| Sep 24, 2013

Moneyball evolves as A's keep winning

by Dave Wiggins

So, you’ve seen the flick “Moneyball” and now you think you understand how the traditionally low-budget Oakland A’s still managed to capture the American League West title again this season. That film starring Brad Pitt as A’s general manager Billy Beane taught you all ...

| Aug 13, 2013

It's not easy being 'Johnny Football'

by Dave Wiggins

Up front, I admit it: MAS has a huge man-crush on “Johnny Football.” That, of course, would be Johnny Manziel, the sensational Texas A&M quarterback who last season became the first freshman ever to win the Heisman Trophy. MAS likes and envies everything about ...

| Jul 31, 2013

Pirates aim to end epic futility streak

by Dave Wiggins

It’s hard to feel sorry for Pittsburgh sports fans, given all the Super Bowls, Stanley Cups and World Series titles their pro teams have won over the years. Pittsburgh even calls itself “The City of Champions”. Still, though, you would have to be pretty ...

| Jul 16, 2013

Gauging offseason moves in the NFL

by Dave Wiggins

In this age of overlapping pro sports seasons, the MLB All-Star Game is more than just a sign the baseball campaign has reached its halfway point. The Midsummer Classic is now also our annual heads-up that NFL training camps are just around the corner. ...

| Jul 3, 2013

Hard to see Heat becoming dynasty

by Dave Wiggins

“Not one (championship), not two, not three,” a beaming LeBron James promised Miami fans at a raucous 2010 celebration held soon after he joined the Heat. “More than that,” was left unsaid, but implied. And then, after a brief pause, James resumed counting. Everyone ...

| Jun 19, 2013

Washington skipper a cool customer

by Dave Wiggins

When a man is in the eye of the hurricane, he is sometimes blissfully unaware of the turbulence all around him. Such was the case with Davey Johnson, both as the manager of the Washington Nationals last season and as a trailblazing Yomiuri Giants ...

| Jun 5, 2013

Lack of American heavyweights sad

by Dave Wiggins

What if they held a world heavyweight title fight and no one in America showed up? Or even cared. Well, then, you would be talking about virtually every title tilt involving heavies this century, most of which transpired in Europe. Because of the absence ...

| Apr 24, 2013

Remembering Jackie and lessons learned

by Dave Wiggins

One cool thing about being an old coot like MAS is that when Hollywood cranks out a historic docudrama, you often remember experiencing the event portrayed first-hand. So it is with “42″ — the movie about Jackie Robinson breaking the big league color barrier ...