Monday, June 23, 2008
Leitch Weighs In On McIntyre Thing
If this is the last "epic-ish" post that Will Lietch will write as the lead editor of Deadspin, it is an ideal one. Please read.
Monday 06/23 A.M. Quickie:
ESPNFL, NBA Draft, MLB HR Heroes, More
Am I the first to "Brangelin-ize" the rumored partnership network between ESPN and the NFL taking over ESPN Classic as "ESPNFL?"
Whatever. The catchy nickname isn't nearly as big of a deal as the story itself, which could dramatically shake up the sports TV landscape -- even more in ESPN's direction, obviously. Even though it broke Saturday morning, I led today's Sporting News column with it.
Aside from ESPN Classic (or whatever they would call it) getting those 8 Thursday/Sunday game, it's still sketchy how this would work: Would they just replace ESPN Classic with NFL Network? Would it remain NFL Network but be funneled through ESPN? Is it just a business partnership? Would NFL Network replace ESPN's NFL coverage? (Unlikely!)
Anyway, it's pretty interesting. But I have bigger things on my mind this week... like the NBA Draft, my favorite pro sports event of the year. It's hard to break through the rumors, but occasionally, you see a little detail that would tip you off that a team might go for one guy over another.
(For example, when I was reminded that DeAndre Jordan played at Texas A&M for Mark Turgeon, who is a Kansas guy from the Brown era at KU, I immediately recognized that Larry Brown would probably try to draft him; it helps that Charlotte could use the extra size.)
So I'm totally intrigued by the Heat potentially giving up on Michael Beasley to slide down to say, No. 4. Here's the thing: Pat Riley seems to love OJ Mayo, but it looks more and more like OJ Mayo will be picked by the star-barren T'wolves at No. 3, leaving the Heat with...who, exactly?
And then there's this idea that the Sonics move up to No. 2: Can you imagine Beasley and Durant in the same lineup? I love that experiment.
Meanwhile, a good friend of mine is a huge Nuggets fan, and when I told him I thought the team was crazy to reject a Melo for Billups-and-Prince deal, he reminded me that Billups and AI, while a sick and complementary backcourt, are both old; you'd have to win NOW or never.
I'm slightly obsessed with Brandon Jennings and his potential to go from prep-to-pro, avoiding college but exiled from the NBA for at least another year. Why the NBA doesn't embrace him and make him the star of the D-League is beyond me; I guess they don't want to encourage the best high school players to skip that farcical one year of college to develop their skills under the eye of pro coaches. What a mistake. More on that later, if I remain outraged enough.
MLB: You cannot understand (or, actually, you probably can guess at) the level of conflict I feel over my loathing of the Red Sox and my enthusiasm for Kevin Youkilis. (Let's not even get into my longstanding man-crush on Theo Epstein.) More names to know: Teixeira, Dempster, Duscherer, Gaston.
If you haven't seen the video of the late George Carlin's routine about football and baseball -- and it should be all over sports blog world today -- you should. You can find it at the end of today's Sporting News column.
More later. Draft stuff. A small warning shot across the sports-blog landscape. Maybe more on Jennings. It's a new week, and I'm slightly fired up.
-- D.S.
Whatever. The catchy nickname isn't nearly as big of a deal as the story itself, which could dramatically shake up the sports TV landscape -- even more in ESPN's direction, obviously. Even though it broke Saturday morning, I led today's Sporting News column with it.
Aside from ESPN Classic (or whatever they would call it) getting those 8 Thursday/Sunday game, it's still sketchy how this would work: Would they just replace ESPN Classic with NFL Network? Would it remain NFL Network but be funneled through ESPN? Is it just a business partnership? Would NFL Network replace ESPN's NFL coverage? (Unlikely!)
Anyway, it's pretty interesting. But I have bigger things on my mind this week... like the NBA Draft, my favorite pro sports event of the year. It's hard to break through the rumors, but occasionally, you see a little detail that would tip you off that a team might go for one guy over another.
(For example, when I was reminded that DeAndre Jordan played at Texas A&M for Mark Turgeon, who is a Kansas guy from the Brown era at KU, I immediately recognized that Larry Brown would probably try to draft him; it helps that Charlotte could use the extra size.)
So I'm totally intrigued by the Heat potentially giving up on Michael Beasley to slide down to say, No. 4. Here's the thing: Pat Riley seems to love OJ Mayo, but it looks more and more like OJ Mayo will be picked by the star-barren T'wolves at No. 3, leaving the Heat with...who, exactly?
And then there's this idea that the Sonics move up to No. 2: Can you imagine Beasley and Durant in the same lineup? I love that experiment.
Meanwhile, a good friend of mine is a huge Nuggets fan, and when I told him I thought the team was crazy to reject a Melo for Billups-and-Prince deal, he reminded me that Billups and AI, while a sick and complementary backcourt, are both old; you'd have to win NOW or never.
I'm slightly obsessed with Brandon Jennings and his potential to go from prep-to-pro, avoiding college but exiled from the NBA for at least another year. Why the NBA doesn't embrace him and make him the star of the D-League is beyond me; I guess they don't want to encourage the best high school players to skip that farcical one year of college to develop their skills under the eye of pro coaches. What a mistake. More on that later, if I remain outraged enough.
MLB: You cannot understand (or, actually, you probably can guess at) the level of conflict I feel over my loathing of the Red Sox and my enthusiasm for Kevin Youkilis. (Let's not even get into my longstanding man-crush on Theo Epstein.) More names to know: Teixeira, Dempster, Duscherer, Gaston.
If you haven't seen the video of the late George Carlin's routine about football and baseball -- and it should be all over sports blog world today -- you should. You can find it at the end of today's Sporting News column.
More later. Draft stuff. A small warning shot across the sports-blog landscape. Maybe more on Jennings. It's a new week, and I'm slightly fired up.
-- D.S.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Baseball Cards
Looking through an old old box of baseball cards my dad hadn't thrown away from the house I grew up in (circa 1980 Topps). Among other notable nostalgia it elicited, here's an observation: With rare exception, the three-headed "Future Stars" card was just the absolute kiss of death on the player fulfilling the card's promises. Just a batch of duds...remarkable. - D.S.
