Fans are irreplaceable at sporting events. There’s no way around it. Fans breathe life into the pageantry and tradition behind our favorite teams across all sports. Without fans at this year’s games and events because of COVID-19 restrictions, it certainly gives interesting insight as to ...
It was just an idea at first. But as it came to fruition, it turned out to be a really BAD idea. After finishing our first season in the C.C. Slow-Pitch Softball League with a winning record, the Karvakko’s Market team was looking for something more to do that fall. We couldn’t find enough other teams to go along with a fall softball league, although a few did express interest. You have to realize that slow-pitch was quickly reaching its zenith in interest, and would soon zoom to 28 teams and three divisions within two years. So it was decided to advertise in the local ...
It was the first game that I ever played with the late Merv Klemett. I had just become eligible to play for the Portage Lake Oldtimers baseball team, and Merv was the manager of the squad. Before my first game, I asked him how to approach things against the Wolverine Oldtimers. Whether to take it as just an exhibition or to play for real. He looked hard at me and said: “Have fun but play hard, just like it was a regular season game,” was his quick answer. I should have known better, having competed against his teams in the Twilight League and the Over 35 Softball League for ...
The professional sports franchises have all tried various methods to combat the lack of crowd noise during this current dark period we’re all going through. The National Hockey League has taken the course of sounding fog horns (loudly) after a goal. In the National Basketball League and major league baseball, there’s been the placing of cardboard figures around the arena and ballpark. But cardboard just can’t imitate the sound of a roaring crowd. And in Cleveland, they still have John Adams banging away on his infamous drum. Or at least a recording of Adams doing his ...
The words — and brickbats — have been flying ever since the decision was made by the Michigan High Athletic Association last month. The action effectively ended the high school football season — at least until next spring. At first, I sort of went along with the MHSAA action. But now that I’ve had time to mull it over, I believe the organization may have acted in haste. This is not a politically motivated decision on my part. That’s unlike some other segments of the population who have chosen to make the issue a political football. No pun intended. After watching prep ...
There’s nothing wrong with banking on young players to bolster the fortunes of a professional sports team. But the Detroit Tigers may be putting too much pressure on their prospects. If you go strictly by the commentary of Detroit TV color men Jack Morris and Dan Petry, the pitching duo of Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal is ready to march straight into the Hall of Fame. I’m aware that Mize has great stuff (eight different pitches) and that Skubal also has the potential to be a steady winner. But the fact — call it calloused if you will — is that neither has played in enough ...
