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Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi
CHAPTER 1
PLACES I REMEMBER
Kiwi Love . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
A Good Walk Unspoiled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
A Day at the Races . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
I’m Going to Jerry World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Renaissance Revival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
My Kind of Town. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Strawberries . . . and Heat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
The Unsung Funders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
CHAPTER 2
BEING THERE
Playing With the Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Deconstructing Le Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
My NASCAR Experience. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Too Much to Ask? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Seven-Day Adventurists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Respecting the Davis Cup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Chunnel Surfing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
The Other All-Star Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Being There Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
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CHAPTER 3
TROUBLE AHEAD,TROUBLE BEHIND
The Council of What? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Tiger, Joe and Jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
The Clear and the Cream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
What’s in a Name? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
The Pursuit of Perfection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Heaven Can’t Wait . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Don’t Forget the Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Just Don’t Bring Your Guitar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
A Matter of Antitrust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Presentation Breakdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
CHAPTER 4
LEARNING FROM THE GAME
Sports Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
When Youth Sports Go Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Putting in a Good Word . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Why the Wild Cards Win . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Sharing the Fandom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Hot Dog Gate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
In the Trenches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
CHAPTER 5
NOT YOUR EVERYDAY PEOPLE
The Ultimate Survivor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
The Second Time Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
A Team of Individuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Mr. Old School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Banking on Beckham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
LeBron: The Early Years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
The Champ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
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CHAPTER 6
HAPPY TO BE A FAN
My Olympic Lifeblood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
The Sweetest Seven Days . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
On Frozen Pond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
The Flat World of Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
A Truly Perfect Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Peak Performances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
The Canadian Crescendo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Wild, Crazy and Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
CHAPTER 7
TAKING A LOOK BACK
Wish I’d Been There . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
When It’s Not Just a Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
A Lasting Legacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Making the Call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Time Passages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Chasing History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Calls to Die For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Speaking of Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Resting at Wrigley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Image Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
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INTRODUCTION
W
e have all seen the images. The camera pans to the crowd during a
baseball game or a tennis match or right before a basketball player
attempts some critical free throws. We see fans with their hands
clenched before their faces looking like they are about to go into deep prayer,
living or dying on what will happen in the next 15 seconds. Or when something
inspirational happens on the field of play, we see complete strangers exalt and
celebrate—the billionaire high-fiving the butcher; the guy with the John 3:16 sign
hugging the guy wearing a Nietzsche T-shirt.
Well, I’m one of those people (though probably not the John 3:16 guy or the
Nietzsche guy). I do not watch sports dispassionately. That’s one of the reasons I
am uncomfortable in either a press box or VIP section at a stadium, where protocol
often dictates that you watch clinically, analytically and non-demonstratively.
When I was 13 years old, for a school project I interviewed Hall of Fame broadcaster
Jack Brickhouse—who at the time was the longtime voice of the Chicago Cubs and
Chicago Bears, among other notable roles. (The voice you hear making the call
on Willie Mays’s catch in the 1954 World Series is that of Brickhouse.) I asked
the probing question that only a 13-year-old would ask: “Why don’t you have
glass windows on your booth? Don’t you get cold?” Brickhouse smiled at me and
responded: “It doesn’t matter to me if I get cold. I’ve got to feel that ballgame.
They’ve offered to put in glass for me, but I always tell them ‘no.’” Then once
more, for emphasis, he said “I’ve got to feel that ballgame!” His words resonated
with me immediately, and have stuck with me since. To “feel the ballgame” is to
participate in the experience, not just observe it.
And that is what the essays in this book are about. Since 2006, I have written
a column in SportsTravel magazine, ranting, riffing and reflecting on what
I encounter in the world of sports—the people, the drama, the heroism, the
heartbreak, the excitement, the absurdity and the emotion—from Scotland to
Siena, Italy, from New Zealand to Uruguay, and from Texas to Chicago.
This book is a compilation of those sports and travel experiences, all written from
a fan’s perspective, on the places, people and events that caused me to “feel the
ballgame,” not just see it.
