Matthew Spira
I refuse to write about myself in the third person, so hello there and welcome to my bio. I m currently an ESL teacher/tutor (primarily for young learners) and freelance writer. Before starting to teach, I spent seven years in the call-center industry as a line supervisor, operations manager and workforce planning, forecasting and analysis manager. And prior to that, I was an infantry officer and enlisted combat engineer in the U.S. Army. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Literature from the University of California, Santa Barbara. I remain slightly bemused at my career path but am overall happy with my life choices, especially since they resulted in my beautiful wife and children.
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Displaying Results 1 - 75 (of 75) for All Content
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Jerry Sandusky Trial a Reminder to Us AllThere are many good things going on in the world of sports. The Jerry Sandusky trial, however, is a reminder that for all that we celebrate about sports, there is also a truly dark side of them to which we cannot turn a blind eye.
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Djokovic Loses to Nadal, Not with a Bang but a Whimper: Fan ReactionCongratulations to Rafael Nadal for his record seventh French Open championship. He finally defeated Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 on Monday. Or, given the double fault on match point, more precisely Djokovic finally lost the match.Also published on:
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U.S. Defeats Antigua and Barbuda to Open World Cup Qualifying: Fan ReactionA win is a win, and three qualifying points is always something to celebrate, but with an away game against a far more dangerous Guatemalan side next Tuesday, Friday's somewhat lackluster and tired-looking performance creates cause for concern.Also published on:
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Djokovic Will Beat Nadal in French Open Final: Fan PreviewThe nagging question for me is this: Who has more to lose in this match? Although Federer says the pressure is on Djokovic, who will be trying for his fourth straight Grand Slam title, I respectfully disagree. For me, the clear answer is Nadal.Also published on:
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Sloane Stephens into the 4th Round: Fan ReactionOn Friday, 19-year-old phenom Sloane Stephens easily handled France's Mathilde Johansson 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the fourth round of the French Open. This is Stephens' fourth Grand Slam appearance, and the deepest she has ever advanced. Way to go!Also published on: -
Brian Baker Defeats Monfils: Fan ReactionIt's probably premature to call Brian Baker's return to professional tennis one of the best sports stories of the year, but it's a pretty darned good and still developing one.
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Beckham Deserves to Be on the British Olympic Squad: Fan TakeDavid Beckham is one the 80 players still in contention to earn a spot on Britain's Olympic 18-man soccer squad. In my opinion, the 37-year-old Beckham fully deserves the honor of representing England at the upcoming London Olympics.Also published on: -
The Spirit of the Olympics in the Viral AgeIt's somewhat dismaying that a sporting event intended to celebrate the human spirit -- one that already requires ever stricter security measures -- now has to also account for the attention-seeking acts by people only interested in going viral. -
Isner Sends USA into Davis Cup Semifinals: Fan ReactionWay to go, John Isner! 5-set matches have long been an Isner signature, albeit historically with uneven results. Fortunately, he's now becoming famous for consistently winning them against quality opponents-- especially this year in the Davis Cup. -
Welcome Back, Venus Williams: Fan ReactionIn her first tournament singles match in over six months, Venus Williams easily dispatched the talented Kimiko Date-Krumm in the 1st round of the Sony Ericsson Open. What a great way for Williams to announce her return to action in the re-energized WTA. -
The Midnight LandOn July 2, 2029, the Yellowstone supervolcano erupted. The eruption ended life as we knew it on Earth. North America, blanketed under ash and snow, became an off-limit "midnight land." That didn't stop the unscrupulous from trying to profit from the dead. -
The VisionI had a dream yesterday, if you could call it that. I don't know if I should write it down. That's how strange it was. I surely don't intend to whisper a word of it to anyone as they would lock me up in "some place for my own good."
