12/30/24
Archives for March 2010
March 31, 2010
Vanity Fair takes on Tiger Woods's Inconvenient Women: The May issue of Vanity Fair hits shelves today with Mark Seal's story on Tiger Woods. It includes interviews with a number of the mistresses, discussion of Woods's gambling and spending habits, Earl Woods's influence and, most disturbingly, a used tampon.
posted by wfrazerjr to golf at 02:02 PM - 10 comments
Jason Elam Retiring as a Bronco With One-Day Contract: Jason Elam's been banging in field goals for the Atlanta Falcons over the past two years (and fairly successfully -- he hit at a 94-percent clip in 2008 before slipping to 63 percent last year), but for the 15 seasons prior to that, Elam wore the colors of the Denver Broncos.
posted by BornIcon to football at 12:45 PM - 5 comments
St. John’s names Steve Lavin as coach: Lavin brings a fresh style to the gritty city job. He has a San Francisco birth certificate, slicked-back hair and an L.A. wardrobe. He never had been a head coach and was only one year removed from a $16,000 salary (and a $70,000 pile of debt) when he was named UCLA coach in 1996, at 32.
posted by BornIcon to basketball at 08:49 AM - 0 comments
Baseball Leaving Birthplace of Cactus League: Sixty four years after the Cleveland Indians came to Tucson and became the first Major League team to play in Arizona's Cactus League, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies are leaving the city behind for a new facility near a Scottsdale casino.
posted by rcade to baseball at 08:33 AM - 9 comments
SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 6 comments
March 30, 2010
Dontrelle Willis Makes Tigers' Starting Rotation: Just one month after saying that he's a terrible pitcher, Dontrelle Willis was able to show manager Jim Leyland enough to open the season as the Detroit Tigers' No. 3 starter.
posted by rcade to baseball at 10:16 PM - 5 comments
McNabb to Oakland?: Get ready for some false rumor monger accusations. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on NFL Live Monday that the Raiders are the "clear cut favorites" to land Donovan McNabb.
posted by BornIcon to football at 06:21 AM - 17 comments
SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 5 comments
March 29, 2010
Chiefs leaving Johnstown, for real this time: The Johnstown Chiefs franchise will move to Greenville, S.C., after the current ECHL season concludes, pending approval by a Greenville arena authority and then the league, owner Neil Smith confirmed before Sunday’s game at Cambria County War Memorial Arena.
posted by tommytrump to hockey at 11:43 PM - 4 comments
Marlins Give Hanley Ramirez More Jewelry To Not Wear On The Field: Last year, Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez bristled when, during spring training, the team imposed a ban on long hair and wearing jewelry while on the field.
posted by BornIcon to baseball at 05:56 PM - 6 comments
Mikhail Prokhorov On '60 Minutes': Russian Billionaire Shows His Gun : Mikhail Prokhorov, the Russian billionaire who seeks to buy the New Jersey Nets, was profiled on 60 Minutes Sunday night. The financial and metals magnate flew Steve Kroft to Russia and showcased his businesses, luxurious living quarters, and other items such as a Kalashnikov assault rifle.
posted by BornIcon to basketball at 05:49 PM - 5 comments
Coyotes Celebrate First Playoff Berth in Eight Years: The Phoenix Coyotes celebrated their first playoff berth since 2002 with a 6-2 victory Saturday over the Colorado Avalanche. Despite being owned by the NHL after a bankruptcy, the Coyotes have become the third team to reach 100 points this season. "It's special for us as a team," said Shane Doan, the captain of the team since it moved from Winnipeg 14 years ago.
posted by rcade to hockey at 02:56 PM - 17 comments
Tennessee Charges More 'Jock Tax' Than Players Earn: When Detroit plays a road game tonight in Nashville, 17 Red Wings players will pay more in Tennessee's "jock tax" than they will earn playing the game, according to Detroit defenseman Brian Rafalski. "It's a tax rate of over 100%," he said. "It's just not a fair tax."
posted by rcade to general at 02:47 PM - 17 comments
Woody's Popping Up All Over the Place: The reclusive owner of the New York Jets, Woody Johnson, has suddenly become the public face of the franchise, inviting HBO's Hard Knocks show into training camp and interacting with fans he runs into on the streets as they prepare to open a new stadium with the Giants in August. "We're coming into our own," he said.
posted by rcade to football at 01:28 PM - 3 comments
Yankees Start World's Most Expensive Team: The New York Yankees are the world's highest-paid players in a team sport ahead of soccer teams Real Madrid, Barcelona and Chelsea and -- what the hell? -- the Dallas Mavericks. This determination was made in the first Annual Review of Global Sports Salaries by SportingIntelligence.Com, which looked at average first-team pay. The Yankees' starters average $7 million a year compared to Real Madrid's $6.2 million. There's more on the study at the Telegraph.
