By Chelsea Deets

The Timbers Event center in Eureka, MT sponsored a moderated debate Friday evening between the three candidates for Lincoln County Commissioner in District three.

Doug Davies, Noel Duram, and Brian Phillips participated in a lively debate on Friday. The Timbers Event Center welcomed citizens of Lincoln County to listen to each candidate’s vision for the County Commissioner’s office for the coming years.

All three candidates stressed the importance of citizen participation in government. “Hold our feet to the fire, hold us accountable,” says Doug Davies. He goes on to explain that the County Commissioner’s office is more effective when the community alerts them to problems and concerns and makes their voices heard when it’s time to make decisions that work toward community goals.

Among the topics discussed, they also agreed there’s a need for infrastructure to accommodate unprecedented growth rates within the county, though they differ in their approach on how to accomplish these goals.

Our county growth plan was updated in 2019 when we expected 400 new homes. Instead, 1500 were built as people migrated to Montana during the pandemic. This puts a strain on the waste management system and county services currently in place.

Davies calls for an audit, saying we need better checks and balances on government spending and diversifying our economy.

“Reducing the budget means losing services,” says Noel Duram, reminding citizens the easiest service to lose would be the annex and the inconvenience that would cause. “It’s the income that’s the problem, not the spending.” Duram went on to explain that 75% of the land in this district is federal land and they pay a substantially lower property tax rate than the residents of the county. His plan is to seek increased tax rates for the government to make up the difference.

Brian Phillips states the government isn’t going to pay more taxes. He points out the disparity between the average family income for Lincoln County residents and the multiple pay raises elected officials have given themselves in the past. “We need to sever the tie between the Commissioner’s salary and the Sheriff’s.”

He went on to explain that while the county commissioner doesn’t need to be giving themselves a raise, the Sheriff’s office needs the money to attract and retain quality police to keep our community safe despite the growing populace. He also says the budget as it stands now is indecipherable, making transparency in government difficult.

After the moderator finished asking questions, members of the community were invited to speak. Citizens voiced displeasure over the lack of communication regarding the 16ac gravel pit and asphalt production creating a stench the surrounding residents must deal with daily. The candidates’ response indicated a need for community engagement while reminding citizens that it was a state rather than a county project.

One woman called Doug Davies out for a comment he made stating the MAGA movement was akin to the KKK. Doug Davies acknowledged the complaint and stated that as an elected official he would need to put his personal prejudices aside to work effectively with his constituents.

The debate gave Lincoln County residents much to think about before the November 2024 election.

The Eureka Community Players is hosting their annual cemetery tours on Sunday (October 13th) afternoon, starting at 1:30 in the Eureka Cemetery. Guests will join a guide and visit the graves of 8 figures from Eureka’s history. Actors, dressed in period garb, will tell the life story from the perspective of the individuals buried there.

As in previous years, there will be golf carts available for those that need a bit of assistance to make a walking tour feasible. Call ahead to reserve a spot if you need that accommodation: 406/263-9208 (Sharon).

CI-126 proposes a constitutional amendment that would have four candidates advancing from the primary to the general election – regardless of party lines.   Somehow, the pols who wrote the pros and cons for this initiative all seemed to miss a single takeaway from our election in 2022 – then, out of 100 state representative districts, 31 representatives were elected without opposition in the general election.  Seven of the 25 candidates for state senate were elected without opposition in the general election.  Let’s face it – the bastards voted out section 7 in 2022 – so passing CI-126 is about as likely to get four candidates in the Fall elections as a pig is to fly.  Whether it’s a good idea or not, we’re still going to have about a third of our politicians elected without competition. 

CI-127 proposes that politicians have to have a majority of the votes to be elected.  Again, it sounds like a nice idea – but nearly a third of our state senators and representatives were elected without opposition, and then the bastards went on to repeal section 7 – the only thing that could have given the voters the power to get opposition.

