Lynley has a snow day from work so I’ve been hanging out with her this morning watching it snow.  It’s the simple pleasures, isn’t it?
Later today our newscasts will be all weather, all the time.  We have dinner scheduled with friends but that’s up in the air with this snow, sleet and ice.  Living in South Bend for my first 25 years, this was just another winter day that ended in “y”. In Nashville it’s major news.  I’ll roll with it.

I don’t have any great pearls of wisdom today so thought I would end the week with this joke sent by a friend. Forgive the PG rating.

 A sweet grandmother telephoned  St. Joseph ’s Hospital. She timidly
asked,
        ‘Is it possible to speak to someone who can tell me how a patient
is doing?’

        The operator said, ‘I’ll be glad to help, dear. What’s the name
and room number?’

        The grandmother in her weak, tremulous voice said, ‘Norma Findlay
Room 302.’

        The operator replied, ‘Let me place you on hold while I check with
her nurse. After a few minutes, the operator returned to the phone
and said,
        ‘Oh, I have good news. Her nurse just told me that Norma is doing
very well. Her blood pressure is fine; her blood work just came
back as normal, and her physician, Dr. Cohen, has scheduled her to
be discharged on Tuesday.’

        The grandmother said, ‘Thank you. That’s wonderful! I was so worried!
      &nbsp ; God bless you for the good news.’

        The operator replied, ‘You’re more than welcome. Is Norma your
daughter?’

        The grandmother said, ‘No, I’m Norma Findlay in 302. No one tells
me shit.’

Have a great and safe weekend.

9/11 proved that the NFL was the big dog. 
Sometimes the big dog uses its fans as a fire hydrant.

In the days following 9/11, college football couldn’t decide whether to play games that Saturday.  The Southeastern Conference issued a statement that indeed, the games would go on.  Then the NFL postponed all games that weekend.  Poof!  No games in college football or any other sport that weekend (I do remember some area high schools playing because the gate for each home game is so important).

It was 9/11 that proved the NFL was the gold standard.  Whatever it did, others followed.

The NFL does many great things but I think sometimes forgets the very economic engine that makes it the most lucrative and popular sports league in the world; the fans.

I bring this up because I caught this surfing this New Orleans based website:

Superdome officials say they have received many calls from people asking if they can watch at the building on the stadium’s video screens when the New Orleans Saints play in their first Super Bowl on Feb. 7 against the Indianapolis Colts in Miami.

But the Superdome won’t be opened to fans, officials say, because that would violate NFL policy.

“We’ve had a lot of calls, and certainly wish we could show it, but there is a longstanding NFL policy that you cannot show the game to a mass audience,” Superdome spokesman Bill Curl told New Orleans television station WVUE, according to the station’s Web site. “So we’re just not able to do it. Sorry, wish we could.”

For the common fan, the NFL is simply too expensive.  Going to the Super Bowl?  You better be very lucky at Lotto.  It’s not even a consideration for 99.9% of a team’s fan base.  Couldn’t the NFL bend a little bit and let the Super Bowl teams’ cities host a Super Bowl party in their stadium if the demand was there?  The Superdome and Lucas Oil Stadium this Sunday would probably have at least 50-thousand people each, a week from Sunday.  Charge 20-dollars a head and after operating costs, give it to charity.  Add the number of fans that go through the turnstiles to the TV ratings number for that city.  Yes, it would mean team personnel in charge of manning the stadium would have to work the day of the game.  Ask them and I bet they say it would be a memorable way to share the experience with the very people that make their jobs possible.  Years from now, some sons and daughters would call their parents on Super Bowl Sunday and say, “Thanks for taking me to the stadium that day when our team played in the Super Bowl.  And remember when TV took that shot of the stadium when we scored a TD?  It felt like we were really part of the whole Super Bowl experience.  It’s one of my greatest childhood memories.” 

Instead, those two cathedrals will sit empty February 7th.  That’s a shame. 
The big dog should lead again.

Along those lines, I thought this was a thoughtful read about the Saints and their role in New Orleans.  It’s by Filip Bondy of the New York Daily News.   There will be a bunch of “touchy feely” stories about the team’s relevance post-Katrina.  This article is a bit of a reality check.

I’m doing some research on sexual assault for a segment that will air soon.  What an eye opener.  I’m sickened by the innocence stolen from young people by so-called “trusting” adults.  It makes me want to puke.  If I was a judge, it wouldn’t be pretty.  Rehab?  My behind.

 *****

Speaking of rehab…

I heard this not long after Tiger Woods car crash Thanksgiving weekend:

Why did Tiger his a tree and a fire hydrant?
He couldn’t decide between a wood and an iron.

