Probably like many people, I know Ernie Johnson Jr. from his work as a broadcaster at Turner Sports, particularly hosting Inside the NBA on TNT. I knew next to nothing about him besides that, but when I found out he was coming out with a biography from a well-known Christian publisher (Baker Books) and this biography was … Continue reading Unscripted by Ernie Johnson (Review)
Category: Sports
“My Bad,” and Other Sports Metaphors: A Review
I taught English as a second language for a couple of years just after college, and my students could never get enough of idioms and metaphors. By the time they had me as a teacher, most of them had been studying the basics of the language for a while; they really wanted a native speaker … Continue reading “My Bad,” and Other Sports Metaphors: A Review
More NBA Than You Could Ever Want: A Review
I enjoy reading Bill Simmons's sports columns. They're clever, funny, and contain a lot of pop culture references. I've been reading them semi-regularly since 2010, a little before he launched the sports and pop culture website Grantland. After reading The Book of Basketball, Simmons's 700-plus-page magnum opus on the NBA, I came to an important … Continue reading More NBA Than You Could Ever Want: A Review
Eleven Rings to Rule Them All: A Review
Phil Jackson won 11 championship rings as coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers between 1991 and 2010. Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success is an autobiography of sorts, focused on those 11 championship seasons (plus the two he won as a player with the New York Knicks in 1970 and 1973). In … Continue reading Eleven Rings to Rule Them All: A Review
Cleveland: the City as Jilted Lover
I'll admit it: I watched LeBron James's "Decision" special last Thursday. I was home from work and, well, it was on. My main thought, upon seeing it, was that James had made a pretty good decision. He didn't make it to get more money, because he could have gotten more by staying in Cleveland. He … Continue reading Cleveland: the City as Jilted Lover
We are All Canucks (sort of)
I lived in Vancouver for four years, but never went to a Canucks game until yesterday. Mary's boss is a season ticket holder, and he is kind enough to let his employees go to the games he can't make it to. On Friday he asked Mary if she could go, so on Sunday we hoofed … Continue reading We are All Canucks (sort of)
Go Spiders!
Last night, my alma mater won their first national championship in any sport. They beat the Montana Grizzlies 24-7. The sport was football, but I had to do a little research before I knew exactly what kind of championship it was. Whereas the University of Richmond Spiders used to play in NCAA Division I-AA, it … Continue reading Go Spiders!
Delay
I've enjoyed writing posts about the recent European trip every day for the last 12 days, but I believe I will take a brief hiatus. This doesn't reflect any sudden busyness in my life; I'm still looking for a job. No, I've just been having extraordinary trouble uploading photos to WordPress these last couple of … Continue reading Delay
Confessions of a Prodigal Tigers Fan
I've not posted about this before, so some of you may not know this, but I'm a Detroit Tigers fan. I have been since I was a kid. I can't remember why, though it probably has something to do with the fact that 1) my family is from Michigan originally, and 2) there was no … Continue reading Confessions of a Prodigal Tigers Fan
“Nation” Schmation
After watching the Red Sox defeat the Colorado Rockies Sunday night to become World Series champs, I came to this realization: I can't stand it when people refer to a team's fan base as "_________ Nation." I must have heard the phrase "Red Sox Nation" a dozen times during the celebration after the game. I … Continue reading “Nation” Schmation