Thanks, guys. I had almost forgotten...: ...Number One on the "Ugliest Ten Sports Moments" of 2002. Now it's fresh in my mind again.

posted by Jaquandor to general at 09:59 AM - 4 comments

Forecasting the sports business future.: Darren Rovell of ESPN.com makes his predictions for 2003 regarding the sports industry, which include an increase in variable ticket pricing, more ethnic marketing and more action sports. What are your sports business predictions for 2003 and beyond?

posted by smithers to general at 09:46 AM - 2 comments

Xtreme Quarterback Challenge: is a flash game. If you enjoy it, there's a good chance you're going to hell.

posted by Samsonov14 to football at 02:08 PM - 4 comments

The NFL playoff matchups are set.: So who will be fighting it out in San Diego for the Super Bowl title? I think that the Titans will stun the Raiders in the AFC championship game and meet the Eagles in the Big Game. My prediction for the Super Bowl: Eagles 31, Titans 24.

posted by jasonbondshow to football at 11:34 AM - 7 comments

Will the next Pele be ... American?: Ghanaian immigrant Freddy Adu is only 13 but is being touted as "America's breakthrough star" by Newsweek. "On one play, running at full speed, the kid fielded a pass on the outside of his left foot, flicked it up and over his head—and over the defender—and corralled the ball without breaking stride." And while he's yet to receive his citizenship (due in the new year), "(h)e is in an accelerated program to graduate from high school at 15, when he will likely become the youngest player in Major League Soccer history." Anyone seen this guy play?

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 11:32 AM - 10 comments

2002 Sports Year in Review: BBC, CBS News, CNNSI, New York Times. What's your favorite sports moment from 2002?

posted by kirkaracha to general at 01:34 AM - 21 comments

Want to see MJ go one-on-one with....: ....himself? You'll have that chance when his new Gatorade commercial, featuring footage of himself now digitally composited with footage of himself from his early years with the Bulls, starts airing on January 1. (Unless your up to date on your SportsCenter viewing, in which case you've seen it already.)

posted by Jaquandor to culture at 01:14 PM - 1 comment

Spoils go to Arsenal: in the the Christmas shake up, although we still have todays matches to go. (More inside)

posted by Fat Buddha to soccer at 04:56 AM - 2 comments

NHL Week Whatever Beat Report

(More inside)

posted by Samsonov14 to hockey at 04:51 PM - 6 comments

We want you to be right-back... in the army.: The career of Liverpool's Norwegian midfielder John Arne Riise may be put on hold, because his home government wants him back to serve his mandatory year's national service with the army. Riise could have deferred the year out, but a letter posted by his mother requesting a postponement failed to reach the relevant authorities by the November deadline. It's a long way from Muhammed Ali refusing the draft in the 1960s, but have any other modern sports stars had their careers interrupted or cut short by similar requirements?

posted by etagloh to soccer at 12:10 AM - 5 comments

Google's year-end review includes the 10 most-searched-for athletes in the world. On the assumption that it's a pretty good indicator of what young sports fans care about, the list is good news for the NBA, soccer, and women's tennis but bad news for baseball and the NFL.

posted by rcade to general at 10:40 AM - 5 comments

Why would anyone deliberately miss a free throw?: Well, this kid had a pretty good reason. ESPN did a story on him that had me almost in tears.

posted by Jaquandor to culture at 07:12 AM - 3 comments

Would Parcells get more for his soul if he put it up on Ebay?: I was trying to come up with a suitable Faust pun for this, but then it occurred to me that Jerry Jones has taken the back seat to Dan Snyder in the "Greatest Force for NFL Evil" Sweepstakes...

posted by Jaquandor to football at 10:21 PM - 3 comments

Judge Awards Bobby-Jo Equal Bucks; Daughter Suddenly No Longer Interested in Defrosting Dad: Finally rounding out perhaps one of the most disturbing, disgusting and bizarre stories this year, Ted William's oldest daughter has been awarded a equal share of the trust left to the 3 children. She (suddenly!) is no longer interested in pursuing her father's "real wishes" to scatter his ashes in the ocean.

