mbd1's profile

mbd1
594
Location: Long Island
ZIP: 11771
Member since: August 16, 2002
Last visit: November 23, 2015

mbd1 has posted 8 links and 389 comments to SportsFilter and 2 links and 186 comments to the Locker Room.

Sports Bio

Raised in Arkansas as a Razorbacks fan during the Hatfield and Sutton/early Richardson era. I also developed a rabid adulation of the Whiteyball era St. Louis Cardinals, and particularly admired the Wizard of Oz. Since Arkansas is a pro sports wasteland I never developed an affinity for the NFL or NBA, and the NHL was barely a vague notion.

Then I went to college at Duke and got a whole new appreciation of sports. I was class of Carrawell (2000), and was crushed when Langdon et al fell short in the 99 championship game against UConn. But I made it back to campus, along with my girlfriend and my roommate for the 01 title game and finally basked in the bonfire glow.

I camped all four years for UNC with varying levels of success. The best result came in 98, which is also my most memorable sporting event. I was on the 2nd row directly across from the UNC bench, and my entire torso was painted blue. Well, at least at the start of the game. By the end of the game everyone else around me had absorbed my paint. At any rate, I was even with Cota and Haywood as they missed 4 consecutive FT attempts which would have tied and won the game for UNC, and Duke's 17 point comeback succeeded. Chaos ensued, and I ended up high-fiving Duke president Nan Keohane with a sweaty blue palm.

I went to grad school at UVa and got a Master's and now I'm living in Philadelphia and doing research at Penn. So my loyalties lie first with the Razorbacks, Blue Devils, and Cardinals in cfb, cbb, and MLB respectively. Then I pull for the Philly franchises. And I adopted Tottenham Hotspurs as my Premier league team.

-cheers-

Recent Links

The Ballad of Big Mike: What happened next was the strangest encounter of Lemming's 28-year career as a football scout. Michael Oher sat down at the table across from him ... and refused to speak. "He shook my hand and then didn’t say a word," Lemming recalled. ("His hands — they were huge!") Lemming asked a few questions; Michael Oher just kept staring right through him. And soon enough Lemming decided further interaction was pointless. Michael Oher left, and he left behind blank forms and unanswered questions. Every other high-school football player in America was dying for Lemming to invite him to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Michael Oher had left his invitation on the table. A fantastic article in the NYT Magazine by Michael Lewis, detailing the unusual story behind Michael Oher. via kottke

posted by mbd1 to football at 07:02 PM on September 23, 2006 - 14 comments

Deadspin invite, anyone?: Does anyone out there have a Deadspin comments account and an invite to share? Will is doing a great job over there and I want to occasionally throw my two cents in. Many thanks.

posted by mbd1 to navel gazing at 10:19 AM on May 02, 2006 - 34 comments

Albert Pujols.:

posted by mbd1 to baseball at 10:54 PM on October 17, 2005 - 85 comments

The Road from Bristol: A March Madness style bracket to determine which ESPN broadcasting personality is the most totally loathsome. Voting for the Egregious Eight takes place this week.

posted by mbd1 to general at 10:21 AM on August 15, 2005 - 17 comments

Congratulations are in order: corpse and jennyb are getting married! We'll leave the invitation wording to AskMeFi....how's the satellite package at the pub?

posted by mbd1 to navel gazing at 02:58 PM on April 15, 2005 - 20 comments

Recent Comments

U.S. Defeats Germany, Advances to Women's World Cup Final

Anyone mention the German defender who had Alex Morgan wrapped up with both arms near the end of the first half? Also could have been a penalty. The refereeing had been really questionable all around.

And yes, it is wonderful to not see all the diving, embellishment, and general childishness that is in the men's game. I think part of it is the different standards int he women's game, and part of it is that they are playing on turf and no one wants to go to the ground unless absolutely necessary.

posted by mbd1 at 09:21 AM on July 01, 2015

Joe Hart prevented a goal

I've heard that there were several of those indirect free kicks near the goal soon after they changed the rule that allowed the goalie to pick up the ball on a pass back from a defender.

posted by mbd1 at 03:01 PM on November 12, 2014

MetaFilter User Proposes New Site Called 'Sportsfilter'

I've been gone for a long time after being a daily visitor. I spend a lot less time on the web in general, and a lot of my sports surfing time is spent on various team and sport subreddits. I can't really say why, just that habits slowly change over time. There are many sites I used to visit daily that I haven't seen in years.

