Now, arguably, the most famous Critter Disrupting a Sporting Event in these parts is when Arizona Diamondbacks legend Randy Johnson obliterated a bird with a pitch during spring training in 2001. But this instance, from a soccer match in Switzerland, takes the cake.

From msnNOW:

A run-of-the-mill soccer match turned into a round of "catch the critter" on Sunday when a wild pine marten (a ferret-like little creature) invaded a Swiss soccer match. The wild animal streaked on to the pitch midway through the game between FC Thun and Zurich. Zurich player Loris Benito tackled and almost captured the marten, but it bit him on the finger and escaped again. It then shot up into the stands past spectators' feet and back on to the field, before it was finally removed from the stadium. But it turns out a marten bite is good luck: Zurich won the match 4-0.

Well, best wishes to you, Loris Benito. Just remember though, when you need to catch a furry critter, consider doing in a way as seen on Parks and Recreation: with a war cry and a bit of terror.

Know someone who is like the post office of bike commuting? Everyday, rain or shine? Nominate him or her for an award. Find out how.

Camping by bicycle with a toddler? It can be done.

The Tucson Festival of books is this weekend. Riding your bike is the best way to get there. Find out the best routes or ways to avoid the area if you aren't going.

Some of the fastest bike racers will be in Tucson this week. Get all the details so you can watch them race.

• Jim Nintzel

I don't consider myself the No. 1 authority on University of Arizona basketball — after all, I've never written a coffee table book on their most successful coach or anything like that — but I think after following the team for 19 seasons I've got a pretty good idea about the program's making.

And no, this is not one of the worst Wildcat teams of the past 25 years, as one very well-respected former colleague of mine purported this morning.

Arizona is ranked 18th in the country, and at 23-6 has a better record than all but about 25 of the 347 teams that play Division I basketball. Yes, the Wildcats have struggled this past month thanks to a frustrating blend of weak defense, inconsistent offense and an unset rotation of players that never seem to find a way to work well with each other.

But does that make them one of the worst UA teams (sans the transition teams of the late Lute Olson era) in recent memory? Probably not.

We really can't do such a comparison until the season is over, and frankly, everything hinges on the NCAA tournament, as it does every year. The 2010-2011 UA team wasn't considered anything special ... then it went on a killer run in March and nearly made the Final Four.

Michael Thompson is not flashy. He's not brash. He's not outspoken. He's just a guy that loves to play golf.

He's now also a PGA Tour champion.

The 27-year-old Rincon/University High School graduate won the Honda Classic tournament this afternoon in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., winning by one stroke over 7-time PGA winner Geoff Ogilvy.

Along with the win Thompson pockets a sweet $1,026,000 check, not to mention the distinction of being the first Tucsonan to win on the PGA Tour since 1996.

One of the most unemotional golfers out there, Thompson let it all out after sinking a 5-foot par on the 18th hole for the victory, throwing out a double fist pump before exhaling. The hole before, after nearly having a par putt lip out, he also gestured at the hole in a great impression of Happy Gilmore's 'are you too good for your home?!?!?!' rant.

Thompson's win gets him past several near misses in his career, most notably finishing tied for second in last year's U.S. Open in San Francisco.

Yes, this is a college town. Frankly, it's probably the biggest college town in America in that at times you'd think there's NOTHING ELSE to talk about other then 'our' Wildcats.

And sure, the University of Arizona's athletic program is among the best in the nation, so it's certainly deserving of the lions' share of fan and media attention.

Just as long as the locally bred non-Wildcat sports studs get their love when deserving.

For those who are blind to all things not decked out in cardinal-and-navy or with a giant A on it, here's some of the recent success stories you probably aren't aware of:

* Rincon/University HS grad Michael Thompson finds himself atop the leaderboard after finishing his second round of the Honda Classic today in Florida. Though there are still golfers out on the course who can catch him, the 27-year-old who also starred collegiately at Alabama appears in good position to win his first PGA Tour event and his first professional tournament since a Hooters Tour win in 2010.

Thompson has been here before, though, having led the U.S. Open in San Francisco last June only to struggle in the second and third rounds before ultimately finishing tied for 2nd.

* Ironwood Ridge High School graduate Alex Bowman is a rising superstar on the auto racing circuit. Just 19, he finished third last weekend in the Nationwide Series race at Daytona, Fla. Nationwide is the level just below NASCAR's Sprint Cup, and don't be surprised if Bowman gets to that level soon if he keeps up these kind of performances.

* Palo Verde HS grad Bryce Cotton is a big reason that Providence College is having it's best men's basketball season in three years. The 6-foot-1 junior point enters the final three games of the regular season leading the Big East Conference in scoring at 20.1 ppg. That's also good enough for 15th nationally among players from 347 Division I schools.

