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Wrestling legend and new Penn State coach Cael Sanderson will be in Harrisburg on Friday, June 5.
He will be at Zembo Shrine Center, 2801 North Third Street, from 3:30 to 5pm.
The event is free and open to public, but to get in, you need a reservation. Contact Mike Smith at 717-567-9212 or 717-580-0127; and djsportwear@tricountyi.net
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The President of Steel-Town Memorabilia, Josh Korb, dropped me an email to say that LeSean McCoy will sign autographs at a sports card show on May 9, 2009, at Capital City Mall.
Also appearing will be Kyle Brady; as well as Ryan Clark and Tyrone Carter from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
McCoy and Brady will appear from 12 pm-2 pm, while Clark and Carter will sign between the hours of 2 pm and 4 pm.
McCoy's autograph will cost $30. The others are $25.
Korb's website is www.steelerheadquarters.com and he is offering pre-sale tickets.
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The West Shore chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame is holding its induction tonight at the Radisson. Dr. Larry Cox and Jon Ritchie are being inducted.
Also, the Capital Area Chapter is holding its induction on Sunday. (Full disclosure: I'm a voting member of the CAC)
Here's the release:
President Bob Gustin announced the 2009 nominees to be inducted into the Capital Area Chapter of the Pa Sports Hall of Fame local Chapter Hall of Fame. Festivities for the 45th annual affair begin at 3 pm at the Holiday Inn East in Harrisburg. The event is open to the public and ticket information can be obtained by contacting Secretary Bernie Radocha at 717-957-3150.
The following 7 nominees were selected via ballots cast by the 650 members of the chapter and the 8th was chosen for meritorious service to local sports endeavors. With this class of 2009, the total Chapter local inductions number 338.
The 5 Living Inductees are -
Ernie Accorsi Football Administration/Management - graduate of Hershey High School and Wake Forest University, he began as a Sports writer for the Baltimore Sun and Philadelphia Inquirer. He worked in the Sports Information Departments of St. Joseph's University and Penn State. He was the General Manager of the Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns and New York Giants when he retired in 2007 as Senior Vice President and General Manager. He was the architect of the NY Giants Championship team that created the transaction bringing Eli Manning to NY culminating in the 2008 Super Bowl win. In his 16 years as General Manager with the Colts and Browns his teams included 9 playoff squads, 6 division champions, and 4 Conference Championship contenders.
Robert Guyer Football, Coach- He began his career at Middletown High School as Assistant Football and Baseball Coach from 1975-1980. His coaching career then took him to Daytona Beach FL as Assistant Football Coach at Mainland High School from 1980-1983 and Head Baseball Coach from 1980-1982. Returning to Central PA in 1983 as Assistant Football Coach at Milton Hershey High School, he became the Head Football Coach in 1984 until his retirement in 2008. His accomplishments include 10 Greater Harrisburg Area Sportsmanship awards, 4 time Coach of the Year, 4 Conference Championships, 5 District III qualifiers. His program produced 404 college players, over 400 honor student athletes and over 200 All-Conference players.
Lee Parthemore Race Car Driver - A 1947 graduate of Lower Paxton High School he joined the Army National Guard and was activated during the Korean Conflict. He began driving competitively in 1954 at various local speedways. In 6 years he became one of the most popular local drivers whose featured wins include 27 at Silver Spring, 4 at Lincoln, 6 at Susquehanna and Penn National. In 1976 he won the 100 Lapper Race at Silver Spring and was crowned Track Champion at Silver Spring and Susquehanna Speedways. After 28 years of competitive racing, he retired in 2008 and switched to golf where he competes with a 12 handicap at Sportsman golf course.
Steve Shrawder Football - A 1960 graduate of Millersburg High School with 14 varsity letters, he was a 4 year starter and team captain in football earning a unanimous selection to the All Conference team. In 1960 attending Bullis Prep he was a starting running back and team captain. A 1962 appointee to the US Naval Academy, he continued his career at running back on the undefeated freshmen team. He became a 2-way player on a team with a 9-1 record playing Texas in the Cotton Bowl for the National Championship. In the 1964 and '65 seasons he played as a wide receiver who also returned punts and kickoffs. In 1965 he tied the modern day record with 4 touchdown pass receptions before breaking his collarbone. Returning to Pensacola for flight training in 1969 after his first tour in Viet Nam, he played with former teammate Roger Staubach on the Navy Goshawks team compiling a 7-1 record against Division 1-AA teams .
Rob Shuey Golf - A 2 yr starting quarterback for Central Dauphin High School, he started playing amateur golf winning the 1984 Public Links Championship. He turned professional in 1985 working at Blue Ridge Country Club. He competed in 9 PGA Tour sponsored events and 5 PGA Club Pro National Championships, winning in 2000 and 2008. He was honored as the Philadelphia PGA Player of the Year. His wins include over 30 CCC PGA Pro-Ams, 5 CCC PGA Chapter Championships, 16 Philadelphia Points Tournaments, a Philadelphia PGA Match Play Championship and 4 Harrisburg Opens.
