Archives for January 2011

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 19 comments

January 30, 2011

NHL players rate best and worst of the game in poll: For the first time, a majority supports maintaining the instigator rule. Other highlights: no one wants to play for the Islanders, the Capitals are overrated and a fair bit of Sidney Crosby. Full results here.

posted by Mookieproof to hockey at 06:52 PM - 5 comments

Herschel Walker Wins Second MMA Fight: Former NFL running back Herschel Walker, 48, improved his mixed-martial arts record to 2-0 with a first round TKO of Scott Carson (4-2) Saturday. The match aired as part of Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg on Showtime. "When they told me he was coming, I thought it was a joke," said MMA instructor Javier Mendez. "He was very green, mind you, but his dedication and his learning curve was like nobody I'd ever trained."

posted by rcade to boxing at 03:53 PM - 13 comments

Yankees Exec to Rangers: Stay Off Welfare: After new Texas Rangers owner Chuck Greenberg said the team may have helped keep Cliff Lee out of pinstripes, New York Yankees president Randy Levine responded, "Chuck's delusional. He's been in the game for a few minutes and yet he thinks he knows what everyone's thinking. I think he should let Cliff Lee speak for himself. [Greenberg] could really impress us when he keeps the Rangers off of welfare and keeps them from receiving revenue sharing the next three years."

posted by rcade to baseball at 02:15 PM - 5 comments

Wisconsin Towel Maker Has Terrible Dilemma: The Terrible Towels beloved by Pittsburgh Steeler fans have been manufactured since 1997 by a company in Baraboo, Wisc. "We've got a towel war going here between the Terrible Towel and the Packer towel," said president Gregg McArthur of McArthur Towel and Sports.

posted by rcade to football at 09:16 AM - 17 comments

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

January 29, 2011

As Good As It Gets: "Another Berthelot paper, published in 2008, predicts that the end of almost all athletic improvement will occur around 2027. By that year, if current trends hold — and for Berthelot, there’s little doubt that they will — the “human species’ physiological frontiers will be reached,” he writes. To the extent that world records are still vulnerable by then, they will be improved by no more than 0.05 percent — so marginal that the fans, Berthelot reasons, will likely fail to care."

posted by Uncle Toby to general at 10:57 PM - 0 comments

Contador: 'I'm a Victim of the System': Three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador, facing a proposed one-year suspension for alleged doping, strongly defended his innocence in a press conference Friday. "I've had over 500 controls [drug tests] in my life, many unannounced, in my home, in family dinners," he said. "I've had to exit a theater halfway through a movie to pass a control, just because I believed in the anti-doping system. I no longer believe in the system. I'm a victim of the system."

posted by rcade to other at 01:09 PM - 1 comment

Big Coach in the Little Gym: Scott Lang was 41 years old when he died last month. He was not married. He had no children. He spent almost all of his adult life as the basketball coach at La Roche College, a tiny Division III school in the north hills just above Pittsburgh (via MetaFilter).

posted by rcade to basketball at 11:38 AM - 1 comment

Man Dunks Himself During Suns Game: A member of the Phoenix Suns Sol Patrol, Nick Corrales, accomplished a first during a trampoline stunt after the third quarter: He dunked himself.

posted by rcade to basketball at 10:03 AM - 5 comments

'Everything You Know About Fitness is a Lie': "[W]e all live in a kind of Fitness Fog, a miasma of lies and misinformation that we mistake for common sense, and that makes most of our gym time a complete waste," Daniel Duane writes in Men's Journal. "[I]f you just stick to a basic strength-training program, you can expect a certain wonderment about what the hell you were doing all those years, why nobody told you it was this simple before, and why nobody else in the gym appears to have heard the good news." (Also on MetaFilter.)

posted by rcade to general at 08:08 AM - 10 comments

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

January 28, 2011

The Heart Of Football Beats In Aliquippa: Over five decades of economic decline and racial conflict, a Western Pennsylvania mill town has found unity and hope on the football field.

I have grown up 10 min down the road frm aliquippa and most of my family is still in the Italian section of Quip. Living there is a fight everyday for survival in a world of drugs and guns, but still somehow, this tiny town has produces so many NFL greats. Law, Dorsett, Ditka, Revis, Gilbert and more on the way...

posted by Debo270 to football at 11:12 AM - 1 comment

Thomas Robinson's Tragic Month: In the last month, KU freshman basketball player Thomas Robinson has lost his grandfather, grandmother and now his 37-year-old mother, leaving him and his 9-year-old sister Jayla alone.

"Thomas is all she knows," said Kansas coach Bill Self -- and Robinson is currently enrolled in school 1,150 miles away.

posted by TheQatarian to basketball at 09:20 AM - 14 comments

BYU's Jimmer Fredette now has the attention of even NBA stars: If historians ever try to pinpoint the game that transformed Jimmer Fredette from player of the year candidate to bona fide basketball icon, Wednesday's 71-58 victory over previously undefeated San Diego State would be an ideal choice.

posted by BornIcon to basketball at 07:15 AM - 0 comments

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

January 27, 2011

Jeff Fisher Out in Tennessee: The Tennessee Titans and Jeff Fisher, the NFL's longest-tenured head coach, are breaking up, the team announced Thursday afternoon. "It remains uncertain if Fisher's departure will be termed a firing, a resignation or a mutual parting of ways," SI.Com reports. Last week Fisher fired defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil, one of his closest friends. At the time it looked like Fisher would be given one more season.

posted by rcade to football at 07:35 PM - 11 comments

The N.F.L. and the concussion crisis: "In the past, it was a style of ball that was three yards and a cloud of dust, so you didn't see too many of these big hits, because there wasn't so much space between players," Steelers All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu said. "I mean, with the passing game now, you get four-wide-receiver sets, sometimes five-wide-receiver sets. You get guys coming across the middle, you get zone coverages. You know, there's more space between these big hits, so there's more opportunity for these big hits."

