I bet Jimmie Stanford of Blytheville never dreamed of being on the Jay Leno Show.
But his unique view on legalizing marijuana earned him a spot on the famed late night show, Tuesday.
In one of Leno's bits, he pulled out an old Blytheville Courier News "Word On The Street" -- a series the CN hasn't run in several years.
The question offered to readers seven or eight years ago: Do you think marijuana should be legalized in the United States?
Stanford responded: "Yes, because if you can get the kids hooked on that, it will keep them from getting hooked on crack cocaine."
That comment drew laughs from the audience and its appearance on Leno generated plenty of chatter on Facebook Wednesday.
Anna Jones of Blytheville also made an appearance, though her response was slightly more conservative: "Yes, but only for medical purposes."
Full disclosure, I didn't see the segment until early Wednesday morning, when editor Andy Weld mentioned seeing the post on Facebook. Sadly, when I'm up that late these days, it's usually to catch the final few outs of the Cardinal game. Fortunately, with social media, those who missed the airing had plenty of second chances to see it.
A clip of the show made the rounds on several local folks' Facebook walls.
I'm not sure how Leno got his hands on the piece, especially with it being so old.
But it generated a few laughs and a little buzz around the local water coolers.
Stanford was a good sport about it too.
"It was all right ... I didn't know it was going to go that far ... Tell Jay Leno I appreciate you having my comment on TV," he said.
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A couple of other area natives should get some national airtime this weekend -- for different reasons.
The NFL season kicks off tonight and continues Sunday. Hayti native William Moore and the Atlanta Falcons will travel to New Orleans for their noon Sunday opener, while Gosnell native Jermey Parnell and the Dallas Cowboys host the New York Giants later that night.
Interestingly, Parnell, a 6-foot-6, 311-pound offensive tackle, never played football in high school. I guess Coach Whitehead (the former GHS coach turned principal) needed the big man to stay healthy for hoops, which was his ticket to a scholarship at Ole Miss, where he also played football his final year. Parnell probably would have been an absolute beast on the prep football field, had he chosen to play two sports. (Parnell was actually listed at 6-9 in high school, though nowhere near 311 pounds.) Pirate fans can't complain too much, though, with all the memories he provided on the hardwood. His attention is exclusively on football these days.
Over the summer, there was talk of Parnell potentially starting over Doug Free at right tackle, though a hamstring injury set him back a little. Still, the former Pirate hoops star will probably contribute up front for the Cowboys.
Meanwhile, Moore has proven to be one of the top strong safeties in the NFL. He got in a little trouble in the spring, but I'm sure Moore will have another monster season in Atlanta similar to his Pro Bowl one last year that earned him a monster contract -- a five-year, $30 million deal. Not too shabby for a kid from Hayti, Mo.
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The high school season opens Friday night with Blytheville traveling to Osceola and Gosnell going to Forrest City.
Season openers offer a fresh start and optimism.
Hopefully, all the local teams will enjoy a successful season. Time to turn on those Friday night lights again and watch the local athletes shine.
mbrasfield@blythevillecourier.com