Meeting Jackie Robinson

How difficult was it to overcome poverty and grow up from nothing into a famous historical icon?

“The right of every American to first-class citizenship is the most important issue of our time.”

So I hear you are quite competitive, what’s your take on winning and losing?

“It kills me to lose. If I'm a troublemaker, and I don't think that my temper makes me one, then it's because I can't stand losing. That's the way I am about winning, all I ever wanted to do was finish first.”

You hold the record for best fielding percentage by a second baseman; do you have any theories on how this came to be?

“Pop flies, in a sense, are just a diversion for a second baseman. Grounders are his stock trade.”

Mr. Robinson, did you mind retiring right after your team missed the pennant race and the first time in ten years of your career?

“None at all. I feel very, very good. I am awfully happy in my new job. I am with a bunch of fine people, and I like it very much.”

Now that you are retired are you going to head out to a lot of the Dodgers games?

“I will occasionally go to them. Not too much.”

Teams like the Yankees can buy all the talent in the league, what is your take on them?

“I don't think that is the reason why the Yankees are so successful. I think that, very frankly, a lot of ball players when they are young are very, very anxious to join the Yankee chain. I think that tradition that they hear about so much has a lot to do with it, and they get in the organization. I believe that is what it is, personally.”

How do you see baseball?

“Baseball is like a poker game. Nobody wants to quit when he’s losing; nobody wants you to quit when you’re ahead.”





Jackie Robinson is most widely known for his great baseball career.
Jackie was born in Cairo, Georgia and overcame poverty to become the first and one of the greatest African American baseball players ever! He was born in 1919. Jackie’s father left his family soon after his birth leaving his mother to tend to all 5 children. He attended Pasadena Community College after excelling at everything in high school. He transferred into UCLA to become an all-american in track, football, baseball and basketball. While doing all of this, Jackie maintained great grades as well. In 1942 he was drafted into the war soon after Pearl Harbor. After receiving an honorable discharge from the army Jackie was signed by the Kansas City Monarchs, a Negro baseball league team. Robinson played one year in the Negro league before playing minor league ball for the Brooklyn Dodgers. On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first black baseball player in all of Major League baseball.
Robinson’s ethical choice was putting up a fight to break the color barrier in the MLB. It not only shaped him, but all of baseball for years to come. He even shaped current baseball and paved the way for other black greats such as: Hank Aaron and Reggie Jackson.

U.S Soccer Player Severely Injured

The United States’ International team was blind-sided by the news that break out forward Charlie Davies will not be playing for them in the world cup as he is beginning his 6-12 month strenuous recovery. Now game in and game out Davies provided excitement and productivity for the U.S. up top at forward. Ever since Charlie Davies was a boy he’s strived for excellence in everything he’s attempted. His father (his soccer coach from age 7 to 15) pushed him to his breaking point almost every day. Davies developed the work ethic his father introduced to him, that of a yeoman. As a young man, Charlie was also a great wrestler, finishing 3rd in the nation his senior year of high school at 145 lb weight class. Wrestling taught Davies great self-discipline.
This self-discipline will be greatly needed in his long road to recovery. Now, most may be thinking this athlete got hurt playing his sport, soccer. That, in fact, would be wrong, Charlie Davies was broken all over during a tragic and fatal car crash in Arlington Virginia. Davies and the driver survived, but tragically, Ashley J. Roberta passed away in this fatal crash. Davies suffered a broken right femur and tibia, a broken left elbow, facial fractures and a lacerated bladder. The 23-year-old Davies is lucky to even still be breathing, nevertheless play soccer again. Soccer should not even be on his mind. It is not very likely he will even play again.
Doctors placed titanium rods into Davies’ femur and tibia and began him on his extensive rehabilitation. All this happened in the not-so-far away Arlington Virginia and on Tuesday morning, October 13th.
With that on their minds, the U.S. had to come back and play Costa Rica to maintain the lead in their division for the World Cup Qualifying round and they pulled out a 2-2 tie to lock in a spot in the World Cup.
This kind of awful incident shows you how down to earth professionals actually are, in that it happened semi-locally and one minute the exhilarating Davies is flying down the field scoring goals feeling invincible and the next he is in a hospital bed lucky to be alive!

A Great Time to be Brett Favre

Brett Favre has had a great year so far beating his former team, the Green Bay Packers 23-30 at the Vikings home last Monday in Minnesota. Brett had another good game Monday racking up 271 yards on three touchdown passes. Also, not only was this game Brett’s first game against his former team but Favre has now beat all 32 NFL teams in the league.
Brett has had a great season but he has not done it all himself. With a great running back like Adrian Peterson in the backfield he has not had to. Adrian Peterson has rushed for 412 yards and has got in the end zone five times. Also, Brett has had great receivers to back him up. With the likes of rookie standout, Percey Harvin, and veterans, Bernard Berrian and Sidney Rice, all Brett has to do is get the ball there and they will do the rest.
At 4-0 Brett has done his job for the Vikings. Racking up 837 yards on 8 touchdowns for his team, number four obviously has a home in Minnesota. The other great thing about Brett Favre this season has been that he has only thrown one interception in four games. The risky throws have always either made Brett Favre’s day or eluded him depending on the outcome. There is no doubt Brett has made smarter decisions this year than in seasons past.
Brett has been the talk of controversy over the past couple months. Between retirement and not retiring has obviously been a tough decision for Favre. In July, he told the Vikings’ head coach Brad Childress that he would stay in retirement. Then later in August after training camp he changed his mind and signed with the Vikings. He did this last year from the Packers to retiring to the Jets. A lot of people have lost respect for Favre because of this but people still love to see him on the field doing what he does best.
Brett loves the game and has a hard time walking away from a sport he loves.
Overall Favre is a great fit for the Vikings. The Vikings were in need of a good quarterback and Brett Favre obviously fits the criteria. Its not that Tarvarus Jackson is a bad quarterback; its just people don’t consider him Brett Favre just yet. Supposedly there was a lot of tension in the Vikings’ locker room when Brett Favre just walked into the organization and started over Jackson. However, the Vikings obviously warmed up to Favre pretty quick because they named him team captain a month later. Another example of why people can’t help from loving Favre is when he threw one of his touchdowns Monday night he went to jump to hit Chester Taylor in excitement and he almost knocked the sturdy running back over which shows how much emotion Favre has for the game. It seems that wherever Brett Favre goes people take him as a leader and love him like just another great teammate.

Interview With Bill France Sr.

Bill France Sr. is the founder of NASCAR which is the most popular racing organization in America which makes Bill a great historical figure. Bill was born in and grew up in Washington D.C. As a teen, he often skipped school to go to speed tracks around the Maryland area and even entered his own car in a couple of races. France started working as a bank teller. Bill later left banking to open up a service station as a skilled mechanic. During the Great Depression, Bill packed up his wife, Anne and son, Bill Jr. to seek his fortune in Florida. When his car broke down in Daytona Beach, he realized he liked the spot and decided to stay and work on cars at a local automobile dealership. Daytona Beach was a great place for auto racers who flew across the sand. After that there was a race in Utah that gave $5,000 to win where France took fifth. By 1941, France began to promote and organize races. After World War II, Americans really began to get interested in racing. France benefited from this interest and transformed stock car racing from a back-woods sport to a national past time. In 1947, France organized a set of drivers into the National Association of Stock Car Racing or better known as NASCAR. This organization began to race on superspeedways that were built by another corporation France made called the International Speedway Corporation. In 1959 Daytona International Speedway was built in the famous town of Daytona Beach and hosts the most famous NASCAR race of the year annually known as the Daytona 500. Later in 1969, in a town in Alabama, Talladega Superspeedway was made. Bill kept building the sport to what it is now and has been inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. Bill retired in 1972 and gave the position to his son Bill Jr. Bill later died on June 7, 1992.

A.R.: Hi Mr. France it is very nice to meet you today how are you?

B.F.: Very good I am delighted to be here today.

