- 04:44 PM
- 05/17/08
Kershaw- The Next Koufax? With a curseball that defies descripion, and opposing players jellied legged. Can this 20 year old finally fullfill the promise of the great Sandy Koufax?
posted to Baseball at 7:06 PM CDT
"Mister, what happened to you?" they'll say. "It's from fireworks," he gently tells them, in his new capacity as a walking cautionary tale.
posted to Baseball at 11:18 PM CDT
"and a glance in the mirror is all it takes to remind him that his life will never be the same"
That may be one of the single most insipid lines I've ever read.
posted at 3:48 PM CDT on May 15
There is an "I" in "Team"? Rochelle High School track standout Bonnie Richardson wins the state track title, the TEAM TRACK TITLE, all by herself.
posted to Other at 9:49 AM CDT
Oh now that's just showing off!
Way to go Rochelle. Man her opponents must have been humbled, old country way.
That's awesome!
posted at 7:03 PM CDT on May 12
Yankees fan kills Red Sox fan.
posted to Baseball at 2:44 AM CDT
Shotput: Amen brother.
I remember this poem from years ago called "Carmageddon" (long before the video game.) It had a bit about beating someone to death with a piece of metal getting you a long time in prison, but if you attach it to a car then hit them with it, the punishment is far less.
I agree entirely. The car was used as a weapon. No different than a gun.
posted at 5:28 PM CDT on May 6
Heisman Winner Tim Tebow Circumcises Kids How did Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Tim Tebow spend his spring break? Performing medical and dental surgeries on impoverished children in the Phillipines -- including circumcisions. "The first time, it was nerve-racking," he said. "Hands were shaking a little bit."
posted to Football at 6:28 PM CDT
So he engages in genital mutilation when he's not throwing a football.
posted at 10:04 PM CDT on May 5
West Brom clinch Championship and promotion. They will be joined by Stoke, and one more team to be determined by playoffs between Hull, Bristol City, Crystal Palace and Watford.
posted to Soccer at 12:59 PM CDT
Screw the top of the league, what about the bottom? I'm pleased my Saints are staying up, but dear god I felt bad for Leicester. Seeing the rollercoaster their fans were on during the match was heartbreaking.
So any Leicester fans reading this, this is a Saints saying I feel very bad for you guys, and really wish we could have BOTH stayed up.
Chargdres: All the league names are retarded now IMO.
posted at 3:30 PM CDT on May 5
Having followed the Championship the last few weeks, I gotta say I enjoy the football far more, and the competition is much tighter.
Too bad I have to rely on torrents for any sort of coverage over this side of the Atlantic.
posted at 5:53 PM CDT on May 5
Harrison asked about shooting Indianapolis Colts star receiver Marvin Harrison was interviewed by police about a shooting near his North Philadelphia car wash this week.
posted to Football at 7:32 AM CDT
Well they do say you have to watch the quiet ones:)
posted at 3:32 PM CDT on May 5
De La Hoya wins easy decision "But fighters have been known to change their retirement plans as easily as they change gloves, and the only thing for certain is that De La Hoya will add many more millions to his already fat bank accounts before he finally hangs the gloves up for good. Mayweather has yet to sign for the rematch, though De La Hoya expressed confidence that the money would be too great for him to refuse."
posted to Boxing at 1:01 PM CDT
Brandy: What do you mean "becoming"? It's been a joke for a long time. (And I say that as a moderate fan.)
posted at 2:45 PM CDT on May 4
Basically it's become the wrestling aesthetic. Rather than two guys hitting each other, it's all the pomp and circumstance of Wrestlemania now. Now I'm a pro-wrestling fan myself. I watch it because I enjoy the theatrics, the acting, and the athletic ability. However I don't want to see that sort of show in a REAL sport. It seems it's too much to ask these days to just see two guys swinging at each other. There's gotta be hype specials. There's gotta be all the show and production values, there's gotta be, to coin a wrestling term, a babyface and a heel etc... The essence, two guys fighting, is practically sundry at this point.
Boxings biggest issue is PPV I think. Every fight worth anything (and a good number that aren't worth that) are on PPV. There's a reason boxing is considered a dying sport. It's because most people won't pay for (or in my case can't even get) the events. Boxing will never return to the mainstream fulltime until people like Don King are dead, and regular folk can get easy access to seeing the fights. It's all very well if the fights airs on ESPN afterwards etc... But seeing it a week later after the entire planet knows the result makes it kinda pointless.
posted at 12:48 AM CDT on May 5
Unbeaten Big Brown comes through to win Kentucky Derby. Big Brown backed up his trainer's boasts with an explosive finishing kick and won the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, a commanding victory turned somber by the fatal breakdown of the filly Eight Belles on horse racing's biggest day.
posted to Other at 6:40 PM CDT
Sorry, but this is why I loathe horse racing. MMA gets a ton of shit for being "barbaric" and all that bullshit. At least both guys chose to be in there. Horse racing makes me sick, especially since it exists purely so gamblers can make money.
.
posted at 12:05 AM CDT on May 4
Tejada Delivers on Promise When he came to the plate in the sixth inning Friday night, Miguel Tejada wanted more than anything to keep his promise to 8-year-old Jacob Scott, a muscular dystrophy patient the Astros shortstop met at a luncheon hours earlier.
posted to Baseball at 11:04 AM CDT
Holy crap! I've seen stuff like this in movies. "Hit a homerun for me!"
To see someone actually do it... Man that fucking rocks!
Awesome post justgary.
posted at 5:41 PM CDT on May 3
posted to Baseball at 9:03 PM CDT
I looked at it and thought "I love baseball, but not this much" and didn't read it.
Probably being whacked out of my gourd on codeine didn't help the old comprehension.
But yeah, no reason to be so damn rude.
posted at 11:41 PM CDT on May 2
Justgary: I love baseball stats, but stuff like this makes my eyes cross, and kinda removes some of the romance of the stats for me.
It's kinda like being told there's a hole in the magicians hat where he pulls the rabbit through. It's fun to know the secrets, but the magic is never quite the same.
posted at 5:23 AM CDT on May 3
LA Galaxy reserve team uses ticket agent to fill out game day roster They didn't want to play short-handed. Anybody here know how to play this game?
posted to Soccer at 11:25 AM CDT
Peter apparently has a persecution complex.
Owlhouse: Well played sir. Ba-dum-tish indeed.
posted at 7:21 PM CDT on May 2
10 Sports Heroes You Won’t Find on a Wheaties Box. Mental Floss magazine gives us a list of 10 people that are not, but should be, on a Wheaties box.
posted to Culture at 12:56 PM CDT
I would so love to see Akebono on a box of Wheaties! I remember watching him when Channel 4 in the UK used to air Sumo. Loved watching that.
Didn't read beyond the first page as I despise these sites that split articles over
posted at 2:55 PM CDT on May 1
multiple pages.
posted at 2:56 PM CDT on May 1
Chelsea beat Liverpool, set up final battles with Man Utd for Premier League and Champions League Chelsea broke their Liverpool and Champions League jinx with a 3-2 (4-3 aggregate) win to move into the final against Premier League leaders Manchester United. Has this ever happened before, where the same top two domestic teams (they are tied on points but United has far superior goal difference with two matches to go) are also in the Champions League final?
posted to Soccer at 4:25 PM CDT
JJ: HAHA! I hope you're not serious.
The way I've heard it described was back in the Murray Walker and James Hunt days on F1 coverage. Murray was there for commentary. James was there for comment. (Which largely involved slagging Patrese off.)
posted at 6:03 PM CDT on April 30
Rangers forward Avery Hospitalized Sean Avery suffers a lacerated spleen in Tuesday's loss to the Pens and is out of the playoffs.
posted to Hockey at 12:11 PM CDT
All I can to say to this is YIKES!
posted at 2:22 PM CDT on April 30
Playing hockey apparently.
posted at 3:09 AM CDT on May 1
Is the Kentucky Derby a problem in racing? Frank Deford counts all the ways the signature event in American horse racing is screwed up.
posted to Other at 11:11 PM CDT
Yes. Yes it is. (I have not read the article.)
I went to a racing event once. It was really bad. The cars kept hitting the horses.
posted at 12:10 AM CDT on April 30
Bionic athletes and the future of sports A look at the future of sports -- a world where prosthetics can enhance athletic skill beyond current human capabilities:
posted to Culture at 2:41 PM CDT
At least testing for bionic athletes would be easier than steroids. Just have them stand near a large magnet.
posted at 12:16 AM CDT on April 30
posted to Baseball at 10:27 AM CDT
Umpires confirmed that the only option available under the rules was to replace Tucholsky at first base with a pinch runner and have the hit recorded as a two-run single instead of a three-run home run. Any assistance from coaches or trainers while she was an active runner would result in an out.
As someone pointed out on Metafilter:
NCAA women's softball rule 8.5.3.2:
If an injury to a batter-runner or runner prevents her from proceeding to an awarded base, the ball is dead and substitution may be made. The substitute must legally touch all awarded or missed bases not previously touched.
It appears the umpires don't know the rules to the game they're officiating.
posted at 4:59 PM CDT on April 29
Now see amatzek, I got schooled by jmurphyin. THERE is the point of my post.
I find it hilarious you say the "heartless people on metafilter" when there is such a crossover here from there. (Hey mr_crash_davis, he's calling you heartless!)
And my original comment did say "This is a great tale of sportsmanship, but..." But I figured folk would be intelligent enough to figure that much out so left it off.
Guess I overestimated there.
posted at 12:13 AM CDT on April 30
Force makes history as first female Funny Car winner Another woman winning in a major auto sport. I think it is even better since she beat her dad in the finals. Congratulations Ashley.
posted to Auto Racing at 7:56 AM CDT
Drag racing is dull. I prefer my racing to last longer than an orgasm.
posted at 2:35 PM CDT on April 28
"This fella, Ronaldo, he's a cod" RTE's TV pundits show they really don't like Cristiano Ronaldo (via). Why does he seem to polarise opinion in a way that other players don't?
posted to Soccer at 3:44 AM CDT
No see, if they did Bismarck's idea, I'd actually go to the trouble of watching Match of the Day.
Texan: There was a show on UK TV last year, hosted by David Baddiel, and it was all about how the players were actual men back in the 80's and only went down and stayed down if they were really hurt.
FIFA needs to just start spanking these fuckers. If someone goes down and suffers one of these miraculous injuries where two minutes later they're just fine, they get suspended for the next game. Make the penalty exceptionally harsh so they know if they dive, they're taking a HUGE risk.
One of the reasons I almost never watch football these days is the diving.
I am light. I am love. You twat.
That may be my favourite line ever posted on this site.
posted at 10:00 PM CDT on April 25
MMA Fantasy Draft If every fighter in the world was suddenly declared a free agent, what order would they be selected in?
posted to Boxing at 12:56 PM CDT
I am SO drafting Kalib Starnes as my number one pick!!!!
posted at 11:10 PM CDT on April 21
Danica Patrick Wins IndyCar Race in Japan Danica Patrick became the first female winner in IndyCar history Sunday, taking the Indy Japan 300 when leader Helio Castroneves was forced to pit for fuel in the final laps. The 26-year-old driver won in her 50th IndyCar start. "She's rocketed herself to the top end of the roll call for most successful female racing drivers ever," writes Gemma Briggs. "The last significant victory was probably Michele Mouton's World Rally Championship win ... way back in 1981."
posted to Auto Racing at 8:59 AM CDT
Holy shit! I always felt the hype around Danica was a bit stupid given she'd never won.
Man, good for her. Suck on that Robby Gordon you fat fuck.
posted at 4:51 PM CDT on April 20
So what's your point? Fuel strategy is part of racing. Drivers in series like Indycar and NASCAR roll the dice on fuel strategy. Sometimes it pays off (Danica, Montoya last year in NASCAR). More often than not, it doesn't.
A win is a win.
posted at 10:45 PM CDT on April 20
Chico: You're right. Almost all racing drivers say the first win is the toughest and it gets a lot easier once you've got it out the way.
I've liked Danica for years. I mean she's hot, and she's a pretty good racer. Always wondered if she had it in her to win. Clearly she does, and that pleases me. ANYTHING that gets racing good press wins my vote, even if I'm not a fan of the series she races in.
Wonder how long until she gets a test drive in F1? Since you gotta think one of the teams would like the PR at the very least.
