Archives for September 2009

September 30, 2009

Report: Nike Reaches Endorsement Deal with Michael Vick: It took two incomplete passes and seven yards on the ground but apparently Nike has reached an endorsement deal with Michael Vick, his representative announced at a marketing conference Wednesday in New York. Nike denies the report of an endorsement deal.

posted by dfleming to football at 08:23 PM - 54 comments

Crazy Good Jump Rope: Seriously.

posted by Joey Michaels to other at 05:46 PM - 10 comments

CFL Pick 'Em, Week 14: Huge points this week seriously shake things up. Find a bandwagon, jump on it, and then make your picks inside.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 05:31 PM - 18 comments

Cleveland Indians Fire Manager Eric Wedge: The Cleveland Indians have fired manager Eric Wedge and his entire coaching staff. In his seven seasons with the team, Wedge was 560-568. He'll finish out the last six games of the year. Two years ago, he led the Indians to a 96-66 record, AL Central championship and a trip to the ALCS.

posted by rcade to baseball at 05:03 PM - 5 comments

Alonso to Maranello: Ferrari have annouced that two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso has signed a three year contract with the Italian team and will replace Kimi Raikkonen for the 2010 season.

posted by Mr Bismarck to auto racing at 11:26 AM - 9 comments

High School Game Ends with YouTube Moment: If you missed last Friday's high school football game between the Otter Valley Otters and the Jericho Mount Mansfield Cougars in Brandon, Vt., this recap from TV station WCAX explains why it will go down in football lore.

posted by rcade to football at 10:15 AM - 23 comments

September 29, 2009

Mike Blowers sees the future: The Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays are out of the playoff race. The radio broadcast of their game on September 27th probably didn't have a lot of listeners on Sunday morning in Seattle, but those who were listening got to hear a wild prediction by Mariners' color commentator and former player Mike Blowers on the pregame show, and the subsequent hilarity in the broadcast booth when his prediction came true.

posted by fumblerooski to baseball at 11:18 PM - 14 comments

NFL Study Finds Link to Dementia: A study commissioned by the National Football League finds that Alzheimer's disease or similar memory-related diseases is diagnosed in former players vastly more often than in the national population -- including a rate 19 times higher for men in their 30s and 40s.

posted by trueblueroo to football at 09:19 PM - 9 comments

Tiger Woods Passes $1 Billion in Career Earnings: The $10 million bonus Tiger Woods earned last weekend with the FedEx Cup title has pushed him to career earnings of $1 billion in prize earnings, appearance fees, endorsements and golf course design jobs, according to Forbes. "The scary part is that Woods is only 33-years-old and might have 15 years of competitive golf left in him and 30+ years of designing golf courses," writes Kurt Badenhausen. "This is only the first $1 billion."

posted by rcade to golf at 07:56 PM - 2 comments

High School Player Dies After Hard Tackle: A high school football player in Spokane, Wash., has died from severe brain swelling after hitting his head while being tackled in a game Friday. Drew Swank, 17, was returning a kick Friday when injured. He left the field on his own, but became nauseous and lost consciousness. His family discussed his decision to donate his organs.

posted by rcade to football at 04:08 PM - 34 comments

Referee Urinates on Pitch During Soccer Match: Massimo Busacca, an international referee prominent enough to have his own Wikipedia entry, dropped trou and urinated in the penalty box during a professional match between Al Gharrafa and Al Khor in Qatar Sept. 12. See the video, with a black box protecting Busacca's dignity. A week later, Busacca flipped the bird at fans during a Swiss Cup match and received a three-game ban.

posted by rcade to soccer at 09:44 AM - 15 comments

September 28, 2009

USC's Stafon Johnson Hospitalized After Weightlifting Accident: USC running back Stafon Johnson required emergency surgery today after a weightlifting accident. Johnson was lifting weights this morning when he apparently lost control of the bar and it landed on his neck, the Los Angeles Times reports.

posted by rcade to football at 08:51 PM - 7 comments

Zambrano thinking retirement?: "It's been a disappointing season," he replied. "People say, 'Why can't you pitch like that all the time?' It's not all the time I feel like that."

posted by BoKnows to baseball at 01:00 PM - 4 comments

High School Coach Takes Players to Baptist Revival: Scott Mooney, the head football coach at a public high school in Breckinridge County, Ky., took 20 players on a school bus late last month to his church, where nearly half of them were baptized. "Nobody should push their faith on anybody else," said Michelle Ammons, whose 16-year-old son Robert Coffey was baptized without her permission.

posted by rcade to football at 12:29 PM - 77 comments

September 27, 2009

Favre's Incredible Last-Second Touchdown Sends Vikes Over Niners: Brett Favre completed an epic 32-yard touchdown pass with two seconds left to lead the Minnesota Vikings to a 27-24 home victory over the San Francisco 49ers. See the video. Recent roster pickup Greg Lewis made the back-of-the-endzone catch over Everson Walls, er, Mike Roman.

posted by rcade to football at 07:43 PM - 53 comments

Detroit does indeed have an NFL franchise.: Since December 23, 2007, the Detroit Lions have gone 0-19. However, today, September 27, 2009, is a new day for this NFL franchise as they have finally put a tick in the Win column. Sure, it was against the struggling Washington Redskins, but by this point in time, the name of the losing team is immaterial. Once again, the Detroit Lions win a regular season football game.

posted by NoMich to football at 05:02 PM - 13 comments

U.S. Wins Baseball World Cup Over Cuba: The United States defeated Cuba 10-5 today in the final of the Baseball World Cup, a 71-year-old competition that's little known even among baseball fans. The event was limited to amateurs until 1996 and minor leaguers are playing in it today, but Major League Baseball still bars its players from the event. The World Cup has been hoisted by the U.S. four times, Venezuela three, Colombia two, and Cuba 25 times. The Americans were led by Texas Rangers prospect Justin Smoak, with 9 home runs and 21 RBIs, and the pitching of Chicago White Sox prospect Lucas Harrell.

posted by rcade to baseball at 11:29 AM - 7 comments

Artificial turf goes way of the dead ball : After the Twins play their Metrodome finale, just two non-grass fields will remain in the major leagues: the Rogers Centre and Tropicana Field. That's down from a high of 10 artificial surfaces, in 1977-78 and again from 1982-94. Maury Wills remembered back 43 years ago to that April night when he became the first batter to hit on artificial turf in a major-league game. "I'm a traditionalist," said the Los Angeles Dodgers speedster, who opened that night at Houston's Astrodome with a single off Hall of Famer Robin Roberts. "I'm still an old-school guy. I believe baseball was meant to be played outdoors and be played in the daytime." Turns out, most others think baseball is better on grass, too. The sport's turf wars are nearing an end.

