A friend came in “the Mountaineer” the other day and commented on the long article we ran a couple of weeks ago on old and new world class athletes that live here in Montana.
This friend said we had left out Levi Leipheimer from Butte, Montana who is a world class cyclist. He has peddled his way into many worldwide tournaments and won his share. For starters he has won the US national champion twice and is an Olympic medalist.
I told the friend I was wondering why Marc Mariani of Havre was left out. He has been playing professional football for the last four years or so both as the Tennessee Titan and now as a Chicago Bear. Marc does a great job in the NFL and should be mentioned.
Almost as bad as those two being left out was Ryan Leaf from Great Falls being put in that class of great athletes.
I guess there ought to be second chances but not as blatant as that story made out. Leaf is out of jail now and, of all things, was the color commentator for the Dan Patrick sports show at the Masters Tournament in Augusta. That was a little much for me.
A lot of the talk between Patrick and Leaf concerned Johnny Manziel, the Texas A and M quarterback who was nicknamed Johnny Football in college. He was hired on as quarterback by the Cleveland Browns and then let go because he would not go to rehabilitation when he was partying himself out of a job. Dan Patrick wanted in the worst way to get Johnny Football and Ryan Leaf together on the telephone so Leaf could give Manziel advice about heading down the straight and narrow. As far as I know that did not happen. I am glad because it would be really sick if you ask me.
Well, gentle readers, no one did ask me. Have a great week!
