PSWA Dinner

Sarah Bowman has been competing, and winning at the Penn Relays since she was in high school in Warrenton, Va., and last year, as a college senior, she helped the Volunteers win three Championship of America relays, setting two all-time records in the process. Bowman anchored Tennessee to first place in the distance medley relay on Thursday of the Relays, holding off the second-place finisher by less than one second, but saved the best for later in the weekend. First, on Friday, ... Read More

The Philadelphia Sports Writers Association's annual awards banquet will be held Monday night, February 1, 2010. Tickets are now on sale and available for purchase through the organization's web site by by clicking here. Incredibly, this will be the PSWA's 106th annual Sports Awards Dinner, making it the oldest sports awards dinner in the country. Last year, in spite of a frightening economic downturn, the Philly sports writers managed to sell out the huge ballroom at the Crowne Plaza in Cherry Hill, and the PSWA ... Read More

by John Gonzalez / Inquirer Columnist / A text came in. Then another. Then the whispers started in the press box. Then the phone started ringing. This all happened within seconds. It was about 8:45 last night when the focus shifted and everything changed. People stopped talking about how good Shady McCoy looked in the Eagles' preseason opener against the Patriots and started talking about the big news. Did you hear? The Birds signed Michael Vick. I didn't believe it at first. I didn't believe ... Read More

The drama and build-up before the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in St. Louis included a little of everything, from the Futures Game to the Home Run Derby won by Prince Fielder of the Brewers, to a personal appearance by the President, Barack Obama. Obama, known more for his prowess on the basketball court than on the pitching mound, nevertheless did more than an acceptable job. The lanky southpaw threw what appeared to be some kind of off speed pitch, reaching St. Louis favorite ... Read More

In July, 2007, the Phillies were playing in Denver when strong winds from an impending storm interrupted their game with the Rockies. The situation on the ground quickly became dangerous, with the tarp blowing up and endangering the grounds crew. Phillies players responded to the crisis, rushing on to the field to help anyway they could. And the Rockies' fans, as shown in this video, appreciated the above-and-beyond effort. Read More

Some are already pegging him as the next Babe Ruth! But since Bryce Harper is only 16 years old, that tag is a bit premature. Harper, however, is getting this kind of attention and notoriety because he swings one heck of a big stick. As a sophomore, he led Nevada scholastic players with a .570 batting average, and in a home run derby competition he slammed an aluminum bat-aided 502-foot blast. The Las Vegas High School catcher won the International Power Showcase High School Home Run ... Read More

The baseball world was already on to the sky's-the-limit potential of right-handed pitcher Stephen Strasburg of San Diego State. The junior was the only college player on the United States baseball team's roster and he struck out 23 batters in one game this year for the Aztecs. Oh, and he also throws the ball at 103 miles per hour. To put the final exclamation point on his college career, Strasburg pitched a no-hitter against Air Force, striking out 17 along the way. That kind of talent ... Read More

Sports comic Joe Conklin has been a fixture on the dais of the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association's annual Awards Dinner for many years. When Conklin performs at the PSWA awards dinner, he's sure to leave the crowd and our honored guests - most of them, anyway - in stitches. His spot-on impersonations of local sports figures has made Conklin an all-star in his own right. If the Philly sports writers can't get Eagles coach Andy Reid to come to our dinner, Conklin's impression of Big ... Read More

The Philadelphia 76ers stumbled out of the NBA playoffs in disappointing fashion, falling to the Orlando Magic in six games. The loss ended the year suddenly and soundly, but earlier in the series, there were some memorable moments for the Sixers. First was the clutch jump shot by Andre Iguodala that capped a thrilling 18-point comeback and lift Philly to a 100-98 victory in Game 1. In Game 3, it was the last-second heroics of Thadeous Young, who muscled his way to a game-winning layup ... Read More

Tornado-like winds crushed the Dallas Cowboys' practice facility Saturday, injuring a dozen people, including special teams coach Joe DeCamillas, the son-in-law of Dan Reeves. The following account is from Associated Press reporters David Jimenez and Jaime Aroni. Two videos capturing the dramatic scene from inside the bubble show the facility being thrown to the ground, and the confusion and near-panic that ensued. IRVING - Dallas Cowboys special teams coach Joe DeCamillis was among 12 people injured when winds just shy of tornado strength ripped through ... Read More