11/21/24
Archives for January 2010
January 31, 2010
Negro Leagues museum threatened : The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, a unique window into a vital chapter of American history that the late Buck O'Neil helped open 20 years ago, could be in trouble. Attendance and revenues are down, and a decision by new management to distance itself from O'Neil has splintered many of its most loyal supporters. What's more, the recession has cut deeply into donations. After posting its first loss two years ago of about US$30,000, the museum is looking at what one staffer termed “a monster loss” that could approach a quarter of a million dollars when the final accounting for 2009 is complete.
posted by tommytrump to culture at 07:24 PM - 13 comments
More people watched last year's Champions League final than last year's Super Bowl: The Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester United last May drew an audience of 109 million. February's Super Bowl between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals attracted three million less. Formula 1's season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was in third place with an average of 54 million.
posted by JButton to football at 06:31 PM - 11 comments
Calgary Flames deal Dion Phaneuf to Leafs : The Toronto Maple Leafs pulled off a seven-player trade with the Calgary Flames. Toronto landed star defenceman Dion Phaneuf. The Leafs sent forwards Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman and Jamal Mayers and defenceman Ian White to the Flames for Phaneuf, forward Fredrik Sjostrom and defenceman Keith Aulie. Leaf G.M. Brian Burke said he hopes to announce a second trade shortly. Also, he said his salary-cap situation will be "manageable" if the second deal goes through. The Leafs are near the NHL cap of $56.8-million. "Right now it's like a new pair of underwear, it's uncomfortably tight."
In the Toronto Maple Leafs second (but not sloppy) trade of the day, they have aquired Jean-Sebastien Giguere, the Anaheim Ducks' all-time winningest goalie . The Ducks will receive goalie Vesa Toskala and winger Jason Blake in return.
posted by tommytrump to hockey at 12:43 PM - 14 comments
Star Search: The Tulsa World takes a look at geographical recruiting trends among FBS programs. Infographical geo-porn ahoy.
posted by Ufez Jones to football at 11:19 AM - 5 comments
SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 14 comments
January 30, 2010
BCS under scrutiny from Capitol Hill: The Obama administration is considering several steps that would review the legality of the controversial Bowl Championship Series, the Justice Department said in a letter Friday to a senator who had asked for an antitrust review.
posted by FonGu to football at 07:36 AM - 18 comments
SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 9 comments
January 29, 2010
Kurt Warner Announces Retirement: Less than two weeks after the Arizona Cardinals' season-ending playoff loss to the New Orleans Saints, Kurt Warner announced his retirement from football with a year left on a $23 million, two-year contract. Warner, now 38, only started his first NFL game 10 years ago -- leaving behind a fruitful career as a grocery store stocker in Iowa. He finishes with 32,344 yards passing, 208 touchdowns, the second-most 300-yard passing games and a victory over the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl 0x22.
posted by rcade to football at 04:29 PM - 26 comments
Former Terrapin Men's Basketball Coach Millikan Dies: Before the success of Gary Williams, and the shame of Lefty Driesell, there was Bud Millikan. RIP.
posted by scully to basketball at 09:25 AM - 4 comments
SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 13 comments
January 28, 2010
LeBron James Called for Suspiciously Low Number of Fouls: LeBron James is averaging 1.8 fouls per game, significantly lower than the 2.7 of the other scorers in the NBA's top 10 in that category and unbelievably low for a player who guards big men inside. Blogger Zachariah Blott does the math: "The likelihood of LeBron's foul counts occurring with his minutes is less than one in a million. ... The numbers all come out so ridiculous, it's undeniable that either a) we're witnessing a defensive talent more capable than Bill Russell, or b) the NBA/referees are blatantly protecting him."
posted by rcade to basketball at 09:33 PM - 18 comments
SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 20 comments
January 27, 2010
Arenas, Crittenton suspended for rest of season: The NBA takes a Stern stand on throwdowns in the workplace.
posted by irunfromclones to basketball at 05:01 PM - 28 comments
Weir-d?: US Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir has been taking some heat about his inclusion of fox fur on his most recent costume. Both PETA and Friends of Animals have criticized the skater and his designer for the use of the fur. The FoA sent this open letter to Weir. His response: "Every skater is wearing skates made out of cow. Maybe I'm wearing a cute little fox while everyone else is wearing cow, but we're all still wearing animals."
posted by BoKnows to olympics at 04:00 PM - 14 comments
Bode Knows....Tennis?: After the Olympics, world champion skier Bode Miller plans on scaling a different kind of mountain: He wants to try and play in the U.S. Open tennis tournament.
posted by BoKnows to tennis at 01:00 PM - 11 comments
Greg Oden Apologizes for Nude Photos: Portland Trail Blazers center Greg Oden has publicly apologized after nude photos of him popped up on the web. "I would like to apologize to everybody: Portland, the fans, the organization," Oden told reporters. "It was very embarrassing." The nude photos (NSFW), published on WorldStarHipHop, are cell phone self-portraits of Oden displaying why he can never wear John Stockton shorts.
posted by rcade to basketball at 11:27 AM - 24 comments
Hope You're Not Waiting on Paul Shirley's Next ESPN Post: Shirley (previous SpoFi post) won't be blogging for ESPN anymore after expressing his . . . different take on the Haiti relief effort.
posted by yerfatma to basketball at 10:29 AM - 29 comments
SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 10 comments
January 26, 2010
Prank Goes Awry: The girls' basketball coach at NorthWest High School in Olathe, Kansas was told that if he hit a half court, blindfolded shot he would earn tickets to this year's Final Four. The student body however, had plans of their own. They were instructed to cheer wildly after the coach inevitably missed the near impossible shot, giving the coach false hopes of March Madness. There was one problem though, he made it. Oh, and the students never actually had the tickets, so instead he was given a gift card to a Mexican restaurant.
posted by BoKnows to basketball at 09:51 PM - 13 comments
SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 18 comments
January 25, 2010
NBC Expects to Lose $250 Million on Olympics: For the first time ever, NBC will be losing money broadcasting the Olympics. The owner of the TV network, General Electric, said Friday that it expects to lose $250 million broadcasting the games next month. "It's an expensive property that they are selling in a tough economy," said Paul Swangard of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center. The network paid $820 million for the rights to broadcast the games, more than $200 million higher than it did on the 2006 Winter Olympics.
posted by rcade to olympics at 11:17 AM - 19 comments
SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 6 comments
January 24, 2010
NFL Playoff Pick 'em - ProBowl Round: TZelda nails another monster round to keep a hold of the lead with THX-1138 and littleLebowski rounding out the podium. Make your ProBowl Picks inside.
posted by apoch to fantasy at 11:46 PM - 26 comments
New Orleans Saints Defeat the Minnesota Vikings to Advance to the Super Bowl: The Saints kick a 40-yard field goal in overtime to win 31-28.
posted by kirkaracha to football at 10:29 PM - 90 comments
Colts Put Emphatic End to Jets’ Surprising Run : The New York Jets’ fairy-tale season ended Sunday in the American Football Conference championship game, finished not so much by bad bounces, or poor play, but by an elite quarterback named Peyton Manning playing near his peak. He threw three touchdown passes in the Colts’ 30-17 victory at the loud, full Lucas Oil Stadium, blanketed in blue. The Indianapolis Colts advanced to the Super Bowl, held two weeks from now in Miami Gardens, Fla., against Minnesota or New Orleans. The Jets, who finished the regular season 9-7 and sneaked into these playoffs, are now 41 seasons removed from their last Super Bowl appearance.
posted by tommytrump to football at 06:31 PM - 30 comments
SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 10 comments
January 23, 2010
Oakland A's Phenom Quits to Join Priesthood: Oakland Athletics outfielder prospect Grant Desme, the MVP in last year's Arizona Fall League with 31 home runs and 40 steals and the only player in minor league ball to have at least 30 home runs and steals last year, is leaving baseball to join the priesthood. "God was good to me; I had a better year than I could have imagined," he said. "But the more I prayed, the more I confirmed my desire." The A's gave Desme a $432,000 signing bonus after drafting him in the second round two years ago.
posted by rcade to baseball at 06:24 PM - 10 comments
SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 5 comments
January 22, 2010
Blind skier included in strong Canadian team: Brian McKeever became the first athlete to gain selection for a Winter Olympics and a Paralympics in the same year when he was included in a strong Canadian cross country team for next month's Vancouver Games. McKeever, who suffers from Stargardt's disease and is legally blind, effectively booked his place on the 11-member squad by winning an able-bodied 50-km race in Canmore, Alberta last month.
posted by tommytrump to olympics at 06:52 PM - 1 comment
Prince Records Fight Song for Minnesota Vikings: His purple majesty Prince, after attending last weekend's narrow victory by the Minnesota Vikings over the Dallas Cowboys, has released "Purple and Gold," a new fight song for the team. Sample lyric: "r history -- that's y we must b/4ever strong as the wind that blows the Vikings' horn." Hear the full song.
posted by rcade to football at 01:04 PM - 26 comments
SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 23 comments
January 21, 2010
NCAA May Expand March Madness to 96 Teams: The NCAA is considering a plan to expand the basketball tournament from 65 to 96 teams, giving the top 32 teams a first-round bye and lengthening the tournament by a week. "This is the worst idea in the history of ideas," writes Tracee Hamilton. One proponent of the idea is Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. "I think it would upgrade everything," he said. "You still have your conference tournaments, and if you win that, you're in."
