Fast Break
College football
‘The Senior,’ 59, gets into game
To the shrieking delight of his wife, three kids, grandson and a legion of new fans, 59-year-old Mike Flynt returned to college football action Saturday night in Alpine, Texas
His Sul Ross State teammates marched for a touchdown on their opening drive in a 45-42 win over Texas Lutheran and Flynt went in at left end on the PAT unit. He sealed his block as the kick went through, marking his first game action in 37 years. He remained a fixture at that spot on extra points and field goals.
Flynt might be giving new meaning to being a college “senior,” but he’s not the oldest, as a 60-year-old played in 1997.
Flynt doesn’t look like most 59-year-olds. He spent years as a strength coach at Nebraska, Oregon and Texas A&M, and in recent years sold a piece of fitness equipment that he invented, with the military among his clients. He’s in great shape.
He was quite a player back in the day, helping Odessa Permian (of “Friday Night Lights” fame) win its first state title in 1965. He wound up at Sul Ross in 1969 and in ‘70 he led the team in tackles. He was going to be a team captain in ‘71, but was ousted during two-a-days.
Flynt carried that regret throughout his life, until now.
Auto racing
NASCAR fans: Get your shots
Does a visit to a NASCAR race pose more of a health risk than attendance at any other kind of sporting event? Apparently the House Homeland Security Committee thinks so.
Lisa Zagaroli of McClatchy Newspapers reported Thursday that congressional aides were advised to get immunized for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, tetanus, diphtheria and influenza before embarking on a “fact-finding trip about health preparedness at mass gatherings” to races at Talladega Superspeedway and Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
“The very idea of immunization is laughable,” responded LMS president and general manager H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler. “It’s like taping your ankles to go to the mailbox. This is not some third- or fourth-world country.
“As a matter of fact, never in the 50-plus years of NASCAR has there been an outbreak of any kind at an event, other than a few headaches because somebody’s favorite driver ran out of gas – or maybe a morning hangover.”
Olympics
Break out your wallet for Games
It will cost sports fans up to $775 a seat to watch the men’s gold-medal hockey game at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
In-demand events will be pricey.
Men’s gold-medal hockey tickets start at $350, while tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies will range from $175 to $1,100.