Publisher's Note: This new series, from The Correspondent, will be an evolving fixture here on Eastern NC NOW, so keep your visits on a frequent basis, and we will keep you full of even a greater variety of knowledge.
So many times it happens too fast
You change your passion for glory
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive
Face to face, out in the heat
Hanging tough, staying hungry
They stack the odds 'til we take to the street
For the kill with the skill to survive
It's the eye of the tiger
It's the thrill of the fight
Rising up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor
Stalks his prey in the night
And he's watching us all with the eye of the tiger - Frank Sullivan
The Correspondent, The "King" of Albania, and the Congressman celebrate their UCK triumph in liberating Kosovo province, June, 1999, Tirana, Albania: Above. Click image to enlarge.
Not since the Kosovo Liberation Army stormed the gates of Prishtina, has the world witnessed such a stunning triumph as resulted Tuesday evening in the BOCO school board Battle of Annihilation. Led by the Godfather of Belhaven, the revolutionary Fire Team Alpha -- Big Gary, Mr S and the Local Man -- fulfilled their holy vow to eradicate the School Board denizens that masked up local students -- while collapsing school perimeter security and idly watching test scores dive.
Vowing to end the reckless Raleigh-driven educational looting of both academic and moral values, the Posse rode in hard and tore up the place. Pumped by victory after victory, this campaign only beginning it seems. Overheard Tuesday evening amid the throes of glory,
"Job only half done -- more scalps to be taken."
Yowsa, yowsa, yowsa...
In the meantime, a critical question hangs in the air following the Board of Commissioner results. Was Cool Papa Stan indeed the top Republican vote recipient? Or, was Cool Papa Stan the only Republican to finish in the top three?
Hmmmmmmm...
These are the questions that will haunt the political necromancers in the months to come. Next election a little more than 700 days away...
The Sheriff's race one of bifurcation -- as the narrow GOP early vote margin validating the Dem strategy of making the race one of who could be the nicest guy. With the GOP candidate election day vote margin two and half times greater than the early vote margin -- with 12 percent fewer votes on election day than early voting -- the late application of the much criticised A-10 air sweep certainly seems vindicated.
Thirty mike mike make much mush...
Once the oppo air-defence grid went down it was all over. The Democrat campaign could not sustain operational capacity after the around the clock radio and TV bombardment that followed. Nothing worse than being under well-directed arty fire when it is so thick and sustained every atheist becomes a true believer -- and your best friend is the trusty entrenching tool.
Until you been there -- you ain't been there.
The last ten days of the campaign the Dems were under constant aerial bombardment via the airwaves and broadcast television. Every time they were staggered with one radio ad, two more hit them before they could respond. Relentless is as relentless does...
As Ellen Ripley once said,
"I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit, it's the only way to be sure."
*********************
WISCONSIN (minus one and the hook) @ IOWA Saturday 3.30 pm EST FS1
With the American election concluded and desperate for a winner as we sit at 1-2, we ask Westerby, fresh from the Budd campaign, to get us off the schneid. Despite his UK upbringing and insistence in referring to soccer as
"football", his insight can be helpful when battlefield decisions must be made.
Westerby's first inclination was to take Syracuse (plus six and the hook) at home against Florida State, with the visitors coming off the big emotional, rivalry game. The 'Cuse have a good team and a solid home field advantage in evening games and look interesting.
But
"interesting" don't feed the Bulldog.
Referencing Farnell's case notes, Westerby came across the admonition to seek defense first this time of year. So Westerby was sent back to the drawing board with the following result:
In what is a virtual Big Ten West elimination game, the biggest factor not the teams but the venue. Fortunately for Iowa the game not at Camp Randall, but instead within the friendly confines of Kinnick Stadium.
The stadium's unique design, intermixed with the prevailing afternoon winds of Autumn, tends to reward emphasis on the ground game: run-stopping defence is magnified when the wind makes passing difficult. Weather forecast for Saturday calls for a NW wind at 15 mph. If you are familiar with the stadium layout you will recognize the significance of this quartering breeze. If not, just think about it a little.
Iowa stops the run. Wind makes teams rely on it more. Wisconsin can run the ball and do so quite well at times. But when the wind blowing cross-country, play action fools no one. With the Hawkeye offense waking up the last few weeks, they should be able to put enough on the board for the defence to play aggressively.
The secret sauce always helpful, whether applied to a bamboozled local campaign seeking to romp to victory or corn-fed All-American Iowa lads still fighting for a Big Ten championship appearance. A couple dollops of such found in Kinnick Stadium on game day.
Across Hawkins Drive, next to Kinnick Stadium, rests Children's Hospital towering above the stands and most of Iowa City. At the end of every first quarter, the fans and players turn toward the hospital and wave to all the sick kids and their families watching from above; it's a memorable mid-western moment.
Then there is defending the North end zone. It may have been the roaring 20's while Kinnick Stadium was being constructed, but not in Iowa City where times were already bad. To save hard money, a number of horses and a couple workers that died during construction were buried under the ground of the North end zone. It's a big deal with the seniors about defending that ground -- and any late drive that way into a shadowy, quartering wind more likely than not to be blunted.
Not the worse FPF to be directing at the end, as our call here is Iowa (plus one and the hook):
IOWA 12 WISCONSIN 7
poll#167