Harmon Killebrew Fighting Esophageal Cancer: Hall of Fame slugger Harmon Killebrew, 74, has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer and expects to make a full recovery from the "very serious" condition, he said in a statement released by the Minnesota Twins. When Twins designated hitter Jim Thome passed Killebrew on the career home run list in August, he received congratulations from Killebrew. "I tell everyone he's too nice to be a baseball player," former teammate Tony Oliva said.

posted by rcade to baseball at 06:41 PM - 1 comment

Excessive Celebration Flag Decides Bowl Game: Syracuse won a wild Pinstripe Bowl over Kansas State Thursday night 36-34, helped by a 15-yard celebration penalty that forced Kansas State to try a 17-yard two-point conversion that was unsuccessful. Adrian Hilburn scored on a 30-yard touchdown pass and saluted the crowd, drawing flags from both the head linesman and back judge.

posted by rcade to football at 12:20 PM - 9 comments

UConn’s win streak ends at 90 in loss at Stanford: No. 1 Connecticut's remarkable run is over, a 90-game winning streak stopped by an inspired Stanford squad determined to protect its own impressive mark: 52 straight home wins at Maples Pavilion.

posted by gfinsf to basketball at 07:50 AM - 4 comments

SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle

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

Jets fined $100,000 for Alosi tripping incident: the NFL has announced a $100,000 fine against the New York Jets for violating league rules in the incident where Jets strength coach Sal Alosi tripped Dolphins gunner Nolan Carroll during a punt return.

posted by lil_brown_bat to football at 09:03 PM - 3 comments

NFL Fines Favre $50,000 in Sterger Inquiry: Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre was fined $50,000 by the NFL for not cooperating with the investigation that he sent inappropriate messages and photos to Jenn Sterger while both worked for the New York Jets in 2008. The fine's equivalent to around 27 hours of Favre's earnings, given his $16 million salary.

posted by rcade to football at 07:20 PM - 2 comments

Krzyzewski Passes Dean Smith in Wins: With Duke's win over UNC-Greensboro Wednesday, Mike Krzyzewski passed Dean Smith on the Division I men's basketball all-time win list Wednesday night and is now in second place at 880. He's 23 wins away from passing Bob Knight -- his mentor and former coach at Army.

posted by rcade to basketball at 05:21 PM - 3 comments

England Win Freaking Cricket Match: Victory in Melbourne saw England retain the Ashes for the first time in 24 years and hand Australia their first ever home series with two innings defeats. Despite no clear successor, there are calls for Australian Captain Ricky Ponting to step aside.

posted by Mr Bismarck to other at 08:36 AM - 5 comments

Court: Golfers Not Obligated to Yell 'Fore!': Golfers are not obligated to yell fore when they hit an errant shot that might strike someone, the New York State Court of Appeals has ruled. Dr. Anoop Kapoor struck playing partner Dr. Azad Anand in the left eye with a first hole tee shot, causing a detached retina and a permanent loss of vision. "[B]eing hit without warning by a 'shanked' shot while one searches for one's own ball -- reflects a commonly appreciated risk of golf," the judges ruled. But this ruling does not mean golfers are out of the woods -- the sport is a "perfect litigation machine," according to the New York Times.

posted by rcade to golf at 08:04 AM - 5 comments

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 0 comments

The Last Time the NFL Played on Tuesday: The rescheduled Vikings-Eagles game in Philadelphia was the first Tuesday game in the NFL since 1946. A torrential downpour moved the New York Giants/Boston Yanks game back a day to Oct. 1. Merle Hapes ran for two touchdowns and Ken Strong kicked a field goal and New York defeated Boston, 17-0. The Giants went on to reach the NFL Championship but lost to George Halas' Chicago Bears 24-14.

posted by rcade to football at 06:05 PM - 12 comments

Should Rafael Palmeiro be in the Hall of Fame?: A look at Rafael Palmeiro's career, and the steroid allegations that ruined it.

posted by reenum to baseball at 04:52 PM - 5 comments

Ozzie Guillen's Son Rips Bobby Jenks: Oney Guillen, the son of Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, unloaded on reliever Bobby Jenks on Twitter over comments he made after signing a two-year, $12 million deal with the Boston Red Sox. Jenks: "I'm looking forward to playing for a manager who knows how to run a bullpen." Oney Guillen: "u say the manager didnt trust u? he kept putting ur fat ass there and u kept blowing it."

posted by rcade to baseball at 03:38 PM - 9 comments

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 8 comments

2011 Pro Bowl rosters announced: Brady and Vick starting QBs. New England leads the AFC with six picks. Atlanta leads the NFC with seven.

posted by kokaku to football at 07:33 PM - 13 comments

Some folks are really het up to get their local NFL frachise's coach fired.: A website called firegarykubiak.com is organizing a protest rally outside Reliant Stadium next Sunday. Maybe this rally is a classic example of people needing to pick their battles a little more wisely since Kubiak will probably get fired anyway.

posted by NoMich to football at 05:34 PM - 1 comment

Columbus Fans Claim NHL Ref Flipped Them Off: Several fans at Monday night's Wild-Blue Jackets game in Columbus, Ohio, claim that NHL official Paul Devorski invited them to self-fornicate. "[H]e put his middle finger up to his chin and acted like he was scratching his face," said Ritter Hoy, who was seated among a group of fans yelling at Devorski that he missed a call. "It was very, very blatant. The whole section saw it and went crazy."

posted by rcade to hockey at 04:30 PM - 10 comments

Steve Francis has been cut from his Chinese team: Unless Steve Francis completely reshapes his body, attitude and game, he is probably done in the world of professional basketball. The whole world. Because the team in Beijing that signed him a few weeks ago has just cut him.

posted by BornIcon to basketball at 03:49 PM - 1 comment

Breaking a Clay Pigeon with a Golf Shot: The European Tour is back with another viral ad to top the 200 yard water-skipping gong shot. In Dubai, golfers Johan Edfors, David Horsey, Thongchai Jaidee and Simon Kahn try to break a clay pigeon with a golf ball.

posted by rcade to golf at 02:24 PM - 2 comments

Sun Bowl Players Ordered Not to Visit Mexico: Players for Miami and Notre Dame universities have been ordered not to cross the border into Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, while in El Paso to play the Sun Bowl. Coaches confiscated their passports before the trip. More than 3,000 people have been killed in the Mexican city this year due to drug-war violence. "Don't go over the border, or you may not come back," Notre Dame football head coach Brian Kelly said.

