July 9, 2000 — It was a typical Friday morning. I struck out Ken Griffey Jr., got struck out by Greg Maddux and received a knuckleball lesson from Phil Niekro. Yep, pretty routine. Just another day at the Major League Baseball All-Star FanFest, which runs through Tuesday at the Georgia …
Read moreMay 2, 2000 — I just finished playing my first game of croquet, and my head hurts. No, I was not struck with a mallet or plunked with a ball. It’s just that this sport can be quite complicated. Three hours on the court, and I was both confused and …
Read moreApril 18, 2000 — “Bull Durham.” “When Harry Met Sally.” “Good Will Hunting.” Three movies. Three great movies. And they all feature scenes that take place in batting cages. Coincidence? I don’t think so. Perhaps it’s just part of being an American male, but there’s something I love — always …
Read more“Golf is like a love affair: If you don’t take it seriously, it’s not fun; if you do take it seriously, it breaks your heart.” — Arnold Daly, early 1900s film star March 21, 2000 — Growing up, when my friends headed out to the golf course, I would always …
Read moreMarch 14, 2000 — “So Dan, what do you do?” a reader asked as I enjoyed an adult beverage at the Monkey Barrel recently. This is a common question. Week after week, this column is filled with stories of my forays into other people’s hobbies. Invariably, my attempts are introductory …
Read moreFebruary 22, 2000 — The ball didn’t bounce. It just stayed there, on the floor, and slowly dribbled away. I scratched my head and thought, “Well, that’s weird.” Ball is round. Floor is flat. Ball should bounce. Right? Wrong. That would be too easy. And, as I learned last week …
Read moreJanuary 29, 2000 — Forgive me for sounding un-American, but the Super Bowl — the actual football game itself — is usually boring. It’s usually a long, noncompetitive romp broken up by an equally drawn out and insipid halftime show. This year’s intermission “extravaganza” features 125 drummers and percussionists, a …
Read moreOctober 23, 1999 — Enough already with this tired Team of the Decade debate. So the Atlanta Braves have made it to the National League Championship Series eight years in a row, and the New York Yankees are trying for their third World Series championship in four years. Who cares? …
Read moreSeptember 21, 1999 — Marvin Mukthar Williams was stretching, just like any other athlete does. He propped his leg up onto the bleacher, leaned forward and reached for his toes. Game time was near, so the 26-year-old lifted his limp leg with his hands and placed it back into his …
Read moreAugust 3, 1999 — I recognized the look in the child’s eyes. It was a look of wonder, of worship. It was a look that, I’m sure, emanated from my young eyes years ago as I gazed upon my heroes at the ballpark. It was a look that Stephanie Yarem …
Read moreJuly 27, 1999 — It’s a good thing sports writers put in odd hours. That way, we can make fools of ourselves on the tennis court while the rest of the world works. Our follies of would-be volleys go unseen. Our self-induced tirades unheard. “And, for that, everyone should be …
Read moreJune 15, 1999 — Racquetball is the type of sport that can make the inexperienced player feel quite awkward. And when that inexperienced player shares the court with, say, an eight-time national champion, that awkwardness is aggravated — much like the inexperienced player at the match’s conclusion. Good thing eight-time …
Read moreMay 11, 1999 — At first, all you notice are the sounds. It is a random refrain. Simultaneously heavy balls strike lanes, roll down alleys, pummel pins — and occasionally scrape along gutters. Over. And over. After a while, you no longer notice the sounds at the Gainesville Bowling Center. …
Read moreApril 27, 1999 — It sounded easy enough. Paddle kayak over to little yellow ball. Pick up ball. Throw ball in goal. Yes, it sounded easy enough. But there was one small catch — for me, at least. “Usually, polo requires that you know how to paddle already,” smiled my …
Read moreDecember 22, 1998 — John Odegaard met his wife on a tennis court in 1950. He almost died on a tennis court in 1998. Actually, there was a period of time when the 72-year-old Odegaard was clinically dead. He was lying on his back on an indoor tennis court in …
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