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2.28.2005
Clarett Bombs at Combine: Two years ago, Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett was on top of the football world, leading the Buckeyes to a national title. Since then he?s run into trouble on campus and hasn?t played in more than a year.
Clarett attended this week?s NFL Combine, a fleshfest where potential draftees are poked, prodded and examined by scouts and personnel men. Clarett was hoping to wow the experts but he ran such a relatively slow 40-yard dash time that some say he?ll be lucky to be drafted. He knew he had blown a bigtime chance to impress.
"It was a tough day for me,'' Clarett said. "To be working so hard and so long on those drills and then to kind of mess it up, it's extremely frustrating. To do this, it kind of put me in the tank a little bit. I can't really explain it. " Clarett will be drafted by someone, but his glory years seem like a million years ago.
Webber Falls to Former Team: Chris Webber, the newest Philadelphia 76er, came up short Saturday in his first game since being traded from the Sacramento Kings. Webber missed what would have been the game-tying layup at the buzzer in a 101-99 loss to, ironically, his former Kings team.
Despite the loss, the 76ers got a great deal in obtaining Webber for relatively little, and he should help them make a run at winning the woeful Atlantic Division.
Quote of the Week: We saw this via our Discussion Board, from ESPN.com: "Just picture your favorite guy and put it right through the hole."
-- Drew Brees after winning the skills competition at the Pro Bowl.
2.26.2005
Transgender golfer makes tour debut: Mianne Bagger is blazing a trail in the women's golf game that hopefully will become unremarked upon over time. She was born a male in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1966 and started playing golf at the age of 8. At the age of 26, she withdrew from competitive golf to undergo gender reassignment surgery, starting to play again in 1998. Bagger now lives in Australia and this week made her debut on the Ladies European Tour (which, naturally, was being played in Australia). It's believed to be the first time a known transgender person has played a women's professional golf tournament. There's been the expected whispers that Mianne did this so that she can have an advantage over women golfers but she reacted to this by saying "That always infuriated me so much, to say 'What's to stop some guy from having a sex-change operation to play the women's tour'? It really exhibits the level of ignorance that exists." Of course, what will ultimately matter is whether Mianne Bagger can play golf at a level that will permit her to make the cut with regularity.
NBA trade frenzy: NBA teams completed a flurry of trades over the past few days and here's some of the highlights:
* Chronic complainer Gary Payton was dealt from the Atlantic Division leading Boston Celtics to the team with worst record in the NBA, the Atlanta Hawks. The basketball gods obviously have a sense of humor.
* More importantly, the Sacramento Kings threw up their hands and said "Time to rebuild" by sending oft-injured Chris Webber to Philadelphia. On paper, this strengthens the 76ers, but Allen Iverson has been The Man in Philly for so long that it's hard to imagine him willingly integrating Webber in to the offense. Of course, the desire for a championship ring may trump any ego considerations but if Iverson and Webber can work from the same playbook, the 76ers could be a factor during the playoffs.
2.25.2005
More baseball steroids fallout: Baseball executives always get very nervous when politicians get involved in their sport in any capacity other than supporting that public money be used to build new stadiums. In 1922, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that baseball is a sport subject to state regulations and not a business subject to Federal antitrust laws, which allows baseball all sorts of freedom in how it conducts its business. The Supreme Court ruled that only Congress can repeal the anti-trust exemption. As a result, one of the few ways that politicians have to get baseball owners and commissioners in line with their wishes is to threaten to repeal the anti-trust exemption.
The recent steroids scandal, fueled by media whore Jose Canseco, has the word "repeal" being whispered in Washington DC again. Henry Waxman of California urged that Canseco and the players that he accused, including Mark McGwire, be called to testify before Congress on steroid use. Waxman also wants representatives from Major League Baseball and the players union to appear to testify about what they plan to do about the undoubted use of steroids in their sport. Senator John McCain was highly critical of the steroids policy that was passed after MLB execs and players union reps were grilled before Congress last year. The league and union have already agreed to a tougher policy before the start of this season (10-day suspension for first time offenders, instead of the previous slaps on the wrist, and year-round testing) but McCain says that is not enough and that amphetimines are exempt from the new policy. This is the nightmare that keeps on giving for owners and players: it's going to be a constant story throughout the coming season, a season that might set an all-time overall attendence record. While it's true that baseball has turned a blind eye to players who juice, the general defense is "fans don't mind, they just want home runs". We'll see how true that is.
2.24.2005
Moss to Oakland?: Reports say that Randy Moss, Cyd?s favorite NFL player,, will be traded from the Minnesota Vikings to the Oakland Raiders for linebacker Napoleon Harris, the No. 7 pick overall in the draft and a late-round draft pick. The deal can?t be finalized until March 2, the start of the free-agency period.