Simply enough, if a third of the candidates are elected without opposition, that third will have a majority of the votes.  The idea might sound nice to folks who don’t understand how many non-competitive elections seat state representatives and senators – but requiring a majority of ballots cast won’t do jack to correct that problem.

CI-128 offers an opportunity to include the right to abortion in the state constitution.  In general, the arguments make sense -but there’s a phrase that concerns me: “in the good judgement of a treating health care professional”.  Sounds good, but years ago – in South Dakota, not Montana, I had a sketchy guy in a clinic explain to me that he was a “health care professional.”  He turned kind of a blotchy red when I asked “What’s the degree listed on your diploma?” then choked out “Physical Education.”  I suggested that, just perhaps, I might be better served by a Registered Nurse or a physician than by a PE major.

So I’d like to see that one specify things a little more closely in defining a “health care professional.”  In my world, chiropractors qualify as “health care professionals.”  A dentist is obviously a “health care professional.”

I’m pushing 75 really hard – I recall a bartender in Bozeman who was known as “Doc.”  He was the professional abortion provider in those prehistoric years before Roe v Wade.  His work, and the work of others like him, was at least part of the reason why abortion became legal – medical procedures should be performed by specific medical professionals.  And Doc’s college career had included basketball, but not med school or nursing training.

I recognize that the issue is important – but I had a PE major identify himself to me as a “health care professional.”  I’d prefer a constitutional amendment that was a little more limiting. 

Clint Eastwood has been on the tube or the screen most of my life – from the role of Rowdy Yates on Rawhide to his obituary this weekend.  This week, we will post quotes from Clint, rather than the characters he played:

You, me…we own this country. Politicians are employees of ours….And when somebody does not do the job, we got to let them go.

I have a very strict gun control policy: if there’s a gun around, I want to be in control of it.

Always keep your ego in check and not be afraid to listen. Listening is a great art form.

Extremism is so easy. You’ve got your position, and that’s it. It doesn’t take much thought. And when you go far enough to the right you meet the same idiots coming around from the left.

The most gentle people in the world are macho males, people who are confident in their masculinity and have a feeling of well-being in themselves. They don’t have to kick in doors, mistreat women, or make fun of gays.

I’m interested in the fact that the less secure a man is, the more likely he is to have extreme prejudice.

I mean, I’ve always been a libertarian. Leave everybody alone. Let everybody else do what they want. Just stay out of everybody else’s hair.

Michael Moore and I actually have a lot in common. We both appreciate living in a country where there’s free expression. But Michael, if you ever show up at my front door with a camera, I’ll kill you. I mean it.

Abuse of power isn’t limited to ‘bad guys’ in other nations. It happens in our own country. Those in power get jaded, deluded, and seduced by power itself. I have a reverence for individuality. I’ve always considered myself too individualistic to be either right-wing or left-wing. I like the libertarian view, which is to leave everyone alone. People should be able to be what they want to be and do what they want – as long as they’re not harming other people. I am a libertarian.

I’m not really conservative. I’m conservative on certain things. I believe in less government. I believe in fiscal responsibility and all those things that maybe Republicans used to believe in but don’t any more.

Over my career I played some badass characters. So, people sometimes think I should have a .44 magnum. But that’s not true, I don’t have that. But I do fire them and I do enjoy target shooting and all that sort of thing. I’m not much of a hunter. I don’t like killing animals, but I love to shoot.

Over the years, I realized there was a Republican philosophy that I liked. And then they lost it. And LIBERTARIANS had more of it. Because what I really believe is, let’s spend a little more time leaving everybody alone.

Am I aging? The pros and the cons? Well, you know a lot more, at least until the time you start forgetting it all. Actually, aging can be a fun process, to some degree.

With people in high office, the old – you go into the extreme, which is absolute power and absolute power corrupts.

By Chelsea Deets
In preparation for the Lincoln County Commissioner election for district three, which will be held Tuesday, November 5, 2024, several citizens requested a more in-depth look at the three candidates, Doug Davies, Noel Duram, and Brian Phillips. Each candidate was given the same questions, and they submitted their answers which are given in full below:

What education or work experience has prepared you to act as county commissioner and how?
Brian – I spent nearly 25 years as a United States Border Patrol Agent. I spent most of the last 10 years of my career as a Supervisor or Acting Supervisor. I was directly involved with the budgeting process for the entire Eureka Border Patrol Station; a budget that ran over $1,000,000 annually, including: property, maintenance, cleaning, IT, utilities, vehicle fleet purchasing & maintenance, operations and equipment.
When I retired, I held the collateral position of Deputy Director of Marine Operations (DDMO) for all Border Patrol Marine Units from the Pacific Coast to the Great Lakes. I ran the budget for that program which included costs for training, interagency operations, fuel, maintenance, safety equipment and input on the procurement of new and replacement vessels. The SAFE boats that we operated cost upwards of $500,000 to purchase and $400 an hour to operate including fuel. I had to estimate the number of hours each vessel would be in use and calculate the cost of fuel and maintenance. With vessels being underway sometimes for 200-300 hours per year, the expense was not insignificant.

Both of these budgeting systems were “needs based”. I would request a dollar amount based upon projected need for that item within that fiscal year. This amount would increase or decrease from year to year. One year we might request more funding for personal equipment because we had new agents assigned. The next year the same equipment request might be lower due to less need. Another example, in 2020 our marine operations were cut dramatically due to COVID policies. I returned the vast majority of my fuel budget due to a lower operational tempo. As the COVID panic resided and we returned to normal operations, my budget requests increased and were granted.

Doug- I hold an Associates in Accounting and a Bachelors of Science in Industrial Management (Operations emphasis), both from Oregon Institute of Technology graduating in 1983. For most of my life I worked for the U.S. Navy either as a civilian hire or as a consultant. This work has led to visas from around 60 different countries with extended time spent in Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, South Korea, the Red Sea and Japan. During these times, I worked, early in my career, as a member of various ship’s crews engineering departments and later as project manager during overhauls and maintenance periods. A large part of the project manager’s experience revolved around budget development and administration as well as monitoring work progress and quality control. The largest budget I was responsible for totaled slightly over 6 million dollars.

Noel- I have had many experiences that would be helpful to the position of Commissioner. I have owned and operated my own business that helps with budget issues and financial security. I have been in law enforcement and since that is the largest budget item in Lincoln County, my knowledge of the workings and responsibilities regarding law enforcement is a vital piece of my knowledge for the position. I have worked on boards and within the Roberts Rules of meetings with both government boards as well as appointed boards. My experience as a real estate professional in Lincoln County has prepared me for the expansion and growth issues surrounding communities.

What specifically will you do to promote transparency in local government?
Brian- My plan to promote transparency is to do more than the legally required minimum. There are so many forms of communication available today. From the old fashioned, but tried and true, posting of a paper notice on a community bulletin board to posting a digital notice on a virtual community bulletin board like Facebook or Rumble. There is also the potential to build a “Commissioner’s Corner” in the local newspapers to advise and inform Lincoln County residents. In the last weeks we had backyard gatherings where concerned citizens gathered in an informal setting and interacted with their potential elected representative to voice their concerns and issues. I would like to see things like that become a regular occurrence during my tenure as Commissioner and hopefully even after my time.

Doug- During the past 5 and a half years I have proudly served as a member of the Eureka Town Council and have seen firsthand the effects of the lack of transparency and communication between local government and County Government. The individual currently “representing” District 3, north Lincoln County, has seldom attended Council meetings and when he has it has been to demand concessions from the Eureka Council which benefitted the County but, with one exception, were not in the Town’s best interests. When Mr. Letcher has attended Council Meetings his demeanor has been both sulky and threatening. This has resulted in a lack of trust on the part of Council. If elected I pledge to attend Council and community meetings throughout D3 and listen to the concerns raised, not lecture. In addition, I will update the local communities on Commission activities, and seek their input on Commission decisions that effect all of Lincoln County.

