Random News and Notes 21 February
A group of snowmobilers in Vermont saved a moose. Mike Dion and his friends spotted the moose 25 feet off a North Country trail on Tuesday, her head and fur the only signs above the deep, crusty snow. With no cell service to call Fish and Game, they dug by hand and boot for 20 minutes, packing a path until she stood, shook off, and trotted away healthy.
Officials praised the rescue but advise calling experts first, as moose can kick when stressed. This editor can confirm moose are dangerous critters when stressed/cornered.
A recent article in the Canadian paper, the Globe and Mail, showed Canada some shocking numbers. Namely that the per capita GDP of America’s hat is – depending on metrics – lower than that of Alabama. For reference, at ~$55k, Alabama ranks 50th in the US. Canada’s per cap GDP, ~$54k, would put the entire country at 51.
Alabama has opened auto plants from Mercedes, Honda and others since 1993, has low taxes, and biotech hubs like Huntsville. The state has 2.7% unemployment versus Canada’s 6.5%.
Now on to the sports report. Team USA mens hockey team advanced to the gold medal game after beating Slovakia 6-2 yesterday. Despite the score, it wasn’t that close. Team USA led 5-0 after 2 periods. The men face Canada for all the marbles tomorrow morning at 0810 eastern.
Team USA claimed their second straight Olympic gold in freestyle skiing mixed team aerials, with Christopher Lillis, Connor Curran, and Kaila Kuhn scoring a dominant 325.35 to beat Switzerland’s silver and China’s bronze. Lillis sealed the victory after tougher individual showings earlier, marking the U.S.’s record 11th gold of Milano Cortina 2026 and surpassing the 2002 high.
Lillis returns from the 2022 winning squad, while Kuhn and Curran earn their first Olympic medals, putting America second overall behind Norway.
Here’s the medal count going into the last two days of competition. Norway is still way out in front with 18/11/11, Team USA is holding at 2nd with 11/12/7, host country Italy is in a solid 3rd with 10/6/11, France moves into 4th with 8/9/6 and rounding out the top 5 are the Dutch with 8/7/3.
Team Canada is still back in 11th place with 4/5/8 with only 8 golds left to be awarded. They are Mens Hockey, Women’s curling, Ski Mountaineering: Men’s and Women’s Sprints, Men’s Aerials (free skiing), Nordic Combined: Team Large Hill/2×7.5km Relay, Men’s 1500m. speed skating and women’s figure skating.
We close out the sports report with a sad note.
Eight-time Gold Glove second baseman and Pittsburgh Pirate legend Bill Mazeroski has passed. A 10-time All-Star in 17 seasons with Pittsburgh, Mazeroski was considered one of the finest defensive second basemen of all time. He hit .323 in 12 Postseason games and won 2 World Series rings with the Pirates.
On Oct. 13, 1960, Game 7 of the World Series, bottom of the 9th inning, Mazeroski smashed a walk-off home run to lead the Pirates to a 10-9 win over the Yankees for the championship. It was – and remains – the only game 7 walk-off in World Series history.
A statue depicting Mazeroski’s famous trip around the bases in 1960 stands outside PNC Park in Pittsburgh. Mazeroski was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.
William Stanley Mazeroski was 89.
Resquiecat in Pace.