I'd LOVE to see her run Le Mans one year. Or get her in a team with Sabine at the Nordschleife 24hr!
posted at 11:17 PM CDT on April 21
Have we returned to the days of 'Gladiators'? The ice at Montreal's Bell Centre, home of the Canadiens, will be replaced tonight by an eight-sided, chain-link cage that will hold two incredibly fit men using an arsenal of fighting skills and raw violence to pummel the other into submission. Watching the men in the cage - their muscles clenched and red-faced with adrenalin - it is easy to see the comparison to the blood sport of ancient Rome.Mixed martial arts, and especially UFC, the largest purveyor of the sport, is moving from cult interest into the mainstream. Tickets to tonight's event sold out within a minute. CBS is to begin airing fights in prime time next month.
posted to Culture at 12:31 PM CDT
The problem with MMA right now is MOST people take it at face value. By far the DUMBEST FUCKING THING UFC did was put them in a cage. If it was a regular boxing ring, you wouldn't get half the hyperbole, but the cage adds a metaphor that fuckwit journalists latch onto.
Secondly, what is peoples first taste of MMA? Generally it'll be some highlight of someone getting owned. So once again that violence aspect is enforced.
Which means, sadly, the reality of MMA, that being that these are very physically fit athletes for the most part, and that it requires a great deal of skill, is lost.
I think MMA is a LOT more tactical than boxing.
Gladiators were a staple of Rome. The Roman's were incredibly advanced for the time. So using the "return" of gladiatorial sports as some sort of jingoistic jumping off point about a cultures stupidity is moronic.
As for the idiocracy being enforced by NASCAR and the WWE, I agree. I love pro wrestling, but almost NEVER watch the mainstream US product since Vince's vision of what wrestling is is so far removed from what I enjoy that even Satan couldn't find it with a telescope. (TNA is just retarded and not worthy of consideration). Mostly a puro fan. And I'm a wrestling fan for the theatre of it all. In fact UFC is very much taking the best elements of wrestling in their promotion and doing far better with them than Vince ever has.
As for NASCAR, I'm a huge racing fan, but like my cars to turn right. I love Le Mans and follow the whole 24. I follow the whole of the 24 Hours of the Nurburgring.
I can't get through 24 MINUTES of NASCAR without being bored rigid.
Now I guess I have to avoid this thread lest the UFC event is spoiled for me before I get a chance to see it. *sigh*
posted at 8:11 PM CDT on April 19
School team hit for 66 runs in two innings Opponents Shunshukan were officially credited with a 9-0 victory, giving the scoreline a tinge of respectability for the luckless Kawamoto school.
posted to Baseball at 6:17 PM CDT
What a great society we live in. They scored 66 runs, they should GET 66-0 as their scoreline.
posted at 11:54 PM CDT on April 17
Aussie Rules Football Is Punchtastic! In connection to the previous post about Sean Avery, this is what Brodeur should have done to him. And we think American football players are tough. Truth be told, it was a really cheap shot..... but funny.
posted to Football at 5:21 PM CDT
"cheap shot..... but funny"
No, it's not. It's another pathetic example of the violent wankers who need kicking out of sports.
posted at 9:49 PM CDT on April 16
Fair point owlhouse. I was just immediately brought to mind of Zidane's final act as a football player which I thought was reprehensible.
posted at 3:33 PM CDT on April 17
Sean Avery does his best to reduce the NHL to the level of the WWE (single link to a Youtube video). The NHL responds.
posted to Hockey at 10:53 AM CDT
That was amusing. Though one of those things that I guess has never happened before due to common courtesy. Like in soccer, I don't think there is a rule that states a team can line up all 11 players in front of the goal. Now think about a team that has managed to snag a hard fought lead. They could all just stand there and it's game over.
posted at 3:17 PM CDT on April 16
grum: "Unless they are all "Ho-ho-ho! Green Giant!" tall and "Yukozuna" fat, it's pretty easy to score on 11 players standing in front of a soccer net."
You are wrong. I have seen it done. We did it at school.
posted at 9:48 PM CDT on April 16
Say it ain’t so, George! Report: Boston Red Sox T-shirt buried in new Yankee Stadium by construction worker.
posted to Baseball at 10:12 AM CDT
I hope if they removed it it wasn't a load bearing t-shirt!
posted at 5:11 PM CDT on April 13
Formula One president caught in Nazi bondage orgy scandal. [Max] Mosley's five-hour encounter with five women in a bondage orgy has prompted accusations of Nazi role-playing and engulfed the Formula One racing world in a leadership crisis that prompted the sport's ruling body Wednesday to announce a meeting of its governing assembly June 3 to decide whether Mosley can keep his post.
posted to Auto Racing at 6:53 PM CDT
*Shameless Pimpage* I've been covering this on my website since the story broke almost two weeks ago.
It certainly is entertaining, especially when you know who his mother and father were.
posted at 2:59 AM CDT on April 12
Rushin' to the Olympics: Former Silver Stars guard Becky Hammons becomes a naturalized Russian citizen in order to compete in the 2008 Olympic games.
posted to Olympics at 11:12 AM CDT
I find this funny the other day, with the big debate about Olympics and politics, and how it should be about the sport etc...
THIS is why the Olympics are complete horseshit, and one of the many reasons I know longer follow them, and I used to follow them religiously. I used to watch hours and hours. Now it's just a joke. People playing for countries they barely qualify to represent, the sponsorship and corporate crap. It stopped being about the sport years ago.
Scars: I remember two incidents involving this sort of thing. One was Greg Rusedski, who is Canadian. His British citizenship was rushed through so he could play for England at Wimbledon. (Ironically I was doing it the other way then. Sadly I am not good at any sport so had to wait like everyone else.) Then there was Vinnie Jones who was picked for the Welsh football team. He qualified due to having a Welsh grandmother if I recall.
posted at 12:00 AM CDT on April 10
Olympic torch put out by protests. Security officials canceled the final run of the Olympic relay through Paris after chaotic protests Monday, sending a snuffed-out torch to its destination on a bus in a humiliating concession to protesters decrying China's human rights record.
posted to Olympics at 12:24 PM CDT
TheQatarian: Yeah, it should be "just" about the athletes. However when you've got athletes being told they won't be allowed to go if they do or say anything publicly about China's human rights record (which is what the UK are doing), then it's become far more than "just about the athletes" and the government have already bought politics into it whether you like it or not.
I feel sorry for the athletes being caught in the middle of this. However if athletes have to be told to not say anything, then clearly there is a concern they do care. Those that do care would understand being asked to not go. I would LOVE to see multiple countries boycott the games.
And if an athlete doesn't care about China's human rights abuses, well fuck them as they're despicable human beings and don't deserve their chance to shine..
Some things are more important than who can run in circles fastest or throw a stick the furthest.
posted at 4:28 PM CDT on April 7
I agree about not buying stuff made in China. I was extremely pissed off when I ordered my iPod from Apple and it shipped direct from the factory... in China.
I believe they're moving production to Taiwan for the next generation of iPod's, but I was extremely disappointed to discover where mine came from:(
posted at 8:49 PM CDT on April 7
NASCAR Rookie Survives Unbelievable Crash NASCAR Sprint Cup rookie Michael McDowell tested the new safety features in the Car of Tomorrow yesterday during qualifying at Texas Motor Speedway, slamming into a Steel and Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) barrier at more than 100 mph and rolling eight times (see the video). "That was the hardest hit I think I've ever seen anybody take," driver Tony Stewart said.
posted to Auto Racing at 11:37 AM CDT
That crash was epic. Incredible he not only survived, but walked away.
Dug up info on David Purley who is the holder of the record for most amount of G's endured and survived.
From Wikipedia: "He survived an estimated 179.8 G's in 1977 when he decelerated from 173 km/h (108 mph) to 0 in a distance of 66 cm (26 inches) after his throttle got stuck wide open and he hit a wall."
Would be curious to know if he still holds that record after McDowell's crash.
And rolled eight times? Fairly sure I counted at least 10, but he was rolling so fast it's hard to tell. (I have HD MPEG2 footage of the crash here.)
Despite loathing NASCAR with a passion, I always enjoy seeing an epic crash in any series where the driver walks away unharmed.
McDowell walking away, and who got pole for the Bahrain GP today (won't spoil it), it's been a good day for me as a racing fan.
posted at 7:31 PM CDT on April 5
I'm assuming the crash you've linked is NOT the fatal one? Allison died racing didn't he?
I do enjoy a good wreck but don't watch racing for them. I'd much rather see a good battle, but they're an inevitable part of racing, and when the driver is okay it's okay to enjoy them in my book. Like Lewis Hamilton had a big one in practice in Bahrain and as always I held my breath until he was obviously okay. The onboard of that with the sound made me cringe.
With racing crashes, it seems the minor ones are the fatal ones. Like Senna's. I've seen two other crashes at that corner prior to that. Both were far worse crashes to look at. Worst injury was Berger suffering burns. Like Dale Earnhardt's fatal crash. To this day whenever I see that, it seems like such a minor crash.
Spectacular crashes are often the safest as all that stuff flying off the car is helping dissipate energy from the crash, which means it isn't being absorbed by the drivers internal organs.
posted at 10:27 PM CDT on April 5
The $6 billion heist "All in all he [Bernie Ecclestone] took US$3.25 billion out of Formula One thanks to his deals with Mosley. And this on top of the US$1.7 billion he had earned from the APM deals and the US$1 billion he had received as commission for his companies. By the time 2007 closed, since Mosley had become FIA president in 1991, Ecclestone had extracted nearly US$6 billion in profits from Formula One. One astute observer said: 'It is the biggest heist in history.' The same observer reckoned Ecclestone was legitimately entitled to only US$1 billion. He said: 'Ecclestone could have been a billionaire without Mosley’s help, but that wasn’t enough.' ”
posted to Auto Racing at 4:39 AM CDT
Patrick Head of Williams once said in regards to Ecclestone, and I'm going to have to paraphrase unfortunately as I can't remember the exact wording, "Bernie basically took possession of F1 despite not actually owning it, and we all just let him do it."
Some interesting background on how all that happened: http://8w.forix.com/fiasco-onset.html
Lot of people don't realise that Mosley was actually Bernie's lawyer before he took control of the FIA by basically stabbing Balestre in the back. (Still, he'll be gone soon. Him and his Nazi Hookers.)
posted at 1:52 PM CDT on April 4
UFC Fighter Knocked Out in Eight Seconds In a Colorado ring thronging with his fans last night, Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Houston Alexander was knocked out by James Irvin in eight seconds, the shortest bout in the sport's history. "Houston Alexander has been utterly exposed," Michael Rome declared on the blog Bloody Elbow. (See the video.)
posted to Boxing at 8:05 AM CDT
That was quite the fight, though not quite the devastation I was expecting. I was expecting "out like a light".
Anyone who wonders just how hard these guys train needs to track down the Wanderlei special that aired earlier this year on Spike that showed his training regimen. Absolutely fucking insane!
I love MMA. Not a big fan of UFC, though really I have no choice but to watch them. Was a big fan of PRIDE but sadly they got fucked into a hat with the Yakuza stuff.
Not sure how badly he'll be hurt by that loss. You're only as good as your last fight, but an eight second loss COULD (not the word COULD) be a fluke. I don't know enough about the guy.
What amazes me is people who say MMA is "barbaric" and then get all excited over some big boxing match, bloody hypocrites.
posted at 6:21 PM CDT on April 3
UK mourns 'Mr. Wildcat' Bill Keightley Bill Keightley, the longtime equipment manager for the University of Kentucky men's basketball team -- known throughout the college basketball world as "Mr. Wildcat" -- died last night in Cincinnati. He was 81.
posted to Basketball at 11:14 AM CDT
UK stands for UNITED KINGDOM, and always will, no matter what a bunch of southerners think.
posted at 7:59 PM CDT on April 1
Barry Bonds signs with Yankees!
The New York Yankees have pulled out all the stops to win this season and have signed Barry Bonds to act as their DH. This comes on the heels of Jason Giambi being diagnosed with another stomach tumour (his first one was in 2004). Bonds is expected to practice with their Florida State League team for a couple of weeks before being called up to the majors. The terms of his contract are currently unavailable.
posted to Baseball at 12:14 AM CDT
April Fools day is for assholes. Honestly, you may as well not even bother reading any websites until April 2nd now.
posted at 4:59 AM CDT on April 1
24 Hours of LeMons It's not a typo...
posted to Auto Racing at 11:51 PM CDT
Sweet! Now THAT'S racing. There was a similar event a few years ago. Cars under 500 pounds. Only this one was following the Paris-Dakar route! Madness! Though really it's the essence of what racing is about IMO.
