He was a big-time pitcher with a big-time personality. His one-of-a-kind windup defied description. His delivery baffled hitters. His ever-smoldering cigar became a facial feature. Opponents respected him; teammates and fans loved him. Luis Tiant died Tuesday at his home in Maine. He was 83. El Tiante, as we dubbed him, was an icon in […]
Mike Szostak
Mike Szostak covered sports for The Providence Journal for 36 years until retiring in 2013. His career highlights included five Winter Olympics from Lake Placid to Nagano and 17 seasons covering the Boston Celtics. His beats also included tennis, skiing and college sports, especially Brown and URI football.
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Mazzulla, English, Reiss? Who are your biggest names in Rhode Island Sports today?
Their names are in headlines and on social media. Their decisions affect the lives of thousands of athletes. They are successors to icons who once dominated sports in Rhode Island. Who are the leading sports figures in Rhode Island today? Do we count native sons and daughters who have enjoyed success elsewhere? Do we consider […]
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College Football 2024: Wild and Wacky
Welcome to the wild and wacky world of college football 2024. A world where: Colorado coach Deion Sanders can blackball a member of the sports media covering his team and the administration is okay with it. Players change schools as frequently as autumn leaves change colors. Thirty thousand enter the transfer portal every December. Conferences […]
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Two Rhode Island teens brought lacrosse to Armenia
Sadie Martiesian and Paul Boghosian could have spent 10 days in July working summer jobs, going to the beach, hanging with friends or packing for college. Instead, they traveled 5,500 miles to one of the poorest countries in western Asia to teach kids the fundamentals of the game they love: lacrosse. “Sadie and I live, […]
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Meet the Rhody Trio chasing Olympic dreams in France
The flotilla of bateaux mouches sailing the Seine with 7,000 Olympians aboard smiling and waving in the rain is but a fond memory a week later. The same for the masked torch bearer scampering along rooftops, icons Lady Gaga and Celine Dion performing, and daredevil dancers swaying atop poles during the impressive Opening Ceremonies. The Paris […]
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For a perfect summer read pack your beach bag with a good sports book
Summer in Southern New England: beach, umbrella, sand, sun, blanket, pool, fried clams, Del’s Lemonade, grilling, sailing, ice cream, Bristol’s 4th of July Parade. And a good book. Graphic novel, thriller, mystery, biography, historical fiction, science fiction, romance. It makes no difference so long as you can lose yourself in the pages — and occasionally […]
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Having silenced his critics, Rhode Island’s Joe Mazzulla wants to shine the championship spotlight on his players
What a week for the Boston Celtics! Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown exorcized seven years of demons Monday night by wrapping up one of the best seasons in the team’s storied history and leading the Celtics to their 18th NBA championship. Al Horford, 38, finally got his title in his 17th season and second tour […]
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The Celtics are champions again. Do they rank among the best?
Reaching the pinnacle took a little longer than expected, but Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have finally made it. Today, tomorrow, forever, they are NBA Champions! “It’s been a long time coming, but damn it was worth it,” Tatum exclaimed to ABC’s Lisa Salters after a blizzard of green and white confetti buried the court. […]
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La Salle lacrosse dynasty continues with ‘best team in my history’; Celtics must win to join the best NBA champions
Midweek thoughts on a lacrosse dynasty, Celtics greatness, and British cars: The 11 seniors on La Salle Academy’s 2024 lacrosse team wanted to be better than good, better than great. They had already won three state championships. What was left to prove? “This team knew if they won convincingly, they could be the best team […]
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Little League, surviving in 2024, thrived in 1963
Heading home from the grocery store with a few supplies for dinner on a recent late afternoon, I made the left turn from Perry Street to Wood Street in Bristol and put Veterans Park — and the kids warming up for a Little League game — in my rear view mirror. “Stop! Turn around! Go […]