Update on "The Sports Buffet" Podcast and More

For all you devout fans of "The Sports Buffet" podcast, I just wanted to update you of the status. I have yet to meet with my webmaster yet, I will be hopefully over the winter break, or once the school year resumes after the New Year. I will be developing my own web site. The domain name has yet to be registered or decided. The reason the podcast is not active now, is the website I was using at My Podcast has really been giving me major headaches, and it has made it very difficult/near impossible to upload files. You can still check out the files that have already been uploaded at The Sports Buffet Podcast. The new site will still feature old broadcasts from "Talking High School Sports" and games that have been broadcasted on WKDE. The website will also try to have schedules/scores/results and provide somewhat of a high school sports almanac. I will also hopefully update the blogs and everything else on a more frequent basis as well.

Any ideas, thoughts, suggestions, and anything else, please e-mail me at TheSportsBuffet@verizon.net

The Future of "The Sports Buffet" podcast

To all my loyal listeners of "The Sports Buffet" podcast, I appreciate you first off. I would love more comments on the podcasts, what you like, dislike and so forth and so on. You can always reach me by e-mail at TheSportsBuffet@verizon.net

With that being said, "The Sports Buffet" is going to be on a break or hiatus until probably the first of 2009. The site I have been using for "The Sports Buffet" is just not user friendly anymore and it has been very difficult to upload files. I encourage you to still go to the site and check out some of the older podcasts, to easier search for an episode (you can search by school, name, sport, whatever, by clicking here and typing in the keyword.

There are some other sites out there, but I just want to make sure the next site I go with is long term (even though My Podcast lasted me for longer then a year). I still intend to post "older" interviews and games from my days with WKDE and more. I firmly believe people want to hear new and fresh content, but I believe honoring those and featuring those that I have interviewed in the past should be featured across the world wide web as well. The "New" site is going to feature much more then just a podcast (hopefully) with hopeful links for all high school and college and pro sports fans, as well as stats and schedules and everything else a sports fan could want. I hope to make "The Sports Buffet" one stop shopping for all sports fans.

So, if you are a coach or athlete, and see that your interview has not been posted, please be patient. No one, but no one, is more fustrated by the lack of podcasts then yours truly. I have not forgotten about anything, as well as scheduling interviews and such. Hopefully, my blogs will take a more active role while the podcast is rebuilding, and will continue to be active after the podcast is reborn.

Finally, I also would like to take this opportunity to thank all the coaches, athletes, athletic directors, sports information people, other media members and anyone else that I pester for interviews, information and requests on a random basis. Please know that I appreciate you all more then you think. Also, once again big thanks to the listeners to "The Sports Buffet". I know everyone might not be interested in every single topic I cover, but if I have conducted one interview that you have enjoyed, then I hope you will check back frequently and will tell others about an interview that you may have enjoyed.

Thanks for indulging me and any questions, comments or concerns, please address them to TheSportsBuffet@verizon.net

Features to be heard on "The Sports Buffet" podcast

In case you don't know (or have been on Mars, Neptune or Uranus) I am the author, creator, producer, writer, director, host and any other superlative you'd like to throw in of "The Sports Buffet" podcast. I always look for feedback on "The Sports Buffet". If you have thoughts (what you think of current podcasts), comments or suggestions (who are your favorite teams and what guests do you want to hear), e-mail me at TheSportsBuffet@verizon.net. Also, I am going to be creating a mailing list to update you when new podcasts are added to "The Sports Buffet"."The Sports Buffet" features high school, college and professional sports. You will be able to hear new podcasts as well as older segments from "Talking High School Sports" and other games broadcasted throughout the years on WKDE.Here are some of the segments (most of these will be related to high school sports) that you will be hearing on "The Sports Buffet"

"The Sports Buffet" is going to be taking a lot of the segements/features that were spotlighted on "Talking High School Sports". "The Sports Buffet" (http://thesportsbuffet.mypodcast.com/) continues to add previous broadcasts from "Talking High School Sports" to the pod-cast site, however we also will be developing new ones as well. In order, to do that, Here is what you can expect in terms of segments on "The Sports Buffet"

* "Checking In": This segment features updates on former high school athletes from the Lynchburg area and beyond as they continue their athletic careers in college. You will hear from the athlete, as well as current and past teammates and coaches.

* "Where Are They Now": This is the segment where we catch up with former high school athletes, coaches, media members, officials, athletic directors, athletic trainers and more from the Lynchburg area and beyond to find out what they are doing now. You will hear from the individual as well as people that were associated with them during their time in high school sports in the Lynchburg area and beyond.

* "Teammates": This segment test two teammates from an athletic squad to see how well they know each other. With larger teams, it may become a contest to where it would feature 3 teams of 2, similar to ESPN's "Teammates", where they are competing against one another. But, with smaller teams it will feature two participants from a team to see how well they know each other with questions that pertain to questions away from the sport, i.e. favorite movie, favorite food and so forth.

* Know Your Coach...... New segment that will see how well a player knows their coach. This is very similar to "Teammates" but will instead feature 3 athletes from a team to see how well they know their coach.

* "One on One with Bob Alvis": This segement takes a personality from the sporting world and gives them 12 questions that they would not hear in their normal, everday life, such as "If you were stuck on a desert island, what 3 movies would you want with you?"

