04/16/24
November 19, 2009
SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle:
A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.
Fudge Platini with the rough end of a baguette.
New favorite phrase. Thanks!
posted by dfleming at 07:49 AM on November 19, 2009
The NFL does not care if people watch the games on Thanksgiving Day or not.
Not sure whose bright idea it was to schedule Oakland for a prime time broadcast. Isn't knowing that Detroit is always going to be on and hasn't turned the corner yet punishment enough?
The Giants and Broncos could both lose this week and then would be bringing near state of collapse mindsets to their holiday matchup.
The league should truly help the Lions improve. It is in the league's best interest. Not only because the Lions are a Thanksgiving Day tradition and have been bad for an entire adult lifetime, but also because they are probably the most telegenic team in the league. The blue and silver unis indoors on the bright green rug are totally made for TV.
I think I'll forget the TV and turkey and just follow the first unit of Grey Goose that flies by.
posted by beaverboard at 08:16 AM on November 19, 2009
I really hate to say this, but Matt Millen is an acceptable and competent broadcaster. I haven't objected to listening to him this fall.
But I also haven't been able to shake my mind loose from what he did to the Lions, so just knowing where he is and what he's doing on a given gameday still boils my blood to a certain extent.
If only he had never left the booth to begin with.
The moments where I have to leave the room are when his broadcast partner starts talking about the talent on the field and asks Millen whether or not he would have drafted a certain player. Any linking of Millen to player personnel discussions far exceeds the limits of human tolerance.
posted by beaverboard at 08:25 AM on November 19, 2009
I really hate to say this, but Matt Millen is an acceptable and competent broadcaster.
He was a great broadcaster before he became GM of the Lions. It's good to see him make the transition back to television smoothly.
posted by BornIcon at 09:11 AM on November 19, 2009
But I also haven't been able to shake my mind loose from what he did to the Lions, so just knowing where he is and what he's doing on a given gameday still boils my blood to a certain extent.
It is amazing how little talent the Lions have. If Calvin Johnson is injured, they really don't have anyone. Is Millen really just that bad at evaluating talent? Or does he go with his gut or something? I would love to see a postmortem of how the Lions ended up with so few quality players. And, I hope the Lions plan on giving Schwartz many years of good players before they try to blame him for any of these losses.
posted by bperk at 10:19 AM on November 19, 2009
Is Millen really just that bad at evaluating talent? Or does he go with his gut or something? I would love to see a postmortem of how the Lions ended up with so few quality players.
bperk, I think it has everything to do with the owner. He bought the team in 1964, and since then the Lions have won only one playoff game. With every successful organization I think you have to look at it from the top down; the owner(s) pick a good GM and give them the tools, etc. If Ford really cared about the success of the team he would have brought in the Parcells (et al) of the NFL a LONG time ago and he in turn brings in the right talent that can evaluate the shortcomings and fill in the gaps. I just don't think they have had anyone in place that had a football IQ above stupid, and the owner just doesn't give a shit.
posted by smithnyiu at 11:08 AM on November 19, 2009
I think it has everything to do with the owner
This is the same ownership who had the franchises' greatest player walk away in his prime - there's a message in there somewhere.
Ownership and management have a great deal to do with a team's success, without a big shakeup the Lions are not likely to get any better no matter how many high draft choices they get.
posted by cixelsyd at 11:46 AM on November 19, 2009
Since I remember this being a big deal to people on these boards a few months back, I thought you would all be happy to know that Caster Semenya will keep her 800-meter gold medal from the world championships
posted by Demophon at 12:36 PM on November 19, 2009
Elizabeth Lambert, the UNM soccer player who went on a bit of a foul rampage the other day, has spoken publicly. The NYT has the story, Salon has the commentary:
I definitely feel because I am a female it did bring about a lot more attention than if a male were to do it. It's more expected for men to go out there and be rough. The female, we're still looked at as, Oh, we kick the ball around and score a goal. But it's not. We train very hard to reach the highest level we can get to.
