Shots Heard is introducing a new feature. I've come to the realization that not every notable happening in sports deserves 300 words. We are a highlights society. Do not worry though Shots Heard readers I'll still give you the meat when the time is right.On the other hand, we do have that penchant for highlights, hold the blather. I love writing in the AP style and thoroughly giving you the here's the A plus B and therefore C and even occasionally taking you deeper into the deep Pythagorean realms of sports. But as a practical matter, I do not always have time to write everything and you do not always have time to read everything, right?
Also this allows me a way to run on instinct a little more. Part of the reason I created this site was to present an outlet for my usually educated sports opinions. But it was meant to be in a way that was not guarded and beholden to no outside interests. Unfortunately, my desire to be respected for my journalistic output has made me understandably sanitize my work (somewhat). Derringer Shots will allow me to spew out my thoughts in more of a Budweiser Hot Seat fashion.
Blindness won't deter special forces soldier
Like it or not, war is a sport even though the stakes are much higher. There's strategy and there's the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. So all of our combat troops in the field are athletes, including Captain Ivan Castro who lost his sight from mortar fire in Iraq.Nobody would blame Captain Castro if he packed it up and quit. Out of the other 100 blinded soldiers in Iraq, 98 of them understandably did. But Captain Castro plans to keep serving as a special forces operative in the field. That is an athlete!
Wimbledon: Venus Williams hits 127 mph on the radar gun
Venus Williams ended her fourth round match with Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez with a 127 mph ace. As impressed as I am with that feat, I have to ask why does her opponent need four names in her surname? Someone give her a class in marketing 101. The greats are almost always known by succinct names. For instance, Jordan, Pele, Tiger, Ruth, Montana, etc.But back to the 127 mph serve. Let's hope that the incredibly fast serve is a result of the anomaly that is the amazon William sisters. We do not want to lose those great volleys that have helped make women's tennis the only sport that actually out sells men's sports. Anyhow, the next generation of hot tennis players will probably keep the status-quo.
Actually tennis has something that David Stern is hopelessly trying to manufacture. Synergy. When men's tennis does well, so does women's tennis and visa versa. That is why the men and women play at that same time at these grand slam events like Wimbledon. Meanwhile, NBA fans gnash their teeth when they think that built into their ticket prices are the costs of subsidizing the terrible WNBA.
Look for more Derringer Shots
This was the warm-up for future segments. Future Derringer shots will likely cover more topics and be more brief in nature.
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