2006 NHL Playoffs Pick-em Update: Half of the series' are over, and the updated leaderboard shows that only two players have been perfect with their series winner picks thus far: billsaysthis and WeedyMcSmokey. The quest for (winner) perfection will come down to Carolina vs Montreal.

posted by mkn to fantasy at 10:52 PM - 46 comments

Landing a Prep Star, One Foot at a Time: After a one-weekend switch to Nike shoes, high school junior O.J. Mayo, 18, is wearing Reebok again, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. "It's not a bad idea to get to know other brands," said Adidas exec Travis Gonzalez.

posted by rcade to basketball at 10:17 AM - 3 comments

U.S. winger DaMarcus Beasley sits down for a chat.: A drunk driving charge, people smoking weed in the streets and his own teammates telling him they hate Americans, "Gumby" talks about life in the Netherlands.

posted by Texan_lost_in_NY to soccer at 09:50 AM - 7 comments

Legion of Broom: The New Jersey Devils are the first team to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Devils defeat the Rangers in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history with a 4 game sweep.

posted by njsk8r20 to hockey at 10:37 PM - 28 comments

Sources: White failed drug test: Revelation likely hurt running back's status for NFL draft.

posted by wingnut4life to football at 06:31 PM - 17 comments

Ten Most Iconic Hairdos of All Time

posted by justgary to general at 06:11 PM - 21 comments

Chelsea champs.: And Birmingham and West Brom, two Midland teams, are relegated along with poor, poor Sunderland. And this with most teams still left with two games to play. While the season is "done" for teams at both ends of the table, the possibility of my team Liverpool taking 2nd place from Man U still remains. They're tied on points with the Mancs after today's 3-1 vanquishing of Villa (not a good day for another Midlands team) and the Mancs' 0-3 title-deciding loss to Chelsea.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 11:16 AM - 22 comments

USC's 2004 BCS Championship Could Be In Jeopardy: All thanks to Mr. Bush, if he his ruled ineligible for as much as one game the BCS could look to take away USC's 2004 championship. Funny how that potential three-pete could turn into only a share of a championship.

posted by MassNole to football at 09:01 AM - 22 comments

Forsberg looks lost? Forsberg is invisible?: I'm posting this because of the talk on another thread where the majority stated the Buffalo/Philly series was all but over. However, it has only just begun. When it comes to playoff hockey, Peter Forsberg is a man among boys.

posted by Bishop to hockey at 03:28 AM - 40 comments

Texans Pass on Bush...Settle for Williams: In 10 years we will all be looking at this moment as Houston's largest flop ever when they watch Reggie Bush become the next Barry Sanders, Matt Leinart become an All-Pro QB with his great mechanics and passing, and Vince Young become another Derek Jeter type in his clutch playing.

posted by chemwizBsquared to football at 09:38 PM - 35 comments

Steve Howe killed in truck accident:: The 1980 NL Rookie Of The Year, who was suspended seven times in his career for drug offenses, and became a poster child for the laxness of Major League Baseball's drug policy in the 1980's and 90's, died in a truck accident this morning. He was 48.

posted by chicobangs to baseball at 06:16 PM - 28 comments

Win or lose, Guillen stays the same: "He's a player's manager, and you have to love playing for him."

posted by zippinglou to baseball at 02:29 PM - 14 comments

"I am happy that they considered me but I don't want anything more to do with this because for two days my life has been invaded and my privacy destroyed.": Scolari takes himself out of consideration for the England manager's job. When a Brazilian tells you your culture takes soccer too seriously, you should probably think about it.

posted by liam to soccer at 02:12 PM - 18 comments

Monday's Greatest Play: It's been 30 years since Rick Monday of the Los Angeles Dodgers swiped an American flag from a pair of protesters intent on burning it in the Chavez Ravine outfield. Listen to Vin Scully's call of the moment and the memories of those involved.

posted by wfrazerjr to baseball at 01:04 PM - 21 comments

Tim Montgomery Arrested: not for steroid use, but for money laundering and bank fraud.

posted by Amateur to other at 12:53 PM - 4 comments

Switch pitcher:
"Pat Venditte Sr. came up with the idea when he was tossing a ball to his 3-year-old son in the backyard.
Wouldn't it be neat if he could get Pat Jr., a natural right-hander, to throw equally well with his left?"

posted by hb74147 to baseball at 11:05 AM - 21 comments

I had one in 1986.: Four years later, in 1990, I thought I was too grown up and didn't get one. This morning, I saw a kid excitedly striding out of a shop having just bought one. Best of all, I've discovered that this year, you can be in one yourself if you really want to! [more inside]

posted by JJ to soccer at 10:12 AM - 6 comments

Reggie Bush Cover Model: Reggie Bush was officially named the cover boy for EA Sports NCAA Football 2007.

posted by MassNole to football at 07:52 AM - 16 comments

Players demand back wages: Owner fires entire team.

posted by justgary to football at 09:31 PM - 37 comments

Wizards 1: - Cavaliers 1
Bucks 0 - Pistons 2
Pacers 1 - Nets 1
Bulls 0 - Heat 2
Kings 0 - Spurs 2
Grizzlies 0 - Mavericks 2
Nuggets 0 - Clippers 2
Lakers 1 - Suns 1

posted by lilnemo to basketball at 06:29 PM - 9 comments

Returned 2004 World Series Ball: 'Doug Mientkiewicz Physically And Mentally Abused Me'.

A deal to return the ball was reached on Sunday, when Red Sox president Larry Lucchino finally agreed to several of Meintkiewicz's demands, which included "enough money to put food on my table for the rest of my life" and "another baseball."

posted by justgary to baseball at 05:36 PM - 9 comments

Smoggies complete another incredible comeback to reach UEFA Cup final.: Trailing 1-0 after the away leg, Boro conceded another two goals at home, leaving them needing four to win for a second game in a row. They got all four in the second half and must now believe their name is on the cup. They will meet Sevilla in the final in Eindhoven on the 10th of May.

posted by walrus to soccer at 05:16 PM - 14 comments

Bud says no celebration for Barry: when (or if?) he breaks Ruth's record. It's fine with me if he never steps foot on a diamond again.

posted by GoBirds to baseball at 05:01 PM - 63 comments

The Young Is The Restless: Tampa Bay Devil Rays prospect Delmon Young has been suspended indefinitely by the International League after firing a bat into the chest of the home-plate umpire. The younger brother of Detroit Tiger Dimitri Young, Delmon has apologized for the incident.

posted by wfrazerjr to baseball at 03:46 PM - 23 comments

EPL Fantasy Premier League: Week 35 and 36 Update. Those that noticed a week update was missing were pretty quiet about it. Those that didn't notice have probably abandoned the pool long ago. Those that don't care will be happy to note that the EPL season is 38 games long and this is one of the last few updates.

