Blazer's Coach Maurice Cheeks saves the day.: (From Metafilter)

posted by Joey Michaels to basketball at 01:18 PM - 14 comments

Team of the Weak.: Jerzy Dudek (ill-timed flubs), Lee Bowyer (fall from grace), and Peter Crouch (can't find the net) are among this season's First XI of Shame.

posted by gspm to soccer at 09:30 AM - 5 comments

10 years ago today, 30 April 1993, before anybody knew who the Williams sisters were, Monica Seles dominated women's tennis. She had won four of the five previous Grand Slam Tournaments, and at age 19 looked poised to dominate for years to come. And then a man ran out onto the court and stabbed her where she stood.

posted by vito90 to tennis at 08:59 AM - 7 comments

"I hope we get (expletive) hotter than (expletive), just to stuff it up them 3,000 (expletive) people that show up every (expletive) day,'': Lee Elia's tirade, 20 years ago today. I never knew of this until an SI story on Chicago baseball a couple weeks ago. It's f***ing hilarious... Uncensored (cites wrong date...via Sean Parnell's Chicago page)

posted by msacheson to baseball at 11:19 PM - 7 comments

Second Fiddle?: I'll let you decide, but for my money Ron MacLean is and should remain a staple of the CBC. This post is basically to give props to the guy on the left.

posted by garfield to hockey at 02:50 PM - 17 comments

Top European clubs want a share of World Cup profits: Guess it really is all about the ka-ching, even over in Europe, as the G-14 come out and say what everybody understood for years: We make the players suitable, we pay them, we take the risk when they play for national teams, we lose out when they're too tired to make it through the winter months, so give us our cut of the lucre. I wonder how FIFIA will respond; do you all think the G's have a shot?

posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 02:43 PM - 17 comments

NFL DRAFT | Here is a list of Hall of Famers and their draft positions (e.g., Joe Montana selected in Round 3, Steve Largent in Round 4, Roger Staubach in Round 10). Of course, this is all just an excuse to ask how your own teams fared?

posted by jacknose to football at 02:06 PM - 5 comments

Worst football kits ever.: That would be: Football = soccer. Kits = team uniforms. You have got to see these. Did you see Hull City's (1992) tiger stripes? My eyes! My eyes!

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 12:58 PM - 22 comments

Smawley's innovation changed game: According to my local paper, the Forest City Daily Courier, Belus Van Smawley from the nearby community of Ellenboro, is one of eight men credited with inventing the jump shot. He died last Thursday, which went by unnoticed by yours truly.

posted by jasonbondshow to basketball at 12:31 PM - 0 comments

Larry Eustachy drinking : at Missouri student party. Regardless of the fact that he is highest paid state employee and contract has language to effect of providing positive image for the university, there is no way he should be fired or suspended.

posted by dales15 to basketball at 08:12 PM - 36 comments

Tiger Woods Golf: flash game, co-starring Carl Spackler. (via WeaselCircus and MiniClip) heckle Tiger with a cough, sneeze, gopher or Cinderella story

posted by msacheson to golf at 05:33 PM - 2 comments

Lack of star power may leave Flyers short.: Lack of star power? With Roenick, Amonte, Recchi and Desjardins? Not to mention Kapanen, Primeau and Gagne. Is this Philladelphia Inquirer smoking crack or do the Flyers really need more stars to succeed?

posted by andrewraff to hockey at 01:46 PM - 6 comments

No more golden goal, says UEFA.: UEFA will dispense with the game-killing goal of death (aka golden goal) for the upcoming UEFA and Champions League finals. They will be using the "silver goal", which ensures the completion of the first 15 minutes of extra-time, even if a team scores in the very first second of extra-time. (Under the golden goal rule, the first team to score in extra-time automatically won the game.) Reasons stated for doing this included reducing overly cautious play, undue pressure on the referee, and crowd trouble due to the abrupt and unpredictable ending of the game. I'm all for this. I always thought the golden goal was just too brutally quick.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 01:24 PM - 12 comments

The next LeBron James is coming.: O.J. Mayo, a 6-5, 15-year-old point guard from Ashland, Kentucky, is transferring to Cincinnati's North College Hill School. "North College Hill is already bracing for what could be an unprecedented media storm, at least on the Cincinnati prep level. Mayo's games routinely sold out Rose Hill's 1,000-seat gym, and NCH is already thinking of moving games from its similar-sized gym to larger venues."

posted by thescoop to basketball at 08:19 PM - 19 comments

Kevin Millwood of the Phillies throws a no-hitter!: On the exact one-year anniversary no less of Derek Lowe's no-hitter against the Devil Rays, Philadelphia's "new guy" Kevin Millwood throws a 10K no-hitter... against the NL-leading San Francisco Giants. Wow! I'm sure you'll see a little something about this mentioned on the sports news tonight. :)

posted by hincandenza to baseball at 05:17 PM - 26 comments

EPL REPORT WEEK 37: Arsenal stumble, Man U capitalize, West Ham steal a glimmer of hope. (More inside!)

