Rice and Football - - Check Out These 2 (unrelated) Articles

I was at a loss this morning about what to post until I received a phone call from my sister.  I learned my niece is vying for a scholarship, and consequently has been featured as Cook of the Week in the paper.  Once I stopped laughing (no offense, Hannah) and read the article, I realized once again just how proud I am of her (I also realized I'm one of the few females in my extended family that hasn't been Cook of the Week...if we ever move back, that will be my first order of business).  With my sister's permission, I am sharing this *beautiful* article with you guys. 

But before you click on the link, what's for supper?  Wouldn't something with rice be good?

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And on a clearly different subject, Philly & Central not playing each other for 2 years?  Really?  I played basketball from 7th to 12th grade at Central, so I feel I have some background on this subject (albeit a faded, old background now).  We looked forward to playing Philadelphia every year...it was just more fun.  The crowds were bigger at that game, the excitement was palpable, and we the players all seemed to play a little bit harder in this rivalry game.  I remember playing against an outstanding player, Pashen Thompson, who went on to play for Pat Summit at the University of Tennessee.  Whenever I would see Pashen playing on TV, it always took me back to those days of the NC/Philly rivalry.  And even though we went to rival high schools, I was proud to say she was from my hometown.  

Now, basketball has always come in second to football of course, and the rivalry on the football field has always been a bit more, well, vocalized, so to speak.  I think the worst "prank" I remember happening is a truck full of Philly students riding through our campus yelling what a bunch of rednecks we were.  Well, we didn't really have much of an argument against that, but it fired us up for the game even more.  Apparently the "pranks" have gotten more and more destructive and out of hand, and I just think that is sad...

I understand the need to protect our children, but I don't understand how it quite got to this point. A friendly rivalry is one thing, violence/vandalism, etc. is another. 

There was an incidence here in the Jackson area with 2 young boys being arrested for vandalizing an across-town rival's field the night before a televised game, so I guess this problem is widespread, not just in Neshoba County. 
I am curious though if the action taken by Neshoba Central (calling off ALL sports events scheduled between two schools) has ever been done before. 

Let's hope this is not a sign of things to come, or our high schoolers may be playing like our preschoolers, playing but not keeping score. 

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And now that I've said all that, let's go eat some rice for lunch..........