posted by gspm to fantasy at 01:19 PM - 22 comments

High Lacrosse Hazing Scandal: Right on the heels of the Duke Lacrosse scandal comes this story from the Columbus Dispatch. I have played lacrosse the High School, College, and Club level and I don't ever recall parties involving rape or bus trips involving male on male sexual assault. It is like this current generation of players is doing their best to destroy a sport that pre-dates Europeans settling into North America.

posted by MassNole to other at 09:46 AM - 16 comments

USC Suspends QB Mark Sanchez Amidst Sexual Assault Allegations: So given ESPN's infatuation with the University of Southern California will they attempt to forget this as soon as possible, or will they finally begin to treat USC the way they do other schools?

posted by MassNole to football at 09:39 AM - 24 comments

Harry Potter and a gobbed jet of ire : - Marina Hyde in the Guardian asks "is quidditch the worst fake sport ever?" Apparently, in the US, you have your own version (typical). What's your favourite fictional sport?

posted by JJ to other at 09:10 AM - 37 comments

The Flyers win a good one: being physical early, with some hard checks and minor scuffles. Even Forsberg was overly aggressive, getting 2 minutes for charging that only fired up the Philly faithful. Much Yuengling was drunk...

posted by GoBirds to hockey at 12:51 AM - 41 comments

Nash again, allegedly.

posted by liam to basketball at 07:47 PM - 30 comments

Sources: Favre to play '06 season for Packers: Brett Favre informed the Packers on Tuesday that he will definitely play the 2006 season in Green Bay, league and team sources have told ESPN's Chris Mortensen.

posted by STUNNER to football at 12:45 AM - 54 comments

ottawa scores 8, yahoo shows fight: I think it is funny how Ottawa scores an impressive eight goals in the hockey game against Tampa, and then Yahoo shows Chara fighting with Lecavalier on the game recap. see! fighting is still better than scoring! idiots.

posted by RadioZombie to hockey at 12:24 AM - 37 comments

NFL suspends Ricky Williams for 2006.: And once again the dark cloud rises for all the Joey Harrington fans that said "he just needs a running back."

posted by everett to football at 07:41 PM - 29 comments

Coach of the Year (III):: Today, Marc Crawford was fired as head coach of the non-playoff-bound (and seriously underachieving) Vancouver Canucks.

posted by chicobangs to hockey at 07:08 PM - 5 comments

Men's winner will still earn more than women's: The All England Club said Tuesday the men's champion will receive $1.170 million and the women's winner $1.117 million -- a 4 percent increase for both in British currency. Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam tournament with unequal prizes for the two champions. Wimbledon insists it's fair to pay the men more than the women. The women call it sex discrimination.

posted by STUNNER to tennis at 04:48 PM - 47 comments

Junior to honor late father's birthday with replica car: The one thing a NASCAR driver never wanted to see was the black No. 3 Chevrolet closing on his rear bumper. One glance of the car in the rearview mirror was enough to send tremors through any competitor.Dale Earnhardt Jr. hopes to achieve that same effect this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, where he'll mark his late father's birthday by driving a replica of the famed car.

posted by STUNNER to auto racing at 04:27 PM - 14 comments

NBA Playoffs Confidence Pool: Much like the NHL pool of the same type, there is now an NBA confidence pool. While the first games have already started, it is better to start now than not at all. The place to set your picks is here. Special thanks to qbert for helping me set it up (and the rest of the founders of the site).

posted by Ying Yang Mafia to fantasy at 04:19 PM - 10 comments

'I retire after World Cup - and that's final' - Zidane: Zinedine Zidane said on Tuesday he would retire after the World Cup finals in Germany.The 33-year-old, who led France to victory in the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.

posted by STUNNER to soccer at 04:02 PM - 10 comments

Coach of the Year!: Baltimore Blast coach Tim Wittman has been suspended for the next two seasons by the Major Indoor Soccer League for putting a game official in a chokehold.

posted by Hugh Janus to soccer at 03:34 PM - 1 comment

Coach of The Year: The coach of the year for the 2005- 2006 season is Avery Johnson of the Dallas Mavs. Does he really deserve this recognition, if not- who does?

posted by redsoxrgay to basketball at 03:08 PM - 12 comments

No love lost between Ruff, Hitchcock after Game 2: "Tell Lindy
to [expletive] off, to mind his own [expletive] business."

posted by wingnut4life to hockey at 12:31 PM - 29 comments

Liverpool Football Club: have a long and glamorous history in the FA Cup. Last weekend, they beat Chelsea in this year's semi-final to set up a clash with West Ham in the final in Cardiff on May 13th. Twenty years ago, they beat Everton in the final at Wembley, an occasion that will be commemorated on Monday at Anfield when the two original sides play each other again to raise money for the Marina Dalglish Appeal.

posted by JJ to soccer at 08:36 AM - 11 comments

"I'm Keith Hernandez."

posted by lilnemo to baseball at 08:02 PM - 64 comments

Ten months: after Liverpool changed the rules, (and with bitter rivals Arsenal just 90 minutes from the final), Tottenham want to change them back again.

posted by Mr Bismarck to soccer at 07:48 PM - 23 comments

Bucks : 0 - Pistons 1
Wizards 0 - Cavaliers 1
Pacers 1 - Nets 0
Bulls 0 - Heat 1
Kings 0 - Spurs 1
Grizzlies 0 - Mavericks 1
Nuggets 0 - Clippers 1
Lakers 0 - Suns 1

posted by lilnemo to basketball at 02:48 PM - 15 comments

Heavy on the Hill.

posted by lilnemo to baseball at 02:08 PM - 19 comments

Breakout year for MLS?: It's a BusinessWeek article, so take it for what you will. They think the MLS has reached a tipping point for three reasons: Money. Money. Money. Critics say the MLS still lacks quality product, and will need to pay for it. Please RTFA before you comment.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 12:16 PM - 19 comments

Wrong shoe size the culprit in Mench's painful April:

"Kevin Mench entered Thursday night's game against the Seattle Mariners with zero RBIs in his first 10 games.

Why?

Perhaps because his shoes were too small.

The Texas Rangers right fielder has missed five games this season because of a sprain in the second toe of his right foot... the specialist determined the sprain was caused by Mench's shoes being a half size too small."

