Stories | Sporting Box
One Last Look
Published May 14, 2008
Three o’clock in the morning. Looking out a second-story bedroom window. This is the Charlie Simmons/Sheree Dohner once-abandoned barn, now, after more work than I care to think about, transformed into an honest-to-god estate, 15 miles ...
White Crane Spreads Its Wings Four Years Later
Published May 7, 2008
I began tai chi lessons in February 2004. Since there is nothing in my past that would foreshadow an interest in tai chi as opposed to, say, an interest in small-town bars, I decided this ...
Derbytime
Published April 30, 2008
For those who do not follow horse racing, and that’s 98 percent of the population, I should explain that Derbytime refers to the Kentucky Derby and especially the money-making festivities leading up to it. Horse ...
Bob Mitchell Published April 23, 2008
I got a call Saturday night from a man whose name I didn’t remember, but someone who remembered me and had the kindness to telephone ... More Comments (4)
Family Motorsports Published April 16, 2008
I figured it was a George Bush thing, his idea of public service. No matter how sordid your disgrace is, how incompetent you are, no ... More Post a comment
Two for You Published April 9, 2008
Occasionally, the Box offers a sports movie review. Leatherheads opened Friday and this time I invited a genuine movie reviewer along. The idea is to ... More Post a comment
Baseball Preview Edition Published April 2, 2008
The Box, seeking a measured tone, likes to have opening-day jitters out of the way before offering season predictions. All right then, listen up. One ... More Post a comment
Crazy Published March 26, 2008
People fall in love. They fall in love with other people, with their pets, with the city they live in (or the city they don’t ... More Comment (1)
March Madness for Newbies Published March 19, 2008
This column is for once-a-year college-basketball consumers. The NCAA men’s basketball tournament is going to run for the next 18 days, and it’s possible to ... More Post a comment
Long Ago and Far Away Published March 12, 2008
My connection to gymnastics is watching a 14-year-old Bulgarian girl do backflips once every four years. Turns out, I’m not the only one. I found ... More Post a comment
Free Michelle Wie, Part 2 Published March 5, 2008
We were talking about Michelle Wie, who was The Next Big Thing in women’s golf at the age of 10, and now, at 18, is ... More Comment (1)
Free Michelle Wie Published Feb. 27, 2008
I wrote this in October 2005: “The thing about the future is, nobody knows what will happen. So, we don’t know what will happen to ... More Post a comment
An Excellent Look Published Feb. 20, 2008
Annoying clock buzz. It’s 3:30 a.m. and hunting-trip dark outside. Get up, shower, make lunch, make coffee for the thermos, pack gear. This is my ... More Comment (1)
Motor Sports Published Feb. 13, 2008
NASCAR revs up on Sunday ($89 for a DirecTV season sub) with their biggest race of the year, the Daytona 500. And you know what ... More Post a comment
Valentine's Day Column Published Feb. 6, 2008
This morning I mailed a Valentine’s Day card to a woman I haven’t seen or talked to in 40 years. I added a personalized inscription, ... More Comment (1)
I've Invited Osama bin Laden to My Party Published Jan. 30, 2008
The AP headline reads, “Super Bowl a magnet for prostitutes.” Phoenix police sergeant Joel Tranter explains that Phoenix PD and FBI “are going to go ... More Post a comment
Super Bowl Preview Edition Published Jan. 23, 2008
Time to get your seat on the bandwagon, and I would claim mine, except I don’t see why this New England/New York Giants Super Bowl ... More Post a comment
Why the Chargers Will Beat the Pats and... Published Jan. 16, 2008
…destroy their perfection, thereby establishing athletic dominion over the continent, AFC-wise, and, at the same time, crush the hopes of little boys and girls living ... More Post a comment
He's Going All In Published Jan. 9, 2008
This started with Brian McNamee saying he injected Roger Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone from 1998 to 2001. Fast forward to Monday, the ... More Post a comment
Sport Year in Preview Published Jan. 2, 2008
The Box is nothing if not forward thinking. Who cares about “Sports Year in Review” rehash stories? Not me. Not you. Stories about the past ... More Post a comment
Sportsman of the Year Published Dec. 27, 2007
The Box would like to award its Sportsman of the Year trophy. Regulars will recall that the trophy is a handsome bronze statue depicting a ... More Post a comment
Sporting Box Published Dec. 20, 2007
Remember when the Patriots were the baddest team in the NFL? They'd come to your town, trample small children on their way to the gridiron, ... More Post a comment
Sporting Box Published Dec. 13, 2007
Some leaves have fallen off some trees, temperatures have sunk below 50 degrees, and Fashion Valley Mall is open an extra hour in the evenings. ... More Post a comment
Didn't Missa Thing Published Dec. 6, 2007
Here's the setup... I played duplicate bridge in Fairbanks, Alaska, in 1966. Games were played in the Tiki Cove, otherwise known as the basement of ... More Post a comment
The Long Way Around Published Nov. 29, 2007
It's given that anyone who takes the Chargers head-coach job assures himself of temporary employment and a downhill NFL career path. Go back 20 years ... More Post a comment
Beginner's Eyes Published Nov. 21, 2007
