Category: All Other Sports

The fashionable thing now in sports is to announce your retirement, wait a few weeks and then decide to make a comeback. As a slave to fashion, Lance Armstrong has been contemplating a comeback.

It was just over one year ago that Lil Bit of Rouge broke down and plunged jockey Gary Birzer into paralysis and his family into debt.

He was riding at Mountaineer on the night of July 20th, 2004, just as he had done each Friday through Tuesday for the previous few years. He was a middle of the road jockey at a middle of the road track, bringing home about $40,000 a year after insurance and guild fees. His wife was a horse groom and they were bringing home enough money to support a family of six.

I’ve been livid over countless boneheaded decisions of the monopoly called the NCAA, but none has been more absurd and ill founded than the NCAA’s decision to ban “hostile” and “abusive” Indian nicknames.

Yes, some nicknames should go. Redskins is “hostile” and maybe even “abusive,” but Seminoles most certainly is not.

“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.

By Paul Culin

Much like Marsha Brady’s envious sister Jan, many IRL drivers are struggling for their fair share of attention.  Case in point:  Andretti Racing’s Dan Wheldon.  Wheldon captured his third checkered flag of the season by winning the Indy 500.  In years past, marketing and media opportunities would abound for the winner of the most prolific event in international motor sports.  Especially for a winner that is young, handsome, and arguably the best driver in the series.   Wheldon should have been a lock for the cover of Sports Illustrated, as well as several TV gigs.  And let’s not forget the Wheaties boxes.  Not this year.

It began at 10:00 on a Saturday morning.  It was poorly advertised and unfortunatly fell on the beginning of the fourth of July weekend.  Because of all of these reasons, I am guessing (haven’t seen any ratings) that not many people tooned in to see the Wimbledon woman’s final between Lindsay Davenport and Venus Williams.  For all those who did, you know it was an amazing match that contained all the intangibles that true sports fans look for in championship matches.

Ah, Wimbledon. My favorite slam of the year starts Monday June 20. There’s something about Wimbledon, a certain mystique that draws people to it. It could be the grass, it could be the location, or it could be the fact that it is one of England’s most anticipated sporting events. The elegance, style, and class of Wimbledon are what keep people interested.

Every summer when the middle of June is approaching, there are many reports of large pieces of hail falling from the skies of Omaha, Nebraska.  Many who report the accounts describe the pieces of hail as being the size of a baseball.  This is when insurance companies are sent into overdrive.  Hundreds of homes are damaged each summer, for it is the only thing that can protect them.  They have become quite accustomed to this occurrence every June.  They know the one warning sign to listen out for.  As one person might listen for a clap of thunder in a thunderstorm, the people who are affected most by this storm listen for the fatal sound of… ping.

For those of you that watched the Preakness, you probably weren’t unsatisfied after watching that one. The race was close the whole way through keeping most people at the edge of their seats. Then at the last turn Afleet Alex, who was making his move, stumbled and gave a lot of bet holders a scare. Miraculously, Afleet Alex recovered himself and went past Scrappy T to win the Preakness. The Belmont Stakes may not have as many contenders, but is still shaping up to be a great race.

For the past few years, tennis has not gotten much attention and rightfully so. There hasn’t been the Pete Sampras or Andre Agassi matches that invigorated even the not-so-big tennis fan. I remember one of the last really good matches I saw was the Sampras-Agassi US Open final. Since then I haven’t seen a tennis match that glued me to my chair.