As my good friend Richard Clark would say, it’s been a “hot minute” since I’ve put together a column for your perusal, dear reader, so please forgive me as I catch up on a few subjects and news-makers …
MANTI TE’O AND HIS FAKE GIRLFRIEND: Everyone and his brother has an opinion on this bizarre situation, but I can sum it up thusly — if his “girlfriend” who he loved so much was actually dying, why didn’t he go to see her?
My gut is that he was initially taken in by “Catfishers” (Google this and you’ll understand), but why did he continue to lie about it over and over?
The sad thing about this situation is that it’ll blow over in a few weeks, especially if Te’o becomes a star in the NFL. We’re an extremely forgiving society, especially to folks who are sincerely contrite.
LANCE ARMSTRONG IS A LIAR: As for this disgraced, performance-enhancing druggie, forgiveness may come — but may we never forget.
As I mentioned on our award-winning Free Press Radio Show (go to Kinston.com and listen to this week’s edition!), there was no bigger Armstrong defender than I. I wore a yellow Livestrong bracelet for years, defended him with every breath while respecting and admiring a man who beat cancer and inspired millions.
But his dozens (if not hundreds) of claims of being clean were lies. I turned 44 years old last weekend and the one thing I’ve discovered about myself is that I’m too trustworthy — but it’s because of liars like Lance Armstrong, Mark McGuire, Bill Clinton and Milli Vanilli who’ve sucked me in with their deceit.
DAVID ANDERSON IS GOING TO BE MISSED: Award-winning columnist Jon Dawson has written about him and we granted him his own going-away column on Wednesday, but this much is true — it’s impossible to quantify what David Anderson meant to the Kinston Daily Free Press.
He joined us midway through 2007, a year before I became the managing editor of this publication and you’ll never know how many times I depended on his expertise and kindness. Not only was he an outstanding and multiple award-winning writer for The Free Press, he was also a dear friend to many of us.
The highest praise I can give him is this: never did he turn down an assignment, no matter how much work was loaded up on him. And never — not once — did he complain about work. The man did his job and did it in an honorable and respectable way.
GET WELL SOON, B.J. DAVIS: One of the most ardent supporters of my blog (bhanks.encblogs.com) and South Lenoir High School athletics, B.J. Davis, has been hospitalized for the past week at Lenoir Memorial Hospital. Quite simply, B.J. is one of the proverbial “good guys” in our area with a beautiful and supportive wife (Tammy) and All-American son (Brett).
Please join me in praying for B.J. and his family as they go through a tough time right now. Get well soon, my friend.
Bryan Hanks is the managing editor of The Free Press and his column typically appears in this space every Sunday. You can reach him at 252-559-1074 or at Bryan.Hanks@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at BCHanks and check out his blog at bhanks.encblogs.com.
