Once an example of smooth speed at the plate and in the field, the New York Yankees' Derek Jeter has faced doubters this year. Chris Trotman/Getty Images hide caption
Sweetness And Light Frank Deford's weekly commentary on sports appears Wednesdays on NPR.org.
Manny Pacquiao hits Shane Mosley in the seventh round of their WBO welterweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 7. Pacquiao retained his title with a unanimous-decision victory. Ethan Miller/Getty Images hide caption
Game attendance may be down, but TV ratings are higher for almost all professional sports. Sean Locke/iStockphoto.com hide caption
One week after blowing a lead in the Masters, golfer Rory McIlory squandered a chance to win the Maybank Malaysia Open in Kuala Lumpur. McIlroy finished third after holding the 36-hole lead. Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
NFL stars like Peyton Manning (left) and Tom Brady are most likely better positioned to cope with a delayed season than are players with fewer resources. The two quarterbacks are part of a group of players who filed an antitrust lawsuit against the league. Jamie Squire/Getty Images hide caption
After last season, Nebraska left the Big 12. This year, the school joins the Big 10 ... which will have 12 teams. It's just more proof that there's little rhyme or reason in how sports leagues name themselves. Tony Gutierrez/AP hide caption
Blame The Gloves: Many baseball players, like the Arizona Diamondbacks' Adam LaRoche, fiddle with their batting gloves during each at-bat, stretching out their time at the plate. Ross D. Franklin/AP hide caption
Tiki Barber retired in 2006, after a 10-year career playing for the New York Giants, but he filed papers last week to come out of retirement. Ronen Zilberman/AP hide caption
Players for the combined football team of Sandhills High School and Thedford High School train during practice in Dunning, Neb., in 2009. Nati Harnik/AP hide caption
To college basketball fans from Vanderbilt and other schools, the NCAA tourney's one-and-done format gives their teams a chance to shine. The NCAA releases the 2011 tournament bracket Sunday. Grant Halverson/Getty Images hide caption
Tiger Woods lines up a putt on the 17th green during the first round of the Match Play Championship golf tournament on Feb. 23 in Marana, Ariz. His opponent, Thomas Bjorn, won in 19 holes, eliminating Woods. Matt York/AP hide caption
Sprint Cup Series driver Ryan Newman drives the Army's No. 39 NASCAR race car through the garage area at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 18. Congress recently voted down an amendment that would have prevented the Army from spending $7 million to sponsor the car. Alex Menendez/AP hide caption
Owner Daniel Snyder of the Washington Redskins walks the sidelines before a game against the Houston Texans. Larry French/Getty Images hide caption