Archives for October 2013

October 31, 2013

Red Sox win the World Series.: David Ortiz named series MVP.

posted by Joey Michaels to baseball at 12:22 AM - 35 comments

October 30, 2013

CFL Pick 'Em, Week 19: It's the last week of the season, and your last chance for glory. The league's playoff matchups are set, but our little rankings are far from final. Although to be honest, cixelsyd will have to have to have a pretty bad week to blow this one. Adjust your karma hat and make your picks inside.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 07:09 PM - 13 comments

St. Louis Cardinals Radio Signal Going, Going ...: At a time when other newspapers have trouble keeping enough staff to cover city council meetings, during game 4 of the World Series the New York Times had David Waldstein try to outdrive the signal of 50,000-watt blowtorch KMOX 1120 AM, the St. Louis station that helped turn a wide region of listeners into Cardinals fans. "The signal for the pregame show is strong and clear as I leave the parking lot," Waldstein writes at the start of the project. "Certainly no other baseball writer in the country is heading away from Busch Stadium at this moment." Hours later: "Reception is still strong as I head back across the Mississippi south of Memphis, 288 miles from home plate. The game is in the eighth inning."

posted by rcade to baseball at 05:32 PM - 16 comments

October 29, 2013

Ben Saunders is finally following Captain Scott: After a few false starts, Saunders and Tarka L'Herpiniere are underway in their Antarctic expedition. SportsFilter discussed the original expedition plans back in '05 and is a sponsor of mile 27 (thanks to worldcup2002).

posted by DrJohnEvans to extreme at 12:31 PM - 0 comments

Red Sox Win Game 5, Go Home to Fenway: Jon Lester outdueled Adam Wainwright and graybeard David Ross hit a go-ahead double, putting the Boston Red Sox over the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 and just one game from a World Series crown. The Red Sox go home to Fenway leading the series 3-2, with two chances to be the first Boston team to clinch at home since 1918. Just how hard is the task ahead for the Cards? "'It will be legendary if we go into Boston and win two games," Wainwright said.

posted by rcade to baseball at 10:41 AM - 30 comments

October 28, 2013

Brandon Meriweather Calls Out Brandon Marshall's Domestic Abuse: Chicago wide receiver Brandon Marshall said that Washington safety Brandon Meriweather "needs to get suspended or taken out of the game completely" for hits to the head and neck of defenseless receivers. Meriweather responded, "He feel like I need to be kicked out of the league? I feel like people who beat their girlfriends should be kicked out, too. You tell me who you'd rather have: Somebody who play aggressive on the field, or somebody who beat up their girlfriend?" The Marshall had four alleged domestic violence incidents in 2007, though no charges were filed.

posted by rcade to football at 03:36 PM - 14 comments

Red Sox Even World Series at 2: Left fielder Jonny Gomes, a late lineup addition, hit a three-run homer off reliever Seth Maness in a 4-2 Boston Red Sox win over the St. Louis Cardinals, evening the World Series at two games apiece. "If I'm fortunate enough to get a mistake, the bat's going to come through the zone hot and it worked out," Gomes said.

posted by rcade to baseball at 10:28 AM - 40 comments

October 27, 2013

Sebastian Vettel becomes youngest driver to win four F1 World Championships: He only needed to finish fifth in India to become champion. Even if Vettel didn't finish, Alonso had to finish in the top two to keep even a mathematical chance alive. Alonso ultimately finished 11th, while Vettel won both race and title. Red Bull also won the Constructors title.

