Archives for March 2014

March 31, 2014

Dodgers Set Record with $234 Million Payroll: The Los Angeles Dodgers opened their season Sunday night with a payroll of $234 million, a new record for Major League Baseball. The New York Yankees are second at $199 million, ending a 15-year streak of being the league's highest paid team. The cheapest team for the second year in a row are the Houston Astros, who have a $45 million payroll.

posted by rcade to baseball at 12:55 PM - 4 comments

March 30, 2014

Through Thick and Thin: Using Manchester United as an example, how happiness doesn't always relate to winning all the time. With real psychology stuff.

posted by owlhouse to soccer at 03:10 AM - 2 comments

March 29, 2014

Baseball Fan Hurt in 30-Foot Fall in Montreal: A fan fell 30 feet from the bleachers during a game between the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets Friday night, marring the return of Major League Baseball to the city for the first time since 2004. Eyewitnesses said the man was attempting to get the wave started when he planted his feet on the rail's bottom rung, leaned towards the field, lost his footing and fell to the concrete below. He suffered serious injuries and is hospitalized in stable condition.

posted by rcade to baseball at 04:12 PM - 5 comments

March 28, 2014

Maurice Jones-Drew Inks 3-Year Deal with Raiders: After eight seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Maurice Jones-Drew has signed a three-year deal with the Oakland Raiders. Jones-Drew is a three-time Pro Bowler who won the 2011 rushing title with 1,606 yards. He's 12 months shy of 30 and was given the ball 1,808 times by the Jags, raising the question of how much he has left in the tank. "I feel like I have a ton left in the tank," he said.

posted by rcade to football at 06:54 PM - 3 comments

DeSean Jackson released by the Eagles: possibly due to his off-field issues. Now explain how the Jags got a 6th-round pick for Blaine Gabbert.

posted by yerfatma to football at 01:02 PM - 10 comments

March 27, 2014

Of all the Canadian coaches, he's the most Russian: Grantland profiles Mike Keenan as he coaches Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the KHL.

posted by rumple to hockey at 11:55 PM - 0 comments

Detroit Tigers, Miguel Cabrera agree to 8 year extension: Miguel Cabrera’s bid to become one of the greatest hitters of all time apparently will take place in a Detroit Tigers uniform. Fox Sports reports the extension is for 8 years and $248 million ($31 million per year), the second deal in baseball history worth at least $30 million per season.

posted by tommytrump to baseball at 09:59 PM - 8 comments

"The Krafts Are the Worst Owners in the League": what the heck is wrong with the New England Revolution?

posted by yerfatma to soccer at 02:22 PM - 7 comments

March 26, 2014

March 25, 2014

Ralph Wilson, founder and owner of the Buffalo Bills, dies at 95 : He brought major league sports to Buffalo in 1959, when he joined a group that became known as “The Foolish Club,” eight businessmen led by Texas oilman Lamar Hunt, who founded the American Football League. The initial cost to Wilson was $25,000, and it was considered a risky venture to challenge the established National Football League.

posted by tommytrump to football at 04:19 PM - 14 comments

March 24, 2014

Barcelona Wins 7-Goal El Clasico Thriller: Barcelona came from behind twice to defeat Real Madrid 4-3 with three goals from Lionel Messi, two on penalty kicks, during a raucous El Clasico match Sunday at the Bernabeu. Real Madrid played short handed in the second half after Sergio Ramos was given a red card for taking down Neymar on a scoring opportunity.

posted by rcade to soccer at 01:07 PM - 7 comments

March 23, 2014

March 22, 2014

Doctors Staple Aroldis Chapman Back Together: Cincinnati Reds pitcher Aroldis Chapman shared a photo of his stapled head on social media after surgery Thursday. The Cuban Missile was struck by a line drive in a spring training game Wednesday and suffered a broken bone above his left eye and a slight concussion. He told fans, "everything is fine thanks to God we are already out of any kind of trouble." Video of the play.

posted by rcade to baseball at 06:54 PM - 5 comments

March 21, 2014

March 20, 2014

March 19, 2014

March 18, 2014

Enter the SportsFilter NCAA Bracket Contest: The password is slamdunk and the entry deadline is Thursday at 1:00 am Eastern. Quicken Loans and Warren Buffett are holding a contest to award $1 billion to the person who picks the entire bracket perfectly, which has a 1 in 9.2 quintillion chance of happening.

posted by rcade to fantasy at 09:26 AM - 21 comments

March 17, 2014

What is the best possible season a player could have?: "Our superhuman player is only 20 wins better than Danny Worth, and getting to that superhuman player was pretty difficult. This makes you think about how small the difference is between terrible and great in baseball and why the games are so entertaining. Even the worst teams manage to win and the best teams manage to lose, and this illustrates why that's the case."

posted by yerfatma to baseball at 04:42 PM - 5 comments

March 16, 2014

March 15, 2014

Teen Wrestler Loses State Title, Hugs Opponent's Dying Dad: A Minnesota high school wrestler won over the crowd with a hug that came away from the mat -- and after a loss. Instead of getting upset when he lost the 120-pound title match in the Class 3A tournament, Blaine High School sophomore Malik Stewart went over to his opponent's dad -- who is dying of cancer -- and gave him a hug. "He won," Stewart said of opponent Mitchell McKee. "He was pretty proud, and his dad was pretty proud. So I went over there and I shook his hand, embraced him a little bit, and told him to stay strong and everybody loves him."

posted by rcade to general at 03:59 PM - 5 comments

March 14, 2014

March 13, 2014

March 12, 2014

March 11, 2014

Cowboys Release DeMarcus Ware: The Dallas Cowboys have released linebacker/defensive end DeMarcus Ware after a deal could not be reached to reduce his $12.5 million salary for the upcoming season. The best pass rusher in team history after being drafted in 2005, Ware has a team-record 117 sacks and the seven trips to the Pro Bowl. The move frees up $7.5 million in cap space.

posted by rcade to football at 07:10 PM - 15 comments

ESPN's Stuart Scott Fighting Cancer Since 2007: Longtime ESPN SportsCenter anchor Stuart Scott, 48, has been fighting cancer since 2007, as detailed in today's New York Times. He has undergone 58 infusions of chemotherapy and two recurrences of cancer, using MMA and cross-training workouts to keep his energy up. "I never ask what stage I’m in," Scott said. "I haven't wanted to know. It won't change anything to me. All I know is that it would cause more worry and a higher degree of freakout. Stage 1, 2 or 8, it doesn't matter. I'm trying to fight it the best I can."

posted by rcade to general at 01:37 PM - 2 comments

March 10, 2014

March 09, 2014

Detroit Lions Owner William Clay Ford Dies: William Clay Ford, who once steered a car from his grandfather Henry Ford's lap but never got the chance to run the family business, died on Sunday at his home in Grosse Pointe, Mich., of pneumonia. He was 88. Ford, who also was the longtime owner of the Detroit Lions football team, represented the automaker's last direct link to the days when the company belonged entirely to the Ford family. Ford bought control of the Lions in 1964 for $6 million, the largest cash price then paid for a sports team. The team has never gone to a Super Bowl.

posted by rcade to football at 07:13 PM - 5 comments

Rashard Mendenhall Retiring from NFL: Rashard Mendenhall, a running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals who is a free agent, has announced his retirement from the NFL at age 26. A column Mendenhall wrote for Huffington Post two weeks ago might have been a clue he was done: "[T]oday is the day that the journey is over and I am fully at peace. Eagerly looking to a new way, which lies ahead."

posted by rcade to football at 01:07 PM - 6 comments

March 08, 2014

March 07, 2014

UCSB Fan Runs Onto Court, Yells at Coach: A fan wearing a "UCSB Class of 2014" T-shirt ran onto the court and screamed at Hawaii coach Gib Arnold during a stoppage in play at Thursday night's game against UC-Santa Barbara. "I'm so embarrassed by that kid," UCSB coach Bob Williams said. "This kid had no right to be on the floor. He was an idiot." The fan was arrested by campus police.

posted by rcade to basketball at 12:38 PM - 4 comments

March 06, 2014

March 05, 2014

March 04, 2014

The Life And Death of Justin Fashanu: Roads and Kingdoms details the life of Justin Fashanu, the first black player in England to be transferred for £1,000,000 and the first openly gay English professional footballer.

posted by Mr Bismarck to soccer at 08:45 PM - 0 comments

Roberto Luongo traded to Florida for Jacob Markstrom, Shawn Matthias: The Roberto Luongo era in Vancouver ended today, as the one-time cornerstone Canucks goaltender was traded to Florida for goalie Jacob Markstrom and centre Shawn Matthias. The Panthers will presumably take on the final eight years remaining on Luongo’s contract, which pays the goalie $6.714 million for the next four seasons but has a cap hit of $5.33 million. But it has been reported that the Canucks will pay 15 per cent of Luongo’s salary or about $800,000 per season. The Canucks also sent minor leaguer Stephen Anthony the other way in the trade.

posted by tommytrump to hockey at 05:17 PM - 5 comments

March 03, 2014

March 02, 2014

In Fake Classes Scandal, UNC Fails Its Athletes—and Whistle-Blower: Beginning in the 1990s and continuing at least through 2011, UNC’s Department of African, African American, and Diaspora Studies offered more than 200 lecture courses that never met. The department also sponsored hundreds of independent study classes of equally dubious value. Internal reviews have identified forged faculty signatures and more than 500 grades changed without authorization. The students affected were disproportionately football and basketball players. Behind the cover of this week's edition.

posted by NoMich to culture at 09:46 AM - 14 comments

March 01, 2014

Alan Pardew Head Butts Hull City Player: Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew head butted Hull City's David Meyler after being pushed aside when Meyler retrieved the ball for a throw-in. Pardew, objecting to that contact, put his head into the opposing player and was sent off the touchline. "I think I'm going to sit now," Pardew said afterwards.

posted by rcade to soccer at 12:35 PM - 4 comments