Saturday 06/21 (Very) Quickie
Is the NFL partnering with ESPN to turn ESPN Classic into a place for NFL, including the coveted Thusday/Saturday games?! Wow. (H/T: WSJ and my guy Sam Schechner)
Story of the weekend, by far.
Online.wsj.com/at_leisure/sports
Meanwhile, Aramis Ramirez and (of all people) Kyle Lohse as MLB studs.
And Turkey!
-- D.S.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Friday, June 20, 2008
Friday 06/20 A.M. Quickie:
Tiger, KG, Joba, Rays, Barkley, More
As compelling storylines go, I didn't think that anything could top KG and the Celtics winning the NBA title this week -- then Tiger happened. I wouldn't want to compare them, but we will probably look back and recognize both stories as two of the Top 3 of 2008. Maybe Top 5. We'll see. That's the gist of the lead of today's Sporting News column, which also...
Totally reverses course on Joba...
Stays on the Rays bandwagon...
Continues to get ready for the NBA draft...
Rips Charles Barkley on gambling (again)...
Rips the NBA age limit, as compared to the NHL (again)...
Declares my Euro 08 knockout-round rooting interest as Holland...
Laments the demise of Blog Show...
And generally gets ready for the weekend.
There's a lot more, as usual. Check it out here.
I'll be posting over the weekend, as usual.
-- D.S.
Totally reverses course on Joba...
Stays on the Rays bandwagon...
Continues to get ready for the NBA draft...
Rips Charles Barkley on gambling (again)...
Rips the NBA age limit, as compared to the NHL (again)...
Declares my Euro 08 knockout-round rooting interest as Holland...
Laments the demise of Blog Show...
And generally gets ready for the weekend.
There's a lot more, as usual. Check it out here.
I'll be posting over the weekend, as usual.
-- D.S.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Sports Bloggers vs. MSM, Part Infinity
This was attempting to be even-handed, but more than anything it was overly simplistic -- not to mention creating something where there really isn't.
(Let's just clarify: By extensively quoting Simmons, Adam Reilly actually frames the debate as newspaper vs. online, not MSM vs. bloggers. Bill isn't a blogger; never has been. Rick Reilly was just being a douchebag when he called him that, revealing his own ignorance about various forms of sports media and their leading practioners.)
What I should have done was give this the FireJoeMorgan treatment. Maybe later.
-- D.S.
UPDATE: Do you know why I love sports blogs? Because Fire Joe Morgan just DID give this column their treatment. Here you go.
(Let's just clarify: By extensively quoting Simmons, Adam Reilly actually frames the debate as newspaper vs. online, not MSM vs. bloggers. Bill isn't a blogger; never has been. Rick Reilly was just being a douchebag when he called him that, revealing his own ignorance about various forms of sports media and their leading practioners.)
What I should have done was give this the FireJoeMorgan treatment. Maybe later.
-- D.S.
UPDATE: Do you know why I love sports blogs? Because Fire Joe Morgan just DID give this column their treatment. Here you go.
Thursday 06/19 A.M. Quickie:
Tiger, A-Rod, NBA Draft, Michigan, More
Sorry for the delay today. Tiger's absence obliterates golf's relevancy. Brett Favre is so obviously coming back to the NFL. A-Rod is the new Marcus Thames. Michael Beasley is the linchpin of the NBA Draft. Michigan stopped Northwestern signal-stealing. I got something wrong yesterday (big surprise there). But if it's 2:30 already, you should have already seen the column earlier this morning, right? RIGHT?! -- D.S.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Tiger Woods Done For the Year
Wow: Kind of makes his US Open win that much more impressive, doesn't it?
Golf is in trouble. Fundamental national irrelevance for the remainder of '08.
-- D.S.
Golf is in trouble. Fundamental national irrelevance for the remainder of '08.
-- D.S.
Wednesday 06/18 A.M. Quickie:
Yes, Yes, the Celtics Rule. Sigh.
I may not be a fan of the Celtics or their fans, but I can appreciate a great champion when I see one -- particularly one that wins a close-out game by a record 39.
I feel good for KG. I feel less good (but still good) for Pierce and Allen. You can see just how good I feel about them in today's Sporting News column.
What I am mostly struck by is the turnaround, perhaps the most dramatic in sports history. Credit Danny Ainge for pulling it off.
I have said for a while that anything less than an NBA title for this Celtics team would be a failure. That set them up to merely MEET expectations -- never exceed them.
But I think that, in this case, meeting the expectations -- given how massive they were -- is amazing in and of itself.
Meanwhile, Marcus Thames. It's not the 5 straight games with a HR. It's the fact that his last 8 hits have all been HR. THAT is the ludicrous part.
Michael Beasley is "only" 6-7 and I contend that will be enough for Pat Riley -- who never liked Beasley anyway -- to take OJ Mayo ahead of him. We'll see.
There is a ton more in today's SN column, so check it out here. It's a getaway day for me, but I will try to have another post later.
-- D.S.
I feel good for KG. I feel less good (but still good) for Pierce and Allen. You can see just how good I feel about them in today's Sporting News column.
What I am mostly struck by is the turnaround, perhaps the most dramatic in sports history. Credit Danny Ainge for pulling it off.
I have said for a while that anything less than an NBA title for this Celtics team would be a failure. That set them up to merely MEET expectations -- never exceed them.
But I think that, in this case, meeting the expectations -- given how massive they were -- is amazing in and of itself.
Meanwhile, Marcus Thames. It's not the 5 straight games with a HR. It's the fact that his last 8 hits have all been HR. THAT is the ludicrous part.
Michael Beasley is "only" 6-7 and I contend that will be enough for Pat Riley -- who never liked Beasley anyway -- to take OJ Mayo ahead of him. We'll see.
There is a ton more in today's SN column, so check it out here. It's a getaway day for me, but I will try to have another post later.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
NBA Draft 1998: 10 Years Later?