posted by rcade to football at 12:54 PM - 12 comments

Income Inequality and the Superstar Effect: An article that goes beyond the sheer dollar amounts paid to top athletes (and executives) and examines the broader impact that megasalaries have on economies and societies at large.

posted by beaverboard to general at 06:32 AM - 2 comments

SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 2 comments

49ers Fire Coach Mike Singletary: Following the 25-17 loss to the St. Louis Rams that eliminated them from the playoff hunt, the San Francisco 49ers have fallen to 5-10 and fired coach Mike Singletary, the team announced Sunday. "Singletary couldn't win arguably the worst division in the NFL, even when all he needed was season-ending wins against the Rams and Cardinals," laments the San Francisco Chronicle.

posted by rcade to football at 12:35 PM - 9 comments

Obama Praises Eagles Owner for Giving Vick Second Chance: President Obama called Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie recently to praise him for giving quarterback Michael Vick a second chance, SI writer Peter King reported last night on NBC. Obama "said too many prisoners never get fair 2d chance," King wrote on Twitter.

posted by rcade to football at 12:12 PM - 62 comments

SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 0 comments

Heat Beat Lakers on Christmas Day: Only a few weeks after the team was floundering in disarray, the Miami Heat won their 14th out of 15 games with a 96-80 Christmas Day victory over the defending NBA champions Los Angeles Lakers. Since LeBron James returned to Cleveland Dec. 2, the Heat are 9-1 and the Cavaliers 1-9. "Was the hostile crowd and adver­sity just the spark Miami needed?" asks Christopher Fuhrmeister.

posted by rcade to basketball at 03:58 PM - 4 comments

Cowboys Lose After Missed Last-Minute PAT: After being down by 18 points, the Dallas Cowboys rallied to take a last-minute lead over the Arizona Cardinals on Christmas night, but kicker David Buehler missed an extra point and the Cardinals won 27-26 on a 48-yard Jay Feely field goal with 10 seconds left.

posted by rcade to football at 03:24 PM - 2 comments

NFL Postpones Eagles/Giants Due to Blizzard: The NFL has postponed Sunday night's Eagles/Vikings game in Philadelphia due to a "snow emegency," rescheduling the game for Tuesday night. The game originally had a 1 p.m. start time but was chosen by NBC for its evening broadcast. The rescheduling occurred before much snow had fallen, though a blizzard is expected across the northeast.

posted by rcade to football at 01:56 PM - 11 comments

SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle

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

John McCain Wants to Ban Ultimate Fighting: Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) wants to ban mixed martial arts, according to a recent report on Fox Business. He's written letters to state governors urging a ban, referring to the sport as "human cock-fighting."

posted by rcade to extreme at 12:11 PM - 33 comments

SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle

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

NFL Player's Mom Calls Him Out in Locker Room: The mother of New York Giants defensive end Dave Tollefson yelled at him in the locker room during the Philadelphia Eagles game because he was injured. "She was like 'What are you doing?'" Tollefson said. "I said, 'Mom, I'm hurt.' She said, 'I don't give a [expletive]. Get it taped up and get the hell in there! I don't want to hear this.'"

posted by rcade to football at 07:11 PM - 2 comments

The Agony of Defeat:
Joe Posnanski puts together a list of 32 agonizing endings in sport, with some criteria:

2. The ending must inspire some feeling of sheepishness in the victor. Don't get me wrong: The feeling doesn't have to be remorse or even sympathy. But at the very least there has to be some kind of "I cannot believe that we got away with that" emotion.

posted by grum@work to general at 08:56 AM - 8 comments

SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle

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

NCAA Suspends Pryor, 4 Others for Selling Memorabilia: The NCAA is suspending five Ohio State University players for the first five games of 2011, including quarterback Terrelle Pryor, running back Daniel Herron and wide receiver Devier Posey, for selling their championship rings, jerseys and other memorabilia. None of the players made more than $2,500, judging by the amount they must reimburse the school. Pryor sold items because "he wanted to help his mother," his high school coach Ray Reitz told ESPN.

posted by rcade to football at 02:37 PM - 16 comments

Ryan: Male Fans Devalue UConn Winning Streak: "Sometimes it's very embarrassing to be a male," writes Boston Globe sports columnist Bob Ryan. "The University of Connecticut women's basketball team is in the midst of an extraordinary run that should be celebrated in song and story, with no qualifiers whatsoever. Yet we have been sidetracked into a male-generated debate, the purpose of which is to diminish the accomplishment."

posted by rcade to basketball at 01:08 PM - 4 comments

Shaquille O'Neal Conducts The Boston Pops : The big guy is good and fun. He is a classic showtimer in a good way.

posted by gfinsf to basketball at 08:03 AM - 3 comments

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 1 comment

Larry Brown steps down.: Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown has resigned today after meeting with team owner Michael Jordan.

posted by lilnemo to basketball at 05:50 PM - 7 comments

Deadspin Links Rex Ryan, Wife to Foot Fetish Videos: The wife of New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan "may or may not be" the star of a series of foot-fetish videos posted to YouTube, the sports blog Deadspin alleged in a Tuesday evening post. "We were told by one source that if this is Michelle Ryan, there's no way Rex knows about it," they write. "But listen closely to the voice of the cameraman."

posted by yerfatma to football at 12:46 PM - 80 comments

Chiefs' Jamaal Charles Making NFL History: With just two games remaining, Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles is on pace to have the greatest yards-per-carry average in NFL history. With 1,303 yards in 203 attempts, Charles has 6.42 yards per carry, putting him No. 1 all-time ahead of Jim Brown (6.4), Barry Sanders (6.13) and O.J. Simpson (6.03).

posted by rcade to football at 12:32 PM - 5 comments

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle

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

UConn Women own the longest streak: With a 93-62 defeat of Florida State at sold-out XL Center, UConn won its 89th consecutive game, a Division I record surpassing the 88 won by the U.C.L.A. men, coached by John Wooden, from 1971 to 1974.

posted by cjets to basketball at 10:14 PM - 5 comments

High School Uses Trick Play to Win State: In the Texas Class 5A Division I state championship, Pearland High used the "Dead Man" trick play to score a touchdown in a 28-24 upset of Euless Trinity High this week. As eight teammates faked being in disarray and calling no play, the quarterback, center and one wide receiver caught the entire defense napping.

