Archives for January 2008

January 31, 2008

The Super Bowl Economy: Surprisingly, the NFL and the athletes on the field are not the richest beneficiaries of the big game. Players on the winning team each take home $78,000; on the losing team, each player gets $40,000. The league's biggest take is from merchandise hawked at the game venue, at the online NFL shop, as well as at retail stores across the country. The sales record for such merchandise was set in 1997, at around $125 million, and sales have hovered just below that amount in the years since

posted by BoKnows to business and law at 04:36 PM - 7 comments

NBA players' financial security no slam dunk: A statistic was cited during the meeting that startled some of the hoopsters. It was said that 60% of retired N.B.A. players go broke 5 years after their cheques stop arriving.

posted by tommytrump to business and law at 02:04 PM - 41 comments

The Official Line vs. The Betting Line: Each year at Super Bowl time, N.F.L. executives go to great lengths to distance the league from the estimated $10 billion in gambling that it generates, not only in Las Vegas, but also in offshore betting shops, office and bar pools and among illegal bookies. They were not only friends and founding fathers of the N.F.L., but Art Rooney and Tim Mara were also gamblers, proud ones. In 1936, Rooney, whose family still owns the Pittsburgh Steelers, famously turned two prescient days at the racetrack into $300,000. In 1925, Mara, a bookmaker in the days when that profession was not only legal but honourable, paid $500 for the New York Giants

posted by tommytrump to business and law at 12:22 PM - 2 comments

Steve Yzerman Duped.: How an 11-year-old (and his dirtbag father) fooled the Selke, Conn Smythe and treble Stanley Cup winner, and future Hall of Famer.

posted by lawn_wrangler to hockey at 11:31 AM - 25 comments

January 30, 2008

Fans make Liverpool takeover move: Liverpool supporters are to launch an ambitious plan to buy the football club from its current American owners and turn it towards the Spanish/German model. "The Champions League has been won on six occasions in the last 15 years by clubs owned and run in such a way," said football business lecturer Rogan Taylor, one of the three prime movers.

posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 10:31 PM - 12 comments

How soccer explains the US elections.: Hillary (Hillisco is her Brazilian soccer name) would win by a mile. Soccer cred includes playing on her high school varsity team, and soccer team-named daughter Chelsea also playing soccer. Highlights include pic of Bill Clinton (Clintosa!) playing soccer with Pele, and video of Chuck Norris, greatest soccer player in the world.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 06:16 PM - 54 comments

Victory and Ruins - The Story of the 2000 Rose Bowl Champion Washington Huskies: Pity Ty Willingham who inherited a program that protected and enabled:

UCLA fans, ask Rick Neuheisel what price you're paying for victories next year. Tampa Bay fans, stay off the roads.

posted by yerfatma to football at 12:49 PM - 30 comments

All the Super Bowl Logos, from I to XLII.: An implicit mini-history of American design, good and bad.

posted by rumple to culture at 11:55 AM - 24 comments

First Day of Term: Despite the hour, the temperature was already into the mid-twenties. Despite the temperature, I was shivering. It wasn’t nerves; it was terror.

Nine years and a day after it happened, JJ looks back at his first round as a professional golfer.

posted by justgary to golf at 01:37 AM - 15 comments

January 29, 2008

First Day of Term: Nine years and a day after it happened, JJ looks back at his first round as a professional golfer. Despite the hour, the temperature was already into the mid-twenties. Despite the temperature, I was shivering. It wasn’t nerves; it was terror.

posted by JJ to commentary at 08:12 PM - 0 comments

2008 SpoFi Fantasy NASCAR Extravaganza!: It might be a guilty pleasure for you, but it's still a pleasure.

posted by The_Black_Hand to fantasy at 05:04 PM - 12 comments

Mets Get Santana: Pending a 24-48 hour window for ironing out a contract extension and completing a player physical, Johan Santana is headed to the Mets for four prospects - outfielder Carlos Gomez , pitchers Phil Humber, Deolis Guerra, and Kevin Mulvey.

posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 04:22 PM - 46 comments

ESPN's Dana Jacobson learns the Internet is always listening: I didn't even learn about this until Jacobson apologized on her show Monday morning, but the question remains: Was one week away from the job that ESPN gave Dana enough of a consequence? Swilling vodka straight from the bottle at the podium and cursing Jesus?

posted by dyams to culture at 09:11 AM - 108 comments

Embrace All-Star weekend for what it's supposed to be -- fun: If you read every media account of the happenings in and around All-Star weekend here, you would swear the event was some twisted hybrid of being repeatedly poked in the eye with a sharp object and being trapped in a tiny, airless room listening to an endless tape loop of Joe Sakic interviews.

posted by BoKnows to hockey at 08:25 AM - 10 comments

January 28, 2008

CFL'ers prompt study on ALS link: Through the CFL Player's Association, Proudfoot discovered that at least eight out of about 15,000 all time CFL players have been diagnosed with ALS. In the general population, it affects 2 of about 100,000 people at any given time. Most die from two to five years after diagnosis and its causes are unknown.

posted by tommytrump to general at 11:05 PM - 10 comments

2007 NFL Playoff Pick 'Em: Superbowl Edition

posted by apoch to fantasy at 09:10 PM - 57 comments

The Ricky Roma of Golf:: In which Joel Waldfogel provides statistical (and literary) proof that when Tiger Woods is in the field, he makes everyone else play worse, whether he's on his game or not.