A.R: Well I’d like to start today on asking you how do you feel about unions in NASCAR?

B.F.: Personally, I believe that unions are great things in the American workforce but do not belong in auto racing.

A.R.: Why not?

B.F: Because I believe that what some of the drivers that were making this union were doing was not healthy for the sport. They said that it would give drivers a lot of benefits but there were also other things that they were going to do if they got my permission that would hurt the sport.

A.R.: Who were the drivers that tried to make this NASCAR union?

B.F.: It was Curtis Turner and Tim Flock.
A.R.: What were the things that these drivers were trying to do once they got a driver’s union?

B.F.: They were trying to pass betting in this sport and I was not having it with the funds of accountant William Rabin and confidant Jimmy Hoffa.

A.R.: Did you just talk to the driver’s or punish them?

B.F.: I banned the drivers and they took me to court but we ended up winning the case anyway.

A.R.: Why did you install such harsh punishment on the Turner and Flock?

B.R.: Because I said NASCAR is the only sport that has not had some kind of scandal and I intend to keep it that way. Organized gambling will not be tolerated and these boys knew what they were getting into.

A.R.: O okay that makes good sense Mr. France. Now on a lighter note, I heard when you were a young boy; you used to skip school to go to local races. Is this true Mr. France?

B.F.: Yeah, I’m going to have to admit I did skip school for races when I was a kid. I wouldn’t support it today but I will admit that I was a bit of a trouble maker in my younger days.

A.R.: Very interesting, last question Mr. France, when you step down as the president of NASCAR, who do you want to replace you?

B.F.: Well, I would like my son, Bill France Jr. to take over the job. I hope he would like to take over the responsibilities of a great organization and continue the great tradition of NASCAR.

A.R.: Thank you so much for doing this interview with me. It was a pleasure to interview you and I would love to keep in contact with you for possible later interview dates.

B.F.: Thank you very much and I’ll see you later.

Child Obesity a thing of the past

Child Obesity, A thing of the past
Random Students attending New Oxford High School in grades 9 and 10 recently participated in a survey asking how many hours a week they exercise by them selves; this excludes gym classes or practices. In total 56 students were involved. Of those 56 students 18 said they exercised 10 or more hours a week on there own. 13 said they worked out about 8 or 9 hours a week. 9 Students said that they exercised 4-7 hours a week. The remaining 13 said they didn’t exercise at all or under 4 hours a week. Looking at the results I cant see that the child obesity issue cant be a problem for much longer.

NBA season tips off

By: Ryan Leib
The NBA season tips off on Tuesday October 27, 2009 with four great matchups. The first game is Boston at Cleveland both were playoff teams from a year ago. Cleveland lost a tremendous matchup in the conference finals to the Orlando Magic who beat the Celtics in the first round of last year’s playoffs. The next matchup on opening night is the Washington Wizards at the Dallas Mavericks. The Wizards come off of a disappointing season with a 19-63 record, second worse in the NBA. The Mavericks made it to the western conference semi-finals but would eventually lose that series to the Denver Nuggets. The third matchup of the night is the Houston Rockets at the Portland Trailblazers. The Houston Rockets come off a heartbreaking way to end their season last year losing to the Los Angeles Lakers four games to three in the Western Conference Semi-finals. All of these teams are starting off with a clean slate for the 2009-2010 NBA seasons.
Many teams have very explosive rookie prospects to play for them this year. One of the explosive rookies is Stephen Curry. Stephen is playing for the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry had an early exit from college coming out as a junior. Although Stephen was an explosive player he did not face many of the big time schools. Stephen played for Davidson College in Charlotte, NC. Another great prospect is Tyler Hansbrough who is coming off a national championship run with the North Carolina Tar Heels. Although Hansbrough was a breakout player in college, his size will be a tough thing to deal with. He may be too small to play center like he did in college. His strong position in the NBA might be the small forward position for the Indiana Pacers. This season is sure to be a great one for NBA fans. Offensive firepower will be a big factor for many teams this year. Over the past years the young guys have been looking to take the spotlight and turn the NBA into the new school. With this recession apparently over this is looking to help the NBA this year.
The western conference looks to stay the dominant conference in the NBA with all the great teams in the eastern conference some may be skeptical that the western conference is the weak conference in the NBA. This season is sure to entertain fans of the NBA this year.

