04/19/24
Archives for December 2003
December 31, 2003
By any other name...:
Fourteen years ago, he goes from here to here for doing this.
But if this and this equal this, can there be any doubt that we'll shortly be seeing him here?
Stay tuned...
posted by forksclovetofu to baseball at 05:08 PM - 23 comments
Another whale retiring at Sea World.: Apparently David Wells might be going home to San Diego to play for the Friars, and not to the Yankees. Will wonders ever cease?
More inside..
posted by lilnemo to baseball at 01:02 PM - 18 comments
December 30, 2003
The Ball Coach Quit... or did he? Bum, Bum, Bum!: After 2 losing seasons Steve Spurrier has resigned. Even after he released a statement that he hadn't. Timing is everything I guess. Anyone got a read on whos going to be Snyder's new whipping boy?
posted by lilnemo to football at 02:23 PM - 4 comments
Coulthard out at McLaren at end of 2004.: In F1, Silly season now starts at the beginning of the year.
posted by machaus to other at 11:44 AM - 4 comments
December 29, 2003
The wheels on the coaching bus go round and round!: While no one will go hungry, three more NFL coaches have taken their last fat per diem for their franchises. Buffalo chickened out on Gregg Williams, Chicago gave the shuffle to Dick Jauron and Arizona flipped the bird to Dave McGinnis and his entire staff. Meanwhile, everyone in a Raiders uni today called Bill Callahan the Antichrist or worse. How many deserved the axe, and how many just had lousy teams, luck or both?
posted by wfrazerjr to football at 08:51 PM - 47 comments
Eddie comes full circle.: Eddie Griffin will soon be a member of the New Jersey Nets, who, coincidentally (Not really), drafted him and then shipped him off to Houston for 3 other picks. Did the Rockets give up on Eddie too early? Does he still have a future in the NBA? How does he fit in on NJ's roster?
posted by lilnemo to basketball at 03:56 PM - 9 comments
Even computer guys say go for playoffs: As a USC alum, I am bummed about the whole BCS thing this year. But when even a man whose company makes software to do similar evaluations says go for playoffs, I say "It's about time!" What say you all? And if OK beats LSU and USC downs the Wolverines, will we get a split title?
posted by billsaysthis to football at 11:15 AM - 8 comments
Online betting on sports and other Internet wagering may be against U.S. law, according to Mike Fish of Sports Illustrated. "We have a gray area the size of Nevada as to the legality of online casinos and sports books, not to mention their ability to advertise on stations across the radio dial."
posted by rcade to general at 10:23 AM - 5 comments
December 28, 2003
The Cardinals?: Really? Them and Denver laying down got Green Bay in the playoffs.
posted by rocketman to football at 10:03 PM - 9 comments
Former Major Leaguer Ivan Calderon : shot dead in a store in his hometown of Lozia, Puerto Rico. Looks like a gang hit to me.
posted by shigpit to baseball at 06:08 AM - 10 comments
December 27, 2003
A beautiful streak.: Patriots routed the Bills today at Gillette to end the season 14-2, with a 12 game winning streak, undefeated at home. Now they head into the playoffs with homefield advantage. And as a sidenote, I hate watching Bledsoe's game this year.
posted by jerseygirl to football at 03:54 PM - 17 comments
December 26, 2003
An annual post-Christmas tradition.: The 2004 World Juniors tournament started today with last years winners, Russia, tieing Slovakia 2-2; and last years silver medalists, Canada, beating the home Finns 3-0. The games are always exciting, and while there is some NHL talent (last year's #1 pick), the real appeal of the juniors comes in seeing the future stars of the NHL -- including, this year's expected number one draft pick Alexander Ovechkin; the anticipated number 2 and 3 picks; and the 16-year old, expected phenom, Sydney Crosby. The tournament is the future of the NHL now. (The Czechs and Americans also won their games 8-0, but their rivals, the Ukraine and Austria, aren't expected to compete.)
posted by mkn to hockey at 02:24 PM - 7 comments
Ok, I get sending a message to Joe Horn ...: but why the hell fine Carr and McKinney? Weren't they trying to support the league? Gene Washington is the enforcer here, but one thin dime will be too much in this case.
posted by wfrazerjr to football at 10:31 AM - 11 comments
December 25, 2003
A fun Christmas stunt and the best Rangers news I've heard all year. Hey Islander fans, Happy Holidays... suckers. (NY Times link)
posted by 86 to hockey at 02:32 PM - 6 comments
December 24, 2003
'Santa, thanks for the best Christmas present this Leafs fan was afraid to ask for...and please forgive Ms. Yorio for her faults. Oh yeah, don't forget your milk and cookies.'
posted by garfield to hockey at 10:38 AM - 5 comments
December 23, 2003
There goes 3 weeks of my life I'll never get back.: The ARod deal is really dead, just in time for Red Sox Nation to apologize to their families for neglecting them since Thanksgiving, and still have time for some last minute apologetic holiday shopping. Did you know yesterday was the first day of winter? I didn't. I can tell you that ARod is a Leo and hits .316 off Tom Gordon, though. So lame.
