The picture is of Sam Hill of St. Louis(on right) against Tyler Hughes from Nebraska. Sam Hill, who is a St. Louis police officer, knocked out Tyler with 50 seconds left in the 10th and final round to win the North American Boxing Association Cruiserweight title. Ticket sales were probably in the 3000 range.
They also announced that Tommy Hearns former welterweight champion is scheduled to fight at the arena in April. Big time boxing in St. Charles.
First Capitol News Photo by Bob Barton
MY COLUMN _ MIKE MCMURRAN Sports Editor
It would only be fair to start this week’s column with a confession and revelation. Worry not regular readers, I am not becoming a member of the hard-core, fundy, right-wingers, at least I hope not. It is safe to say I have pretty much voted for Democrats since my first election – and yes, I did vote for George McGovern for President. It pretty much started out as a “pro-labor” vote, over the years it evolved into a civil liberties vote. That’s where it stands today. As I have stated in this column before, I really believe the policies that allowed my wife and I to improve the quality of our lives need to continue to be in place to help others. Remember, the policies of Ronald Reagan forced my wife to transfer from St. Louis University to University of Missouri-St. Louis. For two years she qualified for Pell Grants, then “poosh,” they were gone. The explanation given to her was “your parents own their home (900 square feet, in Baden) and can take a second mortgage out to pay your tuition.” Granted, it was a valid argument, but not a very compassionate one.
Presently I am very much concerned with our boy governor selling MOHELA. For three years I used MOHELA to finance my graduate studies. I found the entire process to be rather painless. Once the initial paperwork was submitted, I found it easier than registering at the different universities. In defense, I admit I am a creature of habit, and a member of the old school of, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” I do know George W. has made it more difficult for some to qualify for Pell Grants – the Program that allowed me to earn my undergraduate degree.
For years I have said, “I care not what nationality or religion my children, should they decide to marry, marry into. As long as they are happy.” Happiness is not such an easy concept to grasp – I wish it, above everything else upon the three of them. Of course I would always add, “as long as they marry a Democrat.” I think such might just be an excellent example of the literary device known as hyperbole, I think.
Well, remember where I started, with the confession and all in paragraph one. I have been conducting political business with the Grand Old Party; not once but twice. And its not as bad as I thought it might be.
First of all, it seems the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, in their infinite wisdom, has changed the testing procedure for students with special needs. It seems they no longer will allow students with certain disabilities to have questions read to them on the M.A.P. tests. Now I know first hand of a former student of mine who benefited greatly from just such help. Not only did he have his ACT test read to him, he scored high enough on the test to qualify for a full ride to, what was then Southwest Missouri State. He earned his degree in four years and now is gainfully employed by the Great State of Missouri. I see the test change as a gross injustice, but also know that no one at D.E.S.E. is going to listen to little old me.
Enter Patt Holt, well not literally. Regular readers of this column know all too well that a good portion of the McMurran household evolves around the rehearsal and performance times of Just Kids. Well it seems Patt Holt makes for strange bedfellows – methophorically of course. Another household under the influence of the Just Kids phenomenon is Family Gross – that is the family of State Senator Chuck Gross, (R), St. Charles. Chuck and I are quite probably as far apart politically as two can be – hence we agree not to discuss anything other than successes of Just Kids. I will say this about Chuck, this past October as his daughter was singing her first Disney selection with The Connection, he was clearly far more nervous than she. “Wow, Chuck, she nailed that note, didn’t she,” I asked him. I’m not sure he heard me, but you could tell in his eyes how proud he was. But, as you all know, I digress, badly.
Anyway, I know Chuck supports public education, on that we can agree. I just wondered if he knew of the new testing directive – so I fired him off an e-mail (the first correspondence I’ve ever sent a republican). I must admit Chuck and his office are on the ball. In less than I week I was copied a memorandum Chuck had fired off to someone in charge of assessment at D.E.S.E. Rather impressive, I must admit. He simply asked why such changes are in place and what accommodations are being made for students with special needs. Hopefully something will become of this; if not, it will not be to lack of effort on Sen. Gross’s part.
IT’S OFFICIAL! RAGE READY TO BULL THROUGH 2006 AT SAVVIS CENTER
By Mike Thompson
I’ll borrow the phrase made famous by the late Cardinal broadcaster Jack Buck.
“Pardon me while I stand and applaud.”
