Blitz January 2016

IRISH REIGN

Ray Wylie Hubbard is Back in Town!

DALLAS COWBOYS

The 10 Best Wings in Dallas According to Steven Doyle

Conor McGregor is Now the Face of the UFC

Who Will be Tony Romo’s Successor?

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SMARTER, SHARPER MEN

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IC EN T H T

GERMAN STYLE

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R F O M R E I H B ERE E HT

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JANUARY 2016

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2016

JAN UARY

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Blitz

INTELLIGENCE

5 Conor McGregor is the new face of the UFC and with it all of the pros and cons.

Is he up to the test?

6 There is one last hustle for Pete Rose and his legacy and that is to enter baseball’s Hall of Fame while he’s alive.

8 What happens to athletes once their playing days are over and they become one of us? You’ll be surprised.

Brand Development and Creative Marketing

11 America, are you ready? It’s time to meet Kirk Thurmond and The Millenials.

Yes, they’re from Dallas.

469-877-1533 info@culture-hype.com

14 Get in the know with Steven Doyle’s guide to the 10 best places for wings in Big D. Yummy!

Publisher and Editor Staff Photographers Kelly G. Reed Dominic Ceraldi, Jarrod Fresquez, Michael Kolch, Rick Leal, Sandy McAnally Features Director Staff Writers Amber LaFrance Peter Gerstenzang, Frank LaCosta, Sports Editor Lance LeVan, Chris Sick Lance Rinker Contributing Photographers/Artists Copy Chief Courtney Chavanell, Nicholas Erwin, Mark Miller Erin Margaret Alison Rambo, Tom Roche, Gage Skidmore, Tom Woodward, Creative Director Ellman Photography, id-iom Jette Stephens Contributing Writers Photo Editor Sarah Badran, Wendell Barnhouse, Darryl Briggs Taylor C. Berrier, Steven Doyle, Paul A. Esquivel, Andrew J. Hewett, Cover Design Patrick R. Malone, L. Kent Wolgamott, Jette Stephens Darius Williams

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18 Duet albums and why you should avoid them at all costs.

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BLITZ Weekly

22 It’s the “Us vs. Them” mentality that is dividing our country and we have an opinion on the topic.

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Jarrod Fresquez Model: Linnea Make-Up: J ai Okoli – Makeup Junkies, INC. Hair: George Graham – Makeup Junkies, INC.

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{In-depth}

BY MARK MILLER – @MARKMYWORDSTEX

Sex, Death and Bowling

Movie Screening Launches Project to Save Bowling Museum’s Fragile Film Collection What most likely is the world’s largest collection of films about or including bowling resides with the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame in Arlington.

The approximately 1,400 canisters containing a half-million feet of film range from short instructional pieces, full-length television shows, movies, and of course, bowling tournaments.

Some date back more than 60 years with many in formats long ago considered extinct.

While all this celluloid can be found in one area, much of it can only be used once because the films likely will disintegrate. The only way to save the collection for future generations of bowling fans, researchers and others to utilize it is to digitize it.

company founded by Schoenbrun Carter, who like Kanouse graduated from Texas Wesleyan University. It centers on a time in Walker’s life when she lost several people to cancer, including her father Jim, and her children asked where they went after death. Following his death, she was at her father’s house where in a corner was a bowling trophy he and some college buddies had won more than 50 years earlier.

“He was so proud of it,” Walker told the gathered crowd. “He kept that bowling trophy for some 50 some-odd years and we thought it was crazy.

Though he wasn’t a bowler he would watch it on Saturday afternoons on Wide World of Sports. So I started really thinking about that trophy when I was getting ideas for this script and I started

The Notorious

Conor McGregor

BY LANCE LEVAN – @LANCELEVAN1 On April 6, 2013, Ultimate Fighting Championship fans were introduced to a new, up-and-coming fighter by the name of Conor McGregor. He was a very brash and cocky fighter, predicting what he was going to do during the fight and predicting in which round he would be victorious.

International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame/Ellman Photography Sex, Death and Bowling writer/director Ally Walker and actor Joshua Rush

Trouble is, to do it right will cost plenty of money – about $1,000 for every two hours according to Gregg Williams, the museum’s director of development. That’s the reason why the IBM/HF has undertaken a new initiative called the Frame 4 Frame project to raise $200,000 to digitize the collection, making it available for future public use. Funds also would be used for grants for future filmmakers who choose to include bowling in their artistic works.

A year-long festival honoring such filmmakers kicked off Dec. 3 with the unveiling of a new exhibit about bowling in films and on television.

Highlighting the evening was the private screening of the new independent film Sex, Death and Bowling which includes vintage footage provided by the IBM/HF. The special gala at the International Bowling Campus featured producer Jodi Schoenbrun Carter, writer/director Ally Walker and stars Joshua Rush and Lyle Kanouse. Also in attendance were bowling industry leaders plus Arlington civic and political dignitaries.

Originally titled Where’s Earl Anthony? the movie is the first project produced by 1022m, a

looking at some bowling greats such as Dick Weber and Earl Anthony.”

The movie, which stars Adrian Grenier of Entourage, features a family’s past and current relationships with each other at a time when one member is dying from cancer. His son, played by now 13-year-old Rush, keeps score for his grandfather’s bowling team as it seeks to retain the fictional Fiesta Cup signifying supremacy in a local bowling tournament.

“Bowling was always on the television in the 70s when I was growing up so we always used to watch it,” Walker said. “It harkened back to a sweeter time when we did stuff together rather than being on our phones. It’s something sadly lacking in our society and I thought to write about it.”

The movie, completed for less than $1 million and filmed in 20 days in Southern California, is being shown in select markets in California, Idaho, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oregon, Florida, and South Carolina. It is available in the IBM/HF gift shop with part of the proceeds being donated to the Frame 4 Frame project. Walker said it also is scheduled to be available soon on Netflix and iTunes.

At first, I have to admit, I was not a fan of his. I usually don’t gravitate towards the boisterous, loud, mouthy fighters who come through Mixed Martial Arts. But after McGregor’s third or fourth fight, it appeared he had the tools to back up everything he predicted.

Every once in a while, an athlete comes along who is on a different level from his or her peers.

Michael Jordan was that athlete in basketball.

Muhammad Ali was that athlete in boxing. Until recently, Ronda Rousey was that athlete in the women’s UFC. McGregor is the next level of fighter in the UFC. I have seen several fights where I was certain he was going to lose, and yet somehow, he pulled through and won the fight. I thought there was no possible way McGregor could recover during his fight with Chad Mendes but he did and knocked Mendes out with only three seconds left in the second round. Most fighters would have taken a breather and rested until the third round.

His most recent bout on Dec. 12 was for the unified UFC Featherweight Championship.

This fight was touted as being one of the best matchups in UFC history. His opponent, Jose Aldo, was the reigning champion and had not been defeated in more than 10 years.

of a Mike Tyson or Ronda Rousey bout. If you blinked or went to the bathroom, you probably missed it.

Now that McGregor is the featherweight champion, everyone and their brother will be coming out of the woodwork to try and defeat him. However, I think it is going to be quite a while before someone will be taking this belt away from him.

Conor McGregor does not hide from a challenge and I don’t see anyone currently in the UFC who can match his skill set.

One possible opponent who recently called out McGregor is former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. Edgar deserves a title shot and looks to be a man who could give McGregor a battle since Edgar has never been finished in a fight and is a former champion who knows what it takes to win.

Another opponent could be fellow Irishman Joseph Duffy, who is a lightweight competitor, but one of only two fighters who have successfully defeated McGregor. Duffy would have to move down to the featherweight division and just because Duffy defeated him once doesn’t mean he can’t do it again.

Lastly, there could be a rematch with Aldo even though McGregor knocked him out in only 13 seconds into the first round. One could argue that a rematch would be acceptable much like Holm vs. Rousey II for UFC 200.

I guess we will see what is in store for the Irishman. Congrats Mr. McGregor.

McGregor knocked Aldo out in 13 seconds of the first round. It was the type of fight reminiscent WWW.BLITZWEEKLY.COM

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Pete Rose and the Last-Ditch Hustle Pete Rose has hustled all his life. Before he was a ballplayer.

While he was a ballplayer. And even now, this very moment when his ball-playing days are well behind him.

Rose agreed to a lifetime ban likely believing if the league made no formal finding against his alleged gambling then he’d be welcomed back with open arms one day. So far, that little gamble of his hasn’t paid off, and likely won’t while he’s still breathing.

Now that Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has addressed Rose’s application for reinstatement into the game, the last hustle Rose has to play is aiming to get into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. That may not happen anytime soon, if at all before he’s lying on his deathbed – but it should, because Pete Edward Rose embodies what any young professional ballplayer coming up today should aspire to be.

He was officially placed on the ineligible list on Aug. 24, 1989, and has remained there since.

It didn’t take long for Rose and his attorney, Mark Rosenbaum, to hold a press conference outside his restaurant, the Pete Rose Sports Bar & Grill in Las Vegas, to discuss remaining banned and what he has planned for the future.

entity from MLB and there was hope Rose could be made eligible.

