11/21/24
Archives for November 2004
November 30, 2004
Feuding speedskaters!: ".....what was happening between us wasn't about sport any more. It was about the fact that Anni had bigger breasts....."
posted by Fat Buddha to other at 03:30 PM - 8 comments
Pacers to face charges: No word on whether Marty Mcsorley will be employed to represent them in court.
posted by adampsyche to basketball at 03:13 PM - 13 comments
Ty Willingham Gone!!: Do you think a deal is already done with Urban Meyer whose dream job is ND? This is the first time an ND coach has been fired before first contract was up.
posted by dales15 to football at 01:22 PM - 24 comments
EPL Fantasy Week 15: - slowly slowly catchy monkey
posted by BigCalm to fantasy at 10:04 AM - 53 comments
The Chicago Black Sox Trial of 1921: including a diagram of the fix, game-by-game series stats, images, and a whole lot more. All part of the Famous Trials website, which was found on MeFi.
posted by Ufez Jones to baseball at 09:28 AM - 8 comments
November 29, 2004
We Suck: The plan: help Harvard proclaim their true school spirit by holding up signs that say WE SUCK.
posted by dusted to culture at 04:52 PM - 10 comments
Baseball Hall of Fame nominations: Who should be in? And are there any first ballot locks?
posted by jbou to baseball at 04:34 PM - 63 comments
Who is the Greater Turkey?: You can debate how funny this gag article (it goes on too long for this ADD reader) from Brushback.com is, but the real funny is when sports talk hosts report it as fact.
The highs and lows of sports writing: We had a thread a few months back on US sports writing, this is the short list for the William Hill award, the prize celebrating the best in British sports writing. I'm not a fan of sports books myself, for every one good one, there are a hundred ghost-written hack jobs just written for a quick buck. Of course, there are good sports books - the best ones are good books not just good books about sport and would be interesting whether or not you follow that particular game. American sports writing is usually held up to be the best - in terms of quality and range so what do our American listeners think of this list? What would a comparable US shortlist look like?
posted by Pete to culture at 02:25 PM - 18 comments
November 28, 2004
Red Sox win again.: SI chooses the entire team as Sportsmen of the Year.
posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 10:15 PM - 16 comments
Nothing like a matched set. : With a victory in super G at Lake Louise on November 28, the US Ski Team's Bode Miller made history by becoming the first American man, and one of only five men ever, to have won a World Cup race in each of the five WC events.
posted by lil_brown_bat to other at 09:13 PM - 2 comments
Constructing a Team Phenom.: Attention kids of parents with deep pockets - IMG Academies offer programs in soccer, basketball, baseball, tennis and golf with an annual cost of as much as $70,000. "The threshold for admission is not talent but money."
posted by gspm to culture at 01:56 PM - 9 comments
November 27, 2004
FoxSportsWorld Fox Soccer Channel: (Note that the URL I used is not a permalink.) Fox has filed for a trademark on the name and rumor has it FSW will become an all soccer channel within the next few months. Sounds great, but what will become of my Aussie Rules Football?
posted by billsaysthis to culture at 01:24 PM - 18 comments
November 26, 2004
Mizzou bows out of the Paige Arena: The University has chosen to rename its new basketball facility Mizzou Arena after its former namesake, Paige Laurie (of the stinking rich Wal-Mart family), was outed for allegedly paying $20Gs to have her roommate do all her homework at USC for her. This despite the fact the Lauries forked over $25M to help build the place. Two-part post: 1) Is it right for colleges or pro teams to hand over the naming rights for an arena to the highest bidder? and 2) What's the most idiotically named sports facility in the world?
posted by wfrazerjr to culture at 10:27 PM - 2 comments
November 25, 2004
Godzilla youngsters: I know the consensus now is that Brown was far from the perfect coach for the Olympic basketball team, but this article on the current NBA season statistical blowup of the young guys who kept the bench warm in Athens quantifies that. And you need look no further than last night as perfect examples of Hollinger's argument: here and here. What do SpoFites think of the analysis of the article and the larger issue of emerging attempts at a basketball form of Sabrmetrics, begun of course by Hollinger and Dean Oliver, and which has morphed into some fascinating sites online?
posted by platocave to basketball at 10:13 AM - 4 comments
November 24, 2004
News Flash!: There are professional basketball stories that have nothing to do with violence. Footage undoubtedly not at 11.
