Close your eyes and imagine its 1984, Daniel LaRusso is on your tv screen on one leg about to launch the lights-out flying kick to Johnny Lawrence to win it all. Yeah, I am not the Karate Kid today, I’m Johnny Lawrence right now after a wild week of my high paying volunteer work. Welcome to sarcastic Saturday Glen Rose! For the majority of Glen Rose, Homecoming is fun filled with all sorts of activities for children and adults alike. For the rest of us peasants, it’s full of making sure those activities are organized for your pleasure. Do not get me wrong, I love making sure every “i” is dotted and “t” is crossed for a fun parade and Homecoming game. However, people and fate karate kicked us right square in the jaw with a little societal bickering about the parade and even some about the game. You cannot make everyone happy, no matter how much we try. I think some still think we get paid to do this. Cue a very exaggerative eye roll and vigorous head shake! Most everyone either knows me, knows of me, or witnesses the guy on the track and his sideline excitement as the Glen Rose Tigers go in for six. I must look like an early nineties Dallas Cowboy fan screaming at a bunch of guys that can’t hear me, but at least God does, and God knows how much I love this team! So, here comes the explanation to the only guy that picked Robinson to win on Glen Rose Sports Network. Let me set the scene for you. It’s Wednesday, the stench coming off me is rank after preparing for the parade from 7:00am and finally getting home at 10:00pm to rest. With a headache and enough heat-induced trauma to give me stroke-like symptoms, I open a form to pick my choices. I hastily filled the form out so I could wash off and lay my head down. So, you can only imagine the surprise on my face Friday when I had “allegedly” picked the Rockets to win. My heart dropped down and a slight bead of sweat began to overcome me. One word passed into my mind as I frantically began to beg GRSN to change it for me, “embarrassing.” However, as the day progressed, so did my need to change it. I convinced myself that “everyone knows me,” I have a son on the team, and there isn’t a candlestick big enough in Glen Rose that compares to my dedication to this program. So, I took the kick to the cheek and moved on. All fun and games, until my exhaustion-infused mistake became reality. Without going into some kind of dramatic detail about what I, nor anyone else, "thinks" should have been done, the Tigers simply did not live up to their potential Friday. For those that want to abandon the bandwagon, please tuck-and-roll upon exit. For the rest of us, keep calm and let them carry on. These guys have a target on them all while standing on a pedestal. We are not Carthage or Aledo and do not have a decade of undefeated seasons. We lose, we learn, and we play. How many did we lose last year? Let’s take the kick, get healthy, and bounce back. Please do not listen to the bleacher coaches and trust that there are reasons beyond their simplicity that they don’t know. These guys are in pain on the sideline and these coaches will make the most logical decisions based upon their players abilities and current state. I trust them, so please jump clear of the wagons’ wheels as you make your escape. I commend Canyon Evans, as he grimaced with pain, for being able to stand in front of Glen Rose for the Homecoming Court festivities. It took him all he could to hold back his tears of pain and all I wanted to do was fix it for him. He is not just a good quarterback; he is an outstanding young man that refused to exit this game. He is the definition of what this team has the potential to become. Several of these players grit their teeth and pounded away all night, but it just was not enough. Robinson has a good team, and they were not coming into our house, picked as the Homecoming “easy win,” and just let us walk over them. They were on their toes while we were on our heels. Overall, this will bring the guys together and humble them back down into becoming the winning team they know they can be. Despite the loss, it was a close game, and a night filled with smiles. Stuart Mann gave me two boxes of footballs to give out, so don’t blame me, its Stuarts fault! I tried to give every child a ball, and if I missed one, I am sorry. If I bypassed a child, it’s likely because they demanded I give them one. Nope, not sorry, say please. I had a few funny looks when I asked a few if they could say please. Sorry, but I’m not sorry for trying to manner-up a few of these little ones. Do not take it the wrong way. My wife and I are, and always will be the biggest advocates of students at GRISD. Nevertheless, if your child demands a shirt or item from me, they will end up empty handed. I am like a good-manner vulture. If I hear a little child ask me, “may I please have a shirt,” you can bet they’re getting one and Id likely give them the shirt off my back to reward their respect. So please, say please and there may be a pleasing reward! A very heartwarming thanks to those that worked at our concession stand. It was a mad house! There is so much that goes on behind the scenes. From Mr. Shackleford and Mrs. O’Quinn directing stadium activities, to the GRABC and band boosters preparing and running concession stands, there is so much work that goes into a home game. So many people do so much and help when they do not have to. I am so proud to be a part of such a great community. I have an inkling feeling that smiles are bigger on admin and volunteers when we play away. I wonder why…? Until next Friday, mommas get your boys healthy. We have an even tougher game ahead against Alvarado next Friday. A Facebook comment hit the nail on the head earlier. It’s not so much of an attendance problem, rather, it is an involvement issue we have. The boys do not respond to attendance, they respond to the noise. So, stand up occasionally. Besides, I do not throw free t-shirts to sitters! Let’s go Glen Rose!