archive
Simon Says
At The Spelling Bee, Spelling Is No Longer Enough
April 13, 2013 Starting this year, competitors in the National Spelling Bee will not only have to know how to spell a word, but they'll also have to know what it means.
Sweetness And Light
Tiger At The Masters: The Juncture Of Exhilaration And Peril
April 10, 2013 When Tiger Woods tees off at Augusta National Golf Club this week, he will have overcome injuries and personal scandal. But commentator Frank Deford wonders whether a Masters win for Woods would be a comeback or his way of getting back at his detractors.
Simon Says
Roger Ebert: Elegance And Empathy
April 6, 2013 Roger Ebert wrote simply, abundantly, gorgeously — and on deadline for 46 years at the Chicago Sun-Times. Over the years, his work reminded us that empathy is the grace note of a good life, not just great art.
Sweetness And Light
Baseball Isn't Dead; It Just Takes More Work To Appreciate
April 3, 2013 For years, non-baseball experts have been ringing the death knell for this game. But sports commentator Frank Deford says popular team games are so deeply ingrained in our culture that they're here to stay.
Simon Says
Humble Gestures Are New Pope's Symbol Of Service
March 30, 2013 Pope Francis surprised many this week by washing the feet of young inmates in prison instead of priests in a grand basilica. The ceremony emulates the way Jesus washed the feet of his 12 disciples. On this Easter weekend, we consider the meaning behind Pope Francis' break with tradition.
Sweetness And Light
It's Been An Ugly Year For College Basketball
March 27, 2013 Frank Deford isn't impressed with the style of play — or the style of uniforms — in this year's March Madness.
Simon Says
Resurrected Frog Gives Us Cause To Brood
March 23, 2013 This week scientists announced they have reproduced the genome of an extinct amphibian, the gastric brooding frog. But animals are more than just their genomes, so NPR's Scott Simon wonders if it's necessary — or kind — to bring them back.
Sweetness And Light
What's The Score On Spirited Sports Banter At Bars?
March 20, 2013 Sports commentator Frank Deford wants to know: When did we stop arguing about sports in the time-honored bar-stool fashion?
Simon Says
The Power Of A Father's Love Overturns His Beliefs
March 16, 2013 Knowing his son was gay prompted Republican Sen. Rob Portman to reconsider his position on same-sex marriage. NPR's Scott Simon reflects on how children can cause their parents to see issues in a new light.
Simon Says
Snowquester Fizzles, But We're Humbled Anyway
March 9, 2013 After Snowquester fizzled, Scott Simon muses that snow forecasts falling so flat is a sound reminder, during a time of national debate, that experts can be wrong.
Sweetness And Light
Catholic Universities See True Path To Salvation: Basketball
March 6, 2013 A powerful leadership group — the Catholic Seven — is stepping forward and heading in a bold new direction: basketball. These schools want out of the Big (football) East Conference.
Sweetness And Light
Dear College Presidents: Break The NCAA's Vise Grip On Athletes
February 27, 2013 Student-athletes are really sucker-athletes under the organization's structure, says sports commentator Frank Deford. Will no college president speak the words that will break the organization's spell?
Sweetness And Light
Reminders Flood In: Athletes Are People, Not Heroes
February 20, 2013 We often put athletes on a pedestal. But after the latest accusations of bad behavior — accusations that include a murder charge against Oscar Pistorius — it may be time to lower that pedestal several notches, says Frank Deford.
Simon Says
Is Honest Abe's Stovepipe Hat A Fake?
February 16, 2013 State officials in Illinois want to conduct DNA tests on the top hat on display at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum to see if he ever really wore it. Museum officials think the idea is worse than bad.
Sweetness And Light
An Oft-Told Tale: The Beauty Queen And The Quarterback
February 13, 2013 Last month, Brent Musburger was accused of being sexist when he gushed about "what a beautiful woman" Miss Alabama was during the BCS Championship game. Commentator Frank Deford says if Musburger was guilty of anything, it was failing to note what a cliche he was perpetuating.
