RealClearSports: Fast Times and Hijinks at ESPN

By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

Snippets of the ESPN book are appearing, and apparently not all the employees at the network spent their days just diagramming plays. Sex? Drugs? Weren't people supposed to be concentrating on Australian Rules football?

The good folk back there know how to run a network. The good folk promoting the 770-page oral history of those who run the network or ran it know how to capture America's attention. By, so far, saying as little as possible.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2011

RealClearSports: This Time, Sharks Come Through

By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The sharpest dart, the one that figuratively drew blood and might have drawn someone into an argument, came from the captain, Joe Thornton, weary from having the truth told about his team, the San Jose Sharks.

The Sharks have gained a reputation, and it's hardly the sort any franchise or individual wishes. They've been described as failures, a hockey team that performs well through the regular season and early rounds of the playoffs, then falls apart.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2011

SF Examiner: Bruce Bochy is the brain behind the San Francisco Giants

By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner

He’s as cool as an evening at AT&T Park, as reliable as the Pacific tide. Bruce Bochy is a motivator, a moderator, and it should be apparent, one of the finest managers in baseball. He is someone with a relentless confidence in his players and a deep understanding of baseball.

He doesn’t throw tantrums, but on occasion, will throw caution to those San Francisco winds. He never embarrasses an athlete, a journalist or the game, although he did go after Jonathan Sanchez’s lack of focus.

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2011 SF Newspaper Company

Global Golf Post: The 5 Greatest TPCs: #2, Pate Takes a 'Dive'

By Art Spander
For GlobalGolfPost.com

He won the tournament, which through the years almost didn't matter as much as the celebration. That Jerry Pate could come up with strokes worthy of Ben Hogan even now seems less important than he could come up with strokes worthy of Michael Phelps.

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2011 Global Golf Post

RealClearSports: Djokovic: A Streak Nobody Notices

By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

It is a streak in the shadows, success in a virtual vacuum. Novak Djokovic had no trouble with Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal. It's the Los Angeles Lakers and Justin Verlander who were the problems.

Djokovic's tennis has been superb. Djokovic's timing has been unfortunate.

What he's done has been remarkable ...

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2011