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 12:39 PM - 33 comments

"We didn't play the Danish for 57 years,": and it caught up with the US with a vengeance as the Danes beat them 5-2 in the opening round of the IIHF World Championship (Danish recap). It was the Danish team's first appearance in the tournament since losing 47-0 to Canada in 1949 in the worst lost ever at the championship. How could this be a bad omen for the Danes?

posted by kirkaracha to hockey at 09:42 AM - 16 comments

Staying Up! : I hope and pray I can be indulged in this. Blues have been absolutely awseome this season, although no one with any intelligence would pretend we have been anything but ugly. Until the last 8 games or so when we seem to have found ourselves. Today we beat Middlesborogh 3-0 which ensures another season in the sun for us (amongst many other esoteric and subtle sub plots) Here is a view of a boro fan that was there. Here is the view old Bluenose Ron , who should be earning a living at this. Once again, sorry for the indulgence.

posted by Fat Buddha to soccer at 06:16 PM - 31 comments

The problem of gobbing yobs: The Economist checks out the culture clash of soccer spitting.

posted by kirkaracha to soccer at 12:03 PM - 1 comment

The stadium sponsor curse?: This would join the previously discussed Chunky Soup Curse and the Sports Illustrated Cover Jinx. WorldCom and Enron, US Airways and Air Canada - since the start of 2001 there have been 10 sponsors to declare bankruptcy. Does securing stadium naming rights tempt financial peril?

posted by gspm to general at 09:31 AM - 9 comments

Sports Songs!: In the tradition of sports movies, tv shows and books, I bring you the best sports songs of all time! Aww yeaaaah. I'm not talking about your little college or high school fight song. I'm talking about songs that are recognized the world over. Songs that have probably topped the pop charts. Bring it on!

posted by worldcup2002 to culture at 01:03 PM - 25 comments

Beckham's dad tips him to stay with Man U: and presumably he would have an inside edge that the tabloids do not. Beckham sat against Arsenal last week and didn't start against Real Madrid this week - tabloid transfer speculation overdrive! The consensus seems to have him heading to Real Madrid for £38m but would moving Beckham cost Man Utd £100m in lost income over the next five years? Keep him or lose him?

posted by gspm to soccer at 12:50 PM - 7 comments

UK gymnastics go high-tech.: Whooo! With access to new-fangled technologies like the "Internet," "broadband," "e-learning," "chat rooms," and "video," the lottery-funded British Gymnastics is convinced they can "increase the effectiveness of our coaches, improve the service we deliver and it will definitely make a difference to the gymnasts." I couldn't help but smile when I saw this. I was thinking, ok, maybe they can increase their funding sources by combining video chatrooms and girls (and guys) in tights in acrobatic positions. But seriously, what's so great about getting wired? The science guy at the gymnastics place says, oh we're not just throwing money at technology, this is going to make a difference to the gymnasts, oh yeah. With not one clear example of how it will improve performance. In what gymnastics performance-enhancing ways might these technologies be used? Hmm?

posted by worldcup2002 to other at 12:34 PM - 0 comments

Sports-themed books... Much more inside

posted by vito90 to culture at 10:46 AM - 25 comments

Just 3.75 more years!: The good news: Selig has decided he isn't staying after his contract ends. The bad news: His contract ends in December of 2006. Ugh. That's too long.

posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 09:08 AM - 4 comments

"I didn't even touch him. I know how to foul," : Kevin Garnett said, after the Minnesota Timberwolves played through a lot of shady calls to beat the LA Lakers. [more inside]

posted by kirkaracha to basketball at 08:49 AM - 9 comments

Friends of Tiger Stadium: is an organization trying to get some questions answered about the City of Detroit's dealing with a classic, nearly 100 year old ballpark. For example, why is the city still paying the Tigers $400,000 a year to mow the Stadium when many people would volunteer? Why is the City so hesitant to sell the stadium, especially when they're in a budget crunch right now? And, why is this not protected as a historic site? For those that don't care about Tiger Stadium per se, the history page of the site has links to a slew of very cool web sites devoted to old ballparks.

posted by Ufez Jones to baseball at 03:14 PM - 1 comment

Why Yanks can't score abroad.: Cheeky title aside, this English sportswriter examines the causes of the relatively low quality of US strikers, especially in the EPL. Why do they start out hot then fizzle away? EPL defenders ignore them at first, but once they get wise, the way to goal slams shut. So why can't US strikers up their game? Lousy MLS defenders don't provide a strong enough challenge. Commence cross-Atlantic shit-talking. Or, better still, examine how US strikers can improve.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 01:29 PM - 15 comments

Sports biggest villians.: How in the hell did they narrow the list to ten? (More inside)

posted by vito90 to general at 08:09 AM - 29 comments

"This is not a hockey team, it's a cult.": Who's afraid of the Minnesota Wild? Canucks' GM Brian Burke, for starters. Second round playoff action begins tomorrow, and features a lot of unexpected teams. Four of the eight teams left have never made it past Round 2. Is one of those four teams poised to make a run at the Cup, like last year's Hurricanes? Or will they roll over, and leave us with a Dallas-New Jersey final? What are your predictions?

posted by qbert72 to hockey at 10:33 PM - 28 comments

What a match!: Even better than their recent draw against Arsenal, Man U couldn't quite play defense today and even though they won the match 4-3, those three away goals allowed will send them home from Europe. Does this mean no silverware at Old Trafford this season? And what's the Beckham story?? Three lovelies from Ronaldo, that's the stuff I remember from last Summer.

posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 03:45 PM - 28 comments

SARS and the Toronto Blue Jays:
As a result of the recent World Health Organization travel warning about visiting Toronto, Major League Baseball decided to pile on and warn visiting teams not to sign autographs or mingle with crowds. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome is no laughing matter in Toronto right now, but over-reaction like this may kill the Jays financially (as they desperately need tickets sold by charter trips from New York, Cleveland, Boston and Detroit).

