content Don Vaughan
| 4 | Full Body Workout
PuBlISHER
Cindy Cowan Thiele EDITOR
Rick Hoerner Tom Yost Dorothy Nobis
As the calendar has now turned from 14 to 15, the New Year brings about the time to reflect on the past and set goals for the future. As hope springs eternal the human race notoriously writes their resolutions down in an attempt to make themselves better.
CONTRIBuTING WRITERS
Curtis Benally Josh Bishop CONTRIBuTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Suzanne Thurman DESIGNER
Shelly Acosta Clint Alexander Aimee Velasquez
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Living the Dream
Angela Magana knew, at an unusually young age, what she wanted to be when she grew up. “I have wanted to be a professional fighter ever since I was 5 years old watching movies like Kickboxer and Bloodsport,” explained Magana.
SAlES STAFF For advertising information Call 505.516.1230
www.fourcornerssports.com
| 12 | Youth Wrestling
| 22 | New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame
Melissa Meechan is a busy wife, mother and community leader.
STORY IDEAS and PHOTOS Please send to editor@tricitytribuneusa.com
Majestic Media 100 W. Apache Street Farmington, NM 87401 505.516.1230 www.majesticmediausa.com Four Corners Sports magazine is published once a month by Majestic Media. Material herein may not be reprinted without expressed written consent of the publisher. Opinions expressed by the contributing writers are not necessarily those of the publisher, editor or Four Corners Sports magazine. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication. However the publisher cannot assume responsibility for errors or ommissions. © 2015 Four Corners Sports magazine.
| 26 | 10 Questions
| 13 | It all started with Smokey
with Melissa Meechan
Smokey lyon sat at his kitchen table looking through books that held his memories. There would be a chuckle, then lyon would share a memory brought back to him by a photo or article.
| 28 | Editorial Columnist by Rick Hoerner
| 30 | Fantasy Geek by Rick Hoerner
| 18 | Prep Sports Preview | 32 | The First Tee Amazingly, the third prep season kicked off Feb. 2 with the final phase of the prep sports year. Over the past few years it has been the spring season where San Juan County and especially the old district 1AAAA and current 1AAAAA district excelled.
by Tom Yost
| 34 | NASCAR Nellie covercredit Megan Risner, Piedra Vista High School Josh Bishop
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Full body workout Animas CrossFit has workouts for all fitness levels Story by Tom Yost | Photos by Josh Bishop As the calendar has now turned from 14 to 15, the New Year brings about the time to reflect on the past and set goals for the future. As hope springs eternal the human race notoriously writes their resolutions down in an attempt to make themselves better. The word “better” is extremely vague in and of itself – but better is usually followed by a description of what the person wants to be better at – a better parent, a better listener, a better partner, a better lifestyle, a better eater – on and on into eternity. With the goal of wanting to be better bouncing around in the subconscious of the human brain, a workout facility on the east side of Farmington promises to make you better by teaching you the discipline of cross fit.
Animas CrossFit is an all-encompassing fitness gym with programs that attempt to optimize physical competence in cardiovascular endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance and accuracy. The movements performed are considered functional and often are performed during the everyday grind called your life. Animas CrossFit has been operating in Farmington for the past five years and is owned and operated by Farmington Firefighter Jesse Hickey and his wife Stephanie. The Hickeys previously have moved the gym two times, but have found a home on East Main Street where U-Haul used to be located. “I still have people that come into the building looking to rent a trailer,” joked Hickey.
With the recent popularity of CrossFit, Hickey says that more people are getting involved because of the physical results and the “community feel” that many don’t receive when they go to a standard gym to workout. “CrossFit has gained popularity because of its effectiveness,” said Hickey. “Getting in shape is never easy, but if you put hard work into something that works you are going to see results. And with CrossFit, you can measure how much better you are getting as you go along.” “The other aspect CrossFit offers is that it is one of the most supportive environments you can have. People walk up to new members and introduce themselves. Our members are very supportive of the fitness journey for all fitness levels. The intimidation factor is super low.”
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Hickey got involved with CrossFit when he was serving in the military. He took CrossFit seriously the first time he participated, noticing how hard the workout was, even though he considered himself to be in great shape. “CrossFit makes you better at real life,” explained Hickey. “We use a lot of multijoint movements and refer to it as functional fitness.” As a Farmington Firefighter, Hickey definitely understands why it is important to be better at real life. “As a police officer or a firefighter you are responsible to protect other people as well as yourself. CrossFit makes me better at my job,” stated Hickey. His career as a fire fighter allows Hickey the necessary time off to run the business and coach members, but he credits his wife, Stephanie, as the glue that holds everything together. “Stephanie is the one who runs the business,” explained Hickey. “I have flexibility as
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a firefighter to come in on my off days to coach and run the business. It is tough at times, but it is rewarding to both Steph and I to see people get better, faster and stronger.” “We also have a wonderful group of coaches who help make us successful,” added Hickey. And whether you have seen the elite cross fit athletes on television doing 50 pull-ups or throwing tractor tires around like feathers, Hickey encourages any and all fitness levels to give CrossFit a try. “Animas CrossFit offers a free class on Saturdays at 11 a.m. for anybody who wants to see what it is all about,” said Hickey. “We also offer the opportunity to just stop in and watch a class to see if it interests you.” Prices vary at Animas CrossFit, ranging from $135 per month to a punch card that offers 10 classes for $125. “A lot of people see the price at $135 and think it is too high, but at Animas CrossFit
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“The other aspect CrossFit offers is that it is one of the most supportive environments you can have.” — Jesse Hickey
you are not just paying for a regular gym membership, but a personal training aspect with each class,” said Hickey. “All of our classes, except open gym time on Saturdays, are structured throughout the week,” explained Hickey. “You don’t have to come to the gym and worry about what you are going to do once you get there – it is all planned out for you. All workouts are led by a coach, so everyone is doing the same thing at the same time with the coach walking around to make sure that you are doing the moves properly, which prevents injury and maximizes results.”
“We use a lot of multi-joint movements and refer to it as functional fitness.” — Jesse Hickey
With over 100 active members, classes for adults, kids and teens, with classes for strength, mobility and yoga as well, Animas CrossFit is your one stop shop to a better you. Animas CrossFit is open seven days per week with classes offered from 6 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. For more information on how you can get involved with Animas CrossFit, call 505.801.9603 or go to www.animascrossfit.com.
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Living her dream Angela Magana’s success is her journey as a UFC fighter Story by Tom Yost | Photos by Josh Bishop Angela Magana knew, at an unusually young age, what she wanted to be when she grew up. “I have wanted to be a professional fighter ever since I was 5 years old watching movies like Kickboxer and Bloodsport,” explained Magana. It comes as no surprise to anyone
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that Magana now participates in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) newly announced Women’s Strawweight division (115 pounds).
for Tibbetts and Farmington High School, so I was already participating in two pieces of mixed martial arts at a young age.”
“I got my start at age 13 with Frankie Montano as my boxing coach at a small boxing gym he opened in Farmington after his professional boxing career ended,” said Magana. “I also wrestled
Born and raised in Farmington, Angela has made some tough decisions regarding her future that included choosing a professional fighting career over a nursing career.
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“Eight years ago, I made a decision before the spring semester to throw caution to the wind and not re-enroll in the nursing program at San Juan College so that I could become a professional fighter,” explained Magana. “I feel that I can and will go back to school once my career is over, but there is a certain shelf life as a professional athlete.”
Women’s Bantamweight division was announced a year ago. The UFC introduced the women’s only weight class through a competitive television reality show called The Ultimate Fighter…A Champion Will Be Crowned.
Magana thinks that shelf life is about 15 to 20 years, and currently at 31 years old, she feels she has six to eight good years left.
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“I am probably strongest at grappling and the ground game,” mentioned Magana. “The thing I probably need to work on most are my nerves inside the octagon. Each fight is the biggest of my career and each opponent determines what I need to work on for that next fight.” When Magana is home in the Four Corners, she trains at Durango Martial Arts Academy under the tutelage of her coach for the past 17 years, Floyd Sword, who runs Team 4 Corners MMA.
Magana has been living with her 12-year-old daughter and fiancé in Thailand on an education visa for the past year and a half. She home schools her daughter and studies the combat sport of Muay Thai, which uses stand-up striking and clinching techniques. Muay Thai has become so popular in mixed martial arts that it is the “go to” stand up fighting technique used by most (if not all) of their fighters. MMA fighting has gained a huge following and as a result has left the sport of boxing to die a slow and painful death. The UFC has not only gained popularity with men, but with women as well. The introduction of the Strawweight division to accompany the
Magana came out of the competition with an 11-7 record.