About 8 job lives ago, I was a columnist and editor for SI.com. I was looking up something else via Google and ran across something: Look at this NBA draft superlatives list I did in 1998. Check out the insanely dated references! The wince-inducing wordplay! (I can't believe I actually correctly predicted that Paul Pierce would be the king of the draft class.) Cripes, has it really been 10 years? I'm so freaking old. -- D.S.
Tuesday 06/17 A.M. Quickie:
Mets, Tiger, Rocco, Hank, NBA Draft
Stories that break overnight are fun, because when I file my column -- whether it was the Quickie or like today in my SN column -- I was among the first with an opinion. (Now, whether that opinion is worthwhile or not is another story...)
With Willie Randolph getting axed -- strangely, after a road win against a division-leading AL team -- you just got the sense that the moment typified the maddening mediocrity.
What should have been a big win instead merely put the Mets one game UNDER .500, with their season just shy of 70 games complete. Was Willie about to turn it around?
Obviously, the Wilpons thought he wasn't. Not sure why they took him on the road trip, though, because this feels like it was a done-deal.
Meanwhile, the opposite effect is in play for Tiger: With the epic 19-hold playoff over by 5, the topic was beaten into the ground by this morning.
"Tiger is awesome."
"Best Tiger major win ever."
"Who else stopped working?"
Even David Brooks used the event as column-fodder in today's NY Times (always interesting when non-sports columnists dive into sports, even if Tiger transcends sports at this point).
I am actually far more fascinated with Rocco. (It's just "Rocco" now, by the way.) It is possible to lose the match -- the major -- and win the day. In Rocco's case, the fame from taking Tiger to the edge should more than make up for the missed major.
Meanwhile, in MLB, Hank Steinbrenner hates the NL pitcher-bats rule. Given that Wang is out until September, I don't blame him, but his frustration is misplaced. Yeah, they're going to change the rule, just for you, Hank.
The NBA Draft was notable more for who dropped out than who stayed in: UNC's trio of players (Lawson, Ellington and Green) went back to Chapel Hill, making UNC the overwhelming No. 1 team next season. Of course, look at all the good that did them at this past Final Four.
There's a bunch more in the column, of course. Here is a link to the main column page, but you'll have to click through to see the whole thing.
-- D.S.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Monday 06/16 A.M. Quickie:
Tiger, Lakers, Griffey, Tigers, More
Tiger Woods is ridiculous, and we should all thank him for the workday diversion today, beginning at noon and running all afternoon. It's like the first two days of the NCAA Tournament: Take a long lunch at the nearest sports bar.
Tiger bumps the NBA Finals as the lead of today's Sporting News column -- as he should. Meanwhile...
I can't believe that Celtics fans would be sweating losing Game 5; given the history in the NBA Finals at work -- no team has ever come back from being down 3-1, no road team has ever won both Games 6 and 7 -- there is little to worry about (except the karmic boomerang from the 2004 ALCS, obviously).
I would love to see Ken Griffey on the Rays, but not at the expense of Tampa's best young arms... Willie Randolph may not make it back to NYC after the Mets' road trip... Can the Tigers have too-little-too-late on June 15?
In case you missed it this weekend, a tribute to Ralph Wiley on the (near-) anniversary of his death four years ago, plus -- yes -- I need to clarify my argument from earlier in the weekend that I would rather lose in the playoffs with Arenas (maximizing my entertainment value for an entire season) than lose in the playoffs without him (without the extra six months of Gilbertainment). I mean: As long as I'm losing in the playoffs anyway...
(That's really all I was saying. I'm not saying I don't want to win an NBA championship; I'm saying that no matter WHO the Wizards would get to build around if they let Gilbert go -- being reasonable here -- they will almost certainly not be winning an NBA title. If they had pulled off that rumored preseason trade for Kobe, it would have been interesting. But, let's face it: Not nearly as entertaining.)
Anyway, there's a ton more in the column today. Check it out here. (It should be up by 8:30 or 9, and you'll have to click through my main archive page to get to the full version.)
-- D.S.
Tiger bumps the NBA Finals as the lead of today's Sporting News column -- as he should. Meanwhile...
I can't believe that Celtics fans would be sweating losing Game 5; given the history in the NBA Finals at work -- no team has ever come back from being down 3-1, no road team has ever won both Games 6 and 7 -- there is little to worry about (except the karmic boomerang from the 2004 ALCS, obviously).
I would love to see Ken Griffey on the Rays, but not at the expense of Tampa's best young arms... Willie Randolph may not make it back to NYC after the Mets' road trip... Can the Tigers have too-little-too-late on June 15?
In case you missed it this weekend, a tribute to Ralph Wiley on the (near-) anniversary of his death four years ago, plus -- yes -- I need to clarify my argument from earlier in the weekend that I would rather lose in the playoffs with Arenas (maximizing my entertainment value for an entire season) than lose in the playoffs without him (without the extra six months of Gilbertainment). I mean: As long as I'm losing in the playoffs anyway...
(That's really all I was saying. I'm not saying I don't want to win an NBA championship; I'm saying that no matter WHO the Wizards would get to build around if they let Gilbert go -- being reasonable here -- they will almost certainly not be winning an NBA title. If they had pulled off that rumored preseason trade for Kobe, it would have been interesting. But, let's face it: Not nearly as entertaining.)
Anyway, there's a ton more in the column today. Check it out here. (It should be up by 8:30 or 9, and you'll have to click through my main archive page to get to the full version.)
-- D.S.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Sunday 06/15 (Very) Quickie: Tiger!
Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there. Let's start with the ultimate dad: Tiger Woods, raised by the ultimate sports dad, now a dad himself.
In what was instantly one of the most classic moments of his career (and arguably his finest moment ever), Tiger's limping surge to the US Open lead was the stuff of legend. I can't remember a greater moment in his career, including the '97 Masters, which was the previous gold standard.
Was it the 70-foot eagle putt on 13 that seemed to signal his surge? The one-hop chipper on 17 that bounced in for a birdie? (The look on his face after that shot went in was perhaps my favorite sports reaction shot of all time) Or maybe the way he closed it out, with that 30-foot putt for eagle on 18? Cripes. ALL ON THAT GIMPY KNEE!
