04/16/24
Archives for July 2002
July 31, 2002
Aren't they supposed to be greedy?: Three teams have voted against authorizing a strike date, according to "sources close to the Players Association." I don't subscribe to the "imminent death of baseball" rhetoric, but it's definitely reassuring to see something other than the towing of the party line.
Fraud!:
"The trade of Floyd [from Montreal to Boston] also tells us something we already knew: MLB's top management is not to be trusted, and needs to be overhauled." Joe Sheehan explains why things look corrupt and fraudulent in MLB because of this trade. From my point of view, this trade is dirtier than a Pete Rose game-worn jersey.
posted by grum@work to baseball at 04:55 PM - 8 comments
David: I understand that there is statistical evidence that pitchers have little control over how many hits result from balls put into play. But doesn't the flipside of that imply that a player like Rey Ordonez, who rarely strikes out, should get more hits than he does simply because of the pure number of balls he puts into play?That's not me, BTW, but can someone please explain that answer to me?
Rob Neyer: (4:20 PM ET ) Oddly enough, what's true for pitchers is apparently not true for hitters. It's hard to figure, but the evidence is pretty clear.
posted by djacobs to baseball at 03:41 PM - 6 comments
Mavs sign LaFrentz for 7 years, $69M.: As a Mavs fan, I still have to ask, 'Was anyone else bidding against Cuban?'. Why was a fourth (mostly overlooked) option on a team paid so well?
Do you think this will be the piece that pushes the Mavericks into the Western Conference Finals? If the team assembled can't do it, who else (that's available) could be added that would?
posted by jmevius to basketball at 11:48 AM - 3 comments
Baseball's 30 most memorable moments,: according to Major League Baseball and Mastercard, and 30 more from Salon's King Kaufman.
posted by kirkaracha to baseball at 08:27 AM - 14 comments
Leslie Dunks: Finally there's a slam dunk in the WNBA. But then comes that age-old question: If a WNBA star dunks in a game, but no body sees it, does it really count?
posted by shackbar to basketball at 02:11 AM - 10 comments
July 30, 2002
How important is the Wonderlic?: Green Bay Packers first round pick Javon Walker scored a 9 on the test, yet the coaches are pleased with his ability to pick up the complex West Coast offense. Walker said he simply blew off the test, and that's why he got such a low score. How does a Wonderlic score correspond to performance? Or doesn't anyone care except at draft time?
posted by shackbar to football at 05:49 PM - 6 comments
The new Seattle Seahawks Stadium saw its first competitive game this weekend: …but it wasn't football (at least not the US kind!). Soccer, in the form of, first the Vancouver Breakers and Seattle Sounders Select Women, and then the corresponding A-League men’s teams the Whitecaps and the Sounders.
posted by timberlog to soccer at 11:30 AM - 4 comments
MLBP orders a Mets fansite to shut down: for copyright violation and cybersquatting. Next all fans will be sued for copyright violation for wearing team shirts and hats. It is getting easier and easier to turn my back on Major League baseball.
posted by srboisvert to baseball at 11:00 AM - 3 comments
"I had to stop wearing my Iverson shirt as soon as I got this case." : A Philadelphia judge who admitted he's a huge fan of hometown hoops hero Allen Iverson tossed out all of the felony charges against the star.
posted by kirkaracha to basketball at 10:30 AM - 4 comments
Cavs trade Miller for Clips Miles.: But does this mean that Donald Sterling is going to ruin this (extremly talented) team, too? It seems that the Clippers are easily one of the most loaded teams in the league right now, but you never take them seriously because of their management. Do they stand a shot in the upcoming years?
Who, besides the Lakers, really does have a shot?
posted by jmevius to basketball at 10:17 AM - 11 comments
July 29, 2002
The NBA institutes instant replay, as expected.: After the playoff issues this year, it's no surprise. Instant replay will also be used to determine if someone's on the three point line, and if a called foul came after time expired. Is this meaningful, or just a response to a hot issue? What about the oft-miscalled issues that instant replay can't cover? Will we ever get instant replay for travelling calls and non-calls?
posted by Bryant to basketball at 07:31 PM - 8 comments
Hall of Famers step to the plate.: Forty Hall of Famers wrote a letter to Don and Bud, urging the players and the league to use a mediator and forego a strike. They see the writing on the wall. Does Baseball see it? Will the players listen to their elders?
posted by rebeuthl to baseball at 06:52 PM - 2 comments
DC takes its quarterbacks seriously. And even with the slim pickings this year, the Washington Post has dissected them in this neat piece of multimedia.
