Tag: sports

Joe Michael Sasanuma Obituary

Joe Michael Sasanuma, who earlier today died at the eternal age of 18, never had a moment in which he didn't enjoy life.

He lived by the words "What's the point of living if you can't feel alive?", a line fittingly taken from the James Bond movie "The World is Not Enough". Of the many things

I Mock, Because I Don’t Understand

I am opinionated about a whole range of topics with little knowledge on a very small number of things.

The result of this less-than-ideal combination of personality and intellectual (in)capacity is that I have a tendency to mock, rather loudly and proudly, things I don’t understand.

Take art. I am an uncivilized philistine, so it is probably fair

I’m Available to Give a Lecture on So Many Topics

One of the things I remain mystified about is why no one has ever asked me to give a lecture. I would have thought that a person like me with an opinion on a whole range of topics would be hounded to share just a small portion of all the invaluable insight.

The only explanation I have for

We All Owe LeBron James an Apology

I may have been wrong about LeBron James for the past four years. In fact, I'm pretty certain that most of us owe him an apology.

As I read his reasons on why he is returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers as told to Sports Illustrated, the word "redemption" came to mind. By returning to Cleveland, I thought he's redeeming

There is So Much to Love About Autumn

For me, the fall will always mark the beginning of a new year. For nearly two decades, September is when I progressed one year in the educational ladder. Now that I'm working, fall is when I tack on another year in my experience as a working professional. I've always loved this season because it's when

Living Life Without Regrets

I don't have a lot of regrets in my life. If forced to name them, I have a list of three to choose from, but people laughed at me the one time I talked about how I forever regret choosing to study for my constitutional law exam instead of attending my very first Brad Paisley concert,

Why I Hate Running but Care for Hiking

I hate running.

A couple years ago, I tried to follow the regiment set out in Cool Running to go from a couch potato to a decent runner. I was committed enough to wake up at a god-awful hour of five in the morning to do a thrice weekly run for about six weeks before I

Swimming and Smoking Are a Lot Like Riding a Bike

When I was 6-7 years old, my family would frequently go swimming at a local pool. I would swim for nearly a kilometer (for Americans, that's 0.6 miles) a day nearly everyday. Even after I went to the United States, I kept up with swimming by taking hourly swimming lessons every week. There I would

Passionately Opinionated

René Descartes once said, "I think, therefore I am," apparently to make the point that someone wondering whether or not he or she exists is, in and of itself, proof that something, an "I", exists to do the thinking.

I suppose my equivalent would be "I opine, therefore I am," to make the point that having

10 Lesson I Never Learned (And Why I’m No Jeremy Lin)

There's Linsanity sweeping across Limerica. Even Forbes magazine has gotten into the Linsanity by posting 10 lessons we can all learn from Jeremy's Linspiration. I read the list and realized why, although also tall and Asia, I'm no Jeremy Lin:

1. Believe in yourself when no one else does.

Because words like "vanity" and "narcissism" have been used

Why I Admire Josh Hamilton Despite (Because of) His Latest Relapse

When I heard that Texas Rangers' outfielder Josh Hamilton relapsed with alcohol again, I felt an indescribable mix of awe, sadness, courage, inspiration and strength. Hamilton epitomizes the best and worst of human beings, the amazing things we are capable of but also the depths to which we can sink. When I look at Hamilton,

Things This Crazy Only Happens in Sports

Stunning? Surreal? Preposterous?

No words can adequately describe the wildness on the last day of Major League Baseball’s 2011 regular season in the American League.

The turn of events were so insane that the historic collapse by the Atlanta Braves in the National League was an afterthought. The Braves capped their own collapse from an 8 ½

If I had $50 million…

Last week, I learned of a ridiculous fact that Justin Bieber earned $50 million this year. Besides making me think I definitely made a wrong career choice, it got me thinking about what I would do if I had $50 million...

I'll go to Monaco on a $1 million cruise trip and put $2 million on

From Baseball Cap to Handgun: Story of Joe’s Rebellion

My parents are typical Asian parents. They are controlling and overbearing. That I was their oldest--and only--son probably didn't help much.

I think it's psychologically healthy for every child to go through a rebellious period against his or her parents (within means, of course), but I fear I missed out on that experience when I had

It’s March Again and It’s Madness, Frozen and Fantastic

It's March again and you know what that means.

March Madness

Frozen Four

Fantasy Baseball

The sports trifecta.

It's sad to know that I've reached a point and career in my life where no one bothers to invite me to fill out a bracket unless I beg. So I just created a league and cajoled my colleagues to join. As

A Thirteen Month Anniversary for the Blog

Today, this blog turns 13 months old. I would have celebrated the one year anniversary if only I had remembered to celebrate it. That I'd forgotten is actually fitting for this rather irrelevant blog.

In 13 months, I have written 76 posts, averaging nearly 6 posts a month. While the pace has slowed, I've tried to

Defining Game, Defining Moments for the BC Football Team

Every season has a defining game. The victory over Florida State Seminoles was it for the Boston College Golden Eagles' 2009 season regardless of what happens for the remainder of the season.

Me and Sports: Forgettable but Not Forgotten Past

Me and sports, we have a mutual understanding. Our relationship is fine so long as I don't cross a certain line. That not-so-thin line between observing and playing.

I'd like to whack the person who came up with the saying "practice makes perfect"--and slap anyone who continues to use it. Practice ain't no good when you've

Witnessing History and Greatness Called – The Gift from God Named Federer and The Chosen One Who Beat Him Named Nadal

Far too often, we appreciate greatness only in retrospect. We remember what happened then, before and after and realize, relatively, that the person or the event was great.

