Nadal Suffers Shocking Loss at French Open: Four-time champ Rafael Nadal has been beaten at the French Open, ending a 31-game winning streak at the tournament. The "Swedish sledgehammer" Robin Soderling -- the 23rd seed at the event -- defeated Nadal 6-2, 6-7 (2), 6-4, 7-6 (2) in the fourth round. Nadal's loss gives Roger Federer his best chance to complete a career Grand Slam.

posted by rcade to tennis at 12:18 PM - 7 comments

Orlando Magic Reach NBA Finals: The Orlando Magic defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in a game 6 rout, 103-90, to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1995. Dwight Howard was unstoppable inside, scoring 40 points, while league MVP LeBron James scored 25.

posted by rcade to basketball at 11:32 PM - 20 comments

Grunting Girl Makes Quite a Racket at French Open: Fans at Roland Garros got an earful of first-time French Open qualifier Michelle Larcher de Brito, 16, of Portugal. "Grunting is an inadequate term to describe the extended, high-pitched wails that De Brito produces during and after most strokes," the New York Times reports, along with audio. Her third-round opponent Aravane Rezai complained to the umpire about the noise.

posted by rcade to tennis at 07:46 PM - 15 comments

Texas Rangers Don't Allow Fan's 'Yankees Suck' Shirt : A Texas Rangers fan was told that her "Yankees Suck" T-shirt was offensive and would have to be worn inside out if she wanted to remain at Tuesday's game. "That particular phrase is one we've received a lot of complaints about," said Rangers spokesman John Blake. Kristen Knapp-Webb and her husband left the game rather than abide by the rule.

posted by rcade to baseball at 12:25 PM - 26 comments

7-foot-9 center Sun Mingming: While his lack of speed may prevent an NBA career, the 25 year old is hoping to take his game to the next level.

posted by BoKnows to basketball at 12:25 AM - 6 comments

NHL Confidence Pool - Playoff edition: Just an update of the standings thus far. Good luck heading into the finals.

posted by BoKnows to fantasy at 12:14 AM - 9 comments

$50 grand buys a playoff win: According to Mark Kiszla and an unidentified member of the Denver Nuggets.

posted by cjets to basketball at 08:16 PM - 11 comments

Delaware Supreme Court OKs Sports Betting: Delaware's new sports betting law is constitutional, the state Supreme Court has concluded in a ruling to be issued this morning, paving the way for bets on football games and other sports as early as September. Delaware may offer single-game bets using a point spread, over-under bets on the total number of points scored, and parlay games.

posted by rcade to general at 01:25 PM - 8 comments

Baseball Players Claim Milwaukee Hotel Haunted: The Pfister, a century-old downtown Milwaukee hotel that's often frequented by visiting pro sports teams, is haunted, according to some baseball players. "It was more like a moving light that kind of passed through the room," said Brendan Ryan of the St. Louis Cardinals of one incident. "It was very strange. The room got a little bit chillier. Strange things. Strange things."

posted by rcade to general at 12:16 PM - 5 comments

China's Yao Ming linked with a move to Cleveland Cavaliers : Chinese basketball fans are hoping Yao Ming will join LeBron James at the Cleveland Cavaliers after reports that a Hong Kong-based company is set to take a minority share in the NBA franchise.

posted by BornIcon to basketball at 11:46 AM - 6 comments

Stanley Cup Playoff Pick'em...Finals Edition: Game One is Saturday, get your picks in early!

posted by MeatSaber to fantasy at 03:32 AM - 18 comments

Zezel gave Maple Leafs (and hockey) more than puck skills: Proud local ex-Leaf dead at 44 after battle with blood disorder. The matinee idol looks, and his fierce pride in wearing the Maple Leafs' jersey, won him countless fans in this city. Zezel, only 44 when he died yesterday of complications from a blood disorder, will always be remembered for being part of that 1992-93 Leafs team that took Toronto on a delirious run through the 1993 playoffs. The roller-coaster ride of emotion fell one game short of an appearance in the Stanley Cup final but Zezel's relentless checking, his faceoff prowess and his dogged penalty killing came to symbolize the individual sacrifice required to go deep in the playoffs. For two years – the Leafs returned to the Western Conference final in 1994 – Zezel was a hugely popular fixture on one of the best teams in hockey. "When it came to charity work, if anybody called him to do anything, he was there to do it," recalls former teammate Bob McGill. "That's how he was in hockey too. He'd do whatever was needed."

posted by tommytrump to hockey at 06:39 PM - 4 comments

Barcelona are European Champions : FC Barcelona defeated Manchester United 2-0 to win the UEFA Champions League today at Rome's Stadio Olympico. Goals were scored by Samuel Eto'o in the 10th minute and Lionel Messi in the 70th.

posted by The_Special_Juan to football at 05:00 PM - 16 comments

Dirk Nowitzki's Ex-Girlfriend Pregnant: Medical records confirm Dirk Nowitzki's ex-girlfriend's claim that she took a pregnancy test and it came back positive, the Dallas Morning News reported this morning. Cristal Taylor, 37, is in jail on theft charges. She agreed to share her medical records with the newspaper. Taylor's decade-long history of financial crimes includes felony theft, felony forgery and felony stealing, the paper reports. She was arrested at Nowitzki's Dallas home on May 6. "I'm angry, but I do love Dirk with all my heart," she said in a jailhouse interview. "And I want you to know, he still hasn't told me we're no longer engaged."

posted by rcade to basketball at 11:26 AM - 23 comments

Maple Bats Pose Risk After They Shatter: There's concern within baseball over the way that maple bats shatter, sending dangerously sharp projectiles that have struck players, umpires and fans. "As long as maple bats are used they're going to be flying onto the field and into the stands. The only way they can correct it is to get rid of maple bats, but that's obviously going to be a big deal because a lot of players use them. So it's a matter of time before something really bad happens to one of the players on the field or a kid in the stands. It's pretty scary." -- Hank Blalock, Texas Rangers

posted by rcade to baseball at 11:19 AM - 4 comments

Mike Tyson's Daughter Dies After Home Accident: Exodus Tyson, the four-year-old daughter of boxer Mike Tyson, died a day after being accidentally strangled by the cord of a treadmill at her home.

posted by BoKnows to other at 10:44 AM - 13 comments

Orlando Magic Take 3-1 Series Lead Over Cleveland Cavaliers: At Orlando's Amway Arena, the multi-level basketball of the Orlando Magic pushed the Cleveland Cavaliers one game from elimination with a 116-114 overtime win. LeBron James scored 44 but played the entire second half and overtime and had eight turnovers. "The defensive strategy for most of the series has been for James to begin by covering Orlando point guard Rafer Alston, then leave him to help on defense with Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis or Hedu Turkoglu," writes Cleveland Plain Dealer columnist Terry Pluto. "Three words: It's not working!"

posted by rcade to basketball at 09:11 AM - 11 comments

Pat Quinn takes over as Oilers head coach: "If I think of leadership, I think of Pat," Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini said during a news conference. "If I think of the way you want to be treated as a player, I think of someone like Pat Quinn. If I think of someone who sets an example morally for an organization of how to go forward, I think of a man like Pat Quinn." The Oilers will be the fifth NHL team coached by Quinn, who succeeds the fired Craig MacTavish. The two-time NHL coach of the year has 657 career wins in 1,318 games behind the bench with Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Vancouver and Toronto.

posted by tommytrump to hockey at 04:06 PM - 1 comment

Former baseball slugger Jose Canseco is trying his hand at mixed martial arts: 7'2" South Korean Hong Man Choi is his first opponent.

posted by BornIcon to other at 02:13 PM - 9 comments

Fantasy Premier League Football Final Results: Congrats to holden and squealy for a one-two finish and a mere ten points separated the next four spots.

posted by tselson to fantasy at 10:40 PM - 9 comments

Soccer Mob Kills Man in Northern Ireland: A group of around 20 Protestant supporters of Glasgow Rangers, many of them wearing the team's blue-and-white jerseys and scarves, celebrated the team's Scottish Premier League championship Sunday by beating to death the first Catholic they saw afterwards, a 49-year-old father of four. Rangers draws support from British Protestants in Northern Ireland, archrival Glasgow Celtic from Irish Catholics.

posted by rcade to soccer at 08:33 PM - 17 comments

Historic Memorial Cup win for Spitfires: The Windsor Spitfires took a road never travelled in the 91-year history of the Memorial Cup. No team had a won a title after losing the first two games of the tournament and having to play the entire field again starting with a tiebreaker. After stumbling at the start, the Spitfires reeled off four straight wins to earn the first championship in the 34-year history of the franchise.

posted by tommytrump to hockey at 11:33 PM - 0 comments

Doon With The Toon: Newcastle fail to survive in the English Premiership. Devastated Geordies had some minor consolation because northeast rivals Middlesbrough also join them in the second tier next season.

posted by owlhouse to soccer at 10:02 PM - 18 comments

Milan legend Paolo Maldini disrespected by the curva on his final day at The San Siro: "If the fans offended Maldini it means they do not love this sport and they should just stay at home," Roma boss Luciano Spalletti told Sky Italia

posted by The_Special_Juan to soccer at 12:45 PM - 7 comments

As Economy Stumbles, the Zamboni Glides On : Charlie Brown once said there are three things in life that people like to stare at: a flowing stream, a crackling fire and a Zamboni clearing the ice. Car and Driver recently test-drove one, finding that “the vague steering is totally ’70s Cadillac.” At least one well-known American vehicle manufacturer is rolling out vehicles as usual. But before a Zamboni can take the ice, it hits the pavement on Colorado Avenue. And, in this day, it may be comforting to know that Frank J. Zamboni & Company, still family owned and operated, is not asking for a government bailout.

posted by tommytrump to culture at 08:22 AM - 1 comment

Nuggets Take One from Lakers in LA: The Denver Nuggets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 106-103 in the second game of the Western Conference Finals, taking home court advantage back with them for the next two games in Denver.

posted by rcade to basketball at 01:03 AM - 15 comments

Cavaliers No Longer Undefeated in Playoffs: The underdog Orlando Magic opened up the Eastern Conference Finals with a 107-106 victory over Cleveland Cavaliers, despite LeBron James' 49 points. "This is one of the best games I've ever seen played by an individual," wrote Cavs the Blog of James' playoff-record performance, in a roundup of online responses to the game. "But for all history cares, he might've well gone 0-for-30."

posted by rcade to basketball at 11:34 AM - 11 comments

Is Manny Ramirez Really All That Bad?: Randy Cohen, writer of The Ethicist, takes on doping in sports and suggests a different method of handling it.

posted by apoch to culture at 10:49 AM - 8 comments

The final Uefa Cup final: Shakhtar Donetsk 2 - 1 Werder Bremen (ET) As it happened.: Teams: Shakhtar Donetsk: Pyatov, Srna, Kucher, Chigrinsky, Rat, Lewandowski, Fernandinho, Ilsinho, Jadson, Willian, Luiz Adriano. Subs: Khudzamov, Duljaj, Gai, Gladkyy, Ischenko, Chyzhov, Moreno. Werder Bremen: Wiese, Fritz, Prodl, Naldo, Boenisch, Niemeyer, Frings, Baumann, Ozil, Pizarro, Rosenberg. Subs: Vander, Pasanen, Tosic, Vranjes, Hunt, Tziolis, Harnik. Referee: Luis Medina Cantalejo (Spain)

posted by The_Special_Juan to football at 05:43 PM - 6 comments

Can Dr. Marshall Make Your Staff Injury-Free?: Former National League Cy Young Award Winner Mike Marshall says he can through physics and special exercise. A straight-line delivery is the key, and former Mets prospect Joe Williams wants a chance to prove Marshall's theories. Williams is currently pitching for the Springfield Cardinals, St. Louis' AA farm team.

posted by wfrazerjr to baseball at 02:12 PM - 2 comments

Los Angeles Clippers Win NBA Draft Lottery: The Los Angeles Clippers won the first pick in the NBA Draft Lottery, which is likely to be Oklahoma star Blake Griffin. The Clippers tied for the second-worst record in the league and had a 17.8% chance of getting the top pick. The team with the worst record, the Sacramento Kings, fell to fourth. The Memphis Grizzlies have the second pick and the former Seattle Supersonics will pick third. The Clippers have picked first twice before, selecting Michael Olowokandi in 1998 and Danny Manning in 1988.

posted by rcade to basketball at 09:09 PM - 4 comments

Humane Society will work with Vick: (Hope I didn't blow this - first attempt.) It's easy to be cynical about this, but if Vick is sincere and not just trying to weasel his way back into the NFL, this could be the second coming of Susan Boyle. Full Disclosure: I'm a 30+ year Atlantan, Falcons fan to the bone, and have been adopted by three dogs.

posted by outonleave to football at 07:55 PM - 25 comments

Why Are Rich People So Bad at Sports?: Does wealth = superb athletes? It used to. But now, having access to state-of-the-art training facilities and world-class coaches, is not always an advantage.

posted by BoKnows to general at 06:18 PM - 5 comments

Someone's Getting a RAW Deal: The Denver Nuggets should be hosting the Los Angeles Lakers for Game Four of the Western Conference finals next Monday night. Unfortunately, Kroenke Sports -- which owns the Nuggets and the Pepsi Center -- booked in and confirmed Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Entertainment for the same night. More than 10,000 tickets and a contract signed and returned on April 15 - the final night of the regular season - later, it's time for the schedulers to get it on!

posted by wfrazerjr to basketball at 09:17 PM - 18 comments

Super Bowl Star Rejects White House Visit: Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison has turned down the invitation to the White House, but not for political reasons. He thinks President Obama only invited the Steelers because they won the game. "This is how I feel -- if you want to see the Pittsburgh Steelers, invite us when we don't win the Super Bowl," Harrison told a local TV station. "As far as I'm concerned, he would've invited Arizona if they had won."

posted by rcade to football at 05:08 PM - 25 comments

Baseball Tickets Too Much? Check Back Tomorrow: The San Francisco Giants experiment with dynamic, demand-based pricing.

posted by holden to baseball at 01:25 PM - 4 comments

Tony Kornheiser Out at Monday Night Football: Former Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden will be replacing Tony Kornheiser on broadcasts of Monday Night Football this season on ESPN, the network announced today in a press release. Although the network states that Kornheiser "decided to step down," and Kornheiser says a fear of flying contributed to the move, there have been rumblings for a while that the network was looking to put him on waivers, reports the New York Daily News.

posted by rcade to football at 11:35 AM - 28 comments

Toronto Maple Leafs Facebook page hacked!: A terrific tongue-and-cheek look at how social networking might work for the storied NHL franchise.

posted by wfrazerjr to hockey at 09:08 AM - 5 comments

Top 10 Weirdest Mascots: They're big, fuzzy and bring joy to thousands of people. Kids love them, and you can admit it, you like them a little bit, too (it's because they can't change expression on their face, no matter how much pain they're in on the inside). They do goofy dances, fire t-shirts and hot dogs into the stands and help to embarrass the other team.

posted by BoKnows to other at 02:30 AM - 5 comments

Orlando Magic Win Game 7 Over Boston Celtics: The Orlando Magic ended the repeat hopes of the NBA Champ Boston Celtics, winning a 101-82 rout in Boston for game 7 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Though the Cavs are undefeated and seemingly unstoppable in the playoffs, the hometown Orlando Sentinel puts this spin on the series: "The Magic will be portrayed as big underdogs ... But on closer inspection, the Magic have matched up well with the Cavs. They have won 8 of the last 11 meetings, including an 116-87 rout this year in Orlando."

posted by rcade to basketball at 10:53 PM - 9 comments

Exposed: Buffalo Bills fullback Corey McIntyre has been arrested and chraged with exposing sexual organs. This happened outside a Port St. Lucie (FL) woman's home. McIntyre's agent, Brett Tessler, was quoted saying "Corey McIntyre is one of the highest character people around and the last guy who would do what he is being accused of." McIntyre himself, denies the incident.

posted by BoKnows to football at 01:51 PM - 18 comments

Former NBA player Wayman Tisdale loses his battle with cancer.: Another of the great sports personalities is gone. He was 44.

posted by MeatSaber to basketball at 01:10 PM - 17 comments

Stanley Cup Playoffs Pick'em Round 2 Standings: Down to the Conference Finals. Get your picks in...

posted by MeatSaber to fantasy at 11:43 PM - 18 comments

Thievery: Jayson Werth is a klepto. (Video here)

posted by BoKnows to baseball at 09:44 PM - 13 comments

Dirk Nowitzki's Girlfriend From Hell Was Tony Banks' Ex-Girlfriend From Hell: Former NFL quarterback Tony Banks said that when he was 24, Dirk Nowitzki's many-named girlfriend pursued a relationship with him and things didn't go so well. "I can't believe it's the same chick," said Banks, who said Cristal Taylor went by the name Theresa when she knew him. After things cooled, she made harassing calls to Banks, his agent and St. Louis Rams head coach Dick Vermeil. "She showed her crazy [side] pretty early," Banks said. "It wasn't a good way for me and Dickie V. to start off. Dick thought about drafting Jake Plummer that first year because of this stuff."

posted by rcade to basketball at 08:26 PM - 12 comments

The most unsporting moments in sport's history: A nice little collection of ten or so fine examples of sportsmanship at its worst and the consequences that followed. There are one or two that I would have changed but basically it is a pretty cool compilation.

posted by Athlexic to general at 03:40 AM - 9 comments

SI's list of best and worst owners.: Sports Illustrated has selected the five best and five worst owners for the top four professional American team sports. Among the criteria used to evaluate owners was the willingness to spend money to improve the team; the stability and capabilities of the front office and management; the amenities at the team's venue; and the club's culture and interactivity with fans. Of course, weighing heavily in the decision was the team's success or failure on the field. (via)

posted by Ufez Jones to general at 02:42 PM - 18 comments

Mavericks Fans Declare Open Season on Nuggets' Families: One game after being insulted by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban (for which he later apologized), the mother of Denver Nuggets player Kenyon Martin had a beer poured on her during game 4 of the series in Dallas and his girlfriend Trina was subjected to frequent obscenities. "By its end, security was permanently perched by Kenyon Martin’s mother, who had beer poured on her during the game," the Denver Post reports. "Martin himself, felt compelled to yell into the crowd in defense of his mom during a break in the second quarter."

posted by rcade to basketball at 02:11 PM - 42 comments

Roger Clemens -- Wait for It -- Denies Using Steroids: On the same day as the release of a new book detailing allegations against him, Roger Clemens has broken his silence with an interview on ESPN's Mike and Mike radio show, denying he used steroids and claiming it would have been "suicidal" for him to use them given his family's history of heart problems. "For some of that to come in question, of course it’s hurtful. But it’s not going to break my spirit," said Clemens.

posted by rcade to baseball at 12:06 PM - 15 comments

Lou Merloni Accuses Red Sox of Encouraging Steroid Use: Former Boston Red Sox infielder Lou Merloni claims that while he was with the team, a doctor encouraged players to use steroids at a team meeting. "He sat there for one hour and told us how to properly use steroids while I'm with the Boston Red Sox, sitting there with the rest of the organization, and after this I said 'what the heck was that?'" Merloni said on The Baseball Show on Comcast SportsNet.

posted by rcade to baseball at 02:17 PM - 3 comments

Ah, umm ... I'm sorry!: Manny Ramirez apologizes to Dodgers' owner for his 50-game suspension.

posted by jjzucal to baseball at 11:22 PM - 43 comments

Sunday Flash Fun: Little Master cricket is an extremely simple, yet surprisingly addictive, flash game. Control a loose-limbed batsman, defend your wicket, and hit for 1, 2 ,4 or 6. As in real cricket, starting stance and bat angle are crucial. Unlike real cricket, the balls pile up if you play with too dead a bat. Game resets extremely quickly, which is good, because it is tricky to score well and you only get one out!

posted by rumple to other at 02:27 PM - 6 comments

NBA Admits Officials Blew Mavs-Nuggets Call: Not sure what good it does, but the NBA has acknowledged that a foul should have been called on Antoine Wright against Carmelo Anthony in the final seconds of game 3 in the Denver Nuggets-Dallas Mavericks series. After no foul was called, Anthony got an open look and sunk a three-pointer, and the Mavs are now in a 3-0 hole that no team has climbed out of in league history.

posted by rcade to basketball at 11:12 PM - 16 comments

'Massachusetts Rules': Last week, Amherst College took on their arch rival, Williams College, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first collegiate baseball game. The teams will use equipment and wear uniforms from the 19th century, and they will play 'Massachusetts Rules'. The 1859 game ended with Amherst winning with a final score of 73-32 after 25 innings. (Photos from the event - via NPR)

posted by BoKnows to baseball at 05:53 PM - 3 comments

Do you live in a miserable sports city?: Our purpose is to identify those cities that have historically led the sports world in the close-but-no-cigar category – good enough to tease their fans with lots of playoff appearances, including Super Bowls, World Series’, NBA finals or NHL finals, only to let them down in the end. (Top Ten slideshow - Forbes.com)

posted by BoKnows to general at 03:23 PM - 5 comments

Former NBA Coach Chuck Daly Dies: Chuck Daly, the coach who led the Detroit Pistons to back-to-back NBA Championships and led the first USA Olympics "dream team" in basketball, died Saturday morning after fighting pancreatic cancer. He was 78. Daly's Pistons made the playoffs in all nine seasons he coached the team, reaching the Eastern Conference finals in five straight years. At a ceremony to honor Daly, former player Rick Mahon summed up his importance to the franchise in six words: "Without you, there wouldn't be us."

posted by rcade to basketball at 09:10 AM - 6 comments

How David Beats Goliath: Malcolm Gladwell uses a 7th grade girls basketball team, a computer-driven war games entrant, Lawrence of Arabia and David to illustrate that effort often trumps ability, if the underdogs refuse to play on Goliath's terms. In other words, why don't more bball teams use a full court press the entire game?

posted by billsaysthis to general at 06:27 PM - 9 comments

The Last DiMaggio Brother is Dead: Dominic DiMaggio, the last survivor of the 3 baseball brothers died early this morning at his home. While he may have been overshadowed by his more famous brother Joe, he was a very talented player and a member of the Red Sox teams that featured Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky, and Bobby Doerr.

posted by Howard_T to baseball at 06:07 PM - 4 comments

Dirk Duped by a Gold Digger?: Nowitzki apparently bought her a $250,000 engagement ring. But at some point he also sensed something wasn't quite right and hired a private investigator to do some background work on his potential "the one."

posted by Ufez Jones to basketball at 07:47 PM - 24 comments

Manny Ramirez suspended for substance abuse: Of all the stars that had been linked to substance abuse, Manny Ramirez had not been one, until he was suspended for fifty games today for violating baseball's substance abuse policy.

posted by boredom_08 to baseball at 11:49 AM - 104 comments

Extra-Time Goal Puts Outmanned FC Barcelona into Champions League Final: Andres Iniesta's spectacular goal two minutes into stoppage time tied FC Barcelona 1-1 with Chelsea, sending the Spanish side to the Champions League Final against Manchester United in three weeks because they scored more away goals. Barcelona played a man down after defender Eric Abidal was given a red card in the 66th minute in a controversial call by referee Tom Ovrebo.

posted by rcade to soccer at 05:41 PM - 12 comments

Phoenix Coyotes May Move: The Phoenix NHL Franchise has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, meaning that they wish to reorganize, not that they will liquidate. Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie wants to buy them and move them to Southern Ontario, probably to the Hamilton area.

posted by Howard_T to hockey at 05:11 PM - 14 comments

No Handslaps Until You Touch Home!: College softball team loses after hitting a walk-off home run. Why? Because she slapped hands with teammates before touching home plate.

posted by TheQatarian to other at 11:35 PM - 28 comments

A Bad Feeling: Immediately after Renardo Sidney announced he would go to USC to play basketball, the future Trojan and his family celebrated with over 100 family members and an estimated catering bill of nearly two thousand dollars. Just a little over two months later, USC rescinded their offer, just as UCLA did in Februray, both citing possible violations and money issues. Former USC coach George Raveling said "It's highly unusual for both of those schools to abandon their recruitment of a player of that caliber and potential," and "They must know something the rest of us don't know."

posted by BoKnows to basketball at 10:20 PM - 2 comments

"It was horrifying": for Denise Richards to sing Take Me Out To The Ballgame in front of 40,000 fans at Wrigley Field. Turns out, it was just as horrifying for the fans. But they should be used to it by now. Danica. Ozzy. Jeff.

posted by BoKnows to baseball at 09:48 PM - 17 comments

Joey Barton's red card to be his last act for Newcastle United: Barton, playing his first game since fracturing a foot in January, will be suspended for Newcastle's final three games of the season at home to Middlesbrough and Fulham and away at Aston Villa. He will also be fined two weeks' wages – £128,000 – by the club.

posted by The_Special_Juan to football at 08:49 PM - 7 comments

High School Star Drops Out to Play Internationally: Jeremy Tyler, a 7-foot-tall, 260-pound prep basketball phenom, is dropping out of San Diego High School before his senior year to play professionally in Europe or Asia. "If you have the talent and college won't do anything for your talent or your profession, there's no point to go," said Tyler, the first American prep to leave high school early to turn pro. "When there's an opportunity out of high school to go fulfill your dreams, then they shouldn't have taken away the option for you to go take it." ESPN's scouting report calls Tyler "an enormous talent that should project to the NBA level." The Nation, which doesn't weigh in on sports very often, opines, "given the fraudulent nature of the entire high-school-to-pro process, it's hard to get on the moral high horse about his decision." Tyler will be eligible for the NBA draft in 2011.

posted by rcade to basketball at 06:54 PM - 8 comments

Formula 1 at the Big Picture blog: in wet and dry conditions.

posted by rumple to auto racing at 05:11 PM - 5 comments

Pacqui-ow!: Manny Pacquiao needed just two rounds to dispatch Ricky Hatton. Sky Sports is in a state of mourning.

posted by jjzucal to boxing at 11:40 AM - 4 comments

Former QB, Congressman Jack Kemp dies: Jack Kemp, former quarterback and nine-term Congressman, had died.

posted by jjzucal to football at 10:51 PM - 6 comments

Two can't misses, who missed. Todd Marinovich: a familiar story, compellingly told with a new interview, and Mike Harrington: drafted 5 times, turned down a 5 million dollar contract, changes tires at Costco.

posted by rumple to culture at 08:38 PM - 4 comments

Dallas Cowboys' Practice Bubble Collapses: The Dallas Cowboys' afternoon practice ended in horrifying fashion when the Cowboys' indoor facility collapsed during a violent thunderstorm, injuring seven people, including one critically. The roof is a large air-supported canopy with aluminum frames covering a 100-yard football field. Video of the collapse.

posted by rcade to football at 05:48 PM - 10 comments

Tevez admits he is likely to leave Manchester United for a Spanish club: 'I don't see why I should lie because the fans support me'

posted by The_Special_Juan to football at 02:10 PM - 9 comments

Congress Takes On the BCS: The House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection held a hearing today to discuss the Bowl Championship Series and whether it's a fair system, both in terms of money awarded to schools and in selecting a national champion in college football. The testimony of the four witnesses can be read online. Subcommittee member Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) is not a fan of the current system. "You should either change your name to BES for Bowl Exhibition System or just drop the C and call it the BS system, because it is not about determining the championship on the field," he told BCS coordinator John Swofford.

posted by rcade to football at 08:34 PM - 16 comments

The Flower: With a possible sentence of 14 years for perjury, Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur has been found guilty of obstructing justice.

posted by BoKnows to hockey at 03:21 PM - 13 comments