Ugh.

posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 01:31 PM - 0 comments

Best. Injury. Ever.

posted by tieguy to soccer at 01:28 PM - 8 comments

Interactive World Cup 2002 goals.: [Flash required] Yes, it's old. But seeing that we're all reflecting on the year's sporting ups and downs, I thought this was appropriate. Plus, it's cute. And fun. And Friday. This was my favorite.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 01:17 PM - 4 comments

Heart-stopping entertainment.: A recently published report has shown that that penalty shoot-outs in important football (like, with the feet, dude ;-) matches cause people to have heart attacks. The researchers have therefore suggested that penalty shoot-outs be removed from the beautiful game. Noooo!

posted by BigCalm to soccer at 05:02 AM - 20 comments

Jeremy Bloom has a busy holiday schedule.: The Colorado kick returner finished fourth today in a World Cup mogul skiing event in Finland, where he arrived earlier this week. He'll return to Colorado on Saturday and will travel to San Antonio for the Buffs' bowl game against Wisconsin. The next World Cup event is two weeks later in Quebec. "He skied only three times this fall before training sessions Tuesday and Wednesday in Finland," reports the Denver Post. And you thought you had to travel a lot for the holidays.

posted by thescoop to football at 01:40 PM - 0 comments

Avs Fire Hartley:: Despite winning the Cup two years ago and making four straight Western Conference finals, the Avalanche have fired their head coach after a slow start that dropped them to tenth in the West. Is this fair to Hartley? Will Granato turn the Lanche around?

posted by 86 to hockey at 09:33 AM - 6 comments

The Houston Astros signed second basemen Jeff Kent: to a $18.2 million, two-year contract. The move was not on the radar screen (in the words of GM Gerry Hunsicker) and is a very pleasant suprise to Astros fans like myself. In fact it is being called the biggest free agent signing in Astros history next to Nolan Ryan's way back when. Kent was the NL MVP in 2000 and hit .313 last season with 37 homers and 108 RBI, helping the Giants to the World Series. As for second basemen Craig Biggio, well he might be moving to the outfield or Kent might move to third with Biggio staying at second.

posted by Niche to baseball at 06:02 PM - 6 comments

Ronaldo FIFA player of the year...: I smell a very large rat and I name that rat Nike. How the hell can a player who crapped all over the club that supported him through his injuries and who managed the grand total of 17 games over the season win this award? Check the bank accounts of all that voted for him. Demand a recount. I am chuffing outraged.

posted by Fat Buddha to soccer at 03:47 PM - 23 comments

Why not just flip a coin?: The judge in the Barry Bonds Home Run Ball Lawsuit has ruled that....the ball should be sold, and the two guys should split the proceeds. On ESPN Radio earlier, Dan Patrick speculated on the precedent this will set -- there will be a lot more fights over sports mementoes and such. Of course, when I heard the ruling, I was wondering if the judge was doing that thing where you split the disputed item down the middle, and then award it to whichever bozo says to give it to the other guy rather than see it destroyed, because only the thing's true owner would....yada yada yada....

posted by Jaquandor to baseball at 02:26 PM - 1 comment

FIFA wants England + Scotland + N. Ireland + Wales = Team UK?: FIFA is considering this "discussion document" today, amid mumblings about bringing FIFA membership more in line with the UN (yes, that UN) and making the organization more "internationally coherent." Aside from the "we ain't England" issues, if this discussion document becomes law, it will reduce the number of countries vying for UEFA spots in the World Cup. Could this lead to fewer UEFA spots and open up spots for other (poorer) regions? What do you think about Team UK? Have links to more details?