posted by rcade to baseball at 09:54 AM - 20 comments
Are NFL Broadcasts Too Good?: Longtime Jacksonville Jaguars beat writer Vito Stellino wonders if NFL broadcasts are getting too good to get butts off their couches and into the stadium seats. "[T]he NFL keeps making it more attractive to stay home and watch on TV. ... why should a fan fight traffic, pay for parking, pay sky-high concession prices, listen to drunken fans shout obscenities, sit in poor weather and fight traffic on the way home when they can watch it all in their air-conditioned den on high-definition TV with all the comforts of home?"
posted by rcade to football at 08:48 AM - 8 comments
SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 12 comments
March 28, 2010
Spain's La Liga is turning into the Scottish Premier League: glitzy domination by just two immensely wealthy clubs, Barcelona and Real Madrid, who are supported by 2/3 of Spain's population, is masking enormous structural problems in arguably the top soccer league in the world. The detailed article analogizes the problem to the unhealthy Scottish dominance of Celtic and Rangers.
posted by rumple to soccer at 02:11 PM - 11 comments
Mets' Takahashi Throws Eight Different Pitches: New York Mets starting pitcher Hisanori Takahashi throws eight pitches: a straight four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball, a slider, a cut fastball, two different sinkers and two curves. "Somehow a splitter and a knuckleball eluded him," writes David Waldstein of the New York Times.
posted by rcade to baseball at 12:59 PM - 17 comments
YouTube Offers Live Indian Premier League Cricket Matches: "Earlier this year it was announced that YouTube would begin live streaming of select sports content. NFL football? English Premier League soccer? No, IPL cricket," blogs EyeCube. Here's the four hour and 34 minute March 21 match between the Deccan Chargers and Delhi Daredevils.
posted by rcade to other at 12:52 PM - 5 comments
W. Virginia KOs No. 1 Kentucky, heads to Indy: Country roads, take me home. Or better yet, Indianapolis. It's almost heaven, West Virginia. Da'Sean Butler and the Mountaineers are off to the Final Four for the first time since 1959.
posted by BornIcon to basketball at 07:58 AM - 5 comments
SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 6 comments
March 27, 2010
Butler heads to Final Four: Another reason to love the NCAA basketball tournaments.
posted by jjzucal to basketball at 08:14 PM - 3 comments
Another Drew Revives Basketball at Baylor: Despite receiving no votes in the AP preseason poll, the Scott Drew-led Baylor Bears are one win away from reaching the Final Four. Drew, the older brother of Bryce and son of coach Homer, "inherited a program decimated by one player murdering another player, a program rocked so hard by scandal that the Bears weren't allowed to play non-league games just four years ago," writes Gary Parrish.
posted by rcade to basketball at 04:46 PM - 3 comments
Milton Bradley Embraces 'Bad Guy' Reputation: "If I was a musician, I'd be Kanye West. If I was in the NBA, I'd be Ron Artest. In baseball, they've got Milton Bradley. I'm that guy. You need people like me, so you can point your finger and go, 'There goes the bad guy.'" -- Seattle Mariners outfielder Milton Bradley
posted by rcade to baseball at 12:44 PM - 5 comments
MLS Wizards Sign India's Top Striker: The Kansas City Wizards have signed Sunil Chhetri, the star of India's national team, an event so big in his native country that 400 Indian journalists covered the announcement. "We only saw a little bit of him on YouTube, but enough that we were able to say we would be interested in seeing this player live," said Wizards Coach Peter Vermes.
posted by rcade to soccer at 11:51 AM - 0 comments
The Flying Belgian: Leander Vyvey, a Belgian kiteboarder, jumps off a rooftop with a kite. Posters on Kiteforum.com debate whether the video can be real. Kiteboarding, previously (via MetaFilter).
posted by rcade to extreme at 08:25 AM - 3 comments
SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 2 comments
March 26, 2010
Calipari May Be Asked to Give Back Memphis Bonuses: While at Memphis, coach John Calipari was paid $360,000 in bonuses for a 38-win season and Final Four appearance in 2007-08. Now that they've been taken away due to Derrick Rose's invalid SAT score, the school is considering whether to get the money back. USA Today asks: "With wins gone, should Calipari should give back his Memphis bonuses?"
posted by rcade to basketball at 06:58 PM - 4 comments
South Korea’s Formidable 'Double Dragon': Nice intro to two young emerging South Korean stars, both 21 and regularly playing for Bolton and Celtic as well as forming the midfield engine for their national team.
posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 12:33 PM - 6 comments
FIU steps up security after football player Kendall Berry stabbed to death on campus: Florida International University has stepped up security on campus after football player Kendall Berry was stabbed to death on the school's main Miami campus late Thursday night, an incident that shocked the university community and put police on a search for multiple suspects.
posted by BornIcon to football at 11:03 AM - 5 comments
TV Sports Pioneer Chet Simmons Dead at 81: Chet Simmons, the sports broadcaster who was the first president of ESPN and the founding commissioner of the USFL, has died at age 81. More on Simmons from ESPN.