Noel- Transparency in local government? That is already open for all to investigate and look in to….but most voters do not seek information regarding the activities of government until a decision is made that they do not agree with. I do have ideas on educating the public with information in a for me at they can access that is easier to follow than the current Commissioner meeting reports that are available for review.

In your opinion, is Eureka growing too fast, not fast enough? What challenges do you see if things continue on their present course and what would you do to mitigate them while preserving the culture and beauty we now enjoy?
Brian- I think all of Lincoln County and the Tobacco Valley, in particular, is growing at a rate faster than I like to see. Some of the challenges this presents is that rapid growth can easily out pace growth in infrastructure; roads, water systems, waste management and more. Uncontrolled growth rapidly burdens existing infrastructure. Existing infrastructure is slow to match that growth for various reasons including funding and bureaucracy. As Commissioner I would do everything possible to eliminate the bureaucratic slowdowns that seem to have become the standard at all levels of government. I will also tap into the vast intellectual resources the citizens of Lincoln county posses to find ways to fund the expenses associated with growth.

The existing Lincoln County Growth Policy was created in 2009 and last updated in 2019, pre-COVID. A lot has changed since then, and it is time we revisit that policy and adjust it to meet Lincoln County’s current needs. When this policy was updated in 2019, it was opened to a public comment period and survey. There were a mere 373 responses from a county with a population approaching 20,000. I think this staggeringly low response rate is due to a lack of communication, transparency and representation. People did not know it was happening or were not aware of the importance of public feedback. This policy needs to be revisited with a much larger response pool.

Doug- As things currently stand Eureka and Lincoln County are experiencing a “brain drain”. That is, our youth are leaving for better opportunities for education and careers. At the same time we are experiencing “growth”, due in large part to the in-migration of new residents making their retirement homes here. This has resulted in a scarcity of affordable housing and the growth of the “McMansion” style of housing. In Eureka itself there are no provisions for permitting of construction projects and only minimal County zoning and permitting requirements. Based on the latest census figures approximately 57% of the residents in Lincoln County are above 50 years of age. This does not lead to a tax base which is sustainable in providing even basic services. In my view, Eureka must pass a permitting ordinance, based on State code, which establishes a permitting process for both new construction and renovation of existing structures. Without this, construction and renovations will continue with out regard to protecting the values which make Eureka and Lincoln County the special place that we currently enjoy.

Noel- Eureka growth….again an issue we see daily and growth will continue to happen. Services will be necessary and more strained as additional people move into the Eureka District of Lincoln County. happens, but we need to be ready and prepared for the growth.

Would you encourage or discourage growth, and how would you do that?
Brian- I don’t think there is any realistic way to encourage or discourage growth. We are going to continue to have growth, that is a simple fact. I think we need to put our collective heads together and come up with a plan that can allow for controlled growth while we maintain the charm and character of our community.

Doug- Growth is happening and will continue as our County, State and Nation continue to recover from the Covid pandemic. Currently most jobs here are seasonal, depending on the tourist/retirement trade. This does not provide a livable income for our young folks nor does it encourage them to remain in Lincoln County, buy or build houses and start families here. We must take steps to diversify our economy in addition to tourism, mining and logging. Job training must be made available to retrain displaced workers and train recent high school graduates in 21st century skills and to encourage the industries that utilize those skills to locate here.

Noel- Growth encourage or discourage? That is a ridiculous question. If we discourage growth, we cut the financial funding and employment opportunities that this county desperately needs. Nothing remains the same forever…..