Even Commissioner Manfred made it a point to explain it is not his job to determine Hall of Fame eligibility, nor impose his or MLB’s will on the Hall of Fame governing body. That was a pretty slick way to sidestep questions about Rose’s Hall of Fame eligibility, but the man wasn’t lying either.

Who is or is not eligible for the Hall of Fame isn’t up to him, or anyone else involved in the Major League Baseball corporate machine.

“It is the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Saints,” said Rosenbaum. “The Hall of Fame by design

Now, don’t get me wrong. Rose brought all of this on himself. He deserves to be banned from baseball forever for two reasons: 1) He’s a liar who bet on baseball – the one thing you don’t do, and;

At age 74, it is unlikely the Hit King lives to see his face and name officially welcomed by the Hall of Fame. He’s been banned from baseball since 1989, when it was first reported he had allegedly bet on baseball. Rose was so insistent he only bet on games as a manager, but evidence has since come to light that proves he also bet on games as a player.

Rose accepted his permanent ban from baseball in exchange for MLB making no formal finding regarding the gambling allegations. Essentially,

SMARTER, SHARPER MEN

That was in 1991 which also happened to, conveniently, be the year before Rose was set to appear on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time.

Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson recently told MLB Network during a television interview he doesn’t anticipate the Hall of Fame changing the rule for ineligible players anytime soon, though the idea hasn’t been ruled out completely.

“He is a changed man, he is a repented man,” Rosenbaum continued. “His life is under control ... (Rose) wants to be on the same side with baseball. (The Hall of Fame) is what history demands...We are a nation of second chances.”

There was zero chance Rose was going to be reinstated this year. Hell, there has never been a moment in any year where it even remotely appeared likely Rose would be reinstated. It always has been an extreme longshot and generally has more to do with the fact Rose has waffled back and forth at moments whether he even realizes the baseball sin he committed – the biggest of them all.

Someone who always hustles and doesn’t take anything on the field for granted. Essentially, someone who plays like they belong in the Hall of Fame one day. That was Pete Rose and regardless of his issues with gambling, his play on the field throughout his career is beyond Hall of Fame worthy.

2) He’s an idiot who doesn’t grasp the severity of what he did.

BY LANCE RINKER – @LANCEMRINKER

“Obviously disappointed. No question about that,” said Rose when asked about his reaction to the rejection. “I’ve been saying this for many, many years now. I’m not going to sit here on Las Vegas Boulevard and complain about something because I’m the one who screwed up.

I made the mistake.”

Throughout the entire press conference, Rose and Rosenbaum made it clear they understand Rose is highly unlikely to be allowed back into baseball. That’s why they went out of their way to point out how the Hall of Fame is a separate

represents performance on the field. Pete played the game exactly as it was intended to be played.

He has been punished and punished severely.”

Getting into the Hall of Fame while alive and coherent may present its own unique challenges.

Because the Hall of Fame is a separate entity from MLB, it can create its own governing body of rules processes, and whatever the hell else that governing body desires. In a subtle, not-sosubtle, move the Hall of Fame made the decision that players on MLB’s permanently ineligible list also are ineligible for the Hall of Fame.

Not betting on baseball is rule No. 1 for any player or manager. If a player or manager, who has the ability to affect the outcome of a game, placed bets, as Rose did, then that raises questions about games being thrown. No league can survive that breach of integrity if it isn’t dealt with severely.

Rose retired as the all-time Hit King, with 4,256 career hits, but his place in baseball history will forever be tarnished. If character weren’t so important in baseball Rose would already be in the Hall of Fame. Because it is, he’s going to be waiting a while still before hearts and minds among the Hall of Fame voters changes enough.

“My whole life has been a Hall of Fame life,” Rose said. “All I look forward to being someday is friends with baseball.”

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More Changes on the Way for the College Football Playoff?

O

BY WENDELL BARNHOUSE – @WBBARNHOUSE nce is a too-small sample size. Twice doubles down on once but still doesn’t provide enough data to make a forever judgement.

Of course, there’s a simple solution – expand the playoff field to eight teams. The Power Five champions gain automatic bids, the CFP committee picks the three best at-large teams and away you go. The top four seeds host the quarterfinal games then the semifinals and championship game are placed as the current CFP places them.

Year 2 of the College Football Playoff delivered a clean and clear foursome – Clemson, Alabama, Michigan State and Oklahoma. Perhaps the most unusual aspect of the 2015 season is that for the second year in a row, Championship Saturday was written in chalk; no surprises, no upsets.

This year, we would have had: No. 1 Clemson vs.

No. 8 Notre Dame, No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 7 Ohio State, No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 6 Stanford and No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 5 Iowa.

A year ago the Big 12 was left with its nose pressed against the window as the CFP started.

This year, the Pac-12 is the Power Five conference that had its ox gored but it wasn’t nearly as painful as what the Big 12 endured in 2014.

There’s always been an argument that an eightteam playoff would render the regular-season meaningless. Nonsense. Every game means something. Auburn-Alabama, Ohio StateMichigan, USC-UCLA still had meaning and only one had an impact on the CFP. Arkansas’ crazy victory over Ole Miss had meaning because it opened the door for the Crimson Tide.

Thanks to Oklahoma’s “November to Remember,” the Big 12 didn’t have to explain or defend its membership numbers or round-robin schedule or lack of a championship game.

OU also benefitted from Stanford’s walk off victory over Notre Dame. Had the Irish finished 11-1, they might have been Oklahoma’s chief competitor for a playoff spot. The Irish beat the one team (Texas) that beat the Sooners. Plus, had Notre Dame been in the playoff chase and the fact that OU beat three Big 12 contenders (Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma State) who all were playing backup quarterbacks.

Oklahoma’s closing argument was a dominant victory in Stillwater that gave OU the Big 12 championship. The Sooners spent Championship Saturday relaxing, not sweating.

“Last year, people were in a panic that the Big 12 absolutely had to have a championship game,” executive director Bill Hancock said the day the CFP released its four-team bracket. “They couldn’t be in the playoff without a championship game, and here this year they are in the playoff without a championship game. One year doesn’t make a trend. I don’t know that two years make a trend, but clearly, we know now that you don’t have to have a championship game to play in this playoff.”

But nothing in college football is ever simple and argument free. The Big 12’s outlier status as the only Power Five conference that doesn’t stage a championship game remains a hot topic.

In 2014, the lack of a championship game was cited as a reason why TCU and Baylor both were left out of the CFP. Plus, the fact Big 12’s administrators had voted to declare cochampions despite a “One True Champion” slogan was seen as they height of indecisiveness.

The Big 12, along with the Atlantic Coast Conference, are sponsoring legislation that eliminates the National Collegiate Athletic Association rule that says a championship game

The same folks who are worried about preserving what’s considered the best regular season in sports like to point out that college basketball’s regular-season is meaningless because of three weeks of March Madness.

can only be staged if a league has at least 12 teams that are aligned in two divisions. The idea of the regulating legislation is to allow conferences to decide their champions however they see fit. The rule change will be voted on at the NCAA Convention. Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby has spent the last year expressing confidence that the change would be approved.

to see the Big 12 go to a championship game.

I don’t think it’s good or fair to see a conference not have to win that extra game and have that extra opportunity both for a win and a loss. I don’t like the idea that a champion can be in the clubhouse and not put it on the line when, in this case, there are strong teams in other conferences that if they lose can be out of the playoff.”

Enter two big shot, know-it-all commissioners.

Big Ten big boss Jim Delany had his league file an amendment to the legislation that he said wasn’t opposing the change but to spark discussion.

If you think that Delany and Scott should mind their own business, pat yourself on the back for your intelligence.

“I want to have some familiarity – some knowledge as to how these things are going to play out,” Delany told ESPN.com. “I don’t want unintended consequences. I don’t want to wake up one morning and see some odd structure that’s unfamiliar.”

Oh, you mean like a 14-team conference that still calls itself the “Big Ten.” And Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott fired a shot across the bow of the SS Big 12 by…well, when you read this quote, you’ll say it’s more of a direct hit than a shot across the bow.

“I’d like to see more consistency (between conferences) rather than less,” Scott said. “I’d like

It’s also more than a bit disingenuous for Delany and Scott to rail about equity between the Power Five conferences. Both were aggressive in the conference realignment movement earlier this decade. And Delany’s 14-team league will perpetually have unbalanced schedules (see: Iowa not playing Ohio State, Michigan or Michigan State) this season.

Mark your calendars. A year from now in 2016, we’ll be hearing the same conversations, the same complaining. And consider this: Notre Dame lost by two at Clemson and at Stanford.

Had the Irish won either or both and claimed a playoff spot, two conferences – probably the Pac12 and the Big 12 – would be angry at being left out of the playoff.

Bullspit. There are 128 FBS schools playing 12-game regular-season schedules and 351 Division I men’s basketball teams playing 30+ regular-season games. It’s like arguing about the meaning and interest of a National Football League season compared with Major League Baseball.

The CFP’s 12-year contract runs through 2025 but contracts can be reworked. But there are two most reasonable arguments against going to an eight-team playoff.

ESPN paid $5.6 billion for the 12-year contract.

