By Tim Hipps

FMWRC Public Affairs



ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Spc. Anthony Owens mastered the art of playing fantasy football to win a high-definition television in the U.S. Army Morale, Welfare and Recreation’s 2006 Fantasy Football promotion.

From naming his team after one of his favorite coaches, to naming his prize after one of his most productive players, Owens, of Fort Irwin, Calif., epitomized the spirit of fantasy football.

Owens not only won the Army competition hosted on 12 installations, he claimed a second wide-screen, plasma television by capturing the national open competition waged on MJM Sports’ Fantasy Sports Machines.

Fantasy football is an off-field game generated by the on-field statistics of National Football League players and teams. The same type of competition exists for the granddaddy of fantasy sports leagues, Major League Baseball, as well as the NBA, NHL, NASCAR, and the PGA Tour, to name a few of the most popular.

The Internet allows fantasy leagues to include competitors from around the globe. Army MWR joined the fray by installing arcade-style fantasy sports machines inside clubs, bowling alleys and theme restaurants on installations around the world.

"I’ve been playing fantasy sports for a long time, but I’ve never played in a league this cool," said Owens, who named his team Dazenman (pronounced Da-Zen-Man) after Phil Jackson, coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Jackson, known as "The Zen Master" for citing Robert Pirsig’s book "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" as one of his major guiding forces, was pleased and amused to learn of Owens’ success.

"Obviously this guy has some thoughtful approach to life: sitting there watching things happen, and he’s waiting for intuition to help him out," Jackson said.

Owens’ intuition earned him a 40-inch, flat-screen television with a 5.1 dream sound system (retail value: $2,500) for winning the Army MWR "You Pick" league, which revolved around competitors individually selecting a roster of players in each of the 17 weeks in the NFL’s regular season.

Contractor Josie Jaramillo, also of Fort Irwin, won the same prize for finishing first in the Army MWR "Quick Pick" league, in which the Fantasy Sports Machine randomly generated lineups each week.

Owens and Jaramillo both played at Primo’s Outer Limits on Fort Irwin.

Under the name of TeamCowboys4life, Jaramillo tallied 1,143 points to edge runner-up Mark Moll, whose Madmax580k entry accumulated 1,123 points. Moll played at the Impact Zone on Fort Sill, Okla.

Owens had 2,328 points to defeat runner-up Oscar Miller’s Redskinfan entry (2,236 points) in the "You Pick" league, followed by third-place Team Anacondas, owned by Sgt. 1st Class Colin McKiel of Fort Dix, N.J.

In 2005, the first year of the Army MWR contest, McKiel, who since moved to California, won the "You Pick" division.

Miller wasn’t upset to come in second and just miss winning the television. He’ll watch the games on a wide-screen soon enough because Miller, coincidentally, is engaged to Jaramillo.

Owens attributed his victory to sticking with the time-tested theory that running backs are the most valuable players in fantasy football and by carefully exploiting the game rules. Like many 2006 fantasy football winners, he rode San Diego Chargers running back and reigning NFL Most Valuable Player LaDainian Tomlinson to victory.

"I read the rules and studied how you get the most points, and it was through the running backs," Owens said. "I concentrated on the match-ups each week. I made a mistake the first time L.T. scored four touchdowns. I didn’t have him that week. But from like Week 6 on, I didn’t even guess, it was L.T., L.T., L.T. - all the way to the championship."

Owens also benefited from a couple of big performances by Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson and by rotating quarterbacks Donovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles, Carson Palmer of the Bengals and Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts.

"As guys would get hot, I would go with them," Owens said.

Entering the final week of the season, Owens was clinging to a 20-point lead when he started New York Giants tailback Tiki Barber, who had announced he would retire at season’s end, against the Washington Redskins. Barber rushed for a single-game career-high 234 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-28 victory that sealed a playoff berth for New York and a fantasy football crown for Owens, who named his prize after the Giants’ all-time leading rusher.

"I thought Tiki might have a big game going out, and he won me the TV, so Tiki Barber is my hero," Owens said. "I’m going to call my TV Tiki Barber. It’s my Tiki TV. All my boys talk about it when they come over. I tell them: ‘Yeah, go ahead and turn Tiki on.’ When they come into my house, they have to acknowledge Tiki. It’s a beautiful TV, the best I’ve ever had."

Owens also has a 42-inch plasma on the way for winning the national title. He says he may have to sell one of the units.

