SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle

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

New India Super League Has Fourth-Highest Attendance in Soccer: The India Super League began a month ago, hoping to bring soccer to prominence in a country where it was once the most popular sport. The league has brought on some older foreign stars -- Alessandro Del Piero, Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg, Nicolas Anelka and David Trezeguet -- and drew 56 million viewers to its opening matches. The league has eight teams, plays three months and does not relegate, although it plans a merger with the smaller, established I-League within five years. Organizers tout that it has the fourth-highest attendance of any league, ahead of Serie A and behind the Bundesliga, Premier League and La Liga. In a country of 1.2 billion, there are a lot of potential eyeballs. "Even a niche does very well for numbers," said Siddhanth Aney, editor of Sports Illustrated India. "You only need 1 percent of the TV audience to be successful."

posted by rcade to soccer at 01:24 PM - 2 comments

Toronto Blue Jays trade Brett Lawrie, 3 others to Oakland A’s for Josh Donaldson: It was a four-for-one trade. The Jays gave up Lawrie and three minor-leaguers: pitchers Sean Nolin and Kendall Graveman and shortstop Franklin Barreto. They got Donaldson, one of the best third basemen in the majors, whose 15.4 WAR over the past two years was second only to Mike Trout’s 16.7.

posted by tommytrump to baseball at 12:50 PM - 4 comments

SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle

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

ESPN Gets Ready to Launch Its First Web Video Subscription Service — For Cricket’s World Cup: ESPN's efforts to sell streaming video subscriptions for some sports programming without requiring viewers to pay for cable TV could start early next year.
...
People familiar with ESPN's plans say that Russell Wolff, who heads up the company's international group, is spearheading the plan to sell online access in the U.S. Earlier this year, Wolff pegged cricket's U.S. fan base at 30 million.

posted by NoMich to culture at 10:40 AM - 1 comment

SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle

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

CFL Playoff Pick 'Em, Grey Cup Edition: Big blowouts on the field push the favourites into the big game. But in our little contest, there are no favourites: we have six players within two points of first place. Break out your spreadsheets to calculate your tiebreaker (I have a feeling you'll need it), and make your picks inside.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 01:41 PM - 14 comments

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle

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

Richard Sherman uses cardboard cutout to send NFL a message: The ever-eloquent Richard Sherman took a shot at the NFL on Tuesday, and did so in a way that garnered laughs from all the media members in the room.

posted by BornIcon to football at 09:13 AM - 12 comments

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle

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

Cricketer Fighting for Life After Ball to Head: An Australian cricketer suffered a life-threatening injury when struck below his helmet while swinging at a cricket ball during a match in Sydney Tuesday. Phillip Hughes, 25, collapsed and his heart reportedly stopped before he was resuscitated. He was put in an induced coma at a hospital and is in intensive care. "In first class cricket, top batsmen face balls delivered at speeds approaching 100 miles an hour, so injuries aren't uncommon, but they are very rarely this serious thanks to the protection usually provided by padding and helmets" the Wall Street Journal explains.

posted by rcade to other at 05:12 PM - 8 comments

SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle

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

2015 Hall of Fame ballot released:
Highlighted by the addition of Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and John Smoltz, this is going to be "round 2" of the Annual Ballot Crunch Time.

posted by grum@work to baseball at 08:23 PM - 4 comments

Red Sox Sign Pablo Sandoval, Hanley Ramirez: The Boston Red Sox have reached deals with shortstop Hanley Ramirez (four years, $88 million) and third baseman Pablo Sandoval (five years, $90 million). Ramirez is likely to move to the outfield because the Sox already have Xander Bogaerts at his position. Jim Bowden expects the Sox to go after more than one top-of-the-rotation starting pitchers and names Cole Hamels, Jon Lester and James Shields among their targets. "The Red Sox lineup is now much better, but they're not even going to contend unless they completely revamp the top of their starting rotation with at least two elite starters," he writes.