So now what? It seems like no one is happy. ARod alienated his Texas teammates apparently. Nomar is most likely uber-pissed at the Red Sox brass, Kevin Millar openly chose ARod over Nomar and Manny. And if the management has any desire to re-sign him, Nomar and his agent now have Theo Epstein by the berries. I just want some answers. Theo better clear a 6 hour block for a monster press conference.
posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 07:15 PM - 11 comments
Shauna Rohbock is back in the driver's seat.: You may remember her from this post (or not).
posted by mr_crash_davis to other at 02:06 PM - 1 comment
The Fiver's Christmas Awards 2003: . Thierry Henry finishes second again. Oh and Ormondroyd is back too.
posted by BigCalm to soccer at 11:54 AM - 4 comments
The Sportscenter Drinking game.: A general rule here is to drink whenever the anchor makes a fool of him/herself thinking he/she is being funny. This will at least make watching Stuart Scott bearable since this rule will make you drink every time he opens his mouth.
posted by Ufez Jones to other at 11:13 AM - 19 comments
Jacko seeks comfort in Strawberry, Sunday.
posted by garfield to other at 09:36 AM - 6 comments
ESPN's The Year in Sex & Sports (part 1): (part 2)
posted by kirkaracha to culture at 07:32 AM - 5 comments
Brett Favre has the game of his life after losing his father the night before.: In his 205th consecutive start, Favre had a personal-best first half of 311 passing yards and lobbed four beautiful TD passes to cap the Raiders 41-7 in an extremely emotional game Monday night.
"I knew that my dad would have wanted me to play," Favre said. "I love him so much, and I love this game. It's meant a great deal to me, to my dad, to my family, and I didn't expect this kind of performance. But I know he was watching tonight."
posted by evixir to football at 02:59 AM - 9 comments
December 22, 2003
Rodman starts on the comeback trail.: The 42 year old worm signs with the Long Beach Jam of the ABA. He couldn't sign with an NBA team this summer, but if he can prove himself serious here, come playoff time, could he be more of an asset than a liability? Who could use him?
posted by Ufez Jones to basketball at 11:53 PM - 3 comments
Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.: Nearly a year and a half after being traded to the Bills (seems like it's been much longer) Drew Bledsoe completes a pass that he's been dying to make: papers on his old Massachusetts home, a 26-acre manse in the posh Boston burb of Medfield. The estate boasts 11000 square feet of living space, 20 rooms, 6 baths, 2 half baths, 7 bedrooms, a wine cellar, a gym, 4 fireplaces, a sauna and pool. The new owner? Curt Schilling.
posted by jerseygirl to other at 10:25 PM - 20 comments
The O's grab a cup o' Javy.: Baltimore continues to spend money like a Hilton girl, signing the former Braves catcher to a three-year deal. Next on the radar screen: Vlad. Does this signing mean anything in the '04 pennant race, or do they have to get Guerrero?
posted by wfrazerjr to baseball at 08:42 PM - 7 comments
Pavel Nedved has been named European Footballer of the Year: So my question is, how is Nedved the European POTY when he wasn't even a finalist for World POTY and Zidane, who was World POTY, isn't even in the top three in this contest? And what about Emile? How com Heskey doesn't show up as a top 5 vote getter even though he was simply magnificent?
posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 01:14 PM - 20 comments
Escape From New York.: Scott Layden is no longer GM of the Knicks. His replacement? One Isiah Thomas.
More Inside...
posted by lilnemo to basketball at 11:21 AM - 18 comments
A great moment in sideline reporting history:: Suzy Kolber interviews Joe Namath during the Patriots-Jets game, and the result is something that probably won't make the NFL Films 2003 Jets highlight package. (audio and video links)
posted by nath to football at 12:40 AM - 24 comments
December 20, 2003
If Hell Froze Over, This Man Would Own the NHL Franchise:
It's no longer enough Jeremy Jacobs runs the Bruins with a Connie Mack philosophy where it's more profitable to have a winning team than winning it all so fans show up but salaries stay down. Now that fans have caught on, he shows up in every damn New England-area media outlet to complain about the team's performance. At least when Leon Hess pulled this crap with the Jets he died soon after.
posted by yerfatma to hockey at 09:10 AM - 4 comments
December 19, 2003
Ferdinand gets 8 month ban.: Now you would have to look at me for a very long time before you saw someone with any sympathy for Man Utd, but this is outrageous. The bloke missed a drug test, offered to give one 20 minutes later but the testing jobsworth told him no way Jose. He has been found guilty of missing a test, that's it, nothing else. I worked in the criminal justice system for a bit with offenders who constantly missed court dates, and they were never punished; they were simply given a new date. The question that interests me is this; should sportsmen, who in most cases will come from not dissimilar backgrounds to my young miscreants, be treated more harshly than the general population simply because they have a talent for kicking a ball around?
posted by Fat Buddha to soccer at 02:52 PM - 12 comments
Harry Caray's restaurant buys the Bartman ball: for $106K, and intends to destroy it as a "catharsis" for the fans.
