Inspired by The Punch by John Feinstein, an open question for all:
How is your favorite sport different from what it was like 30 years ago?
Now, the obvious follow up...
Project forward. How will your favorite sport, and the sports world, be different 30 years from now?
Thursday, September 16, 2010
On the Coffee Table: The Punch
In 1977, the Lakers' Kermit Washington punched the Rockets' Rudy Tomjanovich during an NBA game. He hit him so hard that he nearly killed him. To be sure, Mr. Washington did not intend to hurt Mr. Tomjanovich as badly as he did but there is no denying that the lives of both men and their sport would never be quite the same.
Photo from USA Today
In 2002, John Feinstein wrote a book entitled The Punch: One Night, Two Lives, and the Fight That Changed Basketball Forever. (He's a professional writer and I'm not so I won't make too much fuss about the serial comma.) In the introduction, Feinstein tells the story of convincing Tomjanovich to cooperate for the story. Rudy T agreed, he later revealed to the author, because he felt he could trust Feinstein to "tell the story properly (p. xv)." I believe that he did.
Make no mistake, Feinstein's descriptions of the incident and aftermath are quite graphic. I readily admit that I don't have much of a stomach for such things. For instance, I have never actually watched the Joe Theismann leg-break video, even though I sure remember that it was all the talk at school the next day. I haven't watched the punch video either and am certain I won't - ever.
Rudy Tomjanovich Photo via NBA.com
But the book really is about so much more. Both of these men have been haunted by the incident ever since. The punch is in paragraph one of Kermit Washington's wikipedia entry. A Google search for either man turns up both the punch video and a photo of Rudy T in his protective mask near the top of the list. And yet, Feinstein does a wonderful job of showcasing the lives that went far beyond that brief, horrible moment. Neither man is portrayed as a saint but both are revealed to be decent men, devoted to their sport of choice before the NBA became the megastar-studded showcase it is today.
Kermit Washington Photo via The Starting Five
Photo from USA Today
In 2002, John Feinstein wrote a book entitled The Punch: One Night, Two Lives, and the Fight That Changed Basketball Forever. (He's a professional writer and I'm not so I won't make too much fuss about the serial comma.) In the introduction, Feinstein tells the story of convincing Tomjanovich to cooperate for the story. Rudy T agreed, he later revealed to the author, because he felt he could trust Feinstein to "tell the story properly (p. xv)." I believe that he did.
Make no mistake, Feinstein's descriptions of the incident and aftermath are quite graphic. I readily admit that I don't have much of a stomach for such things. For instance, I have never actually watched the Joe Theismann leg-break video, even though I sure remember that it was all the talk at school the next day. I haven't watched the punch video either and am certain I won't - ever.
Rudy Tomjanovich Photo via NBA.com
But the book really is about so much more. Both of these men have been haunted by the incident ever since. The punch is in paragraph one of Kermit Washington's wikipedia entry. A Google search for either man turns up both the punch video and a photo of Rudy T in his protective mask near the top of the list. And yet, Feinstein does a wonderful job of showcasing the lives that went far beyond that brief, horrible moment. Neither man is portrayed as a saint but both are revealed to be decent men, devoted to their sport of choice before the NBA became the megastar-studded showcase it is today.
Kermit Washington Photo via The Starting Five
But really, what's most interesting to me in reading the book is the constant revelation of how different things were 30+ years ago, in the sports world in general and the NBA in particular. 1977 was, after all, 7 years BMJ (Before Michael Jordan). The exposure of the league at the time was, frankly, a joke with CBS airing the league finals on tape-delay. In today's NBA economics, a five-time All-Star (Rudy) with a six-figure salary is unfathomable.
It was pre-ESPN, of course, too. When I started following sports in the early '80s, the morning paper was the most comprehensive source of immediate information readily available. Even a box score from a West Coast game such as the Lakers-Rockets tilt would have been a day late. At one point, George Michael, he of Sports Machine and not of Wham, launched a dial-up sports info number for the DC area similar to the one you would call for the time or weather. But even for that, you'd just get a recorded listing of scores. Now, a punch in an NBA game would be on SportsCenter highlights even before the final buzzer. The news and the YouTube video would be passed along over facebook and twitter and die-hard fans in the Philippines would be well-versed experts on the incident within 15 minutes.
All of which leads me to wonder how much things will change in the next 30 years. How will the sports world be different when my daughter is my age?
Anyway, it's a great book, even if your stomach for blood is as weak as mine.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
My Football Fantasy: A New Season
College League: Squid wins, 92.35-63.99
Vermont League: Squid wins, 75.64-70.18
Photo via Bengals Gab
In case you haven't heard, the NFL is back in session. Far more importantly, that means that fantasy football is back. I'm in two leagues this year: the same league I was in last year with my college friends and also a league with Mock and company. A quick compare and contrast...
SAME
- 12 teams in both leagues, substantially fewer than the 18 we had in the college league last year
- Both had live online drafts.
- I have four of the same players on my team in both leagues: Frank Gore, Pierre Thomas, Chad Ochocinco and Felix Jones.
- In both leagues, we were scrambling at the last minute to find a 12th member. Interestingly, it was the same people who bailed us out for both: a husband-and-wife team I know from college.
DIFFERENT
- I am the commissioner for the Vermont league and I just used the Yahoo! default settings except for the trade review provision - we don't have one. There are some other significant differences with the college league.
- The rosters are quite different. The Vermont league has 3 WRs and 2 RBs whereas the college league has 2 of each plus a W/R flex.
- The college league roster includes 3 individual defensive players (IDPs) in addition to the team defense. The Vermont league roster has a team defense but no IDPs.
- Perhaps the most significant difference of all is the size of the bench. The Vermont league has 6 bench spots to support 9 starting positions. The college league has a meager 4 bench spots for 12 starting positions.
I can't complain about starting with a win in both leagues. The fact that I've got Ochocinco in both certainly didn't hurt. While the man may indeed be a parody of himself, one can't deny that he's quite a football player. Having Terrell Owens on the opposite side and a suspension-avoiding Cedric Benson running out of the backfield should be great for Hachi Go's numbers. Apparently, Japanese is his next name change choice. Why not German: Acht Funf? Funf is easily my favorite German word.
Vermont League: Squid wins, 75.64-70.18
My MVP: Chad Ochocinco (Wide Receiver, Bengals) with 12 receptions, 159 yards and 1 touchdown
Photo via Bengals Gab
In case you haven't heard, the NFL is back in session. Far more importantly, that means that fantasy football is back. I'm in two leagues this year: the same league I was in last year with my college friends and also a league with Mock and company. A quick compare and contrast...
SAME
- 12 teams in both leagues, substantially fewer than the 18 we had in the college league last year
- Both had live online drafts.
- I have four of the same players on my team in both leagues: Frank Gore, Pierre Thomas, Chad Ochocinco and Felix Jones.
- In both leagues, we were scrambling at the last minute to find a 12th member. Interestingly, it was the same people who bailed us out for both: a husband-and-wife team I know from college.
DIFFERENT
- I am the commissioner for the Vermont league and I just used the Yahoo! default settings except for the trade review provision - we don't have one. There are some other significant differences with the college league.
- The rosters are quite different. The Vermont league has 3 WRs and 2 RBs whereas the college league has 2 of each plus a W/R flex.
- The college league roster includes 3 individual defensive players (IDPs) in addition to the team defense. The Vermont league roster has a team defense but no IDPs.
- Perhaps the most significant difference of all is the size of the bench. The Vermont league has 6 bench spots to support 9 starting positions. The college league has a meager 4 bench spots for 12 starting positions.
I can't complain about starting with a win in both leagues. The fact that I've got Ochocinco in both certainly didn't hurt. While the man may indeed be a parody of himself, one can't deny that he's quite a football player. Having Terrell Owens on the opposite side and a suspension-avoiding Cedric Benson running out of the backfield should be great for Hachi Go's numbers. Apparently, Japanese is his next name change choice. Why not German: Acht Funf? Funf is easily my favorite German word.
Monday, September 13, 2010
US Open Day 15: Let the New Debate Begin
Curtain Call
Player: Novak Djokovic
Nation: Serbia
Age: 23
Current Ranking: 2
Notable Conquest: Roger Federer (2nd seed, Switzerland)
Tour Page
Player Website
Today's Result: loss to Rafael Nadal (1st, Spain) in four sets
Photo from The Age
Before we move on to the obvious, let's give Novak his due. The win over Federer was huge. It's been easy to forget about the Djoker over the past few years with the rise of Murray and del Potro. With the Fed win, he puts himself firmly back in the conversation. I know it's four months away but why not? I say Djokovic takes Aussie in 2011.
Well, the greatest of all time debate just got a lot more interesting. Rafa now has 9 majors in total, the career Golden Slam (including an Olympic gold medal), a great career in Davis Cup and he's all of 24. He's three titles ahead of Federer's pace. He has strong career records against his best contemporaries. Yes, he's still seven behind Federer's slam total and one does still worry about long-term wear and tear but who, exactly, is going to slow him down at this point? His match tonight was a masterpiece. Who's even in the same league right now?
A colleague stopped by my classroom this morning and asked if I thought Federer is washed up. I still say no. I say he plays two more years and as long as he keeps entering tournaments, he'll be a threat to win them. His days as top dog are over, though. Nadal left no doubt of that tonight.
My Tennis Fantasy
My men's bracket was just awful. I finished in the top 95% in the Tennis Channel Racquet Bracket, aka the bottom 5%. Maybe I'll just go with the dartboard method next time.
