Sometimes, when I make a sports history reference here or perhaps something about sports wagering, I anticipate hearing from the “reader in Houston” with an amplification/clarification. I had no such anticipation yesterday when I mentioned that James Harden had been arrested in Houston on a misdemeanor weapons charge. Nonetheless, here is “the rest of that story”:
“FYI: Anyone who can legally possess a firearm under state and federal law can carry a handgun in most public places without needing a permit.
“If you openly carry a handgun, it must be carried in a holster. [Allegedly, Harden’s gun was on his car seat.]
“You can legally carry a loaded handgun in your car, provided it is out of plain view and you are not prohibited from possessing a firearm.
“However, state and federal laws strictly prohibit firearms in certain locations, even with an LTC (license to carry), such as schools and college campuses, secure areas of airports, voting places on election days, courthouses and government offices, bars, racetracks, correctional facilities, and places hosting high school, collegiate, or professional sporting events.”
It appears that Brendan Sorsby has resolved his college football eligibility issue this morning. According to an AP report, Sorsby will declare for the NFL Supplemental Draft next week making his legal challenge of the NCAA’s ruling of ineligibility moot. Take that as good news – – and hope it continues to obtain. The Chairman of the Texas Tech board of Regents characterized the decision in a way that makes me wonder how this all holds together:
“This decision was made with Brendan and his family and is purely an output of practical analysis of the situation. Brendan and Texas Tech stand on very solid and legitimate legal ground but he faces a June 22 deadline to be eligible to enter the NFL’s supplemental draft and there is no practical way to resolve all the various pending legal disputes and ensure his eligibility prior to this date. This is the only viable and fair path for Brendan and his future as well as for his teammates and our university.”
Really?
- If you are on such “firm and legitimate legal ground”, why is the NFL supplemental draft important?
- Why would Sorsby not persist, win his cases, play for Texas Tech and enter the NFL “normal draft” next April?
- He could have declared for the normal draft this year but chose not to do so and to try to play for Texas Tech and now there is pressure for him to do something he did not consider doing before?
- How is this the “best and fair path” for Brendan’s teammates?
As I said, be happy this matter might be put to rest and hope that it all holds together…
Moving on … There was a note at CBSSports.com the other day saying that Donovan McNabb Jr. had committed to playing for UNLV. I assumed – – incorrectly – – that McNabb Jr. was a QB like his dad; so, I went to the article to see his high school passing stats just out of curiosity. Immediately, I noticed something that seemed out of place. McNabb Sr. was a man of thick musculature who played at 230-240 lbs; McNabb Sr. was a bruiser. McNabb Jr. is 5’ 10” and weighs 160 lbs; McNabb, Jr. is a wide receiver and will graduate from Brophy College Prep in Phoenix AZ in 2027.
Switching gears … The first round games in the FIFA World Cup continue to provide surprising results. Spain was ranked as the #2 national team in the world entering the tournament; more than a few folks picked them to win it all. No one picked Cape Verde to win it all; in fact, many folks had Cape Verde listed as a team that only made it to the World Cup because the field was expanded from 32 to 48 teams. Well, here is the result from the match between those two teams in the first round of the tournament:
- Spain 1 Cape Verde 1
Finally, this from Walt Disney:
“You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.”
But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………
Sorsby continues to leave sleaze in his wake. Shame on Texas Tech for making such a claim.
Reading of McNabb Sr. and McNabb Jr. caused me to think of another pro athlete.
Weighing in at 112 lbs, Ty Gibb is a professional driver for grandpa Joe Gibbs racing. Ty’s father Coy was a 4 year starter at linebacker for Stanford listed at 225 lbs. That apple fell pretty far from the tree.
Quick note, Spain and Cape Verde did play to a draw – but is was 0-0 – even more unbelievable!
The goal keeper for Cape Verde, Vozinha, made EIGHT saves yesterday! He started the day with 50k Instagram followers, and ended the day with over 4M!
The stats say it should have been 5-0, but wow, they held on! (The Saudi Arabia-Uruguay game also had crazy lop-sided stats that ended in a draw.)
In fact, all four the games yesterday were draws. The last time that happened at the world cup was 1958! Additionally, there have been 8 draws so far, and that’s the most at this point in the tournament in history. So going forward – bet the draws! 😉