posted by grum@work to culture at 03:40 PM - 8 comments

Happen to be the best lead-off man of all-time? Only 44 years of age and can't get signed in the Major Leagues anymore? What do you do? If you're Rickey Henderson, you sign with the independent Atlantic League to play in New Jersey. Playing for the love of the game while shunning pride vs. going out on top? You make the call.

posted by Ufez Jones to baseball at 02:45 PM - 11 comments

FIFA considers expanding 2006 World Cup Finals to 36 teams.: Mainly due to some heavy South American pressure after they lost a spot to Oceania.

posted by Ufez Jones to soccer at 02:32 PM - 10 comments

Major league ballparks ranked top to bottom: Wrigley gets top marks (what did you expect from a Chicago sportswriter?); Shea squats at the bottom ("When they eventually blow this place up, Ron Santo should get to push the button.") Kudos for consideration to parks that best serve kids.

posted by bitstop to baseball at 01:37 PM - 18 comments

I got your goal celebration right here!: "Besiktas striker Pascal Nouma has been given the sack after putting his hand down his shorts to celebrate a goal. ... Nouma attempted to justify his actions by saying 'it was a private moment of joy'." LOL. We've had posts here before about post-goal celebrations. Mostly funny, ridiculous, maybe annoying. But not obscene. What do you think? Do you have other examples?

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 01:23 PM - 13 comments

Indy Racing League team co-owner Michael Andretti needs two drivers to fill the seats of his Indy 500 entries, as two of his regular drivers have injuries. Who might get a chance to qualify one of those cars? His 63 year old dad, Mario.

posted by machaus to other at 12:10 PM - 2 comments

The snooker world championship is underway.: "Rocket" Ronnie O'Sullivan made a maximum 147 break in his match against Marco Fu. The BBC has a RealVideo clip of it here. Can Peter Ebdon retain his title?

posted by salmacis to other at 09:35 AM - 2 comments

The Life of an NBA Referee: Today and Thursday the Sacramento Bee has a two-part series on the fishbowl professional life of NBA refs. "From within, where secrecy sometimes rules to such an extreme that the league won't release the annual salary ranges, the check-and-balance system is extensive." Bee reporter Scott Howard-Cooper got to spend a day with a game crew to prepare his stories.

posted by thescoop to basketball at 09:16 AM - 3 comments

LeBron James becomes only two time : recipient of USA Today HS player of the year. He has swept all the major awards this year, joining Kenny Anderson, Alonzo Mourning, Chris Webber and Al Harrington as only players to win Naismith, USA Today, Gatorade and Parade awards in same year. Arizona has 2 of the other first-teamers coming in as recruits.

posted by dales15 to basketball at 11:11 PM - 2 comments

Miami reportedly has been contacted by the ACC about a possible move from the Big East.: Syracuse, Boston College and Virgina Tech have also been approached in what would move the ACC up a level in football/BCS. Big East football has always seemed a second class citizen even though Miami is a powerhouse. But would Big East basketball (what the conference is probably more identified with) become a watered-down product? Although it would allow the conference to collapse into one division, you lose a couple great rivalries and the have's and have not's grow farther apart...and Big East football becomes a non-factor.

posted by YukonGold to other at 12:46 PM - 3 comments

Spring is the time when a young man's fancy turns to...Football! (The NFL Draft specifically.) The Bengals seem to have focused on Carson Palmer. They should probably read this first. Who are your top five picks? Who's your sleeper and who's your bust? Ever wonder how teams evaluate draft-day trades? Read this.

posted by kloeprich to football at 11:42 AM - 2 comments

Not even a debate.: Yet voting on the same site gives a 65/35 split in favor of the NBA playoffs superiority. This just roasts my chicken, and feeds the argument that something has to be done with the education in this country. Take the grit and violence of the NFL, G, plus the skill and creativity of World Class Soccer, S, and multiply it by end-to-end action, A, and you get the best 8 weeks of sports every year.

posted by garfield to hockey at 05:05 PM - 27 comments

EPL REPORT WEEK 36: Wins for Man U and Arsenal keep title race red-hot; at the other end, WBA relegated despite winning (More inside!)

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 12:24 PM - 59 comments

Self moves on to Kansas, : and no one should really be surprised. It would have been a much bigger shocker had he stayed, but now the fun starts. Who's next at U of I?

posted by wfrazerjr to basketball at 09:00 AM - 5 comments

Schumachers to race despite tragic personal loss.: Michael and Ralf Schumacher's mother passed away last night. She was in a had been in a coma following an emergency operation. After securing the front row, the brothers rushed to be by her bedside. The brothers had flown to Cologne to visit their mother on Saturday after securing the two top spots on the grid for the San Marino race. Their mother was taken to hospital last week after collapsing, suffering from internal bleeding. Their performance under extreme pressure yesterday, and the fact that they will race today highlights just how dedicated both brothers are.

posted by riffola to other at 05:23 AM - 6 comments

Shumacher 1-2 on the grid at Imola..: despite their mother being very seriously ill. It seems that Mrs Shumacher has been seriously in all week, dying a slow and painful death by the look of it. Her sons have been by her side much of the time, yet still manage to put in astonishing performances. I find this incredible. I suppose this single mindedness is what marks the truly great out from the merely very good. I am not sure it is a good thing however.

posted by Fat Buddha to other at 05:17 AM - 2 comments

Lakers confident as postseason begins: The Lakers begin their series against Minnesota on Sunday. This article from hoopshype.com (which offers a lot of pretty decent NBA material by lesser-known writers) searches for weaknesses, but indicates that Kobe, Shaq, Horry and the gang pretty much expect to Four-Peat.

