A Cricket Superstar Retires

Yesterday was a good sports day on NPR's Morning Edition.

Sandip Roy offers up a glowing farewell  to the Cricket Super Star Sachin Tendulkar, who is retiring after a remarkable career in the sport.  In the world of Indian sports and culture Mr. Tendulkar is held in Gandhi level of esteem.


This radio essay reads well but it is best appreciated if it is heard.  Click on the "Listen to the story" link to truly enjoy the impact of Sachin Tendulkar's retirement on the Indian people.


When we were in London some time ago I tried to watch a Cricket match and every time I thought I understood what the hell was going on......I didn't.

Frank Deford on Football

Frank Deford is probably our greatest living sports writer and he may very well be one of the greatest of all times.


 His commentary on sports and the role sports plays in the greater society are always spot on, somewhat cranky but spot on none the less.

In his weekly commentary  on NPR's Morning Edition Mr. Deford takes on an increasingly favorite topic of his; football or more specifically does the ever growing brutish nature of professional football deserve it's lofty place as America's favorite sport.

Frank Deford Top 12 list

The great sports writer Frank Deford opines further on topics he has already discussed .
 

He gives short hits on paying big time college athletes, Pete Rose & the Hall of Fame, children playing tackle football and so much more.

In fact the list goes on longer than 12 items.  It is classic Frank Deford and of course I agreed with every point.

There are few writers as consistently good or as interesting as Mr. Deford.

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Tokyo Wins!

Congratulations to Tokyo for winning the bid to host the 2020 Olympiad.  There were three interesting choices this year with Madrid and Istanbul being the runners up.


The Olympic committee could have made a bold statement by choosing the first country with a majority Muslim population to hold the games but instead they decided this year to be safe.

Istanbul certainly would have made an interesting and exciting choice, perhaps the voters were showing a bit concern because Turkey is on the cusp of the tinder box that is the Middle East.
 

Madrid would have been scenic and beautiful choice but Spain is broke.  On the other hand bringing the Olympics to Spain would have been a long term boost to the moribund Spanish economy.



In the end everyone know the Japanese will get the games up and running and ready ahead of time, under budget and make it the most efficient games since......forever.


Well done you! Tokyo Olympic Committee.

Frank Deford on Football

Frank Deford is one of the smartest people on the planet.  He is so much more than sports but when he drills in and focuses on what is great or not so great about sports he is often brilliant.

This morning his weekly commentary on Morning Edition was particularly powerful.  I am a huge football fan.  I will watch a high school game on ESPN if nothing else is on.  I prefer college over professional but in the end it is still football.

Football has become America's game - it is far more popular than baseball.  Mr. Deford argues that professional football needs new leadership - he fears it is sliding down a slippery slope to gladiator status.  

And, of course Frank Deford makes a compelling argument.

http://www.npr.org/2013/07/10/200402513/football-needs-a-guardian-not-a-ceo