Newspaper Page Text
Page 2B, The Lee County Ledger, Wednesday, July 16, 2008
On NASCAR: Martin an Exceptional Exception
Special to the Ledger
By Cathy Elliott
There are certain phrases
in life you never think you’ll
hear. For example:
“Wow, the New Kids on
the Block are getting back
together! ”
“The Yankees are trailing
in their division ... and the
Cubs are sitting in first place
in theirs.”
“Mark Martin will join
Hendrick Motorsports and
run the full NASCAR Sprint
Cup Series schedule in
2009.”
Please. We may have been
born at night, but not last
night. Right?
Wrong. It is time for us to
learn a couple of valuable
lessons. One, never assume,
and two, unusual things
sometimes happen.
NKOTB had their first
reunited performance in
Los Angeles on May 13.
Although it’s almost too bi
zarre to believe, the Yankees
really are treading water
somewhere in the middle
of the American League
East standings, while the
Chicago Cubs just keep on
winning.
And Mark Martin an
nounced on the Fourth of
July that his teammates next
year would be Jeff Gordon,
Jimmie Johnson and Dale
Earnhardt, Jr.
Mark Martin is an un
likely superstar. Everything
about him seems contradic
tory.
Although he may stand
head and shoulders above
most others where talent is
concerned, he doesn’t physi
cally stand out in a crowd.
Wiry and compact, you have
to be deliberately looking
for Martin to spot him in a
group.
Martin isn’t known for
histrionics and fiery out
bursts. He is more reserved.
When he offers his words
to his fellow drivers, they
tend to be words of advice
rather than recrimination.
He walks softly through the
garage, but carries a big and
very well-respected reputa
tion.
At the age of 49, Martin
isn’t old by any means, but
in racing terms, he isn’t
exactly a whippersnapper,
either. In fact, the combined
ages of Kyle Busch and Bri
an Vickers still fall a couple
years short of Martin’s.
(Busch is 23; Vickers is 24.)
A perennial contender and
one of the most talented
drivers of our generation, he
has never won a NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series cham
pionship, although he has
come as close as it gets. The
four-time series runner-up
has learned the hard way
what bridesmaids have
known forever, that those
ugly dresses are there for a
reason --to make the bride
look good.
This concept can also ap
ply to NASCAR. If the guy
who finished immediately
behind you in driver stand
ings at the end of the season
is named Mark Martin, that
makes you look better than
good. It makes you look like
a champion.
A true blue Tarheel, I still
cringed when Michael Jor
dan came out of retirement,
for what? The third time?
Yeesh. I fear Brett Favre is
getting ready to do the same
thing. Who’s next, Seabis-
cuit? Enough already.
An emphasis on youth is
by no means exclusive to
NASCAR, but it is definitely
prevalent in the sport. Entire
advertising campaigns have
been constructed around
it, with the Gillette “Young
Guns” being a notable ex
ample. No one really wants
to dwell on it, but we have
seen more than one driver
keep on trying to race long
after they have ceased being
truly competitive. We still
support them and remain
faithful to the end, but
sometimes that end is bitter
and hard to watch. A hero
should go out on top.
In a popular country music
song, George Jones told us,
“I ain’t ready for the junk
yard yet/’Cause I still feel
like a new Corvette/It may
take a little longer, but I’ll
get there/I don’t need your
rocking chair.”
Amen to that. The very
best thing about rules is that
they always have exceptions.
Mark Martin is exceptional.
He can still go door-to-
door with anyone. He is a
potential race winner every
week. He is cool, classy
and competitive ... and fast.
In other words, he is the
perfect NASCAR driver.
How wonderful that he is
giving us one more chance
to see him in action each
and every week.
Heroes have many faces.
One man’s Mario Andretti
is another man’s Maya
Angelou. The most admired
figure in your life could
be your grandmother, or
a grand pianist. Fans still
stand five rows deep at race
tracks each week to pur
chase merchandise at the
Dale Earnhardt souvenir
trailers, and that’s Dale
Earnhardt Sr. I’m talking
about. Allegiance is an
extremely personal thing, a
lifelong commitment, and
should remain so.
Sometimes, though, it is
inspiring and a lot of fun to
feel part of a larger com
munity, to join together with
our fellow man --or fellow
fan — in a common pursuit.
Cathy Elliott
This doesn’t happen very
often, especially in sports,
but it seems to me that 2009
might just turn out to be
one of those rare occasions.
Because whether our deep-
seated loyalties lie with
Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards
or Tony Stewart, I hon
estly believe that next year,
almost every NASCAR
enthusiast in America will
also be a Mark Martin fan,
rooting hard for him to win
that championship. He has a
chance; he really does.
My hope for Mark Martin
is that he will indeed need
that chair George Jones
sang about. He can set it
by the fireplace and sit
there rocking away with a
grandchild on his lap, and
together, they can look up
and fondly smile ... at the
2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series championship trophy,
gleaming on the mantel.
