04/24/24
November 08, 2011
SportsFilter: The Tuesday 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.
The Albert Haynesworth Era is over in New England. Probably had something to do with his screaming match with Pepper Johnson on Sunday.
posted by yerfatma at 01:57 PM on November 08, 2011
They might as well end the Ochocinco era too. He's not doing much besides hurting the offense.
The Pats currently do not have enough veteran leadership in the locker room to allow them to keep taking on unwanted high baggage players and spinning them into valuable contributors.
posted by beaverboard at 03:25 PM on November 08, 2011
FIFA tells the referee of England's friendly against Spain to call off the match if the team wear Remembrance Day poppies on their shirts. I'm not really a fan of the 'poppification of everything' in recent years, but FIFA really knows how to piss people off.
posted by etagloh at 03:52 PM on November 08, 2011
Marc Bennetts writes in the Guardian about the experience of going to Pyonyang to watch North Korea play a World Cup qualifier against Uzbekistan.
posted by JJ at 04:40 PM on November 08, 2011
etagloh: Maybe they're worried one of the players may try and stab a Spanish player with a poppy.
posted by Drood at 04:50 PM on November 08, 2011
The Pats currently do not have enough veteran leadership in the locker room to allow them to keep taking on unwanted high baggage players and spinning them into valuable contributors.
What did I miss? What is Ochocinco doing that makes him a high baggage player. Haynesworth is notorious, but I don't recall Ocho doing anything that should put him in that league (or even remotely close to that league).
posted by bperk at 05:06 PM on November 08, 2011
The explanation I saw was that if England were ever scheduled against Germany on or near Remembrance Day then approving the wearing of them now would set a precedent. Because wearing poppies on jerseys would surely piss off Germans of the 21st Century.
posted by billsaysthis at 05:45 PM on November 08, 2011
In case anyone missed it:
Yoenis Cespedes : The Showcase Video
posted by grum@work at 06:35 PM on November 08, 2011
>>The Pats currently do not have enough veteran leadership in the locker room to allow them to keep taking on unwanted high baggage players and spinning them into valuable contributors.
>What did I miss? What is Ochocinco doing that makes him a high baggage player. Haynesworth is notorious, but I don't recall Ocho doing anything that should put him in that league (or even remotely close to that league).
Well, it's true Ochocinco isn't high baggage in terms of having a negative attitude or bringing down the team morale, but he's expensive baggage. He is way overpaid considering his lack of production. Tom Brady is throwing away valuable downs whenever Ochocinco is being targeted and misses a route or drops the ball. I think I saw that 4 or 5 times in the Giants game. It feels a bit like Randy Moss toward the end without all the sideline and locker room drama.
posted by jeremias at 08:45 PM on November 08, 2011
If it is just the expense, then there is no point in cutting him now. The Pats have to pay him for the full season anyway. At least, they have the hope that eventually he and Brady can get on the same page.
posted by bperk at 10:10 PM on November 08, 2011
The explanation I saw was that if England were ever scheduled against Germany on or near Remembrance Day then approving the wearing of them now would set a precedent. Because wearing poppies on jerseys would surely piss off Germans of the 21st Century.
Or if they were drawn against Northern Ireland, or the Republic of Ireland, or Iraq, or Afghanistan, or Argentina, or China... Whatever the good intentions of the Royal British Legion, or the idiotic opinions of David Cameron, the remembrance poppy is considered a political symbol in some places. Allowing the English football team to wear them on their shirts opens the door to other teams wearing political symbols on their shirts. Cameron might think it ridiculous for FIFA to get its knickers in a knot about poppies, but would he be similarly scandalised if FIFA banned the Palestinian team from wearing an implicitly anti-Israeli symbol on their shirts? I doubt it.
posted by JJ at 05:39 AM on November 09, 2011
There is always the hope that opposing defenses will completely give up on covering Ocho and that he'll actually catch the ball throw to his wide-open numbers.
posted by kokaku at 05:39 AM on November 09, 2011
I've posted this before, but I won't let that stop me.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 08:47 AM on November 09, 2011
All that clip needs is some John Facenda narration over momentous orchestral music.
"The autumn wind is a fat ass, flailing helplessly ..."
posted by rcade at 09:06 AM on November 09, 2011
+2 (ass cheeks). I like how the offensive lineman takes a minute to figure out what is going on, like, "Wait, you're seriously going to lay there? Ok . . . uhm well, I'll be over here if you change your mind."
Someone watched Wildcats one too many times.
posted by yerfatma at 09:39 AM on November 09, 2011
Good news everyone!
Fifa has agreed that the England team can wear poppies on their black armbands during Saturday's match with Spain, the Football Association has announced.The U-turn came after Prince William and Prime Minister David Cameron wrote to Fifa demanding England be allowed to wear shirts embroidered with poppies.
Fifa bands (sic) political, religious or commercial messages on shirts.
But now the compromise has been reached with the FA.
WE DEMAND IT!
I was with FIFA yesterday, (a sentence that makes me want to take a shower), but being able to wear the poppies on the armbands is all right. However Bill and Dave sound like enormous jerks.
I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 12:51 PM on November 09, 2011
I very much enjoyed this Fangraphs piece on the complications involved in pro athletes' income tax: The Jock Tax