12/21/24
Archives for February 2002
February 28, 2002
More hard luck for comeback superstars. First Jordan, now Mario is sidelined for the year. The message couldn't be clearer: Don't even think about it, Big Mac
It seems from the article that Mario's condition pre-dated the Olympics and that he really gutted it out during the games and played through a lot of pain. Now that he has his gold to go with his Cups, should he hang the skates up for good?
posted by holden to hockey at 05:28 PM - 12 comments
New Red Sox owners oust Duquette.: Not a big surprise. The question is, who will be his permanent replacement? More importantly, will it matter?
posted by justgary to baseball at 02:45 PM - 7 comments
If you can't beat them, beat them. Six Kentucky high school students assaulted a rival school's best scorer before the district tournament, knocking him (and then his team) out of play.
posted by rcade to basketball at 01:37 PM - 4 comments
Marc It Down: Dominican baseball players aged dramtically this winter
posted by msacheson to commentary at 11:50 AM - 0 comments
John Madden explores Monday Night Football Booth Job: Sources report FOX has released John from the last year of his contract, Dan Fouts and Dennis miller are history. It's been a long time since I have enjoyed MNF, but if this works out, I'm there.
posted by Mack Twain to football at 01:30 AM - 16 comments
Don't be a bigamist: and other rules for fandom. Fun stuff, as is the usual from Simmons, but he completely ignores colleges, which is also par for him. By his rules I'm definitely not a good fan. Oh well...
posted by tieguy to culture at 12:21 AM - 3 comments
February 27, 2002
Schumacher second best driver ever: according to Murray Walker, "...conceivably number one, with several years of his career still to go."
posted by riffola to other at 11:42 PM - 9 comments
Cry, Theo, cry.: Theo Fleury continues to makes headlines, but not for scoring goals. As a fellow short guy, I wish Theo would stop perpetuating the myth that we're all self-centered punks with a persecution complex and a chip on our shoulders. Does he really think that threatening to retire is going to make the refs give him some leeway on the ice?
posted by Samsonov14 to hockey at 05:15 PM - 6 comments
If curling is in the Olympics, why not bowling? The International Bowling Federation wants bowling to be an Olympic medal event. The benefits, according to their FAQ, are: the objectivity of its scoring, its gender equity, and the appeal of an additional demographic not otherwise drawn to the Games. Sounds good to me.
posted by Prince Valium to other at 04:32 PM - 12 comments
What a Relief.: The NFL Today on CBS replaces Glanville and Ditka with Esiason and Marino. (Ditka will remain with NFL Today but have a reduced role.) That studio team was absolutely painful to watch. No chemistry. Forced outrageousness. And Britney Spear microphones. (It's the same feeling I get when I watch the NBA on NBC.)
posted by jacknose to general at 02:32 PM - 9 comments
God helped me to win!: How often have you heard an athlete give thanks to God after winning or scoring? What about those athletes who God didn't allow to win? Harry Pearson, in The Guardian, discusses this in this entertaining column.
posted by salmacis to general at 09:58 AM - 9 comments
New owners purchase the San Jose Sharks: Sharks owner George Gund III sold a majority share of the team to a group including Stratton Sclavos [Verisign], Tom McEnery [former mayor], Kevin Compton [Kleiner Perkins], Greg Reyes [Brocade], Gary Valenzuela [past Yahoo CFO], and Harvey Armstrong [MyCFO].
Action figure athletes: look neat. Iverson seems like he's ready to strangle someone. They've got NFL figures too...
posted by owillis to general at 01:33 AM - 7 comments
February 26, 2002
Michael Jordan's getting knee surgury,: and his season could be over. Does this sink the Wizards? His career? Does this change what you think of his comeback?
posted by kirkaracha to basketball at 07:29 PM - 4 comments
Spurrier trades for Wuerffel, and wants to trade for Shane Matthews. Redskins fans nationwide scratch their heads in bewilderment. Does Spurrier really think he can recreate the magic that won a college national title in the pros? Wuerffel has never won a starting job in the pros, so I seriously doubt this will work.
posted by trox to football at 05:08 PM - 14 comments
Barry Melrose: : "A meteor strike can make or break your season. If a meteor strikes your team's plane, that's bad news. I think the teams that have the best chances in the postseason are the ones that don't get hit by meteors."
I challenge you to find a reason that Barry Melrose should get paid for writing this garbage. Owillis could write a better article.
posted by Samsonov14 to hockey at 02:39 PM - 8 comments
Bill Laimbeer's business fouls out,: writes the Freep's Tom Walsh. Laimbeer Packaging Co., which the former Piston shut down two months ago, left nearly 100 employees jobless. Creditors have sued him, his union is demanding vacation and holiday pay, and TV news crews have dogged him. Who knew that boxing out NBA players would be easier than making cardboard boxes?
posted by thescoop to basketball at 11:19 AM - 6 comments
NBC's Today Show mentioned an online poll that called Apolo Ohno the "athlete most representing the Olympic ideal." Is this a triumph of NBC scripting over reality, considering Ohno's questionable sportsmanship in a questionable sport?
posted by rcade to other at 09:51 AM - 15 comments
Top Ten World Cup Goals.: It's never too early to think about The World Cup. Here's a list of the best goals in World Cup history brought to you by The World Cup Archive. Do you agree? Also check out the site's legends page and stories page. The World Cup Archive contains a detailed history of every tournament from 1930 to the present.
posted by jacknose to soccer at 09:25 AM - 12 comments
New York Knicks Cancelled Because of Bad Ratings.: Somebody woke up David Stern and told him the Knicks stink. Via Slate. Now howzabout getting some Nets games on teevee?
posted by Justin Slotman to basketball at 08:41 AM - 6 comments
Thinking About Geegaws: Thinking about graphical on screen geegaws
posted by owillis to commentary at 02:01 AM - 0 comments
Slash and burn baby!: It's time for NFL teams to get under that cap. Chris Chandler's looking for work, so is Tom Tupa and a couple other Jets. Jessie Armstead is furiously filling out those change of address forms and Elvis may leave the building (PSINet Stadium that is). Here's who may be on the chopping block. Is the carnage worth it to preserve parity?
