Chelsea end it two weeks early.: The 2004-2005 season title race. And the 50-year wait for the top division title in English soccer. Today's 2-0 away win at Bolton gave Chelsea an insurmountable 14-point lead over last season's champions Arsenal, their closest challenger. Having added the EPL title to this season's League Cup, Chelsea can now focus on this Tuesday's Champions League semi-final 2nd leg away to Liverpool (my boyz!). Will they make it a treble or will Liverpool break their hearts?

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 10:49 PM - 20 comments

The Great Sunflower Seed Shortage of '05: looms. Jayson Werth doesn't mind. (l:letmein3254 p:blahblah)

posted by mr_crash_davis to baseball at 08:32 PM - 3 comments

Better very late than never.: The 1964 Canadian men's Olympic Hockey team will receive bronze medals that were swindled out of when the tie-breaking formula was changed before the medal ceremony. The chain of events that led to the IIHF review started with a CBC producer working on an upcoming history of hockey series.

posted by gspm to hockey at 04:20 PM - 0 comments

Mike Modano named Captain of Team USA: The Dallas Star's Captain to represent Team USA with the "C"

posted by Jimbob1077 to hockey at 10:37 AM - 5 comments

I could do that. : In her attempts to perform the Star Spangled Banner before a US-Canada exhibition hockey game in Montreal, singer Caroline Marcil forgot the words, started over, forgot them again, left the ice to get a lyrics sheet, returned to the ice, slipped and fell, got up, and left the arena without completing the performance.

"...the game began without either anthem being sung."

This is the lead in a very funny piece on Only a Game about "the Star Spangled Banner's misadventures in sports".

posted by lil_brown_bat to hockey at 06:55 AM - 5 comments

Better really late than never. : The NFL has been ordered to pay retroactive benefits to the estate of Mike Webster. Webster played for the Steelers from 1974 to 1989, and by 1991 was "totally and permanently disabled" as a result of injuries sustained in play. The league refused to grant him a disability pension in 1999, and he died in 2002 at the age of 50.

posted by lil_brown_bat to football at 06:41 AM - 1 comment

Chris Chelios reminisces about a very special coach.:

Well, at least we finally figured out what happened to Jules. This is totally brilliant.

posted by forksclovetofu to hockey at 11:23 PM - 5 comments

Dave Johnson is a disgruntled Flyer fan: - who also writes for McSweeney's. Another guffaw-ridden look at sports from the greatest website in the known universe.

posted by WeedyMcSmokey to hockey at 04:40 PM - 11 comments

Classic Rock: An oldy but a goodie. Bob Knight goes postal.

posted by mayerkyl to culture at 01:37 PM - 16 comments

Sports highlight reel in crack cocaine form: A barrage of 20th century clips from predominantly N.A. sports. I was tired after watching... (20Mb wmv file).

posted by smithers to general at 09:38 AM - 54 comments

Canseco may have to kiss his Rolls Royce goodbye (registration required.): Jose & Ozzie Canseco must pony up a cool million in damages to two men who claim they were assaulted in a bar by the twins. Jose Canseco, who's wealth is estimated at $1.8M, will pay the bulk of the damages. Even though he received $500K for his tell-all book and another $300K for appearing on "The Surreal Life," Canseco claims that he only has $43K in the bank thanks to his lavish lifestyle.

posted by Marla Singer to baseball at 08:48 PM - 12 comments

"A few weeks later, the team obtains Tyrone Nesby, who has an athlete's mind and a poet's body.":

Wizznutzz gets some McSweeney's love with "A Brief History of Bacon: A Quarter Century of Washington Basketball."

posted by forksclovetofu to basketball at 05:46 PM - 12 comments

Sympathy for the Devil?: After the hearing on Todd Bertuzzi's reinstatement to the NHL, SportsFilter columnist wfrazerjr will not be attending the athlete's pity party. "Let Todd Bertuzzi find another job," he writes, "one where preferably he can beat people up legally."

posted by rcade to hockey at 04:27 PM - 1 comment

Ted Nolan finally has another coaching job.: His years in the wilderness (blacklisted?) are over. He's headed to the Moncton Wildcats who have an automatic berth in the 2006 Memorial Cup as hosts. He hasn't had a coaching job since 1997 when he was fired after winning the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year for the Buffalo Sabres.

