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Wednesday TIME: US | UK WEATHER: US | UK HOME THE NEIGHBORHOOD "Life in the UK" American Groups Essential Contacts Money Education Driving WHAT'S ON US Group Events Diary Dates Music Live FEATURES Politics blog SPORTS Features Sideline blog NFL Draft THE AMERICAN MAGAZINE ONLINE |
SIDELINE ARCHIVE Santa's Sackings January 01, 2009 Ready for the Turkey November 27, 2008 Making it to the Big Dance November 26, 2008 Brighter Days Ahead for Chargers? November 5, 2008 Unnecessary Hits To The Pocket / Upset: BYU October 17, 2008 Romo's Pause / Seattle Seahawks October 15, 2008 Weekend Prep: Red River and More October 10, 2008 College Football's 'Crossroads' Weekend October 9, 2008 Gramatical Error October 7, 2008 Turning The Page September 30, 2008 So Cal 'Quizzed — But Who Will Answer? September 26, 2008 3rd Tuesday Panic Button / Forté Yard Dash September 23, 2008 Two and Oh; Oh and Two September 22, 2008 No More NCAAffeine September 11, 2008 Week 1 College Football September 6, 2008 How To Spell Heisman / Chad Ocho Cinco September 1, 2008 Why the Favre story STILL won't go away August 18, 2008 Olympic Notes / Ricky's Still Relevant August 14, 2008 Committee Meetings August 9, 2008 Let the QB Battles Begin August 8, 2008 Slinging The Slinger — More Favre August 6, 2008 Welcome to the 2008 season July 28, 2008 Plus One May 27, 2008 Draft: The Morning After April 28, 2008 Draft: Thinking the Unthinkable April 25, 2008 Draft: Ready For The Long Haul April 23, 2008 Sofa–bound Sport April 16, 2008 Post–Winter Wonderland April 11, 2008 Six Impossible Things February 4, 2008 Brady's Misdirection Play February 3, 2008 Colorful Language January 23, 2008 Let the Romo–bashing begin: Dallas lost January 14, 2008 Bowl Bites: The Wrap January 10, 2008 All About The Coaches January 1, 2008 Bowl Bites 3 and A Communication Breakdown December 29, 2007 Bowl Bites 2 December 27, 2007 Bowl Bites 1 December 23, 2007 The Empty Chair - Coach Situations Vacant December 22, 2007 For Some, The Playoffs Are Now December 15, 2007 A Certain Lack Of Welcome December 13, 2007 Unrelated Notes November 29, 2007 Two Thanksgiving thoughts November 22, 2007 Halftime: NFC November 9, 2007 Halftime: AFC November 8, 2007 London, Part 2 / A Tale of Two Chads / A Game of Intimidation November 4, 2007 Damp Squib / Other London Notes October 29, 2007 Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em / Dolphins – The Aftermath October 23, 2007 The Dolphins Did What? October 18, 2007 Notes on the Defenses October 13, 2007 Habits to be Broken October 12, 2007 Overtime October 13, 2007 This Week's Starters October 6, 2007: USF: Covering The Spread / Fantastic Football September 27, 2007: Grossman: The Final Act? / McNabb, the Epilogue September 24, 2007: Eagles QB in Slight Controversy September 21, 2007: Leftwich's Parting Gift to Jacksonville? / Boos cruise September 18, 2007: Notre Dame M.I.A. September 16, 2007: Looking Beyond NFL Wk. 1 September 12, 2007: Best Hope For Heisman September 10, 2007: Coaching Hot Seats / AP Poll Feeling ’Appy September 7, 2007: The NFL’s Prime Cuts September 5, 2007: Michigan Falls to Killer Apps September 3, 2007: Look Out Couch / The Taint's On You, Bud September 1, 2007: |
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SPORTS SIDELINE 
Observations, Opinion & Occasional Silliness by Richard L Gale Unrelated Notes I want to talk about NFL TV and I want to talk about turf, but with the announcement on Tuesday of the death of Washington safety Sean Taylor following a shooting incident at his home in Florida, it's hard to talk about the frivolous – even in a frivolous column – and then highlight a player's death as a by–the–way at the end. So, a serious moment to start this entry. Sean Taylor was shot sometime on Sunday at his home in Miami. Although details are still speculative it would seem that he was confronted by an intruder, and received a gunshot that severed his femoral artery. Although his critical condition appeared to improve slightly on Monday, the former Miami University player died of his wounds early Tuesday. This year, football and gun crime have touched upon one another on numerous occasions, from