posted by owillis to football at 01:37 AM - 9 comments
February 25, 2002
All the World's an Olympic Sport
posted by jacknose to commentary at 03:44 PM - 0 comments
Royals see gun, shoot selves in foot.: Rany Jazayerli has been writing excellent articles on the plight of the Kansas City Royals for some time. In his most recent article, he points out how the departure of their last scouting director could make a bad team worse in the future as well as mentions the myth that the Braves scouting and development had been good in the '90s.
posted by moz to baseball at 12:09 PM - 3 comments
ALL SHOUTING, ALL THE TIME!: Joe Bartnick claims to have the "biggest balls in sports." Perhaps they are obscuring his punctuation keys. Hey, fans: Joe is avaliable for private and corporate events!
posted by Skot to other at 11:58 AM - 2 comments
February 24, 2002
More proof that Red Sox fans are 'special.': I don't think I'd ever quite understood Sox fans, until I moved up here. Then a link like this comes up and I realize I still don't understand Sox fans.
posted by tieguy to baseball at 08:48 PM - 3 comments
Canada wins the Gold in Ice hockey, 5-2: , thus completing these 2002 Winter Olympics. It was a close 3-2 game until the last few minutes, when Canada put the nails in the coffin with a pair of quickly scored goals. Bravo, Canada- you earned it, and it seems only right that both Canadian hockey teams should win Gold. On a related note, the US silver medal brings the total US medal count from these games 34- second only to Germany's 35. Not bad, considering the previous US high was 13 medals and the USOC was boasting before the games that the US would snag as many as 20 medals. :)
posted by hincandenza to other at 04:20 PM - 21 comments
The drought's over!: USA wins silver & bronze in the 4-man bobsled. Maybe NASCAR is good for something after all.
posted by PeteyStock to other at 01:52 AM - 7 comments
Is this: a legitimate sport? Sure, something like Fox's The Glutton Bowl is more spectacle than sport, but there are also more legitimate events, a governing body, records to be broken, rankings, a documentary, and ESPN even covers it.
posted by joehyuk to other at 01:23 AM - 3 comments
February 23, 2002
News to me: Pole vaulting can kill.
posted by rcade to other at 11:08 PM - 3 comments
Who wants to own a chunk of the Expos?: A great story on ESPN.com about a group of UPenn students who've started a website at which they're accepting pledges in the hopes of getting the $150 million or so it would take to buy the Montreal Expos from Major League Baseball. As of right now they're at nearly $650,000. Anyone else going to chip in a few bucks?
posted by zempf to baseball at 05:15 PM - 2 comments
February 22, 2002
The Russians are playing, not boycotting.: Post your comments as you're watching what is clearly the most important match/event/non-scandal of this olympics. How beautiful is the big ice? Isn't the NHL crazy for not adopting the olympic style?
posted by djacobs to hockey at 05:32 PM - 11 comments
The Murder of a Russian Boxer.: Candace Rondeaux (in this week's The Village Voice) has written an interesting piece on the mysterious disappearance of Sergei Kobozev in 1995 and the discovery of his corpse in 1999 in the backyard of a home in New Jersey. The death was mafia-related. (On a totally unrelated note, check out The Hockey Season's Best Bouts in Beantown, also in this week's The Village Voice.)
Pitcher/hothead John Rocker plays a crazed madman : in The Greenskeeper, a horror film set on a golf course (why not just call it Caddyslash?). Is this a good PR move given his reputation, or brilliant postmodern irony?
posted by kirkaracha to culture at 12:16 PM - 3 comments
My Own Private Dan Marino: Michelle Kwan loses the gold again. She's undecided but thinking about coming back for Turin in 2006. In USA Today they say: "She was fighting back tears while talking to reporters afterward. 'Well, I didn't skate very well,' she said. 'But I have to shrug my shoulders and go on.'"
posted by Justin Slotman to other at 08:54 AM - 14 comments
February 21, 2002
Canadian women defeat Americans in Ice Hockey: despite having 13 penalties called by an American referee. Canadian girls apparently kick ass even while shorthanded.
posted by srboisvert to other at 08:46 PM - 13 comments
Nuggets trade entire offense to Dallas for washed-up veterans.: Is Raef LaFrentz the last piece of the Mavericks championship puzzle? David Stern handing the trophy to Mark Cuban would be priceless.
posted by mmesker to basketball at 08:00 PM - 6 comments
Russia threatens to pull out of the Olympics: and boycott the USA/Russia hockey game. All talk? Or is it a Great Western Capitalist Conspiracy against the Russians?
posted by mkn to other at 07:00 PM - 25 comments
Where are the new sports? With the X-Games a full on corporate event, snowboarding an Olympic sport, and Hollywood using the "extreme" lifestyle as a movie device - are there any underground sports about to break through? Extreme Frisbee? Hacky sack? My money's on Xtreme Basketball.
posted by owillis to extreme at 06:27 PM - 5 comments
What the Falk?: Is David Falk trying to be more like Mike by holding a grudge against Isaiah Thomas? (Remember the supposed Dream Team lockout by Jordan--"it's me or Thomas"). After the Rose trade, Falk severely criticized Thomas for his lack of loyalty and professionalism, despite the fact that G.M. Donnie Walsh claims Thomas had nothing to do with the trade. So is anyone else tired of Falk? And are agents pimps, leeches, or hard-working assistants?
posted by jacknose to general at 01:45 AM - 5 comments
Marc It Down: "Miracle on Ice", redux?
posted by msacheson to commentary at 12:07 AM - 0 comments
February 20, 2002
Ohno wins gold in Men's 1500m short skate. : But not without controversy. He technically came in second, like in the 1,000 m debacle, but once again it was because of a South Korean skater who seemed to confuse "short skating" with "rugby". The official disqualifed the So. Korean skater shortly after the race finished, giving Ohno the gold.
