Daily Dirt: Coach’s outlook is appreciated, but it was still 44-4 at halftime

Daily Dirt for Sunday, March 20, 2022

Maybe the women’s basketball coach at Howard needs a trip to Chicken Bristle, Ill. You’ll understand in a minute … Welcome to today’s three thoughts and Vol. 238 of The Daily Dirt.

1. We’ve all had bad days, even horrible days. But I doubt any of us have endured the trials and tribulations — can I say humiliation?—- that the Howard University women’s basketball team went through during a first-round NCAA Tournament game this weekend.

In case you missed it, South Carolina absolutely buried overmatched Howard 79-21, which, on the surface, is embarrassing enough. But the halftime score was 44-4. Before you ask, yes, that was an NCAA record for futility, the fewest points scored in any half in an NCAA Tournament game. You can also add a bit more insult to injury — the 21 points were also the fewest in the history of the women’s tournament.

Surprisingly, Howard coach Ty Grace did not shy away from the moment.

“We made history,” Grace said. Obviously, that was quite the understatement, but what captured my attention was what she said next.

“And we move on now,” she said matter-of-factly.

I would assume, however, at some point in the game, especially the first half, Grace probably thought to himself something similar to the famous quote by actor Bunny Ramsey: “It’s one of those days where the ‘L’ in my luck has been changed to an ‘F.’”

In the end, though, Grace probably realized thousands — maybe millions — of those watching who were lambasting her would have actually loved to have been in her shoes. Being the head coach of an NCAA Division I program is pretty good gig if you can get it, even on the horrible days.

“There are people who would love to have your bad days.” Kristen DeLap, a designer, once said.

That’s a very good point … but it was still 44-4 at halftime.

2.  We’ve got some more odd names for towns found in Illinois and Missouri. As in the past, feel free to drop us a line with some of those bizarre town names you have come across. Here are today’s top picks:

Illinois

• Mooseheart: The same name as that Mel Gibson movie, right? Oh wait, that was “Braveheart.” Located in Kane County and home of a famous orphanage.
• Muddy: This speck on the map once laid claim to the nation’s smallest post office. There are 78 people in Muddy, located in Saline County.
• Bigfoot: Established in 1840, half the town is in Illinois, half in Wisconsin and it has two separate ZIP codes. Population: 65.
• Chicken Bristle: It’s a suburb of Tuscola (yeah, that’s a joke), with about a half-dozen homes. Thrillist once named Chicken Bristle the weirdest town name in Illinois. Good choice.

Missouri

• Tightwad: Population 64 and located in Henry County. There is actually a bank in Tightwad, which is rather humorous considering the name of the town.
• Frankenstein: Located just outside of Jefferson City and only about 30 people live there. 
• Peculiar: The people there have a great town motto: “Where the ‘odds’ are with you”. Peculiar is in Cass County
• Knob Lick: Located close to Farmington, the post office in Knob Lick has been operational since 1870.

3. Odd names are one thing, but specific oddities are entirely another — and Illinois is also home to some of these. Did you know …

• Casey, Ill., is best known for its oversized objects, particularly some of the world’s largest statues. There’s also a giant mailbox, rocking chair, pencil, pitchfork and more. The town also is well known for its girls softball program.
• Arcola, Ill., is home to a massive hippie memorial museum that features artwork and other features dedicated to the cultures of the 1960s through the 1980s. Groovy.
• Alton, Ill., is home of the famous Curiosity Museum, which features a strange collection of items ranging from bizarre artwork to historic torture devices to “mind-blowing illusions.” For the record, Alton also is home to the late Robert Wadlow, recognized as the world’s tallest human being. Wadlow died in 1940 at age 22. He stood 8 feet, 11.1 inches tall. A statue of Wadlow is in downtown Alton. 
• Olney, Ill., is home to an unusually large population of albino squirrels that are bright white with red eyes. There were once more than 800 of the critters in Olney, but today just about 70 exist. Kind of nutty, eh?

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. He wonders if Robert Wadlow could have been a heckuva basketball player.