DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “Arguments are a poor chisel to carve out solutions.”

After a week long trip to Texas for my induction in the Athletic Hall of Fame at my alma mater, Hardin Simmons University, I’m back home and it’s going to take a nuclear bomb to get me out of Vegas until next year. I had a great time visiting with old classmates, some of whom I hadn’t seen in over 50 yeas. There were about 15 of my ex-teammates who attended and I was on my best behavior and never mentioned the many times the school had rejected me because of my profession. But I understand and would like to let bygones be bygones.

The most notable thing about Texas is that the recession hasn’t affected it very much. The farms are white with a good cotton crop, the oil wells are pumping and the biggest saviour of all are the wind farms. The wind towers are amazing with each one generating enough electricity for 35-40 homes. There are thousands of the giant generators as far as you can see as you drive along the interstate highways. It makes you wonder why these wind farms aren’t all across the USA. It only takes a 6 mile per hour wind to turn them. If we had enough of them, we would be out of the bondage the Middle East has us in.

I went out to the little town of Longworth where I grew up. It is almost a ghost town with maybe 10 families living there. The old Brunson house is long gone but there is a trailer parked on the lot and the man living there invited us in to look around. Some of the things are still there, the old chicken coops, the barn where we had our cows and an old root cellar I helped dig in 1949. I enjoy going back every decade or so because it makes me realize you can’t go back, you have to go forward with your life.

Congrats to Mike Sexton on being selected for the poker Hall of Fame. It is a well-deserved honor and Harrah’s has some great plans for his induction. The time is getting close for the WSOP Final Table, also. I wish all of the guys good luck but I’m pulling for Ivey and Schulman. I’m sure it will be a lot of fun for everyone.

Avery Cardoza, my publisher, called me today and my autobiography has come in. It will be in the bookstores Nov. 10th and I’ve got mixed feelings about having done this book. Everyone seems to like it so maybe it will be o.k. The author of the book, Mike Cochran, was at the presentation dinner at my University and we had a nice visit. It is absolutely amazing how fast time can go, it seems like yesterday I was in school. I also saw Ann, my college fiance who looks much better than I do. She probably didn’t have as tough a life as me. I certainly hope not!

-DB

DOYLISM OF THE DAY: “Today is the youngest I’ll ever be again.”

WOW!  What great weather we are having in Vegas.  I can’t remember days like we are having this January.  There is almost no wind and 75 degree days.  It’s a golfer’s paradise.  Even I have been to the golf course the past 3 days.  It’s really discouraging when I try to play as I used to, but with my bad leg plus getting older and older, I can’t do it.  When I see how good some of the young guys play, it makes it worse to me not being able to perform.  David Benyamine has made more progress in the last year than anyone I’ve ever seen.  He is going to be really good in a couple of years.

Some clown who produces the, “Blend Celebrity Bucket List”, put the 100 most likely celebs to die in 2009.  Guess who he had at #16?  That’s right, me.  To start with, I don’t consider myself a celebrity, so I don’t qualify.  But, if I did, I sure don’t have any plans for kicking the bucket anytime soon and surely not in 2009.  He should check on my family genes, both sides lived up into their 90’s.  He should talk to my doctor and get my blood pressure results, my 140 reading on my cholesterol and the raves my cardiologist gives me on my EKG’s.  He said obesity would cause my death.  He should have seen me 5 years ago when I was 130 lbs heavier.  Anyway, he said it was a 10% chance I would die.  I would like to lay 10-1 for any amount if anybody knows this joker.

In my Margaret Hussman watch, the 15 year old girl with untreatable cancer, she is in the hospital but is fighting a courageous fight against pneumonia.  What a trooper she is, send her an encouraging e-mail to anne@ddgoose.com

Thanks for all the advice everyone has given me about accepting my induction into my university’s Athletic Hall of Fame.  I will accept and attend the award ceremony in October.  I can’t let all my friends and ex-teammates down because they really pushed the selection committee. One thing I want them know, I’m a professional poker player and proud of it!