Predicting that pitcher Tim Wakefield would make his first All-Star game in 2009, a full 21 years after being drafted as an infielder, would be perhaps the only thing harder than predicting where his fluttering knuckleball will end up. Bill reflects on the career of the longest tenured Red Sox player in his commentary.

Bill remembers a time when dinosaurs roamed the earth-and newspaper beat writers were the only voices young boys could count on to cover their favorite teams.

Inevitably, success in the Confederations Cup is followed by the question: Has soccer finally “arrived” in the United States? Rather than let the debate overshadow the sport, Bill implores those of us who enjoy soccer to simply appreciate good competition when we see it.

There are plenty of role models in professional sports, but Manny Ramirez probably isn’t one of them. In his commentary, Bill muses about the ramifications of the slugger’s unaltered ability to sell tickets, despite what many would consider a tarnished reputation.

To wade through the marketing waters is to find advertisers that believe the public should buy products famous athletes endorse simply because they are famous. Bill Littlefield notes in his commentary that finally, there is a product spokesman that makes sense.

In his commentary, Bill Littlefield laments the fact that the walls that shield the privacy of an athlete’s life from the public are becoming increasingly transparent. He cares about issues that will directly affect the outcomes of games, and thinks you should, too.

What better place to gain perspective than on vacation? Sports are in many ways a microcosm of society. The stakes and the drama are real, franchises are run like businesses, and incentives drive everything. Nonetheless, Bill Littlefield yearns for a respite from the repetitive plotlines of athletics while he catches up on the world outside of sports.

In today’s impatient and hurried society where journalists compete for attention-grabbing headlines as much as worthwhile stories, hyperbole rules. Bill Littlefield comments on the often inappropriate use of language and catchphrases in contemporary sports reporting.

Often, the first words out of an athlete’s mouth after being linked to performance-enhancing drugs are of complete and aggressive denial. In certain settings an athlete can refute the charges and his guilt will forever be shrouded in subjective analysis, but commentator Bill Littlefield examines an event where guilt is the only indictment the participants can’t disprove.

For some, this time of year is magical. Playoffs in the NBA and NHL combine with the regular seasons of baseball and soccer to saturate the public thirst for competition. But for others, like commentator Bill Littlefield, the craving is occasionally for something the sports culture has labeled taboo: A break.