posted by lilnemo to basketball at 08:41 PM - 7 comments
Skip Bayless:: "Just this once, try watching the RIOT video with your brain instead of just your wide eyes." *I will now officially move on.
posted by jacknose to basketball at 07:10 PM - 10 comments
Mets join Martinez chase: The Mets have joined the table in the hunt for Pedro Martinez. Over the weekend, the Mets conveyed to the free agent that they had significant interest in signing him, multiple baseball sources said yesterday. Now that the Mets' internal interest, which was first learned from a National League executive late last week, has become known to Martinez, it makes them the third team to be identified as a suitor for the three-time Cy Young award-winner. Other teams contacted Martinez soon after he filed for free agency earlier this month, but the Mets' recent entry introduces a wealthy candidate for Martinez' services in a market that has been slow to develop and has been relatively quiet until the Yankees got into the action last week. In addition to positive comments about Martinez from manager Joe Torre, catcher Jorge Posada and shortstop Alex Rodriguez, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner met personally with Martinez in Tampa.
posted by LROD to baseball at 06:03 PM - 15 comments
Is the NBA losing its fan base because of its makeup?: Is the NBA pushing to internationalization in order to reach more demographics? Is the hip-hopification of the NBA causing its downfall?
posted by kinack to basketball at 04:29 PM - 17 comments
Harry's off.: Portsmouth's manager, Harry Redknapp, is the latest EPL manager to walk out the door this season. How many has it been now? Strachan (Soton), Santini (Spurs), Megson (WBA), Souness (Rovers), Robson (Newcastle), who else? Who's next? Surely no other league has seen this many managerial changes in the space of a season. What's going on? Too much emphasis on money, quick results, "continentalization" of management?
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 04:21 PM - 13 comments
Ukraine Strike(r): No, not this strike, though the symmetry is responsible for the post. "...in the last month 'Sheva', as all Milan fans call him, has scored all of Milan's goals in the Champions League and in the Serie A."
posted by garfield to soccer at 03:12 PM - 8 comments
The White Circus #2: Painful Symbolic Gestures and the Magic Eight Ball: Snotty comments on Sölden, and my predictions for the 2004-2005 World Cup
posted by lil_brown_bat to commentary at 03:01 PM - 0 comments
Guess who's back? : Ricky reinstated this year? What would you do if you were the Dolphins management?
posted by dzot to football at 10:13 AM - 10 comments
Follow the bouncing brawl: John Saunders and other ESPN studio analysts are apologizing for their immediate reaction to Friday's Pistons-Pacers fracas. "It was like I was there, and it was happening to me," said John Saunders, reminded of being pelted by debris as a hockey player.
posted by rcade to basketball at 08:03 AM - 10 comments
November 23, 2004
Union Appeals Suspensions in NBA Brawl: NEW YORK - The NBA players' union filed an appeal Tuesday on behalf of Indiana Pacers Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O'Neal, who were suspended for their roles in a brawl with Detroit Pistons fans last week. The union also is considering has said another avenue of appeal it was considering taking the case to U.S. Federal Court, although a similar strategy failed in 1997 when the union contested the suspensions handed out to four members of the New York Knicks for leaving the bench during a fight in a playoff game against the Miami Heat
posted by LROD to baseball at 02:01 PM - 36 comments
"You can say what you want about American sports, but they do play some frightfully good records.: We Brits, on the other hand, prefer to make our own entertainment and rightly pride ourselves on our home-made rugby songs and football chants" - Spofi favourite Steven Wells contrasts the musical atmosphere of sport events (songs played on the PA or sung in the stands) on either side of the Atlantic.
posted by gspm to culture at 01:40 PM - 24 comments
Toronto wins the 92nd Grey Cup.: Final pick results inside.
posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 01:21 PM - 2 comments
Icing the Kicker Works: According to Science News, calling a timeout before a placekicker attempts a "pressure kick" (a kick "with 3 minutes or less remaining in the game (or overtime) and would create a lead or a tie for the team") decreases the probability of success. [via TMQ]
posted by kirkaracha to football at 01:21 PM - 5 comments
Artest Calls Season Suspension Too Harsh: INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana Pacers (news) forward Ron Artest said Tuesday he wishes he hadn't gotten into a fight with fans but feels his season-ending suspension was too harsh. I don't think it was fair — that many games," Artest said in an interview with NBC's "Today" show. "I respect (NBA Commissioner) David Stern's decisions, but I don't think I should have been out for the whole season."
