Good read: Simers' best ever in my opinion.

Simers' isn't just a wiseass. This column is excellent.

Good Reads: Approaching the deadline-plus

 

Tony Maz says maybe not making a trade is better. Don't tell that to the talk radio folks.
Jayson Stark on the deadline too.

Simmons' Fe-Mail Bag II is funny.

Geoff Calkins on Fulmer vs. Alabama. Kevin Scarbinsky weighs in too.

Joe Posnanski displays why he's one of the best.

Good Reads: Interesting chatter

If I were teaching journalism, (I might someday) I'd spend an entire class period discussing Dan LeBetard's column today in the Miami Herald.  It's being discussed on this thread on Sportsjournalists.com

Bill Simmons is drunk with power.

Florida Today has SportsCenter Anchor Poll. Go and vote so Stu Scott doesn't win.

Kevin Blackistone is late to the Ricky rants, but has a slightly fresh marijuana angle.
Stephen A. is late too, but he gets slack with La Salle and Iverson going on in Philly.

The Washington Times compares Jeff Allison to Len Bias.

This is interesting.

Good Reads:

Ricky Williams
I think his timing was lousy, but if he didn't want to deal with the pounding of football and the trappings of fame anymore, I can respect that and wish him well.

Dan LeBetard is going to get some considerable mileage from this. His Tuesday column and Wednesday story deal with Ricky retiring.

John Eisenberg wishes Williams well.

Joe Posnanski says Williams wasn't that good anyway.

Tour Wrap-Up
Bob Ford explains a little on how a Tour is actually covered. If you're not a writer then it might not interest you, but I thought it was amusing.

La Salle scandal
Billy Hahn tries to clear his name.
Phil Sheridan says Hahn deserves more blame than he's willing to accept.

Iverson and Brown
The Globe's Peter May looks at the duo's reunification at the Olympics.

Miscellaneous:
Simmons is in Vegas talking about Leno and Letterman for some reason and then the Red Sox and Poker, which means at least one Good Reads regular will love it.

ESPN the Mag's Bruce Feldman defends Miami for taking Willie Williams. I don't know if it has anything to do with his upcoming book on the program or that he's a UM alum. Miami fans an officials would have you believe that because they've kept their noses clean for the past four years or so, that they can go back to recruiting players of questionable character. It takes a lot longer to live down a repuation that it does to create one.

Marion Jones' lawyers are suggesting C.J. Hunter take a polygraph.

Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic rips Randy Johnson and predicts this could get nasty.

Uh-oh Cubs fans.

I missed this Tom Powers story on Paul Molitor's win in his fight with cocaine. Worth a look.

Finally the Gary Smith piece from last week's Sports Illustrated has been recomended by many.

An off day

I'm not updating this one today, so there'll be lots of new stuff tomorrow. The Casey Memories blog is updated for her birthday.

Good Reads:

Tour de France
There is an abundance to Tour stuff at the Austin American Statesman.
Bob Ryan calls Armstrong the best contemporay athelte.
Bernie Lincicome writes a good column, despite a horrid headline, that includes this line:
He has changed for us the Tour de France from a quirky European event, like the running of the bulls or caber tossing, into something of consequence.
Sally Jenkins' Monday column is about history, while Sunday's Column is a look at Lance the person from Jenkins, who wrote two books with him.
FROM MONDAY:
Ten minutes before Armstrong went out to warm up for the final time trial of the Tour in Besancon, he checked his Blackberry, and read a message from a friend at Nike, Scott McEachern.
That day, a man had gone into a Niketown store and purchased 500 yellow LIVESTRONG bracelets, which are being sold as a fundraiser by Armstrong's cancer foundation. The goal was to sell them for a dollar apiece and raise $5 million, but 8 million have been sold.
 
The gentlemen who bought a case of 500 had bought them for this reason: His father had just died of cancer. While he was alive, the father had watched every minute of the Tour. His son wanted to give the bracelets out at the funeral.
"I read that literally 10 minutes before I got on the bike to warm up," Armstrong said. "Do you think I was a little motivated?"