posted by hincandenza to other at 10:23 PM - 16 comments
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Exclusive
The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue hits the news stands today with Yamila Diaz-Rahi as the cover girl. The great annual debate now commences. Does this content belong in a sports magazine? My view: If curling is a sport, so is this.
posted by RGarraud to general at 06:25 PM - 18 comments
Big upsets, indeed.: A couple of top seeds fell in the World Match Play Championship today, opening the brackets for mid-seeds to go a long way this weekend. Does this event (which has had Jeff Maggert, Darren Clarke and Steve Stricker as champions) live up to the hype, or is the unpredictable nature of match play what makes it exciting?
posted by msacheson to golf at 05:25 PM - 2 comments
posted by dai to other at 02:32 PM - 10 comments
SportsML: The Sports Markup Language...: Too nerdy, or just nerdy enough?
posted by kirkaracha to general at 02:29 PM - 6 comments
WWII?: Hey Herb, good thing the Five Nations don't have an Olympic Hockey Team. '"Maybe that's why they lost the Second World War, guys," Brooks said.' Has anyone else noticed that this Olympics has become a forum of xenophobic sentiment and generational vendetta? With this Games being an opportunity to escape the pre-packaged and over-cooked patriotism of the last few months and showcase the value of our global village, this turn to pre-picked medals, propoganda, and age-old grudges makes the wait for the next Games too short.
posted by garfield to other at 12:30 PM - 6 comments
Is Johnny Wilkinson the best fly-half in the world?: On Saturday, England crushed Ireland in the Six Nations rugby, and moved to the top of the Zurch World Rankings as a result. Johnny Wilkinson was outstanding. Not just in his kicks at goal, but in his running, passing and tactical kicking as well. Perhaps I asked the wrong question. Is Wilkinson the best rugby player, period, in the world at the moment? And are England really the world's best? (Guardian reports)
posted by salmacis to football at 05:17 AM - 4 comments
History made in Women's Bobsled. (story) (results) Did karma bite 'Mean' Jean Racine in the butt, or in her pusher's hamstring? MORE INSIDE
posted by msacheson to other at 12:17 AM - 9 comments
February 19, 2002
The Sportspages Hall of Fame: lists what they call the best of the best sports books. Which ones are good? What'd they leave out?
posted by kirkaracha to culture at 06:45 PM - 7 comments
Shaq's toe is getting better. : Allen Iverson's is not, nor is Cassel's . Jason Williams missed 8 games with ingrown toenails. Camby and Hakeem have had toe trouble as well. In a sport that has a synergistic and symbiotic relationship with the marketing and retailing of excessively expensive sneakers are these foot injuries a potential black eye? Some researchers claim that the shoes that some players wear can contribute to the injuries. Are the latest crop of shoes producing toe trouble?
posted by srboisvert to basketball at 12:06 PM - 2 comments
Super Bowl at Giants Stadium?: NFL owners are meeting next month to discuss changing the rules for Super Bowl host cities so Giants Stadium could host the game in 2007. Would this be a return to traditional football, an homage to September 11, or just an excuse to spruce up the stadium?
posted by kirkaracha to football at 11:18 AM - 9 comments
Wayne Gretzky, crybaby?: What's with The Great One? Is he serious? Is he really upset that every other country has fans who are rooting against Canada and for their own team? Is the criticism of the Canadian effort so far, 'American Propaganda' or is it coming strongest from Canada? Is it comical or sickening? Or is this all a well-worked effort at taking some of the pressure off of his players heading into the elimination round?
posted by 86 to other at 07:35 AM - 14 comments
Thinking About Jamie Sale: The past week in sports
posted by owillis to commentary at 05:03 AM - 0 comments
This Nike Commercial: is one of the best they've ever done (in my opinion). Here's some of the other Olympics commercials.
posted by owillis to culture at 04:30 AM - 8 comments
Trade rumors are swirling around Indy. : Thursday is the NBA trade deadline. If you were the GM of your favorite team, what deals would you make? Here are ten trades that Bill Simmons (from ESPN) thinks should happen.
posted by jacknose to basketball at 03:37 AM - 13 comments
February 18, 2002
The expansion draft is now over.: I hate to say it, but they made some great picks. Some great veteran defensive palyers and a few offensive weapons with great potential such as Avion Black. Will they become competetive too quick like Carolina and Jacksonville and later fall apart due to the cap? Should there even be an expansion draft?
posted by ttrendel to football at 11:23 PM - 3 comments
Maryland beats Duke,: leading by as much as 25 points and knocking Duke out of first place. Is this a passing of the ACC torch, or a one-time fluke?
posted by kirkaracha to basketball at 04:54 PM - 12 comments
Well the Bucs have landed Chucky after their coaching search had become one of the biggest messes imaginable. Following this precedent and Notre Dame's own coaching follies, will the new technique for hiring be to screw things up to the greatest degree possible and then land arguably the best coach for the job? What is this teaching America's youth? What about the children?
posted by holden to football at 01:49 PM - 5 comments
get yer football helmets!: nfl, usfl, wfl and more. pro, college and semi! every year, every team, every logo. get yer helmets!
posted by lescour to football at 01:05 PM - 4 comments
ESPN gets dramatic.: "With the recent NBA acquisition, ESPN has the schedule it has always sought -- a blend of pro sporting events that carries it from fall through summer. And the network will continue to pursue major sports rights -- Wimbledon is its next conquest, according to sources. But by turning to original movies, Shapiro hopes to add new viewers while keeping the sports fan engaged year-round. The network's first original movie, A Season on The Brink, premieres March 10, and Shapiro hopes to follow it with similar sports-themed dramas in short order. The next movie project in development deals with the terrorist attack on the Israeli Olympic team during the 1972 Munich Olympics. Shapiro is also considering developing an original series or two." (via Mediabistro)
posted by owillis to culture at 12:11 PM - 8 comments
posted by jacknose to commentary at 11:36 AM - 0 comments
Strat-O-Matic XL didn't have quite the pageantry of Salt Lake City XIX, but when, shortly before official distribution began at 1 p.m, Hal Richman pulled the curtain aside on a gigantic version of the Bonds card, well ... I swear I saw tears rolling down many of the cheeks. "This is the greatest slugging card in history," said Richman. "One home run for every 6.5 at bats."
