New Royals pitcher Jason Hammel asked for suggestions on where to get good barbecue, and Kansas City fans overwhelmed him on Twitter.
Word to the wise: If someone is going to ask where to go eat the delicacy in the city considered by many as the barbecue capital of the world, that person better expect a lot of responses.
"I want to BBQ (Be Back Quick) in KC! Royals Nation, what are your favorite BBQ spots? I am gonna love this city," was Hammel's initial tweet.
Jack Stack responded quickly:
"@HammelTime39 welcome to the @Royals! We can't wait for season to start! Come on by whenever you want to enjoy some cue!"
Here is a small portion of other tweets sent to Hammel:
"@HammelTime39 Q39 for brisket and Plowboys for burnt ends."
"@HammelTime39 Joes KC and get the Z-Man."
"@HammelTime39 Woodyard is a sleeper. Get the burnt end chili or ribs."
Less than 24 hours later, Hammel tweeted that he's got his work cut out for him.
"Results r in! The people have spoken. Thx for all the advice/recommendations! With 25+ restaurants mentioned, I have a lot of work to do!"
Water hazard
A Florida golfer survived an alligator attack Wednesday thanks to some quick thinking, as he used his putter to fight off the reptile.
According to WINK News in southwest Florida, Tony Aarts escaped at Magnolia Landing Golf and Country Club in North Fort Myers by clubbing the gator in the eye after it latched on to his right ankle.
Aarts rolled into a water hazard after getting grabbed by the alligator and described the sequence of events that followed.
"I remember having a club in my hand, and as soon as he had me in the water up to my waist, I started hitting him over the head. He was looking at me with his big eyes, and I kept hitting him. And I'm thinking I'm getting deeper and deeper, and I thought you're not gonna get me. I started hitting him in the eye socket. I hit him three times and he let go of my foot, so I crawled back out and by that time the guys were there."
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers captured and put the gator down after Aarts escaped.
According to figures released by the commission in September, 388 alligator bites on people have been recorded since 1948, with 24 of them being fatal.
Worth crying about
John Lynch's daughter isn't thrilled with his new job as general manager of the San Francisco 49ers.
On Thursday, the 45-year-old former pro safety and Fox broadcaster told NFL Network's Michael Silver about his 9-year-old's reaction to his new gig running a franchise.
"My 9-year-old started bawling, and she's not that girl," Lynch said. "She's the one that was always happy. And she was crying, and I said, 'What's wrong, Leah? Are you afraid? Is there some nervous anxiety about moving?' And she said, 'No daddy,' and she was sobbing. And I said, 'What's wrong?' And she said, 'The 49ers are horrible.' So, I said, 'Well, I think that's why they hired your daddy.' "
Leah makes a valid point.
The 49ers have been on a steady decline in recent years, bottoming out with a 2-14 campaign in 2016. Lynch will be tasked with rebuilding the league's worst scoring defense and finding a franchise quarterback.
It's possible that then, and only then, will Leah's tears stop.
Sports on 02/11/2017