Wembanyama mania abounds in San Antonio

 I feel sorry for Victor Wembanyama and the media microscope surrounding him.

Like others, I watch his Friday NBA Rookie League debut to see why he was worth the number one pick.  He showed a great ability to block shots.  His shooting wasn't that good, but then everyone has first-game jitters.

Since he selection in New York, our local newspaper must have assigned their NBA beat writers, their columnist and now a lifestyle/features section writer.

I love my adopted hometown of San Antonio.  I have become a Spurs fan, although the Denver Nuggets, my second favorite team, won the NBA channel.  Still, the media coverage has been over the top in its coverage of the number one draft pick.

Today, Greg Popovich announced that he has signed a 5-year contract with the Spurs.  Wembanyama will probably become his last project before he heads off to his favorite vineyard.

Still, how crazy will San Antonio become over Victor's arrival?

There will be an influx of babies named Victor or Victoria.   The media will cover the arrival of the first boy or girl wearing a #1 Spurs jersey.

Dogs will also have that name, but some owners will call their canine Wemby.

Someone will try to franchise French-based cuisine and either call it Victor W or Wemby.

A enterprising type will create a "Where's Wemby" book where children can find the nearly 7-foot, 4-inch around city locations.

I know I'm missing something about our new draft pick.  If you have thoughts on what is missing in this article, please let me know.

A prayer to add more fathers at Sunday services

 As a Catholic, my favorite saint has become St. Joseph, Jesus' earthly father.   Catholics all know the story of the Immaculate Conception and how Joseph could have divorced Mary, his wife.

Instead, he served as Jesus' step father through his formative years.

I think of him when I see some families go to Sunday Mass without their father.

To me, it sets the stage for spiritual growth.  I was fortunate to have my father attend most Masses with me.  When he had to work at Sears on a Sunday, we changed our regularly slated 11:30 service for Saturday night so we could attend Mass together.

I'm going to work on a personal prayer for families like the one that has a son who just had his First Communion a month ago.  His father was there for that event, but he has never come back to attend Mass with his son.

Catholics pray for a lot of things, especially when people get seriously sick or when somebody dies.  Couldn't we find time to also pray that more fathers come to Mass with their families on Sundays as well as during the week?

I'd love your thoughts on this, so please respond with your comments on how we can add more fathers to our spiritual mix, not only for the Catholic faith but for others as well.

Christian values should abound when tipping at a restaurant

 Tipping at restaurants is something I wish some church-going types might think about after attending services on Sunday.

My son, a retired restaurant professional, noted how some openly religious types would leave small change for a large party.  Instead, they would leave religious tracts and tell Peter they would pray for him.

Some restaurants have an 18-percent addendum for parties of  six or more.  Even better to the server is that an 18-percent flat fee is added in some Fort Lauderdale restaurants.

I ate at one of them, and the service was exceptional.  It reminded me of German restaurants where the surcharge was already factored into the bill.

While overseas in German restaurants, I would add a one or two deutsche mark for exceptional service.

While many would question the additional costs of service in their meal costs, I would suggest they talk to those who work in the profession for a significant amount of time.   The cost of a meal for people who get your meals, fill your drinks and coffee should never be questioned.

If you have been to restaurants overseas or in places like Fort Lauderdale, you wouldn't question the quality of service.   If it was terrible, you have alternatives to go somewhere else.

Regardless of the service, here is some exceptional advice from Jared Wilson, a Christian writer when he posted this advice in his blog.

Best way to “witness” to a waiter/waitress I’ve ever seen is this:

1. Be friendly. Tell them you will be praying before your meal, Ask if you can pray for them. If body language, tone of voice and time permits, ask if there is anything specific.

2. Pray for them.

3. Leave a good tip.

And that’s it. The Holy Spirit will do the rest. You’ll be amazed at how many actual opportunities to minister to people in Jesus’ name comes from this.

The Catfish Hunter poker hand

 

 

 

 

My two leisure passions in life?   Poker and Major League Baseball.

I recently combined the two with Catfish Hunter and his number 27.

In one of my poker leagues, some of us try to win with a two and seven card in the hole.

When we win with either a strong bluff or with more twos and sevens on the flop, the winner gets a $100 chip.  Others in the league have to contribute this chip from our pot of money.

Like all elements of a game, this combo needed a nickname, so I went to www.baseball-reference.com to find a player with the number 27.

Of all the 27s listed, Catfish stood out, especially for the World Series, where his Oakland As appeared in post season play from 1971 to 1974.

NBC broadcaster Curt Gowdy would always share how Jim became known as the Catfish to his viewers at least every other inning.

So, if you're playing poker with me, be wary of how I term a 2-7 in the hole.  If the flop comes up with three 7s, then my "Catfish Hunter" hand will beat you.

Here is Catfish's official page from Baseball Reference.