February 2009 Archives

From http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_11800991:

Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden has been hospitalized since Feb. 13 because of pneumonia, school spokesman Marc Dellins said, confirming an earlier report on dailynews.com. Wooden, 98, is expected to make a full recovery, but no date has been set for him to leave the hospital.

"My father is doing well," said Nan Muehlhausen, Coach Wooden's daughter. "His lungs are clear and he has been eating well. We expect him to be released soon."

He did not attend UCLA's basketball games last week against Washington and Washington State, although he no longer attends every game. Wooden went 620-147 in 27 years at UCLA. He won 10 national titles, including seven straight from 1967-73. He retired after the Bruins won the 1975 NCAA title.

The family is asking people not call or visit to hospital so Wooden can rest. Also, the family is requesting fans refrain from sending mail to Wooden while he is hospitalized.

He becomes the first NASCAR driver to win the first two Cup events since Jeff Gordon in 1997. Gordon finished second and Kyle Busch, attempting to become the first driver ever to win all three races (Cup, Nationwide, Trucks) in one weekend, finishes third.

More in tomorrow's editions.

Kyle Busch made history today at Auto Club Speedway: He became the first NASCAR driver to win a race in two of the three major series in the same day. Busch led 95 of 100 laps en route to victory in the Camping World Truck Series San Bernardino County 200, and led 143 of 150 laps to win the Stater Bros. 300. He'll go for the unprecedented triple in the Auto Club 500 tomorrow at 3 p.m.

More details in tomorrow's editions.

Mike Whitmarsh, a legendary AVP volleyball player and Olympic silver medalist in 1996, died today. The Associated Press is reporting it as an apparent suicide due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Whitmarsh, from Spring Valley, also played briefly in the NBA.

Here is the AVP release. Here is the AP story.

From http://www.autoclubspeedway.com/Articles/2009/02/Reggie-Jackson.aspx:

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, Calif. (February 17, 2009) - Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, who earned the nickname Mr. October for his World Series heroics with both the A's and Yankees, will be behind the wheel of the Auto Club Speedway's 2009 Chevy Impala pace car as he leads the field before the start of NASCAR's 2009 West Coast Premiere - the Auto Club 500 - on Feb. 22.

"In my lifetime I've played in six World Series, hob-knobbed with movie stars and been a part of the excitement of New York and the Yankees," said Jackson. "With all that, it's hard to get excited over many things. But being behind the wheel of the pace car for the Auto Club 500, is right up there with some of the most exciting things I've ever done."

The former Chino Hills and Riverside resident, who won the pole at Daytona two years ago but was squeezed out of the Yates Racing lineup to start this season, will drive the No. 71 TRG Motorsports Chevrolet at his home track Sunday.

If John Murray indeed comes back to the Reign from the AHL any time soon, it will not be without any game experience.

Last night, Syracuse Crunch starter Spencer Dahm was assailed for four goal on his first 10 shots in the Crunch's loss to the Toronto Marlies. Murray came on in relief and played the final 36 minutes, 45 seconds, allowing two goals on 13 shots - not amazing, but good enough to slow the damage and get a feel for the next level.

In other Reign alumni news, Dusty Collins played last night for the Manitoba Moose and the Sean Avery-led Hartford Wolf Pack. As expected, however, Avery didn't play. Collins did, was held scoreless with one shot on net and a minus-1 rating for the game. In eight games with Manitoba, Collins has a goal and an assist.

Light-scoring defensemen Darren McMillan and Shawn Germain gave a lot of interesting insights into their jobs that I wasn't able to include in today's story about the Reign's light-scoring defensemen.

Jeremy Lusk, a Temecula-based motocross rider, has died in Costa Rica as the result of injuries sustained in a stunt attempt earlier today. From Yahoo! sports:

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP)--Jeremy Lusk, an American freestyle motocross rider, died of head injuries Tuesday after crashing while trying to land a backflip in competition. He was 24.

Jorge Ramirez, chief of the intensive care unit at Calderon Hospital where Lusk was taken, said the motocross racer suffered severe brain damage and a possible spinal cord injury.

Lusk won a gold medal at the 2008 X Games. He was injured Saturday night when he failed to complete a full rotation while attempting a Hart Attack backflip and slammed headfirst into the dirt. Lusk crashed in almost identical fashion in the freestyle semifinals at the 2007 X Games but was not hurt.

He had a successful 2008 season, winning Freestyle gold at the X Games and silver in Best Trick when he landed the first double-grab Hart Attack backflip. He won a bronze helmet in Freestyle at the Moto X World Championships in his hometown of San Diego.

Ramirez said Lusk died with his parents and his wife, Lauren, at his side.

Here is the YouTube clip of Lusk trying the same move at the X Games in 2007.

From Jim Short at Orange Show Speedway:

The Orange Show Speedway informational meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 11, has been rescheduled due to unexpected delays in the finalization of the agreement between new OSS promoter Rick McCray and the National Orange Show board of directors.

From Laura Johnson up in Wrightwood:

The 11th Annual $25,000 Cholula Triple Air Show went off Saturday, February 07, 2009, at Mountain High in Wrightwood, CA. 75 riders from across the country threw down for their share of a huge $25,000 cash purse. The weather held off just enough for Danny Toumarkine to stake his claim on a hot $10,000 in cash with Stacie Anderson pulling in $4,000 for the girls.

When they talk about the "rich getting richer" in NASCAR, this is exactly what they're talking about. From http://www.scenedaily.com/:

There will be an informational meeting for all Orange Show Speedway drivers and other interested parties on Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. The meeting will be held under the pit side grandstands. Applications will be available for anyone interested in becoming a track official.

Open practices tentatively have been scheduled for March 7 and March 14 at times to be announced.

San Bernardino businessman Rick McCray, a former competitor at Orange Show Speedway and in the NASCAR West and Craftsman Truck series, will be the promoter pending the completion of a multi-year agreement with the National Orange Show board of directors.