Three weeks ago today, Steve Hardings posted this comment:
How does one Blog about the Penn Relays?The guy in lane 1 is ahead... no wait, its the guy in lane 2... etc. Curious how this will play out on line. Unlike a "game" a race is just that. I dont know what you plan on doing besides reporting on results.
I suppose it would be the same if you blogged about a stock car race. Maybe not. At least there are crashes!!!
Maybe I am just so down on the PennRelays...i have had some bad experiences over the years with that event. Its always a good weekend to get out of town
Well, we're about to find out. We're just a few minutes seconds away from the first 400-meter hurdles heat of this 113th Penn Relays Carnival, and I must admit that of all the things I cover, this is my favorite event on the Philadelphia sports calendar.
This region's sports fans are second to none, as we all know. The electricity of an Eagles game or a Flyers playoff game is unrivaled. But there's something really special about being in Franklin Field with a big crowd that has come here from all over the country to watch a few athletes they know and a few thousand they've never heard of.
Over the course of the next three days, I'll bring you all kinds of features and race updates. Not just text, but also photos, video and audio. Above all, I want it to be fun, and I want you all to enjoy it as much as I do. So let me know what you want to hear about, either by posting a comment or sending me an email.
Oh, and that first race I mentioned just ended. South Carolina's Krystal Cantey, a native of Winslow Township, N.J., finished second in the heat to UTech (of Jamaica)'s Kaliese Spencer.
Now for this morning's headlines.
Start in the Inquirer, with Joe Juliano's fans' guide. The biggest tidbid in there is that stud Texas running back Jamaal Charles will be running for the Longhorns.
Jeff McLane recaps the heptathlon and decathlon, both won by Penn State athletes. All the expected puns are included in the story. Joe Juliano profiles the highly touted Florida State team, which is the reigning NCAA champion but has never won a Championship of America.
Juliano also notes the stars -- and they are stars -- who will be in the USA vs. the World competition, while Rick O'Brien explains why Penn's Shani Boston didn't compete in the Heptathlon.
In the Daily News, Mike Kern has a great story on Kortney Clemons, an Iraq war veteran who will run in the open 100-meter sprint on a prosthetic leg. Ted Silary profiles Simon Gratz's Khaliff Featherstone, who is apparently quite good at running the track and running his mouth.
And a few hoops and football stories to close things out. Dana Pennett O'Neil takes a shot at the NCAA for its soon-to-be-adopted ban on text messaging. Joe Santoloquito hails the prowess of high school phenom Tyreke Evans, whose family says he "will go to college." The Inquirer's Frank Fitzpatrick sizes up the draft chances for Penn State offensive tackle Levi Brown, and Coaches vs. Cancer will host a big high school hoops tournament this weekend at Temple.
