The next great sports star...

The next great soccer star?

Or not. But do you see those feet?? My daughter, Elena, was born April 6 and her father and I think she has great athletic potential. If her long toes and long feet are any indication, she is going to be a tall Viking princess like her very athletic Aunt Maggie. And her kicks in utero were no anomaly - Elena's legs and arms are still very powerful for a baby - try to make her do something she doesn't want to...you can't! It's like a battle! And tonight she was crying the whole time I was holding her until I passed her off to her father, who sat her down to watch the Knicks-Celtics playoff game with him...and she was entranced. Yes, I think we have a future athlete on our hands. Either way, whether she's able to support us in our old age from all her endorsements or she just shows off her Little League participation trophies, Elena's father and I are on the same page - Elena will be playing sports. She doesn't have to do it forever. She doesn't have to try every sport out there. But I personally think participating in sports as a kid has so many benefits - exercise, learning how to be a team player, making friends, etc. - and I have so many fond memories of my years playing/coaching soccer, baseball and softball, she will play some sport at least once. And who knows...maybe that's how she'll meet her BFF. Or maybe she'll be the next Mia Hamm or Venus Williams and buy Mommy and Daddy a nice beach house for their retirement. ;)

All set for her first post-game press conference.

On a side note, because I just had a baby (and to top it off, she's colicky and so taking up 99 percent of my time just comforting her), I won't be posting as frequently to this blog for awhile - probably a few months. But I'm not going anywhere - I WILL be back, so please check in on me every once in awhile!!

Daddy & daughter watching the Knicks beat the Celtics

Bernie Williams sighting in NYC March 16

Was at Vision Expo East 2013 at the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan over the weekend and Bernie Williams of the New York Yankees was there taking pictures and signing autographs. The fiance was tempted to wait online for a picture but everybody and their mother was in line and we actually had some business to attend to. Oh well. It would've been fun...but at least we got to see him! A great player from some great years for the Yanks...what more could a Yankee fan ask for? No guitar sighting, though. Maybe next time. :)

It's official: Mariano Rivera to retire at the end of the 2013 season

It's certainly the end of an era, but I'm not sure it qualifies as "breaking news." Mariano Rivera, closer for the New York Yankees, announced at a press conference this morning that he'll be retiring at the end of this 2013 baseball season.

Even the greatest closers of all time can't play forever, people!

Rivera has been with the Yankees for 18 years. He turned 43 last fall. In the world of professional athletes, that's an old man. He was knocked out of the 2012 season at the very beginning by a knee injury. We should be grateful we get one more year to see him play.

Unlike other players who have stayed into their late 30s and 40s, Mo has never seemed to lose his mojo. Is he as good as he was in his heyday? Probably not. But a Mariano at even 85 percent is still better than all the other closers in baseball. It'll be good for him to leave at the top of his game...too many great players fizzle out and fade away, leaving us with that as our last memory of him.

As a Yankee fan, I'm glad I've gotten to see him pitch. I'm glad I've gotten to scream and cheer at Yankee Stadium as "Enter Sandman" begins to play. Besides being one of baseball's best, Mo also always seemed like one of baseball's classiest.

But time marches on. I hope the Yankees use this year, while Mo is still around, to start training another top notch closer. Get someone young and new and fresh, someone with a lot of raw talent, who can benefit from learning from Mo while he's still around. That person should've been Joba Chamberlain, but both Joba and the Yankees screwed that up by deciding it was better for everyone for Joba to be a mediocre starter than a potentially great closer. Starting pitchers carry a lot of cache, yes; being a team's ace is awesome. But I think Mariano showed that being a great closer can be just as important and make you just as rock star!

I didn't mean for this post to be this long. Thanks, Mo, for all your years of hard work, for all the championships, for all the excitement you brought to the game for us Yankees fans. Thanks for one last season, and good luck in everything you do from 2013 forward!

’A League of Their Own’ inspiration dies at 88

 Lavonne "Pepper" Paire-Davis was an inspiration for Geena Davis' kick-ass catcher Dottie Hinson in "A League of Their Own," a movie that makes me cry no matter how many times I watch it. Unfortunately, the women who played in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League are of the same generation as our World War II vets, and are dying or have already left us. It's a good time to remind ourselves and our daughters that women played professional baseball at one time, (though it took a world war and the absence of a generation of young men for that to happen), a time when many women didn't even have normal day jobs outside of the home. So even now we can dream big and reach high, whether it's in sports or any other aspects of our lives - girls don't always have to be the ones watching; we can be the ones playing!

Rest in peace, Pepper.

