11/21/24
Archives for July 2010
July 31, 2010
Amar'e Stoudemire Explores Jewish Roots: New York Knicks center-forward Amar'e Stoudemire has flown to Israel to explore his Jewish heritage. "Jerusalem is a beautiful city, I'm at a cafe eating a late lunch," he twittered. "I'm learning Hebrew by the min. Keep up !! Shalom."
posted by rcade to basketball at 06:10 PM - 1 comment
Australian Football Makes Run at Europe: The first European Championships of Australian Football take place this weekend in Denmark and Sweden. Teams from eight countries will participate. Ireland, which has been playing for 10 years and has 250 athletes, is the favorite. "Unlike most team sports, it's a competition Ireland have a genuine chance of winning," reports JOE.ie, "the website for Irish men."
posted by rcade to other at 04:09 PM - 2 comments
Sam Bradford Signs NFL's Richest Contract: Quarterback Sam Bradford, the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, has agreed to a six-year, $78 million contract with the St. Louis Rams that includes $50 million in guaranteed money -- the largest contract in NFL history, according to UPI.
posted by rcade to football at 01:03 PM - 13 comments
AP source: Yankees on verge of acquiring Berkman: Lance Berkman is headed to the New York Yankees, who plan to complete a deal to acquire the former All-Star from the Houston Astros on Saturday, a day after the World Series champions obtained outfielder Austin Kearns from the Cleveland Indians.
posted by BornIcon to baseball at 08:51 AM - 2 comments
SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 7 comments
The Sports That Time Forgot: Cricket with horses, and jousting without horses, included.
posted by owlhouse to general at 02:26 AM - 0 comments
July 30, 2010
Friends, Pittsburghers Chew Up Roethlisberger: Today's New York Times has a long inside-the-helmet look at Ben Roethlisberger that gives some childhood friends and Pittsburgh locals another chance to call him a nice guy who became an arrogant self-entitled boor after NFL success went to his head. "He became a joke in this town and, in my industry, a laughingstock," said the general manager of Tad's, a trendy Southside Pittsburgh bar. "It grew into something he lost control of and it turned on him."
posted by rcade to football at 05:40 PM - 10 comments
Mike Tyson Interviews Above His Weight: Mike Tyson continues to be a great interview, as shown by these outtakes from a piece in the current Sports Illustrated. Tyson talks candidly about sex, drugs, prostitutes, prison, bathroom hygiene and Clovis, King of the Franks: "Clovis was king at 15. He gets to be king at 15 with some of his father's ragtag army. Still, he would conquer people and take all their lands."
N.J. man gets jail for Phillies game vomit-assault: A 21-year-old New Jersey man has been sentenced to up to three months in jail for intentionally vomiting on another spectator
posted by texpat to baseball at 12:51 PM - 22 comments
Gates Becomes NFL's Highest Paid Tight End: Antonio Gates has signed a $36.175 million, five-year contract extension -- with $20.4 million guaranteed -- with the San Diego Chargers, making him the NFL's highest-paid tight end. The six-time Pro Bowler has caught 59 touchdowns in seven seasons since being signed as an undrafted free agent out of Kent State in 2003.
posted by rcade to football at 11:48 AM - 5 comments
Raptors GM: Chris Bosh 'Checked Out' Last Season: Toronto Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo suggested in a radio interview that Chris Bosh "mentally checked out or, you know, just wasn't quite into it down the stretch, he wasn't the same guy. And I think everybody saw that, just no one wanted to acknowledge it."
posted by rcade to basketball at 08:36 AM - 8 comments
SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 4 comments
July 29, 2010
Report: Roy Oswalt headed to Philadelphia Phillies: ESPN.com is reporting that Roy Oswalt has agreed to waive his no-trade clause and will accept a trade from the Houston Astros to the Philadelphia Phillies. Houston reportedly would get left-hander J.A. Happ and two prospects from the Phillies in the deal.
posted by BornIcon to baseball at 04:17 PM - 6 comments
ESPN Spikes LeBron James Party Story: A story about LeBron James partying at a Las Vegas nightclub was taken off the ESPN Los Angeles site shortly after publication. The story by Arash Markazi, reprinted elsewhere, describes a party held after James' Miami signing that included "apparently nude" women in bathtubs, go-go dancers and a flying male waiter on a wire delivering endless bottles of Ace of Spades champagne. "I wish they'd have one of the girls with no panties do that instead of the guy," said James, who was paid "six figures" to host the three-day party.
posted by rcade to basketball at 02:34 PM - 27 comments
Timberwolves President: Beasley 'Smoked Too Much Marijuana': Minnesota Timberwolves President David Kahn told a local radio station why the team's new power forward Michael Beasley was worth acquiring despite some off-court stuff. "He's a very young and immature kid who smoked too much marijuana and has told me that he's not smoking anymore, and I told him that I would trust him as long as that was the case."
posted by rcade to basketball at 01:41 PM - 8 comments
Australian Cruiserweight Bout Sparks Fix Investigation: An IBO Cruiserweight fight in Australia last week ended with Paul Briggs knocked out at the start of the first round by a punch that didn't appear to land. See the video. Opponent Danny Green was livid in a post-fight interview but later backed off his remarks. A retired Supreme Court judge is investigating whether it was fixed.
posted by rcade to boxing at 10:03 AM - 9 comments
Lorenzen Wright's Body Reportedly Found in Memphis: Memphis homicide investigators arrived at the scene where the body of former NBA player and University of Memphis star Lorenzen Wright was reportedly found with multiple gunshot wounds on Wednesday.
posted by BornIcon to basketball at 07:22 AM - 4 comments
SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 9 comments
July 28, 2010
Max Talbot: 'Ovechkin is a douche': So much for political correctness. Max Talbot thinks Ovechkin Is a douch This was a interview on a Pittsburgh radio station. Max tells his true feelings.
posted by Debo270 to hockey at 10:43 PM - 7 comments
The Most-Hated Teams of All-Time: and part 2. Pretty US-centric, but some fond memories all the same.
posted by yerfatma to general at 01:13 PM - 25 comments
Chris Matthews: NBA Teams 'Carry White Players': In a discussion of affirmative action on MSNBC's Hardball last night, host Chris Matthews said that "I think a lot of NBA teams carry white players." Eugene Robinson objected with the retort that "Steve Nash was the MVP three years in a row," while Pat Buchanan responded "Larry Bird got where he was because he was the best!"
posted by rcade to basketball at 12:08 PM - 41 comments
The Greatest Ultimate Frisbee Catch You've Ever Seen: When the Seattle Sockeye played Boston Ironside at the ultimate flying disc world championships this year, Sockeye Andrew Fleming made an incredible highlight catch. Deadspin's snark brigade notwithstanding, it's a completely bitchin' grab.