(Caveat: It doesn't mean anything if he doesn't win today, and there's no guarantee the knee doesn't give out on him. But do you really think that he won't win? If you're lined up against him, do you really think you can take him? He has never lost a lead heading into a Sunday of a major. So there's that.)
Is everyone ready for the NBA season to end tonight? As long as the Celtics are going to win, isn't it more appropriate they win in Boston?
Good question: If you're a Celtics fan, and you knew you were going to win the title anyway, wouldn't you prefer to see them win it on the home court?
MLB: Interleague mania. Rays over Marlins behind Garza... A's Harden shuts out Giants in Bay Area battle... 5-run 10th (incl Kouzmanoff grand slam) leads Padres over Indians... Kevin Youkilis should be an All-Star...
NASCAR: Name to Know -- Joey Logano, who last night became the youngest driver ever (18 years, 21 days) to win a Nationwide series race. He will be a HUGE star once he gets to the Sprint Cup level...which at this pace, could be any week now.
NFL: Chad Johnson participated in drills on Saturday. Of course he did.
Again, happy father's day everyone. Catch you in the a.m.
-- D.S.
In what was instantly one of the most classic moments of his career (and arguably his finest moment ever), Tiger's limping surge to the US Open lead was the stuff of legend. I can't remember a greater moment in his career, including the '97 Masters, which was the previous gold standard.
Was it the 70-foot eagle putt on 13 that seemed to signal his surge? The one-hop chipper on 17 that bounced in for a birdie? (The look on his face after that shot went in was perhaps my favorite sports reaction shot of all time) Or maybe the way he closed it out, with that 30-foot putt for eagle on 18? Cripes. ALL ON THAT GIMPY KNEE!
(Caveat: It doesn't mean anything if he doesn't win today, and there's no guarantee the knee doesn't give out on him. But do you really think that he won't win? If you're lined up against him, do you really think you can take him? He has never lost a lead heading into a Sunday of a major. So there's that.)
Is everyone ready for the NBA season to end tonight? As long as the Celtics are going to win, isn't it more appropriate they win in Boston?
Good question: If you're a Celtics fan, and you knew you were going to win the title anyway, wouldn't you prefer to see them win it on the home court?
MLB: Interleague mania. Rays over Marlins behind Garza... A's Harden shuts out Giants in Bay Area battle... 5-run 10th (incl Kouzmanoff grand slam) leads Padres over Indians... Kevin Youkilis should be an All-Star...
NASCAR: Name to Know -- Joey Logano, who last night became the youngest driver ever (18 years, 21 days) to win a Nationwide series race. He will be a HUGE star once he gets to the Sprint Cup level...which at this pace, could be any week now.
NFL: Chad Johnson participated in drills on Saturday. Of course he did.
Again, happy father's day everyone. Catch you in the a.m.
-- D.S.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Saturday 06/14 (Very) Quickie
Lost in the news of Tim Russert's death: It was the 4th anniversary of Ralph Wiley's death, which I remembered in a post published earlier this morning.
Tiger Woods is 1 stroke back of the US Open lead after 2 rounds: No signs of knee problems yet! Again, I either wanted to see him win (but predicted he wouldn't) or fail epically. Looks like the latter is out of the question.
MLB to use instant replay as of August 1? What an amazing development that will ultimately help the game. Kudos to MLB for being aggressive about getting it implemented.
More MLB: How freaky was that Chipper Jones BP injury?... Back-to-back-to-back HRs for the Phillies (including, of course, Chase Utley) in that 20-2 rout of the Cards... Congrats to Barry Zito on racking up his 10th loss... Walk-off Watch: Chad Tracy for the D'backs in a 1-0 10-inning win over the Royals... Who had Andy Sonnanstine with 7 wins?... Fantasy Stud: Grady Sizemore, with 2 HR, continuing his All-Star-caliber season.
NFL: Why do Bills executives keep getting subpoenaed to talk about the Marshawn Lynch hit-and-run case?
NBA: I don't know where those Elton Brand-Gilbert Arenas team-swapping rumors are coming from, but I'm not sure I like them. Sure, Brand would give the Wizards an imposing frontcourt presence in the East, which combined with Jamison and Butler would be the best frontcourt in the East.
That said, as I am pretty convinced the Wizards will never win the East, let alone the NBA Finals, I would rather be entertained 82 games a year by Gilbert Arenas on my team than fall short in the playoffs (again) less entertainingly. That's an interesting prospect to flesh out, actually. I'm going to think about that for next week.
-- D.S.
Tiger Woods is 1 stroke back of the US Open lead after 2 rounds: No signs of knee problems yet! Again, I either wanted to see him win (but predicted he wouldn't) or fail epically. Looks like the latter is out of the question.
MLB to use instant replay as of August 1? What an amazing development that will ultimately help the game. Kudos to MLB for being aggressive about getting it implemented.
More MLB: How freaky was that Chipper Jones BP injury?... Back-to-back-to-back HRs for the Phillies (including, of course, Chase Utley) in that 20-2 rout of the Cards... Congrats to Barry Zito on racking up his 10th loss... Walk-off Watch: Chad Tracy for the D'backs in a 1-0 10-inning win over the Royals... Who had Andy Sonnanstine with 7 wins?... Fantasy Stud: Grady Sizemore, with 2 HR, continuing his All-Star-caliber season.
NFL: Why do Bills executives keep getting subpoenaed to talk about the Marshawn Lynch hit-and-run case?
NBA: I don't know where those Elton Brand-Gilbert Arenas team-swapping rumors are coming from, but I'm not sure I like them. Sure, Brand would give the Wizards an imposing frontcourt presence in the East, which combined with Jamison and Butler would be the best frontcourt in the East.
That said, as I am pretty convinced the Wizards will never win the East, let alone the NBA Finals, I would rather be entertained 82 games a year by Gilbert Arenas on my team than fall short in the playoffs (again) less entertainingly. That's an interesting prospect to flesh out, actually. I'm going to think about that for next week.