posted by tommytrump to baseball at 09:17 AM - 5 comments

September 26, 2009

Sox-Fan Teacher Makes Student Wear Yankees Shirt Inside Out: A fourth grader in Baldwinsville, N.Y., says that he was ordered by his teacher to wear his New York Yankees T-shirt inside out. Nate Johns, 9, said that teacher Peter Addabbo -- who has Boston Red Sox paraphernalia all over his class -- made him wear it that way until dismissal. "It was such a horrible day," said Nate. "I don't ever want anything like to happen again."

posted by rcade to baseball at 12:04 PM - 36 comments

Puckathon Draft Day Complete! Fun Time Pontifications Here: It's was an intense Draft Day for the Spofie Puckathon V. Draft is now complete and the League seems wide open. Who managed to put together the winning squad. Opinions and miscellaneous rants welcomed! Rank the Squads gang. Thank's everyone!

posted by skydivedad to fantasy at 11:01 AM - 18 comments

TV Station Runs Into Lenny Dykstra Pawning World Series Rings: Lenny Dykstra, whose career earnings in baseball passed $36 million, now has a net worth of $50,000, has declared bankruptcy, is accused of stealing a $40,000 stove from his own home and was going to auction his memorabilia. When Japanese TV reporters were recently filming a story on the American recession, they unexpectedly ran into Dykstra pawning his rings (jump to 3:00 in the video).

posted by rcade to baseball at 10:43 AM - 11 comments

Boxer Calls Opponent 'the Ugliest Person I Have Ever Seen': The pre-match photo of World Boxing Association champion Nikolai Valuev and challenger David Haye shows the enormous task ahead of Haye, who is 11 inches shorter and 103 pounds lighter than the 7-foot-tall, 320-pound Russian. But Haye has a bigger mouth. "He is the ugliest person I have ever seen!" Haye told Bild. "I have seen the Lord of the Rings films and there are some characters in those movies who look quite strange. But for a human being to look like him is really shocking." They fight Nov. 7.

posted by rcade to boxing at 10:20 AM - 5 comments

September 25, 2009

Chicago Bears Players Fined for Flatulence: Chicago Bears players have instituted a $20 fine for passing gas during team meetings. "Mark Anderson might be the worst ever," teammate Anthony Adams writes on his blog. "He takes these protein shakes, so he smells like little babies do."

posted by rcade to football at 03:15 PM - 17 comments

Arkansas player ends game with noble gesture: Thamail Morgan took the kickoff and headed up the field. He was at the 20 ... 30 ... 40 He had been avoiding, dodging or just simply running through tacklers on the way. Football always had come easily for Morgan. This game was no different. By the time he hit midfield, only open space was ahead of him. The two-time Arkansas all-state selection was headed for a touchdown. 40 ... 30 ... 20 He glanced at the clock and saw the final seconds ticking away. He realized his team, Cave City, was on the way to a victory over Yellville-Summit, comfortably ahead, 34-16. He also realized two other things: This wasn't an ordinary game. And he wasn't the same Thamail Morgan. When he reached the 2, he stopped. He took a few steps back and took a knee at the 5-yard line.

posted by BornIcon to football at 06:28 AM - 25 comments

September 24, 2009

The Sporting News names Kobe Bryant NBA 'Athlete of the Decade': Even Shaq has a few nice things to say.

posted by lilnemo to basketball at 07:14 PM - 4 comments

Mark Reynolds Sets New Single-Season Strikeout Record: Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Mark Reynolds has struck out 206 times this season, passing the major league record 204 he set last year. "So what?" said Reynolds, who hit 43 homers and 100 RBIs between whiffs.

posted by rcade to baseball at 03:27 PM - 19 comments

The Hoser's NFL Picks 2009, Week Three: NFL picks that are using a looped tape of Joe Theismann's injury as an appetite suppressant.

posted by wfrazerjr to football at 02:29 PM - 24 comments

Gretzky leaving the Coyotes: 99 Done in Desert: Gretzky announced that he was stepping down as the Coyotes' coach, effective immediately. In a statement he released on his own website, Gretzky.com, the Great One said he thought "long and hard" about his decision and had hoped for an earlier resolution to the Coyotes' ongoing ownership woes. However, Gretzky said he was able to read the writing on the wall, noting that "since both remaining bidders made it clear that I don't fit into their future plans, I approached Don Maloney and suggested he begin looking for someone to replace me as coach. The Coyotes missed the playoffs in each of Gretzky's four years as a coach, although last year, showed signs of life and were firmly in the playoff mix at the All-Star Game at the end of January. The team faded in the final third of the season, in part because of injuries to key young players; in part because of the decision to jettison expensive contracts, such as those of Olli Jokinen and Derek Morris.Curiously, Gretzky concluded by saying: "I'm confident the best is yet to come for hockey in Phoenix."

posted by tommytrump to hockey at 01:11 PM - 3 comments

CFL Pick 'Em, Week 13: Big points this week break up our logjam. Which side of the river are you on? The only way to find out is to make your picks inside.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 12:08 PM - 22 comments

Shawon Dunston: Cubs Owe Me an Education: Former Chicago Cubs player Shawon Dunston has filed an objection to the team's entrance into bankruptcy that could slow its sale, claiming that he's "entitled to college scholarship funds." Dunston, who played for the team from 1985 to 1994 while earning more than $19 million in salary, had a tuition clause worth from $8,000 to $10,000. His move is curious, since he's never gone to college and says he doesn't plan to attend.

posted by rcade to baseball at 10:48 AM - 11 comments

Oregon Ducks Coach Gives Fan a $439 Refund: Disgusted by Oregon's season-opening loss at Boise State, fan Tony Seminary sent Ducks head coach Chip Kelly an irate e-mail with an attached invoice for $439 in travel expenses. A few days later a check arrived in the mail from Kelly that paid the invoice in full. "When I received that check, I was literally speechless," said Seminary.

posted by rcade to football at 10:43 AM - 11 comments

September 23, 2009

Russian Billionaire Reaches Deal to Buy Nets: Russian billionaire Mikhail D. Prokhorov has signed a $200 million deal to become the principal owner of the New Jersey Nets and an investor in the team's arena planned in Brooklyn. Prokhorov, 44, is an industrialist with a net worth of $9.5 billion who is 6 foot 8 inches tall. According to a translation of his blog, one of Prokhorov's goals is that "Russia will receive an equal place in the elite world of basketball."

posted by rcade to basketball at 05:44 PM - 11 comments

Bobby Cox to step down after 2010.: Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox has decided to leave the dugout after 2010. He is currently fourth in all time wins as a manager and one of only 2 to have six 100 win seasons. Hope the Braves can find someone as dedicated to the team as Bobby but possibly with some new ideas. Any thoughts on prospects?

posted by stalnakerz to baseball at 04:45 PM - 4 comments

"Achievement is not a gift.": A player takes an unchallenged lead off first base, dashes to second and makes it safely without a throw. The runner has advanced, but because there was no attempt to thwart him, he does not receive a stolen base. Instead, an official scorer bellows "defensive indifference" in the press box.