Vettel joins such illustrious company as Juan Manuel Fangio, Alain Prost, and Michael Schumacher. Vettel has achieved this in four straight seasons. The last non Vettel champion was Jenson Button in 2009! And people say F1 is boring...

posted by Drood to auto racing at 08:15 PM - 2 comments

NFL's Non-Profit Status Questioned: At NFL headquarters on Park Avenue in Manhattan, the daily business is funded by all 32 pro teams which collectively pay more than $250 million in annual "membership dues." All of that revenue received by the league office, more than a half billion dollars since 2010, is not taxed because the league has been a non-profit trade association since the 1940s. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) filed a bill in September to revoke the tax exemption, asserting that working folks are subsidizing a special break for a sports league. More than 280,000 have signed a Change.ore petition asking Congress to remove the NFL's non-profit status. "This doesn't pass the basic fairness test," said the petition's author, Lynda Woolard, a fan of the New Orleans Saints.

posted by rcade to football at 10:57 AM - 14 comments

Cards Win Game 3 Through Game-Ending Obstruction Call: The St. Louis Cardinals took a 2-1 World Series lead over the Boston Red Sox, winning game 3 by a 5-4 score when Will Middlebrooks was called for obstruction at third base on Allen Craig. "It was the first time in World Series history that a game ended on an obstruction call, but third-base ump Jim Joyce absolutely got it right," writes Scott Miller of CBS Sports. Fellow scribe Jon Heyman offers more on the call.

posted by rcade to baseball at 10:09 AM - 55 comments

October 26, 2013

First Black Nascar Winner Since 1963: Darrell Wallace Jr. won the Kroger 200 on Nascar's Camping World Truck Series Saturday, becoming the first black driver to win a Nascar race since 1963. Wallace, 20, was making his 19th start on the truck series the third-tier of Nascar. The only other black driver to win was Wendell Scott, who won on December 1, 1963, at a top-level race held at Speedway Park in Jacksonville. But racing officials announced white driver Buck Baker as the winner that night, only correcting it later, and he was never given the trophy.

posted by rcade to auto racing at 07:12 PM - 0 comments

October 25, 2013

Celtics Guard, Lakers Exec Bill Sharman Dies: Bill Sharman, high-scoring guard for the Boston Celtics, and later coach and executive with the Los Angeles Lakers has died at age 87. In the championship years with the Celtics, the mantra "Russell to Cousy to Sharman", describing the Boston fast break, was the equivalent of baseball's "Tinker to Evers to Chance".

posted by Howard_T to basketball at 03:15 PM - 0 comments

Cards Win, Even World Series at 1-1: An error by Red Sox relief pitcher Craig Breslow helped the St. Louis Cardinals score three runs in the seventh in a 4-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox to even the World Series at a game apiece. Michael Wacha got the win, Carlos Martinez threw two innings of relief and Trevor Rosenthal earned the save, giving the Cards a second postseason victory in a row thrown entirely by rookies. Carlos Beltran played despite his rib contusion and had two hits and an RBI. The next three games are in St. Louis.

posted by rcade to baseball at 10:46 AM - 3 comments

October 24, 2013

Red Sox Take Game 1 Over Cards: The Boston Red Sox opened the 2013 World Series with an 8-1 home thrashing of the St. Louis Cardinals. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports called the game "an infinity-to-one beatdown that showcased the absolute worst in the Cardinals." In one indicator of how the night went, Cards outfielder Carlos Beltran stole a grand slam from David Ortiz and it might be the worst news of the night for St. Louis. He suffered a right rib contusion hitting the wall and left the game. (On local radio in Jacksonville, orthopedic surgeon Kevin Murphy described the cartilage bruise as the kind of injury that will hurt for three months.) David Lennon of Newsday writes, "Beltran had played 22 games at Fenway Park, but Wednesday night was his first in right, where the chest-high bullpen wall can be dangerous to the uninitiated."

posted by rcade to baseball at 10:56 AM - 33 comments

Six Degrees of Kevin Garnett: Linking baseball, football, and basketball players across sports in a "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" format.

posted by grum@work to other at 07:44 AM - 14 comments

October 23, 2013

Bill Mazer, a Sports Fixture of New York Radio and TV, Dies: Bill Mazer, who was a voice and face of sports coverage in New York for decades, pioneering sports-talk radio and becoming a television fixture while earning the nickname the Amazin’ for his encyclopedic recall of sports facts and figures, died on Wednesday in Danbury, Conn. He was 92.