Update: That story ran on April 20th, he's got 12 RBI's in his last 4 games.

posted by hb74147 to baseball at 09:16 AM - 18 comments

Pearce questions move for Scolari.: All the smart money seems to be going on big Phil at the moment for the England managers job, with odds being slashed at the bookies and a number of papers running with the story that he's top of the running. My question is whther it's insular and short sighted to expect national team coaches to be of the country they are managing. Foreign managers are increasingly popular with other nations, and also in other sports such as Rugby or Cricket. Should the best candidate not get the job regardless of nationality?

posted by walrus to soccer at 05:27 AM - 16 comments

Tiger takes the plunge: Tiger Woods traveled to New Zealand this weekend to be the best man at the wedding of Steve Williams, his long-time caddy. While there, he took the time to bungee jump 134m (about 440 ft) from a cable car into Nevis Valley. One can't help but wonder if Mark Steinberg had a heart attack when he heard about this. According to the article, Tiger says his insurance was "taken care of."

posted by Joey Michaels to golf at 04:05 AM - 16 comments

3,000 Square Feet of Trouble: Could a $757,500 house lived in by Reggie Bush's family cause every game he has played in to be forfeited?

posted by Ying Yang Mafia to football at 06:44 PM - 24 comments

Schuey Edges Alonso to Win at Imola: Michael Schumacher took some revenge on Fernando Alonso, beating the reigning Formula One champ in a race covered by SportsFilter columnist Mark Gero.

posted by rcade to auto racing at 04:49 PM - 6 comments

Schuey edges Alonso to win at Imola: In front of the Italian Tifosi, Michael Schumacher beats world champion Fernando Alonso to win his first grand prix in nearly one year

posted by mgero to commentary at 02:45 PM - 0 comments

NBA Playoffs Pool: Has one been created using qbert's site or not? If not it may be good for someone to create one.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia to fantasy at 02:27 PM - 8 comments

James Excels in First Playoff Start for the Cavs: In Cleveland's first playoff game in eight years, Lebron James recorded a triple-double in a 97-86 win over the Washington Wizards as the first-round of the NBA playoffs began.

posted by defrag3x to basketball at 01:34 PM - 7 comments

Dowd, 12, given LPGA exemption for sick mom: A great story on SportsCenter this morning. I hope she does well.

posted by dbt302 to golf at 11:14 AM - 14 comments

All Hail The Mullet!: Ok, so who has the best Mullet? My vote before seeing this Mullet gallery was, of course, the one and only Barry Melrose (and yes I know he's not as popular with some here as he is with me, no matter what the reason). But I have to say, as much as I hate his guts, it just might be Mike Ricci. And does a good Mullet make one a better player? It couldn't hurt. Votes anyone?

posted by commander cody to hockey at 10:08 PM - 9 comments

Giants sign Arrington to $49 million deal: LaVar Arrington signed with the New York Giants on Saturday, giving him a chance to play twice a year against his former team and helping fill a huge gap at linebacker for the NFC East champions.

posted by STUNNER to football at 06:22 PM - 21 comments

Baseball By The Dumbers: Part I: What happens when people with too much time try to invent statistics. Overcoming a lack of math and reasoning skills, Sportsfilter member BullpenPro gives it a shot.

posted by justgary to baseball at 10:51 PM - 22 comments

Baseball By The Dumbers: Part I: What happens when people with too much time try to invent statistics.

posted by BullpenPro to commentary at 04:23 PM - 0 comments

Breaking down the sports cliches.:
A bit of humour for your Friday afternoon reading.

Example:
When they say: "He's a scrappy ballplayer" what they mean is: "He's a white kid that the fans like for some inexplicable reason."

posted by grum@work to baseball at 11:32 AM - 19 comments

Young'uns in the playoffs not named Crosby or Ovechkin: With the NHL playoffs getting underway, we get to see a bunch of newcomers who may have been overshadowed by the big names. Granted this is two years worth of rookies, but has there been a more promising time for the NHL?

posted by SummersEve to hockey at 10:32 AM - 18 comments

Snooker World Championships: : "You got four channels in the UK, and they're all showing snooker... I mean, I like snooker, don't get me wrong. I think it's a little slow - it could use some livening up - but I've figured out why it takes so long. It's not because of the players, it's because this little old guy keeps taking the balls out of the pockets and putting them back on the table!" [Bill Hicks]

posted by JJ to other at 06:53 AM - 12 comments

Franco Makes History: More power to Franco. I personally would like to see someone hit a home run at the age of 50. I remember watching Franco play with the Rangers when I was a little kid. I even met him a few times. I cant wait to see if he can do it.

posted by sooner84 to baseball at 05:31 AM - 15 comments

Forbes.com: The Business Of Baseball: Baseball owners continue to slam the ball out of the park. Team values increased an average of 15 percent for the second consecutive year, to $376 million, in our 2006 survey of Major League Baseball's 30 franchises. Overall operating income increased to $360 million ($12.1 million per team) from $132 million ($4.4 million per team) the previous year, as revenue increased faster than player salaries. The YANKEES are actually worth over $1 Billion, that is kinda cool.

posted by STUNNER to baseball at 06:40 PM - 16 comments

Five Life Lessons Learned at Wally Moon's Summer Camp:: You'd think that baseball camp would be like a Tom Emansky video, but the fact is, you can get real life lessons out of it, too. Great human interest piece.

posted by Dan121377 to baseball at 04:48 PM - 6 comments

Penguins GM Iced: Craig Patrick, the GM who built the Pittsburgh Penguins' two Stanley Cup winning teams, has been let go after nearly 17 years on the job.

posted by njsk8r20 to hockey at 01:25 PM - 11 comments

The Irish Rugby Match "of the Century": might just cost Limerick its status as a city. Mayor Diarmuid Scully explained just what that would mean on NPR's Day to Day. In short, the loss of potential EU grants and Irish tax funds.

posted by yerfatma to other at 12:36 PM - 11 comments

The Toronto Maple Leafs fire coach Pat Quinn and assistant coach Rick Ley: Quinn's Maple Leaf tenure lasted seven seasons and featured six playoff appearances with two of those taking Conference finals trips. Will Paul Maurice be the next coach to lead the storied franchise?

posted by NoMich to hockey at 11:13 AM - 29 comments

Ultimate Bowling tournament with an ultimate prize: the bowling alley itself. One only can wonder what these family issues are. Still, it would be pretty awesome to win it. I carry an average of around 160, I will buy the beer if one of you guys buys the gas.

posted by GoBirds to other at 08:56 AM - 11 comments

Spurs to Launch Legal Challenge.: If Arsenal win the Champions League and Spurs clinch fourth spot, they may take UEFA to court on grounds of discrimination. Only the fourth placed teams from England, Italy or Spain are liable to lose their place if the winners do not qualify through league position, putting Osasuna in a similar position if Villareal win.

posted by walrus to soccer at 06:47 AM - 20 comments

Flint Star.: Intriguing blog post on Flint Star "The Motion Picture" (Uncut Street Version): "[T]the most raw and uncut basketball documentary movie ever created. Featuring interviews and exclusive footage of the best athletes in the entire state of Michigan and throughout the country. #1 independent movie in the world!!" Anybody seen this movie (aside from the blogger) who can vouch for this?

posted by worldcup2002 to basketball at 01:41 AM - 7 comments

NHL Playoffs Confidence Pool: You loved it at the Olympics and at the World Baseball Classic. It's back. With a vengeance.

