Falcons player pays for surgery for TV guy’s dog
An Atlanta Falcons tight end who played college football for South Carolina has paid a big chunk of the veterinary bill for a South Carolina TV sports director’s rescue dog.
The second-year player Hayden Hurst footed $3,000 of the $5,000-plus bill for
Wilbur, an Irish settler/golden retriever mix belonging to Mike Gillespie of WOLO-TV in Columbia. The dog needed surgery to remove a life-threatening intestinal blockage, according to the Gofundme page created to help raise money for Wilbur’s care. and
“Hopefully Wilbur Hayden can meet someday, because honestly, he saved his life,” Gillespie, who adopted the abandoned dog four years ago, told The Post and Courier.
Gillespie said that when his girlfriend suggested an online fundraiser he was reluctant to tell people he couldn’t afford the emergency surgery for Wilbur. But they posted it Monday, it had reached $2,000 by 11 a.m. Tuesday, and then Hurst put in the rest.
Wilbur underwent surgery on Wednesday, Gillespie said.
He said he knew Hurst when the athlete was South Carolina’s battering-ram tight end from 2015-17, but the relationship was strictly reporter-athlete.
“That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for us,” Gillespie tweeted to Hurst. “I have no idea how to repay you or what we did to deserve this, but we’re so thankful, especially Wilbur.”
Hurst replied, “No need. I know someone out there would do the same for me and my pups.”
Trivia question
On this date in 1993, Tom Glavine of the Atlanta Braves won his 20th game of the season and went on to lead the National League with 22 victories. Only one other pitcher in the last 50 seasons has led his league in victories for three straight years. Who was he?
That’s gotta hurt
Having ridden nearly 3,200 kilometers (almost 2,000 miles), over four mountain ranges, Tour de France rider Lukas Postlberger was forced by a bee sting to the mouth to abandon Friday with the finish in Paris just two days away.
The Austrian rider, who has devoted his Tour to helping team leader Peter Sagan in his quest for the race’s green jersey, suffered an allergic reaction to the sting. He was taken to the hospital but quickly recovered and “is already feeling better again,” his Bora-hansgrohe team said.
“Our team doc had him just on the phone and we can confirm nobody has to worry anymore. But thank you for all our support!” the team said.
The 28-year-old Postlberger was riding his third Tour. He also abandoned last year, on Stage 18.
He said it
From RJ Currie of Sportsdeke.com: “Cafe 3.440 is a restaurant set 3,400 metres (11,000 ft.) up the Alps in Austria’s Wildspitze Mountain ski resort. It’s said to have great food but not much atmosphere.”
Trivia answer
The Orioles’ Jim Palmer was 23-11 in 1975, 22-13 in ’76 and 20-11 the following season, leading the American League each time. In all, the Hall of Fame pitcher was 268-152, winning 20 games eight different times.