Thu. May 5, 2005
Complete Games
Complete nine-inning games by baseball pitchers used to be common until the 1970s, when relievers, closers and the like overtook the sport. So it's refreshing that someone still can accomplish the task, like Livan Hernandez did last evening. Washington's Hernandez Goes the Distance in L.A. [WashingtonPost.com].
All that's left is for the anal-compulsive baseball stat freaks to tell us how far the percentage of complete games has dropped in the past four decades. (MLB Powerhouse reports that the last of the top 5 career leaders in complete games, Walter Johnson, retired from the old Washington Senators in 1927. And Baseball Reference says that Hernandez led the majors last year with nine complete games, while Steve Carlton and Fergie Jenkins led in 1971-72 with 30 each season.) Anyone?
Wed. April 27, 2005
Poignant Luddites
Between them, both Tom Boswell and George Will sing poignant tunes about what they call the "timeless" rhythms of baseball. Read the two linked columns -- one about the new Washington Nationals, the other about 39-year old Atlanta Braves pitcher Greg Maddux -- and you'll see that these otherwise smart men are living in the past. As I've said before, these guys are "throwbacks to an idyllic agrarian American past that -- as anyone from the Midwest or the Great Plains knows -- never really existed in the first place."
George Calin was right! His hilarious comparison between baseball, our former national pastime, and football -- excerpted below -- "tells us something about ourselves and our values. And maybe how those values have changed over the last 150 years."
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe. "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
Sun. April 24, 2005
Barry Bonds Naked
Emotionally, that is. Dan Le Batard of the Miami Herald has a fascinating column in the April 11 issue of ESPN The Magazine. It observes that:
You'd be surprised how insecure superstars can be.
Unfortunately, the piece is not available on the Web. Non-subscribers will have to settle for this March 2005 column by Le Batard, which is almost as insightful. Bonds' Pain More than Physical [Herald.com].
Tue. April 5, 2005
Stop the 'Nats
It's only day two of the '05 baseball season and I am already sick of these luddite pundits who just can't stop talking (endless talking is really baseball epitomized) about the return of MLB and the "Nationals" to Washington, D.C. Like Tom Boswell of the Washington Post, who today described baseball lyrically as a game in which "[h]ours of incident simply set the stage for a handful of truly crucial confrontations."
Sorry, Tom, you are living in another century. Baseball is long stretches of absolutely nothing punctuated by a few, brief moments when almost everyone is looking the other way. The NFL is the official state religion of the United States. Baseball is for you, George Will and other throwbacks to an idyllic agrarian American past that -- as anyone from the Midwest or the Great Plains knows -- never really existed in the first place.
Mon. February 7, 2005
Swooning Under Pressure
Yesterday's SuperBowl 39 game was a very interesting football match, with most of the emphasis on opposing coaching schemes. But I think the game came down more to determination and will than anything else. The look in Donovan McNabb's eyes in the 3rd and 4th quarters -- when New England was pulling away decisively -- was of a lost soul. Then Philadelphia did not go into a hurry-up offense down 10 points with less than five minutes left in the game, and managed to run only one offensive play from scrimmage in the last 1:06.
As Mike Wilbon writes in A Case for All Time [washingtonpost.com] this morning:
I have grudgingly gained respect for the Eagles and McNabb this season. But their performance on Sunday stuck me as simple wilting under pressure. These guys get paid millions every year to deal with that pressure, so when they don't or can't it is very disapppointing. Not because the wrong team won, but because little boys and even many grown men look to these players as heroes. Everyone has a bad day once in a while, even champions, but not even to make it to the line is just a sad excuse for professionalism. The first rule to winning is showing up. Even Donovan's mom knows that.
Mon. January 10, 2005
The End of Brett?
In an article rightly titled Sunset on the Frozen Tundra?, Michael Wilbon todays asks:
I hope Wilbon's wrong and that Favre is not finished and does not retire. But if he does, I will feel especially happy that I got to watch Brett in person at Lambeau Field engineering one of his patented two-minute drill comebacks this season. See the photos. As I commented then, it was an almost religious experience.
Mon. January 3, 2005
The Barber of New York
The end of the NFL season for the New York Giants came last evening in The Meadowlands, as Eli Manning threw three touchdown passes and Tiki Barber scored a TD with just seconds left to cap an exciting comback win. That's a good note on which to finish a miserable football season for a 6-10 team that lost 8 straight games.
But it's also the feel good story of the year, since Barber broke franchise records for most career rushing yards and most rushing yards in a season on the game's final play. Especially because Barber was lambasted last year for fumbling -- something he did only once in 2004 -- and thought by many to be too small to be an every-down running back in the NFL, this must be especially rewarding for him. "This is fitting," said Giants' coach Tom Coughlin, who celebrated the TD with a fist pump that spun him 180 degrees. "He made up his mind that despite all the things that were being said about him, his skills were still there. He's been a great inspiration to his teammates."
Mon. December 13, 2004
This Guy's Amazing
If you haven't followed the exploits of Bode Miller on this year's ski racing World Cup tour, you should. Miller is only completely re-writing the record books with six wins in the first 10 world cup races and in all four disciplines -- something only two other skiers (and no Americans) have ever accomplished. As veteran Swiss racer Didier Cuche told Sports Illustrated, "Bode will dominate now. He's making everything look so easy, no trouble at all. . . . In world skiing, for sure it's Miller time."
Sun. December 5, 2004
All Good Things Must End
Alas. I spent today geared up to watch the Green Bay Packers take on the high-flying Eagles, having won six straight, and my Giants with their rookie QB Eli Manning. And all that happened was that the Pack was hammered and the Giants got blown away by the lowly Redskins. A good day to be a football fan, but just not for these teams!
Mon. November 15, 2004
Favre For President
This weekend my family and I traveled to the shrine of NFL football -- Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin -- to see already legendary quarterback Brett Favre lead the Packers to yet another last-minute victory. Rescue Act [Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel]. It was quite an experience. Our view of the stadium (pre-game) is below, and more photos are posted on my Multimedia Pages. Go Pack Go!
Update: Those folks in Wisconsin really know how to drink beer. Perhaps as a result, their reputation for niceness and orderly behavior may be a bit of a myth, because 14 people were arrested and 29 ejected during the game.
