The Epicenter of Professional Wrestling — That’s Us

Posted Jul 3, 2008 by Tom McEwen

Updated Jul 3, 2008 at 08:05 PM

Good day for this. Perfect, in fact. For, this Fourth of July piece is, in part, about one of our genuine patriots: Pop Keirn, gone now from this world for almost a decade now, on to that special place for war heroes.

Keirn and his son, Steve (right), and his assorted legacies they pass along are assembled now south on Dale Mabry Avenue to a last left (west) turn off that busy road into an industrial area of a box buildings that are warehouses, store houses, and a national center of learning that may well one day be named the Pop Keirn Academy for the Art of Professional Wrestling.

It is now the heartbeat, the teaching place, the educational center for pro wrestling in America. It is a luster of buildings, most with the identifying initials of WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment. Inside is an office complex where the photos of wrestling luminaries like Dusty Rhodes, the Undertaker, Cowboy Luttrall, George Zaharias, the Great Malenko and the Briscoes are ready to be hung, or will be. In the entry and ticket office.

The second, big, big room is black, decorated with banners, but with the focus on the center ring full of wrestling students when they were there learning holds. And in the back workout room were three more training rings, filled with wrestlers at work. Keirns’ private office was off that room. A stuffed alligator head was on the file cabinet looking our way.

“You know,” said Steve Keirn, “I’ve been in this business a long time and my first deal was as the Alligator Man. I went into the Glades and brought out a bunch, approved for removal, of course.

Keirn noted that another huge, unfinished area was being remodeled.

This, he said, already is the center for teaching wrestling, for the “people who want the basics and as self defense to those who want to be champion contenders.”

“We can now accommodate about 50 to 60 wrestlers learning, teaching them and training them and giving them their basics, including good manners and respect. We don’t want to permanently hurt anyone. You got to know that, but want all the hitting, all the pinning, all the slamming around, all the slugging, all the squeezes, all the unbreakable holds apparently as punishing as possible.”

“This place will be sensational for the sport and the best place to learn it in the world.”

There was an awful lot of yelling and screaming, and body slamming going on.  The guys, all big, strong and muscular, were lined up three rings for shots at each other. Didn’t see anybody really hurt. You could have been, though, you or me or even Steve now.

Steve Keirn grew up in Tampa, South Tampa, where Cowboy Luttrall with a staff that included Dusty Rhodes and promoter deluxe Gordon Solie first made it work Tuesday nights at the Fort Homer Hesterly Armory and around the state on the other nights, with a dinky ring and offices over a little nearby street.

It paid off. Wrestling hit, with a small TV presentation out of the jammed Albany Avenue office. They made it work. Wasn’t easy. And when Vince McMahon got his wise marketing hands on it, well, Jerry Briscoe had a full-time job booking wrestling for international television, mostly in the Far East.

So now has emerged a new epicenter for pro wrestling at the Keirn place on Dale Mabry.

Steve Keirn is the boss and ought to be. He stuck with it, as he did with his late dad, Richard (shown with war memorabilia), a genuine war hero of World War II and Vietnam. Pop Keirn was shot down in both conflicts, but survived Stalag 1 for a year and over seven atrocity-filled years at the Hanoi Hilton. He’s one of only two known POWs for both WWII and Vietnam. He was twice nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor. Col. Keirn did in time receive the Silver Star, Legion of Merit with an Oak Leaf Cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross with two clusters, Bronze Star with three clusters, and five Purple Hearts.

“My dad was a hero, a real American Hero. And I couldn’t be more proud. I am happy he gave me the guts to fight through all this to our present place of ours that will be a tribute to our sport. Look around you. And it is only going to get better and bigger and we will be the center of pro wrestling in the world.”

Keirn is particularly proud because he is a forever Tampan, a South Tampa public school product who had a dream for his dad’s memory, and for his part of the Tampa he so loves.

Not a bad first firework on this Fourth, eh?

You’ve got to know the Colonel is proud of his son, somewhere saluting in his direction.

