Why Are We Afraid of Big Bad Durham?

After spending a considerable amount of time in Durham over the past few years, I'm amazed at how people are treating Bull City, Durham, North Carolina these days....

For chrissakes, from the way that the fear factors have been spread by mainstream media these days, you would think that Durham is the next Flint, Newark, Compton or East St. Louis.

Now, I'm not saying that Durham doesn't have a few rough spots and some buck-ass wild characters running around the city, but what is wild is the amount of fear that many people have about even coming into a great city that is entering a renaissance phase.

Jeff Stern addresses the image of Durham in a great feature article in this past week's Triangle Independent. Check it out here. It's a good article and it addresses a ton of great questions surrounding the image and development of Durham. In particular, I enjoy how he uses the development stories of RTP and RDU as examples to display how Durham has been given unfairly the backseat in the marketing game that has pushed Raleigh off as the big brother city of innovation in the Triangle...By the way, has anyone realized that most of RTP is in Morrisville?

What people haven't realized is that Durham is providing a breeding ground for an incredible creative class rise in the Triangle. The American Tobbacco Historic District development project is nothing less than phenomeonal. The potential of Ninth Street and the new urban pioneers who are moving into Dutrham are ushering a new revitalization era centered around community and more importantly...They're creating safe and stable neighborhoods.

So, here are a few questions:

Why does a city that actually has a 4.4% unemployment rate and one of the few cities and counties in the country that has a AAA bond rating get such a bad rap?

The knee jerk reaction would use the Duke Lacrosse case or a murder case in Few Gardens to use as excuses to say there are racial divisions and gang problems, but that's not true when you look at the reductions in crime and analyze the fiasco surrounding the mainstream case that was blown out across the country through ESPN, Newsweek, and Fox.

What we need to do for Durham now is to ask ourselves. What do we have to do in the Triangle to create a image of Durham that is not based upon fear? Why are we removing the strength of marketing the Triangle region as one in favor of just the 'Raleigh' area or better yet, 'Raleigh'? How can we retain new employees and commuters who are arriving into RTP and the outer core economic development areas?

And one more for you...Why are we marketing Cary, Knightdale, Garner, and Morrisville as up and coming areas while forgetting some incredible re-emerging neighborhoods surrounding the Hillandale and Trinity Park sections of Durham?

We're creating a travesty by not pushing up the image of Durham and not embracing it's beauty. Yet, what this article has made me think about is...What is the future brand image for Durham? Is it the City of Medicine, the Triangle's Center for Creativity, or is it the city that people want to neglect?

It's time for a new brand for Durham...What's it going to be?

From 'The Green Room',
IronDog

Car Wash Buzz

I can always count on my boys working at delis, bars, pump and munches, and car washes to come on through for keeping people in check...

It says here in Matier and Ross's stellar local column in the SF Chronicle that Carmen Policy has been rumored to be involving himself with moving the Raiders to Los Angeles. Although he states...And I agree...that as long as Al Davis is breathing on this planet, the Raiders will never be controlled by another soul, Policy's name has been bandied about as a potential suitor to move the Raiders.

Yet, my boys at my favorite car wash on the West Coast at Divisidero Car Wash on Divisidero and Oak streets busted Policy's chops that he better not move the Raiders to LA. I love these guys. I used to talk ball with him during early Saturday and Sunday AM washes, and they know their stuff.

The place was even more tight when the Church of John Coltrane was down the block, and you could hear a tune or two while they scrubbed.

Here's to keeping people in check...Carmen may also want to check his change tray.

Workin' at the Car Wash,
Irondog

Royce Gracie Dethroned

Wow...The King has been dethroned....

Royce Gracie loses a shocker to Matt Hughes. The next stage for innovation in ultimate fighting has been launched. Check it out here through YouTube...God, I love that service.

Grapplin',
Irondog

Roy Williams, Charleston Post & Courier Interview

Quick interview in the Charleston Post & Courier the other day with Roy Williams...

I thought this was an interesting response.

P& C: This is a difficult one, but who's the best all-around player you ever coached?

RW: "That is a hard question. It's like asking a parent which child they like the best. As an assistant coach, that's pretty easy since I coached and helped recruit Michael Jordan. I think he's the greatest player that ever played the game. In Kansas I had some great, great players ? Jacque Vaughn, Raef LaFrentz, Nick Collison, Kirk Hinrich, Drew Gooden, Paul Pierce. I could name a lot of good players. I've also been very fortunate at North Carolina. Sean May may have had as impressive a run of games as anybody I've ever been around. From about 15 games out from the end of the season to tournament play, it's about as good as I've ever had anybody play."

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I would have to agree on his view of May's run. You'll be hard-pressed to get a streak like that going in today's game or in the past. Mitch Kupchak's run is close, but May broke his double-double streak...Give credit where credit is due.

