276

First off before I get to the meat of the discussion I'd like to give a few shout outs. First off, big props go to the Georgia Bulldogs for getting their 3rd SEC win last night in Rupp Arena of all places. Pretty much crushing Kentucky's tournament aspirations, brought a smile to my face for sure. A big round of applause goes also to the Dallas Cowboys, for getting rid of Me. O. today, otherwise know as T.O., Terrell Owens, controversial wide receiver who is now looking for a new home. My guess is Washington, makes sense to me, they like to spend the money and take the risks, there are not many bigger risks than Mr. Owens. I'd also like to give a shout out to the weather, thanks for keeping it real and allowing me to wear shorts for the first time in weeks. I salute you, keep up the good work.

Welcome to the Thursday edition of "the stache," where the conference tournaments keep rolling on through and we look forward to all the big tournaments that begin next week. Who will be the next Cinderella story? Who will get their bubbles burst, we will find out shortly.

Now onto the heart of the matter today, Southwest Virginia athletes. You can't live with them, you can't live without them. They make you laugh, shake your head, and slap your face all in the matter of a few seconds. They are a unique breed of people who I have the pleasure (???), of getting to know over my last four years hear at Lees-McRae College. For those that are not familiar with the location of the college, we sit in the upper northwest corner of North Carolina, right in the heart of the Southern Appalachian mountains. We are less than 20 minutes from Tennessee, and less than an hour from the state of Virginia. Prime location for the 276 of SW Virginia. By my count, I have been around 6 SW Virginia distance runners over my 4 years hear. While it would be unfair to lump them all together with one generalized stereotype. I would be amiss to mention that they do share some common traits. First thing right off the bat, accents. Whoa buddy, you need a translator to understand many of them. There are some times when they say to myself, was that English or some language found deep in the heart of Deliverance town. Now I have been down to South Georgia, and I have friends and relatives that were born and raised in states such as Alabama and Mississippi. These people have their fair share of Southern accents, but by golly at least I could understand what they were saying without asking them to repeat themselves. Education levels, they vary from the 6 athletes I have encountered, some are more book smart, some are more street smart, but rarely are these two combined. If you do happen to come across one who is both book and street smart, come find me, quickly, we need to do a confirmation that they are indeed from the 276 area code. I won't believe it until I see the birth certificate. I mean even people from South Carolina have some intellect and street smarts. That is saying something within itself. These SW Virginia folks are very hard to describe if you have never been around them in person, they are like a whole different kind of breed of people. The one thing I will give them is that usually have a pleasant disposition. They usually are smiling and laughing, and talking about free love and whatever else they do in that part of the country. I really don't know what there is to do in the middle of nowhere. I am sure there are fun things to do, but its really hard for me to think of them right now. If you ever come across one of these people, you should probably talk slowly so they can understand what you are saying. They might not understand you at first because the English language may be a little foreign to them. So be careful with your words. They are a unique breed for sure, but like I said you can't live with them, you can't live without them.

Now some things I have said today may have offended some people in here, but sometimes the truth hurts. These people are not going to change who they are and I know one thing, it makes me feel a lot smarter hanging when I am in their presence. So I am grateful for the times I have shared with them, and the laughs they have given me over the last four years. I won't ever forget them and remember holla at a player when you see them on the street. Hugs and handpounds everyone. Enjoy the weather.

mb