SF Examiner: Optimism rises in S.F., pessimism reigns overseas

By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner

In only a few days, the season has improved dramatically for the Giants. Baseball joyfully provides for such rapid swings of success and emotion.

As opposed to the sport that matters most here in England, soccer, or as they call it, football.

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2012 SF Newspaper Company

RealClearSports: Overcoming the Hurt at Wimbledon

By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

WIMBLEDON, England — There’s no DL, disabled list, in tennis. As Venus Williams said once, if you’re play you’re not hurt, if you’re hurt don’t play. But what if you want to play and you’re unable?

Any athlete is beholden to his or her body, and so always there are worries and fears. And pain.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2012

RealClearSports: 'Tough-as-Nails' Venus Out in 1st Round

By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

WIMBLEDON, England — The response was a fusion of philosophy and defiance. A champion never concedes, which is why she is a champion. For a decade, Venus Williams, a queen here in a land of royalty, unquestionably was a champion of grace and grandeur.

Now, in one of those awful twists of fate, Venus has been stricken by an autoimmune disease named Sjogren's Syndrome, which has sapped her strength and stolen her brilliance.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2012

RealClearSports: Cespedes a Star in Any Language

By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

OAKLAND, Calif. — He still needs a translator, which is our problem, not his. That so far Yoenis Cespedes is limited to Spanish in his conversations or interviews doesn't matter when he steps to the plate. The bat proves multilingual and very effective.

Cespedes is the Cuban defector whom the Oakland Athletics signed to a four-year, $36 million contract in February. He has had a strained hand muscle and a strained hamstring, which made some people wonder about his body. They don't have to worry about his baseball.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2012

SF Examiner: Time for Timmy to just pitch

By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner

It has to end sometime, doesn’t it, this Tim Lincecum agony? There have been pitchers who mysteriously lost their accuracy or their speed, Steve Blass back in the ’70s, Rick Ankiel not so long ago, but they didn’t win two Cy Young Awards. Then again ...

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2012 SF Newspaper Company