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Being There
Matters
October 2007 – You can just picture
the scene of a couch potato somewhere
in America groaning, “Nah, I’d rather
just watch it from the comfort of my
own living room,” when asked if he
would like to attend a major sporting
event. But if you have this mind-set,
you are missing a golden opportunity.
You’ll lose the chance to see the whole
mosaic, rather than selected pieces.
If you don’t go, you are committed
to a storyline being presented by the
director of the broadcast, which is often
from a preselected script, rather than
watching the story unfold for yourself. It’s the difference between viewing a
piece of art, directing more of your attention to the aspects of it that draw you in
and interpreting it for yourself.
At an NBA game you can see for yourself the effort it takes to get open for a shot or
to prevent your opponent from getting open—all work that takes place away from
the ball and, therefore, away from the camera. When you’re there, you can see the
Steve Nash navigates to create a play for one of his
teammates, something that isn’t captured on television, not even HDTV.
At an NFL game, you can marvel at a defensive lineman who gives 100 percent on
every play rather than simply focusing on a lineman when he makes a big tackle.
In tennis, you can see how tennis players conduct themselves between points and
between games. You can see character revealed and tested. You can feel the spirit of
the fans in the arena as well as the elevation of the human spirit when a competitor
does something neither he, she nor we thought possible.
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If there is one time when television coverage repeatedly lets me down, it’s at the
character-revealing moment of victory or defeat. In hockey, it’s the Stanley Cup
playoffs, when teams formally exchange handshakes at the end of the series.
I watch this moment in person with intense interest. I watch to see how former
teammates react to each other. I watch to see how formidable adversaries bury
the hatchet. I watch to see the mutual respect of the people who play the same
position, such as goalies. Television coverage often misses this golden opportunity
to learn something about the competitors by instead showing random handshakes,
or confetti raining down on the arena, or a player doing a unilateral exaltation, or
the most superfluous camera shot of all: an outside aerial view of an indoor arena.
In tennis, the manner in which the victor and the vanquished approach the net and
exchange greetings may tell me something about them. But if the camera cuts away
to girlfriends, boyfriends, coaches or celebrities in the crowd, we miss pivotal parts
of that moment that we wouldn’t miss by being there. Is the body language frosty?
Do the players make eye contact on their way to the net? The graciousness of Roger
Federer comes out when you see him console early-round opponents, not just the
better-known later-round ones.
In golf, what a moment it was in 1978 when Gary Player captured his final Masters,
paired in the final round with a young Seve Ballesteros, who came running onto
the green with a big beaming smile on his face to congratulate Player, a moment
that the immediate television coverage at the time missed. But it said a lot about
Ballesteros—and he would later say that one of the reasons he was so happy was
that Player had just taught him how to win the Masters. Hey, there’s no reason that
magnanimity in defeat can’t be coupled with just a little bit of self-interest.
I remember the tipping point in my sports-viewing career when I realized the
frustrations of not being there. If I were Elvis, I might have been tempted to shoot
out the television that night. It was October 17, 1994, and the Kansas City Chiefs
were playing the Denver Broncos in a Monday Night Football game: an aging Joe
Montana against John Elway. Montana was leading the Chiefs on a 75-yard drive
at the end of the game that would culminate in a game-winning touchdown with
eight seconds to play. It was one of his last showcase moments.
Had I been there, I would have been able to see the trademark Montana cool
before, during and after each play and the response of his teammates. Instead,
on TV after every single play, and I mean every single play, the camera cut to
Jennifer Montana in the stands. I was watching this unfold at a sports bar with
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a friend until I couldn’t hold back. “Can
you believe this?” I exclaimed. “Why do
we have to constantly look at Jennifer
Montana rather than what’s happening
back in the day.” I started to get a
little carried away, veering far into the
hypothetical. “I mean, can you imagine
Bronko Nagurski running with the ball,
and the camera constantly shifting to
Mrs. Nagurski in the stands?” The retort
of my buddy after hearing this diatribe?
“Well, I’ll bet Mrs. Nagurski didn’t look
like Mrs. Montana.”
