04/23/24
Archives for June 2009
June 30, 2009
Landon Donovan in New Book: David Beckham's a Bad Teammate: In an excerpt from Grant Wahl's new book The Beckham Experiment, Landon Donovan says that Beckham has been a bad teammate on the L.A. Galaxy. "Somewhere along the way -- and in my mind it coincides with [Coach] Ruud [Gillit] being let go -- he just flipped a switch and said, 'Uh-uh, I'm not doing it anymore,'" Donovan said. "I can't think of another guy where I'd say he wasn't a good teammate, he didn't give everything through all this, he didn't still care. But with [Beckham] I'd say no, he wasn't committed."
posted by rcade to soccer at 06:32 PM - 20 comments
16-Year-Old Baseball Phenom Leaving High School Early: Bryce Harper, the wunderkind Arizona catcher dubbed the Chosen One in a Sports Illustrated cover story earlier this month, is leaving high school two years early to speed his path to the Major League Baseball Draft. "I want to fail to live up to these enormous expectations as quickly as possible so I can start my life after baseball while I'm still young," said Harper, who actually said nothing of the kind. Earlier discussion.
posted by rcade to baseball at 04:12 PM - 12 comments
Detroit Pistons Fire Coach Michael Curry: The Detroit Pistons have bounced head coach Michael Curry after just one year in the job. Curry was 39-43 with the Pistons, who were swept in the first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The firing makes a liar of team president Joe Dumars, who said unequivocally in late April that Curry would return next season.
posted by rcade to basketball at 04:06 PM - 7 comments
June 29, 2009
Wimbledon Raises the Roof: After nearly 90 years of rain delays on Wimbledon's Center Court, which was built in 1922, at 5:19 p.m. Monday, Dinara Safina and Amelie Mauresmo played the first point under the new retractable roof. "This is the first time ever at Wimbledon somebody is waiting for rain," said Ian Ritchie, the club's chief executive.
posted by rcade to tennis at 06:27 PM - 6 comments
Should the World Cup Ban Those Horns?: The Confederations Cup was a tuneup for next year's World Cup, but the tune of the vuvezela horns -- plastic trumpets played incessantly during matches by South African fans -- are striking a sour note with some people. "One vuvuzela -- a loud, tuneless blast -- sounds something like a foghorn. But a stadium full of vuvuzelas, all tooting simultaneously, is either a most exhilarating and exciting sound or a noise so irritating that it borders on being painful, depending on the listener," writes the Los Angeles Times. "It's been compared to a deafening swarm of wasps. Or a herd of flatulent elephants." The horns originated with a Chinese women's basketball team, according to a manufacturer that proclaims, "You only hate them if you don't have one."
posted by rcade to soccer at 01:30 PM - 17 comments
June 28, 2009
US Loses 3-2 to Brazil in Confederations Cup Final: After taking a stunning 2-0 lead at halftime to Brazil on goals by Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan, the US were punished by FIFA's policy of playing two halves of soccer in its matches and were defeated 3-2. Brazilians scored all three goals for their country. Americans Dempsey and goalkeeper Tim Howard won individual awards for their play during the tournament. Dempsey cried all over his trophy at the end. I know how he feels.
posted by rcade to soccer at 05:50 PM - 41 comments
Mosley being "urged" to stand for re-election.: Just days after agreeing to step down as part of the FOTA/FIA agreement, Max Mosley, for at least the second time in his career of ruining motorsport, has done a u-turn and now says he's being urged to run again. (He actually hinted he would less than a day after the agreement.) Probably urged by the same mysterious people who "supported" him during the nazi whore scandal he should never have survived.
posted by Drood to auto racing at 04:38 PM - 15 comments
While Recovering, Rockies’ Francis Revels in Physics of Pitching : Elastic-band stretches brought thoughts of forces and harmonic motion. In the pool, he watched every exercise obey the fluid mechanics he learned in college. As his arms pushed down paddles and his body lurched forward, Francis uttered words to his trainer that, safe to say, he would not if his Colorado Rockies teammates were any closer than Los Angeles. “What number of Newton’s laws is that one, Scotty? You know?” No. “Third,” Francis beamed. “Third.”
posted by tommytrump to baseball at 11:30 AM - 5 comments
June 27, 2009
Shaq Challenges YouTube Trick-Shot God to Game of Horse: After seeing the YouTube video of Bruce Manley shooting trick shots, Shaquille O’Neal challenged him to a game of HORSE for $1,000. Manley accepted and they'll be playing in July. More Manley shooting.
posted by rcade to basketball at 11:12 PM - 7 comments
A stone-cold lock: The New York Islanders didn't shock anyone by picking OHL star John Tavares first overall on Friday night. In fact, most of the draft went pretty much according to the script. Second-round continues today with the rights to deal with Florida free agent Jay Boumeester swapped to Calgary.
posted by wfrazerjr to hockey at 10:33 AM - 2 comments
June 26, 2009
Orlando Magic Trade for Vince Carter: The Orlando Magic have traded Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee and Tony Battie to the New Jersey Nets for Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson. This is a homecoming for Carter, who grew up in Daytona Beach 45 minutes' drive from Orlando and won a state championship for Mainland High School. He was teaching at his basketball camp in Orlando when the news broke.
posted by rcade to basketball at 02:21 PM - 6 comments
Ashes 2009 Pointscore Contest: Cricket's oldest rivalry continues with Australia's tour of England this (northern) summer. At stake - a small urn, and bragging rights between the Poms and the Convicts. The pointscore competition returns to SpoFi. The First Test begins on July 8 in Cardiff. Have a go ya mug - details inside.
posted by owlhouse to fantasy at 01:08 AM - 23 comments
June 25, 2009
Steven Wells: a few memories of a unique and acerbic voice: Steven Wells, the Guardian columnist whose biting British-observer-of-U.S.-sports-culture pieces provided fodder for some lively SportsFilter threads (see, for example, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here) and has to be the most-linked author in SportsFilter history, passed away on Tuesday after a battle with cancer (the treatment of which is chronicled here).
posted by holden to other at 03:21 PM - 9 comments
Texas Rangers Player Buys Supplements from BALCO Founder: Marlon Byrd, an outfielder for the Texas Rangers, is a client of Scientific Nutrition for Advanced Conditioning, the company set up by Victor Conte after the demise of BALCO. "I tried everything over the counter," said Byrd, who buys Proglycosyn ("the ultimate post-workout recovery formula"), Physiobalm ("muscle and joint rejuvenator"), Aerobitine ("the ultimate anti-fatigue/fat loss formula"), Vitalyze ("the mental and physical performance enhancer"), ZMA ("rapid anabolic sleep enhancer") and Expandinutz ("the testicle reinflator"). He's photographed with Bonds and others on the company's customer gallery. (Only kidding about Expandinutz. There is no such product. Do not attempt to order.)
posted by rcade to baseball at 02:05 PM - 3 comments
The 5th Annual chicobangs Memorial SpoFi CFL Pick ’Em: is here and in fine form. The pigs have been skinned, the preseason has been played, and the first crop of MCL injuries has come and gone. Be a part of this grand tradition and make your picks inside.
posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 12:23 PM - 25 comments
The Perils of Climbing Yosemite's Half Dome: Although it looks in pictures like something any hiker could do, climbing Half Dome at Yosemite National Park is a lot different when you're halfway up the 425-foot sheer granite dome. "On June 13, 2009, a hiker climbing up the Half Dome cables in Yosemite National Park fell to his death," writes R.L. Miller in a diary on Daily Kos. "I climbed Half Dome for my 40th birthday. I've hiked all over the West in all sorts of conditions, and I believed that I had no fear of heights. ... if you fall to your right, you die, and if you fall to your left, you die. About a third of the way up, I realized -- I can't do this!"
posted by rcade to extreme at 11:33 AM - 6 comments
Shaq traded to Cavs on eve of draft: In exchange for the 37-year-old, 15-time All-Star, the Suns will get about $10 million in savings by acquiring Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic and then releasing Pavlovic, who has only $1.5 million of his $4.95 million salary guaranteed. Phoenix also gets the 46th pick in Thursday night's draft and $500,000. Phoenix and Cleveland have discussed an O'Neal deal since before the February trade deadline. O'Neal was a third-team All-NBA pick this year after playing in 75 games and averaging 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds with career-best 60.9 percent shooting.
posted by tommytrump to basketball at 01:26 AM - 9 comments
June 24, 2009
U.S. Stuns Spain in Confederations Cup: At the Confederations Cup in South Africa Wednesday, the United States beat top-ranked Spain 2-0 on goals by Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey, advancing to their first-ever men's final at a FIFA competition. "We're not used to losing," said coach Vicente Del Bosque of Spain, which had won 15 international matches in a row.
posted by rcade to soccer at 06:36 PM - 9 comments
Iowa High School Football Legend Killed in Weight Room by Former Player: Ed Thomas--football coach at Aplington-Parkersburg, 2005 NFL High School Coach of the Year, mentor to four current NFL linemen--was shot and killed today while supervising players during summer weightlifting. ESPN profiled A-P and Thomas last year after a tornado destroyed the school, Thomas's house, and most of the town.
posted by Uncle Toby to football at 04:46 PM - 3 comments
FOTA and FIA put toys back in pram. : In what can only be described as an astounding upset, common sense has actually prevailed in Formula One. The eight FOTA teams will not start their own series, and Max Mosley will not stand for re-election later this year. The latter seems to be a key part of the former. Now shut up and race.
posted by Drood to auto racing at 02:55 PM - 13 comments
"Essentially, this site is what I'd have been doing when I was 12 years old had the Internet and Photoshop been available to me in the eighties.": Baseball + Infographics = Flip Flop Fly Ball.
[via Cafe Hayek & my dad]
posted by yerfatma to baseball at 02:44 PM - 8 comments
Jimmy Fallon Challenges Tiger Woods to Wii Golf: Tiger Woods will play golf against late-night TV host Jimmy Fallon Thursday in Times Square -- Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 on the Nintendo Wii. Fallon, who gives videogames frequent coverage on his show, tweeted that "it's the only way i have a chance."
posted by rcade to golf at 01:25 PM - 2 comments
June 23, 2009
Sports Illustrated Football Prognosticator Dr. Z Recovering from Strokes: In his Monday column, Peter King reveals something that was news to me: Legendary football writer Paul Zimmerman, better known as Dr. Z, suffered three strokes since November and has lost the ability to read or write. "He's still rehabbing hard, concentrating on his speech, studying the morning papers and trying to decipher them, and planning a trip for concentrated therapy later this year," King writes. Dr. Z's most recent Super Bowl prediction was one of his best: He said the heavy underdog New York Giants would beat the undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl 0x2A.
posted by rcade to football at 08:05 PM - 4 comments
The Captain, the Golden Brett, 'Lucky' Luc, and , well, Brian Leetch are the 2009 HHOF inductees.: Don't think there was a doubt on any of them making it. All are first-ballot HOFers. But names like Bure, Ciccarelli, and Gartner have to wait again to be called...and it could be longer for some...
posted by MeatSaber to hockey at 07:54 PM - 5 comments
The San Antonio Spurs send three players to Milwaukee, get Richard Jefferson in return.: The Bucks receive Bruce Bowen, Fabricio Oberto, and Kurt Thomas, all of whom are entering the final year of their contracts.
posted by Ufez Jones to basketball at 03:43 PM - 11 comments
One Area Where Hockey Has It Right: The NBA Draft should take a page from the NHL, says New York Daily News writer Elliot Olshansky.
posted by TheQatarian to basketball at 10:25 AM - 4 comments
June 22, 2009
Donald Fehr Retiring from Baseball Player's Union: Donald Fehr, 61, is retiring as head of the baseball players' association after more than a quarter-century in charge -- though it may occur as late as next March. Fehr took over in 1983 and presided over three strikes, including the one that killed the World Series in 1994-95. The average player salary was $289,000 when he took office and is $2.9 million today.
posted by rcade to baseball at 04:53 PM - 12 comments
Drunks Heckle Tiger Woods, Fred Funk at US Open: During a long day of golf due to rain, drunk fans heckled Tiger Woods, Fred Funk and other golfers as the action at Bethpage Black came to a close Sunday. "Suck it up, you've got your own video game!" one fan yelled at Woods as he waited to play under an umbrella.
posted by rcade to golf at 12:09 PM - 24 comments
June 21, 2009
Very special Father's Day for Falcons' Nicholas : Stephen Nicholas' arms were wrapped around his infant son, somewhat loosely because he didn't want to bump the tubes that had kept the child alive the past four months. Wife Irene sat nearby and the doctor began talking. The doctor said the tubes were going to come out that afternoon. Stephen and Irene looked at each other and started crying as both minds registered the same two thoughts. Stephen Nicholas Jr. had been in Children's Hospital Boston since last summer, waiting for a heart suitable to transplant into his little body. "That was the doctor's way of saying there was a heart coming in,'' Stephen said. Stephen Jr. was going to get a shot at life with a new heart. Tears of joy for a few seconds. Then, tears of sadness. "The most bittersweet moment you can imagine,'' Irene said. "Our baby was going to get a new heart. But then you realize the heart had to come from someone his age and his size.'' Somewhere, someone else had lost a baby.
posted by gfinsf to football at 09:17 AM - 4 comments
June 20, 2009
Gillett reaches deal to sell Habs to Molson family: The Molson family has emerged as the winner in the bidding war for the Montreal Canadiens. The two sides are to hold a news conference to announce the sale as soon as the deal is finalized. They didn't reveal the sale price or any other details, but reports said Gillett's 80.1-per-cent interest in the team and 100 per cent stake in its arena, the Bell Centre, and event promotion company Gillett Entertainment Group should exceed $500 million and could even top $600 million. Gillet paid $275 million for that package in 2001 and has built it into one of the NHL's most profitable clubs. He is also co-owner of soccer giant Liverpool FC with Dallas Stars owner Tom Hicks.
posted by tommytrump to hockey at 08:40 PM - 1 comment
The Madness of Temporary Ski Jumps: Some great black & white vintage photography for your weekend viewing pleasure. (via)
posted by Ufez Jones to other at 07:55 PM - 2 comments
Brothers Pitch Against Each Other in Tonight's Dodgers/Angels Game: Brothers Jeff and Jared Weaver, who grew up in Simi Valley not far from Anaheim, will be pitching against each other there tonight when Jeff's Los Angeles Dodgers face Jered's Los Angeles Angels. It's the 21st time siblings have started against each other in the bigs, and the first since Andy and Alan Benes faced off in 2002. MLB.Com runs down the last 15 such games.
Scutaro steals second base after Base on Balls: Blue Jay Marco Scutaro catches the Phillies middle infield napping, and takes second after drawing a walk. As one of the commentators says, it reminds him of little league. Video here.
posted by MeatSaber to baseball at 02:01 PM - 8 comments
Carlos Tevez Leaving Manchester United: Carlos Tevez has told Manchester United he's leaving the club, despite being offered 25.5 million pounds in a five-year deal to stay. He's likely to end up in Chelsea or Manchester City, reports the BBC. With the departures of Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo, Man U is completely out of talented players -- and lacks the financial resources to acquire more -- so the team will sadly be facing a relegation battle next season.
posted by rcade to soccer at 01:53 PM - 4 comments
June 18, 2009
Formula One's major players announce they will create their own series: "The teams cannot continue to compromise on the fundamental values of the sport and have declined to alter their original conditional entries to the 2010 World Championship," said a statement issued by the new Formula One Teams' Association.
posted by The_Special_Juan to auto racing at 09:10 PM - 19 comments
June 17, 2009
Onion: Gymnast Put to Sleep After Breaking Leg: In an entirely fake video segment produced by The Onion, the fake parents of real gymnast Shawn Johnson described how she suffered a fake leg injury and had to be euthanized. Note: This story is fake. "At this time there will be no comment from Shawn or her parents about the video," her real publicist responded.
posted by rcade to olympics at 03:00 PM - 40 comments
Iranian Soccer Players Wear Green Protest Arm Bands: During today's World Cup qualifier against South Korea in Seoul, five players for the Iranian national team wore green armbands or wristbands, a sign of apparent solidarity with the Mir Hossein Mousavi supporters taking to the streets in the wake of Iran's disputed presidential election. Though some players removed the bands at halftime, captain Mehdi Mahdavikia wore his throughout the match. Iran's qualification chances in Asia group 2 hang on the match, which ended 1-1.
posted by rcade to soccer at 02:17 PM - 16 comments
June 16, 2009
David Braley, the Toronto Argonauts, and the good old CFL: The Toronto Argonauts open their pre-season Wednesday night against the Montreal Alouettes. No word yet, however, whether David Braley will call the offensive plays, or stick to directing the defence. Braley, of course, is the owner the British Columbia Lions, as well as the Canadian Football League’s longtime power broken, kingmaker, and so forth. Braley is a rich man, one of, if not the, richest owner in the CFL, and he enjoys the power that wealth affords in an eight-team league. And so it is only partly shocking to learn that Braley has been helping the Toronto Argonauts financially since the tandem of David Cynamon and Howard Sokolowski bought the team out of bankruptcy in 2003. According to a published report, Braley loaned the pair half of the $2-million purchase price, loaned the club enough money to cover half its operating losses since then, and was repaid with half the profits from the 2007 Grey Cup in Toronto.
posted by tommytrump to football at 10:03 PM - 4 comments
Sammy Sosa Tested Positive for Performance-Enhancing Drugs in 2003: Sammy Sosa is among the 104 players who tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug in 2003, lawyers with knowledge of the drug-testing results from that year told the New York Times. Sosa testified under oath before Congress in 2005 that he had "never taken illegal performance-enhancing drugs." Sosa, who last played in 2007, will be on the 2013 Hall of Fame ballot alongside Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.
posted by rcade to baseball at 08:55 PM - 27 comments
Donte Stallworth Gets 30 Days Jail for DUI Manslaughter: Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth was sentenced to 30 days jail and two years house arrest for the March 14 death of Mario Reyes, a pedestrian struck by Stallworth's car while he was driving drunk. Before sentencing, Stallworth reached an undisclosed financial settlement with the family of Reyes, a Miami Beach construction worker. Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said Stallworth's lack of previous criminal record, cooperation and willingness to accept responsibility were factors in the plea deal.
posted by rcade to football at 08:28 PM - 42 comments
Lawyer Sues for Men Excluded from Oakland A's Mother's Day Giveaway: An opportunistic lawyer in San Diego, Alfred G. Rava, has won a $510,000 class-action settlement against the Oakland A's for excluding men from a 2004 Mother's Day promotion, ESPN columnist Rick Reilly explains. On May 8, 2004, the A's had a fight-breast-cancer 5K run before the game, offered free mammograms and gave the first 7,500 women through the gate floppy plaid sun hats from Macy's. "Personally, I find Mr. Rava as odorous as a bag of dyspeptic hamsters," Reilly writes. "He's a greasy manipulator who has found a small leak in American law and stuck an open wallet under it."
posted by rcade to baseball at 11:58 AM - 26 comments
Secrets of the fixture computer: Ever wondered why you have had to travel the length of the country on a wet Tuesday night to watch your team in action? Turns out that the game calendar is massively complicated but done by one guy on his laptop. Then the clubs, leagues and police weigh in. The 2009-10 schedule will be out tomorrow.
posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 11:57 AM - 1 comment
June 15, 2009
Peugeot break nine years of Audi dominance.: After nine years of Audi dominance*, this past Sunday Peugeot took a 1-2 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. (*Yes, Bentley won in 2003, but the car was, in large part, an Audi.) As a side note, the Lola Aston Martin team finished 4th on their first attempt, and were the fastest of the petrol finishers, carrying arguably the most recognizable paint scheme in Le Mans history.
posted by Drood to auto racing at 10:48 PM - 3 comments
June 14, 2009
You're all out!: High school umpire Don Briggs made the most of the classic ejection call - "Yer outta here" - by ejecting the entire crowd last Thursday in West Burlington, Iowa. Eventually, the crowd was allowed to return, but only under the agreement that "anyone making a negative comment toward the officials would be ejected from the premises and could be charged with disorderly conduct..."
posted by BoKnows to baseball at 11:13 PM - 18 comments
Lakers Win NBA Championship: The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic 99-86 Sunday, giving the franchise its 15th NBA championship, Coach Phil Jackson his 10th championship, and star Kobe Bryant his fourth.
posted by rcade to basketball at 10:44 PM - 26 comments
How Johnny Kerr's Streak Ended at 844 Games: The late Johnny "Red" Kerr held the consecutive game streak in the NBA, playing in 844 consecutive games from 1954 to 1965, until it was broken by Randy Smith in 1983. Bob Greene tells the story of how it ended -- Baltimore Bullets Coach Paul Seymour intentionally held him out for one game. "[C]an you conceive of Lou Gehrig's manager letting him sit on the bench while his streak was still going, and not even telling him he wouldn't be getting into the game?" Greene asks.
posted by rcade to basketball at 12:20 PM - 5 comments
June 13, 2009
I want to puchus a crossbow: I mean, Stanley Cup Pickem Final Standings. And for the record, Gary Bettman Still sucks...
posted by MeatSaber to fantasy at 02:29 AM - 8 comments
June 12, 2009
NHL Confidence Pool - Final Standings: Congratulations to rumple, beating the field by 82 points. YYM takes second, NoMich third.
posted by BoKnows to fantasy at 11:07 PM - 5 comments
Penguins hold off Red Wings to take third Stanley Cup: The Penguins rang in a new era tonight, winning the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1992 and the third time in franchise history. Max Talbot scored two second-period goals, and the Penguins overcame the loss of captain Sidney Crosby and a whole lot of history to beat the defending champion Detroit Red Wings 2-1 on Friday night in Game 7 and win the Stanley Cup for the third time.
posted by tommytrump to hockey at 11:00 PM - 23 comments
June 11, 2009
And what of events in Kinchasa?: In 1971, Alistair Cooke enjoyed the outcome of Ali-Frazier I:
It is not enough for a lifelong Methodist* to wait for justice on Judgment Day. He preserves a deep yearning to see sinners get their comeuppance here on earth. And last night all the rumbling warnings of his boyhood came meanly, beautifully true.
Not the first time he wrote about The Greatest, either.
* who apparently skipped Proverbs 24:17-18: Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
posted by Uncle Toby to boxing at 03:26 PM - 9 comments
The Truth Hurts: Clearly Kevin Youkilis' at-bat music should be Bob Seger's "Night Moves". Please help this important cause by joining yet another meaningless Facebook group. [via]
posted by yerfatma to baseball at 02:52 PM - 24 comments
Alabama Will Forfeit 10 or More Games: Alabama will forfeit at least 10 wins from the 2006 and 2007 seasons and be placed on probation over the improper disbursement of textbooks to athletes, according to media reports. Coach Nick Saban led the Crimson Tide to a 12-0 regular-season record and a No. 1 ranking last season before losing to the SEC championship and its bowl game.
posted by rcade to football at 01:40 PM - 5 comments
Sportswriter Seeks Active Gay Baseball Player: Jeff Pearlman thinks it's time that Major League Baseball had an active player willing to come forward and admit that he plays for a different team. "You have the opportunity to be more than a ballplayer; more than just another blah notation buried deep within the pages of the Baseball Encyclopedia. For every 10,000 Bill Brutons and Joe Sambitos, there's a Curt Flood. For every 10,000 Paul Blairs and Jack Clarks, there's a [Jackie] Robinson."
posted by rcade to baseball at 12:26 PM - 36 comments
Real bites again: A week shy of six years since parting company with David Beckham, and six months after Sir Alex told the press 'I wouldn't sell that mob a virus', Manchester Utd have accepted Real Madrid's £80m offer for Cristiano Ronaldo. Let the speculation about the club's finances and post-mortems on C-Ron's time at Old Trafford commence.
posted by etagloh to soccer at 07:58 AM - 14 comments
Close but no cigar: One of the biggest stories of this year's Stanley Cup Finals is if Hossa made the right decision to go to the Red Wings to get his name etched on the Stanley Cup. We have to wait until Friday to find out that answer. The question though inspired the Bleacher Report to compile a list of 40 great players who have not had their names engraved on the silver chalice. [via Puck Daddy]
posted by MrFrisby to hockey at 01:45 AM - 4 comments
June 10, 2009
Dallas Stars Fire Dave Tippett Despite His Clean, Close Shave: The Dallas Stars have fired head coach Dave Tippett and are seeking permission to talk to former Los Angeles Kings and Colorado Avalanche coach Marc Crawford. Tippett led the team to a respectable 271-156-28-37 record, but during each of his seven years another team hoisted the Stanley Cup that by all rights should have belonged to Dallas. During Tippett's years in Big D, he had an on again, off-again relationship with upper lip facial hair that may have played a role in the Stars' late-season swoon this year. "The late '80s, all the guys had those in hockey," said GM Les Jackson. "It was cool back then, but now that he hasn't had if for a while, it looks good."
posted by rcade to hockey at 10:19 PM - 7 comments
June 09, 2009
Pujols' two-run sacrifice fly: St. Louis Cardinal Albert Pujols drives in two runs with a sacrifice fly ball. How often does this happen? (Video only)
posted by BoKnows to baseball at 06:45 PM - 10 comments
Dany Heatley: wants out of Ottawa. With 5 years @ 7.5 Million a season left and complete control over his destination with a no-movement clause, it's hard to imagine Bryan Murray's feeling good about his job right now.
posted by dfleming to hockey at 02:38 PM - 2 comments
Larry O'Brien Remains the Least Revered Major Trophy in Sports: Though it doesn't get the treatment of the Stanley Cup, the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy has been awarded since 1978 to the winner of the NBA. The Lakers and Bulls have hoisted it six times each, a record Los Angeles is two wins from breaking. It's 14.5 pounds of sterling silver and vermeil with a 24 karat gold overlay, according to Wikipedia, and a new one is made each year. In an act that NHL players would consider extremely bad luck, NBA players from the Lakers and Orlando Magic have posed with the trophy in commercials that are airing during the finals.
posted by rcade to basketball at 02:37 PM - 17 comments
June 08, 2009
Ricky Kaka is a Galactico. Price: $94m: Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez confirmed that Kaka would be just the first of several summer signings. His targets also include Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo and Liverpool's Xabi Alonso. "Kaka is one of the players that every team would like to have and Madrid had the chance to get him," Pérez said. "We are working on building a good team, an important team, and this has only just begun."
posted by The_Special_Juan to football at 10:24 PM - 7 comments
June 07, 2009
Fan Accosts Federer During French Open Final: A fan carrying a red flag jumped onto the court during the French Open final Sunday, trying to put something on Roger Federer's head before fleeing security and jumping the net, then getting creamed in the first open-field tackle in the history of the event. See the video. And by the way, Federer won the event for the first time.
posted by rcade to tennis at 01:10 PM - 17 comments
Softball Pitcher Strikes Out 32 Batters in One Game: Danielle Schmidt, a high school softball pitcher in Woodbury, Minn., struck out 32 batters she faced in an 11-inning state quarterfinal playoff game this week. Six hours later, she threw a no hitter. "I just want to play my best on every pitch," she said.
posted by rcade to baseball at 12:58 PM - 5 comments
June 06, 2009
NHL's secret constitution revealed: All the secrets are out. The NHL constitution is now a matter of public record, as is the fact that Toronto Argonauts co-owners David Cynamon and Howard Sokolowski are among four different bidders looking to buy the Phoenix Coyotes. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman revealed the groups in a court filing today, arguing to bankruptcy court judge Redfeild Baum the team should not be sold because owner Jerry Moyes is ignoring the league's constitution. Attached to the article are PDF's of the N.H.L.'s Bylaws, and Constitution.
posted by tommytrump to hockey at 11:42 PM - 0 comments
U.S. Overcomes Costly Goal to Defeat Honduras: The U.S. Soccer team defeated Honduras 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier at Soldier Field Saturday night. Honduras opened the scoring in the fifth minute with a Carlos Costly goal. Landon Donovan scored a penalty kick equalizer shortly before the half and Carlos Bocanegra headed in the go-ahead goal in the 68th minute. Fans of Honduras -- a nation of 7.6 million -- appeared to outnumber U.S. supporters.
posted by rcade to soccer at 10:40 PM - 11 comments
Shaq Can't Handle Howard's Success: Given the number of times that Shaquille O'Neal has ripped him over the past year, Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic did an interesting thing Friday from the gigantic media platform of the NBA Finals: He turned the other cheek. "I can't tell you why he's said a lot of discouraging things," Howard said when asked about Shaq. "I wish he wouldn't say it because he's one of the few guys that we all look up to."
