I found out this week I was a bigger Dale Earnhardt fan than a NASCAR fan. I guess a lot of people found out the same thing. I was talking about it with my long time friend and co-worker Kevin on Tuesday (Kevin is one of the biggest Dale fans anywhere). He’s always said Dale […]
https://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2004/02/jacksonville-sports-jaguars-sam-kouvaris.jpg4931000Sam Kouvarishttps://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/sam-kavouris-sam-sportsline.pngSam Kouvaris2001-02-25 05:56:582020-04-05 05:57:30Special E and NASCAR
As the two cars he owned flashed past the checkered flag in the 43rd Daytona 500, Dale Earnhardt’s life had already ended. Racing inches apart in a pack of cars in turn 4, Earnhardt’s Chevy was touched by Sterling Marlin, dropped down to the bottom of the track then shot up into the outside retaining […]
I was walking through the NASCAR Winston Cup Garage when a familiar voice called out, “hey boy, where you been?” I turned and saw Cale Yarborough headed in my direction, big smile on his face and his hand extended. The year was 1981. I had been working in Charleston, S.C. for three years and moved […]
First of all, everybody should relax. You’d think they were going to take John Unitas out of the Hall of Fame. The reaction to the launch of the XFL rivals the outcry of when baseball went on strike. The critics have been hot, the supporters a bit tepid. It’s not the Lindbergh crossing, it’s not […]
Say the word “Quarterback” and what image comes up in your mind? Is he tall? Quick? A leader? Does he have a big arm? Is he even a he? There is so much more to being a quarterback than just the nuts and bolts of the position in football. A quarterback has to be a […]
https://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2004/02/jacksonville-sports-jaguars-sam-kouvaris.jpg4931000Sam Kouvarishttps://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/sam-kavouris-sam-sportsline.pngSam Kouvaris2001-01-30 06:00:402020-04-05 06:01:14My Kingdom for a Quarterback
Everything about sports has evolved into something bigger in the past 20 years. Bigger games, bigger coverage, even the players are bigger. There’s also bigger hatred among fans. Part of that is because the stakes are higher. More money, more glory, more hype. It’s no longer sufficient to win. Fans, taking their cue from players, […]
It was pretty heady stuff being a sports fan in Baltimore in the late ’50’s through the ‘60’s and early 70’s. The arrival of major league franchises in football, baseball and basketball gave a port town built on immigration and industry a new identity. The Orioles, Colts and Bullets were part of the fabric of […]
I saw three bowl games in three days this year. The Gator, Sugar, and Orange Bowls were on concecutive days with local interest, so we put together a plan to cover all three. A couple things were obvious: Michael Vick and Santana Moss were the best players on their respective fields, and none of the […]
I hope you’ve already made some meaningfull resolutions for 2001. Be a better parent, do more for charity, get your priorities straight, stuff like that. I read the other day that most people who accomplish goals over a defined period of time have their goals written down and in a consipicuous place where they can […]
If the dream has always been to have a league that’s competitive, or with “parity” then the salary cap is the warm milk NFL administrators have taken in order to drift off to sleep at night. The salary cap has brought mighty teams down, making them pay for what was once thought to be a […]
I’ve been accused over the years of being arrogant by my detractors. I’ve never been able to figure this out. Arrogance denotes some sort of mean spirited attitude. I don’t have that. I do have confidence. A quarterback’s confidence. For as long as I can remember, I’ve thought of myself as the quarterback. I actually […]
Sometimes I leave a locker room pretty happy with what was said about the team or the upcoming opponent. Sometimes the comments are so cliché ridden it’s amusing. That’s why some athletes are known as media “go-to guys” and others aren’t seen or quoted in the media so often. Just like in any group of […]
If there’s one thing I don’t like about the BCS, it’s the self-serving attitude of the inventors. “Oh, it’s just what college football fans want,” they say. “A true national championship game,” they gush. “They’re full of it,” I answer. The BCS is not what college football fans want. They want to see fairness, they […]