posted by Bob Jones to basketball at 01:35 AM - 1 comment

Reach out and touch someone: Fan hits Everett with cellie:
Known for umpire-bumping, reporter-threatening and hysterical soundbites, Carl Everett is usually the one starting fracases. But Saturday, a fan in Oakland beaned him in the back of his head with his cell phone. Where is this fan violence coming from? When will it end? And what can MLB do about it?

posted by Conquistador to baseball at 09:41 PM - 4 comments

It's only a game.: Apparently not in Iraq. Four Iraqi international footballers speak to The Guardian of their treatment by Uday Hussein. It sounds truly horrendous. Hardly the best way to inspire your team surely? However, perhaps David Beckham should take note, and stop being such a whinging puff.

posted by squealy to soccer at 10:36 AM - 3 comments

"How I single-handedly blew the Eagles chances at the Super Bowl this year": by misplaying Yu-Gi-Oh cards. "If others can trust in God, I could trust in a Japanese cartoon midget kid possessed by a Pharoah." [Warning: contains disrespectful photo.]

posted by kirkaracha to football at 04:25 PM - 2 comments

Rich Beem is inviting Clyde Roy to a Tour event. Curt Shilling seems eager to help Aaron Taylor’s family in some way, in any way. Tiger is catching up with a college classmate and Mike Modano’s gonna get a flag that flew over Iraq.

Some of the best reading I’ve been taking in over the last few weeks is ESPN’s Jocks to GIs Direct. There isn’t much to it, to tell the truth, but it is fun nonetheless. A sports star has been matched up with a service member by ESPN through a pen-pal program of sorts and we all get to read along as they decide who is a fan and who is a star.

posted by 86 to general at 11:32 AM - 6 comments

Is Patricia Bender the ultimate basketball fan? Check out her NBA Daily, as well as her Mavericks page. Now if we could convince her to join SpoFi, she would be the perfect candidate to continue our weekly NBA beat reports.

posted by jacknose to basketball at 07:32 AM - 3 comments

The under-reported scandal?: We all remember Ben Johnson's victory and subsequent drug scandal -- a moment that brought shame to all of Canada. Now, we get reports showing that Carl Lewis, the man to claim Johnson's gold medal, was part of a long "pattern" of US drug-related cover-ups. Where's the shame now? Or is it too long ago and too easily forgotten? What should be done? How deep does the US Olympic Committee corruption go? A lot of questions, yes, but they're questions that are not being asked by the major media outlets.

posted by mkn to other at 03:01 AM - 19 comments

NBA Playoffs are set.: Now it's time for debate and predictions. (more inside)

posted by Ufez Jones to basketball at 01:11 PM - 20 comments

Proof positive: that computer geeks, northerners, the unsocialized and NASCAR fans intersect in at least one place.

posted by machaus to other at 11:59 AM - 3 comments

Well, I'm not a big footy fan, but I am on record as liking shapely, generously endowed women. So I guess there's something for all of us in this story. Linked via our friends at Sportsfrog.

posted by vito90 to soccer at 08:27 AM - 6 comments

Ducks win! Ducks win! Ducks win! Should they be considered the new Cup favorites?

posted by qbert72 to hockey at 02:41 AM - 24 comments

Real-life Cannonball Run.: "A five-day, helter-skelter dash to reach Miami [from San Francisco] before hundreds of other cars cross a transcontinental finish line" and "a rolling party and road race that brings together millionaire dilettantes, minor luminaries, speed freaks, celebrity-seekers and former centerfolds." This is Gumball 3000.

posted by worldcup2002 to other at 12:00 AM - 10 comments

Seven of the top selling NBA teams in terms of merchandise: are from the Eastern Conference. Jordan, no. 4 in terms of individual jersey sales.

posted by dales15 to basketball at 11:14 PM - 7 comments

"No matter how many times I shoot in a game, I'm still going to be on fire." Gilbert Arenas is a budding star on the Golden State Warriors. It takes five people to guard him. Sign Arenas is a fan site dedicated to keeping Arenas on the Warriors, to save them from their amusing legacy, including "A power forward who can't rebound, and a point guard who can't dribble."

posted by kirkaracha to basketball at 04:58 PM - 7 comments

Kansas Gets Permission to Talk to Self: Losing the national title game apparently caused serious mental health issues for the Jayhawks! Bada boom! (Okay, bad pun, NYT link, but I couldn't resist when I saw this one.)

posted by billsaysthis to basketball at 01:39 PM - 8 comments

Disney sells World Series champs Anaheim Angels to Arizona businessman.: Has nobody seen this? This is so lame.

posted by worldcup2002 to baseball at 01:22 PM - 25 comments

Why is Jeremy Roenick playing in game four tonight?: Alexander Mogily isn't. He's been scratched because of concussion-like symptoms and yet there hasn't been a peep about suspending Roenick. Hell, this article doesn't even mention his name.

Here are the (loaded) questions for discussion: Shouldn't the punishment (nil, not even a whistle) fit the crime (at least one OT and one game without the best player on the ice)? What more does JR have to do to earn the dirty-player tag (and consequences)? Do Pat Quinn and Co. need to start "whining" to draw attention to this? Why has no one asked these questions?

posted by 86 to hockey at 12:56 PM - 25 comments

Our favorite Iraqi information minister : has surfaced as the new color man for the New York Yankees.

