Sports View

Drive-by knife fights
[Jul. 10, 2008] The job market is tough today, but what if you had to leave the state every time you wanted to make a dollar? Wouldn’t you eventually be forced to choose between work and home? For professional mixed martial artist and Lansing resident Rashad Evans, that’s exactly the choice Michigan lawmakers have left him with. By Michael Selecky

Michigan well represented in sports record book
[Jul. 3, 2008] EAST LANSING — Ninety-nine team and individual performances from Michigan high schools either own outright or share record-setting marks in the 2008 edition of the National High School Sports Record Book, published by the National Federation of State High School Associations. Several local teams from years back still retain records that we pulled from the complete list. We’ve bolded them below. An asterisk denotes shared titles. By Lisa Paine

Sports View 06/26/2008
[Jun. 26, 2008] A picture may be worth a thousand words, but for Big Brown’s owners, it may also help quell some of the wild rumors surrounding the big colt’s last-place finish at the Belmont Stakes earlier this month. By Lisa Paine

No guts, no glory
[Jun. 19, 2008] After an historic journey that lasted 91 holes and five days, the world’s best golfer, Tiger Woods, needs some time off. Who can blame the guy? Just three days ago, he won by a mere stroke over No. 158-ranked Rocco Mediate on a nine-week old surgically repaired left knee in perhaps the best-ever golf duel that was nothing more than spectacular.

Hitting the wall
[Jun. 5, 2008] I remember back when I was playing high school sports, in the days of wooden tennis rackets and my prized Tracy Austin Pony shoes. Okay, so I’m dating myself a bit, but the point I’m about to get to still rings true today.

Throwing in the towel
[May 29, 2008] After a storied amateur career in which he notched almost 275 amateur victories and won the Silver Medal at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Flint native Chris Byrd went on to become one of boxing’s best.

Practice Gladiators- Online Special
[May 29, 2008] In the Nov. 1, 2007, edition of the VIEW Newspapers I raised the issue of recognition for all those hard working athletes who made up the bottom half of so many quality area football teams. Now that some time has passed, I think it’s time to revisit the plight of the unsung heroes of the fall, only this time I’d like to discuss one of the lesser recognized sports that comprise the competitive waters of high school athletics: boys tennis.

Triple threat
[May 22, 2008] Big Brown, the strapping bay colt, kicked dirt in challengers’ faces as he soundly won the Preakness Stakes by 5-1/4 lengths last Saturday.

Basketball attendance numbers drop
[May 15, 2008] As some had predicted when the boys’ and girls’ high school basketball seasons were forced into the same season, attendance numbers saw a dramatic drop in the regular season and in the postseason.

I pity the fool
[May 8, 2008] The world of professional sports is an absolute mess. Debauchery is in full effect among the athletically inclined and when you’re young, rich and gifted, who’s going to tell you anything different?

Six week check up
[May 1, 2008] It’s been about six weeks since the final season of high school sports re-alignment has been phased in across the state. Aside from the winter season, when perhaps the most contentious change happened with the boys and girls varsities both playing basketball in the same season, the spring was anticipated to wreak havoc across the sports.

Music to my ears
[Apr. 24, 2008] It’s usually the first sound that greets me in the morning. No, not the alarm clock, but the soulful cooing of the mourning doves perched in the pines near my bedroom. Some mornings, it irritates me to no end because they wake me from deep slumber, much earlier than I want.

State of Confusion
[Apr. 10, 2008] Now that we’ve completed two of the three high school sports campaigns in the form they were forced to take after a lawsuit-induced realignment of seasonal line ups, I think it’s time to discuss the good and bad of the situation so far.

Sports View 4/3/2008
[Apr. 3, 2008] GRAND BLANC — Although Michigan’s deer hunting season is still months away, it is time again for my 12th Annual Hunter Safety Program. I am pleased to co-host this program with the GLS Building and Construction Trades (Formerly known as Flint Area Building Trades).