posted by gspm to hockey at 01:58 PM - 3 comments

Contracted, or not?: You can't have it both ways. Kudos to Tom Benjamin.

posted by garfield to hockey at 12:52 PM - 3 comments

Sympathy for the Devil?: Let Todd Bertuzzi find another job, one where preferably he can beat people up leagally.

posted by wfrazerjr to commentary at 08:14 AM - 0 comments

Who's for the drop?: Given that the top three teams in the EPL are sewn up, what about the bottom three? With three matches left (and a maximum of nine points to be won), Southampton (20: 28pts), Norwich (19: 30pts), WBA (18: 30pts) and Crystal Palace (17: 30pts) are fighting to avoid that distinction. This is the tightest relegation battle I can remember. According to the article, Norwich looks the most likely to survive. What do you think?

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 11:45 PM - 18 comments

The Spurs take it to the bank.

posted by forksclovetofu to basketball at 04:33 PM - 4 comments

Open Open?: "American teenager Michelle Wie could become the first woman to play in The Open at St Andrews later this year.... if they(women, in general) qualify through the normal channels."

posted by garfield to golf at 01:29 PM - 9 comments

Bertuzzi argues for reinstatement. : In a move that smacks of trying to talk your way into a party after everybody's exited out the back door, taking the keg and chips with them, Todd Bertuzzi will meet with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman today to plead his case for reinstatement to the league.

posted by lil_brown_bat to hockey at 09:00 AM - 42 comments

Are you kidding me?: Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant are scheduled to meet this week in Los Angeles. It looks like Phil is seriously considering returning to LA. Can he turn this team around?

posted by bperk to basketball at 08:24 AM - 15 comments

How Did It Go In?: Examines the "Farting Spectator" Theory and other possible explanations for Tiger Woods' amazing shot at Augusta.

posted by kirkaracha to golf at 11:51 AM - 7 comments

Five-minute brawl halts women's rugby match: Free-for-all erupts after a sheila does "a tap dance" on another sheilas head when caught on the wrong side of a ruck. A brawl ignited that saw water carriers and officials and spectators running on to the field. Another sheila fell to the ground while a flurry of blows was rained on her, and a different sheila was treated following a kick to the head. More grisly details...

posted by the red terror to extreme at 09:01 AM - 1 comment

Like Steroid Talk?: Michael Lewis gives you 9 pages of it in Sunday's NYT Magazine (registration required)

posted by yerfatma to baseball at 06:24 AM - 4 comments

Match of the Season.: So it comes down to this. EPL leaders Chelsea kicked the ball firmly into 2nd-placed Arsenal's court with yesterday's 3-1 London derby defeat of Fulham. Tomorrow's Arsenal v Spurs match (another London derby) may very well decide the championship, with three full weeks of matches remaining. If Arsenal fail to win. Who's going to watch this live, if, like me, this match is in the middle of your workday? With Henry and Ljungberg out, doesn't it look more likely Spurs can at least pull off a draw, and gift Chelsea their first EPL title? Who will you be rooting for?

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 07:13 PM - 21 comments

Smith #1, Rogers ???: Until yesterday everything I read said the 49ers were tossing a coin over using the first pick on Utah's Alex Smith or Cal's Aaron Rodgers. Halfway through the first round, the Niners did take Smith but Rodgers is still sitting in the audience and Donovan McNabb's mom is consoling his mom. Why has the Cal star dropped so far? Would you have taken Smith? What are your choices for biggest surprise, worst and best selections?

posted by billsaysthis to football at 02:43 PM - 11 comments

The blog of a bench warmer: I don't know if any of you are fans of the sports guy but he's fallen in love with Paul Shirley from his blog, and has him answering questions . I think Shirley is a really funny writer, with an elevated sense of reality in the NBA- meaning, he hasn't forgotten that he still lives on earth, with the rest of us mortals.

posted by markovitch to basketball at 10:19 PM - 12 comments

"I hope I have helped. I hope some little girl out there knows now that she can be a sports writer if she wants to be." : Mary Garber becomes first woman to win Red Smith Award, the AP's most prestigious award for excellence in sportswriting.

posted by lil_brown_bat to general at 12:18 PM - 3 comments

Foosball!: A little flash game for you. With cavemen, for some unfathomable reason.

