Sports briefs
Thousands mourn slain football coach
PARKERSBURG, Iowa — Thousands of mourners gathered Monday to remember a slain high school football coach as a man of faith who believed in leading by example.
Family, friends and former players packed into a church, community center and parking lot for the funeral for Ed Thomas, the 58-year-old longtime coach at Aplington-Parkersburg High School who was gunned down Wednesday in the school weight room.
Pastor Brad Zinnecker of First Congregational Church said the huge turnout was a testament to Thomas' faith.
"They recognized a man after God's own heart," Zinnecker said. "His personal life and public life were one and the same."
The number of mourners easily topped the roughly 1,800-person population of Parkersburg as people filled the church, watched a broadcast of the funeral in the community center and spilled into a parking lot to listen to the service.
Media coverage of the funeral was limited, with reporters banned from entering the buildings. However, a transcript of an audio recording of the service was released after the funeral.
In the transcript, Al Kerns, a longtime assistant coach, described the relationship Thomas had with members of the community.
"He only saw the best in all of us," he said. "He never said no when others asked of him, so other people could never say no to him."
Kerns, who has been named a co-coach for the team this fall, drew laughs when he described how Thomas would show his players how much he cared.
"If Ed loved you, he'd chew you out. More than once," Kerns said. "And he could make you feel this big, but there was love in every bit of it. And sometimes, we all needed that."
Red Bulls give Conway his wings
SECAUCUS, N.J. — Goalkeeper Jon Conway, suspended late last season by the MLS for using performance-enhancing drugs, has been released by the New York Red Bulls.
The Red Bulls made the move Monday after acquiring the rights to goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul from Colorado for allocation money and then signing him.
Conway was 1-7-1 with a 1.78 goals against average this season. Last year, the former Rutgers star started in a career-high 28 games, recording a 1.50 GAA and seven shutouts.
NFL ruling could rewrite antitrust laws
Comments
- Gators beat FSU again 8:35 p.m.
- Virginia Tech routs Virginia 8:33 p.m.
- Utah State football: Aggies beat... 8:32 p.m.
- Today on TV 8:28 p.m.
- Photo: The Gingerbread (Super)Man 8:24 p.m.
- Court may try youth as an adult 8:20 p.m.
- Missing Layton boy found 8:19 p.m.
- Magistrate wants looting trials set 8:18 p.m.
- Ways to help others in need 7:49 p.m.
- Woman delivers grandchild 7:49 p.m.
- Cave to be sealed with body inside
- Predicting the unpredictable: BYU wins
- Vegas, Poinsettia bowls or bust
- Glover gives Utes last-second upset
- BYU football: 5 keys to victory
- Cougars turn back Wildcats'
- Man trapped in Nutty Putty cave dies
- Running game key to BYU offense
- Woods, wife unavailable for interview
- Idaho woman dies after fall
- Cougars beat Utes, 26-23
195 - Thunder rolls by Jazz
136 - Letters: Rushing to judge Palin
134 - Man trapped in Nutty Putty cave dies
115 - Cave to be sealed with body inside
114 - Editorial: Poor welcome for Palin
113 - Letters: Trump card for believers
99 - Rivalry Week is highly profane
88 - Hall's legacy measured today
75 - Hate crimes against gays rose 11%
74
It's finally time for the game that everyone has been waiting for all...
Its finally here, the big game. No matter what the circumstances are, it...
Hey yoot fans that makes it 3 out of the last 4 BYU has won. Not surprised...
"BYU fans | 8:21 p.m. Nov. 28, 2009 can't talk thrash when your team have...
when is the airport rally to send BYU team to LV bowl?
The final play of the game points out the fine line between "hero" and...
Bringing up the 1984 national title every year when they cannot make the big...
Typical Yewt fans. All they have is the past and it is a very very very...
No way was WYnn better. Hall didn't have a good game, but he pulled it out...
BYU still owns the only college football title in the state of Utah. Keep...
Don't pull that garbage because I can say: National Championship...
Hate to tell you this, but whether you were at the Cotton Bowl or not, it...

You can be the first to comment on this story.