Boy, to I have a lot to be thankful for. A wife who has tolerated me for more than 20 years, three beautiful children who are wonderful people, parents whose counsel I still seek, friends I can count on, and a career that is more fulfilling each day. Thanksgiving is usually a work day for […]
What? The Globetrotters lost? While it sounds like big news, actually it’s part of a “regeneration” of the Globetrotters as a basketball team. For years early in their formation, the Trotters were a barnstorming, take on all comers team full of talented players. Abe Saperstein, the Trotters founder, believed being a good basketball player was […]
I get to spend a lot of time on the sidelines at football games. High School, College and NFL games have their own special appeal. The NFL now limits the number of people on the field, keeping most reporters off the sidelines. They don’t like the clutter. They want a clean look. College sidelines are […]
Putting themselves into play as a potential Super bowl site, North Florida and the city of Jacksonville were complete unknowns. In the early 80’s then-Mayor Jake Godbold courted the NFL, even hosting a “Colts Fever” rally at the old Gator Bowl in 1979. Fifty-thousand people showed up for a hot dog and a Coke to […]
Growing up as a kid in Baltimore, I was a fan of the Orioles and the Colts, just like everybody else. Exactly when football came up on my radar screen I can’t pinpoint. I can vaguely remember a newspaper headline lamenting the Colts’ NFL Championship Game loss to the Cleveland Browns 27-0 (1963) and I […]
I’ve been off for a couple days over the last two weeks. First to entertain friends in town and then to play in a golf tournament. I’ve also been out of town visiting for a day, so I’ve been outside of my normal route between work, home and the gym. Everywhere I went, I was […]
Let’s see. The offensive line can’t play, the defensive line are bums, Mark Brunell is finished, Tom Coughlin forgot how to coach, Dom Capers isn’t using people right, Fred Taylor is soft, Jimmy Smith is playing for a contract and Keenan McCardell’s career is already over. Those are some of the things I heard this […]
Special E and NASCAR
/in NASCAR/by Sam KouvarisI found out this week I was a bigger Dale Earnhardt fan than a NASCAR fan. I guess a lot of people found out the same thing. I was talking about it with my long time friend and co-worker Kevin on Tuesday (Kevin is one of the biggest Dale fans anywhere). He’s always said Dale […]
Earnhardt
/in NASCAR/by Sam KouvarisAs the two cars he owned flashed past the checkered flag in the 43rd Daytona 500, Dale Earnhardt’s life had already ended. Racing inches apart in a pack of cars in turn 4, Earnhardt’s Chevy was touched by Sterling Marlin, dropped down to the bottom of the track then shot up into the outside retaining […]
Bright Lights, Big NASCAR
/in NASCAR/by Sam KouvarisI was walking through the NASCAR Winston Cup Garage when a familiar voice called out, “hey boy, where you been?” I turned and saw Cale Yarborough headed in my direction, big smile on his face and his hand extended. The year was 1981. I had been working in Charleston, S.C. for three years and moved […]
Xtreme Reaction
/in Football/by Sam KouvarisFirst of all, everybody should relax. You’d think they were going to take John Unitas out of the Hall of Fame. The reaction to the launch of the XFL rivals the outcry of when baseball went on strike. The critics have been hot, the supporters a bit tepid. It’s not the Lindbergh crossing, it’s not […]
My Kingdom for a Quarterback
/in Football/by Sam KouvarisSay the word “Quarterback” and what image comes up in your mind? Is he tall? Quick? A leader? Does he have a big arm? Is he even a he? There is so much more to being a quarterback than just the nuts and bolts of the position in football. A quarterback has to be a […]
Anti-Fan
/in Featured/by Sam KouvarisEverything about sports has evolved into something bigger in the past 20 years. Bigger games, bigger coverage, even the players are bigger. There’s also bigger hatred among fans. Part of that is because the stakes are higher. More money, more glory, more hype. It’s no longer sufficient to win. Fans, taking their cue from players, […]
John Steadman: Gentle man, Writer
/in Featured/by Sam KouvarisIt was pretty heady stuff being a sports fan in Baltimore in the late ’50’s through the ‘60’s and early 70’s. The arrival of major league franchises in football, baseball and basketball gave a port town built on immigration and industry a new identity. The Orioles, Colts and Bullets were part of the fabric of […]
Bowl Delay
