Archives for May 2006

May 31, 2006

Balls to this!: The new World Cup ball is causing goalkeepers to panic - as it does every four years. According to the keepers, it swerves, it moves, it dips, and it's not fair. The only problem is, goals per game are down this season in MLS, where the new ball has been used all season. Are keepers just paranoid, or will this World Cup ball finally be the one that makes FIFA restrict how much a ball can move in flight?

posted by Toxteth O'Grady to soccer at 11:54 AM - 16 comments

National Geographic article: about a beautiful game.

posted by Samsonov14 to soccer at 11:21 AM - 6 comments

Where did it begin?: One man's quest for justice South of the Border. [via]

posted by yerfatma to baseball at 10:06 AM - 8 comments

Armstrong cleared of doping during 1999 Tour de France: The French sports daily L'Equipe reported in August 2005 that Armstrong's urine samples from 1999 came back positive for the endurance-boosting hormone EPO when they were retested in 2004. According to independent Dutch investigators, L'Equipe had the story wrong.

posted by The_Black_Hand to other at 08:10 AM - 69 comments

From the Green Monstah to the green flag...: Former Red Sox outfielder Mike Greenwell, who's been tooling around the Florida Late Model Stock Car racing circuit for nearly ten years now, made his debut in the NASCAR-sponsored Craftsman Truck Series Memorial Day weekend, finishing 26th in the City of Mansfield 250.

posted by The_Black_Hand to auto racing at 07:55 AM - 18 comments

Cowboys and Patriots Super Bowl Bound?: Peter King sure knows how to stir things up. The SI columnist tossed out Dallas and New England as his early Super Bowl picks. Who do you think will be there at the end of the 2006-2007 season in the NFL's biggest game?

posted by donnnnychris to football at 06:23 AM - 56 comments

Gooden: "I'd rather get shot than come back here": Will prison finally be the thing that enables Dwight Gooden to kick his drug habit? Or will this sad tale of a spectacular career gone wrong and, more importantly, his life, keep spiraling downward?

posted by donnnnychris to baseball at 06:18 AM - 10 comments

May 30, 2006

Mad About Ricky: Theismann slams Argos for signing Williams.

posted by forrestv to football at 07:14 PM - 39 comments

Top 10 Baseball Records: If the biggest name in baseball can hit his 715th home run and nobody outside the 415 area code even claps, that should tell us something...It's time to reevaluate the home run and what it means in our culture. And it's time, especially, to reevaluate what we've always looked on as our favorite records in the record book.

posted by BullpenPro to baseball at 04:37 PM - 46 comments

Games against native Canadians forfeited.: Members of the Six Nations community have been involved in a dispute over land slated for private development in Caledonia, Ontario, since they believe the land belongs to them. Although a month-long blockade and protest is starting to die down, parents of Caledonian little league baseball players have forfeited games against Six Nations players, citing "safety concerns".

posted by smithers to baseball at 02:20 PM - 25 comments

Why this year's French Open is so important: Excellently-written explanation on what makes particular styles work for different surfaces, as well as why the psychology of Federer v. Nadal is so gripping.

posted by platocave to tennis at 12:01 PM - 3 comments

Gearing up for Fenway: Even us AL West fans love this rivalry.

posted by mjkredliner to baseball at 11:17 AM - 39 comments

Bill Walton flies coach: "The seat that I absolutely must have in order to be comfortable: The right-side, aisle seat. No bulkhead."

posted by werty to basketball at 09:05 AM - 13 comments

Secret Signals.: If you get bored watching England try to break down a defensive Paraguayan team, or lose interest during the classic Poland vs Ecuador match, you can always watch the hidden communications between the officials. Two weeks ago the Italian FA withdrew its original officials for the world cup, while investigations continue into rather different secrets. (Previous SpoFi : 1 , 2)

posted by Mr Bismarck to soccer at 07:20 AM - 9 comments

Lacrosse's positive side: Virginia caps undefeated campaign with NCAA lacrosse championship.

posted by justgary to other at 01:39 AM - 11 comments

Wade delivers Heat 3-1 lead: Detroit? Done.

posted by justgary to basketball at 01:35 AM - 24 comments

AL Central the best ... so far: By the end of next week, Chicago should be at the top looking at the Tigers from the rear view mirror.....

posted by zippinglou to baseball at 01:19 AM - 22 comments

May 29, 2006

Funky Stats League Now Open: Following up on this post, the SpoFi Funky Stats Fantasy Baseball League is currently open and accepting managers.
Join up info inside.

posted by fenriq to fantasy at 10:36 AM - 14 comments

New 'MNF' team buckles up: Producer Jay Rothman seemed thrilled: "It was scary good. Good enough to put on the air, right out of the box. We're ecstatic, to be honest."

posted by justgary to football at 03:23 AM - 26 comments

May 28, 2006

Kahne fends off Johnson for Coca-Cola 600 win: A pretty good race considering the harder tire and smaller fuel cell. A race with 37 lead changes isn't too bad. Congrats to Kasey. It's nice to see him keep the # 9 car winning after Bill Elliott retired.

posted by dbt302 to auto racing at 10:39 PM - 4 comments

Why did Shumi do it?: At the tail end of Saturday's qualifying session, provisional pole sitter Michael Schumacher apparently decided to park his F1 in the middle of the track, in order to prevent Fernando Alonso from having a shot at first place on the grid. Keke Rosberg called it "the cheapest, dirtiest thing I have ever seen in Formula One", while Max Mosley wants us to "take this thing in its context". The most successful driver in F1 history is no stranger to controversy.

posted by qbert72 to auto racing at 07:03 PM - 29 comments

715: Barry Bonds stands alone at No. 715. He hit the milestone home run with a two-run shot to center field Sunday, moving past Babe Ruth into sole possession of second place on the career list behind Hank Aaron.

posted by redsoxrgay to baseball at 05:14 PM - 105 comments

Two Tribes Go to War: The most exciting at-bat to watch in the Major Leagues: former Cleveland Indians teammates Omar Vizquel vs. Jose Mesa. "Even my little boy told me to get him," Mesa said of bad blood sparked by insults in Omar's 2003 autobiography. "If I face him 10 more times, I'll hit him 10 times. I want to kill him."

posted by rcade to baseball at 04:35 PM - 15 comments

Hornish Wins the Indianapolis 500: In the second closest finish at Indianapolis, Sam Hornish Jr. got a good run exiting the final turn and passed rookie Marco Andretti for the win.

posted by houston2006 to auto racing at 03:35 PM - 13 comments

"The most bizarre match in the history of Super 12/14 football.": Super 14 Final went Saturday between the Crusaders and Hurricanes. Those at Jade Stadium, Christchurch, were asking each other after the bell "Who won?" The only obvious reply was: "Haven't the foggiest."

posted by the red terror to other at 10:12 AM - 7 comments

May 27, 2006

Ironhead Dies at Age 39: Craig "Ironhead" Heyward, an 11-year NFL running back best known for his stints with the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons, died today at age 39 after an eight-year battle with a brain tumor.

posted by rcade to football at 09:19 PM - 18 comments

Newsvine World Cup 2006 Pick'em Game?: Because one fantasy competition does not seem to be enough to suit us, how about this NewsVine team-oriented game in addition to the player-based fantasy league we set up last week? It's free and I create a SpoFi group, just use 692935 for the key.

posted by billsaysthis to fantasy at 11:57 AM - 1 comment

Dead Climber Saved on Mount Everest: Left for dead by two sherpas whose own lives were at risk, an Australian mountaineer was found alive a day later. An American climber provided aid and alerted others so that a rescue could be organized, but continued on to the summit (a report that's being disputed) . In related news, this edited photo from Everest News claims to show how closely climbers had to pass by David Sharp as he was dying on his descent last week.

posted by rcade to extreme at 09:20 AM - 7 comments

Waltrip Buys Start for Coke 600: NASCAR driver Michael Waltrip bought his way into a starting position from Derrick Cope because he didn't qualify on time and is not in the top 35 in driver points.

posted by houston2006 to auto racing at 06:29 AM - 18 comments

May 26, 2006

Woods skips Memorial:: Tiger, still mourning the death of his dad, decided to not play in Jack's tournament for the first time since becoming a full-time pro in 1997. Woods, a three-time winner at Muirfield Village, will most likely go into the U.S. Open without having played a tournament since finishing in a tie for third at The Masters in early April. That is, if he decides to play the U.S. Open.

posted by donnnnychris to golf at 06:53 PM - 20 comments

Duke women stand by their men:: In a show of support, members of the Duke's women's lacrosse team wrote the numbers of the three Duke men's lacrosse players accused of rape on wristbands they wore during warmups for their NCAA semifinal game on Friday night.

posted by donnnnychris to other at 06:46 PM - 21 comments

New Newark mayor rethinking arena: Cory Booker, who will be sworn in on July 1, said he is reconsidering the deal and is conducting a cost-benefit analysis. The city and the Devils broke ground in October on the 18,000-seat arena. The new arena is part of a downtown redevelopement plan.

posted by MrFrisby to hockey at 06:39 PM - 3 comments

Bobby Brown: should have no place on a sports website, but this Bobby Brown has done some things that make marrying Whitney Houston seem sane. He has run across Australia, the US and now Europe, but by far the silliest thing he has done is compete in the 1997 World Deca-Ironman Championships. For the uninitiated, that involves swimming 24 miles, before cycling 1120 miles, and then running 262 miles... without stopping. "Eventually, after 8 days, 6 hours and 14 minutes, I crossed the line to finish the toughest endurance race in the world. I had broken the old world record by 6 hours and set a new British record by some 20 hours." He finished fourth.

posted by JJ to extreme at 11:01 AM - 19 comments

"You can wait for what seems like a lifetime for your dream and then, all of a sudden, it happens in a split second.": For Dustin "little-guy-turned-big-guy" Penner, there has been no preordained super stardom to dilute his work ethic, which has been key for him beginning to realize his dream of playing in the NHL, and playing well. At 6'4", 245lbs, with 10 points in 12 playoff games, and one of the few players I've ever seen able to box out Pronger with pure strength rather than leverage, he is well on his way. Poolies beware, Penner is on now officially on the radar.

posted by garfield to hockey at 09:14 AM - 6 comments

May 25, 2006

UFC 60: Hughes vs. Gracie

posted by everett to extreme at 11:30 PM - 38 comments

"The King" Thinks women should not be in Racing: Richard Petty said that women should not be in NASCAR.

posted by houston2006 to auto racing at 11:23 PM - 114 comments

Coaches face suspension for wins of 50-plus points: The football committee of the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference, which governs high school sports, is adopting a "score management" policy that will suspend coaches whose teams win by more than 50 points.

posted by STUNNER to football at 05:52 PM - 94 comments

Location, location, location.:
A look inside clubhouse real estate and the perks of being a veteran baseball player.

posted by grum@work to baseball at 05:23 PM - 6 comments

Jogging...backwards?: I'm not a runner so maybe I shouldn't comment, but backwards running? This has got to be more dangerous then they say in this article. I can't imagine not landing on my back every few feet.

posted by commander cody to other at 05:11 PM - 7 comments

Heat 1: - Pistons 0
Suns 1 - Mavericks 0

posted by lilnemo to basketball at 04:00 PM - 8 comments

Bosh not big on Bargnani: How much say should current players have in swaying the front office towards or in this case away from portential picks.

posted by gradys_kitchen to basketball at 03:25 PM - 13 comments

Rooney may only play as early as World Cup second round: ... if England make it that far. "The exact position will be ascertained today when Rooney undergoes a hospital scan on his broken metatarsal. There is no doubt the striker has made encouraging progress, but he has been informed in the last 24 hours that there is only a slender chance, at best, of him appearing for England before June 24."

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 12:10 PM - 7 comments

Penguins Hire Shero: Ray Shero was hired Thursday as the Pittsburgh Penguins' general manager, a day after the Nashville Predators assistant general manager broke off talks with the Boston Bruins about their GM's job.

posted by SummersEve to hockey at 10:21 AM - 11 comments

Chelios to return to Red Wings: The ageless Chris Chelios set to come back for another season with the Red Wings. 23 seasons played ties him with Al MacInnis for second amongst defensemen.

posted by HATER 187 to hockey at 09:14 AM - 14 comments

Mets add another starter: The Mets have made a trade with Arizona, bringing back El Duque to New York. Do the Mets now have a legitimate starting 5? Or are they old, and bound to get injured?

posted by redsoxrgay to baseball at 04:59 AM - 13 comments

A Timeout To Kill: The insidious clock-stopping menace that's destroying the NBA.

Fans who slept through Monday night's Mavericks-Spurs game will wake up to read that Dallas pulled off a "thrilling" victory in a series that was "as good as basketball gets." I'll give it to you straight, sleepyheads: Reading about it was a lot more fun than watching it.

posted by justgary to basketball at 01:39 AM - 14 comments

Funky Stats Fantasy Baseball?:
I was noticing that there are some pretty obscure stats that could be used to set up a 5x5 (or whatever XxX desired) that would have nothing like home runs but rather outfield assists, sacrifices, balks and other offbeat stats to play.

Anyone interested?


posted by fenriq to fantasy at 12:29 AM - 17 comments

May 24, 2006

"The people just want to get to the top. They don't give a damn for anybody else who may be in distress and it doesn't impress me at all that they leave someone lying under a rock to die.": Sir Edmund Hillary (and many others) weigh in on the ethical issues involved in a recent fatal incident on Mount Everest. British solo climber David Sharp collapsed and later died a short distance from the summit; of the estimated 40 climbers who passed Sharp while he was still alive, only one party attempted to help him.

posted by lil_brown_bat to extreme at 03:44 PM - 32 comments

Jake the Snake in a road rage: The oddest part about this for me though is that it took the police a month before they ticketed him!?

posted by commander cody to football at 03:36 PM - 20 comments

Avery Johnson racks Josh Howard: (youtube) 15 seconds into overtime against the spurs, Avery Johnson runs to Adrian Griffin and puts him in the game. He grabs Griffin's shirt with his left hand. Watch his right hand.

posted by puke & cry to basketball at 02:32 PM - 10 comments

Wigan Grabs Johnson.: Just had to post that title. EPL surprise team Wigan Athletic agreed to purchase Crystal Palace striker Andy Johnson for BP8.5m.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 02:22 PM - 18 comments

Dave Righetti Gives Up #19 In Tribute To Rookie's Brother: Kevin Frandsen's late brother always loved Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti and long listed the left-hander as his favorite player. Both grew up in the South Bay in San Jose. Now that the infielder is back in the big leagues for a second stint with San Francisco, he is wearing Righetti's No. 19 jersey instead of the No. 8 that he wore earlier this month in his initial callup.

posted by L.N. Smithee to baseball at 01:10 PM - 5 comments

"When you get to the end of your rope, you tie a knot.": And that knot is the CFL if you are a player banished from the NFL. Ricky Williams might be playing in Toronto this year.

posted by gspm to football at 07:34 AM - 25 comments

Are You Ready For Some Jeb-Ball?: Florida Governor Jeb Bush has been approached by the National Football League as a possible replacement for retiring Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. After dealing with the Florida Legislature, NFL owners should be a piece of cake for the "smart Bush brother."

posted by The_Black_Hand to football at 06:57 AM - 39 comments

May 23, 2006

iJogging: Nike and Apple join to forces to create running shoes that communicate wirelessly with your iPod while you're running.

posted by smithers to culture at 09:33 PM - 28 comments

The No-Fun NFL strikes again: Reggie Bush was denied his request to wear his college number, No. 5, in the pros because the NFL mandates that running backs wear numbers between 20-49 and the competition committee said no to his petition in a ruling this week. Numerous columnists, most notably SI's Peter King, have called this rule silly but it doesn't matter for Bush because he was still denied, even though he was planning to use the proceeds from the sale of his No. 5 jersey to raise money for Hurricane Katrina victims on the Gulf Coast. Just another move by the NFL that makes no sense at all.

posted by donnnnychris to football at 09:13 PM - 43 comments

8.8%? I like those odds!: The Toronto Raptors win the NBA Draft Lottery, followed by the Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Bobcats. Meanwhile, the lowly TrailBlazers, who had the best odds at a lottery pick, fall to fourth. Sometimes you just can't win for trying.

posted by Ufez Jones to basketball at 07:37 PM - 21 comments

Danny Almonte, Now 19, Gets Married to 30-Year-Old Woman: The former Bronx Little League pitcher whose being two years over the maximum age invalidated his team's Little League World Series run is now a 19-year-old pitching prospect likely to be selected in the baseball amateur draft, scheduled for June 6-7. He's also a recently married man -- and to an older woman.

posted by L.N. Smithee to baseball at 02:29 PM - 69 comments

"It is 380 miles by road from Liverpool to Inverness,: and by air from Liverpool to Paris, about as far as 15 marathons. What’s this got to do with football? Nothing, really, except it might help us get our heads round an athlete such as Steven Gerrard. Those 380 miles are roughly the distance Gerrard covered last season while playing for club and country, a 10th of it at sprinting speed or close." The Sunday Times article on ProZone, computer analysis of every 1/10 of a second of football matches that is changing how games are played. Will it also change how games are perceived? [via The Sports Economist]

posted by yerfatma to soccer at 08:00 AM - 5 comments

Great hockey, yes, but is anyone watching?: Regular-season broadcasts on OLN this year drew an average of only 117,000 households, according to Nielsen, compared with the 416,000 homes that watched hockey broadcasts on ESPN and the 209,000 homes that watched games on ESPN2 in 2003-04. To put those numbers in perspective, more people watched the 13 WNBA broadcasts on ESPN2 last year than the NHL on OLN this year.

posted by dyams to hockey at 07:58 AM - 52 comments

Can Shaq do it one more time? Or is the Diesel out of fuel?: This might be Shaq's last chance at a title but with the Pistons in Miami's way nobody is predicting the Heat can advance. If the big guy comes to play though, anything can happen. Does he have enough left in his tank for one last title push?

posted by donnnnychris to basketball at 02:57 AM - 23 comments

May 22, 2006

New sheriff in town.: Two OT's. Five games decided by five points or less. Two games decided by one point. Mavericks win the series. One for the ages.

posted by Ufez Jones to basketball at 10:26 PM - 33 comments

"People don't understand what's going on here": The San Antonio Express-News examines the Texas Racing Commission's database of horse injuries, documenting a sport where injuries like Barbaro's are more common than you might think. At Retama Park near San Antonio, a horse died every six days during the park's 67-day season last year.

posted by rcade to other at 08:35 PM - 7 comments

The "King of the Mile" retires: Hicham El Guerrouj announces he has raced his last at the age of 31. El Guerrouj has dominated the 1500 and mile for a decade, winning four consecutive world titles, and the 2004 Olympic gold, at 1500 m. He is the current world record holder at 1500 m, one mile, and 2000 m. I could go on — one of the greatest runners of our or any era.

posted by Amateur to other at 07:55 PM - 3 comments

New Orleans to host 2008 NBA All-Star Game: The NBA confirmed Monday that its 2008 All-Star Game will be played in this beleaguered but rebuilding city, an announcement local officials seized upon as a sign the Hornets also will be playing here full-time in the 2007-08 season.

posted by STUNNER to basketball at 06:17 PM - 9 comments

NBA Draft Lottery Projections: This article shows the odds of each team earning the first pick in the NBA Draft. How about them stupid Knicks- Eddie Curry and Antonio Davis.... for possibly the 1st pick of the draft??

posted by redsoxrgay to basketball at 05:56 PM - 13 comments

World Cup KickOff: is all you will ever need for knowing all the match details for the upcoming World Cup 2006.

posted by justgary to soccer at 03:33 PM - 19 comments

The hard part? "The swimming.": Seven-year-old Braxton Bilbrey swam the 1.4 miles from Alcatraz Island (yes, The Rock) to San Francisco's Aquatic Park today. If you don't know, that water is cold like ice water, any time of the year. SF Chronicle reports that it took Braxton 47 minutes to complete the swim, and he will donate money raised by the event to swimming safety programs in Arizona. Braxton for President in 2008!

posted by worldcup2002 to other at 02:36 PM - 28 comments

Italy coach implicated in growing scandal.: "[S]ources inside the police in Naples claimed Lippi is himself a client of GEA World, the sports agency at the heart of the scandal. ... [O]f 63 players called up for Italy duty, nine have been GEA players, including Giorgio Chiellini, who is represented by Lippi's son. ... The officials who appointed him have already been forced to quit and his former club face relegation - and possible bankruptcy - for financial and sporting irregularities. A television poll ... found that 85 per cent of viewers want him to step down, a call echoed by one of the nation's leading newspapers."

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 04:58 AM - 7 comments

May 21, 2006

Deja vu? Lebron, Michael...Michael, LeBron: Isn't it funny how history seems to repeat itself? First, it was Michael who couldn't solve Detroit's defense when it was crunch time in his baby steps into the NBA Playoffs. Now it seems to be LeBron's turn. I wouldn't want to be on the defensive end next year against LeBron, not with another year of maturity and renewed drive to push even further. He's gonna be scary good.

posted by donnnnychris to basketball at 10:04 PM - 43 comments

After long pause, Hingis wins title: Martina Hingis beat Dinara Safina of Russia, 6-2, 7-5, on Sunday at the Italian Open in Rome for her first title since coming out of retirement.

Now Hingis dreams of her first French Open title, the only grand slam title to elude her.

posted by justgary to tennis at 05:51 PM - 9 comments

Who cares about 714. . .will Albert hit 80?: With his 21st home run on Saturday, Albert Pujols has 21 home runs in 43 team games. He also has 53 RBIs. Computed over a full season that would be 79 home runs (not 80, but close enough) and 200 RBIs. What numbers will he end up with?

posted by donnnnychris to baseball at 06:14 AM - 66 comments

White Sox and Cubs brawl.: Cubs manager Dusty Baker has no problem with Pierzynski, but Rich Hill does, calling the collision "gutless" and "pathetic". White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen's response?

"Tell that Triple-A [bleep] to shut the [bleep] up. Tell him to start throwing some strikes or he's going to get Dusty fired."

Any questions?



posted by justgary to baseball at 12:32 AM - 51 comments

May 20, 2006

Barbaro pulls up lame in Preakness: After a fidgety pre-race afternoon, breaking through the gate and false-starting, and a good clean start, Kentucky Derby winner and strong favorite Barbaro was pulled up in the opening lengths of the Preakness by jockey Edgar Prado after taking a bad step and injuring his right hind ankle. The attending veterinarian said that it "looks like a significant injury".

posted by lil_brown_bat to other at 05:30 PM - 27 comments

714.: 756?

posted by rcade to baseball at 03:54 PM - 71 comments

MORE Bad News for Yankees: The Yankees can't catch a break lately. With a pitching staff that is old and stale, and an outfield full of AAA players, the Yankees are in serious trouble. Will Pavano ever pitch for the Yanks again??

posted by redsoxrgay to baseball at 02:08 PM - 23 comments

May 19, 2006

Ex-girlfriend accuses Tigers' Young of choking her: Detroit Tigers designated hitter Dmitri Young was charged with domestic violence after his former girlfriend accused him of choking her, the Detroit Free Press reported Thursday.

posted by wingnut4life to baseball at 10:54 PM - 22 comments

The Boys from the Suburbs: Hundreds of thousands of Australian children play soccer each and every winter weekend. Only a few end up going to the World Cup. Here are the stories of where Harry Kewell, Mark Schwarzer, Tim Cahill and others got their starts. Anecdotes to warm the hearts of parents, coaches and players everywhere.

posted by owlhouse to soccer at 08:24 PM - 2 comments

OSU Coach Sutton Announces Retirement : Eddie Sutton retired as Oklahoma State's basketball coach Friday after a drunken driving accident ended a 36-year career highlighted by 798 wins and three trips to the Final Four.

posted by irunfromclones to basketball at 06:14 PM - 3 comments

Goalmine: is intended as a database - and eventually, community - for shared goal clips and researching information about those goals. You can search the video database by goalscorer, club, opposition, competition, and goal type. Also, users can register - free - to add goal clips they've found, rate goals, and find the top rated goals in the database. (via MeFi Projects)

posted by Ufez Jones to soccer at 05:39 PM - 7 comments

Garner, Springer suspended for "beaning" Bonds: Well...it WAS obvious that Springer was throwing at Bonds, but with their history, who can understand why not.

posted by chemwizBsquared to baseball at 02:57 PM - 49 comments

Now that BMW has finally entered their own car in F1,: is it time for them to finally enter the realm of MotoGP? Speaking of MotoGP, are we in the midst of a changing of the guard? There are many young superstars in the making, wanting to be the man to punt the current champ, Valentino Rossi, to F1.

posted by NoMich to auto racing at 02:21 PM - 9 comments

Ohio State's Tressel to get nearly $2.4M this season: Jim Tressel just became the highest paid coach in the Big Ten and rightfully so, he has taken the Buckeyes to 5 straight bowl games winning 4 and 3 of which were BCS bowl games.

posted by Clevelander32 to football at 02:01 PM - 5 comments

Clippers Force Game 7: What a game last night...while Dallas/San Antonio is getting all the headlights and LeBron is stealing all the commercials, the Suns/Clippers matchup has been probably the BEST of the 4 semifinal matchups. But why is Game 7 on Monday?

posted by chemwizBsquared to basketball at 01:24 PM - 9 comments

Be like the Red Wings and Stars and Senators...?: a worthwhile rant by Terry Frei

posted by garfield to hockey at 09:33 AM - 21 comments

May 18, 2006

Jason Terry suspended for game 6 of the Mavs/Spurs series: for punching Michael Finley in the basket.

posted by Ufez Jones to basketball at 05:38 PM - 49 comments

Fantasy Premier League International: Have you EPL fantasy league players seen this email? It's from the same guys that did the EPL league we just completed. It's free and here's the deal: (1) If you played Fantasy Premier League last season you don't need to re-register - just log-in now with your original username and password. (2) You pick Barclays Premiership players participating at this summer's (FIFA World Cup) finals for a squad of 12 players and a manager, for no more than 100million pounds, who will earn points based on their performances at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. (3) The overall winner will receive a VIP trip to a Barclays Premiership game, including two nights' accommodation, pre-match meal, match tickets, all transfers and 250 pounds spending money. (Whateva.) I don't think I'm gonna play but thought you fanta-fanatics might.

posted by worldcup2002 to fantasy at 02:33 PM - 10 comments

Who needs Joe Thornton: when there is Shawn Horcoff? The hard working centerman has risen to the occasion for the 8th seeded Oilers, who eliminated the San Jose Sharks yesterday, to complete the NHL semi-finals picture. None of the last 4 teams standing made the playoffs last season.

posted by qbert72 to hockey at 11:09 AM - 12 comments

May 17, 2006

NHL Playoffs Round 3 pick 'em: Round two is over, and only Anaheim, Edmonton, Carolina and Buffalo (who'd have predicted that??) are left. The current leaderboard. Make your conference final picks inside:

posted by mkn to fantasy at 11:19 PM - 31 comments

Tragic Turn: Kyle Ambrogi's suicide was appalling to everyone who knew him. He was a running back on the Penn football team, a senior finance major with a 3.5 GPA in the prestigious Wharton business school and perhaps most impressive, the kid everyone else turned to for advice when feeling down.

posted by STUNNER to general at 10:52 PM - 14 comments

NHL Confidence Pool Update: round 2 is over. Edmonton and Anaheim are the Cinderella teams, and DrJohnEvans and NoMich are in a close fight for the lead. What were your best/worst picks?

posted by qbert72 to fantasy at 09:55 PM - 35 comments

Cavs take Series Lead with a Squeaker: Down to the wire. Intense game. Cleveland comes from being counted out by many.

posted by T$PORT4lawschool to basketball at 08:56 PM - 28 comments

You can win $1000 for defeating Lennox Lewis.: In a game of chess. Huh?

posted by Samsonov14 to other at 08:03 PM - 11 comments

Champions of Europe!: UEFA Champions League decided tonight. I'll avoid putting the result right in the post lest some Statesiders have intentions to watch the game on delay but just can't avoid wandering past Spofi.

posted by gspm to soccer at 05:16 PM - 45 comments

Steelers' Porter to Bush: Uhh, Never Mind: Porter opened his mouth a few days ago stating what he wanted to tell the President. Should pro athletes and politics meet at the Whitehouse?

posted by Folkways to football at 04:54 PM - 21 comments

One minor setback: The United States dropped into a fifth-place tie in the May FIFA rankings, the last before next month's World Cup.

posted by lex2000 to soccer at 12:14 PM - 33 comments

Sorry Coach my ADD was acting up? : LaRoche's Blunder Puts Spotlight on ADD: Adam LaRoche knows how it looks. He doesn't seem to be trying hard. He comes across as inattentive, sluggish, a little too laid-back to be a professional athlete. LaRoche's relaxed approach — and a disorder that makes it hard for him to concentrate — have come under scrutiny after the most embarrassing moment of his three-year major league career. On Sunday, after scooping up a routine grounder that should have been the third out of the inning, LaRoche took his time getting to first and was stunningly beaten to the bag by Washington's Nick Johnson, who was hustling all the way.

posted by hb74147 to baseball at 09:06 AM - 22 comments

Gatlin Denied World Record: - Gatlin's time of 9.766 seconds should have been manually rounded up to 9.77 seconds, which only equals Asafa Powell's (reinstated) world record.

posted by JJ to other at 06:03 AM - 25 comments

May 16, 2006

Italian Football Association placed in emergency administration : On Sunday, Juventus were crowned as champions of Italy. On Monday, their General Manager Luciano Moggi offically resigned, along with the entire board of directors. Now Italy's famous straight-arrow Silvio Berlusconi is demanding Juve be stripped of their last two titles, in favour of the team he owns, even though Milan themselves are one of four Serie A teams under investigation in match-fixing allegations.

posted by Mr Bismarck to soccer at 10:03 PM - 14 comments

Hall Opens Doors for Paterno, Bowden: They have a zillion wins and enough experience to choke a horse. Good choices for the HOF.

posted by dbt302 to football at 08:42 PM - 7 comments

Babe Ruth's lost home run: In 1918, Ruth hit what would be called a walk-off homer today. But back then, the rules called it a triple. And, except for a brief period in the late 1960s, it's been a triple ever since. Talk about an asterisk.

posted by Dan121377 to baseball at 12:19 PM - 41 comments

Fantasy baseball is going to trial!: There is a dispute between a St. Louis Co. that operates some fantasy sports leagues over the internet, and the internet arm of MLB. MLB thinks anyone using names and stats needs to buy a license, the St. Louis Co. says those are public domain.

posted by jojomfd1 to baseball at 01:26 AM - 25 comments

May 15, 2006

Wallace and the taste of his own words.: Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge Pistons fan, but (except for Broardway Joe) how often does guaranteeing a game work? Should players keep their mouths shut sometimes?

posted by commander cody to basketball at 11:52 PM - 33 comments

Miami Signs Marcus Vick: Just keep him away from Ricky Williams.

posted by chemwizBsquared to football at 10:36 PM - 45 comments

Ballack signs for Chelsea.: The Germany captain and former Bayern Munich midfielder joined Chelsea on a free transfer. To clear up any confusion, Chelsea boss Mourinho insisted "Ballack and (Chelsea captain and midfielder) Lampard will play together". Thou doth protest too much?

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 03:42 PM - 25 comments

Doug Flutie Retires: After 22 years, Doug Flutie decided to join Gerald Phelan in the ranks of retired Patriots. The Boston Globe was clearly prepared, with a list of stories from his career, a couple of front pages from the Hail Mary upset of Miami and a photo gallery. When you're finished, you can start hitting F5 on Flutie's Wikipedia entry to see how soon it gets updated.

posted by yerfatma to football at 11:57 AM - 32 comments

Booing:: not just for Canadians anymore!

posted by qbert72 to hockey at 11:26 AM - 84 comments

The Saturday game: precursors modern day poker nights. An excellent story about a group of guys that started meetnig up on Saturdays in 1971 to play hoops.

posted by jasonspaceman to basketball at 11:01 AM - 4 comments

May 14, 2006

Nadal Beats Federer, Ties Clay-Court Mark: "Nadal has won nine straight tournaments on clay. His 16th title also tied him with Bjorn Borg for most titles won as a teenager."

posted by everett to tennis at 05:56 PM - 5 comments

Brown's Dream Job With Knicks Could Be History: Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan, who's upset over Brown's record and the coach's public criticism of his players, is considering buying out the final four years of the coach's contract, the New York Daily News and New York Post reported in Sunday's editions.

posted by wingnut4life to basketball at 02:31 PM - 41 comments

Matador Alonso reverses Schumacher's strategy at Barcelona: Following being outwitted by Micheal Schumacher and his Ferrari team, Fernando Alonso answers with a reply of his own, to win his first home race of his career

posted by mgero to commentary at 01:52 PM - 0 comments

Reports: Baylor wins NBA executive of the year: The Clippers' turnaround has reportedly paid off for Elgin Baylor.The Los Angeles Times and The Sporting News reported Saturday that the Clippers general manager has been chosen the NBA's executive of the year and will receive the award in a ceremony next week.

posted by STUNNER to basketball at 12:29 AM - 7 comments

May 13, 2006

Jarrett Driving a Toyota next year - Official: Dale Jarrett is officially Driving a Toyota in 2007 which means 2006 will be his last year with Robert Yates.

posted by houston2006 to auto racing at 08:02 PM - 22 comments

Francis shot and killed in Baton Rouge: Southern California freshman point guard Ryan Francis was shot and killed early Saturday while riding in a car in Louisiana, where he was visiting his mother. This is sad, he was just visiting his mother. R.I.P. Ryan

posted by STUNNER to basketball at 04:35 PM - 106 comments

Liverpool Defeats West Ham in FA Cup Classic: Five-to-one underdog West Ham United nearly pulled off an upset for the ages in the FA Cup, losing to Liverpool 3-1 on penalty kicks after a 3-3 tie. Liverpool Captain Steven Gerrard sent the match into extra time with a 40-yard strike in the 91st minute.

posted by rcade to soccer at 12:22 PM - 22 comments

Sorenstam out after Michelob Ultra second round: Annika Sorenstam had two hours to wait after finishing play to see if the Kingsmill River Course that had frustrated her again would help keep her in the Michelob Ultra Open for the weekend by doing the same to others.With a second straight 2-over-par 73 on Friday, the top player in women's golf missed the cut for the first time since 2002. She finished in a tie for 72nd, with the top 71 players continuing into Saturday on the 6,306-yard layout.

posted by STUNNER to golf at 01:11 AM - 3 comments

May 12, 2006

Soccer Flash Friday: I thought I had World Cup Fever but it turns out it was just syphilis. Again. Here's a neat little flash volley-kicking soccer game anyway. Enjoy.

posted by Samsonov14 to soccer at 07:34 PM - 7 comments

Browns constructed to contend: Being a huge Browns fan, I am excited about this upcoming season and glad to hear that we are USA Today's surprise team of '06. Among the football fans, who is your surprise team?

posted by Clevelander32 to football at 06:10 PM - 23 comments

Gatlin breaks world record held by Powell: Olympic champion Justin Gatlin broke the 100-meter world record Friday with a time of 9.76 seconds at the Qatar Grand Prix.

posted by STUNNER to other at 05:35 PM - 7 comments

Lions trade Harrington to Dolphins: The Miami Dolphins acquired quarterback Joey Harrington from Detroit for an undisclosed conditional draft pick, giving the Dolphins a fallback position if new starter Daunte Culpepper isn't ready for the season's first snap.

posted by usroute17 to football at 04:41 PM - 34 comments

Cringe-worthy. : Matsui fractures wrist, makes the play (wow!), ends a consecutive game streak at 518 (more wow), has surgery and is expected to be out at least 3 months, if not more.

posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 04:31 PM - 29 comments

NBA GM Fixit: An invitation to SpoFiers inside...

posted by smithers to fantasy at 02:16 PM - 3 comments

Carl Cook is not a typical Clipper season-ticket holder: For one thing, he's homeless.

posted by justgary to basketball at 01:29 PM - 14 comments

Who should "tone it down"?: I can't help but draw some comparisons to this blowout by the Canadian men over the host Latvian team at the IIHF World Championships and the Canadian women's domination of the Italian team at the Turin Olympics. In this case, it is the fans who apparently need to "tone it down", where in Turin, it was the Canadian women who came under fire for such an overwhelming performance over the host team.

posted by Spitztengle to hockey at 12:17 PM - 2 comments

Maurice lands Leafs top gig: The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to name former Hartford Whalers and Carolina Hurricanes head coach Paul Maurice to their top job this morning. Maurice had been the head coach of the AHL's Toronto Marlies.

posted by wfrazerjr to hockey at 09:49 AM - 15 comments

Taking an interview off the Sutcliffe: ESPN analyst and former Cy Young award winner Rick Sutcliffe apparently had a little too much to drink with buddy Bill Murray at a Brewers-Padres game Wednesday night. His rambling interview included references to George Clooney, Africa and the future employment of Padres announcer Matt Vasgersian before his microphone was cut off.

posted by wfrazerjr to baseball at 09:00 AM - 23 comments

Fear the flying V: Anaheim Ducks sweep the Colorado Avalanche. Jaw dropping goal tending, 4 big, fast lines, and a greater desire win propelle the Ducks into the Western Conference Finals.

posted by HATER 187 to hockey at 08:40 AM - 17 comments

May 11, 2006

Rocky might be returning home: but at the foot of the steps? Better than nowhere I suppose. "Ordinary Philadelphians"?, what's up with that? Didn't know there was such a thing. Its about time Rocky returned to his spot overlooking one of the greatest cities in the world, I remember him up there when I was a kid. Rock on Rocky.

posted by GoBirds to culture at 06:00 PM - 19 comments

Jimmy is out: Jimmy Smith retires, stating, "If I can't give it my all to this organization and the fans, I'm just not going to do that".

posted by igottheblues to football at 04:54 PM - 7 comments

Roger Clemens' Family Offers Him One-Year, $10 Million Contract:

According to reports, the contract is a one-year deal with a family option for a second year should Clemens perform well in his new role as husband and father. Much of the $10 million will be deferred to allow the family to accommodate his other demands, particularly the custom recliner and the vanity plates for his Hummer. According to Debbie, this contract is nearly identical to the one Clemens signed to join the family initially.

posted by justgary to baseball at 03:54 PM - 27 comments

Floyd Patterson: , the first man to regain the world heavyweight title, has died at the age of 71. Floyd Patterson through the years.

posted by justgary to boxing at 02:49 PM - 4 comments

The losing team: Unlike Republicans, there are few Democrat athletes.

Even Richard Nixon played football at Whittier College. I interviewed him once. You know what Nixon most wanted to talk about? Bowling. He was very proud that he had bowling alleys built in the White House.

Yeah, and then Jimmy Carter took them out.



posted by justgary to culture at 02:41 PM - 34 comments

On Meeting a Legend.: The Baltimore Sun's Rick Maese has a lifelong dream come true when he meets The Champ.

posted by rocketman to culture at 02:32 PM - 5 comments

Your message drives teams on.: Apparently, there was a contest for slogans that get printed on each of the team buses at the upcoming FIFA World Cup. Here are the winners, selected by online votes (although I'm not sure all of them should be called that). Which ones did you like best? Which ones are the hokiest? What slogan would you have come up with?

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 02:23 PM - 15 comments

May 10, 2006

The Dominator may be back.: Dom Hasek's practicing again. Ottawa says he won't skate in game three...but if Ottawa can turn this series into a six- or seven-gamer, then Hasek may very well become the x-factor for the Sens against his old team in Buffalo. So he may be back. Will it matter?

posted by diastematic to hockey at 04:14 PM - 32 comments

Going Long for Jesus: "Today, more pro athletes than ever are using their respective fields of play as pulpits to express, and promote, their faith. Unknown to many fans, though, there's often a 'coach' behind the post-game prayers and testimonies. ... Chaplains like Harvey [a staff member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes] are embedded, with rare exception, inside each of the nearly 100 teams in the Big Three major-league sports: baseball, football and basketball."

Note: The full article is available to Salon Premium members, or for free by viewing a sponsor's advertisement.

posted by Amateur to culture at 09:53 AM - 129 comments

un, deux, trois, quatre: Lupul becomes the first player in NHL playoff history to cap a four-goal game with an overtime score. Rookie goalie sensation Bryzgalov also made history by posting the second longest shutout streak in NHL playoff history at 249 minutes and 15 seconds.

posted by HATER 187 to hockey at 08:17 AM - 17 comments

May 09, 2006

The devil is in the details: apparently a technicality creates an option for the Major League Baseball Players' Association to end the new MLB drug policy and revert to 2005 rules.

posted by lil_brown_bat to baseball at 09:01 PM - 35 comments

Adelman out in Sacramento after eight seasons: Rick Adelman will not return for a ninth season as coach of the Sacramento Kings, the team announced Tuesday.Adelman, who led the Kings to eight consecutive playoff appearances, will not receive a contract extension.

posted by STUNNER to basketball at 06:28 PM - 41 comments

Young Suspended 50 games: This kid has tons of talent but apparently has an anger problem. Maybe this will wake him up before he destroys his career.

posted by scottypup to baseball at 04:49 PM - 49 comments

Now for the bad: Hornets owner George Shinn is concerned that the city of New Orleans has not recovered enough for the team to play a full schedule there next season.

posted by chalmetteowl to basketball at 04:03 PM - 11 comments

Paul wins NBA rookie of the year: here's the good news.

posted by chalmetteowl to basketball at 03:56 PM - 11 comments

"I hate Kobe Bryant's rotten and derivative soul.": Yet, in a way, writer Sam Anderson is sad to see him leave the playoffs. Well, there's always next year.

posted by gspm to basketball at 10:42 AM - 79 comments

Jonah Lomu: - the New Zealand All Black hero, burst onto the international rugby scene in the World Cup in South Africa in 1995. Bigger than many forwards and faster than most backs, he set a new benchmark in the game. This season, he began an incredible comback having had a kidney transplant in 2004. He gave this interview with the Observer Sport Monthly last weekend - don't you just hate it when they're brilliant AND modest? [more inside - including some delicious YouTube clips]

posted by JJ to other at 10:08 AM - 11 comments

Minor league team challenges the Royals: Talk about a back hand slap across the face. If I'm the Royals, I accept and tack this article to the club house wall. What a great motivator. Ofcourse, they will probably lose the bet, but still!

posted by Big D Alexander to baseball at 08:54 AM - 30 comments

Meet Theo Walcott of Arsenal Reserves... and England: The 17-year-old striker has made it into the provisional squad for Germany, in spite of never making a first-team appearance for his club since signing from Southampton. Then again, no-one had heard of Pelé in 1958, either.

posted by etagloh to soccer at 12:48 AM - 36 comments

May 08, 2006

Only the BEST should be in the playoffs.: Mark Cuban, in his relentlessness, is on the NBA officials again. This time it's about who should be working playoff games and why. Despite his seemingly sound rationale, I think he fails to take the officials' perspective into account, and just doesn't get that there's more to officiating than getting the "balls and strikes" right all the time. And, it is far more complicated than just pulling numbers out of the air to determine who works playoff games, as Dick Bavetta will tell you.

