TheDeltaDirt.com

The Delta Funky Pirates, sans hooks, wooden legs, and eye-patches, in Jackson, Miss. The Flatland's own 5.5 Delta Funky Pirates BMW fall combo tennis team recently competed in the Mississippi Regional tennis tournament. The tourney, which was held November 9-11, 2007 in the state capital of Jackson saw the Land of the Blues' crazy buccaneers advance to the Southern Sectionals in Baton Rouge, La. on January 25-29, 2008. Pictured in this Hinds County mugshot are from left to right: Jeromy Castle and Mark Hardin of Greenwood, Todd Nokes of parts unknown, Brady Smith of Inverness, JJ Branch of Morgan City), and Stebo Johnson also of Inverness. Not pictured (but certainly appreciated in helping the team achieve their goal) are: Mark Bowie and Robert Cole of Greenwood, and Terry Floyd, Jay Knight, and Phil Lee of Greenville. The Delta Funky Pirates played this past Friday against North Carolina, Saturday against South Carolina, and Sunday at against Louisiana. Finals were played on...

The Twin Rivers Bad News Bears (pictured from left to right): Lee Hodges, Amber Harrell, John Stewart, Ashley Thompson, Jonathan Branch, Toni Sorrell, Thomas Gregory. Not pictured: Hank Reichle. Greenwood's own Bad News Bears 5.0 Mixed Doubles tennis team is headed to Laurel this weekend for the Mississippi District Championship Tennis Tournament. Although team member Lee Hodges will have just had his wisdom teeth taken out, he assures me that he will be able to party with the best of them as regional favorite team dancer Toni Sorrell celebrates her landmark 30th birthday this Saturday. With the team lineup as Amber and Lee, Toni and Jonathan, and Ashley and Stewart, the Bears are sure to bring home the golden trophy this weekend. And if not, I have first-hand experience to prove the team will have a fun time either way! Although I have played hard all season long, I will be in Starkville at Bulldog Bash and rooting the Dawgs along at the MSU vs. Auburn game on Saturday. Althou...

Don't mess with the "Bad News Bears" 5.0 Mixed Doubles Tennis Team. In the Delta, tennis is as popular as a mint julep on Gone With the Wind's Tara Plantation. Especially in Greenwood, the game of tennis is a welcome summer distraction to blistering hot weather and finch-sized mosquitoes. That said, Twin Rivers' 5.0 Mixed Doubles tennis team, dubbed the "Bad News Bears," kicked off the season's home game run with a winner against the challengers from Lake Village, Ark. The match was held at River Oaks Racquet Club near Fort Pemberton and the final resting place of the Star of the West . Although clearly an Arkansas team, the Village's players have long competed in the Mississippi USTA league due to their ongoing desire to play in the company of superior people (it is a scientifically proven fact that Mississippians are far cooler than Arkansans). Although local liquor magnate John Stewart and partner Ashley Thompson failed to win their match...

Editor's note: This is the third and final in a three part series on the rise, fall and resurrection of Mark Bowie's Black Bullet bus. Please click the following links for Part 1 and Part 2 . Capt. Mark Bowie, skipper of the S.S. Black Bullet, drinking and driving his beloved Black Bullet bus. The Dog Catcher - just barely alive from her time spent underneath the "Flat Tire Curse" of Greenwood fame - was fighting for survival. She had been at the very pinnacle of any bus' dream life, chasing hot air balloons all over this great nation. She had also seen her fair share of valleys. Blowout laden trips to Delta restaurants proved to be too much to handle, until she made a successful trip to Bourbon, Mississippi. This was just the beginning, however, of a legacy that will be forever revered. Fate Leads to Party Busses I can still remember the fateful conversation that led to my eventual relationship with the Black Bullet. It was late one Thursday afternoon - before D...

UV Blue Vodka - The Drink of Choice for Tennis Champions Everywhere. With the recent bombshell announcement of John Stewart's partnership with the current Webster's Bar & Grill owners came an unexpected press release from the Greenwood Country Club Men's 3.0 Tennis Team. In a prepared statement, the team revealed that Webster's will not only become their "unofficially official" sponsor for the upcoming season, but the restaurant will also begin carrying the team's trademark celebratory shot, Blue Vodka. The local nightspot has also agreed to rename the shooter 'Bring It' Blue Vodka as a tribute to the infamous 'Bring It Boys' of 3.0 tennis fame. When asked his opinion on the matter, the new co-owner had little to say. He only alluded to his past relationship with the beverage of choice as a complementary one. Others on the team made similar comments in reference to their beloved Blue Vodka. Stewart, the team's only left-handed pl...

Editor's note: This is the second in a three part series on the rise, fall and resurrection of Mark Bowie's Black Bullet bus. Part 1 can be read here . Sara Lee's SkyFrank in all her glory. When her eight-year contract ran out, The Dog Catcher slipped into obscurity for several years. At the height of her career, Mark Bowie's bus was making trips all across the continent, running down balloons wherever they landed. Then suddenly the beloved bus's chase career hit a speed bump. With the end of an eight-year contract with Sara Lee Corp. in 2001 came the end of an era for the Dog Catcher. No longer was she traveling the various highways and byways that traverse this great nation. Never again would she transport the likes of "Cajun" Charlie, Jeannie, Dr. Bob, Jackson and Eugene to the various ballooning events she had grown accustomed to. The Fall For years, the Dog Catcher's life consisted primarily of traveling to half-rate ballooning events within the c...

The 'Bring It' Boys: (from L-R) Billy Dunn, Ray Nilssen, John Stewart, Mark Bowie, Thomas Gregory, Autin Wilkey, Floyd Melton, John Coleman. Not pictured: Reese Pillow, Matt Ortner, Holt Lowe. Bowie's beloved bus in background. In a delayed crowning of the inaugural Dirty Deltan of the Week , the Greenwood Country Club's Men's 3.0 Tennis Team shares this week's prize. Not only did the infamous group handily defeat the Indianola team 4-1 last night, they also bonded in team spirit with Hot Damn shots at the team's home-base, the Flatland Grill. In response to his team's success over Indianola, Head Coach Martin Dyotte stated, "I am proud of deez guys for playing their hearts out. They are the reason I coach the game of tennis. Now less pick up all deez balls, you silly space-cadets!" The team's victory was dedicated to tonight's traveling cheerleaders, Toni Sorrell, Robyn Jones and Swayze Fisher. (R.D. Seawright, the team's usual mas...

Editor's note: This is the first in a three part series on the rise, fall and resurrection of Mark Bowie's beloved Black Bullet bus. The infamous Black Bullet (formerly known as the Dog Catcher) in her first life while on vacation in Grand Canyon National Park. The tennis match was finally over. Ray and I had just gotten our asses beaten by a father-son duo from Leland, Mississippi, home of Kermit the Frog and the venerable Edward Sanders. As I made my way into the dark black bus in the parking lot, all I wanted to do was to pop a top and commence in the ritualistic chugging of a Bud Light. The Thursday night was still young and promised to be even more eventful at our team's rally point, The Flatland Grill. But as I sat slumped in the bench-seat facing the main door to the bus, I couldn't help but wonder about her past. After all, everything has a back-story and our beloved party bus should be no different, right? So I took it upon myself to r...