posted by qbert72 to fantasy at 01:37 AM - 81 comments

Maybe some Canadian Spofi'ers can help me with this one?: What in the world is 5 pin bowling and why don't I know more about it? It looks like a blast, but my Canadian Grandpapa never mentioned it to me.

posted by commander cody to culture at 12:48 AM - 12 comments

Bettman: Refs will make calls, or else: Commissioner Gary Bettman says officials who don't call penalties as warranted during the NHL playoffs will soon find themselves watching the post-season from the sidelines.

posted by wingnut4life to hockey at 07:48 PM - 17 comments

Demand for Duke lacrosse gear soars: In the wake of publicity generated by the sexual assault scandal surrounding the Duke men's lacrosse team, sales of merchandise bearing the "Duke lacrosse" name and logo have skyrocketed. This is kinda surprising for me, I never saw Kobe's jersey sales or Lakers' jersey sales go up, and he was accused of rape as well.

posted by STUNNER to general at 07:38 PM - 13 comments

National Disgrace: Future former Washington Nationals GM Jim Bowden was arrested for DUI while in Miami for the Nats-Marlins series, allegedly failing a field sobriety test and refusing a breathalyzer. His girlfriend, an aspiring actress, is accused of hitting both Bowden and a police officer.

posted by rcade to baseball at 01:23 PM - 21 comments

I went to the fight, and an Arena Football game broke out.: It's not the Malice in Auburn Hills, but it's still pretty ridiculous.

posted by Dan121377 to football at 12:23 PM - 18 comments

How to win your playoff hockey pool: Here comes the science.

posted by aupa_athletic to hockey at 11:59 AM - 26 comments

Pesky Priest...: he ruined Brazil's Vanderlei De Lima's Olympic marathon bid in 2004 by pushing him off the road while he was leading the race; he nearly got himself killed at the 2003 British Grand Prix by trying to do the same to an F1 car; and now, Father Cornelius Horan wants to protest at this year's London Marathon. He wrote to the race director asking for permission to "dance" at the event, was unsurprisingly turned down, and is now planning to stage a protest on Tower Bridge during Sunday's race.

posted by JJ to other at 10:59 AM - 8 comments

Double century:: Australian pace bowler Jason Gillespie, sent in as a night watchman, scores 201 not out against Bangladesh. More distinguished Test batsmen are probably weeping or turning in their graves.

posted by owlhouse to other at 10:55 AM - 9 comments

I got your fan appreciation RIGHT HERE!: Philadelphia 76ers Allen Iverson and Chris Webber show up late and don't play on Fan Appreciation Night. "S---- will be different next year," said team president Billy King, who lost his temper early and often last night.

posted by wfrazerjr to basketball at 09:53 AM - 50 comments

Little Johnny Damon: : an allegory for our times. Also sports-related by this author, Legends of My Fictional Baseball League On Playing Laser Tag with Joan Didion

posted by yerfatma to baseball at 08:52 AM - 10 comments

East Shakeup - What a Night: Does any hockey fan out there feel jipped? I had to sit through baseball and NBA scores to even get to the great story about the Eastern Conference race, and even the Nhl Website has failed to put up their yearly playoff page yet. I think we need a hockey support group!

posted by lauch to hockey at 08:36 AM - 9 comments

Some Cup History and Some Interesting Links: After seeing a Hip-Hopper with the Stanley Cup I just had to post a history link for newbies to Hockey or those who just don't understand why some of us revere it so much.

posted by commander cody to hockey at 12:24 AM - 11 comments

Memphis's Dire Situation: As a reward for beating the Los Angles Clippers out for the 5th seed, the Memphis Grizzlies get the pleasure of playing the Dallas Mavericks in the FIRST ROUND of the NBA playoffs...while the Clippers will HOST the Denver Nuggets at the same time...

posted by chemwizBsquared to basketball at 11:57 PM - 5 comments

2006 NHL Playoffs Pick-Em!: The teams are determined, the matchups are set -- time to see who is the Premier Playoff Prognosticator. Match-ups inside.

posted by mkn to fantasy at 09:50 PM - 97 comments

Ostertag's out: If a 7-2 Utah Jazz center retires after scoring one point in the past 45 days and driving his coach crazy for a decade, will anyone notice?

posted by wfrazerjr to basketball at 02:33 PM - 12 comments

Everyone loves a ritual.: A list of superstitious athletes. There are several funny stories, but Turk Wendell is my favorite: He chewed four pieces of black licorice when he pitched, spit them out after each inning, brushed his teeth in the dugout, and leaped (not stepped) over the baseline (described as a "kangaroo hop"). When he was on the mound, Wendell stood if the catcher was squatting, and squatted if the catcher was standing.

posted by dusted to general at 01:56 PM - 15 comments

Steelers Planning a Casual, Understated Title Defense: Unlike those self-promoting New England Patriots:

But aren't the Steelers going to do a little commemorating or self-congratulation in the pregame? "No, we don't do things like that,'' he said. "We gave them all rings, and we have a trophy for winning that game.''

posted by yerfatma to football at 01:44 PM - 15 comments

What?: Lil' Jon meets Lord Stanley.

posted by aupa_athletic to hockey at 12:49 PM - 31 comments

One 'shake' that shook up baseball.: Nobody gives it a second thought when it happens now, but 60 years ago today, organized baseball had its first black-white home-run handshake.

posted by rocket88 to baseball at 12:49 PM - 9 comments

'A lot of us," Ripken joked, "had a bad week that day.'"

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

Pittsburgh might ride The Bus to new arena: A developer wanting to land a casino in Pittsburgh has pledged $7.5M a year for 30 years to a new sports arena. Don Barden has also enlisted the help of recently retired Steelers running back Jerome Bettis, who would oversee neighborhood development for the project.

posted by wfrazerjr to general at 11:02 AM - 1 comment

'Swing Hard, Find the Ball, Hit It Again': Bubba Watson, a 27-year-old rookie on the PGA Tour, hasn't won a tournament since college, avoids practice, won't exercise and says he'll quit the game before he ever takes a lesson. Tiger Woods calls him the "future of golf."

posted by rcade to golf at 08:37 AM - 24 comments

Hear My Song, Fear My Fastball: What's the best entrance music for a pitcher coming out of the bullpen? We've got the great sandman battle, red sox star reliever Papelbon coming out to Bodies, though he's not sure of the lyrics, and while most choose the hard rock of groups such as AC/DC, John Smoltz once came out to ABBA's "Dancing Queen." It has all the feeling of a theme park.

posted by justgary to baseball at 02:23 AM - 42 comments

Crosby becomes the youngest player to record 100 points: and becomes just the seventh rookie to reach that mark, behind Ovechkin just last week. Yet, Ovechkin remains the runaway Calder favourite -- should Crosby be re-evaluated? Should the age difference be a factor? Or is Phaneuf overlooked because of his position? Whatever the debate, there's no arguing that this was the NHL's best ever rookie crop.

