The past weekend brought bad news for a former Detroit Tigers pitcher and a now-former Tigers manager. Justin Verlander requiring reconstructive surgery on his right elbow and Ron Gardenhire suddenly retiring due to health concerns were two of the topics we covered on WISE Sports Radio‘s baseball segment.
We also discussed the San Diego Padres, whom I think I’ve written more about than any other team this season in my role contributing to SI.com’s Dodgers site.
As I wrote back in July, I’m late to the Desus & Mero party but have been sticking around. Plenty more will surely be joining because the guys are everywhere right now to promote their new book, God-Level Knowledge Darts, and their talk show was just renewed for a third season at Showtime.
They were even profiled on CBS Sunday Morning!
I used to read Gene Weingarten’s columns and live chats for the Washington Post devotedly. But as most of my reading became related to work, especially during the day, I let Weingarten’s work fall off my radar during the past 10-12 years.
His column on Thursday (Sept. 17) was a jolting, yet delightful reminder that I need to make Weingarten part of my regular reading diet again. He’s a wonderful storyteller with a fantastic sense of humor and a strong sense of what will resonate with readers.
Weingarten’s account of a recent experience with a neighbor grieving the loss of his mother who either took advantage of or misunderstood the boundaries of kindness feels like a story entirely suited to our lives during the pandemic.
Continue reading“My name is Seth,” he said. “I’m a neighbor, and I see you walking your big brown dog, and sometimes a cat is with you.” All true. He had established his bona fides. “My mother just died, and she loved cooking green tomatoes.” He nodded toward my small tomato garden. “Could I take a tomato, in her honor?”
No sport encourages overreaction more than football. After just one week, one game, fans and media are ready to declare a team a success or failure. And in some cases, that quick verdict is probably justified.
On WISE Sports Radio’s NFL segment, Pat Ryan, Mike Gore, and I discussed the chances of New York Jets coach Adam Gase keeping his job for long, the supposed tension between Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians and quarterback Tom Brady, and the Buffalo Bills’ season-opening win.
The NFL season is here! Unlike with baseball, there never seemed to be a question of whether or not there would be pro football this year. But COVID-19 has a way of putting everything in doubt.
Our weekly WISE Sports Radio football segment comes in just before the 2020 NFL campaign kicks off Thursday with the Houston Texans at the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. We look at the storylines to follow in Week 1, pick our favorite match-up, and predict which teams will be in the Super Bowl:
Ian Casselberry 