The answer, so far, is no

by Brandon King

Two weeks ago Bryce Harper came back from Tommy John surgery. Two weeks ago I asked “Is Harper truly not Human or will we never see the same Bryce Harper again?”

In those two weeks he has shown it is that he’s not human. It’s still very early but Harper has already put his name into the All- Star race. Now this doesn’t mean the Phillies have had great success this year but Harper being back has definitely helped this team. MV3 is currently getting a hit one in every three times he gets to the plate. A player is considered good with anything about .250 and higher.

As of May 15th Harper has played in 10 games, he hasn’t played any time in the field of course but he has made impacts in other ways.

Harper has had 13 hits with 5 of them being extra base hits (a double or better) and two of those being home runs. This is just 172 days after his surgery. Harper has definitely been itching to get back to business and has always been competitive; I think all Philly

Bicyclists & pedestrians: Be alert this summer

During the pandemic, bicycling grew in popularity – setting up a potentially dangerous combination of more cyclists on the road as driving returns to prepandemic levels. Nationally, bicyclists killed in crashes with vehicles increased 36 percent from 2010 to 2018 with most of them occurring among male riders 20 years and older, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Additionally, more than 48,000 cyclists are injured in roadway crashes each year. While biking is a great way to save money and stay healthy, it can be a dangerous pastime, if motorists and cyclists do

Mark Zuckerberg, Jiu-Jitsu Champ

by Matthew Paris

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has become an extremely popular sport, and you may be familiar with the names of stars, such as Conner McGregor and Rhonda Rousey. But many fighters also compete as amateurs, and one of those amateurs gained an international reputation in another pursuit. It’s Facebook founder and META CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Zuckerberg appeared in his first-ever Jiu-Jitsu competition earlier this month. Held in Redwood City, California. Zuckerberg competed well, taking home gold and silver medals in his age range and weight range. He outlasted opponents in two lightweight divisions to secure medals.

Zuckerberg began training during the COVID-19 pandemic under the guidance of Khai Wu and James Terry, and he got better and better at the sport. Today, Zuckerberg competes on the “Guerilla Jiu-Jitsu” team founded and led by Judo and BJJ black belt master Dave Camarillo.

Many celebrities tweeted in support of Zuckerberg, congratulating him on his accomplishments. So way to go Mark… fans gasped when Harper got involved in a bench clearing dugout fight with Harper right in the middle. Has this meant success for the Phillies though? Yes and no, they are still a .500 ball club and have gone 5-5 since Harper has come back. Now don’t lose hope Philly fans because they started out 0-4 in Bryce’s first four games then won 5 out of 6 after. Other teammates have also contributed to this as well, most notably Alec Bohm who has completely turned heads and also has fans considering his name for allstar. Bohm is currently batting .278 with 5 home runs and is one of those guys who always seems to be smiling and being a team player. This has been a complete turnaround after fans caught him saying “ I f***ing hate this place” last season. Will the Phillies be able to get over the hump or are the Phillies back to being a sub-par team? not share the road properly. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, crashes involving a bicycle saw an 8% increase to 24 fatalities in 2021.

Mathew Paris’ columns appear regularly in The Sports Column.

“As more and more vehicles and bicycles return to the road, it’s extremely important that both motorists and cyclists use extra caution,” says Theresa Podguski, director of legislative affairs, AAA East Central. “A large percentage of crashes can be avoided if motorists and cyclists follow the rules of the road and watch out for each other.”

AAA and PennDOT

Suggest Bicyclists:

• Ride on the roadway or shared pathways, rather than on sidewalks.

• Follow the same rules of the road as other roadway users, including riding in the same direction as traffic and following all the same traffic signs and signals.

• Signal all turns.

• Wear a bicycle helmet every time and on every ride. Nearly all bicyclists who died from a collision were not wearing helmets.

• Be visible by wearing bright colors during the day, reflective gear in low light conditions, and use head and tail-lights at night.

• Remember that respect is a twoway street. Show motorists the same courtesy that you expect from them.

May 1 through May 14 marked PA’s pedestrian enforcement wave. The effort brings attention to pedestrian safety, from both the motorists and pedestrian perspective.

On average, nearly 6,000 pedestrians lose their lives each year, accounting for 16% of all traffic deaths, a percentage that has steadily grown since 2010.

Time of day and location are contributing factors to pedestrian fatalities; however, vehicle speed also plays a major role. Previous research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that pedestrians are at greater risk for severe injury or death the faster a car is traveling at the time of impact. For example, a pedestrian hit by a vehicle traveling at 20 mph has an 18% risk of severe injury or death. Increase that by just 10 mph to 30 mph and the risk more than doubles to 47%.

Walking can lead to healthier, quieter, cleaner, and safer streets. Unfortunately, according to PennDOT, pedestrians crash fatalities across PA increased by 19 percent to 182 fatalities in 2021.

AAA and PennDOT

Suggest Pedestrians:

• Be visible to drivers at all times, making eye contact with them whenever possible.

• Avoid distractions. Put the phone down, and don’t wear headphones to stay aware of your surroundings.

• Follow all traffic rules, signs, and signals.

• Use crosswalks and sidewalks. Avoid walking along highways or other roadways where pedestrians are prohibited.

• Avoid alcohol consumption which can impair decision-making.

Comets win District tennis matches

Crestwood’s Noah Ceklosky and Tommy Biscotti both won first-round matches at the District 2 Class 3A Boys’ Singles Tennis Championships at Kirby Park.

Ceklosky outlasted Wyoming Valley West’s Max Saporito 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 to advance to the second round. There he ran into Abington Heights’ topseeded Praneel Mallaiah, who scored a 6-0, 6-0 straight sets victory.

Biscotti rallied past Scranton’s Harrison Kubilus 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 for his openinground win. In the second round, Delaware Valley six-seed Michael Richards prevailed 6-4, 6-0 to move on to the semifinals.