Lamm at Large

I'm not a big pro tennis fan. I used to be lukewarm on the sport, but now I don't know who's playing. If I did I couldn't pronounce or spell their names.   I do prefer the women's game to the men's. What little I've watched of Wimbledon has been the women. The women's game offers far more action with longer volleys. The men? It's mostly about power. Slam bam […]

None of the Gators fans I know are happy with their quarterback situation. Front-runner Graham Mertz was ordinary, at best, during three years starting at Wisconsin. That's the bad news. The good news is most SEC teams are shaky at quarterback based on a lack of experience or mediocre play. It is, indeed, rare when the league doesn't have a large handful of quality signal-callers. The best is LSU's Jaydan Daniels, […]

Money can buy love -- sort of -- but money can't buy victories in Major League Baseball. Just asks the Mets, Padres, Angels, and several other teams.   The Mets went on a wild spending spree and have a record team payroll of $344 million and change. They have a 35-43 record. The Padres payroll is nearly $246 million with a 37-41 record. The Angels have two superstars in Shohei […]

Accolades have been pouring in for Victor Wembanyama, the first pick in this year's NBA draft.   Greatest prospect ever. Rookie of the year. All-Star. All-NBA. Whew!   But I caution you to pump the breaks at least a little.   Remember Anthony Bennett in 2013? Or Kwane Brown in '01. Or LaRue  Martin in '72? Or Michael Olowokandi in '99. All 7-footers with amazing skills. All NBA busts. Drop […]

I'm so sick of the loudmouths on national radio, TV, and print talking about big and small markets in pro sports.   Yes, big markets -- New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, Houston, Dallas, and Miami -- have a financial edge thanks to local revenue. But the salary cap helps level the playing field. Of the big market teams, think how many have struggled on the field? Meanwhile,  […]

If Victor Wembanyama (we've got to get him a nickname) isn't picked No. 1 in tonight's draft I'll swim across the St. Johns River at its widest point.   He is considered the best prospect since LeBron James. Some rate him as the best prospect ever.   Let me tell you about this French teenager in case you haven't been following the NBA. He's a physical freak. In this age when […]

Ah, the off-season, what little there is in the NFL these days, is here. Wonderful vacations. Touring Europe or Australia or Africa.   But even the finest vacations come with a downer for the coaches. They never get too far from their phones. Just like injuries can ruin a team's season, so can that midnight call from the team's head of security.   Players can be bad during the season. […]

Big-time college athletic programs are having less patience than ever with their head coaches in football and basketball.   That said, folks on the First Coast take pride in being part of football country. Few areas have the interest and pride in college football, especially the SEC, and more specifically the Florida Gators.   Already there's talk in Gator Nation that if Coach Billy Napier does not improve his first […]

Before the Jaguars make a decision on where to play their home games while TIAA Field is being rebuilt, they need to do two things:   1. Poll every season ticket holder and see where they want the games played; 2. Find out how eager the possible locations are to host the games for two years.   There have been six temporary hosts mentioned.   My thoughts:   Gainesville is […]