Former NFL player and recent victim of war Pat Tillman was probably killed by friendly fire, the Army announced on Saturday.

posted by Ufez Jones to football at 10:05 PM - 3 comments

The curse of the Habs: (or, another supernatural reason why Tampa Bay won't win). It's actually pretty easy to picture the ghost of Rocket Richard smirking in the rafters of the Saddledome.

posted by DrJohnEvans to hockey at 12:54 PM - 6 comments

Uncle Carl gives away $9.9 million worth of baseball tickets to local school kids.

posted by mick to baseball at 09:36 AM - 8 comments

It is written.: This article makes about as much sense as OUR Flames being up 2-1 in the SCF. If you watched the game tonight, you will have seen Vincent Lecalvelier brandishing his broken stick like a sword. I believe. I just came back from the Joyous Mayhem of the Red Mile (17th Ave) .

posted by kremb to hockey at 01:58 AM - 12 comments

Mondesi is California dreamin'.: He bailed from the Pirates, he was tossed from the Yankees, and now Anaheim takes on Raul. Mondesi got nothing but love for fellow Latin players.

posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 02:59 PM - 6 comments

Ace pitcher, potential Cy Young contender, RPG geek, fan message board contributor, local radio-show caller/listener, model citizen.

posted by jerseygirl to general at 12:42 PM - 6 comments

Reinstated.: Gary Barnett was reinstated yesterday as head football coach at the University of Colorado. The president of the school said 'it was the right thing to do.' She also said that that Barnett had 'paid a price' for his offensive statements. What price?

posted by rabi to football at 12:24 PM - 6 comments

The mystery is solved.: Until now, no one except for a handful of people have really known how many seats there are at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The estimates have gone as high as 500,000, but we now know they were way off. Here is how it was done, plus a section by section breakdown.

posted by internal to other at 12:35 AM - 2 comments

Your team logo is a guy asleep in a hammock.: NBA legends do David Letterman's Top Ten Signs Your Team is Not Going to Win the NBA Final.

posted by kirkaracha to basketball at 10:03 PM - 12 comments

Umpires of the Negro Leagues.: Learn more about the call for "race umpires" in the Negro Leagues and of Bob Motley, the last living Negro League umpire.

posted by Jugwine to baseball at 10:36 AM - 4 comments

Hussain walks away: Probably won't mean much to most SFers but Nasser Hussain has retired from all forms of cricket, including county. Good thing? Bad thing? Does anyone care? IMHO he's certainly going out on top but it seems extreme to retire totally. I would have thought he could have played respectably at the county level for the foreseeable future. England will miss his experience and his grit. He wasn't perfect but can youngsters like Strauss be relied to put on a gritty innings and get England out of trouble, something I'm sure will be required in the near future?

posted by Pete to other at 08:08 AM - 6 comments

If you have lamented that the only thing missing from a game of table football was a streaker and a chasing policeman - you are now in luck!

posted by gspm to soccer at 09:34 AM - 9 comments

Up-and-coming hothead Jose Guillen is upset with his teammates for not having his back after getting plunked for the sixth time this season. At this rate he'll be hit 18 times this year, which pales in comparison with Craig Biggio's 27 HBP last season. Is Guillen right to be upset, or should he simply invest in some body armor? Perhaps players have just gotten softer of late. John Grimes was plunked six times in one game way back in 1897 (maybe that's why he only played one season!).

posted by crank to baseball at 05:40 PM - 37 comments

Speaking of shooting percentages: A former member of South Africa's Springbok rugby team has been charged with murder after mistaking his daughter for a car thief and shooting her in the family's driveway. Johannesburg must be one rough town for the guy to have such an itchy trigger finger.

posted by garfield to other at 10:44 AM - 9 comments

The Pacers shot just 27.5 percent in a 72-67 loss to the Detroit Pistons in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals on Monday night.

The Pacers shot just 3-for-22 in the fourth quarter and went the final 3:31 without a field goal as the Pistons made good on Rasheed Wallace's guarantee that Detroit would win the game.

posted by justgary to basketball at 12:17 AM - 31 comments

Champion blind golfer faces claims he can see.

The claims allegedly include video footage showing Morris, without a walking stick, crossing a road and avoiding cars and dogs. Apart from the footage, there are claims from residents in Newquay, England, that Morris inadvertently waved to them across a street.

Councillor Gary Redman claims Morris, who always wear glasses, once waved to him in the town centre. "I was flabbergasted. He was 30 feet (10m) away and he raised his arm to wave and then lowered it quickly as he realised what he had done," Cr Redman said.

