There aren’t very many weeks out of the year that are good for vacations when it comes to the life of a sports journalist.
The best time is often during the winter holidays when our athletic teams are also on break.
One of those not very good times is right now. Unfortunately, there aren’t many people in this world who want to get married in the winter.
One of my best friends in the world is getting married this weekend. I have been asked to be a groomsman.
When a close friend asks you to be in his wedding, you can’t say no — even if the wedding is in northern California; even if it will do a little damage to the wallet.
It’s a must-attend event, and I am looking forward to getting away for a few days.
Don’t worry, I won’t be gone long. In fact, the final day of my vacation got cut short because of the high school softball playoffs.
Colfax-Mingo begins its quest at a state tourney berth on July 5. I will be on a plane all day and some of the night on July 4. Expect me to be in my normal spot in Colfax for that first-round game though.
I have never been to the Sacramento area, so I am pretty stoked about this trip. I won’t have a lot of time there, and there won’t be a ton of non-wedding time, but we are going hiking, attending a minor league baseball game and doing some sight seeing.
The key to this trip is being around three of my very best friends. I have a lot of memories with my college buddies, and I am looking forward to making a few more.
If anyone knows of a good spot to check out, let me know. I will gladly take some requests. My friend who now lives out there is an Iowa native, so he may not be aware of every cool spot.
For those of you who follow track and field, Iowa native Lolo Jones pulled out of this year’s Olympic trials for the 100-meter hurdles.
That likely ends her track career as her age will come into play moving forward.
I understand why some may have Lolo Jones fatigue. She gets a lot of attention.
I don’t get the hate she has gotten in recent years, though.
She is an outspoken woman, but to say the only reason she gets any kind of media coverage is because she’s an attractive woman is wrong.
Jones has won multiple national and world titles in hurdles.
I don’t think I will ever get the image of her clipping the second-to-last hurdle in the 2008 Olympics. She was well on her way to the gold medal when she hit it. It was a tough night for her, her fans and any Iowan who likes seeing Iowans succeed.
Another Iowan can make an impact on this year’s Olympic Games.
Ames native Harrison Barnes will be one of the 12 members of the USA Basketball team.
I am not sure how much he will play as he was one of the last guys picked and was only chosen because others turned down the chance to play.
That won’t deter me from cheering him on.
I love when Iowans get on this stage. He is a great person to root for, and I hope he hits a big shot along the way this summer.
Barnes is due to get paid this offseason, too. He had a horrible NBA playoff season for the Golden State Warriors, but some team out there will give him a max deal.
It might be Golden State. It might be Chicago. It might be Minnesota.
For now, it’s go Team USA.
Contact Troy Hyde
at thyde@newtondailynews.com