- 01:43 PM
- 04/18/24
This is one of those situations where I wish the writer would explain exactly how these thoughts and statements of Spitz were obtained. If a journalist became curious about the absence of Spitz at the Beijing games, then sought him out to inquire about that absence, then I can't argue with anything that Spitz said. Spitz comes off like a crybaby if he's screaming "look at me, look at me, nobody cares..." but if he was sitting at home, anonymously watching the games like the rest of us when he got a call asking for an interview, then I appreciate his candor. Either way, someone somewhere from the USOC or NBC should have reached out to Mark Spitz, and I find it hard to believe that nobody did.
posted by captaincavegirl at 07:38 PM on August 13, 2008
I don't think the media is playing up the Phelps angle too much because I feel that Lezak really has been given credit where credit is due. The Phelps story is huge and this was the one nobody expected him to get. It's not like they're giving Phelps the credit for the win, which would obviously be ridiculous. But if it wasn't for Phelps' involvement I can't imagine that the French would've been talking in the first place, plus now I can name 2 male swimmers for team USA.
posted by captaincavegirl at 08:26 PM on August 11, 2008
I would imagine that Venus and Serena see their father far more clearly than people give them credit for. I'm willing to bet that they've grown up hearing Richard rant about race and probably spend a good deal of time rolling their eyes. If Richard Williams is as wrong-minded as most people seem to think he is, I'm sure his daughters see it too. Granted, they're obviously shaped by his beliefs to an extent but don't most of us consider ourselves more forward-thinking, tolerant, and enlightened than our parents? I don't think it's fair to assume that the sisters are blindly following their father without their own clarity about what occurred at Indian Wells. They know how he is and I have to give them the benefit of the doubt that they wouldn't take such a dramatic stance against a tournament without a better reason than "daddy said".
posted by captaincavegirl at 12:44 PM on July 24, 2008
The Redskins are getting one hell of a deal. As a Dolphin fan I love Jason Taylor and I'm sad to see him go, I'll really miss watching him play. I wish he'd have been able to go somewhere where he'd finally get a chance to win.
posted by captaincavegirl at 12:56 PM on July 21, 2008
What if Jackie Robinson boycotted every major league stadium that he heard racial slurs in? Standing up for yourself is a lot more respectable than whining and running away. Just because Jackie Robinson faced such deplorable working conditions doesn't mean that the Williamses should as well. Does anyone think that Jackie Robinson would say, "hey girls, stop whining, suck it up-I did?". Isn't this why Jackie stood up against such remarkable hatred, so that athletes that followed him wouldn't have to? I can get behind the idea that the sisters should go back and kick ass all over that tournament every year, that would be great to watch. That being said, I've got to respect their decision to boycott because that's how they are choosing to stand up for themselves, and I expect that they won't give a second thought to facing a penalty for it.
posted by captaincavegirl at 11:07 PM on July 17, 2008
But this is not ancient rome and the participants are not gladiators,no they are paid athletes,and we are paying spectators who has a ticket given right to cheer and boo as we please without a reason that need explaining Just as the Williams sisters have a given right to stay as far away from Indian Wells as they want. It doesn't matter if the fans' behavior was racially motivated or not; the sisters feel that it was and that alone is enough to justify their avoiding that tournament. I agree that it would be ridiculous for the WTA to punish them for their decision.
posted by captaincavegirl at 03:33 PM on July 17, 2008
ELEVEN years??? Whoa.
posted by captaincavegirl at 08:53 PM on July 13, 2008
I'm really shocked. I've long believed that the vast majority of teams (in any sport) would take a player of Bonds' caliber when the price was right regardless of their list of crimes. I'd like to take this as proof that I was wrong but it's really hard not to be suspicious instead.
posted by captaincavegirl at 11:46 PM on June 27, 2008
Wow, an actual reason to be interested in the hammer throw, cool! I hope he makes the team.
posted by captaincavegirl at 08:03 AM on June 10, 2008
I condemn captaincavegirl just fyi gfinsf... For the cup finals last year I took my kids out of school a whole 30 minutes early. As of right now THIS school year, my daughter has missed one day of school, my son has missed zero. They are both the best-performing students in their respective classes. Save your condemnation for someone else.
