WYNN - BROWNS - It's Gonna Happen
Lots of talk about where the Browns will be playing in the next number of years, and it's becoming clear it won't be where they're playing now. Change is in the air, and I know that's tough for many to digest. And for those on social media screaming that the owner wants to "move the team to another city," that can't really happen. The Browns will be here, but where "here" is, is the talk now.
Haslam is out of the Pilot Flying J biz. He's building a sports empire and wants Cleveland to be the center. And like other NFL owners, he wants his own crown jewel facility - a palatial dome attached to his brand. Yes, he loves the Browns, but he's a businessman and billionaire first. And what they generally want is the chance to make more billions. That's just what NFL owners do. There is more and more feeling that he's going to leave Cleveland behind as far as the venue is concerned, and make his own deal outside of downtown. And he's gonna pay for a whole lot of, if not all of it.
When you own a business that's your prerogative, as you've taken on the responsibilities of ownership and are entitled to make a profit and call the shots. Looks like he wants the Brook Park property with all its potential, and with that comes more responsibility and of course more profit. He's in it for the long haul and he's going to have what he wants. With research backing him up, it's what fans want too - And here's why.
Cities all over America are building them, including many warm weather areas like Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Vegas too. In 20 years NFL football will be mostly played indoors, and fans want a special experience especially for what it costs. Players will want it as well. Haslam's ego - it's his place and it will match up with any other great palace in the NFL. I mean look at Dallas or Arizona, or Vegas.
But there's this, the long term lucrative benefits for him. Ticket prices at a new dome will be very high, possibly sky high for the new experience. Many cities like the aforementioned ticket prices are very pricey. They'll keep all the parking money, which is said will have 14,000 planned spots. Last year Windy and I went to a Tampa Bay Bucs game, parked next to the stadium in Tampa and paid $80. Some places are over $200. Do the math. And the accessibility will be great as the horrendous parking problem we have now will be fixed. He will lease out the venue to any major attraction he can. The possibilities for him to use his place will be unending.
But there's the Lakefront, and I understand peoples reluctance to let go. But honestly ask yourself this. What has happened there that's been positive for the Browns? They are 84-117 at home since 1999 without a single playoff game ever played in that stadium. It's been fun for many fans who love going there, as I did with the Indians and Browns growing up at Old Municipal Stadium. But the Guardians have a new place and we don't miss the old. And neither will Browns fans if the dome shows up. What happened 60, or 80 years ago was really great, but not so much since.
The Indians/Guardians have appeared in 3 World Series since leaving the lakefront with tons of division titles, after no real success after 1954. They are also among the winning-est teams in MLB since 2012, and that started with an aggressive owner that wanted a better home for his team. You see, it could be a blessing to move. Not building a dome could also make the area appear out of touch with fans and the future. With this you must think 2042, and not 2024. Let Buffalo build what they want, even more reason to cash in here.
Could this be the reinvention this franchise needs? We have a billionaire that wants to invest heavily in this area, and yes it will have ramifications for some others that may be less than pleasant. But if the Browns do move to Brook Park, maybe that's the stimulus to get Cleveland going and develop one of the greatest assets it has, the Lakefront. What other major city has that kind of lakefront and does nothing with it?
I know diehards will land on the sword for the current to remain the same. But it seems the Dome - Is gonna happen.
My Previous Articles On This:
BROWNS - Planes, Trains & One Time Automobiles
BROWNS - People Are Different!
Big Jackpots
As you may know already, the Powerball and Mega Millions lotteries have been steadily growing to about a billion dollars each. The latest drawing was Tuesday evening for the 1.2 billion dollar Mega Millions prize, and as of the time I'm writing this, no winner has come forward. On Monday, a winnerless Powerball drawing was held, as well. That results in another shot at this massive wealth come Wednesday evening (tonight), now at 865 million dollars.
First and foremost, can we agree that these figures are beyond excessive? Nobody actually needs that much wealth, in my opinion. Chat with me in person sometime and I'll really tell you how I feel about our lopsided economy. I think it's silly that more and more people become interested and take their shot at the lottery the higher the jackpot is. I can all but guarantee that 200 million would change your world no differently than 800 million. The kicker is that as more individuals play, your odds decrease. If you're selective about when you buy a ticket, wouldn't you want to do so when you have the best shot at taking home a grand prize?
I could continue with my distaste for gambling and the whole notion of lottery, but I don't want this to be a negative or critical blog. Rather, I thought it would be fun to give a little rundown on what I would do with the money, if such an amount was bestowed upon me.
To begin, I'm hooking my friends and family up. I would buy a huge amount of property and invite whoever wanted to live upon it in a separate and distant house to do so free of charge. That's largely so I don't have to travel far to see those I love and to know my surroundings are secure. Naturally, I'd build a massive house for myself and Mackenzie, completely custom and surrounded by woods and wildlife. There would be crazy trails throughout my property, a go-kart track, a hot tub, a skatepark, a lake, and all sorts of cool stuff outdoors. Inside; a pool, movie theater, recording studio, range, arcade, second skatepark, shark tank, sauna, isolation tank, VR chamber, and whatever else I could think up are in the plans.
Dinner would be pretty much identical to that of Ricky Bobby's in Talladega nights with all the fixings from all my favorite places. I'd hire butlers to take care of the things I don't like to do, and I'd pay them handsomely. I'd also probably hire a chef, a health expert, a maid or two, and most importantly: a mechanic ...which leads me to the garage.
I'd have a huge garage. In it, there would be hundreds of different machines. I'd have the finest examples of every powersport vehicle I've ever wanted. There would be vintage motorcycles aplenty and newer bikes too. Of course, my car collection would be insane. My dream is to find exact replicas of every car I've ever owned but in showroom condition. I'd do a full restoration and custom job on my El Camino, and the Blazer would grow into a gnarly off-road rig. I'd own my favorite movie cars like Bandit's Trans Am and The General Lee, and I'd drive all my cars like I stole them.
In fact, the very first major purchase I'd make once the money hit my account would be a Dodge Viper. They're far from the most expensive car available, but something about them screams success. You're a bigshot in one of them, if you ask me. Those cars are like rocket ships, too! It's between that or a white Lamborghini Countach.
Initially, I'd have no interest in investing or diversifying my portfolio. I don't want real estate or stocks or businesses. I could go for putting money into gold and other precious metals, though. I'd just buy a lot of material stuff, to be honest!
When it comes to bettering the community, I'd love to have the financial ability to make major impacts on some of the problems we face. Homelessness is near the top of my list, and litter too. I'd give money to the parks and animal rescues especially. Having supported them through WQMX, NEOPAT has become an important cause for me too; I'd make sure our heroic veterans receive whatever they may need. I never want to see a kid go hungry, and providing scholarships would be great too.
I feel as though this blog is turning into more of an essay at this point, so I'll go ahead and grind to a halt here. I'll keep dreaming, though. To leave off, how would you spend hundreds of millions of dollars if you were to win the lottery?
Till next time!
For Gambling Help: More Support - The Ohio Voluntary Exclusion Program (timeoutohio.com)
Happy birthday to Kenny Chesney!
Happy 56th birthday to Kenny Chesney! He was born on this day in 1968 in Knoxville, Tennessee and grew up in nearby Luttrell. His debut single dropped in 1993, and his debut album was released in the Spring of 1994 - congratulations to him on a 30 year career this year! He has given his fans (No Shoes Nation) so much to celebrate over the years. A lot of great music, and a lot of fun times. :) Here's to 30 more!!!
Fun Fact: Several relatives of his worked in a mine in Luttrell, TN owned by the company my dad was employed by for many years. It really is a small world ;)
Get Your Tickets!