 
Bob Ford caps a strong run over covereage with Monday's column.

John Eisenberg weighs in.
Miscellaneous:
Posnanski on training for Olympic security.
Burwell on Bonds.
Norman Chad is launching the Indoor Life Network.
LeBetard follows up on Ricky Williams.
Kevin Scarbinsky on the focus on Sylvester Croom.
The King of Lastname consanants writes about Matt Morris.
Mitch Albom comes off pompous.
More La Salle stuff from Philly.com.
Sean McAdam thinks Saturday's brawl could ignite the Red Sox.

Sunday Best: Busy Day

I'm working remotely this weekend, so some good Sunday stuff might not get in until Tuesday or so.

 

Arstrong wins (more here tommorow):
Bob Ford talks about Armstrong's legacy and the future of American cycling beyond him.

La Salle coaches resign:

Mike Jensen said La Salle's choice of a coach is critical citing Joe Mihalik, Fran O'Hanlon and Fran Dunphy as candidates. Bruiser Flint would be a solid choice.

Stephen A. Smith takes La Salle administration to task.
 
Ricky Williams ensures that he'll go down in history as  one of the oddest to play in the NFL.

Dan LeBetard said Ricky was fed up with football.

Greg Cote serves as the voice of football fans collective shock, This passage sums it up:
Can a man's decision seem so noble and so selfish all at once?
Can we wish Williams all of the inner peace that apparently has eluded him and at the same time damn him for leaving an entire franchise in the lurch?

This by the way has to go down as one of the most interesting weekends in Austin sports with Williams, a Texas alum retiring suddenly and Armstong, a naitve winning his sixth Tour.

Sox Yanks stuff from the otherside:
Collegian alum Michael Morrissey has a story on Mueller and one on the fight.
Mischellaneous:
If you missed if becuase you get an early version of the Globe, the Sox acquired Terry Adams. Maybe now they can stop trotting out the inept Curtis Leskanic.

Great quote

 ``He had that moment, which was a wonderful moment for him. Have a nice life, Kirk, I'm in the Hall of Fame.''

-- Dennis Eckersly on giving up Kirk Gibson's walk-off home run in the 1990 World Series.

Scary

This has to be one of the most disturbing things I've read in a long time.

Me and Colorado

This topic may evolve into a Daily Hampshire Gazette column at some point, but for now I'm mentioning it here.

I've been a Colorado fan for almost 15 years, but I'm not rooting for CU football this year. I can't. Too many things that go against everything I believe in have happened there during the rape scandel and the school has handled it poorly. 

So my Buffs hat is idly on my shelf and my Koy Detmer jersey will stay in the closet. Maybe forever.

I'm not rooting for them to lose. I can't swing that far. I still like some of the players, many of whom I'm sure are decent guys tainted by the rest, but Gary Barnett has been reprehensible.

I'm not sure I'll ever go back.

Anyway this is relevant to this site because: Woody Paige has some more stuff about Gary Barnett in denial.

Good Reads: The Holdout, The Tour, Dopin' and Jack Morris.

Good boxing stories are always great to read. The Newark Star Ledger's Jerry Izenberg writes one here.

Bob Ryan moved from England to France. Are all the columnists going from England to France and eventually to Greece? Naturally he's covering the Tour.

I enjoyed this Bob Ford piece on yesterday's Tour stage.

Bernie Lincicome on the Tour.

Welcome to Boston Abe Alvarez. More Abe.

Brian Burwell writes about the rise of Jason Marquis.

Dave Scott, a friend and former Collegian colleague, who has made a career of being Dave Scott suggested this Adrian Wojnarowski column in his Scott's Shots column on BostonSportsMedia.com.

Phillip Fulmer needs extra security at SEC Media Days. Folks in the South are just a little crazy when it comes to football.

Another Scott suggestion The Holdout from the New York Times Magazine is also good.