It was, no doubt, a valid point. But I don’t care. Whether it is Mrs. Nagurski, Mrs.
Montana or Gisele Bündchen and Bridget Moynahan sitting together at a Patriots
attending the event in person. I have rarely regretted getting off the couch for it.
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My Olympic
Lifeblood
October 2008 – I have “predictive
text” on my BlackBerry, meaning
that (with less than a full keyboard)
letters have to share the same key. The
“a” and “s” share a key, as do the “o”
and “p.” So if I stumble when typing
“sports,” and don’t hit the “p/o” key
twice, “sports” comes out as “aorta.”
This BlackBerry-inspired “sports as
aorta” metaphor was brought to life
during the Beijing Olympics.
I purposely scheduled long-awaited
shoulder surgery to coincide with the
beginning of the Olympics. If I was
going to be immobilized in a recliner, I wanted to make sure I had 24 hours of
entertainment. And, like an aorta, the Beijing Olympics pumped entertainment,
excitement and inspiration into my otherwise sedentary state.
Thus, my memories of August are not of an uncomfortable recovery, but of the live
moments that quickly became iconic images: Michael Phelps exalting as Jason
Lezak brought home the gold medal in the men’s 4-by-100 freestyle relay, Misty
May-Treanor and Kerr i Walsh celebrating their second straight gold medal in
beach volleyball, U.S. men’s volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon taking a private
emotional moment after his Olympic experience went from tragedy to gold medal
triumph, and Nastia Liukin and Shaw n Johnson posing with gold and silver in the
women’s all-around gymnastics competition after the most admirable display of
competition between friends in a marquee Olympic event since UCLA teammates
Rafer Johnson and C.K. Yang in the 1960 Olympic decathlon. Almost equally
impressive was the sportsmanship shown by their respective coaches, Valer i
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Liukin and Liang Chow—the latter, no doubt, being forever grateful to Johnson
that “of all the gym joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.”
There were also visible traces of the
quaint notion of a U.S. Olympic “team,”
though a modern-day “team” of 600 is
perhaps not as close-knit as the Olympic
teams of the early twentieth century
that traveled by boat together to Europe.
Nevertheless, to see L eBron James
and Kobe Bryant cheering for Michael
Phelps at the swimming venue was a
pleasing modern-day reincarnation of
an old concept.
Other world-renowned sports stars
also got caught up in the spirit of the
Olympics and by their actions showed
that it wasn’t just another competition. The emotional and unbridled celebration
of tennis star Roger Federer, who won a gold medal in men’s doubles for
Switzerland with his partner, Stanislaw Wawrinka, revealed Federer’s reverence
for the Olympics. Yao Ming mingled among Olympians from 204 countries at the
closing ceremony, not wanting to miss a moment of his country’s festival.
Then of course there was the spectacle of the Games themselves, as China staged
the most elaborate and expensive debutante ball in history—at least until Bill
Gates’s daughter turns 18. And the venues themselves, more so than in any
Olympic host city in memory, are part of the indelible imagery of the Games that
4.7 billion viewers like me have in their heads. It remains to be seen whether
future host cities will now feel compelled to have a feng shui expert as part of
their organizing committees.
But the competition consistently surpassed the theater. The incandescent
performances of Usain Bolt on the track almost brought me out of my recliner,
and probably would have if NBC had broadcast them live. Along with the moments
of triumph and joy, there are the inevitable moments of Olympic heartbreak:
Dara Torres missing a gold medal at age 41 by 0.01 second, though still showing
remarkable grace; the disappointment of 1.3 billion people at Chinese hurdler Liu
Xiang’s enigmatic withdrawal due to injury. But for me, the ill fate that hit me
138 Winners & Losers
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hardest was that of 100-meter hurdler Lolo Jones, who was comfortably leading
the race before hitting the ninth hurdle, stumbling and finishing seventh. Her
attitude and candor afterwards made the disappointment even more bitter. Jones,
who has a compelling personal background, said within seconds after the race on
an NBC interview: “I usually hit a hurdle maybe twice a year. It just sucks that it
happened in the most important race of my life.” Here’s hoping that at age 30 in
2012 Lolo gets a chance to run another important race.
There are of course some unanswered questions, such as: Why did the children’s
choir in the closing ceremony look older than the Chinese women’s gymnastics
team? Could the opening and closing ceremonies, with so many characters flying
around the stadium, have taken place in a country where there are plaintiff’s
lawyers? And the question asked by all teenagers and preteens when Jimmy Page
played the closing ceremonies: “Who’s the old guy looking like he’s playing Guitar
Hero?”—not realizing they were looking at the prototype for the whole game genre.
Nevertheless, I will always be grateful to the Beijing Olympics for being my
“aorta” when I needed it. And I will particularly be grateful to the athletes who
every quadrennium prove worthy of our adulation and attention.
Chapter 6 – Happy to Be a Fan 139
Position 153
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INDEX
A
Bettman, Gary 48
Canseco, José 180
Bieber, Justin 58
Cappelletti, John 186
Aaron, Hank 102, 163
Biggio, Craig 95
Carlin, John 167
Abdul, Paula 65
Bissinger, Buzz 130
Carroll, Frank 170
Adams, John 158
Black, Rebecca 58
Carter, Dan 2
Agassi, Andre 180
Blake, James 119
Cash, Johnny 67
Aguilera, Christina 58
Blatter, Sepp 57
Cash, Pat 78
Aikman, Troy 12
Boitano, Brian 169
Cavarretta, Phil 190
Akron Zips 68
Bolt, Usain 138, 147, 152
Chamberlain, Wilt 149
Albert, Marv 173
Bonds, Barry 63
Chen, Albert 95
Albert of Monaco 37
Bono, Sonny 14
Chicago Bears 39, 164
Albright, Madeleine 58
Borden, Amanda 121
Chicago Blackhawks 16
Aldrin, Buzz 133
Borg, Bjorn 147, 165
Chicago Bulls 69, 78, 105
Ali, Muhammad 132, 163, 179
Bosh, Chris 91
Chicago Cubs 16, 28, 95, 102,
Anaheim Ducks 99
Boston Celtics 69, 173
Anderson, Chic 173
Boston Red Sox 89, 98
Chicago White Sox 79
Angelou, Maya 68
Bowie, David 80
Chilton, Peter 182
Annan, Kofi 58
Boy George 74
Chow, Liang 138
Armstrong, Colby 144
Boyle, Susan 78
Clay, Brian 147
Armstrong, Lance 102, 147, 180
Bradley University Braves 67
Clemons, Clarence 59
Artest, Ron 79, 132
Brady, Tom 70, 81
Cleveland Browns 71
Azinger, Paul 120
British Lions 124
Cleveland Indians 158
Brooklyn Dodgers 172
Clever, Todd 2
Brown, Jim 133, 180
Clooney, George 49
Bryan, Bob 43
Collins, Doug 182
Bryan, Mike 43
Connors, Jimmy 85
Bryant, Kobe 79, 138
Cooke, Sam 78
Buck, Jack 173
Corzine, Jon 142
Buehrle, Mark 149
Costas, Bob 155, 184
Buffalo Sabres 16, 143
Costner, Kevin 10
Bündchen, Gisele 53
Cotton, Sian 130
B
Ballesteros, Seve 52
Baltimore Orioles 128, 158
Banks, Ernie 189
Bannister, Roger 164
Barnum, P.T. 10, 119
Barrett, Michael 95
Barry, Dave 182
Becker, Boris 118
Beckham, David 126
C
Beckham, Victoria 127
Caminiti, Ken 95
Belichick, Bill 69
Campbell, Earl 77
Belman, Kristopher 129
Canas, Guillermo 142
Berra, Yogi 9, 90
Cannon, Dyan 127
165, 187
Coulter, Ann 68
Couric, Katie 68
Courier, Jim 43
Cramer, Richard Ben 61
Crosby, Bing 175
Crosby, Sidney 51, 143
INDEX 195
Position 209
323127 GBG-txt-Winners
12-06-29 06:23:15
Cruise, Tom 126
Cruyff, Johan 57
Cunningham, Howard 166
F
Gretzky, Wayne 101
Grimes, Burleigh 65
Facenda, John 71
H
FC Dallas 126
D
Federer, Roger 52, 138, 142,
Dallas Cowboys 11, 18, 100, 159