’League of Our Own’ inspiration dies at 88

Ways you can tell whether you're at a boys' Super Bowl party or a girls' one

Now, these are generalities, so any girls who are totally into the "boy" version of a Super Bowl party, don't take offense - more power to you. I personally ride the fence - I enjoy aspects of both the boys' list and the girls' list. Here goes:

1. Heroes, wings, chips, and beer are standard fare at a Super Bowl party thrown by men. Women may have those things too but will try to class it up with wine and maybe a cheese fondue. Strike that - definitely a cheese fondue.

2. The theme of a male-organized Super Bowl party will be "football." A woman will change the theme of her party depending on who is in the game - three years ago, my best friend threw a Mardi Gras-themed Super Bowl party in honor of the Saints. Two years ago, because of the Packers, the theme will be "cheese." See reference to fondue in first point. This year, in honor of the New Orleans locale, her theme will once again be Mardi Gras.

3. Many of the invitees to a boy's Super Bowl party will be there to watch the game. Many of the invitees to a girl's Super Bowl party will be there to watch the commercials.

4. A Super Bowl party thrown by a guy will be punctuated by discussion on the merits and missteps of the various plays being made by both teams. A Super Bowl party thrown by a girl will be punctuated by a breakdown and explanation of the various plays being made by both teams.

5. A boy's Super Bowl party will feature commentary on which player has the best skills in the game. A girl's Super Bowl party will feature commentary on which player has the best backside in the game.

Whether you go to a boy's or a girl's Super Bowl party this year, have a great time! Who are you rooting for - Baltimore Ravens or San Francisco 49ers?

The Super Bowl will be on CBS tomorrow, Feb. 3, at 6:30 p.m.

Be there! 

Ready for some football? Start with 5 great onscreen moments

In honor of the Super Bowl this weekend:

Ready for some football? Start with 5 great onscreen moments

Author Courtney Hazlett picked some great moments from both television and the movies - my dad and sister always loved Al Pacino's inspirational speech from Any Given Sunday, and I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Coach Taylor's "Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose," from Friday Night Lights - in fact, I'm tearing up just thinking about it. I guess the only thing I'm surprised by is the lack of Rudy on this list. Isn't that the iconic inspirational football movie? Even the music has become the go-to music for any kind of inspirational sports montage/moment in television, previews, commercials, etc. Otherwise, good job - and good suggestions for anyone who wants to watch something to get in the mood for this weekend's game...just might have to dig out my FNL DVDs!

Thoughts on this weekend's Super Bowl XLVII

• I was happy when the Baltimore Ravens beat the New England Patriots to make it to the Super Bowl - unfortunately, that leaves me pretty much "eh" about this year's competition. At least if the Patriots had made it, I'd have a team to vehemently root against. Of course, if they had made it, then I also run the risk of seeing them win it, so I guess it's good the Ravens are in. It's just not as exciting when there's no one team to root for or against.
• When you don't really care either way who wins, that's when it's good to buy at least one box in a Super Bowl pool. Restaurants and bars have 'em, if you go to a Super Bowl party, it's likely someone will be organizing one. So you buy one box or a few, and then even if you don't have a team you hope wins, you have a score you can root for, and usually its at the end of each quarter, so it keeps you engaged throughout the game. It's fun to be able to root for something.
• The most interesting storyline of this Super Bowl? You mean, the Har-bowl? Anyone tired of hearing that term yet? But it's a fun storyline - first time two head coaches who are brothers meet in the Super Bowl. Takes sibling rivalry to a whole other level! Don't envy the Harbaugh parents or anyone watching the game in THAT household.
• Another interesting storyline? Colin Kaepernick, the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. Rookie QB, gets his golden opportunity when starting QB Alex Smith is sidelined, and impresses his coaches enough that they decide to stick with him even when Smith is doing better. It's a somewhat sad story for the veteran QB but it's a feel good story for Kaepernick. Everyone likes to see the new kid not only given a chance but shining when given that chance. Plus, going to the Super Bowl for the team he's wanted to play for since he was 9? We'll see a TV movie about that one day.
• Will Beyonce sing live at the half time show? Personally, I don't care, but I'm sure some people do. The half time show doesn't really do it for me.
• Commercials - they're usually entertaining. Let's hope we get some good ones this year!
• Who do I think will win? Eh, I don't know. Like I said, I really don't care. I like Kaepernick's story I guess, but I've always been a fan of Joe Flacco, the Ravens' QB. I guess we'll see during the game if I start to lean either way. I'm bring dollar bills for the pool - I think I'll probably just end up rooting for a score.

I guess that's it - wherever you are, whether at a bar, a party, at home, enjoy the game, or at least enjoy the company and the food! Be safe!

Who do you think will win? Are you looking forward to the game?

Super Bowl XLVII with the Baltimore Ravens vs. the San Francisco 49ers will be coming to you from New Orleans at 6:30 p.m. this Sunday, Feb. 3.