Cast your ACC ballot: Continuing the discussion, we can all now let the world outside SpoFi know our opinion on this largely inevitable change. An enterprising South Carolina web firm has put up a website to foster the discussion. Seems to be new (only 51 votes so far) but I think the university presidents will be making their final decision based on this scientific study, so go there and vote!

posted by billsaysthis to culture at 05:56 PM - 5 comments

Are baseball stadiums half full or half empty?: The Washington Post looks for possible reasons for the decline in attendance; new stadiums are no longer novel, fan backlash due to paying for new stadiums that hold crap teams, there's a war on. Slate points to a Team Marketing Report survey that reports "reports average ticket price increase of 2.8 percent to $18.69. Cost of family of four to attend a game increases 3.29 percent to $148.66."

posted by kirkaracha to baseball at 05:33 PM - 3 comments

Who's your caddy?: Is golf replacing sex, at least as something to talk about? Washingonton Monthly reviews two recent golf books. "Dan Quayle would rather play golf than have sex any day." -- Marilyn Quayle

posted by kirkaracha to golf at 05:10 PM - 2 comments

Posting the best record in the East sure doesn't pay the rent.: Rick Carlisle is out as head coach of the Pistons, and Larry Brown is apparently in. Is removing a head coach who had a tough run in the playoffs after leading his team to a regular-season title a good idea?

posted by wfrazerjr to basketball at 04:24 PM - 16 comments

Being nice, or being a weiner?: Venus Williams has a couple words for her opponent after winning a 6-0, 6-0 third-round match at the French Open. While I'm sure they were meant in a kind fashion, is this the right thing to do, or do you just keep your mouth shut and move on?

posted by wfrazerjr to tennis at 05:38 PM - 15 comments

194 career wins, one perfecto, one Cy Young award and five, count 'em, FIVE World Series rings. David Cone calls it quits.

posted by vito90 to baseball at 04:11 PM - 5 comments

Could Marketing Defense Save Hockey?: Interesting concept in this column: that the NFL and MLB both successfully market defensive players (pitchers in baseball), but that the NHL has squandered the chance to market guys like Brodeur and Pronger because it pours millions into Mario and the other offensive "stars" in the league. In any event, it's odd that Bettman is now defending 2-1 games after years of slamming them.

posted by pucksnsuds to hockey at 02:52 PM - 7 comments

"Who is the most boring superstar,": John Donovan asks. I ask, who cares? Does being a creative speaker make you more admirable among fans? Do Sportsfilterians lean towards the more colorful speakers?

posted by jasonspaceman to culture at 01:48 PM - 13 comments

0 backhand errors: in the second round of the French Open results in straight sets loss? (sorry, NYTimes link & google had nothing) This is completely fascinating. I've seen the two-handed forehand, which is essentially having two back hands, but I've always wondered why no one played with two forehands. Has anyone ever seen her play?

posted by garfield to tennis at 01:21 PM - 6 comments

"Batters are getting hit with pitches...: once every 98.3 plate appearances. That's an 8% increase from last year and a 47% increase from 1990." USA Today analyzes the effects of calling the strike zone by the rules. (Flash graphic)

posted by kirkaracha to baseball at 12:10 PM - 2 comments

Brazilian basketball legend Oscar Schmidt has announced his retirement at the age of 45. He lead the Brazilian team over the host Americans at the 1987 Pan American Games (and a year and a half later the eligibility rules are changed - chau to the college kids, olá to the Dream Team). Is anyone else disappointed that they didn't get to see more of this megastar?

posted by gspm to basketball at 08:54 AM - 2 comments

Shea Hillenbrand, exit stage left. Byung-Hyun Kim, welcome to Boston.: Trade season has begun! It's pending some MRIs on Webb and Mantei, and Colangelo's approval, but ESPN and Peter Gammons are reporting that the trade is all but done. I'm all for getting some more pitching, but I don't know if this was a good idea...

posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 01:17 PM - 19 comments

Politicians get into ACC/Big East conflict: and it should surprise no one. Senators from several states with Big East member colleges are asking Syracuse, Boston College, and Miami not to leave because, they believe, it would devastate college athletics. Don't these scumbags have better things to do?

posted by jasonbondshow to general at 10:01 AM - 9 comments

"Now I really do want to rape her and her (expletive) mama" -- Mike Tyson, the sports columnist's best friend, discussing the victim of his 1991 rape (and her expletive mama) on Fox News.

posted by rcade to boxing at 12:56 AM - 21 comments

We are First Division runner-ups and we will be relegated.: Monaco has been relegated to the French Second Division because of debts totalling 40-57 million pounds (and impending bankruptcy). Is this a first? Has a team been punished in this way not for their field performance, but their financial performance? Does this mark a new trend in pro sports? This is probably going to happen in the UK soon, no? Isn't Leicester, English Division 1 runners-up and new promotees to the EPL, in bankruptcy? What alternatives are there?

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 03:21 PM - 12 comments

"We agree that the single best reason we can think of for supporting a foreign club, aside from an actual connection to the city, is a US international in their starting eleven." With these words, Round not Oval offers its "Discount Guide to Gloryhunting," advice for Americans seeking an excuse to begin rooting for an international football team. Suggestions so far: Ajax Amsterdam, Blackburn Rovers, and Tottenham Hotspur.

posted by rcade to soccer at 09:48 AM - 18 comments

Anyone who caught the end of Annika Sorenstam's second round at the Colonial saw Chris Felty, a seriously geeked 17-year-old, catch the ball she threw into the gallery. Considering the price of Annika Sorenstam Colonial memorabilia on eBay, Felty was either generous or stupid in giving it to the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, Florida.

posted by rcade to golf at 08:06 AM - 10 comments

The Foreign Invasion of the American Game.: Does that mean the NBA is favoring the foreign and white player? Depends on who you ask. "The brothers talk about this all the time," says Robert "Scoop" Jackson, editor at large for Slam and a contributing editor for the NBA's own Inside Stuff magazine. "The black cultural perspective is different on this one. From our perspective, the NBA is getting whiter, and not too many of the brothers like it." Jackson, choosing his words carefully, adds, "It's about comfort levels. The stockholders, the ticket buyers, the corporate sponsors are all white. You have to do something to appease the financial backers of the sport. It's deeper than blatantly getting the brothers out of the game. It's about money."

posted by srboisvert to basketball at 08:50 PM - 18 comments

Freddie Adu gets $1 million Nike contract.: OK, so he's no LeBron. But he is a star striker for the US Under-17 soccer team. He has an agent, US-based Soccernet LLC, whose clients include US national stars Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, as well as coach Bruce Arena. Adu was offered a contract by Inter Milan two years ago. He was also a recent target of Manchester United interest. Although this contract makes Freddy a professional athlete, his lawyer said that Freddy won't go pro for another year. Also, his mother had to sign the Nike contract. Freddy is only 13.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 01:45 PM - 31 comments

Are major league baseball players underpaid?:
A legal magazine tackles the issues of free-agency and arbitration and makes for a very interesting case that the non-star players are underpaid. While full of "legalese", it is still quite readable and explains the whole system very simply.
Linked from Batter's Box

posted by grum@work to baseball at 12:24 PM - 14 comments

Wolves back in the Premiership!: Midlands club Wolverhampton Wanderers completed the roster of clubs that will compete in next season's English Premier League with a smashing 3-0 win over Sheffield United in the First Division Playoff yesterday. Good for them. Long may SpoFiers such as trox, Fat Buddha and BigCalm rue this day. Look inside to find out why.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 09:57 AM - 13 comments

Patrick Roy of the Colorado Avalanche is set to announce his retirement after 18 seasons. So where would he fit in a 'greatest goalie ever' discussion?

posted by gspm to hockey at 09:52 AM - 26 comments

Why the Stanley Cup just plain kicks ass.: 10 reasons why the Stanley Cup kicks the ass of every other trophy, ever

posted by gspm to commentary at 06:45 AM - 0 comments

This just in: U.S. to host Women's World Cup: In a decision that came as a surprise to no one, FIFA has decided to award the 2003 Women's World Cup to the United States after relieving China of its hosting duties due to the SARS virus. Gee, I wonder what the odds will be against anybody other than the Americans winning the World Cup?

posted by jasonbondshow to soccer at 11:49 AM - 4 comments

Who is the greatest pitcher of all time?: This is a question I've been scratching out ideas and thoughts on and off for the last few days, in hopes of having a user submitted column ready for SpoFi for the event of Roger Clemens' bid for his 300th victory (airs Monday, 10am PST, 1pm EST, on ESPN). In the meantime, ESPN's Rob Neyer has, unsurprisingly, written a short column on this very subject.

posted by hincandenza to baseball at 12:58 AM - 24 comments

Milan or Juventus: Who lifts the Trophy?: We have three days to figure this one out and I want to read your predictions and snarky comments. Last real big blow for non-MLS soccer for a few months, after all, so give us some meat. For myself, I wish I had a clue or had seen more of the run up.

posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 09:44 PM - 36 comments

Corinthian spirit, anyone?: It's not how you win, it's how you play the game!

posted by Fat Buddha to general at 05:26 PM - 5 comments

Vijay Singh pulled out of this weekend's PGA stop at the Bank of America Colonial. He didn't put his mouth on the line by competing against Annika Sorenstam. Not to be deprived of the matchup, Videogame guru Sid Meier fires up his game SimGolf and draws up a 3 hole course (called Equality Acres which you can download) with an eye towards levelling the playing field between men and women. He gives us a virtual 'Vijay' vs 'Annika' matchup (NYT link). And who wins? Annika, handily.

posted by gspm to golf at 12:36 PM - 6 comments

An Internet qualifier named Chris Moneymaker, playing in his first face-to-face tournament, defeated a field of 800 to win the $2.5 million Championship Event in the World Series of Poker Saturday. "This is the sonic boom of poker," said World Series media director Nolan Dalla. "This means anyone in their home can become a poker player."

posted by rcade to other at 09:17 AM - 4 comments

Former Major League pitcher Rick Rhoden has a strong shot to become the third pro from another sport to fully join golf's over-50 Champions Tour, achieving a dream held by millions of weekend golfers too old to become the next Tiger Woods.

posted by rcade to golf at 08:20 AM - 0 comments

The Colonial should invite the LPGA champion to play each year, suggests Washington Post columnist Sally Jenkins.

posted by rcade to golf at 12:08 PM - 6 comments

Joumana Kidd on Monday Night Football?: As an interesting followup to this thread, Joumana Kidd has expressed interest replacing Melissa Stark on the MNF sideline.

posted by dusted to football at 11:32 AM - 13 comments

Lots of reviews of baseball books in The New York Times. Game Time collects Roger Angell's "greatest hits." In David Halberstam's The Teammates, "a trip to see the ailing Ted Williams is a window on the lives of four legendary Red Sox." Two books "show how baseball is stacked in favor of rich teams, and suggest possible remedies." Two other books cover the on-field and business side of black baseball. These books and dozens more are on the Times' baseball reading list.

posted by kirkaracha to baseball at 10:09 AM - 1 comment

The ballparks with the ten best views.: And the two that tie for first are both minor league. Check out the photos, there's some amazing stuff on there. Elsewhere on this site, you can find ballpark oddities and Gone but Not Forgotten parks.

posted by Ufez Jones to baseball at 12:11 PM - 13 comments

Conventional Wisdom: NBA Playoffs

posted by cg1001a to commentary at 10:51 AM - 0 comments

To liven up its Wednesday night baseball telecasts, ESPN will be giving viewers a blast from the past by having some of the game's legendary play-by-play voices, past and present, serve as guest announcers throughout the summer. Curt Gowdy worked last night's Yanks/Red Sox game for the network, and among the other greats slated to appear in upcoming games are the Reds' Marty Brennaman, the Phillies' Harry Kalas, the Tigers' now-retired Ernie Harwell, and ABC's Keith Jackson (bet you forgot he used to do baseball too, didn'tcha?).

posted by Motown Mike to baseball at 10:51 PM - 19 comments

A freaking monkey: is apparently smarter most of us here on Spofi. Not all that surprising, really. Maggie the monkey has been on a tear with her playoff predictions, and she's picked the Devils to beat Ottawa in the Eastern conference finals. I think Maggie is dead wrong. Who's right - me or that banana loving poo-flinger?

posted by Samsonov14 to hockey at 06:23 PM - 13 comments

Tonight we'll find out who wins the NBA Lottery picks and, fundamentally, who gets to draft LeBron. How do you celebrate if you're the most hyped player to come out of high school in years? Sign a $90-million endorsement deal with Nike. To put that in a bit of perspective, Michael Jordan's first deal with Nike was for five years and $2.5 million. In a more modern time, Tiger Woods' first deal was 5 years $40 million. At more than twice Tiger's initial contract, LeBron is getting a whole lot of money.

posted by Ufez Jones to basketball at 01:14 PM - 22 comments

Sorenstam may force rewrite of PGA policy: ? Tom Pernice Jr., a member of the Tour's Policy Board, [said] that player unhappiness over Sorenstam's sponsor's exemption into Thursday's Bank of America Colonial is so strong that he anticipates a movement to change the written bylaws of the Tour.

Where is Happy Gilmore when you need him?

posted by offsides to golf at 11:11 AM - 10 comments

Fans can follow EVERY Sorenstam shot at the Colonial.....: Could you ever imagine playing under this much media scrutiny? Although, I guess Tiger does every week.

posted by usfbull to golf at 05:59 PM - 24 comments

It came from the message boards!: Interesting article about how influential message boards have become in sports

posted by corpse to culture at 03:01 PM - 4 comments

Celtic v Porto - Uefa Cup Final!: If you don't want to listen to it you can read along with Mr Glendenning.

posted by eckeric to soccer at 01:51 PM - 13 comments

"The most dramatic turnaround in NCAA history": culminated in a national championship yesterday as Craig Tiley coached the University of Illinois men's tennis team to the NCAA Championship over Vanderbilt. Even more amazing is the fact that they won it without a single foreign player on the roster,

posted by gyc to tennis at 11:56 AM - 2 comments

Economist Andrew Zimbalist thinks NCAA schools should be taxed. He lambasted the NCAA several years ago in his book, "Unpaid Professionals: Commercialism and Conflict in Big-Time College Sports" (anyone read it? Here's interesting column written by Zimbalist as well) with the recent ACC/Miami merger his idea's seem more relevant than ever.

posted by kloeprich to other at 11:34 AM - 0 comments

C.J. Nitkowski, a pitcher who publishes his own Web site, writes an online diary that's not what you might expect. "For the past 6 weeks I have gone through a major league spring training camp as a child of God, the first time ever for me since I was drafted back in 1994," he wrote March 29. "In the end I received the answer I was hoping for, God has allowed me to start the 2003 season as a member of the Texas Rangers." (Update: God assigned him to Triple AAA Oklahoma City three weeks later.)

posted by rcade to baseball at 10:02 AM - 12 comments

Book Filter Redux...Michael Lewis, excellent author of such Wall Street reads as Liar's Poker and The Money Culture has written a new book called Moneyball, The Art of Winning an Unfair Game where he deconstructs the "Idea". The Idea being the thing that Bill James, Billy Beane, Paul DePodesta, Hal, and Grum all know that we don't. Here's ESPN's Rob Neyer interviewing the author. It sounds like a great read with great anecdotes, but I'm bummed that I won't get to find out why Barry Zito's apartment is nicknamed the "Stabbin' Cabin". Linked via the Sports Frog

posted by vito90 to baseball at 09:38 AM - 7 comments

Two points down. Two games down. Two bad.: "You can't win if you can't hold a lead at home." The Nets edge the Pistons 88-86 in a deja vu finish.

posted by kirkaracha to basketball at 09:34 AM - 3 comments

Jim Harrick to coach again?: If Junior takes the fall, Jim can work his way back up the food chain again.

posted by usfbull to basketball at 10:05 PM - 2 comments

The Stanley Cup runneth overtime: Observations after five hours and 52 minutes on the edge of my seat

posted by rcade to commentary at 04:37 PM - 0 comments

EPL post-season shuffle continues. So many surprises! Players: Bowyer (Leeds via West Ham) to Newcastle in five-year, 40K pounds/week deal? And what about Beckham's new do? Managers: O'Leary (formerly of Leeds) to Aston Villa! Teams: Who will be the last team in the EPL roster: Sheffield Utd. or Wolves? The season may be over, but the fun never ends!

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 12:03 PM - 32 comments

"I just love the game. I love the challenge. It's my favorite sport." -- Brett Hull, describing golf.

posted by rcade to golf at 11:38 AM - 7 comments

It won't make the record books, aside from Dirk Nowitzki's second-best-ever 17-of-17 performance, but the Dallas Mavericks put up one of the most amazing numbers in NBA playoff history Monday night to defeat the San Antonio Spurs: 49 free throws in a row.

posted by rcade to basketball at 08:16 AM - 11 comments

Drugs in the Premiership?: This report seems to indicate a growing undercurrent of performance enhancing drugs being used in the Prermiership. The current drug testing regime ensures few players are ever caught (clubs are warned in advance that the tests will take place). Additionally, many footballers use recreational drugs too? Does the premiership have a drug problem?

posted by BigCalm to soccer at 03:00 AM - 5 comments

Clemens wants a Yankee cap when he goes to Cooperstown.: (NYTimes link) I can see the argument, but in my mind's eye, he'll always be wearing a Boston uniform. The player's preference is not controling, which surprised me: Gary Carter goes in this summer as an Expo, even though he asked to be recognized as a Met. Is Clemens a Yankee? Should Carter be a Met? Who else in in the Hall wearing a cap that seems wrong?

posted by outside counsel to baseball at 12:03 PM - 33 comments

COUNTERPOINT: | rcade argues that Singh's shot at Annika Sorenstam is way out of bounds. I am not so sure, thus, my response in Rethinking Sexism: Why Vijay Singh is not a racist. (Disclosure: This is a SportsFilter self-link.)

posted by jacknose to culture at 11:29 AM - 5 comments

RETHINKING SEXISM: Why Vijay Singh is not a racist

posted by jacknose to commentary at 11:16 AM - 0 comments

The next Marion Jones?: I realize track and field won't be on anyone's radar for another year, but here's a sneak preview of an athlete poised to be the darling of the Oly trials and hopefully the Games as well.

posted by kloeprich to other at 11:05 AM - 1 comment

Is there a correlation between ballpark dimensions and success? : (NYT, registration required.) Via Off Wing Opinion.

posted by Mookieproof to baseball at 09:49 AM - 5 comments

Spring-loaded studs protect footballer's feet.: An article from the New Scientist reports that UK tech development company Generics Group has created a boot (US: "shoe") with spring-loaded studs (US: "cleats"). The report explains why my flat feet always hurt at the end of a game: The six studs per boot are placed at pressure points that can actually hurt the joints. Also, the sportswear's industry to make lighter boots is thinning the soles, thus, reducing the padding between studs and feet. Now, will this invention really improve things? Will it reduce injuries? Will it provide performance benefits; might it allow players to jump higher and thus get an advantage at headers?