Mon. November 1, 2004
Blaming the Officials
It's appropriate that the Washington Post column by Mike Wise reporting on Sunday's loss by the Redskins -- now with a paltry 2-5 record seven games after the return of of legendary coach Joe Gibbs -- is named after this blog. Fear and Loathing in Landover [washingtonpost.com]. That's because I simply cannot stand the whining, mercurial fans that populate FedEx Field, with their constant booing of quarterbacks, fervent conviction that the Skins are cheated out of winning only by the officials, The Washington Redskins have been a bad football team for the last 10 years! The gonzo faithful who battle through the interminable traffic to take in the games cannot admit that because it would make their whole religious infatuation with this team transparently quixotic.
Mike Wilbon remarks that:
That's not right. This city has thrown more all-star QBs out of town than any other place in the NFL, at last three of which -- Stan Humphries, Brad Johnson and Trent Green -- have proven their worth by leading teams elsewhere to glory (and twice to the SuperBowl itsellf). In the just over 10-year season period starting with Norv Turner's 1994 coaching debut, the Redskins have used 16 different starting quarterbacks (actually, 23 in total, counting mid-season substitutions and roster reversals) playing for five different head coaches. Read 'em and weep:
- John Friesz
- Heath Shuler
- Gus Frerottte
- Jeff Hostetler
- Trent Green
- Brad Johnson
- Rodney Peete
- Jeff George
- Tony Banks
- Kent Graham
- Shane Matthews
- Danny Wuerffel
- Patrick Ramsay
- Tim Hasselback
- Mark Brunnell
Oh, and in the game itself this weekend, Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers played masterfully in the first half, softly dropping two long passes -- a skinny post and a go route -- into the arms of his sprinting wideouts right in front of our seats at the 20 yard line. In his first, and perhaps only appearance in DC, Brett showed why he is a lock for the Hall of Fame.
Thu. October 28, 2004
From Cursed to First
Even I was cheering for this feel-good story at the end of the World Series last night. Sox Wrap a Season for the Ages [MLB.com].
Thu. October 21, 2004
Munch Munch
That's the sound of this blogger eating his words. The Boston Red Sox just completed the most amazing comeback in professional sports history. Down 3-0 and only an inning away from a sweep, this team of self-proclaimed "idiots" won four in a row against the Yankees and made the fearsome pinstripe closer, Mariano Rivera, look almost human. As Boston first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz said, "We've been playing Game 7 since Game 4." Are the ghosts of 1946, 1967, 1975, 1986 and 2003 (not to mention 1978) -- all seventh or deciding game collapses -- gone? Is the Curse of the Bambino finally broken after 80+ years? Stay tuned......
Wed. October 20, 2004
All the Marbles
With even desultory baseball fans, like yours truly, captivated by the Yankees-Red Sox ALCS series -- and being sleep-deprived at work as a result -- the stage is set for an historic game 7 tonight. Problem is, the Yankees juggernaut is looking anemic. As Harvey Araton writes in the Times:
Finishing Off the Red Sox Becomes the Yankees' Achilles' Heel [NYTimes.com]. So it's off to the Bronx and let's win there!
Mon. October 18, 2004
Red Sox Nation
Eric Wilbur of the Boston Globe and all of Beantown are in a collective state of disbelief -- or is it belief? -- this morning after an improbable Red Sox comeback in the wee hours. A 12th inning walk-off home run, coming after five hours of baseball at 1:30 a.m., lifted the "Sawx" to a victory over the Yankees and avoided a sweep in the American League Championship series. Aces Wild as Momentum Shifts [Boston.com].
But now the Red Sox nation is taking hope just a little too far. Wilbur writes this morning:
Sorry, Charlie. No one has ever done it before in baseball, and these "idiot" Sox are not going to be the first ones. They're just playing out the string.
Wed. October 13, 2004
Who's Your Daddy?
Gotta love it. New Yorkers serenaded Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez with chants of "Who's Your Daddy?" as the former phenom posted another loss at Yankee Stadium. Red Sox Are Yet Again Barking Up Wrong Tree [NYTimes.com]. The guy's a basket case, with an ERA of about 6.0 against the Bombers and a history of explosive outbursts -- exactly one year ago today -- against 72-year old opposing coaches. The Yankees are in his head, and the Sawx are going down once again. 1918!!
Sun. October 3, 2004
Silverstone No More at 54
Bernie Ecclestone, impresario of Formula One, has had the audacity to drop the British Grand Prix at venerable Silverstone from the Grand Prix calendar for the 2005 season. Weep for the British Grand Prix [GrandPrix.com]. Nigel Mansell called this move "an absolute disgrace."
I agree wholeheartedly. Silverstone was the home of the very first F1 world championship race in 1950 and has been the scene of some of the most famous races of all time. Ecclestone says that the race could still be restored to the schedule if the British Racing Drivers Club, owner of the circuit. can come up with an extra £1.5m. Just another slick, money-grabbing move by Bernie with complete disregard for the history and traditions of the sport.
Wed. September 29, 2004
No Bandwagon for '04
Tony Kornheiser, Washington Post sports columnist and co-host of EPSN's "Pardon the Interruption," used to write all the time in the 1980s about the Redskin's "Bandwagon." Well, those days are long gone, and it's quite apparent -- because Tony says so -- that the return of mythic coach Joe Gibbs is not going to change things any time quickly. The Wheels Are Falling Off The Bandwagon [washingtonpost.com],
With charachteristic wit, Kornheiser asks, "What's going to happen first, Gibbs beating Parcells, or Conan O'Brien taking over 'The Tonight Show'?" Well, Jay Leno is set at NBC until 2009. You tell 'em, Tony. This Bandwagon isn't even a Cooper Mini and it's dead on the side of the road without gas.
Sun. September 26, 2004
Fantasy is Reality
I have been playing fantasy football for more than 20 years, since long before the days of computerization and the Internet. Well, today I caught up with technology, following the Hungry Homers -- the fantasy team my son and I operate in an NFL-sanctioned fantasy league -- with Web-based, real-time scoring while watching all the games on DirecTV's NFL Sunday Ticket.
Way cool. Oh, the Homers lost by 16 points when our opponent scored four TDs in the late games. "On any given Sunday" is as true in fantasy-land as it is in real life.
Sun. September 19, 2004
Same As the Old 'Skins
Every year the Washington Redskins vow they will become winners again, and every year the New York Giants beat them handily in an early-season game. Positive Start Is Wiped Out By Turnovers, Sloppy Play [washingtonpost.com]. Last year the 'Skins blamed it on officiating, now on turnovers for a 20-14 loss to the G-Men at the Meadowlands.
They always manage a lot of excuses, just no too many Ws. Conversely, as USA Today says, former MVP Kurt Warner, brought in to play quarterback until rookie Eli Manning is deemed ready, showed he still has good football left in him, completing 22 of 33 passes for 232 yards with no interceptions and a pretty 38-yard TD. Go Giants!!
Thu. September 16, 2004
Icing the Money
This is idiotic. The National Hockey League owners have "locked out" the players -- and will likely suspend or cancel the entire hockey season -- because management and the players union cannot agree on salary cost controls. Two Sides Prepared for Long Lockout [USAToday.com]. These NHL players now make an average of about $2 million per year, with the highest paid (Jaomir Jagr) at $11M yearly. Basketball and football have both prospered economically with a salary cap, while baseball -- the only other major US professional sport without cost controls and which has had a recent, almost-disasterous labor stoppage -- is in real financial trouble.
But baseball at least once was the "national pastime." The NHL never was in the America and hockey just cannot recover, at least not in its present form, from another work suspension. Ted Montgomery puts it best, writing that "a compelling case can be made that this lockout was premeditated and heavily orchestrated by both sides. That shows an alarming lack of concern for the average hockey fan. It smacks of a fan-be-damned attitude that won't soon be forgotten by those who pay the exorbitant ticket prices to indulge their passion for hockey."
I am one of those who paid those exorbitant prices and have no intention of doing so again until sanity is restored to this sport.
Mon. September 13, 2004
Opening Day
Twelve years after he last roamed the sidelines for the Washington Redskins, Joe Gibbs directed a group of modern-day players to a grinding, 16-10 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers yesterday before a franchise home record crowd of 90,098 at FedEx Field. For Redskins, That Old Feeling [washingtonpost.com]. In the NFL opener for both teams, the coach who stunningly retired in 1993 won his first regular season game since his return to football as the Redskins overcame a disastrous third-quarter turnover, their own offensive liabilities and a Buccaneers defense that gave up 291 yards but only one touchdown.
Here in DC, the pundits are boasting of the return of "smash mouth" football and an attacking (not read-and-react) defense. That's all well and good, but I was at this game, and the Redskins were lucky to win. They should have been up by several touchdowns, but failed to put the ball into the end zone. If you take away Clinton Portis' first run from scrimmage (a 60-plus yard TD), there's not much left except a great sack on the last play of the game to keep the Bucs out of field goal range.
It's been the same 12 years since the Redkins were a good football team. With or without Coach Gibbs, the wait continues.
Thu. September 9, 2004
Thursday Night Madness
Tonight starts the 2004 National Football League professional football season -- America's true national religion. (No offense intended to the faithful, it's just that millions more people watch and attend the NFL on Sunday mornings in this country than church.) Now is not the time, however, to reflect on football's place in society or the NFL's shizophrenic relationship to sex and beer. Instead, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots have won 15 straight games and play in the season opener tonight against Peyton Manning and the Colts. Are you ready for some football?
Update: The Patriots won 27-24 in a tremendous game, with the Colts turning over the ball twice inside the 5-yard line, including a devastating end zone fiumble with less than 1 minute to play.
Thu. September 2, 2004
Morons of Eagle County
So the local Colorado prosecutors have dropped their rape case against Kobe Bryant, saying the victim -- who has filed a civil lawsuit for damages -- does not want to testify. But the reality is these guys botched up the case from the start and then hid evidence from their forencic pathologist that the victim's injuries were inconsistent with forced sexual assault. Case Promised Only Defeat, Disgrace[MSNBC.com].
In the end, our system of justice put a rich, superstar public figure athlete under the media spotlight display for a year, forced him to spend millions of dollars in legal fees, and possibly ruined his reputation, on a case that never should have been brought in the first place. And because the criminal investigation and suit were overseen by a bunch of Keystone Cop proscutors, they ended up trashing Bryant's rights so badly that they eventually just gave up. Something's wrong with this picture.
Sat. August 28, 2004
No "I" in Team
Now that the U.S. men's Olympic basketball team has lost three games, poorly -- when America had won the gold medal in almost every Olympics and had not lost even a single game since NBA players first qualified in 1992 -- the dirty secret is out. They just can't play the game. Basically, It's Fundamentals [washingtonpost.com]. From basketball's inclusion in the Olympics in 1936 until this summer, the United States had won every gold medal save three -- in 1972, in a controversial loss to the Soviet Union, 1980, the year of the boycott, and 1988, in Seoul.
That's now well and truly over. As yesterday's Argentinian winner summarized:
That emphasis on individual talent and endorsement deals has turned NBA players into a morass of poor shooting and inept passing, punctuated by an occasional highlight-reel dunk. Even NBA commissioner David Stern agrees, saying "We have a great, great team here," but adding, "I shouldn't say that. We have 12 great basketball players."
And it's not a question of race. American's won't cheer for this team because it is not a team, rather a loose collection of overpaid, pampered one-on-one players. As Mike Wilbon cogently observes, Americans:
The NBA likes to ask if "you've got game." The real question is, does the team have skill. This sad assemblage of trash-talking U.S. basketball jammers is neither skilled nor a team.
Thu. August 26, 2004
Sportsmanship or Incompetence?
Once again, the Olympics have been tainted by a judging scandal. Paul Hamm, who won the gold medal in the men's all-around gymnastics competition with an inspiring comeback after falling during a vaulting routine, is now being pressured to give back the medal. Hamm Asked to Give Gold Medal to Korean Rival [Guardian Unlimited]. It is clear that the judges screwed up, incorrectly calculating the score of a Korean gymnast, giving him the bronze. But the Korean team waited 48 hours before protesting, and the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) refused to change the scoring, since their rules have no provisions to alter results once completed.
Case closed. Or one would think. Today, that same FIG body wrote to the US Olympic Committee, saying that returning the medal voluntarily "would be recognised as the ultimate demonstration of fair play by the whole world." Well, they make the rules, and everyone knows them. Do we change a SuperBowl result if the head coach doesn't ask for a replay? No. Do we change a World Series if the umpire blows a disputed third-strike call? No. I think the USOC response was perfectly appropriate, calling the request to give back Hamm's gold medal "improper, outrageous and so far beyond the bounds of what is acceptable that it refuses to transmit the letter to Mr Hamm." Peter Uberroth, USOC chairman, rightly said that the whole affair "reflects the International Federation's own incompetence." And then FIG president Bruno Grandi, who wrote the letter, was quoted as replying:
What a bunch of inconsistent boobs. Now, even worse is that during this mini-firestorm, no one seems to be focusing on the real tragedy in the gymnastics competition. Russian Alexsei Nemov, winner of 12 Olympic medals (4 gold, 2 silver and 6 bronze) over the years, had been shut out in Athens so far and steeled himself to perform perhaps the most spectacular high-bar routine in history -- what television commentators called "phenomenal," "unreal" and "a very special Olympics moment" -- that included a total of six release moves (more than any other competitor). But the judges gave him a mark of just 9.725, below all the other athletes, so obviously warped that the crowd loudly jeered for 10 minutes, forcing the IOC to intervene and orchestrate a correction. But even then, the score was adjusted so little (.037) that Nemov still finished out of the medals.
