American Gladiators are Newlyweds Too

At first glance Ally and Jeff Davidson don’t look like American Gladiators, they look more like a couple of surfers from California. I’d be surprised if their combined weight equalled that of Gladiator Titan! But make no mistake these newlyweds are tough and they proved it Monday night.

Ally and Jeff were so tough, they’ll be moving on to the semi-finals of American Gladiators airing next July 21st and 28th NBC5. (NBC Promotion is a must on Grant’s Rant)

I am actually surprised how successful the show is. It really isn’t any different then the original American Gladiators that aired when I was in college. This time around the arena is a little more high tech, the games haven’t changed much and neither have the Gladiators.

They appear just as juiced up as they did 20 years ago. I wonder if Congress will be asking for urine samples from any of the Gladiators.

Best of luck of to Ally and Jeff, though I don’t think they need any luck, they need a doctor. Jeff cracked a rib and needed 15 stitches.

Read the story or See the Video Here

What’s Wrong With Cesar Chavez?

It’s very curious to me that the city conducts a web survey to re-name industrial blvd., then discounts the survey when the name that wins isn’t the name city leaders want.  I have a feeling, the administrators who conducted the survey never thought Cesar Chavez would win!  But it did.  The only problem is, it doesn’t fit the image the city wants the new trinity river project to portray.  City leaders won’t admit that, but common sense tells you that’s exactly the problem.

I voted for Riverfront Blvd.  But i still accept defeat. 

Here is the inside scoop.  The marketing gurus hired by Dallas City Hall are saying Riverfront Boulevard should be the name of choice.  The reason:  Convention and tourist business made up mostly of upper middle class “white” America.  I have been quietly told by city hall insiders that marketing executives want Dallas to “play down” it’s large Hispanic population and culture that goes with it.  They want the Trinity River project to serve as a sign that Dallas is a chic and trendy growing metropolis… Not little Mexico.  After all Cesar Chavez organized farm workers, not artists and actors in New York City.

But the fact is, whether the Anglo population wants to believe it or not, Dallas has a rich Hispanic heritage and the numbers of Hispanics flocking to Dallas grow by the day.  Apparently most of them voted in that web survey too.  Instead of changing the rules, next time the losers need to get more people to vote. 

The city said the whole process was just a “Survey.”  Sadly, by throwing the survey results in the trash the city actually is saying, “we don’t care what you think!” 

There is NO Place to Park!

Parking spaces for “compact cars only” do not belong in Texas.  A compact car in Dallas means a Jeep Cherokee.  North Texans live for our trucks and massive SUVs.  Which brings me to the question, why do shopping centers and parking garages insist on marking tiny spaces for “compact cars only?”

These are spots at the Lincoln Park shopping plaza across from North Park on Central (above).  I don’t even think my buddy Joe Redmond’s Smart Car could fit into these spaces.  Definitely not next to that Caddy (which is not a compact car, by the way.)  The only thing the developer does by making spaces this small is insure that we all get door dings on our own cars and make a few on the cars next to us.

Make no mistake, non-compact car drivers feel like they (we) own the road anyway, you know they (I) will have no problem parking here, WE will just take up three spaces in doing it.  I have a plea to future developers, please just make parking spaces big enough to handle an average Texas vehicle.  (That means a Hummer H2)

Restaurants Should Give Patrons What They Want

There is nothing that angers me more than seeing a note on the bottom of a menu that reads, “NO SUBSTITUTIONS.”  The Executive Chef usually even has the gall to add a “Please.”  I can only ask, what culinary institution teaches a Chef to tell his customers, “My way or the highway!”  If the customer is always right, why not just give them what they want.  My guess is the Chef either has a giant ego or is just plain lazy.

If Chef’s are going to put notes at the bottom of menus telling people how to eat their food, than every steak house in America ought to have a note that says, “Steaks served medium rare only.”  When someone orders a $45 dollar steak “well done” I’m sure the chef cringes, but he still cooks it that way.

My wife Amy and I ate at Terrelli’s in Dallas yesterday for brunch.  We love this little Greenville Ave. gem for it’s great food and live Jazz.  But I couldn’t believe it when I saw the dreaded note at the bottom of the page, “because our meals are fresh to order, please, no substitutions, thank you.”  Call me crazy, but if I can’t ask for what I like, the meals are NOT made “to order.”  And a restaurant of Terilli’s caliber should not have to tell people meals are served “Fresh.”  That should be a given at any fine restaurant.

I had an Italian Sausage Omelet, my wife had the Frittata with Salami.  She didn’t want the salami, but apparently, God forbid, we ask the chef to leave it out.  You can’t tell me it would slow the entire kitchen down to leave the salami out of the frittata or even substitute it with some tomatoes, which is what Amy really wanted.

Every executive Chef I have spoken with tells me, if he has the ingredients, he will gladly make it for the customer.  Our all time favorite Dallas Restaurant is Three Forks Steak House.  This is a place that can serve 500-1000 people on any given night.  The executive chef there prides himself on giving his customers what THEY want and cooking it they way THEY like it, even though it may be a hassle or not the “right” way.

