Archives for July 2007

July 31, 2007

Robin Roberts Diagnosed With Breast Cancer: Third-leading scorer in Southwestern Louisiana History and ESPN anchor Robin Roberts announced on Good Morning America that she will undergo surgery Friday to remove a malignant tumor from her breast, and will undertake a regimen of unspecified "follow-up" treatments. The three-time Emmy Winner will continue to work for ABC and ESPN as her treatment allows.

posted by The_Black_Hand to culture at 03:53 PM - 13 comments

CFL Pick 'Em, Week 6: More jostling at the top, plus some big gains at the bottom. This week: some home-and-homes, some not. If I had another cup of coffee this post blurb would be much better. Make your picks inside!

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 11:03 AM - 19 comments

July 30, 2007

Kevin Garnett Traded to Celtics: ... for Al Jefferson, Sebastian Telfair, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff, Mark Wahlberg, Ted Kennedy, the ghost of Johnny Most and the guy who ran the snowplow at the Patriots/Dolphins playoff game in 1982.

posted by rcade to basketball at 04:19 PM - 63 comments

Bill Walsh Traded To Angels: Bill Walsh, legendary coach of the San Francisco 49ers, joins the list of sports names to pass away in recent days. He was 75.

posted by TheQatarian to football at 02:34 PM - 28 comments

Teixeira traded to Atlanta: for four prospects. Appears to help Atlanta this year and next before Tex makes his play for big bucks. The Rangers just keep trying to tread water.

posted by graymatters to baseball at 02:06 PM - 106 comments

The Agony of Victory.: "For the country's most successful high school girls' lacrosse team, nothing was scarier than losing -- except maybe the relentless demand for perfection." The Mount Hebron High School Vikings hadn't lost a game in five years, had won 10 consecutive Maryland state titles, and had a 103-game winning streak. Then they lost. [more inside]

posted by kirkaracha to other at 12:51 PM - 5 comments

With one shot, Iraq conquer Saudi Arabia and Asia.: With a strikeforce consisting of a Kurd, a Sunni and a Shiite, Iraq secured their first Asia Cup championship with a 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia. The winning goal was scored by captain Younes Mahmoud. Iraqis the world over celebrate this triumph and national unity in the face of continued violence.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 11:37 AM - 6 comments

"The future of this sport is one where we have to get back to basics,": As the Tour caravan disperses, the post-mortem begins. ESPN's Bonnie DeSimone wonders whether a riders' union would change the atmosphere. The ASO has floated the idea of opening the TdF field to national teams, though that's tied into its power struggle with the UCI and ProTour teams. But a common theme emerges after this Tour de chien: the sponsorship money that has built team dynasties now threatens the sport.

posted by etagloh to other at 02:32 AM - 7 comments

July 29, 2007

Simple and sweet, Chrissy and Ian tie the knot: Football player completes big play

posted by tommytrump to culture at 07:38 PM - 5 comments

Milt's Magic? Hard Work! : Winnipeg Blue Bomber Milt Stegall sets C.F.L. career touchdown record.

posted by tommytrump to football at 07:25 PM - 3 comments

July 28, 2007

Upper Deck pulls Vick cards, memorabilia: Upper Deck has removed all Michael Vick autographed memorabilia from its online store and will remove the indicted quarterback's trading card from NFL sets that are scheduled to be released in October.

posted by commander cody to football at 10:37 PM - 49 comments

More fantasy soccer: I appreciate that we already have a perfectly good league and don't need another. However. The Sunday Times reckons its new game is more cerebral than the others, requiring more thought and analysis. The scoring system is more complex and transfers have to be negotiated with other managers. It could be good, it could be crap, who knows. Anyway, I have taken the liberty of setting up a spofi league with room for 15 teams. Feel free to join. The league name is Spofi and the password is Lebowski

posted by Fat Buddha to fantasy at 03:04 PM - 15 comments

Women's football in Egypt: Decent short report from Al Jazeera on the growth of the women's game in the big African nation.

posted by Abiezer to soccer at 02:02 AM - 3 comments

July 27, 2007

Bob Costas - Patrick Arnold Interview: For those without HBO. Originally aired on July 24, Bob Costas went in depth with Patrick Arnold - the key chemist and man behind "the clear" in the BALCO case.

