Sopranos and sports: A nation's love affair

By A.J. RUSSO, Ph.D.
As published June 20, 2007

On the surface, it may not seem like there’s a logical connection between the The Sopranos and sports. After all, there wasn’t even much reference to sports on the HBO super series—well, with the Bada Bing and all that wacking going on, where would the writers fit it in anyway?

But a strange thing happened after the final episode aired. Sports talk radio, ESPN columnists and hosts spent more time talking about Tony’s fate than the faltering King LeBron in Cleveland’s futile attempt at upsetting the Spurs in the NBA finals.

So, what’s the connection?

Although there were some who felt the last episode of the crime family series was brilliantly inconclusive, most felt it left the devoted audience hanging.

In the final scene, with Journey’s Steve Perry wailing Don’t Stop Believing, Tony and Carm sat in the booth of a diner waiting for their children, Meadow and A.J.

Despite the fact that Tony’s crew had just orchestrated the gory slaughter of New York crime boss, Leotardo, there was a ‘life will go on as usual’ blasé atmosphere. The two parents seemed to be breathing a well-deserved, silent sigh of relief. After all, A.J. seemed to be finished griping about the misery in the world, and a fleeting urge to join the Army to fight in Afghanistan was railroaded by his father’s persuasion to get him involved in filmmaking.

Meadow, gave up her father and mother’s dream of her becoming a physician, and decided instead to pursue law school. She was tired of Italian Americans being discriminated against, she told her father, and the fact that she might earn six figures also helped bring a smile to the Don’s face.

To add a little suspense, there were a few shady customers in the diner that evening. One guy glanced at the family as he went into the bathroom and viewers couldn’t help but wonder if he’d find a gun taped to the back of a urinal and come out guns blazing in a Godfatheresque finale.

But in the end, there were no guns fired. A.J. walked in, sat down, smiled. Tony gave him his son a hand pat of approval. Meadow parked her car, walked across the street, opened the door to the diner and then, suddenly, the screen went black. The end.

Besides thinking their TVs were broken, moans could be heard all over sportsland. No resolution? No finality?

When the football season begins, the goal of every team is to win the Superbowl – finality. Baseball? The objective? …to be World Series Champion.

Even every individual sporting event ends with certainty. Extra innings, overtime, the event can’t end until there’s a winner.

But not the Sopranos. No answers, no winners (or losers for that matter).

Sports fans admire toughness, and in a sadistical sense, who was tougher than “T”? It didn’t matter that his livelihood required him to be a murderer. Have you been to a hockey game lately? In Baltimore, who is admired more than Ray Lewis? Who watches boxing?

Ah yes, sports aficionados were rooting for the “Boss” to survive. So, in the end, when enthusiasts were left with a blank screen, their hearts sank. It was like a baseball strike in October.

[A.J. Russo received his BS at Hobart College and Masters and Ph.D. at Roswell Park Memorial Institute. He is a professor at Mount Saint Mary's College in Emmitsburg and the author of 10 novels and more than 30 scientific papers. He is the former head men's lacrosse coach at RIT and Mount Saint Mary's College. His opinions do not necessarily reflect those of Mount Saint Mary's College or the Mt. Airy Messenger.

Russo's novel, The Healer, published by Port Town Publishing, has been critically acclaimed. His novel, the Fragile Egg was re-released in 2006 and his novel, New Lodge Affair released in August 2007. All are available at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.

Visit A.J. Russo’s Podcast, Novels in Progress, where you can listen to the first five chapters of his newest novel, Recall. New chapters will be posted each week. web.mac.com/ajrusso1/.]

No team in Clemens

By A.J. RUSSO, Ph.D.
As published June 6, 2007

Roger Clemens is an exceptional pitcher, a certain Hall of Famer. Many say he is the best pitcher of all-time. Last season, even at 43, he posted a 7-6 record and 2.30 ERA in 19 starts for the Houston Astros.

But now he’s 44 and hasn’t pitched competitively since last year.

All of a sudden George Steinbrenner opened his fat wallet and he’s a Yankee.

It took more than money this time to lure “The Rocket”, and the special concession the Yankees had to make has raised some serious questions about what it takes to win in the pros these days.

Over the past three seasons, when Clemens was with the Astros, he didn’t travel much with the team in order to be with his family and work with the Minor League pitchers in the organization. These will be the same privileges he will have as a Yankee.

"He'll come and go," said Brian Cashman, GM of the Yankees, recently. "It's as simple as that."

The Yankees intend to honor the 44-year-old's one-year, $28-million contract, which is pro-rated from the day he's placed on the Major League Roster.

Not-so-long-ago, the Yankee organization wouldn't hand out special benefits to certain players, regardless of their stardom, but Cashman probably knew in order to land The Rocket and keep him away from the rival Red Sox, the Yankees would have to make an exception.

History will tell whether this was too high a price to pay for winning.

Research has demonstrated that there is a strong relationship between team cohesiveness and success [Team cohesion and team success in sport. Albert V. Carron; Steven R. Bray; Mark A. Eys. Journal of Sports Sciences, Feb 2002 v20 i2 p119(8)]. Every coach, little league to college, knows this.

By allowing Clemens to come and go as he pleases, the Bombers risk breach in team unification. Those that argue others in the dugout won’t resent the fact that one of their teammates isn’t going to be around half the time to support their efforts are mistaken. All athletes are conditioned to know that teammates need to be treated equally. It doesn’t matter if you’re sitting the bench or pitching the perfect game, you have a role to play. Each participant is equally important to the overall success of the organization.

It seems that Steinbrenner and Cashman have forgotten this.

[A.J. Russo received his BS at Hobart College and Masters and Ph.D. at Roswell Park Memorial Institute. He is a professor at Mount Saint Mary's College in Emmitsburg and the author of 10 novels and more than 30 scientific papers. He is the former head men's lacrosse coach at RIT and Mount Saint Mary's College. His opinions do not necessarily reflect those of Mount Saint Mary's College or the Mt. Airy Messenger.

Russo's novel, The Healer, published by Port Town Publishing, has been critically acclaimed. His novel, the Fragile Egg was re-released in 2006 and his novel, New Lodge Affair released in August 2007. All are available at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.

Visit A.J. Russo’s Podcast, Novels in Progress, where you can listen to the first five chapters of his newest novel, Recall. New chapters will be posted each week. web.mac.com/ajrusso1.]