A Lasting Impression

If you are a Buddy Holly fan, you know the songs. They were written and recorded more than 55 years ago, by a man who was only 22 when he died in 1959. Although Holly's career spanned barely a year and a half, he left a lasting impression on generations of musicians who still listen to and play his songs.

Holly was a pioneer in the recording industry, becoming one of the first performers to gain creative control over production of his records. More than that, Holly and the members of the Crickets played their own parts on recordings - another rarity, as most records of the time were recorded using studio musicians.

Holly's songs were plain and simply great rock and roll, then and now. Over the years, many artists have covered Buddy's songs; these videos are some of the best of those covers.

A Sports Junkie

Ah, the life of a sports junkie.

At the crack of the bat, I immediately motioned for the base runner at second to round third and head for the plate. I could see the determination on his face, and I caught his eye briefly just before he touched third base and, arms pumping, feet kicking up dirt, he motored on. I could read it on his face that at that moment he had one goal in life: to reach the plate before the ball did. Every kid on the field was in motion; every kid in both dugouts was shouting excitedly, the crowd behind me was roaring - the atmosphere was electric. I waved my arm for the next runner to turn for home, and I saw the batter heading for second base and a double. I grinned from ear to ear and said out loud, 'damn this is fun!'

The life of this sports junkie is full of participation, history, speculation, opinion, and some rants. Although I often complain bitterly in my writing about what I perceive as injustice, foolishness, or just plain stupidity in the sports world, the underlying theme is easy to follow:

I love sports, and I love to write about sports.