04/19/24
Archives for June 2004
June 30, 2004
posted by Ufez Jones to other at 02:43 PM - 0 comments
Fantasy Soccer Football: Just came across this version, which is free, includes the SPL and offers prize money. Thought I would run it up the flagpole and see if any chuffer salutes.
posted by Fat Buddha to fantasy at 10:11 AM - 9 comments
Arturo "The Graduate" Rivera: BAMF.
posted by garfield to boxing at 09:09 AM - 20 comments
June 29, 2004
Fernandomania II?: Fernando Valenzuela is going to pitch for the Aguilas in Mexico's Pacific League. He was the color man for the Dodgers Spanish Radio team, and was recently profiled in the L.A. Times.
reg req'd for times link, more inside...
posted by lilnemo to baseball at 05:36 PM - 2 comments
Mercifully, T-Mac has landed.: In Houston. Discussed earlier. It is now official. Are the Rockets any better now? Do the Magic have a more "well-rounded" roster?
posted by lilnemo to basketball at 04:23 PM - 18 comments
An interesting but long series of stories about Bud Selig: The Washington Post has written a three-part series about Selig and his backroom dealings. Part 2 deals with Selig's involvement in the sad state of Les/Los Expos. Part 3 discusses Selig's role in negotiations of the Expo's move and his relationship with Orioles' owner Peter Angelos. Offers some interesting insight into the business of baseball as well as plenty of ammunition for all those that loathe the current Commish. (Reg req'd. Go here, if necessary)
posted by aupa_athletic to baseball at 01:30 PM - 3 comments
Sam Mitchell.: Raptors coach. Sam played mentor to KG and he turned out pretty good. I can't wait to see what he does with Vince. Does Sam fit the franchise? Should the Raptors gone after a more tenured assistant? Is there anything to the George Karlian notion that longstanding assistant coaches are better than "new" player coaches?
posted by lilnemo to basketball at 12:17 PM - 10 comments
Blink And You'll Miss It!: Finally, Pro Cricket is coming to the USA! With eight teams and a revamped scoring system (Designated hitters! Shortened matches! Five deliveries an over! What are they, crazy?), this seems to be the big push for cricket into the American mainstream!
The second tier of international players are largely showing up for it, and the backers claim to have deep pockets and a realistic business plan! Is this the "start of a US Cricket Century," or merely a deluded money hole for some lonely expats?
posted by chicobangs to extreme at 11:54 AM - 10 comments
Roberto Alomar and the Hall of Fame: A "couple thousand words" on why Robbie Alomar deserves your vote. If you had one. Of course, if you did you wouldn't be here reading this, you'd be out making stuff up.
posted by yerfatma to baseball at 06:37 AM - 18 comments
June 28, 2004
Mike Tyson is homeless: "For two years I have been a bum, truly a bum in the streets. I've got nowhere to live. I've been crashing with friends, literally sleeping in shelters. Unsavory characters are giving me money and I'm taking it. I need it. The drug dealers, they sympathize with me. They see me as some sort of pathetic character." Tyson will fight British boxer Danny Williams on July 30, and hopes to use his winnings from this and six other planned fights to pay his debts.
posted by dusted to boxing at 11:49 PM - 8 comments
Serving up Fat Pitches?: "You've got to be a professional. Everybody knows he's my friend, but I want to do business," Freddy Garcia is the newest member of your Chicago White Sox. Ozzie Guillen is happy, are you? Does anyone in the SpoFi Mariner contingent have a story, a fond farewell?
posted by lilnemo to baseball at 07:18 PM - 4 comments
Then of course there is Joan Rivers Vescey: In the Entertainment biz, they have very honest job descriptions. Someone who creates and reports gossip is called a gossip columnist. Joan Rivers, Page Six, Cindy Adam, etc, etc dont pretend to be reporters. They get well paid to dish out gossip. Can we please start calling the Sam Smiths and Peter Vesceys and Norman Chads of the world what they really are? Sports Gossip Columnists. They dont have regard for the truth. Why pretend they do? Looks like Mark Cuban is tired of all the Shaq speculation.
posted by dusted to basketball at 12:21 PM - 11 comments
As the rotisserie turns: The Locker Room now has a Fantasy Sports category for leagues run by or for SportsFilter members. You may now resume your regular taunting, already in progress.
posted by rcade to fantasy at 08:17 AM - 16 comments
June 27, 2004
Talk about incentive: If the Czechs win the European Championship, each player is guaranteed 160 litres of beer from a Czech brewery. This much brewed goodness is the average annual consumption per person in the Czech Republic. Oh, and their head coach is guaranteed a lifetime supply should they win. Looks like they are now one step closer. I, for one, prefer Pilsner Urquell. What's your favorite Czech brew?
posted by insomnyuk to culture at 10:28 PM - 16 comments
Jason Kries sets MLS goal record.: Much hyped Adu does....well, nothing. Again.
posted by Ufez Jones to soccer at 08:16 PM - 6 comments
The Sens get started: Here it comes. Lalime to St. Louis, Bonk to the Kings, they're taking a long look at Hasek, and a decade of building from within and solid drafting that had brought no small amount of success is flying out the window before our very eyes.
posted by chicobangs to hockey at 11:21 AM - 33 comments
June 25, 2004
Oh Balls!: Play Kick Off, a soccer football game, very chuffin good.
posted by Fat Buddha to soccer at 05:33 PM - 2 comments
Boone to the Tribe (?): Aaron Boone has a "tentative agreement" for 2 years with the Indians.
posted by lilnemo to baseball at 04:43 PM - 4 comments
Ugh: With Kirk Snyder, Jameer Nelson, Pavel Podkolzine, and many others still on the board last night when Telfair's name was called, is this another Sam Bowie, or is there some basis to the conspiracy theory?
posted by togdon to basketball at 01:22 PM - 7 comments
Terry, will you marry me? Chris.: Even if the game itself is still "the last refuge of the macho", the organization is reaching out to the modern-day community. Tonight's Toronto-Montréal matchup is "the first ever major North American sports promotion held in conjunction with the gay and lesbian community" that isn't AIDS-fundraising-related.
posted by DrJohnEvans to baseball at 08:00 AM - 13 comments
Baseball Under the Midnight Sun: [New York Times] "In the first inning, a routine fly ball drifted above the left fielder, who, positioning himself just right in the grass, held up his mitt — and then lost the ball in the sun. It was 10:40 p.m." The Alaska Goldpanners and the Kenai Oilers in the 99th annual Midnight Sun Baseball Game. Also, the all-time results.
posted by kirkaracha to baseball at 02:48 AM - 1 comment
June 24, 2004
Beltran to the Astros.: Dotel goes to the A's, with prospects (from the A's and Astros) to the Royals. Interesting development for the NL Central -- I thought for sure Beltran would end up in the AL East or NL West.
posted by holden to baseball at 09:21 PM - 9 comments
"See you in court, brother.": Barry doesn't sound happy about reports that sprinter Tim Montgomery testified that Bonds received steroids from BALCO.
posted by lilnemo to culture at 05:28 PM - 12 comments
Mutant muscle-boy found; sports career and sponsorhips beckon.: OK, I made the second part up. Nothing really sports-related here, except that this is a five-year-old who has "muscles twice the size of other children his age and half their body fat." He has a mutant gene that blocks the production of myostatin, a protein that inhibits muscle growth. He's "normal" apart from being able to to lift three kilo (6.6 lb) weights. What sport will he play? Who will be his sponsor? Which X-Man will he be? Where is Dr. Xavier?
posted by worldcup2002 to extreme at 03:58 PM - 17 comments
Todd Bertuzzi charged with assault: The suspended Vancouver Canucks star faces a trial for mugging Colorado Avalanche player Steve Moore in front of 18,000 witnesses. Moore continues to wear a cervical collar and may never play again.
posted by rcade to hockey at 02:55 PM - 13 comments
Umpire screws up in all-important tie-breaker: Instead of calling a second serve, umpire calls a point in favor of Croatia's Karolina Sprem helping her to upset Venus Williams. The question is, shouldn't have someone stepped in and corrected him (Venus??) or did something else happen the AP's not reporting?
posted by jmd82 to tennis at 02:22 PM - 12 comments
Two long interviews with Michael Lewis, : Part I in June 2003 and Part II in June 2004, "about his wave-making book Moneyball and the current state of baseball, plus what’s good and bad with journalism today, Red Sox paranoia, and the joys of screenwriting." Plus, he's working on a sequel to Moneyball.
posted by kirkaracha to culture at 12:42 PM - 9 comments
England vs Portugal.: If this isn't the match of Euro 2004, I don't know what is. England (SpoFi's team of choice I think), current joint top scorers (with Sweden), and Roonaldo, joint top scorer (with Ruud v N), kick off the first quarterfinal against underperforming hosts Portugal. There will be great emotion at the game, and right here, too. Join us at 1130am PST/230pm EST for live text commentary and some online hoopin' and hollerin'.
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 11:41 AM - 92 comments
June 23, 2004
Take the best player: This SI.com columnist claims that NBA teams should draft the best player rather than fill a specific need.
posted by cg1001a to basketball at 08:58 PM - 25 comments
Shaq as a Mav? Thanks, but no thanks.: why I don't want Shaq in Dallas
posted by Ufez Jones to commentary at 08:05 PM - 0 comments
Et tu Antawn?: The Mavs have dealt Jamison to the Wizards for the No. 5 pick in the draft; other "unspecified" players were included in the deal but not mentioned. It's official, Cuban is making the moves to get Shaq. This very well could be the biggest offseason shift in the league's balance since 1996.
posted by lilnemo to basketball at 07:59 PM - 22 comments
Dressed to the Nines.: Baseball Hall of Fame exhibition on the history of baseball uniforms. Parts of the uniform, timeline, uniform database (view every major league uniform since 1900), and classroom activities. Don't say I don't love you baseball fans. (via the very cool Coudal Partners)
posted by worldcup2002 to baseball at 05:46 PM - 9 comments
First it was Spain, then Italy, now Germany are out of Euro 2004!: Germany lost to the Czech Republic 2-1 today while The Netherlands won in a rout to advance to the Euro 2004 quarterfinals. A huge fall from grace for the 2002 World Cup runners up.
posted by jasonbondshow to soccer at 05:21 PM - 8 comments
Why baseball AND bigrockaction?: ChinMusic! is an Oakland-based annual-or-so baseball/music 'zine with interesting juxtapositions (Johnny Ramone and Oakland A's GM Billy Beane interviewing each other), random reviews (potato chips?), and parody covers. Editor and publisher Kevin Chanel was profiled in East Bay Express in January.
posted by kirkaracha to culture at 03:59 PM - 3 comments
The NBA Draft is tomorrow night.: Which is fine, I'm a big fan of all professional sports drafts, but the NBA draft is great because of the fashion! Short ties, pinstripes, and 6'5"+ players wearing jackets that would like like long dresses on any normal man.
posted by corpse to basketball at 02:15 PM - 10 comments
Rays win their 12th straight: Screw the Yankees and the Sox, the Devil Rays are going to rule the AL East. Last night's win was their 12th in a row, and they are now 23-6 in their last 29 games. They are now just one game under 500. Ray's Talk notes that the last team that was 18 games under 500 and then reached 500 was the 1899 Louisville Colonels. Despite early futility, this is a great accomplishment. They've got some help down on the farm as well.
posted by corpse to baseball at 12:02 PM - 11 comments
Germany vs Czech Republic.: Germany must win to go through to the quarterfinals. The Czechs have already won their group, and are expected to field their second-stringers for the match. This leaves Holland vs Latvia a possible non-event. The Dutch and Latvians could qualify if they win or draw, and Germany draw or lose, but it really depends on how "secondary" the Czech Republic team is.
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 11:53 AM - 27 comments
Top Prospects of 1980: With the trade deadline looming and minor-leaguers having had a good amount of time to show what they've got, prospects are in play. Imagine your a GM in 1980. Which of these guys would you bring up or trade for? Hype + reality = retro potential.
posted by yeknod to baseball at 11:45 AM - 16 comments
Bill Simmons of ESPN's Page 2: has his annual NBA trade value column up (part 2 here). I tend to think that he ranked Steve Francis and Vince Carter way too high, and didn't rank Gilbert Arenas high enough. Also, regardless of Darko's status as the #2 pick overall last year, does anyone really think if they got offered a quality young big man, the Pistons wouldn't take it? I sure don't. I won't give away #1, but it makes an interesting argument, to be sure.
posted by sashae to basketball at 10:47 AM - 8 comments
QB turns grayshirt into NFL internship: Paul Suhey signed with Penn State this spring but won't be in State College this fall. Instead, as a "grayshirt," he'll be in Detroit, where former Nittany Lion Matt Millen got him an internship with the Lions. "So, while other players around the country in the same situation live at home and work out on their own or go to school part time and pay their own way, Kevin Suhey will be an intern with the Lions, working in the equipment department. When he's not working, he will be throwing passes to professional receivers before practice, sitting in on quarterbacks meetings and working out in an NFL weight room."
posted by thescoop to football at 09:09 AM - 2 comments
June 22, 2004
Ladies and Gentlemen, your 2004-05 Charlotte Bobcats.: I have no idea who 75% of these players are. At least they switched up to the #2 draft pick.
posted by Ufez Jones to basketball at 11:18 PM - 6 comments
Contreras reunites with family: After over a year and a half apart (a separation that is blamed for some of his troubles on the mound) Jose Contreras' wife and 2 daughters defect from Cuba. (see Jugwine's previous post for some background on the story.)
posted by goddam to baseball at 09:21 PM - 2 comments
What Gazza did next.: A fantastic article from the Guardian, as a reporter followed Paul Gascoigne around for two days on his book signing tour. A warning for Wayne Rooney perhaps, on the dangers that lie ahead?
posted by salmacis to soccer at 06:43 PM - 3 comments
Swing...: and a miss.
Link #1 is LA Times reg. req'd, blah blah...
posted by lilnemo to other at 06:00 PM - 3 comments
Forksclovetofu is being ripped off.: They're doing his bit for christ's sake!!
This makes the baby football jesus cry:(
posted by lilnemo to other at 04:45 PM - 21 comments
Major League Beer.: Beer prices at the home of the Giants are across the board generally higher than other ballparks in the western region, according to an informal Chronicle survey. The $7.75 you pay for 16 ounces of what the Giants call a "super premium'' beer averages 48.4 cents an ounce. They've also got prices for Oakland, Petco (San Diego), Bank One (Phoenix) and Citizens Bank (Philly). How much at your stadium?
posted by worldcup2002 to general at 04:16 PM - 13 comments
Game on!: Italy, who have spent the last few days loudly proclaiming their belief that the Danes and Swedes will engage in skullduggery to ensure a 2-2 draw which would send them both through, should have woried about their own shortcomings, they are 1-0 down to Bulgaria at half time while Denmark are winning 1-0. As it stands, they are, hilariously, bottom of the group. It's going to be an interesting 45 minutes
posted by Fat Buddha to soccer at 02:46 PM - 10 comments
Bum of the month: In yet another comeback, Mike Tyson is to fight Britains Danny Willams, who is distinguished mainly by having lost to Julius Francis, who sold advertising space on the soles of his shoes when he fought Tyson. Will anybody actually part with real money to witness this freak show?
posted by Fat Buddha to boxing at 01:53 PM - 11 comments
Meet the U.S. Olympic Team: Or, at least, the women's weight-lifting team. The 105-pounder has a piece of Gortex mesh attached to her abdomen with 21 screws, and the 300-pounder sucks at lifting couches. But they are two of the best chances the U.S. has at Olympic Gold.
posted by danostuporstar to other at 01:02 PM - 3 comments
T-Mac to Houston?: A provisional trade is in place for Tracy McGrady to go to Houston. The Rockets seem to be following the Lakers model - pairing a huge center with a top scorer.
posted by dusted to basketball at 12:51 AM - 11 comments
Victory for the aged: It was her first singles competition here in a decade, and it was as if she never left.
"When people say, 'Why are you doing it?' I guess the answer is: 'Because I still can.' Bottom line," said Navratilova, whose 18 Grand Slam singles titles include a record nine at Wimbledon.
posted by justgary to tennis at 12:21 AM - 8 comments
June 21, 2004
"New Jocks on the Blog": SpoFi gets a link in a Blogger DIY column about sports blogging. Welcome to any new readers who might have ventured this way from the article....free membership is only a few clicks away.
posted by smithers to other at 08:59 PM - 7 comments
Too hard?: "Could have been one of the great championships..." but because the expected outcome was altered due to the course's difficulty, the 04 Open is a cause to change, as one analyst put it, 'the way the USGA determines the U.S. Champion.'(paraphrase) Am I to believe that because a course was difficult that it should be made easier to soothe egos and sell clubs?
posted by garfield to golf at 12:59 PM - 20 comments
Croatia out to get Rooney.: "If we can provoke him in the right way, he'll definitely lash out," promised the goalkeeper Joey Didulica. "He's a fanatic and, trust me, when you play off emotion like that a red card is inevitable ... The manager has told us to prey on Rooney's weaknesses ... Our defenders are under orders to slide in and try to take him a few times. Then, just you see, we will get the reaction we want. No problems." The game starts in two hours. England can probably qualify for the quarter-finals with a draw. Croatia must win. Mind games? Or will Croatia back it up? Will it work? Or will it backfire? If Croatia are going to be this cynical, I only hope England will thump'em 5-0 by half-time so we can laugh the bastards off the pitch.
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 12:04 PM - 26 comments
Host Portugal advances in Euro 2004: One of Europe's smallest and poorest nations, Portugal splurged about $4.8 billion on the 16-nation soccer tournament. Many cried foul - especially after a 2-1 opening defeat against Greece. The home nation, many feared, would be locked out of its own extravagant festivities.
posted by usfbull to soccer at 09:03 AM - 3 comments
Five Hundred for Junior: A humble player, a proud father, and a fan that doesn't bicker about price. It does one good to see such an achievement played out so well.
posted by sixpacker to baseball at 07:40 AM - 5 comments
John McEnroe really is being serious: -- he firmly believes he could take on Serena and Venus Williams at the same time and beat them.
"I believe I could beat them playing them either individually or at the same time," said the Wimbledon champion turned TV tennis guru.
"In fact it would probably be easier playing them together because they would confuse each other."
posted by justgary to tennis at 06:57 AM - 15 comments
June 20, 2004
Dodgers-Yanks Renew Rivalry: For all the talk (& opinions) about interleague play, I must say I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing the Dodgers visit Fenway and the Yankees visit Chavez Ravine. I'm also extremely impressed that LA fans have put the Lakers series behind them and shown up to root for their team. Is anyone else watching this game? My reason for posting is simple. One of my good friends (he's a Yankee fan and I'm a Sox fan) is at this game right now and he just called me to tell me that it feels like a playoff game.
posted by usfbull to baseball at 09:35 PM - 15 comments
Yet another feather in Schumacher's hat: Ferrari's Michael Schumacher screamed to his eighth win in nine races on Sunday in an action-packed U.S. Grand Prix that left younger brother Ralf in hospital.
posted by babuchutkan to other at 03:38 PM - 1 comment
June 19, 2004
Holland 2 - 3 Czech Republic: A simply astonishing match.
posted by dng to soccer at 05:23 PM - 23 comments
June 18, 2004
WNBA Most Valuable Player Lauren Jackson posed nude in an Australian magazine that features Olympic athletes who will compete in Athens.
: "My mom and dad loved it." Especially dad.
posted by justgary to basketball at 09:19 PM - 23 comments
Phil Jackson steps down as Lakers coach: Somewhere Kobe is jumping for joy.
posted by justgary to basketball at 09:16 PM - 19 comments
Inside Jersey Girl: On the radio this morning (KFOG), the DJs were talking with Mike Krukow, former pitcher/current Giants radio announcer. He said in his experience you can understand a baseball fan by where in the US they live: West Coast fans relate to their team as they do to their children, Midwest fans as they do to their wives and East Coast fans to their god. Makes sense to me.
posted by billsaysthis to baseball at 08:22 PM - 6 comments
"I'm black. They don't build stuff for blacks.": Barry Bonds gives his perspective on: Racism in Boston (which he says doesn't come from first hand experience); his continual walks; statues, and other things.
posted by bcb2k2 to baseball at 12:43 PM - 34 comments
NFL Owners fear the death of the Golden Goose: It's a classic battle of Socialism vs. Capitalism...just be glad there are no nukes involved this time around.
posted by bcb2k2 to football at 11:19 AM - 5 comments
Bringing Back the Senators: "This daily, 80th anniversary retrospective celebrates life in D.C. during [the Washington Nationals] World Series-winning race of 1924." This Washington Post series has game recaps, standings, and images of old scorecards. More on the 1924 World Series.
posted by kirkaracha to baseball at 10:33 AM - 1 comment
June 17, 2004
USA Olympic Basketball = Iverson's team: With Bibby, McGrady, Jesus Shuttleworth, Kidd, Garnett, Malone, K-Mart, Kobe, Vinsanity, Elton, and Shaq dropping out, Duncan and Iverson are the last men standing. Which means this is my man Iverson's team. Iverson's Olympic team. How unexpected is that?
posted by Mike McD to basketball at 09:17 PM - 12 comments
"The Man on the Medal" dead at 89: From the era when people raced alpine, x-c, and jumped all on the same pair of skis, "the greatest skier this country ever produced" will be remembered and missed by many.
posted by lil_brown_bat to other at 03:15 PM - 1 comment
'Stros trade Hildago (+$4m) to the Mets for Weathers: Mets get a big bat and the Astros rid themselves of someone who had "fallen out of favor" with Manager Jimy Williams. Any Houston fans out there want to give us the inside dirt on why Jimy doesn't like Hildalgo?
posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 11:36 AM - 6 comments
Russians set to take over women's tennis: With Belgium's best two players unfit, the women's singles at Wimbledon will boil down to a contest between Russian grace and American gristle. The withdrawal of Justine Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters, the world numbers one and two respectively, due to nagging health and fitness problems has left a big hole in the draw.
posted by babuchutkan to tennis at 03:22 AM - 2 comments
June 16, 2004
Milicic: They're lucky I broke my mitt, God. I was about to tomahawk some sh!t like my name was Sitting Bull: For all the Spofites who were wondering what was up with Darko last night? Brian Cook broke Darko's hand.
posted by Mike McD to basketball at 08:52 PM - 15 comments
"Kathy Redmond still remembers Christian Peter's eyes, nearly 13 years later.: "I told him, 'No,' both nights, and it didn't register," she said. "His eyes were very predatory. Just blank. There was nothing there. I remember that vividly. Nothing behind those eyes. It's like these terrorists, you wonder how they can do what they do. It's just a lack of conscience."
posted by yerfatma to football at 11:53 AM - 4 comments
Move over, Steve Bartman: The Dallas Morning News identifies the child-squashing foul ball chaser as Matt Starr, a "married, 28-year-old landscaper and former youth minister."
posted by rcade to baseball at 11:33 AM - 12 comments
Raul Benitez is new Liverpool manager: It's official. The manager who brought Valencia two national championships in four seasons, who ended their 30-year run without a national championship in his first year in charge, who led them to a Spanish League-UEFA Cup double this season, is now manager of the Reds. With the underperformers gone or leaving, and new stars arriving, could next season be Liverpool's?
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 09:55 AM - 15 comments
Wiley saw this one coming: After the 6-1 underdog Pistons' shock-the-world rout of the Lakers, it's worth reading the May 27 column of the late Ralph Wiley: "The Laker Myth will not penetrate the Piston front-court, a redwood forest of humanity," he wrote. "All this talk about how the opponents of the Pistons can't shoot is patently absurd, how this is not good to watch. Evolution of the game is always watchable."
posted by rcade to basketball at 07:27 AM - 10 comments
Admiring Beckham to frame Zidane's shirt: David Beckham plans to frame the shirt worn by Zinedine Zidane when the French captain scored his two injury-time goals to sink England 2-1 at Euro 2004.
posted by babuchutkan to soccer at 06:09 AM - 3 comments
June 15, 2004
posted by Ufez Jones to basketball at 10:58 PM - 51 comments
Should we lay up?: Tiger is tired of the incessant analysis and criticism of his swing. "That's where you can get into a problem, trying to analyze things you don't understand." Do we owe him the benefit of the doubt, or is our entertainment paramount?
posted by garfield to golf at 03:37 PM - 5 comments
BBC Virtual Replay. (Shockwave reqd.): Euro 2004 match highlights that you can view from multiple angles (ball cam, left, right, overhead, behind goal, centerline, flying cam, default "TV" view), all rendered using some soccer video game engine, I'm guessing. Very cool, low-bandwidth way for BBC to provide this almost-there experience, with a high level of user control. I'm wondering, tho, how they got the raw data for the plays in the first place. Did someone have to create each replay? Or (this would be more cool and efficient) are there RFID/GPS tags embedded in the player's clothes as well as in the ball and does the imagery get generated on-the-fly? Anyone have more info on the company (LifeInMedia?) and the production tech and processes behind this?
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 03:36 PM - 10 comments
Game on.: Game is a very thorough web site "devoted to summer little-league baseball and softball in Lawrence, Kan." Highlights include rules, cell phone and email alerts for rescheduled games, cool Flash player cards, and 360° field photos [QuickTime VR] [via Holovaty.com]
posted by kirkaracha to baseball at 01:15 PM - 4 comments
Agassi pulls out of Wimbledon. : Andre Agassi pulled out of Wimbledon on Tuesday with a hip injury, leaving the tournament without one of the world's most popular players.
posted by psmealey to tennis at 10:21 AM - 4 comments
ESPN.com's Ralph Wiley passes away of a heart attack at age 52.: I know that there have been mixed reviews of his work here at SpoFi, but any thoughts?
posted by smithers to general at 06:41 AM - 8 comments
June 14, 2004
Roddick wins his 2d Straight Queen's Club: and his third title of the year. Is Roddick ready to break through at Wimby this year?
posted by psmealey to tennis at 12:47 PM - 8 comments
Who loves bling? The Patriots do!: At $20,000 a pop, the rings are white gold, with 5.05 carats t.w. of diamonds (most ever in a Superbowl ring) and a weight of 3.8 ounces, making it the largest Superbowl ring ever. Rings were presented to the team over the weekend at team owner Bob Kraft's home.
posted by jerseygirl to football at 09:35 AM - 6 comments
"Tough Guy" and "Ball Stealer" gets his. How a jerk ruined the day and Reggies Sanders, Steve Kline, and a few thousand others saved it.
posted by 86 to baseball at 08:41 AM - 32 comments
Mark your calendars: The New York Jets have scheduled the first Big Apple Bowl, which will be held in their hypothetical new stadium in 2010. The event would be the city's first college bowl since the Gotham Bowl in 1964.
June 13, 2004
Since someone has to, : Pistons gut out another one. LA looked to be in it, but unraveled near the end as Detroit pulled away, and LA couldn't tie the series. Discuss.
posted by hincandenza to basketball at 11:45 PM - 26 comments
Schumacher wins Canadian Grand Prix: It was the German's 77th career victory and third in a row at the Gilles Villeneuve circuit. The world champion punched back from his lowest start position of the season to beat younger brother Ralf to the chequered flag and become the first Formula One driver to win the same Grand Prix seven times.
posted by babuchutkan to other at 05:47 PM - 2 comments
Zidane breaks the hearts of English fans with two goals in injury time: Beckham's missed penalty comes back to haunt England as Zidane saves France's defense of their 2000 title with a goal and a penalty in second half injury time.
posted by jasonbondshow to soccer at 03:57 PM - 24 comments
June 12, 2004
Scolari apologises for loss: Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari apologised for performance of the team and said the next game will be a life or death affair.
posted by babuchutkan to football at 11:14 PM - 1 comment
Greece beat Portugal.: Euro 2004 starts with an upset.
posted by dng to soccer at 06:09 PM - 7 comments
The Ultimate Sage Rosenfels Football Experience.: The Dolphins third string QB Sage Rosenfels can be hired for high school graduations, corporate events, birthday parties, bar and bat mitzvahs, personal training advice or even to watch Monday Night Football in your living room with you and your buddies.
posted by gspm to football at 12:52 PM - 0 comments
Arod at third, Jeter at short, Nomar at second? Don't laugh. It could happen.
posted by justgary to baseball at 12:34 AM - 21 comments
June 11, 2004
"Time is not on our side": Kansas City Royals have given up on 2004 and have officially started rebuilding for 2005, after losing a double header to the Expos for a league-worst 21-36 record. Oh, and this guy is officially on the block, so let the trade talks begin!
posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 10:10 PM - 6 comments
posted by justgary to general at 06:02 PM - 27 comments
Police will let fans smoke dope at Euro 2004.: If this doesn't make you love soccer (and Portugal), I don't know what will. (I know, I know, it's The Sun reporting but here's the Guardian and ITV reporting it, too.)
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 01:39 PM - 13 comments
The Guardian pulls a 1955 story from its archives: the gruesome accident at Le Mans that killed a driver and around 80 spectators, the worst accident in auto racing history. One footnote: the race continued and the driver who caused the accident won. More on the crash [warning: content].
posted by rcade to other at 08:54 AM - 5 comments
Super Headers: - Friday Flash time waster.
posted by corpse to soccer at 08:40 AM - 7 comments
Euro 2004: begins in Portugal on Saturday. The bookies have France as favourites but the competition looks fairly tight with Italy and England(!) not far behind. Fantasy football is back on the tv, England fans are being allowed to smoke dope and there's a small matter of the England v. France game on Sunday. Are Germany really as bad as they look? Are Greece going to suprise everyone? Are France going to bestride the competition like a colossus? Whatever happens, I just can't wait for it to start.
posted by BigCalm to soccer at 03:40 AM - 8 comments
June 10, 2004
Do you believe now?: We've been saying it all year...can the rest of the country hear us yet?
posted by MeatSaber to basketball at 11:33 PM - 22 comments
Be Alert: Foul Balls and Bats Hurt.: Courts rule against woman badly hurt by a foul ball hit into the stands -- she cannot sue the ballclub. By endorsing the ticket and attending the game, you waive your right to sue the club or hold the team or MLB liable for injury. That, along with so much more (including giving the club rights to the use of your image while you are in the park), is written in very fine print on the back of your baseball ticket, but very few people bother to read it or even know about it.
posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 10:32 PM - 10 comments
And the award goes to...: The 2004 NHL awards have been handed out. Lightning struck quite a bit tonight.
posted by NoMich to hockey at 10:05 PM - 11 comments
Your light-saber training droid is ready.: Picking up on a Locker Room thread that quickly devolved into Star Wars silliness, here's some Star Wars seriousness. We've got the droid. Now we need the light-sabers. And how long before light-saber fighting (fencing?) becomes a sport, even an Olympic sport?
posted by worldcup2002 to other at 12:36 PM - 15 comments
English football's Division One to be renamed "The Championship",: with Division Two and Division Three becoming League One and League Two. Apparently, they're changing the name to change people's perceptions of the league. If it's "The Championship", it's gotta be good, right? Huh? What's next, "The Lordship"? "The Fellowship"?
