Archives for October 2011

October 31, 2011

Steelers Play Keep Away with Patriots: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger passed for 365 yards and two touchdowns and the offense held the ball for 39 minutes in a 25-17 win over the New England Patriots. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was held to a season-low 198 yards passing. In other week eight games, the winless Rams stunned the Saints, the Eagles crushed the Cowboys, the Lions trounced the Tebows and the Colts extended their Lucky streak to 0-8.

posted by rcade to football at 11:27 AM - 29 comments

Cardinals' La Russa retires as champ: After 32 seasons managing three teams, Tony La Russa, 67, goes out a champion after leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a stirring seven-game World Series triumph over the Texas Rangers just days ago. It was his third championship. He also won the 1989 World Series with Oakland and the 2006 Series with St. Louis. "I knew this day would come. I just hoped that it wouldn't," said team chairman Bill DeWitt Jr.

posted by BornIcon to baseball at 10:31 AM - 11 comments

If your favorite NFL team was candy, they would be......: Dont know if this IS FPP worthy, but it is Halloween so why not. Disclaimed: No one was hazed during the posting of this article.

posted by Debo270 to football at 09:28 AM - 10 comments

October 30, 2011

The Hoser's NFL Picks, 2011 Week Eight: NFL picks that have rediscovered our love of Old Tom's Egg Nog (14% alcohol by volume).

posted by wfrazerjr to football at 11:13 AM - 4 comments

October 29, 2011

Comeback Cards Win World Series: The St. Louis Cardinals completed their epic comeback season by beating the Texas Rangers 6-2 in a deciding game seven to take the World Series Friday. David Freeze, whose two-run triple tied game six in the ninth inning and home run won it in the 11th, was series MVP. The Cardinals were 10.5 games back in the wild-card standings August 26 and faced 999-to-1 odds of winning it all on Sept. 12. "There's just one way to describe it -- it's unbelievable, amazing, incredible," manager Tony La Russa told the jubilant Busch Stadium crowd.

posted by rcade to baseball at 09:47 AM - 19 comments

October 28, 2011

Freese wins it for Cards in 11th:

Down by two in the ninth, David Freese ties it with a triple. Down by two in the 10th, Lance Berkman ties it again. And in the 11th, a lead-off homer by Freese wins it.
Game 7 is Friday at Busch at 7:05.

posted by kirkaracha to baseball at 01:22 AM - 26 comments

October 27, 2011

CFL Pick 'Em, Week 18: Two weeks left and it's down to the wire! Grab your, uh, wire cutters? and make your picks inside.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 11:27 AM - 14 comments

Picturing Rob Gronkowski with a porn star: Rob Gronkowski is a certified force in the red zone. He was only red faced today. The second-year tight end found himself offering a public explanation for his role in an embarrassing -- but seemingly harmless -- episode while the Patriots were off last weekend.

posted by BornIcon to football at 09:49 AM - 18 comments

What Happened to West Virginia's Big 12 Invite?: On Tuesday, sources said that West Virginia had accepted an invitation to join the Big 12 conference. On Wednesday, the deal was undone and the Big 12 was reportedly considering the University of Louisville. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), who attended West Virginia on a football scholarship, has called for a Congressional investigation to see if Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), a former Louisville student body president, messed with the Mountaineers. "If someone as U.S. Senator interfered after the process took place, then that's wrong and unacceptable," Manchin said.

posted by rcade to football at 09:49 AM - 3 comments

More Helmets Flying in College Football: Through Oct. 15, 407 helmets had come off players in the Football Bowl Subdivision, another 406 in the Football Championship Subdivision and 339 in Division II. The cause may be players keeping their chinstraps extremely loose, and the NCAA Football Rules Committee may take action to reduce the frequency for safety reasons. "It drives me crazy," BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said.

posted by rcade to football at 08:27 AM - 1 comment

October 26, 2011

Bottles tied to genitals in Manitoba hockey hazing: A 15-year-old hockey player in Manitoba was forced to parade around the dressing room with water bottles tied to his genitals, the teen's parents alleged in an effort to end hazing rituals in minor hockey.

posted by tommytrump to culture at 10:56 PM - 24 comments

NFL's Jackie Robinson Little Remembered: An effort is afoot at Los Angeles' Lincoln High School to honor Kenny Washington, a graduate of the school who broke the National Football League color barrier in 1946. Washington, who played football alongside Jackie Robinson on the 1939 UCLA Bruins, played three seasons for the Los Angeles Rams after wrecking his knees during years of semi-pro football. "There isn't as much as a municipal park, street or plaza in Los Angeles bearing his name or marking his role in history," reports USA Today, but funds are being raised to renovate the school's football field as Kenny Washington Stadium.