Our next charity concert is just a couple of days away! Chayce Beckham and Zach Top will be at the Dusty Armadillo this Thursday so make sure you have your tickets! Just $23 and going fast, less than 50 available!
If this video doesn't make you want to run to the internet and purchase yours, then I don't know what else to do other than say, get those tickets!
WYNN - Forgotten Jukebox - FH-01
If My Heart Had Wings - Faith Hill - 2001 (Album - Breathe)
The Breathe album for Faith was a big hit and sold a ton. The title song was huge, selling millions and became a real romantic favorite for many during its run. As great of a song as it was and is, this is the song I really loved from this album. Faith had pivoted greatly in the late 90's from a traditional country sound to a far more poppy country sound. She was not alone in that and had great success, introducing herself and country to a whole new batch of fans. Faith Hill was very influential to many up and comers in country, as she had it all. Great country songs, great pop songs, big exposure, very successful tours with her husband Tim McGraw, and enviable style and beauty. I feel she inspired many young women to pursue their dreams in hoping they might be next. This album was about the zenith of her run. True the Cry album was very successful, as was Fireflies, I feel many fell in love with Breathe and it remains many fans favorite. You have no problem hearing the song Breathe these days in country and pop stations libraries, but this not as much. This is a terrific song. It has that feeling from the first note that this is a hit song. Enjoy!
Woah!
This is so incredible, I couldn't neglect to share. You know how most of the time you're feeling well, then you get sick and think about how you took breathing out of your nose for granted? Or let's say you're laid up from an injury; then your appreciation for the times you're in better health increases? That's how it always goes for me, at least. Those examples reflect the feeling I felt on my latest drive in to the station. Here's why.
Normally, there's several lights lit up on my dash at any given time. Typically, it's some combination of the Check Engine light, the ABS light, and the Airbag light. Throw in that low fuel light too! I also just fixed my brakes and got that warning to blink off (separate from ABS). There's the common expression of a dash being lit up like a Christmas tree, and that is usually an accurate description for my old Chevy. However, after I turned my key and began to make my commute, I noticed everything was clear. Woah!
I really wanted to take this opportunity to remind us to cherish whatever good conditions we live with. Sure, I don't have some fancy automobile with a backup camera and heated seats, but I'm fortunate for it to run well and am just thrilled to see a lack of warning lights. Heck, I'm glad it's on the road and not sitting on jack stands in disrepair. Wealthy I am not, yet I don't struggle to survive. I'm also not some chiseled marathon runner, but I move around with ease. My back doesn't hurt, I don't experience migraines, and my blood sugar is regular. For those reasons and countless more, I'm grateful. I believe it could always be worse, and for most of us, it could be way worse.
When it comes to the Blazer, currently, things could hardly be better!
Thank you for checking out this out and for listening to 94.9 WQMX, especially.
Another Country Music Star
For Season 25, "The Voice" is adding yet another Country singer to the ranks! Keith Urban will join the show this Spring as a Mega Mentor.
He already has some experience with the show in a way. He was an original coach when the show first began in Australia in 2011. He stuck around for 1 season. He also just performed on the finale of our American version back in December - so he must have impressed someone at the network since he is being brought back in such a big role in such a short amount of time.
If you are a fan of Keith Urban or "The Voice" - check it out!
Kenny!!!
Kenny Chesney is coming to Blossom on June 6th!
He stopped by Sunday Today Show yesterday for a little sitdown.
WYNN - Eat Of The Week!
Don't be afraid to make your own sauce. It can be done and you'll feel like you really did something! I love a good homemade sauce!!
Yes, You Can Make Homemade Sauce!
Go On Cherise's Tractor Tour!
Saturday kicked off the 2024 Send Me Backstage Ticket Stops and I was out at Edinburg Tractor Sales and Tractor Supply and it was a ton of fun!
We'll be announcing the new color for this year very soon! As we say, stay tuned!