Dallas Mavericks 98, 141
Dallas Stars 50, 109
Damon, Johnny 89
Damon, Matt 168
Dangerfield, Rodney 7
Davis, Crash 184
Davis, Martha 59
DC United 127
de la Hoya, Oscar 79, 103
Dempsey, Jack 182
Dempsey, Rick 85
Denver Broncos 52, 159
DeRogatis, Al 190
Detroit Lions 18
Detroit Red Wings 16
Detroit Tigers 107
Diaz, Cameron 77
Habana, Bryan 37
153, 165, 178, 180
Ferrell, Bobby-Jo Williams 72
Ferrer, David 43
Hamilton, Scott 156, 169
Finch, Sidd 90
Hamilton, Tyler 58
Fish, Mardy 42
Harry of England 37
Fleming, Peggy 169
Harwell, Ernie 172
Florida Marlins 98
Hatcher, Darien 101
Florida State University
Havlicek, John 173
Seminoles 67
Foreman, George 117, 163, 180
Fowler, Chris 85
Frazier, Joe 163, 180
Freeman, Morgan 168
Friedman, Thomas 146
Fuller, Frank 73
Furman University Purple
Paladins 68
DiCaprio, Leonardo 46
Hamill, Dorothy 169
Hamilton, Josh 95
Ferttita, Lorenzo 134
Forster, Terry 104
Halas, George 70, 164
Hawaii Hilo Vulcans 68
Henderson, Rickey 27
Henin, Justine 141
Hickman High Kewpies 66
Hitler, Adolf 96
Hodges, Russ 172
Hogan, Ben 164
Holmes, Katie 126, 128
Houston Astros 95
Houston, Whitney 133
G
Howe, Bob 123
Domingo, Placido 57
Gallaraga, Armando 181
Hull, Brett 101
Domnina, Oksana 156
Garcia, Rich 182
Hunt, Lamar 119
Draper, Don 119
Gates, Bill 138
Dr. Phil 118
Gay, Tyson 154
Duval, David 5
Gehrig, Lou 165, 185
Duynhoven, Harry 1
Gibson, Kirk 107, 173
DiMaggio, Joe 61, 92
Djokovic, Novak 84, 142
Howe, Gordie 49
Giuliani, Rudy 11
E
Golden State Warriors 98
Eastwood, Clint 168
Elway, John 52
Emerick, Paul 38
Enqvist, Thomas 119
Eruzione, Mike 157
Evans, Janet 132
Gonzales, Juan 145
Gonzalez, Pancho 123
Goodell, Roger 58
I
Imus, Don 142
Indianapolis Colts 98
Irvin, Michael 12
Irwin, Hale 61
J
Gooding Jr., Cuba 50
Jackson, Keith 64
Gowdy, Curt 190
Jackson, Michael 49
Green Bay Packers 39, 69,
James, LeBron 91, 129, 138
75, 145
Jenner, Bruce 147
196 Winners & Losers
Position 210
323127 GBG-txt-Winners
12-06-29 06:23:15
Jeong, Ken 133
Lewis, Carl 79
McMahon, Jim 76
Jeter, Derek 182
Lezak, Jason 137
Meals, Jerry 182
Johnson, Brooks 93
Lincecum, Tim 90, 176
Merckx, Eddie 180
Johnson, Magic 179
Liukin, Nastia 101, 108, 137
Merrimack College Warriors 67
Johnson, Rafer 137
Liukin, Valeri 137
Miami Dolphins 69
Johnson, Randy 96
Logan, Doug 153
Miami Heat 91
Johnson, Shawn 137
Lombardi, Vince 70, 76, 99
Michaels, Al 172
Johnson, Zach 141
Long, Luz 96
Mickelson, Phil 180
Jones, Jerry 10, 75, 134
Longoria, Eva 128
Miller, Ryan 157
Jones, Lolo 139
Lopez, Feliciano 43
Ming, Yao 138
Jones, Rod 86
Los Angeles Dodgers 108