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 09:42 AM - 31 comments

LeBron who? Sixteen-year-old Shaun White has taken the snowboarding world by storm, cleaning up at almost every competition he enters, including this week's ESPN Global X-Games, where his first-round score secured him the gold and he used the second-round as a victory lap (and then scored even higher). Oh yeah, he's also qualified for this Summer's X-Games in the Skateboarding half-pipe.

posted by Ufez Jones to extreme at 09:23 AM - 3 comments

Pulling out just isn't manly ...: as Vijay Singh, winner of this week's PGA stop, withdraws from the Colonial after bashing Annika Sorenstam for playing in it. Singh says he promised his wife he wouldn't play if he won this week, and also has to go to a funeral. Isn't that convenient?

posted by wfrazerjr to golf at 08:17 PM - 4 comments

Where has baseball gone?: It's painful. It's the disappearing act of baseball in the inner city.

posted by mick to baseball at 12:13 PM - 1 comment

David Clyde, former pitching prodigy, tells his story.: Exploited by his owner, not accepted by his teammates, and finally kicked to the curb after blowing out his arm, phenom and former number one draft choice David Clyde tells his side of his story, thirty years after his well-publicized and hyped debut as the eighteen year old saviour of a franchise.

posted by kickerofelves to baseball at 08:26 PM - 2 comments

That Disney championship magic is back!: Last fall, the Anaheim Angels, then owned by Disney, won an improbable World Series in baseball. Now, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim are in the Stanley Cup Finals. They beat the Minnesota Wild 2-1 to sweep the Western Conference Finals, and will play the winner from the East, either the New Jersey Devils or the Ottawa Senators.

posted by jasonbondshow to hockey at 12:35 AM - 15 comments

File under "sign of the times.": An amazing 73 players have declared for early entry in the NBA Draft, including 31 international players. Of course there are only 58 picks in the two rounds, who's telling all these kids that they are going to be drafted?

posted by corpse to basketball at 05:03 PM - 3 comments

Pre-season, post-Saddam friendly.: "You could say that football is the only force for cohesion, the only common language, in a now riven country." Also, former World Cup captain Rad Hamoudi has returned to Iraq after years of exile to prepare the national team for the 2004 Olympics.

posted by kirkaracha to soccer at 04:27 PM - 2 comments

A little diversion: , very simple little putting thingy. Despite it being crap I cannot stop myself having just one more go. It's chuffin hard as well.

posted by Fat Buddha to golf at 03:32 PM - 11 comments

So long Pistol Pete?: Sampras pulls out of Wimbledon (and two other tournaments). Is his professional career essentially over? Where does he land with regards to the other greats in Tennis History?

posted by Ufez Jones to tennis at 12:04 PM - 9 comments

Michael Jordan Tried to Steal My Date, : and other stories of MJ's troubled stay in Washington DC.
[via MetaFilter]

posted by kirkaracha to basketball at 11:54 AM - 17 comments

"You have to know when to hold'em, know when to fold'em...":
Binion's Horseshoe Hotel & Casino is once again hosting the World Series of Poker. With dozens of mini-tournaments of all different versions of poker, the grand finale is the $10,000-a-seat No-Limit Texas Hold'em Tournament with a final prize of over $2million. UNLV has a great retrospective of the tournament.

posted by grum@work to other at 10:54 AM - 10 comments

New York Giants Coach Jim Fassel and his wife Kitty were reunited on Wednesday with the son they gave up for adoption 34 years ago.

posted by rcade to football at 07:28 AM - 5 comments

Spurs oust champions.: They crush the Lakers, 110-82.

posted by kirkaracha to basketball at 12:35 AM - 12 comments

London joins the hunt for the 2012 Summer Olympics.: Along with New York and Madrid, London seeks to the thirtieth Olympiad. Toronto and several others are probable bidders as well. With the mood of the IOC right now, London may be the only candidate from an English-speaking nation that has a legitimate chance to win.

posted by jasonbondshow to other at 11:26 PM - 2 comments

Is it Don King vs. Jimmy Hoffa Jr.?: Will the loser sleep with the fishes? Two unions have now sprung up for professional boxers, promising benefits and retirement packages. Will this be the move that helps clean up the sport, or is turning to the Teamsters a bad idea?

posted by wfrazerjr to boxing at 03:59 PM - 5 comments

Fightbox!: A BBC game-site that will turn into a TV show, "FightBox is a totally unique sport. Anyone can take part. Warriors will pit their wits against the Sentients and each other in the FightBox Arena, competing for the title of FightBox Champion and for the greatest prize of all: Freedom. Players can download the free FightKit software from this site and design and build their own Warrior. They can then train their Warriors and enter them in Qualification to try and win a place on the televised FightBox Tournament." Who will play? AmIGeekOrNot? Do we need a new "Robot/virtual sports" category?

posted by worldcup2002 to other at 02:19 PM - 8 comments

Girl to play in men's tourney.: No, I'm not talking about Anika and the Colonial. I'm talking about 13-year-old six-footer (!) Michelle Wie who will become the first woman to play a Nationwide Tour event at the Albertson's Boise Open in Idaho, courtesy of a sponsor's exemption. Even Vijay Singh thinks she's amazing. Wonder what other interesting comments we'll here from the men.

posted by worldcup2002 to golf at 12:20 PM - 4 comments

Adonal Foyle : was named Best Reason to Like the [Golden State] Warriors in SF Weekly's Best of San Francisco 2003 issue "for his name, for his sound defensive technique, and especially for his social conscience." And his poetry:

I miss the cocks that shout out loud
Arise, arise you wretched sloth.
The day has dawned and passeth by
Dragging night's drape across the cloud.

