Copa Mundial 2k10 kicked off today in grand fashion, with host South Africa taking a point off of heavily favored Mexico. Tomorrow’s featured match (featured here, anyway) sees the US taking on an even more heavily favored England side that, despite having some of the best talent on the planet, has been lackluster in its pre-Cup tuneups. Of course, the
Read moreDid anybody catch this morning’s rec league match between the US and Australia? Easily the worst game between two World Cup qualifiers that I have ever seen. If the US plays this way once the tournament starts they not only won’t advance, they won’t take a point. England will beat them by 20.
Read morePart one of a series. The 20th season of Survivor, Heroes vs. Villains (or, if you prefer, Revenge vs. Redemption) is now in the books, and Sandra Diaz-Twine is the game’s first two-time champion. Many fans regarded HvV as one of the best seasons ever, if not the very best. I don’t believe I’ve ever written about Survivor before, but
Read moreThe 2010 World Cup begins on June 11 in Johannesburg, with host South Africa playing Mexico. The following day the US kicks off its campaign against mighty England. This is going to be an exciting tournament, and if the US plays to its capabilities it should advance out of group play. A lot of folks are already look past this
Read moreThe legendary Ernie Harwell, perhaps the greatest baseball announcer who ever lived, is dead at 92. Perhaps nothing ever written better encapsulates the sacred place of the national pastime in American life better than his 1995 essay, “A Game for All America,” in which he notes: Baseball? It’s just a game — as simple as a ball and a bat.
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You may have caught the story last week. Augusta National Chairman Billy Payne stomped the balls off Tiger Woods for … well, if you need to be told what for, then you probably don’t know who Tiger Woods is in the first place. Or Billy Payne. And you probably don’t know what the Master’s is, or where Augusta is, and
Read moreIn case you missed it, Eldrick Tont Woods, the world’s greatest golfer, has been up against some pressing PR issues of late. Pretty much nobody is arguing that he’s handled it well. Begin with the official record. While it’s not yet 100% clear what touched off the fateful events of November 27, 2009, everybody is denying that Elin was trying
Read moreSome folks on one of my sports lists have wandered into a discussion about memorable games. So as long as we’re talking about greatest games and stuff, I figured they needed to be reminded about the greatest hoops game ever played. Hell, maybe the greatest game ever payed in any sport anywhere. The 1974 ACC Tournament final between Maryland and
Read moreThe move is afoot to add pole-dancing to the Olympics. No, I’m not making that up, and no, I’m not talking about what happens every Saturday night in clubs all over Warsaw. If you’ve suffered through “athletic” competitions like synchronized swimming (Busby Berkeley choreography in water), curling (there’s a pregnant woman on the Canadian team) and ice dancing (really, wouldn’t
Read moreComplete this sentence: “When opportunity knocks, _________________.” I was pretty hard on Bode Miller after his no-show in Torino four years ago, about as hard as I’ve ever been on anyone who wasn’t in a position of political authority. Looking back, I don’t regret a word of it. He established himself as the archetype of American sports marketing, and his
Read moreFinally, after all these months, Eldrick Tont “Tiger” Woods is going to apologize. To you, to me, and to all the other people around the world that he cheated on. I know, I know, it’s not really his fault. He has an addiction. To cocktail waitresses (I think this is on page 486 of the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual V,
Read moreOkay, help me out here. Last night I was watching the Men’s Moguls competition from Vancouver. Absolutely fantastic fun, lots of drama, the thrill of victory, apeshit Canadians, etc. But this particular event, probably moreso than anything this side of parkour, drives me bonkers. (No, figure skating and synchronized swimming aren’t sports. Anytime you can trigger controversy because your tutu
Read moreOkay, help me out here. Last night I was watching the Men’s Moguls competition from Vancouver. Absolutely fantastic fun, lots of drama, the thrill of victory, apeshit Canadians, etc. But this particular event, probably moreso than anything this side of parkour, drives me bonkers. (No, figure skating and synchronized swimming aren’t sports. Anytime you can trigger controversy because your tutu
Read moreThere is no good way to die, especially when you’re only 21.
Read moreWe’re having a discussion on one of my sports lists about who’s the greatest this or that, etc. You know the debate – you’ve had it a million times yourself. Kobe’s name came up, as it tends to in these kinds of conversations. Here’s what I said: One of my top criteria for “greatest” in any hoops discussion (and most
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lullaby pit 