Ever since accident and the 21 straight days on the cover of the New York Post, just about every conceivable angle has been written on the man. But then recently, this popped up on espn.com written by Jason Sobel.  I’m not sure I totally agree with it but it is a different theory. 

 *****

“Nobody expects to have car insurance that covers an oil change.”

That’s just one of the interesting comments made in this Newsweek column by an insurance company CEO.  The health care debate is a wicked web to untangle.  I’m I naive or is this piece an accurate depiction of what’s going on?

*****

Lynley and my house was built in 1925.  Drafty?  It has more crevasses and holes than the New Madrid Fault.  One of the heat vents is underneath the couch.  During cold days, guess where 7lb. Diane likes to hang out?  You got it.

"Dad, please get your cell phone camera out of my face please."

*****

Lynley made one of the more fascinating purchases the other day.  I’m trying to find a parallel to it. 
A top-shelf martini at a biker bar? 
Wearing a tuxedo to a picnic? 
Anyway, here’s the purchase:  Prada perfume at the East Nashville Kroger.  Apparently one bottle of Prada perfume was mistakenly delivered to the store.  Management there didn’t know what to do with it so put it on sale for half-price.  Once Lynley spotted it, that bottle didn’t stand a chance.  She  is pretty particular about perfume so it must be good.  Do you have a better analogy for this?

I’m up early to get a run in (Downtown Y treadmill) and then going to visit a friend in Spring Hill.  Marty is the best handyman in the Mid-State. 

Want a room painted?  Marty’s your guy.
Need a wall built and your closest redesigned?  Marty’s the man.
Screen door put on?  Marty has you covered.

Always on time.  Always with a pep in his step.  I would find myself hanging around just to shoot the breeze with him. You know that person that loiters around your desk, a “chatty Kathy”, and you just want to get your work done? Yeah, I’m probably “that guy” to Marty.

Marty can do it all. On Marty’s “to do” list the next few months?  Beating cancer.

If the sign that hangs by my desk, “Attitude is Everything” is true, then I like Marty’s chances.

To him, it’s just one more thing to fix.

In the wake of this recent news about Marty, I thought I would republish a blog entry from December 10, 2009:

“The Bitch is Back.”

-Elton John 1974

I’ve always approached this blog as an extension of my life. Like me, it can be serious and silly. Part soapbox, part punch line. It’s a healthy daily exercise trying to connect with family, friends and viewers on compatible subjects. Unlike the law of physics, my action is often trumped by your reaction. I’m hoping this is one of those entries.

Jeff and me at USC-Notre Dame game in October. We are smiling because the Irish hadn't fallen behind by 20 yet.

Cancer is quite frankly, a bitch that’s now messed with two members of my immediate family. Thankfully the big “C” is sometimes the little “c” because of the advances in treatment. Yesterday I learned my younger brother has to beat the little “c”, again.

When my 77-year old father beat thyroid cancer earlier this year, it was an educational process.  If you’ve ever dealt with “C” or “c”, you come to understand the difference.  When my father revealed the diagnosis, the trite emotional response, “Not in our family!  That couldn’t happen to our family!” made the circles.  All family members kept their composure and Mom was incredible through it all but I’m sure everyone had their moment(s) when they “freaked out”.

My father’s saga led my brother and me to get checked out.  My brother’s tests came back with some masses and nodules in his thyroid.  Surgery took place earlier this month followed by yesterday’s follow-up appointment.  That’s when his doctors decided to go off script and told him they found cancer in the left side of his thyroid.  Another surgery in six weeks.  Then maybe some radiation treatments.  My brother has a great attitude toward it all calling the whole ordeal a “big hassle.”  Perhaps I’m naive but a few decades ago it would have been called a whole lot worse.

So there.  That’s my latest family drama. On life’s Richter scale, we haven’t made too many dishes fall off the shelf but it’s still OUR dishes, ya know?  We’ve been very lucky.  Fortunately, my father and mother once again (do they ever take a day off from parenting and do something really devilish?!) have offered a blueprint in how to deal with such things.

To show what a great attitude Jeff has toward the next few months, he walked me through his recovery timeline punctuating the fact that he’ll be all healed by Lynley’s and my wedding.  In a intimate conversation where it could/should have been heavy with “why me’s?”, he actually was thinking about other family members.   How incredible an attitude is that?  Silly good.

So cancer’s a bitch.  The Bitch is Back.

This Bitch doesn’t stand a chance.

A few blog posts ago, I made reference to my high school basketball days.  We lost a lot.

30-years later, not much has changed.

I dragged Lynley to Chapel Hill, Tennessee Saturday night for charity basketball game.  News-2 fielded a team to taking on the alumni at Forrest High School.  We were down 7 at half, and lost by about 20 (I don’t remember the exact score).  Very sore Sunday.  Just can’t begin to make the moves I thought I had years ago.  I scored 3 points, shot 1-6 and had at least 5 turnovers.  I was voted the other team’s MVP! 