posted by BornIcon to other at 06:02 PM - 1 comment

CFL Pick 'Em, Week 18: With two weeks left, the league still has five playoff spots in contention, so plenty is on the line for these last eight games. Which is a good thing, because we have a dark horse emerging from the pack to challenge cixelsyd. Flip your coin and make your picks inside.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 10:27 AM - 14 comments

October 22, 2013

Jets Told Refs to Look for Patriots' Push: Before the "push" penalty was called in overtime Sunday to give the New York Jets 15 yards and a second chance to kick a game-winning field goal over the New England Patriots, people on the Jets' sideline told the referees to look out for the Patriots using the illegal technique. This was the first time the new penalty has been called: "Team B players cannot push teammates on the line of scrimmage into the offensive formation."

posted by rcade to football at 12:43 PM - 16 comments

October 21, 2013

October 20, 2013

Red Sox Advance to Face Cardinals in World Series: The Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals, the two teams with the best regular-season records in their leagues, will be meeting in the World Series. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports writes of the Fall Classic that begins Wednesday at Fenway Park, "We're getting the two best teams. ... Both teams are a joy to watch. Both teams play the game the way it should be played. For once, the Series will be a meeting of the most deserving postseason qualifiers rather than the culmination of a crapshoot."

posted by rcade to baseball at 12:25 PM - 12 comments

Florida State Crushes Clemson, 51-14: In what was billed as the biggest game in Atlantic Coast Conference history, fifth-ranked Florida State rolled over third-ranked Clemson 51-14, disappointing a packed house of 83,428 at Death Valley. Redshirt freshman quarterback Jameis Winston threw for a career-high 444 yards and accounted for four touchdowns and FSU's defense completely stymied the Tigers, who last suffered a 40-point plus defeat in 1976.

posted by rcade to football at 12:24 PM - 2 comments

Washington Fan: I Won't Use That Slur Any More: "I am a third-generation fan of the professional football team in Washington. When my family sat down for pancakes last weekend, with a big game against Washington's archrival, Dallas, looming on the eve of Columbus Day, I had to tell my children why we were not going to use the team's nickname anymore. It wasn't an easy decision, though perhaps it should have been." -- Michael Brick

posted by rcade to football at 12:23 PM - 2 comments

October 19, 2013

Card Trick: Rout sends St. Louis to World Series: It's a common scene in October and one that's becoming a habit for a Cardinals team that is making its fourth World Series appearance since 2004. "Coming back here and doing it in front of our home fans, we gave them another game to watch at Busch Stadium. Seeing that confetti on the field, getting that big platform out there, getting that trophy presented in front of our home fans, that's a special moment," Adam Wainwright said. At the end of the day, the Cardinals are winners. And they don't appear likely to go into a slump any time soon. The more you see the Cards play, the more you get the picture. This is a winning organization. Other teams may have higher payrolls or higher profiles. This team is the NL's best once more. These were the Cards that we were used to seeing: Hitters working deep counts, coming up with two-strike hits, a relentless, grinding attack that finally broke the will, if not the spirit, of Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw in a 9-0 victory on Friday night. Carlos Beltran: "Thank God I got the opportunity to play with this team. There's a lot of winners on this ballclub."

posted by BoKnows to baseball at 04:32 PM - 4 comments

October 18, 2013

An oldie but a goodie: Gene Mack's annotated sketches of all the major league parks, as they appeared in the 1946-47 Sporting News.

posted by DrJohnEvans to baseball at 04:39 PM - 5 comments

October 17, 2013

RG3 Tries to Draw Flags on Runs to Sideline: Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III drew two penalties in Sunday's game against Dallas when he was hit as he went out of bounds. "Guys don't want to pull up," said Griffin, who slowed up exiting the field of play and twice got flags against safety Barry Church. Griffin said the stratagem failed against Detroit defensive back Rashean Mathis. "I kind of stopped well inside in bounds to try to get him to hit me and he didn't. He said, 'I'm not taking that penalty, Griff.'"