The 2 Deceased Inductees are -
Mariano DeFilippo Basketball/Athletic Director - Played both football and basketball for Hall of Famer Les Ginanni at Catholic High in Harrisburg continuing as a 3 yr starter in basketball at Millersville University. He was Assistant JV Coach from 1957 to 1959 winning 42 of 43 games at Bishop McDevitt High School. During his tenure as a Coach and Athletic Director at McDevitt his teams earned 8 Central Penn Championships participating in the PCIAA Eastern State title and Eastern State finals games. He helped form the Central Penn Catholic League and Mid-Penn Conferences. Retired from coaching in 1978 as Asst. Football Coach to concentrate on the Athletic Director responsibilities. His career varsity record was 254 and 135.
George Kolarac Football Track - He attended Harrisburg Catholic High School from 1949-53 playing as an offensive and defensive lineman under coach Anthony Cernugel. As a 1952 co-captain he earned the NOBE FRANK award as "Lineman of the Year" and B'nai B'rith Sportsmanship Scholarship Award in addition to being named to the Central PA Catholic All Star team in 1951 and '52. Also named Honorary Captain of his High School Track and Field team from 1949-1953 setting the shot put record for that period. At the University of Maryland from 1953-57 he played offensive guard and defensive linebacker for Coach Jim Tatum participating in the 1956 Orange Bowl against Oklahoma. After his playing career ended he entered football coaching as a Graduate assistant at Maryland from 1958-59, Bishop McDevitt 1960-62, William Penn High School 1963-68, Lebanon Valley College 1969-71, Harrisburg High School 1972-76 during which he also coached Track and Field, and Bishop McDevitt 1977-78. His 1972 and 1976 Track teams were PIAA District III champions. He was also selected to coach the East-West All Star game on City Island.
The Meritorious Service Inductees is -
Robert Swanger Sr. Coaching youth Sports - Beginning as a coach in 1982 he has mentored hundreds of young male and female athletes in Football(4 yrs), Basketball(4 yrs), and Baseball(26 yrs). In baseball he coached 11 different all star tournament teams winning 6 championships and 1 runner-up title. His 1993 teams with a 13-0 record won the Susquehanna Valley and Central Penn tournaments. A Viet Nam vet currently retired, he continues to coach midget baseball with 39 years of service.
as well as umpire at the Pony Midget and Teener levels.
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I got word from Phil Davis' promoter that Phil's next MMA fight will be streamed live from Fairfax, Virginia. Here's the link:
For those of you that won't be able to attend the UWC in Fairfax, VA this Saturday and want to watch Phil Davis vs. Terry Cohens, check out the following link which has details on how to view the fight live on Sherdog.com:
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York Catholic is holding another special dinner for its girls' basketball team. Here's the info from the school's communications director:
YORK CATHOLIC GIRLS’ BASKETBALL SILVER & GOLD
CHAMPIONSHIP CELEBRATION DINNER
The York Catholic Girls’ Basketball Team will be honored for its State Championship silver medal and District III gold medal season on Wednesday, May 20 at 6:30 PM at the high school. Tickets are required and can be purchased at York Catholic’s main office Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 3 PM. Adults are $15 and Children age 11 and under are $10. The deadline to purchase tickets is May 12.
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A sports memorabilia auction is being held on Thursday, April 16 at the Antique Auto Club Museim in Hershey, starting at 5pm. Here's the release:
Hershey Palmyra Sertoma Tom Gerhart’s 9th Annual Sports Memorabilia Auction Proceeds to help give kids fighting cancer a sporting chance.
Kids Like John Seibert Will Benefit From The Auction. John Seibert is like lots of 7 year old boys. He has loving parents, Darel and Jennifer Seibert, and a brother and sister. He loves to play baseball, and is a big Phillies and Ryan Howard fan. He is also under treatment for leukemia. And he’s determined, with the support of loving friends and family, to beat it and go on to a normal life.
Jennifer Seibert remembers two years ago, that John didn’t seem like himself. He got tired a lot and his energy level dipped. “I had mono as a child.” Recalls Jennifer, “ so I thought at first that John had the same thing. We found out about the leukemia after the doctors at Hershey Medical Center performed blood work that revealed it. He’s been getting chemotherapy for the last two years, and we estimate the treatments have another year to go.
So far so good. John’s spirits have been remarkably good through the whole process.” Two organizations worth noting here are the Four Diamonds Fund, and the Hershey Palmyra Sertoma Club.