-- D.S.
Remembering Ralph Wiley
Tim Russert's death reminded me of another passing a few years ago, and as it turns out, it was four years ago yesterday: Ralph Wiley, who also died of a heart attack, also while doing something he loved -- in Wiley's case, watching the NBA Finals.
Wiley was a colleague of mine at Page 2 and, though I didn't know him as well as others, I hope he would have considered me a friend. Beyond his writing talent, which -- both at the time and with the benefit of hindsight -- I felt was pre-eminent in sports media, he had a huge heart, particularly for younger writers. A copy of the "attaboy" email he sent me when the Quickie was launched remains in my wallet, it meant that much to me.
Much like Russert's NBC colleagues were lamenting his lost voice and direction during this most momentous of presidential election campaigns, I feel like sports has been missing Ralph's voice for the last four years, between the scandals and the sensations. I would have loved his take on Vick; I would have loved his take on the Donaghy scandal. I would have loved his take on the past NBA season.
The other day, I went back into his archives to try to see if he had written about noticing anything untoward in the now-infamous Game 6 of the NBA Western Conference finals. I ended up getting lost in it for an hour -- and I could have spent much much longer, his columns were just that good.
I think Ralph would have made an amazing blogger -- while I'm not sure anyone wrote a long-form column better than Ralph, I think he would have loved to complement his longer writing with the blog platform, particularly its give-and-take with the community. While Page 2 gave him a new platform and a new relevance as a giant within online sports media, I think he would have been even bigger as the medium has advanced over the past four years.
He remains dearly missed, and I regret not having this post yesterday on the anniversary of his death, which continues to sadden me.
-- D.S.
Wiley was a colleague of mine at Page 2 and, though I didn't know him as well as others, I hope he would have considered me a friend. Beyond his writing talent, which -- both at the time and with the benefit of hindsight -- I felt was pre-eminent in sports media, he had a huge heart, particularly for younger writers. A copy of the "attaboy" email he sent me when the Quickie was launched remains in my wallet, it meant that much to me.
Much like Russert's NBC colleagues were lamenting his lost voice and direction during this most momentous of presidential election campaigns, I feel like sports has been missing Ralph's voice for the last four years, between the scandals and the sensations. I would have loved his take on Vick; I would have loved his take on the Donaghy scandal. I would have loved his take on the past NBA season.
The other day, I went back into his archives to try to see if he had written about noticing anything untoward in the now-infamous Game 6 of the NBA Western Conference finals. I ended up getting lost in it for an hour -- and I could have spent much much longer, his columns were just that good.
I think Ralph would have made an amazing blogger -- while I'm not sure anyone wrote a long-form column better than Ralph, I think he would have loved to complement his longer writing with the blog platform, particularly its give-and-take with the community. While Page 2 gave him a new platform and a new relevance as a giant within online sports media, I think he would have been even bigger as the medium has advanced over the past four years.
He remains dearly missed, and I regret not having this post yesterday on the anniversary of his death, which continues to sadden me.
-- D.S.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Tim Russert Dead at 58 of a Heart Attack
This is incredibly shocking, for a couple of reasons, most notably that Russert was probably the most larger-than-life person in all of political media.
He effectively had "called" the Democratic nominating process for Barack Obama the night of the Indiana-NC primaries, and it could be argued that it was the beginning of the end of the beginning. He seemed to be particularly energized by this election year.
His connection to sports was obvious (especially on Meet the Press) and he was a passionate fan, especially of his beloved Buffalo Bills. Whenever I was at a Wizards game, he seemed to be there. He was on the Board of Directors of the Baseball Hall of Fame. (Here is a relevant sports-focused Q&A with him from an old Page 2 feature.)
The timing seems remarkably cruel (as if the timing of death is ever anything but), given that it is Father's Day weekend and Russert's best work probably came when writing about his father, "Big Russ and Me."
Condolences to his family, friends and fans.
-- D.S.
He effectively had "called" the Democratic nominating process for Barack Obama the night of the Indiana-NC primaries, and it could be argued that it was the beginning of the end of the beginning. He seemed to be particularly energized by this election year.
His connection to sports was obvious (especially on Meet the Press) and he was a passionate fan, especially of his beloved Buffalo Bills. Whenever I was at a Wizards game, he seemed to be there. He was on the Board of Directors of the Baseball Hall of Fame. (Here is a relevant sports-focused Q&A with him from an old Page 2 feature.)
The timing seems remarkably cruel (as if the timing of death is ever anything but), given that it is Father's Day weekend and Russert's best work probably came when writing about his father, "Big Russ and Me."
Condolences to his family, friends and fans.
-- D.S.
Friday 06/13 A.M. Quickie:
Celtics Title-Worthy, Lakers Chokers, More
I cannot freaking believe the Lakers blew that lead. The series is over. (I'd say "all but over," but really -- who are we kidding?)
That's the lead of my Sporting News column this morning.
And it's not like the Lakers choked -- well, yes, they did choke. But the Celtics deserve the credit for putting together the greatest comeback ever in a single Finals game.
To review: Boston sports fans now own the best playoff-series comeback of all time (2004 ALCS) and the best championship-series single-game comeback of all time.
I can't decide if it happening in Game 4 when they were already up 2-1 makes it more or less impressive -- sure, it could have been in a Game 7.
But the larger assumption was that the Celtics would simply say, "Hey, we're on the road. We're down by 24. Let's write this one off and concentrate on winning 2 of the next 3."
That is precisely what they DIDN'T do, and that is why they are now going to be remarkably worthy NBA champions.
Please consider my track record of crapping on Boston teams when evaluating the sentiments above.
It might not seem like it, but I am not some out-and-out hater; I recognize and appreciate greatness in sports when I see it -- and that was a GREAT win. A champion's win.
Yesterday, I might have been dismissive. Today, it is easy for me to accept them as champs.
Meanwhile, I feel like Jamie Moyer is one of those pitchers that you really need to go out and see in person if he is pitching in your town on any given day. What he is doing at 45 is nothing less than remarkable, even with that 4-plus ERA.
