12/21/24
Archives for December 2009
December 31, 2009
Washington Times cuts staff, eliminates sports section: : "Somebody's gotta do it, deliver the eulogy for The Washington Times sports section, so it might as well be me. You see, I'm the department's Ranking Day Laborer, the first to set foot in the place in May of 1982 - almost half a life ago."
posted by lil_brown_bat to other at 10:46 PM - 13 comments
Who Are You to Ban Townshend From Super Bowl?: Beware, a sicko with a guitar is coming to town! "Should The Who be banned from the Super Bowl?" If you're willing to be duped into a knee-jerk reaction, you'll probably say yes. If you bother to look into what The Who's legendary guitarist actually did, the answer is not nearly so cut-and-dried.
posted by Demophon to culture at 05:15 PM - 6 comments
What if a high school played a whole football season and almost nobody came to watch?: The remarkable story of the Roosevelt High Roughriders and their coach, Christian Swain.
posted by paulus andronicus to football at 04:38 PM - 6 comments
AT&T Takes Name Off Tiger Woods' Bag: AT&T announced today that it would no longer sponsor Tiger Woods, joining Accenture in dropping support for the golfer after widespread reports of his infidelity. The communications company also sponsors the AT&T National PGA Tour event which has Woods as a host and the annual Tiger Jam concert in Vegas. The only sponsors to stand by their pitchman have been Nike, Upper Deck and EA Sports.
posted by rcade to golf at 12:04 PM - 14 comments
SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 7 comments
December 30, 2009
Winter transfer window about to open: Rumors abound, as always: Ribery to Real Madrid, continuing the spending spree, though maybe not until Summer, van Nistlerooj back to the EPL via Anfield loan. Some deals are done (Landon to Toffees, Becks to Rossoneri). Some teams claim they will stand pat (Chelsea) despite missing players while others are backing away from such a claim (Wenger may sign a striker). Some players want to move to get on their national team's World Cup roster (such as Italy's Luca Toni and American Robbie Rogers).
posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 02:09 PM - 2 comments
Meet Team Canada:
After a year and a half of speculation, the roster has been set for the next Canadian Olympic Men's Hockey team. The players were announced in a 45 minute presentation, simultaneously broadcast on the two largest sports networks in Canada, one of Canada's largest television networks, across the largest Canadian radio network, and across multiple major Canadian internet websites.
posted by grum@work to olympics at 12:51 PM - 17 comments
Admissions exemptions benefit athletes: We've always thought this, but AP reports an NCAA study shows most schools give some additional weight to athletes who may not meet a school's academic standards for admission.
posted by jjzucal to football at 12:01 PM - 13 comments
E-mails in support of Mike Leach: "Before Adam James ever entered the football locker room at Texas Tech I heard how spoiled and selfish he acted in a team atmosphere from many of my baseball friends. Adam was on the baseball team his true freshman year at Tech, before he ever joined the football team, and did not make it through the baseball season because of his selfish attitude. After a baseball game in which he felt like he did not get enough playing time, but the team still won twenty to one, he came into the locker room after the game and 'pouted and threw a big fit' according another player on the baseball team. A few weeks later in the middle of the season, he just stopped showing up to practices or game and quit because he was not happy about how he was being treated. One of my roommates was a baseball player on the team and many of my friends were a part of the team that witnessed all of this. These baseball players told me he was 'spoiled and selfish' before he ever came to the football team."
posted by gfinsf to football at 07:33 AM - 43 comments
SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 6 comments
December 29, 2009
Done deal: Jason Bay has signed with the NY Mets - : -- pending results of a physical.
posted by JButton to baseball at 02:28 PM - 23 comments
America at the Bat: thoughts on baseball and culture.
posted by exogenous to baseball at 11:25 AM - 2 comments
SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 20 comments
December 28, 2009
Like It or Not, Caldwell Sticks to His Plan for Colts: After the Colts pulled their starters Sunday and quickly unraveled, the frustration of Caldwell’s players was obvious. Peyton Manning stood with his arms crossed and helmet on, and in the locker room Reggie Wayne came as close as any Colts player to publicly criticizing his bosses. “Doesn’t everybody want to be a part of history?” he said.
posted by irunfromclones to football at 09:33 PM - 29 comments
Texas Tech suspends coach Mike Leach: Texas Tech suspended Mike Leach from all duties as head football coach today and named defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill as interim head coach for Saturday’s Alamo Bowl against Michigan State. The suspension is based on a player's complaint about how the coach treated the player after he suffered a concussion.
posted by irunfromclones to football at 08:41 PM - 20 comments
SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 19 comments
Problems with Yahoo?: Avast goes nuts fairly frequently when I try to access our fantasy hockey page, saying the page is infected with some type of malware. I know this isn't Yahoo support, just wondering if anyone else here is having the same problem. I've tried to see if there was a notice or something on Yahoo about it, but when I get this warning, Avast won't let me view whatever page I was trying to access...
posted by MeatSaber to fantasy at 12:06 AM - 4 comments
December 27, 2009
Ohio State Benchwarmer Blogs Way to Fame: Despite a career high of three points, Ohio State benchwarmer Mark Titus has become the most popular player on the team and a fan favorite during road games, thanks to his blog Life from the End of the Bench at clubtrillion.blogspot.com. A trillion in basketball slang is a player with a box score that has minutes played followed by nothing but 12 zeroes in the other categories. "People have actually booed him for getting a rebound and ruining his potential trillion," the New York Times reports. A snippet from a Titus blog entry explaining why four trillion is fantastic but five trillion is sad: "The reason a five trillion is actually worse than a four trillion is because there has to be a point in which the player is no longer playing the role of benchwarmer soaking up the scrub time, but is instead playing the role of 'guy who could make his way into the rotation if he didn’t choose to do absolutely nothing with his opportunity'," he writes. "As far as why four minutes is the designated scrub time, it's pretty simple -- the last media timeout takes place at the four minute mark. ... The last media timeout is the last guaranteed time in which teams will huddle around each other and discuss strategy, which is why it signifies the start of scrub time. Coaches don’t want to have to talk over the offense and defense with scrubs (or look us in the eye for that matter), so they wait until the last media timeout to sub us in, and expect us to run out the clock."
posted by rcade to basketball at 11:29 AM - 3 comments
The Guardian's Sport Quiz of the Year: a fairly British-centric 100-question sport quiz from the Guardian. Answers will appear on the same link on New Year's Eve.
posted by JJ to general at 07:55 AM - 4 comments
SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 6 comments
December 26, 2009
Urban Meyer Quits as Florida Coach: Urban Meyer is stepping down as coach of the University of Florida football team for unspecified health reasons, the school announced Saturday evening. "I have ignored my health for years, but recent developments have forced me to re-evaluate my priorities of faith and family," Meyer said in a statement. A Sports Illustrated story earlier this month revealed that Meyer has an arachnoid cyst in his brain, a condition that's not life-threatening but flares up under stress. He was hospitalized after the SEC championship game.
posted by rcade to football at 07:13 PM - 21 comments
The Hoser's NFL Picks 2009, Week 16: NFL picks that think the Mangenius is Mangonius.
posted by wfrazerjr to football at 05:26 PM - 0 comments
Cheating Sportswriter: 'I Am Tiger Woods': Longtime sportswriter Mike Wise has written a highly personal response to the Tiger Woods imbroglio in today's Washington Post. "I am Tiger Woods," he writes. "The reason I have yet to write about the biggest sports story of the year in these pages is because Woods' plea to one of his many mistresses brought up old, awful feelings of shame, guilt and humiliation. ... Tiger Woods has an emotional void in his life. This void must be huge. For him to be where he is today, this deep emptiness must have consumed him, must be something he has been living with for a long time."
posted by rcade to general at 11:53 AM - 45 comments
December 25, 2009
Stan Van Gundy has a request for the NBA.: No more Christmas games. "I actually feel sorry for people who have nothing to do on Christmas Day other than watch an NBA game," the Orlando Magic coach said.
posted by mr_crash_davis to basketball at 08:07 PM - 25 comments
Stafon Johnson Speaks About Weightlifting Injury: For the first time since the gruesome life-threatening weightlifting accident i September, University of Southern California running back is speaking about the injury. "It was just a regular day at the job," he said in his new voice. "Workouts. Regular day, regular day on the bench, regular weight. Next thing I know I'm gasping for air."
posted by rcade to football at 09:32 AM - 2 comments
Stadium Boom Deepens Municipal Woes : Years after a wave of construction brought publicly financed stadiums costing billions of dollars to cities across the country, taxpayers are once again being asked to reach into their pockets. From New Jersey to Ohio to Arizona, the stadiums were sold as key to redevelopment and as the only way to retain sports franchises. But the deals that were used to persuade taxpayers to finance their construction have in many cases backfired, the result of overly optimistic revenue assumptions and the recession. Sales tax receipts have fallen so fast in the last year that the county is now scrambling to bridge a $14 million deficit in its sales tax fund. The public schools, which deferred taking their share for years, want their money. The teams have not volunteered to rewrite their leases. In the coming weeks, the county plans to cut basic services, lower its legal bills and drain a bond reserve fund with no plan for paying it back. Mark Rosentraub, the author of the book “Major League Losers,” said that many of the stadium deals included “revenue bombs,” with financial traps like balloon payments on debt in later years and sweeteners like the Hamilton County property tax rebate to win public support.
posted by tommytrump to culture at 09:32 AM - 5 comments
SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 3 comments
December 24, 2009
RIP George Michael: So long, king of the Sports Machine. Though his approach was a bit heavy handed at times and did not win the hearts of everyone, there was no doubting his genuine enthusiasm for and love of sports and the individual athletes he portrayed on his program. His was an upbeat but not overexcited voice, and he believed in redemption, as evidenced by the major feature he once ran on Dexter Manley. George Michael felt that warts and all, sports was a positive, beneficial force in the world, and worthy of our attention and interest.
posted by beaverboard to general at 08:01 PM - 6 comments
Michael Vick Wins Courage Award: The players of the Philadelphia Eagles have awarded Michael Vick the team's Ed Block Courage Award. "I've had to overcome a lot, probably more than one single individual can handle or can bear," Vick said of the honor. "You take a look at what I've been through, you ask certain people to walk in my shoes, they probably couldn't do it. Probably 95 percent of the people in this world -- because nobody had to endure what I've been through, situations I've been put in, situations I've placed myself in."
posted by rcade to football at 05:35 PM - 5 comments
Lakers' Pau Gasol signs three-year extension: On Wednesday, Gasol officially signed a three-year extension worth up to $64.7 million, depending on the NBA salary-cap figures to be determined in 2011.
posted by BornIcon to basketball at 08:23 AM - 14 comments
SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 9 comments
December 23, 2009
Mayweather-Pacquiao Fight in Jeopardy Over Drug Testing: Manny Pacquiao is apparently refusing to take a blood test prior to the proposed fight with Floyd Mayweather and being supported by his trainer, Freddie Roach.
posted by BornIcon to boxing at 04:41 PM - 8 comments
Worst Ideas of the Decade: the Endless Sports Season: One of the Washington Post's worst ideas of the decade: the expansion of the seasons in baseball, college football, college basketball and other sports. "Seasons are starting earlier, running later, overlapping more often and generally sucking more of our time than ever," writes Tracee Hamilton.
posted by rcade to general at 04:02 PM - 5 comments
Schumacher returns to seek record 8th F1 title: Michael Schumacher targeted an unprecedented eighth Formula One title after Mercedes announced he was coming out of retirement to race for them at the age of 41. "This is a team that has just won both championships this year, they have Mercedes now as a strong partner so our aim can only be to fight for the championship," the 7 time champion told reporters in a conference call. "Having played around with motorbikes, I feel ready for some serious stuff."
posted by tommytrump to auto racing at 12:09 PM - 7 comments
SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 4 comments
December 22, 2009
Tennis Player Serena Williams AP's Female Athlete of the Year: For the second time, Serena Williams has been named AP's female athlete of the year. Williams won Wimbledon, the Australian Open and $6.5 million in prize money -- a new record. Williams used the opportunity to make the argument that her violent threat against a line judge was good for the sport because it "got a lot more people excited about tennis." AP's second-place finisher was the horse Zenyatta, which become the first mare to win the Breeders' Cup Classic.
posted by rcade to general at 12:53 PM - 23 comments
New Jersey High School Girl Nearly Seven Feet Tall: Marvadene Anderson is just 16 years old, but the Jamaican is the world's tallest teenage girl at 6-foot-11. She's moved to the U.S. on a scholarship at Rutgers Prep, a private school in Somerset, N.J., and is learning how to play basketball for the first time. "Everyone has come up to me and asked if I play college basketball. I told them I'm only a sophomore in high school," Anderson said.
posted by rcade to basketball at 10:28 AM - 8 comments
SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 26 comments
December 21, 2009
NASCAR Driver Jimmie Johnson AP's Male Athlete of the Year: Jimmie Johnson has become the first race car driver to be named AP's athlete of the year. Johnson's year included his fourth consecutive NASCAR championship -- a historic first -- and seven race wins. Johnson used the opportunity to make the argument that drivers are athletes. "I've looked at other sports, particularly baseball, and I've seen plenty of out-of-shape, fat players," he said. "So to anyone who wants to go head-to-head with me in athletic ability, let's go."
posted by rcade to general at 04:29 PM - 34 comments
Lionel Messi Named FIFA Player of the Year: Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has been chosen FIFA's Footballer of the Year after helping the Lions win a record six trophies over the period. In a vote by captains and head coaches of national teams, Messi received 1,073 votes, Cristiano Ronaldo 352, Xavi 196, Kaka 190 and Andres Iniesta 134. Striker Marta of Brazil won Women's World Player of the Year over English striker Kelly Smith.
posted by rcade to soccer at 04:03 PM - 3 comments
Eli for MVP? It's not as crazy as it sounds.: Mike Celizic makes his case for Eli Manning being the NFL's Most Valuable Player of 2009.
posted by mr_crash_davis to football at 02:29 PM - 8 comments
Upset Ochocinco takes something to, from his toughest game yet : An interesting perspective from #85. Changed how I always thought of him.
posted by gfinsf to football at 06:51 AM - 3 comments
SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 21 comments
December 20, 2009
Browns' Jerome Harrison Rushes for 286 Yards vs. Chiefs: Little-used Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Harrison ran for three touchdowns and 286 yards -- the third-highest single game total in NFL history -- against the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday. He also broke the 48-year-old team record of 237 yards by Jim Brown, who was there to greet him afterward in the locker room. "When he got in space, there was no catching him," Brown said.
posted by rcade to football at 10:34 PM - 6 comments
SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 9 comments
December 19, 2009
Cowboys Spoil Saints' Perfect Season: After getting out to a 24-3 lead in the second half, the Dallas Cowboys held on to defeat the New Orleans Saints 24-17 in the New Orleans Superdome. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo threw for 312 yards and no interceptions, while Saints quarterback Drew Brees had one interception and lost two fumbles.
posted by rcade to football at 11:45 PM - 39 comments
The Hoser's NFL Picks 2009, Week 15: NFL picks that demand figgy pudding.
posted by wfrazerjr to football at 06:36 PM - 3 comments
Hughes out at City: Hours after a 4-3 victory over Sunderland Manchester City have fired manager Mark Hughes and replaced him with Roberto Mancini.
posted by Mr Bismarck to soccer at 04:33 PM - 4 comments
NFL Won't Let Ochocinco Wear Henry's No. 15 Jersey: Cincinnati Bengals' wide receiver Chad Ochocinco won't be allowed to wear Chris Henry's jersey during Sunday's game as a tribute, the league office has told the team. The NFL Players Association has offered to pay Ochocinco's fine if he does it anyway and match it with a gift to Henry's memorial fund.
posted by rcade to football at 03:14 PM - 30 comments
Jets Linebacker Leads League in Trash Talk: The New York Times profiles New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott, who may be the trash-talkingest player in the NFL. "He starts with research. He scours ESPN, Google and scouting reports, which include pictures. He wants to understand the opponents he will talk to, understand what aggravates them, what makes them tick. He looks for police incidents, problems with wives or girlfriends, expanding stomachs, funny faces."
posted by rcade to football at 02:56 PM - 3 comments
SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 7 comments
December 18, 2009
Former NFL star Dave Pear is sorry he ever played football: I wish I never played football. I wish that more than anything. Every single day, I want to take back those years of my life ...
posted by justgary to football at 07:17 PM - 6 comments
Sports + Twitter = Spitter: Some veterans of Rivals.com and Scout.com have launched Spitter, a microblogging service for sports fans. They bought the domain from a dentist who thought it might be useful for his business.
posted by rcade to general at 03:55 PM - 7 comments
Three-peat in the making for Vonn?: With a decisive win in Val d'Isere, World Cup '08 and '09 champion Lindsey Vonn moved into a two-way tie with Maria Reisch for first in the 2010 overall World Cup standings.
posted by lil_brown_bat to other at 02:36 PM - 1 comment
How to create an NFL playoff pick em?: As the commissioner of my company's fantasy football league, I'm currently putting up with tons of bitching as people are being knocked out in the playoffs and don't get to play any more. In the interest of shutting them up and getting myself another month or so of peace, I'm thinking that I will probably run a pick 'em. I'm soliciting advice for how to do that, particularly from those who have been there and done that, either as organizers or participants. - What scoring rules do you use? In pick 'ems that we've run on Spofi in the past, I recall a points system something like this: you pick the winner and point spread in each game, and you get a certain number of points for each correct pick. But how many points should you award for each? Do you do "on the nose" spread or plus-minus? - Of course it is illegal to gamble, and of course we would never do such a thing, but if we were to play for...say...Skittles, I'm thinking about something like this: everyone kicks in 10 skittles (or maybe 20). Post-Superbowl, the points leader gets 50% of the skittles pool, second place gets 30%, third place gets 20%. If there's a points tie they split (so for example, if two people tie for first, they each get half of 50%+30%, and the next person gets 20%). Sound good? - Bonus questions: good idea, bad idea, what? How many points to give, and what are some good bonus questions? - Any other pitfalls or ideas for making this more funner? Thanks!
posted by lil_brown_bat to fantasy at 02:13 PM - 6 comments
Former NHLer Reggie Fleming had condition linked to concussions at time of death : Even in death, Reggie Fleming’s brain is sending messages. Researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine have determined the former NHL player, who endured multiple concussions during his career, suffered from degenerative brain disease at the time of his death. This marks the first time a hockey player has been diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and adds to the growing concern about the long-term effect of concussions in hockey and the price exacted by the game’s physical nature. “The changes in [Fleming’s] brain were very similar to the changes we’ve found in [12] football players and [five] boxers,” McKee said. “This case also points out that individuals who suffer from CTE are often misdiagnosed during life and may be told that they are suffering from a psychiatric disorder, such as bipolar disease, or later in life, from Alzheimer’s disease.” From the New York Times on same issue: Brain Damage Found in Hockey Player
posted by tommytrump to hockey at 02:07 PM - 1 comment
Company Fires Four Employees Over Fantasy Football: Four employees at Fidelity Investments have been fired for running fantasy football leagues. "We have clear policies that relate to gambling," said company spokesman Vin Loporchio. "Participation in any form of gambling through the use of Fidelity time or equipment or any other company resource is prohibited."
posted by rcade to football at 12:58 PM - 15 comments
Mike Kelly: of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers was relieved of his duties as coach yesterday. It turns out, he's not very good on or off the field.
posted by dfleming to football at 08:54 AM - 4 comments
Champions League Draw: and Europa League Draw completed. Beckham will return to Manchester to face United with AC Milan, and the Special One will return to London to lead Inter Milan against Chelsea.
posted by JJ to soccer at 08:19 AM - 6 comments
SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 13 comments
December 17, 2009
Madden's Keeping Busy Outside the Booth: The New York Times catches up with retired broadcaster and coach John Madden, whose most important game of the week is the Foothill High School freshman team coached by his sons Mike and Joe. "I get to go with the grandkids and say: 'Who wants hot dogs? Grandpa's buying.'"
posted by rcade to football at 12:11 PM - 6 comments
Bruce Allen Replaces Vinny Cerrato as Washington GM: Bruce Allen, the former top exec of the Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers and son of coach George Allen, has become the general manager of Washington's NFL team hours after Vinny Cerrato offered his resignation. The suddenness of the move has some journalists questioning if the team broke the Rooney Rule.
SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 37 comments
December 16, 2009
Bengals Receiver Chris Henry Dies After Car Accident: Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry has died in the hospital after a car accident Wednesday in which he fell from the bed of a pick-up truck being driven by his girlfriend near Charlotte, N.C. Henry, 26, reportedly suffered head injuries in the incident and arrived at the hospital in critical condition. Henry, a third-round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft out of West Virginia, caught 119 passes and 21 touchdowns during his five-year pro career.
posted by cletus7777 to football at 09:45 PM - 72 comments
Shadow Boxing: ESPN's Outside the Lines feature on search for Sweet Jimmy Robinson, one of the first people to fight Muhammad Ali.
posted by kirkaracha to boxing at 02:50 PM - 4 comments
AP Names Tiger Woods Athlete of the Decade: Associated Press voters have chosen Tiger Woods as athlete of the decade, a decision that would have met with no controversy at all one month ago. Woods won 12 majors and 52 other golf tournaments during the past 10 years. He finished ahead of cyclist Lance Armstrong, tennis player Roger Federer, swimmer Michael Phelps, NFL quarterback Tom Brady and sprinter Usain Bolt. Who is your athlete of the decade?
posted by rcade to general at 11:22 AM - 78 comments
SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 16 comments
December 15, 2009
John Swansburg: Why I Stopped Being a Sports Fan: "Several months ago, I gave up sports," Slate culture editor John Swansburg wrote Monday. "The games are relentless, the experience of them too often ephemeral. ... What's the point of devoting all of my free time to something so fleeting?"
posted by rcade to general at 11:59 AM - 15 comments
Doctor who treated Woods faces FBI investigation into doping claims: reads the slightly inflamatory headline atop a story about Anthony Galea, a Toronto-based doctor who faces an investigation after a medicine bag belonging him was found to contain human growth hormones and Actovegin. Galea has links with several top athletes and worked with Tiger Woods during the golfer's recovery from knee surgery last year.
posted by JJ to golf at 06:31 AM - 19 comments
SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 7 comments
December 14, 2009
Three-Way Trade in the Works for Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay: The Philadelphia Phillies are in agreement on a three-team trade with the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays that would send pitcher Roy Halladay to the Phils, pitcher Cliff Lee to the Mariners and prospects to the Jays, SI.com is reporting.
posted by rcade to baseball at 04:39 PM - 21 comments
John Lackey to Red Sox. 5 years, $85 million. The deal is done.: Angels interested in Matsui.
posted by JButton to baseball at 03:44 PM - 18 comments
Randy Moss Accused of Dogging It : Last season, as soon as Tom Brady went down and gave way to the unproven Matt Cassel, a number of critics in the media were waiting patiently for Randy Moss' time in New England to turn sour. They waited and waited, but it never came.
This season, it looks as though some folks are searching hard for a reason to jump on Moss.
posted by BornIcon to football at 01:40 PM - 16 comments
Neurosurgeon: Don Cherry is Hurting Hockey: CBC television commentator Don Cherry has become a negative influence on the sport of hockey by promoting violence, a neurosurgeon claimed in today's Toronto Star. "We've been too gentle with him over the years. We've allowed him to change the culture of hockey," said Dr. Charles Tator, who claims he sees hockey players as patients every week. "One mother this week told me that she felt that because her son is such a talented player, there is a bounty on his head. We have to get rid of head-hunting."
posted by rcade to hockey at 12:27 PM - 9 comments
Argonauts fire head coach Bart Andrus after 3-15 season: A month after completing their worst season in 16 years, the Toronto Argonauts fired head coach Bart Andrus. The Argos had a 3-15 W-L record and missed the Canadian Football League playoffs for the second successive year. He was hired last January as the team's 40th head coach after serving as an assistant coach with the NFL's Tennessee Titans.
posted by tommytrump to football at 11:55 AM - 9 comments
SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 13 comments
December 13, 2009
SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 12 comments
December 12, 2009
Mark Ingram Wins Heisman: Alabama running back Mark Ingram has won the Heisman trophy, as predicted by the vote-counting site StiffArmTrophy.Com. Stanford running back Toby Gerhart finished second. It is the first Heisman ever for an Alabama player.
posted by rcade to football at 02:07 PM - 11 comments
SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 10 comments
December 11, 2009
Tiger Woods to take 'indefinite' leave from golf: Tiger Woods said Friday he is taking an indefinite leave from golf to work on saving his marriage, using the word "infidelity" for the first time in a statement posted on his Web site. "After much soul searching, I have decided to take an indefinite break from professional golf," Woods said. "I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person."
posted by dviking to golf at 08:34 PM - 75 comments
Terry Fox Award to recognize courageous Olympic athlete: A new award in the name of Terry Fox has been created to honour the Olympic athlete from any country who displays the most courage, humility and extraordinary athletic ability at the 2010 Winter Games. VANOC CEO, John Furlong, said the Vancouver 2010 Terry Fox Award will be awarded at a public ceremony on the second-last day of the Games. He made the announcement next to a statue of Fox, the young man with a prosthetic leg who attempted to run across Canada nearly 30 years ago to raise money for cancer research. "Few people have touched the soul of this great nation like Terry Fox did on his Marathon of Hope in 1980". "This award will be presented to an athlete who embodies the same values that Terry Fox did''. In 1977, Terry Fox's right leg was amputated after he was diagnosed with bone cancer at the age of 18. Three years later on April 12, the young man from Port Coquitlam, B.C., dipped his artificial foot in the Atlantic Ocean off St. John's, and began his run west toward home, covering about 42 kilometres (marathon distance) each day, in freezing rain, high winds and sometimes snow. On Sept. 1, after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres, he was forced to stop running near Thunder Bay, Ont., after the cancer spread to his lungs. His story inspired Canadians to donate $24 million to his run, surpassing his fundraising goals. Since that time, nearly $500 million for cancer research has been raised by the Terry Fox Foundation, which continues to hold the annual Terry Fox runs across Canada in his name.
posted by tommytrump to olympics at 05:49 PM - 4 comments
And you thought Brett Favre was old: 51-year-old Slava Fetisov, who last skated in an NHL game in 1998 after winning his second straight Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings, returned to the ice Friday for CSKA Moscow. The defenseman is now president of CSKA, his childhood club, and a member of the upper house of Russia's parliament.
posted by wfrazerjr to hockey at 04:59 PM - 2 comments
Don't Bet Against Legal Online Gambling in the U.S.: An article in the Village Voice on the rise and fall of Internet bookie James Giordano provides a comprehensive look at the strange state of online gambling in the U.S., where it continues to be illegal despite state-run lotteries, off-track betting, Indian casinos and many other forms of legal wagering. A law against Internet gambling is on hold for six months while a bill by Barney Frank (D.-Mass.) to legalize all online gambling except on sports has dozens of sponsors. "The switch is waiting to be flipped," said Giordano's attorney Sandy Becher.
The Hoser's NFL Picks 2009, Week 14: NFL picks that wonder where all the hunters are today.
posted by wfrazerjr to football at 12:29 PM - 14 comments
Federer loses it [SLYT]: The curse of the Gillette advert strikes again. First Henry, then Woods, and now Roger has lost control of himself too.
SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 10 comments
December 10, 2009
Woods' Agent Looks for Love from Sponsors: After two weeks of news reports linking Tiger Woods to cocktail waitresses, porn stars and other women not named Elin Nordegren, his agent Mark Steinberg has been desperately trying to get sponsors to issue statements that they "had full faith in Tiger and backed him completely," according to Daily Beast. Steinberg's having trouble with Gillette ("the best a man can get"), Gatorade ("Is it in you?") and Accenture ("Go on. Be a Tiger"), but a Nike flack issued this comment: "Nike supports Tiger and his family. Our relationship remains unchanged." Sure, Nike says that now, but what they find out Tiger's been running around on them with Adidas?
posted by rcade to golf at 06:42 PM - 28 comments
Notre Dame Hires Brian Kelly as Head Coach: Notre Dame has hired Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly to be its next head coach, Sporting News is reporting this afternoon. Kelly, 34-6 in three seasons with the Bearcats, led the team this year to a 12-0 record, Big East title and a Sugar Bowl berth against Florida. An assistant will coach the team's bowl game, Cincinnati sports talk host Lance McAlister wrote on Twitter.
posted by rcade to football at 05:24 PM - 17 comments
Legendary Big-Wave Surf Competition Held in Hawaii: For the first time in five years, the conditions on Oahu's North Shore were right to hold a legendary big-wave surfing contest -- the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau. The event only takes place when waves are at least 40 feet tall. Greg Long, 26, won in the last heat over nine-time world champion Kelly Slater. The competition is named for a legendary surfer and lifeguard who saved numerous people in conditions no one else would attempt, inspiring the catchphrase Eddie Would Go.
posted by rcade to extreme at 02:39 PM - 8 comments
Agent: It's Over for Barry Bonds: Jeff Borris, the agent for Barry Bonds, believes the 45-year-old will never take another at-bat in the Major Leagues. "It's two years since he played his last game, and if there was any chance he'd be back in a major-league uniform, it would have happened by now," Borris told the San Francisco Chronicle.
posted by rcade to baseball at 12:22 PM - 32 comments
House Panel Approves Bill Seeking Demise of BCS Championship: A U.S. House subcommittee approved legislation Wednesday that would ban the description of any Football Bowl Subdivision game as a national championship unless it resulted from a playoff. "The Bowl Championship Series ... is not about choosing the champion or competition on the gridiron," said the bill's author, Rep. Joe Barton (R.-Texas). "It is about revenue sharing for the schools that are in the BCS conferences." Barton expects the bill to get a House vote.
posted by rcade to football at 12:14 PM - 15 comments
SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 29 comments
December 09, 2009
GMC Yukon out 4-6 weeks with injury due to accident with Hockey player: New York Islanders defenceman Brendan Witt was hit by a car in Philadelphia on Tuesday, according to Newsday. But Witt reportedly picked himself up off the road and, after a few profanities, assured everyone he was all right before continuing on his way, prompting one witness to say, "it was like seeing Clint Eastwood, but in hockey."
posted by apoch to hockey at 11:21 AM - 3 comments
Danica Patrick Joins NASCAR: IndyCar driver Danica Patrick is going to drive a partial schedule for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Nationwide Series next year, making her stock car debut Feb. 6 in the ARCA race at Daytona. GoDaddy.com is sponsoring her along with Mark Martin in the Sprint Cup Series, with an eye towards Patrick replacing him in 2012.
posted by rcade to auto racing at 09:53 AM - 22 comments
Sioux Sue to Save North Dakota's Mascot: After the board of regents decided to drop the Fighting Sioux name and mascot at the University of North Dakota, some members of the Spirit Lake Tribe have sued to save them. "They are putting us up on a pinnacle," said tribal member Frank Black Cloud. There are 400 American Indian students at the school. One, Frank Sage, said the name is hurtful. "To do what they're doing, you're more or less selling out," he said of the litigants. The New York Times has put together a slide show of changes made since the NCAA announced that schools with these mascots could not host its championships in any sport. The only holdouts keeping their names with a tribe's approval are the Florida State Seminoles, Utah Utes, Central Michigan Chippewas and the Catawba Indians. The Alcorn State Braves are keeping their name in spite of losing championship events.
posted by rcade to general at 08:30 AM - 53 comments
SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 18 comments
John Daly thinks we should stop being nasty to Tiger: But then, he also thinks a movie should be made of his own life story. He thinks Kevin James should play him before his weight loss while Matt Damon should play the new svelte Daly. "I saw [Matt Damon] in The Legend of Bagger Vance, now if I could get him to take the club back further, he'd be perfect," Daly said. "The problem is who is going to play all my ex-wives?"
posted by JJ to golf at 05:24 AM - 27 comments
December 08, 2009
Peter Gammons is Leaving ESPN: ESPN just released a statement that veteran baseball broadcaster Peter Gammons is leaving the network this week after working there for more than 20 years. "The choice to move on was made with nothing but the strongest feelings for the people with whom I worked," said Gammons, who made note of how he was treated when he suffered a severe aneurysm three years ago.
posted by rcade to baseball at 03:11 PM - 9 comments
Goodbye, Johnny Damon: Yankees acquire Granderson for Coke, Jackson and others: Three-way trade with Detroit and AZ. The medicals are being reviewed and it's just a matter of signing contracts. Granderson will bat second against right-handers. Swisher against lefties.
posted by JButton to baseball at 02:08 PM - 25 comments
Scott Boras Throws Some Heat at Whitey Herzog: After newly chosen Hall of Fame manager Whitey Herzog said that the St. Louis Cardinals signing Matt Halliday might be budgetary "suicide," his agent Scott Boras fired off this response: "It's understandable that a man who was a GM 20 years ago when the revenues were $1 billion -- over six times less than the $6.5 billion revenues of today -- questions the modern-day contract structure. I don't think modern GMs, particularly Cashman, with a new ring on his finger, characterize signings like Mark Teixeira -- who akin to Holliday achieved near MVP status (both second in the MVP voting in their career) and taken [his] team to the World Series -- as 'suicide.'"
posted by rcade to baseball at 01:21 PM - 17 comments
SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 30 comments
December 07, 2009
Five players named Heisman finalists: The Heisman Trophy is all set to be handed out this Saturday in New York. The five players up for the 75th edition of the award are Florida's Tim Tebow, Texas' Colt McCoy, Standford's Toby Gerhart, Alabama's Mark Ingram and Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh. So, is it Tebow's award (again), or will McCoy finally get his due? Or could Suh become the first purely defensive player to take home the hardware.
posted by cletus7777 to football at 09:12 PM - 16 comments
Playoffs?: The approaching bowl season wouldn't be complete without the discussion of why college football should have a playoff.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia to football at 06:51 PM - 11 comments
NFL Will End Revenue Sharing: The NFL has notified the players' union that in March, owners will end the yearly revenue-sharing program subsidized lower-revenue clubs with an extra $5 to $10 million a year from the richer clubs. The union is fighting the move, claiming that it will upset the league's competitive balance. Around 8-10 teams are getting the money. Teams will still share broadcast revenue. Oakland Tribune columnist Gary Peterson runs down what it means for the NFL's haves and have-slightly-lesses.
posted by rcade to football at 10:46 AM - 23 comments
Broncos' biggest fan, Barrel Man, dies at 69: McKernan, better known as Barrel Man, died in his sleep Saturday morning of lung failure. He was 69. “His worst experience was in San Diego, when someone tried to shove him down the stairs, but he loved going to Oakland Raiders' games where he would get to hang out with Raider Ron and other mascots in the Black Hole. They protected him to the point of escorting him to the rest room,” Todd McKernan said.
posted by gfinsf to football at 07:22 AM - 12 comments
SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 33 comments
December 06, 2009
Japanese Baseball Cards: & More Japanese Baseball Cards. All from the collection of John Gall, author of Sayonara Home Run!: The Art of the Japanese Baseball Card. These are markedly different from their North American equivalents.
posted by rumple to baseball at 10:48 PM - 4 comments
Greg Oden done for the season: Well, the injury bug has bitten Portland Trailblazers center Greg Oden...again. The No.1 overall pick in the 2007 draft is out for the year after fracturing his left knee cap. So, in two seasons in the league, Oden will have played all of 21 games. Is he unlucky, or this generation's Sam Bowie?
posted by cletus7777 to basketball at 10:23 AM - 10 comments
Charlie Weis: I'll Coach in NFL Next Year: Saturday, Weis met with reporters and said that he will be back in the NFL for the 2010 season.
posted by gfinsf to football at 09:27 AM - 6 comments
SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 16 comments
'Horns squeeze into BSC title game with close victory over the Huskers: Hunter Lawrence punched a 46-yard field goal throught the uprights as time expired, putting the final touches to a defensive Big 12 championship game that completed the Longhorns' perfect season.
posted by Goyoucolts to football at 12:46 AM - 14 comments
December 05, 2009
Alabama Beats Florida to Reach National Championship Game: The Alabama Crimson Tide, led by three touchdowns by running back Mark Ingram and a defense that made Tim Tebow cry, defeated the Florida Gators 32-13 and will play in the BCS National Championship game. "It's not how you want to go out," said Tebow, who was 20 of 35 for 247 yards and one comeback-dooming fourth quarter interception in the end zone.
posted by rcade to football at 09:28 PM - 14 comments
Golfer Challenges PGA Ban on Testosterone, Beta Blockers: Doug Barron, a PGA journeyman who in November became the first player ever suspended for doping, has filed a lawsuit under the Americans with Disabilities Act challenging the ban on synthetic testosterone and beta blockers. Barron, 40, has taken the blockers to treat a heart condition since 1987 and synthetic testosterone because he was diagnosed with a low testosterone count. "I was a 35-year-old man who, you know, wants to be living like a 35-year-old man," he said of the second treatment. "It wasn't easy on me or my wife."
posted by rcade to golf at 10:33 AM - 20 comments
SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 18 comments
December 04, 2009
IIHF unveils all Olympic hockey jerseys : On Friday, the International Ice Hockey Federation unveiled the jerseys of the 13 countries participating in the men's and women's ice hockey tournaments at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. While several nations will play in a similar look as they have at the World Championship, five countries needed adjustments to comply with the rules of the International Olympic Committee as their national associations' logos were not allowed, making the Vancouver jerseys memorable.
posted by tommytrump to hockey at 11:45 PM - 8 comments
All World Cup Balls Since 1930: The Telegraph offers a pictorial history of the match balls used in soccer's World Cup, beginning with the two used in the 1930 final between Uruguay and Argentina.
posted by rcade to soccer at 06:04 PM - 3 comments
Philadelphia Flyers Fire John Stevens: Head coach John Stevens has been fired by the Philadelphia Flyers, who are 13-11-1 and tied for 10th in the Eastern Conference. Stevens began coaching the team in 2006, replacing Ken Hitchcock, and led them to the conference finals in 2007.
posted by rcade to hockey at 05:57 PM - 9 comments
The World Cup draw: England and the US will face each other and groups D and G are vying for Group of Death title.
posted by Kattullus to soccer at 01:57 PM - 39 comments
The Hoser's NFL Picks 2009, Week 13: NFL picks that say hi to your mom.
posted by wfrazerjr to football at 09:32 AM - 3 comments
Mangino resigns as Kansas coach: As the Kansas football players came pouring out the door, many were smiling, a few were frowning and some were laughing out loud at the reporters shivering in the cold night air waiting for them. Just like Kansas fans, the players know Mark Mangino made huge improvements in the Jayhawks program in his eight years on the job. Their feelings were mixed at the news they'd just been given, that their 53-year-old coach was out on Thursday
posted by BornIcon to football at 09:06 AM - 24 comments
SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 5 comments
December 03, 2009
CFL Playoffs Pick 'Em, Final Standings: Crazy endings both in Calgary and closer to home. Well, if you consider the narrowest of over/under margins a "crazy ending". I know I sure do. Break the suspense and c'mon inside to make your peace with the 2009 CFL season.
posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 09:43 PM - 9 comments
New Jersey Nets Open Season with 18 Straight Losses: The New Jersey Nets have set a new NBA record for losses to start the season. By going 0-and-18 to start 2009 with last night's 117-101 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, the Nets have passed the 1988-89 Miami Heat and the 1998-99 Los Angeles Clippers to claim the worst start of all time. "If you're trying to get a great draft pick, they're doing it the right way," Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said.
posted by rcade to basketball at 09:31 AM - 10 comments
SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 18 comments
December 02, 2009
Florida State Lineman Remains Motionless for Entire Play: During last weekend's game against Florida, Florida State lineman Zebrie Sanders showed off his foolproof strategy for drawing opponents into an offsides penalty.
posted by rcade to football at 07:22 PM - 17 comments
Ron Artest: sounds off on drinking during games and fighting Ben Wallace anywhere, anytime. In a lengthy interview for the December 7 issue of Sporting News magazine, Artest, best known as the central figure in the infamous Malice at the Palace in 2004 bared all, including a startling admission that he drank alcohol during games as a member of the Chicago Bulls, for whom he played from 1999-2002. "I used to drink Hennessy at halftime," Artest says in the interview, which hits newsstands this week. "I (kept it) in my locker. I'd just walk to the liquor store (near the stadium) and get it."
posted by dfleming to basketball at 12:38 PM - 10 comments
FIFA opens case against Thierry Henry for handball: FIFA opened a disciplinary case Wednesday against France forward Thierry Henry for handling the ball in the World Cup playoff against Ireland last month.
posted by BornIcon to soccer at 12:23 PM - 55 comments
SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 22 comments
December 01, 2009
Angry NHL Defenseman Clobbers Own Goalie: After the Atlanta Thrashers scored a goal against the Florida Panthers last night, Panthers defenseman Keith Ballard tried to slam his stick in anger against the goal -- but hit goalie Tomas Vokoun in the head instead (video). Vokoun lay on the ice for minutes and was taken off and hospitalized, but suffered only a lacerated ear.
posted by rcade to hockey at 05:14 PM - 26 comments
Tiger Woods Fined $164 for Careless Driving: The Florida Highway Patrol has issued a careless driving citation to Tiger Woods over the Friday night front yard fire hydrant crash heard 'round the world. The agency will not seek search warrants for his medical records, will not pursue criminal charges and said that no one involved has made claims of domestic violence, which suggests that the massive gossip tsunami of the past four days was completely bogus. However, at least it resulted in this glorious Grand Theft Auto-style Chinese news re-enactment.
posted by rcade to golf at 04:01 PM - 157 comments
Merril Hoge: Concussion Nearly Killed Me in Locker Room: During ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown this week, former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Merril Hoge described how he nearly died in the locker room after suffering a second concussion in five weeks. "I flat-lined. My heart stopped," he said. "I was in ICU for two days, but it was after that I was basically trapped in my home for six weeks. You could not take me around the block, and I would not be able to find my way home because I did not have the cognitive skills. I had to learn how to read again."
posted by rcade to football at 03:52 PM - 3 comments
Bobby Bowden retires: Legendary coach Bobby Bowden will end his 34-year tenure at Florida State after "two national championships, 12 ACC championships, 14 straight seasons among the Associated Press' Top Five, two Heisman Trophy winners and a Rhodes Scholar, [and] induction into the College Football Hall of Fame."
posted by bperk to football at 03:05 PM - 11 comments
Marion Jones looking for comeback in WNBA: Former Olympic track star Marion Jones has been training with the staff of the WNBA's San Antonio Silver Stars in hopes of playing for the team next season. Jones is better known for being stripped of the three gold medals and two bronzes she won at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She was the starting point guard for the University of North Carolina in 1994 when the Tar Heels won the national championship.
posted by wfrazerjr to basketball at 12:51 PM - 8 comments
SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 36 comments