The 'namesake' who helped launch a political career

Today, while at the Cerritos Library, I stumbled across this passage from the biography of Nikki Haley, governor of South Carolina.  The book is called Can't Is Not an Option: My American Story.

First, some background: Haley, who was born in India to Sikh parents but moved to the U.S. as a child, was a successful businesswoman who in 2004 was running for public office for the first time.  It was for a seat in the 87th district of the South Carolina House of Representatives.

...We had a friend, John Barefoot, who was Googling around trying to find out as much about [longtime state legislator Larry] Koon as he could to help out with the campaign.  He came across a book called The Stupidest Things Ever Said by Politicians.  There, on page thirty-eight, was this: "Women are best suited for secretarial work, decorating cakes, and counter sales, like selling lingerie."

John took the quote to my women's business group, NAWBO, and the group didn't hesitate.  It reprinted Mr. Koon's statement on a black background in archaic-looking script and put it out.  The women of the district were furious.

Haley received enough votes to enter into a runoff against Koon; she went on to defeat the incumbent by 55 percent to 45 and took office in January 2005.  After five years in the legislature, she ran for governor in 2010 and won, becoming the first woman and non-Anglo governor is the state's history.

Today, Haley is considered a rising star in the Republican party and will be among the speakers later this month at the Republican National Convention in Tampa.

Although there are no doubt some other people who played major roles in Haley's successful candidacy, John Barefoot's role should not be overlooked.  And wherever he is now, no doubt he is pleased.

UPDATE: Here's a recent story about budget cuts Haley has ordered.  Her actions drew praise from online columnist Eric Erickson at RedState.com, which is predominantly read by Republicans.

Barefoot surname "battle of the bands"

This is a spinoff of the Barefoot collection page I made last year.

I have found two modern rock guitarists with the surname.  Ben Barefoot and the Hand Shakes are based in Perrysburg, OH and Jonathan Barefoot and the Bulrushers are in Encinitas, CA.

Here are songs from both of them.  What do you think?
*Ben - "Nothing Is As Beautiful As You"
*Jonathan - "A Portrait of the Idiot Who Claims to Be an Artist"

The Barefoot Collection: A real-life list

NOTE: Latest revision took place overnight on Aug. 22, 2015

This afternoon, during my regular trip to Barnes & Noble at Long Beach Towne Center, I got the idea for this page, which details all of Buddy's "cousins" in real life which have at least some notability.  Here is my collection:

*Brian: Editor on the reality TV franchise Survivor.  He has been part of all 25 seasons so far, dating back to the opener in 2000
*Amy: Actress who, when she appeared in the 2005 movie Junebug, appeared with three-time Academy Award nominee Amy Adams and former Wipeout "sideline reporter" Jill Wagner
*Charles: Defendant in a U.S. Supreme Court case dealing with whether psychiatrists can predict whether or not anyone is subject to criminal behavior
*Karen: Head women's basketball coach at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA, where she was born and raised
*Ken: Only person named Barefoot to ever play a major pro sport in the U.S. - eight games for the NFL's Washington Redskins in 1968.  Before that, was an outstanding tight end for Virginia Tech.  Son Ken, Jr. also played for the Hokies (late 1980s).
*Britt (pictured at right): Punter and placekicker for Southern Miss, 2004-08.  Despite the Barefoot name, he wore a kicking shoe, which drew some quizzical looks from sportscasters who loved the aptness of the surname anyway.  Had an up-and-down career that ended with an outstanding night at the 2008 New Orleans Bowl, with field goals from 38, 46 and 39 yards in an overtime victory over Troy.  He and wife Hollie returned to Laurel, MS after graduation; nothing more is known about what happened to him.
*Shelton: Owns Barefoot's Auto Mart in Dunn, NC.  Named local used-car salesman of the year 14 years in a row by the local paper
*Laura: Cheerleader at Clemson University in 2002.  She was on the cover of USA Today on Apr. 25 of that year in a story about cheerleading injuries and safety.
*Robert: Doctor, born in Canada but now living in Arizona, who is a proponent of medical treatment using coral calcium.  Has been in legal trouble in the U.S. and his infomercials with Kevin Trudeau have been pulled from television.
*Darren: Blogger and gay activist based in Vancouver, BC (but who has also traveled extensively throughout Europe)
*William: British politician in the 1920s
*Jennifer: Former human-resources executive at Fuddruckers, one of my favorite hamburger chains
*John: Played end for the University of New Mexico's football team.  In 1956, he led the team in receptions with - believe it or not - exactly six
*Hyran: President of Union University in Jackson, TN, from 1987 to 1996.  The student union building and a coffeehouse are named after him
*Caldwell: Lawyer specializing in family disputes
*David: Owner and chief executive of Barefoot & Company, which installs windows, doors, closets, and other household items in Charlotte, NC
*Michael: Founded A Southern Season, a renowned gourmet food store and coffeehouse in Chapel Hill, NC, and owned it from 1975 to 2011
*Kelly: Founder of fishing lures company endorsed by Bassmasters champion Mike Iaconelli (also see recent online article about his business)
*Brittany (Barefoot Ramos): Founder of ThePrudentPatron.com, which is a site for extreme couponers (those obsessed with using coupons to save tons of money)
*Amanda: Competed in Miss North Carolina in 2010, featured in Wall Street Journal article about how state pageants are broadening their pool of competitors
*Brantley: Art director for some Nike and Crown Royal ad campaigns
*Tom and Jake: Father and son owners of Tom Barefoot's Tours, which offer packaged, discount vacations throughout Hawaii.
*Melinda: Model who lives in Texas; honored by Coed magazine in June 2013; was named "Miss Howard TV" by none other than Howard Stern in June 2012; before that, she appeared on the morning show on 105.3 The Fan in the Dallas/Fort Worth area on my 40th birthday in March of that year
*Coy: Author, lecturer and television/radio host in Charlottesville, VA
*Bridgett: Spokesperson for - ironically - a national discount shoe-store chain, DSW, early in this millennium, now operations director for SNS, Inc. (whatever that means)

And this is not to mention the singers, race car drivers, artists, fighters, scientists, and others I have found online who proudly carry the Barefoot name.