What is more of a sport, Strat-O-Matic or Ice Skating?
I spent many, many winter afternoons with APBA Baseball replaying the 86 World Series with my Dad, Jon Lacroix, or anyone else who would pick up the dice shaker. Later we put the cards aside in favor of "John Elway's Quarterback" and "Pursue the Pennant." Most recently, had John Madden for PS2 never been invented my old start up might not have gone under. What are your fondest sports gaming memories?
posted by djacobs to baseball at 11:19 AM - 4 comments
French Judge Insists Russians Deserved Gold.: Back home in France, Marie-Reine Le Gougne insisted that she had voted for the Russian couple in good faith. Although the ISU ruled that Le Gougne had been pressured to vote for the Russian pair, Le Gougne explained that she had been pressured for months to vote for the Canadian couple and claimed she was threatened after the Olympic competition and forced to admit she had acted under instructions from the French figure skating federation. Le Gougne said that Sally-Ann Stapleton, head of the ISU technical committee and other ISU members had put pressure on her to force her to admit she had misjudged. Le Gougne may retire to her small farm where she raises and trains crawdads.
posted by Mack Twain to football at 10:03 AM - 4 comments
February 17, 2002
The debate as to where and when the Tyson-lewis fight will happen continues. Even politicians are sluggging it out concerning the issue. Governor Roy Barnes of Georgia says he doesn't want a "sexual predator" boxing here, but some Atlanta lawmakers and others say the Mike Tyson-Lennox Lewis heavyweight bout would be a good opportunity to generate sales tax revenue. Has this become a battle between doing what's right or doing the "right thing"? Which side are you on? Meanwhile, Lewis' camp is saying that the fight will happen as early as june
posted by RGarraud to boxing at 12:38 PM - 8 comments
February 16, 2002
The Marlins: won the World Series just 5 years ago, now there's a question of whether it should even exist. I lived in Florida when they got the team and won the series, and it's a downright shame what's happened since. For the new owners to ask for a new ballpark is completely laughable.
posted by owillis to baseball at 10:43 PM - 5 comments
Roller Derby on ice.: The speed skaters might not like that title, but today's wild and unpredictable races (with a massive wipe-out, multiple dqs, tied heats, and Australia's first Winter gold) make that monicker seem complete accurate.
posted by mkn to other at 10:14 PM - 23 comments
Dime Magazine.: Is there room for another SLAM? The boys from the once popular but now defunct HoopsTV.com bring you Dime Magazine :: The Game. The Player. The Life. Their online version is not too bad. They give you some daily SMACK, a Game of the Day breakdown , and an occasional feature.
posted by jacknose to basketball at 11:32 AM - 3 comments
Steve Logan 41 - Southern Miss 37: You think all those NBA scouts still think he's too short? Also, is the best defense in the game (UC) the only hope anyone has against Duke come tourney time?
posted by mick to basketball at 08:15 AM - 4 comments
February 15, 2002
Red Sox Numerology:
Pats 20 Rams 17
What two numbers are between those two scores?˙ 18 and 19.
Now reverse them (symbolically reversing our fortunes): 19 and 18......1918
Therefore end of the curse...this is Boston's year!
posted by riley370 to baseball at 10:14 PM - 6 comments
Maybe Gerry Faust is available.: The Bucs are starting to seem like that garbage barge from Long Island that wasn't allowed to land anywhere. Their latest scheme is to give Mooch coach and GM responsibilities. Has he earned it or are they just desperate?
posted by pastepotpete to football at 07:44 PM - 1 comment
Canada gets smoked: by the Swedes. Joe Thornton is at home in Ontario right now, giggling uncontrollably. If Sweden and the Czech Republic play as we know they can, the "unstoppable Canadians" might not make it into the medal rounds. What will Wayne & crew do to get back in the hunt?
posted by Samsonov14 to hockey at 07:34 PM - 8 comments
Why bosoms sell sports magazines: Interesting discussion about the magazine-cover portrayals of men athletes versus the portrayal of women athletes.
posted by kirkaracha to culture at 03:38 PM - 2 comments
Available to a good home:: One QB, slightly worn. If Houston doesn't want him, he's all yours. Considering we went 2-14, it's probably a blessing for him anyway.
posted by owillis to football at 03:19 PM - 7 comments
Character wins championships: Why the best team won the Super Bowl
posted by kirkaracha to commentary at 02:54 PM - 0 comments
Good news skating appeal fans!! The ice dancing competition is fixed also.
posted by pastepotpete to other at 11:51 AM - 6 comments
February 14, 2002
Gold medals for everyone!: CNN/SI's Brian Cazeneuve's solution to the Olympic figure skating controvery is to give gold medals to the Canadian skaters and let the Russian skaters keep their gold. Doesn't someone have to win? Should there be a do-over?
posted by kirkaracha to other at 07:41 PM - 19 comments
It's None of Your Beeswax!: By now, you've heard about Webber's "profanity-laden tirade emanating from a story in Tuesday's [Sacramento] Bee" connecting him with Tyra Banks. In today's column Mark Kriedler from the Bee writes, If a man wants to keep it perfectly quiet whom he's spending time with, he almost certainly does not bring her into the middle of All-Star Weekend when she already is recognized on sight by most of the pop-culture addicts on the planet. You cannot invade the privacy of a man who already has willingly surrendered it. Sneaky little rule, I know. Not surprisingly, his teammates defend Webber.
