January 23, 2013

SportsFilter: The Wednesday 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.

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 25 comments

The woman whose online identity was stolen to create Fighting Irish star Manti Te'o's fictitious girlfriend Lennay Kekua has come forward.

Her real name is O'Meara.

George O'Leary couldn't make this stuff up.

posted by beaverboard at 08:21 AM on January 23, 2013

I feel like I need annotations to comprehend that comment

posted by kokaku at 08:43 AM on January 23, 2013

George O'Leary couldn't make this stuff up.

How soon we forget. So far, Ronaiah Tuiasosopo has remained The Quiet Man.

posted by yerfatma at 09:00 AM on January 23, 2013

I think the NFL Pick 'Em should have a Pro Bowl edition this weekend. Any objections?

posted by rcade at 09:44 AM on January 23, 2013

Is it for money?

I can't come up with a headline funnier than the one they gave it: "JaMarcus Russell preps for NFL comeback at 308 lbs". On the plus side for the Raiders, he never threw anything.

posted by yerfatma at 10:49 AM on January 23, 2013

Fat chance, JaMarcus!

Mante Te'o seems like someone who would be easy for quarterbacks to fool.

posted by rcade at 11:26 AM on January 23, 2013

"JaMarcus Russell preps for NFL comeback at 308 lbs".

Story about a 308 lb man and the linked page is sponsored by KFC. Priceless.

posted by tahoemoj at 11:27 AM on January 23, 2013

I think the NFL Pick 'Em should have a Pro Bowl edition this weekend. Any objections?

Provided I don't have to watch the Pro Bowl? No.

posted by Mr Bismarck at 12:08 PM on January 23, 2013

Banksy does his thing on Lance Armstrong.

posted by billsaysthis at 01:02 PM on January 23, 2013

Eden Hazard just got sent off for kicking a Swansea ballboy who wouldn't give him the ball back fast enough. That's a first.

posted by etagloh at 04:28 PM on January 23, 2013

posted by rcade at 05:36 PM on January 23, 2013

@rcade...what an F'n asswhole...the ballboy being on the ground makes it even more reprehensible...imho

posted by Folkways at 06:31 PM on January 23, 2013

The Guardian has a picture of the anguished ball boy.

The ball boy is on Twitter and posted a message about time wasting before the match.

posted by rcade at 06:54 PM on January 23, 2013

I really have to wonder whether the entire event was staged to garner media attention.

Then again, it is soccer where drama (and drama queens) appear to rule the sport ...

posted by cixelsyd at 11:20 PM on January 23, 2013

So the "ball boy" was deliberately stopping the player from getting the ball, by initially holding it and then laying down on it?

WTF?

I'm not going to feel that much sympathy for him, especially after seeing that tweet about planning to do that.

posted by grum@work at 11:29 PM on January 23, 2013

So the "ball boy" was deliberately stopping the player from getting the ball, by initially holding it and then laying down on it?

If only professional football matches had multiple balls on the touchline to keep the game flowing...

posted by etagloh at 11:41 PM on January 23, 2013

The ballboy (not sure how old he actually is; maybe ballman is more appropriate) acting like he was just shot by a high-caliber rifle is pathetic. Only in soccer (and sometimes in the NBA) is it acceptable to act like a gigantic wuss.

posted by dyams at 07:08 AM on January 24, 2013

The ballboy, the son of the Swansea City majority owners, was behaving ridiculously:

posted by rcade at 07:59 AM on January 24, 2013

Meaning what? We're supposed to feel sorry for the guy? Not sure why you posted the same clip twice. He's not a little kid and his only job is to retrieve the ball and assist in getting it back in play. My daughter could handle that job, and has done so many,many times at various levels of soccer. She can also bounce back a lot better after being kicked worse than that. The clip I saw on TV showed the guy being helped off the field, looking like he'd had a major organ ripped out.

You're on a big stage in front of thousands. Suck it up and stop trying to be part of the story.

posted by dyams at 09:11 AM on January 24, 2013

Not sure why you posted the same clip twice.

It's not the same clip. It shows more before the kick, and you can see the ballboy falling for no reason and sliding the ball under himself to keep it away from Hazard.

You must have misread my comment to think I was defending him.

posted by rcade at 09:35 AM on January 24, 2013

Yes, I did. I apologize.

posted by dyams at 11:50 AM on January 24, 2013

OK well @ everybody....

I here by officially retract my early statement...

From hence forth my offical statement shall 2nd the wuss and asshole comments above...

posted by Folkways at 03:41 PM on January 24, 2013

Kicking the kid isn't okay under any circumstance but I certainly won't be feeling sorry for him.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 05:10 PM on January 24, 2013

Me neither, though I hope that this inspires every ball boy at every Chelsea away game. And I'm pretty sure that the terrace composers are already at work.

posted by etagloh at 07:41 PM on January 24, 2013

They're going to have to start giving the ballboys Hazard pay.

posted by Mr Bismarck at 08:33 PM on January 24, 2013

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