After a brief seven year hiatus, the fourth season of Arrested Development was released on Netflix this week. In an interview with A.V. Club, Mitchell Hurwitz, the creator of the show, discussed the difficulty in writing and filming the new episodes because of the schedules of all of the actors. Mr. Hurwitz explained that they […]
May
30
Swing and a Miss – May 29, 2013
posted by TIF
Random thoughts on a Wednesday night… No Need to Harp on It. Last week in San Francisco, Bryce Harper misplayed another ball in right field. As Harper pursued a well-struck fly ball by Gregor Blanco in the ninth inning, Harper appeared to flinch and pull up even though he was still multiple feet short of […]
May
15
Bryce Harper’s Collision With the Wall is Not an Example of His Passionate Play
posted by TIF
From his controlled-rage of a swing to his aggressiveness on the base paths, Bryce Harper plays the game of baseball with an intensity that most fans normally associate with football . . . or mixed martial arts. For this reason, Harper is often described as “gritty” and “hard-nosed” and any number of other adjectives usually reserved for […]
May
13
The Actual Reason Why the Ratings for Yankee Broadcasts in 2013 are Down
posted by TIF
Apparently, through 28 Yankee games on the YES Network this season, the ratings are down 39% compared to the same time span in 2012. Bob Raissman of the Daily News hypothesized that the main reason for the decline in ratings is the lack of star players, such as Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, in the […]
May
10
Get a Kluwe: Punter’s Release Leads to Irresponsible and Sensationalized Journalism
posted by TIF
“Yellow journalism” is a term that originated in the late Nineteenth Century during the newspaper wars between William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer and refers to journalism that “exploits, distorts, or exaggerates the news to create sensations and attract readers.” A characteristic of this type of journalism is an article that uses eye catching or […]
May
09
Sorry Buster, Selig Should Not Overturn the Botched Home Run Call
posted by TIF
Trailing 4-3 with two outs in the ninth inning last night against the Indians, Adam Rosales hit a fly ball deep to left field that was initially ruled as a double. Oakland’s manager Bob Melvin requested a review and after reviewing the play on instant replay, the umpires determined that the correct call had been made […]
May
01
Welcome Back, Wang?
posted by TIF
Pop quiz hotshot: Name the pitcher who (a) had the most wins in the major leagues from 2006 to 2007; (b) finished second to Johan Santana in the voting for the American League Cy Young Award in 2006; and (c) was chosen over potential Hall-of-Famers Mike Mussina and Andy Pettitte as the Yankees’ opening day […]
April
25
Have We Learned Nothing From ESPN’s First Take?
posted by TIF
Apparently looking to capitalize on the heated American League MVP debate (Mike Trout or Miguel Cabrera) from last season, Major League Baseball Network has been pushing a new show called MLB Now hosted by Harold Reynolds and Brian Kenny. The show is being billed as the “old school” versus the “new school,” and this theme is […]
April
04
Semi-Educated Guesses for the 2013 Major League Baseball Season
posted by TIF
Every year since the first grade, I have written down my predictions for the upcoming Major League Baseball season. Up until I purchased my first computer, I kept these predictions in a journal, which has since been lost. However, even without referencing my journal, I can still remember the teams that I picked to win […]
March
16
There is a Difference Between Impassioned Play and Showboating
posted by TIF
Yesterday, Emma Span1 posted an article on Sports on Earth entitled “Style Points,” which addressed the recent criticism lobbed at the Dominican Republic’s World Baseball Classic team. 1 If you are a Yankee fan and have not read her book 90% of the Game is Half Mental, you are sorely missing out. The book is a […]
March
13
ESPN SportsCenter: Always Keeping the Fans Informed
posted by TIF
This picture encapsulates everything that is wrong about ESPN’s SportsCenter right now: Rather than discussing actual sports news, SportsCenter provided a freaking bar graph illustrating the number of tweets sent by one of its reporters. In other words, instead of reporting about the beginning of NFL free agency, ESPN chose to report about its reporter who […]
March
06
Holy Cross is Number 1 in College Basketball
posted by TIF
In honor of Gonzaga being ranked as the top college basketball team in the AP Top 25, Sports Illustrated’s blog Extra Mustard provided a list of the twenty smallest schools ever to be ranked number 1 in the AP poll. Although I generally detest lists of any sort, I feel obligated to link to the article […]
