- 11:48 PM
- 11/07/09
Drood, I think netbros' point is that there is a factual error in rcade's post.
posted by qbert72 at 01:14 AM on April 21
first pitch at the Montreal Expos home opener in their new stadium Aww, man, don't rub it in. It was snowing here this afternoon, and I wondered how an opener in our brand new outdoors downtown stadium would have felt like.
posted by qbert72 at 10:47 PM on March 31
Bryan McCabe says hello. Thanks, grum. I wanted to see other candidates. I still think Backstrom has this beat. McCabe is at least aiming towards the corner, just (a whole lot of) not enough. Backstrom actually strikes it back to the goal from outside the crease.
posted by qbert72 at 10:12 PM on March 11
I thought Backstrom's reaction was very weird. He just stayed there and started adjusting his gloves. But there's not much he could do, I guess. Huet and Ovechkin were already lying face to the ground in disgust. This is the worst "own goal" I've ever seen in hockey. Steve Smith's in 1986 had bigger consequences, but it was a fluke play. Backstrom's shooting it in like he would do if he was at the other side of the ice. I feel really bad for him too.
posted by qbert72 at 08:53 PM on March 10
What are the chances of a Habs-Leafs outdoor game? The Canadiens played against the Oilers in Edmonton for the first occurence of these outdoor games. I'm afraid other teams will get their turn before it comes back to us. Doesn't Montreal have an outdoor soccer stadium where they could play? Unfortunately, we don't. We have a huge, crumbling indoor stadium, and a few small-ish outdoor stadiums, including the the Alouettes' home, which seats 20 000 people, and the upcoming Stade Saputo, which will seat a maximum of 17 000. So it doesn't look good that way either...
posted by qbert72 at 04:13 PM on February 24
Great story, very well told. Thank you, JJ.
posted by qbert72 at 07:57 PM on January 30
Orphan fans up for adoption was our most successful sign this summer.
posted by qbert72 at 08:56 PM on January 09
We should have a weekly roundup like this.
posted by qbert72 at 11:18 PM on October 18
I would move that Dravecky story up quite a bit. Me too. I was watching the game on TV when it happened. Extremely disturbing sight and sound. His bone breaking echoed in the Olympic Stadium like a gunshot. Awful.
posted by qbert72 at 05:13 PM on October 17
Cool stuff. Love the picture of him and Manny looking like they could eat Lugo for breakfast.
posted by qbert72 at 04:59 PM on October 17
the hands-down winner has to go to be this one Prediction-wise, I just can't get enough of rcade's 2006 Stone Cold Lock.
posted by qbert72 at 08:28 AM on September 24
Somewhat related: former Québec cycling superstar Geneviève Jeanson, now banned for doping, has finally admitted she took EPO from the age of 16, after years of vehement denial and plans for legal procedures all over the place.
posted by qbert72 at 10:42 AM on September 21
There's no question that Yankees fans and Red Sox fans take the most abuse here Wild ass guess: maybe it's because they just never shut up?
posted by qbert72 at 07:07 PM on September 19
of course, most non yankee/sox fans would find us both insufferable Meh, it's fun to watch, in a car wreck kind of way.
posted by qbert72 at 12:31 AM on September 19
For what it's worth, I think you do a good job at it, Crafty.
posted by qbert72 at 03:30 PM on September 18
I'd settle for being just the most clever sweeper.
posted by qbert72 at 11:55 AM on September 18
I can't get all worked up about this. FIA rulings carry no real value in the public eye, I think. In 1996, Schumacher lost all his championship points, and finished the season dead last in the drivers championship. Is this what people recall? Similarly, nobody will forget that the McLarens were the better cars of the 2007 season. In my mind, the constructors championship is not that big a deal. The drivers championship is the one that matters. The constructors' is there to provide pseudo-suspense when the drivers race is over too early. Mercedes and Vodafone will have no shortage of good stories and images for their marketing campaigns from the 2007 season, especially if Lewis Hamilton can pull it off. As for the fine, I'm certain it will be reduced considerably after a couple of rounds with the lawyers, and McLaren sponsors will (more or less) gladly foot the bill as compensation for all this nice promo material they will get from Lewis' rookie season championship.
posted by qbert72 at 07:28 AM on September 14
I guess he had a falling out with Patrick Roy. Last year, this story was all the rage: Roy was the only QJMHL GM ready to accept Rubin's religious choices. He drafted him with the intention of not playing him on Sabbath and other holidays. Now he's no longer with the Remparts, and his new team more or less put him under the gun, if we're to believe the article: "You play every day or you don't play at all." You can't really blame the Olympiques, they're just putting Rubin in front of a choice he was going to have to make sooner or later. I don't believe any NHL team would carry a player on its roster that voluntarily can not play on Friday night and Saturday afternoon games. I can't imagine how tough it must have been for him to make this decision. I hope his community will be understanding, and I wish him the best for his hockey career.
posted by qbert72 at 07:19 AM on September 14
That was one nasty fall. As the rabi said, he did take it pretty well: nice rolling landing, and plenty of room to slide and decelerate. The jump the bike took after hitting the rail is impressive. And I watched the longer clip, and he was definitely walking on his own. He's obviously shaken, but nothing's broken here, so let's hop back on, dammit! (These guys are crazy.) Thanks for posting some MotoGP links once in a while. I don't follow it closely, so your posts are appreciated.
posted by qbert72 at 09:54 AM on September 13
I saw a game in Milwaukee last month, and I don't remember Braun being so awful in the field. Of course, it was just a game, I don't recall a lot of balls were hit at him, and I was drunk. In any case, Braun would be rookie of the year, and one of the best hitters at his positions, even if he played first base or left field, which is what will keep him in the majors despite his fielding abilities.
posted by qbert72 at 08:48 AM on September 11
Carter's Big Up looks like more than a label. According to the About page, their mission is "to become the most recognized and respected portfolio of urban lifestyle brands." A bit too marketese/FUBUesque for my taste, but I'm happy to learn about more pro athletes involved in culture.
posted by qbert72 at 12:54 PM on August 30
I always thought pro athletes were good candidates for modern day patrons of the arts. I guess a first step for them is to realize their own art isn't worth much. And man, what better music to get you in the mood for a hockey game than a 15-minute sludgefest by Sunn O)))?
posted by qbert72 at 09:13 AM on August 30
I dislike the use of the word "blog" when the meaning intended is "post". That is all.
posted by qbert72 at 06:11 PM on August 21
This would be the best troll of all-time What makes you think it isn't? (I'm wary to jump in this discussion, because the last time I "pulled a Bishop" myself, we lost a valuable member...)
posted by qbert72 at 10:13 AM on August 02
Can't these guys keep it on the track? Mostly, no. Piquet does mention that it wasn't just speeding that got his license revoked. He also frequently parks in the handicapped spot. The old bugger is still looking good. I remember he had one nasty crash in practice at Indy after his F1 career. He's lucky he can still walk, let alone drive.
posted by qbert72 at 11:08 AM on August 01
That was like watching 72 straight double faults. JJ had to serve at some point, no?
posted by qbert72 at 04:23 PM on July 28
Ok, but how do you remove the draggers?
posted by qbert72 at 02:41 PM on July 27
Thanks for the link, catfish. The reasoning in the article is very sound. I get the feeling there is no way to actually solve this problem. Whether doping is legal or not, money will always give you an edge: better drugs and/or more successfully hidden drugs.
posted by qbert72 at 12:38 PM on July 27
Thanks for this link, JJ. I needed it too. I was on the verge of crying for most of yesterday evening, feeling a light version of the "dumped-by-girlfriend" feeling.
posted by qbert72 at 09:02 AM on July 26
Holy crap. Le nouvelliste was just a few days early.
posted by qbert72 at 05:09 PM on July 25
Which is really sad, because if you forget about the doping allegations one minute, it's a fierce competition so far. Contador is a revalation, and if only Evans had lost a little less time two days ago, the final time trial would have been a three-man race for the overall victory.
posted by qbert72 at 02:25 PM on July 25
Yeah, looking good, Cofidis! This is really dreadful for the sport
posted by qbert72 at 02:10 PM on July 25
Was there any leak in this case? Astana decided pull out of the Tour more or less by themselves. This automatically made Vino's positive A sample public. Riders from eight teams led a protest at the start of today's stage. Mostly French riders, who are all having a dismal Tour. It's easy to think there are some sour grapes in Christophe Moreau's suggestion that Rasmussen should quit "for the good of the Tour". For those of you who read French, La Presse's columnist Pierre Foglia really knows his stuff: Sunday July 22nd, after the Time Trial - The chicken with the brown jersey, in which he argues that Rasmussen winning this Tour is an even bigger scandal than Landis winning on testosterone or Armstrong on EPO, because Landis and Armstrong were the best riders nevertheless, whereas Rasmussen clearly isn't. He puts a lot of the blame on the Tour organizers, who are more interested in their event's mythology than the good of the sports as a whole, and who do not practice what they preach. Monday July 23rd, after the first Pyrenean stage - I love Denmark, where he praises Rasmussen for a great victory on his turf, the mountains. He adds:
Today, I love Rasmussen, but I will hate it if he wins the Tour. Last year, Floyd Landis acomplished one of the greatest feats in the history of cycling, and he was destituted for traces of testosterone. Rasmussen is home free, but to do what he did in the Albi time trial, he must have taken 4 tons and a half of magic powder. Rasmussen's 11th place in Albi is an insult to the intelligence of all cycling fans. Rasmussen is not a Tour winner. He would never win a Tour where every rider was clean. Landis and Armstrong, yes. I wrote a little quickly yesterday that when everyone cheats, then nobody cheats. In fact, some cheat better than others.
