Philly’s Nuns Finally Win A Conference Title

Woo-hoo! Saturday afternoon, the Philadelphia Soul routed the Cleveland Steamers at the Wachovia Center to win the National Conference Championship; the team now heads to its first Arena Bowl on July 27.

(NB to the Inquirer: Come on, you guys really went with the “one victory away from bringing a championship to Philadelphia” lead? Yes, this is what they said about the Kixx and the Wings and the Barrage and the Charge — women’s soccer — and the Stars — the USFL, natch — and that online Mario Kart race I won the other day. Yes, there are other sports teams in Philadelphia besides the four major sports, but if they win a title that doesn’t mean Philadelphia wins a title or the drought is over or whatever. Okay? Thank you.)

Anyway, as you can see from the screencap from Action News yesterday, the Soul pulled out all its best players for an on-field celebration: Team president Ron Jaworski, two nuns and the team’s starting quarterback (he’s in the right hand corner). If the Soul win the Arena Bowl, does the team play the winner of the CFL next?

Update: Also awesome was this sentence in today’s Daily News:

Attentive father, devout Christian and Arena Football League Player of the Year . . . hard to make a guy like that look bad.

I believe winning the Arena Football League POY is a plenary indulgence, actually.

Devout Nun Honored By Giant Hot Dog Man

The Inquirer’s Susan Snyder has a nice little piece today about Holy Family University’s president, Sisten Francesca Onley, who has been president of the ‘Fam for 25 years.

That’s a long time, even for a religious institution, though as the article notes, “Widener had the same president for 42 years, from 1888 to 1930 (when it was known as Pennsylvania Military College).” During her term (reign?) as president, she’s presided over new construction, the upgrade from a college to a university and the founding of an actual endowment.

Most importantly, she chairs the International Association of University Presidents/United Nations Commission on Disarmament Education, Conflict Resolution and Peace. Imagine! A religious leader who’s interested in peace!

Needless to say, Sister is from Mayfair.

Anyway, the story in the Inky begins like this:

Many college presidents might best be suited to dining at an upscale Center City restaurant like the Palm. And Sister Francesca Onley could eat there, too, but ask her what she really prefers.

“Get me a bologna sandwich,” says the 73-year-old nun who heads Holy Family University in Northeast Philadelphia.

Butterscotch Krimpets and hot dogs are top fare, too.

Aw, that’s not too bad. Cute beginning, showing her down to earth nature, contrasting Holy Family with other schools, wait, what’s that in the next paragraph?

So it was only fitting that students last month marched into Onley’s office dressed as some of those favorite foods to launch a celebration of her 25th anniversary as president of the university.

Well, hey, I don’t know if even the Pope’s ever received that kind of a welcoming.

The guiding light at Holy Family [Inquirer]

Blogicized: Afternoon energy

• When 16-year-old pop/R&B stars go on tour: “His road manager insisted that energy drinks such as Red Bull and even sugary soda be kept out of his dressing room.” That Red Bull is a dangerous drink. [Inky]

• Whoo! Snark journalism is all the rage now; and it’s “still so new, it’s tough to pin down a definition” even though “perhaps it all began with Mark Twain.” Yeah, it’s tough to pin down a definition after 150 years. [Marketwatch]

• Hey! The Eagles might not cut T.O. and instead trade him. Why didn’t they think of this last summer?

• Police are looking for a 1990s maroon Ford truck with PA plated in the hit and run death of a Northeast Philly nun. I’ll check Hell. [Inky]

Quickies: Hunka hunka burnin’ love

• A man’s girlfriend left him after saying he spent too much time with his Elvis collection. And, so, he’s auctioning it off to win her back. Naturally, he lives in Philadelphia, hotbed of all things Elvis. [AP via CNN.com]

• Hey, know how you can cheat on your boy/girlfriend and even if he/she checks your cell for old calls you’re safe because you always delete the numbers of the calls you don’t want anyone to see? Well, no. Because now pretty much anyone can buy your phone records from the phone company. Oh, joy. [Chicago Sun-Times]

• Drexel’s new big study from a cognitive neuroscience professor: What’s up with yawning?

• And in the feel-good story of the day, a nun in Mayfair was hit by a car while crossing the street to attend 6:30 a.m. mass at St. Matt’s. (In a not-so-much-of-a-shocker, this is in Northeast Philly.) The driver didn’t stop. Who wants to bet he’s an ex-Catholic school kid with lots of bad memories? [KYW 3]

Allen Iverson, nun in off-court brawl

Today’s Daily News contains an item in Dan Gross’ column on Sixers star Allen Iverson. Seems that Iverson, who’s quite the gambler, was overpaid by about $10,000 by the dealer after winning a hand of poker. And, after the dealer recognized his mistake, Allen refused to give the money back. A shouting match ensued. (Iverson’s spokesman said A.I. gave the money back, and he didn’t know about any argument.)

While I’m a little confused about how a sports star being a dick is still a story in this town, Iverson’s quotes are great. First he tells Gross — who talked to Alley I after the Sixers’ win last night — to kiss his ass. Then he says to his spokesman: “Tell him to write the most devilish story he can write about me. If he says I did something, just tell him all those things are true. And say I hit somebody, too, and cursed at a nun.”

Well, well, well, Mr. Iverson. Looks like you’ve finally come clean on your nun-bashing ways. And not a moment too soon! That nun you hit was going to make you pay (sources tell me). I’d still be a little careful when traveling alone, though. Nuns can attack at any moment.

Dan Gross | A.I.’s casino confrontation [DN]