George Smith - Have a great day, Mr. McNeill
Aug 15, 2012 | 2770 views |  0 comments | 7 7 recommendations | email to a friend | print
WEDNESDAY’S LIST . . . of beans ‘n greens ‘n other things: GLENN MCNEILL has no trouble remembering where he was on Dec. 7, 1941. McNeill was at Pearl Harbor on a sunny Sunday morning when the Japanese shocked America with a surprise attack that shoved us right into the middle of World War II.

He not only survived, but also is one of just three Calhoun County survivors of Pearl Harbor and “a date that will live in infamy.”

Today is McNeill’s 95th birthday . . . so how about a special “Happy Birthday” to a special person.

Along the way he has become a big Atlanta Braves fan (watches on TV), an Alabama fan, and most Sundays can be found at the morning services at St. Mark’s Methodist Church in Golden Springs.

So . . . again . . . have a good one, Mr. McNeill.

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SHE’S NOT Gabby Douglas, the 16-year-old gymnast who won gold medals in individual and team all-around at the Olympics, but she sure does look like her twin.

The name is Kimberly Rawls and most days you’ll find her charming customers at Jack’s on Quintard.

“I’ve been told I look like her before,” says Kimberly.

Like I said, she really is a charmer and makes you feel good with a smile and a hello . . . not to mention her hustle.

Kimberly Rawls sure made my day Tuesday morning.

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E-MAIL FORWARD: “Just think, if it weren't for marriage, men would go through life thinking they had no faults at all.” -- Unknown
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THE VERY best sports talk show around is “The Herd with Colin Cowherd.”

You can catch it on ESPNU (301 on Cable One) and thing is, you never know exactly where Colin is going on any given day.

Mostly it will be sports, but don’t be surprised if he goes off on what time the John Deere night shift starts . . . or just about anything under the sun.

The show, a simulcast of his ESPN radio show (can’t tell you how to get there), is on from 9-12 weekday mornings.

This guy is really good . . .

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IN SUNDAY’S column I lifted an anecdote from a Rick Bragg article in ESPN Magazine. The anecdote touched on football teams praying before games and Alabama’s Bear Bryant once telling the TV audience, after a loss, that “God expects you to block and tackle.”

That kicked in a memory from the days when I was a sports writer and covered the Birmingham Vulcans (or was it the Americans?) in the old World Football League.

One of Birmingham’s players was Dennis Homan, a wide receiver who had played at Alabama and a person of deep faith. In an interview in a long ago dressing room, I talked with Homan after a Birmingham victory.

“God was with us tonight,” said Homan.

‘Til this day I regret I didn’t ask Homan:

“Dennis, what do you think God had against the Detroit Wheels?”

Truth is, I chickened out . . . didn’t have the guts . . . and still regret it.

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BIRTHDAYS: Aug. 8 – Demris Mason; Aug 10 – Earnestine Graves; Aug. 11 – James Lane; Aug. 12 – Joey Wagner; Aug. 13 – Katie Middlebrook, Jerry Wade and Mary Albright; Aug. 14 – Houston Woosley and Jerry McKleroy; Aug. 15 – Harold Woodard and Lucille Grant; Aug. 16 – Ellen Wagner, Don Golden, Don Williams, Rev. C. O. Grinstead, Mark Gaddy and Kyle Middlebrook; Aug. 17 – Doris Wagner and Catherine Bishop; Aug. 18 – LaNelle Phillips, Teresa Talley, Wayne Greer and Lurlene Landers

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