Second Thoughts

Chevy looks to score after speech 'stuff'

World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner received keys to a new truck from a very nervous regional manager for Chevrolet, but the auto maker is already turning the awkward moment into a positive.
World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner received keys to a new truck from a very nervous regional manager for Chevrolet, but the auto maker is already turning the awkward moment into a positive.

A few hours after General Motors regional manager Rikk Wilde committed a major-league blunder on national television, the dreaded call came from his boss.

But instead of a lecture, Wilde got support from Chevrolet chief Brian Sweeney.

“You could hear the whole town of Greenwood screaming when he made the 49-yarder.”

— Greenwood Coach Rick Jones on former Bulldogs kicker Alan McFain’s 49-yard field goal in Arkansas’ victory over Alabama-Birmingham

He still has a job, even though he nervously stumbled his way through presenting keys to a pickup to World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner of the San Francisco Giants. A GM spokesman said Sweeney gave Wilde a pep talk about helping dealers close out a strong sales month.

Wilde's presentation was ridiculed on social media early Thursday after he said the truck had "technology and stuff" during the presentation to Bumgarner. GM is now trying to capitalize on his gaffe. It's using the phrase in promotions about the new Chevy Colorado, which is just arriving at dealers.

Wilde took to Twitter on Thursday to explain his nervousness.

"Normally doing a presentation, I would have been fine," Wilde tweeted. "But [Fox Sports sideline reporter] Erin Andrews was standing right there, and she is super hot and distracting."

There was something else that affected his comfort level.

"And that wasn't even the suit that I wanted to wear. I wanted to wear a blue one, but the jacket had a powdered sugar smudge," Wilde tweeted.

Powdered sugar on a suit jacket -- that would have made things really embarrassing.

Generosity on display

A teenage gunman shot himself and several others at Marysville-Pilchuck High School in Washington last Friday, the same day the school's football team was scheduled to play Oak Harbor (Wash.) for the Wesco 3A-North title and a berth in the Wesco Championship game.

Instead, Oak Harbor players took second place and went to a prayer vigil to support their grieving opponents.

Marysville-Pilchuck players traveled to Oak Harbor on Wednesday to suprise the Wildcats by presenting them with the league championship trophy.

"It was the least we could do with everything they have done for us," Marysville-Pilchuck Coach Brandon Carson told the Everett Herald. "You can't put into words how incredible their act of generosity was."

Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll also spoke to the generosity of Oak Harbor's decision, saying the Seahawks hope to host Oak Harbor next week. The team hosted Marysville-Pilchuck at their practice facility on Tuesday.

"It does speak to the power of sport and how it is such a unifying element in our culture," Carroll said. "You could just see it in this local community."

They said it

• Bud Shaw of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, on reports that Alabama trustees paid off the mortgage on Coach Nick Saban's $3.1 million home: "No doubt because thee players' chemistry test scores are up."

• Steve Schrader of the Detroit Free Press, on classes taken by some University of North Carolina athletes: "Where do you think they learn stuff like '110 percent?'"

Seattle Times reader Bill Littlejohn, on Florida Coach Will Muschamp saying he's adopting a bunker mentality: "Which one, Archie or Edith?"

• Comedian Conan O'Brien, after Staind singer Aaron Lewis botched the national anthem before Game 5 of the World Series: "To make things worse, he started the song with, 'Are you ready for some football?' "

Sports quiz

Madison Bumgarner's 0.43 ERA in the World Series is the second lowest in a single World Series. Whose is lower and when did it happen?

Answer

Sandy Koufax posted a 0.38 ERA for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1965 World Series.

Sports on 10/31/2014

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