Hello and welcome to another Wednesday of deep thoughts. Beeze made a comment on Monday that found a place in the back of my grey matter. If Memorial Day is a day to acknowledge those that have sacrificed for our country, why do we say have a happy Memorial Day? How many that fired up the grill this weekend gave a thought to why they were not at work on Monday? There is no doubt that those that have lost loved ones in service spend this day celebrating their memories. In reality, it does not work too well to wish someone a memorial Memorial Day. Truly, there is no adjective that fits the purpose for this holiday. Of course, when you really get down to it…if you think of the reason for Christmas, wishing someone a merry Christmas is not exactly an appropriate greeting either, right? I guess the best we can do is to enjoy the time off and raise our glass to thank those that paid the ultimate sacrifice.

I saw this on Yahoo on Tuesday and felt compelled to share:

Hannah Hobbs, an employee of Bennigan's in Borger, recently served a guest who ordered a beer for his friend who was a fallen comrade.
The beer was intended to be a memorial to Navy Lt. J.G. Francis Toner IV. The guest left a note with the beer that read “In memory of Lt. J.G. Francis Toner, USN. Killed in action 27 March 2009, Balkh Province, Afghanistan. ‘Non sibi said patriae’ NOT FORGOTTEN!”
Without wanting to empty the beer, Hobbs finally took a photo of the memorial at the end of the night and posted it to her personal Facebook page so the image could live forever. In her post above the photo she stated, “This guy came in and asked if it was ok if he left this on the bar.. I cried :( I left it there until like 11:30 ... I didn’t want to pour it out but I had to. So I’m posting this pic so it can stay forever!! So can I get some likes people??”
To her surprise, the post went viral, attracting 1,071,335 “likes” and was shared more than 96,047 times on the social networking site. Hobbs has received recognition and praise from past and present military service members, as well as from the public. Hobbs also received an award from Bennigan's called a ABCD (Above and Beyond Call of Duty) Award. Well done Hannah!

Last week, I discussed how the Big East and ACC missed the boat with regards to a four team playoff. I made the observation that 6 did not go into 4, but perhaps my math was a bit faulty. I read today that SEC coaches want the best 4 teams in the playoff, not just teams that have won their conference. I guess that figures... but I would be very surprised if the Big 10 and Pac 12 went along with this. Just as the Big East and ACC will be huge losers with a 4 team playoff, so potentially would the Big 10 and Pac 12. As a fan, I prefer the best 4 teams to be included, but then again…I don’t have riches to consider. How much control has the SEC gained? The SEC commish has been pushing for a playoff and is determined to make it happen this summer. But, what if the best four teams happen to be in the SEC as Florida’s Will Muschamp suggested? The Big 10 wants conference champs. Steve Spurrier continues to believe that an 8 team playoff would benefit college football. He used the recent late season runs of the Packers and Giants as a reason to have additional teams included. Perhaps the SEC is too good for only a four team playoff. If the rest of college football understands the significance of this outcome, they will check their math and realize that 8 is larger than 4.

 And…the Spurs win again. B.O.B mentioned that he was pulling for the Spurs so that Laker fan would suffer. In my mind, the Lakers have more important things to worry about than the Spurs winning another championship…like being the best team in LA. The Spurs have a very impressive winning streak going, but I would be very surprised if they swept OKC. I also think that the Spurs should cherish the wins over Durant and crew, as I suspect that this will be the last year that it happens. All great teams seem to have to pay their dues before they realize the brass ring. The dues paying are just about over for the talented youngsters in Oklahoma City. Do you think that San Antonio can run the table? It would historic, but I doubt it will happen. Of course, the Spurs have their own way of doing things…so who knows.

Do you remember when TO was doing sit ups in the drive way while giving an interview? Do you remember when TO was cut from the Wranglers arena team? Yep…TO is done in Allen. Although TO was a part owner, he was released on Wednesday for missing a team appearance at a local hospital. Here is a statement issued by the team on Tuesday:

"Our fans are amongst the best in the league, and it is impossible to maintain a player when even our fans notice and comment on a player's lack of effort both on and off the field," Frankel said in a statement released to ESPNDallas.com. "We need to do what is best for this team, our fans and this community."

TO’s people issued a statement indicating that he wished the Wranglers well, but that he would remain focused on returning to the NFL. Yeah…good luck with that Terrell. When you can’t keep a job with an arena team, I don’t think that the NFL will have much interest in your future. It always seems to end badly when Owens is involved…

I had to add this...

Here is a picture of a very good friend and his grandson. My buddy is a manager at a restaurant in the Austin area. We worked together  at this same restaurant 30 years ago. Saturday night he was managing and it was a typical crazy holiday weekend. He got a complaint from a customer about a screaming baby. Apparently there were two different tables with screaming babies. A table nearby was at their wits end and made a complaint. I have raised three kids and when we went out to eat, I would pick up my kid and walk around until the crying ceased. My buddy very politely approached the table and said, folks I hate to mention this, but I have received a complaint about the noise. If there is anything you can do to quiet your child, I would really appreciate it. Not a fun task, but part of the gig...the parents acted as if he had reached down, grabbed a rib and struck the child. They became enraged and stormed out of the restaurant. Bad deal...but it was made worse when the guy that complained about the noise went on facebook to gloat about "getting the crying baby evicted". Now, of course this was not what happened but it did not matter. A shit storm erupted with a mother's group going crazy. Several folks went to the restaurant facebook to tell the real story, but mother's across the country did not care. They wanted my buddy fired and they were going to never eat at this restaurant again. I commented to one of the women in DC and it turns out she is a chef. I did not say this, but I suppose there are not too many crying babies in the kitchen. I loved the comment from one dad, " I have two children under 5 and they know how to act in public." Amen! Do parents just not think that they have any responsibility for the behavior of their kids in public? I am a parent and remember what it was like to have a young child. Perhaps because I worked in a restaurant, I was more aware? 

What I don't understand is how a decision to boycott a restaurant can be made based on a facebook thread. It is a crazy world we live in...

That’s all I have today, but here is a bit of Jack Handey for you:

It makes me mad when I go to all the trouble of cooking up about a hundred drumsticks and the guy at Marineland says, "You can't throw chicken to the dolphins. They eat fish." Sure they eat fish . . . if that's all you give them! Man, wise up.

Children need encouragement. If a kid gets an answer right, tell him it was a lucky guess. That way he develops a good, lucky feeling.

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave a few deep thoughts of your own…