Rich's sometimes disjointed rambling

This is either typical lawyer talk or there is a little more to the story than released. Texas linebacker Sergio Kindle drove his car into an apartment building recently -- apparently text messaging -- at 1:50 a.m.. He then fled the scene because "he knew he was hurt at the time and that he needed to go home to go to bed," according to his lawyer. Kindle apparently suffered a concussion. OK, I'm not a doctor, but if he knew he was hurt, he probably should have gone to the emergency room, not to sleep. I'm just saying .... Maybe Kindle will use that type of common sense when he and the Longhorns come to Laramie to play the Cowboys. I'm just hoping ... I could be wrong. Here's a wire story on ESPN.com that quotes Kindle's lawyer explaining the accident. Kindle can't drive and text at the same time? Oh yeah, apparently it isn't against the law in Texas to leave the scene of a property accident. I guess it is OK, then.

Graduated UW senior Jake Shanklin finished in 21st place (out of 33) in the hammer throw over the weekend at the USA Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore. Shanklin had a best throw of 209-feet, 5 inches. The title went to A.G. Kruger, who was competing for the Nike track and field team with his throw of 247-1. Shanklin ’s throw was the sixth-best at the meet by any collegiate athlete. The top-three finishers will be representing Team USA in Berlin, Germany, this August at the IAAF World Championships. “It was a great experience for him and he represented the Cowboys very well,” said assistant coach Paul Barrett. “Jake’s plan is to stay here and continue training with the throws crew next year at the professional level. He has had an amazing career and it will be nice to have a three-time All-American working with the talented young crew we have coming in next year.”

Former Wyoming Cowboy and NBA basketball stars Fennis Dembo and Theo Ratliff will be in Casper on July 11 to sign autographs at the Super Stars & Sports Cards Show in the Sunrise Shopping Center. Dembo and Ratliff will sign items from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the annual sports card show for donations to the Oliver Wilson Cancer Fund. Wilson is a former University of Wyoming basketball player (1984-87) who is fighting cancer. The fundraiser will help with costs associated with his growing hospital bills and to assist his family. Anyone interested in donating to Oliver Wilson and his family, or to learn more of Oliver’s story, may do so on the internet at www.owcancerfund.org. For those interested in donating, but who are unable to attend the Casper event, contributions can be made through UniWyo Federal Credit Union in Laramie. Designate ‘Casper Event’ on the memo line and mail to UniWyo Federal Credit Union, c/o: Oliver Wilson Cancer Fund, 1610 E. Reynolds St., Laramie, WY, 82072....

University of Wyoming head football coach Dave Christensen announced on Thursday that two Wyoming football players have been suspended for specific games for the upcoming 2009 season due to violations of team standards. Senior wide receiver Greg Bolling will be suspended for the first two games of the season against Weber State and Texas. Fellow senior wide receiver Donate Morgan will be suspended for the season-opening Weber State game. “We have standards that have been established for our players that we expect them to live up to,” said Christensen. “When they don’t follow those standards, they need to understand that there are consequences for their actions.” Christensen said he would have no further comment on Bolling’s or Morgan’s suspensions.

Here's from the I-told-you-this-would-happen-department: The Mountain West Conference's proposed eight-team playoff system that would allow greater access to the national championship game to teams outside the six most powerful leagues has been denied. The BCS presidential oversight committee rejected the concept during a teleconference on Wednesday. "There was no overall support for the proposal, although some conferences were interested in considering certain elements of it in the future - particularly those related to revenue, access and governance of the BCS arrangement," said University of Oregon president David Frohnmayer , the outgoing committee chairman. In other words, "No way, no how, no sir. Thanks for playing, but don't let the door hit you on the backside on your way out." There was no immediate comment from MWC commissioner Craig Thompson, but Wyoming Sports.org editor, photographer, blogger and little known Sportsline Live radio person...

Good news out of Provo today, as BYU men's head basketball coach Dave Rose said he appears to be free of cancer and will be on the sidelines for the 209-2010 season. Earlier this month, Rose underwent emergency surgery when doctors removed his spleen and a mass that tested positive for cancer. The tumor had started in Rose's pancreas and spread to his spleen and caused internal bleeding. Rose had a news conference on Wednesday and according to the Associated Press, he said the surgery apparently got the entire tumor. Because there are no signs of cancer remaining, Rose said he won't have to go through chemotherapy this summer. He plans to rest and return to his team this fall. That's great news for Rose, his family, the Cougars and all Mountain West Conference basketball fans.