Adding four quarterfinal games would surely inflate that figure, maybe double it. Mo’ money, mo’ problems. Put more money on the table and the players (ahem, student-athletes) will be asking for a slice.

The second argument involves the players’ health. Even if the two teams in the title game are playing “just” 16 games, that reaches NFL regular-season level. The Power Five conferences are already dealing with over a dozen lawsuits.

The plaintiffs’ lawyers would love the extra ammunition for their legal briefs.

Considering the massive changes in the college football landscape over the last two decades, it’s foolish to assume there will be no tweaks to the College Football Playoff format for the length of the contract. Remember, the only constant is change.

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The problem lies with when they are no longer cheered for their feats on the field, court and ice. Becoming an afterthought to the sports world can be unchartered territories for a person whose life was made by adoring fans who put them on an extremely high pedestal.

Becoming a “regular Joe” never crept into their mind while scoring touchdowns or hitting game winning shots. The suddenness of how fast you can go from ‘Da Man’ to just ‘a man’ sends some circling the drain.

Elite-level athletes have an inner drive unmatched by many. Most of them thrive off the thrill of the competitive moment and time.

The limelight. The huge stage of which they have to showcase their talents is all they know.

So when it goes, and if they have nothing to replace that humongous void immediately, depression creeps in fast and all types of problems ensue.

BY DARIUS WILLIAMS – @FINESSE3380 EVEN BEHIND THE TILTED BUDWEISER BALL CAP AND DARK SHADES, HE WAS NOTICEABLE. Noticeable at least to me. After all, I watched him play high school football locally in the Metroplex as a kid and then on to a very good college career in the old Southwest Conference days of the late 1980s and early 1990s.

A brief stop on a couple of National Football League rosters also was on the resume of the 6-foot-2-inch 225-pound (then) about 270 pounds (now) linebacker. No longer shedding blockers and running down ball carriers, his job description some 25 plus years later was to deliver beer to merchants of the distributor with whom he was now employed.

Quite the surprise to see him on my morning ritual stop to the local convenience store for my morning cup of coffee. Most in the store didn’t have a clue to his existence as he wheeled the cases of beer by the two parallel lines of customers. The cashier, obviously an old football fan like myself, thought he looked very familiar as well as he was signing for the bill of lading.

“Didn’t you play pro football awhile back,” the cashier asked.

“That was a long time ago and I try not to think about it sir,” the former player said solemnly.

“I just choose not to remember that time in my life because it was a setback in my growth as a person,” he added as he walked out of the store and back into his delivery truck.

It often is said that in the case of star athletes, they will die twice, the first coming when they SMARTER, SHARPER MEN

have either voluntarily or involuntarily left the sport for which they achieved some level of fame and notoriety. Depression amongst former athletes, in particular those who made it to the professional level, is a common occurrence for many. Formal academic studies stated that the transition often is found to be difficult because of the sudden cessation of intense demands of elite athletic performance, compounded by the sudden loss of the athlete’s intense devotion to professional athletic competition and its attendant rewards.

No longer pulling in salaries reaching seven figures can contribute as well.

“You are always trying to replace that feeling you have as a professional athlete, and then you realize after two, three, four years that you’re never going to replace it,” said former Major League Baseball pitcher now television analyst Ron Darling.

Replacing and filling that void is the least of worries for those who have derailed in their post-career life. The depressed state in which some have fallen into goes beyond the missed locker room camaraderie and six figure paychecks.

Take three-time Olympic distance runner Suzy Favor-Hamilton for example. It was discovered that after retiring from the sport of track and field, she fell into deep depression. As she

In “layman’s terms” they have a condition not medically named but summed up quite easily as “No Longer Da Man-itis.” For as far back as age 6 for some, the praise from parents hoping they are the meal ticket out of poverty and “hangers on” wanting their association with the athlete to enhance their quality of life, they were put on a pedestal. Coddled through their formative years, developing a sense of reality escaped most of these athletic marvels. It’s only one way to success for them.

EVERYTHING CAME EASY TO THEM. Work in the classroom was met with marginal effort because they have basically understood for a while back that figuring out a calculus equation won’t be part of what they do as an adult. As teenagers they pretty much have the houses and cars already purchased in their head. Developing people skills with the thought of life past age 30 is an afterthought.

Their way in life will be through the God-given ability to run, jump, catch and shoot.

Nicholas Erwin

stated, the medicine that was prescribed to her for her elongated depressed state, led her to believe a life as a Las Vegas call girl was a wonderful idea.

Former Chicago Bear tight end Eddie “Boo” Williams was so out of sorts when his playing days abruptly ended that he decided to end his life by laying across some train tracks.

Thankfully an elderly homeless couple saw him and talked him up off the tracks. He later said the idea of no longer being the man to turn to for his family, yet becoming the one needing financial help was too much for him to handle.

AFTER THE CROWDS STOP CHEERING, A NUMBER OF ATHLETES STRUGGLE WITH ADAPTING TO A “REGULAR LIFE.” Obtaining a 9-to-5 that they never gave thought to can be humbling. In the limelight no longer, in their eyes they are forgotten members of society. Be it through injury, age or exhaustion, a career terminated can induce dramatic changes in the athlete’s personal, social and occupational lives. The potential for a negative effect looms greatly. Many don’t know where to turn for their next move at age 30.

A 2009 Sports Illustrated article stated that 78 percent of NFL retirees have gone bankrupt and are under financial stress because of joblessness and divorce within two years of their playing careers ending. Guys weren’t equipped with the resources that the league has instituted in the last five years to help with the transition into their post-athletic careers.

For example, the NFL Players Association previously sent players whose playing days

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SINGLE-TRACK MINDED ATHLETES WHO KIND OF CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY FIND IT EXTREMELY HARD FOR LIFE AFTER THE SPORT. Former welterweight and middleweight boxing champion Sugar Ray Leonard falls into this category.

“Nothing could satisfy me outside the ring... there is nothing in life that can compare to becoming world champion, having your hand raised in that moment of glory with thousands, millions of people cheering you on,” he said.

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significantly less as a delivery guy, he withdrew from a certain part of his life.

The silver lining in this story, if indeed there is one, is that this serves as a reminder to athletes about the importance of preparing themselves for life after sports through education and networking. Those avenues can be vehicles to a new career path. These athletes should seek help should depression begin to rear its ugly head. Stay on course in life even when the cheering stops.

Leonard also struggled with bouts of depression trying to find something to compare. This often led to fruitless attempts at a comeback way beyond his prime years in the sport and getting annihilated once the bell would did ring.

Tom Roche had been exhausted onto the streets with a handshake and a two-page list of potential employers in the “real world” who may be interested in having a former NFL player on their payroll.

Not all who walk away from their particular sport suffer to the extent of others, yet dealing with depression after one no longer is playing flows through them all in some capacity. Some find professional success in their industries through coaching opportunities. Some venture off into the world of radio/television broadcasting. However, the sum of those who struggle emotionally or mentally with a significant decrease in earnings, exposure, visibility and adoration appears to be tilting the scales in that direction.

Not all have the same driving force that leads to depression like in the case of Williams who just wanted to be the continued provider for

his family. One particular unnamed former National Basketball Association player had a less responsible reasoning for what led to his depressed state. It was the inability to head down to the local “gentleman’s club” and throw his money into the air, known through hip hop culture as “making it rain.” Let that sink in for a bit.

Without a plan for what you are going to do when every team in the league says you’re done, players are doomed. In most cases where the fortunate ones, like former Tennessee Titans star running back Eddie George who took care of his money, just not having that regimented life leads to uncertainty.

“There was that void, a huge void, of ‘what am I gonna do tomorrow morning when I wake up?’

George said after retiring, asking himself, “Who am I? I am no longer a football player.”

Retired athletes have expressed a feeling of emptiness in their lives and one of the leading stakes in this transition is to therefore reconstruct and adjust themselves on the basis of a new lifestyle.

The various rookie symposiums adopted by the various professional leagues cover issues with life post-playing days. Clinical psychologists and psychiatrists are now employed on staffs. Their job is to help bridge the gap from playing to retirement and limit the growing number of former players living daily in a state of depression. Wise investment spending and not those including money pitfalls like the restaurant business are encouraged at these meetings.

It was a bad knee injury that ended the playing days of the former linebacker turned beer truck driver. After asking around to those who knew him better, it was indeed depression that he suffered from shortly after his playing career and continued over the next couple of decades. I really didn’t need that clarified actually. It was all in his face that morning.

No longer hearing the cheers and making

Tom Woodward

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Another potential target could be Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott. The dual-threat quarterback could be available in the middle rounds based on early mock drafts, but would more than likely be a project pick.

Ohio State’s Cardale Jones is another interesting project who would be available in the middle rounds. His physical tools make him worth a look.

One name that could be the sleeper of the draft is Trevone Boykin out of TCU. He doesn’t have the height that scouts and teams like in quarterbacks and tends to have some bad habits, but is an instinctive and explosive playmaker. Boykin could be the Russell Wilson of this draft. Of course, it all depends on what happens after workouts and the Combine.

Free Agency/Backup

BY PATRICK R. MALONE – @PATRICK_MALONE The Dallas Cowboys have had some great quarterbacks over the years. Don Meredith, Roger “Captain America” Staubach and Troy Aikman are held in high, legendary regard.

