Category Archives: Sports

Football With My Daughters: A Playoff Game Day Diary

Posted on January 7, 2013 by

I love football. Like millions of middle-aged American dorks, I once fancied myself a sort-of jock. In high school, football was the only sport I played, and left tackle was the only position where I was able to start. As … Continue reading →

Posted in Daughters, Family, Home, Rexpresto, Sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Fan, short for Fanatic

Posted on September 13, 2012 by

And so the Red Sox are to be only mildly tolerated (I have ties to the Olde Towne so I can’t profess outright hatred for the team, though their bandwagon-jumping fans are another story). The New York Yankees, meanwhile, are to be loathed. The Boston Celtics are to be worshipped. The Los Angeles Lakers are to be despised. The Baltimore Ravens, loved. The Pittsburgh Steelers, dismissed outright. The Maryland basketball Terrapins, supported unconditionally. The Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina Tar Heels, mildly respected but ultimately disdained. These truths we hold to be self evident. Continue reading →

Posted in Rob, Sons, Sports | Leave a comment

Hanging, haunting quiet desperation is the English way

Posted on August 11, 2012 by

The Olympics’ Opening Ceremony got me to thinking about England’s 10 most important musical exports. Not the “best,” or the most popular, but the 10 with the most profound influence on popular music. Here goes: Continue reading →

Posted in Family, History, Music, Rob, Sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

And the cradle will rock

Posted on April 22, 2012 by

“Before we went on tour a lot of people were saying that Wolfgang got the gig just because he’s my son. But after that first gig, forget it. It’s just hands down, hands up, hands sideways: he’s a musician and … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Rob, Sons, Sports | Leave a comment

Words With Friends

Posted on December 28, 2011 by

Now’s the time for wordsmiths and thought leaders to pick the word of the year. The choice is typically packaged with an analysis of the cultural/political/social zeitgeist and the word’s context therein. I’m no grammarian nor am I a cultural … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies and Television, Rob, School, Sports | Leave a comment

The Curse of the Andino

Posted on November 23, 2011 by

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, which means pro football. The holiday weekend also means the Iron Bowl and other big college football games. The college basketball season starts to gear up with tournaments in New York City, Hawaii and other locations featuring … Continue reading →

Posted in Rob, Sports | 1 Comment

Splendid Isolation

Posted on November 10, 2011 by

I have at least 10 friends who are Penn State alums. I have a relative who is a freshman on the State College campus. Friend and occasional YDD contributor Tim is far and away the most passionate Penn Stater I know. … Continue reading →

Posted in Rob, Sports | 2 Comments

What a Derek Jeter homerun can reveal about fatherhood

Posted on July 20, 2011 by

The pitch, a curve ball that hung over the middle of the plate about knee high, jumped off the bat of Derek Jeter and climbed up into a sky so blue it’d hurt your eyes just to look at it. … Continue reading →

Posted in Rob, Sports | 1 Comment

Runners take your marks, get set …

Posted on April 8, 2011 by

I don’t have any good excuses, so I’ll simply say this: Thank God for Rex’s beard. His eight-week facial odyssey while home on paternity leave provided lots of good YDD fodder, countless Grizzly Adams references, and most definitely picked up … Continue reading →

Posted in Daughters, Rob, Sons, Sports | Leave a comment

Making the Right Call

Posted on January 27, 2011 by

I have many clear memories of my high school wrestling career. I did pretty well, setting a few school records, winning a bunch of tournaments. Many of those remain in my head in instant replay. However, one moment remains ingrained … Continue reading →

Posted in Regular Guy, Sports | Leave a comment