The Pyrenees---Southern France

The Pyrenees---Southern France

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Rick Reilly's Retro World

           Rick Reilly has always managed to do the unthinkable for me. He makes sports interesting to me. A writer, he used to write a column for Sports Illustrated and even wrote a whole book on golf which I read (okay, some of the stories I passed on, but most of them I read and throroughly enjoyed).  Anyone who can write about sports in a way that my eyes are kept open and the snoring is suspended has performed an incredible feat.

          You can find some of his pieces archived on the internet, and there are several books you can check out as well.

Rick Reilly column on becoming the new baseball commissioner
Rick Reilly's column on "tattletexting" at games
Rick Reilly on Ron Elway
Rick Reilly--a behind-the-scenes look at the half-time show at the Super Bowl

         One (of many) of his columns that is memorable is about kids' games.  Now that dodgeball and Red Rover are no longer allowed in schools, he proposed new "politically correct" games, games where everyone would feel like a weiner winner.

        I'm sorry, but what's going on?

        In life, are we going to always be surrounded by people who make us feel all warm and fuzzy?  At the end of the day, no matter how mediocre--or substandard--our performance is, will it be proclaimed as marvelous?  Do we live in a world where we automatically win every competition?  

       I think not.

 

3 comments:

  1. Hey Sioux...You're so right! I'm applauding you right now. Years ago my daughter's elementary school stopped recognizing straight A students with awards because (I'm not making this up) the students who didn't earn straight A's might feel bad about themselves. So EVERYONE got an award for effort, regardless of academic achievement, and the awards for stellar grades were discontinued. Can you imagine?

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  2. Hi Sioux,
    You'll be happy to know that dodgeball is alive and well in St. Peters. The junior high students at All Saints have an annual dodge ball tournament, and Fort Zumwalt East High School has an Extreme Dodgeball competition each year.
    Donna V.
    http://donnasbookpub.blogspot.com

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  3. Oh my gosh, I so agree with how ridiculous our world has gotten! And not recognizing the academic achievements????? UFB!

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