The Slam Dunk Contest: The NBA's greatest All-star Saturday special finds itself with a defending champ (Atlanta's Josh Smith), a literally 'rising' star (Philly's Andre Iguodala), an unsung rookie (Memphis's Hakim Warrick) and a little man (New York's Nate Robinson). As a fan of the Saturday events (I much prefer these festivities to the actual game), this should be somewhat exciting (hopefully) and not like the contest of 2 years ago when Freddie Jones was basically HANDED the crown.

posted by chemwizBsquared to basketball at 09:50 PM - 28 comments

It takes a dope to know one?: Perhaps it's time for Toronto Sun columnist Al Strachan to be drug-tested. A column by sportsfilter member wfrazerjr.

posted by justgary to hockey at 07:13 PM - 5 comments

It takes a dope to know one?: Perhaps it's time for Toronto Sun columnist Al Strachan to be drug-tested

posted by wfrazerjr to commentary at 06:28 PM - 0 comments

Who's The Bastard In The Black?: Ex-English Premiership referee Jeff Winter says what he really thinks in a new book. Red cards for Fergie, and the unhealthy influence of big clubs. Conspiracy theorists, you may not be paranoid after all!

posted by owlhouse to soccer at 05:06 PM - 5 comments

Heavy NFL players twice as likely to die before 50: Experts say that our lust for bigger and better lineman is going to kill our favorite stars...

posted by mcstan13 to football at 01:40 PM - 24 comments

Soccer Team Must Play at Empty Stadium: Its a short article, but its got a lot to think about.

posted by chemwizBsquared to soccer at 12:54 PM - 14 comments

True Fan or Greedy Fan?: What price would you demand (if any) if you had in your possession a piece of football history?

posted by grabofsky74 to football at 12:48 PM - 39 comments

U. of Ill. Appeals to Keep Indian Mascot : "This appeal is about the institutional autonomy of NCAA member schools," the university told the executive committee. "It is about flawed rules and process."

posted by irunfromclones to football at 11:46 AM - 60 comments

Steeler fan has over 200 hours' worth of tattoos: This guy was my Little League baseball coach--though he didn't have the tattoos back then. Bonus fun fact: he named his son after Mel Blount. More pics here.

posted by Mookieproof to football at 10:04 AM - 7 comments

Hines Ward taking mother to visit home: He is traveling to experience the culture he has only heard about. One of the ways he can think of to thank his mother for all her sacrifce, this guy is truly a class act. Most of the athletes who seem lost and need direction can learn a thing or two from this guy.

posted by chuy to football at 08:46 AM - 25 comments

Twelve wacky moments in Super Bowl history.: A nice link before Super Bowl XL. I haven't been along enough to witness all of these and unfortunatly was not in the room during infamous number two, but I'm sure these bring back memories for many people.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia to football at 07:28 PM - 18 comments

Homeowner has 'super' find for a Steelers fan.: As a Chicago Bears fan, Bill Stocum has no sentimental attachment to the surprise discovery he made recently. He's hoping some of the Pittsburgh Steelers faithful flocking to Detroit for Super Bowl XL might, however.

posted by skydivemom to football at 03:36 PM - 21 comments

Hurricanes gather Weight: The Eastern Conference leading Carolina Hurricanes have acquired St.Louis Blues leading scorer Doug Weight for three bags of pucks.

posted by garfield to hockey at 01:55 PM - 41 comments

The Essence of Offense: Assuming eBay doesn't kill it again, you could purchase the liquified remnants of Kobe Bryant's 81-point performance. Bid high. [via]

posted by yerfatma to basketball at 11:43 AM - 15 comments

FA Cup Draw: produces a big game. Liverpool will entertain Manchester United (inappropriate celebrations and all) at Anfield in the last 16. There is a rich history between these two clubs in the FA Cup, sadly including the worst game of football the world has ever seen.

posted by JJ to soccer at 09:58 AM - 6 comments

How long will Broduer stay in New Jersey?: Marty signs a six year deal which will last him till he turns 40. He says he wants to follow in Ken Daneyko's shoes and spend his entire career with the Devils. No doubt he could have got $7 million/yr but wanted to give Lou some extra cap room.

posted by njsk8r20 to hockey at 09:30 AM - 27 comments

Carson Palmer blogs his recovery: "In terms of my injury, I will be completely ready for the 2006 NFL season and am anxious to get back out on the field with my teammates." He also talks about some details of the recovery process, urges the front office to resign John Kitna, and and avoids mention of how the injury happened. Though this blog is probably vetted by PR people, Palmer doesn't sound bitter, he sounds like a class act.

posted by insomnyuk to football at 08:32 PM - 8 comments

NBA: Midseason Awards.

posted by justgary to basketball at 07:39 PM - 32 comments

Piazza goes to Padres: After you thought he was going to an AL team he ends up in San Diego.

posted by Barry-from-H-town to baseball at 05:50 PM - 26 comments

Nikolay Valuev - The Real Giant: Quite possibly the largest boxer ever ...

posted by GatorDavid to boxing at 09:10 PM - 10 comments

NFL Network To Air 8 Regular Season Games: One more network gets in the mix. Hope your cable company carries this station, because the first broadcast will be Dallas vs. Washington....on Thanksgiving!

posted by dyams to football at 07:46 PM - 43 comments

The Birdman has been flying high.: NOKC Forward Chris Anderson has been booted from the NBA for two years for a positive drug test. Under the current collective bargaining agreement, a player may only be tossed out of the league for a first positive drug test if the drug detected is amphetamines, cocaine, LSD, opiates or PCP. This news comes on the day that the Hornets announce they'll remain in OKC for the '06-'07 season, playing a handful of games in New Orleans.

posted by Ufez Jones to basketball at 01:05 PM - 23 comments

Shock and Awe The NHL doesn't miss a beat!: When a 10 month lockout forced cancelation of the 2004-05 season, many prodicted the league ruin. Even after labor peace was reached in July 2005, most anticipated an angry fan backlash that would be evidenced by empty arenas. Instead, the opposite happened and the game has come back stronger than ever, and attendance has soared. With NBC Broadcasting 3 games today. Lighting vs. Flyers or Red Wings vs. Stars or Penguins vs. Rangers all scheduled for 2:00PM EST it's time to get your Hockey On! The NBC Broadcast schedule originally had a late game scheduled. Well, I wonder why they dropped the late game? Maybe we can get permission to use the GameTime Category in the Locker Room so we can keep a running tally of the games not broadcast in our area.

posted by skydivedad to hockey at 09:26 AM - 58 comments

Chelsea make record £140m losses: The EPL defending champs and runaway leaders have "losses of £140m, the biggest in football history. ... 'The rise is down to some exceptional items that were necessary to help us in our aim to break-even by 2009-10.' The termination of a deal with Umbro, which cost £25.5m, plus a total loss of £22.8m over the transfers of Adrian Mutu and Juan Sebastien Veron and the £5m for Academy recruitment were picked out as the 'exceptional items'."

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 08:43 AM - 5 comments

Missing the tackle on Reality : After the NFL glory days, a lot of players find the adjustment to real life pretty tough.

posted by roberts to football at 06:10 AM - 13 comments

You've probably seen Gilles Leclerc.: He was the barrel-jumping "thrill of victory" guy in the opening montage of Wide World Of Sports. Sadly, his sport has faded away in recent years, a victim of warmer winters, lack of ice time, and the rise of other "extreme sports" (they haven't held a Canadian or World Championship since 1995), but there was a time in the 1960's & 70's when barrel jumping was a staple of winter programming, and there was serious talk of adding it to the Olympics.

Leclerc is mostly retired now, but he & his sons still perform the occasional exhibition sometimes.

posted by chicobangs to other at 01:54 AM - 10 comments

Crisp FINALLY dealt: Well, its about time time the trade came up, but I still think that Boston has bigger issues ahead of itself.

posted by chemwizBsquared to baseball at 01:26 AM - 21 comments

Amelie Mauresmo wins Australian Open.: her first Grand Slam seven years after making the final as a teenager. Sadly, the final itself was won in a walkover when Justine Henin-Hardenne retired due to illness.

posted by owlhouse to tennis at 10:03 PM - 6 comments

Super Superbowl fan: He's attended all 39!: When you ask Henschel about those $2 million ads the Super Bowl is famous for, he just grins and shakes his head. "Never seen them," he said. "I've never seen the game on television."

posted by Steeler_Fan to football at 07:43 PM - 15 comments

'Devil' may be dropped from team name: Can there ever be a team name that no one will complain about?

posted by dbt302 to baseball at 04:31 PM - 43 comments

Serious inside dirt on the Seattle Seahawks: A glance into the life of arguably the hardest-working member of the Seahawks team: the equipment manager.

posted by DrJohnEvans to football at 02:27 PM - 9 comments

Mighty No More*: At the start of the 2006-07 season, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim will be simply known as the Los Angeles Ducks of Anaheim**. There will also possibly be a change in the logos and uniforms. But will they drop Wild Wing?

