Thunder Ridge live harness racing entered the eighth and final week of the racing season this Thursday and will run thru Saturday.
The next stop for the majority of the horses stabled at Thunder Ridge will be The Red Mile in Lexington, where racing opens the second week in August.
Despite overwhelming temperatures in the high 90’s, a full field of drivers in four divisions filled the spacious pits of the 201 Speedway with another crowd of dedicated dirt track fans lining the open seating and grandstands for what would prove to be another great night of racing at 201 which saw the first green flag of the night at 8:30, and following another well organized race by the 201 Crew and cooperation of drivers, ended just after 10:30. Jul 30, 2010, 08:00
John Doug Miller, 47, of Hager Hill, will be the new Head Coach of the Paintsville Tigers’ Baseball Team, according to an official announcement released by the school system Wednesday. Jul 30, 2010, 08:00
Bob Watkins
Sherrod flap prompts a look at racial realities and myths in sports
Shirley Sherrod’s firing at Dept. of Agriculture last week ignited America’s ugly history of racism into a media frenzy again. As the talking heads talked, Sherrod’s remarks reminded me of Rodney King’s “can’t we all just live together?” in 1991.
As apologies flowed in Sherrod’s clarification to television, teevee heads were sobering. Yet, much as King’s call in ‘91 came well after facts that he had broken the law, Sherrod’s speech to an NAACP years ago, even in broader context, was racially abrasive with a hint of arrogance.
The Sherrod uproar prods us to ask: In sports and sports media, how are we doing toward building bridges to racial harmony?
By commission and omission, not nearly enough.
Too many star-struck sports writers waste too many superlatives on glorifying the ME in athletics today. ESPN is the latest culprit, prostituting itself to LeBron James’ ego and creating enormous disgust and resentment. Damaged the network’s credibility too.
Too many columnists and television personalities swoon over and anoint superstars too soon then watch them fall back to earth – Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens, Marion Jones, Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, Floyd Landis, LeBron James, Kelvin Sampson, Rick Pitino and the list goes on.
When the storms subside, many pull on cloaks of wise men and wax self-righteous.
Then come the resurrectors. Media-types who get an exclusive interview with, say, Floyd Landis as ABC-Nightline did last week, allowing the disgraced bicyclist a half hour to say “I’m really sorry for lying and yes Lance Armstrong doped too,” all $andwiched around advertisements.
Two weeks ago basketballer Chris Washburn emerged from the ashes for resurrection treatment. A confessed coke-head who used North Carolina State to get to the NBA where he took millions of dollars , Washburn snorted it all away. A nothing story.
Sports in America today ... changes I would like to see:
• More Williamsport styled love-of-the-we and less glorification of the ME in team sports.
• More praise for a player who tackles an opponent, helps him up, and skips the look-at-me jive!
• More media criticism for bad behavior, bad sportsmanship on court, particularly coaches.
• Less wink-and-nod coverage of end zone idiocy, on-court chest thump and arguing with officials.
• Fewer ex-coaches and ex-players in broadcast booths schmoozing over too many coaches and players.
• And, sports section managers transfer mega-bucks-for-athletes stories to the business section.
More changes ...
• As writers and editors delete salty language from copy, edit out apartheid words African-American, Mexican-American, Asian-American, Native-American.
Until Anglo-American is included to describe white skinned athletes and coaches, word American can stand alone, can’t it?
Kentuckians ought ask ourselves – what’s most important about Joker Phillips, Charlie Strong and Willie Taggart? UK UofL and WKU have first time head coaches arrived at a time in history to make history. Period.
Any emphasis on skin color is as wrong-headed and silly as a newspaper account saying UK, UofL and WKU have had coaches take teams to a Final Four. Joe B. Hall, Denny Crum and John Oldham are all white guys.
• A myth debunked. I would like to see the NCAA basketball men’s title game in 1966 – Texas Western defeated Kentucky, period. So-called all-white and all-black college teams competed against each other as early as the 1940s.
Real genesis of racial change in college hoops happened March 28, 1963 in East Lansing, Michigan when Mississippi State team captain Joe Dan Gold shook hands with Loyola of Chicago’s Jerry Harkness at center-court before a region tournament game.
State’s team had defied its school president, segregationists across the south, and the KKK, to slip out of Mississippi to play a game. The Gold-Harkness handshake symbolized change-is-coming to scant media coverage. Result? Hateful allegations three years later that left a stain on Adolph Rupp and Kentucky. Damaged recruiting also.
Epilogue: Racial harmony possibilities in sports today? Find a copy of Sports Illustrated, July 26. Turn to page 54 and read The Unexpected Hero.
MORE TRIPLES
A column item last week brought quite a response. Sports in threes in Kentucky. This week ...
• Basketball. Three of Top 15 winningest programs nationally Kentucky, Louisville and Western Kentucky University.
• Three coaches in Kentucky took teams to an NCAA Final Four. Joe B. Hall, Denny Crum and John Oldham.
• WKU basketball. Three Hilltoppers played in the NCAA and NIT Tournaments and later coached at Western. John Oldham, Clem Haskins and Darrin Horn.
• Haskins Family. Clem, daughter Clemette, and brother Paul played at Western Kentucky. Clem and Clemette were All-Americans.
• Birds. Hall of fame football stars Calvin, Bill and Rodger Bird were scholarship players at Kentucky. Brother Jerry has his No. 22 jersey hanging in Rupp Arena.
READERS (RIGHT) WRITE
About triples-in-Kentucky ...
Larry VanHoose – “I grew up in Paintsville listening to J.B. Faulconer broadcast UK games during perhaps the greatest era of Wildcat football and basketball, 1946-1955. I believe he deserves inclusion in your trio.”
Comment. Before Claude Sullivan and Cawood Ledford, Faulconer was radio voice of the Kentucky Wildcats during the Terrible Trio’s march to the school’s lone unbeaten season, 25-0 in 1954. And, Faulconer was on hand to broadcast nine consecutive winning football seasons under Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant.
PARTING SHOT
The Voice. Bob Sheppard left us the other day. The New York Yankees’ revered public address announcer was called the Voice Of God because of his reverend, no-glitz introductions and announcements.
Without bringing attention to himself, Sheppard became a part of Yankee tradition and dignity.
“An announcer,” he said, “should be clear, concise, correct. He should not be colorful, cute or comic.”
Obviously qualities tossed aside as relics at UK basketball games in Rupp Arena and Louisville Cardinal games in Freedom Hall.
And so it goes.
Sports In Kentucky appears in community newspapers across Kentucky. You can reach bob Watkins at Sprtsinky@aol.com