With her greatest goal of getting into the UFC accomplished, Magana has a level headedness about her and offers a refreshing perspective on her career and life moving forward. “This was my dream, so I knew I had to try out for the show,” said Magana. “I trained for the show, made it as one of the 16 contestants, trained the entire time while on the show and fought other girls during the show in competitive matches.”
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“I am enjoying the journey,” exclaimed Magana. “Most people put too much weight in the destination – which will always leave you disappointed. The fact that I am living my dream and that I am happy are my biggest successes.”
“I have wanted to be a professional fighter ever since I was 5 years old watching movies like Kickboxer and Bloodsport.” — Angela Magana
So what does the next six to eight years have in store for Angela Magana? “My goals are to climb the rankings and face a top contender from the UFC,” said Magana. “But more important is to keep providing and teaching my daughter by enriching her life through travel. My daughter is learning so
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much and having her come over to Thailand with me has been a huge learning experience for her.”
ple need to leave their comfort zone, get out of their current surroundings and experience the world.”
“I just want to continue being a good role model for my daughter,” added Magana. “We are extremely happy that we get to experience life instead of just reading about it. More peo-
True life lessons from a Farmington native who chose the road less traveled and followed her dream, and loves every minute of the journey.
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YOUTH WRESTLING
Melissa Meechan proves that moms make great coaches Story by Dorothy Nobis | Photos by Josh Bishop Melissa Meechan is a busy wife, mother and community leader.
around during wrestling practices (after school) and help.”
Meechan is a part time projects assistant for San Juan College President Dr. Toni Pendergrass, is a full time student at New Mexico Highlands University where she is majoring in elementary education is past president of the San Juan Rotary Club, and is co-chair of the Civility First project. Meechan is also a wrestling coach for Farmington Youth Wrestling and provides administrative support to the wrestling program at Farmington High School.
The wrestling team at Konawaena High School on the Big Island of Hawaii, where Meechan lived with her family, had other girls who helped the team as managers. “But they never showed up,” Meechan explained, “and I ended up doing their jobs, which was cleaning mats and taking statistics.”
When asked why and how she became involved in youth wrestling, Meechan laughed. “My high school boyfriend was a wrestler and he was also my ride home,” she said. “I’d hang
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The team also had a policy that prohibited team members’ girlfriends from being managers. When the other girls continued to fail to show, the coach decided to do away with the “help.” “But the guys all stood up for me and said I
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was doing all of it anyway, so I should be allowed to continue to help. They made me manager,” she said. And help she did. Meechan went with the team to tournaments and became knowledgeable about the rules and regulations of wrestling. At one tournament, a referee made a bad call and Meechan was quick to tell him about it. “I had studied the rule book and I called him on it,” she said with a laugh. “He said I was the only person to ever call him on a bad call, and be right!” The ref, impressed by Meechan’s knowledge of the sport, offered to train her to be a referee. “I declined, but I went to work for him while in
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At left, Smokey Lyon accepts an award from Farmington High School Principal Tim Kienitz on Jan. 22 during an FHS wrestling match. The ceremony and placque honored Somkey for his contributions to FHS and the sport of wrestling in Farmington.
It all started with Smokey
Since 1963 Lyon has shared his love of wrestling with Farmington Story by Dorothy Nobis | Photos by Josh Bishop Smokey Lyon sat at his kitchen table, looking through books that held his memories. There would be a chuckle, then Lyon would share a memory brought back to him by a photo or article. His eyes would mist a bit as he remembered a friend he made during his tour with the U.S. Navy and his fingers would gently touch the photo that reminds him of old friends and good times.
It was the book of his years in the Navy that was part of the memories Lyon shared recently. Then there were the articles and the wrestling shoes he once wore that brought back memories of starting the wrestling program at Farmington High School in 1963. And it is wrestling that makes Lyon’s eyes sparkle and his memory sharpen. Lyon was a wrestler at Grand Junction (Colo.) High School
and loved the sport. When his son, Allen, was in high school at FHS, Lyon decided the school needed a wrestling program. “Allen was too small for football,” Lyon said, “but I knew he could wrestle.” He and Bill Bynum went to a meeting of the Farmington School Board and made a presentation to have a wrestling program. They were persuasive and the board approved the program. There was no money in the school’s budget for the program, however, so Lyon and Bynum contacted other business people, and they all contributed to the costs of mats and uniforms. “When they (the board) called me and asked me what size mats we needed, I told them 24 (feet) by 24 (feet),” Lyon remembered. “I should have told them bigger ones, because we had to use old gym mats for side mats.” The first year attracted 15 wrestlers to the program and the program continued to grow. With the program intact, Lyon decided to stay involved and became a referee. He refereed matches at Farmington High School and throughout southern Colorado.
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college, helping to run the tables, overseeing statistics and time keeping,” she said. Meechan helped the ref for a year, before she left school to get married. She and her husband, Jason, sold everything they had – except their clothes, music, movies, a sewing machine and Jason’s tools, which he needed for work, and moved to Farmington in 1998. Meechan’s son, Jared, was 4 years old when he started wrestling in the Farmington Youth Wrestling program. the Farmington program had about 130 kids participating and only 15 coaches. “they were overwhelmed,” Meechan said of the coaches. “I started helping some of the kids I knew when another parent and my husband asked me why I just didn’t coach.”
the male coaches she works with do give her a hard time, Meechan admitted. “I’m part of them and they understand that.” Cody Small met Meechan about 10 years ago, when their daughters were classmates in kindergarten. “over the years, our girls got to be close and were involved in many activities together which brought our families together. We all became very close friends,” Small said. “We spent a lot of time together and became family. My son, Zack, is about four years older than Melissa’s son, Jared. Zack and Jared are like brothers, and Jared wants to do everything Zack does. Zack has been wrestling since he was 4. Melissa and Jared would come and watch his matches.”
the pair tried to convince Meechan to take on a coaching role, but she resisted. “Moms don’t coach,” she said. “But I went to (Coach) Jesus Mendoza and offered to help.” things were awkward at first, so after a few practices Meechan visited Mendoza in his office again. “I said, ‘You’re being run over by all those kids out there. You need help.’ He asked me if I wanted to become a coach and I said, “I don’t care what you call me,’ I just want to help.” He realized I wasn’t there to prove anything, and he became one of my biggest supporters.”
Small said one of Meechan’s strengths is her attention to detail. “When we teach a move, she is very good at picking up the fine points of it and making sure the kids are executing the move the way that they should be,” Small said. “Being a woman, she also has a different approach to the kids that becomes very beneficial at times.”
Meechan said girls often get involved in wrestling when they’re younger. “But by the time they’re in middle school and high school, the boys get stronger and girls just aren’t built the same way, so they move on to other sports.”
“I’m very empathetic,” Meechan said, agreeing with Small. “When a kid loses and his heart breaks, my heart breaks with him. I know the guys (male coaches) care, but I don’t think they feel it the same way I do.”
Her first year as a coach wasn’t always easy, Meechan said. “recently, another coach told me that in the beginning he would hear parents say they didn’t want me coaching their kids, but by the third year, that stopped. there were boundaries to get through, but I (got through them).” Meechan doesn’t take her coaching responsibilities lightly. She already knew the rules of the sport, how points are awarded and the technicalities of wrestling, but she had never actually wrestled – so she studied wrestling moves. there was also the issue of the wives of the male coaches, she added. “I made sure I met every wife,” she said, to make sure they understood her desire to help the kids wrestle to the best of their ability, and that was the only reason she was a coach.
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“She can calm kids down and get them back on the mat wrestling sometimes when I can’t,” Small added.
Visiting teams have accepted her as well, but sometimes athletes don’t realize she’s another coach. “I wear the same uniform (as the male coaches); I have the same tournament floor pass. It’s traditional that each wrestler shake hands with all of the coaches and sometimes, the kids will walk past me (without shaking hands). I understand why.” As in most youth sports, parents can be a challenge. Meechan said. “Once, a dad got in my face and another time a mom accused me of cheating, and that can be emotionally exhausting. Another time a mom came out of the stands screaming at us (coaches). (Youth) sports bring out the passion in people and when it’s your baby out there wrestling, it becomes personal.” “But I’m five foot eight and I’m a big girl, so that helps,” she added. “I’m not intimidated by a lot of people.” Meechan is quick to say her coaching team is “awesome.” “They value me as a coach. I see sports as winning not being the ultimate goal. I look at each kid and I just want to see progress.”
Meechan said that while she’s usually easy going during practices – and her fellow coaches give her a hard time about that – she did get mad once. “At a practice one day, the kids were not listening very well and she stepped in and started getting on the kids
about it,” said Small. “After she got the kids’ attention back to where it needed to be one of the other coaches teased her and said, ‘So that’s you being mad? It needs a little work.’”
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“I went to the practices almost every day,” Lyon said. “I loved it and I helped develop some pretty good wrestlers along the way.” Jackie Thornton was an FHS wrestler Lyon mentored. An athlete that excelled in several sports, Thornton was inducted into the FHS Hall of Fame and was among the best wrestlers, Lyon said. “I loved watching the kids develop and I watched Jackie Thornton lose the only match he ever lost.” Lyon laughed as he recalled some of his memories of refereeing. “I was refereeing a match in Aztec and called a pin on a wrestler. This lady came out on the mat and said he wasn’t pinned. I said he was and I had the cops take her outside.” Then there was the time Lyon refereed a tournament between Arizona State University and the UCLA. “I had to stop the match,” Lyon said with a laugh. “One of the wrestlers crapped his pants. There was nothing in the rule book to cover it (that situation), so the coaches decided to give him an injury time out. He cleaned up and came back to finish the match.”
When Smokey retired from officiating wrestling in 1994 he gave his shoes to friend Herb Stinson as a joke. Stinson had a shadow box built for the shoes and returned them to his friend.
While his dad was tough on his son during matches he officiated, Allen said a lot of good came out of it. “It made me appreciate the team that much more. I didn’t have someone else doing it for me.”
Allen Lyon, Lyon’s son, said having a father who officiated at wrestling matches wasn’t always easy.
As if having a father officiate at his wrestling matches wasn’t enough, Allen said his brother-in-law, Gary Howlett, also refereed. “My matches had either my dad or my brother-inlaw refereeing most of my matches,” Allen said.
“It was painful,” Allen said with a laugh. “There wasn’t any gray area and he cut slack for everybody else but his own kid.”
Allen was an outstanding wrestler, his dad was quick to say, “He wrestled pretty damned good,” Smokey said with pride.
“He didn’t want to play favorites,” Allen added. “Lots of people didn’t know he was my dad when he was referring, and we kept it that way so it would be fair.”
With a wrestling rule book always at hand, Allen said “I knew all the rules.”
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Allen’s ability earned him a state champi-
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onship in1969 and a place in the New Mexico Wrestling Hall of Fame later. But that championship and his graduation from Farmington High School didn’t end his love of the sport. While a student at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Allen discovered there weren’t enough officials for wrestling in the area. “I got certified (as a referee) in 1970,”Allen said. “But I didn’t think it would be long term. It ended up being a semi-career.” Following in the footsteps of his father, Allen has been refereeing matches for the past 44 years. “I still enjoy being around the kids and, in my estimation, wrestling is the best competitive sport for kids. The competition is one to one. There’s no one else helping on the mat and it’s opponent against opponent.
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meganRISNER Piedra Vista High School
PreP sPorts Preview Local teams turn it up a notch in spring sports Story by Rick Hoerner | Photos by Josh Bishop amazingly the third prep season kicked off Feb. 2 with the final phase of the prep sports year. Over the past few years it has been the spring season where San Juan County and especially the old district 1aaaa and current 1aaaaa district excelled.
districts have changed, but at least in 5a the results may very well be the same.
Softball as usual, any softball preview begins with Piedra Vista. The Panthers will attempt to win their 10th consecutive state championship in 2015, breaking the state record of 7 straight two years ago. PV returns six starters this year including last year’s starting pitcher megan Risner, and if last year was supposed to be their supposed down year. The rest of the state may be in trouble.
a quick look back at 2014 showed state championships by the Piedra Vista softball, their 9th in a row; Piedra Vista baseball, their 4th in 5 years; aztec track that completed its back to back titles in girls track, and Farmington boys track overtaking 2013 state champs Piedra Vista for last year’s title. Farmington tennis again made another title run knocking off albuquerque academy and winning its 5th title in six years. Once again the
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aztec again finished second to the Panthers in 2014 and will be right there once again, along with Farmington.
The change in district alignment makes the toughest district in the state even better. Just two years ago all five teams in the district were in the final eight at the state tournament.
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Bloomfield should again be the dominant team in Class 1aaaa after finishing third at state in aaa last season. a drop in classification should be beneficial to Kirtland Central who should be right behind the Bobcats. navajo Prep was solid last year and again will be favored in their district.
Baseball Over the past decade San Juan County has dominated the state baseball tournament. Piedra Vista won the title last year building on their dynasty of four championships in the past five years. Before that it was Farmington
local tracks. recently, Pv Head Coach Mark Turner was voted to the Track & Field Coaches association Hall of Fame and Farmington’s Jeff Dalton was named Coach of The year. Looking back a decade, no one thought the likes of Farmington and Pv could ever compete with track and field royalty Los alamos and albuquerque academy. However, over the past three years both schools have won the title and been in the hunt especially in 2013 where Pv was 1st and Farmington was 2nd. avery rasher returns for Farmington as they try to repeat.
High with only St. Pius and academy interrupting a run that began at the beginning of a Class 5a let alone a 6a. Piedra vista returns three starting pitchers from last year’s squad in Wyatt Weaver, Gunner archuleta and Philip archuleta. The Panthers were dealt a huge blow in losing their top hitter and starting catcher Zach ahlgrim to an injury during the wrestling season. even with the addition of Gallup and Miyamura, the district season will still come down to two games between Farmington and Pv.
Bloomfield finished 5th in last year’s state tournament and should be the favorite to repeat in their district. Shiprock will dominate the distance events and Kirtland will change the district’s dynamics.
For the Scorpions, they will have to enter the first time in a long time without Beemer Wicks and Lance Lee. They’ll turn to Chris Moore to lead the way. Bloomfield should be favored after winning the district last year and getting a No. 7 seed. Kirtland Central showed great improvement last year knocking off aztec in district play and avoided getting 10 run ruled in the second round by either Farmington or Piedra vista.
Boys’ Track Coaching is obviously not a problem at the
Girl’s Track
averyRASHER farmington high school
Just as in boy’s track, the girls had been dominated by Los alamos and academy for better than a decade. But just like the boys, that all changed in 2013 when anna Strauss’ aztec Lady Tigers won their first of two consecutive state championships. The Tigers should again be in the mix as Sarah root
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returns for her senior year. root was the leading scorer in last year’s state meet winning the 100 meter hurdles and triple jump, finishing 2nd in the 300 meter hurdles and the long jump, and third in the 4x200 relay. rikki Newland also returns for aztec after placing in the javelin, discus and on two relays. PV and Farmington were also Top 10 finishers at state last year. In 4a, Bloomfield, shiprock and Kirtland Central will be battling for district supremacy. While the Bobcats are defending district champions, Kirtland moving down in class should have an impact and shiprock is always strong in distances.
Tennis While only two teams in this area even compete in tennis, they have become quite competitive with each other. Even though Farmington has been the dominant team, PV has closed the gap. The scorpion girls have overtaken the Country Club set of albuquerque academy to be the dominant team in the state winning five titles in the last six years. The doubles team of BriodyPavlik/Coleman returns for Farmington as they look for another title. The weather will start warming up, and if you don’t mind the wind it’s time to get outside and enjoy the last of the prep sports seasons where this community has the defending state champions in five of the spring sports.
505-325-9600
sarahROOT aztec high school
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New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame Farmington’s Ralph Neely among the 42nd class of inductees Farmington native and former Dallas Cowboy Ralph Neely was one of the sportsmen from the 42nd class for the New Mexico Sports Hall Of Fame. There were seven inductees this year, which is the largest class ever inducted at once. The 2015 New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame banquet is scheduled for March 1 at Sandia Resort & Casino in Albuquerque.
RAlPH Neely Born Sept. 12, 1943, in little Rock, Ark., Ralph Neely was an offensive tackle who played 13 seasons and 172 games for the Dallas Cowboys from 1965-77.
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Sports Hall of Fame inductees at a press conference in December 2014 included, from left, Scott Kiner representing his father Ralph, Pete Shock, Rocky Arroyo, Trent Dimas and Ralph Neely. Courtesy photo.