posted by jacknose to basketball at 03:23 PM - 4 comments
Jayaram Khadka,: a Nepalese cross-country skiier, raised by an eccentric English computer millionaire, finished 82nd in the 10km classical race. Isaac Menyoli, who came in 83rd and last is from Cameroon, via Milwaukee.
posted by liam to other at 02:44 PM - 6 comments
Slow play on golf courses is an epidemic, but I don't think there's a cure. The pros are complaining about it on the PGA TOUR. Most weekend duffers complain about it, too. What can you do about it? Buy a hat!
posted by msacheson to golf at 02:07 PM - 5 comments
NBC's use of SimulCam technology is a reason to catch one of the remaining skiing or figure skating events. It superimposes a ghosted replay of one athlete over a replay of another, providing an amazing comparative look at the event. (Via RC3)
posted by rcade to other at 01:30 PM - 6 comments
Marc It Down: Curling: Olympic Sport or Drinking Game?
posted by msacheson to commentary at 11:20 AM - 0 comments
Enrique Iglesias': new video "Escape" features the greatest tennis player to never win anything, yup, Anna Kournikova
posted by owillis to tennis at 06:23 AM - 6 comments
February 13, 2002
I had thought that UNC's botched search for a replacement for Phil Guthridge (where coaches with something like 3,000 career wins either rejected or were rejected by Carolina, in favor of the guy who is now leading them to their worst season ever, and prompted rivals to make 'I Said No To Dean' t-shirts) would always be the most horribly screwy coaching search ever. Now less than two years later it is time to play I Said No To The Bucs. I guess I'm young, but I can't remember anything like this in any sport....
posted by tieguy to football at 03:21 PM - 7 comments
Kobefilter.com is available! Get it!: Alonzo Mourning says "F*ck the fans, congratulations" to Kobe. How are Alonzo's comments different than Bonzi's (less harshly worded) comments earlier in the season? Alonzo also said Kobe is the NBA's finest spokesman. What? Mr. Cut their hearts out? I say it's got to be Jason Kidd, or Kevin Garnett. I'm not sure Kobe's even in my top 10. Who are yours?
posted by djacobs to basketball at 02:36 PM - 6 comments
Schumacher breaks track record: at Fiorano with the new Ferrari F2002. Meanwhile, the new Renault looks fast and Williams are still a threat. With just over two weeks left to Melbourne, it looks like a good season ahead.
posted by walrus to other at 11:03 AM - 5 comments
Rule change boosts Fords to front of field.: Earlier this week, NASCAR announced Winston Cup Ford teams would get another quarter-inch off their spoilers, effective with yesterday's practice at Daytona International Speedway. How does this affect your picks for the Daytona 500 Championship race this Sunday? Was Ford was given too much of a break?
posted by brenna to other at 10:45 AM - 8 comments
Mario Lemieux recently admitted: that Olympic hockey is his number one priority right now, something that apparently did not sit particularly well with some Penguins fans. While this is a tough call, I think it makes sense for Mario. He has already won his Stanley Cups and didn't have a chance to play for Canada four years ago (and will not have a chance to do so in four years), so why not focus on something that has more meaning for him and his country? (I have a bit more to say about this and how the NHL didn't get it about Slovakia et al, but will do so as a comment to this post in the interest of saving front page space).
posted by holden to hockey at 09:28 AM - 6 comments
MSN Programmers Are Human After All.: Some joker decided to give Sabres winger Miroslav Satan the ID number 666. (There's not much to see or discuss here, feel free to to say this isn't an appropriate link -- but it's an egg I wanted to share.)
posted by danostuporstar to hockey at 09:02 AM - 6 comments
The role of subjectivity in sport: Simon Barnes, in The Times, discusses the Canadian ice skating incident, and more interestingly, the role of subjectivity in sports.
posted by salmacis to other at 04:21 AM - 5 comments
Monday is the expansion draft: Should Houston try to build a team that can somewhat contend (Jacksonville), or slowly build (Cleveland)? The players on the table are here. Realignment became official Tuesday, and while my team stays firm in the NFC East - how is it affecting your team?
posted by owillis to football at 02:42 AM - 16 comments
Where the sports are.: About.com maps the locations of the professional sports teams (well, except for soccer) in the US and Canada.
posted by kirkaracha to general at 02:40 AM - 11 comments
Shaq-less Kobe beats Michael: as the Wizards blow a 20-point second-half lead. Is this more important to Kobe Bryant or Phil Jackson?
posted by kirkaracha to basketball at 02:32 AM - 3 comments
White like Me: We White Guys have faced it. We're wack at most everything. Basically the only thing we dominate now is stuff black people don't have the right clothes to try -- lumberjack contests and luge. But we shred documents like nobody's damn business!
posted by justgary to culture at 12:26 AM - 5 comments
February 12, 2002
Baseball sales final, Mets lose Minaya.: Lost in the fine print of all this baseball madness is that Omar Minaya is the new general manager of Montreal. This may be the most significant off season transaction for the Mets as he, not Uncle Stevie, is the real genius behind a lot of our^H^H^H the Mets transactions. On the upside, he is Baseball's first Latino general manager and the Yankees won't have as easy a time getting Vlad the magnificent.
posted by djacobs to baseball at 02:03 PM - 9 comments
Dude, if you can't beat them, invent your own sport.: The U.S. men sweep the halfpipe snowboarding competition. Team USA has now won 6 medals. (The best finish for the U.S. in the Winter Olympics has been 13 medals.) 4 out of 6 medals are in snowboarding. Gnarly. Here's a look at the sport's humble beginnings in the good ol' U. S. of A.
posted by jacknose to other at 07:43 AM - 9 comments
Thinking About The Olympics: The Olympics and why they don't completely suck
posted by owillis to commentary at 03:45 AM - 0 comments
The Russian Pairs Skating Dynasty lives on in 2002.: The decision proved to be a controversial one, as a flawless performance by Sale and Pelletier seemed to lock a gold medal win for Canada when compared to a couple bobbles by Russians Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze. But they ended up with the silver after a tiebreaker by the Chinese judge.
