By CRAIG HALL
Okay, I will admit it.
Read more: Week 7 thoughts and memoriesI was a bum last night, I stayed at home. There were several reasons why I did not attend a football game last night as I usually do and have done for some 15 years.
The first reason is I am on the disabled list, sort of. Two weeks ago, I had one of those injuries reserved for me. It was the dreaded walking in to a large retail store on the north end of Poteau, which will not be named since they do not advertise with us, when I heard a loud pop in my knee and it started feeling different. This is the same knee I had operated on in 1982 when I tore my cartilage in my knee.
At least I did not put a large hole in my head from walking into a steel beam this time. See injured knee in the picture accompanying this fine article.
By the time I got home, I took a look and my knee was already swollen. I started Ibuprofen treatment to try and reduce the swelling. It didn’t work. I used a brace which didn’t help one iota. I went to a doctor and had my knee x-rayed. No fractures, but I did have arthritis, which I did not know was visible in an x-ray.
It is still swollen and will have moments of pain, but fortunately as you are probably aware, you can hurt me, but you can’t keep me down. Just away from high school football games.
I also knew the rest of my body could not handle a trip to Kingston, which is almost three hours away. After hearing that I could not drive at night any more, at least safely, I did have a friend offer to drive me, which I thought was one of the nicest things anybody has done for me lately, but I thanked them and maybe for the Okmulgee trip.
I used to ride the band truck. I probably still could, but that is not an easy ride.
Anyway, I have an appointment Monday in Tulsa to have my knee examined. My wife thinks I am being a wuss. I think something is wrong if something stays swelled up for two weeks, and it’s not like the first time we have gone to Tulsa as that is where I had my neck surgery in 2024 and when I had the stroke in 2021 and they had to put a stint in my carotid artery.
I actually thought after I got the stint I would become much smarter with more blood flowing to the brain, but nooooo!
So I stayed home and watched the first part of the Heavener game on YouTube. Yes, that was the Kingston coverage, but it was on YouTube and on my television. Heavener’s coverage was on Facebook and it gives me a headache to watch a game on my phone. And yes, I know there is some way to watch a game on Facebook on my television, but I haven’t figured out how.
When the Wolfies play at home, you do have those options thanks to my excellent sponsors Central National Bank, Dowden-Roberts Funeral Home and Rep. Rick West. You can also have your business sponsor our videos to help out with the costs and you would be even a better friend than you already are. Text me at (855) 819-8824 if you are interested.
So, this morning, I got up ridiculously early and started putting together the football scores from last night. One of the first scores I saw was Bixby beat Enid, 92-0.
Seriously? Okay, I get it. Bixby is the top-ranked team in the country and wants to keep it that way. But 92-0? What has happened to sportsmanship. I know, you can’t tell your backups to not score and it is also on the team such as Enid to get better. But once a game is decided, throw on the brakes. Run the clock, hand off to a chubby guard playing fullback and don’t throw bombs when you are way ahead.
I guess I was fortunate that football scores were not that wild back when I played. We also did not have the wide-open offenses that defenses have so much trouble stopping. We scored 56 points at Westville when I was a junior, which I thought was impressive. And, Vian beat us 56 to not very much my senior year when the Wolverines were on a winning streak that lasted some three years in the regular season since Heavener beat Vian the year before.
That was a lot of points back then. It should still be that way. I don’t like to see teams run the score up on opponents in high school. In college and pro sports, it’s a different story.
My friend, the legend David Seeley is an Enid graduate. Would that score cause deep emotional pain that only my friendship could overcome? I’m here, David for you. Just know that. You still have friends even though your old high school did give up 92 points.
Anyhow, a trip to Fort Smith is on the agenda today to pick up copies of the x-rays for my trip to Tulsa. Not really sure why I take x-rays in Poteau and said x-rays are not available in Poteau, but requires a trip to Fort Smith to pick it up. But anyway, I am not going to dwell on the negatives.
I am going to focus on the positives and wonder how I can help my friend overcome his pain. Maybe I should text him a picture of me smiling. Naw, that would be weird.