posted by blarp to soccer at 11:49 AM - 15 comments
World Cup Qualifying is about to begin for the US (I know it's lost in the lead up to the European championships). They are about to say hello to the Spice Boyz!
posted by trox to soccer at 09:05 AM - 8 comments
Baseball officials are investigating whether St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Roger Cedeno intentionally expectorated on umpire Rick Reed during a heated argument Tuesday or if it was merely a violation of the unofficial "say it don't spray it" rule that forms the bedrock of civil discourse.
posted by rcade to baseball at 09:00 AM - 0 comments
June 09, 2004
"Old White Guy Makes Racially Insensitive Remark" : (thanks jugwine) Larry Bird wants more white guys in basketball because that's who are watching sports in America: White dudes. But Bird qualifies his statement with, "But it is a black man's game, and it will be forever. I mean, the greatest athletes in the world are African-American." Also, Bird felt it the white man wasn't good enough to guard him...
posted by jerseygirl to basketball at 01:46 PM - 50 comments
Are we all such Parcellites around here that nobody wanted to post the 'jap play' story? What gives? Is it the lack of a fine that makes this a non-story? Is it because race/ethnicity is a sensitive topic? Is it because it is a historically accurate analogy? Or is it because he should've called them 'Osama plays'?
posted by garfield to football at 11:16 AM - 16 comments
June 08, 2004
Disgustingly arrogant, disgustingly dysfunctional, and on occasion, disgustingly good. It’s virtually a guarantee they'll be awake and inspired for Game 2 tonight. The Lakers will show up tonight, fashionably late. And when they step on the floor, they’ll see those same annoying Pistons, fabulously flawed on offense, ferociously functional on defense. A well-written column from the Detroit News. via
posted by Ufez Jones to basketball at 12:43 PM - 26 comments
Air Hockey: (shockwave). Try not to score too many own goals.
posted by BigCalm to other at 10:56 AM - 9 comments
Meanwhile, thousands of kilometres away from both the funeral marchs in Calgary and the celebration of the opening of the Bucs' training camp in Tampa Bay, a small-market team deep in the Ottawa valley hires a coach.
posted by DrJohnEvans to hockey at 09:10 AM - 13 comments
June 07, 2004
It is SO over. Lightning win.: Tampa bay has won in an unbelievable seven games. Brad Richards wins the Conn Smythe. Gelinas scored the goal that wasn't (in game 6). Will the controversy ever end? Dallas has won before, but what does it mean for hockey to have a team from Florida win? Finally, what do you think the odds of a lockout are now?
posted by insomnyuk to hockey at 09:57 PM - 55 comments
Euro '04 + Badgers = Footy footy footy footy footy: (really annoying flash - via mefi)
posted by Ufez Jones to soccer at 07:23 PM - 8 comments
Padres pass on J.D.'s little brother : to take HS SS Matt Bush. Since this is the baseball draft and very few people actually care about it, I present this subplot: two players formerly considered top 5 talents-- Stephen Drew and Jared Weaver-- fell to the middle of the first round after their agent, Scott Boras, "hinted" that they would expect to be paid Mark Prior money.
posted by filthyboy to baseball at 02:01 PM - 20 comments
England win Test and series: England's pace attack skittled New Zealand for 161 runs on a difficult Headlingley surface before cruising to a nine-wicket triumph in the second Test to seal the series. Matthew Hoggard, with four wickets, and Steve Harmison, with three, ended the tourists' resistance after an entertaining opening to Monday's final day before England knocked off their target of 45 on an increasingly erratic pitch.
posted by babuchutkan to other at 09:14 AM - 9 comments
June 06, 2004
Shaq and Kobe combine for 59...Ben Wallace only gets 8 rebounds and 1 block...Sheed only plays 28 minutes...: Game 1 of the NBA Finals *had* to go to the Lakers, right? Not so fast, Chester...
posted by MeatSaber to basketball at 10:48 PM - 19 comments
Home field advantage?: Detroit Tigers manager Alan Trammell suggests that the Minnesota Twins tampered with the ventilation system of the Metrodome; blowing air through outfield vents in the 9th inning of a game they led 6-5 to prevent the possibility of a Detroit home run.
posted by Stan Fields to baseball at 08:13 PM - 3 comments
If the Calgary Flames fail to win the Stanley Cup in Monday's Game 7 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, we'll be talking about Martin Gelinas' disputed shot for years.
posted by rcade to hockey at 11:52 AM - 28 comments
June 05, 2004
Volley for your club (Flash req'd).: Addictive game with a twist. All you need is the right and left arrows to move and the space bar to kick. The thing is, you're not scoring for yourself. If you score 15K or more (when I played last weekend, 20K was the minimum), your (English) team gets points toward promotion, or whatever league or Euro Championship they're playing for.
