BlackAndBlueDevil

This has got to be some of the oddest smack talk I've seen leading up to a game. You crazy 'Boro folks...(Wait, I am one now)

I will be attending this one tonight (my fiance is a Blackman alum) and I'm looking forward to a great contest. I sure do miss being in 4-5A with all you guys.

Best of luck to both teams!

Congrats to Oakland.

2P, I know I haven't been on here in a loooong time, but I'm really happy for you guys, and proud of your team. They represented 4-5A and Rutherford County tremendously.

Aaaaand... I'm proud that my Blue Devils were the only team to beat OHS this year. Without the injury bug I think we could have made some noise...ah well.

Enjoy, Patriots! I'll miss my boys coming to the 'Boro next year.

BnB

If Lebanon comes to play, they will win without much difficulty.

If they don't, LC could pull this one out. We have all seen how hot and cold the Blue Devils are. Beating Smyrna and outplaying Riverdale on some weeks, and losing to Blackman on HC and barely surviving Siegel on others.

Lebanon matches up very well with the Falcons, with a strong O-line that I feel is capable of containing the LC defense, and way more speed on both sides of the ball to boot. I don't think the Pit will be a factor...it wasn't last year, anyway.

Lebanon 28

Lincoln County 21

Indeed I am. I'll be done in May, but I'm planning on going to grad school here as well. I just love the Boro...

It has been a while hasn't it? I'm quite a busy man these days...

Lebanon outplayed Riverdale overall, but a couple of key plays did the Blue Devils in (giving up the score on 3rd and long and fumbling in the red zone). Also, I thought Lebanon had come down with the onside kick but I could be mistaken.

All that matters is that the Warriors are still undefeated, and Lebanon needs to take care of business to make the playoffs, which I believe will happen.

Having seen both teams, I would think Wilson Central should be slightly favored in this Friday's game. Should be a great one.

You making the trip, B & B?

I'll be there, keeping stats and doing a writeup for the Wilson Post.

It'll be nice to finally do an LHS game...I've been covering Wilson Central and Mt. Juliet all season.

So I hear the press box has no windows? Good thing I like cold weather...

Very evenly matched game...pull it out, Devils.

Don't doubt my boys, Russell!

A great matchup. Will OHS be able to generate some offense?

I feel an upset brewing. Oakland by seven.

Go Pats!

What a doozy.

My boys (Lebanon) against the boys I cheer for when they aren't playing my boys (Oakland).

When these two teams meet, it's always a great game. I haven't gotten to see Oakland yet, but from what I have heard and read they are solid.

Lebanon is a maddening team to watch, because they can be very, very good at times and play atrociously at others. If LHS can establish the run early, they will have a good shot at winning, I do believe.

The strength of the Blue Devils is the defense, and I feel pretty confident that it will be a low scoring game.

It's a shame that one of these squads might miss the playoffs, because with all due respect to Blackman, the Patriots and the Devils are two of the four best teams in this region.

I'll be down on the Gulf doing hurricane relief, so unfortunately I'll miss this one. But best of luck to both teams, and Go Big Blue!

The play-by-play man for Lebanon was Clyde Harville. He was the voice of LHS sports for many years and will be missed.

Marv Dobson (I believe) is his replacement.

Not so much lurking...this is the first time I have logged on since...eh...March maybe?

Good to be back.

Hmm... I say

Gallatin 28

Lebanon 13

The Blue Devils are a year or two away from being very good. I expect something like 3-7 or 4-6 for them in year two of rebuilding mode. Gallatin is always tough.

Good luck Lebanon.

You seem to be doing OK ... although, as a college student and the fact that it is a Friday night ... you should be out looking for some ladies.

Well, I had a small surgical procedure today and I'm supposed to stay off my feet, and during the summer when you're back at home the options are limited.

And I've never had very good luck with the opposite sex.

So tnsddeveloper, you wouldn't happen to be a member at FUMC, would you?

Hmmmm ... lets see. From grade to grade, there should never be unqualified students as they should all be passing the minimum requirements to get to the next grade. That's what makes for 15 year old 7th graders.

 

Who should decide what kids should and shouldn't know? The buck has to stop somewhere. Obviously, it wasn't happening at the teacher level. As for critical thinking skills ... if teachers are good teachers, they figure out how to teach the BASICS with critical thinking fostering skills.

