Headlines for June, 2006

3 Winners, 2 Losers & a Push

For the first time in quite a while, the high school phenoms were watching the NBA Draft right where Commissioner David Stern wanted them -- at home preparing for their freshman year of college. Although this draft lacked an unquestioned #1 prospect like LeBron James or Tim Duncan, there was no shortage of drama, intrigue and unfathomable suits.There were some [read more...]

FIFAilure

This is like a misguided government program. It sort of already is.Your government, FIFA, takes an apparent problem -- too much fouling, too many dirty tackles, too many subsequent injuries -- and drafts a logical solution: more yellow cards, more red cards, harsher penalties. And yet because this governing body failed to take into account the way its citizen-players would [read more...]

War Stories: World Cup Credibility

"The barber doesn't speak English," Steve explains. "So don't expect a stylish haircut. And don't worry about paying. Since I recognized he was wearing a Barcelona soccer jersey, he cuts my hair for free. I think I can work the same deal for you."Steve, a Chicagoland native, is adjusting to life with the Iraqi Army, learning that while hair-styles don't [read more...]

Hart Surgery: Steroids Apology

On Tuesday, federal agents raided the house of Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Jason Grimsley as part of their ongoing investigation into the use of steroids in baseball.In a sworn affidavit filed during the raid, Grimsley apparently dropped the dime on potentially several dozen other major leaguers who have used steroids or other forms of performance-enhancing drugs. This is a potentially devastating blow [read more...]

Where Are They Now … Billy Harris

In the old American West, Henry McCarty used the alias name of William H. Bonney, a.k.a. Billy The Kid. Chicago's Billy Harris also had an alias; he was a.k.a. Billy "The Kid" Harris.My pursuit of Billy Harris for an interview was reminiscent of Pat Garrett's tracking down Billy The Kid. In the summer of 1969 my family and I moved [read more...]

“I Learned it from You, Dad!”

The worst thing about the current Jason Grimsley soap opera that is overtaking baseball, aside from the fact that Pedro Gomez might be off the Bonds beat--"Today he felt stiffness in his side!"--is the stunned looks and awe that accompany it.Why is any of this stunning? We all knew there would eventually be a loose-lipped foot soldier to break the story. [read more...]

Mo’ Stars, Mo’ Problems

I've been in this fantasy basketball keeper league since 1993. My team, the Pit Bulz on Krak (hey, I was an early-90s idiot when I named it), has always ranked at or near the top of my league thanks to my John Schuerholz-like ability to groom talent and wheel and deal for the vets. The pinnacle was in 1997, when [read more...]

World Cup Schadenfreude

There is no greater farce that sports ideologues try to serve to the general public than the notion that international sports gatherings are meant to simply bring people together, or aren't political. Not true.They are often overtly political. We should remember that Jimmy Carter pulled the U.S. out of the 1980 Olympics, and the U.S.S.R responded by keeping their athletes [read more...]

Where Have You Gone, Lil’ Penny?

So I came up with this great idea for a column. Why not write about the way two of the greatest athletes of their respective sports are carving out their Hall of Fame plaques right before our eyes? Good idea, huh?But in between the time the idea hit me -- while desperately trying to avoid talking to certain neighbors at [read more...]

Fantasy Frustration

All the rotisserie geeks out there can relate to what I'm going through right now. After flipping my 2006 Natalie Gulbis wall calendar to June Thursday, the Major League Baseball season is now officially two months old. Hence, all of my "Well, it's still early" rationale just flew out the window. Time to face the brutal truth.My fantasy baseball team [read more...]

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