11/23/24
Recent Posts by beaverboard
December 22, 2022
RIP Franco Harris: An icon and hero of my adolescence. Heading into the 1972 Draft, Franco was seen as a workhorse and his Penn State backfield mate Lydell Mitchell was seen as the skill stud. It was stunning when the Steelers drafted Franco well ahead of Mitchell, but they knew what they were doing. Lydell did OK for the Colts, but Franco ascended to the pantheon of immortals. He was a major tone setter for the great 1970's Steeler rosters, which caused great pain to Cowboys fans and others. I was somewhat ambivalent about the team until they handled the Fran Tarkenton Vikings in the Super Bowl. Then I got on board. Anyone who took care of Tark was deserving of a thumbs up in my book. With several teammates and coaches already deceased, I'm glad that Terry Bradshaw is still around and able to clearly articulate his thoughts and feelings in great detail as people reminisce about Franco and those Pittsburgh teams.
posted by beaverboard to football at 11:41 AM - 2 comments
January 27, 2021
I Don't Want Cooperstown, I want Shaughnessy: Curt Schilling's thoughts on baseball immortality and settling scores.
posted by beaverboard to baseball at 01:58 AM - 5 comments
September 23, 2020
Chargers Team Doctor Punctured Tyrod Taylor's Lung: Broadcasters during the Chargers/Chiefs game on Sunday were mystified by the last-minute absence of quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who wasn't on the injury list but did not make the start. Coach Anthony Lynn revealed that Taylor missed the game because the team doctor accidentally punctured his lung while administering a painkiller injection for Taylor's cracked ribs. He's out indefinitely.
posted by beaverboard to football at 04:26 PM - 2 comments
November 08, 2019
I Was the Fastest Girl in America, Until I Joined Nike: Elite runner Mary Cain's harrowing tale of breakdown in the grips of the Nike training program.
posted by beaverboard to general at 07:34 PM - 3 comments
February 28, 2018
Fools Rush In Where Scots and Augusta Members Fear To Tread: Notes and wanderings from the Waste Management Phoenix Open
posted by beaverboard to golf at 10:19 AM - 1 comment
July 25, 2017
111 NFL Brains Examined By Neuropathologist: All but one were found to have CTE.
posted by beaverboard to football at 12:24 PM - 5 comments
March 04, 2016
Michael Powell follows the sad, dirty trail of big time high school and college ball: For some prominent college coaches, the disheartening math seems to go as follows: win wherever and however you can, and hope that not all of your prior triumphs end up getting vacated.
posted by beaverboard to basketball at 02:02 PM - 1 comment
March 19, 2011
New York Times to begin charging for online access: On March 28th, the NY Times will institute a pay wall and begin charging frequent readers of its content for online access via digital subscriptions. If they are successful and other content providers follow suit, the economic landscape of online content will change. How will this affect SpoFi and the linking to online content? When more online content sources have pay walls, SpoFi members may be able to continue following links to content without having to pay for the access, but will this coming transition end up imposing restrictions and/or an economic burden on SpoFi itself?
posted by beaverboard to general at 10:50 AM - 5 comments
December 28, 2010
Income Inequality and the Superstar Effect: An article that goes beyond the sheer dollar amounts paid to top athletes (and executives) and examines the broader impact that megasalaries have on economies and societies at large.
posted by beaverboard to general at 06:32 AM - 2 comments
August 04, 2010
Shaq is now a Green man.: Shaq is now preparing his own letter of farewell and thanks to the Cleveland fans after signing with the Boston Celtics.
posted by beaverboard to basketball at 05:50 PM - 17 comments
March 04, 2010
College coach supports theft and suppression of news: College football coach Guy Morriss is fully in favor of his team's recent student newspaper caper, and feels that his players' actions are beneficial to the team.
posted by beaverboard to football at 12:46 AM - 6 comments
February 24, 2010
RIP Mosi Tatupu: Former Patriots' stalwart Mosi Tatupu passed away earlier today. He was a fan favorite during his playing days. One of the most remarkable things about Tatupu was that, despite his Pacific island background, he was one of the Pats' best winter weather players. Somehow he almost always managed to keep his feet under him, even in blizzard conditions. Condolences to Lofa and family.
posted by beaverboard to football at 12:56 PM - 10 comments
January 08, 2010
USF has fired Jim Leavitt: The final chapter of a story that had many twists and turns, and about which there may not yet be a full accounting.
posted by beaverboard to football at 11:36 AM - 7 comments
December 24, 2009
RIP George Michael: So long, king of the Sports Machine. Though his approach was a bit heavy handed at times and did not win the hearts of everyone, there was no doubting his genuine enthusiasm for and love of sports and the individual athletes he portrayed on his program. His was an upbeat but not overexcited voice, and he believed in redemption, as evidenced by the major feature he once ran on Dexter Manley. George Michael felt that warts and all, sports was a positive, beneficial force in the world, and worthy of our attention and interest.
posted by beaverboard to general at 08:01 PM - 6 comments
October 26, 2009
The Nation is Well Again - the Yankees are back in the World Series: Normally reliable and skilled NY Times writer Tyler Kepner loses his balance and goes over the hometown edge, stating that postseason baseball has been ordinary and without drama since the last time the Yankees were in the World Series, and suggesting that there is a direct correlation between the absence of the Yankees and the woefulness of the playoffs. In one fell swoop, A-Rod's childlike wonder at his first trip to the Series is brought back to earth by a return to arrogance. From the pages of the newspaper of record, no less.
posted by beaverboard to baseball at 07:18 PM - 14 comments
October 24, 2009
Six NFL Teams Targeted For Possible Move to LA : The effort to return an NFL team to LA appears to be well organized and seems to have some momentum.
posted by beaverboard to football at 05:52 PM - 20 comments
October 16, 2009
Guns 'R Us has a friend in Gainesville: Not wanting to be outdone by Florida State's recent NCAA-related news, the Gators have sprung a nifty surprise of their own. A University of Florida female gymnast has been arrested for harboring a weapons cache that any self-respecting sleeper cell commando would be proud to call his own.
posted by beaverboard to other at 08:18 PM - 9 comments
April 24, 2009
Jake Delhomme, a Panther forever: The Carolina Panthers just bestowed a large contract on Delhomme, perhaps defying logic (or at least common sense) in the process.
posted by beaverboard to football at 01:28 PM - 3 comments
March 23, 2009
Cubs Retire Number Worn by Two Greats in Combo Deal: The Cubs announced they will retire the number 31 worn by both Ferguson Jenkins and Greg Maddux, and will honor both of them in a ceremony later this year. I don't know how often a combo number retirement takes place.
It makes sense in one way, but it also seems a bit odd. I admire Maddux enormously, but I totally loved Jenkins, who seemed to be good for 20 wins a year throughout my entire youth. Strange to have two greats lumped into one combo footlong house special take-out deal rather than give each their individual due. But what else can they do? Both guys wore the same number. And it seems as though this is being done with full respect to both parties, who appear to be gracious about it and appreciative of it. I wonder what other unretired numbers could be enshrined in combo fashion like this?
posted by beaverboard to baseball at 11:03 PM - 12 comments
December 02, 2008
Mario Williams is a hoss in a bull helmet: This is just the wire service wrap-up on last night's Jags-Texans game. As a way of noting that after all the abuse that the Texans took for drafting Mario Williams ahead of Bush, Young, and Leinart in 2006, at this point, it sure looks like they made the right choice.
posted by beaverboard to (Choose one) at 11:13 AM - 5 comments
November 05, 2008
The Next Tennessee Football Coach: Some fervent and deep thoughts on who will succeed Coach Fulmer at Tennessee. Posted Sept. 23, well before Fulmer's ouster (keep that in mind while reading). This SEC blog is zealous and energetic, but also quite rational, civil, and insightful. Complete with decent responses. The discussion drifts off into another zone after a while, but the first half or so is a welcome break from the crazed stuff you run into elsewhere. Recommended reading for Chuck Neinas.
posted by beaverboard to football at 07:48 PM - 1 comment
September 23, 2008
Seven years of Lion angst ought to end: Now that William Clay Ford has weighed in publicly on the ineptitude of Matt Millen, how long will it take for the Lions to actually do something about it?
posted by beaverboard to football at 09:04 AM - 13 comments