Saturday, June 27, 2009
Making history
Tennis has entered a new era - the era of the indoor grass court. Yes, rain finally arrived at Wimbledon and the roof over centre court is closed. Mind you, no one is actually playing. Still, I had to mention it. It's been a slow few days.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Viewing options
I could watch the bucketing rain out my window. Or I could watch the bucketing rain in glorious HD from Bethpage, as the players trudge disconsolately through the first round of the US Open.
Today's fun fact: Andy North, now working as a commentator, won two tournaments as a professional. Both of them were US Opens.
Incidentally, why does Chris Berman get dragged out for major events like this? It strikes me that the best presenters would be the ones who cover the sport year round. Back when ESPN/ABC did hockey, the same thing would happen. Regular commentators all season, Chris Berman suddenly appearing for game one of the Stanley Cup finals. Leave him for football and baseball, please. Or just football.
Oh dear, play was just called off. I guess I'll go back to watching the rain out my window.
Today's fun fact: Andy North, now working as a commentator, won two tournaments as a professional. Both of them were US Opens.
Incidentally, why does Chris Berman get dragged out for major events like this? It strikes me that the best presenters would be the ones who cover the sport year round. Back when ESPN/ABC did hockey, the same thing would happen. Regular commentators all season, Chris Berman suddenly appearing for game one of the Stanley Cup finals. Leave him for football and baseball, please. Or just football.
Oh dear, play was just called off. I guess I'll go back to watching the rain out my window.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
News you already knew
Sammy Sosa tested positive for a banned substance in 2003. Imagine my shock at hearing that revelation. Why, no one had ever looked at Sammy's numbers and suggested that perhaps there were some incongruities in there.
I'll be here all week, still stunned.
Of course, this should let Steve Bartman off the hook...
I'll be here all week, still stunned.
Of course, this should let Steve Bartman off the hook...
Monday, June 8, 2009
Well, it's big
The good people at Forest City Ratner have seen fit to commission a new design for the Atlantic Yards arena. Submitted for your consideration, a large lump of nothing much at all.
For the record, if you follow that link, you'll find a critic who did like the original design. I do not subscribe to that school of thought. The whole idea sucked from the get go.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
We hardly knew ye
Q: What do Australian basketball and origami have in common?
A: A whole lot of folding.
The South Dragons are no more. Considering they are the reigning champions of the National Basketball League in Australia, that's not an especially good sign for the sport. As an aside, they were my team. Here's a brief history of my teams in the NBL...
First, there were the Nunawading Spectres. I thought that was an amazingly cool name, and they had the best logo ever, so when Victorian Basketball Association games were on TV, I'd go for them. That organization still exists, by the way, but not at the top level.
The original teams in the NBL were outgrowths of local organizations, like the present day Spectres. The whole club would operate teams at all age levels and in all sorts of leagues, not just the NBL. The only remaining team built on this model, and in the NBL, is the Melbourne Tigers.
Anyway, Nunawading joined the league, and changed name at some point to the Eastside Spectres. Meantime, the once-powerful St. Kilda Saints merged with Kilsyth (from the state league - I forget their name) to form the Southern Saints. Then, around 1991, the Saints and Spectres merged to form the Southeast Melbourne Magic. They won titles in 1992 and 1996, defeating the hated Melbourne Tigers both times.
A few years later, the Magic merged with the struggling North Melbourne Giants to form the Victoria Titans. See how the nicknames reflect the merger of the old nicknames? I like that. Anyway, that team went nowhere, and folded. As did a re-animated Victoria Giants franchise.
Then, two seasons ago, out of nowhere, the South Dragons appeared. This seemed to be the nearest thing to my old Magic, so I stuck with them. After a truly awful start, they came home strongly in the first season, with coach Brian Goorjian from the (folded) Sydney Kings in charge. He had also been coach of the Spectres and Magic, way back when.
2008/09 - the Dragons dominated the league, and beat the hated Tigers to take the championship. Imagine my joy. Now, with the league being reshuffled and reformed in a new financial model, the Dragons are gone.
I give up.
A: A whole lot of folding.
The South Dragons are no more. Considering they are the reigning champions of the National Basketball League in Australia, that's not an especially good sign for the sport. As an aside, they were my team. Here's a brief history of my teams in the NBL...