SAEED AL-SAHHAF: Bernie steps back into the box as all New York holds its breath ... the war criminal Martinez peers in for the sign ... he winds and delivers ... swung on and belted deep to left! It's going ... going ... and it's gone! ORDER THE SERVANTS TO ROAST THE FATTED CALF AND LAY OUT THE SATIN SHEETS, THE VESTAL VIRGINS HAVE ENTERED THE PALACE!!!! The Yankees lead is 12 runs and Martinez has collapsed on the mound! BOO-YAH!!!

KAY: Actually Mohammad, I think that was a called third strike on Giambi. And it leaves the score 14-2 in favor of Boston with the bases empty and the Yankees down to their final out.

posted by vito90 to baseball at 11:47 AM - 5 comments

It's the big 'un.: What has been somewhat prematurely billed as the "title-decider" tonight 8PM GMT. Arsenal vs Man Utd. Wenger vs Ferguson. Viera vs Keane. France vs England. Southern Softies vs Northern Monkeys. Personally I'm expecting a tense, tight contest, ending in a draw. Who do you think will emerge uncrowned Kings of the English Premier League? Who are the most influential players? And how are going to be following the game?

posted by squealy to soccer at 05:23 AM - 25 comments

It's nutbar central in Chicago.:
The last time the Royals were in Chicago, Tom Gamboa was attacked by two white-trash "fans". On the first visit back to Chicago by the Royals this year, Gamboa stood in the dugout and watched as a "fan" ran onto the field and attacked the first base umpire. This was one of 4 incidents of fans running onto the field that night.

posted by grum@work to baseball at 10:07 PM - 14 comments

Football (soccer) may be good for the heart, after all.: So long as your team wins, that is. And you survive the shootout.

posted by mattpfeff to soccer at 03:13 PM - 10 comments

NY Yankees accused of illegal trading in a report from the Office of Foreign Assets Control.

"The Yankees had no comment on the report, but a source said the team's infraction involved negotiations with Cuban baseball players."

posted by jasonspaceman to baseball at 07:47 PM - 4 comments

White Shadow.: Created by the late Bruce Paltrow (Gwyneth's dad!), The White Shadow was a late-70s/early 80s starred Ken Howard (now Jordan's ex-cop dad on medical examiner drama, Crossing Jordan) as a former basketball star turned basketball coach of a racially-diverse (black, Mexican, Jewish, white) high school team. I was trying to make it a Basketball threepeat for today. But this is really about sports-related TV shows. Not sports shows, not sports movies, but TV shows, preferably series. Can you name those shows and give me links to great info or fan sites for them? Can you?

posted by worldcup2002 to culture at 05:35 PM - 19 comments

Williams leaving Kansas to coach alma mater: ... although many people here at SpoFi thought he would go, I am pretty shocked by the whole thing, since Williams could have been the Dean Smith of Kansas, rather than trying to be the replacement for Dean Smith at UNC. But then again, who wouldn't want to coach all that young Tar Heel talent?

posted by smithers to basketball at 05:15 PM - 8 comments

Miami Heat retire a jersey, finally.: And no, it's not Alonzo. WTF?

Jordan, who has sold everything but stood for nothing, is not Jackie Robinson, whose number was posthumously retired by baseball. Jordan was a majestic ambassador for his sport and an accomplished underwear and sneaker salesman, but a coach who fines players for helping up opponents after knocking them down ought not be retiring an opponent's number before this franchise has retired any of its own. But when you have no history of your own, maybe you have to borrow someone else's.

posted by vito90 to basketball at 09:02 AM - 10 comments

Oh Canada!:
Mike Weir becomes the first Canadian to win a golf major as he plays the part of steady-eddie and beats a bumbling Len Mattiace on the first playoff hole at the Masters. And in another case of "good things come in 3s", Canadian men won in the CART race and the world curling championship.

posted by grum@work to golf at 07:38 PM - 8 comments

EPL REPORT WEEK 35: Man Utd go top after 6-2 trashing of third-placed Newcastle, Sunderland first to be relegated after 2-0 defeat to Birmingham. (More inside!)

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 07:03 PM - 27 comments

After not one, but two rainouts, and finally a merciful postponement of the scheduled 'Opening Day' game, the home opener at Fenway finally happened after the skies cleared and the sun came out over Fenway... for a little while.

But wait just a second, this wasn't an everyday game at Fenway. The plate ump gets hit in the face [mask] by a Pedro pitch, suffers some pain in his spine and is rushed to the hospital. And if that wasn't scary enough, the third base coach has a diabetic seizure on the field and also rushed to the hospital. But we're still not done, folks. Pedro gets knocked around in the worst outing of his career and then is serenaded with scattered boos as he leaves the field in the fifth.

posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 11:33 AM - 5 comments

Gophers Repeat: The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers became the first team in 31 years to win back to back titles in college hockey. Led by Austrian Thomas Vanek, most likely a top 5 pick in this years NHL draft, scored the game winner on a beautiful solo effort. University of New Hampshire played close in the first two periods, keeping the game tied going into the third. But the Gophers scored 4 third period goals to win the Championship. But of course, stupid college fans had to ruin a good thing, by setting a car on fire and tearing down traffic signs. It's hard to get into college hockey when NHL playoffs are just starting, but ESPN did have the game on and will most likely make the game an instant classic. Go Gophers!

posted by emoeby to hockey at 10:33 AM - 4 comments

Whassup?: Can someone explain what the heck is going on in the NHL? Oh course my beloved Devils are up 2-0 but Ducks and Caps 2-0 and Wild and Oils each taking a first game win?!?! Okay, it's early and Avs and Stars took their second games but is this wild and whacky or what? Will the NBA be able to generate similar early excitement?