posted by kirkaracha to basketball at 08:49 PM - 6 comments

Agassi is oldest men's pro tennis #1.: At 33, an age when most men's tennis players are chasing shadows or retiring, Agassi is playing his best tennis. He just came back from one set down to beat 23-year-old Andy Roddick in Houston and regain the number one ranking. How long will Agassi hold on to #1? He'll have to contend with challenges from men's tennis's answers to Venus and Serena: "America's brightest hope" Andy Roddick and "The nicest man in tennis" James Blake.

posted by worldcup2002 to tennis at 02:25 PM - 11 comments

Have you seen this man?:

posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 11:49 AM - 27 comments

E.P.L seasons awards,: according to the Guardian. It's worth a look just for the comment on Wenger.

posted by Fat Buddha to soccer at 02:45 AM - 21 comments

ACC expansion is now official.: The only question now is which teams other than Miami will be asked to join, and if they will come.

posted by corpse to basketball at 06:02 PM - 14 comments

Singh's shot at Annika Sorenstam way out of bounds: No good reason to exempt women from the best league in golf

posted by rcade to commentary at 10:34 AM - 0 comments

William Ellsworth "Dummy" Hoy: was the first deaf Major League baseball player. He played in four major leagues, hit the first grand slam in the American League, stole 82 bases in his rookie year, and was the first outfielder to throw out three runners at home plate in one game. He's the reason for umpires' hand signals. Gallaudet University dedicated its baseball field to him. There's a campaign to get him inducted in the Hall of Fame (here's his stats.) [via The Baseball Crank]

posted by kirkaracha to baseball at 01:27 AM - 1 comment

The Deadball Era:: "Where every player is safe at home. Dedicated to deceased Major League ball players!"

posted by kirkaracha to baseball at 12:56 AM - 2 comments

Only 2 days left to bid for Brett Favre's house.: I wonder if this is an effective way to sell his house.

posted by dales15 to football at 04:03 PM - 3 comments

"I hope she misses the cut. Why? Because she doesn't belong out here." : So says Vijay Singh, on Annika Sorenstam playing in the Colonial next week. Evidently he isn't the only player that thinks this, just the most vocal so far.

posted by corpse to golf at 03:52 PM - 25 comments

Pat Summerall has hung up the mike: after 42 years as an NFL broadcaster. The deterioration of his play-by-play skills over the last few years notwithstanding, I'll be sorry to see him go. In the last year the sports announcing world has lost Jack Buck and Chick Hearn (to death), Ernie Harwell (to retirement), and now Summerall. Who'll be next? Scully? Enberg?

posted by Motown Mike to football at 11:12 AM - 9 comments

Raffy hits number 500.: Rafael Palmeiro hit his 500th home run on Sunday in a 17-10 Rangers victory. He became the 19th player in baseball history to accomplish such a feat. See the pictures. Hear the call.(realplayer) Only question: Should he be in the hall?

posted by pfuller to baseball at 10:15 AM - 13 comments

(*) Nude Tennis!: Twenty naked tennis players are competing for a $2,000 prize in front of 100 naked spectators. A tape of the event will be edited to make sure that all who appear nude have given their consent, then the event will be quickly posted to the Web site ... Sponsors like Miller Lite have been lined up, and organizers, anticipating success, are already planning subsequent tournaments, including naked volleyball and naked karaoke. See all the action at Tennisnaked.com! [This only deserves one booby because of, well, the subject matter. But the link is not local. However, it is also not about soccer, my fave sport. Welcome to the grum@work/djacob SpoFi Local News Non-Fave Sport Week!]

posted by worldcup2002 to tennis at 10:05 AM - 11 comments

More than three years ago, Clemson tailback Javis Austin put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger.: Now, nearly blind but a college graduate, the former prep star tells the story of his suicide attempt, his recovery and his bitterness toward Clemson coach Tommy Bowden, who demoted Austin from his starting job. Nice piece of writing by Bob Gillespie of The State.

posted by thescoop to football at 07:50 PM - 3 comments

Greatest Teams:
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel took a poll of sports writers and broadcasters to see who they thought was the greatest sports team of all. You can't say the paper rigged the voting because the Green Bay Packers didn't win (they placed third). In defending the New York Yankees' selection Frank Deford said, "They've been around so long. You can make arguments for teams in certain eras, but the Yankees go for the last 80 years."

posted by shackbar to general at 06:44 PM - 4 comments

Canada wins gold at World Hockey Championships: with a 3-2 OT victory over Sweden described as a classic. The winning goal was controversial (check a real media version thereof) and the Canadians were buoyed, again, by lucky loonies. Woo!

posted by gspm to hockey at 01:14 PM - 3 comments

The Creation Myths of Cooperstown.: Stephen Jay Gould examines the origins of baseball. [via MetaFilter]

posted by kirkaracha to baseball at 10:17 AM - 1 comment

Kings show heart, but Mavs break it.: "If you have the opportunity to win a playoff game, a crucial potentially series-controlling game as the Kings did Saturday night at Arco Arena, you'd best seize it." Another Sacramento Bee columnist says "The final score meant the season."

posted by kirkaracha to basketball at 10:01 AM - 6 comments

The Rev. Jesse Jackson said Saturday he plans to protest Alabama's decision to hire Mike Shula at the state Capitol next week.

"They chose culture and legacy over excellence and it's insulting. This issue is just suggestive that the culture of racial exclusion ... is still prevalent in Alabama. It's not just in football coaches, it's in bank lending, mortgage lending, the criminal justice system. Wallace ... blocked the doors many years ago. Now you got athletic departments closing the doors."

posted by justgary to football at 12:54 AM - 13 comments

Help stop hockey puck abuse!: Adopt a hockey puck of your very own, well, in spirit anyways, since they appear to be sold out right now. Elsewhere on the site, read about the puck that went to war or read the biography of Bob, one such exploited puck. I hope they stock some more soon as I've got a friend with a small puck collection that this would make a great gift for (and I wouldn't mind one of my own).

posted by Ufez Jones to hockey at 08:03 PM - 2 comments

No way, José: A Miami Herald photograph of last Saturday's Kentucky Derby has cast some suspicion on winning jockey José Santos, who appears to be carrying something unusual in his whip hand as he rides Funny Cide to an upset victory.

