By Ray Hamill — Former Humboldt State star Alex Cappa continues to lead all NFC guards in fan voting for the Pro Bowl, with a little more than a week remaining to […]
barstoolfanatics
At the age of 10, having failed in his lifelong ambition to become a vigilante vampire werewolf – otherwise known as a vamp-wolf – Ray Hamill finally admitted defeat and turned his attention full-time to daydreaming instead.
A mere few decades later, the world of crime fighting’s loss is now the literary world’s gain.
Born in Dublin, Ireland, Ray moved to the United States after graduating college, spending time in Boston and San Francisco before settling among the redwoods in Northern California, where he has worked as a journalist for the past 20 years.
In that time he has published three books, including his most recent, Help, My Horse is Drowning!, a humorous look at the world of sports and the life of the enthusiastically delusional athlete in us all.
He previously published the outrageously satirical Free the Leprechauns! as well as the semi-autobiographical Help Me, Im Irish! - a book about the non-meaning of life.
Ray is also the host of a weekly sports talk radio show broadcast locally in Northern California on Blue Ox Community Radio, and a sports blog at barstoolfanatics.com.
Gutierrez part of a youth movement at New Mexico
By Ray Hamill — He’ll have to be patient, but Isaak Gutierrez may have joined the New Mexico Lobos at the perfect time. The former Eureka Logger transferred to the Division-I program […]
AD says Jacks are still looking for ways to compete in low-risk sports
By Ray Hamill — Speaking to local media on Friday morning Humboldt State Athletics Director Jane Teixeira said the Jacks were left “disappointed and saddened” by Thursday’s decision by the California Collegiate […]
LOCAL MMA SPOTLIGHT — Hoopa’s Hodge commits himself to the cage
This is the first in a series of stories focusing on the next generation of MMA talent here on the North Coast, as Humboldt Sports takes a closer look at some of […]
Former H-DNL stars tip off the new season in college
By Ray Hamill — Local sports may be shut down until the new year, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some local athletes to keep tabs on in the coming weeks. In […]
CCAA cancels sports for the year
By Ray Hamill — The California Collegiate Athletic Association announced on Thursday that all sports for the school year have been canceled because of concerns over COVID-19. The decision affects 10 teams […]
CIF issues statement on 2020/21 sports calendar
By Ray Hamill — The California Interscholastic Federation officially postponed the start of the 2020/21 sports calendar on Tuesday. In a press release announcing the decision, the CIF said it does not […]
Nelson debuts with Flagler, gets set to appear on ESPN Plus
By Ray Hamill — Former Arcata High and College of the Redwoods standout Thomas Nelson debuted with Flagler College this week, as he embarks on the next chapter in what has been […]
Final decision on CR sports expected by mid-December
By Ray Hamill — The College of the Redwoods athletics department is closing in on a final decision regarding each team and the upcoming sports calendar. Community college sports are tentatively scheduled […]
Former HSU star setting the pace in Pro Bowl voting
By Ray Hamill — Alex Cappa is clearly turning some heads this year. Midway through the voting for the 2021 NFL Pro Bowl, the former Humboldt State star is leading the way […]
Gutierrez to feature in primetime Thanksgiving matchup
By Ray Hamill — Isaak Gutierrez will be hoping to get his first Division-I college football win when the New Mexico Lobos take on Utah State in a primetime Thanksgiving matchup in […]
Loggers show huge improvements in virtual run
By Ray Hamill — The Loggers have no idea whether they’ll have a cross country season this year, but they’re certainly preparing as if they will. On Friday, many of the Eureka […]
Cosce suffers first pro defeat at UFC 255
By Ray Hamill — Louis Cosce suffered his first defeat as a pro fighter on Saturday afternoon, losing to Sasha Palatnikov in an entertaining welterweight showdown at UFC 255. Cosce became the […]
Humboldt’s history maker putting local MMA on the map
By Ray Hamill — If you want to watch Humboldt’s history maker on Saturday afternoon, here’s some advice for you — don’t be late. Let’s just say Louis Cosce has a habit […]
Where to watch Saturday’s big fight, and something viewers need to be aware of
By Ray Hamill — As Louis Cosce gets set for his big UFC debut on Saturday, local sports fans will be able to watch the action live on television and online. But […]
CR players named all-state scholar athletes
By Ray Hamill — A pair of former H-DNL volleyball standouts are succeeding in college on and off the court. On Friday, Arcata’s Kaylin Campbell and Del Norte’s Paula Mello, both now […]
Hoopa coach says Cosce brothers were born for the MMA stage
By Ray Hamill — Former Hoopa High wrestling coach Mike Lee knew before anyone else just how special Orion and Louis Cosce were. As the brothers’ long-time mentor, Lee coached the two […]
Orion Cosce expected back in the new year
By Ray Hamill — Orion Cosce’s trainer has described his injury as not severe enough to keep him sidelined too long and says he expects him back in the cage early in […]
Health officials need to realize not every sport is equal when it comes to COVID-19
By Ray Hamill — When it comes to COVID-19, not all sports are equal and they shouldn’t be treated as such. So while the H-DNL and the rest of California continue to […]
Another Big 5 star commits to play for the Owls
By Ray Hamill — A strong H-DNL to Oregon Tech connection in basketball just got a little stronger, with the news this week that another Big 5 standout is set to join […]