April 29, 2020 Issue, Page 8 of 8

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Page 8 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma ‘Wednesday, April 29, 2020 Draft was exactly what we needed amid coronavirus pandemic, even if it wasn’t exactly what was planned By Mike Anthony, The thing we sports fans know Me,” segment but minutes for all it has become, the suggest I have expected him world?” Hartford Courant manufactured hype, the un- all about. It’s what keeps us into it, about to flip burgers, to learn the language in the “No,” she said. The pick is in. necessary histrionics, the cheering year after year, for I found myself slapping a time since I began working She probably got more of What a delicious set of general unlikability of Roger our favorite stars and our fa- spatula on the counter to the from home. a kick out of “On the clock.” words. Goodell, the long wait be- vorite teams.” Later I turned to Lindsey, beat and dancing a little. I’ve That had a great ring, too. The phrase rang throughtween picks, the over analy- Just about all of a near- gone insane, is the short of the extremely patient hu- Or maybe she was just our living rooms and the sis, way too many talking ly four-hour production monotony of our new lives heads speaking in absolutes it, on Friday alone Googling man in my life, and said, mesmerized by the scrolling worked. It felt right, a new Thursday night, alittle sports about circumstances that are different ways to use soda “Doesn’t the term ‘The pick ticker on the bottom of the wrinkle, like sunshine in a jargon that sounded as sweet such a crapshoot. in cooking and having con- is in’ excite you more than screen. weather pattern stuck in ear- as “Down the stretch they But the NFL and ESPN ly March like time itself, al- versations with my cat that anything in the history of the What a sight! come!” and ushered us for- did a hell of a job Thursday. lowing us to forget plans for ward or backward or at least The toned-down version to another place and time for of something usually over- deciding what room to rear- a few hours. blown was an event abso- range or which college bud- Gentlemen start your en- lutely needed, a little shake- dies might be up for online gines! up of our world with a peek poker. Let’s get ready to rumble! into that of others. Joe Burrow to the Ben- Gooooo00000al! Look at this general gals, Chase Young to the Not bad ... not bad. manager’s basement, this Redskins, Jeff Okudah to The pick is in. coach’s couch, Bob Quinn’s the Lions and the Giants Glorious! Winnebago, Bruce Arians with the first surprise by tak- Not traditionally, of chillin’ on his patio in Tam- ing Andrew Thomas. The course. But good enough for pa. All working from home scenes from players cel- now. Good enough to serve like the rest of us, they were ebrating their selection at as a small injection of what’s making selections that could home - those expressionless wonderful about sports and stabilize or destroy their or staring at their phones, fandom into the void since football futures. those overcome with emo- the world went dark and left Across the country, fans us in a place of getting all could boo or cheer and when tion and sobbing - provided geeked up about documenta- was the last time such a large a look just as enlightening ries instead of competition. cross section of people were as anything from the Vegas Ididn’t realize I would em- so invested in something? strip would have offered. brace the NFL draft the way The WNBA draft was held a Sure there were glitches, I did until it was just about week earlier, another fine job the strange realities of too upon us. I walked away from done, but nothing, absolutely many analysts with too much my latest ridiculous kitchen nothing - not the NBA, not to say separated by distance project _ contemplating ra- tios of chicken broth to Co- the NHL, not MLB - is the global giant the NFL has be- ca-Cola in cooking a sweet come. Thursday’s selections that even the best communi- cation technology couldn't You Pay Just What's hide. Sure there were short- tice that would be the side dish on burger night _ and for the first time in a long were more compelling to comings, not enough in- more people than anything the sports world had offered terviews with coaches and On the Tag! time felt compelled to turn in nearly two months. GM’s and players. Sure on the TV for something live “The Cincinnati Bengals some of it was goofy and and less predictable than a are on the clock,” Goodell unnecessary, such as the reality show. (The obnox- said early in the telecast, Goodell’s cheesy interaction ious drama on Lifetime’s which first showed an eerily with fans gathered via video DON MISS) “Married at First Sight,” I empty Las Vegas, where the conference. must admit, is something to draft was scheduled to take But this year’s relaxed embrace.) place, and saluted health care version sure helped cure Anyway, sports have al- workers and even included some of what ails us, the ways made, and will always Harry Connick Jr.'s live- repetition, the boredom. By make, the best reality TV and from-home performance of draft standards it was any- the draft was at least a partial the National Anthem. thing but obnoxious. The reintroduction to something Peyton Manning’s voice histrionics on a Vegas stage that Pre-March 2020 Leisure set an early tone that was would have been fun ... for was built around. It felt like hammered home time and maybe five minutes. What the damn Super Bowl. So again: Hope. we saw Thursday was some- Netflix and Amazon Prime “This may look like sepa- thing more straightforward, and all the DVD recordings ration, but it is actually soli- a healthy mix of business could wait - Alex Trebek darity,” Manning said over and information and enter- was even put on hold - be- images that captured every- tainment. cause it finally hit me around thing the country is battling. ESPN was armed with a 7 p.m. just how much I “Tt is sacrifice and service wealth on information on the missed and craved anything to the greater good. It’s a teams and players involved, resembling live competition sign that, through isolation, numbers and videos and °* HOME DESIGN CENTER ° six weeks into isolation. we are fighting as one. And quirky insight. I ate it up. Weatherford, OK 580-772-5581 =i © I'm typically indifferent, there’s no better reason than I wasn’t really feeling that 102 W. Main ¢ Serving Western Oklahoma for 73 Years! at best, to the draft process that for hope. Hope is some- Jennifer Hudson “Lean on "God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7 It can ei- ther go on top of the cross or it may fit under "Hope" THERE IS HOPE IN CHRIST “WHEN THEY BEGAN TO...PRAISE, THE LORD SET AMBUSHES AGAINST THE PEOPLE...WHO “And now, O Lord, for HAD COME AGAINST JUDAH,’ C\A|D|L|O|TIN what do | wait? My hope is Praise your way through There is no law that says praising God is reserved for Church F/TIH/E|R/E|Z in you.” Psalm 39:7 ‘on Sunday. It can be a lifestyle: at work, at school, at home, P/G/ 1/O|wW)V\Q in the shower. Praise brings Gods presence, along with His Our hope, peace, joy, and trust is direct intervention. The Psalmist said, “! will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth." Ps 34:1. K|J/S|I|P|Zj/E in JESUS! Go to PVBC.family for Before David was a soldier or king, he killed Goliath with a L|R|K| N|G/E|G sling-shot and a stone. You don't need an army to defeat Giants, encouraging messages, videos, and just a well aimed Scripture backed up with a shout of Praise. So Praise your way through this unusual time in Jesus Name! N/T/S/1|R/H|c information about our church. ¥ O/Q/H)S|W J/s Join us Sunday - 10 a.m. “And whatever you do, do it @grantviewchurch.church heartily, as to the Lord and Grandview Church not unto man.” Colossians 3:23 Tn Reaching tommerest” PRAIRIE VIEW APTIST CHURCH 1220 N Pioneer Rd 1408S Hwy 34