Doug Murray: Life

Tue, 28 Jan 2003 21:12:11 GMT

The Big Football Game

Today, Max Boot looked at Tampa Bay's victory in over the weekend and wondered how so many pundits could have gotten it wrong. His conclusion:

All other explanations being rejected, Watson, we are left with the obvious: The fans and football pundits don't respect defense.

He echoes this Steve Chapman article from a couple of weeks ago.

They're both right, but I don't understand why it's so. Right here in Orlando, our very own Magic keep proving that even when you score lots of points, you don't win if you let the other guys score more.

But whenever attendance sags, owners start fiddling with the rules to make the game more exciting (translation: to make it easier to score more points.) We have three point lines, designated hitters and tie-breakers. Someone suggested the way for soccer to succeed in this country is to award six or seven points for each goal, and maybe three for a free kick. I told him Americans are too smart to fall for such a scheme.

Defense isn't boring. The Bucs played some pretty exciting defense, repeatedly sacking the quarterback, intercepting passes and returning two of them for touchdowns. The Oakland defenders even provided a bit of a thrill, scoring on a blocked punt.

Other sports have defensive plays that generate adrenaline. In basketball, steals and blocks always raise the crowd's decibel level, while in baseball, the triple play ranks right up there with a grand slam.

Without defense, many sports would become nothing but a race to the highest score. Just imagine NBA players simply lining up to take shots, trying to make the most baskets in so many chances. Give me two well matched opponents who actually have to struggle for success.

In 1972, I was stationed in San Diego when the Mets came to town. The Padres had Dave Roberts, who, with an ERA approaching the negative, was the hottest pitcher in the league and he was facing Tom Seaver. I had to be there.

Seaver was the better pitcher that night, but Roberts had some guys behind him who were determined not to let him lose. The Padres won 1-0 in the thirteenth inning when a NY fielder overthrew third base, the only error of the game. Thirty years later, I'm still waiting to see a contest with anything approaching the intensity and drama of that game.

Wed, 25 Dec 2002 19:56:32 GMT

Merry Christmas from the left coast

Spending Christmas with young'un #1 in Silicon Valley and checking up on the grandchild construction project. It's the first time we've seen the new house, about nine feet from the Hayward fault in the shadow of the Mission Hills. Nice house. Great view. I think we raised him well.

Another indication of good breeding was the night before last, when he put us in the car and drove down the coast for a Christmas concert by Chanticleer at Carmel Mission. They made several of the best CDs I own, but I hadn't seen them live before.

Being away from our home church, we expected to be spectators for a change, instead of choir members, at Christmas eve services, but that was not to be. The kids have become involved in a small church here, and the two of them constitute half the choir. When the baby-in-making decided to complicate things for the daughter-in-law, she had to back out and asked my missus to sub for her. In rehearsal, they found out I could find middle C on the piano and drafted me to accompany one number. Obviously, their church does a good job of making you feel at home.

It's being a really good Christmas. Hope yours is, too.

Mon, 09 Dec 2002 04:06:08 GMT

What a weekend!

I just finished a pretty busy weekend. Four Christmas concerts, my mother-in-law's car got stolen, and we learned the grandbaby under construction is going to need pink things. That's why I haven't posted anything since Friday.

The concerts weren't like any I've done in a church before. Along with the choir was a forty piece orchestra doing lots of Mormon Tabernacle type stuff with some Mannheim Steamroller and Andrews Sisters thrown in. A great time was had by all, but boy, I'm tired.

Fri, 29 Nov 2002 14:53:42 GMT

Happy Holydays

The holiday season is upon us, so we'll start hearing about folks who want us be sensitive and avoid phrases like "Merry Christmas."

I say go ahead and wish people "Merry Christmas," if you like, or "Happy Hanukkah," or "Sublime Solstice." Even insist they "Have a nice day." When you wish happiness for someone and they take offence, you are not the one who has a problem.