Walter Cronkite Interview

By: Ryan Leib

Walter Cronkite was a CBS evening news anchorman from 1962-1981. He has created great importance in the Broadcast Communication world. He has inspired many people over the years; he was to be voted the “Most trusted figure” in American public life. Over the years Cronkite has been scrutinized by Politicians, intellectuals, and fellow journalists. Walter Cronkite had joined CBS in 1950. His first job was at CBS’s Washington affiliate and then he joined the national network. In April 1962, Cronkite took over the anchormans position from Douglas Edwards on the CBS Evening News. Cronkite later was first on the air reporting the Kennedy Assassination. Cronkite also covered huge stories such as the Vietnam War. His stories were rather controversial when he covered the Vietnam War. Many criticized Cronkite for not taking more risk in his news stories. He was also criticized because of his preference for short “breaking stories.” Some people referred to his time in the spotlight as “the magic.” In 1981, in accord with CBS, Cronkite retired. In 1993 he signed a contract with the Discovery and Learning channel to do thirty-six documentaries in three years. He later became the norm in television news. Cronkite later died in New York on July 17, 2009. He was 92 years old.


R.L.: Hello Mr. Cronkite it is a pleasure to have you here today, how are you?

W.C.: I’m fine thank you its great to be here

R.L.: What was it like to be such an icon to the American people and future journalists?

W.C.: It feels great to inspire people to be journalists for decades to come.

R.L.: Do you feel that your stories had an impact on America as a whole?

W.C.: Yes I do because the American people wanted news and I gave them something to talk about.

R.L.: Do you feel that some of your news stories were controversial?

W.C.: Yes I do but I covered the tough stories which other journalists did not want to cover.

R.L.: What was it like to cover the Vietnam War?


W.C.: It was a great experience that most people would not get to do or would not want to do.

R.L.: How successful do you think your career was as a whole?

W.C.: I think it was very successful I think all the criticism made me stronger as a journalist.

R.L.: How did your family help you throughout your career?

W.C.: My wife helped me stay confident and be the best journalist I could be.

R.L.: Thank you for being here it has been a pleasure

In & Around Tim Lincecum

Tim Lincecum Interview

For what achievement is this person most widely known? What is their life story?
- Led high school team to 3 single a championships
- Named Washington’s Gatorade Player of the Year
- Rated as 2nd best amateur prospect by Baseball America in 2006
- 2-time Pac-10 Conference player of the year
- 2008 CY Young winner
- All Star pitcher in 2008 and 2009

Devan: You have many nicknames, but what is your favorite?
Tim: I would have to say my old nickname from college, Sea biscuit, and the smallest underdog horse who ran faster than he looked.

Devan: What is your favorite pre-game meal?
Tim: Quick stuff, probably Easy Mac

Devan: If you were stranded on a desert island what three things would you take? Tim: If would have to say my family, Three of best friends, and probably a ball and a glove
Devan: Do you have any pre-game superstition that helps you play better? Tim: I polish my shoes before every game. I try not to think about the pressure to much… just have fun.
Devan: If you could spend a day with any athlete present or past, who would it be? Tim: Probably Sandy Koufax, I learned so many things watching him on TV.
Devan: Finally, what is the one thing you could not live without?
Tim: Defiantly baseball, it’s just always been there.

