COMING SOON! R & R!!

Believe it or not, “Breakfast with Royce and Roger” is returning to WOAM. After extensive discussions with owner Larry Nelson, an agreement has been reached for the two friends, make that three friends, to once again brighten the radio dial with their humor, stories, good music, interviews and conversations with local and national personalities. I say three friends because Steve Young is joining the duo as he did just before the demise of the show last September. So now it’s “Breakfast with Royce, Roger and Steve.” Steve is a radio pro having worked for many years as a DJ with WIRL, WTAZ, and WXCL. He’s funny, witty, and knows radio inside and out. The same sports directors, Ed Murphy, Ed Dwyer, Phil Salzer, and Bob Sulaski are back as well. Sulaski will do his usual trip down Peoria’s memory lane. Look for regular appearances by local historian, Norm Kelly, along with many other well known people in government, entertainment, sports, and business.

Special thanks to all those wonderful people who wrote letters, sent emails, and called to voice their support for our morning show. It was, in a word, overwhelming. We can never thank everyone enough. Now our big task is to get Royce back on his feet. Royce suffered a medical setback and is a patient at OSF Saint Francis. Don’t hesitate to send him a card and speedy recovery wishes. I would love to see him run back a kick-off again for 73 yards. Heck, I just want him back on the air again. No date for the return of our show had been set as this column was “put to bed.” Stay tuned!

DANA DAVIS: A HERO

“A man admired for his achievements and noble qualities.” That’s how the word hero is defined in Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. Put after that definition the name, Dana Davis. Dana was a real hero, and for many reasons. I really got acquainted with Dana when he was elected to the County Board, though I had known him a few years before. Dana was about as political as a pot of flowers. That just wasn’t his personality. What he was, though, was a warm and cordial fuzzy bear. He loved people and had an infectious smile. Dana was the kind of person you wanted to be around.

His accomplishments and achievements were remarkable. Rising from the depths of poverty, Dana became one of the most popular and likable executives in the National Basketball Association as Vice President of Operations for the Memphis Grizzlies. Known as “DD” or “Double D,” Dana spent most of his life doing for others, on and off the job, in and out of Memphis and in his hometown Peoria.

A frequent guest on our morning show, he loved to laugh and enjoyed Royce’s humor. One morning the studio phone rang and it was Dana calling from a restaurant in Indianapolis where he was having breakfast with the great Jerry West. After a few seconds of pleasantries, Dana said, “Would you like to talk to Jerry West?” We talked on the air for 15-20 minutes with Jerry West about his fabulous career and his book, West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life. The exclusive interview was made possible by the thoughtfulness of Dana Davis. Look for him to be remembered officially by the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame next year during its annual banquet.

DROP BRADLEY BRAVES?

Here we go again. Bradley University is seriously considering changing its nickname and adopting a new mascot. Apparently, some at the university want to be more politically correct. They don’t like the word “Braves,” at least that’s what I’m assuming based on the survey I recently received. It’s a rather extensive survey accompanied by a most informative university video narrated by the talented Dave Snell. School officials held focus group sessions and came up with three possible nicknames, if, and it’s a big if, Bradley decides to drop the “Braves” nickname. The possible names are the Eagles, Gargoyles (ugh), and Lions, as in Central Lions. There’s a fourth option; drop the letter “s” and just call the school Bradley Brave (another ugh). My vote went for retaining Bradley Braves as has been done at other “Indian” schools such as Florida State Seminoles with its famous Indian war chant ala Atlanta Braves, University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux, Central Michigan Chippewas, University of Utah Utes, Ragin’ Cajuns of University of Louisiana, LaFayette, and North Carolina Braves at Pembroke.

In reading various posted comments, most were negative about wasting money on another marketing survey to change the university nickname. I think most Bradley fans would like to see greater focus on recruiting better athletes in all sports, especially basketball where the Braves have been treated like the troops of General Custer who wore the first “arrow” shirts. Can you imagine a crowd at the Civic Center chanting “Go Gargoyles?” Try saying that five times without choking to death.