"I have a 3-year-old [Leonardo] and a 5-year-old [Antonio] and they’re going to take a fork or a knife to one of them," Owens said. "I couldn’t handle that; I’d cry. They’ve already done it to one of my TVs - my little one took a fork to my 19-inch flat screen so I’m scared to have two in the house. I can’t protect them both.

"But this is every guy’s dream. My buddies have been telling me: ‘Man, you have your own sports bar, baby.’ Then I start daydreaming for a minute and my wife slaps me upside the head and says: ‘Nah, you don’t need two big screens.’ So, yeah, I might have to sell one."

Owens, 32, a native of Edmond, Okla., said he began playing Army MWR fantasy sports games last summer and got hooked when he won a Harley-Davidson shirt for playing Fantasy NASCAR.

"And I don’t even watch NASCAR, that’s what’s funny," said Owens, who also won local prizes by playing fantasy college football and basketball. "I was just playing to play it. I read the rules and I adjust to them. I just read and react, that’s all it is."

Owens, who recently re-enlisted as a laboratory medical specialist, salutes Army MWR for giving him this recreational opportunity.

"I was surprised that you can actually win by playing a free game, usually there’s a catch," Owens said. "I still didn’t believe it until a TV showed up at my door the other day. My wife had to write an apology on her family blog for all those years she gave me [a hard time] for watching football. "

Barber is preparing for his final Pro Bowl appearance Feb. 11 before launching a sports broadcasting career. Rest assured that Owens will continue watching Barber on his big-screen Tiki, in high-def, no less, thanks to Army MWR.

"It’s a neat thing that they’re doing because you don’t have to spend money to play," Owens said. "It’s something that everybody can participate in."


Posted on: Sunday, February 18, 2007

By Steve Lackmeyer and Trisha Evans Business Writers [NewsOK.com]

A landmark Oklahoma City cafeteria is closing its doors Christmas Eve following a dispute with the new owners of Founders Tower.

Employees at Queen Ann Cafeteria were notified of the closing Monday afternoon, with signs posted Tuesday telling customers "your friendship will never be forgotten".

Cafeteria owner John Schroer said Tuesday he has felt unwelcome since the building was sold last year to developers who are converting it from offices to condominiums.

"I'm trying not to be mad," said Schroer, who has run the restaurant since 1972. "I'm upset, my customers are upset, and I have 54 employees who have 375 years of service, and all they could do is cry".

Longtime customers like Georgia Wall were devestated by the news.

"I just saw the sign, and it just broke my heart," Wall said. "You'll find a lot of the seniors come here just religiously".

Don and Dorthy Duhme have been lining up to eat at Queen Ann's since the restaurant opened in 1965.

"For the past 15 years, we've come here at least twice a week," Dorthy Duhme said. "It's always clean, and the food is always good - consistently good."

Customer Joe Rector compared the closing to "a death in the family." Bobbie Grimmett annually buys Thanksgiving dinner and pies at the cafeteria.

"This will be a shock to Oklahoma City," Grimmett said. "The other cafeterias can't hold a candle to this."

Schroer said the closing is not his choice, and blamed it on a dispute over a $690 plumbing bill. He cited a 12-year history with prior owners that allowed him to pay for repairs and then deduct the costs from his $6,000-a-month rent.

He said he already was at odds with the owners over whether some of his customers would be prohibited from using some of the tower's parking when he was told his $690 deduction was not acceptable.

Jim Meyer, chief executive officer of Bridgeport Development, said he sued Schroer over nonpayment of rent after Schroer sued the owners over plans to convert the tower to housing and future parking arrangements.

"I offered him 90 spaces, just trying to get this behind us, so that would we could continue with this very expensive project," Meyer said. "I don't have any animosity toward the restaurant. I like it."

Meyer said a court ruled in his favor last week, giving him possession of the property. Meyer said he gave Schroer no deadline to close, and remains willing to negotiate their differences.

"I'm saddened by this," Meyer said. "We've had every desire for Queen Ann to be a part of the new Founders Plaza project.

"We've tried to work with him, but he's been a difficult tenant."

Posted on: Saturday, December 16, 2006

Today is Frank's (Dad's) Birthday!!!
Happy Birthday, Dad!!

Posted on: Sunday, November 26, 2006

Today is Celeste's birthday!!
Happy Birthday, Celeste!!

