Washington Sports

The Best American Sports Writing 2004

Episode 2: Misery Has More Company

By: Bob Ryan

” Would it spoil some vast eternal plan if the Red Sox could win one?”   This is the last sentence of the story.   You can only imagine what this story is about.   The only way you did not hear about this story is if you were living under a rock in the early 2000’s.

Yes, i am talking about the Boston Red Sox victory over the New York Yankees in the World Series.   I did have to figure this out considering that the author never did specify throughout the whole story.   It was an easy task to do but if you were living under a rock than sorry you will not understand what is being said in this story.

The mood of the story was very nastalgic.   I could tell that Bob Ryan is a big baseball fan and an even bigger Red Sox fan.   His note taking during the last game of the series was very thorough.  The game he was describing was an extremely exciting game.   The winner of this game was to go to the World Series.   Bob Ryan was sure that if the Red Sox did win that they would surely win the whole thing.

In actuality that is what happened.   I enjoyed the sense of disappointment in all Red Sox fans.   He did a good job painting a picture of failure in big games in Boston.   He said they were always in the big games but they were never drinking champagne.   However, in the game he wrote about they did.

Mike Wise is a journalists, a sports radio announcer, and a jack of all trades.   I sat down with him last Thursday at WJFK studios in Fairfax, VA.   The discussion we had resignated in my head for a while after words.

The most important thing that i took away from the meeting was a story he told.   He was watching the Arsenial Hall show while sitting on his couch.   Eddie Murphy was a featured guest on the show.   Hall asked Murphy, “What was your back-up plan if you didn’t succeed in comedy.”   Eddie replied, “Back-up plan? I never had a back-up plan, as far as I am concerned a back-up plan is setting yourself up for failure.   You do what you have a passion to do, and you just do it.”

That resignated with me because i have never looked at my life that way.   My whole life i was striving for greatness but at the same time i was constructing a back-up plan in case i failed.   I suppose if i put the energy that was used to create my back-up plan into my dreams that i may be closer.  Lucky for me i am still young and have plenty of time to achieve greatness.   However, after hearing this i have stopped thinking about playing if safe and creating a back-up plan.

Another story that Mike Wise told was about his experiences with Shaquille O’Neil.   Because he focused on his dream of writing he placed himself among a distingueshed group of writers.   In fact, Shaq had asked him to write a book with him.   When the book was finished Shaq took him on a hunting trip in his helicopter.   They had a great time and Mike had a hell of an experience.

I wish some day i could tell a story that is remotely close to this one.   The meeting was very eye-opening and inspirational.   The main thing i took away from this meeting is to go a hundred percent into your dreams.

The Best American Sports Writing 2004

Episode 1: Making a Play for Players

By: Lisa Olson

Apparently women will do anything these days to obtain fame.   The story starts out by describing two typical professional sports player hunters.   It seems as if one of the women is involved with a highly respected sports figure.   She is now well off.   She walks around the streets all day spending her man’s money.   Mostly she was spending money on herself.   Self-image seemed to be a major concern for these women.

The other women was not as well off as the first one.   In fact, she is in a huge amount of debt.   She works hard and tries to make a good amount of money.   This seems pretty average, but it’s not.   On the inside that women is still looking to find an athlete at any means nessesary.   Her friend funds her and allows her to be in a position to catch an unsuspecting athlete.

What these women are doing is highly unethical.   They know how to put themselves in positions of power.   All they have to do is use sex.   Of course, this can sometimes be a dangerous thing.   There is the possibility of being caught, catching a disease, getting pregnant, and in some cases things can get violent.

But how can you blame them.   Today the media focuses soo much attention on athletes that people will do anything just to see them.   Athletes have become some of the most desired people.   They make a lot of money, are in pretty good shape, and have access to a life of fame.

The fame is really what most of the women want.   They see that by using an athlete they can get plugged into a different social class.   A social class they may not be able to enter without giving themselves to an athlete.