posted by BoKnows to baseball at 01:52 PM - 18 comments

September 22, 2009

Canada Protects Home Advantage at Olympics : Count the American speedskater Catherine Raney among the athletes, coaches and officials of several sports surprised by Canada's approach to hosting the Winter Games in February. Raney, who spent more than 7 years living in Canada and training with the Canadian national team, was told after the 2006 Olympics that the Canadians did not want foreign athletes training with them leading to the 2010 Games in Vancouver. She and many other foreign athletes had expected to spend quite a bit of time practicing at the Olympic sites, but have been granted only minimal access. "They're playing nasty," said Raney, now living and training in Utah. "I think every one of us would love to prove to them that what they did wasn't right, and we're ready to show it on the ice." A decades-old open-access agreement between the luge teams of the United States and Canada has come undone. Americans said that most Canadian athletes took 60 to 100 extra practice runs in Utah before the 2002 Salt Lake Games. Canada offered the United States 18 this time, in a trade for 18 Canadian runs at this year's world championships in Lake Placid, N.Y. The Americans refused. "It just doesn't seem like it's in the Olympic spirit," said Derek Parra, who won gold and silver speedskating medals for the United States in 2002 and now coaches the team. "It's un-Olympic." Among Parra's charges is Raney, who remains close friends with Canadians whom she will race against in February. She might have provided the sharpest rebuke to her neighbors to the north. "It's Un-Canadian," Raney said, laughing. "Isn't it?"

posted by tommytrump to olympics at 09:08 PM - 9 comments

'NFL Has No Business Being in Jacksonville': Times are tough for the Jacksonville Jaguars, both on and off the field. The 0-2 team drew 46,520 fans for the home opener Sunday, almost 20,000 below capacity, and most of them were long gone by the final play of the game the Arizona Cardinals led 31-3 before two late Jag TDs. Local columnist Gene Frenette said the TV blackout was a blessing. Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports writes, "Jacksonville as a viable professional sports market isn't going to end well. Not enough people live in Jacksonville to support a big NFL franchise through thick and thin."

posted by rcade to football at 02:34 PM - 30 comments

Plaxico Burress Begins Two-Year Prison Sentence: Former Super Bowl hero Plaxico Burress tearfully told his family goodbye as he was led away to prison Tuesday after being sentenced to two years on a weapons charge.

posted by texpat to football at 02:13 PM - 19 comments

Giants prospect Villalona charged with murder: A top prospect for the San Francisco Giants was charged with murder in the death of a 25-year-old man last weekend at a bar in his Caribbean homeland. Angel Villalona, who received a club-record $2.1 million bonus when he was signed by the Giants in 2006, wore a bulletproof vest Monday to his hearing at a court in the city of La Romana. He pleaded innocent to the murder charge.

posted by BornIcon to baseball at 07:06 AM - 0 comments

Extra Time: Michael Owen's controversially late winner in the Manchester Derby on Sunday inspired the Guardian to investigate how much extra time referees typically allow at the end of Manchester United's home games. To the surprise of absolutely no one, it would seem that Man Utd do 'benefit from an imbalance in the amount of stoppage time that is added to their matches'.

posted by JJ to soccer at 05:37 AM - 22 comments

September 21, 2009

When Second Place is Newsworthy: Tyson Gay ran the second fastest 100m time ever at the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix meet on Sunday. Considering the dominance of Usain Bolt since Beijing, an American Record at 9.69s (same time as Bolt's WR gold medal win in Beijing) is worth posing the question: Are his competitors as far behind Bolt as we seem to think? Gay's performance on Sunday might suggest otherwise.

posted by Spitztengle to olympics at 11:39 PM - 4 comments

Wade: Right time for Astros to make managerial change: Cecil Cooper fired : Cecil Cooper was fired Monday as Astros manager, falling victim to an underachieving, injury-plagued team with a bloated payroll and one of the worst starting rotations in baseball. Pressed after using the team’s payroll as a defense for higher expectations, Astros owner Drayton McLane also vowed to evaluate the front office personnel who are getting him such dismal returns on a $107 million payroll.

posted by tommytrump to baseball at 11:15 PM - 1 comment

Pixelated Glory: Penguins at the North Stars, Game 6, NHL Finals. Dramatically reenacted with pixels. via MeFi

posted by geekyguy to hockey at 07:58 PM - 3 comments

Herschel Walker Begins MMA Career: Herschel Walker, the former Heisman Trophy winner, Dallas Cowboy, Olympic bobsledder, Tae Kwan Do black belt, ballet dancer and dissociative identity disorder sufferer, has signed a multi-fight, mixed martial arts contract with promoter Strikeforce.

posted by rcade to boxing at 03:25 PM - 8 comments

NBA Referee Lock-out: Julie Davis, wife of NBA ref Mark Davis, wrote a letter to the National Basketball Referees Association executive board to give them the perspective of a referee's family.

posted by lilnemo to culture at 03:02 PM - 40 comments

FIA makes mockery of Formula One: For the race fixing, Renault have received barely a slap on the wrist, receiving a two year suspended ban. "The World Motor Sport Council considers Renault F1's breaches relating to the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix to be of unparalleled severity." Though not severe enough to receive an actual penalty of any real note it would appear. As expect, Symonds and Briatore are done with FIA sanctioned racing series.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 01:00 PM - 7 comments

Brett Favre Starts 271st Straight Game: Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre has set a new NFL record for constancy, starting his 271st straight game. He broke the record of another Viking, defensive end Jim Marshall, who started 270 games from 1961 to 1979. Favre's streak began in 1992. To put his achievement in perspective, only five quarterbacks in NFL history have started more than 100 games in a row.

posted by rcade to football at 10:39 AM - 29 comments

September 20, 2009

College Stadium Tests Students for Blood-Alcohol Content: Under a new policy, students who've been kicked out of University of Minnesota football games for drunkenness can't go to another game unless they pass a test at a special breathalyser gate. "I've been puked on before," said Patrick Day, a student who approves of the change. "You know, that's just not necessary." The school's new 50,000-seat stadium has a total ban on alcohol sales.

posted by rcade to football at 02:31 PM - 13 comments

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Earns Unanimous Decision Over Juan Manuel Marquez: Despite a 21-month layoff, Floyd Mayweather Jr. earned a unanimous decision over Juan Manuel Marquez on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden, improving his perfect record to 40-0 as he fights back from retirement.

posted by BornIcon to boxing at 10:11 AM - 3 comments

September 19, 2009

High School Lets Down Syndrome Opponent Score TD: With 10 seconds left in a game they were winning 46-0, the players of Maryville [Mo.] High School let opposing player Matt Ziesel, a 15-year-old with Down syndrome, score a touchdown. "His effort's there all the time -- he's just like anyone else on the team to us," said Benton High School coach Dan McCamy.

