Columns http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1058&ft=1&f=1058 NPR columnists discuss news, politics, sports, and culture. Download podcasts and RSS feeds. en Copyright 2013 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.94 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:23:00 -0400 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif Columns http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1058&ft=1&f=1058 Tick Tock: Make The Serve, Pitch, Putt Or Shot In baseball, golf and tennis in particular, we are being slowly lulled to sleep before every pitch, every shot. Hurry up already, says commentator Frank Deford. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:23:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/19/193086412/tick-tock-make-the-serve-pitch-putt-or-shot?ft=1&f=1058 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/19/193086412/tick-tock-make-the-serve-pitch-putt-or-shot?ft=1&f=1058 In baseball, golf and tennis in particular, we are being slowly lulled to sleep before every pitch, every shot. Hurry up already, says commentator Frank Deford.

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]]> Did ATMs Represent The Dawn Of The Digital Era? <em>Weekend Edition Saturday</em> Scott Simon remembers the controversy when the first automatic teller machines started popping up in the 1970s. Today there's an electronic transaction, and record, of just about everything we say, read, purchase or do. Sat, 15 Jun 2013 07:16:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/15/191709986/did-atms-represent-the-dawn-of-the-digital-era?ft=1&f=1058 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/15/191709986/did-atms-represent-the-dawn-of-the-digital-era?ft=1&f=1058 Weekend Edition Saturday Scott Simon remembers the controversy when the first automatic teller machines started popping up in the 1970s. Today there's an electronic transaction, and record, of just about everything we say, read, purchase or do.

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]]> Basketball: The 'Ultimate Contradiction' No matter who is playing, the art of basketball is a paradox for fans. "In basketball, as in life, we may dutifully celebrate the aggregate, but we're always spellbound by the exceptional," says Frank Deford. Wed, 12 Jun 2013 00:01:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/12/190668205/basketball-the-ultimate-contradiction?ft=1&f=1058 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/12/190668205/basketball-the-ultimate-contradiction?ft=1&f=1058 No matter who is playing, the art of basketball is a paradox for fans. "In basketball, as in life, we may dutifully celebrate the aggregate, but we're always spellbound by the exceptional," says Frank Deford.

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]]> The Speech Eisenhower Never Gave On The Normandy Invasion The Allied invasion of the French coast of Normandy took place this week in 1944. In case that highly risky invasion had failed, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower had drafted a speech taking full responsibility. Fortunately, he never had to deliver it. Sat, 08 Jun 2013 05:24:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/08/189535104/the-speech-eisenhower-never-gave-on-the-normandy-invasion?ft=1&f=1058 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/08/189535104/the-speech-eisenhower-never-gave-on-the-normandy-invasion?ft=1&f=1058 The Allied invasion of the French coast of Normandy took place this week in 1944. In case that highly risky invasion had failed, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower had drafted a speech taking full responsibility. Fortunately, he never had to deliver it.

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]]> Take Golf Out Of The Rough, Into The 21st Century When the St. Jude Classic opens on Wednesday in Memphis, Tenn., Frank Deford will be paying attention to the action on the course. He has some gripes about the requirement that players must tally their own shots. Wed, 05 Jun 2013 00:01:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/05/188630711/take-golf-out-of-the-rough-into-the-21st-century?ft=1&f=1058 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/05/188630711/take-golf-out-of-the-rough-into-the-21st-century?ft=1&f=1058 When the St. Jude Classic opens on Wednesday in Memphis, Tenn., Frank Deford will be paying attention to the action on the course. He has some gripes about the requirement that players must tally their own shots.

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]]> High School Newspapers: An Endangered Species <em>The New York Times</em> reported this week that only 1 in 8 of New York's public high schools still has a student newspaper. National figures are only a bit better. NPR's Scott Simon says student newspapers are the latest victims of social media. Sat, 01 Jun 2013 05:29:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/01/187534165/are-high-school-newspapers-an-endangered-species?ft=1&f=1058 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/01/187534165/are-high-school-newspapers-an-endangered-species?ft=1&f=1058 The New York Times reported this week that only 1 in 8 of New York's public high schools still has a student newspaper. National figures are only a bit better. NPR's Scott Simon says student newspapers are the latest victims of social media.

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]]> One More Swing: 'Casey At The Bat' Frank Deford puts aside his gripes this week to pay tribute to the poem by Ernest Lawrence Thayer, first published in the <em>San Francisco Examiner</em> 125 years ago June 3. Wed, 29 May 2013 11:01:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/29/186913673/one-more-swing-casey-at-the-bat?ft=1&f=1058 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/29/186913673/one-more-swing-casey-at-the-bat?ft=1&f=1058 Frank Deford puts aside his gripes this week to pay tribute to the poem by Ernest Lawrence Thayer, first published in the San Francisco Examiner 125 years ago June 3.