"you'll have to survive trials like [...] the Marxist-Valet Parking Challenge"
HAHA!
posted at 12:34 AM CDT on April 1
I wanted to do the Dakar one, but things didn't work out sadly. (Actually I think that one may have been cars less than 200 pound... Which means most of the cars I've ever driven would have qualified.)
posted at 8:00 PM CDT on April 1
Ultimate Fighting Robs The Cradle Want to watch 6-year-olds in the Octagon? Welcome to Missouri, apparently the only state in the union that allows "youth fighting." Says one parent, "We're not training them for dog fighting...I'd rather have my kids here than out on the streets."
posted to Culture at 5:46 AM CDT
I SO want to see some six year old make Ortiz tap:)
On a serious note, Chris Nowinski's studies on concussion and head injuries should be required reading for anyone who thinks this asinine bullshit is a good idea.
posted at 12:59 AM CDT on March 29
Critics Go Ape Over LeBron James Magazine Cover A picture of NBA star LeBron James and the model Gisele on the cover of April's Vogue is attracting controversy over their pose. The shot taken by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz has been compared by some detractors to King Kong holding Fay Wray. ESPN.Com columnist Jemele Hill called it "memorable for all the wrong reasons." The photo is remarkably similar to "Destroy This Mad Brute," a famous World War I recruitment poster.
posted to Basketball at 10:16 AM CDT
"Teacup, meet storm. Storm, meet teacup... No, storm... Don't get inside the teacup. No means no!"
I think a cold hearty glass of "Shut The Fuck Up" needs to be given to people manufacturing imaginary controversy when there's so much real controversy in the world.
Am I alone in finding the fact the ape has a hat with "Militarism" on it ironic?
posted at 8:45 PM CDT on March 27
TommyTrump: Could be...;)
posted at 12:33 AM CDT on March 28
"Bull Durham" is 20 years old, a fact that should make people of a certain age check for the sudden onset of liver spots. To celebrate, a "Collector's Edition" DVD goes on sale Tuesday, the third release of the film on disc. It contains the usual commentaries and extras, but unfortunately, doesn't address how anachronistic the movie has become in the ensuing two decades. Here then, a plot for a new, more realistic "Bull Durham: 21st Century Edition."
posted to Baseball at 8:58 PM CDT
Funny to see mr_crash_davis posting this story...
The new DVD is largely replicating the OLD DVD, with one or two new additions, so do not buy this thinking it's all new content. It's largely a double (treble?) dip.
posted at 1:04 AM CDT on March 25
The NFL in the year 2000 "Don't be shocked when the 21st century arrives and the NFL teams in Super Bowl XXXIV have women quarterbacks launching 135-yard touchdown passes with their power-assisted arms." Unintentional comedy gold from Sports Illustrated.
posted to Football at 7:06 PM CDT
Saw it on Metafilter. Figured folk here would get a kick out of it. Especially given the one on MF will probably be deleted if it's not fixed. (If you've seen it, you know what I mean.)
posted at 7:07 PM CDT on March 24
Glad you folk like it. Given the vault was only linked a day or two back I debated whether to post it, but the comedy was too good to pass up.
posted at 1:01 AM CDT on March 25
That'd be freakin' cool. Madden with real live players... Well, cool if you like to do the mean and horrible things I like to do with them:)
posted at 1:39 AM CDT on March 26
Yeah, cheers Bo. I need to go find a flashlight now...
posted at 5:36 PM CDT on March 26
SI: The Vault Sports Illustrated has opened up its archives. For free.
posted to Culture at 4:38 PM CDT
Wow, that's very cool! Thanks for the heads up!
posted at 5:17 PM CDT on March 22
The Red Sox and Oakland open the season in Japan with Dice-K returning home to start. Usually these trips result in a lot of grousing by the players (most famously, Mike Mussina), but there's not a lot of sympathy when you're getting $40,000 for your troubles. Except if you're not: the MLB has announced that while players and managers will receive the stipend, coaches will not. Red Sox players are threatening to walk off the field today if the MLB does not reverse its reversal of its original stance.
posted to Baseball at 9:03 AM CDT
According to the spring training game I'm watching right now, the plane leaves in less than 3 hours and so far there's no indication the Sox will actually be on it.
posted at 1:25 PM CDT on March 19
And yet people still give them their eyeballs so they continue to make money.
posted at 4:41 PM CDT on March 19
Weedy: Anyone who puts any weight on ANYTHING in that piece of shit magazine clearly needs to get out more.
justgary: Japan IS expensive. I recall hearing Tokyo is the most expensive place on Earth to live.
posted at 5:17 PM CDT on March 20
Stars and Pinstripes No runs, two hits but plenty of thrills for the Virginia Tech baseball team and community as the Yankees visit to fulfill a pledge by George Steinbrenner to aid the universitys healing.
posted to Baseball at 7:20 AM CDT
Hate the Yankees on principle, but that is a great story. My respect for A-Rod just went up a significant amount of notches.
posted at 8:50 PM CDT on March 20
Hate the Yankees on principle, but that is a great story. My respect for A-Rod just went up a significant amount of notches.
posted at 8:51 PM CDT on March 20
Union to examine why Bonds has no offers The lack of offers to Barry Bonds will be examined by the baseball players' association as part of its annual review of the free-agent market. Less than two weeks before opening day, the 43-year-old home run king remains unsigned.
posted to Baseball at 4:21 PM CDT
Maybe it's because he's an arrogant asshole who has outlived his usefulness now he's 'roided his way to the HR record?
posted at 10:20 PM CDT on March 18
Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden
Every material on earth is, at the initial level, constructed from b-balls. Carbon is b-balls. The blood flowing through our b-ball veins is made of b-balls. Every star in our cosmos is b-ball in origin. Understand this, and you may begin to understand Barkley, Shut Up And Jam: Gaiden.
Once you've digested that, download the game. [via]
posted to Basketball at 6:51 AM CDT
You mean Ronaldo.
posted at 9:55 PM CDT on March 17
2008 Formula One Season Preview The biggest change? No more traction control! Now we'll see who the best really are. Take a drive with me as we take a peek at the upcoming season and what we can perhaps expect. Brought to you by sportsfilter's own Drood.
posted to Auto Racing at 2:07 PM CDT
Well I decided to keep the article more light and airy in tone. Personal comments I can stick the boot in.
