A Press Democrat Blog

Old School

Robert Rubino connects current sports news with the past

Coaches, Hemingway, Shakespeare and World War II

Wednesday, at 4:36 by

When Jim Harbaugh quoted Ernest Hemingway on Sunday in the wake of the 49ers’ excruciating 20-17 overtime loss to the Giants in the Winner Goes To The Super Bowl game, it was unusual. Football coaches rarely quote a literary giant. But there have been exceptions. Paul Westhead, the former pro and college basketball coach, used to quote Shakespeare to his players. Magic Johnson famously interpreted one such exhortation by saying something to the effect, “You mean, get it to the… Read More »

Harbaugh and Hemingway

Tuesday, at 4:51 by

Some sportswriters called it a Harbaughism. Except it wasn’t a Harbaughism. It was a Hemingwayism. “This team is not defeated by any stretch of the imagination,” 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh told the media in the wake of last Sunday’s excruciating disappointment, a 20-17 overtime loss to the New York Giants in the Winner Goes to the Super Bowl game. “A man can be destroyed but he can’t be defeated as long as he knows that there’s hope.” “A man can… Read More »

49ers-Giants playoff history column

Saturday, at 8:23 by

If Sunday’s game is anything like the last time the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers squared off in the postseason, hold on to your chin straps. It’s going to be a wild ride. Sunday marks the seventh time the Giants and 49ers have met in the playoffs. The previous six games have included classic thrillers, nail-biting defensive squeakers and a couple of kick-butt routs. They’ve spanned 30 seasons and included several future Hall of Famers and big-name coaches.… Read More »

The Muhammad Ali birthday retrospective column

Saturday, at 3:49 by

Muhammad Ali turns 70 on Tuesday, and the athlete who transcended sports like no other before or since hasn’t been in the spotlight for decades, his polarizing personality and days of controversy long gone, along with his rhyming jive (was he our first rap star?) and his slick skills and singular courage. My God, the man faced Sonny Liston and George Foreman — brutes thought to be unbeatable killers — the former when Ali was considered too young and the… Read More »

Ali’s best, Ali’s worst

Thursday, at 9:45 by

Here’s wishing a happy birthday to former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, who turns 70 on Tuesday. And here’s one longtime boxing fan’s lists of Ali’s 10 best and 10 worst performances in the ring. Feel free to join the discussion. Ali’s 10 best fights: 1. First time vs. Sonny Liston, 1964. Without this win, when as Cassius Clay he won the heavyweight championship of the world after a thoroughly beaten Liston quit after six rounds, there may not have… Read More »

Occupy Christmas: Don’t watch sports on TV

Thursday, at 9:35 by

Don’t watch any of it on Christmas. Don’t watch the Bears-Packers NFL game at 5:15 p.m. on NBC. Or the Celtics-Knicks NBA game at 9 a.m. on TNT, or any of the other NBA games: Heat-Mavericks at 11:30 a.m. on ABC, Bulls-Lakers at 2 p.m. on ABC, Magic-Thunder at 5 p.m. on ESPN and Clippers-Warriors at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN. Spend Christmas with family. If you don’t have family, spend it with friends. If you don’t have friends, spend it… Read More »

1969 Cubs in Hall of Fame

Monday, at 4:55 by

The 1969 Chicago Cubs have a dubious place in baseball history — holding a five-game NL East least on Sept. 3 but finishing a distant second, eight games behind the New York Mets — who went on to unlikely glory by winning the ’69 World Series. However, with Monday’s election of Ron Santo, the 1969 Cubs now have five members in the Hall of Fame, which is three more than the ’69 Mets (Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan): 1969 Cubs in… Read More »

Santo in Hall of Fame

Monday, at 4:50 by

Ron Santo finally made it to the Hall of Fame on Monday, elected by the Golden Era committee less than a year after his death. Although I strongly believe Minnie Minoso was the best candidate on the old-timers ballot, in fact all the candidates — including Santo, Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, Luis Tiant, Tony Oliva and Ken Boyer — were worthy of entry to the Hall of Fame.

Minoso’s chances for Hall of Fame

Tuesday, at 6:37 by

Of the eight former players on Monday’s old-timers Hall of Fame ballot — Gil Hodges, Ron Santo, Jim Kaat, Luis Tiant, Ken Boyer, Minnie Minoso, Tony Oliva and Allie Reynolds, three are Latino — Tiant, Minoso and Oliva. The 16-member Hall of Fame veterans committee (now officially called the Golden Era Committee) that will cast votes Monday consists of one Latino — Juan Marichal. The only voting members who were contemporaries of Minoso are Al Rosen (also a former teammate)… Read More »