posted by rcade to baseball at 06:00 PM - 6 comments

Former NHL player, coach and executive Pat Quinn dies at age 71: Pat Quinn was a man known for his direct manner – whether it was flattening Bobby Orr on the ice with one of the most famous body checks in NHL history or dealing with players, reporters and fellow executives in a long career as a coach, general manager and president.

posted by tommytrump to hockey at 11:39 AM - 4 comments

SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle

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

SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle

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

Josh Lueke and the Ways of Anger: Josh Lueke committed a terrible crime. Nevertheless, Josh Lueke is still here and still playing baseball.

posted by Mookieproof to baseball at 10:08 PM - 1 comment

SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle

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

The Rise and Fall of The Great Kamala: how James Harris from Mississippi became a Ugandan giant.

posted by yerfatma to culture at 04:22 PM - 1 comment

Blind-sided: Blue Jackets’ Jack Johnson is bankrupt; who led him there is biggest shocker: On the morning of Oct. 7, two days before the Blue Jackets opened the 2014-15 season, Jack Johnson left his Ferrari parked in the garage of his Dublin apartment and drove his BMW to a federal courthouse Downtown to file for bankruptcy.

posted by BornIcon to hockey at 01:00 PM - 8 comments

SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle

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

Wigan owner makes controversial comment about Jews: Will the English get their own Donald Sterling moment? Kick It Out think so, and Wigan's shirt sponsor has already cancelled their deal over Mackay's hiring.

posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 06:53 PM - 2 comments

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle

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

Lisa Saxon, the woman who helped change sports writing forever.: A profile well worth a read from Vice Sports.

posted by Ufez Jones to culture at 10:01 PM - 3 comments

CFL Playoff Pick 'Em, Finals Edition: The favourites rule the day as Edmonton and Montreal both move on to their division finals. Montreal wins a trip to Hamilton (snow; rude fans) while Edmonton gets a trip to Calgary (cold; cows). Meanwhile, in our little standings, there are some familiar faces in familiar places. Bundle up and make your picks inside.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 04:10 PM - 14 comments

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle

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

SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle

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

Penny-pinching, no more!:
The Miami Marlins have signed their slugging star Giancarlo (don't call me Mike) Stanton to a 13-year, $325million contract.

posted by grum@work to baseball at 10:38 AM - 9 comments

SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 10 comments

SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle

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

Clif Bar Drops Sponsorship of 5 Climbers Over Risks They Take: Clif Bar, the nutrition bar maker that has long supported the sport of climbing, has dropped sponsorship of five well-known climbers. "We concluded that these forms of the sport are pushing boundaries and taking the element of risk to a place where we as a company are no longer willing to go," the company wrote in an open letter to the climbing community. "We understand that some climbers feel these forms of climbing are pushing the sport to new frontiers. But we no longer feel good about benefiting from the amount of risk certain athletes are taking in areas of the sport where there is no margin for error; where there is no safety net."

posted by rcade to extreme at 07:31 PM - 1 comment

SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle

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

FIFA Goal of the Year nominees:
(Where "year" is October 2013 to September 2014.)

posted by grum@work to soccer at 09:44 AM - 11 comments

SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle

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

World Cup inquiry clears Qatar but criticises English FA: Or does it? Fifa report 'erroneous', says lawyer who investigated corruption claims and Fifa World Cup report pointless and a joke - FA boss Greg Dyke. So, Fifa corruption report: Who is to blame and what happens now?

posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 03:52 PM - 1 comment

NFL Pick 'Em, Week 12: This week's NFL games begin tonight with Buffalo at Miami. Leaders: wmwtm (1340), mattwalshvideo (1290), mbates321 (1280), Krumrie's Floppy Leg and lsun667 (1240).

