Prior
to Mike Weir’s win at the Masters, I had been receiving
reaction to Weir’s inclusion on our LDS athletes list. It
was an error, is basically what people were saying. I decided
to not include Weir on the list because of the uncertainty of
his “LDS-ness.”
A convincing
e-mail came from a Meridian reader, Mike Conway, on Monday, April
14. “I have been told by those in his Draper (Utah)
ward that Mike Weir is not LDS. His wife apparently is. (I am)
still very proud to have Mike as an Utahan.” Several
e-mails similar to Brother Conway’s followed and I was convinced
that Weir needed to come off the list.
Then came Tuesday’s
LDS News e-mail that identified Weir as LDS and linked to two
articles that referred to Weir as a “devout Mormon.”
I decided to put him back on the list.
Then came
Wednesday’s LDS News e-mail that read, “Correction:
In yesterday's LDS News Update (15 April), we incorrectly indicated
that golfer Mike Weir is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints. We apologize for the error.”
No explanation was
given as to who offered the corrective information, but it was
enough for me. You’ll notice that Weir is nowhere to be
found in this week’s listing.
Muchasimas
gracias to all that made additions to our list. A check of
the tally board shows that our listing has grown to 262 LDS athletes
and coaches that are competing at the amateur, collegiate and
professional levels of a wide range of sports. Keep those names
coming!
“Click
here to see The List”.
More…
May we never lose sight of the fact that sports are games and
meant to be sources of entertainment and fun. With that in mind
…
News
I’d like to see…
WASHINGTON, D.C. – After three months of retirement, Michael
Jordan announced today that he will make yet another comeback
to professional basketball. Minus the customary flash of cameras,
Jordan’s voice, choked with emotion, echoed off the back
wall of the vacant media room at the MCI Center.
“I don’t
think it’s because nobody’s interested,” said
Jordan via telephone early this morning. “I think that people
thought it (the press conference) was being held today instead
of yesterday.” Jordan has expressed interest in joining
the Los Angeles Lakers.
When reached by cell
phone, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak expressed surprise
at Jordan’s announcement. “I think I speak for most
GMs in the NBA when I say that Mike’s lost a step,”
said Kupchak who has stayed retired from playing pro basketball
since 1986. When asked if the Lakers would pursue Jordan, Kupchak
said, “Hey, Mike! You said no Mulligans!”
SALT LAKE CITY – The NBA Finals on Sunday will have to wait,
say Utah Jazz fans. After qualifying for the NBA Finals for the
third time in seven seasons, Jazz fans have made a stand.
Minutes before the
start of Game 1, only 25 people occupied the stands at the Delta
Center, an abnormality for games played on Sunday in the past.
By the end of the first quarter, the “crowd” had swelled
to 54 and NBA officials decided to postpone the game and replay
it in its entirety on Monday night.
“The message
the fans are sending,” said Jazz owner Larry H. Miller,
“is that the Sabbath day is important to them.” In
the past, Jazz fans flocked to games at the Delta Center –
and the Salt Palace – regardless of the day of the week.
Salt Lake City, a predominantly
Mormon community, has seemingly taken to heart the advice of LDS
Church president Gordon B. Hinckley who has told church members,
“The time has come for each of us to stand a little taller.
This is a season to be strong.”
LOS ANGELES – After eight seasons of not having an NFL team,
business tycoon Bill Gates has landed an expansion team for Los
Angeles. The terms of the purchase were not disclosed, however,
one of the clauses implemented by the league require that all
current franchises return to their city of origin.
Some of the teams affected
include: Arizona (St. Louis), Indianapolis (Baltimore), San Diego
(Los Angeles), Tennessee (Houston), Baltimore (Cleveland), and
St. Louis (Cleveland).
It is unclear whether
Gates had any influence on the league directive, but inside sources
have reported that the computers in each of the affected teams’
front offices mysteriously crashed within an hour of the league
announcement. Directions to contact the Microsoft Customer Service
department upon arrival in each of their respective cities of
origin inexplicably appeared on each computer screen.