Did you know that only 250 players in MLB history have 2,000 or more hits? That's not quite the 600-HR Club, but it's pretty damn exclusive -- and now Ray Durham is in the group.
(I was have been doing a lot of milestone-related research this week, what with Griffey and now Durham, and you know whose name pops up on both the all-time HR and all-time hits list? Ellis Burks. 350+ HR and 2000+ hits. Who knew?)
The NFL may not want reporters live-blogging from the press box, but I argue that that's not what they should be focusing on anyway -- it's a waste of their time and energy.
NBA Draft: Obviously, I am more attuned to Marreesse Speights than most. He will be a better pro player than college player -- he needs to be in the right system, though, because he was soft. I would have loved to have him back on the Gators next season, but it is what it is.
I have a fairly straightforward rule: If you are going to be a first-round NBA pick -- at any draft slot -- you are pretty stupid not to jump to the pros. An extra year of college might raise your draft stock (and thus your first contract), but I think that a year of practice under NBA coaches (even if you aren't playing that much in games) makes you far more ready to succeed in the NBA than an extra year of college productivity.
There is a lot more in the column today. Here is a link to check it out.
It's Father's Day weekend, so happy father's day to all those dads out there. I'll be blogging all weekend as usual, but if you're not stopping by until Monday, happy dad's day.
-- D.S.
That's the lead of my Sporting News column this morning.
And it's not like the Lakers choked -- well, yes, they did choke. But the Celtics deserve the credit for putting together the greatest comeback ever in a single Finals game.
To review: Boston sports fans now own the best playoff-series comeback of all time (2004 ALCS) and the best championship-series single-game comeback of all time.
I can't decide if it happening in Game 4 when they were already up 2-1 makes it more or less impressive -- sure, it could have been in a Game 7.
But the larger assumption was that the Celtics would simply say, "Hey, we're on the road. We're down by 24. Let's write this one off and concentrate on winning 2 of the next 3."
That is precisely what they DIDN'T do, and that is why they are now going to be remarkably worthy NBA champions.
Please consider my track record of crapping on Boston teams when evaluating the sentiments above.
It might not seem like it, but I am not some out-and-out hater; I recognize and appreciate greatness in sports when I see it -- and that was a GREAT win. A champion's win.
Yesterday, I might have been dismissive. Today, it is easy for me to accept them as champs.
Meanwhile, I feel like Jamie Moyer is one of those pitchers that you really need to go out and see in person if he is pitching in your town on any given day. What he is doing at 45 is nothing less than remarkable, even with that 4-plus ERA.
Did you know that only 250 players in MLB history have 2,000 or more hits? That's not quite the 600-HR Club, but it's pretty damn exclusive -- and now Ray Durham is in the group.
(I was have been doing a lot of milestone-related research this week, what with Griffey and now Durham, and you know whose name pops up on both the all-time HR and all-time hits list? Ellis Burks. 350+ HR and 2000+ hits. Who knew?)
The NFL may not want reporters live-blogging from the press box, but I argue that that's not what they should be focusing on anyway -- it's a waste of their time and energy.
NBA Draft: Obviously, I am more attuned to Marreesse Speights than most. He will be a better pro player than college player -- he needs to be in the right system, though, because he was soft. I would have loved to have him back on the Gators next season, but it is what it is.
I have a fairly straightforward rule: If you are going to be a first-round NBA pick -- at any draft slot -- you are pretty stupid not to jump to the pros. An extra year of college might raise your draft stock (and thus your first contract), but I think that a year of practice under NBA coaches (even if you aren't playing that much in games) makes you far more ready to succeed in the NBA than an extra year of college productivity.
There is a lot more in the column today. Here is a link to check it out.
It's Father's Day weekend, so happy father's day to all those dads out there. I'll be blogging all weekend as usual, but if you're not stopping by until Monday, happy dad's day.
-- D.S.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Thursday 06/12 A.M. Quickie:
Tiger, Phil, Rondo, Soriano, Pujols, More
First, if you missed it yesterday, I'd direct you to the post directly below (or here). It's a book review, but also a bit of a discussion-starter about the role of youth sports in society.
OK, so today's Sporting News column leads with the US Open, but only so I can have the rare chance to say "Field" over "Tiger." I am torn between rooting for some kind of awesome Tiger-as-Kerri-Strug victory for the ages vs. Tiger falling totally flat on his face and failing.
Meanwhile, I'm ready to stop talking about whether the NBA is rigged and simply look forward to the NBA ensuring that the Lakers win Game 4 tonight -- I'm quite sure the NBA has special psychokinetic powers that will keep Rondo gimpy...oh, and they'll use them! -- and make the NBA Finals a little more interesting (if exposing the 2-3-2 format as anti-competitive).
Seriously, if there were any concerns that the NBA is rigged, the league's insistence on using the 2-3-2 format in the Finals should shut that down. There couldn't be anything less competition-friendly than that.
Over in MLB, it's a big morning for injuries: Soriano. Pujols. And it's a big morning for Dan Uggla, who would be the best 2B in MLB if it wasn't for Chase Utley, who happens to lead Uggla for the NL HR lead, but only by 1 after Uggla's walk-off grand slam last night.
There's a ton more in the column today, so check it out. And, if you're a Varsity Dad fan, I will be updating that blog a couple of times today with after-thoughts from yesterday's post about Tom Farrey's book "Game On."
-- D.S.
OK, so today's Sporting News column leads with the US Open, but only so I can have the rare chance to say "Field" over "Tiger." I am torn between rooting for some kind of awesome Tiger-as-Kerri-Strug victory for the ages vs. Tiger falling totally flat on his face and failing.
Meanwhile, I'm ready to stop talking about whether the NBA is rigged and simply look forward to the NBA ensuring that the Lakers win Game 4 tonight -- I'm quite sure the NBA has special psychokinetic powers that will keep Rondo gimpy...oh, and they'll use them! -- and make the NBA Finals a little more interesting (if exposing the 2-3-2 format as anti-competitive).