posted by mkn to hockey at 09:44 PM - 29 comments

Hoiberg Ends Career After Heart Surgery : The fear of playing with a surgically repaired heart wouldn't let Fred Hoiberg return to the NBA. His wife, Carol, and his four children — ages 8 and under — ultimately meant too much. "I think about the look on her face when I came to after being unconscious for two minutes," Hoiberg said. "I think about when I finally did come back, being in her arms and her saying, 'Don't leave me.'

posted by irunfromclones to basketball at 07:27 PM - 4 comments

The Helmet Project.: "An atlas of football helmets."

posted by worldcup2002 to football at 07:25 PM - 7 comments

The Long Road to the Top: Two Years to Determine Fastest Marathoner!: If there are those who think that the Stanley Cup playoffs are a bit drawn out, can you imagine waiting two years to find out who the champion is? Here's a post that is somewhat outside of the "big four" sports for a change. I think it is incredibly interesting to see the ways in which the marathon circuit is adapting to the demands for innovation in their sport. Personally, I think they should be applauded for some of these marketing strategies. The difficulties these strategies overcome might just help take this sport to a new level.

posted by Spitztengle to other at 12:44 PM - 8 comments

EPL Fantasy Premier League update, through Week 34.: Attack of the really quick game weeks!

posted by gspm to fantasy at 08:39 AM - 10 comments

Can the Pistons be Stopped? : I don't think so. 64 wins (a team record) and I don't see anyone other then San Antonio that is a threat to them.

posted by commander cody to basketball at 02:44 AM - 39 comments

The Good, the bad and the ugly: Can Steve Y. come back for another year? Should he? He in my eyes he's playing as good as he did 5 years ago in the glory years, but I would hate to see him punch-drunk like an old fighter going down for the last count. No matter what happens he will go into The Hall with all the votes, but if he can tack on another year or two...why not?

posted by commander cody to hockey at 01:34 AM - 69 comments

So...who's for real and who's a pretender so far?: Isn't it a little early in the year for this though? I mean I think my Tigers are for real too, but if they start thinking so too it might jinx them. As for the Yankees, I'm not so sure they look as much like an October team as years past.

posted by commander cody to baseball at 04:58 PM - 61 comments

Scott Free: In the second inning against the New York Yankees last night, Scott Baker was pitching for the Minnesota Twins when he felt something snap. "Joe Mauer is asking for Ron Gardenhire to come out. I don't know what ... Baker at the moment is walking off the field ..."

posted by rcade to baseball at 12:06 PM - 19 comments

There's no cheerleading in baseball!: The Cincinnati Reds now have a cheer leading/dance troupe (it seems to help, they're 7-3). Do any other MLB teams have cheer squads?

posted by mick to baseball at 08:11 AM - 29 comments

Is Kyle Busch following in his big brothers footsteps?: If the reckless driving doesn't include speed or alcohol, then what in the world could it be that would call for up to a year in jail? Driving on the sidewalk? I also love the fact that the day before he made an appearence to support an "attentive driving" program. Maybe he was very attentively driving recklessly?

posted by commander cody to auto racing at 11:22 PM - 22 comments

Sunderland relegated after "best result of the season.": EPL bottom team Sunderland held 2nd-placed Manchester United to a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford today, dealing a terrible blow to Man U's chances of catching leaders and defending champs Chelsea. Be that as it may, the result was worse for Sunderland. The Black Cats were relegated, trailing 16 points behind second-last West Bromwich Albion with five matches (and 15 maximum points) to go.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 04:22 PM - 22 comments

Does the New York Times Favor the Boston Red Sox?: Maybe the Grey Lady is playing favorites with the team they own or maybe they're just having trouble getting access. Either way, Yankee fans aren't starving for coverage just yet. [bugmenot for NYT]

posted by yerfatma to baseball at 03:49 PM - 2 comments

No Stuporsonics in Seattle?: Has moving sports teams become the thing to do? And Loria isn't even involved in this. As for Stern...

posted by roberts to basketball at 02:44 PM - 26 comments

How to build a winner.: Doug Melvin, the man who signed A-Rod to the largest contract in American sports history, has been quietly building a winner in Milwaukee on the 25th largest payroll in the sport. Using the Minnesota Twins and Billy Beane's Oakland A's as models, Melvin has amassed deep talent at reasonable prices. Can they make the postseason dance this year? Some say no, but even if they don't, it's a great time to watch baseball in Milwaukee.

posted by rocketman to baseball at 01:47 PM - 25 comments

Damon Hits Fan, Hits Dinger: After losing his bat and smacking a fan, Johnny Damon hits his first homer as a Yankee, then receives a curtain call from Yanks fans. A curtain call? For hitting an insurance homer in the eighth inning of a 6-2 game? Against the Royals? I sincerely hope the curtain call doesn't become as trite and annoying as Freddie Mitchell celebrating a six-yard first down catch in the second quarter.

posted by The_Black_Hand to baseball at 08:53 AM - 50 comments

Canucks lose again, miss playoffs: In two magical back-to-back nights, Joe Thornton took a share of the NHL scoring lead, just about singlehandedly set the Western Conference's playoff field and ended the Vancouver Canucks' post-season hopes.

posted by wingnut4life to hockey at 07:43 AM - 23 comments

High School Athlete Settles Lawsuits: A former high school basketball star who suffered a career-ending injury when fans tackled him at a championship game has settled lawsuits against the school district and two students for $3.5 million.

posted by irunfromclones to general at 05:31 PM - 22 comments

EPL Fantasy Premier League: A team rolling upward gathers no Mossy.

posted by gspm to fantasy at 05:18 PM - 8 comments

Report: Kings part ways with Sean Avery: It appears Sean Avery's career with the Los Angeles Kings is over.

posted by wingnut4life to hockey at 02:46 PM - 22 comments

New rules eliminate scoring opportunity for guards: High school offensive linemen looking to score will have to beg their coaches to call tackle eligible plays or insert them as fullbacks at the goal line next season. The football rules committee of The National Federation of State High School Associations has banned the fumblerooski. In my opinion, this is uncalled for. Let the kids have some fun.

posted by STUNNER to football at 01:55 PM - 14 comments

Or Not: We've discussed whether Adam Morrison is the best player in college basketball, but we have always danced around whether he's the hot or not.

posted by yerfatma to basketball at 11:19 AM - 20 comments

The Decline of Civilization - Bambino #3? ... Ease up: I don't read this columnist consistently enough to have a global opinion of his work, but I thought this was a very well-written article on a piece of this topic that gets irresponsibly blown up (as in the case of the LSU professor) but not often talked about from what I've seen on SpoFi.

posted by littleLebowski to baseball at 07:57 AM - 58 comments

Your 2006 NBA MVP is?: Sportsfilter columnist lilnemo breaks it down.