posted by rcade to football at 08:53 AM - 7 comments

No Teams Attend Terrell Owens Workout: Former San Francisco/Philadelphia/Dallas/Buffalo/Cincinnati wide receiver Terrell Owens held an open workout Tuesday in California but no NFL team showed up. The NFL Network crew sent to broadcast the event charitably suggested teams are hiding their interest by watching on TV. "I only need one team," said the 38-year-old receiver, who had surgery for a torn ACL in April. "I only need one chance."

posted by rcade to football at 08:45 AM - 11 comments

October 25, 2011

Two teams, Two countries, One passion: This summer, the Ugandan Little League team’s hard work and determination had won them the title of 1st African team in history to earn the right to compete in the Little League World Series. Winning the Middle East/Africa Division for 11 and 12 year olds against Saudi Arabia in July, earned them an all-expenses paid trip to the August 2011 World Series in Williamsport, PA., USA. The youngsters were scheduled to play the Canadian team from Langley, BC, in what would have been an historic moment for Africa. However, just 2 weeks before that game was to take place, Uganda's request for visas was denied by the U.S. State Department. The following is a short film interviewing with some of the Ugandan players & coaches: Baseball changing lives in Uganda

posted by tommytrump to culture at 04:24 PM - 3 comments

Rangers Take 3-2 World Series Lead: Adrian Beltre hit a game-tying home run and Mike Napoli a two-run go-ahead double in a 4-2 Texas Rangers victory in game 5 of the World Series. Albert Pujols called his own hit and run in the seventh but didn't swing at the high fastball, leaving runner Allen Craig to be thrown out by Napoli. The Cards also had communication trouble with the bullpen, causing Lance Lynn to be brought into the game when manager Tony La Russa wanted Jason Motte. The Rangers are one win from the first Series title in franchise history, but the last two games are in St. Louis.

posted by rcade to baseball at 08:57 AM - 15 comments

October 24, 2011

Holland Shuts Down Cards in Texas Game 4 Win: A day after the St. Louis Cardinals exploded for 16 runs, Texas Rangers starter Derek Holland held them to two hits over 8 1/3 innings in a 4-0 game 4 win. Texas catcher Mike Napoli hit a three-run home run in the sixth off the first pitch he saw from Cardinals reliever Mitchell Boggs. "I thought I was ready for that moment," Boggs said. "I made the pitch with conviction and with everything I had."

posted by rcade to baseball at 10:35 AM - 3 comments

October 23, 2011

The Hoser's NFL Picks, 2011 Week Seven: NFL picks that just teared up watching "Little House On The Prairie."

posted by wfrazerjr to football at 11:22 AM - 6 comments

Shake-up in top 5 of College Football: As Alabama and LSU completed their march to a November 5 death match with undefeated records intact, the top of the college football rankings saw a major shake-up with Michigan State blowing a two-score, fourth quarter lead over No. 4 Wisconsin only to win on a hail mary and Texas Tech holding on in a weather-delayed game to snap No. 1 (Coaches' Poll)/No. 3 (AP) Oklahoma's 39-game home winning streak.

posted by holden to football at 10:22 AM - 4 comments

Albert Pujols does Albert Pujols Things, Powers Cardinals to 2-1 World Series Lead: After a couple of tight, tense affairs in St. Louis, Albert Pujols (roundly criticized just the day before for failing to meet with the media after Game 2) broke out in a major, historical way to lead the Cardinals to a rout of the Rangers, 16-7 in Game 3 of the World Series (a game in which the "human element" reared its ugly head on a tag play at first).

posted by holden to baseball at 09:36 AM - 12 comments

October 22, 2011

Darrelle Revis Shuts Down Radio Host: New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis hung up on New York sports radio host Mike Francesca after they sparred over whether Revis interfered with Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall on his 100-yard interception and touchdown. See the play. "You are still the only one in the world who doesn't think that was a penalty," Francesca said shortly before a Jets PR executive told Revis to hang up the phone.

posted by rcade to football at 12:36 PM - 2 comments

October 21, 2011

Fox Outbids ESPN for 4 World Cups: For a mere $425 million, Fox has won the English-language U.S. TV rights for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and 2015 and 2019 women's World Cups, outbidding ESPN and NBC. Another $600 million was paid by Telemundo for the Spanish language TV rights and $100 million to Futbol de Primera Radio for radio rights. After losing the bidding, ESPN said in a statement, "We made a disciplined bid."

