Strong Feelings
Two Penn State University roommates were arguing over who was the greatest NBA player of all time, LaBron James or Michael Jordan. According to the DAILY COLLEGIAN, at 3:49 a.m. on a Saturday morning, university police arrested 22-year-old Daniel Mondelice. He and his roommate had some beers and were debating the Jordan-James question when Mondelice physically assaulted his roommate. Mondelice was arrested for aggravated assault, simple assault, and making terrorist threats. After he bonded out of jail on Sunday morning, Mondelice was rearrested later in the day for criminal trespass. He refused to leave an acquaintance’s apartment after becoming belligerent there. He was not released until the following Monday afternoon. The age-old argument about which of the two players is the greatest will probably never really be resolved.
Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow has signed a one year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles for the 2015 NFL season. The former Heisman Trophy winner from the University of Florida is hoping for another shot at winning a starting quarterbacks job in the NFL. After becoming the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy in 2007, Tebow was drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2010. While showing some on the field leadership qualities and strong running ability with Denver, including leading the Broncos to a playoff win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2011, his passing mechanics and throwing accuracy were severely criticized. When the Broncos acquired Peyton Manning, they traded Tebow to the New York Jets in 2012. Tebow backed up Mark Sanchez, but two broken ribs kept him from any long term action. He was released by the Jets at the end of the 2012 season. He played the 2013 preseason with the New England Patriots but a 47.2 passer rating and 32.7 percent completion average led to his being cut in the final cut down before the regular season. Tebow currently works as a college football analyst for ESPN.
Tim Tebow is an outspoken and sometimes forceful advocate for his conservative Christian faith, which has won him many fans as well as some detractors. While with the University of Florida and Bronco football teams, Tebow would drop to his knees in prayer while placing his left arm on his bent left knee in a form of genuflection after a successful play. The practice came to be known as Tebowing. Tebow has trademarked the name. He has witnessed for pre-martial abstinence and holds strongly pro-birth views. He has spoken in prisons, churches, schools, in senior homes, and with youth groups about his Christian faith. Tebow appeared in a controversial ad during the half time of Superbowl XLIV in 2010 that was sponsored by the conservative Focus On Family organization. A number of groups considered the ad pro-birth and there was both support and criticism of the ad. Many of Tebow’s fans feel that there is some sort of media conspiracy to torpedo Tebow’s career because of his Christian beliefs and conservative views. Let us hope that this opportunity with the Philadelphia Eagles will help Tim Tebow show football fans once and for all that he has what it takes to be a starting NFL quarterback, and put to rest any doubts that he is being critiqued for anything other then his quarterbacking abilities.
Watch Your Mouth
If you keep track of such things, Cincinnati Reds Manager Bryan Price recently dropped the F-bomb 77 times in a 5 minute rant against Cincinnati Inquirer beat writer Trent Rosecrans for an article Rosecrans had written that revealed that Reds catcher Devin Masoraco was injured and would not be able to play. Price felt (very strongly, apparently) that it wasn’t Rosecrans or the Inquirer’s business to alert fans and opposing teams, of course, to such information, which could be used against the ball club in a game strategy. Rosecrans caught the whole thing on tape and has shared it with the world. In Major League Baseball using the uh…magic word..as it were, in a public dissertation will always get the user a monetary fine, but 77 times in one outburst could cost the Reds Manager his entire year’s salary.
Long Beach Grand Prix
Last Sunday was the Grand Prix of Long Beach, which is the third race of the 2015 IndyCar season. The Penske team dominated the practice and qualified again. This time it was Penske’s senior driver Helio Castroneves who grabbed the pole. He is the third Penske driver in three races to start from the pole position. The last time Castroneves started from the Long Beach pole was in 2001. It was also the only time he won the race. Next to Helio was his Penske teammate Juan Pablo Montoya. The Chevrolet engines took seven of the top ten starting positions, with Ryan Hunter-Reay in fourth spot as the fastest Honda. The qualifying surprise was Will Power, who had the fastest practice time Friday, would have to start in eighteenth position. Power had been caught off time in the accident-shortened qualifying session. Twenty-two year old Conor Daly, the son of retired driver and racing analyst Derek Daly, replaced Rocky Moran Jr. in the Dale Coyne Honda after Moran broke his thumb in a practice accident. Moran himself had been named to replace Carlos Huertas. For Daly, it was only his second start in an Indy Car. He competed in the 2013 Indianapolis 500 for A. J. Foyt. Daly won the 2011 Indy Lights race at Long Beach.
It was a perfect day for racing as the green flag dropped. As expected, Castroneves jumped into the lead. Scott Dixon slipped by Montoya to take second. Helio led the first twenty nine laps, then the first pit sequence occurred. Castroneves made a quick stop but was cut off by Tony Kanaan entering his pit. That was enough for Dixon to grab the lead on lap 34. From that point on, Dixon was in command of the race. Dixon’s luck at Long Beach had been pretty thin, with only a fourth place finish in 2010 as his best previous finish, so you could say that he was due for a win there. Next to Indy, the Long Beach Grand Prix is probably the series’ most popular race. It is certainly the series’ most highly regarded street course race. On Sunday, there were a few yellow lights for a couple of stalls and a spin out, but no major incidents and no controversy. It was a good clean race — Castroneves finished second, Montoya was third, and Simon Pagenard was fourth, giving Team Penske 2-3-4 in the race. Kanaan finished fifth. The best Honda finish belonged to Marco Andretti with an eighth place finish. It was a rough day for Ryan Hunter-Reay who just could not seem to get his Honda powered car on track. He finished thirteenth. Will Power slugged it out in twentieth position most of the race and that’s where he finished. All 23 starters were running at the end of the race.
With his third place finish, Juan Pablo Montoya remains the point leader in the series with 119 points. Castroneves is second with 116 points. Kanaan is third with 93 points, and Dixon jumped from fifteen to fourth with 87 points. The next stop for the Indy Cars is Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama.
Fever Draft Picks
The WNBA College Draft was conducted on April 16 and Notre Dame’s guard Jewell Loyd was the first overall pick taken by the Seattle Storm. The Indiana Fever held only one pick in the three rounds, and that was in the second round or the twenty first pick overall. Their pick was Kansas University forward Chelsea Gardner. The 22-year-old Texan made the All Big Ten Team in 2014 and 15 and Honorable Mention All American. She is considered a strong defensive player who can guard, rebound, and block shots. She has 60 career starts at Kansas, with 612 total rebounds and 124 blocked shots, which is sixth on the all time woman’s basketball list. She is twelfth on the Kansas women’s basketball all-time scoring list with 1,518. So welcome to Indiana Chelsea.
snicewanger@yahoo.com