posted by qbert72 at 12:23 PM on July 25
That's a pretty famous one, JJ (well amongst cycling nerds anyway). Or Amélie Poulain fans.
posted by qbert72 at 09:07 AM on July 19
Keep Adam Dunn (in Cincinnati). OK, enough with the derailing.
posted by qbert72 at 09:06 PM on July 13
Man, I love Adam Dunn talk. Baseball Reference says his nickname is "Big Donkey".
posted by qbert72 at 06:33 PM on July 13
But if he said "like some power hitters" it's misleading. Picking out all of one (Dunn) doesn't change that. Agreed that it's misleading on Ichiro's part. He'd go from being one exception to another. It's just so happens that there's just one player producing the kind of stats he says he could, so it's just too easy to compare them, and wonder: "If he really could do it, would he be more valuable than he is now?"
posted by qbert72 at 09:55 PM on July 12
Not until you get to number 17 do you get to anyone hitting in the 240s. That's only because Adam Dunn is hitting (for now) 11 points over his career .247. So what Ichiro is pretending is that he could hit like Dunn if he wanted to. We'll never know if that's true, but I'm not so sure Dunn is more valuable than Ichiro.
posted by qbert72 at 04:58 PM on July 12
No surface is harder in itself. They're just different. You're bound to have more difficulty on one of them, and be more proficient on another, usually the one you grew up on as a player. The French Open has eluded Federer for a single reason: Nadal.
posted by qbert72 at 02:52 PM on July 10
I would have loved to discuss this year's Tour de France, but the link is poor, and the post's wording is just looking for trouble. I'm not sure this will work.
posted by qbert72 at 06:48 PM on July 06
So is it time for my closeup, Mr Director? Gordie Howe isn't even the best #9 in hockey.
posted by qbert72 at 06:23 PM on July 06
I was getting ready to perform my annual "Richard is my choice at #9 over Howe" schtick, but SI pulled the rug under me by picking Ted Williams. I find it pointless to argue against whole sports. They did nail #4, though. Is there a place where it's just a text list, and I don't have to click through a hundred pictures?
posted by qbert72 at 10:42 AM on July 06
If NHL 94 and the mighty computerized Bruins of the day had anything to do with it, I hope so. Then surely Vladimir Ruzicka and Dmitri Kvartalnov are in.
posted by qbert72 at 01:34 PM on June 29
This is truely horrible. I have just two comments, both about the video footage. 1. This is not a burnout. It's a drag start. A burnout is the tire-warming smoke show that they do on the patch of water before the race, with the front brakes on. The car does not move. 2. The amateur video is shot from behind the guardrail, which you see clearly at the 0:16 mark. There's no way this guardrail would ever stop a speeding dragster from plowing off the road. Guardrail or not, people shouldn't be standing this close to a drag start. Of course, this wasn't supposed to be a drag start.
posted by qbert72 at 02:01 PM on June 18
Here's another view of Kubica's crash. It's just unbelievable that he's (most likely) going to race this weekend.
posted by qbert72 at 09:51 AM on June 14
Nice find, Mr Bismarck. There's a reason why Lewis is such a seasoned professional with the media: he's got a lot of experience. Villeneuve was a champion from another top series when he came in, used to racing ovals at 200mph. Lewis came up from the feeder series, so the comparisons to Villeneuve are irrelevant, as they had vastly different levels of experience. I would argue that the competition level is higher in GP2/F3000 than in CART. How else would you explain F1 feeder series "rejects" (Montoya, Bourdais) dominating CART so easily? Also, Hamilton has followed the perfect path leading to F1, unlike Villeneuve. CART is not a good gateway to F1. Villeneuve is the only driver since Mario Andretti to have succeeded in that transition. Not to mention the HUGE age difference. Villeneuve was 25 in his first Formula 1 season. That's 3 years older than Hamilton. Barring extremely bad luck, Lewis is gonna win a LOT more races in F1 than Villeneuve ever did. For a guy who's tired of the hyperbole, you're sure buying it. Hamilton is showing great talent, and definitely has the potential to win a lot of races. We have yet to see how he will perform in a car that's not the best of the field. I'm not saying he will be another Jacques Villeneuve. I'm saying it's just as likely as him being a new Fangio. Also, there's nothing wrong with being "just another Jacques Villeneuve". For starters, that would give the British a long-awaited World Champion.
