Hypes and Gripes

An unprovoked rant against sports parents, love for Barry, and Blogaronis

• Hypes to the Drury men’s and women’s basketball teams for fantastic seasons that. These are two of the best D-II programs in the country, no matter who is coaching them, and the squads will heartily deserve their new homes once Drury’s new arena is completed in a couple of years.

• Gripes to people who plaster their kids’ athletic teams’ logos and the jersey numbers all over their cars. What is it with sports parents? Your kids are more than a “Little Johnny, Shortstop, #11, Springfield Sting,” aren’t they? What you’re doing is ingraining that team as part of your kid’s sense of self worth. What happens when they (heavens!) turn 13 and decide they no longer want to play 300 basketball games a year? Chances are you’re not going to put “Little Johnny, First Chair, Alto Sax, Pershing Jazz Band” in your rear window. Besides, most of you drive your SUVs like jerks.

• Hypes to Big Whiskey’s for the complimentary peppermints they keep in a bowl near the entrance. Sometimes it’s a smart strategy, nooky-wise, to have fresh breath immediately upon leaving a bar. At least it’s a nice perk.

• Hypes to all the bloggers who won or were nominated for Blogaronis, the local blogger awards, especially Jason Wert and his Life of Jason, which won “Rookie of the Year” and “Blog of the Year” honors.

• Hypes to Barry Hinson for nine years of making us proud of Missouri State basketball. The school was screwed out of the NCAA tourney on at least two occasions during his tenure; we hope that’s not Hinson’s legacy. What should be remembered are his spirit, graduation rate and the way he embraced this community, even when it didn’t always embrace him.