Also worth noting are two for this is a middle name: Barefoot Sanders, who was a prominent U.S. attorney in Dallas and part of the investigation of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and his son Harold Barefoot Sanders III, who is a musician and composer (on, among other shows, Top Chef).

Some notes from the creator

• My Twitter account has come to life in recent days. I placed some of the "wish list" items from my book out there, plus an entirely new item based on America's Next Top Model, the long-running reality competition on The CW. Check it out now!
• Speaking of reality shows, one reason I restarted it was to show my support for Beverly McClellan, who recently competed on The Voice. I was disappointed that she did not win, but I am happy this bald-headed, tattooed rock and roll woman was able to win over a lot of people, including myself.
• Finally, Fox Sports Net has canceled The Final Score. I loved that show, as it was a no-nonsense alternative to the drawn-out drama that SportsCenter can be at times. Just game highlights and sound bites in a neat half-hour. It was great while I lasted, which was a little over five years.
  

Karen Barefoot gets new coaching job

Karen Barefoot, referenced in this post last December, was recently named as the new head coach at Old Dominion University. It has one of the proudest traditions in women's college basketball, with past superstars like Nancy Lieberman, Anne Donovan, and Ticha Penichiero, and three national championships (AIAW, 1979 and '80 and NCAA, 1985). However, the Lady Monarchs has missed the last three NCAA tournaments after playing in 17 in a row. School officials hope that Barefoot's record of turning around programs and her many ties to the Hampton Roads region where the campus is located will help restart the program's success. Last season, Elon was 20-13 under Barefoot's coaching.

And Karen is not the only real-life bearer of B.W.'s last name that has ties to sports in the commonwealth of Virginia:

• Bartley "Pretty Boy" Barefoot is co-host of a sports talk radio show in Norfolk with John "Johnny D" DeCandido. The 757 Club is an afternoon drive-time show.
• Ken Barefoot was a star tight end at Virginia Tech and played briefly in the NFL. In fact, Bob Boyles and Paul Guido listed him at the only tight end when compiling their all-time Hokies roster in their book The USA Today Encyclopedia of College Football.
  

All three Barefoots are originally from the Hampton Roads area, which include Chesapeake, Norfolk, Hampton, and Virginia Beach. However, none are directly related to each other.

Barenaked ladies and a blast from the past

OK, so it's been more than a month since I've been here, but the finale of The Celebrity Apprentice tonight on NBC gives me an excuse to do things: put up a picture of my made-up doo wop band called the Barenaked Ladies, and share a quote from when the "other" group of the same name appeared on a past finale of this franchise, which was held in Los Angeles:

"Wouldn't it be great if these were real barenaked ladies performing?"

P.S. Welcome to theicedog from the506.com. Hope you enjoyed this post!

(In case you missed the earlier post, left to right are Vicky Lynn Hogan, Brandy Roderick, Tara Patrick, and Michelle Mitchell.)

Barefoot-McLamb Oscar ties - sort of

Some years ago, I stumbled upon a movie in which the last names of Barefoot and McLamb were in the same cast. And this is an actual film!

It was called Junebug and was released in 2005, ironically the same year my main character was "suspended" by NASCAR for portrayals in a fakeout movie I created called Rebel. (Oh, and Junebug is also Darrell Waltrip's nickname for Dale Earnhardt Jr., but that's another story entirely.)

The movie was about a Chicago art dealer who went to rural North Carolina to shop for rare artwork and found love instead. It stars David Kuhn as the dealer and Amy Adams as the love interest. Yes, the same Adams who has been nominated three times for an Academy Award, including this year for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in The Fighter. (Adams has yet to win.)

Dan McLamb and Amy Barefoot have small roles as, respectively, a "hollerin' man" and a woman in a shower. (Alongside Barefoot in that shower scene is Jill Wagner, currently field reporter on the ABC midseason novelty game show Wipeout.)

The full cast listing is here.

Good luck, Amy, and all the other nominees on February 27!

Here's a question for you...

What does the only person in history to win both a major pro sports championship and a major entertainment award have in common with the only basketball player in NCAA history, male or female, to record 2,000 points and 1,000 assists in his or her career?

OK, stop the "think music" from Jeopardy! The answer is: they share the same last name.

While Buddy Wayne Barefoot is a fictional character, Karen Barefoot is a real person. Her career numbers came at Division III Christopher Newport College in the Hampton Roads of Virginia, where she played in the early 1990s.

Today, she is the head women's basketball coach at Elon University in North Carolina. The nearest city to the campus is Burlington, about five miles away.

At these sites, you can read her official biography and see an interview with her from last season.