Sportscolumn.com – Page 220 – Sports News and Commentary

Man on a Rant

As a sports fan in the last decade of the ESPN era, we’ve all been assaulted by the astounding quantity of information available to us with the touch of one finger. If you own a computer – and if you don’t, I’ll go out on a limb and assume you aren’t reading this column – you’re frantically checking up on every score and news tidbit that concerns your favorite squadron more often than Ken Griffey Jr. has injured his hammy. We’re so hooked on this instant availability of information that our sports outlets have resorted to soothsaying just to keep us hanging. Real-time info isn’t good enough anymore – we need prophetic visions to keep us satisfied.

General Sports

Baseball Success is a Choice

Post author By Mike Fields
Post date August 1, 2005
No Comments on Baseball Success is a Choice

Strike one, fastball outside corner. Strike two, swinging strike on pitch in his eyes. Strike three, curveball in the dirt…Who’s batting? Cory Patterson of course. Is it a matter of talent or is the problem 100% mental? Everyone keeps talking about how gifted of a player Cory is and how he’s going to be an All Star for a decade when he “grows up”. So what the point in having talent if your mental difficulties just block it and how long do you wait for a player to develop? Is it possibly for a whole team to mentally kill themselves time after time even though they have enough talent to win? By all means, just ask the Cubs.

New England Patriots

Reality Check for the World Champs?

Post author By wrpayne
Post date August 1, 2005
4 Comments on Reality Check for the World Champs?

It all seemed to be going so well for them. First it was New Orleans, then Houston, and then on to Jacksonville. Then all of a sudden it was as though the bottom had fallen out on the defending Super Bowl champions. Everyone knows that the New England Patriots are all about playing as a team, something so many teams seem to fail at doing in the world of sports. But now some of the key ingredients that helped New England be adorned by so many are now gone to pursue other avenues. Those gone are mainly the geniuses behind the schemes the Patriots put together to win three Super Bowls in four years. However, there is an upside to all of this recent chaos. The genius himself is still ahead of the organization, that being Bill Belichick. To add to the drastic coaching changes, there have also been key players lost to free agency that helped keep the, “Team First” persona about the team. With the all of a sudden new-look Patriots in tact, could the honeymoon be officially over in New England, or is it still the Patriots of old so many have waited to see go?

Pittsburgh Steelers

No Sophomore Slump Here

Ben Roethlisberger lit up the league last year. While completing over 66 percent of his passes, Roethlisberger threw for 2621 yards and 17 touchdowns with only 11 interceptions, which lead to a 98.1 passer rating. These numbers, along with his 13 regular season wins in a row and one playoff victory, Roethlisberger was the runaway rookie of the year and the steal of the draft at number 11.

New York Mets

No Manny- No Big Deal

By: Steven Weingarten

Friday night at around 8:30, I was at this bar Cassidy’s in New York having some drinks when I received a voice message from one of my friends. The message was this, “Steve, I just heard on the radio the Mets are close to getting Manny.” I nearly wet myself. This could have either been from the excitement from imagining Manny Ramirez in a Met uniform or from me wanting to wait to break the seal for at least another beer.

As a Met fan I can’t help but say that I am actually happy Manny is not going to be a Met. I am a big Manny Ramirez fan, how can you not be? I know he has a piss poor attitude and he comes off as a bit of a jerk. But you have to just be amazed at the way he plays the game.

NFL General

I feel a Brees coming on

By Alex Fitzsimmons, email [email protected]

It was only two years ago when Drew Brees was stinking up the field, throwing more interceptions that touchdowns, on his way to the 4th worst passer rating in the league. But it seems like a millennia ago.

College Football

NCAA Football 2005 Top 5

The world of college football is a great one filled with glory and history, this year will be no different. My top 5 consists of the teams I think will have the best chance at making a run for the national title. I have broken down each team by what I feel is the good and not so good points of the teams listed. Here is my top 5 for 2005.

All Other Sports

A Hero’s Last Ride

“Ultimate Sports Hero Mix”-Mixing Instructions

Step 1: Fill pot with dedication and hard work and turn up the desire until it is boiling.

Step 2: Stir in the obstacles (the package containing France, cancer, and critics)

Step 3: Now add the entire box of pressure and expectation, and supervise for 7 years as it dissolves.

Step 4: Add as much courage as you can find to the pot, stir for 10 minutes, and then top it off by adding a touch of champagne and a yellow jersey to the mix and letting it sit in its glory for the rest of its life.

NBA General

The fellowship turns Green

Post author By sgabekahn
Post date July 29, 2005
No Comments on The fellowship turns Green

Boston fans have long had the reputation of being fickle, gloom-and-doom types. Living in a city with the pre-2004 Red Sox often bred this attitude amongst the loyal sports enthusiasts in Beantown, but that negativity has only recently permeated the air that surrounds the Boston Celtics.

As we all know, in the 1980s there was little if any doubt about the ability of Larry Bird et al to, at the very least, be a top contender for the NBA championship. Until some extremely unfortunate events at the backend of that powerhouse (such as the deaths of Len Bias and Reggie Lewis), the franchise enjoyed 12 straight postseasons. Since then, the team has been mired in mediocrity or worse, the lowlight being the 15-win team of `96-’97 and the highlight being their 2002 run to the Eastern Conference finals. With the recent success of the Sox and the Patriots, it appears that the fans have shifted their low expectations toward the Green and White.

General Sports

Getting Dumped Detroit Style

Post author By Sullivan 88
Post date July 29, 2005
2 Comments on Getting Dumped Detroit Style

Apparently winning an NBA Championship in your first year as head coach just doesn’t warrant the same job security that it use to. At least not in Detroit. As Larry Brown was asked to move on by Joe Dumars and the rest of the Pistons front office, it is not to far-fetched to wonder why exactly would Detroit want to rid itself of one of the greatest basketball coaches ever.