Nemov didn't protest, but instead rose to ask the crowd to quiet down, clasping his hands in tribute. A truly class act. That one finger to the lips by the Russian did more to illustrate the real meaning of sportsmanship than the transparently disingenuous morality of the FIG. Nemov was followed by Hamm, who amazingly performed extremely well with the crowd still jeering and whistling, and got a silver medal. He lost the gold under an arcane tie-breaker system after sharing the top score with an Italian gymnast. Hamm didn't protest. And the still-complaining Korean athlete? He folded under the pressure, botching his single release move, breaking the routine and stumbling badly on his dismount. This from someone who claims he should be considered the best all-around gymnast in the world! As the NBC color analysts observed, "Hamm has never messed up a high bar routine that badly in his life."
Champions and sportsmen don't complain. They perform in real-time and accept the results. Hamm and Nemov epitomize that ideal, which should be the Olympic ideal as well. It's the incomptent judges and the sporting bureaucrats who are diminishing sportsmanship here with their bumbling. And the Korean team wants to change the rules after the game has been played. Nemov and Hamm should be treasured, not criticized, and the Koreans can go fuck themselves.
Thu. August 19, 2004
Hyping Phelps
Swimmer Michael Phelps didn't hype himself -- the media did. Phelps never claimed he would break Spitz's record of seven gold medals, but he's got four already. The 19-year old has proven to be a tremendous athlete and, more importantly, a great sportsman.
As former IM olympian Tom Dolan writes in Sports Illustrated:
Phelps Has Far Exceeded Expectations [SI.com ]. Right on, Tom. The gracious, unassuming attitude of this athlete, coupled with his unfailing drive to win and non-ostentatious patriotism, is a fine antidote to the lazy professional dolts currently populating the US basketball team.
Mon. August 16, 2004
Pampered, Gutless and Second-Rate
This is why I have stopped watching professional basketball in the U.S. With yesterday's trouncing of the American Olympic basketball team by Puerto Rico -- which led by as much as 21 points in the fourth quarther -- the inherent weakness of a game in which players try only for slam dunks and ESPN highlights was glaringly obvious for the world to see. Mike Wilbon calls it "the end of an era," saying that:
Well said, Mike. The latest incarnation of the so-called Dream Team (and actually, this one is neither) got just what it deserved. They can't even shoot a 12-foot pull-up jumper, and the best 3-point shooter on the team was 47th in the NBA. A simple zone defense did them in, easily, from the start. It was sad, but oddly gratifying to watch. Nothing is going to change today's sports culture that celebrates these pampered, overpaid athletes, but yesterday revealed the vacuousness of their limited skills in stark detail.
Sat. August 14, 2004
Your Mission, Mr. Phelps
As the 2004 Athens Olympic games opened amid relief that the construction was finally finished and extremely tight security measures, the athletes at long last got started. And the right way, if you ask me. With swimmer Michael Phelps winning the 400 IM -- his first stab at eclipsing the record seven gold medals earned by Mark Spitz in 1972 -- the games are looking good, I think. They are also the first Olympics with every event covered on television, which should make for some very late nights!
Thu. July 29, 2004
Saving Himself From the NFL
The announcement by Ricky Williams, 27 year-old running back for the Miami Dolphins, that he is retiring after just five years in the National Football League took a lot of observers by surprise. It used to be that players only retired early if, like the legendary Gayle Sayers of the 1960s Bears, their careers were cut short by devastating injuries.
But today's players make so much money and work so hard, year-round, on the game, that I suspect they're suffering from burn-out. They don't need to play. And as Skip Bayless writes
Frankly, who can legitimately complain about a young man, already a multi-millionaire, who walks away from a game that leaves even Hall of Fame running backs basically crippled for life? "Selfish," yes, but also brave and smart, because in the long run Williams himself is the only friend he's going to have when the going gets tough. So if Ricky doesn't watch his own back (or hips or knees, as the case may be), no one else will.
Tue. July 27, 2004
Throws Like a Girl
It's just hard to understand what John Kerry is thinking sometimes. He detours his plane to watch the Red Sox play the Yankees at Fenway Park on Sunday night, and then volunteers to throw the ceremonial first pitch. But instead of doing so from the box seats, he takes to the pitcher's mound and bounces the ball off the ground, never making it all the way.
Most people don't know Kerry had shoulder surgery (rotator cuff) on his right arm a few months back, so they will conclude -- as did the folks at ESPN's Pardon The Interruption -- that Kerry just "throws like a girl." That's a terrible way for a politician to introduce himself to the American public. (Of course, the vast right-wing conspiracy has long believed that Kerry throws like a girl, witness this excerpt from a GMA interview about his throwing war medals 30 years ago.)
Is Kerry really like the "girlie men" the Governator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is in trouble for mocking in California? Probably not, but the photo op makes him look like one. Just plain stupid.
Thu. July 22, 2004
The New Cannibal
If you have not watched the Tour de France this year, featuring Lance Armstrong riding for his sixth consecutive win, you are missing a special moment in sports history. I Am Not the New Cannibal, Says Armstrong [Reuters.com]. The scene of Lance, starting last, snaking up the massively crowded, narrow, people-lined switchbacks of l'Alpe d'Huez yesterday was absolutely amazing. And his life story (cancer survivor, dating Sheryl Crow, etc.) is equally inspiring.
Tue. July 6, 2004
Coach K's Principles
Mike Krzyzewski shocked the pundits, or at least some of them, by turning down the L.A. Lakers' offer of a head coaching position to stay at Duke University in North Carolina, a program he has taken to the Final Four more than any other college over the past two decades. Better The Devils You Know [washingtonpost.com]. It's a rare man today who foresakes money to in favor of principles and love. Coach K is a real gem!!
Sun. July 4, 2004
Blood, Sweat and Gears
The Tour de France has started once again. It's a spectacle, an epic sports event and a social happening in France, and if you follow just a few days on cable's Outdoor Life Network you'll become hooked. So hop on, peddle like mad and enjoy these tremendously strong fellows biking around at an amazing 30+ miles per hour. Then have your domestique (support rider) send up a little musette (snack in a cloth bag) and you'll be able to settle in for all 23 days and 2,000 km [ESPN Glossary].