posted by rcade to basketball at 10:06 AM - 24 comments
SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 12 comments
January 20, 2010
7-foot hoops nomad finds home: I thought we could use a change of pace from the athletes behaving badly stories. Homeless, hungry, without parents or family, with one pair of shoes, a couple pairs of shorts, and a few old t-shirts to his name, a young man struggles to play his game.
posted by irunfromclones to basketball at 07:39 PM - 5 comments
New Basketball League Only Allows White Players: A new basketball league, the All-American Basketball Alliance, is starting up in the U.S. with hopes of establishing teams in Augusta, Ga., and 11 other cities across the south. The league is open only to "players that are natural born United States citizens with both parents of Caucasian race." Commissioner Don "Moose" Lewis asked, "Would you want to go to the game and worry about a player flipping you off or attacking you in the stands or grabbing their crotch?" In another interview, Lewis cites Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash as players who exemplify the kind of play he's seeking. Neither the German nor the Canadian could play in his league.
posted by rcade to basketball at 06:07 PM - 60 comments
YouTube to show live cricket: Indian Premier League cricket games will be streamed live on YouTube in every country except the US.
posted by JJ to other at 10:55 AM - 8 comments
SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 22 comments
Bill McLaren, the voice of rugby, dies at 86: Over a career in broadcasting that began on radio in the 1950s and ended with his retirement from television in 2002, his commentary defined rugby union for players and followers alike. The BBC has collected some of the highlights of his career, while YouTube provides a broad sampling of McLaren's work, including a classic 1999 Five Nations match between England and Wales, and the sheer magic of Gareth Edwards from 1972.
posted by etagloh to other at 12:42 AM - 3 comments
January 19, 2010
America Bowl: U.S. Presidents vs. Super Bowls: "44 Presidents. 44 Super Bowls. Finally they battle head-to-head." For example, Abraham Lincoln vs. Super Bowl XVI: "Super Bowl XVI was pretty good. President 16 was pretty great. With malice toward none -- and in this we include the Bengals -- it's Abraham Lincoln in a walkover."
posted by kirkaracha to football at 02:07 PM - 6 comments
Junior Team Canada captain suspended after head hit, faces possible criminal charges: Team Canada (U20) captain Patrice Cormier has been suspended indefinitely by the Quebec junior hockey league after a vicious head-hunting elbow left one of his opponents writhing on the ice. Cormier, a centre who belongs to the New Jersey Devils organization, captained the Canadian squad at the recent World Junior Championships. Now he faces a criminal investigation by Sret de Qubec. Some reports have suggested that it was hall of fame goalkeeper Patrick Roy, coach of the Quebec Remparts, who phoned the police. Cormier came off the bench and made a beeline for Tam, who was skating through the neutral zone after dishing off the puck. In full flight, the 19-year-old Cormier clipped Tam in the head with an elbow. Tam crumpled at centre ice. Within seconds, he was convulsing. (Video of incident is linked in article.)
posted by tommytrump to hockey at 02:00 PM - 20 comments
SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 19 comments
January 18, 2010
Report: Gailey expected to be named Bills head coach: PFT is reporting that the Buffalo Bills are set to name Chan Gailey as their next head coach, this according to Fox's Jay Glazer.
posted by cletus7777 to football at 07:15 PM - 9 comments
Jay Paterno: Coaches Have Lost Touch with Our Mission: "As a professional lifer in college coaching I am unhappy about the current state of my profession," writes Jay Paterno, the quarterbacks coach for Penn State under his father Joe. "This profession has lost touch with the reality of the world around us, and some coaches have lost touch with what the mission of our profession should be. ... As coaches we can complain about the hair trigger firing of administrators, but the more we skip town, and the more we bail on the student-athletes the more we should realize that we are adding to our own problems."
posted by rcade to football at 06:51 PM - 11 comments
FIFA Won't Punish Thierry Henry for Handball: Thierry Henry will not be punished for his handball in France's World Cup finals victory over the Republic of Ireland, FIFA has decided. "Handling the ball cannot be regarded as a serious infringement as stipulated in the FIFA disciplinary code," the group announced in a statement after an investigation. Although rules or goal-line officiating changes were considered as well, those won't occur for this year's event.
posted by rcade to soccer at 02:30 PM - 2 comments
Lifetime ban from Dominican Winter baseball for Offerman: Jose Offerman was suspended for life from Dominican Winter League baseball for throwing a punch at American umpire Daniel Rayburn while arguing balls and strikes during a game on Saturday. In a related story, Rayburn and three other American umpires working the league resigned and left the country, fearing for their safety.
