The handshake after the game is unlikely to catch on as long as lots of fans, players, managers, and even owners continue to believe that a mob of men charging on to the field for a brawl is a splendid demonstration of team unity.

Tourney Update; Joanne P. McCallie; Ha Song-Jin; A fish, a Canal, and some Beer; Black Coaches in the NBA; Master’s Sking; Longest Sking Streak; Broken Brackets and More with Charlie Pierce; Sir Walter

In these days of exceptionally uninformed and inflamed discussion of steroids in baseball, this is an essential book.

One of the themes of Tom Clavin’s book is that Sir Walter’s most important achievement was the invention of the profession he went on to dominate

The number is 880, and some of the story is in the number.

NCAA Update; Mighty UOP; Phoenix Suns; Lucky Licorice; Baseball, Congress, and Steroids; Testosterone Dreams; Steroid Scandal and More with Charlie Pierce; Therapeutic Horseback Riding

An equally convincing case can be made for starting with the high school coaches who encourage football players to get bigger and stronger as quickly as they can.

Women’s College Basketball; The New New York Mets; 47 Surfers on One Board; The ABA; Nobody Don’t Like Yogi; Commentary; Selection Sunday and More With Charlie Pierce; Last Shot

I’m happy that I’m not the commissioner of baseball now, and I’m happier that I will not be the commissioner of baseball in some potentially more juiced-up and complicated future.

John Feinstein’s avowed purpose in writing this book was to give kids — starting with his own son — something sports-related to comfortably read.