It's hard to make a doping article entertaining. Tom Powers did a good job of it.

More bad news for Marion Jones.

A case for Jack Morris for the Baseball Hall of Fame, which I happen to agree with. Anyone that thinks he wasn't a much better than pitcher Don Sutton was is foolish. I'm pretty strict on who I'd vote for, but I think Morris and Bert Blyleven belong in. 

Good Reads: Recruiting, Tour, Shaq etc.

USA Today has a well-reported story on the hectic existence of college hoops coaches during summer recruiting.

This is my first Tim Kawakami column, but I enjoyed it. The San Jose Mercury News columnist is boycotting ESPN and his column is a pretty accurate and amusing look at what's right and wrong with the station.

Bernie Lincicome's tour of Europe continued at the Tour de France.

The Philly I's Bob Ford writes about Lance in the role of Goliath. Ford has written quite a few columns from the tour.

Stepehn A. Smith rips La Salle.

Kevin Blackistone preaches from the pulpit about the evils or recruiting excesses in college.

Rob Derksen, manager of the Greek Olympic baseball team died of a heart attack just weeks before the games. (Further review finds this is an old story. Still worth noting).

Wetzel on Eddie George.

Dan LeBetard looks back at who the Heat gave up for Shaq.

I'm late in posting this: Simers makes fun of Bartolo Colon being fat.

Carlos Delgado's political stance appears to be a non-issue at Yankee Stadium.

N.Y. Daily News series on the blacks in baseball

This is old (ran in September, 2003), but well worth the read:

Part I.

Part II

Carlos Delgado and God Bless America

Bill Rhoden of the New York Times likes to jump on any issue where politics and sports meet. It's been an m.o. of his for some time. He regularly writes some thought provoking pieces and I often agree with him. This time I'm not so sure.

Rhoden supports Carlos Delgado's decision not to step out of the dug out and stand during God Bless America during the seventh inning stretch.  

Delgado is generally regarded as one of the sport's good guys. I'm not disputing that. His  decision is a personal statement not to support the U.S. war in Iraq. I'm not sure he's wrong in that stance, but exactly how is standing during God Bless America implied support of the war?  I wonder if Delgado could have found a better way to make his stand.

God Bless America, Land that I love. Stand beside her, and guide her Thru the night with a light from above. From the mountains, to the prairies, To the oceans, white with foam God bless America, My home sweet home.

Irving Berlin's message doesn't seem particularly war-mongering to me.

I'm no longer an overly religious person and whether an almighty power blesses nations or not is an issue well beyond my understanding.

But if it does, whether or not the American war efforts are just, this nation in turbulent times, could use a blessing from somewhere.

Other links on this issue:
Toronto Star Feature
Toronto Star/Puerto Rico Herald Column
Toronto Star follow up today (July 21) as Jays head to New York
The Metro Pulse

 

Good reads:

 

Is the University of Cincinnati serious?

The much(fairly)-maligned Dan Shaughnessy wrote a good Keith Foulke column.

The Globe wrote a good story about Ala'a Hikmat and the Iraqi Olympic delegation.

I'm sick of the Jeopardy Guy.

 
Dan LeBetard said Miami's Antrel Rolle might not be at fault.

Elsewhere Andy Katz has his summer top 50 college hoop teams. I actually agree with his No. 1.

Randy Johnson to the Rangers? Kevin Blackistone thinks its possible, but it sounds like wishful thinking.

 
Finally
Mike Moran won the biggest SI Cover Pool jackpot yet ($42) email me if you want to play.

Good Reads: Late edition

Cleveland Plain Dealer on Eckersly's triumph over alcoholism.
 
On a lighter not, Steve Kelley wrote a fun column on new Mariner Bucky Jacobson.

Good Reads featuring Alan Webb and Todd Hamilton

Today column topics du jour are 21-year-old American miler Alan Webb and unlikely British Open champ Todd Hamilton.
 
