March 02, 2010

SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle:

A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 41 comments

So, anyone feeling any sort of Olympics hangover? Personally, I'm even more psyched about the NHL's trade deadline, playoff run to wrap up the regular season and then the playoffs itself. I just need to pick a team to root for in the playoffs 'cause the Hurricanes sure as shit ain't makin it.

posted by NoMich at 07:08 AM on March 02, 2010

Things I learned from the Olympics:

- don't mention frikkin' health care.

That is all.

posted by owlhouse at 07:34 AM on March 02, 2010

I see what you did there. Now get back to listening to Radio Birdman or the Hoodoo Gurus or the Church or AC/DC or Airbourne or the Psychotic Turnbuckles or whoever it is that you Aussies listen to these days.

posted by NoMich at 08:08 AM on March 02, 2010

- don't mention frikkin' health care.

Yeah, sorry about that.

Chad Ochocinco is going to be on Dancing with the Stars.

posted by bperk at 08:30 AM on March 02, 2010

Prime Minister Harper may experience an Olympic hangover at some point. President Obama is sending him a case (24 bottles) of Yeungling to pay off their beer bet on the hockey game.

Mr. Harper is fortunate that I'm not running the US. In my part of the country, the 30 pack of Genesee Cream Ale in cans is still under $15.00 US. And the distributor is apologetic about the pricing at that.

The cans have virtually the same monetary value at the redemption center as empties that they do in the store when they're full and unopened.

Value oriented admirer of brewed products that I am, it would be Genny Cream heading to Ottawa.

Own the throne.

posted by beaverboard at 09:20 AM on March 02, 2010

A photo essay on the worst sports in Olympic history includes a moment from this year's games that I missed. Men's skater Evegni Plushenko was so angry about losing the gold medal to the non-quad jumping Evan Lysacek that he "briefly climbed to the gold medal spot on the podium" during the awards ceremony (photo 7 of 8).

Most of the athletes in that hall of shame are truly bad sports, but the American basketball team in 1972 was right to protest. That fixed game was a disgrace.

posted by rcade at 09:35 AM on March 02, 2010

beaverboard, just be glad that Canada won—there's too much Molson in the world as it is.

In other news, nobody in Canada is feeling an Olympic hangover, as Tim Horton's had the foresight to start Roll Up The Rim To Win on the day after the Olympics ended. So our competitive juices are flowing strong (if slightly diluted by caffeine).

posted by DrJohnEvans at 09:39 AM on March 02, 2010

Boston.com's photo blog The Big Picture has some terrific images from the Vancouver games. Part 1 and Part 2. They might ease the hangover.

posted by 86 at 09:41 AM on March 02, 2010

ESPN's Soccernet rates the Top 50 players in the World Cup.

Ahh... the old obsession with list ordering things. My quick take -- Pirlo, Van Persie, Thierry, Mascherano, Buffon too high (all living off of reputations that are not vindicated based on recent form). Casillas too low. Donovan maybe should not be on the list, even at 50.

posted by holden at 10:02 AM on March 02, 2010

Tim Horton's had the foresight to start Roll Up The Rim To Win on the day after the Olympics ended.

Wanna talk about one of the longest shutout streaks ever? I went 0-54 against Tim Horton's Roll Up The Rim over the course of two full seasons. And how did I break that streak you ask? With a muffin. With a freakin' muffin!?!?

This year, I'm telling ya ... the results are going to be much different. A Rav4 or $10G in cash would definitely do it for me this time around.

And yes, I am geeky enough to keep stats on my RUTR record

posted by Spitztengle at 10:07 AM on March 02, 2010

I feel your pain, Spitz -- I opened the competition 0-1 yesterday, but damn it, I'm not going to quit trying!

A few years ago, a guy who I used to split space with in my store and his ex-wife were riding together to get the ex-wife's support from the bank. I'm much closer with the ex-wife than I am with the jerk, who turned out to be a liar, nuts and a thief all in one fell swoop.