Based on my borderline obsessive viewing of onboard footage from the last few seasons, the one person who REALLY abused the TC was Mark Webber. At Williams and Red Bull, you seemed to hear it with him more than anyone else. Curious to see how he fares. There are only two guys in F1 as far as I'm aware who have ever driven an F1 car WITHOUT TC. Those would be Rubens Barrichello and David Coulthard.
I am still amazed I called the drivers title right in my preview last year!
Will be updating my website before the race weekend starts. Basically a primer as to my opinions on guys. Basically a "Like" and "Loathe" list.:)
Glad you liked the preview.
posted at 10:47 PM CDT on March 12
I just can't get into MotoGP. I've tried but two wheels just don't do it for me I'm afraid. It's a shame as I really DO want to like it, but it just doesn't hold my attention. Which is a shame as having read up on it, the sport, from a technological standpoint, is very similar to early 90's F1.
Thanks for the kind words.
posted at 4:43 AM CDT on March 13
Get a Vasectomy, Enjoy More Roundball "Research shows four out of five guys want to schedule their vasectomy before a major sports event," the Oregon Urology Institute declares in new radio ads. "It's Snip City, and we have the ticket for 24 lucky guys to get their premium vasectomy appointment on the day before the tournament." (Via Rebel Dad.)
posted to Basketball at 2:00 PM CDT
Doc: I agree on the mental requirements. You need a license to drive a car, but not to create human life.
Financial? No. Some of the best parents I know would fail your requirements. Conversely some of the worst and dumbest I've ever seen would pass.
Lack of intelligence = Bad Parent
Lack of money != Bad Parent
As for vasectomies and sports... Chicks dig the no ball...
posted at 10:11 PM CDT on March 11
8 OTs fail to decide hockey final. When Tim Hooker scored the tying goal late in the third period of the Division I state high school championship game, little did the Orchard Lake St. Mary's forward realize he was setting the stage for the longest prep hockey game in Michigan history.
posted to Hockey at 10:12 AM CDT
They should just keep playing. Eventually they'd at least get a world record out of it (assuming nobody scored).
Play 'em until they drop.
posted at 2:59 AM CDT on March 11
A big man with a bigger story Ten years after losing his father in a Russian parking garage and only seven years after first picking up a basketball, Jayhawk forward Sasha Kaun will leave the University of Kansas with a degree in computer science and a chance to be drafted by the NBA.
posted to Basketball at 7:35 PM CDT
Is the fact it was a parking garage even relevant really?
posted at 12:26 AM CDT on March 10
Carl Edwards Heavily Penalized For Cheating, But Doesn't Have To Forfeit Vegas Win. Wait, what?
posted to Auto Racing at 9:43 AM CDT
I'm seeing more and more people turning off from NASCAR. As was mentioned on Metafilter the other day, unlike other top racing series, NASCAR offers nothing of any benefit to future road cars etc... I mean F1 for example is bringing in energy recovery systems next year, and has other initiatives planned which will eventually filter down to road cars. While it's not as broad as it once was, F1 is a test bed for future road car technology. (Though the FIA are screwing that nicely with things like the freeze on engine development etc...)
NASCAR can make no such claim to be any use whatsoever. They run twice as many races, at twice the length, with twice as many cars, and yet the environmentalist crowd never get on NASCAR's back. WHY? I don't understand why they bitch about F1 and other racing series, despite F1 trying to go green, yet NASCAR, the most polluting series of all, does far more damage and gets a free pass.
My beloved F1 is a big enough farce with this espionage bollocks that just won't go away, but NASCAR... They penalize someone but don't DQ them? That makes even less sense than the FIA saying "McLaren are guilty, but the drivers can keep their points."
Oh I would sell a kidney for a SENSIBLE racing governing body.
snkthe8bal2: Sending fans home with one result and then changing it... In wrestling that's known as a "dusty finish" due to Dusty Rhodes pulling that stunt a lot when he was a booker.
Ah, and once again everything comes back to wrestling.
posted at 7:08 PM CDT on March 7
How QPR Will Conquer the World and drape it in cashmere. A profile of new Rangers' co-owner Flavio Briatore. That jersey I picked up on clearance last year is looking like a brilliant investment.
posted to Soccer at 12:00 AM CDT
Oh my god, Flav bought the team? I know he and Bernie Ecclestone were looking at a football team.
Flav IS a genius BTW. I love how that bio leaves out EVERYTHING he's done in F1 like lead Benetton and Renault to multiple championships, and bringing up relatively unknown drivers like Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso and turning them into world champions.
Never knew he'd done time. Whatever, the man is a bloody genius IMO, and one of the most colorful and interesting guys on the prat perch.
posted at 4:52 AM CDT on March 5
Bismarck: Thanks, I've been trying to remember Pat's name all bloody day!
And yes, I misread. I thought he'd done time. Regardless, the guy is a fucking genius and, giving that cheating shit Schumacher his break not withstanding (yes, I know Jordan fielded him first), I admire the guy greatly.
posted at 2:28 AM CDT on March 6
Five Greatest Fictional TV Bowlers
posted to General at 11:52 AM CDT
I was assuming this was going to be cricket related. *sigh*
posted at 3:37 PM CDT on March 4
New home not so sweet for CFL? The Canadian Football League's move solely to cable network TSN is apparently not all roses.
posted to Football at 5:17 PM CDT
Not sure if the ESPN ownership situation is different now, but the Canadian Grand Prix was aired on CTV for several years, despite TSN owning the rights. (The actual host broadcaster is French, so it wasn't a case of CTV being the host.) This was before TSN stop giving a crap about F1. (They treat that sport so fucking bad.)
And I agree. TSN fucking blows. They are absolutely useless. Their F1 coverage (my favourite sport) is so dire I watched Speed from the US instead. They ONLY show the fucking Jays baseball. About all they have going for them is the fact they show boxing.
TSN is an absolutely terrible channel and has been for a very long time.
And Vic Rauter is the anti-christ.
posted at 12:43 AM CDT on March 1
The Montreal Expos team died largely due to sheer fucking neglect from the TV networks and fans. (Fuck the Blue Jays is all I have to say.)
I know a lot of Canadian football fans. Not one of them watches the CFL. It's NFL only for them.
posted at 4:52 AM CDT on March 4
"The chief executive officer of Tribune Company says he won't hesitate to sell the naming rights to Wrigley Field -- even if baseball purists don't like the idea. Zell has a suggestion for the makers of DoubleMint and Juicy Fruit.