Player: Novak DjokovicNation: Serbia
Age: 23
Current Ranking: 2
Notable Conquest: Roger Federer (2nd seed, Switzerland)
Tour Page
Player Website
Today's Result: loss to Rafael Nadal (1st, Spain) in four sets
Photo from The Age
Before we move on to the obvious, let's give Novak his due. The win over Federer was huge. It's been easy to forget about the Djoker over the past few years with the rise of Murray and del Potro. With the Fed win, he puts himself firmly back in the conversation. I know it's four months away but why not? I say Djokovic takes Aussie in 2011.
Well, the greatest of all time debate just got a lot more interesting. Rafa now has 9 majors in total, the career Golden Slam (including an Olympic gold medal), a great career in Davis Cup and he's all of 24. He's three titles ahead of Federer's pace. He has strong career records against his best contemporaries. Yes, he's still seven behind Federer's slam total and one does still worry about long-term wear and tear but who, exactly, is going to slow him down at this point? His match tonight was a masterpiece. Who's even in the same league right now?
A colleague stopped by my classroom this morning and asked if I thought Federer is washed up. I still say no. I say he plays two more years and as long as he keeps entering tournaments, he'll be a threat to win them. His days as top dog are over, though. Nadal left no doubt of that tonight.
My Tennis Fantasy
My men's bracket was just awful. I finished in the top 95% in the Tennis Channel Racquet Bracket, aka the bottom 5%. Maybe I'll just go with the dartboard method next time.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Family Adventures: Mid-September
Autumn is coming. The leaves on the maples are beginning to go slightly pale, a sign that they're getting ready to turn. School has begun for both Our Girl and me, too. It's also a time of year when weekends tend to book up quickly without much effort. I think it's a matter of everyone wanting to get out and do things before the weather gets cold.
Our Girl has also just turned seven, the age of reason. Life has gotten busier. Last year, we had her in dance class and one session of skating lessons. She's still in ballet and we plan on doing skating again but we've also added soccer now. She's in an after-school art program one day a week as well. I swear, it's not our intention to over-schedule her. It just kind of happens.
As I have written before, dance was her first love. As we were first looking to get her involved in activities, I really wanted her to have at least one athletic activity and one artistic one. The great thing about dance is that it satisfies both. Over the long-term, I do worry about the body issues. I knew a lot of dancers growing up and was not impressed by the toll on their self image once they hit puberty. Our Girl is a wisp of a thing now but that can change. We're in our third year with a wonderful teacher now and I don't worry about it so much with her. But I've said all along that if anyone ever tells her she needs to watch her weight, we're finished. We had her in two classes last year: ballet and tap. It was a bit much, especially with both on Saturday, but her teacher used the magic word to encourage her to join the second one: scholarship. Who can say no to someone who wants to teach their kid something for free?
The art program, fortunately, isn't really adding much to the overall schedule. We need after-school care four days a week anyway so the art curriculum is a bonus. I'm glad that she'll be spending time around people who know what they're doing. To be sure, she'll exceed our own abilities in the visual arts pretty quickly. Her handwriting's already nicer than mine.
Her soccer team had its first game today. It's a riot watching 6-7 year-olds play. The swarm follows the ball around the field, some trying to make things happen, some clearly not sure what to do at all. They lost 2-0. Our Girl said she had a good time. I'll reserve judgement as to her lasting interest until the end of the season.
We also went mini golfing with Mock and his family this weekend. It had been years since I'd gone and it was Our Girl's first time ever. There were seven of us in all: four adults, three kids. It was good fun and Our Girl did quite well, especially on the back nine. She had some frustrating moments but when it was over, she said she'd like to try it again sometime.
Our Girl has also just turned seven, the age of reason. Life has gotten busier. Last year, we had her in dance class and one session of skating lessons. She's still in ballet and we plan on doing skating again but we've also added soccer now. She's in an after-school art program one day a week as well. I swear, it's not our intention to over-schedule her. It just kind of happens.
As I have written before, dance was her first love. As we were first looking to get her involved in activities, I really wanted her to have at least one athletic activity and one artistic one. The great thing about dance is that it satisfies both. Over the long-term, I do worry about the body issues. I knew a lot of dancers growing up and was not impressed by the toll on their self image once they hit puberty. Our Girl is a wisp of a thing now but that can change. We're in our third year with a wonderful teacher now and I don't worry about it so much with her. But I've said all along that if anyone ever tells her she needs to watch her weight, we're finished. We had her in two classes last year: ballet and tap. It was a bit much, especially with both on Saturday, but her teacher used the magic word to encourage her to join the second one: scholarship. Who can say no to someone who wants to teach their kid something for free?
