Lots of colleges have bitter rivalries. Thankfully, few rivalries result in fatalities. But in 1926, at halftime of the football game between Baylor and Texas A&M, an Aggie was hit on the head. The next morning, he died as a result of the injury. Many Baylor and A&M alumni don't know this story. Waco writer T.G. Webb has gathered a variety of sources from around the state and has collected his findings into a comprehensive account of that fateful day. Battle of the Brazos: A Texas Football Rivalry, a Riot, and a Murder tells the story.
Baylor and Texas A&M fans and alumni will find much to love in Webb's history of the two schools and their football rivalry. Some of the names of the coaches, players, and school administrators are familiar parts of the schools' legends. Others are more obscure. Texans of all stripes will enjoy the accounts of life in central Texas during the first decades of the 20th century. College football fans will enjoy this portrayal of the early years of college football.
The heart of the book is the riot itself. The football rivalry had been heating up. Texas A&M dominated the series for many years, but in the 1920s Baylor was on the way up. Emotions ran high at the games. In 1922 the Bears won a tough game and clinched their first conference title. The Aggies present were none too pleased with the 13-7 outcome, but were dispersed with fire hoses. The A&M year book rather humorously said, "After the game, all went smoothly except that the Waco Fire Department undertook to lay the dust on the football field by sprinkling. A thousand or more Aggies and several policemen prevented this being done effectively."
Despite the dismissiveness about the riot's avoidance, fans were on edge at subsequent games. Baylor students taunted and provoked the A&M cadets with their antics in 1925, but Baylor lost the game and everyone went home without incident. At halftime of the 1926 game, things got really wild. A carload of Baylor women rode around the stadium, the women holding signs displaying the scores of past victories over A&M and other schools. What happened next sounds like a cartoon.
When the car was in front of the A&M student section, an Aggie rushed from the stands and "leapt from three to four feet away from the vehicle headfirst into the driver's compartment and quickly grabbed for the steering wheel." Another Aggie "grabbed hold of one of the rear wheels and held on until the vehicle came to a stop." One of the ladies tumbled head over heels off the truck. Students from both schools rushed the field. The freshman players, who were sitting on the sideline, "broke up the wooden chairs they had been sitting on . . . to use as clubs." One cadet "was struck over the head with a wooden club . . . as he tried to disable the vehicle by letting air out of one of the back tires." The melee finally subsided when the Aggie band played Taps and then The Star-Spangled Banner. Remarkably, the game resumed. Baylor got the win.
In the midst of the riot, an A&M student named Charlie Sessums was struck on the head. He was taken to the hospital, where he died the next morning. After the detailed account of the riot, Webb spends the rest of the book with the historical whodunnit. Drawing on previously unexamined documents, newspaper accounts, and investigative material, Webb tries to put the puzzle pieces together. At the time, the killer was never identified and brought to justice. I won't be a spoiler as to Webb's conclusion, but I will say that the point of the book is the journey, not the end. And a fun and entertaining historical journey it is.
Monday, January 14, 2019
Sunday, January 13, 2019
Donald Drains the Swamp, by Eric Metaxas and Tim Raglin
Eric Metaxas has built a reputation as a thoughtful public Christian thinker. His "Socrates in the City" events, his best-selling books on Bonhoeffer and Luther, and, of course, his work on "Veggie Tales" show his prolific and diverse talents and insights. Against the grain of many evangelicals, Metaxas has been an outspoken supporter of President Trump. In Donald Drains the Swamp!, Metaxas, along with illustrator Tim Raglin, tell a little tale of a caveman named Donald.
Donald is a well-respected builder of caves. When the king of the cavemen, who lives in a white castle in a swamp, became unresponsive to the people, they asked Donald to journey to the swamp to confront the king. Donald found the swamp infested with creatures who care little about the people in the kingdom: "They're uneducated! They're uncultured! They're DEPLORABLE!" Donald sees what he needs to do--drain the swamp! So he declares that he will dig the "BEST, BIGGEST trench you've ever seen!" Once the swamp was drained, the people asked Donald to be president, so he went to live in the white castle. "And the people lived happily ever after. Bigly."
Donald Drains the Swamp is silly and decidedly partisan, but a lot of fun, whatever you think of the real Donald. Metaxas doesn't try to get deep into symbolism or specific policies, and only the most imaginative reader will see the swamp creatures as caricatures of actual politicians. The result is a relatively inoffensive story of a populist uprising with a happy ending. Take off your cynical, partisan hat and enjoy a good laugh!
Donald is a well-respected builder of caves. When the king of the cavemen, who lives in a white castle in a swamp, became unresponsive to the people, they asked Donald to journey to the swamp to confront the king. Donald found the swamp infested with creatures who care little about the people in the kingdom: "They're uneducated! They're uncultured! They're DEPLORABLE!" Donald sees what he needs to do--drain the swamp! So he declares that he will dig the "BEST, BIGGEST trench you've ever seen!" Once the swamp was drained, the people asked Donald to be president, so he went to live in the white castle. "And the people lived happily ever after. Bigly."
Donald Drains the Swamp is silly and decidedly partisan, but a lot of fun, whatever you think of the real Donald. Metaxas doesn't try to get deep into symbolism or specific policies, and only the most imaginative reader will see the swamp creatures as caricatures of actual politicians. The result is a relatively inoffensive story of a populist uprising with a happy ending. Take off your cynical, partisan hat and enjoy a good laugh!
Friday, January 11, 2019
Church in Hard Places, by Mez McConnell and Mike McKinley
Mez McConnell and Mike McKinley are pastors in different countries and have different stories about their journey to faith in Christ. In Church in Hard Places: How the Local Church Brings Life to the Poor and Needy the write about their shared vision for reaching the poor through the local church.
There is a lot to like in this book. First of all, they speak from experience. McConnell lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. His ministry plants churches among the "schemes" of Scotland (essentially what we in the U.S. call housing projects). (Check out 20schemes.com.) His story is unique in that he was a poor resident of a scheme when, as a teen, he met some people who shared the gospel with him. 20schemes's goal is to support indigenous Christians like Mez who can share the gospel in the schemes. McKinley's story is a more typical American college--seminary--church planter--pastor route, but his church has active ministries among the poor in the D.C. area, especially among immigrants.
Second, the gospel is central to them. An understanding of the saving work of Christ, including a solid theological grounding, doesn't take second place. Further, they resist any inclination toward dumbing down theological understanding. If someone is poor, living in a housing project or in a new country, we should not assume that he or she is incapable of understanding theological concepts, much less the gospel message.
Third, McConnell and McKinley advocate for the centrality of the local church. While they acknowledge the role of parachurch ministries, the local church, they argue, should be the primary base for ministry. The local church provides structure, authority, and accountability in ways that parachurch ministries typically do not.
McConnell and McKinley offer a challenge to Christians: we and our churches need to step out of our comfort zones and bring the witness of the Church to the underserved poor neighborhoods in our communities. While clothes closets and food banks have their place, the concern of Church in Hard Places is, as the title suggests, the church itself. This work (as, again, the title suggests) is not easy, but it is needed and necessary.
There is a lot to like in this book. First of all, they speak from experience. McConnell lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. His ministry plants churches among the "schemes" of Scotland (essentially what we in the U.S. call housing projects). (Check out 20schemes.com.) His story is unique in that he was a poor resident of a scheme when, as a teen, he met some people who shared the gospel with him. 20schemes's goal is to support indigenous Christians like Mez who can share the gospel in the schemes. McKinley's story is a more typical American college--seminary--church planter--pastor route, but his church has active ministries among the poor in the D.C. area, especially among immigrants.
Second, the gospel is central to them. An understanding of the saving work of Christ, including a solid theological grounding, doesn't take second place. Further, they resist any inclination toward dumbing down theological understanding. If someone is poor, living in a housing project or in a new country, we should not assume that he or she is incapable of understanding theological concepts, much less the gospel message.
Third, McConnell and McKinley advocate for the centrality of the local church. While they acknowledge the role of parachurch ministries, the local church, they argue, should be the primary base for ministry. The local church provides structure, authority, and accountability in ways that parachurch ministries typically do not.
McConnell and McKinley offer a challenge to Christians: we and our churches need to step out of our comfort zones and bring the witness of the Church to the underserved poor neighborhoods in our communities. While clothes closets and food banks have their place, the concern of Church in Hard Places is, as the title suggests, the church itself. This work (as, again, the title suggests) is not easy, but it is needed and necessary.
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
The Worst President in History, by Matt Margolis and Mark Noonan
Was Barack Obama the worst president in history? Obviously, that's quite a subjective stance, and opinions on Obama range from best to worst president. Whichever end of the spectrum you're on, spend a few minutes with Matt Margolis and Mark Noonan's The Worst President in History: The Legacy of Barack Obama. They will give you 200 reasons why they think he's the worst. Even if you quibble with some of them, even if you object to their reasoning on a majority of them, you'll have to agree that if Obama's presidency isn't the worst, it was certainly problematic.
I see Obama interviewed or giving speeches and get so sick of his self-righteousness. He repeats ad nauseum that there were no scandals in his administration, that they were clean and pure and unbleminsed by any ulterior motives and, of course no one was indicted in his administration. Open up The Worst President in History to any spot, read a few pages, and that position falls apart. Scandals and corruption fill every page.
The mainstream media laps up anything Obama says uncritically. Margolis and Noonan give names and dates and numbers to dispel the myth of a pristine Obama presidency. Fortunately for Obama, most of the writers of history are only interested in Obama hagiography. Fortunately for reality, Margolis and Noonan have an interest in the truth.
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I see Obama interviewed or giving speeches and get so sick of his self-righteousness. He repeats ad nauseum that there were no scandals in his administration, that they were clean and pure and unbleminsed by any ulterior motives and, of course no one was indicted in his administration. Open up The Worst President in History to any spot, read a few pages, and that position falls apart. Scandals and corruption fill every page.
The mainstream media laps up anything Obama says uncritically. Margolis and Noonan give names and dates and numbers to dispel the myth of a pristine Obama presidency. Fortunately for Obama, most of the writers of history are only interested in Obama hagiography. Fortunately for reality, Margolis and Noonan have an interest in the truth.
.
Monday, January 7, 2019
Stuff Christians Like, by Jonathan Acuff
Before The Babylon Bee, before John Crist's hilarious videos went viral, there was Jonathan Acuff's satirical blog stuffchristianslike.net. What started as a parody of the popular "Stuff White People Like" blog turned into a laugh-out-loud perspective on the quirky life of the American evangelical. After building a following and lots and lots of page views, Acuff collected the blog entries into book form, in Stuff Christians Like.
Acuff wants to provide a cure to Somber Christian Syndrome (SCS), "a disease that tells you that to be considered a good Christian, you have to be serious all the time." Unfortunately, many, inside and outside the church, believe that all Christians have SCS. You have to have a good sense of humor to read Stuff Christians Like. If you are a Christian or have attended an evangelical church in the United States, chances are you'll see yourself, your friends, and your fellow churchgoers in these pages.
How about "when someone asks us to help out at church and instead of saying, 'No,' we say, 'Let me pray about it.'" Can you relate? How about VBS as free child care? "When our kids are out of school for the summer . . . we Christians put aside our denominational differences and bounce our kids like Ping-Pong balls around the county to different Vacation Bible School programs."
Acuff writes tons of too-close-to-home humor, but he also has a knack for bringing some serious conviction in a light-hearted way. Maybe you've made some of the same excuses for not having a quiet time. Maybe you have been a bit of chicken when it comes to witnessing. Maybe there's just a smidge of hypocrisy in your Christian walk. If you like to laugh at other people, but don't mind laughing at yourself, you will enjoy Stuff Christians Like.
Acuff wants to provide a cure to Somber Christian Syndrome (SCS), "a disease that tells you that to be considered a good Christian, you have to be serious all the time." Unfortunately, many, inside and outside the church, believe that all Christians have SCS. You have to have a good sense of humor to read Stuff Christians Like. If you are a Christian or have attended an evangelical church in the United States, chances are you'll see yourself, your friends, and your fellow churchgoers in these pages.
How about "when someone asks us to help out at church and instead of saying, 'No,' we say, 'Let me pray about it.'" Can you relate? How about VBS as free child care? "When our kids are out of school for the summer . . . we Christians put aside our denominational differences and bounce our kids like Ping-Pong balls around the county to different Vacation Bible School programs."
Acuff writes tons of too-close-to-home humor, but he also has a knack for bringing some serious conviction in a light-hearted way. Maybe you've made some of the same excuses for not having a quiet time. Maybe you have been a bit of chicken when it comes to witnessing. Maybe there's just a smidge of hypocrisy in your Christian walk. If you like to laugh at other people, but don't mind laughing at yourself, you will enjoy Stuff Christians Like.
Friday, January 4, 2019
Accessible America, by Bess WIlliamson
If you were born in the 1970s or later, you probably have little memory of a world without curb cuts, parking spots designated for disabled people, and other accommodations the world makes for people with disabilities. In Accessible America: A History of Disability and Design, Bess Williamson writes about the huge changes in architecture, design, and consumer goods that have made life easier for people with disabilities--and the rest of us.
Williamson attributes the earliest public accommodations in public spaces to the return of veterans with disabilities after WW2. During this era, development of prosthetic limbs, adaptive automobiles, and other innovations took off, by both large companies and the consumers themselves. Polio victims also took an active role in growing mobility.
