Legendary NFL linebacker Dick Butkus passed away last week in his Malibu home at the age of 80. Butkus played nine seasons for the Chicago Bears and was known for the ferocious, intense, and aggressive way that he attacked the game. Born Richard Marvin Butkus, Butkus grew up the youngest of eight children growing up in a rough, blue-collar area on the south-side of Chicago. Butkus stayed local during his college years and attended the University of Illinois before being drafted third overall by his hometown Bears in 1965. Butkus would go on to make eight Pro Bowls, two NFL All-Decade teams, the... Read More

The National Football League kicked off on Thursday, and as usual, it failed to disappoint. In Kansas City, Travis Kelce was dropped from the lineup, Kadarius Toney dropped everything in sight, and the Detroit Lions dropped the defending Super Bowl Champions. In Denver, the Broncos are kicking themselves after losing to the Raiders in Sean Payton’s coaching debut. And in New York, Aaron Rodgers will still be playing with the Jets – but that’s assuming the team’s rehab facility comes with a hot tub. A look at the wacky first week of the NFL. • Tony! Toni! Tone! Has done it again.... Read More

The Colorado Buffaloes didn’t expect much as they drove their 2011 Subaru Outback into the repair shop off campus. The Subaru had plenty of wear and tear on it with all those road trips to Corvallis, Palo Alto, and Tucson – but not a lot of memories to go along with it. Once shiny and new car smelling, the black and gold vehicle was now rusty and slow to start, presumably after years of fender benders around Westwood, radiator trouble in Tempe, and a flat tire in Spokane. The break came when the Big 12 saw the broken-down Subaru and somehow thought it would look good on their lot, somewhere... Read More

The last thing I want to do is wake a sleeping giant – especially an eighth seed sleeping giant. The Miami Heat have won three championships, their President, Pat Riley, has nine of his own, along with 19 Finals appearances. Eric Spoelstra has two rings, Udonis Haslem has three, and Kevin Love and Kyle Lowry own one each. Miami’s retired numbers include Dwayne Wade, Alonzo Mourning, Chris Bosh, and Shaquille O’Neil. While Lebron’s will be there soon. The Heat showed up to Ball Arena with a roster full of undrafted players, a 6’9 center, and a so-so Playoff Jimmy Butler, and pretty much... Read More

Late last summer, following the fast-growing trend, my gym made the decision to convert the entirety of its rooftop tennis courts into Pickleball courts. I get it. Pickleball is low-impact and all-inclusive. I see husbands and wives playing, the coordinated and the not-so-coordinated playing, the fit and not-quite-as fit, and plenty of elderly. Sometimes all on the same court! Gyms are now considered Judge Free Zones – so I accepted the change, tried not to judge, and moved on. A few months later, the gym continued its deconstruction by converting the indoor basketball court into permanent Pickleball... Read More

The lights flickered off the Christmas tree like stars in the dark sky. The table was set with fancy holiday dishes, festive wine glasses, and charcuterie filled with various gourmet cheeses and prosciutto. Filled stockings hung off the fireplace, expensive bourbon poured into those with eggnog, while the scent of Grandma’s sugar cookies filled the air. It was the perfect Christmas. The matching family pajamas may have been a little over-the-top, as was the hula-hooping Santa Claus that rotated around on the mantle. But nothing was going to embarrass me on this day. Nothing was going to spoil... Read More

With no professional sports, no collegiate athletics, and the Summer Olympics postponed until next year, the assumption is that sports are gone for now as we sit and wait for it all to return. But that’s not true. Even with the quarantine limiting our access, and changing life’s rules, sport continues on. Here are the top seven sports of quarantine. Tik Tok – Once considered a basic social app that just needed a teenager, a trendy song, and a simple 15 second dance routine, Tik Tok is now a major sport in most households. With nothing but time on our hands, Tik Tok now requires 37 takes... Read More

While the hungry sports fan has to settle for games of H.O.R.S.E, NBA2K, and replays of March Madness from 1992 as the world quarantines, there has been some optimism recently as many leagues start to brainstorm about returning to their games. The NHL has reported that cities across the country have shown interest in hosting playoff games at neutral-site locations. MLB has reportedly discussed the possibility of the rearrangement of leagues, increased double-headers, and reduction in games.  And the NBA has even toyed with the thought of moving the entire league to the Bahamas until COVID-19... Read More

Dear Sports,   I know that I’m not one to express my feelings in words, or have my emotions lead me towards tears.  (Except in that last scene in the movie Rudy, when he goes sprinting on to the field at the end).  But last night I found myself staring out the window, lost and empty, wondering if you were ever to return. Please know that I don’t blame you for walking away.  In fact, the distance between us has allowed me some time to reflect.  The truth is that I never appreciated you like I should have, nor did I give you the attention that you richly deserved.  All those nights... Read More