Archive for the ‘sports’ Category

The Red River Rivalry is due to kick off at 11a Saturday at the Cotton Bowl.

University of Texas Longhorns (#5) v. Oklahoma Sooners (#1) battle it out each year during the State Fair of Texas at Fair Park. There will be 92,000 fans squeezed into the revamped Cotton Bowl for the 11a kick-off.

Downtown Dallas was awash with visitors from both teams Friday and will continue through Sunday as they enjoy the festivities at the Fair and the King Tut exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art.

The following story is from WFAA.com. Information on how to donate a bike is at the end of this story.

Tucked away in a warehouse in Arlington they gather. While the few dozen used bicycles may not look like much, to 13-year-old Dalton Hatch they symbolize the passion his mother had for the sport.

“It was really tough for me to lose her,” Hatch said of his mother, an avid cyclist who, along with her friend, was killed after police said a drunk driver struck them as they rode on Camp Wisdom Road last June.

After her death, Hatch got the idea to remember his mother by collecting bikes to give out to needy kids.

“It means a lot to me to remember my mom because I didn’t know what to do after she died,” he said.

The program has brought something good from the tragic death of Meredith Hatch, said Sherman Hatch, Dalton’s father.

“This is something positive we can bring from a horrible accident, providing something to children or families that might not otherwise have,” he said.

Family and friends have reached out to help Dalton’s program.

“I think these bikes were donated from families that knew my mom,” he said pointing out some of the bikes.

He has also placed signs at area businesses and schools asking for donations.

“Meredith would be so proud of him for doing this,” said Michelle Johnson, a family friend. “And he’s exactly like she was. She was compassionate, kind, had lots of strength and he takes after her.”

If you would like to donate a bike, the details are as follows:

1st Annual
Meredith’s Run for Bikes
September 27, 2008
Katherine Rose Park
8:00 A.M.

Join Meredith Hatch’s family and friends
as they collect bicycles for children.

Participants can run/walk in memory of Meredith Hatch at the Mansfield Pecan Festival 5K/1K Fun Run

Pick up registration forms at:
Mansfield Area Chamber of Commerce
114 N. Main St., Mansfield, TX 76063
or download the forms at www.mansfieldchamber.net

Bike drop dates and times:
September 20, 2008 (Saturday) 10am-2pm at Primrose*
September 26, 2008 (Friday) 5pm-7pm at Primrose
September 27, 2008 (Saturday) 8am-5pm at Mansfield Pecan Festival
October 4, 2008 (Saturday) 10am-2pm at Primrose

If you are unable to bring a bike, cash donations will be accepted at Frost Bank: Meredith Hatch Memorial Fund

*Primrose is located at 2201 Matlock Road, Mansfield, TX 76063

Terrell Owens caught the long pass in stride, cruised into the end zone and began showing off.

With a shimmy in the direction of the Philadelphia Eagles, then some arm-flapping like he used to do when he scored for them, the final Monday night game at Texas Stadium was off to a wild start.

And it kept going from there.

After seven lead changes, the game fittingly came to a close with a pass that included two laterals. Dallas stopped it, then walked away with a memorable 41-37 victory.

The wackiness included Tony Romo following one flub with another, leading to Philadelphia touchdowns 14 seconds apart; Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson losing an apparent touchdown because he flicked the ball away in celebration before he actually scored; and, ultimately, there was Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook wasting great performances by fumbling a fourth-quarter hand-off exchange.

The game was decided cleanly after that turnover — a crisp Romo-led drive capped by Marion Barber’s 1-yard touchdown run, lifting the Cowboys to a victory that certainly will be remembered by anyone who saw it.

For anyone who didn’t, think back to Romo’s great escape in Buffalo on a Monday night last year, or to Romo’s playoff goof in Seattle two years ago, or McNabb’s great escape on a scramble three years ago or even Leon Lett’s premature touchdown celebration in the January 1993 Super Bowl. This game had plays reminiscent of all those.

Most of the action came in the first half, but the game was decided late - of course. The Dallas Cowboys have always been a 4th quarter team.

Philadelphia led 30-24 at halftime, but Dallas moved in front on a 17-yard touchdown catch by Barber. The Eagles came right back, with McNabb overcoming a second-and-21 by scooting out of two near collisions, avoiding an ankle tackle and zipping the football like a fast-pitch softball to Westbrook. The drive ended with Westbrook churning into the end zone for his third touchdown and a 37-31 lead.

Dallas got close with a 47-yard field goal from Nick Folk, but Philadelphia was driving for a lead-padding score when McNabb put the ball on Westbrook’s hip instead of in his belly. The Cowboys recovered at the 33 and Romo moved them all the way to the go-ahead score, the big play being a 32-yard pass to Jason Witten.

