The first round of the Women’s World Cup finished yesterday, and overall it was an exciting, intriguing start to the tournament. While all six seeded teams won their groups, many of the newcomers showed impressive flashes of play, there were a few upsets and semi-upsets, and there were very few uninteresting (i.e., blowout) matches. NoneContinue reading “Women’s World Cup Knockout Rounds Predictions”
Category Archives: Sports
Books Acquired Recently
Keri, Jonah. Up, Up, and Away: The Kid, the Hawk, Rock, Vladi, Pedro, Le Grand Orange, Youppi!, The Crazy Business of Baseball, and the Ill-fated but Unforgettable Montreal Expos. 2014. Toronto: Vintage, 2015. I enjoy Keri’s writing for ESPN.com, and have been thinking about buying this book since it came out last year. I wasContinue reading “Books Acquired Recently”
Thoughts on the Beginning of the Women’s World Cup
With the first set of group stage matches at the 2015 Women’s World Cup completed, here are some random thoughts on the tournament thus far. The stadia are not ideal, which means the atmosphere of many of the matches has been lacking. Many of the stadiums being used (e.g., Edmonton, Winnipeg, Vancouver) are Canadian FootballContinue reading “Thoughts on the Beginning of the Women’s World Cup”
The 1991 Women’s World Cup Final: The Full Match Online
In preparation for the Women’s World Cup that begins this evening, I just watched the 1991 final between the U.S. and Norway, which is available in its entirety here. It was televised on the now-defunct SportsChannel via tape delay, so there are commercials throughout the broadcast, but one never misses any game action. Unsurprisingly forContinue reading “The 1991 Women’s World Cup Final: The Full Match Online”
2015 Women’s World Cup Predictions
The 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada begins on Saturday, and it is shaping up to be even more exciting than the thrilling 2011 edition in Germany. The field of contenders is larger than ever before, and there are a number of teams just below this level that could plausibly make runs deep into theContinue reading “2015 Women’s World Cup Predictions”
Books Acquired Recently: Sports History Edition
Katz, Jeff. Split Season: 1981: Fernandomania, the Bronx Zoo, and the Strike That Saved Baseball. New York: Dunne, 2015. 1981 was one of the weirdest seasons in Major League history because it was bisected by a players’ strike. Apparently no one has ever written a book on it, though, and I was too young toContinue reading “Books Acquired Recently: Sports History Edition”
Clinching Safety
I took the above photograph at the end of Sunderland’s 0-0 draw at Arsenal yesterday afternoon, which ensured that the Black Cats are safe from relegation this season. The caption, “Clinch safety,” is a simple statement within the context of the match, but it also struck me as a profound statement about life. Isn’t thatContinue reading “Clinching Safety”
Book Acquired Recently: Jill Bialosky’s The Players
Bialosky, Jill. The Players. New York: Knopf, 2015. I recently read a review of this poetry collection and decided to buy it because it includes a section about baseball. Baseball and poetry are a perfect match for each other because they both invite contemplation. The empty spaces between pitches (which really only seem to beContinue reading “Book Acquired Recently: Jill Bialosky’s The Players”
Books Acquired Recently
Hertz, Sue. Write Choices: Elements of Nonfiction Storytelling. Los Angeles: Sage, 2015. I have been wanting to write more creative nonfiction, and while I’ve had a bit of success getting published in the genre in the past I still don’t feel like I have a good sense of how to write compelling pieces of itContinue reading “Books Acquired Recently”
Book Acquired Recently: David Peace’s The Damned Utd
Peace, David. The Damned Utd. 2006. Brooklyn: Melville, 2014. I recently read Peace’s novel about Bill Shankly, Red or Dead, and enjoyed it enough that I decided to explore more of his work. The Damned Utd is about Brian Clough’s short tenure as manager of Leeds United. Clough is a figure who has long fascinatedContinue reading “Book Acquired Recently: David Peace’s The Damned Utd”
Daniel Shank Cruz 