* "Inside the Game": This segment is designed to take a fast pace look at a sport or conference and it's most recent happenings. The segment can also be designed to take a look at a specific night. For example, a Friday night in High School Football could be covered on one edition of "Inside the Game"

* "Bumps and Bruises": This segment is designed to allow athletic trainers to talk about a prevention, rehabilitation method, or anything they feel needs to be brought to the public's attention relating to the area of athletic training.

* Away from the Game...... Was to be known as "Off the Field" on "Talking High School Sports" but never really got off the ground. Segment is designed to highlight an athlete's good deeds away from the field. For example, an athlete that may help out at a nursing home, or tutors other students, or is just a good student and is actively involved in their school, church or another organization.

* "Coach's Corner": This is where a coach talks about a technique, strategy, or something that will allow the public insight on the game that they coach.

* "Rules of the Game": This is where a sports official talks about a rule of the sport they officiate. Nothing much more to say about that.

* "The Roundtable": This is where 3 coaches, media members, athletes or officials sit down and talk not so much strategy but more of coaching phillosphies and general sitatuions about sports.

* "Profile": Every now and again we will have a feature on a coach, player, official, athletic director, broadcaster, etc. You will hear from the person being feature, as well as other people talking about them.

You can go to the pod-cast of "The Sports Buffet" (http://thesportsbuffet.mypodcast.com/) and hear examples of the segments from the days of "Talking High School Sports" as well as the new segments that will be added to "The Sports Buffet"."The Sports Buffet" is a free pod-cast developed by Bob Alvis, a self described sports nut, as he looks to promote the great things in sports at all levels as well as to inform and entertain the general public. I do have one child (and another on the way) as well as working a 3rd shift job, so I apologize up front if I don't give as much coverage as I'd like to a certain team

Great News

Great News. "The Sports Buffet" podcast is back. All computer problems that have fixed, the recording studio has been updated and now "The Sports Buffet" podcast is ready to go again. So, what that means is this: You are going to hear new stuff, old stuff and all the stuff in between. The name and content hasn't changed, we are just back from a long sabbatical. Be sure to visit "The Sports Buffet" for all your high school, college and pro sports needs.

If there is anything you want to hear, be sure to email me at TheSportsBuffet@verizon.net

Good-Bye Friend

I never met Tim Russert, but for the last 5-8 years, I have felt like he's been a member of the family. Russert, the host of "Meet the Press", died of a heart attack on Friday, he was 58. I became a fan of "Meet the Press" mainly because of Russert. In addition to watching "Meet the Press", I'd also watch Russert's program on MSNBC (formerly CNBC) titled "Tim Russert", where Russert would interview a guest, or guests, for a full hour. In addition to my viewership of Russert's programs, I have also read his book "Big Russ and Me", as well as listening to podcasts and watching video podcasts of "Meet the Press". You could say, I was a full fledged member of the Tim Russert fan club.


In addition to viewing "Meet the Press", TIVO helped me also watch "Face the Nation", "This Week" and "FOX News Sunday". Russert turned me into a political junkie. I guess you could say I became like Russert. Like Russert, I am a huge sports fan and a huge fan of my father. It was impossible to be a devout viewer of "Meet the Press" and not know who "Big Russ" was. The affection that Russert preached for his father and his son, Like were heartwarming. But, in the hours and days of Tim Russert tributes on MSNBC, NBC and others, you could tell Russert loved all his friends as if they were family, and obviously if you have spent 15 minutes or 15 hours watching the tributes to Russert, you know his friends felt the same way about him.


My dad had called my wife Friday, after hearing the news from his neighbor. My wife woke me and told me the news. I awoke in shock. I couldn't believe it. So, I immediately rushed to my office, where I had been recording the U.S. Open to my Direc TV DVR. I knew the NBC coverage of the U.S. Open was two hours long. My DVR recorder 1 hour and 28 minutes of it. My wife informed me of a 1 minute power outage we had. So, I immediately began fast forwarding as fast as I could because I wanted to hear the news to make sure it was true. Then Dan Hicks tossed to Tom Brokaw in New York, who delieverd the sad news. It was true, my heart dropped even more. When I hear bad news, especially that of death, I try to pass it along to someone else. Especially, if I am passing it along to someone who liked the person that is no longer with us. Dad is normally the first call, but since he called me, I couldn't call him. Mom was next in line. I think I scared her half to death. I called and said I have sad news. Then, I couldn't be understood as I was choked up with emotion and trying to fight back tears. She was saddened as well. But, I don't know that anyone in my family was as devistated as me.


In my life span of paying attention to world and national events, I can't remember a journalist being taken from their network while still in their prime. David Bloom, was a NBC reporter, but Bloom was not as recognizable as Russert. Peter Jennings was not as present of a face at ABC, when he passed. Tom Mees was recognizable at ESPN, but as widely popular as "Sportscenter" is, I don't think it nets the viewership that "Meet the Press" garners.

I am sure I will reflect more on Tim Russert later, as he will never be duplicated.

Idol Buzz

Brooke White's gotta go. This past week should have been her exit, but instead Kristy Lee Cook (who could have probably won Nashville Star with her love for country music) was bounced instead.

Predicitions for next week
Bottom 3: Jason Castro, Brooke White and possibly David Cook (even though I do think he will be the eventual winner).

Brooke White and Jason Castro fill the bottom 2, with either one being bounced (but hopefully Brooke.). It's nothing personal, I am sure she is a sweet person (anyone who can take care of kids as young as she does, is a saint in my mind) but she's just wearing on me, so she has gotta go.