Tech basketball team. The football team played their home games at Grant Field, which is currently called the Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field.
I lived to play ball. Baseball was king until the fans became enthralled with football, which I now think of as “maimball,” for obvious reasons. Like most, if not all who played maimball I have a bad disc in my back to show for the time spent on the field of battle. I went up to catch a ball and was speared in the lower back by the helmet on the head of a defensive player. The blow flipped me over and I landed helmet first, but held onto the ball.
One of the greatest ball players who ever played died recently. His name was Charley Trippi. The headline at the New York Times says it all:
Charley Trippi, Versatile Football Hall of Famer, Dies at 100
A star on offense and defense, he took Georgia to a Rose Bowl victory and the Chicago Cardinals to an N.F.L. title. “The greatest football player I’ve ever seen,” Jim Thorpe said. (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/19/sports/ncaafootball/charley-trippi-dead.html)
Many have said Jim Thorpe was not only the best football player they had ever seen, but the best ball player, period.
I mention this because another former football player, Herschel Walker, is running for a seat in the United States Senate. Hershel (pronounced “Huschel” down South) Walker was one of the greatest college football running backs in the history of the sport of maimball. Huschel did not graduate from the UGA, even though he said he did graduate. Politicians, and those who play at politics, say many things, some of which turn out to be true, believe it or not. Huschel was chosen by former President of the United States of America, Donald John Trump, aka, the Trumpster, to run for the office of Senator. The election has been a media circus here in the Great State of Georgia. Frankly, Hushel has as much business being a Senator as I have of being in the operating room with a scalpel in my hands. Hushel gradurated from the UGA with a degree in MAIMBALL. As a Georgian it has been embarrassing watching, and listening, to the man make a fool of himself and the state of Georgia. Huschel has become a laughing stock all over the country. Seeing Huschel leading in the polls makes me want to cry, and/or puke. I do not like it when fellow citizens in other states laugh at my state, but who can blame them?
Huschel is running against Senator Raphael Warnock.
I recently had a problem with the government and needed help, so contacted Senator Warnock’s office, and assistance was offered. Another problem again caused me to contact Senator Warnock’s office, and the problem is being addressed by one of Senator’s staffers. I mention this because after contacting a Republican Congressman all I received was a solicitation for money. Senator Warnock’s office has asked me for nothing, and they do not know I am writing this post, but you can be sure they will be notified.
Almost everyone in Georgia is talking about the election. Huschel Walker has led a charmed life and people will tell you all about their part in it, given the chance. An example would be the Senior gentleman with whom I talked while waiting for the bus taking me home after attending the recent Decatur Book Festival. The gentleman was wearing a Viet Nam type Army baseball hat and all it took was my mentioning my father was a radioman in the Navy during World War II. The conversation moved to Huschel almost immediately. The gentleman told me a story of the time Huschel was given an automobile by a dealership, “because he was bringing MILLIONS OF DOLLARS into the University of Georgia.” The owner of the dealership had graduated from UGA. A Georgia State Trooper stopped Huschel almost immediately on Interstate 20 because he was doing over one hundred miles per hour. Pressure was put on the Georgia State Trooper to APOLOGIZE TO HUSCHEL! I kid you not. The speeding ticket vanished. The gentleman had more stories and informed me he intended on spending twenty thousand dollars to be filmed telling some of the stories so Huschel would not be elected Senator. “It cannot be good for the state to have someone like him as Senator,” he said. If the bus had not arrived I may have listened to the man for an hour, when the bus came again to the station, but living here has brought more stories than I can possibly recall.
Although many talk about how it cannot be good for the country for so many politicians to be lawyers, and I agree, at least they were educated politicians. The jury is out on whether those from football should become Senators and Congressmen, as did former football coach Tommy Tuberville. Unfortunately, Tommy, like most politicians who were not born with a silver spoon in their mouth, like the Trumpster, immediately set about correcting his lack of money, as can be found all over the internet with a search. What follows was the first thing that popped up after a quick search:
Tuberville was weeks or months late in disclosing nearly 130 separate stock trades from January to May. The man has traded stocks like a maniac while enriching himself at the expense of We The People.
One of the reasons Huschel has been leading in the polls is that politics has devolved into voting for the party, not the man, or woman, especially where the Republicans are concerned. If it were not so serious it would be laughable. What is it, maybe 45% vote for one party or the other, and the other 10% decide who will be elected. If this does not change it will be
Armchair Warrior 