Breaking News

Voice of the Fan

Golf in the Olympics is starting to catch on

One of the best indications that golf was starting to catch on as an Olympic sport came from a player who never even made it to the podium. Rory McIlroy was part of a seven-man playoff for the bronze medal at the Tokyo Games, eliminated on the third of four extra holes. He said when it was over, “I never tried so hard to finish third.” McIlroy was among those who skipped the Olympics when golf returned to the program in 2016 at Rio de Janeiro. He said then he wouldn’t be watching golf, only “the stuff that matters.” The next time around, he was all in. And he’s not ...

Stanley Cup atmosphere like no other

The final minutes of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers were as intense as anything I have ever witnessed in sports. The Oilers, needing just one goal to force overtime, were firing shot after shot at the net, while the Panthers and their goalie, Sergei “Bob” Bobrovsky, were throwing their sticks, pads and bodies everywhere to keep the puck out of the goal. I was sitting behind the Panthers net, and for an instant the puck just sat motionless, hidden in clean sight, inches from the goal-line, while the 12 players were hitting, ...

Mays’ death brings ‘flood’ of memories about

By Bill Behe For the Mirror I will always remember the first time I ever laid eyes on Willie Mays. It was July 18, 1959, at old Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. I went slack jawed when he stood in the batting cage and launched six long taters over the 406 mark in left-center field. Then he grabbed his Rawlings and went out and toyed with ground balls at shortstop. In the eighth inning, he ripped into a hanging hook from Harvey Haddix and stroked another one over the 406 mark. This one counted. The Giants sunk the Pirates, 4-3. In my humble opinion, The Say Hey Kid was the best ...

Kentucky has two guards ranked in AP’s top 13

By Aaron Beard The Associated Press John Calipari turned Kentucky into a factory for NBA talent, including 28 one-and-done players becoming first-round picks. Now at Arkansas, Calipari’s last crop with the Wildcats features two headlining guards in the NBA draft next week in Reed ...

Father’s Day should always be special

By Jim Lane For the Mirror Editor’s note: Retired Mirror sports editor Jim Lane wrote this column after his dad, Kermit Lane, passed away in 1987. It’s reprinted every Father’s Day. Sunday is Father’s Day. It’s a chance to tell your favorite guy thanks for all he’s been and done for you over the years. It’s usually celebrated with a small gift, perhaps a shirt or tie or wallet. In many cases, few words are expressed. And that’s a shame. I wrote this Father’s Day column a couple of weeks after my dad died because I missed him. I still do. A day doesn’t pass ...

Semi-pro league should be local option

Altoona should consider switching the Greater City Baseball League from recreational to semi-pro. In 2023 alone, according to the website Sports Advisory Group.com, the average revenue for each of the nine independent leagues nationally was $16.7 million. Just this year a new league called the All-American Baseball Association will attempt to form with six teams, 129 followers and with the help of GoFundMe. Altoona already has an established league with six teams, 127 players on the rosters and sponsors who support the league. The league also has fields available in Veterans ...