AHAHAHAHAHAAA. (Sorry, Cubbie fans)
posted by mr_crash_davis to baseball at 01:18 PM - 6 comments
Hockey, with a Twist:: Please stop and read this Important Disclaimer before continuing on. "The only people we're going to accept are people who have played or are playing hockey," Wolski said. "We won't take street thugs"...... NHL, say hello to the WBF.
posted by garfield to hockey at 09:03 AM - 28 comments
December 18, 2003
Three words: Not Gonna Happen: The 5 pm deadline has passed. Looks like the union put the kibosh on A-rod in Beantown.
posted by dzot to baseball at 04:17 PM - 58 comments
Hoosier hoax hooks Rome?: The friendly folks at the Hoosier Gazette published a satircal article about Purdue signing the wrong Jason P. Smith to a basketball scholarship. After FARK.COM ran the link, apparently Jim Rome bit and reported the "story" as fact. Of course, there's no mention of it on his web site, although he does find the space to bill himself as perhaps "the most respected voice in the world of sports broadcasting." He says he was just kidding ... your thoughts, and does it affect your view of Rome?
posted by wfrazerjr to culture at 01:51 PM - 14 comments
The will to write about baseball has kept Sarah Morris keep her cerebral palsy in check. Her columns have appeared in the official Dodgers website and she has been featured in the LA Times and other media outlets. Kudos to Sarah for fighting the good fight.
posted by jasonspaceman to culture at 01:11 PM - 1 comment
This morning I was greeted with the sad news that Otto Graham had passed away at the age of 82. Before Deion, Bo and the rest, Otto Graham was a two sport star. He was a college All American in basketball and football. He went on to play in the NBA and lead the Cleveland Browns to ten championship games in as many years. Though many of this generation have never heard of him he's talked about as one of the best quarterbacks of all time and is frequently mentioned as one of the greatest athletes of any generation.
After his playing career, he coached the Washington Redskins for four years and guided the Coast Guard Academy to their only unbeaten/untied year in 1963.
Having listened to countless stories, I can honestly say there are legions of people who are better for having known, played with, and played for Otto Graham. He will be missed.
posted by 86 to football at 08:27 AM - 6 comments
Where promising young quarterbacks go to hold a clipboard... Brett Favre announces his not-retirement. I love everything about Brett Favre and am glad he'll be back for another year. [more inside]
posted by vito90 to football at 08:26 AM - 8 comments
December 17, 2003
Gary Bettman' has got himself a crystal ball, aka the AHL It's piloting of neutra-zone ice marking changes is the first and most constructive step towards what it will take to bandage the bleeding, i.e. tweak the on-ice product, of this 'blood sport'. And don't you fret AHL die-hards, competitive balance has been maintained.
posted by garfield to hockey at 02:50 PM - 19 comments
After failing to buy the BoSox, Frank McCourt is trying to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers ENTIRELY on loans. This looks like a disaster waiting to happen. via the dodger kid
posted by jasonspaceman to baseball at 11:50 AM - 3 comments
I doubt they'll win any awards for breaking the story, but ESPN is reporting that Jim Fassel will be fired at the end of the season. Is he getting the shaft or is it about time? And what other coaches are on the year-end chopping block.
posted by 86 to football at 10:56 AM - 13 comments
Today's news out of Boston: is that when ARod is acquired, Nomar will be traded for Magglio Ordonez. So much for my theory that getting ARod would limit the Sox in left. This makes the Sox pretty much awesome. Seems like we have a Sox or Yankees post every day here. When will it end?
posted by Bernreuther to baseball at 09:48 AM - 54 comments
FIFA head calls foul over international scouting and recruiting. : Sepp Blatter condemns as "neo-colonialist" the habit of rich Euro clubs going to developing countries and recuiting their most promising players. Is this indeed a problem? If so, shouldn't FIFA be the organization doing something about it, instead of blaming the for-profit clubs? And if he's right, what about US hockey's, baseball's and basketball's similar behavior? Original opinion piece in the Financial Times (ft.com), if you have access.
posted by deadcowdan to soccer at 09:18 AM - 9 comments
Bring on the cash!: The English Premier League gets a new $1B television deal that will be "a lifesaver for English football." But how much will BSkyB knock off what it pays? And will clubs began to understand that there are spending limits?
posted by wfrazerjr to soccer at 08:16 AM - 7 comments
December 16, 2003
The Comrie affair is over: , and the winner is: Philadelphia. the Oilers traded the 23-year-old to Philadelphia for minor-league defenceman Jeff Woywitka, a 2004 first round draft pick and a third round pick in 2005. Is it a good deal? Bob McKenzie thinks it's better for Edmonton than Anaheim's proposal, but only the long-term will show who the real winner is. However, the question remains: with Comrie, are the Flyers now the best contenders for the Stanley Cup?
posted by mkn to hockey at 08:08 PM - 4 comments
"You faggot! Yeah, you heard me. You faggot!": I guess the president of an NFL team didn't have the presence of mind to shut his mouth. Matt Millen (of devout coward fame) had a verbal altercation with former Lion Johnnie Morton. Today he made himself unavailable for comment, leaving reporters to ask players the difficult questions.
posted by patrickje to football at 05:11 PM - 16 comments
Quel Horreur! Nick Johnson fails physical with Expos.: There are two options: Void the trade altogether or throw additional or different player(s) at Montreal to make up for it. (pardon moi for the babelfish translation.).
posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 03:28 PM - 17 comments
Coaches who prey.: Today is the third day in a week-long series by the Seattle Times about girls sports coaches who sexually exploit their charges -- and typically don't face consequences, instead leaving to coach other teams. Some harrowing stories, and a thought-provoking look into the rise of "select" teams. The Times found that "at least 159 Washington coaches have been reprimanded, warned or let go in the past decade because of sexual misconduct. However ... at least 98 of them continued coaching or teaching afterward."
posted by jeffmshaw to general at 10:37 AM - 13 comments
December 15, 2003
Paxson hands the keys to LeBron.: After bumping heads with head coach Paul Silas on numerous occasions, GM Paxson sends Ricky Davis as well as Chris Mihm and Michael Stewart to Boston for Tony Battie, Eric Williams, and Kedrick Brown.
