The Town of Murphy has honored Carl Pickens, one of its native sons, with special sign placements on both ends of U.S. 19/74. If you’re not familiar with his athletic accomplishments, please allow us to fill you in.
The late Bulldogs announcer J.R. Carroll said watching Pickens perform in high school was like seeing a man taking on boys; in addition to his athletic ability, Pickens also had a determination and drive that set him apart. He starred in basketball and track and field, setting records in high jump, but the football field is where Pickens left his biggest mark.
Pickens was an exceptional wide receiver, leading Murphy High School to state football championships in 1986-87. He owns school career records with 154 receptions for 3,066 yards; and in 1987 set single-season high marks of 71 receptions for 1,536 yards and 20 touchdowns.
The University of Tennessee came calling, and Pickens’ football success continued in college as a standout receiver from 1989-91, totaling 109 receptions for 1,875 yards and 13 touchdowns. That led him to being a first-round draft choice of the Cincinnati Bengals in 1992, then being inducted into the Volunteers’ Athletic Hall of Fame in 2023.
While playing with the Bengals, Pickens was twice named to the All-Pro team. In 1995, he pulled down 99 catches for 1,234 receiving yards and a franchise-record 17 touchdowns; in 1996, he broke his own single-season reception record by grabbing an even 100 passes.
Because of his prowess on the field – as well as his character, community service and mentoring off the field – the Murphy Town Council approved a resolution for the signs on June 2. It took the N.C. Department of Transportation until January to make and install the green signs.
“We are proud to display these new ‘Welcome to Murphy – Home of Carl Pickens’ signs as a long-overdue way to recognize his achievements and the pride he continues to bring to our community,” Murphy Mayor Tim Radford said.
For his part, the humble Pickens made sure to tell the Cherokee Scout on Jan. 19 that the signs were not his idea. That’s another reason why he deserves them.
Safer internet needed
Safer Internet Day is Tuesday, Feb. 10, a global day of action dedicated to promoting safer and more positive online experiences. It’s an opportunity to start a conversation about online safety within homes, schools, workplaces and communities, as well as to educate ourselves about how to be safer.
Roughly 1 in 5 U.S. teenagers say they are on TikTok and YouTube almost constantly. Dr. Garth Graham, global head of YouTube Health, has shared some new tools parents can use to set specific time limits; remotely set custom “Bedtime” and “Take a Break” reminders; and get public health insights on content blocking for a healthy digital environment.
A huge safety issue is people getting bad advice online. That’s why China requires social media influencers to possess and display verified professional licenses or qualifications before giving advice on “serious” topics such as health care, finance, law and education, which isn’t the worst idea for the U.S. to consider.
Wanted: Reporting
CBS News was once a hallmark of objective journalism, with Walker Cronkite often being held up as the industry standard from when he was at the helm of the CBS Evening News. Sadly, that is not the case today.
The new editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, said she will make the CBS news division “fit for purpose in the 21st century” at a staff meeting, where she outlined her strategy to overcome low ratings. That included the hiring of 18 paid commentators, while significant cuts are expected to be made in the actual newsroom, where real reporting actually takes place.
The airwaves don’t need even more people sharing their often uninformed opinions; the internet is overflowing with them, many who suffer from the Dunning-Kruger effect. That’s a cognitive bias where individuals with limited knowledge or competence in a domain greatly overestimate their own skills, stemming from a lack of self-awareness to recognize their own incompetence.
We don’t need more ramblings from people who think they’re the smartest person in the room. Instead, we need more journalists who tell the truth about those people. Cronkite is rolling over.
– Publisher David Brown