posted by Spitztengle to basketball at 07:20 PM - 16 comments

EPL Fanatsy Premier League final results. Belated congrats to Ardley Athletic.: Belated in the sense that it seems like he had this wrapped up long ago - on top since week 16 by a margin of over 70 pts since week 22.

posted by gspm to fantasy at 01:06 PM - 13 comments

In a league of its own: The Economist on the reasons for the NFL's comparative success. Among others, "because it is the most violent of the four sports. Since the average player does not last more than four years as a professional, labour strikes are difficult and the union is weak."

posted by DrJohnEvans to football at 10:08 AM - 21 comments

Tottenham Not So Hotspur: Health officials in England are investigating the sudden food-related illness of 10 Spurs players at a hotel right before their match Sunday, which they lost 2-1 (along with their fourth place Champions League spot).

posted by rcade to soccer at 09:19 AM - 14 comments

Schumacher is back to his winning ways: having now won two races in a row. Fernando Alonso doesn't seem to like it much. Japanese driver Yuji Ide has been demoted to test driver for the Super Aguri team after the sport's governing body suggested he wasn't really up to the task and should get some more miles under his belt in the test car before he is allowed to race again.

posted by JJ to auto racing at 08:07 AM - 9 comments

May 07, 2006

1000 wins for Joe Torre: What I think is really amazing though is that he's survied 1645 games working for Steinbrenner! Congrats to him for that more then the 1000 wins!

posted by commander cody to baseball at 10:26 PM - 44 comments

Junior is back.: In what was really a wierd race with lots of one car wrecks, some teams got back on track and Junior is back.

posted by buffalo will never win to auto racing at 05:31 PM - 21 comments

Schuey pulls second straight win at the Nurburgring: Michael Schumacher proves that Imola was not a fluke as the seven times world champion beats rival Fernando Alonso to win by seconds on his home ground.--By Mark Gero

posted by mgero to commentary at 02:44 PM - 0 comments

Pistons stand in LeBron's way, just as they did for Jordan.: "Before Jordan became a champion, he was fodder for the Pistons in three straight postseasons."

posted by everett to basketball at 12:26 PM - 20 comments

May 06, 2006

Germany vs Greece philosophers (YouTube video).: My soccer post about the priests vs imams reminded me of the classic Monty Python sketch "International Philosophy Match", which I just so happened to watch this week, on the Python revival show "Monty Python's Personal Best" on PBS. Now, thanks to YouTube, I can easily share this magical soccer match with you. The game is awesome but the winning goal is just fantastic.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 10:32 PM - 13 comments

11 Christians, 11 Muslims and 3 Jews walk on to a pitch...: Just heard this on NPR's Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me! (today's show). Apparently the game is being played today between Christian ministers and Muslim imams, with Jewish rabbis officiating, in the run up to the World Cup, "as part of an initiative aimed at increasing understanding among religions."

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 01:41 PM - 15 comments

132nd Run for the Roses: America's most prestigious horse race, the Kentucky Derby goes this afternoon. Brother Derek is the best look here, he has been a phenom in California and thrashed the field in the Santa Anita Derby. But he gets a terrible barrier draw (18 post) and of course, favorites haven't won the Derby in decades. So back some roughies like Showing Up (20-1) and Sweetnorthernsaint with Kent Desormeaux riding. Fill out your boxes and wheels: Barbaro goes at short odds (4-1) with hot rider Edgar Prado up. Mike Smith won last year on Giacomo with one of the best Derby rides seen in years -- he saddles up today on Giacomo's brother Flashy Bull (50-1) from the extreme outside gate post.

posted by the red terror to other at 11:26 AM - 7 comments

Wild Playoff Hockey: For all those that said this series was going to be a fast playing, high scoring series - I think that was an understatement. The first game between these two teams was non-stop action and an emotional roller-coaster. I thought my Sabres were done for with 238 on the clock and they got a penalty. What happened? Read the article.

posted by Stealth_72 to hockey at 09:39 AM - 15 comments

May 05, 2006

EPL Fantasy Premier League update, through Week 37.: Only one week left. Shoreditch takes advantage of the bloated gameweek and sets the record for points in a week. And tops the week table for ...

posted by gspm to fantasy at 10:12 PM - 17 comments

Johnson Waxes Off:: 75-year-old Hootie Johnson announced he's stepping down as head of the Augusta National Golf Club. Under his tutelage, the Club became longer in yards, began the long, slow process of racial integration, and ran the Masters Golf Tournament commercial-free and without interruption on CBS for a few years as an experiment.

But of course, he'll be best known, some say unfairly, for his battles with Martha Burke and the National Council of Women's Organizations over changing Augusta's men-only policy, which is still in place.

posted by chicobangs to golf at 04:35 PM - 80 comments

Wie Makes Cut in South Korea: Michelle Wie has made the cut at the SK Telecom Open, becoming the first female to accomplish that feat on a major men's tour since Babe Zaharias at the Los Angeles Open in 1945. "I want to challenge the PGA tour in the U.S. and make it into the top 10," said Wie, who was followed by a Palmeresque gallery of 1,500 fans.

posted by rcade to golf at 08:55 AM - 50 comments

Dolphins' Taylor stabbed in road rage incident: Taylor refused medical treatment after suffering a minor stab wound in his forearm following a near-accident. The incident has been classified by police as a "hate crime," due to the use of racial epithets by the attacker.

posted by The_Black_Hand to football at 07:33 AM - 13 comments

May 04, 2006

Perfection: [YouTube] in sport is a wonderful thing. In darts, perfection is achieved when a player scores 501 with just nine darts, otherwise known as a nine-darter. The video linked is of Raymond van Barneveld, one of the most gifted players of all time, producing that perfection while commentator Sid Waddell gets very excited. [more inside]

posted by JJ to other at 05:36 PM - 23 comments

Royals fan sells loyalty on eBay: Royals fan auctions 25 years of devotion for $278.47. Ouch.

posted by AaronGNP to baseball at 03:55 PM - 28 comments

Records may fall, but the Babe endures : That the focus is still on the Babe even in a hometown paper reveals exactly what the locals think about #25's pursuit of a legendary record.

posted by irunfromclones to baseball at 02:34 PM - 48 comments

And the nominees are...: The NHL individual award nominess have been announced. Who will win the Calder Memorial Trophy (rookie of the year), the Frank J. Selke trophy (best defensive forward), the Hart Memorial trophy (MVP), Jack Adams award (coach of the year), James Norris Memorial trophy (best defenseman), Lady Byng Memorial trophy (most gentlemanly player), Lester B. Pearson award (MVP as voted by fellow players), or the Vezina trophy (best goaltender)?

posted by NoMich to hockey at 02:03 PM - 26 comments

Perfection: [YouTube] in sport is a wonderful thing. In snooker, perfection is achieved when a player makes a maximum break, otherwise known as a 147. The video linked is of Ronnie O'Sullivan, perhaps the most gifted player of all time, making the fastest ever 147. A frame of professional snooker can last upwards of an hour; O'Sullivan cleared the table in five minutes and twenty seconds. [much more inside]

posted by JJ to other at 12:42 PM - 20 comments

La Corsa Rosa - A preview of the 2006 Giro d’Italia: Sportsfilter columnist afx237vi previews the 89th edition of the Giro d'Italia - Italy's equivalent of the Tour de France.