More inside...
posted by lilnemo to basketball at 04:48 PM - 18 comments
MLB revenue sharing, or how to succeed by being a moron ...: The Phillies, playing in the league's sixth-largest media market, pocketed a cool $8.8M last season. Meanwhile, the Cardinals, who rank 26th on this list, paid in $8M. Bone up on your revenue sharing information in this article, and decide — should this system be altered to run on market size and not the stupidity of those owning a team? Much love to Redbird Nation.
posted by wfrazerjr to baseball at 03:08 PM - 14 comments
Fix the NHL with a modified tiering system?: Terry Frei suggests a clever and soft-handed solution for NHL's problems with location distribution: preserve divisions and regional matchups, but include a three-tier "seeding" based on the previous season's results, which gives rationale to road trips and brings an element of NFL- and European-soccer-style parity to pro hockey. It'll never happen, but I like it.
posted by werty to hockey at 01:09 PM - 4 comments
The Super Bowl shouldn't risk being played with snowshoes.: After the Jets beat the Steelers in an ugly 6-0 game in the snow, the New York Times says the Super Bowl should never be played in the snow. "At the Super Bowl, you want more than a result. You want both teams at least to be able to perform at their best. And you want a sellout crowd."
posted by kirkaracha to football at 10:49 AM - 23 comments
December 14, 2003
Joe Horn dials up some controversy...: by grabbing a cell phone and apparently making a connection from the end zone. Of course, he and the Saints ended up on the receiving end of a 15-yard unsportmanslike call. For some reason, this seems much funnier than the Terrell Owens Sharpie incident of 2002. Your thoughts?
posted by wfrazerjr to football at 11:55 PM - 21 comments
We've been all about Nomah and ARod ...: but what is Miggy worth? It sounds like the Tigers are ready to throw some mad money at Tejada. Would a huge contract in this case be a smart deal for either side? Both sides? And does Kreidler's point about ARod possibly moving to a contender while still getting paid make this more attractive to Miguel? Does it make the $252M deal more palatable?
posted by wfrazerjr to baseball at 02:08 PM - 49 comments
December 13, 2003
Sleeping Through the Regular Season.: NBA picks even Steve Javie wouldn't toss out.
posted by lilnemo to commentary at 07:46 PM - 0 comments
The Cardinals and Braves open the winter meetings ... : in a trade that may or may not help both teams. J. D. Drew and Eli Marrero head south to fill holes in Atlanta, while Jason Marquis, Ray King and Adam Wainwright bolster the Cardinal pitching staff. Who wins this deal?
posted by wfrazerjr to baseball at 04:25 PM - 7 comments
Marlins trade Encarnacion for the superfluous "Player to be named Later...": Well the Marlins giveaway is off to a flying start so far. As for the Dodgers, well lets just say that there is "More inside".
posted by lilnemo to baseball at 04:18 PM - 5 comments
As David Mamet once wrote,"Always be Closing.": The Red Sox nab Keith Foulke. 3 years $21 Million.
posted by lilnemo to baseball at 01:51 PM - 6 comments
December 12, 2003
Roger Clemens pitching in Houston?: Radio station stunt or a real possibility?
posted by dusted to baseball at 03:20 PM - 37 comments
Baseball books: is a blog that, you guessed it, offers links to reviews of baseball books.
posted by jasonspaceman to baseball at 11:23 AM - 3 comments
The NFL is considering the addition of a second game on Monday night to give ABC a better chance of not getting stuck with dogs like Giants-Bucs and the upcoming Packers-Raiders thriller.
posted by rcade to football at 06:44 AM - 12 comments
December 11, 2003
He's leaving on a jet plane, hoping for no more back (and elbow) pain. Maybe under the gun and under pressure from losing Pettitte, Steinbrenner sends Weaver, 2 prospects and $3m go west for Kevin Brown.
posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 03:34 PM - 44 comments
Lowest of the Lowe.: "A money grab is a money grab and the Oilers are just as guilty of it for their last-minute stickup of Mike Comrie as he is for holding out because they won't pay him what he thinks he's worth."
posted by garfield to hockey at 03:15 PM - 10 comments
Shauna Rohbock,: the driver for the U.S. womens' bobsled team, has been called to active duty by the National Guard. This will cause her to miss the World Cup competitions beginning next month, and may keep her out of the 2006 Olympics in Torino.
posted by mr_crash_davis to other at 12:34 PM - 4 comments
Rasheed Wallace speaks his mind ...: and says the NBA is drafting young players out of high school because they are "dumb and dumber." Wallace also talks about his run-ins with the law and what he feels is his duty as a Portland Blazer. Does this give you any more insight to our dope-smoking friend, or is he still a knob?
