04/19/24
Archives for September 2004
September 30, 2004
In search of Dieguito.: Inside every fat man, they say, there is a thin man trying to get out. In the case of Maradona, it seems, there is an even fatter man trying to get in.
posted by dng to soccer at 09:24 PM - 20 comments
Did cheerleader boots help protect rookie?: Cleveland Indians pitcher Kyle Denney was hit in the leg by a bullet that pierced the team's bus Wednesday night, but he was not seriously hurt, perhaps thanks to white cheerleading boots he was wearing as part of a hazing ritual.
posted by justgary to baseball at 04:23 PM - 8 comments
CL Match Day 2: BillRoolz!: Okay, there are only four other teams and one of them just joined. But I will still take the adulation for now.
posted by billsaysthis to fantasy at 04:12 PM - 8 comments
Lockout looming!: The National Lacrosse League prepares to cancel the 2004-2005 season over, you guessed it....labour disputes, namely the lack of a CBA. First hockey, then the Expos, then lacrosse...will Canadians have to finally start flocking to curling rinks?
posted by Succa to other at 02:32 PM - 3 comments
September 29, 2004
The first round of the WNBA playoffs is over : and my picks are still in it. Are they ever: Seattle was the only team to win the first round in two straight, and Connecticut, which just got done swarming all over Washington like a crowd of annoying little bees, is looking stronger with every game. Seattle plays Sacramento and Connecticut plays New York in the semis, and I'm sticking with my original prediction: Seattle and Connecticut will advance, and it will take three games each. Next round starts Friday, schedule here.
posted by lil_brown_bat to basketball at 10:10 PM - 5 comments
US sports hooliganism vs British sports hooliganism: Now something to really fight about. Although I reckon I'd rather face a hundred angry Millwall fans than one nutter with a gun.
posted by owlhouse to culture at 08:38 PM - 16 comments
Washington Senators version 3.0: The Expos go to DC. Angelos gets a floor to his investment. Probably many cheers inside the beltway today. All that's left is to build a $400 million dollar publically financed stadium in the next 3 years (perhaps Marion Barry should consult on the financing). In related news, a 10-year-old child was sentenced to death yesterday for eating peanuts and crackerjack on the DC Metro.
posted by dzot to baseball at 09:13 AM - 29 comments
September 28, 2004
"If they determine by the rules of gymnastics I should give back my medal, I will.": Paul Hamm (USA) says this as he and Yang Tae-Young (S. Korea) take their battle for Olympic gymnastics gold to court.
posted by worldcup2002 to other at 05:53 PM - 9 comments
Flower: tour is bad news: This is an issue that won't go away and no one's found a proper answer to it. No one's denying what kind of person Mugabe is and what he's done to his people but is it sport's job to take a stand when international business is happy to trade with Zimbabwe? No one's calling on British Airways to suspend its flights to Harare or for Barclays Bank to close its branches. Why is cricket tearing itself apart over this issue when football (soccer) is happy to play anyone and even the Olympics will be held in China - no one's idea of a democracy? Or should sport, something which can unite people of all nations, take a moral lead where politicians and business men have let us down again?
posted by Pete to other at 02:30 PM - 4 comments
Only seven players turn up for Bolivia squad training: We read constantly about the clash between club and country but in this bottom of the WC2006 qualifying table the issue seems to have come to a head. FIFA has already adjusted the 2006 calendar to give players a few extra days off before the Finals. But is this enough? Should national associations pay the players for their time instead of the clubs? And will MLS ever grow up enough to shut down as every other league does for national team play?
posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 11:41 AM - 27 comments
September 27, 2004
[Scott] Cate is a multimillionaire - he won't divulge exactly how much he is worth - who has turned Cottonwood High's athletic facilities into premier venues. : To some, he is a savior who has taken their children, many of whom struggle with school work, and given them a place to hang out where they can hone their athletic skills and focus on their academic goals in the tutoring program he runs. To others, he is a meddling father who uses his money to recruit players so his son Alex, the Colts' junior starting quarterback, is surrounded by talented athletes.
posted by mr_crash_davis to general at 07:52 PM - 8 comments
September 26, 2004
End of an era?: Jones KO'd by Johnson.