posted by NoMich to hockey at 02:02 PM - 38 comments

All the skills and no future: Sean Taylor may have sealed the fate of his career with these two new charges against him. It is a shame because he is a great defensive player.

posted by BigDogintheCity to football at 01:48 PM - 30 comments

From a UK point of view: 10 must-do things in America before you die: From attending a Super Bowl to white water rafting, an interesting perspective on stateside sports.

posted by Texan_lost_in_NY to other at 01:03 PM - 19 comments

The Ovechkin Collection: (Google Video) If you have four minutes, take the time to watch highlights of the most exciting player in the NHL.

posted by 86 to hockey at 01:01 PM - 24 comments

Robbie Fowler coming home to Liverpool: I don't think the Reds will break the bank on this one.

posted by Texan_lost_in_NY to soccer at 11:22 AM - 10 comments

Former NBA Star Rider Arrested On Kidnapping Charges: Troubled former NBA player Isaiah Rider was arrested by Marin County sheriff's deputies on charges of kidnapping a female acquaintance, authorities said. Troubled? The guy is a career criminal with a jump shot.

posted by irunfromclones to basketball at 11:21 AM - 13 comments

Bode Miller is at it again: Miller has taken the focus off his indiscretions by pointing the cheating finger at Bonds and Armstrong.

posted by mcstan13 to other at 08:45 AM - 41 comments

The World (Little League) Baseball Classic: Mercy rules. Pitch counts. Ichiro could knock a pitcher out in one at bat!

posted by BullpenPro to baseball at 08:40 AM - 6 comments

The qualifying draw for Euro 2008: was made earlier today in Montreaux.

posted by afx237vi to soccer at 07:43 AM - 12 comments

The Coach as Culture Hero: What's so great about the guy with the whistle around his neck? There is surely no American archetype more preposterously overpraised at this cultural moment than the Coach.

Slate's Timothy Noah invites readers to "debunk the gauzy idealization of The Coach as font of all wisdom", and debunk they do. Examples include the The Cold War Coach, The Absent-Minded Coach, The Beer-Drinking Coach, and the Scholar-Athlete Coach.

At my Tennessee high school in the mid-1970s, the head football coach taught "Earth Science," which was a kind of physics without math for the slower kids. One day, several students confirmed, he declared without irony (an alien concept to him) that light travels faster downhill.

posted by justgary to culture at 01:36 AM - 13 comments

John Daly's wife reports to federal prison in Lexington : And I thought my luck was bad.

posted by dbt302 to golf at 12:19 AM - 11 comments

Seven players: , three draft picks, and the Timberwolves and Celtics both mix up their rosters. The biggest pieces of the puzzle are Ricky Davis and Wally Sczcxcqxrbiak, plus the Celts pass the Blount and get the Candy-Man in exchange.

posted by Ufez Jones to basketball at 10:40 PM - 29 comments

A side with no right wingers.: Hamburg's St Pauli is not just supported by anarchists, punks and prostitutes. They are part of the fabric of the club itself. And now they are in the semi finals of the German Cup. A team that all of us here on SpoFi should get behind.

posted by owlhouse to soccer at 09:59 PM - 9 comments

Jermaine O'Neal out for 8 weeks: Due to a groin injury, O'Neal will be taking a seat for 8 weeks. Will this hurt the Pacer's outcome of their season?

posted by siouxhocky to basketball at 07:22 PM - 13 comments

Pollamaloo...: "It's Polamalu!"

posted by thatweirdguy2 to football at 05:29 PM - 20 comments

TV Commentator Awards: The best to the worst of the NFL announcing teams. Dr. Z rages through the lineups, but also talks about a welcome trend.

posted by irunfromclones to football at 02:59 PM - 18 comments

Kubiak to Houston: Now who does Houston take? He says he likes Carr.

posted by hump9n to football at 02:28 PM - 29 comments

Raptors fire Babcock.: Vince Carter remains traded, Charlie Villanueva remains a seventh-overall pick, and the Raptors remain at 14-29 on the season.

posted by DrJohnEvans to basketball at 01:19 PM - 21 comments

Technical Fouls Gone Wild:

Once, according to legend, [Al McGuire] ran onto the court to protest a call and was told by a disbelieving ref that he was going to get one technical foul for every step it took him to get back to his bench. McGuire called over two of his big men who picked him up and carried him back. The ref laughed so hard he didn't whistle any techs.

posted by kirkaracha to basketball at 11:08 AM - 13 comments

Hot stove talk about Sosa, Thomas and Piazza: Do theses three "old timers" still have some value?

posted by daddisamm to baseball at 11:03 AM - 23 comments

Artest Finally Dealt to Kings: The elements came together Wednesday, and this time they stuck: The Kings sent sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic to the Pacers for Artest in an on-again, off-again deal that's been talked about for months.

posted by ProSam to basketball at 10:38 AM - 22 comments

Woods acquires Jupiter Island property for $38 million: Based on a normal mortgage for the rest of us.... 20% down - $7,600,000, Interest rate - 5.75%, Monthly Payments - $177,400, Average cost of a house in the US - $193,000. Someone has way too much money.

posted by dbt302 to golf at 08:59 AM - 37 comments

Who cares what YOU believe, Mikey?: Here another big blower says he thinks his brother will be exonerated. Of which charge, Michael? Or is it everything? I really doubt the team that kicked him out will be reinstating him, but the NCAA isn't the NFL, either.

posted by mrhockey to football at 07:36 AM - 20 comments

Sharapova Out of Australian Open Final: Sharapova dictated play in the opening set, but became increasingly frustrated as Henin-Hardenne chased every ball with excellent baseline coverage.

posted by jennifer to tennis at 04:00 AM - 17 comments

Looking Up for Lund?: The US skeleton rider, previously caught using a banned masking agent, has been un-suspended by the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation. That clears Lund's path to the Olympics, since he had already been granted a provisional spot on the US team. But Dick Pound wants to have the last word.

posted by Amateur to other at 10:24 PM - 7 comments

The Big Hurt Becomes an A: Frank Thomas has been signed to a one year deal with the Oakland A's. It remains to be seen if Thomas will actually play or will get hurt in spring training and spend the rest of the season standing around the dugout looking pissed off.

posted by fenriq to baseball at 06:07 PM - 24 comments

The Ten Most Hated Athletes: This should bring up some serious discussion........

posted by dbt302 to culture at 10:47 AM - 154 comments

Isiah Thomas is being sued for sexual harassment.: Female executive of the Knicks renders the charges.

posted by daddisamm to basketball at 10:24 AM - 24 comments

Meet the new boss ... same as the old boss: The Boston Red Sox proudly announce their new general manager to be ... Theo Epstein. Is this the strangest hiring/rehiring in your sports recollection? And will Theo (sans apesuit) be able to prop up the possible collapse of the Coco Crisp/Guillermo Mota trade?

posted by wfrazerjr to baseball at 10:20 AM - 54 comments

Houston Soccer Takes a Number: A member of the BigSoccer message board found the new logo of Houston's Major League Soccer franchise, which has chosen the name Houston 1836, an homage to the city's founding, Texas independence and the soccer tradition of naming teams with a number.

posted by rcade to soccer at 08:55 AM - 25 comments

40 things to watch for at Super Bowl XL: It will be a long two weeks before Super Bowl XL is played. The wait will seem interminable. The hype will seem intolerable. The Seattle Seahawks against the Pittsburgh Steelers for the world championship of professional football. It’s eating at you, isn’t it? You want to know what the future holds.

posted by skydivemom to football at 08:55 PM - 42 comments

Haslett signs as Rams defensive coordinator: With the signing of Haslett, the Rams have successfully replaced 3 of their top 4 coaching positions.

posted by mcstan13 to football at 08:20 PM - 8 comments

EPL Fantasy Premier League update, through Week 23.: Colours for ev'ryone! (well, six instead of four)

posted by gspm to fantasy at 07:01 PM - 0 comments

Beaver Falls Student Humiliated By Teacher: If you're going to wear the opponents jersey in school, be prepared to catch hell for it. This is a just bit too much though.

posted by dbt302 to other at 04:46 PM - 43 comments

Photoshop help needed!:
Need some photoshop help to make proper awards for our NFL Playoffs Pick 'Em. We have two trophies to give out (possibly more, there's been some debate we need a "Manning Cup", for someone in an arbitrary middle spot; an award that means nothing).