posted by justgary to other at 10:43 AM - 4 comments

Bonspiel! The History of Curling in Canada: Bonspiel! explores the history and cultural impact of curling from the sport's mysterious 16th-century origins to the present day. The story of curling in Canada is interpreted under chronological themes that relate the history of curling to the playing surface of the game itsel

posted by mkn to other at 10:42 AM - 3 comments

QPR Director forced to quit at gunpoint: another way of supporting your club?

posted by walrus to soccer at 10:31 AM - 6 comments

NHL Playoffs Pick'em Round 2: Leaderboard after round 1. There's less than two days until the second round begins, so make your picks now. More inside:

posted by mkn to fantasy at 10:02 AM - 109 comments

La Corsa Rosa - A preview of the 2006 Giro d'Italia: With mountains aplenty, this year's Tour of Italy should be a very exciting race. Here's a quick look at the riders to look out for over the next three weeks

posted by afx237vi to commentary at 09:33 AM - 0 comments

Sandis Ozolinsh charged with DWI: The seven time all-star, who was acquired by the Rangers from Anaheim in March, was reportedly pulled over for speeding at 11am. The officer noted "a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage" and a sobriety field test revealed that Ozolinsh had a blood-alcohol level of .17 percent. That more than twice the legal limit of .08 percent.

posted by HATER 187 to hockey at 08:19 AM - 17 comments

May 03, 2006

Earl Woods dies at 74: Earl Woods, father of PGA star Tiger Woods, has died at age 74 after a long battle with cancer. Has any other father ever been more a part of his offsprings' career and fame?

posted by wfrazerjr to golf at 02:36 PM - 28 comments

Lackey, Kendall ejected as A's brawl past Angels: "It's an absolute joke. What's disturbing here is that you can let anyone charge the pitcher and get him taken out of the game." That's Mike Scioscia's reaction to John Lackey getting ejected from a game after he threw a breaking pitch that didn't hit Jason Kendall, and Kendall charged the mound because he didn't like what Lackey said to him. Does anyone else see a problem with this?

posted by dyams to baseball at 11:37 AM - 43 comments

What's in a Number?: I know this article is a couple days old but I just heard about it last night. Does every position really need its own numbering system? I'd love to have a referee chime in on this one and can I get a jersey with no number? The thought of it intrigues the collector in me.

posted by timdawg to football at 10:58 AM - 19 comments

May 02, 2006

A Tale of Two Seasons: The Red Wings were built for the regular season. A column by sportsfilter's own wingnut4life.

posted by justgary to hockey at 10:25 PM - 31 comments

US names World Cup Roster: Bruce Arena named his 23 man squad today. Congrats go to all the players and here's to a successful campaign in June. Who do you think should have made it but didn't or should have been left out but made it?

posted by Ricardo to soccer at 08:28 PM - 28 comments

A Tale of Two Seasons: The Red Wings were built for the regular season.

posted by wingnut4life to commentary at 07:53 PM - 0 comments

For Drury, Winning Is Not the Only Thing: Drury, co-captain and center, has helped the Buffalo Sabres to a franchise-best 52 regular-season victories and a 3-2 lead over the Philadelphia Flyers in their first-round N.H.L. playoff series. As a youth, his Greater Bridgeport (Conn.) hockey team won the United States national amateur championship in 1989. Five months later, he hit and pitched his team from Trumbull, Conn., to the Little League World Series title with an upset of Taiwan. But after all that, winning is not the only thing on Drury's mind. i now have MY hockey team to get behind, least, as long as Drury is there.

posted by Folkways to hockey at 03:01 PM - 54 comments

How to Turn Winnings Into Losings: John Daly claims in his new autobiography to have lost at least $50 million gambling, includling $1.5 million playing $5,000 slot machines within days of winning $750,000 in last year's World Golf Championship.

posted by rcade to golf at 12:23 PM - 21 comments

Clippers end 30 year drought: with a victory against the Denver Nuggets, making it the first time since 1976 that they advance to the second round of the playoffs. The possibility of two lower seeds winning it out in the West certainly exists, and Sacramento seems to be right back in it. The West picture is definitely looking a lot more competitive than most envisioned, but can the Clippers advance any further? Will the two Los Angeles teams finally go head-to-head in the playoffs? If so, have the Clippers converted enough fans to have an inkling of home court advantage in that series?

posted by PublicUrinal to basketball at 01:29 AM - 8 comments

May 01, 2006

Now that's crossover. : Olympic moguls skier Jeremy Bloom said he'd do it, and he did: went straight from the Torino Olympics to the NFL combine in Indianapolis, and then entered the NFL draft, where he was picked up by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round. Bloom played two seasons on special teams for CU, picking up 1,250 return yards, before the NCAA declared him permanently ineligible in 2004 because of his skiing-related endorsement contracts.

posted by lil_brown_bat to football at 09:38 PM - 10 comments

After the Siren?: The umpires 'didn't hear' the end of game siren, play continued and Saint Kilda scored a point to tie the scores. Fremantle have protested and the result is now before a tribunal, or may even go to court. Controversy at an Australian Football League game

posted by owlhouse to other at 06:22 PM - 15 comments

Rocky: Mountain Oysters.

posted by lilnemo to basketball at 05:45 PM - 20 comments

Marshall tragedy finally comes to film: That was the rainy, fog-shrouded Saturday night when the Marshall University football team, having lost to East Carolina and completing a road trip aboard a charter jet for the first time, crashed into an Appalachian hillside near Huntington's Tri-State Airport.

posted by irunfromclones to football at 02:24 PM - 7 comments

Tall SWM seeks NFL franchise to start football career with.: Trying to follow in the footsteps of Antonio Gates, former UConn basketball forward Ed Nelson signed a two-year contract with the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent. Proof that if you've got a standout vertical and an inkling of athleticism, the NFL is an option for you too.

posted by YukonGold to football at 02:18 PM - 6 comments

Malkin transfer could be costly: "We're not asking for ($900,000) compensation from Penguins. Such a sum is a handout and we're not interested in handouts," Metallurg Magnitogorsk general director Gennady Velichkin told Russian media. "Put simply, they must buy his contract from us."

posted by wingnut4life to hockey at 01:22 PM - 11 comments

Kobe Leads the Lakers Past the Suns in OT : Kobe adjusts to a new role in the playoffs.

posted by joecab to basketball at 01:07 PM - 24 comments

NFL Draft Recap: How did your team do, who was the best/worst and who forgot to tell the Bears that no matter what, you're only allowed 11 defensive players on the field at one time?

posted by timdawg to football at 12:38 PM - 20 comments

Mirabelli traded back to Red Sox.: Will catch Wakefield tonight against the Yankees.

posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 11:01 AM - 37 comments

Nike's lightweight boots contributing to metatarsal injuries?: Rooney helped design and launch Nike's new Nike Air Zoom Total 90 Supremacy. Then broke his metatarsal (again) after a bad landing following a seemingly innocuous challenge on Saturday. Criticisms of new shoes for removing padding in order to reduce weight, resulting in increased occurrence of metatarsal injuries (list included in article).

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 07:53 AM - 10 comments

Whoa, Nellie: The voice synonymous with Saturdays retires.

posted by justgary to football at 12:15 AM - 12 comments