If for nothing else, the first half of 2016 will be remembered for the comings, in new-found splendor, of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton and the goings, unexpected all, of Muhammad Ali, Prince and heaven's newest angel, Pat Summitt.
On this side of the Atlantic, Orlando sadly made national headlines for reasons other than entertaining the masses at Walt Disney World. Meanwhile, in the land of bobbies on bicycles two by two, inspired perhaps by the brashness of 13 former American colonies, England declared its independence from Europe, or something like that.
In the sports world alone, soccer has occupied stage center in most civilized lands for the last month with two major tournaments going. The other night, it was Chile vs. Argentina for something called the Copa America title. Remembering my South American dictators, I settled back for some thrilling (longtime scoreless) action between the Salvador Allendes and the Juan Perons. The Allendes -- Chile, that is -- kept the cup in, I guess, a bloodless coup.
June belonged, however, to LeBron James, whose detractors must look longer and harder for dirt to dish upon his giant shoulders after the recent NBA Finals. King James regained the heights of his profession as his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers celebrated the city's first pro sports championship since John Lennon sang "I Feel Fine" in 1964. With his team on the brink of elimination, James delivered consecutive 41-point games and finished with a Game 7 triple double on the road against the defending champion Golden State Warriors.
Stephen Curry, the league's unanimous MVP, and the 73-win Warriors of the regular season were swept aside like the Jeb Bushes, Mike Huckabees and Ted Cruzes by Trump for the Republican presidential nomination. The Warriors are fated to hold a place in history like Dewey against Truman in an election-night stunner of old and the unbeaten 2007 New England Patriots in the Super Bowl against Eli Manning and the New York Giants, favorites who let the genie out of the bottle.
Speaking of the Manning family, Peyton claimed his second Super Bowl title, putting him even with Eli, then rode off into the sunset. Denver over Carolina wasn't the best Super Bowl ever witnessed, but when given a choice of Peyton Manning, famous both for throwing touchdown and tossing pizzas, or a preening Cam Newton, most folks back home will Archie's son. Many quarterbacks have won the Super Bowl on their second try, and we shall see if Newton, the NFL's best player last year, joins their ranks.
College basketball started the year with Kansas vs. Oklahoma, an instant classic, and ended with Villanova beating North Carolina on a shot at the buzzer. The Arkansas Razorbacks, you might remember or may be trying to forget, finished 16-16 in 2016. A better story came from Little Rock, where the hometown Trojans knocked off Purdue in the NCAA tournament and then paid a mid-major's inevitable price for success when UNLV snatched away coach Chris Beard (who later jumped to Texas Tech after Tubby Smith relocated in Memphis). UALR -- or Little Rock, as it wishes to be called -- promoted Wes Flanigan from Beard's staff to keep the momentum going after a 30-win season.
Al Flanigan, father of Wes and his former coach at Parkview High, won another state title with the Patriots, this time against defending champion Pine Bluff at Bank of the Ozarks Arena. The March storyline followed more closely in Hot Springs concerned the hometown Trojans, whose best team in decades hosted the Class 5A tournament but was stung in the semifinals by Forrest City.
Another good tournament game occurred in Jessieville, where Centerpoint beat the host Lions in a Class 3A first-round matinee that the visiting team's fans turned the Sports Arena into Rosboro North. Eventual champion Cedar Ridge sent Centerpoint home in the semifinals, but following the Knights in late season proved one of the sports year's most enjoyable pursuits. On a February Saturday, I watched the Knights' crowning as regional champion after the maiden victory of the future Arkansas Derby winner (Creator) at Oaklawn Park.
Our Sean Saunders was on hand for the two biggest soccer games ever played by a Hot Springs High soccer team, Trojan victories over Lakeside and Valley View, the latter for the 5A championship. Erick Guadron and the Trojans shared the May spotlight with two Lake Hamilton track all-timers, record-setting vaulter Nick Johnson and thrower Eli Jackson.
The last week of June saw Jessieville's Hunter Daley take honors at the boys' all-star basketball game in Conway. Which reminds us that Jessieville's Kellie Lampo (basketball) and Lakeside's Tatum Rice (tennis) should be much in demand by college recruiters early in the upcoming school year. And is the world ready for an October that belongs to the Chicago Cubs?
Sports on 06/29/2016