posted by Mookieproof to football at 06:58 PM - 3 comments

Triple-overtime game finishes with bizarre 38-31 score: A nationally ranked team and three overtimes usually produce a score well into the 100s. That wasn't the case Tuesday near Dallas, where RivalsHigh 100 No. 12 Flower Mound (Texas) Marcus High eked out a 38-31, triple-overtime district win against Plano (Texas) West High, which resorted to outright stalling as a way to remain competitive with a team that had already blown it out once this year.

posted by BornIcon to basketball at 04:07 PM - 6 comments

Letters Reveal J.D. Salinger Had Henmania: The reclusive author J.D. Salinger, who died in January 2010 at age 91, was a fan of British tennis player Tim Henman, private letters sent to a friend reveal. "Salinger remarked that he liked the look of Henman's parents, who were appearing on TV a lot at the time, mentioning that they didn't look like your average pushy sports stars' parents," said Professor Chris Bigsby of University of East Anglia, which received the letters and is prohibited from quoting them directly by Salinger's estate. In one letter Salinger hoped that when Henman played Germans at Wimbledon he "knocked 'em all down," according to BBC Sport.

posted by rcade to tennis at 02:14 PM - 2 comments

Ferrer Ends Nadal's Grand Slam Bid: World number one Rafael Nadal was dumped from the Australian Open quarter-finals 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 by fellow Spaniard David Ferrer Wednesday, ending Nadal's bid to hold all four Grand Slam titles at the same time. Ferrer has beaten Nadal four times in 15 encounters.

posted by rcade to tennis at 01:48 PM - 2 comments

Lesbians in Athletics?: "He kept drilling that 'this would be a family,'" says the player, who asked not to be named. "'You should come here,' he said, 'because we're family-oriented.'"

posted by Demophon to basketball at 09:31 AM - 26 comments

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

January 26, 2011

Footballing Trends in Europe.: The closest you'll get to sabermetrics in football, and why Barcelona have the shortest team in Europe.

posted by owlhouse to soccer at 09:49 PM - 4 comments

Sabermetrician In Exile: SpoFites seem to love the analytical geekiness of baseball but McCracken's is a cautionary tale of the Internet era.

posted by billsaysthis to baseball at 01:24 PM - 2 comments

Green Bay Packers Players Frustrated With Super Bowl Team Photo: Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley and linebacker Nick Barnett are two very key players for the Super Bowl bound Green Bay Packers. But, for historians and football fans all around, after this season; if you take a look at a Packers team photo from Super Bowl XVL, Finley, Barnett and others will not be seen in these photos.

posted by BornIcon to football at 12:16 PM - 3 comments

Cashman says talk of Jeter in outfield was 'hypothetical': After making headlines by speculating that shortstop Derek Jeter likely will finish his contract as an outfielder, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told the New York Daily News that his comments merely were hypothetical.

posted by BornIcon to baseball at 12:13 PM - 1 comment

Christian Lion Blames Satan for Bad Press: After Detroit Lions linebacker Zack Follett called Lions quarterback Matt Stafford a "china doll" in an interview, he released a video saying that Satan caused the backlash he received on Twitter and in the media. "God showed me how Satan can take a little thing -- which I had no intention of being wrong -- a little thing and twist it, and see what big thing can come out of it," he said. "I laugh, because God let me see that it was Satan."

posted by rcade to football at 10:29 AM - 18 comments

College Football Donor Wants $3 Million Back: Major UConn donor Robert Burton wants $3 million in donations back and for his name to be taken off the school's Burton Family Football Complex. Burton said he was not consulted by Athletic Director Jeff Hathaway before Paul Pasqualoni was hired as football coach, breaking an agreement he had with Hathaway's predecessor. "You are not qualified to be a Division I AD and I would have fired you a long time ago," Burton wrote in a letter to Hathaway. "You do not have the skills to manage and cultivate new donors."

posted by rcade to football at 09:17 AM - 9 comments

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 20 comments

January 25, 2011

Packers Favored to Win Super Bowl 0x2D: Despite being their conference's No. 2 seed with a 14-4 record, the Pittsburgh Steelers are three-point underdogs against the Green Bay Packers in the opening Las Vegas line for Super Bowl 0x2D. "I kind of don't understand what everybody sees that we don't see," said Steelers defensive back Ike Taylor.

posted by rcade to football at 04:45 PM - 12 comments

Chicago man wears Packers tie to work, is promptly fired: From Chicago's WGNtv.com comes the unfortunately real story of a Chicago car salesman who was fired because he wore a Green Bay Packers tie to work. And making it even worse, the man wore it because his grandma was a Packers fan who had recently died and was buried two days before her beloved team's NFC Championship game matchup with the Chicago Bears.

posted by BornIcon to football at 02:55 PM - 10 comments

High School Girls Beat Opponent 108-3: In Utah, Christian Heritage High defeated West Ridge Academy 108-3 in a girls basketball game last week. Rob McGill, the coach of the Christian Heritage Crusaders, said it would have been "very insulting" to slow down his team so they'd score less. Jamie Keefer, whose West Ridge Eagles play at a school for at-risk kids, said, "I don't know why the score was that high, or what the point was."

posted by rcade to basketball at 02:30 PM - 30 comments

Nascar Gives Nationwide Drivers Chance to Be Champs: Nascar is ending a practice that let its current stars slow the rise of future ones. Drivers only can earn points in one of its three series. "The Nationwide Series has to have its own stars and identity to be successful," says Martin Truex Jr., who in 2005 was the last Nationwide champ who wasn't a full-time Sprint Cup driver.