posted by evixir to other at 12:19 AM - 34 comments
February 11, 2002
Wanna hear some Hockey Rock? Meet The Zambonis!: America's only all-hockey rock and roll band. These guys have been slogging around the Northeast for years, playing songs like the insanely catchy "Hockey Monkey"(downloadable mp3 here, click on "downloads".) and the rather poignant "Bob Marley and the Hartford Whalers." As an added bonus they're from Connecticut! Enjoy, guys.
posted by jonmc to hockey at 09:35 PM - 3 comments
The Sporting news wants you to pay $24.95 for NFL Draft (?!?) coverage.: I hesitate to shill for this half-baked idea, but I'm mystified. What possible reason would someone pay good money for statistics at your fingertips during the draft? Presumably, you could watch it on television. My first thought was, ok, it's for fantasy football junkies, but shoot, all this info will be available for free after the draft. Are there any Sportsfilterers that want or believe they need this sort of real-time info barrage?
posted by pastepotpete to football at 06:44 PM - 6 comments
Jamaica: Olympic Hopeful?: First appearing on the scene in Calgary ('88), Jamaica did not "almost win" as seen in the movie Cool Runnings. But they were certainly the inspiration at least in part for the Olympic participation of Bermuda, Monaco, and other countries either snowless or tiny. Jamaica actually came in 21st out of 32 in '98 (and ahead of the US team in '94), which is quite an accomplishment for a little country in the Caribbean where 70 degrees is a cool day.
Coaching, it's an important thing but after a glorious start: , Francois Pienaar, the coach of my Rugby side, Saracens is recieving some serious abuse from fans after a recent slump. He's not too inexperienced either (as some have said). What do you think about chucking out coaches with a couple of months left in the season?
posted by nedrichards to football at 05:53 PM - 3 comments
Fantasy Fishing: It works for football; why not for bass fishing?
posted by kirkaracha to other at 05:37 PM - 2 comments
Fighting in the NHL is up 20% this season: ...are the ratings also up 20%?
posted by kirkaracha to hockey at 05:31 PM - 4 comments
Utah Jazz point guard DeShawn Stevenson was sentenced to probation today after pleading no contest to having sex with a 14-year-old girl. The team will "arrange for Stevenson to do his community service at the Boys & Girls Club," according to his lawyer.
posted by rcade to basketball at 05:05 PM - 4 comments
We may have lost the crotch shot in figure skating, but NBC was kind enough to ask Norwegian skiier Kari Traa about her bottomless magazine pictorial after she won the freestyle moguls gold, flashing most of the cover onscreen.
posted by rcade to other at 10:58 AM - 8 comments
February 10, 2002
The Olympics and the Web:: how the presentation of the games online has changed since Sydney.
posted by kirkaracha to other at 09:27 PM - 3 comments
In tonight's NBA all star game: Kobe Bryant scored 31 points and took the MVP honors. The win was bittersweet as fans booed and showed their disapproval to the Philadelphia native. I suppose that the philly fans would rather have seen Kobe play for the 76ers. But that's not his fault, during the 1996 NBA draft the 76ers had first pick and they chose Allen Iverson instead. Guard Allen Iverson on the other hand, also a good player, Philadelphia’s favorite son and winner of the 2001 NBA all star MVP was held down to only 5 points in his own building tonight. So what's with the booing? the rumour is that Philly sports fans have a reputation that precedes them
posted by RGarraud to basketball at 09:14 PM - 14 comments
Marvin Lewis becomes highest paid assistant: in the NFL. For $850,000 he will run the Redskins' defense under Steve Spurrier. The architect of one of the best defenses ever will tag team with the Fun-N-Gun offense. Of course, there's no quarterback yet but a defense with Champ Bailey, LaVar Arrington, Darrell Green and Bruce Smith is a start.
posted by owillis to football at 07:35 PM - 10 comments
February 09, 2002
The 'Miracle on Ice' team: lit the Olympic torch last night, and wouldn't it be fitting if Team USA won the gold this time around? Who do you think is going to win it all? Slovakia could be the dark horse (perhaps garnering a bronze) if they manage to get past the qualifiers, but I think Canada has fielded the strongest team, under the leadership of two of the greatest athletes in the game, Wayne Gretzky (manager) and Mario Lemieux (team captain).
posted by insomnyuk to hockey at 06:56 PM - 7 comments
After losing her pole: and having to stop uphill, Stefania Belmondo (Italy) won the gold in the 15 KM cross-country free style. Amazing in the fact in that she managed to recover and was just a breath away from Katerina Neumannova. Simply amazing, and suspenseful at the end.
posted by geoff to other at 05:33 PM - 3 comments
February 08, 2002
[T]his year there's a real possibility (threat?) that patriotism could erupt into full-scale jingoism. There's a chance that other nations could look at cheesy attempts at patriotism and see the most blatant attempt at using nationalism to hijack the Olympics since 1936.Not what I expect from ESPN - but certainly a welcome sentiment. Does anyone else feel that these olympics are going to stink for around 2000 reasons, one of which is definitely this "America #1" attitude? (another of which is "Utah?")
posted by djacobs to other at 05:45 PM - 15 comments
Stephon Marbury arrested for "Extreme" DUI.: So how's that Kidd-for-Marbury trade looking now, on the PR front as well as standings?
posted by msacheson to basketball at 02:36 PM - 4 comments
Michael Jordan walks on water: (or comes really, really close). The Wizards are 26-21 and in third place in the Atlantic division. This same sorry team was 19-63 last year. It seems the initial sentiment of sports punditry was that he would "tarnish his legacy", then modified to "it'll be fun, but nothing will come out of it". If the Wizards just make the playoffs the legend of MJ will grow even larger (if such a thing is possible).
posted by owillis to basketball at 01:35 PM - 12 comments
After Bill Parcells changed his mind and today's Marvin Lewis debacle, is Tampa Bay now the second-worst place to coach an NFL team?
posted by rcade to football at 01:13 PM - 8 comments
Koivu in Remission.: 5 months ago, Saku Koivu was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a type of cancer with a 50% mortality rate. Today it was announced that it's in remission, and Koivu is talking about coming back for the playoffs. Hopefully he'll be able to compete at the same level as two others who have recently beaten cancer and made a comback (Mario Lemieux and Lance Armstrong). Some truly good news this morning.