There’s also Danny White, who led the Cowboys to three-straight National Football Conference Championship games, but lost them all. Still, he was a good quarterback and did good things for the Cowboys.

Then there’s Tony Romo; the quarterback mired in all-things controversy. Is he good? Is he elite? Is he a choker? Over the past nine years, these are questions that seem to follow Romo wherever he goes. And being the quarterback of America’s Team, it’s only natural.

After his record-setting season last year, Romo went down this year with a broken collarbone in the third game against NFC East rival, the Philadelphia Eagles. Over the next eight games Romo sat out, any and all lingering controversial questions should have been put to rest.

Romo went down again after two games back.

He’s getting older, which adds a level of concern as to how healthy he can stay over the remainder of his contract. So the question has to be asked, what’s going to happen with life after Romo or when he goes down next?

The Cowboys know it’s time, but have downplayed talks of drafting Romo’s successor in the past.

“Well, I don’t know about first round, necessarily, at all,” Jerry Jones said, via 105.3 The Fan. “Half of the first-round picks that are made don’t work.

That’s not negative, they just don’t work, so we have to keep that in mind.”

So, is it time to draft his successor? Is there a free agent available to patch things over for a few years just in case? Or is there a third solution that may present itself in a few years that might be a fit for Dallas?

The Draft This year’s draft promises a few possible quality quarterbacks to go in the first round, maybe even in the first 10 picks.

SMARTER, SHARPER MEN

With that in mind, let’s not forget that Dallas has only used three draft picks on quarterbacks since 1989: Mr. Aikman, 2001 second-rounder Quincy Carter and 2009 fourth-rounder Stephen McGee. All things considered though, Dallas will have to truly consider adding a fourth pick to that quarterback resume.

So far, most mock drafts seem to put Memphis’ Paxton Lynch and Cal’s Jared Goff as the two top10 quarterbacks. Now, whether they are there purely based on need for teams won’t really be determined until it’s closer to the draft.

“Lynch has the great range of tools, and Goff has a special arm, moves well, and has a ton of experience,” said Mel Kiper Jr. on ESPN. After that, it’s Michigan State’s Connor Cook, who seems to be a middle-to-late first-round pick at this point. All of this could change of course, depending on what happens in workouts and the NFL Combine.

But it doesn’t have to be just the first round. There might be a quarterback who fits exactly what Dallas wants to do in the later rounds.

There also is the possibility of drafting a quarterback in one of the rounds after the first; if the Cowboys decide to go with a position player or best player available, then there might be some intriguing prospects available.

North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz is one such player, but would need to be a clipboard holder for a few seasons behind Romo. He does check a lot of boxes for scouts who are looking for the physical traits to play in the National Football League.

“The name to watch as a possible late first pick, perhaps by some team trading back into the first round, is Carson Wentz of North Dakota State,” Kiper wrote. “Forget the school name. If Wentz, a 6-foot-5, 235-pounder, were playing for Bama or Florida State you’d think, ‘Man, that team has a really good QB.’ He can move really well.”

This year’s free agency leaves much to be desired, as far as potential long-term Romo successors go.

But there are a few backup-caliber quarterbacks to consider.

“There’s no doubt that we will be, as we move forward, continuing to try to get a situation where if Romo should get hurt, then we got a guy that can step in and carry us for some games, hopefully,” Jones said, via 105.3 The Fan. “That’s a backup description I’m dealing with there – or at the same time, be developing for the future.”

There’s the Sam Bradford’s and Kirk Cousins’ of the world, but the Cowboys are probably not interested in either; Cousins more than likely won’t even make it to free agency. Then again, they could surprise everyone.

Denver’s Brock Osweiler also is a free agent.

The problem there is that after getting a taste of starting, Osweiler is undoubtedly not interested in being someone’s clipboard holder and backup again.

The 49ers are expected to cut Colin Kaepernick, a good candidate for somebody to sign and have him hold a clipboard. He needs to regain his confidence and learning a system behind a good quarterback could be just what he needs to find that spark. Dallas might be interested here.

Robert Griffin III isn’t a free agent, but it is widely expected that the Washington Redskins will part ways with him. Jones has said in the past that he is a fan of RGIII, which is probably why he has been linked as a potential landing spot in Dallas here recently. A change of scenery is just what he needs and sitting behind Romo in Dallas could be the perfect place for him to regain that rookie magic.

Then there is Johnny Manziel. Jerry Jones would love to acquire the Heisman Trophy winner from Texas A&M after passing on him in the NFL Draft.

Currently Johnny Football is not only auditioning for the Cleveland Browns, but also for other teams. If he shows promise the Browns are likely to keep him, if not he could be traded for.

Hell, if the Cowboys do want a viable (there’s a slight choking, cracking of the voice while saying this) backup, they may just try to wine and dine Brandon Weeden back to Dallas. Let’s face it; most fans are probably wishing he were still under

center right about now instead of Matt Cassel or Kellen Moore.

Moore took over Cassel’s job against the Jets and had a mediocre debut. He could turn into a solid backup for Romo, but it’s not likely that Moore is Dallas’ future.

So it all boils down to this: Dallas is more than likely, positively, absolutely not going to find Romo’s successor in free agency; a backup maybe, but no future here – unless it’s RGIII, of course.

Contingency Plan C Here’s where it gets interesting (as if it wasn’t already, duh).

Matthew Stafford. Let it marinate a second.

It seems like a long shot, but here are the facts.

Stafford is an unrestricted free agent in 2018. He will be the ripe old age of 30. Romo has maybe 2-3 years left, which lines up with Stafford’s free agency date. Oh, and that’s if he’s completely healthy too. If he survives the next couple seasons without injury, then maybe he lasts four years. Stafford was raised right here in the backyard that is Highland Park (shhh don’t tell them I said it was a backyard), which means he’d be coming home.

Also, Jerry likes money. Jerry also likes to spend money. Jerry likes to spend money on flashy things. Throwing a fudge-ton (and yes that is a real measurement) of money at Stafford? Well, that would definitely be considered a flashy thing.

Now, this is all contingent on the Cowboys not drafting a quarterback in the next three years or signing one. Or maybe it’s not, who knows?

It’s also contingent on the Lions foregoing their future with Stafford. Then Jones would have to open up that pocket book, which when it comes down to it, will require a lot of zeroes to bring Stafford home.

The Future The Dallas Cowboys’ future under center is a massive blur. The team doesn’t want to relive the early 2000s or any other time in-between the good/great quarterbacks they’ve had over the years. There will be options, some greater or worse than others for sure. They have needs for a viable backup, which could make them buyers in free agency. But what it all comes down to is simple – Dallas’ future is now.

The 2015 season was a poor one for the Cowboys, leaving a bad taste in Jerry’s mouth and isn’t what he had in mind back in August. “…We’ve got a long January,” Jones said after the Week 15 matchup. “And you want to be a part of this thing (the playoff race) at this particular time. That’s very disappointing and it’s certainly nothing that I could have envisioned that we’d be sitting here.”

Here’s something Jones can envision now: Romo’s successor, found in the draft or free agency, groomed to perfection and throwing bombs to No. 88.

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Time to Meet Dallas’ Own

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Erin Margaret Alison Rambo

Kirk Thurmond & The Millennials

BY SARAH BADRAN @THEHUMBLEHUSTLER Classic soul artist Kirk Thurmond and his band The Millennials are gearing up for their first national tour after releasing their debut single “Break Free” on Dec. 11. Dallas bred, singersongwriter and guitar aficionado Thurmond teamed up with six band members to form Kirk Thurmond & The Millennials in November 2013 after crushing it at a one-time show at The Prophet Bar following the release of two soulful albums on his own.

tour starting this February. The tour will wrap up in Dallas with a blow-out show during the band’s official album release party on March 12 at Oak Cliff’s Spinster Records.

With a dynamic live show, full of a silky smooth blend of rhythm and blues, soul and pop, the group currently is planning its first national tour which is sure to make Kirk Thurmond & The Millennials a nationally-known name. If you haven’t heard of the group yet, or seen it live, you’re missing out.

Thurmond initially started as a percussionist playing in his high school band before exploring other instruments like the piano and guitar. He started gigging around age 15 and worked his way to opening for acts such as Jason Castro, Ryan Cabrera and Mike Deleasa of the Jonas family crew. He honed his craft while studying percussion at Abilene Christian University and credits Earth, Wind and Fire, Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder as his musical idols.

“Putting this band together has been my greatest musical achievement thus far,” said Thurmond.

By joining forces with a band of up-andcoming local musicians who form The Millennials, Thurmond was able to take his music to the next level with Gino Iglehart on percussion, Mike Clowes on electric guitar, Cris Brenham on keys, Jay Sandford on bass guitar, and Jamall Houston and Chanese Jones on background vocals by his side.

Erin Margaret Alison Rambo

Charley Crockett has joined the bill for that night. He is a local blues artist who recently was crowned “Best Blues Act” by Dallas Observer for this year’s Dallas Observer Music Awards.

