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Written By: Jamie Lazaroff
Edited By: Bob Lazzari
Although this is a national blog, I was born and bred in New England and still reside here. It is truly a great times to be a sports fan in New England. The Red Sox are in first place and just pulled off a great deal. In basketball, it appears the Celtics are back on the map.
*First up, the Red Sox just traded for Eric Gagne of the Texas Rangers. What a pick up! I know that Gagne has been injured the last few years and has struggled lately, but he'll still be effective; having both Jonathan Papelbon and Gagne, the Sox' bullpen is all set. If the bats can get hot and the starting pitching remains fairly strong, the Red Sox will be fine and win the American League East.
*I have some questions about the Celtics' recent deals involving Kevin Gannett and Ray Allen. To get KG, the C’s had to give up many of their young players. Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green (the slam dunk champion this past year) and Sebastian Telfair are all under 22 years old. In order to obtain Ray Allen on draft day, they had to give up Delonte West--who is also under 22 and led the team in assists last year. I would have chosen to deal for KG OR Allen--not both-- because they still had All-Star Paul Pierce in their lineup. My opinion is that two star players are better than three because:
A. They may have to divide playing time.
B. They would have more young players on their roster.
C. It just makes more mathematical sense--salary-wise.
The Celtics still have Kendrick Perkins and drafted Glen Davis (Big Baby) from LSU. The immediate future is surely looking bright, but will all the pieces fit together? That will be the question.
*I’m not a fan of fantasy football because I like rooting for an existing professional team (New England Patriots) and not individual players. It may enhance the football viewing on Sundays for most people, but it’s just not for me. Speaking of the Patriots, I can see another Super Bowl championship this year. Randy Moss will fit in nicely with his new team.
*This week's spotlight comes from the Paralympics website. Paralympian Lee Pearson from Great Britain has added three more titles to his impressive career at the 2007 International Equestrian Federation (FEI) World Para Dressage Championships in Hartpury, Great Britain. Being born with arthrogryposis multiplex congenital, Lee Pearson made his competitive debut in 1998 and from there became one of the most successful riders in his class. At his first Paralympic Games in Sydney in 2000, he won three gold medals and did so as well in Athens in 2004. Even though his horse Blue Circle Boy had retired before the 2007 FEI World Para Dressage Championships, he once again won every competition he competed in. Lee has been nominated several times for the Laures World Sport Award and also for the Eurosport Sport Star Award, which he won in 2004. In May 2007, he became the first chairman of the FEI Athletes Committee. Career Highlights:
· Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games – Three gold medals
· Athens 2004 Paralympic Games – Three gold medals
· 2007 FEI World Para Dressage Championships – Three gold medals
That’s my take; I would like to hear yours.
Jamie Lazaroff
Showing posts with label Bob Lazzari. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bob Lazzari. Show all posts
8/27/07
8/24/07
Meet Columnist Bob Lazzari
Bob Lazzari is an award-winning sports columnist for Connecticut's Valley Times and NY Sports Day; he also contributes a daily sportscast to SportingNewsCT.com and is a member of the Connecticut Sports Writers' Alliance. He will be editing Jamie Lazaroff's column on a regular basis while occasionally adding some material of his own.
8/6/07
This Week in Sports
Written By: Jamie Lazaroff
Edited By: Bob Lazzari
The sports world can be strange in the summer; sometimes it's slow and at other times there can be lots of news. This is one summer where there SURELY has been a lot happening.
*Finally, some good news in sports. Baseball's Hall of Fame inducted two of the greats of the recent era. Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken, Jr. played with the same teams throughout their entire careers. Mr. Gwynn won an amazing eight batting titles with the San Diego Padres. My best Tony Gwynn moment was at the 1999 All-Star Game in Boston when Ted Williams made an appearance and, in the middle of a slew of All-Stars congregating on the field, there are Ted and Tony sharing a special moment. Then Ted asked for Tony’s help to throw out the first pitch. I cried that night; yes, I remember it like it was yesterday. My best Cal Ripken Jr. moment was the night he broke Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games streak at 2,131. Again, I cried and remember it very well. For Ripken to play 2,632 consecutive games with one team, the Baltimore Orioles, is just unbelievable/.