March
06
Johnny Damon: No Longer Just an Idiot, Now Also Pathetic
posted by TIF
While a member of the Red Sox in 2004, Johnny Damon famously referred to himself as an “idiot,” and since that time, he has seemingly done everything in his power to substantiate his claim. Last week, however, Damon proved that he is much more than a mere idiot; he’s also pathetic. In the wake of […]
February
22
Understanding Spring Training’s Greatest Enigma: The Non-Roster Invitee
posted by TIF
In one of the opening scenes in the movie Animal House, freshmen Kent Dorfman and Larry Kroger attend a party at the Omega House where Doug Neidermeyer, the Omega Membership Chair, immediately introduces “Ken and Lonny” to a group of four out-of-place students huddled together in the corner of the party: “Ken, Lonny, I’d like you to […]
January
21
Swing and a Miss – January 21, 2013
posted by TIF
This is the inaugural “Swing and a Miss” column, which will consist of a few blurbs about sports issues that are on my mind. Although I intended to begin writing this column when I started the blog, the realities of life intruded. So, without further ado, here is what is on my mind today. The NFL […]
January
19
The Future of Major League Baseball With Expanded Replay
posted by TIF
It’s 2:15 p.m. on Saturday, July 22, 2015. It’s a hot and humid sunny afternoon at the Stadium as the Yankees play host to the Houston Astros. It’s the bottom of the third inning in a scoreless game, and Jordan Lyles just walked the number eight hitter, Austin Romine, with one out to put a […]
January
13
The Pittsburgh Steelers: Paragons of Virtue (Unless You Are an Important Player)
posted by TIF
By immediately releasing Chris Rainey after he was arrested for allegedly slapping his girlfriend, the Pittsburgh Steelers sent a clear message to the rest of the league and the fans: domestic violence and criminal conduct will not be tolerated . . . unless you are an important member of the team. Chris Rainey, the former four-star […]
January
09
Debunking the Justifications for Electing Steroid Users to the MLB Hall of Fame
posted by TIF
At 2:00 p.m. today, the results of this year’s Major League Baseball (MLB) Hall of Fame election will be announced, and somewhere Frank Robinson is nervously awaiting the outcome. Robinson, who was elected to the Hall of Fame over thirty years ago, has never been bashful about expressing his disdain for players who used steroids […]
December
20
Great Christmas Songs You Probably Didn’t Know Originated in a Movie
posted by TIF
A few nights ago the best channel on television (a.k.a., Turner Classic Movies) happened to be playing one my favorite movies of all time: Meet Me In St. Louis. This movie follows the lives of a middle-class family (the Smiths) in 1903 St. Louis just prior to the World’s Fair. This 1944 movie featured stand-out performances […]
December
08
Why John Sterling is to Blame for the Yankees’ Quiet Offseason
posted by TIF
With the winter meetings coming to a close, many observers have noted that the normally hyperactive New York Yankees have been unusually quiet. In terms of the free agent market, Brian Cashman has been doing his best Commander Richardson impression. Other than re-signing two players who were unlikely to sign with any other major league […]
September
25
There are Two Sides to Every Coin: Why the Locked Out Referees Must Share the Blame for the Current Mess in the NFL
posted by TIF
The pandemonium that ensued at the end of last night’s Packers-Seahawks game brought to mind the ending scenes from Animal House, where Faber College’s homecoming parade was interrupted by the members of the Delta Tau Chi fraternity. Just like the town’s residents in the movie, the people at the game – the players, fans, coaches, and […]
August
26
Saturday’s Start Was the Next Step in The Clemens Cooperstown Enshrinement Plan
posted by TIF
With his frosted tips shimmering in the moonlight, Roger Clemens tipped his cap to a crowd of over 7,700 as he exited the mound to a standing ovation after throwing 3 1/3 scoreless innings for the Sugar Land Skeeters on Saturday night. And so began Clemens’s latest step in his Hall of Fame rehabilitation plan. […]
August
24
Armstrong’s Refusal to Fight is an Admission of Guilt
posted by TIF
If I thought for one moment that by participating in USADA’s process, I could confront these allegations in a fair setting and – once and for all – put these charges to rest, I would jump at the chance. But I refuse to participate in a process that is so one-sided and unfair. – Lance Armstrong’s […]
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