Mayweather-Pacquiao: It’s Sparring Session Tall Tale Season!!
If nature abhors a vacuum, the news media hate empty space even more — especially with the Internet’s bottomless news hole, and especially with Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao finally set to meet in the most discussed, dissected and analyzed fight of our generation. Any #PacWeather talk is good talk, because empty web pages aren’t an … Continue reading
All You People Look Alike: Jermain Defoe Edition
July 2007, I stood on the sideline of the main athletic field at Upper Canada College, watching Argentina’s national team practice for a semifinal match at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup, a tournament that began and ended in Toronto. I was watching guys like Maxi Moralez and Sergio “Kun” Aguero do their thing, scribbling notes … Continue reading
Yasiel Puig: Arrogance, Awesomeness & Annoying Double Standards
As a journalist I’m enamoured with facts, so here comes one: Yasiel Puig is awesome. That’s not an opinion but an ironclad reality. In first 36 games since his promotion to the Los Angeles Dodgers he hit .397 with eight homers, 27 runs scored and 19 more batted in. And in the six weeks since … Continue reading
The Fallacy of Effective Aggression, and other thoughts on Rigondeaux-Donaire
Even those of us who thought Guillermo “El Chacal” Rigondeaux would defeat Nonito Donaire in Saturday’s hotly anticipated 122-pound title unification bout couldn’t have foreseen a whitewash. And lets not kid ourselves. If you gave Donaire more than two rounds on Saturday you either work for Top Rank, or you might as well. Yes, I … Continue reading
Glen Johnson and My Stringer & Avon Moment
Fans of The Wire will remember the scene toward the end of season three, when Avon Barksdale and Stringer Bell take a brief break from plotting each other’s downfall to meet on a rooftoop and talk about the old days while gazing out over Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. When Stringer laments the real estate deals he … Continue reading
Jeff Demps: Back on Track and 21 Forever
Really gloomy times in my profession, but Olympic silver medallist and New England Patriots kick returner Jeff Demps just brightened my day by announcing he intends to return to the track this spring and summer. This is big news for a track nerds like me, and for anybody else who wonders whether the U.S. track … Continue reading
Jeff Demps sprints to the NFL at the perfect time
The track nerd in me rejoiced when I saw former University of Florida two-sport star Jeff Demps settle into the blocks to run the leadoff leg for the United States’ 4 x 100-metre relay team in the semi finals at the Summer Olympics in London. Most American sports fans probably knew him as a powerfully-built … Continue reading
Yuriorkis Gamboa: No vale la pena evitar la pelea
What you’re hearing from Yuriorkis isn’t silence. After all, El Ciclon de Guantanamo has already spoken through interpreters to Ring magazine, explaining that he’s skipping everything connected with his proposed April 14 showdown with Brandon Rios — possibly even the fight itself — until he’s happy with his contract. Instead, it’s the sound a window … Continue reading
July 14, 2010: Brothers in Baseball Destiny
For the remainder of infield practice they stood at shortstop, arms folded, smiling in the fading sunlight. Two boys becoming men, united, separated then thrown back together by their big-league dreams.
“In some ways it’s easier to live without seeing your family,” Iglesias said of his separation from Hechavarria….
Morgan Campbell: A Writer on Sports and More 