I guess I'm as RETARED as wfrazerjr since I agree. But BOLTING2BELIEVE .. I must ask .. many strippers are single mothers just trying to get by, so if Yao dialed up Stephen Jackson and skipped off to the gentlemen's club for 2 days, would it still be about the kids? Thankfuly Yao earned his fine by being a good citizen. Should be a non-story.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 09:49 AM on October 04, 2007
If all teams were to adopt the LA Angels of Anaheim model the author forgot to mention my beloved Detroit Pistons of Auburn Hills. While I understand the logic behind moving stadiums to adjoining cities from a gate revenue standpoint, even if it is 24.7 miles from the northern border of Detroit as in the Palace of Auburn Hills, it has always seemed silly to retain the originating city name. Of course playing against the Auburn Hills Pistons just doesn't have the same ring as Detroit - you know, the Detroit full of unruly, out-of-work auto employees who beat Indiana players mercilessly - to warrant TV dollars or the respect of teams who are so huge that they represent entire states or nicknames of states. Anyhow thats my somewhat related to the topic rant. As for worst nicknames - and I assume this is tongue in cheek given it comes from a prominent design school - are the Nads and Balls of the Rhode Island School of Design. Then again, maybe those are the best ever.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 11:45 AM on September 13, 2007
Mike Utley Foundation - Finding a Cure for Paralysis.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 01:42 PM on September 10, 2007
I also heard that while rehabbing Ankiel may have participated in dog fighting and wrote a book about being gay in the NBA.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 02:31 PM on September 07, 2007
Theo Ratliff will make $12 million this year .. its enough to make a 9 to 5 office captive find the tallest structure available to throw oneself off of.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 09:02 AM on September 04, 2007
For a change the Lions probably won't be calling. That says something. What that is, I am unsure. Could be the highlight of his resume ... "Lions not interested'.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 12:33 AM on September 01, 2007
posted by gradys_kitchen at 03:37 PM on August 30, 2007
the grouping of these occurrences is strictly random. If these were spread out over an entire year, no one would be trying to make a connection (and most people wouldn't notice). Grum, I disagree about the notion that these type of occurences would go unoticed. The sudden death of athletes, whether cardiac related or not, always draw a great deal of attention due to the perception that athletes are in peak or near-peak physical condition. The assumption would be that they are less susceptible to such health events. Good info from the American Heart Association for those who are interested: "Although SCD occurs rarely in athletes, when it does happen, it often affects us with shock and disbelief. Cause: Most cases of SCD are related to undetected cardiovascular disease. In the younger population, it is often due to congenital heart defects, while in older athletes (35 years and older), the cause is more often related to coronary artery disease. Prevalence: SCD in athletes occurs rarely; however media coverage often makes it seem like it happens more often. In the younger population, most cases of SCD occur while playing team sports; in about one in 100,000 to one in 300,000 athletes, and more often in males. In older athletes, SCD occurs more often during running or jogging and in approximately one in 15,000 joggers and one in 50,000 marathon runners. Screening: The American Heart Association recommends cardiovascular screening for high school and collegiate athletes."
posted by gradys_kitchen at 01:30 PM on August 30, 2007
Hmm .. where have I seen this before?
posted by gradys_kitchen at 10:00 AM on August 23, 2007
So where would you put how Barry Sanders retired in all of this? Lions related burnout. Its amazing the whole team doesn't retire each and every year before season's end. The only entry on their exit interview: "Demoralization" or "Looked unfavorably upon by the Fates".
posted by gradys_kitchen at 09:58 AM on August 23, 2007
Weedy - you understand then why I used 'broadly'. Its tough to drop the Hitler bomb but it is one of the strongest examples to bing forth when trying to implicate the leadership. In this case Vick. I see your points though.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 12:13 PM on August 22, 2007
JJ - you got me. Also, I was hoping to score with the girls by throwing in that moral relativism bit. Had my cardigan on, pipe in hand and everything.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 11:32 AM on August 22, 2007
The fallibility of humankind is quite well documented. We could also throw in a discussion of moral relativism if we wanted to escalate the debate to a different plane. However, in any era there are basic holes in some of the arguments here. No matter if you're the President of the United States, people make mistakes, we're human. Pointing to the actions of others is a poor way to vindicate oneself even if those actions are committed by 'stand up' folks like the President. Mom said it best when she asked, if all of your friends jumped off a bridge, would you follow? Mankind should be held accountable for all mistakes with the opportunity to earn forgiveness, not passively dismissing errors, or crimes in this instance, as just part of human nature. Did Vick drown the dogs himself? Was he actually doing any of the actual literal horrible shit? Or was he paying for it all and other sociopaths doing it? I think there's a bit of a difference in light of such outrage. He's a dick, for sure, but he's hardly the anti-christ. He's the money, from what I can tell. In this case, if broadly applied to history, the Gestapo is at more fault then the Nazi leadership. Did Hitler shove humans into giant furnaces? Was he actually doing any of the actual literal horrible shit? Or was he just directing others to do it? A less sinister comparison would be determining who is ultimately responsible in organized crime (boss or foot soldier) 'cause one hates to play the Hitler card on a sports message board.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 11:10 AM on August 22, 2007
Oh yeah! A Mike Vick thread I somehow missed. Without reading the comments I will predict that all of the following have taken place: a) It has been suggested that Vick's genetalia be chewed off by a dog b) Someone has bizzarely eluded to horse racing as being as cruel as dog fighting c) Racial epitaphs have been traded, knowingly or unknowingly d) "You just don't understand thug life" e) Someone other than Vick is at fault, most notably society, Roger Goodell and the media f) Atlanta fans reminded about how screwed they are with the injury to DJ Shockley Now to start reading in reverse to see if my career change to TV Psychic is not too far fetched.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 03:19 PM on August 21, 2007
I for one still do (therefore the posting) although the reasons in the article aren't very revealing for anyone reasonably versed in FIBA's rules, but a good lesson for those who are not. Point of it all for me at least .. it would be refreshing to see the U.S. flex some international muscle since basketball like baseball is our export. Even more exciting would be some fan enthusiam.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 03:52 PM on August 20, 2007
It's too bad that there's really no way to watch this race. Sounds right up Versus' alley unless they run it with the nasty weather intact, then the resulting spills and injuries would make it more appropriate for coverage on FOX or Spike.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 03:39 PM on August 20, 2007
Slur police checking in. Let's just say that Chinese man/fellow is peeing on my figurative rug.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 12:39 PM on August 09, 2007
If Bonds broke the record without ever having a season of 50+ home runs, would that change how people felt about him? Good question. My opinion is that the negativity would be softened had Barry not had his juggernaut homerun season. But this is coming from a guy who loves old, seemingly unreachable records. Even though I got caught up in the McGwire/Sosa chase for 62, I still wince at the thought of how badly the record was beaten. There were similar publicized opinions at the time from those who don't mind seeing records fall, they just don't like them masaccared. Apply this to Bonds and remove his 'peculiar year, I think you're left with a rough around the edges personality who might only be accused of too many trips to buffet.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 03:43 PM on August 08, 2007
Mitch Albom received so much love in another thread that I thought I would post his reaction here. I was too lazy to read so it may be the best piece of journalistic writing he's ever done. However, Jason Richardson and Mateen Cleaves told me it wasn't and they were there when he wrote it. I swear.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 10:40 AM on August 08, 2007
Grum, Thanks. I did think that I was being original but it appears I was beat: "Still to come are Marion Jones, the Balconic Woman, and the rest of her track compadres, who fear nothing with the possible exception of a person in a lab coat bearing a specimen jar."
posted by gradys_kitchen at 03:35 PM on August 07, 2007
Barry Bonds... Baseball player... Barely the best hitter in the game ... Gentlemen, we can rebuild him ... we have the drugs and black elbow 'thingy' We have the capability of building the world's first Balconic Man Better, stronger, faster Barry Bonds is the 755 Man
posted by gradys_kitchen at 02:43 PM on August 07, 2007
Or maybe you would like someone to put a saddle on your back and whip you and make you run at full speed and say it's not the same So when did Spofi turn into a BSDM thread? If someone would have told me I would have brought my assless chaps, ball gag and whip.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 04:05 PM on July 27, 2007
The hits keep coming. See previous. Condolences to both families.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 04:48 PM on July 26, 2007
I don't agree with point shaving, but I don't hear anyone saying how inconvenient facial shaving is to they typical over-slept, late for work male. Unkempt facial hair has been around for 350,000 years but you have a lot of stodgy bosses giving the working man grief. Where the hell is the ACLU at.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 03:30 PM on July 26, 2007
I spent 2 years in Thunder Bay one winter. Love it. Good quip. The part of the police story that unfortunately ressembles the breakdown in logic that follows a big night of drinking during my late teens/early 20s: "After leaving the property, the group gathered on Highway 61 and began harassing passing motorists. At approximately 4:00 a.m. the suspects were placed under arrest for disorderly conduct and obstructing the legal process. Some of the suspects fled in to the nearby woods."
posted by gradys_kitchen at 11:38 AM on July 26, 2007
Least we forget the famous pre-1930s 120 mph wind gusts of the Polo Grounds blowing out to West 157th. Without the aid of Manhattan skyscrapers in the distance, the legendary winds were left unimpeded on their way to the Bronx. Ruth was obviously aided by these hurricane strength anomalies as his HR numbers dipped as the Chrysler building was erected. The Empire State building's arrival shortly thereafter ushered Ruth out of the league in 1935, his homerun power robbed by the behemoth windblockers and signaling an end to the famous Polo Ground Jet Stream.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 04:16 PM on July 23, 2007
The Crafty Sousepaw put it first and best. My contribution is this excerpt from an article regarding fan injuries and fatalities at the ballpark that unfortunately requires a subscription to read: "The authors confirmed at least thirty-five fatalities since 1900 in Major and Minor League ballparks. Interestingly only five are ball related, and only two of these are from being struck by a foul ball (table 1). The remaining thirty deaths are due to either fan behavior (table 2) or stadium infrastructure (table 3). " - published 2003. Please try your own search for Foul Play: Fan Fatalities in Twentieth-Century Organized Baseball to see if your Google is friendlier than mine. A full article would indeed be interesting.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 12:44 PM on July 23, 2007
The Black Knight - did not know this about him. Seems an odd nickname for a man once under fire for not speaking out against apartheid. Back to roids in golf. I must agree with sickleguy that their use would seem out of place in golf unless someone is chasing some additional GNC or Weider sponsorship dollars. If somehow Player's worries prove true what's next? Steriods in billiards? Just think how cool it would be to see someone take the cue to the 8 ball with popeye forearms. Awesome to say the least.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 11:19 AM on July 19, 2007
Thanks JerseyGirl for reminding us of those, but when men argue, esp. a subject like this, we do it with a bit more aggression and testostereone. Our Bad. Consider the new can of worms opened.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 12:53 PM on July 18, 2007
Also, for all of you thinking of interesting and blood thirsty ways of punishing vick using the very dogs he 'may' have tortured, here is my suggestion: https://secure.hsus.org/01/makeadonation?qp_source=gabam3
posted by gradys_kitchen at 09:59 AM on July 18, 2007
- dangerously walking on eggshells here as this post is about a business decision and not race - Hey who else saw those scathing headlines about Matt Schaub the other day? What? You didn't? Maybe it was worth the gamble to keep one of the most exciting field presences in a long time behind center but... I would have thrown my eggs in with the more modestly talented and less allegation prone QB. Well maybe not in fantasy football where there are no negative points assigned for dog fighting and animal cruelty indictments.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 09:45 AM on July 18, 2007
Well my joke (-ish) post was ruined. I was going to make light of the fact that the DC-Baltimore metro area drew no fans during the Nationals @ Orioles interleague games but they managed to average 20k fans during the series.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 10:41 AM on July 13, 2007
Second post of the day that I've come in expecting an Onion article.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 04:23 PM on June 27, 2007
Not that I want to spend much time mulling this over but shouldn't there be more concern for the man's colon than his sore jaw?
posted by gradys_kitchen at 12:53 PM on June 27, 2007
And I came here expecting a post from the Onion.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 10:34 AM on June 27, 2007
Looks like Rivals.com will hang on: It will function as an independent unit in Yahoo Sports, a media site which attracts a monthly audience of 15 million visitors, according to audience measurement firm comScore Inc.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 11:43 AM on June 21, 2007
Good move on Yahoo if they keep the Rivals brand name intact. I could see them continuing to operate as separate entities with Rivals still feeding Yahoo Sports with content. Rivals would maintain its position as a prep & college news powerhouse while Yahoo would continue to feed the more casual fan with top headlines as opposed to dealing with complexity and headache of merging the two offerings. Sorry to bore everyone with my eBusiness insights but I was feeling like partying as if it where 1999.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 11:26 AM on June 21, 2007
... but then again it is no less dangerous than watching a public fireworks display I suppose.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 12:03 PM on June 18, 2007
A good candidate for the Darwin Awards. Tragic.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 11:36 AM on June 18, 2007
I have yet to expend all of my remaining homer credits on sportsfi so here is my hell yeah! for the Tigers and Justin V.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 01:33 PM on June 13, 2007
While I don't believe he would have ended up in the baseball hall, Bo was none the less one of the most exciting players to watch at the plate and in the field. His all-star homerun is one of those childhood baseball moments I will never forget. As NL All Star Manager Tommy Lasorda said, "When the ball hit the bat it sounded like he hit a golf ball." It left the park like a John Daly struck golf ball as well.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 08:59 AM on May 30, 2007
How does everyone think that Oden is going to be this great center when he wasn't even close to dominant in college? The guys he is being compared to were MONSTERS in college (Shaq, Duncan, Robinson etc...). I'm not saying that he sucks or won't be a decent player, but I just don't see the "dominant big man" tag working on this dude. Agreed, but we have the clichéd yet truthful statement that centers are a disappearing breed so Oden gets a pass for just being very damn good. From the OSU games that I did get to watch he seemed to be one of the best shot blockers I've seen in awhile. I’m not a coach but it did appear Oden needed to develop more court awareness but those are issues easily corrected with additional experience. That said, I would love to draft either Oden or Durant given that my beloved Pistons took Darko Milicic with the second pick only a few short years ago.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 11:33 AM on May 23, 2007
Poor intro to the article, but a fun premise. Take it for what it is.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 02:32 PM on May 22, 2007
Shirley continues with (possibly) an even more humorous rant in "Why I Root for Brent Barry"
posted by gradys_kitchen at 01:03 PM on May 17, 2007
Basically, the NBA gives off the impression of an old white guy (like, I don't know, David Stern) trying to be street. Couldn't agree more. But as we see changes in ownership, subtle and isolated as they maybe, how will the game look when the street (Jay-Z, Usher) tries to appeal to the old white guy? Should be interesting especially as I continue to resemble that old white guy with every passing birthday. Hopefully I will never be so out of touch with youth or urban culture that the game will no longer make sense to me. As for Coors, I can't drink it because I always picture Mark Harmon wading in the stream that my beer supposedly originates, knowing full well that standing in frigid water is a good way to kick start the bladder. That's how you get that refreshing mountain taste.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 11:12 AM on May 17, 2007
The Seattle SuperSonics Select Saer Sene of Senegal /most favorite draft moment ever How about Portland taking Joel Freeland - the 19 year old "grocery bagger" from Britain in the first round?
