- 09:02 AM
- 04/18/24
Damn Greeks. I have to replan my whole trip now.
posted by kloeprich at 04:19 PM on November 14, 2003
I'm late returning, but what the hell... Kloeprich, the NFL doesn't want a full extra quarter because of the game's physically-punishing nature. Horseshit. If the NFL really cared about the "physically-punishing" nature of the game they wouldn't have four preseason games. It's about money. The networks provide the money, and they want a quick resolution so that games don't bleed over into the telecasts of other games or into prime time programming. Plain and simple. God forbid you should be watching a tight overtime game on FOX when CBS is cueing up the first quarter of the Bengals-Jets.
posted by kloeprich at 06:31 PM on November 13, 2003
I've read that ND's recent football failings have endangered their BCS exemption. The threat of that would go a ways toward explaining why they would join a conference.
posted by kloeprich at 06:18 PM on November 13, 2003
What's interesting about the NFL's format is that for some reason ties at the end of regulation are bad, but ties after a 15 minute OT are okay. That being the case, why not just play one full quarter of football for every OT? That way each team would get the ball (probably multiple times) and if they tie, they tie. This would most likely result in more ties than we get now, but would seem to be more true to the game.
posted by kloeprich at 05:58 PM on November 11, 2003
Valium is right, and while I don't think we'll see any notable pros in the 2008 qualifying I bet there's a ton of pressure to upgrade the quality of the minor leaguers 'assigned' to the team. After the US came out of the 1992 games without a medal there was a huge push to allow pro's on to the squad - which they were finally able to do in 2000. This has to be an even bigger blow.
posted by kloeprich at 12:04 PM on November 08, 2003
Near as I can tell, malice has yet to be proved. All I'm reading is that a judge has found enough evidence to deny a dismissal. The original act certainly appears to be more than the "mooning" Manning tried to characterize it as, but that’s not the issue here. Manning did something stupid and then followed it up with the even stupider act of writing about it after it was settled. Perhaps he really did believe she had a vulgar mouth and maybe she even had one, but was it really necessary to put it in print? Who edited that book? And I have a real hard time believing that being accused in Manning's book of having a "vulgar mouth" cost her a promotion. But since it looks like she has a pretty solid defamation case why not pile on? Her lawyers are just adding fuel to the lawsuit bonfire. There will be another, bigger settlement and hopefully Peyton will keep his mouth shut here forward. Personally, I’m not ready to crucify Manning just yet, but that may be tainted by having Christine Brennan as the town crier. Her Title IX screed has so worn me out that I tend to discount anything she writes.
posted by kloeprich at 03:07 PM on November 07, 2003
Or both. I finished with :56 remaining on try two. Should be easy to beat.
posted by kloeprich at 06:11 PM on October 17, 2003
Don't get steamed Ufez, WC is just trying to smooth things over.
posted by kloeprich at 03:27 PM on October 17, 2003
John Lott isn't doing himself any favors peddling this sort of crap. This doesn't even classify as junk science in my book. Positive and negative phrases that appear within 50 words of a quarterback's name? Please. wfrazejr: the math is correct the 10% points is not determined by subtracting 61 from 67 but by taking the percentage difference - i.e. 10% of 61%. All this 'study' might reveal is that some writers occasionally identify black QB's as such. Which, of course, is clearly a case of media bias favoring of black QB's. Great find rcade.
posted by kloeprich at 11:20 AM on October 14, 2003
Anyone want to discuss the aerodynamics of actually vaulting naked? Didn't think so.
posted by kloeprich at 07:24 PM on September 15, 2003
7-5, 7-4, 7-4. Straight sets. I rock.
posted by kloeprich at 10:49 PM on September 12, 2003
I know this means absolutely nothing to anyone else here, but if Moses can still hit a 13 step stride pattern at the age of 48 - well, Lord love a duck. He should be able to get that Trials qualifying time, after that, who cares?
