LITTLE ROCK — Aw, guys, don’t lose pig snouts
The Hogettes will oink no more.
The group of male fans who have cheered on the Washington Redskins for three decades while wearing dresses, floppy hats and pig snouts announced Friday that the group is retiring.
The Hogettes said on their website that it’s a “new era.” They say they’ll still be Redskins fans and will continue to help raise money for children’s charities - although in more “incognito” fashion.
Hogettes founder Michael Torbert, also known as “Mikey T. Boss Hogette,” told The Washington Post that 30 seasons is “enough of guys in pig snouts and dresses.”
Word of Torbert’s decision leaked on Facebook before the Hogettes had managed to hold a final group meeting. So Torbert then went public with the news, while at least some of the 13 active members were still trying to persuade him to stage a final farewell season.
“I told him, in writing and in passing, people are gonna miss us more than you think, and if we have to go, we should offer a hug first,” said Eddie “Hog Ed” Souder of Laurel, at age 47, the group’s youngest member. “I’d like to tell everybody out there one more time, take a chance, do something for somebody a little less fortunate. But he is our leader; I won’t make a move without his blessing. He is the Hogettes. We all feel that way.”
Not impressed
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn’t exactly impress anyone in high school.
Rodgers attended Pleasant Valley High School in Chico, Calif.
Among those who were initially unimpressed was Ron Souza, Rodgers’ high school quarterbacks coach.
“Freshman year he was 5-foot-3, 115 pounds,” Souza told Gary D’Amato of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. “Size 11 feet and size 12 ears.”
Tony Tallerico, another coach at Pleasant Valley, had a similar opinion.
“I probably shouldn’t say this, but he looked like a bobblehead,” Tallerico said. “He had this big over sized head and ears and he was a tiny guy. At that time you’re thinking, ‘I don’t know.’ ”
And now that he’s in the NFL?
“Never saw it,” Souza said. “You can’t tell. Talented kid, but you never know how far they’ll go.”
Still waiting
Mike Westhoff, the New York Jets’ recently retired special teams coordinator, told a Florida radio station that the way the team handled Tim Tebow was “an absolute mess.”
Westhoff told WQAM in south Florida on Friday that he was “very, very disappointed” in the Jets’ lack of use of Tebow, the popular backup quarterback acquired last March to be a key part of the offense. Instead, Tebow barely got on the field in most games and never started at quarterback - even after Mark Sanchez was benched.
Westhoff adds that he’s “still waiting for the unveiling” of the game plan that included lots of Tebow.
Web heads
From Fark.com:
“Extremely rare 1865 baseball card to sell for $100,000. Collectors finally get a chance to bid on the long-lost Jamie Moyer rookie card.”
“Mark Cuban joins board of consumer data firm ... needed second job to pay NBA fines.”
“Kobe Bryant and wife call off divorce, probably just so he has a ring this year.”
Quote of the day
“When the game was over, I was very disappointed. But walking back into the tunnel, I got so excited about next year. The resilience we showed was unbelievable.” Seatle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, after Sunday’s 30-28 playoff loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
Sports, Pages 14 on 01/14/2013