posted by rcade to soccer at 08:28 PM - 7 comments

Olin Kreutz walks away from the Saints: According to his agent, Kreutz's passion for the game just wasn't there anymore. He'd rather walk away than keep getting paid, while feeling like he wasn't contributing.

posted by BornIcon to football at 03:50 PM - 1 comment

UCLA, Arizona fight after fake ref runs onto the field in Wildcats’ blowout: The most compelling part of Arizona’s 48-12 thumping of UCLA? With the Wildcats up 42-7 just before halftime, a fake ref ran onto the field, blew the play dead and then streaked off the field, prompting a giant fight.

posted by BornIcon to football at 01:00 PM - 9 comments

Jerome Harrison’s failed physical turned up a brain tumor: The reason for Jerome Harrison's(notes) failed physical, the one that voided the trade between the Lions and Eagles, was a brain tumor.

posted by BornIcon to football at 08:45 AM - 5 comments

Rangers Come Back to Win Game 2: A two-run ninth inning comeback put the Texas Rangers over the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1 in game 2 of the World Series. Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus singled off closer Jason Motte and scored on sacrifice flies by Josh Hamilton and Michael Young. After Albert Pujols muffed a cut-off throw that let Andrus advance to scoring position on Hamilton's sacrifice, he was a no show when reporters entered the clubhouse. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, praised for his game 1 moves, is being panned for pulling Motte before Hamilton's at bat.

posted by rcade to baseball at 08:33 AM - 13 comments

October 20, 2011

The Science of Baseball's Magical Necklaces: This is the background needed to begin to understand why, as the World Series begins between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers, the field will be full of men who are wearing what can best be perhaps described as magical necklaces. Or, if you're the geeky type, call them +5 Amulets of Baseball Enhancement. (via MetaFilter).

posted by rcade to baseball at 09:00 AM - 10 comments

Cards Take Game 1 of World Series: The St. Louis Cardinals won 3-2 over the Texas Rangers in game one of the World Series. Chris Carpenter got the win, giving up two runs in six innings, and pinch hitter Allen Craig hit an RBI single in the sixth to put the Cards ahead. Lance Berkman, who used to hurt the Rangers with his words, caused more distress with a two-run single in the fourth.

posted by rcade to baseball at 08:25 AM - 13 comments

October 19, 2011

CFL Pick 'Em, Week 17: Mass hysteria reigns as almost everyone is still in the mix. Well, in the CFL anyway; perhaps not so much in our standings. But that's no reason to not make your picks inside.

posted by DrJohnEvans to fantasy at 11:12 PM - 12 comments

Howie Kendrick Angers Neighbor in Autograph Flap: Los Angeles Angels second baseman Howie Kendrick and his wife made an 8-year-old neighbor cry by scolding him for coming to their house to request an autograph, claims Radar Online. "We had been respectful and had not bothered him or his family until the morning he was packing to move," the kid's mom said. After Kendrick told them the request was rude, Kendrick's wife Jody supposedly told the child and his mom, "I can't believe you're still standing here. This is really rude and it's not going to happen. It's sad that you're still standing here." Howie Kendrick's been sparring with the kid's relatives on Twitter, where he retweeted the comment, "I find it funny how some people feel a professional athlete is obligated to sign or take a picture whenever asked," and also told one critic, "Save it meat your opinion doesn't matter. Blocked. And yes the adults ruined it."

posted by rcade to baseball at 12:51 PM - 32 comments

Tony Sparano Is Overmatched: Mike Tanier looks at what it takes to be "the CEO of a multi-billion dollar operation" and how just hiring the hot coordinator may be missing the point.

posted by Mr Bismarck to football at 10:45 AM - 2 comments

Will Smith Becomes Philadelphia 76ers Minority Owner: Step aside, Jay-Z: Philadelphia's got its own superstar rapper running part of its basketball team. Will Smith has acquired a minority stake in the Philadelphia 76ers along with his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, it was announced on Tuesday.

posted by BornIcon to basketball at 09:25 AM - 8 comments

October 18, 2011

Report: Raiders Trading First-Round Pick for Carson Palmer: The Oakland Raiders are reportedly working out a deal to get quarterback Carson Palmer from the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for a 2012 first-round pick and a conditional 2013 second-round pick that becomes a first rounder if the Raiders win a playoff game this year. Raiders head coach Hue Jackson was Palmer's quarterbacks coach in Cincy from 2004-06. Palmer, under contract through 2014, has been retired from football because he wasn't traded in the off-season.