The mission of the Four Diamonds Fund is to conquer childhood cancer by assisting children treated at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital and their families through superior care, comprehensive support, and innovative research. The Fund has helped more than 2000 families like the Seiberts.
About 100 families a year receive support from the Four Diamonds Fund. For more information visit www.hmc.psu.edu/fourdiamonds or call 1-800-243-1455. The Hershey Palmyra Sertoma Club is an organization that is made up of volunteer members of the business community all dedicated to “giving back” to the community. The organization (Sertoma is an abbreviation of SErvice TO Mankind) holds a series of fund-raisers yearly that raise in excess of $35,000. All funds raised are used to support a number of worthy local charities.
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The York Revolution will hold a tryout this Saturday at Sovereign Bank Stadium. Here's the all the important stuff, courtesy of the team:
All players are invited to attend, and representatives from the York Revolution, the Washington Wild Things of the Frontier League, and the American Defenders of New Hampshire of the Canadian-American Association will be on hand to evaluate talent. The tryout will be run by the Revolution, but players will have the opportunity to showcase their talent for three different organizations.
The event will be held rain or shine. If weather forces the tryouts off of Sovereign Bank Stadium’s playing field, players will throw and hit in the stadium’s batting cage.
From 9:05 to 9:20 athletes will stretch, before throwing to conclude warm-ups. From there the infielders, pitchers and catchers will break apart for various drills followed by hitting. The tryout is estimated to end around Noon. The Revolution coaching staff and the others in attendance will then speak with anyone they are still interested in.
Players with a military background should be especially interested in the tryout, as Boston Baseball All-Stars, the group that runs the American Defenders, also operates a travel team of U.S. Military All-Stars. Boston Baseball All-Stars is headed by former Red Sox General Manager Dan Duquette.
The Revolution will provide (wood) bats, balls and helmets for the tryout, and anyone trying out must sign a waiver before participating in the workout. All athletes will sign the waiver upon arrival at Sovereign Bank Stadium on April 4, and must be at least 18 years of age to tryout.
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The Barnstormers are gearing up for the 2009 season. The club is hosting a FanFest with the coaching staff planning to attend. Here's the release:
The 2009 Lancaster Barnstormers baseball season unofficially begins on Saturday. The club’s annual FanFest, featuring free admission, free food, free entertainment and more, will be held April 4 at Clipper Magazine Stadium.
And did we mention it’s FREE?
Fans attending the season-opening event will receive a voucher for a free Kunzler hot dog, bag of Herr’s chips and Pepsi, Auntie Anne’s will distribute free pretzels and Turkey Hill Dairy will offer samples of its “Duetto” brand ice cream. Regular stadium concessions will also be available for purchase, including grilled items in the stadium picnic area. As in past years, young fans will have free and unlimited use of the Weis Horse Around Corral, carousel and Barnstormers inflatable obstacle course and moon bounce for the duration of the event.
New in ’09: Young Barnstormers fans can participate in a “Cylo Egg Hunt” to find eggs filled with candy. Ten of the 500 eggs will also contain FREE memberships in the Fulton Bank Barnyard Bunch, the Barnstormers kids-only season ticket club. Other eggs will contain free passes to the kids park and Wheatland FCU Home Run Harbor for use during the baseball season.
Fans will also be able to play Wii games in a kiosk, courtesy of Play & Trade Video Games.
The Inside Corner team store will unveil a new line of “Pennyslvania Clutch Country” merchandise, and Barnstormers manager Von Hayes, coaches Tom Herr and Bill Bliss and mascot Cylo will be on hand to sign autographs. Live music and entertainment will be provided by the Kracker Beez.
“We’re hoping for good weather and planning for another great turnout,” Barnstormers general manger Vince Bulik said. “My staff is working hard this week to get the ballpark up and running by Saturday, and it will be a great reward to see the place full of fans once again.”
FanFest will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Auditions to sing the national anthem for a Barnstormers baseball game in 2009 will be held after the event from 2 to 5 p.m. Auditions are open to anyone, but singers should schedule an audition time by calling (717) 509-HITS.
FanFest is also the first opportunity for Barnstormers skybox partners, full and partial season ticket holders to pick-up their ticket books along with their fifth anniversary “Signing Bonus” of stadium gifts. The stadium box office will also be open, where fans can purchase single-game tickets for Opening Night on April 23 and other big games in the 2009 season. Priority seating will be given to fans who purchase tickets in person. Spring training tickets will also be available for the first time.
A family of four can again attend Barnstormers game for as low as $12 in 2009. General admission seating is $6 for adults, $4 seniors (65+) and youth (5-12) and free for children 4 and under. Plus youth 12 and younger who wear their athletic league jersey will again receive free admission thanks the club’s popular “Kids for Free” program, a partnership with Lancaster General to promote healthy lifestyles. Single-game box seats are $9 for all fans.