Seriously, if there were any concerns that the NBA is rigged, the league's insistence on using the 2-3-2 format in the Finals should shut that down. There couldn't be anything less competition-friendly than that.
Over in MLB, it's a big morning for injuries: Soriano. Pujols. And it's a big morning for Dan Uggla, who would be the best 2B in MLB if it wasn't for Chase Utley, who happens to lead Uggla for the NL HR lead, but only by 1 after Uggla's walk-off grand slam last night.
There's a ton more in the column today, so check it out. And, if you're a Varsity Dad fan, I will be updating that blog a couple of times today with after-thoughts from yesterday's post about Tom Farrey's book "Game On."
-- D.S.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Slow Children Playing: A Book Review of "Game On" by Tom Farrey
"Game On: The All-American Race to Make Champions of Our Children" by Tom Farrey was one of the most fascinating sports books I have read in a long time, and it would make an amazing Father's Day gift.
Actually, I would like to send a copy to every dad (and mom) out there who harbors fantasies of athletic glory for their children. I have a simple message: Get over it.
When I launched the Varsity Dad blog, its mission was simple: How to raise an all-star sports fan. I intentionally side-stepped raising an all-star athlete, because I think it is delusional at best and debilitating at worst.
Farrey's book both re-affirmed my perspective and enlightened me to angles of it that I hadn't previously considered.
First, a disclosure: Tom and I worked together at ESPN.com back in the mid-1990s. We got along very well back then -- for an ex-newspaper guy, he "got it" about online media. He has since gone on to fame as part of ESPN the Mag and, most recently, the "E:60" TV show, but he remains someone whose work I really admire. I consider him a friend.
I tagged quite a few details throughout the book as I was reading it, but one stood out as simple, yet profound:
"Kids play, then become fans. Not the other way around."
There are some pretty disturbing things in the book: Youth-sports participation levels are plummeting, particularly in the inner cities. State, local and national government and non-government organizations are gutting sports, park and rec budgets.
Farrey found incredibly compelling individual stories to tell to highlight some of the larger trends. I wanted to loathe these people; thanks to Farrey's fair portrayal, I found myself pitying them.
(That's not to say I didn't find a handful of people to loathe, among them Bobby Dodd, the sketchy impresario of AAU -- perhaps the biggest scourge in youth sports in the last century -- and the various charlatans, like Hoop Scoop's Clark Francis, who "rank" youth basketball players, then box out responsibility by claiming cost-of-doing-business.)
The book is cleverly divided into 14 "ages" as chapters, with each representing a fascinating facet of the youth sports machine that roughly corresponds to that age. Yes, there is plenty to talk about for "Age 1" or "Age 2" or "Age 3"; youth sports mania doesn't start in elementary school. If you believe some of the stories in the book, if you are just thinking about youth sports then, you are already helplessly behind if you want your child to be a star.
And I guess that's the point: Do you want your child to be a sports star? Even if your motivation is to earn your child a college scholarship (which is insanely competitive, usually not that much money, usually debilitating to the kid and, more often than not, going to parents who may not need the help), you are selling out your kid's youth -- not to mention putting a lot more money in than you will probably get back in scholarship funding -- for something that likely isn't worth it.
Don't get me wrong: I want my kid to play sports. At their best, I think youth sports build confidence, help physical development (in this day and age, almost synonymous with "avoid obesity") and teach the value of teamwork, hard work and sportsmanship -- at least when they are taught by people who know what they are doing, which is often a rough assumption.
I played youth sports. Growing up in Montgomery County, Maryland, EVERYONE played soccer. We had a robust open youth league. I played from 1st grade until 4th grade, two seasons per year. My team was horrible. I should know: I was the goalie, and responsible for much of that horribleness.
When I was in 4th grade, a new kid came to our elementary school, and he was like this man-child all-world goalie. He joined our open, neighborhood team of friends and I was quickly displaced. It worked out OK: We actually won our division title, which after those years of winlessness felt pretty good.
Then the super-goalie left for a "select" team, as did our best offensive player. A few of us were recruited to play on another "select" team with kids from another school and neighborhood. It was supposed to be a merger, but we were basically filler for the team's finances; I rarely played. Even the cool jersey -- with collars and names on the back! -- had my last name misspelled. I lasted one year, then hopped to another select team (warm-up suits with my name on the back!), lasted one more year, then gave up soccer. I wasn't good enough, and I didn't enjoy the pressure of "select."
I didn't pick up youth sports again until high school, when I joined my high school's "no-cuts" rowing team, which was an amazing experience.
Still, in way way way distant hindsight, those early formative years playing in the "open" soccer leagues feel really fun; as we got older -- and this is just in the span of elementary school, mind you -- it got so much less fun, first with a dictatorial coach who led us to our one and only division title, then the whole "select" experience.
Do I harbor fantasies of my kid being some sort of athletic superstar? Of course, but only because I am a huge sports fan. But he won't be the next Tim Tebow or the next Jordan Farmar or the next Ryan Braun.
After reading Farrey's book, I'm not even sure he will make it through elementary school sports leagues. And I'm not even sure I want him to.
I will push him to enjoy sports on his terms, but even if he was insanely passionate about playing one particular sport -- something I will attempt to keep from happening, frankly -- I think that part of being a parent is managing your child's sports experience just as actively as you would manage their education or their health or their manners or their ability to deal with life as it comes in any form.
To the extent that I want my kid to be a really good sports fan, I similarly don't want to inflict my own interests on him; if he doesn't want to be a sports fan, that's fine with me. To the extent that "kids play, then they become fans," I want to make sure he has the chance to be exposed to all sorts of play. He doesn't have to play pee-wee football to love football; maybe it's just throwing the ball around with his old man or his friends in the neighborhood.
If they can find the time in their (over-)scheduled youth-sports lives to play backyard football. Because that's an open question. The real shame will be if there isn't anyone around to play with him. I'm hoping that Farrey's book sparks a conversation about what parents can do -- and should do -- to encourage their child to participate in sports.
As you can tell, reading the book prompted a lot of introspection, and I'm not even close to thinking through all of the various factors. What I know is that it doesn't make me want to inflict the hyper-competitive youth-sports culture on my kid, but it does make me want to run outside and play with him on a beautiful spring day.
