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,…
The Glorious Redemption of the Great Eight
5/24/18: 20 years ago was fun, if a bit of a fluke, courtesy of some top teams getting knocked out to expedite our unlikely run. And even then, it was…
Nat Hentoff: Great American Hero (Revisited)
Spiderman, I suppose, came first. Six or seven, comic book in hand, convinced there was no one cooler, no one more righteous, no one else I’d rather be. After a…
Nat Hentoff: Great American Hero
Spiderman, I suppose, came first. Six or seven, comic book in hand, convinced there was no one cooler, no one more righteous, no one else I’d rather be. After a…
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…
A Combination of Santa Claus, Superman and Peter Pan (Revisited)
So, it was slightly more than three years ago (ensconced in phase 2 of "Snowpocalpyse 2010") that I wrote the mash note, below. Two things: I totally stand by what…
Bird and Magic (Revisited)
1979. It's been so well documented, and remains such a touchstone (it is still the most widely watched NCAA final ever, which--considering the inconceivably successful hype college and pro sports…
Shipping Up To Boston
1984 was the last time it happened: Game 7 for all the marbles. Back then I was deeply invested; now, not so much. To put it mildly, my passion for…
A Combination of Santa Claus, Superman and Peter Pan
When I was growing up, Larry Bird was by far my favorite athlete. His capacity for heroics, it often seemed, was limitless. I've celebrated that love affair here and here.…
Hot Fun in the Summertime, circa 1984
The clothesline heard 'round the world Twenty-five years ago. Long enough to officially make it a classic. But, of course, it was a classic even as it was being…