Moss, who makes as many headlines for his antics as his play, will be a perfect Raider. The franchise has a long history of picking up NFL bad boys and the fans in the Black Hole will love him. Moss can fake-moon to his heart?s desire in Oakland.
Moss, along with Jerry Porter, will give the Raiders a great receiving corps and make them dangerous. The Vikings will be rid of a huge distraction and will pick up an excellent linebacker and a high draft choice.
Cyd, who can?t stand the Raiders, was disconsolate when informed of the trade. We imagine AFC West defensive backs will feel the same way; for all his high jinks, Moss remains perhaps the most feared receiver in the league.
2.23.2005
Queer Eye for the BoSox Guy: Boston Red Sox first baseman Kevin Millar (pictured) may appear on an episode of Bravo's "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," the Boston Globe reports. Millar said he's working on a date for the taping, which would be done during spring training, and hopes to persuade a few teammates to participate
Millar would be a great candidate for the show. He often sports a lame goatee and ESPN called him perhaps the best comedian in baseball. He would fit into the spirit of ?Queer Eye.? "I'm thankful my wife is so understanding,'' Millar told ESPN.com. "She understands that I'm a complete idiot. I have different hair colors, I shave my head, I have an Amish beard. Look, I don't have a lot of tools. I just love baseball.''
Shaq Injured: The Miami Heat, the top team in the NBA East, got a major scare when Shaquille O?Neal injured his ankle with only two minutes gone in Tuesday?s game against the Chicago Bulls. Fortunately, X-rays were negative, so it appears O?Neal won?t miss any major time.
The Bulls beat the Heat in overtime, 111-105, to win their 18th game in their last 24. Beating a Shaq-less Heat team is not a good indication of where the Bulls stand.
Bledsoe a ?Boy: It didn?t take long for Drew Bledsoe to land with another team. A week after being cut by the Buffalo Bills, Bledsoe reached an agreement in principal to become the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, several media outlets reported. Bledsoe, 33, will be reunited with coach Bill Parcells and should be a good match. Parcells drafted Bledsoe for the New England Patriots and the team made the Super Bowl in 1996.
2.22.2005
Kansas Falls Again: Just a week or so ago Kansas looked like a lock for a top seed in the upcoming NCAA men?s college basketball tournament. But after falling to Oklahoma on Monday, the Jayhawks would be content with a win.
Oklahoma jumped all over Kansas early and coasted to a 71-63 win. For the Jayhawks (20-4, 10-3 Big 12), it was their third straight loss. The last time this happened was in 1994.
Fans to Giambi: All Is Forgiven: For those who wish to get steroids out of sports, scenes like Monday show what an uphill battle it will be. Fans lined up 16 rows deep in Tampa to get the autograph of Jason Giambi at spring training. News reports said Giambi spent 35 minutes signing baseballs, pictures and jerseys. "We love you Jason!" yelled Nicole Kyle, 13, of Gloucester, R.I., according to AP. Two people told Giambi, ?God Bless you.?
"It's pretty humbling, pretty incredible, to have the support from the fans," Giambi said. "It's pretty awesome." This is the same Giambi who the San Francisco Chronicle reported told a federal grand jury in 2003 that he had used steroids; he has apologized without publicly acknowledging the report.
Giambi?s reception confirms what many have long felt: Fans don?t care if players use steroids. As long as they show up and play (and take time to sign autographs), the people who pay the freight are content. There is no doubt that Giambi will be ridiculed at opposing ballparks, but it seems like the hometown fans will rally around the flag ? as long as he produces. Bat .200 and all bets will be off.
2.21.2005
Gordon Wins at NASCAR: Jeff Gordon is only 33 but he already has three wins at the Daytona 500, including Sunday?s dramatic win over Kurt Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. in extra laps. It is being called one of the wildest finishes ever at Daytona, with four lead changes in the final nine laps and two crashes involving 17 cars.
The site Gaytona.com, for gays into NASCAR, calls Gordon a ?rich, young hottie? who seems to be the driver a lot of fans love to hate. Not the Gaytona folks, who write: ?We love Jeff's coolness -- his wicked smile -- his ability to get mad, get even, and get silly.?
False Alarm: Those reports this weekend that the NHL season would be not canceled after all turned out to be false. Players and owners met again Saturday and ended talks as far apart as ever. Hockey really is dead this season.
All-Star Blah: We admit it: We didn?t watch a second of the NBA All-Star Game. Ditto for the NFL Pro Bowl and baseball?s All-Star Game. These exhibitions have long outlived their usefulness. If you enjoyed the NBA game, good for you, but it will be forgotten by Tuesday.
2.19.2005
You're joking: While surfing the 'Net for stories to write about tonight, we came across one that claims that the NHL and the NHL Players Association have reached an agreement on a new labor contract and that the season will be begin soon. In our opinion, that would be almost worse than canceling the season, what with all the mild-hoopla over the cancelation earlier in the week. It could provoke a "So, they're liars in addition to being incompetent" reaction. Confirmation could come by Sunday.
More baseball steroids backlash: The Jose Canseco steroids story took a not unanticipated twist this week when two former players spoke out about the use of 'roids during their time in the game. Former Boston Red Sox outfielder Mike Greenwell had a great season in 1988...but Canseco had a better one and won the American League MVP award. Greenwell is calling for Canseco to be stripped of the award and that it be given to him. ``The only reason I said anything at all is I felt back then I wasn't on even playing ground,'' he said, ``and I wanted the fans to know, there's a lot of people who aren't going to get into the Hall of Fame, or who aren't going to get the notoriety they deserve, simply because they were clean, legitimate, straight players.'' Well, Mike, not everyone in the major leagues is straight, but point taken.
Hall of Famer Frank Robinson also spoke out in a similar vein. He's number 5 on the all-time home run list, but was 4th for a long time until Barry Bonds passed him. And that rankles: " "Probably before I take my last breath, I'm going to be about 99th on the list," Robinson said. "And I'm afraid people are going to say 'Frank Who?' It's going to be such huge numbers up there at the top, they're going to say, 'You must have been a singles hitter that hit a few home runs.' That's the thing that's going to happen to this game". Robinson also mocked the relatively light penalities of the new steroid policy.
2.18.2005
ZZZZZZZZZ: Baseball's spring training games haven't even started yet and we're already sick of New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox players and their fans taking potshots at each other in the media and on message boards. There's going to be another 8 months of this? This must be what hell is like.
Patriot's Bruschi has a stroke: The New England Patriot's stud linebacker Tedy Bruschi is in the hospital after suffering a mild stroke on Wednesday night. It was reported that Bruschi, 31, experienced temporary numbness, blurred vision and headaches, a few days after playing in his first Pro Bowl. While sports fans are used to players getting broken bones and torn ACL's, it's still kind of strange when some of the most physically fit people in the world have non-sports related medical conditions; athletes are supposed to transcend the limits of the human body. Burschi is doing fine and is expected to make a full recovery.
2.17.2005
NHL Season Done: The National Hockey League canceled its 2004-05 season after the owners and the players? union failed to reach an agreement. It was the first time in North America that a league?s season was canceled because of a labor dispute.
While blame certainly falls on both sides, our reading finds more fault with the owners. They locked out the players to start and the union seemed to give more in concessions than the owners. The intent seems to be to break the union and get the public to accept a league with fewer stars at a more affordable (for the owners) cost. Expect many of the elite players to wind up in Europe.
SI?s John Rolfe laid out what the future may hold: ?No matter how much either side conceded, [commissioner Gary] Bettman and his squinty-eyed, toothpick-chewing henchmen were intent on turning the NHL into a designer label version of the minor leagues where a fair patch of readers say they are enjoying hockey at reasonable prices. So, I wonder exactly what it is that makes Mr. Bettman think that disgusted, alienated fans will want to pay NHL dollars for AHL-quality next season. Meanwhile, Europe will become to hockey what it is to soccer: the place for the elite. The NHL will be reduced to an icy version of Major League Soccer.?
What has to be troubling for the sport is how relatively few people cared. Had baseball, basketball or football missed an entire season it clearly would have ranked as a major topic of discussion. But the NHL will sink away and it will barely cause a ripple. That?s a shame for the passionate fans who cared for the game, warts and all.
2.16.2005
FBI Warned on Steroids:An FBI agent has told the New York Daily News that Major League Baseball was warned about 10 years ago that some of its players were using steroids, but baseball executives failed to act on the information.
''I alerted Major League Baseball back in the time when we had a case, that [Jose] Canseco was a heavy user and that they should be aware of it,'' Special Agent Greg Stejskal told the Daily News.
Until very recently, baseball?s establishment (both management and the players? union) was unconcerned about steroid use. And why shouldn?t they be? The public was enamored by the 1998 home run race between Mark McGwire (fingered as a user by Canseco) and Sammy Sosa. Barry Bonds? record 73 home-run season in 2001 got all sorts of attention despite rumors that Bonds was juiced. The fans kept showing up and baseball collectively shrugged its shoulders until the pressure and revelations got too great. We?ll see now how tough their new steroid policy is; we?ll know it?s working if home run totals plunge.
SI?s Most Boring Issue: The (yawn) Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue is on newsstands everywhere. This is a public service announcement for any heterosexual male or lesbian who happens to be reading this.
2.15.2005
Garcia Out of Cleveland: The Cleveland Browns cut quarterback Jeff ?I?m Not Gay? Garcia after a rocky one season with the team. Garcia had a rough year on the field?against Dallas he recorded only the fifth 0.0 quarterback rating, and ended his season on the bench with an injury.