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 10:52 PM - 5 comments
Myskina wins French Open: Named after a Russian royal, Anastasia Myskina took her place on the throne of claycourt tennis on Saturday, thrashing Elena Dementieva in an all-Russian French Open final.
posted by babuchutkan to tennis at 12:14 PM - 15 comments
A Hockey Die-Hard Says the Ice Is No Place for Nice: Don Cherry in the New York Times (I used the Link Generator so no reg required), how can this hockey-focused crowd not jump on for many laughs?
posted by billsaysthis to hockey at 11:12 AM - 5 comments
AskSportsFilter: How do female gymnasts, lacking the flesh-colored leotards worn by figure skaters, mitigate the risk of an inopportune fabric shift that would produce a Basic Instinct moment?
posted by rcade to other at 11:09 AM - 8 comments
Raptors Hire GM: The Raptors have hired the Minnesota T'Wolves' VP of Player Personnel, Rob Babcock, as their new GM. The Raps' interim GM Jack McCloskey apparently has close ties to Babcock, so Babcock's signing is being billed as somthing of a coup for McCloskey. If this is indeed a 'coup', it's a sign that the Raptors' reign of futility won't come to an end anytime soon. McCloskey has no incentive for Babcock to do a good job--he's outta there once Babcock comes on board--and while I'm sure Babcock is qualified, if he's not the best candidate for the job, McCloskey has done nobody but Babcock a favor with his patronage hiring.
posted by lew to basketball at 10:09 AM - 4 comments
June 04, 2004
First String Divas.: The minds behind the Lingerie Bowl are now setting up a league, of sorts. Four teams, three games, all on pay-per-view, although they're shopping it to networks as a reality show as well.
posted by Ufez Jones to football at 04:09 PM - 3 comments
How to score baseball: [via MetaFilter]
posted by kirkaracha to baseball at 03:48 PM - 1 comment
OMG.: If this doesn't make you like soccer, I don't know what will. It's not the wow factor, it's just the pure joy that it communicates. Maybe my favorite ad of all time.
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 01:03 PM - 26 comments
The Ultimate Pitching Machine: "Hardware and hard science are turning big-league ballplayers into precision-guided flamethrowers. Batter up!"
posted by kirkaracha to baseball at 12:55 AM - 0 comments
June 03, 2004
"MLB's sudden parity means summer thrills," gushes MSNBC's Mike Celizic. "Parity in baseball? Let's forget about it," mutters the Toronto Star's Garth Woolsey. Or did they mean, "parody?"
posted by NoMich to baseball at 01:14 PM - 7 comments
Giants sign Kurt Warner.: It's a two-year deal (voidable after the first year) which could be worth more than $8 million if Warner achieves all of his incentives. How much playing time do you think Warner will get and how do you think things will turn out for him, Eli Manning and the rest of the Giants?
posted by Stan Fields to football at 12:07 PM - 13 comments
The Toughest Things to do in Sports.: The list is less generic than the one discussed previously here, but also more US-centric (and it takes itself less seriously). So, what was left out and what doesn't belong?
posted by Jugwine to general at 11:37 AM - 13 comments
The Shaq curse:: Stock market investors should be pulling for the Detroit Pistons in the National Basketball Association finals due to the Shaq curse, according to a published report Thursday.
Yet another reason to root for the Pistons.
posted by Ufez Jones to basketball at 10:13 AM - 6 comments
Softball: is not a game with which I am overly familiar - but it is a game that I have been roped into playing tonight for the first time. Any tips?
posted by JJ to other at 02:26 AM - 26 comments
June 02, 2004
'I think I am a special one': 'I think I am a special one,' said Chelski's new man Jose Mourinho. He wants to reduce his squad of Galacticos wannabes from 33 to 21 (plus GKs), and apparently Gronkjaer will be tops on the To Be Dropped list. Is Jose really The Man or is his ego overstuffed after five trophies in two years, given that four of those came from Portuguese-only competitions? Other coaching questions: why did Benitez resign at Valencia and not get announced as the new Houllier immediately, is Rick Parry's vacatin that important? Will Ranieri go back to Valencia and prove that it was the team and not just the coach that earned the silverware? Will Curbishly's flirtation with Liverpool give him a bad rash at Charlton? Why did Juventus embarass their former star, was his team's loss in the CL Final that bad?
posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 05:13 PM - 10 comments
Nieminen suspended one game.: The NHL has once again decided that the severity of the injury to the player is the main deciding factor in suspending a player. Should that really be factor is the reason the player was hurt has more to do with not wearing his equipment properly that the actual hit?
posted by camcanuck to hockey at 11:36 AM - 22 comments
Tommy Salo has called it quits in the NHL.: He's going back to Sweden. And so the exodus begins...
posted by MeatSaber to hockey at 08:56 AM - 8 comments
All-star voting boosts chance of a Clemens-Piazza battery.: The potential for a Clemens-Piazza battery is only one of the intriguing developments revealed by the voting totals. Boston's Nomar Garciaparra has been injured all season, but he has 412,742 votes, leading the Yankees' Derek Jeter (396,268) among American League shortstops.
posted by oliver_crunk to baseball at 08:46 AM - 17 comments
June 01, 2004
Proof that God hates soccer.: 2M download, .wmv file. Well worth your time. (via waxy links)
posted by Ufez Jones to soccer at 08:35 PM - 12 comments
His most spectacular prang was at Grasmere in 1967, when he fell down a well.: Fell-running. Mad bastards.
posted by squealy to extreme at 06:01 PM - 2 comments
The Price of Defection: The family José Contreras left behind.
posted by Jugwine to baseball at 12:27 PM - 3 comments
Sam Wants a Rematch: The Lakers eliminated the Timberwolves Monday night, but Sam Cassell thinks they were the better team. "It's difficult," Sam said. "Because I know for a fact that if I [were] healthy, we'd be moving on to the next round. No doubt about it in my mind.
posted by dusted to basketball at 10:30 AM - 12 comments