Ladies I know most of you don't need any help filling out your 'March Madness' brackets.  I know that you're totally up to date on the difference between Ohio University and Ohio State University.  I know you know 'the lower the number, the better the team' and I know you think a Cowboy is cuter than a Rambling Wreck, but if you want some practical help with this year's bracket, I have it here for you!

1. Don't get upset happy!  It's always impressive when you pull the big upset, but those are few and far between.  You have to pick a couple of upsets, but don't go crazy.

2. Do pick one or two # 12 teams.  Virtually every year this combination produces a big win or two.  When one of these hits and Phil in accounting asks how you knew to pick that upset, you tell him, "C'mon Phil, everybody knows a 12-seed wins at least once every year!"

3. Never pick a # 15 or # 16.  Those two seeds have never won a game in the NCAA tournament game.

4. Have at least 2 # 1's in your Final Four, but don't have all four of them making it to the final weekend.  The four best seeded teams have only made it to the final round once in the history of the tournament.

5.  Pick a nine over an eight and a ten over a seven.  Thes will happen periodically.

6. Ask your boy friend/husband/dad his opinion on a game or two.  That way you're giving him that sense of 'being the man' and if he gets it right, the two of you can celebrate.  If he misses then you can gently blame him!

7. When George in HR asks you why you picked a certain team here are some ways to respond:

     a. "I thought they had some match up advantages."

     b. "I was really impressed by their balanced attack."

     c. "They've really picked up their play at the end of the season."

     d. "Their coach has them peaking at the right time."

     e. "I just thought they were battle tested."

8. Fill out a bracket here on www.wil92.com and have some fun!

9. Don't pick a team just because it's close to home you once went there.  If you want to pick them because you like their colors or their mascot's name, that's fine.  There will be some goofy wins and losses that nobody understands.  If you hit one because you think Musketeer reminds you of Mickey Mouse, what the heck!

Do Good.

Tebow and Focus on the Family have produced a commercial for this year's Super Bowl that will have pro-family and pro-life messages. Tim's mother was advised to abort him while he was in the womb.  Obviously that didn't happen and 'the rest is history!'

Watch the video from CBN about it and let me know what you think!

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Tim Tebow has won every conceivable college football award, but greater than that, he and his family have lived their lives for the good of others.  Their mission work for the poor and disadvantaged in the Philippines and other parts of the world is exemplary.  His teammates swear by his work ethic and 'team-first' mentality.

Some will say this is not an athlete's place.  But where do we draw the line?  We want them to sell us cars, drink their drinks, buy their clothes. George Clooney wants us to give to Haitians and Tony La Russa wants us to take care of animals.  Which moral issue goes too far?

How do you draw the line?

Do Good!

I received an e-mail yesterday from Bill Gunn, Kirkwood's varsity basketball coach letting me know that he was making a roster move and he was placing David "Chubbs" Stillman on the squad and into the starting line up.  What's so special about that and why the announcement?

Chubbs is a special needs student at Kirkwood and has been the four year student manager at KHS. Coach Gunn told me last Spring that he was going to get David into a game some time this season, and true to his word, last night was the night.

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Coach Gunn and Fox Head Coach Chris Wilkenson are good friends and discussed the situation, and two classy gentlemen put a plan in place to give Chubbs a chance to wear a Pioneer uniform and they gave him a chance to compete.  Though he started and played in the first and second quarters, David didn't get a good chance to score until late in the game.

With Kirkwood well ahead and Chubbs back in the game, the magic moment happened!  Parked on the right wing, with Dad Kevin and Mom Ann and the entire Kirkwood bench right behind him, Chubbs nailed the three pointer!

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The place came unglued.  There were cheers and of course tears.  The student section with many of them wearing shirts with 'C-H-U-B-B-S' on the front, some with it painted on their naked chests, were stomping, hugging, cheering and going crazy.

That wasn't enough.  With the clock running down and his teammates wanting him to score again, the offense was geared for Chubbs to chuck it. With just seconds left David let it fly again and, well, you guessed it.  He nailed another! The buzzer sounded and, well bedlam.

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I spoke with coach Gunn after the game and you can hear in his voice the joy and emotion attached to this whole event.  He is one of my new heroes.

