17. Sports and Games 

A visit to the famous Masters Golf Tournament. ~ The rodeo features exceptional athletes and serves as a powerful symbol of America’s roots: Rodeo Revisited. ~ The National Football League (NFL) is forcing its fans to pay streaming stations for some of its games: Re-branding the NFL. ~ The American Players’ Golfers Association (PGA) is merging with a Saudi Arabia-based golfers’ group with a lot of money: Re-Branding the PGA.  ~ A short piece about my attending the Wimbledon tennis tournament. ~  Who is (was) the best basketball player ever? Opinions vary, and see mine at World’s Best Basketball Player. ~ An article on one of the best sprinters in track history. Click on Bobby Morrow, World-Class Sprinter. ~  Look at some races on rain-sodden streets and another visit to an enchanting island:  foot races on Catalina Island.  ~ A visit to one the the best tennis tournaments in the world:  Indian Wells tennis tournament. ~ A river rafting trip down the Flathead River  in Glacier Park . ~ The New Orleans Saints are instructed to injure opposing players: Bounty Hunting. ~ Final Four and Final Draw: the NCAA basketball tourney distracts from the game with excessive commercials. ~ The same problem exists with the Olympics: Advertisements of Olympic Proportions. ~  A report on the 2009 U.S Tennis Open held at the National Tennis Center  in New York.  ~ And a report on the 2010 French Open held at the Roland Garros Center in Paris. ~ The Deflategate controversy points to problems more serious than soft footballs. ~ Skewing competition to discourage competition: Life in the Slovenly Lane. ~ Meeting a fine athlete, a generous celebrity, and a gracious man: Richard Simmons. ~ A high school basketball championship: The New Mexico Hoosiers, is as fantastic and similar to the real-life story in the movie Hossiers. I have posted this piece twice, with the other copy from my hometown newspaper in New Mexico, The Lovington Leader. The contents are pretty much the same, but the Leader’s format is more attractive. For this copy, click on The Hoosiers of New Mexico.  ~ Baseball in Nation’s Capital: a report on a Washington Nationals game . ~ Here are three golf stories. The first describes my walking the course with a professional gofer during a round of a tournament: Confessions of a Golf Luddite. ~  Shopping for a golf cart, which can cost as much as a car: It Comes with Headlights! ~ My only claim to fame in golf: making a hole in one…on a par three course. ~ In Urlacher Country: A visit to the town where Chicago Bear Brian Urlacher  grew up. ~ Rodeo days and the danger of steer wrestling: Esta Muerto! ~ A story of an extraordinary athlete being recognized for his accomplishments: Lea County Hall of Fame. ~   The dedication of a track and field facility for a man who made a difference in the lives of many young people:  A Field for a Champion. ~ The Day Rocky Marciano took a Dive: How a computer game  whiz and Rocky Marciano were KO’ed. ~ Football Fantasies: Old men play football against young men…and hold their own!