Neighbor Norton's Calf...

"I would have everybody able to read, and write, and cipher; indeed I don't think a man can know too much; but mark you, the knowing of these things is not education; and there are millions of your reading and writing people who are as ignorant as neighbor Norton's calf, that did not know its own mother."

- Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Best Sellers...

"Everywhere I go, I'm asked if I think the universities stifle writers. My opinion is that they don't stifle enough of them. There's many a best seller that could have been prevented by a good teacher." - Flannery O'Connor

Perseverance...

When I was a boy, I used to go to watch Coach Don Meyer pace the sideline in the old McQuiddy Gymnasium as he coached the Lipscomb University Bisons. He was often as enteraining as the game. Coach Meyer never smiled on the sideline (although he has an amazing sense of humor), would bark game notes to his assistant coaches who would scibble furiously on their legal pads, and whisper personal reminders into his hand-held tape recorder.

Coach Meyer's teams were remarkably fundamental, could always shoot the lights out, and played tenacious defense. During his tenure at Lipscomb, Meyer compiled a 665-179 record and led the Bisons to the National Tournament 12 out of his last 18 years as head coach with a National Championship in 1985-86.

Now coaching at Northern State, last night (January 10, 2009), Coach Meyer became the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history, surpassing Bobby Knight. However, he had a very difficult road to the top.

The Real Deal...

God has placed Tim Tebow in the spotlight.

If you're not a Commodore, you just don't understand...

A New Year...

“The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul”

G.K. Chesterton

Music City "Miracle"...

This past football season for the Vanderbilt Commodores was truly supernatural. A team that was supposed to be on the bottom of the SEC again, yet ended the season with seven wins. It was a miraculous season in many ways and ended last evening in the same fashion.

This past season, the Commodores won games against South Carolina, Ole Miss, Auburn, and Kentucky that in past years they would have found ways to lose.

Yesterday, Vanderbilt beat the 24th ranked Boston College Eagles only mustering 200 yards, gaining eight first downs and converting just one of 15 third-down situations. The deciding factors turned out to be the fact that Vanderbilt committed no penalties and had no turnovers.

It was a gloriously cold evening, perfect for football. The atmosphere, for Vanderbilt, was electric. It was surreal as I looked around at the Vanderbilt section, watching the faces in the crowd. Many looked as if they were about to watch the Commodores let one slip away. Many looked as if they could not believe we were going to win a bowl game. They were all loud, on their feet, and giving it all they could to help the Dores along. In the end, all were relieved.

In my pessimistic little mind, however, I wonder if I will be 58 years old before we get to another bowl and if I will be 84 before we win another one.