Frank Fletcher is a successful businessman who cares.
The Arkansas Business Hall of Famer is hands-on with his car dealerships, restaurants, hotel or any other enterprise in which he's involved.
He loves horse racing, which is about the only thing that will keep him away from an Arkansas Razorbacks football game, and even then it has to be a big race such as the Breeders' Cup. He's also a season-ticket holder for basketball.
He's an adviser and personal friend to former and current Razorback coaches. Coaches may come and go, but they stay a friend of Fletcher's.
Fletcher graduated from the UA and despite growing his business, Cheyenne/Silverwood Industries, into an international company -- which he sold in 2010 -- he's kept his roots at home in Arkansas and his sports passion alive with the Razorbacks.
Before Bret Bielema's first season, Fletcher vowed he would give away a car every month of the next year if the Hogs didn't win an SEC game.
The Razorbacks went 0-8 in the SEC in 2013, and he gave away 12 cars the next year. To be eligible, a person just had to drop by a dealership each month and fill out an entry form.
Last week, his pride in the Hogs popped up again, and this time he has promised to give away $100,000 worth of cars if the Razorbacks beat Alabama in Fayetteville on Oct. 8.
The last Hogs victory over the Crimson Tide was 2006.
Details on how he will give the cars away will be announced the week after the game if the Razorbacks win.
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Another successful car man was in the news recently when it was announced Steve Landers had been appointed to the Arkansas Racing Commission by Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
Landers started selling cars when he was 17 and has never looked back.
Like many Arkansans, he became interested in horse racing through Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs and started with owning partnerships in horses. In 2014, he started building up his stable with trainer Brad Cox.
The Arkansas Racing Commission oversees Oaklawn Park and Southland greyhound racing track in West Memphis.
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Last week, one of the all-time great softball players in Arkansas, and an all-around great guy, died.
Carroll "Hambone" Hambric played softball for three decades and played in five national tournaments, hitting home runs in each one.
He was the first baseman for nationally ranked Glenn Brothers Trucking for several years and while he could have played anywhere in the country, he chose to stay home in Benton where he was a successful home builder.
When he came home from Vietnam he had grown 5 inches and added 40 pounds of muscle. He also coached youth league baseball for many years. A dedicated husband, father, grandfather and friend, he will be missed by all who knew him.
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Last week when writing about Arkansas and Arkansas State not playing, it was reported here that ASU Athletic Director Terry Mohajir had hired the past four football coaches for the Red Wolves.
That was a brain freeze, although one emailer thought it was intentional as some sort of slap at ASU.
Former AD Dean Lee hired Hugh Freeze and Gus Malzahn.
Both left after one season to become head coaches in the SEC: Freeze at Ole Miss and Malzahn at Auburn.
Mohajir hired Bryan Harsin, who stayed one year and then left for Boise State, which paid the Red Wolves a $1.75 million buyout.
All three of those coaches took ASU to postseason bowl games.
In 2014, Blake Anderson was hired, and he has led the Red Wolves to two consecutive bowls. Anderson has a hefty and extensive buyout in his contract.
Sports on 08/03/2016