Theft in Our Neighborhoods: The Bridgewater Township Police Department is advising township residents of “an increase in evening car burglaries.” It seems that some not so neighborly people are roaming Bridgewater streets after dark when all is quiet, looking for unlocked cars.
You can guess the rest: According to police, “valuables left inside, including GPS units, cell phones, iPods, laptop computers, cameras and money,” are targets of choice. Be alert, because police also advise that these thefts are not restricted to any particular neighborhood.
An Increase in Flu Occurrences: The Superintendent of the Bridgewater-Raritan Schools announced on Friday that the first case of swine flu (H1N1) within the school district was diagnosed at the Eisenhower school. Additionally, Dr. Schilder reports, there has also been “an increase of confirmed cases of Type A influenza across the district.”
I’m not surprised: On Saturday, Priscille and I were scheduled to attend a dance recital for our two granddaughters. But it was not meant to be. The girls visited the doctor on Friday. He diagnosed their symptoms as the flu – not H1N1, and advised them to cancel their scheduled performances.
Although the disappointment of not performing on Saturday, after expending so much time, effort and money on preparation was a huge letdown, they are now recovering well.
This is Sport? Elsewhere, the Courier News reports that “a Bridgewater recreation coach has been indicted on a fourth-degree aggravated assault charge for punching a fan in the face.” I suppose that there, but for the grace of God go I. Still, it’s hard to fathom how civility seemingly continues to erode in so many spheres of our lives.
Showing posts with label Sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sports. Show all posts
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Baseball, Cancer & Courage
Every so often, in the midst of all the not-so-happy news emanating from newspapers, radio, TV, and the Internet, there is a hopeful, beaming ray of light that breaks through and shines on the tenacity of the human spirit’s ability to prevail over a potentially fatal disease.
Cancer is probably the ugliest six-letter word in the English language. No one who has not contracted it can understand the dread that it can cause. And no one who has not contracted it can understand the day-to-day courage of cancer patients who squarely face this disease with hope, prayer and good medical assistance.
The Red Sox have an example of that reach-down-deep strength in John Lester, the 24-year old left-handed pitcher who, on Monday, threw 130 pitches over nine innings to clinch a no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals.
During his treatment, Lester had been away from major league ball, and it was unclear whether he would return to the roster. But he did. And how! Last year, Colorado Rockies fans remember him well as the man who sealed their defeat in the fourth and final game of the 2007 World Series – a mere 14 months after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Somerset County, N.J. is Yankees & Mets baseball country. Yet, any good baseball fan can easily offer a tip of the hat to Lester’s kind of grit: A sports enthusiast doesn’t have to love the Red Sox to love Jon Lester. He is hope for every patient struggling with the life-altering challenges brought on by this disease, and a beacon to the rest of us who can only stand in awe of such purpose and strength of mind.
Kind of puts life in perspective, doesn’t it?
Note: Since this post was drafted, Massachusetts senator Ted Kennedy was diagnosed with malignant glioblastoma; and, yesterday, Hamilton Jordan, former chief of staff to former President Carter, passed away from other forms of cancer.
Cancer is probably the ugliest six-letter word in the English language. No one who has not contracted it can understand the dread that it can cause. And no one who has not contracted it can understand the day-to-day courage of cancer patients who squarely face this disease with hope, prayer and good medical assistance.
The Red Sox have an example of that reach-down-deep strength in John Lester, the 24-year old left-handed pitcher who, on Monday, threw 130 pitches over nine innings to clinch a no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals.
During his treatment, Lester had been away from major league ball, and it was unclear whether he would return to the roster. But he did. And how! Last year, Colorado Rockies fans remember him well as the man who sealed their defeat in the fourth and final game of the 2007 World Series – a mere 14 months after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Somerset County, N.J. is Yankees & Mets baseball country. Yet, any good baseball fan can easily offer a tip of the hat to Lester’s kind of grit: A sports enthusiast doesn’t have to love the Red Sox to love Jon Lester. He is hope for every patient struggling with the life-altering challenges brought on by this disease, and a beacon to the rest of us who can only stand in awe of such purpose and strength of mind.
Kind of puts life in perspective, doesn’t it?
