Archive By Section - Sports Columns
Fantasy football rookie goes for the touchdown
Since I was little, I remember Sundays being the designated football day. I would get out my cheese head, my Green Bay Packer blanket and put on my favorite Bret Favre jersey that was way too big for me. It was bonding time with my family and, of course, I was the dedicated cheerleader for the Packers. Whenever my dad cheered, I did too.
My first hockey experience
There were plenty of justifiable reasons why we should have left the HP Pavilion in our rearview mirror and go on about our night.
A few degrees makes all the difference
I have a 75 gallon fish tank at home where I have about six tropical fish. When I purchased my fish I tried to get them in pairs. Coincidentally, two of my pairs ended up spawning several times over the summer. Once the cooler weather hit, I noticed several changes occur in the tank. The first change I noticed was the once radiant colors of my fish went pale and their movement became very sluggish. ...
When coaches behave badly
I've written about my former coaches before and the impact they made on my life. For the most part, they've been good memories. And even the bad ones, which included them yelling in my face, were beneficial because I know it was for my own good.
A much needed ‘fore!’
I was standing about 50 yards from the tee of the second hole and imagining, just for a second, what it'd feel like to get smacked by a speeding golf ball. It wasn't a wish. It was just a thought.
Junior high reunion spurs introspection
This was my eighth-grade boys basketball tryout: Our coach, a slender man with a monotone voice, instructed us to make five straight free throws. He didn't care who took the shot, but every time a ball refused to go in, we'd run sprints up and down the court.
A lesson in lingo
Recently I was asked to explain the differences between a reaction bait and a rip bait. I realized then, that for those just getting into the sport or who've been out of it for a while can easily be confused with the ever changing fisherman's language.
Honoring the great MJ
It's time to honor Michael Jordan. The greatest basketball player ever will be enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday. Even Jordan himself couldn't tarnish his own legacy as an old man with bad knees in a game that had evolved since he last laced one of his popular Air Jordans.
The best inspiration comes from strangers
I had just pounded out the opening mile of my first 5K run when a serious dilemma popped in front of my face. Maybe the thought also crossed the minds of the other runners. Well, probably except for those superhumans - also known as the Cal State Stanislaus runners - who do this kind of stuff as warm-up.
A remarkable week in sports
A guilty pleasure of mine is watching VH1's "Best Week Ever." It's an addicting show that offers commentary from no-name comedians and minor celebrities on the week's biggest pop culture news.
Tracy racing family earn top spots in Stockton
The Philpott's, Tracy's leading racing family, continued their season long domination of the Western Late Model ranks at the New Stockton 99 Speedway with a clean sweep of last Saturday night's twin 50-lap features.
Brandstater is just enjoying the ride
Tom Brandstater, a Turlock High graduate, wants to be the Super Bowl MVP, the one who lifts his index finger in the air to show that he's No. 1 and the one who looks into a camera and tells the world where he wants to go on vacation next.
Better late than never
If you played sports in high school, you have relieved, recounted and regretted what happen years ago.
Format change changes little at Madera
In a bold effort to build up car count and increase the championship drama down the homestretch of the season, Madera Speedway President Kenny Shepherd made a surprise announcement last week that the 2009 Western Late Model championship at the 1/3 mile oval would be determined by the last four races with only the top 10 drivers in the points being eligible.
Sports junkies lose great sport in AFL
The Arena Football League is dead. At least for the most part. That's what a number of reports are saying about perhaps one of the most high-energy sporting spectacles ever, which can best be described as an indoor version of the NFL but with players who have a lot more to prove and not much to lose. The league is suspended indefinitely, officials announced earlier this week. It could also face a Chapter 7 bankruptcy ...
Articles by Section - Sports Columns
When best guesses go wrong
When I was a kid I used to think about being a weather man. A weather man does his best to predict the weather but is often wrong. His viewers or readers know that predicting the weather is tricky, so his job must be pretty stress free. What about when the weather man has to predict the weather for his own planned activities? It must be pretty humbling when his family's plans are ...
Sato takes Long Beach; next stop: Indy
Takuma Sato was already a well known icon in Japan from his years in Formula One and near victory in last year's Indy 500, when he slammed into the outside wall after making contact with winner Dario Franchitti on the final lap of the race. But his celebrity status reached new heights in his homeland after his dominating victory in last weekend's 39th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach for the IZOD IndyCar Series. ...