posted by captaincavegirl at 11:39 AM on June 07, 2008
Unfortunately this is just what happens when you end up with a Pacific-time team competing against an Eastern-time team, in any league. During last season's Stanley Cup final I had to pull my kids out of school early to make the 5pm starts...it happens. The Sundays though, that's just ridiculous.
posted by captaincavegirl at 05:27 PM on June 04, 2008
Assuming that Gretzky gets all credit for bringing hockey to California, it's only been 18 or 19 years. It hasn't really been long enough to produce many NHLers yet and considering that most Cali kids go the college route, we're looking at at another 4 years or so before hotbed status starts kicking in. And ok, fine...maybe "hotbed" wasn't the best choice of words.
posted by captaincavegirl at 11:58 AM on May 31, 2008
Why are there teams in Florida, Arizona, Texas, Southern California, Tennessee, Georgia, or North Carolina? Because someone wanted to fork out the big bucks to buy a hockey team and they wanted to put said team somewhere that sunny-weather-folk could support and enjoy the game, as well as to capitalize on an untapped market. I don't get it when I hear these arguments that certain cities don't like hockey enough or aren't cold enough to have a team. Of course it's bigger in Canada, but should that really mean Anaheim shouldn't have a team, or Los Angeles? I don't think so. Not to mention what these teams mean to the development of USA Hockey. Even though it only snows once a decade here in SoCal, and there's not a frozen pond in sight, kids are playing hockey here every day. National championships are being won at all levels. You'll be hearing about southern California being a hockey hotbed within the next 10 years, just watch, and I hope that will be justification enough.
posted by captaincavegirl at 04:09 PM on May 30, 2008
At least he's got a good attitude about it... “I don’t really care,” he said Friday. “It’ll make a better story if I make it to the big leagues.” Yeah it will.
posted by captaincavegirl at 01:06 PM on May 24, 2008
to say that Sid the Kid can help increase the popularity of the NHL is a stretch. Exactly. If you're not a hockey fan already you're not going to go to the lengths it takes to find an NHL game just to check out Sidney. Getting back on ESPN is the only way to go. As long as the NHL doesn't have a contract with ESPN they are squandering a major opportunity to use Crosby (not to mention a ton of other young talent) to market the game. This reminds me of Wayne Gretzky moving to L.A. Growing up in southern California, I knew who Gretzky was but I'd never watched a hockey game. Couple that event with some exposure to hockey via the Olympics and video games, and by the time he's in a Stanley Cup Final with the Kings, I'm searching for hockey on the radio.
posted by captaincavegirl at 12:56 PM on May 24, 2008
I agree with rumple, the Gold Medal game should be the exception. Hockey is intended to be played until there is a winner. In the interest of fairness, it makes sense to have the earlier rounds' OT rules altered to fit the format of the tournament. But the final game-the single most important game of the entire tournament-should be decided the way the hockey gods intended.
posted by captaincavegirl at 05:12 PM on May 19, 2008
Just because the American pallette and sensibilities are offended by horse meat, it doesn't mean that the rest of the world's should be. I agree, but it's not just about the yuck factor. To refer again to the Real Sports piece, at least part of the problem with the slaughter of horses in the US is that that slaughterhouses use the same equipment to kill horses that they use on cows. Needless to say, the anatomy of cows and horses is quite different and the cow-killin' equipment is not as effective on horses, thereby resulting in more suffering for the horse.
posted by captaincavegirl at 03:34 PM on May 17, 2008
Just this morning I watched a recently tivo'd Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel that addressed this type of thing in America. According to that story, also-rans are often sold (for roughly $200) to someone who in turn auctions them off, many ending up in slaughterhouses and sold for human consumption in Asia and Europe. If I remember correctly, the slaughtering of horses was banned in the US fairly recently so now horses are trucked to either Mexico or Canada where the practice remains legal. There is now a bill working its way through congress that, if passed, will outlaw the transportation of horses across the border for the purpose of slaughter. One of the horse rescuers interviewed in the story claims that it would cost the owners of these horses about $60 to humanely euthanize them but many take the $200 instead.
posted by captaincavegirl at 04:13 PM on May 16, 2008
Thanks for the video link jojo. I'm surprised anyone gave that incident a second glance, it looks like Mama LeBron just being a fan to me. If I was a Cavs fan I'd have been screaming in the heat of the moment too. I'm glad she's that into it.
