The NHL began its regular season on Thursday and one of the games was a classic Original 6 battle that saw Montreal travel to Toronto.
However, the most amazing thing is the fact that it marks only the second time in 85 years that the Maple Leafs have hosted the Canadiens in a season opener.
I find that almost hard to believe.
Talk about a microcosm.
Jose Reyes (above) tore a hamstring tendon while running in an attempt to come back from another serious leg injury.
That pretty much sums up 2009 for the New York Mets, who are closing one of the most injury-filled seasons in recent memory.
Derek Jeter is a great, clutch baseball player.
The sure-fire future Hall of Famer will soon become the Yankees all-time franchise hits leader, an impressive stat to say the least.
However, despite the Yanks running away with baseball's best record, Jeter is not the American League MVP for 2009 as some would suggest.
Barring a total collapse, anyone who doesn't vote for the Twins' Joe Mauer should have their voting privileges taken away.
Mauer is hitting a robust .367 entering play on Thursday and has 82 RBIs on a team not nearly as good as the one Jeter gets to play for.
Also (sorry New York fans) Mauer fields his position much better than Jeter and to post such incredible offensive numbers as a catcher is downright scary.
Without Jeter, the Yankees still win the East. Without Mauer, Minnesota is well below .500 and is playing September call-ups by now.
On Thursday a foursome of York YMCA swimmers made quite a splash in the pool at the Jr. Nationals in Federal Way, Wash.
The team of Sada Stewart, Hali Flickinger, Sarah Dotzel and Julia Kucherich entered the day seeded last out of 38 teams in the women's 800 free relay.
However, after Stewart led off the race with an Olympic Trail cut time (2:03.34) the four ended up in ninth place after posting a 8:24.90, an amazing jump.
All four swimmers bested their personal best by at least two seconds. Wow.
Flickinger is a Spring Grove student, Dotzel attends York Catholic, Stewart and Kucherich are students at York Suburban.
Also on Thursday, Stewart placed 21st in the 200 free with her time of 2:04.61.
Although none of the York Y swimmers that competed on Friday qualified for the finals, it was still an outstanding performance by coach Michael Brooks' crew, which posted a total of four Olympic Trial cut times this week.
It's been a busy few days for York YMCA swimmers at the Jr. National meet in Federal Way, Wash. as Sada Stewart placed 24th in the women's 200 butterfly (2:16.78) and came back Wednesday to finish 21st in the 100 fly (1:01.99).
Teammates Hali Flickinger (4:52.51) and Julia Kucherich (4:53.24) finished 11th and 14th respectively in the women's 400 individual medley.
Both Flickinger and Kucherich swam Olympic Trial cut times as did Stewart in the 100 fly.
These are great performances against some of the nation's best at the meet which runs through Friday.
Cliff Lee was great on the mound, but was also 2-for-4 at the plate, including a double and a run scored in his Phillies debut at San Francisco.
Lee, who was a victim of shoddy run support with Cleveland, pitched with a lead most of the game, something that rarely happened with the Indians.
Gee ... maybe the Tribe offense would have been better if they let Lee hit.
I realize I am hardly in the minority here, but I must put my two cents in.
Major League Baseball and whoever else is holding the 100+ names on the 2003 positive steroid test list should just go ahead and publish the whole list once and for all.
Otherwise we will have these names trickling out every few weeks, like David Ortiz this week, and will have to keep living the nightmare that will taint baseball forever.
If they publish all the names, we will all speak our disdain and disgust for a while, but it will go away much quicker in the long run.
Of course, the MLB Player's Union doesn't see the logic in that - go figure.
Famed ESPN analyst Peter Gammons said that Major League baseball teams are really starting to put a greater emphasis on defense and speed now.
To that I say, it's about time. It is the perfect strategy for the game, still fighting the effects of the "Steroid Era."
Plus, the excitement of a great defensive play, a stolen base or a runner taking an extra base has been a lost art in the game for many years.
Welcome back exciting baseball.
Ok, while looking for some college spotlight information to post here, I thought hey let's look at Bucknell because I know the YAIAA has a few alumni playing sports there.
So, I did that, but something caught my eye and that was the release of the various NCAA Division I Patriot League all-academic teams.
I liked that even better and started my write up until I looked around and found nine former YAIAA student-athletes that made the list.
Considering the fact the Patriot League boasts academic schools like Bucknell, Colgate, Lehigh, Lafayette, Holy Cross and the Army Academy, garnering such status is a well-deserved honor that doesn't come without extreme efforts.
So, in no particular order is the athlete (high school), college (class when award given), sport, GPA, major:
Stephanie Evans (Central York), Bucknell (junior), track, 3.95, chemical engineering.