Mormons battle for soul of Games.: In some ways, it seems appropriate that the Winter Olympics are being held in Salt Lake City, home of the Mormon faith. These are complicated times. The recent "war against terrorism" could also be perceived as a war against those who steadfastly adhere to religious dogma. One might mistake "the enemy" to be all those who strictly believe in one God. In this thick context, the world gathers in the one American city that is explicitly associated with a specific, conservative faith. This AP article (picked up by CNNSI) examines the struggle and compromise between the Mormon community and the world about to converge upon it.
posted by jacknose to culture at 11:10 AM - 4 comments
Conference USA: Home of scoundrels.: In Esquire's March issue, writer Charles P. Pierce slams the league for harboring corrupt coaches. "There are buccaneers and cutthroat types in every conference," Pierce wrote. "And then there is Conference USA." Memphis' John Calipari, Pierce writes, "shouldn't be allowed on a college campus without an armed escort."
posted by thescoop to basketball at 09:11 AM - 4 comments
I had to stop after 4 last night, and I still made a little mess in the cab!: The NBA is back, (remember when it was in trouble?) The first 10,000 drinks are on on KG next week when the T-wolves play the Suns. His motivation is to make the Target Center like a "crazy... rat house." Hopefully he'll have a great game. What are some other examples of players making nice with their fans?
posted by djacobs to basketball at 06:25 AM - 7 comments
February 07, 2002
MLB's historical timeline of the strike zone: doesn't mention Eric Gregg's ridiculously wide strike zone in the 1997 World Series, but I did learn that originally the batters called the pitches.
posted by kirkaracha to baseball at 05:29 PM - 2 comments
Lewis must fight Tyson: says the World Boxing Council. Rumors are suggesting the venue could be at the Texas Motor Speedway or in Atlanta. Good news for the boxing world?
posted by catatonic to boxing at 12:57 PM - 16 comments
Marc It Down: Profile of new IOC chief Jacques Rogge
posted by msacheson to commentary at 12:03 PM - 0 comments
Major League Baseball (yes the very same organization monitoring all our thoughts) fesses up to the skeletons in their closet with a new section of their site dedicated to honoring those in the Negro Leagues. There are team histories, profiles of players, and even a story about women that played in the league. Is this progress?
posted by mathowie to baseball at 11:54 AM - 8 comments
February 06, 2002
Did top speedskater Apolo Ohno: deliberately lose a race at the US Olympic Trials so his friend could make the Olympic team? Almost everyone except the arbitrator seems to think so. I saw the Trials on Outdoor Life Network, and the race looked fishy. Are they letting him get away with race fixing because he's a gold medal favorite for the US?
posted by neuroshred to other at 04:42 PM - 7 comments
Something to Read During the Off-Season?: Well, leave it to our own Mr. Willis for trying to keep the NFL alive and well after the Super Bowl. He's penning his own NFL serial novel: QB Run. (excerpt: "Something moved under the sheet. What the hell? A leg. Female. White.") Britney?
Ferarri F2002: launched today, the 48th Formula 1 car from Ferrari. The one car everyone has been eagerly waiting to see this year.
posted by riffola to other at 10:51 AM - 7 comments
Compromise Reached in Olympic WTC Flag Controversy The U.S. Olympic Commitee wanted athletes to carry the U.S. flag recovered from the World Trade Center into the opening ceremony. The International Olympic Committee felt this was too political and sets a bad precedent. In true Olympic spirit, the flag will be raised during the opening ceremony by a group of international atheletes.
posted by danostuporstar to other at 09:35 AM - 3 comments
Arsenal go for a makeover.: I know there was a valid reason to change their crest (the old one could not be copyrighted, apparently) but what do you think of the new design? Personally I can't fathom how it took a team of consultants so long to come up with something like that. I would be pretty annoyed if my club did something similar.
posted by salmacis to soccer at 02:46 AM - 9 comments
February 05, 2002
"Now I can die in peace": I know it's an ESPN article, but I thought this story was just a fantastic look into the heart/soul of a diehard fan who's team finally did it. "I don't think I've ever felt that way before. I mean, have you ever felt totally dumbfounded by something? Have you ever felt totally overwhelmed? I'm telling you, keep the faith, keep believing, keep supporting your team -- there's a slight chance that it might be worth it some day. Just trust me."
posted by owillis to football at 06:12 PM - 24 comments
IDITAROD! Forget the winter Olympics, the true test of a frosty will starts March 3. In 1925, the heroism of a very special dog and a man saved the children of Nome Alaska from a deadly epidemic. The modern race commemorates that event by pitting mushers and dogs against the brutal Alaskan landscape. Who should be favored? Why Doug Swingley, of course. Training his dogs in the high mountains of Montana, Swingley has broken record after record. He's coming back, and the Alaskans ain't gonna like that. (Sorry, Swingley is touring the western part of the state before he heads north, and I just couldn't wait to post this.)
posted by Wulfgar! to other at 04:33 PM - 3 comments
Juanita to Jordan: "I'm Back.": She withdraws the divorce. Like MJ, she's going to give it another shot.
posted by jacknose to basketball at 10:26 AM - 3 comments
Looks like the twins will be playing ball next year. : "The Minnesota Supreme Court refused Monday to consider an appeal of an injunction that forces the Twins to fulfill their Metrodome lease. The decision could jeopardize Major League Baseball owners' plans to contract two teams for the 2002 season."