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Hamrick Named To U.S. National Team

Posted Jul 3, 2008 by Nick Murray

Updated Jul 3, 2008 at 05:27 PM

Molly Hamrick of Plant High was named for the second straight year to the U.S.  Junior National team, Hamrick’s father confirmed on Thursday.

Hamrick was a member of the Women’s 8 which won a bronze medal last year in Beijing. This year’s World Junior Championships are to be held in Linz and Ottensheim, Austria beginning on July 22.

The other two Tampa rowers invited to the camp, Plant’s Elisabeth Murray and Hillsborough’s Katie Burke, were named to the U.S. High Performance team. The team, which is an equivalent to the U.S. ‘B’ team, will travel to Berlin, Germany later this month to gain international experience against other nations.

All three rowers and their crews will compete this weekend in the Philadelphia Independence Day Regatta before returning to training camp ahead of their international competitions.

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Riverview’s Byrd Signs With Elon

Posted Jul 3, 2008 by Adam Adkins

Updated Jul 3, 2008 at 03:51 PM

Former Riverview High offensive lineman Rashaun Byrd has signed a football scholarship with Elon University, a Football Championship Subdivision program (formerly I-AA), Sharks coach Bruce Gifford announced Thursday.

Byrd, a two-year starter for the Sharks, had been prepared to accept a preferred walk on position at Bethune-Cookman before Elon jumped very late into the picture. Gifford said Byrd and his family made a trip to Elon’s campus and then the lineman recently signed with the program.

“He’s headed up to start working out with them next week,” said Gifford, who added Byrd also had a few Division II offers.

Gifford said Byrd will be shifted over to the defensive line in college and is set to play at defensive end, a position he saw limited action at during his senior year at Riverview and one in which he performed well.

As a senior with the Sharks, Byrd, a recent graduate, earned All-Western Conference second team honors. He was also a Tribune All-Hillsborough County honorable mention selection.

“He was a real solid palyer for us,” Gifford said.

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Bartlett to DL; Brignac, Zobrist up

Posted Jul 3, 2008 by Marc Lancaster

Updated Jul 3, 2008 at 03:50 PM

The Rays have placed shortstop Jason Bartlett on the disabled list with a right knee sprain. Tampa Bay will recall shortstop Reid Brignac and utilityman Ben Zobrist from Durham, while also optioning Mitch Talbot back to Triple-A after a one-day stay.

Bartlett was injuried sliding into third during the big seventh inning last night and kept going on adrenaline, as Andrew Friedman put it today. But his knee started swelling up after the game and he saw the doctor today. Friedman said the Rays consider the diagnosis a positive, as it could have been worse, and they expect Bartlett back for the beginning of the second half.

“It’s tough,” said Friedman. “Obviously our defense has been a big part of our success to date and Jason’s right in the middle of that. Injuries are a part of the game, so it doesn’t do us much good to cry about it, but it does kind of reflect on the fact that we feel like we have two very capable guys in Ben and Reid below that provide us great depth.”

The Rays are calling up both players because of lingering uncertainty over the status of Zobrist’s shoulder. He spent some time on Durham’s DL and had played in only a couple of games before being recalled to join the Rays for a three-day stint in Miami last week.

“It was a situation for us where with 10 games to go until the All-Star break, with Zobrist’s shoulder situation, we’re confident that he’s fine but not sure he’s going to be able to play every day, and this allows us to play some matchups and be in position to have an extra infielder ready,” Friedman explained.

He said it would be up to Joe Maddon to determine who gets the bulk of the playing time at shortstop between the two. As for the possibility of moving Evan Longoria over to play short for the next 10 days (which would have allowed them to get Willy Aybar back in the lineup at third base), Friedman basically said they’re comfortable playing Longoria there for short bursts, but “didn’t want to be in a position to have to play Evan at shortstop on any type of extended basis.”

