Random Thoughts On Saturday Morning

Today is the primary election in South Carolina. Interesting in the fact that in the past 20 years, no one has won the Republican nomination for President, without winning the South Carolina primary. Latest polling data shows a virtual dead heat between John McCain and Mike Huckabee. McCain is strong in the coastal "low country" where there are many active and retired military families. Huckabee, a former SBC pastor and Governor of Arkansas, is polling very strong among Christian evangelicals in the Palmetto State.

Fred Thompson, who sat out Iowa and New Hampshire, has hit the campaign trail hard in South Carolina. He is gaining some ground, but, along with Mitt Romney, is still trailing McCain and Huckabee. One interesting event that happened several months ago in South Carolina (that has gone virtually unreported) is the endorsement of Romney (a Mormon) by Bob Jones III, Chancellor of the ultra fundamentalist Bob Jones University.

As the old saying goes, "Politics make strange bedfellows".

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We got back from the Philippines just in time for the NFC and AFC championship games. The trash talking San Diego Chargers take on the unbeaten New England Patriots. That will be a good old good 'un. I've got to pull for the Patriots. After all, they have several former Marshall players on their roster - plus it would be a tremendous accomplishment to go to the Super Bowl undefeated.

There will be a Manning quarterbacking in the NFC Championship Game, but it won't be Peyton! His little brother, Eli, will lead the New York Giants to Lambeau Field to face the Green Bay Packers. I kind of like both of these teams. Both teams go way back in the NFL with storied histories. The Ghost of Vince Lombardi looms over the "Frozen Tundra" where greats like Bart Starr, Paul Hornung, Jim Ringo, Forrest Gregg, Ray Nitschke, and Reggie White played out their Hall of Fame careers. And who can forget the likes of Sam Huff, Y.A. Tittle, Lawrence Taylor, and Frank Gifford of Giant fame? Should be another great game. I can't help but pull for Packers QB, Brett Favre. Hard to imagine that this good old boy from the "Redneck Riviera" of the Mississippi Gulf Coast has become the "King of the Cold Weather". Kind of weird, huh? Many pundits had figured that last year would be Brett's last, but he has come back for one more record breaking season.

I'm hoping to see a New England vs. Green Bay Super Bowl. Who are your favorites?

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While we were gone, I learned that Marshall University's Defensive Coordinator, Steve Dunlap, left to join the staff of the hated West Virginia Mountaineers. Normally I would be incensed to lose someone to WVU. However, considering that Marshall's defense allowed 34 points per game last year, maybe this is not such a bad blow to our program after all. Hopefully the Mountaineer's defense will be have similar results next season.

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Huntington, WV Mayor, David Felinton recently underwent "lap band" surgery at Kings Daughters Medical Center in Ashland, KY. The Herald-Dispatch reports that Felinton has already lost nearly 30 pounds and has begun walking to work for more exercise and a more vigorous lifestyle. I'm no big fan of Mayor Felinton, but I applaud his efforts to get in better shape. Many of us know first hand how much easier it is to put the weight on than it is to take it off. The Mayor opted for the lap band procedure rather than the more invasive and more dangerous gastric bypass option. One question that has arisen in Huntington is, why did he opt to have the surgery at Kings Daughters in Ashland, rather than the two excellent hospitals in Huntington? Is that procedure offered at St. Mary's or Cabell Huntington? I don't know, but if it is, that makes for an interesting question.

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The two local grandsons spent the night with us again last night. They usually do on Fridays. We'll take Will to his Upward Basketball game at First Baptist Church of Russell today at 11:00 AM. Will just celebrated his 7th birthday a couple of weeks ago. He plays for the "Ducks", a team of 1st and 2nd graders in Russell's Upward program. Being out of the country for the last two weeks, I have missed his first two games. They tell me he scored 18 points in the first game and 16 points last week. Could we have another little "Pistol Pete" (or in his case "Will the Thrill") on our hands? Please excuse the momentary delusions of a proud grandfather. Later in the day Benji wants to take the boys down to a local auto dealership, where local heroes, former Cy Young Award Winner, Brandon Webb; Major League Umpires Charlie Reliford and Greg Gibson; and the Dallas Cowboys' Arliss Beach will be greeting friends and signing autographs. We'll have cake and ice cream later in the day for Will's mom, Leigh Anne, who will be celebrating (?) her 32nd birthday today.

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Speaking of grandsons and birthdays, next week marks the 8th birthday of our first grandson, Quint, who lives in New Orleans. His actual name is Caudle Jerry Adkins V, but we have always called him Quint (since he is a "fifth"). I'll never forget how proud we were to welcome that little guy into the world on January 25, 2000! We are proud of the young man he is becoming but we selfishly miss being able to be near him and his little brother. Our family has sure been through some real changes in these past eight years. One constant, however, is that God has not changed at all. He is Faithful, a wonderful comfort, and greatly to be praised.

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Bundle up and have a great weekend. Get out to church Sunday. There is no better way to start off the week.