BRONX, NY – I just want to start today by saying what a rare and unusual privilege it is to be hitting behind Aristotle “Mugsy” Sakellaridis in the MtM MTM starting lineup. It used to be I had to wait to see what the Tuesday contributor was writing before starting to collect my Wednesday column thoughts. But, not so with Aristotle. He’s in a wheelhouse all his own, with a particular interest in baseball and a nostalgic look at how sports used to be played. Yesterday provided a bit of a curveball, with a column about O.J. Simpson and Al Cowlings. Who saw that coming? Anyway, I always enjoy the unknown that comes with the dawn of each Tuesday. Let’s get going with Wednesday!
Sports Pronouns Are Funny Things. In the wake of the New York Knicks‘ unlikely (yet, in retrospect, fairly-likely) 2025-26 NBA Finals triumph, I was reminded how unintentionally funny sports fans can be when referring to their favorite teams and players. Walking into the gym Monday morning I witnessed several patrons high-fiving and fist-bumping over the Knicks first title in 53 years with these words: “We did it!” The emphasis here is on the word WE. Let’s face it, fans are most engaged and in love with their teams when things are going well and they’re in the “thick of it.” That’s when you hear things like “We’ve got to play better defense tonight” or “We’re winning this thing in four!” Basically, it’s fans as teammates. It’s equal parts cute and ridiculous. BUT, when things are NOT going so great (*cough* Mets *cough*), those casual-yet-raucous teammates seem far more difficult to find. All the WE’s seem to vanish in the angst-ridden ether. Instead we hear things like “He sucks!” or “They suck!” or “What the hell are they thinking???” These are the fans and pronouns that are the lifeblood of sports talk radio and doofus-pundit television. If you want to see great examples of the latter, look for clips of all the TV idiots who trashed the Jalen Brunson signing when the Knicks made that move. Trust me, it will cheer you up. One final thought on fans; after the Knicks big win: I heard a Jets fan talking to his friend about all he would sacrifice to see his beloved Gang Green win a Super Bowl. I think I showed remarkable restraint by not laughing in his face.
The “Yuck” of the Draw. As I write this, late Tuesday afternoon, last night’s slate of games in the 2026 FIFA World Cup were a veritable “kiss-your-sister” orgy. That’s right, fútbol fans, four games and four ties. I know draws are part of soccer but, when you’re playing in the largest sporting event on the planet—a true “world championship” only played every 4 years—and fans are paying untold thousands for tickets, accommodations, and transportation, don’t you need to keep playing until someone actually wins? For those of you who grew up watching TV in the ’70s and ’80s, these ties are like the super-annoying “To Be Continued…” episodes of your favorite shows, where you had to wait a whole week for the conclusion. Only, with these games, no conclusion. It’s like Pinky Tuscadero about to be killed by the Malachi Brothers in the demolition derby episode of Happy Days… but that’s the end of it. Next week Joanie has a crush on Potsie. But, what happened to Pinky? “No one cares; let’s move on.” That’s World Cup Group Stage for ya.
Okay, I’m not gonna leave you hanging, I’m done for today. Come back tomorrow for Buddy Diaz, whose favorite show growing up was Punky Brewster.