The Mountain West Conference on Tuesday announced its Academic All-Conference teams for the spring sports sponsored. Those spring sports include baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s golf, softball, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s tennis and men’s and women’s track and field. The University of Wyoming had 78 student-athletes honored. The Cowgirls women’s track and field team had 19 individuals earn the honor, followed by men’s and women’s swimming and diving with 15 each, men’s track and field had 11 individuals earn recognition, women’s golf had seven, women’s basketball and men’s golf each had four student-athletes, while tennis had three individuals named to the team. Of the 78 student-athletes named to the team 16 were freshmen, 25 were sophomores, 20 were juniors and 17 were seniors. The average cumulative grade-point-averaged for Wyoming’s 78 honorees was 3.40. The criteria for selection, student-athletes must h...

Interesting college football read from Fox Sports.com. This writer (Lisa Horne) rated the top 10 teams for the 2009 season that would have trouble maintaining their success from the previous couple of years. Among the two teams mentioned were Missouri (No. 3) and Utah (No. 10). Both teams were mentioned for losing several big stars each. There was no mention, though, of the Tigers losing their offensive coordinator -- Dave Christensen -- to Wyoming. For more on this story, click here: Fox Sports Top 10 bleak teams for 2009

Wyoming head coach Heath Schroyer announced Monday that Michael Dietz of Casper has decided to leave the Cowboy basketball program for personal reasons. Dietz, a 6-7, 185-pound guard from Natrona County High School, was enrolled in summer school at UW as a freshman and had attended three days of classes with other Cowboy freshmen and returnees before informing Schroyer of his decision. “We are disappointed that Michael has decided to leave the program,” Schroyer said in a press release. “He is a quality young man who we felt had a great future in our program. We wish him the best in whatever he decides to do.” Schroyer indicated he would not have any further comment.

The Wyoming Cowgirls came away with three titles Saturday night at the College National Finals Rodeo at the Casper Events Center. The Cowgirls, with 690 points, won their second team title in three years and fifth in progam history largely due to the efforts of seniors Sarah Mulholland and Nikki Steffes . Mulholland moved from second overall to pass Steffes to win the national goat tying championship Saturday night in Casper. Mulholland finished with a time of 6.8 seconds, giving her 27.1 on four runs this week. Steffes competed last but could manage just a 7.5 and finished 27.5 on four runs. Steffes , however, won her second all-around title with 395 points, 45 more than UNLV's Kassi Venturacci . Mulholland was third with 295 points. More on the finals will be coming soon on Wyoming Sports.org from UW Media Relations rodeo guru Milton Ontiveroz .

I'm in an Onion kind of mood tonight, so enjoy: Kobe proves he can win with Luke Walton Lions begin 8-month megacamp Milton Bradley

Best wishes for BYU men's head basketball coach Dave Rose, who has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Rose's family announced on the university's website that tests from emergency surgery he had earlier this month to stop internal bleeding were positive for cancer. Rose had his spleen and a portion of his pancreas removed during the surgery. Rose had additional tests at the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City last weekend. Doctors will decide on his treatment. Rose is recuperating at home. BYU is 97-34 in four seasons under Rose.

You get to the point these days that nothing really surprises you. Reports have Sammy Sosa as one of the 104 Major Leaguers who failed drug tests in 2003. No shock here. Maybe the surprise was it took this long to come out. In retrospect, the magical 1998 season in which Sosa and Mark McGwire were battling for the single-season home title (at the time) could officially be called a sham. We, as fans, should have really known better. Oh yeah, the all-time single season home run record is held by Barry Bonds, who is under heavy, heavy, heavy, heavy suspicion of cheating himself. That's Duh with a capital D. What are we up to now, 102 left on the list? And this is not counting Manny Ramirez. Or is it? I can't remember (nor do I really care). I guess it has been about four months since the naming of Alex Rodriguez, so Sammy, you were do. In 2005, Sammy testified to Congress that he had never taken a banned substance. No one really believed him, I would suspect, and those who doub...

Laramie cousins Brian Fortman and Matt Larson battled handlebar to handlebar Saturday in the Extreme Indoor Enduro at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City. Look for the report in Sunday's Rapid City Journal: Fortman-Larson enduro

I guess it is just not baseball that is being affected by the weather these days in Wyoming. The annual Shrine Bowl all-star football game was called with 10 minutes, 32 seconds left in the second quarter Saturday in Casper because of tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings. The game officially ended in a 3-3 tie. It will not be made up or continued on another day. According to several media outlets, the game was called by the Casper Police Department because of public safety. Casper police officers cleared the stadium at about 8:10 p.m. and heavy rain, hail and lightning strikes hit downtown Casper at about 8:50 p.m. The game was postponed twice in the first quarter before finally ending early in the second.

Hey batter, batter; swing batter, batter .... Typical baseball talk for youngsters. I used to say it; you used to say it. Maybe not so much for the Rangers or Colts. At least I hope they aren't telling the opposing pitcher that he has a rubber arm. These days, though, what is being said on the baseball diamonds are more like this: Rain, rain, go away, come back again some other day... Mother Nature has been playing havoc on local baseball these days, whether it is for scheduled games for Laramie Youth Baseball, American Legion or the Mountain Collegiate Baseball League. Well, at least the grass is green. For those who have been in Laramie or the area a long time, the month of June has certainly been a little different weather-wise. Rain is not uncommon, but every day ... that just isn' t normal. The Colts have especially been hit hard, with five games either postponed or suspended and almost every other game affected by the weather. In fact, going into Saturday's doublehea...

