04/25/24
July 19, 2010
SportsFilter: The Monday 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.
Have to share these little nuggets of Italian commentating genius from 1995 as Costantino Rocca tried to catch John Daly at the end of the Open:
His fluffed chip on 18 and the putt that followed.
Never fails to make me laugh.
posted by JJ at 11:05 AM on July 19, 2010
Sounds like Contador wasn't really sticking to cycling etiquette there. Surely it's bad form to carry on attacking if your rival's chain comes off, no?
posted by JJ at 11:15 AM on July 19, 2010
I remember watching the Rocca putt "live" on TV, and jumping right out of my chair when it went in. I've seen other putts that have been longer, or more difficult, but I've never seen one with that length, difficulty, AND importance.
I'm happy Daly won, but I don't remember much about that tournament except that putt.
posted by grum@work at 11:50 AM on July 19, 2010
There was a nice story later that year.
Uh, Signore Rocca, isn't that your putter that your four-year-old son is dragging along the clubhouse cobblestones?
"Si," says Costantino Rocca, laughing with a tableful of friends and relatives around him.
But isn't that the putter with which you made the historic 65-foot putt on the 72nd hole at St. Andrews this summer?
"Si, si," Rocca says, digging happily into the football-sized heap of steaming spaghetti alla Arrabiata.
You gave it to him?
"No," Rocca says chuckling.
So you've changed putters for the Ryder Cup?
"No," he replies, sipping his wine. "This is the putter I will use."
Mouth-open silence.
"My friend," says Rocca as little Francesco wanders off, dragging and scraping the Mona Lisa behind him. "I have hundreds of putters, but I have only one son."
Worth reading the whole thing.
posted by JJ at 12:33 PM on July 19, 2010
"My friend," says Rocca as little Francesco wanders off, dragging and scraping the Mona Lisa behind him. "I have hundreds of putters, but I have only one son."
Since when does an Italian man not stand up for his sperm's ability to penetrate eggs??
posted by billsaysthis at 12:39 PM on July 19, 2010
In NHL free agency news, Pavol Demitra is going to the KHL for next season (a few days old, but yet undiscussed), and Ilya Kovalchuk is supposed to announce re-signing with New Jersey tomorrow...
posted by MeatSaber at 01:12 PM on July 19, 2010
Kovalchuk inks deal with the Devils : Details to come Tuesday: The Devils reportedly offered Kovalchuk two separate deals earlier in the negotiations, one for $60-million over seven years; and another for $100-million over 17, according to the New York Post.
posted by tommybiden at 01:34 PM on July 19, 2010
Revolving door for CFL quarterbacks? Matt Dunigan seems to think so.
For the few proud CFL followers here, I just thought this might be interesting to take note of all the changes across the league for this year so far.
posted by Spitztengle at 02:06 PM on July 19, 2010
I assume the $100 million over 17 years would be one of those frontloaded contracts where Kovalchuk ends up making almost all of the money in the first half of the deal. Even so, 17 years seems absolutely ridiculous.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 03:38 PM on July 19, 2010
Surely it's bad form to carry on attacking if your rival's chain comes off, no?
The booing at the podium pretty much underlines it. Classless. Either Contador was truly ignorant of Schleck losing his chain, which makes his team incompetent or malicious, or he's a liar.
It sets up a couple of cracking mountain stages, punctuated by Wednesday's rest day, with the Tourmalet featuring on both of them and hosting the finish on Thursday. There hasn't been a full-on grudge Tour since Fignon-LeMond, and this may turn out to be one.
posted by etagloh at 06:19 PM on July 19, 2010
Contador: "I dislike what has happened today."
There's a sliver of a point about the early stages, though the dynamics of the race were very different. Kudos for Contador for confronting it head-on. The video makes it clear that Contador had a good view of Schleck's mechanical, and whether he was thinking "pas de cadeaux", misread it as Schleck blowing up, or just worried that Sanchez and Menchov would exploit it, I don't think we'll ever know for sure. Riis is sanguine about it; other racers less so.
posted by etagloh at 07:49 PM on July 19, 2010
And not to hog the huddle, but here's what comes next, courtesy of the NYT and Google Maps.
posted by etagloh at 08:21 PM on July 19, 2010
Some speculation I've read is that Contador was right because Schleck was a victim of his own sloppy shifting. Pretty impossible to know for sure the cause of the chain dropping.
posted by apoch at 10:24 PM on July 19, 2010
The last few miles of this stage of the TdF should be quite fun. Big descent, Schleck trying to catch Contador after having a mechanical problem.