posted by captaincavegirl at 07:43 PM on May 13, 2008
Seems odd to me that Watson would even make a public statement like that at this point. I'm going to assume that a reporter asked him if Clemens was being considered, not that he made some sort of public address. This just seems to me like The Sporting News made the best headline they could out of it.
posted by captaincavegirl at 11:14 PM on May 07, 2008
Now that the Mrs. Daly situation has been thrown out there, be it true or not, I'd have to agree that it's time for the Rocket to let his lawsuit go. Or could it be that he wants so badly to save his professional reputation that he's willing to have his personal reputation completely trashed? How long before Mrs. Clemens cuts her losses?
posted by captaincavegirl at 10:15 PM on May 01, 2008
I look forward to seeing him back on the ice as I for one find him entertaining. I'll second that. I enjoy watching that little punk-ass too.
posted by captaincavegirl at 05:22 PM on April 30, 2008
I've been trying to figure out when it happened but haven't seen anything as of yet. According to the article on the NHL's website, the Rangers don't know when it happened so apparently it's nothing obvious. The article I linked to states that he was unconscious and not breathing when he arrived at the hospital at 3am, the NHL's article states that the Rangers say he walked in on his own; talk about two different versions of a story. I guess we'll be waiting a bit for accurate details.
posted by captaincavegirl at 12:29 PM on April 30, 2008
A thought-provoking read, thanks for the post catfish. The author raises some good points but I seriously doubt that in the future athletes may choose to opt for prosthetics for a competitive edge. It will be interesting to see how the future of sports will deal with this issue. As far as I'm concerned, if the prosthetic allows athletes to compete at the level of the other competitors, great. But if their prosthetic gives them a super-human advantage (as in the case of the runner in the article) that's just not fair.
posted by captaincavegirl at 06:58 PM on April 29, 2008
I'd like to trademark "Damn Patriots", "Stinkin' Patriots", and "God I hate the Patriots".
posted by captaincavegirl at 11:22 PM on April 21, 2008
The most alarming thing to me is that no one seems to know if there was medical personnel on site during the competition or not. Maybe it isn't a contact sport, but common sense should tell us that a competition that involves throwing people 15 feet in the air and relying on a couple of dudes to catch them should warrant an EMT or two.
posted by captaincavegirl at 07:40 PM on April 21, 2008
I think the league did a good job with this one; from not calling anything at the time to adjusting the rulebook immediately. And I've got to hand it to Avery, he had a good plan, I'm just surprised no one thought of it sooner. "If this were anyone other than Avery, would this be a big deal?" Yeah, for sure it would. I think this would be a WAY BIGGER deal if it was someone who doesn't have the reputation of being a little punk to begin with. Imagine if that had been say, Alfredsson or Selanne acting like that!
posted by captaincavegirl at 12:15 PM on April 16, 2008
7 games? SEVEN???? I won't pretend to know anything about the QMJHL in particular, nor am I aware of the severity of suspensions handed down by that league in the past, but for that attack to give baby Roy just 7 games...now THAT'S classless. I don't know what number I'd have been okay with hearing but 7??? I'm speechless and a little bit sick.
posted by captaincavegirl at 08:41 PM on March 26, 2008
Ah, cities don't win Cups - teams do. The Ducks completely deserved to win, and whether or not anyone will notice/care outside that dressing room and the hardcores is a completely separate issue. My sentiments exactly. The Ducks earned that cup and those that love hockey in southern California deserve to see their team skate the cup. It was an excellent season for the Ducks from start to finish. Our socal teams may not have the support that they should, but it's growing and this cup victory is a good thing. Youth hockey in southern California has already exploded over the last few years, producing some very successful teams. This means a ton to us in socal, even if most of us don't know it yet. Way to go Ducks!!!
posted by captaincavegirl at 02:06 PM on June 07, 2007
As a Dolphins fan I'm disappointed about Saban, not because he was accomplishing anything, but because he still had time on his contract and his bailing out is just one more brick to the head. Every time it seems like the Dolphins and their fans have something to get optimistic/excited about (ricky, new head coaches, ricky again, culpepper...) we get smacked upside the head. I, for one, am getting a headache. Maybe the next coach's contract will be a little harder to get out of.
posted by captaincavegirl at 02:43 AM on January 04, 2007
regarding the idea of Jason Taylor going around complaining about Merriman... Wednesday I read a slightly longer article that mentions that his statements were made during a conference call with reporters in Indianapolis. To make it seem like Taylor's stomping his feet and crying about the fact that Merriman has a chance of winning isn't really fair. If he was asked if he thinks that it would be fair if Merriman won, what would you expect him to say? He clearly thinks that such a suspension should disqualify Merriman from certain accolades, many others agree-all JT did was offer his opinion.
posted by captaincavegirl at 07:50 PM on December 28, 2006
...but Flyers' games may become less jerky now that Bobby Clarke is no longer GM. Diet Coke just totally came out of my nose.
posted by captaincavegirl at 01:43 PM on November 02, 2006
I think it's worth mentioning that the Steelers/Dolphins game is the NFL season opener, not just a Steelers game-it's the only game that day, it's in primetime, I think there's even extra entertainment either on the field or in the parking lot.
posted by captaincavegirl at 10:38 AM on September 05, 2006
ducks ducks ducks. it's going to be the ducks! I can feel it.
posted by captaincavegirl at 03:23 AM on June 25, 2006
"I really love the new look and thank the Samuelis for giving me a chance to have input on the design," winger Teemu Selanne said. huh? Thanks Teemu. Way to go.
posted by captaincavegirl at 02:25 AM on June 23, 2006
What reason would a person going through a difficult divorce have to lie? Bitterness/anger/revenge. Regardless of whether or not her implication has merit. If it's false---the idea is out there about this big bad football player, traditionally not a topic that professional athletes handle very well. If it's true---the idea is out there and Michael will essentially be forced by the media to either cover it up or come out.
posted by captaincavegirl at 02:01 PM on June 21, 2006
I'm so tired of hearing about what certain sports need to do to get certain people to watch. That being said, I've got to throw my two cents in just this once... Maybe I'd watch basketball if it were more like hockey or soccer, where you can spend the entire game on the edge of your seat because the whole game could rest on that one perfect pass. I haven't watched more than the 4th per. of a basketball game in years, what's the point? And baseball...in terms of entertainment value, I'll take a 2-1 soccer or hockey game over a 9-6 baseball game anyday.
posted by captaincavegirl at 02:56 PM on June 19, 2006
...how totally unimportant the regular season is. 82 games of exhibition. A 2, 5, 6, and 8 seed in the final four? would you have it any other way?
posted by captaincavegirl at 01:40 PM on May 19, 2006
Doesn't anybody think that the whole "rivalry-based" scheduling format has a lot to do with the tight races, maybe even more-so than the cap? ...how many of the 30 teams are represented by Spofi Nation. There seams to be no shortage of Toronto, NY Rangers, and Red Wing fans. I got NJ covered, Doc has Ottowa, qbert has Montreal, Carolina and Philly are covered. I know there's a couple Chicago fans. That still leaves 21 other teams. Go Ducks! That leaves 20.
posted by captaincavegirl at 06:57 PM on April 01, 2006
Being a Dolphins fan, this is the first and hopefully last time I'll ever say this... Way to go Pats.
posted by captaincavegirl at 04:44 PM on January 31, 2006
Being a Ducks fan, I am surprisingly ambivalent about this. My kids, on the other hand, will not be amused. If they do change the logo, going to the games will be just a little bit better next season if I don't have to hear "Where's Wild Wing? Mom, where's Wild Wing? WIIIIILD WIIIIING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition Ducks!!!
posted by captaincavegirl at 07:27 PM on January 27, 2006
I saw Ovechkin play in Anaheim on Friday the 13th. I swear you can actually feel something when he takes the ice-he's got this crazy energy. He beat the Ducks 3-2 that night.
posted by captaincavegirl at 02:21 PM on January 27, 2006
my favorite... 28. Commissioner Paul Tagliabue will deliver his annual state-of-the-league speech to the media on the Friday before the game. It will consist of him waving two fistfuls of money while laughing maniacally and then skipping away.
posted by captaincavegirl at 02:38 PM on January 25, 2006
What do Canadians call us? (And by 'us' I mean: citizens of the United States---just to be clear) There's not a clear choice, CCG ... but all the variations do involve the phrase "gun-toting". ?choice? us=the group that includes me, and I am a citizen of the United States. no choosing involved.