posted by owillis to football at 12:55 AM - 10 comments
July 28, 2002
Cricket, anyone?: Although this is about cricket umpires, I think it applies to anyone in a position of authority. Its a good read by a master of psychology in sport. In fact I think there is something for all of us in there.
posted by Fat Buddha to other at 10:57 AM - 0 comments
Lance Armstrong wins his fourth straight Tour de France.: Spain's Miguel Indurain won five in a row in the early '90s, and several other people have won four in a row;
posted by kirkaracha to other at 10:50 AM - 12 comments
Minor league ball, major league attendance: More people than ever will go to minor league baseball games this year, almost half as many as go to major league games. [New York Times link, registration required]
posted by kirkaracha to baseball at 10:44 AM - 2 comments
July 27, 2002
My most memorable baseball moments By Allen Barra: Major League Baseball has asked me to pick my 30 most memorable moments. I decided to hell with the "Major League Baseball" part. I'm going to pick my 30 most memorable baseball moments, period. Major League Baseball is welcome to keep the ones they like. This week, the first 10 off the top of my head: 30) Oct. 21, 2000, at Yankee Stadium. Bernie Williams catches a fly ball hit by somebody on the Mets. The play wasn't memorable; what's memorable is that Williams is Puerto Rican, and the catch caused Jennifer Lopez, who was seated about six rows in front of me, dressed in a bare midriff halter top, to stand up and yell something in Spanish. Trust me, no one who was there will ever forget it.
posted by srboisvert to baseball at 12:48 PM - 9 comments
Run with the bulls,: virtually. Curser keys to move, space bar to whack the bull with a rolled up newspaper.
posted by Fat Buddha to extreme at 07:17 AM - 0 comments
July 26, 2002
Naked pool? You're fired. : "A Gaelic football team has been disbanded after players were caught on a hotel security camera playing pool naked during a late night drinking session." I'm shocked--shocked!-- to hear of such behavior from a Gaelic football team. [via rebecca's pocket]
posted by kirkaracha to culture at 05:15 PM - 2 comments
Baseball in D.C. Being Thrown a Slow Curve: Thomas Boswell is not the analyst he once was, (like when I was 6 and learning to read from his columns) but his advocacy of DC baseball has aways been on point. Come on succa, let us have the Expos!
posted by djacobs to baseball at 03:38 PM - 10 comments
Superglue endorsement deal in the works for John Daly.: Why would John Daly endorse Superglue? (endorsement deal story from Darren Rovell of ESPN.com, who covers sports business) Upcoming chat room session with Darren Rovell, Fri. Aug 2.
posted by msacheson to other at 10:23 AM - 4 comments
Soccerthugs. Yes, it's flash friday again.
posted by BigCalm to soccer at 03:32 AM - 0 comments
July 25, 2002
Is Lance Armstrong An Athelete?: " If Armstrong is a great athlete, so are marathon runners. Athletes, for my money, must do more with their bodies than pump their legs up and down. If that’s all it took, the Radio City Rockettes would have to be considered the greatest athletes of all time."
posted by owillis to other at 06:30 PM - 9 comments
The Commonwealth Games started today. Its the biggest sporting event ever held in Britain and features the old Empire countries - so you get the Aussies, Canadians and, of course, the Niue team - but no Team USA, Russia etc. The question is - who'll be watching?
posted by Ben to other at 04:14 PM - 9 comments
Go Sabres!: The owner of the Buffalo Sabres is arrested for fraudulent dealings, embezzling a billion dollars, and generally being a sneaky weasel guy. I never thought there would be an owner more hateable than Jeremy Jacobs of the Boston Bruins. Who knew?
John Rigas has to be one of the worst owners in sports.
posted by Samsonov14 to hockey at 03:11 PM - 3 comments
Keith Olbermann joins Salon : with an essay about baseball, September 11, and Sex in the City
posted by kirkaracha to culture at 02:39 PM - 3 comments
July 24, 2002
Can Morris break Oran Park jinx this weekend?: Paul Morris, fresh from his best performance of the year, is confident of burying his team's Oran Park V8 Supercar Championship jinx in this Sunday's seventh round of the 2002 series in Sydney. The Sirromet Wines Holden Commodore driver's misfortunes on the 2.7km Oran Park circuit began in the 2000 championship, suffering three broken vertebrae when his car burst into flames ...
posted by dg to other at 11:51 PM - 0 comments
Sports Fantasy Is Catching Up With Reality: "Sports video games are a best-selling genre in the $10.8 billion interactive entertainment business, representing 22 percent of video game sales over all, according to the NDP Group, a market research firm. Sports gaming is primed to get even bigger as Sony's PlayStation 2, Microsoft's Xbox and Nintendo's GameCube prepare to offer online versions of the games later this year."
posted by owillis to general at 10:09 PM - 14 comments
The best UK pubs for watching sports.: Our aim at Sports Pubs is quite simple, to help you find a pub where you can have a beer and watch football or other sports.
posted by kirkaracha to culture at 07:01 PM - 3 comments
"No other brand of celebrity is automatically imbued with the strange moral authority that we adults bizarrely confer on pro athletes...: As often as not, these clowns are big, dumb, coddled, selfish, self-indulgent, womanizing, violent head-cases with poor impulse control and bad hygiene." So why should they be role models?
posted by kirkaracha to culture at 06:38 PM - 1 comment
Are the Knicks padding player's salaries?: Ads involving Allen Houston and Spree probably get the star players some coin, but is that cash counted against the salary cap? Probably not...
posted by JawaKing to basketball at 06:17 PM - 2 comments
Kournikova wins!: 6-3, 6-2 over Smashnova (what a name) in the Bank of the West Classic held at Stanford University. Is this a sign of better things for the tennis aspect of Ms. K's career?
posted by worldcup2002 to tennis at 02:56 PM - 9 comments
The perfect summer game? : If ever there was a leisurely hot-weather pastime, it's petanque (or its relatives, boules and bocce). It may even promote longevity; the founder of the USA Petanque Federation, Alfred Levitt, a former chess partner of Marcel Duchamp, died a couple of years ago, aged 105.
posted by liam to other at 02:00 PM - 5 comments
July 23, 2002
Can Baker Make a Comeback in Boston?:
Vin Baker is starting over in Boston with the Celtics, after a trade that nobody in Boston likes, and this piece at NESN.com implies that Coach Jim O'Brien isn't happy about the deal, either. And the SportsGuy absolutely hates the deal. Meanwhile, a much more mature Kenny Anderson looks ahead to his new job as Gary Payton's back-up. And he pretty much thinks the C's made a big mistake.
I agree with the BSG. I think this deal stinks for the C's. What about you?
posted by Conquistador to basketball at 06:42 PM - 5 comments
Baseball's going all to hell. Again.: Tomato Nation's Sarah Bunting says baseball has always been going to hell.
The game doesn't have A More Innocent Time. Guys used to show up for games drunk, or drink between innings, or drink on the bench, or a combination of all three. Guys have popped uppers for games since before they put lights in the stadiums; they did it in the thirties, they did it in the sixties, and they do it now.
posted by kirkaracha to baseball at 06:30 PM - 2 comments
Thinking About Holding Out For More Money: Holding out for more money, and a pony.
posted by owillis to commentary at 12:52 PM - 0 comments
Jeff Novak, the former Jacksonville Jaguars lineman who won a $5.35 million award Friday after suing the team doctor for malpractice, says there's a moral to the story for NFL management: "even the guys that are expendable, you better take care of them."
Bidding Adieu to The Kid: It was a proud day in Boston and Fenway for the Red Sox and their fans as they honored Ted Williams in a ceremony and dedication. The park was open for free during the day so fans could pay homage. The ticketed event at night was remarkable. (More inside)
posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 10:15 AM - 2 comments
July 22, 2002
The optimal National League batting order puts the best hitter second and the pitcher seventh or eighth, according to a study by mathematician Bruce Bukiet. More on Bukiet: His baseball predictions page and the eGrandslam gambling site he runs.
posted by rcade to baseball at 07:57 AM - 2 comments
July 21, 2002
Rio moves to Manchester for a record £30m... is he worth it?
posted by Ben to soccer at 03:59 PM - 6 comments
"I'm mad as Hell and i just can't take it any more".: He was accused in the British media of having sworn at a BBC radio reporter on friday and storming away after his disastrous Saturday round in appalling weather conditions. Citing press criticism, he has pulled out of his next two tournaments. "I would've spoken yesterday. Tiger Woods was here and you were more interested in him". Colin Montgomerie on how to win friends and influence people.
posted by Mack Twain to golf at 10:41 AM - 2 comments
Michael Schumacher wins 2002 Formula One Driver's Championship at the 11th of 17 races. His fifth title ties him with Juan Manuel Fangio. Nigel Mansell won the championship at the 10th of 16 races in 1992.
posted by tamim to other at 09:04 AM - 2 comments
July 20, 2002
Barry Bonds walks into the record books again?: With all the walks he has, he's gotta have a long walking-streak. (like dimaggio's hitting streak but for walks instead of hits.) that page says the record is 22 and Bonds isn't there yet. he's only at two right now.
posted by JawaKing to baseball at 06:07 PM - 3 comments
July 19, 2002
The Best Sports Films For Gay Guys...: seem awfully, well, straight, except maybe for that one with the Tom of Finland uniforms.
posted by kirkaracha to culture at 08:54 PM - 5 comments
Golf game.: Way back when, before the world cup, which united us so much, I was sent over here from Mefi with a flea in my ear after having the temerity to post about football. The first thing I saw was a link to a golf game. This is it updated.
posted by Fat Buddha to golf at 06:41 PM - 8 comments
The Toronto Maple Leafs would have a great team,: if they were playing in 1996. Personally, I'm tired of the Leafs buying up and re-signing old, retiring players, especially of the European variety (I'll take a fighter and a grinder like Doug Gilmour or Gary Roberts over them any day). Since the draft, with all the trades, I give the Leafs a D-. The Red Wings, on the other hand have signed assistant coach Dave Lewis, and nabbed goalie Curtis Joseph. I'd give them a B, overall. What grade do you give your favorite team, in light of its recent transactions and roster shuffling?
posted by insomnyuk to hockey at 12:43 PM - 8 comments
“I can tell you the exact moment when I decided to hate football for life.”
posted by kirkaracha to soccer at 12:23 PM - 1 comment
The Boston Yankees?: The truth behind the "Curse of the Bambino" and an intriguing story of baseball politics, money and what could have been.
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays were two weeks late in paying $1 million to former players Steve Trachsel and Gerald Williams. Is this a real problem, or are baseball owners striking a woe-is-us pose for labor PR?
posted by rcade to baseball at 04:34 AM - 7 comments
July 18, 2002
The first FIFA World Cup starts in August!: For women. Under-19. In Canada. Hope this is obscure enough for you anti-mainstreamers ...
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 04:30 PM - 4 comments
"... (I)n 1884 the U.S. became the second country to establish a football association after England.": This comes from the World Cup site. The US is really a soccer granddaddy (though few know it). So why did soccer not take up here? "... football was hampered by being labelled an English game ..." Ah, that's the ticket. Just stirring the pot here: With the US team's great run in the World Cup and a youthful and diverse audience at home, how long before it becomes the no.1 sport in the US?
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 04:20 PM - 9 comments
Grandpa Muscara, Horse Owner.: 78-year-old local man takes a shot at the big time with a $2.2 million purchase in May of a 3-year-old horse. After just two races in the past two months, Mach Three has already brought in over $1.2 million. Looks like a good investment...
posted by rosey8810 to other at 02:16 PM - 0 comments
[ spoiler! spoiler! ]: Let's talk about today's stage of the Tour de France. As soon as you've watched it in your timezone. Because it's worth talking about. (more inside)
posted by etagloh to other at 10:08 AM - 14 comments
Liverpool preparing £8 million bid for Blackburn's Damien Duff.: This will be Liverpool's fifth midfielder signing in the post-season (after Diarra, Cheyrou, Diao and, very soon, Bowyer). With Gerrard, Hamann, Murphy, Smicer, Riise and the new boys to choose from, will Liverpool have the strongest midfield in the land? Will Houllier have to start selling benchwarmers such as Diomede, Biscan and Barmby (who's rumored to be talking to 'Boro)?
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 09:54 AM - 5 comments
I loved living near the first baseball field in Long Island: - home of my fantasy namesake, the Brooklyn Superbas. But according to the Park Slope Courier (not online - hello - oppurtunity!), a new Con Ed building means the wall is coming down and being moved catacorner to JJ Byrne park, which was the home of the Brooklyn Excelsiors and the second baseball diamond in Long Island. Shed a tear for Brooklyn baseball.
posted by djacobs to culture at 09:24 AM - 3 comments
July 17, 2002
Round three of the US Open Cup kicked off yesterday: with the MetroStars defeating the A-League's Hampton Roads Mariners. There will be seven A-league/MLS matchups today. The US Open Cup goes back to 1914 . The tournament has a history of upsets such as the D3 San Francisco Bay Seals making it to the semi-finals in 1997, and the Rochester Rhinos defeating three MLS teams in 1999 to win it all.
