Let's keep things in perspective, people
Some loose items that fell out of Mike White's notebook.
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl tries to get publicity for its annual game in San Antonio. It sends out press releases announcing players that have been chosen to play in the national all-star game in early January.
This week, publicists for the game sent out a release announcing the selection of Aliquippa's Jonathan Baldwin to the Jan. 5 game. A quote in the release would make a person scratch his head.
"Jonathan represents the same strengths and values of my fellow U.S. Army soldiers, including loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage," said Colonel David Lee, Director of Strategic Communications, Marketing and Outreach for the U.S. Army Accessions Command.
Really? This was only in a press release the public doesn't see, and this is not meant as a knock to Baldwin. But wonder how the soldiers in Iraq would feel about being compared to a high school football player?
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl includes many of the top players in the country and is televised live by NBC. Reggie Bush, Vince Young and Adrian Peterson are some of the players who have participated in the game.
But another national all-star game, sponsored by ESPN, will be played in January in Orlando. The two games actually battle for players now. Baldwin originally committed to play in the ESPN game, but changed his mind.
Jeannette star Terrelle Pryor will play in the Army All-American Bowl. According to Jeannette coach Ray Reitz, a representative of the game came to Jeannette earlier this year to convince Terrelle Pryor to play in the game.
Steelers honor coaches
The Steelers are honoring coaches as their Coach of the Week during the high school football season. Each coach is introduced on the field during a Steelers home game and presented with a $1,000 check for the school's football program. Each coach also will be featured on The Mike Tomlin Show.
The coaches honored so far this year have been Riverview's Todd Massack, Shady Side Academy's Dave Havern, Monessen's Andy Pacak and Trinity's Ed Dalton.
Columbine rises
Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., became famous -- or maybe better said, infamous -- for the tragic shootings in 1999.
But the school has also become well known for having a pretty darn good football program. Columbine is 6-0, has won 19 games in a row and the National Prep Poll ranked the team No. 17 in the country this week.
Fore!
Jefferson-Morgan's Justin Hughes is playing in the WPIAL boys' golf championship today at Latrobe Country Club. No matter how he finishes, he has a memory to last a lifetime.
Hughes got a hole-in-one on the par 3, 203-yard No. 10 hole.
Hughes is one of 48 golfers competing for the championship. Golfing legend Arnold Palmer greeted all the golfers this morning and took pictures with them before leaving on his private jet to Florida. The jet flew over the first hole.
Watt to Notre Dame
Pine-Richland's Casey Watt, one of the top tennis players in the state, has made a verbal commitment to Notre Dame.
Watt, a senior, won the WPIAL Class AAA singles championship as a freshman and junior. As a sophomore, Watt teamed with Steve Eaglen to win the WPIAL doubles championship.
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