california dreamin’ on derby day

    Spring commences for some on opening day, but the Kentucky Derby marks the equinox for Mrs. Smith and me.  We convey ourselves to capacious Belmont Park to refresh the spirit and renew the mind through proximity to the beautiful nature, arboreal and equine, that decorates the grounds.  The first Saturday of this May […] Read more »

Buzzer Beater – The Lion Hoops 2011-2012 Final Report Card

Ohio State broke my heart Saturday night and sent Syracuse home for the year.  The Buckeyes’  fierce defense, personified by Aaron Craft, effectively shut down all four Orange guards while their big men dominated down low, outrebounding Cuse by double figures.  So, I am finished as a fan for this year, but before the last […] Read more »

Having wasted a couple of sentences whining about life’s injustice as manifested in the NCAA, this writer has trashed his original lead and shaken off the horrible news of Fab Melo’s suspension from this year’s Division I basketball tournament. You’re reading it here, if not first, at least most certainly.   Syracuse will win the […] Read more »

Change of scene

With our beloved Lions short handed, exhausted and in the nausea inducing death spiral of a season killing five game winless streak, Mrs. Smith and I took solace in a pair of ducats for Saturday’s hottest sporting event in the north Bronx .  Thus we found ourselves headed to the foothills attaching NYC to the rest of America for […] Read more »

Credit where due

Don’t know how many, if any, of you saw this past Sunday’s Times Sports Section article on the great old days of the Ivy League. Peter May’s essay revisits the supposed  Golden Age – circa 1964 – 1975 with a quick nod to the Quaker team of 1979. “It was a legitimate league back then,” […] Read more »

Super Bowl Eve

The WKCR radio crew annoyed me Super Bowl eve.   Hardly a word of encouragement for the Lions as they awaited Tommy Amaker’s magisterial, 23rd ranked Crimson.  Truth be told, the rightful target of my annoyance was I.   I wore no war paint.  I talked no trash.  No smack did I spit.  I expected failure.  The near loss to hapless Dartmouth […] Read more »

Northern Adventures

Our Lions traveled to  Ithaca the last Saturday of January and caught  their third loss of the Ivy season, falling to the Big Red 65-60.  Having been underwhelmed by the WKCR broadcast of the league opener against the Quakers, I decided to listen to the contest via the www.gocolumbialions.com audio feed and much enjoyed Dalen Cuffe (who captained […] Read more »