I was watching a show my sons, Chris and Jeremy, got me interested in – the American Ninja Warrior on NBC. There was another show called Spartan. It’s the Ultimate Team Challenge, where a group of individuals work together to finish a very tough obstacle course that will challenge you as a person, and as a team. I was hooked and can’t wait until next Monday to watch it.

The Ninja Warrior is a challenge in itself. It raises the bar on team competitions.

In groups of five, everyday people must work together as they race across a specially designed Spartan course that will test their determination, endurance, and it will need to push them through pain and what disabilities and fears they may have, or had to win a huge payout of $250,000.

The show pitted three teams of five in two different races; there was a mixture of young and old, challenging themselves and their fears. One group was elderly men and women, over the age of 45. One of the gentlemen had been in an accident, and the doctors said he would never walk again. He proved the doctors wrong and worked hard to be able to walk down the aisle to get married. He then set out to be able to run, and when he got there, he set out to challenge himself even more against others younger and stronger than he.

There was a girl that had brittle bones and competed as hard as anyone. There were five solid female athletes, and a group of what some people might call “nerds.” I don’t want to spoil the whole show, but I hope you get the message on the show.

The show was also expected to have a group of individuals with disabilities, some individuals that lost an arm, and some with prosthetic legs. The show got me motivated to try to get myself back into shape. There is much more of a challenge to me than a pair of knee replacements – also a bad back, but worst of all, my feet. I have nerve damage to them, and it’s hard to walk, let alone run, but after watching these other people with worse injuries than myself, I need to do this for me.

One day I want to be able to watch my grandchildren graduate and get married too, and if I keep what disabilities I do have in the trash, maybe I can get myself fit and live a longer life.

I hope you can turn that show on and get enthused to get yourself back into shape. I hope so.

Talking about good shows on prime-time to watch, that doesn’t have swearing in it, is hard to find. There are a few. Lynne and I like all the CSI shows, as well as a few comedy sitcoms. Like I said in an earlier column, the comedians today are not what we had in our youth growing up.

I would love to be able to turn on the TV and be able to watch a show without curse words in it. As I told all my boys when they were growing up, hang out with good people with good values, and if you don’t, please show people you can also have fun and be the life of the party without getting drunk.

Now to get back into sports – I’m excited about this fall season very much. I believe we have some very good fall teams in football, volleyball, golf, soccer and cross country. I’m praying the Hundred football team can snap that 38-game losing streak, and be there when they do.

I also ready to see what our area teams can accomplish during the season. How many will win a state title, league championship or accomplish their team and individual goals?

With five high schools to be covered, with a total of 20 teams, I will not be able to be there for all the games, but I will do my darnedest to get to at least one or more games, matches and races. But, if someone can lend me a hand with a few photos now and then, I will be most thankful.