Bonds to A-Rod: 'Do your damn thing' - Barry Bonds - MSNBC.com
I'm glad Barry Bonds has taken this approach. Not that it will humanize him in the public mind, but it's nice to see him rooting for a fellow superstar to do something that would be good for the game, even if it would remove his name from one page of the record book. (In fairness to Bonds, his name is currently at or near the top of quite a few pages of the record book--career total bases, career home runs, career walks, season OBP, season walks, season home runs, etc.--so perhaps losing this one doesn't loom as large for him.)
As for Alex Rodriguez, much as I dislike the Yankees it's hard not to be happy for him. He's on a tear, and because his team is doing poorly he's got the potential to be the big story out of New York all on his own this summer. I'm sure he'd rather be in first place, but if Yankee pitching won't support that goal, breaking the home-run record and cementing his status as the best in the game right now would probably be fun for A-Rod after a few years of being not-quite-loved in the Big Apple.
And besides, wouldn't another home-run record chase be fun?
Showing posts with label Sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sports. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Monday, April 02, 2007
Up and Moving
Keeping Up With Tiger Woods by Swinging a Remote - New York Times
Our couch is starting to get jealous. So are Link, John Madden and Al Michaels, and even our Miis.
The reason? After a rough start--literally--Tiger Woods 07 has won most-favored Wii game status, supplanting Wii Bowling and Tennis and making a return to the nine holes of Wii Golf almost unthinkable.
At first, TW07 seemed like a failure. The controls seemed balky, and the resulting ballooning scores were as discouraging as they are in real life, only without the benefit of a day spent outdoors.
But this is a game that rewards the time you invest in it. Over time we've both gained better command of our swings, and the game's system for improving the inherent abilities of your on-screen doppelganger has allowed us to hit the ball farther and more accurately as time has passed. Three weeks into owning the game, and numerous hours of playing time later, I felt immense satisfaction in a final round push Saturday afternoon to qualify for what the game, for licensing reasons, refers to as the "U.S. Major Championship." And when, yesterday, I came back from a six shot deficit after two rounds to cruise to my first major victory on a course, Pebble Beach, that had previously owned me, I think my jubilant victory shout was probably audible to the neighbors.
A few gripes, though. There are still occasional times when I'll be in mid-backswing and the game will pretend I've finished my shot, resulting in a weak dribble rather than the towering approach I had planned. So far this hasn't been my downfall in any tournament, but I fear it will happen in the final round one day and I'll be cursing.
More important to me right now is the game's odd method, at least in my mind, of calculating PGA Tour ranking. After a run of tournaments in my first season in which I've won three regular tournaments and a major and placed second in another tournament--while, admittedly, missing the cut twice and finishing around 20th and 40th in two more events--I've clawed my way to the top of the money list, and I'm far and away the leader in the FedEx Cup standings. I know I've only been at it for a few months of game time, but shouldn't these results translate into a pretty strong PGA Tour rank? Apparently not--I'm 37th, and in significant danger of missing the "U.K. Major Championship," which seems like something that would never happen in real life. If you win a major, you're invited to the rest, right?
Still, this is a great game that's proving quite durable over time. And I have aches from playing it, just like real golf. Hard to beat that!
Our couch is starting to get jealous. So are Link, John Madden and Al Michaels, and even our Miis.
The reason? After a rough start--literally--Tiger Woods 07 has won most-favored Wii game status, supplanting Wii Bowling and Tennis and making a return to the nine holes of Wii Golf almost unthinkable.
At first, TW07 seemed like a failure. The controls seemed balky, and the resulting ballooning scores were as discouraging as they are in real life, only without the benefit of a day spent outdoors.
But this is a game that rewards the time you invest in it. Over time we've both gained better command of our swings, and the game's system for improving the inherent abilities of your on-screen doppelganger has allowed us to hit the ball farther and more accurately as time has passed. Three weeks into owning the game, and numerous hours of playing time later, I felt immense satisfaction in a final round push Saturday afternoon to qualify for what the game, for licensing reasons, refers to as the "U.S. Major Championship." And when, yesterday, I came back from a six shot deficit after two rounds to cruise to my first major victory on a course, Pebble Beach, that had previously owned me, I think my jubilant victory shout was probably audible to the neighbors.
A few gripes, though. There are still occasional times when I'll be in mid-backswing and the game will pretend I've finished my shot, resulting in a weak dribble rather than the towering approach I had planned. So far this hasn't been my downfall in any tournament, but I fear it will happen in the final round one day and I'll be cursing.
