By Lee DavisIn 2015, Georgie Salem learned the value of home field advantage.Salem – an outfielder for the University of Alabama and a Vestavia Hills graduate – along with his teammates, experienced a baseball season without a real place to call their own. Because of major renovations to the campus’ Sewell-Thomas Stadium, the Crimson Tide was forced to play its home … [Read more...]
Keep Your Eye on the Ball: New Business Helps Athletes See Better
By Lee DavisGood eyesight has played a major role in careers of famous athletes.Baseball legend Babe Ruth’s vision allegedly was so good that he could read the label of a 78 RPM record while it was revolving on a phonograph player. Ted Williams, the last major leaguer to complete a regular season with a batting average higher than .400, claimed that he could follow the … [Read more...]
Smylie Face: Ex-Rebel Golfer Makes Impression on Web, PGA Tours
By Lee DavisSmylie Kaufman is no stranger to the winner’s circle in athletics.As a basketball point guard in 2009, Kaufman helped the Vestavia Hills Rebels win the Class 6A championship. By 2011, Kaufman had traded in his basketball, but he still was winning. While a varsity golfer at LSU, he won the 2011 Alabama Amateur as his father, Jeff – a former LSU golfer himself … [Read more...]
McMillan and Life: Spartan Coach Makes Big Splash Again
By Lee DavisLeave it to Bucky McMillan to be in the center of a big high school basketball story in the normally slow month of July.McMillan, the ultra-successful coach of the Mountain Brook boys basketball team, learned that a new weapon will be added to his arsenal when the season begins later this year. Trendon Watford, a 6-foot-7-inch forward who led Shades Valley … [Read more...]
Voice Trek: Layton Always Gave Them a Reason to Smile
By Lee DavisLots of young boys want to grow up to be policemen, firemen, cowboys or professional baseball players.I wanted to be a radio broadcaster – or actually, one radio broadcaster in particular.Every adult I knew listened to him in the morning as they were preparing for their day. I listened too and while some of the jokes went over my head, he was funny, … [Read more...]