posted by wfrazerjr to basketball at 09:00 AM - 10 comments
F1 takes on Airforce:: Michael Schumacher takes on an Italian Eurofighter Typhoon in a series of drag races. With top speeds of 229 mph and 1,521 mph, it was a very tight race....for about 5 feet. The Ferrari did manage to squeak out a victory on the short track. But what's most intriguing is the giftshop: Imagine the possible revenue if this idea caught on in the States.
posted by garfield to other at 08:56 AM - 5 comments
December 10, 2003
Anti-European feeling grows in Brazil: Rivaldo is mocked as the worst player in Serie A, Milan refuses to release Kaka for Olympic qualifying matches and the exciting midfielder Alex of Cruzieros is snubbed in Player of the Year honors. Given Brazil's decades-long top tier footballing, why don't they get more respect?
posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 08:36 PM - 9 comments
Rebels of Oakland.: The A's and the Raiders in the 1970s. Very entertaining HBO Sports documentary. It's premiering as we speak I post.
posted by staggernation to culture at 08:32 PM - 2 comments
Just in case you held out hope that former Baylor men's basketball coach Dave Bliss would ever coach again, the answer is a resounding "No!", not even as a volunteer for his son's high school team.
posted by Ufez Jones to basketball at 07:56 PM - 5 comments
Is Andy Almost Home?: "Free agent lefthander Andy Pettitte, one of baseball’s winningest pitchers, is on the verge of an agreement with the Astros, industry sources said today... Pettitte has already passed a physical, and Astros owner Drayton McLane and agents Randy and Alan Hendricks are attempting to complete the deal within 24 hours, sources said. "
posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 03:31 PM - 29 comments
"It's a little sad. I'm not talking and Bryan (Colangelo, president and general manager) isn't talking, and we're being asked about speculation," Colangelo said. "We need to set the record straight.: Colangelo said that 5 days ago and now Frank Johnson has been fired as coach of the Phoenix Suns after an 8-13 start.
More inside...
posted by lilnemo to basketball at 03:31 PM - 4 comments
Caps fire Bruce Cassidy.: The Washington Capitals, limping to the second worst record in the NHL and hemorrhaging money, canned their 38-year old coach today. He'd struggled communicating with his veteran players (an assistant coach had to separate him and defenseman Brendan Witt earlier this year), but the final straw appears to have been ill-advised comments about players being distracted by family matters.
posted by Mookieproof to hockey at 12:33 PM - 4 comments
All of Auburn -- not just the football team -- on probation for athletic-related troubles: Auburn University is one step away from losing its accreditation because of various violations, mostly stemming from trustees' meddling in day-to-day affairs. The report by Auburn's accreditation agency specifically says the school needs to "demonstrate that the president has ultimate control over the school's athletic program" and "demonstrate that the president has ultimate control over athletic spending." Geez, under these standards, just about every school in the SEC could lose its accreditation, no?
posted by kickoutthesports to general at 11:09 AM - 7 comments
NHL goalie for a day: Chris Levesque, a goalie for the University of British Columbia's Thunderbirds was given the opportunity to live out a dream when he was asked to backup Vancouver Canucks goalie Johan Hedburg, after Dan Cloutier injured a groin in practice the morning of the game. Listen to Levesque's comments on the game here.. I wonder if he hoped to play or not?
posted by owl to hockey at 09:13 AM - 14 comments
Get your star player back. Win an exciting overtime game against a division leading rival. Get fired. Dan Reeves out as Falcons coach. Does the timing of this strike anyone else as odd? Maybe some straw just broke the Camel's back after a long year of losing, or is the owner being, shall we say, indiscreet in talking about new coaches?
posted by trox to football at 08:57 AM - 5 comments
Dick Schiff sticks it to 'em : on the 'West Wing' installment of Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown. Capitalizing on ESPN's ratings success of its No Limit, Texas Hold'em World Series of Poker, this new television incarnation is quite entertaining, and educational. (I'm a huge fan of the first 4 years of the tv series, when Sorkin was doing the writing. That combined with the remarkable cast, I was an easy sale). A casino can be an intimidating classroom, and so the helpful hints with the jargon were more than welcome.
posted by garfield to other at 07:57 AM - 5 comments
NASCAR floats trial balloon for new points system.: Looking to create a "post-season" of sorts, NASCAR suggests a change to the points system wherein only the top ten drivers with ten races remaining would be eligible to win the championship. It's not being well-received.
posted by mr_crash_davis to other at 12:01 AM - 2 comments
December 09, 2003
"Do any of those actions say I want to leave?": First it was his weasel/agent talking to the papers. Then came the phone call to the radio station. Yesterday was an all out (and rare) media blitz for Nomar Garciaparra as he tried to clear up any misconceptions that he didn't want to stay in Boston and state categorically that he has no idea about the ARod trade or why they'd be exploring it. Today, the other shoe dropped when Red Sox owner John Henry cleared the air. (more inside)
posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 11:21 PM - 11 comments
The Steve Nash elbow recovery plan.: registration required: username: jeffmshaw at hotmail dot com, password: spofite. Sure, Karl Malone is a menace. But if he ever rearranges your smilin' mug, do what Steve does: "It's strictly beer for a couple of weeks. Beer with straws." Now Ufez Jones has another reason to like the best point guard ever to come from Victoria (B.C., not Texas).
