> Staff Blogs

## This Thanksgiving, remember, it could be worse

It will happen in homes all across the country tomorrow. Too many people, too much food and drink, not enough bathrooms, on Thanksgiving Day. You feel a call of a nature, brought on by pecan pie and stuffing, and so you head for the hall bathroom. Only it's locked. Your first thought," "Must be Aunt Myrtle again. She's claimed that commode and sink as her home away from home."

## Fighting for fans

Through 10 home games, Corpus Christi leads the North American Hockey League in attendance with 3,250 fans a game. Coincidentally, CC also leads the NAHL in penalty minutes - without much of a fight. CC has 927 penalty minutes. Next in line is Dawson Creek with 697. CC averages 42.14 penalty minutes a game. Next line is Port Huron at 34.84. By the way, the Amarillo Bulls average 31.50 penalty minutes a game - third most in the league. Interestingly, the pro Amarillo Gorillas averaged 15.6...

## Hamilton's a deserving MVP

Giving out postseason awards is highly subjective, and something which can be debated for weeks or months to come. But there really shouldn't be that much of an argument against Josh Hamilton winning the American League's MVP. Hamilton led the majors with .359 batting average and hit 32 homers with 100 RBI. Consider that he missed time with two broken ribs, and these numbers become that much more impressive.

## A cautionary tale

The indictment of a 21-year-old Texas Tech female student on Monday after police say she was so intoxicated she rear-ended a vehicle in Lubbock, killing a nurse in October, is a hard lesson to learn on many levels. The worst thing is it cost the life of Linda Smaltz, who police say was in a small car when Roberts, driving 80 mph in a 35-mph zone, smashed into her.

## Site looks set for Region I-4A basketball

Of the 20 scheduled sites for the UIL regional basketball tournaments across the state for the next two years, 19 have been listed for the last few months after realignment. The one which was missing was the one with the most local interest, the Region I-4A boys and girls tournaments. But it's now confirmed, if the UIL website is to be believed, that the I-4A tournament has been moved from San Angelo to Snyder, with the Snyder ISD playing host to the tourney at the local coliseum.

## JFK assassination

Today at approximately 12:30 p.m. is the 47th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in a motorcade in downtown Dallas. Lee Harvey Oswald -- sorry, conspiracy theorists, he was the lone gunman -- shot him from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository. It's one of a handful of events -- the last one being 9/11 terrorist attack -- that those who were alive remember what they were doing or where they were when it happened.

## Bovina routing White Deer

In a Class 1A Division II area round game at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium, Bovina is dominating with a huge performance running the ball and leads White Deer 32-2 at halftime. The Mustangs have gained all 312 of their offensive yards running the ball, and are averaging 15.6 yards a carry. They've had two long scoring runs of 43 yards by Dezmond Fox and 83 yards by Dorian Vela. White Deer has 212 yards of total offense, as the Bucks had three possessions inside Bovina's 20 in the first half, but...

## Randall, Hereford set pairings

Randall and Hereford have both set their times and places for next Friday's games in the Class 4A Division II region semifinal playoffs.

## Something has to give

It isn't a stat most people are probably aware of - the Buffs have not won a playoff game on the road under head coach Don Carthel. WT is 0-3 on the road in the playoffs under Carthel. WT faces Central Missouri at 1 p.m. today in Warrensburg, Mo. Overall under Carthel, the Buffs are 3-4 in the playoffs. The Mules, however, have never won a playoff game and are making only their second playoff appearance in school history. No matter who wins, a school will make history today.

## Randall leading at half

Despite outgaining Clint Horizon by nearly a 3-1 margin, Randall was still in a relatively competitive contest in the first half Friday night, as the Raiders led 21-10 at halftime of a Class 4A Division II area round playoff game at Seminole's Wigwam Stadium.