posted by rcade to general at 10:01 AM - 5 comments
SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 18 comments
Butler Did It : The Bulldogs reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the first time, coming from behind with an 11-0 run to beat Syracuse 63-59 in a West Regional semifinal Thursday night. No. 5 seed Butler (31-4) will take a school-record 23-game winning streak into Saturday's final against No. 2 seed Kansas State (29-7). A victory would send the Bulldogs to a Final Four at Lucas Oil Stadium, seven miles from their campus.
posted by tommytrump to basketball at 12:34 AM - 4 comments
March 25, 2010
Florida Coach Urban Meyer Rips Reporter: Florida Gators coach Urban Meyer confronted an Orlando Sentinel reporter at practice for reporting a quote from a Florida wide receiver about Tim Tebow. "You're a bad guy, man. You're a bad guy," Meyer told Jeremy Fowler. "If it was my son, we'd be going at it right now." Fowler's response: "A reporter's probably not doing his or her job without getting blasted once in awhile."
posted by rcade to football at 05:58 PM - 10 comments
World Beater: how an unemployed guy with $500 and 0 support staff managed to place third in his class in WRC Mexico. Photos. His Youtube channel. [via Kottke]
posted by yerfatma to auto racing at 01:12 PM - 10 comments
David Duval Climbing Back Up the Rankings: Golfer David Duval "believes a late-career resurgence is within his grasp after nearly eight years of battling injuries and subsequent swing glitches that dropped him as low as 882nd in the world," the Florida Times-Union reported today. He's currently 36th in the PGA FedEx Cup standings after making three cuts and tying for second at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
posted by rcade to golf at 12:52 PM - 2 comments
Canseco Subpoenaed by Clemens Grand Jury: A grand jury investigating whether Roger Clemens lied to Congress when he denied using performance-enhancing drugs has subpoenaed Jose Canseco, he revealed on Twitter. "Omg I just got a subpoena to testify," Canseco tweeted. "The shits gonna hit the fan real soon. Stay tooned."
posted by rcade to baseball at 10:35 AM - 10 comments
Nets on Verge of All-Time Season Loss Record: With 11 games left, the 8-63 New Jersey Nets have to win two more games to avoid matching the all-time worst 9-73 record of the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers. How bad has it gotten in New Jersey? "Carl Lewis was terrible," longtime season ticket holder Richie Greenberg said, "but at least Carl Lewis was over in two minutes and thirty seconds."
posted by rcade to basketball at 09:18 AM - 10 comments
SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 34 comments
March 24, 2010
Former Mets, Yankees star Dwight Gooden arrested for DWI after rush hour accident: A drugged-up Doc Gooden, whose substance abuse crippled his shot at baseball immortality, was arrested after a morning rush hour accident with his son in the car, police said Wednesday.
posted by BornIcon to baseball at 05:09 PM - 8 comments
Investigators withdraw Roethlisberger DNA request: Investigators have withdrawn a request seeking a DNA sample from NFL quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, his attorney said Wednesday. Roethlisberger, who has been the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers for six seasons, is accused of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman at a rural Georgia nightspot this month. He has not been charged.
posted by BornIcon to football at 01:52 PM - 5 comments
NFL Approves New Playoff Overtime Rule: By a 28-4 vote, the NFL approved the new playoffs overtime rule that gives each team at least one possession in the extra period unless the team that wins the overtime coin toss scores a touchdown. The "no" votes came from Baltimore, Buffalo, Cincinnati and Minnesota. Barring a change, the Vikings are now the last team that will ever lose a playoff game on a field goal without touching the ball. Some coaches, including Sean Payton of New Orleans, think the NFL snuck the vote while they were away from the meetings.
posted by rcade to football at 11:38 AM - 22 comments
NFL Wants Fans to Watch TV at NFL Games: The NFL has reached a new $720 million, four-year TV deal selling the eyeballs of viewers in an unlikely place -- its own games. The Verizon Mobile agreement enables fans to stream games live on mobile phones on the NFL's RedZone Channel. "The new revenue streams are here. It's a new frontier that will lead to newer frontiers," said New York Giants owner Steve Tisch.
posted by rcade to football at 09:32 AM - 4 comments
High School Pitcher Struck by 100-Mph Batted Ball: Gunnar Sandberg, a 16-year-old pitcher from Marin [Calif.] Catholic School, is fighting for life 12 days after being struck in the left temple by a batted ball. The school has stopped using aluminum bats out of safety concerns. The aluminum-hit ball was going at least 100 mph. Doctors are waiting for him to come out of a chemically induced coma.
posted by rcade to baseball at 08:54 AM - 12 comments
SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 14 comments
March 23, 2010
Blog Covers All Bases of Dodgers Owners' Divorce: The messy breakup of Los Angeles Dodgers owners Frank and Jamie McCourt has inspired the creation of DodgerDivorce.Com, a blog "one-stop shop for news and insight into the McCourt divorce" written by Joshua Fisher of Hardball Times. "The damage Frank's suffered due to the divorce is the unfortunate (for him) airing of the club's financial laundry," he writes. "You don't get to be the marquee team in Los Angeles and spend about the same as the Minnesota Twins."
posted by rcade to baseball at 04:27 PM - 10 comments
Playing Basketball from the Closet: "I'm a pro basketball player and a gay guy at the same time, something which people don't easily accept in our world. After many years in this business and many years of putting one side of my life on hold, I decided that the least I can do for myself and others is to share a little of what I'm going through since it doesn't look like I'm going to be coming out any time soon." From Dime Magazine's post Secret Life of the Gay American Basketball Player (via MetaFilter).
posted by rcade to basketball at 01:24 PM - 3 comments
American Scores One of Fulham's Greatest Goals: New York Times sportswriter Rob Hughes waxes poetic on Clint Dempsey's magical goal for Fulham against Juventus this week: "The strike was a work of art, delivered with apparent nonchalance. We have seen such shooting from Eric Cantona, and very few others. ... The goal will be remembered by Fulham folk as long as they go to matches. Fulham has never, in 131 years of its own history, had a more monumental milestone."
posted by rcade to soccer at 09:13 AM - 32 comments
Arnold Palmer Owns 10,000 Golf Clubs: At 80, Arnold Palmer has become the Imelda Marcos of golf clubs. He has 10,000 clubs and 2,000 putters stored away in Latrobe, Pa., and Orlando and is still looking to acquire more in his quest for the perfect club. "I'm still trying to find it," he says.
posted by rcade to golf at 08:24 AM - 3 comments
SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 14 comments
March 22, 2010
Illinois Teen Becomes Hoops Scouting Guru: An 18-year-old less than a year out of high school has become the go-to guy for college coaches recruiting prep basketball players in Illinois. Daniel Poneman began IllinoisHSBasketball.Com when he was 14 and is about to go national. "I would not skip college just so I could become a basketball scout and make money," said Poneman, who is holding a March 28 tournament in Deerfield, Illinois, to showcase lesser-known players for coaches at mid- and lower-level college programs. "I would only make that choice if there was a larger impact I could make."
posted by rcade to basketball at 07:24 PM - 2 comments
Is Mike Tyson's pigeon-racing show cruel? PETA says yes.: Looks like PETA has stepped into the ring with boxer Mike Tyson: On March 18, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent a letter to prosecutors in New York City requesting that they investigate Tyson's new pigeon-racing Animal Planet reality show, which will film in Brooklyn.
posted by BornIcon to culture at 01:34 PM - 13 comments
Flames' Langkow Hit in Neck by Puck, Carried Off Ice: Calgary Flames center Daymond Langkow was hit with a puck in the back of the neck between the shoulder blades in Sunday's game against the Minnesota Wild. He was removed from the ice on a stretcher and hospitalized overnight. Early signs are good and he has feeling and motion in his extremities, but doctors are still running tests. See the video.
SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 21 comments
March 21, 2010
Is This the World's Richest Sporting League?: Mind you, it's one you've probably never heard of, in a sport you've likely never seen. But two new franchises have just sold for more than $700 million.
posted by owlhouse to other at 10:56 PM - 11 comments
Also Official: Joe Mauer A Twin Through 2018: Whle Nathan is out for the year (see previous post), the Twins lock up catcher Joe Mauer with an 8-year, $184M ($23M per year) deal that will keep Mauer a Twin through 2018. His deal includes a full no-trade clause.
posted by TheQatarian to baseball at 07:52 PM - 9 comments
Twins' Joe Nathan Out for Year with Tommy John Surgery: Minnesota Twins closer Joe Nathan is going to undergo Tommy John surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament tear suffered two weeks ago and will be out for the season -- if not longer. The Twins are furiously shopping for a replacement and may be considering Toronto's Jason Frasor.
posted by rcade to baseball at 06:00 PM - 3 comments
Nationals Send Stephen Strasburg to Minors: Despite being the team's "best pitcher in spring training" according to USA Today, pitcher Stephen Strasburg was sent to the minors on Saturday by the Washington Nationals. "I'm not a believer that a player can come from amateur baseball and step right into the major leagues," Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said. "I've seen terrific prospects attempt it and the failure rate is too great. This is a prized asset." Strasburg, the top pick in this year's Major League draft, will pitch for the Double A Harrisburg Senators.
posted by rcade to baseball at 04:38 PM - 13 comments
SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 13 comments
March 20, 2010
Northern Iowa Knocks Off No. 1 Seed Kansas: Ali Farokhmanesh's three-pointer with 34 seconds left helped Northern Iowa
pull off the biggest upset in the NCAA tournament, beating top overall seed Kansas 69-67 Saturday. It was the first time a No. 1 seed has been kept out of the third round since 2004.
posted by rcade to basketball at 09:37 PM - 16 comments
Major League Soccer Reaches New CBA, Avoids Strike: Major League Soccer and its players union announced a five-year collective bargaining agreement Saturday afternoon, ensuring that the league's 15th season will kick off on time Thursday. The new deal with players has a majority of contracts guaranteed and greater ability to change teams at the end of a contract -- though not outright free agency, reports USA Today.