posted by justgary to boxing at 12:01 AM - 21 comments
September 25, 2004
Brisbane Denied a Fourth!: Attempting to match a feat only previously accomplished by Collingswood over 70 years ago, the Brisbane Lions were defeated by an astounding 40 points by the Port Adelaide Power in the Australian Football League Grand Finals. Brisbane has featured all season in FSW's broadcasts, with commentators calling them perhaps the strongest side in history, and so I was expecting them to have stroll but, like the Patriots in SB XXXVI, the underdogs came out strong while the favorites broke under the weight of expectations. [For those of you longing for a little bit of Aussie for yourself, like a Tim Tam Slam or Booze Biscuit, check out FSW advertisers Australian Products Company online or at their Santa Clara store.]
posted by billsaysthis to other at 12:20 PM - 14 comments
September 24, 2004
One Day at Fenway: Steve Kettmann's book recounts the Sox' August 30 pennant race loss to the Yankees last year from the perspectives of "some 25 team executives, coaches, players, fans, an umpire, a groundskeeper and a scoreboard operator." Here's an exclusive Salon excerpt, here's another excerpt, and here's a transcript of an online chat with the author. ESPN.com's Rob Neyer was offended by the book and thought it's "a waste, both of talent and trees." He published a pseudonymous Amazon review, got busted, and got scolded. (Other reviews are more positive.)
posted by kirkaracha to baseball at 03:01 PM - 4 comments
Liverpool goes Hollywood?: My favorite team gets a third bid, worth GBP100 million, this time from a Hollywood consortium led by two guys from Liverpool: Mike Jefferies (chairman, Milkshake Films, producer of upcoming soccer movie Goal!) and Stuart Ford (Miramax lawyer). The two other bids are for GBP73 mil (from local businessman Steve Morgan) and GBP65 mil (from the Thai PM, it failed, and was revived by a Thai media co.) Why am I still underwhelmed?
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 01:16 PM - 11 comments
Stadiums of the NFL : - your ticket to every NFL stadium, from the past to the future.
posted by Ufez Jones to football at 10:32 AM - 4 comments
Cream Puff Classes: Underwater Fire Prevention, Art & Science of Beer, The Cheerleader in American Society...
posted by justgary to football at 03:48 AM - 18 comments
September 23, 2004
G4TechTv to run video game NHL season: "All 1,230 regular season games originally slated for the 2004-2005 NHL season will be played, with results of each video game match-up available to fans who tune-in daily to "Sweat." Up-to-the-minute scores, stats, teams and player profiles will be online at www.g4techtv.com."
Who's up for a fantasy league fantasy league?
posted by mkn to hockey at 11:34 AM - 22 comments
New Olympic Sports being considered for 2012: include golf, rugby, karate, squash and "roller sports," while softball, baseball and modern pentathlon may be on the chopping block.
If, as Jacques Rogge has stipulated, no new sport can be added without being deleted, what would you add and what would you remove?
posted by chicobangs to other at 09:29 AM - 30 comments
WNBA playoffs start tomorrow; : Nancy Lieberman breaks down the east and west playoffs.
My picks: Seattle in the west, Connecticut in the east, Seattle takes the championship.
posted by lil_brown_bat to basketball at 06:17 AM - 4 comments
September 21, 2004
Champions League Fantasy Match Day 1: For the five of us playing, that is. My luck is all early season, so I expect to beat beaten by a point again in the end. And good luck to latejoiner ericeric!
posted by billsaysthis to fantasy at 02:08 PM - 2 comments
$36.7 million a day: that's a wild-ass guess of the productivity cost of America's employees playing fantasy sports on company time. Because that's the only distraction in the workplace.
posted by kirkaracha to culture at 12:20 PM - 16 comments
.: After seeing him climb L'Alpe d'Huez with a broken collar bone with vigor and resolve in 2003, Tyler Hamilton instantly became a favorite in my limited cycling knowledge. so it saddens me greatly to see this positive doping test story
posted by garfield to other at 12:04 PM - 11 comments
Yahoo Premiership Fantasy Football Week 6: I'm in the lead, amazingly enough, followed by 11 dead men. Among Fans of Liverpool I fare not quite as well (8,848th).[MI]
posted by billsaysthis to fantasy at 11:56 AM - 3 comments
England FA considering sin bins.: Concerned at the high incidence of yellow and red cards in recent seasons, the English FA is looking at the "icebox" used in hockey, and apparently successfully used in rugby, as an intermediate penalty before yellow and red cards. Hello power play! Wonder if they'll introduce charging and slamming into the boards (and the neon ball and goalie masks) next.