posted by billsaysthis to hockey at 04:55 PM - 16 comments

The Albuquerque Isotopes played their first game last night. The team, the Triple A affiliate of the Florida Marlins, borrowed the name from The Simpsons.

posted by rcade to baseball at 03:49 PM - 4 comments

Former All-Star pitcher Bobby Thigpen fell down stairs leaving Thursday night's Lightning-Capitals NHL game at St. Pete Times Forum, ending up in emergency surgery. The single-season saves leader (57 with the White Sox in 1990), Thigpen has been coaching a prep school and living in the area. "I'm not as flexible as I used to be, and I can't move as well," he told the paper last year. "But as long as I can stay active, I'll be here when I'm 59."

posted by rcade to baseball at 03:33 PM - 0 comments

John Butler, RIP.: The GM of the Chargers, and the former GM of the Bills and one of the major architects of that team's sucess in the 1990s including their run of four consecutive Super Bowl appearances, has died of cancer. It's a sad loss.

posted by Jaquandor to football at 05:17 PM - 0 comments

Whack a golf ball,: in honour of that great harbinger of Spring, the U.S masters.

posted by Fat Buddha to other at 02:30 PM - 27 comments

Friday Sports Movie Fun!: Taking a cue from worldcup2002, Sports Illustrated has released SI.com Goes to the Movies. The lists include the best movies of all time by sport, the top five quotes, the top ten scenes, and the best sports scenes in a non-sports movie. It also features Actors as Athletes and Athletes as Actors.

posted by pfuller to culture at 09:05 AM - 12 comments

The 23rd London Marathon: is on Sunday. Over 45000 people will run a gruelling 26 mile race with millions being raised for charitable causes. Maximum respect to the ordinary people that take part, and good luck to Paula Radcliffe.

posted by BigCalm to other at 06:48 AM - 2 comments

NY1 is the best news television station in the country.: How does one measure such a thing? Quality of reporters, innovative stories and viewpoints, and of course, sports.

The screams emanating from our apartment tonight were not the result of Armando's blown save, or Mo's ever-enlarging girth, but the discovery that "Mens Wearhouse on NY1" Sports Anchor Duke Castiglione has a blog. I'm pleased to report he blogs in the same tone with which he answers calls during the late night call-in portion of the show. I once sat across from him on the F train. Sadly, he's soon moving on to NY1's hated rival, CBS2.

Coincidentally, we went to see a screening of Rosa Luxemburg tonight, and NY1 senior sports anchor Budd Mishkin was supposed to be there, but it turns out he's in Puerto Rico with the Mets.

I've never quite taken to 3rd stringer and "occasional producer" Kevin Garrity, though he has nice eyes. I guess I'll have to adjust.

posted by djacobs to culture at 12:07 AM - 4 comments

France to host Rugby World Cup 2007: - having won the approval of rugby nations in Dublin on Thursday. England, who lost out, wanted to change the structure of the tournament, with two competitions, one each for developing and established nations, but it wasn't to be.

The USA and Spain, meanwhile, will meet on Saturday in Madrid, (second leg in Florida at the end of April) to decide who grabs the last qualifying place for World Cup 2003

posted by Patwallace to other at 03:09 PM - 2 comments

There's no protesting in baseball!: The Baseball Hall of Fame has cancelled a 15th anniversary celebration of "Bull Durham" because of fears of what stars Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon might say. Hall president Dale Petroskey, a former White House assistant press secretary under Ronald Reagan, said that the duo's comments "ultimately could put our troops in even more danger." Of what? Overacting?

posted by wfrazerjr to baseball at 09:20 AM - 13 comments

Augusta in Black and White.: Saw this in the latest National Geographic. Awesome pics as usual and unexpected stuff (as usual) such as: "Now Lourdes is home to practice law after a career away from Augusta. She drives in the downtown flats, quietly marveling that the same place could produce the Masters, President Woodrow Wilson, the Godfather of Soul, and the Patch." Learn more about the paradox that is Augusta. [Note: this is just an online teaser for the print edition.]

posted by worldcup2002 to golf at 11:53 AM - 11 comments

Godzilla takes New York.: Matsui's bases-loaded homer in the fifth inning helped propel the Bronx Bombers to a 7-3 win over the Minnesota Twins in a game that had been postponed by April snow.
I just had to use that headline.

posted by worldcup2002 to baseball at 11:01 PM - 5 comments

NFL Arbitrator who ruled for Redskins...: is a 'Skins season ticket holder. The Redskins were surprisingly awarded KR Chad Morton, the fourth Jets player to be picked up by the Redskins this offseason. The Jets are not happy. The first game of the season is Washington vs. NYJ.

posted by owillis to football at 08:44 PM - 8 comments

A labor dispute is threatening to scuttle the upcoming WNBA season, which will no doubt give numerous sportstalk radio hosts a chance to reaffirm their disinterest in women's pro sports. I was amazed by one detail in this story: The Mohegan Indian tribe bought Orlando's WNBA franchise and will be playing their games at a casino in Connecticut.

posted by rcade to basketball at 05:28 PM - 23 comments

The University of California Berkeley rugby team dominates the sport.: They've won the National Collegiate Rugby Tournament championship 19 times since its inception in 1980. Their success is due to funding, training, and treating rubgy like a varsity sport, which opponents say is ruining the game's club tradition. [more inside]

posted by kirkaracha to general at 05:10 PM - 6 comments

Darryl Strawberry released early from prison.: Another chapter in the already sad story of a fallen baseball star. Apparently, he's been clean longer than he ever has been, but there have also been reports that he was/is suffering from a couple different cancers. Stories like these never seem to end well, but at this point, all you can really hope is he gets what's left of his life together.

posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 01:49 PM - 6 comments

Give it a rest Theo: Yup, you guessed it. Theo's back for another ride on the professional athlete roller-coaster. Maybe. As a Wheat King, I wish he'd just stop. What's the G'n'R tune, "i used to love her, but I had to kill her, I had to put her, six feet under." Any chance we can get Axl to do a Elton John're-working' of the lyrics to be played in every arena he visits? Well, it was worth a shot. Theo, Theo, Go Home!

posted by garfield to hockey at 12:12 PM - 5 comments

Now it's time to focus on winning. : Finally, the Red Sox picked up Pedro's 2004 option. That sound you hear outside isn't the snow and wind whipping around the streets of Boston tonight -- it's the collective sigh of relief of Red Sox Nation.

Not to be greedy, but uh... can we get a closer now, please?

posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 11:24 PM - 17 comments

EPL REPORT WEEK 34: Man Utd trashes ten-man Liverpool 4-0, ties Arsenal for top spot with four weeks to go. (More inside!)

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 11:11 PM - 19 comments

After putting up 53 first half points on favored Kansas, Syracuse held on to win 81-78 in the national championship, ending Jim Boeheim's tenure as the winningest tournament coach without a title.

posted by rcade to basketball at 10:53 PM - 21 comments

The NHL Playoff match-ups are finally set: and numerous predictions are already being made. While it's great to look forward to Wednesday, how about a look back on the year: Turco setting a new GAA record and the Avs winning a ninth straight divisional title on the very last day of the season [link], the rich Rangers missing the playoffs yet again, Ottawa's President's Trophy, the complete collapse of the 'Canes and San Jose, the surprising play of TB and Minnesota, and the financial situations in Buffalo and Ottawa (and Pittsburgh, to a lesser extend). What are the stories of the year? And who are the individual stand-outs, and the most deserving of the many, many NHL awards?

Previous playoff discussion can be found here, although some of the picks were indeed premature

posted by mkn to hockey at 03:27 PM - 12 comments

SARS stops Everton China tour.: Whoa. I didn't even know they were going to China. But I guess the tour makes sense. Beginning this year, Everton has a strong Chinese influence, including their main sponsor Kejian (cellphone maker), and international midfielder Li Tie. Aston Villa is supposed to go, too, and hasn't announced any change in plan. First, the pro team tours were stopped by the WARS virus, and now by SARS.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 12:23 PM - 3 comments

Could it be true?: Krause resigns! Krause resigns! Krause resigns! Do the Bulls bring back Jordan to run the team? Would Jordan come back? Regarding Krause and the Bulls, do you feel that Krause was unjustly vilified?

posted by jacknose to basketball at 11:58 AM - 4 comments

SF, SF: SportsFilter San Francisco. Today's San Francisco Chronicle Sunday Magazine was a SpoFi-er's dream. Titled "Sporting Life", this issue had three sports articles: (1) Opening Day Distraction / Why the ballpark was a great idea, four years later; (2) Does the Gear Make the Man? / Equipment enhances athletic performance, but can only an experienced athlete appreciate it?; and (3) Our Athletes, Ourselves / Whether we perform better at 20 or at 42 could all come down to imagination. This is link overload, but quite a commendable effort by a Sunday newspaper mag, no? Any similar efforts by other city newspapers? Is this just recycled material?

posted by worldcup2002 to culture at 07:41 PM - 2 comments

When obsolete rules raise their ugly heads.: Today's F1 Brazilian Grand Prix saw what would have been the highly-regarded veteran racer Giancarlo Fisichella's first win, made all the more impressive since he was driving for the underdog Jordan team. However the race was stopped after a bad crash that ended the race, and while Fisi had taken the lead from McLaren's Kimi Raikonnen the previous lap, the F1 rules state that, on a red flag, the race order is taken from two laps previous. [more inside]

posted by Space Coyote to other at 07:02 PM - 7 comments

Three laps into the Aaron's 499 NASCAR race at Talladega Superspeedway today, the car of Ryan Newman blew a tire, causing a 27-car crash that took out half of the field, leaving a bunch of NASCAR drivers as angry as Korean short-track skating fans.

posted by rcade to other at 03:13 PM - 8 comments

Oxford win the 149th annual Boat Race by a whole foot.: I think thats about as close as they come - one foot out of four and a quarter miles.. About a quarter of a million people there - you can watch it here if you missed it. Not bad for amateurs!

posted by Mossy to other at 11:02 AM - 5 comments

Larry made me a star...
: Michael Jordan talks about his last, er, third last visit to Boston to play the Celtics this afternoon, and says that facing Larry Bird in his historic 63-point playoff performance legitimized him as a rising star in 1986. And when Larry recognized him by essentially comparing him to God after the game, well, the world knew that Michael Jordan was The Next Big Thing.

posted by Conquistador to basketball at 09:55 AM - 1 comment

Sosa hits 500th homerun: Since no one else posted it, I may as well. How... anticlimactic. You barely hear anyone mentioning it. Has the homerun being thoroughly devalued- is 500 what 400 once was, a great feat, but not quite historic? Personally, I don't think so, but maybe I'm in the minority- Ralph Wiley of ESPN's Page 2 weighs in on how the great fortune of fans to live in a new golden age of baseball has made us numb to the greatness of some of these players.

posted by hincandenza to baseball at 08:16 PM - 5 comments

Ken Griffey dislocated his shoulder diving for a fly ball today, the second season in a row he was injured in the first week of play.