posted by rcade to football at 05:01 PM - 7 comments

Will Somebody Please Hire Bob Green?: Montana Tech Orediggers head coach Bob Green has retired after 24 seasons. His teams went 140-116-1 and played for a national championship in 1996, but he's remembered more for being the Yogi Berra of frontier football. Rick Reilly calls him the greatest interview ever. One of his many Greenisms: "I really feel like our team is ready to go hit individuals from another institution of higher learning."

posted by rcade to football at 03:52 PM - 1 comment

Bears Knock Out Favre, Win NFC North: Knocking out quarterback Brett Favre in the second quarter, the Chicago Bears clinched the NFC North Division with a 40-14 rout of the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night outdoors at the University of Minnesota's field. Favre was slammed head-first into the turf and said he "went blank." He added, "I knew it would be my last home game. I don't regret the decision (to play)."

posted by rcade to football at 02:10 PM - 11 comments

Mavericks End Heat's 12-Game Winning Streak: The Dallas Mavericks ended the Miami Heat's winning streak at 12 games with a 98-96 victory at American Airlines Arena in Miami. The streak began after a Heat loss to Dallas Nov. 27 prompted a players-only meeting. The Heat have lost 14 consecutive regular-season games to the Mavericks, a streak extending seven seasons.

posted by rcade to basketball at 11:40 AM - 8 comments

SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 3 comments

Sports Caller Sounding Like Randy Moss Slams Fisher: There's speculation in Nashville that wide receiver Randy Moss called a former Tennessee Titans player's radio show Wednesday and criticized head coach Jeff Fisher under a fake name. "I don't like Fisher," said a caller identified as Woody, who hoped for Fisher to be fired.

posted by rcade to football at 06:25 PM - 9 comments

Barkley: 'You Can't Send Small Junk': "My biggest problem with the whole Brett Favre thing is if you're going to send a woman a picture of your junk, it should be huge. You can't send small junk to a woman and expect anything. Seriously you have to be like Ron Jeremy or some of those other porn stars. If you send a woman a picture of your junk, it should be humongous, it shouldn't be small. That's one of the Ten Commandments." -- Charles Barkley

posted by rcade to general at 04:16 PM - 58 comments

Landis wore hidden wire to aid doping probe: report: Disgraced American cyclist Floyd Landis used a hidden wire and secret camera to gather audio and video evidence for a US federal probe into doping in cycling. Landis used the equipment for a meeting earlier this year with Michael Ball, owner of the Rock Racing team that featured Tyler Hamilton and other former Lance Armstrong teammates.

posted by irunfromclones to extreme at 02:07 PM - 4 comments

Patriots Offensive Lineman Returns Kick 71 Yards: In the longest kickoff return by an offensive lineman in NFL history, New England Patriots offensive guard Dan Connolly ran one back 71 yards against the Green Back Packers Sunday night (video).

posted by rcade to football at 01:20 PM - 16 comments

SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 8 comments

What the NFL Paid Players in 1944: The family of former pro football player Edward McGroarty saved his 1944 contract offered by Green Bay Packers coach and manager Curly Lambeau. McGroarty's deal was for $150 a game plus transportation to Green Bay and $35 a week in preseason living expenses. "We will gladly increase the amount of this contract as soon as you are playing the kind of ball deserving more money," Lambeau wrote.

posted by rcade to football at 05:06 PM - 3 comments

AP Athletes of Year Lindsay Vonn, Drew Brees: The AP Athletes of the Year are skier Lindsey Vonn and quarterback Drew Brees. Vonn becomes the first skier of either gender to win this honor, finishing ahead of the racehorse Zenyatta second and UConn basketball player Maya Moore third. The top three men were Brees, NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson and boxer Manny Pacquiao.

posted by rcade to general at 03:52 PM - 7 comments

Zack Greinke Traded to Brewers: Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke has been traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for outfielder Lorenzo Cain, shortstop Alcides Escobar and pitching prospects Jake Odorizzi and Jeremy Jeffress, ESPN's Buster Olney reported Sunday morning. "That's a big chunk of what wasn't an impressive farm system in the first place," writes D.J. Short.

posted by rcade to baseball at 12:51 PM - 11 comments

Tim Tebow Will Start Against Raiders: Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Tim Tebow will make his first NFL start Sunday on the road against the Oakland Raiders. Starter Kyle Orton is out with bruised ribs. Tebow has been used sparingly this year, rushing 12 times for 28 yards and three touchdowns and throwing one 3-yard touchdown pass.

posted by rcade to football at 11:09 AM - 3 comments

SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle

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

Fehr officially takes over NHLPA: Donald Fehr, the new executive director of the NHL Players’ Association, anticipates that negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement will commence no later than the spring of 2012. Fehr was the MLBPA boss until last year, and had been helping the NHLPA as an unpaid consultant. “Nobody in the world knows more about the labour business in sports,” Boston Bruins player representative Mark Stuart told NESN. “[Fehr] did a great job in baseball and I think we’re lucky to have him on our side.”

posted by tommytrump to hockey at 06:37 PM - 0 comments

Magic Add Arenas, Turkoglu, Two Others for Lewis, Carter, Gortat and Pietrus: The Orlando Magic have traded Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat, Mickael Pietrus, a 2011 first-round draft pick and "cash considerations" to the Phoenix Suns for Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson and Earl Clark. They also traded Rasheed Lewis to the Washington Wizards for Gilbert Arenas.

posted by rcade to basketball at 04:43 PM - 7 comments

Portraits of an Artest: A Toronto art gallery will host “Lovable Badass: Artists on Artest,” a show devoted to artwork featuring Lakers star Ron Artest. “I think he’s a fascinating guy and totally deserving of celebration or examination,” organizer Steve Manale says.

posted by wfrazerjr to basketball at 02:11 PM - 0 comments

Christian Laettner May Play for ABA Team: Former Duke and NBA player Christian Laettner is thinking about suiting up for the Jacksonville Giants, a new American Basketball Association franchise that recently began play near his Ponte Vedra, Fl., home. He went to a game with his kids and said they "loved coming here on Sunday as much as they did going to Duke." ABA teams are permitted a celebrity "13th man" on their rosters.

