Raiders owner Al Davis made “Just win, baby” a famous rallying cry in the NFL. Some people assume that motto applies to college sports, too. And while winning is absolutely part of what we do at the University of Illinois Springfield — and yes, we enjoy it tremendously — it isn’t our only goal. In […]
Sports
Posted inArts & Culture
Baseball on the Fourth of July
The Fourth of July and baseball are irretrievably linked. The celebration of American independence in midsummer and the game share many traditions. Across America on the Fourth of July, baseball tournaments and games were played as part of celebrations of America’s birthday. Major League baseball is a foremost part of the July Fourth tradition. The […]
Posted inArts & Culture
A fondness for baseball’s past
Taking a brief respite from the travails of the Springfield Sliders, who as I write this column have completed a quarter of their season and find themselves with a record of six wins and nine losses, I find this an appropriate moment to share some passing thoughts on a few more global baseball matters. When […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Baseball contrasts
Having attended baseball games for many decades, I was reminded last week of how different the game is from that first game I attended in 1955. On Memorial Day weekend along with my son, son-in-law and grandson I visited Busch Stadium to see the Cardinals play the Atlanta Braves. This is the second Busch Stadium […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Creating a cycling community
A cruise down Springfield’s recreational bike trails and city streets on any given day will reveal a myriad of cyclists of all ages and abilities. It is easy to understand why – almost anyone can ride a bicycle. Cycling is a low-impact exercise, easy on the joints and knees, making it an enjoyable fitness activity […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Fearless, fast and free to be female
On your mark, get set, go! Girls on the Run program participants plus community runners at the start of a GOTR 5K race. PHOTO BY PATRiCK KELLEY Girls on the Run is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that strives to create a world where girls are aware of and capable of activating their potential, giving them […]
Posted inOpinion
Winner takes nothing
As you might have heard, the merry band of ball players disguised as Chicago Cubs won for themselves a chance to go to the World Series this year as one of the two best teams in American professional baseball. Except that the two best teams were already known back on Oct. 4. They’re the Royals […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Skaters roll into Springfield for roller derby extravaganza
On Aug. 29 and 30 the Prairie Capital Convention Center hosts Springfield’s first-ever roller derby convention, The Great Midwest Mashup. Hosted by G.H. None Productions, the two-day convention is open to the public and offers an exciting glimpse into the fast-paced world of flat-track roller derby. The convention provides skaters from many different teams the […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Mud dawgs
Racers run, climb, walk, swim and crawl through 30 obstacles and hills. PHOTOS BY ANDRE NACAXE COURTESY M&M MULTISPORT CLUB In recent years, the running world has witnessed a boom in obstacle courses, mud runs and other themed events. Adventure races have increasing appeal to a wide range of audiences because they present new challenges […]
Posted inOpinion
Our Cup runneth over
Honestly, I had no idea that anyone was paying attention. I had begun extolling the virtues of soccer as a spectator sport for years (beginning at this paper back in 1977) when most U.S. sports fans lumped soccer with socialism, clean, fast trains and quality universal health care systems among foreign threats to America. For […]
Posted inNews
Batting a thousand
UIS athletic director Kim Pate (right) congratulates student-athletes who made the Dean’s List at a basketball double-header against the University of Missouri-St. Louis in February. PHOTO COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT SPRINGFIELD Three years ago, the athletic department at the University of Illinois Springfield faced criticism from several angles. Scandals large and small hinted at […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Life after football
In “Throwing in the towel,” I discussed recent proposals to reform big-money collegiate sports. Good sense reforms are unlikely to ever be adopted to the extent that are good sense reforms. So interwined are sports and the American college experience, most alums university leaders believe, that curtailing them in any way would cripple fund-raising and student recruitment, […]
