WAKE UP! | NIGHT SHIFT / Welcome to the night shift; who’s going to win 11-3A, DII?

EDITOR’S NOTE: Normally, we start this column with the fact that it’s presented by our excellent ad partner Cozy Coffee Station, and its owners Oscar And Ashley Cavazos. We’d normally tell you that they’re located in Gilmer at 755 Highway 271 North, and in Kilgore at 110 Midtown Plaza. And we’d remind you they have all KINDS of drinks, hot and cold, snacks, sandwiches and baked goods on their menu, which you can see right here: Home | Cozy Coffee Station. We’d normally tell you that. And we just did, even though Wake Up! is about 15 hours late today due to some ridiculous things beyond our control. By the way, see Friday’s Wake Up!, coincidentally, on time at about 5 a.m., ALSO brought to you by Cozy Coffee Station. Y’all got all of that? Good. Hey, look at it this way: nighttime reading material. Yay!

Whataburger Personality Profile tomorrow

Our very first interview, the first of the summer, of the Whataburger Personality Profile series will be on ETBlitz.com tomorrow. They may not always be on Friday, but it just worked that way this time, and hey, it’s the Fourth of July. Celebrate America and read someone who has an impact on the local sports landscape talking about — well, what’s coming up on the local sports landscape.

And I just want to add this in: all of our advertising partners are fantastic, every single one of them. Tomorrow’s impact personality will be busy VERY soon, that’s a hint, although not a big one, and hopefully by the end of my interview with them, you’ll feel like you know them a good bit better. That’s my goal.

Star-Struck (in more ways than one)

Did you hear about what Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer is doing?

He’s embracing the team’s past.

Finally.

Schottenheimer is bringing in former Cowboys stars of the past and getting his current team — the kids who wear that uniform but don’t really remember when the Cowboys were truly GREAT — acquainted with them. The coach is calling on guys like Randy White and even Bob Lilly to stop by.

Now, I’m not going to make excuses. Schottenheimer is not the first Cowboys coach even in recent memory to do this. Jason Garrett did it, too, in his nine seasons as coach (how has it already been five years ago since he coached Dallas?!?). 

But somehow, this feels different. It’s not just Michael Irvin and a handful of others. It’s Cowboys from all eras, and if they’re going to be successful, no, just embracing the past won’t do it.

But it certainly cannot hurt.

Let’s try something

In Wake Up! tomorrow, we’re going to have a poll, and it’s going to be real simple, or really simple, if I spoke correctly. Telling you in advance so you’re ready tomorrow after I pulled this stunt. You ready?

Here it is.

If you had only one vote, who would you pick to win District 11-3A, Division II?

Obviously, your choices are (in alphabetical order): Arp, Buffalo, Elkhart, New Diana, Troup, West Rusk, and Winona.

Y’all post your answer in the comments below, or on the Facebook. 

Well, I did it, so…

I had to go and put that headline on this column, and it made me think of this song. Now I’ll have it in my head for at least 24 hours. So since I’ve got it stuck in MY head, I’m passing it on to YOU, too. The Commodores, with “Night Shift,” and NO, this does NOT count as our ’80s classic this week.