"It's generally agreed that people work harder when they are paid for performance. Anyone who has ever languished in a Paris cafe—where service compris translates roughly as "the Republic of France mandates a minimum 15 percent tip regardless of service quality"—can appreciate the power of incentives. But the effects of incentives appear to be muted when the incentives are based on relative performance and the competition is tough."

posted by chicobangs to golf at 10:12 AM - 17 comments

Adolf Hitler, Cowboys Fan: Translated from the original German, this YouTube video poignantly captures how every NFL fan feels when your 13-3 team goes one-and-done in the playoffs after your quarterback spends his off week in Cabo with Jessica Simpson. Funny everywhere but Dallas.

posted by rcade to football at 09:34 AM - 32 comments

Buy A Piece Of Baseball's Future!: Alright, kid, I've dropped my twenty bucks, you'd better start taking PEDs quick!

posted by The_Black_Hand to business and law at 07:36 AM - 2 comments

January 27, 2008

Redskins and Gregg Williams part ways: Gregg Williams goes from Head Coaching candidate to unemployed. And in Oakland, Al Davis is trying to force Lane Kiffin to resign.

posted by cjets to football at 09:29 PM - 17 comments

Should We Accept Steroid Use in Sports?: Bob Costas hosts a panel of experts to address the ethics of steroid use in an Oxford-style debate. Listen here.

posted by geekyguy to culture at 08:05 PM - 12 comments

January 26, 2008

The Krispy Kreme Challenge: (Wiki). Earlier today, 3000 people gathered at North Carolina State University's Bell Tower to run the two miles to the Krispy Kreme. Once there, they had to eat a dozen doughnuts and run back to the Bell Tower. I'm sure that today is the pukiest day of the year for the city of Raleigh.
Hey, it's even #85 on SI on Campus's 102 More Things You Gotta Do Before You Graduate.

posted by NoMich to other at 03:26 PM - 14 comments

Bite Me: NY Giants and former Patriots offensive lineman Grey Ruegamer has an interesting part-time job. Please be advised that this is not for the weak-stomached.

posted by Howard_T to football at 03:05 PM - 19 comments

The Birdman of New Orleans.: In 2006 Chris Andersen was kicked out of the league for violating the drug policy. Its now two years later, and he's applying to be reinstated.

posted by lilnemo to basketball at 01:34 PM - 2 comments

2008 Nascar Fantasy Racing: Anyone up for Nascar Fantasy Auto Racing 2008? Can't remember who set it up last year, maybe Weedy? Anyway, I'm in if we can get a crew. http://racing.fantasysports.yahoo.com/auto

posted by texasred to fantasy at 08:09 AM - 7 comments

January 25, 2008

The mighty hath fallen: : Novak Djokovic knocks out Roger Federer in a straight-sets victory in the Australian Open semis.

posted by lil_brown_bat to tennis at 04:55 PM - 13 comments

All too perfect: Tom Brady the pimp and the Patriots quest for perfection will be realized.

posted by Scars to football at 04:28 PM - 27 comments

The Joy of Six: The six worst sports movies ever. "Stumbling around seemingly high on botox, Stallone spends his time mulling over snippets of cod philosophy - "The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows, it's a very mean and nasty place" - and comes to the conclusion that, by losing, one can actually become ... wait for it ... a winner". The ensuing comments are lively.

posted by rumple to culture at 01:59 PM - 74 comments

Barefootin'!: Ron Hunter, coach of IUPUI, decides to raise awareness for Samaritan's Feet, a charity that collects shoes for needy children, by coaching barefoot. 110,000 pairs of shoes were collected by tip-off. An inspiring story.

posted by geekyguy to basketball at 01:31 PM - 7 comments

Why Liverpool shouldn't suck up to DIC: Lovely title, isn't it? It's Friday, and Liverpool is my team, but read the article, and see if it doesn't generate some distaste as to the prospect of having your team be owned by the Dubai International Corporation. Perhaps it can save as a warning to fans of other teams, should DIC swing its attentions away from Liverpool.

posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 01:26 PM - 17 comments

January 24, 2008

Week 23 update for the Spofi EPL fantasy footie.: Worldcup2002 is loudly knocking on third spot... which would be his best placing since sitting in 2nd for the final 22 weeks in 05-06. Well, I guess he's already set that standard since rose no higher than 13th last year...

posted by gspm to fantasy at 07:56 PM - 30 comments

January 23, 2008

PGA Tour caddie Steve Duplantis dies.: Duplantis was killed after being struck by a taxi while crossing the street. Duplantis was working for with Eric Axley and had previously worked with golfers Jim Furyk, Rich Beem, and Tommy Armour III. Duplantis is heavily mentioned in the book Bud, Sweat, and Tees.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia to golf at 07:40 PM - 1 comment

World Soccer: Puerto Rico aiming for 3rd victory in a row: The Puerto Rico National football team is playing Trinidad & Tobago on Saturday January 26th in their third friendly warm up game before they meet the Dominican Republic in the 2010 World Cup Qualifiers in March.

posted by BoriQa to commentary at 06:45 PM - 0 comments

The American Revolution continues in London: Eddie Johnson signs for Fulham of England's Premier League, joining fellow Americans Brian McBride, Carlos Bocanegra, Kasey Keller and Clint Dempsey.

posted by Texan_lost_in_NY to soccer at 01:45 PM - 49 comments

The Unsung Career of Larry Kwong: : In the wake of the celebrations for Willie O'Ree and Herb Carnegie, the Globe & Mail profiles another groundbreaking player who's received rather less fanfare: "Unlike a scoring record, his legacy as the first NHL player of Asian ancestry can never be broken, bettered or taken away. It can only be ignored."

posted by chicobangs to hockey at 01:08 PM - 14 comments

Baylor Ends 39-Year Absence from AP Poll: Baylor's mens basketball team has cracked the AP top 25 for the first time since Feb. 11, 1969, starting 15-2 only five years after the disastrous and criminal Dave Bliss era. The long AP drought sent me fishing for historic data on other NCAA teams that have gone unranked for decades. I couldn't find it for hoops, but the AP Poll Archive has the numbers for football. My alma mater has been absent from the last 739 AP football polls, a 48-year cold streak.

posted by rcade to basketball at 10:25 AM - 6 comments

The Premier League's Pound-for-Pound Champion:
"Some may say that Everton have failed, but in essence they have been let down by the system. Pound for pound, Moyes could have the best team in the country and it is to football’s shame that a fat lot of good it may do him."

posted by yerfatma to soccer at 07:57 AM - 19 comments

January 22, 2008

Lacrosse: NLL Weekend recap, news & quotes: --- Tavares makes history as the Buffalo Bandits (2-1) hold on to defeat the New York Titans (1-1) 17-13. Current NLL champion Rochester Knighthawks (1-2) fell to the Philadelphia Wings (2-0) 15-14. Toronto Rock (2-2) defeats the Edmonton Rush (0-2) 14-9

posted by BoriQa to soccer at 09:28 PM - 7 comments

Leafs fire G.M. Ferguson: Fletch lives! Leafs fire General Manager John Ferguson and have replaced him with Cliff Fletcher on an interim basis.

posted by tommytrump to hockey at 12:00 PM - 20 comments

World Soccer: January Friendlies Update: Puerto Rico is on a roll with victories 2-0 and 1-0 over Bermuda last week in preparation for the first phase of the 2010 World Cup qualifying that begins next month in the Caribbean. The last time Puerto Rico won as many as two games in a row came in 1993. Among some of the other friendly results: Barbados 3-2 Antigua & Barbuda, Guyana 1-2 Grenada, and USA 2-0 Sweden. Still to play in January are Haiti vs. El Salvador, Puerto Rico vs. Trinidad & Tobago, El Salvador vs. Estonia, and Iran vs. Costa Rica.

posted by BoriQa to soccer at 10:54 AM - 6 comments

Leitch: Why Mark Cuban Won't Get the Cubs: "The guy has no chance. ... Mark Cuban will never own the Cubs, no matter how much money he waves in front of the Tribune Corp." -- Deadspin's Will Leitch

posted by rcade to baseball at 09:40 AM - 35 comments

Tom Brady Wearing Walking Cast: The Patriots quarterback was spotted leaving a New York apartment Monday wearing a walking cast on his right foot, as shown in photos and a video on TMZ.Com. Brady's 124 consecutive starts at QB are the third longest streak in NFL history.

posted by rcade to football at 12:13 AM - 60 comments

January 21, 2008

Dungy: Nothing has Changed: Tony Dungy will coach at least one more year in Indianapolis.