posted by rcade to soccer at 07:40 PM - 5 comments
MLB Tells Yanks, Red Sox, Dodgers to Speed Up: Major League Baseball has told the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers to speed up the play of their games. The teams' nine inning games averaged 3:08 hours, 3:04 hours and 3:02 hours last season, respectively, above the league average of 2:52. "I would contend that that [faster] pace of game -- and many players have told me this -- helps players pay attention and play better," said MLB exec Jimmie Lee Solomon.
posted by rcade to baseball at 02:17 PM - 10 comments
American High School Dropout Quits Israeli Pro Team: Jeremy Tyler, the 18-year-old 6-foot-11 center who became the first American high school player to skip his senior year and play overseas, has left his Maccabi Haifa team in Israel and flown home. Tyler played in only 10 games, averaging 2.1 points, 1.9 rebounds and 7.6 minutes. "I'm disappointed and hurt," said his agent Makhtar Ndiaye.
posted by rcade to basketball at 01:03 PM - 1 comment
LeBron James Youngest to 15,000 Points: During the first quarter of the Cavs-Bulls game Friday night, the 25-year, 2-month and 19-day-old LeBron James became the youngest player in NBA history to score 15,000 points, breaking Kobe Bryant's mark by more than two years.
posted by rcade to basketball at 12:21 PM - 2 comments
SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 12 comments
March 19, 2010
Vin Scully Hospitalized After Fall: Legendary broadcaster Vin Scully hit his head in a fall at home and was hospitalized Thursday night, but the team reports that he's doing well. Scully, 82, has been with the Dodgers for 59 years -- the longest of any current sports broadcaster with the same team.
posted by rcade to baseball at 03:58 PM - 5 comments
CNN: Why America Never Fell In Love with Soccer: In a piece that covers the early history of American participation in the World Cup, James Montague tackles the question of why soccer's been a hard sell in the United States for most of the beautiful game's history. "As almost every nation on Earth embraced its rapid spread around the globe, the U.S. remained one of the few, resolute outposts of abstention," he writes. "But why has it been so difficult for Americans to take soccer to their hearts?" When the U.S. shocked the world with a 1-0 win over England in 1950's cup, only one American newspaper covered the event. Player Walter Bahr said that when he got back home, the only person there to greet him was his wife.
posted by rcade to soccer at 03:18 PM - 34 comments
Cliff Lee Suspended First 5 Games for Chin Music: Seattle pitcher Cliff Lee has been suspended for the first five games of the regular season for throwing a pitch over the head of Arizona's Chris Snyder in an exhibition game this week. Lee's in his first season with Seattle after helping Philadelphia reach the World Series.
posted by rcade to baseball at 10:06 AM - 8 comments
NHL May Prohibit Attempted Decapitations: The NHL is considering a new rule against blind-side head checks that could take effect as early as the current season. Matt Cooke of the Pittsburgh Penguins, a skater described by Don Cherry as "gutless" and "backstabbing" for his headhunting, helped spur the move with a vicious shot that knocked out Boston's Marc Savard a day before general managers met to consider rules changes. Cooke's response: "It gives people something to talk about."
posted by rcade to hockey at 09:59 AM - 19 comments
SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 11 comments
March 18, 2010
Florida Coach Urban Meyer Already Back to Work: After retiring for his family and health concerns, then unretiring a day later to take a "leave of absence," Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer returned to work at the first day of the team's spring practice Wednesday. Acting head coach Steve Addazio returns to his assistant duties after 75 days at the helm, amassing a record of 0 wins, 0 losses and 0 practices. Asks the Orlando Sentinel, "Did [Meyer] ever really leave at all?"
posted by rcade to football at 02:25 PM - 3 comments
Michael Jordan buys the Charlotte Bobcats: Now we find out how the Charlotte Bobcats will operate with Michael Jordan truly in charge. Jordan beat out former Houston Rockets president George Postolos, who led an investor group looking to buy the team.
posted by BornIcon to basketball at 01:14 PM - 1 comment
Education Secretary Wants No Post-Season Play for Low-Graduation Schools: Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has proposed to the NCAA that schools with graduation rates of less than 40% should be banned from postseason collegiate play. If such a rule was in place today, the following basketball teams wouldn't be in the NCAA basketball tournament: Arkansas-Pine Bluff (graduation rate 29%), Baylor (36%), California (20%), Clemson (37%), Georgia Tech (38%), Kentucky (31%), Louisville (38%), Maryland (8%), Missouri (36%), New Mexico State (36%), Tennessee (30%) and Washington (29%). Duncan asks, "If you can't graduate two out of five of your student-athletes, how serious are you about the academic part of your mission?"
posted by rcade to general at 12:23 PM - 13 comments
SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 15 comments
March 17, 2010
SportsFilter NCAA Bracket Competition on CBS Sports: If you'd like to prove that you're a better basketball prognosticator than President Obama, SportsFilter's NCAA Bracket competition is set up on CBS Sports. Visit the link, create an account (or login) and use invitation code "setshot" (no quotes). The deadline is noon Eastern on Thursday.