Back Row: Cory Curtis, Ringer, Greg Carter, Jamey Tucker, Ringer, Ringer, Glen Proffitt. Bottom Row: Dawn Davenport, Jerry Barlar, John Dwyer, Sylwaski Owens, Mike Tarrolly.

Our station received a wonderful email from the game organizer today:

Thanks!! Thanks!! Thanks!! from the FHS alumni association in Chapel Hill. Our corresponding secretary will send an official thank you note, but I just had to email and express my greatest appreciation for WKRN Channel 2 News crew. You guys were so great!! To let you know–we added $1900 to the alumni scholarship fund and will probably have some more trickle in. That’s a new record for one of these events— With many thanks and much gratitude, Katie

Today’s blog entry is delayed.  I have some pictures to download but it’s not working from home.  Once I get into work and settled, I’ll have something.  Thanks.  jd

I’m very proud of my fiance Lynley. A few months ago she witnessed an attempted break-in at a daycare center near our home.  She called 9-1-1 and the man was quickly arrested.  She was contacted about a week ago to appear as a witness.  She went to the court house yesterday morning.  After about two hours, she spoke to the D.A., who made sure she wouldn’t be identified.  Lynley’s response to the whole scene, “Baby, don’t ever break the law.” 
You can read into that what you will.

Afternoon thunderstorms and tornado warnings covered our airwaves Thursday afternoon.  In fact, News-2 at 4 and News-2 at 4:30 aired but it was Lisa Patton, Justin Bruce and Davis Nolan doing their thing.  Nobody does it better.  So what do the news anchors do during the storm tracking?  This:

Anne and yours truly poised to read an hour of news... but not a syllable is uttered.

We watch TV at the desk, waiting for a break in the coverage.  On Thursday it never came.  You can see Davis and Lisa standing in the background in the Storm Center.  Our newsroom of reporters, photographers and producers spent the day assigning, covering, writing and editing stories that never aired.  That’s the news biz and everyone in our building knows that if there is a severe weather situation, all bets are off.  Our coverage area includes 50 of Tennessee’s 95 counties and we treat the people in the most rural county the same as metro.  Some viewers get upset when the severe weather is miles away from them and/or moving away from them.  It’s a case of not being to please all the people all the time.  We much rather have News-2 viewers know we have their backs, where ever they live.  Wall to wall coverage of severe weather doesn’t come cheap.  We had thousands of dollars in commercials ready to run from 3:15pm to 6:00pm and not one aired.  A station general manager told me one time, “It’s like burning $100 bills, one at a time.”

In these parts, it’s common knowledge that Titans Head Coach Jeff Fisher was part of the 1985 Chicago Bears World Championship team.  He was placed on injured reserve early in the season and spent the rest of the season being Defensive Coordintor Buddy Ryan’s shadow.  Fisher wasn’t in the “Super Bowl Shuffle” video and I never talked to him about where he was for Super Bowl XX.  A recent articleon espn.com that included an Associated Press photo finally answers the question. 

Jeff on the far right with orginal playoff beard, applauding... are those stonewashed jeans?!

One man’s opinion on the Conan-Leno thing.
I think the classy thing would have been for Leno to just bow out. He had his chance with the “Tonight Show” and had a good run. He has more money than he can count and an obscene car collection. He should find another show or outlet but he shouldn’t slither back to his old time slot. That ship has sailed. Moving to prime time was high risk, high reward. It didn’t work out. Jay could have been super cool about it and allowed Conan to find his groove just as it took Jay three years on the show to find his.
For the record, I’ve was a Carson guy and then Letterman guy but Dave’s political statements (Carson took pride in never letting his affiliation show.  He cut on both sides) and creepy personal life don’t have me drifting back to his show much anymore.

One of the more difficult “TV stories” to break down recently in Nashville is the Race To The Top program.  It’s a government fund that will be award states to improve education.  Tennessee lawmakers just had a special session to change some teacher evaluation guidelines so that the state would successfully complete its application.  What’s at stake?  Tennessee could be handed a half-billion (with a b) dollars.  You can do a lot with that money.  I applaud Governor Bredesen and all involved in trying to make this happen.  Spending money on education, in the right areas (and that’s critical) is a good investment in our state’s future.
Here’s my question. Where does the money come from? I know it comes from the U.S. Government but where does it get the money?   Yes, the answer is taxpayers.  But seriously, how can we implement this program when are spending billions and billions on an assortment of stimulus, bailouts, wars and relief efforts?  I know in my household I can’t write a check I can’t cash.  I reckon it’s the same in yours.  Where did our government all of a sudden get all this money?  I’m not trying to be political.  I’m simply asking an honest question.  After all, Tennessee received billions in government bailout dollars last year and we didn’t think twice about not taking it.  As a member of the media, I’m going to do my best to dig and get back to you on the question of where our government is getting the money to pay for Race To the Top.