posted by rcade to football at 07:25 PM - 4 comments

Washington Defeats No. 3 USC on Last-Second Field Goal: Washington Huskies placekicker Erik Folk broke a 13-13 tie with seven seconds left in the game to defeat the No. 3 USC Trojans at Husky Stadium, a bitter loss for USC coach Pete Carroll against his former coordinator, first-year Washington coach Steve Sarkisian.

posted by rcade to football at 07:08 PM - 6 comments

Kyle Turley Faces Possibility of Traumatic Brain Injury: The funny part of retired St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Kyle Turley's history of concussions: He once hugged team owner Georgia Frontiere while completely naked in the locker room and doesn't remember doing it. The sad part: A recent collapse and other symptoms suggest he may be developing Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, a degenerative neurological condition. "I never considered myself a guy that had a lot of head injuries," he said. "But the doctors I've seen are very concerned about my past history, and when I look back on some of what I experienced, it makes me angry. Guys are going crazy, and my wife and I just had a baby boy. I don't want that to happen to me."

posted by rcade to football at 03:12 PM - 5 comments

NBA Guard Delonte West Arrested with Three Guns: When Cleveland Cavaliers guard Delonte West was arrested Thursday while speeding on a motorcycle in Upper Marlboro, Md., he was carrying a loaded handgun in his pocket, another in a pant leg and a loaded shotgun in a guitar case strapped to his back. West, who lived nearby, has not said what he was doing. My guess: preparing for the zombie apocalypse.

posted by rcade to basketball at 02:59 PM - 20 comments

September 18, 2009

Phil Kessel is finally traded to the Maple Leafs: A high price to pay for the sniper they desperately needed; first and second round picks in 2010 and a first round pick in 2011.

posted by dfleming to hockey at 09:33 PM - 16 comments

The Real Cost of the Ball Game: Take me out to the ball game ... but you can keep your luxury seats and $11 burgers. A rant by Sean Elder via Reader's Digest.

posted by BoKnows to baseball at 08:40 PM - 6 comments

FIA knew of Renault's race fixing last year: Nelson Piquet (Snr, not Jnr) apparently went to the FIA last year during the Brazilian race weekend to tell them that Renault asked Nelson Jnr to crash deliberately. The response was that until the latter was prepared to make a statement, they couldn't do anything. It took being fired from the team for him to come forward. The meeting to decide Renault's future is on Monday.

posted by Drood to auto racing at 05:38 PM - 6 comments

New York Times Critic Pans Cowboys Stadium: In a piece that doesn't give nearly enough attention to Telemanjaro, Nicolai Ouroussoff, the architecture critic for the New York Times, reviews the new Cowboys Stadium. "[I]ts enormous retractable roof, acres of parking and cavernous interiors are straight out of Eisenhower's America, with its embrace of car culture and a grandiose, bigger-is-better mentality. The result is a somewhat crude reworking of old ideas, one that looks especially unoriginal when compared with the sophisticated and often dazzling stadiums that have been built in Europe and the Far East over the last few years." Ouroussoff, who describes more in a video that illustrates the components of the design, wrote earlier this year that the new Yankees and Mets ballparks were both "a disappointment to students of architecture."

posted by rcade to football at 01:40 PM - 17 comments

Meet the guy who makes more per hole than Tiger Woods: Tiger Woods has played 1,044 holes of golf this season and has earned $9.7 million, or approximately $9,300 per hole. Jason Hargett laughs at that figure. Laughs, I say!

posted by BornIcon to golf at 01:24 PM - 13 comments

The Hoser's NFL Picks 2009, Week Two: NFL picks that would have been posted earlier if Kayne West hadn't kept interrupting us.

posted by wfrazerjr to football at 01:25 AM - 21 comments

September 17, 2009

Kentucky High School Football Coach Acquitted In Player's Death: Coach David Jason Stinson was found Not Guilty on charges of reckless homicide and wanton endangerment in the death of 15-year-old Max Gilpin, one of his players at Pleasure Ridge Park High School. Gilpin, a sophomore offensive lineman, collapsed while running gassers during practice on August 20, 2008. He died three days later at Kosair Children's Hospital. The temperature that afternoon was 94 degrees. Medical personnel testified that Gilpin's body temperature was 107 degrees when he arrived at the hospital.

posted by The_Black_Hand to other at 08:03 PM - 23 comments

CFL Pick 'Em, Week 12: Five Pick 'Em players are tied for second. Are you one of them? Find out as you make your picks inside.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 02:13 PM - 23 comments

Soccer theatrics debunked : The theatrics and ruses used by soccer stars "diving" to draw a penalty are being exposed by a British professor who specializes in the study of people's intentions and deceit. Frauds take unnatural swan dives and consciously do not protect their bodies in order to look like victims, he says.

posted by tommytrump to soccer at 10:38 AM - 15 comments

Gary Nicklaus : 3rd son of Jack, has entered the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament. 40 years old and several years after being reinstated as an amateur, he will tee it up in a pre-qualifier Sept. 22-25 at the Golf Club of Dallas. If he makes it through to final qualifying, he'll be playing at a course his dad designed. Also playing will be Arnold Palmer's grandson, Sam Saunders, while one of Jack's grandsons, Nick O'Leary, looks set to become a star football player.

posted by JJ to golf at 09:42 AM - 3 comments

Top 100 Golf Courses in the World: according to Golf Magazine. An explanation of how they ranked them, and discussion of the results from Mark Garrod. There are 51 American courses, 11 Scottish, 9 English, 7 Irish and some others from: Australia (6), Japan (4), Canada (2), New Zealand (2), Wales (1), Spain (1), Portugal (1), France (1), South Africa (1), Dominican Republic (1), Mexico (1), South Korea (1).

posted by JJ to golf at 09:19 AM - 7 comments

Roy of the Rovers: A look back at the values of yesteryear. Maybe you have to be British.

posted by owlhouse to soccer at 01:22 AM - 5 comments

September 16, 2009

Defending a 83-0 rout.: "We did not go into the game looking to score that many points,'' Chaminade-Madonna football coach Tim Tyrrell said, "and a lot of them came in bunches and off big plays."

posted by BoKnows to football at 08:49 PM - 19 comments

Vandals Tag NFL Player's Lawn: Vandals struck the front yard of Buffalo Bills cornerback and kick returner Leodis McKelvin, who fumbled a kickoff late in Monday night's loss to the New England Patriots. "Learn to take a knee" the vandals wrote, along with unspecified obscenities.