At the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex in Willows. Sound comes at you from the sunset, underneath the dome of an aqua-blue sky, the blue ... More Post a comment
Congrats Published Nov. 15, 2007
Small-college sports don't get enough press, fans, or money. This is probably a good thing; relative poverty is a powerful tool for keeping sports as ... More Post a comment
Not A Chargers Column Published Nov. 8, 2007
I nod toward the refrigerator, call out, "No food, bucko." Frank turns around, disappointed. I pour two cups of coffee, hand one to guest, take ... More Post a comment
A Set of Six Published Nov. 1, 2007
When I was six years old, my favorite sport was playing badminton with my mother. This was 1950s America, so she took care of her ... More Post a comment
Play Ball Published Oct. 25, 2007
The count is 400 square miles as of Tuesday morning and 1000 homes destroyed. I've been following the fire of '07 by way of San ... More Post a comment
Push When You're Hot Published Oct. 18, 2007
October 1 seems like a long time ago. Two and one half weeks is one way of calculating. Or, you could say it's a previous ... More Post a comment
USD Football Coach Makes Good Published Oct. 11, 2007
Watching the USC/Stanford game on Versus. The spread is 40 1/2 in most of Vegas, 41 at Stations. Over/under is 57 1/2 in Nevada, 58 ... More Post a comment
Who Would You Fire? Published Oct. 4, 2007
'Kill them all, God will know his own." There are several versions of this quote -- I like this one. It was spoken in 1209, ... More Post a comment
Greed Death March Published Sept. 27, 2007
They've risen from the sewers and they're back on TV, the walking undead from O.J.'s 1995 murder trial. And they're still hungry, still greedy, still ... More Post a comment
Somewhere Marty Is Laughing Published Sept. 20, 2007
Happily, I got the "Norv Is a Hack" column out of the way before the NFL season started, so I can say "Norv Is a ... More Post a comment
The Sport Of Love Published Sept. 13, 2007
The phone rings, I pick up, Dorothy Giliam says, "Hello." "Dorothy, been a long time. How are you?" UNLV, 1969 "I'm good," Dorothy says. "I ... More Post a comment
Chargers Preview Edition Published Sept. 6, 2007
Before we get to the Chargers, I should note Division II dwelling Appalachian State and its convincing 34-32 victory over nationally ranked (number 5) Division ... More Post a comment
Michael Vick Is A Monster Published Aug. 30, 2007
On Monday, Michael Vick pleaded guilty to one count of "conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and to sponsor a ... More Post a comment
FedEx Cup. Round One. Published Aug. 23, 2007
Congratulations to professional golfer Brandt Snedeker, who won the Wyndham Championship on Sunday with a stunning two-point victory over the field. Perhaps I should make ... More Post a comment
Battle Bowl 6 Published Aug. 16, 2007
This is where it started: minorleaguefootballnews.com. I read, "The 4th Annual 'Hall of Fame' All-Star game is Saturday, December 8, 2007, 3:00 p.m., at Virgin ... More Post a comment
Abandoned Stories Published Aug. 9, 2007
Lately, some national sports stories have fallen off the table. For instance, what happened to Floyd Landis? Where's Ricky Williams? And, what's up with the ... More Post a comment
Young Barry Bonds Published Aug. 2, 2007
Not much I can do about this. The stars in baseball heaven have aligned with Mars, and with Saturn, while a blue moon hovers off ... More Post a comment
Trust Me Published July 26, 2007
You know things are bad when, as of Monday afternoon, NBA.com had no news about Tim Donaghy, the recently retired referee and alleged mob connected ... More Post a comment
Mid-Summer Sports Issue Published July 19, 2007
Regulars are aware that the Box regards American politics as a spectator sport. There are star players, teams, leagues, playoffs, and a national champion. Fans ... More Post a comment
News From The Camps Published July 12, 2007
Coming close to football. The NFL preseason kicks off in three weeks and change, so it's not too early to start collecting the best sports ... More Post a comment
Field Trip Published July 5, 2007
Aimlessly walking a bookstore floor letting what happens happen is a 20th-century amusement. Still, every few months I'll hie to a mall, load up on ... More Post a comment
Some This. Some That. Published June 28, 2007
Got the California State Games press packet in the mail today. Seems a bit thinner this year. The California games is a development program of ... More Post a comment
Where Were You... Published June 21, 2007
If you follow the National Hockey League, you'll remember where you were on April 18, 1999, the day Wayne Gretzky scored his 2857th and last ... More Post a comment
Big Game Guide Published June 14, 2007
Regard, I have happened upon our Department of Fish and Game Licensed Big Game Guides Web page. I envision a Great Hunter, right boot placed ... More Post a comment
Great Race. Part Two. Published June 7, 2007
'Never heard of it." "It's a fairly unpublicized event," says Jim Penseyres. "ABC put it on TV from '81 through '87, but even then it ... More Post a comment
Great Race. Part One. Published May 31, 2007
A Great Race seizes you, makes you wonder how a human being could start and finish such a thing. I don't include the Indy 500, ... More Post a comment
Waiting Games Published May 24, 2007
How many lines have you stood in this month? Last month? Last year? What do you do while you're waiting? Think about sex? Hate the ... More Post a comment
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