Blogs
May the Fourth Be With You! (Star Wars Yoga Edition)
The theatrical 3D release of Attack of the Clones has been postponed. But the very existence of the prequel trilogy still causes a cultural identity question of existential proportions. Specifically, does the disappointment of the prequel trilogy offer any worth to...Low Oxygen Fight Night at the Top of the World
It is extremely difficult for our human bodies to operate in the thin air and low levels of oxygen experienced in high altitude mountain climbing. But that didn’t prevent a near brawl from breaking out at the Mount Everest base camp earlier this month....NFL As Charitable Non-Profit?
Sports, as professional athletes routinely remind us when they are traded from one franchise to another, are a business. Yet several major sports leagues, like the NHL (National Hockey League) and NFL (National Football League), have for years been operating as...Memorial Day Weekend … Skiing?
Put away the sunscreen, and grab the ski wax. That fickle combination of Mother Nature and Old Man Winter are at it again, getting one last laugh in this season’s December to May (and counting) relationship. Rain down here in the Flatlands will translate to snow...Why The Bruins Are Boston's Best Team
Long before I jumped on the Bruins bandwagon a couple of years ago, en route to their first Stanley Cup Championship in nearly four decades, I was already familiar with most of the players. Not that I was trying to be, understand. I didn’t study up on their...Advice from Abe Lincoln (or Mark Twain) for Sid the Kid and King James
As Abraham Lincoln (or was it Mark Twain?) once said, “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.” Replace the term “fool” with “whiner,” and our nation’s most revered...Take Me Out to Wahconah Park
Pittsfield’s Wahconah Park has hosted baseball games since 1892. This weekend commences the second season for its current team, the Pittsfield Suns, with home games on Thursday and Friday, followed by road games in Torrington, Connecticut, and Leominster,...“Show Me the Money” – The High-Salaried Rise of College Coaching
According to an infographic published by Deadspin, Massachusetts is one of only ten states in the entire country whose highest paid public employee is not a college coach. “Based on data drawn from media reports and state salary databases, the ranks of the...The Wicked Awesome Mask of Bruins Goalie Tuukka Rask
Ever since Jason donned a goalie mask for Friday the 13th, the face-protecting gear of the hockey goalie has enjoyed a cultural significance far beyond the confining boards of the ice rink. Flash forward a few decades, and now every NHL goalie seems to be sporting a...Step Into Frigid Liquid
Like so many outdoor recreations pursued in the northeast, if you wait for perfect surfing conditions, you’ll never get out there. Winter is cold. Summer is crowded. The water is never that warm. And the waves, regardless of the season, are rarely worthy of the...Saved By Pollution: The Unique Nature of the Boston Harbor Islands
In 1861, a young woman journeyed from Georgia to Massachusetts with the hope of freeing her imprisoned husband, a Confederate soldier, from his cell in Fort Warren, on Georges Island in the Boston Harbor. Cutting her hair and dressing like a man, she managed to sneak...Parenting on the Free Range
When I was 10 years old I stepped on a yellow jacket’s nest. I was in the woods with a friend. We had biked to school, as our semi-rural suburban Boston town allowed us to do upon reaching the fifth grade, and had decided to stop off in the woods on the way...Better! Faster! Stronger! Younger?
Long before the notion of the Tiger Mom entered our cultural parenting lexicon, there was the legend of a toddler-aged Tiger Woods. In 1978, the future perennial golf champion appeared on the Mike Douglas Show, a popular daytime talk show of the day. With the aid of...Saving the NFL – One Possibly Gang-Related Tattoo Deciphering at a Time
How does the NFL respond to the horrific murder of Odin Lloyd allegedly committed by Aaron Hernandez, and any correlated concerns about football players and violence? By addressing the high level of domestic abuse committed by its players? Nope. By examining the...Great “We Are Trayvon” Ebony Cover of Celtics Nemesis D Wade
As a diehard Celtics fan who absolutely abhors the Miami Heat, there is no one I like less than Dwyane Wade (except for maybe Chris Bosh) (or Ray “Benedict” Allen) (or LeBron) (or Pat Riley – but I digress). Just the sight of Wade working his chewing...Bruins Rookies Go Outward Bound on Thompson Island
Working as an Outward Bound instructor for several years on Thompson Island in the Boston Harbor, I had the opportunity to facilitate a wide cross-section of courses with a wide array of groups. Instructing a course of recently drafted Boston Bruins players, however,...Can Tom Brady Be Married to Supermodel Gisele Bundchen and Still Be a Kick-Ass Quarterback?