That two minute interview can be heard here, but suffice to say that this classy gentleman understands what high school sports is all about.

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Do Good.

I was visiting the KSDK.com website this morning and saw this video. One of my basketball players, Chris Trevisano and his family are doing some great things for Christmas! If you can drop by and give them a dollar or two, that would be very cool.

I never cease to be amazed by the great things people do for the good of others!

Congratulations to Chris (a really good shooting guard! and his family!

Do Good!

How do people do this?  How do the jib jab people create the original and how do you computer savvy people stick our faces on the little bodies?  I am so computer challenged that if you even see this video, they should give me a raise. Usually when I have to do anything on my computer, I call a friend, who reads the manual and then does what needs to be done.  I can't even read the manuals!

What does 'scroll lock' do anyway?  And why is it that sometimes my word processor does things on its own.  I will hit the return button and up will pop a bullet (as in bullet point).  Did I ask it to do that?  Computers.

Then they lie to you and say "a virus has come to your computer" when really it is a virus trying to get to your computer and trying to get you to invite it in.  How am I supposed to know?

Where is the 'Computer for Dummies?'  That's what I need for Christmas!  Enjoy the video!

Do Good!

P.S.  Thanks to Annie, in my third attempt, the video is now attached to the story!  I told you I cannot figure out why the computers are so confusing.

I have had the privilege of getting to know the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition people over the past couple of years.  They have huge meetings, training sessions and social gatherings for the families involved in these wonderful connections.  It just so happens that they have many of those gatherings at my church (Southgate Church in Crestwood). So just by hangning around once in awhile I've been able to get to know and fall in love with this great group of people.

These guys are hosting a "Wish Upon a Star" program this Saturday at the Walmart in Kirkwood and I want you to come visit me and buy a gift for one of these foster children! Thousands of these children are hoping and praying for a 'forever home' and maybe you and I can't be that family, but we could help out with some of their smaller Christmas wishes!

We're having a shopping extravaganza this Saturday (December 5th) from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  While you're doing your own Christmas shopping you can pick up a specific gift for one of these foster children!  Their wish lists are right there for you to choose from!  It's perfect!  I did it last year and I am thrilled to be a bigger part of the program this season.

I'll be at the Kirkwood Walmart from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  Come see me, the WIL Street Team and we'll have stuff to give you just for coming by to say 'hi'.  Let's find it in our hearts to stand with these kids and families this Christmas season!

Do Good!

Well on the way here, everyone gave me grief about driving the speed limit.  While the other three cars were breaking the law and passing us by, even those in my own car (Annie, Brian and Donna) ridiculed my driving.  What happened?  All the speeders had to stop for gas and we arrived first!  I had the last laugh.

We went to a private party early Tuesday evening and spent some time with Gretchen Wilson!  The Pocahontas, Illinois native couldn't have been more gracious.  Justin Moore was there too!  We're looking forward to his involvement at Jingle Fest!  The party was at John Rich's private establishment where all the big names in country music hang out.  It was a unique experience.

We decided to roam downtown and what an experience!  Rows and rows of bars/restaurants and every one of them had a live band playing and friendly patrons.  I'll just say that downtown St. Louis could take a few tips from Nashville.  The energy was amazing, the bands (for the most part) were really good and the people friendly.

More From The CMAs Soon!

Do Good!

JC is a controversial figure and has rubbed many people the wrong way, but he is a hard worker, a proven radio producer and a pro.  He deserves better and something better will come his way.  I'm not a 'they say that....' guy.  I evaluate people by my own experiences with them.  There is no doubt that JC has his edgier moments, but he's a guy cares about the right kind of stuff, has always been friendly and respectful to me and goes out of his way to support those that he knows and cares about. 

Those are pretty good qualities in my book.

Which brings me back to the title of this blog.  I'm so glad to work at a station that 'gets it.'  Our bosses are supportive, demand high quality and productivity, but are realistic and totally believe in what we're doing on the Cornbread Morning Show and the rest of the station.  They are Country Music people.  They are fans of the show, supporters of the Race for the Cure, Cardinal fans, regular people with a great deal of professionalism.

