Falcons Better Off—and Maybe Even Better—Without Vick

I’m starting to feel bad for Michael Vick. Mainly because ESPN and other TV news outlets continue to show—over and over and over—the same footage of the erstwhile Atlanta Falcons quarterback walking from a courthouse, accompanied by lawyers and sporting the serious look of a once-pampered and -acclaimed athlete who is realizing that this time the hand of fate means business. Honestly, I’m

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So Long, Scooter: Ex-Jock Broadcasters Everywhere Should Tip Their Hats to the Late Phil Rizzuto

Phil Rizzuto passed away at the age of 89 on Monday. He’d’ve been 90 on September 25. There’s been the typical outpouring of tributes. When a Yankee dies, it’s supposed to mean more, I suppose, than when, say, a White Sox dies. Or a Phillie. Typical New York media biases apply. In fact, Rizzuto was a controversial figure, his folksy persona notwithstanding. Brooklyn-born, he played shortstop for

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Amateur Night: Web 2.0 Meets the Wild Wild West

Title: The Cult of the Amateur: How the Democratization of the Digital World Is Assaulting Our Economy, Our Culture, and Our ValuesAuthor: Andrew KeenPublisher: Doubleday/CurrencyPrice: $24.95ISBN: 9780385520805 A sports blog may not be the ideal venue for which to review a book about the Internet and what its technological wonders hath wrought upon our society, culture, economy and moral

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Titans' #1 Draft Pick Griffin Breeds Pit Bulls: Does Bud Adams Know?

Austin Murphy has been a senior writer for Sports Illustrated since 1984. He's covered both pro and college football, but professes a stronger fondness for the latter. (Murphy sees the pro game as corporate, sterile, monolithic, and lacking heart; the college game's closer affiliation to amateur status—such as it is in its own billion-dollar way—apparently holds more charm.)In September, keyed to

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Greer Stadium: Reflections on the State of the Facility and the Future of Minor League Baseball in Nashville

[Original photography by Danny Murphy]Bastille Day, July 14, was for some a day to celebrate French liberation. Opting out of a gracious invitation to the 35th Annual Bastille Day Party at the Belmont Boulevard home of hostess extraordinaire Jocelyne Bezzi-Batani, instead I took up another gracious invitation to head out to Greer Stadium with some friends to check out the Triple A minor league

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Cubs Tantalize Their Faithful with Promising First Half, but the Batting Order Needs a Shakeup

Suffering along with the Chicago Cubs is not only a pastime; it’s almost an endeavor of art. Let’s see... How many creative ways can you try to convince yourself that this might be the year? In fact, there’s a distinct and different philosophical/spiritual tack for every individual who roots, or has ever rooted, for the Cubs. So okay, maybe it’s not art—more like religion. I lived in Chicago

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Bert Blyleven, Jack Morris and the Baseball Hall of Fame: When Being Great Isn’t Good Enough

Baseball broadcaster Tim McCarver’s syndicated Sunday TV program featured two very interesting guests last night: Bert Blyleven (left) and Jack Morris (right). While interviewing these two genial, articulate former pitching greats, McCarver also none too slyly inserted comments regarding his own belief that both fellows belonged in the Hall of Fame. So far, both have been snubbed by Cooperstown

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