Webb's return to the spotlight is chronicled by: Plaschke, Burwell , and Mike Wise.
 
 
Bob Ryan  and Bernie Lincicome's  were on hand for Hamilton's impressive emergence.
 
Lincicome's column has some gems:
"Not to be conceited or anything," Hamilton said, "but I think this is a real neat story."
"This is not fun," Montgomerie said. "This is not enjoyment. This is a job, and a horrible one."
Monty is still a grump.
 
It was apparently Kevin Scarbinsky's turn to write the Tiger Woods column.
 
Wetzel on Gail Devers.
 
Mitch Albom should stick to sports writing or heart warming stories about former professors.
 
Norman Chad is a bizarre man.
 
Posnanski laments the sorry state of the Royals and suggests some slogans. There's an entertaining Bush anecdote in it.
 
 
There aren't many writers out there that turn phrases better than Charles Pierce. His Boston Globe Magazine piece on the FCC is interesting with inclusions on WEEI.  I loved this line:
 
...when one pop star got up onstage at the Super Bowl, and he removed the business end of another pop star's bodice. There were children who saw most of the latter's right breast, that part at least that wasn't being covered by something that looked like an Aztec hubcap.

Austin American-Statesman story on Lance Armstrong's body guards.

Good Reads: Sunday Best

This doesn't happen often.
 
Plaschke on Marion Jones. It's a good column, but I'm sick of drug stuff.
Brian Burwell  and Wetzel hit this topic too.
 
Mike Bianchi has a solid column about good guy Tony Dungy.
 
Joe Posnanski ponders the eternal question NBA or NHL?
 
With the track and field trials overun by stories of Balco, Mike Wise  uncovered a gem.
 
Bernie Miklasz said Mike Danton's plea arrangement leaves all the big questions unanswered in his bizarre murder plot.
 
This isn't sports, but I thought it was interesting. It's the story of a 16-year-old girl's struggles to cope and survive after losing both her parents. 

Good Reads: Extra

Here's a St. Louis Post Dispatch Feature on Jennie Finch that ran late last month. It's not bad. It also includes the lamest marriage proposal line ever. The link is to its republication in the San Jose Mercury News.

Good Reads: Bad kids, Kobe, Monty, Lance

Mike Bianchi muses about the thuggery that is Florida college football. It includes this great line:
 
Jeff Bowden's scouting report on Miami's defense heading into the opener: "Attack Antrel Rolle and freshman linebacker Willie Williams. Their speed has been greatly reduced by the ankle chains."
 
 
Plaschke has been released from swimming coverage. What possibly could there be to write about in Los Angeles?
 
Stephen A. Smith laments the state of the NBA.
 
Wetzel takes shots at Kobe.
 
Bernie Lincicome makes Monty almost likeable. Almost.
 
Bill Simmons answers mail.
 
Mike Freeman was late for something. It feels like he wrote this column in 20 minutes.
 
Posnanski didn't write last night so, my below bet is a push.
 
Sally Jenkins, who co-authored It's Not About the Bike, pens a fine column on Lance Armstrong's coach/U.S. Postal Strategist. Armstrong himself put himself in good position to grab Tour No. 6 with a great showing this morning. Feeling generous? 
  
 
Was there nothing else to write about for Jacob Luft? 
 
Does this mean the bobblehead craze is over?

New York Times on Jeter and Arod's coexistence.

Prediction

I'm a Posnanski fan, but not as big a fan as he is of Zack Grienke. I'm betting his column tommorow is on the Royals rookie.

Good Reads: Shaq and stuff

You'd think with all this Shaq stuff that I like the NBA. I generally don't although it's made for good copy.

Dan LeBetard writes another good Shaq column.

Other Shaq voices are: Michael Wilbon.
Kevin Blackistone.

In the world other than Shaq:


Whitlock on Tiger Woods and Nike.

The N&O's Caulton Tudor expects a difficult Big East year for defecting Boston College.


