Author Archives: Sam Smith

Please help: Brazil soccer team threatened by a tragic shortage of cool names

By Sam Smith | Published: December 11, 2010
When it comes to football – some of you may know it by its American name, “soccer” – Brazil is a land of legend. Five World Cups. Two runners-up. Two thirds and a fourth. That’s more championships than any other nation and only Germany has more top four finishes. At the club level, Brazilian players [...]
Posted in soccer | 3 Comments

Lawyers, guns and money and Shari’a Law and air conditioning the desert: how the hell did the US lose World Cup 2022 to Qatar?!

By Sam Smith | Published: December 2, 2010
Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the governing body of world soccer, today awarded the 2022 World Cup to Qatar. The move is regarded by most as an upset – the odds-on favorite to land the event was the United States, which hosted the most successful Copa in history in 1994. Also in the running [...]
Posted in World Cup, soccer | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

NFL gets it right on violent hits: better now than after somebody gets killed (literally)

By Sam Smith | Published: October 25, 2010
After a disturbing round of ultra-violence during Week 6, the NFL last week announced that “even first-time offenders face suspension for ‘devastating hits’ and ‘head shots.’” Yesterday’s action indicated, in the estimation of several analysts (who appeared to be reading from the same script at times), that the message had been “delivered and received.” Sunday’s [...]
Posted in football | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

NHL discipline boss just doesn’t get it

By Sam Smith | Published: October 12, 2010
I’ve been noting the National Hockey League’s fundamental cluelessness regarding the state of its game for some time now. I suspect I’m not the only one who’s voted with his wallet, either – I’ve spent barely a fraction as much on hockey, as much as I love it, since the league’s impotent response to Todd [...]
Posted in Hockey | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

Derek Jeter, a man of honor and integrity. After the game, anyway.

By Sam Smith | Published: September 16, 2010
So Jete admitted, in a post-game interview, what everybody in the world knew except the ump – the pitch hit the bat instead of him. Nonetheless, he hammed it up like an Argentinian striker taking fire from the Grassy Knoll. Fakes his way [...]
Posted in Baseball | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Media Update from Denver Broncos Training Camp

By Sam Smith | Published: August 12, 2010
Denver, 11:53am Tim Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow. Earlier in the day, Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow. Head Coach Josh McDaniel Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow, Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow; Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow Tebow.
Posted in football | Tagged , | 1 Comment

The eye of the Tiger: does Woods have to choose between being a great golfer and a good human being?

By Sam Smith | Published: July 19, 2010
Tiger Woods wrapped up the 2010 Open Championship at St. Andrews tied for 23rd and 13 strokes off the pace, “his worst finish at a major in which he completed 72 holes since a tie for 24th at the 2004 PGA.” You might remember that Woods had a little domestic dustup last November, and since [...]
Posted in Golf | Tagged , | 5 Comments

The complex legacy of George Steinbrenner

By Sam Smith | Published: July 13, 2010
George Steinbrenner is dead. Let me begin by saying that I’m a Red Sox fan and a lifelong Yankee-hater who loathed Steinbrenner from shortly after I first heard his name. Let me further note that for the better part of the last three decades I have argued, passionately and to anyone who’d listen, that there were [...]
Posted in Baseball | Tagged , , | 13 Comments

LeBron James: welcome to the Punk Hall of Fame

By Sam Smith | Published: July 9, 2010
Let’s say you’re a guy and you’ve been involved with a woman. Long-term, committed, exclusive relationship. Several years together. You loved her dearly through the years and she’s simply gaga over you, for reasons none of your friends fully understand. But now, now you’ve realized that it isn’t going to work any longer. Maybe you [...]
Posted in Basketball | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Copa Mundial 2010: Why This World Cup is So Important for the US

By Sam Smith | Published: June 22, 2010
Copa Mundial is nearing the end of group play, with a few elimination round qualifiers already determined. Tomorrow’s featured match (featured here, anyway) sees the US taking on an Algeria side that’s outgunned on paper, with a spot in the Round of 16 awaiting if we can get the W. Of course, as England learned [...]
Posted in World Cup, soccer | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment