Jeopardy can go only so far

They say, you know, you can’t have your cake and eat it, too. My mom

told me that when I was a 6-year-old and eyed that second piece of

birthday cake.

It’s not necessarily true.

After a month of spending all day getting set up for the 7 o’clock

showing of Jeopardy, I find myself returning to the real reasons for

7 p.m., as in kickoffs, tipoffs and show time.

No longer saddled by the time constraints of toiling in The Bunker

at the Daily Pilot as the sports editor, I find myself returning to

the area which I’ve sorely missed since the mid-80s. In the press box

and on the sidelines with the people who have meant so much to me.

I’ll be here each Sunday, with something from the past, or more

often than not, of what’s going on around us today.

And I’ll be doing it like I never could before.

I want to spend a Friday with Corona del Mar High tennis coach Tim

Mang and watch Carsten Ball mop up the field at Ojai.

I want to tell you about one of USC’s greatest moments when the

Trojans stunned Notre Dame in the Coliseum, 20-17, with a quarterback

named Craig Fertig in 1964.

I want to travel with Orange Coast’s men’s soccer team and find

out why it’s such a task at Santa Ana College.

I want to spend time with one of my favorites, Bob Serven, while

he cracks the whip in boys basketball practice at Costa Mesa High.

I want to eat some ribs with Fran Ursini and the winners on a

Friday night at 10 o’clock.

I want to find out some of the mysteries of “The Pit” at Vanguard

University, and check out Crawford Hall and the Bren at UCI.

Heck, I might even ride on a boat and see what’s the attraction of

the Ensenada race if I can hitch a ride.

I want to spend a day with Newport Harbor’s football team as it

gets ready for the CIF Playoffs, and I’m definitely going to put some

time in at the Pilot Cup, the Tea Cup and with the Newport Beach

Breakers.

I have a lot of ideas, but I can always use some help, too. If you

have something on your mind, please don’t be bashful. Give me a call

at (949) 642-4653.

...

The great thing about calling it a day was the relief of the

day-to-day pressure of a daily newspaper, but after a month of Alex

Trebek, I’ve found myself musing of more important categories,

especially when the subject is poems, Gaelic mysteries or delicacies

of the aborigines.

A legendary community college soccer coach who also dabbles as an

official in the NFL ... Who’s Laird Hayes!

Known as “The Bird” he was the first to score over 2,000 points in

a... Who’s George Yardley!

Irrelevant Week founder... Who’s Paul Salata!

Newport Harbor’s bull elephant... Who’s Hal Sheflin!

Already I have a $2,000 lead. This is just too easy. And I’m

having no trouble at all with my imaginary clicker!

So, after a month of R & R, I’m back, with my second career at the

Daily Pilot.

...

A number of folks have sent messages and comments since I retired

from full-time duty and I’d appreciate very much if each of you took

this message as though it is meant strictly for you, because it is.

Thanks so much for your kind and gracious words.

In virtually every endeavor which I was involved in, I had a lot

of help from people like Sports Editor Richard Dunn and Sports Writer

Barry Faulkner, and Editor Tony Dodero, and Publisher Tom Johnson,

who always seemed to give me enough rope to hang myself with. And

many, many others, from publishers Bob Weed to Bob Page, editors Tom

Keevil and Tom Murphine to Bill Lobdell, from photographers Richard

Koehler and Lee Payne to Steve McCrank, and the loyal personnel at

the Pilot.

Thanks again, and we’ll see you next Sunday.