More important to me right now is the game's odd method, at least in my mind, of calculating PGA Tour ranking. After a run of tournaments in my first season in which I've won three regular tournaments and a major and placed second in another tournament--while, admittedly, missing the cut twice and finishing around 20th and 40th in two more events--I've clawed my way to the top of the money list, and I'm far and away the leader in the FedEx Cup standings. I know I've only been at it for a few months of game time, but shouldn't these results translate into a pretty strong PGA Tour rank? Apparently not--I'm 37th, and in significant danger of missing the "U.K. Major Championship," which seems like something that would never happen in real life. If you win a major, you're invited to the rest, right?
Still, this is a great game that's proving quite durable over time. And I have aches from playing it, just like real golf. Hard to beat that!
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Strike!
Last night before dinner I bowled a 235 game, shot four over par for nine holes, and beat a very strong opponent in tennis thanks to a solid backhand and skill at the net. And I did it all in the living room of my house.
As you've probably guessed, I got myself a Wii for my birthday. So far, it's the best $200 I've ever spent. (I was able to save $50 using a 20% off President's Day coupon which the cashier kindly pointed out as I bought one of the last consoles he had in stock only 40 minutes after calling at 8:30 Sunday morning and being told the store had enough to last well into the afternoon. Having tried seven other stores already, I knew better than to believe it.)
For me, the Wii is quite literally a dream come true; I've been trying to find a consistent tennis partner since I started playing the game with a wooden racket sometime in the late 1980s. My racket has gotten lighter over the years, and my quest for a playmate had been getting more difficult, but now the racket weighs almost nothing and the partner is available whenever I want. I am sure a more full-featured tennis game will come out for the Wii soon, but for now the Wii Sports version, which comes with the console, is keeping me occupied.
The Wii has also restored to me a pursuit I abandoned a few years ago due to smoke, noise, grease, and germs: bowling. Without the smokers, the disgusting rented shoes, and the general hell that is other people--especially the people at a bowling alley--bowling is actually a lot of fun. And when a round of golf doesn't cost more than a steak dinner and take longer than the Super Bowl, it can be a joy as well. We're spending a lot more time standing up--and running around--in front of an old tube TV and a lot less time in front of the flat screen HDTV right now. If you can find a Wii, buy it!
Oh, and don't expect as much content here for a while. I'll be trying to beat the new Zelda game.
As you've probably guessed, I got myself a Wii for my birthday. So far, it's the best $200 I've ever spent. (I was able to save $50 using a 20% off President's Day coupon which the cashier kindly pointed out as I bought one of the last consoles he had in stock only 40 minutes after calling at 8:30 Sunday morning and being told the store had enough to last well into the afternoon. Having tried seven other stores already, I knew better than to believe it.)
For me, the Wii is quite literally a dream come true; I've been trying to find a consistent tennis partner since I started playing the game with a wooden racket sometime in the late 1980s. My racket has gotten lighter over the years, and my quest for a playmate had been getting more difficult, but now the racket weighs almost nothing and the partner is available whenever I want. I am sure a more full-featured tennis game will come out for the Wii soon, but for now the Wii Sports version, which comes with the console, is keeping me occupied.
The Wii has also restored to me a pursuit I abandoned a few years ago due to smoke, noise, grease, and germs: bowling. Without the smokers, the disgusting rented shoes, and the general hell that is other people--especially the people at a bowling alley--bowling is actually a lot of fun. And when a round of golf doesn't cost more than a steak dinner and take longer than the Super Bowl, it can be a joy as well. We're spending a lot more time standing up--and running around--in front of an old tube TV and a lot less time in front of the flat screen HDTV right now. If you can find a Wii, buy it!
Oh, and don't expect as much content here for a while. I'll be trying to beat the new Zelda game.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Streams of Hate
Independent Gay Forum - Taboo Topic?
Like Stephen Miller, the author of the post linked above, I hate to bring this up. But the man has a point when he says "Through drips and drabs of celebrity hate-speak, most recently Isaiah Washington and, now, former Miami NBA star Tim Hardaway, we are beginning to come to terms with an unspeakable topic: that open expressions of gay hatred are far more acceptable in the African-American community than among whites."
I mean, did you hear what Tim Hardaway said? I used to enjoy his screwball-style shots and cheer for his scrappy style of play, but come on:
In the long run, I hope that seeing and hearing these folks spout off and sound so stupid doing so makes others think about the words being said and the irrational hatred they represent. We can't change what Hardaway and Washington and others have said. But their words can be used as agents for the very changes their speakers would oppose.