Good to see Cincy was tough on Huggins. Hey Bob, you drove drunk and could've killed somebody, we're pretty mad... SO why don't you take the summer off...

Good Reads: Including more swimming

The swimming community ought to send Bill Plaschke a giant thank you note. The work he's done from the trials has made their usually boring sport interesting. The latest is on the eminently likeable Gary Hall Jr.

Did Mike Piazza tip off the American League hitters to what pitches were coming? Thomas Boswell said it's not out of the question. He's clearly not a Clemens fan, which makes for fun reading.

Dan Shaugnessy isn't terribly kind to Clemens either with similar pitch-tipping insinuation. Imagine if Will McDonough was here to fire off his Texas con-man stuff.

Perfect time for a quick nod to Casey Kane's favorite movie.

[Mechanized bull noises in background] Crash Davis: Well, he really hit the shit outta that one, didn't he?
[laughs] Ebby Calvin LaLoosh: [softly, infuriated] I held it like an egg.
Crash Davis: Yeah, and he scrambled the son of a bitch. Look at that, he hit the fucking bull! Guy gets a free steak!
[laughs] Crash Davis: You having fun yet?
Ebby Calvin LaLoosh: Oh, yeah. Havin' a blast.
Crash Davis: Good.
[Pause] Ebby Calvin LaLoosh: God, that sucker teed off on that like he knew I was gonna throw a fastball!
Crash Davis: He did know.
Ebby Calvin LaLoosh: How?
Crash Davis: I told him.




Wetzel on Shaq.

Stolen from Sportspages.com
Bob Klapisch has a good idea.

I don't know if this Stephen A. Smith column is good (okay it's pretty good) cause I'm having too much fun reading it out loud and trying to imitate the way he talks (yells) on TV.


Tom Powers says that Minnesota doesn't deserve the Twins. The column includes this great truism:

It's like my father explained to me when I was very young: "People are stupid."

Jerardi's slippery slope

I want to start this by saying that I know Dick Jerardi of the Philadelphia Daily News from covering several Atlantic 10 games with him over the years. I think he's a good writer, a well-respected reporter and a class act personally and professionally.

That said, I don't know if he's brave or stupid to walk out on the branch he's on regarding the La Salle coaches and that school's rape allegations. His column is here. I think he's right when he says we shouldn't jump to conclusions about anyone's guilt or innocence.

But creating a scenario of "what could have happened" is dangerous ground. He wrote:

Apparently, the player did consult with the coaches a year ago about something involving a men's player. What was said is unclear. Whether the word "rape" was used is unknown.

If the word "rape" was used, the discussion should have been over. The next stop should have been the police.

If the word was something far less than "rape,'' what do you do?

Imagine you are a coach. A player comes to you with a problem and tells you about it in confidence. Is the coach supposed to share that problem with higher-ups? If so, what happens to the coach-player relationship?

If you read between the lines here, some La Salle officials

apparently believe the coaches should have reported what the player told them. Well, we don't know what the player told them. And it is possible the player told them something that, in the opinion of the coaches and with the consent of the player, did not need to be shared.

My question is: Is this Jerardi speculating or are we reading a version of the story provided to him by Billy Hahn or John Miller. Neither can comment publicly on the events, but this would be one way to put their side of the story out there. Of course now I'm speculating on the truth, which I just said was a bad idea for Jerardi to do.

When O.J. Simpson was first accused of killing Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, the late Will McDonough, who worked with O.J. on NBC's NFL Live wrote a column essentially suggesting that the O.J. he knew was incapable of such a heinous crime. McDonough ended up with egg on his face as more details came out.

Jerardi obviously didn't go that far, but details of this story are still forthcoming. I hope he doesn't regret this column later.

Good Reads: Hodgepodge

Plaschke is one of the few people that might make me interested in reading about swimming. I'm already kind of sick of Michael Phelps.

