Brian Schwartz
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A FAN’S NOTES, The Rumpus Sports Column #21: Skiing With Rifles
“It’s not a sport if you can play it with a beer in one hand.”
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A FAN’S NOTES, The Rumpus Sports Column #20: Fumble Recovery
What was the best play made by a wide receiver during last weekend’s NFL playoff games? Hint: it wasn’t a touchdown catch. Last Saturday night, during the Indianapolis Colts-Baltimore Ravens matchup, Colts wide receiver Pierre Garçon showed amazing heart and hustle. Here’s…
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A FAN’S NOTES, The Rumpus Sports Columns #19: Call Me By Your Game
When I need a haircut, I go to a barbershop run by a pair of balding Italian brothers in Park Slope, Brooklyn. My hair is thin enough now that I’m no longer sure how often I should have it trimmed;…
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A FAN’S NOTES, The Rumpus Sports Column #18: Burning Bright
My friend Eric brought me a present from his latest trip to Africa: a margarine-yellow soccer jersey with racy red stripes that slash down from the shoulders.
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A FAN’S NOTES, The Rumpus Sports Column #17: The Spider, the Simpleton and the Nonchalant Catch
Imagine a World Series primer narrated by Kenny Powers, the mullet-headed hero of the HBO comedy series “Eastbound and Down.”
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A FAN’S NOTES, The Rumpus Sports Column #16: Wildcat, Baby
This past week’s pro football storylines were, in a word, beautiful. First of all, before the games even began, there was the matter of Rush Limbaugh wanting to become an owner of the St. Louis Rams. The Rams totally suck…
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A FAN’S NOTES, The Rumpus Sports Column #15: The Belgian Chocolate Training Regimen
The U.S. Open tennis tournament came to a close Monday night when a very tall Argentine with many, many names beat the heavily favored Roger Federer in a marathon five-set match.
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A FAN’S NOTES, The Rumpus Sports Column #14: Tailgating with Jesus
Lately, for my own edification and in preparation for the upcoming NFL season, I’ve been reading through the King James Bible.
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A FAN’S NOTES, The Rumpus Sports Column #13: Roberto Bolano Counts His Pitches
A few nights ago I dreamed I was a member of the New York Yankees.
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A FAN’S NOTES, The Rumpus Sports Column: #12 Running Backs in Love
Last week, D.H. Lawrence wasn’t mentioned by name in any sports sections, and no professional athletes cited The Rainbow in their postgame interviews. But there were intriguing baseball- and football-related stories about the line between violence and love, anger and…
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A FAN’S NOTES #10, The Rumpus Sports Column: Reasons to Attend the Ballgame with Your Rabbi
REASON ONE Rabbis get great seats. Or at least my brother does: for the last ten years or so, my older brother Steve has had a pulpit job at a large suburban temple in the Baltimore area. Many members of…
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A FAN’S NOTES, The Rumpus Sports Column: Is Pau Gasol Big Bird?
Pau Gasol reminds me of Big Bird. Maybe if the Lakers didn’t have bright yellow in their uniforms I wouldn’t make this connection, but with the yellow, the Sesame Street association is unavoidable. Gasol is gangly, tall, with feathery hair…