I had just wrapped up a conference call and had about 15 minutes until I needed to leave my office for my next meeting on the other side of the Georgia Tech campus. A quick check of the Mercer-Duke score revealed Duke had pulled ahead. No need to get excited. The Number 3 seed was … Continue reading Mercer pride
Tag: Southern sports
Five ways to avoid being trapped in fantasy football conversations
As a chronicler of life in the New South, I am duty-bound to warn you that we have entered a time of year when sports obsession reaches new heights (or depths, depending on your point of view.) You need to be prepared for the threat of any conversation being derailed by talk of someone's fantasy football team. With more … Continue reading Five ways to avoid being trapped in fantasy football conversations
Goofy Southern Golfers: A New Tradition Unlike Any Other
Based on in-depth demographic research, I’ve determined that New South Essays readers may not know that this week is the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Ga. As a public service, I am writing to let you know that this is happening , and it is important. Or at least it is to some people. Like … Continue reading Goofy Southern Golfers: A New Tradition Unlike Any Other
My cheatin’ foot
When you try a different hair stylist or dental hygienist, don’t you feel a little bit like you’re cheating on the relationship? Since the mid-1990s I have been buying my running shoes at Phidippides, the first-ever specialty running store which opened in 1973 in Tallahassee, Fla., and now operates at Atlanta’s Ansley Mall. Even when … Continue reading My cheatin’ foot
That other Lance
If an electric current pulses through a device in your home or pocket, you have been inundated with the confessions of disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong this week. With a given name like “Lance,” it’s impossible for me to escape the iconic figure who once stood for so much more than a sport. The similarities are myriad: … Continue reading That other Lance
Little gym, big gym
Last Saturday Carlton and our family and friends celebrated his fourth birthday at The Little Gym in Snellville. Though Carlton only took classes there for six weeks, he often asks to go back. The birthday party was the perfect excuse. The folks at The Little Gym were organized, well-staffed, professional but personal, and they made … Continue reading Little gym, big gym
What’s up with SUP?
For the last several years during my beach vacation I’ve been seeing people standing on surf boards with big paddles. Curious but too timid to tackle this sport on my own, I finally got a taste of stand-up paddle boarding (or SUP as it’s commonly known) this week during a work retreat at Chickamauga Lake in … Continue reading What’s up with SUP?
Guys’ night out
“Decompression” is the best word to describe my rare night out with the guys last Tuesday. The idea for the outing sprang up last week when I saw that the San Francisco Giants were coming to town to play the Atlanta Braves. Carla was amenable to giving me the night off, so plans were set in … Continue reading Guys’ night out
What makes the Braves Southern
Next Thursday the Atlanta Braves will begin another marathon baseball season with aims of winning a World Series. Oddsmakers give them a 22 to 1 chance to accomplish this feat. Whether or not they actually succeed really isn’t the point. I’ve been a Braves’ fan since 1982 when my Aunt Phyllis took me and my … Continue reading What makes the Braves Southern
New South Bracketology
There are times I pretend to be an expert: any discussion of running, life in the New South, Star Wars and fantasy football. There are other times when no amount of pretending can cover up glaring ignorance: parenting, relationships, basic plumbing and filling out NCAA tournament brackets. The mania that has swept the country during … Continue reading New South Bracketology
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