That's OK. I shoot blanks now too.

In theory you're right, but you still didn't address my question.

Don't get the idea that I want to see teachers coddled. I just feel that they are getting an unfair shake in this business, second only to the students themselves. We can both agree that changes need to be made.

I will say, from experience, that FCS in my opinion has little or nothing to offer academically that LHS doesn't. Maybe a better "values education," but I think that term is pretty shady anyway.

I completely disagree here. Teachers are by no means the only folks whose "success" depends on others.

 

Take me for example. I work for myself. I am a orthodontist. I rely on my staff for everything. If they make a mistake ... my insurance pays for the error and I pay more in premiums (unless there are too many mistakes and then I'm shopping for new insurance) . If my front desk folks are lazy and don't answer the phones ... my kids don't eat. It is my job to keep them all trained properly and motivated to do well. If I don't ... I will be out of a job. Teachers should not get a free pass.

Quick question. The tests are asking questions of things that should have been learned at specific grade levels. Why would you test for less than that base of knowledge to see if a teacher or school has been successful?

Folks from Trousdale call me the "toof's fairy".

Ah, yes, indeed... but I'll bet you wouldn't hire any random person that walked through your door. Businesses have a choice of people to rely on...those that they feel are qualified enough to hire. Teachers in public schools have no such luxury.

Quick question. If your staff consisted of totally random, potentially unqualified people, would any amount of proper training and motivation result in success for your business? There's a good chance it wouldn't.

The state is deciding what kids should and shouldn't know, and we all know how good a grip the government usually has on reality. Our teachers are being forced to adhere to a rigid curriculum at the expense of teaching critical thinking skills, which are a common denominator for academic and personal success, as any college professor will tell you.

Rote memorization isn't helping our kids. Meeting benchmarks means nothing if the kids are forgetting it in a matter of months.

The toof's fairy? Hmm... I'm drawing a blank...

Why in the world do we need another increase in taxes? Again ... everything comes down to accountability. This time from politicians and government officials. State tax coffers are overflowing with cash. Why not vote in accountable politicians and pick officials that will use that cash effectively? The lesser pay rate for Wilson Co. teachers is less than surrounding counties ... but that isn't a lack of cash issue ... it is again, an accountability issue.

 

Subjective hands? If the kids can't pass standardized tests of things that are supposed to be taught, then the teachers don't deserve to keep their jobs. How in the world is that subjective? Everyone that holds down a job is accountable for their job performances ... why are teachers any different?

Fair enough. I agree with you on the accountability of our civil servants. Unfortunately, I don't see anything productive being done any time soon.

Why are teachers different? Because their "success" depends primarily on the performance of others, to a much larger degree than most professions. One can be an excellent instructor without the numbers showing it.

I realize their has to be a degree of standardization, but what is, in my mind, an overemphasis on these tests has handcuffed a teacher's ability to teach in the manner in which they are best suited, and thus makes them less effective as educators.

Who are you, if you don't mind me asking?

Unwillingness to contribute taxpayer dollars? Last I checked ... you don't have a choice. An unwillingness to pay tax payer dollars gets you tossed into the pokey.

 

But you do emphasize one issue that is important here. That we should just through money at problems. That is not the solution. It is called accountability. Until school systems, administrators, and teachers are accountable for the deficiencies ... the public school system will continue to struggle.

 

But if you don't think that the school environment doesn't make a difference for a large percentage of the student population, then you really do have your head in the sand.

 

If you feel inferior, you have more of a self esteem issue than an issue of others thinking you are inferior.

I'm not referring to not paying one's taxes, I'm referring to the consistent opposition to any increase in taxes or (gasp!) an income tax. I'm not talking about throwing money at the problem; I'm talking about adequately compensating our teachers so they don't defect to Rutherford County, as well as updating facilities and technology so we are within spitting distance of more successful public districts.

Accountability, yes, but how do you achieve that? Getting rid of tenure and imposing penalties for low standardized test scores does nothing but force teachers to teach to a test (wow that's a mouthful) and put the fate of educators' careers in arguably subjective hands.

I believe that opportunity, instead, gives students the best chance for success. And yes, opportunity usually costs money.

I'll agree that the environment makes a difference. But instead of yanking one's kids out of said environment, how about putting a stake in the success of a public?