Coast golfers and associates of Morris still believe the 61-year-old British blind golfer cannot see. One added: "If the bloke's not blind, he deserves an Academy Award for acting."

posted by justgary to golf at 07:45 PM - 6 comments

Real Madrid sack coach Queiroz: Real Madrid have sacked coach Carlos Queiroz after a disappointing season and appointed former Spain national coach Jose Antonio Camacho to replace him.

posted by babuchutkan to football at 11:08 AM - 8 comments

In the opening round of the French Open, Andre Agassi lost to Jerome Haehnel, a qualifier whose career ATP Tour record is now 1-0. The news has overloaded the world's only Jerome Haehnel fan site on GeoCities.

posted by rcade to tennis at 09:39 AM - 1 comment

Baseball Prospectus writer and widely-quoted sabermetrician Doug Pappas, one of the best experts on finances in the sport, died at age 42 while hiking.

posted by rcade to baseball at 09:31 AM - 5 comments

Bradman bat sells for $18,000: A BRITISH collector snapped up a cricket bat used by Donald Bradman for $18,000 at a Sydney auction. Great cricketer, great bat and a good price.

posted by babuchutkan to other at 04:31 AM - 3 comments

YES!! Finally! Houllier is leaving Liverpool!

posted by StarFucker to soccer at 02:34 AM - 10 comments

Alex Rodriguez, you've been Punk'd...but we'll never see it.: ARod was Punk'd good, but he wasn't laughing. Rodriguez wouldn't sign the release, so the show won't be aired. Which gets me thinking... what would be some good Punk'd scenerios to involve baseball players in?

posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 01:19 AM - 21 comments

Baby Mama Drama : leads to murder at one of Shaq's houses. Shaquille O'Neal's baby mama's housekeeper was stabbed to death by her son (allegedly) while cleaning the house. They had a fight, and out came the kitchen knives. Very strange.

posted by filthyboy to basketball at 07:24 PM - 4 comments

The ceremonial shaving of Johnny Damon.: You know, for charity!

posted by Jugwine to baseball at 05:11 PM - 8 comments

Colorado Rockies' former prospect Ben Petrick retires due to Parkinson's disease...at age 27.:
He was diagnosed with the disease when he was only twenty-three years old. He doesn't blame the disease for his failure to become a star, but his early numbers (before the disease was diagnosed) did indicate he was on the path to being a good-to-great baseball player.

posted by grum@work to baseball at 12:39 PM - 1 comment

In a recent interview with ESPN's Gary Miller, Chicago Cubs outfielder Moises Alou revealed that during baseball season he urinates on his hands to toughen them up. Alou, one of the few major leaguers who doesn't wear gloves while batting, is backed up by Yankees catcher Jorge Posada, who says, "You don't want to shake my hand during spring training."

posted by Ufez Jones to baseball at 09:32 AM - 9 comments

Rockies fan dies after incident at Coors Field.: This is too weird to explain. Just read the article.

posted by wfrazerjr to baseball at 11:11 PM - 5 comments

The Pistons smoke the Nets: and the NBA Conference Finals are set. But it's analysis time. Can anyone beat the Lakers? Will Cassell's back hold up? What about the season-long inevitability of the Pacers v. the Pistons? This is actually one of the most exciting final fours in recent memory, IMO. Bring it, ballers.

posted by Ufez Jones to basketball at 10:31 PM - 7 comments

The WNBA starts its 2004 season tonight, and Nancy Lieberman is taking the easy way out and picking LA to take the championship. Personally, even though she's the expert, I think there are a few points she hasn't considered, such as:

• Seattle's a lot more than Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson. The two are a devastating and very showy combo, sure...but IMO, Seattle has one of the most talented centers in the game in Kamila Vodichkova, who exited early last season with an injury. With Vodichkova in the game, and Sandy Brondello hitting the threes, the Storm are going to give everybody fits.
• Houston's getting old. I pick them to be a major disappointment this year.
• LA will disappoint too, which is not to say they'll be bad. But with expectations that high...
• San Antonio will really suck.
• Detroit will do just fine, and will be just a bit better than last year.
• Washington will have a much, much better year, and it won't be because of Tamicha Jackson or Chamique Holdsclaw. Alana Beard and Stacey Dales-Shuman will be the keys here.
• Connecticut will make it to the finals and advance at least one round. Remember, Nancy, they weren't supposed to be there last year either. And oh, yeah, Ashja Jones will get her Connecticut groove back. Welcome home, Ashja.

posted by lil_brown_bat to basketball at 08:31 PM - 5 comments

Talking MLS expansion with the Rhinos: Chris Economides, vice president, general manager, and part owner of the A-League's Rochester Raging Rhinos, seems to have his act together, though he admits the 'promotion' might lower revenues. But is the league ready for more two more teams? Attendance, league-wide, is up an average of about 600 per game, probably mostly due to Adu.

posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 07:30 PM - 8 comments

Is the purge finished?: Following up with the explanation of the UCSB disqualification, the UPA National College Director walks us through the two other major championship series DQs this year. Is the UPA ninja finally cracking down on illegal rosters? Will the Black Tide dynasty forever feature an asterisk and footnote?

posted by DrJohnEvans to other at 02:14 PM - 2 comments

Jets Release Details on Manhattan Stadium.: The New York Jets released details of their planned West Side stadium Tuesday, featuring wind turbines and solar collector tubes to generate much of its own electricity and hot water. The emphasized section brings up a question: What took stadium builders so long to do this? Was the technology not there? Too expensive? Either way, this is very cool.

posted by NoMich to football at 01:23 PM - 11 comments

"Why Kevin Garnett will lose Game 7": Baseball columnist Aaron Gleeman pokes fun at all the KG collapse predictions made before last night's game. The Timberwolves sent the Kings home behind a fourth-quarter clinic by Garnett, setting up a Western Conference Finals matchup with the Lakers. Meanwhile, this is the third game 7 loss in a row for the Kings - what changes are needed?

posted by dusted to basketball at 12:11 PM - 17 comments

Iraq destroys UK government.: Or: Iraq 11 Houseof Commons XI 0. Iraq's football team kicked off their UK tour by thumping a team of "old, fat and disorganised" ministers of Parliament. Iraq's German manager said, ""This game gives a good message. ... After so much horrible news in Iraq, it is good that we can come here and play football. That is itself a positive message to the world, and it is why we are proud to be here ... After the war, there was nothing left in Iraq. We have just one pitch, without grass, without water, and without physiotherapy. But we will never give up. We are one team, we have one goal - and that is to win our matches." This is so cool. I wonder if a buncha US Reps have ever done anything like this. I wonder if they would do it now.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 11:38 AM - 6 comments

Golden State Warriors fire Musselman - target Stanford's Mike Montgomery as coach.: New boss Chris Mullin is shaking things up. Did Musselman deserve to go? I don't know, but the scuttlebutt says he wasn't Mullin's guy. Montgomery would certainly generate some interest in the team and fuel optimism. Further speculation: drafting Josh Childress. (but they don't need another 2-3-4 position player, they need a point guard)

posted by msacheson to basketball at 09:06 AM - 6 comments

The best explanation I have ever read about why young players entering the NBA is a problem, how it became such an epidemic and what can be done to help curb it was on Mark Cuban's blog.

I stuck around and read some of the other articles and followed some of the links and have to say that it quickly became one of my favorite new blogs. I have always guessed that Mark Cuban's image isn't true to what he is really and like and the blog definitely proves it. The little he lets you in lets you know a bunch about how he thinks and where he's coming from. It isn't from left field the way some media outlets would have you believe.

posted by gilcintron to basketball at 02:29 PM - 13 comments

Step 1 - Get TV deal done. Step 2 - .....We're still working on that.

posted by garfield to hockey at 12:24 PM - 18 comments

This is getting blasted?: The offical report on the University of Colorado's football sex scandal is out, and it stops short of calling for the heads of the administration and football staff. So ... what do you have to do to get fired from CU?

posted by wfrazerjr to football at 12:10 PM - 4 comments

Danny Graves loses his wallet,: but a hellva nice guy finds it. I only got one question, why does Danny Graves carry $1400 in his wallet?

posted by corpse to baseball at 10:50 AM - 16 comments

Kelli White follow up: now she can sleep for 2 years and not need a stimulant to keep her awake and running winning times.

posted by garfield to other at 09:45 AM - 1 comment

Ten players line up on each end of a court with a line of balls between them. The whistle is a signal to grab the balls and hurl them at each other. Between running to catch balls, trying to dodge them and throwing them at opposing players, the movement is constant.