posted by BornIcon to football at 12:57 PM - 17 comments

Bald Vinny Has Led His Last Yankees Roll Call: "Bald Vinny" Milano, the leader of the New York Yankees roll call from his seat in bleacher section 203, announced on his blog that he won't be back next year because he can't afford it. Milano's been making a living for years selling unauthorized T-shirts like "Bahston Sawks Cack" outside the stadium, but business has sawked cack lately. "I've always had funny shirts, and people would come by and buy them. Now they take their phones out, and they take a picture of them and they text them and they post them on Facebook instead," he said. "I'd love to get something with health insurance, you know?"

posted by rcade to baseball at 12:34 PM - 14 comments

October 17, 2011

High school player smacks opposing coach: The coach had surgery after bones above and below the ear and cheek, as well as ear bones, were “crushed.”

posted by roberts to football at 06:13 PM - 2 comments

There's No Defense for a Bad Goalie: Schuckers mapped every shot each goalie faced last season, allowing him to isolate a goalie's save percentage against shots from every location on the ice. He put those findings against a plot of every shot taken in the NHL in order to estimate how each goalie would fare not just against the shots he faced, but against the shots all the goalies faced—therefore putting them all up against the same shots. DIGR stands for "defense independent goalie rating."

posted by NoMich to hockey at 02:34 PM - 2 comments

49ers, Lions Head Coaches Botch Post-Game Handshake: After the San Francisco 49ers knocked off the previously undefeated Detroit Lions 25-19 at their house, the head coaches nearly ignited a post-game brawl over their handshake. "I shook his hand too hard," said 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh, whose team climbed to 5-1. Lions coach Jim Schwartz claimed Harbaugh yelled an obscenity at him. "There’s a protocol that goes with this league," he said. In other week 6 games, Tampa laid out New Orleans and coach Sean Peyton, New England downed Dallas with a last-minute touchdown and Philadelphia won a game.

posted by rcade to football at 08:37 AM - 23 comments

Wild Cards Beat Brewers, Advance to World Series: The St. Louis Cardinals, who earned a wild-card spot on the final day of the season, have advanced to the World Series after a 12-6 demolition of the Milwaukee Brewers in game 6 of the National League Championship Series. Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday and Series MVP David Freese accounted for 33 hits and 23 RBIs during the six games. The bullpen once again came through with Fernando Salas and four other relievers giving up just 2 earned runs over seven innings. "I wish I could chop the award up into pieces and give it to the bullpen. They deserve it," Freese said. The Cardinals and Rangers enter the World Series with shaky starters and blazing bullpens. "Expect a furious bullpen showdown," writes Tyler Kepner of the New York Times. "The Texas Rangers survived against the Detroit Tigers despite a 6.59 earned run average from their starters. The Cardinals’ rotation was even worse against Milwaukee, with a 7.03 E.R.A."

posted by rcade to baseball at 08:22 AM - 6 comments

October 16, 2011

Dan Wheldon Dies in 15-Car Crash at Las Vegas: Dan Wheldon died Sunday from injuries suffered in a 15-car wreck during lap 13 of an IndyCar race in Las Vegas. He was 33. Wheldon won this year's Indianapolis 500. "I've never seen anything like it," driver Ryan Briscoe said of the crash. "The debris we all had to drive through the lap later, it looked like a war scene from Terminator or something."

posted by etagloh to auto racing at 06:29 PM - 28 comments

Norman: Tiger Poor Pick for Presidents Cup: Greg Norman, the international team captain for November's Presidents Cup tournament in Australia, disagreed with Fred Couples' decision as captain to put Tiger Woods on the American team. "I think Keegan Bradley was much more deserving," Norman said. "I can understand the name of a Tiger Woods and his history of what he's done on the golf course. But I pick the guys who I think are ready to get in there and play and have performed to the highest levels leading up to it. ... I just don't think he's swinging the golf club the way he used to when he won all those major championships. He's a different player out there nowadays."

posted by rcade to golf at 01:26 PM - 9 comments

The Hoser's NFL Picks, 2011 Week Six: NFL picks that think the Texas Rangers put up more tallies last night than the Jaguars will on Sunday.

posted by wfrazerjr to football at 12:21 PM - 3 comments

Texas Rangers Return to World Series: The Texas Rangers scored nine runs in the third inning and went on to win 15-5 over the Detroit Tigers, advancing to their second consecutive World Series as American League champions. Outfielder Nelson Cruz was the series MVP with six home runs and 13 RBIs, both Major League postseason records.

posted by rcade to baseball at 12:17 AM - 7 comments

October 15, 2011

Saudis Arrest Foreign Soccer Player for Tattoos: Colombian winger Juan Pablo Pino was arrested by the Saudi Arabian moral police at a Riyadh mall because of the tattoos on his arms. Pino, who plays for the Saudi club Al Nassr and has the face of Jesus on his right forearm, expressed "deep sorrow" for not covering his ink and said he was unaware of Saudi law that prohibits all tattoos.

posted by rcade to soccer at 11:08 AM - 3 comments

Brewers Blow Game 5 with 4 Errors: The Milwaukee Brewers committed four errors in a 7-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in game 5 of the National League Championship Series. Only two of the five runs given up by losing pitcher Zack Greinke were earned. Third baseman Jerry Hairston let a grounder by pitcher Jaime Garcia buckner him in the second inning for two runs. Shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt flubbed another with two outs in the sixth and it was followed by an Albert Pujols RBI single. Greinke "added to Hairston's indignity by showing up the veteran, spiking the ball in disgust near home plate," writes Thomas Boswell in the Washington Post.

posted by rcade to baseball at 10:29 AM - 13 comments

October 14, 2011

Why Ernie Johnson's Missing the Playoffs: TBS sports announcer Ernie Johnson, Jr., is missing the baseball playoffs to be at the bedside of his hospitalized son. Michael Johnson, 24, is afflicted with muscular dystrophy and currently battling pneumonia. He was adopted from a Romanian orphanage in 1991. Ernie Johnson said, "My wife's a gem and called from Bucharest and said, 'I saw a child today, and he's so much more than we can handle. But I can't go through the rest of my life wondering whatever happened to that kid.'"

posted by rcade to baseball at 02:48 PM - 4 comments

Hockey Enforcer Apologizes for Mocking Unconscious Foe: After knocking out Washington Capitals forward Jay Beagle during a fight Thursday, Pittsburgh Penguins enforcer Arron Asham made a "you're out!" sign like a boxing ref and then put his head by his hands like he was going to sleep on the way to the sin bin. "It was kind of classless on my part," Asham said. "I wish I could take that back." Barry Petchesky writes on DeadSpin that Asham taking down an inexperienced fighter like Beagle's nothing to crow over: "This kind of mismatch isn't supposed to happen. ... Beagle was so out of his element that he was illegally wearing a visor during a fight."

posted by rcade to hockey at 01:33 PM - 15 comments

Brewers Even NLCS as Wolf Gets Monkey Off Back: The Milwaukee Brewers tied the National League Championship Series at two games apiece with a 4-2 comeback victory on the road over the St. Louis Cardinals. Pitcher Randy Wolf gave up two earned runs over seven innings to earn the victory and escapes his fate as the active pitcher with the most career wins without a win in the postseason. Ted Lilly now tops that list at 342 starts, followed by the pitcher Wolf beat in game 4, Kyle Lohse, with 298. Ryan Braun had two hits and an RBI for the Brewers.

posted by rcade to baseball at 09:59 AM - 2 comments

Tigers Beat Rangers as Cabrera's Base Hit Hits Base: Tied 2-2 with the Texas Rangers in the sixth inning, the Detroit Tigers broke it open with a Ryan Raburn single, Miguel Cabrera double, Victor Martinez triple and Delmon Young homer -- the first natural cycle by a team in postseason history -- and won 7-5. Justin Verlander threw a career high 133 pitches in the win. The American League Championship Series goes back to Texas with the Rangers lead narrowed to 3-2. Cabrera's double was looking like a double play when the ball caromed off third base and went over fielder Adrian Beltre's head. Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press compares the ricochet to Lou Brock's standing tag out at home plate in the 1968 World Series between the Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals. He asks, "Does the third-base ricochet become this series' Lou Brock moment?"

posted by rcade to baseball at 09:39 AM - 13 comments

October 13, 2011

Cards Take 2-1 Series Lead Over Brewers: The St. Louis Cardinals scored four first-inning runs off Milwaukee Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo and held on to win 4-3, taking a 2-1 lead in the National League Championship Series. Starter Chris Carpenter, helped by four relievers after exiting after the fifth, has tied Bob Gibson's franchise record of seven postseason wins. Michael Hunt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel pans Brewers manager Ron Roenicke's decision to start Mark Kotsay in center field to add some offense to the lineup. Kotsay homered, but also had a base-running lapse and fly-ball misplay. "Older, slower reflexes in such a monumental swing game pretty much get you what you deserve," Hunt writes.