posted by Ghastly1 to football at 04:35 PM - 5 comments

January 20, 2008

Superbowl: Patriots vs. Giants 2.0: After an upset of the Packers, the Giants take on the Patriots again in Arizona.

posted by Goyoucolts to football at 09:18 PM - 83 comments

World Soccer: Puerto Rico sweeps Bermuda - 'General' Clarke undefeated with the National Team: The Puerto Rico national team swept Bermuda 2-0 and 1-0 in the World Cup Qualifiers warm up friendly series played January 16 &18 at the National Sports Centre, in Hamilton, Bermuda.

posted by BoriQa to commentary at 06:31 PM - 0 comments

Patriots advance to their 4th Superbowl in 7 years. : Despite his second worst QB rating of the season, Tom Brady and the Patriots advance to the Superbowl thanks to a second half running game and a defense that held the Chargers to only 4 field goals on the afternoon. The Patriots take their 17-1 unprecedented 18-0 record to Arizona in two weeks, facing the Ravens winner of the Packers/Giants game, in the hopes of completing a truly historic season.

posted by hincandenza to football at 05:25 PM - 131 comments

Lacrosse: Buffalo Bandits forward John Tavares tops all-time NLL record.: The 39-year-old surpassed Gait's record with four goals on Saturday in Buffalo's 17-13 win over New York. Tavares now holds the National Lacrosse League's golas record with 597. In the other NLL game this weekend Toronto Rock outlasted the Edmonton Rush 14-9.

posted by BoriQa to other at 04:31 PM - 5 comments

World Soccer: Puerto Rico shutouts Bermuda again!: On Friday January 18th, for the 2nd time this week, the Puerto Rico National team defeated their Bermuda counterpart, this time 1-0, at the National Sports Centre in Hamilton, Bermuda. Puerto Rico had already defeated Bermuda 2-0 on Wednesday January 16th. The Puerto Rico national team, which hasn't played since 2004, is undergoing a renaissance as they build towards a World Cup qualifier against Dominican Republic next March. According to FIFA rankings, the Puerto Rico team is ranked 196 (out of 207) in the world. According to the Northern Irish Head Coah of the national team Colin 'General' Clarke the Puerto Rico team is not that bad and says that their position at the bottom of the pile - compared to Bermuda's 146th - to be more to do with inactivity than lack of ability. The Puerto Rico team had not played since 2004. Clarke who also coaches the USL 1st division Puerto Rico Islanders said that the squad had been galvanized by a sense that a genuine national program was starting to come together for the first time in years.

posted by BoriQa to soccer at 11:54 AM - 2 comments

January 19, 2008

Legendary Canadian sportscaster Don Wittman dies.: A sports broadcasting renaissance man that covered any and every sport around, from NHL hockey on HNIC and international hockey to the Grey Cup to curling, but he will forever be known as the voice of Canadian olympic track gold.

posted by mkn to culture at 05:33 PM - 6 comments

January 18, 2008

Inside Man: A Bronx Tale: Bronx Banter's Alex Belth profiles Ray Negron. His life in baseball began in 1973, when Steinbrenner himself caught the teenager spray painting an "NY" logo on the outside of the Stadium and gave him a job as a bat boy. "Negron has done everything from shine the players' shoes and collect their dirty jockstraps, to bring them food from their favorite restaurants and park their cars. He has been an agent, an actor, an advisor, and a liaison; a confidant, a sounding board and a whipping boy to some of the biggest egos in the game. He is whatever he needs to be." [parts two, three, & four]

posted by goddam to baseball at 11:25 PM - 4 comments

Tributes mark Willie O'Ree's NHL debut: "You know, it was great to break the colour barrier. It's something I'll always be very proud of," O'Ree said. "But the work I've done over the last 10 years, working with boys and girls and introducing them to game, talking in schools, that has been the real reward."

posted by tommytrump to culture at 09:22 PM - 4 comments

Rams owner dies after lengthy illness: After a long fight with breast cancer, Rams owner Georgia Frontiere died Friday in Los Angeles.

posted by BoKnows to football at 08:01 PM - 20 comments

How 'bout dem ball-girls?!: The bottom line is having the best seat at Citizens Bank Park. It was enticing to Laura Litzenberger, another of the new ballgirls. "I spoke to some of the girls who were ballgirls last year and my biggest fear is touching a fair ball; they told us to concentrate on the game," said Litzenberger, a Kutztown University graduate with a degree in elementary education.

posted by GoBirds to baseball at 02:01 PM - 4 comments

Rick Nash. Goal of the year.: Sorry Toews. You've now got the second best.

posted by gspm to hockey at 09:53 AM - 27 comments

January 17, 2008

Bobby Knight gets 900th career victory.: In spite of slaps, chokes, and shootings, he's still on top of the heap.