Yes.Bone Frog Challenge, Not Tough Mudder, Coming to Berkshire East
If you like to spend your September weekends here in the Valley running along trails, across mountains, and through enormous human-made puddles of mud, as you negotiate 15-foot-high walls, slick-wet quarter (snowboarding) pipes, and other challenging obstacles (and...Johnny Football, The Flutie Effect, and the Myth of College Athletics Amateurism
If you haven’t yet read it, check out the outstanding Sports On Earth article “Johnny Football vs. The NCAA,” which just about perfectly addresses the complexity, hypocrisy, and utter buffoonery of big time (business) college sports and its...Astronomical Ownership Chicanery: How the Worst Team in Baseball Is Its Most Profitable
Release … Rotation … Splash. Keith Olbermann is back on ESPN (where once upon a time he was a most formidable SportsCenter host), with a new, live, nightly show that looks a lot like his defunct, politically-charged Countdown broadcast, but is...Labor Day Weekend … Skiing?
Apparently, yes. If you allow for skiing on grass (the ground covering kind, that is) as well as snow (and ice, slush, rocks, etc). Check out this impressive bit of summer skiing on the grassy slopes of Mad River Glen, that was posted by skier Dave Bouchard, and...In Honor of Ex-Pats Player Tim Tebow, Jimmy Fallon as Tebowie
There may be many things to like, or dislike, about (the cultural phenomenom known as) Tim Tebow, but Jimmy Fallon’s spoof of Tebow singing David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” is just about as good as it gets. The clip was performed back in 2012, when...Diana Nyad: The Most Amazing Athlete I'd Never Head Of
The Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens travel to Mile High to kick off the NFL season against the Denver Broncos. The Boston Red Sox head to the Bronx to face the New York Yankees in a four game weekend series with some serious playoff implications. Tennis goes...Much Ado About Beards
What’s in a beard? Nothing, perhaps. Or, maybe everything. This year’s Red Sox team is on the brink of making baseball history by going from last place (last season) to first (this season). The Yankees, on the other hand, are on the brink of being left out...Fifty Miles of Fun? Berkshires Ultramarathon This Weekend
If you’re a fan of extreme wandering, strenuous meditation, or the day-long wilderness expedition (the Ultra version of the one-hour day-hike, which is how I like to think of trail running), then the perfect event awaits your attendance in the Berkshires this...Boston Sports Radio on Danny (Don't Call Me Lola) Amendola
Hear here. Often (and currently) injured Patriots wide receiver and presumptive Wes Welker replacement Danny Amendola was the subject of a humorous skit recently on Boston sports radio WEEI (available throughout southern New Enlgand, including 105.5 FM out of...Wanna Rock!? Western Mass Climbers Festival This Weekend
This weekend, at both indoor and outdoor locations throughout the Valley, the Western Mass Climbers’ Coalition is holdng their 2013 Western Mass Rendezvous, “a celebration to protect [their] outdoor playgrounds.” For more information on how to...Pedro's Daddy, Stinky Cheese, K.O., and the Promise of Postseason Baseball on TBS
The Sox are back in the playoffs, and this time, I’m actually glad their games will be on TBS. I know, I know. The immediate image brought on by the notion of postseason baseball on TBS is their over-the-top, completely unnecessary, distance from first base...Nonprofit Football League?