posted by rcade to other at 11:51 AM - 6 comments
Adiós Diego: Despite a stellar record of 8 wins and 7 loses in his two years in charge of La Albiceleste, the Argentine Football Association has shown Diego Maradona the backhand of god and told him to suck it and keep on sucking it (possibly NSFW). It seems all because the prima(Mara)dona refused to change any of his staff, stating "if they touch a hair of one of my guys, even if it's the masseur or the kitman, I'm going."
posted by scully to soccer at 08:38 AM - 4 comments
SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 11 comments
July 27, 2010
T.O to become a Bengal: And it seems that nobody is more excited about it than Ochocinco. He signed a one year deal worth $2 M guaranteed money and $2 M in possible incentives.
posted by tahoemoj to football at 07:42 PM - 19 comments
Former Oakland Raiders All-Pro Safety Jack Tatum Dies: Jack Tatum, Former Oakland Raider Safety Dies at 61 years of age
posted by yzelda4045 to football at 03:18 PM - 9 comments
'Dear Tiger... I thought you'd like some good news': John Novosel, founder of Tour Tempo writes an open letter to Tiger Woods on Golf.com explaining that virtually all tour golfers have the same tempo: a 3-to-1 elapsed-time ratio of backswing to forward swing, measured to impact. he uses frames of TV footage to measure each aspect: 'I clocked you at a perfect 21/7 in the second round, when you nearly aced the par-4 18th. I had you at 24/8 on several other shots, which is how you swung a decade ago when you were winning tournaments by Oosthuizen-like margins.' Bobby Jones was a languid 27/9, Ernie Els in his prime was a 24/8, and Jack Nicklaus was a brisk 21/7. No mention of Charles Berkley.
posted by JJ to golf at 10:51 AM - 8 comments
Challenger for Best Goal Celebration Ever?: After Orri Halldor Bjornsson scored a late penalty goal to put Stjarnan over Fylkir 2-1 in Iceland's top flight of soccer, he began a choreographed routine that pays homage to the nation's love of fishing. See the video.
posted by JJ to soccer at 10:42 AM - 10 comments
Nolan Ryan: was pretty good.
SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 8 comments
July 26, 2010
CFL Pick 'Em, Week 5: Another week of upsets make points tough to come by. But Byron Parker did a couple of you a favour with his game-winning interception. Catch your own luck and make your picks inside.
posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 11:50 PM - 23 comments
Matt Garza gets Rays first no-hitter: He is the first pitcher to no-hit the Tigers since 1990. Garza faced only 27 batters, with a walk in the 2nd the only blemish. He also threw 6 Ks on 120 pitches...
posted by MeatSaber to baseball at 09:53 PM - 9 comments
The Disgusting Truth About Stadium Food: An ESPN survey of 107 food concessions at U.S. pro sports venues finds that 28 percent have been cited for at least one "critical" or "major" health violation. "Mold in ice machines at six stands at Miller Park in Milwaukee," ESPN reports. "A cockroach crawling over a soda dispenser in a private club at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh. Food service workers repeatedly ignoring orders to wash their hands at a stand at Detroit's Ford Field." Yum!
posted by rcade to general at 07:15 PM - 19 comments
Angels Trade for Starter Dan Haren: The Los Angeles Angels have acquired starting pitcher Dan Haren from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Haren, a three-time All Star, was acquired for pitcher Joe Saunders, minor league pitchers Rafael Rodriguez and Patrick Corbin and a player to be named later.
posted by rcade to baseball at 06:04 PM - 0 comments
Ravens Rookie Kindle Injures Head in Fall: Sergio Kindle, the top pick of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2010 draft, suffered a a head injury tumbling down stairs Thursday and is missing the start of the team's training camp. Kindle, 23, was visiting a house in Austin when he reportedly fell down two flights of stairs.
Cowboys WR Dez Bryant defies rookie tradition, refuses to carry Roy Williams' shoulder pads: Dallas Cowboys rookie WR Dez Bryant wants no part of the rookie tradition that calls for him to carry veteran players' pads during training camp. And that isn't sitting well with veteran Cowboys WR Roy Williams.
posted by BornIcon to football at 10:08 AM - 26 comments
Canadian Calls 911 to Report Winnipeg Jets Missing: A 33-year-old Lundar, Manitoba, man called 911 repeatedly to report the theft of the Winnipeg Jets and demand that the Mounties get them back. "He began the conversation by saying he wanted the Jets back. He was quite upset about it," a source told the Winnipeg Free Press. "He had apparently been drinking." (In related news, the effort to bring the NHL back to Winnipeg continues.)
posted by rcade to hockey at 09:45 AM - 4 comments
SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 24 comments
July 25, 2010
Lane Kiffin Makes Another Friend in Tennessee: USC Coach Lane Kiffin broke protocol when he hired Kennedy Pola away from the Tennessee Titans this week, Titans coach Jeff Fisher said. "I am very disappointed in the lack of professionalism on behalf of Lane, to call me and leave me a voice mail after Kennedy had informed me he had taken the job," he said.
posted by rcade to football at 06:55 PM - 4 comments
Jim Thorpe's Son Sues Jim Thorpe, Pa., for Jim Thorpe's Corpse: The 72-year-old son of Jim Thorpe is suing the town of Jim Thorpe, Pa., to get his fathers remains for burial on Indian land. Thorpe, who was a 1912 Olympic gold medalist, Hall of Fame football player and Major League Baseball player, died in 1953. His wife Patricia made a deal with the towns of Mauch Chunk and East Mauch Chunk that they could have him if they built a monument and adopted his name for a merged town. Jack Thorpe waited for his stepmother and three half-sisters to die before pressing the issue. "I want to put him where he wanted to be," he said.
Underwater Photographer Wes Skiles Dies During Dive: Renowned underwater photographer Wes Skiles died Wednesday while undertaking a "routine filming dive" off West Palm Beach, Fla. He was 52. His personal site contains examples of his work. One of his shots of Bahama's Blue Holes appears on the cover of this month's National Geographic along with a online gallery. "He was very enthusiastic about the sport, worried about conservation and did documentaries on the river, and had a great love for the water," said longtime friend Rick Crawford. "Every picture you see of him, he is working with his camera with a big smile."
posted by rcade to extreme at 02:56 PM - 2 comments
Shaq Remains Unsigned: Shaquille "Shaq / Diesel / Big Aristotle / Big Cactus / Big Witness / Superman / Big Agave / Big Cactus / Big Shaqtus / Big Galactus / Wilt Chamberneezy / Big Baryshnikov / Real Deal / Dr. Shaq / Shaqovic" O'Neal may have priced himself out of the NBA. He remains unsigned in search of a $8 million salary and two-year deal.
posted by rcade to basketball at 11:06 AM - 9 comments
SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 2 comments
July 24, 2010
Snooker Legend Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins dies at 61: After a long battle with throat cancer, snooker's original troubled genius was found dead in his flat in Belfast today. World champion in 1972 and 1982, Higgins was never far from controversy, on one occasion headbutting a referee. Renowned for the speed of his play and his unorthodox playing style, he was a driving force behind snooker's surge in popularity in the late 70s and early 80s in the UK [When Snooker Ruled the World, wiki, most recent interview, documentary I'm No Angel].