Every commissioner balances the budget, but much of the funds are already earmarked for existing programs and projects. The remaining money will be divided according to priorities. What are your top priorities for funding for Lincoln County?
Brian- The top funding priorities should be the services that most benefit the majority of citizens. We keep hearing that the county is broke and that there is no money. We need to address things like roads, law enforcement and waste management as priorities, the basics. Once we have a handle on the basics we can move forward with other issues. We first have to get our house in order.

Doug- While it is true that a portion of the County budget goes towards satisfying contractual obligations, or fixed costs, much of the budget is discretionary. County budgeting, in its current form appears to be more of a comedy of errors than a deliberative process. For starters, the raises that Commissioners continue to give elected officials are a farce. While it is true that Sheriffs Department employees’ salaries are limited to a percentage of the Sheriff’s salary that does not justify Commissioners giving themselves a raise year after year. Based on census data the average income in Lincoln County is around $44,000 per year. I don’t feel that is appropriate for Commissioners to draw a salary of almost $20,000 above that.

When I first decided to run for Commissioner my priorities were to diversify our economy, develop affordable housing across the board, provide job training which will empower Lincoln County residents to successfully compete in the 21st century market place and support our libraries. Unfortunately, none of that is possible until County budgets are sustainable and do not rely on tapping our savings accounts.

Noel- Balancing the budget is difficult when the expenditures exceed the income. We must develop more sources of income and increase the income to be able to provide the services necessary for a modern County.

Is our current waste management system adequate for the population? Do you see that changing in the near future?
Brian- I think our current waste management system is quickly being overwhelmed and is not adequate nor prepared for the current growth rate. We are having waste services cut, for example the green boxes on Pinkham Creek are gone, while we are experiencing growth and more people. We have a large influx of seasonal residents every summer. This results in a strain on the waste management infrastructure. Every Monday morning the transfer station is full to the brim. This results in more people using it during the week. At the height of the summer season, the sanitation employees are running full speed all the time and appear to be getting engulfed.

I have heard various numbers regarding the contract to empty the remote green boxes with Evergreen Disposal, but it seems to have settled on somewhere near $300,000 per year. A quick internet search shows a used sanitation truck can be purchased for about that amount or even less. Is there a possibility of investing in a truck and an employee and offsetting the cost of the contract in just a couple of years? (Full disclosure, I live on Pinkham Creek Road and I have been directly affected by this.)
Additionally, the landfill in Libby is headed toward capacity and it won’t be long until a new landfill is required. Between the regulations and restrictions surrounding this type of infrastructure and the costs associated, are we prepared or preparing for this? A cost of $12,000,000 for a new landfill is the estimate that was stated at the Commissioner’s meeting earlier this year.

Doug- I was recently told that the current waste management company has a sole source contract. If that is true, then Lincoln County is at the mercy of the current contractor. A competitive bid process must be established and aggressively instituted.
During the summer I have made several drives around the County to observe the “green box” sites and what I have seen is depressing. I have witnessed gut piles, old tires, furniture, cardboard boxes, mattresses and box springs, waste just tossed on the ground and construction debris. My understanding is that the green box sites are for household waste only. In addition, the garbage along our County and Forest Service roads has astonished me. I have picked up somewhere around 20 bags of trash from along the roadside during my excursions.
With the current expansion of the landfills being done by our Health Department we have the capacity to service our current population and accommodate some growth. However, that is meaningless if folks don’t take care of what we have.
Noel- Waste Management….we need to remember why the Greem Box program started: to stop public dumping of trash in areas around the county. The Green Boxes were helpful in providing a safe, clean and financially efficient place to put the waste that every society creates. Currently, the monopoly held by Waste Connections through their lower level company Evergreen Disposal is something that needs to be addressed immediately and effectively. This has been brewing for many years without being addressed properly. Now it is an immediate problem that needs resolved.