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U.S. Men's Squad Announced for Italy Friendly: Fan ReactionThe U.S. roster for the Feb. 29 friendly against Italy has been set. At first glance the squad looks solid and experienced. Having Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan once again on the pitch at the same time against a top opponent is an exciting prospect.Also published on: -
Concussions in Football and How Roosevelt Saved the Game in 1906: Fan TakeThose who dismissively call efforts to make football safer a "wussification" that will ruin the sport are, to me, more than a little misguided. As President Teddy Roosevelt showed in 1906, sometimes changes ARE necessary to "save" the game from itself. -
The World According to LinLittle needs to be said about Jeremy Lin's recent accomplishments. However, usually when we put someone up on a pedestal we immediately turn around and try to knock him or her off it. Why aren't we doing that to Lin?Also published on: -
US-Italy February 29 Friendly a Good Test: Fan PreviewThe February 29 men’s friendly between the United States and Italy will be a chance for U.S. fans to see how fully the national team has bought into Head Coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s attempts to overhaul American soccer from “the top to the bottom."Also published on: -
Three Matches to Watch on Final Day of AFC 3rd Round World Cup Qualification: A Fan's PreviewWhat are the matches to watch on February 29 from final set of fixtures of the third round of the Asian Football Confederation 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification section?Also published on: -
Celebrating the Centennial of Jim Thorpe at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, Part IIIIn Part II of this article, I outlined the scandal that saw Jim Thorpe stripped of his Olympic medals and records. In this third and final installment, I break down the scandal in detail to explore the "why" behind the "what" of what happened.Also published on: -
Whitney Houston's 1991 Super Bowl National Anthem: Fan (and Vet) ReactionWhitney Houston's national anthem on January 27, 1991, did genuine good in more ways and for more people than she could possibly imagine.Also published on: -
Celebrating the Centennial of Jim Thorpe at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, Part IIOn January 22, 1913, the Worcester Telegram published an article revealing that prior to the 1912 Olympics Jim Thorpe had been paid to play baseball.Also published on: -
Isner Defeats Federer in Davis Cup: A Big DealMaybe I'm putting the proverbial cart before the horse, but John Isner's 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-2 victory in the first round of the Davis Cup on Friday over Roger Federer is a big deal. And not just for himself, but also for American tennis.Also published on:
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Celebrating the Centennial of Jim Thorpe at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, Part IJim Thorpe's performance at the 1912 Olympics remains one of the iconic achievements in sports. However, the later revelation about Thorpe's "professional" status engulfed the still-nascent Olympic movement in a scandal that threatened its very existence.Also published on:
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The Women Absolutely Deserve the Same Prize Money as the Men"Why are women getting paid the same amount as the men?" "Is it really fair that Maria Sharapova walks away from the 2012 Australian Open with the same amount of money as Rafael Nadal?" In a word -- yes.
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Chalk it Up for Djokovic, but Barely, at the Australian Open: A Fan's ReactionMy pick to win this match was Novak Djokovic. I was right, but just barely. What an epic and thrilling five hour 53 minute 5-set insta-classic match.Also published on:
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Chalk: Djokovic Versus Nadal in Australian Open FinalIs Sunday the match where Nadal ends his losing streak to Djokovic and makes an emphatic statement that this season is going to be different from last year's?Also published on:
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Actually, Peter Bodo, You Did Call Out Serena WilliamsSerena Williams recently admitted she doesn't love tennis now. In response, columnist Peter Bodo said Serena should be shown the dictionary definition of "professional." Hey Bodo, it's Serena's life, not yours.Also published on:
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Tim Tebow and the Culture of SportsIn thinking about the why Tim Tebow is such a polarizing sports figure I've come to realize it's not really about him, but rather it's about the rest of us.Also published on:
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A Fan's List of the Controversial Stories in Sports in 2011When it comes to controversial sports stories, one story makes all the others pale to almost insignificance. I'm, of course, referring to Jerry Sandusky. That said, here's my list of the top 5 controversial sports stories for 2011.Also published on:
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The Best Sports Teams in 2011While I'm not exactly going out on a limb with my list of the best sports teams of the year, 2011 has been good for sports overall. The following four teams best epitomize excellence in a strong year with a number of worthy candidates to make the list.Also published on:
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Greatest Sports Moments in 2011: A Fan's ListAlthough a top sports "moment" doesn't necessarily just have to be about "winning," there's no getting around the truism that while perhaps not the only thing, "greatness" in sports is indeed most commonly defined by victory. This is my list.Also published on:
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The Flying Kardashians, Hollywood's Great Pro Wrestlers: Fan TakePoor Kris Humphries. Your role was to publicly "sell" the relationship with Kim Kardashian very firmly as the focus, just like how a wrestling "jobber" is expected to "sell" the match with the headliner. What were you thinking?
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Commentary: Herman Cain, MilquetoastThe word 'milquetoast' -- meaning timid, unassertive and spineless -- is not one that might normally be associated with a brash, opinionated, externally successful and clearly self-confident man like Herman Cain, but in this case it fits.
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'Homeland' in the Home Stretch; Coming Together or Coming ApartIs anyone else getting an uneasy feeling that 'Homeland' isn't quite coming together as it should at this stage? Can the three remaining episodes successfully give us a satisfying conclusion for what has been an excellent and compelling first season?
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Teased by 'Justified': Fan Reaction to the Season 3 TrailersTo tantalize us about the upcoming season 3 of the excellent 'Justified', FX has released three new thirty-second teasers. While I remain extremely excited and impatient for the January premiere, the teasers also created some seeds of concern for me.
