SPORTS

STORM CENTER COLUMN: Plenty of sports on Christmas, past and present

Published

12 years ago

12/19/2014

Let’s get the fanfare out of the way.
I wish you a Merry Christmas. Or if you are with the rest of us, let me wish you Happy Festivus.
Even though this holiday is a time for family, togetherness, presents, yuletide cheer and Jesus away in a manger, sports are certainly a part of the day’s docket.
When I was growing up in Connecticut, one of the events I looked forward to was the now-defunct Blue-Gray Football Classic – it was an all-star college football game in Montgomery, Ala.
The game – which pitted Grays from Confederate states versus Blues from northern states – was discontinued after 2003.
Jerry Rice was the most valuable player of the 1984 game.
It has been reported Rice’s performance in this game led then San Francisco 49ers head coach Bill Walsh to drafting him.
Gray won 33 of the games, while Blue took 29 and two of the games resulted in tie outcomes. Overall, 64 games were played, with the first one dating back to 1939.
The National Football League, like for Thanksgiving, has played games on Christmas Day.
However, in recent years, the NFL schedules games on Christmas only if it falls on a day normally used for games – Saturday, Sunday or Monday.

Here are this year’s Christmas TV games: Washington Wizards at New York Knicks, 11 a.m., ESPN; Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs, 1:30 p.m., ABC; Cleveland Cavaliers at Miami Heat, 4 p.m., ABC; Los Angeles Lakers at Chicago Bulls, 7 p.m., TNT; Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Clippers, 9:30 p.m., TNT.

Editor’s Note: The Storm Center column is the expressed written views of sports editor Eric Viccaro and not The Bowie News.

Bowie News sports editor Eric Viccaro. (News photo by Ryan Evans)

SPORTS

Imotichey takes over as Forestburg VB coach

Published

6 days ago

07/16/2026

bowienews

A positive culture can be tough to install but will reap dividends if done correctly.

Trinadee Imotichey is trying to do just that with her Forestburg Lady Longhorns.

Imotichey, an assistant coach on the 2025 Forestburg volleyball team, was moved into the head coaching position. Last year’s coach, Cori Hayes, took over as football head coach.

Imotichey, in her 2^nd year in Forestburg, said she learned a lot from Hayes and is ready to take over.

For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.

SPORTS

Lady Rabbit SB beats Bridgeport

Published

6 days ago

07/16/2026

bowienews

Bowie’s summer softball league team overcame a 6-1 deficit with a six-run third inning for a 7-6 win over Bridgeport in its season opener July 6.

The league consists of teams from Bowie, Nocona, Lindsay, Bridgeport, and Alvord and will last three weeks. Bowie will host games each week.

Bowie pitcher Hazel Trahern gave up two singles and a groundout to put the Sissies on the board in the first. It would be the only hits she gave up in the game. Two groundouts and a strikeout got the Lady Rabbits out of the jam.

Bowie got the run back in the bottom of the first with Andee Jo Miller opening the frame with a walk and a stolen base. She then scored on Kynlee Baker’s groundout to tie the game at one.

For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.

SPORTS

Keck heads to National Junior Olympics

Published

6 days ago

07/16/2026

bowienews

Rest. Run. Repeat.

Sage Keck, an 8^th grader at Montague, lives by this mantra. No ifs, ands and buts about it.

She’s been running since fourth grade PE classes where she would run a mile every week. After discovering she could outrun the other students, she began to enjoy it and continued doing it.

Her success continued, as she finished 2^nd overall against more than 200 runners at the Old Saint Jo 5K July 4. In last weekend’s Texas Junior Olympics, she reached the pinnacle of her career so far by qualifying for the United States of America Track and Field (USATF) National Junior Olympics in Norwalk, Calif. in three events.

For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.