Is there anything else you’d like the voters to know about you that might influence their decision?
Brian- I am a conservative independent. I am running for commissioner outside of an established party because I want to represent all people of Lincoln County and not just a party. I want to return to the idea of a Commissioner being a representative of the people. I want to have transparent governance that will lead to engagement with the citizenry so that I can provide representation. That transparency does not happen without intentional effort, and I intend to exercise that effort. I intend to engage with the people I represent so that I can know what issues are important in their lives. I intend to represent those issues on the Board of Commissioners of Lincoln County.

Doug- About a year and a half ago I was a very staunch “Undeclared” politically. The closest I had come to declaring allegiance to any political party was as an Eisenhauer Republican. In our current political climate, even he would be run out of the Republican party. After a great deal of research and introspection I chose to run as a Democrat. While I don’t agree with some of the positions taken by the Party, they most closely align with my beliefs. I am very proud of my allegiance with the Lincoln County Democrats and grateful for their support as well as the support I have received from Kalispell Democrats.

In summary, I believe that I have the education and experience to bring a new level of professionalism to the Lincoln County Commission as we move into the 21st century.

Noel- Additional items to address? The position of Lincoln County Commissioner needs a person with energy, time and ability to see the future paths that are available for Lincoln County….they also need to be able to address current issues at the same time. That requires a person with a variety of knowledge and experience. I am that person in the General Election.

I read an article that provided an explanation for both the 2016 and the 2020 presidential elections.  Instead of looking at poorly informed voters as the folks who determined the election, the author credited folks he called ‘double haters.’

I’m pretty sure he classified me in that category.  In 2016, I marked the ballot for Trump, because Hilary Clinton’s record was so unacceptable to me.  I hoped Trump would be better than Hilary.  Generally speaking, I think my choice was good – both personally and for the nation.

In 2020, there was a political resurrection – Joe Biden came back.  Turned out he was even worse than the 1988 Biden who was wiped out by the Dukakis campaign.  There were a lot of years for Biden to build an unacceptable record for me.  The author I read figured that there were a few more people who hated Trump than hated Biden.

I don’t believe I’m a double hater.  As I look at the candidates, I think my emotion is more disappointment.  In a more perfect world, I would have the opportunity to cast a ballot for – the operative phrase is ‘ballot for’ – a presidential candidate with the political strengths and philosophies that Argentina’s Javier Mielei shows.  My choices in these 3 elections haven’t included anyone worth hating.  Trump, Clinton, Biden, Harris – I live with 2 small dogs.  Occasionally I step out and get something smelly on the sole of my shoe.  I don’t hate it – I just try to scrape it off, then walk through grass until my shoe is clean. 

I have a pollster that keeps calling.  Obviously I fit a demographic group that they need to fill for their research, either how I feel on Tester and Sheehy or Zinke versus Tranel.  This research company has some cheap bastards planning their contact strategy – they use a dialer that calls four or five people at the same time, they talk to the first person to answer, then hang up on the others.  Seems like a sound, cost-saving strategy.  Problem is, caller ID narcs on them – I know who is calling me and hanging up. 

Polling is essentially surveying.  I have conducted more than a few surveys.  You need to be as courteous and charming to the folks you contact as possible.  When caller ID narcs you out as the guy who has telephoned me 5 times with hangups, you really haven’t earned my enthusiastic, or even neutral, cooperation.  That means my best way of avoiding you in the future is to put you out of business.  The way to put a pollster out of business is to provide inaccurate data, so that the projections are in error.

It’s like seeing these polls with a 3 percent margin of error.  It’s simple math:  they need about 800 responses to reflect the population of Montana.  That means that 24 bad responses are the margin of error.  That’s normal – but I can’t be the only guy with caller ID. 

It doesn’t take social organization to make pollsters unreliable – all it takes is a couple dozen curmudgeons who answer the polls with a plan to lie.   And a polling outfit that doesn’t remember caller ID is a polling outfit that won’t be around to bother any of us in the next election. 

Years ago, a therapist named Virginia Satir coined the phrase ‘crazy maker’. 

