Category: OLD SPORT SHORTS (Page 21 of 68)
An old guy’s perspective on all sports
As has become a recent tradition here on my site, I start with a little history lesson about the year of 1882, keeping pace with my blog post numbers. According to Wikipedia: “On, August 3 – The U.S. Congress passes the 1882 Immigration Act. August 5 – Standard Oil of New Jersey is established. September 4 – Thomas Edison starts the U.S.’s first commercial electrical power plant, lighting one square mile of lower Manhattan.” Thomas Edison has become a frequent source of innovative ideas in this era, some developed in his winter home in nearby Ft. Myers, Florida. He would continue churning out patents for the next 48 years before his death in 1931.
I bought our tickets for the ferry (Key West Express) from Fort Myers to Key West, as we make plans for traveling there in first quarter of 2022. We need to earn a few more Marriott points before booking our lodging for a few nights. We’ll then use the Vacation Club to celebrate our 21st anniversary on Florida’s Singer Island. Marriott stays will also be part of our summer drive to Mackinac’s Grand Hotel, with overnight stops in Petoskey, Cleveland, Canton, and Hilton Head, with more yet to schedule. We’ll end the year at Marriott’s Kaui Lagoons – Kalanipu’u to celebrate an early Christmas.
We had a WISH-TV reunion yesterday with two other couples at the Streamsong Golf Resort in Central Florida. It’s a unique location on 16,000 acres, hiding decades of strip mining activity. Streamsong was developed by The Mosaic Company, “the world’s leading producer and marketer of phosphate-based crop nutrients…” There is some ecological controversy surrounding the company, but at least they’ve created a beautiful, world-class site for golfers featuring some of the top courses on the globe. We had lunch and enjoyed each other’s company, leaving our clubs behind.
We’ll update our landscaping plan with a Zoom call this afternoon before suffering through what will likely be a disappointing evening of IU basketball at Wisconsin. After 18 straight losses in Madison, it’s hard to be optimistic, even through this year’s team has proven to be improved. IU’s 13-point opening BIG victory over Nebraska was overshadowed by a Michigan rout of the same team last night 102-67. Other IU opponents, after close games with us, also experienced decisive losses to ranked teams. Syracuse lost by 14 to Villanova, while Kansas clubbed St. John’s 95-75. This is a strong indication that the team is far from Top 25 status and still simply of average BIG talent. We’ll know more tonight! Ugh!
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Once again, a Thomas Edison invention, the phonograph, is the highlight of the year 1878, while in 1879 he first demonstrated incandescent lighting to the public. Also of interest, “milk was sold in bottles for the first time and infielder William White plays in one game for the Providence Grays and in conjecture becomes the first African American to play MLB.”
Race results have been compiled from yesterday’s Tomahawk 5k and I finished 143rd overall out of 400 participants. My time of 42:24 put me 6th in the M 70-74 division out of 8 finishers. One woman out of 14 of the same age group had a slightly better time than mine by 8 seconds to top her division. She was also two years older to give her even more credit. I ran this morning with the #2 finisher in the M 60-64 division to stretch my personal streak to 4,725 consecutive days. “Run…Forrest…Run.”
It’s “Football Sunday” with hopes of breaking my Fantasy team’s losing streak. Da Bears have experienced a similar streak of misfortune that will probably continue this afternoon against the winningest team in the NFL, the Arizona Cardinals. Michigan, Alabama, Georgia, and Cincinnati firmly cemented their spots in the College Football Playoffs last evening. The Portland Timbers are hosting the MLS Cup with a chance to claim their first title since 2015 but Oregon State fell short in their quest to make the College Soccer Cup. It will be Washington, who knocked off IU, Clemson, ND, and Georgetown. Three of the four matches went to penalty kicks to determine a winner, while only Washington scored more than one goal in a 2-0 victory over St. Louis, bidding for their record 11th National title.
IU Basketball ended their sad streak of 6 consecutive BIG losses dating back to February with a much needed win over Nebraska yesterday afternoon. They play Wisconsin on Wednesday in Madison where the Hoosiers face a streak of eighteen straight losses dating back to 1998 when the Kohl Center first opened. The Badgers are fresh off a Maui (Las Vegas) Invitational Championship and a 13-point victory over Marquette. Wisconsin’s only loss this season was a 2-point setback #12 Houston in the Maui opener for both teams. Since 2002, the Badgers are 28-6 over IU. Prior to that they were 49-90 all-time. It’s not likely that this horrible losing streak will end this season, especially considering Indiana’s performance against Syracuse in its only road game so far. The odds are heavily against us!
