Second Thoughts

SECOND THOUGHTS: Sergio Garcia allows rage to boil over; ex-ASU player escorts fan with Down syndrome to prom

Former Arkansas State University football player and current San Francisco 49er Don Jones escorted special-needs student Lindsey Preston to her prom April 13 in Moulton, Ala.
Former Arkansas State University football player and current San Francisco 49er Don Jones escorted special-needs student Lindsey Preston to her prom April 13 in Moulton, Ala.

All things considered, Sergio Garcia did an impressive job of keeping his cool on the Thursday at the Masters despite depositing ball after ball into the water at the par-5 15th on his way to an octuple-bogey 13.

There were no club throws, no profanities shouted, and no real display of the rage that had to be building up inside, likely out of respect for Augusta National. No disrespect to TPC San Antonio, but it really isn't Augusta National.

So when Garcia's second-round struggles at the Valero Texas Open came to a head on the tee at the par-4 fifth hole Friday, Garcia could no longer harbor his rage, providing a meltdown complete with a driver toss into the woods that clanked off a rock.

The big stick went so deep into the bushes that it took Garcia over a minute to find it, and when he did, the driver doubled as an ax as Garcia took a mighty chop against a bush reminiscent of his lash at a gorse bush during last year's British Open when he hurt his shoulder. Luckily, Garcia suffered no injuries this time.

Somehow, it got worse when Garcia got to his ball to hit his second shot, which was well left of the green but pin high at the short par 4. Obviously still seething from the tee shot, Garcia proceeded to shank his chip, and it skidded across the front of the green and into a small gallery of fans on the other side. He would go on to bogey, leading him to be one shot on the wrong side of the cut line late in the round.

Prom memories

Former Arkansas State University football player and current San Francisco 49er Don Jones returned to his home county in Alabama recently to escort a young fan to her high school prom.

Jones, a defensive back for the 49ers, helped 18-year-old Lindsey Preston, who has Down syndrome, boogie the night away with her classmates April 13.

Preston's mother is friendly with Jones' family, and she had asked him to accompany her daughter to the big dance last year.

Jones, 27, wore a black tuxedo to match Preston's black dress, and the pair posed for pictures before stealing the show on the dance floor.

"Anything I can do to make some kids smile, I would be more than willing to do," Jones told WBRC. "I think the most fun was all of the guys. I showed the guys about five or six new dance moves."

Jones played for the Red Wolves in 2009 and again in 2011-2012 after attending junior college in 2010.

Retirement account

Baseball Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle remains an immensely popular figure.

"The 1952 Mickey Mantle Topps card [graded a PSA 9] has just sold for $2.88 million. It is the second highest price ever paid for a baseball card. #1 is $3.12 million paid for a T206 Honus," ESPN business analyst Darren Rovell tweeted Thursday.

Yes, that Mantle card sold at auction for almost $3 million. As Rovell noted, only the famed Honus Wagner card fetched a higher price.

The card, graded by Professional Sports Authenticator as a 9 on a scale of 10, was being sold by former NFL offensive lineman Evan Mathis and auctioned by Heritage Auctions.

Mathis, now 36, spent parts of 12 seasons as an offensive guard in the NFL. He announced his retirement in January 2017.

QUIZ

What NFL team drafted former Arkansas State University safety Don Jones?

ANSWER

The Miami Dolphins drafted Jones in the seventh round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

Sports on 04/21/2018

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