- 04:49 AM
- 11/23/24
The people behind the low wall aren't spectators per se. They're journalists, photographers and track marshalls. The actual paying spectators are behind the second, much higher, fence. The whole thing is still very scary, though.
posted by qbert72 at 11:49 AM on June 14, 2011
These words in the linked article scare me:
During the patriotic 7th inning stretch at Yankee Stadium, [snip] he tried to leave his seat during the traditional singing of God Bless America
The Ministry of Truth is cooking up new traditions.
posted by qbert72 at 12:25 AM on September 08, 2008
Drood, I think netbros' point is that there is a factual error in rcade's post.
posted by qbert72 at 01:14 AM on April 21, 2008
All right, I've entered the SpoFi Collective based on our average picks, and the game results from the first two days of play. So we have a provisional leaderboard. Game on!
posted by qbert72 at 12:03 AM on April 11, 2008
Hmmm, most likely, yes. I haven't had a look at this code in ages... It's not such a big issue, is it?
posted by qbert72 at 01:19 AM on April 10, 2008
I'm in. Thanks for setting this up, YYM. Glad to see our little app still getting used!
posted by qbert72 at 10:50 PM on April 08, 2008
first pitch at the Montreal Expos home opener in their new stadium Aww, man, don't rub it in. It was snowing here this afternoon, and I wondered how an opener in our brand new outdoors downtown stadium would have felt like.
posted by qbert72 at 10:47 PM on March 31, 2008
Bryan McCabe says hello. Thanks, grum. I wanted to see other candidates. I still think Backstrom has this beat. McCabe is at least aiming towards the corner, just (a whole lot of) not enough. Backstrom actually strikes it back to the goal from outside the crease.
posted by qbert72 at 10:12 PM on March 11, 2008
I thought Backstrom's reaction was very weird. He just stayed there and started adjusting his gloves. But there's not much he could do, I guess. Huet and Ovechkin were already lying face to the ground in disgust. This is the worst "own goal" I've ever seen in hockey. Steve Smith's in 1986 had bigger consequences, but it was a fluke play. Backstrom's shooting it in like he would do if he was at the other side of the ice. I feel really bad for him too.
posted by qbert72 at 08:53 PM on March 10, 2008
What are the chances of a Habs-Leafs outdoor game? The Canadiens played against the Oilers in Edmonton for the first occurence of these outdoor games. I'm afraid other teams will get their turn before it comes back to us. Doesn't Montreal have an outdoor soccer stadium where they could play? Unfortunately, we don't. We have a huge, crumbling indoor stadium, and a few small-ish outdoor stadiums, including the the Alouettes' home, which seats 20 000 people, and the upcoming Stade Saputo, which will seat a maximum of 17 000. So it doesn't look good that way either...
posted by qbert72 at 04:13 PM on February 24, 2008
Great story, very well told. Thank you, JJ.
posted by qbert72 at 07:57 PM on January 30, 2008
Orphan fans up for adoption was our most successful sign this summer.
posted by qbert72 at 08:56 PM on January 09, 2008
I've entered the last two games from today. It's getting crowded at the top of the standings.
posted by qbert72 at 11:46 PM on December 27, 2007
We should have a weekly roundup like this.
posted by qbert72 at 11:18 PM on October 18, 2007
I would move that Dravecky story up quite a bit. Me too. I was watching the game on TV when it happened. Extremely disturbing sight and sound. His bone breaking echoed in the Olympic Stadium like a gunshot. Awful.
posted by qbert72 at 05:13 PM on October 17, 2007
Cool stuff. Love the picture of him and Manny looking like they could eat Lugo for breakfast.
posted by qbert72 at 04:59 PM on October 17, 2007
I'm still hanging tight, but the D'backs' collapse is not helping me. I need the Indians to keep winning, or else some of you bullish on the Rockies (Chris2sy, mainly) could topple me. And apoch, you're very close to the optimal Costanza pick. That deserves congratulations.
posted by qbert72 at 04:50 PM on October 17, 2007
So it's not a perfect score, because there wasn't an across the board sweep, but after first round action, my pick is still the optimal pick. Meaning that it is mathematically impossible to have more points than I have now. Gotta take glory where I can!
posted by qbert72 at 02:51 AM on October 09, 2007
This is getting creepy. All my teams just keep on winning. I'm two games away from a perfect score in the first round.