Off the field, Garcia publicly declared his heterosexuality after former teammate Terrell Owens said he was gay. Garcia then had a very public relationship with a Playboy Playmate, that ended with him testifying at her assault trial for allegedly karate-kicking one of his ex-girlfriends during a fight at a downtown nightclub.
Garcia can still be an effective quarterback, so expect him to land on his feet somewhere during the offseason.
Urine Prank Gets Suspension: From the ?Some Things You Just Can?t Make Up File:? A dozen swimmers from a high school in Michigan were suspended from the team for the rest of the season for pulling a prank on their coach, Channel 6 in Warren reports. The swimmers from Warren Mott High School drove to their coaches' house Sunday from a Super Bowl party and placed a bottle of Gatorade filled with urine on her front porch.
The prank was a tradition where the team member who worked the hardest during the previous meet is presented with a bottle of Gatorade as the "Thirst-Quencher Award," according to the report.
The bottle was left with an "unmistakable" note so the coach would know who left the bottle, said parent David Czapp.
The students say they were sorry, but the story never says if the coach imbibed.
2.14.2005
Weirder Side of Life: Let?s face it?the weekend after the Super Bowl might be the dullest in the sports calendar. The NBA is in its February slumber, college basketball teams are positioning themselves for the tournament, tennis is three months away from the next major, the NHL is in its extended All-Star break and spring training is close but no cigar. So, in this light, we take a break and bring you some of the more interesting or bizarre items we found, courtesy of the terrific Fark website.
Got to like this quote from Rob Willman, a high school wrestling coach in Indiana: ?To get kids out for a sport like wrestling, you have to make it fun. There will be times in a match when these kids? noses are right by someone?s stinky butt, so if you don?t make practice fun, nobody will want to come out for the team.?
One more reason to feel safe while flying: A security screener at Newark Liberty International Airport failed to spot a butcher knife in a passenger's pocketbook and was removed from the post for retraining, officials said.
Those of you anti-Valentine?s Day types should move to Saudi Arabia: The Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, Saudi Arabia's powerful religious vigilantes, have banned shops from selling any red flowers in the run-up to February 14.
Police ordered naked cyclists to get their gear back on in Auckland, New Zealand, after arresting their leader for alleged indecent exposure. Even so, motorists were treated to a "21-bum" salute, equating to the number of scantily-clad cyclists who rode in convoy to protest against the world's dependency on oil-fuelled transport.
No comment: A plan by a German zoo to test the sexual appetites of a group of suspected homosexual penguins has sparked outrage among gay and lesbian groups, who fear zookeepers might force them to turn straight.
2.12.2005
Reggie Miller retires, sort of: Ending weeks of speculation, Indiana Pacers shooting guard Reggie Miller announced his retirement, effective at the end of the Pacers' NBA season. The 18-year veteran is probably the best pure shooter we've seen in his time in the league. With a thin physique, he still managed to pour the ball in to the basket from anywhere on the court, including 4-point range if there was such a thing. The 39-year old UCLA grad ranks 14th all-time on the NBA scoring list and is the number one three-point shooter in league history. He had a great quote during his announcement: "There?s no Michael Jordan thing going on. There?s none of that?, meaning there won't be numerous comebacks after "retirement".
One of the things he'll be remembered most for was scoring 8 points in 8.9 seconds to erase a six point New York Knicks lead, the Pacers winning by a point in that 1995 Eastern Conference playoff game. A year earlier, Miller poured in 25 points in the fourth quarter against the Knicks in an Eastern Conference finals game while still finding time to jaw with movie director Spike Lee, a courtside fixture at Knicks games.
2.11.2005
Bizarre: One of the strangest sports stories we've seen has been playing out in Zimbabwe. Samukaliso Sithole--no, we didn't forget to type in another "h" in the last name--won some track events at a meet in Botswana last year. However, prosecutors have filed charges in Zimbabwe that Sithole misled a woman as to his gender. The woman believed that Sithole was a woman but he was outed as a man by a third party. Upon his outing, Sithole tried to flee, but the police caught him and a medical exam was undertaken. Sithole's explanation? He was born congenitally deformed, he claims, and although he went to a tribal healer who proclaimed him a female, the ritual wasn't completed because Sithole couldn't make full payments to the healer.
The The Zimbabwe Athletics Association has said that Samukaliso Sithole could be stripped of all medals and prize money. This wouldn't be the first time that a man competing as a woman was found out. Stella Walsh won the 1932 Olympic women's 100 metres, but upon the death of Walsh in 1980, it was discovered that she was really a man. It is not unknown in the medical field that a newborn's gender is unclear and a decision has to be made on which gender the child will be raised as. This might be one of those cases but we suspect that Samukaliso Sithole will end up being the Zimbabwean Stella Walsh.
2.10.2005
Rugby in the Olympics? Our friend Bryce sends this along about a major rugby event in Southern California this weekend:
?On Feb. 12-13 at the USA Sevens in Los Angeles, for the first time, Mexico will take on international Rugby World Cup powerhouses like the All Blacks of New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina and Australia among the 15 other national teams participating.
?In addition this week, CEO Mike Miller and USA Rugby CEO and Olympic veteran Doug Arnot will outline international rugby's case for inclusion in the Olympic Games.?
We think rugby should be an Olympic sport. It certainly has more countries playing the sport than women?s softball or some other niche Olympic sports. Rugby is growing in popularity, has an increasing international fan base and the sport is a blast to watch. It is also become, in a short time, a popular gay team sport. There are at least 25 cities with teams and the Mark Bingham Cup has quickly become a big draw every two years (the next Cup is in 2006). In addition, doping does not seem to be an issue in the sport, and that should satisfy Olympic officials. After all, beer is the ingested substance of choice.
2.9.2005
Was McNabb Out of It?: One of the great mysteries of the Super Bowl was the lackadaisical way the Philadelphia Eagles managed the last seven minutes of the game, down 10 to the New England Patriots. They took way too much time between plays and showed no sense of urgency. Part of the reason may be the condition of quarterback Donovan McNabb.
Three Eagles said McNabb as so sick in the final period that a teammate had to call a play. Speculation is that McNabb was groggy from a hit to his helmet from a Patriots lineman. Cameras caught a dazed McNabb rubbing his jaw.
"He fought to the end," center Hank Fraley told Comcast SportsNet. "He gave it his all. He was almost puking in the huddle. One play had to be called by (wideout) Freddie Mitchell because Donovan was mumbling because he was almost puking."
If true, this would help explain McNabb?s actions, but it doesn?t excuse the coaches. If they knew McNabb wasn?t right, why not call a timeout and try to regroup?
McNabb now denies he was sick, so we don't know what to believe. Whether McNabb was sick or not, Sports Illustrated?s Paul Zimmerman had it right when he wrote: ?Has there ever been worse Super Bowl game-planning in the clutch than the Eagles showed Sunday??
B.C. No Longer Undefeated: Notre Dame beat Boston College, 68-65, to hand the Eagles their first men's college basketball loss this season. Meanwhile, Illinois survived a scare to beat Michigan, 57-51, leaving the Illini as the only unbeaten major college team. Of course, unlike college football, none of this really matters since basketball has a tournament.
2.8.2005
Jose Pops Off on Steroids: Baseball is being rocked by the latest revelations involving steroid use, this time in a forthcoming book by former Oakland bad boy Jose Canseco. In the book, a copy which was obtained by the New York Daily News, Canseco's says Mark McGwire, Jason Giambi, Juan Gonzalez, Ivan Rodriguez and Rafael Palmeiro used steroid users. Canseco says he was a dealer as well as a user and tells tales of shooting up himself and McGwire in a restroom stall.
The key question is whether Canseco is to be believed and there is no doubt he is looking to sell books. The principles involved have denied it and Canseco is not the most credible source. On the other hand, as the Balco revelations reveal, steroid use is rampant in sports and almost every athlete claims to not have used them; it also doesn?t hold that every scumbag is a liar. Baseball is more suspect since it had no effective way to test for illegal substances, and will start a new program this year. The sport can only hope that the Canseco revelations will seem like ancient history soon.
2.7.2005
Pats Win Super Bowl: The New England Patriots beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 24-21, to win the Super Bowl, their third in four seasons. Check out our recap of the game, including the ?Top 10 things you don?t want to hear in the huddle.?
2.5.2005
Not So Super: Jacksonville is taking many hits as a less than desirable place to host this year's Super Bowl. Witness this from Sports Illustrated's Josh Elliott, who was trying to be nice:
"The fact you beautiful, big-hearted people live in a place with an unconscionable lack of hotel rooms, decent restaurants, recognizable city centers, attractive gathering places, cultural options, available taxis and dependable weather patterns, shouldn't be held against you. Just because I've heard your city called 'scummy' and 'smelly' too many times to count this week -- and one grizzled, overly nasty scribe proclaim yesterday, 'The only attractive people here are the out-of-town strippers' -- shouldn't give you or your phalanx of defensive local columnists any more of a complex".
"It's just that the very things that make this place so livable for you -- no big-city bustle, no discernable tourism industry, no apparent geographic center --unfortunately make it, by far, the worst Super Bowl burg ever."
Mr. Elliott might be correct about the lack of amenities in the city chosen to reward the NFL's corporate masters, but we'll have to disagree with his "worst Super Bowl burg ever" comment. That was, and always will be, 1982 Super Bowl XVI at the Pontiac Silverdome. Who was the genius at the NFL that decided the frozen tundra of Michigan in January would be a great place to set up corporate party tents? By all accounts of that game, all the bigwigs that pay the big bucks came in the morning of the game and left the next morning. No, Super Bowl XVI is it.
2.4.2005
Stick a fork in Emmitt Smith: One of the great running backs in the history of the NFL officially retired Thursday, as Emmitt Smith ended a great 15-year career, showing class to the very end. Smith was part of the great Dallas Cowboys teams of the 90's, winning three Super Bowl rings as part of an offense that included receiver Michael Irvin and quarterback Troy Aikman. In addition, Smith ran for 18,355 yards and 164 touchdowns in his career, both NFL records. In this era of athlete misbehavior, Emmitt Smith was pure class, almost never in the headlines for the wrong reasons. During his tear-filled press conference, he came up with this unintentionally homoerotic comment about his former teammate Darryl Johnston:
"Darryl, I love you to death," Smith said, dabbing at his tears with a tissue. "You've been there through thick and thin. I don't know why, but every time I think of you, I always break down." Hey, Johnston was and is a stud, we understand completely.
2.3.2005
Miracle Buzzer-Beater: Normally, Guileford College in North Carolina doesn?t get much sports attention but a player from the school is basking in national attention. Jordan Snipes, 20, made a miraculous 92-foot shot at the buzzer off of a missed free throw to give his team an 91-89 basketball win over Randolph-Macon College on Monday..
Snipes? dream shot got national exposure when ESPN made it plays #1, 3, 5,7 and 9 in its daily Top 10 plays list. ?I didn?t want to go to sleep. I thought it would be a dream when I woke up. I didn?t want it to end,? Snipes said.
Yogi Sues: Yogi Berra is 79 and one would think he?d be flattered to be mentioned in the same sentence as ?sex.? But no. The New York Yankees legend has filed a $10 million lawsuit against Turner Broadcasting Systems for using his name in an ad for ?Sex and the City? he calls hurtful.? The suit said the ad "created a false image of [Berra] that is both contrary to his personality, lifestyle and character as well as abhorrent to him personally."
The ad depicts the show?s sex kitten Samantha and the words: "Yogasm: a) a type of yo-yo trick b) sex with Yogi Berra c) what Samantha has with a guy from yoga class."
2.2.2005
T.O. and God: The raging question of whether Philadelphia wide receiver Terrell Owens will play in the Super Bowl despite an injury officially bottomed out during media day on Tuesday in Jacksonville. Owens? doctor would not clear him to play, but T.O. could care less. "I can honestly say God had already cleared me, " Owens said. "I really doesn't matter what the doctor says. I've got the best doctor of all, and that's God."
Oh, now we know what God's been up to lately--getting T.O ready for a football game. Once again, it?s nice to see professional athletes who have things in the right perspective.
Rudy T. Out?: Rumors are rife that Los Angeles Lakers coach Rudy Tomjanovich is going to retire because of health reasons. It?s another sign on how far the NBA?s glamour franchise from 2000-04 has fallen. Shaq is gone, Phil Jackson is gone and Kobe is tainted after his sexual assault arrest. At 24-19, the Lakers are still a playoff team but the glory years seem like a century ago in L.A.
2.1.2005
Super Bowl Doings: Two wide receivers for the Philadelphia Eagles continue to dominate the pregame Super Bowl talk for different reasons.
Terrell Owens, injured since mid-December with an ankle injury, practiced on Monday as he attempts to play against the New England Patriots. He was in about a third of the plays and observers said he looked sharp. But Owens is coming back from a very severe injury sooner than most, so his effectiveness is still up in the air.
The other receiver, Freddie Mitchell, continues to be a hot topic days after he dissed the Patriots secondary and called out safety Rodney Harrison. It was the kind of comment that should have been laughed off, but Harrison is reacting as if Mitchell accused him of being a child molester.
Harrison?s reaction as the aggrieved party is kind of funny since he is recognized as among the game?s dirtiest players, never above trying to cheap shot an opponent; by his own admission, Harrison has been fined about $350,000 in the past decade. Even his teammates recognize Harrison becomes a different player once the game starts. "Sometimes he gets into such an emotional state that you can't say anything to him," linebacker Mike Vrabel said. "You'll say, 'Rodney, aren't you supposed to be over there?' He'll kind of (give you a cold stare). You're almost afraid to say anything to him."
Spurs Beat Sonics: The San Antonio Spurs have the NBA?s best record at 37-10, but one thing they hadn?t been able to do was beat the Seattle SuperSonics. That all changed Monday with an easy 103-84 Spurs win at Seattle. The Sonics were shorthanded as star guard Ray Allen was out with the flu and coach Nate McMillan was attending his mother?s funeral.
1.31.2005
Safin Rolls: With his win over Lleyton Hewitt in the finals of the Australian Open, Marat Safin served notice that men?s tennis might be more than just Roger Federer winning all the time. Safin defeated Federer in an epic semifinals match, then rallied from one set down against Hewitt to win 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
It was Safin?s second Grand Slam title and his first Down Under after losing two finals. ''It's psychological -- you start to have doubts, like really I could do this or not,'' said Safin. ''It's the third time, you get so nervous, so uptight.'' Hewitt, who really looks all buffed out this year, didn?t have it in the final and failed to give the host country its first men?s champ since 1976.
