| Russ Bengston, the former Editor-in-Chief for SLAM magazine, has started his own weblog as of Tuesday. He is already posting quite a bit on the media and the NBA.
"Just this once, try watching the RIOT video with your brain instead of just your wide eyes." *I will now officially move on.
This morning ESPN/Page2 called it "blogging about the NBA playoffs" (or something like that). Now, they are referring to it as a "first-ever" all-day summit or debate. Whatever it is, I like it. It is not a blog, but it borrows the casual, off-the-cuff style (or maybe it is borrowing the style of PTI). Is this the future of online sports journalism? Also, Simmons asks some questions worthy of some SpoFi reflection (e.g., "Is Phil Jackson the most overrated coach of all time or the most underrated coach of all time?")
Jason Whitlock points out the absurdity and stupidity of Kobe Bryant's situation (going from court-to-court). He writes, "There's nothing heroic about fighting rape allegations by day and playing basketball by night. Nothing."
Waking Up in Time for the Playoffs... lilnemo gives his take on the NBA Playoffs & Awards.
Let's call it McMorality. The fear of losing sponsorship may become the dominant incentive for professional athletes to remain faithful to their spouses. In the same way that Fatal Attraction scared the infidelity out of men, Kobe's woes may keep athletes on the straight and narrow path. Or am I being ridiculous?
Happy Millennium! Welcome, Mr. Fleming.
Is a 63% win percentage enough to get you voted into the SportsFilter Hall of Fame? (It depends on your gambling habit.) Lilnemo continues Sleeping Through the NBA Season with picks that would make your nose smile.
In his linkstravagant style, new member forksclovetofu offers us his first STICK A FORK IN IT column.
Week Four NFL Picks by wfrazerjr. NFL picks more accurate than Jimmy Kimmel's, but that's not much of a bragging point.
Week Two: NFL Picks. A subscriber column by wfrazerjr.
Where is Samsonov14? Surprisingly, the interview goes on without him...
| Belgian tennis is on the rise, at least for the women. Justine Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters, French Open finalists, will face the William sisters in the semifinals. Remember Justine took Serena out in the semifinals of the French Open. Will it be another all-Belgian finals or an all-Williams/American finals? Women's tennis continues to get more interesting.
Win $20. Play the corpse-sponsored SpoFi NBA draft pick'em challenge.
A new subscriber column by wfrazerjr: A Letter to Roger Clemens
New subscriber column by
| A site dedicated to sports cliches. All athletes are required to read the list and remember it by heart, so that their words can become effectively meaningless. In this regard, Rasheed Wallace is my hero for subversively exposing the meaninglessness of post-game interviews.
I hope no one minds the FPP regarding my SportsFilter column. There's been discussion on using FPPs to draw attention to the columns since they are often missed on The Sidelines. Of course, I'm aware that it looks pretty egotistic to begin FPPing columns with my very own. If enough members object, I'll not only delete the post, but I'll banish my sorry, self-centered ass from SportsFilter, not to mention google-bomb myself until I'm the laughing-stock of the Internet.
New subscriber column: Rethinking Sexism
| rcade argues that Singh's shot at Annika Sorenstam is way out of bounds. I am not so sure, thus, my response in Rethinking Sexism: Why Vijay Singh is not a racist. (Disclosure: This is a SportsFilter self-link.)
Why Vijay Singh is not a racist
read more(or why I hate the 2003 NBA Playoffs) | Marty Burns of Sports Illustrated points out the highs and lows of the first round. What were your own highs and lows? Also (this probably deserves its own thread), John Stockton quietly announces that he will "move on." Your thoughts on John Stockton?
NFL DRAFT | Here is a list of Hall of Famers and their draft positions (e.g., Joe Montana selected in Round 3, Steve Largent in Round 4, Roger Staubach in Round 10). Of course, this is all just an excuse to ask how your own teams fared?
Is Patricia Bender the ultimate basketball fan? Check out her NBA Daily, as well as her Mavericks page. Now if we could convince her to join SpoFi, she would be the perfect candidate to continue our weekly NBA beat reports.
Locker Room Interviews with worldcup2002 Past Interviews (starting with the most recent): Fat Buddha | grum@work | squealy | jennyb and corpse | jerseygirl | jacknose | worldcup2002 | Ufez Jones | vito90 | StarFucker
Krause resigns! Krause resigns! Krause resigns! Do the Bulls bring back Jordan to run the team? Would Jordan come back? Regarding Krause and the Bulls, do you feel that Krause was unjustly vilified?
Is seker-hemat baseball? An Egyptologist suggests that Thutmose III, ruler of Egypt during the 15th century B.C, can be seen holding a ball and bat on a wall relief at the shrine of Hathor. The hieroglyphic over the scene reads: "Batting the ball for Hathor, who is foremost in Thebes." The date is circa 1475 B.C. Is baseball the oldest sport? Well, unless someone can show me a Pharaoh kicking a ball into a goal-like contraption, I'll have to say that baseball wins.
"Philly has won 14 of 16 while Indy has dropped 13 of 15. Detroit lost seven consecutive games while New Orleans won eight straight. And after fast starts, New Jersey and Boston are playing .500 ball. The result? Six teams in the East within four and half games of one another, and a race for first that will come down to the final matchups of the year."
TRASH TALK thread (SportsFilter NCAA Basketball Tournament)
What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of the Indiana Pacers? If it's "Bad Boys II" then you're victim of the media. At least that's what Isaiah and Conrad think. If you seen the Pacers play or have followed their games and post-game interviews, you might agree. Almost every opposing coach and player, with the exception of Don Nelson, have applauded the Pacers for their hard play and unselfishness. So what gives? Why this perception? Before you answer, read what Isaiah has to say about his recent suspension. There is one writer in Indy who feels that the Pacers should not shy away from the Bad Boy image.
We need more balls! Has anyone noticed that the "o" in our SportsFilter logo/title is represented by only three balls (baseball, basketball, and soccer)? If you have the skills, show us your balls.
The web trashing, started by Philadelphia Daily News' mocksite twinkiekilla.com and discussed here, continues with Red Tide News' mocksite the Philadelphia Daily Snooze.
Just a couple of more days until . . . Shaq vs. Ming. Shaq has apologized for his racially insensitive humor. In a scathing article about the hypocrisy of racism in sports, Irwin Tang (of AsianWeek) wrote: "Let's not beat around the bush. If a white player had, for instance, made monkey sounds to taunt a black player, it would have been a national controversy. But Yao is Chinese and Asians are fair game. For evidence, watch TV for a couple of hours." Here's an NBA (anti-)Yao Ming Timeline. On the other side of Ming-life is YaoMingMania.com, a site that is "100% dedicated to Yao Ming's life in the NBA." So who will come out the better man and center on Friday? Shaq or Ming?
SportsFilter: Year One. Share your thoughts and unofficial awards.
SportsFilter: Year One After this month, we will be a year old. So let's begin a tradition of sharing our end of the year reflections and unofficial SpoFi awards. I'll start. We in America have always heard that Soccer/Footie is the most popular sport in the world, but we've mostly scoffed at that notion. "Um, soccer is for little girls and their SUV moms," we say. Or "Soccer cannot compare to American football or baseball or basketball or hockey or auto racing." But SportsFilter has proven that Soccer/Footie fans are indeed the most passionate about their sport. So here's to the SportsFilter's soccer/footie fans: you have shamed us consistently in the year of 2002 with your active threads and damn fantasy league. May you footie fanatics continue to make everyone else look bad by using our site as a playground for your obsession.
The cover story of Wired Magazine examines the world of videogame sports. "In-your-face marketing. Extreme camera angles. Trash-talking superstars. Sound like TV sports? Try sports videogames, where the nastiest competition is the battle to take down the reigning champ, EA Sports."
Question: Is ESPN the Microsoft of sports (figuratively and literally)? And if so, is Sports Illustrated IBM? Many have complained that Microsoft gobbles up the competition and eliminates choices for the consumer. I find it increasingly difficult to find quality sports information/content from other sources outside of ESPN (aka, the SportsFilter dilemma). I am wondering if you can help me identify the competition that ESPN has overtaken or co-opted. Example: SportsJones. As a Chicagoan, I know that local Chicago Sports radio has been greatly challenged by ESPN Radio (I have to admit that I "switched" to ESPN Radio). Is it okay for the ESPN to take over the sporting world (a la WalMart)? If ESPN is Microsoft and Sports Illustrated is IBM (a fading giant), what is SportsFilter? Linux?