Of course, everyone is entitled to make whatever decision is best for their child, and sending yours to a private may very well be the right one. But that doesn't mean I have to agree with it.

I guess I do have a self-esteem issue, then. Or maybe I've had a different experience than you, and you are speaking to something you have no idea about?

I don't mean to sound spiteful, I'm just trying to share my thoughts. I apologize if I've offended you.

My best friend at FCS was a minority ... and I never, ever saw his color.

 

While at the public ... my well rounded education included knowing which restrooms were "available" to use and which ones were the ones to get pummeled if you mistakenly entered into it. It included teachers being arrested by the DEA/FBI for drug trafficking from Mexico. It included a teacher that got into an argument with his "partner" (and girls basketball coach) and kidnapped a kid from their apartment complex.

 

Well rounded??? If that is what you want to call it.

I'd really like to know which public you are referring to.

FCS? Friendship Christian? To even slightly suggest that FCS is ethnically diverse is laughable.

And I appreciate your sentiment about never seeing your friend's color, and I understand the point you were trying to make. But to suggest you never "saw" that is ridiculous. Of course you did. People have physical differences, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Why don't you tell me? What would give them a better advantage by staying in a public?

 

Would it be the lower test scores? The delapadated buildings? The overcrowded classrooms? The higher percentage of crime and arrested per capita? The teacher-student romantic relationships? And on and on ....

 

Which one of those would give my child an advantage?

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Which public school/system are you referring to?

And a lot, if not all, of these problems can be traced back to people's unwillingness to contribute taxpayer dollars to public education. These are often the same people that gripe about the state of our schools and the quality of what they are producing.

You are well within your rights to choose private education for your son or daughter. However, I don't think you've made valid points in your smug (or so it appears) bashing of publics.

I went to Lebanon, where the facilities are subpar, classrooms are overcrowded, there is probably a higher crime rate and lower test scores, and if I'm not mistaken a teacher/student relationship here and there.

I was also a National Merit Finalist that got accepted everywhere I applied (Duke, Vandy, Wake among them). I know that sounds like bragging, but I'm making a point. The state of my high school had precious little to do with the quality of my education. For me it was all about parental involvement, as I suspect it is with other students.

That's why it seems like privates offer so much more. The kind of parent that cares enough (and has the means) to yank their son/daughter out of a public and put them somewhere "safe" is the type that will put in the effort to foster academic success. Therefore, test scores and whatnot adjust accordingly.

If the general public would stop complaining about public education and actually put their money where their mouth is, a lot of this discussion wouldn't apply.

I know the tax base is smaller in some areas, but there is always room for improvement when it comes to education. Children are our most valuable resource.

Sorry about the rant, I came unglued a bit. I'm just tired of being viewed as inferior because my parents didn't have the money to send me somewhere else (not that they would have anyway)

Go Lebanon

*sigh*

Where did Oden and Ramsey end up anyway?

Who will the qb be?

Good question. Daley Sallis and (I think) Micah Walker return from last season. One of the Maynard brothers from last year's freshman squad may get a shot. One way or another, Brown will find a way to get those two on the field. They definitely have skills.

QB could be quite the weakness unless one of these guys blows up.

I still think Lebanon is a year or two away, but they will be MUCH improved this season. They lost just about everyone after their 8-2 season two years ago and had a whole heap of new guys to break in.

That being said, Brown is a good coach who knows what he's doing. LHS had tons of talent in '01 but went 4-6. Brown has gotten his teams to play to, or at times above, their abilities, Gaines is a good, strong RB, and the defense is improving. Finding a steady hand at QB is a necessity.

The Blue Devil freshmen won the region (and went undefeated, I believe). This is a deep, talented group.

I don't think they'll be higher than 4th, but they'll certainly be better than 2-8. Considering what they had to work with last season, they played teams pretty wel.

Thoughts?

Oh, and Kyle Wishing is my daddy.

kyle wishing is my babies daddy.

 

[im a girl so don't fret.]

So that would make you my....

Mommy?

I didnt know tennis players could have babies. well I knew they could have babies I just thought the only option was artificial simulation.

Artifical simulation? Or insemination?

Either way, Kyle Wishing is good.

Well done, Oakland. You guys certainly surprised me.

Congrats on a successful season, good luck for the next, and thanks for having a consistently classy program, year in and year out.