“Crazy”-Making | Psychology Today gives a definition of crazy making:

“What is a “crazy”-making behavior? It is behavior that is made to sound very logical and practical, but which actually makes no sense and/or serves to give options that only punish the abused. The double-bind is one of the primary “crazy”-making behaviors.”

Politics seems to be a place that is encouraging the crazy makers.  As I pick up the mail, Jon Tester and Tim Sheehy photographs look at me – first from my mailbox, and then, accompanied by many others, from the trash bin where I deposit them unread.

I’m not particularly affected by the crazy makers who talk about Trump and Harris.  Montana’s electoral votes will be going to Trump, and it doesn’t make any difference if I say good things or bad about him.  The crazy makers can’t affect me if I realize that nothing I do or say will make a difference.  On the other hand, we have seen two people attempt to assassinate Trump.  They drank the Kool-Aid. 

The system seems to encourage crazy making.  We have two choices for President – somehow, out of 330 million Americans, we’re left with picking Trump or Harris.  The statistical likelihood of either actually being the best the nation has to offer approaches zero – but that’s the choice we have.  If that gets folks who are mentally healthy otherwise to either don MAGA caps or move into Trump Derangement Syndrome, what can we expect from people who are a bubble or two off plumb?  It may not be that great a stretch from deciding that Trump is the new Hitler, out to destroy democracy, to taping a scope onto a rifle and stalking the man across a golf course.  

As I look locally – Jon Tester has convinced me that Sheehy has no redeeming virtues.  On the other hand, ads from Sheehy’s side have pretty well convinced me that I could select a better Senator than Tester by throwing a rock at a Cat-Griz game audience and anointing whoever yelled “Ouch!”  with the position.  The reality is something different – I’m certain each man is easy to get along with.   And I’m glad that Montanans – arguably the best armed citizenry in the nation – aren’t grabbing rifles to stalk either man in Bozeman or in Big Sandy.

So I’ve argued myself into looking at a system where crazy makers control the story.  I’m back to Shakespeare – Macbeth, I think: “It is a tale, told by an idiot.  Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

Satir and the psych folks look at individuals who are crazy makers – yet we live within a system that promotes crazy making.  Perhaps the real wonder is that we’ve only had a couple of people so far off plumb that they have tried to go out and shoot a presidential candidate. 

As for me, I have some great candidates to vote against.  At all levels.

“The problem with educating stupid people was that they didn’t know they were stupid. The same went for curing crazy people.” ~ Chuck Palahniuk

I’m not particularly interested in football.  In my freshman year at LCHS, Calvin McRae asked me “Why aren’t you out for football?  You yellow or something?”  I gave my explanation – that I was 13, had no drivers license, and lived 20 miles from the school.  He had the power – I got two years of D’s in PE.  On the other hand, he did not get my 6’3” body out for any sports.  Coach Cal wasn’t particularly good at motivating me toward group sports.

A couple of days ago, I saw that Mercury Morris had died.  The headlines described his career with the Miami Dolphins – but I had seen Mercury Morris in only one game.  I think it was in the Fall of 67 -with nothing else to do, and admission already paid for as part of the college activities fee, I went to a football game.  (My memory errs – wikipedia assures me that the game was in the fall of 68)

The game went to West Texas, 35-20, and MSU played a dogged year of averaging 3.4 yards per carry.  Not bad – I think MSU tied as Big Sky Champions that year – but the excitement was watching Morris run past the MSU defense time and again.  As I looked at the obit, I realized that it was the one time that I watched a single great athlete on a field filled with very good athletes.

As I look at his 8-year professional career, followed by prison for cocaine possession, I guess I have to realize how lucky I was to watch him play football in his final year of college.  Life magazine described that year for him:

“He plays on the fringe of big-time college football, where the stadiums are half-deserted, the star’s scrapbook fits in his watch pocket, and cows graze just beyond the practice field…..Now in his senior year, Morris at 21 may be the most exciting running back in college football.”