posted by kloeprich at 01:24 AM on September 03, 2003
Another hitch to this is that all the competing athlete's are required to fill out medical forms prior to the competition, where in part they are to list any medications they are taking. Mysteriously, White forgot to include Modafinil on her forms. I don't believe this was stupidity at all. She may very well have needed the drug for her asthma but I feel quite certain she knew about its secondary benefits as well.
posted by kloeprich at 01:03 AM on September 03, 2003
Sure, you learn a lot about individuals (and in the case of NCAA pools, specific teams) but I think there’s a ton of carryover to the understanding and appreciation of the sport as a whole. If you’re doing it properly and totally immersing yourself in the league, you’re paying attention to offensive and defensive schemes, strength of schedule, coaching tendencies, historic rivalries, etc. In baseball you have to get even more esoteric. And in a good football league the defense and ‘chain movers’ can be very valuable and most of the better fantasy owners have these aspects dialed in as well. Of course, once you reach this unique nirvana you then find yourself wandering around the house mumbling about “YAC” and “+/- turnover ratios” as your children scatter out of the way to avoid being stepped on because you never look up from the USA Today agate. I mean, that’s what I’ve heard anyway.
posted by kloeprich at 02:14 PM on August 29, 2003
I'm sure the game sequences won't be the focal point but I just have this feeling the on-field scenes won't look believable. It's so difficult to replicate NFL caliber action - I'm afraid they'll end up resorting to goofy edits and camera tricks, which will just ruin the whole thing no matter how good the storyline is.
posted by kloeprich at 05:31 PM on August 21, 2003
Yep, I actually get this paper (although the article is an AP feed) and when I saw this I thought, man, you can sure tell when it's Tuesday. You could pick nearly any organization in any sport and come up with a list like this. Complete waste of ink.
posted by kloeprich at 11:15 PM on August 15, 2003
It's all so clear now...
posted by kloeprich at 11:34 AM on August 15, 2003
It's been known for years that some people are 'genetically' predisposed towards high levels of slow-twitch (Type I) or fast-twitch (Type II) fibers, I guess we now know what genes actually dictate this. Cool. Here's some related info: We typically think of fast twitch/slow twitch fibers in terms of percentile or percentages. Most top sprinters are 80% fast twitch while top marathoners are 80% slow. An athlete who is 80% fast twitch would likely be in the 99th percentile of the total population for fast twitch. Different parts of your body can have different fast/slow fiber composition. In terms of actual performance, very high percentile levels of fast twitch fibers are a far better predictor of sprinting success then high levels of slow twitch are of endurance. (Other factors seem to weigh equally into a distance runners success.) It appears that through training you can actually increase the percentage of slow twitch fibers you have (within limits) while fast twitch does not seem to change (there’s not complete agreement on this) – although all fibers can be made more effective or efficient through training. Of those tested at the 1984 Olympics the athlete who was in the highest percentile for fast twitch: Greg Louganis. Key factor here is ‘of those tested’. The testing was via muscle biopsy and a lot of the sprinters wouldn’t participate. Everyone can wake up now.
posted by kloeprich at 11:33 AM on August 15, 2003
Interesting coincidence but what exactly would the conspiracy theory be?
posted by kloeprich at 10:51 AM on August 15, 2003
Nothing to see here folks. Move along.
posted by kloeprich at 11:19 PM on August 14, 2003
aa: I'm going to guess that if you were a Kenyan distance runner who would get $100K for winning a gold medal you wouldn't put too much distinction on who signed the check. So, yeah, you're dancin'. But I understand where you're coming from. I've danced there myself.