*I’m a big soccer fan, so when David Beckham signed with Major League Soccer and the Los Angeles Galaxy, I was very excited at first. The more MLS talked about him changing the fate of American soccer, the more I came to believe that it will not happen that way. Don't get me wrong: David Beckham is still a great player. But Americans like to play soccer and not watch it; one player will not change this. I don’t think Beckham should have played in his first game, an exhibition. He had a knee injury and could have caused much more damage.
*On a sad note, one of the great sportscasters of our generation passed away this week, Bill Flemming. He reported on everything from NASCAR to barrel jumping for ABC’s Wide World of Sports. His death reminded me how much I miss Wide World. One favorite memory was watching the show and remembering what was on that day-- the Grand National for England and the Baja 1000. Some kids idolize sports stars; my idol happens to be Jim McKay from Wide World and I've always wanted to be just like him. Yes, those were the good old days.
*I can understand the PGA tour's thinking when they added the FedEx cup points competition. However, I don’t think it is working. The points system can only work if all the golfers play the same number of events. I do hope that most of the top 144 players play in the playoff; I'm positive the tour can make this thing work much better next year.
*This week’s spotlight is on a father and son team from Massachusetts, Dick and Rick Hoyt. You see, Rick was born in 1962 with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck which cut off oxygen to his brain. But in 1972, his first words (using a special computer) was “Go Bruins”. Yes, Rick was a sports fan, but he wanted to compete, too, and he did in 1977--competing in a five-mile benefit run for a paralyzed lacrosse player with his dad pushing him in his wheelchair. That night, Rick told his dad that he just didn’t feel handicapped when we were competing. Down the road, in 1981, they entered the Boston Marathon and finished in the top quarter of the field. After 4 years of marathons, "Team Hoyt" attempted their first triathlon; no, not just any triathlon but the Ironman in Hawaii--a grueling race. I saw the TV coverage of the Ironman; let me just say I cried again due to the emotion/success involved. Each time they completed it, I was touched the very same way. What a great story of a father's love for a son and of the true meaning of inclusion. Please go to http://www.teamhoyt.com/ and learn more about this unbelievable story. As Rick said: “The message of "Team Hoyt" is that everybody should be included in everyday life”. Yes, that's truly a message for everyone to live by.
That’s my take; I’d like to hear yours.
Jamie Lazaroff
Edited By: Bob Lazzari
The sports world can be strange in the summer; sometimes it's slow and at other times there can be lots of news. This is one summer where there SURELY has been a lot happening.
*Finally, some good news in sports. Baseball's Hall of Fame inducted two of the greats of the recent era. Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken, Jr. played with the same teams throughout their entire careers. Mr. Gwynn won an amazing eight batting titles with the San Diego Padres. My best Tony Gwynn moment was at the 1999 All-Star Game in Boston when Ted Williams made an appearance and, in the middle of a slew of All-Stars congregating on the field, there are Ted and Tony sharing a special moment. Then Ted asked for Tony’s help to throw out the first pitch. I cried that night; yes, I remember it like it was yesterday. My best Cal Ripken Jr. moment was the night he broke Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games streak at 2,131. Again, I cried and remember it very well. For Ripken to play 2,632 consecutive games with one team, the Baltimore Orioles, is just unbelievable/.
*I’m a big soccer fan, so when David Beckham signed with Major League Soccer and the Los Angeles Galaxy, I was very excited at first. The more MLS talked about him changing the fate of American soccer, the more I came to believe that it will not happen that way. Don't get me wrong: David Beckham is still a great player. But Americans like to play soccer and not watch it; one player will not change this. I don’t think Beckham should have played in his first game, an exhibition. He had a knee injury and could have caused much more damage.