posted by BigCalm to general at 10:05 AM - 1 comment

Rally: Who? : "a motorsport that pits seasoned professional drivers against garage mechanics, takes place in dirt, snow, gravel and mud and places an emphasis on driver skill over flat-out speed in ever-changing conditions," and "it’s the only form of motorsports where you see the cars going sideways all the time," and has a 50% attrition rate. Airing in eight consecutive weeks beginning in October 2005 on OLN

posted by garfield to auto racing at 11:03 AM - 16 comments

The NBA Season is over: And the winners of the fantasy pools are...

posted by gspm to fantasy at 09:38 AM - 8 comments

EPL Fantasy League Week 34: Can the Baggies survive?

posted by BigCalm to fantasy at 03:22 AM - 62 comments

EPL season almost over - three weeks early.: Today's scoreless draw between the top two teams, Chelsea and Arsenal, leaves Chelsea 11 points in the lead moving into this weekend. Two London derbies may decide it. A win for Chelsea vs Fulham (likely) this Saturday, and anything less than a win for Arsenal vs Tottenham (hmm...) on Monday, will give Chelsea their first ever EPL title.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 12:37 AM - 21 comments

NBA has lost touch: In Sterns drive to make the NBA a world wide dominating force bigger than anything he is coming up foul with his development league when he has one sitting right in his lap. NBDL is nothing compared to NCAA basketball and will never reach the lofty heights of the crowds or development made at this level by coaches, yet this article rings true the NBA is trying so hard to flush out all the good players.

posted by bballcoachreid to basketball at 08:39 PM - 14 comments

Hopeful?: Not bloody likely. But it is a step away from the ownership-insanity ledge they've been living on for the past...however long you choose to frame this dispute. Perhaps Rogers & Cowan talked some sense, and ownership actually listened.

posted by garfield to hockey at 04:41 PM - 6 comments

"It's gonna be an extravaganza!": or How an Indian created a baseball league. David Kaval (who once visited all 30 major league ballparks in 38 days) and Amit Patel's new family-oriented independent minor league Golden Baseball League starts play on May 26, with angel investor Pat Sajak throwing out the first pitch.

posted by kirkaracha to baseball at 04:34 PM - 4 comments

Paula Radcliffe takes a dump on the streets of London: and still wins the London marathon by more than five minutes, with the third fastest women's marathon time ever. "I didn't really want to resort to that in front of hundreds of thousands of people."

posted by Steve-o to other at 12:10 PM - 24 comments

Kostya Tszyu Worried About Drunk Fans in Manchester: International Boxing Federation junior welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu, who will fight Ricky Hatton in Manchester on June 5, joked about the possibility of there being a lot of "drunk people" in the 22,000-seat venue.

posted by Rodimus to boxing at 03:32 AM - 6 comments

Who would you take?: I can't see it happening, yet the Cavs have surprised me in the past with stupidity in the boardroom. What do they do in that room look at the roster and say 'how can I make a mess of this today' flip a coin and trade, cut or fire some player and bring in a dud.

posted by bballcoachreid to basketball at 08:35 PM - 2 comments

They should feed this to the opposition: Southampton my beloved club is in trouble close to going down the tube, yet it seems like the nutrition department have come up with a winner.....feed the opposition whatever they ate.

posted by bballcoachreid to culture at 08:29 PM - 1 comment

The funniest sports segment ever!: granted, it is a college news station, but it is still entertaining. Actually, you begin to feel bad for the kid. You never know.... he could be the new guy for ESPN MNF!

posted by triplebogey to general at 07:49 PM - 12 comments

"If steroids are cheating, why isn't LASIK?": The basic answers to this one are fairly obvious (legality, medical intent, theoretical limits to what can be achieved, etc.) but an interesting essay on Slate highlights a big question for the future. Will we reach a point where even genetic modification is a normal occurrence, and sports stars are formulated rather than trained?

posted by werty to culture at 08:30 AM - 40 comments

NBA Play-offs: This is really starting heat up at the moment Cavs have screwed King James by playing soft on court and in the boardroom. The T-wolves are a joke, and thank god for G.K in Nuggetville , so are the Nets and 76ers the real deal or are they just making up the numbers? and how about this question that was posed in the Chicago Times ? I think basketball is the winner here the NBA had become boring watching the top 4 teams dominate this years play-offs are open for a lot of teams to make an impact.

