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Community News
Sports
February 1, 2012
Sports You See... With Gary B. Coach Staff Building For The Rams Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator New head coach Jeff Fisher is moving quick to get all the pieces together and buckle down to look close at the potential roster for the 2012 season. He is surrounding himself with personnel who is has a coaching relationship and philosophies to make the transition easier for all
involved. Dave McGinnis joins the club as the Assistant Head Coach and enters his 39th year as a coach in 2012, joining the Rams after spending the last eight seasons with the Tennessee Titans, seven of which he worked under Fisher. “I feel very fortunate that we were able to bring Dave aboard,” Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher said. “He’s been in a variety of roles in this league, from position coach all the way up to head coach. His vast knowledge and experience will be valuable assets to our staff, and I’m really excited to have the opportunity to work with Dave again.” Brian Schottenheimer joins the Rams after spending the previous six seasons as the Offensive Coordinator with the New York Jets. “I am really excited to have Brian join our staff,” Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher said. “He is a well respected coach in this league who has had success for many years at a high level as an offensive coordinator. We share the same philosophies on the offensive side of the ball and I think he is a tremendous addition to our staff.” Both join recently hired defensive coordinator Gregg Williams who was with the Saints for the past three years and with Fisher for seven seasons Texans and Titans. NEXT RAMS HOME GAMES: Sometime in August with one game in England in October. ~~~The core is set Former Ram’s Player Helping Kids Arlen Harris Picks Top High School Running Backs Harris (pictured with Gary B) played halfback from 2003-2005 for the St. Louis Rams, Detroit Lions in 2006 and Atlanta Falcons 2007 before ending his career with an injury. He resides in St. Louis and has put together RunItPerformance that assists athletes in speed & agility among other performance drills. The former running back has initiated the ‘Star 33 High School Running Back
Show Case’ that picks 33 of top backs in town and invites them to a combine showing off their talents. Recently held this event at Game Time Sports Complex in St. Peters. Harris also was a guest on the weekly Sports Radio STL Photo by Gary B. from 5-6 p.m. on 590 The Fan KFNS where he talked about the annual program he want to continue. Other guests included several of the top 33 high school backs including: Tray Mitchell (Holt), Ray Harris and Teddy Williamson both of Ft. Zumwalt West, Johnathan Parker (CBC) and Corvin Mason (Gateway Tech). The interview highlights included each player talking about hitting the books first and sports second. ~~~Looks good to college recruits Rascals Resign Player From The Bigs Keli'i Zablan Pitched For The Seattle Mariners The River City team announced the return of the right-handed pitcher Zablan who will head back to the bullpen. The 5'10" 190 lbs hard-throwing right-hander was picked up by the Mariners following the 2010 Frontier League season. He split time between Clinton (A) and High Desert (A+) striking out 32 over 37 innings of work during his time in affiliated ball. As a member of the Rascals 2010 Frontier League Championship team, Keli'i posted a 2-1 record. Rascals' manager Steve Brook is excited about his return. "Zablan is an outstanding individual and presence on the mound. He brings a lot of energy to our team and I'm so thrilled to have him back with us in 2012. I'm confident that another organization will give him an upper level shot if he comes in here and pitches the way I know he can. He is a tremendous asset to our team and I couldn't be happier to be managing him once again." To get more information on the Rascals’ club visit the website www.RiverCityRascals.com. ~~~A pleasure to have him back
Editorial
“Over the Fence”
The All-Or-None Theory Anti-smoking legislation is becoming a dominate issue in Missouri. Some believe it should be up to business owners to decide if they allow smoking in their establishments. Others believe it should be up to the voters who have proven time and again the majority do not want to breathe tobacco smoke. In fact, some are hateful about it. When a municipality passes an anti-smoking ordinance, it often ends up driving the smokers to businesses in nearby municipalities that allow smoking. This is said to hurt businesses in the anti-smoking municipalities. If one is passed in a county, they can go to the next county. Now the Missouri General Assembly may consider a statewide law against smoking in public places. We’ve all seen how effective our Missouri legislature is lately. We may as well ask them to stop taking campaign donations from self-serving private interests. In other words, don’t hold your breath. It’s even more divisive when it comes to who pays for smoke related medical treatment for such horrors
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as emphysema and lung cancer. While I’m for letting business owners decide because I don’t necessarily have to patronize one that allows smoking, I’ve experienced another side to this debate. I watched a strong man shrivel into a skeleton and die a horrible death from the effects of lung cancer. At first he gradually progressed to emphysema from smoking since he was a boy. He originally smoked those old time unfiltered cigarettes like Camels and Lucky Strikes. He ended up in later years smoking Marlboros in the red box; the ones that make your eyes water if you’re within gasping distance. During the emphysema stage, he finally found a semi-retired, obese, cigar-smoking doctor to treat him. I assume little was said about smoking. He kept puffing away on those extra-strength Marlboros. It became obvious he couldn’t quit. Eventually, it led to lung cancer and the grim reaper stepped in. Of course, pneumonia is the final deadly outcome of lung cancer. During that time, he died a slow, painful death. I decided this is not the way I wanted to leave this world.
The man was my father. After watching other smokers that still puffed away on cigarettes while carrying oxygen bottles around with tubes attached to their noses, grim reality stared malevolently. I finally quit the habit that consisted of two-anda-half to three packs per day and suffered through the withdrawal symptoms. I came to agree with the experts; nicotine is as addictive as any other narcotic including heroin. Quitting was one of the toughest things I’ve ever done. However, my father proved dying from it was much tougher. In spite of claims otherwise, I believe some smokers just can’t quit. They probably have some innate trait that allows habit forming substance to dominate more so than other people. I can’t make them quit nor can anyone else. They have to dig in and do it themselves. I wish them luck. Smoking doesn’t make them bad people, just vulnerable. My late father paid a terrible price for any sins he was guilty of. He was another of those vulnerable people that couldn’t quit. It pointed out the irony of the deadliest narcotic of all being legal. For some, it becomes a matter of saving people from themselves but then, most smokers will only hate them for it. As for a statewide referendum against smoking in public places, it is inevitable that the vehement antismoking crowd with far larger numbers will eventually win out. I suppose the ‘all-or-none’ theory is best after all but unfortunately, it won’t bring my father back. www.stlouislipo.com
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