The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Red, white and blues
A star-spangled edition of Half-Baked Jake
She stepped away from basketball at the pinnacle of her career. She dedicated her life to freeing a man who had been unfairly sentenced to 50 years in prison. What Maya Moore has done is an epic American story. The definition of moral strength and greatness. When Jonathan Irons was released Wednesday in Jefferson City, Mo., Moore dropped to her knees. We should all stand and applaud her.
Look around. Tiffany Hayes, Renee Montgomery, Tina Charles, Sue Bird, Stefanie Dolson, Breanna Stewart — whether it’s LGBT rights or sexual abuse or racial injustice, the list of UConn women’s basketball players who have made public statements is remarkable.
“It is remarkable and unusual,” former UConn president Susan Herbst said. “So much of it is due to Geno Auriemma. I believe Geno has done more for women’s college sports than almost anyone. He is inside and outside. He believes talking to the press, talking about the hard issues, whether it’s social issues or the way kids are today or the hard path for women in the world, he always has been so ready to talk candidly. For a college president, it’s ‘OK, let’s open the newspaper here and see where this is going today …’ ”
Herbst laughs.
“But we’re so proud of how he engages hard issues beyond Storrs. These are outstanding women with great families before they came to UConn, but I think Geno, without telling them to do these kind of things, instilled them with the values that, ‘You guys have to win for UConn, work hard, be great students and you’re part of this bigger world. Not only for public service around town, visiting hospitals, it’s bigger than that. You’re bigger than that. I’m turning you into a leader.’ It’s wonderful, but it’s not surprising.”
News: After decades of debate, the Washington Redskins are expected to change their team name. Views: Jack Kent Cooke said never. Daniel Snyder
said never. Well, the sea change following George Floyd’s death and FedEx, the team’s top sponsor, pressing to dump the name proved never wasn’t forever. Red Tails should be a no-brainer. Keeps the word red. Honors military. Honors the Tuskegee Airmen. Red-tailed hawk can be the mascot. The famous fight song can easily be adjusted to “Hail to the Red Tails.” Next up, the Cleveland Indians reviewing their name. Yes, A Change Is Gonna Come.
There was some eyerolling when the Ivy League was the first to cancel its tournaments and spring sports because of COVID-19. Yet within a few days, some of the smartest people in the world looked like, well, the smartest people in the world. So the Ivy League’s announcement Wednesday on fall sports is worth watching for a lot of reasons. Reports point to a conference-only schedule in the spring for football. Looking forward to covering The Game in short sleeves. … Pickle ice cream. Pickle ice cream? Really? What’s next? Anchovy Skittles? … Although it was forced off the Coney Island boardwalk into an airconditioned warehouse with no fans, COVID-19 could not stop Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog-Eating Contest. Gluttony rules! Torrington’s Nick Wehry, who once ate 46 moon pies in eight minutes, finished third behind Joey Chestnut (world-record 75 hot dogs in 10 minutes). Wehry’s girlfriend, Miki Sudo, won her seventh straight women’s competition with a record 481⁄2. One regret: Dr. Fauci didn’t mandate competitors to consume the franks through a small hole in masks. Would have been truly gross, but, you know, safety first.
Bill Belichick has a long history of signing talented players with question marks next to their name. Some (Randy Moss, Corey Dillon) work out great. Others (Chad Johnson, Antonio Brown) don’t. A one-year deal for Cam Newton has so few risks and so much potential upside, the only question was why not sign him? This, I’m sure: Arguments whether Belichick will get mad if Newton scores and does his Superman act are a ridiculous waste of everyone’s time. … Something far better than pickle ice cream: Teqball. Yes, teqball Invented by two Hungarians in 2014, it’s essentially soccer and ping pong combined. Watched the highlights of the 2019 world championship. Terrific.
Should be fast-tracked to the Olympics. Should be a Division I sport when schools start adding sports again in, oh, 2525. … Prediction: The number of colleges in 10 years offering 85 football scholarships will be 50.
