NCAA basketball: Duke Blue Devils in Dubai, Coach K in a Sweet Spot

As Duke handled the UAE squad to finish their tour of Asia, Coach K floats above the epidemic of college sports scandals   The home team kept it close for a while, though United Arab Emirates tops out at around six-foot-eight. But superior talent won out over its slightly-older competition Friday night, as the Duke…

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NFL Crime and Punishment: Roger’s Luggage

The NFL lockout is over. Well, at least in practical terms. Barring the return of Jesus Christ, World War III, or an alien assault, the 2011 season will proceed uninterrupted. Men everywhere,  and a few women, are sighing in relief. The sports fanatic churches have not been padlocked. All of the backslapping has smeared over…

Bite, Baby!: John Daly and Real-ness

There are people we love to hate. John Daly is a guy some of us hate to love.  What’s to love? Other than his choice of pants from time to time, out on the links? He took photos with fans where everyone lifted their shirts to show their breasts–including him. He married a drug dealer. He showed…

NBA Finals 2009: Is Kobe a vampire?

What’s the deal with Kobe Bryant’s facial expression in the Finals? Or better yet, why did he lose that look? Kobe had what Dr. Jack Ramsay called “that jaw-jutting, vampire look” for the first two games in L.A. The Lakers won both games–the first, because Orlando couldn’t make shots. The second, because despite an admittedly…

Violence and sports going hand-in-hand: DUH moments

“If competitive sports build character, it is character fit for a criminal,” said G.B. Leonard in 1972, disputing the theory that athletics embody moral principles. Leonard might have had football in mind when he penned those words. Football is a game of intelligence. But it’s a game of brutality, too. How can a person wrestle…