Welcome to Wally Like It Is!
From the time I was 11 years old (the same year Roger Maris broke Babe Ruth’s single-season home run record), I knew I wanted to be a newspaper
man.
I used to go to the old Boys Club at 8th and Scott and drink water from the fountain instead of buying milk to wash down my sandwich. I’d use the milk money to buy the St. Louis newspapers.
My mom and dad were so impressed that I knew what I wanted to do they helped me get a job delivering newspapers when I was 12. After the first week I knew my future was not in circulation.
Several things happened in my life, though, that always brought me back to journalism.
When I was in the ninth grade I got a blood clot in my left foot after a bad slide into second base (I had long ago determined I would not make my living as an athlete, but could be part of the sports world as a writer) and missed the last six weeks of classes. I had to take English in summer school, and the teacher (Julia McGee) told me she would give me an A if I promised to take journalism in high school.
I was the sports editor/columnist for The Tiger at Central High. I attended UCA for a year, enrolled at UALR the second year and went to work for Orville Henry at the Arkansas Gazette, but then I won the lottery — the military lottery of 1969. I spent the next 3 years, 7 months, 17 days, 2 hours and 20 minutes in the Air Force as an air traffic controller. After an honorable discharge I started school at UALR. I was also a real estate agent, but the second indication that I was destined for journalism was on its way.
My broker convinced me to sell a broken down piece of junk mobile home (with no toilet) to a guy for $5,000 and the broker would carry the note. The day before closing I helped the guy move his family out, and the next morning walked into the broker’s office and quit about three seconds before he could fire me.
I had already started working Friday and Saturday nights at the old Arkansas Democrat. I asked for more hours and set out to work myself from an editing job to reporter.
As an afternoon paper we reported to work at 4 a.m., but in the evenings I’d go out and cover games on my own time to learn. My first boss was John Brummett, a taskmaster who taught me a lot. I covered a lot of preps and then was assigned sidebar duty for the Razorbacks, and in the winter of 1974 I got a job offer from United Press International in New York. I took it, but the city just wouldn’t change to fit me and I quit at 1:30 in the morning after a third mugging attempt.
I came back to the Democrat, left again, then came back again in 1979 as an investigative reporter. Three months later, the sports columnist job came open and four of us applied.
Managing Editor John Robert Starr said he wanted me to move to the Capitol bureau and that if I would he’d give me a raise. If I took the sports columnist job, I would not get a raise.
He meant it, and I didn’t get a raise for a year.
Now, here I am 31 years later, and what you are normally going to find in this space is what happened behind the scenes and between the lines.
Wally,
I read your column today and I wanted to provide a little information about Tom Marrs.
Tom does have an affinity for law enforcement. He actually started out as a beat policeman in Jonesboro if I remember right. He was also Director of the State Police under Governor Huckabee.
He finished number 1 in his class and was editor-in-chief of the law review. He is one smart fellow.
I’m not sure about suing Wal-Mart, but he was the General Counsel of Wal-Mart and was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer which sounds like he had a hand in running operations.
I remember he did sue Disney one time over subliminal porn which is interesting.
Tom has had a very interesting and varied career. In fact, few people can match what he has accomplished.
West Doss
Possible future comment by U of A defensive coordinator:
Perhaps if they would put me a little higher in the Goodyear Blimp next game I could better see the lousy tackling.
Wally. You are complaining about blocking. The last time I checked, 24 points were enough to win a game. They are NOT playing the best players. Jones is NOT the best QB on the team. Bielema left Morris with Nothing. What power 5 coach would want the job? Everyone keeps talking about firing Morris. Who are we going to get? Basketball went to Nevada and Football went to SMU to find a coach. Morris CAN’T out recruit Oklahoma and Texas in texas. The Hogs are getting leftovers. Naming Jones the starter shows that something else is going on in the program.
Dearest Wally,
Loved Likeitis for as long as you have been writing it!
When you mentioned Butch Jones this morning as a potential Head Hog/Coach for our beloved team, I gave pause! I have worked with high schoolers my entire career both suburban and inner city kids, including 17 years in inner city LA schools. I can say with certitude that high school kids put high value on their authority figures/coach being straight up / having relational integrity!
From Butch Jones short history at Tennessee, I can say he is the “least straight up” of any coach I’ve ever witnessed ! Reference his coaching style on the practice field of being the only coaching voice on the field, over a loud speaker🙃! Reference how he handled the multimillion dollar payout to the young women who suffered sexual abuse at the hands of his Vols! Reference his scolding of a player as the young man was truthful about a female friend who was violated by one of his teammates! Butch criticized him as selling out his team! That same morning Butch and the other head coaches at Tennessee proclaimed that there was not an atmosphere of Sexual Abuse at UT!
Butch Jones was not loved or appreciated by his players at Tennessee!
Don’t do it Hunter!!!
Hoping you could encourage Hunter NOT to hire Butch!
Thanks Friend!
Mr. Hall, your article today was so exciting I had to go back and read it again! I look forward to your column every day Sir. We received the notice in the last few weeks that the NWA Democrat Gazette was discontinuing out daily paper, paper. I knew it was coming eventually but it saddens me that we are exiting the era of print media. I am an avid reader of books and it just won’t feel the same reading the paper or a book off a tablet or computer every day. From what I see a majority of our population spends there whole day staring at a screen. This can’t be good for our world in the long run…
Keep um coming and I’ll see you on a small screen soon Sir.
With Best Regards,
Bob Stinson
Int’l Sales & Support
Airways Freight Corp.
Phone: 479 200 3656
Office: 800 643 3525
Fax: 479-442-6080