*On a sad note, one of the great sportscasters of our generation passed away this week, Bill Flemming. He reported on everything from NASCAR to barrel jumping for ABC’s Wide World of Sports. His death reminded me how much I miss Wide World. One favorite memory was watching the show and remembering what was on that day-- the Grand National for England and the Baja 1000. Some kids idolize sports stars; my idol happens to be Jim McKay from Wide World and I've always wanted to be just like him. Yes, those were the good old days.
*I can understand the PGA tour's thinking when they added the FedEx cup points competition. However, I don’t think it is working. The points system can only work if all the golfers play the same number of events. I do hope that most of the top 144 players play in the playoff; I'm positive the tour can make this thing work much better next year.
*This week’s spotlight is on a father and son team from Massachusetts, Dick and Rick Hoyt. You see, Rick was born in 1962 with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck which cut off oxygen to his brain. But in 1972, his first words (using a special computer) was “Go Bruins”. Yes, Rick was a sports fan, but he wanted to compete, too, and he did in 1977--competing in a five-mile benefit run for a paralyzed lacrosse player with his dad pushing him in his wheelchair. That night, Rick told his dad that he just didn’t feel handicapped when we were competing. Down the road, in 1981, they entered the Boston Marathon and finished in the top quarter of the field. After 4 years of marathons, "Team Hoyt" attempted their first triathlon; no, not just any triathlon but the Ironman in Hawaii--a grueling race. I saw the TV coverage of the Ironman; let me just say I cried again due to the emotion/success involved. Each time they completed it, I was touched the very same way. What a great story of a father's love for a son and of the true meaning of inclusion. Please go to http://www.teamhoyt.com/ and learn more about this unbelievable story. As Rick said: “The message of "Team Hoyt" is that everybody should be included in everyday life”. Yes, that's truly a message for everyone to live by.
That’s my take; I’d like to hear yours.
Jamie Lazaroff
7/30/07
This Week in Sports
Written By: Jamie Lazaroff
Edited By: Bob Lazzari
Hello, my name is Jamie Lazaroff and welcome to my first sports column. I'm a HUGE sports fan who happens to have a disability. I like all sports and truly have very strong opinions regarding most of them. My column will not focus solely on sports participants with disabilities; I will also offer my views about the various sports issues of the week. However, I will spotlight one disabled individual each week in this column.
Where do I even START this week? We have the NBA referee betting scandal and QB Michael Vick being indicted on federal charges regarding his role in a dog-fighting ring. We also have Barry Bonds' ongoing pursuit of the all-time home run record and whether or not Hank Aaron and/or commissioner Bud Selig should be in attendance. Finally, there is the Tour de France doping scandal on the sports page.
*The referee betting scandal is a black eye to a once-proud NBA, but this is not surprising. I can clearly see how the games can be fixed. In fact, we have had game-fixing scandals in college basketball for years; Boston College had one just a few years ago. I have attended many high school, college, and pro women's games over the years and seeing them up close gives me the impression that it can be VERY easy to fix a game. What surprises me is how long it took for this to affect the NBA, but with many younger players in the league right now (along with big money), this was bound to happen.
*The Michael Vick saga is very sad. I'm not the biggest animal lover but I do have a soft side for dogs. I think the Atlanta Falcons and the NFL did the right thing keeping Vick away from training camp. At this point, I don't think he should be allowed to play any football this season; his trial may get underway during the season and it would prove to be a major distraction to the team and the league in general.
*As far as Bonds is concerned, he has not been indicted by the grand jury yet. Whether you like him or not (I don't), Bonds should be respected for breaking one of sports most hallowed records; I think Bud Selig--not necessarily Aaron-- should be there to see him break it. In this country, you ARE innocent until proven guilty and the jury is still out on if he used steroids or not. All we have to go on at this point are two books--one written by a former teammate.