NBA Beat Report: The Central Division falters. Pacers lose two in a row. Pistons lose three in a row. And the Hornets lose to the Clippers. But forget about Divisions, Texas rules. Mavericks, Rockets, and Spurs (a very nice Spurs news site) are #1, #3, and #4, respectively, in the Western Conference. I thought Texas was a football state? Are the Lakers depleted? Will they eventually work their way into the playoff picture? Finally, are NBA Locker Rooms getting out of control?
NBA Beat Report: Week 5 Okay, Yao seems to be for real. "He made 31 of 35 shots (88.6 percent) during a six-game stretch ending Thursday, breaking Wilt Chamberlain's six-game NBA record for field goal accuracy." Is it premature to celebrate his skills? Will teams adjust and shut him down in the future? Has anyone seen him play? Also, the Central Division Rules. Detroit, Indiana, and New Orleans were ranked in the top five last week (this week New Orleans dropped a few spots but are still in the top ten). Name a better division. Reggie Miller admits that he could have come back sooner but superstition kept him away. Mavericks continue to roll and are on the verge of making history. Always the Mavericks doubter, I admit that even I am impressed with their start. Of course, now they must collide with the aforementioned Central Division studs (Detroit tonight, Indiana tomorrow).
Beat Report: NBA Week 4 While Shaq is away, tall skinny men will play. But are Yao Ming (7'5") and Shawn Bradley (7'6") for real? Can they sustain their apparent progress, or will they crumble as the season unfolds? If Bradley disappears, will the 11-0 Mavericks and their newly discovered defense also dissipate? How long before the Mavericks lose? And forget Kobe, is T-Mac the new Jordan? Other thoughts? [See SportsFilter Top Five inside]
WANTED: Beat Posters
The evolution of SportsFilter. DISCUSS.
The Dallas Mavericks sprint out of the gate 7-0 (the only undefeated team in the NBA). Nowitzki is named player of the week. But does it really matter? Are the Mavericks doomed to be the Bills of basketball? Has their defense gotten any better? Do they have what it takes to beat the Kings or Lakers during the playoffs (yes, I'm already talking playoffs). Give me your NBA Week Two reports? (Is this post appropriate? Discuss.)
What does everyone think about having weekly reports of the NBA, NFL, NHL, etc.? Someone could post an initial link that highlights the week, and others could comment and post other links within the thread. Would it function too much like a discussion board? Is there room for this kind of post, since SportsFilter only covers sports? As others have mentioned before, it may be too much to ask that members find original sports content on the web. How can we enhance this site to make it a sports connoisseurs dream? If we had weekly threads that provided links within the thread (pointing to the best net coverage of a particular sport) as well as discussion, would it be annoying or beneficial?
Kobe Bryant's last two games: (vs Trailblazers) 33 points, 14 rebounds, 12 assists; (vs Clippers) 33 points, 15 rebounds, 12 assists. Does a space exist beyond the rarified air of MJ? Is it possible to surpass Jordan?
Life in the NBA begins for Yao Ming. 11 minutes of playing time. 0 points. 2 rebounds. Pacers win! And it seems that The Quick is working out nicely (if you can judge a new offense by one game). Any other NBA reports?
The "experts" at ESPN give their opinion. After their victory over Florida State, what are your thoughts on the Fighting Irish?
Has anyone read this book? It looks interesting, but is it worth buying? Recommendations? Reviews?
There are a few spots left for the SpoFi Fantasy NBA League. Sign up ASAP! Draft day is coming.
SUBMIT TO US. Write a column. SportsFilter member jasonbondshow celebrates the magic of baseball in Strike? What Strike?
Coastal Expansion: Should the Atlantic Coast Conference expand to 12 teams? Some thoughts from SportsFilter member jasonbondshow
Say what you want; I like Zeke. Isaiah Thomas does not want to be your average "former superstar" coach (btw, he SHOULD have been on the dream team); he wants to be legendary. He wants to innovate. So he spent the summer devising a new offense (called the "Quick Offense") that may very well be unstoppable (stop laughing) and change the way basketball is played. It looks like it may already be working. So long Triangle.
What is it about October and the Yanks? (Okay, okay, okay, we all know that George spends money.) The above link is to a blog dedicated to baseball and the Yankees. It might be an interesting blog to follow during the playoffs.
Yes, Tommy, that XFL guy, has become a contender in Pittsburgh. Unbelievable. I remember seeing his face on NBC under some wacko helmet. Does the coach need to stop favoring Kordell, or is he still the future of the Steelers? Corky predicted this would happen.
corpse is starting a SportsFilter Fantasy Hockey league. Information and discussion can be found here in the Locker Room.
Is Pete Sampras the best ever? Please, give me a break. How can a guy be considered the best when he can't win on clay (no French Open)? That tells me that his game is limited. Pete is the Ben Affleck of tennis. A lot of ooh and ahh, but his range is limited. Sure he's an excellent serve-and-volleyer (which explains his many Wimbledon championships), but he is hardly the best. You have to give it to a player who has won all the Grand Slams. First choice: Rod Laver. (BTW, how can Agassi not be in the top eight?) Don't even get me started about the ridiculous claim of Steffi Graf being one of the greatest. [more inside]
If you haven't been keeping up with the Sidelines, you should consider shifting your eyes to the right a few inches (depending on your screen size, of course). SportsFilter now accepts submissions for columns/articles (which we've mentioned previously in the Sidelines and Locker Room). Just in case you've missed our mass advertising campaign, here are the first three member columns: Imminent Demise, Spreading It Around, and Pickup Basketball in the Global Village.
Ahhh, the NFL is back. American Football. What a great way to begin. Let's take advantage of having members from all over the country/world. Instead of linking to ESPN or NFL.com, introduce readers to some your best local coverage/columnists. Post a link that offers a unique voice or insight. I have my own favorite local writers, but I'm looking forward to discovering voices from Texas, Ohio, Florida, Minnesota, etc. Let the season begin!
It looks like both the Cavs and the Hornets are willing to trade Andre Miller and Baron Davis, respectively. Are you serious? My dream draft day move for the Pacers: trade Jamaal Tinsley, Austin Croshere, and Ron Mercer, as well as their draft pick, for Andre Miller or Baron Davis. Of course, that will never happen. Any reports from your team's headquarters? Any delusional wishes?
For the heady soccer aficionado.
After all, we are Tiger Woods. (The link points to an interview after his U.S. Open victory via TigerWoods.com.) The course and weather were hellacious, which made the tournament a joy to watch. I think from now on all golf tournaments should be played in the storm.
Does anyone have a subscription to ESPN's Insider? If so, is it worth it?
Ranked #1 and #2 in the world, Venus (21 yrs. old) and Serena (20 yrs. old) Williams may dominate women's tennis for the next decade (at least this article seems to suggest the possibility). Are they the best siblings to ever play professional sports? Or for that matter, do they represent the best bloodline in professional sports? Can you think of any better family duo (father-son, father-daughter, brother-sister, mother-son, mother-daughter, brother-brother, etc.)? A year-old BBC article mentions a few sibling rivalries.
Okay, so they looked awful last night, but let us not lose hope that the Nets will show up and compete. BTW, Joe Netsfan is a brilliant New Jersey Nets fan site. If you're going to build a fan site, it should look and work like this (clean design, fresh content, informative, and entertaining).
Nationalism, globalism, money, or television? Four characters in search of an author seek to persuade David Hayes of the true meaning of soccer's global festival.
We see a lot of "flopping" in the NBA, but they are amateurs (think Waiting for Guffman) compared to soccer/football players of the World Cup. Is it all part of the game?
Is it time for a new category? Enter the Cyberathlete Professional League: for "athletes" with fast fingers and a lot of time to spare. Wired.com suggests that the league is on the "verge" of going primetime (via Shift).
Look who made the Shiftlist (in the latest issue of Shift Magazine): "MetaFilter's Matt Haughey must be tired of getting ripped off by every two-bit would-be community site, because now he's biting himself. Originated by seven MeFi members with the help of Haughey, SportsFilter is all the fun of a locker room, minus the giddy towel-snapping."