posted by rcade to football at 02:29 PM - 9 comments

Native Americans Ask Supreme Court to Sack Redskins Trademark: A group of Native Americans have filed a petition for certiorari in the case Susan Harjo v. Pro-Football, Inc., asking the Supreme Court to cancel the trademark of the Washington Redskins on the grounds that it violates the Lanham Act, which bars the registration of "disparaging, scandalous, contemptuous or disreputable" marks. The last round of the legal battle, which began in 1992, went to the Redskins when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that the plaintiffs waited to long to file suit. Back in 1999, Harjo conducted an online chat on ESPN.Com where she took some unbelievable abuse from angry fans. "You pay taxes? Give me a break," said one questioner. "No, you don't. How can you come on here and lie like that."

posted by rcade to football at 12:56 PM - 113 comments

30 dirty players in 30 days: "I have finished my 30 Dirty Players in 30 Days feature. Over the month of August, we featured the all-time dirtiest player from each NHL Team - From Anaheim to Washington."..... 18. CHI Bobby Hull - Nice guy on the ice. Too bad his wife didn't play hockey. 22. VAN Todd Bertuzzi - In this case, one cheapshot does make you a dirty player. 29. FLA Brian McCabe - This "Flying Ass" was the inventor of the "Can Opener". 30. COL Steve Moore - Of course he didn't deserve it, but his hit on Naslund was dirty. And 26 others ...

posted by rumple to hockey at 12:33 PM - 19 comments

Renault's Big Two Out: Managing Director Flavio Briatore and Director of Engineering Pat Symonds have stepped down from their positions with Renault F1 after the French team announced that they would not contest the FIA's assertion that the team ordered driver Nelson Piquet to crash at last season's Singapore Grand Prix.

posted by Mr Bismarck to auto racing at 11:09 AM - 7 comments

September 15, 2009

UEFA and The FA Propose Tighter Belts: UEFA has agreed to move forward with plans prepared by President Michel Platini to force clubs to live within their means that could see irresponsible clubs suspended from Champions or Europa leagues. Meanwhile The FA usher in new financial rules for the Premier League which will require clubs have at least one foot in the real world providing annual, independently-audited accounts.

posted by Mr Bismarck to soccer at 06:23 PM - 3 comments

American Tennis Legend Jack Kramer Dies: Jack Kramer, the No. 1 men's tennis player in the world during most of the '40s and the 1947 Wimbledon champ, has died at age 88 in Los Angeles. The first executive director of the Association of Tennis Professionals, Kramer led the 1973 Wimbledon boycott, had his name on the best-selling wooden racket for decades and helped create women's tennis by giving them such miserly prizes on his tour. "The single most significant figure in the history of his game," writes Frank Deford. "Now, with Kramer's death, the only other significant athlete from the pre-war era who is still living is Bob Feller, the baseball pitcher."

posted by rcade to tennis at 01:45 PM - 5 comments

EPL Fantasy 09-10: In which I sneak into the lead (for now).

posted by billsaysthis to fantasy at 12:44 PM - 22 comments

Ravens' Foxworth Is Building Home Museum to the Civil Rights Movement : With each step down his basement stairs, Domonique Foxworth descends into his own private bomb shelter. Above ground, he earns millions covering the N.F.L.'s top receivers for the Baltimore Ravens. Below it in his cellar, he seeks different company. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has a dream in the cover of an autographed memoir. Malcolm X defies a detractor in a typed letter from 1963. Rosa Parks sits, Tommie Smith clenches and Thurgood Marshall reasons in framed and signed artifacts that form Foxworth's growing museum of the civil rights movement. "Other players around the league, their basements are all jerseys of themselves and friends in the N.F.L. and the N.B.A." "I feel more comfortable with these people around me." "When this player shoots from the hip, it ain't with a Glock in a nightclub. Foxworth's passion for civil rights will inform his handling of the league's coming labor negotiations, in which he will participate as a member of the union's executive committee. "This is the Little Rock Nine," Foxworth said, pointing to an autographed print of the black students who in 1957 were blocked from attending a segregated school in Arkansas. "All this stuff is really powerful to me. It motivates me. Football and community work and just day to day. To not waste."

posted by tommytrump to culture at 10:46 AM - 10 comments

September 14, 2009

Ichiro breaks 108 year old record: With another 200 in the hit bank, Ichiro surpasses a Hall of Famer who has one of the more famous nicknames in baseball history, "Wee" Willie Keeler, who did it from 1894-1901 for the Brooklyn Dodgers franchise.

posted by BoKnows to baseball at 08:49 PM - 40 comments

Brian Urlacher Suffers Season-Ending Wrist Injury: Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher dislocated his right wrist in the first quarter of Sunday's season opener and will be out for the season. Urlacher is a six-time Pro Bowler and one of the team's captains.

posted by rcade to football at 03:49 PM - 20 comments

Adebayor Taunts Arsenal Fans, Nearly Sparks Riot: After scoring a goal for his new club Mancester City on Saturday, Emmanuel Adebayor ran the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of supporters for his old club, sparking a near-riot as fans surged down in response. A steward was knocked unconscious by an object thrown by angry Arsenal fans. "He's just a footballer for god's sake," John Nicholson writes on Football365. "Get a perspective."

posted by rcade to soccer at 11:18 AM - 13 comments

Kim Clijsters Wins US Open: For the past two years, Kim Clijsters thought it was more important to get married and have a baby than to play tennis. Now that she's won the U.S. Open as an unseeded player, defeating Caroline Wozniacki 7-5, 6-3, perhaps Clijsters has her priorities back in the right place.

posted by rcade to tennis at 12:01 AM - 38 comments

September 13, 2009

"They don't know Luol Deng is Barack Obama's favourite basketball player. They don't even know that he is British.": A great piece from the summer basketball camp Deng has hosted for the past five years, reflecting on his ability to inspire young Britons while remaining a relative unknown to the sporting press of his adopted home country.

posted by etagloh to basketball at 11:47 PM - 1 comment

Mayo: The Heir Apparent: After watching Mayo leap over a guard to tackle a running back a yard from scrimmage, Vrabel drew his own conclusions. "It's almost not normal to move like he does," Vrabel said. "Nobody runs like that. He looks like a free safety out there." An awesome piece of sportswriting by Jackie McMullan.

posted by Venicemenace to football at 09:45 PM - 10 comments

Serena Williams Loses U.S. Open Match for Threatening Line Judge: Serena Williams lost the U.S. Open quarterfinal to Kim Clijsters when she was penalized a point for threatening a line judge who called a foot fault. With the score 6-4, 6-5 and 15-30 in the 12th game of the second set, Williams double-faulted on a foot fault -- which appeared to be a bad call -- and then walked over to the judge and reportedly said, "I swear to God I'll fucking take this ball and shove it down your fucking throat! Do you hear me? I swear to God. You better be fucking glad that I'm not, I swear." After the line judge told the chair umpire what had been said, Williams was told about the penalty and responded, "I didn't say I would kill you." See the video and her post-match press conference. Here's another clip for lip readers and more details on who said what when. "Without a doubt, this penalty was warranted," wrote Tom Perrotta on Tennis.Com. Unfortunate quote by Williams afterward: "My idol is John McEnroe."