Anyhow, the guy got to the ATM and surprise -- there's no cash for child support. Stiffed, he at least offered to buy a couple coffee with the $5 he had. They both drink the same coffee, so she picked one and shortly thereafter dropped him back at work.

She didn't roll up the rim until after she got back to her job -- and won $1,000.

posted by wfrazerjr at 10:27 AM on March 02, 2010

Donovan maybe should not be on the list, even at 50.

Probably so, but he has been a revelation at Everton (which means, of course, he'll be going home at the end of the month for sure). However, if the list were based on recent form, a number of players (Kaka!) would be moved down.

30 pack of Genesee Cream Ale in cans is still under $15.00 US

It's like I can never get away from Rochester. I don't understand why that's the one Genny product that shows up everywhere.

posted by yerfatma at 10:44 AM on March 02, 2010

Ahh... the old obsession with list ordering things.

Followed very quickly by the nano-seconds-younger obsession with pointing out how the list is wrong.

For my own part, much as I dislike the guy, I'd have Ronaldo at #1 and Drogba in front of Rooney, Xavi and Kaka.

I'm with you that Buffon is too far up the list.

Bonus points go to whoever made the list for putting the word "trequartista" in play, although I'm not convinced that's what Gerrard is.

posted by Mr Bismarck at 10:51 AM on March 02, 2010

For you (American) football draft junkies, here is an interesting video of a mock interview at the combine with Cincinnati QB Tony Pike.

posted by holden at 11:29 AM on March 02, 2010

Wanna talk about one of the longest shutout streaks ever? I went 0-54 against Tim Horton's Roll Up The Rim over the course of two full seasons.

Woah.

The chance of that happening is less than 1/5 of 1% (0.172887577034312% exactly), if the 1-in-9 chance of winning statement is correct.

My favourite part of RUTR is when someone buys 9 coffees in a row, hasn't won, and then claims "I should have won by now!".

And they would have...~65% of the time.

posted by grum@work at 12:04 PM on March 02, 2010

grum, thanks for the stats on that! You have no idea how much mileage I'll get out of 'em while drinking coffee over the next month ;)

posted by Spitztengle at 12:08 PM on March 02, 2010

How do you roll up the rim on a muffin?

posted by bender at 12:14 PM on March 02, 2010

It's still an illegal act in twelve states. I could spark an international incident by telling you how.

I'm batting .333 this season, although I still have yet to get my afternoon coffee.

posted by DrJohnEvans at 12:28 PM on March 02, 2010

I'm 0-1 this year. I don't want to play any more.

posted by tommybiden at 12:37 PM on March 02, 2010

0-2 now, damn it.

posted by wfrazerjr at 12:49 PM on March 02, 2010

Vancouver or Berlin ? After a spirited torch relay ignited pride in every corner of the country, the Olympic Games began and quickly galvanized the nation. Flags were everywhere. The country's national symbol hung from windows and was worn on nearly everyone's clothing. Fervent crowds cheered every victory by the host nation. But enough about the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Team Canada jerseys became the uniform of the streets. Maple leafs were either hanging or on clothing everywhere. I didn't attend the '36 Olympics, but I've seen the pictures. Swastikas everywhere. Vancouver organizers expressed the hope that they could show the world a truly "Canadian Games."

Offending Canada wasn't intentional And a lame retraction the following day.

posted by tommybiden at 01:31 PM on March 02, 2010

My favourite part of RUTR is when someone buys 9 coffees in a row, hasn't won, and then claims "I should have won by now!".

How much time do you guys spend in Tim Horton's??

posted by bender at 01:35 PM on March 02, 2010

How much time do you guys spend in Tim Horton's??