posted by catfish to culture at 09:19 PM - 12 comments

NFL Camps Open without Michael Strahan, Simeon Rice: Training camps around the league have opened without two big names on defense: The Buccaneers cut Simeon Rice and the Giants opened without Michael Strahan, who didn't show up and is reportedly considering retirement. "Jon Gruden didn't have the decency, after all these years and all we've been through together, to talk to me face to face," Rice told the media. "He's the phoniest [expletive] in the world."

posted by rcade to football at 03:59 PM - 3 comments

Will the Web Kill the Local Sports Page?: In a discussion about the future of newspapers, A-list blogger Matthew Yglesias argues that the sports section is being killed off by sites like ESPN.Com and Yahoo Sports. "Sports specialty sites will have the best sports coverage," he writes.

posted by rcade to general at 03:05 PM - 18 comments

James Oyebola's life support to be switched off. : On Monday, after asking 3 men to stop smoking, ex-British Heavyweight champion James Oyebola was shot. In the face. Today, after doctor's pronounced him brain dead, his life support is to be switched off.

posted by Fence to boxing at 04:34 AM - 16 comments

July 26, 2007

Wake Forest Coach Skip Prosser Dead: Prosser collapsed while jogging, according to the Winston-Salem Journal.

posted by TheQatarian to basketball at 04:43 PM - 11 comments

Softball Practice Ground Ball Kills Girl: Michigan 12-year-old was knocked unconscious on field and died one day later.

posted by commander cody to general at 03:50 PM - 11 comments

Dogfighting, point-shaving, blood doping. It couldn't get any worse, could it?: Slate envisions how a bad sports week could get worse.

posted by gradys_kitchen to general at 12:54 PM - 51 comments

Tres Leagues de Futbol Americano: You know you want to.

posted by The_Black_Hand to fantasy at 11:16 AM - 1 comment

Curtis Martin Retires.: Martin ranks fourth All-Time on the NFL's career rushing list and was the second running back in NFL history to start his career with ten straight 1,000 yard seasons.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia to football at 08:25 AM - 18 comments

Something to warm the heart of cycling fans: 24 hours after what may turn out to be the worst day in the Tour's history. One day ahead of the actual race, aided by his mum and fuelled by jam butties and Coca-Cola, Luke Bream from London is riding the route of the Tour de France. He has completed every stage so far despite getting no takers to join him on his quest.

posted by JJ to other at 06:03 AM - 11 comments

NASCAR comes home to ESPN: ESPN's return to NASCAR coverage could mean much more than just some extra minutes on Sportscenter. Gradioc breaks it down in a sportsfilter column.

posted by justgary to auto racing at 12:40 AM - 7 comments

July 25, 2007

Eric Staal's bachelor party nets fourteen arrests.: Sure, it ain't no refs on the take from the mafia, marquee quarterback in dog fighting imbroglio, or steroid (?) icon taking over one of the marquee records in the game, but, man, the NHL is MESSED UP.

posted by gspm to hockey at 08:58 PM - 23 comments

NASCAR comes home to ESPN: ESPN's return to NASCAR coverage could mean much more than just some extra minutes on Sportscenter.

posted by gradioc to commentary at 07:00 PM - 0 comments

Five Ballpark Promotions that went wrong.: Just, you know, because other people's failures are funny.

posted by Ufez Jones to baseball at 06:44 PM - 16 comments

Opening the doors to the Canadian Open: Canadian Open director Bill Paul is grousing about the poor field, but Tour players want him to show them both the love and the money. A sportsfilter column by wfrazerjr.

posted by justgary to golf at 02:47 PM - 4 comments

Opening the doors to the Canadian Open: Canadian Open director Bill Paul is grousing about the poor field, but Tour players want him to show them both the love and the money.

