Today (Friday March 16) is the birthday of James Madison, a primary architect of the U.S. Constitution and the fourth president of the United States. He is one of those "Founding Fathers" folks in politics are fond of referencing repeatedly -- usually after they symbolically spit upon what the Founding Fathers espoused. Yeah, the United … Continue reading Happy birthday James Madison, a believer in open government
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Newspaper memories: One and done at the 1986 ACC Tournament
March 7, 1986: I kept telling myself not to be nervous on the short drive from Burlington to Greensboro. It wasn’t working. Stupid I know. After all, I was only going to a basketball game -- well, four basketball games really. No big deal. Not at all. I got up early that Friday morning after … Continue reading Newspaper memories: One and done at the 1986 ACC Tournament
Hopes and dreams for Elon’s future
A little more than a week ago, Dr. Connie Ledoux Book took the reins at Elon University as president. It was historic: She became the first woman to hold the job in Elon's 129-year history. It was a homecoming: Dr. Book was a professor in the School of Communications and then an associate provost before … Continue reading Hopes and dreams for Elon’s future
Throwback Thursday: Tough for rivals to finally acknowledge greatness
Three years ago today a public memorial ceremony was held following the death of retired University of North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith. I took that occasion to write about growing up in a basketball-crazed area -- North Carolina -- and how it shapes misguided thinking, until it doesn't and common sense takes over. Rivalries … Continue reading Throwback Thursday: Tough for rivals to finally acknowledge greatness
Throwback Thursday: A coach who set an example for us all
UNC and Duke are in the final hours today before another installment of the most intense rivalry in college basketball is renewed again. Dean Smith, the legendary coach of the Tar Heels, was right in the thick of it for decades. Smith passed away three years ago on Feb. 7. This is the editorial I … Continue reading Throwback Thursday: A coach who set an example for us all
History, irony and ‘Olympic Pride, American Prejudice’
Nearly everyone who knows much about the history of Olympic sports in the United States has heard of Jesse Owens. Many of them are aware he won four gold medals at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. Most of those understand that as an African-American he did so under the glare of Adolf Hitler and … Continue reading History, irony and ‘Olympic Pride, American Prejudice’
Who do we trust?
"The Truth is Out There" and "Trust No One" are two phrases that for years were most closely associated with the murky conspiracy-rich TV series, "The X-Files." Today both define life in the United States of America. How we got to this point in our history was not a random evolution of human nature and culture. … Continue reading Who do we trust?
The Elon football connection to … Bill Belichick?
The print issue of Sports Illustrated this week -- well, make that this month since it appears the magazine will no longer be published on a regular weekly basis -- contains an interesting story on the long-standing friendship of arguably the greatest NFL coach of all time and his counterpart on the collegiate level. I'm … Continue reading The Elon football connection to … Bill Belichick?
Is Jim Thome the first from a Burlington minor league team to make the Hall of Fame?
Jim Thome was elected to the baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot. The announcement arrived Wednesday night from New York. There wasn't much doubt the affable Thome, with 612 career home runs and a career devoid of steroid accusations, would be elected along with fellow first-timer Chipper Jones this year. It's an outstanding … Continue reading Is Jim Thome the first from a Burlington minor league team to make the Hall of Fame?
‘The Last Ballad’ is a tragic story from North Carolina’s often forgotten history
"The Last Ballad"; by Wiley Cash; 2017, HarperCollins Publishers; 375 pages. The American South is a minefield of emotions. It's a land of hope, faith and joy intermingled with hatred, anger, and sometimes unspeakable violence. It's a place where understanding and common sense can be overwhelmed by confusion and ignorance -- often sparked by a … Continue reading ‘The Last Ballad’ is a tragic story from North Carolina’s often forgotten history
Madison's Avenue 