Note: Since this post was drafted, Massachusetts senator Ted Kennedy was diagnosed with malignant glioblastoma; and, yesterday, Hamilton Jordan, former chief of staff to former President Carter, passed away from other forms of cancer.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Giants Pull Out a Tight Victory
Almost all of the professional sports pundits got it wrong. (See my pre-game blog of yesterday). The New York Giants played a great defensive game against the New England Patriots. Eli Manning kept his newly-found precision passing on the mark to produce the necessary yardage that eventually gave the Giants a 17-14 win over the up-to-then undefeated Patriots.
Tom Brady was sacked too often by an aggressive Giants defense, and could not come up with enough big plays to give him the results that he needed for this contest. Even Randy Moss was held to a single touchdown and just five receptions.
As of 10:20 last night, the writers of FOX Sports on MSN had nothing to say about their lopsided predictions of a Patriots victory, where 10 out of 11 writers had called for the Giants to lose. They should have taken a course on statistics and probability before writing their articles.
That, of course, doesn’t make me, a New England fan, feel any better about it. After rooting and hoping right through to the end of this game, I was frustrated that the Pats just couldn’t come up with enough Moxie to close the deal on a potential 19-0 season. The Giants guaranteed a different outcome last night, and for that, they deserve the championship for which they fought so hard.
p.s. Go easy on me in the next few weeks. I need recovery time!
Tom Brady was sacked too often by an aggressive Giants defense, and could not come up with enough big plays to give him the results that he needed for this contest. Even Randy Moss was held to a single touchdown and just five receptions.
As of 10:20 last night, the writers of FOX Sports on MSN had nothing to say about their lopsided predictions of a Patriots victory, where 10 out of 11 writers had called for the Giants to lose. They should have taken a course on statistics and probability before writing their articles.
That, of course, doesn’t make me, a New England fan, feel any better about it. After rooting and hoping right through to the end of this game, I was frustrated that the Pats just couldn’t come up with enough Moxie to close the deal on a potential 19-0 season. The Giants guaranteed a different outcome last night, and for that, they deserve the championship for which they fought so hard.
p.s. Go easy on me in the next few weeks. I need recovery time!
Sunday, February 3, 2008
The Vagaries of Football’s Super Bowl
I was going to write about another topic, until I saw the predictions for today’s matchup between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots on MSN.com.
To read the FOXSports.com article by Senior NFL writer Alex Marvez, you’d think that the Giants might well have stayed in their New Jersey homes and enjoyed the nice sunny day. In his column of about 870 words, the Giants barely get a mention, and then, only at the end.
In another story on the same web site, FOXSports on MSN calls on 11 experts – all of which, except one – pick the Pats to win Super Bowl XLII. Kevin Hench, FOXSports.com contributor, has the Pats winning 41-10, the widest margin predicted, while Peter Schrager, NFL contributor, is the sole analyst to pick the Giants. He gives them a 4-point spread, 27-23.
I don’t know about you, but all this nonsense talk about knowing who will win the game ignores the laws of probability. Like a coin toss for heads or tails, this game could land on either side. Furthermore, the Pats’ uninterrupted 18-game winning streak keeps increasing the statistical chances of their losing. It will happen sooner or later. Pretty sobering, isn’t it?
Hey! Wait a minute here. Don’t think I’m rooting for the Giants. I’m an old Red Sox fan who knows how to cheer on his team while keeping his fingers crossed until the clock stops ticking and the final score is registered on the board.
I’m wary of Eli Manning who seems to have awakened from his regular season somnambulism and has been playing post-season games with the precision of a jungle cat trying to take down a gazelle. I don’t expect him or the rest of the Giants to do anything but to try to claw their way to victory.
Here’s to all of us slightly off-balance and sometimes demented sports fans in the New England and New York area – have a pre-game toast to the whole kit and caboodle.
Note: See http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7747796?MSNHPHCP>1=10937 for the Alex Marvey story, and http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7744306?MSNHPHCP>1=10937 for the pre-game predictions.
To read the FOXSports.com article by Senior NFL writer Alex Marvez, you’d think that the Giants might well have stayed in their New Jersey homes and enjoyed the nice sunny day. In his column of about 870 words, the Giants barely get a mention, and then, only at the end.
In another story on the same web site, FOXSports on MSN calls on 11 experts – all of which, except one – pick the Pats to win Super Bowl XLII. Kevin Hench, FOXSports.com contributor, has the Pats winning 41-10, the widest margin predicted, while Peter Schrager, NFL contributor, is the sole analyst to pick the Giants. He gives them a 4-point spread, 27-23.
