Author Archives: Paul Knepper

Snakebitten or Just a Snake?

by Paul Knepper The New York Mets have hit rock bottom. Team owner Fred Wilpon is being sued for more than $1 billion by the trustee who’s recovering money obtained fraudulently through Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi Scheme. Desperate for an infusion of cash, Wilpon’s been seeking an investor to purchase a minority share of the teamContinue reading “Snakebitten or Just a Snake?”

Kneel Before Kareem

by Paul Knepper In case you haven’t heard, former Laker great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is irked that the Lakers haven’t built a statue of him in front of the Staples Center. “I don’t understand (it),” the leading scorer in NBA history told the Sporting News this week. “It’s either an oversight or they’re taking me forContinue reading “Kneel Before Kareem”

Changing of the Guard

by Paul Knepper Basketball is a young man’s game. That’s never more evident than during the playoffs after a grueling 82 game season. A basketball player’s prime is typically between the ages of 25-27 and 30-33, so when superstars on the top teams hit their early to mid thirties their teams drop from the ranksContinue reading “Changing of the Guard”

Tractor Traylor Was Larger Than Life

by Paul Knepper Robert “Tractor” Traylor was a freshman at the University of Michigan the same year I was. The six-foot-eight, 300 pound center was literally and figuratively the big man on campus. His career was marked by disappointment and scandal, but the Michigan faithful loved him any way. He died Wednesday of a heartContinue reading “Tractor Traylor Was Larger Than Life”

15 Most Iconic Baseball Photographs

by Paul Knepper In today’s digital age every significant sports moment is tweeted, posted on Facebook and Youtube and replayed on highlight shows for days on end. Yet, there’s something sublime about capturing the essence of a moment in a photograph, especially in the pastoral game of baseball, whose golden years predated television and theContinue reading “15 Most Iconic Baseball Photographs”

Top 20 Sporting Events I Wish I Had Attended

by Paul Knepper Ever see footage or hear a sports fan waxing poetic about a classic sporting event and find yourself wishing you could have been there in person, taking in the sights and sounds, riding the emotions of the crowd? Suspend belief with me for a moment and assume you could travel space andContinue reading “Top 20 Sporting Events I Wish I Had Attended”