Thurmond’s smooth and silky vocals are now complemented by his soulfully talented group The Millennials and the group is quickly gaining attention, landing it a nomination for “Best R&B/Funk Act” in this year’s Dallas Observer Music Awards.

After two years touring locally as a group, the band found synergy on-stage and played a seamless sold-out show with Grammynominated R&B artist Emily King at The Prophet Bar last October.

“People only take you as serious as you take yourself,” Thurmond notes about his experience in the music industry thus far.

“Always come with most genuine offering you can give and that will bring more success than you can imagine. My motto is: be creative and work hard.”

In an exclusive interview, Thurmond told The Blitz that the group recently signed with AGD Entertainment, a Nashville-based booking agency, and is taking off on a cross-country

That mentality has pushed Thurmond to new limits in his musical career, moving him to team up with some of the best producers and instrumentalists in the city. It seems his hard

work is finally paying off through landing this national tour.

On “Break Free,” Kirk Thurmond & The Millennials showcase a unique sound that perfectly blends Thurmond’s soulful vocals with thrilling guitar riffs. It’s a fresh take on old school soul. His lyrics, thoughtfully written, are based on his own experiences, politics, relationships, and what’s troubling him in the world around him. If the full-length “People Change” is anything like the single, you can look forward to more tracks highlighting Thurmond’s strength as a songwriter.

“I like to push messages that bring fulfillment to my listeners, like having a support system or someone to relate to,” said Thurmond of the songwriting process.

Check the group out at its official album release party at Oak Cliff-based indie record shop Spinster Records on March 12 from 8 p.m.-midnight. The album release party also will feature a surprise headliner to be announced. We can’t wait to find out who that is. You can keep up with the group through the group’s website ktammusic.com.

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THREE UT O B A S THING TIFUL A BEAU N WOMA

LINNEA When do you feel sexiest?

I feel sexy in anything if I’m working out and taking care of myself, but I definitely prefer comfort to sexy, and I am most comfy and happy in my wolf greys :) Favorite place to go out?

Favorite place to go is absolutely Studio Movie Grill or something similar. Love those places! And I would order booze and pizza.

OUR PEDIGREE

Describe the perfect Saturday night.

The perfect Saturday night ends with me sexed up in bed next to the dude and my puppies.

D MAGAZINE READERS CHOICE “BEST HOT DOG” 2014 BLITZ WEEKLY BLITZIE AWARD “BEST HAMBURGER” 2014 URBAN SPOON “MOST POPULAR HOT DOG” 2013 D MAGAZINE READERS CHOICE “BEST HOT DOG” 2013 BLITZ WEEKLY BLITZIE AWARD ‘BEST HOT WINGS” 2013 DALLAS OBSERVER READERS CHOICE “BEST HOT DOG” 2013 DALLAS MORNING NEWS “BEST BURGER IN DFW” 2013 BLITZ WEEKLY “BEST SPOTS TO WATCH THE SUPER BOWL” 2013 HOW ABOUT WE “TOP DALLAS DATE SPOT” 2013 CRAVE DFW “BEST DOGS OF DALLAS” 2012 DALLAS MORNING NEWS “BEST BURGER IN DFW” 2012 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST BURGER” 2010 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST GREASY SPOON” 2009 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST NACHOS” 2009 D MAGAZINE “D-BEST HAMBURGER” 2006 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST BURGER” 2006 AOL CITY GUIDE “BEST CHEAP EATS” 2006 AOL CITY GUIDE “BEST LATE NIGHT DINING” 2005 AVID GOLFER MAGAZINE “BEST WINGS” 2004 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST HANGOVR THERAPY” 2003 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST HOT DOG” 2002 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST HAMBURGER” 2002 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST PLACE TO BUY A DOG” 2001 D MAGAZINE “BEST HANGOVER HELPER” 2001 THE MET “BEST BAR FOOD” 2000 D MAGAZINE “BEST WINGS” 2000 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST WINGS” 1998 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST HOT DOG” 1994 DALLAS OBSERVER “BEST WNGS” 1992

Jarrod Fresquez Model: Linnea Make-Up: J ai Okoli – Makeup Junkies, INC. Hair: G eorge Graham – Makeup Junkies, INC. SMARTER, SHARPER MEN

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TEN OF THE BEST WING PLACES IN DALLAS

BY STEVEN DOYLE – CRAVEDFW.COM

Ivy Tavern The wings here start fresh then are fried sans battering then given a choice of homey sauces. Our selection always is the traditional spicy. We order ours extra crispy with a light sauce for the perfect basket of wings that are large and meaty and pair perfectly with a draught of Community Mosaic, a delicious IPA – theivytavern.net.

WingBucket The name makes us cringe a bit, but it definitely stands out as do the wings. The original location is in downtown Dallas, with more locations opening very soon. There are at least 20 flavors to choose from, all concocted in-house. There is no separation of drum and flap here, you get the full wing. The flavors range from the normal Buffalo-style to more wacky concoctions such as peanut butter and jelly (it’s very good). For the more adventuresome folks, try the ghost pepper chile. While at WingBucket, sample the chicken and waffle sandwich. The people here even deliver – wingbucket.com.

Malai Kitchen

ings definitely are the perennial fiery bar snack that can be shared by the basket or devoured solo for a quick meal taken with a very cold beer or a soothing pinot noir.

Dallas has its share of very good examples, and much more that are flat on flavor. The latter are of the frozen and presauced variety; an abomination unto mankind.

However, done well the wing can be spirited, imaginative, and definitely make you yearn for more.

Chaat Café

A perfect wing has a delicate balance of tender white meat that oozes its own juices with a fine balance of sauce and very little decor. A bit of crudité and side of house-made blue cheese dressing is perfect. Some have elevated this combination, others take on an interesting ethnic twist. Let’s explore the better examples in the Dallas area.

The wings at Ten Bells in Oak Cliff are among the very best the city has to offer. These are thoughtful, crispy and extreme on flavor. The sauce is more traditional with a Franks Hot Sauce base, and a second saucing of blue cheese drizzle and cheesy crumbles. Most definitely worth the trek to Bishop Arts alone for this magnanimous dish – tenbellstavern.com.

SMARTER, SHARPER MEN

We always have enjoyed Chaat Cafe for its interesting take on Indian fare, especially the chaat which are snacks usually sold on the beach or on the roadside in India. Most are vegetarian. We particularly are digging the pani puri which are little crisped cups of broth and veggies. One interesting item Chaat does very well is wings. A bit spicy, the tandoori wings are a stand out among flappy competitors across town. Sold with a very un-traditional cup of ranch dressing – indiachaatcafedallas.com.

Ten Bells Tavern

We love this West Village restaurant and do not dine here often enough. Each visit you will uncover a new gem that will have you singing its praises for weeks. Like the chicken wings that are Thai chile glazed with a sprinkling of sesame seeds for a one-two punch of flavor.

Happy hour is from 4-7 p.m. weekdays and all day Sunday where these babies are a mere $5 an order – malaikitchen.com.

Patrizio Uptown An unlikely source for wings, but they are simply delicious. The Chicken Wings Diavolo are made with spicy Calabrian chili and crumbles of Gorgonzola. The wings also can be found on the happy hour menu for a bargain price – patriziorestaurant.com.

Bowl and Barrel Somewhere there are a ton of quail scurrying about without the use of their legs, and we are all the better for it. The spicy quail legs are very meaty and spicy specimens found at Bowl and Barrel – bowlandbarrel.com.

JR’s Steak and Grill Located in Colleyville, (still in the Dallas area, right?) JR’s serves up a smoky grilled wing that

can be made at various spice levels. The wings are served with a house-made ranch dressing that is pretty hard to beat. JR’s also makes a fantastic burger – jrssteaks.com.

Sakhuu These are freaking amazing and life-changing wings. These wings are deboned (how?) then stuffed with a chicken and rice mélange then fried. Two to an order, and they will appear pricey at around $9, but two is all you need and they are filling. You may have tried these at the 2015 Texas State Fair. There are two locations, one on Bryan Street and the other on Lemmon – sakhuu.com.

Greenville Avenue Pizza Company Pizza? Yes. Wings? Most definitely, and delivered until the wee hours for a very early morning fix. The wings are super crispy, super naked, and deliciously sauced. Definitely one of our favorite traditional wings in Dallas – gapc.com.

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SOME THINGS UNDER HEAVEN ARE JUST COOLER THAN HELL

BY L. KENT WOLGAMOTT @BLITZWEEKLY

Courtney Chavanell

INTERVIEW

Ray Wylie Hubbard was born in Soper, Okla., and made it to Oak Cliff in 1954.

After graduating from high school he spent some time at the University of North Texas as an English major. He’s no stranger to Outlaw Country based on his personal experiences in the music industry and penned “Up Against the Wall, Redneck Mother” which was made famous by Jerry Jeff Walker in 1973. Over the years, Hubbard has recorded 16 albums and performed on numerous tours. He’ll be performing at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo on Jan. 20.

Ray Wylie Hubbard knew the sound he

wanted to hear after he and his band finished their work in a Dripping Springs, Texas, studio last summer.

It wasn’t produced, slick and layered. It was the sound of the debut albums of the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Buffalo Springfield and the Black Crowes.

“Those guys didn’t have pedals, didn’t have any money,” Hubbard said. “They had to go in, just plug into the amp, put three mics on the drums and try to record. That’s what we wanted to try to do, was get that sound. Everything now is so auto-tuned and synthesized. We wanted to go in and try to get like where you could hear real guys really playing.

“When it came time to mix it, we took out the lip smacks. But we left in the coughs and string noises and pedal squeaks and 60-cycle hums on an old amp. I just kind of dig the tone, the grit and the groove. Some of my favorite records you can hear that, like them old Lightnin’ Hopkins records. You hear some of that crap, but it’s perfect. You may not like the singer or the songs, but you’ll like the way it sounds. It does sound cool.”

It is The Ruffian’s Misfortune, Hubbard’s new Bordello Records release. And it does sound cool.

Whatever label you want to tag onto The Ruffian’s Misfortune, contrary to the common perception of Hubbard, it definitely isn’t country.

“I’ve never been a country singer,” Hubbard said. “I wrote ‘Up Against the Wall, Redneck Mother’ that was very anti-country at the time.

Merle Haggard had ‘The Fightin’ Side of Me’ and ‘Okie.’ That was kind of the hippie answer.”

SMARTER, SHARPER MEN

Hubbard started out as a folk singer in Oklahoma before he became part of the outlaw/cosmic cowboy scene in Austin in the 70s and early 80s where Jerry Jeff Walker made “Redneck Mother” a hit.

By the mid-80s, Hubbard was enveloped in what he calls a “honky tonk fog.”

“Then when I was 40, Stevie Ray (Vaughan) helped me get clean and sober and I got back to where I said ‘I really want to play guitar with that John Lee Hooker, Lightnin’ Hopkins and Mance (Lipscomb) groove,’ ’’ he said. “So it’s a really good place for me to be to have that foundation in folk music, where the lyrics are important, and put a groove to it. It’s where I feel comfortable.”

“I think the whole theme right now is I hope God grades on a curve. I’m not Attila the Hun, but I’m not Mother Teresa.” something about it. The real ones, they’re not doing it to be a celebrity. They’re females, they rock and they care about it. They’re not doing it to be a reality show or win a contest. They’re like the Ma Raineys and Sister Rosetta Tharpe, they just got up there and played.”

“The next one I’m going to call it The Rogue’s Ascension,’ ” Hubbard said “It’s kind of a trilogy.

It’s kind of the idea as I’ve gotten older, this old cat, this roots folk singer guy kinda looking back. You still enjoy dirty guitars and everything, but you’ve kind of think about your mortality.

Musselwhite is far from the only name that turns up in Hubbard’s songs.

“I think the whole theme right now is I hope God grades on a curve. I’m not Attila the Hun, but I’m not Mother Teresa,” he said. “I’m hoping I can slide into the middle there. That’s why I’ve got the song on there ‘Barefoot in Heaven.’ I’ve been listening to Sister Rosetta Tharpe. That rocks. There’s that vibe in there.”

Jett and Hynde turn up in “Chick Singer, Badass Rockin,’ ” a garage rock stomp on which Hubbard pays tribute to female rockers.

“There are so many, like Erika Wennerstrom of the Heartless Bastards, of course Joan Jett and ole’ Chrissie Hynde,” Hubbard said. “There’s just

Want more Outlaw Country? Look no further. These five will get you started.

Download these tracks now!

The Ruffian’s Misfortune is the second album in what Hubbard intends to be a trilogy. The first was 2012’s The Grifter’s Hymnal. He’s already got four songs written for the next album.

That groove runs through The Ruffian’s Misfortune, whether Hubbard is channeling Neil Young on “Stone Blind Horses,” riding on the slithering sinuous “Hey Mama, My Mama Ain’t Long,” rock ‘n’ rolling through “Bad on Fords” or talking about the harmonica master on the spare “Mr. Musselwhite’s Blues.”

“I name drop stuff, I’ll name drop Howlin’ Wolf, Chrissie Hynde and Joan Jett, and talk about amps and telecasters,” he said. “Those are things that are important to me. Of course love is. But I’ve got to write about it like ‘I got love.

After I dated this stripper I found a door girl and bought a guitar.’ ”

OUTLAW COUNTRY STARTER SET

majunznk

Johnny Cash A Boy Named Sue, Folsom Prison Blues, I Walk the Line Dustin Summer

Jeremy Roberts

Merle Haggard I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink, Okie From Muskogee, Mama Tried Willie Nelson Pancho and Lefty, Always on My Mind, On the Road Again

Hubbard also is releasing his memoir.

“It’s called, and I have to punctuate this ‘A Life dot, dot, dot Well comma Lived. A Life...

Well, Lived,’ ” he said. “It’s just got a bunch of old road stories and then it’s also got growing up in Oklahoma and getting into music, folk music, travels. It’s got some song lyrics and kind of talk about the inspiration and craft in songwriting.”

Waylon Jennings Luckenbach, Texas, Good Hearted Woman, Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?

Chris Boland

Matthew Woitunski

David Allan Coe If That Ain’t Country, Willie, Waylon and Me, You Never Even Called Me by My Name

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How Are You Streaming Today?

BY TAYLOR C. BERRIER – @THEGALAXY89

I

stream, you stream, we all stream for TV. It’s not something we take for granted.

The inception of media streaming brought with it the glorious ability to watch whole series of shows in their entirety in one convenient location, on your mobile device, personal computer, or simply any electronic display.

The question most often asked in an everyday conversation between co-workers, school children, and reviewers like myself is “What are you streaming?” To which there were two answers to this just a couple years back. House of Cards or Orange is the New Black.

But the question I liked to ask next is “How are you streaming?” Mostly out of sheer curiosity, but also out of intrigue. I found most men my age had a similar answer. PlayStation. But there was a wide variety amongst the general public surveyed. “My MacBook.” “My iPhone.” “Apple TV.” These were just about every other answer at a time looking back. However, the options out there for streaming have soared to unlimited possibilities. TVs became smart meaning they could stream with their own built-in hardware.

You didn’t even need to plug anything in besides the power cord, and of course your Internet.

People stopped caring about how they were streaming, so long as they could. But if you couldn’t, it seemed imperative to change that as soon as possible. It was possible on just about any budget. Pick up Chromecast for under $40, an Android TV stick for $20, or a budget smartphone for $10. Whatever you were streaming your media from, it didn’t matter as long as you still had one subscription to a streaming service. The ability to binge was just way better than anything cable was offering and it could be done without breakthe-bank services like satellite or a landline.

I’m going to break down some of the most affordable and most wide-ranging media streamers on the market today, that way there is no question in media streaming superiority and to end the debate of whether or not your brand loyalty holds any gumption in the matter.

Roku But which one? There’s so many!

You might not have any experience with Roku, especially if you are a gamer rockin’ any of the current gen systems or if you are an Apple user.

When put that way, it makes Roku sound like a superfluous commodity in today’s market, but the wide-range of streaming networks it offers makes it a standout player among other media streamers. Oh, and its channel selection also provides a wide variety of adult-oriented channels. Plus the fact you can pick one up in every Wal-Mart across the nation.

As to which model to get, well they all have access to these adult materials, however, what better way to watch those than in 4k resolution?

Netflix, the all-supreme media streamer available on Roku and every other streaming device, also offers streaming in 4k. The Roku 4 (MSRP $129.99), released back in October, offers such abilities and a plethora of services for children as well, including games. Did I mention its remote is motion sensitive and makes for a unique gaming and general user experience? It also has voice controls.

Apple

The Roku 4 is a bit on the higher end scale of media streamer prices, but retains its popularity with its selection of devices at every other price point. Super budget buyers should check out the Roku Stick or the Roku 1 refurbished (usually between $30 and $50 depending upon condition), which both offer streaming in 720 or 1080 HD, but void the gaming experience with more basic hardware in the box and the remote.

This leads you to the question of the cost. Surely Apple has made it expensive, because hey, you are buying the brand. It is after all, just another media streaming device. Fortunately, Apple isn’t the monster the other side so often makes it out to be. With newer generations came bigger and better price cuts on the older models. For under $70, you can get that fresh Apple scent, and for a few bucks less around $40 or $50 you can get it with some used stank to it.

Android Ever hear of Android Mini PCs? No, because there’s just not nearly enough use for them besides streaming media and everything else can do already do that. Its applications are limited, but if you are interested in turning any television into a basic computer for as low as $20, then these are your best options. Most require a Bluetooth remote however, which can cost as low as $10 themselves and you hardly have to worry about compatibility issues. Hard to find in stores, but pretty common in online markets.

For a bit more money, your options for Android begin to expand, but so do the requirements.

Phone users can use their mobile device to stream onto any larger display with an HDMI port using a Mini-HDMI cable, but your phone would require a Mini-HDMI port different from your Micro USB charging port. Or you can use your charging port to stream using a Micro USB to HDMI connecter cable, but then whatever television you are plugging into would require either a MHL or a Slim Port. MHL looks like an HDMI, but always will be branded as MHL on the television. Or just use Chromecast ($25 for 1st Gen, $35 for 2nd).