I'm not knocking people at other stations, but I am bragging about our bosses here. They keep us accountable, but are totally positive.  They call us on the carpet, but they always have the WIL Family in mind. 

JC has been a money producer for his employers for more than a quarter of a century and for whatever reason he got whacked this week, it just reminded me why WIL management stands out above the rest.  They know what they're doing and how to build a successful station that maintains a light environment.

Keep your head up JC and "Thanks Boss!"

Do Good.

St. Louis IS a great baseball town, but the Rams' era has proven once again that we are fickle when it comes to everything else.  For the third consecutive home game the Rams faced a good opponent that had thousands of fans in the stands.  Again on Sunday, there were thousands of Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne and Bob Sanders jerseys.  When would there be more Manny Ramirez jerseys at Busch Stadium than those of Albert Pujols?

When the teams ran on the field, the cheers for the Indianapolis Colts than for the ST. LOUIS RAMS.  How is that possible?  I have no attacks for the fans that don't show up nor for those that don't bother to buy tickets in the first place.  If you don't want to go or spend your money, that's fine with me. But, let's no longer call ourselves a great sports city because we are not. 

The Rams are bad and maybe the worst team in the National Football League, and I realize these are difficult financial times, so again I say, I have no complaint with the fans.  Let's simply end the charade that the St. Louis area supports it's own through thick and thin.

Before the Rams got good in 1999, the Dome was regularly filled with fans that were disguised as empty seats.  I went to several games where people left two tickets on their windshield wipers, hoping someone would grab them and go to the game.  Sadly, when they returned to their car there would be four or six tickets there instead!

For the third home game in a row, the quarterback of the other team (Aaron Rodgers, Brett Favre and now Peyton Manning) were more popular than the home town signal caller.  It's not just the attendance, it's the attitudes that bother me.  We have bought in to the cynical, 'who cares' attitude all too quickly.

By-the-way, until the past two or three years, people around here haven't cared about Mizzou football either.  When it comes to football, we're front runners and need to be honest about it.

How about if we take some pride in the local team and start to make this a great sports town!

Do Good

When it was all over, she voluntarily game the would be robber $10!  What a woman!  You can watch this story by clicking here!. 

But here's the question, which one of us would extend a hand of kindness in the midst of that kind of situation?  Not many!  I'm grateful for the opportunity to see this video and be reminded that we're 'love our enemies!'

Do Good!

Vince will assume her CEO job and she is running for the Republican nomination in the Connecticut race. 

McMahon, 60 announced her candidacy Wednesday saying Washington is "out of control" and that Dodd, a Democrat running for his sixth term in the Senate has "lost his way and our trust."

Should she be elected, we can expect McMahon floor debates to become much more interesting.  When the Democrats are attempting a filibuster, Linda will merely walk to the podium and kick them in the groin (she's done it on her show before!)  Not that some of them don't deserve such treatment, but 'you lied' sounds pretty tame now doesn't it?!

She isn't a complete political outsider.  McMahon currently serves on the Connecticut Board of Education, but do we want someone in the U.S. Senate that has routinely made her fortune on sexually explicit, violence filled entertainment.  Well I know California elected Arnold and Minnesota hired Ventura, but that had to do with their states' issues, not yours and mine.

I kind of hope she gets elected.  If the President gets out of line, she'll march into the Oval Office with a steel chair and straighten things out.  C-Span will be a lot more entertainging with pyrotechnics in the Senate Chamber and instead of those hearings where the Senators sit behind those tables and microphones, Linda will grab a microphone and go nose to nose with some potential Supreme Court judge and get to the bottom of who they really are.  Politics could get a lot more interesting!

What do you think?  Is Linda McMahon good for Washington D.C. or bad for American values and purposes?

Do Good!

I got to spend some time with Smoltz after the Cards' loss to Houston on Thursday and he is clearly a down to earth guy, but is excited to be pitching at Busch Stadium in a Redbird uniform.  Smoltz has been a dominant starter and a spectacular reliever and may be one of the best post-season pitchers of all time.

