Sports Blog
Check out the sports blog, where the State News sports staff will discuss everything from Spartan to professional athletics on a daily basis.
Check out the Sports Podcast for more from the sports desk.
Recent posts
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Kitna's antics absurd
The season opener for the Detroit Lions provided a result everyone was prepared for — an expected loss.
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2008 fantasy football picks
Last year in this space, I gave everyone my fantasy football picks. Some were good suggestions, while others, I’ll admit, were pretty pitiful.
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High hopes for Roger Federer
Back on July 6, I watched every rain-soaked minute, delays and all, of Rafael Nadal’s victory over Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final.
A new meaning for outdoor sports
I’ve rediscovered the art of the lawn game. Usually, I only think of lawn games as a tailgating staple, grouped in the same category as beer pong and flip cup tournaments. But after a couple of weekends of hanging with my family and engaging in a few games of Wiffle Ball and cornhole (aka bags, aka Hillbilly Horseshoes), I have a new enthusiasm for them. Here’s why.
Lawn games are competitive, but not too competitive. A lot of times, when my friends or family engage in a “friendly” game of basketball, baseball, or even euchre, it ends in bad blood. Someone inevitably accuses someone else of not playing fairly, leading to an argument. With lawn games, no one really cares about winning enough to cheat. And if they do, their opponent doesn’t care enough to call them out on it.
Games are easily postponed for bathroom breaks, refreshments and side conversations, without anyone getting their panties in a bunch about it. How many times have you heard of someone stopping a volleyball match so they can go hit up the cheese ‘n’ crackers? My guess is never.
You can be competitive even if, like me, you haven’t done any intense physical activity in the past six months. There’s not much athletic ability involved in throwing a bean bag through a hole and you’re not likely to be sore the next day either.
No one is barred from participating because they are too old or young. Usually, sports competitions are reserved for those who are between their teens and, say, 40-ish. With yard games, about the only people who can’t play are babies and really, really, really old people.
Lawn games usually involve a lot of high fives, fist pumps, glass-tipping and other celebratory gestures. And those are just fun.
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