posted by eckeric to soccer at 06:48 PM - 4 comments
This years Tour de France: is shaping up quite nicely and it's nice to see Lance Armstrong being given a run for his money. Tomorrow they head for the mountains for the first time and the race will begin in earnest. Armstrong is expected to attack but several have shown this year that are prepared to race without fear. Watch out for the Colombian, Santiago Botero, he is more than capable of springing a surprise.
posted by Fat Buddha to other at 05:50 PM - 3 comments
Because of two fine backhand plays by Cleveland third baseman Ken Keltner, Joe Dimaggio's 56-game hitting streak came to an end.: July 17, 1941 - 61 years ago today what some people consider an unbreakable record came to an end. As we all know by now, Ted William's .406 batting average in that same year was in most ways overshadowed by the Yankee Clipper's hit streak. What is about streaks, which require huge amounts of luck, that make them somehow more noble and notable then other accomplishments? What other streaks are out there, and do you think they will ever be broken?
posted by vito90 to general at 04:00 PM - 2 comments
If you were Commissioner of all Sports for one day, what three changes would you make?: Brad Townshend of the Dallas Morning News asked this question to a whole host of sports-related people, some rich and famous, some not. Included are the answers from Jerry Tarkanian, Mark Cuban, former NFL commish Joe Foss, and many more. What do you think? What would you do?
posted by Ufez Jones to general at 03:53 PM - 10 comments
Trouble at ESPN Radio: Tony Kornheiser suspended for a week because he kept talking on the air about the firings of Jason Jackson and several producers.
posted by rcade to general at 02:13 PM - 8 comments
The Best BS in sports:: Bootleg Sports is a subscriber service that seems to have its heart in the right spot.
posted by muckster to general at 01:35 PM - 2 comments
25 things wrong with baseball, : according to CNNSI's John Donovan. Put on your rally cap and come up with others. What's your pet peeve that's not previously mentioned?
posted by msacheson to baseball at 11:40 AM - 5 comments
Buffalo News columnist Greg Connors asks: Why are there so few good sports weblogs?
posted by rcade to general at 08:01 AM - 6 comments
Selig and Loria sued under RICO: 14 former minority Expos owners have filed suit claiming the gruesome twosome conspired to destroy baseball in Montreal. I think the charges are likely true, but is there a chance they'll be able to prove it?
posted by alex_reno to baseball at 01:43 AM - 2 comments
The birth of North American football.: A small bio on how an otherwise silly game became the American pasttime.
posted by ttrendel to football at 12:43 AM - 3 comments
July 15, 2002
Transfer Crash throughout Europe as money dries up: Good article in the Guardian revealing the lack of serious transfer activity in Europe following the world cup. Overspending on player salaries and reduced TV money seems to be to blame with several big Italian & Spanish clubs in trouble. Interestingly English clubs are responsible for the top 3 close season signings (Anelka, Diuoff, Viana) and when Ferdinand and Bowyer move, that will mean top 5. Have English clubs missed the danger signals, or are they fundamentally better off than those on the continent?
posted by no7 to soccer at 09:05 AM - 6 comments
Wimbledon Football Club made headlines in the eighties when they went from non-league football to the premiership, and succeeded in winning the FA Cup. But the club has decided to move to Milton Keynes, with the result that the fans have left and formed their own Wimbledon AFC - the majority of the fans watching this new side. Should teams be allowed to move towns? Can Wimbledon rise again from non-league to success?
posted by BigCalm to soccer at 06:40 AM - 3 comments
July 14, 2002
Premiership players owned by bank.: The whole article: "Some of Britain's best known footballers are owned by Barclays Bank. They are so expensive the clubs can't afford them and so take out mortgages to pay their transfer fees. Leeds United and Bolton Wanderers are among the clubs reported to be taking part in the scheme." Given that pro sports is big business, are these arrangements so unusual? Are financing arrangements done differently in other sports? In other countries?
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 09:46 AM - 5 comments
July 13, 2002
"When female athletes are not being depicted as sex objects, they're often portrayed as too masculine, or—gasp—as lesbians.": That is, if they're getting any coverage at all; they usually don't unless there's some sex appeal going on (anyone for tennis?). Lisa Goldman, writing in the outstanding Ryerson Review of Journalism, looks at the Canadian media's reporting of women's sports, which she finds generally abysmal—except that CBC Sports makes a concerted effort to cover women, and now there's the digital specialty channel WTSN (which I've never seen).
posted by mcwetboy to culture at 08:49 PM - 15 comments
"America is to sports what Australia is to animals: : we have all the weird stuff, and we think it's normal," writes Adam Gopnik in the New Yorker. "First, it is not merely that our games are better spectacles; it is that they are only, or primarily, spectacles. Few Americans who watch these games play them. We play specially designed, domesticated versions—softball, touch football. Baseball—real hardball—is rarely played by people past the age of twelve; tackle football is the memory of a hobbled minority; and ice hockey remains, at best, the pastime of a frostbitten few."
July 12, 2002
Amonte's a desert dog.: There were lots of signings today in the NHL, but Amonte's the biggest one. Was anyone expecting him to end up in Phoenix? Probably not. And at $24 mil/4 yr, he's getting no more than he deserves (arguably...hint hint).
posted by Succa to hockey at 04:36 PM - 3 comments
It pays to watch Norwegian soccer.: First there was the Atlanta Hawks' promise to refund money to season ticket holders if (or more likely when) they miss the playoffs, and now this. Anyone know of other odd (or ingenious) ways to get butts in the seats?
I'm jacked about the British Open. Are you jacked about the British Open?: Aha, my favorite of the tourneys begins July 18. In case you just crawled out from under a rock, Tiger will be going for his third slam event in a row. Personally, I want to see Tiger lap the field. I want him to lead by one stroke after the first round, five after the second, double digit lead going into the final, and win by twelve strokes. I want to see Garcia combust, Duval crumble, and Mickelson comment that "somebody needs to make a run at him". Is it because I love Tiger? Or just excellence in general? Yes, partly. But mostly I like to see guys who make 7 figures a year for golfing get a little taste of humble pie.
posted by vito90 to golf at 09:46 AM - 4 comments
All-world high school basketball star LeBron James is being courted by Nike and Adidas, though he can't sign a contract yet with either company while he's an amateur. James is expected to earn $20 to $25 million from one of the shoe companies before he's even drafted by the NBA.
posted by rcade to basketball at 12:56 AM - 8 comments
July 11, 2002
Did You Strike?: The baseball fans attempt to send MLB a message by staying away from the ballpark today. Is this any good, or a futile exercise - because baseball really doesn't care about the fans anymore?
posted by owillis to baseball at 06:02 PM - 4 comments
Here's the deal:: we're going to trade all of your good players and then fire you when you begin losing. Ok ok, so I'm being unfair. The Cleveland Indians fire coach Charlie Manuel. Please bring back Hargrove. Please?
posted by elsoltano to baseball at 03:19 PM - 2 comments
What's in a name?: Pacers close to finalizing deal with euro b-ball star Gregor Fucka. At 7'1", he's one big F***a! What goofy/bad sports personality names can you think of?
posted by internal to basketball at 02:27 PM - 12 comments
For those who are in love with college football.: Mel Kiper is systematically previewing most college teams. Hopefully, this will ease my football jitters until my beloved Badgers begin the season.
posted by patrickje to football at 12:42 PM - 2 comments
MLB teams in dire dinero dilemma.: Apparently, there's a couple MLB teams that might not make it to the impending doom that will likely cut short this baseball season. El Commish does not name names, but says one of the teams "will surprise you". Could anything really surprise us anymore when it comes to America's old pastime?
posted by bcb2k2 to baseball at 12:21 AM - 20 comments
July 10, 2002
The agony of victory.: Great article about why suffering is so important to Lance Armstrong's victories. More opinion in this Q and A bit. Oh, and US Postal took second today in the Team Time Trial, just a hair behind ONCE.
posted by ahhgrr to other at 02:18 PM - 3 comments
If soccer is going to be more popular than baseball, make baseball more like soccer!: Playing the All-Star Game to a tie is unsatisfying, but Curt Schilling has the answer:"[P]lay nine innings no matter what. Tell everybody from the start. And then, if it's tied, each team picks one guy, and you decide it with a Home Run Derby. How great would THAT be?"
posted by outside counsel to baseball at 12:30 PM - 3 comments
Bad-boy Bowyer to join Liverpool?: This article contemplates Liverpool manager Houllier's decision to go after Leeds lout Bowyer. Meanwhile, incoming Leeds manager Terry Venables says, "He's (Bowyer's) in the last-chance saloon. If partying, drinking and dancing is your thing then play your football over the park."
It should be noted that Liverpool homeboy Robbie Fowler was eventually sold to Leeds last season after his own involvement in a late-night fracas (and other more football-related reasons), and immediately renewed his scoring prowess. While I'm no fan of Bowyer's, I hope, for Liverpool's sake, he proves to be another successful demonstration of Houllier's shrewd decision-making. At least, I hope Bowyer gets less than his 15-million-pound ask fee. ;-)
How do you think Bowyer will turn out at Liverpool?