During his days in Atlanta, he was part of one the best starting rotations of the past 30 years.  While teaming with Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, Smoltz was kind of the emotional leader of that devestating trio and was the best of the three when the Braves reached the play offs.

Now a Cardinal, Smoltz reflects on pitching at Busch, the quality of the current Cardinal rotation, how fortunate he is to be on a team as good as the current crop of Birds and the first couple of days of getting acquainted with his new team and coaches.

I've also included a quick quote from Chris Carpenter about how glad he is to have conversations with the experienced and talented John Smoltz. 

Enjoy the conversations with these elite Redbird hurlers!

Do Good!

He hasn't been great, amazing, spectacular, incredible, stunning or even really good.  In the first game after the all-star break 'El Hombre' blasted two homeruns and his batting average stood at .334.  He had 34 homeruns, 89 RBIs and his slugging percentage was .666.  IOW, Albert was dominating baseball in a unique and dramatic way.

Since July 18th (36 games) Pujols is batting .280 with six bombs and 18 driven in.  Still decent numbers for a mortal, but we're talking about Albert Pujols here!!!  Is he hurt?  He's been hit by seven pitches this season, with three of them coming in August, so is he dinged up or even flinching a bit?

His spectacular numbers coming out of the All-Star game hide how 'normal' he's been since then.  All players have slumps and an Albert Pujols slump is still a lot better than anybody else's.  But the question, "what can the Cardinals do in post-season with a depleted Pujols?" Is Albert just gassed and should manager Tony La Russa give him some extended time off?

Since July 17th, his gawdy slugging percentage of .740 has dropped to .666.  His on base percentage is off by 17 points he just isn't driving the ball. The average is down, the power diminished and strike outs are up.  Right now, everybody's favorite player is just not himself.

With the division race all but settled, shouldn't Albert take some time off.  Rest the legs, rest the elbow, rest the mind bib fella!  We need you in October because this Albert Pujols won't carry the Cards to another World Series win, but a rested and refreshed on just might!

Do Good!

There are two back up quarterbacks that make the list.  Linebacker David Vobora told a group of us that Keith Null was a good singer and that we should ask him to sing for us the next time the cameras were around.  So, we did!  Click on the audio button below and listen to Null feeling on the spot and 'bringing it!'  He sings pretty well! The other audio button launches Vobora's thoughts about the rookie show that was to take place on Tuesday night.

What other talents may some of the players have?  Maybe carpentry?  Maybe gardening?  Former head coach Mike Martz loved and collected hot rods.  We don't know how a back up quarterback pulled this off, but Kyle Boller is dating Carrie Prejean!  Yes, that Carrie Prejean. 

The former Miss California and Miss USA and lightning rod for some political pundits was at the Edward Jones Dome last Friday night watching her guy play quarterback for the Male Sheep!  The above picture, by our friend Bill Greenblatt is of her Carrie watching Boller get tackled on the replay video board during the Rams' loss to the Falcons.

Boller, a former starter in Baltimore and now the back up to Marc Bulger has already elevated his 'man status' with such a significant other!  Prejean used to date swimming superstar Michael Phelps, but has now connected with the Rams second string quarterback.  Way to go Kyle!

Do Good!

When the Rams acquired the University of Georgia product, they envisioned him as a blitzing outside linebacker who could drop into coverage and chase down runningbacks. With serious weaknesses at the middle linebacker spot, Will has found himself inside and not blitzing the quarterback, but having to be a major run stopper despite being 20 to 30 pounds too light to really do that job.

With the drafting of rookie James Laurinaitis, Witherspoon has moved back outside and I for one am glad Will can move back to his more natural position and that Laurinaitis, a highly decorated Ohio State performer is here to stop the run. Even out of position, Witherspoon has spent three productive seasons with the Rams, twice leading the team in tackles and amassing over 350 tackles in his three years in St. Louis.

I spent some time speaking with Witherspoon this week and in the middle of our conversation you can hear Laurinaitis and some other teammates douse Will with an ice bucket!  It was Witherspoon's 29th birthday and the boys wanted to let him know they hadn't forgotten!

Needless to say our interview took a different turn after that! Revenge was mentioned several times where his rookie teammate was concerned!

You can hear it all right here.

Do Good!