The NFL may be the most popular sports league in the country (if not the world), but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been receiving its fair share of double coverage from the media lately. This week’s episode of Frontline, “League of Denial,”...Baseball Is Better
Fall baseball is back in New England, and over the past week or so it’s been as easy to get lost on as an autumn trail covered with leaves of gold. Not only is baseball our national pastime (though some would argue that football long ago took that title), it is...Free Sport Is Back! (?)
A very merry April Fool’s Day and happy belated Opening Day to you and yours. Next time: Why September is such a great sports month.Hearing The Rem Dawg Just Sounds Wrong
It’s been great seeing the defending World Series Champion Boston Red Sox return to the field this week, taking two of three from Baltimore on the strength of a great bullpen and some nice at bats from the young and promising Bradley and Bogaerts. But something...One Shining Movement: NLRB Says Northwestern Football Players Can Unionize
It will be hard for me to watch tonight’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Game—which I will no doubt do despite my many criticisms of the NCAA and the current state of collegiate athletics—without thinking about the recent ruling by the...News and Commentary Regarding Derrick Gordon Coming Out
It was a real pleasure meeting a speaking with Derrick Gordon at the UMass Mullins Center media event this past Wednesday afternoon, after the news broke that morning that he is the first active (two years of eligibility remaining) male gay basketball player in a...Luke Bonner Makes The Case for a College Athletes Union
This year, CBS Sports and Turner Broadcasting Systems showed all 73 games of the “March Madness” NCAA Men’s Division 1 Basketball Tournament live on their various television stations and Internet sites. The two media giants paid handsomely for the...Not So Sterling: Racism Rears Its Ugly Head Again, And Again…
What’s worse: a soccer (football) fan throwing a banana at Brazilian defender Dani Alves during last weekend’s match between Barcelona and Villareal, or a white, longtime owner of an NBA franchise allegedly telling his girlfriend not to associate with...Better Than A Mint Julep: Dr. Gonzo's “Decadent and Depraved” Kentucky Derby
At over 700 pages, The Best American Sports Writing of the Century (20th century, of course) anthology incudes several absolute gems of the genre, from from early classics penned by Red Smith, to landmark portraits of iconic figures Joe DiMaggio and Ted...The Kiss Felt Around the Sports World
Here is the video of SEC defensive player of the year Michael Sam—who came out as a gay man to his University of Missouri teammates and coaches last summer before beginning his senior season, and then to the rest of the world this past winter before entering the...Boston City Councilor Proposes College Athletes Bill of Rights
College sports ain’t what they used to be. And they likely ain’t what they will be in the future, either. What collegiate athletics looks like in 2050 is certainly uncertain, but one thing that is a near certainty is that big changes are afield. The latest...Safety First: New England Patriots Safety and Sometimes Performance Artist Devin McCourty
Words can be misleading. In the early 1960s, (plastic) saxophonist (and sometimes trumpet player and violinist) and free jazz pioneer Ornette Coleman performed at New York’s Town Hall. He was surprised to note, however, that many of those in attendance had...The Great Holyoke Brick Race
Several years ago, two artist friends were in their studio on Race St. in downtown Holyoke, brainstorming connections between power tool racing and the street name at which their studio sat. One of them jokingly came up with the idea of brick racing, and the Great...Roller Derby Struggles To Retain Its Identity
Members of the Quabbin Missile Crisis huddle together, skating slowly around the flat track. Each player takes a turn standing taller than the rest, acknowledging the applause from the crowd as Drew Danger announces their names: Jack A. Lope, Chewbecca, Ro$han...Quote of the Week: John Stewart on al Qaeda Field
“Yeah, no. I’m not sure you want to be associated with something as disreputable as professional football right now.” Daily Show host John Stewart brainstorming naming rights to a football stadium as possible ways for al Qaeda to get better brand...UMass' Multi-Million-Dollar McGuirk Stadium Renovations vs. ADA Compliance