Minnesota Vikings 90
Jordan, Michael 99, 105, 173,
Los Angeles Galaxy 126
Minoso, Minnie 90
Los Angeles Lakers 173
Mississippi College Choctaws
179
66
Joss, Addie 150
Love, Mike 133
Joyce III, Dru 130
Lugo, Julio 182
Modano, Mike 101
Joyce, Jim 181
Lundquist, Verne 172
Monroe, Marilyn 61
Lysacek, Evan 156, 171
Montana, Jennifer 53
K
Kansas City Chiefs 52, 76
Montana, Joe 52, 70
M
Montreal Canadiens 141
Montreal Expos 189
Kansas City Royals 145
Maier, Jeffrey 182
Kapler, Gabe 150
Malph, Ralph 166
Kennedy Jr, John F. 185
Mancuso, Julia 155
Kesler, Ryan 156
Mandela, Nelson 166
Key, John 1
Manning, Eli 98
Kinnick, Nile 186
Mantle, Mickey 180, 184
Kiper, Mel Jr. 82
Maradona, Diego 182
Nadal, Rafael 84, 119, 153, 165
Kissinger, Henry 57
Marciano, Rocky 179
Nagurski, Bronko 53
Kravitz, Lenny 133
Marshall, Frank 113
Nakajima, Tommy 5
Krickstein, Evelyn 141
Maso, Joe 2
Namath, Joe 70, 76
Kumaritashvili, Nodar 156
Mayer, Sandy 123
Nash, Steve 49, 51, 141
Kwan, Michelle 169
May-Treanor, Misty 137
New England Patriots 53, 69,
Moss, Randy 70, 90
Moynahan, Bridget 53
Murphy, Eddie 128
N
Mayweather, Floyd 103
L
Lady Gaga 58
Laettner, Christian 174
LaLoosh, Nuke 184
Larsen, Don 150
Lee, Cliff 176
Lee, Spike 59
Letterman, David 104
100
Mazeroski, Bill 175
New York Giants 98, 151
McCaw, Richie 2
New York Jets 71, 104, 159
McCutcheon, Hugh 137
New York Mets 141, 189
McDowell, Jack 79
New York Red Bulls 127
McEnroe, John 21, 43, 78, 85,
New York Yankees 78, 80, 175
118, 165
New Zealand All Blacks 1, 36
McGee, Willie 130
Ngwenya, Takudzwa 37
McGwire, Mark 173
Nicholson, Jack 59
McKenny, Mike 183
Nicklaus, Barbara 60
INDEX 197
Position 211
323127 GBG-txt-Winners
12-06-29 06:23:15
S
Nicklaus, Jack 60, 164, 178
Piccolo, Brian 185
Nimoy, Leonard 68
Pienaar, Francois 166
Noah, Yannick 78
Pippen, Scottie 105
Sampras, Pete 118
Novacek, Karel 118
Pittsburgh Penguins 16, 143
San Antonio Spurs 99
Nowitzki, Dirk 141
Pittsburgh Pirates 175
Sanchez, Mark 76, 104
Pittsburgh Steelers 75, 98
San Francisco 49ers 164
Player, Gary 52
San Francisco Giants 89, 172
Plushenko, Evgeni 156
Santayana, George 100
Pressel, Morgan 141
Sarazen, Gene 164
Pressley, Jim 27
Sayers, Gale 185
Putin, Vladamir 156
Schrippa, Steve 133
O
Oakland Raiders 104
Obama, Barack 104, 151, 155
O’Brien, Dan 147
Ohno, Apolo Anton 156
Old Christians 113
O’Neal, Shaquille 79
Seattle Mariners 27
R
Seattle Seahawks 39, 145
Secretariat 8, 173
Osceola, Max 67
Ramsay, Doug 170
Osgood, Chris 51
Ramses the Great 10
Ouimet, Francis 164
Read, Piers Paul 113
Owen, Laurence 170
Reagan, Ronald "Dutch" 187
Owens, Jesse 96
Real Madrid 126
Selig, Bud 2
Semenya, Caster 152
Simon, Paul 62
Renteria, Edgar 176
Pacquiao, Manny 133
Page, Jimmy 139
Paige, Satchel 184
Palmer, Arnold 164
Parise, Zach 157
Parrado, Nando 113
Patterson, Carly 79, 101, 108
Patterson, Floyd 134
Pavin, Corey 120
Payton, Walter 109
Perez, Marcelo 115
Perry, Gaylord 65
Perry, Rick 48
Phelps, Jaycie 122
Phelps, Michael 137, 138, 142,
152
Phoenix Suns 141
Simpson, O.J. 64
Rhode Island College
Simpson, Tom 64
Anchormen 67
Smarty Jones 8
Rice, Jerry 70
Smith, Emmitt 12, 180
Richards, Keith 79
Smith, Jackie 174
Rizzuto, Phil 173
Smith, Ozzie 78, 173
Robeson, Paul 80
Smyth, Patty 78
Rochette, Joannie 156
Snell, Peter 153
Rockne, Knute 184
Snoop Dogg 133
Roddick, Andy 42
Sosa, Sammy 102, 149
Rodgers, Aaron 77
South Africa Springboks 36
Rodriguez, Aurelio 28
Spicoli, Jeff 155
Romney, Mitt 48
Spinks, Leon 132
Roosevelt, Teddy 107, 184
Springer, Jerry 6
Root, Charlie 165
Ruth, Babe 63, 165, 173, 176,
178
Ryan, Danny 170
Ryan, Nolan 27, 96, 102
Shula, Don 70
Shurtleff, Mark 81
Rendell, Ed 39
P
Shabalian, Maxim 156
Staubach, Roger 174
Stewart, Kordell 174
St. Louis Cardinals 141
Stockton, Dick 123
198 Winners & Losers
Position 212
323127 GBG-txt-Winners
12-06-29 06:23:15
Summitt, Pat 141
Sweet Briar College Vixens 68
T
U
Whittier College Poets 68
University of North Dakota
Fighting Sioux 67
Tanner, Roscoe 147
Tarasco, Tony 182
USA Eagles 2
Utah Jazz 105
Wilander, Mats 78
Wild Bill Hagy 158
Will, George 187
William of England 37
Williams, Bernie 80
V
Williams, Bryan 2
Vancouver Canucks 158
Williams, Serena 19, 141
Verbeek, Pat 109
Williams, Sonny Bill 2
Vick, Michael 33
Williams, Ted 72, 178
Vinson-Owen, Maribel 170
Wise, DeWayne 150
Vitale, Dick 131
Wonder, Stevie 133
Thomson, Bobby 151, 172
Vonn, Lindsey 155
Woods, Tiger 60, 120, 141, 153,
Tilden, Bill 64
W
Taylor, Elizabeth 83
Tedesco, Dominic 93
Tell, William 163
Temple, Shirley 58
Teter, Hannah 155
Texas Rangers 27, 95, 102, 128,
145, 149
Tisdale, Wayman 80
Williams, John Henry 72
172, 178
X
Toronto Maple Leafs 141
Wade, Dwayne 91
Torres, Dara 138
Walsh, Bill 70
Xiang, Liu 138
Travis, Romeo 130
Walsh, Kerri 137
Troutt, Kenny 92
Walton, Bill 131, 164
Y
Trump, Donald 20
Washington Redskins 159
Tunney, Gene 182
Washington Senators 28
Yang, C.K. 137
Twain, Mark 6, 73
Wawrinka, Stanislaw 138
Tynan, Ronan 145
Waybill, Fee 59
Tyson, Mike 133
Weaver, Earl 158
Westbrook, Michael 174
White, Shaun 155
Yount, Robin 185
Z
Zuckerberg, Mark 43
Zvonareva, Vera 19
INDEX 199
Position 213
323127 GBG-txt-Winners
12-06-29 06:23:15