posted by gradys_kitchen at 10:49 AM on May 17, 2007
Another season, another reason to hate Roger Clemens. An open letter from a Sox fan (Seth Stevenson). My favorite line as a once and future disgruntled fan: "Also: You are fat. They say you've got this hard-core training regimen, with calisthenics and whatnot. I'm not seeing it. You're wicked fat." I love regressing to schoolyard put-downs when it comes to fandom. Not so much from those anyomous folks on Sports Radio call-ins, but in print which is basicaly an admission that you are behaving like an ass but you don't care.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 02:53 PM on May 07, 2007
About time. If NCAA basketball wants to continue to portray itself as the legimate proving grounds for the NBA, or if David Stern continues to feed that assumption, the gameplay and rules should more closely resemble each other. Next step, shorter college shot clock.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 03:47 PM on May 03, 2007
Freakonomics checks in. Sayyyyy. Does this mean Dwyane Wade is white? What he said.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 02:45 PM on May 02, 2007
I'm hardly Curt's biggest fan, but plenty of athletes have blogs and they tend to post about themselves because . . . it's a blog Got any examples of other athletes who aren't paid by a news service to do so? Also, you confuse blog with diary. It would be one thing if a fan blogged about Schilling, just as I might blog about music or politics, but when everything is self directed .. well that's downright self-promoting. Also, admittedly I am being hard on Curt because I am a incurable homer. Anyone not a Tiger in the AL can fall prey to my anonymous online ranting.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 09:40 AM on April 26, 2007
While watching the game all I could think of was blatant publicity stunt by the same ego maniac that posts about himself tirelessly in his very own blog.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 09:01 AM on April 26, 2007
Followed the link expecting some good locker room banter including a bit of the too profane to repeat. Instead I get: "The book is great. If you’re a Suns fans I highly recommend it. If you like basketball, I think you would also enjoy this book a great deal. I don’t recall ever not being interested from what I was reading in the book." Hard hitting criticism to say least .. for a book report turned into an 8th grade teacher.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 09:31 AM on April 24, 2007
Its 174 days until the birthday of Peter Tosh.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 02:35 PM on April 20, 2007
I also hear that they admitted to passing notes, not wearing seat belts and occasionly reading a porno mag.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 01:12 PM on April 20, 2007
Classy by the Nationals. Dead on by Weedy (that is not a tasteless pun by the way).
posted by gradys_kitchen at 01:34 PM on April 19, 2007
Checking back in on this post which I did not anticipate taking this turn in discussion. Thank you drood for appreciating its intent properly and embracing its ridiculousness.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 10:30 PM on April 15, 2007
Caple should direct his fire towards the ownership. He himself states that Ichiro is pulling his weight with the bat "It's great that you've hit .300 each season, with at least 200 hits. But as you've noticed in recent years, that is no longer enough." Surround Ichiro with some additional reliable bats and see how quickly talks of leadership fade into the background.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 12:40 PM on April 12, 2007
Post much? Let's try: "Oddly enough, Nick Nolte's turn as coach Pete Bell of the legendary Western University Dolphins in Blue Chips did not make the cut.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 11:17 AM on April 12, 2007
Keith Hernandez rips ex-mate Gary Carter on air
This really boils down to a long standing pissing match over whether or not a porn stache can pull more chicks then a man-perm circa 1986.
posted by gradys_kitchen at 04:19 PM on May 27, 2008