Run ruckus

Blogger's note: The following post deviates from high school athletics. Proceed with caution.

Over the nearly four years that The Varsity Letters (trust me, sometimes it's felt like 15 years) has been around, I've been called plenty of things. Most of it hasn't been very nice.

When asked by coaches, parents, etc. how I've put up with it, my general response is, "I'd rather anonymous computer bullies make fun of me than a teenager or a coach who puts in exhausting hours for minimal monetary compensation."

OK, maybe it's slightly more colorful.

Well, here's an offer to for any reader, athlete, former athlete, track coach, football coach or any coach to compete with or against me. I'm hoping a few people accept the challenge. Maybe it can offer new and exciting ways to mock your least favorite blogger.

In late July, I'll be in Michigan for an event called Warrior Dash, a run/obstacle course with some wicked twists. My entry fee has been paid, I'm locked in.

For several months, I've been running on the rolling hills of Western Pennsylvania in preparation. Then, on the radio, I heard advertisements for an event being held July 16 at Washington County Fairgrounds.

It's called Run Ruckus, and the course design for the local race looks every bit as devilish as Warrior Dash. Needless to say, I'm quite interested.

So, I thought this race might be a good opportunity to find a few others to join in the fun, maybe even be part of a first-person newspaper account. I'm not going to do this by myself, so I'm looking for a few good local people.

Are you already signed up? If so, let me know.

Sincerely interested? If so, let me know.

Want to make me look like a fool with your immense athleticism? If so, let me know.

Don't contact me via this site. Either email me at mkovak@observer-reporter.com or leave me a message at 1-800-222-6397 ext. 2430.

High School Sports Hall of fame in Pa.

EASTON, Pa. (AP) — A new museum honoring excellence in scholastic sports is going up in eastern Pennsylvania.
The High School Sports Hall of Fame Museum will be built in Easton, a sporting hotbed known nationally for its wrestling programs and for its century-old football rivalry with neighboring Phillipsburg, N.J.
Easton’s mayor and museum officials made the announcement on Monday.
The $20 million museum will highlight inductees who, as girls and boys, excelled in 20 high school sports. Past inductees have included NBA stars LeBron James and Dwight Howard, American League batting champ Joe Mauer, and Olympic gold medal swimmer Allyson Felix.
The museum is to open in the summer of 2011 and will be run by the National High School Coaches Association.