posted by canstusdis to basketball at 11:38 PM - 19 comments

STRAT-O-MATIC Anyone?: Sporting News is replaying the 1986 season with "celebrity" managers & it looks pretty cool. There are several games to choose from. Cost is $24.95. Minimum of 12 players. http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/stratomatic/

posted by catfish to fantasy at 10:30 PM - 12 comments

Soccer Is As American As Apple Pie: The Guardian's Jeff Wells responds to some false assumptions about The Beautiful Game in the USA.

posted by owlhouse to culture at 10:07 PM - 81 comments

Sparano beginning of Dolphins shakeup: Now that they have a head coach,they've got to start looking for some players.And maybe in a few years they start to be a contender in the AFC East.

posted by Ghastly1 to football at 01:59 PM - 15 comments

More Bad Noose for Pro Golf: Although the story appeared to be dying down after the Golf Channel anchor Kelly Tilghman apologized to Tiger Woods for her "lynch him" remark, Golfweek has just thrown gas on the fire with its cover story and illustration.

posted by dbt302 to golf at 12:38 PM - 34 comments

Fear Strikes All: Doug Glanville Explains Why Steroids Hit Baseball: In yesterday's New York Times, nine-season major leaguer Doug Glanville humanizes the debate over performance-enhancing drugs in baseball. "There is a tipping point in a player's career where he goes from chasing the dream to running from a nightmare. At that point, ambition is replaced with anxiety, passion is replaced with survival. It is a downhill run and it spares no one. For me, it started with a pop in 2003, while I was running out a routine ground ball in Texas." This drew interesting responses from author Jeff Angus and the blog Breaking Balls.

posted by rcade to baseball at 10:39 AM - 8 comments

Lambeau's changing landscape: The small-neighborhood aura around Lambeau Field is slowly changing, but some are still keeping the unique atmosphere alive.

posted by dyams to football at 10:20 AM - 6 comments

January 16, 2008

Ottawa Senators and Washington Capitals to honour Canadian Forces: Over 2600 Canadian Forces members and their families will attend ... Thursday when the Senators host the Carolina Hurricanes. On the same night the Washington Capitals will honour the Canadian Forces when they host the Edmonton Oilers......marking the first time an American team will pay tribute to the Canadian Armed Forces.

posted by tommytrump to culture at 09:52 PM - 3 comments

Austin trades in 'Rider Pride for Ole Miss: Fifty-two days after leading the Saskatchewan Roughriders to their first Grey Cup title since 1989, Kent Austin has resigned as head coach of the CFL team......to accept a job as offensive co-ordinator of the University of Mississippi Rebels-the team for which he played quarterback from 1981 to 1985.

posted by tommytrump to football at 03:19 PM - 8 comments

"We're in heaven, we've got Kevin": Kevin Keegan makes a dream return to manage Newcastle United.

posted by Texan_lost_in_NY to soccer at 12:56 PM - 9 comments

A Rolling Stone Gathers Much Dirt: WDBO AM 580 posted a story today about Randy Moss being hit with a restraining order. If the timing seems strange to you, you're not alone.

posted by yerfatma to football at 11:44 AM - 6 comments

Patriots to Honor Booed Teenager: Patriots owner Robert Kraft extended an invitation to Anna Grant and her parents to be on the field during the coin flip at this weekend's playoff game against the San Diego Chargers. The 14-year-old girl was booed after being introduced as her age-group champion of the Punt-Pass-Kick competition before the 4th quarter of the Colts-Chargers game because she was wearing a Patriots jersey.

posted by NerfballPro to football at 09:32 AM - 127 comments

1988, Year of the Card: "We're celebrating the 20th anniversary of one of the great classic baseball card sets, 1988 Topps. We're going through all 792 cards one by one, posting bits about what makes the card awesome and cool stats about the player or team featured on the card."

posted by yerfatma to baseball at 07:42 AM - 23 comments

January 15, 2008

What's a coach really worth?: The knee-jerk perception isn't kind to Oxford. We live in a state that under funds important items, that ranks in the bottom percentile of most U.S. social and educational categories, and yet Oxford High School's football coach is being paid $105,000 a year. No prep football coach in Alabama makes more.

posted by Folkways to football at 04:54 PM - 38 comments

Adam "Pacman" Jones : is accused of sucker-punching a female attorney in a northwest Atlanta strip-club.

posted by hawkguy to football at 03:25 PM - 43 comments

January 14, 2008

2007 NFL Playoff Pick'em: Conference Championship Round

posted by apoch to fantasy at 09:00 PM - 49 comments

Bombed, boomed and doomed.: On November 27, 1966, the Washington Redskins beat the New York Giants 72-41, in the highest-scoring game in NFL history. The Redskins' 72 points is the highest winning score in a regular-season game; the combined 16 touchdowns is also a record. [more inside]

posted by kirkaracha to football at 05:42 PM - 6 comments

Week 22 update for the Spofi EPL fantasy footie.: Ronaldo runs riot and pleases all who had him captain. At least until you notice that he was also captain of the teams that you had any hope of passing. Ah well.