Levine said injuries are rare, but at the end of a particularly heated game his arm is sore.

posted by justgary to other at 12:09 AM - 18 comments

Randy Johnson throws a perfect game.

posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 08:52 PM - 22 comments

The Healer.: WNBA player DeLisha Milton-Jones tore her ACL in February while practicing, an injury confirmed by two MRIs. Instead of the typical surgery, she opted to use Austrian physician Dr. Mohammad Khalifa's "knee tissue manipulation." Milton-Jones returned to practice in two months rather than the typical six. Is there another explanation, or is Khalifa's method legitimate?

posted by dusted to basketball at 04:33 PM - 8 comments

Sosa missed last Sunday's game due to a pair of debilitating sneezes.: Surely, this one goes into the growing list of "weirdest baseball injuries" ever; though maybe not the all-time international list -- which has this classic.

posted by mkn to baseball at 12:36 PM - 13 comments

Joe Pa will be back for four more: years. I'm sure the folks in Happy Valley are loving this decision. Some say he deserves the chance to go out on his own terms because of all that he has done for Penn State, but I say that the times have passed him by and he needs to do what is best for the school he claims to love and not for himself.

I'm sure Joe Pa has a few million stashed away, I'm sure he gets comped everywhere he goes in the state, he should retire and become an "advisor" for the program. Penn State and the kids they recruit don't deserve to be part of his sideshow.

That being said, it is pretty cool to see the old guy still out there calling the shots and yelling at refs.

posted by gilcintron to football at 12:06 PM - 12 comments

And then there were five.: The IOC has whittled the list of possible host cities for the 2012 games down to New York, Paris, London, Madrid and Moscow leaving only broken hearts in Istanbul, Leipzig and the other candidates. The final decision will be made next year.

posted by Jugwine to other at 10:11 AM - 7 comments

Where a shit meets the fans...or more accurately, where a poop helps stock a local high school football team's weight room.

posted by garfield to culture at 10:07 AM - 6 comments

She can play, but can she coach?: Ashley McElhiney, 22, and an ex-point gaurd from Vanderbilt, will be the first woman head coach of a men's professional basketball team.

posted by jasonspaceman to basketball at 10:01 AM - 5 comments

Canadian political scene nets Ken Dryden.: Political ramifications: maybe Prime Minister Tim Horton will be next. Hockey ramifications: The Toronto Star believes that Dryden was the team's conscience, not to mention the organization's only Stanley Cup winner, and the only thing keeping the corporate behemoth barely in touch with its fans. This has been all over the Canadian news, but I thought our American friends might like a chuckle to take their minds off their own problems.

posted by DrJohnEvans to hockey at 08:13 AM - 11 comments

But Will They Still Call Them Draws?:
The Thai government says it's £60m bid for30% of Liverpool FC has been accepted "in principle." [via]

posted by yerfatma to soccer at 08:07 AM - 7 comments

Mario makes the team.: After numerous injuries and his battle with Hodgkin's Disease, 38-year-old Mario Lemieux has been named to the Canadian World Cup team. Guys like Keith Primeau and Vincent Lecavalier didn't get the nod. Can Super Mario contribute enough to warrant the nod?

posted by wfrazerjr to hockey at 11:05 PM - 13 comments

Simmons-Wiley All-Day Hoops Summit.: This morning ESPN/Page2 called it "blogging about the NBA playoffs" (or something like that). Now, they are referring to it as a "first-ever" all-day summit or debate. Whatever it is, I like it. It is not a blog, but it borrows the casual, off-the-cuff style (or maybe it is borrowing the style of PTI). Is this the future of online sports journalism? Also, Simmons asks some questions worthy of some SpoFi reflection (e.g., "Is Phil Jackson the most overrated coach of all time or the most underrated coach of all time?")

posted by jacknose to basketball at 07:37 PM - 7 comments

The International Olympic Committee will allow transsexual athletes to compete under their assigned gender beginning at the Summer Olympics in Athens this August.

posted by rcade to other at 05:31 PM - 10 comments

"Commissioner - you have the worst goddamned job in the world.": The NY Daily News interviews one Mr. Allen "Bud" Selig.

posted by Jugwine to baseball at 03:21 PM - 4 comments

Tarver going for broke...:

Antonio Tarver filed for bankruptcy just days before his stunning upset of Roy Jones, Jr. His $2 million payday and the opportunity that now lies before him could not have come at a better time.

My only question is will he demand to make more money than RJJ if there is a rematch. Despite the win, I think it is safer to say that RJJ will still be the bigger draw...if he doesn't retire.

posted by gilcintron to boxing at 11:53 AM - 2 comments

Ben"DL move waiting to happen" Sheets strikes out 18 in a win over Atlanta, the most in the majors in three years. This performance puts the Brewers back over .500. Especially in the strongest division in the league, does this mean the Brewers have turned the corner?

posted by rocketman to baseball at 08:59 AM - 16 comments

Good to see the Modern Olympic Spirit is alive and kicking.

posted by tieguy to other at 02:16 PM - 14 comments

It's South Africa!: Forget your hockey world cups. South Africa have won the right to stage the real thing.

posted by salmacis to soccer at 04:07 AM - 31 comments

A single punch and 15 years of dominance crumbled.