posted by qbert72 at 10:21 AM on June 13
Mr Bismarck, the Japanese commentary in your last YouTube link is priceless. Thank you. (Kind of puts the British hyperbole in perspective, too.)
posted by qbert72 at 09:57 AM on June 11
Hamilton totally deserved that win, no question about it. Alonso was quite frankly scary. He let Heidfeld build a lead over him, then he suddenly found his pace in the middle stint after his penalty, only to lose it completely in the last stint. And all those offs at turn 1, what carnage! Interesting to note too that Heidfeld had better race pace than both Ferraris. He looks like another guy who could get his maiden win this year.
posted by qbert72 at 09:20 AM on June 11
Villeneuve won his fourth career Grand Prix. Hamilton's first season is very likely to resemble Jacques' one. People don't want to remember how immediate was Villeneuve's impact in F1.
posted by qbert72 at 09:00 AM on June 11
The kid is good, but could the British press dial down the hyperbole just a little bit? I understand the excitement, but comparing him to Fangio and Clark? At this time, he's just as likely to become another Jacques Villeneuve. Not to take away from Hamilton's race, but everyone of his most serious competitors got a drive-through penalty, a black flag, or had to wait for their teammate's pit stop to get his. It's easier to dominate in these conditions. I have no doubt he would have won the race anyway, and staying out of trouble is a good part of success, and he did that marvelously. F1 teams will have to adjust to the new safety car vs pit stops rules. Alonso and Fisichella has no fuel left when the pit lane closed, and had to choose between a penalty or running out of fuel. The prudent course of action would be to schedule stops with a couple of laps worth of fuel left in the tank. All in all, an action-packed afternoon in the Montréal tradition. I think everyone's glad to hear Kubica is OK, because that crash was scary. As for the post's question: no. What will make the US audience care about F1 is an American champion. I'm not holding my breath.
posted by qbert72 at 08:12 AM on June 11
Some people really have a way to seamlessly insert themselves in an ongoing conversation.
posted by qbert72 at 01:54 PM on June 01
It's not long to make, and it downloads really fast.
posted by qbert72 at 11:28 AM on June 01
When will you two finally get a room?
posted by qbert72 at 08:20 AM on June 01
yerfatma, you're my most favorite poster of all time!
posted by qbert72 at 08:08 PM on May 31
I agree with goddam, the closest is probably the hidden ball trick. And who doesn't like the hidden ball when it works? Had he been caught, it would have taken a run off the board and ended an inning with runners on base. This is never a good thing. Except if he hadn't tried it, the inning would have been over. So he didn't have to perform any form of quick-thinking.
posted by qbert72 at 02:08 PM on May 31
The name "Victah Sailer" is watermarked on the new pictures he allegedly granted WithLeather permission to use.
posted by qbert72 at 09:28 AM on May 31
A qualified driver obeys the laws, and safety requirements. That's not what you meant by "qualified driver" the first time you used it. You said he was not "qualified to operate" the watercraft, as in "not able to control the vehicle in difficult circumstances" . This kind of qualification has nothing to do with obeying the law. And you can't infer anything about his operating skills from the current information. Therefore, you can't use the "He didn't know how to ride his vehicle" line to support your argument that he is responsible for what happened to his lady passenger. What do you not get? Faulty logic, I guess.
posted by qbert72 at 01:13 PM on May 30
Was this even a great interview? To me it looks like a convenient way to use sex to sell copies, while taking the moral high road about Internet sites doing the exact same thing. The NY correspondent from a Montreal daily blogged the story and asked more or less my question: is the Post article helping the situation at all? Then he cracked: "Me, I'm just reporting on the news".
posted by qbert72 at 11:39 AM on May 30
You as the driver of a car, have a responsibility to make your children ride in an approved car seat, or wear seat belts. That's because they're children. Grownups like the woman passenger can put on their PFDs by themselves. he obviously was not qualified to operate How would you know that? Accidents can happen to the most qualified drivers.
posted by qbert72 at 11:29 AM on May 30
Fan Ejected From Yankee Stadium For Bathroom Break During 'God Bless America'
These words in the linked article scare me:
During the patriotic 7th inning stretch at Yankee Stadium, [snip] he tried to leave his seat during the traditional singing of God Bless America
The Ministry of Truth is cooking up new traditions.