Philadelphia hardly threatened on its final two tries. Its final two-lateral play was shoved out of bounds.

Romo was 21-of-30 for 312 yards with three touchdowns, plus a lost fumble and an interception. Owens had 89 yards on three catches, two going for touchdowns. He had the early 72-yarder and a 4-yarder, although he didn’t catch a pass in the second half. His first TD moved him into second place on the NFL’s career receiving touchdown list; he finished at 132, well behind Jerry Rice’s record of 197.

McNabb was 25-of-37 for 281 yards with a touchdown and four sacks, two on the final series. He also matched Ron Jaworski’s club mark of 175 career TD passes.

Jackson caught six passes for 110 yards, becoming only the second player in NFL history to open his career with consecutive 100-yard games. The other was Don Looney, also for Philadelphia, in 1940.

Westbrook ran 18 times for 58 yards for two touchdowns, and caught six passes for 45 yards and another score.

In the first game of the final season that marks Texas Stadium as the Dallas Cowboys home, da ‘Boys played their first game on the road against Cleveland.

Tony Romo’s bloodied chin needed stitches and an X-ray, and Marion Barber’s ribs were badly bruised. The Dallas Cowboys absorbed more than a few hard knocks on Sunday. Not as many as they landed, though.

Picking apart Cleveland’s secondary with ease, Romo passed for 320 yards, Terrell Owens caught a 35-yard touchdown pass and Barber scored on a pair of 1-yard runs as the Cowboys opened a season they expect to end in the Super Bowl by overwhelming the out-of-sync Browns 28-10.

Coming off a 13-win season, which ended with a bitterly disappointing playoff loss at home to the New York Giants, the Cowboys lived up to all their preseason hype with a solid all-around performance. They’re the team to beat in the NFC, and after one game, it’s hard to argue there’s any better.

With all day to throw, Romo completed 24 of 32 passes as Dallas’ offense racked up nearly 500 yards, controlled the clock and strung together four long touchdown drives. The defense held one of the AFC’s most potent offenses to 205 yards, and except for some silly penalties, the star-studded Cowboys, whose training camp was profiled on HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” had a knockout debut.

Editor’s Note: Thank you to Scott Horner for emailing us with the following details on Leslie Porterfield’s amazing times at Bonneville.

As reported on landracing.com…(early Sept 5)
NEW FASTEST WOMAN ON A MOTORCYCLE……..231mph
Leslie Porterfield of High Five Cycles working with tuner Scott Horner ran a 231mph one mile speed at the Bub event today. That makes her the fastest woman running a motorcycle! This surpasses the exactly 30 year old (Sept ‘78) 229mph record held by Marcia Holley in the Don Vesco streamlined motorcycle.

She also accomplished a 209mph “naked” record during Speed Week to earn her entry into the Bonneville 200mph Club.
With both of these runs she is now the fastest woman on two wheels faired & unfaired.

Outstanding job Leslie & Scott. Great comeback from last year!

Late Sept 5-
She backed up her 231mph mile run with a 233.184 which will net her a 232 FIM/AMA World record in MPS BF 2000!!!
She ran a 234.197 in the Kilo and in fine racer fashion, pushing every last bit out of the engine, sent a
rod through the cases! She shut down and got off the course without incident. Outstanding job!
Congratulations to Leslie for surpassing the exactly 30 year old (Sept ‘78) 229mph record held by
Marcia Holley in the Don Vesco streamlined motorcycle. She is now, as Bill said,
the Fastest Woman on a Motorcycle and she accomplished this by not only running faster but by also
setting a record!

Leslie will be riding a Honda CBR 1000 on 9/6 in the production class. Thus far she has run as fast as 191.9 on a 191.2 MPH record.

This hasn’t been confirmed from a second source yet, but as of Friday evening (5 Sep 08), we were contacted and informed that Dallas girl Leslie Porterfield just cracked 231mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

AMAZING!

The amazing Leslie Porterfield has set the Womens Land Speed Record at the Bonneville Salt Flats with a speed of 209.046mph.

She had to hold her speed for a full mile of the track which is not easy when a 5′-10″ woman that weight 115 pounds is traveling that fast on two wheels on a surface not renowned for great traction. She had the full 200mph wind hitting her all over. But she did it! And now she is the first woman in the Over 200 Club for speeds at Bonneville.

Last year Leslie tried for the record and the bike lost it at 110mph. 7 broken ribs and a punctured lung later, she fired herself up for another go of it this year on the same Suzuki Hayabusa bike.

When Leslie’s not showing the boys how it’s done, she’s running her dealership, High Five Cycles on LBJ Freeway between Greenville and Abrams.