There's been some discussion about it, and I've displayed my mock-ups of the regular winner's trophy and the fabled Costanza Trophy. However, while dusted's original design, still used for the Winner's Plaque, the Costanza could use the touch of someone with l33+ Photoshop Skillz.

posted by hincandenza to fantasy at 03:46 PM - 0 comments

Peja for Artest.: Pending league approval, the Indiana Pacers have finally dealt problem child Ron Artest to the Kings for Peja Stojakovic. Who wins?

posted by sashae to basketball at 03:43 PM - 32 comments

Mario...Out! again: Lemieux is seventh on the all-time NHL scoring list with 690 goals and 1,033 assists in 915 career games.

posted by garfield to hockey at 09:08 AM - 39 comments

Sharon Robinson doesn't want to water down the significance of Jackie's retired number: Hard to argue with that. As the article says, where do you draw the line? Would Gehrig be next? What about Minnie Minoso?

posted by BullpenPro to baseball at 07:59 AM - 25 comments

Bonds says he doesn't want to risk injury: Barry being Barry.

posted by dbt302 to baseball at 09:56 PM - 79 comments

Torino 2006 Olympics: Use your own epitaphs: Speaking of apathy does anyone really care if Dick Buttons is making his NBC Olympic Figure Skating announcing debut? I thought not. Questions and commentary by sportsfilter's own skydivedad.

posted by justgary to other at 05:02 PM - 6 comments

Sven's off.: Sadly not yet though.

posted by squealy to soccer at 05:00 PM - 29 comments

From the "Where Are They Now?" file...:
In October 1996, a young boy helped a big league team win a baseball game. They went on to win the World Series and restart a dynasty. That young boy is a man now, and has dreams of playing professional baseball himself.

And he just might make those dreams come true.

posted by grum@work to baseball at 11:37 AM - 14 comments

Hoiberg Shows Heart: Former T-wolf Fred Hoiberg, who had open-heart surgery in the offseason to repair an aneurysm in his aorta, wants to become the first in the NBA to play with a pacemaker.

posted by daddisamm to basketball at 08:03 AM - 9 comments

Kobe drops 81 for 2nd most in a game in history of NBA.: Brought them back from 18 down to become the highest scoring laker, passing baylor's 71, now only 2nd to wilt's 100 in nba history. amazing.

posted by ninjavshippo to basketball at 11:12 PM - 123 comments

Seattle SuperSeahawks: Sean Alexander ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns to send the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl as NFC champions over the Carolina Panthers, 34-14.

posted by rcade to football at 08:59 PM - 26 comments

Pittsburgh's Road to the Super Bowl: Few teams have taken a longer route to the Super Bowl than the Bus-driven Pittsburgh Steelers, whose 34-17 victory over the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship makes them the first team since the 1985 New England Patriots to win three road games to reach the bowl.

posted by rcade to football at 05:12 PM - 60 comments

Italians Big Winners at European Short-Track : Fabio Carta won twice as Italian Speedskaters win 3 of 4 races Sunday during the European Short-Track Championship tune-up towards Torino.

posted by skydivedad to other at 01:25 PM - 1 comment

Sox reach deal for CF Crisp: Team also ready to sign shortstop Gonzalez, while giving up Marte, Mota.

posted by dyams to baseball at 07:44 AM - 33 comments

Pacquiao rallies, stuns Morales with 10th-round TKO: Morales' face was lumpy and bruised and he appeared out of gas as the 10th round started. Then Pacquiao finished him. With two straight L's Morales says its time for a vacation.

posted by T$PORT4lawschool to boxing at 01:15 AM - 11 comments

Fans Storm Court After Hoyas Stop Duke: Unbeaten no more, this should shake things up a little.

posted by Steeler_Fan to basketball at 03:44 PM - 27 comments

Hingis taking care of business Down Under: Swiss Miss is back!

posted by ny knicks to tennis at 12:58 PM - 18 comments

Safe at home.: It was a small thing really, barely bigger than a credit card, tucked unpretentiously in a small black case. For each of the 52 American hostages who bounded off the plane, free at last, the ticket stuffed inside the box was another of the trinkets that piled up around them. A modest reward for the cold, metal muzzle of a shotgun pressed against their faces. The WaPo looks at the lifetime pass that MLB gave to the 52 survivors of the 444 day Iran hostage situation that ended twenty five years ago. (via the Sports Law Blog)

posted by Ufez Jones to baseball at 12:22 PM - 8 comments

Very superstitious, writing's on the wall: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette asked readers to email their superstitions concerning the Steelers. Steelers fans, or not, do you have a superstition for your favorite team(s)?

posted by scully to football at 11:07 AM - 29 comments

An ode to Benitez.: What a difference a year makes. A year ago, Liverpool were in the doldrums, beaten 2-0 by Southampton, who ended up last in the EPL. New manager Rafael Benitez was on the ropes. Now, Liverpool are reigning European champions and touted as the only real challengers to current EPL champs and runaway leaders Chelsea. Who woulda thunk it. Nice insight into tactics and formations (especially the continentally-favored 4-3-2-1) in both articles.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 11:56 PM - 10 comments

St. Louis lands the Anti-Martz.: Promising news for Rams fans, as Dolphins Offensive Coordinator Scott Linehan takes over as head coach, ending once and for all the truly dysfunctional (but never boring) reign of mad scientist Mike Martz.

posted by The_Black_Hand to football at 11:30 PM - 13 comments

Super Bowl Advertisers Make Online Tie-Ins: If Miss Piggy is dressing up like Jessica Simpson and networking druids are yammering into cell phones it can only mean one thing: Super Bowl Ads are on the way, at $2.5 million for 30 seconds, they have to be good.

posted by skydivedad to culture at 09:07 PM - 6 comments

Pat "Energizer Bunny" Summitt just keeps on going, and going, and going...: now at 900 career wins, Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt is a model of consistency and class. Considering she's only fifty-three years old, it may only be a matter of time before she reaches 1,000 career W's. Congrats, Coach Summitt.

posted by The_Black_Hand to basketball at 04:16 PM - 6 comments

9th round pick Luc Robitaille become Kings leading goal scorer.: Robitaille scored goals no. 551 and 552 to pass Marcel Dionne. Robitaille added an empty netter to cap his 15th career hat trick.

posted by Desert Dog to hockey at 12:48 PM - 29 comments

New badge for Tottenham Hotspur.: Just like local rivals Chelsea and Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur have unveiled a new badge. The logo "Audere est Facere", which translates as "to dare is to do", has been left off the new badge in favour of a retro design. What do you think? An improvement? Too retro?

posted by salmacis to soccer at 12:39 PM - 10 comments

Chelsea deny rumours of a move to Earl's Court.: Earlier rumours that Chelsea might be about to build a new stadium at Earl's Court have been denied by the club. Stamford Bridge holds 42,000, which is deemed insufficient to compete with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United. Chelsea maintain that their first option is to expand the capacity of Stamford Bridge, even though it's not clear that this is even possible.

posted by salmacis to soccer at 12:35 PM - 0 comments

Ireland's National Soccer Team manager received "vile" racist hate mail: Brian Kerr received hate mail for having two black players in the side, Steven Reid and Clinton Morrison.

posted by Texan_lost_in_NY to soccer at 10:07 AM - 0 comments

Cuba can now play.: The Us Gov. has issued a pernit for Cuba to play in World Tournement.

posted by daddisamm to baseball at 10:03 AM - 36 comments

Blue Jackets' Berard tests positive for banned substance: Mandatory testing for "performance-enhancing substances", as agreed by the NHL and NHLPA in the new CBA, began on Jan. 15. In what may be an indicator of what’s to come, Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Bryan Berard tested positive nandrolone as part of drug testing for the Olympics.

posted by canucklehead to hockey at 11:56 PM - 24 comments

U.S. Speedskating: 65 Medals and Counting: For the deepest-ever U.S. team, the long track will be a short distance from the medal stand in Torino

posted by skydivedad to commentary at 09:14 PM - 0 comments

65 Medals (and Counting): For the deepest-ever American speedskating team, the long track is a short distance to the medal stand, SportsFilter columnist skydivedad writes in the latest Winter Olympics preview.

posted by rcade to other at 08:20 PM - 3 comments

Epstein To Rejoin Red Sox: Theo Epstein and Red Sox management issued a joint statement Thursday saying he will return to the organization full-time, but they did not specify his capacity except to say it will be in baseball operations.

posted by dyams to baseball at 07:15 PM - 35 comments

Islanders System Big on Character: It's good to see that my team, the lovable Islanders, the team everyone loves to bag on, have some good up and coming players - Milbury may be an airhead business wise, but the man knows talent. Let's just hope (for my sake) whoever the next GM and Coach are, they realize this and give them a chance.....

posted by The Gangstinator to hockey at 04:49 PM - 11 comments

Professional Football Continues to be the Nation’s Favorite Sport: Pro Basketball is slipping and Hockey is holding steady even after a year long strike. Nascar in the top 4? Opinions should vary on this subject.

posted by dbt302 to general at 03:09 PM - 55 comments

Lions hire Marinelli: who spent the past 10 seasons in Tampa Bay as defensive line coach, said Thursday that as coach of the Detroit Lions he doesn't plan to worry about the team's struggling past.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia to football at 01:09 PM - 24 comments

"I'm not crazy when I say this. (Australians) are the crazy ones who give you hot sausages before the match when it's 40 degrees Celsius outside.": Damir Dokic, father of tennis star Jelena Dokic, talks about dropping a nuclear bomb on Australia, consorts with war criminals and generally loses his mind.

posted by wfrazerjr to tennis at 11:59 AM - 13 comments

Pie-o-metrics.: A novel graphical pie chart method has been developed to help decide when to pull the pitcher. It is a couple of years too late for a G Little in Beantown.

posted by gspm to baseball at 11:01 AM - 3 comments

Flagging support for the Olypmic opening ceremonies?: Several Canadian athletes have turned down the chance to carry the flag during this year's opening Olympic ceremonies in Turin, saying it would tire them out for upcoming events. Don Cherry, for one, is outraged. Good decision by the athletes or just plain hosers?

posted by wfrazerjr to hockey at 09:06 AM - 79 comments

Is Super Mario set to ditch Pittsburgh?: Hockey insider John Davidson said this morning on FAN590-AM in Toronto that player-owner Mario Lemieux will annouce within a day or two that the Pittsburgh Penguins are up for sale, and several news outlets are backing him up. Is this a last-ditch effort to get a new building, and if the city doesn't give the Penguins' assembled group the slot licensing they want, where might the franchise be headed?

posted by wfrazerjr to hockey at 08:49 AM - 32 comments

A little hot stovery for a cold winter's day (offer not good in tropical climes): Sports Illustrated writer John Donovan grades out the moves made by American League so far this offseason. Biggest surprise -- I had no idea Tampa Bay went 39-34 during the second half of last season.

posted by wfrazerjr to baseball at 08:43 AM - 27 comments

NBA brawl in the stands repeated: Or something else? New York Knick Antonio Davis ran into the stands during a game in Chicago, claiming his wife's safety was being threatened. Larry Brown supported him, immediately drawing a distinction between what happened last night and what happened that fateful day last year at the Palace, saying "That thing that happened in the stands had nothing to do with the two teams. That's a man concerned about his family." Regardless, this incident underscores the weak, often ineffective security at sports venues around the country.

posted by insomnyuk to basketball at 11:15 PM - 82 comments

Sean Payton to coach the Saints: The latest Parcell's protege to get a head coaching job

posted by chuy to football at 07:29 PM - 9 comments

"if I see this guy Bill Simmons, oh, it's gonna be a problem with me and him" : LOL ... Isiah threatens the Sports Guy.

posted by Mike McD to basketball at 05:35 PM - 12 comments

NFL 2006 Pick 'Em Playoffs, Week 3 (Conference Championship Round):

Congrats to all our players who've been with us since the beginning; please have your picks in by Sunday, 1/22, before 3:00PM EST! Sadly, it is too late to enter if you've not played in the previous weeks; although you can post your picks for the fun of it, they won't be tracked by the Commish, nor appear on the leaderboard.

There are some new and interesting picks for this week! The Leaderboard, which should be updated after every game, can be found here.

posted by hincandenza to fantasy at 05:28 PM - 0 comments

Sudden Surprise: Penguins' Zigmund Palfy retires, leaving behind a $13.5 million contract. The way the season is going for the Pens, perhaps they're wishing that Gonchar, with his $25 million, is going to retire too. Thankfully, that leaves them with enough cap room to acquire... Eric Cairns?

posted by mkn to hockey at 05:09 PM - 18 comments

E.S.P.N. Gameday just became a bit more palatable: I know this is late, but perhaps it can be saved and used next season and for many seasons to come.

posted by stockman to other at 03:59 PM - 6 comments

Diarra Keen on Premiership Switch: Chelsea and Man U are on Red Alert following confirmation Mahamadou Diarra is hoping for a move to the Premiership next season, although his "advisor" Frederic Guerra hasn't ruled out the Spanish or Italian Leagues.

posted by skydivedad to soccer at 02:31 PM - 8 comments

"Imagine being so concerned about what others think that you allow yourself to experience so little lasting joy in what you accomplish.": The Olympics bring into the spotlight many athletes who spend most of their lives training, playing, and winning in complete obscurity. Some obscure yet world-class athletes won't ever have a chance at that spotlight. Ken Dobyns, a key player in New York, New York's five consecutive UPA National Championships in the early 1990s, writes a beautiful piece on the plight of the obscure athlete -- and how it shouldn't be a plight to begin with.

posted by DrJohnEvans to other at 12:19 PM - 3 comments

U.S. Ski Association Going Downhill: The controversy over Bode Miller's remark about skiing "wasted" has exposed a fissure between the free-spirited American ski-town culture that produces champions like Miller and the increasingly corporate face of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, lil_brown_bat writes in her latest SportsFilter column.

posted by rcade to other at 09:28 AM - 19 comments

In Retreat from Excellence: Bill Marolt, Bode Miller, and the US Ski Team's identity crisis

posted by lil_brown_bat to commentary at 09:11 AM - 0 comments

Beijing 2008 Olympic medal design call for entries.: "The designs ... should highlight the themes of 'glory and dream' and 'faster, higher and stronger' ... The medals should be the material vehicles to disseminate the Olympic ideals and the concepts of the Beijing Games, to showcase China's arts, designs and scientific and technological development. They should become the unique legacy of the Beijing Games." You have until March 26 this year. Sharpen those pencils!

posted by worldcup2002 to other at 09:54 PM - 11 comments

EPL Fantasy Premier League update, through Week 22.: If you didn't have Henry this past week - do not pass go, do not collect $200.

posted by gspm to fantasy at 09:40 PM - 0 comments

Gigantic elk!: NFLers really are stronger

posted by panoptican to other at 08:38 PM - 31 comments

Jose Theodore gets no glove from management: Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jose Theodore was apparently pressured earlier in the season by the front office to ditch his new equipment company and switch back. Could this be part of the reason he's struggled so far this year?

posted by wfrazerjr to hockey at 07:57 PM - 10 comments

Bonds' quest for the record could stir many emotions.: Barry Bonds was named to the World cup baseball team (or whatever its called) Why this may not sprak interest in the games, his play may be a predictor as how his chase for the "record' will go. Some wonder if Bonds is even healthy enough to go for the record. The bottom line here is that he will generate lots of emotion this season.

posted by daddisamm to baseball at 05:48 PM - 42 comments

Browns fan to be jailed for Super Bowl: and won't be allowed to watch the Feb. 5 game on television or listen to it on radio. If it were any other team this might be cruel and unusual punishment. The judge is actually doing the guy a favor in this case.

posted by irunfromclones to football at 05:05 PM - 19 comments

Steelers fan had a heart attack after fumble: It was dramatic, but that dramatic?

posted by hump9n to football at 03:50 PM - 16 comments

Denis Coderre: Va te faire cuire un oeuf!: NHL player Shane Doan is suing Canada M.P. Denis Coderre for libel after the politician accused him of making a slur against the French. Neither this story nor Coderre's letter state the alleged comment -- Doan's accused of calling Referee Stephane Auger and other officials "fucking Frenchmen" after a Dec. 13 game.

posted by rcade to hockey at 03:18 PM - 19 comments

NFL Record & Fact Book : PDF version [778 pages; 4.7MB] of the official 2005 NFL records book.

posted by kirkaracha to football at 02:04 PM - 1 comment

SportsDesigner.com: A weblog about sports design in newspapers and magazines. Related: the Sports Front Exchange has PDFs of the front pages of sport sections from a bunch of US newspapers.

posted by kirkaracha to culture at 02:00 PM - 3 comments

Royce Gracie Returns to UFC in May: The dude that held the Ultimate Fighting Championship for its first 3 years defeating dudes twice his size (they didn't have weight classes at the time) is coming back to vie for the welterweight title. The name Gracie is synonymous with the world of mixed martial arts esp. shootfighting, and many are looking forward to his return to the octogon. I know I am. Peace, Chris

posted by chrisly13 to extreme at 01:04 PM - 55 comments

Why doesn't the NHL get rid the rules that limit the curvature of a stick blade?: Last night, with the Bruins already a man down, Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle challenged the curve of Sergei Samsonov's stick. While this "gamesmanship" may add an element of strategy to the game, why not let the players use any curve they want?

posted by canucklehead to hockey at 11:11 AM - 70 comments

Duke Defeats North Carolina, 3,688-3,444: In the longest basketball game ever, a 57-hour, 24-player marathon at Fetzer Gymnasium in Chapel Hill, Duke eked out a 244-point victory over hometown North Carolina. Justin Dreyfus scored 529 to lead Duke to victory. The marathon raised money for the Hoop Dreams Basketball Academy.

posted by rcade to basketball at 08:34 AM - 8 comments

Mangini taking Flight to NJ: For the second straight year, the Patriots will be looking for a new defensive coordinator. Last year, Romeo Crennel departed to become head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Last night, according to a source in the Patriots organization, Eric Mangini informed the team that he was taking the head coaching job of the New York Jets.

posted by ProSam to football at 07:44 AM - 13 comments

Forget Bill Parcells. What would the Cowboys do without Wilford Jones?: The local alt-weekly offers up a testament to a true fan. Crazy Ray's life is - in all likelihood - nearing it's end, but his passion for the Dallas Cowboys and his sense of humor lives on.

posted by Ufez Jones to football at 08:50 PM - 8 comments

Official was wrong: The NFL actually admits a mistake by a referee. In a game marred by many bad calls against both sides this was the most flagrant. You know it had to be bad for the NFL to admit it publically.

posted by scottypup to football at 04:45 PM - 73 comments

The debate continues over Europe's greatest soccer players.: Aahhemmm...Luis Garcia? What the...

posted by Texan_lost_in_NY to soccer at 09:12 AM - 39 comments

Intellectual Property or Historical Facts(pdf): Major League Baseball clamps down on unlicensed purveyors of fantasy sports sites as they attempt to make certain that all baseball related revenue is generated by them. Now the courts will decide if it is news or commercial property.

posted by geekyguy to baseball at 04:15 AM - 22 comments

Panthers Bury Bears: Steve Smith had 12 catches for a career-high 218 yards and two long touchdowns, including a 58-yard scoring reception on the second play from scrimmage, in a 29-21 Carolina Panthers victory over the Chicago Bears in the NFC playoffs. The Bears only gave up 150 or more yards to one receiver during the regular season -- Smith had 14 receptions for 169 yards in a week 11 13-3 Bears victory.

posted by grabofsky74 to football at 07:43 PM - 94 comments

Sheik yer booty: Sven Goran Eriksson was hooked by a sting set by News of the World, telling an undercover reporter that he would leave the England job after the World Cup if the 'sheik' were to buy control of, say, Aston Villa despite a contract obligating him to stay until after the 2010 tournament. Will this see him leave earlier, say by Valentine's Day?

posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 06:53 PM - 9 comments

Steelers Take Down Colts: The Indianapolis Colts kept their perfect playoff record against the Pittsburgh Steelers -- 0-5 -- in a 21-18 loss in the AFC playoffs.

posted by chuy to football at 03:26 PM - 147 comments

British Cyclists Honor Four Fallen Riders: Cyclists rode in black arm bands Sunday to honor four members of the Rhyl Cycling Club killed one week ago when a car slid into a pack of riders on an icy North Wales road. "This is a terrible tragedy, the worst single incident involving cyclists that I can recall in Great Britain over at least the last forty years," said British Cycling President Brian Cookson.

posted by rcade to other at 09:49 AM - 4 comments

Suns Stoudemire out until march: Suns are doing farely well without him, how would they do with him?

posted by chuy to basketball at 09:39 AM - 3 comments

NHL Returns to NBC: with 3 Nationally Broadcast Games the NHL returned to a National Network with a 3 Game Parley Saturday. Shanahan and Red Wings slow The streaking Rangers, Avs stop Flyers, ruin Forsberg reunion, Jokinen's amazing shootout goal lifts Stars (video). What are your initial insights with the NHL back on Network TV?

posted by skydivedad to hockey at 08:33 AM - 16 comments

Roger Federer : is ready. Serena Williams might not be. The Australian Open starts tomorrow. Federer is already odds-on to win, before a ball is served. Rod Laver says he will be the next Slam man. The women's draw is more open, and includes the comeback of Martina Hingis, to take on Henin-Hardenne, Mauresmo and the Williams sisters.

posted by owlhouse to tennis at 03:47 AM - 18 comments

Broncos Drop Patriots: In a game turned by five New England interceptions and fumbles (including one caused by the hard hit delivered by a kicker nicknamed "Boom," the Denver Broncos defeated the Patriots 27-13 in the second round of the AFC playoffs, handing Tom Brady his first-ever playoff loss and giving Bill Belicheck his first taste of a season-ending defeat in 4,025 days (a Cleveland Brown Ravens loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers 29-9 in 1995).

posted by rcade to football at 10:51 PM - 58 comments

Seahawks Soar Over Washington: On the 27th consecutive day of rain, the NFL's longest playoff victory drought ended in Seattle. The Seahawks won a postseason game for the first time since 1984, defeating the Washington Unfortunate Nicknames 20-10.

posted by rcade to football at 07:18 PM - 27 comments

Canadiens slice and dice head coach Claude Julien: Unwilling to wait for a turnaround, the Montreal Canadiens have axed Claude Julien and assistant coach Rick Green. Former Habs player Guy Carbonneau will take over the reins from interim head coach and general manager Bob Gainey at the end of this year.

posted by wfrazerjr to hockey at 03:43 PM - 10 comments

King of the Mountain: : USA's Daron Rahlves added another prestigious downhill win to his resume as he won the 76th annual Lauberhorn downhill in Wengen, Switzerland, by a hefty .4 second margin over runner-up Michael Walchhofer of Austria. In his career, Rahlves has victories on nearly all of the great classic downhill courses, with wins on the Hahnenkamm in Kitzbuhel, Austria, Birds of Prey in Beaver Creak, CO, and Bormio in Italy. The win and his performance so far this season (four races, three wins, one second) make Rahlves The Man To Beat in the upcoming Winter Olympics.

posted by lil_brown_bat to other at 03:29 PM - 5 comments

Big Success for Little United: When Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Malcolm Glazer bought Manchester United last May, he sparked a phenomenon that could never happen in American sports: Disgusted fans began their own team, FC United, which is breaking its league's attendance records and drawing 3,000 fans a game, more than some clubs five levels higher in British soccer. "At best it would take seven years for the club to progress into the Football League," reports the Guardian, "so few at Old Trafford will be quaking in their boots yet, though the impetus is inescapable."

posted by rcade to soccer at 08:57 AM - 26 comments

Haskin's Tales: An Evening With The Bear: This event took place tonight here in El Paso. I missed it, but I laughed and cried when I read this article about the "Bear." It reminded me what a cool dude Coach Haskins is.

posted by chrisly13 to basketball at 02:23 AM - 3 comments

Are the New York Knicks making a comeback?: The Knicks pulled a 105-94 win over the Hawks on Friday night making it six wins in a row. The win was No. 1000 in coach Larry Brown's career, making him the fourth coach to reach that milestone.

posted by RGarraud to basketball at 01:50 AM - 14 comments

Bills Shocked by Mularkey's Resignation : Shocked? I never saw that coming. (sarcasm)

posted by grabofsky74 to football at 11:26 PM - 8 comments

Ex-Red Wing Marc Potvin, 38, Found Dead: Found in his hotel Friday Afternoon. This is tragic.

posted by skydivedad to hockey at 07:33 PM - 5 comments

Ronny Turiaf set to join Lakers: "Ronny Turiaf is set to join the Los Angeles Lakers less than six months after undergoing open-heart surgery."

posted by cybermac to basketball at 04:42 PM - 13 comments

Bears Fan wears love for team on his back: This is just way to creepy. Tattoos!

posted by skydivedad to football at 04:25 PM - 19 comments

Top Naked People in Sports in 2005: NSFW, but pretty tame except for the ads. [via MetaChat]

posted by kirkaracha to culture at 02:43 PM - 25 comments

Attention!: Chicago Blackhawks game to be televised locally. This is not a drill. [via]

posted by garfield to hockey at 11:59 AM - 15 comments

A Wie bit of trouble: Michelle Wie shoots a 79 in the opening round of the Sony Open in Honolulu, putting her ahead of one male competitor after 18 holes. The 16-year-old high school junior said she "needed some chocolate" after the round. Two questions: 1) Should a 16-year-old be playing professionally and, if so, 2) Is it time for Wie to focus on winning on the LPGA tour before tackling the PGA?

posted by wfrazerjr to golf at 11:59 AM - 37 comments

Miller DQ'd near finish line of Swiss race.: Double-vision is a bitch when you're trying to run gates. Way to represent, Bode!

posted by woody1090 to other at 09:36 AM - 31 comments

NHL Attendance for November Best in League History: I was one of these naysayers that thought hockey was screwed because of the lockout. I guess this just comes to show you that so called "experts" aren't always correct.

posted by nyfan to hockey at 11:38 PM - 27 comments

Doctor: Palmer knee injury 'potentially career-ending': Carson Palmer's went down on his first pass in a playoff game in what could potentially be his last game. This quote is from the doctor who helped work on Palmer "On a scale of one to three, it was a four," he said. "It was off the chart. It was pretty badly damaged -- shredded is the better term." This is horrible news and a tragic situation but Carson is still a young guy and I don't think we've seen the last of him.

posted by kellermcgee21 to football at 10:19 PM - 55 comments

MLB Cracks Down: "A player will be tested during spring training physicals and at least once during the regular season, with additional random testing." We're talking greenies. Jim Bouton reported it first in Ball Four. Tony Gwynn reminded everyone nothing had changed 34 years later.

posted by ?! to baseball at 09:33 PM - 55 comments

Torino 2006 Olympics: Use your own epitaphs!

posted by skydivedad to commentary at 05:17 PM - 0 comments

Steve Francis Suspended : Steve Francis is off the team for an undetermined amount of time. Wonder what he did? I know he never wanted to go to Orlando to begin with, but what's his deal?

posted by Bill Lumbergh to basketball at 05:13 PM - 23 comments

Mess goes to the rafters...: Former New York Rangers captain Mark Messier's number 11 will be retired tonight at Madison Square Garden. His magnificent career includes six Stanley Cups to go with his two Hart Memorial Trophies, two Lester B. Pearson Trophies, and one Conn Smythe Trophy, not to mention the undying gratitude of Rangers fans everywhere.

posted by The_Black_Hand to hockey at 02:21 PM - 21 comments

Walking Through the Fire: Scoop Jackson of ESPN.com takes us through the story of the first 5 all black players to play in a NCAA Championship, the story depicted in Glory Road the new film by Disney. But it was so much more and if you have little knowledge of this story I would suggest reading this article and more. Awesome, life changing, history changing story.

posted by ProSam to basketball at 01:51 PM - 18 comments

'They want it to be a thinking game instead of a football game': The Steelers' Joey Porter has a real problem with combining football and thinking. He probably doesn't appreciate all those thinkin' types like coaches and coordinators hanging around on the sidelines.

I'll bet he's a formidable chess opponent.

posted by cybermac to football at 01:49 PM - 28 comments

Heisman winner Bush declares for NFL draft: Well now Thunder and the Great Lightning are both heading for the big game...

posted by BigDogintheCity to football at 01:30 PM - 32 comments

Islander coach Steve Sterling fired.: Constantly underachiving in season in which they had high hopes, Milbury was forced to fire Sterling to "send a message". This comes on the heals of trading Janne Niinimaa for a bag of pucks.

posted by HATER 187 to hockey at 10:12 AM - 31 comments

Close the Bung Hole: Player transfers in British soccer are often greased with the payment of bungs (bribes), Luton manager Mike Newell said. "People involved with the agents and doing the deals are taking back-handers," said Newell, who personally has been offered money. "If I was open to it, it would be a regular occurrence." In 1995, Arsenal manager George Graham was fired for taking £425,000 from a Norwegian agent to sign two of his clients.

posted by rcade to soccer at 08:12 AM - 9 comments

The Green Bay Packers hire Mike McCarthy to lead the team: It's not a "hell yeah!" type of hire, but did any of the candidates in this year's pool of coaching talent have much of a "wow" factor? If nothing else, Packers fans can be pleased that Wade Phillips was not handed the keys to the franchise.

posted by Proto_Helium to football at 01:14 AM - 14 comments

Lendale White leaving USC: Is Bush the next to go? We'll find out tommorow.

posted by chuy to football at 06:46 PM - 32 comments

Iverson ... Greatest little man ever?: This may be the first Iverson hagiography.

posted by Mike McD to basketball at 04:20 PM - 52 comments

The top ten Dennis Rodman moments: and semi-related, the Art of War. The battle between blocks and dunks.

posted by panoptican to basketball at 01:32 PM - 13 comments

Hall of Fame Finalists: Troy Aikman and the late Reggie White were among the 15 finalists Wednesday for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

posted by grabofsky74 to football at 12:30 PM - 32 comments

How far can taunting go before it's too far?: Former NHLer Theo Fleury, a recovering alcoholic and drug abuser, was tossed from a British Elite Ice Hockey League game this week after trying to get at hecklers in the crowd. Most of the taunts centered on his checkered past, which begs the question -- what's fair game for fans and what's off-limits?

posted by wfrazerjr to hockey at 11:08 AM - 48 comments

It's not how much you bet, it's what you bet it on: Liverpool fan bets that Xabi Alonso will score from half, wins £25,000.

posted by DrJohnEvans to soccer at 10:53 AM - 8 comments

U.S. Hopes for Skeleton Gold Recede: Human bullet Zach Lund, the No. 1 ranked men's skeleton competitor in the world, has been suspended for taking the anti-baldness drug Propecia, which is a banned substance that can be taken to mask steroids.

posted by rcade to other at 08:15 AM - 13 comments

Oh, those crazy footballers!: It ain't quite "Springtime for Hitler," but it's close enough for most Europeans' sensitivities. Since when did wearing bright orange Nazi-style helmets to a World Cup match qualify as "making fun of Germans?"

posted by The_Black_Hand to soccer at 09:40 PM - 14 comments

Where does your misery rank?: There is the misery of being so close to a Super Bowl win that you can practically taste the Gatorade in the jug as the players sneak up on the coach … only to watch the football bounce off the upright. And there is the misery of enduring so many losing seasons that not even John Facenda could make the team's history sound interesting.

posted by skydivemom to football at 09:31 PM - 26 comments

一切皆有可能: Anything is Possible. Damon Jones signs with Li-Ning following in the footsteps of Clyde Drexler who last year signed with Athletic to become the first American NBA player promoting a Chinese sports brand.

posted by geekyguy to basketball at 09:26 PM - 2 comments

“Well, I’m seven-feet tall and Turkey’s got no rock and roll, so I guess I better learn myself a jumper.”: Fat Elvis, Bill Clinton, chest hair, double chins, sexuality, defense, a jump shot... and Mehmet Okur.

posted by dusted to basketball at 04:28 PM - 6 comments

Sutter in, everyone else out.: Looks like skydivepop was right. Only three pitchers previously elected to the Hall were known for their closing skills. But Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers and Dennis Eckersley all made numerous starts during their illustrious careers. Sutter never started a game, but he finished 512 of them to record 300 saves, the 19th most in history.

posted by HATER 187 to baseball at 02:33 PM - 31 comments

Yet Another Belichick Protege Being Sought.: Eric Mangini only part of a season in the defensive coordinator seat and already beeing looked at being the next NY Jets head coach.

posted by ProSam to football at 01:49 PM - 17 comments

The last captain to hoist the Cup gets waived.: The Tampa Bay Lightning waive their captain Dave Andreychuk. Given the choice between retiring on top (a long and successful career capped with a Cup win - see also Lanny McDonald, Ray Bourque) or coming back for another season Andreychuk came back and probably did not anticipate his time with the Lightning, and perhaps his career, ending quite this way.

posted by gspm to hockey at 12:42 PM - 33 comments

Jose Theodore makes two saves.: Improving his 32nd ranked goals against average, the Montreal goalie turned aside two attempts by an intruder during a Habs practice.

posted by 86 to hockey at 09:03 AM - 29 comments

Former Rams Receiver Jack Snow Dies: Jack Snow, former star Rams wide receiver and current team broadcaster died after coming down with a staph infection. Five members of the team developed drug-resistant infections after sustaining turf burns, and two or three members of the San Francisco 49ers developed infections after playing the Rams early that season. The outbreak was the subject of an article last year in the New England Journal of Medicine. The players were not identified. Jack was also the father of baseball player J.T. Snow.

posted by evil empire to general at 08:41 AM - 6 comments

#42 Bruce Sutter HOF Lock: The Man Who Changed The Face of Baseball. A guarantee by sportsfilter's own skydivedad.

posted by justgary to baseball at 08:25 PM - 33 comments

NFL 2006 Pick 'Em Playoffs, Week 2 (Divisional Round):
Congrats to all who played this past weekend- we had 48 players enter! It's not too late to still play- again, it's free and easy- as a good week this week can put you right into the thick of things, especially with the new-this-week "parlay" system!

The Leaderboard, which should be updated after every game, can be found here.

posted by hincandenza to fantasy at 08:09 PM - 0 comments

First Jet Powered "Birdman" Human Skydiver: Oct. 25th 2005: Lahti, Finland..... Visa Parviainen and the Birdman Rocket Team make the 1st ever Jet Powered Birdman Flight. Awesome Video.... One more reason to love Skydivers and Skydiving....

posted by skydivedad to extreme at 07:31 PM - 12 comments

British ballgames boobied by Bundesliga bribers?: "The Sapinas were all convicted in Germany of running a massive match-fixing racket involving referees. Budimir ... admitted laying bets in Britain ... between £20,000 and £100,000 a time, 'mainly' on Champions League and Uefa Cup matches." Hmmm.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 05:53 PM - 6 comments

Another 2005 photo retrospective: : Sports Illustrated puts up its "Naughty and Nice" photo gallery. Check it out and see who made the list (and why)! Also the year's best quotes.

posted by lil_brown_bat to general at 04:46 PM - 19 comments

#42 Bruce Sutter HOF Lock!: The Man Who Changed The Face of Baseball

posted by skydivedad to commentary at 03:19 PM - 0 comments

Marcus Vick's downward spiral continues...: The former Virginia Tech quarterback, kicked off the team last week for unsportsmanlike behavior and legal troubles, now has more of the latter, after allegedly brandishing a gun during an argument in a McDonald's parking lot.

posted by The_Black_Hand to football at 03:14 PM - 61 comments

Karma is a bitch: Marchment blows out knee trying to knee Allison.

posted by garfield to hockey at 01:07 PM - 18 comments

A Fifth Column? : Or Not?

posted by garfield to hockey at 10:38 AM - 12 comments

Steelers Rob Bengals: Carson Palmer's line in the Pittsburgh Steelers' 31-17 defeat of the Cincinnati Bengals in the last of this weekend's NFL wildcard games: 1 pass, 1 completion, 66 yards, and one season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament.

posted by rcade to football at 07:07 PM - 73 comments

Carolina Skunks New York: The Carolina Panthers shut out the New York Giants 23-0 in a first-round NFC playoff game. NFC East quarterbacks Eli Manning and Washington's Mark Brunell have combined for 17-of-33 passing for 161 yards, no touchdowns and four interceptions, a quarterback rating of 25.76.

posted by rcade to football at 03:24 PM - 53 comments

Sucker-punch drunk in the NHL front office: What will it take for the NHL to learn to remove cheap shots from the game? A question asked by sportsfilter's own wfrazerjr.

posted by justgary to hockey at 03:11 PM - 31 comments

Sucker-punch drunk in the NHL front office: What will it take for the NHL to learn to remove cheap shots from the game?

posted by wfrazerjr to commentary at 02:30 PM - 0 comments

Vince Young turning pro: I hate to see it, but there it is.

posted by Texan_lost_in_NY to football at 01:32 PM - 77 comments

NFL 2006 Pick-Em Playoffs SportsFilter Lounge Day 2: NY Giants vs. Carolina Panthers Game 1, 1PM EST: Pittsburg Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals Game 2, 4:30 PM EST Thanks Hal for your Spread Sheet Prowess. Your a Great "Commish" Here's a SpoFite Lounge for Discussing Today's WIldCard Weekend Showdowns!

posted by skydivedad to football at 08:47 AM - 193 comments

New England Edges Jacksonville: The Jacksonville Jaguars outpunted the New England Patriots in the AFC wild-card round Saturday, averaging 41.8 yards to 39.2 yards, but the other 15 statistical categories proved to be the deciding factor in a 28-3 drubbing that set a record for consecutive playoff wins by a team, coach and quarterback.

posted by rcade to football at 10:22 PM - 39 comments

Redskins Chuck Gruden's Buccaneers: The Washington Redskins set a new NFL record in a 17-10 upset of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first day of the NFC playoffs: 120 total yards offense. "This is great," said quarterback Mark Brunell, who wasn't referring to his 7 completions for 41 yards with one interception. "Our defense was incredible."

posted by rcade to football at 10:14 PM - 14 comments

Liverpool deja vu.: In a 3rd round FA Cup tie today, Liverpool (current EPL #3) came from 3-1 behind to win 5-3 against lowly Luton (9th in the Championship, which is the division below the EPL). Last season, Liverpool became Euro Champions after a miraculous comeback from being 3-0 behind in the final. Wish I had seen this match. (Liverpool's fifth goal was a 60-yd curler from Alonso into an empty net after the Luton goalie had come all the way up for a corner.)

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 09:48 PM - 14 comments

NFL 2006 Pick'Em Playoffs SportsFilter Lounge: Thanks Hal for being the "Commish" Here's a lounge for some gametime smack talk. Good Luck with your pics.

posted by skydivedad to football at 03:24 PM - 131 comments

Coach of The Year: Lovie Smith was hired to resurrect a proud franchise in Chicago. He did such a strong job in 2005 that he was chosen The Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year on Saturday.

posted by grabofsky74 to football at 12:09 PM - 42 comments

Seattle Seahawks...Oh what a difference a year makes.: Just last year it seemed as if the walls were crumbling in on Mike Holmgren and the Seattle Seahawks. Will this be they year they finally get over the hump and make it to the Big Show?

posted by stockman to football at 07:25 AM - 6 comments

Brett picks a coach: But Mariucci isn't even on the Packers interview list. It could be no Mariucci, no Favre in Green Bay.

posted by roberts to football at 06:32 AM - 32 comments

More Pro Teams Starting Own TV Networks : "There's only so many tickets that you can sell and there's only so much that you can do" to make money, he said. "There's pressure on all sides of it and eventually they get to the television side of it."

posted by mkn to general at 10:21 PM - 5 comments

Herman Edwards is going to Kansas City after all:: The Chiefs are dotting i's and crossing t's on a contract that would replace the recently retired Dick Vermeil with one of his former defensive proteges, who has suddenly become unwelcome in North Jersey.

And the next stage of the NFL Coaching Musical Chairs begins.

posted by chicobangs to football at 04:48 PM - 28 comments

So long, Blacksburg.: Ron Mexico's little brother gets his walking papers from Virginia Tech after his Gator Bowl fiasco.

posted by The_Black_Hand to football at 04:26 PM - 45 comments

Hook'em Horns, or Thumbs down on the Trojans: Were we happier to see Texas win or Southern Cal lose

posted by garnet&blackattack to commentary at 04:20 PM - 0 comments

Stone Cold Lock: Jacksonville Over New England: On Saturday, the Jaguars will end Tom Brady's perfect playoff record and leave the Super Bowl champs in the cold, predicts SportsFilter columnist rcade.

posted by justgary to football at 03:44 PM - 46 comments

Stone Cold Lock: Jacksonville over New England: On Saturday, the Jaguars will end Tom Brady's perfect playoff record and leave the Super Bowl champs in the cold

posted by rcade to commentary at 03:42 PM - 0 comments

Urlacher named AP Defensive Player of the Year: Well deserved, me thinks. He's been the cornerstone and leader of that defense since his rookie year, very intimidating. I sure wouldn't want to be hit by that behemoth.

posted by ProSam to football at 03:00 PM - 26 comments

Nectar of the Gods: Is it OK for Bode to ski drunk? By sportsfilter's own JJ.

posted by justgary to culture at 12:45 PM - 17 comments

Nectar of the Gods: Is it OK for Bode to ski drunk?

posted by JJ to commentary at 11:54 AM - 0 comments

Manny isn't going anywhere!: I've said it all along. The guys is just weird. Great hitter but weird. As a Red Sox fan I would hate to lose Many even after all the drama. I know a lot of Dominicans, being Puerto Rican myself, and one thing I've experienced first hand is how flaky they are when it comes to business. Not to say all are the same but just my personal accounts. Don't know why but I'm just happy to hear it from the horses mouth. He ain't going no where.

posted by ProSam to baseball at 10:07 AM - 13 comments

Childress may go to Vikings head coach job..: Brad Childress the offensive guru of the Philadelphia Eagles may soon Be headcoach of the Minnesota Vikings. As if this past year wasn't a disaster for the Eagles, they must now search for a new offensive co-ordinator...but that could be a cloud with a silver lining, since the Eagles offense did not seem to bother most nfl teams this past season.On the other hand this appears to be a solid step for the Vikings who could once again become a factor in the nfl.

posted by innamaze to football at 09:57 AM - 12 comments

Back to back: Team Canada wins its second consecutive World Juniors, pasting the Russians 5-0. Brent Sutter maintains his perfect record as head coach as his trademark physical style keeps the Russian stars in check. Justin Pogge earns his third straight shutout, leaving Leafs fans with a dreamy look in their eyes as they dare to imagine which over-the-hill veteran he'll be traded for one day.

posted by DrJohnEvans to hockey at 08:47 AM - 11 comments

Miller: Skiing drunk 'not easy': Talk about a hard challenge right there. ... If you ever tried to ski when you're wasted, it's not easy."

posted by justgary to other at 02:43 AM - 27 comments

EPL Fantasy Premier League update, through Week 21.: The holidays rush is over.

posted by gspm to fantasy at 12:29 AM - 0 comments

Amoung The Immortals: 5 Year Process to Bring Long Overdue Recognition.