Is Mike Ditka serious? Running for the senate? In case people forget, there are some football coaches that are very smart, but quite a few of them, Ditka included don't seem to be. Two words: Jesse Ventura.
Go back to shilling for the people that send me spam. In the interest of fairness these folks disagree with me.

Bill Simmons delivers his standard.

Michael Wilbon is one of seemingly hundreds of sportswriters that thinks Pat Riley is still coaching the Heat.

Tony Kornheiser writes essentially the same column as Wilbon. Good thing they don't do that on TV.


If you only know Stephen A. Smith as the guy that yells on TV, this might surprise you. He's actually a pretty good writer. See for yourself.

Thomas Boswell thinks baseball is in its best shape it a while.


Posnanski uses the phrase "up your nose with a rubber hose" effectively. How many columnists can say that.

Wetzel gears up for the second half of Sox-Yankees... er... baseball season.

Funny read: Drunk old guy

Maturity is not tied to a number.

Good Reads: Varitek

Nice piece by John Couture on Jason Varitek.

Plaschke takes his turn on track and doping.

Dan Lebetard has a fun look at Shaq.

Caulton Tudor more or less says Carlos Boozer is a jerk.

Kevin Scarbinsky writes about summer hoops legend Sonny Vaccaro.

C'mon Mike Freeman. Are you that hard up for column topics?

Norman Chad mailed it in on Couch Slouch. I'm not even bothering to post it. Houston Chronicle's All Star Stuff is underwhelming.

Mitch Albom should stick to sports.

Posnanski on Maurice Greene.

Sunday Best

Plaschke says the Lakers are trading their soul as well as Shaq.

If you like Roger Clemens, this will interest you. I don't but I read it anyway.



ACC hoop fans are already feeling the negative implications from adding two football schools that stink at basketball. Caulton Tudor looks at tradition damage.

Mike Freeman says the University of Miami is returning to its convict image.

It can't be fun to be Marion Jones right now. I personally think she's guilty, but whatever she's been on isn't helping her performance any. More dumping on her here.

Good read: Swimming

Bill Plaschke is, of course, excellent.

I am of course in withdrawral from sportsjournalists.com being out of commission.

Good reads: Hoop dreams and more

The Washington Post's Mike Wise examines what has happened to Arthur Agee and William Gates since they were the subject of the critically acclaimed documentary "Hoop Dreams."

More Washington Post stuff on the Expos in Puerto Rico. Not disappointed I read it, but it could have been better.

The Post is also running a look back at the 1942 Senators here, as they hope to be the new home of the Expos.


This could get ugly.

This is already is ugly and could get uglier as the La Salle basketball program has two players facing rape charges and coaches accused of covering it up. More on this is: here while this is a look at some of college sports' recent black marks.

Good read: Par 8,000,000

Lance takes the yellow. (You will get tour updates on this blog, but if its not enough I suggest here)

Bizarre but interesting New York Times golf story about a guy golfing his way across Mongolia. (Thanks to Brian Moritz for this one)

Times of London story on the same guy.

Stan Grossfield wrote about a baseball monument to fallen solidiers.

Not the most well written article ever, but I agree with the premise.

Washington Post as a good story on the kids from Hoop Dreams. It's on the wire. I'll post it when it's a link tommorow.

Are you kidding me?

How screwed up are these people?


This account from 9-11 is just scary.

Good Reads

This is a flawed column, but there are some great lines in it.

Learned this weekend that I could never be a year-round golf writer, but it was fun to do in a short stretch. Guess I wasn't so brilliant with Lincicome after all.

More proof I'm a big softie.

I stumbled on Mark Cuban's personal weblog.

Not sure why I'm using the Plain Dealer not the Globe's version of this Column, but I do love Norman Chad.
My own rant for a second.
How can the Nuggets be seriously considering signing Kobe Bryant? I mean what kind of message does that send to the people in Colorado, one of which Kobe is accused of raping?

Good Reads: Bizarre media and golf

And you think American media is obnoxious, try South Korea.

Hey where did you first hear about Brittany Lincicome? That's right. Right here.