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

July 24, 2007

CFL Pick 'Em, Week 5: It's division rivalry time! Also, a new leader for the third time in as many weeks. Make your picks inside.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 04:00 PM - 20 comments

Panic in the Peloton: - Team Astana pulls out of the Tour de France following the announcement that Alexandre Vinokourov's A sample has come back positive for blood doping.

posted by apoch to other at 11:58 AM - 58 comments

Ooh, NHL team salaries.: So, you're a Leaf fan and you're looking for some new ammo to throw at your Sens-loving country cousin? Show 'em how screwed they're gonna be next summer when Heatley, Redden (UFAs) and Spezza (RFA) will all be free agents then. Or you just want to take a quick look at where every team is in regards to the cap? This is the site to use then.

posted by NoMich to hockey at 10:48 AM - 7 comments

Suspected NBA Referee's Games Hit the Over More Often: Over the last two NBA seasons, games refereed by Tim Donaghy scored more points than Las Vegas expected 57 percent of the time (79 of 138 games), according to R.J. Bell of the sports betting site PreGame.Com. In the two years prior, his games hit the over 44 percent of the time. "There is an absolute correlation between the number of fouls a referee calls in an NBA game and the number of points scored by the teams," he writes. "An NBA ref who intended to illicitly influence a game would do so by calling more fouls, and thus his games would be higher scoring than average." A source told the Denver Post Sunday that the league has known about the FBI's investigation of the referee since January, rather than after the NBA Finals as reported elsewhere.

posted by rcade to basketball at 09:12 AM - 43 comments

It's all over: and I don't mean Harry Potter, I mean the Tri Nations of course. And New Zealand did the expected by winning it. And congrats to bperk who can take home the title of Fantasy TriNations champion.

posted by Fence to fantasy at 04:17 AM - 4 comments

July 23, 2007

World Eskimo Indian Olympics: Thanks to NPR and the wonder of the Web, I bring you events such as the Seal Hop, Earpull, Blanket Toss and Toe Kick. Lest you think this is silly fun, know that these games are tests of endurance and athletic ability, as well as attempts at preserving cultural traditions.

posted by worldcup2002 to culture at 10:37 PM - 5 comments

Jon Lester: is a winner.

posted by The Crafty Sousepaw to baseball at 10:15 PM - 21 comments

MLB Predictions: somewhat-post-midterm grades: Remember when? Well, my mother always said that humiliation is next to godliness. I think she said humiliation. Anyway...

posted by The Crafty Sousepaw to fantasy at 08:09 PM - 74 comments

Recounting Ruth's Career: Jenkinson, 60, says Ruth would have hit about 1,150 homers had he not played in an era when ballparks were so cavernous, rules were different and the season was shorter. Time To Retire No. 3?

posted by justgary to baseball at 01:10 PM - 50 comments

First Base Coach Killed by Line Drive: Former Major Leaguer Mike Coolbaugh, 35, was hit in the head by a foul ball in the ninth inning of the Tulsa Drillers' game Sunday in Little Rock, Ark. He was knocked out and stopped breathing en route to the hospital.

posted by rcade to baseball at 08:02 AM - 51 comments

July 22, 2007

Australian Eyes Are Smiling:
Australians, Casey Stoner and Chris Vermeulen, take first and second respectively in today's US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca. So far this Moto GP season, Stoner is running away with the championship, with Valentino Rossi in second, a whopping 44 points behind.
In other Moto GP news, a second US race has been announced for Indianopolis for the 2008 season. Unfortunately, this comes at the expense of Istanbul.

posted by NoMich to auto racing at 09:59 PM - 2 comments

Irish Eyes Are Smiling:
Padraig Harrington wins in a playoff to grab the claret jug and secure his first major golf title. Harrington, Sergio Garcia and Andres Romero provided enough wild shots on the final two holes of Carnoustie to remind everyone (as ABC/ESPN was happy to do) of Jean Van de Velde's collapse in 1999 (video).

posted by grum@work to golf at 06:10 PM - 31 comments

July 21, 2007

One Thing We Can All Agree On:: whether you like stats or scouts, I think we can all come together to agree Scott Boras' coaching staff should be blown up before any other agent gets the same idea.

posted by yerfatma to baseball at 09:45 AM - 16 comments

Football player deserts Asian Cup to get married : For the second time during this Asian Cup a player will desert his team to get hitched. Vietnam playmaker Phan Van Tai Em is to miss the biggest game of his life on Saturday as he has already organised his wedding on the same day.

