South Bend, Indiana; August 29, 2008

Announcements

Pow Wow: The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians is holding its 23d annual Kee-Boon-Meen-Kaa Pow Wow this Saturday and Sunday at tribal headquarters southwest of Dowagiac. Gates open at 10 a.m. each day.

Uncle Ron's Ramblings

Historic Moment In Denver: It was a moment fraught with symbolism. On the 45th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, the first African-American nominee was introduced to a major party nomination convention as "the next President of the United States."
Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's fellow Illinois senator, Dick Durbin, did the honors.
It was the second acceptance speech given in an outdoor arena—Denver's Invesco Field; it was moved for the occasion from the NBA arena. The first was John F. Kennedy's "New Frontier" speech. Kennedy reportedly had trouble filling the stadium for that occasion; there were more than 80,000 enthusiastic supporters on hand this time. They stood on their feet for much of the speech, interrupting with applause and chants of "eight is enough."
Obama thanked the usual people in his opening remarks: Durbin; the preceding speaker, former Vice-President and 2000 Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore; his wife Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia—who were beaming and elegantly gowned for the occasion; and other members of his family, including his late mother, World War II veteran grandfather, and absent grandmother (she was unable to make the trip for health reasons).
He also took time in his opening remarks to praise his former rival for the nomination, Hillary Clinton, as "an inspiration to my daughters and yours."
He thanked the last Democratic president, Bill Clinton; Senator Ted Kennedy, who addressed the convention despite suffering from brain cancer; and "the next Vice-President of the United States," Joe Biden.
He also paid tribute to the "ordinary men and women—students and soldiers, farmers and teachers, nurses and janitors…" who found the courage to keep the American dream alive and make the historic moment possible.
Whether you thought the points he made in the speech were accurate or fair—this was a political convention after all—he made them with the eloquence that helped propel him within reach of the country's highest office.
The speech received praise from Democrats and Republicans alike. Obama even received a message from his presumptive opponent in the November general election, John McCain, congratulating him on his nomination.
Obama, for his part, praised McCain's service to this country in uniform while criticizing the Republican's support for the "failed policies" of incumbent President George W. Bush.
Alaska Governor is GOP Veep Choice: McCain did steal some of Obama's thunder by announcing the selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. She will be the first woman on a Republican national ticket.
The Republican convention will start next week in St. Paul, MN.

Free Press Sports

#Silver Hawks 17, Wizards 6 (#Second Half Eastern Division Champs): The Hawks backed up Jarrod Parker's solid pitching with plenty of offense in their last trip to Ft. Wayne's Memorial Stadium. The Wizards are moving from the 15-year-old ballpark to a new one next season.
Parker (12-5, 3.44) gave up one hit with no walks and seven strikeouts in five innings.
Purdue grad Ryne White led the offense with four hits—including two doubles—and three RBIs. Taylor Harbin had three hits and four RBIs while recent University of Kentucky grad Collin Cowgill continued his successful transition to the pros with three runs, two hits, and four RBIs.
Winston Linton, Sean Coughlin, JoJo Batten, Derrick Walker, and Elijah Rumler had two hits each.
The Hawks (42-24) have a slim lead over the Burlington Bees (41-24) who lost last night—for the best record in the second Midwest League half-season.
The Hawks end their regular slate against half-season champion Lugnuts this weekend at the Cove. Tonight's game begins at 6:30 p.m.
The Hawks open their playoff schedule against the West Michigan Whitecaps September 3 at the Cove. Game time is 6:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale.
MLB NL: Cubs 6, Phillies 4; Brewers/Cardinals idle; Astros 3, Reds 2; Nationals 11, Dodgers 2; Braves 4, Marlins 2. .
MLB AL: White Sox idle; Athletics 3, Twins 2; Yankees 3, Red Sox 2; Rays 3, Blue Jays 2; Angels 7, Rangers 5 .
MLS Scores: No games scheduled.
WNBA Scores: Sun 84, Fever 58; Sky 69, Liberty 60; Silver Stars 77, Mercury 55; Sparks 78, Monarchs 63; Storm 66, Comets 49.
NFL Preseason: Bears 16, Browns 10; Bengals 27, Colts 7; Jaguars 24, Redskins 3; Titans 23, Packers 21; Giants 19, Patriots 14; Steelers 19, Panthers 16; Chiefs 21, Rams 17; Falcons 10, Ravens 9; Cowboys 16, Vikings 10; Dolphins 14, Saints 10; Buccaneers 16, Texans 6.
Frenchwoman Upsets French Open Champ at Forest Hills: Julie Coin of France, the 188th-ranked player on the women's tennis tour, upset top-seeded Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in the second round of the U.S. Open. The upset of the French Open champion was one of the biggest in U.S. Open history.

Weather
Today High 81 Low 52 Partly Cloudy
Sat High 83 Low 56 Clear
Sun High 88 Low 59 Clear
Mon High 88 Low 61 Clear
Tue High 88 Low 65 Clear

TV Schedule: 16—8 p.m., America's Toughest Jobs; 9-11 p.m., Dateline NBC; 22—8 p.m., Ghost Whisperer; 9 p.m., Numb3rs; 10 p.m., Swingtown; 25—8-10 p.m., Smackdown; 10-11 p.m., Seinfeld (two episodes; 28—8-10 p.m., Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (two-hour episode); 10 p.m., Fox 28 News; 46—8 p.m., Lester Sumrall Teaching; 8:30 p.m. LESEA In Action; 9 p.m., Harvest; 10 p.m., Berean Seventh Day Adventist; 10:30 p.m., Joyce Meyer; 57—8-10 p.m., Win a Date With Tad Hamilton! (movie); 10 p.m., 20/20; 69—8-11 p.m., Jaws.