posted by rcade to baseball at 08:26 AM - 15 comments

Rangers Cruz to Game 4 Win Over Tigers: After catcher Mike Napoli hit an RBI single, outfielder Nelson Cruz hit a three-run homer in the eleventh inning, helping the Texas Rangers win 7-3 over the Detroit Tigers and take a 3-1 lead in the American League Championship Series. The game might not have reached extra innings without Cruz's arm and Napoli's defense. In the eighth, he threw out Miguel Cabrera on a sacrifice fly, hitting Napoli with a perfect one-hop throw. Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press credits the Rangers win to small ball. "A single. A double down the line. A stolen base. A single. A misfired pickoff attempt. A single," he writes. "This was a perfect example of the kind of baseball Texas can play and the Tigers can't. Detroit simply doesn't have the speed."

posted by rcade to baseball at 08:15 AM - 13 comments

October 12, 2011

CFL Pick 'Em, Week 16: The playoff picture is clear as mud in the CFL. Week 15 confused the standings just as much as it tidied it up. What will Week 16 bring? More sports metaphors! Make your picks inside.

posted by Reever to fantasy at 05:32 PM - 15 comments

Baseball's Most Expensive Beers: The most expensive beer in Major League Baseball is served at Fenway Park, according to Business Insider. Boston charges $7.25 per small draft beer, while the league's cheapest is in Arizona at $4. The average price is $5.81.

posted by rcade to baseball at 04:35 PM - 17 comments

Report: Theo Epstein Taking Over Cubs: Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein has reached a $15 million, five-year deal to lead the Chicago Cubs, according to media reports. The Red Sox and Cubs must work out a compensation deal since Epstein still has a year on his existing contract. Epstein, who ended an 88-year World Series curse in Boston, would face an even more formidable 103-year title drought in Chicago. "Make no mistake, Epstein has a doozy of a challenge waiting for him in Chicago," writes Bob Nightengale of USA Today. "It's going to take time and there will be no overnight miracle."

posted by rcade to baseball at 03:12 PM - 10 comments

Al Davis' Strategic Legacy: Chris Brown of smartfootball looks at the vertical stretch concepts of the Al Davis offence.

posted by Mr Bismarck to football at 09:23 AM - 4 comments

Inside the Collapse: Boston Globe's Bob Hohler details the historic collapse of the 2011 Boston Red Sox.

posted by SteveYork to baseball at 12:53 AM - 30 comments

October 11, 2011

Antelope Takes Out Cyclist: During a weekend competition at Albert Falls Dam in South Africa, cyclist Evan van der Spuy was knocked off his bike when a red hartebeest sprung from the brush and head-butted him. Red hartebeests, a type of antelope, are among the swiftest animals in Africa and can attain speeds of 65 mph. "Think I might need a new helmet, that's just a guess," Van der Spuy said.

posted by rcade to other at 01:39 PM - 11 comments

An Underdog on the Undercard: Dewey Bozella will be in his first professional fight at age 52, having spent 26 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit.

posted by yerfatma to boxing at 08:39 AM - 2 comments

Cards Answer Brewers in Game 2: Albert Pujols hit a home run and three doubles, scored three runs and had five RBIs in the St. Louis Cardinals' 12-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers, evening the National League Championship Series at a game apiece. He's only the fourth player in Major League history with four extra-base hits in a postseason game.

posted by rcade to baseball at 08:01 AM - 1 comment

October 10, 2011

Rangers Slam Tigers 7-3 in Game 2: Texas Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz hit the first walk-off grand slam in postseason history, giving the Rangers a 7-3, 11-inning victory over the Detroit Tigers. The Rangers lead the series 2-0 as it heads to Detroit tomorrow.

posted by rcade to baseball at 09:03 PM - 6 comments

The Best Passing Quarterback Ever: Today Anthony Calvillo of the Montreal Alouettes became professional football's passing yardage leader with 72,429 yards.

posted by Mr Bismarck to football at 05:14 PM - 3 comments

49ers Crush Buccaneers 48-3, Improve to 4-1: The San Francisco 49ers improved to 4-1 with a 48-3 demolition of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at The Stick Sunday. The game became so lopsided that 49ers tight end Vernon Davis was encouraging the Bucs during the second half. He said he told Bucs corner Ronde Barber, "Get your guys. Get your guys. Y'all got to play harder." In other week 5 games, Buffalo dropped Philadelphia to 1-4 in a game where Michael Vick threw four picks, a Green Bay comeback defeated Atlanta and improved the Pack to 5-0, and Oakland just won baby over Houston in a game honoring late owner Al Davis.