Sun. June 27, 2004
The IRL's Delusion
My son, wife and I went to Richmond this Saturday evening to watch the IndyCar race, won by Briton Dan Wheldon, who performed some fine doughnuts right in front of us after taking the checkered flag. It certainly was a nice change to be a racing spectator in the cool evening instead of a hot, humid afternoon.
But, as usual, the whimpy stewards ruined the race by putting the yellow caution lights on with four laps left -- because one car ran of of gas -- instead of racing under green to the finish. So even though Tony George is running the Indy Racing League as a show instead of a sport, he can't even get the show right. Just like the Indy 500, which has dropped like a stone in the past decade due to George's mismanagement, the IRL is a case of arrested development.
Sun. June 20, 2004
The Golden Goosen
On a Shinnecock Hills golf course with conditions so difficult that the average score was a lofty 78.8 and no one broke par on the final round, South African Retief Goosen won the US Open by two strokes with 11 one-putt holes in the final round. Retief Reaches Summit [Newsday.com]. Now everyone -- including Tiger Woods, who was never in contention and played as poorly as anyone on the course -- is criticizing the USGA, saying they made it too hard to play. But every player was on the same course, so it was equally hard for everyone.
These guys make millions every year for hitting a little ball around in the sunshine. Suck it up and play the game. That's what Goosen did, while competitors like Phil Mickelson (double bogey on the 17th hole with a three-putt) folded all around him. I say the guy plainly deserves his victory and the others are just cry babies.
Thu. June 10, 2004
Lightning Strikes
Tampa Bay won the Stanley Cup earlier this week with a stirring, emotional Game 7 win over Calgary, in which an embattled, injured Russian (Ruslan Fedetenko) scored the winning goal. Even more interesting is how the Lightning's cool coach, John Tortorella, motivated his troops to play in the biggest game of their careers.
So the answer to the most intense pressure an adult athlete can ever face is to play like a kid. "Cocoon" in real life. A neat, and obviously effective, idea.
Sun. June 6, 2004
Triple Frown
Smarty Jones came into yesterday's running of the Belmont Stakes a 2-5 favorite, but left as yet another casualty of one of sport's most difficult tasks. The almost super horse who set a record winning the Preakness three weeks ago was caught in the last 100 yards of the long stretch run, disappointing millions of fans, but showing a lot of heart. As sportwriter Tim Price explains:
It all came down to the last 1/4 mile, which Smarty Jones ran in 27 seconds. That's about 4 seconds slower than every other segment of the race. Had this one been a mile and a quarter, like the Derby, it would have been a rout. Instead, Smarty smply ran out of gas. A great race, just a disappointing ending.
Tue. June 1, 2004
Demise of the NHL
The National Hockey League "is in deep trouble and professional ice hockey is in danger of becoming a second-tier sport in much of North America." [FT.com]. This is really too bad, as last night's Game 4 of the Stanley Cup championships was fantastic. Tampa Bay won 1-0 in a hard hitting, tightly fought contest marked by spectacular goaltending and frequent changes in momentum. 
(Of course, the Calgary Flames complain they lost due to bad officiating.) But it's sort of like baseball in the 1970s, when pitching duels ruled. I say "lower the mound" to rejuvinate offenses, add a salary cap and revenue sharing, and make the NHL more like the NFL. But then again, I'm just a lowly fan and (former) season ticket holder.
Tue. May 18, 2004
Horse Racing Sentimentality
The amazing 12-length victory by Smarty Jones in The Preakness on Saturday has prompted Tony Kornheiser, of Pardon the Interruption fame, to lament about the good old days -- now gone forever -- when baseball, boxing and horse racing were the top American sports. Needed: One-Horse Power [washingtonpost.com].
Tony, you're getting really old if you're nostalgic about the 1940s and '50s. I think we're all much better off with the NFL, NBA, auto racing and the other sports that have surged in the past 40 years -- and yes, that includes NHL hockey!! Far more exciting, far less riddled with scandal and you don't have lots of old men wandering around trying to win that one, last big bet.
Yeah, it's nice to have an actual Triple Crown contender, one who has put in a performance rivaling Secretariat from 1973, but the old days are old because they're gone. Get over it.
Tue. May 4, 2004
Go Bolts!
One year ago the Tampa Bay Lightning were advancing in the Stanley Cup playoffs over the Washington Caps and I was screaming "hit the midget" against the Lightning's shortest player -- now the NHL scoring champion -- Martin St. Louis. This year the Lightning have won 8 of 9 playoff games (including a sweep of the proud Canadiens) and will enjoy a break of 10 days before they start the Eastern Conference championship series against either Philadelphia or Toronto. Oh, and I am cheering for them, big time!!
Mon. April 26, 2004
A Giant Mess
On Saturday the New York Giants orchestrated a real coup in the NFL draft -- one of "the strangest events in NFL draft history" -- trading up for Eli Manning of Mississippi, rated as perhaps the best quarterback prospect to come out of college in the past decade. Then today they told Kerri Collins to take a hike. [Newsday.com].
Collins led the Giants as far as they could go with him, which, it ought to be remembered, was as far as the franchise had been in a long, long time. He is the only QB to have taken all the snaps for any NFL team over three+ seasons and produced some of the best passing stats in the Giants history. (Collins is second on the team's career list in completions (1,447) and third in attempts (2,473) and passing yards (16,875). He is fifth with 81 touchdown passes. He led the Giants to the 2000 NFC Championship, to the team's first SuperBowl in more than 10 years, and a 2002 NFC Wild Card Playoff slot. He started 67 consecutive games, two shy of Fran Tarkenton's team record, before an ankle injury forced him to miss the final three games of the 2003 season.)
With this record, Collins deserves better than he's gotten from the Giants. And Eli needs a year or two of seasoning, like any rookie QB, before he can possibly take the reins. As good as the bold move for Manning was, releasing Collins is a bad omen.
Now the real problem is the salary cap. As Mark Maske explains in the Washington Post:
So watch out, Giant fans, it looks like a rocky start to 2004 already.
Mon. April 12, 2004
Take That, Monkey!
