WAKE UP! IT’S FRIDAY! | Busy signals for busy times; Gilmer preview hits at noon today; don’t forget The Bulletin Board
EDITOR’S NOTE: The photo on today’s Wake Up! is of the exterior of the Kilgore location of Cozy Coffee Station, otherwise known as your home for all kinds of coffees, teas, sodas, and even baked goods, snacks and sandwiches. It’s inside the Credit Union of Texas at 110 Midtown Plaza in Kilgore. And there’s another Cozy Coffee Station in East Texas, in Gilmer, also at the Credit Union Of Texas at 755 Highway 271 North (see the photo of the Gilmer location below). Go by and let Ashley and Oscar and their staff set you up with something great to enjoy for your day, six days a week (only closed on Sundays). Check them out online, including their menu, at Home | Cozy Coffee Station. On other social media, see them on Facebook on two different pages (Cozy Coffee Station-Kilgore and Cozy Coffee Station-Gilmer), and on Instagram, @cozycoffeestation_kilgore and @cozycoffeestation_Gilmer.
Busy signal / The Bulletin Board
There are still people out here reading this, I’m sure, who remember the old ‘busy’ signal when you dialed someone on a landline phone and they were already on a call.
You got a “bommmmmmp–bommmmmmp–bommmmmmp” noise. That told you, “Hey, that person is on the phone; call back later.” That was before the days of what we called “call waiting.” If you were on the phone already, you’d hear a “beep” that you were getting another call — that was a NIGHTMARE for us teenagers if you were on the phone with your girlfriend or boyfriend and someone “beeped” in, as we called it, for mom or dad. And you’d better not lie about the beep. If you got a beep, you’d better tell ’em. Whew, the ’80s. What can I say? Classic ‘80s Saturday here on Wake Up! tomorrow.
At any rate, I haven’t heard the ol’ “busy signal” in many moons. But it would be going off all over right now, if it was an indicator of what’s happening at the 15 high school athletic programs we cover on ETBlitz.com. Things aren’t GETTING busy here; they’re ALREADY busy.
It’s difficult to keep up with everything simply related to football and volleyball, which are starting, in addition to cross country and fall tennis. But remember, bands, cheerleaders and drill teams across the area (and the state) are all getting ready for their roles, too. And when ETBlitz was launched late in 2023, we said we’re not just a sports site. We’re proud to have items on all the things surrounding sports, as well.
So we have a place specifically for things, news items, that are related to all things sports, but also school items and other things that you guys in the different communities we cover need to know. It’s called The Bulletin Board, and it’s presented by Clower Meats in Kilgore. We’re adding all kinds of things today like season ticket sales, for instance, and The Bulletin Board will be updated either late this afternoon or early tonight. Several schools are having their meet the team activities tomorrow, and a few (Kilgore, Carthage and Gilmer, for sure) are having their photo days on Saturday.
So, bottom line: Going into The Bulletin Board is FREE for you guys. As long as it’s something in the realm of the high schools or junior colleges we cover, if it’s something of public interest, e-mail me at mucas@etblitz.com, and let me know what’s happening. I’ll get it into The Bulletin Board, and about three million people or so will see it.
Here’s the current version of The Bulletin Board (ETBLITZ BULLETIN BOARD, presented by CLOWER MEATS | Wednesday, August 6). We’ll have it updated today.
Today’s football preview: GILMER
Coach Alan Metzel’s Gilmer High School Buckeyes won the 2023 UIL Class 4A, Division II state football championship, then suffered a few growing pains last year. But coach Metzel and the Bucks are looking to get back on top this year.
Our own Joe Hale sat down with Metzel, and also visited with some of the other Buckeyes, this week, and the result: the preview of the 2025 Gilmer Buckeyes, presented by Kilgore Mercantile & Music.
It’ll be here on ETBlitz.com at noon today. Y’all enjoy it. It’s the second day of our 15 Previews in 15 Days here on ETB; Thursday’s preview was of coach Sam Wells’ Troup High School Tigers. In case you missed it: TIGER BY THE TAIL? L-O-L, NOT THIS ONE! | Troup aims to start, and finish, strong in 2025.
Parsons / Cowboys update
Well, we haven’t said much about it here in Wake Up! in about two weeks, because we’ve had too much going on locally that we HAD to talk about.
But are you keeping up with the Dallas Cowboys and now-allegedly-disgruntled pass-rusher Micah Parsons?
Parsons is thought of by many as one of the NFL’s best players, not just on defense. And he does have 52 ½ career sacks since being drafted No. 12 overall by the Cowboys back in 2021.
He’s in the final year of his contract. Most teams like to lock up their stars before that final season begins, to not take a chance on that player becoming a free agent after the season. But that’s not always how the Cowboys do business.
Then again, sometimes it is. And sometimes it’s announced in the days just before training camp ends and the season actually begins.
But negotiations between Parsons and ownership have turned sour, to the point that a week ago, Parsons supposedly asked to be traded. Some believe that’s a publicity stunt and that Parsons and owner Jerry Jones are simply seeking to pull eyes to the team. Yeah, right, like the eyes aren’t already watching.
At any rate, other star pass rushers have gotten deals in recent months: Cleveland and Myles Garrett, Pittsburgh and T.J. Watt, and so on.
Yahoo! Sports is reporting that the Cowboys have received exactly ZERO trade interest on Parsons, that they’ve gotten no calls.
It’s hard to feel sorry for Parsons exactly; I mean, the guy is set to make $24 million this season alone. And most likely, even if a new contract isn’t agreed upon, the Cowboys could technically franchise-tag him, pay him the average of the top five players at his position, and keep him in Dallas for at least one more season.
So I guess I’m saying, as the Cowboys prepare to open the preseason schedule at the L.A. Rams at 6 p.m. our time on Saturday, that if you’re a Cowboys fan and you’re worried about Parsons not getting a deal, chill out. Things are going to be ok.
Rangers Report
The Texas Rangers were off on Thursday after slipping at home to the New York Yankees, 3-2, on Wednesday. That finished off that series, and now Texas has slipped a bit since their hot streak after the all-star game break.
The Rangers are once again in third place in the American League West Division, but now all by themselves, because the Seattle Mariners have won four straight and are a solid No. 2 behind division-leading Houston. The Astros lead the AL West with a 64-51 overall record. The Mariners are just 1 ½ games back, somewhat shockingly so, at 63-53. Texas is third with a 60-56 overall record this season, and now they’re three games behind Seattle, and 4 ½ behind Houston.
The Rangers are 4-6 in their last 10. Yuck.