posted by justgary to basketball at 01:35 AM - 58 comments

Is it in you?: An interesting theory on one of sports' most recognizable brands. (Possibly NSFW)

posted by thatweirdguy2 to culture at 12:08 AM - 11 comments

Your 2006 NBA MVP is?: A brief analysis of the NBA MVP race.

posted by lilnemo to commentary at 09:49 PM - 0 comments

Biffle's girlfriend reprimanded for incident : Now this could be much more fun than watching Jeff Gordon push Matt Kenseth after a race.

posted by dbt302 to auto racing at 05:40 PM - 20 comments

Renegades Up for Grabs: Being more than a bit disheartened at the CFL's cancellation of the Ottawa Renegade's season, I'm hoping there are at least a few CFL fans in the SpoFi circle as curious as I am to see how the whole dispersal draft plays out.

posted by Spitztengle to football at 03:05 PM - 8 comments

"Lucky" Luc Robitaille retires: and leaves a quiet 10th on the all-time goals list.

posted by mkn to hockey at 11:08 AM - 19 comments

Would a base on balls be a Riverwalk?: Florida Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria is again making overtures about moving his club, this time to San Antonio, Texas. Is the home of The Alamo a reasonable destination, or are there better options?

posted by wfrazerjr to baseball at 10:06 AM - 38 comments

Back to Basketball... who's the MVP?: "The winner will be announced in late April or early May. Results will be leaked a day or two before the announcement, which will be made just before the winner's team plays a home playoff game on national TV."

posted by everett to basketball at 07:59 PM - 58 comments

Different Strokes for Different Folks: Tiger Woods called himself a "spaz" after his poor putting in the final round of The Masters Sunday, a word that's playing very badly outside the U.S. He's been condemned by the Australian Spastic Centre, paralympian Tanni Grey Thompson and the British charity Scope, whose spokesperson said, "Although in the U.S. the term 'spaz' may not be as offensive as in the U.K., many people will have taken exception to linking a poor golf stroke to a spastic."

posted by rcade to golf at 01:21 PM - 60 comments

Tide booster found dead: Logan Young, the booster convicted of bribing a high school coach $150,000 to get top recruit Albert Means to choose Alabama, was found beaten to death this morning in his Memphis home.

posted by bamakve to football at 11:36 AM - 32 comments

Sources: QB Leinart fires agent Steinberg: Former USC quarterback Matt Leinart has already called his first pre-draft audible by firing Leigh Steinberg as his agent. Shades of Jerry McGuire?

posted by wingnut4life to football at 07:24 AM - 13 comments

What a load of old balls: - the official World Cup match ball has changed design over the years. This year, the World Cup finals will be played using he official Adidas 'Teamgeist' ball . Its design is said to be revolutionary and "to produce greater precision than other balls, making ball control and distribution 30 per cent more accurate." The final itself will be played with a gold-coloured version that the winners will be entitled to use in all matches for the next four years.

posted by JJ to soccer at 04:28 AM - 19 comments

1986 World Series Game 6 Re-Enacted in RBI Baseball.: Complete with Vin Scully audio.

posted by lilnemo to baseball at 05:20 PM - 22 comments

Mike Royko: (a legendary columnist) reminisces about his life, his father's bar and his favorite sport --16-inch softball -- in this never before seen film from his favorite saloon, The Billy Goat Tavern. (via Coudal)

posted by jasonspaceman to baseball at 11:08 AM - 8 comments

Take Me Out to the Brawl Game: Something to note before the New York Mets begin an away series with the Washington Nationals on Tuesday: The Mets hit the Nats six times last week, including two by Pedro Martinez of Jose Guillen. "If Pedro hits him, we're going to fight," Cliff Floyd said.

posted by rcade to baseball at 06:40 AM - 34 comments

Mickelson makes it look easy at the Masters : Phil let everyone else play themselves out of contention while he played solid golf.

posted by dbt302 to golf at 08:28 PM - 48 comments

Special teams carry Badgers past BC to NCAA title: With a national title at stake, Brian Elliott and Wisconsin's special teams bailed the Badgers out again.

posted by STUNNER to hockey at 10:02 PM - 11 comments

1966 And All That: Forty years on, and a look at England's World Cup winning side and where they are now. If the past is another country, where they do things differently, then the contrast couldn't be greater with today's multi-million pound transfer fees and salaries. Possibly for nostalgia buffs only, but interesting nonetheless.

posted by owlhouse to soccer at 06:09 PM - 8 comments

Error ball?: Meet John Dewan. He is effectively Bill James, without the name cachet, and with fewer years invested in experimenting with baseball statistics. Dewan, in 2002, founded Baseball Info Solutions, a company that logs each pitch and ball put into play in a Major League Baseball season and sells the resulting data to some 12 teams.

So what does the plus/minus system say? The Red Sox, a team rebuilt around pitching and defense, stand to be worse defensively than the '05 club, while Derek Jeter rated second worst among shortstops.

posted by justgary to baseball at 01:28 AM - 4 comments

Are you ready for some football?: DJ Gallo: On Thursday, the NFL released its schedule for the 2006 season. And although it's pointless to try to analyze it and weigh strength of schedules and such when the draft is still to be held and September is still five months away, pointlessness never stopped me from writing before. Take a look at some of the key games from each week of the 2006 NFL schedule.

posted by STUNNER to football at 12:06 AM - 20 comments

Shaq fined $15,000 for criticizing NBA officials: Shaquille O'Neal was fined $15,000 Friday for criticizing officials and NBA senior vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson after the Miami center was for called for five fouls in the Heat's loss to New Jersey.

posted by STUNNER to basketball at 06:04 PM - 40 comments

Masterful Numbers: Just how much of an impact did the course changes at Augusta National have on the scores yesterday? Sportsfilter columnist JJ takes a look at the first round of the Masters.

posted by justgary to golf at 11:44 AM - 8 comments

Trajedy at West Point: Maggie Dixon, 28, suffered an arrhythmia heart episode on Wednesday at West Point, leaving her in critical condition in the hospital's intensive care unit. Thursday night, she died at age 28. Maggie had just taken her women's basketball team to the NCAA tournament for the first time in the program's history. She was also half of the first brother-sister combo to coach teams in that tourney in the same year.

posted by Scottymac to basketball at 11:10 AM - 5 comments

Pens could be bought; moved to Hartford: A Massachusetts developer wants to buy the Penguins and either keep the hockey team in the city or move them to Hartford, Conn., where he is trying to get state officials to build a new arena, a newspaper reported Friday.
If he does buy and move them, what would the team be called? The Pen-Whalers?

posted by wingnut4life to hockey at 10:53 AM - 52 comments

Masterful Numbers: The first round is over and there are some data to play with - just how much of an impact did the course changes at Augusta National have on the scores yesterday?

posted by JJ to commentary at 10:15 AM - 0 comments

Homer, Homer, Homer, Homer, Homer, Homer: In his first start since learning the knuckleball from Charlie Hough to extend his career, Texas Rangers pitcher R.A. Dickey served up six home runs to the Detroit Tigers. The only pitcher to give up more: Charlie Sweeney of the St. Louis Maroons, who gave up seven to the Detroit Wolverines on June 12, 1886.

posted by rcade to baseball at 07:14 AM - 61 comments

EPL Fantasy Premier League update, through Week 32.: Phlinging one's self upwards is ever so fun.

posted by gspm to fantasy at 07:03 AM - 18 comments

Pena has mentors in Ortiz, Manny:
"Born and raised in Laguna Salada in the Dominican Republic (Ortiz and Ramirez are from Santo Domingo), Pena grew up in a modest home with his brother, Hannsel, now a Minor League player with the Reds, and two sisters. He was signed to a Major League contract by the Yankees at the age of 17 in 1998 in a move that later proved to be a blessing and a curse. The good part is that the money helped the Penas out of poverty. The not-so-good part of the big-money deal was that it rushed his development, exposing him to Major League competition before he was ready.