Ashley Beans (Hanover), Bucknell (senior), softball, 3.66, economics.
Katie McDonald (West York), Bucknell (senior), softball, 3.50 psychology.
Whitney Brown (York Suburban), Bucknell (junior), swimming, 3.83 psychology/economics.
Jake Schroeder (York Suburban), Bucknell (sophomore), track, 3.58, economics/German.
Michael Simmons (South Western), Army (senior), 3.73, track, mechanical engineering.
Robert Blum (South Western), Lafayette (senior), track, 3.35, mechanical engineering.
Zach McClain (Dallastown), Army (senior), swimming-diving, 3.27, civil engineering.
Katherine Johnescu (York Suburban), Colgate (freshman), rowing, 3.48, undeclared.
Solid careers on the field and outstanding performance where it is most important.
Back in June, Dallastown grad Jamie Maloney received a terrific recognition when she was awarded the inaugural women's PSAC Sportsmanship Award.
The award is given to a female and male athlete who exemplifies the spirit of sportsmanship and has demonstrated the values of respect and integrity through a specific action.
Maloney, who both swims and runs track at Clarion University, earned her acknowledgment at the PSAC swimming championships when she handed her goggles to a West Chester swimmer, who had broken hers just prior to a heat race.
The thing is, West Chester is typically Clarion's biggest rival during the PSAC season and the two schools had battled for many a conference dual-meet championship, yet Maloney didn't hesitate to help out and later would say, "It was no big deal."
She has also been involved with many community activities during her three years at the school. I recall speaking with Jamie several times while she was at Dallastown, the last of which came during the YAIAA track championships during her senior year with the Wildcats.
Seeing this story doesn't surprise me one bit. Way to go, Jamie.
Daily Record/Sunday News Penn State writer Frank Bodani is a Pittsburgh fan in most sports. In fact, he even wrote a recent column explaining this.
So, to help celebrate Frank's 40th birthday, his wife Shelly Bodani had this cake made for him and delivered it to the newsroom.
The cake is a close replica of the 1971 Roberto Clemente baseball card and staff photographer Jason Plotkin was kind enough to get a picture for us.
The work is outstanding ............... and delicious.
A couple of weeks ago, the Capital Athletic Conference submitted its All-Academic team, which I wrote a story about York College leading the way with the number of athletes on the list.
While thinking about the Spartan success in the classroom, I recalled a conversation I had in 2006 with York women's basketball coach Betsy Witman, shown below coaching her team against Baruch during the NCAA Division III tournament.
At the time, Witman's squad had finished second in the nation -- the Spartans were first in 2004-05 -- academically and like any coach she was hopeful that success would carry over to the court.
"We know we are smart," Witman said. "We have proven it now for how many years? Let's win a championship. Why can't we do both "
Well, this season York had 13 of its players on the CAC All-Academic list and on the floor won the CAC regular season title, plus made it to the NCAA Division III Sweet 16, finishing with a 27-3 record.
Congratulations coach Witman you reached your goal.
Ok, while Franklin & Marshall is in Lancaster and Caitlin Elfring is from Glen Rock New Jersey, not Pennsylvania, what the softball first baseman did is still nothing short of amazing.
Elfring did not strikeout all season.
That's right, no whiffs all season, which is simply an amazing stat in fastpitch softball where 60-plus mile per hour pitches come at you from less than 50-feet away.
Just finishing her junior season with the Diplomats, Elfring appeared in 35 games - 34 starts - with 78 at bats. On June 23, she was named the NCAA Division III's toughest to strike out.
Also, after making just one error in more than 190 chances, she is pretty good with the glove too.
Even an hour after the West squad in which he was the offensive line coach for lost 37-22, West York coach Ron Miller couldn't say enough good things about his experience at the East-West All-Star Game.
"I made relationships that will stay with me forever," Miller said via telephone from Mansion Park in Altoona, site of the game. "I worked with some good football coaches."
Miller, shown below congratulating one of the state champion Thomas Jefferson players after the District 7 team knocked off his Bulldogs in the PIAA Class AAA semifinal.
He got to coach some of the TJ kids and was particularly impressed with Pat Hagen, the 6-6, 275-pound offensive lineman that will play at West Virginia.
"That kid we will watch on Sundays," he said. "They are great kids too."
It wasn't just the football people that impressed Miller either. He raved about Sheryl Ebersole, who works for the Blair County Visitors Bureau and runs the East-West game.
"I never met anyone like that," Miller said of Ebersole. "It was amazing. She deserves a shout-out."