posted by rcade to football at 03:27 PM - 3 comments

Does the sale of Inter Milan by : Massimo Moratti sold a controlling interest to Erick Thohir who also owns DC United.

posted by yerfatma to soccer at 12:58 PM - 3 comments

CFL Pick 'Em, Week 17: Three weeks to go and everything is up for grabs: the West division crown, the East division crown, and maybe even cixelsyd's Pick 'Em crown. Flex your grabbing fingers and make your picks inside.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 11:03 AM - 13 comments

October 16, 2013

Northwestern Football Game Sacks Peanuts: When the Northwestern Wildcats face off against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Ryan Field in Evanston on Saturday, something will be missing: peanuts. Northwestern University is hosting its first peanut-free football game to give fans with allergies a chance to focus on the game instead of worrying about negative reactions to the popular stadium snack, which can range from mild irritation to life-threatening anaphylactic shock. "When the whole game is peanut-free, you can relax and enjoy the game like everybody else," said Julie Campbell, president of the not-for-profit Illinois Food Allergy Education Association.

posted by rcade to football at 04:35 PM - 12 comments

Cal Ripken's Mom Thwarts Carjacking: Violet Ripken, the mother of baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., foiled an armed carjacking Tuesday in a bank parking lot in Aberdeen, Md., when she hit the panic button on her car's keys. The man fled but a suspect was arrested two hours later after being seen on an ATM's security video. In a July 2012 incident, Violet Ripken was kidnapped and held captive 24 hours by an armed man who showed up at her home. That crime has not been solved.

posted by rcade to baseball at 01:55 PM - 6 comments

The most valuable "brands" in sports:
A Forbes click-through-the-pictures list of the 40 most valuable brands in sports. It's divided into 4 categories (top 10 in each): businesses, teams, events, and athletes.

posted by grum@work to culture at 08:48 AM - 4 comments

October 15, 2013

Ronaldo Speaks Up for Field-Crashing Fan Who Hugged Him: Cristiano Ronaldo has written a letter to a Florida judge and prosecutor seeking leniency for Ronald Gjoka, a 20-year-old fan who ran onto the field and hugged him during a match last summer at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. "I am concerned because I understand he may face problems with immigration and with his college if the criminal charges against him are not dropped," Ronaldo writes. "I would hate to see him face criminal charges for his mistake. By all accounts he has a bright future ahead of him and I’d hate to see this future ruined by an error of judgement."

posted by rcade to soccer at 02:58 PM - 3 comments

October 14, 2013

Steve Bartman, 10 Years Later: Ten years ago today, Chicago Cubs fan Steve Bartman reached out for a foul ball and became the most infamous fan in team history. The New York Times catches up with the incident -- but not Bartman, who continues to reject all interview requests. "He's happy and healthy and he's still a Cubs fan," said Frank Murtha, a longtime friend. "He values his privacy."

posted by rcade to baseball at 01:39 PM - 25 comments

October 13, 2013

October 12, 2013

October 11, 2013

The Bridgetown Senators?: This from Christopher Stuart Taylor of the Huffington Post tries to explain a possible bit of Canadian tax evasion on the part of Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk. The dodge involves setting up business relationships between Canada and Barbados. The businesses will then be taxed at the 2.5% Barbadian rate rather than the 30% Canadian rate. While the author leads with a Senators' connection, the actual investigation conducted by the CBC has nothing to do with the team. I'm sure Melnyk is clever enough to keep purely Canadian businesses out of the "Bajun" connection. Note: No matter which side (Canadian or Barbadian) is puling a fast one here, I'm on the bad side. My dad was from Nova Scotia, my mom from Barbados, and I still have family in both places.