posted by LROD to basketball at 10:31 AM - 40 comments
EPL Fantasy League Week 14: Eep.
posted by BigCalm to fantasy at 08:50 AM - 60 comments
posted by justgary to general at 01:15 AM - 10 comments
November 22, 2004
Ladies and gentlemen: meet your 2005 Washington Senators Nationals.
posted by Prince Valium to baseball at 01:28 PM - 22 comments
Prince Joe's Lament.: Where was Joe Henry when Major League Baseball coughed up money for ex-Negro Leaguers? In the dark.
posted by Ufez Jones to baseball at 12:21 PM - 2 comments
: The Chronicles of Ricky, part 10. In which Ricky Williams is found in the California Sierra foothills studying to be a holistic healer. The program is supposed to take a year and a half, but my money says he drops out before Christmas.
posted by msacheson to football at 11:58 AM - 3 comments
NBA Suspends Artest for Rest of Season : NEW YORK - The wrath of David Stern was unleashed, giving Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O'Neal a long time — extremely long in Artest's case — to ponder the error of their ways. NBA commissioner suspended Artest for the remainder of this season Sunday and disciplined eight other members of the Pacers and Pistons, sending a strong message that the league won't tolerate the type of unprecedented violence displayed Friday night.
posted by LROD to basketball at 11:13 AM - 5 comments
November 21, 2004
Frozen out, many NHL players try breaking new ice.: As the NHL lockout drags on, most Europeans have returned to their home leagues to play, and many North Americans are joining them. Some are playing in charming places like small-town France and Sweden but the big money is in Russia where conditions are less than ideal.
ARRRRRRRRRRRRGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOS!:
41 year-old QB Damon Allen (brother of NFL Hall of Famer Marcus Allen) leads the underdog Toronto Argos to a 27-19 Grey Cup win.
posted by grum@work to football at 08:22 PM - 16 comments
Kurt Busch: is the 2004 Nextel Cup champion, in the closest points race ever. What are your thoughts on the new championship format? Did it make the season more exciting?
posted by mr_crash_davis to other at 04:57 PM - 7 comments
England could have walked: FIFA President Sepp Blatter says he would have supported England had they opted to leave the pitch in last week's friendly against Spain, where several black players were subjected to racist chants from the terraces. Does this set a dangerous precedent? Who decides if the abuse is serious enough to warrant a walk-out? Heck, who decides if the abuse is racist? And what happens when the crowd realise they can stop a match whenever a result is going the wrong way just by chanting unpleasant slogans?
posted by afx237vi to soccer at 08:30 AM - 11 comments
November 20, 2004
Last dance for samba legend: - an exciting opportunity to step back in time has appeared, for anyone who grew up watching the boys in yellow and blue majestically play the beautiful game, as Brazilian legend Sócrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira gets ready to make his debut for England's Northern Counties East amateur outfit, Garforth Town.
posted by Mr Bismarck to soccer at 07:04 AM - 9 comments
November 19, 2004
The Malice In The Palace: What's the answer? Clearly the fans were chiefly culpable, and I for one would be disappointed if this didn't result in the cancellation and forfeiture of at least one Pistons home game.
posted by taupe to basketball at 10:44 PM - 177 comments
Parcells must prove he's no quitter: No one has been terribly hard on Parcells for the sorry state of these Cowboys this season. If anyone's earned a free pass on a losing season, it's him. Yet make no mistake: As history will remember his legacy, there will be no free pass for walking out on the Dallas Cowboys.