"Game On: The All-American Race to Make Champions of Our Children" by Tom Farrey is published by ESPN Books and available at bookstores (or you can just click here for Amazon.) Tom's site for the book can be found at TomFarrey.com.
Let's keep the discussion going in the Comments section. I will try to post them as often as I can.
-- D.S.
Actually, I would like to send a copy to every dad (and mom) out there who harbors fantasies of athletic glory for their children. I have a simple message: Get over it.
When I launched the Varsity Dad blog, its mission was simple: How to raise an all-star sports fan. I intentionally side-stepped raising an all-star athlete, because I think it is delusional at best and debilitating at worst.
Farrey's book both re-affirmed my perspective and enlightened me to angles of it that I hadn't previously considered.
First, a disclosure: Tom and I worked together at ESPN.com back in the mid-1990s. We got along very well back then -- for an ex-newspaper guy, he "got it" about online media. He has since gone on to fame as part of ESPN the Mag and, most recently, the "E:60" TV show, but he remains someone whose work I really admire. I consider him a friend.
I tagged quite a few details throughout the book as I was reading it, but one stood out as simple, yet profound:
"Kids play, then become fans. Not the other way around."
There are some pretty disturbing things in the book: Youth-sports participation levels are plummeting, particularly in the inner cities. State, local and national government and non-government organizations are gutting sports, park and rec budgets.
Farrey found incredibly compelling individual stories to tell to highlight some of the larger trends. I wanted to loathe these people; thanks to Farrey's fair portrayal, I found myself pitying them.
(That's not to say I didn't find a handful of people to loathe, among them Bobby Dodd, the sketchy impresario of AAU -- perhaps the biggest scourge in youth sports in the last century -- and the various charlatans, like Hoop Scoop's Clark Francis, who "rank" youth basketball players, then box out responsibility by claiming cost-of-doing-business.)
The book is cleverly divided into 14 "ages" as chapters, with each representing a fascinating facet of the youth sports machine that roughly corresponds to that age. Yes, there is plenty to talk about for "Age 1" or "Age 2" or "Age 3"; youth sports mania doesn't start in elementary school. If you believe some of the stories in the book, if you are just thinking about youth sports then, you are already helplessly behind if you want your child to be a star.
And I guess that's the point: Do you want your child to be a sports star? Even if your motivation is to earn your child a college scholarship (which is insanely competitive, usually not that much money, usually debilitating to the kid and, more often than not, going to parents who may not need the help), you are selling out your kid's youth -- not to mention putting a lot more money in than you will probably get back in scholarship funding -- for something that likely isn't worth it.
Don't get me wrong: I want my kid to play sports. At their best, I think youth sports build confidence, help physical development (in this day and age, almost synonymous with "avoid obesity") and teach the value of teamwork, hard work and sportsmanship -- at least when they are taught by people who know what they are doing, which is often a rough assumption.
I played youth sports. Growing up in Montgomery County, Maryland, EVERYONE played soccer. We had a robust open youth league. I played from 1st grade until 4th grade, two seasons per year. My team was horrible. I should know: I was the goalie, and responsible for much of that horribleness.
When I was in 4th grade, a new kid came to our elementary school, and he was like this man-child all-world goalie. He joined our open, neighborhood team of friends and I was quickly displaced. It worked out OK: We actually won our division title, which after those years of winlessness felt pretty good.
Then the super-goalie left for a "select" team, as did our best offensive player. A few of us were recruited to play on another "select" team with kids from another school and neighborhood. It was supposed to be a merger, but we were basically filler for the team's finances; I rarely played. Even the cool jersey -- with collars and names on the back! -- had my last name misspelled. I lasted one year, then hopped to another select team (warm-up suits with my name on the back!), lasted one more year, then gave up soccer. I wasn't good enough, and I didn't enjoy the pressure of "select."
I didn't pick up youth sports again until high school, when I joined my high school's "no-cuts" rowing team, which was an amazing experience.
Still, in way way way distant hindsight, those early formative years playing in the "open" soccer leagues feel really fun; as we got older -- and this is just in the span of elementary school, mind you -- it got so much less fun, first with a dictatorial coach who led us to our one and only division title, then the whole "select" experience.
Do I harbor fantasies of my kid being some sort of athletic superstar? Of course, but only because I am a huge sports fan. But he won't be the next Tim Tebow or the next Jordan Farmar or the next Ryan Braun.
After reading Farrey's book, I'm not even sure he will make it through elementary school sports leagues. And I'm not even sure I want him to.
I will push him to enjoy sports on his terms, but even if he was insanely passionate about playing one particular sport -- something I will attempt to keep from happening, frankly -- I think that part of being a parent is managing your child's sports experience just as actively as you would manage their education or their health or their manners or their ability to deal with life as it comes in any form.
To the extent that I want my kid to be a really good sports fan, I similarly don't want to inflict my own interests on him; if he doesn't want to be a sports fan, that's fine with me. To the extent that "kids play, then they become fans," I want to make sure he has the chance to be exposed to all sorts of play. He doesn't have to play pee-wee football to love football; maybe it's just throwing the ball around with his old man or his friends in the neighborhood.
If they can find the time in their (over-)scheduled youth-sports lives to play backyard football. Because that's an open question. The real shame will be if there isn't anyone around to play with him. I'm hoping that Farrey's book sparks a conversation about what parents can do -- and should do -- to encourage their child to participate in sports.
As you can tell, reading the book prompted a lot of introspection, and I'm not even close to thinking through all of the various factors. What I know is that it doesn't make me want to inflict the hyper-competitive youth-sports culture on my kid, but it does make me want to run outside and play with him on a beautiful spring day.
"Game On: The All-American Race to Make Champions of Our Children" by Tom Farrey is published by ESPN Books and available at bookstores (or you can just click here for Amazon.) Tom's site for the book can be found at TomFarrey.com.
Let's keep the discussion going in the Comments section. I will try to post them as often as I can.
-- D.S.
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