Second Thoughts

Royals put Rally Mantis out to pasture

Billy Burns of the Kansas City Royals handles the team’s praying mantis before a recent game. The Royals elected to release their dugout good luck charm rather than take it on a road trip.
Billy Burns of the Kansas City Royals handles the team’s praying mantis before a recent game. The Royals elected to release their dugout good luck charm rather than take it on a road trip.

An important member of the Kansas City Royals' bench is calling it quits. Yes, Rally Mantis II is retiring.

The beloved arthropod became a fixture after the death of Rally Mantis I. The first iteration showed up in the Royals' dugout in early August. The mantis initially appeared on outfielder Billy Burns' hat. His appearance coincided with an impressive winning streak, but after being brought on the road, he died in Minnesota. Rally Mantis II showed up in its stead and was ensnared in the dugout. Rally Mantis II brought renewed passion to the Royals. Now, he's sailing off in style.

The Royals released an official statement on Rally Mantis II, revealing the organization would rather it live out its short life comfortably in a nature center instead of being brought on long road trips.

"While it was fun to keep the mantis in the Clubhouse, in reality the mantis has a short lifespan and the team didn't feel comfortable continuing to keep it and taking it on road trips," the statement read. "The experts at Lakeside Nature Center will help it live out its natural life."

Kansas City is doing the right thing by letting Rally Mantis II frolic among other bugs. Mantises live for roughly 4-6 months, so maybe Rally Mantis II can make it long enough to see the Royals in the postseason.

Gym rat

Rory McIlroy does not mind hearing criticism, provided the foundation is factual. That would be just about everything golf-related. The one criticism that got under his skin was that he was spending too much time in the gym.

"If I wasn't in the gym, I wouldn't be sitting here today," McIlroy said after winning the Deutsche Bank Championship. "It's a big part of who I am, it's a big part of my success. That's always, I feel, an unfair criticism."

McIlroy said the critics, particularly on TV, at least are educated in golf and "for the most part know what they're talking about."

"A criticism of my golf game, I take it, and I know what I need to work on and sometimes those people point out the obvious," he said. "But yeah, I would say that's the most unfair criticism I receive is what I do in the gym."

Tying one on

Suffering a season-ending knee injury doesn't preclude Teddy Bridgewater from being pranked by his Minnesota Vikings teammates.

Well, by at least one of them.

Coach Mike Zimmer related the following story during a media question-and-answer session Monday.

"He's here every day down here in the training room, same kid as he always been always with a smile on his face," Zimmer said, per the team's website. "Xavier Rhodes always comes in and unties his shoe. You know he's sitting and you know he can't reach his shoe, so Xav' does it, and I was down there today and I tied it for him. I'm the shoe-tier now."

Sports quiz

Name the only two NFL teams to suffer shutouts during the 2015 regular season?

Sports answer

The Chicago Bears lost to Seattle 26-0 on Sept. 27, and the Atlanta Falcons lost to Carolina 38-0 on Dec. 13.

Sports on 09/07/2016

Upcoming Events