posted by rcade to fantasy at 08:02 PM - 13 comments
Nats: Dukes let go for on-field reasons: The Washington Nationals have released outfielder Elijah Dukes, a surprising move since the team was expected to start the 25-year-old in right field this season. Although Dukes has a troubled off-the-field history that includes several assaults, a restraining order by his wife and fathering five children by four women, the team said the move is strictly performance related.
posted by BornIcon to baseball at 02:07 PM - 6 comments
Winning Time: Pacers-Knicks and the Legacy of Reggie Miller: The Pacers-Knicks rivalry changed the whole aspect of the NBA during Michael Jordan's first retirement. When he quit the NBA for baseball, the NBA ratings looked to go down. Larry Bird was getting old and was having problems and Magic Johnson retired with his HIV. The Pacers-Knicks rivalry was pretty much a football game on a basketball court, but minus the equipment. This is where Reggie's legacy became untouchable.
posted by BornIcon to basketball at 01:48 PM - 8 comments
Rangers Manager Tested Positive for Cocaine: "Ron Washington tested positive for cocaine during the 2009 season," SI.com has learned.
posted by yerfatma to baseball at 01:35 PM - 30 comments
Yup, That's Some Blackface At A Hockey Game: Got a highly touted prospect in the minors, and you want to show the world you're a fan? You could wear his jersey. Or, if you're in Quebec, you could break out the shoe polish and afro wigs. Montreal Canadiens Fans: Racist or Harmless Humour?
posted by tommytrump to hockey at 01:12 PM - 24 comments
Vegas Odds College Basketball 2010: NCAA Tournament Odds: Vegas likes Kansas and Kentucky as March Madness favorites.
posted by gfinsf to basketball at 08:24 AM - 6 comments
SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 6 comments
March 16, 2010
Tiger Woods Will Return to Play Masters: Tiger Woods will return to golf on April 8 to play this year's Masters, he said in a statement. "The Masters is where I won my first major and I view this tournament with great respect," he said. "After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I'm ready to start my season at Augusta. The major championships have always been a special focus in my career and, as a professional, I think Augusta is where I need to be, even though it's been a while since I last played." Since World War II, only Ben Hogan has started a golf season with this event and won it.
posted by rcade to golf at 01:28 PM - 21 comments
SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 11 comments
March 15, 2010
The Top 50 world Cup Goals: The Times lists its best ever World Cup Goals, (annoyingly spread over 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 pages). Click the links to watch the goals.
posted by Mr Bismarck to soccer at 12:05 PM - 11 comments
Beckham To Miss World Cup?: The idea was that David Beckham would get more quality playing time in Italy than the U.S. and therefore a better chance of making Fabio Capello's England side this summer. Instead, Becks' "dream of playing in a fourth World Cup looks to be over after he tore his left Achilles tendon in AC Milan's 1-0 win over Chievo on Sunday." Fabio Capello seems resigned to being without Beckham for the World Cup finals in June saying "[w]e have to wait for the results of the scan but it looks like he is out of the World Cup." Beckham is understandably a bit more optimistic, and wants to wait until after he has had surgery, but others think it may be the end of his career.
posted by scully to soccer at 11:46 AM - 10 comments
Tomlinson signs 2-year deal with Jets: When LaDainian Tomlinson completed his visit with the Minnesota Vikings last Thursday, he left with a Vikings jersey in hand. On Sunday, he accepted something of far greater value from the Jets — a two-year contract to become their newest running back and perhaps complete his Hall of Fame career with them
posted by BornIcon to football at 07:30 AM - 8 comments
SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 2 comments
March 14, 2010
Brady Quinn Traded to Denver Broncos: Brady Quinn, the second quarterback selected in the 2007 NFL Draft, was traded by the Cleveland Browns to the Denver Broncos for fullback Peyton Hillis, a 2011 sixth-round draft pick, and a conditional pick in 2012 tied to Quinn's playing time.
posted by rcade to football at 08:29 PM - 12 comments
SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 4 comments
March 13, 2010
U.S. U-17 women beat Haiti 9-0, then offer hugs: As Haiti's coach helped the crying goalkeeper to her feet, U.S. goalie Bryane Heaberlin walked the length of the pitch, gave Coby a hug and didn't let go.
posted by gfinsf to soccer at 08:11 AM - 5 comments
SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 13 comments
Premier Fanstasy League: How come no one is keeping track of our Football Fantasy League? :( I blame this lack of updates on my poor performance...
posted by StarFucker to fantasy at 01:56 AM - 8 comments
March 12, 2010
Guilty: A Denver jury has 26 year-old Willie Clark guilty of 21 charges, including two for first-degree murder in the New Year's Day 2007 shooting death of Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams (prev. on SpoFi). Clark's sentencing is scheduled for April 30, when Judge Christina Habas is expected to give him life in prison.
posted by Ufez Jones to football at 11:10 AM - 3 comments
SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 14 comments
March 11, 2010
NY Post: Tiger Woods Will Return to Golf March 25: Tiger Woods will return to golf two weeks from now at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, two sources told the New York Post. "I would be shocked if he didn't play the Arnold Palmer," said one of the informants, who the paper described only as "sources in the golf community."