He attended Farmington High School (Class of 1961) where he was an All-State tackle for two years in football and a standout center for the basketball team. Neely was recruited by the University of Oklahoma and played college football under coaches Bud Wilkinson and Gomer Jones. The 261-pound tackle played both ways, and was a dominant performer on defense and an excellent blocker on offense. He was named the Big eight sophomore lineman of the year and was a two-time All-American and an all-conference selection in both 1963 and ’64. He was one of three Sooners stars who missed the 1965 Gator Bowl game aginst Florida State University: he, fullback Jim Grisham and halfback lance Rentzel signed with pro teams before the game and were ruled ineligible for the
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contest. (FSU won 36–19 behind four touchdown catches by Fred Biletnikoff.) In 1965, Neely was drafted in the second round of the NFl Draft (Baltimore Colts) and in the AFl Draft (Houston Oilers). On Aug. 29, 1965, the Colts traded his rights to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for Billy lothridge and a fourth-round selection in 1966. Neely accepted the Oilers’ contract offer, which also included rights to own a gas station in Houston, but requested it be kept secret to remain eligible to play in the Gator Bowl. When he learned that the Colts traded his rights to the Cowboys, he began negotiating with Dallas and returned his check to the Oilers. litigation ensued between the Oilers and Cowboys in regard to his rights. One of the terms of the merger agreement between the NFl and the AFl was that the Neely con-
tract dispute be resolved. In 1966 the Cowboys finally agreed to send four draft choices in the 1967 NFL Draft to the Oilers and to start the annual pre-season game, the Governor’s Cup, between the two teams. A rookie in 1965, Neely joined the Cowboys just as they were beginning their ascent in the NFL, started right away at right offensive tackle and was named to the NFL all-rookie team. In 1977, Neely retired after the Cowboys won Super Bowl XII against the Denver Broncos; he was selected to the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team.
VICeNTe “ROCky” ARROyO Born Oct. 4, 1925, Vicente “Rocky” Arroyo’s outstanding achievements began early and snowballed over his lifetime, not all of them were related to sports. Twice at el Paso’s Burleson elementary this son of Mexican immigrants skipped grades on the recommendation of teachers recognizing his academic abilities, so he was just 12 when he entered el Paso High School as a freshman. In 1941 he was a 15-year-old member of the el Paso Tigers team that defeated Abilene for the Texas high school basketball championship. He graduated from high school at 16 and attended summer school at the Texas School of Mines “I was good in math and I wanted that electrical engineering degree,” he said, securing his ee degree from UNM in four years while competing in varsity basketball, baseball and football. The Lobos’ only two Border Conference titles came in Arroyo’s first two varsity seasons (1943-44 and 1944-45), although several Border Conference schools closed or cut back in light of students going off to war. The Lobos won a more impressive title in 1944-45 with a 14-0 record against college competition — in a much stronger field that included the pre-war conference schools. At 20, Arroyo steadily built the town of Bernalillo’s basketball legacy. In the District 3 basketball tournament, the Bernalillo-OLOS hybrid school got past the first round in both 1946-47 and 1947-48, finding itself seeded second behind Socorro in the 1948 tournament (the same year he
was on the Mexican Olympic team). In 1954, Arroyo left Bernalillo for a job at the brand new “big school,” Valley High, but after one season he decided he wanted to pursue the opportunities that had opened up after the war in his degree specialty and he got a job at Sandia National Laboratories. He didn’t give up basketball, and became a referee at the high school and small-college level. Arroyo, now 89, still lives in Albuquerque.
BILL BRIDGeS Bill Bridges was born April 4, 1939, in Hobbs. Ultimately growing to 6 feet, 6 inches tall, along the way to NBA fame he starred first at Hobbs High School – playing on coach Ralph Tasker’s championship teams of 1956-58 — before going on to play for the University of kansas, where he still ranks among the Jayhawks’ top-10 players of all time. With the Jayhawks, he earned All-American honors in 1961. In his three years at kansas (freshmen didn’t play on varsity teams then), he earned three selections to the All-Big eight Conference. Bridges grabbed 1,000 rebounds in 78 games and averaged an amazing 13.9 rebounds per game as a center at kansas from 1959-61. kU’s postseason rebounding award bears his name, and his jersey (32) was officially retired on Dec. 9, 2004. He was drafted by the Chicago Packers (whose lineage leads them to today’s Washington Wizards of the NBA) in the third round of the 1961 NBA Draft (Walt Bellamy was their first pick, and first overall pick), but Bridges opted to play for the kansas City Steers of the American Basketball League. He set the ABL single-game scoring record with 55 points on Dec. 9, 1962. The Steers went 54-25 in 1961-62 and finished first in the ABL’s West Division, with Bridges averaging 21.5 points per game and 13.4 rebounds per game. Bridges then signed with the St. Louis Hawks in the NBA and spent 13 seasons (1962-75) as a member of the St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. Bridges won an NBA championship with the Warriors in 1975 and appeared in three All-
Star Games during the course of his career. Bridges, nicknamed “The Train,” was known as a tough defender and a strong rebounder, averaging a double-double (11.9 points, 11.9 rebounds) over the course of his NBA career. His league-leading 366 personal fouls during the 1967-68 season was, at one time, an NBA record.
TReNT DIMAS It took Trent Dimas a little over a minute to win an Olympic gold medal at the Summer Games in Barcelona, Spain, in 1992, but the groundwork for that magical moment had taken years. Dimas crowned a lifetime of training with a near-flawless high bar routine that captivated the audience on that late night in Barcelona. During his routine, the Albuquerque gymnast executed several releases above the bar with career-best proficiency, and then took his triple somersault dismount for a winning score of 9.875. Afterward, Dimas leaped into the arms of his coach, ed Burch, and into the Olympic record book. Trent’s win was the first gold medal awarded a U.S. Olympic gymnast – male or female – in an Olympics held outside the United States since World War II. His was the only gold medal won by the American team members in Barcelona and he became the first Hispanic American to win a gold medal on the treacherous high bar. Dimas was a definite long-shot. His was a breakthrough win in an Olympics dominated by the Soviet Union. Dimas, who was born Nov. 10, 1970, began gymnastics at the age of 5 and climbed steadily through the ranks and levels of gymnastic competition. By the time he was 13 he was a member of the U.S. junior national team and at age 15 made the U.S. senior national team. After the 1992 Games, Trent worked as an assistant women’s gymnastics coach at yale. He tried out for the 1996 Olympic team but eventually withdrew from the competition. Dimas went back to school and earned a degree in General Studies from Columbia University. Trent has returned to his hometown and currently is director of development for the University of New Mexico Foundation.
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Four Corners SPORTS
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Ralph KineR Before he even played a Major league game, pirates manager Frankie Frisch proclaimed “(Ralph) Kiner looks like he’s going to be the best (outfielder) we’ve ever had.” and he soon was. Kiner made his major league debut in 1946 at the age of 23; he’d lost three prime years to serve his country in World War ii. he wasted no time in making his presence felt, as he led the national league in home runs and established a new pittsburgh pirates franchise record in the process. Born Oct. 27, 1922, in the copper mining town of Santa Rita, n.M., Kiner said in his 1987 autobiography (“Kiner’s Korner”) that his father, Ralph, had owned a bakery in Farmington before moving to
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Four Corners SpORTS
Santa Rita, where he “was a steam- shovel operator at the largest open-pit mine in new Mexico.” But Ralph Kiner died when his son was 4 and Ralph’s mother, Beatrice, who had served as a nurse in France during WWi, returned to the nursing profession after being widowed, and the two moved into a small house in alhambra, Calif. Known as a baseball “lifer,” Kiner also was well known in hollywood circles: he dated elizabeth Taylor and Janet leigh, played golf with James Garner and Jack lemon, and developed friendships with lucille Ball and Desi arnaz. Upon retirement, Kiner became the general manager of the Cleveland indians’ pacific Coast league franchise, the San Diego padres, where he developed his skills in the broadcast booth. in 1962, the expansion new York Mets hired Ralph to do their television broadcasts. he was inducted into the Baseball hall of Fame in 1975. he passed away Feb. 6, 2014, in Rancho Mirage, Cal., and was buried next to his parents in Farmington.
peTe ShOCK in a small town like Cliff, n.M., you don’t always win big with pure talent. Just ask pete Shock, the hometown kid who was a star basketball player for the Cowboys in the late ’60s, then came back home to establish a power-
MARCH 2015
house small schools basketball program that continues to produce 20-win-plus seasons year after year. When pete retired as the boys basketball coach at Cliff high School in March of 2013, his teams at the little school in southwest new Mexico had won 10 state championships and his coaching career record of 854 wins – including three years at Silver high School – is second only to legendary hobbs coach Ralph Tasker. pete Shock graduated from Cliff high School in 1968. he was a star guard on the basketball team and still holds the career scoring record with more than 1,700 points. his senior year he was named to the all-State basketball team and to the South allStar squad.
He went on to Western New Mexico University on a basketball scholarship and achieved similar success there. He was named to the All-Conference team in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and to the All-District team. He graduated from Western New Mexico in 1972 with degrees in business, business education, physical education and economics. Shock led the Cowboys to the State Tournament in his first year as the head coach and the labor of love turned into a decades-long passion for enduring success. Today, Pete is still part of the Cliff High community. He serves as the athletic director and oversees a sports program in which his son Brian is now the boys head basketball coach.