'Perhaps the Wrigley Company will decide after getting it for free for so long that's time to pay for it,' he said."
posted to Baseball at 8:36 PM CDT
If Wrigley did get it, they'd probably call it "Juicy Fruit Field" or just "Juicy Field", just to piss off the purists.
This stadium naming bullshit needs to end. It's so fucking pathetic. Greedy little shits. (I have flu and I'm cranky, bite me.)
posted at 12:32 AM CDT on February 29
Football Filter is a new "online community a la digg that concentrates on quality links on the world of football (soccer)". via Metafilter Projects.
posted to Soccer at 12:54 AM CDT
I would love that site... But it's yet another bloody DIGG clone. Digg itself is bad enough:( Disappointing.
posted at 3:08 PM CDT on February 26
Tony Kornheiser Hates Sportsfilter If a huge dumpster landed on their mother's house, and got all the way into the basement and crushed them, nobody would care. Nobody would miss them. They provide nothing good, no service that's any good at all.
posted to General at 3:56 PM CDT
Sportsfilter is NOT a blog. It's a website. Do not go attaching that bullshit name
tag to a site that existed long before the fucking asinine "blog" nonsense.
So some guy I've never heard of hates me. Man, I wonder how much sleep I'll lose over THAT?!
posted at 7:51 PM CDT on February 25
Arsenal's Eduardo Da Silva injured in outrageous tackle, possibly ending his career. A truly horrific injury, broken pieces of bone were sticking out of his sock as he was stretchered of the field. This is the sort of injury that you never truly recover from (See Alex Smith). I hope the FA bans Martin Taylor for life.
posted to Soccer at 1:12 PM CDT
Just looking at the picture makes me cringe.:( A career is milliseconds from ending. That's harsh.
posted at 2:49 PM CDT on February 23
Thanks Blarp. That's as graphic as I need to see that.
I agree with you Lil Brown Bat. That looks like intent to injure IMO. If they don't ban them or curtail their career, a big percentage of their wages should go to the injured player to compensate their lost earnings. Not from some insurance fund. The players actual wages need to be garnished. Hit these arrogant fuckers where it'll hurt them most. In their goddamn wallets. Or we could get vigilante, and let his Arsenal teammates have the guy alone in a room for a couple of minutes. Given the fucking thug a taste of his own medicine.
Grum: No WAY am I clicking that link.
posted at 6:42 PM CDT on February 23
I see your point Holden, but whether he scores a good goal or not is irrelevant.
posted at 3:21 AM CDT on February 24
Bill James marches to different drummer on sports statitics. Bill James has made the sports world a better place.
posted to General at 6:21 PM CDT
Statitics sound rude.
posted at 1:42 AM CDT on February 22
Open wheel racing in the US may finally be united again. For the first time in 12 years, there are real efforts afoot to bring together the Champ Car series and the IRL.
posted to Auto Racing at 6:10 PM CDT
Only a hose? Depends what you put in the hose I guess.
This unification is about a decade too late. The Indianapolis 500 is irrelevant now. It's great to be able to say one of my favourite drivers Montoya won it, but really, he won an event that is a shadow of what it once was.
If they did reunite, and then split again, what would they do with their publicity icon, Danica? Would they slice her in two? Or share her alternate weekends and holidays?
US open wheel was killed with the split. It says a lot for US open wheel when the multiple times champion of Champcar would rather go and race in a mediocre F1 team.
posted at 1:45 AM CDT on February 9
A Fight to the Death CBC program The Fifth Estate investigates the effects of undiagnosed concussions in WWE wrestler Chris Benoit's tragic demise. Also relevant to other SpoFi threads about NFL disability pensions, etc.
posted to General at 9:13 PM CDT
Saw the documentary the other night. Fascinating stuff. I'm a pro-wrestling fan. I haven't followed WWE in a number of years now, but Benoit was such a pervasive force in wrestling. You trace the history of professional wrestling, in Canada, Japan and the US, and Benoit is woven through it all.
My wife actually knew Chris in his early "Stampede" days. She's still upset about everything now, as the guy she knew would never have done something like Chris did on his final days.
Thankfully it seems wrestling IS changing. At end of last year, Ring of Honor, arguably the top indie promotion in the US, pulled Nigel McGuinness from a show due to a concussion. He came out to announce this, and a bunch of the fans called him a pussy, hurled abuse at him etc... In wrestling, fans like that carry a degree of blame for wrestlers continuing to perform when they shouldn't IMO. It's pressure from fans, along with wanting to "keep their spot" that keeps these guys working when they should be recuperating and healing. The industry isn't going to change overnight, but Ring of Honor is hopefully a sign of growing change. That wrestlers will be benched when they should be. Because when you have a concussion, the last person who should make the decision as to what's best for you is yourself.
What's interesting is another subset of fans think they know everything, and assume they know exactly how Nigel got the concussion, on what move etc... (They assume it was on a particular high risk move etc...) This was covered on the Wrestling Observer website. This prompted Nigel himself to write and say that this was completely wrong, and rather than a high risk move, his concussion came from something relatively asinine. Basically if someone takes ten hits to the head over their career, it won't necessarily be the hardest shot that causes a concussion.
What's disturbing is I've had several major concussions during my life, and I see a few of the symptoms in myself. Short term memory problems. Anger. Depression etc... They may be completely unrelated, but it does worry me.
Thanks for giving the documentary a wider audience, Spitz.
posted at 3:37 PM CDT on February 8
Gun Massacre Planned at Super Bowl A distraught Tempe man was within sight of the Super Bowl on Sunday with an assault rifle, but a change of heart kept him from his plan to unload 200 rounds of ammunition on the crowd, court records show. "I will test the theory that bullets speak louder than words," Kurt William Havelock wrote in a manifesto sent to the media before the planned massacre. "I will slay your children. I will shed the blood of the innocent,” Havelock wrote after being denied a liquor license for a bar. "No one destroys my dream. No one."
posted to Football at 7:33 PM CDT
Authorities stealing plots from movies again to keep us all living in fear?
Am I alone in having seen Two Minute Warning?
posted at 3:44 PM CDT on February 8
So an otherwise interesting story gets bogged down in bloody constitutional blathering and people who like to hunt and kill furry animals in the name of "sport".
Killing something just for fun is sick. Makes no difference if it's humans or animals. This says everything about hunting.
People don't need guns. Some of the most peaceful nations on Earth have limited or no guns. Sadly the US can't be fixed because your ancestors fucked it up with that stupid piece of paper all those years ago.
posted at 1:41 AM CDT on February 9
Munich disaster for Manchester United - 50 years ago today. A day of remembrance Eight Busby Babes, including Duncan Edwards, died in the air crash. Manager Matt Busby was pronounced dead twice before rising to lead the team into the next decade, winning the European Cup in 1968. Many English clubs came to the aid of United, providing players so United could continue their season.
posted to Soccer at 12:28 PM CDT
There was a dramatised version of the story on UK TV last year that was really interesting. When you know the details of the flight... Well I don't like to use the word "cursed", but the flight, with all that happened prior to that fateful takeoff... I would NOT have been on that flight.
posted at 1:51 AM CDT on February 7
The Globalization of Sport. David Stern has made efforts to grow the NBA into a global league. The British Empire exported soccer so well that it is often called The World's Game. Simon Kuper contrasts the ways the British and American empires have exported their sports.
posted to Soccer at 3:26 PM CDT
Stern just has one thing working again him.
Basketball is shit.
posted at 6:12 PM CDT on February 2
Chris Berman provides good case for destroying video tape as he asks the question, "hasn't anyone here worked in TV before?"
He - could - go - all - the - way....
posted to General at 8:40 PM CDT
The Casey Kasem tape is awesome in the extreme. I have it on a collection called "Celebrities at their worst" and it's just gold!
Look forward to check this one out.
posted at 12:10 AM CDT on February 2
All the Super Bowl Logos, from I to XLII. An implicit mini-history of American design, good and bad.
posted to Culture at 11:55 AM CDT
Nice archive, but the arrogance of American sports pisses me off to no end. The first logo... "World Championship"... Yeah, a world championship involving one country... Cretins.
And yes I realise someone will no doubt make the argument that the US probably IS the best in the world, but there's two problems with that statement.
1) Calling yourself world champion when you've not competed with anyone outside your own nation is petulant arrogance in the extreme and highlights anyone saying as much as a grade A asshole until they've proven they are worth of being called world champions, and until the rest of the world falls in love with football as much as the US and Canada (which will be around ten past never) it's a bogus claim.
2) People used to say the same thing about baseball, "Well the US would win anyway"... The World Baseball Classic shat all over that theory quite nicely.
Sorry, pet peeve. That really is a nice collection of logos, and the designers, particularly of the later ones, have done awesome work, but the whole "world champion" thing really does my head in.
posted at 2:00 PM CDT on January 30
ESPN's Dana Jacobson learns the Internet is always listening I didn't even learn about this until Jacobson apologized on her show Monday morning, but the question remains: Was one week away from the job that ESPN gave Dana enough of a consequence? Swilling vodka straight from the bottle at the podium and cursing Jesus?
posted to Culture at 9:11 AM CDT
It was a roast. Anything is fair game at those IMO.
Another storm in a teacup kept in circulation by fucking worthless blogger scum who need to get real lives.
posted at 2:38 PM CDT on January 29
Adolf Hitler, Cowboys Fan Translated from the original German, this YouTube video poignantly captures how every NFL fan feels when your 13-3 team goes one-and-done in the playoffs after your quarterback spends his off week in Cabo with Jessica Simpson. Funny everywhere but Dallas.
posted to Football at 9:34 AM CDT
And some copyright fucking killjoys have had it pulled from YouTube. *sigh*
posted at 4:23 AM CDT on January 29
Marion Jones Receives 6 Month Sentence Marion Jones was sentenced Friday to six months in prison for lying about using steroids and a check-fraud scam.
posted to Olympics at 2:22 PM CDT
If I was Bonds, it'd be brown trouser time right about now.
posted at 2:52 PM CDT on January 11
Surf's up at Mavericks this Saturday. Many of the world's best and bravest surfers are heading toward Half Moon Bay as organizers of the legendary Maverick's Surf Contest have scheduled the big-wave event for Saturday. You can watch it for free by heading down there or tuning in to the live webcast. Or pay $20-$25 to watch it on the big stadium screen at AT&T Park in San Francisco (wtf?).
posted to Extreme at 11:33 PM CDT
Stuff like this is the reason I love this site so much. Obscure stuff I wouldn't ordinarily see.
Will have to try and remember to check the webcast out. I find surfing fascinating. (Probably due to the fact I am deathly afraid of the sea. Well, not the sea so much. It's the drowning that scares me.)
I remember reading about a famous surfer years ago. Can't remember his name sadly, but he went out for this one big wave despite people telling him not too. He wiped out, and all they ever found was his wetsuit. The forces had literally sucked him out of the suit.
And it would be severely remiss of me to not post the following amazing YouTube link which if you have even the SLIGHTEST appreciation of surfing, you'll click. (Sound quality is pretty bad, but believe me, it detracts nothing from the jawdropping visuals.)
posted at 1:19 AM CDT on January 11
Dammit. Edit failed and I screwed up. Here's the link.
Billabong Odyssey is the title of the documentary this is from I think.
posted at 1:23 AM CDT on January 11
LOL! Well I do remember from "Jaws" that sharks attacked in three feet of water. But yeah, Lake Tahoe... Not a place one automatically associates with sharks... My fear is more like being washed overboard in the middle of the ocean. No land in sight etc... The infinite abyss below... That freaks me out.
As for the video, it's awesome isn't it! That guy is brave/insane. (Possibly both.)
posted at 2:50 PM CDT on January 11
Fan Signs The fight for attention can be seen at stadiums across the nation. This struggle is no more evident than when a fan proudly displays their crappy homemade creation for all to see.
posted to General at 7:44 PM CDT
I can't find copies of them, but F1 has generated some good ones.
One year at the British Grand Prix, Senna ground to a halt at one particular corner. Fans put a sign up mentioning this fact the following year that basically said "park here". He did. He broke down in the same spot again.
Then there was the old COBRA fan sign they'd put up. "It's Flat, It's Crap, It's Silverstone".
posted at 12:17 AM CDT on January 10
^^^
Tommytrump wins Post of the year.
Go ahead and pick it up;)
Now see, THX, that wasn't that great... But you elevated it massively at the end with "SIS BOOM BAH!":)