As would be expected, some of my closest friends got in some really good jabs about the picture that ran in Monday’s paper of me with Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema at a reception before the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame dinner Sunday at Chenal Country Club in Little Rock.
I knew I was in trouble before the picture appeared in the paper because Deputy Sports Editor Jeff Krupsaw called and wanted to move it inside, saying it wasn’t my best photo ever.
At this point in my life, ego is rarely a problem, so when I saw the picture for the first time Monday morning in the paper, my first thought was now I know for sure what they mean when they talk about a deer in the headlights.
I looked stunned, to say the least. If you didn’t see it, good. Let’s leave it that way.
The good-natured teasing also led me to remember what happened when I was at the Arkansas Derby after Bobby Petrino’s first year as Arkansas’ head coach.
I was in the Jockey Club for a few minutes visiting with friends when someone brought Petrino in and took him around introducing him to people. As they approached our table, Petrino made eye contact and said, “Now there’s a familiar face. How you doing, Bob?”
Quietly, although all my friends and everyone within two tables had heard him, I replied, “It’s Wally.”
He just shook his head and walked off. I recalled what had happened the next week on a radio show.
A few months later during Arkansas football media day, Petrino asked if it had to be such a big story.
He got my name wrong, and yet he was the unhappy one.
At least there wasn’t a picture.
The Wally Hall and Shane Pigue Tournament of Champs is set for this weekend, and it will be the biggest tournament in the sports history of the state.
Benton will be swarming with 193 youth baseball teams that are coming from all over the South to play.
Pigue became director of the softball tournament a few years ago, added baseball and has made it one of the bestrun and best-officiated tournaments in the country.
B enton city off icials should run a picture of him and his wife Lara up the flag pole. On a weekend when many people leave town, they have managed to fill every hotel within 30 miles and the restaurants will be overflowing.
There is not a city in Arkansas that wouldn’t want to host the Tournament of Champs.
The first Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Arkansas Preps awards banquet has far exceeded anyone’s expectations.
The event will be June 1 at the Wally Allen Ballroom in the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock and will recognize hundreds of deserving high school athletes from across the state.
Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning will serve as the keynote speaker and will present awards to the most outstanding player in each sport.
There is a new camp coming to central Arkansas, Win-Shape, which was developed by the good people at Chickfil-A.
The camp will be June 17-21 at Pulaski Academy, and it is being brought to Arkansas by Immanuel Baptist Church, Fellowship Bible Church, City of Fire Ministry , Second Baptist Church at John Barrow Road, City Church and The Church at Argenta.
Contact any of those churches for more information.
Greater, a movie about the life of former Arkansas offensive lineman Brandon Burlsworth, is in its third week of filming in Northwest Arkansas.
Burlsworth was a walk-on from Harrison who worked his way into a starting position on Arkansas’ offensive line and went on to earn All-SEC and All-America honors.
His story is about truth, honesty and work ethic.
Burlsworth would not have said spit with a mouthful of it. He was a no-nonsense student and athlete, and he may have been the most humble and unassuming football player I’ve ever interviewed.
He was drafted in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts but died in a car wreck in April of his senior year .
The movie is expected to debut next year, probably in Arkansas.
Sports, Pages 19 on 05/22/2013