Word to your mothas
We're going with Steve Reinprecht, C, because his name was also hilariously emphasized every time no matter the on ice situation in the NHL games.
@BernieParent our grass desperately needs a mowing
Thanks, DP. I can give you grass-care encouragement from a distance due to my increasing embrace of this tenet of advancing age:
Now for the business at hand. Times 2.
"The Tampa Bay FireSticks are extremely pleased to select, as our franchise weatherman, one of the first African American meteorologists and a leader and example on the highest level of sports competition.
Archie Williams was born in 1915, in Oakland. He was brought up in the modest living of a single-parent household in the Depression and endured the all-too-typical racial discrimination of the time. He was an indifferent student through high school, but a friend encouraged Mr. Williams to apply for junior college, where he excelled in his science courses and was accepted at the University of California at Berkeley in 1935.
"At Berkeley, not only did Mr. Williams continue his academic success, but he earned a spot on the university track team. His running improved and he won the NCAA championships in 1936. That summer, he qualified as one of nine African Americans – alongside fellow track competitor Jesse Owens – to represent the United States in the Berlin Olympic Games. Mr. Williams won gold in the 400 m race, Owens won 5 gold and the US track team brought home 13 medals, thanks to the bravery and fierce determination of these African American athletes in the heart of Nazi Germany.
"Shortly after returning to the US, Mr. Williams' track career ended with a series of hamstring injuries. However, he continued his principal ambition to becoming an engineer; however, campus engineering societies were not open to African American students. Mr. Williams began working as a flying instructor through the Civilian Pilot Training Program, and began training the first black military pilots at Tuskegee Army Flying School in Alabama. These trainees became part of the Fighting 99th Squadron, who distinguish themselves in combat over North Africa, then Italy and the rest of Europe.
"The dire need for wartime weather forecasters gave Mr. Williams the opportunity to put his engineering knowledge into action as a weather officer (lieutenant) forecasting and mapping weather for the military. After the air force was desegregated, Mr. Williams obtained a degree in aeronautical engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology, and was instrumental (so to speak) in forecasting weather while flying missions over Korea. He made a career as meteorologist for a number of air bases, in New York, Alaska, and California, finally retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 1965.
"After the military, Mr. Williams obtained a teacher's license and taught high school math and computer science in San Francisco. He taught for 20 years and passed away at age 78 in 1993."
And now it is the turn of
@BernieParent.