Trox has setup a SportsFilter pool for the World Cup. For more information, click here.
used to be the highlight of Tom Tolbert's career. Now he's an NBA commentator on the rise. I strongly disagree with Chucky Brown's assessment of Tolbert. Tom has been a pleasant surprise. He's given the dismal NBC team a boost. I hear that he's on the short list for ESPN's NBA team for next season. Who are your favorite sports announcers/commentators - and why?
Jeremy goes to Philadelphia for backup outfielder John Mabry. Meanwhile in Chicago, Mark Prior, the "best college pitcher ever" (as proclaimed by Baseball America), shows his stuff for the first time against the Pirates. Sheesh, talk about pressure.
"The trick is to hopefully get out of here and not be here next year," said Bulls general manager Jerry Krause, whose team was in the lottery for the fourth straight year. (Note to Krause: resign.) >>> Congrats to the Rockets. Will they trade their pick? Will Francis still be the "Franchise" (think Jayson Williams)? Or will they go for Yao Ming? Here are some early entry candidates.
SportsFilter March Madness Winner danostuporstar
Hoosiers win. As a former Indiana boy, I always picked the Hoosiers to go deep into the tournament. The last few years they've disappointed me time and time again. This year I decided to pick them to lose in the first round. Bummer. But I'm happy to see them in the finals anyway! Go Hoosiers! (I'm also happy for Mike Davis; I am not a big Bobby Knight fan.)
Geeks infiltrate baseball's front offices; conventional wisdom flees.
Pepperdine, my surprise pick to reach the final eight, falls to Wake Forest. What was I thinking? Thankfully, Missouri prevailed. It's madness, I tell you, madness!
The Myth of Hustle: Why Duke Will Win It All and the Dallas Mavericks Will Not
Why Duke Will Win It All and the Dallas Mavericks Will Not
read moreMany of you might know that Peyton has his own website (his latest journal entry reveals that he competed in the NFL Quarterback Challenge in Hawaii and that he also went to hear his buddy Kenny Chesney in concert). I'm wondering if you know of any other athletes that have their own website (worth checking out). By the way, Peyton does NOT mention his recent lawsuit against a New York sports memorabilia dealer.
"[T]his is the story of how skateboarders, with the help of pro football players and inspired by women golfers, have taken on a a couple of major networks and are winning." A fascinating article in this week's Village Voice dealing with the convergence of skateboarding culture and corporate culture.
On Being a Punching Bag: The new NBA guidelines for not fighting
The new NBA guidelines for not fighting
read moreWhen Bird retired as the coach of the Pacers, I was enamored at the idea of having Isaiah as the new coach. I knew very little of Rick Carlisle, except the kudos that Bird was giving him. Now, I still like Zeke, but I'm beginning to wonder what Carlisle would have done with the Pacers. He seems to be coaching a pretty mediocre team with great success. With all the talk about pro players needing to respect their coaches, how has "low-profile" Carlisle gotten his team to respond?
Is it March already? Ah, yes, the madness begins. Here's CBS SportsLines projection of the field of 65 (last year they nailed 64 out of 65 schools invited); it includes a nice explanation for the inclusion of each team. And here's their projection of the seeds.
The NFL Today on CBS replaces Glanville and Ditka with Esiason and Marino. (Ditka will remain with NFL Today but have a reduced role.) That studio team was absolutely painful to watch. No chemistry. Forced outrageousness. And Britney Spear microphones. (It's the same feeling I get when I watch the NBA on NBC.)
It's never too early to think about The World Cup. Here's a list of the best goals in World Cup history brought to you by The World Cup Archive. Do you agree? Also check out the site's legends page and stories page. The World Cup Archive contains a detailed history of every tournament from 1930 to the present.
ALL THE WORLD'S AN OLYMPIC SPORT
Candace Rondeaux (in this week's The Village Voice) has written an interesting piece on the mysterious disappearance of Sergei Kobozev in 1995 and the discovery of his corpse in 1999 in the backyard of a home in New Jersey. The death was mafia-related. (On a totally unrelated note, check out The Hockey Season's Best Bouts in Beantown, also in this week's The Village Voice.)
Is David Falk trying to be more like Mike by holding a grudge against Isaiah Thomas? (Remember the supposed Dream Team lockout by Jordan--"it's me or Thomas"). After the Rose trade, Falk severely criticized Thomas for his lack of loyalty and professionalism, despite the fact that G.M. Donnie Walsh claims Thomas had nothing to do with the trade. So is anyone else tired of Falk? And are agents pimps, leeches, or hard-working assistants?
Thursday is the NBA trade deadline. If you were the GM of your favorite team, what deals would you make? Here are ten trades that Bill Simmons (from ESPN) thinks should happen.
Is there room for another SLAM? The boys from the once popular but now defunct HoopsTV.com bring you Dime Magazine :: The Game. The Player. The Life. Their online version is not too bad. They give you some daily SMACK, a Game of the Day breakdown , and an occasional feature.
By now, you've heard about Webber's "profanity-laden tirade emanating from a story in Tuesday's [Sacramento] Bee" connecting him with Tyra Banks. In today's column Mark Kriedler from the Bee writes, If a man wants to keep it perfectly quiet whom he's spending time with, he almost certainly does not bring her into the middle of All-Star Weekend when she already is recognized on sight by most of the pop-culture addicts on the planet. You cannot invade the privacy of a man who already has willingly surrendered it. Sneaky little rule, I know. Not surprisingly, his teammates defend Webber.
In case you haven't noticed, SportsFilter is now open to the public. Feel free to spread the word.
The U.S. men sweep the halfpipe snowboarding competition. Team USA has now won 6 medals. (The best finish for the U.S. in the Winter Olympics has been 13 medals.) 4 out of 6 medals are in snowboarding. Gnarly. Here's a look at the sport's humble beginnings in the good ol' U. S. of A.
In some ways, it seems appropriate that the Winter Olympics are being held in Salt Lake City, home of the Mormon faith. These are complicated times. The recent "war against terrorism" could also be perceived as a war against those who steadfastly adhere to religious dogma. One might mistake "the enemy" to be all those who strictly believe in one God. In this thick context, the world gathers in the one American city that is explicitly associated with a specific, conservative faith. This AP article (picked up by CNNSI) examines the struggle and compromise between the Mormon community and the world about to converge upon it.
Well, leave it to our own Mr. Willis for trying to keep the NFL alive and well after the Super Bowl. He's penning his own NFL serial novel: QB Run. (excerpt: "Something moved under the sheet. What the hell? A leg. Female. White.") Britney?
She withdraws the divorce. Like MJ, she's going to give it another shot.
Sucks-Rocks Alternative: Not yet a week old, and we are aptly avoiding the two most common words in sports discussions (aka, sux-rox). But how long can we hold on until we fall prey to these two readily available words. Here is where we can offer creative alternatives for those under the spell of sux-rox-itis. For example, The Steelers sure do inhale viciously when they are under pressure.
Michael Wilbon, the better half of PTI, writes, "It doesn't matter whether Tyson fights again because he's not really interested in being a professional prize fighter anymore.... It's not that his skills are rusty; he has no skills remaining." According to Wilbon, Tyson wanted to get the bout with Lewis canceled to "deflect attention from the fact that he's washed up." Jason Whitlock, while not condoning his actions, feels sorry for Tyson, claiming that he's the only man "who doesn't appear to have one single friend." (links via Slate, I know it's MSN sponsored but so is your browser)
Even though XX was incredible and sweet. I will always remember XV and XVIII, when the Silver and Gray finally had their day, and I sprinted around the house in childhood ecstasy, taunting my older brother who loved the Steelers and had made my life miserable in the decade of the Steel Curtain.
Defensive coordinator Rick Smith claimed that he played baseball and football for Florida State University. In reality, he was cut from the baseball team and never played football. (By the way, Georgia Tech is looking to hire some coaches, so if you vaguely remember playing sports in college and receiving a Master's degree, be sure to apply.)
"God overcomes all odds. Creates world in seven days. Later moves on to fast food industry." My favorite among the bunch is the Washington Generals win over the Globetrotters. Who would have thunk it? I didn't think there was any way to stop the ol' hide-the-ball-inside-the- jersey-while-a-teammate- chases-someone-with-a-bucket- full-of-confetti offense. (BTW, I think both the Eagles and Pats have a chance at the upset.)
If we continue at this pace, we will take over the world by the next century.