Apple TV has come, and many thought it would go as well. What’s made this $100 device survive this long? Its compatibility with every other Apple device. Using your iPhone or iPad to control it means you are almost never without your remote, which if you ask me is its best feature. But it still comes with a remote and the newer model even offers some gaming capabilities with it.

If you are a cheap Apple user (sounds contradictory I know), don’t fret. There’s still hope. But another middle man is still involved in this process. Check out adapters that turn your charging port into a display port. That’s right, there’s a cable for everything nowadays, even for Apple products. This only requires a regular HDMI port in your television and an HDMI cable plus the adapter. Assuming you already have an HDMI cable laying around and a television to watch it on, the lightning/30-pin/or Thunderbolt (for Mac laptop users) to HDMI adapter can run you about $50. That still screams Apple prices to me, but Apple users knew the costs of their devices going in.

Amazon Why Amazon? After considering the options above, Amazon manages to squeeze in its media streamers somewhere between the two levels of quality that separate Android and Apple, as well as the two price ranges. Amazon offered its Fire TV Stick to early investors at half the cost, but now sits at $39.99, with the exception of

some holiday discounts found intermittently after Thanksgiving and the newer voice activated remote offered for $10 more.

There’s also the Fire TV for $99, which offers support for 4k streaming and differentiates itself from the Stick with access to games, best playable on the Amazon TV game controller sold separately or bundled for an additional cost of $40 more, (though at the time of writing this article, the bundle was being sold for $114).

Running its own version of Android, Amazon provides a wide variety of games commonly found in the Google Play store, and some also found in the Apple App Store.

If you’re good on your set top box situation, the least you can do is check out Amazon Video, offered on most other streaming devices and set top boxes. I hear that Man in the High Castle is some good stuff. And even though Prime Video may seem expensive compared to most other streaming services at about $99 a year, effectively that’s less than $9 a month. And don’t forget about the 50 percent college discount ($49 a year).

Sony Another wide range of offerings that come at a bit of a price, but ultimately offer an all-around smoother and broader experience for the typical gamer or entertainment enthusiast. If gaming is equally or more important to your streaming needs, look no further than the PlayStation 3 or 4. Media streaming devices are a moot point in this matter, as none can compare to what Sony is offering. Though at a cost, a PS3 can run you between $100 and $200 depending on condition and memory size and a PS4 will be $100 to $200 more. I have a smart TV and a PS4, suffice to say I never use my TV’s smart feature. If I didn’t have the PS4, I’d still prefer to use my PS3 over my Fire TV, Apple TV, Wii, or Android TV stick. Its powerful hardware makes for as seamless of a buffering experience as possible and video becomes cleaner in this regard.

The channels for streaming services are a bit more limited, but still provide access to your basics: Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Crunchyroll, HBO, and ESPN, along with some radio services.

No matter what media streamer you decide to go with, remember the standard rule of electronics apply. You get what you pay for. Money buys happiness and so does your media streamer.

I hope this article gives you a better idea of which media streamer is best for you, and for whatever reason you decide to open that crusty book out from storage instead, good for you. Getting lost in a show is nothing like getting lost in the written word. But to each his own.

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Duet Albums

Or, the End of Your Career

BY PETER GERSTENZANG – @HAPPYSPAPPY

R

emember that story a few years ago about Oscar the Cat? Oscar, who lived at a Rhode Island nursing home, always seemed to know which resident was going to die next. If he approached you and curled up in your lap, you needed to do the grim stuff like making out your will. Then, do fun things, like picking up the phone, calling the head of the RNC and asking if he has Prince Albert in a can.

Well, in rock and roll, there’s no Oscar the Cat. But the closest thing to knowing you’re going to die is making a duet album. As any music fan knows, these records are the aural equivalent of stage four lung cancer. Without the laughs. Here are some of my favorites…

Wrote a Song for Everyone: John Fogerty and Friends John Fogerty has re-recorded his greatest hits so many times, he received a gold album for just his test pressings in 2002. But this album is really running on fumes. Most memorably with former TRESemmé hair model, Kid Rock. Who howls “Born on the Bayou” with all the outrage of a trucker who hasn’t spotted a strip club, a gun store or a Confederate flag shop for 15 miles.

Blimey!

Strangers Again: Judy Collins and Friends When you bring in old rockers to sing on your album, it’s usually called nostalgia. This new disc

by Collins, which unearths the dead, brushes off the dirt they were buried in and drags the bodies SMARTER, SHARPER MEN

into the studio, actually qualifies as necrophilia.

The highlight of the record is Judy’s duet with Don McLean on “Send in the Clowns.” I know you didn’t like reading that. Hey, I didn’t enjoy writing it. I hear that Collins found Mr. American Pie working in a nightclub in the Midwest and brought him in to record. You know, after his shift bussing tables and washing dishes was over.

Genius Loves Company: Ray Charles and Friends All you can think of when you hear Ray’s swan song is, they couldn’t have done this to a guy who could see. They brought in stiffs like Diana Krall, told Ray it was Ella Fitzgerald and just rolled tape. The album makes you think that not even Donald Trump was as cruel to the disabled as the people who made this disc.

Duets: Frank Sinatra and Friends Considering Ol’ Blue Eyes was 78 when he recorded this poo poo platter, I’m not sure it even qualifies as an album. More like a striking example of elder abuse. Every one of Frank’s partners phone in their performance. To the point where one of the songs is interrupted by an operator demanding 50 cents for the next three minutes. The highlight of the sessions might be Frank singing with Bono. Who is so clueless, feckless and just plain lost, it begs the question: if this guy is such a pacifist, why does listening to him here make you want to kill the first person you see?

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Bad Math and Other Moral Failings Daniel Patrick Moynihan supposedly observed that one is “…entitled to your own opinions, but not to your own facts.” It certainly feels like something Moynihan would say; it has the texture of the sort of elbow-throwing insult an educated man would come up with. It is one of the most cuttingly polite ways of implying the person you’re arguing with is either remarkably stupid or an awful liar.

BY CHRIS SICK – @CHRISSICK

id-iom

The phrase is well worn among the pundit class, a Google search returns a dozen or so opinion pieces that incorporate it into their titles from authors across the political spectrum. The central conceit of the insult is seductive – facts are solid, objective, they are beyond ownership and therefore, beyond reproach.

One more quote: Galileo Galilei is thought to have said “Measure what is measurable and make measurable what is not so.” This is the mentality behind the technocratic impulse that created the NYPD’s Compstat program, which offered the impressive-sounded statistics Kelly and subsequent police officials have used to bootstrap their arguments. It is predicated on the notion that all things are knowable and quantifiable.

It’s complete and utter bullshit, of course, but that never stopped anyone before.

For an example of this, we could look to the Supreme Court (re)hearing the case of Fisher v. University of Texas. The short story version is that Abigail Fisher’s application to UT-Austin was rejected, she claims, because she was white. Investigations into the case suggest that she was simply less qualified than most applicants, and even of the 47 candidates admitted with lower qualifications than her, only five were black or Hispanic, 42 were white.

As the court heard oral arguments, Justice Scalia asked a ham-handed question about how diversity admissions might disadvantage students of color, by admitting them to competitive schools for which they don’t have the academic preparedness.

I’m being a bit charitable for reasons that even I don’t understand: Scalia’s phrasing implied that he believes all or most African-American students are incapable of the academic rigor of America’s most elite universities. And, for that, there was an instant pile-on from left-leaning media calling him bigoted and prejudiced and pointing out the racist overtones of his comments.

Most of which was correct, insofar as it responded directly to what Scalia said. That, of course, didn’t stop the predictable right wing media outrage from kicking into high gear and claiming both that Scalia was correct and liberals were ignoring “facts” in favor of feelgood diversity policies.

But, again, it’s complete and utter bullshit.

And, most important, both sides were able to draw on academic research to bootstrap their ideological insults. Scalia was referring to the “Mismatch” theory, popular in conservative circles, that states that universities admit too many students under diversity criteria, who then go on to have poor academic performance and are at a higher risk of dropping out before graduation. The original study has been both refuted and reaffirmed by subsequent research.

Unsurprisingly, the findings frequently depend on the political orientation of the researcher.

Not that you’d know any of this from reading the reaction to Scalia’s comments. With rare exception, the overwhelming majority of coverage I encountered of the case and the Justice’s comments broke along ideological lines, and treated the empirical question as settled in favor of their opinion.

John Adams famously wrote “Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”

But, boy, we sure showed him. We are, it turns out, entitled to our own facts, if there’s a large enough body of research from which to cherry-pick.

And even when there is not, most people have never let that stop them. During the Bloomberg administration in New York, the New York Police Department searched hundreds of thousands of people, peaking at more than 685,000 searches in 2011. For all of this, less than 6 percent of stops ended in an arrest, and the American Civil Liberties Union reports that in 2011, 88 percent of all people stopped were innocent of any wrongdoing.

When defending the policy, thenCommissioner Ray Kelly conflated the policy with the low murder rate. In a fiery commentary piece, Kelly rattled off statistics, comparing the number of murders over 11 years before the policy to the number of murders during the 11 years of the Bloomberg administration, and ended his numeric tirade by declaring that “To critics, none of this seems to matter much.”