GeoRGe YoUNG Born in Roswell, N.M., on July 24, 1937, George Young was the first American runner to compete in four olympics: 1960 (Rome), 1964 (Tokyo), 1968 (Mexico City – he trained at altitude in Flagstaff), and 1972 (Munich). That training in the Grand Canyon State to our west paid off: Young won the bronze medal in the
Smokey
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3,000-meter steeplechase! Young graduated from Western High School in Silver City, N.M., in 1955, and then attended the University of Arizona, competing in track and field. He began running the 3,000-meter steeplechase in his senior year and finished second in that event at the national AAU championships. He graduated from the University of Arizona in 1959 with an undergraduate degree and was tabbed as the “outstanding senior athlete” of the year. Shortly after graduating, Young qualified for the 1960 Summer olympics in Rome. During the
preliminary rounds for the steeplechase, he tripped over a hurdle and thus did not advance to the finals. The next year, he broke the American steeplechase record when he ran the event in 8:31. After a classic battle with the University of oregon All-American Steve Prefontaine at the 1972 U.S. olympic Trials at Hayward Field in eugene, ore., he competed in the 5,000-meter race at the 1972 Summer olympics. In addition to his records in the steeplechase, two-mile and indoor three-mile, he also held American records for the 5000-meter, 300-meter, steeplechase, and 4×1500-meter relay, as well as twelve age group world records. At the age of 34, he became the oldest person in the world to run a mile in under four minutes (3:59.6). He was inducted into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame in 1981 and into the National Distance Running Hall of Fame in 2003. He also has been inducted into the University of Arizona HoF, National Track and Field HoF, NJCAA Track and Cross Country HoF and National Distance Running HoF in 2003. His 1975 biography is “Always Young.” He and his wife Nancy reside in Casa Grande, Ariz.
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Kids have the ability to compete against other kids at equivalent weight, which makes it equal. It’s possible for an eighth grader to compete against a senior and do quite well.” Allen mentioned Anthony Jukes, who won his first state championship with Piedra Vista High School as an eighth grader. “Anthony is a four-time state champion and could be the state’s first five-time state champion.”
“I got too damned old for refereeing. But I think I’ll be a rabble rouser when I grow up.” — Smokey Lyon
“My dad really enjoyed officiating and he had such passion for the sport,” Allen said. “We’d travel with the (wrestling) team to matches. My dad would take wrestlers in his car and other parents would do the same. There was no budget for a bus for the wrestling team and my dad gave his time and his gas to take them to matches.” “They were good men,” Allen said of his dad and of Bill Bynum and the other fathers. “There were some tough times, but they always made it positive.” With 44 years behind him, Allen said he hopes to continue officiating until he has 45. “As long as I enjoy the sport and being around the kids and coaches, I’d like to continue.” Herb Stinson was an outstanding wrestler at Aztec High School and has fond memories of
Smokey Lyon. “Smokey has always been there,” Stinson said. “When I was wrestling at Aztec High, Smokey was ‘the guy.’ He’s always been such an advocate of wrestling in this area.” When Stinson returned to San Juan County after college to coach wrestling, he had a summer camp for his wrestlers. “Smokey came to every one (of the sessions). He loved being around wrestling.” At a tournament in 1994, Smokey officiated his last match, Stinson remembered. “We were talking and I looked down at his feet and said ‘Those shoes are some kinda old.’ They were Adidas and suede and they were in bad shape. I told him when he got around to retiring, I wanted those shoes.”
Smokey promised and, true to his word, when he retired, he gave Stinson the shoes. Stinson had a shadow box built for the shoes and returned them to his friend. His shoes aren’t the only gift Stinson has for Smokey, however. A member of the New Mexico Wrestling Hall of Fame and on the selection committee for new inductees, Stinson will be part of the celebration in late February at the state tournament when Smokey is inducted into the Hall of Fame. “Smokey is an old school wrestler who is an old school official,” Stinson said. “They did things the right way and Smoke calls it like it’s supposed to be called. He was never afraid to penalize kids if they weren’t doing things right.” “Smokey and I have always had a kinship and a friendship because of the sport we love,” Stinson added. For Smokey Lyon, wrestling will always be a part of his life and provide memories he will cherish forever. And at 88 years young, Lyon is still trying to decide what he wants to be. “I got too damned old for refereeing,” he said with a grin. “But I think I’ll be a rabble rouser when I grow up.”
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Four Corners SPoRTS
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Melissa Meechan is a part time projects assistant for san Juan College president Dr. toni pendergrass. she moved to Farmington in 1998 and she and her husband Jason are both youth wrestling coaches.
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Why would you encourage young people to get involved in wrestling? i believe that wrestling requires a level of self-discipline that isn’t seen in other sports. When a wrestler steps onto the mat, it’s just him and his opponent. He has a coach to help him, but he wins and loses on his own. that pressure requires a high level of self-confidence and self-regulation. to truly become a success in the sport of wrestling requires a great deal of heart and commitment and that is what sets wrestling apart. there are many other benefits to wrestling such as a high level of physical activity and strength required. Wrestling teams are often more cohesive than i’ve seen in other sports. the wrestlers make lifelong friendships with others throughout the Four Corners area. the athletes see each other at their best and worst which helps them develop strong bonds with one another.
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What are the requirements to participate in youth wrestling? the youth program has age requirements and to participate this year the athlete must have been born between 2001 and 2010. Beyond that, the athlete just needs heart and a willingness to work hard. there are little physical requirements and wrestlers come in all shapes, sizes and abilities. We’ve had several disabled athletes participate in the youth wrestling program that is something that makes wrestling unique.
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What can parents do to encourage young people to take part in sports? First and foremost, parents need to make activity a priority in their children’s lives. too many kids today are tethered to some electronic device that is their only form of entertainment. Kids who have never been active are usually not excited at the idea of something new and physical. i think it’s important to let our children know that even if they don’t win, we still love them. sports can be a really big deal around here and that pressure may be a lot to a child. sometimes kids are too timid to outright join a team. if a shy child shows interest in a sport or team, parents should talk to the
Four Corners sports
MARCH 2015
MelissaMEECHAN
coach about letting the child observe practice or a game. take them for as long as they are willing to watch. at some point, they may decide that the excitement of the sport is worth the bravery required to participate. letting the coach know that the child has concerns also helps because we can be extra aware of their needs and work to accommodate them.
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What should parents Not do when their kids are in sports?
the biggest concern i have is parents who push their children too hard. sometimes, parents want their children to succeed so much that they put a lot of unnecessary pressure on them. it's good to expect your child to work hard and do their best, but as parents we need to remember that they are still children. they have a whole life of stress and pressure to look forward to. let your child be a child. on the other hand, i've met some pretty driven child athletes. in my opinion, the child needs to set the pace and not the parent. let the child decide what she wants to be involved in and don't punish her for failure. i also believe that joining a team is a commitment that needs to be honored and parents should reinforce that. they shouldn't let kids quit a sport on a whim. at my house, the rule is that if my child signs up for a sport they have to finish the season. they can choose not to play that sport in the future, but i believe that they need to fulfill the commitment they have made to our family, themselves and the team. one benefit to this philosophy is that they recognize that their decisions are powerful and have consequences.
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What kinds of safety controls do coaches have to prevent injuries in wrestling?
in the sport of wrestling, as in any sport, injuries happen. However, the rules of wrestling identify moves that may be potentially hazardous and require that a match be stopped if one is used. these rules help significantly with the prevention of injury. as coaches, we do what we can to promote safety. Many of our stretches and drills are designed to strengthen our athletes or help them wrestle strategically,
fundraising to running our tournaments. On the whole, the community's biggest contribution happens when our larger tournaments are held and over 900 children and their families need accommodations, dining and places to pick up essentials. One really amazing form of support comes from local employers that financially match the pay of our coaches hour for hour. This type of programs reward the employer, the employee and benefits our clubs with donations for much needed equipment.
which also helps to prevent injuries. All coaches are required to have an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) coach's card that requires a background check.
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What are the costs for youth wrestlers? The annual registration fee is $50. Each child is registered with the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and receives a team t-shirt. That fee is all that is required for a child to participate. If the athlete wants to compete, each tournament has a small entry fee. Tournaments are optional, but are rewarding to the kids. Wrestling gear is optional and includes a singlet, headgear and wrestling shoes. I recommend that students purchase shoes and headgear at a minimum. Wrestling shoes are designed for use on the mats and are designed to provide traction when wrestling. Headgear protects the athlete's ears from an injury known as "cauliflower ear." This injury isn't seen much in youth wrestling but can occur and can have lasting effects. A singlet is the uniform that wrestlers wear. They are not as important as shoes and headgear, but do make moving easier for the athlete. Team photos are taken each year a can be an additional cost if the parent chooses to purchase them.