posted by commander cody to soccer at 03:26 AM - 11 comments

July 20, 2007

Bettman Buggers Up Balsillie's Bid: Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie has accused NHL commissioner Gary Bettman of forcing the owner of the Nashville Predators to break off discussions about the sale of the team to Balsillie

posted by garfield to hockey at 03:08 PM - 10 comments

Technical foul called on referee: Did an NBA referee bet on games, and make calls affecting the point spreads of those games he worked? The FBI is checking on this one.

posted by NerfballPro to basketball at 10:30 AM - 27 comments

"Ballet aficionados are just sports fans in formal wear.: They, too, are obsessed with a physical act, honed by a manic devotion and years of repetition, transformed by the force of one moment, one crowd, and one serendipitous confluence of circumstances into something beautiful. If you’re any good as a writer, you’ll be able to grasp and then channel just a bit of that; if you’re really good, you can do it night after night. But now and then you get it all: the dramatic home run, the perfect quote, the most perceptive take on what everyone saw, and then, if you’re even luckier, you see the story clear in your head and get time enough to hammer it into your keyboard." S.L. Price on sportswriting.

posted by Uncle Toby to culture at 09:26 AM - 9 comments

Vick to still play.: "The Associated Press reported that after consulting with the Falcons, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and top league officials agreed Wednesday to let Vick play as the legal process determines the facts. A person with knowledge of the meeting, who requested anonymity so the case would not be influenced, said the NFL would stick to that position for the foreseeable future, despite its new personal conduct policy, the AP reported. "

posted by FonGu to football at 06:26 AM - 56 comments

Plunk'd! The latest, greatest Craig Biggio story: Biggio, the Astros' second baseman, is about to pass Hall of Famer Hughie Jennings and set the all-time record for being hit by pitches. It's already happened an extraordinary 285 times over his 20-year career. With three more plunks -- he once suffered five of 'em in a single week in May of 2000 -- Biggio will pass Jennings, whose 287th and final HBP came in 1903. Biggio is about to break a record that has endured for 104 years.

posted by commander cody to baseball at 03:18 AM - 19 comments

Police taser Chilean team: Brawl breaks out after soccer game, Police use tasers, billyclubs, and handcuffs to quell the commotion. In Toronto!

posted by tommytrump to soccer at 12:40 AM - 10 comments

July 19, 2007

Arbour to coach Isles one last time: No, it's not a 15 year contract.

posted by tommytrump to hockey at 04:39 PM - 4 comments

July 18, 2007

'Roid rage on the 9th tee: - Gary Player said Wednesday he knows of at least one golfer who has used steroids, and he urged golf organizations to move quickly toward a random drug-testing plan .. then he put his fist through the wall and screamed "why is no one listening to me!!"

posted by gradys_kitchen to golf at 04:22 PM - 17 comments

Report: San Jose Gets Expansion MLS Franchise: According to the San Jose Mercury News, Major League Soccer will award the league's 14th team to the San Jose Earthquakes, an expansion franchise that's taking the team records (but not the team) back from Houston. Portland and New York are next in line for franchises, according to MLS Rumors.

posted by rcade to soccer at 09:06 AM - 28 comments

Man Bikes Dog: , Borat starts a breakaway, and it's all too much for Vino (who finished stage 9 and promptly burst into tears). Forty years to the day after the death of this man, another Brit made a doomed bid for glory. There was a big crash just before the end of the second stage, and the current leader has the physique of shaved chicken. It can only be Le Tour.

posted by JJ to other at 08:31 AM - 18 comments

I Am Bill James and I Am Smarter Than You.: The only way to make your team succeed is to undergo a harsh rebuilding process where nearly each and every one of your core players is acquired through the draft. What if you can't draft, or afford the outrageous signing bonuses top picks get nowadays? Too bad bitch.

posted by dusted to baseball at 02:23 AM - 3 comments

July 17, 2007

Only one weekend to go: and in the Tri Nations fantasy league bperk is back on top. And things in the actual competition are quite finely balanced too. It all comes down to next weekend.

posted by Fence to fantasy at 01:10 PM - 3 comments

The Effect of Radar Guns on Baseball: Joe Posnanski of the Kansas City Star (previous Spofi post about Joe on Bo Jackson) looks at the obsession with radar gun readings and how it is changing the game of baseball.