Once and for all, Bill Parcells needs to make a stand.
posted by justgary to football at 09:15 PM - 3 comments
Hear ye, Hear ye: The seemingly ever-increasing (busted) face of the NHL in the U.S., Jeremy 'JR' Roenick speaks out. Meanwhile, the Stanley Cup Champions get their rings in the parking lot with ZERO fan fare. Oh yeah, and now the draft of the next great one is in doubt.
posted by garfield to hockey at 09:44 AM - 20 comments
November 18, 2004
You got your Worth1000 in my ESPN!: Page 2's Washington Baseball Uniform design contest.
posted by Ufez Jones to baseball at 02:54 PM - 2 comments
Cocktease: Steve Spurrier has agreed to coach South Carolina, but might not get the job -- Lou Holtz won't say whether he's leaving at the end of this season.
posted by rcade to football at 11:49 AM - 15 comments
"All it takes to own an ABA franchise is $10,000 and a business plan. About the same as it is to open a McDonald's franchise.": ABA chief operating officer Joe Newman has overseen recent expansion that took the league from 7 teams last year to 34 (or 35?) teams this year. Join the excitement and reserve a market for yourself! (But you'll have to get in line behind the 21 new teams pencilled in for next season.)
posted by gspm to basketball at 08:54 AM - 9 comments
November 17, 2004
Dodger sues to stop smear campaign: A guy that once dated Dodger outfielder Jayson Werth's wife in high school is now sending letters to Werth's family and friends, alleging the ballplayer is unfaithful. The letters threatened to expose pictures and videotapes of Werth having sex with other woman -- one of whom was pregnant with his child, the lawsuit states.
"He's a deceitful, egotistical ass---- who uses his lies and professional career to sleep with young women," one letter reads, according to the lawsuit. "I've spent nearly $20,000 documenting every move this sleazeball has made."
posted by dusted to culture at 03:09 PM - 16 comments
Long Voyage Home: Sure it's about the Sox and Yanks and the New Yorker's editorial policy towards commas is "the more the merrier", but it's still Roger Angell on Baseball.
posted by yerfatma to baseball at 11:33 AM - 3 comments
November 16, 2004
Follow Up: on a Follow Up :: Frost banned indefinitely
posted by garfield to hockey at 04:15 PM - 4 comments
Onto the Grey Cup!: Toronto and BC will fight in the Ottawa snow this weekend. Results from the CFL division finals and picks for the Cup inside.
posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 01:45 PM - 9 comments
"It's going to hurt [my routine] big time": The NBA tells Vince Carter that he can't listen to his iPod while warming up. He's going to have to change his routine. 14.3 ppg worth of routine.
posted by gspm to basketball at 01:22 PM - 13 comments
November 15, 2004
Don't miss field goals in the CFL: Saskatchewan Roughrider Paul McCallum missed an 18 yard field field goal in overtime that would have won his team's playoff game, and his "house was later pelted with eggs and a load of manure was dumped off." A fan was charged with threatening to burn McCallum's house down.
posted by kirkaracha to football at 11:19 PM - 16 comments
Baseball Blogging. The year in review.: How about a State of the Blogosphere Address for baseball bloggers?
posted by gspm to baseball at 04:33 PM - 5 comments
Yawn.:
He led the league in all three batting rate stats (AVG, SLG, OBP). He reached all the proper counting stats (40HR/100RBI/100Runs). He almost single-handedly carried his team to the playoffs. And still 8 writers thought someone else was more valuable...
posted by grum@work to baseball at 03:10 PM - 51 comments
Knocked him down twice!: Golota sends Ruiz face first to the mat twice, yet the judges give Ruiz a unanimous decision. So WHY does boxing suck?! Great article here about our boy from Chicago... I have no idea how he lost in a unanimous decision when he controlled the whole fight and didn't get penalized a single point. Don King sucks.
posted by StarFucker to boxing at 02:06 PM - 4 comments
Blatter attacks clubs' 'trade in humans': He's at it again with another loopy rant. How did this man get elected and isn't there a way to get him out? Or does he have a reasonable point about the top teams losing their identity and local connections?
posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 01:38 PM - 3 comments
MLS Fantasy final results: And the winner is...
posted by goddam to fantasy at 11:04 AM - 6 comments
Wimbledon deja vu: : Williams vs. Sharapova in the WTA Championship final (10 PM Monday, ESPN)
posted by lil_brown_bat to tennis at 09:11 AM - 1 comment
A whole definition of a "pin": Is your charity golf day lacking something? Maybe these ladies can help. After all: Nothing is more important to us than making sure your event is a successful one. We'll make sure everyone at your tournament has a Super Fabulous Day!