posted by rcade to basketball at 11:11 AM - 3 comments

49ers' Smith Ejected for Shoving Official: San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Justin Smith was ejected in the second quarter of Thursday night's loss to San Diego after contact with an official. Smith shoved aside umpire Garth DeFelice during an argument with a Chargers player. Smith said afterwards he "wasn't even aware it was an official at first."

posted by rcade to football at 09:10 AM - 9 comments

Are McNabb's Days Numbered?: The Washington Redskins upset the NFL apple cart once again Friday when coach Mike Shanahan announced Rex Grossman as his starter for the rest of the season,McNabb will be the No. 2 quarterback against the Cowboys, then drop to No. 3 behind Grossman and John Beck for the final two games of the season.

posted by texpat to football at 08:48 AM - 6 comments

Russian Hockey Team Mugs Opponent: On Saturday, the Vityaz team in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League instigated a mass brawl six seconds into a game against Avangard Omsk (video). The fight followed a January brawl that resulted in the forfeit of the game. Avangard won 3-2.

posted by rcade to hockey at 08:35 AM - 6 comments

SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 2 comments

Tom Brady Sees Super Bowl as His 'Divine Right': Tom Brady Sr., the father of the New England Patriots quarterback, said in a USA Today interview that his son takes a monarchial view of the NFL's championship game. "Tommy had a lot of success early on. [In 2006] he flipped the coin before the Super Bowl, walked off the field, through the tunnel and flew home. He said, 'I can't watch a Super Bowl I'm not playing in.' He feels the Super Bowl is his divine right. If he can get his team to another Super Bowl, that will be five in nine years. It darned near feels like your divine right."

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

From the barber's pole to between the pipes: Tom Fenton, a 26-year-old hockey coach, spent last night as the back-up goaltender for the Phoenix Coyotes at Madison Square Garden. Fenton, who coaches Manhattanville College and played four years at American International, signed a one-day contract after Phoenix couldn't get a replacement for Ilya Bryzgalov.

posted by wfrazerjr to hockey at 10:14 AM - 6 comments

Women Ski Jumpers Still Absent from Olympics: "Ski jumping is the only winter Olympic event that doesn't have a female competition," observes Michelle Morris of Ms. Magazine. "[I]t was especially hard to explain to my seven-year-old niece, whose mother was an Olympic rower, why the women ski jumpers couldn't compete. 'Because they're girls?' she asked. That's right, Zara, because they're girls."

posted by rcade to Olympics at 08:43 AM - 10 comments

Having done well on the field: Notre Dame decides to shame itself off the field by not fully investigating charges of sexual assault by a football player that led to the alleged victim's suicide.

posted by yerfatma to culture at 08:39 AM - 5 comments

SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 13 comments

Tossing Teddies: For the past 16 years the Calgary Hitmen have held a Teddy Bear Toss to benefit charities in Alberta. This year 16,844 fans helped cover the ice with 23,096 stuffed animals.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia to hockey at 09:19 PM - 1 comment

Yankees Sign Catcher Russell Martin: The New York Yankees have reached a one-year, $4 million contract with All-Star catcher Russell Martin and will likely move Jorge Posada to designated hitter. Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman called Martin "low-risk, high reward."

posted by rcade to baseball at 05:51 PM - 4 comments

Inventor Creates Visible First-Down Laser: Inventor Alan Amron has created a visible green-laser first down marker system for use in football. Amron, who met with the NFL in 2003 to tout a different laser marker system, said the lasers cost $100,000 per set and are mounted to the markers themselves.

posted by rcade to football at 03:43 PM - 14 comments

Considering your Hall of Fame Ballot: (requires non-IE browser) A nice visualization of player values for this year's candidates. A little more info on it. In related news, I was pleased to see a first-time voter openly state his criteria for Hof voting.

posted by yerfatma to baseball at 10:12 AM - 4 comments

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle

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

Bob Feller, The Greatest Cleveland Indian, dies at age 92: The brilliant pitcher who is the only Cleveland pro athlete to be immortalized with a statue, died Wednesday night of complications from leukemia at age 92. The Hall of Famer hurled 266 victories, most in Indians history, from 1936 to 1956, despite losing almost four years at the peak of his powers after enlisting in the Navy during World War II.

posted by tommytrump to baseball at 11:07 PM - 11 comments

Michael Vick Wants to Get a Dog: "I would love to get another dog in the future. I think it would be a big step for me in the rehabilitation process," Michael Vick said in a new interview. He's can't buy, sell or own a dog as part of his probation. "I miss having a dog right now. I wish I could. My daughters miss having one, and that's the hardest thing: Telling them that we can't have one because of my actions."

posted by rcade to football at 07:45 PM - 59 comments

My time has come: CFL All-Star Tony Proudfoot on his battle with ALS: "The time has come," the Walrus said, "to talk of many things." Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass......Let's jump forward to the present day, December 2010. Well, I am still here, hanging by my finger nails while my toes are touching rock bottom and I can feel them getting a foothold. I am proud I have continued championing my goals. My family has been absolutely amazing and friends have been terrifically uplifting. ALS research support continues (please donate) and I have been toughing it out. My Alouettes kept me buoyed with their outstanding accomplishments.

posted by tommytrump to football at 03:59 PM - 2 comments

Zach Thomas: Jets Formed Wall Before Sideline Incident: Former Miami Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas says the New York Jets formed a wall before assistant coach Sal Alosi tripped Dolphins gunner Nolan Carroll. "They had to be ordered to stand there because they're foot to foot," Thomas said Tuesday on Miami radio. "I'm telling you, the only thing [Alosi] did wrong was intentionally put that knee out there. ... He was ordered to stand there. No one is foot to foot on the sideline in the coaches' box."

posted by rcade to football at 11:11 AM - 33 comments

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 3 comments

Blatter: No Sex for Gays at Qatar World Cup: Gay soccer fans should refrain from sex during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, FIFA President Sepp Blatter advised in an interview. Asked if he could foresee cultural problems arising during the tournament, Blatter responded, "I'd say they (gay fans) should refrain from any sexual activities." Homosexuality is illegal in the Islamic country, which sentenced an American in 1996 to six months imprisonment and 90 lashes for homosexuality and deported over 20 Filipinos in 1998 on suspicion of being gay, according to the UN High Commission for Refugees.

posted by rcade to soccer at 07:15 PM - 30 comments

Rookie Linus Omark Sends NHL a Message: The showmanship displayed in a shootout goal scored by Edmonton Oilers rookie Linus Omark in his NHL debut Friday over the Tampa Bay Lightning has started a debate on hockey sportsmanship. "I play hockey for the fun of it," said Omark, who has scored other amazing goals abroad. "The fans pay good money to watch and they were happy. Then I am happy." Lightning player Martin St. Louis called the shot "a slap in the face."

posted by rcade to hockey at 03:58 PM - 10 comments

Bobby Ryan Scores Goal with Opponent's Stick: During Sunday's Anaheim-Minnesota game, Ducks forward Bobby Ryan scored a goal using the stick of Wild forward Mikko Koivu (video). "I looked down and saw my own stick," Ryan said. "I knew I wasn't holding it. I wasn't quite sure what to do."

posted by rcade to hockey at 01:59 PM - 6 comments

Cliff Lee is ... a Phillie?: In what many are calling a stunning turn of events, Cliff Lee is returning to Philadelphia, a team who, just a year ago, let him go and broke his heart.

posted by dyams to baseball at 06:35 AM - 39 comments

SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle

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

Favre's streak ends at 297: Brett Favre's record consecutive starts streak ended at 297 on Monday when he did not suit up for the Minnesota Vikings' game against the New York Giants

posted by dviking to football at 06:27 PM - 29 comments

Big Ten Conference Reveals New Logo and Honors Football History with Division Names and Trophies: The Big Ten Conference today made several announcements that complete a series of decisions prompted by the upcoming addition of the University of Nebraska - Lincoln as the conference's 12th member school. The conference revealed a new logo to be used for all sports beginning with the 2011-12 academic year and also unveiled names for its two football divisions and a list of names for 18 trophies to honor coaches, teams and student-athletes starting with the 2011 football season. The LEGENDS Division will include Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Northwestern, and the LEADERS Division will include Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, and Wisconsin.

posted by bender to football at 02:08 PM - 26 comments

Washington Loses to Tampa Bay on Blown PAT: Washington's last-second touchdown went for naught after holder Hunter Smith let a PAT snap slip through his hands, resulting in a 17-16 home loss to Tampa Bay. "If anybody needs to lose their job it's me," said Smith, the team's punter. "I certainly accept blame."

posted by rcade to football at 01:10 PM - 5 comments

Clippers Owner Taunts Baron Davis During Games: Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling regularly taunts his underperforming star player Baron Davis from his courtside seat during games, saying things like "Why are you in the game?" and "You're out of shape!" Davis, who has three years and $42 million left on his contract, had this response when asked about the comments: "There's nothing I can say. I have no comment on that. You just get to this point where it's a fight every day. It's frustrating because I know and my teammates know I'm capable of getting it done."

posted by rcade to basketball at 12:58 PM - 12 comments

Jets Coach Trips Dolphins Player: New York Jets strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi intentionally tripped Miami Dolphins cornerback Nolan Carroll during a punt in the team's 10-6 loss Sunday. "My conduct was inexcusable and unsportsmanlike and does not reflect what this organization stands for," Alosi said.

posted by Mr Bismarck to football at 09:22 AM - 47 comments

Hurricanes hire Temple's Golden: "Al Golden did not just win games at Temple University, but he built a football program, and he did it the right way,'' Temple athletic director Bill Bradshaw said. "He engineered one of the most remarkable turnarounds in Division I history, and ... the turnaround was not only seen on the gridiron, but also in the classroom, with unprecedented academic success.''

posted by gfinsf to football at 08:42 AM - 1 comment

SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle

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

Florida Hires Will Muschamp: Florida has hired Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp to replace Urban Meyer. Muschamp, 39, is a Gainesville native who was coach-in-waiting at Texas since 2008. He has 12 years of experience in the Southeastern Conference, eight as a coach and four as a player.

posted by rcade to football at 02:35 PM - 4 comments

Metrodome Roof Collapses Due to Blizzard: After the New York Giants couldn't make it to Minneapolis Saturday because of 15 inches of snow and wind gusts over 30 mph, the NFL moved the Giants game against the Minnesota Vikings to Monday night. The game will air on Fox in the teams' home markets. That plan has been derailed by the collapse of the Metrodome's inflatable Teflon roof under the weight of snow. No announcement yet on the game.

posted by rcade to football at 08:45 AM - 41 comments

SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle

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

Black Golfer Joseph Bramlett Qualifies for Tour: There are now two black golfers on the PGA Tour, both multiracial golfing prodigies who went to Stanford. Joseph Bramlett, 22, survived all three stages of PGA Qualifying School and earned his tour card -- an accomplishment noted by Woods on Twitter. "He's been more than willing to share all kinds of information about golf," Bramlett said. "He's been a great mentor."

posted by rcade to golf at 07:39 PM - 1 comment

Patriots Rookie Suspended for Doping: New England Patriots rookie linebacker Brandon Spikes has been suspended four games for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances, the league said Friday. Spikes, who has 61 tackles and one interception this season, said the drug he took was medication, "not a performance enhancer or an illegal drug."

posted by rcade to football at 05:31 PM - 16 comments

315,000-Yard Run Precedes Army-Navy Game: For today's Army-Navy game, 20 cadets from the U.S. Military Academy ran a football 179 miles from West Point in New York to Lincoln Field in Philadelphia -- a 23-year tradition. "They say no one's ever dropped it," said runner Alex Jefferies. "But my hands were numb and I couldn't even feel the ball." Navy leads the series 54-49-7 and has won the last eight meetings.

posted by rcade to football at 11:33 AM - 1 comment

SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 3 comments

The Longest of Heisman longshots: Twenty five years ago, Sports Illustrated editor Mark Mulvoy and first-year writer Rick Reilly made a pitch for an unknown kid from Division III Plymouth State and in the process created a cover story that still resonates today.

