.....Advertisement.....
.....Advertisement.....

Opinion & Analysis

  • Sports commentary: Thank you for your service

     

    Go Army!  Beat Navy!

    "Wait a minute," you might be thinking.  "Didn't this guy write a column on the Army-Navy game last week?

    I did.  But I'm not through with the topic.

    Last week's column was written in a humorous vein, though I'm certain there are readers who might counter that last week's column was merely an attempt at writing in a humorous vein.

    This week, I'm taking a more somber approach.

    Click here to read more...
  • Sports commentary: The Army Team

     

    Go Army!  Beat Navy!

    Next weekend, I'll get to see if yet another of my accursed streaks might come to an end.

    In case you're keeping score at home, my favorite teams have endured the following strings of bad luck:

    -Minnesota Golden Gopher football – Last won the national title in 1960.

    -Buffalo Bills – Nary a Super Bowl win in the team's history.

    -Chicago Cubs – 106 years since they last won a World Series.

    Added to this ignominy are these nuggets:

    Click here to read more...
  • Is hunter training robust enough?

     

    The undisputed goal for hunting safety is zero.

    Anyone associated with the sport wants zero incidents and zero hunting-related fatalities.

    Of course, such a number will likely always be aspirational.  So the realistic goal is to keep the number of incidents and deaths to as low a number as is reasonably possible.

    A cursory glance at the chart below shows that, by and large, Virginia has a notably low rate of hunting incidents.

    Click here to read more...
  • Sports commentary: A mixed bag

     

    What do the following have in common:  limburger cheese, kidney pie, Lady Gaga and the new VHSL playoff structures?

    While you may be tempted to answer:  "They all smell funny," that would be an incorrect answer.

    In order to get a passing grade on this simple test, you'd have to have answered:  "People either love them or they hate them."

    Click here to read more...
  • Sports commentary: Local is good

     

    When it comes to college sports, there's something to be said for in-state rivalries.

    Well, at least I hope there is, seeing that I have 20 column inches here that need filling up with thoughts about the topic.

    Check that.  I need to fill  18.5, as I've already used up  a bit with the intro.  And, according to my editor, those (now) 18 inches of writing had better be pretty darn good.

    Click here to read more...
  • Sports commentary: The Tempest

     

    The kerfuffle in Miami got me reminiscing about fifth-grade history class.

    The disturbance to which I refer is the high drama being played out over a couple of offensive linemen, where neither is now suiting up on Sundays.  The culprit appears to be bullying.

    Full disclosure:  I'm a Buffalo Bills fan, and my team has enough of its own problems (such as finding a quarterback who isn't prone to injury).  Still, the two teams play in the same division, so I'm interested.

    Click here to read more...
  • Sports commentary: Good sports

     

    The Word of the Day which popped up is "Dichotomy." 

    A dichotomy is a division of something into two mutually exclusive classifications.

    In this case, the dichotomy exists in my mind and it has to do with long-distance running.

    On the one hand, I've never been fond of that activity.  Whether it was during high school football or in the Army, the idea of running very far seemed senseless and cruel.

    Click here to read more...
  • Sports commentary: Series grumbles

     

    "Do you want me to turn on the ballgame?"

    That query came underscored by the dulcet tones of the wife.  It came my way as I was poring over a crossword puzzle.  

    "No, thanks," I muttered.  "I'm not interested."

    "Some sports guy you are:  Not interested in the World Series!"

    She was correct.  I'm supposed to live, breathe and eat sports in this job.  Yet, despite my strong proclivity to do so, I had zero interest in the World Series.

    Click here to read more...
  • Sports commentary: Football fun

     

    E.C. Glass has a couple of neat football traditions.

    Last weekend, the Hilltoppers played Heritage.  At stake was a trophy jug.

    When the team plays Jefferson Forest, it is in the Black and Blue Bowl, with a beat up medical kit as the trophy.  Aside from being a nod to the physical nature of this particular game, the name also carries the two schools' principal colors:  black and blue.

    Click here to read more...
  • Sports commentary: The singularity

     

    As my old friend Barry White used to croon, "Too much of anything isn't good for you, baby."

    OK.  Barry White and I were not friends.  The late, great baritone, in fact, had no idea of my existence.

    But the line from Barry White's classic, "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe," rings true enough.

    At least it does when it comes to sports.

    Click here to read more...