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Dave Wiggins
Former longtime Japan resident Dave Wiggins, who was a sports columnist and television analyst in Tokyo, is now a sports writer based in Vero Beach, Florida. He contributes a bi-monthly column on the North American sports scene to The Japan Times. Wiggins, who was a TV sportscaster in Hawaii for several years prior to his time in Japan, is known for his keen observations and acerbic wit. In 2006 he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Foreign Sportswriters Association of Japan.
For Dave Wiggins's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA / MAN ABOUT SPORTS
Jun 5, 2018
LeBron's postseason run has been incredible, but Jordan still the man
Ready to crown LeBron James GOAT over Michael Jordan after LBJ's phenomenal performance this postseason?
Japan Times
SPORTS / MAN ABOUT SPORTS
May 8, 2018
Mets off to fast start, but season is a long one
Old MLB axiom: Don't believe what you see in April.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / MLB / MAN ABOUT SPORTS
Apr 10, 2018
Baseball hardly recognizable in new era of analytics-driven strategy
"You can't tell the players without a scorecard!" is the exhilarating cry of the program vendor one usually hears when first entering a big league ballpark.
Japan Times
SPORTS / MAN ABOUT SPORTS
Mar 13, 2018
Back to work: Astros refuse to rest on laurels after team's first World Series crown
Over the last four decades, there has been only one repeat World Series champion — the New York Yankees, who three-peated from 1998-2000.
Japan Times
SPORTS / MAN ABOUT SPORTS
Jan 23, 2018
NBA the latest to botch All-Star Game format
The one-upmanship never ends between the NBA, NHL and NFL regarding who can come up with the most ridiculous All-Star Game format.
Japan Times
SPORTS / MAN ABOUT SPORTS
Dec 26, 2017
NFL seems to be getting stranger by the week
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. A classic Clint Eastwood spaghetti Western flick.
Japan Times
SPORTS / MAN ABOUT SPORTS
Nov 28, 2017
Pitcher Charlie Morton's unlikely trip from journeyman to star
Two hours before an exhibition game in March, the Houston Astros clubhouse was vacant save for MAS and 'Stros hurler Charlie Morton.
Japan Times
SPORTS / MAN ABOUT SPORTS
Oct 31, 2017
Trades of NBA stars all about team harmony
Wonder why so many NBA teams were willing, almost eager, to trade away stars this past offseason?
Japan Times
SPORTS / MAN ABOUT SPORTS
Oct 3, 2017
Questions abound as MLB postseason starts
Some burning questions (and answers) entering the 2017 MLB postseason.
Japan Times
SPORTS / MAN ABOUT SPORTS
Sep 5, 2017
Recalling Ric Flair's theatrics, generosity after recent health scare
MAS didn't realize how far-reaching the influence of U.S. superstar wrestler Ric "Nature Boy" Flair was until he took in a high school football game in Japan some years back.
Japan Times
SPORTS / MAN ABOUT SPORTS
Aug 8, 2017
Patience with young players yielding returns for Red Sox
Patience is a virtue, they say. But it is one rarely exhibited in MLB, especially when it comes to rookies.
Japan Times
SPORTS / MAN ABOUT SPORTS
Jul 11, 2017
Incoming QBs unlikely to measure up to Prescott initially
File it under "Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in a while," if you must.
Japan Times
SPORTS / MAN ABOUT SPORTS
Jun 13, 2017
Cardinals focus on task at hand, not worrying about Cubs
These Cardinals apparently believe in letting sleeping dogs lie. Or more accurately, allowing snoozing Cubs to hibernate.
Japan Times
SPORTS / MAN ABOUT SPORTS
May 30, 2017
Hot start for Astros raises expectations for postseason run
Move over Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees; step aside LA Dodgers-San Francisco Giants; slide down Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals.
Japan Times
SPORTS / MAN ABOUT SPORTS
May 16, 2017
Marlins try to honor Fernandez's memory as they move forward
Miami Marlins players wear a black circle containing the number 16 on their jerseys, just above their beating hearts.
Japan Times
SPORTS / MAN ABOUT SPORTS
May 2, 2017
LeBron, Wade, Paul learn different leadership approach
King James, D-Wade and CP3 have learned the hard way that The Jordan Rules no longer apply in the NBA.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / MLB / MAN ABOUT SPORTS
Apr 18, 2017
Rays need pitching prowess to make run at postseason
After two seasons of fruitless straying, Tampa Bay is once again returning to "The Ray Way" this season.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA / MAN ABOUT SPORTS
Apr 4, 2017
76ers should give 'The Process' more time despite results
Sam Hinkie may be out as Philadelphia 76ers general manager but "The Process," his much beloved/hated master plan for rebuilding the struggling Sixers, lives on.
Japan Times
SPORTS / MAN ABOUT SPORTS
Mar 21, 2017
Tough to root against Tebow in attempt to make MLB
Tim Tebow sat alone in a corner of the New York Mets clubhouse, quietly working his iPhone.
Japan Times
SPORTS / MAN ABOUT SPORTS
Mar 7, 2017
Peripatetic Magic in for a real challenge with Lakers
Reading or watching the sports news in recent years has been like playing that arcade game Whack-A-Mole.

Longform

A statue of "Dragon Ball" character Goku stands outside the offices of Bandai Namco in Tokyo. The figure is now as recognizable as such characters as Mickey Mouse and Spider-Man.
Akira Toriyama's gift to the world