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 05:02 PM - 7 comments

New look for Atlanta Braves rotation. Sign Hampton, lose Glavine to the Mets, trade Damien Moss for Russ Ortiz, sign Paul Byrd, but probably keep Maddux (scroll down). Add to this a shakeup in progress in the bullpen was the best in baseball last year, next year's Braves could have a whole new look. Aren't six starters too many? Or are one or more of these guys trade bait for a big stick?

posted by trox to baseball at 04:17 PM - 4 comments

Are you ready for some tie-breakers?:
(imagine that sung by Hank Williams Jr.)
It's probably not going to happen, but there is the possibility of an 11-way tie for 1st place in the AFC. Is this parity IN sports or parody OF sports?

posted by grum@work to football at 04:03 PM - 9 comments

The 42 year-old equipment manager for the IHL's Fort Wayne Komets had eaten two hot dogs and drank four Mountain Dews during the first two periods, but that didn't stop him from playing the last half of the third period in goal. He stopped 3 out of 4 shots in an overtime shootout to win the game. Rock on, old man. Rock on.

posted by Samsonov14 to hockey at 01:07 PM - 4 comments

The college football bowl season begins tonight at 7 p.m. as my alma mater, the Sun Belt-sweeping, top-10-defense-having, little-respect-getting North Texas Mean Green face the Cincinnati Bearcats in the New Orleans Bowl. Orlando Sentinel writer Joe Schad asks a question that's likely on the minds of many now that 28 bowls are being held: "Are Tulane (7-5), North Texas (7-5), Minnesota (7-5) Cincinnati (7-6), New Mexico (7-6), Ole Miss (6-6), Iowa State (7-6), Wake Forest (6-6), Wisconsin (7-6), Purdue (6-6) and even Nebraska (7-6) truly deserving of bids?"

posted by rcade to football at 10:57 AM - 7 comments

Golf Beat Report: All Augusta, all the time. Here's the latest: Martha Burk has launched a new website where she intends to "out" corporations that "sanction sex discrimination at Augusta National Golf Club." Specifically, she intends to list those corporations who have a high-ranking executive who is an Augusta member. On the flip side, another website has launched that collects links to sites that are protesting Martha Burk and her protest. Finally, in follow-up to the New York Times item two weeks ago (indicating that the Times had spiked two sports columns that had supported Tiger Woods because they were in conflict with the Times' op-ed stance), the Times apparently had a change of heart (albeit under great pressure), and did post the two columns. This story is too bizarre.

What else is going on? Well, once again the U.S. lost a team competition, as Phil Mickelson and David Toms double bogeyed the last whole to lose the "World Cup" to Japan. Craig Stadler and son Kevin won the father/son challenge. And Tiger had knee surgery that will likely keep him from playing the first few events of 2003.

posted by jmpeterson to golf at 09:10 AM - 4 comments

SAILING: OneWorld sets up all-US semi-final repechage with Oracle BMW Racing in Louis Vuitton Cup.: OneWorld defeated defending LV Cup champions Prada 3-2 to move into the repechage round against Oracle BMW. Apparently, it didn't matter that OneWorld should've won four (or five. These crazy sailing rules have lost me.). Due to cancellations caused by bad weather, Prada basically ran out of time to mount a challenge. Meanwhile, Oracle BMW lost their earlier semi-final series to Alinghi but get this second chance because they were in the winner's bracket (see, I told you the rules are crazy). Anyway, if Oracle win this East Coast-West Coast repechage, they move on into the final, where they will meet ... Alinghi. (Did I say these rules were crazy?) Winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup gets to challenge Team New Zealand in the America's Cup next February.

posted by worldcup2002 to other at 01:52 AM - 7 comments

Bring on the end of the year lists! Here we have the ESPN top ten items that ticked off fans in 2002. Everything from the near-baseball strike to the Olympic figure skating scandal. What's missing? What was the single worst sports-related debacle of 2002?

posted by Ufez Jones to general at 12:18 PM - 6 comments

EPL REPORT WEEK 18: Arsenal scrape a draw, hang on to first. Man U run rampant, move into second. [more inside]