Antonio Tarver crushed Roy Jones Jr. with a left hand, flooring the champ and earning a TKO victory at 1:41 of Round 2.

posted by justgary to boxing at 01:50 AM - 16 comments

The latest Seabiscuit-in-the-making, Smarty Jones, won the Preakness today by a record 11-and-a-half lengths, putting the undefeated 7-for-7 horse in line for a Triple Crown bid at the Belmont Stakes on June 5.

posted by rcade to other at 06:51 PM - 8 comments

"How did you find that out?" Boone asked.: Early one morning in mid-October, he dealt a forceful groin kick to Red Sox Nation, and now it's possible he could be joining that very team. Aaron Boone is supposed to return in August and Boston is one of the teams interested in signing him. Damn irony.

posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 06:05 PM - 22 comments

Arsenal Do It: Major props to the first top level English team in over a century to go undefeated, the Gunners gave up a goal first but came back on Henry's 30th and a winner from Bergkamp. Season's over, Liverpool made it to Champions League more because other teams just couldn't win than their own success and Newcastle edged out Villa for the UEFA spot.

So the season's over, let's start the transfer and manger speculation! Will Houllier or Ranieri be back with their current clubs or, if not, with other Premiership teams? Will Arsenal look for an upgrade at GK (who)? Is Cisse the man Owen needs to break the 20 goal mark and to bring more trophies? What does ManU need to get back ahead of Chelski and Arsenal? And what about Chelski, who will Roman buy this summer? Not to forget our Spanish friends, who will be the new Galactico in Madrid?

posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 11:47 AM - 12 comments

The Fortunate 50: A list of the highest-paid athletes, combining salary and endorsements.

posted by dusted to culture at 05:42 PM - 18 comments

Kickstarting the baseball season rumor mill.: A three way deal rumor reported out of a Seattle paper. Boston sends Damon and Kim to Seattle. Seattle sends Garcia and Baek to Kansas City, KC sends Beltran to Boston. Seattle is dying for offense... I don't know if Damon is going to satisfy that. Rumor talk is fun.

posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 02:35 PM - 9 comments

What would you write on your shoes?: Footjoy offer you the chance to personalise your shoes - good news for the majority of people on the planet who have one foot bigger (or indeed smaller) than the other, but also fun for those of us who just like to try and think of stupid things to write on the side.

posted by JJ to golf at 10:56 AM - 27 comments

Kobe is no hero.: Jason Whitlock points out the absurdity and stupidity of Kobe Bryant's situation (going from court-to-court). He writes, "There's nothing heroic about fighting rape allegations by day and playing basketball by night. Nothing."

posted by jacknose to basketball at 07:33 AM - 8 comments

Catchers masks, they aren't just for behind the plate anymore.: Jorge Posada broke up a double play with his nose last night. Also broken: Posada's nose. It wasn't pretty. He's already had surgery and expected to miss just a few games.

posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 01:06 PM - 30 comments

The Fenway Project: Behind the Monster: An excerpt from the recently released book, The Fenway Project: Sixty-Four of the Game’s Most Ardent and Knowledgeable Fans Chronicle one Night on the Field, in the Stands, and Behind the Scenes at America’s Oldest Ballpark.

posted by corpse to baseball at 12:08 PM - 8 comments

You'll poke your eye out.: We laughed when Ralphie's mom warned him about it in A Christmas Story, but when someone really does it, it's pretty gross. Enter Lynn Jones, Ex-Tiger and current Red Sox first base coach. Last Thursday while the team was playing in Cleveland, Jones was at his nearby home helping his wife around the garage. He was moving boxes, but they were heavy. In an attempt to open the stapled-shut boxes, he grabbed the nearest tool around to ply the staples open -- a rusty screwdriver. I think you see where this is going... and it ends up with Jones' iris on his arm. Heebie jeebies! (scroll down to the paragraph titled, "Frightening injury")

posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 08:45 AM - 10 comments

When Trophies Go Bad.: The Stanley Cup is, bar none, the best professional sports trophy. However hockey will now have to take credit for this abomination. The damn thing looks like a toy. Seriously I thought this was a joke. Via ColbyCosh.com

posted by camcanuck to hockey at 01:23 PM - 17 comments

Having Kramer-like hair, sometimes failing to run out grounders and doing things that often prompt people to say, "That's just Manny being Manny,'' didn't sway the judges.

