It’s THAT time again!

Regular readers on this little corner of the web know that every once in awhile, I make a concerted effort to REALLY make this blog interactive.

Now, I've always wanted this space to be interactive, to talk to you and to hear back from you. And every now and then, I take requests for topics from you...and write about something you want me to!

Well, I want to extend that invitation to you all again. If there's something you want me to write about or comment on, just post a comment and tell me what it is! And I'll try to oblige(NOT obligate:-))as best I can.

No doubt, I still owe some of you some back requests that for some reason went unfulfilled. It's OK to remind me what they might have been, so I can make a better effort to please...which is what I always aim to do!

I enjoy the challenge...and the interaction! So post(and suggest)away, and I'll see what I can do to oblige you all!

What DO you want, Brett?

Recently I weighed in on the Brett Favre mess in Green Bay.

Lest any of you not remember or follow sports news, Favre has been the quarterback for football's Green Bay Packers, and been a very good one for a number of years.

After his Packers lost in the conference championship game to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants, Favre seemed to feel it may be time to end his long career...and in March held a teary-eyed press conference where he announced his retirement. By all accounts it appeared he was serious, as opposed to the past two seasons, where he merely teased at the notion, perhaps to attract public attention and gauge reaction from his many fans to the idea.

The Packers, familiar with Favre's M.O., and with an eye toward actually replacing Favre in their future, pressed Favre on the issue to find out if he was serious this time, in order to make their future plans. I'm sure this time, Favre essentially said...the fire is gone.

Acting on that assurance, the Packers drafted a couple of fine young college quarterbacks, and gave Favre's #1 job to his longtime backup, Aaron Rodgers, who has performed well in the very limited time he has seen action for the Packers.

In recent weeks, though, Favre has expressed second thoughts about retirement. This is not surprising, as many ultra-competitive athletes(like Favre)find it hard sometimes to simply step away from what they've been doing for many years.

But how serious is Favre? Is he really wanting to play now, or is this latest soap opera he's been involving football fans in just his way of satisfying his need for attention and affirmation?

Favre has pointed out that he's still under contract to Green Bay should he decide to resume his football career. The Packers are insisting that Favre told them that he had no intention of returning. Favre has countered with a rather flimsy contention that the Packers rushed him into making a premature retirement decision, and that if they don't want him anymore, to give him his release so he can play again for someone else.

Fine. Now Favre wants to play...or does he?

This weekend, Favre announced that he would report to Green Bay's training camp, as he has for many years.

Problem....Favre officially is retired. For him to be able to come to Green Bay's camp, he must apply for reinstatement to active status, which is an NFL rule.

Favre has not done this as yet...this in light of reports that the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be interested in talking to Favre if he were available. It has been reported that Favre may have contacted the Minnesota Vikings(division rivals of the Packers)about playing for THEM.

All this is looking quite disingenuous on Favre's part. If he really wants to come back now(despite telling EVERYONE months ago he was retired), why doesn't he simply follow NFL rules and apply for reinstatement to active status? If he wants to play for anyone, he's got to do that first.

I suspect that Favre all along has been trying to manipulate the media, fans, and public opinion into forcing the hand of the Packers, and getting his old job back as first-string Packer quarterback.

But if he's not careful, a backlash could develop that will only mar Favre's image in the eyes of fans, players, and former teammates.

As I type this, it's possible I need to put an mp3 of organ accompaniment on here to go with this post.

To be continued...

Much ado about Joel?

Well, what have I been up to this week while the rest of you were reading the many other blogs and websites devoted to gospel music?

Pretty much what I would ordinarily do during a week at the end of a month...gather up ideas and material for my upcoming history article on this very site...and take care of KMJ radio as best I could during another busy week.

And I got some very nice e-mail from some very nice people...and it always brings a smile to my face to hear from people I care about and like.

And of course, I read the same blogs and sites dedicated to gospel music as most of the rest of you do.

Perhaps the most striking and discussion-provoking item there in the past couple of weeks is the item about the excerpts from renowned gospel songwriter Joel Hemphill's book about Jesus where he categorically denies His divinity.

Many have weighed in emphatically on this revelation. Some of you might wonder what I make of it all.

Honestly, it's hard to make a fair comment about this. After all, I have never known Joel Hemphill(even though we share the same birthplace)...not when he was a popular artist, nor in the subsequent years when his life and focus shifted.
I don't know what his personal theology was then, and I have no way of knowing how it developed(or regressed)through the years. I am in NO position to judge Joel Hemphill.

Although my own theology is quite orthodox by comparison to the excerpts from his book that I saw, I'm sure there are ideas I have that are not quite equivalent to the truth that God revealed in His Word. I'm still learning and growing...we all are.