His critics, quite rightly, pointed out that murders had fallen both nationwide and globally throughout the same period, and that neither the murder nor overall crime rate fluctuated with the number of stops per year. They noted that the last 20 years had seen an incredible drop in violent crime; one for which social scientists still had no reliable explanation.

Kelly and Bloomberg defended their controversial program by the numbers, but had no problem stretching and torturing the numbers to suit their arguments for the program. Likewise, proponents and detractors of diversity in college admissions can find impressive sounding research to assure their audience that they own the facts, but that doesn’t mean the debate isn’t ongoing.

Most troubling, this impulse to quantify and rely on facts as objective measures weakens our moral reasoning. This is how we find ourselves arguing over the efficacy of torturing terror suspects, rather than confronting the sickening morality of it. We argue for what works, rather than what is right.

But we live in a time and place where we can all be right; we are all – finally – entitled to our own facts and armed with all of the technology and information we need to find the ones that are most comforting to us. We can pretend that we are capable of measuring that which is not measurable, and that those measurements trump morality; that those facts are stubborn and immovable, and beyond ownership. But in doing so we are only deluding ourselves into unwinnable arguments and amoral analysis, and failing our better angels for bad mathematics.

FACTS ARE STUBBORN THINGS; AND WHATEVER MAY BE OUR WISHES, OUR INCLINATIONS, OR THE DICTATES OF OUR PASSIONS, THEY CANNOT ALTER THE STATE OF FACTS AND EVIDENCE. WWW.BLITZWEEKLY.COM

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Gage Skidmore

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Bits of Wisdom…

Arnold Schwarzenegger Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.

It’s simple; if it jiggles, it’s fat.

Help others and give something back. I guarantee you will discover that while public service improves the lives and the world around you, its greatest reward is the enrichment and new meaning it will bring your own life.

You know, nothing is more important than education, because nowhere are our stakes higher. Our future depends on the quality of education of our children today.

Milk is for babies. When you grow up you have to drink beer.

Capricorn: December 22-January 19 Welcome to DFW where the entertainer on stage is also your waiter and your Uber driver!

Andrew J. Hewett chewednews.blogspot.com MOST EXPENSIVE FOOD White winter truffles, also called Alba truffles, are very pricey, costing $6,000 to $10,000 per pound, depending on the time of year and availability. Less expensive truffles include white summer truffles and black winter and summer truffles.

The largest single truffle known (4.16 pounds – nearly the size of an American football) sold Dec. 6, 2014, at a Sotheby’s auction in New York. The winning bid? $61,250.

Aries: March 21-April 19 Do you ever ask yourself why bleach bottles have a “don’t drink” labels on them? Of course you don’t because for you it’s a life saving advice.

Aquarius: January 20-February 18 Just because you are offended doesn’t make you right. Especially considering the rest of us are offended simply by your existence.

Taurus: April 20-May 20 Wasn’t it cool to finally have a date for New Year’s Eve, even if it was the cause of your first kiss of the year being postponed because she left with someone else.

Always next year champ!

Pisces: February 19-March 20 When life gives you lemons paint a face on one. Tell it your darkest desires. Buy it jewelry. Grow old and die with it at your bedside.

Gemini: May 21-June 21 Dying a little bit inside after seeing “what I wanted to do in 2015 vs. what I actually did” memes is in fact something for which to be ashamed.

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FWI - FLYING WHILE INTOXICATED You’ve probably heard of birds eating fermented berries, then flying into trees or crash-landing? The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. News reported that so many Bohemian Waxwings in Canada’s Yukon became intoxicated the Environment Yukon organization set up an “avian drunk tank” to provide safer sobering surroundings.

ELIMINATES FATHER’S DAY Indonesia’s holy “Sex Mountain” on the island of Java allows Muslims to feel prosperous and optimistic if they have sex with total strangers. A reporter with Australia’s SBS Dateline TV program visited Mount Kemukus, near Surakarta, to watch the mass adultery. This practice, which originated in the 16th century, allows these devout pilgrims to pray, bathe and pair off with non-spouses seven times, 35 days apart.

Cancer: June 22-July 22 The fact that ICP fans don’t want anything to do with you is nothing for which to be proud.

Leo: July 23-August 22 The year 2016 will be as good for you as Lady Gaga will be on American Horror Story. In other words it’s going to be bad for you and everyone involved should feel bad.

Virgo: August 23-September 22 Pat yourself on the back by staying alive another year thanks to a society that prevents natural selection from doing its job. It’s not like you’ll thank the SJW’s yourself.

Libra: September 23-October 22 The correlation of how many people seem to be creeped out by you since the release of Spotlight isn’t coincidence. Don’t bother changing your look; it’s just the vibe you give off.

Scorpio: October 23-November 21 The month is full of potential. Anything can happen! But in all likelihood for you it won’t.

Sagittarius: November 22-December 21 Your family and friends are taking up too much of your time. Time you’d rather be using on the internet with total strangers.

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It’s Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door

BY PAUL A. ESQUIVEL – @SOAPMANSUPREME

A new year, another notch in the belt and a testament of time to mankind’s time here on Earth. It’s a strange and scary time, but then again hasn’t it always been?

Sixteen years ago people thought we’d be thrown back into the Stone Age because of Y2K. The saying “The more things change, the more they stay the same” is maybe not a saying but rather just a quote from a game, but either way it’s true.

For 2015 the Internet decided to cast new extremes and draw new lines in the sand to the point where more and more we’re seeing the use of common sense and logic to approach basically any type of social issues being allowed less and less. Instead, you are forced to choose just one side or the other. We saw people offended by yoga classes saying it was “cultural appropriation,” but remained silent on true attacks on culture.

We also saw the Internet all but lose its mind at just the thought of a black Stormtrooper.

We made Caitlyn Jenner ‘Woman of the Year’ to feel good about ourselves and nothing else.

BEFORE

BRUCE JENNER

These new politically correct police and Social Justice Warriors (SJW) have strength in numbers now more than ever, but the damage done by the tolerance of intolerance isn’t affected by their presence very much. I used to think people who used the phrase “Pussification of America” were just people of lower caliber thinking, but I found myself thinking that at almost every headline trending in-between the important news.

I’m not just setting up the idea that it’s Cry-Bullies who are responsible for everything wrong with us today. Yeah they aren’t helping, but that’s the case for a lot of people. Look at the world around us. Are we as a species kind of just making it up as we go? Has this whole social experiment we call existence always been doomed to fail?

Yes? No? Maybe?

It’s hard to watch our society progress and enlighten in some areas while staying in the bliss of ignorance in others that really count.

SMARTER, SHARPER MEN

South Park hit the nail on the head this season forcing us to look at ourselves in the mirror, again, showing how social issues are used as trends to win social brownie points among Facebook friends. The new mantra for us seems to be the opposite of Berkley’s, ours being “appear to be, instead of be.”

Just writing this, I can imagine someone reading it and immediately calling me a typical racist homophobe who doesn’t get it. Many cry oppressions when there aren’t any, these people also chose to ignore or tell those people who actually are being oppressed that they don’t matter. We’re even going as far as to try to make history PC, with schools dropping the landmark, anti-racist book Huckleberry Finn for its use of the N-word.

AFTER

The irony in that situation is almost sickening because one of the most anti-racist novels in history is being pulled from shelves and hidden from our youth for being “too racist.” During all this we’re seeing the majority of our country adopt a new race to mutually oppress and discriminate against, seemingly agreeing that all Muslims are terrorists while our very own Hitler 2.0 eggs them on.

The lines were drawn and we all but gladly adopted the “us against them” mentality, but it’s not all doom and gloom.

Don’t fret, for every era has had its errors, some mistakes have taken longer to learn from and all of this is nothing new.

CAITLYN JENNER

Her actual character was overlooked for either superficial reasons or ones for which we can pat ourselves on the back. If you dared to question her nomination for ‘Woman of the Year’ you were immediately labeled a bigot, no matter if you unquestionably supported her transition from Bruce. This all or nothing attitude made microaggressions the new and easy excuse to jump down someone’s throat and appear “smart.”

But again, it isn’t just the Cry-Bullies pissing in the community punch bowl at this party. On the other side we can see the exact same attitudes being used. An example of this is how you either have to choose to hate all police or agree there is an imaginary war on them. It became taboo to mutually have respect for the men and women who protect and serve in police departments while also wanting the number of corrupt cops to be held accountable. We also see this in the video game world. If you support GamerGate you’re called a misogynist, if you criticize its ugly moments you’re a Fem-Nazi.

The stage is the same, only its players have changed, it’s still about who you sit by in the lunch room, it’s just through your Facebook account now. What we could maybe all use right now is some moderation, as the great Oscar Wilde once said “Everything in moderation, including moderation.”

We have to have the ability to admit that we were wrong. We have to take our ugly moments in history with a grain of salt and not act like they don’t exist, otherwise how are we supposed to learn from them?

Ignorance is an anchor to progress, and fear turns ignorance into hate. It might be a natural response, but it’s our obligation to be better than that by fighting against that response. I guess the point I’m trying to make here is, we’re the home of the brave, let’s start acting like it.

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