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Fan Take: My Vote for the GIBBY Player of the Year AwardWith voting for the annual Greatness in Baseball Awards (GIBBY) underway, who is most deserving to win in the Player of the Year category? Although each of the nominees had a stellar 2011 season, for me there really is only one choice.Also published on:
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Federer Finishes Season in Style: Fan ReactionRoger Federer is a marathon runner. He is the only member of the "Big Four" of men's tennis who finished 2011 strongly, which belies the nagging worry about the thirty-year-old Federer "slipping" due to age. What are his prospects in 2012?Also published on:
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Tebow and the Meaning of Life: A Fan PerspectiveWhat fascinates me more than anything else about Tim Tebow is how he has the what seems to be the genuine ability to do what far too few caught in the glare of the public eye actually do, which is "shoot the hostage."Also published on:
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Doubts about Cam Newton weren’t necessarily racist: A fan’s takeIt was a mistake when Warren Moon said the criticism of Cam Newton was racially-based. And it's also a mistake for Moon this week to stand by his comments. By doing so, Moon did and continues to do Newton no favors.
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Fan debate: Nadal will have a better 2012 than DjokovicNovak Djokovic is the best tennis player in the world. That being said, when he hit The Shot he revealed himself to fundamentally be a gambler. And for that the reason, I think in 2012 Rafael Nadal will overtake him to once again be No. 1.
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Fan reaction: Star tennis players are not living in a dream worldWhile it's inevitable that tournament organizers are pushing back at player complaints about the length of the tennis season, some of their responses have a classically stereotypical older person's "in my day we walked up hill both ways" feel to them.
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Carrying the banner of American men's tennis into 2012: Fan's viewLooking forward to 2012, which American man has the most realistic chance of winning any of next year's tennis Grand Slams? (An American cracking the top four in the ATP rankings any time soon just seems like too much of a stretch.)
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Fan reaction: Wow! Nice job, Samantha Stosur!After watching Williams dismantle Ana Ivanovic, shred Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and then breeze by Caroline Wozniacki 6-2 6-4, clearly Serena Williams had the U.S. Open in the bag, right? I guess Samantha Stosur didn't get the memo.
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In defense of Barry Bonds: Fan's viewBarry Bonds is clearly one of those arrogant entitled types who can't quite believe that rules should and do in fact apply to them. What I am, however, going to do is defend Barry Bonds against the charge that he ruined baseball.
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Memories of a Baltimore Orioles junior broadcasterWhen I was 12 years old, I won the Baltimore Orioles junior broadcaster competition. This happened back when the team was consistently good, which is your first clue I'm talking about something that took place a long, long time ago.
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Too many tournaments in season to blame record for number of retirements at U.S. Open: Fan's viewThere have been a record fourteen retirements in the first three rounds of singles play at the U.S. Open. What is going on here? Who or what is to blame?
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The (very) long road to the U.S. OpenI became curious about just how long and hard a journey it really is for tennis pros from the first tournament of the year to the U.S. Open. For a representative (but completely unscientific) sample, I looked at the 2011 to-date journeys of three players.
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Fan reaction: Serena seeded 28th at the U.S. Open? Hah!I haven't always been a fan of Serena Williams. Truth be told, as often as not over the years I've actively rooted against her. That being said, it is an absolute farce for Serena to be seeded 28th at the U.S. Open.
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Fan reaction: Melanie Oudin's struggles continue, but she remains positive19-year-old Melanie Oudin was crushed yesterday 0-6, 1-6 by Elena Baltacha at the Mercury Insurance Open in Carlsbad, CA. It's safe to say 2011 hasn't been a great year for Oudin, but there's always the next tournament.
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Greatest women's sprinters in Olympics historyFemale sprinters are the queens of the summer Olympics. The following five women make my list of the "greatest" sprinters in Olympics history. Known cheaters, like Marion Jones, do not make the list.
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Greatest men's sprinters in Olympics historyWho are the greatest male sprinters in Olympics history? The men who make my list not only because they were the fastest, but also because of how they represented the Olympic spirit. Known cheaters, like Ben Johnson, need not apply.
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Fan reaction: Andre Agassi, thank youAndre Agassi's entrance into the Hall of Fame is well-deserved. On a personal note, he not only put me on the path of becoming a tennis fan at the beginning of his career, but also did something much more for me at the end of it.
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Fan reaction: 'Big four' widening the gap in men's tennis? No problemMardy Fish recently noted that men's tennis is "top-heavy" with the gap widening between the top four players and the rest of the world. Is this growing disparity in men's tennis good for the game?Also published on:
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Memorial Day: For Her Boy Charlie by Mrs. Althea Goodell Erwin (1862)A verbatim transcription of an account written in 1862 by my great-great-grandmother Althea Goodell Erwin to her son Charlie about his father, William. It's a reminder that Memorial Day is not just about those who served in uniform.
