6 MAR 11: Tip-Ins and Tiaras
Did you know March is Women's History Month? In fact, it doesn't seem fair to give women only one month. After all, women are responsible for practically all the famous names of history - simply by giving birth to them.
Women were in the spotlight at a couple of Columbus events Saturday. One featured local athletes. The other had attractive young women from across the state. You might be surprised to learn the mayor was at the first one....
Mayor Teresa Pike Tomlinson helped announce the establishment of a new semi-pro women's basketball team. The Columbus Lady Wings will play on Saturday nights, beginning in mid-May. Before you get ideas for a fan club, keep one thing in mind - the "Wingnuts" already has been claimed by a minor league baseball team in Kansas.
The Lady Wings will play in the Women's Blue Chip Basketball League. It wouldn't be fair to call it a "minor league" of the WNBA - especially when the league admits the pay for players is "little or none," and warns about possible contract scams. The old Columbus Riverdragons played in the "D League," but this sounds closer to D-minus.
(This league offers the possibility of a "Columbus versus Columbus" showdown, as there's also a team called the Columbus Hidden Gems in Ohio. But that would only happen if both teams reached the national playoffs - so I think the Christopher Columbus statue on the Riverwalk is safe from being wagered for now.)
The managers of the Lady Wings note almost every player on the 15-women roster is from the Columbus area. One coach told WXTX several players took part in Parks and Recreation programs. Uh-oh - I'm not sure it's good publicity to have Lady Wings player testifying as character witnesses at the trial of Tony Adams.
The Columbus Lady Wings have an office on Avondale Drive, and held Saturday's announcement at the Pop Austin Recreation Center. But the team will play its home games at Northside High School -- and this is a case where I'd think the location matters. Do that many Kendrick High School players commute from Green Island Hills?
The Columbus Lady Wings have a roster and a home floor, but clearly have things to work between now and mid-May. For one thing, the team's unofficial website has no schedule -- but it did have a "Countdown to Christmas" clock Saturday night. I suggest they sell some tickets for season one, before offering holiday gift packs for 2012.
Mayor Tomlinson promises the city will help promote the Lady Wings - but those of us with good memories fear this will be a hard team to sell. We remember the Riverdragons, which had a long winning streak at a nearly-empty Civic Center. And we remember the Columbus Life of the American Basketball Association - which turned into the Riverballers, and might as well have been swept down-river from there.
Besides, the Lady Wings will complete on spring and summer weekends with the defending champion Columbus Lions of arena football. If the National Football League has a work stoppage, the Lions suddenly might have Matt Ryan throwing touchdown passes to Tony Gonzalez.
The other Saturday event with plenty of women was much more traditional for Columbus. It was an orientation session for contestants in this year's Miss Georgia pageant. The meeting did NOT count in the actual scoring - otherwise the smell of so much hair spray in the same room might have been dangerous.
The evening news reported the judges in this year's Miss Georgia pageant will be announced today. Unless the phone rings today, I can tell you I was NOT selected as a judge again this year. Maybe if I offer to prepare promotional posters for the contestants....
-> A recent poker night had a sad interruption. Read what happened at our other blog, "On the Flop!" <-
BLOG EXCLUSIVE: Wow, we never expected this - a Georgia House member e-mailing your blog, to admit he fouled up!
You probably noticed in the Ledger that I signed HB 401 (That was the first time I knew I had signed the billl). Unfortunately I did by mistake. There was another piece of Legislation laying next to it that I was suppose sign & I signed the wrong one. I guess next time I will be more careful.I never had any intention of signing HB 401. I apologize for the incorrect statement that I sent to you earlier.
Richard
That's Rep. Richard Smith -- who told us a few days ago he had NOT committed to the Presidential Electibility Assurance Act. His signature as a cosponsor was revealed in a Friday newspaper editorial. Now I'm wondering if Georgia lawmakers receive a vision plan as one of their benefits.
This also makes me wonder about the process state lawmakers follow to cosponsor bills. The way Richard Smith expresses it, I can see dozens of bills on a table at the State Capitol -- almost like signing get-well cards for church members in the hospital. Except at church, not signing a card would be considered a much bigger offense.
We had an interesting candidate for a Sunday Soapbox e-mail, but it requires some fact-checking first. So instead, let's check some other weekend headlines....
+ The Empire Building at 12th Street and First Avenue officially was reopened for apartments and businesses, after a year of renovations. WLTZ's video showed Police Chief Ricky Boren in the crowd. Isn't that a little too close to the Public Safety Center for a separate precinct?
+ Auburn University revealed it lost $600,000 by making the trip to the Bowl Championship title game in Arizona. If this makes Cam Newton feel a little guilty about signing that big endorsement contract with UnderArmour.... well, maybe that's part of the plan.
+ Roundball Saturday Night (tm) saw Auburn's men lash Louisiana State 60-51. Coach Tony Barbee picked up an important recruiting tool with that win. He can tell high school players Auburn only has the second-worst team in the conference.
+ Instant Message to defense attorney Shevon Thomas: What did you mean when you told WRBL the potential Parks and Recreation trial "is not an attractive case"? Are you hinting Tony Adams and Herman Porter are guilty? Are you suggesting the prosecution evidence is weak? Or are you saying the lawyers aren't good-looking enough to allow Internet streaming of the trial?
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