First, there were the Nunawading Spectres. I thought that was an amazingly cool name, and they had the best logo ever, so when Victorian Basketball Association games were on TV, I'd go for them. That organization still exists, by the way, but not at the top level.
The original teams in the NBL were outgrowths of local organizations, like the present day Spectres. The whole club would operate teams at all age levels and in all sorts of leagues, not just the NBL. The only remaining team built on this model, and in the NBL, is the Melbourne Tigers.
Anyway, Nunawading joined the league, and changed name at some point to the Eastside Spectres. Meantime, the once-powerful St. Kilda Saints merged with Kilsyth (from the state league - I forget their name) to form the Southern Saints. Then, around 1991, the Saints and Spectres merged to form the Southeast Melbourne Magic. They won titles in 1992 and 1996, defeating the hated Melbourne Tigers both times.
A few years later, the Magic merged with the struggling North Melbourne Giants to form the Victoria Titans. See how the nicknames reflect the merger of the old nicknames? I like that. Anyway, that team went nowhere, and folded. As did a re-animated Victoria Giants franchise.
Then, two seasons ago, out of nowhere, the South Dragons appeared. This seemed to be the nearest thing to my old Magic, so I stuck with them. After a truly awful start, they came home strongly in the first season, with coach Brian Goorjian from the (folded) Sydney Kings in charge. He had also been coach of the Spectres and Magic, way back when.
2008/09 - the Dragons dominated the league, and beat the hated Tigers to take the championship. Imagine my joy. Now, with the league being reshuffled and reformed in a new financial model, the Dragons are gone.
I give up.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Bluenose news
In the final round of Scottish Premier League football today:
Dundee United 0, Rangers 3
Celtic 0, Heart of Midlothian 0
Which leaves Rangers 4 points ahead in the standings, and Champions for 2008-09. Congratulations to the boys in blue! I am a very, very happy Rangers fan today. I think these may be the sweetest words in the English language:
So it's celebrations for Rangers and disappointment for Celtic.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Warning: brief political content
One of the basic principles that leads a capitalist economy into endless boom and bust cycles is that there is no such thing as enough. If a business is not growing, preferably at a higher than average rate, then it might as well cease to exist. Never mind that it's impossible to maintain such a thing. Just do it.
Which brings me to the latest in sporting stupidity: the notion of a Super Bowl in London.
Tired of the predictable weather of indoor Super Bowls? Come to London in winter for guaranteed dismal cloudy days and infuriating constant rainfall. Do you really think American football is all set to take a big chunk out of soccer's worldwide fan base, and this is the missing piece in the puzzle? Seek help. Now.
That one regular season game has sold well in London because it's a novelty. Taking the big game there will just alienate your English crowd, because they won't be able to get tickets any more, pushed out by the same U.S. high flyers who see the game now. In the future, taking the game overseas on a regular basis will just show up how slow it is compared to the many other football games on offer. Stack it up against Australian Rules and you'll see what I mean.
I like American football just fine. But if you are so desperate to make even more money, spend some at a grass roots level first, and wait. Teach kids to play and phys ed teachers to coach. It's a difficult game to learn and understand, and the best fans are grown. Not bought off with a flashy prize that belongs across the ocean.
Which brings me to the latest in sporting stupidity: the notion of a Super Bowl in London.
Tired of the predictable weather of indoor Super Bowls? Come to London in winter for guaranteed dismal cloudy days and infuriating constant rainfall. Do you really think American football is all set to take a big chunk out of soccer's worldwide fan base, and this is the missing piece in the puzzle? Seek help. Now.
That one regular season game has sold well in London because it's a novelty. Taking the big game there will just alienate your English crowd, because they won't be able to get tickets any more, pushed out by the same U.S. high flyers who see the game now. In the future, taking the game overseas on a regular basis will just show up how slow it is compared to the many other football games on offer. Stack it up against Australian Rules and you'll see what I mean.
I like American football just fine. But if you are so desperate to make even more money, spend some at a grass roots level first, and wait. Teach kids to play and phys ed teachers to coach. It's a difficult game to learn and understand, and the best fans are grown. Not bought off with a flashy prize that belongs across the ocean.
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