Second Thoughts

Miss Arizona couldn't miss quarterback

Miss Arizona USA Chelsea Myers
Miss Arizona USA Chelsea Myers

Football is a fast sport, and standing along the sidelines is dangerous business.

Just ask Miss Arizona.

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AP

Arizona quarterback Brandon Dawkins ran over Miss Arizona USA Chelsea Myers during Friday night’s game against Arizona State. Dawkins promptly turned around and apologized to Myers while she was being interviewed on national TV.

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AP

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo looks on as his team plays Arizona in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Armed Forces Classic, Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, in Honolulu.

Chelsea Meyers was just standing on the sideline in Tuscon, Ariz., on Friday night, minding her own business and watching the game when Arizona quarterback Brandon Dawkins ran her straight over.

To be fair to her, it was probably the best open-field tackle of the game.

After the knockdown, Meyers was interviewed by ESPN, and Dawkins interrupted to apologize.

Don't worry about Miss Arizona, though. When asked if she was OK, she replied: "I'm so good."

"What's not good is the amount of presumably able-bodied adult men standing around doing nothing," wrote Dieter Kurtenbach of foxsports.com. "Chivalry is truly dead."

Not enough cupcakes

Michigan State men's basketball Coach Tom Izzo said he did a terrible job putting together his schedule, leaving his team little time to practice and develop, following its 73-58 loss to No. 20 Baylor in the Battle 4 Atlantis on Thursday.

The No. 24 Spartans (4-3) had already lost to Arizona in Hawaii and Kentucky in New York before Thursday's loss, and they travel to Duke next week in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

"I actually apologized to my team," he said. "And yet, I've always played a tough schedule. ... You know what? You can take it as an excuse, you can take it as the truth, I don't give a damn. I'm telling you what I did. This ain't on them. It's on me."

Directly addressing Thursday's loss, he said: "We were moving the ball and really playing well, I thought, through the first half, and we quit doing that. I just think we looked awfully tired. I can accept that. That's my fault, not theirs."

Fidel and baseball

Fidel Castro was significantly involved in baseball, attending many games. In 1960, he outlawed professional sports, ending the Cuban Winter League and forcing the Havana Sugar Kings to move.

Castro, the politician and revolutionary who governed Cuba as prime minister in 1959-1976 and as president in 1976-2008, died Friday. He was 90.

From baseball-reference.com: "A long-standing myth in America is that Castro tried out for either the New York Yankees or Washington Senators and failed to impress enough to sign a contract. While a fan of baseball, Castro was not a good enough player to warrant such a tryout and there is no record of his having played professionally. It is likely he pitched in intramural competition in college for the University of Havana law school, but he was not good enough to pitch on the college's varsity team."

Taking a holiday

"Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck was in concussion protocol and didn't suit up against Pittsburgh on Thursday night," wrote RJ Currie of sportsdeke.com. "So he had Thanksgiving dinner without dressing."

Sports quiz

With what team were the Havana Sugar Kings affiliated?

Sports answer

The Cincinnati Reds. The Sugar Kings moved to Jersey City in 1960.

Sports on 11/27/2016

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