ALEX KARRAS FINALLY VOTED INTO PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME

By Raymond Rolak

Sports Editor

NEW YORK–

The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio announced that Lions Defensive Tackle Alex Karras was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the 15-person Centennial Slate for the Class of 2020.

Alex Karras hosting Saturday Night Live in 1985 with guests Billy Crystal and Tina Turner.

This special added class into the Pro Football Hall of Fame was expanded to celebrate the National Football League Centennial.

Karras was known as the dominant defensive tackle of his time who utilized a variety of innovative moves and stunts to elude his blocking opponents.

Karras played for Detroit from 1958-70 and was named first-team All-Pro three times, earned four Pro Bowl berths and was a member of the NFL’s 1960s All-Decade Team.

He was selected by the Lions in the first round (10th overall) of the 1958 NFL Draft out of the University of Iowa.

Mrs. Martha Firestone Ford, the Lions owner and chairman said, “We would like to congratulate the entire Karras family on the selection of Alex into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

While we were thrilled to induct Alex into our most recent Pride of the Lions Class in 2018, today’s announcement solidifies his place as not only one of the all-time great Lions players, but also one of the best to ever play in the NFL.

We also would like to congratulate all of Alex’s fellow Centennial Slate Hall of Fame inductees.”

He also was a member of what many consider to be the NFL’s original “Fearsome Foursome” – Karras, Roger Brown, Darris McCord and Sam Williams.

These four defensive linemen dominated the NFL in the early 1960’s.

In 2018, along with Herman Moore and Roger Brown, the Lions inducted Karras into the ‘Pride of the Lions’, the highest honor bestowed upon former Detroit Lions players.

He was previously snubbed by the Pro Football Hall of Fame because of his NFL suspension in 1963.

Karras\’s partial ownership in Detroit\’s Lindell A.C. Bar became a source of controversy.

League officials urged him to sell his financial interests in the place because of reports of gambling and organized crime influence.

After first threatening to retire rather than give the bar up, Karras admitted placing bets on NFL games and was suspended by the league, along with Green Bay Packers\’ running back Paul Hornung.

The suspensions were harsh.

Both received banishment for one season.

During his exile, Karras had a celebrated pro wrestling match, taking on the memorable character, Dick-the-Bruiser, in front of a standing-room-only event at the Olympia Stadium in Detroit.

Karras\’ story telling skills and unique sense of humor came to the attention of writer George Plimpton.

Plimpton had heard many funny Karras stories while training with the Lions for his book

Paper Lion

When the book was made into a full featured movie in 1968, Karras made his film debut, playing himself.

The film premiered in Detroit on October 2, 1968 and starred Alan Alda.

That was the start of a new career for Karras.

In 1972, Karras hosted a local weekly football program for Windsor, Ontario CBC affiliate CKLW-TV,

The Alex Karras Football Show

; his program generally preceded the CBC\’s Wednesday night CFL telecasts.

A very memorable role came shortly after.

In the western parody and comedy,

Blazing Saddles

(1974), Karras played Mongo, a very strong and slow-witted thug.

Mongo rode into town on a huge Brahman Bull and knocked out a horse with one punch.

His famous line came next.

He responded to a question from the Sheriff with, \”Don\’t know …… Mongo only pawn in game of life.\”

The scene made pop-culture history.

Alex Karras was born on July 15, 1935 in Gary, Indiana.

Besides football, he excelled as an actor, sports broadcaster, author and producer.

Other hit credits also included

Porky\’s

(1981) and

Victor Victoria

(1982).

In the 1980s, Karras had huge success with the TV sitcom

Webster

, playing George Papadapolis.

It was the story of an inter-racial adoptive father and son.

It was a role that showcased his softer side.

Karras had a contentious relationship with his college coach, Forest Evashevski.

On Evy’s 90th birthday, Karras called his old coach and apologized for being such a ‘Malakas‘ (Greek for jerk), at Iowa.

Karras was very proud of his Greek heritage.

Karras was selected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1991.

He was married to the actress Susan Clark.

His first wife was Ivalyn Joan Jurgensen.

He had six children.

He died on October 10, 2012 of chronic kidney failure in Los Angeles, California.

Former Owner of Trailblazers, Inc. Sentenced to 18 Months for Bankruptcy Fraud

LEXINGTON, Ky. –

Barry E. Sanders, 64, the former owner and CEO of Trailblazers, Inc., an auto and truck parts supply business formerly located in Lexington, was sentenced today, by Senior U.S. District Judge Joseph M. Hood, to 18 months imprisonment for bankruptcy fraud.