Sportsfilter's own skydivedad interviews prominent baseball historian Dr. Lawrence Hogan of Union College, lead researcher for "The Negro Leagues Researchers/Authors Group" and author of the upcoming book Shades of Glory : The Negro Leagues & the Story of African-American Baseball.

posted by justgary to baseball at 07:16 PM - 8 comments

Amoung The Immortals: 5 Year Process to Bring Long Overdue Recognition!

posted by skydivedad to commentary at 03:54 PM - 0 comments

A-Rod to play for US? Does anybody care anymore!: I'm american, I'm dominican, I don't know what I am. Just pick one and go already.

posted by ProSam to baseball at 02:15 PM - 25 comments

2006 NFL Mock Draft: The order is out. 1. Houston 2. New Orleans 3. Tennessee 4. New York Jets 5. Green Bay 5. Oakland/SF 7. SF/Oakland 8. Buffalo 9. Detroit 10. Arizona What do these guys need, who will they take?

posted by Wrigley South to football at 01:18 PM - 51 comments

Alexander Runs Away With MVP: First Seahawk to get it. First RB to get it since Marshal Faulk in 2000. Peyton comes in second and Brady third. I as a Pats fan would have loved to see Brady get it but SA deserve it. Brady had the best numbers of his career on a team that was mostly patched up all season. Oh well, there's always next year.

posted by ProSam to football at 12:47 PM - 33 comments

Baseball Writers' Association of America Hall of Fame Ballot: Voting results will be announced Jan. 10th. Oral Hershiser, Dwight Gooden, Albert Belle and Will Clark are amoung the 14 1st time candidates. The writers submit their ballots this weekend and if it's like last year they are very unlikely to pick a 1st timer (Wade Boggs was only the 4th 1st time 3rd Baseman ever elected last year). I hope Ozzie Guillen, (World Series Title not withstanding) Gary DiSarcina and others aren't waiting for the phone to ring. Without at least 5% of the vote from the previous year you can't stay on the ballot. Only 1 player (Willie McGee) stands as a returnee as a 1st timer last year on this years ballot. 29 players in all are up for vote. Who's going to make it?

posted by skydivedad to baseball at 11:58 AM - 34 comments

Simon Barnes: writes an article in the Times to show to those people who "don't get sport" if you're keen to explain to them why the rest of us love it. "It would be nice to bottle the essence of these surprises for people who have the misfortune or philistinism to be sports-blind and sports-deaf. Drink this. Now do you see the point? Now do you understand why we keep coming back for more?"

posted by JJ to general at 11:34 AM - 1 comment

Battle of the Sexes: The U.S. Olympic Women's Hockey team goes to northern Minnesota and loses to a high school boys' team. An interesting idea for a game...is this considered a setback for the Olympic team, or just an illustration of where female athletes compare to their male counterparts?

posted by TheQatarian to hockey at 11:19 AM - 15 comments

Tip of the cap: Alexander Mogilny becomes the latest victim of the salary cap, waived by the Devils to clear room for Patrick Elias. Will any team take on him and his $3.5m yearly, or will he join Patrick Lalime as another multimillionaire minor leaguer?

posted by DrJohnEvans to hockey at 11:02 AM - 16 comments

What's in a nickname?: It seems cricket can't move for fads, new formats and advertising gimmicks these days. Here's another one - "players in the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash, will have their nicknames rather than surnames on their shirts." Mike Selvey takes an amusing look at the possible consequences.

posted by JJ to other at 09:30 AM - 14 comments

Vince Young leads Texas to 41-38 win over USC: Vince Young's eight-yard score with 19 seconds to play makes the Texas Longhorns national champions in college football for the first time since 1970.

posted by kirkaracha to football at 12:43 AM - 92 comments

Soccer is more exciting than Football.: I didn't say it. The boys at the Los Alamos labs did. "That is no idle barroom bragging, but the conclusion of researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. Their mathematical modeling surveyed the results of nearly one-third of a million matches in the top English soccer league, the National Football League, Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League and the National Basketball Association." Stats geeks go wild.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 06:05 PM - 37 comments

Booo!: Discuss. Thoughtfully, please.

posted by garfield to hockey at 05:04 PM - 82 comments

Super Bowl Wants Only Young Dancers: Had to post because I thought it was odd that there is an age limit of 45 and under for halftime "dancers" when the act jumping around on stage is representative of the over 60 set. I was also kind of hoping the article had something to do with the proliferation of Go Go Dancer requests in the Detroit area.

posted by gradys_kitchen to football at 10:42 AM - 51 comments

Nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills.: ESPN.com reports that former Buffalo Bills coach Marv Levy, 77, will return to the team to oversee the football operation, and president and general manager Tom Donahoe will be fired Wednesday, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports. Did I just read that right...Marv Levy? Press conference schduled for 2:30 pm ET Wednesday...

posted by the red terror to football at 10:04 AM - 18 comments

Man U and Arsenal managers give up on title.: After the former champions fought to an 0-0 draw yesterday, Arsenal (who went a whole season undefeated just two seasons ago) manager Wenger said: "The players were less nervous because we are not going for the title - we cannot compete with Chelsea." Utd manager Ferguson said: "Chelsea's consistency is beyond us." Man Utd (2nd) and Arsenal (6th) are 13 and 24 pts behind Chelsea. It's only halfway through the season, with 17 more rounds to go.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 08:49 AM - 31 comments

Who is: William Wesley?

posted by panoptican to basketball at 03:19 AM - 17 comments

UP CLOSE AND NOT PERSONAL: The dream of intimacy—it was always fantasy—is gone, and today’s players, so close to us on our plasma screens, are galaxies away from our own doings and capabilities.

posted by justgary to culture at 12:17 AM - 12 comments

NFL 2006 Pick 'Em Playoffs kicks off today!:
It's free and easy, and a Sportsfilter tradition! Show off your pigskin prognostication- or lucky guessing skills- by playing in the annual NFL Playoffs Pool!

posted by hincandenza to fantasy at 04:55 PM - 0 comments

Yahoo Year-end Photos

posted by garfield to general at 01:03 PM - 26 comments

Phil "The Power" Taylor wins his 13th World Darts Title: Regardless of where you stand on the sport/not sport issue (and according to UK Sport, darts is a sport), this is impressive. Martin Kelner enjoyed it too. More inside.

posted by JJ to other at 08:27 AM - 37 comments

In other NFL news: NFL Fantasy Football Final Results I won. Managers of 2nd and 3rd place teams were danostuporstar and thatweirdguy2. Just saying. Before a playoff game gets started.

posted by rainbaby to fantasy at 07:51 AM - 0 comments

Breaking Down the Classics with Orson Welles, : or something comparable: select Boston sports media members get to watch Bill Belichick break down film of all-time greats.

posted by yerfatma to football at 07:45 AM - 15 comments

Washington Nationals Face Washington Locals: "The D.C. Council is trying to walk away from the agreement that brought the team here," Major League President Bob DuPuy writes in today's Washington Post. A battle over paying cost overruns on the new Anacostia River stadium could be the third strike for baseball in the nation's capitol.

posted by rcade to baseball at 05:43 AM - 9 comments

How to do some really cool stunts, : or maybe just break some windows and furniture and send yourself to the hospital. The Book of Cool teaches you to master a variety of useless skills, such as finger-spinning a basketball, shoulder-popping a soccer ball, or throwing a golf ball into the air and then driving it.

posted by lil_brown_bat to extreme at 07:25 PM - 4 comments

Badgers give Alvarez a goodbye kiss.: And as the sports announcers were spewing 'Auburn this, Auburn that, Auburn the other thing,,,' Wisconsin went in and kicked their bum but good.

posted by mrhockey to football at 05:14 PM - 13 comments

NFL Playoffs Pick 'Em Visionary Planning Pre-meeting Meeting: What did you cats want to do for the NFL playoffs pick 'em this year? Who wants to run it? I had a lot of fun under NoMich's system last year, so he should get first dibs on the commish's job.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 04:21 PM - 0 comments

Sherman fired after losing season.: So is this a round about way of getting rid of Farve, he has said if Sherman goes he goes. They just gave Sherman an extension last year.

posted by tdheiland to football at 02:16 PM - 37 comments

Martz dismissed by the Rams: After weeks of anticipation, the Rams finally announced the end of Martz's tenure in St. Louis.

posted by mcstan13 to football at 10:10 AM - 41 comments

Great Skater, Terrible Timing: Mao Asada, the only female figure skater to land two triple axels in a competition, won't be allowed to compete in the Winter Olympics. She turned 15 on Sept. 25, two months and two days too late to meet the International Skating Union's minimum age requirement. Already described as the best female jumper in the history of the sport, Asada defeated world champion Irina Slutskaya at the Grand Prix in December.

posted by rcade to other at 08:05 AM - 32 comments

Tice gets a sad, sad "Zygi" card...: Vikings owner Zygi Wilf drops the hammer on Mike Tice before the crews were done mopping the Metrodome's men's rooms. And he's just the first casualty. Other heads on the block include the Texans' Dom Capers, the Rams' Mike Martz, the Saints' Jim Haslett, the Packers' Mike Sherman, the Cardinals' Denny Green, the Jets' Herm Edwards, the Ravens' Brian Billick, and maybe even Marty Schottenheimer. Meanwhile, Dick Vermiel leaves the game voluntarily, then goes home and has a good cry.

posted by The_Black_Hand to football at 09:37 PM - 18 comments

Doug's Drop Kick: Doug Flutie completes the first drop kick since 1941, scoring an extra point.

posted by dusted to football at 06:56 PM - 41 comments

EPL Fantasy Premier League update, through Week 20.: Lots more shuffling amongst the nearly-rans.

posted by gspm to fantasy at 03:21 PM - 0 comments

Ex-Ohio State Star Runner Wanted for Armed Robbery: Maurice Clarrett is wanted by Police on Sunday after being accused of using a gun to rob 2 people behind an alley in Columbus, Ohio.

posted by skydivedad to football at 01:43 PM - 107 comments