Singer-songwriter and producer Joe Barksdale has released his brand new single “Alone”, and is pleased to announce the release of an all-new album titled Yours Truly this spring. Yours Truly features 16 tracks in his signature style, a unique blend of blues, soul, jazz, and rock, with Barksdale handling guitar, electronic drums, and lead vocals. When asked about his new single, …
Voodoo Doughnut, Portland’s famous purveyor of zany confections, was offering a green and gold sprinkle doughnut in honor of the Timbers hosting the MLS Cup Saturday. I should talk about the final, in which the Timbers fell to New York City FC in a penalty shootout … but doughnuts just seem more interesting. Sour grapes …
Not too long ago I wrote about North Park College’s 1985, senior-laden men’s basketball team’s journey to the school’s FOURTH national championship. Coach Bosko led that team in his first year after working as the top assistant coach for many years. Preparing for the 1985-86 season, Bosko now faced fielding his first recruiting class as …
My alma mater, North Park College (now University), completely dominated NCAA Division III Mens Basketball just prior to my arrival on campus. With a cumulative record of 86-10, in 1978, 1979, and 1980, NPC won the national championship three times in a row. Growing up in Minnesota, I never saw any of those early championship …
Ummm, I worked this morning and was grabbing groceries, etc. on the way home. The gentleman behind me in line insisted on paying for my whole cart. I said I still need to get ice. He said plz get two…
Photo by Craig Mitchelldyer / Portland Timbers Quoting former NFL coach Jim Mora from his famous postgame rant is kind of a cheap shot, but after the Portland Timbers fell 6-2 to archrival Seattle Sounders at home Sunday night, it’s apt. Despite an uneven season so far, the Timbers are still in line, somehow, for …
Lionel Messi’s departure from Barcelona, which somehow seemed shocking and inevitable at the same time, redrew the world soccer map. The club, at the sport’s pinnacle just six years ago, is in disarray, with serious financial problems and an underwhelming roster. When the greatest soccer player of all time signed with Paris Saint-Germain two days …
On May 29, mighty Manchester City will take on fellow heavyweight Chelsea in the final of the European Champions League, but the soccer match could have featured scintillating Ajax battling Leipzig. It is the glory of the Champions League and Europe’s domestic leagues that the minnows can swim with the tunas. Give a hearty cheer …
When Fantastic Negrito shills, he does it with integrity. The Oakland blues-soul man has released “Root City,” an anthem for Oakland Roots SC, a three-year-old professional soccer team, and there are no sly, subliminal nudges for your custom in his video. He’s wearing a Puma tracksuit and sneakers in some shots, and he actually points out …
John Lomacang Delivers the Best Sermon Since the Sermon on the Mount. It is titled, “Shaken.” https://www.amazingfacts.org/
Colin Kaepernick on police use of force against people of color "As police officers continue to terrorize black and brown communities, abusing their power and then hiding behind their blue wall of silence and the laws that allow them to kill us with virtual impunity…"Powerful words from Colin Kaepernick.#BlackLivesMatter #RightsNow Posted by Amnesty International USA …
Trump plays checkers. All he does is jump back and forth over people and then he says, “King me”. He’s not sophisticated. He just makes a huge commotion, and while he steals what ever used to be headlines, his accomplices steal more sh☆t while nobody’s looking. Stop acting like it’s more complicated than that. When …
Damn. I once wrote that when I was a kid, I was convinced that the Harlem Globetrotters were comprised of players too talented for pro basketball. Supermen. Superheroes; their colorful uniforms a costume. No joke. I don’t think I was the only young person who considered the pre-Jordan, pre-Bird NBA to be boring B-league stuff …
Having recently re-read two of my favorite books–FOUL! THE CONNIE HAWKINS STORY (David Wolf, 1972) and LOOSE BALLS: THE SHORT, WILD LIFE OF THE AMERICAN BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION (Terry Pluto, 1990)–I was especially struck today to encounter this photo of five of the ABA’s greatest stars (from the left: Connie Hawkins, Marvin Barnes, Julius “Dr. J” …
Which pro athletes are getting still paid and which ones are going to going to be selling off those mansions? The money gets sucked up from the lower and middle class, some of it trickles it will down. The bread, the wine, …but Romans, they have cancelled The Circus. It’s going to be a strange …
Luka Dončić is Larry Bird in slow Motion. Fight me. Everybody except the truest basketball heads said I was cray cray that Bird would be dominating today. I said it for years. It’s documented. Told ya so. Imagine if Luka Dončić was 6’10” and was as quick as Bird at 20. But what’s EVIL about …
Once upon a time, the NFL was three yards and a cloud of dust. Below is Bob Griese’s passing statistics in the Miami Dolphins’ victory in Super Bowl VIII in 1974: 7 passes attempted, 6 completed for 74 yards Here are Jimmy Garoppolo’s passing stats for the victorious San Francisco 49ers in today’s NFC Championship …
Good news! They can still rock in Chicago! And still make pizza! I lived my first 26 years near Kimball and Foster in Chicago. I was a child, a teenager, and an adult in Chicago. I have been thoroughly marked by all of the city’s idiosyncracies. One positive thing I still remember and miss was …
Bruh, Luka can’t drink yet, and he’s already dominating like peak Jordan and Bird, back when nobody had answers, …except what is now considered flagrant fouls. After Detroit won back to back, they said you can’t just tackle Jordan anymore. So… “They” say the NBA is so much more athletic, they are so much taller, …
2 basketball myths: 1) Players are more athletic now. No they are not. Shawn Kemp, Jordan, Dominique, Pippen…list goes on and they also had to be stronger and more physical to even perform in an area of hand checking. 2) There are better 3 point shooters now. No there are not. Everybody and their Mom …
Brian Schmetzer can be so unassuming and professorial at times, it seems hard to believe he is head coach of a professional soccer team. Pushing his glasses up to the bridge of his nose, he tosses respectful bouquets at opposing coaches and players before and after games. Could this really be the shepherd of a …
Two years ago, I got in on the first iteration of Jimmy G fever and watched Jimmy Garappolo and the San Francisco 49ers beat the playoff-bound Jacksonville Jaguars in a 44-33 barn-burner, with the side benefit of being able to brag to all fans of The Good Place that I got to see Blake Bortles …
It has been an incredible October here in Japan, especially on the global sports stage. Japan hosted the Volleyball Men’s World Cup, Rugby World Cup, F1 Race at Sasazuka, 2 NBA games (Raptors vs Rockets), and as I write Tiger Woods is in Chiba and leading the ZOZO Championship which is the first golf tournament …
Much as I enjoyed seeing the US Open at Pebble Beach last June, I didn’t get much of a chance to see the actual golf course. Last week, I decided to fix that by visiting during a tournament practice day when cameras were allowed. Here are some of the most famous holes in golf. Enjoy. …
One thing WSU and The Seattle Supersonics taught me was not to get too wrapped up in sports, …unless you are actually IN the game. If you are a player or a coach, and you have some actual influence over the game besides screaming so loud it’s hard to hear audibles or shoot free throws, …
When this season started back in April, I had fully expected Madison Bumgarner to be wearing something other than black and orange by now. The San Francisco Giants, under the new regime of Farhan Zaidi, seemed fully committed to a tear-down and rebuild that would hopefully repeat Zaidi’s success as the architect of the current …
By the way, earlier I forgot to mention my brand new black suede Pumas, bought on sale last month at Big 5, just prior to my two-week drivin’ trip ’round Oregon, Idaho, and Eastern Washington. During the ’70s, Puma was by far my favorite brand o’ shoe—at one time or another I owned five pair, …
The 2019/2020 season is shaping up to be an interesting one for the NFC North. Last year, out of nowhere, the Bears won the North and Khalil Mack had a dominant season of ripping the ball out of the arms of opposing offensive players every week. The previous season the Vikings dominated and one year …
With Kevin Durant to the Brooklyn Nets and Kawhi Leonard to the LA Clippers, the major free agent moves in this NBA off-season have completed, with some lower-tier signings and trades to follow in the coming weeks. A few hot takes are in order: 1. The 2019-20 NBA season may well have been saved by …