In the feel-good story of the season, golfer Phil Mickelson shot a 31 on the back nine at Augusta National and sank a 20-foot birdie putt on the last hole to win the Masters. Leftie Mickelson had become almost a caricature of himself over the past few seasons, marked by 10 years of exasperatingly close -- but never winning -- finishes in golf's major championships. But yesterday the smile on his face never wavered and it was a look of peace, presence and confidence which he brought with him down the 18th fairway, along with five birdies in the last seven holes. Ernie Ells, who has won three majors and whose two magnificent eagles paced the afternoon, properly said that "Phil deserved this one. He won it. He didn't lose it like some of his other ones."
Way to go, Phil. Yours truly has never been a fan, but even I was cheering for you yesterday.
Mon. March 15, 2004
Rebuild On Someone Else's Dime
Having spent a month trading nearly nearly every veteran player on their roster, the Washington Capitals now face the challenge of embarking on a "rebuilding" phase led by a bunch of minor-leaguers and teenagers. Wrong Turns, Long Road Back [washingtonpost.com]. This may have been a good financial decision for a franchise that was losing $20 million per season, but it makes no sense for someone like me who was paying top dollar for season tickets. There's no way I can justify $100+ per ticket for 42 home games when the talent isn't there and the team is mired in the cellar, next-to-last in the National Hockey League.
And things are just not going to improve any time soon.
Well, they should have thought about what the team will look like before they scattered it to the wind. You've lost my business, Ted. Of course, I told you that a year ago. And if you keep peddling a second-rate product played by a bunch of rank amateurs, there's going to be a line following me out the doors of MCI Center -- forever.
Wed. March 10, 2004
Never-Ending Violence and the NHL
The National Hockey League has temporarily suspended Vancouver's Todd Bertuzzi for his unprovoked "retribution" attack on a Colorado Avalanche player that left the opponent with a concussion and broken neck, lying face down on the ice in a pool of his own blood. Sickening. Ghastly. But sadly, totally consistent with the culture of needless violence that has become embedded in the NHL for decades.
I played hockey in school and remain a fan. But this reminds me of the sort of stick-fighting rampages that I would have hoped had been rooted out back in the 1960s. They haven't, and the sport is poorer as a result.
AP sports columnist Tim Dalhberg writes:
Perish the thought, but I suspect he's right.
Thu. February 19, 2004
Liquidation Sale In Washington
I have ranted before in this space about the tremdously stupid moves made by the Washington Capitols and their supposedly fan-friendly owner Ted Leonsis. Well, yesterday the Caps traded their all-time leading scorer Petere Bondra. It's not just that he leads all NHL players in hat tricks over the past 8 seasons, or that he has spent his entire career with the team, or that by the end of the season Bondra would have played more games in a Caps uniform than anyone else. No, it's that Leonisis got only a 20-year old minor leaguer and a future draft pick -- nothing -- in return for a real star.
Mike Wilbon comments that Bondra cried when he heard the news of what Wilbon termed the "liquidation sale" going on in DC. He also cogently points out -- as I personally told Leonsis last Spring -- why my 5th row season tickets to the Caps will not be renewed next year.
Goodbye, Bonzai. Pleasant travels.
Mon. February 16, 2004
Ups and Downs
This has got to be the feel good sports story of the year. John Daly, who surged into prominence in 1991 by winning the U.S. Open as a professional golf rookie, has had more than his share of troubles over the years. Well-publicized bouts with alcoholism, breakdowns televised to the entire world, three failed marriages and nary a PGA win in sight for nearly a decade. Life always had a way of bringing out the best and the worst in Daly. At times it was hard to tell which was which.
Well, big John battled his demons over the weekend to win the Buick Invitation at Torrey Pines in San Diego in a playoff. Daly's Career Gets Jump-Start at Buick [washingtonpost.com] He then broke down in tears and hugged his caddy. He may be a jerk a lot of the time, but Daly is a tremendously empathetic figure given all he has been through and his connection to common people. Way to go, John!
Tue. February 3, 2004
A Little Nipple
Shaun Powell's commentary from Newsday about the Janet Jackson "wardrobe malfunction" is right on.
The NFL consciously wanted to bring in a more "youthful" audience by catering to the MTV crowd. Now they're backing away full speed, but can't dispute that they tried to have it both ways. Moral -- sex sells, even in football.
The Breast Superbowl Ever
After Sunday's brilliant Superbowl game, all anyone wanted to talk about Monday was the half-time show, in which Justin Timerblake ripped off part of Janet Jackson's leather bodice. The NFL, CBS and even the FCC all expressed their "shock" and "outrage." But this is nothing compared to the stuff shown on television every day, especially in music videos. Drop the Outrage, Bra-Play Was Blasé [TheStar.com]. What is it about two seconds of skin that has everyone so worked up? Personally, I found the repreated ads for erectile dysfunction drugs -- including one warning about the dangers of a four-hour erection -- much more tasteless and inappropriate.
Sun. February 1, 2004
Net Clutter
There's a ton of great content available on the Internet, but it seems Superbowl.com (run by the NFL, of course) is not one of them. Generally a bunch of repurposed blather and programs for the half-time entertainment, massively cluttered with a whole slew of sponsor banners, logos, polls, aninated GIFs and the like. Anyone give a spit about the football game anymore? For the record, I am picking the Patriots by 10 and think it should be an excellent contest.
Thu. January 29, 2004
The Fighting Owners
So after Ted Leonsis traded Jaromir Jagr, he caught the Caps first home game and promptly beat the crap out of a 20-year old fan who started a cheer that rhymes with "shucks." The NHL has fined Ted and suspended him for a week, and both sides are now playing nice. Leonsis Suspended One Week, Caps Fined $100K [FOXSports.com].
Gee, I have flamed Leonsis in this blog, even generating a response from the man himself. Does that mean Ted is now going to come after me? Well, at least he would be picking on someone his own age. As our Pres said, "Bring him on"!!
Sun. January 25, 2004
Goodbye Jags
When the Capitals finally traded Jaromir Jagr to the Rangers Friday, it was as if a veil of honesty finally dropped down on the team. For months ownership and management had denied any intention to make major changes to team chemistry. But at the same time they were actively looking for some way to "escape" Jagr's $11 million per year salary, just dumping costs no matter what. [canada.com].
Well the "no matter what" is about to come home to roost. Without Jagr, the Caps have no star power and little scoring ability. Their defense and goaltending are already horrid. So Ted Leonsis' plan is apparently that if a team is losing games and money, it should lop off its good players to go with cheap, inexperienced youngsters and lose some more games. This is a shambles. Jagr's acquisition was designed to put Washington on the map and get the Caps to the "next level." But Ted & Co. never did anything else and left Jags virtually alone. For most of the time, Jagr played his heart out as a leader. At the end, you could see he did not care anymore. Of course, neither did Ted or the Caps, so who can really blame him?
Mon. January 19, 2004
Philly Fans
I usually disagree with Washington Post sports columnist Tom Boswell, but today he hit it right on the mark with his remarks about the fans at yesterday's Philadelphia Eagles/Carolina Panthers NFC Championship game. The spectators at Lincoln Financial Field, Boswell observed:
Early in the season, with the Eagles off to an 0-2 start, the fans called their team the "Stink at the Linc." Now I am not in any way an Eagles fan, but this attitude is disgusting. Combined with local parochialism that is unmatched in any NFL city -- so bad that visiting fans are often threatened with bodily harm just for showing up -- and you have a combination of the two worst charecteristics in sports. Drunken, unruly fans who hate their own team only slightly less than the visitors.
After surviving Rush Limbaugh's offensive September comments, Donvan McNabb deserved better. But he plays in Philadelphia, so he's stuck with what he's got. Which is not enough to keep him there. Of course, big players win big games, and McNabb's Eagles have now lost three straight conference championship games. Remember Danny White? Despite his talent, leadership and toughness, McNabb is now in that same class. Philly's fans are jaundiced, but they may actually be right, too!!
Wed. January 14, 2004
Packers' Depression
With Midwest football fans still reeling from the Packer's sudden-death overtime loss to the Eagles Sunday -- punctuated by their failure to go for it on 4th and 1 with just over two minutes left in regulation, coupled with a tremendous Donovan McNabb completion on 4th and 26 for the Eagles -- therapists there say folks are suffering from "dysphoria," a form of "depression that can interrupt normal eating and sleeping patterns." Great. Now we can all blame the blues on the NFL. Let's sue Brett Favre!!
Mon. January 12, 2004
Nobody's Coming
After the Washington Capitals scored a rare victory (and even rarer shutout) last night, the Edmonton Sun observed that "only the lowly Penguins have a worse record than the Caps, but Pittsburgh is incompetent for half the cost of the Caps' $50-million payroll." Outspoken Caps owner Ted Leonsis, who is in "the fifth year of what was supposed to be a five-year plan to build a champion," admits it's not going to happen, and is eternally grateful to the 12,000 fans who still show up for the games. "I'm amazed anybody is coming,'' he said.
Tue. January 6, 2004
Screwing Around In China
The Chinese ping pong team has bounced two of its members for romantic activities. Not because of any concern about sexual harassment or molestation, but rather because the Chinese olympic committee thinks its athletes have only "a few years to train and compete [and] cannot spend it too much on dating." [IHT.com].
You gotta love a country that is so NOT politically correct and that boots folks screwing in the closet not because of how it looks but because of how it affects actual work. (And of course all of this is trivial in comparison to the ping pong sex shows performed in Thailand.) Now if they could only do the same for those college students standing in front of tanks in Tiananmen Square.
Mon. January 5, 2004
Overtime History
The Green Bay Packers' overtime victory over the Seattle Seahawks represents one of the better playoff games in NFL history. It was one of only five overtime games decided by something other than a field goal and the first-ever decided by a defensive TD -- this time an interception return by the Packers' Al Harris, dredlocks and all. The Packers' Defense Lets Brett Favre Watch This Ending. Coming on the heels of the 2002 season, in which Green Bay lost a playoff game for the first time ever at home at Lambeau Field, this win may be just what the doctor ordered for Favre and company.
Wed. December 31, 2003
The Danny Does It Again
When Steve Spurrier resigned yesterday as head coach of the NFL's Washington Redskins, many thought it was inevitable. I find it simply amazing that Spurrier left town with his tail between his legs, promising to come back for a third year on his five-season $25 million deal, and did not have the decency to announce his own resignation to the fans or the media. As Tony Kornheiser -- one of Spurrier's leading cheerleaders -- observed, "He's gone. He lost and he quit. He couldn't quit fast enough. He got in the sun for a couple of rounds and that was it. And it sure seems like he lied about his intentions recently."
Even more amazing is that Daniel Snyder, the team's owner, doesn't seem to care. Walking out on $15 million is the strongest indictment yet of working with the demanding and meddlesome Snyder. Spurrier's replacement will be the fifth head coach since Snyder bought the team in 1999. Spurrier's 32 games was also a record for longevity under Snyder. As Jon Saraceno writes in USAToday.com, "Snyder is like the tattooed freak at the circus -- everyone's laughing, and he doesn't seem to know or care. He goes through coaches the way Pamela Anderson goes through rock stars."
Mon. December 22, 2003
Kissing Cute
So Joe Namath apparently said on the air yesterday, during a sideline interview with ESPN's Suzy Kolber, that he'd like to kiss her. That has led to some great headlines this mornning, like this one from the Indianapolis Star. Ex-Jets Great Namath's Sideline Pass is Incomplete. Could have been the drinks, since he seems to have been at least a little smashed, but if Broadway Joe thinks Suzie's cute, maybe she really does deserve a second look!!
Thu. December 18, 2003
PC-Culture Storm Troopers
Those witty folks over at The Onion have done a parody of all the PSAs about responsible drinking that fill the airwaves this time of year. It starts with this one and gets better from there.
It's good to know that not everyone in this country there has lost a sense of humor in this homogenized, PC-laden era. I mean, in the Washington Post yesterday Michael Wilbon lambasted a professional sports coach (Matt Millen of Detroit) for calling an opposing player (Johnny Morton of Kansas City) -- one who had burned his team repeatedly -- a "faggot" publicly. Well, well, queer eye for the media guys, it seems. Let people be people. It's an insult but not a slur; wasn't even a comment on "sexual orientation." This is getting ridiculous.
A Stand-Up Guy To the End
Jim Fassel, head coach of the New York Giants for the past seven seasons, has always been a class act. His best known bit was the 2000 mid-season playoff "guarantee" that carried the team to the Super Bowl. And his buck-stops-here attitude made him a rehreshing alternative to the bland media double-talk of most NFL coaches.
The Giants Fassel inherited in 1997 were an awful, aimless team with a losing attitude and a divided locker room. The defensive players resented the team's hapless offensive unit, the league's worst. The quarterback (Dave Brown) was hopeless. But by the dawn of this season, Fassel not only had mended the internals rifts but also helped turn the Giants' offense into the best in the league, one to be feared. With Fassel's guidance, Kerry Collins, plucked off the scrapheap in 1999, had developed into a first-rate NFL quarterback. The team was one game away from the NFC Championship last year, with only an errant field-goal snap to blame.