posted by NerfballPro to baseball at 01:36 PM - 5 comments
NFL Championship Round Playoff Pick 'Em: After 3 blow outs and one close game, Yzelda jumps into the lead with an astonishing 8 point week.
posted by apoch to fantasy at 11:52 AM - 30 comments
SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 4 comments
January 17, 2010
Jets Advance to A.F.C. Title Game : Discounted yet again, regarded by some as the weakest team remaining in these N.F.L. playoffs, the Jets traveled across the country and delivered the most surprising upset of this season. On a playoff weekend when every top seed advanced in the three games before this one, the Jets pulled the only upset, one sure to place the spotlight on Norv Turner, the Chargers coach with the underwhelming playoff record. The Jets? They get a rematch with Indianapolis, the team that started the chain of events that allowed the Jets to end up here. It was the Colts who pulled their starters in the second-to-last game of the regular season. The Jets won that game and two games against the Bengals and this game against the favored Chargers.
posted by tommytrump to football at 09:06 PM - 28 comments
Favre, Viking defense rough up Romo, Cowboys 34-3: This is why Brett Favre said he was coming back. And back he is — maybe better than ever. Four — count 'em, four — touchdown passes from Minnesota's 40-year-old quarterback put the Vikings within a game of the Super Bowl with a 34-3 rout of the Dallas Cowboys to advance to the NFC championship Sunday.
posted by dviking to football at 04:53 PM - 121 comments
Chicago Bears DE Gaines Adams dies at age 26: The Bears defender, a former Clemson star acquired by the team for a second-round pick in October, died in South Carolina after being rushed to the hospital.
posted by fadetoblack5 to football at 12:02 PM - 8 comments
Thunder in the Dome as Saints Advance to N.F.C. Title Game : To motivate his Saints against the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday, New Orleans Coach Sean Payton gave them baseball bats marked with the words “bring the wood.” Running back Reggie Bush did the coach one better when the Saints took the field before the roaring throng at the Superdome. Bush ran at the front of the pack and brandished his bat like some sort of Olympic torch. “He didn’t know I was going to bring it out,” Bush said. “That was on my own.” Bush followed through. He scored two dramatic touchdowns and gained 217 yards through rushes, pass receptions and punt returns as the Saints crushed the Cardinals, 45-14.
posted by tommytrump to football at 10:05 AM - 4 comments
Well-Rested Manning Leads Colts Past Ravens : The Indianapolis Colts probably will not hold up Saturday night’s game as a monument to avoiding rust during a playoff bye week, considering that Ed Reed improbably intercepted Peyton Manning twice on the same third-quarter drive. But after nearly a month at the center of the debate about whether teams should rest their starters in meaningless games — and whether their own history of shaky playoff performances suggested they made the wrong choice — the Colts provided the answer: this time, it worked for them, 20-3 over the Ravens.
posted by tommytrump to football at 10:00 AM - 7 comments
SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 4 comments
January 16, 2010
Canucks Fan Points Laser at Opposing Goalie: A fan pointed a laser at Calgary Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff during a recent road game against the Vancouver Canucks, video of the game proved. The fan was sitting near the bench aiming a green laser, which can damage eyesight. Kiprusoff said it didn't directly shine in his eyes. "I always close my eyes when they shoot anyway," he said.
posted by rcade to hockey at 12:09 PM - 7 comments
SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 13 comments
January 15, 2010
Calculating Charlie Brown's Wins, Losses, & Other Stats: The 1950s was a tough decade for Charley Brown's team; the 1960s not much better: On April 10, the team loses its first game of the season 123-0. Afterwards, the entire team goes home to cry. In a Sunday strip on July 23, Lucy drops the ball and gets chewed out by Charlie Brown. In the first panel of the strip - the so-called "throwaway panels" because they aren't published in every newspaper - Linus mentions "If she catches it, we win the game!" We therefore have to consider this a lost game, even if the focus of the strip isn't on it.
posted by justgary to baseball at 04:11 PM - 4 comments
The Dirtiest Player: Say this for Marvin Harrison: He tried to be his own person. He succeeded on a level that most of us can only dream of reaching. But he either never realized or flat-out denied the destabilizing effect of his presence in a poor and desperate part of the city. Much as he insisted that he was a normal working person like any other, he was never going to be seen that way. He was always going to be a target for the hopes, resentments, and ambitions of other people, a reality that rippled and swirled around him in unpredictable ways. And the proof is still there, scattered across the city, for anyone who cares enough to look.
posted by justgary to football at 04:03 PM - 6 comments
NFL Football: 11 Minutes of Action, 60 Minutes of Commercials: "The average amount of time the ball is in play on the field during an NFL game is about 11 minutes," the Wall Street Journal reported today. By comparison, a game broadcast contains 60 minutes of commercials and 75 minutes of players standing around, huddling or preparing for a snap. "Football -- at least the American version -- is the rare sport where it's common for the clock to run for long periods of time while nothing is happening."
