News and Sports Links – Drake Relays Edition

The Drake Relays are underway at Drake Stadium/Johnny Bright Field. They'll be plenty of Drake alums returning as this is the school's unofficial "Homecoming" weekend.

Mother Nature always have a way to throw a monkey wrench into Drake Relays week in Des Moines.  But if there is one thing she can’t do, and that is stop me from rolling some links today.

On your mark…get set…let’s go.

• Ken Fang of the great Fang’s Bites website has the scoop on ESPN Bill Simmons‘ new project.  Don’t laugh, but the new website is called “Grantland” as in Grantland Rice, one of the first sportswriters of our time.  “Grantland” is a site dedicated to sports and pop culture writing.
• Joe Favorito of Sports Marketing and PR Roundup has some advice for American sports:  time to get on board with the social media efforts.  Europe is boat-racing us Yankees. 
• Thanks to Christine Steinman from Tribe Effect for this link.  Mashable profiles how technology, mainly social media, and online streaming were helping save lives during the devastating Alabama tornadoes earlier this week.  Video is included in this story.

Despite the warnings, over 200 people were killed by the nearly 20 or so tornadoes flying all over the state. 

If you are planning on heading to the Saturday session of the Drake Relays, show some love to the athletes from the University of Alabama track team and the other schools from Alabama.  Several of them have lost homes, family members, friends, or all three in one of the worst storms that state, or the nation have seen in years. 

• Big Omaha is coming up in two weeks and Danny Schreiber of Silicon Prairie News has the lowdown on who’s speaking, the panels, and the parties. 
• A familiar voice in horse racing will not be on hand to call the Kentucky Derby next Saturday.  Tom Durkin, who has called the last 30 Triple Crown races and calls races for 3 tracks for the New York Racing Association, has decided to not renew his contract with NBC to call this year’s major horse races, citing stress. 

I will miss him behind the microphone calling the Kentucky, Preakness, and the Belmont.  The rumor is that Larry Collmus could replace Durkin.  Collmus gained notoriety last year for this memorable call: 

That’s it for now.  Have a great weekend.