Detroit Free Press

COMING OF AGE: FUTURE IS NOW FOR THE FAB FIVE

COMING OF AGE: FUTURE IS NOW FOR THE FAB FIVE

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Who you calling young? Who you calling freshmen? The team that was supposed to show its immaturity, the team that was supposed to have a squeaky voice, the team that was due to get its comeuppance when it finally faced a "real" challenger in this tournament, just sent that real challenger on a very real summer vacation, it now has three victories under its belt in college basketball's biggest tournament -- supposed to be for big boys only -- and tomorrow it will play Ohio State for the right to go to the promised land, the Final Four.Who you calling young?
LIONS BOW IN AND BOW OUT, BUT THEY’LL COVER

LIONS BOW IN AND BOW OUT, BUT THEY’LL COVER

WASHINGTON 20, DETROIT 17: So what if Rodney Peete hasn't played more than five minutes all summer? So what if Barry Sanders has barely broken a sweat? So what if the Lions now have a tight end on their team, but nobody knows who he is or what exactly he does? Hey. I still think the Lions can cover the spread. If you can't be optimistic in the first week of the season, you're hopeless.MINNESOTA 17, CHICAGO 14: Refrigerator Perry gets hungry. Eats teammate Neal Anderson. Bears lose.
NAVRATILOVA’S SHINING HOUR BLUNTED BY FEAR

NAVRATILOVA’S SHINING HOUR BLUNTED BY FEAR

WIMBLEDON, England -- If she weren't gay, this would be such a big story. Cameras would be following her all week, and TV and radio would be updating her progress. But here is the dirty little secret about Martina Navratilova. Not that she's a lesbian. We've known that for years. She admits it. Talks about it. Doesn't try to hide it. The dirty little secret is that she keeps paying for it.
KRAMER PROVES METTLE: BRASSHE PERSEVERES TO GET QB JOB

KRAMER PROVES METTLE: BRASSHE PERSEVERES TO GET QB JOB

"Which one's Kramer?"-- Out-of-town journalist in Lions' locker room this week Is it safe to call 1993 the Year We Appreciated Quarterbacks? After all, Joe Montana went to Kansas City, and now the Chiefs have real Super Bowl chances. Randall Cunningham went kerplunk, and so did the Eagles' playoff hopes. The thud from Miami was the end of this year's Dolphins -- and it coincided with the thud of Dan Marino. And down in Texas, Warren Moon and Troy Aikman are the two big reasons folks are loudly predicting a Lone Star Super Sunday.
THE GAME STRETCHES IT INTO A DOUBLE STANDARD

THE GAME STRETCHES IT INTO A DOUBLE STANDARD

Nine winters ago, Jesse Jackson, who was running for president, referred to Jews as "Hymies" and New York as "Hymie Town." This is an ethnic slur. He made it to a Washington Post reporter, but when the story broke, Jackson denied ever saying such a thing. A week later, he said he couldn't remember saying it. A week later, he admitted saying it, but claimed it was in private conversation. Then he promised never to make such derogatory remarks again.
PAY SCALE DISPUTE? HEY, NO PROBLEM!

PAY SCALE DISPUTE? HEY, NO PROBLEM!

If I were in charge of baseball, there would be no spring training lockout. I would simply take the two negotiators, Donald Fehr and Chuck O'Connor, stick them in a hotel room, tie them to the bedpost alongside a drooling German Shepherd and have the door hermetically sealed. Then I would inform the world that they had run off to Mexico together. And the players and owners, none of whom really know what's going on anyhow, would shrug and say, "Well, shoot, (spit) heck, (scratch) let's play ball."
COURT PLAYS GOD WITH PARENTS, KIDS

COURT PLAYS GOD WITH PARENTS, KIDS

Raise your hand if you ever felt like running away from home.Raise your hand if you ever felt your parents ignored you.Raise your hand if you ever felt you'd rather live with another family, one that had more fun and more money.Hmm. A lot of hands. Now consider what happened in a Florida courtroom last week: 12-year-old Gregory Kingsley was officially "divorced" from his natural parents and awarded to foster parents -- one of whom happens to be a lawyer who helped represent the boy in court.

Mitch Albom writes about running an orphanage in impoverished Port-au-Prince, Haiti, his kids, their hardships, laughs and challenges, and the life lessons he’s learned there every day.

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