Notre Dame Fires Charlie Weis: Charlie Weis has been fired as coach of Notre Dame, AP reported this afternoon. Weis has compiled a 35-27 record in five seasons -- a record worse than predecessors Tyrone Willingham and Bob Davie -- after reaching a BCS bowl in each of his first two years at the helm.

posted by rcade to football at 03:20 PM - 13 comments

Irish Keane to be Given Extra World Cup Spot: After being controversially knocked out of World Cup Qualifying and denied a replay by FIFA, the Republic of Ireland have now asked for an extra spot at the 2010 World Cup. Costa Rica watch with interest and their lawyers on speed dial after they were knocked out by Uruguay on an offside goal.

posted by Mr Bismarck to soccer at 02:44 PM - 32 comments

Rasheed Wallace: Flopping is Watering Down the NBA: "They've got to know that he's a damn flopper. That's all Turkododo do. Flopping shouldn't get you nowhere. He acts like I shot him. Let the Golden Child [LeBron James] do that, or one of the NBA Without Border kids do that, it's all fine and dandy. This game is watered down, watered down with all that flopping. ... That's not basketball, man. That's not defense. That's garbage, what it is. I'm glad I don't have too much of it left." -- Boston Celtics forward Rasheed Wallace after getting his fifth technical of the season from a foul on Toronto Raptors forward Hedo Turkoglu

posted by rcade to basketball at 09:16 AM - 4 comments

NFL Athlete Takes Up Curling: "This is probably one of the craziest things I've ever done. I thought snowboarding was crazy. This is even crazier." -- San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis, who recently learned the sport of curling from members of the San Francisco Bay Area Curling Club. "I had no idea it would be this cold."

posted by rcade to olympics at 09:04 AM - 11 comments

SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 4 comments

Montreal Alouettes win Grey Cup 28-27: Time after time this season, Damon Duval bailed out the Alouettes' offence. He did it again Sunday night, and the Als are now Canadian Football League champions. Duval's 33-yard field goal on the final play of the fourth quarter carried Montreal to an electrifying and incredible come-from-behind 28-27 victory against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the 97th Grey Cup game before a capacity crowd at McMahon Stadium. It was the Als' first championship since 2002. They had lost five other championship games this decade. Duval missed a 43 yarder on the previous play, but the Riders were penalized for too-many-men on the field.

posted by tommytrump to football at 10:41 PM - 3 comments

USC's Win Over UCLA Ends with Pile-On Touchdown: The USC Trojans defeated the UCLA Bruins 28-7 in their crosstown rivalry game Sunday night, which nearly led to a sideline-clearing brawl because of events in the final minute. Up by 14 points, head coach Pete Carroll called a long pass and the Trojans scored a 48-yard touchdown. Surprisingly, veteran LA Times sportswriter Bill Plaschke blames UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel, not Carroll, because UCLA called a timeout after USC took a knee. "In the end, while his players deserved better, Neuheisel got exactly what he deserved," he writes.

posted by rcade to football at 11:13 AM - 24 comments

SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 9 comments

Transsexual Sportswriter Mike Penner Dies: Mike Penner, the Los Angeles Times sportswriter who wrote two years ago about changing sexes to become Christine Daniels and received an outpouring of public support, has died in an apparent suicide at age 52. Penner dropped the name Daniels and returned to his old byline in 2008.

posted by rcade to general at 12:45 AM - 3 comments

Queen's Golden Gaels win Vanier Cup : Overlooked for individual awards and overtaken for a national record, Danny Brannagan wasn't about to let the big prize slip away. The fifth-year Queen's Golden Gaels star quarterback saved his best for last, leading his team to the biggest second-half comeback in the 45-year history of the Vanier Cup on Saturday. Brannagan threw for 221 of his 286 yards in the final 30 minutes as Queen's erased a 25-7 halftime deficit in beating the Calgary Dinos 33-31 before a sellout crowd of 18,628 at PEPS Stadium. It was the Gaels' first Vanier Cup title since 1992 and fourth overall.

posted by tommytrump to football at 08:18 PM - 2 comments

Testing the Happy Gilmore Golf Swing: Earlier this year, the Fox Sports Network show Sport Science decided to test whether the Happy Gilmore running hockey swing would actually work in golf. "To find out, we brought in the only person who was willing to try such a bizarre swing ... Padraig Harrington."

posted by rcade to golf at 01:30 PM - 7 comments

Big-Name College Coaches Looking for Work: As Louisville's Steve Kragthorpe becomes the fourth head coaching casualty of the 2009 season, there are some big names in college football who are eager to get back to the sidelines, including Phillip Fulmer, Tommy Tuberville, Dennis Franchione and Gary Barnett. "Relatively few college football teams are likely to be in the market for a coach," predicts AP's Ralph Russo.

posted by rcade to football at 01:10 PM - 0 comments

SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 5 comments

Tiger Woods Hurt in Car Crash: Tiger Woods was seriously injured in a car accident early Friday when his car struck a tree near his mansion in a gated waterfront community, authorities said.