posted by qbert72 at 01:55 AM on October 07, 2007
Cleveland rocks! (Until they put Borowski on the mound, that is.)
posted by qbert72 at 11:22 PM on October 05, 2007
Or if you leave your mouse on top of the person's name without clicking, you'll see the trash talk appearing. I so look like a genius right now. Gotta enjoy it while it lasts.
posted by qbert72 at 06:09 PM on October 05, 2007
So, the SpoFi collective believes the World Series will be played between the Yankees and the Red Sox.
posted by qbert72 at 07:17 AM on October 04, 2007
holden did pick the player who was lifted for Carroll So did I. I want justice!
posted by qbert72 at 07:00 AM on October 02, 2007
Jamey Fucking Carroll! The ex-Expos win it for the Rockies. That has to be the blown save to end all blown saves for Hoffman...
posted by qbert72 at 11:28 PM on October 01, 2007
It's the top of the 11th. Atkins is long gone. And the Rockies are down to putting Matt Herges (a former Expo!) on the mound. That can't be good.
posted by qbert72 at 10:10 PM on October 01, 2007
Colorado by 6 Atkins
posted by qbert72 at 06:12 PM on October 01, 2007
garfield posted this a while back: Leafs defense doesn't suck.
posted by qbert72 at 04:54 PM on September 25, 2007
Vanek? Really? It's not like he depended on Brière or Drury for his production. He was playing with Roy and Gaustad. I don't see why he can't keep it up. I'm with you on Brière: he won't be a bust. He's really come into his own under the "new NHL". I'm not so confident about Huselius.
posted by qbert72 at 01:29 PM on September 25, 2007
I just dropped Halak for Gerber. Well Halak is a long-term proposition. Huet is the clear #1 to start the season, and you've already got Brizgalov in a similar situation, so maybe Gerber is a better option for the time being. I really think Gerber sucks, though. I don't see him getting that much more time. OK, maybe not a lot more ice time, but definitely more PP time. A conservative projection puts him at 40pts with about 25-30 of those on the PP. That's pretty good for a D-guy picked dead last. Much better than, say, Craig Rivet will ever do. apparently mine is some Washington rookie center Oops. He was playing with Semin in the last pre-season game, though, so you may have an unintentional sleeper on your hands, there.
posted by qbert72 at 11:35 AM on September 25, 2007
Thanks, garfield! I can't for the life of me figure out who's got the better team. Here a few guys which I would have picked earlier than the round the went in: 225. Paul Martin: will see a lot more ice time, especially on the PP. He's the Devils' quarterback now. 204. Ales Hemsky: I have no reason to believe he can't rack up 70+ points this year. I also very much like Hater's late round picks of Recchi and Stillman. They're old, nobody believes in them anymore, but they're still producing. 197. Jaroslav Halak: he's stopping pucks, and will be #1 in Montréal before the end of the season 194. Ilya Bryzgalov: perhaps the best #2 goalie in the league, will be worth a lot if anything happens to Giguère 150. Martin Straka: he's playing with Jagr, right? 148. Andrei Markov: much like Paul Martin, he's the man at the blue line, now that Souray is gone. And he's got much more talent than Martin. 116. Scott Gomez: he's playing with Jagr, right? 99. Patrick Elias: He's a point-a-game guy no matter who's around him. 83. Eric Staal: Are you kidding me? Is there anything I don't know about his health or something? He's just one year removed from a 100-point season, dammit, and it's not like he's getting old. And the WTF picks are all Weedy's, thanks to the Yahoo! auto-drafter: 11. (152) Stephen Valiquette 12. (179) Carey Price These two picks are going to amount to 10 games total. Well done, Yahoo! auto-drafter! Two questions: Why are there two Backstroms? Where is grum?
posted by qbert72 at 10:47 AM on September 25, 2007
Can anyone post the draft results for us outsiders to see?
posted by qbert72 at 03:51 PM on September 24, 2007
the hands-down winner has to go to be this one Prediction-wise, I just can't get enough of rcade's 2006 Stone Cold Lock.
posted by qbert72 at 08:28 AM on September 24, 2007
Somewhat related: former Québec cycling superstar Geneviève Jeanson, now banned for doping, has finally admitted she took EPO from the age of 16, after years of vehement denial and plans for legal procedures all over the place.
posted by qbert72 at 10:42 AM on September 21, 2007
There's no question that Yankees fans and Red Sox fans take the most abuse here Wild ass guess: maybe it's because they just never shut up?
