Ode to Sports: Pats & Nats, a roster from A(stros) to Z(ion)
A year now passes. How’d I know?
Analytics guys told me so.
They crunched the data. What’s it mean? Anyone’s guess: 2019. First Quarter ‘Bama toppled, it’s Clemson’s prize —
White House visit, with burgers, fries.
Fury nearing
Saints aghast: No interference?
Super Bowl boring —
Pats and Brady, not much scoring.
Hall of Fame vote, Sandman enters.
All Rivera, no dissenters. Osaka sure looks here to stay.
Australia makes her resume.
The neck, the back, the aching knees —
Vonn calls it quits, hangs up her skis.
Taking it to the hoop and hilt,
James Harden scores on pace with Wilt.
Daytona: Hamlin has the car.
It’s 1-2-3 for JGR. is incoherence, kind of
Machado, Padres get all sweet.
Zion’s sneaker wheat.
Harper’s contract the lily,
A quick ride north up to Philly.
Kraft is busted, cries sabotage.
He simply wanted a massage.
Adidas big-shot goes to jail.
Is college basketball for sale?
Does Nike dine on this foul stew?
Well, Avenatti true.
Horses die at alarming rates.
Santa gates.
LeBron and Lakers, not much clout.
Anita is shredded gilds says shuts it’s its
Beckham, Giants down and out.
Baseball season steps to the plate.
Soon homers, K’s at record rate.
Baylor women edge Notre Dame.
Ogunbowale’s game.
Virginia’s men can puff their chest,
With last year’s knockout put to rest.
Second Quarter
The Lakers, Magic Johnson … done.
He wasn’t fun.
Spring arrives with freshening signs.
Woods stands tall in the Georgia pines.
Hugs and chants and exultation,
Masters crown, a restoration.
Caster Semenya spurned in court
Over sport.
Derby? Boy, that’s one big muddle.
The horse in front jumps a puddle.
The stewards rule he interfered
And take him down. How’s that for weird?
Four bounces Kawhi’s shot falls.
No-name horses Preakness stalls.
Abuse, assault back the day —
Ohio State away.
Brooks Koepka hangs on, Bethpage Black.
Indy: Pagenaud owns the track.
Boxing: Joshua’s decked, and hard.
Ruiz is more than vats of lard.
Nadal’s 12th French clay —
We toast! A vintage Montrachet.
Outrage, mayhem in D.R. —
Big Papi’s shot in back at bar. just off having testosterone title are her any in and in in looked on
Golden State fans get the willies.
Durant goes down, torn Achilles.
Blues surge from last to Stanley Cup.
Play “Gloria” with volume up.
Warriors tamed, champs go forth.
Toronto triumphs, We The North.
Koepka tested at Pebble Beach —
Third straight Open out of reach.
Durant, Jordan, Kemba, Kyrie:
Free agents? Please! Fait accompli.
Third Quarter Angels shaken in disbelief —
Tyler Skaggs and a wave of grief.
Wimbledon’s from afar
Comes Coco Gauff, uncharted star.
The Clippers Kawhi is signed,
With sidekick George close behind.
Rapinoe, World USA.
Stadium bellows: “Equal pay!”
Rockets backcourt stoked, ignited —
Westbrook, Harden
Novak, Roger play on and on —
Five-set Wimbledon marathon.
Shane Lowry game and guile —
British Open, Emerald Isle.
Tour de France, Colombia’s day —
Young Egan speeds away.
Trade deadline: Greinke to the ‘stros.
Rich get how it goes.
Jay-Z, football find each other.
Rapper gives the league some cover.
Antonio Brown, his life’s a tweet: has richer, new is next and score,
Paul
Cup, reunited. the
Bernal that’s
His helmet, mouth, his blistered feet.
Raiders cut him; chart new course
But not for long — buyer’s remorse.
In pain, an orthopedic mess,
Luck
Open opens, Serena rolls And rakes Maria over coals,
But not Andreescu, one tough test —
Yes, She The North (South, East and West).
One-hundredth season, NFL:
Push and promote, market and sell.
Quarterbacks left and right
But still no Kaepernick in sight.
In college sports, model cracks —
California has backs.
Soon aboard,
Admits it’s not almighty Lord.
Fourth Quarter
A GM’s tweet sets brawl:
Human wall.
Adam Silver attempts to say,
We simply don’t play ball that way.
Biles is golden, deft, elastic —
Ruler of all things gymnastic.
For Tiger, mighty deed,
His 82 wins Snead.
Washington, really? Can that be?
First World Series since ‘33.
Strasburg, Rendon, all of ‘em showed
How best to live the road,
Making home at Minute Maid Park
While making “Baby Shark.”
Niners perfect, top banana, retires to
NCAA rights vs. one
Pats convalesce. battered the athletes’ comes off a
Chinese more linked to life on music, Like old times with Joe Montana.
Wounded Warriors dealt bad hand.
This time Curry … break up the band.
Breeders’ Cup fade to black —
An ambulance is on the track.
“Load management” now in vogue.
Astros, sign-stealing, going rogue.
Helmet-swinging, primetime attack.
Myles Garrett can’t take this one back.
Kaepernick’s scouts dispatched,
A busted play, strings attached.
Tua’s bloodied, his hip a mess,
His face a mask of pain, distress.
Kyle Busch takes NASCAR and what’s clear
Joe Gibbs’ kingdom has no peer.
Russian dopers get stern rebuke.
Stephen at Duke!
The college playoff? This will do:
Two
OSU.
Then Marvin makes the Hall;
Gerrit Cole thanks him for his haul.
A Cajun Heisman runaway —
Burrow, etouffee.
So many doubts he’d get this far,
A league’s now smitten with Lamar.
The year’s soon gone, in the books,
And who’s to say just how it looks?
Off we go. Goodbye to all that.
We’ve had our final turn at bat
And one last shot from way downtown.
Now 2020 … down.
Tigers,
Classic, bayou is tryout: with
F. Austin wins
Sooners,
Miller and double