Literary Illusions

With a few of the big sports I watch out of season (NFL, MLB), I have to keep myself busy in preparation for their upcoming seasons. Now, Basketball and Hockey are all the rage. Luckily, I live in Michigan, where both sports are fairly big.

So, here’s what’s going on with my teams this evening.

B-Ball

At 7:30 PM ET, the Detroit Pistons take on the Milwaukee Bucks. They are playing at The Palace tonight. Should be an interesting game since the Bucks have won their last two and the Pistons have lost their last three.

Other games you might want to check out:

Charlotte Bobcats vs. Orlando Magic – 7:00 PM ET
San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks – 7:30 PM ET
Utah Jazz vs. Memphis Grizzlies – 9:00 PM ET
LA Clippers vs. Phoenix Suns – 9:00 PM ET
LA Lakers vs. Atlanta Hawks – 10:30 PM ET

Hockey

The Detroit Red Wings have another off day after losing 5-6 in OT to Colorado two days ago. They’ll take on the Nashville Predators, tomorrow, in Detroit.

Tonight, you might be interested in the following games:

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Buffalo Sabres – 7:00 PM ET
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Tampa Bay Lightning – 7:30 PM ET
Ottawa Senators vs. Colorado Avalanche – 9:30 PM ET
Vancouver Canucks vs. Calgary Flames 9:30 PM ET
Edmonton Oilers vs. San Jose Sharks – 10:30 PM ET

NASCAR

The world of NASCAR is still abuzz about the Dale Earnhardt Jr.-Brian Vickers crash. I watched it from multiple angles and it looked like Dale Jr. barely knicked Brian Vickers, who was running him off the road. It was a dangerous move by Vickers and NASCAR made the right decision in not penalizing Dale Jr. for it.

NASCAR is preparing for the Sprint Cups’ Auto Club 500 this Sunday at 6:15 PM ET.

Technorati Tags: Detroit Pistons, Detroit Red Wings, Basketball, Hockey, Events, Games, Sports, NASCAR

I came across a meme on a blog run by a guy named Steven Taylor. The Meme directions are pretty simple.

First, you list the Top Ten Sports Moments you recall seeing in person or on the television. Second, list where you saw them.

Sadly, I was born in 1980, so I missed many great sports moments before then. However, I’m considering asking my 90 year old Grandfather to share his top ten for me, so I can share them with you. He was into sports and could have gone pro boxing or in track and field. His brother also played minor league baseball, and missed out on a chance at the pros (he had an audition with our Detroit Tigers) due to injury. He saw Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig play live, and I’m sure my memories can’t hold a candle to his.

Anyway, here we go!

1. June 12, 2007 – Justin Verlander throws a No Hitter against the Milwaukee Brewers to Pudge Rodriguez (who consequently has caught for more than one No Hitters in his illustrious career). I wish I could have been there, but I saw this one on television. What a momentous win for Justin Verlander and for the Detroit Tigers! I remember watching all his shining moments live on FSN Detroit with Rod and Mario at the Helm.

2. Desmond Howard’s Heisman Pose in 1991 – After returning a 93 yard punt during the OSU-Michigan rivalry game, the announcer happened to say “Hello Heisman” just as Desmond posed a la Heisman. It was the longest punt return in Michigan history. It was also one of the great victories as he led UM over OSU 31-3. This was the first year I “came out” in a OSU household as a UM Wolverine fan. I watched this game with my die-hard OSU fan/father who refused to talk to me throughout the entire game.

3. Michael Phelps wins Eight Gold Medals in the 2008 Olympics beating a previous swimming record held by Mark Spitz. I boycotted the majority of the Olympics due to China’s stance on people with disabilities (which isn’t pretty), but I couldn’t help but cheer on swimmer, Michael Phelps as he broke a world record for the most Gold Medals earned in the sport of swimming. I watched this one alone, at home.

4. In 1996, Kerri Strug wins the gold in the vault and the gold for the U.S. Magnificent Seven with her 9.712, one footed landing. After injuring her ankle on the first vault, Strug returned to complete a near perfect, one foot landing, winning it all for the U.S. and becoming a national hero. I watched the entire gymnastics experience at the 1996 Olympics. I had been rooting on Dominique Moceanu, but was impressed by Strug’s performance throughout.

5. Charles Woodson 1997- Michigan 20 – Ohio State 14 – Perhaps the greatest game played by one of U of M’s best. He caught an amazing interception and his performance in this game sealed him as the top contender for the Hesiman that year.

6. Michael Jordan beats the flu and the Jazz. Feeling like death in the 1997 playoff game against the Utah Jazz, Michael Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to a 90-87 victory scoring 38 of those 90 points himself. In the end, he nearly passed out, but it confirmed to us teens and kids (and the world) that whether we were Bulls fans or not, there would never be anyone as great as Jordan.

7. I remember growing up in the 80s and 90s and admiring Dan Marino. I wasn’t a fan of Miami, but I knew he was one of the greats. In 1994, against the New York Jets, Marino and the Dolphins were losing to the Jets 24-21. After a fake throw to ground the ball and stop the clock, Marino and Mark Ingram connected to score a TD. The Dolphins went on to win 28-24.

8. The Red Wings win the Stanley Cup in 1996–97, 1997–98, 2001–02, and 2007–08. I remember them all and what a huge boost of confidence these victories were for a city plagued by crime, poverty, and mostly bad sports teams (hello Detroit Lions = 0-16). Being a resident of Toledo, OH and now Michigan, it’s hard not to feel the victories of the Wings ruminating so nearby.

9. Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins the Pepsi 400, in 2001, after coming in second in the Daytona 500, the race that killed his father, Dale Sr. One of the most memorable (yet sad) years in NASCAR history, after a win at Talladega, Earhardt Jr. returned to Daytona to win the Pepsi 400, just a short time after his father died, on that very track.

10. Though not a fan of the Orioles or Cal Ripkin Jr., he is one of the more honest and respected players of baseball in the last three decades. It was a big deal, and I was watching (almost sadly, because Lou Gehrig is my hero) when Ripkin played his 2,131st consecutive game, stealing the record away from Gehrig. In the end, he would play 2,632 consecutive games.

Technorati Tags: The Greatest, Sports Moments, Meme, Olympics, swimming gymnastics, football, U of M, College, Baseball