posted by bballcoachreid to basketball at 10:09 PM - 23 comments

FA Cup: As a crazy southampton supporter who has not tasted success for a long time, 1976 to be exact this little quiz made me a happy man. My money is on the Gunners because I can't stand Manchester.

posted by bballcoachreid to soccer at 09:20 PM - 13 comments

Local match a riot: After watching the event take place on ESPN the other morning with Milan, and then to see this on my TV yesterday. It just blows me away this league is not even a professional link this local idoits who 'fly the flag' for the nation they come from.

posted by bballcoachreid to soccer at 08:10 PM - 2 comments

Are You Ready for Less Football?: Monday Night Football is moving to ESPN with the 2006 season, ending a 35-year-run on ABC, a deal that will take the games off broadcast TV for all but local markets. Sunday night games also are moving to NBC in the TV deals.

posted by rcade to football at 05:54 PM - 54 comments

SportsBlogs Nation: Kos (of DailyKos) is doing a Gawker/WeblogsInc for sports, starting with baseball. Should we be happy, jealous or ask to join up?

posted by billsaysthis to culture at 02:55 PM - 6 comments

Armstrong may Retire: World cycling champ and Tour de France record breaker may call it quits.

posted by Jimbob1077 to general at 08:03 AM - 15 comments

Cranky Yankee: "Enough is enough. I am bitterly disappointed as I'm sure all Yankee fans are by the lack of performance by our team. It is unbelievable to me that the highest-paid team in baseball would start the season in such a deep funk. They are not playing like true Yankees. They have the talent to win and they are not winning. I expect Joe Torre, his complete coaching staff and the team to turn this around or the streets shall run red with the blood of the non-performers." -- George Steinbrenner

posted by rcade to baseball at 06:25 PM - 45 comments

We Were The Champions Inc.

posted by gspm to culture at 04:57 PM - 7 comments

The Castle of Joyless Complaint : and other dwellings in this story from David Aaronovitch in The Guardian. Rich sports stars and their tacky abodes. A very British view, but with American examples as well.

posted by owlhouse to culture at 04:40 PM - 3 comments

Pat Tillman - Choosing to stay in the war and his legacy.: Two great stories this week concerning Pat Tillman on his decision to honor his commitment to the country and the legacy he leaves with a foundation that is doing good works.

posted by pgrote to football at 02:56 PM - 20 comments

World's most extreme sport: Marathon running in Pakistan, where several hundred bomb- and torch-wielding Islamic protesters recently attacked competitors at the finish line to protest men and women running together. "Last weekend a women's mini-marathon took place in Punjab -- in a walled government compound. The men's race took place outside," according to one report.

posted by rcade to other at 12:10 PM - 3 comments

Buccigross:: the interview. Eklund, nice work. Keep it up.

posted by garfield to hockey at 02:54 PM - 3 comments

Agent says odd circumstances let to substandard deal for T.O.: What would a NFL off-season be without another "poor me" story from T.O.? Now T.O. has been reduced to tears on TV, saying he may have to hold out after one year played on his seven year contract! Every dictionary from this point forward should include two separate definitions of the word "contract." One should relate to the word 99.9 percent of the human population understand "contract" to mean, and the other definition should be what pro athletes feel it means.

posted by dyams to football at 08:54 AM - 45 comments

Swing and a miss: - Sheffield takes a wicked cut... at a fan... who may or may not have punched him whilst collecting a ball in play. It's always something with these guys. And I, for one, welcome it.

posted by WeedyMcSmokey to baseball at 08:09 AM - 65 comments

With One Swing of the Bat: A dispute between two Pony League baseball players in California ended Tuesday with one teen striking the other in the head with an aluminum bat, killing him almost instantly. The attacker was reportedly being teased by victim Jeremy Rourke over losing a game. "The other kid was apparently a very competitive kid who plays very hard. What you call a gamer," said one parent.

posted by rcade to baseball at 03:51 PM - 21 comments

I never knew marijuana was a performance-enhancing drug. : Four potential NFL draftees test positive.

posted by lil_brown_bat to football at 02:25 PM - 45 comments

Five a side football.: A nice little timewaster.

posted by Samsonov14 to soccer at 09:26 PM - 11 comments

Jermaine O'Neal plays the race card.: In a nutshell, the NBA wants an age limit in the next CBA. O' Neal calls the idea racist. Of course, he has nothing to back that up, but that's never stopped anyone before. Thoughts?