posted by captaincavegirl at 02:31 PM on January 25, 2006
Let's get it straight. there are three Americas and three countires in North America. Yeah, but how many of those countries have the word "America" in their names? Or Americano? What do Canadians call us? (And by 'us' I mean: citizens of the United States---just to be clear) True, "Americans" do tend to think of their country as the center of the Universe, I agree...we get it.
posted by captaincavegirl at 12:47 AM on January 25, 2006
We have a room in our house that contains "The Dolphin Wall" on which my husband and I projected and traced a Dolphins logo and painted appropriately. Right before kickoff we (including the kids) hit The Dolphin Wall four times with the sides of our fist (it HAS to be done correctly) and chant "Win Win Win Win". Combined Miami Dolphins record in the three years we've been doing this.........23-25. It's like magic.
posted by captaincavegirl at 03:57 PM on January 21, 2006
Before the season started I was against all of the rule changes. I felt like people that didn't really know hockey were dictating how it should be played, that because it wasn't exciting enough for THEM that the game itself should change, it didn't make sense to me from a hockey-snobbish viewpoint. Nevertheless I've changed my view, especially regarding the two line pass change and the trapezoid (I LOVE THOSE!). The current shootout format does seem like a lame way to decide a game but I no longer detest it nearly as much as I once did, even considering the fact that my Mighty Ducks are like 0 and 7 in OT, 3 or 4 of those losses being in shootouts. Although I didn't have a problem with ties in the first place, having watched a couple of those losses in person I must admit I feel better leaving a game after a shootout loss than after a tie.
posted by captaincavegirl at 08:40 PM on December 30, 2005
Tagliabue might be a bitch and all but the fact remains that this market is a lot more than the Hollwoodification that is depicted on tv. If you want to argue that this region won't or can't support an NFL team, go ahead, but all of you that are ripping on the people here are way off-base. The LA television market consists of at least 5 large counties, either in whole or in part. The segment of our population that some posters have so cleverly mocked is almost as small as the intellect of those who assume that it is even the tiniest bit representative of the whole. As a native southern Californian I can't stand how our region is portrayed, southern California is not Hollywood. When Nascar races at California Speedway the coverage includes shots of the beach and the Hollywood sign, which are not that close to Ontario, CA. "Hollywood" people wouldn't appreciate the implication either, I'm sure. The commentators are insulting to those of us that live here, often referring to our home as the land of fruits and nuts, so I understand where some of you get your opinions, but nobody mentions how so many fruits and nuts come here because the wonderful citizens of their hometowns make life too unliveable to stay put. Damn, when was the last time someone wished your home, (where you grew up, got married, had kids, etc.) would fall of the face of the Earth? Sorry about the rant but come on people...football.
posted by captaincavegirl at 09:14 PM on November 11, 2005
what they say is no more right than what you say, and what you say may mean more, if you follow your team each day exactly. Todd does seem to take Corso way too seriously but if he didn't we wouldn't have this awesome sports culture moment! Now if only I could figure out how to make that photo in the story my wallpaper...
posted by captaincavegirl at 12:42 AM on November 09, 2005
thanks for the nice welcome. Fabulon7's comment made me wonder... I guarantee you each member of the Toronto Maple Leafs' board of directors would suffer a catastrophic stroke if someone in the boardroom even thought too hard about making such an offer. What do the cheap seats in Toronto go for? I can't even imagine living in an area where there was that kind of demand for hockey tickets, or any demand at all really. What I wouldn't give to see a hockey game in Canada!
posted by captaincavegirl at 11:56 AM on November 04, 2005
Hey all, I've been reading SpoFi for months but this is my first post... I'm a mighty ducks season ticket holder this year for the first time because the team offered a buy 2 get 2 deal on season tickets in the upper level ends. The deal includes a price freeze that allows us to get the same deal next season as well. Without this deal my husband and I would never have been able to afford season seats for a family of four. After reading this article I was curious if anyone knows of other clubs giving similar offers.
posted by captaincavegirl at 01:17 PM on November 03, 2005
The Return of Ocho Cinco
I hope he gets that trade he wanted afterall...to a team where 85's already taken.