posted by gspm to fantasy at 02:18 PM - 34 comments

18 "sent home" early from Sony Open:: A new rule on the PGA tour gave 18 players credit for making the cut, paid them and awarded FedEx points but they were not allowed to continue on the weekend to potentially earn more.

posted by YukonGold to golf at 12:58 PM - 12 comments

Double Amputee Can't Run in Beijing Olympics: Oscar Pistorius, a South African sprinter dubbed the "blade runner" because he runs on prosthetics, has been barred from this year's Summer Games. "An athlete using this prosthetic blade has a demonstrable mechanical advantage (more than 30 percent) when compared to someone not using the blade," the International Association of Athletics Federations ruled. A May 2007 New York Times profile asked the question, "Is he disabled or too-abled?" A YouTube video shows Pistorius competing at the Golden Gala in Rome last year, his first race against "able-bodied" sprinters.

posted by rcade to other at 09:06 AM - 36 comments

A Small, Good Thing: How many 23-yo, female high school band and vocal directors also coach the boy's basketball team at their school? At least one.

posted by Uncle Toby to basketball at 08:32 AM - 2 comments

January 13, 2008

Giants down Cowboys 21-17: : in the day's second upset, the fifth-seeded Giants defeated the top-seed Cowboys in Dallas.

posted by lil_brown_bat to football at 07:33 PM - 84 comments

U.S. downs Canada 5-2 to win first women's world under-18 hockey championship: Canada won the gold medal at the inaugural women's world hockey championship in 1990 in Ottawa and eight of nine titles after that. But the U.S. will carry the mantle as the first champion of the world under-18 tournament in 2008 in Calgary.

posted by tommytrump to hockey at 07:30 PM - 3 comments

Chargers Beat Colts, 28-24,: and move on to face the Patriots next week.

posted by Joey Michaels to football at 03:27 PM - 58 comments

Patriots Extend Perfect Season to 17-0 : New England defeated Jacksonville 31-20, playing four quarters of mistake-free football except for a missed field goal. Florida Times-Union columnist Gene Frenette before the game: "[K]nocking off the Patriots is within Jacksonville's reach." After: "This was the football equivalent of watching Michelangelo paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel."

posted by rcade to football at 09:36 AM - 144 comments

January 12, 2008

Packers go to title game, crunch Seahawks: Packers win in the snow, hammering the Seahawks with a powerful rushing attack. Final score: 42-20

posted by Goyoucolts to football at 07:15 PM - 14 comments

Rolen for Glaus?: Rolen has a simmering feud with manager Tony La Russa, one that has become increasingly public since La Russa agreed to a two-year deal to return to the Cardinals. Rolen has remained mum publicly, though La Russa has described an environment where one player said he would prefer La Russa not return to the club. That player: Rolen.

posted by BoKnows to baseball at 03:52 PM - 38 comments

January 11, 2008

The Seahawks appear to be pretty loose: going into this weekend's game. Starts slow, crescendos into the funny...

posted by vito90 to football at 06:00 PM - 12 comments

Heat awarded do-over against Hawks: The teams must replay the last 51.9 seconds due to a scoring error on number of fouls against Shaq.

posted by graymatters to basketball at 05:06 PM - 17 comments

TVTV Goes to the Super Bowl.: Bill Murray and Christopher Guest cover a touch football game featuring Phyllis George, Johnny Unitas, and Pat Summerall in a TVTV behind-the-scenes documentary (full version) about Super Bowl X (1976).

posted by kirkaracha to football at 03:40 PM - 12 comments

This weeks's NFL games will make terrific theater.: From Romo's romp in Cabo with Jessica, to the perfect Patriots. This weekend should deliver excellent football, and if Dallas loses, plenty of tabloid commentary on Monday.

posted by Nakeman to football at 03:39 PM - 18 comments

Marion Jones Receives 6 Month Sentence: Marion Jones was sentenced Friday to six months in prison for lying about using steroids and a check-fraud scam.

posted by texasred to other at 02:22 PM - 15 comments

Alexander the Rich: Alexander the Great has a contract worthy of his nickname--the first $100 million U.S. deal in NHL history. Alex Ovechkin signed a $124 million. 13 year contract extension yesterday with the Washington Capitals, a handsome reward for the 22-year-old charasmatic Russian who has been a nonstop goal-scorer since coming to the NHL in 2005.

