Kenneth C. Crowe II must be thinking, “I got into journalism for this?”
Mr. Crowe writes for the Albany Times Union, and in Tuesday’s edition he reported that city detectives were investigating the death of a woodchuck.
His story appeared on the front page of the newspaper’s Capital Region section. The portly critter had allegedly been run over by two duffers driving a golf cart during a police union tournament at Frear Park Golf Course in Troy over the weekend.
Witnesses said that Woody had been chased down and run over deliberately. Police were seeking video of the dastardly deed. “Additionally, there are witness reports that these same individuals ran over tee boxes and drove through ropes on the golf course,” Troy City Council President Carmella Mantello said in a press release.
After some digging, Mr. Crowe determined that woodchucks aren’t protected animals. According to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation website, “Unprotected species may be taken any time without limit. A hunting license is required to hunt (them) with a bow, crossbow or firearm.”
Woodchucks burrow and forage. They damage crops and their burrowing can cause structural damage. Farmers shoot them, but any old weapon will do, including a golf cart.
West County native Mike Ryan is set to start his third season as the Sports Medicine Analyst with NBC Sports. Ryan joined the network after more than 30 years in the NFL, including his last 20 as head trainer of the Jacksonville Jaguars. “We kick off with the Hall of Fame Game on Sunday, and the first regular season game will be Broncos-Panthers in Denver on Sept. 8.”
Ryan lives in north Florida but still reads The Recorder. “I was especially enthralled with your column about the dude who willingly jumped off the French King Bridge … Twice! #BigBrassBalls.”
Ryan was referring to Cliff Bernard, who jumped off the French King Bridge shortly after it opened in 1933. Afterward he donned a football helmet and dove into the Connecticut River. He was 35 at the time and lived to be 86.
The UMass hockey program lost one of its best fans with the passing of Frank Ciesluk. The 84-year-old farmer from Deerfield said it cost more for him to build his farm stand on Route 5 than it did to build his home on the same property a few decades earlier.
Frank and his wife Maryanne were fixtures at UMass hockey games. They were easy to spot sitting in fold-out chairs above the last row of seats behind the visitor’s net. One of those seats will be empty this season, and that will be a sad sight indeed.
There was a time when Tiger Woods was a lock to break Jack Nicklaus’ record of winning 18 majors. Woods had already won 14 majors by age 32, but that was in 2008 and he’s not won since and now it’ll take a miracle.
The same might be true for Alex Rodriguez, who still needs four home runs to reach 700. Can he? Will he? He has one home run in 70 at-bats since June 19 and the New York Daily News reported this week the Yankees might eat his contract at the end of the season.
Sheila Quinlivan wrote a marvelous memorial to her friend Don Jordan in The Recorder’s op-ed section. Jordan was a crackerjack salesman for The Recorder, and her piece filled me in on the man I didn’t know, including the lighthearted bits. “He was the only person I know who was infatuated with real estate books.” It’s the little stuff that creates characters, and Quinlivan’s profile revealed Jordan to be a character indeed.
The TVG Network has the kind of audience that’s ripe for an outfit like MoneyMutual, compulsive gamblers who don’t pay their bills. “Before you know it you’re behind,” says TV host Montel Williams, “but that’s where MoneyMutual comes in … They have a network of short-term lenders who can pay you a short-term loan of up to $1,000.”
The ad ends with a rapid voice-over: “(MoneyMutual) is not available in New York due to interest rate limits under New York Law.”
That’s because New York regulators shut ’em down and fined them $2.1 million for marketing illegal and high cost loans.
Mike Piazza’s former teammate Todd Hollandsworth conducted an excellent interview with the recent Hall of Fame inductee on SXM’s “Leadoff Spot.” Piazza was surprisingly candid when he was asked if he had any regrets: “I guess the fact that I didn’t drink it in as much as I should have. I tell the rookies to enjoy the charter rides and checking into the big hotels where you get the big cookies. I remember the year after I retired I was like, ‘What, I gotta book my own flight?’”
Hollandsworth: “But your edge was your focus.”
Piazza: “That’s correct. I felt I always played best when I played angry.”
If only Piazza had charged the mound after Roger Clemens threw the broken bat at him in the World Series. The Yankees would still have won, but there might not have been those “Meek the Mets” headlines.
Squibbers: Dustin Pedroia’s three-run homer Sunday against the Angels was Dave Henderson redux in the 1986 ALCS, the only piece missing was Angels manager Gene Mauch staring in disbelief. … St. Bonaventure professor Denny Wilkins on athletic director Tim Kenny, formerly of UMass: “He’s a politician and an administrator but whoever he is, he ain’t a yes guy.” … It’s been a long time since the Yankees called it a season this early in the campaign. “It’s a chance for some young players to step in and see what they can do,” said manager Joe Girardi, putting lipstick on the pig. … Going into their series against Houston, the Blue Jays’ record at Minute Maid Park was 2-12, now 3-13 at this writing. … UMass put up its new website up this week, tighter and easier to navigate, another positive sign the department is striving to change the systemic failures of years past. … Last weekend in Anaheim Jackie Bradley Jr. stepped up to bat. ”Bradley 0-for-14 in this ballpark,” said NESN’s Dave O’Brien. Next pitch, home run. Nice timing, Dave. … Go Trumpy Go was beaten by Buon Gusto in last Friday’s eighth race at Monmouth. The race was run in the mud.