posted by gfinsf to football at 04:27 AM - 4 comments

Chad Pennington: The Day My Shoulder Fell Out: "I fell on the back of Jake (Long) on the first play, and as I was falling forward, my elbow hit him and knocked me and knocked my shoulder backward, which pushed my shoulder out the front so it came out and somehow I just closed my eyes and gritted my teeth and popped it back in. ... I'm like well maybe I'm okay and maybe I just subluxed it; maybe it didn't really truly dislocate. As I was moving my shoulder around to make sure I was O.K., I put my hand on top of my helmet and then my shoulder just fell right out. It had come through and I had popped it back in and then it just fell out and it was stuck. I looked at Ronnie (Brown) and I said, 'Hey, Ronnie, pull on my shoulder. See if you can pop this thing back in.' He's like, 'I'm not touching that shoulder.' So I'm kind of going around the huddle trying to get somebody to help me here and they're all looking at me like I'm crazy, so once I couldn't get it back in then I walked over to the sideline." -- Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington, injured Nov. 14 on the first play of his first start of the season

posted by rcade to football at 06:02 PM - 5 comments

Error Found in BCS Rankings: Jerry Palm, the publisher of CollegeBCS.Com, found an error in the Colley Matrix computer ratings that caused four teams to be misranked in the BCS rankings. "The Appalachian State-Western Illinois FCS playoff game was missing from his data set," he explains. "I will spare you some of the gory, mathematical details, but the net result of that omission in Colley's rankings is that LSU, which he ranked ninth, and his No. 10, Boise State, should be switched. Alabama and Nebraska, which he had 17th and 18th, would also be swapped." Such an error could have affected BCS eligibility. "[T]his issue will be near the top of the agenda for the conference commissioners' annual review next spring," said BCS executive director Bill Hancock.

posted by rcade to football at 04:17 PM - 3 comments

Rookie Defenseman Has 14 Points in 16 Games: Since being called up in November, Colorado Avalanche rookie defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk has 14 points in 16 games. Before that, Shattenkirk had zero goals and zero assists in 10 games with the team's American League affiliate in Lake Erie. "I really don't think anyone saw this coming so quickly," said an unnamed Western Conference scout.

posted by rcade to hockey at 02:59 PM - 1 comment

Integrating the Negro Leagues: Who was Eddie Klep? Everybody knows about the black man who integrated the major leagues in 1947, but hardly anyone knows about the white man who integrated the Negro Leagues the year before. Eddie Klep was no role model, but he deserves to be remembered, and Chuck Brodsky (who's written a bunch of baseball songs) did his part with the "Ballad of Eddie Klepp" (YouTube, lyrics). The name actually has just one p; Brodsky regrets the error (which is also made in this short piece, with lively quotes from Klep's wife) (via MetaFilter).

posted by rcade to baseball at 08:07 AM - 2 comments

SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle

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

Colts Announcer: Peyton Manning Should Be Benched: In an off-air rant that was rebroadcast on local sports radio, Indianapolis Colts radio announcer Bob Lamey said that Peyton Manning should be benched for Curtis Painter the rest of the season because the NFL has "figured Manning out" and it's time for the Colts to draft his replacement. Lamey made the remarks during a commercial as the Colts played the Dallas Cowboys Sunday.

posted by rcade to football at 05:42 PM - 14 comments

Illinois-Oakland Play 7 Minutes with Women's Ball: No. 16 Illinois played the first seven minutes of its game Wednesday night with a women's basketball. College women play with a ball one inch smaller and two ounces lighter. Illinois trailed by 11 with the smaller ball, but came back to win 74-63. "I wanted to keep it," Oakland coach Greg Kampe said. "We were ahead."

posted by rcade to basketball at 03:40 PM - 4 comments

Chinese Basketball League Increases NBA Imports: The Chinese Basketball Association league opens its 15th season Friday with former NBA players Stephon Marbury (Foshan Dragon Lions), Steve Francis (Beijing Ducks), Fred Jones (Guangdong Hongyuan), Ricky Davis (Jiangsu Dragons) and Quincy Doubie (Xinjiang Guanghui). Over 400 million people watched CBA games last season, league official Liu Xiaonong said.

posted by rcade to basketball at 01:56 PM - 4 comments

Red Sox To Sign Crawford: Boston to ink Carl Crawford for deal worth reported $142 million. With Adrian Gonzalez to get a extension in the reported $154 million range, it's a Christmas spending spree for the Red Sox.

posted by dyams to baseball at 07:04 AM - 22 comments

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle

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

AP source: Pena, Cubs agree to $10M, 1-year deal: First baseman Carlos Pena and the Chicago Cubs have agreed to a $10 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press. Pena spent the last four seasons with Tampa Bay. He had a down year in 2010, hitting .196 with 28 homers and 84 RBIs, down from a .227 average with 39 homers and 100 RBIs the previous year, when he was selected for the AL All-Star team.

posted by billinnagoya to baseball at 12:11 AM - 7 comments

Luke Scott talks Nugent, hunting and Obama origin: Baltimore Orioles slugger Luke Scott stopped by baseball's winter meetings Tuesday and, after some harmless chatter about his team's offseason dealings, stated with conviction that President Barack Obama was not born in the United States.

posted by BornIcon to baseball at 03:59 PM - 31 comments

Urban Meyer Stepping Down in Florida: Urban Meyer has quit the University of Florida coaching job for the second straight year, this time after a 7-5 record that is the worst in his six seasons on the job. "I fully grasp the sacrifices my 24/7 profession has demanded of me, and I know it is time to put my focus on my family and life away from the field," Meyer said in a statement.

posted by BornIcon to football at 02:21 PM - 15 comments

College Coach Takes $300,000 Pay Cut: Fifteen-season Fresno State head football coach Pat Hill has agreed to a more than $300,000 cut in guaranteed pay in 2011, dropping his salary to $650,000 as the school moves to a more performance-based approach. "I've never been a monetary guy," he said.

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

Tebow's Future in Flux After McDaniels Firing: The firing of Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels throws a monkey wrench into the NFL future of celebrated college quarterback and top jersey seller Tim Tebow. McDaniels traded three picks to select Tebow 25th overall when many draft analysts had him falling several rounds. If the new coach doesn't want him, Jacksonville is a trade possibility, writes Hays Carlton of the Florida Times-Union.

posted by rcade to football at 11:29 AM - 11 comments

Wrestler Charged with Sex Crime for 'Butt-Drag' Maneuver: California high school wrestler wrestler Preston Hill was expelled and charged with a sex crime after using a "butt-drag" maneuver on a teammate during a July 15 match. "A wrestler grabs a rival's butt cheek and puts fingers in the anus to get leverage," the Fresno Bee explains. "It just doesn't make sense," said Preston's father, Darren Hill. "His coaches taught him the move when he was in middle school. All the wrestlers use it and my son did it in front of his coaches at a school-sponsored event."