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 11:33 AM - 8 comments
Philadelphia prosecutors are expected to seek a warrant today against Allen Iverson on assault and threat charges. Iverson allegedly forced his way into an apartment in the middle of the night last week looking for his wife and cousin, but don't blame basketball for his problems. Blame rap.
posted by rcade to basketball at 07:25 AM - 7 comments
Al Unser Jr. arrested: on charges of beating up his girlfriend while drunk. Is this the last we'll see of Unser in the IRL?
posted by salmacis to general at 04:12 AM - 2 comments
July 09, 2002
Kissing your sister.: This year's Major League Baseball All-Star Game ended in a tie. And in case that wasn't bad enough, the commish gave a less than rosy picture for the future of the game.
posted by grum@work to baseball at 11:44 PM - 22 comments
"This World Cup was fun, and that was precisely the trouble with it: who wants fun at the biggest and most important sporting event we have?" Nick Hornby in the New Yorker.
posted by muckster to soccer at 04:10 PM - 5 comments
Pitchers, in his words, were dumb by breed, and he studied them constantly looking for, and usually finding, their weaknesses.: My favorite writer, David Halberstam, with his parting thoughts on the Splendid Splinter.
Najeh Davenport is arrested for "burglary",: among other things. I won't ruin the punchline for those of you who haven't read about this yet, but it's probably my favorite "Arrested Athlete" story. What's yours?
posted by Samsonov14 to general at 09:34 AM - 12 comments
July 08, 2002
Curt Schilling: says, "From everything I've heard, we're not going to set a strike date tomorrow. We're just going to give authority to perhaps do something in the future. " But, that sounds like "strike" to me. According to ESPN, events before the 1994 strike unfolded much the same way. So, are the players calling management’s bluff or is it strike time? I'm not optimistic.
posted by Bag Man to baseball at 09:18 AM - 10 comments
July 07, 2002
Kurt Warner. Trent Dilfer. Tom Brady. John Elway was the last quaterback to win a Superbowl who could be characterized as a "known quantity", the last three games have been won by brand new faces or players considered "washed-up" in new uniforms (Dilfer). Will the trend of the surprise quaterback continue (sentiment towards Shane Matthews for me) or will we see folks like Favre (and Warner is now in this category) in the Big Game?
posted by owillis to football at 10:32 PM - 17 comments
Spplat!: "August 31, 2002 will be a historical date in Paintball history. It will be on that date that thousands of players will gather near Chicago at Challenge Park Xtreme to play the ultimate scenario game with the ultimate Captain, William Shatner!"
posted by kirkaracha to other at 08:38 PM - 2 comments
July 06, 2002
Is this a dynasty in the making?: I mentioned this before, but something about this article scared me. Serena vs. Venus in the Finals of Wimbledon, I understand...But, Serena & Venus in the Doubles Final of Wimbledon as well? Are they that damn good?
posted by BlueTrain to tennis at 08:10 PM - 24 comments
Ted Williams' body to be frozen.: Or at least his head, with hopes of being revived in the future. Good idea or wacky money-making scheme by Ted's oldest son?
posted by corpse to baseball at 01:56 PM - 6 comments
July 05, 2002
Cubs manager Don Baylor was fired today: in a move that surprised absolutely no one in Chicago. Iowa Cubs manager Bruce Kimm takes over as interim manager starting tomorrow. Team president Andy MacPhail also turned over GM responsibilities to Jim Hendry, who was director of player personnel. However, some people think that these moves don't solve the real problem with the team. (via Chicago Tribune, registration required)
posted by Sister Havana to baseball at 11:12 PM - 5 comments
Another Tour de France article: from the Guardian. The article itself is pretty good, but the link to the interactive guide at the end is brilliant.
posted by Fat Buddha to other at 01:55 PM - 4 comments
Ted Williams was baseball's greatest hitter: Ted Williams, the last major league player to hit .400 for an entire season, who was also Joe DiMaggio's arch rival, John Glenn's wing man, and Boston's preeminent athlete of the 20th century, died Friday in Crystal River, Fla. He was 83.
posted by srboisvert to baseball at 12:19 PM - 10 comments
The strike that will kill baseball.: "The players don't seem to understand that they have peculiar skills of limited marketability. Throwing a ball 95 miles an hour has few industrial applications. If the players betray us again, it will be gratifying to see pitchers who might have made $5 million a year pumping gas at the local Exxon."
posted by kirkaracha to baseball at 11:11 AM - 11 comments
World Cup Gafftas awarded - top honour goes to Bobby Robson: Dangerhere announce their spoof awards for the worst gaffs & guff spouted by commentators and pundits during the world cup.
posted by shorster to soccer at 05:01 AM - 0 comments
US men's team vs. MLS all-stars.: The US men's soccer team will play a team of Major League Soccer all-stars next month. The MLS all-stars haven't even been selected yet, so how well can they compete against the national team?
posted by kirkaracha to soccer at 02:58 AM - 6 comments
July 04, 2002
'You can never go back.' Or can you?: With Brazillian midfielder Juninho set to return to Middlesbrough for his third spell at the club, prompting local celebration not much short of that seen in Rio on Sunday, it's time to test a truism of team sport: can players 'go back' and make it a success? Michael Jordan returned to the Bulls from retirement, but that's a bit different from changing teams and returning 'home'. Any notable examples of especially successful (or unsuccessful) returns, particularly in the partisan world of American sport?
posted by etagloh to general at 10:13 PM - 5 comments
War minus the shooting: was Orwells description of serious sport. Tim Parks would seem to agree. This is a really good article on the passions aroused by local rivalries from the author of " A Season With Verona". Many articles culled from the book are available on the Guardian site if you search for "Tim Parks"
posted by Fat Buddha to football at 03:04 PM - 3 comments
July 03, 2002
The Rangers pick up Kasparitis: and Holik. It's also looking more and more likely that they'll be able to sign Richter for less than he cost them last year. Is this the year that the New York Rangers are finally as good on the ice as they are on paper? Why shouldn't your favorite team be afraid of them?
posted by Samsonov14 to hockey at 06:48 PM - 7 comments
Is speed eating a sport?: ESPN.com's Jim Caple investigates the growing trend in speed eating, and the declining size in the competitors. The IFOCE seems to think so. Do you?
posted by rebeuthl to other at 02:41 PM - 8 comments
We have a winner (and a whiner?)!: Indianapolis 500 result is hopefully final now that IMS/IRL President Tony George tells Team Green and Paul Tracy to go pound sand...
posted by internal to other at 02:20 PM - 2 comments
The New FIFA Ranking After The World Cup:: Brazil is back on top; France and Argentina tie at number 2; Turkey, England and the U.S. are up; Colombia, Portugal and Italy go down... but how well does the FIFA ranking reflect the actual playing quality of the national teams? It looks kind of skewed to me.
posted by Miguel Cardoso to soccer at 12:05 PM - 8 comments
"Sports are better now than they ever were because they're more inclusive than they ever have been.": The San Francisco Chronicle's David Steele celebrates the rise of international players in traditional American sports.
posted by kirkaracha to culture at 10:31 AM - 1 comment
The hits just keep on coming: A record 62 home runs were hit in the major leagues Tuesday night, including four grand slams. Not that the ball is juiced or anything.
posted by kirkaracha to baseball at 12:44 AM - 2 comments
July 02, 2002
"Celebrity adventurer" first solo balloonist to circle the world: That's great...but is it a sport?
posted by kirkaracha to other at 06:59 PM - 2 comments
Roid Rage?: Sammy Sosa says that if the Players' Association starts requiring steroid testing, he'll be "the first in line." So why not, asks the SI reporter, volunteer to give a urine sample now? What do you have to hide? Sosa's response is, uh, let's say it was "testy."
posted by Prince Valium to baseball at 02:24 PM - 10 comments
The money comes pouring,: but can Holik make good on $45 million over five years and bring the Rangers to the playoffs (even if Bure and Lindros couldn't?) Is Detroit getting another premier goaltender? And, with salaries getting downright silly, will the summer of 2004 (the end of the current collective bargaining agreement) forebode a lockout season?
posted by adampsyche to hockey at 09:43 AM - 17 comments
July 01, 2002
It's July again and you know what that means - time for the mother of all endurance challenges, the hypnotically beautiful yet grueling Tour de France. The pageantry and tradition and spirit never fail to captivate me. Read all about it in The Cycling News and watch the action unfold live on OLN tv. It's too bad that Italy's Warrior, Michele Bartoli, is out of the race after fracturing his pelvis in the first stage of the Giro d'Italia (read more on his weblog) - I was looking forward to watching him compete. And what about that Armstrong guy - do you think he can do it again?
posted by iconomy to other at 07:24 PM - 10 comments