posted by qbert72 at 07:07 PM on September 19, 2007
Q, seriously, you should consider coming back. I'm considering it almost every waking hour. I. Must. Resist.
posted by qbert72 at 12:32 AM on September 19, 2007
of course, most non yankee/sox fans would find us both insufferable Meh, it's fun to watch, in a car wreck kind of way.
posted by qbert72 at 12:31 AM on September 19, 2007
Rate stats are for baseball. Hockey only has GAA, which is as much a team factor than an individual one. Note that GWG and +/- also involve an evaluation of a team as a whole, and I see nothing wrong with that for a few categories. That is to say I like GAA. Everyone should be encouraged to max out their playing time at every position, there's nothing wrong with that. And if Samsononov14 were here, he'd tell you all: shooting percentage sucks. To clarify my previous statement, I am in agreement with Weedy's opinion, not the way he voices it. I wouldn't want my kid to ask him an autograph.
posted by qbert72 at 11:32 PM on September 18, 2007
I thought you didn't care about the categories, Weedy? (I'm in total agreement with you, though.) goalie assists need to count towards assist totals too Goalie PIMs should count, which would make Ray Emery a total stud. (Not that he isn't already one.)
posted by qbert72 at 03:36 PM on September 18, 2007
For what it's worth, I think you do a good job at it, Crafty.
posted by qbert72 at 03:30 PM on September 18, 2007
No Q? Quel fromage! I demand an explanation! I need a break from fantasy sports. Between baseball and hockey, it's been non-stop for over four years now. And my baseball keeper league is very intense (we traded Carlos Marmol three times (between four managers) in the (road trip) car on deadline day, for crying out loud!), so a time to rest will be welcome. With one goalie slot, if you don't choose in the top half dozen slots, you're pretty much praying for someone to have a monster year and that's it. I don't know. That's pretty much the way it works with the two slots anyway, and with 82 games to fill at G, you couldn't get away with just one goalie, so you can get creative and carry an array of productive backups, for example. And you have to choose which of your goalies to play on a busy day, since there can only be one. But I'm leaving this decision to you guys.
posted by qbert72 at 01:07 PM on September 18, 2007
I'm not even participating, but I want to discuss skydivedad's proposed stats. They all seem fine to me, except that they're too weighted towards goaltenders: 4 goalie stats to 6 offensive stats puts a lot of pressure on your goalies, and we know from previous years that there is a serious dearth of goalies with 20 teams wanting to carry 3 or more keepers each. A possible fix would be to have a single goalie slot per team instead of two, which we've discussed a couple of times before, but never acted upon.
posted by qbert72 at 12:00 PM on September 18, 2007
I'd settle for being just the most clever sweeper.
posted by qbert72 at 11:55 AM on September 18, 2007
I can't get all worked up about this. FIA rulings carry no real value in the public eye, I think. In 1996, Schumacher lost all his championship points, and finished the season dead last in the drivers championship. Is this what people recall? Similarly, nobody will forget that the McLarens were the better cars of the 2007 season. In my mind, the constructors championship is not that big a deal. The drivers championship is the one that matters. The constructors' is there to provide pseudo-suspense when the drivers race is over too early. Mercedes and Vodafone will have no shortage of good stories and images for their marketing campaigns from the 2007 season, especially if Lewis Hamilton can pull it off. As for the fine, I'm certain it will be reduced considerably after a couple of rounds with the lawyers, and McLaren sponsors will (more or less) gladly foot the bill as compensation for all this nice promo material they will get from Lewis' rookie season championship.
posted by qbert72 at 07:28 AM on September 14, 2007
I guess he had a falling out with Patrick Roy. Last year, this story was all the rage: Roy was the only QJMHL GM ready to accept Rubin's religious choices. He drafted him with the intention of not playing him on Sabbath and other holidays. Now he's no longer with the Remparts, and his new team more or less put him under the gun, if we're to believe the article: "You play every day or you don't play at all." You can't really blame the Olympiques, they're just putting Rubin in front of a choice he was going to have to make sooner or later. I don't believe any NHL team would carry a player on its roster that voluntarily can not play on Friday night and Saturday afternoon games. I can't imagine how tough it must have been for him to make this decision. I hope his community will be understanding, and I wish him the best for his hockey career.