posted by Howard_T to hockey at 01:32 PM - 0 comments

Adrian Peterson's Young Son Dies After Beating: The two-year-old son of Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has been hospitalized in critical condition and a man dating his mother has been arrested on charges of aggravated assault and battery of an infant. Joseph Robert Patterson, 27, was alone with the child at a Sioux Falls, S.D., apartment when he called 911 to report a choking. Police said injuries were consistent with abuse. Update: The boy died Friday.

posted by rcade to football at 12:38 PM - 6 comments

October 10, 2013

A laughing stock no more: A few years ago when the Pirates set the record for most losing seasons in a row among the 4 "major" sports I took the opportunity to rant on this page. Last year when the streak hit 20 I did again. After 20 years of memories of Sid Bream beating Bonds throw from left I would like to thank the Pirates for giving me something to cheer about again. The Pirates finished the year 94-68. I number no one would have guessed at the start of the season. Players from the minors moved up and made an impact(Cole last night among others). The team made moved at the deadline to add offense not dump salary. They were run like a real franchise this year. Most importantly they made a city care again. PNC Park packed and rocking is amazing. After 20 years of frustration we finally have a winner. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come and we wont have to wait another 20. This team has a solid young core and some real good pitching. As long as ownership doesnt trade it all away Pirate baseball is back!

posted by Debo270 to baseball at 08:21 AM - 15 comments

October 09, 2013

CFL Pick 'Em, Week 16: Four weeks left and cixelsyd has built himself a nice little lead. Then again, that's exactly what Saskatchewan was telling themselves eight weeks ago. Count your turkeys and make your picks inside.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 10:27 PM - 14 comments

Girardi Spurns Cubs, Signs 4-Year Deal with Yankees: The Chicago Cubs' search for a manager will take another direction after the New York Yankees announced that Joe Girardi agreed to a four-year contract through 2017. Girardi, a former Cubs player and Illinois native, was the focus of the Cubs' managerial search after Dale Sveum was fired Sept. 30. Possible hires include former major league managers Manny Acta and A.J. Hinch and San Diego Padres bench coach Rick Renteria.

posted by rcade to baseball at 04:21 PM - 17 comments

On boxing and stereotypes: "Many years ago, more indeed than I care to number, I had a discussion with my fellow-students that had a permanent influence upon my views and attitude to life. It concerned, of all things, the ethics of professional boxing, a subject to which until that moment I had not given a moment’s thought. But youth is an age at which it is felt necessary to have a strong opinion about everything, and mere ignorance is no bar to passionate advocacy. The same is true, of course, of journalists. There is nothing like passionate ignorance to keep one young at heart." ~Theodore Dalrymple

posted by Uncle Toby to boxing at 12:04 PM - 3 comments

October 08, 2013

Broncos Mock Jaguars on Twitter: The Denver Broncos official Twitter feed mocked the Jacksonville Jaguars Monday with this message: "The #Broncos' 51 points in yesterday's win are as many points as the Jaguars have scored all season." The Jaguars responded, "Stay classy, Denver." The 28-point spread for the 0-5 Jaguars visit to the 5-0 Broncos Sunday equals the largest in NFL history, according to the Gold Sheet sports-betting publication. On Nov. 13, 1966, the Baltimore Colts were 28-point favorites over the expansion Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons led 7-6 at halftime and covered in a 19-7 defeat.

posted by rcade to football at 01:32 PM - 16 comments

'Remember, You Signed a Death Waiver': "With 70 scheduled events in 13 countries, the rapidly growing Tough Mudder series will attract 700,000 competitors in 2013," the New York Times reports. "Openly mocking of traditional marathons and weekend 5K’s, the Tough Mudder embraces danger as part of its allure, posting signs at each course that remind competitors, 'Remember You Signed a Death Waiver.' Courses can include open fires, live electrical wires and hazards with fearsome names like Cage Crawl and Electroshock Therapy." Last April, Avishek Sengupta, 28, became the first Tough Mudder contestant to die during the competitions.

