CALGARY, Alberta -- It was over before the second guy even skated. You knew that watching Brian Boitano Saturday night, knew it when, in the middle of the final cyclone twist of a brilliant routine, he jerked his head skyward with a smile that said it was all worth it, all the wait, all the work, everything, because the gold medal was coming, it was just a matter of time.
LAKELAND, Fla. -- And now, for the national anthem. Everyone stood up. The man inside the Marchant Stadium press box pushed the button for the pre-recorded tape. Music, maestro . . . "Ohhh, say can yooourrp---"And silence.The tape was dead. The speakers were blown. And 6,288 people were standing in the Florida sunshine craning their necks to see what was going on.Welcome to baseball, 1986.
LAKELAND, Fla. -- I know it is early. I know spring training is still in diapers. But I am going to make a prediction.I predict Dave LaPoint will become the best quote on the Tigers by midseason.Now, for those of you unfamiliar with the term, a "good quote" is someone who, after getting bombed for 17 runs in three innings, does not sit by his locker and say, "I dunno wha' happen' (burp)."Nor is a good quote someone who, after getting bombed for 17 runs in three innings, says, "Get that microphone out of my face before I chew your arm down to the veins."
People in New York are all abuzz about the amazing odyssey of Julie Ridge. Ridge, a professional actress, is swimming around Manhattan -- 28 miles up and down the Hudson and East Rivers -- once a day for six days.On the seventh day she shall rest.The event is billed as a "sports spectacular." But I don't know. I figure if God meant for woman to swim 28 miles he would have given her fins, or at least put some sharks behind her.Besides, as most New Yorkers can tell you, the East River is not something you just go diving into.
THE LIVE ALBOM (Halloween Edition)I heard a knock. I opened the door. There stood someone dressed like a billionaire; silk suit, silk tie, turtle shoes, keys to a Rolls-Royce."Trick or treat!" he said.Oh. Kirk Gibson. It's you. Some people might brag about how, in this very newspaper, they predicted the National and the American league pennant winners correctly. I'm not like that, of course.ODE TO MANUTE BOLYouaresotallit'sincredible
The morning is cold and rainy. Wilbert Montgomery rises at 7, feeds his infant daughter, heads out. No breakfast. Billy Sims rises about the same time, makes a few phone calls, heads out. They meet in the training room, where shattered knees go for resurrection.Once they were two of the best running backs in the NFL. Different teams. Same status. Montgomery shouldered a load that helped the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl in 1980. And Sims was the Detroit Lions. That simple.
IOWA CITY -- The ball was snapped, the holder slammed it to earth, point-first, and the kicker's foot came through with a thud. The ball rose up high and through the uprights, and the biggest college football game of the year was decided with :00 showing on the clock.It was an Iowa foot.The Hawkeyes won.And that was the proper ending to this game, as hard as it is to swallow for Michigan fans.The Wolverines were No. 2 and trying harder. But the Wolverines are still No. 1.They deserve it.
OK. This week I've got a great new theory on how to pick winners. Big stuff. Really. Read this and you'll be making hundreds of dollars every Sunday. I guarantee it.Now the . . . oh, I should explain that I am writing this from the press box of the Michigan-Ohio State game in Columbus, Ohio. No problem. I can do two things at once.All right. Now the first thing you do in this new system is get a list of--DID YOU SEE THAT?Sorry. Big play there. Now then, you get a list of the games and take the point spreads and--LOOK! LOOK! HE'S OPEN! HE'S---
Let me tell you about the social event of the football season, the marriage of Bob and Kim Gagliano, live, on the radio, an event that can be summed up with the following sentences:"Are they ready yet?""No! Throw on another Van Halen record!"Now. There are many ways in which a man and woman can be joined in holy matrimony. Most of them do not involve headphones. Nor do most include a disc jockey who says, "We'll be back with the wedding, right after this. . . . "
ANN ARBOR -- They used to go back to their apartment after the games, and friends would come by and the two of them would put on a rap record and shout along with it and do some dancing and laugh until it hurt. It would be easier after a win, but they'd do it after a loss, too. Hell, most losses fade quickly enough.
The first question is whether Alan Trammell deserved it. The answer is yes. "Most valuable player" is a funny phrase -- it means different things to different people -- but if you spent time around the Tigers this season, you know Trammell, the shortstop and cleanup hitter, was oozing the right stuff.
LAKELAND, Fla. -- I am too old for this. I have a car in the garage and a life insurance policy and a coat and tie somewhere. I am grown up. But I am standing behind the batting cage in spring training, and that is where it always begins. "Phone call," someone yells."Coming," I say, but I do not move.My fingers curl around the metal links. The sun is warm. I am watching the Tigers take batting practice and my eyes are closing and my mind starts to drift. I am too old for this. "You wanna take a try?" I hear the player ask. "Me?" I say.