posted by qbert72 at 07:19 AM on September 14, 2007
That was one nasty fall. As the rabi said, he did take it pretty well: nice rolling landing, and plenty of room to slide and decelerate. The jump the bike took after hitting the rail is impressive. And I watched the longer clip, and he was definitely walking on his own. He's obviously shaken, but nothing's broken here, so let's hop back on, dammit! (These guys are crazy.) Thanks for posting some MotoGP links once in a while. I don't follow it closely, so your posts are appreciated.
posted by qbert72 at 09:54 AM on September 13, 2007
Oh yeah, the stat categories, those always foster discussion too. It's a shame Samsonov14 isn't here to profess his usual "Fucking Shooting %."
posted by qbert72 at 11:04 PM on September 11, 2007
Usually there's a long discussion about when it's best for everyone to hold the draft. You (meaning all interested SpoFites) could start arguing now.
posted by qbert72 at 01:10 PM on September 11, 2007
I saw a game in Milwaukee last month, and I don't remember Braun being so awful in the field. Of course, it was just a game, I don't recall a lot of balls were hit at him, and I was drunk. In any case, Braun would be rookie of the year, and one of the best hitters at his positions, even if he played first base or left field, which is what will keep him in the majors despite his fielding abilities.
posted by qbert72 at 08:48 AM on September 11, 2007
Carter's Big Up looks like more than a label. According to the About page, their mission is "to become the most recognized and respected portfolio of urban lifestyle brands." A bit too marketese/FUBUesque for my taste, but I'm happy to learn about more pro athletes involved in culture.
posted by qbert72 at 12:54 PM on August 30, 2007
I always thought pro athletes were good candidates for modern day patrons of the arts. I guess a first step for them is to realize their own art isn't worth much. And man, what better music to get you in the mood for a hockey game than a 15-minute sludgefest by Sunn O)))?
posted by qbert72 at 09:13 AM on August 30, 2007
I dislike the use of the word "blog" when the meaning intended is "post". That is all.
posted by qbert72 at 06:11 PM on August 21, 2007
This would be the best troll of all-time What makes you think it isn't? (I'm wary to jump in this discussion, because the last time I "pulled a Bishop" myself, we lost a valuable member...)
posted by qbert72 at 10:13 AM on August 02, 2007
If I'm not mistaken, this selection was the optimal selection within the game's rules. It would have netted over 10 000 points, litterally smoking everyone else. Mauricio Soler, the crazy little climber (who was categorized as a cheap domestique by VeloGames), gave the highest return. Sprinter Sébastien Chavanel (also miscategorized by VeloGames as a lowly domestique) gave the second highest yield.
posted by qbert72 at 12:27 PM on August 01, 2007
Can't these guys keep it on the track? Mostly, no. Piquet does mention that it wasn't just speeding that got his license revoked. He also frequently parks in the handicapped spot. The old bugger is still looking good. I remember he had one nasty crash in practice at Indy after his F1 career. He's lucky he can still walk, let alone drive.
posted by qbert72 at 11:08 AM on August 01, 2007
Thank you afx237vi! Full standings and team riders for the curious My "Sprinters suck!" strategy paid off in the end. That and Sébastien Chavanel. What a deal he was at 2 dollars. I'm actually 387th on the global leaderboard, which is not that bad. The overall winner had a prescient selection. If I had taken Boonen as my wild card, or if Rabobank weren't so afraid of bad publicity and had let Rasmussen win the thing, who knows where I may have ended up. Then again, as we say in French: avec des si, on mettrait Paris en bouteille. I'm wondering how Velogames decided to leave points on for riders excluded or forfeiting.
posted by qbert72 at 08:50 AM on August 01, 2007
That was like watching 72 straight double faults. JJ had to serve at some point, no?
posted by qbert72 at 04:23 PM on July 28, 2007
Ok, but how do you remove the draggers?
posted by qbert72 at 02:41 PM on July 27, 2007
Thanks for the link, catfish. The reasoning in the article is very sound. I get the feeling there is no way to actually solve this problem. Whether doping is legal or not, money will always give you an edge: better drugs and/or more successfully hidden drugs.
posted by qbert72 at 12:38 PM on July 27, 2007
Thanks for this link, JJ. I needed it too. I was on the verge of crying for most of yesterday evening, feeling a light version of the "dumped-by-girlfriend" feeling.
posted by qbert72 at 09:02 AM on July 26, 2007
The Worst At-Bat in MLB History?
Does a YouTube video of someone filming the at-bat on their TV do it you GIF haters?