In sending Talbot back, the Rays are prepared to go with 11 pitchers through the break. Friedman said he doesn’t expect Al Reyes to come off the DL until after the break, which is something of a departure from what we understood to be the case, so they’ll go with what they’ve got and make a move to bring in an arm if they need to over the next week and a half.

 

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Margalis Advances To 200 IM Finals

Posted Jul 3, 2008 by Bill Ward

Updated Jul 3, 2008 at 11:32 PM

Clearwater’s Robert Margalis has reached the finals of the 200-meter individual medley at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in Omaha, Neb.

Margalis, who took third place in the 400 IM finals on Sunday—one place from making the Olympic team—had the sixth-fastest qualifying time Thursday morning at 2 minutes, 1.33 seconds, then came back to post the No. 7 time in the semifinals at 2:01.16. The top two qualifiers were Ryan Lochte of Daytona Beach and North Baltimore’s Michael Phelps, the same two guys who broke the 400 IM world record Sunday and grabbed the Olympic berths up for grabs in the event.

In Thursday’s 200 IM qualifying, Lochte went 1:59. 49 and Phelps swam 1:59.70. In the semis, Lochte blew away the field with his 1:57.57 while Phelps went 1:58.05. Finals are Friday night.

In women’s 100 free qualifying Thursday, St. Petersburg’s Megan Romano swan 56.01 for the No. 32 qualifying time while Tampa’s Chelsea Nauta was 46th at 56.40. The top qualifier was American record holder Natalie Coughlin, who swam 53.64, just .25 off her record.

Advancing to the semifinals is St. Petersburg native, Emily Silver, whose dad, Bob, used to be my sports editor at that paper across the bay. The name escapes me. Emily was an all-American at Cal Berkeley and her folks live in Bainbridge Island, Wash. She posted the No. 6 qualifying time at 54.74.

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2009 Miami game moved to Thanksgiving weekend

Posted Jul 3, 2008 by Brett McMurphy

Updated Jul 3, 2008 at 01:46 PM

The University of South Florida and the University of Miami have mutually agreed to move their 2009 football game to Thanksgiving weekend.  The change shifts the Bulls home game from Sept. 26, 2009 to Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009.

The change means that the duration of the five-game series will be played over the Thanksgiving weekend.

The five game series with Miami is currently scheduled for the following dates:

Nov. 28, 2009 – at USF
Nov. 27, 2010 – at Miami
Nov. 26, 2011 – at USF
Nov. 24, 2012 – at Miami
Nov. 30, 2013 – at USF

Here is USF’s updated 2009 non-conference schedule:

Sept. 5 Wofford
Sept. 12 at Western Kentucky
Sept. 19 Florida International
Oct. 10 at Indiana
Nov. 28 Miami

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Tampa Mustangs Softball On a Roll

Posted Jul 3, 2008 by Nick Williams

Updated Jul 3, 2008 at 01:45 PM

Last week, the Tampa Mustangs 18-Under Walt softball travel team went 8-1 to win the ASA Hall of Fame Classic in Oklahoma City. 

This week, the team is competing at the Louisville Slugger Independence Day Tournament in Colorado, where they are currently 2-1. But the Walt Team isn’t the only squad from Tampa Mustangs doign well in Colorado. Ray Seymour, the club’s director, said the 14U team is 4-0, the 16U team is 2-0, and the 18U Holle team is 2-0.

“It’s been a good week for us,” Seymour said.

Seymour said there are over 500 teams at the tournament, with close to 300 college coaches watching.

To follow the tournament, Click Here.

There are several players from Hillsborough and Pasco county on the different teams. To visit the Mustang’s website, Go Here

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Lightning sign minor league depth

Posted Jul 3, 2008 by Erik Erlendsson

Updated Jul 3, 2008 at 12:55 PM

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed unrestricted free agent center Wyatt Smith to a one-year, two-way contract today, owners Oren Koules and Len Barrier announced.

