Sports....

I'll be talking about a wide breadth of topics that interest me.  One of these is Sports. 

Ok, like most guys, I like sports.  I used to be quite active in sports - until age and injuries took a bit of a toll.  So, not being able to play like I once used to - I talk about sports.

So, here's a little about me and sports....

I don't have a favorite sport.  I do follow most sports.  In fact, I'll list the teams that I do follow in most major sports.  There are only a couple of 'major' sports (for those in the US) that I don't follow.  I don't follow basketball.  I've only played basketball for one 'season' when in school.  It's not a sport that this Canadian followed.  My one season was a 'championship' season.  I think my parents still have the trophy we won.  I sucked.  I think I scored 6 points all season - and that was across about 12 or 14 games.  The other sport that I pay very little attention to is NASCAR.  Boring.  Too many left turns for this conservative....

That said, here are the sports that I do follow.....

Baseball - I saw my first baseball game at the Houston Astrodome.  Not just any game at the Astrodome, but the exhibition game between the Colt .45's and the NY Yankees that opened the Astrodome.  Mickey Mantle hit the first home run at the Astrodome.  I've been a Yankee fan ever since.  A die hard Yankee fan.  A Yankee fan from the Horace Clark / Jake Gibbs / Joe Pepitone days thru Ron Guidry / Thurman Munson / Sparky Lyle to Derek Jeter / Mariano Rivera / Alex Rodriguez days.  I made Opening Day at Yankee Stadium 10 consecutive years...but still haven't been able to get back east to catch a game at the new Yankee Stadium.  My little league baseball career used exclusively bats from Bat Day at Yankee Stadium.  I spent more time on one visit to the Ft. Lauderdale area at the Yankee spring training complex than on the beach - and met / spent time talking to Don Mattingly.

Hockey - I grew up in Toronto and spent many of my early winters on the ice / pond.  After moving to the States, my skating suffered, but not my love of this game.  I am a home town fan - my favorite team is the Toronto Maple Leafs - but I do follow others closely.  When living in New England, I travelled often with friends to Montreal to see hockey games...and provide translation services for my American hockey friends.  While in New England, I learned to like the Hartford Whalers -and met / became friendly with a number of players.  I think I educated a couple of hundred people about hockey while there.  Joining a hockey league in the area, I got to skate in a couple of games with the then just retired Gordy Howe - who didn't appreciate my Maple Leaf jersey at the first practice...and met a lot of past / then present / and then future stars...too many to list.   When in NJ I followed the NJ Devils...and joined a few local leagues so my wife could experience 3am practices.  She even was drafted to be a scorekeeper at one game - and chided me for taking a penalty in front of my net [It was a bad call - I didn't crosscheck him!].  Still haven't gotten into the LA Kings though....  When in London, UK - during Hockey Season, I can be found in the Maple Leaf Pub on Maiden Lane between Covent Garden and The Strand. (I also remember being there the night the Blue Jays won the World Series...It's the Canadian home away from home in London....)

Yes, I still try to watch Hockey Night in Canada - and Coaches' Corner.

This is perhaps my number one sport to play.  Baseball being number two.

Football - I like all forms of football - American, Australian, and European.  In the NFL, I follow the NY Giants.  No real team to follow in the Australian rules football [How big is your....] - I just like watching it when I can.  In terms of soccer / football - I have no favorite team in the US, but do root for the US in the World Cup.  In Premier League football, Everton is my favorite.  I caught a number of games last World Cup in NYC - in bars that cater to the international clientele.  As for US college football - I watch or follow it rarely - but I do enjoy the local LA angst over UCLA or USC.

Rugby - I am a fan of Rugby - to me it reminds me of both the rugby I played when younger and the padless US football I played when younger.  While I get pressure to follow the All Blacks of New Zealand, who are my 2nd choice for rooting for, as an anglophile, I root for England first.  With our eclectic friends - rugby is a big draw as we count friends from England, Scotland, France, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, US, and Canada who enjoy these matches.

In terms of auto racing, the only version that get's my attention is Formula One.  But I don't follow it as close as I once did....