posted by rcade to other at 12:19 PM - 4 comments

A young boy was clocked in the head by a foul ball (photo) during the Rangers-Indians game last night, bringing to mind last year's death of a girl hit by a puck at a hockey game. Should baseball do anything to mitigate this risk, as hockey has done by installing nets?

posted by rcade to baseball at 09:06 AM - 16 comments

Alex Zanardi finishes what he started.: After shaking down a specially-modified Champ Car at this weekend's German 500 (pics: 1, 2), former CART and F1 driver Alex Zanardi is about to run the 13 laps remaining after his horrific accident two years ago that cost him both his legs. His subsequent recovery has been more than anyone could have expected. Though a return to racing at that level is out of the question, he's trying to convince Mario Andretti to run teh Daytona 24 Hours with him. Truly inspirational.

posted by Space Coyote to other at 08:34 AM - 2 comments

Webber done for the season.: Who's the favorite now?

posted by corpse to basketball at 09:43 PM - 5 comments

During Thursday's Atlanta Braves radio broadcast, announcer Skip Carey said that the league is considering a mandatory-ejection policy for the most aggravating people on Earth: Fans who move into television shots with cell phones so a buddy can tell them, "Hey, I'm watching you now on television! This is so cool! And what's coolest is that I'm watching you talking to me! Is this weird, or what?"

posted by rcade to baseball at 03:30 PM - 13 comments

Come on Chelsea!: Who says there is nothing left to get excited about? Liverpool V Chelsea might just be the most lucrative game ever played. Game chuffin on! Apologies for hogging the front page, I am sure the Grand Dame of Spofi will be along to warn me I am Risking The Wrath of the Pantheon.

posted by Fat Buddha to soccer at 01:38 PM - 9 comments

Meet some Liverpool fans:: a little end of season prezzie for all the ersatz scousers who hang around here. I am aware the above is not sports related so I offer clay kitty shooting in penance.

posted by Fat Buddha to other at 01:24 PM - 6 comments

(*)(*)(*)(*) Balls, Strikes and Videotape.: "[Mets video coordinator] Scarola and his assistants record almost every major league game - more than 2,000 a year - off the DirecTV satellite service onto Hi-8 videotape. Hundreds of those tapes are fed into a PC-based video editing system. Then comes the hard part: Scarola and his crew break down each game into separate video clips for each pitch. They annotate more than 40 variables for each play, including the type of pitch, its location, which bases were occupied, whether the batter was right- or left-handed, the result, and so on ... The product is a searchable database of video - a baseball fan's dream, perhaps, but increasingly a player's workaday tool." [You guys are going to love me now, aren't you? Baseball, technology, backroom perspective, local link. I think I deserve four boobies ... I mean, stars.]

posted by worldcup2002 to baseball at 01:09 PM - 5 comments

Sectarian thugs attack Celtic football star Neil Lennon.: The ex-Leicester midfielder was attacked by religious bigots on the streets of Glasgow late last night. (Local link for you SpoFi purists). In the past he has received death threats that caused him to announce his retirement from international football. This kind of behaviour beggars belief in supposedly civilised societies in the 21st Century. It's only a game, isn't it?

posted by squealy to extreme at 11:39 AM - 16 comments

Because even Steve Lavin deserves another shot ...: The Boilermakers are apparently willing to look at the bedraggled former UCLA coach as an assistant-in-waiting for Gene Keady to retire. The larger question is, why do (IMHO) bad coaches get second and third chances when there are tons of other head coaches and assistants waiting for their shot?

posted by wfrazerjr to basketball at 11:11 AM - 3 comments

(*)(*)(*) Jordan back to the Bulls? This journalist seems to be a real Jordan kiss-ass but he does admit Jordan stands a better chance of doing what he wants (running a franchise) at North Carolina than in Chicago, where Bulls owner Reinsdorf appears open to speaking with Jordan. [This post brought to you by the grum@work/djacob Local News Non-Favorite Sport Week. And by the upcoming Locker Room Interview with grum@work. Both begin next Monday!]

posted by worldcup2002 to basketball at 10:49 AM - 6 comments

Nick Van Exel: leads the Mavs to a whomping win over the Sacramento Kings that included a half-time score of 83-61(!) (box score here). Also, Chris Webber and Bobby Jackson take injuries. As a Mav fan, I'm ready to stop calling on "the Big Three" (Nash/Nowitzki/Finley) and add Nick the Slick as a bonafide star (again). (discussion of all NBA playoffs inside).

posted by Ufez Jones to basketball at 09:50 AM - 5 comments

In Defense Of Bob Ryan: Can't say I agree with this guy, but here's a great line: "Face it: The same team calling for Ryan’s firing after his suggestion that Mrs. Kidd be "smacked" will break the bank this summer to re-sign a man who actually did smack her!" Also, stay through the Ryan rant for several very funny Ostler-like "random thoughts"

posted by pucksnsuds to general at 09:16 AM - 3 comments

Justin Timberlake, pop star and former NSYNC teeniebopper heartthrob, will take on the role of sports reporter for TNT and TBS, covering basketball, baseball, auto racing, college football and golf. According to a TV executive, "Justin's interest and enthusiasm not only in the NBA, but in all sports should help provide our broadcasts with a new, fresh approach."

posted by kickerofelves to general at 09:16 PM - 15 comments

Goons!: Doug "The Thug" Smith, the author of Goon, was interviewed on Here and Now today. There was also a discusson with someone from dropthegloves.com: "your only source for authentic game worn enforcer jerseys and equipment."

posted by eckeric to hockey at 05:09 PM - 4 comments

The story's old news, but appears to have been overlooked outside of Canada: A plan is afoot to have the Canadiens and Oilers play outdoors Nov. 22 before 50,000 fans on an ice rink at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton.

posted by rcade to hockey at 04:03 PM - 11 comments

EPL Post-Season Polka Begins. As teams let contracts for old and aging players run out, others extend contracts for promising players. Yet others begin shopping in preparation for next season's battles (Liverpool to sign Fulham/Ireland defender Finnan; Blackburn/Ireland winger Duff is next!). And some young'uns decide to try their luck as first-teamers on lower teams in other countries rather than bench-sitters on star teams. What would be your dream buy/sale? Why?

