- 02:56 AM
- 11/05/24
thanks for posting, boknows.....this is actually me. i posted a column on this to sportsfilter a number of years ago, but can't seem to find it anywhere. anyways, was going to post more as we got closer, but thanks for beating me to the punch.
posted by smithers at 10:56 PM on January 12, 2009
great question, boknows, and was hoping we'd get some spofi discussion....maybe when the nab all-star game comes to the big 3d screen?
posted by smithers at 10:21 AM on December 13, 2008
For those interested, I have since found a book called The Hidden Language Of Baseball by Paul Dickson. I'm very curious to learn more. Thanks for your feedback, gang.
posted by smithers at 10:13 AM on September 12, 2008
I think this might have been available for a bit, but the NBA has a Google Earth visualization (.kml file) that shows a whole bunch of things NBA hoops-related. (via Google Earth Blog)
posted by smithers at 09:05 AM on May 07, 2008
I'm pretty sure that I first came here after Shift magazine declared it to be one of the best sports sites on the internet way back in the day. While Shift is sadly no longer with us, SportsFilter has fortunately survived.
posted by smithers at 05:57 PM on January 26, 2008
BTW, Bob McCown of Prime Time Sports was discussing the issue today on the radio and said he was planning to have Turley on the show Thursday to talk more. McCown seemed to think that Turley is being or will be blackballed by the league and union for taking this stand, which seems to make it even more important that the fans stand up and be counted as much as possible.
posted by smithers at 09:35 PM on November 28, 2007
Damn, I'm gonna miss that Pats-jets beatdown... Well, that raises an interesting question: Turley is picking the Dec. 23 game as the game he will donate his salary from. Does it make sense to try a media boycott on the same day as him for further impact (and to give more time to grow the group)? Or do you stay with the 16th with the hopes that it "spurs" players into joining Turley?
posted by smithers at 09:30 PM on November 28, 2007
Very quickly (as I'm off to work), the first task is to try and generate awareness through social networks. We have just started a Facebook group at: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7619517135 So anyone on SportsFilter who is also on Facebook and is interested: 1. Please join the group. 2. Please invite all your friends. In the invite, briefly explain why you think it's important and send a link to the original article so they can read it *before* deciding whether or not to join. As for further details, more to come, but keep in mind that this is very flexible....I am more interested to hear other's ideas and we can figure out how they might work in synergy. Should we have a page for this on the SpoFiWiki so that we can all edit it and direct those not on FB there for further information?
posted by smithers at 07:29 AM on November 28, 2007
spitztengle and I were working on something quite independent before we read lil_brown_bat's locker room post (I haven't been able to spend as much time here for a while, but now I'm really glad I stopped by). Him and I are planning to try and achieve a one-game TV boycott (Dec.16), since that's what we feel is sustainable and suitable for the primary goal lbb points out -- the public shaming rather than the economic hit. It is the former that will get the media partners and corporate sponsors asking questions about their investment, and from our perspective is the more strategic lever to action than via the congressional politics route. It can't be a continual drone of negative press, however, but one hot flash mob of attention. The idea is to use the social networking services like Facebook to create the initial momentum, and then to jump tracks so to speak, via connections we have in the mainstream media and the academic world, etc. Ideally, by the third week our (refined) meme is into the sports talk echo chamber leading up to the game. Not that this is the sole approach. rumple's idea to googlebomb to an informational web site is also excellent, and there are other complementary activities for sure. We think we can make that happen in 3 weeks, though it would be much more likely to occur with the support of those interested in the SpoFi community (which begs the question of where/how political action fits into the SpoFi community). If anyone else is interested in seeing what is possible and either being a part of, or welding something else onto, or offering feedback/ideas/etc., please let us know as soon as you can. We plan to make our FB group public tomorrow so to take the plunge this week.
posted by smithers at 04:41 PM on November 24, 2007
(I know it sort of seems like an academic question, but I'm more sort of wondering what kinds of questions these techniques are capable of answering, and where the limits are.)