posted by rcade to other at 09:43 AM - 24 comments

New to Boxing Hall: Tyson, Chavez ... and Rocky?: Two of boxing's biggest stars of the 1990s are going into the Boxing Hall of Fame. It was no surprise that Mike Tyson and Julio Cesar Chavez, who combined for 157 wins, got the nod. Tyson was the undisputed heavyweight champ while Chavez was a title winner in three divisions. The day's shocker, though, was that the name Sylvester Stallone appeared alongside the boxing legends. That's right, Stallone is going into the BHOF for his contributions to the sport through film. Stallone gained worldwide fame between 1976-2006, playing the fictional character "Rocky Balboa" in six movies. An interesting inclusion, considering the impact the character may have had in reclaiming some popularity for professional boxing at the time. Consider the fact that Abbott and Costello are enshrined in the Baseball Museum at Cooperstown (though NOT the Hall of Fame).

posted by billinnagoya to boxing at 07:35 AM - 9 comments

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle

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

Cliff Lee Likely to Get 7-Year Deal: The market for pitcher Cliff Lee is moving towards a seven-year deal, reports Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. The New York Yankees gave CC Sabathia a seven-year, $161 million contract two years ago, but at 32 Lee is four years older than Sabathia was.

posted by rcade to baseball at 12:32 PM - 6 comments

Patriots Embarrass Jets 45-3: Tom Brady threw four touchdown passes as the New England Patriots pulverized the New York Jets 45-3 at home on Monday, improving to 10-2 and moving atop the AFC East. "This humble pie tastes like a car tire and it goes down like peanut butter," said Jets defensive tackle Sione Pouha.

posted by rcade to football at 09:46 AM - 37 comments

Where's the Flag on Heath Miller's Beheading?: Despite the NFL crackdown on helmet-to-helmet hits and hits on defenseless receivers, there was no penalty called when Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Heath Miller was knocked out of the game Sunday by a vicious hit from Baltimore Ravens defender Jameel McClain. Miller suffered a concussion and the NFL has already admitted the non-call was wrong.

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

Did the BBC Kill England's World Cup Bid?: Three days before FIFA awarded the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, BBC aired a documentary leveling allegations of bribery at four members of the 2018 voting committee. That probably didn't help England's bid. "I believe we were right to broadcast and I believe we have very strong support from the British public in broadcasting," said BBC director general Mark Thompson.

posted by rcade to soccer at 07:57 AM - 4 comments

SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 17 comments

Josh McDaniels Fired: It has been reported via multiple sources that the Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels has been fired.

posted by BornIcon to football at 06:34 PM - 13 comments

"Turn Out The Lights, The Party's Over": Don Meredith has died at age 72. Most known as one of the original broadcast team on Monday Night Football, he was also the second player placed on the Texas Stadium Ring of Fame.

posted by dyams to football at 11:37 AM - 19 comments

Cardinals Sign Lance Berkman: The St. Louis Cardinals have signed five-time All-Star Lance Berkman to a one-year, $8 million deal, returning the longtime Houston Astros slugger to the National League after a 37-game stint with the New York Yankees. In an off year for him, Berkman hit 14 home runs and 58 RBIs and batted .246.

posted by rcade to baseball at 11:22 AM - 4 comments

Hatred for the Adrian Gonzalez trade: It's been painfully obvious for months, maybe years, that Gonzalez was never going to sign a contract extension with the Padres. It was inevitable that he would become a free agent, become extremely rich and play for one of ESPN's favorite teams. It was never in doubt.

posted by BornIcon to baseball at 07:35 AM - 23 comments

SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 41 comments

Werth agrees to $126 million, 7-yr deal with Nats: The Washington Nationals signed FA Jayson Werth to a 7-year, $126 million deal. NY Mets new GM expressed his surprise, saying "I thought they were trying to reduce the deficit in Washington." Werth, in the meanwhile, in a conference call said "To just spend money wildly on people is not the point. What we're going to do is create an atmosphere ... of winning...," which begs us to ponder the obvious question: Is a soon-to-be-32-year-old, lifetime .272 batter really "werth" such a long contract that averages $18 mil. per year? (Sorry, I couldn't resist the pun.)

posted by billinnagoya to baseball at 05:25 AM - 11 comments

2 Stabbed as 60 Fans Brawl at USC-UCLA: An errant football toss that hit a car sparked a tailgater riot before the USC-UCLA game in which as many as 60 fans fought and two were stabbed. Arturo Cisneros, 44, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and two others were charged with assaulting police. Vimal Patel, a 24-year-old college student whose group tossed the ball, was stabbed eight times and is hospitalized in intensive care.

posted by rcade to football at 07:49 PM - 6 comments

Mascot Charged with Disorderly Conduct During Game: During Saturday's game against Pittsburgh, Cincinnati's Bearcat mascot refused an order to stop throwing snowballs and pushed a security guard before being arrested and cited for disorderly conduct. Fortunately, a backup mascot was ready to replace M. Robert "Bobby" Garfield III.

posted by rcade to football at 02:34 PM - 9 comments

SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle

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

Playing fast and loose with college football: The University of Oregon has made itself a contender for the national championship by making opponents drop from exhaustion and frustration.

posted by wfrazerjr to football at 11:20 PM - 9 comments

Arsenal Tops Premier League: Samir Nasri scored twice in a 2-1 win over Fulham that put Arsenal atop the Premier League table Saturday. We are far from winning the championship yet," cautioned manager Arsene Wenger.

posted by rcade to soccer at 07:02 PM - 2 comments

Drew Carey Cracks on LeBron's Mom: "88-55 3rd quarter. This game is about as tight as LeBron's mother's vagina." -- Drew Carey in a Twitter post during Thursday night's Cavaliers-Heat game, a comment for which he subsequently apologized

posted by rcade to basketball at 06:45 PM - 9 comments

Beckenbauer: Play Qatar World Cup in January: Franz Beckenbauer, the former German star mentioned as a future FIFA president, suggests that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar be played in January because of heat concerns. "In January and February, temperatures are a comfortable 25 degrees," he said, referring to the Celsius temperature (77 degrees Fahrenheit). "It would also be a viable alternative to the enormous expenses involved in setting up air-conditioning for the stadiums and the fan zones."