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 11:24 AM - 12 comments

Disastro-Turf: One Washington writer gives his thoughts on: How the Redskins gameday experience has been decimated in recent years; How FedEx Field is more of a monolithic doughnut then a stadium; and how Daniel Snyder is to blame for it all. [more inside]

posted by bcb2k2 to football at 11:43 PM - 7 comments

Maybe punting on first down wasn't a good idea....: Well, they're not as bad as that, but they're the ten biggest coaching blunders in history. I'm surprised that Marv Levy's allowing Thurman Thomas to literally sulk on the sideline for most of the second half of Super Bowl XXVIII didn't make the cut.

posted by Jaquandor to general at 09:16 AM - 5 comments

Griffey wants to play for the Yankees?: I had always read that he'd retire before playing for the Yankees because Steinbrenner wouldn't let him on the field as a kid. I can't say as though I'd want him (as a Yankee fan) anyway. Anyway, Griffey is feeling unloved again, big surprise, and is open to a trade. Where would he fit in nicely? (Who would want him with the injury history, even with such a big potential upside?)

posted by Bernreuther to baseball at 02:10 PM - 1 comment

Sports Rule!: The cover story of Wired Magazine examines the world of videogame sports. "In-your-face marketing. Extreme camera angles. Trash-talking superstars. Sound like TV sports? Try sports videogames, where the nastiest competition is the battle to take down the reigning champ, EA Sports."

posted by jacknose to culture at 12:41 PM - 2 comments

Is LeBron James doomed to fail?: I think it's kind of ridiculous for a high school basketball player to be featured on national television, with the sort of hype he's generating. What next - televised one on one from the playground of St. Francis Pre-School?

posted by owillis to basketball at 11:10 PM - 9 comments

SAILING: Alinghi one race away from sweeping Oracle BMW in Louis Vuitton Cup semis.: Alinghi leads US tech billionaire Larry Ellison's Oracle BMW Racing 3-0, one win away from sweeping into the Cup final. In the other semifinal, US telecom billionaire Craig McCaw's OneWorld regained its lead over Prada, 2-1. Sailing quirk 1: In this first-to-four series, OneWorld needs to win five, thanks to a one-point penalty for employing designers who had access to other team's boat designs. Sailing quirk 2: Whoever wins the OneWorld v Prada semi-final needs to beat the loser of the Alinghi v Oracle semi-final before getting into the final (it's called a repechage).

posted by worldcup2002 to other at 11:45 AM - 0 comments

Beat Report: UEFA Cup and Champions League

The last two days have been active in the Champions League. On Tuesday, Arsenal only managed a draw against Valencia at Highbury (losing star Patrick Viera to injury in the process), while the Newcastle and Barcelona match was postponed due to downpour. When play resumed on Wednesday, Newcastle was left wishing they had played in the rain as Barca stretched its record to 10-0 in the competition. Manchester United easily dispatched Spanish rival Deportivo de Coruna, scarily returning to world-beating form with the same mix of regulars and reserves that defeated table leading Arsenal last week at Old Trafford. Juventus destroyed Basle (and probably their hopes of advancing) by 4 goals, and Lokomotiv continues its track to advance by earning a draw with reigning champion Real Madrid (who are rescued by Raul). Inter defeats Bayer Leverkusen, and Ajax continued to add to Roma's woes. Finally, AC Milan handed Borussia Dortmund a loss. [First predictions on who advances inside.]

Over in the UEFA cup, there is a full slate of matches today as well; look for report next week (since Champions League play doesn't resume until February).

posted by trox to soccer at 09:01 AM - 8 comments

"We started off with a small goal... to see every single standing ballpark in the world." Eric and Wendy Pastore run Digital Ballparks; a free online digital baseball stadium museum. The photographs are fantastic.

posted by iconomy to baseball at 07:08 AM - 3 comments

You can't stop Minnesota-Morris....: ....you can only hope to contain them. The women's basketball team won yesterday, snapping a 72-game losing streak that is the longest in NCAA history, in any division. (I'm not sure if this is men's and women's basketball, or just women's.) How many games are there in a season, anyway? Is it possible that entire classes have come in as freshmen and graduated four years later while the streak was in progress?

posted by Jaquandor to basketball at 02:34 PM - 4 comments

Question: Is ESPN the Microsoft of sports (figuratively and literally)? And if so, is Sports Illustrated IBM? Many have complained that Microsoft gobbles up the competition and eliminates choices for the consumer. I find it increasingly difficult to find quality sports information/content from other sources outside of ESPN (aka, the SportsFilter dilemma). I am wondering if you can help me identify the competition that ESPN has overtaken or co-opted. Example: SportsJones. As a Chicagoan, I know that local Chicago Sports radio has been greatly challenged by ESPN Radio (I have to admit that I "switched" to ESPN Radio). Is it okay for the ESPN to take over the sporting world (a la WalMart)? If ESPN is Microsoft and Sports Illustrated is IBM (a fading giant), what is SportsFilter? Linux?

posted by jacknose to culture at 11:43 AM - 19 comments

NBA Beat Report: The Central Division falters. Pacers lose two in a row. Pistons lose three in a row. And the Hornets lose to the Clippers. But forget about Divisions, Texas rules. Mavericks, Rockets, and Spurs (a very nice Spurs news site) are #1, #3, and #4, respectively, in the Western Conference. I thought Texas was a football state? Are the Lakers depleted? Will they eventually work their way into the playoff picture? Finally, are NBA Locker Rooms getting out of control?

posted by jacknose to basketball at 11:16 AM - 4 comments

Don't send mail to Roy Williams.: From the Lawrence (Kan.) Journal-World: "All mail sent to Roy Williams’ office will be treated as junk the rest of this season. Cards and letters will either pile up on the Kansas University basketball coach’s couch or be tossed into the circular file - the waste basket. 'I’m never reading another piece of mail,' Williams said calmly Monday at his weekly news conference." Somebody sent him some critical comments after the Jayhawks got off to a 3-3 start, so Roy won't read his mail. My question is, why would he even bother to make the announcement? I just assumed most coaches/players don't read much of their fan mail.

posted by thescoop to basketball at 04:06 PM - 3 comments

College Football Weekly Roundup

As the Oregonian's Ryan White put it: "What did we learn Saturday? That Miami's Willis McGahee is good?" Ah yes, the BCS has set up a true national title game. Now quit that bitching about having two Rose Bowls (is that really such a bad thing?). (more inside)

posted by thescoop to football at 09:23 AM - 5 comments

Next time read the fine print...: The BCS finally has an undisputed national championship game as Miami defends its title against Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. But it looks like the "gentlemens club" is starting to rear its ugly head as tradition takes a back seat to dollars as the Orange Bowl books Iowa State vs USC in a match that looks suspiciously like "Rose Bowl West". Pasadena's putting on their game face but they don't like it. But tradition vs Dollars? I believe everyone will lean toward the money.

posted by Mack Twain to football at 01:30 AM - 3 comments

Pete Rose and Bud Selig met two weeks ago to discuss the possibility of Rose's reinstatement to baseball, according to ESPN.Com.

posted by rcade to baseball at 11:55 PM - 2 comments

SAILING: Louis Vuitton Cup semifinals begin.: In the first leg of the first-to-win-four series, Alinghi (Swiss) beat Oracle BMW Racing (US) while OneWorld (US) managed a win over Prada (Italy). Note: The loser of the Alinghi v Oracle series will get a second chance, in the repechage round against the winner of the OneWorld v Prada series.

posted by worldcup2002 to other at 11:41 PM - 0 comments

Baylor will be hiring Guy Morriss as its head football coach, passing up the chance to nab Hayden Fry. "Frankly, it's hard to imagine getting to this point and not hiring coach Hayden Fry," Waco Tribune-Herald sports editor Kim Gorum wrote before the decision. "It's obvious to football people everywhere. One Division I-A head coach, talking this week to a friend he'd coached with at Texas in the ’90s, was shocked to hear that Fry was pursuing the Baylor job. 'Why in the world wouldn't they hire him?' he asked."

posted by rcade to football at 10:35 PM - 1 comment

NFL WEEK 14
It's playoff crunch time, and you either "win or go home".