Smith, 5-foot-11, 205-pounds, spent the 2007-08 season in the Colorado Avalanche organization.  He played in 25 games with the Avalanche, recording three assists.  He also played in one Staley Cup Playoff game with Colorado.  Smith also skated in 40 games with the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League.  He recorded 17 goals, 35 points, eight power-play goals and two shorthanded goals.  Smith ranked third on Lake Erie in goals, fourth in power-play goals and fifth in points.

The native of Thief River Falls, Minnesota has played in 221 career NHL games with Colorado, the Minnesota Wild, New York Islanders, Nashville Predators and Phoenix Coyotes.  He has scored 10 career goals and recorded 32 points with one power-play goal and two shorthanded goals.

Smith, 31, has played in 403 games in the AHL with Lake Erie, Houston, Bridgeport, Milwaukee and Springfield.  He has recorded 128 career goals and 292 points.  Smith has also played in 38 career Calder Cup Playoff games, recording nine goals and 23 points.  He won the Calder Cup with Milwaukee in 2004.

He played his college hockey at the University of Minnesota and skated in 152 games.  He scored 67 career goals and recorded 129 points in four seasons with the Golden Gophers.  He was named to the All-WCHA Third Team during his senior season in 1998-99 after scoring 23 goals and registering 43 points in 43 games.

Smith was originally drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in the ninth round, 233rd overall, in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. 

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Colwill Dominating Olympic Dive Camp

Posted Jul 3, 2008 by Bill Ward

Updated Jul 3, 2008 at 11:46 PM

After winning the first two lists at the U.S. Olympic Diving Team Selection Camp in Knoxville, Tenn., Chris Colwill of Brandon is on the verge of clinching a spot in the Beijing Games for 3-meter springboard.

Colwill, a Tampa Prep and University of Georgia graduate, won his first list of six dives with a total of 492.35 points, a comfortable 40.05 points ahead of second-place Jevon Tarantino, who is Colwill’s dive partner in 3-meter synchro.

In synchro that evening, Colwill and Tarantino teamed up to win their two lists. They are the favorites to win that event’s Olympic berth. Competition in synchro concludes Saturday night.

In his second individual list, Colwill still took first place despite having problems with his fourth dive, an inward 3-1/2 somersault tuck. He scored between 4.5 and 6.5 on that dive for a total of 49.30 points and lost the lead to Tarantino. But Colwill bounced back to score 84 on his next dive and a whoipping 96.25 on his final dive, a reverse 3-1/2 somersault tuck that judges awarded him either 9s or 9.5s. Colwill wound up with 467.10 points, 6.3 ahead of second-place Tarantino.

“I fell pretty good but I have to stay focused,” Colwill said. “My goal was to start off really strong and I tried to keep it going. I didn’t do as well on my second list but I’m very happy with how I composed myself after I missed that fourth dive.”

With two first place finishes under his belt, a second-place finish at last month’s Olympic trials and owning all the other tie-breakers (performances at previous World Cups and World Championships) used in determining the second berth on the U.S. Olympic dive team for 3-meter springboard, Colwill would have to suffer a major collapse in Saturday’s final two lists not to make the trip to Beijing. The spots not clinched at the trials will be officially announced Monday, the day after the Selection Camp ends.

All events are being contested at the University of Tennessee’s Aquatics Center.

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About face on Boyle situation

Posted Jul 3, 2008 by Erik Erlendsson

Updated Jul 3, 2008 at 01:03 PM

The ever changing Internet world we delve into now is a change-of-a-dime entity, and there is no better proof of that than what happened in the past 30 minutes.

“They have asked me to waive’’ the no-trade clause, Boyle said.

Boyle did not want to discuss the specifics of when or how he was approached, or where they are asking him to move. The conversation was brief, but wanted to make sure the record was set straight.

This story will continue to develop as the day continues.

Here’s an indicator as to what the Lightning has in mind of what they fully intend to do with Dan Boyle. If you go to the Lightning homepage during the introduction of the new faces (and a couple of familiar ones), Boyle is not among those listed, which also includes Gary Roberts, Ryan Malone along with the likes of Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis. But no mention of Boyle.

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