"It was 15 questions. They give you the book. It's not hard,'' a smiling Ramirez said prior to last night's come-from-behind 5-3 win over Cleveland. "You just have to study the questions.''

When asked if he had a special feeling when he took the oath, Ramirez shrugged: "Not really. I just stood up.''

posted by justgary to baseball at 02:25 AM - 9 comments

I'm just a simple Caveman outfielder ...: but not any more. Boston's Johnny Damon has decided he will shave off his unkempt facial hair to raise money for a reading program, courtesy of the fine folks at Gillette. Damon's beard and long hair have led to plenty of comments and even a t-shirt, but the important question is this — who is the sloppiest, nappiest athlete of all time?

posted by wfrazerjr to baseball at 09:30 PM - 12 comments

Baseball was being played in 1791,: according to an ancient Pittsfield, Mass. bylaw. Abner Doubleday, meet Roger Maris. Enjoy your footnote. (Nice publicity windfall for Jim Bouton, though.)

posted by Prince Valium to baseball at 05:17 PM - 7 comments

Kop Thai.: No, I didn't just post this because of the horrendously hilarious headline. The Prime Minister of Thailand wants to put GBP65 million into my favorite club, Liverpool FC (30-40 million of which is earmarked for player acquisitions). Lots of debate about whether the Pool should accept the money. Not to mention the question of being associated so closely with someone facing accusations of human rights abuses. But he might just be a pawn in a Liverpool boardroom struggle between the chairman and a major shareholder who is offering GBP75 million. Oh, the joys and strange bedfellows of big-money sports.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 02:19 PM - 10 comments

Raul takes his ball and goes home.: Pittsburgh will be without the services of outfielder Raul Mondesi for the remainder of the year. The well-traveled slugger is involved in some sort of civil suit involving former major-leaguer Mario Guerrero and was having his pay withheld by the Pirates. Despite general manager Dave Littlefield's apparent acceptance, is this a legitimate reason to walk away from your team in the middle of the year? Who's going to want Mondesi next season if he returns?

posted by wfrazerjr to baseball at 09:59 AM - 11 comments

Jonny Hurst is football's first Chant Laureate.: His winning effort was one for the terraces of Aston Villa even though he is a fan of crosstown rival Birmingham City. I guess the Blues fail to inspire?

posted by gspm to soccer at 03:23 AM - 5 comments

Wisconsin's most famous sausage has decided to retire, but she'll always relish the memories.

posted by justgary to baseball at 01:10 AM - 37 comments

Boxers who are losers; promoters who love them:
Tomato cans, palookas, bums, stiffs: boxing has myriad words to describe these boxers' singular purpose: to provide more promising fighters a chance to pad their records and enhance their careers. (NY Times reg. required)

posted by split atom to boxing at 09:19 PM - 2 comments

A rare pitch makes a comeback.: Ben McGrath of the New Yorker takes a look at that most mystifying of pitches. Knuckleballs are the new black.

posted by gspm to baseball at 01:27 PM - 10 comments

Thurman Thomas works on his J.: Thomas, the former All-Pro and MVP running back of the Buffalo Bills, was nabbed with some buddies and appears to have had a little Mary Jane on him. Thomas is a candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the near future, so the question in this — does an arrest for marijuana possession have any effect on a player's chances for getting into his or her respective Hall? Where's the line?

posted by wfrazerjr to culture at 11:50 AM - 36 comments

Ten Things I Hate About You.: By no means a definitive list. Someone should write one for American sporting figures. I'll get that ball rolling by listing Butch Harman's need to begin every sentence he utters with the word "Well..." (just you watch next time he's on TV - it's uncanny).

posted by JJ to general at 04:34 AM - 19 comments

Canada clinched their record-tying 23rd world hockey title with a 5-3 victory over Sweden yesterday. The infamous lucky loonie tradition was continued with two specific loonies improving their record to 3-0 when representing Canadian interests at three recent major tournaments.

posted by gspm to hockey at 03:56 AM - 4 comments

If you're a high school basketball player, and you're thinking of declaring your eligibility for the NBA draft, you might want to make sure you don't suck.