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]]> Words Of Wisdom For The Graduating Class Of Moore, Okla. High school seniors in Moore, Okla., will hold commencement ceremonies Saturday, despite the death and destruction wreaked by this week's tornado. Scott Simon asks two Oklahoma writers to offer advice to the graduating classes. Sat, 25 May 2013 05:55:36 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/25/186451982/words-of-wisdom-for-the-graduating-class-of-moore-okla?ft=1&f=1058 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/25/186451982/words-of-wisdom-for-the-graduating-class-of-moore-okla?ft=1&f=1058 High school seniors in Moore, Okla., will hold commencement ceremonies Saturday, despite the death and destruction wreaked by this week's tornado. Scott Simon asks two Oklahoma writers to offer advice to the graduating classes.

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]]> Astronaut Chris Hadfield's Most Excellent Adventure Hadfield just spent 146 days up at the International Space Station, during which time he performed rock concerts and shared his dazzling photographs with nearly a million Twitter followers. Sat, 18 May 2013 05:13:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/184821421/astronaut-chris-hadfields-most-excellent-adventure?ft=1&f=1058 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/184821421/astronaut-chris-hadfields-most-excellent-adventure?ft=1&f=1058 Hadfield just spent 146 days up at the International Space Station, during which time he performed rock concerts and shared his dazzling photographs with nearly a million Twitter followers.

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]]> No. 1s: The Latest Greatest Of All Time The NBA will soon crown another team as the best. And another MVP will be named. But commentator Frank Deford says such titles of greatness are fleeting. Wed, 15 May 2013 03:32:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/15/183934665/no-1s-the-latest-greatest-of-all-time?ft=1&f=1058 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/15/183934665/no-1s-the-latest-greatest-of-all-time?ft=1&f=1058 The NBA will soon crown another team as the best. And another MVP will be named. But commentator Frank Deford says such titles of greatness are fleeting.

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]]> Mom's X-Ray Vision Also Sees The Best In Us Mothers know us better — sometimes better than we know ourselves. As any child will tell you, they really do have eyes in the back of their heads. When times are tough, they also have our back. Sat, 11 May 2013 08:54:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/11/183097034/the-x-ray-vision-of-mothers?ft=1&f=1058 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/11/183097034/the-x-ray-vision-of-mothers?ft=1&f=1058 Mothers know us better — sometimes better than we know ourselves. As any child will tell you, they really do have eyes in the back of their heads. When times are tough, they also have our back.

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]]> Ladies, Want Women's Sports To Get More Attention? Pony Up Some critics say that women's sports aren't treated the same as men's sports when it comes to coverage, marketing and advertising. Frank Deford has some thoughts about why that is, and how it can change. Wed, 08 May 2013 00:01:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/08/181926587/ladies-want-womens-sports-to-get-more-attention-pony-up?ft=1&f=1058 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/08/181926587/ladies-want-womens-sports-to-get-more-attention-pony-up?ft=1&f=1058 Some critics say that women's sports aren't treated the same as men's sports when it comes to coverage, marketing and advertising. Frank Deford has some thoughts about why that is, and how it can change.

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]]> The Ever-Changing Pace Of Obsolescence This week, an Apple fan blog leaked word that the company will declare its first-generation iPhone "obsolete," just six years after it was introduced. Host Scott Simon contrasts that with the world's longest known ongoing experiment in a bell jar in an Australian lab. Sat, 04 May 2013 08:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/04/181053771/the-ever-changing-pace-of-obsolescence?ft=1&f=1058 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/04/181053771/the-ever-changing-pace-of-obsolescence?ft=1&f=1058 This week, an Apple fan blog leaked word that the company will declare its first-generation iPhone "obsolete," just six years after it was introduced. Host Scott Simon contrasts that with the world's longest known ongoing experiment in a bell jar in an Australian lab.

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]]> Get Off My Lawn! And Other Grumblings About Sports Today Frank Deford's friend "the Sports Curmudgeon" reflects on some of the things that bother him about the sports world. Wed, 01 May 2013 00:01:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/01/180064496/get-off-my-lawn-and-other-grumblings-about-sports-today?ft=1&f=1058 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/01/180064496/get-off-my-lawn-and-other-grumblings-about-sports-today?ft=1&f=1058 Frank Deford's friend "the Sports Curmudgeon" reflects on some of the things that bother him about the sports world.

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]]> The Pitch For More No. 42s There's more buzz than usual this year around baseball legend Jackie Robinson, who made his major league debut on April 15, 1947. But commentator Frank Deford says there isn't enough buzz in college athletics to help shape the Robinsons of the future. Wed, 17 Apr 2013 02:55:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/04/17/177470407/the-pitch-for-more-no-42s?ft=1&f=1058 http://www.npr.org/2013/04/17/177470407/the-pitch-for-more-no-42s?ft=1&f=1058 There's more buzz than usual this year around baseball legend Jackie Robinson, who made his major league debut on April 15, 1947. But commentator Frank Deford says there isn't enough buzz in college athletics to help shape the Robinsons of the future.

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