Needless to say, it is quite distressing to me that Joel seems to hold to a Christology that is clearly opposed to what I believe the New Testament teaches...but that is a problem between Joel and God, not something I need to spend a great deal of energy ruminating on. I know what I believe, and I'm convinced that where the identity of Jesus is concerned, I'm confident that I'm on the right track...and nothing Joel Hemphill says or does will deter me from that.

And if we look to ANY gospel music personality for our personal theology, we're REALLY out of the proper focus.

A lot more famous people(and brighter minds)than Joel Hemphill have publicly declared ideas about Jesus that are far worse than what I saw Joel Hemphill express...and yet, the gospel truth still marches on triumphantly...and the blood has yet to lose its' power.

Those who feel that Joel Hemphill has done the church a disservice, and care enough about him that they are concerned about his standing with God ought to contact him directly and tell him so...not fill up blogs and websites with comments on them that did nothing much more than report on what Joel said and in the process shoot the messengers of this news.

And if we believe in prayer(and most of those I read truly do, I believe)then perhaps we should direct our prayers to God, on Joel's behalf.

Let's keep our eyes focused on the Lord, not other people, and likewise trust Him rather than His creations.

Dark night reflections

A lot of us who are motivated to love and serve God really get upset with ourselves when we revert to behaviors and attitudes that make other people wonder if we're really what we represent ourselves to be.

I certainly feel that way tonight.

It's not that I behaved publicly in a way that would call negative attention on myself. Incredible as this may sound about me, it's not even because I said something to somebody that hurt or demoralized someone.

In this case, it's because I've done things in a difficult part of my life to effectively master that I vowed never to do again.

I can almost hear a lot of you saying as you read this...big deal, I do stuff like that all the time! Stop kicking yourself and move on already.

Well, it's not that easy...if I purport to be someone who obeys God for direction in my life, how can I NOT be upset with myself for doing things that I know better than to do?

And if you're like me in that regard, you do the same thing...don't tell me you don't.

And if we use the Bible as the guide for our lives, isn't that a comfort, in a way?

For didn't the apostle Paul write that he would boast in his weakness, for as he puts it, "When I am weak, then I'm strong."

In other words, it's precisely in THOSE moments that we're exactly where God wants us, fully dependent on Him, and knowing that we can't come anywhere near where we need to be to be what we want to be.

And knowing that, it's in those times that we're actually as close to God as we ought to be.

And since that's where I am right now, that's why I still have hope, despite my circumstances...hope that everything will be all right.

So if you feel that way right now, be thankful! You're in a good place!

UPDATE: To those of you who are curious, no, I didn't do anything illegal or sinful here, just something that didn't exercise the best judgment(not that I don't do sinful things periodically...but you know what I mean...I hope!).

Enough Brett Favre talk already!

As a sports fan, I've been inundated with the story about Green Bay Packers QB Brett Favre.

This despite the fact that we're in the middle of baseball season....a day away from their annual All-Star game.

But the NFL-crazed sports media insist that pro football is the #1 sport in America, and they need to keep it on the front page of the papers and the lead story on the various TV and radio sports shows, so we're saddled with Favre, whether we care or not.

Do I care? What does it sound like?

But to be fair, it's not so much the NFL that is keeping the flames of this story burning...unfortunately, it's Brett Favre himself, in an attempt to spin this story to keep his carefully cultivated image as the quintessential Packer, competitor, team man, and great quarterback intact.

What's the matter, John? Don't you respect the accomplishments and abilities of one of the best NFL quarterbacks of this generation?

Let me make myself clear on that point. I absolutely respect Favre for his fine career, his physical prowess, and his track record as one of the NFL's better quarterbacks. No one can argue with that.

What I can argue with is the set of myths that have developed around Favre in recent years.

Favre did not put the Green Bay Packers franchise on the map. They were among the league's best teams in the 1930s and 1940s, with names like Don Hutson and Curly Lambeau prominent in that tradition. It is Lambeau who Green Bay's home football field is named for.

And then, in the late 1950s, the great Vince Lombardi assumed control of the Packers, and made that franchise synonymous with excellence in football....to the extent that many fans to this day(yes, including me)feel that those great Packer teams were among the finest football teams to ever take the field. It was during this era that the truly greatest Packer quarterback ever, Bart Starr, led the Packers during those successful salad years, so to speak.

Now to be fair, the franchise had fallen into a decline phase when Favre joined the team from the Atlanta Falcons in the 1990s...and he did lead them to one Super Bowl title in 1997. And during the majority of that time, Favre was among the NFL's leading passers, even if the Packers didn't win another Super Bowl.