CHANCES’R
Bait & Tackle Shop @ Lake Chehaw
200 Philema Road, Albany
(229)438-6131
Mobile (229(669-1844
Fax (229)438-1039
Owned & Operated
by Ginger Howard
GEORGE (SMITTY) JOHNSON
Home Repairs & Remodeling
“PROBLEMS SOLVED”
(No Jobs Too Small)
Most Anything Needs Done at Home
If it needs to be done right - Call
Support your local animal shelter
Cl - n , , |- Office: 229- 759-0126
Solving Problems For: 229-759-0202
Surrounding Areas Cell: (229) 894-5113
We're
Smoking!
delicious Ribs, Chicken
Formulas for Fishing Success
Catching Schoolers
And m dust For You!
JENKINS
Supermarke t
By Jay Yelas
It might be summertime,
but did you know that bass
have already gone back to
school? Back to schools of
baitfish, that is. That’s be
cause there are huge clouds
of baitfish everywhere. The
baitfish that hatched earlier
in the year are now the ideal
size for bass forage. And
sometimes during the day,
bass will tear through these
schools devouring as many
as they can. When bass are
targeting schools of baitfish
like this, they can make easy
targets for anglers.
To make this happen, you
need to find the schools
- and it’s easier than you
think. Combine good elec
7 Month Certificate of Deposit
*$1,000 minimum deposit and balance required to earn stated Annual Percentage Yield, which is effective as of
date of publication. Rate subject to change based on market conditions. Substantial penalty for early withdrawal.
Albany • Ashburn • Broxton • Centerville • Chester • Columbus • Cordele • Douglas • Eastman • Fitzgerald • Leesburg
Moultrie • Pitts • Quitman • Rochelle • Savannah • Soperton • Sylvester • Thomaston • Tifton • Valdosta • Warner Robins
The Power of Savings
tronics, good instincts and
a heavy focus on cover near
deep water and it’s likely
you’ll find a school of bait
fish. Keep in mind, though,
that later in the month
(depending on what part of
the country you are in) these
schools will be migrating
up rivers and the backs of
coves. But until then, they
will be in deep water - and
the bass will be laying in
cover (boat docks, standing
timber) nearby waiting for
the right time to feed. So the
object of the game is coax
ing these prolific predators
into biting in between meals.
If I see baitfish schooling
or see bass engaged in a
feeding frenzy it really sim
plifies things for me. I just
go to the nearest cover. They
might not be right there at
that moment but they are
close and most likely they
won’t be actively feeding.
That’s why we have to work
a little harder to get them to
bite. Try downsizing your
line and slowing down your
presentation if the fish seem
finicky.
When targeting bass like
this, I like a small swim bait
such as a Berkley 3-inch
Power Pogy or a 5-inch
PowerBait Jerk Shad -- but a
lot of different baits will do
fine. The murkier the water
the heavier the line you can
use, but try to use as light a
line as you think you can get
away with.
This can be one of the best
times of the year to load up
on plenty of healthy, hungry
bass. It might take a little
work - and a little luck — but
with a little fishing savvy
and the right baits you can
get it done.
Berkley Pro Jay Yelas is
the 2007 FLW Tour Angler
of the Year and a former
Bassmaster Classic cham
pion from Corvallis, Ore.
Deer Hunt Applications
for Piedmont Wildlife
Refuge now available
Specicd to the Ledger
Application forms are
now available for the 2008
deer gun hunts on Piedmont
National Wildlife Refuge. A
Refuge special use per
mit is required to hunt on
Piedmont National Wildlife
refuge. All hunts have a two
deer limit.
Refuge hunt regulations
and applications can be ob
tained from the refuge Visi
tor Center in Round Oak,
Georgia. To receive applica
tions by mail, you can send
a self-addressed, stamped,
long envelope to:
Piedmont National Wild
life Refuge
718 Juliette Road,
Round Oak, Georgia 31038
or call the office at (478)
986-5441 or email requests
to piedmont@fws.gov. please
include a postal address and
quantity needed.
The 2008 deer gun hunts
will be held on the following
dates:
Archery Season -
September 13- Oct 5, 2008,
No Quota- Permit Required
Hunt for Wheel-chair
bound October 17 - 18,
2008, No Quota -Special
Permit Required
Buck Only Hunt - October
30 - Nov 1, 2008, Quota
1250
Primitive Weapons Hunt
- November 6- 8, 2008,
Quota 1250
Either Sex Hunt - Novem
ber 13 - 15, 2008, Quota
1250
Either Sex Hunt - Novem
ber 20 - 22, 2008, Quota
1250
Application forms must
be completely filled out and
returned to the refuge office
by 12:00 noon, August 27,
2008. The public is welcome
to attend the drawing which
will be held at 1:00 pm,
August 27, 2008.