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How often are matches/tournaments held? There are seven tournaments that are scheduled for our youth wrestling season. They are held every Saturday and are typically held at the home team's high school gym. This year, our tournaments range from Blanding, Utah and Cortez, Colo. to Bloomfield and Aztec. For three years now, Rocky Mountain Nationals has held a tournament in Farmington at McGee Park. This tournament, the Aztec Warrior, is held in April after the youth wrestling season and many of our athletes participate.
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What is the benefit of coaching? Coaching benefits me immensely. It gives me the opportunity to meet hundreds of great children each year. I get the chance to know many of these children and some of them have become part of my extended family. More than that, I have the opportunity to impact many of their lives at an athletic and personal level. A great part of the experience is watching an athlete use a move that you just taught him. There is something incredibly satisfying in knowing that you had a part in that child's success on the mat. More importantly, our program works to instill values in the children that go beyond athletics and sportsmanship. We talk a lot about character during practice. It's great that I can be a part of that. Coaching is truly one of those activities where I learn as much from the kids as they do from me.
How can parents help the coaches? There are many things that parents can do to help us do our job better. Obviously, ensuring that their child is on time and ready when they come to practice or tournaments is important. Beyond that, parents can assist us by letting their children know that we there to help them. Parents need to reinforce the role of the coach and make sure their child understands the coach-athlete relationship. Children listen to their parents and hold what they say in high esteem. If parents say positive things about their child's coaches, the child will value them. This helps everyone. The biggest way a parent can help is by volunteering. We always need coaches and parents who can help out with the various needs of the program.
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Does the community/school district support youth wrestling? The high schools are our biggest allies. Most teams practice and hold their tournaments at the high schools. Sometimes teams operate with the assistance of their local Boys and Girls Club or other independent organizations. In our program, our parents provide a great deal of support. They help with everything from registration and
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Four Corners SPORTS
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A HALF CENTURY DOWN this past month i turned 50, a half-century old.
RickHOERNER
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Now i am not one to celebrate my birthday. For me, it’s like New Year’s Day, not a day of celebration but a reminder of what i didn’t get accomplished in the previous year. A true glass-is-half-empty holiday. What i did decide on my 50th birthday was the rationalization that i’m old. Not the “You kids, get off my lawn!” old but more like the “turn that music down. What is that crap you’re listening to” old. the radio station is now tuned to the inevitable classic Rock, kooL 104.5 (side note kooL: there are more musicians than Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, Billy Joel and the Eagles). of course there are certain signs verifying the calendar is now fighting against you. For example, i find myself saying things like, “i remember when that used to be (fill in the blank)” or telling my kids how easy they had it walking on the sidewalks to Mesa Verde because when i worked there it was all dirt and only a single lane traffic. My parents have gotten continually smarter over the years. their eternal blathering about what once was and how much better it was is now my weekly soundtrack. Now, of course, not everything gets worse with age. Experience and the wisdom comes with it is invaluable even if it falls on deaf ears just as it did on mine 35 years ago. the thought and sometimes verbal expression of “i told you so!” is usually accurate – and re-
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in my roughly 45 years as a sports fan i’ve been able to witness wonderful events, mostly on tV of course, when you live in the isolated worlds of casper, Wyoming and Farmington, New Mexico. But, sports truly shows your age.
Former players of mine – Luke Neibling and Jay collins – will constantly argue when we’re together about who was greater when it comes to teams and individuals. While they trumpet the accomplishments of kobe and LeBron, i have to remind them about Michael, Magic, Larry and the Doctor. then, of course, Luke’s father John will chime in and remind
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us that Wilt was better than all of them. Everyone thinks their era produced the greatest. Everyone believes the best teams and the best games happened on their watch. History seems to take a back seat to the eye test of your own generation. My eye test is obviously generational. Michael is better than LeBron. Montana is better than Manning. ozzie Smith is the greatest defensive shortstop ever. No boxing matches were as great as Hagler-Hearns, Leonard-Hearns or Leonard-Hagler. the Miracle on ice during the 1980 olympics was the greatest game ever. consider all my generation has seen on tV. Before Direct tV brought you every NFL game, i still saw the immaculate Reception and the catch. i’m so old i saw my kansas city chiefs play in a Super Bowl. Before cable sports showed over 100 basketball games a week i saw Magic vs. Larry in the 1979 NcAA finals starting the viewing bonanza that is the NcAA Basketball tournament, Jordan hit the game winner as a freshman against Georgetown, and the North carolina State cinderella Story in our very own pit. i mean the Wisepies Arena aka the pit. Which again shows my age. i remember stadiums not even having sponsors. imagine that. As a high school and youth coach i’ve had the privilege of watching great games and the heartbreak and joy the game can bring. i’ve had the task of taking the long walk up the pit’s ramp after a loss consoling brokenhearted teenagers. i’ve high-fived people i
will never ever see again after the Cardinals beat the Eagles and headed to Super Bowl XLIII It was after that game, on a hung-over drive home (not for the driver!), that the late Kevin Holman and I came up with our bucket list of sporting events we wanted to attend – a pipe dream that will now never happen, not even making a single one, because there is always time.
monuments in centerfield then hang around the Bronx, get there early for batting practice and catch a game—preferably against the red Sox.
But time is cruel. My goal is to attend one of these a year as soon as I get my kids out of college and, I hope, out of my basement. With Kevin living in Chicago as a kid, he had already made a couple that I hadn’t. So here are the dozen sporting events we dreamed of making.
6. the Masters – While a trip to St. Andrews may be more exciting, I would love to go to Augusta, take in the scenery, enjoy the weather and give dirty looks to every knucklehead that yells, “You the man!”
1. Michigan vs. ohio State Football – I would love to see a sporting event that comes from a historical battle like the toledo War that gave ohio the port of toledo and Michigan the upper peninsula. this is still tHE GAME in college football, and with ohio State the defending National Champs and Jim Harbaugh taking over the Wolverines, this may become a Hayes-Schembechler rivalry again. 2. A Notre Dame Football Weekend – the Irish were Kevin’s team, so we were looking to take in the whole experience from the pep rally and Mass to the game with a view of touchdown Jesus. 3. the NCAA Final Four Basketball – the best multiple game sporting event. Would love to see all three games and soak it up. As basketball coaches, this is Mecca. I would even sit in the nose bleed seats and watch it on the big screen with 40,000 others. 4. A Game at Yankee Stadium – take a tour of the ballpark and the
5. the Summer olympics – Ultimate sports nirvana, I hope in a foreign country so I have decent excuse to travel abroad. perhaps the most expensive event to get to. Better start using my Visa.
7. Game 7 of Any World Series – Baseball is best experienced live. the view of three players one gets on tV does not do it justice. Even those who find baseball boring will tense up at every pitch of elimination games. there is nothing like the anticipation of every pitch being the last 8. North Carolina at Duke Basketball in Cameron Indoor Stadium there is no place on tV that looks like more fun than the student section at Duke. Most UNC-Duke games are classic. 9. Green Bay packers Game at Lambeau Field – the goal was to see the Bears in horrible weather with the tundra frozen – I’m talking to you, Josh rankin! While I’m not a huge packer fan, being in the stands with the “owners” sounds like a great time. 10. A Manchester United Soccer Game – Intellectual curiosity of how crazy fans can get and another reason to head overseas. Hit the pubs, head to the game, celebrate with the winners. 11. the Super Bowl – obvious choice. the NFC title game was the most fun I’ve ever had at a sporting event. Would like to head there for the whole week and enjoy all the festivities of the new Great American pastime. 12. Any Game 7 of the NBA Championship Series – In a perfect world Kevin and I would have been sitting in phoenix watching the Bulls and Suns. Nothing like a win at all costs game. It’s hell to get old. Athletically, the brain works at half the age of the body which is why golf becomes so popular. Suddenly you find yourself taking in the old man tradition of checking the obituaries. You realize that statistically half your friends are divorced; just like the national average. You attend the funeral of friends and parents. You watch with a teary eye how the heroes of your youth disappear and realize how many things you’ve missed. Moments that will never return. It is a perfect balance of regret and celebration. What is missed is trumped by watching former players and students excel, watching your kids turn into empathetic, quality adults and be thankful for the time you did have together. Kevin and I argued and debated this list seven years ago, this past Martin Luther King Day, and my 50th birthday marks the one year anniversary of his death that happened way too soon. Would we have made it to these dozen events ? Doubtful, but even one would have been great – just as the conversation was.
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THE FANTASY YEAR IN REVIEW Admittedly it was a tough Fantasy season for the Geek. Out of the 10 leagues in which i annually play, i only won a single one. As it always seems to be in fantasy football, injuries played a big role in my midseason demise. in one league i lost Brandon Marshall, Julius Thomas and Rashaad Jennings after leading my league. in another, my starting running backs when the playoffs began were Danard Robinson and Darren Sproles; not exactly invoking fear in my playoff opponent. Just as it is with the Chicago Cubs, there’s always next year. So here is a look back at the season that was.
