Cleveland Sports Forum

Tons of beer spill onto I-85

The Associated Press
Published: Saturday, Aug. 18, 2012 - 10:51 am

GASTON, N.C. -- Authorities say tons of beer spilled onto Interstate 85 in Gaston County after a car spun out in the rain and crashed head-on with a tractor-trailer.

Police say crews spent more than five hours Friday night cleaning up the mess after a tractor-trailer hauling nearly 43,000 pounds of beer crashed into a support beam of a bridge over I-85.

Police say no one was injured in the crash, other than scrapes and bruises.

The shipping company says the beer will go to the dump. Insurance will cover the cost.

Police say the car's driver was cited for driving unsafe for the road conditions.

The wreck caused major traffic delays.

Hillbilly wrote:Two guys are sitting in an Irish bar ... They start talking, one says to the other, I'm actually from Ireland.

Really, I'm from Ireland too. Let me buy you a drink. Bartender, 2 whiskeys!

So what part of Ireland are you from?

Dublin!

Really? I'm from Dublin too! Bartender, 2 more!!

Good one, HB. I had not heard that one before. There's a store not far from here that has a t-shirt reading "An Irish guy walked out of a bar.....well, it could happen."

Aug 19, 8:54 PM EDT

USS Constitution sets sail again in Boston Harbor

The USS Constitution fires one of her guns in Boston Harbor as a crowd looks on from the shore in Boston, Sunday, Aug. 19, 2012. The USS Constitution, the U.S. Navy's oldest commissioned war ship, sailed under her own power Sunday for the first time since 1997. The event was held to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the ship's victory over HMS Guerriere in the War of 1812. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

BOSTON (AP) -- At 215 years old, the USS Constitution is the U.S. Navy's oldest commissioned warship afloat. But it's not too old to take a quick sail.

For 17 minutes on Sunday, the ship cruised west across Boston Harbor, reaching a maximum speed of 3.1 knots. It was its first sail under its own power since turning 200 in 1997.

The short trip - a distance of 1,100 yards - was to commemorate the Constitution's victory over a British warship of a similar size in a fierce battle during the War of 1812. The victory earned the ship its nickname, "Old Ironsides."

Chief Petty Officer Frank Neely, a Constitution spokesman and crew member, said he was among the 285 lucky people who were aboard on Sunday. It was a warn day with a few clouds, but still perfect for the sail, he said.

"This was really terrific," Neely said. "It couldn't have been more memorable."

The trip marked the day two centuries ago when the Constitution defeated the British frigate HMS Guerriere during the War of 1812. The Guerriere proved no match for the Constitution, which was heavier and longer. The vessels blasted away at each other at close range, even colliding at one point, during the 35-minute battle.

"I cannot think of a better way to honor those who fought in the war as well as celebrate Constitution's successes during the War of 1812 than for the ship to be under sail," Constitution Cmdr. Matt Bonner said in a statement.

Following the sail, tugs took the vessel to Fort Independence on nearby Castle Island where a huge crowd had gathered, and the Constitution fired a 21-gun salute, Neely said.

The ship, which was first launched in 1797, is stationed in Charlestown, and periodically is tugged into the harbor for historical display. Its primary mission today is to provide teach people about its history. Each year, about 500,000 people tour the ship, Neely said.

Now living on the West Coast of Florida, today is the first day I have had any semblance of missing The Left Coast of The United States and my former home of 11 years in The San Francisco Bay Area.

There is a little horse race track called Emerald Downs in Washington State.

Most of the year they run little obscure cheap races.

When someone decides to be a race horse jockey, Emerald Downs is the kind of place one goes with a path of least resistance to cut riding teeth and gain some publicity legs with a hope for a bigger future.

Western Canada, Idaho, and western Montana have real cowboys. The one's who are short sometimes decide to try riding competitive thoroughbreds, and normally spend time at Emerald Downs.

Wannabe horse trainers do not start at the top, and they also cut their teeth at tracks like Emerald Downs

Today was The Longacres Mile. At Emerald Downs.

It's a nice 200K Stakes Race, the biggest of the year in The Pacific Northwest of Our United States.

It's a big celebration, with a full house, pretty girls in the hats, pastel dresses and strappy shoes.......and nice horses.

There's an unwritten code that top jockeys and trainers from around the USA who once cut teeth at Emerald Downs.....especially those from Northern California.... head back to ride and enter horses on Longacres Mile Day. In a way of giving back.

TVG, one of the thoroughbred horse racing TV channels, usually broadcasts from Emerald Downs on Longacres Miles Day.

Over the past 11 years I've become accustomed to this race.

Today I went to our local off track betting facility, and the satellite guy who brings in the race tracks from Hong Kong to Argentina and Australia and Chicago and New York had never heard of Emerald Downs and couldn't find it.

We don't have TVG here as part of our regular level of Comcast broadcasts, so I did not get to see the Longacres Mile race events.

I guess tomorrow I'll have to call Comcast to see how much the add on for TVG might be here in Southwest Florida.

50 years later and the '012 Indians aren't worth 50 cents

Certainly not the 25 man roster.

Who is this?

I'm stumped. Looking for a Tribe connection I'll offer up "Tom Buskey."

Last night I caught a Bayer aspirin commercial prominently featuring CC Sabathia.

This morning I catch a St. Joseph aspirin commercial featuring Ken Osmond, the "Eddie Haskell" of Leave it To Beaver.

Not often I give a second glance to aspirin commercials.

Clues for the pic above:

He pitched for the Yankees 10 years after he made his MLB mound debut with the Cleveland Indians and spent several years with them. He also was with the Dodgers, White Sox, A’s and Tigers.

He wasn’t a Hall of Famer, but he was an All-Star.

Dick Donovan?

He was a former all star and I know he pitched for ChiSox.

Nope, I just looked up Donovan. He pitched for Tigers and ChiSox but not the Yankees.

He was opening day pitcher for Indians 50 years ago so thought maybe you were throwing him out there for the trivia.

It's kind of a trick question, but I don't want to give another clue that would give it away.

A position player who occasionally pitched? I am more interested in the trick than in the answer!