Can the Patriots repeat last year's success? Michael Vick ain't Superman. Yet (proving once again that players need to shut the hell up the week before a big one). Philly's D gets prep to feast on the woeful Wuerffel-led Redskins. The Raiders flip the bird to the young'ns. The Titans surge back, while the Chiefs put the nail in the Rams hype coffin.

NEW POWERHOUSE: Houston Texans?

The rest of us sigh in pain as our teams once again play for draft picks.

posted by owillis to football at 04:35 PM - 1 comment

EPL REPORT WEEK 17: Resurgent Man U beat leaders Arsenal 2-0, move into second. [much more inside]

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 10:42 AM - 6 comments

The Oracle of Baseball:
A new feature just added to the wonderful Baseball-Reference.com, it's just like Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. This one tells you the link between any players in MLB history. You can also find out how "connected" a player is and how many teammates he's had.

posted by grum@work to baseball at 09:45 AM - 10 comments

Tom Coughlin, the longest tenured NFL coach who hasn't been to a Super Bowl, may be reaching the end of that streak in Jacksonville. Attendance was nearly an all-time low at Sunday's loss to the Browns, which assured the team of three straight non-winning seasons, and an anonymous fan's firetomcoughlin.com site is getting lots of attention in the local and national media.

posted by rcade to football at 07:26 PM - 3 comments

R & A vandalism ??: Fancy making changes to the most famous hazard in golf. Surely you could always get out sideways

posted by johnny7 to golf at 05:02 PM - 0 comments

"We choked, just flat-out choked." : The Dallas Mavericks blow a 30-point lead to the Lakers.

posted by kirkaracha to basketball at 11:42 AM - 5 comments

"There is no chance of Emile being sold and there is no point in anyone asking. You can add more to that £12m figure and he will still not be leaving." : Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier responds unequivocally to rumors of a £12 million offer from off-form and much-maligned Spurs for his equally off-form and much-maligned striker Emile Heskey. Debate the value of Heskey here. Happy Saturday.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 04:17 PM - 4 comments

Completely Snookered.: The University of Alabama's Dennis Franchione will accept a deal for $10-11 million to become Texas A&M's football coach, while RC Slocum will move to a 'special advising' position. This is a smart move, considering Alabama is scandal plagued and under probation. However, what is causing a major meltdown among Alabama fans is that while Fran preaches Loyalty, Accountabilty, and Trust to his players (who all decided not to tranfer after probation hit, although given the option to); he lied for the last few weeks about "signing the Alabama contract as soon as the season was over" and explicitly denied A&M rumors. The administration, asst. coaches, and players believed him until he boarded a one-way plane today. Insider sites have multiple reports from the players that Fran did not (and has still not) address the team before leaving, and were broken the news by the Co-ordinators this afternoon. Current (weak) rumors have players going through the athletic complex and tearing down all pictures of Fran.

posted by Stan Chin to football at 08:38 PM - 14 comments

"The big Classic was overshadowed by the throwing of loads of objects on the field." : Last month a match between Real Madrid and F.A. Barcelona was suspended for 15 minutes due to "due to the continuous throwing of objects." The San Francisco Chronicle says the objects were "the severed heads of pigs and roosters," but this photo from the Real Madrid article just shows plastic Coke bottles.

posted by kirkaracha to soccer at 02:54 PM - 3 comments

HIGH NOON: Man Utd v Arsenal (Sat, 1215GMT).: Deposed Premiership champions Man Utd host reigning champions and current table-toppers Arsenal this Saturday in a much-awaited clash of the titans. This match features two powerful and combative teams that have just recovered winning form after a string of bad results. Will the Devils stick a fork in the Gunners, or will the Gunners shoot holes in the Devils? Mark Lawrenson predicts a score draw.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 11:15 AM - 1 comment