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 11:52 AM - 8 comments
posted by garfield to hockey at 10:52 AM - 9 comments
EPL Fantasy League, Week 6: - ahem, results inside.
posted by BigCalm to fantasy at 03:19 AM - 80 comments
September 20, 2004
Kutluay to sign with the Sonics?: 2 year deal, $ 3.36 mil wouldn't be bad for a 30 year old shooting "specialist" eh?
posted by lilnemo to basketball at 12:39 PM - 2 comments
Big Kahuna (Windows Media).: Holy moly. (via kottke.org)
posted by worldcup2002 to extreme at 12:35 PM - 4 comments
Why wait?: Apparently six matches are enough for Camacho to decide he can't handle the Galacticos' truth while over in England Sir Bobby got dumped after even fewer matches. I can't even keep track of the constant coaching changes in Brazil where some teams have had three or four coaches since the end of last season and the velocity of change is approaching the speed of light. WTF, dudes and dudettes? Or is this just another of the differences from American pro sports...
posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 11:27 AM - 22 comments
Courting the Jilted NHL Fan:: I've never heard of this game, but it sounds fascinating.
"You will be amazed watching our athletes turn straightforward two-point shots into crazed, over-the-top public exhibitions. You'll marvel at the acrobatic mascots gyrating at something we call "halftime." You'll be awestruck by the freedom we give our team owners to disagree with the commissioner."
posted by chicobangs to hockey at 10:46 AM - 7 comments
September 19, 2004
Football Fans For Truth: Will sportsfans be the all important deciding factor in the 2004 election? At first I thought it was a joke but it seems they are going to put up a billboard near Lambeau Field pointing out that John Kerry throws like a girl.
posted by mick to culture at 08:49 AM - 26 comments
September 18, 2004
Athens isn't done yet.: Same link, same city, same venues, different athletes, different games. The 12th Paralympic Games quietly opened today.
posted by Punkrockrat to other at 03:25 PM - 8 comments
September 17, 2004
700: Barry Bonds hits his 700th home run.
posted by kirkaracha to baseball at 11:35 PM - 22 comments
That Cat says Goodnight: Jaguar (remember to pronounce it elegantly like them Britishers do) announces the end of their Formula One sponsorship (including backing for engine maker Cosworth) over the cost. Ecclestone says he understands and F1 needs to get cheaper but that the series would be fine with 7/8 teams and 3 cars per team. BMW does not necessarily agree.
posted by billsaysthis to other at 11:22 AM - 1 comment
September 16, 2004
Vince Carter demands to be traded: "It's just time for me to look after me," he says. And I admit I'm somewhat sympathetic to his position. Especially if the Raptors can get someone good in exchange.
posted by molafson to basketball at 11:39 PM - 4 comments
History of North Am pro sports work stoppages.: Good collection of data for NHL, MLB, NFL and NBA. But it's a long run-on list just screaming for some good information design. Maybe one of us can turn this data into info that's easier to digest, compare, etc. Makes it hard to answer sports geek questions like which was the longest? Which sport has the most work stoppages? etc. etc.
posted by worldcup2002 to general at 02:25 PM - 3 comments
2004 SpoFi NFL Games: Week 1
Fantasy - mad props for Rainbaby's Mad World (standings inside)
Top pick 'em picker - bcb2k2
Survival - 6 teams kicked off the island
posted by danostuporstar to fantasy at 09:02 AM - 15 comments
I'm not gay: Ian Thorpe comes out. That'll stop the rumours, then.
posted by owlhouse to culture at 03:21 AM - 10 comments
September 15, 2004
Fox hunting is now illegal in England.: House of Commons votes to outlaw centuries-old sport of hunting foxes with hounds.