posted by smithers at 10:37 AM on September 26, 2007
Sculptor Jacques Julien is very influenced by sport.
posted by smithers at 02:32 AM on June 05, 2007
Oh my god, yerfatma, I was scrolling down the page and you read my mind. Very weird.
posted by smithers at 10:10 PM on April 27, 2007
* Feinstein's The Last Amateurs. I wanted to like it, I really did, but god... it was dull. I really liked this book since its story of Patriot League basketball resonated in a very strong way with what Canadian university basketball is like. But I can see how it would be considered dull (particularly in comparison to some of his other books) if you didn't have that kind of personal stake.
posted by smithers at 09:12 AM on April 27, 2007
Regarding good sports books, some previous recommendations made by SpoFites.
posted by smithers at 09:36 AM on April 25, 2007
SpoFi: We'll homeschool ya right good!
posted by smithers at 12:33 PM on April 23, 2007
This is getting a touch old, so posting here: After most referees don't have a problem with it and allow her to play, a referee orders an 11-year old female Muslim soccer player to remove her hijab, and her Nepean team withdraws from the tournament in protest.
posted by smithers at 07:53 AM on March 05, 2007
That's totally fair rcade. And we appreciate any advice or assistance you and SpoFi can offer. With that in mind, if people are serious about NBA Playoffs blogs or MLB blogs or whatever, please give us a shout. Email addy's in profile. (LBB, in this case, we would be pleased to put in extra facilitation to make sure the "organization" was to the group's liking.)
posted by smithers at 02:15 PM on February 28, 2007
With regards to the blog sports journalism discussion going on here, I wanted to jump in and mention that DrJohnEvans and I have been working on just such a blogging application as we speak (it is called VSPORT.TV). The goal is to build a community blog tool for the grassroots or amateur sports person or the independent sports journalist. DrJE has taken the lead on getting the platform ready to go with some sport-specific themes and plug-ins (call the whole thing version 0.96), and we are hoping to make a little bit of a go of it eventually. We had been planning on letting everyone here know about what we were up to, and this discussion catalyzed us to come forward now rather than later. DrJE and I feel pretty strongly about the SpoFi community -- it is where the two of us met and where we see the ideal types of people who understand sports and the appeal of blog journalism/community/social networking/whathaveyou. Obviously we would like to see those who share this interest from the SpoFi community create a blog with us. That said, I am sure it is important to maintain the link to the original community or else you could have just started something at Blogger already. We have emailed the Pantheon about possible linkages and are just waiting on them to have a free moment to chip in their thoughts. In the meantime, we are keen to hear your thoughts.....and if you are interested, we could certainly clean up some of the dust to welcome guests for NBA Playoffs or MLB regular season blog launches. DrJE can give you his spiel as well. Much appreciated....
posted by smithers at 08:53 AM on February 28, 2007
It would be easy for us to offer *.sportsfilter.com for Wordpress user blogs, as I'm doing on other domains. Pantheon, you have mail.
posted by smithers at 09:37 PM on February 26, 2007
Can we perhaps also tighten up the criteria for a FPP in the case where a "new" story is simply the fallout from the original story? For example, the Cuban and Hardaway links were really just following the Amaechi story, and not really new or relevant in and of themselves. Perhaps a pony in which we can tag a comment within a thread to essentially say "I am contributing a new link to this story that would not stand on its own"? Maybe the front page stays a little "cleaner" that way.
posted by smithers at 10:27 AM on February 16, 2007
I'd like to be played by Kate Beckinsale. We're still talking about the movie, right?
posted by smithers at 07:27 AM on February 08, 2007
Birthday? Anniversary? Happy 5th.......... Tiger Woods Kerry Wood John Wooden
posted by smithers at 11:36 AM on January 30, 2007
Team Patrick Ewing: mine went out a touch late, so they should be arriving shortly. Like a finger roll off the back iron.....