All-STAR TeAM Aaron Rodgers, QB Green Bay Packers The league’s MVP was his usual spectacular self with 4381 passing yards with 38 TDs plus 269 yards rushing with 2 TDs le’Veon Bell, RB Pittsburgh Steelers Showed how valuable he was when he didn’t play in the playoffs and Pittsburgh fell. 1,361 rushing yards with 8 TDs and 854 receiving yards on 83 catches and 3 more TDs
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THE FANTASY GEEK
RiCKHOERNER Demaryius Thomas, WR Denver Broncos No. 1 option in a high octane offense Thomas had 111 catches for 1619 yds and 11 TDs. Will be just as valuable as long as Peyton’s around Rob Gronkowski, Te New england Patriots - Gronk was a risky pick in ’14 with injuries as a major concern, but he returned to lead Tes with 82 catches for 1,124 yds and 12 TDs Buffalo Bills DST - 54 Sacks led the league and gave up only 273 points. Add in 19 ints and 11 fumble recoveries and the Bills were a shocking No. 1
All-WASTeD PiCK TeAM
Brandon Marshall, WR Chicago Bears Yes, Marshall was hurt a lot this year, but most likely if you owned Marshall you wasted a high draft pick on him and he tended to disappear. Only 721 yds on 61 catches. Never trust Jay Cutler Jimmy Graham, Te New Orleans Saints it’s hard to look at Graham’s 85 catches for 889 yds and 10TDs as a waste, but he totally disappeared in four games and wasn’t worth the 2nd or 3rd round pick owners used on him Cincinnati Bengals DST - The Bengals were a top squad last year but this year allowed over 20 points a game and had an incredibly low 20 sacks on the season
Colin Kaepernick, QB San Francisco 49ers - Kaepernick was on everyone’s radar as a top QB, but only managed just over 4,000 total yards and was a turnover machine averaging one a game
DeMarco Murray, RB Dallas Cowboys The resurgence of the Cowboys rode on Murray’s back who led the league in carries with 392. 1,845 rushing yards with 13 TDs and 416 more receiving yards on 57 catches. Where will he be next season ?
Adrian Petersen, RB Minnesota Vikings Petersen missed all but one game this year due to his off-the-field issues. Most AutoPick drafts had him at No. 1 or No. 2
Antonio Brown, WR Pittsburgh Steelers A great value pick who led the league with 129 receptions for 1698 yds and 13 TDs. extra value if your league gives return yards. even threw for a TD
Trent Richardson, RB indianapolis Colts No matter how late or early you took the former first round draft pick, it was a waste. Richardson couldn’t hold off Ahmad Bradshaw or Boom Herron
Four Corners SPORTS
Cordarelle Patterson, WR Minnesota Vikings - Patterson was projected to be a top 10 receiver and No. 42 overall by Yahoo, but finished at 242 overall with only 500 total yards and 2 TDs
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Colin Kaepernick
Arizona Cardinals dST - The Cards lost Pro Bowl linebacker darryl Washington before the season even started. Then they lost darnell dockett, Tyron mathieu and john Abraham. Still finished as a top 10 defensive unit and that was even playing behind the league’s worst offense the last fourth of the year
All-WAIVer WIre While not spectacular, best replacement of a poor starter with over 3,000 yards passing and 18 Tds. Saved some multi-QB league teams
justin Forsett, rB Baltimore ravens - After the ray rice incident, fantasy owners looked to Bernard Pierce to fill the void, but it was Forsett that became a Top 10 Fantasy back with 1,266 rushing yds and 8 Tds
All-Injured TeAm robert Griffin III, QB Washington - Perhaps it wasn’t mike Shanahan after all. Often injured and benched for Kirk Cousins. Finished with only 1,694 Passing Yards, 4 Tds to go against 6 InTs, and only 1 rushing Td rashaad jennings, rB new York Giants - After a fantastic start, jennings’ injury made him irrelevant for over a month and he never really recovered. 639 yds rushing and 4 Tds Giovanni Bernard, rB Cincinnati Bengals - many experts had Bernard as their sleeper pick of the year, but injuries, then the play of jeremy Hill, limited Bernard to under 1,000 total yards and only 5 Tds Victor Cruz, Wr new York Giants - Headed to Ir before the emergence of Odell Beckham jr. and played only six games. After two solid years, was lost on the Ir with 337 yds and a Td Brandin Cooks, Wr new Orleans Saints - Cooks was a bit of a gamble, but looked to be gaining favor with drew Brees when injury hit. Still finished with over 600 total yards and 4 Tds in only 9 games dennis Pitta, Te Baltimore ravens - In Week no. 1 Pitta looked like a steal with 10 catches, but then hit the Ir after week three
Cj Anderson, rB denver Broncos - While Fantasy owners drooled over montee Ball picking up where Knowshon moreno left off, Anderson was the man down the stretch with over 1,170 total yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns Odell Beckham jr., Wr new York Giants - maybe someone in your league took a flier on Beckham, but after missing the first four weeks he was likely available, and still finished in the Top 10 with 91 catches for 1,305 yds and 12 Tds mike evans, Wr Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Another rookie that made a big impact on a bad team. evans finished with 68 catches for 1,051 yds and 12 Tds. maybe it was evans and not manziel at A&m Travis Kelce, Te Kansas City Chiefs - The Chiefs rookie Te was the only outside receiver to score a Td for KC and finished with 67 catches for 862 yds and 5 Tds Philadelphia eagles dST - not many took a shot on the offensive explosive eagles, but the eagles dST scored 11 Tds and put up 49 sacks So there it is, the Fantasy Season in a nutshell. If you had the AllStar team, you were definitely a winner. If you were grabbing those on the All-Waiver Team, you made a great run and perhaps a title. However, if you were cursed with the disappointments on the All-Injured or All-Wasted teams, there was always alcohol.
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How skiing reinforces golf swing fundamentals TomYOST The First Tee
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As a transplant to the Four Corners Region from ohio, I have never really been exposed to the great winter activity of skiing. Now that my kids are getting older, my wife and I decided that it would be a tragedy to not have them learn how to ski. So a few weekends ago, we embarked on a journey to Durango mountain Resort for some ski lessons for both the kids and me. And while my
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children picked up the basics much faster than I did, what I did learn will cross over into my golf swing (when it gets warmer). What did I learn on the slopes, you ask? 1. Relax the shoulders Skiing is controlled almost entirely through the lower body. The transfer of
weight in the legs controls the turning motion while your core and hips offer power, speed and balance. That being said, those things tend to happen at a greater recurrence rate when the upper body, and more importantly the shoulders, are relaxed.
tiful scenery) things would spiral out of control – and in a hurry.
In the golf swing, much of the success with power, balance, speed and repetition occurs in the upper leg, hip, butt and core regions. Unfortunately, many golfers tend to tense up in the upper body and shoulder region when they swing in an attempt to control the golf club. This is counter-productive to consistency and success. So the next time you are on the course or the driving range, think of how relaxed your shoulders are on the slopes and mimic that with your next golf swings.
Correlating that to your golf swing is easy and has been discussed in multiple articles and lessons. Pick a target, focus on the target and swing the club to the target. I know that it is a slightly different concept ion that we are focused on the golf ball when we swing, but the point is that hitting the golf ball isn’t our objective in golf, just like staying upright on our skis isn’t the objective. The objective is to get the ball from point A to point B then to point C and in the hole in the least number of strokes possible. Setting intermediary targets and visualizing yourself hitting those targets is how you will go from bad to good or good to great in your golf game.
2. Look where you want to go My ski instructor, Dave, harped on our group to quit looking at our feet when we were attempting to make our way down the mountain. Instead, he would encourage us to look where we wanted to go next. In doing this, he was setting intermittent targets for us to help with our turning and control. Any time our group was caught looking at our feet (or worse, the beau-
3. Don’t bite off more than you can chew It is totally unrealistic for a beginner skier like me to expect to have success on the double black diamonds with moguls. For one, I enjoying having full use of my legs with working ligaments, and two, the intimidation factor of that encounter would take the enjoyment completely out of the activity. Our ski instructor encouraged us to take baby steps with our
progression. It went from the “bunny hill” to the green slopes, then when we were experienced enough and confident enough on the green slopes we could forge ahead to the blues, so on and so forth. Much like skiing, golf can be totally intimidating, especially if you take yourself out of your element and ability level. Going from the par three course to the championship tees at a regulation course is going to ruin your confidence and your growing love for the game. Take it slow and play appropriate tees to make the game enjoyable. Is there a rule that says that since you are a man, you have to at least play from the blue tees? No, no there is not. We encourage differing ability levels to start from places all over a golf hole. It could be from the forward tees or from 200 yards out in the middle of the fairway. Therefore, I would encourage you to gauge your ability level and play from an appropriate location for maximum enjoyment. After all, golf is supposed to be fun – isn’t it? Just as you wouldn’t find enjoyment in skiing moguls your first time skiing, you aren’t going to find enjoyment playing the “back” tees the first time you play golf.
