Sports

Backing Becks: Don't Knock The Soccer Star's Talents

Frank Deford — Wed, 22 May 2013 02:04:00 +0000

The most unforgiving criticism in sport is directed at any athlete who fans believe is celebrated too excessively above his true talent level — especially those stars who are gloried because they're such pretty people.

To wit: As David Beckham retires, so much attention is being devoted not to how good he was but to how good he was not. I never saw that emphasized with a fine athlete before.

Courtside Chemistry: How NBA's Phil Jackson Won 'Eleven Rings'

editor — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:08:00 +0000

Phil Jackson is famous not only for coaching stars — Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen with the Chicago Bulls, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal with the L.A. Lakers — but also for his distinctive "zen" approach to basketball. He introduced his teams to yoga and meditation, and regularly assigned his players books to read.

Jackson once gave O'Neal a copy of Siddhartha, a novel about a man's search for enlightenment. He joked that O'Neal should give him a book report — and then the star actually did. His report?

America's Cup Death Raises Concerns Over High-Tech Race Boats

Scott Neuman — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:21:00 +0000

America's Cup, the oldest and most prestigious sailing competition, has hit some choppy water.

The death last week of British sailor and gold medal Olympian Andrew "Bart" Simpson when the boat he was crewing capsized and broke up during a practice run off San Francisco, has prompted tough questions about safety.

Simpson reportedly drowned after being trapped for 10 minutes underneath the stricken boat belonging to Sweden'

Famed Race Driver Dick Trickle Dies, Suicide Suspected

Mark Memmott — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:52:00 +0000

Dick Trickle, a "short-track hero" in the '70s and '80s who moved to the NASCAR circuit later in his career, died Thursday.

According to The Charlotte Observer, the 71-year-old was killed by "an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, Lincoln County [N.C.] deputies said."

The Observer adds that "in 2001, Trickle's granddaughter Nicole Ann Bowman was killed in a car accident in front of East Lincoln High School.

No. 1s: The Latest Greatest Of All Time

Frank Deford — Wed, 15 May 2013 07:32:00 +0000

The Great Gatsby is on the screen again, re-opening the perennial debate about whether or not it is the great American novel. Or was that Huckleberry Finn? Or are we still waiting for the great American novel? Is the title vacant, like most recent Tour de France championships? In the arts, the argument over the great American novel is a rather unusual great fuss about the greatest. In most disciplines there simply doesn't seem to be a passion to constantly assess who's No. 1.

Baseball's 'Most Durable Bat Boy' Marks 55 Years On The Field

editor — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:44:00 +0000

The University of Memphis baseball team plays its final home game of the season Tuesday. In addition to rooting for the players, Memphis fans will cheer for someone else: batboy Stan Bronson Jr.

But "boy" is a relative term. Bronson is 84, and this year he celebrates his 55th year in the honorary position with the University of Memphis Tigers.

O.J. Simpson Seeks Retrial On Robbery-Kidnapping Conviction

Scott Neuman — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:55:41 +0000

O.J. Simpson, shackled and wearing a blue prison uniform, was back in court on Monday asking for a new trial in the 2008 robbery-kidnapping case that landed him in prison.

The Associated Press described 65-year-old football star and TV pitchman as "Looking grayer and heavier ...

Games Provided A Big Financial Boost To Dayton Area

Mike Foley and Associated Press — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:49:54 +0000

Tourism officials in Dayton say the NCAA basketball games played in the city in March pumped nearly $11 million into the local economy.

Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson Is Retiring

Mark Memmott — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:48:00 +0000

There's huge news in the sports world this morning:

Alex Ferguson, who has managed Manchester United football club for 26 years, is retiring at the end of the English Premier League season, which wraps up on May 19.

From London, NPR's Philip Reeves tells our Newscast Desk that:

"Ferguson transformed Manchester United into an international

Soccer Referee Dies, One Week After Being Felled By Punch

Bill Chappell — Sun, 05 May 2013 12:49:00 +0000

A soccer referee who was punched by a player after calling a foul on him during a recreational soccer game in Utah died Saturday night, a week after he was hit once in the face.

Kentucky Derby: Rain-Soaked Track Awaits A New Champion

Bill Chappell — Sat, 04 May 2013 19:34:00 +0000

Update at 6:45 p.m.

VIDEO: Could Tommy Lasorda Be Any Less Impressed By PSY?

Mark Memmott — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:05:32 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y9PFstp4Yw

Crunch The Numbers On Blacks' Views On Gays

editor — Thu, 02 May 2013 18:55:00 +0000
A relatively high-profile black man came out this week.

Blue Jackets Look To Improve After Just Missing Playoffs

Jim Letizia — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:52:54 +0000

The Columbus Blue Jackets will once again be watching the NHL playoffs on television.

Nobody Throws Balls Like Yu

Robert Krulwich — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:09:46 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFm98S5IAFU

Spring Game A Homecoming For Coombs

Mike Foley and Associated Press — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 17:30:22 +0000

Ohio State's football team closes out spring workouts tomorrow with the annual scrimmage.

Rare Baseball Films Return To Wexner Center

Alison Holm — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 15:55:02 +0000

The Clippers home opener may have been rained out last night, but baseball is still blooming in Columbus this weekend, with the Wexner Center's series of baseball shorts.

For The Love Of The Game: Play Ball!

Alva Noë — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:59:49 +0000
For some not inconsiderable portion of the population, life reorganizes itself each spring with the start of the baseball season. Until now, my role in the baseball eco-system has been clear. I am a fan. I watch baseball, and I think about it. A lot. My ex-wife once referred to herself in my presence as a baseball widow. I don't really think that was fair. But it is true I don't miss a game the Mets play, time zones be damned. And it is true that love has a lot to do with it. Love of the game, yes.

The Return Of League Park

Ohio Public Radio — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 16:29:41 +0000

As final preparations are underway for the Cleveland Indians’ home opener at Progressive Field, this afternoon, bulldozers are re-shaping another field over on the city’s eastside.

Thomas To Enter NBA Draft

Mike Foley and Associated Press — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 23:07:30 +0000

Calling his three years at Ohio State the best of his life, forward Deshaun Thomas announced today that he will forego his final season of eligibility as a Buckeye.