the death of Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams in January, to the gun licensing charges against the Bears' Tank Johnson, to Virginia Tech's rallying around its football team after April's campus massacre, to Taylor's death. But don't look for me to brew some contrived relationship between football and violence and gun crime. Today I read an article by one columnist who tried to connect them in the wake of Taylor's death; it was at best labored, and at worst, in bad taste. The central premise was football players and their culture to confront and intimidate. But it doesn't take a football player to investigate a noise downstairs in his own house in the dead of night. I'm 5'9" of blubbery sports columnist, but I still feel it my duty to defend my property and my family when I so much as hear the hot water pipes expand. Lord help me if I ever actually discovered an intruder. So this isn't a football issue. This is the criminal death of a young father in his own home in a good neighborhood. Until somebody knows otherwise, there is nothing bigger to this tragedy than that. And the implications for Washington's football team aren't really the major issue right now. From that terrible news to something a little more uplifting. Guildford Heat point guard and BBL MVP Brian Dux was today described as 'semi–conscious' and 'improving by the hour' in a press statement from the basketball club. Brian was involved in a single–car accident ten days ago, and there have been times when those connected with the Heat had braced themselves for the worst. Brian's family rushed from Buffalo to be by his side during his fight–back. Those wishing to follow Brian's progress, or to buy tickets for a Heat v BBL All–Stars benefit game to be played December 28th, should visit www.guildfordheat.com And so to frivolous things. I'm proud to say that I stayed awake and hooked to every minute of Miami's fascinating splash ...er, clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers. I love this sort of 'extreme weather' football game (especially if I don't have to tangle with London's South West Trains to experience it), and while I have seen wetter games, I've certainly never seen anything soggier. We still don't have consensus on what to a call the game – mud bowl, soggy bowl – but I prefer 'sponge bowl'. I've never seen a turf so deeply soaked below the surface, which in itself made for an entertaining spectacle, with every bounce–free splat of the ball. Obvious comparisons with London followed, especially by those unfortunate Dolphins beat writers who've had to witness both games. Still, at least at Heinz Field, we know they tried to deal with it beforehand, and it won't still be that way three weeks later. And if it is, and my Steelers lose, what the heck, I'm going to find out who the last soccer team was to play there and blame them. If you read the last installment of this column, you may recall I gave thanks for the football we enjoy over here, football that others back in the States often don't get to see. Case in point: Tonight, 1am, Sky Sports: Dallas Cowboys v Green Bay Packers. Brett Favre against the next Brett Favre. The only thing that could have made Favre v Romo better would have been if the Packers had followed Brett's request and signed Randy Moss in the offseason, so we could have Moss v Owens (again) simultaneously. As things stand, we get to see what many cable subscribers in the USA can't: the Packers against the Cowboys in Superbowl XVI.75 (or whatever they're calling it). Well worth staying up for, you would think. But heavens–to–betsy, what sort of commentary was that from the NFL Network last Thursday? The reigning superbowl champions were in trouble against the lowly Atlanta Falcons, down 10–0 after one quarter, but if you heard no more than the muted recording of the crowd and the humdrum enthusiasm of the commentary team you'd have been forgiven for thinking this was a preseason game. Is that Cris Collinsworth and Bryant Gumbel again? I can't believe the NFL is sleepwalking into another year of this. If this Thursday's game doesn't inject some voltage into their delivery, nothing will. |
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