October 23, 2013

SportsFilter: The Wednesday 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 - 16 comments

Lionel Messi has just become the first footballer to break into the top-10 list of America's favorite athletes, according to the vast ESPN Sports Poll (October 2012-September 2013.)

posted by bender at 09:25 AM on October 23, 2013

Kevin Love wins the "White Guy" Award

posted by BornIcon at 12:22 PM on October 23, 2013

I love this time of year when irrational exuberance breaks out as the World Series begins. Mayors and governors make dumb wagers involving local products, fans brag and trash talk, pundits make predictions - usually proven wrong in the end. True baseball fans look forward to some good baseball, and much of that is promised this year.

Then, there is even this rather different bit of trash-talking, or playing, as you prefer.

posted by Howard_T at 01:01 PM on October 23, 2013

bender: Linky no worky

posted by grum@work at 01:31 PM on October 23, 2013

Sorry about that. Here's the Lionel Messi link.

posted by bender at 02:08 PM on October 23, 2013

Boston Mayor Menino Wants "World Series Cup"

posted by tommybiden at 03:18 PM on October 23, 2013

"World Series Cup"

Just wait until the Bruins compete for the Stanley Trophy and Victorino kicks the winning field goal.

posted by Howard_T at 03:26 PM on October 23, 2013

Zlatan scored a Champions League hattrick in 35 minutes tonight.

His second was a backheel that sent the keeper and defender the wrong way and then his third wasn't bad either.

Just because he's Zlatan and he can.

posted by Mr Bismarck at 04:00 PM on October 23, 2013

What's French for "it's just like watching FIFA 14"?

posted by etagloh at 04:30 PM on October 23, 2013

I get the feeling that the keeper is lucky to NOT have gotten in the way of that shot, otherwise he would have been injured.

I equate Zlatan with Pavel Bure. I don't think he's ever been thought of as the best player in the sport, but what he does (score goals) he does better than almost anyone else, and with a flair that everyone can appreciate.

posted by grum@work at 05:07 PM on October 23, 2013

Man, I can watch that over and over again.

posted by bender at 05:22 PM on October 23, 2013

Zlatan is one of those players who scores a goal against your team and you find yourself grinning.

His ridiculous wander through the NAC Breda defence for Ajax, his world cup backheel against Italy, (which he repeated at the weekend), and then that goal against England. Not to mention countless others.

It's notable how many of Zlatan's goals feature the commentators laughing in disbelief at what they've just seen.

posted by Mr Bismarck at 05:41 PM on October 23, 2013

Although Ibra will have been disappointed with his second half performance tonight. He only scored once.

posted by Mr Bismarck at 05:47 PM on October 23, 2013

I get the feeling that there aren't many times where the keeper actually saves a Zlatan shot, right?

Either it goes in, or it's such an ambitious attempt that it goes wide/high/off-a-defender.

posted by grum@work at 08:46 PM on October 23, 2013

I equate Zlatan with Pavel Bure

Combined with Wendell Clarke or someone else who communicated that kind of physical danger to the lizard-brain levels of other players.

posted by yerfatma at 10:03 AM on October 24, 2013

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