posted by kloeprich at 07:49 PM on August 14, 2003
I mean, name one legendary javeline thrower. Tom Petronoff And it's javelin. Oh never mind. Professional athlete's have taken part in the Olympics since it's Greek inception. The whole amateur issue is largely a North American conceit at this point. aacheson: I understand what you're saying about "Olympic Spirit” but much of what you perceive is what NBC would like everyone to feel. The truth is for many of these athletes (largely the foreign ones) success in the Olympics means financial reward as many countries pay their athletes for winning medals. Even in the US we reward athletes in some Olympic sports for reaching an international level of proficiency – although not directly for winning medals. The one benefit to monetary reward might be getting more athlete’s into some of these less popular sports. I’ve known any number of guys who could have been near world class sprinters, jumpers, etc. but instead chose to play football at Cal State Nowhere because they were sure the next stop was the NFL.
posted by kloeprich at 07:32 PM on August 13, 2003
I'll second Grum on Ripken's record breaker. It seemed so completely genuine that I almost recovered my love for the game. Almost.
posted by kloeprich at 08:07 PM on August 11, 2003
I think Whitlocks's point has nothing to do with the substance of the cases themselves but rather in how the media presents them. Kobe's trial will have plenty of substance but will it play in Peoria? And will Geraldo ask Kobe's Mom the really tough questions? While I don't agree with him that the entire media spent their coverage of the OJ case sucking up to the prosecution (I'm paraphrasing a little here) I do agree that the only reason to televise this trial is for the ratings. But that's goes for pretty much everything on TV, why should this be different.
posted by kloeprich at 02:30 PM on August 09, 2003
18295 Then I had to sit in a dark room for an hour.
posted by kloeprich at 08:05 PM on August 08, 2003
WC: Here's a site that answers your question. It boils down to an age of consent issue - 16 in most states, Florida included. From what I know, since Milledge was 16 at the time, it will be up to the DA to decide if he's tried as an adult. And since that's the age of consent it would seem likely he would be.
posted by kloeprich at 10:27 PM on August 06, 2003
Let's be careful here - while the sheriff's dept. is taking the charges seriously (as they should), the actions allegedly took place two years ago and the investigation was brought on by an unsigned letter. The whole idea of it is enough to turn my stomach (I guess I'm a ridiculously overly protective father) but the timing and nature of the complaint is certainly suspicious. It's at least as likely that someone's trying to smear him as it is that these activities would coincidently come to light just as he's about to get rich. Let's afford him some innocence until more information is released.
posted by kloeprich at 07:48 PM on August 06, 2003
Remind me again which American cities are renowned for their local produce? Hey, we've got Milwaukee, St. Louis, Golden, Raineer, San Luis Obispo...wait, is beer a produce?
posted by kloeprich at 02:58 PM on August 06, 2003
I just hate it when the, 'letter of the law somehow contorts things into criminality'. Got to remember that one for my next speeding ticket. Both are getting what they want? I hope you're kidding with that crap, garfield. Simply because a 12 or 13 year old girl may be physically and, in some limited ways, emotionally more mature than 12/13 year old boys doesn't make them par with 16 year olds. A 16 year old boy (particularly a popular, standout athlete 16 year old boy) can certainly hold huge sway over a girl of that age. We should be as careful in assuming that 'willing' was an accurate adjective as we are in our assumption that the incidents happened at all.
posted by kloeprich at 02:38 PM on August 06, 2003
Not really. But I'm thick as a rock. And completely unsedimental.
posted by kloeprich at 07:41 PM on August 05, 2003
Mike: I'm not an attorney but I would suspect the DA is not going to admit his case is tough to prove. He would certainly want everyone to at least think his case was a slam dunk. Our assumption is that he wouldn't take something like this on without an overwhelming preponderance of evidence, but ask yourself: if you were the victim of a crime would you only want the DA to pursue charges if he was guaranteed a conviction? And if Kobe is found guilty I think any PR benefits are short-lived.
posted by kloeprich at 07:02 PM on August 05, 2003
About five years ago the guy who wore the Fresno State mascot (A bulldog names 'Timeout') was also a sprinter on the track team. He was a great athlete who would do full backflips in costume. One day he shows up at a meet and runs the 200 meters in the costume in 23.2. The look on the faces of the two guys he beat was priceless.