Man's love of football wins him right to buy house:: in light of the Riverfront Stadium posting, a quirky story about a real fan.

posted by smithers to other at 11:04 AM - 1 comment

Area Man Thinking Up Funny Things To Say For Next Football Game: "Kordell Stewart may end up starting at quarterback, and I've pretty much run through every Kordell joke in the book over the years," said Patek, poring over the USA Today sports page. "Do I joke about how he could get yanked in favor of a guy with a concussion and spinal-cord injury? I could, but I'd have to be careful."

posted by owillis to football at 10:10 AM - 3 comments

Yeah, it's only marginally sports-related (and yeah, it's via fark), but c'mon ... it's for a good cause.  Buy a raffle ticket to blow up Riverfront Stadium and help rid the world of this horrible franchise's history.

posted by danostuporstar to football at 12:57 PM - 2 comments

Worthington Cup: Liverpool vs Ipswich (8pm GMT/3pm EST/noon PST).: The fourth round continues with Premiership contenders Liverpool hosting recently-relegated First Division Ipswich. While the League Cup has its fair share of upsets, StarFucker and I will be hoping for no surprises and Liverpool to beat the Tractor Boys. We'll be fixing a keen eye on Chris Kirkland, who takes over as Liverpool goalkeeper, thanks to Dudek's weekend fumble. We'll also be watching for how radically changed Liverpool's lineup will be, and how many reserves get to start the match. Join the game live via Net radio or live text.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 09:27 AM - 32 comments

The wonderful future of heavyweight boxing: [nyt reg req] The Klitschko brothers, speaking Ukrainian, Russian, German, and English with doctorates from the University of Kiev in sports science. Can Lenox Lewis really be next ? Willl these two "gentelemen sportsmen" do for brotherly love (and boxing endorsements) what the Williams sisters did for sisterly love and womens tennis? PS Worshipful Sports Illustrated article and their snazzy official Web site.

posted by Voyageman to boxing at 09:10 AM - 1 comment

Cubs Fans, Dash Any And All Hope Now...: Someone please explain this deal. Why would the Cubs do this? For years there's been talk of a loaded farm system is for the Northsiders. Now, they go and block HeeSop Choi and Bobby Hill. Turning one overpaid black-hole in the line up into two is not the stuff of baseball championships. If this is Dusy's idea of building a team, I say bring back Baylor!

posted by herc to baseball at 02:09 AM - 4 comments

AS Roma has its new official homepage up!: Enjoy!

posted by Bag Man to soccer at 08:21 PM - 6 comments

Real Madrid wins the Intercontinental Cup 2-0,: emblematic of the world club championship, over Olimpia of Paraguay. Real's Brazilians, Ronaldo (with a goal on seven shots) and Roberto Carlos (four shots and an assist), were their best players, bringing back memories of Brazil's victory at the World Cup in the same Yokohama stadium. Olimpia made a good showing in a game that, for financial reasons, is becoming increasingly difficult for South American teams to compete on equal terms.

posted by Steve-o to soccer at 06:10 PM - 3 comments

Budd Schulberg: waxes long and lyrical on great fights he has seen and great boxers he has met.

posted by Fat Buddha to boxing at 01:25 PM - 0 comments

GOLF BEAT: WEEK OF NOV. 25 - DEC. 1

The world of golf remains fixated on the Augusta National men-only story. The New York Times has yet another story in today’s paper about the controversy. Today’s news has to do with the first resignation of an Augusta member in protest of the club’s policy. But some are questioning the Times' almost bizarre fixation on this story. Indeed, a recent Newsweek article says that the paper’s Augusta coverage is causing significant internal turmoil: "The Masters coverage is so overheated, one staffer says, that executive editor Howell Raines is ‘in danger of losing the building.’"