posted by rcade to tennis at 10:40 AM - 66 comments

September 12, 2009

Heatley traded to Sharks : The Ottawa Senators have thrown disgruntled winger Dany Heatley to the Sharks. San Jose gave up Milan Michalek, Jonathan Cheechoo and a second-round pick for Heatley. Ottawa, which confirmed the deal Saturday, threw in a fifth-round pick on its side of the deal. The trade — on the opening day of training camp — ends a festering dispute that has overshadowed the Sens in recent months.

posted by tommytrump to hockey at 03:17 PM - 4 comments

Former WWE Superstar faces felony drug charges.: Recently departed WWE Superstar Jeff Hardy was arrested on felony drug trafficking charges at his home in North Carolina. Hardy, who let his contract expire with the WWE and did not sign a new one, has a history of drug abuse and received two strikes against himself for violating the WWE's Wellness Policy instituted in 2007. Several people in the industry have been quick to defend Hardy including former WWE star Lance Storm.

posted by HATER 187 to other at 12:39 PM - 8 comments

Jordan's Night to Remember Turns Petty: Anyone expecting a thrilling, motivational, historic trip down memory lane from Michael Jordan's Hall of Fame induction speech instead listened to a bitter ex-star attempt to settle old scores.

posted by dyams to basketball at 08:38 AM - 50 comments

September 11, 2009

The Hoser's NFL Picks 2009, Week One: NFL picks that are already sick of the league's crappy overtime system.

posted by wfrazerjr to football at 11:18 PM - 12 comments

Boxing Promoter Bob Arum Slams Mixed Martial Arts: In an interview with AOL FanHouse, longtime boxing promoter Bob Arum responded to a question about a UFC bout by blasting the sport of mixed martial arts and its fans, calling them "a bunch of skinhead white guys watching people in the ring who also look like skinhead white guys." Arum dug himself deeper by adding, "For me, and people like me, it is not something they ever care to see. They've watched it. It's horrible. Guys rolling around like homosexuals on the ground. It is not a sport that shows great, great talent." Thems fightin' words.

posted by rcade to boxing at 10:25 PM - 24 comments

Raiders Sent Ultimatum to No-Show Richard Seymour: The Oakland Raiders have reportedly sent Richard Seymour a five-day letter, a move that causes him to faces a season-long suspension if he does not report to the team within that period. Seymour, who is eligible for free agency after this season unless he is suspended, has not reported since his trade from the New England Patriots for a first-round draft pick in 2011. "A person close to Seymour said Seymour is awaiting word from the Raiders on when he has to be in town, in uniform and on the practice field," the Boston Herald reported, a claim that's hard to believe.

posted by rcade to football at 09:05 AM - 33 comments

More Scandal for F1: Nelson Piquet was ordered to 'deliberately crash' his Renault at last year's Singapore Grand Prix, leaked transcripts reveal.

posted by owlhouse to auto racing at 01:52 AM - 4 comments

September 10, 2009

Source: Caster Semenya is a Hermaphrodite: Sex tests carried out on champion South African sprinter Caster Semenya show that she is a hermaphrodite with internal testes and no womb or ovaries, an unnamed source told The Times newspaper of London. One source who did go on the record, IAAF General Secretary Pierre Weiss, said, "It is clear that she is a woman but maybe not 100 percent." As many as 1 in 1,500 births is a person with "atypical genitalia" requiring a medical expert in sex differentiation, according to the Intersex Society of North America.

posted by rcade to olympics at 06:31 PM - 19 comments

Boxer Drinks Own Urine: As revealed by the HBO documentary series 24/7, Mexican boxer Juan Manuel Marquez ends every workout session by making his own energy drink. "That's where a lot of proteins and vitamins are," said Marquez, whose sponsors include Tecate. "Why not drink them again instead of wasting them?" Before you try this yourself to pee all you can pee, experts say it doesn't help.

posted by rcade to boxing at 06:24 PM - 16 comments

Pretty Boys No More: Boxers before and after their fights.

posted by justgary to boxing at 05:41 PM - 7 comments

Capello will allow Wags at the World Cup next summer, but only for one day at a time: "We are here to play, not for a holiday.", said the man who has orchestrated 8 consecutive World Cup qualifying wins for England.

posted by The_Special_Juan to football at 03:04 PM - 3 comments

Allen Iverson Signs with Memphis Grizzlies: The Memphis Grizzlies have signed veteran guard Allen Iverson to a one-year, $3.5 million contract, a slight drop in pay from the $21 million he earned last season. Career timelinefor the the four-time NBA scoring leader, expected to come off the bench in Memphis.

posted by rcade to basketball at 01:28 PM - 4 comments

September 09, 2009

Need Revenue? Sell Beer.: Memphis may have lost its football opener to Mississippi, but the city won big thanks to huge beer sales.

posted by BoKnows to football at 11:01 PM - 9 comments

CFL Pick 'Em, Week 11: A big shake-up at the top of our standings as the league returns to a four-game week. Shake up your dice and make your picks inside.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 09:45 PM - 24 comments

Nascar graduates from Dukes of Hazzard to Days of Our Lives: Or maybe that's As The Wheel Turns? It's a story ripped from the headlines, famous people, infamous drugs, and a mysterious murder by suicide... It's mayfield vs Mayfield.

posted by irunfromclones to auto racing at 06:50 PM - 4 comments

How Not to Write a Sports Column: Everybody has bad ideas. The trick is to forget them before you publish them in a newspaper.

posted by yerfatma to culture at 04:06 PM - 47 comments

The King turns 80: Long live The King.

posted by mjkredliner to golf at 02:35 PM - 5 comments

Ron Artest Reaches Out to Beer Thrower: Almost five years after "Malice at the Palace," Ron Artest reached out to long distance beer thrower John Green, the fan he charged into the stands to beat up during an Indiana Pacers-Detroit Pistons game. Artest got his number through friends on Twitter and called him at home. "It was like immediately we kinda vibed," said Artest.

posted by rcade to basketball at 11:37 AM - 6 comments

Novak Djokovic Impersonates John McEnroe at U.S. Open: After his fourth round victory at the U.S. Open, Novak Djokovic entertained the crowd with his impersonation of John McEnroe (see the video), which prompted McEnroe to come down from the broadcast booth and impersonate Djokovic as they played a few points. Two years ago, Djokovic did his versions of Maria Sharapova and Rafael Nadal.

posted by rcade to tennis at 11:15 AM - 8 comments

Embattled track star Caster Semenya gets new coach, new look: It's been a week of change for Caster Semenya, the South African runner at the center of a gender controversy at last month's world track championships.

