plus 4, Memorably painful loss - Dubuque Telegraph Herald

Memorably painful loss - Dubuque Telegraph Herald
If only wishes would come true - ESPN.com
2009: Troubled GM's fate 'personal' for city - Lansing State Journal
NEW: Humvee slowdown costing 250 jobs - Kokomo Tribune
Man reports losing $640 to mugger outside Englebrook: Brook Park ... - Cleveland Plain Dealer

Memorably painful loss - Dubuque Telegraph Herald

Posted: 24 Dec 2009 07:58 AM PST

DES MOINES -- The shooting death of Aplington-Parkersburg High football coach Ed Thomas was the tragic end of an extraordinary life. Thomas spent 34 years shaping the lives of the young men who played for him, using a 100-by-58 yard patch of grass tucked between the corn fields of northeast Iowa to teach lessons that transcended his "Sacred Acre."

Unfortunately, Thomas' passing was the moment that defined Iowa's sports scene in 2009. But Iowans and many others around the nation rallied around the Falcons for their nationally televised season opener, where they honored their fallen coach and, more importantly, played the game the way Thomas taught them.

Here are some of the other memorable moments in Iowa sports that stood out in 2009.

HAWKEYES EARN TRIP TO ORANGE BOWL

Iowa barely survived its season opener against Northern Iowa and quickly fell out of the Top 25. The Hawkeyes kept winning, though, and by early November they were 9-0 and in the discussion for the national title. Iowa's luck ran out when quarterback Ricky Stanzi

sprained his ankle against Northwestern, which promptly knocked the Hawkeyes from the ranks of the unbeaten. Iowa then lost an overtime heartbreaker at Ohio State, 27-24, in one of the most memorable Big Ten games of the decade.

The Hawkeyes, behind freshman quarterback James Vandenberg of Keokuk, rallied to shut out Minnesota in the season finale and earn a trip to the Orange Bowl to face Georgia Tech. Coach Kirk Ferentz was named the league's coach of the year for the third time and the Hawkeyes dominated the Big Ten's all-league honors, proving that the program's mid-decade struggles were more of a blip than a trend.

RHOADS LEADS CYCLONE REVIVAL

First-year Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads, a native of nearby Ankeny, made his enthusiasm for the Cyclones apparent from the moment he accepted the job, firing up the fan base with a passionate and emotional introductory press conference.

Rhoads then went out and proved that there's a pretty good coach underneath all that fire and brimstone.

Rhoads and his staff squeezed six wins and a trip to the Insight Bowl out of a team that was a near-unanimous pick to finish last in the Big 12 North. Along the way, the Cyclones won at Nebraska for the first time since 1977 -- forcing eight turnovers -- and posted more victories than they did in two seasons under current Auburn coach Gene Chizik.

Iowa State fans were briefly disillusioned when Chizik bailed on them last December. Twelve months later, many of those same Cyclones supporters would say that, thanks to Rhoads, it was the best thing that could have happened to the program.

PANTHERS NEARLY PULL OFF KINNICK STUNNER

Even casual football fans around the state knew that Northern Iowa had built a powerhouse football program under coach Mark Farley -- regardless of division. But few of them thought the Panthers could knock off the Hawkeyes in Kinnick Stadium.

If Iowa hadn't pulled off something that's never been done before, though, that's exactly what would have happened.

The Panthers trailed, 17-16, when quarterback Pat Grace drove them from their own 8-yard line with 2:14 left. Billy Hallgren's first game-winning field goal try was blocked, but Northern Iowa somehow recovered the ball to set up yet another try. Jeremiah Hunter, who failed to pick up Hallgren's first blocked kick, swatted away the second attempt to give Iowa a thrilling victory.

Hunter's block marked the first time in Football Bowl Subdivision history that a team blocked consecutive field goal attempts, though the close win hurt Iowa's national reputation all season.

Northern Iowa won its next five games and looked to be a serious contender for the FCS title. But the Panthers lost three of their final five games and missed the playoffs.

In many ways, that was as stunning as their near-upset of the Hawkeyes.

NASCAR NATIONWIDE DEBUTS IN IOWA at newton track

In just a few short years, the Iowa Speedway transformed from a cornfield in Newton into one of the nation's fastest-growing racetracks. The track's sterling reputation was cemented this summer when it played host to the NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck series races as well as the third IRL Iowa 250. More than 57,000 fans packed the stands to watch Brad Keselowski pass Kyle Busch on the final few laps to take the checkered flag in the inaugural Nationwide race.

Though a Sprint Cup Series race -- the Holy Grail of auto racing -- might not be in the track's immediate future, Iowa Speedway's status as one of the best tracks in the Midwest is no longer in doubt.

PANTHERS WIN VALLEY, REACH NCAA TOURNAMENT

Northern Iowa entered 2009 as a scuffling Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball program in danger of fading back into irrelevance. Less than three months later, the Panthers were cutting down the nets after the Valley title game in St. Louis and celebrating their fourth NCAA tournament trip of the decade. It was the year that coach Ben Jacobson, Greg McDermott's hand-picked successor, came into his own, winning the league's coach of the year honor.

Though the Panthers fell to Purdue in the opening round of the NCAA tournament, they opened the 2009-10 season with wins over Iowa and Iowa State and look to be strong contenders for another trip to the Big Dance come March.

HAWKEYES TAKE NCAA WRESTLING TITLE, SANDERSON LEAVES FOR PENN STATE

Top-ranked Iowa won its second straight NCAA wrestling title in March under coach Tom Brands. The Hawkeyes won their 22nd national title without winning a weight class, and 149-pound Brent Metcalf, the Hawkeyes' lone finalist, had his 69-bout winning streak ended and was later whistled for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Iowa State finished third, and coach Cael Sanderson was finished with the Cyclones soon thereafter. Sanderson left his alma mater for Penn State and was replaced by Kevin Jackson, who watched the Cyclones fall to No. 1 Iowa in Ames, 18-16, in early December.

IOWA BASKETBALL IN DECLINE

The Hawkeyes finished coach Todd Lickliter's second season with a 73-45 loss to Michigan in the Big Ten tournament. Four players bailed on the program shortly thereafter, and Iowa heads into 2010 facing an uphill battle to avoid the worst season in school history.

The Hawkeyes are just 5-7 entering Big Ten play. Anthony Tucker, their second-leading scorer, is on an indefinite suspension after being arrested on public intoxication charges, and Lickliter only recently returned following surgery to repair a tear in his carotid artery.

OTHER NOTABLE MOMENTS

Donny Schatz takes his fourth straight Knoxville Nationals title. ... Iowa State star forward Craig Brackins decides to skip the NBA Draft and return for his junior season. ... Des Moines native Lolo Jones pulls up during a hurdles event at the Drake Relays and fails to finish the race. ... Mark McNulty sinks 30-foot putt to win playoff at the Principal Charity Classic, a Champions Tour event in West Des Moines. ... Iowa routs Iowa State, 35-3, at Trice Stadium.

QUOTES TO REMEMBER

"What you did to get yourselves up off the ground and win this football game tonight, I want to thank you ... It means a lot to us as coaches, it means a lot to our community, and I hope to the whole state of Iowa.

"We love you guys."

-- Aplington-Parkersburg co-head coach Al Kerns to his team after the Falcons season opener.

"I was praying the whole time, like 'This is why I'm out here...I was just focused on getting that block the second time."

-- Hunter after blocking Hallgren's last-gasp field goal attempt to lead Iowa past Northern Iowa, 17-16.

"Everybody loves someone that beats Kyle Busch."

Keselowski after beating Busch to win inaugural Nationwide event at Iowa Speedway.

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If only wishes would come true - ESPN.com

Posted: 24 Dec 2009 08:27 AM PST

In the season of giving, a few people in racing could use some help with their wish list for the holidays.

The 2010 season would be a lot more fun if these presents were under the motorsports tree:

For Michael Schumacher: A time machine so he can dial back a few years to his former greatness and have a triumphant return to Formula One.

For Dale Earnhardt Jr.: A special genetic pill, which would immediately add a little more of his father's DNA while driving a race car.

For Danica Patrick: A certificate for one Nationwide Series victory so she can silence all the naysayers.

For Patrick's Nationwide car: Some fresh paint to cover up the hideous lime green, black-and-orange combination it has now, looking like a Halloween leprechaun on wheels.

For John Force and Tony Pedregon: T-shirts that read: "I'm Too Old to Fight."

For F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone: A device implanted in his brain that shuts off his vocal cords whenever he starts to praise Hitler.

For Ford's Sprint Cup drivers: A shiny new engine, which lives up to all the expectations everyone had for it in 2009.

For Ashley Force: A practice Christmas tree, NHRA style, to improve her reaction times and get her a Funny Car championship in 2010.

For all NASCAR teams besides Hendrick Motorsports: A manual listing all the team secrets at Hendrick.

For David Pearson: A gold-plated gift card, guaranteeing his entry in the second class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, along with an apology from the voters who failed to place him in the first class.

For the Nationwide Series: A 2010 champion who isn't a full-time Cup driver.

For the 2010 Chase: A close championship battle between three or four drivers that goes down to the final race.

For Kentucky Speedway: A contract which states it will host a Cup race in 2011, and that the date comes from Pocono.

For the McLaren Mercedes F1 team: An anger-management coach for the inevitable feuds that will develop between new teammates and F1 champions Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.

For Mark Martin: A free refill of that jug from the fountain of youth. And some funny black leather pants for that GoDaddy.com commercial he'll have to do with Danica Patrick.

For Carl Edwards: A safe backflip in the delivery room when his baby is born, moments before he passes out.

For crew chief Steve Addington: A season in which his new driver, Kurt Busch, finishes one spot ahead of his old driver, Kyle Busch.

For Formula One: Some love from new manufacturers to make up for the loss of Toyota, Honda and BMW.

For Milka Duno, Chrissy Wallace, Alli Owens, Jennifer Jo Cobb, Sarah Fisher and any other female driver: An "Oh, Snap" moment on the track that brings one of them one-tenth of the attention Danica will receive in 2010.

For the IndyCar Series: More than two teams (Target Chip Ganassi Racing and Penske Racing) that can compete for the championship.

For Sprint Cup: More than one team (Hendrick Motorsports) that can compete for the championship.

For Auto Club Speedway: The same seat fillers they have in L.A. for the Academy Awards.

For Brad Keselowski: A light-up peace symbol to place on his rear bumper and turn on whenever Denny Hamlin is behind him.

For Helio Castroneves: An IndyCar Series championship so people won't start calling him the Mark Martin of open wheel (the best driver never to win an IndyCar title).

For Graham Rahal, Marco Andretti and A.J. Foyt IV: A season as successful as their names imply.

For Talladega Superspeedway: A great Cup race without cars flipping through the air at the end.

For Kyle Busch: Hope that the maturity required in being a new team owner (in the Camping World Truck Series) has an affect on his Cup performance.

For the Camping World Truck Series: An increase in the number of trucks that run the full 2010 schedule, which was only 15 in 2009.

For Sam Hornish Jr.: A note from Juan Pablo Montoya that says: "The third time's the charm," telling Sam how 2010, his third Cup season, can become as successful as Montoya's third season was in 2009.

For NASCAR: A big thank-you note for going back to earlier start times in 2010.

For Formula One fans in the USA: A plan for bringing F1 back to America in 2011.

For the Indy 500: All 250,000 seats occupied, like it was in the good old days.

For the NHRA: A return to its roots by going back to quarter-mile races at tracks capable of doing it safely.

Terry Blount is a senior writer for ESPN.com. His book, "The Blount Report: NASCAR's Most Overrated and Underrated Drivers, Cars, Teams, and Tracks," was published by Triumph Books and is available in bookstores. Click here to order a copy. Blount can be reached at terry@blountspeak.com.

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2009: Troubled GM's fate 'personal' for city - Lansing State Journal

Posted: 24 Dec 2009 07:44 AM PST

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"I voted 'yes' on the contract, but I felt like I was voting to eliminate my job," said Jim Leslie, a pipe fitter at the Delta plant, sitting in his truck in the parking lot at the end of Friday's shift.

Leslie, 55, is a 24-year GM employee. He doesn't know how he'd find other work. He voted for the new pact - and the concessions that come with it - because he thought it would be good for the company, because he thought he didn't have a choice.

"Who's going to hire an old fat man like me when they can hire some 25-year-old kid who's got twice the energy I've got?" he asked. "It's a tough decision, but it's something we've just got to work through."

'Lansing's lifeblood'

The auto industry "was our lifeblood. It was Lansing's lifeblood through all the years," said Rudy Wilson. "People would come from everywhere to get a job at Oldsmobile, from the south, the north."

Wilson, 84, was one of them. He came to Lansing from West Virginia. A chemist, he was Oldsmobile's first black salaried employee.

When he started in 1951, most of the company's black employees were janitors, but "you made good money," he said.

In terms of social mobility, he said, "it meant a lot."

Like other salaried retirees, Wilson's health benefits were cut in January.

"I was pretty saddened when they took my insurance away," he said.

The impending bankruptcy saddens him, too.

"We're in deep trouble," Wilson said. "And I think a long time ago, even when we had Roger Smith as CEO and those big-time guys making all the big-time money, I think we should have looked way back then to know that someday we would be in trouble."

Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero called what has happened to GM "an American tragedy."

"GM was the might of this country," he said. "It was the entrepreneurial success. It was the productivity ... and it's wrapped into the history of Lansing. It's a part of who we are, and that's what makes it so tough."

And it didn't take Bernero long to hit his stride as the man the media dubbed "America's angriest mayor." He talked about an "industrial heartland ... under attack," about the raw deal that American workers have had from "free trade, not fair trade."

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NEW: Humvee slowdown costing 250 jobs - Kokomo Tribune

Posted: 24 Dec 2009 07:16 AM PST

Published: December 24, 2009 10:35 am

NEW: Humvee slowdown costing 250 jobs

Associated Press

MISHAWAKA — AM General Corp. plans to lay off 250 workers from its Humvee plant in northern Indiana because the U.S. military is buying fewer of the vehicles.

United Auto Workers Local 5 official Don Taber says about 70 workers won't return when the Mishawaka plant reopens from its Christmas shutdown on Jan. 4. He says 180 workers are expected to be laid off during January.

Workers were told last spring that the company might cut jobs if it didn't receive additional orders by year's end.

AM General vice president Carter Hamilton says the plant is assembling 64 of the military vehicles a day, down from its previous 85 vehicles a day.

The company has about 2,300 workers in South Bend and Mishawaka, where it also builds the Hummer H2 consumer truck.

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Man reports losing $640 to mugger outside Englebrook: Brook Park ... - Cleveland Plain Dealer

Posted: 24 Dec 2009 07:01 AM PST

By Sun News staff

December 24, 2009, 9:59AM

BROOK PARK

ROBBERY, BROOKPARK ROAD: A 31-year-old Cleveland man said he was assaulted and robbed of $640 at Englebrook Lounge, 17021 Brookpark, at 2:30 a.m. Dec. 12. The report had no other details, other than police have no suspects.

ASSAULT, SNOW ROAD: A 25-year-old Strongsville man assaulted a 21-year-old Brunswick woman Dec. 19 at AMF Brookgate Lanes, 14950 Snow. The man also made threats. No one was arrested.

ASSAULT, BROOKPARK ROAD: At 2:22 a.m. Dec. 16 police arrested a 34-year-old Parma man for assaulting a 32-year-old Strongsville man at Fox's Den, 15200 Brookpark.

THEFT, SNOW ROAD: Someone on Dec. 12 stole a laptop computer, worth $830, from Aaron's Rental, 15029 Snow.

THEFT, FRY ROAD: About $250 in cash and $160 worth of other items were stolen Dec. 14 from a 45-year-old woman who lives in a house in the 5700 block.

THEFT, SHELDON ROAD: A PlayStation 3 and a Nintendo device, worth $900, were reporting missing Dec. 10 from an apartment in the 21400 block.

THEFT FROM AUTO, BROOKPARK ROAD: Owners of Metro Toyota, 15541 Brookpark, on Dec. 12 discovered that catalytic converters were stolen from six vehicles sometime since Dec. 10. The thefts were discovered after fires on Dec. 8 destroyed two vehicles at Metro's repair shop.

THEFT FROM AUTO, HUMMEL ROAD: A wallet was stolen Dec. 7 from an unlocked 1997 Buick in a driveway at 13651 Hummel.

THEFT FROM AUTO, BROOKPARK ROAD: Someone on Dec. 11 stole a global positioning device from a 1991 Pontiac owned by a Newton Falls man and parked outside Best Value Hotel, 14043 Brookpark.

THEFT FROM AUTO, LIBERTY BELL DRIVE: Someone on Dec. 19 stole $250 worth of items from an unlocked 2005 Chevrolet in the 6500 block. Taken were a purse, photo equipment and credit cards.

THEFT FROM AUTO, WEST 164th STREET: A license plate was stolen Dec. 10 from a truck at HMF Engineering, 5111 W. 164th St.

VANDALISM, SNOW ROAD: Someone on Dec. 12 did $1,000 damage to a 2009 Ford truck parked outside DelSangro's Restaurant, 13450 Snow. A North Ridgeville man owns the vehicle.

VANDALISM, PICKWAY DRIVE: Someone overnight Nov. 30 punctured tires on a 2004 Dodge parked in the 6000 block. The owner, 30, also complained about receiving harassing telephone calls.

PROPERTY DAMAGE, ENGLE ROAD: Someone on Dec. 9 damaged a knob of a rear door at Axent Graphics, 7270 Engle. No entry was made.

COUNTERFEIT MONEY, ENGLE ROAD: Someone on Dec. 4 tried to pass two phony $20 bills at Circle K, 6300 Engle.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT, SANDHURST DRIVE: About $400 in tools, plus clothes, were stolen between late Nov. 28 and the evening of Dec. 2 from a 2004 Chevrolet parked in the 6400 block.

LEWD CONDUCT, BROOKPARK ROAD: A 21-year-old North Royalton woman was cited Dec. 10 at Crazy Horse Cabaret, 16600 Brookpark, for violating the city's no-touch ordinance with a customer.

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