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 01:44 PM - 16 comments

Florida Times-Union sports columnist Mark Woods is leaving behind what many would consider to be a dream job. "I think this step away from sports will allow me to love them again," he writes in his last column.

posted by rcade to general at 12:31 PM - 3 comments

Michigan punished. Was it fair?: Michigan recieved its punishment from the Ed Martin debacle. I wonder if this was a fair punishment. Not so much for the University, but for the kids. The people involved are long gone, making millions in the NBA, the coach involved is gone, making millions at another school now. But the kids that are now on the team, the ones that have to take the punishment, were only around 12 when this happened. Is that fair?

posted by Fluxcore to basketball at 12:01 PM - 2 comments

Lakers, Kobe, etc: NBA basketball

posted by cg1001a to commentary at 11:34 AM - 0 comments

The NBA needs more guys like this.: "Bowen, explaining the need for postgame lifting himself, said with a wide smile: "I appreciate where I am." I'm not a big NBA fan, but if there were more hard workers like this who deserved and received the spotlight, I might take a second look.

posted by garfield to basketball at 09:48 AM - 4 comments

Q&A with Marv Albert: "Is it true that when doctors woke you from your car accident last April and asked if you knew what season it was, you answered 'baseball?'"

posted by kirkaracha to culture at 08:46 AM - 3 comments

Jordan Fired By Wizards!: MJ was shown the door yesterday by the Wizards. Are they some ungrateful bastards? Or did Jordan do more harm then good, and deserve to be fired?

posted by jbou to basketball at 03:27 AM - 16 comments

Sports Injuries Gallery (NSFW; Well-Behaved and Unannoying Porn Ads): Oh, the Leg Breaks gallery is always fun for the whole family. My all time favorite is the Sid Vicious break. Unfortunately, no slow-motion video with 10 minute excruciating descriptions from color commentary people that we're all so used to.

posted by Stan Chin to general at 01:27 AM - 7 comments

Any good local sportsblogs out there?: I've been a member of SportsFilter for the last year or so, and a few months ago I launched my own Boston Sports Blog. Any other SpoFi'ers out there running their own local area blogs? Or have you bookmarked any good ones? I've been reading JoeNetsFan to get the enemy perspective for the Boston/New Jersey series. What local blogs are you reading besides SpoFi?

posted by Conquistador to culture at 10:00 PM - 8 comments

Never leave your couch again: If there's nothing to watch on the new College Sports Television or The Tennis Channel, this fall you will be able to watch The Football Network.

posted by rcade to general at 04:08 PM - 6 comments

ROLL TIDE!: It's rolling, baby!

posted by Mookieproof to football at 01:09 PM - 6 comments

Women's World Cup 2003 in China US?: This year's World Cup will be moved from China due to the SARS epidemic. Alternative country hosts are Sweden, Brazil, or most likely the US. In other women's soccer news: WUSA cutting players salaries from $80K to $60K, in latest cost-cutting bid for survival. Well, I guess it beats making that kind of money at a desk job. Interesting info about WUSA marketing challenges, cost structures and "equity stakes" given to "founding players".

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 11:51 AM - 14 comments

Irreverent sports cartoons. Make sure to check out some of the hockey and baseball ones. The sites creators like to skewer the evil-doers. Some of the strips are just downright cold-blooded. Any other good sports strips out there besides Tank McNamara?

posted by vito90 to general at 08:41 AM - 5 comments

The Miami Hurricanes could be jumping from the Big East to the ACC as early as tomorrow, according to an ESPN report. As a fan of the late Southwest Conference, which saw its best schools bolt as a group, I think this could get ugly fast for the Big East.

posted by rcade to general at 08:26 AM - 12 comments

Boston Globe sports columnist Bob Ryan on Jason Kidd's wife Joumana: "I'd like to smack her." Somebody really should knock some sense into that guy.

posted by rcade to basketball at 05:10 PM - 28 comments

Vote for the name of the new Charlotte NBA franchise.: The three finalists are the Bobcats, Dragons, and the Flight. Please don't vote for the Flight, it's stupid. Dragons is okay, I don't like the Bobcats. What happened to the Bankers? or the Jordans? At least the Cougers didn't make the cut.

posted by corpse to basketball at 10:35 AM - 40 comments

SI ranks the top 101 most influential minorities: in sports today. Bob Johnson, BET Founder and recipient of Charlotte NBA expansion team, is #1. 4 athletes in top 10--Tiger, S. Williams, Jordan, Yao. All in all a pretty comprehensive list of athletes and execs.

posted by dales15 to general at 12:10 AM - 4 comments

You thought Pete Rose was bad.: Well, I think Paul Merson can extract more sympathy than Rose. This former England, Arsenal and Villa midfielder (who now plays for new Div. 1 champs and EPL promotee Portsmouth) has battled and defeated his addictions to drink and drugs, but it looks like gambling may kill him. Literally. This is just sad.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 02:30 PM - 17 comments

Officiating a huge factor?: According to some, games 5 and 6 of the Senators vs. Flyers series were decided by the refs. Each team had a power play a piece in game 5, and then 7 for the Sens and 4 for the Flyers in game 6 seems about right. But wait, the Sens averaged 13.8 pims a game during the regular season, while Philly had 12.2 pims per game. It seems odd to the two teams are even close in this department. Watching another Senators' romp on a lowly East team this season I made the ill-advised argument that the Senators always seem to be on the PP, basing that on home-ref advantage. I was quickly made aware that refs rotate throughout the league. Looking back, I see there was credibility in my assertion. Kudos to the Senators for playing smart all season long.

posted by garfield to hockey at 12:32 PM - 29 comments

SHAME ON ME: (or why I hate the 2003 NBA Playoffs) | Marty Burns of Sports Illustrated points out the highs and lows of the first round. What were your own highs and lows? Also (this probably deserves its own thread), John Stockton quietly announces that he will "move on." Your thoughts on John Stockton?

posted by jacknose to basketball at 10:43 AM - 11 comments

Looking for some old-school baseball expertise? Read the columns of Phil Wood, longtime Washington and Baltimore sports broadcaster. Recent topics: the myth of the rising fastball, a call for the return of the four-man rotation, and a hilarious (and real) manager job questionnaire.

posted by rcade to baseball at 10:03 AM - 0 comments

SFM's All-Cinco de Mayo "Team": The folks at SportsFan Magazine have compiled the top 25 "No. 5's" in professional sports in honor of the Mexican holiday. It's a pretty wide variety, from NASCAR to the NHL to the WNBA, but it's hard to argue about the top 4.