posted by MeatSaber to basketball at 11:08 AM - 70 comments

Hurlers in Chief: Since President Taft started the tradition in 1910, every president except Jimmy Carter has thrown out the first pitch on opening day in Washington or Baltimore. President Bush continues the tradition in the Washington Nationals' home opener tomorrow.

posted by kirkaracha to baseball at 10:21 AM - 15 comments

Wisp of regret on day playoffs would have begun: The NHL playoffs would have started Tuesday, but the labor stalemate instead has the league's players dispersed worldwide.

posted by Jimbob1077 to hockey at 07:51 AM - 24 comments

Russia asks former Bayern coach Hitzfeld to head national team: The Russian Football Union has approached Germany’s Ottmar Hitzfeld with an offer to head the national team. He turned down numerous jobs in the past year, including an offer from Real Madrid.

posted by Rodimus to soccer at 05:53 AM - 3 comments

The Survey Says ... Title IX is in Trouble: According to Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor of The Nation and mother of a 13-year-old female jock, the federal government is softening compliance requirements for Title IX, allowing schools to conduct e-mail surveys to determine "insufficient interest among women students to support a particular sport."

posted by rcade to general at 03:05 PM - 9 comments

Why can't anyone throw a baseball faster than 100 mph?: In almost every measurable physical activity, athletes show improvement over time. Pitchers, though, don't seem to be getting any faster.

posted by dusted to baseball at 02:12 PM - 16 comments

Yahoo Fantasy Baseball: Week 1 Standings: Some say the first week of fantasy baseball is the most critical, I'm not really sure who...but I'm sure they're out there.

At any rate, seeing my name at the top of the standings was enough to motivate me to come here and gloat.

posted by YukonGold to fantasy at 11:54 AM - 15 comments

Burning roosters and buried cats... lucky for who?

posted by ossian72 to football at 08:30 AM - 4 comments

Three-pointer is too close for comfort: When Illinois chucks up 40 three-pointers in a national championship game, of all things, it screams one thing: the 3-point arc needs to be moved BACK!! Division 1 basketball players are talented, and gaining an extra point on a routine shot has everyone launching away.

posted by dyams to basketball at 07:38 AM - 27 comments

Selig: Positive tests to be expected: "Commissioner Bud Selig responded Monday to news of a second positive test for steroids by saying: "I'm afraid this probably won't be the last one." The Commissioner was in Boston to observe the ceremonies celebrating the Red Sox 2004 World Series championship and the Red Sox home opener against the New York Yankees. But this happy event coincided with the report that Jorge Piedra, an outfielder on the Colorado Rockies 40-man roster, had tested positive for steroids." It's so odd how the reports come out as something that would take the focus off of it is happening. For example, the announcement of Alex Sanchez being suspended happened right before opening day. Are they going to be telling us everything right before something big is going to happen....Everyone better watch out....they'll announce a dozen major people a day before the all-star game the way they're going at it.

posted by kurt71 to baseball at 09:45 PM - 9 comments

Worse. Halftime. Show. Ever.: Could it be? I can't tell. It may be The. Best. Ever.
Amazing.
embedded Windows Media file

posted by geekyguy to culture at 07:24 PM - 15 comments

Bogut Brillant: Look at this list of awards in 2 years of college this from a kid here in Aussieland who struggled to make a state team in u18's. Come on yankees be honest he kicked your asses. Well on the note that Bigut should be No. 1 pick in my bias eyes whats everyones top 5. 1. Bogut - Utah 2. McCants - UNC (could be Sean May instead) 3. Chris Paul - Wake Forest, good size for NBA in my eyes 4.Villanueva - Uconn this guy may 3rd pick I like his moves 5. Chris Taft- Pitt, this guy is my smokey pick he got skills but maybe a little raw could see Felton here instead. other notiable picks/draft steals: JJ Reddick with Duke going out a touch early and having a good season his shooting I think is missed in the NBA and has more to his game that past college shooters i.e Kylie Korver. I think there are a lot of undersized guards in this draft class with Nate Robinson and the 'Ant Squad' from Illi you know those 5'11 - 6'1 guards that don't have great wing span I just think with all this mobile 6'10, 6'6 guys will become guards now so you could see Garcia as a popular choice and may see him play more guard than wing, saying that i see him as a Rip Hamilton type of player it will take a little time to get NBA ready put a great player to come off a screen but does his range hold up.