I don't actually drink coffee, but I tag along when my co-workers go for the 10am coffee break. They go every day at 10am and 2pm, and purchase a coffee.

posted by grum@work at 01:53 PM on March 02, 2010

They add an addictive chemical to their coffee that makes you crave it fortnightly, smartass...

posted by MeatSaber at 01:53 PM on March 02, 2010

Vancouver or Berlin ?

My "favourite" part of that idiotic article is when he compares the number of tickets available for the Beijing Olympics (Summer) to the Vancouver Olympics (Winter), without mentioning that there were 220 more events in 27 more venues, and that there were 9 venues larger in Beijing than the largest one in Vancouver (main hockey arena, with capacity of 18,630).

It's also interesting that he doesn't seem to remember the 1984 Los Angeles games, with the insane American patriotism (especially with the Soviet-led boycott). The only thing that didn't happen was the guy in the jet pack shitting out an American flag as he flew in.

posted by grum@work at 01:58 PM on March 02, 2010

Grum, I know you're not American so I'll forgive you for not knowing that by law American flags can only be upchucked and not shitted.

posted by billsaysthis at 02:12 PM on March 02, 2010

They add an addictive chemical to their coffee that makes you crave it fortnightly, smartass...

That's why I don't call it coffee, but rather "coffee-flavoured beverage"

posted by Spitztengle at 02:21 PM on March 02, 2010

billsaysthis - I may disagree with grum's star-spangled shittinh shenanigans, but this is America, damn it, and I'll defend his right to freedom of expression 'til death!

posted by Ufez Jones at 02:57 PM on March 02, 2010

I am a bad Canadian. I think Tim Hortons coffee sucks balls. Also, where is the apostrophe? Why no apostrophe?

posted by fabulon7 at 03:06 PM on March 02, 2010

30 pack of Genesee Cream Ale in cans is still under $15.00 US

Is Genesee 12 Horse still available? I used to love that stuff, and whenever I had occasion to be in upstate NY, I'd get some. Yuengling is not a bad choice. I visited my son at Penn State last week and got my fix of it there.

Dunkin Donuts is still the establishment of choice here in the northeast US. They have an awards program if you use one of their cards, and I actually won a free doughnut. Too bad I can't eat doughnuts. By the way, the proper past tense of 'shit' is 'shat', not 'shitted'.

posted by Howard_T at 03:55 PM on March 02, 2010

Gerald Henderson is better than Michael Jordan....at H-O-R-S-E

Next news item:
Rookie Gerald Henderson has been cut by the Bobcats.

posted by grum@work at 04:17 PM on March 02, 2010

As a relatively new Canadian, bender, I can tell you the Tim Horton's mania sweeps over you suddenly and surely. Even despite my background as a newspaperman and coming from a family of coffee addicts, I drank very little until I moved here.

Now? At least one a day, and sometimes two or three of customers bring them. I don't like coffee ... but I sure do like Timmie's.

They add an addictive chemical to their coffee that makes you crave it fortnightly, smartass...

I'm not affected -- I'm on the Garth Brooks juice diet.

posted by wfrazerjr at 06:42 PM on March 02, 2010

I've been in Tim Hortons a few times during my time in Columbus, OH, however since I do not drink coffee, I managed to escape their promotions.

posted by bender at 07:30 PM on March 02, 2010

I hope people caught my reference, and don't just think I was calling bender a smartass...

posted by MeatSaber at 12:20 AM on March 03, 2010

So I Married an Axe Murderer, Smartass?

posted by Spitztengle at 12:27 AM on March 03, 2010

Now that was offside wasn't it? I'll be cryin myself to sleep tonight on my huge pillah...

posted by MeatSaber at 01:31 AM on March 03, 2010

Head, pants now!

I am 0-2. But mostly because I forgot to roll it up twice today.

Dammit, she's right. I am oblivious to everything going on around me.

posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 06:13 PM on March 03, 2010

I've lived in Canada 14 years this year. I've been to Tim Hortons twice in that entire time.

posted by Drood at 11:26 PM on March 03, 2010

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