Category Archives: Other sports

I know every right-thinking person is enraptured by the baseball playoffs at this time, but I want to note that I’ve enjoyed the Chron’s coverage of the Houston Rockets’ trip to China for two exhibition games against the Kings. This … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Hall of Fame basketball player Calvin Murphy, currently under indictment on several charges of sexual assault against five of his children, will not be part of the Houston Rockets broadcast team in 2004-05. Calvin Murphy’s leave of absence from his … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Ever since I spent a summer umpiring Babe Ruth League games back in college, I’ve thought the idea of using technology to help officiate sporting events was a good one. As far as I’m concerned, the so-called “human factor” is … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Meet Zippy Chippy, the world’s worst racing horse. Zippy Chippy, thoroughbred racing’s all-time loser, made it 0-for-100 Friday when he finished last in an eight-horse field at the Three-County Fairgrounds. The 13-year-old brown gelding’s awful record has made him something … Continue reading → Continue reading →

There’s a new study out which debunks the idea that there’s a connection between winning collegiate athletic programs and success at recruiting students. The study was conducted by Robert Frank, professor of management and economics at Cornell University, on behalf … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Rice 10, UH 7. Sweeeet. Shoulda been a shutout, but the Rice secondary finally got burned on the last play of the game for UH. Best defensive effort I’ve seen in a long time, and given how effective UH was … Continue reading → Continue reading →

College football gets started a day late for me, as the Rice Owls open their season today. I surfed through a few games on TV yesterday and was reminded often that for me, in many games involving a BCS program, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Tim Dunlop catches an unfortunate turn of phrase during one of the womens’ diving events. His commenters supply a bunch more, all of which are amusing. I’m reminded of a story from the late 1960s, when the New York Yankees’ … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Could Monday Night Football be in danger? It’s apparently a big money-loser for ABC, but their affiliates love it, and there are plenty of suitors out there if Big Mouse asks for a divorce. Read this LA Times article for … Continue reading → Continue reading →

History. The cost of building Minute Maid Park, Reliant Stadium and Toyota Center rose by $37.2 million this week when the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority voted to issue new bonds. Issuing the bonds was necessary to persuade one of the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Via Women’s Hoops and Off Wing Opinion comes this article from The Oregonian about how modern coaches are recruiting players to their college programs. Pam Stackhouse spent a recent workday making phone calls, writing letters and sending e-mails lobbying high … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I’ll echo Kevin in congratulating Rudy T for his new gig. Actually, I think it’s the Lakers that deserve the kudos, for having the good sense to hire a coach like Tomjanovich. It’ll be weird seeing him in LA, like … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Earlier this week, I said: Coming up next: Why (eventually) hosting an NCAA Men’s Basketball Regional at the Toyota Center will bring millions of dollars plus prestige and exposure to the City of Houston! Just bookmark this post for future … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Ohio State has hired Xavier’s Tommy Matta to be their new men’s basketball head coach. Rice’s Willis Wilson had been interviewed twice for this position, and the Chron’s John Lopez thinks that his current employer dissed him in the process. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

And so it goes. The Rockets’ long pursuit of NBA scoring champion Tracy McGrady was completed today with a seven-player trade that will send McGrady to the Rockets and Steve Francis to the Magic, sources close to the talks said … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Before anyone asks, no, this was not an option when we were considering baby names. PAMPA, Texas — A Texas couple who named their son ESPN after the cable sports network will soon be getting a visit from the toddler’s … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Well, the Francis/McGrady trade has not happened yet, and the word is that other teams, including Phoenix and Indiana, have upped their offers. So the Rockets are at least temporarily in the lurch. What will happen? Don’t ask Mark Cuban … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I don’t know if the Rockets will go forward with the reported trade of Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley, and Kelvin Cato for Tracy McGrady, Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue, and some spare parts, but I do know that after being so … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Congrats to the Detroit Pistons on their well-deserved NBA championship. Damn, but they kicked butt. Ben Wallace is the best natural rebounder I’ve seen since Moses Malone, and he had a lot of help. They were just the better team, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The Chron has a nice lookback on the Houston Rockets championship team of 1994 as the ten-year anniversary of that title approaches, along with sidebar stories on the opponents they overcame and the bizarre OJ Simpson white Bronco interlude which … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I recommend King Kaufman’s take on Larry Bird’s remarks about the NBA “needing” a few more white star players. I thought he covered the topic thoroughly and insightfully. One thing I’d like to note: What the NBA can do, though, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

And the crowd goes wild! Rice University trustees today decided to keep the school’s current athletic program, to stay in NCAA Division I sports, but will increase academic standards for athletes. Trustees said May 5 they favor staying in NCAA … Continue reading → Continue reading →

We (or at least I) may not know what the financial impact of the Super Bowl really was, but here’s a story about the financial impact of the NCAA Men’s Final Four in San Antonio. Before the NCAA Men’s Final … Continue reading → Continue reading →

John Lopez (yes! again! I can’t believe it either!) notes that my alma mater Trinity is a good comparison for Rice as it decides what to do with its athletics. Trinity was a Division I school – in fact, it … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Somebody slap me – this is now twice that I’ve favorably cited John Lopez. The passionate fight you want to wage in order to keep sports at Rice, especially football, is shared by many. By me. But it is emotion … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Fifty years ago today, Roger Bannister ran a mile in under four minutes. Fascination endures with the four-minute mark, which many at the time believed was physically impossible. “It still seems strange to me that the intrinsically simple and unimportant … Continue reading → Continue reading →

As in 1992, a majority of Rice professors have expressed a dislike of atheltics in general and football in particular. As in 1992, I expect the trustees to thank them for their input and then ignore it. I for one … Continue reading → Continue reading →

And the debate over the future of Rice athletics takes over the op-ed pages today, with a piece in favor of dropping football, a piece in favor of keeping thigs as they are, and a column by Richard Justice extolling … Continue reading → Continue reading →

So the Rockets exited the playoffs last night. A little luck and a little more better execution and they could be 3-2 going into a home Game 6, but it’s not to be. Yao Ming has said that just making … Continue reading → Continue reading →

So there’s been another faculty report at Rice which is critical of athletics there. Wasn’t the first one, won’t be the last. Typically, this one makes no recommendations except for “more study”. I’m a fan of Rice sports, but I’m … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I’m pretty sure this is a sign of the impending apocalypse: The PGA tour is concerned about obnoxious fans. Jerry Kelly was standing over his ball at the 18th tee at TPC at Sawgrass. Last group, third round, The Players … Continue reading → Continue reading →

What were the odds of this? With the Astros and Giants doing battle down at Minute Maid Park the previous three nights, media coverage of the River Oaks International had been bare bones at best. But the TV tower and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Was this rule change really necessary? On the last day of their spring meetings, NFL owners cracked down on premeditated celebrations by two or more players and the use of such “foreign objects” as cell phones and Sharpies anywhere on … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Cool. In what could prove a significant step in the evolution of women’s athletics, a high school girls basketball player did more than just compete in a slam dunk contest Monday against five of the nation’s best high school boys … Continue reading → Continue reading →