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Cemetery RidgeThe only time he remembered being truly and uncontrollably scared had been some twelve years before at Gettysburg. It was the night of the second day of the battle, and the roar of cannon and crackle of muskets had given way...
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Odd tennis rules and situations: A guide for beginnersOn its most basic level tennis is a simple game. However, some pretty strange things can happen in tennis. Here is my list of situations where either the rules themselves are odd, or lead to interesting interpretations.
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Le Stade De Roland Garros: Home of the French OpenFor the aficionado and casual fan alike, the French Open offers an unparalleled tennis experience. And this is due in a large part to its venue: The ambiance-oozing and tradition-rich Le Stade de Roland Garros in Paris.
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Five underdogs at the women's 2011 French Open: A fan's perspectiveWho are five lower-seeded players with a realistic chance of pulling off the necessary upset or two to take home the crown as the 2011 French Open women's singles champion?
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Five Tips for Helping Your Child Learn to ReadThere are no "magic" wands or shortcuts for helping your child learn to read. The following five principles if consistently followed should help create a positive and stimulating environment for your young reader to emerge and blossom over time.
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No one better than Chris Evert at French Open: A fan's perspectiveAlthough it is problematic to meaningfully compare the accomplishments of players from different eras, and while acknowledging that a handful of others also have strong claims, my vote for the best women's French Open player of all time is an easy one.
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What Are You Going to Read This Summer?Five books worth reading this summer.
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Atlas FailedWhen "Atlas Shrugged, Part 1" opened on April 15th, one of the goals of the film's producers was to encourage Hollywood to make more conservative-friendly films. Is that likely to happen given the box office performance of the film?
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The Journey Continues for Military and Terror Victim Families This Mother's DayOsama bin Laden was killed by special forces in Pakistan last Sunday. How are Blue and Gold Star military families and the families of 9/11 victims observing this Mother's Day in the wake of the news of his death?
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People TalkAfter closing, a bartender with a secret makes a fateful decision.
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Bin Laden's Death Strikes Blow Against al Qaeda; Could Prove Dangerous to United StatesWill the killing of Osama bin Laden prove to be more of a boon or bane for the United States and its fight against terrorism?
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The Mirrored BoxA Unitarian Universalist military chaplain "celebrating" yet another birthday in Afghanistan receives a very special present. From a collection of short stories (in-progress) about the chaplain called "Occam's Wager."
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The Poison Tree - Part IAll journeys begin with a single step, or in this case an intense hand-to-hand fight in a bathroom during the Invasion of Panama. From a collection of short stories (in-progress) about a Unitarian Universalist military chaplain serving in Afghanistan.
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The SilenceA Unitarian Universalist military chaplain struggles to write a letter to the family of a dead soldier. From a collection of short stories (in-progress) about the chaplain called "Occam's Wager."
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Occam's WagerAn excerpt from a collection of short stories (in-progress) about a Unitarian Universalist military chaplain serving in Afghanistan. In this piece, Chaplain Occam reflects on a question asked him by a dying soldier.
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Officials Still Dealing with Drilling Regulations in Wake of Oil SpillGiven that regulatory gaps and lax enforcement are being blamed in a large part for the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the open question a year later is how likely is it that meaningful regulatory reform will be enacted? And if so, when?
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A Love Poem for My WifeA love poem for my wife for our anniversary.
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Waco Siege Informs Government Approach to Radical ReligionsHow did the tragic siege in 1993 of David Koresh and the Branch Davidians at their Mount Carmel compound near Waco, Texas, affect how we deal with religious groups who hold seemingly anti-American points-of-view?Also published on:
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A Timeless ClassicAt its best poetry packs an emotional punch. The very best poems engage your entire being and challenge you to really consider what it means to be human. I genuinely believe there is no such thing as the passive reading of a poem. At least not honestly.
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'Atlas Shrugged, Part 1' Opening Weekend Sees a Rocky StartDid "Atlas Shrugged, Part 1" succeed in reaching its target conservative audience? And will that audience be enough to encourage Hollywood to create more "conservative-friendly" offerings in the future?Also published on:
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The Three Films to Watch Debuting at the Cannes Film FestivalNow that the official lineup for the 2011 edition of the Cannes Film Festival has been unveiled, what are the films that sound most appealing and should be in our local movie theaters?
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Plenty of Room for Jamie Olivers, 'Invisible' Advocates in Obesity WarDoes celebrity chef Jamie Oliver help or hinder our nation's efforts to combat obesity? What will it take to get our belt lines under control?Also published on: