Archives for March 2006

March 31, 2006

Some holds barred: A little levity for this Friday afternoon.

posted by HATER 187 to other at 04:15 PM - 5 comments

Athletic departments at State schools are not profitable: Via Sports Law Blog, a summary of a new study by Mark Alesia of the Indianapolis Star:

… athletic departments at taxpayer-funded universities nationwide receive more than $1 billion in student fees and general school funds and services, and that without such outside funding, fewer than 10 percent of athletic departments would have been able to support themselves with ticket sales, television contracts and other revenue-generating sports sources. In fact, most would have lost more than $5 million.
Alesia has also compiled a database of NCAA financial reports, for all you frustrated economists out there.

posted by Amateur to general at 11:33 AM - 12 comments

Redick tops Morrison for AP player of year: J.J. Redick, whose 3-point shooting led Duke to a No. 1 ranking for most of the season, was selected the national player of the year by The Associated Press on Friday.

posted by STUNNER to basketball at 11:31 AM - 24 comments

Accept the cash...just don't deliver: It is ok for Nigerian football referee's to accept bribes, it isn't ok for them to actually execute the bribe. Hmmm, is that good advice?

posted by stofer71 to soccer at 10:39 AM - 7 comments

EPL Fantasy Premier League update, through Week 31.: A new king of the also-rans.

posted by gspm to fantasy at 09:40 AM - 6 comments

Sherman gets replaced: In the NASCAR world Brent Sherman is going to be replaced by Jimmy Spencer at Martinsville. Wow this is not shocking at all that guy was horrible. I've never seen a guy wreck 4 times in one race i mean come on four times. But on a lighter note at least there will be less cautions at Martinsville this weekend now huh?

posted by buffalo will never win to auto racing at 08:14 AM - 10 comments

I'll Take Seattle Slew to Win, Place and Show, Please: A Texas company backed by an Arizona billionaire is producing clones of champion cutting horses. Though most horse associations won't register clones as purebred, one European jumping horse group accepts clones and as many as 30 may be born this year.

posted by rcade to other at 06:44 AM - 5 comments

It's like Brad and Jen all over again...: Each generation has its cultural touchstones, those moments when everyone remembers where they were, at that specific moment, from that second until the day that they die. Late at night, at a dinner party or social function, someone will mention the event, and the party will hush, and recollections will be shared with whispers, as quiet as possible, so as not to upset the delicate nature of such sacred memories. This is one of those moments: According to her publicist, Anna Benson has filed for divorce from her husband, Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kris Benson. She says the marriage is "irrevocably broken." You were there. Let's all share this moment. Let us never forget. Only with time will these wounds heal.

posted by Marla Singer to baseball at 04:21 AM - 36 comments

March 30, 2006

Boxer Mesi Ready to Make Comeback : Heavyweight fighter Joe Mesi begins his comeback this weekend from a serious head injury (at least two subdural hematomas — brain bleeds ) and two years of countless medical examinations and courtroom battles.

posted by irunfromclones to boxing at 02:08 PM - 32 comments

Taste the Excitement.: NASCAR Meats: "You'll cheer the premium flavor of NASCAR Officially Licensed hot dogs ... delicious bacon, deli-thin sandwich meat, and smoked sausages." Is this real?

posted by worldcup2002 to auto racing at 01:12 PM - 26 comments

Turnabout is fair double-play: Two weeks ago, Blue Jays infielders Russ Adams and Aaron Hill went into the merchandising business, printing up Brokeback Mound t-shirts featuring new pitching partners Roy Halladay and A.J. Burnett. Of course, as is bound to happen when you poke fun at someone with ten times your salary, Adams and Hill soon found themselves getting married in an elaborate ceremony which featured a flyover proposal, catered reception, and a decorated SUV. [Toronto Star bugmenot]

posted by DrJohnEvans to baseball at 12:58 PM - 28 comments

Fast and Furious: The new generation of LPGA rookies plan to waste no time showing the veterans that they've got game. The prediction: a 2006 season for the ages.

posted by justgary to golf at 11:58 AM - 3 comments

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: The playoff races have been awesome to watch, and the last 10 games are going to be enjoyable for all hockey fans.

posted by wingnut4life to hockey at 08:47 AM - 53 comments

Where's Waldo? err, make that Barry...: I had heard a rumor (but couldn't find a verifying link, so if anyone can help out, I'd appreciate it) that MLB was not going to recognize Bonds' accomplishment until/unless he passed Aaron. Then I ran across this projection of when HR milestones would be reached by various players...

posted by elovrich to baseball at 01:56 AM - 29 comments

Mythical no more: If you care at all for NCAA basketball, and you don't live in Florida, Louisiana or Southern California, you have to cheer for George Mason. That's my Patriots' Act.

posted by justgary to basketball at 01:06 AM - 5 comments

March 29, 2006

Auction draft update: As expected finalizing a time when we can all meet up for the draft has been thrown a few curveballs. [more inside]
Also, we're looking for the help of an impartial auctioneer - so if you're willing to gather around the campfire and help us out I'm willing to donate an iTunes gift card.

posted by YukonGold to fantasy at 07:40 PM - 45 comments

NFL Curtails End Zone Celebrations : NFL owners voted 29-3 Wednesday to limit end zone demonstrations, including those using props such as Johnson's pylon putt or Terrell Owens' Sharpie signing; or another Owens specialty, sit-ups after a score.

posted by irunfromclones to football at 06:10 PM - 62 comments

Mitchell to head steroid investigation: I have the feeling this is going to get very messy before it is over.

posted by dbt302 to baseball at 05:28 PM - 14 comments

'Love child', mother lambaste Big Unit: Johnson is suing former girlfriend Laurel Roszell for $97,000 for child-care payments he made for Heather, a 16-year-old child he fathered but kept secret, the New York Daily News and New York Post reported Tuesday. Heather, the 16-year-old "love child" of New York Yankees pitcher Randy Johnson said her star father coldly responded to letters she sent to him and that she cannot bear to watch him pitch on TV anymore, the New York Post reported Wednesday. Laurel said Johnson balked last year after she asked the 3-time Cy Young Award winner to buy a truck and computer for Heather and pay for her community college classes, the Daily News said.

posted by irunfromclones to baseball at 12:05 PM - 155 comments

Larranaga and the art of goofy motivation: Zorro and Don Quixote vs. Giggles in the paint.

posted by Hugh Janus to basketball at 11:02 AM - 5 comments

Sampson to become new Indiana coach: Sampson is a good coach and apparently not a stupid one.

posted by challack to basketball at 09:48 AM - 17 comments

ND safety Zbikowski to make pro boxing debut: Notre Dame safety Tom Zbikowski will make his professional boxing debut at Madison Square Garden on June 10. It's a feel good story, but with an undertone (my opinion) of "why does he need NCAA approval?"

posted by wingnut4life to boxing at 08:24 AM - 16 comments

Parity Marks NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament: Wisconsin is the only top seed to make it through the regionals and that took 3 overtime 20 minute periods. The field is set with Boston College, Maine, North Dakota and Wisconsin advancing to the Frozen Four.

posted by skydivedad to hockey at 06:28 AM - 22 comments

Getting excited about the World Cup yet?: Explore the world’s greatest sporting event through video of its most memorable moments, matches and people. Watch Brazil’s majesty, Diego’s defiance, France’s chic, fantastic goals, dramatic matches and stunning saves.

posted by JJ to soccer at 04:38 AM - 11 comments

March 28, 2006

College Quarterbacks Through the Prism of Statistics: At the top of the NFL draft, every general manager dreams of finding the next Peyton Manning or John Elway, but fears he will end up with the next Joey Harrington or Akili Smith.

posted by justgary to football at 11:24 PM - 11 comments

Why the Leafs Stink: A headline in this morning's Toronto Star is refreshingly blunt about the current fortunes of the local NHL team, seven points out of a playoff spot with two weeks left in the season.

posted by rcade to hockey at 08:59 AM - 48 comments

Perfection in Losing: Scott Adams (of Dilbert fame) gives us the backstory of Blake versus Federer.

posted by dzot to tennis at 08:11 AM - 20 comments

Do teams prepare less for teams they should beat leading to the playoffs?: The Red Wings lose to Columbus. So what? Columbus is out of it and the Wings are among the elite teams, so why should they try as hard in a meaningless game? Or are they and other playoff bound teams setting themselves up for failure by losing momentum? The Wings are facing 3 teams, twice, that won't make it to the playoffs, so should they or other top teams rest their great players and just phone the games in? What's more important, health or momentum?

posted by commander cody to hockey at 12:37 AM - 25 comments

March 27, 2006

Fantasy NBA: Head-to-head playoffs + roto update: Final three weeks of fantasy NBA. Championship and consolation brackets inside, along with an updated roto league standings table.

posted by dusted to fantasy at 03:18 PM - 7 comments

Auntie Climax: It looks like this year's SpoFi March Madness pool is all over but for the crying. RainBigBaby cannot be caught....it is just a matter of how big an ass-kicking the final score is. We do, however, need an official ruling on the Costanza....more inside.

By the way, some guy named Tim McKenna called the Final Four and is in first place in the Yahooniverse.

posted by smithers to fantasy at 11:13 AM - 24 comments

Article VI: Online Meta-Correspondence.: The undersigned agree that a minimum quality threshold shall be established for all links posted to SportsFilter.com, beginning with a strict punishment applied to users who post links to the same old Page 2 stuff again and again.

posted by DrJohnEvans to culture at 10:00 AM - 49 comments

Cycling.tv: is an online TV channel dedicated to the sport of pro cycling. Already this year they've shown a number of live one day classics from Belgium, absolutely free to anyone with a good broadband connection. You can also watch on-demand edited highlights of recent races and some of the Pro Tour races from last year.

posted by afx237vi to other at 09:22 AM - 16 comments

March 26, 2006

Ben Johnson, Cheetah spokesman: It sounds like something from the Onion, but it appears to be for real. Cheetah Energy Drink is introducing two new spots featuring Canada's most infamous cheater.

"Ben, when you run, do you Cheetah?"

"Absolutely! I Cheetah all the time!"



posted by Amateur to culture at 06:41 PM - 14 comments

Brackets trashed around the country.: Although some people might of picked George Mason to upset Michigan State and even make the sweet sixteen, most were crying foul after they made the tournament over Hofstra. The Patriots have now proved everyone wrong as they have become the first mid-major to make the tournament after beating Connecticut in a huge upset today.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia to basketball at 04:35 PM - 41 comments

Is Max Mosley creating unrest in formula one?: The FIA president is making redical changes in F1 in the next two years. Are they the right changes? Mark Gero takes a look.

posted by justgary to auto racing at 04:25 PM - 0 comments

Is Max Mosley creating unrest in formula one?: The FIA president is making redical changes in F1 in the next two years. Are they the right changes? ----By Mark Gero

posted by mgero to commentary at 01:32 PM - 0 comments

Paul Dana dies from injuries during warm-up crash. : Horrible accident. Estimated impact was at 176 mph.

posted by dbt302 to auto racing at 12:40 PM - 34 comments

Do Not Taunt the Tiger: Stephen Ames, the leader going into today's final round at The Player's Championship, is bouncing back from one of the greatest smackdowns in the history of golf. A month ago, he went into a match play competition against Tiger Woods with a good-natured comment about the way his opponent had been playing: "Anything can happen ... especially where he's hitting the ball." Woods heard about the remark, then beat Ames by nine strokes after 10 holes, the most lopsided victory possible.

posted by rcade to golf at 12:19 PM - 12 comments

Soccer Commercials: Lots of them!

posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 01:08 AM - 7 comments

March 25, 2006

The End of an Era in Houston: After an incredible 15 year run that saw 4 All-star appearances, 449 Home Runs and one memorable World Series experience, Houston Astros icon Jeff Bagwell has finally met a challenge that he cannot beat: his ailing chronic right throwing shoulder. And its such a shame too...

posted by chemwizBsquared to baseball at 11:29 PM - 26 comments

March 24, 2006

U.S. thrown a curve; Cuba cries foul: Seems like silly posturing on both sides. If this was a condition of Cuba being allowed to/agreeing to play, they can hardly complain about it after the fact. However, the US should have realized this was a possibilty, and would only make them look bad after the fact.

posted by hoverbike to baseball at 09:48 PM - 56 comments

Strapping on the knee pads.: Apparently the Knicks have officially given up on this season. I'm hoping they buy a full page ad in the NYT with this message.

posted by lilnemo to basketball at 07:37 PM - 21 comments

Backchecking: More Trades A-Bruin: Expect more player movement in Beantown this summer, dissension is the word of the week in Vancouver and Devils have cracked their EGG line. Hot n' Not, Farm Report, Junior Report and the best in quotes, Chirping, in this week's edition of TSN.ca's Backchecking.

posted by wingnut4life to hockey at 06:21 PM - 14 comments

Keyshawn to Panthers: Keyshawn Johnson is going to the Panthers in a $19 million deal with a $5 million signing bonus he negotiated personally. This should be good to see Steve Smith fight for the 1 spot.

posted by kyjac1 to football at 04:13 PM - 26 comments

Nope. Chris Ballard doesn't get it at ALL.: True Hoop's Henry Abbott takes apart Chris Ballard's latest SI article on the internets impact on sports reporting. If Mr. Ballard wanted a better perspective on blogging, he could have interviewed his new co-worker DodgerThoughts blogger Jon Weisman.

posted by lilnemo to culture at 03:39 PM - 1 comment

3D live sporting events may come to movie theaters: It's already been done with baseball, NASCAR, MLS and the Tour de France, and at least one theater chain wants to make it a regular event. Via Yaysports.

posted by dusted to general at 01:08 PM - 6 comments

Blues' incredible streak is over: Last night, the St. Louis Blues officially ended a run of post-season appearances that began in the 1979-80 season. Oddly, a pretty extensive search revealed only this story about the Blues' sale to Dave Checketts, which mentions the streak in a footnote.

posted by BullpenPro to hockey at 10:44 AM - 34 comments

Bonds to sue "Game of Shadows" authors, publishers: What I find most interesting is that Bonds is not suing over the claims that he used performance-enhancing drugs, but over the fact that the leaked grand jury testimony the authors base many of their claims on is "illegally obtained."

posted by The_Black_Hand to baseball at 08:06 AM - 70 comments

March 23, 2006

Vanderjagt to Cowboys: It was well expected; there was some speculation Vanderjagt might go to the Pats, but so much for that theory.

posted by v3rity to football at 03:51 PM - 29 comments

Belfour's season is over: The Leafs placed Belfour on injured
reserve Thursday, ending a disappointing campaign for the
40-year old netminder.

posted by wingnut4life to hockey at 03:48 PM - 24 comments

Ichiro: Glad to Play Outside of Seattle: Humor from The Onion

posted by Bill Lumbergh to baseball at 10:36 AM - 34 comments

SportsFlip.com: It's digg.com with sports content. And sports metaphors.

posted by DrJohnEvans to general at 10:21 AM - 7 comments

Geeks and Baseball: With the baseball season approaching, it's time to remember how geeks and technology have transformed the game of baseball.

posted by justgary to baseball at 01:10 AM - 15 comments

Smooth Start for Instant Replay in Tennis: "Instant replay made its tour debut Wednesday at the Nasdaq-100 Open, and initial reviews were favorable."

"It takes a lot of pressure off," Jackson said. "You don't get so angry. If you think a call is incorrect, you don't spend extra games thinking about it."

"It's a little less stress," Harkleroad said. "If you think you're sure (about a call), you're in control of that, not somebody else."

This is great! I hope Baseball implements something similar to review close plays (not balls / strikes) but general plays / hits ...

posted by zippinglou to tennis at 12:33 AM - 7 comments

March 22, 2006

The meanest hunk o' woman that anybody ever seen: Frank DeFord eulogizes the original Roller Derby Queen, Ann Calvello, who died of cancer last week. See her body of work in Demon of the Derby.

posted by yerfatma to other at 10:50 AM - 12 comments

March 21, 2006

Kings fire coach Murray; hire Torchetti: "A decision of this magnitude is never easy and cannot be taken lightly," Taylor said in a release. "Ultimately, I have not been happy with the direction our hockey team has been going, and without making a change now, I didn't see that direction changing."

posted by wingnut4life to hockey at 09:38 PM - 6 comments

Let's Go Crazy: Prince moves Uptown and Controversy follows. 'U Got The Look all wrong', says landlord Carlos Boozer. Prince, (yeah, that Prince), paints the home, (yeah, that color), he is renting for $70,000 a month from Boozer. Boozer sues.
via newsvine and deadspin

posted by geekyguy to basketball at 07:20 PM - 20 comments

EPL Fantasy Premier League update, through Week 30.: Meow.

posted by gspm to fantasy at 07:10 PM - 13 comments

World-record bass boated in California : That is one BIG fish.

posted by dbt302 to other at 01:04 PM - 36 comments

Head to head league : I need six more teams in a yahoo fantasy league. The draft will be saturday the 25th at 2:00 PM. The league ID is 228118, and the password is baseball. If anyone is interested please sign up.

posted by jojomfd1 to fantasy at 10:55 AM - 1 comment

WBC winner: Who walked away from the World Baseball Classic a winner? Well, MLB, for one. Fans of the game all over the world, for another. Japan, too, I guess. But they were all namby-pamby-pretend winners. The real winner was SpoFi's very own NoMich. Hearty congratulations for finishing eight full points ahead of that blasted Baseball Prospectus.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 08:38 AM - 36 comments

Japan wins World Baseball Classic: While half of America slept, and the other half blissfully ignored the event, Japan defeated Cuba, 10-6, in the title game of the inaugural World Baseball Classic. Well, maybe not classic, but not bad, and no one refused to play left field. Japan's Matsuzaka took MVP as Sadaharu Oh, the most legendary and storied player in the history of Japanese baseball, added to his legacy.

posted by justgary to baseball at 04:29 AM - 67 comments

March 20, 2006

Soriano refuses to play outfield for Nationals: "The player refused to take the field, which we believe is a violation of his contract," Bowden said. Soriano, a four-time All-Star second baseman, was listed as batting leadoff and playing left field on a lineup sheet posted in the Nationals' clubhouse before Monday night's 11-5 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. But when the Nationals took the field in the top of the first, Soriano wasn't out there. With play just about ready to start, left field was empty.

posted by BullpenPro to baseball at 09:47 PM - 140 comments

So long Joey.: The former third pick out of the University of Oregon is moving on without his former team. Joey Harrington, who has undoubtably performed way below expectations, will be free to test the free agent market and leave the Lions behind.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia to football at 06:41 PM - 42 comments

A sports legend passes: Only 60 in Doggie years Smoky the VIII lived a glorious, yet tragically short life.

posted by everett to football at 03:42 PM - 12 comments

Goodbye Paul.: One of the men that have made huge contributions to the NFL is now retiring. Paul Tagliabue, commissioner of the NFL is retiring after negotiating a very tough labor deal. The NFL will miss the leadership of the man who has overseen a massive stadium rebuilding plan that has replaced over two-thirds of the 32 teams stadiums.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia to football at 02:28 PM - 34 comments

Wily Mo Pena traded to BoSox for Bronson Arroyo, Cash: Reds finally make a deal to improve their pitching. Wily Mo should platoon well with Nixon in RF.

posted by MPeter to baseball at 11:04 AM - 40 comments

Fantasy Hockey Update: One month until the season ends. WeedyMcSmokey has been killing all of us for the better part of the season. Can anyone make a last minute run at him? Standings are here and trash talk is inside.

posted by qbert72 to fantasy at 09:25 AM - 51 comments

Leiter calls it quits: One of baseball's best big game pitchers, an enthusiatic competitor, and one of the game's really good guys is moving on.

posted by BullpenPro to baseball at 07:09 AM - 46 comments

March 19, 2006

Audi Makes History as Diesel-Powered R10 TDI Wins Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring: Diesel Powered? Could be the beginning of something big in all forms of racing down the road.

posted by dbt302 to auto racing at 10:04 PM - 5 comments

George Mason Stuns Tarheels: The 11-seeded George Mason Patriots beat the no. 3 seed defending national champions UNC Tar Heels, 65-60.

posted by kirkaracha to basketball at 09:04 PM - 16 comments

Renault driver Giancarlo Fisichella leads a 1-2 finish at the Grand Prix of Malaysia for the first time in 24 years.: After the first race of the year in 2005, Giancarlo Fisichella was on top of the world. He had just won the first race of the year, and was leading the world championship. But the rest of that year went downhill. In last week’s race, the 32 year old Italian thought that it would begin again with the bad luck following a hydraulic problem. But Sunday in Malaysia, it all changed. A column by sportsfilter's own Mark Gero.

posted by justgary to auto racing at 04:00 PM - 4 comments

Ping Pong!: Over the top table tennis rally. LMAO.

posted by worldcup2002 to other at 02:01 PM - 8 comments

Shit hits fan.: Or almost did. Liverpool apologizes to Man U for fan behavior, including one known case where human excrement was thrown. I am speechless, thinking of the questions this begs.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 12:45 PM - 17 comments

Mo's Guide to Baseball: For those of you who insist athletes be role models, look no further than one of the greatest closers in baseball history.

posted by dyams to baseball at 12:27 PM - 15 comments

Fisichella leads Renault 1-2 at Sepang: Renault driver Giancarlo Fisichella leads a 1-2 finish at the Grand Prix of Malaysia for the first time in 24 years. By Mark Gero

posted by mgero to commentary at 03:34 AM - 0 comments

March 18, 2006

Legally blind musher finishes Iditarod: with a little bit of luck and a little bit of help. Two words: awesome girl.

posted by GoBirds to other at 04:30 PM - 4 comments

Mexico's Ayala Out For Season: Finally, the thing MLB dreaded the most. Washington's bullpen takes a hit as one of the best setup men in the game needs Tommy John surgery. To complicate the matter, Washington had pleaded with MLB to keep Ayala from playing because he had surgery during the off-season, and they didn't think he was strong enough to pitch in game situations.

posted by BullpenPro to baseball at 11:30 AM - 30 comments

T.O. in Big D: Terrell Owens has reached an agreement in principle to join the Dallas Cowboys. The signing comes six years after he showed contempt for the franchise by spiking two touchdowns on the star at the midfield of Texas Stadium, the second of which resulted in George Teague drawing the most beloved unsportsmanlike conduct foul in Cowboys history.

posted by xmutex to football at 12:24 AM - 104 comments

Got Joga?: Google and Nike are starting a soccerfootball-oriented social network, leveraging the Orkut system, and you only get in if a current member invites you. Anybody here a member? Is it worth asking for an invitation?

posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 12:09 AM - 7 comments

March 17, 2006

Kahne captures pole, but Lester steals show: Bill Lester becomes the first African-American to qualify for a race since 1986. Congratulations Bill.

posted by dbt302 to auto racing at 10:27 PM - 14 comments

Ex-DePaul coach Ray Meyer dies at 92: A great coach and a great guy too. He will be missed by many.

posted by dbt302 to basketball at 05:49 PM - 6 comments

The biggest loser in the history of sports: Red Klotz, the coach of the Washington Generals.

posted by kirkaracha to culture at 02:52 PM - 15 comments

March 16, 2006

Stink-o de Marcho: USA goes back to MLB business as usual after stunning loss to Mexico.

posted by BullpenPro to baseball at 09:49 PM - 74 comments

Lofton's Great Shot Lifts Tennessee?: Am I the only person in the world who thinks this guy travelled on this play? I haven't been able to find video yet. Anybody who has please post it.

posted by chuck'n'duck to basketball at 09:31 PM - 10 comments

EPL Fantasy Premier League: Results through week 29.

posted by gspm to fantasy at 06:51 PM - 17 comments

Hallday signs 3- year extension: In the latest deal made by the Blue Jays, the organization extended Roy Halladays contract into the 2010 season by signing a 3-year $40 million extension.

posted by redsoxrgay to baseball at 03:30 PM - 17 comments

Bomb dog's alert delays NCAA game : ...a hot dog cart attracted the attention of a bomb-sniffing dog. Maybe you should have fed the dog before the bomb sweep?

posted by wingnut4life to basketball at 03:25 PM - 0 comments

Report: Commissioner Selig Won't Bail Out Bonds: With Congress nipping at his heels, he really has no choice. Something tells me this is going to get real ugly before it is over.

posted by dbt302 to baseball at 12:43 PM - 63 comments

Steve Nash spends endorsement cash on Paraguay hospital: The NBA guard bought a new intensive care post-operative pediatric cardiology ward in the city where his wife grew up.

posted by dusted to basketball at 12:32 PM - 36 comments

March 15, 2006

An Englishman's view of an American sports icon.: Steven Wells, The Guardian's US sportswriter on cheerleading, and why it exposes the 'ugly ideological mess at the heart of modern conservatism'. Please read the entire article before you post a comment.

posted by owlhouse to culture at 06:34 PM - 67 comments

The more things change...: As TSN writer Jay Onrait flipped between watching the Vancouver Canucks get pummeled for the fifth straight game in a 5-0 loss to the Predators on Tuesday night, and the Edmonton Oilers barely hanging on to a 2-1 victory in Minnesota to snap a four-game losing streak, he was struck by something. These were arguably the two most active teams at the NHL Trade Deadline, and right now, it hasn't done either of them a bit of good.

posted by wingnut4life to hockey at 04:41 PM - 8 comments

USA MNT receives highest ever FIFA ranking: Number 5.: This subject always seems to spark a debate. To your corners!

posted by Texan_lost_in_NY to soccer at 02:08 PM - 23 comments

"Doc" Gooden back in jail,: apparently couldn't keep his nose clean.

posted by mr_crash_davis to baseball at 11:32 AM - 75 comments

America's Tournament: Dan Wetzel: "For three weeks you can forget about your big-market, big-city, big-revenue pro sports. The beauty of the NCAA tournament is that even someone like the little Albany Great Danes has a chance -- albeit the chance of a 16th seed about to play Connecticut, which means, what, a one in a million chance? According to USA Today, try one in a sextillion. So you're saying there's a chance. "

posted by scottypup to basketball at 09:43 AM - 11 comments

March 14, 2006

USC bballer 0wnzrd by Cal fan club: "Victoria was a hoax UCLA co-ed, created by Cal's Rally Committee. ... had been chatting with Gabe Pruitt, USC's starting guard, over AOL Instant Messenger. ... [A]t the game, when Pruitt was introduced in the starting lineup, the chants began: "Victoria, Victoria." ... Pruitt ended up a miserable 3-for-13 from the field.One of the fans held up a sign with her phone number." Awesome.

posted by worldcup2002 to basketball at 11:30 PM - 43 comments

America's Favorite Player Released.: The man who has given sportsblogs across America things to talk about over the course of the past few months has finally been released and is free to find another team. Even if you're oblivious to everything in the sports world, you can tell something went bad when the team announces his release in a one sentence statement.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia to football at 06:21 PM - 48 comments

Korea beats USA: In a 7-3 loss, the Koreans exploited some key flaws in team USA's armor...surprised? I think not.

posted by chemwizBsquared to baseball at 05:14 PM - 24 comments

Vikings deal Culpepper to Dolphins : Vikings and Dolphins have agreed on a trade, with Miami sending a second-round pick to the Vikings in exchange for the Pro Bowl quarterback.

posted by wingnut4life to football at 12:20 PM - 75 comments

Auction/Keeper league update:: Anyone who's signed up for the Auction/Keeper league, please look inside for further detail and discussion. Also, we still have space available if anyone has interest.

posted by YukonGold to fantasy at 11:48 AM - 56 comments

Bay Hill Invitational 2006: Columnist JJ gives an "inside-the-ropes" preview exclusively for Sportsfilter.

posted by justgary to golf at 11:31 AM - 18 comments

Oral Roberts University's odds : of winning the NCAA men's hoops tourney are five sextillion to one. So they have that going for them. Which is nice.

posted by mr_crash_davis to basketball at 11:27 AM - 16 comments

Bay Hill Invitational 2006: - an inside-the-ropes preview exclusively for Sportsfilter

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

Head to Head needs 1-3 more teams. Draft is Saturday: We had a person drop out. We have that spot and 2 others if were to go with sixteen.. First come first serve. We miss you Bullpenpro-I am told that you were the one to drop. Go to yahoo fantasy baseball league " 90802 The password is: chuck If I only get two more to sign up-then on will have to be dropped so we can play with 14- We would, however, like to play with 16!

posted by daddisamm to fantasy at 07:43 AM - 25 comments

Bracket link hopefully right: You are invited to join my on-line college hoops bracket group! To accept this invitation and join the group, click the link below (or cut and paste the link into your browser's address field). You'll be asked to enter the group's password before you can join. The group password is included in this e-mail. http://spofi.mayhem.sportsline.com/e Our Group password is: marchmadness Please let me know if this finally works right...

posted by elovrich to fantasy at 03:04 AM - 2 comments

WBC Update: The Leaderboard is current through tonight's games. Baseball Prospectus has fallen from its lofty perch because it didn't foresee Korea going 5-0 to start the tournament. The simulated fool! Also the U.S. seems to have had more difficulty than anticipated in the win department, which has upset the standings somewhat.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 12:57 AM - 47 comments

March 13, 2006

Littlepage goes overtime to defend panel's work: Maybe the committee should invite some of the media in to see exactly why they do what they do.

posted by dbt302 to basketball at 08:02 PM - 11 comments

Footballheroes.org: "Football Heroes is a complete collectors picture album featuring 60 World Cup teams: all the 2006 qualifiers plus the most famous teams from World Cup history. It contains over 700 individual player portraits drawn by 50 illustrators from 17 different countries." Cool. Beautiful. Buy it for me.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 06:33 PM - 12 comments

Longtime Temple coach Chaney retires: Great career but he had a temper too.

posted by dbt302 to basketball at 02:37 PM - 21 comments

Looking for The Natural in an age of examiniation. : Charlie Pierce on the Red Sox' Jonathon Papelbon and what it means to labor under the burden of expectation now.

posted by yerfatma to baseball at 12:52 PM - 28 comments

A Young Athlete with Heart: Before he died of a rare heart condition, 11-year-old Canadian hockey player Chase McEachern had one wish he expressed in a letter to Don Cherry: "make defibrillators mandatory in hockey arenas and schools everywhere."

posted by rcade to hockey at 07:35 AM - 21 comments

Alonso edges Schumacher at Bahrain: Spain's Fernando Alonso keeps his championship in place, just coming ahead of Ferrari's Michael Schumacher at the Grand Prix of Bahrain. A sportsfilter column by mgero.

posted by justgary to auto racing at 02:58 AM - 8 comments

March 12, 2006

The NCAA Tourney Field Is Set: And now all I have to do is enter 2 tournament pools and fill out my hard copy bracket. This year looks entertaining for sure.

posted by chemwizBsquared to basketball at 11:17 PM - 20 comments

A-Rod lifts USA past Japan: 2 yrs. later, Alex Rodriguez finally delivers in Anaheim.
Kuddos to Buck Martinez for knowing the Ump rotation in the bases loaded situation and noticing that the home-plete umpire was actually the one supposed to make the tag call - despite it being the wrong the one - If Buck doesn't preassure, the USA loses that game almost certainly.... Davidson, the home-plate umpire, must be wanting to get back to working in the Majoes badly.... maybe this type of call will make them (MLB Authorities) think he's a "keeper".... Bah!!!

posted by zippinglou to baseball at 10:29 PM - 50 comments

Biggest One Day Chase in history: as South Africa run down Australia with one wicket and one ball to spare in the series decider. One of the greatest cricket matches ever.

posted by owlhouse to other at 05:09 PM - 15 comments

Alonso edges Schumacher at Bahrain: Spain's Fernando Alonso keeps his championship in place, just coming ahead of Ferrari's Michael Schumacher at the Grand Prix of Bahrain

posted by mgero to commentary at 03:47 PM - 0 comments

Randel El to Washington NFL team: Not sure how many footballs Randel El expects to catch in Washington with all the receivers they have (Santana Moss, Brandon Lloyd, David Patten, etc.), but he passed up $18 million per year for six years—plus an $8 million signing bonus—from his hometown Bears to work for The Danny. Hope Al Saunders has enough plays to go around.

posted by scully to football at 03:22 PM - 28 comments

(New) Home, James: Running back Edgerrin James has signed a four-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals. Who will look cross-eyed at Peyton when he calls those goofy audibles now?

posted by wfrazerjr to football at 02:26 PM - 33 comments

Classic's final eight truly elite: Baseball's answer to the Elite Eight is now in place. There is not a fluke in the bunch. Tournament's second round features game's powerhouses.

posted by wingnut4life to baseball at 10:43 AM - 11 comments

March 11, 2006

Cheerleaders grounded by new rules: I say let 'em fly. One scary incident shouldn't take away the thrill these girls feel for cheerleading.

posted by GoBirds to basketball at 02:59 PM - 35 comments

And on his greatest day...: Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion - inventor of the slap shot and the second man ever to score 50 goals in a season, succumbs to stomach cancer on the very day his jersey is to be retired by the most revered franchise in hockey.

posted by WeedyMcSmokey to hockey at 01:19 PM - 16 comments

Kyle Busch becoming a problem?: Some of the NASCAR drivers are getting worried about how Kyle Busch has been driving. Are young drivers too agressive?

posted by buffalo will never win to auto racing at 12:57 PM - 42 comments

Ashley Cole. Gay?: The Arsenal defender gets defensive over Google results that suggest you would like to see results for this.

posted by geekyguy to soccer at 01:23 AM - 15 comments

Baseball's Best Burger: The Grizzlies and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts have teamed up to create "Baseball’s Best Burger." The burger, which was introduced at Gateway’s December 10th sale, consists of a thick and juicy burger topped with sharp cheddar cheese and two slices of bacon. The burger is then placed in between each side of a Krispy Kreme Original Glazed doughnut.

Following the 2005 "Swiss Brat" and the 2004 "Best Hotdog" the new burger will contain roughly 1,000 calories and 45 grams of fat.

posted by justgary to baseball at 12:15 AM - 21 comments

March 10, 2006

MetroStars no longer.: Major League Soccer has announced a 50% buyout of the MetroStars by sugar peddlers energy-drink monstrosity Red Bull. Effective immediately, there will be a new logo, team kit, and colors. Oh, they'll also now be called Red Bull New York. Here's an interview with RBNY (rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?) GM Alexi Lalas. Sports Network Soccer Editor Josh Simeone has some interesting thoughts on the transaction.

posted by Ufez Jones to soccer at 06:30 PM - 12 comments

Remembering Kirby (Windows Media link): Dave Winfield stopped by WEEI's Dale & Holley show this week. Kirby himself couldn't hope to be remembered better.

posted by yerfatma to baseball at 06:13 PM - 2 comments

Anti-Castro Sign at Ballgame Causes Stir: Gotta love it! - Cubans don't know what a democracy truly is. The Cuban official thought he could just bully the guy on the stands ... and got taken to the police station to be lectured on Freedom of Speech ... I'm sure that must have been a nightmare in itself ... (Sweetness!).

posted by zippinglou to baseball at 02:13 PM - 27 comments

Mayor opposes nude cycling race on safety grounds: Is anyone really going to notice the helmets?

posted by dbt302 to other at 12:10 PM - 11 comments

Buckeyes on probation: Because of their use of an ineligable player the buckeyes have to remove their 1999 final four banner and pay $800k.

posted by HATER 187 to basketball at 12:09 PM - 10 comments

Vince Young Fumbles an Opportunity: Jason Whitlock: "Vince Young is clueless. And I'm not talking about his score on the Wonderlic test. I'm talking about his understanding of what it takes to make it in the NFL as a quarterback. Humility is the No. 1 ingredient."

posted by chemwizBsquared to football at 10:35 AM - 58 comments

Space: The Final Fairway: Sometime this summer, Russian cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov will attempt the longest six-iron shot in golf history on the International Space Station with a scandium club made by Element 21 Golf. "If all goes as planned, the 17,000-mph smash with a golf club will travel 2.1 billion miles."

posted by rcade to golf at 07:42 AM - 33 comments

Vikings not passing up Culpepper trade: Teams in need of quarterbacks include Miami, New Orleans, Detroit, the New York Jets, the Baltimore Ravens and the Oakland Raiders, who still have not released Kerry Collins, even if it has been reported that they have. Please not Detroit! We have Harrington!

posted by wingnut4life to football at 07:33 AM - 22 comments

Why Boxing Needs Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton: Screaming maricon is not going to help boxing any in this era of "Brokeback Mountain"... Boxing has become a sideshow with no ringmaster, and thus almost no major sponsors other than dear old booze.

posted by justgary to boxing at 01:30 AM - 0 comments

March 09, 2006

Barry is 2 legit 2 quit: Every story written about steroids means nothing to us in the know...You are loved by many. I love you. Hammer, don't hurt 'em.

posted by dzot to baseball at 10:31 PM - 69 comments

Winter Olympics 2014....Hoth?: This is so damn funny it hurts

posted by wisportcheese to other at 06:17 PM - 19 comments

Unranked Syracuse Upsets #1 UConn, 86-84: Syracuse was winning well throughout the game, they deserved this win.

posted by v3rity to basketball at 05:47 PM - 15 comments

Under the radar: NBA's top 5 role players.

posted by justgary to basketball at 05:35 PM - 5 comments

Beating the clock: NHL general managers waited until the last minute to pull off the biggest deals at the trading deadline, including Mark Recchi to Carolina and Sergei Samsonov to Edmonton. Who won, who lost and what the hell are the Leafs paying John Ferguson Jr. for?

posted by wfrazerjr to hockey at 03:09 PM - 36 comments

The NBA has a problem: And this problem is reflective of many issues the league, and the sport of basketball on the whole, faces: there is zero respect shown to refs.

posted by dusted to basketball at 02:43 PM - 16 comments

EPL Fantasy Premier League: Results through Week 28. With bonus UEFA Champions League pool coverage!

posted by gspm to fantasy at 12:59 PM - 21 comments

March 08, 2006

Canada 8, United States 6 : Kind of an upset(sarcastic). The US actually has a chance to be eliminated.

posted by pauleye to baseball at 08:51 PM - 62 comments

Canadiens and Avalanche Swap Goalies: The Colorado Avalanche have traded away goaltender David Aebischer (who was remarkable in the Olympics) for injured former-Vezina trophy winner, Jose Theodore.

posted by v3rity to hockey at 07:30 PM - 16 comments

Scott Speed: An American returns to Formula One: For the first time in 13 years, the U.S. has an entry in motor racing's premier event. A column by sportsfilter member Mark Gero.

posted by justgary to auto racing at 05:36 PM - 12 comments

What happens when players act as their own agents: Daunte Culpepper asks for trade or release...

posted by elovrich to football at 04:53 PM - 24 comments

Liverpool get the Portuguese sausage.: I don't know what that means, but it sounds funny. What's not funny is that my Liverpool, current Euro champs, were bundled out of the Champions League today by Benfica 2-0 (3-0 on aggregate). With five strikers playing and no goals, what needs to be done in the scoring department? (btw, congrats to Arsenal, the only English team left in the competition.)

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 04:32 PM - 7 comments

Football terms from around the world.: The Guardian's The Knowledge makes me laugh with football terms that describe tricks and other phenomena. Which one did you like best? Have any of your own?

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 01:50 PM - 11 comments

Point Shaving Occurs in 5% of NCAA Basketball Games with Large Spreads: So sayeth this paper from Justin Wolfers, an economist at the University of Pennsylvania. [via The Sports Economist]

posted by yerfatma to basketball at 12:45 PM - 31 comments

Wells blasts Selig, calls for his resignation: Gee, do you think David likes Bud? "...He's a piece of [expletive]. And you can quote me on that."

posted by wingnut4life to baseball at 12:22 PM - 16 comments

Father of former ASU player sues: ASU for not controlling his son? This is almost as stupid as that lady spilling coffee on herself and suing McDonalds because she got burned. The kid was college aged. He should be able to control whether or not he should go to a bar.

posted by Wrigley South to football at 10:41 AM - 52 comments

SpoFi member's December Champions League predictions: Aggregate results inside. How sharp are your forecasting abilities?

posted by Texan_lost_in_NY to soccer at 09:58 AM - 8 comments

On a Tear: Paul Pierce has scored at least 30 points in six straight games and 12 of his last 13, a feat no other Boston Celtics player has ever accomplished.

posted by chemwizBsquared to basketball at 08:30 AM - 26 comments

Tiny Robots Gear up for Soccer Competition: Robots playing soccer....hmm....the only way I see this being interesting is if they mix it with another sport like nascar...and maybe add some exlposives or some other sort of fully automatic munitions

posted by miller to soccer at 08:09 AM - 4 comments

NHL 2006 Trade Deadline 3PM Thursday: With salary cap Issues now in the mix and only five teams with no chance for playoff berths, who's buying, who's selling, who is clueless ... here's a look at the teams in the East.

posted by skydivedad to hockey at 06:52 AM - 75 comments

March 07, 2006

Scott Speed: An American returns to Formula One- By Mark Gero: For the first time in 13 years, the U.S. has an entry in motor racing's premier event

posted by mgero to commentary at 08:38 PM - 0 comments

MLS gives you wings!: Red Bull, the drink maker, is about to purchase the MetroStars for $30M from the Anschutz Entertainment Group. Houston, on the other hand, has found a new (though still less than stellar) name: the Dynamo (yes, singular).

posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 07:00 PM - 8 comments

Classic a Good Show for Baseball: Around the World, especially in Latin American Countries, where Baseball has become a National Passion, the New Tournament had a compelling name before the first pitch was thrown. If you can only set up your TiVo for one game on Tuesday, forget Mexico-U.S. The game to watch on the first day of baseball's version of March Madness (those Pool A games from Tokyo were all night games, at least in the U.S.) is Venezuela vs. the Dominican Republic. The matchup of Johan Santana vs. Albert Pujols, Miguel Tejada and David Ortiz, has been greatly anticipated since the brackets were announced in December.

posted by skydivedad to baseball at 07:51 AM - 31 comments

March 06, 2006

Ex-NHLer Fleury ejected from British hockey game: Just when you thought this guy would just fade away. He's given another chance to play, and blows it -- again.

posted by wingnut4life to hockey at 08:09 PM - 21 comments

Kirby Puckett Passes Away: Seeing things like this should make us all step back and realize that life is way too short. The world will truly miss his presence (News story).

posted by chemwizBsquared to baseball at 07:38 PM - 80 comments

What Will NASCAR Do About 'Buschwackers?': Interesting problem. I think there should be some sort of restrictions on this, and quick or the future talent pool may suffer.

posted by wisportcheese to auto racing at 05:09 PM - 29 comments

Novel excuses for losing: Well, I've heard a few, but how about "Town was too boring"? That's right: after a hiding in Hamilton, the Queensland Reds have blamed the city for being so boring as to put the players into a snooze before the big game. But how boring is Hamilton, really? After all, Waikato and All Black half-back Byron Kelleher seems to keep himself amused.

posted by rodgerd to other at 04:26 PM - 7 comments

England 2006 = England 1966?: Well, at least, their kit looks like it. The England team attempts to borrow some of that 1966 World Cup-winning mojo by borrowing from the strip, red jersey, white shorts and all.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 02:52 PM - 18 comments

The Ron Francis Award?: NHL.com's John McGourty thinks to may be time for an award that goes to the traded player who does the most to help his new team toward a Stanley Cup.

posted by NoMich to hockey at 02:08 PM - 8 comments

Cheerleader continues cheering after breaking neck: I couldn't find the video for this but her fall was kind of scarey. It was cool to see her cheering as they were rolling her out of the arena. Tough girl.

posted by dbt302 to basketball at 01:38 PM - 20 comments

U.S. Open to use instant replay for disputed calls: Another sport yields to the siren call of replay technology. Thoughts?

posted by smithers to tennis at 08:23 AM - 24 comments

Live Sport On (UK) TV: A useful little guide to the week ahead.

posted by JJ to general at 04:32 AM - 5 comments

March 05, 2006

North Carolina And Duke Game: I saw North Carolina's freshman Tyler Hansbrough playing against Duke's Shelden Williams and all I got to say is this kid plays like a senior...What do you guys think about Tyler Hansbrough? (I say first round, top 10 pick next year)

posted by CoolAsFawk to basketball at 08:05 PM - 29 comments

Canes' Cole suffers serious neck injury: The Carolina Hurricanes have suffered a setback to their aspirations to win the Stanley Cup because winger Erik Cole has suffered a significant neck injury.

posted by wingnut4life to hockey at 06:33 PM - 28 comments

Tiger takes Doral for second straight year: For a guy who can't hit it in the fairway, he has won 4 stroke play tournaments out of 5. The only thing that has beaten him so far is the flu.

posted by dbt302 to golf at 06:10 PM - 23 comments

Ohio State wins big ten title outright: Ohio state puts together an impressive season, after being predicted a next year team....

posted by gregy606 to basketball at 02:29 PM - 12 comments

Hall of Famer Puckett suffers stroke: Get well Kirby.

posted by dbt302 to baseball at 12:38 PM - 27 comments

Quick Change.: On January 28, 2006, American Airlines Center was converted from a Dallas Stars hockey rink to a Dallas Mavericks basketball arena in just over 2 hours. This video includes a time-lapse record of those events. (quicktime req'd, via telescreen)

posted by Ufez Jones to general at 11:15 AM - 8 comments

No progress, but talks might resume March 5: Hopefully, both sides will come to some kind of agreement. If not, this could spell disaster for quite a few teams. With no salary cap in 2007, it would be like a league wide "free-for-all."

posted by wingnut4life to football at 08:48 AM - 21 comments

March 04, 2006

Time for updated clocks?: This is something I noticed in the Torino luge & bobsled events -- the times are shaved so damn close, it's perhaps time for newer and more accurate clocks that measure speed 1/1000th of a second instead of 1/100's. Yesterday Kitchener's Kelly Vanderbeek came 4th in a World Cup Super-G ski event. But she was only 1/100th of a second behind the winner. That's right, the three women in front of her standing on the podium (Lindsey Kildow, Michaela Dorfmeister and Nadia Stygerall) had the same time: 1 minute, 18.65 seconds. Vanderbeek was .01 seconds back in 4th place. Is it time we started splitting the 1/100ths?

posted by the red terror to other at 01:45 PM - 6 comments

'I Won't Retire Until I've Tarnished Every Record In The Book': Barry Bonds expounds on his decision to stick around for a while longer.

posted by mr_crash_davis to baseball at 01:23 PM - 69 comments

March 03, 2006

Backchecking: McCabe Moving?: With the trade deadline looming, Toronto might be shopping soon-to-be free agent Bryan McCabe. Plus, a list of other players that might be floating in the trade winds.

posted by wingnut4life to hockey at 09:01 PM - 15 comments

The End of an Era(?): Jason Gurney of lowpost.net charts the progression of Shaquille O'Neal's career. And comes to the conclusion that "... we're very close to having zero superstar centers left in the league."

posted by lilnemo to basketball at 07:36 PM - 22 comments

Pokey Reese is Missing: Marlins trying to contact their second baseman whom they haven't seen since Wednesday.

posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 06:15 PM - 32 comments

Borg to Sell Wimbledon Trophies, Rackets: Swedish tennis great Bjorn Borg will auction off his five Wimbledon trophies and two of his rackets to achieve "financial security,'' an auction house said Friday.

posted by irunfromclones to tennis at 04:06 PM - 10 comments

To Hate Like This is to Be Happy Forever: Slate reviews Will Blythe's book about the most heated rivalry in college basketball. Excerpts: one, two, three, four, five; audio interview.

If you can't get enough of the Duke-UNC rivalry, ESPN is launching ESPNU Full Circle: North Carolina at Duke, where every one of ESPN's collection of multimedia platforms will have programming about tomorrow night's game.

posted by kirkaracha to basketball at 02:38 PM - 20 comments

Now shooting the bonus ...: Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko gets a pass from his wife once a year to sleep with another woman. On ESPN's own "Pardon the Interruption" television show, Tony Kornheiser, said, "She is a Top 5 wife, all-time. In fact, she is up there right now on the Mount Rushmore of wives."

posted by wfrazerjr to basketball at 09:50 AM - 60 comments

Malcolm Gladwell is a sports fan, Part 2.: Finishing up with yesterday's half of the interview with the bestselling author, Canadian, and sports nut.

posted by worldcup2002 to culture at 09:18 AM - 10 comments

Top 50 TV Football Moments: It shouldn't even have been a contest, but the legendary hard man of Leeds and the small, podgy future bog roll magnate of Derby gave it all they had. Lee was unceremoniously bundled over by Hunter while shooting, before being unceremoniously punched after returning to his feet. Both are sent off, but before departing the pitch, Lee, who required four players to hold him back earlier, slips his man and starts wildly throwing punches and kicks in much the same way as Scrappy Doo used to at ghosts.

posted by JJ to soccer at 06:25 AM - 5 comments

Where were the Germans? And frankly, who cares...: The Times publish the shortlist (compiled by a straw poll of its sports writers) of 25 of the greatest commentary moments ever. They're mostly British (although the Norwegian's are well represented), but have a look anyway.

posted by JJ to general at 06:15 AM - 15 comments

March 02, 2006

Malcolm Gladwell is a sports fan.: ESPN.com's Bill Simmons interviews Malcolm Gladwell, the Canadian author of bestsellers Blink and The Tipping Point, and staff writer for The New Yorker magazine. This is the first part of the interview; the second part is due tomorrow.

posted by worldcup2002 to culture at 10:59 PM - 11 comments

Changes at Augusta bother Jack, Arnie: "I still like the course, but I think they've ruined it from a tournament standpoint," Nicklaus said. "Augusta is a big, big part of my life, and I love it. That's why I hate to see them change it." Said Palmer: "I love the place ... but now, I'm not so sure. There are some things that are taking the realistic Augusta away. It's changed dramatically from the course I've known the last 50 years."

posted by irunfromclones to golf at 07:27 PM - 19 comments

Tennis father drugged opponent: and now faces court over untimely death. And you thought the parents of the other team were bad.

posted by owlhouse to culture at 03:42 PM - 14 comments

Waiver Wire: Jim Jackson has been waived by the Pheonix Suns. It appears that the NBA has taken a cue from MLB, as players are being waived late in the year and signing with contending teams for the stretch run. Or not. In either case, they appear to be waived with a destination in mind(?).

posted by lilnemo to basketball at 02:18 PM - 7 comments

Include them out?: The first question in Jon Wertheim's Tennis Mailbag this week deals with Andre Agassi's (brief) appearance in Dubai for their payola-driven event. In his reply, he notes that he was apprised by a reader that Dubai's tourism website states "Nationals of 'Israel' may not enter the U.A.E." What if an Israeli tour player qualifies for this event? (more inside)

posted by Uncle Toby to tennis at 12:31 PM - 6 comments

NCAA: Academic reform effort "firmly taking hold": Ninety-nine teams at 65 schools lost at least a scholarship due to poor academic performance. That's down from about 6% of teams last year, to less than 2% this year. The NCAA sees this as evidence of renewed emphasis on acedemics.

On the other hand, Salon's King Kaufman sees that only one men's basketball or football team from the six major conferences has been penalized, and wonders: "maybe a system that punishes smaller programs while leaving the big cash machines alone ought to raise suspicions that the stated goal, academic excellence top to bottom, isn't the highest priority."

posted by Amateur to general at 12:21 PM - 1 comment

Hosts Germany set for early World Cup exit?: Not having to qualify for June's contest because of their host status may have made them soft. Or the team's just plain weak ("Ballack was bollocks"), according to this writer. Plus their coach lives in California (wtf?). The knives are out after yesterday's 4-1 "friendly" trouncing by Italy. How do you rate Germany's chances?

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 11:40 AM - 9 comments

Crosby refuses to criticize Canada for Olympic snub: I really do like this kid's style. I keep waiting for his immature side to come out, and it never does.

posted by wingnut4life to other at 07:13 AM - 22 comments

March 01, 2006

How about a little bit of downhill skating combined with snowboard cross and bodychecking?: A sport that Dr Frankenstein would enjoy watching with the Hanson brothers - Crashed Ice. It is in Quebec City's old town this weekend.

posted by gspm to extreme at 09:47 PM - 12 comments

Another Star Falls To Staroids: Bret Boone retires at Mets camp Bret Boone retired Wednesday at New York Mets camp, the culmination of a swift decline for a player who was one of baseball's best second basemen only a few years ago. He missed New York's first intrasquad game Tuesday because of personal reasons, and said he woke up Wednesday morning with a decision that was "crystal clear.''

posted by irunfromclones to baseball at 04:42 PM - 59 comments

Manny: Red Sox In, WBC Out: "I'm not ready, so I'm not going to go out there and make a fool of myself," he said. I was eatin' chowdah when I read this, and I laughed so hard a clam shot out my nose.

posted by BullpenPro to baseball at 04:34 PM - 60 comments

MLB takes a step toward bringing inner-city youths back to baseball: The Urban Youth Academy has opened in Compton. "Make no mistake about it we lost a generation of inner-city players along the way," (Joe) Morgan said. "I think that starting today, with the opening of this field, we will stop the erosion of inner-city players."

posted by BullpenPro to baseball at 02:07 PM - 11 comments

When is a cap not a cap: Why do they call salary caps, caps, when they don't cap anything? Wouldn't salary guideline fit better?

posted by timdawg to football at 01:57 PM - 6 comments

Former Falcons offensive lineman Claridge dies at 27: Another sad story, from unknown causes. What's the deal with USC players?

posted by wingnut4life to football at 11:50 AM - 9 comments

Sham schools: Basketball factories are disgrace to education, game: Redemption Christian Academy in Troy, N.Y., where the less-than-rigorous curriculum included spelling class.

posted by justgary to culture at 11:50 AM - 17 comments

Taking stock of a hockey Titanic: Why the U.S. should be freaking and Canada relaxing after the Olympics. By sportsfilter columnist wfrazerjr.

posted by justgary to other at 01:42 AM - 13 comments