Saturday, August 30, 2003

BURKARD'S BLOG






I searched on the Internet months ago, and found no one keeping a blog about events in Columbus, Georgia. 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 some 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. Pressured, yes - but paid, no.



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30 AUG 03: THE RED AND BLACK



Instant message to Auburn's football team: What sort of a strange tribute to the late Jim Fyffe was THAT? Not letting the new broadcaster say "Touchdown, Auburn" even once?!



Auburn opened its football season at home, and was stomped 23-0 by Southern California. How prophetic was the Ledger-Enquirer's front-page headline today about the Tigers - with "The Hype" in big print.



Auburn Coach Tommy Tuberville's quartet of running backs, which he said during the week he was "proud" of, combined for less than 50 yards. Come to think of it, the coach did NOT say he was proud of the offensive line.



I had the rare privilege, perhaps for the first time since moving to Georgia, of hearing both Kansas and Kansas State play football on radio. K-State trampled Troy State on WDAK 41-5. As for my beloved K.U. Jayhawks, which played Northwestern on Chicago's WGN-AM - well, can't they beat ANY team wearing purple?



Speaking of which - instant message to Clear Channel Radio: It's nice to hear Scott Miller as a studio host during Troy State games on WDAK. But as many stations as you have in Columbus, why don't you have any room to air Alabama or Georgia Tech games? We CAN take a break from a "Sunny 100" eighties weekend....



The Georgia Bulldogs made quite a statement on opening day, by beating Clemson 30-0 in "Death Valley." The Clemson coaching staff apparently hasn't figured out they're more likely to have "death" in late August by making Georgia wear red, instead of white.



Speaking of seeing red: I went to the Space Science Center Friday night, hoping to get a close-up look at Mars. The late-afternoon thunderstorms had passed - and as much as high school football is hyped in Columbus, I figured 90 percent of the city would be at games.



Boy, was I wrong about the crowd! The Space Science Center had a big turnout on Friday night - so big that I thought I was in line to use telescopes, but I wound up in a line for an IMAX Mars movie. It was an interesting movie, but the theater was so dark that I almost nodded off three times.



Once the movie ended, I walked outside to the telescopes - but wouldn't you know it? A bank of clouds had rolled in while I was inside, blocking the view of Mars. Where's Duck Dodgers in the 24th-1/2 Century when you need him, to stop the Martians from doing this?



COMING SUNDAY-MONDAY: A downtown trendsetter that's suddenly in some trouble....