posted by worldcup2002 to culture at 06:06 PM - 11 comments
It's not yet 2:30 pm EST, : not that there is much doubt of what will be said, I have something to say because it needs to be said.....Fuck You and Fuck You, too! That is all.
posted by garfield to hockey at 01:06 PM - 55 comments
Ryder Cup Countdown: I know you're not all golf fans, but my God, people! Let the trash talking begin! I quite fancied Europe's chances until bloody Vijay went and made Tiger angry by taking away his world number one spot. I want your comments - specifically, I want a prediction for this year's event and your favourite Ryder Cup moment ever.
posted by JJ to golf at 07:44 AM - 10 comments
September 14, 2004
Brian Burke's 15 point plan to get the NHL sorted out.: And, for what it is worth, Canada topped Finland 3-2 in what may be the last NHLish game for quite some time.
posted by gspm to hockey at 10:16 PM - 21 comments
The unifying power of football and the internet: A heart-warming story. [More inside]
posted by squealy to soccer at 12:46 PM - 10 comments
Rob Neyer makes a boo-boo: To continue the theme of ill-considered reactions, Neyer gets angry at a book, flinging it across the room and dissing the book anonymously on Amazon. Then he gets outed. Another perspective.
posted by rocketman to culture at 10:16 AM - 11 comments
"There is a strong tradition in baseball of not mixing politics with the game": according to Bill James. However, essentially, the Red Sox are Democrats, and the Yankees the G.O.P. Unless, essentially, they are not.
posted by gspm to baseball at 07:53 AM - 3 comments
Well, that will put the taint on an otherwise pretty enjoyable season.: No, really, thanks Frankie. Ugh.
posted by Ufez Jones to baseball at 01:43 AM - 17 comments
September 13, 2004
The dos and don'ts of goal celebrations.: How much of your jersey DO you have to raise to get a yellow card?
posted by gspm to soccer at 07:27 PM - 8 comments
September 12, 2004
Want to buy your own Arena Football League Team?: Following in the dubious tradition of the Indiana Pacers (they held a telethon in the 1977 to stay afloat). The Indiana FIrebirds go belly-up and decide, "Hey, let's sell this thing on eBay!"
posted by internal to football at 09:53 PM - 3 comments
Lleyton won't get his Christmas present this year: "Lleyton Hewitt and Joachim Johansson were hardly strangers.The pair has become well acquainted through Johansson's girlfriend Jaslyn, Hewitt's younger sister. "After Lleyton scrambled a flawless himself in eliminating Joachim who told him that he wouldn't give him gifts this Christmas for he had already got one today,he smiled and told the media:"Well,we may meet each other many times as time goes on."
posted by luckygirl9 to tennis at 05:45 AM - 0 comments
September 11, 2004
That was hockey is what that was.: Canada beats the Czechs in their World Cup semifinal match in one of the greatest games I have ever seen. In any sport. Finland beat the USAians Friday night in a very tight game that could've gone either way. So, Tuesday night's game between Finland and Canada will decide the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. It'll be a deep pool of talent versus sisu.
posted by NoMich to hockey at 09:06 PM - 31 comments
September 09, 2004
Ricci To Wear Pat Tillman's #40 For The Coyotes:: In a move that makes more sense as a tribute than many that I've seen, new Phoenix Coyote Mike Ricci decided to change numbers to honor the Cardinals' safety-turned-soldier.
"When I heard his story, it really touched me,'' Ricci said. "This is a way to pay tribute to what he's done.''
posted by chicobangs to hockey at 02:27 PM - 9 comments
Maybe the Yankees should sign this guy. : Hell, sign both of 'em! Andy Roddick and John MacEnroe find a way to entertain the crowd during Wednesday's prolonged rain delay at the US Open.
posted by lil_brown_bat to tennis at 10:41 AM - 6 comments
September 08, 2004
Bend it like Beckham [RealVideo required].: BBC Soccer Academy has streaming video of Beckham (and other stars) teaching kids their soccer secrets. I liked Beckham's freekick class (the link for this post) and his passing class. Most of all, I just liked the kids (boys and girls) who were not just cute and earnest, but skillful. And watching Beckham coach gives you an insight into his leadership skills and likability. "Perfect. Brilliant. Oooh, unlucky. Finish with a goal. Brilliant. Perfect." And cheers to the Beeb for another example of sterling public service.