It’s been awhile since dwyerwire enthusiasts (okay, Lynley, Dad and Karen H.) have had a cat update.   For you newcomers, our household has three cats; Buddy and Jack & Diane.  Lynley snapped this picture on her cell phone yesterday morning while leaving for work.  Jack has figured out how to peek around the blinds and loves to stare down the neighborhood’s outdoor cats.  In this picture, he’s pawing the window.  His little pea brain has never computed that it doesn’t get him anywhere.  I’m a proud papa nonetheless.  As far as Diane goes, she’s not the little lady she was in the condo.  I’ll leave it at that.  Lynley’s cat Buddy (Mr. BK… short for Buddy Kitty) gets along with Jack but would would rather be given a bubble bath than have anything to do with Di.

An oldie but a goodie from the late Patty Berg, a founder of the LPGA, who I had the pleasure of getting to know while a young pup sportscaster in Ft. Myers, Florida:

A buddy walks up to his playing partner on the first tee,  motions to his golf bag and says, “I got these golf clubs for my wife.” 
The partner looks them over, nods and replies, “Good trade.”

Like father like son.

Marian H.S. Offensive Line/Backs 1979

In reference to the previous blog post, I too had an undistinguished career as a high school quarterback.  My claim to fame is that after my senior season, my high school (which had won state championships in 1973, ‘75 and ‘76) retired my jersey number.  Pretty cool, huh?  Except that’s not the end of the story.  My high school coach, John Ferrette (second row, far right) was Marian High School’s first quarterback in the 1960’s and held a bunch of school records.  He retired after my senior season and jersey #10 was retired in HIS honor. 

Can't throw an interception if you just run the ball.

Still true though.  MY jersey number was retired.  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Actually radio broadcast from this game: "Hammes... to Goosens... Goosens back to Hammes... air ball." I'm not joking.

My prep basketball career was character building… as in losing builds character.  My four-year record at Marian from (1978-81) was a combined 16-60.  We played in front of many “Senior nights” on the road because we were an automatic victory for the other team.  My claim to fame was my junior season when I was assigned to cover Indiana’s leading scorer.  Troy Neely of Jimtown was averaging 34 points per game.  I held him to 40 that night!  I remember after each jumper he drained (this was before the 3-point line), I would look over at my coach and shrug my shoulders and yell if we were going to switch off.  He yelled back, “No, you’re the best we have!”  I was voted “Best Defensive Player” my junior season, when we went 5-16.  That’s like being the best in remedial reading.

Stunning that they let us out of the locker room in those shorts.

These are photos I haven’t seen in nearly 30 years.  My father is cleaning out my “shoebox” and recently sent them.  A flood of memories, good and not so good.  I’m blown away at all the stuff my parents kept.  I thought much of the things I’m looking through were so trivial at the time but now I’m glad they took the time.  “You’ll be glad some day”  I can hear them say. 

Some day has arrived and yes, I’m glad. 

Thanks Mom and Dad.

Meet the original Rudy.

Jerry Hammes QB #32

After an undistinguished prep football career as quarterback at Marmion Military Academy, my father apparently decided he hadn’t had enough punishment and walked on at the University of Notre Dame.  The Fighting Irish weren’t half bad in 1949 (they won the National Championship and End Leon Hart won the Heisman Trophy).  It’s embellishing to say he was actually on the team.  As it Dad tells it, Head Coach Frank Leahy needed “tackling dummies” so Dad spent his first fall on campus getting the snot kicked out of him. 

The next fall, Dad decided that Notre Dame could probably win without his help, and called it a football career.  His parents continued their philanthropic activities with the school and continued to be friends with Leahy.  I didn’t know how close until just a few days ago.  Dad has peppered my mail through the years with interesting articles and documents of his life.  I thought I would share this with you:

Leahy’s outward persona was one of a gruff, heartless coach.  Dad thought this was an interesting letter since it showed Leahy as a person, a caring person, and not just a coach.  By the way, I asked my father about his bout with polio since the vacine developed by Jonas Salk wasn’t introduced until three years later, in 1955.  Dad said he had a mild case and it didn’t require an iron lung.  Lucky, lucky man.

If you are under the age of 30 and/or not interested in Notre Dame, I know that some of these blog posts are “inside baseball.”  I’m hoping that at least some of you have similar stories when learning about your family history and it brings back a fond memory.  This forum also allows those in the Nashville area to get to know me away from the camera. 

Thanks for reading.