re: Bielema dropped a bomb his radio show

quote:

---

Something over there

---

quote:

---

El Dorado born and raised and its not as bad as you just described it. ELDO is a pretty nice town with quite a bit of money in it. Aside from a rough three year stretch in the 2000s (I graduated in 06) we we're always pretty good in football. Even played in a couple of state championships when we were still in the state's largest classification (5a). However, we've been dominant lately which is unheard of.

---

Yeah, I know several folks from El Dorado, and was born & raised about 50 miles from it. The time I am referring to, when "ThunderZone" was a huge problem, is way before your time in the 2000's. While El Dorado has always had money largely due to the oil business, there was a period when that business took a nose dive that it declined. It took a while for things to get better, and during the time when I was in HS, gangs had become a big problem in El Dorado. Violent crime was a major issue, and drugs & violence were prevalent in the schools. "ThunderZone" was what the large area of gang activity was referred to. It was actually referred to as such on news broadcasts.

We played El Dorado a few years during this time as an out of conference game. The crowds at the football games were so uncontrollable and the violence was so unpredictable, we had to have police escorts. Threats of violence were constantly made during the two weeks prior to the games (we generally played them the third game of the season), and our buses were vandalized a couple of times - once shot. We finally stopped playing them.

I've kept up somewhat with the football programs of many of the schools around my hometown over the years, and have seen El Dorado's success. I've been back a few times since I graduated HS & college to visit friends & antique/furniture shop, and it has definitely changed for the better since the gang activity and crime has subsided, but during the 80's - early 90's, it had gotten pretty bad, and the school suffered for it. There have always been good athletes in El Dorado, but the lack of discipline and all the crap that had filtered into the school during that time had a lot to do with their not being as successful of a football team as they are now. I remember that was the first time I'd ever seen players or a coach ejected from a game.

I'm just really happy for the school and community that things are going so well, and the gang activity that was so abundant during that period isn't the problem it once was. I believe the last time I was there was in 2004 or '05, and it was definitely much nicer than when I was growing up. I've always loved the square - great shopping & restaurants, but there is so much more, now. They've really done a great job with it.

I'd love to see the new high school & might take a drive over there this Fall when I'm up that way. I'd like to see the Fairview game, but wish it was in El Dorado instead of Camden, so I might try the following week when they play FS-Southside at home. Those are 2 pretty tough games, back-to-back, at the beginning of the season.

quote:

---

Edit: Sad that I still say we when talking about El Dorado when I'm a teacher and coach at Springdale High School.

---

I've stopped saying "we" when referring to my HS since the football program has gone into the shitter, and has remained there for a number of years. I refuse to claim them anymore. The school system has also significantly declined, regrettably. It doesn't even resemble what it was when I was there, or prior to that time. The "glory days" are over, I suppose, for my hometown & high school.