posted by rcade to auto racing at 07:57 AM - 5 comments

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

January 24, 2011

Announcer: 'Women Don't Know the Offside Rule': Two Sky TV soccer announcers were caught on an open mic disparaging female referee Sian Massey for an offsides call during Liverpool's 3-0 win over Wolves. "Can you believe that? A female linesman," said Andy Gray. "Women don't know the offside rule. "'Course they don't," replied Richard Keys. Massey's call was correct, according to Reuters.

posted by rcade to soccer at 03:26 PM - 10 comments

Fitness Legend Jack LaLanne Dies: Jack LaLanne, the fitness guru who inspired several generations to exercise and eat right for decades, died Sunday of respiratory failure related to pneumonia. He was 96. At 60, LaLanne swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco while handcuffed, shackled and towing a boat. "The only way you can hurt the body is not use it," LaLanne once said. "Inactivity is the killer and, remember, it's never too late." In 1936 in native Oakland, he opened a health studio with weight-training for women and athletes. "It was absolutely forbidden in those days for athletes to use weights," he said. "We had athletes who used to sneak into the studio to work out."

posted by rcade to general at 01:50 PM - 7 comments

Cutler tore MCL vs. Packers: Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler suffered a torn medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his left knee during the Bears' 21-14 loss to the Packers in the NFC Championship Game, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

posted by BornIcon to football at 01:23 PM - 46 comments

Steelers Tie Record with Eighth Super Bowl Trip: The Pittsburgh Steelers took a 24-0 lead and held off a second-half rally to defeat the New York Jets 24-19 in the AFC Championship Game, sealing the game with a 14-yard third down completion to wide receiver Antonio Brown with 1:48 remaining. "They're a good team and the momentum shifted and we couldn't get anything going," said Steelers offensive lineman Trai Essex. The Steelers have tied the Dallas Cowboys with their eighth trip to the Super Bowl.

posted by rcade to football at 07:56 AM - 17 comments

2011 Jim Mora Memorial NFL Playoffs?! Confidence Pool confidence pool standings.: These here are the results through the conference championship games. Again, big, huge thanks to whomever put the site back online. 'Twas very cool of you.

posted by NoMich to fantasy at 07:24 AM - 5 comments

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

January 23, 2011

NFL Pick 'em and Confidence Pool, Conference Round RESULTS: Results are in for the NFL Pick 'em and Confidence pool after the Conference Round. A pair of exciting games today, and some interesting results in our two pools!

posted by hincandenza to fantasy at 10:01 PM - 9 comments

Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl : Green Bay will be trying to win its 13th NFL championship and its fourth Super Bowl. The Packers won Super Bowls I, II and XXXI and lost Super Bowl XXXII.

posted by tommytrump to football at 08:07 PM - 32 comments

Playmate Buys Soccer Team in Poland: Former Playboy centerfold Iza Lukomska (NSFW) has bought the Polish second-tier soccer club Warta Poznan FC. "I used to work in a building company, which requires ruling with an iron fist," she said. "I will make sure that there is order and discipline at the club."

posted by rcade to soccer at 02:24 PM - 4 comments

American Rugby on the Rise: NBC is making a push into rugby, televising February's U.S. Rugby Sevens tournament quarterfinals and finals live and the Rugby World Cup. There are 2,650 rugby clubs in the U.S., a 32 percent increase since 2004, according to NBC Sports.

posted by rcade to other at 12:36 PM - 6 comments

Jets Looking Forward to Hitting Hines Ward: New York Jets coaches and players have a lot to say about Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, who's either "the toughest player in the league, when no one's looking" (Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine) or a player "I respect the heck out of" (head coach Rex Ryan). "We're going to deal with him early so he knows what type of game it's going to be," said Jets safety James Ihedigbo.

posted by rcade to football at 08:16 AM - 4 comments

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

January 22, 2011

"Using the observations of television viewers sitting at home does not seem the right way to proceed in a professional sport": The BBC's Iain Carter reflects on Padraig Harrington's disqualification at this week's Abu Dhabi International, thanks to an eagle-eyed ~~snitch~~ TV viewer who emailed the European Tour website to alert referees that the golfer had inadvertently moved his ball when replacing it. Some pros are less than impressed, too.

posted by etagloh to golf at 06:22 PM - 8 comments

Bad lie: All the alligator wanted to do is eat the golf ball...er... golfer

posted by roberts to golf at 12:00 PM - 4 comments

'I Don't Know What to Say, Really': NPR's Carl Kasell reads the pregame pep talk from Any Given Sunday (via MetaFilter).

posted by rcade to football at 11:06 AM - 2 comments

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

January 21, 2011

Vernon Wells traded to Angels for Mike Napoli & Juan Rivera: The Toronto Blue Jays turned a lacklustre off-season on its ear with the trade of franchise cornerstone Vernon Wells to the Los Angeles Angels. Coming back for the all-star centre-fielder are catcher Mike Napoli and outfielder Juan Rivera. The blockbuster deal frees the Blue Jays from what many consider one of the more untradeable contracts in baseball. Wells is due $86-million over the final 4 seasons of the $126-million, 7 year contract he signed in December 2006.

posted by tommytrump to baseball at 08:10 PM - 10 comments

Kim Clijsters Gives TV Commentator a Tennis Lesson: After a match at the Australian Open, Kim Clijsters taught TV commentator and former pro Todd Woodbridge why men should never ask if a woman is pregnant. Particularly if she's going to be talking to you later on live television at center court.

posted by rcade to tennis at 11:41 AM - 29 comments

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

January 20, 2011

Andre Agassi Joins Tennis Hall of Fame: American tennis great Andre Agassi will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I. Agassi, who was No. 1 for 101 weeks over his career, was playing outside the top 100 in 1999 when he won the French Open and became the fifth player to complete a career Grand Slam.