I don’t know about you, but all this nonsense talk about knowing who will win the game ignores the laws of probability. Like a coin toss for heads or tails, this game could land on either side. Furthermore, the Pats’ uninterrupted 18-game winning streak keeps increasing the statistical chances of their losing. It will happen sooner or later. Pretty sobering, isn’t it?
Hey! Wait a minute here. Don’t think I’m rooting for the Giants. I’m an old Red Sox fan who knows how to cheer on his team while keeping his fingers crossed until the clock stops ticking and the final score is registered on the board.
I’m wary of Eli Manning who seems to have awakened from his regular season somnambulism and has been playing post-season games with the precision of a jungle cat trying to take down a gazelle. I don’t expect him or the rest of the Giants to do anything but to try to claw their way to victory.
Here’s to all of us slightly off-balance and sometimes demented sports fans in the New England and New York area – have a pre-game toast to the whole kit and caboodle.
Note: See http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7747796?MSNHPHCP>1=10937 for the Alex Marvey story, and http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7744306?MSNHPHCP>1=10937 for the pre-game predictions.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Hate Doesn’t Have a Position in Football
Steve Politi, a sports columnist for the Star-Ledger, has a big chip on his shoulder. He doesn’t like the New England Patriots and he thinks that no one else does either – unless, of course that “no one else” happens to live in New England. In fact, he hates the Patriots, and he seems to think that you should too! Why? Well . . . just because they are on a 15-game winning streak and, tonight, if they are lucky and skillful, they may shatter a host of individual and team football records.
Politi claims that tonight’s Patriots’ pre-game 15-0 winning record makes them a “perfect” team, that people “hate” other people whom they deem to be perfect; and, in a twisted form of logic seems to conclude, therefore, that you, too, should hate the Patriots.
Politi has dubbed the Patriots as “the most hated team in sports.” I’ve got news for him, the Red Sox Nation is ubiquitous, and it includes Pats fans. Oh, and did I forget to mention basketball’s Boston Celtics who, at this writing, just happen to be streaking along at a 24-3 win/loss clip?
Winning comes with training, patience, skill, luck, resources, and still more training. Every sports team goes through the same cyclical process. It takes years to establish a great winning club. That formula applies in every sphere of life. Some win, some lose. Sooner or later, everyone gets a dose of both.
Every sports fan knows that eventually the New England Patriots will lose. I just hope that it’s not tonight – nor in any of the playoff games leading to the Super Bowl. If they do, I’ll be very disappointed and downcast, replaying in my mind everything that they might have done to have established the best records ever to have been set in football. I’ve learned to do that very well with the Red Sox who, for a long time, had forgotten what it was like to win.
In my mind and in my heart-of-hearts, though, I know this: Americans love winners, and they like to see records broken. I don’t see where hate plays a position on any of America’s teams.
Note: Steve Politi’s column appeared on December 28 at http://www.nj.com/columns/ledger/politi/index.ssf?/base/columns-0/11988201743620.xml&coll=1
Politi claims that tonight’s Patriots’ pre-game 15-0 winning record makes them a “perfect” team, that people “hate” other people whom they deem to be perfect; and, in a twisted form of logic seems to conclude, therefore, that you, too, should hate the Patriots.
Politi has dubbed the Patriots as “the most hated team in sports.” I’ve got news for him, the Red Sox Nation is ubiquitous, and it includes Pats fans. Oh, and did I forget to mention basketball’s Boston Celtics who, at this writing, just happen to be streaking along at a 24-3 win/loss clip?
Winning comes with training, patience, skill, luck, resources, and still more training. Every sports team goes through the same cyclical process. It takes years to establish a great winning club. That formula applies in every sphere of life. Some win, some lose. Sooner or later, everyone gets a dose of both.
Every sports fan knows that eventually the New England Patriots will lose. I just hope that it’s not tonight – nor in any of the playoff games leading to the Super Bowl. If they do, I’ll be very disappointed and downcast, replaying in my mind everything that they might have done to have established the best records ever to have been set in football. I’ve learned to do that very well with the Red Sox who, for a long time, had forgotten what it was like to win.
In my mind and in my heart-of-hearts, though, I know this: Americans love winners, and they like to see records broken. I don’t see where hate plays a position on any of America’s teams.
Note: Steve Politi’s column appeared on December 28 at http://www.nj.com/columns/ledger/politi/index.ssf?/base/columns-0/11988201743620.xml&coll=1
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
The Rivalry is Still Alive!