In the year 1874: “January 1 – New York City annexes The Bronx. February 21 – The Oakland Daily Tribune publishes its first newspaper. March 18 – Hawaii signs a treaty with the United States granting exclusive trading rights.” No one knew at that time that they were effectively setting the stage for the baseball “Bronx Bombers.” “The nickname was originally coined in 1936 by Daniel Daniels who wrote for New York World-Telegram. The Yankees were originally known as the New York Highlanders before changing their name to the Yankees in 1913.”
“The Yankees began play in the 1901 season as the Baltimore Orioles (no relation to the modern Baltimore Orioles). In 1903, Frank Farrell and Bill Devery purchased the franchise after it ceased operations and moved it to New York City, renaming the club the New York Highlanders. Arguably the most successful professional sports team in the United States, the Yankees have won 19 American League East Division titles, 40 American League pennants, and 27 World Series championships, all of which are MLB records.”
The team trains in Florida at Steinbrenner Field, a 31-acre complex centrally located in Tampa, serving as the spring home to the New York Yankees, and summer home to the Yankees class A-Advanced affiliate Tampa Tarpons. In 1973, the Steinbrenner family purchased the club for $8.7 million and continue to maintain ownership. We bought tickets to see them at Cool Today Stadium, our neighborhood ballpark that’s the Florida home of the Atlanta Braves. It’s just an hour-and-a-half drive for the Bronx Bombers and only a mile away for us, as they face-off against the newly crowned World Champion “Bravos.”
A bit of history about 1872: “Ulysses S. Grant defeats Horace Greeley. Women’s suffrage: In defiance of the law, American suffragist Susan B. Anthony votes for the first time (on November 18 she is served an arrest warrant, and in the subsequent trial is fined $100, which she never pays).”
Each post now represents a year of “modern” life as we approach the Twentieth Century but still 149 years from 2021. Christmas decorations are starting to go up in our home. It was much easier to get the storage boxes out of the garage rather than behind the locked cages of last year’s apartment. We also have more room to display some of our collection. My wife still respects our informal prenuptial agreement of no excessive decorating, although I must admit that the lanai would be the perfect location for a tree. Am I getting sentimental in my old age?
Yesterday, was a great sports watching day even though my favorites didn’t fare so well. Technical difficulties prevented my watching IU soccer lose in the last minute to Washington in the Sweet 16. I could, however, clearly see the hamulating defeat that the football Boilermakers laid on my Hoosiers in the Bucket game. It had been ten years since IU went winless in the conference, and I had thought those days were behind us. From an IU fan standpoint, the day improved with both a men’s and women’s basketball victory, as was expected. The real excitement was watching Michigan beat Ohio State and Alabama pull off an incredible come-from-behind win over Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Oregon also beat Oregon State in the Civil War.
Today, the Colts meet the Buccaneers, a game that will have some impact on my Fantasy match-up, with Rob Gronkowski and Carson Wentz playing for the opposition. The Colts are riding a three-game winning streak, highlighted by Jonathan Taylor’s 5 touchdown barrage last Sunday against the Bills. Tom Brady and company have lost two of their last three as we head into the last seven games of the season when he is typically at his best. The Bears get the day off after a thrilling Thanksgiving Day victory, while I might leave the dark confines of my office to watch today’s games in the sunshine by the pool. Back in 1872, Columbia and Rutgers met in the first ever college football tie 0-0. It’s Sunday and Trash Day, but football comes first!
I doubt that I’ve done much swimming on Thanksgiving Day, but thanks to a heated pool in our new Florida home, I’m living the dream. I’ve been to many warm spots to celebrate the holiday like Isles Mujeras, St. Maartin, Maui, and Austin but I don’t recall spending a lot of time in the swimming pool. I’m grateful we made the investment, as I continue to get my money’s worth or at least reduce the cost per use. As I’m swimming laps, it’s as if I can hear the electric meter spinning. It was 55 degrees when I stepped outside to run this morning but the pool water was in the seventies, peaking at 85 in the evenings.
