Tag: odds and ends

Categories
Soccer

Odds and Ends (06.12.06): Cambodian monks and Brazilian inmates

As evidence of how important the World Cup is, the head of Cambodia’s monks has decided to allow the holy men to watch the World Cup. The monks are normally not supposed to watch tv, movies, artistic displays or any pleasurable activity. However, the supreme patriach has made an exception and they are allowed to watch the games on TV but there will be no getting excited and absolutely no gambling. We must then ask: what’s the point? Next thing you know, they won’t be allowed to have sex. Oh wait.

In other news…

[News.com.Au]: BRAZILIAN prison inmates who have staged riots in recent days have demanded the right to watch World Cup football

[Yahoo]: Ref apologizes for making a mistake in the Australia-Japan match

[Reuters]: FIFA denies bribery allegations made by BBC

[The Hater Nation]: Happy Anniversary, OJ Simpson

[Golf Gear News]: The Exploitation of Michelle Wie

Categories
Soccer

Odds and Ends (06.09.06): World Cup edition

The U.S. soccer team is pretty good. But what if soccer was the national sport and we developed our kids from an early age and our best athletes played soccer. According to Fox Sports, here’s what the team would look like:

Keeper: Kevin Garnett
Defenders: Roy Williams, Brian Urlacher, Joey Porter, Troy Polamalu
Midfielders: LaDainian Tomlinson, Steve Smith, Carl Crawford, Kobe Bryant
Forwards: Terrell Owens, Chad Johnson

The choice of Kevin Garnett is an inspired one. The Kid has the wingspan and height to be a phenomenal goalie, not to mention his reflexes. Jevon Kearse (not included) would be another great goalie, except he’d crumple into a heap after every other play and have the whole country worried about his status.

Their choices of Joey Porter for defender for his trash talking skills? That’s just a waste. Reggie Bush or Tiki Barber would fit into that slot nicely. Joey can take his trash talking back to Pittsburgh.

In other news…

[Fox Sports]: Two-minute World Cup guide

[Sportscolumn]: The clueless soccer fan’s guide to watching the World Cup

[NY Post]: Good news for the U.S. team as Czech team keeps getting injured

[Sun UK]: Ronaldinho says he wants England’s Rooney to play so they have no excuses when Brazil beats their ass. Now that’s chutzpah.

[Dorset Echo]: English pub is banning swearing during the World Cup. Offenders will be fined for charity. Either no one will go to the pub or lots of money will be given to charity. (via Fark)

Categories
Seattle Seahawks

Odds and Ends (06.08.06): Seahawks get their "we wuz robbed" rings

The Seattle Seahawks got their NFC Championship rings today in a ceremony in a tent. They were originally supposed to get their Super Bowl champions rings but were robbed by a couple of guys dressed in black and white. (Not quite old wounds, meet scab picking.) The ring itself has the Seahawks logo on a blue volcanic crystallized stone and is surrounded by 58 diamonds. Pretty nifty actually. Let’s hope no one steals it and sells it on ebay.

In other news…

[Fox Sports]: Man those Italian tax police are tough

[MSNBC]: Three known soccer hooligans (as if they were known terrorists) slip into Germany without passports

[Detroit Free Press]: WORLD CUP: It isn’t world peace — it’s more important

[The Hater Nation]: Wait, you can play college ball for 9 years?

[Behind the Jersey]: Results of NHL Fan surveys

[The Puck Stops Here]: NHL just making up the rules as they go along

Categories
MLB General

Odds and Ends (6.7.06): Not quite Randy Johnson

In a AAA game between the Buffalo Bisons and the Durham Bulls, a seagul flew right into the path of a pitch by #23 of the Bulls. There’s no #23 on the Bulls official roster so we’re going to say it was Michael Jordon in disguise. The bird fell to the ground and fluttered around a bit before it was carried off the field by the Bisons’ backup catcher. It later flew away.

While interesting, this bird beaning doesn’t even come close to the poor bird that got in the way of a young Randy Johnson. (Video)

In other news…

[AZ Central.com]: From the completely not related to sports file: Woman finds live frog in her salad

[SI]: Sports Illustrated apparently has experts — and they’re picking the World Cup

[USA Today]: OLN averaged 611,000 households for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals

[BFLOBLOG]: Making the case for Andre Reed in the HOF

[The Purple Curtain]: Hope springs eternal in Ravens land as McNair heads to Baltimore

Categories
All Other Sports

Odds and Ends (6/6/06): The naked news



Anna: Yes. McEnroe: No.

At an exhibition match against Jim Courier on the senior circuit, John McEnroe got upset about a call and dropped his pants and mooned everyone. Page Six also reported that tennis starlet Anna Kournikova was in the audience and witnessed the bare ass. Now, this is why Page Six shouldn’t report on sports news. Nobody has uttered the term tennis and Anna Kournikova together in a long long time.

Why is it that the people we don’t want to see naked always end up dropping their pants?

[MSNBC]: If America promises to watch the World Cup, will she pose nude?

[Yahoo]: Did Mike Vanderjagt really just put himself in the same sentence with Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods? Damn idiot kicker.

