The C word (character) often is difficult to notice in professional sports, perhaps because we are so conditioned to accept the S word (selfish) when describing athletes. Things such as heart and effort and accountability aren’t how we usually first depict those with tens of millions attached to their bank accounts for playing a game.
Horseplayers from coast to coast will be raring to go today after racing was completely dark the past two days because of the holiday.
Happy holidays to all. May the season be joyous for you and your family. And if you are one of the many who went fishing or waterfowl hunting this morning, I hope the dog house is dry and warm. You might need it.
You will hear more about the 3-pointers today, about Wink Adams busting his slump against Arizona’s basketball team, about the lead growing to as many as 22 points in the second half, about the Rebels earning what NCAA Tournament selection committee members would consider a quality win come March.
Mike Stoops arrived in town with his Arizona football team Tuesday evening, put the Wildcats through a snow-flurried practice the following morning, stepped inside the Lied Athletic Complex at UNLV and answered questions about his program’s first bowl game in a decade.
Richard Shapiro’s resignation this week as chairman of the California Horse Racing Board caught everyone by surprise. He had just been appointed to a second four-year term by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
There is a Hawaiian legend about mythical creatures who wander island forests at night, using their vast strength for achievements in engineering and construction before the sun rises. They are said to be no more than 2 feet tall, and some reach just 6 inches. Magical little people.
In late November, I received an e-mail from Bill Schnuckel, a Henderson resident since 1981. Schnuckel, like so many Southern Nevadans during the past year or so, had fallen victim to the Bureau of Land Management’s off-highway travel closure that surrounds the greater Las Vegas area. He was preparing to make his initial appearance in federal court.
The more I am around Billy Johnson, the more I’m convinced he was the kid in school who orchestrated the prank in the girls’ locker room and then glanced disapprovingly at a classmate when the principal asked the perpetrators to step forward.