posted by jnthnjng to baseball at 08:40 AM - 18 comments
So who will win the Cup of Nations this year? (The official site is down as I write). Two times winners Cameroon still have to be favourites, but the Super Eagles are laconically dangerous, Senegal have the tightest defence and hosts Mali have surprised, drawing with Nigeria and overturning South Africa, en route ...
posted by walrus to soccer at 05:12 AM - 2 comments
Thinking About Playing The Odds: Oliver Willis is thinking about the huge Superbowl upset
posted by owillis to commentary at 02:49 AM - 0 comments
February 04, 2002
"parity is a myth": Gregg Easterbrook claims in this column that dynasties are not as common as the sports punditry would have us think, while strength of schedule isn't as much a factor in winning - and will be even less of one with realignment.
posted by owillis to football at 11:56 PM - 11 comments
Frictionless glass fabric. In-suit oxygen. Spring-loaded speed skates. The Washington Post Service asks: Are the Olympics still "pure sport" when expensive new technology isn't available to all countries?
posted by rcade to other at 06:23 PM - 11 comments
John Riggins Off-Broadway: I can't say I was expecting this.
posted by kirkaracha to football at 05:38 PM - 5 comments
February 03, 2002
The Art of the Deal: - Even though tix were going for face value and lower throughout the week, this guy was able to get a Super Bowl ticket for $100. But that's not even the most amazing part - scroll down to 2:38 p.m. CT. That being said, what's been the best deal you've ever scored before a sporting event?
posted by chules to general at 10:20 PM - 6 comments
Pats win! Pats win! : And a lot of people lost money today... the Pats won this game with no doubt that they could match the Rams play for play, including the risky and gutsy push for a last second field goal attempt. Indeed, had that holding call not gone against the Pats during Jones' fumble/touchdown run, it would have been a blowout. Wow...
posted by hincandenza to football at 09:06 PM - 37 comments
The Ravens ran a full-on campaign: to get Modell elected to the Hall. Didn't work. Which is too bad, because if they'd been successful, we'd eventually see 40-foot billboards of Daniel Snyder in Times Square. Favorite quote: ``Look, if we disqualify an owner for lying we'd have no owners in the Hall at all, and we'd never be able to elect one.''
posted by pastepotpete to football at 01:33 AM - 5 comments
February 02, 2002
The first netcast: of an English Premiereship match was Man United v Liverpool, 22/01/02 via LiverpoolFC.tv (Liverpool scraped it 1-0). For members of the site, the highlights and goals of each game are available to stream or download, and they're moving towards live games in the near future. Is this finally a subscription model that could work on the net? I know I've been happy to pay my 3 pounds a month ...
posted by walrus to soccer at 05:51 PM - 8 comments
The passion for the game grows worldwide.: Given that there's a slim chance the NHL will return to the Olympics, is it time to change the format to one similar to Soccer? Will it foster a fairer playing field for teams like China and Belarus in the future? Unlike the hassles that have plagued Slovakia and Germany this year.
posted by mkn to hockey at 03:24 PM - 10 comments
NFLers get scammed.: In the press release for that story, U.S. News mentions that in the last three years, 78 players have been scammed for 42 million dollars. Next year the NFL will pay $2.5 billion in salary, and the NFLPA is looking to institute background checks on all financial advisors. Somehow I don't think this will stop people from targeting young, impressionable athletes who are making millions...
posted by insomnyuk to football at 01:13 PM - 0 comments
February 01, 2002
Christianity in Athleticism: is the topic of an editorial by Rick Morrissey. He addresses the religions of some athletes; how many of the references to their gods in their given statements are edited out of the sports section and why both athletes and editors do so.
posted by moz to culture at 11:03 PM - 10 comments
Who's Going to Canton?: They're meeting tomorrow to decide who gets into the Hall of Fame. Personally I'm pulling for George Allen and Art Monk. Has Parcells rubbed enough folks the wrong way to get a snub? Even without a Superbowl ring, I still think Jim Kelly should get in as well. Of course, it's kind of hard to top last years Montana/Rice/Long induction.
posted by owillis to football at 05:06 PM - 16 comments
Polls get slightly more sane: So it turns out that one coach had 7-12 Temple ranked in the top ten in the country, placing them into the 'others recieving votes' category. You have to wonder how often this type of thing occurs in slightly more subtle ways.
posted by tieguy to basketball at 03:38 PM - 3 comments
When rivalries go comatose: Duke and Carolina have played some incredible games over the past several decades, but last night was brutal. I initially nearly titled this 'where rivalries go to die' but I want to hope Carolina will be back... Duke would not be the same without them.
posted by tieguy to general at 01:00 PM - 16 comments
The crotch shot is gone. : "Misguided skating officials are cracking down on pelvis-pumping and lap-dancing—as though people actually want to watch Olympians skate." Wow. Apparently skating is much sexier than I thought, but now I’ll be missing out.
posted by kirkaracha to other at 12:38 PM - 6 comments
Teams in Korea and elsewhere are getting ready for RoboCup 2002, the World Cup of robot soccer. The goal of the sport is to develop "fully autonomous humanoid robots that can win against the human world soccer champion team" by the year 2050.
posted by rcade to soccer at 11:23 AM - 9 comments
Being Mike Tyson.: Michael Wilbon, the better half of PTI, writes, "It doesn't matter whether Tyson fights again because he's not really interested in being a professional prize fighter anymore.... It's not that his skills are rusty; he has no skills remaining." According to Wilbon, Tyson wanted to get the bout with Lewis canceled to "deflect attention from the fact that he's washed up." Jason Whitlock, while not condoning his actions, feels sorry for Tyson, claiming that he's the only man "who doesn't appear to have one single friend." (links via Slate, I know it's MSN sponsored but so is your browser)
posted by jacknose to boxing at 08:56 AM - 10 comments
Remember when the NBA slam-dunk contest was actually cool?: Remember when guys wanted to participate? Well, times have changed. This years event has just four contestants, of which only one is an all-star. Does anyone even care anymore, or is it time to put it out of its misery?
posted by justgary to basketball at 05:22 AM - 16 comments