posted by dviking to golf at 03:33 PM - 93 comments

Broncos Coach Taunted Chargers Before Game: Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels exchanged taunts with a group of San Diego Chargers linebackers during warmups last Sunday, telling them at one point that "we own you!" A subsequent transfer of ownership took place during the crushing 32-3 loss the Chargers handed his team. "As a coach, I hope he has that mindset," said Chargers linebacker and taunting target Shaun Phillips, "but to say you own us? You beat us one time. How much has he really done in this league? He had a team 6-0 and now he's looking up at us in second place."

posted by rcade to football at 11:23 AM - 15 comments

SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 10 comments

CFL Pick 'Em, Grey Cup Edition: This is it! This is for all the marbles. If you want any of 'em, you'd better make your picks inside.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 06:35 PM - 22 comments

The Hoser's NFL Picks 2009, Week 12: NFL picks that just found out "According To Jim" was on for eight freaking seasons.

posted by wfrazerjr to football at 01:28 PM - 9 comments

Matt Stafford Miked Up vs. Browns: As the Detroit Lions carry on their 75-year tradition of playing on Thanksgiving Day, NFL.Com's Sound FX feature shows quarterback Matthew Stafford miked up during the epic last-second comeback win over the Cleveland Browns last Sunday. The shoulder dislocating hit Stafford took from defensive lineman C.J. Mosley has killed my dream of playing starting quarterback in the NFL. "I just threw it up and then got planted and was content to lay there for a while," Stafford told the Detroit Free Press. Steve Sabol of NFL Films calls this the "most dramatic player wiring ever."

posted by rcade to football at 10:18 AM - 14 comments

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 19 comments

Iverson to retire: ESPN reports Allen Iverson will retire from the NBA.

posted by jjzucal to basketball at 07:47 PM - 2 comments

Either/Or: Sports, Sex and the case of Caster Semenya: a long, thoughtful piece on gender from the New Yorker.

posted by rumple to olympics at 04:22 PM - 4 comments

D.C. sports icon, Wizards owner Abe Pollin dead at 85: Abe Pollin, longtime owner of the Washington Wizards basketball team and one of the area's leading philanthropists, died on Tuesday. He was 85. Over his years in the District, Mr. Pollin won a National Basketball Association championship, took the city's hockey team to its only Stanley Cup final, built two arenas, helped revitalize part of downtown, hired and fired the world's most famous basketball player and performed innumerable acts of charity.

posted by tommytrump to basketball at 07:57 AM - 5 comments

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 34 comments

Albert Pujols Wins NL MVP in Unanimous Vote: St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols has become the sixth unanimous most valuable player in National League history, winning the award for the third time in five years. He was followed in voting by Florida Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez, Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard and Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder.

posted by rcade to baseball at 05:54 PM - 6 comments

Boxer Paco Rodriguez Dies After Title Fight: Francisco "Paco" Rodriguez, a super bantamweight title contender from Chicago, died Sunday night from injuries sustained during a championship fight against Teon Kennedy two days earlier. "At the end I asked him if he was OK and he said that he felt sleepy," said trainer George Hernandez. "I asked if he felt sick and when he said 'Yes, a little', that's when I started to scream for the doctor." Seven people will receive Rodriguez' donated organs, including an uncle who needs a kidney transplant.

posted by rcade to boxing at 09:31 AM - 9 comments

SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 15 comments

Mangini wonders if Lions faked injuries: Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini questioned if the Detroit Lions faked injuries in an effort to slow down the Browns' no-huddle offense.

posted by jjzucal to football at 05:10 PM - 38 comments

Wigan Offers to Refund Fans After 9-1 Loss: After a historic 9-1 loss at Tottenham Sunday, the players for Wigan are offering a refund to all fans who made the road trip to White Hart Lane. "We feel that as a group of players we badly let down our supporters yesterday," Wigan captain Mario Melchiot announced on the club's web site. "This is a gesture we have to make and pay them back for their loyalty."

posted by rcade to soccer at 02:24 PM - 8 comments

Joe Mauer Wins AL MVP: Mauer beat out Teixeira and Jeter getting all but one first-place vote.

posted by TheQatarian to baseball at 02:11 PM - 23 comments

Devin Hester Loses Pants on Sunday Night Football: During last night's Bears-Eagles game, Devin Hester was briefly depantsed by Eagles cornerback Dimitri Patterson on their final drive, an event caught inadvertently by the NBC broadcast's slow-mo. (See the bear-assed photo and video.)

posted by rcade to football at 09:29 AM - 6 comments

SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 7 comments

HEAD GAMES: What's killing the professional football players: Professional sports players are often viewed as overpaid and under-worked. But after the glory is gone, little is reported about the physical toll the game takes. the fifth estate investigates why professional football players have a life expectancy that is at least 20 years less than that of the general population. The Edmonton Eskimos of the late 1970s and early 1980s were arguably the greatest football team in CFL history, winning five consecutive Grey Cups (1978-82). Players like York Hentschel, Bill Stevenson and David Boone took the team to the top, but life after football would prove to be so much harder than winning those Grey Cups. In Head Games, the fifth estate’s Bob McKeown discovers that years after retirement, the lives of these players share disturbing similarities with contemporaries who played in the NFL—failure in their personal and business lives, depression, alcoholism, even suicide.

posted by tommytrump to football at 08:23 PM - 13 comments

The Least Valuable Player Awards: Vernon Wells takes the American League award while Milton Bradley sucks equally over in the Senior Circuit.