posted by rcade to golf at 02:45 PM - 20 comments
Rams Great Merlin Olsen Dies: Pro Football Hall of Famer and television actor Merlin Olsen has died at age 69 after being diagnosed last year with mesothelioma. Olsen, drafted in the first round out of Utah State in 1962, became part of the Los Angeles Rams' "Fearsome Foursome." He remains the Rams all-time tackle leader with 915 and has the Utah State football field named in his honor.
posted by rcade to football at 12:29 PM - 13 comments
Torii Hunter: Latino Players are Black 'Imposters': In a discussion about the number of black players in the Major Leagues, Los Angeles Angels center fielder Torii Hunter said during a USA Today-hosted committee to improve baseball panel that black Latinos don't count. "People see dark faces out there, and the perception is that they're African-American. They're not us. They're impostors. Even people I know come up and say: 'Hey, what color is Vladimir Guerrero? Is he a black player?' I say, 'Come on, he's Dominican. He's not black.' ... As African-American players, we have a theory that baseball can go get an imitator and pass them off as us. It's like they had to get some kind of dark faces, so they go to the Dominican or Venezuela because you can get them cheaper. It's like, 'Why should I get this kid from the South Side of Chicago and have Scott Boras represent him and pay him $5 million when you can get a Dominican guy for a bag of chips?' ... I'm telling you, it's sad." American black players have lamented the decline of Jackie Robinson's sport among their race in favor of basketball, football and other sports. Major League Baseball has 8% black players and 28% foreign at present.
posted by rcade to baseball at 08:46 AM - 39 comments
Attorney: Pa. officers with Roethlisberger at club: Two off-duty Pennsylvania law enforcement officers were with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger at the Georgia nightclub where a woman accused him of sexual assault, and the two men didn't see anything inappropriate, an attorney for one of them said Wednesday.
posted by BornIcon to football at 06:06 AM - 35 comments
SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 27 comments
March 10, 2010
Muhammed and Annie: Ali-Frazier II on the cover, Annie Dillard inside. I don't read the print edition of SI much anymore; do they still publish this sort of thing? And later in the year, they also ran Jonathan Yardley's review of the year's notable books; he had this to say about her Pilgrim at Tinker Creek: If you like nature writing that is cuddly and cute, you will not like Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. If, on the other hand, you admire writing that views nature with both awe and honesty, this is for you. Dillard is no mean stylist, and she brings all of her substantial gifts to bear on what she sees in and around the creek near her Virginia mountain home.
posted by Uncle Toby to culture at 01:23 PM - 0 comments
SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 27 comments
March 09, 2010
Emmitt Smith, Daniel Snyder exchange pleasantries: We interrupt our ongoing coverage of Free Agency Frenzy Lite to point out that Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith has taken aim recently at someone he never once faced personally on a football field. Redskins owner Daniel Snyder.
posted by BornIcon to football at 03:33 PM - 7 comments
Edwards gets probation for intentionally wrecking Keselowski: NASCAR driver Carl Edwards received a three-race probation penalty for intentionally wrecking fellow driver Brad Keselowski during Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The two have a history, including Keselowski wrecking Edwards on the final lap at Talledega last season.
posted by wfrazerjr to auto racing at 02:34 PM - 14 comments
Fantasy Baseball?: Don't know who's set up our league in the past, but I'll set one up this weekend if there's interest. Gimme a holla, yo!
posted by The_Black_Hand to fantasy at 01:40 PM - 14 comments
71 and counting: the women of UConn break their own record for the most consecutive victories by a women's college basketball team.
posted by lil_brown_bat to basketball at 09:16 AM - 14 comments
SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 8 comments
March 08, 2010
SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 14 comments
March 07, 2010
Jaguars Sign Defensive End Aaron Kampman: After finishing last season with 14 sacks, the lowest in franchise history and fifth-lowest in NFL history, the Jacksonville Jaguars signed free agent Aaron Kampman after eight seasons in Green Bay. The terms are not yet disclosed, according to the Florida Times-Union, but the three-time Pro Bowler is probably getting something close to the four-year, $26 million deal defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch signed Friday with Detroit.
posted by rcade to football at 07:22 PM - 2 comments
SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 05:40 PM - 8 comments
Four seconds: Sidney Crosby's goal like you've never seen it: How a few minor mistakes, barely noticeable acts of brilliance and decades of preparation handed Sidney Crosby -- and Canada -- a golden moment
posted by tommytrump to olympics at 10:33 AM - 7 comments
March 06, 2010
SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 8 comments
March 05, 2010
Police in Georgia Investigating Ben Roethlisberger: Police in Milledgeville, Ga. said that they are investigating Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger after an alleged incident at a nightclub Friday morning. No charges of any kind have been filed, but police announced that a 20-year-old woman is accusing him of sexual assault.
posted by rcade to football at 07:28 PM - 34 comments
Tyson vs Holyfield 3?: According to a recent interview with boxingtalk, former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson has hinted at a possible return to the ring for a third fight with 4-time heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield.
