sports

How I Fell in Love With Basketball

March 20, 2012

Refreshing! But I’m pretty sure that’s still a foul. Group sports have never been my thing. And when I say “not my thing” I mean I was the girl who faked her period for three years before actually getting it, just so I wouldn’t have to play soccer with the other kids. It’s not that I was some kind of rebel. It’s that I was – and still am, let’s be honest – a huge people pleaser. Add to that the fact that I am not a naturally gifted athlete and you have a recipe for disaster. You ready for [...]

21 comments Read More →

Calling all Sports Superfans: Would You Lie for Love?

June 9, 2010

“I love you, man!” “Aw! Come to papa!” In the grand tradition of Sandra Bullock and Jesse James, Ross Gellar and his first wife Carol, and that governor from South Carolina who went MIA for two days to “hike the Appalacian trail”, my marriage was based on a lie.  No, I’m not a neo-Nazi man whore, a closeted lesbian nor do I have a secret Argentinian mistress for whom I would abandon the government of an entire state to canoodle with but nevertheless my lie threatened to rock the very foundations of my early wedded bliss. See, I did one [...]

0 comments Read More →

Sports: Do You Play to Win?

September 28, 2009

Well that’s a bummer. The leaves changing color, the nip in the air, the never ending back-to-school nights with their ten-page supply lists are all signs of the season change, sure, but nothing announces the advent of fall in suburbia like the pitter-patter of little soccer cleats across a field. (That would be football for everyone outside the States. It was probably unnecessary to clarify that but I have one surprisingly dedicated reader in Singapore and I’ll be rather disappointed if I ever lose them.) Raise your hand if you played soccer as a kid. I imagine that includes everyone. [...]

28 comments Read More →

Tennis Officials Call Serena Williams Ugly, Send Her to Back Courts

June 30, 2009

Quick, name this profession: long, slim, toned bodies poured into tight fitting – but adorable! – clothing and jumping around in front of a bevy of overeager photographers, magazine editors, and camera crews. Oh yeah, and there’s a lot of “grunting” involved (oh, the scandal!). Did you say modeling? Actually, it’s tennis. With East European beauties such as Maria Sharapova, Anna Kournikova and Elena Dementieva ruling the press coverage of the sport, one would think they must also be ruling the courts. Not so, say many tennis insiders. Often the best courts and play slots (and hence the better media [...]

29 comments Read More →

Does Keeping Kids Safe Mean Making Them Fat?

December 9, 2008

Think hard – when was the last time you saw a high dive outside of the Olympics? Our local pool sure doesn’t have one. Indeed, the last time I can remember seeing one was in my high school pool when I was on the diving team for about two seconds. (Although I stuck around long after I quit to help all the guys shave their legs before meets. What can I say? Swimmers are hot. Even freakishly hairless boy swimmers.) There’s a reason we don’t see many high diving boards anymore. Or any diving boards at all. Or merry-go-rounds. Or [...]

33 comments Read More →

The Fastest Runner Doesn’t Win First Place in Nike Marathon

October 23, 2008

Um, oops. Some things should be self-evident. Like the fact that I run with an entourage consisting of very short people with runny noses and a propensity for whining should indicate that I am well versed in how babies are made. (Stranger at Trader Joe’s, sneering, “Don’t you know how those are made yet? Me: Why, don’t you? Are you looking for tips?) Something else that you would think would be self evident: the first person over the finish line (barring cheating) at a race is the winner. Not so, says the Nike Women’s Marathon. The largest women’s marathon in [...]

28 comments Read More →

Williams Sisters Sell Oreos to Children, Meth Next

September 18, 2008

You are the current U.S. Open Champion and her equally-as-talented sister. People the world over adore you. You’ve made unprecedented strides in both of your athletic careers and at the same time managed to keep your personal lives on an even keel. Kudos all around. So what do you do? If you are Venus & Serena Williams, you become the official spokespeople for Oreos, the cookie that made transfat famous. I know, I know, before I start with the obligatory pearl clutching and histrionic “think of the children!”s , it is just a cookie. I get that. Nobody ever died [...]

32 comments Read More →

Fitness Mystery of the Day: The Case of the Marathon Ten

September 16, 2008

People often take up running as a weight loss tool. And for many it helps. Until it doesn’t. Aside from the previously discussed myth that exercise alone produces weight loss, there is another interesting facet to this idea: after a certain point that seems to be individual to each body, adding mileage can actually produce weight gain. This well-documented phenomenon, often referred to as “the marathon 10” for the 10 or so pounds people often gain while training for a marathon, has long presented a conundrum for new and seasoned runners. I remember as a newbie runner hearing glorious tales [...]

29 comments Read More →

Yellow Waterfalls by I.P. Freely (a.k.a. Steve Stenzel)

September 10, 2008

So a while ago I confessed my fascination with how athletes “take care of business” during an athletic competition. This fascintation generally takes the form of intrusive questions asked to anyone who will sit still long enough to listen to me. My friend and first-time triathlete P, upon being on the recieving end of my grilling, simply rolled his eyes and said, “What are you – a twelve year old boy?” Apparently, yes. And I finally found someone who is not only an accomplished triathlete and Ironman but is also as immature as I am. Possibly more so. (Yeah, I’m [...]

25 comments Read More →