*I'm not even touching the Tour de France; it just has too many problems. I don't think cycling can be fixed. But it is a difficult sport and it's hard to believe that these athletes can cycle for days in mountains without having something foreign in their bodies. The human body is not built to take the physical punishment of two or three weeks on a bicycle.
*As I stated in the beginning, I'd like to spotlight one athlete with a disability each week. This week, the spotlight is on Oscar Pistorius--a double amputee, track and field world record-holder from South Africa. You see, he's been in the news because he has a dream: he wishes to run the 400 meters in the Olympics at Beijing next year. As a double amputee, his running prosthetics are j-shaped, carbon fiber blades. The problem here is that the world governing body believes that his curved, tapered prosthetics give him an unfair advantage over the competition. But in Oscar's first race against very able-bodied athletes, Oscar was well off the pace in wet conditions. Currently, he IS cooperating with the IAAF on future research. I believe Oscar can get better and compete with the world's best. I'm not sure if his prosthetics give him an advantage or not, but I will let you know the research findings in the fall.
That is my take, I'd like to hear yours.
Jamie Lazaroff
Edited By: Bob Lazzari
Hello, my name is Jamie Lazaroff and welcome to my first sports column. I'm a HUGE sports fan who happens to have a disability. I like all sports and truly have very strong opinions regarding most of them. My column will not focus solely on sports participants with disabilities; I will also offer my views about the various sports issues of the week. However, I will spotlight one disabled individual each week in this column.
Where do I even START this week? We have the NBA referee betting scandal and QB Michael Vick being indicted on federal charges regarding his role in a dog-fighting ring. We also have Barry Bonds' ongoing pursuit of the all-time home run record and whether or not Hank Aaron and/or commissioner Bud Selig should be in attendance. Finally, there is the Tour de France doping scandal on the sports page.
*The referee betting scandal is a black eye to a once-proud NBA, but this is not surprising. I can clearly see how the games can be fixed. In fact, we have had game-fixing scandals in college basketball for years; Boston College had one just a few years ago. I have attended many high school, college, and pro women's games over the years and seeing them up close gives me the impression that it can be VERY easy to fix a game. What surprises me is how long it took for this to affect the NBA, but with many younger players in the league right now (along with big money), this was bound to happen.
*The Michael Vick saga is very sad. I'm not the biggest animal lover but I do have a soft side for dogs. I think the Atlanta Falcons and the NFL did the right thing keeping Vick away from training camp. At this point, I don't think he should be allowed to play any football this season; his trial may get underway during the season and it would prove to be a major distraction to the team and the league in general.
*As far as Bonds is concerned, he has not been indicted by the grand jury yet. Whether you like him or not (I don't), Bonds should be respected for breaking one of sports most hallowed records; I think Bud Selig--not necessarily Aaron-- should be there to see him break it. In this country, you ARE innocent until proven guilty and the jury is still out on if he used steroids or not. All we have to go on at this point are two books--one written by a former teammate.
*I'm not even touching the Tour de France; it just has too many problems. I don't think cycling can be fixed. But it is a difficult sport and it's hard to believe that these athletes can cycle for days in mountains without having something foreign in their bodies. The human body is not built to take the physical punishment of two or three weeks on a bicycle.
*As I stated in the beginning, I'd like to spotlight one athlete with a disability each week. This week, the spotlight is on Oscar Pistorius--a double amputee, track and field world record-holder from South Africa. You see, he's been in the news because he has a dream: he wishes to run the 400 meters in the Olympics at Beijing next year. As a double amputee, his running prosthetics are j-shaped, carbon fiber blades. The problem here is that the world governing body believes that his curved, tapered prosthetics give him an unfair advantage over the competition. But in Oscar's first race against very able-bodied athletes, Oscar was well off the pace in wet conditions. Currently, he IS cooperating with the IAAF on future research. I believe Oscar can get better and compete with the world's best. I'm not sure if his prosthetics give him an advantage or not, but I will let you know the research findings in the fall.
That is my take, I'd like to hear yours.
Jamie Lazaroff
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