posted by rcade to tennis at 07:55 PM - 2 comments

100 Best Sports Photographs of 2010: and parts 2, 3 and 4. I need to know what happened in #16.

posted by yerfatma to culture at 03:12 PM - 15 comments

Tom Jackson Should Stop Talking Now: After being called out by New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott in an epic post-game rant for picking the New England Patriots to win 30-10 last weekend, ESPN analyst Tom Jackson claimed in a radio interview, "I played a bit of a psychological game with the Jets. ... I wanted to further fuel and cement them in that bunker mentality of us against the world." Then he said later that wasn't true either. "I was shocked and stunned by Bart's comments, that they were directed at me," Jackson said. "So in an effort to make an excuse for the comments, I made comments I shouldn't have."

posted by rcade to football at 12:11 PM - 13 comments

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

January 19, 2011

8% of Fans Leave Sporting Events Legally Drunk: Nearly 8 percent of fans leaving sporting events are legally drunk, according to a new University of Minnesota study of 362 fans at 16 Major League Baseball and NFL games. "[T]housands of people from each game could be leaving these venues intoxicated," said Dr. Darin J. Erickson, the lead researcher. "Given that intoxication can lead to a host of negative consequences, such as drunk driving, assault and injury, this is clearly a public health issue."

posted by rcade to general at 02:46 PM - 23 comments

Cancer patient snubbed by Rodgers comes out in his defense: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers(notes) was under fire this weekend when a local news station showed a clip of him brushing past a cancer patient desperate for his autograph. But just as the criticism was intensifying, an unlikely source came to Rodgers' defense: the very woman he ignored, Jan Cavanaugh.

posted by BornIcon to football at 02:12 PM - 4 comments

'I Think My Number 10 is an American': The U.S. men's soccer team has begun taking on more foreign-born players who are eligible by birth, parent nationality or passport. Midfielder Mikkel Diskerud and forwards Juan Agudelo, Teal Bunbury and Eugene Starikov were born in Norway, Colombia, Canada and the former Soviet Union, respectively. One got here after U-20 match between the U.S. and Norway. U.S. U-20 coach Thomas Rongen said, "The head coach comes over to me at halftime to talk shop and says, 'I think my number 10 is an American.'" The player was Diskerud, whose mother hails from Arizona.

posted by rcade to soccer at 01:13 PM - 4 comments

NFL Pick 'em, Conference Round: Hope posting this earlier will get more participation this week!

posted by hincandenza to fantasy at 11:19 AM - 12 comments

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

January 18, 2011

Kansas City Royals' Gil Meche announces retirement: For the longest time, Gil Meche assumed he’d be pitching this season. Despite shoulder problems that have limited his effectiveness for the last 19 months, Meche said the thought of retirement had never even crossed his mind, until this past December. It suddenly hit him that even with his recent move to the bullpen, the odds of him making it through the season were highly unlikely. He kept thinking: did he really want to be the guy on the disabled list making $12 million? The answer was no. Tuesday, the highest-paid player in Royals history made it official, announcing his retirement and walked away from $12.4 million he was due this season. “It’s just the right thing to do,” said Meche, who’s not seeking a settlement from the club. “I’m not trying to look good. I just know I wouldn’t be able to handle it if I got hurt again and wouldn’t be able to play.” “It's very unique,” said Royals g.m. Dayton Moore, who admitted he’s never heard of a player leaving this much money on the table in retirement. “There are a lot of risks in this game, and any time you give a long-term contract, you take on a risk. Gil had every right to finish off the final year of this contract, and he chose not to.”

posted by tommytrump to baseball at 10:35 PM - 7 comments

Raiders Promote Hue Jackson to Top Job: The Oakland Raiders have promoted their offensive coordinator Hue Jackson to be the team's head coach. Jackson, 45, took over the offense last January and they improved from 31st to sixth in scoring, 31st to tenth in yardage and 21st to second in rushing. Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco called Jackson the "best wide receivers coach I ever had."

posted by rcade to football at 07:36 PM - 3 comments

Floyd Landis Quits Cycling: After four unsuccessful years of trying to get on a team, former Tour de France winner Floyd Landis has announced his retirement from cycling. "I've spent five years trying to get back to a place that I can never really go back to, and it's causing more stress than is worth it. There must be more to life than this," Landis told ESPN. "I don't want it to come across that I'm quitting because I'm bitter," he added, bitterly.

posted by rcade to other at 03:26 PM - 8 comments

Baseball Card Hall of Fame: The Tumblr blog Baseball Card Hall of Fame celebrates "greatness in cardstock" (but not really). Explains the curator, "This began as a silly gift for an internet friend, but I liked the idea so much that I turned it into a blog and kept making these things."

posted by rcade to baseball at 01:04 PM - 2 comments

Team Apologizes for Fan Lap Dance Contest: The Boston Blazers indoor lacrosse team has apologized for a halftime contest in which three female fans competed to give the team's mascot Scorch the best lap dance. "You try explaining to my kids about what they were doing to the mascot," said one offended onlooker.

posted by rcade to other at 12:11 PM - 36 comments

Blake Griffin Hangs 47 on Pacers: Los Angeles Clippers rookie Blake Griffin scored 47 points against the Indiana Pacers Monday night, the highest scoring game in the NBA this season. He added 14 rebounds for his 33rd double-double. "We couldn't guard him," said Pacers coach Jim O'Brien. "He was just too much for us to handle."

posted by rcade to basketball at 10:54 AM - 12 comments

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

January 17, 2011

'The Most Interesting Man in the NBA': Memphis Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay may not be Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Pau Gasol, Blake Griffin, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, Lamar Odom, LaMarcus Aldridge or Kevin Love, but he is "the most interesting man in the NBA."

posted by rcade to basketball at 06:11 PM - 2 comments

The Poetics of Mashburn: JL Weill of The Awl reminisces upon the greatness of Jamal Mashburn's tenure as a Kentucky Wildcat

posted by reenum to basketball at 02:04 PM - 1 comment

Reds, Votto Agree to 3 Year, $38 Million Deal: Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto has signed a three-year, $38 million contract with the team. The Cincinnati Enquirer thinks the deal means a quick-as-possible free agent payday for the National League MVP. "[T]he contract simply buys out Votto's arbitration years," writes John Fay. "He can take his money and run to free agency after the 2013 season."

posted by rcade to baseball at 10:25 AM - 1 comment

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

January 16, 2011

NFL Confidence Pool and Pick 'Em Results (Week 2): Ouch. Some tough losses this week, and some surprising results. The confidence pool results and pick 'em results are inside.

posted by hincandenza to fantasy at 09:36 PM - 4 comments

New York Jets Back Up Big Talk by Beating Patriots: All week, the Jets trafficked in hyperbole and lobbed insults at New England, even threats. Sometimes, it seemed as if they were convincing themselves they stood a chance. By Sunday evening, the script had changed. By Sunday evening, it seemed the Jets had known all week what everyone else missed. In a game few expected them to win, in the same stadium where they were humiliated last month, the Jets bullied the Patriots, battered Tom Brady and advanced to the A.F.C. championship game with a 28-21 victory.

posted by tommytrump to football at 08:00 PM - 59 comments

Bears romp to NFC title game : With farsighted visions of hosting the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field in an epic NFC Championship Game, the Bears built a big early lead and beat the Seattle Seahawks 35-24 at Soldier Field. The Bears marched to a 21-0 halftime lead and never looked back as Jay Cutler hooked up with tight end Greg Olsen on a 58-yard TD pass on the opening drive. Cutler also scored two touchdowns, becoming the first Bears quarterback to run for a postseason score since Jim McMahon did so in Super Bowl XX. The Bears and Packers will meet in the postseason Sunday for the first time since Dec. 14, 1941, a game the Bears won 33-14. This season, the Bears and Packers split the two regular-season games.

posted by tommytrump to football at 06:46 PM - 17 comments

Tripping on the errr.... bench: "Video surfaced Sunday showing several Patriots players standing flush against the inside border of the sideline during a punt return in a Week 2 loss to the Jets, with the last player in the line attempting to trip New York's special teams 'gunner.'

posted by scully to football at 05:49 PM - 4 comments

Packers Crush Falcons, 48-21: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 31 of 36 passes for 366 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another, dismantling the No. 1 seed Atlanta Falcons 48-21 and advancing to the NFC Championship Game. "Rodgers made counterpart Matt Ryan(notes) look like one of the kids competing in the halftime 'Punt, Pass and Kick' contest," writes Jason Cole.

posted by rcade to football at 08:52 AM - 5 comments

Steelers Rally to Defeat Ravens 31-24: After being down 21-7 at the half, the Pittsburgh Steelers came back to beat the Baltimore Ravens 31-24 to reach the AFC Championship Game. The Ravens turned the ball over three times in the third quarter in their territory. "They keep asking for us and we keep putting them out of the tournament," gloated Steelers receiver Hines Ward. "They're going to be ticked about this for a long time."

posted by rcade to football at 08:49 AM - 10 comments

Broncos Hire John Fox as Head Coach: The Denver Broncos have hired John Fox as their new head coach, fresh off the 2-14 season that ended his nine years leading the Carolina Panthers (he also reached one Super Bowl and won three division titles). "I'm a retread," Fox said.

posted by rcade to football at 08:19 AM - 1 comment

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

January 15, 2011

ESPN Reveals Steelers' Trick Play Plans: Bob Holtzman reported this morning on ESPN that the Pittsburgh Steelers are planning a trick play in today's playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens. "Two Steelers have told me, if they catch the Ravens in the right defense, they have a trick play ready to go today that they've never run before," Holtzman said. If you know any Ravens, don't tell them!

posted by rcade to football at 02:52 PM - 9 comments

Vernon Wells Discusses His Controversial Contract: Heartened by his 2010 season, Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Vernon Wells is more willing to talk about the seven-year, $126 million contract that's been a bad deal for the team. He says, "When you struggle in this game, there's so much expected of you from an outside standpoint, it eats away at you. ... I'm glad I went through that '09 season because I got a chance to see what the bad side is like and I don't want to ever be there again."

posted by rcade to baseball at 02:23 PM - 2 comments

NFL Pick 'em, Divisional Round: Wildcard and Confidence pool results are in; make your second week picks inside.

posted by hincandenza to fantasy at 02:09 PM - 8 comments

Boy Sent Home for Wearing Steelers Jersey: A 13-year-old Washington boy who wore a Pittsburgh Steelers jersey to his middle school's Seahawks Appreciation Day was sent home by school officials. "Not everyone is a Seahawks fan," said Grendon Bailie to explain his attire. "This boy came in a different color, a different team, and he was asked, if he didn't want to participate in the Seahawks colors day, then he could wear his [school] uniform," said Tacoma School District spokeswoman Stacy Flores.

posted by rcade to football at 10:09 AM - 24 comments

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

January 14, 2011

The Hoser's NFL Postseason Picks 2010 -- Week 2: NFL picks that wonder why you can't get Fiddle Faddle in Canada.

posted by wfrazerjr to football at 06:47 PM - 4 comments

Cam Newton Declares for NFL Draft: Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton will skip his senior season and enter the NFL draft after leading Auburn to a 14-0 season and Bowl Championship Series title over Oregon. "This decision was difficult for me and my family," Newton said.

posted by rcade to football at 10:11 AM - 15 comments

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 15 comments

January 13, 2011

Terrell Suggs: Brady's Super Bowls 'Questionable': Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs denigrated two of Tom Brady's Super Bowl wins with the New England Patriots as "questionable" during a radio appearance Thursday. "He's got the tuck rule incident and you got the videotaping of other teams' practices," Suggs said. "It's like "Oh OK what's going on here?' But hey, it is what it is. They won the games no matter how you did it."

posted by rcade to football at 05:42 PM - 7 comments

LeBron James Taunts Cavs Over Historic Loss: As the Cleveland Cavaliers were experienced the most lopsided loss in franchise history -- a 112-57 rout to the Los Angeles Lakers -- LeBron James posted this message on Twitter directed at the team: "Crazy. Karma is a b****.. Gets you every time. Its not good to wish bad on anybody. God sees everything!"

posted by rcade to basketball at 03:42 PM - 18 comments

Brett Favre's Sister, Brandi, Arrested in Meth Lab Raid: Investigators arrested Brandi Favre and four others after Hancock County narcotics officers discovered the active meth lab in a condo complex in Diamondhead, Miss

posted by texpat to other at 08:23 AM - 19 comments

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

January 12, 2011

Pitcher and Husband Kris Benson Retires from Baseball: Major League pitcher Kris Benson, the first overall pick in 1996, is retiring from baseball and taking the game's most loquacious bodacious wife with him. Benson won just 70 games over his 11 seasons, earning more than $38 million in salary. Yahoo's Big League Stew blog blames injuries: "Considering his medical history, it's remarkable and admirable that he was able to make 200 starts, win 70 games, and pitch 1,243 2/3 innings." Benson's wife Anna was so outspoken during his season with the New York Mets that sportswriter Murray Chass wrote, "Kris Benson doesn't have a good enough arm for the Mets to overlook his wife's mouth."

posted by rcade to baseball at 07:30 PM - 8 comments

NFL Lockout Looming: Baltimore Ravens cornerback Domonique Foxworth, Cleveland Browns linebacker Scott Fujita, and NFLPA assistant executive director George Atallah participated in a media conference call.

posted by kokaku to football at 08:36 AM - 52 comments

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

January 11, 2011

Belichick Tells Patriots to Keep Quiet: Ignoring comments coming from New York Jets coach Rex Ryan, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick told his players to do their talking on the field during Sunday's playoff game. "Like I said last time, they take after their coach, we take after our coach," said Patriots tight end Alge Crumpler.

posted by rcade to football at 06:11 PM - 6 comments

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

Who Was the Auburn Heckler?: Two years ago, when Auburn hired Gene Chizik as head coach after he went 5-19 leading Iowa State, the response of many Tigers fans was comparable to an infamous heckler who met the plane of athletic director Jay Jacobs. The heckler, who yelled "we want a leader not a loser" and "5-19 at Iowa State -- someone at Auburn better have a crystal ball" at Jacobs, has never been identified. "Of course, he probably doesn't want to be found at this point," blogs Lost Lettermen.

posted by rcade to football at 02:03 AM - 3 comments

Auburn Tigers Win BCS Title Over Oregon Ducks: In a much lower scoring game than expected, Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton led the Auburn Tigers to the Bowl Championship Series title in college football with a 22-19 win over the Oregon Ducks. Tigers kicker Wes Byrum kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired. Neither offense lived up to billing. "TCU, anyone?" asks Christine Brennan.

posted by rcade to football at 01:11 AM - 20 comments

January 10, 2011

Blackburn's Diouf Taunts Opponent with Broken Leg: Blackburn forward El Hadji Diouf taunted Queens Park Rangers striker Jamie Mackie as he lay on the pitch with a broken tibia and fibula during Saturday's FA Cup match, several outraged QPR players said. "Never come across a more repulsive human being than Diouf!" Mackie's teammate Bradley Orr said. "The things he was saying were disgusting! The lad has just broke his leg! You horrible disgusting man Diouf! Your time will come!"

posted by rcade to soccer at 12:12 PM - 5 comments

Auburn Meets Oregon for BCS Title: Ten days into the New Year, the Auburn Tigers and Oregon Ducks play tonight in Phoenix for college football's thirteenth Bowl Championship Series title game. "Auburn will hammer Oregon," predicts Tom Dienhart of Rivals.Com. The line for the game is Auburn by 2 1/2 points with a huge over-under of 74 points. Oregon will be wearing a sedate new uniform by their standards, aside from the neon socks. "They have become their own aesthetic category," says sports uniform geek Paul Lukas.

posted by rcade to football at 09:34 AM - 5 comments

Packers Hold Off Eagles for 21-16 Win: Winning their first playoff game on the road in 12 years, the Green Bay Packers held off a last-minute drive by the Philadelphia Eagles for a 21-16 playoff victory Sunday. Driving to the Packers' 27 with 33 seconds left, Michael Vick threw a pass in the end zone to wide receiver Riley Cooper that was intercepted by cornerback Tramon Williams.

posted by rcade to football at 08:51 AM - 4 comments

Ravens Steamroll Chiefs: In the most lopsided game of wild-card weekend, the Baltimore Ravens sent the Kansas City Chiefs out of the playoffs Sunday with a 30-7 win on the road at Arrowhead Stadium. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco was 25 of 34 passing for 265 yards and two touchdowns. The Chiefs had five turnovers and continued their playoff woes at home. "Only the Bengals and Lions have gone longer without home playoff wins," writes Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star.

posted by rcade to football at 08:43 AM - 2 comments

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 14 comments

January 09, 2011

Suit: Clippers Owner Showed Women Nude Players: In a wrongful termination suit, former Los Angeles Clippers general manager Elgin Baylor claims that owner Donald Sterling used to bring women into the locker room while players were showering and make comments like "look at those beautiful black bodies."

posted by rcade to basketball at 03:25 PM - 3 comments

Nick Folk's Foot Helps Jets Defeat Colts: Last season's longest-playing teams were this season's first playoff exits. The Indianapolis Colts lost a defensive 17-16 battle to the New York Jets at home Saturday after Nick Folk kicked a game-winning 32-yard field goal as time expired. Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri had kicked a go-ahead 50-yarder just 53 seconds earlier.

posted by rcade to football at 11:51 AM - 4 comments

7-9 Seattle Seahawks Shock Saints: After taking six days of abuse from the sports world for making the playoffs with a 7-9 losing record, the Seattle Seahawks sent the Super Bowl Champs out of the playoffs in front of 66,366 raucous fans at Qwest Field Saturday. The Seahawks turned an early 17-7 deficit into a 41-36 win that was decided by running back Marshawn Lynch's 67-yard touchdown run with 3:22 left in the game.

posted by rcade to football at 11:23 AM - 18 comments

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

January 08, 2011

Ah, sorry Tony...Here's some money...We really do like you...That Harbaugh thing was nothing: It was everything an awkward press conference could be. Gum chomping, little eye contact, and the usual hemming and hawing. But the Dolphins did keep Sparano and extended his contract.

posted by roberts to football at 07:37 PM - 4 comments

Hodgeson out, Dalglaish in: Can King Kenny do better than Roy? He has five months (to Roy's six ) to impress the new owners and earn permanent appointment. First up, a ridiculously easy, sure thing at Old Trafford for an FA Cup third round tie in the morning.

posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 03:32 PM - 3 comments

Suit: Kiffin Car Crash Covered Up in Tennessee: During Lane Kiffin's brief tenure as Tennessee Vols head coach, he was in a one-vehicle Aug. 12, 2009, crash of a loaner Lexus LS460 that was covered up by a Toyota dealership and part of an insurance fraud, a former body shop worker claims in a new lawsuit.

posted by rcade to football at 02:08 PM - 2 comments

The Hoser's NFL Postseason Picks 2010 -- Week 1: NFL picks that are ready to party with the Russian Junior team anytime.

posted by wfrazerjr to football at 01:38 PM - 6 comments

San Francisco 49ers Hire Jim Harbaugh: The San Francisco 49ers have hired another Stanford coach to turn around years of futility. Former NFL quarterback Jim Harbaugh takes over a team that has missed the playoffs for eight years. "Harbaugh has 17 years of college coaching experience and will bring to the 49ers his own souped-up version of [Bill] Walsh's beloved West Coast Offense," writes Scott Ostler.

posted by rcade to football at 12:51 PM - 2 comments

NFL Playoff Pick 'em: Make your picks inside

posted by apoch to fantasy at 11:11 AM - 17 comments

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

January 07, 2011

Nebraska Coach Bo Pelini Punks Serviceman: After making Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Morgan Ryan an honorary captain during pre-Holiday Bowl festivities in San Diego and promising to let him call a play while watching the game on the sideline, Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini never did it. "It was a joke, ma'am," he told Lisa Horne afterwards.

posted by rcade to football at 07:30 PM - 5 comments

Miami (Ohio) Completes Historic Turnaround: Miami (of Ohio) has become the first school in the history of college football's top division to win 10 games in a season after losing 10 the year before. The RedHawks defeated the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders 35-21 in the GoDaddy.com Bowl, finishing the season 10-4. They went 1-11 in 2009. The coach who led the turnaround, Michael Haywood, left to take the Pitt job before the bowl and was fired days later after a domestic violence arrest.

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

Mark Sanchez Befriends Terminally-Ill Boy: The last weeks in the life of Aiden Binkley, 11, were spent texting and calling New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, who met the boy and learned of his fight with rhabdomyosarcoma cancer. One day while the boy was sleeping, Sanchez asked his parents if he could come over. "He opened his eyes and there was Mark, sitting on the couch," said Aiden's mom Lisa. After the boy's death last week, Sanchez said, "He brought me so much inspiration. ... It's hard to talk about him. He meant the world to me. I felt like I've known him forever."

posted by rcade to football at 10:47 AM - 2 comments

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

January 06, 2011

Bad Luck for the Carolina Panthers.: Andrew Luck has announced that he is committed to getting his degree in architecture from Stanford rather than declaring for the NFL draft.

posted by NoMich to football at 07:11 PM - 15 comments

Oakland Raiders Cancel Cable: The Oakland Raiders are declining to extend the contract of head coach Tom Cable, the team announced Tuesday. Cable, who was 17-27 in under three seasons with the team and 8-8 this year, broke an assistant coach's jaw in 2009 and physically abused a former wife and girlfriend, ESPN reported.

posted by rcade to football at 06:17 PM - 7 comments

Canada Suffers Epic Collapse in World Junior Fiinal : Call it unbelievable, surreal, bizarre, other-worldly. It was all of those things as Canada, seemingly on cruise control to the world junior championship, shocked 18,690 partisans Wednesday night with an all-time choke job to lose 5-3 to Russia. It was the third time in as many games the Russians were seemingly out of contention when they came back to win.

posted by tommytrump to hockey at 09:20 AM - 5 comments

Rangers Sign Beltre to $96 Million, 6-Year Deal: Third baseman Adrian Beltre signed a six-year, $96-million deal Wednesday with the Texas Rangers, a move that will shift Michael Young to a new position for the third time in his career.

posted by rcade to baseball at 09:10 AM - 10 comments

Titans have had it with Vince Young: Young says that coach Jeff Fisher never trusted him. Owner Bud Adams announced that Young will not be on the Titans roster next year, adding that a new quarterback is needed.

posted by roberts to football at 07:39 AM - 10 comments

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 15 comments

January 05, 2011

O.J. Mayo Fights Teammate on Flight: Memphis Grizzlies teammates O.J. Mayo and Tony Allen fought each other on the flight home from Los Angeles after Sunday's win over the Los Angeles Lakers, CBS Sports reports. The altercation reportedly left Mayo with a noticeably "swollen" face. Mayo, the third overall pick in 2008, is a backup averaging 13.2 points a game.

posted by rcade to basketball at 04:28 PM - 3 comments

Alomar and Blyleven Elected to the Hall of Fame:
They join Pat Gillick, Bill Conlin, and Dave Van Horne as 2011 inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

posted by grum@work to baseball at 04:24 PM - 20 comments

Wolverines!: *cough cough* *Ahem* I mean, the University of Michigan has fired head football coach Rich Rodriguez.

posted by NoMich to football at 01:13 PM - 2 comments

New overtime rules for playoffs start this weekend: Essentially, it's just that the first possession of the OT cannot end in a field goal, unless the kicking team recovers the opening kickoff (onside kick for the opening, anyone?).

posted by NoMich to football at 10:58 AM - 17 comments

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

January 04, 2011

The 2010 Seattle Seahawks: Worst. Playoff. Team. Ever?: According to Mr. Sagarin’s formula, the Seahawks would deserve to be favored by just 3 points against the 2008 Detroit Lions, who went 0-16. Article also includes a ranking of 10 worst teams to advance to the playoffs across all four major U.S. sports.

posted by DudeDykstra to football at 07:49 PM - 11 comments

Augusta National: The Masters is the focus of this year's iteration of Tiger Woods PGA Tour video game. If you, like me, are a fan of golf video games, you have been waiting for this moment your whole gaming life.

posted by BitterOldPunk to golf at 03:40 PM - 6 comments

Favre Sued for Sexual Harassment: Former NFL quarterback Brett Favre and the New York Jets have been sued for sexual harassment by two massage therapists who worked for the team when he was playing for the team in 2008. Christina Scavo, who filed suit along with Shannon O'Toole, alleges that Favre sent racy text messages propositioning her and another woman and after her husband demanded an apology from him, neither she nor O'Toole was offered work by the team again.

posted by rcade to football at 03:08 PM - 5 comments

Ricky Williams Takes Parting Shots at Sparano: Departing Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams, 33, criticized head coach Tony Sparano for "micromanaging" and the team for a lack of effort in the season-ending loss to the New England Patriots. "They had less to play for than we did and they played harder than any team we played all year," Williams said on his weekly radio show, "and I just expect that from my team." Sparano's job status is shaky after a second consecutive 7-9 season.

posted by rcade to football at 02:50 PM - 10 comments

Royals Flush with Top Prospects: The Kansas City Royals have gotten rid of six of their seven most expensive players from last season and added even more prospects to one of the game's most stocked farm systems. "The Royals are going to be good," writes Jeff Passan. "They have a chance to be very good. ... The farm system overflows with talent at nearly every position."

posted by rcade to baseball at 01:53 PM - 8 comments

2011 Jim Mora Memorial NFL Playoffs?! Confidence Pool: I created a NFL playoffs confidence pool. Get to pickin' and trash talkin', foo's! Here's a bracket for you to refer to.

posted by NoMich to fantasy at 10:03 AM - 23 comments

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 16 comments

January 03, 2011

Kansas City Chiefs are a good team with a terrible coach.: Jason Whitlock says so without malice or pleasure. He's just letting you know the coach is an "attention whore". And Whitlock hates those.

posted by yerfatma to football at 04:15 PM - 8 comments

Frazier Hire Delayed by Rooney Rule: Because of the Rooney rule, the Minnesota Vikings can't hire interim coach Leslie Frazier as the permanent coach without conducting an interview process that includes at least one minority applicant -- but Frazier can be that applicant. "I'm hoping for the best and just believing I'll be back," said Frazier, who is the team's first choice to become its eighth coach, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports.

posted by rcade to football at 02:57 PM - 9 comments

Woeful Panthers Earn First Draft Pick: The Carolina Panthers earned the top pick of the 2011 draft after finishing with a 2-14 record, two wins below the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals. "The season was just a failure," said Carolina cornerback Richard Marshall.

posted by rcade to football at 01:05 PM - 10 comments

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 24 comments

January 02, 2011

John Elway Hired as Denver Broncos Exec: The Denver Broncos have hired John Elway as vice president of football operations and sent him to woo head coach Jim Harbaugh away from Stanford. "This is not an image-enhancing tactic," writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post. "Elway will be in charge."

posted by rcade to football at 02:51 PM - 1 comment

Florida hires Weis as coordinator: Former Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis is leaving the NFL to become Florida’s offensive coordinator.

posted by gfinsf to football at 08:58 AM - 8 comments

Carolina Panthers Fire John Fox: Coach John Fox and his entire staff won't return to the Carolina Panthers next season, the team has announced. During his nine years at the helm, Fox's teams went 78-73 and reached Super Bowl 0x25.

posted by rcade to football at 08:24 AM - 7 comments

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

January 01, 2011

TCU Goes 13-0, Wins Rose Bowl: Texas Christian University completed a perfect 13-0 season with a 21-19 victory over the University of Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl. The Horned Frogs complete their first unbeaten season since winning the national championship in 1938.

posted by rcade to football at 09:35 PM - 7 comments

Fan Fantasies: NBA - instead of players fouling out, adopt the NHL power play - four-on-five basketball, two minute penalties. NFL - four-point field goals from 57 yards and out. MLB - Let batters decide if they want to run to first or third base.

posted by geekyguy to general at 01:54 PM - 14 comments

New Pitt Coach Arrested for Domestic Violence: New Pitt football coach Mike Haywood was jailed Friday for domestic violence after an incident involving the mother of his 21-month-old son at his South Bend home. The unidentified woman told police that Haywood grabbed and pushed her as she tried to leave with the child. Haywood, 46, is being held without bond until a Monday arraignment.

posted by rcade to football at 01:53 PM - 5 comments