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Nostalgia, tradition play big role in sports

By Jim Caltagirone For the Mirror Despite claims by colds and flu, this is primarily peak season for nostalgia. In the weeks that span Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, traditions, customs and decorations revive sentiments and memories from times in one’s life that were especially meaningful. In similar ways, sport has imbedded itself in the identity of fans across the generations. From throwback uniforms and ballpark architecture to vintage fan apparel and special events, such as the NHL’s outdoor games, nostalgia takes various forms as influencer of fan behavior and ...

Time for Belichick to leave before he’s shoved out the door

By Paul Newberry The Associated Press This is starting to feel like Tom Landry’s final days as an NFL coach, just before he was ingloriously put out to pasture. Or maybe it will be more akin to Don Shula, who trudged into a retirement that seemed forced on him. Athletes rarely know when it’s time to go, and that unwillingness to face reality certainly applies to coaches, too. Which brings us to Bill Belichick. He’s stubborn and ornery and downright defiant about his future, insisting that he’s looking no farther than New England’s upcoming game against the ...

No peace on earth for pro golf this year

By Paul Newberry The Associated Press So much for peace and harmony in the world of golf. Jon Rahm’s surprising defection from the PGA Tour to Saudi-funded LIV shows just how fractured the sport remains, even as it faces an end-of-the-year deadline to finalize an agreement that was supposed to make everything kumbaya. Only one thing is clear: The idea that two tours can somehow co-exist to the benefit of both is ludicrous. It’s never worked in any other sport, and there’s no reason to think that the PGA Tour and LIV can somehow walk this perilous tightrope. There’s ...

Best rivalry in all of sports shows itself at Big House

By Ira Kauffman For the Mirror Last Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, I had an epic football weekend: Friday night in Detroit at Ford Field for Penn State-Michigan State, Saturday afternoon in Ann Arbor for Ohio State-Michigan, and Sunday afternoon in Cincinnati for the Steelers-Bengals. I was in the stands of Michigan Stadium, when the Wolverine players ran out onto the field on the waves of the thundering ovation from the fans. Just at that moment, the person standing next to me said, “It’s better to watch the game at home, I see more of the game on my big screen.” Yes, ...

Georgia has chance to join rarified air in college football world

By Paul Newberry The Associated Press ATLANTA — The Georgia Bulldogs are already in rarified territory. With three more victories, they’ll have every right to call themselves the greatest team in college football history. The top-ranked Bulldogs haven’t lost a game in 727 days. On Saturday, they’ll go for their 30th win in a row against Nick Saban and No. 8 Alabama in the Southeastern Conference championship game. While coach Kirby Smart insists that his two-time reigning national champs keep their feet planted very firmly in the present, it’s impossible not to ...

Sports Mailbag: PSU vs Saint Francis stirs memories

I watched (the Nov. 14) Big Ten Network basketball game between Saint Francis and Penn State with particular interest. My mind drifted back to 1953, my freshman year at State College. My dormitory was Hamilton Hall, which was just steps from Rec Hall. A notice was posted that Saint Francis would play the Nittany Lions in a preseason practice game, sometimes referred to as an exhibition game. I was more acquainted with the Frankies, having seen them play several years prior at the Jaffa Mosque (later Shrine) in Altoona. Maurice Stokes was earning his All-American status at ...