I couldn’t help but feel just that way as I watched the Savvis Center staff setting up the podium, tables, and seating chart for our press conference this past Tuesday, getting the Rage primed to greet media and sponsors for our big step into the big time. I thought about how this franchise had grown, the hard work that was the forte’ of every member of the staff, from front office to coaches, players, cheerleaders, interns, you name it…everyone associated with the RiverCity Rage had a big hand in making this very special day come about. My mind hit the rewind button as I reflected on the very first such gathering of Rage and media, the one in December of 2004 that announced the formation of GST Sports, Inc. and introduced Majority Owners Tye Elliott and Scott Wilson to a sceptical array of TV sports anchors, scribes, and radio reporters who may have wondered about the wisdom of spending time hearing yet another story of promise from new owners of a so-called minor league team. As the newly appointed Director of Media Relations, I held my breath that day as I studied the entrance of the Locker Room Restaurant at Family Arena, hoping the media I had pounded the pavement to personally contact would be marching through the door one by one, microphones and cameras in hand, pens poised and ready, to get the news out to all that the Rage was up and running, this brand new bull was out of the chute and ready to ride to an NIFL title.
I remember that day well….KMOV-TV was there, as was KSDK-TV, News channel 20 and our friend Randy Gardner ….my friend and co-worker at KLOU, Michelle Holiday came by for moral support and to get a quote or two…and this newspaper was on hand to get word out to it’s readers about the new shift in power.
All in all, not bad that day, not bad for a start, but from that point on I knew the real work was all waiting ahead, and I wondered if we, if I…would be up to the challenge that lie ahead. The challenge to get fans in the seats, to get the media’s attention in a city that boasts of the Cardinals, the Rams, the Blues and a dozen other majors and minors sandwiched in between. Would the team be a winner?
Would the owners see the wisdom in involving themselves and their new upstart team with charitable causes and other worthy concerns? The ‘would-a’ I understood….all this was new…my apprehension involved the ‘could-a’ or even worse…the ‘should-a’…a new team could wither and die on that one! As I walked to my car on that cold winter’s day following that initial foray into the world of professional sports, I silently vowed to myself that I, for one, would not fall prey to that mode of thinking and would do everything in my power to ensure success for this new ownership group rolling the dice on everything from financial stability to personal sanity.
Well, everyone else associated with this team must have walked away that afternoon with many of the same thoughts in mind, because if you followed this football team in 2005, you know full well the impact it has had on the sports fan, the media and the metro area as a whole.
First of all, the team was a winner. Entering the playoffs with a record of 10-5 on the regular season, the Rage lost in double overtime in the opening round of the playoffs, but even that brutal slap in the face had some positive results. In the thrilling, nerve wracking, heart stopping loss, the crowd at Savvis Center and the welcome extended to us by the Savvis management was enough to prompt Tye and Scott to explore ways to make that venue our permanent home. The wheels were soon in motion to make it the reality being played out in front of me on Tuesday afternoon. Our owners threw themselves wholeheartedly into charities and found new, inspiring ways to use the football team and it’s sponsors to add joy and hope to the lives of those in need. We grew from a front office staff of three to a full time staff of six in less than a year, with individuals now available to lend their talents to promotions, sales and community involvement. The Rage became to ‘go-to’ franchise for the entire NIFL. Morris Groves our Director of Operations months ago was given the title of Director of Media Relations for the entire league, and handles all the website duties. I was recently selected as the new Information Director for the NIFL. Coach Mike Wyatt has been the Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year two years in a row, and last November added General Manager of the Year to his impressive resume. We have a full time mascot…Ragie the Bull…making appearances all over the metro area…we’ve added the Ragie Kids Club and a reading and educational program to our list of community activities…we instigated a program that honoured high school players and teams with engraved plagues that were sent out every week…we grew, we built, we added…and hopped right under the radar gun of major league status with our latest move to Savvis Center. The next step, perhaps an NIFL Title, will put this team over the top!
So as I watched all the major television stations, radio outlets and news scribes come parading into the Savvis Club on Tuesday for our big announcement, as I saw the room begin to fill up with corporate sponsors, league officials, friends of the team, and even one wildly dressed super-fan, I remembered that similar, yet so vastly different day some 14 months ago. My gosh, how far we had all come….as I listened to Savvis Center VP and General Manager Dennis Petrullo make his opening remarks to get this magical day underway, I looked around the room and thought of how proud I was of my team, my owners, my coach, the players, and everyone who had given his or her heart and soul to this cause calling itself RiverCity Rage football. “The Rage is a great addition to the sports scene in downtown St. Louis,” Petrullo began, “let’s welcome them to Savvis Center.”