Sanders had previously admitted in U.S. District Court that, while Trailblazers, Inc. was in the process of contemplating bankruptcy in the summer of 2013, he transferred $315,000 from the business to his personal banking accounts, using four cashier’s checks. Sanders then knowingly concealed the receipt of those funds, by failing to report the cash transfers on Trailblazers’ corporate bankruptcy filings in August 2013, as required by federal bankruptcy law.

Under federal law, Sanders must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Sanders will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years, following his release.

Robert M. Duncan, Jr., U. S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and James Robert Brown, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation leading to Sanders’ conviction was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Roth and Will Moynahan.

What Degree Is a Sand Wedge?

(olive-wolverine-471793.hostingersite.com)(Nov. 26, 2019)–A sand wedge is one of the clubs you need to get familiar with the game of golf, whether you are an amateur or an aspiring professional. Typically, a sand wedge is used to get golf balls out of sand bunkers; the sole wide design provides sufficient bounce and allows the club to move through the sand without getting stuck. In contemporary golf, it is the heaviest club in a player’s bag, but it comes with one of the shortest shafts.

As a beginner, you may be more familiar with the putters and drivers. Nonetheless, the club is responsible for up to 25% of shots made by professional golfers. There are many peculiar things about this club, from the shaft length to the heavy head and the loft angle, however, we will be very particular about the sand wedge degree and its importance in this post.

Sand Wedge Degree

This is what determines the kind of swing you take and the distance to which you can send a golf ball with this club. Although there are other factors that influence how far your shot will go, the

angle of the loft

on the sand wedge is one of the principal ones.

The higher the loft angle on a sand wedge, the lower the distance you can get the ball to travel, and the higher the elevation, the shot will produce. If you don’t understand what loft angle is, it is merely the angle between the face of the club and the shaft. If a wedge has a higher loft angle, the face of the club will be in a more horizontal position relative to the ground, and if it has a lower loft angle, the face will be in a more vertical position relative to the shaft.

What Degree Loft Is a Sand Wedge?

This is a very common question among beginner golfers, and to be factual, loft angles on sand wedges typically range from 54 degrees to 58 degrees. However, it is more important to understand the effect of these angles on the performance of a player during a game. You can collect

high handicappers wedges in golf

to get better performance.

The loft angle on any wedge affects the trajectory of the ball after it is hit; a sand wedge with a higher loft angle will make the ball travel more elevated in the air, through a steep trajectory, reducing the distance covered by the ball while a sand wedge with a lower angle will make the ball travel in a less steep path, covering more range than it would if the loft angle were higher.

Degree in Pitching Wedge

If you want to take a shot with a higher trajectory than what the 9-iron will give you and a lower trajectory than what the gap wedge will give you, the pitching wedge is the right club to use. Of all wedges, the pitching wedge is the commonest, and it has the least loft angle, ranging between 44 degrees to 48 degrees. It is more suitable for chip shots and for hitting long shots into the greens.

The degree in pitching wedges varies with different manufacturers, and in the past, you could easily find one with a loft angle as low as 43 degrees or as high as 50 degrees. However, these days, 44 – 48 degrees is the typical loft range. Just like with the sand wedge, the higher the loft of a pitching wedge, the higher the ball can be hit, and the less it will travel. On the other hand, the lower the loft angle, the less steep the trajectory and the farther the ball will travel.

Should You Be Concerned About Loft?

While loft angle can have a significant influence on your game, if you are a beginner or an amateur, you should probably not be too concerned with the loft angle on your wedge. Besides, wedges are not so common with these categories of players – there is enough fun to be had with drivers, putters, and irons – and the technicality of loft angles is usually not a problem.

However, if you plan to play golf professionally, you will have to pay more attention to the technical part of the game, and the loft is one of the technical parts. In some cases, you may have to adjust the loft angle on your club to get the kind of shot you want.

Conclusion

More than having the perfect angle on a wedge, it is vital to develop your skills through consistent training. You can have the best set of golf clubs in the world and still be very poor at the game. Golf is a technical game that requires a lot of

learning and practice

, so, apart from learning about the types of clubs and their individual features, take time out to always practice so that you can personalize your golf experience and improve your overall game.