posted by rcade to football at 03:26 PM - 24 comments
The Hoser's NFL Playoff Picks 2009, Week Two: NFL picks that think you got a purty mouth.
posted by wfrazerjr to football at 03:20 PM - 8 comments
Putting a cap on Reebok's NFL monopoly?: The Supreme Court is hearing a case charging the NFL with giving Reebok a monopoly when it comes to licensed merchandise. If the NFL loses, the decision could have far-reaching implications for both professional and collegiate sports.
posted by wfrazerjr to football at 01:24 PM - 3 comments
Southern Indiana Basketball Player Dies from Game Injury: Jeron Lewis, a 21-year-old center for the University of Southern Indiana, died Thursday night, possibly from a head injury suffered during a game against Kentucky Wesleyan College. While playing defense after a rebound, Lewis tripped after his feet became tangled and he hit his head, according to one account. Another suggested that he collapsed. He died later at a hospital. Lewis led the state in rebounding as a high school senior and recently celebrated the birth of his first child. More details from the Evansville Courier & Press.
posted by rcade to basketball at 11:09 AM - 2 comments
SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 7 comments
January 14, 2010
Bettis: Bill Cowher "Holding Out" for Giants Head Coaching Gig: In an interview with Chris "Mad Dog" Russo on Sirius XM, Jerome Bettis let the cat out of the bag, saying that Bill Cowher is holding out for the NY Giants head coaching job, and will stay at CBS until said job becomes available. So, do we believe Bettis, or is he just blowing smoke?
posted by cletus7777 to football at 11:36 PM - 8 comments
Beltran Has Knee Surgery without Mets' OK: The New York Mets have a bone to pick with outfielder Carlos Beltran after he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Wednesday. The procedure, which will cause him to miss 12 weeks and perhaps the start of the season, was performed without the team's involvement in the decision.
posted by rcade to baseball at 12:21 PM - 5 comments
SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 15 comments
January 13, 2010
SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 18 comments
January 12, 2010
Referee controversy ripples around NHL: Vancouver Canucks forward Alex Burrows told reporters referee Stephane Auger made calls against him in the Canucks' 3-2 loss to the Nashville Predators on Monday to settle a personal score over an incident between the two earlier this season. "It was personal. It started in warm-up before the anthem. The ref came over to me and said I made him look bad on the Smithson hit. The Canucks winger said Auger told him before the game that he would exact personal revenge for Burrows showing him up in a game earlier this season. Burrows was referring to a five-minute charging penalty Auger assessed Nashville's Jerred Smithson on Dec. 8. He said he was going to get me back tonight and he did his job in the third. Burrows was assessed three minor penalties, including one for diving, and a 10-minute misconduct for squawking at Auger with less than four seconds remaining.
posted by tommytrump to hockey at 10:06 PM - 39 comments
Kiffin leaves Tennessee for USC: Tennessee's Lane Kiffin has agreed in principle to become the next head coach at Southern California. He never liked orange anyway.
posted by irunfromclones to football at 09:10 PM - 43 comments
"How the Glazer family have milked debt-ridden United for millions": In an attempt to make their countrymen feel better about sleazy sports team accounting in the US, the Glazer family (owners of the Tampa Bay Bucs) financed their purchase of Manchester United with a mountain of debt at a rate you'd refuse from your credit card provider. And then they started paying (and loaning) money out to themselves.
posted by yerfatma to soccer at 03:42 PM - 22 comments
NFL Division Round Pick 'em: Three out of Four losing teams could only score two touchdowns, but littleLebowski nails the Cards by 6 to leap out of the starting gate.
posted by apoch to fantasy at 09:34 AM - 40 comments
SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 21 comments
January 11, 2010
Sports Greatest Innovations: The top ten inventions that changed sport forever.
posted by owlhouse to general at 06:39 PM - 23 comments
Greg Maddux Named Special Assistant To Cubs GM, Jim Hendry: Maddux’ responsibilities will include assisting the coaching staffs at major league and minor league spring training, assisting in the development of Cubs minor leaguers during the regular season and assisting Hendry and the baseball operations department in talent evaluation.
posted by ursus_comiter to baseball at 06:06 PM - 12 comments
McGwire Admits Using Steroids: Mark McGwire admitted today in a statement to AP that he was on steroids when he broke the home run record: "I wish I had never touched steroids. It was foolish and it was a mistake. I truly apologize. Looking back, I wish I had never played during the steroid era."