posted by tommytrump to hockey at 09:18 AM - 11 comments

Skating champion Christopher Bowman found dead in an L.A. hotel.: Bowman had a history of drug problems and run-ins with the law; the authorities suspect a drug overdose.

posted by evixir to other at 08:24 AM - 4 comments

Minnesota Wild sold: to former Nashville Predators owner Craig Leipold. Will Leipold, whose reputation ranges from "highly respected owner" to "driving force of failure," be good or bad for the Wild?

posted by PublicUrinal to hockey at 12:31 AM - 4 comments

January 10, 2008

Surf's up at Mavericks this Saturday.: Many of the world's best and bravest surfers are heading toward Half Moon Bay as organizers of the legendary Maverick's Surf Contest have scheduled the big-wave event for Saturday. You can watch it for free by heading down there or tuning in to the live webcast. Or pay $20-$25 to watch it on the big stadium screen at AT&T Park in San Francisco (wtf?).

posted by worldcup2002 to extreme at 11:33 PM - 11 comments

RIP Sir Edmund Hillary: "...he parlayed the makings of an ordinary life into a truly extraordinary one - and showed us in the process that greatness is possible for anyone."

posted by curlyelk to other at 09:50 PM - 15 comments

USC's Carroll intersted in Falcons opening: but why would he go to the Pros where he's a proven winner in the college ranks,and a loser in the pros?

posted by Ghastly1 to football at 02:49 PM - 28 comments

If you don't do what I say, I'll take my football home!: Lawyer, multimillionaire, University of Washington alumnus, and former three-term Everett, Washington mayor, Ed Hansen wants his way. And if the University of Washington wants $200,000 for law school scholarships all they have to do is fire their football coach and athletic director. [more inside]

posted by scully to business and law at 02:27 PM - 17 comments

Where Do NFL Teams Spend Their Picks?: A look at where NFL teams have spent their draft picks over the last dozen years and whether concentrating on particular areas tends to improve them.

posted by yerfatma to football at 07:30 AM - 11 comments

January 09, 2008

The Meat In An Ineptitude Sandwich: Tubby Smith's predecessor and successor are both making him look good.

posted by TheQatarian to basketball at 10:53 PM - 6 comments

Fan Signs: The fight for attention can be seen at stadiums across the nation. This struggle is no more evident than when a fan proudly displays their crappy homemade creation for all to see.

posted by justgary to general at 07:44 PM - 31 comments

The Last Days of Tony Harris: The story of Tony Harris's death in Brazil.

posted by apoch to basketball at 04:07 PM - 3 comments

January 08, 2008

Goose cooks up HOF induction, but Rice is not on the menu this year.:
Only one player was chosen for the class of 2008, "Goose" Gossage.

posted by grum@work to baseball at 10:24 PM - 29 comments

Joe Gibbs Resigns as Washington's Coach: After four years in which his teams went 31-36, Joe Gibbs surprised Washington's players and coaching staff by resigning for the second time from the team. The Hall of Fame coach, winner of three Super Bowls in 12 years the first time around, had an arduous year after the diagnosis of a grandson with leukemia and the murder of player Sean Taylor.

posted by rcade to football at 10:43 AM - 28 comments

Home sweet home: LSU tops OSU in BCS Championship : LSU rolled to a 38-24 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes to claim its second national title in five seasons.

posted by Folkways to football at 08:25 AM - 56 comments

January 07, 2008

Bob Sanders wins AP Defensive player of the year honors: Could a more deserving player win this award? Sanders' smash-mouth style of play makes him a joy to watch and indispensible to the Indy Defense.

posted by Goyoucolts to football at 10:48 PM - 7 comments

NFL 2007 Playoff Pick'em: Division Round

posted by apoch to fantasy at 09:20 PM - 65 comments

Orange & Black backlash: Defending Philly Flyers

posted by Flyingbrowndodger to commentary at 06:48 PM - 0 comments

Clemens Files Defamation Suit: Roger Clemens beat Brian McNamee to court, filing a defamation suit against the former trainer who claimed to have injected him with performance-enhancing drugs.

posted by brainofdtrain to baseball at 09:55 AM - 126 comments

Flights of Fancy:: "In pursuit of a childhood dream, one man packed in his job to see if he could make it as a professional sportsman. Well, darts player, anyway. After a year at the oche, he tells his humbling story of growing obsession, drinking Guiness before 10am, and learning some hard lessons." What? No "darts" category? Gosh.

posted by rumple to other at 02:04 AM - 5 comments

January 06, 2008

Steve Downie at it again.: Already suspended this year, Steve Downie takes a cheap "thumb" at the eye of Jason Blake. At what point does the NHL do something serious about the Flyers, who have already been suspended 52 games this season for a variety of cheap shots. Is it a team mentality or just a series of unfortunate events?

