Mark Paxson's Blog, page 11

When Will Lebron Finally Get The Blame

So … the Lakers have struggled over the last 11 years. They didn’t make the playoffs for six years running from 2013-14 to 2018-2019. Ever since Phil Jackson left, they’ve become one of those franchises that goes through coaches like their disposable diapers. Lebron James has been with them the last six years. Whenever the […]

Baseball History is American History

I’m watching the pre-game show for tonight’s game at Rickwood Field. For those who don’t know, Major League Baseball has taken steps this year to acknowledge the history and contributions of the Negro League. They have included Negro League stats into Major League stats and today’s game is meant as a tribute to the Negro […]

The Greatest Is Gone

I’ve made clear that if there is anything that I am, it is that I am a fan of the San Francisco Giants. I’ve written about when Bruce Bochy quit managing the team, about Brandon Crawford leaving the team, about when Willie McCovey passed away. There have been other Giants-related topics I’ve discussed here over […]

The GOAT Is Gone

I’ve made clear that if there is anything that I am, it is that I am a fan of the San Francisco Giants. I’ve written about when Bruce Bochy quit managing the team, about Brandon Crawford leaving the team, about when Willie McCovey passed away. There have been other Giants-related topics I’ve discussed here over […]

Lincoln’s Wise Words

I’m reading Erik Larson’s latest book — The Demon of Unrest. It’s about the months between Lincoln’s election and the start of the Civil War. In the book, Larson quotes the final words of Lincoln’s first inaugural speech. As Larson notes, there are some unfortunate perils between what was happening way back then and what […]

The Struggle Continues

I wrote a couple of months ago about going bowling with my son, and how the sport has become a challenge for me as I age. I got a new ball, dropping from 16 pounds to 15 pounds, hoping that would help me regain my prior skill level. The problem is that the ball has […]

A Book I Read (And One I Didn’t)

I’m not sure where I heard about this book, but recently I read Hot Dog Money by Guy Lawson. It tells the story of Marty Blazer who turned FBI informant and helped uncover a lot of seedy behavior in NCAA sports. Blazer was a financial advisor who sought to provide such services to professional athletes. […]

What’s Your Recipe

Over at Writers Supporting Writers, Chuck Litka recently wrote a post about the recipe that makes him a writer. He suggested there were five ingredients: talent, education, examples, practice, and life experiences. He then assigned different percentages to each of those ingredients to come up with the recipe that led him to become a creative […]

A Baseball Oddity

Something that has always bothered me. An example: Last night Logan Webb pitched seven shutout innings and left the game with the Giants up 1-0. Let’s change that a bit and say that the game was 0-0 after seven innings. In the top of the 8th inning, Tyler Rogers came in and pitched one shut […]

Another Trazadone Dream

I’ve decided to play in a tournament in a sport I’ve never played before. Why? I have absolutely no idea. I think in my mind the thought process is “Why not? It’ll be fun.” The sport is indoor tennis. Not tennis in an indoor arena. Tennis inside a house. And not just any house. Think […]