This may be way off topic for most readers of my blog, but I thought I'd throw in this quick tidbit. Former Indiana University basketball star and current assistant Dane Fife, 25, was just named the youngest NCAA Division I head coach when he was hired yesterday by Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne (IPFW). Serious basketball fans will remember Dane from the 2002 NCAA Final Four when he was one of the key contributors to a scrappy underdog Hoosier team that shocked Duke and Oklahoma to make it all the way to the finals against Maryland. Why do I make note of Fife's hiring? Because we both share the same hometown of Clarkston, Michigan. He's the youngest of three sons to Clarkston High School basketball coaching legend Dan Fife - his oldest … [Read more...]
A Quarter Century Ago
Was it really 25 years ago today that a once ragtag band of amateur US hockey players coached by Herb Brooks turned the international sports world on its ear with an amazing 4-3 medal round victory over the invincible Soviet machine? You can almost hear the echo of Al Michael's voice: "Do you believe in miracles??? YES!" For a brief while in February 1980, the United States most certainly did believe in miracles. 25 years ago.... … [Read more...]
Whiff of Fresh Springtime Air
Forget the groundhog. News like this stirs the baseball lover's heart that spring is coming very soon: the Detroit Tigers' pitchers & catchers report to training camp in Lakeland, Fla, today. The boys of summer are emerging from hibernation. Another season of America's game looms over the horizon. For the first time in a dozen years, this Tigers team has a serious chance at a winning record and playoff contention - enough to bring a big smile to this longsuffering fan's careworn face. … [Read more...]
Dawgs in ESPN’s Doghouse
While we're on the subject of sports, I think somebody ought to point out to Hugh that ESPN has released its annual ranking of major professional sports franchises, based on extensive surveys and statistically rigorous criteria. Who's sitting in the absolute basement of the 92 franchises (NHL excluded for obvious reasons) for 2005? Answer: Cleveland Browns. Ouch! Let's just say the Broncos fared quite a bit better. … [Read more...]
On Ice? Not This NHL Season
So... pro hockey fans, anyone out there shocked to learn that the National Hockey League has pulled the plug on the entire season? Yes, it's a first for any major North American professional sports league, to cancel an entire season. MLB, the NBA, the NFL, they've all lost parts of seasons to labor disputes, but nothing this radical. Anyone taking bets on the future status of the NHL? Now, admittedly, I write as one who has scarcely noticed that the NHL season was "on ice" (or "off ice," depending on your fondness for metaphors). I usually tune in around the time of the playoffs. The whole quest for the Stanley Cup can be interesting, and I would watch several playoff games a year. But not much of a time or interest investment. … [Read more...]
Pats to Beat Patsies
For what it's worth, taking my pro-Tom Brady bias into account, here's my prediction for Super Bowl XXXIX: NEW ENGLAND 27 PHILADELPHIA 13 Or, as you can envision the headline on Monday's sports pages... "PATS BEAT PATSIES" New England claims dynasty mantle with 27-13 Super Bowl win … [Read more...]
AP bows out of BCS
Another sign of the Bowl Championship Series' imminent demise? Every true college football fan - and every lover of decency and good order - certainly hopes so. It's not often this blog gives its kudos to the Associated Press. Savor the moment. … [Read more...]
Pearl Harbor Movies
I know it's late in the day for this, but... For a day that's lived "in infamy," Dec. 7, 1941, has been the inspiration for a lot of films. It's kind of a quirky way to remember one of the more significant events in American history, but my brain is fried and I couldn't think of a better way to commemorate Pearl Harbor Day in the limited time I have. Pearl Harbor spawned a lot of movies. So here's a brief trip down memory lane. The biggies, of course, are the inimitable Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970), From Here to Eternity (1953) and its star-studded cast, and In Harms Way (1965) with John Wayne. They're all good, though I remember some better than others. I'd be curious to see the depictions in the earliest wartime releases: … [Read more...]
The Christmas Music You Can’t Live Without
If you're anything at all like me, you appreciate good Christmas music - plugging in a good CD, attending a concert, or doing some old-fashioned caroling. You may also, like me, dread going into the malls & stores that have the terrible habit of finding the cheesiest, most annoying Christmas music playing over the speakers. Well, in this interactive post, I wanted to ask you what are your three favorite Christmas songs (with or without specific renditions)? If you could only sing and listen to three Christmas songs, what would they be? Update (12/6): Thanks to Jim for being the first to comment. Please note his blog's new location and update your rolls. My three songs would be: O Holy Night Hark the Herald Angels Sing Gesu … [Read more...]
Christmas Book List Symposium
Hugh has issued a topic for discussion among the blogosphere: A modern novel worth reading twice is very hard to come by, at least for a reader like me, pressed for time and inclined to history and current events.... But it seems to me to be a good sign that a serious reader would have reread a modern novel twice, and if any in the blogging community would like to offer those novels they have been through at least twice, I will link those posts here as a handy guide to Christmas book giving and getting. My first reaction to this was 'why read a novel twice?' … [Read more...]