Paul Oberjuerge header image 4

Entries from April 2016

Spieth’s Collapse, Willett’s Leap Forward and Worthy Masters’ Champions

April 10th, 2016 · No Comments · Golf

In 2007, in a previous life, I wrote an opinion piece, on the second Sunday of April, about how Zach Johnson was not the right guy to win the Masters. My suggestion was that a Masters champion needs to be someone already famous. It was not a place for a guy to make a breakthrough; […]

[Read more →]

Tags:

Warriors Versus Spurs: Biggest Regular-Season Game in NBA History?

April 9th, 2016 · No Comments · Basketball, NBA

The Golden State Warriors play the San Antonio Spurs tomorrow night in San Antonio. This is a big game. The question is … how big? The Warriors have won 71 games and have two to play. The record for victories in a season is 72, by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. If the Warriors defeat the […]

[Read more →]

Tags:

The National Is All Over Manny Pacquiao’s Farewell Fight

April 8th, 2016 · No Comments · Abu Dhabi, Boxing, The National

Manny Pacquiao says his third go-round with Timothy Bradley, at the MGM Grand tomorrow night, will be his last fight. It pretty much is time for the Filipino fighter, 37, to go, though a re-run of a re-run with a middling opponent is not exactly a Fight of the Century Part Dieu exit from the […]

[Read more →]

Tags:

Today’s List: Kudos Only!

April 7th, 2016 · No Comments · Abu Dhabi, Angels, Baseball, Dodgers, English Premier League, Football, Kobe, Lakers, Lists, NBA, soccer

Well, it’s good news in my view of the world, anyway. We don’t have to be negative all the time, do we? Let’s do a list to celebrate some of the uplifting or inspirational or remarkable. For one day, anyway.

[Read more →]

Tags:

Hard Times for Los Angeles Ball Fans: The Team on TV Is the One That Sucks

April 6th, 2016 · No Comments · Angels, Baseball

These must be hard times for baseball fans in the greater Los Angeles area. The Dodgers have a chance to be good, but they cannot be seen by most fans. (Because of that ridiculous Time Warner Cable mess.) The Angels can be seen by almost all fans, but no one should have to watch them. […]

[Read more →]

Tags:

That World Cup Diver? None Other Than the U.S. National Team Coach

April 5th, 2016 · No Comments · Fifa, Football, soccer, World Cup

One of those “things I came across while looking for something else” moments. The Guardian, my preferred site for news and soccer from a British publication, has posted a long story about diving — and when it became “football’s worst crime”. And along in there the 1990 World Cup came up, a tournament played in […]

[Read more →]

Tags:

Villanova’s Second Title Not Best in NCAA History; Villanova’s First Was

April 4th, 2016 · No Comments · Basketball, Sports Journalism, The Sun

Oh, we of little memory. Villanova hit a three-point shot as time expired to defeat North Carolina 77-74 in the championship game of the NCAA Tournament, and some are calling it the greatest final played. Hang on a minute. This one wasn’t even the greatest final involving Villanova.

[Read more →]

Tags:

French Sheep Show Leadership Skills

April 3rd, 2016 · No Comments · France, tourism

OK, maybe it wasn’t witting. Not much that sheep do is witting, as I understand it. Not the smartest mammals around, and not even the cleverest herd animal, apparently. They need to be led. But they played a key role in getting us over the trackless plateau atop a ridge, west of where we are […]

[Read more →]

Tags:

Toting Up My Appearances in Baseball’s 30 Current (and Former) Stadiums

April 2nd, 2016 · No Comments · Angels, Baseball, Dodgers, NFL

A professional acquaintance of mine, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, has been a traveling baseball writer for 20-plus years and has covered games in all 30 of the current Major League Baseball stadiums. Not many people have done that. Journeyman ballplayers, traveling baseball writers who have done both leagues, and ultra fans, I […]

[Read more →]

Tags:

Golden State Warriors and the End of a 54-Game Home Streak

April 1st, 2016 · No Comments · Basketball, Lakers, NBA

This is remarkable, at first blush, but also in closer analysis. The Golden State Warriors had not lost a home game in 54 tries, extending back to January 27, 2015. We know the Warriors have been the league’s best team, since last season, but to go that long without stubbing their toes at least once […]

[Read more →]

Tags: