So I’m Running the Chicago Half Marathon
Like many journalists I’m a procrastinator by nature but this week, for once, I made a decision and took action well in advance of any deadline. Tuesday night I registered for the Chicago Half Marathon, which takes place Sept. 7, starting and finishing in Jackson Park. A crew of us are getting together in Toronto for … Continue reading
Robert Mathis: Please shut up about your positive test
Late last week Indianapolis Colts defensive end Robert Mathis earned a four-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug, but instead of accepting the punishment he and his agent launched a media counterattack. Over the weekend they explained Mathis flunked a drug test not because he knowingly embarked on a doping program, but because … Continue reading
Floyd Mayweather and the semantic satiation of legacy
After seeing Floyd Mayweather spill a few drops of blood in a closely-contested, hard-fought but well-deserved victory over Marcos Maidana last Saturday, it’s natural to wonder whether the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter can retain that crown until he retires. Yes, he won, but we haven’t seen him struggle like that since his first bout with … Continue reading
Mayweather faces Maidana and a helluva dilemma
As February threatened to bleed into March, Floyd Mayweather still hadn’t announced an opponent for his scheduled spring bout, and the anticipation drove some fighters out of their Twitter minds. Amir Khan was once so sure he’d get the Mayweather payday he cancelled a December showdown with Devon Alexander, but as he tired of waiting … Continue reading
Controversy surrounds Lolo Jones, but this one’s not on her
Last Sunday world-class hurdler and 2012 Summer Olympic media darling Lolo Jones was named to the U.S. bobsled team for next month’s Winter Olympics in Sochi, a mild surprise given her performance on the World Cup circuit but an inevitable choice when the squad’s selection criteria are both stats-based and subjective. To arrive at is … Continue reading
All Balls Don’t Bounce, Comeback and Coda
If you’re a follower of this blog you were probably here in the spring of 2011 when I connected with my good friends Duane Watson and Will Strickland to form All Balls Don’t Bounce, a sports media content collective that worked to explore stories not often told in this market. We screened movies — Dave … 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
Secular Christmas Songs: My all-time top 5.5
Little known fact about me: I’m an armchair music connoisseur. Not because I played tenor sax for two years in middle school (which I did), but mainly because it’s in the genes. Grandpa played piano; uncle Jeff plays bass and has gold records and Junos; my sister Dana is the most sought-after Mulatto Soprano on … Continue reading
A Proposal: Adrien Broner needs to keep trolling
Marcos “Chino” Maidana established the pattern in the opening moments of last Saturday’s clash with previously undefeated rising superstar Adrien “The Problem” Broner: Jab to the body and watch Broner reach down to his navel to parry the shot, then feint the jab, watch Broner swat at it, and blast his jaw with a thunderous left … Continue reading
Guillermo Rigondeaux, Pugilism and Purgatory
When two-time Olympic gold medallist and Cuban boxing legend Guillermo Rigondeaux first arrived in the U.S. in 2008, his handlers believed he could earn $100 million fighting professionally. And when he dismantled Nonito Donaire to unify the 122-pound titles in April, he believed he’d finally claimed a hard-earned spot among boxing’s top performers, and thought … Continue reading
Morgan Campbell: A Writer on Sports and More 