MLB Begins Testing Minor Leaguers for HGH: Major League Baseball has begun randomly testing the blood of minor leaguers for human growth hormone. Doing the same in the majors would require players assocation approval. "HGH testing provides an example for all of our drug policies in the future," said Commissioner Bud Selig.
posted by rcade to baseball at 04:24 PM - 4 comments
Chone Figgins Brawls in Dugout with Manager: Seattle Mariners second baseman Chone Figgins was benched midgame for lack of effort Friday night, sparking a dugout brawl between him and manager Don Wakamatsu. See video. After losing 2-1 to the Boston Red Sox, the team's now 23 games under .500.
posted by rcade to baseball at 02:55 PM - 4 comments
Bill Cowher's Wife Dies of Skin Cancer: Kaye Cowher, wife of former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach and current CBS NFL analyst Bill Cowher, has died at age 54 from skin cancer. Kaye was famous before her husband was, earning one of North Carolina's first scholarships for a female athlete in the '70s. She played for North Carolina State and later for the Women's Professional Basketball League and appeared in a Wrigleys Doublemint commercial with her twin sister. More details from Charlotte. A cached story from a Steelers fan site provides more details on the Cowhers' life together.
posted by rcade to football at 10:13 AM - 17 comments
The San Jose Athletics?: On Friday, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed released the proposed ballot language and details about the measure that would authorize the city and its redevelopment agency to push ahead with a downtown ballpark. Bud Selig and MLB do not approve, stating: "We were surprised and disappointed by the news today in San Jose about the stadium referendum. We were not part of the process and had no knowledge that a decision to proceed with the election had been made." Provided city voters give the team permission to build on city land, current A's owner Leo Wolff has said he will pay to build the $461 million stadium. "It's that simple." Some of the Oakland fans believe the move has been in the works since 2005 and that Wolff purposely drove the franchise into the ground.
posted by BoKnows to baseball at 03:32 AM - 7 comments
July 23, 2010
Three Men Hold NBA Wife At Gunpoint, Rob Home: Three masked men broke into Stephen Jackson's Charlotte-area home early Wednesday morning, holding Jackson's wife Renata at gunpoint while they robbed the residence.
posted by BornIcon to basketball at 03:12 PM - 12 comments
What's Wrong with College Basketball?: ESPN interviewed 20 high-profile college basketball coaches, promising them anonymity, and asked them to tell the truth about the problems facing their sport. The biggest concern? Agents and all the ways money is secretly being funneled to top athletes. "We don't coach anymore," one coach said. "This job isn't about coaching. It's about acquiring talent."
posted by rcade to basketball at 01:13 PM - 4 comments
Agent: Why Does Favre Have to Be Such a Drama Queen?: "Brett talked to goddamned Ed Werder at ESPN, says he needs ankle surgery. Now why did he do that? I've got Childress calling. I've got reporters calling all damn morning. Goddammit, why does he have to be such a goddamned drama queen? Play, don't play, goddamn, people are getting sick of it. I'm getting sick of it! Why does he have to talk to these people?" -- Brett Favre's agent Bus Cook
posted by rcade to football at 12:03 PM - 14 comments
Crawford Takes Pickoff Throw in the Groin: Even after he was racked by a pickoff throw Tuesday and suffered a testicular contusion, Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Carl Crawford refuses to wear a cup. "I don't think that's going to happen again," Crawford said. "It had never happened in eight years, you know what I'm saying?"
posted by rcade to baseball at 07:58 AM - 9 comments
SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 12 comments
July 22, 2010
Hockey Player's Twitter Account on Ice: Phoenix Coyotes winger Paul Bissonnette has disappeared from Twitter after teasing Ilya Kovalchuk, the latest in a long line of outrageous tweets. Bissonnette, posting as PaulBizNasty, calculated how many lap dances his salary could buy, mocked his dad on Father's Day, shared his theory that women aren't funny and shared pictures of hard-working homeless people. "Just gave this guy money on the side of the road," he wrote with a picture. "Amazing sign. Love homeless people."
Robert Guerrero has returned to the boxing ring after helping care for his ailing wife: Define toughness. Punching a man in the face? Or braiding a girl's hair? Robert Guerrero chose to braid hair, and no amount of brutal acts in the boxing ring, where Guerrero earns his living, could better measure a man's toughness.
posted by BornIcon to boxing at 03:15 PM - 2 comments
Federal Judge: Cheerleading Not A Sport: A federal judge rules that college cheerleading is too underdeveloped at this point to be considered a sport for Title IX purposes.
posted by TheQatarian to other at 12:25 PM - 26 comments
Could Chris Paul head to the New York Knicks?: Now that Chris Paul is apparently on the market, it's worth asking the question: Could New York's Chris Paul pipe dream really become reality? We're getting close, no? They've spent the past two years carving out the cap space and roster flexibility necessary to pull this off, and now a superstar is apparently interested, and it's about time we take this seriously
posted by BornIcon to basketball at 11:07 AM - 5 comments
The King of Spin: On the last day of his Test career, Sri Lanka's Muttiah Murilitharan becomes the first bowler to take 800 Test wickets. Having announced his retirement earlier in the year, Murali captured his 800th test wicket with the last ball of the match; his last ball in test cricket. A test career plagued with controversy over an alleged throwing action (discussed in this show: part 1, part 2) came to a spectacular end as he had India's Ojah caught by Mahela at first slip. Some people maintain that he was a "chucker" (despite plenty of evidence to the contrary); others just think he was the best off-spinner the game has ever seen. A montage and some great pictures from his career.
posted by Mr Bismarck to other at 07:44 AM - 9 comments
SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 13 comments
July 21, 2010
Fans Jockey for A-Rod's Ball: As New York Yankees shortstop Alex Rodriguez closes in on 600 home runs -- he hit 598 on Sunday -- the price of tickets at Yankee Stadium has escalated in the areas where Rodriguez most often homers. "The best places to try to catch No. 600 are in the left-field stands, in Sections 136 and 135," reports the New York Times. Resale value of the ball, according to one auctioneer: $100,000 to $150,000.
posted by rcade to baseball at 07:31 PM - 9 comments
How about them Survivors: Jimmy Johnson won a college football championship and two Super Bowls. But can he survive in the wilderness?
posted by Demophon to football at 04:01 PM - 5 comments
USC Gives Back Reggie Bush's Heisman: The University of Southern California has fired athletic director Mike Garrett, sent back Reggie Bush's 1995 Heisman and is removing all traces of Bush and O.J. Mayo from its facilities. "The Trojan family honors and respects the USC sporting careers of those persons whose actions did not compromise their athletic program or the opportunities of future USC student-athletes," writes university President-elect C.L. Max Nikias. Yahoo's Dan Wetzel believes the problems at USC went all the way to the top. "The blame and hand-wringing will go to Bush because that's how it always works in college sports. Only three kinds of people get blamed in NCAA scandals -- the greedy kid, the shady agent or the bumbling assistant. It's never, ever the people in charge."
posted by rcade to football at 02:58 PM - 21 comments
Cowboys Shoot for Home-Field Super Bowl: Training camp hasn't begun yet, but the Dallas Cowboys are already feeling the pressure of reaching the 2011 Super Bowl in their own stadium under the benevolent hum of Telemanjaro. "I know where the Super Bowl is this year, and the owner knows where it is," said linebacker DeMarcus Ware said. "He lets us know where it is every time he talks to us."
posted by rcade to football at 02:50 PM - 4 comments
Toney-Couture Fight Pits Boxing vs. MMA: Two champions in their respective sports, boxer James Toney and UFC fighter Randy Couture, will fight an MMA bout on Aug. 28 in Boston. Toney, a champion in three weight classes, says he became angered by comments by UFC President Dana White that boxers can't stand up to mixed martial artists. He has a three-fight deal with UFC. "I'm going in there knowing what everyone in boxing knows: that everybody has a plan until they get hit," said Toney.
posted by rcade to boxing at 09:02 AM - 6 comments
SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 13 comments
July 20, 2010
CFL Pick 'Em, Week 4: Tight spreads last week, and I don't mean mustard. Points were hard to come by for most, but maybe you were the lucky one that nailed that spread. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure, at least not until you check out the standings and make your picks inside.
posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 11:08 PM - 24 comments
Baseball food: Not for the fiscally frugal or calorie counters.: If you plan to visit the concession stands at the game, bring a lot of money and plan for a meal full of calories and probably cholesterol.
posted by roberts to baseball at 05:59 PM - 4 comments
Michael Jordan: 'No Way' I'd Do What LeBron Did: "There's no way, with hindsight, I would've ever called up Larry, called up Magic and said, 'Hey, look, let's get together and play on one team.' ... In all honesty, I was trying to beat those guys." -- Michael Jordan
posted by rcade to basketball at 05:36 PM - 29 comments
Tigers Outfielder Falls Through Bullpen Door: Cleveland Indians third baseman Jhonny Peralta scored an inside-the-park homer Sunday when outfielder Ryan Raburn fell outside-the-park through a bullpen door trying to catch a deep fly to right center. See the video.
posted by rcade to baseball at 11:29 AM - 8 comments
Should Mitch Albom Be Winning Journalism Awards: ?
posted by yerfatma to culture at 09:45 AM - 10 comments
NHL Rejects Kovalchuk 17-Year, $102 Million New Jersey Deal: The NHL has rejected a massive contract for Ilya Kovalchuk with the New Jersey Devils on the grounds that it is "cap circumvention." Kovalchuk would have earned $6 million each of the next two seasons, $11.5 million for the following five seasons, $10.5 million in the 2017-18 season, $8.5 million for the 2018-19 season, $6.5 million in 2019-20, $3.5 million in 2020-21, $750,000 the following season, and $550,000 for the final five years of the unprecedented deal.
posted by wfrazerjr to hockey at 08:48 AM - 14 comments
SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 4 comments
Bloodhound SuperSonic Car Prepares for Take Off: The Bloodhound has a grand total of 135,000 horsepower, which is equal to 180 times the power of a formula one car. Buckle up.
July 19, 2010
Ump Blows Game-Deciding Home Plate Call: A blown call by home-plate umpire Phil Cuzzi in the bottom of the ninth inning cost the San Francisco Giants the winning run against the New York Mets. Replays show Travis Ishikawa beat Henry Blanco's tag. "Cuzzi was fired as a minor league ump," writes 8th Inning Weirdness. "How did he make it to The Show?"
posted by rcade to baseball at 04:48 PM - 27 comments
LeMond: Federal Probe Will 'End' Armstrong: A federal probe into seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong is "the beginning of the end" for his reputation, fellow American Tour winner Greg LeMond said. "Up until now, he has achieved great things, if you consider he did it fairly, which I don't believe." Grand jury subpoenas were issued this week to LeMond and several of Armstrong's former teammates. The New York Times has more details.
posted by rcade to other at 10:53 AM - 10 comments
Indy Driver Milka Duno 'Dangerously Slow': Milka Duno, a female Venezuelan who joined the IndyCar racing series three years ago, is driving so slowly that it's a danger to other drivers (third heading), series CEO Randy Bernard and others in the sport are saying. "If she's going to drive in this series, she's going to have to drive with her mirrors," driver Ryan Hunter-Reay said two weeks ago at Watkins Glen. "There are 15 turns on this course and she's the 16th."
posted by rcade to auto racing at 09:42 AM - 7 comments
Minor Leagues Thrive in Tough Economy: The economy seems to have sent baseball fans to the cheaper tickets of the minor leagues. Minor League Baseball reports ticket sales for the first three months of 2010 are up 935,000 from last year. It costs a family of four $57.70 to see a minor league game, compared to $194.90 for the bigs, according to a study by the lower league.
posted by rcade to baseball at 08:35 AM - 18 comments
SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 15 comments
July 18, 2010
Super-Heavyweight Boxer Pretty in Pink: Super-heavyweight boxer Lenroy "Cam" Thompson, currently seeking his second title at the USA boxing national championships, enters the ring wearing pink trunks, pink headgear and a pink T-shirt. "In 10 years, I want to be able to say I raised $1 million to fight breast cancer," he says.
posted by rcade to boxing at 03:07 PM - 3 comments
Zenyatta: The Greatest Mare Ever: Zenyatta may be the greatest mare ever. Even if your not normally into race horses, it's worth seeing this one, there may not be another like her. Laura Hillenbrand, who wrote Seabiscuit, explains why (NPR 6min). Video clips related to the NPR story, why Zenyatta is a modern legend: 1. She's huge (helmet cam - the other horses are not small).
2. She does a war dance before each race.
3. She has won every race (now 17 for 17).
4. ..in dramatic come from behind fashion.
5. She enjoys Guinness Stout (video mutes temporarily) (via MetaFilter).
posted by rcade to other at 09:39 AM - 4 comments
Miguel Cabrera Has Triple Crown Shot: Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera leads the American League in average and runs batted in and is two down in home runs, prompting some talk he'll win the first Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. Cabrera's response: "It's not possible. That's too hard."
posted by rcade to baseball at 08:35 AM - 9 comments
SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 5 comments
The Worst Playoff Format in Professional Hockey.: This season, the Central Hockey League merges with the International Hockey League bringing the total number of teams to 18, with nine in each conference. Sixteen of the 18 teams will make playoffs – which means that, yes, they’ll play 66 games to eliminate two teams.
posted by BoKnows to hockey at 03:53 AM - 18 comments
July 17, 2010
Woods Helps Watson Say Goodbye to St. Andrews: Five-time British Open winner Tom Watson said goodbye to St. Andrews Friday with help from Tiger Woods, a golfer he's sharply criticized for his personal conduct. With Watson clear to miss the cut and a hole left to play, darkness was falling and it was unlikely he'd finish in time. One group ahead, Woods waved him through to play it out and say goodbye in style. Watson, 60, kissed the Swilcan Bridge. "The Scots invented golf, and they love the game with a passion unlike any other people," he said afterwards. "I enjoy that."
SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 7 comments
Catcher Bengie 'I Am the Slowest' Molina Hits for the Cycle: Bengie Molina, the Texas Rangers catcher mocked earlier this year for his lack of speed while he played for the San Francisco Giants, hit for the cycle tonight against the Boston Red Sox. "Pigs have flown in Boston, Massachusetts!" screamed Rangers play-by-play man Josh Lewin as Molina legged out a triple in the eighth inning.
posted by rcade to baseball at 12:12 AM - 16 comments
July 16, 2010
Octopus Transfer: Oberhausen reject 'Paul to Madrid' transfer bid
posted by Hugh Janus to soccer at 10:49 PM - 2 comments
Miami Heat Fill Out Roster: Since signing the big three, the Miami Heat have added Mike Miller, Mario Chalmers, Udonis Haslem, Joel Anthony and Dexter Pittman and are negotiating with Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Juwan Howard.
posted by rcade to basketball at 08:29 PM - 14 comments
Chris Webber does not want to be compared to Darko: Minnesota general manager David Kahn guested at the play-by-play table for a summer league game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, sitting between Matt Winer and Chris Webber. The entire interview had Kahn in a corner, with little pressing, backed into explaining his recent work as Timberwolves boss.
posted by BornIcon to basketball at 07:39 AM - 10 comments
SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 2 comments
July 15, 2010
Henry Signs for New York Red Bulls: French striker Thierry Henry, twice a finalist for Ballon d'Or as soccer's best player in the world, has signed a multi-year deal with the New York Red Bulls. Henry played eight seasons for Arsenal, helping the London club win two Premier League titles, before joining Barcelona in 2007.
posted by rcade to soccer at 05:07 PM - 6 comments
Terrell Owens Worried He's Perceived as Troublemaker: Unsigned free agent receiver Terrell Owens is concerned teams are swayed by the perception that he's a troublemaker. "I've never been in any trouble," he said. "I know right from wrong. I try to make the right choices and judgments when I'm out in the public."
posted by rcade to football at 04:43 PM - 24 comments
Fantasy Premier League: I noticed in the thread below that the EPL Fantasy League is now open. Since the league kicks off in only a few weeks, I thought I'd fire up a league for SportsFilter. Details inside.
posted by trox to fantasy at 10:10 AM - 13 comments
Down the Memory Hole: "Congratulations on topping the Home Run Derby Mr. Ortiz. Say, weren't you tops on some other list last year? What was it again?" Eric Wilbur asks why Big Papi gets a pass on PEDs and suggests that Red Sox ownership is actively trying to re-write history. You can guess at the fan reaction.
posted by yerfatma to baseball at 08:19 AM - 14 comments
SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 13 comments
July 14, 2010
Madden: 'Something Missing' in Hall without Coryell: John Madden became emotional Monday delivering the eulogy for Don Coryell, upset that his friend is not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. "You know, I'm sitting down there in front, and next to me is Joe Gibbs, and next to him is Dan Fouts, and the three of us are in the Hall of Fame because of Don Coryell," Madden said. "There's something missing."
posted by rcade to football at 04:34 PM - 8 comments
Driver Killed in Crash at NHRA Northwest Nationals: Drag racing driver Mark Niver, 60, became the third person to die at an NHRA event this year when he crashed after crossing the finish line Sunday. Niver's parachutes failed to deploy and he crashed into netting at the end of the track. See the video.
posted by rcade to auto racing at 03:36 PM - 14 comments
Take Me Out to the Ballgame: "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" is an American classic, the "national anthem of baseball." Written by Jack Norworth, with notable versions by Harry Caray and friends. Norworth recently got a new gravemarker, but cemetery rules says no changes could be made without approval from his family. When no family could be found, an empty grave was purchased and set aside for some future "unfortunate soul," who will get a teeny, tiny place in baseball history (via MetaFilter).
posted by rcade to baseball at 02:39 PM - 17 comments
The Open's 150th Birthday: In October 1860, Willie Park beat the seven other entrants to win the Morocco Belt and become the first Open Champion. Monetary prizes weren't awarded until 1864, when Old Tom Morris won and collected six pounds for his trouble. This week, in St Andrews, the world's oldest championship will be contested for the 139th time in its 150 year history. There is a Past Champions Challenge today, but the real show gets underway on Thursday and the bookies still like Tiger, even if no one else does. On Sunday night, the winner of the Claret Jug will trouser a cheque for 850,000 pounds (around $1.3 million) and a replica of the Morocco Belt, although, if it's Tiger, Old Tom Morris's great great grandson says he shouldn't be allowed it, and nor should anyone else who behaves badly on the course.
posted by JJ to golf at 07:44 AM - 8 comments
SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 15 comments
Grand Jury Subpoenas issued: in the investigation into the Floyd Landis accusations of doping at the Postal Service team in the early 2000's.
posted by apoch to other at 05:02 AM - 6 comments
July 13, 2010
I invented the vuvuzela.: Meet Freddie Maake.
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 03:24 PM - 4 comments
Belly Buttons Linked to Running, Swimming Prowess: Black athletes dominate track and white athletes dominate swimming because of their belly-buttons, according to a study published in the International Journal of Design and Nature and Ecodynamics. "[W]hat matters is not total height but the position of the belly-button, or center of gravity," said lead researcher Andre Bejan of Duke University. "Locomotion is essentially a continual process of falling forward, and mass that falls from a higher altitude, falls faster."
posted by rcade to olympics at 02:46 PM - 9 comments
2011 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: to begin with four first-round games as entire tournament to be nationally broadcast across four networks for first time. The Division I Men's Basketball Committee today announced plans for the 2011 NCAA "First Four" to showcase the expanded field for the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.
posted by bender to basketball at 01:13 PM - 1 comment
Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner Dies: George Steinbrenner died Tuesday morning in Tampa after suffering a massive heart attack. He was 80. Steinbrenner was a towering and intimidating figure who dominated the New York sports scene for 35 years, winning 11 American League pennants and seven world championships as owner of the Yankees, in and around two suspensions from baseball and multiple feuds and firings.
posted by BornIcon to baseball at 09:52 AM - 28 comments
Are You Sure Your Country Wants the World Cup?: "The more World Cups you go to, the more you feel you are part of an ongoing confidence trick. The South African people who have put so much of their heart and soul into the last month are really just extras with local accents. Backdrop. Everything else takes place as part of a franchised operation which, while retaining its slickness, is only seen every four years."
posted by yerfatma to soccer at 09:42 AM - 14 comments
SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 9 comments
US rule could keep Iroquois from lacrosse tourney: Ranked 4th in world standings, and widely accepted as having invented the game, the Iroquois have come up against a subtle attempt of assimilation by the US government. The team has been traveling on Iroquois passports for the past 20 years, and Iroquois passport-holders have been using them to go abroad since 1977. Members of the Western Shoshonee and Hopi nations also have traveled internationally using similar passports, some within the last few months.
posted by irunfromclones to culture at 03:23 AM - 15 comments
July 12, 2010
Lance Armstrong: 'My Tour is Finished': After being caught in three crashes, one of which brought him down, and struggling to keep up during two climbs, Lance Armstrong says he has no chance to win his 13th and last Tour de France. "My Tour is finished," Armstrong said after the eighth stage. "Quite banged but gonna hang in here and enjoy my last 2 weeks."
posted by rcade to other at 06:42 PM - 6 comments
Jesse Jackson: Gilbert Thinks LeBron Was His Slave: In a press release for his civil rights group, the Rev. Jesse Jackson accused Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert of having a "slave master mentality" for his tirade against LeBron James. "He speaks as an owner of LeBron and not the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers," said Jackson. "His feelings of betrayal personify a slave master mentality. "He sees LeBron as a runaway slave."
posted by rcade to basketball at 01:57 PM - 48 comments
Cuban Suggests Player Tampering in Heat Deals: Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban will ask the league's Board of Governors to investigate whether player tampering took place in the Miami Heat's signing of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who some suggest orchestrated their joint move for up to four years. "[T]here has to be a way to keep these guys away from each other for the last week anyway," he said.
posted by rcade to basketball at 01:49 PM - 7 comments
Mad Hatter Tries to Dress Up World Cup Trophy: After Spain's World Cup triumph, a fan ran across the field at Soccer City and tried to put a hat on the World Cup trophy, almost reaching it before receiving an open field tackle that should have drawn an immediate red card. The fan, who wore a "Salta Salta Jimmy Jump Against Racism" T-shirt, is a Spanish prankster known for pitch invasions. See the video.
posted by rcade to soccer at 12:33 PM - 3 comments
Bo Jackson reflects on past life 21 years after his All-Star blast: "Damn kids!" Jackson says. "Nobody is supervising their kids. I would love to get my hands on them."
posted by gfinsf to baseball at 09:19 AM - 7 comments
CFL Pick 'Em, Week 3: Picked the road team last week? Then you probably have points. Next continues much of the same, but as always, it won't count until you make your picks inside.
posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 09:07 AM - 31 comments
SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 14 comments
July 11, 2010
Fantasy World Cup Round Up: Congrats to holden for winning this , and holden for winning that.
posted by tselson to fantasy at 08:47 PM - 7 comments
Spain win the World Cup: ...thanks to a goal in the second half of extra time from Andres Iniesta, after Holland had been reduced to ten men in an extremely ugly and foul-heavy game. In other news, Paul the Octopus finishes the World Cup 8-for-8.
posted by boredom_08 to soccer at 05:53 PM - 46 comments
Yankee PA announcer dies: The longtime public address announcer of the New York Yankees, Bob Sheppard, dies at age 99.
posted by jjzucal to baseball at 01:22 PM - 12 comments
The Mother of All Baseball Books: The Official Major League Baseball Opus is a 75-pound book with more than 1,000 photographs that traces the game's history. Price: $3,000. "I don't think any sport is more photographic than baseball," said MLB publishing exec Don Hintze.
posted by rcade to baseball at 11:12 AM - 4 comments
Pat Riley Matters Again: Miami Heat president Pat Riley, whose six-decade career was sinking into obscurity, finds himself at age 65 at the center of the basketball universe. "There weren't too many people who thought he could pull this off," said former Riley assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy.
posted by rcade to basketball at 09:19 AM - 4 comments
SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 4 comments
What's Gazza up to? : Twenty years and seven days ago, Paul Gascoigne's defining moment came on a football pitch in Turin. What's he up to this final World Cup weekend? Oh, you know, just normal stuff like taking a taxi from Newcastle to Rothbury to try and diffuse the police stand-off with the gunman Raoul Moat. "I brought a dressing gown for him, a big jacket, I brought some chicken, some bread - I know you're going to laugh at this one - I brought him a can of lager. I brought him a fishing rod, cause I heard he was by the river, and I brought a fishing rod, so we can fish together and I'll have a chat with him." [YouTube audio from radio interview with Gazza]
posted by JJ to soccer at 04:56 AM - 3 comments
July 10, 2010
SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 14 comments
July 09, 2010
Part 6: Why Not Canada? : The NHL looking north again: When the Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets left Canada in the mid-1990s for Denver and Phoenix, respectively, it wasn’t because Gary Bettman dragged those teams across the border kicking and screaming. The simple matter was, no one in Canada wanted to own them. The investment climate has changed drastically from 15 years ago, because of the strength of the Canadian dollar and the country’s economy. Also key, especially to the smaller markets of Winnipeg and Quebec City, is an NHL economic model with a revenue-sharing system and hard salary cap, affording owners a stronger degree of certainty and protection than under the league’s former open-market system. “I’m not sure that just because a market is bigger, it would be better than a smaller market that had no [other] professional sports, where the hockey would be the only team in town,” said the commissioner.
posted by tommytrump to hockey at 10:15 PM - 1 comment
'Professional Sports Have Devolved into Something Quite Sad': Boston Globe sportswriter Tony Massarotti says the manufactured LeBron James "decision" broadcast shows that the sports media has become a joke: "We have become lackeys and mouthpieces, apologists and enablers. We tell people like LeBron how great they are, over and over again, and we withhold the truth because it might cost us a competitive advantage. ... The obvious public relations strategy here is for the star to control the media -- and not the other way around -- and desperate media outlets have been all too willing to acquiesce. In the process, as a group, we have sacrificed any chance at accountability, which is what we were intended to obtain in the first place."
posted by rcade to basketball at 08:06 PM - 19 comments
Cliff Lee traded to First-Place A.L. Team: Cliff Lee was traded from the Mariners to another American League team that's in first place. It's the Rangers, though, and not the Yankees. But will the league allow the move with the current financial issues surrounding the Rangers?
posted by dyams to baseball at 07:42 PM - 16 comments
Part 5: Why Not Quebec City? : As the Quebec Nordiques struggled financially in the early 1990s, then-Premier Jacques Parizeau asked team president Marcel Aubut for best- and worst-case scenarios. “I remember for the worst, we showed him something that [was so dire] we were laughing,” Aubut said. “We said that would never happen.” But the situation deteriorated beyond the worst case, Aubut said, insisting still today that the sale to Denver-based ownership for $75-million (U.S.) was the only recourse. Fifteen years later, Aubut and others in Quebec City are trying to bring the NHL back to the city. They point to the NHL’s salary cap and the consistent strength of the Canadian dollar as positive differences between now and then. And the province’s capital offers comparative political stability, the country’s lowest unemployment rate, a growing private-business sector, and a ferocious appetite for hockey.
posted by tommytrump to hockey at 09:45 AM - 1 comment
Seve denied an emotional return to St Andrews: In 1984, Severiano Ballesteros won the Open at St Andrews. In October 2008, he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Four operations and 72 days in hospital followed. Last year he watched Tom Watson almost win at Turnberry and vowed he would return to St Andrews this year to compete in the four-hole Open Champion's Challenge, but his doctors have advised him not to travel.
posted by JJ to golf at 06:49 AM - 2 comments
SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 17 comments
July 08, 2010
LeBron Chooses Miami: In a live national broadcast unlike any other in free agent history, LeBron James announced that he's chosen to join Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade and play for the Miami Heat. "As of now, the Heat must fill the roster with seven minimum-salary contracts," reports the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
posted by lampshade to basketball at 09:33 PM - 162 comments
Part 4: Why not Toronto : The Toronto Maple Leafs charge the highest ticket prices in the NHL and generate the league’s greatest revenues. The franchise earned a $79-million (U.S.) profit during the 2008-09 season, according to Forbes magazine’s annual report on NHL finances, without making the playoffs and with a lower Canadian dollar value than during the past season. All the evidence suggests the Leafs could comfortably co-exist with another NHL franchise in the GTA, arguably without a dent to the bottom line. The NHL, however, seems uninterested in tapping that demand. Gary Bettman categorically denied reports that he has quietly calculated an expansion fee for a Toronto franchise, one that would fetch a whopping price. He claims a second GTA team is not on the NHL’s radar screen. “I have no idea,” he said, when asked in an interview for the Why Not Canada? series, whether the league has considered viability of a second Toronto team. “It’s not something we’ve looked at.”
posted by tommytrump to hockey at 07:42 AM - 9 comments
SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 21 comments
July 07, 2010
Sumo Wrestler Gets Lifetime Ban for Gambling: Sumo's governing body has banned ozeki Kotomitsuki for life for betting tens of thousands of dollars on professional baseball games. The wrestler, whose real name is Keiji Tamiya, admitted to police that he gambled on games and paid 3 million yen ($32,900) in cash to a yakuza gangster who threatened to expose him. The problems are not isolated to him -- other wrestlers and trainers are reportedly involved and the Nagoya basho set to start July 11 may be cancelled. "One of the main middlemen is said to have been a hairdresser for the wrestlers' distinctive topknots," reports the Christian Science Monitor.
posted by rcade to other at 12:54 PM - 2 comments
Fan Falls 30 Feet from Second Deck at Rangers Ballpark: During the Texas Rangers-Cleveland Indians game Tuesday night, a fan fell 30 feet from the second deck during a scramble for a foul ball. An announcer, thousands of fans and players all saw the accident -- several Indians could be seen praying on the field as the man and the people he landed on were being helped. The injured man has been identified as Tyler Morris, a Corinth, Texas, firefighter.
posted by rcade to baseball at 12:31 PM - 11 comments
Germany, Spain One Win from World Cup Final: Germany meets Spain today in the second World Cup semifinal. The match pits the rising striker David Villa against all-time great World Cup scorer Miroslav Klose, who is just one goal shy of tying Ronaldo's record of 15 goals. German coach Joachim Loew's lucky sweater has become sold out in stores. Germans have to travel to the Netherlands to buy one.
posted by rcade to soccer at 12:15 PM - 27 comments
Guerrero Has Rangers in Playoff Chase: At age 35, Vladimir Guerrero has experienced a career resurgence with the Texas Rangers, becoming the first player to drive in 70 runs this season and an all-star as designated hitter. The bargain-hunting Rangers signed Guerrero for $6.5 million late in the off-season. "We can't say enough about the job he's done," said Rangers third baseman Michael Young. "We struck gold with this guy."
posted by rcade to baseball at 08:08 AM - 9 comments
SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 16 comments
July 06, 2010
Part 3: Why Not Hamilton : One of the most famous goals in hockey was scored at Copps Coliseum when Wayne Gretzky fed Mario Lemieux for the winner in the deciding game of the 1987 Canada Cup against the U.S.S.R. Then, Hamiltonians could taste the NHL coming to their town, playing games in its then state-of-the-art arena, built to bring the NHL back to Hamilton after an absence of more than 60 years. Twenty three years later, Copps Coliseum and Hamilton hockey fans are still waiting, perpetually teased but always denied what they believe is their destiny. In U.S. federal bankruptcy court in Phoenix, the NHL declared that a Hamilton franchise would generate the league’s 5th highest revenue. The claim was made to protect the league’s right to a huge relocation fee, in the event Balsillie had been allowed by the court to relocate the Coyotes last year.
posted by tommytrump to hockey at 07:30 PM - 0 comments
Uruguay-Netherlands Play for Spot in World Cup Final: Favourites Netherlands seem set for a familiar task of having to pierce a massed defence when they tackle Uruguay on Tuesday in the first World Cup semi-final.
posted by rcade to soccer at 02:28 PM - 19 comments
CFL Pick 'Em, Week 2: Points, points everywhere! The teams on the field pile up the points, and a bunch of you guys did your job as well. Find out who's raking in the riches and make your picks inside.
posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 11:27 AM - 26 comments
Craig Johnston: the Australian former Liverpool striker and the developer of the Adidas Predator boot once said that playing soccer for Australia would be like surfing for England. He recently aired his views about the World Cup Jabulani ball on the BBC, but now he's written a 12-page open letter to Sepp Blatter at FIFA.
posted by JJ to soccer at 11:08 AM - 16 comments
SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 24 comments
JaMarcus Russell arrested; not likely to be employed soon: Codeine syrup, also known as purple drank, lean, or sizzurp, typically contains codeine and promethazine, ingredients found in prescription cough syrup. ESPN's "Outside the Lines" just did a feature on the beverage.
posted by gfinsf to football at 05:32 AM - 39 comments
July 05, 2010
Part 2: Why not Winnipeg: When the Winnipeg Jets packed up and moved to Phoenix at the end of the 1996 NHL season, it felt like goodbye forever. The cost of doing business in the NHL was skyrocketing and poor little Winnipeg simply couldn’t keep up. Today the 6 year old MTS Centre sits downtown, a shining success both as a hockey and entertainment facility. It books the third-highest number of shows in Canada, behind only the Air Canada Centre in Toronto and the Bell Centre in Montreal.
posted by tommytrump to hockey at 08:48 PM - 0 comments
Federer Slips to Lowest Rank Since 2003: Fresh off his early exit from Wimbledon, Roger Federer fell to No. 3 in the ATP rankings Monday behind Rafael Nadal and new No. 2 Novak Djokovic. It's the first time since November 2003 Federer been that low. "[T]he Swiss maestro's best days are now behind him," writes William Johnson for The National in Abu Dhabi.
posted by rcade to tennis at 06:59 PM - 8 comments
Red Wings and Blackhawks enforcer Bob Probert is dead.: He collapsed in a boat on Lake St. Clair today, and was rushed to the hospital with no vital signs. He was 45.
posted by MeatSaber to hockey at 05:32 PM - 14 comments
Why not Canada? : A decade ago, with the loonie tanking and the NHL expanding to non-traditional hockey markets, Canadian fans fretted about the possible extinction of all the country’s NHL franchises, save for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Winnipeg Jets and Quebec Nordiques had already moved to become the Phoenix Coyotes and Colorado Avalanche, respectively, when American George Gillett Jr. was introduced as the Montreal Canadiens’ new owner in January of 2001. He felt compelled to ease the tension by saying: “These are the Montreal Canadiens, not the Oklahoma City Canadiens.” Fast-forward 9 years. Today, fans are talking about the possibility of a seventh franchise in Canada to go with the thriving 6, whether by expansion or relocation. The assumption – it’s not if, but when. A joint Globe and Mail/TSN project studied four Canadian markets – Winnipeg, Hamilton, Quebec City and the Greater Toronto Area – with the goal of determining which would be most realistic for an NHL franchise. Each market will be reported separately in the next four instalments of a six-part series, both with a story in The Globe and a segment on TSN’s SportsCentre.
posted by tommytrump to hockey at 01:57 PM - 27 comments
Petacchi Wins Tour De France First Stage: Italy's Alessandro Petacchi won the first stage of the Tour de France, a 223.5-km ride from Rotterdam Sunday in which many of the favorites crashed.
posted by rcade to other at 08:43 AM - 8 comments
SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 8 comments
July 04, 2010
MLB Announces All-Stars: The All-Stars have been announced. Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer was the top vote getter with 5,372,606 votes, the third-highest of all time. St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols was first among National Leaguers. One surprise omission: New York Mets starter Mike Pelfrey, who missed out on being selected by Phiadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel despite being 10-2 with a 2.93 earned run average.
posted by rcade to baseball at 07:51 PM - 16 comments
Four Days Until Germany Meets Spain: Wednesday's Germany-Spain World Cup semifinal has several intriguing storylines, including Thomas Mueller's suspension for yellow cards. Little heralded coach Joachim Loew has built a team with an average age of 25 -- one of the tournament's youngest -- into a creative juggernaut. For Spain, striker David Villa is closing in on the all-time goals record for his country, scoring 42 in 62 games.
posted by rcade to soccer at 06:07 PM - 20 comments
Nowitzi Signs with Dallas: Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks have agreed to a deal for more than $80 million over four years with a no-trade clause. Nowitzki is the team's all-time scoring and rebounding leader and has led them to 10 straight 50-win seasons (though no NBA titles).
posted by rcade to basketball at 05:50 PM - 4 comments
SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 2 comments
July 03, 2010
Argentina Meets Germany, Paraguay Meets Spain: In a rematch (of sorts) to the 1982 and 1986 World Cup finals and the 2006 quarterfinals, Argentina and Germany meet today in the World Cup quarterfinals. "This is why I'm in coaching in the first place, for games like this," said German coach Joachim Low. To get things started, German player Bastian Schweinsteiger said accused the Argentines of a lack of respect for the game. "You see how they gesticulate, how they try to influence the referee. That is not part of the game," he said. Argentina coach Diego Maradona's response: "What's the matter Schweinsteiger? Are you nervous?" Paraguay meets Spain later Saturday.
posted by rcade to soccer at 09:37 AM - 32 comments
SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 8 comments
July 02, 2010
LeBron James is a Chicago Bull according to the NBA's web store: A red LeBron James No. 6 Bulls Jersey briefly appeared on the NBA.com store Thursday afternoon.
posted by Demophon to basketball at 01:56 PM - 10 comments
Brazil-Netherlands Kicks Off World Cup Quarterfinals: The Netherlands, described by Yahoo Sports as "one of the best soccer nations never to win a World Cup," face a familiar nemesis in Brazil this morning as the World Cup quarterfinals begin. Brazil beat the Netherlands 3-2 in the 1994 quarterfinals and defeated them on penalties four years later. Uruguay plays Ghana in today's second game.
posted by rcade to soccer at 09:53 AM - 50 comments
Liverpool Hire Roy Hodgson as Manager: Fulham boss Roy Hodgson was named on Thursday as the new manager of Liverpool, signing a three-year contract. Hodgson, who guided Fulham to the Europa League final last season, has been told the financially strapped club won't be selling off Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.
Nigerian Leader Bans Team from International Play: Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan has suspended the country's soccer team from international play for two years after its disappointing performance in the World Cup. Governmental interference is a violation of FIFA rules, but the punishment for such an infraction is -- wait for it -- a ban from international competition.
posted by rcade to soccer at 08:24 AM - 3 comments
SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 2 comments
Canseco vs. Hogan: "A lot of people didn't think this was real, but we're dead serious." That's how Arkansas Travelers general manager Pete Laven describes his team's latest and greatest promotional stunt, which, truth be told, does sound a bit implausible.
posted by BoKnows to boxing at 02:54 AM - 9 comments
July 01, 2010
How Mariano Rivera Dominates Hitters: Neat video feature from the NYT on how Mo keeps getting it done with just one pitch.
Giving Proper Gravestones to Negro Leagues Players: the Negro Leagues Grave Marker Project has tracked down and provided a headstone for 19 players who lacked them on their graves. The most recent was for Big Bill Gatewood. "These were great ballplayers who don't deserve to be forgotten, but they have been," said Dr. Jeremy Krock, an anesthesiologist from Peoria, Ill.,, who founded the project.
SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle
posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 13 comments