BURKARD'S BLOG

I searched on the Internet, and found no one keeping a blog about events in Columbus, Georgia. (Well, other than a 15-year-old high school student, and who knows how much he pays attention to the news?) So being the hip web-savvy guy that I am, I decided to start a blog of my own - chronicling happenings in the town I've called home for almost six years, as well as my experiences in it.

But be warned.... I used to have a humor service called LaughLine.com, so my views may be a bit amusing. And the views are my own -- no one has paid me to present theirs. Not yet.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

15 MAY 05: THE FYFFE CORPS

It was stunning and sad to learn today of the death of Auburn University sportscaster Jim Fyffe. College football is a four-down game, but he truly added a "Fyffe dimension."

Reporters were quick to note Fyffe's famous phrase during A.U. games - when he'd shout, "TOUCHDOWN!!!! AUBURN!!!!!" I'll never know why he refused to be that enthusiastic when the Columbus Wardogs scored.

(I listen to college football games on headphones when I go running on Saturday nights in the fall. It was so fun to shout, "Touchdown Auburn!" as Jim Fyffe did it, to see how many people's heads would turn.)

Overlooked in some of the obituaries is the fact that Jim Fyffe called Columbus Wardogs games the last two seasons. Some may remember he dared to tell a Montgomery newspaper in 2001 the 0-16 'Dogs were the "worst football team he's ever seen." Amazingly, Fyffe came back the next year - leading me to think the team managers agreed with him.

There's another Jim Fyffe phrase I'll remember - about football players being all over each other "like a duck on a junebug." Perhaps the most lasting tribute Fyffe could receive is for the AFLAC duck to actually eat one in a commercial.

Jim Fyffe was NOT calling Wardogs games on radio this season. The role was passed to a friend of mine, Justin Cazana. I wrote a little tune about him years ago, to the famous Billy Graham altar-call hymn, "Just As I Am:"

Justin Cazana has the sports.

He'll bring you all the late reports,

About baseball, football, guys in shorts.

The sportscast it will come - will come.

(So I'll dare to ask the question: is Cazana in line to become the new voice of the Tigers? Or should we call Jesse Jackson, to see if he has someone in mind for that job as well?)