Mackey's spectacular tale won't reach ears of Outside sports fans

Anchorage Daily News ^ | March 16, 2007 | BETH BRAGG

[skeptoid]

Funny how Alaskans always manage to capture the nation's attention when they do or say something silly, but become invisible when they do something remarkable.

I'm talking about Lance Mackey and his storybook journey into sports history.

His back-to-back victories in the world's longest and gnarliest sled-dog races set a new standard for toughness in Alaska but barely registered a blip Outside.

About 18 hours after Mackey had crossed the finish line in Nome to add the Iditarod championship to the Yukon Quest title he won exactly four weeks earlier, I called ESPN Radio in Connecticut to ask if Mackey's feat had been reported on any of the network's many news reports.

It had not.

Here in Alaska, people are celebrating the team of wonderdogs that helped Mackey coin a new phrase -- Iditaquest champion -- and script a story every bit as compelling as anything the world of sports has served up in recent memory.

[skeptoid]

There is a LOT to this story. In 1978 Lance Mackey's father Dick won wearing #13 and his brother Rick won in 1983 wearing #13. They were both running their sixth Iditarod.
This week Lance won his sixth attempt of the Iditarod wearing #13.....against over 80 other dog teams.......just days after winning another 1000 mile race.

Bob Hallinen / Anchorage Daily News
Lance Mackey and his lead dogs Larry and Lippy under the burled arch
in Nome after winning the 2007 Iditarod Sled Dog Race on Tuesday March 13, 2007.

He's also a cancer survivor who amputated a finger to become more functional.

See the Anchorage Daily News iditarod 35 page and The Official Site of the Iditarod for MUCHO more info .

[MoralSense]

He's not a woman -- i.e., he's not Susan Butcher. ESPN-PC ain't interested. Too busy promoting the WNBA.

[ASOC]

WHat was the example used locally? Effort the same as mushing from Chicago to Salt LAke City in 25 days.

Loved the race this year, and given the conditions (80+ mph winds, temps to -40 and so on) this is indeed a real race on the last frontier.

But, March Madness trumps most everything......

[Alberta's Child]

His back-to-back victories in the world's longest and gnarliest sled-dog races set a new standard for toughness in Alaska but barely registered a blip Outside.

I understand this is a remarkable accomplishment, but he's got a long ways to go. Rick Swenson is a five-time winner of the Iditarod, and there are a number of four-time winners, too.

And Doug Swingley's 2002 victory was legendary -- as he ran his team through weather conditions that bogged down all of the other teams and crossed the finish line something like 7 or 8 hours ahead of his nearest competitor.

[cyclotic]

Lance Mackey's story gets more impressive every time I read it.

Because he lost his salivary glands to cancer, he has trouble swallowing food without water. So, because he was racing for the win, he barely ate for 219 miles.

[skeptoid]

All good points.
But the Lance's win has so many 'what are the odds' factors,....and is SUCH a 'Cinderella Story', I'm really surprised it hasn't had any significant national coverage.

Swenson and Swingley and Butcher and Riddles et al. are great stories, but this is NEWS that's not get the attention it deserves IMHO.
I keep remembering that this is his first win, but he beat 80-some other teams, and he raises his own dogs.

[Chena]

THANK YOU, SKEPTOID!!! I was reading the Anchorage newspaper online this morning and read Beth Bragg's excellent article. I passed it on to family and friends via e-mail, but also thought about posting it here too. I didn't though because I can't stick around the computer today to respond to comments.

BUMP!!

[Chena]

I understand this is a remarkable accomplishment, but he's got a long ways to go. Rick Swenson is a five-time winner of the Iditarod, and there are a number of four-time winners, too.

And Doug Swingley's 2002 victory was legendary -- as he ran his team through weather conditions that bogged down all of the other teams and crossed the finish line something like 7 or 8 hours ahead of his nearest competitor.

Yes, other mushers have won the Iditarod repeatedly. However, that isn't what makes Mackey's win so spectacular. This year he won the Yukon Quest AND the Iditarod, with the same team! Years ago the bank that used to sponsor the Iditarod offered a bonus/reward of $100,000 to any musher who could win both the Yukon Quest AND the Iditarod in the same year. That's how unlikely this was to happen. I am just overjoyed for Mackey's remarkable accomplishment!