"We’re evolving very rapidly in the major leagues," author and Boston Red Sox adviser Bill James says. "But we’re not evolving toward something better. We’re evolving toward something different. … Radar guns have caused teams to focus more attention on how hard a pitcher is throwing. And there’s no question that has worked to the detriment of finesse pitchers."
Posnanski investigated the question in light of Royals' non-prospect Rowdy Hardy and touched on it again today after watching Kason Gabbard stifle the Royals.

posted by yerfatma to baseball at 11:59 AM - 18 comments

Bunt Cake.: A comic made from ...BASEBALL CARDS! In the spirit of Get Your War On comes Bunt Cake. A web comic featuring Baseball Card images as the clip art. Linked via Metafilter

posted by vito90 to baseball at 11:55 AM - 5 comments

Poll: Rooting for Bonds Divided by Race: When it comes to rooting for Barry Bonds to become the home run champion, one factor stands out: race. An AP-Ipsos poll released Monday showed 55 percent of minority baseball fans want Bonds to set the record, while only 34 percent of non-Hispanic white baseball fans hope he passes Hank Aaron's record.

posted by commander cody to baseball at 02:45 AM - 84 comments

July 16, 2007

Fantasy Tour: The scores on the first rest day are...

posted by afx237vi to fantasy at 05:46 PM - 11 comments

Javelin Thrower Spears Person with Errant Toss: Finnish thrower Tero Pitkamaki slipped as he was releasing his javelin at an international competition in Rome on Friday, spearing long jumper Salim Sdiri of France in the back (painful video link). Sdiri's kidney and liver were injured by the 10-cm deep wound. "A shocked-looking Pitkamaki held his head in his hands after the incident but took his next throw in the javelin competition."

posted by rcade to other at 11:19 AM - 20 comments

Chelsea is a Mickey Mouse company.: Chelsea ties up with Disney in a youth football partnership, as official pro soccer club for Disney's Wide World of Sports and presenting sponsor of the Disney Soccer Showcase Series. Perhaps ESPN will take soccer seriously now: "Further talks are planned to see how Chelsea can work with the various entertainment and media brands within Disney."

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 09:30 AM - 6 comments

CFL Pick 'Em, Week 4: A healthy mix of nail-biters and blowouts so far, although we've yet to see an upset of significance. Perhaps this week, Hamilton? Make your picks inside.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 09:19 AM - 13 comments

July 14, 2007

John Ferguson dead of cancer. NHL tough guy had heart of lion: He was a feared fighter, but more than anything else, he was a player. His teammates knew it and admired him greatly for it. Canadiens fans knew it and loved him for it.

posted by tommytrump to hockey at 10:46 PM - 3 comments

Colts 72 million dollar man: After five years of chasing quarterbacks, Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney will be paid like one.

posted by dezznutz to football at 01:54 PM - 6 comments

July 13, 2007

Sheffield calls out Torre, Jeter, Bonds in HBO interview: Gary Sheffield has strong words about New York Yankees manager Joe Torre, former Yankees teammate Derek Jeter, San Francisco slugger Barry Bonds and steroids in an interview with HBO's "Real Sports" that will air next Tuesday. Sheffield says Torre treats black players differently from white players and says Jeter, who is from a mixed-race marriage, "ain't all the way black," during the interview with Andrea Kremer, as reported by Newsday.

posted by STUNNER to baseball at 11:24 PM - 28 comments

Copa America finals pick'em: One round, let's get some opinions on Brazil-Argentina:

+1 for picking winner
+1 for scorer of winning goal (or PK if it goes there)
+1 for final score
+1 for total cards (yellow=1 point, red=2)
+1000 for putting Ray Hudson on the disabled list before kickoff (hint: he's not in Venezuela)





posted by billsaysthis to fantasy at 09:07 PM - 10 comments

Mark Cuban Applies to Buy Chicago Cubs: Add internet billionaire and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to the list of potential Chicago Cubs buyers.

posted by commander cody to baseball at 01:18 PM - 24 comments

July 12, 2007

Take Back the Yard: Frustrated with Red Sox and Yankee fans taking over Camden Yards Oriole fans decide to fight back.