posted by tselson to baseball at 03:16 PM - 165 comments
Texas Rangers Sign Vladimir Guerrero: Vladimir Guerrero is joining the Texas Rangers, signing a one-year deal with an option for a second. Guerrero, 35, is an eight-time all star whose .321 is the fifth-highest career batting average among active players. Among visiting players with at least 50 games in the Rangers Ballpark, Guerrero has the highest average and slugging percentage and once hit there in 24 straight games.
posted by rcade to baseball at 02:54 PM - 7 comments
Neurosurgeon: Ali Never Should Have Fought Holmes: Here's an unexpected place to find sports commentary -- the weblog of the Columbia University Medical Center's Department of Neurological Surgery. "In October of 1980 Muhammad Ali came out of retirement to fight Larry Holmes in an attempt to win an unprecedented fourth World Heavyweight Boxing Championship," begins a blog entry posted this morning. "The fight lasted ten rounds though it was clear after the first couple that Ali was going down. At one point in anguish, commentator Howard Cosell says, 'this has got to end.' What we know now is that this fight was even more unfair than they knew; Ali had Parkinson's Disease."
posted by rcade to boxing at 10:45 AM - 19 comments
SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 11 comments
Jets beat Bengals for second time in two weeks.: Advance to face the Chargers.
posted by Joey Michaels to football at 03:07 AM - 11 comments
January 10, 2010
Cardinals win epic battle with Packers to advance: Arizona cornerback Michael Adams, scorched and penalized all day, waited until the final play to, well, finally make a play. He sacked Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers in overtime. The ball bounced off Rodgers' foot and into the hands of linebacker Karlos Dansby, who returned it 16 yards to a score to give the Cardinals a 51-45 victory over the Packers in the first round of the playoffs at University of Phoenix Stadium. It was the highest scoring game in NFL playoff history. The Packers scored touchdowns on all five of their second-half possessions to overcome a 21-point deficit, and tied the game with 1:52 left.
posted by tommytrump to football at 09:28 PM - 33 comments
Kansas State’s Frank Martin apologizes for striking player: Caught up in the heat of a tight road game, Martin hit senior Chris Merriewether on the arm. Guess Martin doesn't read the news much.
posted by irunfromclones to basketball at 06:54 PM - 7 comments
Ravens start fast, finish strong in first-round win: After beating the most successful franchise of the 2000s (the Patriots won three titles), the Baltimore Ravens advance to play at the winningest team of the decade, the top-seeded Indianapolis Colts.
posted by tommytrump to football at 04:20 PM - 29 comments
Is the rise of the super-athlete ruining sport?: From Usain Bolt to Rafa Nadal, top sports stars are fitter, faster and stronger than ever. But how long will it be before the pursuit of perfection takes all the drama out of sport?
posted by rumple to general at 03:41 PM - 4 comments
KHL Brawl clears benches, ends game after 4 minutes. : The Kontinental Hockey League may be taking the NHL's bottom-tier and overage players for the most part, but one thing they've provided to the hockey world in their two seasons of existence is plenty of YouTube-worthy brawls. Just over a week ago Barys Astana and SKA St. Petersburg had a brawl that featured former NHL'ers Sergei Zubov, Oleg Saprykin, Kevin Dallman, Robert Esche, and even a goalie-on-defenseman scrap. Sovetsky Sport writer Genadi Boguslavski tweeted out details of today's punch-up that featured Vityaz Chekhov and Avangard Omsk. It didn't take long for things to go from a line-brawl to the bench-clearing variety. This first video features Jaromir Jagr in a bit of a tussle and apparently trying out some new Greco-Roman wrestling moves.
posted by tommytrump to hockey at 10:41 AM - 7 comments
SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 15 comments
Dallas Cowboys Win Playoff Game: With their second dominating win over the visiting Philadelphia Eagles in six days, the Dallas Cowboys won their first playoff game since 1996 with a 34-14 victory Saturday night. They advance to play Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings on the road next week. Quarterback Tony Romo threw for 244 yards and 2 touchdowns and Felix Jones ran a 73-yard touchdown that helped put the game out of reach.
posted by rcade to football at 12:02 AM - 13 comments
January 09, 2010
Marshawn Lynch accused of stealing $20 from woman: Weapons possession; running over a woman in a hit and run in downtown Buffalo; now this. Marshawn Lynch follows up his horrible season on the football field with probably the most embarrassing of his off-the-field antics.
posted by dyams to football at 02:40 PM - 9 comments
Peyton Manning wins 4th MVP award: Peyton Manning became the first player to win The Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player honors four times. The Indianapolis Colts' sensational quarterback romped to the award Saturday in balloting by 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the league
posted by dviking to football at 12:48 PM - 15 comments
SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 3 comments
January 08, 2010
Seahawks Fire Jim Mora, Hire Pete Carroll: The Seattle Seahawks jumped onto a slowly spinning coaching carousel Friday, firing Jim Mora after just one injury-riddled season. But the Seahawks' next move might be an even bigger surprise. They are hiring Pete Carroll, several NFL sources told ESPN.