posted by JJ to golf at 06:07 AM - 8 comments
November 14, 2004
Holyfield should give it up: Evander Holyfield should retire instead of letting his supersize ego obscure reality. The guy was a great boxer, but now he is a shadow of his former self. He should stop making a fool of himself and bow out. It's at the point now where he gets pummeled every time he steps into a ring.
posted by roberts to boxing at 07:10 AM - 17 comments
November 12, 2004
Frost protege take a run at Mike Danton's younger brother: This keeps getting weirder. During an OHL game between Kitchener and Oshawa, Adam Keefe "a Frost kid" jumped Tom Jefferson (Danton's estranged brother) and "pounded him." According to Oshawa's manager: "Was it premeditated? I can tell you that absolutely it was."
posted by molafson to hockey at 05:34 PM - 2 comments
The NFC doesn't deserve their Super Bowl slot: Sort of like how last year's NBA finals was really the Western conference final between the Lakers and and the T-Wolves. Or not.
posted by gspm to football at 04:32 PM - 5 comments
Where are they now? Lockout edition: While the owners and the lawyers debate the NHL's losses, the players are playing in Europe. Here's a pretty good list of who's playing where. However, is it just me or is signing a contract with another employer against the spirit of the union?
posted by mkn to hockey at 12:45 PM - 10 comments
Forbes Magazine: recently studied the numbers surrounding the NHL lock-out and found they while the teams are indeed losing money, the owners are overstating those losses by a significant magnitude. The difference stems from what is included as revenue in the league's numbers. The teams have "wide discretion in deciding how much of the off-ice revenue should be included." The Islanders don't include half of their television rights revenue. The Blackhawks put the revenue from all 212 luxury suites into the United Center's pocket (both are owned by William Wirtz).
The NHL says the numbers are off. But they also claim the New York Rangers are losing money. I'd buy the Brooklyn Bridge before that line. If you were the players, would you feel comfortable negotiating with people who are misrepresenting their bottom lines? How can you begin to negotiate if they the owners are not willing to allow the players a fair look at the books? And why the hell do so many people side with the owners?
posted by 86 to hockey at 09:03 AM - 13 comments
Who's Slacking in the No-No Department?:
Bill James' love letter to Rob Neyer about the most unlikely pitcher to have never thrown a no-hitter.
posted by yerfatma to baseball at 08:38 AM - 13 comments
November 11, 2004
Inside the Brain Trust: The NY Times (I used a no reg link) previews an upcoming book by '44' (those are air quotes) about what most gambling pros acknowledge as the biggest legitimate betting group in America. The author, who was a minor participant for seven years, is using 44 to hide his true identity and uses fictitious names for most of the characters--he asserts its to avoid libel liability--but the article outs him and the main character.
posted by billsaysthis to culture at 01:34 PM - 5 comments
Spank her with a ruler!: Sportsline's Clark Judge runs down the first half of the NFL season's most infamous moments in his first semiannual Rickys.
posted by Ufez Jones to football at 09:53 AM - 7 comments
MLB - Instant review: GM's to discuss replay options: Brian Cashman wanted to make this perfectly clear: The umpires were correct when they called Alex Rodriguez out for interference on that crazy play during the AL championship series.
"They got it completely right, 100 percent," the New York Yankees' general manager said this week.
"But you would hate to have a game, or a series or even a season come down to a play where they miss it and instant replay could have helped," he said. "So as far as instant replay, I'm in favor of it."
posted by justgary to baseball at 12:56 AM - 12 comments
November 10, 2004
Artest asks for time off to promote rap album: Pacers forward Ron Artest said Wednesday that he asked coach Rick Carlisle for as much as a month off because of a busy schedule that included promoting a soon-to-be released rap album. "I've still got my album coming out Nov. 23," Artest said. "After the album comes out I'm going to make sure all of my time is focused on winning a championship."
posted by dusted to basketball at 09:14 PM - 26 comments
Now liquor really is quicker: NASCAR lifted its ban on hard alcohol advertising on Tuesday. The race circuit has long allowed beer and malt liquor sponsorships (see Matt Kenseth in the Smirnoff ICE car), but now the door is open for everything. At least one car will already be sponsored by a whiskey next season, and some people think it's high time (ha!) for the change. Is this a responsible move by NASCAR?
posted by wfrazerjr to other at 06:16 PM - 13 comments
How do you get from luxury products to stadium architecture? Ask the team at Studio Massaud.: A Q & A with the partners in the Paris based design firm buliding one hell of a funky stadium in Mexico City. Even if you don't want to read the article, at least click the link to see the mockup of the "Grassy Volcano". (via treehugger)
posted by Ufez Jones to soccer at 01:24 PM - 18 comments
Rooney hit by 23-ton truck; continues on to training session.: Another 19-yr-old sportstar driving shenanigan? The Roonster was in a $60K Cadillac Escalade when he was hit. "The 19-year-old England international was able to continue driving to training after the accident." Tough car, tough boy. Well, it looks like he wasn't drunk.