[News and Observer]: Duke lacrosse team reinstated with new rules and tighter (i.e. any) oversight.

[NY Daily News]: Milledge doesn’t regret high-fiving fans after his first HR

[Off Wing Opinion]: The Oilers are so screwed

[Philly.com]: Former umpire Gregg, 55, dies after stroke

Categories
Colorado Rockies

Odds and Ends: Stop calling us a Christian team, dammit!

After a USA Today cover story that claimed the Rockies are built around core Christian code of conduct, some of the team members aren’t exactly happy with that characterization, especially the Christian players.

Pitcher Jason Jennings was a first-round draft choice by the Rockies in 1997 from Baylor University, the largest Baptist university in the world. He has strong religious convictions but believes the tone of the story was not a proper view of the atmosphere in the Rockies clubhouse.

I thought the story was over the top,” he said. “I have strong beliefs, but I don’t judge others and I never will. My opinion is we look for good character guys, not Christian guys. A good teammate doesn’t have to have the same beliefs you have. A good teammate is a good person who plays to win.

In other news…

[USA Today]:Concerns raised over racism during Cup

[Philly.com]: Another reason to drop the DH

[The Golf Blog]: Russians postpone longest golf shot in outer space

[Can’t Stop the Bleeding]: The Score’s Mike North Wouldn’t Offend For All The Tea In China

Categories
Chicago White Sox

Odds and Ends 05.31.06: Make way for MVP Thome

A change of scenery has Jim Thome being talked about as a strong MVP candidate. Even Paul Konerko understands this is one of those magical seasons for a player. He is willing to step aside in interleague play so that Thome can play 1B and get his at-bats in.


There’s no way I’m going to sit this guy,” Guillen said of Thome, who leads the Sox with 20 home runs. “I already talked to Konerko about that, and he’s willing to do what I want him to do. That’s why I think it’s easy to manage this club. Nobody has an ego, and, obviously, when you’re playing interleague, you want to be in the lineup.

In other news…

[MSNBA]: Barry Bonds wants us to think he’s human after all

[Pioneer Press]: Kevin McHale is delusional

[USA Today]: Report clears Armstrong of doping in 1999 Tour de France

[Sportsline]: NCAA rule change allows coaches one replay challenge per game

[SignOnSanDiego]: Sauerbeck is sorry for getting arrested

[Mirror UK]: England’s March Madness — 15% plan “illness” during World Cup matches

Categories
Soccer

Odds and Ends for Tues May 30: Ronaldo turns down $120M

The World Cup is almost here and that means more soccer stories are coming across the wire. Today, Ronaldo, one of the most recognizable soccer players in the world, turned down MLS’ New York Red Bulls offer of $120M over 10 years. Ronaldo said he’d like to play in the MLS but later in his career.

The offer would have made him the highest paid MLS athlete by more than $11M a year. MLS is desperate to attract a high profile international soccer star to boost interest. Much like the Argonauts signing Rocket Ismail, which worked wonders for the CFL.


In other news…

[Bengals.com]: Does “cornhole” mean something entirely different in Cincinnati?

[NY Post]: Stephon Marbury wants to die a loser

[Seattle Times]: The top 20 stupidest things done by college athletes

[Inside Bay Area]: Who sabotaged Dave Flemming’s Barry Bonds 715 call?

[Yahoo]: Ukraine soccer team will get sex if they win, whether they like it or not

Categories
Chicago Cubs

Odds and Ends for Fri May 26 2006: Barrett gets 10 game suspension

Michael Barrett was suspended for punching A.J. Pierzynski in the jaw after a home plate collision. Most major leaguers would give Barrett a bonus for punching A.J., one of the most hated athletes in sports but MLB decided a 10 game ban was in order.

In other news…

[ESPN]: Amare to change jersey number from No. 32 to No. 1

[Reuters]: Timmy Smith (most rushing yard in a Super Bowl) gets 2 1/2 years in jail for selling cocaine

[Lingering Bursitis]: Liveblogging the disappearance of integrity [both ESPN’s and my own]

[XM MLB Chat]: Bonds fatigue: Even the Giants’ local market cares 37% less than it did 2 years ago

Categories
Boston Red Sox

Odds and Ends for Thu May 25 2006: Schilling is a charitable blowhard

Does it surprise anyone that Curt Schilling loves Curt Schilling? He had a video game character created in his likeness for EverQuest II. You know, the video game where dorks play for days at a time and some get so obsessed that they kill themselves after playing it. The only upside to this story is that everytime someone beats the Curt Schilling character (named Major Asshole Curt Schilling), Sony will donate $5 (up to $10,000… quite an underwhelming figure, actually) to the ALS Association. Next up, Schilling will digitally replace John Malkovich with himself in Being John Malkovich. (via Deadspin)

In other news…

[CBS Sportsline]: Ruben Droughs might run into Jake Plummer in court.

[SF Gate]: Fans in SF think baseball tickets are lottery tickets

[Royales With Cheese]: Fixing the Royals attendance problems

[Inside Bay Area]: Oakland A’s owner searching for a place in San Jose to build a soccer stadium. How about this place?