Have gotten a few emails from parents whose kids had their sports dropped at UConn. Their stories are every bit as heartbreaking as seniors who lost their spring sports to COVID. Oh, sorry, not allowed to feel sadness. UConn is in the Big East! … My name is Half-Baked Jake and I’m a cerealaholic. Finally quit sugar cereals but have been averaging four bowls of Cheerios daily since COVID. No side effects beyond the urge to work the words voodoo, booboo and Big O (Oscar Robertson) into every column. … News: Makur Maker chooses Howard over UCLA, Kentucky and Memphis to become the first modern five-star recruit to commit to an HBCU program. Views: Saw some sniping on social media. Why? It’s a terrific thing. It may not turn out to be a trend, but it’s a deserved boost for Black colleges. There are more than enough players for everyone. Bronny James, LeBron’s son, may follow to an HBCU. … Here’s one bet if the Yankees, Dodgers or Astros win the World Series, people will remember the 2020 season as quirky. If a dark horse like the A’s, Reds or Padres win, calls for asterisks will be everywhere … Sucks on the weekend of a cool NASCAR-Indy Car doubleheader, seven-time Cup champ Jimmie Johnson, trying to tie Jeff Gordon and Michael Schumacher as the only fivetime winners at Indianapolis, tested positive for COVID. Soon to retire from full-time competition, Johnson had made 663 consecutive Cup starts, longest among active drivers. Again, COVID plays no favorites.
Watching Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports trying to navigate the cancel-culture “haters” vs. the cancelnothing culture of his Stoolies this past week was fascinating. El Presidente turned into El Tap Dancer. Never thought I’d see that. … Did coming out of hiding to cover the Travelers Championship embarrass me into getting a haircut? Nope. Now, I’m under orders from the wife. Evidently, Half-Baked came into COVID looking like Bill Maher and emerged as Doc Brown from “Back to the Future.”
According to Boston Strong, a Red Sox fan page on Twitter, Bethel’s Matt Barnes has requested the Red Sox make a name presentation change to Matthew Barnes. This is serious Connecticut historical MLB stuff. Does this mean Kiddo Davis (born 1902, Bridgeport) must be called George now? Beauty McGowan (b. 1901, Branford) is Frank? Squiz Pillion (b. 1894, Hartford) is Cecil? Pretzel Pezzulo (b. 1910, Bridgeport) is John? … Tucker Carlson and Jesse Watters went to Trinity. Brad Pitt and Half-Baked went to Mizzou. Just sayin’ … After watching family pets shake in fear for decades, my proposal: All fireworks should be legalized IF dogs and cats can sneak into bedrooms at 2 a.m. and set off firecrackers while the pyrotechnic heroes are asleep.
Saw this from Brendan McGair of the Pawtucket Times/Woonsocket Call. For his 43rd birthday June 25, Jon Pincince ran 74 miles in one day to raise more than $10,000 for the Nonviolence Institute in Providence. His brother Chris, New Haven football coach, joined him for a 10.5-mile leg. “What Jon did was incredibly impressive and crazy and nuts and cool all at the same time,” his brother Tom, interim AD at Central Connecticut, texted Half-Baked. “Of course, his plan was for 80 miles (the entire NorthSouth Trail), so he’s already talking about when he can do it again.”
Pete Burns of ESPN/SEC Network tweeted: “What’s your favorite random sports stat that blows your mind every time you see it?” Some great answers: Roger Maris 1961, zero intentional walks … More men have walked on the moon (12) than scored against Mariano Rivera (11) in the postseason … Stan Musial had 1,815 hits at home, 1,815 on the road … If Wayne Gretzky never scored a goal, he’d still be the all-time NHL leading scorer … Jerry Rice caught 93 passes at age 40. Second? Tom Brady and Brett Favre with one … Since 1898, one Kansas basketball coach has had a losing record. James Naismith. He invented the game. … Everyone has a most embarrassing moment. Half-Baked has had his share of candidates. No. 1? After a large Easter dinner I ducked into a port-a-potty. Sat down, doing my business when suddenly I felt this awful sting on my rear end. A wasp came flying out of the slop. Half-Baked went flying out of there, shouting, pulling up my trousers, toilet paper rolling on the grass. Let me know your moment.