posted by rcade to extreme at 01:23 PM - 1 comment

October 07, 2013

Lions Center Dominic Raiola Harasses College Band: Detroit Lions center Dominic Raiola reportedly yelled slurs and other abuse at members of the Wisconsin university band before Sunday's loss to the Green Bay Packers. One member who heard the abuse wrote on Facebook that Raiola was "literally the worst person I have ever had the fortune to encounter." Tom Melton writes on his NFL blog that Lions safety Louis Delmas apologized to members of the band for Raiola's actions, which are being investigated by the team. Raiola attended Nebraska, a Big 10 conference foe of Wisconsin.

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

Flyers Fire Coach After Just Three Games: After the team's 0-3 start in the new NHL season, the Philadelphia Flyers have fired coach Peter Laviolette. Rich Hofman of the Daily News calls the move a tragicomedy. "Short leash? Fine. But has anyone ever heard of a leash that has only three links in its chain?" he writes.

posted by rcade to hockey at 03:04 PM - 9 comments

October 06, 2013

Romo Throws for 506 Yards in 51-48 Loss to Denver: Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo threw for 506 yards and five touchdowns, but it wasn't enough in a 51-48 loss to the Denver Broncos at home Sunday. Peyton Manning threw for 414 yards and four touchdowns and ran for another in the most unexpected bootleg in NFL history. The teams combined for 1,039 yards of total offense.

posted by rcade to football at 08:07 PM - 22 comments

October 05, 2013

October 04, 2013

Reds Fire Manager Dusty Baker: The Cincinnati Reds have fired manager Dusty Baker, despite three playoff appearances and two NL Central titles over the past four seasons. Baker's Reds went 90-72 in 2013, losing the wild card game to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Potential successors include Reds pitching coach Bryan Price, former major league manager Jim Riggleman and Chicago Cubs third base coach David Bell.

posted by rcade to baseball at 01:32 PM - 9 comments

Barkov Youngest NHL Player to Score Since 1942: Florida Panthers rookie Aleksander Barkov became the youngest player in 71 years to score a goal in an NHL game Thursday. The second player selected in the 2013 NHL draft, Barkov, 18 years and 31 days old, tied the Panthers opener against the Dallas Stars in a game Florida won 4-2. On Nov. 22, 1942, Jackie Schmidt of the Boston Bruins scored at age 18 years and 11 days, in a 7-6 defensive struggle against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Schmidt only played one season at the NHL level, called up to replace players called to duty during World War II.

posted by rcade to hockey at 12:53 PM - 0 comments

October 03, 2013

CFL Pick 'Em, Week 15: Home upsets! Road upsets! Winnipeg loses again! There's so much three-down drama, the leaves are turning red from stress. Grab your rakes and make your picks inside.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 09:23 AM - 13 comments

October 02, 2013

Marlins sell tickets from no-hitter...sort of.:
Did you forget to go to the baseball game on Sunday, September 29th, and miss Henderson Alvarez's no-hitter? Well, now is your chance to purchase a ticket from that game for $15.

posted by grum@work to baseball at 11:39 AM - 3 comments

Jaguars Trade Eugene Monroe to Ravens: The Jacksonville Jaguars have traded starting left tackle Eugene Monroe to the Baltimore Ravens for draft picks. Monroe, 26, was the eighth overall pick in the 2009 draft. He is a free agent after this season. The trade moves rookie Luke Joeckel, the second overall pick this year, back to his college position. Reports indicate that either two or three picks from rounds 4 through 7 in 2014 are being sent to Jacksonville.

posted by rcade to football at 10:23 AM - 11 comments

October 01, 2013

Govt. shutdown halts sports at military academies: The Department of Defense has suspended athletic events at the military academies due to the government shutdown.

posted by jjzucal to other at 07:08 PM - 0 comments