By MONTE DUTTON Click here. When writing about stock cars became my principal way to make a living, one of the surprises was Howard Augustine “Humpy” Wheeler Jr., known for his flamboyant promotion of events at Charlotte Motor Speedway. I was expecting P.T. Barnum. What I found was the Wizard of Oz, a mild-mannered fellow …
Tag: humor
Friday night comes alive
By MONTE DUTTON Click here. A state championship is the ultimate achievement in high-school sports until, all of a sudden, it isn’t. Clinton High, like every other occupant of the proverbial mountaintop, enjoyed the experience so much that the prospect of another seems irresistible. It’s not easy. Last year, when the Red Devils were 12-2, …
Thoughts that have infected me recently
By MONTE DUTTON Click here. Latest trends in the world of sports: Length and size have replaced height and weight. Groups have been replaced by rooms (“the quarterback room”) that I suspect do not actually exist. Some words have flip-flopped meanings to the point where anything goes. Citizens want governments to be “transparent” so they …
The Devils are in the details
By MONTE DUTTON (Monte Dutton photos) Click here. The Clinton Red Devils were decked out in their game uniforms on Friday morning, and they looked proud, as well they should. The fact that they are the reigning Class 2A state champions naturally leads to the suspicion that they can do it again. High expectations are, …
Nutty in Johannesburg
By MONTE DUTTON Click here. I enjoyed the wide world of motorsports on Saturday. “Spanning the globe to bring you the human drama of sports … the thrill of victory ... the agony of defeat,” I watched a little Indy Car qualifying from Laguna Seca – perhaps my favorite road course because of “the corkscrew” …
The wide, wild world of John Irving
By MONTE DUTTON Click here. This isn’t the first time I’ve noted that my favorite novelists – Larry McMurtry, Elmore Leonard, Pat Conroy, et al. – have been dying off. Given my own advancing age, there’s no getting around it. Over the years, I’ve read most of John Irving’s great novels: The Cider House Rules, …
Not much worth reading
By MONTE DUTTON Click here. I have become obsessed with how bad journalism has become. It’s become a hobby to read Internet stories with lurid headlines if only to see what nothing burgers they are. This morning I saw a headline on “NASCAR’s deadliest tracks.” Truth be known, there aren’t any. I don’t think a …
Scheffler is golf’s coolest cat
By MONTE DUTTON Click here. In Tiger Woods’ heyday, he was rolling thunder. It never surprised me when his body began to fail him. I’ve never seen a golfer come out of cleats like Woods. It was exciting, though. Scottie Scheffler’s personality reminds me of singer Vince Gill. He doesn’t seem to have that burning …
Was that only yesterday or 40 years ago?
By MONTE DUTTON Click here. Time flies like an arrow, and fruit flies like a banana. No. I didn’t think of that. It just makes me chuckle softly. It’s amazing how long ago it was when certain things happened. Check that. When all things happened. I was watching the British Open on Thursday. Announcers were …
Back from the dead
By MONTE DUTTON Click here. Monday had a weird morning. About two weeks ago, a thunderstorm knocked out the electricity for a while, and later that night when I went to bed, I discovered that my CPAP went out. For the time being, I went out and bought some Breathe Rite bandages and did some …
Nightrider's Lament 