He's off to a good start! Mo doubled and brought in & scored a run in his only at bat....

posted by zippinglou to baseball at 12:32 AM - 10 comments

You Can Call Them Rays, or You Can Call Them Sting Rays, or You Can Call Them Sun Rays, or You Can Call Them ...: The Tampa Bay Devil Rays have notified the league they are considering a name change, a choice that must be made by May 31. There's little affection from the team's fans for the existing name on the local paper's blog. One commented, "No matter how menacing [Vince] Namoli thought a 'devil ray' was, it's still a bottom feeder."

posted by rcade to baseball at 08:33 PM - 30 comments

MLB Cooperstown Collection: Koufax, Clemente, Mr. Cub . . . and Dr. K?: Someone in the marketing department has been doing too much cocaine.

posted by Dan121377 to baseball at 11:28 AM - 35 comments

Duke University cancels lacrosse season amid rape allegations: Longtime coach Mike Pressler has resigned and Duke will not play lacrosse this year after three players were accused of raping a stripper at a party in March. On top of that, one of the players sent out an email two hours after the alleged incident saying there would be more violence, including "killing the bitches as soon as the(y) walk in and proceding to cut their skin off."

posted by wfrazerjr to other at 10:47 AM - 78 comments

Sampras Holds Court: Pete Sampras, who may be the greatest (and least quoteworthy) men's player in tennis history, is picking up the racket for an exhibition and looking back on a career that included seven Wimbledon victories, 14 Grand Slam wins, and six years as No. 1.

posted by rcade to tennis at 09:01 AM - 2 comments

A one-shot lead for Lehman...well, sort of.: In Augusta for the Masters, Tom Lehman and his courtesy car get more than they bargained for from a guy who, apparently, "had a problem with Cadillac."

posted by The_Black_Hand to golf at 07:29 AM - 6 comments

Is David Ortiz really Mr. Clutch?: Why doesn't Billy Beane's stuff work in the playoffs? Does baseball need a salary cap? All excerpts from Baseball Between the Numbers: Why Everything You Know About the Game is Wrong.

posted by justgary to baseball at 02:12 AM - 61 comments

Your favorite NBA player as a family.: Hilarious family portrait, if the entire family was Steve Nash or Yao Ming, Jeff Van Gundy, Greg Ostertag, Dirk Nowitzki... (more inside)

posted by dusted to basketball at 01:46 PM - 42 comments

Doc Gooden Chooses Jail Over Rehab: Prosecutor Pam Bondi said Gooden chose the minimum one-year-and-one-day prison sentence instead because the judge said Gooden would receive a five-year sentence if he accepted the rehabilitation term and then slipped back into drug use. Sounds like he doesn't think he can quit. That's really sad.

posted by fenriq to baseball at 12:44 PM - 30 comments

Fantasy Hockey Update: 2 weeks until the season ends. Everybody thought it was over, but it seems we have a race at the top, in the end. Current standings are here, trash talk is inside. previous standings, previous thread

posted by qbert72 to fantasy at 09:56 AM - 14 comments

A Bear, a King, the Rookie Champ, a Giant...and the Total Package: NHL fighters ranked.

posted by garfield to hockey at 09:05 AM - 20 comments

The US Masters: is upon us again. This is the 70th time the tournament has been held. It's the 10th anniversary of Norman's final round collapse, and the 20th anniversary of Nicklaus's incredible win at the age of 46. The field is invited (not open) and traditionally includes the US and British Amateur champions. Augusta is all about tradition, but all the talk prior to this year's tournament has been about the changes to the course - even Tiger has spoken out against them - but this time tomorrow, the talking will stop and we'll see who looks like becoming the next owner of a green jacket.

posted by JJ to golf at 08:22 AM - 13 comments

In a race of accidents, matador Alonso triumphs: Poor track conditions and many accidents did not effect Spaniard Fernando Alonso from easily winning the Grand Prix of Austraila. A column by sportsfilter's own Mark Gero.

posted by justgary to auto racing at 12:20 AM - 22 comments

Terps overcome big deficit, top Duke in OT for first title: A team that was ranked #4 in the final poll before the tournament and got no respect, wins the National Championship. With 2 freshmen, 2 sophmores, and 1 junior, Maryland will be tough to beat next year. Fear the Turtle!

posted by dbt302 to basketball at 10:22 PM - 11 comments

Judge tosses boat-party charges against Culpepper: Daunte Culpepper got rid of his last headache in Minnesota on Tuesday when a judge dismissed misdemeanor lewd conduct charges, saying a prosecutor didn't show probable cause. Now he can really forget about Minnesota, and just concentrate on his Dolphins.

posted by STUNNER to football at 06:15 PM - 28 comments

Bills agree to trade Moulds to Texans: The Bills and Houston Texans have worked out their trade and informed Eric Moulds that he is going to the Texans.

posted by STUNNER to football at 04:45 PM - 10 comments

Titans give McNair the cold shoulder: Steve McNair showed up to work out with the Tennessee Titans on Monday, but the 11-year veteran was told him to go home. McNair and the team have been squabbling for some time about his future. Was this a necessary move by the Titans to protect themselves, or a classless act by an ungrateful organization?

posted by wfrazerjr to football at 01:08 PM - 34 comments

Bonds gets needled by fan at PetCo Park: A fan tossed a syringe at San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds during the Padres' home opener on Monday. How much of this type of stuff can Bonds expect this season, and what's the worst fan behavior you've ever seen?

posted by wfrazerjr to baseball at 10:14 AM - 136 comments

Fantasy Basketball: SpoFi Yahoo Tournament Pickem Results. It was known earlier that rainbigbaby would win, and she did by a big 49 points. Congrats also to Everett and goddam who tied for the Costanza trophy this year.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia to fantasy at 06:37 AM - 5 comments

Former Packer Chmura rips Favre, calls him 'selfish': "He's a selfish guy," Chmura said of Favre. "He's a very selfish guy. And what people don't know, I'm not going to say this to throw the guy under the bus, but this is a guy from my arrest to my acquittal never called me one time."

