Detroit Free Press

'Playwriting is an irrational act. It is the Las Vegas of art forms. The odds are terrible. And the most difficult part is . . . I love it."I love writing plays, too, and the reason why is the man who said those things, Herb Gardner, one the best playwrights this country has ever had. He wrote his first in 1962, when he was in his 20s -- "A Thousand Clowns" it was called, and it remains a classic.

TO: THE REST OF THE WORLD FROM: DETROIT SPORTS FANSAttention, please.We are not on a ledge.We do not have our heads in the oven.We are not taking the big sleep. We are not swallowing the gas pipe. Yes, we know the rest of the sports world feels sorry for us, seeing as our venerable Tigers, one of baseball's oldest franchises, are about to lose more games in one season than any modern-era team has done before -- even the laughable 1962 New York Mets.But can we let you in on a little secret? We don't care that much.Honest.

So now, after all that, Chris Webber gets handed a bill. His old school wants payback. It accuses him of "a long ...

Sergei Fedorov was speaking on a cell phone as he drove to his new home in Newport Beach, Calif. At night, he ...

'So what is your new book about?"I've been having problems with that question. When you wait six years to write something new, when you pour your heart and soul into making it good, explaining it seems hollow and unworthy."But what is it about?" How do you answer? Strangely enough, seeing those images on the anniversary of Sept. 11, I think I found a way.

There I was last weekend, watching Notre Dame play football, and my heart began to race and my mouth went dry and ...