Go Big Or Go Home

The 2009 MLB Postseason starts off this weekend with many exciting matchups around the league. The Winner of a close pennant race The Minnesota Twins will face off against the best rated team in the MLB, The New York Yankee’s. The Yankees have left the Twins winless against them in the regular season as they take the series 7-0. For the first game the Twins will put rookie right handed pitcher Brian Duensing against the Yankees 19 game winner C.C Sabathia. For game two the Twins will have there best pitcher Nick Blackburn against former Blue Jay A.J Burnett. For game three the Twins will have there most seasoned pitcher, Carl Pavano against long time Yankee, Andy Petite. The Twins Throwers will have a tough time against the Yanks hitters as Derek Jeter leads in both Batting average and on base percentage and Mark “Tex” Teixeira leads in both Home Runs and Rbi’s. The Twins also put up impressive hitting stats as Catcher Joe Maur leads the Twins in Batting average. In other leaders columns Michael Cuddyer leads in homers as Jason Kubel leads in RBI’s. It should be a very exciting series to watch.


The N.L Match up for the A pool will be between the Rockies of Colorado and the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies are the Winners of the N.L East and had to beat out tough teams such as the Florida Marlins and the Atlanta Braves. The Rockies however, have had an even harder division to deal with then the Phillies. To even get into the playoffs they had hold off second place wild card finisher, the San Francisco. The Rockies were also very close to getting into the playoffs as the #1 seed but in there way was the LA Dodgers. On The hitting attack for the Phillies will be RBI leader batting second Shane Victirino. Ryan Howard leads in homeruns and RBI’s like usual. The Rocks have Todd Helton leading the team in Batting average while seasoned Rocky Troy Tulowitzki.The probable’s for the playoff series will be game one; Rockies righty Ubaldo Jimenez against a red hot Cliff Lee. Game two will have last years World Series MVP Cole Hammels against a smoking Aaron Cook, three and four pitchers will be, well no body knows as both clubs haven’t yet decided who there going to go with. Either way the series should be a tight matchup.


The A.L B pool series will consist of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim against World Series fever team the Boston Red Sox. Over the past couple of years the Angels have had a tough time defeating the Sox in the postseason as in the 2008 first round of the playoffs, the BoSox were able to defeat a heavily favored Angel team. The regular season series between the two teams were evenly split 3-3. For game one the Sox will send leftie Jon Lester against a playoff familiar pitcher John Lackey. Game two will be the best as Red Sox #1 pitcher Josh Beckett takes the hill against Angels junk ball pitcher Jered Weaver. Both teams hope to be able to finish off the other team going into game three, so the Sox will have Clay Buckholz against the Angels recent addition from The Tampa Bay Rays, Scott Kazmir. The Red Sox have a famous lineup as first basemen Kevin Youkilis (The Youk) leads the team in Batting Average as Jason Bay leads in both Homeruns and Rbi’s. The Halo’s have an equally potent offense as Eric Aybar leads the team in Batting Average, perhaps the most underrated 1st basemen in the A.L Kendry Morales leads in both Homeruns and Rbi’s. Maybe this year The Halo’s will have a better time knocking off the pesky Red Sox.

The final round one series could be the most exciting one in recent playoffs. The N.L’s best record Los Angeles Dodgers face off against World Series favorites The St. Louis Cardinals. The Dodgers have proved themselves worthy of a title as the fought off both Wild Card winner Colorado Rockies and The San Francisco Giants on route to a 2009 N.L West pennant. The Cardinals title should also be noted that it wasn’t without a couple of bumps and bruises because they had to finish off teams the likes of The Chicago Cubs and The Milwaukee Brewers. For the hitting attack the Dodgers a decent hitting offense as Andre Ethier leads the team in both Home Runs and Rbi’s. Matt Kemp leads the club Batting Average. The Cardinals also have a stellar hitting offense; due mostly to the part of M.V.P canadite 1st basemen Albert Pujols leads the team and much of the N.L in Batting Average, Home Runs, and Rbi’s. The first game will consist of a righty vs. leftie matchup as St. Louis sends out #1 pitcher Adam Wainwright to the mound against the Dodgers 21 year old Clayton Kershaw. Game two will have probably the greatest impact as recent addition to the Dodgers Vicente Padilla against a decent Joel Pineiro.The possible decider of the series will have Dodgers ace Chad Billingsly facing off against a TBA for the cardinals. This series could be one of the greatest of all time.