Like Stephen Miller, the author of the post linked above, I hate to bring this up. But the man has a point when he says "Through drips and drabs of celebrity hate-speak, most recently Isaiah Washington and, now, former Miami NBA star Tim Hardaway, we are beginning to come to terms with an unspeakable topic: that open expressions of gay hatred are far more acceptable in the African-American community than among whites."
I mean, did you hear what Tim Hardaway said? I used to enjoy his screwball-style shots and cheer for his scrappy style of play, but come on:
Well, you know, I hate gay people....I let it be known I don't like gay people. I don't like to be around gay people. I'm homophobic. It shouldn't be in the world, in the United States, I don't like it....I don't condone it. If people got problems with that, I'm sorry. I'm saying I can't stand being around that person, knowing that they sleep with somebody of the same sex.I'm glad Tim feels free enough to say these things--that's the great thing about our country. But I'm also glad that the NBA, which is anything but a free country, is pushing him away, and that ABC finally seems to have acknowledged that Washington's invective toward his coworker was unacceptable. If nothing else, remarks like these create a hostile work environment from which gay actors and athletes, like anyone else, have a right to be free.
In the long run, I hope that seeing and hearing these folks spout off and sound so stupid doing so makes others think about the words being said and the irrational hatred they represent. We can't change what Hardaway and Washington and others have said. But their words can be used as agents for the very changes their speakers would oppose.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Big Star
King Kaufman's Sports Daily | Salon
As ex-NBA journeyman John Amaechi comes out, it's time for sports leagues to stop accepting intolerance as a given.
Every time a former professional athlete comes out, everyone starts talking about when someone who's still playing will take the chance and be the gay Jackie Robinson. More than four years ago, when former NFL lineman Esera Tuaolo came out, some columnists said it was only a matter of time, and that soon sports would have a gay male star.
Besides former US figure skating champion Rudy Galindo, though, we still have not seen a male athlete of any consequence come out. Amaechi will apparently let on during his Sunday morning interview that he knows of other, current gay NBA players, but not name names--which is, of course, the right thing to do.
Sadly, I would guess that the first person to come out while playing will not do so gladly. I am not about to devote myself to solving the puzzle, but the pieces are all right there to be assembled. Fifteen players per team, 30 teams--that's only 450 people. Eliminate the married ones and the ones with known girlfriends (not that they're all straight, but anyone going to that length is not going to be willingly outed), and you'd be left with a universe of, what, 100 guys? You can't tell me someone won't figure out, and soon, which of these remaining dribblers doesn't appear to have an eye for the ladies.
And that will be very sad. So, gay NBA players, whoever you may be, I implore you: Come out on your own. Yes, it will be difficult at first, if the player and coach reactions to Amaechi's announcement are any indication, but you will be a hero to millions, and if you have enough game, your teammates will just have to learn to accept you for who you are. And hey, you may just get a few fouls called your way out of an abundance of caution.
As ex-NBA journeyman John Amaechi comes out, it's time for sports leagues to stop accepting intolerance as a given.
Every time a former professional athlete comes out, everyone starts talking about when someone who's still playing will take the chance and be the gay Jackie Robinson. More than four years ago, when former NFL lineman Esera Tuaolo came out, some columnists said it was only a matter of time, and that soon sports would have a gay male star.
Besides former US figure skating champion Rudy Galindo, though, we still have not seen a male athlete of any consequence come out. Amaechi will apparently let on during his Sunday morning interview that he knows of other, current gay NBA players, but not name names--which is, of course, the right thing to do.
Sadly, I would guess that the first person to come out while playing will not do so gladly. I am not about to devote myself to solving the puzzle, but the pieces are all right there to be assembled. Fifteen players per team, 30 teams--that's only 450 people. Eliminate the married ones and the ones with known girlfriends (not that they're all straight, but anyone going to that length is not going to be willingly outed), and you'd be left with a universe of, what, 100 guys? You can't tell me someone won't figure out, and soon, which of these remaining dribblers doesn't appear to have an eye for the ladies.
And that will be very sad. So, gay NBA players, whoever you may be, I implore you: Come out on your own. Yes, it will be difficult at first, if the player and coach reactions to Amaechi's announcement are any indication, but you will be a hero to millions, and if you have enough game, your teammates will just have to learn to accept you for who you are. And hey, you may just get a few fouls called your way out of an abundance of caution.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Fire!