Case in point, NBA hopeful Ivan Chiriaev strutted his stuff today at a high school all-star game. The assessment from scouts in attendance: "He can't play the game," or alternately, "What a waste of time." Uh, ouch!

posted by molafson to basketball at 07:31 PM - 12 comments

Shelley Glover, a 17-year-old member of U.S. Skiing's Development Team, has died three days after crashing on a training run at Mount Bachelor in Oregon. She's the first U.S. skier killed on the slopes in 29 years.

posted by rcade to other at 08:05 PM - 7 comments

Sorry Calgary Flames, but it seems that the Calgary Roughnecks have stolen your playoff mojo. The Roughnecks beat the Buffalo Bandits to win the National Lacrosse League's championship.

posted by NoMich to other at 12:15 AM - 11 comments

The Texas Rangers now play baseball at Ameriquest Field in Arlington, thanks to a $75 million, 30-year-deal with the mortgage company. The deal will help Owner Tom Hicks pay Alex Rodriguez $67 million over the next 21 years to play for the New York Yankees.

posted by rcade to baseball at 10:22 PM - 11 comments

Detroit Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman has decided to start wearing a visor next season.

posted by rcade to hockey at 07:18 PM - 8 comments

Okay, can someone exlpain to me how Mexico is playing a World Cup Qualifying Match in A) um, neither of the teams' homelands, and B) indoors on turf? Has this ever been done before (on either accounts)?

posted by Ufez Jones to soccer at 10:38 PM - 5 comments

When do NBA players peak?

posted by cg1001a to commentary at 03:07 PM - 0 comments

Robot shoe.: Adidas 1. Battery-powered sensor, microprocessor and electric motor. Each second: 20,000 readings, 10,000 calculations, tiny electric motor changes shoe. Push-button controls. Light-emitting diodes display settings. Instruction manual on CD-ROM. Battery life: 100 hours. Due in December. US$250. Men and women.

posted by worldcup2002 to other at 11:55 AM - 11 comments

3'59.4": As Big Calm pointed out, today is 50 years since Roger Bannister ran a mile in less than four minutes. This morning, some friends and I tried to (unofficially) emulate his achievement at the Iffley Road track in Oxford - without as much success it would have to be said.

posted by JJ to general at 03:38 AM - 11 comments

That's what football is all about.: Is it? Is it? [via kottke.org]

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 06:12 PM - 5 comments

Mourinho Champion's league final set (and who would have thunk it). Monaco get two away goals to send Chelsea packing (Guardian match report), while Porto wins another away leg, scoring a penalty to hold off Deportivo. So let the nit-picking begin. Did Ranieri "tinker" too much in the first leg? Who'll win the final? Will Mourinho take Ranieri's place next season? Does anyone care about any of this?

posted by trox to soccer at 03:51 PM - 10 comments

100 days until the opening ceremonies, and the Guardian brings you 100 Things You Didn't Know About Athens 2004. Something to chew on while we're digesting the triple bombing in Athens earlier today

posted by Ufez Jones to other at 12:19 PM - 20 comments

Caught in the web.: Spiderman 2 propaganda will be featured at baseball stadums thought the country, including ON THE BASES. Is anyone not bothered by this? On the other hand, is anyone surprised? Maybe Theo Epstein can find a corporate sponsor for Pedro's next contract.

posted by dzot to baseball at 12:10 PM - 35 comments

50 years ago Roger Bannister ran the first four minute mile. Whilst there's some debate about whether it was done 200 years earlier. It's been hailed, for good or bad, as the end of amateur atheletics.

posted by BigCalm to other at 09:37 AM - 4 comments

SportsFilter is offline temporarily while the database is full; we hope to have it fixed by Wednesday afternoon.

posted by rcade to football at 12:32 PM - 38 comments

Honor student and highschool football star, Marcus Dixon, has been released from prison, having served 15 months after his was convicted of aggravated child molestation. "Prosecutors alleged that Dixon forcibly raped the 10th-grader in a trailer on the high school's campus. Dixon's attorneys argued that the sex was consensual and that the rape story was a fabrication designed so the victim could avoid trouble with her father." Dixon "claimed that he was targeted because he is black and the girl involved is white. "

posted by garfield to football at 11:32 AM - 0 comments

Middle school basketball coaches in New Jersey face discipline for awarding one of their 13-year-old players a "crybaby award," complete with a trophy, at the annual team banquet. A story in the Atlantic City Press states that the boy plays for the team in spite of being the shortest person in his eighth grade class.

posted by rcade to basketball at 10:29 AM - 5 comments

OK, I'll post it.: So.....how about them Pistons?

posted by MeatSaber to hockey at 08:13 AM - 15 comments

US journalists sign up for terrorism survival course.: Simon Barnes reports for the Times on how a "bunch of American sports hacks are preparing for the Olympic Games with a terrorism survival course."