posted by kloeprich at 02:13 PM on August 05, 2003
Somehow I thought that expression was much older.
posted by kloeprich at 01:23 PM on August 05, 2003
I always thought UC Santa Cruz's nickname was the most appropriate: Banana Slugs. We (I was a Mustang, of the California Polytechnic variety - I know, boring) always thought of the UCSC types as dopehead slugs. When I first started college they were the Sea Lions, then they had a campus election and changed it. The running joke was they had to because no one had ever seen a stoned Sea Lion. What can I say, even our jokes were boring.
posted by kloeprich at 01:48 AM on August 05, 2003
As the manufacturing cost of Tablet PC's drop I can see this technology expanding beyond the geek suites. The stadiums could charge a small premium for a PC seat, putting them all in one section, of course, so as not to offend the luddites. Replays, up to the minute stats from all over the league, order a brat from that guy half across the arena who sells the good ones, place a bet (certainly not me, but, you know, somebody) - it would be just like being at home, except no commercials. No, that's not right - there will be plenty of commercials, everything will be brought to you by someone. Okay, so it's not perfect. But enough people would buy that ticket to make it viable. Oh and welcome, lilnemo. Please don't feel like you have to hold back on us.
posted by kloeprich at 12:19 PM on August 03, 2003
You guys are worse than my kids. I throw out Pujols' name and half of you turn into Beavis and Butthead. Reminds me of the time I was trying to explain to my five year old who Howdy Doody was...
posted by kloeprich at 12:35 PM on August 01, 2003
rcade: I agree. I think we're seeing a little deflation now as MLB tries to figure out how to bring the fans back to the game, but as soon as we see another really big time young player looking to move, look out. Anyone care to speculate on what Pujols next contract will be worth?
posted by kloeprich at 01:19 PM on July 31, 2003
You can bet this gal won't be carrying any bags real soon.
posted by kloeprich at 07:12 PM on July 29, 2003
I like Mickelson. And he was right, and a lot of people new it. But what was Tiger supposed to say? "Yeah, these clubs suck and would you excuse me while I endorse this Nike check." It appears he he timed the switch to protect his company's image. He's playing better of late so now the change looks more like him tinkering rather than dumping some inferior equipment. I'm not watching any of this made for TV crap (I'm talking about the golf, not Slamball) until these guys pony up their own cash. I've never seen Slamball. I want to but it turns out it's illegal for anyone under 30 to watch. This whole focus group thing has gotten way out of hand.
posted by kloeprich at 04:19 PM on July 29, 2003
That was all a simple misunderstanding. Besides, I sold the gun. The handgun anyway.
posted by kloeprich at 12:24 AM on July 29, 2003
Victory is number 47. Karate Kid is in the top 25? The world will now roll off it's axis and spin into space.
posted by kloeprich at 12:16 AM on July 29, 2003
Jerseygirl: You're not kidding. If Kobe somehow gets through this mess he's going to quickly learn the definition of "community property state". Think that might impact his choice of teams next year? Let's see, Spurs - out, Mavericks - out, Supersonics - out, Bucks - out...
posted by kloeprich at 07:25 PM on July 25, 2003
96 and 9 - and that guy was throwing me a lot of junk. But, I owned his fastball.
posted by kloeprich at 04:24 PM on July 25, 2003
The Sixers aren't worried about Robinson's defensive lapses because they're planning on playing more of a team defense next year? Isn't one of his issues that he's not really a team guy? Even when the Bucks were having some success it seemed like he, Cassell and Allen were on different planets. This an upgrade, but not a solution.
posted by kloeprich at 05:42 PM on July 24, 2003
I wince every time the Pack ships out some no name backup QB; it seems like two or three years later the guy's in the Pro Bowl. The Ahman Green deal still warms my heart though, specially since we took him off Holmgren.