Today is Christie's birthday!!
Happy Birthday, Christie!!

 I AM NOT EVEN GOING TO SAY shhhh (31)

I WILL NOT ACCEPT THAT MY YOUNGEST SON IS 31 . . . THIS IS JUST A REALLY BAD DREAM . . .

BUT, EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE REALLY OLD!!!

 Happy Birthday

William!  have fun and enjoy.  We love you!  Hope school and everything else are going well.

 PAT . . . MAY TODAY BE ONLY A SHORT PAST WITH A LONG FUTURE AHEAD . . .

THIS IS WHY WE GOT MARRIED  . . . . I KNEW YOU WOULD FORGET HALF OF WHAT I SAID . . . .

Mom and I met 40 years ago Sunday. We married 35 years ago today. Mom has forgotten at least 10 anniversaries . . . probably more . . . It is supposed to be the husband who messes them up.

So, to the kids without whom our lives would be less fulfilled, . . .

To the grandkids we are doing our best to spoil . . . .

To a wife who, when grandma Crawford was alive called "the Bobbsey Twins"because we were almost always together, in spirit if not side by side, (Most of you will probably have to look on Google to see who they are.)

To a wife who has laughed with me as we finished each others thoughts and/or words . . . or for that matter, just laughs with me . . . (Okay, at me as well.) . . .

To a wife who has steadfastly stood at my side, not just when we were without challenge, but every time SHE KNEW I needed her most, whether I knew or not . . .

To a wife who struggled to make a home and happy life for six kids who she (we) said our sole purpose in raising them was to know if something ever happened to us, each would be able to face the world with confidence and an attitude of "THERE IS NOTHING OUT THERE I CAN'T DO!!!) . . . and each can . . .

And to not only my wife and partner, not just here and now, but forever and ever . . . the only woman in the world I could ever say is hands down, my VERY best friend. . . .

May everyone reading this post, family or not, find a soul mate who is so much a part of you that whether you are holding hands together or 25,000 miles apart, you remain one in the universe around you as we do, with nothing separating us in mind and spirit, only time and space  . . .

To my wife . . . I an SO happy you took a chance on me, blemishes and all . . . you stood by when needed and gave a little shove when needed, (Okay, sometimes a REALLY hard push.) and let us evolve into who we are . . . two as one . . .

Not recalling the number of year we have been together is nothing compared to knowing we will always be together, throughout time, two as one  . . .

Pat, you are, and without hesitation I say, will always be . . .

MLLB

 oh geeezzz..

You guys get so hung up on dates...59/60...30/35...it's not the years the count, but what you do in them...(whew....got out of that one!)

 Ummm...am I not counting right?

I thought this was 35 years?

 Happy Anniversary!

 30 years....wow

As I was standing there next to Dad 30 years ago, I knew I loved him, I knew I wanted to spend my life with him and raise a family with him. I knew it would be exciting, full of work, but with lots of good times and love. What I didn't fully understand was how much our love would grow and change over the course of the next 30 years.

Today, it is SO much bigger, the depth is so much deeper and the friendship is so much broader. He truly is my very best friend.

We have been through all the words of the vows, the richer and poorer, the sickness and health etc, but still it doesn't matter...as long as we are doing whatever it is together, then the world is right.

Thank you, my husband, for making my life the envy of many woman and for always being there for me. I love you more than you can know (but you do..:) )

 Just trying this to see if it works....

This should be posting a link to the Kohl's Cares site where you can vote for my school to get $500,000.  Please go vote!

 Some Corrections To Frankie's Post

I have just posted a revision of Frankie's original post. Most of the things changed were typographical and grammar. I did make some changes that more accurately describe what Frankie has himself said to me.

In my last post I think my views are clear.

 For Those Of You Who Have No Clue About My Last 8 Months

I am going to lay it all out for all to know why my attitude is not right towards other family member right now so here goes:

 I didn't know...

I knew most of what you described - but not the extent!  Goodness gracious!

I love reading this post though - it's awesome to "hear" the passion you have for your family.  Truly awesome. 

I have this image of you in my mind from back when we were in middle/highschool... and to juxtapose that image with the image you paint of yourself in recent years is... well, it's cool.

Certainly makes me wish we lived closer to you guys - I really believe my boys are missing out by not having a relationship with their Aunt, Uncle & cousin! (although JJ still talks about all 3 of you)

We certainly need to see what we can to plan a trip to Colorado!