posted by jeffmshaw to basketball at 03:06 PM - 3 comments
For the fifth straight year (but the first in which he didn't win a major) Tiger Woods wins the PGA Player of the Year award. It was sure to be a close vote, but we'll never know since the stupid PGA doesn't release the results.
posted by Ufez Jones to golf at 10:23 AM - 3 comments
What book weighs 75 pounds, has over 800 pages and 3,000 photographs, was bound by the official bindery of the Vatican, cost $3,000, and is on my Christmas wish list? GOAT*
*"Greatest of All Time"
posted by vito90 to boxing at 08:14 AM - 8 comments
December 08, 2003
The Seventh Sign.: Armageddon is surely upon us.
posted by lilnemo to basketball at 09:44 PM - 11 comments
ESPN, Fox Sports and other sports networks have raised their rates to cable providers 59 percent in the last three years and are seeking more hikes, according to the Boston Globe. One irate cable company has responded with MakeThemPlayFair.Com , a site hoping to "keep ESPN available at a reasonable price."
posted by rcade to general at 03:39 PM - 16 comments
Pudgepacking — or how to turn greed into a PR triumph.: Ivan Rodriguez doesn't deserve a four-year, $40M deal. He deserves an asswhuppin' for turning his back on the Marlins.
posted by wfrazerjr to commentary at 02:50 PM - 0 comments
Is A-Rod worth the money?:
The stat boys at Baseball Prospectus tackle the issue in light of the recent BoSox/Rangers trade rumours. They use a few of their own metrics to help sort out the problem, so some extra reading may be required. Not for the stat squeamish.
posted by grum@work to baseball at 01:51 PM - 54 comments
After leading the San Antonio Spurs to the 2002-03 NBA championship, Tim Duncan and David Robinson are named SI's Sportsmen of the Year.
A good choice? Who would you have voted, all things considered?
posted by Ufez Jones to general at 11:16 AM - 10 comments
Attempting to make up to fans for those horrible, once-used silver jerseys, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is enlisting the help of rapper-cum-fashionista P. Diddy to design a new alternate home uniform to be debuted in the first home game of next season.
posted by Ufez Jones to basketball at 10:25 AM - 14 comments
"I tried my best to remain a Marlin by not requesting a salary increase. To my knowledge, I'm the only major leaguer in recent times who won the World Series and received a postseason MVP award, and yet his club did not offer a higher salary."
posted by justgary to baseball at 12:40 AM - 15 comments
December 07, 2003
SnowBowl: Redux. : Patriots became the first team in the NFL to clench their division, beating Miami at post-blizzard Gillette to claim the AFC East title.
posted by jerseygirl to football at 10:35 PM - 10 comments
USC gets ripped off: Despite finishing at Number One in both the AP and USA Today polls, the Trojans will at best be able to win a split of the national college football title. Will we see a repeat of 2001's Miami-Nebraska fiasco where a team that couldn't even win its conference snuck in and got blasted while a more deserving squad can only sit and watch?
posted by billsaysthis to football at 05:02 PM - 23 comments
Saturday. La Liga. Real Madrid travels to Barcelona and beats their heated rival 2-1. And when was the last time that Real Madrid won a league game at Barca's home ground of Nou Camp? 1983.
posted by gspm to soccer at 12:31 PM - 3 comments
December 05, 2003
Chat Room vs. Babe Ruth: The Sports Guy discusses how a Red Sox chat room called Sons of Sam Horn influenced Schilling's decision.
I'm betting jerseygirl is a member.
posted by dzot to baseball at 10:10 PM - 10 comments
Soccer in the Axis of Evil: Slate article about the resurgence of soccer in Iraq.
posted by kirkaracha to soccer at 07:04 PM - 1 comment
The trade rumor that won't die.: The Dallas Morning News is reporting that a deal is in place between Texas and Boston that would swap A-Rod for Manny. Cashstrapped Texas gets themselves a shorter [enormous] contract for less money, Boston gets arguably the best player in baseball, moves 'he-who-wants-to-play-for-arch-rivals-but-now-just-wants-to-stay-in-Boston , plus they gain themselves an entirely marketable franchise player who wants to be in Boston and all that comes with that. From some angles, it would seem that all that is left to work out is if money is to be exchanged (local writers/sportstalkers/net geeks say Boston will not pay for Manny)... and there's speculation on what's in place as a trade for Nomar... More inside...
posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 04:01 PM - 23 comments
Does Zo Belong in the hall?: It's been what, 2 weeks and the guys at CNN/SI are debating over whether Zo should get in the hall already. What do you think? Should Zo get in? Do you have a nominee?
More inside...
posted by lilnemo to basketball at 03:13 PM - 10 comments
Sleeping Through the Regular Season: NBA picks so good my cat stopped licking his ass to read.
posted by lilnemo to commentary at 02:39 PM - 0 comments
Top 10 comic book footballers.: YES! I know most of these characters because I used to read my friend's copies of Roy of the Rovers in my school desk while the teacher was rattling on about some subject or other. Most of you won't know what the hell this is all about, but the older Brits and other citizens of the Commonwealth can pile on.