posted by rcade to football at 09:46 AM - 14 comments

Brewers Bomb Cards in NLCS Opener: A six-run fifth inning led the Milwaukee Brewers past the St. Louis Cardinals 9-6 in game one of the National League Championship Series. Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder and Yuniesky Betancourt each hit two-run homers. Pitcher Zack Greinke got the win despite giving up six earned runs. ESPN said that Fielder's homer left his bat at 119.2 mph, the fastest exit of a home run this season.

posted by rcade to baseball at 09:28 AM - 3 comments

October 09, 2011

The Hoser's NFL Picks, 2011 Week Five: NFL picks just squeaking in under the gun.

posted by wfrazerjr to football at 10:42 AM - 3 comments

LSU Punter Loses Touchdown for Taunting: LSU punter Brad Wing scored on a 52-yard run on a fake punt against Florida Saturday, but the play was called back to the Florida 23-yard line because officials ruled Wing taunted UF's players before crossing the goal line.

posted by rcade to football at 09:24 AM - 13 comments

Rangers Win Rainy ALCS Opener: The Texas Rangers beat Justin Verlander and the Detroit Tigers 3-2 in a rain-interrupted opening game of the American League Championship Series. A Nelson Cruz homer provided the margin of victory. Rangers relievers held the Tigers scoreless over the final 4 1-3 innings.

posted by rcade to baseball at 08:54 AM - 5 comments

October 08, 2011

Oakland Raiders Owner Al Davis Dies: Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis, after 49 years of association with the team, has died at age 82. Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992, Davis had been an assistant coach, head coach, general manager, owner and commissioner. His teams won three Super Bowls and are one of just two to play in the Super Bowl in four different decades.

posted by rcade to football at 11:34 AM - 9 comments

Phillies Knocked Out of Playoffs by Cards: A first-inning run was all St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter needed to best Roy Halladay and the Philadelphia Phillies in game 5. The Cards' 1-0 victory sends them to the National League Championship Series and knocks out one of the best starting rotations in decades. The 1-0 clincher was only the third in postseason history. The last was the 1991 World Series game 7 where Jack Morris outdueled John Smoltz. Making things worse for the Phillies, Ryan Howard injured his Achilles tendon running out the play's final out and doctors suspect it was torn.

posted by rcade to baseball at 10:11 AM - 7 comments

October 07, 2011

Brewers Beat D-Backs in 10 Innings, Advance to NLCS: Winning only the second postseason series in franchise history, the Milwaukee Brewers are headed to the National League Championship Series after defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2 in 10 innings. A single by Nyjer Morgan scored Carlos Gomez. Morgan celebrated afterwards by going into "beast mode" atop the Brewers dugout.

posted by rcade to baseball at 09:10 PM - 20 comments

Calipari, Rose, and Memphis Athletic Director R.C. Johnson settled.: After the NCAA completed an investigation into Rose's SAT scores, they vacated Memphis's 07-08 season and faced 3 years probation. Now comes word that in May of last year, attorneys representing a group of season ticket holders settled a lawsuit against Coach Calipari, Rose, and A.D. Johnson. The suit alleges that the ticket-holders had made donations to the Tiger Scholarship Fund, but that the actions of the accused could lead to further charges against the University's athletic department which would in turn, lower the value of their season tickets.

posted by lilnemo to other at 03:23 PM - 4 comments

October 06, 2011

Tigers Beat Yankees, Advance to ALCS: The Detroit Tigers won a 3-2 nailbiter over the New York Yankees Thursday night and advance to face the Texas Rangers in the American League Championship Series. Don Kelly and Delmon Young hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning, giving the Tigers a lead they'd never relinquish. Doug Fister got the win and Jose Valverde the save. Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez struck out in the seventh with the bases loaded and in the ninth to end the game.

posted by rcade to baseball at 11:46 PM - 51 comments

Squirrel Crosses Plate During Cards/Phillies: A squirrel ran across home plate while Roy Oswalt was pitching during the Phillies/Cardinals game Wednesday night. The pitch was called a ball and Oswalt's protest that it shouldn't have counted was denied. "I got distracted. I didn't really know that would be a pitch," Oswalt said. "If it ran up the guy's leg, would he have called the pitch for a strike? It's hard to say."