Institutionally, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was an early leader in rehabilitation, installing ramps around campus and assisting veterans and others to learn skills toward independence. On the other side of the country, activists at the University of California at Berkeley, embracing the activism rampant on campus, developed a community of disabled students, taking strides toward full integration into campus life.
One theme that runs throughout the book and discussions of design for disability is that when we design things to be more accessible to people with disabilities, they become more accessible to all. One designer, who dressed as a older woman, making observations around her community, talked about designing with disabled or marginalized people in mind. She said "by designing with the needs of older consumers in mind, we will find that the inevitable result is better products for all of us." Examples provided include lever-style door knobs and kitchen appliances and tools with easy-to-grip handles or large buttons. I would add, in the same vein, that curb cuts are certainly a benefit to kids on bikes and parents pushing baby strollers.
Willliamson presents an interesting perspective on the history of disability. Disabled and "temporarily able-bodied" alike can appreciate the great strides architecture and design have taken over the last century.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
Williamson attributes the earliest public accommodations in public spaces to the return of veterans with disabilities after WW2. During this era, development of prosthetic limbs, adaptive automobiles, and other innovations took off, by both large companies and the consumers themselves. Polio victims also took an active role in growing mobility.
Institutionally, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was an early leader in rehabilitation, installing ramps around campus and assisting veterans and others to learn skills toward independence. On the other side of the country, activists at the University of California at Berkeley, embracing the activism rampant on campus, developed a community of disabled students, taking strides toward full integration into campus life.
One theme that runs throughout the book and discussions of design for disability is that when we design things to be more accessible to people with disabilities, they become more accessible to all. One designer, who dressed as a older woman, making observations around her community, talked about designing with disabled or marginalized people in mind. She said "by designing with the needs of older consumers in mind, we will find that the inevitable result is better products for all of us." Examples provided include lever-style door knobs and kitchen appliances and tools with easy-to-grip handles or large buttons. I would add, in the same vein, that curb cuts are certainly a benefit to kids on bikes and parents pushing baby strollers.
Willliamson presents an interesting perspective on the history of disability. Disabled and "temporarily able-bodied" alike can appreciate the great strides architecture and design have taken over the last century.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
One Season of Hope, by Jim Stovall
Sometimes a story can just be cheesy, and that's OK. Jim Stovall's One Season of Hope: An Inspiring Tale of Triumph and Tragedy may be emotionally manipulative, but it's the good kind of emotionally manipulative, the kind that is enjoyable and satisfying to read.
Glen Fullerton is the long-time football coach at Truman High. At his retirement dinner, as he reflects on all the ups and downs he experienced as a coach, on season stood out.
Bradley Hope barely made the team, and only got a spot because the three boys before him had to be cut for unexpected, last minute reasons. But Bradley had terminal cancer. He knew it, Coach knew it, but no one else on the team knew it. He didn't play during the season leading up to the playoffs, but had a deep and lasting impact on the team.
Coach Fullerton had a habit of talking to the statue of Harry S. Truman in the school's courtyard. Stovall sprinkles the book with quotes and anecdotes from Truman, wisdom that carries Coach Fullerton through some big decisions and troubled times.
One Season of Hope is chock full of cliches, things you have seen in other sports movies or movies about a kid who is dying. But, at the same time, Stovall's story telling is strong enough that you don't care if you've heard this story or stories like it before, you still will get wrapped up in the characters and, if you're like me, shed a tear or two. This is a short novel that doesn't pretend to be great literature, but it does deliver on a promise of a feel-good, tear-jerker read. Enjoy.
Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
Glen Fullerton is the long-time football coach at Truman High. At his retirement dinner, as he reflects on all the ups and downs he experienced as a coach, on season stood out.
Bradley Hope barely made the team, and only got a spot because the three boys before him had to be cut for unexpected, last minute reasons. But Bradley had terminal cancer. He knew it, Coach knew it, but no one else on the team knew it. He didn't play during the season leading up to the playoffs, but had a deep and lasting impact on the team.
Coach Fullerton had a habit of talking to the statue of Harry S. Truman in the school's courtyard. Stovall sprinkles the book with quotes and anecdotes from Truman, wisdom that carries Coach Fullerton through some big decisions and troubled times.
One Season of Hope is chock full of cliches, things you have seen in other sports movies or movies about a kid who is dying. But, at the same time, Stovall's story telling is strong enough that you don't care if you've heard this story or stories like it before, you still will get wrapped up in the characters and, if you're like me, shed a tear or two. This is a short novel that doesn't pretend to be great literature, but it does deliver on a promise of a feel-good, tear-jerker read. Enjoy.
Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
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