SPORTS OBITUARIES |
Friday's Internet Edition, March 12, 2010.
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Basketball Contest Director - Gentle Readers, this economy is putting the squeeze on our faithful advertisers. It is with great sadness we report the closing of Lentz Transfer & Storage, one of our charter advertisers. We could always bank on Eddie Lentz year after year to foster this contest. When he deferred last fall, we knew the recession had hit home. Now, after a 96-year run, the company has closed its doors.
We wish him and the employees of Lentz Transfer the very best.
Eddie recently chronicled for us some of the important moves his storied firm has made over its 96 years in business. They moved Wake Forest to Winston-Salem. Wachovia to Charlotte. And, of course, the Contest Director to Advance.
If you’ve got a problem with the Contest Director, blame Eddie Lentz. He moved me here.
For those reasons, the Contest Director, in his wisdom, has named Lentz Transfer to The Courier Contest Hall of Fame, that august pinnacle to which all corporations and individuals aspire. With the new Supreme Court ruling, corporations should note that there is no limit to the money they can spend on advertising in The Courier.
Now let’s turn our attention to happier news, last week’s winners ...
LOUISE FRYE, COME ON DOWN! Gentle Louise missed three and used the tie breaker to edge into first place, claiming the Cap of Caps and the Check of Checks.
But by winning, someone had to be pushed down to second place. That someone was ... her son. TONY FRYE, COME ON DOWN!
In a frantic search of contest history, this may be the first example of a Mother-Son, one-two finish.
We made the Call of Calls on Monday to break the news to Gentle Louise. We asked if she knew Tony.
“THAT’S MY SON!” she beamed proudly.
Gentle Readers, a mother’s pride in her son has no end. Gentle Tony is 48, but Mom is just as proud of him today as he was in the cradle.
Gentle Louise already boasts a lovely pink Cap of Caps. She’s considering a dapper blue or white one this time.
Now to our coveted non cash awards:
CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR AWARD: To those missing four, Chris Price, Dan Collins, Mabel Sechrist, Tom Reebel, Kim Stombaugh, Caroline Bobbitt.
FOOTBALL AWARD: For missing the most, Mary Binkley, dropping nine of 13 and defying the laws of gravity.
SPECIAL DISPENSATION AWARD: To Lori Schamay, who was charged with the heavy responsibility for getting her son’s contest entry to us in time.
She drove around Clemmons on Friday and forgot, desperately emailing the entry in after the gong had sounded.
“I am hoping you can still accept my son’s entry for this week’s basketball contest,” she wrote. “His name is Bryce Schamay, 8. He is a big basketball fan and worked really hard to make his picks for the contest. I am the one at fault, as I was supposed to drop his entry by your office today. Since he wouldn’t have any knowledge of actual scores yet, would you be willing to accept his entry? Please!? He is so hopeful that he can win.”
Gentle Lori, the Contest Director can’t resist a “!?” Young Bryce’s entry was added to the stack, and he finished with a very respectable five misses.
BUNGLE AWARD: To the Gentle Contest Director who skipped town on Friday for the beach without emailing the contest page to his out-of-towners — to Lovely Leslie in Virginia, to the Tuans in Las Vegas and to the various contest players across the fruited plain who depend on email to beat the Friday 5 p.m. deadline.
The Contest Director returned on Monday to a barrage of emails from the out-of-towners craving their contest fix.
Crime was up in those states for the weekend.
Good luck to all.
series football contest
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Basketball Contest Director - Gentle Readers, this week the bouncing ball morphs from oblong to round. From football to basketball. Our contest returns this week, moving inside to the comforts of college arenas and away from the chilly outdoors.
It’s basketball time — time to crank up our cash cow advertising machine and offer our contest players the chance to stimulate their personal economies.
Our contest is on Page 2B, and faithful players will immediately recognize that this contest is a cake walk. Just 13 games. Win our grand prize by being the first to pick all the games correctly, and someone can become an instant member of our Contest Hall of Fame.
First we must wrap up some unfinished business: Awarding the cash from the final football contest of December, the annual college bowl series.
RICK REID, COME ON DOWN!
Reid missed eight of the 25 bowl games and used the tie breaker to claim first place.
RICK PAINTER, COME ON DOWN! Painter also missed eight but had to settle for second.
Now for our coveted non cash awards:
• Close But No Cigar Award: To Tony Marshall, also missing eight. Missing nine, Adam Boyles, Jim Frye, David Boyles, Jim Bovender, Tom Reebel, Karen Bovender, Paula Midkiff, Johnny Painter, Cheryl O’Hara and Ashley McCormick.
• Basketball Award: To those missing the most, 17 of 25 games, Ron Weiderman, Mary Binkley, Cameron Hartley.
This week’s contest includes only college games. Easy, easy, easy.
But you have to enter to win. Fulfill your New Year’s resolution to take the dare, to stick your neck out, to go where you have never gone before. Enter.
Good luck to all.