Back to the Gibbons,
Irondog

Floyd Patterson JAN. 4, 1935-MAY 11, 2006

I have a photo that rests on the wall above my desk...

It's of Floyd Patterson, the former Heavyweight Champ who reigned the heavyweight division for the better part of two decades. The signature on the black and white photo subtly states.

"Kindest Regards, Floyd Patterson"

The signed statement is simple, dignified, and in a subtle way...humane. When I have jazz playing from my computer, his pose in the picture is timeless and most importantly, workmanlike. For me, the photo represents a time when hard work is all you knew how to give. Just pound the bag, and get the job done in the ring and with your training...most importantly, with respect and class.

Patterson won the gold medal in Helsinki when winning a gold medal meant everything to our country. With Cus D'Amato's alliance, they eliminated mob control by choosing their management teams and matches with integrity. His level of humanity was unparalleled. As legendary boxing historian, Bert Sugar depicts in this Chicago Tribune article by Michael Hirsley, when he knocked out Ingemar Johanson, he helped carry an unconscious Johanson to his corner.



Despite the fears of civil rights proponents and leaders such as JFK and heads of the NAACP who thought that fighting Sonny Liston, who at the time was associated with gambling circles, would diminish the progression of racial relations, Patterson gave Liston a fight because he felt that true champions should face challenges. Critics always misunderstood that...Perhaps, they'll understand better and forgive why Patterson's regard for Muhammad Ali changing his name from Cassius Clay before their infamous showdown.

When told that he was knocked down the most times as a heavyweight champion, Patterson replied. "I got up the most times as a heavyweight champion." That statement along with my dignified autographed photo typifies heart, which in today's sportsworld the true element of heart is as faded as a black and white photo on my wall.

A true champion with heart...May the bell ring solid ten times for Floyd Patterson.



Floyd Patterson 1935-2006,
IronDog

Breakin' Bread in Greensboro

Look who I caught in at the Piedmont Blues Festival in Greensboro on Friday night...

None other than the Best Sideman in Show Biz...Fred Wesley.



What more can you say for Fred Wesley? The trombonist and a mainstay in the James Brown led J.B.'s made up one of the best rhythm sections of all time. He put on a great show in Greensboro last weekend, and what made Friday night more special is that most of his current band are now living in North Carolina.

Just goes to show you how NC can bring the funk...;)

Here's an excerpt from the back cover of his solo album from 1974. All of the album's selections were written and arranged by Fred and James.

"So many times we refuse to go back and break bread with our parents, relatives and old friends, even our high school classmates. Times are tough, the economy is rough, everybody's tryin' to make a dollar. Sometimes you get away from yourself. Won't you go back and break bread while we still have some to break. - James Brown - Bob Both - Fred Wesley.

"Pass the Peas",
IronDog

Football Paulus

Now, that UNC Football coach, John Bunting, has signed prep phenom QB, Mike Paulus, will people give him his full credit due...Geez.

What a land. Here's a little for you to you know how big of a coup Paulus's signing is for Bunting...

The highest rated and most hyped QB of the past twenty years is Jimmy Clausen, who has two older brothers that played at Tennessee and had great college careers. Analysts and coaches consider the younger Clausen to be the next John Elway. He signed with Charlie Weis and Notre Dame claiming that Weis will develop him to be the best he possibly can be on NFL Sundays.

Weis has already stated that he won't recruit over QBs because their development is that important to him. His safeguard in case Clausen chose USC or South Carolina to take over Brady Quinn's starting position...Mike Paulus.

How high did USC head coach Pete Carroll regard him?

Carroll was penciling him in as the starter in two years. They already have two of the best QBs that have come out of high-school in the past several years with Mark Sanchez and John Booty. Carroll had plans to groom behind Sanchez and Booty's graduation times.

My fear was that he was gone to USC, but perfect timing is everything...

Sanchez entered into some serious legal problems last week with a sexual assault case. The Reggie Bush scenario is looking uglier by the day. Now, Dwayne Jarrett is in trouble for allowing his roommate, Matt Leinart, to pay half his rent, which is ridiculous. It seems the NCAA is swirling into every corner of the program by investigating every little move with the SC program, and it looks like the NCAA will be damned to let USC return to their free-wheeling days of the '70s with their boosters.

The threat of trouble brewing had to factor into Paulus's choice.

**The great thing is that UNC now has a very strong shot at five-star recruit, Greg Little, who is out of Durham or "Bull City" if you will. Little supposedly likes Carolina and is waiting to see where Paulus is heading. Don't feel too good too soon Tar Heel fans. ND is at it again...Charlie Weis loves Little, which could be tough to overcome.

Little is supposedly the best offensive football prospect out of the Triangle in quite some time...That says something.

Don't forget UNC five-star signees are a rarity...This kid is a lot more than a Scott Stankavage. The jumps for joy are highly warranted. Big ups!

Keep On Movin'...Don't Stop,
IronDog