Mark Twain on turning 70, Outdated phrases and the GAC North, Central and South boys conference prognostications 11/02/2020

 When we visited the Mark Twain home in Hartford Connecticut a few years back, I found a magnetized Mark Twain quote about turning 70.  Just turned 70, I snapped it up and it rests on our refrigerator door, reminding me of my responsibilities as a septuagenarian.

If you are familiar with Mark Twain's quote on turning 70, you will understand that I have no responsibilities to behave.  It may be obvious from some of my Tweets or blog posts.

Twain remarked, 

"Before seventy, we are merely respected, at best, and we have to behave all the time, or we lose that asset; but after seventy we are respected, revered, and don't have to behave unless we want to."

It is an irreverent and impractical bit of advice, as I have to answer to my boss of 50 years and, occasionally, my children or grandchildren.  In my last blog, I took a little bit of heat for affectionately calling an esteemed and highly successful retired coach an old fart, even though he is at least 7 years younger than me.  I went back into the blog and changed "fart" to "gentleman", although I think I was still in trouble for even talking about this great coach, albeit, in affectionate terms.

I also talked about Earl Austin, Jr. cat, Godfrey, who ghost writes for PrepHoops Missouri under the pseudonym Earl Austin, Jr.  No, just kidding.  But Earl thought it was funny as he tweeted a picture of Godfrey sitting on top of his copious notes on high school players. 

When you get to be my age, you have to watch your step in every direction.  So many euphemisms that we grew up on are now politically incorrect.  I grew up watching the original Howdy Doody Show, which had a peanut gallery.  It is not correct to use "peanut gallery" as a descriptive phrase anymore, as the peanut gallery was where blacks were unfairly placed in the second level of the movie theaters so that they could not sit with the white patrons.  I had to rename the master bedroom to main bedroom for obvious reasons.  I get all this, as privileged white man.  We have to change our attitudes and eliminating terms and phrases with negative connotations is important.  We have had four horrible years of political incorrectness and it will take many years to get back to "these United States".  We have to pull back together and it starts with small acts of kindness starting today.

Enough of that.  I promise to behave, mostly.  I won't take the magnetic quote off the fridge.  I will try to be good.  BEHAVE, STAY SAFE AND VOTE!

If you like my blog, please retweet it.  If you don't like it, just behave.  There is enough misbehavior in the White House for all of us.

So, what's going down in the GAC North, Central and South boys conferences this winter?  Who's coming back and how do they look on returnees?  GAC Central and South are both full of strong teams, although the Central seems to be stronger top to bottom.  The North conference is competitive and will be a dogfight for the title there.  Let's look at each:

GAC North

1. St. Charles West

2. St. Charles

3. Winfield

4. Orchard Farms

5. Warrenton

Here's a breakdown on why...

GAC Central

The GAC Central will be a dog-eat-dog conference with several teams in a tie for the conference champion.  Washington, FZ South and North could all win in outright but look for all three to be 7-3. 

1. Washington (three way tie)

1. Fort Zumwalt South

1. Fort Zumwalt North

4. Fort Zumwalt East

5.  Liberty Wentzville

6. Timberland

Here's a breakdown and why...

GAC South

I am not playing favorites with Francis Howell even though I am very familiar with a number of Viking players that played with Larry Hughes Basketball Academy 17U.  They will stand head and shoulders above the rest of the GAC South conference.

1. Francis Howell

2. Troy Buchanan

3. Holt

4. Francis Howell Central

5. Fort Zumwalt West

6. Francis Howell North

Here are the reasons why...