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 01:00 PM - 9 comments
Purrr...: Fans of the expansion Charlotte Bobcats got a bit of a surprise when dialing the ticket info line listed in their phone book: a referral to a phone sex line.
posted by Ufez Jones to basketball at 10:46 AM - 5 comments
posted by justgary to baseball at 12:46 AM - 26 comments
November 09, 2004
Yahoo! EPL Fantasy Week 12: Wherein my lead at the top surprised me by increasing while the Explitive One climbs off the bottom rungs into the middle and the Dead Men continue walking in second. Ooh I am so scared.
posted by billsaysthis to fantasy at 09:22 PM - 6 comments
Too bad he didn't kill Frost. Then all of this would've been worth it: "I do not believe in over 18 years on the bench I have been faced with a case as bizarre as this one," said U.S. District Judge William Stiehl as he imposed the sentence 7.5 years.
posted by garfield to hockey at 02:25 PM - 5 comments
Michael Phelps arrested for drunk driving.: The 19-yr-old six-gold Olympian was charged with DUI, violation of a licence restriction (what does that mean?) and failure to obey a stop sign, and could be jailed for a year, be fined about $800 and get 12 points on his driver's licence. No underage consumption charge? (Or is it just for serving alcohol?) Commence fish and drink jokes.
posted by worldcup2002 to other at 02:03 PM - 12 comments
posted by DrJohnEvans to baseball at 01:26 PM - 16 comments
Maurice Clarett tells ESPN: he was given cash, cushy jobs, simple courses, acedmic help, and access to loaner cars while at Ohio State. Should we believe him? Maurice clearly has an axe to grind, but don't we all know this goes on everywhere? And perhaps more importanly, how will the NCAA respond?
posted by 86 to football at 12:31 PM - 17 comments
West Brom appoint Bryan Robson as new manager.: Former fan favourite Bryan Robson has returned to the club he left in 1981. His managerial record so far is spotty. Can he keep the Baggies in the Premiership? My take as a West Brom fan: I'm not particularly enthused or optimistic, but then again I had the same feelings about Gary Megson four years ago. Meanwhile, there is still speculation that Megson could end up at arch-rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers.
posted by salmacis to soccer at 12:27 PM - 12 comments
Robinho's mother kidnapped: "...police have agreed not to interfere with the family's negotiations for the return of (his mother)"
posted by garfield to soccer at 12:14 PM - 13 comments
Dave's not here: Miami Dolphins head coach Dave Wannstedt is out. Wannstedt was 43-33 with the Dolphins, even with this season's 1-8 mark. How much of the burden of Miami's awful season can be placed on his shoulders, and is it right to fire a man who before this season had never won less than nine games with the Dolphins?
posted by wfrazerjr to football at 10:08 AM - 9 comments
Autoball: Soccer, with cars.
posted by BigCalm to extreme at 03:13 AM - 20 comments
November 08, 2004
It cost Fox and CBS a combined $8 billion,: but the networks are retaining their broadcast rights to Sunday-afternoon NFC and AFC games, respectively, through 2011. DirecTV has also renewed its contract, and retains exclusive rights to the "NFL Sunday Ticket" package. And the rich keep getting richer...
posted by Motown Mike to football at 10:50 PM - 7 comments
Crosby and Bay win MLB Rookie of the Year awards: Crosby was one vote shy of being the unanimous choice for the AL, despite a .239 batting average. Bay won the NL award after starting the season injured and not playing until May. Any arguments for better choices?