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 02:12 PM - 2 comments
Jason Taylor and more than two dozen other prominent black athletes and performers have received racist death threats in letters from the same person. "We will attack the black man with any white girl to castrate and kill him," reads one of the letters, which often are signed "Angry White Women."
posted by rcade to football at 01:02 PM - 0 comments
2006 World Cup Preliminary Draw - LIVE!: Let the handwringing begin. [Lo-fi account also available at The Guardian.]
posted by chules to soccer at 09:56 AM - 24 comments
December 04, 2003
"When it comes to sucking money out of a community, : the NFL has got the greatest racket going in the country right now." The NFL and Chargers may be trying to use a loophole in their 1995 stadium lease with San Diego to move to LA, instead of staying for the 25 years the lease calls for. [via CalPundit]
posted by kirkaracha to football at 05:20 PM - 4 comments
"It is a remarkable comeback for the man who begged doctors not to amputate his leg after the accident 28 months ago, when only a small bit of skin and muscle remained connected.": Does it get any tougher than Hermann Maier? The former bricklayer damned near loses a leg after a motorcycle accident, and now here he is winning World Cup downhill races. What other return-from-injuries match this one? (please include a link if possible)
posted by wfrazerjr to other at 05:18 PM - 14 comments
More sports news than anyone could possibly need: ESPN BottomLine, a browser widget that adds a TV-style ESPN news ticker to your computer screen.
posted by rcade to general at 02:05 PM - 2 comments
Meet Victor Conte: : self-taught chemist, former Tower of Power bassist, former health-food store owner, BALCO founder, IRS and DEA suspect, and probable THG creator.
Part one of this program this was on NPR this morning, ahead of Barry Bonds' grand jury testimony, with part two coming tomorrow. Be sure to check out the related stories at the bottom of the page, especially Steroids in Sports.
Yankees trade for Vazquez: The MSG Network is reporting that the Yankees and Expos have agreed to a deal that will send starting pitcher Javier Vazquez to the Yankees for 1B Nick Johnson and OF Juan Rivera. The Yankees and Vazquez now have 72 hours to agree to a contract extension or the trade will not go through.
posted by jbou to baseball at 02:29 AM - 35 comments
December 03, 2003
Duh duh dant dant dunt dant dunt dant dunt dant da duh duh dant dant dunt dant ... My Francona!: The Red Sox will apparently grab the former Phillies manager, passing on (among others) Whitey Herzog, Los Angeles third-base coach Glenn Hoffman, Anaheim bench coach Joe Maddon and Texas first-base coach DeMarlo Hale. Man, there's a group of big names. How say you, RedSocked Nation?
posted by wfrazerjr to baseball at 08:06 PM - 7 comments
The female Michael Jordan could be on the way ...: if Candace Parker's coaches and the experts are right. She's a 6-3 senior playing near Chicago that can dunk and shoot the trey. Find info and pictures in an in-depth interview and yet another interview. Could someone this good (or a fleet of them) make women's hoops marketable?
posted by wfrazerjr to basketball at 07:59 PM - 8 comments
[E]arly this week, MSU did something that no other SEC school had ever done. It hired a black man to be head coach of its football team. This, at a school where -- in 1963 -- the all-white basketball team had to sneak out of town, in defiance of state authorities, to play an NCAA tournament game against Loyola, which put black ballplayers on the floor. Oh gasp, oh horrors. MSU lost that game but may have planted a seed.
Which has now grown into ... Sylvester Croom, the first black head coach of any SEC football team. This is a man everybody in America should be pulling for in the same way that Rush Limbaugh said the press was pulling for Donovan McNabb. One hopes, devoutly, that Croom takes State from the wilderness to some BCS bowl. Maybe against Notre Dame.
posted by Ufez Jones to football at 01:55 PM - 2 comments
Rivaldo to Liverpool?: Brazilian World Cup winner Rivaldo, the "highest paid player in the world" has spent the past year and a half on the bench for AC Milan. He's now a free agent. His "associate" links him with three unnamed EPL clubs (Man U? Chelsea? Liverpool?). Where will he go? Where would he fit in best? Who needs him most? At 31, will he tone down his wage demands enough to make a deal? Will he be worth the cost?
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 01:29 PM - 13 comments
Where's the Parity?: For baseball, the luxury tax and revenue sharing were supposed to assist the small market teams in putting a 'better product' out on the field and creative a competitive balance and in some cases, they are using it appropriately. However, some owners (including Commish Bud Selig himself) are still cutting way back on payrolls, pocketing the extra funding and breaking promises to fans to produce a competitive team.
posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 01:28 PM - 15 comments
Extra! Extra! Exciting NHL game played last night.: Complete with highlights, oddities, controversy, a bevy of fisticuffs, and "fun". In other news, Mario 'show me the money' Lemieux turns down the bonus he didn't earn, and may finally hang up his skates. And
posted by garfield to hockey at 12:25 PM - 17 comments
December 02, 2003
Yao-za!:
Last week's New Yorker had an EXCELLENT article on Yao. Here's an online interview with the author of said article, here's a swing song about Yao, a whole buncha Yao multimedia and a Cranberries cover about Moochie Norris just for giggles.
