Ear ya go: 7 little kernels of joy from the world of sports
🎾 Quote
Chris Evert, tennis Hall of Famer, after tests last week revealed a recurrence of cancer:
“While this is a diagnosis I never wanted to hear, I once again feel fortunate that it was caught early. …I encourage everyone to know your family history and advocate for yourself. Early detection saves lives. Be thankful for your health this holiday season.”
Source: ESPN
Evert, 68, knows of what she speaks. She was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer in December 2021. Her younger sister died of that cancer in February 2020.
🏀 Story
Best Line in the History of Basketball by Royce Webb, Substack 5x5
In this smile-inducing piece, Webb weaves entertainment with research. He posits the best line in basketball: “Ran out of talent.” And then shares the history behind it. Strong stuff.
🏀 Highlight
Rasheed Bello has led Purdue Fort Wayne to a 10-1 record. The junior guard leads the Mastodons in points, assists, and blocks with a shoe. Seriously. At Southern Indiana on December 6, dude came out his shoe, grabbed it, continued playing defense, and then blocked a shot with it. No way that’s legal (I gotta look it up), but it sure was resourceful. One thing for sure: Bello did not run out of talent.
🏒 Stat
11: most consecutive road wins to start an NHL season, set by the Los Angeles Kings Thursday
The Kings shut out Montreal 4-0 Thursday to set the record. The streak started October 17 in Winnipeg, and finally ended Saturday on Long Island in overtime. LA went 11-0-0 during the run.
🏈 Groaner
How much did Baker Mayfield pay for corn-on-the-cob for the gender-reveal party he and his wife hosted?
A buck an ear!
Ok, so I stole that punchline from some lame pirate joke, but what’s legit is that Mayfield and his wife, Emily Wilkinson, are getting ready to have a kid. Too bad the Tampa Bay QB initially thought he was getting a puppy.
🏀 Song 🏒
Stronger Than You Know by Allegra Miles
Today marks the end of V Week, when ESPN raises awareness for The V Foundation, created to honor legendary coach Jim Valvano and his mission to fight cancer. The foundation has funded $353 million in research grants since its inception three decades ago. The designated song for V Week: Stronger Than You Know.
This year the NHL and its players joined the cause with Hockey Fights Cancer.
No mention of Valvano would be complete without word of the speech he gave a month before he died of cancer. Here you go: Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.
⚽️ Trivia
What country did the US submit a joint bid with to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup?
Canada
Costa Rica
Cuba
México
Es México! The joint bid submitted Friday projected $3 billion in revenue. Other bids came from Brazil and a joint plan from Germany-Netherlands-Belgium.
Rumor has it that after hearing joint bids are now acceptable, Snoop Dogg and Willie Nelson are scurrying to roll one up.
Aw shucks. 🌽 That’s it for this week. Thanks for stomaching Corny Sports. For more trivia, take the interactive Corny Sports Quiz at kalrucker.net.
Working on it..