posted by justgary to baseball at 05:40 PM - 7 comments

SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 12 comments

The Voice of Forty Summers: Richie Benaud, perhaps the greatest ever cricket commentator, is hanging up the microphone after this (southern) summer.

posted by owlhouse to other at 10:22 PM - 3 comments

Iraqi Detainees Have Become Vikings Fans: Detainees at a Wisconsin National Guard camp in Iraq have been taunting their guards by making references to Brett Favre. "They soon learned about Favre going to the Vikings, and things just started going downhill from there," said First Lieutenant Tim Boehnen. "'They're very crafty."

posted by rcade to football at 10:47 AM - 5 comments

Anaheim Fans Brawl Over Hockey Stick: When Anaheim Ducks captain Scott Niedermayer gave his hockey stick to a girl in the crowd Thursday night after being named a star of the game, a brawl broke out in the stands because a man grabbed it for himself. "It was for the little girl," Niedermayer told the Los Angeles Times.

posted by rcade to hockey at 08:48 AM - 5 comments

SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 19 comments

Brett Favre Mic'd Up: Damn Steven, what they got you in for?

posted by dusted to football at 04:29 PM - 15 comments

Oregon Ducks Smell Roses: Ten years ago, as the Jacksonville Jaguars took their 14-2 record and No. 1 AFC seed into the 1999 playoffs, they suffered a case of premature celebration with the early release of Uh Oh -- The Jaguars Super Bowl Song. The football gods and Touchdown Jesus responded with a crushing 33-14 loss to the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship and four straight losing seasons. The Oregon Ducks are tempting divine wrath with the release of "I Smell Roses," a new student-produced song, ahead of games at Arizona this Saturday and against Oregon State a week later. I smell trouble.

posted by rcade to football at 11:18 AM - 5 comments

AP Columnist: 'Soccer Players Can't Be Trusted': Although French striker Thierry Henry has admitted he cheated and believes the France/Ireland World Cup qualifier should be replayed, FIFA has rejected Ireland's request for a replay. AP columnist John Leicester draws this conclusion from the Hand of Frog incident: "Soccer players just can't be trusted to be honest and Thierry Henry proved that by choosing to play volleyball against Ireland," he writes. "Rather than immediately tell the referee that he had broken the rules of the game, Henry charged off in celebration. ... the sad truth is that many players, like Henry, also do whatever they can to get away with fouls and unjust decisions."

posted by rcade to soccer at 10:47 AM - 21 comments

Ex-NBA Star to Plead Guilty For Shooting His Driver: Retired NBA star Jayson Williams has agreed to a plea deal that would send him to prison for up to three years for accidentally shooting a driver at his New Jersey estate in 2002

posted by texpat to basketball at 08:40 AM - 0 comments

RIP UGA VII: Uga VII — given name "Loran’s Best" — the Georgia mascot who roamed the sidelines of Bulldog football games, died unexpectedly Thursday morning in Savannah. He died of heart-related causes according to his owner, Frank W. "Sonny" Seiler. He was only four-years-old and had just completed his second season as the team's mascot. A slideshow with the voice of his master is available, as is a movie of his all too-short career. Rest in Peace, good boy.

posted by scully to football at 08:09 AM - 6 comments

SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 10 comments

Stephanie Spielman Dies of Cancer: Stephanie Spielman, the wife of former NFL player Chris Spielman, has died after a 12-year fight against breast cancer. She was 42. The mother of four, Spielman discovered a lump in her breast at age 30 during a self-exam. A charity fund that she created has raised more than $6.5 million for breast-cancer research, education and patient assistance at Ohio State University's Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital. "I know there's a reason God gave me breast cancer, and I'm supposed to do something with it," she said in 1998.

posted by rcade to football at 08:22 PM - 12 comments

Lincecum Wins NL Cy Young: In a historically close vote, Lincecum beat out the favored Cardinal pair for his second Cy Young award...in as many tries.

posted by slackerman to baseball at 06:41 PM - 6 comments

CFL Pick 'Em, Division Finals Edition: Big playoff games lead to big playoff points. If you're not named Edmonton or Hamilton, pick yourself up off the mat and make your picks inside.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 06:41 PM - 18 comments

The Hoser's NFL Pick 2009, Week 11: NFL picks that need to clear all the "Good Eats" episodes off the PVR.

posted by wfrazerjr to football at 04:41 PM - 6 comments

Entire Wedding Party Wearing Ravens Jerseys: Not sure if I'd go this far, but here's a video of an entire wedding party wearing Baltimore Ravens jerseys. The bride has on a Joe Flacco #5 jersey, while the groom sports a Ray Lewis jersey. Complete with the groom imitating Lewis' pregame dance. No confirmation whether Kyle Boller caught the bouquet.

posted by cletus7777 to football at 03:35 PM - 24 comments

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 32 comments

The Story of Tom Brady's First Completed Pass: Bill Harke, a professional caddy on the PGA and LPGA tours, has an awesome sports story to tell -- but it isn't about golf. He caught Tom Brady's first pass when they were both freshmen at Serra High School in San Mateo, Calif. "I just did this little out pattern, and Tom threw it right in my numbers for seven yards. I caught it and ran out of bounds," said Harke. "I remember that at the moment I caught the pass, my mom shrieked in terror; she thought I was going to get killed. That's the only thing I heard, and it's the reason I ran out of bounds, I think." It was the only catch of Harke's entire football career.

posted by rcade to football at 06:46 PM - 1 comment

Scioscia, Tracy Win Manager of the Year Awards: Scioscia wins the AL award after leading the Angels to the ALCS after the tragic death of Nick Adenhart. Jim Tracy wins the NL award after taking over the Rockies midseason and leading them to the playoffs.

posted by TheQatarian to baseball at 03:49 PM - 7 comments

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 26 comments

Real Salt Lake Poised to Become Biggest Loser: If Real Salt Lake defeats the Los Angeles Galaxy in the MLS title game on Sunday, it will become the first team in an American pro sport to win a championship with a losing record. The team was 11-12-7 during the regular season, squeezing into the eighth and final playoff slot by a single point. "We're a good team when things are on the line and we’ve proven that," said goalkeeper Nick Rimando.

posted by rcade to soccer at 04:54 AM - 9 comments

Shanny calls it a career: The lone member of the NHL's 600 goal/2000 PIM club, Brendan Shanahan, announces his retirement after 21 seasons. Could head of the NHLPA be in his future?

posted by MeatSaber to hockey at 08:07 PM - 1 comment

Zack Greinke Wins American League Cy Young: overcoming both social anxiety disorder and only 16 wins.

posted by justgary to baseball at 07:44 PM - 24 comments

Bills Fire Head Coach Dick Jauron: The Buffalo Bills have fired head coach Dick Jauron after the team's 3-6 start, NFL.Com reported Tuesday afternoon. Jauron, who led the Chicago Bears to a 13-3 record and the NFC North division title in 2001, amassed a 24-33 record leading the Bills.

posted by rcade to football at 03:03 PM - 9 comments

Soccer Striker Will Treat Injury with Horse Placenta: Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie is flying to Serbia to have fluid from a horse placenta massaged over his injured ankle. Van Persie, 26, suffered a partial tear of ligaments while playing for the Dutch national team and is expected to be out six weeks. ESPN Soccernut runs down other miracle cures sought by players, including goat's blood injections for hamstring problems, shamanism for ankle woes and Viagra for altitude sickness.

posted by rcade to soccer at 01:23 PM - 10 comments

SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 22 comments

Titans Owner Bud Adams Flips Off the Bills: Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams gave several one-fingered salutes to the Buffalo Bills at the end of the team's 41-17 victory Sunday (see the video), for which he later apologized. Style points to Adams for pairing the birds with a "you, yes, I mean you" gesture.

posted by rcade to football at 05:14 PM - 35 comments

The Story of Alex Villaplane, France's First World Cup Captain:
13 July 1930 Captains France in their first ever match at the World Cup finals, a 4-1 victory over Mexico.
26 December 1944 Shot by firing squad having been condemned as one of the most despicable traitors in his country's history.

posted by yerfatma to soccer at 04:14 PM - 9 comments

Supreme Court Refuses to Take Redskins Case: On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to take the appeal of six American Indians who challenged the name of the Washington Redskins on the grounds that it is racially offensive and thus does not merit trademark protection. An appeals court ruled in Harjo v. Pro-Football, Inc. that they waited too long to challenge the mark. The group has another six plaintiffs ranging in age from 18 to 24 who filed a similar claim in a case that's not yet resolved.

posted by rcade to football at 01:15 PM - 32 comments

Showcase: The Sports of Photography: A look at some of the greatest photos of and the relationship between Neil Liefer and Walter Iooss, the two greatest sports photographers of the last half-century

posted by spira to general at 10:36 AM - 3 comments

Belichick Call Questioned in Pats' Loss to Colts: With 2:08 remaining in the game, a six-point lead and the New England Patriots on their own 28, coach Bill Belichick went for the first down on fourth-and-2. The Indianapolis Colts held and scored a touchdown in the 35-34 win. "As a former defender on that team, I would've cared less about the result of that fourth-down attempt," writes Tedy Bruschi for ESPNBoston.Com. "The decision to go for it would be enough to make my blood boil for weeks."

posted by rcade to football at 09:22 AM - 88 comments

SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 20 comments

At lon last, Michelle Wie gets 1st LPGA tour win: Michelle Wie won her first LPGA Tour title, fulfilling the promise of a decade with a 3-under 69 Sunday for a two-stroke victory over Paula Creamer in the Lorena Ochoa Invitational

posted by dviking to golf at 09:48 PM - 9 comments

What's Wrong with Brock Lesnar?: UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar has been hospitalized and is battling serious health problems related to a bout with mononucleosis, said president Dana White cryptically. "He doesn't want to talk about it publicly, but he's in bad shape. He's not well and he's not going to be getting well anytime soon," said White. "We're going to have to send him to the Mayo Clinic or to Scripps, or one of those really good hospitals to figure out what's wrong with this guy." The MMA site Fightline quotes White dropping more hints: "He's got mono and he's got something else wrong with him. I know what's wrong with him, he just doesn't want me talking about it. He doesn't have cancer or AIDS or anything like this, [but] he's got some problems, man."

posted by rcade to boxing at 11:32 AM - 7 comments

College Football's No. 1 Fan: The Wall Street Journal profiles Robert Lipson, who can make a strong argument to being college football's most loyal fan. Since 1972, the salesman has attended every Kansas State home game and every conference road game -- even though the team was one of the worst in college football over the first 20 years of that stretch. He spends hours before and after each game making the rounds at tailgaters and leaves a day early for road games. "There is no margin of error in this," he said.

posted by rcade to football at 11:18 AM - 0 comments

Tarkenton doesn't-like these newfangled quarterbacks: Former Viking Quarterback speaks his piece on today's (and yesterday's) quarterbacks.

posted by scuubie to football at 11:07 AM - 10 comments

Pacquiao’s amazing run continues: Maybe the best pound for pound fighter ever. Began at 106, first title at 112 and now 145. Very imperssive win, should have been stopped earlier.

posted by gfinsf to boxing at 06:42 AM - 0 comments

SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 10 comments

The Memphis Grizzlies are looking to sign Jamaal Tinsley: Less than 2 weeks after Iverson left the team for personal reasons, the Memphis Grizzlies are negotiating a contract with Jamaal Tinsley.

posted by lilnemo to basketball at 03:18 PM - 4 comments

SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 6 comments

Dock Ellis & the LSD No No: Somewhere in the archives of Sportsfilter must be some mention of June 1970 when Dock Ellis threw a no-hitter while under the influence of LSD. Even if you know the story, this is a great 4:30 animated recounting of the feat.

posted by jeremias to baseball at 04:51 PM - 7 comments

LeBron James: Honor Jordan By Giving Up No. 23: LeBron James has called on all NBA players who wear No. 23 to choose another number as an homage to Michael Jordan. "I feel like no NBA player should wear 23," he said. "I'm starting a petition, and I've got to get everyone in the NBA to sign it. Now, if I'm not going to wear No. 23, then nobody else should be able to wear it." There are 12 other 23s in the league in addition to James: Marcus Camby of the Clippers, B.J. Mullens (Thunder), Stephen Graham (Bobcats), C.J. Watson (Warriors), Jodie Meeks (Bucks), Devin Brown (Hornets), Toney Douglas (Knicks), Lou Williams (76ers), Jason Richardson (Suns), Martell Webster (Trail Blazers), Kevin Martin (Kings) and Wes Matthews (Jazz).

posted by rcade to basketball at 12:09 PM - 38 comments

CFL Pick 'Em, Division Semi-Finals Edition: Missed out on the 2009 regular season pick 'em? Unhappy with your rank in the final standings? Simply bored on a Friday afternoon? Have no fear: the Playoff Pick 'Em is here! Playoff action kicks off this Sunday, so locate your heart and grit and make your picks inside.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 10:49 AM - 18 comments

New Orleans Hornets Fire Coach Byron Scott: After just nine games, the New Orleans Hornets have fired head coach Byron Scott, a move that caught star player Chris Paul off guard because he wasn't consulted beforehand. Scott's team suffered several ugly double-digit losses this year and were beaten by the winless New York Knicks. His record with the team was 203-216. General manager Jeff Bower, who has never been a head coach, takes over the job.

posted by rcade to basketball at 07:11 AM - 7 comments

SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 11 comments

The Hoser's NFL Picks 2009, Week 10: NFL picks that wonder how "The Cleveland Show" is still on the air.

posted by wfrazerjr to football at 04:58 PM - 9 comments

NFL Sinks Captain Morgan Stunt: Philadelphia Eagles tight end Brent Celek did a Captain Morgan in the end zone after scoring a touchdown in the 20-16 loss to the Dallas Cowboys Sunday night. The unexpected gesture, which was completely ignored by NBC's TV broadcast even though it drew a 15-yard penalty, was sparked by the rum maker's plans to give $10,000 to charity each time a player struck the pose. Although Celek denied knowing about the campaign, "an account executive handling the promotion told Yahoo! Sports the Eagles tight end was indeed involved." The NFL is now taking steps to stop it from happening again. "It's come up before, companies trying to use our games and then players for ambush marketing purposes," said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello.

posted by Demophon to football at 03:50 PM - 14 comments

CFL Pick 'Em, Final Standings: It takes until the final week of the season, but we have a winner. It takes some Grade 10 math, but we also have a Costanza winner.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 10:18 AM - 8 comments

Bengals Coach Tells Ochocinco to Cut the Mustard: Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco will not be allowed to send mustard to members of the Pittsburgh Steelers in advance of their game at Heinz Field Sunday, coach Marvin Lewis told the player. Ochocino tweeted earlier, "I got a nice present for the Steelers -- sending them some mustard since they'll never ketchup when we play Sunday." This news will disappoint Steelers safety Ryan Clark. "He'd better send us something," he said Wednesday in Pittsburgh. "He sent something to the Ravens, so that shows he respects them. So he'd better send something to us."

posted by rcade to football at 09:51 AM - 21 comments

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 4 comments

Hull of a Career: On Monday, November 9th, The Golden Brett joined his father in the NHL Hall of Fame. His career included 741 goals - only two players have more, Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe - and 1391 points over 20 NHL seasons ranking Hull 21st on the all time points list. In the early 1990's Brett Hull was one of the most feared snipers in the league tallying 86 goals in the 1990-91 season. He is one of five players on the 50-50 list, an 8 time all star and an Olympian. He has won the Hart Memorial Trophy (MVP), the Lady Byng and scored a Stanley Cup clinching goal in 1999.

posted by BoKnows to hockey at 06:03 PM - 1 comment

Rumble in the Circus: Standing snarling over Sonny Liston? Shadow boxing on the bottom of a swimming pool? Leaning into the ropes as George Foreman pummels his kidneys? Stooping, shaking, to light the Olympic flame? How about Ali flapping about on the canvas while an 18 stone wrestler sits on his face? Who wants to remember Ali that way? There are some things a person should never have to see happen to a man like Ali. This is the story of one of them. [from Andy Bull in today's Guardian - a look back at the 1977 contest between Muhammad Ali and the Japanese wrestler Antonio Inoki]

posted by JJ to boxing at 12:14 PM - 7 comments

Is It Time to Retire the Football Helmet?: A story in today's Wall Street Journal asks whether the football helmet is the cause of more head injuries than it prevents. "Some people have advocated for years to take the helmet off, take the face mask off," said Fred Mueller of the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research. "Maybe that's better than brain damage." The protective headgear, introduced in the '40s, has created a sport in which players lead with their head in tackles and other collisions. Head injuries are 25 percent more likely to occur in the NFL than in Australian football, a "similarly rough" game that never adopted helmets and other protective gear.

posted by rcade to football at 10:18 AM - 22 comments

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 6 comments

German MNT keeper Enke in apparent suicide: Robert Enke was 29 and expected to be Germany's netminder next summer in South Africa after replacing Jens Lehman last year. He leaves behind a wife and an eight month old daughter. Enke battled depression for six years and lived in fear that this fact would come out and he'd lose custody of his daughter, his wife Teresa told BBC Sport.

posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 05:20 PM - 31 comments

Redesigning the Worst NFL Helmet Graphics: For the Washington Redskins I tried a design direction that might be considered more politically correct in most circles by removing the Native American portrait, emphasizing the feather motif from the headdress and using it more dynamically on the helmet.

posted by justgary to football at 02:48 PM - 24 comments

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Treatment for Rare Leukemia: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 62, was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia last December, he has revealed. The NBA's all-time leading scorer with 38,387 points, Jabbar said he's doing well in treatment and hasn't cut back his schedule as a Lakers' assistant coach. "There is hope," he said. "This condition can be treated."

posted by rcade to basketball at 08:45 AM - 7 comments

Allen Iverson Leaves Grizzlies: When Allen Iverson signed a contract with the Memphis Grizzlies this offseason, you just had a feeling it wouldn't end well. If most reports from Saturday night are true, you were right.

posted by BornIcon to basketball at 08:37 AM - 47 comments

SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 18 comments

Mark Cuban says he'd be interested in buying the Dodgers.: So say the L.A. Times and NBC Los Angeles. But the Dallas Morning News doesn't think so. No word from Blog Maverick

posted by cjets to baseball at 11:52 PM - 6 comments

Bucs Go All Out for Throwback Game to Honor Selmon: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers revived Bucko Bruce and their "creamsicle" uniforms for a throwback game Sunday in which Hall of Fame linebacker Lee Roy Selmon was inducted into the team's ring of honor. They decked out Raymond James Stadium in orange and brought back the old Swashbuckler cheerleader uniforms. Thousands of fans showed up in their old orange gear.

posted by rcade to football at 02:35 PM - 14 comments

Larry Johnson Released by the Kansas City Chiefs: With or without a ruling by the special master, the Chiefs will release Larry Johnson.

The Chiefs and Larry Johnson are in the middle of a case to determine whether or not the Chiefs have to pay Johnson this year's installment of his signing bonus. The Chiefs are contending that Larry violated his contract when he was suspended for one game in 2008.

posted by BornIcon to football at 12:09 PM - 14 comments

SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 15 comments

F-bomb gets dropped at end of Richmond vs. Villanova telecast: Funny video clip of the ending of the Villanova/Richmond game (Villanova won 21-20), where someone (not sure who) calls the Richmond kicker a "bum" then says "just end the effing game." The game was carried by Comcast, and seems to be legit. Video is NSFW for the f-bomb.

posted by cletus7777 to football at 06:58 PM - 4 comments

Cal Running Back Hurt on Touchdown Flight: California running back Jahvid Best suffered a frightening injury last night after going airborne to score a touchdown in the game against Oregon State. A defender sent him higher into the air at the goal line and he landed awkwardly on his back, his helmet flying off and arms stiffening. After he lay motionless for several minutes, Best was taken off the field and is being treated for a concussion. "It was nothing short of devastating," said Best's back-up and friend Shane Vereen. "I'm just thankful he's OK, just thankful we'll be able to see him again."

posted by rcade to football at 08:56 AM - 5 comments

SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 11 comments

17 Congressmen Vote Against Yankees Resolution: In the good-natured spirit of recent debate here on SportsFilter, in which our members are sharply divided over whether the New York Yankees won because of their massive payroll or the other teams lost because of their tiny payroll, we bring you Congressman William Delahunt (D.-Mass.). When a resolution was proposed in the House to congratulate the Yankees on their 27th World Series win, he joined 16 others in voting no. "He told me that as a lifelong member of Red Sox Nation, he couldn't bring himself to vote for it," his spokesman explained.

posted by rcade to baseball at 08:58 PM - 31 comments

Will a Woman Ever Coach an NBA Team?: Nancy Lieberman has become the first woman to coach an NBA D-League team, taking the reins for the new team the Dallas Mavericks are starting in Frisco, Texas. "How many current D-League coaches are enshrined in Springfield, Mass., which is interestingly where Lieberman broke down barriers 23 years ago?" asks Chris Tomasson on AOL FanHouse. "That would be zero."

posted by rcade to basketball at 10:55 AM - 4 comments

SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 9 comments

The Hoser's NFL Picks 2009, Week Nine -- Haiku Edition: NFL picks that are later than the Octomom after a bender at a fertility clinic.

posted by wfrazerjr to football at 03:17 PM - 6 comments

Women's Soccer Playoff Turns Ugly: The women's soccer semifinals of the Mountain West Conference between the Brigham Young Cougars and New Mexico Lobos featured such bad sportsmanship that it made ESPN SportsCenter. One dirty shot by Lobos defender Elizabeth Lambert may singlehandedly revive interest in the Dorothy Hamill haircut among female athletes.

posted by rcade to soccer at 12:32 PM - 24 comments

Giants ace Lincecum cited for marijuana possession: Another golden boy tarnished. Will Selig take a stand? It's not like pot is a performance enhancer...at least on the mound.

posted by lab to baseball at 12:11 PM - 21 comments

Marcus Jordan Costs College Team Endorsement : Adidas has cancelled their contract with the University of Central Florida's basketball program over Jordan's refusal to wear their shoes. Jordan instead appeared on the court for Wednesday's game in his father's trademark Air Jordans.

posted by Tinman to basketball at 11:13 AM - 11 comments

SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 9 comments

MLB Post-Season Pick 'Em, Final Standings: Lots of good picks and just enough bonus action to make things interesting. C'mon in and find out what side of the revenue sharing pool you're on.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 11:36 PM - 9 comments

Florida State Gets Funky New Nike Uniforms: When the Florida State Seminoles take the field Nov. 21 against Maryland, they will for the first time be wearing the Nike Pro Combat uniform design. The uniforms feature sublimated twill jerseys, combat deflex underwear, titanium belt buckles, jazz hand gloves that form an authentic Native American who is not insulted by being reduced to a mascot and shoulders covered with "high-tenacity yarn," which is stitching so dangerous it should require a seven-day waiting period.

posted by rcade to football at 06:11 PM - 9 comments

Fans Petitioning Against Larry Johnson's Return : Kansas City Chiefs fans have started a grass roots campaign to prevent Larry Johnson from becoming the team's all time rushing leader. Johnson, currently under suspension, is prohibited from all team activities and travel; and a lot of Chiefs fans would like to see things stay that way.

posted by Tinman to football at 04:22 PM - 7 comments

Girardi risks his life helping accident victim after the series celebration: Yankees manager Joe Girardi not only won the World Series, but he also helped an accident victim on his way home from the game.

posted by JButton to baseball at 02:35 PM - 12 comments

NFL's Dirtiest Player: Hines Ward: A survey of 296 NFL players conducted by Sports Illustrated finds that the NFL's dirtiest player is Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward. "That's what he's known for," Cincinnati Bengals safety Chinedum Ndukwe said. "He's a blind-side guy." The rest of the top 5 are Washington defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, Miami linebacker Joey Porter, Cincinatti safety Roy Williams and Tennessee center Kevin Mawae.

posted by rcade to football at 02:13 PM - 27 comments

Yankees Win World Series: The New York Yankees have won their 27th World Series, defeating the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 in game 6 behind Hideki Matsui's world-record-tying 6 RBI. Matsui, whose seven-year, $73 million contract has run out, won the MVP after hitting 8-for-13 in the series with 3 home runs and 8 RBI. "We needed this World Series win," writes Joanna Malloy of the New York Daily News. "Those without health insurance, who pay medical bills out of their dwindling savings. Those who trusted the pumped-up muscle of Wall Street, only to see it go as flaccid and tremulous as an unreliable old wrestler with bad habits." Team owner George Steinbrenner was not on hand, watching it from his home in Tampa.

posted by rcade to baseball at 06:50 AM - 102 comments

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 34 comments

CFL Pick 'Em, Week 19: Tight week for points, but an even tighter race at the top. Heading into the final week of the 2009 Pick 'Em, we have a tie for first. Even if you've done the math and eliminated yourself, play for pride and make your picks inside.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 10:40 PM - 18 comments

And Another One Down...: Toyota have pulled out of Formula One with immediate effect. This comes on the heels of the news that Bridgestone will leave the sport after the 2010 season. BMW announced earlier this year they were leaving. Last year we lost Honda. This year we lost BMW and Toyota. With Brawn and Red Bull doing so well this year, will 2010 be a continuation of The Rebirth of the Privateer?

posted by Drood to auto racing at 03:20 PM - 9 comments

Raiders, NFL can't allow abusive Cable to continue as head coach : I'm just surprised this hasn't been posted.

posted by gfinsf to football at 09:10 AM - 8 comments

High School Refs: All Celebrations are Unsportsmanlike: In the D.C. area, high school football referees have begun flagging celebrations so tightly that a player who twice chest-bumped a teammate after touchdowns may be suspended for a playoff game. Two other players were flagged for pointing to the sky after a play in other games. "In the old days, there was a certain level of celebration that was allowed," said high school coach Bill McGregor. "Now it's basically no celebration."

posted by rcade to football at 08:34 AM - 9 comments

All-Out Brawl Breaks Out at IHL Game: Saturday night's game between the International Hockey League's Muskegon Lumberjacks and Fort Wayne Comets featured a massive brawl that included referee spills, enforcers going after skilled guys and players leaving the penalty box to resume fighting (video, beginning at 1:10). "Broom County is just visibly upset by this display," said announcer Jim Carr. "Come on down and get places for the home games. Bring the kids."

posted by rcade to hockey at 08:01 AM - 6 comments

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 14 comments

CNBC Reporter: Marathon Champ Isn't Real American: Meb Keflezighi, a 34-year-old runner who emigrated to San Diego, Calif., in 1987 from war-ridden Eritrea, became the first American to win the New York Marathon since 1982. Keflezighi, who became a U.S. citizen in 1998, also medaled for the country at the 2004 Olympics. But he's only "technically American," CNBC reporter Darren Rovell blogged on Monday. "He is an American citizen thanks to taking a test and living in our country. Nothing against Keflezighi, but he's like a ringer who you hire to work a couple hours at your office so that you can win the executive softball league."

posted by rcade to olympics at 01:05 PM - 28 comments

Phillies Force Game 6 with 8-6 Squeaker: Philadelphia Phillies starter Cliff Lee won his second game of the World Series in an 8-6 game 5 win over the New York Yankees, narrowing the series gap to 3-2. More late inning Yankees heroics were not enough to overcome the Phillies' six-run lead. "All season, the Phillies have talked of their mental fortitude, of the way they shed defeat like a waterproof deck," writes David Murphy of the Philadelphia Inquirer, mixing metaphors like a Blendtec Total Blender. The defeat-shedding waterproof Phillies will throw Pedro Martinez against either Andy Pettitte on three days' rest or seldom-used Chad Gaudin.

posted by rcade to baseball at 09:01 AM - 32 comments

SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 10 comments

Doctor Who Struck Cyclists Guilty in LA Road Rage Trial: "In the July 4 incident, the two cyclists hit the rear of Thompson's car; one slammed through the rear window, the other catapulted over the car into the road. In the earlier incident, the cyclists said they narrowly avoided hitting the rear of Thompson's car."

posted by apoch to other at 04:41 AM - 29 comments

Utley ties Reggie's World Series Record: Utley has hit five homers in five games, tying Reggie Jackson (1977) as the only other player in history with that many in a single World Series. And Mr. November will have at least one more opportunity, in Game 6 tomorrow in New York, to replace Mr. October in the record books.

posted by DudeDykstra to baseball at 03:19 AM - 22 comments

Florida Linebacker Tried to Eye-Gouge Opponent: Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes has been suspended by the team -- but only for two quarters -- after being caught purposefully jamming his fingers through the facemask of Georgia running back Washaun Ealey on Saturday in an effort to gouge his eyes. "We're going to suspend Brandon for the first half of the Vanderbilt game," said head coach Urban Meyer. "I talked to him, that's not who he is. I love Brandon Spikes, the team does. We're going to move on. He has our full support."

posted by firecop to football at 06:48 PM - 35 comments

Beckham Will Join AC Milan in January: David Beckham is joining AC Milan in January after the club reached an agreement with Los Angeles Galaxy. "We look forward to his return to the Galaxy after the 2010 World Cup," said Galaxy coach and GM Bruce Arena.

posted by rcade to soccer at 04:26 PM - 5 comments

Yankees One Win Away After Brad Lidge Collapse: After the Philadelphia Phillies tied the game on an eighth inning home run by Pedro Feliz, closer Brad Lidge gave up three two-out runs to the New York Yankees in the ninth. The 7-4 win in game 4 puts the Yankees one win away from their [placeholder for obscenely large number] World Series crown. Joba Chamberlain, while wallowing in misery in the dugout for blowing the lead on the Feliz home run, got the win.

posted by rcade to baseball at 07:22 AM - 16 comments

SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 6 comments

Manu Ginobili Makes Bat-sketball History: After a bat twice interrupted play in the first quarter, Manu Ginobili swatted it out of midair during the San Antonio Spurs' Halloween night game against the Sacramento Kings and carried it offcourt. "I guess in Argentina, bat hunting is part of everyday life," Kings center Spencer Hawes said. "Somebody had to do it, and it wasn't going to be me."

posted by rcade to basketball at 08:36 AM - 17 comments

Yankees Take 2-1 Series Lead Behind A-Rod, Pettitte: Andy Pettitte hit a game-tying RBI single and won a record 17th postseason game as the New York Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 8-5 in game 3 of the World Series. Alex Rodriguez hit the first instant-replay home run in Series history and Jayson Werth hit two home runs for the Phillies in a losing effort. Managerial decisions come into play tonight, as Joe Girardi calls on ace C.C. Sabathia to start while Charlie Manuel holds on to Cliff Lee for game 5.

posted by rcade to baseball at 07:39 AM - 9 comments

SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 37 comments