Second thoughts

Indianapolis Colts cheerleader Crystal Ann has her head shaved by Blue, the Colts mascot, during the second half of Sunday’s game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Buffalo Bills in Indianapolis.
Indianapolis Colts cheerleader Crystal Ann has her head shaved by Blue, the Colts mascot, during the second half of Sunday’s game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Buffalo Bills in Indianapolis.

— Bald and dutiful in Indianapolis

Bald is still beautiful. Just ask Demi Moore and Natalie Portman, or, more recently, two Indianapolis Colts cheerleaders.

Crystal Ann and Megan M. on Sunday joined more than two dozen Colts players who shaved their heads earlier this month in support of Colts Coach Chuck Pagano, who was diagnosed with leukemia in September.

The extreme cuts were part of a fundraising effort for leukemia research, and were the end result of a challenge issued by the team’s big blue horse mascot: If one Colts cheerleader could raise $10,000 for leukemia research by Nov. 25, she’d get her head shaved.

Megan and Crystal raised more than $22,000, and sat down for the buzz cuts Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Blue wielded the clippers himself (although one has to wonder how he managed it with hooves).

“I’ve just had personal experiences with people who have had cancer,” Megan told Daniel Miller of WISH-TV in Indianapolis.

“I’ve had mentors and family members and volunteer at Riley and met little girls who have lost their hair and beat cancer multiple times. Just seeing struggles they went through and how they could overcome that and still have confidence and fight this fight without their hair. They are really my inspiration for doing this.”

According to Miller, over the past two weeks, Great Clips locations have given fans the opportunity to shave their heads.

For each fan who stepped up, Great Clips donated $10 to Blue’s Chuck Strong Challenge. About 800 fans shaved their heads.

To date, more that $250,000 has been raised for leukemia research in Pagano’s honor.

Head over heels

A former University of Texas at El Paso cheerleader who traded her pom-poms for dog tags after graduating last spring has apparently backed into the record books - head over heels.

U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Jalyessa Walker did 49 consecutive back handsprings Saturday during halftime of the UTEP-Rice football game.

The crowd of nearly 20,400 in El Paso counted along as she tumbled from one end of the field to the other, past the end zone and into concrete, before stopping.

Walker said her goal was 50, but she ran out of room.

“As soon as I hit the concrete, I was starting to get tired and scared because I didn’t want to fall,” said Walker, 23.

In October, a Dallas high school cheerleader, Miranda Ferguson of St. Mark’s School of Texas, set the record with 35 consecutive handsprings, according to Guinness World Records.

The El Paso Times reports that Walker will submit her tape to Guinness, which will make the final determination.

So why did Walker flip out?

“I like challenges,” she said. “I’ve been in gymnastics since I was 4, and tumbling is what I love to do.

This is the perfect thing for me. So I thought: Why not give it a try?”

Happy now?

Michigan Coach Brady Hoke isn’t exactly in love with reporters, nor are they with him.

Asked during his Monday news conference last week what his favorite part of Ohio State game week was, he sarcastically replied, “This moment right now.”

When media persisted, asking him his second favorite thing about rivalry week, he replied, “Second favorite is when this moment is over with.”

Ohio State won Saturday’s game 26-21. Can’t help wondering how Hoke feels now.

Quote of the day

“Everybody wants to compete for the conference and national titles, and I think we have the ingredients to do that.” Mike Akin, chairman of the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees

Sports, Pages 14 on 11/26/2012

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