The nature of the media coverage, if not the extent of it, was certainly dictated by her sex. That's understandable -- after all, we aren't as accustomed to seeing violent outbursts from women. The bigger issue, though, is that we aren't as accustomed to seeing female athletes. Remember, the only reason for the uproar is that a compilation video of her belligerence was posted online -- not because the world was actually tuned in to the game. Ironically, it might be that when we start taking female athletes seriously -- as Lambert suggests -- we won't be as shocked when they act like poor sports.
posted by rumple at 12:54 PM on November 19, 2009
People can say what they want about Elizabeth Lambert but look at that pic from the NYT, she is smokin' hot.
posted by BornIcon at 01:35 PM on November 19, 2009
People can say what they want about Elizabeth Lambert but look at that pic from the NYT, she is smokin' hot.
You are exactly the problem with why women's sports don't get enough respect. Does it always have to be about how attractive a woman is?
posted by bperk at 01:59 PM on November 19, 2009
That was amazing. "Ironically, it might be that when we start taking female athletes seriously..." followed immediately by "look at that pic from the NYT, she is smokin' hot."
I am both laughing and shaking my head.
posted by dusted at 02:34 PM on November 19, 2009
We urge all South Africans and other people to respect this professional ethical and moral way of doing things.
Wow! Now if only people were urged to be as respectful and ethical when this firestorm first hit the news. I do think this is a good (and right) decision though.
posted by Spitztengle at 02:41 PM on November 19, 2009
Remember, the only reason for the uproar is that a compilation video of her belligerence was posted online -- not because the world was actually tuned in to the game.
Um, I don't think it's the ONLY reason. It might have something to do with how absolutely outrageous her actions were.
If I may redirect a bit.
I'm calling B.S. on the argument that this incident garnered more publicity because it was a woman who did it. This human being, during the course of one futbol match, kicked, punched, tripped, and performed the single most violent hair pull I have ever witnessed. I don't think that if she were a man and this was a men's match we would have acted any less outraged. Are we to presume now that males are to be blamed in some part for this?
This bears the smell of some blame deflecting based on gender.
posted by THX-1138 at 02:53 PM on November 19, 2009
Does anyone know where you can find a good video of the Hand of Frog goal from the France v Ireland game? I have been searching all over and can't find it. Preferably not on You Tube due to corporate firewall on said video service?
posted by Demophon at 02:58 PM on November 19, 2009
"Hand of Frog"
All right, that cracks me up.
Much more on that sorry incident at Metafilter.
posted by Joey Michaels at 03:03 PM on November 19, 2009
I'm calling B.S. on the argument that this incident garnered more publicity because it was a woman who did it.
Do you honestly think what she did doesn't happen in men's athletics? Even if it's fairly rare, how many men's sport programs are there in the NCAA? They have to be generating a dozen incidents of equal "quality" annually, but they don't make it onto ESPN. I'll give you that she was repeatedly nasty and she made the mistake of doing it in front of a TV camera, but that's not enough to get you wrap-around coverage on ESPN.
posted by yerfatma at 03:44 PM on November 19, 2009
He was once the world's fastests and most dangerous bowler. But then he was ruled out of a cricket tour because of genital warts. Now he isn't going to Australia because the surgeon stuffed up his liposuction surgery.
Ladies and gentlemen, Mr Shoaib Akhtar of Pakistan.
posted by owlhouse at 03:47 PM on November 19, 2009
I'm calling B.S. on the argument that this incident garnered more publicity because it was a woman who did it.
How many times have you seen a men's college athlete in a sport that gets no love from ESPN making news for atrocious sportsmanship? I think the gender absolutely was a factor in making the Loco Lobo famous.
posted by rcade at 04:17 PM on November 19, 2009
How many times have you seen a men's college athlete in a sport that gets no love from ESPN making news for atrocious sportsmanship?
