Mike Pesca

Marathons Are Soft Targets

Mike Pesca — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 08:44:00 +0000

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Now, the twin bombings at the Boston Marathon struck at a very special type of sporting event. Marathons have been called the most democratic of sports, with the fewest physical barriers between athlete and spectator.

NPR's Mike Pesca examines whether the attack could permanently damage that accessibility.

MIKE PESCA, BYLINE: You can play Pebble Beach, but the greens fees are $495, cart not included. Pinehurst is cheaper. Bethpage Black has a longer wait. Those are the golf courses where they hold events called the U.S. Open.

Always In The Zone, Syracuse Is Hard To Beat

Mike Pesca — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 15:46:00 +0000

Any recreational league basketball team, any police athletic league squad and every group of 8-year-olds who wear the same uniform are, on the first or second day of practice, introduced to the 2-3 zone defense.

The coach will say, "On defense, you two short guys stay near the foul line, and you three bigger kids, you go down near the basket.

Why College Basketball Celebrates Final 4 Teams

Mike Pesca — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:40:00 +0000

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

The NCAA men's basketball tournament resumes tomorrow. Louisville plays Wichita State and Syracuse faces Michigan. On the women's side, it's Louisville again. They're playing California. Notre Dame is playing Connecticut. These quartets of teams, of course, are known as the Final Four, and this stage in the tournament is a resume booster for teams and coaches.

Deflections: The Unofficial Stat That Measures Success

Mike Pesca — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 07:44:00 +0000

The Louisville Cardinals are among the teams dominating at this year's men's Division 1 NCAA basketball tournament, which resumes Thursday night. The team credits harassing, active defense for its wins.

But there's something else at work, too: deflections. The team puts a lot of stock in them, though deflections aren't an officially tracked statistic.

The way Mario Batali thinks about black truffles, the penchant Quentin Tarantino has for quoting Hong Kong martial arts films in his own movies — that's the way University of Louisville coach Rick Pitino talks about deflections.

Super Bowl Cheat Sheet: Key Phrases To Keep You In The Game

Mike Pesca — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 10:28:00 +0000

Sure, you can go to a Super Bowl party and be That Guy. The one who gleefully lectures the crowd on the merits of running the inverted veer out of the pistol in order to freeze the weak-side backer.

Or you could be That Other Guy, who nervously stabs tuna rolls into a football made of wasabi, and hopes no one asks which Harbaugh is which.

Ravens Are Super Bowl Underdogs, But Are Stats On Their Side?

Mike Pesca — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 11:05:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

The Baltimore Ravens are the underdogs in this Sunday's Super Bowl, going up against the San Francisco 49ers. Now, there have been bigger underdogs. And yes, the Ravens are not the lowest-seeded team to make it to the Super Bowl. But the Ravens have beaten the odds in another way. NPR's Mike Pesca talked to some football numbers guys and has this report.

MIKE PESCA, BYLINE: The Ravens embrace the role of the underdog at the same time that they scoff at the very notion.

How Do You Solve A Problem Like Colin Kaepernick?

Mike Pesca — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 08:17:00 +0000

There's always a question surrounding San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Years ago, people wondered whether the talented athlete would be good enough to start in college.

Then there was the question of what role he would play in the NFL. And after the 49ers took him, fans questioned whether he could throw enough to be more than a backup.

Now, the only question is: How do you stop Colin Kaepernick? The second-year quarterback out of Nevada is making just his 10th NFL start and is perhaps the most important player in the Super Bowl.

Patriots, 49ers To Meet In February's Super Bowl

Mike Pesca — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 08:41:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

The match up for Super Bowl is set. In two weeks, the San Francisco 49ers, winners of the NFC championship, will play the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens were big underdogs in their game, yesterday, against the defending AFC champions, the New England Patriots. Same teams as last season, but this time a different result.

With One Playoff Game Remaining, New England Patriots Favored To Win Super Bowl

Mike Pesca — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 22:19:00 +0000

Conference playoffs this weekend determine who will go to the Super Bowl in New Orleans. Mike Pesca talks to Audie Cornish about the games and which team is favored to win it all on Feb. 3.

Notre Dame Defends Star Linebacker As Story Of Triumph Over Loss Unravels

Mike Pesca — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 21:57:00 +0000

Manti Te'o — a linebacker for Notre Dame and a former Heisman Trophy candidate — has come under fire for allegedly making up a girlfriend who died of cancer. Robert Siegel speaks with sports correspondent Mike Pesca for more on the story.