There are tons of these kinds of stories out there, you just have to look past the floating block A to find them ...

Are bike thefts on the rise in Tucson? It certainly seems so. Check out some data and maps about UA bike thefts.

One neighborhood takes it into their own hands to improve walking. Check out what they did on their own to make it happen.

So much for making it safer for cyclists. Check out the photo of a car blocking the safety improvement.

Yes, last night was rough, as Arizona lost to USC in Los Angeles, 89-78, and Thor registered his displeasure with a mighty thunderclap across the Tucson area.

However, it's important to look on the bright side of life. At least Arizona won't be wearing these seemingly Zubaz-inspired uniforms that Adidas is forcing upon Kansas, Louisville, Baylor and others during their respective conference championships.

Sean Miller, there is a chance your team will play UCLA while they are wearing uniforms designed in a power-lifter's fever dream. Show the players these jerseys (which mysteriously include sleeves) in advance, so they're not doubling over in laughter at tip-off. Knowing is half the battle.

• tucsonultimate.com
• For the love of the game!

If you're interested in getting your kids in on Ultimate, head to Mansfield Park at 2000 N. Fourth Ave. on Saturday, March 2 from 9 a.m. to noon for the clinic. However, if you can't make it, don't fret. Each league night opens up with a 20 minute mini-clinic to help kids refine their skills and learn more about the spirit of the game.

Registration for the league is $10. For more, head to TucsonUltimate.com.

Cyclist Tyler Wren was on a training with his teammates from cycling team Jamis-Hagens Berman Friday morning along Valencia Road when their ride was violently interrupted by a Tucson driver who ran Wren and a coach with the team off of the road.

VeloNews.com has Wren's account of the incident:

We departed for our ill-fated training ride on Friday at 10:00 a.m., headed out of town on Valencia Road, a common thoroughfare with a generous shoulder bounded by a white line. The 15-rider group was riding two-abreast in a long line, as far to the right as possible, in full accordance with Arizona traffic law. Our team’s strength and conditioning coach Todd Herriott and I were on the front, he on my left, closest to the passing traffic. Kinkade’s tan Oldsmobile Aurora suddenly and violently impacted Todd’s left side. He and I crashed hard on the front of the group as [accused attacker Thomas Kinkade Jr.] sped away. My teammates also reported that Mr. Kinkade was shouting obscenities at us during the attack through his open car window.

As Todd and I lay on the ground struggling to comprehend what had happened, my unscathed teammate Ben Jacques-Maynes sprinted past us in an impressive pursuit of the fleeing car. Ben did not manage to catch the perpetrator, but he swiftly came upon our team car, which was waiting for us at our next turn and breathlessly explained the situation to our sport director, Sebastian Alexandre. Sebastian quickly resumed the pursuit along with his serendipitous passenger, John Segesta, a professional photographer in possession of a DSLR camera with a telephoto lens. John photographed numerous cars and license plates before the pair returned to the scene of the crime for the team members to positively identify the driver and vehicle.

John nailed him — crystal clear in high-definition on his camera was a shot of Kinkade’s car and Arizona license plate. Mr. Kinkade underestimated the cohesiveness and capability of the Jamis squad. Ben and various teammates spread the word and the license plate number through social media, and within a couple hours an article appeared in the cycling press.

Read the rest of Wren's account at VeloNews.com—and for more, make sure to visit TucsonVelo.com to read Range contributor Michael McKisson's reporting of the events.

Alex Bowman, 20-year-old from Tucson, finished in third-place Saturday after avoiding two wrecks in the DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway.

Driving the #99 Florida Lottery Toyota Camry for RAB Racing, Saturday's finish was both RAB Racing and Bowman's highest at the speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.

A blog post on Bowman's website describes the two accidents the rookie was able to avoid:

Following a late-race caution, crew chief Chris Rice made the call for fuel only, which put the No. 99 in front of the 13-car accident which occurred on Lap 117. Bowman set up for the green-white-checker finish in the eighth position. As the field made its way to the start-finish line on the final lap, a violent wreck erupted. In an effort to avoid the incident, Bowman darted into the frontstretch grass. Though his Toyota Camry suffered extensive damage, Bowman completed the race in the third position.

“I just have to thank everybody at RAB Racing,” said Bowman. “They gave me a great Toyota Camry. It was awesome to have Florida Lottery and Windows 8 on the car, but I just hope all of the fans are okay. I saw the fence there and I’ve heard that there’s some fans injured and I’m just sorry for all of those fans out there. My prayers are with their family and themselves. I’m just ready to move on to Phoenix and go out there and race short track style and not have deal with the two-car tandem.”

The NASCAR Nationwide Series continues in Phoenix this Saturday.

Bowman will be at Precision Toyota, 700 W. Wetmore, for a meet-and-greet Wednesday, Feb. 27 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.