posted by rcade to football at 03:50 PM - 1 comment

CFL Playoff Pick 'Em, Semi-Finals Edition: It's snowing in Toronto and the Edmonton Eskimos have an injured quarterback: two sure signs that yes, it is indeed time for the CFL playoffs! All summer long you wistfully watched the hot pick 'em action from afar; now's your chance to join the fray. It's a new season and everybody starts at zero (or with the exchange rate, 0.0000142 US), so grab your twelfth man and make your picks inside.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 09:44 AM - 14 comments

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle

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

Joe Hart prevented a goal: via some fancy football lawyering of Law 13. Hart was allowed to re-take the kick and Austin was denied his second goal of the game.

posted by yerfatma to soccer at 08:26 AM - 4 comments

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle

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

SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle

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

CFL Pick 'Em, Final Standings: In a perfect ending to this wild and wacky season, we look atop the standings and find ourselves with a tie. But not the one you were expecting!

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 12:21 AM - 8 comments

SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle

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

SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle

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

SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle

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

The End of Daisy Buchanan's: a Boston institution "where anything can happen".

posted by yerfatma to culture at 04:37 PM - 2 comments

SportsFilter: The Friday Huddle

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

NFL Pick 'Em, Week 10: Cleveland visits Cincinnati tonight to start off week 10. Top 5 in our contest: wmwtm (1200), mattwalshvideo (1190), lsun667 (1160), grum (1150), mbates321 (1140). Collective hive mind picks of the week: Baltimore over Tennessee and Denver over Oakland (both 98 percent). Closest choice: Kansas City over Buffalo (68 percent).

posted by rcade to football at 01:42 PM - 6 comments

Despite Vehement Public Claims of Innocence, A-Rod Admitted to DEA He Used Steroids: Jay Weaver of the Miami Herald broke this story Wednesday: "For 21 tumultuous months, New York Yankees superstar Alex Rodriguez has defiantly maintained he never used banned substances from a Coral Gables anti-aging clinic, that he is the victim of a Major League Baseball 'witch hunt,' and that he would fight to the end to clear his name. But in a Drug Enforcement Administration conference room back in January, facing federal agents and prosecutors who granted him immunity, baseball's highest-paid player admitted everything: Yes, he bought performance-enhancing drugs from Biogenesis of America, paying roughly $12,000 a month to Anthony Bosch, the fake doctor who owned the clinic. Yes, Bosch gave him pre-filled syringes for hormone injections into the ballplayer's stomach, and even drew blood from him in the men's room of a South Beach nightclub." Now the Yankees must deal with a star player of diminished skills with three years and $60 million left on his contract, plus another $90 million in potential home run milestone incentives. Janet Macur of the New York Times writes, "In a million years, in a million baseball seasons, I never would have dreamed I'd ever say this: I feel sorry for the Yankees."

posted by rcade to baseball at 06:45 AM - 15 comments

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle

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

CFL Pick 'Em, Week 20: That's right, it's the twentieth and final week of our little joy ride through the three-down tundra of Kevin Glenn's frozen heart. But nearly nothing's decided in the official standings, and nothing at all has been decided here. It's going to be a photo finish, so strike a pose and make your picks inside.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 09:52 PM - 13 comments

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle

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

MVP, ROY and Cy Young finalist announced: Speculate away!

posted by Whizbang to baseball at 06:39 PM - 2 comments

SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle

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

SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle

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

NFL Pick 'Em, Week 9: We have a new leader, Wmwtm, who is 10 points ahead of Lsun667 and Mattwalshvideo. The collective hivemind at NFL.Com has picked Cincinnati over Jacksonville by a margin of 98 to 2 percent.

posted by rcade to football at 10:57 AM - 0 comments

SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle

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

Annotated list: the 25 best photos of Muhammad Ali, inside and outside the ring.

posted by rumple to boxing at 11:27 PM - 5 comments

Bucks Player Almost Shoots in Wrong Basket: I love the reactions of the announcers, coach Jason Kidd and courtside fans after Milwaukee Bucks center Larry Sanders comes tantalizingly close to eternal sports infamy by driving with the ball to the wrong basket.

posted by rcade to basketball at 08:26 AM - 2 comments

SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle

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