posted by justgary to baseball at 12:43 PM - 33 comments

'Mein Fuhrer, I Have Today's Football Results': As this video shows, one fan of Sheffield United took the team's relegation from the Premiership last season -- which wouldn't have happened if West Ham United lost points over the Carlos Tevez signing -- particularly hard.

posted by rcade to soccer at 10:04 AM - 9 comments

He's baaaaaack! (sort of):
Everyone's favourite baseball player that refers to himself in the 3rd person returns to the major leagues as a coach.

posted by grum@work to baseball at 12:51 AM - 18 comments

July 11, 2007

Ichiro takes round-trip to All-Star history.: MVP Ichiro Suzuki hits the first inside-the-park home run in All-Star Game history.

posted by kirkaracha to baseball at 06:03 PM - 51 comments

In 2005, OU went 0-4?: The University of Oklahoma has been forced to vacate its eights win during the 2005 season. The NCAA handed down extra penalties to OU in relation to the dismissal of starting quarterback Rhett Bomar and two other players after it was found they were paid by a Norman car dealership for work they didn't do. Head coach Bob Stoops, who led the Sooners to an 8-4 record and a win in the Holiday Bowl in 2005, will see his career coaching mark drop from 86-19 to 78-19.

posted by wfrazerjr to football at 03:58 PM - 16 comments

Billups Signs 5-Year Deal With Pistons: Chauncey Billups signed a $60 million, five-year contract Wednesday with the Detroit Pistons, returning to the team he helped reach five straight conference finals.

posted by commander cody to basketball at 02:22 PM - 10 comments

Thirty two years is a long time.: So it is no wonder that the local press are celebrating Sligo's long awaited victory in last weekend's Connacht final. Their campaign began before the season kicked off by getting players to return to the team, like Kieran Quinn who had taken time out to do a BA in Jazz. The first match was away to New York, and it was the probably the only one in which they were favourites. But they can't celebrate too much, there is still a long way to go in the All-Ireland. However they get on, people in Sligo finally have their third Connacht title.

posted by Fence to other at 01:17 PM - 8 comments

Balmy Weather May Bench a Baseball Staple: Damn those Emerald Ash Borers!

posted by tommytrump to baseball at 11:40 AM - 14 comments

July 10, 2007

July 09, 2007

No Longer Jermain to the Middleweights: Middleweight champ Jermain Taylor will give up his title and move up a weight class after one more fight at 160 pounds.

posted by BlueCarp to boxing at 11:18 PM - 1 comment

Five is a magic number: : Roger Federer won his fifth consecutive Wimbledon championship Sunday, tying Bjorn Borg's record for most consecutive Wimbledon championships. The win over Nadal also marked the first time that Federer has needed five sets to secure a championship.

posted by lil_brown_bat to tennis at 12:12 PM - 10 comments

Blogger's Pitch Selection Letter Helps Mariner Throw Two-Hitter: On June 27, the U.S.S. Mariner blog wrote an open letter to Seattle pitching coach Rafael Chaves, telling him that talented young pitcher Felix Hernandez was getting shelled because he starts every game with fastballs and the rest of the league knows it. The letter found its way to Chaves and then Hernandez, who gave it some props after a win against the Oakland A's. "On the internet, they say when I throw a lot of fastballs in the first inning, they score a lot of runs," Hernandez said. "I tried to mix all my pitches in the first inning."

posted by rcade to baseball at 11:31 AM - 14 comments

CFL Pick 'Em, Week 3: Big spreads mean lots of points. Make your picks inside.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 10:38 AM - 20 comments

Two matches to go: and although the Springboks took an early lead in their match against Australia, the Wallabies took the victory. So how does this change the fantasy league?

posted by Fence to fantasy at 08:37 AM - 7 comments

July 08, 2007

Phils Handle Tarp and Rockies. 10,000th loss will have to wait: Authorities have released no statement on the whereabouts or condition of Vince Coleman.

posted by tommytrump to baseball at 10:48 PM - 15 comments

Hawk-Eye for EPL?: Technology for seeing if balls are in or out in tennis will be tested for goal-line decisions by the EPL. The technology is to be used by "the referees, not TV."

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 11:49 AM - 11 comments

July 07, 2007

Two years ago : Venus Williams became the lowest-ranked player to win the Wimbledon championship in thie history of the tournament. Today she did it again, beating 18th seed Marion Bartoli 6-4, 6-1 to claim her fourth Venus Rosewater Dish after entering the tournament seeded 23rd and ranked 31st.

posted by lil_brown_bat to tennis at 04:28 PM - 8 comments

Is ESPN Killing the National Hockey League by Influencing Public Attitudes?: By creating and reinforcing an expectation of failure regarding the NHL, ESPN is shaping public perception and contributing to the “death” of the NHL in the United States.

posted by Mookieproof to hockey at 03:15 PM - 48 comments

July 06, 2007

Svenchester City.: Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson is the new Manchester City boss, a move triggered by a controversial takeover at the club by former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 11:51 AM - 9 comments

The best athletes ever, by number.: A team of SI.com's finest numerologists crunched the data on jersey numbers to come up with the best performers (across all sports) at each number from 00 to 99 (Eddie Gaedel was a lock at 1/8).

posted by mr_crash_davis to general at 08:48 AM - 60 comments

EPL Fantasy Pool 07-08 is open.: That 7 week vacation from Fantasy English Premier League distractions is now ending. Signups are open. First action Aug 11th. Three all new teams! No Thierry Henry! New team strip selecto-tool!

posted by gspm to fantasy at 07:06 AM - 51 comments

$5 Dollar Fine: for looking at his hair too long. Some funny baseball humor. "They're very strict in Double-A," said Chris Coste, Kendrick's teammate on the R-Phillies. "The problem is that it was written up and put in the kangaroo court box, but he was called up before the case could be read." The charge? "Spending 22 minutes and 39 seconds in front of the mirror doing his hair," Coste said, without a hint of a smile. "And his hair didn't change from Minute 1 to Minute 22. He really likes his hair."

posted by GoBirds to baseball at 06:10 AM - 1 comment

Red Wings Re-Sign Goalie Dominik Hasek: Dominik Hasek and the Detroit Red Wings agreed to terms of a one-year contract Thursday that is worth more than $2 million in base salary and gives the 42-year-old goalie a chance to earn an additional $2 million in bonuses

posted by commander cody to hockey at 01:49 AM - 9 comments

July 05, 2007

Grand Slam Fantasy Wimbledon edition : the express version. Fourth round results!

posted by lil_brown_bat to fantasy at 03:20 PM - 7 comments

60 Years Ago Today : Larry Doby integrated the American League. He was signed by Bill Veeck, whose desire to integrate was criticized by some. The sale of Doby by Negro Leagues owner Effa Manley set a precedent for compensation back to the ill-fated league's owners as they lost more and more stars, and illustrated her willingness to sacrifice her star players for the greater good.

posted by The Crafty Sousepaw to baseball at 02:52 PM - 6 comments

The very worst: You can really tell that it is the off season for soccer, a few weeks ago it was the fifty best players, and now the Times takes a look at the fifty worst footballers to play in England. Can you guess who this refers to?

Told Kenny Dalglish he intended to bite off his ear and spit in the whole. And they said there were no characters left in the game.

posted by Fence to soccer at 09:30 AM - 8 comments

Grand Slam Fantasy Wimbledon edition : on to the...semis?: Courtesy of the annual English monsoon, the schedule got seriously skewed, forcing us to have to hang back and wait for the results of Nadal vs. Soderling and V. Williams vs. Sharapova before the third round was complete. And now the women are nearly done with the quarterfinals while the men haven't even started. What a tournament.

posted by lil_brown_bat to fantasy at 07:21 AM - 10 comments

CONMEBOL not pleased with U.S.: The South American Soccer Federation feels disrespected that the USA sent a second-tier team to the Copa America, the continents most important tournament. As an invited guest has the USMNT embarassed itself on the field and off?

posted by urall cloolis to soccer at 06:57 AM - 42 comments

Trinations Fantasy update: Better late than never, eh? Besides, it serves as a reminder for this weekend's match as Australia take on South Africa in Sydney.

posted by Fence to fantasy at 05:16 AM - 3 comments

July 04, 2007

Russia to Host 2014 Winter Olympics: Sochi, Russia was selected by IOC delegates on the second ballot. SportsFilter discussed the three finallists, and earlier the seven candidates.

posted by Amateur to other at 10:22 PM - 2 comments

Jimmy Walker dead at 63.: Walker was the only player from a New England college ever to be drafted #1 in the NBA draft, and was the father of Michigan's Jalen Rose. At one time, they held the NCAA Division I record for career points scored by a father and son.

posted by mr_crash_davis to basketball at 10:04 PM - 2 comments

What the World Needs Now, is Football, Sweet Football: Lost amidst the cavalcade of tennis updates, there are two, count 'em, two, SportsFilter Fantasy Football Leagues goin' right now, both with agreeable scoring settings in place that will reward yardage and scoring, leading to higher scores, and, I believe anyway, a more competitive balance.

posted by The_Black_Hand to fantasy at 04:09 PM - 8 comments

68 years later, Gehrig's speech still resonates: He can still see Gehrig, withered by the disease that would come to bear his name. He was standing frail on the field during a doubleheader intermission, a man less than two years away from a death that came exactly 16 years to the day that he replaced Wally Pipp in the Yankees' lineup. Anella can still feel the stadium's stillness. He can still hear the echoing words.

posted by justgary to baseball at 04:08 PM - 16 comments

Down Goes Kobayashi! Down Goes Kobayashi!: American Joey Chestnut ate 66 hot dogs in 12 minutes, three more than six-time champ Takeru Kobayashi, to win the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, N.Y., and return the Mustard Belt to the U.S. In an event broadcast live on ESPN, Chestnut's total broke his own competitive eating world record by 6.5 hot dogs.

posted by rcade to other at 12:25 PM - 37 comments

July 03, 2007

Bird expert who wings in for Wimbledon: As tennis-lovers eat their strawberries they may be unaware of a dark brown presence swooping overhead - Mr Davis' hawk scaring away pigeons from the grounds.

posted by bobfoot to tennis at 06:19 PM - 9 comments

World Cup of American Football: : First U.S. national football team prepares for trip to Japan

posted by ursus_comiter to football at 01:54 PM - 6 comments

CFL Pick 'Em, Week 2: Looking to one-up TBH's 2006 first-week record-setting points-getting, Folkways goes the flashy route and nails the tie. Make your picks inside!

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 11:44 AM - 12 comments

Rashard Lewis Leaves Sonics In a Hurry: The Seattle SuperSonics forward, a free agent pursued by 20 teams, has reportedly agreed to an NBA-maximum five-year, $80 million deal with the Orlando Magic. "He wants to win and you almost think they (Seattle) are starting to rebuild with all these young players," former teammate Ray Allen told the Tacoma News Tribune before the deal. "I'm not sure Rashard is going to want to be a big brother to all these young guys." There's no word yet on when Lewis will have an abrupt change of heart and cancel the deal with Orlando.

posted by rcade to basketball at 11:19 AM - 13 comments

The Dirtiest Man in Football: - Conrad Dobler and his part in the battle between the retired players and the Players Union.

posted by apoch to football at 06:06 AM - 14 comments

July 01, 2007

Centre of attention: Rangers ink Drury and Gomez to lengthy deals. In other news on the first day of NHL free agency: The Leafs sign Jason Blake to a five year deal, Mathieu Schneider signs with the Ducks, putting Niedermayer's NHL future into question and the Flyers sign Daniel Briere to an 8 year contract. More inside...

posted by HATER 187 to hockey at 10:13 PM - 21 comments

Another Tiger Woods: Nope, not Tiger's new daughter but his niece. Meet Cheyenne Woods, 16, 3.3 GPA, 245-yard average drive.

posted by worldcup2002 to golf at 08:00 PM - 9 comments

Life in a Cage, Baby Sleeps, Mom Cooks, Dad Bats: 'When Amber Willets is cooking dinner -crack!, or putting the kid to bed -crack!......she has to wonder why she agreed to live in a batting cage.

posted by tommytrump to baseball at 09:36 AM - 10 comments