Saturday, Sept. 27, the UMass football team returned to play a home game at McGuirk Stadium for the first time in three years, since making the jump to upper-division college football—a move that necessitated an upgrade to its on-campus facilities. All home...Another Normal: Ultra Running in the Valley
Amy Rusiecki laces up her running shoes one foot at a time, just like us mortals. She makes her way to the trailhead, then heads off at a gentle gait. And I follow. We’re at the Notch Visitor’s Center on Route 116 in the Holyoke Range. The autumn leaves,...Vapor
Another minor tragedy struck the household last weekend: Elliot broke the seltzer maker. He didn’t just break it by the expensive piece of plastic junk off the counter, he broke it all to bits inside. He must be practicing to be a parent. The seltzer maker we...PIebald spotting
I’ve been riding the trail from Northampton to UMass frequently for six years or so and for the first time I’ve noticed a few black Eastern gray squirrels along the way. That sounds goofy, but the species is called the Eastern gray squirrel and, well,...Gearing Up at East Longmeadow's Competitive Edge with Seasoned Ski Bum Chip Smith
About a mile past the X on Route 83, after Donut Dip and Pasquale’s Restaurant and Tavern, just over the Springfield city line into East Longmeadow, next to the Pride gas station, is Competitive Edge Ski & Bike. It’s not the typical location for a ski...
Nightcrawler: Styx and Stones
We all knew the Midwest Rock ’n’ Roll Express had passenger cars. In fact, that tour is responsible for transporting three of the larger names in classic rock—Styx, REO Speedwagon and Ted Nugent—to various venues the country over, including...Nightcrawler: Can't Find a Better Band
The name of the new disc and tour—Lightning Bolt—may suggest a quick, intense burst of energy. But as Pearl Jam pushed its way past the 30-song, three-hour mark at Harford’s XL Center on Friday, Oct. 25, it was evident to all in the sold-out audience...
Nightcrawler: They Built This City
Forgive Group Deville's Rick Murnane if he's not quite as bubbly as you'd expect him to be when he performs this Saturday, June 30 at Bishop's Lounge in Noho. Sure, that's the night he and his Group troupe will be celebrating their first release in...
Nightcrawler: Building (City) Block
When the need arises, the folks at the Springfield Business Improvement District (SBID) can break out market projections, Powerpoint presentations and trend analyses with the best of them. In addressing the desires of Springfield restaurateurs and club owners to...
Nightcrawler: Fireworks, Music, Melons
It started as an opportunity for locals to sample savories from various area eateries and soak in the sounds of a few of the region's bigger bands. Since that summer of 1985, however, Committee President Scott Crosson says that his Enfield, Connecticut Fourth of...
Introducing the Beerhunter
Throw down your coasters and pull up your stools — there’s a new beer column in town. You’ll be seeing the Beerhunter every month in the Advocate. But who, exactly, is this wanderer of the night? Well, I could pretend to be a jaded, salt-of-the-earth...Million Dollar Man: UMass Hoops Coach Derek Kellogg is the Highest Paid State Employee
The University of Massachusetts recently announced a new contract extension for men’s basketball coach Derek Kellogg, who, with an annual salary of $994,500, is set to become the highest paid state employee in the Commonwealth. The new contract comes immediately...
Cinemadope: Tingle All the Way
There are so many wonderful mysteries left in the world. In an era when so much can be laid bare with just a few keystrokes, it’s comforting, somehow, to know that there is much we don’t fully understand. Not just the odd bits here and there, but some fairly big...
Cinemadope: Holly Daze
It’s December again, somehow, which means that soon a great many of us will be flying, driving, or jumping on a train to visit our families and hunker down in the warm embrace of tradition. Yours and mine might look very different — mine tends to include long-winded...
Cinemadope: Mind Field
I’m rather ashamed to admit this, but the first time I stumbled across a copy of A Brief History of Time — not the book, but a VHS copy of the Errol Morris documentary it inspired — I dismissed it without much thought. To my teenaged self, there was something about...E-Edition
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