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NASCAR Nellie has a date this year on Valentine’s Day Finally, NN can truthfully say she has “plans” that night that include men. Real men. Some of ‘em hunky men, some of ‘em not so much but, bless their hearts (NN knows that if you say “bless their hearts” before you say something not nice about somebody, you get a Get Out Of Jail Free Pass. Just so’s ya know.) their mothers think they’re cute and that’s what counts, and some of em – ‘K just one of ‘em – aren’t men, but a woman. (You go, Danica Patrick, even though NN’s not a real fan because that ride was s’posed to be hers until that Brian France guy – who thinks he, like, owns NASCAR and can make his own rules – demanded to see NN’s “credentials,” an un-photoshopped photo of her, and her for reals height. Ole BF decided the “credentials” NN obtained through a recognized and revered online racing school were not “legit,” in spite of the fact that NN has her diploma with her name written in pencil and that she paid $99.99 for, ‘scuse her, and that another of his “rules” states the driver must be able to reach the gas and brake pedal without the “unauthorized use of pillows, phone books or small trampolines,” and questioned NN’s age when her photo was un-photoshopped and there were concerns about her triple chin getting in the way of the steering wheel, which could cause “unauthorized damage to NASCAR equipment.” Whatever.) NN usually makes herownself a nice dinner with nice wine and candles on Valentine’s Day, which she shares with Oliver, the Cat Who Won’t EVER Stop Talking, and Mojito, the Devil Kitten, who has acquired a taste for nice wine, but prefers it with cheese and a little prime rib. NN actually cooks occasionally and for VD, she makes a nice Frito Pie with Hormel Chili and whatever cheese the DK doesn’t eat and an entire bag of Fritos. She’s talented in the kitchen – NN can work a can opener and a wine opener better than Danica Patrick can drive a race car. For reals. Anyway, on this VD, NN will put her Frito Pie in her good plastic dishes instead of her everyday plastic dishes, will allow her Sweet Cherry Pie wine a few seconds to breathe before she pours it into her sippy cup and will, this year, make sure the candles aren’t on NN’s TV tray, where they get in the way of her “arm and finger movements”
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is fully aware that the Sprint Unlimited isn’t a points race and that this race, along with the two shoot-outs that will follow, are more to get the fans excited about the new season before the first for real race, the Daytona 500, which is held February 22. NASCAR fans LOVE their NASCAR and when they’ve gone two whole entire months without racing, they get ugly. They pretend they’re law enforcement officers and they put little party hats on their trucks and bad-butt cars and they act like they’re on “call” and drive like bats outta hell. NASCAR fans know there are laws about “impersonating police officers” so their party hats aren’t like the for reals ones on police vehicles, but helmets with Christmas lights on ‘em and they have horns that say “Drivers, Start Your Engines,” so other people on the road should know they’re suffering from NNFTM (No NASCAR For Two Months) and they should get the heck outta the way. Unfortunately, police chiefs and sheriffs don’t see it that way. Whatever.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. when she begins cursing and cussing the drivers who are NOT on her Valentine card list and who NN doesn’t consider hunky and, in some cases, bless their hearts, those drivers who should be made to keep their helmets on all the time. Just sayin’. . . . And before you say something hateful, NN
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This season promises to be an exciting one. Jeff Gordon is retiring after this season, so this will be his farewell tour and every single reporter will ask him “How does it feel to be behind the wheel of this car on this track for the last or next-to-last time?” And Jeff will respond politely and nicely, when he really wants to tell ‘em he’s been wearing Depends for every race for more than 20 years, which can be uncomfortable, especially when your driver’s suit is tight and your Depends give you a wedgie and there’s nothing you can do about it. Not only that, but it took Jeff most of those years before he actually took a swing at somebody, which made bigger news than under-inflated footballs, and people are STILL talking about the first year he won a championship and he cried on stage, in front of macho NASCAR drivers. Nobody had a tissue to give him, so he wiped his eyes and his nose with his tuxedo sleeve, at which the company that rented his tux to him made him buy it. Whatever. NN wasn’t a Jeff Gordon (or a Jimmie Johnson) fan until Dale Earnhardt Jr. became part of the Hendrick team. Junior is the sports most popular driver for the gazillionth year in
Youth Wrestling
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she said with a laugh of her fellow coach’s comment.
“I’m not intimidated by a lot of people.”
“Melissa is very social and friendly, so after they get to know her, interaction between her and the rest of our coaches isn’t really any different than between the male coaches,” Small said. “As far as coaches from other teams, I think sometimes they assume that since she is a woman coach, she doesn’t know what she is doing, but if they are around her much, they soon see that isn’t the case. I think when she first got into coaching there were a few times that other coaches tried to slip stuff by her, but she always stood her ground.”
Meechan. “Melissa enjoys and has a passion for the sport of wrestling and she is a valuable part of our team,” he said. “She has coached youth and middle school wrestling with me and I enjoy having her as a partner when coaching. She helps me to keep a level head when things get heated and picks up things that I sometimes miss.”
As a coach, Meechan attends six practices each week, and when there are tournaments it means a nine-hour-day on a Saturday. “Every year, I say it’s my last year,” she said. “But I want to help the kids and I do love it.”
“My son is 11 years old and has won a few national tournaments. He wrestles at a very high level and I completely trust Melissa being in his corner coaching when I can’t be there,” Small added.
With a husband, Jason, who is also a coach and understanding of her busy schedule, Meechan said her school work, her part-time job and her community activities – in addition to her coaching responsibilities – creates an imbalance in her life. “I always suffer from a lack of sleep,” she said with a smile. Jason admits his wife’s busy schedule “dri-
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ves me nuts because she’s not home enough,” he said with a laugh. “But she’s very happy and she does a lot for the community and I’m proud of her for that.” Jason also said the male coaches don’t treat his wife any differently than they do each other. “She’s earned their respect,” he said. “They realize she’s not there just to be pretty. She gets on the mat to coach and teach these kids.” Cody Small has the utmost respect for
With Jason and Melissa Meechan both coaching wrestling, Jared still wrestling and daughter Cricket an FHS cheerleader (although not for youth wrestling), one suspects wrestling will be part of the Meechan way of life for a long time. And listening to Meechan talk about her wrestlers and her fellow coaches, one doubts that she’ll quit coaching the kids she loves any time soon.
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a row, and NN loves Junior. NN has a Junior shrine in her casita and all who enter there must curtsy in front of the Fathead image of Junior NN has on the wall and promise to always vote for Junior in the sports most popular driver contest or they will be cursed with figure skating music in their cars for the rest of their lives. NN decided if JG and JJ were good enough for Junior, they were prob’ly good enough for her. NN now shops at Lowes and Jeff Gordan she would buy DuPont paint if she could afford it. Whatever. Anyway, NN now roots for JG and JJ and she actually likes both of ‘em, but not nearly as much as she likes Junior. Junior is the bomb and Junior will win the championship this year.
For reals. NN has spoken. Please, Junior, LISTEN! Rumor has it that JG is going to the “broadcast booth” when he retires. That will prob’ly be a good gig for JG. He’ll have regular potty breaks and won’t have to Depend it anymore, and he won’t have to rumble with the likes of Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart or – last season – Brad Keselowski. Gordon was always the goody two shoes kinda guy, but NN LOVED it when he and Bad Boy Brad traded punches. NN was proud of JG for throwing a punch, which – in all honesty – was made a little easier by Kevin Harvick, who shoved BBB into JG’s fist. Made those post-race interviews lots more exciting.
NN can hardly wait for the season to begin. 2015 will be a good year. Junior will win his championship, Tony Stewart will be back to the bad boy we love, Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus will kiss and make up, Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse will remain boyfriend/girlfriend, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson will kick butt, Ward Burton will return to NASCAR and make the chase, NN’s Sweet Baboo Elliott Sadler will win the Nationwide Is On Your Side Championship and, when he does, he’ll tell the world he made a mistake by not taking NN’s calls and will remove the restraining order against her, the Las Vegas police will lift the order that prevents NN from ever, EVER attending another NASCAR race in Sin City (NN did not know the motorhomes of drivers were off limits and breaking and entering is against the law – whatever), and NN will become the Voice of NASCAR and there won’t be anything Brian France can do about it. For reals.
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