04/23/24
April 06, 2003
SF, SF: SportsFilter San Francisco. Today's San Francisco Chronicle Sunday Magazine was a SpoFi-er's dream. Titled "Sporting Life", this issue had three sports articles: (1) Opening Day Distraction / Why the ballpark was a great idea, four years later; (2) Does the Gear Make the Man? / Equipment enhances athletic performance, but can only an experienced athlete appreciate it?; and (3) Our Athletes, Ourselves / Whether we perform better at 20 or at 42 could all come down to imagination. This is link overload, but quite a commendable effort by a Sunday newspaper mag, no? Any similar efforts by other city newspapers? Is this just recycled material?
posted by worldcup2002 to culture at 07:41 PM - 2 comments
Hal: Thanks for the kind words. PacBell Park didn't escape the monstrosity of a giant tipped Coke bottle up in the stands, but I guess it's a small blemish on a mostly lovely place. I haven't been there either (!!) but seeing as the Giants have started at a breakneck pace, I may have to go soon. As for maintaining sports performance when you're older, I thought that "prehab" bit was pretty cool, too. No chemicals or prosthetics, just an "organic" use of technology: observation, common sense, and practice, practice, practice.
posted by worldcup2002 at 09:44 AM on April 07, 2003
Interesting links, wc2k. I liked the one about PacBell park- I'd like to visit it some day. I especially like that it was privately financed, and (as a result?) not one of those cloned monstrosities with retractable roofs and nonsense. The great ballparks always have a charm of being unique, and quirky- without being forced. Architecture as a whole has its beauty when forced to work in an environment, and not simply re-write it. I also liked the article about over-40 athletes. I think the writer hits it on the head when he says most writers like to pretend it's all about some genetic thing- but truly, the genetics gets you in the door only. The difference between Barry Bonds and a AAA player who might get only a sip of coffee in his life has more to do with what's between Barry's ears than the size of his biceps or the acuteness of his vision. Plus, the better sports medicine, the improved "prehab" as they call it (everything from conditioning and diet to yoga and tai chi), might mean more of the greats will play longer and longer careers- as it is now, you have a few pitchers in the majors in their 40's or close to it not just getting a few mop-up rolls, but even starring. We may someday see a 50-year-old baseball or basketball player (outside of Satchel Paige) who's there because he can still compete.