posted by rcade to baseball at 12:50 PM - 7 comments

Kicking Queen: Brianna Amat, 18, of Pinckney High School in Ann Arbor, kicked the game-winning field goal against rival Grand Blanc on the same night that she was crowned homecoming queen (via MetaFilter).

posted by rcade to football at 12:36 PM - 2 comments

October 05, 2011

Favre: What Took Rodgers So Long?: Asked in a radio interview if he was surprised that Aaron Rodgers led the Green Bay Packers to a Super Bowl victory, Brett Favre said, "I'm really kind of surprised it took him so long ... The biggest surprise to me would be that he didn't do it sooner. He's very bright and he got a chance to watch and see successful teams do it right. And so he just kind of fell into a good situation."

posted by rcade to football at 11:47 AM - 36 comments

Rangers Beat Rays, Advance to ALCS: Adrian Beltre hit three solo homers and Ian Kinsler added a fourth in a 4-3 Texas Rangers victory over the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Beltre's only the sixth player to hit three home runs in a postseason game. The Rangers will begin play in the American League Championship Series on Saturday. In other playoff games, the Philadelphia Phillies held off the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 to take a 2-1 series lead, A.J. Burnett pitched well as the New York Yankees bombed the Detroit Tigers 10-1 to tie their series at two, and the Arizona Diamondbacks crushed the Milwaukee Brewers 8-1 and now trail 2-1 in the series.

posted by rcade to baseball at 08:25 AM - 8 comments

According to Forbes' Fab 40: Tiger Woods still has the richest brand among athletes...and still by a very wide margin. The Yankees surpassed Man U as the richest team brand and the most valuable overall brand in sports is the Super Bowl. No word on whether the BAR (brand above replacement) advanced stats were used in this analysis.

posted by dfleming to golf at 06:38 AM - 0 comments

October 04, 2011

Tigers, Rangers Take 2-1 ALDS Leads: Nerve-wracking one-run games put the Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers each one game from eliminating the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays in their American League playoffs. The Tigers won 5-4 over the Yankees in a game that matched Justin Verlander against C.C. Sabathia. Verlander struck out 11 to lead Detroit. The Rangers won 4-3 in a nailbiter that's the fourth straight playoff road win for Texas at Tropicana Field.

posted by rcade to baseball at 09:37 AM - 2 comments

Tiger back on top: ... of the second page of golf's World Rankings. After 780 weeks in the top 50, Woods drops to number 51 in the world. He will play this week in a 2nd tier event in California, fulfilling one of his recently added "goals for 2011" of playing in a tournament he hadn't played in before.

posted by JJ to golf at 09:26 AM - 1 comment

October 03, 2011

Hank Williams Jr. Dropped from Monday Night Football: Are You Ready for Some Football is being pulled from ESPN's intro to Monday Night Football after Williams recently compared President Obama to Hitler.

posted by justgary to football at 07:26 PM - 32 comments

Cardinals Beat Cliff Lee, Even Series: Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee lost his third straight postseason start, giving up five runs and 12 hits in a 5-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals that evens their divisional series at one. The Detroit Tigers also evened their series with a 5-3 win over the New York Yankees and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-4 to take a 2-0 series lead on the road.

posted by rcade to baseball at 08:03 AM - 5 comments

October 02, 2011

Cowboys blow it in historic collapse: And the blame game starts. Tony Romo was called the MVP of the Detroit Lions as the Cowboys fell to Detroit 34-30 after having a 20-3 halftime lead.

posted by roberts to football at 06:02 PM - 25 comments

Yankees, Phillies, Brewers, Rangers Win Divisional Games: A Robinson Cano grand slam highlighted Saturday's divisional series playoff games in Major League Baseball. The Yankees trampled the Tigers, the Phillies crushed the Cardinals, the Brewers defeated the Diamondbacks and the Rangers razed the Rays.

posted by rcade to baseball at 12:48 PM - 2 comments

CFL Pick 'Em, Week 15: Nail-biters! Blowouts! Powerful disappointments! Week 14 had it all! Get pumped for Week 15 and make your picks inside.

posted by Reever to fantasy at 11:54 AM - 12 comments

October 01, 2011

Oilers' Fedun Breaks Leg on Icing Play: Edmonton defenseman Taylor Fedun suffered a complex leg fracture Friday crashing into the end boards after getting tangled up on an icing play with the stick of Minnesota Wild left wing Eric Nystrom. "If they're not going to get rid of the rule with no-touch icing, they've got to do something about the guys coming in there recklessly," said Fedun's teammate Darcy Hordichuk.

posted by rcade to hockey at 12:34 PM - 5 comments