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 04:22 PM - 17 comments
Boxing and the Cool Halls of Academe: A trainer and philosophy teacher defends the sweet science: Still, I think the best defense of boxing is Aristotelian. In his Nichomachean Ethics, Aristotle offers his famous catalog of the moral virtues. Whenever I teach this section of the Ethics I always begin by asking students what they think are the ingredients of moral virtue. Respect, compassion, honesty, justice, and tolerance always fly quickly up onto the board, often followed by creativity and a sense of humor. I usually need to prod to elicit "courage." And so I hector, "How can you be consistently honest or just if you don't have the mettle to take a hit?"
posted by jason streed to boxing at 02:40 PM - 3 comments
Show me the money: This is an interesting article on the NFL draft system from the always excellent Observer Sports Monthly. I’d heard of the draft but never really understood it before, it’s an interesting idea but does it work in practice? Does it even up the league and make it more competitive? Or do the big boys always end up getting their way as they did in this case? Does it mean that no one team can have a monopoly on the best young talent or do they all end up going to the Giants and the other giants at the end of the day? On a related note, would it make it more interesting from a fans perspective to have promotion and relegation in the leagues? It could certainly make dull fixtures more interesting and give you something to play for.
posted by Pete to football at 03:34 AM - 10 comments
September 07, 2004
"I feel robbed." : Well, you were, hon. Serena Williams loses in the US Open quarterfinals to Jennifer Capriati in a match with several stinky calls, including some that were overrides. We ain't heard the last of this one...
posted by lil_brown_bat to tennis at 09:38 PM - 20 comments
No Gold = $125,000: Ain't irrational socialization cool?
posted by garfield to other at 12:29 PM - 5 comments
Bras and Bars: In 1977, runners Hinda Miller and Lisa Lindahl sewed together a pair of jockstraps in an effort to keep their chests from jiggling while they ran........................ "I think this is going to be a hot concept nationwide," said O'Harro.
posted by garfield to culture at 12:07 PM - 16 comments
Wah wah wah!:
Brett Hull acts like a spoiled brat after being taken out of the lineup for the game against Slovakia on Friday, and has some choice words about hockey and the fans.
posted by grum@work to hockey at 09:16 AM - 12 comments
September 06, 2004
Champions Time: Who will join me in this year's UEFA Champions League fantasy competition? League name is SportsFilter, no password that I can see.
posted by billsaysthis to fantasy at 03:58 PM - 17 comments
Souness to Newcastle!: Didn't see this one coming. This should make for some interesting dressing room talks. I would like to see Dyer and his cronies pull the same tricks on their new manager. Hopefully he will sort out some of the toon egos and disruptive influences. Mind you, is his track record with players that good? He seems to have fallen out with more players than he's ever bought!.
posted by Pete to soccer at 06:01 AM - 14 comments
September 05, 2004
The next Pele.: Rooney. Adu. Robinho. Just read the article. Heartbreaking poverty. Parental sacrifices. The Brazilian youth development system fattening calves for sale in Europe. The real-life threats that poor boys (and their families) face when they rise from the slums to pro soccer success. "Little Rob's" audacious, "malicious" skill. Accolades from Brazilian legends Carlos Perreira (current national coach), Ronaldo and Pele. Can't help but root for him to succeed. "... Robinho ... tells me that he wants to become a craque - a player who can change the course of a game with his own effort ... a playmaker and finisher, at once a creator and a killer. The craque doesn't pass to a man. He passes to ponto futuro: a point in the future." The next World Cup is going to rock when all these young guys debut with their national teams. (Anybody have a video of this guy?)
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 11:30 AM - 9 comments
"She played like a seventeen-year-old." : Sharpova bounced by Mary Pierce in the third round of the US Open.
posted by lil_brown_bat to tennis at 06:34 AM - 0 comments
September 04, 2004
Geeks will make pro bowling cool.: Rob Glaser [CEO of RealNetworks, maker of Real Player] and his geek pals from Microsoft wanted to pull pro bowling out of the gutter. So they bought the whole damn league. Bought the whole league for just $5mil. Ha!
posted by worldcup2002 to other at 12:02 AM - 5 comments
September 03, 2004
What's the wrong way for a pitcher to react to losing a game? : There are a lot, but punching the clubhouse wall would be way up there -- even if it is with your non-pitching hand.
