Buffalo Sports Day » Columnists

A Love/Hate Relationship

Bob Lazzari — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 09:00:15 +0000

Yes, folks, I’ve loved/followed sports for a long time–but certain things drive me NUTS, too; yeah, it’s truly a love/hate thing. Here are a few reasons why:

* I LOVE when a wide receiver beats the defender, makes a terrific catch, and gives that extra effort to get into the end zone; I HATE when that same guy celebrates wildly, does a showboating dance, and acts as if he hasn’t scored a TD since the fifth grade.
* I LOVE seeing a pitcher have complete control of a baseball game–mowing hitters down and frustrating them until the late innings; I HATE when the manager removes that hurler from the game SIMPLY because the dreaded pitch counter has struck the century mark.
* I LOVE seeing a hockey player steal the puck, go the length of the ice, and score a tie-breaking goal; I HATE when an opposing player takes exception to it out of frustration, takes a sucker punch at someone, and sets off a silly fight that holds up the game WAY too long.
* I LOVE the way sportscaster Vin Scully calls a baseball game–effectively describing the action in a “non-showy” way; I HATE it that guys like John Sterling think they ARE the show.
* I LOVE the memories of paying $1.50 for a bleacher seat at Yankee Stadium during my college days–this after having taken an inexpensive subway ride to get there; I HATE the fact that a family of four now has to decide whether or not to go to ONE Yankee game in lieu of a yearly vacation.
* I LOVE hearing terrific renditions of the National Anthem being sung at sporting events; I HATE the fact that these are as scarce as lunar eclipses.
* I LOVE guys like Wes Welker, Craig Breslow, and Ray Allen–true GOOD guys in the world of sports–both on and off the field; I HATE that criminals/bums like Plaxico Burress and Adam “Pacman” Jones garner more headlines than their law-abiding fellow players.
* I LOVE going to the TPC in Cromwell each year and watching the Traveler’s Championship; I HATE that there are so many people in attendance there who do nothing but sip martinis in luxury tents–individuals who wouldn’t know a golf ball from an Inaugural Ball.
* I LOVE watching Rafael Nadal play tennis–hustling constantly and never giving up on a point; I HATE that he has to towel off after EVERY point and that the TV viewer sees more close-ups of him wiping his face/brow than of him “wiping out” his opponent.
* I LOVE that we still see basketball courts/rims in the playgrounds of schools; I HATE that many of them go unused due to kids being indoors playing video games instead.
* I LOVE watching the annual Army/Navy football game–complete with its in-sync marching, sportsmanship, and classy behavior; I HATE that Navy has TOTALLY dominated this series over the past decade or so–rendering non-competitive, blowout victories usually decided by the end of the third quarter.
* I LOVE going to the Yale Bowl–a truly historic, special structure; I HATE it when it rains there–turning the parking area into a true mud-wrestler’s paradise.
* I LOVE watching the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders perform–who seem to become more lovely/talented as each year passes by; I HATE the sad reality that I’m old enough to be the FATHER of each and every one of these lovely young ladies.
* I LOVE picking up the sports section during baseball season and examining boxscores; I HATE that a player’s salary is the first thing I think of rather than what he accomplished on the field that particular day.
* I LOVE the smell of hot dogs, nachos, pizza, etc. at various sporting events; I HATE the fact that I gain weight just THINKING about indulging in those types of foods.
* I LOVE the excitement of college athletics and the competitive games that result from the various sports; I HATE the fact that many so-called ”scholar-athletes” involved in these sports would have trouble spelling their school’s name if it wasn’t stamped on a jersey/tee shirt they owned.
* I LOVE watching Tiger Woods swing a golf club–the combination of fluidity and power being a true thing of beauty; I HATE the fact that when he doesn’t birdie a hole, it looks as if he is angry at the entire WORLD.
* I LOVE that women’s college basketball has grown exponentially over the years–and is now getting the attention that it richly deserves; I HATE the fact that it is MUCH less competitive than the men’s game–as the #1 team can still beat the #2 team by a ridiculous 30 points.
* I LOVE watching Manny Ramirez swing a baseball bat–an awesome combination of concentration, ease, and power; I HATE it when “Manny is Manny”–a moody guy who truly believes that quitting on a team is no big deal.
* I LOVE hosting/producing a cable TV sports talk show–speaking to a variety of guests and learning more about them; I HATE that some people who are given an invitation to come on the show can’t find the time to even RESPOND via email/telephone with a simple “yes” or “no”–thus holding up the guest-booking process.
* I LOVE watching/covering the Connecticut Defenders at a fine, fun facility like Dodd Stadium; I HATE that more people don’t take advantage of the affordability of minor league games and that there continues to be more empty seats at games than there SHOULD be.
* I LOVE coaching baseball at the middle-school level and helping some youngsters reach their potential; I HATE those 45-degree/damp days at practice when my aching joints remind me that I’m not 20–or even 40–anymore.
* I LOVE playing golf; I HATE playing golf (I guess it all depends if my last shot traveled straight or not).
* I LOVE true “journalists” whose expertise happens to lie in the area of sports; I HATE the fact that these individuals are few and far between as the phenomenon of ”jocks” infiltrating the sports media business has reached epidemic proportions.