posted by BornIcon to boxing at 09:47 AM - 19 comments
Panthers Cut Jake Delhomme: The Carolina Panthers cut starting quarterback Jake Delhomme Thursday, almost one year after signing him to a five-year, $42.5 million extension that included $20 million in guaranteed money. Delhomme led the team to a Super Bowl berth but played poorly since a six-turnover performance against the Arizona Cardinals in the 2009 NFC Championship game. He threw a career-high 18 interceptions last season despite playing just 11 games.
posted by rcade to football at 09:21 AM - 12 comments
SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 16 comments
March 04, 2010
Premier League Rejects Playoff Proposal: England's Premiership has rejected an idea to use a playoff to decide fourth place, the last position to qualify for the Champions League. Representatives for Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United spoke up in opposition to the idea, while Aston Villa's Martin O'Neill called it something "people might go for." Fourteen of 20 teams needed to OK the proposal.
How Fast Did Taylor Mays Run at the NFL Combine?: When USC safety Taylor Mays ran the 40-yard dash at the recent NFL Combine, he was originally reported at a shockingly fleet 4.24 seconds -- one of the fastest times ever recorded at the scouting event, equal to Titans running back Chris Johnson. Later, Mays' time was revised down to 4.43 seconds. But some cool video from the NFL Network shows the fastest athletes running simultaneously, and Mays is clearly the second fastest runner behind wide receiver Jacoby Ford's 4.28. Former USC Coach Pete Carroll says he once clocked Mays at 4.19 seconds. He's projected to be a top 10 pick.
posted by rcade to football at 10:08 AM - 0 comments
Thrill List: College basketball: It's getting close to tournament time. What are your best moments? Good or bad?
posted by gfinsf to basketball at 09:57 AM - 15 comments
Collins' KU farewell ends in triumph: From antother article:Growing up on Chicago’s West Side, it wasn’t uncommon for Collins to see drug dealers and prostitutes in his apartment courtyard. He witnessed someone carve a tattoo off the chest of a rival gang member and, when he was 16, one of his best friends was shot in the head and killed moments after he left Collins’ home. With his father in prison and his mother working through the night to support him and his older brother, Sherron turned to sports to try to steer clear of trouble. He spent most of his free time at the local Boys and Girls Club and even slept there on occasion.
posted by gfinsf to basketball at 08:43 AM - 3 comments
SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 20 comments
College coach supports theft and suppression of news: College football coach Guy Morriss is fully in favor of his team's recent student newspaper caper, and feels that his players' actions are beneficial to the team.
posted by beaverboard to football at 12:46 AM - 6 comments
March 03, 2010
NCAA Unlocks Vault of March Madness Games: The NCAA has launched NCAA Vault, an interactive online archive that includes the full games of every Sweet 16 game on to the championship from 2000 through last year, each game tagged with 6,000 tags so you can jump right to highlights.
posted by rcade to basketball at 06:10 PM - 5 comments
SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 14 comments
March 02, 2010
PGA Ordered John Daly to Rehab 7 Times: During his career, golfer John Daly has been ordered into alcohol rehab seven times by the PGA, fined $100,000, cited 21 times for "failure to give best efforts" and cited 11 times for "conduct unbecoming a professional," according to his 456-page personnel file. He also nearly ran over an ATF agent at a U.S. Open security checkpoint and insulted a tour participant's mother at the 1994 World Series of Golf. The file became public because of the spectacularly unsuccessful defamation suit Daly filed in 2005 against Florida Times-Union columnist Mike Freeman. The Times-Union obtained the file as part of its defense of the suit and reported on it for the first time today. "Many of the incidents detailed in Daly's Tour file involve alcohol-fueled misconduct," the paper reported.
posted by rcade to golf at 06:14 PM - 23 comments
Peter Pascarelli gets the Trotsky treatment: Two weeks ago, Peter Pascarelli, as one of the hosts of ESPN's podcast Baseball Today, made a throwaway comment about how pigeons might improve the appearance of the recently unveiled statue of Bud Selig at Miller Park. The next day an unscheduled episode of the podcast was released that consisted entirely of Pascarelli making an epic mea culpa to Selig and praising his career as baseball's commissioner. Last week's scheduled episode of Baseball Today did not include Pascarelli and the other host and producer made no mention of the previous week's events or of their missing co-host.
posted by ursus_comiter to baseball at 08:35 AM - 13 comments
SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 41 comments
March 01, 2010
Tiger May Have More to Apologize For: The story actually began last September, before the walls came tumbling down, when the doctor who helped Woods recover from his 2008 knee surgery came under suspicion for possessing performance enhancing drugs.
posted by bluesdog to golf at 06:24 PM - 36 comments
US Sets Record for Most Medals at Winter Olympics: The final medal count for the Vancouver Olympics is 37 for the United States, the most by any country ever in the Winter Games. It's only the second time the U.S. has led the winter count. The first occurred at Lake Placid in 1932. The Wall Street Journal asks: Does this herald an era of American dominance to rival those of the Soviet Union and East Germany in the past?
posted by rcade to olympics at 09:31 AM - 57 comments
SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 11 comments