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You think it’s hard enough for an African-American to succeed in NASCAR. Try being Jewish.
The JERUSALEM POST has the story of Jon Demming, a racing hopeful who’s not hiding his Hebrew faith. The 20-year-old driver from New Jersey is trying to add a little Semitic spice to a white-bread sport.
During his run around the lower Southern circuit, Demming heard plenty of insults from the crowds: “People would curse Jews and put down minorities.”
Jason Kidd will have to share his cigars, as Dwight Howard can now consider himself a bona fide NBA star - by having a child out of wedlock:
The ORLANDO SENTINEL delivers news of young Braylon, the spawn of the Orlando Magic star and a former Magic team dancer.
Royce Reed gave birth to the 7-pound, 6-ounce boy back on November 18. Even though the Sentinel made the birth announcement on Dec. 23, no father was listed.
And Dwight sounds so thrilled about the prospects of fatherhood: “I’m not going to deny it. Yes, I have a son. It’s just my personal life. Yes, I’m excited about it, but I’d like to keep my personal life personal.”
And how are the proud parents handling the situation between themselves?
PRAYERS OF FINS FANS ANSWERED WITH SUNDAY’S OT WIN: The Miami Dolphins finally won a game this year, beating Baltimore in exciting OT fashion. But was it due to divine intervention?
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Jim DeFede of CBS 4 MIAMI went around local churches and seminaries last week, asking priests and parishioners to pray for the then 0-13 Fins.DeFede soon encountered Father Jose Alvarez of the Miami Catholic Seminary. And the padre wasn’t paraphrasing when discussing the Dolphins’ dire straits:
“You need a lot more than prayer at this point. Talent, good decision making, you need a lot–you need a lot.”
Alvarez further told DeFede, “I don’t think you have enough airtime to go through all of the needs the team may have.”
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But Father Jose’s pessimism may be from a slight grudge against the Dolphins. Last season, Alvarez was invited to say a prayer before games at Dolphin Stadium, noting each of his appearances resulted in a Miami win:”I’m undefeated. I have a better winning percentage than the last four or five head coaches we’ve had.”
Yet this year, Father Jose hasn’t been asked to return, for reasons unknown: “I have no idea. It’s a mystery. Maybe they are afraid of success.”
But it seems that other churchgoers stepped up to the collection plate, and prayed their way to a miracle Miami win.
But what if it was other spiritual forces that delivered the Dolphins to victory? If not God, could it be…
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SUCCESSFUL HS COACH FIRED BECAUSE OF “GOD’S WILL”: What happens when you come back to coach at your old high school, and lead the football team to two straight state title games in your first two seasons?
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The TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT reports that Casey Weldon was let go by North Florida Christian School, just a few days after his team lost in the state title game - on a last-second 40-yard field goal that was the kicker’s first attempt all season.In an e-mail statement, school president and pastor Randy Ray basically claimed that God wanted Weldon fired: “It is the consensus of our school administration that this is God’s will for what North Florida Baptist Church is trying to do through the program of North Florida Christian School.”
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The former Florida State QB and 1991 Heisman runner-up tried to remain positive about the surprise sacking, saying how much he loved the school and the kids he coached. But Weldon couldn’t help wonder, “If there had been a problem that was so bad, golly, I wish it would have been addressed back then, so I could have made a change.The firing of the popular coach also has many fans dumbfounded. One football mom had talked with other parents, and described the general feeling as “devastated”. She added, “I’ve watched my son really grow under the tutelage of Casey Weldon. I’m just deeply disappointed.”
In Weldon’s place, NFC hired Tim Cokely, who had led the Eagles to four straight championships before leaving for another coaching job in Georgia in 2004.
Cokely ended up with a subpar 14-18 record at Colquitt County High. Pastor Ray added that the old coach’s new availability was “incidental, not integral” to Weldon’s whacking.
Hey, it’s God’s will. Or the will of a coach kicking out the new guy to get his old job back.
TURKISH LAWYER CROSS ABOUT ITALIAN TEAM’S UNIFORMS: A Turkish soccer team is cross about the uniforms worn by an Italian opponent, and as a result, want the game results thrown out:
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DHIMMI WATCH kicks over this story from GOAL.COM, where Turkey club Fenerbahce wants their 3-0 loss to Inter Milan stricken from the record because the Italians’ jerseys were offensive to Muslim fans.Milan’s uniforms featured a big red cross over a white background, displayed as a symbol of the Italian city. The ‘centenary’ clothing is a special occasion shirt honoring the club’s 100th year of existence.
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When the two squads met eariler in Istanbul, Inter Milan did not sport the cross-bearing unis. But for the return home match, the Italians saw no problem in showing some civic pride.However, a Turkish laywer argues that the cross reminds Muslim fans of the Knights Templar, a Christian military order during the Crusades - and such imagery is considered offensive to Islamic culture.
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The lawyer is now petitioning the UEFA to wave off Inter’s Champions League victory. Wonder if there would be such a religious ruckus had the Turks won the game instead.
COMING UP ON THE SCHEDULE, GIRLS’ J.V. VS. HITLER TECH: Students from a Catholic high school in Virginia are in hot holy water after engaging in some verbal abuse and vandalism against a Jewish school.
Kids from Bishop Sullivan High School in Virginia Beach began chanting “We love Jesus!” during a basketball game against Norfolk Academy. And after the game, the word ‘Jew’ was discovered written in green paint underneath ‘Home of the Bulldogs’ on the Norfolk gym wall.
Next up for Sullivan: Forestview High.