posted by justgary to football at 01:02 AM - 74 comments

UCLA Bites The Dust: Great! Now I have to put up with weeks of complaints all over town about how they "Should" have won. Bah Humbug!

posted by commander cody to basketball at 11:20 PM - 18 comments

ESPN's 2006 Baseball Predictions: Day-by-day predictions for the 2006 MLB season. Long, but there's some funny stuff in there.

posted by cybermac to baseball at 04:41 PM - 42 comments

Houston, we have a soccer team!: A crowd of over 25,000 sees the debut of MLS team Houston Dynamo defeat the Colorado Rapids 5-2 on 4 goals from the smilin' Hawaiian, Brian Ching. Long lines in traffic and concession stands can't dampen the feeling for supporters as Houston finally gets a professional soccer team. Game on!

posted by Texan_lost_in_NY to soccer at 01:47 PM - 9 comments

Cupless in Toronto: Thirty-nine years after they won their 13th Stanley Cup, the Toronto Maple Leafs remain a storied NHL franchise -- but it's a horror story, according to SportsFilter columnist Weedy McSmokey. "True suffering is the path to enlightenment," he writes. "While that's great and everything, I'd prefer a Cup while I can still party and have a functioning prostate."

posted by rcade to hockey at 11:27 AM - 27 comments

The Tao of a Toronto Maple Leaf Fan: Toronto's NHL team may be a storied franchise, but it's a horror story, according to Weedy McSmokey

posted by WeedyMcSmokey to commentary at 11:04 AM - 0 comments

Webb's eagle on 72nd hole sets up playoff win: In one of the most dramatic final few holes I've witnessed in quite some time, Karrie Webb's eagle from 116 yards out on 18, followed by Michelle Wie's questionable strategy minutes later on the same hole, propels Webb to a major victory.

posted by dyams to golf at 07:14 AM - 26 comments

Field of Dreams.: Some search for it, some argue over it, some fight just to see it.

posted by justgary to baseball at 02:35 AM - 8 comments

World Cup Blog : After a few years off, the site has returned Germany 2006, with a fan-written blog for each of the 32 teams in the tournament (plus one about the refs). A post about the 20 highest paid players (salary, endorsements, etc.) caught my eye since Barca have three of the top five, two of the five are teenagers, two of the 20 I've never heard of make more than Andriy Shevchenko and none are American (okay, this is not surprising).

posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 05:45 PM - 11 comments

Legends of the game are perplexed: Has Augusta National gone too far this time? Very quickly, the rage became "Tiger-proofing" golf courses by stretching holes so much that not even he could overpower par 5s. It's still dawning on tournaments that by outsizing their courses, they in fact play into Woods' hands, plus a handful of the other long bombers.

Nicklaus: "I think they've ruined it from a tournament standpoint..."

posted by justgary to golf at 03:48 PM - 21 comments

'American sports are played with the hands. Using your feet is for commies'. : Millions of children grow up in America playing football. But they all give up by the age of 10. Award-winning writer Dave Eggers explains just why his country will never understand the sport they insist on calling soccer.

posted by the red terror to soccer at 01:43 PM - 21 comments

In a race of accidents, matador Alonso triumphs: Poor track conditions and many accidents did not effect Spaniard Fernando Alonso from easily winning the Grand Prix of Austraila- By Mark Gero

posted by mgero to commentary at 01:13 PM - 0 comments

He caught No. 715 and knows a thing or two of steroids: "I actually think that the game is cleaner today than when I was playing,'' says former major league pitcher Tom House, who pitched in the 1970s and was later Nolan Ryan's pitching coach. House says that he used steroids because "In my case, I was doing everything I could just to survive, but the steroid use ended up backfiring on him....Every generation of players -- the '20s, '30s, '40s on up -- everybody was looking for a way to get the most out of their bodies, and they took whatever they possibly could. It was almost expected. . . "

posted by spira to baseball at 12:42 PM - 23 comments

Gyroball ... fact or fiction?: In their book The Secret of the Miracle Pitch, Japanese researchers using supercomputers modeled a potentially unhittable breaking pitch called the gyroball. Baseball has been simmering with debate over whether anyone can actually throw it. Seekers of the elusive pitch claim that Japanese superstar and MVP of the 2006 World Baseball Classic Daisuke Matsuzaka throws one, and cite this high-speed video (YouTube) as an example. Another video exists, of high school ace Joey Niezer purported throwing it. If it actually exists, the Gyroball would be the first new pitch developed in almost 40 years. (via edverb on MetaFilter).

posted by rcade to baseball at 11:59 AM - 11 comments

ESPN's Next Gamble: Dominoes: Flush with the success of World Series of Poker, ESPN's highest rated regular series, the network is betting that Americans will watch dominoes in telecasts that begin in June. My dream of playing Dungeons & Dragons on TV just got a little closer to realization.

posted by rcade to general at 09:24 AM - 18 comments

Stevie Y. quietly moves up the list...again: He's passed Mario Lemieux and he's sneaking up on Mark Messier for 7th all time. No matter how many he scores or what accolades he gets, he's still IMHO is the most under-rated long time player in the NHL. Perhaps because he doesn't blow his own horn, just sets off the one marking yet one more goal scored. He comes to work, day after day, hurt or not and does his job without a single brag ever heard from him.

posted by commander cody to hockey at 10:15 PM - 18 comments

Florida Gators in the 2006 National Championship: George Mason's run ends against Florida, 73-58.

posted by kirkaracha to basketball at 07:47 PM - 8 comments

Auction draft update: * POSTPONED*: - in an act of self-centeredness that will live in infamy, the Yukon family decided to have a child today, which he feels is a valid excuse to not show up tomorrow. I realize a certain percentage of folks will show up assuming this is a less-than-imaginative April Fool's gag*, but the yolk's on him. * Aren't they all?

posted by yerfatma to fantasy at 04:55 PM - 28 comments

Nique, Joe D, and Auriemma to be elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame: Worthy recipients all, I say...although I think Barkley and Dantley deserve to go in ahead of Joe D...

posted by MeatSaber to basketball at 04:16 PM - 4 comments

Strahan hurts shoulder in fight with Tom Arnold.

posted by mick to football at 12:30 PM - 18 comments

America's new dancing machine!!!: Matt Leinart will forgo millions and follow Jerry Rice in ballroom dancing emphamy. I could hear FOSSE turning in his grave!

posted by Grrrlacher to football at 09:18 AM - 37 comments

No Longer the Disastros: On April 27, 1962, the Houston Astros franchise fell a game below .500, where they've remained for the last 44 years. With seven more victories, they can become one of 13 teams with more wins than losses in the eternal pennant, which the New York Yankees currently lead by 407.5 games.

posted by rcade to baseball at 08:43 AM - 13 comments