Out Loud Sports Blog

      It is something that so many around the world look forward to on a quadrennial basis. The national pride, the inspiration we can draw from watching the world's best and, of course, NBC's famous intro music all come to mind. It is just about time to - for the second time - count down the days until the Tokyo Olympic Games begin.      We are counting down the days until the opening ceremony and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron. But should we be counting down the days?      After all, the COVID-19 pandemic still has not gone away. The cost of the Olympics and the ever-present health risks associated with staging the games have raised discontent in Japan.     So there are two existential questions that burn in my mind even brighter than the Olympic flame itself. Question 1, will the Games happen this summer, after being postponed a year ago? Question 2, should they go forward?      We had better start with the f...

      Many fans and commentators say that the two best words in sports are "game seven". Such an assessment is difficult to dispute. Who does not love a high-stakes, winner-takes-all scenario?       However, in my most humble of opinions, I do believe that there are two better words: single elimination. Or we could even come up with a phrase that may be better: win or go home.      That is the premise of today's writing. With the NBA and NHL playoffs currently going on, the question has been raised in other circles: Is a best-of-seven series format better than a single-elimination playoff system?      To me, the answer is simply, no.      I love a seven game series, without question. I love watching the uphill battle that an underdog team must encounter by trying to nab four wins off of a much more favored foe. Who would not like to watch some of the game's greatest go at it at least four, possibly even seven tim...

      The Final Four, the NCAA tournament, cutting down the nets and the ever-tantalizing prospect of having that one shining moment are all benefits that are possible for a basketball player once they have become a college basketball player.      Of course, the best - and most rewarding benefit - is the opportunity to receive a world-class education.      But, of course, any athlete that has the opportunity to reach the Division 1 level has to understand that they do have the chance of reaching the pros. As such, the mentality that each athlete has needs to change.       What begins as a game, becomes a business.      This has become especially true for basketball players. They have to be more open-minded about what their options are and the possibility that their best opportunity may be something that, at one point, was previously inconceivable: the opportunity to be paid and play professional basketball -...

          It's no secret that over the course of the past year plus, the world has been bearing the brunt of one history's worst health crises. Lockdowns, closures, Zoom meetings, traditions postponed, memories lost and the mentally painful physical distancing from those we love the most. I would be extremely shocked if anybody would seriously come to a sports blog for reporting of this nature. While flattered, that doesn't fall into my wheelhouse. So, I'll bring it back in to my own comfort zone- which may be why many of you have descended here anyway- to provide some perspective.     There is no denying the ramifications of this strange time in history. The tragic loss of life and the changes in our world that have sadly been experienced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the sports world, everything has been different as well. All participants have been tested regularly or daily for the virus; lockers moved; surfaces sanitized repeatedly. Thos...