There’s a familiarity when you walk onto a baseball field. You don’t even need to open your eyes to know where you are. The smell of cut grass, the feel of dirt under your cleats and the energy of a dugout the comes from baseballs and gloves in their own random, organized spaces. The familiar […]
https://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Wood-Bat-Baseball-in-Town.jpg7401400Sam Kouvarishttps://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/sam-kavouris-sam-sportsline.pngSam Kouvaris2021-07-16 18:10:192021-07-16 18:10:19Wood Bat Baseball in Town
As we celebrate the 244th anniversary of our Nation’s independence today, we’ll hear a lot of patriotic songs. It might be the only day we hear John Phillip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever.” We’ll sing along with Katherine Lee Bates’ and Samuel Ward’s “America the Beautiful.” And many of the celebrations will begin with our […]
https://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Sports-and-The-Star-Spangled-Banner.jpg7401400Sam Kouvarishttps://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/sam-kavouris-sam-sportsline.pngSam Kouvaris2021-07-02 07:02:392021-07-02 13:41:51Sports and The Star-Spangled Banner
With all the emphasis on speed, technique, culture and whatever else the Jaguars have been working on so far, it won’t be until sometime in late August when the coaching staff and the players start to find out what kind of football team they’re going to be. Everybody talks about playing fast and giving great […]
There’s a special bond between dads and their kids that only comes through sports. It’s different than almost anything else. Whether it’s being at a sporting event as spectators or as competitors, that bond is created by watching and learning. At a sporting event from the stands, dads show their kids how they act in […]
If you’ve played any golf in North Florida you’ve probably played in a charity golf tournament. Big or small, golf tournaments raising money for charity are among the biggest fundraising sources for charities in our part of the country. “Before Covid, we held as many as twenty fund-raising events every year,” Chet Stokes, General Manager […]
https://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Amateur-Golf-Jacksonville.jpg7401400Sam Kouvarishttps://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/sam-kavouris-sam-sportsline.pngSam Kouvaris2021-06-11 17:21:232021-06-11 17:21:23Charity Golf In Town
We’ve heard Jaguars Head Coach Urban Meyer talk a lot about how important he thinks “sports performance” is to the success of his new team. What exactly is “sports performance?” “There has been a lot of research about different tools to improve sports performance,” Dr. Kaitlyn Buss a doctor of physical therapy here in Jacksonville […]
It was easy having sports figures as childhood heroes growing up in Baltimore. At various times as a kid, depending on the season, I was Frank Robinson at the plate, Brooks Robinson at third, and Paul Blair in the outfield. I was Johnny Unitas in my front yard throwing at bushes. Playing catch, I was […]
Usually this column writes itself as the week goes along. When I’m out people want to talk sports and generally everybody wants to talk about the same thing. That’s one of the things I’ve always liked about living here. People like sports and they like to talk about it. And they have an opinion. I’ve […]
In a conversation this week, I had a couple of Jaguars fans tell me they thought that Head Coach Urban Meyer was “calculating.” “That’s a good word,” I told them. It really does seem to be part of Meyer’s personality, and one of things that, to me, is unappealing. But that calculating trait can’t be […]
https://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Trevor-Lawrence-Jacksonville-Jaguars.jpg7401400Sam Kouvarishttps://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/sam-kavouris-sam-sportsline.pngSam Kouvaris2021-05-16 19:15:322021-05-17 06:24:52Trevor and Tebow A Jaguars Solution
Standing in line at the hardware store the other day, the guy standing next to me started up a conversation with, “You know, I don’t watch the news anymore, especially the sports.” He said he recognized me from my nearly four decades on television here in Jacksonville and stopped watching when my career was ended. […]
https://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Sports-TV-Viewing.jpg7401400Sam Kouvarishttps://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/sam-kavouris-sam-sportsline.pngSam Kouvaris2021-05-07 18:00:572021-05-10 08:13:01Sports TV Viewing Ups and Downs
There was that moment when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said, “With the first pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars select Trevor Lawrence, quarterback, Clemson,” when it felt surreal. Like, “Wait, the Jaguars are relevant again.” After the disappointment and drudgery of last year, and for most of the last decade, the whole […]
There’s a room down at the stadium that’s highly guarded. It doesn’t contain cash or tickets or merchandise. No, it holds something much more important: Information. It’s the room that holds the Jaguars draft board. A compilation of the past four years or more of scouting, evaluating, interviewing, discussing, arguing and just plain wondering about […]
When you have this job as a reporter, you get to meet a lot of interesting people. My career has been no different. I’ve met a lot of different people, many with tremendous athletic talent, others with superior intellect. If you’ve read this column over the past three years you know my favorite thing is […]
