Summer of Sports

I don't know too many people who are bigger sports fanatics than me. It's weird, I know, my being a Chinese female and all. Part of it is that I grew up with sports: my mum did gymnastics all through high school, university and grad school, I dabbled in volleyball, track and field, and shooting (not at humans) in high school, and played on the varsity tennis team in university. At IBM and Oracle, I did softball, ultimate Frisbee, volleyball, beach volleyball, and tennis. Nowadays, I stick to individual sports such as tennis, golf, and snowboarding. There is nothing special here. Loads of women, maybe even Chinese women, participate in sports, some more involved than me. However, I personally know none who loves to watch sports as much as I do. If not for live sports, I wouldn't own a TV. Baseball, tennis, basketball, golf, soccer, Formula One, hockey, football, downhill skiing, cycling, track and field, cricket, ... You name it (just don't bring up figure skating). Come Olympics time, Winter or Summer, I'm glued to the TV.

So this summer is a bonanza for a sport junkie like me. Since May, we've had Roland Garros (French Open tennis where Nadal won, again), the NBA finals, and the US Open of golf (where Tiger won, again). Currently, the European soccer championship is about to culminate in an exciting final between Germany and Spain. It was a sad day when my beloved Team Oranje lost inexplicably in the quarter-finals; they've been my team since my undergrad days. But, I'm afraid they do that every time: looking so good only to falter when it counts.

Coming up, Wimbledon is about to kick into a higher gear. Tour de France starts in early July -- if they have any riders left. My Blue Jays will continue to torment me with their lacklustre offence. And in August, of course, the biggest event of them all, the Olympics. In recent years, the trend in Olympics coverage drives me up the wall. I don't give a hoot about how some poor sod, overcoming unimaginable hardship, wins gold. Just show me the action, please! Alas, NBC or CBC -- it really doesn't matter which North American network it is -- is bent on appealing to casual fans who haven't a clue about steeple chases or luge runs. Now, I'm not a snob. Once upon a time, I was clueless too. However, I was lucky enough to be watching Chinese TV where the commentators explained things: the techniques involved in running a curve on the track, what to watch in a gymnastics or diving competition, how the different styles of high jump compare, not stories about so-and-so not having shoes as a child, or such-and-such dated everybody on her skating team. If you want mush, please tune to Desperate Housewives or The Young and the Restless. Sports is for people who only care about results!

Phew! Now I feel better. Anyway, last but not least, this time, we actually have an Olympian in the family -- the extended family anyway. My step-brother's wife (my step-sister-in-law?) is on the Canadian Olympics team. She's the reigning World Champion in her discipline, has already qualified for the Olympics, and has a great chance of making it onto the podium. Go Karen!!

Playing Hard Ball, by Ed Smith

Playing Hard Ball by Ed Smith

Earlier this year, while reading Ed Smith's On and Off the Field, I saw on the dust cover that Smith had written a book comparing baseball and cricket. I immediately ordered it on Amazon. It's taken two months for the book to arrive.

Because Smith is such a good writer, the book doesn't disappoint. He is also quite a serious thinker. The only knock, if anyone can believe it, is that I found the analysis to be not thorough enough. I would have liked to see a comparison on the differences in scoring, and therefore in strategies, in the two sports. I could do with less emotional stuff. Why is it that writers, even the likes of Smith who are not otherwise sentimental, get so touchy-feely as soon as they start talking about baseball? I love the game, but it's still just a game...

On and Off the Field, by Ed Smith

On and Off the Field by Ed Smith

I'm reading a cricket book! Must confess that I'm not all clear on the lingo, but having watched lots of cricket on TV plus one live match during our Down Under trip, I at least do know about test matches v. one-day ones, wickets, stumps, bails, overs, batsmen, bowlers, centuries, etc. Besides, I love baseball. If I could find an analytical, unsentimental, introspective account of a Major League season written by an educated baseball player who is also introspective, erudite and witty, I'd be the first one to read it. Ed Smith happens to be the cricket-equivalent of such a person. Reading the book makes me wish that we'd get some cricket coverage on TV here. The World Cup is coming up in March. Unfortunately, the Canadian team is so weak...

On Being John McEnroe, by Tim Adams

On Being John McEnroe by Tim Adams

I've read John McEnroe's autobiography, You Cannot Be Serious. Tim Adams's book is not about McEnroe's life, but about his temperament, his approach to playing tennis, and what it was like to watch McEnroe play. It's a tiny little booklet, and takes no time to finish, but it's rare to come upon a book on sports that is philosophical without being sentimental.