Mitchell Faced: Philadelphia Eagles receiver Freddie Mitchell will get a lot of attention this Super Bowl week because of his mouth, not his play. The guy who calls himself the ?People?s Champ? has already insulted the New England Patriot defensive backs, raising their hackles. Kind of
1.31.2005
Safin Rolls: With his win over Lleyton Hewitt in the finals of the Australian Open, Marat Safin served notice that men?s tennis might be more than just Roger Federer winning all the time. Safin defeated Federer in an epic semifinals match, then rallied from one set down against Hewitt to win 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
It was Safin?s second Grand Slam title and his first Down Under after losing two finals. ''It's psychological -- you start to have doubts, like really I could do this or not,'' said Safin. ''It's the third time, you get so nervous, so uptight.'' Hewitt, who really looks all buffed out this year, didn?t have it in the final and failed to give the host country its first men?s champ since 1976.
Mitchell Faced: Philadelphia Eagles receiver Freddie Mitchell will get a lot of attention this Super Bowl week because of his mouth, not his play. The guy who calls himself the ?People?s Champ? has already insulted the New England Patriot defensive backs, raising their hackles. Kind of
1.29.2005
Gutsy Serena: Unlike Roger Federer (see yesterday's entry), American Serena Williams was able to shake off an injury during her Australian Open tennis match and emerged victorious over fellow Yank Lindsay Davenport, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, to win the women's singles final. Needing treatment twice on her back, Serena thoroughly dominated the third set to win her seventh Grand Slam singles title. The last few years have been rough for Serena and her sister Venus, with injuries and the accusations that Serena was more interested in starting a clothing empire than winning tennis matches being the focus. Serenea declared the Williams sisters are back and while that remains to be seen, it can be only a good thing for American tennis.
American tennis took it on the chin, however, on the men's side as Aussie Lleyton Hewitt took advantage of a heckling countryman to unnerve Outsports favorite Andy Roddick en route to a 3-6, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (4), 6-1 win; he'll meet Russian Marat Safin in the men's final. Hewitt has a chance to become the first Australian man to win the Australian Open since Mark Edmondson in 1976. Melbourne Park should be rocking for that match.
Homophobe Hingis: In 1999, out lesbian tennis star Amelie Mauresmo was beaten by former Number 1 Martina Hingis at the Australian Open and afterwards Hingis said that Mauresmo was "half a man". She's all woman to us, but in any case, Hingis has been on the shelf since retiring due to injuries in 2002. She recently played a match in Thailand and when Amelie was asked about it at a press conference, Mauresmo was blunt: ?I have nothing to say, absolutely nothing at all". That wasn't good enough for the questioner, who asked again, which prompted Mauresmo to say "Nothing" and walk out of the press conference. We're going to go out on a limb here and speculate that Amelie Mauresmo hasn't forgiven or forgotten Hingis' remark.
1.28.2005
It's Why They Play: One of the truly great things about sports is that it's one of the very few forms of drama that no one knows the outcome in advance. There's an old cliche that's trotted out after big upsets: "It's why they play the game". After our entry of January 26th, perhaps we should have kept this hoary old chestnut in mind. After saying that no-one could beat the amazing Roger Federer the Australian Open men's singles title, how predictable that Marat Safin defeated Federer in their semifinal match 5-7, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (6), 9-7 to hand Federer his first loss in 26 tries. As boring as the men's game can be sometimes, this was a classic, with plenty of twists and turns in the four and half hour match to make it memorable. Federer was in pain during the latter stages of the match, as he needed treatment for a tender nerve running down his racket arm but he made no excuses afterwards. "It's really unfortunate. I thought I played really well under the circumstances. A point here and there changed the match," he said. "It's a pity. At least I gave it a fight."
On the other hand.... We'll contradict our statement "no one knows the outcome in advance" by noting a big scandal in the world of German football (soccer). A 25-year old referee, Robert Hoyzer, has admitted that he profited via gambling by helping to fix matches. Authorities were alerted when a large amount of money was placed on Paderborn SC in their German Cup match against Hamburg SV in August, won by Paderborn SC 4-2 after Heyzer made some bizarre calls. What raised suspicion is that Paderborn SC is a regional team and Hamburg SV are a Bundesliega team, roughly the American equivalent of a rookie league baseball team taking on a team from the major leagues. It has the makings of a good scandal, with whispers of others involved and Croation gambling mobs getting in on the action. Things like this go to the core of sports, so we hope it's an isolated incident.
1.27.2005
Homophobia in the Darts World: All six members of a British pub dart team have been banned from league play for life after they taunted a gay and lesbian team with homophobic insults. The teams are based in Brighton, England, and play in the Sussex United Darts League.
