Author Archives: John Ettinger

In my sports-crazed mind, it’s one of the greatest stories ever told. Boise State football didn’t stand a chance. Sure, they had won 12 games en route to an undefeated season and a Western Athletic Conference championship. But that was the problem — there was no number of games the Broncos could have won against »

Andy Pettitte has played a lot of roles for the New York Yankees. In 1995, he was a blue-chip prospect called up to replace an injured Jimmy Key. In 1996, he was a postseason hero out-dueling the unflappable John Smoltz. In 2011, he was a retiree riding into the sunset with gas left in the »

Major League Baseball holds suspected steroid users guilty until proven innocent. But these suspects are at least granted an opportunity to prove themselves innocent before an independent arbitrator as outlined by MLB’s collective bargaining agreement. In the court of public opinion, no such privilege is granted. Despite successfully clearing his name before an arbitration panel, »

“Linsanity” is everywhere. Unless you live under a rock, you’ve already heard the awe-inspiring tale of the Harvard grad turned benchwarmer turned “Linternational” sensation. Indeed, superhero Jeremy Lin has arrived to save New York from the clutches of high-priced mediocrity. And he’s doing it in style. In her column “Lin great for Ivy athletics,” Chelsea »

Super Bowl XLVI will be remembered for many things: a failed shot at revenge, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning’s cemented legacy, and what might have been for New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick. Indeed, the game was chock full of juicy storylines and dramatic twists, earning it a spot as »

No one is more desperate for victory at the Australian Open than Britain’s Andy Murray. After defeating Kei Nishikori in straight sets last night, the world No. 4 is set for a semifinal clash with top-seeded Novak Djokovic, the Serb on a seemingly unstoppable yearlong tear. The match will take place under the bright lights »

In the course of an evening, the fate of the New York Yankees for the next decade (and perhaps longer) changed irreversibly. Last Friday, the Yankees pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Mariners that saw the two teams swap uber-prospects Jesus Montero and Michael Pineda. In Pineda, the Yankees receive a flame-throwing all-star »

With labor peace comes structural change. It was true when the NFL and NBA ended their much-ballyhooed lockouts of 130 and 149 days, respectively. It was also true last Tuesday when MLB quietly signed the most impactful collective bargaining agreement in league history. Unfortunately for fans, players and most teams, the new agreement will dramatically »

The players used to receive 57 percent. The owners wanted to slash it to 47 percent. The players countered with a 52 percent compromise. The owners refused to offer a penny more than 50 percent. Neither side is willing to compromise at 51 percent, and so here we are. The tug-of-war over the players’ share »

The players used to receive 57 percent. The owners wanted to slash it to 47 percent. The players countered with a 52 percentcompromise. The owners refused to offer a penny more than 50 percent. Neither side is willing to compromise at 51 percent, and so here we are. The tug-of-war over the players’ share of »

The Yankees have been bounced from the playoffs. After pacing the American League with 97 wins, their season ended abruptly after they lost three of five games to the Detroit Tigers. The Philadelphia Phillies suffered a similar fate after leading the Major Leagues with 102 wins but failing to take care of the St. Louis »

Jimmie Johnson has won five consecutive championships playing a sport in which everyone drives the exact same car. Five. To win five consecutive championships in any sport is an historic feat. To do it in a sport in which talented drivers regularly fall prey to freak collisions and uncertain fuel calculations is downright heroic. Johnson’s »