posted by irunfromclones to football at 06:02 PM - 16 comments
The Hoser's NFL Playoff Picks 2009, Week One: NFL picks that still wonder how sour cream can go bad.
posted by wfrazerjr to football at 03:21 PM - 3 comments
Togo team bus attacked in Angola before African Cup : Gunmen opened fire Friday on the bus carrying the Togo national football team in Angola, reportedly wounding several players ahead of the African Cup of Nations. “We were machine-gunned like dogs,” Togo player Thomas Dossevi, who plays for French club Nantes, told Radio Monte Carlo. “They were armed to the teeth ... We spent 20 minutes underneath the seats of the bus.” RMC reported that 3 players were seriously injured in the attack — Serge Gakpe, who plays for Monaco, Serge Akakpo of Romanian club Vaslui and Kodjovi Obilale of French lower league team Pontivy. The team’s top player, Emmanuel Adebayor, was not hurt, according to his club Manchester City.
posted by tommytrump to soccer at 01:50 PM - 6 comments
USF has fired Jim Leavitt: The final chapter of a story that had many twists and turns, and about which there may not yet be a full accounting.
posted by beaverboard to football at 11:36 AM - 7 comments
SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 9 comments
Alabama Rolls to BCS Title Over Texas: After a shoulder injury sidelined Texas Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy early in the first quarter, the Alabama Crimson Tide took a 24-6 halftime lead en route to a 37-21 victory in the BCS National Championship game at the Rose Bowl. Alabama won its first championship in 17 years and eighth overall. Coach Nick Saban won his second, the first with LSU.
posted by rcade to football at 12:35 AM - 32 comments
January 07, 2010
Washington Hires Mike Shanahan as Coach: Mike Shanahan has been hired as Washington's head coach after one year away from the game. Shanahan's record is 244-146 as coach of the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos with two Super Bowl wins. The seventh head coach since Daniel Snyder bought the team in 1999 has been told by former coach Joe Gibbs that Snyder "will not interfere at all."
posted by rcade to football at 01:24 PM - 19 comments
SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 9 comments
January 06, 2010
Texas High School Beats Opponent 170-35: In Houston, Yates High School beat Lee High School 170-35 Tuesday night, setting the state's single-game scoring record. Yates, the defending Texas Class 4A state champion and one of the top-ranked high school teams in the U.S., was up 100-12 at halftime and continued to run the full-court press the whole game, putting in second- and third-stringers. "I don't understand why Yates just kept scoring and pressing when they were up so much," said Lee coach Jacques Armant. "These are kids. It isn't good to do that to other young men." Tempers flared in the third period and sparked a bench-clearing brawl.
posted by rcade to basketball at 07:44 PM - 38 comments
Gilbert Arenas suspended indefinitely.: Stern, not impressed by Arenas' gun play, busts out the banhammer.
posted by tron7 to basketball at 05:52 PM - 9 comments
Andre Dawson Elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame: Chicago Cubs outfielder Andre Dawson is in a class by himself. He was elected today to baseball's Hall of Fame with 77.9 percent of the vote. No other players received the 75 percent necessary for induction. This was the ninth time on the ballot for Dawson, one of the only three members in baseball's 400 homer, 300 stolen base club. Pitcher Bert Blyleven was just a bit outside with 74.2 percent while second baseman Roberto Alomar was within spitting distance at 73.7 percent.
posted by rcade to baseball at 03:29 PM - 22 comments
WR/KR Harvin is top offensive rookie: The Little Phenom is the NFL's top offensive rookie. Percy Harvin used his versatility and intelligence to win The Associated Press 2009 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
posted by jjohn24680 to football at 10:48 AM - 5 comments
SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 23 comments
Streak Spoilers: USA spoils Canada's bid for 6 straight WJHC titles with an overtime win.
posted by Spitztengle to hockey at 12:22 AM - 15 comments
January 05, 2010
The Big Unit is retiring.: With a 303-166 record, 4,785 strikeouts, and five Cy Young Awards he should be a first-ballot HOF lock.
posted by mr_crash_davis to baseball at 10:49 PM - 13 comments
Holliday remains a Cardinal: Matt Holliday signs a 7-year, $120 million, full no-trade deal with the St. Louis Cardinals. Holliday was instrumental in the Cards' run to the postseason last year.
posted by boredom_08 to baseball at 07:01 PM - 35 comments
The Fetishisation of Speed: Or Why Television Is Changing Football Part 85. Some thoughts from two of the game's greatests philosophers - Arrigo Sacchi and Jorge Valdano.