FanFest is one of numerous opportunities this spring for fans to visit the ballpark before Opening Night. Barnstormers spring training will be held in Lancaster for the first time beginning April 14. Team workouts held at Clipper Magazine Stadium and the B2B Baseball and Softball Academy in Manheim will be free and open to the public. Two highly-anticipated exhibition games, against Elizabethtown College on April 16 and Franklin & Marshall College on April 20, will also be free for all fans.
The Barnstormers will open the 2009 baseball season at home on Thursday, April 23 at 7:05 p.m. when they host the Newark Bears. Tickets to Opening Night and all other games in the 2009 season are on sale at www.LancasterBarnstormers.com. The Clipper Magazine Stadium box office opens for the season on April 6.
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The annual Welcome Back, Senators Dinner is quickly approaching, Here's the info if you're interested in attending:
The Harrisburg Senators Fan Club and the Capital Area Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame will co-sponsor the 23rd annual Welcome Back Senators dinner for the 2009 season. It will be held on Wednesday, April 8, at the Radisson Penn-Harris Hotel, 1150 Camp Hill Bypass, Camp Hill.
Activities will begin at 6 p.m. and include meeting with the Senators players, manager, coaches, and front office personnel. Dinner is scheduled for 7 p.m., and a designated team player will be seated at each table.
The program following dinner will include a welcome message by Harrisburg mayor Stephen Reed and an introduction of the current Senators players and staff. Past team members will also be present and introduced.
Separate ticket prices have been set for adults ($30) and for children age 12 and younger ($12). Ticket information may be obtained by contacting Bill Houck at 652-6540 or Jeanne Jacobs at 774-2730. Tickets may also be purchased by calling the Harrisburg Senators at 231-4444.
Disclosure: I am a member of the Capital Area Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.
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For those interested in assisting John Westbrook's recovery from a car accident last September, a fund is still operating at FCU.
Here's the information:
John Westbrook Recovery Fund
Members 1st FCU
5000 Louise Drive
PO Box 40
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
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With York Catholic's girls team aiming for its fourth-straight state title, I got thinking: Which local high school basketball program deserves the title of 'Greatest Dynasty'?
I think the guidelines should start with number of state championships won.
Catholic could win four straight with essentially two core groups of players. The first group (which claimed two titles) was led by Megan Stewart and Amanda Weaver. This current crop seems to be paced by Kady Schrann and the McGann sisters. Kelly Rhein was also a valuable member of both.
But is York Catholic better than Carlisle? The Thundering Herd squads that won four straight titles (1985-1988) featured Billy Owens, arguably the nation's top prep player (along with Alonzo Mourning). Future NFL linebacker Lee Woodall was also a staple; and Jeff Lebo started the run in 1985.
Catholic's run has been incredible; but I'm going with Carlisle, since the Herd played in a higher classification.
Any other nominees?
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CBS 21 is proud to announce the following broadcast schedule for the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship on Thursday and Friday:
Thursday, March 19 on CBS 21
- 12:20 pm Butler vs. LSU
- 3:00 pm Chattanooga vs. Connecticut
- 7:20 pm American vs. Villanova
- 9:40 pm Binghamton vs. Duke
Thursday, March 19 on My twentyone.2
- 12:30 pm Texas A&M vs. BYU
- 2:50 pm Radford vs. North Carolina
- 7:10 pm Michigan vs. Clemson
- 9:55 pm Western Kentucky vs. Illinois
Friday, March 20 on CBS 21
- 12:15 pm Stephen F. Austin vs. Syracuse
- 2:55 pm East Tenn. St. vs. Pittsburgh
- 7:10 pm Morehead State vs. Louisville
- 9:50 pm Robert Morris vs. Michigan State
Friday, March 20 on My twentyone.2
- 12:30 pm Utah State vs. Marquette
- 2:45 pm Temple vs. Arizona State
- 7:20 pm Southern California vs. Boston College
- 9:40 pm Siena vs. Ohio State
My twentyone.2 is Comcast Digital Channel 249 and Channel 21 on Verizon FiOS. All times are ET. Game times are subject to change.
By the way, USA Today ran an interesting and informative article on CBS Sports' coverage and the decisions behind who watches what.
Here's the link:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/hiestand-tv/2009-03-17-cbs-ncaa-tournament-coverage_N.htm
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Michael Reinsdorf, the head of Senators Partners, LLC - the current ownership group of the Harrisburg Senators - is selling is hockey club in the East Coast Hockey League.
Here's the story from the Stockton Record:
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090310/A_NEWS/90310014/-1/A_NEWS
Reinsdorf mentions that his reasons are "personal," but notes that most of his business interests are now in the Midwest and the East.
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