The art program, fortunately, isn't really adding much to the overall schedule. We need after-school care four days a week anyway so the art curriculum is a bonus. I'm glad that she'll be spending time around people who know what they're doing. To be sure, she'll exceed our own abilities in the visual arts pretty quickly. Her handwriting's already nicer than mine.
Her soccer team had its first game today. It's a riot watching 6-7 year-olds play. The swarm follows the ball around the field, some trying to make things happen, some clearly not sure what to do at all. They lost 2-0. Our Girl said she had a good time. I'll reserve judgement as to her lasting interest until the end of the season.
We also went mini golfing with Mock and his family this weekend. It had been years since I'd gone and it was Our Girl's first time ever. There were seven of us in all: four adults, three kids. It was good fun and Our Girl did quite well, especially on the back nine. She had some frustrating moments but when it was over, she said she'd like to try it again sometime.
US Open Day 14: Score One for Melbourne
Curtain Call
Player: Yulia Putintseva
Nation: Russia
Age: 15
Current Ranking: 795
Notable Conquests: Timea Babos (junior 2nd seed, Hungary) and Monica Puig (5th, Puerto Rico)
Tour Page
Today's Result: loss to Daria Gavrilova (1st, Russia) in straight sets
Three matches did finish today before the rains washed out the rest: both junior singles finals and the women's wheelchair singles final. Young Putintseva is definitely making her mark. She made the semis of the juniors draw at Wimbledon this summer.
So, for the second year in a row, the US Open men's final is delayed until Monday due to rain. You know, I've been thinking all year about which of the four tennis majors is my favorite. Wimbledon has the tradition and the England summer coincides nicely with my teacher's work calendar. But I'm not a big fan of everyone wearing white. The French is fun, too, and certainly more colorful than Wimbledon in many ways. But the Australian and US Opens have two huge advantages over the other two: they are played on the more democratic hard courts and they have lights for night tennis.
So, which is better? Aussie is at the beginning of the season and everyone's in pretty good shape. Everyone's pretty worn down by the time they get to Flushing but New York is where all of the season narratives reach conclusion. But today clinches it for me. The greatest of the four tennis slams is...
The Australian Open. Why? It has not just one but two stadiums with retractable roofs. As such, play shall always go on, no matter the weather. Bad time zone and inconvenient time of year for me? Well, that's really my problem, isn't it? The fact of the matter is, of the four majors, the Australian is best prepared for the 21st century. Good on ya, mates!
Player: Yulia Putintseva
Nation: Russia
Age: 15
Current Ranking: 795
Notable Conquests: Timea Babos (junior 2nd seed, Hungary) and Monica Puig (5th, Puerto Rico)
Tour Page
Today's Result: loss to Daria Gavrilova (1st, Russia) in straight sets
Three matches did finish today before the rains washed out the rest: both junior singles finals and the women's wheelchair singles final. Young Putintseva is definitely making her mark. She made the semis of the juniors draw at Wimbledon this summer.
So, for the second year in a row, the US Open men's final is delayed until Monday due to rain. You know, I've been thinking all year about which of the four tennis majors is my favorite. Wimbledon has the tradition and the England summer coincides nicely with my teacher's work calendar. But I'm not a big fan of everyone wearing white. The French is fun, too, and certainly more colorful than Wimbledon in many ways. But the Australian and US Opens have two huge advantages over the other two: they are played on the more democratic hard courts and they have lights for night tennis.
So, which is better? Aussie is at the beginning of the season and everyone's in pretty good shape. Everyone's pretty worn down by the time they get to Flushing but New York is where all of the season narratives reach conclusion. But today clinches it for me. The greatest of the four tennis slams is...
The Australian Open. Why? It has not just one but two stadiums with retractable roofs. As such, play shall always go on, no matter the weather. Bad time zone and inconvenient time of year for me? Well, that's really my problem, isn't it? The fact of the matter is, of the four majors, the Australian is best prepared for the 21st century. Good on ya, mates!
My Baseball Fantasy: A Very Stingy Closer
Week: September 5-11
Current Standing: 2nd out of 12
My Player of the Week: Heath Bell (Relief Pitcher, Padres) with 3 saves, 7 strikeouts, a 0.00 ERA and an 0.27 WHIP
Neither I nor the Padres could have asked for much more from Mr. Bell this week. Over three appearances, he allowed no runs, no hits and only one walk. Just three weeks left to go! I'm half a point out of first. Let's go, boys!
Current Standing: 2nd out of 12
My Player of the Week: Heath Bell (Relief Pitcher, Padres) with 3 saves, 7 strikeouts, a 0.00 ERA and an 0.27 WHIP
Neither I nor the Padres could have asked for much more from Mr. Bell this week. Over three appearances, he allowed no runs, no hits and only one walk. Just three weeks left to go! I'm half a point out of first. Let's go, boys!
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