posted by bballcoachreid to basketball at 06:54 PM - 4 comments

College KIDS: This is a great article I think we forget that college players don't all play NBA even in Div 1 schools and that these boys no matter how talented would have spent over half their teenage life shooting jumpshots to maybe never shoot them again. I know its golf time and NFL draft, but damn it I'm a hoops junkie i need a fix and the NHL ain't on and the NBA bores me, bring on the WNBA please something ..... damn or i will have to watch arena football.

posted by bballcoachreid to basketball at 05:56 PM - 1 comment

Shooting a Crash: After photographing the fatal hydroplane crash of racer Mike Neuharth Saturday, a photojournalist asks his peers whether to sell the shots: "I'd like to know if any of you have been faced with a situation similar to this and how you reacted."

posted by rcade to general at 08:17 AM - 31 comments

'An Earthquake Happened': Tiger Woods on the shot that won The Masters: "I was just trying to throw the ball up there on the hill and let it feed down there and hopefully have a makable putt. All of a sudden, it looked pretty good, and all of a sudden it looked like really good, and it looked like how could it not go in, and how did it not go in, and all of a sudden it went in."

posted by rcade to golf at 07:50 AM - 28 comments

EPL Fantasy League, Week 32: How come Man U can't beat the rubbish?

posted by BigCalm to fantasy at 03:35 AM - 39 comments

Leaving It All On the Field: Former NFL player Al Lucas died Sunday making a tackle in an Arena League game, a tragedy that brought up a little-known fact about pro football: "Several NFL players have died shortly after games, though no one has been declared dead on the field." Lucas was a former winner of the Buchanan Award as the best defensive player in Division I-AA college football.

posted by rcade to football at 10:06 PM - 5 comments

Soccer fans in Scotland jeer during pope tribute: Shades of Northern Ireland and Protestants vs. Catholics

posted by roberts to soccer at 05:26 PM - 11 comments

It was not Dan Marino's fault: Former NFL Kicker Cole Ford fired a shotgun at the Las Vegas home of Siegfried and Roy because they were a threat to the world, according to a psychiatric evaluation. "He saw their illusions as their power to distort and change reality ... he began to figure out how he could stop them."

posted by rcade to football at 07:36 AM - 5 comments

Finally!: After 9 tries since 1990, the US beats Canada to win the IIHF Women's World Championship.

posted by goddam to hockey at 04:59 PM - 11 comments

Did Mourinho Cheat?: "...in his autobiography, Mourinho boasted about how he circumvented a similar ban two years ago, communicating from the stands with his bench via instant messages sent from a laptop."

posted by garfield to soccer at 02:50 PM - 2 comments

What Would Morrie Think?: "In the audience Saturday at the Final Four ... were two former stars for Michigan State, Mateen Cleaves and Jason Richardson." Detroit Free Press sports columnist Mitch Albom wrote this Sunday, but there was a minor problem: Cleaves and Richardson didn't make the game. Albom wrote his column before the event, pretending it had already happened and making up facts he witnessed. "It wasn't thorough journalism," he apologized.

posted by rcade to general at 11:40 AM - 18 comments

Pedro says Red Sox can keep the ring: Pedro's sick and tired of being portrayed as a villan in Beantown: "I did my job. I think I did that all seven years I was there. Everyone seems to have forgotten about that. A lot of the fans probably remember, but they’re selling me as a negative. I’m not saying all the fans. But some have forgotten."

posted by Marla Singer to baseball at 11:39 AM - 7 comments

Lomu signs two-year NPC contract: The most famous rugby player to ever lace up a pair of boots, former All Black Jonah Lomu attempts a comeback after diseased for years with kidney nephritis and a year following his kidney transplant. North Harbour Rugby Football Union (NHRFU) CEO, Noel Coom, announced on Friday that Lomu has signed a two-year contract to play for North Harbour in the NPC. Best of luck to the big fella!

posted by the red terror to other at 11:06 AM - 5 comments

'Operation Cluck': How pathetic are the giants fans that even if they don't have Barry Bonds they still bring out the pathetically stupid rubber chickens and hang them up when Odalis Perez of the Dodgers walks the giants catcher and 8th hitter Mike Matheny with 2 outs and a runner on third to get to the pitcher and the final out of the inning. Giants fans, please get a life because you sure don't know anything about the game of baseball. If you did you wouldn't be carrying about those stupid chickens with you and you sure as hell wouldn't be hanging a lame chicken up on your wall because a Giant got walked intentionally. Giants fans please find some new excuses as to why your team just plain sucks. Thanks. Your Truly, The Dodger Fans

posted by kurt71 to baseball at 10:40 PM - 15 comments

Illinois Mascot Controversey:: Mr. Couch puts forth a great challange to the University regarding their wishy washy approach to the use of Chief Illiniwek as their mascot. The University allows the mascot at home games, but does not travel the mascot to away games (nor did they allow him to appear at the Final 4). Couch says that after 15 years of controversey, the University needs to decide one way or the other. Good read.

posted by newage38 to other at 06:46 PM - 8 comments

"The basic idea is that I have a desire to be world champion at something in a way I dreamed about as a kid." : Justin Irwin, a highly-paid executive in a British charity, has quit his job in a bid to get good at darts and play in the world championships. "In the last six weeks, I've got lots better. I can hold my own against pub players."

posted by JJ to general at 10:42 AM - 15 comments

Bo Jackson was accused of steroids and has decided to file a defamation lawsuit against the newspaper.: This is huge news as it serves as the first professional athlete in today's culture to stand up against accusations. The story takes on a life of its own as the newspaper pulls the article and the accuser is a nutritionist with no apparent steroids expertise. After all the Balco and Canseco accusations, this is the first athlete to sue for defamation.

posted by pgrote to general at 10:24 AM - 14 comments

Monty not Japanese enough to play in Masters...: Colin Montgomery didn't get an invite to this year's tournament because the organisers gave the last invite to Shingo Katayama from Japan. This BBC article says that Hootie Johnson (Masters chairman) "hinted" that this was done to keep Japanese TV happy - for my money, he pretty much just said it.

posted by JJ to golf at 06:16 AM - 16 comments

Lakers Officially Out of It: They'll miss the playoffs for the first time in 11 years, and the fourth time in their 45 years in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, the Heat Secure Home Court in the East. The Lakers did not choose wisely. And the word of the day is schadenfreude.

posted by kirkaracha to basketball at 01:49 AM - 16 comments

Spreadin the boos. : Grateful and classy Yankees fans booed Rivera today, as they did Jeter last year. So, who gets the worst circle of hell-- Yankees fans, Cleveland fans, or Philadelphians?

posted by ibmcginty to general at 08:38 PM - 17 comments

Billy Packer Hatred: Apparently, hatred of Billy Packer has reached just about every corner of the blogosphere. This is a pretty creative collection of opinions. Unfortunately I think Billy has just gotten too negative and is just flat out wrong too many times.

posted by newage38 to basketball at 05:45 PM - 16 comments

38 Minor Leaguers Suspended: This coming a day after Alex Sanchez became the first Major League player to be suspended for failing a drug test. Looking at the 38 players and their respective teams, it seems to be a team problem with steroids. The Mariners top the list with 8 players, followed by the Cubs with 7. The Athletics, Rangers, and Angels all have 5 offenders. The Padres have 4, the rockies have 2, and the Cardinals and White Sox each have 1 offender a piece. If there is such a problem in the minor league level, how is the problem not ending up at the major league level all the time? Something more than a 15 day suspension and a slap on the wrist needs to be done to these steroid users that are ruining the way the game is susposed to be played.

posted by kurt71 to baseball at 02:23 PM - 12 comments

Francona taken to the hospital: The Red Sox skipper was taken to New York Weill-Cornell Medical Center in Manhattan around 9:30 after experiencing tightness in his chest.

posted by rosey8810 to baseball at 12:03 PM - 4 comments

Dirty Bird: Mike Vick is being sued for giving a woman herpes.

posted by mick to football at 08:38 PM - 34 comments

"Dancers Are a Lot Smarter Than You Might Think" : Find out more at the NFL Cheerleader Blog.

posted by 86 to football at 09:42 AM - 15 comments

Fatal punch: Amateur female boxer Becky Zerlentes died Sunday afternoon, several hours after a punch to the head knocked her unconscious. Despite wearing protective headgear, the punch from opponent Heather Schmitz was enough to cause death by "blunt force trauma to the head."

