2008 Woodie Awards
Planes, trains and games drive everyone insane in today's sports
Mike Tirone
Issue date: 9/27/05 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 3 next >
Lately I have been losing inspiration for topics to write about in my columns. Maybe this is because I used all of my good stuff up last year, or maybe I am losing my touch. Either way, I will warn you, the reader, that this column comes from my archives that I wrote over the summer. Yes, that's right, I wrote columns over the summer. What did you do, finish the Harry Potter series? Thought so. So enjoy this oldie but goodie:
Over the past year, all of my marvelous columns have been written in the wonderful confines of my comfortable dorm room on campus. Now summer has come and most of the time I stay settled in The Granite State, New Hampshire. Most of you probably have read this last sentence and ask one of three questions: "a) Where is New Hampshire? b) Is it the upside-down state or the right-side up state near Massachusetts? Or c) Who lives in a state named after a rock? Granite's a rock right?" Sorry, I guess that's four questions, but either one of those answers is irrelevant, because this column comes to you from the uncomfortable, cold and noisy Amtrak boxcar traveling up and down the east coast. Now I could give a pretty vague description of my travels from "The Shire" down the Atlantic coast and it would not only exceed the word count necessary but also overpass the amount of entertainment that one should receive while reading a newspaper. So let me get to the topic that springs up into my skull every time I hear some middle-aged mother complain about traveling: the advancement of transportation over the years in relation to the world of sports.
Transportation has grown to be one of the most powerful and crucial businesses in the world, especially in the United States. People don't realize this until they go on one of these treks I am on at this moment. Sports teams travel thousands and thousands of miles to play a game. Not too bad if you look at the amount they get paid. But that large number seems to stand out much more to the public than any other, such as the amount of time teams travel on the road.
Over the past year, all of my marvelous columns have been written in the wonderful confines of my comfortable dorm room on campus. Now summer has come and most of the time I stay settled in The Granite State, New Hampshire. Most of you probably have read this last sentence and ask one of three questions: "a) Where is New Hampshire? b) Is it the upside-down state or the right-side up state near Massachusetts? Or c) Who lives in a state named after a rock? Granite's a rock right?" Sorry, I guess that's four questions, but either one of those answers is irrelevant, because this column comes to you from the uncomfortable, cold and noisy Amtrak boxcar traveling up and down the east coast. Now I could give a pretty vague description of my travels from "The Shire" down the Atlantic coast and it would not only exceed the word count necessary but also overpass the amount of entertainment that one should receive while reading a newspaper. So let me get to the topic that springs up into my skull every time I hear some middle-aged mother complain about traveling: the advancement of transportation over the years in relation to the world of sports.
Transportation has grown to be one of the most powerful and crucial businesses in the world, especially in the United States. People don't realize this until they go on one of these treks I am on at this moment. Sports teams travel thousands and thousands of miles to play a game. Not too bad if you look at the amount they get paid. But that large number seems to stand out much more to the public than any other, such as the amount of time teams travel on the road.