posted by pucksnsuds to general at 08:12 AM - 1 comment

Manchester United clinches: their 8th Premiership title in eleven seasons. Arsenal drops a match to Leeds at home thereby putting themselves out of the running.

posted by gspm to soccer at 03:37 PM - 41 comments

Yea Alabama, without Mike Price...: Every Crimson Man has left you, say goodbye. Go tell your Strippers to behave, instead of charging room service to your shallow grave. And if a man needs a second chance, that's a shame, 'cause Bama moral standards are hypocritical and lame. Dance on, dance on, dance on, girls! Remember why Coach Fran left then. Go back to Washington, say goodbye, cause you're Dixie's scapegoat, Roll Tide! Roll Tide!

posted by Stan Chin to football at 02:50 PM - 23 comments

Iowa State MBB falling apart?: Coach Eustachy was already almost out the door for partying with students but it just gets worse. One assistant coach is under investigation for trying to pressure a player's family into supporting the coach, another goes on trial in four weeks for federal child pornography charges, and Eustachy himself was suspended one game by the NCAA for paying a player for making a free throw in a game. Does somebody need quiet time?

posted by billsaysthis to basketball at 12:13 PM - 2 comments

The NCAA Vollyball Championship will be played in Long Beach, California on May 3 between BYU and Lewis.: College Volleyball doesn't seem to receive the same coverage as other major college sports, even though it is quite popular on the United States' west coast. Indeed, in Hawaii, where Greece's Costas Theocharidis was recently named AVCA Player of the Year, it seems to be just as popular as NCAA Basketball. Will Volleyball's day ever come, or will it always be one of those "other" sports?

posted by Joey Michaels to other at 04:49 PM - 3 comments

EPL crunch time.: It's the penultimate week of the EPL, while the First Division ends this week. In the EPL, Manchester Utd looks to build an eight-point lead over defending champions Arsenal in the two-horse race for supremacy. Aston Villa, Fulham, Leeds, Bolton and West Ham are battling to avoid joining West Brom and Sunderland in the First Division next season. In the First Division, Portsmouth has secured the championship and promotion to the EPL along with bankrupt Leicester City. Sheffield United, Reading, Wolves and Nottingham Forest have secured playoff places to fight for that last EPL promotion place, and will be playing to determine who meets who in the playoff. In the SpoFi EPL Fantasy League, we're rooting for Fat Buddha to beat StarFooker.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 03:06 PM - 26 comments

The year no one won the Stanley Cup: Nicely done historical piece on an event that I never knew about. "Long before SARS, professional sports was faced with the challenge of carrying on business during an epidemic. The Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918-19 caused the only instance of a major North American sports championship being cancelled because of illness: the Stanley Cup."

posted by bitstop to hockey at 02:07 PM - 1 comment

Another Danish shocker!: Denmark ties Canada 2-2 at the World Hockey Championships. Does that make up for the 47-0 thumping the last time the teams played?

posted by gspm to hockey at 12:29 PM - 3 comments

Remember Freddy Adu?: Man U is asking for his digits. Also a U.K. screenwriter wanted to cast Freddy in the upcoming movie Liverpool Leopard, about a soccer prodigy from the Zulu tribe who is discovered by a Liverpool player on vacation in South Africa. Freddy is the next Pelé LeBron O.J. Mayo.

posted by corpse to soccer at 11:04 AM - 10 comments

Are you tough? : I'm pretty tough...I've been in the military, been in many fights, hiked for miles and miles...almost drowned twice! But HOLY SHIT! This guy is insane!

posted by StarFucker to extreme at 10:55 AM - 17 comments

Personally, I am hugely disappointed that this guy is becoming part of the ESPN lineup. I first heard about it yesterday when I saw a promo with him berating parents for pushing their children too hard. Huh? WTF? Rome setting himself up as a voice of sobriety? Obviously this guy has some popularity, if any of you out there like him could you please explain what the attraction is? (a bit more inside about this asshat)

posted by vito90 to general at 09:48 AM - 19 comments

The Chicago Cubs: Baseball's Enron?: Seems the Cubbies are taking advantage of Illinois' scalping law to "sell" $45 tickets to their games to a brokerage agency staffed by team executives. The broker can sell the tickets for up to $1,500 a pop. Under baseball's revenue sharing plan, the Cubs should send 30 percent of revenues into the pot, but selling the tickets to the agency means they contribute 30 percent of $45, not $1,500.

posted by thescoop to baseball at 04:05 PM - 5 comments

Columnist chooses not to call Dilfer: -- Bob Linneman, assistant sports editor at the Santa Cruz (Calif.) Sentinel, just can't bring himself to call Trent Dilfer on the tragic death of the QB's 5-year-old son. "It’s an unfortunate, but often essential, part of a journalist’s job to deal with death; in this case, to tackle the Dilfer story like it’s Super Bowl Sunday. Sorry. Not this time. Count me out."

posted by bitstop to football at 11:05 AM - 17 comments

Idiots on Unicycles!: Ok, so we've got unicyling, which is hard enough in itself, and then these people who want to try it cross country, and in mountain bike trials. The result? Idiots on Unicycles (warning: pop-up heavy)

posted by BigCalm to extreme at 11:02 AM - 2 comments

"They aren't soft-headed wusses at all.": The Positive Coaching Alliance is on a mission to "to transform the culture of youth sports to give all young athletes the opportunity for a positive, character-building experience."

posted by kirkaracha to culture at 08:56 AM - 6 comments

Man U's Perfect Pitch.: Long Washington Post article (minor registration req'd) on the worldwide draw of the Manchester United brand.

posted by Mookieproof to soccer at 08:31 AM - 8 comments

College Coaches Gone Wild II : Mike Price (who apparently has not yet signed a contract) may be in jeopardy of being ousted as coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team. Rumors abound that he contracted the services of a professional woman who stole his (University issued) credit card, then shot his mouth off about it at a golf tournament. University officials do not appear to be as amused by this as University of Washington Husky fans. Incidentally, Alabama has had controversy with coaches recently so there is specualtion that any contract he would have signed would contain a morals clause.

posted by vito90 to basketball at 08:21 AM - 1 comment