The marketing folks at Bradley have come up with a new athletic department logo designed by Bosack Graphics of Pennsylvania. Wonder why the university ignored the fine graphic designers in Peoria. Anyway, the logo “features a red and white letter “B” inside a white shield above the word “Bradley,” as described in the fall edition of Bradley Hilltopics. The headline to the magazine article is, Rebranding Bradley Athletics. I’ve never really understood the criteria to determine the need to rebrand anything unless consumers were losing interest in a product, service, or……university? Bottom line—”Go Bradley Braves!”

By the way, the Bradley publication had a large feature about two relatively young Bradley graduates who do a morning show on a Chicago radio station. Pete McMurray, a Peorian, and Jane Monzures from Orland Park, are heard on WIQI-FM. About his show which began last August, McMurray said, “How many people can say they belly laugh at work?” Apparently, he’s never heard of “Breakfast with Royce and Roger.” Then again, it appears neither has Bradley where I graduated and even taught….or is it “teached?” And in 1955 and 1956 one of my “star” students was Herbie Star……. also known as Royce Elliott.

STRANGE BEDFELLOWS

First, a little history. In the play, The Tempest, William Shakespeare wrote, “Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.” In 1850 Charles Dudley Warner wrote that “politics makes strange bedfellows.” The quote has been repeated many times over the years. There are some strange bedfellows involved in the race for Peoria County State’s Attorney between Democrat turned Republican Frank Ierulli and Democrat Jerry Brady.

Ierulli served as an assistant for Democrat State’s Attorney Kevin Lyons, as did Brady. After a career prosecuting bad guys, Lyons was appointed a judge, something, by the way, I predicted. On his way out of the Courthouse, Lyons strongly recommended Jerry Brady to take his place. When the County Board agreed, the unanimous vote thus created the “misery” to which Shakespeare so articulately described in “The Tempest.” So miserable was Ierulli, or so it appears, he pulled a Republican ballot in this year’s primary for, perhaps, the first time in his political life. And then the “strange (political) bedfellows” began appearing; people like a well-known wealthy woman, Gary Stella (that I can understand), and Aaron Shock (that I can’t understand). Later, I learned that perhaps the woman’s support for Ierulli might have something to do with a court case she reportedly lost to a hunter represented by Brady. Meanwhile, some politicos are asking why Shock would stick his political neck out for a Democrat. On the other hand, many Republicans openly supported Kevin Lyons. It’s interesting to see Ierulli’s Republican signs in yards with those of some Democrats. Ierulli has the TV endorsement of Democrats Dave Williams and Sharon Kennedy and Republican Gary Stella while Brady counters with Democrat George Shadid, Republicans Mayor Jim Ardis and Pete Vonachen and Independent Carl Cannon. Now who wins that contest? Look for Brady to win.

10 TOP REASONS TO VOTE FOR ROMNEY

Speaking of the General Election, here’s hoping voters will restore dignity, sound fiscal leadership, and integrity to the White House, Attorney General’s Office, and the State Department. Here are my top ten reasons:

10. Romney walks, talks, acts and looks presidential

9. He’s one of the most prepared and experienced presidential candidates in history

8. Romney is a successful businessman

7. Romney easily won all three debates

6. Food stamp clients under Obama have increased from 32 to 47 million

5. True unemployment under Obama is at 10.7% and has been over 14%

4. Under Governor Romney, Massachusetts was one of the top education states in the nation

3. You can trust Romney. Obama has yet to tell the truth about the deaths of 4 Americans in Libya in a cover up larger and costlier than Watergate

2. Obama has created the largest federal deficit in history

1. Under Obama we have the worst economy since the Great Depression with 23 million unemployed.

MEDIA BIAS

In World War II American troops had to contend with Axis Sally in the European Theater and Tokyo Rose in the Pacific. Today Americans have to contend with the left wing, liberal bigotry of CNN, ABC, NBC, MSNBC, CBS, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Time and all the other magazines. People like Candy Crowley, Wolf Blitzer, and all the others are so biased it’s impossible to hear the words “fair and balanced” from the media. Numerous books have been written verifying and illustrating the bigotry of the print and electronic media. In each of the three debates, Obama received more air-time from the liberal moderators. Despite that, Romney won all three. With the obvious media bias, it’ll be a miracle if we ever have a Republican president. Expect that miracle November 6.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“He who thanks just with the lips

Thanks but in part;

The full, true Thanksgiving

Comes from the heart.”

——J.A. Shedd