Nice streak, but let’s just leave it there
It’s a slow day for national sports news when The Associated Press writes a story about who will be singing the national anthem and “God Bless America” at next week’s major-league baseball All-Star Game.
In case you can’t wait, Candice Glover, the most recent winner of American Idol, is singing the national anthem and Marc Anthony, who was once married to Jennifer Lopez, will sing “God Bless America.”
Then there was the big news.
The Washington Kastles were challenging the 1971-1972 Los Angeles Lakers NBA team for all time winning streak supremacy.
Never heard of the Washington Kastles? They are a World Team Tennis franchise.
The last time anybody heard of World Team Tennis was when it was founded in 1973, around the time Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in the battle of the sexes 40 years ago.
World Team Tennis?
It went out of business in 1978, came back in 1981 and is now in its fourth reincarnation, a minor-league sport that receives an infusion of top-flight talent on special occasions.
That said, the Kastles began the 2013 WTT season Monday night by beating the New York Sportimes for their 33rd consecutive victory. The Lakers won 33 consecutive NBA games in the 1971-1972 season.
They topped the Lakers Tuesday night with a victory over the Boston Lobsters to give the Kastles 34 in a row.
That’s nice, but comparing the Kastles to the Lakers of Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain is like comparing seven-time hot dog eating champion Joey Chestnut to undefeated heavyweight boxing champion Rocky Marciano.
Kastles Coach Murphy Jensen tried to explain why his team’s streak is comparable to that of the Lakers.
“Bjorn Borg, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean [King], Chris Evert, the best tennis players that have ever played tennis have played World Team Tennis, and no team had gone undefeated,” Jensen said. “So to think this is anything less than the NBA or the NHL?
Seriously? Five years ago, I would say absolutely, but not with the Washington Kastles.
“This organization is completely different than any other team in the league.”
One last request
A lifelong Cleveland Browns fan has gone to his final rest, but not before making one last request.
Scott E. Entsminger, 55, of Mansfield, Ohio, died July 4.
Entsminger, a Columbus native, was a musician and a Browns season-ticket holder who wrote a song for the team each year and sent it in, along with his advice on how to run the team.
According to his obituary in the Columbus Dispatch, Entsminger also “respectfully requests six Cleveland Browns pall bearers so the Browns can let him down one last time.”
The family also has requested that “everyone” wear their Browns clothing to Entsminger’s funeral Tuesday.
No word from the team on that request for pallbearers.
Quote of the day
“He’ll know what kind of socks they like to wear on Tuesdays. He’ll do that kind of homework.” Fayetteville Coach Daryl Patton on Arkansas linebacker Brooks Ellis
Sports, Pages 18 on 07/10/2013