The unique perspective and provocative opinions of Joe O’Neill
Sports Shorts
“Never say never. Next Olympics are at home (2028 Los Angeles).”—Gold Medal gymnast Simone Biles, on speculation that she will retire after the Paris Games.
The U.S. men only won one Olympic gold medal in swimming. That was by Clearwater’s Bobby Finke in the 1,500-meter freestyle—in world record time.
“Sixteen is our today, and 16 is our tomorrow.”—Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey, referring to the size of the newly expanded SEC.
According to a 2023 Ipsos survey, cornhole is the most-played sport in America—ahead of bowling, swimming and golf. But, no, it’s not in the Olympics yet.
But ping pong—oops, table tennis—is. BTW, when it comes to doubles, the table seems way too small for four players.
The NBA, a predominantly black sport, has been promoting basketball in Africa for more than two decades. It even operates an academy for high-school-age players, an NBA Africa office and the headquarters of the Basketball Africa League in Senegal. Today, about 10% of NBA players are either African or have at least one parent from Africa.
“We can’t let now beat us later.”—Rays baseball operations president Eric Neander, on the reasoning behind the Rays’ recent high-profile, high-salaried trades to better position the team for the future.