And now, three words about Darrell Evans.Home Run King.OK. So he doesn't have the title clinched yet -- there are still four games left -- but he'll get it, as long as God makes little green apples and Piggy loves Kermit and somewhere over the rainbow, way up high, good things come to those who wait.Because Evans has been waiting 38 years.And nobody deserves it more.This is a professional, a leader, a guy who'd keep an even keel in an earthquake, who always faces the cameras, good or bad, who epitomizes the words gentleman, dignity, grace.
BOSTON -- The first one came with the final seconds dripping away in the first half. Greg Kite threw him the ball off a rebound and Danny Ainge started dribbling downcourt, but, time, time, there wasn't enough time, so he heaved it, he just heaved it while he was running, a desperation shot from 40 feet. And the ball went up, up, came down, down. . . . Bang.
I would like to write something funny and witty and entertaining and insightful to top my picks for this week, but I am stuck in line at a shopping mall, waiting to pay for a blender. I have been here since Thursday, and I am getting hungry.So here are the picks.LIONS 23, PACKERS 12: The Lions are at home. They are very happy. They strut around the Silverdome. "See this?" they say, "this is our turf. And see this? This is our bench. And see this? This is our Gatorade bucket." They lean back and smile."We cannot lose," they say, "we are at home."
WIMBLEDON, England -- "Hello?""Is Boris in?""Who's calling?""Just put the little twerp on the phone.""One moment, Mr. McEnroe."". . . Hello?""Boris?""Yon?""THAT'S JOHN, YOU PEA-BRAIN!""Zorry.""Forget it. Look. I saw what happened Friday at Wimbledon. You shouldn't have lost. Second round? The defending champion? No way.""I know. I am better player than dis Peter Doohan. But he heet shots dat ver unbeleeevable! He vas vantastic! He vas-"
CALGARY, Alberta -- The moment began to slip away slowly, then quickly, unraveling with every false step of Debi Thomas's skates. This wasn't the ending America had dreamed about. This wasn't Olympic magic. This was Thomas, with no one but herself to overcome, missing one jump, missing another, nearly falling to the ice, tumbling down the glory ladder, past gold, past silver."I'm sorry," she whispered to herself, to her coach, to us, as she skated off the ice, the reality of the moment hitting like a brick of ice: the gold medal was hers for the taking. She had given it back.
PASADENA, Calif. -- When they were kids, Jamie Morris and his brothers and sisters would sneak up to the attic and go through their parents' memories. One day they found a helmet. And a foreign flag, dog tags and C rations.From Vietnam."Did you ever kill anybody?" a five-year-old Jamie once asked his father."Yes," said Earl Morris, who had fought as a Green Beret. "Yes, son, I did."
TORONTO -- The goalie sat in a darkened corner high above the ice, and whenever a Toronto player fired a shot he instinctively inched forward as if to stop it, then, remembering where he was, what he had done, why he was here, he sat back.
I get a lot of letters asking how I will vote for this year's Heisman Trophy. And since the award is being given Saturday, I guess I better decide. Before I fill in the names, however, I want to modify the ballot, just a bit . . . THE HEISMAN MEMORIAL TROPHY1989 OFFICIAL BALLOT -- PLEASE PRINTI hereby designate (name & college) as My First Choice to receive the HEISMAN MEMORIAL TROPHY awarded to the Outstanding College Football Player of the United States for 1989. To the best of my knowledge he conforms to the rules governing the vote.
"I always wanted to play for the underdog."Barry Sanders, Heisman winner, upon learning Lions drafted him It was as easy as letting water out of the tub. The Lions needed speed? They took the fastest running back in the draft. They needed marquee value? They took the biggest star available. Never mind that the suspense was so thin, you could cut it with a paper clip. What do you want? Drama or improvement?
LAKELAND, Fla. -- He sees them all, every spring, from behind the bars of his sweaty black mask. The pitchers cannot hide. Not from him. With each thud in his glove he knows who is smokin' and who is just lighting up and who can't even generate a spark. You want to know something about something?Ask the catcher.
SEOUL, South Korea -- I will tell you how much football I have seen in the last two weeks. Twenty minutes. It is shown between 3 and 6 a.m. on Sunday nights here. One game. Usually Buffalo is in it, I don't know why.I do know, however, everything you need to know about rowing, yachting, bowling, synchronized swimming, dressage, judo, epee, butterfly, javelin, and rhythmic gymnastics.Unfortunately, I can't get a point spread on any of them.So here are this week's picks . . .
BOSTON -- By the time the clubhouse were doors opened, Larry Herndon was already dressed in shirt and pants and had one shoe on.Had he been able to get away faster he would have. But the team bus was not due for 20 minutes. Where could he go? A group of reporters approached, and he quickly found a TV set and stared as if his destiny were somewhere inside it."Can we get a comment on that tremendous home run?" asked someone to Herndon's shoulder blades, as the minicam lights flicked on."Uh . . . uh . . . I'd rather not," he said, stepping back like a trapped animal.