On the lighter side of the Augusta controversy, SI’s Rick Reilly takes a look into the future, and reports on the aftermath of next year’s Masters: "Now that the fire is out, the riot has been quelled, the paramedics are gone, the jails are locked down and the National Guard is in control, I have to say that the 2003 Masters was an absolute Hootie. Wouldn't you?"

Other stories making golf news:

• Old timer Mark O’Meara wins the Skins Game, beating the likes of Woods, Mickelson, and Couples.
• The Australian PGA ends in an unprecedented tie, which some, including Greg Norman, call an embarrassment to Australian golf.
• Suzy Whaley became the first person to qualify for a PGA Tour event by winning a local tournament (although she was playing from shorter tees). Whaley explains why she has chosen to play in next year’s Greater Hartford Open.

posted by jmpeterson to golf at 01:20 PM - 3 comments

Shopping season! EPL transfer window re-opens in January.: One of the two times (mid-season and pre-season) that teams can buy and sell players (a FIFA ruling, and due to be challenged by the FA, EPL, Football League, and EPA) comes up in the new year. Leeds needs to unload up to seven players to make up a 50-million pound deficit. Man Utd is ready to buy in order to rebuild. Man City's Keegan has 7 mil to spend on two foreign players. Birmingham may sign four to shore up the defence. Table-toppers Arsenal won't buy or sell, according to manager Wenger. Last-place West Ham wants a striker and a defender. What are your top transfers? BBC collected rumors from fans, to add fat to the fire.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 12:01 PM - 8 comments

Worthington Cup: Burnley v Man Utd (8pm GMT/2pm EST/11am PST).: [ Live radio | Live text ] Formerly known as the League Cup, this knockout tourney is the "ugly sister" to the English FA Cup. Today's fourth round clashes feature First Division Burnley against Premiership giants Man Utd. Aside from providing extra money for the teams, and a place in the UEFA Cup for the eventual cupwinners, this tourney (and the FA Cup) provides us fans the prospect of seeing players that may not get as much playing time in the league, as well as the opportunity to witness giantkilling opportunities (when lowly teams, say Burnley, upset behemoths, like Man U). Go Burnley!

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 11:24 AM - 13 comments

College Football Weekly Report
Fans of a national title game can say the BCS works: Miami, should it beat Virginia Tech this week, will play Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. Pretty much everyone else can make a case that the BCS doesn't work so well. (more inside)

posted by thescoop to football at 09:40 AM - 16 comments

Winning with defense.: We know Tampa Bay doesn't win with offense (and they lost without it yesterday). But McNabb, Manning, and Vick get a lot more press than their top 4 ranked defenses. This helps to show why Philly can still win with McNabb gone (10-3 against the Rams yesterday w/31 fantasy pts for the defense), why Indy can win with the Edge performing spottily, and why Vick can win with few other offensive talents around him. Oakland also has a potent offense with the 10 ranked defense (points against). (apology for 2 FPP in same day inside.)

posted by Sean Meade to football at 03:23 PM - 2 comments

EPL WEEK 16 REPORT: Henry's brace takes Arsenal four points clear at the top. (more inside)

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 12:32 PM - 10 comments

Another BCS nightmare is upon us.: Iowa is number 3 in both polls and could be cut out of the BCS entirely.

"This is worse than the nightmare scenario with four unbeaten teams," BCS expert Jerry Palm said Sunday.

current most likely scenario:

Fiesta: Miami vs. Ohio State.
Orange: Notre Dame vs. Georgia.
Sugar: Florida State vs. USC.
Rose: Washington State vs. Oklahoma.

We can argue for a playoff until we're blue in the face, but what should be done this year?

posted by Sean Meade to football at 10:57 AM - 11 comments

Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders: "Right now I’m injured. I’ve got a sprained big toe—you know, turf toe—and some kind of a stress fracture or heel spur. It’s all in the same foot, too, so that’s pretty bad. I try not to talk about it because I don’t want to be sidelined. That’s one of the big differences between the players and us. If I were a player, I’d have 10 doctors looking at it right now"

posted by owillis to football at 12:49 PM - 7 comments