Finally,
* I LOVE writing a sports column weekly–sharing my thoughts and receiving terrific feedback from readers; I HATE it when the dreaded “writer’s block” strikes–something that usually happens yearly during the last week of January

Chain Net Memories

Bob Lazzari — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:01:24 +0000

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the memorable “snow wars” we’d enjoy as kids during the 70′s–backyard football games played on the most wintery of days. Thinking back, we’d adjust our sports competitions/”pick-up” games in those days to jive with the pros’ schedule; once the Super Bowl was completed, it was time to put pigskin thoughts away and turn our attention to hoops. Our venue would then change from my neighbor Tom’s backyard to the driveway in front of his house; the “court”–very much like our “stadium”–was anything but flat. In fact, it was an act of bravery every time someone put up a shot without having a rebounder underneath the rim in order to prevent a missed attempt from rolling down into Mr. Morris’ yard across the street. On those days when we all had our own basketballs while practicing, no one was immune from having to do some major retrieving down on the Morris property. To this day, I believe it made us concentrate more and become better shooters.

Sports Roundup

Bob Lazzari — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 09:03:26 +0000

Lazzari’s “Lopsided Score of the Week”: In a recent Connecticut girls high school basketball game played just before Christmas, Capital Prep tore apart University 62-9; Capital outscored its overmatched opponent 31-3 in the second half of this laugher. I’m totally convinced that if someone had told the University coach during halftime that his team’s 6 points at that juncture would be 2/3 of its total output that evening, he would have probably believed that a mean individual known simply as “The Grinch” was truly lurking somewhere in the gymnasium that evening ……….TRIVIA QUESTION: The 1989-’90 Portland Trail Blazers had four players on the team who each averaged more than 6 rebounds per game. Can you name these individuals? Answer to follow……….The usual great, funny stuff from WFAN’s Steve Somers following the Bills’ Week 15 loss to the Jets–where Buffalo QB J.P. Losman passed for just 148 yards and threw three interceptions. Somers hinted that the “J.P.” in his name–after a performance like that–should stand for “Just Pitiful”……….In all honesty, folks, I’m now totally disgusted with the state of the current men’s basketball program at Fordham–my undergraduate alma mater. When Dereck Whittenburg took over as coach in 2003, there was a sense of cautious optimism among alumni that the program could be vaulted back into respectability–capturing some of the success it experienced years ago. And after an 18-12 season in ’06-’07–while improving their record for a third year in a row–many of us continued to surmise that the Rams were on the right track. However, since that time, the school (after last weekend) has a record of 14-29 (just two wins this season) and isn’t even taken seriously in the TRI-STATE AREA–never mind nationally. An excuse given to me by administration is that they are now a “young team”–and that several freshmen start and/or see playing time. Question: Isn’t it the job of someone like Whittenburg–now in his SIXTH season–to plan better and to prevent something like that from happening? Go figure……….Watching the PGA Tour’s Mercedes-Benz Championship on TV from sunny Hawaii last weekend–while it was SNOWING here in New England–was almost as painful as watching a Hilary Duff movie marathon……….This week in sports history, January 20, 1968: In a highly-anticipated match-up between college basketball’s two elite teams, the Houston Cougars defeat UCLA 71-69 in a game played at the Astrodome. Lew Alcindor of the Bruins–who had missed the team’s previous two games due to an eye injury–was clearly outplayed by counterpart Elvin Hayes of Houston; Hayes exploded for 39 points, 15 rebounds, and four blocked shots while Alcindor was held to just 15 points. A packed house at the domed court saw the Cougars end UCLA’s 47-game winning streak–the second longest in history……….The “Unwatchable NBA” Update: In a recent game played in Milwaukee, the Pistons beat the Bucks 87-76 (yawn); the teams combined to shoot (ready for this?) 4-for-28 (14%) from three-point range during this “riveting” match-up. If the referees working this game had a sense of humor, they would have stopped the game after, say, the 20th 3-point attempt–and called for arena personnel to check if there was a pair of transparent covers on top of the two rims……….Answer to trivia question: BUCK WILLIAMS (9.8), JEROME KERSEY (8.4), CLYDE DREXLER (6.9), and KEVIN DUCKWORTH (6.2)……….Happy birthday wishes go out to one of Hartford’s own–former NBA guard Michael Adams–who blows out 45 candles on January 19th. A product of Hartford Public High School who played collegiately at Boston College, Adams spent 11 seasons in the NBA between 1985 and 1996 playing for Sacramento, Washington, Denver, and Charlotte; he averaged 14.7 points and 6.4 assists per game during his impressive career. Undoubtedly, Adams’ best year came during the ’90-’91 season while with Denver–a season in which he averaged 26.5 ppg (sixth in the league) and 10.5 assists (third). Adams led the league in three-point goals made in both the ’88-’89 and ’89-’90 seasons and was an All-Star in 1992. A terrific free-throw shooter, Adams shot almost 85% from the charity stripe over his entire career. Best wishes, Michael……….Finally, condolences go out to the family of former major league pitcher Dave Roberts–who died recently of lung cancer in West Virginia at the age of 64. A left-handed starter who relieved in his later years, Roberts pitched for eight teams between 1969 and 1981–winning 103 games lifetime. He finished second in the National League to Tom Seaver with a sparkling 2.10 ERA in 1971 for the Padres, and set career highs of 17 wins and six shutouts with Houston in 1973. Roberts was also a member of the ’79 World Series champion Pittsburgh Pirates. During his off-seasons, he worked as a boilermaker regularly and was exposed to cancer-causing materials. He is survived by his wife, Carol, two-stepdaughters, and three sons; may Dave Roberts rest in peace.