Wyndham Washington, DC
Not really. But if there ever is a fire in a hotel in which I'm sleeping, I will surely die after my experience the last few days.
Friday night was my second night in DC, and I had come back to the hotel after a 13-hour working day. Around midnight, I woke to a loud squeal. At first, I thought it was my alarm clock, and that the night had gone by rather quickly, but a voice soon followed the oddly loud squeal: "A fire emergency has been reported in the building. Please exit the hotel. Do not use the elevators."
I'm staying on the 12th floor, so this was not an appealing prospect. But I dutifully put on a pair of pants, grabbed my coat, and trudged down 12 flights. When the weary band of travelers who joined me reached the bottom of the stairs, our human stream made a quick left turn--and walked right back into the hotel lobby, where many guests, including some of my coworkers, had gathered.
Clearly, the building was not on fire. No one was panicked; no staff members were directing us across the street or telling us what on earth was going on. We just milled about, wondering if we were supposed to go back up or if something was actually wrong. One man flipped out and started pounding the bell at the desk, shouting that if the hotel was not fit for guests it should not be open, and others in the lobby were puzzled. After an hour of waiting for the elevators to be turned back on, I finally took the stairs back to my room. The door to the stairwell was held by a hotel employee, who gave the first explanation I would get for the hour from hell: "We're doing construction. This happens all the time." I subsequently struggled to sleep. Have you ever tried to go to bed right after using a stairmaster?
This incident would seem funny if not for what happened last night. After watching the Bears lose, all I wanted in the world was a good night's sleep so I could go about my Monday--my eighth working day in a row--with a little bit of energy. But two hours after I went to bed--and just as I was getting to the good part of a dream--the squeal returned. I jumped up in bed, but this time I knew better than to hurry downstairs. Instead, I looked out the window, and saw the same fire trucks arrive that had responded to the non-emergency on Friday. As I watched their drivers mosey into the lobby, I knew I was safe staying in my room. This happens all the time, right? I went back to bed and tried to sleep.
Half an hour later, the alarm sounded again. An hour later, again. Then twice in half an hour. Then once each hour thereafter. All told, I think I slept three hours last night, punctuated by seven shocking squeals from the alarm.
When I returned to my room this afternoon, a note on the Wyndham letterhead awaited me. I've reproduced it verbatim below. Text in brackets is mine.
Have you ever had a hotel experience this bad? And how can this be the second hotel I've stayed in that had to be evacuated for a non-existent fire?
Not really. But if there ever is a fire in a hotel in which I'm sleeping, I will surely die after my experience the last few days.
Friday night was my second night in DC, and I had come back to the hotel after a 13-hour working day. Around midnight, I woke to a loud squeal. At first, I thought it was my alarm clock, and that the night had gone by rather quickly, but a voice soon followed the oddly loud squeal: "A fire emergency has been reported in the building. Please exit the hotel. Do not use the elevators."
I'm staying on the 12th floor, so this was not an appealing prospect. But I dutifully put on a pair of pants, grabbed my coat, and trudged down 12 flights. When the weary band of travelers who joined me reached the bottom of the stairs, our human stream made a quick left turn--and walked right back into the hotel lobby, where many guests, including some of my coworkers, had gathered.
Clearly, the building was not on fire. No one was panicked; no staff members were directing us across the street or telling us what on earth was going on. We just milled about, wondering if we were supposed to go back up or if something was actually wrong. One man flipped out and started pounding the bell at the desk, shouting that if the hotel was not fit for guests it should not be open, and others in the lobby were puzzled. After an hour of waiting for the elevators to be turned back on, I finally took the stairs back to my room. The door to the stairwell was held by a hotel employee, who gave the first explanation I would get for the hour from hell: "We're doing construction. This happens all the time." I subsequently struggled to sleep. Have you ever tried to go to bed right after using a stairmaster?
This incident would seem funny if not for what happened last night. After watching the Bears lose, all I wanted in the world was a good night's sleep so I could go about my Monday--my eighth working day in a row--with a little bit of energy. But two hours after I went to bed--and just as I was getting to the good part of a dream--the squeal returned. I jumped up in bed, but this time I knew better than to hurry downstairs. Instead, I looked out the window, and saw the same fire trucks arrive that had responded to the non-emergency on Friday. As I watched their drivers mosey into the lobby, I knew I was safe staying in my room. This happens all the time, right? I went back to bed and tried to sleep.
Half an hour later, the alarm sounded again. An hour later, again. Then twice in half an hour. Then once each hour thereafter. All told, I think I slept three hours last night, punctuated by seven shocking squeals from the alarm.
When I returned to my room this afternoon, a note on the Wyndham letterhead awaited me. I've reproduced it verbatim below. Text in brackets is mine.
Dear Valued Guest,If you have reservations for this hotel, cancel them now. One day it will become a Westin, allegedly bigger and better than it is today. But right now it is uninhabitable. I just finished reading State of Denial (and saw Bob Woodward speak about it yesterday!), and I feel confident in saying I would have slept better at a hotel in the Green Zone in Baghdad last night.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by our early morning fire alarm. [Note the absence of the "s" that would include the other six times the alarm went off!]
Be assured that the safety and comfort of our guests is our highest priority. As a safety, all alarms need to be investigated before they can be reversed. Although the timing was inopportune. [This sentence fragment is apparently their idea of a mea culpa.] Please know that we appreciate your business.
Sincerely
The Staff and Management
Wyndham Washington Hotel
Have you ever had a hotel experience this bad? And how can this be the second hotel I've stayed in that had to be evacuated for a non-existent fire?
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Dear NFL Network
If you insist on allowing Bryant Gumbel to mar your telecasts, would you please teach him proper football terminology? Failing to convert on 3rd down and choosing to punt is NOT the same thing as "turning the ball over on downs," yet Gumbel referred to it this way each time it happened during last night's New York-Washington game. Each time I caught myself wondering if I had missed something and the team had gone for it on 4th down. This was very distracting and further reduced Gumbel's almost non-existent football credibility. Perhaps you can lure another former player to join Collinsworth in the booth?
Sincerely,
Richard Nelson
Sincerely,
Richard Nelson
Monday, December 04, 2006
Sorry, Blue
Who's #2? The BCS' dumb obsession with finding America's second-best college football team. By Chris Suellentrop
Chris Suellentrop has a very good point in this article. People who are once again bashing the BCS--which, by the way, brought us one of the all-time classic games last season in Texas-USC and made dozens of games this season interesting to even someone like me who usually pays attention to only a few--are missing the point of the system. It's designed to produce a game after which college football has a champion. How would an Ohio State-Michigan game accomplish that? If Michigan were to win, wouldn't that just mean it was time to play the rubber match?
Here's Suellentrop's killer paragraph:
All of this jibber-jabber is, of course, simply more fuel on the playoff fire, and I'm all for that. How can we know for sure that, for example, Boise State could not have run with the big boys? But until that happens, I have no problem with a system that declines an inconclusive rematch in favor of a title bout between the champs of the two conferences that produced the top four teams in the BCS standings, six of the top nine, and seven of the top 12. Because if Florida was good enough to win the SEC, and Ohio State was good enough to win the Big 10, can you really deny that whichever team wins a game between the two of them is good enough to be this year's champion?
Chris Suellentrop has a very good point in this article. People who are once again bashing the BCS--which, by the way, brought us one of the all-time classic games last season in Texas-USC and made dozens of games this season interesting to even someone like me who usually pays attention to only a few--are missing the point of the system. It's designed to produce a game after which college football has a champion. How would an Ohio State-Michigan game accomplish that? If Michigan were to win, wouldn't that just mean it was time to play the rubber match?
Here's Suellentrop's killer paragraph:
Do we know if Florida is the second-best team in the country? Of course not. Here's what we do know: Michigan is not the best. How do we know that? By the traditional criterion: They scored fewer points in a football game than Ohio State did. The only team that has the "right" to play in the BCS championship game is the best team, Ohio State. And the only teams that should be scratched without question are teams that have already been determined to be "not the best," like Michigan.Exactly. I wanted Michigan to win the Nov. 18 game. I hate OSU. And I know that if Florida somehow wins this thing, there will be those who say that they should have to play Michigan to be the real champs. (Unless USC clocks Michigan, in which case I say give the trophy to Boise State if they can knock off Oklahoma.)
All of this jibber-jabber is, of course, simply more fuel on the playoff fire, and I'm all for that. How can we know for sure that, for example, Boise State could not have run with the big boys? But until that happens, I have no problem with a system that declines an inconclusive rematch in favor of a title bout between the champs of the two conferences that produced the top four teams in the BCS standings, six of the top nine, and seven of the top 12. Because if Florida was good enough to win the SEC, and Ohio State was good enough to win the Big 10, can you really deny that whichever team wins a game between the two of them is good enough to be this year's champion?
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