This is Viewpoints for Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017

ACC versus SEC

With Clemson’s thrilling grudge-match victory over mighty Alabama this week, can we now hear some sportswriters eat some crow? ACC fans are tired of hearing them call our conference second-rate on the gridiron. Let’s look at this year’s bowl results. By my count the ACC went 10-3 in bowl games; the SEC, 6-7. No match. When we include the regular season, the ACC went 10-5 against the SEC this past season.

Right here in our home state, Georgia Tech went 3-0 against SEC teams, including the team from Athens that dominates our local sports pages. The Heisman Trophy voting was a two-man race between ACC quarterbacks. With new coaches reviving formerly weak programs at Virginia Tech, Boston College, Syracuse and Virginia (and Mark Richt strengthening Miami’s program … thanks, Bulldog fans!), the ACC was dominant. Even my alma mater Blue Devils, despite an epidemic of season-ending injuries causing them to miss the bowl se ason for the first time in four years, managed to defeat Notre Dame in South Bend and the hated Tar Heels. OK, all you ACC football fans, it’s time for us to gloat.

Llama to blame

I’m just curious. This past week, Jim Costello referred to Coach Kirby Smart’s predicted weakness of the offensive line as an “scape goat” for their poor season. Ironically, a llama escaped in Athens a short time later. Could this be the animal actually responsible for those five losses instead of that poor goat ?

New entrant

In the January 9 issue of The Telegraph, Mike Ganas announced that he was going to take on the writers of letters who have more than one letter per week published in the newspaper and “blow all the old records away in 2017.” (The number of letters per writer per week seems to be an issue that troubles him greatly.) Mike would seem to be qualified since he always has plenty of comments about the letters of others. I say “good luck!”

Perhaps his letters can drive out some of the ramblings of Faye Tanner, or Travis Middleton, or Jerry Norris (who had two published on Christmas Day — the bin must have been empty) or a number of others. Perhaps Mike’s letters could replace some of the verbiage in David Mann’s rambling screeds against Dr. Bill Cummings. I think we got the point long ago that Mann does not agree with Cummings’ views on religion. (I notice that Mann always self-identifies as “a freelance writer based in Macon.” I have tried to locate examples of his work elsewhere but failed. Perhaps he is published in an alternate universe.)

So, go at Mike, but do try for good and useful content.

Goodbye

It is evident that President Obama is sulking like a child because he didn’t get his way when President-elect Donald Trump handed the liberal goddess’s butt back to her on the platter of defeat. Having no one to blame but Crooked Hillary and himself and his lackluster performance for the past eight years, he decided to give our closest ally and Trump, the middle finger salute. Goodbye Mr. President and good riddance.

Good people

Lately, it seems as though all we hear and see in the news are the negative events happening, so I would like to take a moment to acknowledge an act of kindness. Early this morning, I was on my way to take care of my granddaughter when my tire blew on Hwy. 96 in Warner Robins. I was able to pull into the Kroger gas station where I asked a young man for help with the tire so I would be able to make it to Perry.

The young man, Joshua Knight, a firefighter at Fire Station No. 2 on Monroe Street in Macon, never hesitated. Although it was dark and below freezing, he was kind enough to take the time of out his morning to help me. His willingness to help others enabled me to get to my daughter’s house on time so that she could get to work on time.

I believe God gives us opportunities each day to help one another if we just slow down and take the time to notice them. This morning, Mr. Knight did just that. Although I am sure there was somewhere he needed to be, he put the needs of a stranger before his own, and for that I am extremely grateful. It’s good to know there are still plenty of good people left in the world. I wanted to take moment to tell Mr. Knight thank you again for being one of them.

Agreement

Karma is alive and well. Divine intervention is the greatest coach to stroll the sidelines. I don’t mean a football national championship. I mean the sovereignty and security of this great nation. For once I agree with Michelle Obama. Hope once again lives in America. God Bless the U.S.A.

Don’t cross the street

President-elect Donald Trump stated that he has a goal of eliminating gun-free zones his first day in office. Because of certain state laws, that may not be possible to accomplish quite that quickly. In the meantime, I'm still staying away from the lunch crowd at the restaurants just outside the base. With all the senior officers and enlisted who eat locally on a regular basis, while in uniform to identify themselves, anyone with evil intent could inflict serious damage to the command structure knowing that patrons from the base are unarmed sitting ducks.

Why read?

There is a propensity for intelligent people, especially the well educated, to offer excellent advice contrary to their own actions, “do as I say, not as I do.” Dr. Meeks’ column “Stand against gaslighting” is an excellent example based on her columns over the last several years. I list only one word, “Ferguson,” as an example of the hypocrisy of this column. This makes me wonder why an intelligent educated person would read Meek’s columns.

Mismanagement

The estimated funding for cancer (treatment and discovery) has sadly not progressed by some records in 40 years. Billions of dollars have knowingly been tied up by bureaucratic mismanagement.

This story was originally published January 11, 2017 at 9:00 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017."