Published: November 03, 2009 12:18 am         

Ramblin' Reck: According to poll, Jordan’s star still the brightest

Sporting News Today recently ran the results of an interesting poll taken by Harris Interactive.

More than 2,200 adults were asked to name their greatest sports star. The winner: Michael Jordan.

He was followed in the top 10, in order, by Tiger Woods, Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali, Brett Favre, Joe Montana, Wayne Gretzky, Peyton Manning, Ted Williams and Hank Aaron and LeBron James in a tie for 10th.

In baseball, the top five were Ruth, Aaron, Willie Mays, Williams and Lou Gehrig.

In basketball, it was Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell.

In golf, it went Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Phil Mickelson, Bobby Jones.

As noted, most of the names come from “recent history” although some oldtimers made the list, namely Ruth, Gehrig, Williams, Jones, Ali, and Chamberlain.

Interesting.

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• Four teams back — More high school football postseason action is slated this week and four teams still are alive in the Wabash Valley.

Rockville faces undefeated Fountain Central and Linton takes on a strong North Daviess team in Indiana Class A sectional championship games Friday, while unbeaten Casey meets Red Bud and Marshall plays Williamsville — both 9-1 — in Illinois Class 2A playoff games.

These four teams have advanced in the postseason competition more than any other teams in either state in recent seasons. And, if they continue to win, they will meet prior to the state finals.

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• Tom-Cattin’ It — Fred Glass, the athletic director at Indiana University, recently said Bill Lynch will be the football coach at least through the length of his contract which goes through 2011.

The IU basketball team recently drew a big crowd with an unadvertised practice at Sellesburg. Rules prohibit schools from promoting such action.

• Larry Stuckey of Clay County recently was honored as a 50-year I-Man at IU in track and cross country.

• Ellis Park officials have requested a 27-day live racing schedule for next year with the schedule beginning July 10 and running through Labor Day with cards being Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

At the same time, simulcast action will cease Sunday and not be resumed until April 10 with employees facing layoffs.

• Terre Haute South graduate Erin Arnett Mendoza was one of the 2,397 finishers in the 2009 Wisconsin Ironman competition in September.

She swam 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles and ran 26.2 miles and finished in about 13 hours, finishing in the top 50 percent in her first triathlon.

Alvin Mendoza, her husband, finished his third Chicago Marathaon with more than 45,000 runners registered for the event.

Erin and Alvin are ranked as black belts in mixed martial arts at Degerberg Academy in Chicago.

• In Indiana prep soccer state finals, Zionsville defeated Homestead 3-1 to win the boys title and Indianapolis Cathedral bested Fort Wayne Snider in the girls title game.

In the South Decatur Class A volleyball regional, Indianapolis Lutheran defeated Edinburgh 25-27, 25-19, 25-19, 27-29, 15-8 in the final match while Floyd Central was a 25-20, 25-20, 25-21 winner over Castle in the Class 4A regional at Seymour.

• Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees last week was honored as the recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award.

• Southern Illinois will be at South Dakota State on Saturday for a winner-take-all Missouri Valley Football Conference game.

The winner will claim at least a share of the league title and the automatic bid in the postseason playoffs. It’s the first “unofficial” championship game in the league since 2005.

Tulsa and Indiana State met for the Valley title in 1984 with the Hurricane, coached by John Cooper, winning 24-17.



Tom Reck may be contacted by telephone at (812) 232-3231, by email at tm_reck@yahoo.com or by mail at 4284 South 5th Street, Terre Haute, IN 47802.