HOT FUN IN THE SUMMERTIME: CELTICS/LAKERS ’84 at 40
Sean MurphyForty years ago. Officially a classic. But, of course, it was a classic even as it was being played. Sports writers and fans can be forgiven, in this one instance,…
Another Gladiator Gone Too Soon: R.I.P. Chris Simon
The hockey enforcer, formerly known as the Goon, is an endangered species in professional hockey. In many regards, that's probably for the best, all around. But...it's complicated. (And this is…
Marvin Hagler: RIP, Marvelous
Incredibly sad to see the untimely passing of the (truly) Marvelous Marvin Hagler. A humble warrior; molded in iron and absolutely unbreakable (his early history was full of racist nonsense…
April 15, 1985: THE FIGHT (35 Years Later)
IT PROBABLY SAYS SOMETHING about evolution that younger generations see the future as expansive, malleable and positive while the older generations eventually—and inexorably—see the past as safer, simpler and more…
Larry Bird: The Legend at 60
It's almost impossible to accept Larry Bird is 60 years old, today. Because, among other things (like mortality, inevitability), this means I'm definitely no longer an adolescent, watching his exploits…
Do You Believe in Miracles? (Revisited)
On Feb. 22, 1980, in a stunning upset, the United States Olympic hockey team defeated the Soviets at Lake Placid, N.Y., 4-to-3. (The U.S. team went on to win the…
Dave Henderson: RIP
This hurts. Saw the immortal ALCS game in real time. Pops, a long-suffering Boston-born Sox fan, had seen this movie before (and would see it again in a fashion even…
Bill Buckner, Mookie Wilson and Me (Revisited)
(10/2011) I've never been able to appreciate the aesthetic perfection (that is to say, the perfection of baseball's most imperfect play; it's most jarringly incongruous moment) because it was too…
The Fall Classic: 27 Years Ago
I don’t believe what I just saw! No one else in the room could believe it, either. Kirk Gibson had, before our eyes and on television, done something so improbable,…
‘Pedro’ Is a Glorious Romp Full of Stories That Only Pedro Martinez Can Tell
Any public figure, particularly an artist or athlete, is assured notoriety and immortality if they are known simply by their last name (think Bird or Beethoven), their nickname (think Bono…