From a historical standpoint, the Great Chicago Fire happened in 1871, as I continue relate events to my daily post. According to Wikipedia, “the blaze started on the evening of Oct. 8, 1871. While there is little doubt that the fire started in a barn owned by Patrick and Catherine O’Leary, the exact cause of the fire remains a mystery. Rain put out the fire more than a day later, but by then it had burned an area 4 miles long and 1 mile wide.” Maybe a cow did kick over a lantern? “It killed between 200 and 300 people, destroys 17,450 buildings, leaves 100,000 homeless and causes an estimated $200 million (in 1871 dollars; roughly $4 billion in 2021 dollars) in damages.”
It’s big big day for college sports, as my Alma Mater, Indiana plays four times today in soccer, basketball, and football. It’s a weekend for rivalries, including the Bucket Game between Purdue and IU. If it had been held last year but wasn’t due to Covid, the Hoosiers would have theoretically trounced the Boilers, but what a difference a year has made. Purdue is favored by two touchdowns. Ohio State is a TD favorite over Michigan in their annual battle this afternoon for the Paul Bunyan trophy. IU Men’s and Women’s basketball should both win today, while soccer plays #2 seed Washington that may spell the end of their frustrating season, plagued by a lack of scoring. It comes down to the fact that if the Huskies score they will probably win.
Speaking of buckets, I did watch “The Bucket List” movie again with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. It’s one of those holiday traditions along with “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.” Travel has been restricted these past few years, so I don’t know if I’ll ever get to the Pyramids. Our Bucket List has a hole in it, as plans continue to be disrupted by worldwide disease threats. We’re still hoping to get to Alaska, Japan, Kaui, and Egypt next year, but we might be limited to just automobile adventures like our drive to the Grand Hotel with stops at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Football Hall of Fame, Biltmore Mansion and Hilton Head. Despite the setbacks, it’s still good to live the dreams of your Bucket List.
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This is one of the greatest sports weeks all year long for me, ranking just below March Madness. IU basketball is padding their record with a series of home games once known as the Hoosier Classic. The Maui Classic is in full swing, although played in Las Vegas this year. IU women’s basketball has ventured to the Bahamas to cross paths with perennial powerhouse Stanford and a second game with Miami. IU soccer meets #2 seed Washington in the third round of the NCAA Championship. With regard to football, the Bears play the Lions in the Turkey bowl and the Hoosiers battle the Boilermakers for the Bucket. For IU, it’s the Toilet Bowl and the last chance to win a BIG Conference game this year.
According to a Wikipedia reference, “The first Thanksgiving Day football game took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Thanksgiving Day of 1869, less than two weeks after Rutgers defeated Princeton in New Brunswick, New Jersey in what is widely recognized as the first intercollegiate football game in the United States, and only six years after Abraham Lincoln declared the first fixed national Thanksgiving holiday in 1863.” One of my fondest memories of Thanksgiving was playing tackle football on a field dusted with snow with high school friends that had returned home from college to be with their families. Someone always got hurt! (See Post #746).
I like to call Turkey Day “Gamesgiving” because I’m often glued to the TV or actually at a basketball or football game. This year we’ll be at the beach but I will undoubtedly be monitoring scores. I’m not expecting much in the way of victories for my teams this year but every time I lose someone else wins, so I live to make them happy…thank you very much! Happy Gamesgiving!
There are too many retirement hassles right now like Medicare payment shortages and heat pump problems. Home improvements continue to eat away at precious retirement savings. Following my sports favorites has also been frustrating, but I have little control over their performance. However, I did jump on the Atlanta Braves bandwagon and watched them win the World Series. Former Cubs such as pearl wearing Joc Pederson and MVP Jorge Soler were resurrected in the process. I bought some baseball cards to preserve the memories of their success. It’s been 26-years since their last such title with Greg Maddux, my granddaughter’s namesake, not to mention that their Spring Training facility is practically in our back yard. It was perfectly justifiable to adopt them as “my team.”
Once Spring Training comes around I’ll be back to primarily supporting my childhood favorites, the White Sox and Cubs, but the Braves have found a way to my heart, especially if they keep winning. I’m fickle that way because I just haven’t found much consistent satisfaction with sports of late. The Hoosiers lost again to Michigan yesterday, fell short on the soccer pitch to Maryland in a quest for the BIG title, and basketball has yet to rebound from years of despair. With bowl hopes crushed, there’s only one more football game that matters and that’s against giant beater Purdue who handed the #3 Spartans their first loss of the year yesterday. Thankfully, basketball starts this week and we’ll see if all the hype about coach Mike Woodson is for real.
