Nice work if you can get it – Rafanole in Thailand

October 5, 2015

Did you see the pictures of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in Thailand? Didn’t they look lovely in their silk jackets – Rafa in blue for the queen, a bespectacled Nole in yellow for the king? And how respectful were they as they lay wreaths at the Erawan Shrine, site of an Aug. 17 bombing that killed 20 and injured more than 120.

Rafa and Nole, in turn, received gifts, including ceremonial loincloths, enjoyed a little retail therapy and played a one-hour exhibition – which Nole won 6-4, 6-2 and for which they were each paid a little more $2 million, no doubt for their respective charities.

Still, that’s right, one hour, $2 mill. As the Gershwin song says, “Nice work if you can get it, and you can get it if you try.” ...

Mr. (Aaron) Rodgers’ imperfect neighborhood

October 1, 2015

There’s something magnificent about watching an athlete in his prime. Witness Novak Djokovic. The same can be said of Aaron Rodgers, arguably the NFL’s finest player. Having won the league’s MVP Award last season, he’s off to a dream start as his team, the Green Bay Packers, has gone 3 and 0, including a decisive 38-28 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. (Next up – the troubled San Francisco 49ers, whose QB, my beloved Colin Kaepernick, isn’t exactly inviting comparisons to Rodgers this year. Did anyone say 4 and 0?)

Rodgers, the NFC’s offensive player of the week, is probably what casual observers think of when they think of a quarterback. (And indeed, he was in part the inspiration for Tam Tarquin, the golden QB and love interest in “The Penalty For Holding,” the forthcoming novel in my series “The Games Men Play.”) ...

(Madison Square) Garden of earthly delights

September 25, 2015

Pope Francis’ celebration of Mass at Madison Square Garden tonight prompted my friend, sports publicist and blogger John Cirillo, to email me a post on his favorite Garden moments, which got me thinking about my own.

But first, a little history. The Garden, named for President James Madison, really was once a garden – a rooftop garden that was part of an elaborate Moorish-style complex designed by architect Stanford White, who was shot there in 1906 by a crazed Harry Thaw over Thaw’s wife (and White’s former mistress) chorus girl Evelyn Nesbit. (She figures in both E.L. Doctorow’s novel “Ragtime” and the movie “The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing.”) ...

Rafa and Tebow – out of sight but not out of mind

September 8, 2015

Well, Rafael Nadal is out of the US Open (again) and Tim Tebow is out of the NFL (again). As a fan of both, I’m sorry to see them go but not surprised.

Rafa was up to two sets and 3-1 in the third against Fabio Fognini (yes, I know, Who?) in the third round of the Open Friday night into Saturday morning when, depending on your viewpoint, Rafa lost it or Fabio staged a fab comeback. ...

Deflategate ends with a TKO

September 4, 2015

A New York judge has overturned the NFL’s suspension of Tom Brady in effect on a technicality, saying the process that led to the suspension was flawed.

Is it any wonder? In the NFL, the process is almost always flawed, because commish Roger Goodell is no Alexander when it comes to leadership. ...

It’s Tebow Time again – but for how long?

August 20, 2015

That sound you hear is my heart leaping at Tim Tebow’s impressive performance with the Philadelphia Eagles as they beat the Indianapolis Colts 36-10 in pre-season action this past Sunday.

Tebow had a rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter – typical Tebow late-moment heroics – and even earned a standing ovation before he even threw a pass. ...

Amazon, the NFL and the brutality of the workplace

August 17, 2015

When people ask me about the subject of my upcoming novel, “The Penalty for Holding,” I tell them it’s the story of a gay, biracial quarterback’s quest for identity, acceptance, success and love amid the brutal beauty of the NFL.

It’s also the story of the workplace. What, you may ask, can we learn from the atypical workplace of the NFL? Ah, but you see, I think the violence of the NFL is a metaphor for today’s brutal workplace – one in which employees are set up to fail by 24/7 demands, no opportunity to take the vacations they earn, weak benefits and eviscerating bosses. It’s the picture The New York Times paints of Amazon. ...