posted by dusted to boxing at 12:01 AM - 21 comments

North Carolina Wins National Championship

posted by kirkaracha to basketball at 11:10 PM - 15 comments

NIT Alive: The NIT the losers tournament, the 2nd rate event. This game could go down as a classic if it had NCAA attached to it. USC played hard and St Joes with all the GOON talk prior to the NIT showed great heart what a sub-plot Bryant playing as a senior when it looked like he wouldn't, St Joes shaking the Jameer Nelsons tag line, USC shocking everyone with a quite run towards the final.....

posted by bballcoachreid to basketball at 06:14 PM - 5 comments

Twenty years on, almost.: The Guardian has a retrospective on the Heysel stadium disaster, which is made more relevant by the fact that Liverpool are playing Juventus in the Champions League this week. There's a whole series of articles here including memories from some of the players and some fans. I didn't think we should let this pass without a mention on SpoFi.

posted by squealy to soccer at 05:53 PM - 10 comments

Holy Goals: When he wasn't being the head of the Catholic church, apparently the late Pope was a major football fan.

posted by Pete to soccer at 02:01 PM - 8 comments

The Haters: I don't know if I completely agree with this guy, but he seems to think it may be ok for North Carolina to lose the game tonight (for a variety of reasons). Don't you play the game to win championships? On the other hand, UNC has 4 Championships and a ton in conference so they obviously value these opportunities. Lots of back and forth in their comments section and a pretty good read, too.

posted by newage38 to basketball at 11:06 AM - 14 comments

It's that time again...: It's the second week of April. It's nearly Seve's birthday. It can only be the Masters. Having covered myself in punditry glory last year ("If Mickelson wins, I'll eat my computer") I'm keeping my predictions firmly to myself this time - but who do you fancy to be getting helped into the green jacket on Sunday evening?

posted by JJ to golf at 09:21 AM - 15 comments

They got one. : Tampa Bay's Alex Sanchez becomes the first MLB player busted for performance-enhancing drugs under the new regs.

posted by lil_brown_bat to baseball at 06:40 PM - 35 comments

"'Fenway Park is baseball,' : Theo Epstein told me last year...[b]ut only fools and fabulists fail to understand that time marches on." Time for Fenway Park to go, says the Boston Globe's Michael Ryan.

posted by lil_brown_bat to baseball at 02:15 PM - 7 comments

New Nets?????: Who really thinks this will happen?

posted by Jimbob1077 to hockey at 11:18 AM - 20 comments

Two EPL players sent off for fighting this weekend.: They were on the same team. Newcastle, to be exact. Not exactly the brightest bulbs in the box. Of course, Lee Bowyer was one of them. The other, Kieron Dyer. Shortcut to the Punch-up picture gallery.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 04:15 PM - 19 comments

Drifters, technology, and the Final Four: These are the voyages .... This will be happening these days at more than one school, probably by more than one group at any school.

posted by roberts to basketball at 06:15 AM - 1 comment

MLS Fantasy Season: I created a league. Spofi is the league name. Football is the password.

posted by jasonspaceman to fantasy at 06:54 PM - 23 comments

Are You Ready for Some Football?: Major League Soccer begins its 10th season Saturday with new teams in Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, three new stadiums going up, and an $150 million 10-year deal with Adidas. Does the U.S. now have five four major sports?

posted by rcade to soccer at 04:36 PM - 20 comments

Reflecting on 10 years of ESPN.com: ESPN.com looks back at their first 10 years, picks the 100 best games during that time, and looks to the future.

posted by kirkaracha to culture at 12:54 PM - 11 comments

Dean Smith unretires: Forget the Tubby Smith rumors, it's Dean to UVa. Dean: "I'm really looking forward to competing against [K] again. He's a good coach and I wonder if he still feels challenged. He has so much confidence now that he's able to spend lots of time away from his job filming commercials. Have you seen his commercials yet?

posted by tieguy to basketball at 09:20 AM - 6 comments

He's a pitcher, part yogi and part recluse: Impressively liberated from our opulent life-style, Sidd's deciding about yoga. And his fastball is 168 miles per hour. The curious case of Sidd Fitch.

posted by kirkaracha to baseball at 01:55 AM - 4 comments