posted by BornIcon to other at 08:38 AM - 5 comments

September 08, 2009

Carson Palmer: 'Somebody is Going to Die': "Guys are getting so big, so fast, so explosive. The game's so violent. Now that they're cutting out the wedge deal on kickoff returns, those guys [are] coming free, and at some point somebody is going to die in football. And I hope it's not anyone at this table, and I hope it doesn't happen, obviously. Everyone talks about the good old days, when guys were tough and quarterbacks got crushed all the time, but back in the day, there weren't defensive ends that were Mario Williams -- 6-7, 300 pounds, 10 percent body fat, running a 4.7 40." -- Cincinatti Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer

posted by rcade to football at 01:04 PM - 17 comments

Pittsburgh Pirates Set Record for Futility: While September is often a time for one final push in baseball, the Pittsburgh Pirates made their push in another direction, becoming the first team in the top four U.S. pro sports to have 17 straight losing seasons.

posted by Debo270 to baseball at 07:57 AM - 20 comments

Most Amazing Fantasy Hockey Opportunity Ever! SpoFi Puckathon V: Do to popular demand the Most Challenging of all Fantasy Hockey Leagues, SpoFi Puckathon is being reborn. This is a take no prisoners, it's all about winning Yahoo Rotisserie Scoring Format. No Gimmicks just straight up face the challenge of defeating SportsFilters Finest Fantasy Sport Players in the Sports Toughest format Roto Hockey! 20 Teams battle for the title. Winners Fly's the SpoFi Puckathon V Championship 2009 Banner!

No Rain Checks Accepted
Details Inside

posted by skydivedad to fantasy at 01:07 AM - 43 comments

September 07, 2009

Unheralded American Reaches U.S. Open Quarterfinals: Melanie Oudin, a 17-year-old from Georgia, continued her run of upsets at the U.S. Open, defeating 13th-seeded Nadia Petrova 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3. She's already defeated No. 4 seed Elena Dementieva and No. 29 Maria Sharapova, becoming the youngest American to reach the quarterfinals since Serena Williams 10 years ago.

posted by rcade to tennis at 06:31 PM - 9 comments

Patriots Trade Richard Seymour to Raiders: The New England Patriots have traded five-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Richard Seymour to the Oakland Raiders for a first-round pick in 2011.

posted by dfleming to football at 12:06 PM - 13 comments

September 06, 2009

Too dainty to hit : The GM Place crowd roared with approval when Canadian players Gillian Apps and Becky Kellar slammed opponents into the boards in the first period of their game against the United States on Wednesday. But the cheers turned suddenly to jeers after the referee's whistle, as the Canadians sulked to the penalty box. The Norwegian referee made the proper call in both instances, yet, to the crowd and to a small but growing number of critics inside the women's game, the penalties appeared to contravene the spirit of hockey. With the sport struggling to build a fan base, some insiders are beginning to ask whether the time has come for women's hockey to amend its rules and allow bodychecking. Many believe that allowing bodychecking would address the inconsistent officiating that plagues the women's game, and reduce the number of penalties. Canadian captain Hayley Wickenheiser, who has played in a men's professional league in Finland, says she "would love" to experiment with bodychecking, particularly in a game against the rival Americans.

posted by tommytrump to hockey at 11:41 PM - 4 comments

Shawne Merriman Accused of Choking Tila Tequila: San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman was arrested for allegedly choking Tila Tequila, star of the reality series A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila, when she attempted to leave his house at 3:45 a.m. Sunday.

posted by sgtcookzane to football at 01:28 PM - 19 comments

U.S. Defeats El Salvador 2-1 in World Cup Qualifier: In a match that was kinda sorta nearly a must-win, given the tough road games ahead, the U.S. soccer team defeated El Salvador 2-1 Saturday night in World Cup qualifying. Christian Castillo gave El Salvador the lead in the 32nd minute, but Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore responded with first-half goals. The team that falls to fourth place in this region might have to beat Argentina to reach South Africa.

posted by rcade to soccer at 12:21 AM - 5 comments

September 05, 2009

BYU Upsets Oklahoma After Sam Bradford Injures Shoulder: In the first college football game played under Telemanjaro at the new Cowboys Stadium, Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Sam Bradford suffered an injured right shoulder and his third-ranked team lost 14-13 to the BYU Cougars. The early diagnosis is a sprained AC joint that could cost him 2-4 weeks. "Sam Bradford: this is why you go pro," Mike Freeman writes at CBS Sports.

posted by rcade to football at 11:02 PM - 13 comments

Child's Skull Fractured by Foul Ball: A four-year-old boy was struck by a foul ball and suffered a fractured skull Wednesday at a Mahoning Valley [Ohio] Scrappers minor league game. Luke Holko, 4, was sitting with his family in the first row of the first base line, according to media reports, and is hospitalized in critical condition as doctors wait for his brain swelling to subside.

posted by rcade to baseball at 09:52 AM - 6 comments

September 04, 2009

Kenyan Runners Break Oldest World Record: Kenyan runners William Biwott, Gideon Gathimba, Geoffrey Rono and Augustine Choge set a time of 14 minutes 36.23 seconds in the 4x1500 meter relay Friday in Brussels, breaking the oldest official IAAF world record. The previous mark of 4:38.8 was set by West Germans in 1977. "The record earned every adult member of the crowd a free beer," writes David Powell. "No wonder they were cheering."

posted by rcade to olympics at 06:17 PM - 5 comments

Ernie Harwell Fighting Inoperable Cancer: Legendary Detroit Tigers announcer Ernie Harwell, 91, has an inoperable tumor in his bile duct and has been given a prognosis of one year to live. "Because I've lost weight, I can eat almost everything I wanted to," said Harwell, who has been upbeat in media interviews and credits his religious faith. "I've come back to my childhood with ice cream and all those good things."

posted by rcade to baseball at 10:00 AM - 7 comments

Oregon Player Flips Out After Boise State Game: College football began its season last night with teamwide handshakes at midfield to emphasize sportsmanship. Oregon tailback LeGarrette Blount ended his team's 16-8 loss to Boise State with a new tradition: the postgame sucker punch. After being taunted by Boise State player Byron Hout -- probably over pregame remarks that "we owe that team an ass-whuppin" -- Blount served him a fist sandwich, punched one of his own players and went after Boise State fans before being dragged off by police, security guards and coaches. See the video.

posted by rcade to football at 08:50 AM - 70 comments

September 03, 2009

NFL commissioner Goodell says Michael Vick is eligible to play in 3rd game of regular season: Goodell met with Vick for 45 minutes Thursday before announcing his decision. Vick, recently signed by the Eagles, played in last week's exhibition game and was expected to play against the New York Jets on Thursday night.

posted by BornIcon to football at 04:57 PM - 21 comments

Fisichella to Ferrari: At a time when Formula One always seems to be being dragged through the mud, usually by Max Mosley and the FIA, we finally have a great story. Italian Giancarlo Fisichella, who has always wanted to drive for the Prancing Horse, has his dream come true. Force India have released him to Ferrari after it was confirmed Felipe Massa will miss the rest of the season. The announcement of Fisichella going to Maranello comes on the back of his truly epic drive in the Belgian Grand Prix where he finished a mere second behind the man who will be his new teammate. The next race is the Italian Grand Prix. An Italian driver in a Ferrari. The Tifosi will be insane this year!

posted by Drood to auto racing at 03:09 PM - 11 comments

Spider-Man Scales Petronas Towers in Malaysia: French daredevil Alain Roberts has succeeded on his third attempt to scale the 1,483-foot Petronas Towers in Malaysia. On previous attempts in 1998 and 2007, security guards grabbed him on the sixtieth floor. Using just his hands and feet, Robert ascended the building in around two hours, standing atop the pinnacle in triumph.

posted by rcade to extreme at 02:05 PM - 3 comments

Coach's trial raises questions about heat deaths: After two-plus hours of practice in 94 degrees, 26 percent humidity weather, Pleasure Ridge Park football coach David Jason Stinson had seen enough of players "goofing off". The fix? Running 200 yard "gassers" until a player collapses and dies.

posted by irunfromclones to football at 01:40 PM - 5 comments

Redskins Sue Elderly Fan for Breaking Season Ticket Agreement: The Washington Redskins have sued a fan of more than four decades for breaking a 10-year commitment to buy season tickets after only one year because of financial hardship. Pat Hill, 73, lost a $66,364 default judgment after refusing to contest the suit on the grounds that not paying your debts is immoral. She's one of 125 season ticket holders sued by the team the last five years after asking to be released from multiyear contracts.

posted by rcade to football at 01:39 PM - 16 comments

Chelsea banned from making new signings: Until 2011. That's two transfer windows. As they're one of the older teams in the Premier League, what impact will this have on their position this season and next?

posted by trox to soccer at 10:58 AM - 16 comments

September 02, 2009

'We're really ecstatic': Roberto Luongo, Canucks agree to 12-year contract extension: An "ecstatic" Roberto Luongo has agreed to a 12-year contract extension through the 2021-22 National Hockey League season worth $64 million US with the Vancouver Canucks, saying he looks forward to the opportunity to bring a Stanley Cup title to the West Coast. The deal breaks down like this: in 2010-11, the first season of the extension, Luongo will earn $10 million. In 2011-12, he will make $6.716 million. From the 2012-13 to the 2017-18 seasons, he will earn $6.714 million each campaign. In 2018-19, Luongo will make $3.382 million, which will drop to $1.618 million in 2019-20. In the final two seasons of the contract -- the 2020-21 and 2021-22 campaigns -- he will earn $1 million each. For the Canucks, the annual salary cap hit will be $5.33 million.

posted by tommytrump to hockey at 06:17 PM - 10 comments

Ken Griffey Pranks Adrian 'Cupless in Seattle' Beltre: When Seattle Mariners infielder Adrian Beltre took an at-bat Tuesday -- his first since one of his testicles lost a fight with a ground ball -- his normal intro music was replaced. The PA system played "The Nutcracker Suite" instead (audio), a prank instigated by teammate Ken Griffey Jr.

posted by rcade to baseball at 06:13 PM - 4 comments

High School Football Star Saves 22 lives from Armed Student: Tuesday morning began just like any other morning for football star Kaleb Eulls. Eulls and his three younger sisters were among 22 passengers on a school bus bound for Yazoo County High School until a 14-year old female student boarded the bus armed with a .380 semi-automatic handgun threatening to shoot and ordering the bus driver to pull over.

posted by BornIcon to football at 02:37 PM - 11 comments

CFL Pick 'Em, Week 10: The bye weeks come to a merciful end. Sure, the games were OK, but nobody scored any points! We're back up to four games this week, so get out your multiplication tables and make your picks inside.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 02:16 PM - 23 comments

Toy Plane Takes Flight at Dodger Stadium: Legendary announcer Vin Scully is so good that I'd listen to him talk about a remote control toy plane flying around Dodger Stadium for five minutes until it struck a fence and was king konged by Augie Ojeda of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

posted by rcade to baseball at 01:26 PM - 12 comments

September 01, 2009

Finnish MMA Fighter Sports White Supremacist Tattoos: Finnish mixed martial arts fighter Toni Valtonen has tattoos of a Swastika and the words White Pride, Fanhouse blogger Michael David Smith noticed during a recent HDNet telecast of a Valtonen fight. "I had a crazy and rebellious youth, I made some faults in my past and I am not proud of these marks," said in a statement. "I regret that I ever had these tattoos made. Nowadays, I am a dedicated family man and professional athlete, and I am not involved in any politics whatsoever."

posted by rcade to boxing at 07:12 PM - 44 comments

Favre Flagged for Crackback Block Against Texans: In the third quarter of the Minnesota Vikings preseason game against the Houston Texans, quarterback Brett Favre was flagged 15 yards for an illegal crackback block on safety Eugene Wilson. See the video. Though his new teammates were excited to see him throwing an aggressive block, the ESPN announcing team and Wilson thought it was dirty. "What was up with that?" asked Wilson, who left with a knee injury that does not appear to be serious. "I'm being a little nicer than I probably would've been out there if I spoke to him."

posted by rcade to football at 06:44 PM - 19 comments

Four Letter Stress Relief: One of the more outstanding and often overlooked aspects of the sports viewing experience is the art of the curse word. A good use of a 4 letter word can relieve many a stresses, and when executed properly, always makes for some good old fashioned laughter. Some of our favorite sporting luminaries have become synonymous with their choice dialect, and so today, we salute and celebrate those sons of batches of cookies via everyone's online friend, Youtube. (NSFW)

posted by BoKnows to culture at 04:45 PM - 8 comments

Federer's Footwork: Artful and Efficient: Study, study, study.

posted by justgary to tennis at 03:30 PM - 4 comments

Pacman close to deal to play in CFL: 26 years old and already a "has been", Jones will head north in the hope that the CFL will have fewer restrictions on his night clubbing lifestyle.

posted by irunfromclones to football at 12:54 PM - 17 comments

Rubio inks deal to stay in Europe until 2011: The Wolves are out of a high draft pick after Ricky shuns them to play basketball outside of the NBA for two more seasons.

posted by sgtcookzane to basketball at 12:42 PM - 9 comments

Dodgers acquire Jim Thome and John Garland: It'll be old home week when Jim Thome joins Manny Ramirez on the Los Angeles Dodgers. Their reunion was set up when the Dodgers acquired the slugging first baseman from the Chicago White Sox on Monday night. Also joining the Dodgers' lineup is right-hander Jon Garland(notes), who came over from the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The deals were announced in the top of the eighth inning of the Dodgers-Diamondbacks game, with both trades completed before the midnight EDT deadline required for postseason eligibility.

posted by BornIcon to baseball at 09:47 AM - 6 comments