posted by rcade to baseball at 03:44 PM - 15 comments

Hatton V Phillips.: Tonight, Ricky Hatton, a whey faced individual from Manchester takes on Vince Phillips for the WBU light welterweight championship. My head tells me boxing should be banned, but something primeval drives me to it and I cannot help but watch and enjoy it. Hatton is an interesting character, mildly spoken, nice to his mom and all that, but is absolutely brutal in the ring. This fight has been designed to heighten his profile in the U.S and could be a classic.

posted by Fat Buddha to boxing at 09:54 AM - 6 comments

Things to throw at your favorite athletes!

posted by StarFucker to culture at 02:19 PM - 12 comments

Short column about quarterbacks' children: and the tragedies and birth defects that have befallen them. The link will change on April 10 as the story will move into an archive.

posted by dales15 to football at 01:35 PM - 0 comments

Ranking the Final Fours: Page 2's Eric Neel grades the Final 4s from 79-92. Definitely agree with his A+ of 89 as the best of the past 15 years and the F from last year with a very boring championship game and lack of memorable teams, games, and players.

posted by dales15 to basketball at 01:29 PM - 1 comment

The Grand National: is tomorrow! Over 65,000 people are expected to attend, and millions will watch worldwide. The biggest horse race in the English calendar, and possibly the world. Forty horses in all run, making it a nightmare for commentators. So who's your money on in the 156th National?

posted by BigCalm to other at 12:27 PM - 6 comments

ESPN's Jim Caple tours the four Final Four campuses: Marquette's got 1977 magical memories, Kansas has hoops history, don't mess with Texas, and Syracuse has, well, snow. Which is your favorite? And, who's gonna win?

posted by msacheson to basketball at 11:17 AM - 5 comments

Brit's licked in Iraq.: A few Royal Marines, on duty winning the war and winning the hearts and minds in southern Iraq, were handing a tough 7-3 defeat by the local squad.

Beckham is best, Beckham is best!" shouted Mohammad, a 21-year-old spectator. "You need him," replied his friend, pointing to the pitch. "You lose bad."

posted by 86 to soccer at 10:48 AM - 19 comments

No freedom of speech in Canada, eh?: Don Cherry ripped Montreal fans for booing the American national anthem on "Coach's Corner" a couple weeks ago. He also griped about the lack of Canadian support for the U.S. going into Iraq. Co-host Ron MacLean took the other side and defended the Canadian government's choice to stay out of it. Now the CBC has pulled the video of the segment from its Web site.

posted by wfrazerjr to culture at 10:29 AM - 9 comments

Puckett found not guilty: "Twins Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett was found not guilty of all charges against him today in Hennepin County District Court. He was accused of dragging a 34-year-old woman into a men's room at the Redstone American Grill in Eden Prairie, at about 12:30 a.m. on Sept. 6, 2002. The woman said he pushed her into a toilet stall and grabbed her right breast."

posted by emoeby to baseball at 04:22 PM - 3 comments

One less cause the PC folks can champion.: "The Seminole Tribe of Florida has once again told Florida State University it is welcome to use 'Seminoles' as a nickname of its athletic teams. ... Members of the tribe don't think it's a problem and are proud of the relationship."

posted by werty to culture at 12:58 PM - 3 comments

Intermittent NHL Report

It's playoff preview time! I know it's a bit early and there could be some changes before the second season starts, but I wanted to get this posted before the big websites steal my thunder. (Disclaimer: before the season started, I picked San Jose to win the cup.)

(Preview inside)

posted by Samsonov14 to hockey at 11:39 AM - 13 comments

Tejada still might stick around ...: but I think ESPN's link to this off their own front page is misleading. It's obvious in reading the story that Tejada is joking, and that he wants to stay in the Oakland area. Maybe as a newspaper guy I'm a bit overly zealous about it, but to me it smacks of the National Enquirer. Should ESPN be flamed a little for trying to sensationalize this?

posted by wfrazerjr to baseball at 09:26 AM - 8 comments

"We have a war to fight, too...: the Washington Wizards are trying to make the playoffs," says Tyrone Lue. "'Lue's teammate, Jerry Stackhouse, added 'we're going to war abroad, and we're going to war on the floor. Hopefully we can prevail in both.'"

posted by kirkaracha to culture at 07:39 PM - 6 comments

Remember a few years ago when that clown who was taunting Tie Domi and ended up falling into the penalty box where Domi was waiting for him? Well, he's suing everybody for damages. Everybody except the Flyers, that is.

posted by Samsonov14 to hockey at 01:41 PM - 19 comments

Crucial battles today.: Including England v Turkey. No, it's not another war. But damn close. It's the Euro 2004 qualifiers! Tonight's games will complete the first half of the qualifying round-robin. After Saturday's 2-0 win over little Liechtenstein, England can top Group Seven with a win over the Turks. In the England camp, another battle brews: Rooney or Heskey to partner Owen? A Guardian poll says: Rooney.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 11:42 AM - 8 comments

He played for Dean Smith, : but he sure didn't coach like him. After only 3 seasons Matt Doherty steps down as coach of North Carolina. Taking odds on replacements inside...Could be this guy, or this guy, or this guy...???

posted by vito90 to basketball at 08:02 AM - 11 comments

Order the package, get a game. Pretty good deal if you ask me. Six months of baseball along with a pretty cool game. Downloadable roster updates sound very appealing.

posted by monkeyschwa to baseball at 03:41 PM - 5 comments