posted by forksclovetofu to basketball at 11:39 PM - 9 comments
Stick A Fork In It: Animal Sports for young old and cruel
posted by forksclovetofu to commentary at 10:56 PM - 0 comments
The Oregonian's Blazer coverage: is slowly getting better. They've kept it interesting with the "Blazers Blog (a weblog)," and the ongoing tension between "the critic:"
I have yet to make this point, and I promise I'll only make it once. For now. Cops pull over black people. ... That does not mean Zach was not intoxicated.and "the fan:"
Character is not so much a Blazer problem as it is an NBA problem. I keep trying to hammer this point home. Kidd beat his wife. Marbury drove drunk. Kobe is on trial for rape. Etc. Oh yea...... Tim Duncan shoved a ref to the floor the other night at Golden State.
posted by djacobs to basketball at 06:11 PM - 9 comments
A British football fan was willing to give his brother stem cells to fight leukemia on several conditions: He had to change his allegiance from Manchester City to Manchester United and "chortle at regular intervals" when his old team was relegated, paint his house red, and meet other demands.
posted by rcade to soccer at 02:49 PM - 14 comments
Meet the new Boss. Same as the old Boss?: ESPN's Olney reports that indeed, George is taking the helm and making all the decisions now, just like he did in the 80s. This isn't a good idea.
posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 01:15 PM - 5 comments
If the Yankees get Kevin Brown,: the Red Sox will be back to playing catch-up.
posted by djacobs to baseball at 01:12 PM - 37 comments
What’s the biggest threat to the New England Patriots’ playoff hopes this year? It sure isn’t injuries. You gotta know it isn’t weather. It isn’t lack of defense, or lack of timely offense, or the chance that Bill Belichick will lose his mind and his composure and start making incredibly stupid decisions. No, the biggest threat is respect. Two years ago at this time, no one thought they had the stuff. They didn’t even get respect after they had the rings on their hands. Now pundits such as SI’s Don Banks and Peter King are saying that they’re near or at the top. It’s still not what you’d call gushing praise, and as a Pats fan, I’m glad: that kind of hype paints a big target on you that the Patriots could do without. Let everyone gun for the Chiefs and the Titans (well…maybe not the Titans) and diss the Pats, all the way up to and through Super Sunday, if they so choose. I’m sure another ring will take away the sting. The lack of respect is, in a way, perfectly understandable, because I don’t think there’s a single statistical category that the Pats lead in. If anything takes the Pats all the way, it won’t be something obvious, not even their justly praised defense. Instead, it will be a quality that doesn’t show up in any of the stats: namely, the ability to consistently make something out of nothing, and to land on their feet when disaster strikes. My only regrets, as this season is starting to shape up nicely, is a)that my ski instructor job keeps me from being able to see these 1 PM games, and b)that the new stadium has a dome on it.
posted by lil_brown_bat to football at 10:51 AM - 7 comments
Blatter wants 16-club leagues: due to "ailing finances, player fatigue and the appearance of doping in football". But G14 are obviously going to give him a fight. I'm not sure how this move could help finances (less games = profit???) or doping, but it would certainly might give some overpaid superstars a bit more time on the golf course. Any thoughts? I thought we could probably lose Man U, Arsenal, Chelski and Everton from the prem without too much trouble ...
posted by walrus to soccer at 08:39 AM - 26 comments
December 01, 2003
Callahan tries to clarify 'dumbest' remark.: What did you mean, Bill, stupidest? It doesn't take a brain surgeon, or even a middle linebacker, to know that the Raiders will fire Callahan after the season.
posted by msacheson to football at 10:53 PM - 9 comments
Sleeping Through the Regular Season: I made the NBA picks. But my cats ate the turkey.
posted by lilnemo to commentary at 06:55 PM - 0 comments
The Jacksonville Jaguars' upset win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday night has not placated critics of Coach Jack Del Rio, including the anonymous publisher of FireDelRio.Com: "Even though you won, some glaring problems still surfaced," writes the former publisher of FireTomCoughlin.Com. "You still need to take an axe to some of your staff."
posted by rcade to football at 04:21 PM - 4 comments
Abolish sports honor votes?: No more Heisman? No more MVP's? No more ROY's? CNNSI's Phil Taylor must be smoking pot.
More inside...
posted by lilnemo to culture at 04:05 PM - 9 comments
Boris Becker has a new autobiography, Wait a second, stay a while, in which he sets the record straight about his life. One of the things he clarifies: In 1999, after losing his final Wimbledon match, he argued with his seven-months-pregnant wife for hours and she began having contractions. Instead of accompanying her to the hospital, he stayed at their hotel drinking, met a woman, then had a five-second sexual encounter with her in a laundry room that produced a child.
posted by rcade to tennis at 04:02 PM - 9 comments
With December 1 being World AIDS day, I found it interesting that one of the largest stories recently involoving athletes with AIDS has gone largely unreported outside of the gay community. Recently, Matthew Cusick, an HIV positive gymnast, was fired from Cirque du Soleil after they discovered his health status. The Cirque claims that it is a safety precaution, and not a discriminatory act, but HIV positive former figure skating champion Rudy Galindo has a different point of view, saying "My sincere hope and prayer is that Cirque du Soleil reconsiders their grossly unfair and heartless decision, and that they reinstate Mr. Cusick immediately -- wishing him well and supporting his determination to be the best athlete and entertainer he can be," (more inside)
posted by Ufez Jones to culture at 12:35 PM - 7 comments