The first game of the new season is Tuesday night but it won’t be until March before we know the answer. After three miserable years of no post season action will I.U. finally be competitive in the BIG and ultimately make the Big Dance? Purdue seems to be getting all the headlines on the football field and in the basketball preseason polls. Just as today is all about time change, it’s time for a change when it comes to The Glory of Old I.U.
Today is “Medical Tuesday” with both a booster shot and teeth cleaning. It’s been since March (7 months) that I’ve had my choppers looked at or had the initial Covid shot. Since I was only able to get the single dose of J&J it’s important that I supplement it with a Pzifer second. Here in what many call the Covid hotbed, there’s no point in taking a risk. Although, even our HOA has lifted the mask requirement for indoor events. I imagine that later today I’ll experience some mild symptoms or at least have a sore arm, but my gums should feel good.
Tonight is Game 6 of the World Series with another chance for the Braves to win it all. The neighborhood stadium should be abuzz with fans hoping to share the winning moment. With an 8 p.m. start, I will be in bed for the outcome. I’ve already had a disappointing week of sports, including the Noah Clowney decision yesterday to go to Alabama over Indiana. This is really the first setback in the Coach Woodson era. Wins and losses will be the next measure of his success after an excellent recruiting record so far with the exception of Noah Clowney. I always consider it a sign that maybe he wasn’t the right fit for the program, but I.U. basketball needs all the good publicity it can get right now. With the ability for players to now rescind on their commitments depending on which way the wind is blowing, securing a future prospect in the early signing period is no longer a certainty.
The Morning Show has suddenly turned dark, while Ted Lasso isn’t as funny as I expected. We watched both Apple TV series last night, as I wait for Curse of Oak Island to restart. I caught up on some Season 8 episodes before we left for the movie theatre yesterday afternoon, in anticipation of tonight’s Season 9 restart. The movie Dune was very entertaining from a special effects standpoint on the big screen, but with all science fiction productions I seem to have trouble keeping the characters and places straight. Most productions anymore for me require multiple viewings, so I will watch one of the earlier versions of the story to gain a clearer understanding. I’ll try to fit it into my busy retirement schedule… ha ha!
The IU offense was down to their #3 quarterback, but that wasn’t the problem in today’s loss to Maryland. IUD was the culprit, It looks like The Terrapins likely earned a bowl bid while the Hoosiers will need a miracle over Michigan to even qualify with a .500 record. Five Top 10 losses and now to an unranked foe will necessitate a four game winning streak over the Wolverines, Rutgers, Minnesota, and Purdue to close the season. Once again, basketball can not get here soon enough, but I certainly can’t take more disappointment from the Cream & Crimson. Currently, soccer is the only shining star, but Maryland could once again get in the way of glory in tomorrow’s match.
I’m wearing my new Atlanta Braves T-shirt in anticipation of another World Series victory from my neighborhood team. By adopting them late in the season, I’ve probably doomed them to join my other loss plagued teams. We played host to an Astros fan last night and took him to Cool Today Park (Braves Spring Training site) to watch game 3 on the Jumbotron. He happens to currently live in Atlanta where he met my wife’s niece, so he was obviously disappointed in the 2-0 loss. The Braves went with several relievers to compile a no-hitter into the eight, but as has become typical of the modern game, didn’t give rookie right-hander Ian Anderson a chance to finish his gem of a start. Don Larsen, from Michigan City, Indiana, continues to hold on to his unmatched 1956 perfect game performance. With more and more platoon pitching, as was the case last night, it will never be equaled.
We’re headed to the ballpark again tonight for live music, a Halloween costume contest, and Game 5 on the big screen. Fantasy football resumes tomorrow and no guests expected for another week. We enjoy our visitors but need a break in the action to make our next plan that will probably include another Dolphin cruise. We had such great spotting fortune yesterday afternoon, when initially we thought the trip would be cancelled due to high winds. Mothers and babies romped freely in nearby Lemon Bay. The water was very choppy but reminded me of the Depot Bay whale watching adventure a year ago, my first break from Covid detention. The same good friend that organized it will expect me to return the fishy favor and show him some Florida nature. Just like IU football, hopefully, we can “just get it over with,” as I’m known to say.