posted by dusted to baseball at 04:14 PM - 7 comments
Introducing Utah's team: Real Salt Lake: Did we cover this already? I remember discussing that Dallas is changing its name to FC Dallas and we pretty much agreed that it was a welcome change. But Real Salt Lake!? Now I'm pretty sure that Real means Royal in Spanish, and I don't know what the particular reason for calling Real Madrid, ROYAL Madrid is...maybe someone can inform us about the naming of all those Real teams in Spain. And don't forget about Club Deportivo Chivas USA...uh, is the USA at the end necessary?
posted by StarFucker to soccer at 09:51 AM - 16 comments
EPL Fantasy League Week 12: Crap City does it again.
posted by BigCalm to fantasy at 03:37 AM - 95 comments
November 07, 2004
CFL Playoffs Predictions, Division Finals.: Toronto goes to Montréal, and surprising Saskatchewan hits the west coast. Results from last round, too.
posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 06:49 PM - 13 comments
November 06, 2004
Farewell Captain Socceroo: Johnny Warren, the heart and soul of Australian football, dies after a long battle with cancer. 'I'm one nil down with 15 minutes to play', he said a few months ago. 'He leaves a hole bigger than we can measure' says Andy Harper. Johnny Warren might not mean much to North Americans or Europeans, but to Australian soccer fans and players, he was the greatest.
posted by owlhouse to soccer at 03:25 PM - 3 comments
November 05, 2004
How Soccer Is Eating America: Yet another article about how soccer/football is getting more and more popular in America...we can only hope. "The rest of the world has been worried for some time that America will try and change soccer. The truth is that soccer is changing America," writes Steven Wells.
posted by StarFucker to soccer at 02:35 PM - 19 comments
Santini quits Spurs.: No link. Breaking news on BBC. Former French coach Jacques Santini has resigned as Tottenham Hotspurs manager, after less than six months in the position. Meanwhile, the Guardian has rumors that previous Spurs manager Glenn Hoddle is off to West Brom.
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 01:08 PM - 8 comments
Franz Lidz chooses Kobe Bryant as his Sportsman of the Year. : Eukanuba!!!
posted by lil_brown_bat to culture at 08:52 AM - 14 comments
November 04, 2004
And in other news, Ron Zook still sucks: Steve Spurrier has officially removed himself from consideration to retake the head coaching job at the University of Florida. Current Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops had said he wasn't interested, but that might have been because his old boss was still in the running. Who's the best fit, and how hard will it be to bring the Gators back to the top?
posted by wfrazerjr to football at 08:17 PM - 11 comments
Cornhole.: Fresh from the battleground state that swept the nation, comes a new game that is spreading like wildfire through a prairie. Throw the bag in the cornhole! Official rules at the American Cornhole Association.
posted by worldcup2002 to other at 04:32 PM - 12 comments
CFL Playoffs Predictions.: Anybody? Anybody? C'mon, I know you're out there.
posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 03:52 PM - 10 comments
Andrew Johnson Will Play For Poland! : His grandfather was born in Poland and apparently he is very proud of his Polish Heritage. Should be interesting to see how this develops. Polish scouts were at his game at Birmingham and Pawel Janas is considering calling him up for the friendly against France.
posted by StarFucker to soccer at 12:25 PM - 24 comments
Yuta Tabuse makes history as the first Japanese NBA player: Scoring 7 points in 10 minutes of mop-up duty, just a few days after learning he made the cut, Tabuse is already gaining Ichiro-like status in Japan. There have been other Asian players in the NBA, but Tabuse is the first of typical height: 5' 9".
posted by dusted to basketball at 11:37 AM - 6 comments
Mmmmm, Roethlisburgers: So what do you get when you combine ground beef, sausage, scrambled eggs, grilled onions and American cheese? The "Roethlisburger" of course! Riding high on his 5-0 record as the Steelers rookie quarterback, Big Ben has had a sandwich named after him at Peppi's Late Night. But you won't read about it on humble Ben's weblog.
posted by scully to football at 10:55 AM - 10 comments
November 03, 2004
Champions League Match Day 4: Ruud went wild with four goals but not for our teams as none own him. Liverpool, Barcelona, Chelsea and Juventus seem to have the most impact. I remain well out in first. Won't one of you come and catch me?
posted by billsaysthis to fantasy at 11:59 PM - 7 comments
Rally beers: I've got a new appreciation for baseball, though this equates the game with bowling, darts, etc. Is this akin to hockey's Sudafed issue, or is it an issue at all?
posted by garfield to baseball at 03:04 PM - 15 comments
Depor v Liverpool: So, since the last Liverpool post was busy, i thought I'd put up a link to the Guardian's coverage of today's CL game between Liverpool and Deportivo La Coruna. Predictions, comments and rants welcome.
