Phil Niekro: ‘Knucksie’ shares his secrets
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 [...]
Croquet: ‘This isn’t going to make sense initially’
May 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 [...]
Batting Cages: Where all is clear and simple
April 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. [...]
Golf: Swing doctor spreads golf fever
“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.”
— [...]
Basketball: ‘11-to-2 club’ enjoys basket lunch
March 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. [...]
Squash: ‘Definitely not the sport of the mollycoddled’
February 22, 2000 — The ball didn’t bounce.
It just stayed there, on the floor, and slowly dribbled away.
I scratched my head and thought, [...]
NFL Experience: ‘Football is cool’
January 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 [...]
The Yankees are 1999’s best … and nothing else matters
October 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 [...]
Wheelchair Basketball: Hawks roll circles around ‘able bodied’ opponents
September 21, 1999 — Marvin Mukthar Williams was stretching, just like any other athlete does.
He propped his leg up onto the bleacher, [...]
W-League Soccer: They’re not in it for the money — because there isn’t any
August 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, [...]
Tennis: ‘We’re going to make a tennis player out of you’
July 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 [...]
Racquetball: ‘When I saw your backhand, I knew I had a win’
June 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 national champions are good at making sure [...]
Bowling: ‘It’s a whole ‘nother family’
May 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 [...]
Kayak Polo: ‘We are kayakers and we are committed’
April 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 kayak polo instructor, Brad Carr, after I informed [...]
Senior’s Tennis: ‘It’s not hit and giggle, either’
December 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 Ashland, Oregon and his heart stopped [...]