It may be a little hard to recall today, but back in August the Giants were considered the league's hottest young team, with a charismatic new star in Jeremy Shockey. Now mired at 4-10, losers of six straight, the Giants are a mess again. So Fassel fired himself, announcing yesterday he would not be back next season as coach, sparing the team further turmoil and once again showing his penchant for straight talk.
The Giants have no cheerleaders and don't use fancy jumbotron displays or rock music to jazz up fans. They are straight football. Fassel may not have taken the Giants to the promised land, but his classiness was perfect for the team and will be missed.
Wed. December 10, 2003
Caps Can Cassidy
Today the NHL's Washington Capitals fired second-year coach Bruce (Butch) Cassidy, who had led the team to the worst record in the league. [USAToday.com]. It's too little, too late, in my view. Caps owner Ted Leonsis -- of AOL fame -- knew going in to this season that he needed to get some real players to work with superstar Jaromir Jagr and generate speed for the offense. But instead what he and general manager George McPhee did was cut or trade all the veteran defensemen and sign some promising but very raw 19-year old rookie forwards. That's lead to the Caps giving up the most goals, usually falling behind in the first period. The rest is inevitable.
So this season's debacle was in the cards month ago. Cassidy is just a patsy. The Capitals should trade Ted Leonsis.
Sun. November 16, 2003
Roid Rage
So four NFL players have been linked to the new "designer" steriod THG, according to CBS News. But, in contrast, 5-7% of baseball players tested positive for steriods in anonymous tests administered during the 2003 season. Judge for yourself which game is cleaner. I think the answer is clearly football.
Mon. October 13, 2003
Intensity and Idiocy
Saturday night's Yankees-Red Sox game was marred by a riveting yet unnecessary bench-clearing "almost brawl" -- no one actually fought -- that ended in 72-year old Don Zimmer being pushed to the ground after he launched a swing at Boston pitcher Pedro Martinez. Adding to the Lore of a Classic Rivalry [sfgate.com] It's all anyone can talk about. But it started without anyone getting beaned and was bumped into retaliation mode when Boston's Manny Ramirez got upset about a pitch that missed him by a mile.
So, the only thing all this shows is that emotions run high in the playoffs and that hotheads will get riled up over nothing. Intense? Yes. Smart? No. Former Yankees slugger Reggie Jackson paid Pedro Martinez a compliment. Sort of. "He's a Hall of Famer," Jackson said before Game 4 of the American League Championship Series Monday night. "He should act like one."
Fri. October 10, 2003
This is So Sad
Last year's amazing NHL second-year All Star Danny Heatley faces a possible 15+ years in prison for vehicular homicide after teammate Dan Snyder was killed when Heatley's Ferrari crashed into a tree late at night. Thrashers Say Farewell to Snyder [The Globe and Mail]. Even more poignant, though, is this account of today's Ontario funeral for 25-year old Snyder.
Heatley still faces surgery on his knee and nine months of rehab. What a tragedy on so many levels. David Vecsey of Sports Illustrated writes that last year he smiled and said "It's good to be Danny Heatley." Not any more. Heatley will have to live with this forever, whether or not he comes back -- and especially if he does -- to play hockey again. His life sentence has just begun.
Wed. October 8, 2003
Defying the Curse?
Acording to the Boston Globe, the Red Sox are different now in that they aren't fatalistic about losing constantly to the New York Yankees for more than 85 years:
Well, defiance does not win championships, Beantown. Boston wasted Pedro Martinez in coming back against the A's from an 0-2 hole, so their pitching will not be at its best. And while the head-to-head season series between the two teams was basically a wash, the Yankees once again played well down the stretch and have dominated -- despite a few hiccups -- in the post-season. So long, Sox, the Curse of the Bambino will strike again.
Sat. October 4, 2003
Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid
The New York Yankees face the Minnesota Twins in Minneapolis today with baseball's American League divisional playoff series tied 1-1. Roger Clemens starts in his last season, having notched 310 wins under his belt in a storied 20-year career. But the Twins and their "homer hankies" of 2002 are still a hot and talented team. So, yes, Bombers fans, it's time to worry, just a little.
Mon. September 29, 2003
Six World Championships
Ferrari's Michael Schumacher is about to accomplish what, for Formula One motor racing fans, was once -- and for many still is -- the unthinkable. By winning yesterday's U.S. Grand Prix at Indianapolis, Schumacher needs only one point in the season's last race at Suzuka in Japan to walk away with his 6th World Championship title (and fourth in a row). [BBCSport.com].
The legendary Juan Manuel Fangio won five championships in the 1950s. Passing Fangio will make Schumacher literally a legend in his own time. Herald Sun: Schu on Brink of History [30sep03].
Sun. September 21, 2003
Excuse Me
The Giants' 24-21 overtime win over the Washington Redskins this afternoon (which I attended) was more than just "A Kick in the Teeth," as the Washington Post headlines this morning. It showed the Redskin devotees for the whining, myopic fanatics they truly are. Complaining about penalties when each Giant touchdown drive was "pure," not aided by the schlock roughing-the-passer (2) and pass interference and defensive holding (4) calls the refs threw the Skins' way. Forgetting that the Skins -- benefitting from those same calls -- gave up two golden red zone opportunities in the first quarter, set up by some brilliant kick returns, to come away only with 3 points. For instance, Post columnist Tom Boswell writes:
"Grotesque" only if you ignore that the Giants made three length-of-the field drives (74, 80 and 57 yards) beginning about 8 minutes into the game, burned the Skins premiere CB Champ Bailey on a superb TD to Amani Toomer, and played with confidence in all aspects of their offense. The game was over at halftime; the Skins did not so much "storm" back as manage a lucky 2-point conversion coupled with some more referee interference on wacko false start penalities and the like. As NFL.com notes, "They rallied only because the Giants started returning the favor, committing 11 of their 15 penalties after halftime."
Read it and weep, Redskins faithful. A short glimpse of glory at 2-0 is followed by a hard dose of reality. The end of the season started at FedEx Field today.
Tue. September 16, 2003
Magic Tuna
On the Monday Night Football stage, Bill Parcells led the Dallas Cowboys to an overtime victory against the Giants, with whom Coach Parcells won 2 Superbowls. A wonderful (albeit very late) game, in which the young Cowboys easily could have given up. But they persevered and pulled a win out of what looked like sure defeat -- 11 seconds remaning and down by a field goal. As Mike Celizic observes for MSNBC:
Change the culture, change the mindset. Ah yes, the Tuna is a Magic Man!!
Posted by glenn at 09:55 AM
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