By Ryan McGowan
As an optimistic fan, I hope that a game like Saturday’s epic renewal of the ancient feud between the Red Sox and the Yankees can be a catalyst for the sudden phoenix-like revival of an otherwise frustrating 2004 season for the Boston Nine.
As a human being, I was happy to finally see the Olde Towne Team whup some ass.
Last night, before the Yankees pounded his Blue Jays 10-3, Carlos Delgado added to the long and celebrated list of sports figures who, in light of world events, have chosen a sporting environment as a place to stage protests by choosing not to stand for the patriotic hymn “God Bless America.” in doing this, however, he failed to deliver his message and therefore has been vilified. Why? Not so much for his views as for his mode of expression. Thus, I offer to help my fellow American (Delgado is Peurto Rican) by offering a how-to on expressing discontent, from a veritable who’s-who of hell no.
Winning a World Championship in baseball requires an incredible amount of focus, determination, courage, and heart. The New York Yankees are what baseball is all about. They represent the integrity of the game and have an uncanny desire to win. This year’s Yankee club is no different. They have the determination, the willpower to succeed, and the Yankee legacy on their side. One important component the Yankees lack is pitching. The Yanks have always possessed the intangibles, but this year they are missing that very important piece of the puzzle. In order to succeed in Major League Baseball every team must rely on starting pitching to help grind out the playoff games in October. The legacy of Mantle and Ruth can’t help NY now, but Clemens could’ve.
There comes a time in a man’s life where he has to make a prediction.This man has to guess on a certain topic.My time has come and my topic is who will win the Super Bowl. My choice right away is the Seattle Seahawks. The soon to be dominant team in the NFC West. The soon to be team that makes the Rams worse than the Cardinals. The soon to be team that overtakes the Patriots and becomes all reigning. This team will win the Super Bowl.
The news came early Sunday morning…Ricky Williams was calling it quits after just five seasons. Williams didn’t leave the NFL because of injury problems, for those have not plagued him since the 2000 season. Williams did not leave because of lack of success, for he led the NFL in rushing in 2002 with over 1,800 yards. Williams did not leave for an important or rationable reason, yet he decided to leave the game because he wants to "travel the world." When asked of his decision to leave Miami and a $3.5 million/year contract, Williams replied "I have not felt this good about something for a very long time." Even after a 5-year career in which Ricky Williams had over 40 TD`s, he can officially be labeled a "bust" of the 1999 draft. When thinking of the `99 class, and the players who were complete busts, names such as Akili Smith and Cade McNown come to mind because of their lack of production on the field. Williams can arguably be labeled even a BIGGER bust than both of these players. Although Williams had a very successful five seasons in the league, he had the nerve to leave his team flat on their face just one week before training camp was scheduled to begin. Although both Cincinnati and Chicago’s "quarterback’s of the future," let their teams down, it was not because they chose to leave the team after building excitement in the franchise and in the city as Williams did.
So Run Ricky Run… straight into retirement after 5 years. He says he just wants to be free and happy. A lot of people are muttering “jackasss!”, but in my humble opinion, he is making a great decision. There are only two types of people who can be mad at Ricky Williams for deciding to retire a week before training camp, the Miami Dolphins organization, including their fans, and any Fantasy Football owners who have already completed their draft. The rest are just jealous.
Now that Latroy Hawkins has proved his point–that he can’t be a closer–the Chicago Cubs have little else to prove that they are truly choke artists in a season slated for destiny. What it’s really time for is to see if Dusty Baker is really a miracle worker.
Sometimes, it isn’t easy to root your team. Sometimes, you love a team that continually fails you, fails to make the playoffs, fails to reach .500, whatever the case may be. It’s not easy to stick with rooting for such a team. This is why, as a tried-and-true Golden State Warriors fan, I felt it my duty to come up with 10 rock-solid reasons why everyone should be a Warriors fan. Without further adieu…
By Ryan McGowan
If you think back to summers when you were a kid, they all kind of blend together. Summer memories all evoke a certain nostalgia: long, lazy days in the pool, unending games of stickball, wiffleball, tennisball, or whatever games you played to pass the time, running from adults after sneaking into their yard to retrieve a home run ball, following the baseball standings, reading the box scores. Of course, some of our readers might have different memories of being chased, in this case by the cops or jealous girlfriends rather than by fascist neighbors. Either way, the summers of one’s childhood tend to be a hazy collection of blurred, pleasant memories.
All the talk surrounding the blockbuster deal between LA and Miami has been Shaq-centric, as well as the orbit of several planets. But what about the other side of the coin? LA may see the rebirth of some of its legendary rivalries, spark all-new ones, and once again become the most interesting story in sports. Not just the Lakers, but the entire town. For those of you who enjoyed LA becoming the drama capital of the world in sports, too, this next bout of speculation is for you.