My favorite part was Cashman's statement. I bet he counted to ten about a dozen times before he came up with that one.
I do love the Bums and I always will, but damn, this shooting themselves in the foot bizniz is getting old.
posted by lil_brown_bat to baseball at 09:58 PM - 9 comments
Kobe's Lakers: This is bull. I expect Kobe's Lakers to be one of the best teams in the NBA this season.
posted by cg1001a to basketball at 03:04 PM - 7 comments
"This guy's unbelievable. He's never going to umpire me again." : Certainly not at this year's US Open, he's not. Tenth-seeded Nicolas Massu made a loud exit from the US Open, losing to 54th-ranked Sargis Sargsian in the second round after playing over five hours and receiving multiple penalties for his outbursts -- including a game in the fourth and deciding set.
(sorry, I couldn't find any vid)
posted by lil_brown_bat to tennis at 05:55 AM - 3 comments
September 02, 2004
NFL Fantasy Football draft tonight 9/2/04 @ 7:15PM Pacific: Get your cheat sheets ready!
posted by dusted to fantasy at 04:40 PM - 11 comments
Ugie Urbina's mother kidnapped.: 4 men dressed up as police take her from her Venezuela home. This just weeks after Manu Ginobili had extra security at his wedding to ensure none of his family would be kidnapped and ransomed.
posted by lilnemo to culture at 04:25 PM - 14 comments
September 01, 2004
Innocent? Guilty? Off the hook, either way: Kobe Bryant will reamin a free man (as if there were much doubt). Prosecuters will ask the judge to dismiss the charges against Bryant. Next up for Kobe: an out of court settlement for the civil suit. So does Kobe's endorsment money come back in any way or is he S.O.L. for good on that front? Maybe a slow trickle back to where it once was? Maybe everyone forgets in a year and he's the next Ray Lewis? At least it's over (pretty much).
posted by pivo to basketball at 04:37 PM - 47 comments
Here's one action-packed race for you: All-Alaskan Racing Pigs
posted by kirkaracha to other at 02:44 PM - 4 comments
Every day is one step closer to the single-most important thing in all of the observable universe: the return of the NFL season (and Tuesday Morning Quarterback). TMQ previews the AFC and NFC.
posted by kirkaracha to football at 02:16 PM - 3 comments
Sir Clive Woodward quits rugby - for football?: The head coach of the England rugby union team has resigned. Apparently he's got his eye on coaching soccer instead, possibly, one day as England head coach. This is the most improbable sports story of the year, no question.
posted by salmacis to soccer at 12:17 PM - 4 comments
If you haven't been watching the M's and Ichiro... you're missing out.
: Ichiro Suzuki, barely noticeable on the dead- from- the- ankles- up Mariners with all the playoff run excitement around the league, is nevertheless a bright spot to watch this September. Since the All-Star break, he is hitting an unreal .463 and has raised his average to .371, all but assuring another batting title. He had 56 hits in all of August, the most since 1936, but August was also the third month so far he's had 50 hits. No one else in history has ever had 50-hit months more than twice.
Ichiro enters September needing 46 hits in the final 31 games to break George Sisler's 84-year-old record of 257 hits in a single season. His current season pace would put him at 262.
posted by hincandenza to baseball at 12:04 PM - 24 comments
Jeremy Bloom pokes a sharp stick at the NCAA.: Last week, the NCAA rejected Colorado's request to restore wide receiver Jeremy Bloom's eligibility. Bloom, who also is a standout freestyle skier, has battled the NCAA for the past two years to allow him to play for the Buffaloes while also accepting endorsements to fund his ski training. Bloom left Colorado's camp earlier this month and currently is training with the U.S. Ski Team near Santiago, Chile, in hopes of making the 2006 Olympic Games in Turin, Italy. Colorado, which hoped to have Bloom aboard to add speed and needed experience at receiver, has appealed the decision. This opinion piece by Bloom will probably not help his appeal, but it's funny and on point.
posted by pitchblende to football at 11:30 AM - 7 comments