posted by owlhouse to soccer at 04:47 PM - 3 comments
ESPN Launching First 3D Sports Channel: On June 11, the World Cup opening match between Mexico and South Africa will be the first event broadcast on ESPN 3D, a new 3-D channel that will air at least 85 events during its first year -- including 25 World Cup matches, the 2011 BCS National Championship Game, college basketball and football, and the Summer X Games. Viewers will require glasses, a 3-D ready television and possibly another set-top box. An EnGadget item from October offers more details on 3-D TV.
posted by rcade to general at 11:34 AM - 10 comments
SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 18 comments
January 04, 2010
A World Cup 2010 Google Calendar: So you can be ready. Or so your family and friends can be alerted to the vast swaths of time during which you'll be unavailable this summer.
posted by rabi to soccer at 12:23 PM - 11 comments
Washington Fires Head Coach Jim Zorn: Jim Zorn has been fired as Washington's head coach after two years with the team. Zorn's record was 8-8 last season and 4-12 this time around, despite what was regarded as an easy schedule. The next coach will be the seventh since Daniel Snyder bought the team in 1999.
posted by rcade to football at 10:08 AM - 13 comments
A Solution to the Late Season Lay Down?: NBC Sports Morning Aftermath proposes a solution to the problem of meaningless late-season games.
posted by scully to football at 09:29 AM - 22 comments
SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 23 comments
NFL Wild Card Weekend Pick 'em: Worst division winners vs the best of the rest. Make your picks inside
posted by apoch to fantasy at 05:07 AM - 35 comments
January 03, 2010
Wes Welker Tears ACL, MCL in Patriots' Finale: New England Patriots receiver Wes Welker tore both his anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in his left knee in Sunday's game against the Houston Texans, a source "close to the situation" told ESPN. Welker's injury occurred as he caught a pass on the Pats' first possession. He finishes the season with a league-leading 122 catches and 1,336 yards and could take 6-12 months to return.
posted by rcade to football at 08:34 PM - 35 comments
Leeds United Knocks Manchester United Out of FA Cup: In a stunning 1-0 upset, League One club Leeds United defeated Manchester United Sunday, the first third-round ouster and lower-division loss in Sir Alex Ferguson's 23 years as coach. Jermaine Beckford scored the only goal in the 19th minute for Leeds, a perennial top-flight English club that suffered a financial implosion in 2004 and were relegated twice.
posted by rcade to soccer at 12:46 PM - 9 comments
SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 17 comments
January 02, 2010
Glauben Sie an Wunder? Croyez-vous aux miracles ? Credete nei miracoli?:
Given no chance to win against a vastly superior Russian team, an unlikely underdog rises up and bites the bear on the snout during the biggest international tournament of their lives.
I think I've heard this before...
posted by grum@work to hockey at 08:03 PM - 2 comments
Running Back Chris Johnson Has Chance for 2,000-Yard Season: On Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson has a chance to rush for 2,000 yards. He's 128 yards short of the total, which would put him in the company of O.J. Simpson (1973), Eric Dickerson (1984), Barry Sanders (1997), Terrell Davis (1998) and Jamal Lewis (2003).
posted by rcade to football at 04:34 PM - 10 comments
Team USA 2010: The youth movement is on! Can this untested group compete with international heavyweights like Canada and Sweden?
posted by tahoemoj to hockey at 12:21 PM - 8 comments
SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 8 comments
January 01, 2010
The Hoser's 2009 NFL Picks, Week 17: NFL picks that wonders who the hell paired Anderson Cooper with Kathy Griffin for New Year's Eve again.
posted by wfrazerjr to football at 02:34 PM - 2 comments
Report: Arenas, Teammate Pulled Guns on Each Other in Locker Room: Washington Wizards teammates Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton drew guns on each other in the team's locker room during a Christmas Eve dispute over a gambling debt, the New York Post reported today. Arenas denies the allegation. Firearms laws in DC are among the nation's most strict. There's no provision that would allow people to take them to their workplace.
posted by rcade to basketball at 11:58 AM - 18 comments
Trainer says James was monitored: "Adam showed up to practice in street clothes, no team gear, and dark sunglasses," Pincock said, according to the statement. "Adam walked about 40 to 50 yards, very slowly and with a non-caring attitude." Pincock said Leach then asked that James be moved to a location "where sunlight could not bother him as he was wearing sunglasses." "I instructed Adam to stay in the garage and out of the sun, so the light would not worsen his condition," Pincock said in the statement. "While in the garage, Adam was walking around, eating ice, sitting on the ground, and, at one point, sleeping; at no point was there any enforcement to make Adam stand up."
posted by gfinsf to football at 06:14 AM - 51 comments
SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 4 comments