posted by rcade to basketball at 02:14 PM - 9 comments
June 04, 2009
Shin Kicking: During the Cotswold "Olimpick" games, there are many rural events such as tug-of war and sledgehammer throwing, but Shin Kicking is the main event. The games date back to the 17th century and were outlawed in the 1850's. Resurrected in the 1950s, the games have increased in popularity and support. In an excerpt from his book 'True Brits', author JR Daeschner gives a first hand (or leg) view of the event. Video of event here. (ESPN)
posted by BoKnows to other at 10:29 PM - 5 comments
Kobe Bryant, No Mere God of Destruction (from True Hoop): A slightly different take on the biggest star in this year's NBA finals.
posted by apoch to basketball at 09:14 PM - 10 comments
David Ortiz's Decline: Not PEDs, but Age: Bill Simmons asserts that Big Papi's decline is due to age, and that he is older than the Red Sox media guide lists (4 years older).
posted by AaronGNP to baseball at 03:50 PM - 6 comments
Baseball's LeBron: He hit the longest home run ever at Tropicana Field. He throws 96 miles per hour, has bat speed over 100 mph and has been known to every major-league club for at least a couple seasons. His name is Bryce Harper ... and he's 16 years old.
posted by wfrazerjr to baseball at 12:06 PM - 16 comments
Was the 1970's Boston Globe Sports Page the Greatest of All Time?: "Ryan would write about umpires,Gammons would write about wars and symphonies, and you'd need a third f----- guy for game talk."
posted by yerfatma to culture at 08:12 AM - 4 comments
The Chain Gang: - 194 inmates, escorted by 124 prison guards and sports instructors, will set off from Lille and cycle about 1,500 miles, ending up in Paris. They will have to cycle in a pack, will not be ranked and, for obvious reasons, breakaway sprints will not be allowed.
posted by JJ to other at 07:23 AM - 5 comments
June 03, 2009
Tony LaRussa Sues Twitter: St. Louis Cardinals Manager Tony La Russa is suing Twitter over an imposter posting on the service under the name tonylarussa. La Russa, who wasn't able to get the account removed until he filed suit, claims trademark infringement and dilution, cybersquatting, and misappropriation of name and likeness. The account, which had four followers, had the location "Tossing Pujols' salad" and only three updates. One read, "drinking a cold Zima and wishing fucking Hancock was alive, I bet he could've gotten Jack Wilson out." Read the complaint
posted by rcade to baseball at 06:24 PM - 25 comments
June 02, 2009
SI Writer: LeBron Snubbed Magic to Send 'Clear Message': When LeBron James left the court after losing game 6 without shaking hands with the Orlando Magic players, and didn't do a press conference afterwards, he was sending a message to Cleveland Cavaliers management, Phil Taylor of Sports Illustrated speculates on no evidence at all. "James was putting Ferry on notice that he has no intention of trying to drag this group to a championship again," he writes. "More help had better be on the way next year, King James seemed to be saying, or tell the Knicks to start getting my uniform ready."
posted by rcade to basketball at 06:48 PM - 31 comments
Yanks Error Free for MLB record 18 straight games: Breaking the record set by some team in Boston...New York has handled 651 total chances in 165 1/3 innings of play, recording 496 putouts and completing 162 assists with 13 double plays. The Yankees are 14-4 during the 18-game errorless streak.
posted by mjkredliner to baseball at 11:26 AM - 12 comments
Operation Tango: : with the Scottish title down to the final day fans of leaders Glasgow Rangers decided to prank fans of nemesis Glasgow Celtic, with results visible on Setanta. [YOUTUBE]
posted by Mr Bismarck to soccer at 08:31 AM - 9 comments
June 01, 2009
Will the Rams leave St. Louis?: Decisions have not been made as of yet, but an online petition is asking the new owners to keep the Rams in the Gateway City. Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill has signed the petition which pleads "Please, whoever buys the Rams, keep them here and don't move them away." The contract between the Rams and the Edward Jones Dome states that the facility must be "top-tier", and rank in the top eight stadiums in terms of quality. If that standard isn't met, the owners could opt out of the lease agreement.
posted by BoKnows to football at 10:08 PM - 15 comments