The crowd began to applaud. I was kneeling down, off to the side of the podium taking notes for this article…when I did the only thing I could do…I stood up and began to join in.
Like that first step into the spotlight some 14 months prior, I mentally made note that the real work for this team was waiting ahead. That feeling, I couldn’t shake. The knowledge that this time around our team, this franchise, was ready for that challenge made it a lot easier to accept!
Superbrawl at the
Family Arena
St. Charles’ fan favorites Joe Stofle and Shawn Hammack picked up big victories in front of their adoring hometown crowd
By Glenn McBrady
From The St. Louis American
Special for The First Capitol News
The successful and seasoned business partners that comprise “Let’s Get It On Promotions” kicked off an ambitious year at The Family Arena in St. Charles last Thursday with the “Superbrawl”, a pro fight card featuring a pair of title bouts, and the shortest and longest matches ended up providing the night’s most dramatic moments.
Local amateur standout DeAndre “Bull” Latimore wrapped up his long-awaited professional debut at junior middleweight like he had a hot VIP party to attend. He looked confident as he ducked through the velvet-sheathed ropes to face Iowa’s Chris Mickle, but few in the charged venue could have anticipated that “Bull’s” ring walk would last longer than the match itself.
Clad in sparkling white and green trunks with gleaming gold stripes, Latimore laid the groundwork of his battle plan immediately, going downstairs to get Mickle’s attention. Barely twenty seconds in, Mickle lowered his mitt to block a body shot and hung his chin out to dry in the process.
Latimore teed off on his opponent’s jaw like Tiger Woods at a driving range, sending Mickle into a lopsided heap under the silver arch painted onto the royal blue canvas.
Mickle was able to right the ship briefly, but as he tried to bring himself to a foggy eyed state of attention, it was clear he didn’t have his sea legs under him. The referee waved him off and “Bull” had his first “W” just 33 seconds into his fledgling campaign.
In a cruiserweight title fight that turned out to be the longest and most competitive on the card, Sam “The Punching Policeman” Hill scored a timely ten round stoppage over Omaha’s Tyler “The Workin’ Man” Hughes in a pitched affair that had the judges’ scorecards in knots.
Hill had handled his cowboy hat wearing opponent easily in their last meeting, but it was clear after a cautious start by both that Hughes planned on complimenting his country western look with a leather and metal championship accessory.
The action in the first half dozen rounds found Hill bouncing on his toes and orbiting Hughes’ entrenched position in the center of the ring.
Hill’s elusive head movement forced Hughes to focus on the body, and the extended attack led to healthy points with the officials. For his part, Hill couldn’t miss with a straight right feint, jab combination that landed throughout.
“The Punching Policeman” was also trying to steal rounds with flurries starting with the sharp wooden wrap on the ring apron signaling the final 10 seconds and lasting until the sand had run out on each segment.
With the North American Midwest Association’s cruiser strap still up for grabs, Hill began the tenth with a right cross over Hughes’ lethargic jab. Hill then added one final fake right, jab before dismissing “The Working Man” with a pair of vicious hooks.
Hughes climbed back in the saddle by the referee’s count, but the third man in the ring had seen enough, pulling the plug at the 2:08 mark.
The TKO wrestled the verdict from the hands of the judges and sealed the title for the well-traveled St. Louis City Police Officer.
It was also a highlight of the first of many successful shows planned for the St. Louis area by Let’s Get It On Promotions.
Other “Superbrawl” Results
St. Charles’ fan favorites Joe Stofle and Shawn Hammack picked up big victories in front of their adoring hometown crowd.
Relentless heavyweight Joe Stofle out lasted and out punched Florida’s Jerry Simpson, forcing a TKO at 2:01 of round four.
Light Heavyweight Hammack punished Iowa’s Jeff Osbourne with a series of teeth-rattling right crosses that the game Osbourne absorbed until the TKO ending at 1:51 of the fifth.
In other action, junior lightweight Robbie Cannon fought Andre Wilson from St. Joseph, MO to a four round majority draw and Ted Muller from Moline, Il defeated St. Louis’ Mike Wood to capture the NAMA light heavyweight belt.