https://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Tesori-Family-Foundation.jpg7401400Sam Kouvarishttps://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/sam-kavouris-sam-sportsline.pngSam Kouvaris2021-04-16 12:31:262021-04-16 12:31:26Michelle and Paul Tesori Making a Difference
Most of golf’s memories seem to come from The Masters. The other majors have had their drama. The Open Championship has the famous “Duel in the Sun” between Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson and Van de Velde’s meltdown at Carnoustie. The U.S. Open has Ben Hogan’s one-iron at Merion, Arnold Palmer driving the green at […]
It was always former PGA Tour Commissioner Deane Beman’s idea that The Players Championship would be the first “significant” golf tournament of the year. Playing the tournament in March in Florida would kick off the golf season and eventually The Players would be the “first major” on the calendar. Although it is showcased as the […]
https://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Dustin-Johnson.jpg7401400Sam Kouvarishttps://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/sam-kavouris-sam-sportsline.pngSam Kouvaris2021-04-02 16:48:542021-04-02 16:57:17Past and Present on Display at The Masters
It never took long in any conversation with Tom Coughlin about the kicking game for the Jaguars Head Coach to explain something about Mike Hollis. “He’s not just a kicker,” Coughlin would say, “He’s a football player.” That says a lot about kickers as outliers on any football team, but also says plenty about the […]
https://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Women-Kickers-Football.jpg7401400Sam Kouvarishttps://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/sam-kavouris-sam-sportsline.pngSam Kouvaris2021-03-26 18:29:432022-09-05 08:46:53Women Kickers In Football
We’ve been on quite a run in Florida and especially North Florida in the first quarter of 2021. It started with the Jaguars hiring Urban Meyer on January 14th. While sports fans in general and Jaguars fans specifically are split on Meyer and his potential for success in professional football, Meyer’s hiring put the focus […]
https://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Gate-River-Run-2021.jpg7401400Sam Kouvarishttps://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/sam-kavouris-sam-sportsline.pngSam Kouvaris2021-03-20 18:02:072021-03-21 21:02:27The Roll Continues With Gate River Run
There was a lot of talk this week about what you can and can’t do at The Players Championship. First of all, you can get a ticket. Even with just about eight-thousand tickets sold there were enough floating around that if you wanted to see some golf, you could get out there. If you really […]
https://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Justin-Thomas.jpg7401400Sam Kouvarishttps://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/sam-kavouris-sam-sportsline.pngSam Kouvaris2021-03-15 13:34:312021-03-15 13:34:31Do’s and Don’ts of The Players
It’s hard to put a finger on exactly what The Players Championship is because it’s actually so many things at once. It’s a premier golf tournament that the best players in the world want to win. Adam Scott said so when he won in 2004. Rory McIlroy reiterated that saying, “I don’t think my career […]
https://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-Players-Championship.jpg7401400Sam Kouvarishttps://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/sam-kavouris-sam-sportsline.pngSam Kouvaris2021-03-05 14:16:272021-03-05 14:16:27From GJO to TPC and Beyond
It was my second trip to Jacksonville, and my first in a non-work capacity. I had been here for the 1978 Clemson/Ohio State Gator Bowl game, famous for Woody Hayes punching Charlie Bauman after an interception that led to the Tigers’ 17-15 victory. But save for the ‘drive-thru’ during my high school senior trip on […]
Wood Bat Baseball in Town
/in Baseball/by Sam KouvarisThere’s a familiarity when you walk onto a baseball field. You don’t even need to open your eyes to know where you are. The smell of cut grass, the feel of dirt under your cleats and the energy of a dugout the comes from baseballs and gloves in their own random, organized spaces. The familiar […]
Sports and The Star-Spangled Banner
/in Featured/by Sam KouvarisAs we celebrate the 244th anniversary of our Nation’s independence today, we’ll hear a lot of patriotic songs. It might be the only day we hear John Phillip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever.” We’ll sing along with Katherine Lee Bates’ and Samuel Ward’s “America the Beautiful.” And many of the celebrations will begin with our […]
NFL Tough Guys
/in Football/by Sam KouvarisWith all the emphasis on speed, technique, culture and whatever else the Jaguars have been working on so far, it won’t be until sometime in late August when the coaching staff and the players start to find out what kind of football team they’re going to be. Everybody talks about playing fast and giving great […]
Happy Father’s Day
/in Featured/by Sam KouvarisThere’s a special bond between dads and their kids that only comes through sports. It’s different than almost anything else. Whether it’s being at a sporting event as spectators or as competitors, that bond is created by watching and learning. At a sporting event from the stands, dads show their kids how they act in […]
Charity Golf In Town
/in Golf/by Sam KouvarisIf you’ve played any golf in North Florida you’ve probably played in a charity golf tournament. Big or small, golf tournaments raising money for charity are among the biggest fundraising sources for charities in our part of the country. “Before Covid, we held as many as twenty fund-raising events every year,” Chet Stokes, General Manager […]
Sports Performance
/in Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam KouvarisWe’ve heard Jaguars Head Coach Urban Meyer talk a lot about how important he thinks “sports performance” is to the success of his new team. What exactly is “sports performance?” “There has been a lot of research about different tools to improve sports performance,” Dr. Kaitlyn Buss a doctor of physical therapy here in Jacksonville […]
Sports Idols
/in Baseball/by Sam KouvarisIt was easy having sports figures as childhood heroes growing up in Baltimore. At various times as a kid, depending on the season, I was Frank Robinson at the plate, Brooks Robinson at third, and Paul Blair in the outfield. I was Johnny Unitas in my front yard throwing at bushes. Playing catch, I was […]
The Week
/in Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam KouvarisUsually this column writes itself as the week goes along. When I’m out people want to talk sports and generally everybody wants to talk about the same thing. That’s one of the things I’ve always liked about living here. People like sports and they like to talk about it. And they have an opinion. I’ve […]
Trevor and Tebow A Jaguars Solution
/in Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam KouvarisIn a conversation this week, I had a couple of Jaguars fans tell me they thought that Head Coach Urban Meyer was “calculating.” “That’s a good word,” I told them. It really does seem to be part of Meyer’s personality, and one of things that, to me, is unappealing. But that calculating trait can’t be […]
Sports TV Viewing Ups and Downs
/in Featured/by Sam KouvarisStanding in line at the hardware store the other day, the guy standing next to me started up a conversation with, “You know, I don’t watch the news anymore, especially the sports.” He said he recognized me from my nearly four decades on television here in Jacksonville and stopped watching when my career was ended. […]
Jaguars Draft Questions
/in Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam KouvarisThere was that moment when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said, “With the first pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars select Trevor Lawrence, quarterback, Clemson,” when it felt surreal. Like, “Wait, the Jaguars are relevant again.” After the disappointment and drudgery of last year, and for most of the last decade, the whole […]
NFL Draft Secrets
/in Football, Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam KouvarisThere’s a room down at the stadium that’s highly guarded. It doesn’t contain cash or tickets or merchandise. No, it holds something much more important: Information. It’s the room that holds the Jaguars draft board. A compilation of the past four years or more of scouting, evaluating, interviewing, discussing, arguing and just plain wondering about […]
Michelle and Paul Tesori Making a Difference
/in Featured/by Sam KouvarisWhen you have this job as a reporter, you get to meet a lot of interesting people. My career has been no different. I’ve met a lot of different people, many with tremendous athletic talent, others with superior intellect. If you’ve read this column over the past three years you know my favorite thing is […]
Masters Memories Last
/in Golf/by Sam KouvarisMost of golf’s memories seem to come from The Masters. The other majors have had their drama. The Open Championship has the famous “Duel in the Sun” between Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson and Van de Velde’s meltdown at Carnoustie. The U.S. Open has Ben Hogan’s one-iron at Merion, Arnold Palmer driving the green at […]
Past and Present on Display at The Masters
/in Golf/by Sam KouvarisIt was always former PGA Tour Commissioner Deane Beman’s idea that The Players Championship would be the first “significant” golf tournament of the year. Playing the tournament in March in Florida would kick off the golf season and eventually The Players would be the “first major” on the calendar. Although it is showcased as the […]
Women Kickers In Football
/in Football/by Sam KouvarisIt never took long in any conversation with Tom Coughlin about the kicking game for the Jaguars Head Coach to explain something about Mike Hollis. “He’s not just a kicker,” Coughlin would say, “He’s a football player.” That says a lot about kickers as outliers on any football team, but also says plenty about the […]
The Roll Continues With Gate River Run
/in Running/by Sam KouvarisWe’ve been on quite a run in Florida and especially North Florida in the first quarter of 2021. It started with the Jaguars hiring Urban Meyer on January 14th. While sports fans in general and Jaguars fans specifically are split on Meyer and his potential for success in professional football, Meyer’s hiring put the focus […]
Do’s and Don’ts of The Players
/in Golf/by Sam KouvarisThere was a lot of talk this week about what you can and can’t do at The Players Championship. First of all, you can get a ticket. Even with just about eight-thousand tickets sold there were enough floating around that if you wanted to see some golf, you could get out there. If you really […]
From GJO to TPC and Beyond
/in Golf/by Sam KouvarisIt’s hard to put a finger on exactly what The Players Championship is because it’s actually so many things at once. It’s a premier golf tournament that the best players in the world want to win. Adam Scott said so when he won in 2004. Rory McIlroy reiterated that saying, “I don’t think my career […]
What Happened to Racquetball
/in Featured/by Sam KouvarisIt was my second trip to Jacksonville, and my first in a non-work capacity. I had been here for the 1978 Clemson/Ohio State Gator Bowl game, famous for Woody Hayes punching Charlie Bauman after an interception that led to the Tigers’ 17-15 victory. But save for the ‘drive-thru’ during my high school senior trip on […]