Uncategorized

Wrestling with shadows: Rumble trip beautifully illustrates passage of time

Esoteric 4 Comments

You think you know me

I know it’s fake. I know I’m 30.

But standing with my friends in section 110 at Phillips Arena in Atlanta last Sunday, when his music hit and Edge made his surprise return at the Royal Rumble, I couldn’t help myself; I cheered my head off, flossed in my Edge shirt and gave high-fives to little kids.

And that’s the thing I still marvel at. It makes no sense that after all these years, through all the changes in my life, professional wrestling is still something I enjoy. And yet there I was.

Continue Reading →

The Afternoon Before: Momentum, not rest, clearly seems the key

Esoteric Leave a Comment

I’ve transitioned “The Afternoon After” to “The Afternoon Before” – makes more sense at this stage. Here’s my look at this weekend’s games.

Revis Island is the place to be right now

You’d think teams would have begun learning from the recent trend in the NFL, which is that teams that play at a high level entering the playoffs continue to do so once January begins.

And yet, once again, lesser teams that finish the season strong appear poised to get the drop on teams that haven’t played meaningful football in a month. I mean, I’m no coach or anything, but how many times do we have to see it?

Continue Reading →

We the living

Esoteric Leave a Comment

8/9/09, Nike outlet in Jackson, NJ -- The day after I turned 30
If you’ve been coming here for a while, you already know that the only holiday I truly love is Halloween. But New Year’s, I’ve always at the very least liked. I realize it’s technically just another day, but it represents to me a time to reflect and measure growth.

A clean start. A fresh slate. Another chance to turn it all around. (Word to Vanilla Sky)

Continue Reading →

Rearview mirror: The coolest, and un-coolest, athletes of the 2000’s

Esoteric 3 Comments

Top: Coolest. Bottom: Least coolest. (Like I have to tell you) Note Reggie in bottom left holding hands with a referee

Another set of lists as part of our friends at Trumbull Island’s Year/Decade-ending Top 10 list hysteria. Here are the Top 10 coolest athletes of the decade, and the Top 10 least coolest athletes. I’m sure I’m missing some, but I think it’s a pretty good primer. I think you’ll see Nas is generally a good barometer here. Feel free to let me know some other guys I missed.

Continue Reading →

Rearview mirror: A decade’s worth of random “celebrity” encounters

Esoteric Leave a Comment

Even me, Skip? Even you, Dorn.

My friends over at Trumbull Island are putting together a pretty extensive and highly entertaining collection of Top Ten lists for the decade, and for the year. As I helped them save Christmas this year, they asked me if I had any contributions, and then suggested “Top random people I met in the ‘00’s.” In truth, I’m sort of like Forrest Gump: I run a lot, I’m decent at ping-pong and I often find myself meeting a lot of random “famous” people.

I think this is supposed to be a Top 10 list, but it looks like that’s not a hard and fast rule for Trumbull, as someone had a Top 71 list. So, I’m offering a Top 16 list. This is in no particular order. Most of them are athletes, but not all of them. Also, I have pictures with most of these people, but I don’t like anyone to know what I look like, so you won’t see any here.

Continue Reading →

Trumbull/SA presents: Twas the Night Before Christmas, Philly Style

Esoteric Leave a Comment

Note: We’re posting this as a favor to our sister site, Trumbull Island, and because it’s great (even though I have no love lost for Philadelphia). I may have some Christmas stuff of my own later, I may not. Either way – Merry Christmas to all. Enjoy Kobe vs. LeBron.

Three Philly/Christmas greats: Philly Boy Roy, Santa, The Answer

This season means different things to different people. For me, a Canadian transplant living in New York, I mostly just miss Boxing Day. Tonight is Christmas Eve, which I don’t celebrate, though I do celebrate its arrival and the opportunity to listen to my favorite holiday poem, "Twas the Night Before Christmas, Philly Style" by Henry Livingston Jr. and Roy Ziegler.
 
I wanted to share the poem, which is written out below, on my Web site, but our webmaster reset the password earlier in the week and may or may not be in church, so, long story short, I’m locked out. Esoteric kindly decided to help me out.

Continue Reading →

Driven to survive: SI’s choice of Jeter all about their bottom line

Esoteric Leave a Comment

dj Now don’t get this twisted, I actually very much respect Derek Jeter. He’s an excellent baseball player, keeps his name off Page 6, does a lot of charity work and has a work ethic I admire.

But Jeter as Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year? Either it was a slow year, or that “award” is a sham.

And it wasn’t a slow year.

Continue Reading →

One felled swoosh: Perceived perfection led Tiger to flawed existence

Esoteric 2 Comments

Tiger's new public stance

It appears that after all this time, what the world might have really wanted is for Tiger Woods to be flawed, because it brings him down to everyone else’s level.

When someone appears to be too perfect, it makes people uncomfortable. It forces them to face their own deficiencies. And for so long, Tiger was just too damned perfect.

Continue Reading →

All-night cinema: SportsAngle wishes you the sublimest of Samhains

Esoteric 1 Comment

 Come on, like you don't spend your free time making images like these
Though sports is definitely what this site does best, Halloween is the official holiday of SportsAngle.com. There’s simply something to be said for a day in which it’s completely acceptable to more closely represent who you are visually, even if it’s sort of macabre – or in my case, completely and totally macabre.

As a special Halloween present, SportsAngle presents its top 10 favorite horror movies as of right now. This list could very easily be very different by this time next year, but why not live in the now? All of these films come highly endorsed, and I’m presenting it a day early so you can hit up your local Best Buy and load up for the holiday.

Continue Reading →

Perspectives on Jordan, Jeter and Ichiro take a back seat

Esoteric Leave a Comment

 

Suffice it to say, I look up to Michael Jordan. I have a poster with the words he speaks in that ad above hanging as the centerpiece of my living room – along with a framed picture of the Twin Towers.

And I have my own perspective to share on the man as he enters the Hall of Fame. But not on 9/11. I believe they should have moved the induction out of respect for the remembrance of this day, but I guess eight years after the fact, maybe it’s time to just let this be something of just another day.

That said, I want to let the Piazza/9-11 post breathe up there. Look for my thoughts on Jordan sometime during or maybe after the weekend; Derek Jeter and Ichiro for their milestones, too. As great as all three athletes are, I personally still believe they should take a back seat today. Others agree with me; Mike Francesa on WFAN had Ari Fleischer on today and is mostly taking calls about 9/11.

So congratulations to Jordan, Jeter and Ichiro. I’ll get back to you guys in a few days.