/in College Football/by Sam KouvarisI saw three bowl games in three days this year. The Gator, Sugar, and Orange Bowls were on concecutive days with local interest, so we put together a plan to cover all three. A couple things were obvious: Michael Vick and Santana Moss were the best players on their respective fields, and none of the […]
Resolutions
/in Featured/by Sam KouvarisI hope you’ve already made some meaningfull resolutions for 2001. Be a better parent, do more for charity, get your priorities straight, stuff like that. I read the other day that most people who accomplish goals over a defined period of time have their goals written down and in a consipicuous place where they can […]
Capology 101
/in Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam KouvarisIf the dream has always been to have a league that’s competitive, or with “parity” then the salary cap is the warm milk NFL administrators have taken in order to drift off to sleep at night. The salary cap has brought mighty teams down, making them pay for what was once thought to be a […]
A Quarterback’s Confidence
/in Football/by Sam KouvarisI’ve been accused over the years of being arrogant by my detractors. I’ve never been able to figure this out. Arrogance denotes some sort of mean spirited attitude. I don’t have that. I do have confidence. A quarterback’s confidence. For as long as I can remember, I’ve thought of myself as the quarterback. I actually […]
Locker Room Interviews
/in Featured/by Sam KouvarisSometimes I leave a locker room pretty happy with what was said about the team or the upcoming opponent. Sometimes the comments are so cliché ridden it’s amusing. That’s why some athletes are known as media “go-to guys” and others aren’t seen or quoted in the media so often. Just like in any group of […]
BCS Blunder
/in College Football/by Sam KouvarisIf there’s one thing I don’t like about the BCS, it’s the self-serving attitude of the inventors. “Oh, it’s just what college football fans want,” they say. “A true national championship game,” they gush. “They’re full of it,” I answer. The BCS is not what college football fans want. They want to see fairness, they […]
Thanksgiving
/in Featured/by Sam KouvarisBoy, to I have a lot to be thankful for. A wife who has tolerated me for more than 20 years, three beautiful children who are wonderful people, parents whose counsel I still seek, friends I can count on, and a career that is more fulfilling each day. Thanksgiving is usually a work day for […]
Globetrotter Magic
/in Basketball/by Sam KouvarisWhat? The Globetrotters lost? While it sounds like big news, actually it’s part of a “regeneration” of the Globetrotters as a basketball team. For years early in their formation, the Trotters were a barnstorming, take on all comers team full of talented players. Abe Saperstein, the Trotters founder, believed being a good basketball player was […]
Wanted: Blonde Bombshell
/in Featured/by Sam KouvarisI get to spend a lot of time on the sidelines at football games. High School, College and NFL games have their own special appeal. The NFL now limits the number of people on the field, keeping most reporters off the sidelines. They don’t like the clutter. They want a clean look. College sidelines are […]
Super Selection
/in Featured/by Sam KouvarisPutting themselves into play as a potential Super bowl site, North Florida and the city of Jacksonville were complete unknowns. In the early 80’s then-Mayor Jake Godbold courted the NFL, even hosting a “Colts Fever” rally at the old Gator Bowl in 1979. Fifty-thousand people showed up for a hot dog and a Coke to […]
Birth Right
/in Featured/by Sam KouvarisGrowing up as a kid in Baltimore, I was a fan of the Orioles and the Colts, just like everybody else. Exactly when football came up on my radar screen I can’t pinpoint. I can vaguely remember a newspaper headline lamenting the Colts’ NFL Championship Game loss to the Cleveland Browns 27-0 (1963) and I […]
Phobos
/in Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam KouvarisI’ve been off for a couple days over the last two weeks. First to entertain friends in town and then to play in a golf tournament. I’ve also been out of town visiting for a day, so I’ve been outside of my normal route between work, home and the gym. Everywhere I went, I was […]
The Bandwagon
/in Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam KouvarisLet’s see. The offensive line can’t play, the defensive line are bums, Mark Brunell is finished, Tom Coughlin forgot how to coach, Dom Capers isn’t using people right, Fred Taylor is soft, Jimmy Smith is playing for a contract and Keenan McCardell’s career is already over. Those are some of the things I heard this […]