This is my first Blog Post

Hello everyone this is the first of what I hope to be many Blog Post by me. It will be a work in progress so hang with me, it will get better I promise.  Today i want to talk about who I am and where I have come from. 

I was born in Jacksonville Florida. I lived there until i was 15,that is when my mom re-married and moved us,my younger sister(Lorna) and me to Atlanta, Georgia. I spent the next 15 years living in either Atlanta or Statesboro, Georgia. Statesboro was a small southern conservative college town about an hour west of Savannah, Georgia. I attended college at Georgia Southern College in Statesboro. My formative years and some of life’s HARDEST lessons took place in Statesboro, Georgia. I took to college life or should I say the party of college easily. I was not a big partier until I got to college but I made up for lost time quickly. I wasn’t the most popular kid in school growing up. I actually was a big bully. This short coming didn’t lend me the opportunity to have many people who actually liked me. This all changed in college. I took my bully mentality and got rid of it and became the life of the party, and boy did I party. The party began with alcohol, then pot, some acid, and eventually a $150 a day coke habit. I have now been clean for a little over 8 years. My life has had its trials and tribulations just I am sure many peoples lives have. I know live in Ocala, Florida and have finally at the age of 46 found the job that fits me and that I look forward going to every day. I have the pleasure of producing and co-hosting a great local radio program “The Voice of Ocala” heard daily from 3 to 6 pm on WOCA1370am/96.7fm. The show is also streamed live on WOCA.com. My boss Buddy Martin is a great mentor to me and allows me to be me without much interruption. It was at Buddy’s encouragement that I am starting this Blog. If this becomes a success Buddy gets the credit. Well that is about all I need to share about me . Stay tuned to see what I write next and see where this goes. There is no ceiling to limit me and no subject beyond the scope of this blog. Let’s see what transpires. 

Until Next Time…… SMITTY

Labor in the NFL

I am just sick of the labor unrest between the NFL league and it’s Officials. The use of replacement referees is becoming a bigger story than the games. I am to understand the MAJOR sticking point between the official’s union and the NFL is the retirement pension plan which the NFL is no longer willing to make available to the referees. I have two points I want to talk about re-guarding the pension plan issue. The first point is why do part-time employees think they deserve a pension plan? If I was to work as a part-time employee I would get NO BENEFITS, which yes includes NO pension plan. Secondly, these referees have full-time jobs as Lawyers, Doctors, School Teachers, and many other jobs that offer benefits including pension plans. Why must they also receive one from the NFL.

Roger Goodell and the NFL also share blame in this fiasco. This situation should have gotten serious attention and mediation from the beginning of the talks not just lock out the guys and then take the position of if you(officials ) want to negotiate well let us know. Mr. Goodell talks about players safety being the number one priority of the NFL, well then show that by getting the best trained professionals on the field to protect players from themselves.  As i sat and watched NFL games yesterday I was constantly reminded by announcers that people still watch so the league isn’t really motivated to reach across the aisle. The announcers are correct in that the NFL has no motivation to get this labor disagreement settled. I have the answer to what may motivate the NFL, NO FOOTBALL!! 

We as fans are like sheep we will continue to watch as long as games are played, that is FACT!!! Then how does a group get the NFL’s attention? That is an EASY answer, the group to get the attention of the NFL is its own players. If the NFLPA walked out of work, stating that the NFL was providing an unsafe work environment I believe the NFL would then get a hint of the seriousness of not having the best professionals available on the field. The threat of having to cancel games and losing game revenue is the ONLY way the NFL will begin to try to solve this labor issue. The ONLY group who can make that happen is the NFLPA. Players can walk which would bring an IMMEDIATE end to the Officials Lockout. Once that happens we can begin to enjoy the greatest sport in America again. 

That how I see it…. SO until next Time….. SMITTY