posted by dfleming to hockey at 12:44 PM - 76 comments

January 05, 2008

Interview with Stan Honey, inventor of puck-swoosh and yellow first-down line TV graphics.: The San Francisco Chronicle Sunday magazine has been doing interviews with "Bay Area people with innovative ideas who have put them to use." Meet Stan Honey, Palo Alto resident, pro sailor, and the man who put the blue highlight and red trail on the hockey puck, and the yellow first-down line on your TV.

posted by worldcup2002 to culture at 10:32 PM - 11 comments

OTHER MOMENTS IN A SOCCER PLAYER'S LIFE.: It's the off-season. Sergio stands before Sheri, his gorgeous cocoa-skinned girlfriend of nearly one week. They're in his South Beach mansion's movie room. She claims that she loves him ... but she really wants to choose the movie tonight.

"Please, Sergio? I love-love-love Brad Pitt and George Clooney," she says.

Sergio falls to the fine carpet, screaming, holding his hands over his heart as if he had been kicked there. The pain is too much for him to bear! He might not be able to take it one second longer!



posted by billsaysthis to culture at 04:08 PM - 5 comments

Flag On The Play!: Was that really cheating? Sportsfilter member TheQatarian has the answer.

posted by justgary to football at 03:13 AM - 16 comments

January 04, 2008

Missouri Gets The Gate: BCS gives Missouri nothing but hot air.

posted by Nakeman to commentary at 10:05 PM - 0 comments

Flag On The Play!: Was that really cheating?

posted by TheQatarian to commentary at 12:31 PM - 0 comments

Milt Dunnell, 102: Sports journalist: Today.....the scorecard is finally filled in for one of Canada's-make that the world's-greatest sports journalists.

posted by tommytrump to culture at 11:55 AM - 3 comments

Dakar Rally cancelled: by the Amaury Sport Organisation due to security concerns after four French tourists were killed in Mauritania. Have other sporting events of this magnitude been cancelled before due to terrorist threats or other such security concerns?

posted by smithers to auto racing at 11:32 AM - 6 comments

Penis Surgery Makes You Faster!: Just ask Clinton Portis.

posted by The_Black_Hand to football at 10:03 AM - 10 comments

January 03, 2008

Roger Clemens: Roger Clemens states that he did get injections, but they were not steroids. Now congress is asking him to testify.

posted by Cave_Man to baseball at 10:36 PM - 46 comments

Nick Swisher Traded from A's to White Sox: The Oakland As have traded Nick Swisher to the Chicago White Sox for minor leaguers Gio Gonzalez, Fautino De Los Santos and outfielder Ryan Sweeney, closing the book on the Moneyball draft of 2002. "Basically, Moneyball happened, and it didn't change the course of the A's," local sportswriter Tim Kawakami blogs. "Nice story. Good book. Not a lot of history made by those seven players."

posted by rcade to baseball at 07:10 PM - 6 comments

Bill Belichick named AP Coach Of The Year: and deservedly so coaching his team to 16-0 so far.

posted by Ghastly1 to football at 06:46 PM - 46 comments

How Do You Get to 16 - 0?: In a recent thread, some questioned how the New England Patriots were able to achieve an undefeated regular season record. This article from SI.com gives an insider's view.

posted by Howard_T to football at 11:16 AM - 56 comments

Week 21 Update for the EPL Fantasy Footie: And so ends the big crush of games around Christmas and New Year's that has deluged the locker room with two updates a week.

posted by gspm to fantasy at 11:08 AM - 22 comments

On-Field Tryout Earns Stewart WVU Head Spot: Bill Stewart's job as interim head coach during the Mountaineer's 42-28 dismantling of Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl thrusts him to the full-time gig as the new head man to replace Rich Rodriguez.

posted by dyams to football at 09:29 AM - 18 comments

January 02, 2008

Soccer by Ives: Ives Galarcep, a blogger, soccer beat reporter for a Jersey newspaper and ESPN.com for the last decade, took the increasingly common plunge and left his newspaper home to launch a global soccer news site for the American fan. Tagline: "Spanning the world of soccer with an American voice and a Jersey flavor"

posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 11:16 PM - 2 comments

Ice Bowl is one for the ages: The consensus about the Ice Bowl, aka the AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic? It was cool.

posted by bender to hockey at 10:35 AM - 42 comments

Chris Bosh: really wants to be an All Star.

posted by Mr Bismarck to basketball at 09:47 AM - 19 comments

Taxpayers will fund Yankees' VIP parking: Yet another perk, compliments of the richest team in sports and the taxpayers of New York.

posted by dyams to baseball at 09:23 AM - 48 comments

January 01, 2008

322' 7 1/2"

posted by mr_crash_davis to extreme at 04:07 PM - 36 comments