The ban came after the ?straight? team from the Bevendean Hotel allegedly mocked and scorned the gay players from the Stag pub, according to British media reports. The Bevendean team refused to shake their opponents? hands, eat their food (the game was at the Stag) and repeatedly made anti-gay remarks.
The best account came from the London Telegraph: Fran Bailey, the captain of the Stag's team, insisted that her team had endured "constant abuse all night", adding: "We heard them say, 'don't shake hands - you never know what you're going to catch'. If their darts fell on the floor, we heard them say, 'I wouldn't bend over to pick up your darts in this pub. I would rather buy a new pack.'
"It is courtesy to supply food when you are the host pub for a match but when we said we were going to bring it out they said, 'We don't want to eat in here because we don't know what we are going to catch.' They even booked their taxi well in advance and we heard them say that they would rather pay waiting charges to the taxi than stay another minute longer in the pub.
"We were intimidated in our own pub. Their behavior was disgusting and offensive." A female Stag player said her opponents taunted her in the toilet and asked her if the was "in the right loo".
A Bevendean representative denied the charges, saying, "I never heard any of my side make any anti-gay comments. The lads in the side are placid and certainly not homophobic. The only conclusion I can make is that it is just sour grapes."
But the league thought otherwise. Secretary Peter Crook said, "We cannot tolerate homophobic behaviour of any kind." We?ll drink a pint to that!
1.26.2005
Roger, Over and Out: The way Roger Federer is playing, they might as well hand him another Australian Open trophy. Federer, the top-ranked player in the world, blew by Andre Agassi in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, to reach the semifinals. He made it look so easy that Agassi supporters in the crowd were fairly subdued.
''He was too good. I would suggest to his next opponent that he doesn't look to me for advice,'' Agassi said. On the Outsports discussion board one fan said Federer has been ? somewhat arrogant, lacking in a touch of humility.? But perhaps it?s just confidence from being at the top of his game. Martina Navratilove, for one, is a Federer fan:
''Today, the courts are slower, the rackets faster,'' Navratilova said in Melbourne, where she is competing in doubles. ''Anyone can hit a passing shot from the baseline. If we played on grass, you'd see more serve-and-volleyers. We've lost finesse, variety. Federer is a great role model. But that style of play isn't encouraged. I'll ask some kid, 'Why don't you go to the net?' They say, 'My coach tells me not to.' ''
Andy Reid, Theater-Goer: Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid is considered boring, but we did like this anecdote from SI?s Peter King: ?During the Eagles' off-week between the end of the regular season and their first playoff game, Reid took his family -- wife Tammy and kids -- up from Philadelphia to Broadway to see Wicked, the spoof of the ?Wizard of Oz.?
Reid and his family were sitting near the back of the theater and got up to stretch. "Someone must have recognized me,'' Reid said, "because I'm standing up to stretch, and I hear someone yell, 'Go Birds!' When the play's over, we're walking outside, and I hear a few people in the crowd go, E! A! G! L! E! S! EAGLES!' '' My daughter says, 'Uh-oh. There's been an Elvis sighting.' "
1.25.2005
Serena Rolls: Serena Williams served notice that she will again be a force as she easily beat second-seed Amelie Mauresmo, 6-2, 6-2, in the quartefinals of the Australian Open. Up next for Williams is Maria Sharpova, whom Williams lost to in last year?s Wimbledon final.
Playing in searing 90-degree heat, Williams needed just 71 minutes to beat Maursesmo. ''I feel great,'' Willaims said. ''I played really well -- I was just really focused.'' A focused Williams is bad news for the rest of the field.
Steel Love: It is unusual, but still cool, to see pro athletes let their emotions show, so it was nice to see the reaction of the Pittsburgh Steelers a day after they lost the AFC Championship Game to the New England Patriots. There was a shot of wide receiver Hines Ward with tears in his eyes the day after the loss. And center Jeff Hartings used language seldom heard in the macho world of pro football. "We honestly love each other. It's definitely the tightest team I have ever been on, " he told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "It's a privilege to play with them. I kind of felt at the end that I would rather lose a game like that with this team than win a Super Bowl with a team I didn't even enjoy playing with."
1.24.2005
Patriots, Eagles in Super Bowl: Super Bowl XIX in two weeks in Jacksonville will pit the New England Patriots against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Patriots won the AFC, beating Pittsburgh, 41-27, while the Eagles beat Atlanta, 27-10, in the NFC.
For New England, this is their third Super Bowl appearance in the last four years, while the Eagles are making their first trip to the big game in 24 years. The oddsmakers have made the Patriots a touchdown favorite.
Check out our complete recap of Sunday?s action, including the lowdown on the best and worst hair.
Australian Open: The Australian Open heads into its final week and some of the best commentary anywhere can be found on our Discussion Board. Check it out.