posted by rcade to soccer at 01:53 PM - 3 comments

SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle

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

MIchael Vick's Massive Financial Debt: Despite earning $4.1 million since signing with the Philadelphia Eagles Vick lives on a shoestring budget set for him by a court-appointed trustee. Two-thirds of every dollar Vick earns goes to creditors and taxes. The rest of the money is strictly controlled. Think of it as an allowance. Vick can spend $4,250 per month on rent and utilities and $472 per month on a car. His mother, who was on Vick's payroll during his headier, pre-prison days, can receive $2,500 per month. The allowance does allow for Vick to pay $1,355 per month for private school for the two children he has with his fiancee.

posted by billinnagoya to football at 05:57 AM - 28 comments

Giants' Rolle: Booing Us at Home is Like Booing Soldiers: "They want to make it that guys paid this much money for a ticket. Yeah, I understand that, I understand completely. We risk ourselves out there on the field each and every day also. When soldiers come home from Iraq you don't boo them. I look at it the same way. I take my job seriously." -- New York Giants safety Antrel Rolle

posted by rcade to football at 07:22 PM - 26 comments

Teen Runner Crawls Across Finish Line: After collapsing five yards from the finish line at state championships in Fresno, Calif., cross country runner Holland Reynolds, 16, crawled across the line with the encouragement of ailing coach Jim Tracy, helping her team win the title (see the video). "There wasn't really a question in my mind if I should finish," Reynolds said. "But I remember thinking can I finish?"

posted by rcade to Olympics at 06:31 PM - 1 comment

Source: Greinke Would OK Trade to Yankees: Kansas City Royals starter Zack Greinke is willing to remove the New York Yankees and other big-market clubs from his no-trade list, a source "close to the right-hander" told Yahoo's Jeff Passan. "He says he likes New York," the source said of the 2009 Cy Young winner. "Especially because they're winners."

posted by rcade to baseball at 05:02 PM - 11 comments

Cubs Player, Broadcaster Ron Santo Dies: Ron Santo, a nine-time All-Star third baseman for the Chicago Cubs and a beloved fan favorite as a radio announcer, has died at age 70 of complications from bladder cancer. "The Cubs have lost their biggest fan," said his broadcast partner Pat Hughes.

posted by rcade to baseball at 12:43 PM - 15 comments

Yankees Exec Plans to Jump Off Building: New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman will rappel down a 21-story building in Stamford, Ct., as part of the city's annual Heights and Lights event. "This isn't scary," Cashman told an event organizer. "What's scary is being the general manager of the Yankees."

posted by rcade to baseball at 09:13 AM - 3 comments

SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 0 comments

CFL Playoff Pick 'Em, Final Standings: Montreal takes home the prize and repeats as Grey Cup champion. Do we have a repeat winner in our pool too? I'm honestly not sure, I can't be expected to remember what happened three weeks back.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 08:40 PM - 5 comments

Andre Johnson Miked Up During Finnegan Fight: Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson was miked up by NFL.Com during last weekend's victory over the Tennessee Titans. "Don't get frustrated," he says at one point to Titans defensive back Cortland Finnegan before the fight that ended with their ejections. Titans coach Jeff Fisher criticized the NFL's decision to fine both of them $25,000 even though only Johnson threw punches. "I thought that was probably one of the greatest examples I've ever seen of restraint and self-discipline and poise that I've seen in a long, long time," he said of Finnegan.

posted by rcade to football at 06:02 PM - 15 comments

Pittsburgh Pirates Ditch 'Million Dollar Arm': The Pittsburgh Pirates have released right-handed pitcher Dinesh Patel, the runner-up contestant on the Indian reality-TV show Million-Dollar Arm. Patel had a 5.27 earned-run average in 13.2 innings in rookie league play.

posted by rcade to baseball at 05:07 PM - 1 comment

Hines Ward: NFL Run By Hypocrites: "Say one thing, and do another. Talk about safety, but you add two games. Talk about you don't want players to drink, but our major endorsement is Coors Light. That's all you see is beer commercials. ... If they're worried about concussions ... mandate each player has a new helmet. They don't do that. They collect money from every helmet (company) that pays them enough money to get their helmets on the field. Now they have three different helmets, and none of them (are) proven that they work. You say you don't want us to gamble, but you have (point) spreads." -- Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Heinz Ward

posted by rcade to football at 04:06 PM - 22 comments

World Cups Awarded to Russia in 2018, Qatar in 2022: FIFA has announced that soccer's World Cup will take place in Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022, dashing the hopes of England, the United States and other bidders. The country of Qatar has 1.6 million people. More than 3.1 million attended the last World Cup in South Africa.

posted by rcade to soccer at 10:49 AM - 26 comments

High School Running Back Penalized for Gesture to God: After scoring a touchdown in a Washington state high school playoff game Monday, Ronnie Hastie took a knee and pointed to the heavens in a quick gesture to God, drawing a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty (video). "I'll just have to change it up and not make as big of a statement, I guess," Hastie said. "The refs are in charge."

posted by rcade to football at 07:57 AM - 34 comments

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle

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

49ers Lose Gore to Season-Ending Hip Injury: The San Francisco 49ers have placed running back Frank Gore on the injured reserve list after he suffered a season-ending hip fracture during Monday's 27-6 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

posted by rcade to football at 03:34 PM - 2 comments

NCAA rules Newton eligible to play: The NCAA says Auburn quarterback Cam Newton’s father did indeed shop his son to another school, but ruled the Heisman Trophy front-runner is eligible to play in the Southeastern Conference championship game.

posted by BornIcon to football at 02:46 PM - 11 comments

Sources: Gruden to Miami is Close to Happening: Former NFL coach Jon Gruden is under serious consideration to be the next coach of the Miami Hurricanes, three sources told the Sun-Sentinel newspaper in Florida. The website Canesport.com claims that contract details are being finalized to hire Gruden to replace fired coach Randy Shannon. Though Gruden has denied interest, he initiated contact with Miami a few weeks before Shannon's firing, a source said.

posted by rcade to football at 02:30 PM - 8 comments

Type A Parents Sending Toddlers to the Gym: Several companies are now offering exercise trainings DVDs and sports programs for children as young as 6 months, drawing more than 75,000 kids under 3 to the activities. "There are millions of American parents worried to death that their children might fall behind somebody else's kid," said former NBA player Bob Bigelow, a skeptic. "So the emphasis in youth sports has become more, more, more, younger, younger, younger."

posted by rcade to at 01:00 PM - 13 comments

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle

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