Just wanted to say hi to everyone and I'll try to poke my head in more often.

posted by mbd1 at 10:25 AM on July 23, 2014

EPL Fantasy Football

Woohoo! I'm back in after a few years away.

posted by mbd1 at 11:47 AM on August 15, 2013

Maryland Moving to Big Ten

As a Duke alum I think this is stupid on Maryland's part, but doing stupid things is their strong suit.

rcade - the ACC is currently at 12 teams. Pitt and Syracuse and (part of )ND will join and Maryland will leave, giving them 14.5. SEC is at 14, Big XII is at 10(?), Pac-12 is 12, and Big Ten will be 14 once MD and Rutgers join. I guess the ACC will be smaller in football prowess, but definitely not in raw numbers of member institutions.

edit - forgot about rutgers.

posted by mbd1 at 02:26 PM on November 19, 2012

The next round of college football realignments may be under way

Good riddance, as far as I'm concerned, but I don't think they are going to make the leap. If they think that the North Carolina schools have too much power in the ACC, it's nothing compared to the sway that Texas holds over the Big XII.

edit - I don't think that's true about the 2 home games per 1 road game.

posted by mbd1 at 12:54 PM on May 15, 2012

Man-Down Chelsea Buries Barcelona

very nice, holden.

posted by mbd1 at 11:11 AM on April 25, 2012

One-Team Icon Comic

I'm trying to be happy, but it's really hard.

posted by mbd1 at 01:04 PM on February 29, 2012

Pujols Going to Angels for 10 Years, $250 Million

I'm more upset that he won't be a lifelong Cardinal than I am about losing his production. This sucks.

posted by mbd1 at 10:37 AM on December 08, 2011

Cards Take 2-1 Series Lead Over Brewers

Not that I've seen yet, but I've been tuning in halfway through the games. I have noticed that the Brewers have an unusually high team UAR (Ugly Above Replacement).

posted by mbd1 at 11:47 AM on October 13, 2011

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle

Argentina nearly didn't qualify and they get a seed. Yargh. I'd like to look at the seeds from the last few WC's to see exactly how self-perpetuating the top 7 teams are.

I'd guess the best case scenario for the USA would be something like South Africa, Algeria, Slovenia?

Worst case is Brazil, Cameroon, France/Portugal?

posted by mbd1 at 12:15 PM on December 02, 2009

US Loses 3-2 to Brazil in Confederations Cup Final

How was Spain completely gassed for the semis? They rolled through the group stage 8-0 on aggregate.

I don't mind the US sending the B squad to the Gold Cup. You've got to keep developing and don't want to run down your guys while you're only halfway through WC2010 qualifying. Plus it got my guy Jay Heaps a callup and a chance to get his first cap.

posted by mbd1 at 01:59 PM on June 29, 2009

Michael Lewis and the NBA's No-Stats All-Star

I was thinking about posting this article yesterday. I'm a big fan of Lewis and also Battier. I think Lewis is working on a book about basketball, and it looks like this could be a chapter. Although I think he's supposed to write a "sequel" to Moneyball as well, but that's being held up by a book on the latest economic situation. Ah, who knows.

IIRC, Battier negotiated his own contract with the Grizzlies - at least his first one, where he was locked into a pay band based on his draft position.

posted by mbd1 at 12:25 PM on February 15, 2009

Eagles Make Playoffs in 44-6 Rout of Cowboys

We were driving the PA and NJ turnpikes yesterday, listening to the game. Made the ride a lot more fun. We turned on the radio as it was 3-0, and didn't yet know that the winner would get the last NFC playoff spot. What a nice surprise after a long day of driving.

I agree that the NFC is wide open, and that the divisional/wild card situation needs to be tweaked. One day a 7-9 team will end up with a 4 seed (has it happened already?).

E!A!G!L!E!S! EAGLES!

posted by mbd1 at 02:49 PM on December 29, 2008

Greg Maddux to retire on Monday

I see Maddux as a lifer - he really enjoys being around the game, and I bet he takes a job with the Cubs or Braves as a roving minor league instructor. Everybody talks about how they like to sit with him in the dugout on the days he doesn't pitch, just to hear him talk about how the game is going and how he would approach each at bat.

He's got a ton of knowledge to pass along to the kids - how to approach a batter's strengths and weaknesses, how to get the most out of a so-so fastball, how to field the position, how to chop off the hands to delay identification of the body, etc.

posted by mbd1 at 11:25 PM on December 05, 2008