But in rare times, we know when we're a witness to greatness of historical proportions and we don't want to miss a minute of it.

Tennis fans are experiencing

To Future Eagles: It Does Indeed Suck to B.U.

To a Future Eagle,

Congratulations on your acceptance to Boston College!

The odds are that in the past year and a half, you carefully researched BC's academic program, spoke with the students already attending, and toured the school to get a feel for the campus so your choice to attend the school is a result of thoughtful

Upon Further Reflection–BC Somehow Ends Up Doing Better in March Madness

I discussed my bracket with some people (okay, one person, mainly) and reviewed my "real" bracket and realized I have an all-Big East Final Four. Separate and apart from the unlikeliness of that happening, I just hate the Big East and upon further reflection, I realized that I think Pitt, a team that went as

Maybe This March Will Be Mad Enough For BC To Make A Real Run

It's that wonderful time of the year again, when America's economy loses an estimated $4 billion in productivity with no help from a recession because employees obsess about college games to which they have little to no connection.

And it's not just at work either. I remember when I was in high school, classmates brought in

In Defense of NFL’s OT System

Although not as controversial as the playoff system in college football, or lack thereof, the current, sudden death overtime system in the NFL has its share of critics. The source of dissatisfaction is apparently in the stats. To me, it's not entirely clear which statistic causes the debate, whether it's the 25% to 40% of

25 Random Crap About Me

My sister, that bored nincompoop, created Note in Facebook with a list of 25 random facts about herself and then created a "rule" under which an unfortunate soul who was tagged will have to do the same thing. Presumably this is the most modern rendition of the cursed chain letter so the failure to respond

Ichiro and the Hall of Fame, as Understood Through the Baseball Almanac

Baseball is a game of statistics. Everyday guys like me keep a scorecard at the stadium and the game's box-score is worth a peak in the next day's newspaper. ESPN and others keep track of statistics in basketball, hockey, and football, but the meaning and weight given to the numbers in those sports don't rival

Eagles in SI, Memories of an Umbrella and Business Attire

I received this week's issue of Sports Illustrated yesterday. I read SI on my commute, always in the same order: the back page column, the front page photos, and then the "Players" section, which is increasingly becoming my favorite after the departure of columnist Rick Reilly.

For the first time that I can recall, the topic

On Even More Great News, Now by the BC Basketball Team

Oh good, BC basketball team got beat by the hapless Harvard team a game after they beat #1 UNC.

On the Debacle Firing of Boston College Football Headcoach

You can't make this stuff up.

Boston College football's head coach Jeff Jagodzinski, affectionately known as Jags, will be fired by Boston College after proceeding to interview for the New York Jets' vacant head coach position even after Athletic Director Gene DeFelippo warned him doing so would lead to his termination.

This bizarre turn of events came

On Random Thoughts BC

$10 million for each ACC team? Wow that's a lot of cash. And I know exactly where that $10 million went. A million bucks on a staircase and now $10 million on a building that's already standing... Hmmm... All kidding aside, $10 million on restoration of Gasson Hall is a money well spent. The building

On Catching Up on Sports Illustrated

I started getting a subscription to Sports Illustrated right after the Patriots won its first Super Bowl. Ever since then, I've been dutifully paying the annual $100 or so annual subscription fee, but truth be told, I never similarly dutifully read the magazine. The darn thing kept on coming every week, some issues (notably the

On a Good Shellacking Leveled Against BC Football

This one was just painful to watch.

I knew the Eagles were in trouble when V-Tech marched right down the field with little resistance on its first drive. The BC offense just isn't built to come back from big deficits, and the first drive was just too easy.

On BC’s Thanksgiving Win

It was an impressive win. It wasn't miraculous, like last week at Wake Forest. It wasn't dominating, like the week before at Florida State. But the victory sure was methodical, the defense dominating, the offense sufficient, converting two turnovers while committing none, and the coach making aggressive calls. It wasn't an easy win, but it

On Holy Shit (Part II) Boston College Football Victory

24-21, BC over Wake Forest.

Yesterday, I would've told you this is as expected. After how the game transpired today, this is another "Holy Shit I Can't Believe They Pulled It Off" game.

Which victory was more unlikely? BC's come from behind victory at Virginia Tech last year that required two touchdowns and an onside kick in

On the Many Things Making My Life Suck Right Now

My dad sent a random e-mail yesterday, reminding me of the series of unfortunate events that have been taking place:

1) The Yankess did not make the playoffs; 2) The Patriots, sans Brady, is mediocre at best ten months after blowing the Super Bowl; and 3) The GOP got whacked earlier this month.

I also reminded him that the

On a Job Well Done by the Boston College Football Team

"Well done" best summarizes what I want to say about BC's 27-17 victory over the Florida State Seminoles, the team that ended BC's unbeaten streak last year and the team that seems to perennially underperform.

Against a team that wins on the running game, the defense's performance was extraordinary. FSU's leading rusher of the game was

On the Disaster Known as BC Quarterback Chris Crane

I didn't watch the game. I tried. I went to the bar, asked for the BC at North Carolina game, and the guy flipped through the channel before finally saying, "You sure it's on today?" and giving up.

On Thoughts About the BC-VTech Game

Whether you call the ACC mediocre or competitive, the result is the same: BC has a shot of making something happen despite Crane at QB because anyone can beat anyone in the conference (and yes, that includes Duke).

To say that I was pleasantly surprised by the game's result is an understatement. I made the four

On Is This a Sport?

In a chain of conversation even I am not sure of how it transpired, the dinner conversation tonight focused on a fun game/debate, "Is this a sport"?

The following were "sports" which either became a subject during dinner or which I think are somewhat dubious as a "sport." Tell me what you think--I've added my own

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