New York State of Mind: Top 10 Sports Moments in 2008

The SportsLifer couldn’t get through the year without one more top 10 list.
So here they are, the top 10 moments in New York sports, 2008.
1. Catch XLII: Sparked by the unbelievable Eli Manning to David Tyree pass play, the Giants rally to defeat the previously unbeaten Patriots in the Super Bowl.
2. Yankee Money: Failing to [...]

Separated at Birth

Golfer Craig Stadler and former Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren

Craig Stadler                                          Mike Holmgren

Read the Newspaper: Headlines Tell the Story

There are lots of reasons people should read the newspaper every day — news, editorials, the classifieds, movie listings,
Here’s another one: the creative headlines in the sports pages that reflect the athletic temperature of the American cities they represent.
On Sunday, for instance, we watched the NFL playoff races wind down. We saw the Dolphins complete [...]

Smashmouth Style Has Giants Opponents on The Run

When they are good, the New York Giants are the epitome of smashmouth football.
One of the key elements of smashmouth football is a strong offensive line and a physical running attack that’s reliable in all sorts of weather. The Giants have had some terrific rushing offenses through the years, but they’ve never had two 1,000-yard [...]

Dolphins-Chiefs: NFL’s Longest Game on Christmas Day

In 1971, Christmas dinners from Maine to California, from Miami to Seattle, from New York to Kansas City and everywhere in between were delayed. Children had to wait patiently to open their presents. Christmas music was put on mute.
The longest game in NFL history was played that day, December 25, 1971.
The Kansas City Chiefs [...]

Lords Of The Winless: Lions Seek to Buc Losing Trend

It’s extremely difficult to go through an entire NFL season undefeated, as the New England Patriots demonstrated last year.
And it’s almost as difficult to go through an entire season without a win.
The Detroit Lions are just about there after being pummeled, 42-7, by New Orleans on Sunday. Only a date with the rival Green Bay [...]

Slingin’ Sammy Baugh: A Legend Among Legends

Sammy Baugh, one of the greatest quarterbacks in history, passed away this week at the age of 94.
In a list of top 10 all-time quarterbacks presented by The Sportslifer earlier this year, Baugh was ranked eighth overall, sandwiched between Roger Staubach and Bart Starr. Johnny Unitas leads the list.
Sammy Baugh (Redskins, 1937-52)
Slingin’ Sammy dominated the [...]

The Greatest Game Never Seen in New York

It may have been “The Greatest Game Ever Played.” But in New York, it was “The Greatest Game Never Seen.”
The famous 1958 NFL championship game between the Giants and Colts was televised nationally on NBC, but blacked out in New York.
Fifty years later, New York football fans finally got a chance to see the game [...]

Dawgs Paws to Reflect on Another Lost Championship

Sad to say, the Dutchess Dawgs are becoming the Buffalo Bills of fantasy football.
For the second year in a row, the Dawgs dominated the Nightcap League, leading the circuit in wins, points and dawg-bites-man attitude. And for the second year in a row, the Dawgs lost the championship game.
Dawgs president, general manager and head [...]

The Endangered Art of Sportswriting

From the time I was a little kid, I dreamed of being a sportswriter. I remember reading the New York papers my father brought home, especially the sports section, catching up on the exploits of my favorite ballplayers.
I recall the evening papers, like the New York Journal American and the World-Telegram & Sun,  with the [...]