posted by JJ to other at 07:29 AM - 1 comment

Not without my sayso!!: Danny-boy rubbed Jim O'Brien the wrong way by shipping his favorite players out of town. Doc Rivers always seemed to pick players that he "loved" only to ship them out (admittedly with John Gabriel's help) in less than a season. Does anyone think giving Doc final approval on personnel issues is a good idea?

posted by lilnemo to basketball at 09:10 PM - 2 comments

Out with the Babe, in with the Mom: Michele Tafoya has been hired by ABC Sports to replace Lisa Guerrero as the sideline reporter for "Monday Night Football" telecasts. This is the third change in three seasons - does anyone care?

posted by dusted to football at 05:28 PM - 12 comments

KG gets his MVP.: The 27-year-old joined Larry Bird as the only players to have averaged at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for five consecutive years.

Garnett gained 1,219 points, including 120 of 123 possible first-place votes, in balloting. Tim Duncan, the San Antonio Spur voted MVP in both 2002 and 2003, was second with 716 points while the Jermaine O'Neal of the Indiana Pacers was third with 523 points.

posted by Ufez Jones to basketball at 03:38 PM - 5 comments

Unconvicted murderer Ray Lewis has reached a settlement with the daughter of one of the two men that was stabbed to death by Lewis' friend as he stood by and then obstructed justice. The settlement is reported to be $1 Million and will result in no civil suit being filed. Lewis' annual salary from the Ravens is about $7 Million per year and at his last contract was paid a $19 Million bonus.

posted by vito90 to football at 10:55 AM - 11 comments

Joe Juneau: has called it a career. After scoring over 100 points in his rookie season, he never quite lived up to his promise. So what makes him stand head and shoulders above all other athletes? He's a super-genius that graduated RPI in only 3 years and built his own airplane while he was a student there.

posted by NoMich to hockey at 10:07 AM - 18 comments

Relegation spots decided in the Premiership.: Manchester City's 1-0 win against Newcastle on Saturday virtually assured them of safety. City's win meant that Leicester's 2-2 draw with Charlton condemned the Foxes to relegation. Because of their goal difference, Wolves are down as well, despite beating Everton 2-1. On Sunday, Leeds lost 4-1 at Bolton which was enough to relegate Leeds.

This completes an amazing fall for Leeds, who three years ago, played Valencia in the Champions League semifinals. Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch.

posted by salmacis to soccer at 03:40 AM - 12 comments

Andy Roddick: tennis superstar, hero.: Fire breaks out in Roddick's Rome hotel, and the tennis player helps other hotel guests to safety. Three hotel guests did die as a result of the blaze.

posted by jerseygirl to culture at 10:13 PM - 4 comments

Meanwhile, in Europe:: Israeli basketball club Maccabi Tel Aviv wins the Euroleague's championship, crushing its opponent in the finals 118-74 (oh, the joy!), and demolishing a few records on the way (of course, hosting the final four sure helped!). Traditional thinking is that defensive teams have the edge come the post-season, but this year it's been all about the offensive-minded yellow devils from Tel-Aviv. Do you see a chance for an offensive-minded team (the Mavs and Kings come to mind) to go all the way in the NBA?

posted by CountZero to basketball at 02:07 AM - 12 comments

The fourth inning of the Triple-A Indianapolis/Louisville game was delayed for 20 minutes Thursday because Indy first baseman Jeff Liefer was trapped in the bathroom. "The place erupted when I came back out on the field," he said.

posted by rcade to baseball at 02:49 PM - 1 comment

Another vicious attack in a pro hockey game "(t)hat makes the McSorley-Brashear thing look like girl scouts.'': This crap is killing hockey. And killing hockey doesn't need the help right now.

posted by WeedyMcSmokey to hockey at 10:39 AM - 5 comments

"Boston has probably the same chances the Yankees will have.": Citing management's lack of negotiation since spring training, Pedro is closing the negotiation process for the duration of the regular season and will try free agency at the end of the season. Somewhere, George Steinbrenner just declared, "Well, hell, I do need pitchers!!" Martinez hasn't ruled out playing for the Yankees (I think I just threw up a little), doesn't appreciate that no one has talked to him since spring training (Pedro, baby, it's only been a month) and doesn't like that questions were raised about his shoulder. In the past couple years, the team has declared openly that they don't negotiate during the regular season. What the team apparently has been trying to negotiate in is a voidable contract, which I admit I know little about and this is the first I've heard of it.

posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 08:48 AM - 23 comments