READ THE SPORTS PAGE

May 6, 2008 on 6:29 pm | In Uncategorized

Looking for some good drama? Dying to see real super-heroics? Check out your local sports section next time you’re jonesing for a good yarn.

If you’re into seedy adult comics like The Boys and The Ultimates, just check out what Roger Clemens has been up to lately. Already dogged by steroid rumors, the Hall of Famer-to be now finds himself mired in a sex scandal, as the Rocket’s accused of having a decade-long affair with country singer Mindy McReady that allegedly began when she was just 15. I don’t care how hard you throw, how many games you’ve won or what kind of “character” you’re supposed to have; dig long enough and deep enough and you’re bound to uncover a few skeletons in ANY one’s closet. Something tells me it’s only gonna get worse for Clemens before all is said and done…

Love the nail-biting thrills of super-showdowns like JSA and Secret Invasion? Try sitting still during a Game 7 NBA showdown between the heavily favored Celtics and the upstart Hawks, or the clinching NHL playoff game between hated rivals the Detroit Red Wings and the Colorado Avalance. I don’t even LIKE hockey, but when those two heated rivals meet, you KNOW blood will flow. Throw in some of these four-overtime thrillers, and it’s a wonder the NHL playoffs aren’t on national TV.

But perhaps the most heart-warming sports story in decades occurred just a few days ago, in a women’s Division II softball game of all things. During a game between Central Oregon and Western Oregon, Western’s Sara Tucholsky belted a home run over the center field fence. But on her way around first, she blew out her knee and couldn’t continue running the bases. NCAA rules dictate that a player cannot be helped by her own team, but that player can be subbed and the hit reduced to a single. Instead, two Central players, Mallory Holtman and Liz Wallace, picked up Tucholsky and carried her around the bases. The ironic part? The home run was not only the first one of Tucholsky’s career (she’s a senior), the three runs it generated helped knock Central Oregon out of its league playoffs.
Think you’d ever seen Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter carry an injured David Ortiz around the bases during a Yankees-Red Sox game that would cause the Bronx Bombers to lose? Sportsmanship like that just does not exist at the pro level in any sport, and it’s a moment that’ll make you proud if you’ve ever played, followed or covered organized sports.

Next time you find yourself in the midst of a cruddy comic, trying putting it down for a minute and checking out your local sports page; I guarantee there’s stories there that will move you, haunt you and turn you into a sports fan.