posted by smithers at 08:09 AM on January 29, 2007
BPP, you made Baby Rebus cry.
posted by smithers at 11:54 PM on January 15, 2007
The "All Your 
Are Belong To Us" hip hop mix: The Next Movement - The Roots So Fabulous - Little Brother Cali To New York - Black Eyed Peas Above The Clouds - Gang Starr T.R.O.Y. - Pete Rock and CL Smooth Let It Go - The Herbaliser Can't Stand The Rain - Missy Elliott Turntablist Anthem - Rob Swift Ear Drums Pop - Dilated Peoples Electric Relaxation - A Tribe Called Quest The Art of Easing - Digable Planets Cold Blooded - Common Head Over Wheels - G-Depp Thieves In The Night - Black Star It Ain't Hard To Tell - NaS
posted by smithers at 03:45 PM on January 15, 2007
The cover holds a clue as to what kind of music you'll be getting from my mix. Surreptitiously-recorded Mike Ricci at karaoke night?
posted by smithers at 11:02 AM on January 11, 2007
Thanks for asking though, danjel....that you care enough to ask is a good sign that you will be a valued member and contributor to the SpoFi community.
posted by smithers at 11:15 AM on January 05, 2007
I'm in.....4 copies, plus a copy for Fat Buddha, whom I owe from back in the day before (whew!) there was face punching. (FB, is your mailing address still the same?) I dunno if we get any input into the selection? If so, I'm lobbying for lbb's funk mix, please.
posted by smithers at 05:00 PM on December 18, 2006
If you're interested in hockey books for Christmas, here's some new ones.
posted by smithers at 12:43 PM on December 06, 2006
Thanks for your assistance terrapin and tieguy....and good luck with your auction terrapin!
posted by smithers at 04:04 PM on August 25, 2006
1. In the NFL (and perhaps college too, for all I know), players receive faxes when they come off the field with overhead photos of the offensive and defensive formations in use that particular series (you see these sometimes on the TV broadcast). Do these come from an overhead camera? From the blimp? Do both teams have access to the same video feed? And if so, is there an NFL rule that mandates this equivalent access? 2. I am looking to purchase a ticker tape record of an old baseball game -- replica fine, original not necessary. Do any of the baseball addicts here have any ideas where to find one? I have tried Ebay, and a Google search turned up very little. Thanks in advance...
posted by smithers at 03:07 PM on August 23, 2006
goddam, that is way f-in cool....
posted by smithers at 10:36 AM on July 28, 2006
"vampire", "wwe", "beer" shit, I played so long she actually went yard twice. I will step away from the keyboard now.
posted by smithers at 10:32 PM on July 25, 2006
You highly offended me! You won't like "bodog" then, either. Honest (Exclamation points!)
posted by smithers at 10:14 PM on July 25, 2006
"slap", "karate", "dance"....
posted by smithers at 08:20 AM on July 25, 2006
I had two things that I wanted to share, perhaps insufficient for FPPs. Serious: For those that haven't seen it, our SpoFi colleague Amateur has done some really interesting analysis on the results of WADA's doping tests over the last few years. In three installments: one, two, three. Really serious: "Angry jockey does a 'Zidane' to his horse."
posted by smithers at 02:32 PM on July 24, 2006
Does everyone have to go through the two-step process, or does one automatically get pushed through if an FPP has been approved before?
posted by smithers at 12:20 PM on July 17, 2006
It was very considerate of him to break it into chunks like that for easier reading.
posted by smithers at 07:59 AM on July 04, 2006
Maybe I can use this opportunity to take a few seconds to mention a book I just finished reading, which I thought was wonderful: Soccer in Sun and Shadow by the Uruguayan Eduardo Galeano. Given the passion I've seen in the futbol threads here at SpoFi -- which vastly exceeds my own -- I am quite certain you'd enjoy this eclectic blend of history, poetry and social criticism.