But time takes its' toll on all of us, and in recent years, Favre showed an increasing inclination to force his passes, and as a result, threw an alarming 36 interceptions in 2006. This began an annual ritual where Favre and the fans would wonder aloud whether it might be time for Favre to step down and call it a career.

Each year from then on, the football media would print articles as to whether Favre would retire or not. Favre never tried to quash that talk, and my feeling is that he didn't do so because he enjoyed the attention, and the subsequent discussions would nourish a legacy that he and his fans would nurture at every opportunity. I don't know that that's what he wanted, but from his actions it certainly appeared so.

Last year, the Packers posted an NFC best 13-3 record, and fell one game short of a Super Bowl, losing to the eventual champion New York Giants on a freezing afternoon in Green Bay. The Giants clinched their come-from behind win on a late interception of Favre by Cory Webster, and it seemed to not a few observers that Favre was rattled by the cold, and a strong Giants pass rush.

The Packers have always known that a Favre retirement might be imminent at any time during the last three seasons, and Favre did nothing to discourage that impression...in fact, he always inferred that that was a possibility. To prepare for that day, two years ago the Packers drafted highly touted Cal QB Aaron Rodgers in the first round. Rodgers never had much of a chance to show what he might do, because Favre insisted on starting every game to pad his record for starting in consecutive football games, regardless of their importance or his physical condition. In other words, even if Favre had small injuries, he would always at least start each game.

In one game though, Favre was having one of his worst games in his career in Dallas against the Cowboys when he was injured, and Rodgers had to come in and replace him. Rodgers was outstanding in nearly leading Green Bay to a come from behind victory...but unfortunately, Dallas hung on to win. Rodgers' performance assured the Packers that Rodgers had the ability to run the team should he have to.

Running a major league sports team is a full-time, 12 month a year operation. And again the talk of Favre retiring became a topic in Green Bay. The Packers asked Favre this past March to inform them of his plans. After all, to make the moves necessary to prepare a team for a coming season, they're not able to wait until training camp to make those moves...there's no time or way.

So, in a press conference in March, a teary-eyed Favre told the Packers and the public that he was finally going to call it a career. Assured that this was his decision, the Packers drafted a couple of good young college quarterbacks to increase their depth at the position, and their talent.

Now, as can be expected from a longtime athlete accustomed to success and the notoriety gained by his career, Favre is understandably having second thoughts about his decision, and has indicated his desire to return.

But the team is not the Brett Favre Packers, it's the Green Bay Packers. The organization made the moves it did this spring based on what Favre told them and the rest of the world at his March press conference. Does Favre actually expect them to just pre-empt their plans to accommodate his personal wishes? This is the "ultimate team player"? I don't think so.

I understand completely if Favre wishes to keep playing football...if playing for the Packers is what he loves most, I can see why he is apparently having the regrets he is about his decision.

But he has to realize this is a world of adults, and not kids on a playground. If he wants the Packers to realize that he might want to change his mind, he has to be grown up enough to realize the Packers have the right to decide whether they want him to keep playing for their team. Favre can't have it both ways.

Tonight with Greta Van Susteren, Favre claims that the Packers pressured him into an early decision about his future, claiming also that he said in that press conference, "I can still play". Favre said no such thing. The overwhelming impression he gave in that press conference was that he was retiring, however reluctantly, and that the Packers could go on without him.

Now, Favre is trying to play the media for sympathy, and manipulate public opinion into putting pressure on the Packers to allow him to come to camp again as their #1 quarterback.

I find this most disingenuous, and all too typical of ego and pride driven athletes in this day and age. If Favre is all about sport's best values, why won't he take responsibility for his words and decisions, instead of trying to make himself the issue and putting the team he claims to love so much in an awkward position?

Would Bart Starr...or any Packer during the Lombardi era...do anything like this? No.

If Favre is what his fans and the majority of the sports media claim he is, he'll put the Green Bay Packers' interests first and proceed accordingly, accepting responsibility for his behavior and moving on from there.

This story doesn't deserve the kind of attention it's been getting.

A man we can all sing “Happy Birthday” to…

I heard on the radio this morning that Mitch Miller turned 97 years of age today.

97! At a time when we seem to be losing more and more of our pop culture icons to one thing or another, it is somehow comforting to know that one of them remains with us.

At this point, maybe I ought to introduce Mitch Miller to those of my readers who are completely unfamiliar with him, for it has been over 40 years ago since he has been a significant name in our pop culture.

Mitch Miller's main popularity with most comes from his four-year stint as the host of the weekly TV program "Sing Along With Mitch", a corny but popular program that featured Miller conducting a male vocal chorus(also at times featuring male and female soloists)singing arrangements of popular melodies that was interactive for the time...in that the words to the songs appeared on the screen as they were being sung, with a bouncing ball landing on each word so all of us could "sing along" at home with the singers.