Of course you can also follow United v Sparta at the Guardian, and follow more serious play by plays at Soccernet and the BBC.
posted by sauril to soccer at 11:31 AM - 27 comments
Backman's new job apparently safer than his driving record: New Arizona Diamondbacks manager Wally Backman has been answering questions about his past after a newspaper story revealed he had a DUI arrest, an assault arrest and had filed for bankruptcy in the past. Should any of this stuff have been brought up in the hiring process? Is it fair to Backman that these issues be made public?
posted by wfrazerjr to baseball at 07:11 AM - 21 comments
November 02, 2004
Jeter wins a gold glove: Wow. I mean, we all knew he improved quite a bit this season, but could anyone have predicted this? Other winners: Pudge, Erstad, Boone, Chavez, Rogers, Suzuki, Hunter, and Wells. More inside.
posted by Bernreuther to baseball at 06:50 PM - 39 comments
Is the lane clear for the Pistons to repeat?: We've hashed out the dynamics of Kobe minus Shaq. We've discussed Spree's need for greed. Now comes the important question -- just who is the favorite to win the NBA title this season?
posted by wfrazerjr to basketball at 03:44 PM - 8 comments
La deluge: : 10 more Red Sox file for free agency. Total since the World Series: 13. Three more maybes.
posted by lil_brown_bat to baseball at 11:50 AM - 21 comments
EPL Fantasy League, Week 11: - again?
posted by BigCalm to fantasy at 08:13 AM - 20 comments
November 01, 2004
Just give him the damn paddle?: Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson threatens to spank Fox reporter Pam Oliver for what he says is an erroneous report. Whatever happened to just busting a cap in someone's ass?
posted by wfrazerjr to football at 08:19 PM - 7 comments
Drugs Ruled as Cause of Death for Caminiti: A drug overdose killed former NL MVP Ken Caminiti, who admitted using steroids during his playing days and tested positive for cocaine in the days before he died. Coronary artery disease and an enlarged heart were listed as contributing factors in the death of Caminiti, Grace Brugess, spokeswoman for the New York City Medical Examiner, said Monday. She said the death had been ruled an accident.
Cluster ballooning.: Wire yourself up to 40 big balloons. Drop some ballast or pop some balloons to control your height. Sport or not? Or nuts?
posted by worldcup2002 to extreme at 03:10 PM - 1 comment
Cisse suffers horrible broken Leg: Liverpool's Djibril Cisse broke his tibia and fibula on Saturday morning at Blackburn. It seems like that ground is cursed for the Reds, with Jamie Carragher breaking his leg and Milan Baros breaking an ankle there last year.
Warning: the link includes a picture which is almost of Joe Theisman horror.
posted by sauril to soccer at 02:42 PM - 42 comments
Brazil face Greece in 2005 Confed Cup: World champions Brazil will face European champions Greece in the group stage of the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup while hosts Germany meet Argentina. Monday's draw put Brazil, who won the Confederations Cup in 1997, in Group B with Japan, Mexico and Greece while Germany are joined in Group A by Tunisia and Australia plus Argentina.
posted by babuchutkan to football at 01:05 PM - 7 comments
Hirsch unhappy: because Martin Gerber (former water fowl, now a 'Cane) took his spot on the Langnau Tigers of the Swiss A League. "....every time an NHL player signs in Europe, another life is affected. One of these lives affected is my own," he continued. "I came to Europe two years ago to get away from the NHL. Once again, though, the NHL has me in its grasp. It's like a chokehold I can't get out of....." Hirsch will be performing on a milk crate in front of Port Authority if his benching continues past January.
posted by garfield to hockey at 10:13 AM - 15 comments
Spree to flee?: The incomparable Latrell Sprewell wants to be traded. He "doesn't believe the Wolves are offering enough for his value to the team" and says, "Why would I want to help them win a title? They're not doing anything for me. I've got a lot at risk here. I've got my family to feed. Anything can happen; it's a long season. You never know."
posted by thatweirdguy2 to basketball at 08:20 AM - 14 comments