posted by smithers at 07:55 AM on June 08, 2006
I would like to nominate, in no particular order: 1. Michael Jordan, not just for the way he dominated on the court, but for how he (along with Nike and NBA) have revolutionized and globalized the business of sport and sports marketing. 2. Roone Arledge, for his impact on sports television, creating the beast of professional sports as we have it today. 3. Terry Fox. His "career" was only a few months long, but he has inspired other runners to raise millions of dollars even 25 years later. 4. Muhammad Ali 5. Pele 6. Jackie Robinson
posted by smithers at 12:06 PM on June 02, 2006
rcade, where is the link for those of us who don't have Cold Fusion skills to kick back a few $$?
posted by smithers at 08:41 AM on May 29, 2006
Self-link for fun: American Sporting Alphabet
posted by smithers at 08:45 AM on May 24, 2006
Whooo.....can we have a SpoFi seppuku category? That's a martial art, right?
posted by smithers at 09:41 AM on May 19, 2006
Re: shootouts. The winner team in a shootout gets credited with 1 goal (ie. 3-2 victory), regardless of how many goals were scored in the shootout (say 2-0). Who is credited with that one goal and do the shootout stats have any bearing on anything?
posted by smithers at 08:38 AM on April 12, 2006
I'd say the answer is no....but I think it is a great question, BullpenPro.
posted by smithers at 07:37 AM on April 11, 2006
There always seems to be technical questions I have about particular sports or leagues that I just can't find the answer to anywhere, and we always seem to have at least one "expert" in just about everything. I would really appreciate this pony!!
posted by smithers at 08:13 AM on April 03, 2006
You met Ron Mexico in Shelton last year???? What was he like?
posted by smithers at 09:44 PM on February 20, 2006
Or a tank. Ouch....
posted by smithers at 01:19 PM on February 11, 2006
dusted, what is that? A, um, dancing piece of fecal matter? A little brown bat??? (giggle...)
posted by smithers at 08:31 AM on May 19, 2005
I second that.....really looking forward to it.
posted by smithers at 06:13 PM on May 16, 2005
lbb: you can have #939 if you want...
posted by smithers at 08:52 PM on April 29, 2005
dunno, is there a way to close comments on the thread so column discussion takes place underneath the colum rather than in the announcement thread? That is a really good question if this is how we plan to do the announcements. Keep the comments with the column.
posted by smithers at 08:49 AM on April 28, 2005
And if he posts something bad, we stick his nose in it and say "Bad!! No!!" Are we still talking about Paula Radcliffe here, or the cupcake?
posted by smithers at 09:23 PM on April 21, 2005
Wow..........that was too funny.
posted by smithers at 09:20 PM on April 21, 2005
Polisher of the Banhammer (snicker...) Is it just me, or does the banana's dance routine get longer every time I see it?
posted by smithers at 01:15 PM on April 21, 2005
Global Village Basketball: June 10, 2009
(a follow-up to a boknows posting a few months ago)
In 2002 I posted the beginnings of an idea to link together a bunch of pickup basketball games through the internet into one meta-game as my first (and only) column to SportsFilter.
Though it looks much different today from that original concept, the event -- Global Village Basketball -- is finally here and it will be held for 24 hours this Wednesday, June 10 (12:00pm UTC time) until June 11 (11:59am UTC time) [http://tinyurl.com/gvb2009timeconvert].
We already have responses from as far away (from here in Toronto) as Poland, Uruguay, Germany, China and Ghana.
The web site:
http://www.vsport.tv/gvb/
A YouTube video explaining a bit more:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjk2sm9obyw
To register:
http://www.vsport.tv/gvb/wp-login.php?action=register
For anyone on Facebook, here are two more links:
Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2305999547 Event: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2305999547#/event.php?eid=109905140055
We hope you will be able to join us on June 10 by playing, opening a gym for someone, or passing on the message to anyone you know who likes pickup basketball. Thank you,
Sean (aka smithers aka sportsbabel)