Sweet(s) Talk…

Longtime racing author Joe Verdegan’s latest book “Racing in the 906” is one of the most entertaining and attention-keeping books I have ever read. It contains funny stories, historical facts and past standings, featuring interviews from the racers and promoters from the U.P. tracks of Sands, Escanaba, Kinross and Norway.

This writer’s favorite is Chapter 24 – Irish Pride. It’s about Mike Kelly and his sons Toby and Kristopher. A funny quote from the chapter was Mike saying, “I remember one night after the races at Norway, when the fans came into the pits, a guy in a wheelchair stopped at the back of my car and said to someone he was with ‘There’s W.W’, and I asked him what that meant and he replied, ‘because you either win or wreck!’ I laughed so hard,” said Kelly.

Verdegan, of Dunbar, Wis., did a good job of emphasizing the elder Kelly’s reputation of being a ‘Checkers or Wreckers’ type driver, throughout his Hall of Fame career. Kelly was inducted into the Norway Speedway Hall of Fame last summer.

Wednesday night, Verdegan is having a book signing at the Thirsty Whale in Norway beginning at 5 p.m. Great Christmas gift for a race fan in your family. ….

Local referee Joe Reddinger of Kingsford was recognized on Dec. 2 for his 50th season as a registered MHSAA basketball official. One might say the former North Dickinson football coach doesn’t look a day over 60, so 50 years as an official puts him at least 68?? Sorry Joe. ….

With the Iron Mountain Mountaineer football team’s deep playoff run this fall that ended at the Superior Dome in Marquette in the Division 7 semifinals, I’d be remiss to not mention something I noticed from my vantage point high above in the press box.

Once the outcome of the game was clearly determined late in fourth quarter, head coach Robin Marttila removed his starters and seniors from the game, replacing them with his reserve players and the JV players that were brought up for the playoff run.

The huge Mountaineer crowd rose to its feet in unison, with a much-deserved standing ovation. It immediately brought to mind a video I watched many times, in comparison to the timing of the ovation.

The video, which was released after production in 2001, was called “With Love and Respect. A Reunion of the Lombardi Era Green Bay Packers.” In the video, Pro Football Hall of Fame Guard Jerry Kramer recalls the last home game of the 1968 Packers season. The loss to the Baltimore Colts eliminated GB from playoff contention, with one game remaining on the schedule. It also came one season after the team had won its third of three consecutive World Championships.

“Late in the game, we got a drive going, only to see it stall due to a turnover, ending our chances of a comeback. That’s when I noticed that our crowd realized what was the inevitable, not only was the season over, our era was over, and a standing ovation ensued.” Kramer said. The only further elaboration on the subject, Kramer said this, “It was over and they knew it, the ovation couldn’t have better timed.”

Way to go Mountaineer fans, well timed. ….

Saturday, I enjoyed watching the 120th Army-Navy football game, which was won by Navy 34-7. It’s dubbed as “America’s Game” for one simple reason — despite it being one of the most storied rivalries in all of college sports, there’s the utmost respect from the combatants, for the opposing team, at all times, throughout the game. The Army Cadets and Navy Midshipmen there to watch the game also conduct themselves with class and respect one another as well, again, despite the rivalry.

For as bitter as some sports rivalries have gotten in today’s society, I think many of us, myself included, should take a look at how serious we take rivalries and how we may let our emotions get the best of us. After all, it’s only a game. ….

Matt “Sweets” McCarthy is a sports writer for the Daily News and can be contacted at (906)-774 -2772 ext: 222 or at mmccarthy@ironmountaindailynews.com