“NO SUBSTITUTIONS” give me a break!  To be fair, the food at Terilli’s was good, Amy just wanted some tomatoes.

NBC5 News Angers Viewer

It’s not the first time we made a viewer mad, it most certainly won’t be the last.  Sarah Saxon owns a restaurant in Dallas called Sali’s and she emailed us, outraged over our constant coverage of a shrinking economy.  She says all we are doing is making things worse, scaring people into staying home and hoarding what little money they do have.

The fact is, we all know NBC5 and every other news station has a flare for the dramatics.  No matter what you believe, studies have shown, you the viewer won’t watch us unless the story is dramatic.  I heard someone say, “TV news is like pornography, no one admits they watch it and certainly no will admit they LIKE to watch it.” 

Maybe we could tone things down, and yes sometimes I laugh at our own “Teases”.  But I want you to know, the facts are not made up, the numbers are what they are.  With that said, the viewers need to be engaged and smart enough to decipher, yes I said decipher, what we are getting at.  Try to look through the hype and the real story is always there.

As for the economy it’s a strange beast, its huge and multi faceted.  One person could think things are great, another might see things as bad as the great depression.  Even the housing market changes from one zip code to another.  As I said at ten last night, we only have 30 minutes to a newscast, not every angle can be told.  We try to report what WE think is most important to YOU.  Sometimes we make a bad decision, email us when we do.  We really do read those emails and maybe if your lucky, I may even come out and do a story on your anger with me.   As long as it’s dramatic enough

Stars Need to Win, Or Else

I’m not a hockey fan, I really don’t even like the sport.  But when it’s all that left in the Big D what is a sports fan to do?  The  Rangers are already out of it, the Mavs are in my dog house, and NFL draft day is over.  That leaves me forced to watch a bunch of white guys with broken noses skate around a rink doing something most people have never done in their lives.

With that said, the Stars need to know, all of Dallas’s sports hopes and dreams rest on their shoulders.  Please, please, please, do not blow this 3-0 lead against San Jose.  We have had to endure the Mavs blow it all three times including their loss to Miami in the finials two years ago.  Don’t even start me on the Cowboys, the fumble, the Giants!

I never expected the Stars to go to the Stanley Cup much less win it.  But once they went up 3-0 in this seriers, why not the Stanley Cup?  I will say this now, if the Stars do blow this seriers, maybe Dallas sports teams really are jinxed.  I’m not saying that yet, but the possibility exists. 

Fired!

I have used this picture before, but I thought it was most fitting one day after Mark Cuban had Donnie Nelson show Avery Johnson the door.  The whole scene probably looked like the picture above, Donnie Nelson playing the part of the Ref.  Avery would be forced to answer, “No you get out, you fired me in my own condo!”  Yes, that’s where it all went down, inside Avery Johnson’s condo.  I first heard a rumor, Avery was fired right after the Mavs game 5 loss to New Orleans.  The team plane left with out him, leaving Avery to take a Southwest flight home.  I actually think getting fired in your own condo is worse.

His firing is long over due.  I thank him for his service, but he just didn’t have what it takes to lead the school girls he was coaching. (I am not sure anyone does).

It should also be noted, GM Donnie Nelson plays a role in the Mavericks failure.  The Kidd trade was a disaster, no matter who lobbied for it, it ultimately falls on the GMs shoulders.  Mark Cuban needs to take a hard look at his front office, this off season.  He should do that, before they blow this team up, something that also needs to be done.

Fairpark Car Wash Hosts Penny Pitching Championship

I can see why neighbors are suspicious about the activity going on all day long at the car wash on Malcolm X and Marburg in Dallas.  When we pulled out our cameras, everyone scattered.  Everyone except for my new friend M.J.

Click Here To Watch My Story 

He didn’t want his picture taken, but he entertained me for nearly an hour while I waited for the owner to show up.  MJ decided he wanted to take a break from washing cars to see if he could hustle me out of a few dollars.  He first proposed we bet on flipping quarters.

Amused, I agreed and pulled out a quarter.  “Heads I win, Tales you lose!” I declared, “You call it!”  I quickly went up a dollar before MJ realized there was no way for him to win.

In an effort to win his dollar back, he then challenged me to a game of pitching pennies.  Each player tries to throw his penny closest to the curb, who ever pitches closest wins.  At first, MJ had me out classed.  Every one of his tosses seemed to nestle up against the curb.  Clearly MJ had some practice at this.  But then I got the hang of it and came roaring back. 

For the next half hour, MJ and I laughed, hooped and hollered.  We had a blast.  In fact it was the most fun I have had in weeks.  We may come from very different neighborhoods but we were very much alike.  To competitive gamblers looking to make a buck!

The competition was fierce in the end, I lost 2 dollars to MJ.  It was cheaper then a movie and much more fun.

The owner, also a Dallas County Constable, finally showed up.  He acknowledged drugs are “probably” sold at his car wash.  But he claimed to be a victim.  Insisting he can’t watch the property 24/7 and neither can the police.  To quote the owner, “I understand the frustrations of people around here, I’m frustrated and I’m in law-enforcement!”

MJ chimed in, volunteering to watch the place for the owner.  For a small fee, of course.