A lot of things to get to in this version of The Juice but first I want to say something about covering the news. KOGT broke the story about the firefighter charged with arson on Wednesday. It’s a big story and I even received a view texts of congratulations from others that know the business. But know this, I hate these kind of stories. I know it’s what some people in the business live for but not yours truly.
Stories of corruption, teachers with students, etc. No one benefits and a community is damaged. All of the firefighters will have to deal with this just like all teachers are affected by one teachers actions.
Let’s stay in the media business…I was disappointed to see Jordan Williams leaving Ch. 12 for Lamar University. I think he’s the best anchor Beaumont has had since Bill Leger at Ch. 6. But he’s “leaving” the media business and if you’ve kept count lately, more of our local personalities are leaving the business instead of leaving for another station.
TV news is going through the same issues that newspaper and radio have gone through. Ad revenue is not what it used to be, fewer companies buying up more stations and streamlining, and the internet is doing a lot of the damage. I’ve wondered many times why local news is so hard to maintain when it is so important.
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Well as you might have noticed I had the interview with Astros great Lance Berkman and it is now on my Behind The Mic podcast. It was a live Q&A in front of an audience and Lance was great. I knew the basics but was disappointed after preparing several days for the event that I didn’t know more about him during his playing days. He probably would’ve been my favorite Astro and he deserved a better fate for the Hall of Fame. From what I understand he was removed from the ballot after receiving less than 5% of the vote in his first year of eligibility in 2019. Many of the best sports stories are second chances and he deserves one. His numbers are as good or better than some that are in Cooperstown.
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It’s the Friday night I’ve waited on all season. After last year’s game between LCM and Bridge City I marked my calendar as soon as the 2025 schedule was released. Bears won last year 21-18 and this Friday it will be at BC and the atmosphere will be electric. I think the game will be too. There should also be a great game down the street as WOS will hosts Silsbee. The Bobcats get a well deserved week off. I think it’s a perfect time as they heal and prepare for their playoff run. Deweyville has the opposite. After playing West Hardin Friday, they get two weeks off before the playoffs because of Sabine Pass cancelling their season. Coach Prouse will have to get creative to keep the boys interested and I’m sure he will. Vidor was leading at the half last week but fell to Lumberton. They’ll get their best shot at their first win this week against Liberty. Despite their season, Landon Jones is having an awesome year as he’s already rushed for more than 1100 yards. And I’d like to start a poll. Everyone I talk to wishes Friday kickoffs were at 7pm instead of 7:30. I feel the same. For those of you that attend games, what do you think??
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Another thing I wish they would change…can we go back to having the Orange Christmas Parade on Friday instead of competing with the Bridge City Parade on Saturday? I know there’s a lot of entries that are having to decide which one to attend instead of having the opportunity of going to both. And congrats to BC for selecting Jacob Monceaux as its Parade Marshal. He will enjoy that honor more than any other person who has had the experience.
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Two more football notes. There are only four undefeated collegiate football teams in Texas (out of 49). The Aggies, Tarleton State, Hardin-Simmons, and Tyler JC. Aggies get LSU this week. Texas Tech has now outlawed throwing tortillas inside the stadium. And if you didn’t know, your question is…you mean they used to allow it??
As with many college traditions, the origin doesn’t always make sense. But according to most in Lubbock, it started when an ESPN broadcaster said the only thing in Lubbock was Texas Tech and a tortilla factory. The tortillas usually fly on the opening kickoff. But not anymore.
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If Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson from PNG looks different on the field, it’s because he’s one of what the NFL says is 11 players who is using the Guardian Cap. It’s an oversized helmet that’s supposed to help prevent concussions. Kudos to him for wearing it because it’s not the “cool” look. Kind of like bad free throw shooters in the NBA that won’t try it Rick Barry style.
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MTV announced its shutting down the rest of their music video channels across the pond. It’s been that way here for a while. But I’m sure most reading The Juice remember the hours we spent watching videos, waiting for debuts, Headbangers Ball, and Yo MTV Raps. I also enjoyed the Unplugged series. So what are the most played videos of all time? I think we can all guess number one and that’s Thriller by Michael Jackson. The others: Vogue (Madonna), Sledgehammer (Peter Gabriel), Addicted to Love (Robert Palmer), Sweet Child of Mine (G-n-R), Sabotage (Beastie Boys), Walk this Way (RunDMC/Aerosmith), and Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana).
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I lost a friend I spent many years with in the booth and on the field. Dennis Sedtal and I met during a high school baseball game. He was an umpire and he stopped me and said, “Don’t say anything bad about me on the air, my wife is going to be listening.” Well of course that opened the door for me to have fun at Dennis’ expense and sometimes his wife for years to come. He would then go on to be the stat guy for WOS football and was as close as John Kimbrough with accuracy. He would later be a volleyball umpire and it was there about a year ago that he broke down and told me he was diagnosed with cancer. You’ll be missed buddy.
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Many of you that know me personally or listened to me on KOGT know that I’ve been a member of the Allergy & Sinus Hall of Fame for decades. Well I’m once again trying something new and so far it’s been great! I don’t want to jinx myself so let me stay on it for another month to make sure it’s still working and I’d love to share with fellow sufferers.
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Expect a new owner in the near future at the Ford store in Orange. I don’t know all of the details but we’re told Ford has taken the store away from the people from Houston that owned it.
Have a great rest of the week and thanks for reading The Juice!
Quote of the Juice
“Just one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day.”
-Gary Stelly-
gstelly66@gmail.com
Volume 1 No. 33
The Juice is a weekly column where Gary Stelly discusses things that happened the past week and mixes it with 40 years of being involved in the Orange County community. (If we think of a better way to explain it we’ll change it) You can also check out his podcast by clicking on the Behind the Mic banner on the KOGT.com front page.
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