Highlights From the World of Sports
Like most sports fans, I was watching the Final Four getting played out over the weekend. Familiar schools, familiar coaches, the usual huge arena, but also some new faces. Did you catch the name of the big man for UConn (that's the University of Connecticut for you athletically unhip)? Meet Mr. Hazeem Thebeet, not your typical New Englander. No doubt I'm not the first to think of this, but if Mr. T. ever graduates or leaves the campus in order to take his game to, as they say, "the next level", someone is sure to write a headline reading "Thebeet Goes On". Sorry.
And speaking of basketball, did you see any of the footage that came from the Obama family's visit to the Queen last week? Nothing against Her Majesty, who never forgets her role in these things, but did you see her attempt to stand next to Michelle Obama? It made me wish someone would feed Michelle the post pass. She could have turned and dunked on the Queen, hat and all since she has about a foot on the diminutive monarch.
The northernmost city in California is a place called Crescent City. Up until lately it has been famous for only one thing - a tsunami that rolled through in 1964. You'd need a spuercomputer to know how it happened, but Crescent City, under 10,000 people, now has a person on the verge of fame. He's Roger McCovey, a high school heavyweight wrestler. It's amazing enough that he's a two-time state champion. He has also placed high in two national tournaments. All this in spite of his giving up 30 lb. or more in all his matches to guys who can weigh up to around 285 lb. Oh, the kid is muscular, all right, but he's more like 220 or so. He's obliged to be quicker and have superior technique to stay on top of opponents, who usually end up counting the overhead lights as he pins them. I tried wrestling as a teenager and can testify that per minute it's the most grueling af any sport not involving punching or climbing mountains. Good luck to young Mr. McCovey. He is a certified winner.
And speaking of certification, I decided to do something this year that I never have before. I'm keeping track, for no justifiable reason, of my tennis results. I don't know which was more surprising - that I played 33 sets in March, a month with plenty of rain and unpredictable wind, OR that 23 of those sets ended with a "W'. Maybe it doesn't say much for my opponents - guys who are losing to a corpulant grandpa who's now past 60. I guess it means they're certified losers.
And speaking of basketball, did you see any of the footage that came from the Obama family's visit to the Queen last week? Nothing against Her Majesty, who never forgets her role in these things, but did you see her attempt to stand next to Michelle Obama? It made me wish someone would feed Michelle the post pass. She could have turned and dunked on the Queen, hat and all since she has about a foot on the diminutive monarch.
The northernmost city in California is a place called Crescent City. Up until lately it has been famous for only one thing - a tsunami that rolled through in 1964. You'd need a spuercomputer to know how it happened, but Crescent City, under 10,000 people, now has a person on the verge of fame. He's Roger McCovey, a high school heavyweight wrestler. It's amazing enough that he's a two-time state champion. He has also placed high in two national tournaments. All this in spite of his giving up 30 lb. or more in all his matches to guys who can weigh up to around 285 lb. Oh, the kid is muscular, all right, but he's more like 220 or so. He's obliged to be quicker and have superior technique to stay on top of opponents, who usually end up counting the overhead lights as he pins them. I tried wrestling as a teenager and can testify that per minute it's the most grueling af any sport not involving punching or climbing mountains. Good luck to young Mr. McCovey. He is a certified winner.
And speaking of certification, I decided to do something this year that I never have before. I'm keeping track, for no justifiable reason, of my tennis results. I don't know which was more surprising - that I played 33 sets in March, a month with plenty of rain and unpredictable wind, OR that 23 of those sets ended with a "W'. Maybe it doesn't say much for my opponents - guys who are losing to a corpulant grandpa who's now past 60. I guess it means they're certified losers.
posted by Mark at 8:41 AM
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