I guess you have to say that this one was for the birds. There are numerous ways to win a baseball game, but the Cleveland Indians have to credit a flock of seagulls, for their 4-3 win over Kansas City Thursday night in Cleveland. No, I don't mean the Flock of Seagulls, the flash in the pan 1980s pop-rock group that was probably more known for their funky hair than their music. I mean real seagulls. Hundreds of birds were enjoying themselves in center field when the Tribe's Shin- Soo Choo hit a single up the middle. KC centerfielder Coco Crisp (too tempting to write something stupid here) went for ground ball but the ball glanced off a seagull's wing and past him, allowing the Indians to score Mark DeRosa in the bottom of the ninth for the winning run. I've always said, and the Royals might now agree, that seagulls are nothing but rats with wings. Here's a clip from MLB .com

Congratulations to Laramie Colts outfielder Daniel "Ike" Eichelberger, who will be taking his game to another level, as he was picked by the Los Angeles Angels in the 20 th round of Wednesday's Major League Baseball Draft. Eichelberger , who wa s beginning his third season with the Colts, was the 621st player picked and the 30 th selection of the 20 th round. Earlier this afternoon on Sportsline Live, a caller called in and broke the news. Well, kind of. She said that Eichelberger was picked by the Oakland Athletics. Right state, right division, wrong team. Whoops. That's OK. She was proud of one of her favorite Colts' player and the thought was there. Good for Eichelberger . Anybody who has put on a baseball uniform has likely dreamed of being a pro baseball player. I know I did. Ike will get his shot in the Angels minor league system. Good for Ike, bad for the Colts. He will be missed.

The University of Wyoming and University of Missouri announced on Thursday that their two-game football series, which was originally scheduled for 2011 (in Columbia, Mo.) and 2012 (in Laramie) has been pushed back to 2017 (in Columbia) and 2018 (in Laramie). After completion of the original contract with Missouri, Wyoming was able to negotiate a three-game contract with Nebraska that was announced this past December. For Wyoming, moving the Missouri games back to 2017 and 2018 helps balance a schedule that would have included both Nebraska and Missouri on the 2011 schedule. Missouri and Wyoming have never played each other in football. The Cowboys will play the Tigers in Columbia, Mo., on Sept. 9, 2017, in the first-ever meeting between the two schools. The Tigers will return to Laramie on Sept. 8, 2018. The three-game series between the Cowboys and Huskers will kick off in Laramie on Sept. 24, 2011. The second and third games in the series are to be played in Lincoln, Neb., on Aug. 31...

If you like the idea of going to Las Vegas every march for the Mountain West Conference men's and women's basketball tournament, you'll be a happy camper as the league voted to extend the Vegas contract through 2013. If you are a BYU fan, then, well ... tough nuggies . The MWC Board of Directors finished up its spring meeting on Monday in Denver, taking action on a number of items, including the MWC basketball tournament, as well as its continued fight to change the bogus BCS system. According to a release by the MWC , among the key topics addressed by the Board, which is comprised of the Presidents from the nine Conference member institutions, were the following: Reviewed in detail the MWC's ongoing efforts to accomplish change in the current Bowl Championship Series ( BCS ) system, including the elements of the previously-submitted BCS Reform Proposal and other strategic initiatives. Considered the work of the MWC Basketball Championships Future Site Subcommit...

This isn't sports related, but I couldn't pass this up. My hometown -- Hot Springs, S.D. -- has a ballot measure for voters today that could be one of the more unusual items to vote on. Horse manure. Last spring, Hot Springs property owner Martin Dahl had horse manure delivered to his residence for what he said was for his garden and then for fill. A complaint was filed in magistrate court by the city planner. He pled guilty and was fined $200, plus, $53 in court costs, was ordered to remove the manure and not haul more of it onto his property for six months. The fine was suspended upon payment of the court costs and Dahl's compliance with the other terms. The ballot issue, if it passes, would have the city pay Dahl for the cost of removing the manure ($800) and to "procure and deliver to Mr. Dahl either the original manure removed or a similar quality and quantity" to be used in his garden. As you could guess, it was the talk of the town. The ballot measure...

The scheduled Mountain Collegiate Baseball League game between Laramie and Fort Collins at Cowboy Field on Monday night was postponed because of rain. Laramie, 1-0, was also rained out Sunday night in the second inning in its home opener against Greeley. The Colts are scheduled to face Cheyenne Tuesday night at 6:35 p.m. at Cowboy Field. Maybe.