Miller's always genial, friendly personality and the familiarity of the featured songs made the program a hit with national TV audiences, and only the realization that the program's demographics tilted too much toward older viewers caused the show to be cancelled while it was still a ratings hit...presaging the cancellations a few years later of shows that had similar demographics.

But I want to point out here what relatively few people know about Mitch Miller.

He is primarily responsible for the phenomenon of the record producer whose guidance and expertise can make or break an artist.

In fact, it is arguable that Mitch Miller was the very first hit record producer...and as such, he needs to receive the credit due him.

How did this happen?

Miller's own musical career began in the 1930s as a musician for the house orchestras at CBS. He was primarily known then for his proficiency on the oboe. Miller was a well-trained, disciplined classical musician...he even cut some sides for Columbia Records Masterworks label(their classical label). At that point there was little sign that he would become so entrenched in the world of pop music.

Aside from occasional appearances with Duke Ellington's orchestra and other jazz combos, Miller was a well-respected and gifted classical musician. Then in the late 1940s, he was hired as the Artists and Repertoire(A&R)director at Mercury Records, an up-and-cmoing record company. Suddenly Miller was charged with making hit records for the label.

In 1948, Miller took a big-voiced young crooner named Frankie Laine, found a song that Tennessee Ernie Ford had just made a hit of, added the sound effects of cracking whips and yells, and "Mule Train" became a million-seller for Laine. This was probably the first hit RECORD produced.

Notice I said "hit record"...certainly there were record hits prior to "Mule Train". But up to 1943's "Peg' O My Heart" by the Harmonicats, which featured an echo chamber, no one had made record productions. Records to that time were essentially re-creations of live performances in the studio without the benefit of a live audience to add atmosphere.

But Miller was a gifted musician with a creative flair. He wanted to make a record that was an experience unto itself. So by adding sound effects and other audio techniques, he made hit records. Laine followed "Mule Train" with "The Cry Of The Wild Goose" and soon became a top American recording artist.

Then, with the creative use of a then new technique called multi-tracking, he did the same for a young female artist named Patti Page, and suddenly, word got around that Mitch Miller could make you a record star.

Miller then went to Columbia Records and did the same thing with artists like Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney, Doris Day, and Guy Mitchell. Frankie Laine soon joined Miller at Columbia, and they worked their magic all over again there.

By 1953, Miller was generally recognized as the "kingmaker" of the pop music world. He certainly was the first "star" producer of hit records.

Not everyone was enamored with Miller and his guidance, though. Frank Sinatra was going through a rough period in his career, and he chafed under Miller's hands-on approach to making his records. Miller had a penchant for finding and recording novelty songs, and Sinatra felt his career was ruined by having to make such sides as "Mama Will Bark" and "The Hucklebuck". Sinatra left Columbia in 1952 and rewurrected his career with Capitol Records the year after.

But Bennett, Day, and Clooney kept having hits with Miller up through the mid 1950s, and Mitchell became an instant hitmaker for Miller and Columbia about that same time.

Why aren't we more aware of Miller's genius as a producer?

Like so many others, the rise of rock n' roll in the mid 1950s pushed the previous generation of hit artists off the charts...and apart from a few successes with Marty Robbins(!)and Mitchell, Miller never could adapt to the new music. As a trained classical musician, Miller could never get a grasp of rock n' roll and quickly gave up trying. He made many statements critical of the music and became the symbol for all the oppostion to rock n' roll music that was quite prominent at that time.

Miller's unwillingness and seeming inability to adjust to rock n' roll's popularity is the primary reason he was let go from the top at Columbia Records in 1961...this despite recommending a young folksinger named Bob Dylan to the label before his departure to his successor, John Hammond.

Miller also made hits of his own for Columbia beginning in the late 1950s with the same formula he would take to TV with in the 1960s...his records with male choruses singing popular classic melodies made him a recording star as well as being a top producer.

Miller began his TV show after leaving Columbia, and remained a national celebirty for many years.

I just thought that on his 97th birthday, Mitch Miller ought to get his due recognition for his contributions to recorded music.

After all, he was the first man to actually make hit records, making him almost as big a contributor to our pop culture as the artists who sang them were.

And many adults, still with us today, remember fondly the breezy innocence Miller gave us when he invited us all to sing along with him every week. And who among us over the age of 45 can forget the ubiquitous bouncing ball, which became almost a symbol for the times?

Mitch Miller still reportedly makes occasional public appearances to conduct orchestras, and make music for those who enjoy hearing it.

Happy 97th, Mitch.

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