Fishing memory lane
Sometimes no matter how a place may change over the years, the memories you have of it always seem to remain the same. This week I was able to fish Lake Amador with my son. I pretty much learned to fish on Lake Amador and have so many memories of family camping trips, fishing through the night, swimming in the lake with cousins, or just walking the bank in search of lost treasures. <p ...
Stockton 99 takes on the dirt in 2013
With the rebirth of the New Stockton 99 Speedway now successfully entering its fifth year, promoters Tony and Carol Noceti are also taking it to the dirt in 2013 with a new three-eighths dirt oval, located inside of the horse racing track, at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds. To christen the new facility with a bang, the track will be hosting the STP World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series as its inaugural ...
Central Catholic fans cross the line
The purpose of this column is to not condemn Central Catholic High School's entire student body. But I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't shed some light on the deplorable behavior exhibited by several Raiders fans during a recent varsity boys basketball game at Central Valley High in Ceres. Darryl Dickson, head coach of the Hawks, was targeted because of the color of his skin. Dickson is black. "Let ...
Patience a virtue, but coffee helps
The first fishing advice I ever received was to be patient. I'm not sure if I even understood the word back then, I just knew that I was expected to wait for the fish to come to me. This time of year, I'm constantly reminded of that advice as the bites are usually harder to come by. There are a couple of things that I do to keep motivated when the fishing ...
The golden Kap card
I pulled the Holy Grail of Colin Kaepernick rookie cards a year ago. Only one copy exists. I beat 1-in-699,600 odds. Jeff Hoekstra, manager of Krier's Cards and Comics in Modesto, sold my 2011 Topps Chrome Football autographed superfractor card, for $6,000 this past week. What makes this story more interesting is I've been a lifelong San Francisco 49ers fan. I also covered some of Kaepernick's football, baseball and basketball ...
Sage advice: Plenty of fish in the …
January is an interesting month for fishing. It seems like some fish are waiting for the first signs of spring, while others seem to be enjoying the cold weather. I used to stick to fishing for one species only. It didn't matter what time of year it was, I was going to fish for bass. Not anymore. Since I've been doing this column, I've discovered that there's a lot more ...
The compounding costs of fishing
Another Christmas has passed, and this year I got my annual fishing license as a gift from my parents. I was reminded of when I was 12 years old; it seemed like yesterday when I didn't have to worry about a fishing license. The only thing I worried about back then was getting a ride to my favorite fishing spot. Fast forward to my 16th birthday, I was actually excited about having my ...
Turlock sports: Year in Review
In only a few days noise makers, confetti, and kisses will usher in the New Year; marking the end of 2012 and signaling the beginning of 2013. But before the celebrations and doomed resolutions consume our lives, it's important to look back on the year that was and the events that helped shape it.
'Tis the season to stay warm
I can't say I've ever been fishing on Christmas Day, although I went out on Christmas Eve once. I remember it being extremely cold. I did end up catching my first 20-pound striped bass, but it still wasn't enough to make me want to go out in freezing temperatures again. I guess over the years I've either gotten softer or smarter. I used to take pride in being the only guy at ...
'Keep things simple' in tackle box
I've learned over the years that a person could drive themselves crazy worrying about every little detail when it came to fishing.
Expect the unexpected
I can't remember how many times over the past year that I've emphasized being prepared for the unexpected while out fishing.
Whatever floats your boat
Often I overhear fishermen talking about the perfect boat; of course the brand of their boat is the best!
Take a kid fishing
I received an e-mail this week asking me to remind everyone to "take a kid fishing." With all the distractions kids have today, very few have ever gone fishing. Some have fished more from their couch while playing a fishing video game, than actually fishing. Growing up there were very few things to do at home and if I stood around long enough I'd almost surely be put to work. At the time I lived ...
Sections:
- NEWS |
- SPORTS |
- OPINION |
- ARTS/LEISURE |
- LIVING IN 209 |
- HOME SCENE |
- SPECIAL SECTIONS |
- CELEBRATIONS |
- MOVIES |
- OBITS |
- REGIONAL NEWS
Services:
Submit News:
Online:
Contents of this site are © Copyright 2011 The Turlock Journal, CA. All rights reserved.