Once, when White Goodman railed Kate with the ball when she was walking off. Cotton about had a stroke.
posted by smithnyiu at 04:54 PM on November 19, 2009
I'm calling B.S. on the argument that this incident garnered more publicity because it was a woman who did it
Saw the clips and have to agree. Multiple 'loogan acts in cowardly fashion - that's one sick individual.
Truth is we don't often see that type of behavior in male sports as it would be "corrected" real quick after the first act. Females don't respond in the same manner and this wacko took advantage of that fact.
posted by cixelsyd at 05:08 PM on November 19, 2009
Females don't respond in the same manner and this wacko took advantage of that fact.
That's a pretty sexist statement. Female athletes in sports like soccer and basketball do not shy away from physical play. Anyone who had "corrected" Lambert's dirty play would have risked a yellow or red card in a conference playoff game.
posted by rcade at 05:13 PM on November 19, 2009
They have to be generating a dozen incidents of equal "quality" annually, but they don't make it onto ESPN.
Objection: Speculation and assumption.
How many times have you seen a men's college athlete in a sport that gets no love from ESPN making news for atrocious sportsmanship?
Of course you could simplify that statement to read: "How many times have you seen a sport that get get's no love from ESPN make it on the air." I don't think it's any secret that ESPN has a tendency to hype the outrageous and ignore the less popular. How many violent outbursts by female athletes in, say, college basketball have gone unreported? Certainly nobody is suggesting that they never happened, are they? Point being that nobody can say with any degree of certainty that the hype is because she is a woman. It's unprovable.
posted by THX-1138 at 05:40 PM on November 19, 2009
You've moved the goalposts, THX. First you said "I'm calling B.S. on the argument that this incident garnered more publicity because it was a woman who did it" (emphasis mine). Now it's "nobody can say with any degree of certainty that the hype is because she is a woman."
posted by rcade at 05:45 PM on November 19, 2009
Females don't respond in the same manner and this wacko took advantage of that fact.
Among any number of problems with this assertion is the fact, if the timeline from ESPN's replays can be believed, she was responding to being punched in the back.
posted by yerfatma at 05:53 PM on November 19, 2009
Not really, rcade. The goalposts might move a bit in the wind but the same basic stance is there. The orginal claim that more was being made of the situation due to gender was from Lambert herself. I was paraphrasing her for my purposes. My point is that I don't see it as a gender issue but rather as an issue of a person who has clearly lost their grip on normal behavior, even if it was just for the duration of the game.
In a nutshell, I am bristling at the suggestion that Lambert has somehow been victimized by what were her own actions.
posted by THX-1138 at 06:02 PM on November 19, 2009
Regardless of her playing the gender card, I still think it played bigger in the sports media because female athletes were involved. A lot of male sports fans love to mock female sports, and this gave them a golden opportunity to do so.
posted by rcade at 06:13 PM on November 19, 2009
A lot of male sports fans love to mock female sports, and this gave them a golden opportunity to do so.
I personally saw none of it, so I am either obtuse or hang out with a different crowd. And her playing the gender card only hurts the cause of female athletics, so I don't think it is an issue for little regard.
posted by THX-1138 at 06:24 PM on November 19, 2009
I personally saw none of it, so I am either obtuse or hang out with a different crowd.
Move down to Jacksonville and listen to our sports radio. It's a wonder any of the local hosts have wives, girlfriends or daughters.
posted by rcade at 07:18 PM on November 19, 2009
Given how the previous thread on Robert Enke's untimely death went a little bit out of control, I thought this brings home some of the sadness in the man, without too much sentimentality.
posted by owlhouse at 07:42 PM on November 19, 2009
Wow, thanks. I'd meant to run that down after it was mentioned on Football Weekly. Just makes the whole thing sadder; seems like he was a good person.
posted by yerfatma at 08:44 PM on November 19, 2009
The Observer's alternative sports awards.
And can I say that Ireland were ripped off? Fudge Platini with the rough end of a baguette.