In 2004, when the Red Sox won the World Series over the St. Louis Cardinals in four straight games, after previously winning over the Yankees in you-know-how-many-come-from-behind-straight-games, I was visiting my then 93 year-young mother-in-law at her home in Massachusetts. She was sitting in her favorite reclining chair, Red Sox cap on her head, actively engaged in cheering for her favorite team. So were her daughter and her son-in-law.
That night on October 27, under a total lunar eclipse, the curse was broken. Every major TV station in New England ran virtually non-stop coverage of the games for the next 36 hours. The next morning, I had to drive to several stores to find press coverage, because most newsstands were sold out. Retail stores in the area quickly bulged with Red Sox paraphernalia.
Since then, though, I’ve never discounted the chances of a winner-take-all Yankee comeback. I still don’t. I always anticipate yet dread Yankees/Red Sox matchups, hoping that the Red Sox will trounce the Yankees, acknowledging full well that the Yankees can do the same.
Those of us who suffered through the interminable baseball drought that blanketed the Red Sox Nation before 2004 can empathize with what Yankees’ fans must now be undergoing. All I can say is thank heaven that the Steinbrenners don’t own the Red Sox!
Note: To read my June 2, 2007, discussion of Yankees/Red Sox competition, click on the label ‘Sports’ below, and scroll down a bit. If you’d like to read columnist E.J. Dionne’s assessment of Rudy’s Red Sox Romance, See the October 30, 2007 edition of the Washington Post at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/29/AR2007102901475.html?sub=AR
That night on October 27, under a total lunar eclipse, the curse was broken. Every major TV station in New England ran virtually non-stop coverage of the games for the next 36 hours. The next morning, I had to drive to several stores to find press coverage, because most newsstands were sold out. Retail stores in the area quickly bulged with Red Sox paraphernalia.
Since then, though, I’ve never discounted the chances of a winner-take-all Yankee comeback. I still don’t. I always anticipate yet dread Yankees/Red Sox matchups, hoping that the Red Sox will trounce the Yankees, acknowledging full well that the Yankees can do the same.
Those of us who suffered through the interminable baseball drought that blanketed the Red Sox Nation before 2004 can empathize with what Yankees’ fans must now be undergoing. All I can say is thank heaven that the Steinbrenners don’t own the Red Sox!
Note: To read my June 2, 2007, discussion of Yankees/Red Sox competition, click on the label ‘Sports’ below, and scroll down a bit. If you’d like to read columnist E.J. Dionne’s assessment of Rudy’s Red Sox Romance, See the October 30, 2007 edition of the Washington Post at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/29/AR2007102901475.html?sub=AR
Saturday, June 2, 2007
The Best Rivalry in Baseball
It’s been a long time since I wound my way along Storrow Drive, parallel to the Charles River, on my way to classes at Northeastern University: One of my best memories is the last leg of that drive, past Boston University, towards Yawkey Way, with Fenway Park to my right, home of the 37 foot-high Green Monster in left field.
Last night, the Yankees took full advantage of that venerable wall to shellac the Red Sox. A check of the current standings in the American League East (see: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/standings/index.jsp?ymd=20070602) shows the Red Sox in first place, with the best record in baseball – up 12.5 games over the Yankees -- just before game time this afternoon.
However, as any Red Sox fan knows, you shouldn’t count your chips until the dealing’s done. Despite Boston’s current standing, last night’s game at Fenway Park showed only too well what happens when BoSox pitching collapses and Yankee bats wake up and take charge.
It’s going to be a long summer, and no one can predict who is going to be holding the American League Pennant when the last pitch crosses the plate. Anything can happen between these two teams, and the only sure thing is the crazy excitement and loyalty that the fans bring to each of their venerated teams.
Last night, the Yankees took full advantage of that venerable wall to shellac the Red Sox. A check of the current standings in the American League East (see: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/standings/index.jsp?ymd=20070602) shows the Red Sox in first place, with the best record in baseball – up 12.5 games over the Yankees -- just before game time this afternoon.
However, as any Red Sox fan knows, you shouldn’t count your chips until the dealing’s done. Despite Boston’s current standing, last night’s game at Fenway Park showed only too well what happens when BoSox pitching collapses and Yankee bats wake up and take charge.
It’s going to be a long summer, and no one can predict who is going to be holding the American League Pennant when the last pitch crosses the plate. Anything can happen between these two teams, and the only sure thing is the crazy excitement and loyalty that the fans bring to each of their venerated teams.
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