posted by kloeprich at 12:41 PM on July 23, 2003
What the author describes is probably part of what creates the attitude and general selfishness some athletes display, but there's a big gap between acting like Barry Bonds and committing a felony. I do think the combination of coddling and money makes a lot of these guys believe they can get away with or buy their way out of anything. I don't believe for a minute they can't tell right from wrong.
posted by kloeprich at 10:17 PM on July 22, 2003
Can somebody link me some examples of Kobe's 'media deification'? (And please, not his defication.) Being held up as a wonderful example for our children? Please. Show me who wrote that. Yes the media, not too mention we everyday fans, tend to build these guys up more than they deserve, but let's not go overboard. Talent aside, Kobe was somewhat notable for the things he hadn't done - he hadn't gotten in trouble with the law, he doesn't have 400 square inches of body art, he hasn't fathered any children out of wedlock, etc. So maybe there was a general sense that he was a decent guy, but I never got the impression he was being marketed as the golden boy. Did I miss something?
posted by kloeprich at 05:13 PM on July 22, 2003
Hold on there bill, you're knocking Arenas for signing with the Wizards over the Clippers? If you're choosing between these two levels of NBA hell, you take the one that pays more money and at least pretends to be competitive. And while Arenas may be from LA I doubt he looks at the Clippers as his "hometown" team.
posted by kloeprich at 12:09 PM on July 22, 2003
And 1. C'mon WC, even a gray(ing) hair like me has heard of these guys. They've actually been around for a while (since 1993).
posted by kloeprich at 02:46 PM on July 21, 2003
Purely speculation on my part. Kobe was awful quick to come public with the fact that he'd had sex with the girl at all, it appeared to me a preemptive strike aimed at maybe making the whole thing go away. The more I read the less sure I am of that. And I completely agree with you about how Kobe's legal team could and probably will handle things. Any discussion has to allow for the fact that this girl may be emotionally or psychologically off-kilter. A lot of people have latched on to the fact that because the DA seems so secure in the case there must be something there. But actual physical evidence can be very hard to come by in cases like this (Kobe's admitting that he did indeed have sex with her makes things even more difficult) and DA's often make their decisions to prosecute based on the potential strength of the victim's testimony. Someone who's emotionally strung out (for reasons other than alleged incident) might present as a very strong witness when there are actually other factors influencing her testimony. It's the defense's job to be sure the jury is fully aware of these things.
posted by kloeprich at 01:23 PM on July 21, 2003
garfield: You seem to imply that Kobe's defense team released the news about the girl's overdose, but I find no evidence of that. If anything the police in Colorado seem to have purposely closeted this information. (With justification, perhaps.) It's the media, not Kobe's lawyers, responsible for the 'low blow' and good or bad that's their job.
posted by kloeprich at 11:21 AM on July 21, 2003
To the question of how a settlement affects a criminal case: pretty simple actually, once the money is paid the plaintiff refuses to testify. The case goes poof. Which is exactly how things went down in the Michael Jackson case several years ago. The fact that there hasn't been a quick settlement isn't necessarily indicative of Kobe's guilt/innocence or the girl's motivation. Much goes on before these things are finalized. And if Kobe's not guilty a trial may be the best way to completely clear his name.
posted by kloeprich at 11:31 PM on July 20, 2003
Don't be surprised if this never makes it to trial - Kobe has basically set the table for a settlement.
posted by kloeprich at 06:20 PM on July 18, 2003
Just how reliable is this source? There have been comments from the Laker front office - your generic, "Kobe's been a model citizen...yada yada...we'll wait and see...yada yada" - but I can't find one mainstream media report that the Lakers didn't know about this surgery. Athlete's often have low impact, almost maintenance procedures on their knees. Sorry, rl55z, but on this one I'd like to see a little more credible source than this.
posted by kloeprich at 01:10 PM on July 09, 2003
Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.
Jgirl - some time back a friend in the industry told me that the home guarantee has become almost a staple in the contracts of big time MLB and NBA players. The stipulation is not yet in vogue in the NFL because trades are a so infrequent. And not to be indulgent but, good post by the way.