Phil Kessel, last year's whipping boy (Photo: Getty Images)
Last year’s NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft was new and fun to watch! This year’s draft was missing the charm of Ovi and his cell phone, and the embarrassment of watching Phil Kessel get drafted last. Oh, but that doesn’t mean Leafs fans didn’t get a few kicks in the crotch! Here’s a quick rundown of what you may have missed: Continue reading
When you're a Cardinals fan *and* the writer of the Amazing Spiderman, you get to express yourself in interesting ways. (H/t Cardinals beat writer Derrick Goold) day two of some nasty "flu-like symptoms"
I’m currently homebound with day two of the dreaded “flu-like symptoms.” I’ve reached the point where I physically still feel terrible but mentally I’m bored and over it and would just like some entertainment that is no more challenging than pressing buttons on my laptop. (And also allows for frequent nap breaks.)
To that end, here’s some of what I’ve been looking at today:
I admit that until last week, when the news broke about her terrible accident, I didn’t know very much about freestyle skier Sarah Burke. I deeply regret this, because if anyone deserved a You Go Girl post from this site, it was this fine Canadian: multiple Winter X Games gold medalist, first woman to land a 1080 in competition, awesomely gutsy athlete. Dig deeper, and you will discover that Sarah had an amazing commitment to the development of her sport, from coaching teenage girls in her home province of British Columbia to successfully lobbying to get the halfpipe included in the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. Sadly, she’ll never have the chance to ski that course, but she has left behind an incredible legacy. I’m not just talking about the Winter Games – I’m also referring to the fact that as per her wishes, her organs and tissues were donated so that others may have a second chance to live life as fully as Sarah did.
Here’s a glimpse of Sarah’s life work. You’ll never see a nicer tribute!
A Sarah Burke tribute video. from Downtofilm. on Vimeo.
By the way, if you wish to contribute to the fund set up to assist Sarah’s family with her medical bill, you can do so here.
Photo: Elsa/Getty Images
With the notable exceptions of Maggie and Mr. Buffalita (a Giants fan), last weekend’s football games were not particularly fun for the Ladies. After experiencing a bar full of Saints fans taking a metaphorical knife to the gut, I found myself in a philosophical discussion with my boyfriend about what type of loss was worse, as a fan: a heartbreaking last minute loss like the Saints to the 49ers, or a thorough stomping such as the one the Broncos received from the Patriots? Some thoughts, including suggestions on how to soothe the wounded sports fan soul, after the jump.
So I’m flipping through the ads in my Sunday paper last weekend and this dropped into my lap:
My brother lives in Calgary and attends a bunch of Flames games. I'm a little jealous right now.
Yeah, I think I just started another new feature. Here’s five favourite things that got me through the week, and a thing or two that I’m looking forward to this weekend: Continue reading
I'm just relieved this isn't an animated gif in which the outer floating heads rotate around Boomer. (Image source: ESPN)
It’s NFL WILD CARD WEEKEND! And I know this because ESPN sent me the most frightening email yesterday to remind me. I’m normally all for floating heads, but I live in fear of falling asleep and having the floating head of Keyshawn Johnson bellow “C’MON MANNNN!” in my dreams. Also, what the hell is with the green glow? The Countdown Crew are aliens, I tell you.
Meet me after the jump for a quick look at Wild Card Weekend. I have to go find my tinfoil hat first…
There were a lot of sports-themed gifts given in my family this year. I received a set of Cardinals pens and my first official Jets shirt (right at the time when I was most mortified to be a Jets fan, but that’s another story), my boyfriend received a few Saints items, and a lot of orange changed hands among the 3/5 of my immediate family who attended Oklahoma State.
But, as often happens, it was only this week that I discovered a few awesome sports related items that I really wish I’d known about in early December.
Your TV, radio and internets are being bombarded with Year In Review posts and specials as I type this. Well, guess what? It’s no different here at Ladies… We took a few moments this week to reflect on our favourite memories of this past year. Some will be hilariously obvious, others may surprise you. All of them will make you warm and fuzzy, like a delicious flute of champagne.
Hope everyone out there had a very Merry Christmas yesterday! (and Happy Hanukkah for two more nights!) As I’m sure you noticed, the NFL treated Saturday – Christmas Eve – as if it were a regular Sunday filled with regular season football games, and we were treated to an extra Christmas present of Aaron Rogers and his Packers getting back on track with a Bears beatdown last night. (I believe my favorite Facebook comment from a friend last night was “I can’t believe McCarthy is making the Packers practice on Christmas.”) However, something was brought to my attention this morning that made the Packers-Bears game just a little better, and that is sweet vindication from this lady Green Bay fan:
Bet he wishes he didn’t cheat now! You go, girl!
I could think of worse Christmas presents than being 6th in the East. OH, HERE'S ONE: Ron Wilson's contract extension!
We hope that wherever you are today, you’re celebrating with those you love, doing stuff you love. For me, that’s home with my family in snowy Lower Canada, where we have a turkey roasting and a pumpkin pie baking as I type and I’m counting down until my kids go to bed so I can watch my hubby’s new Classic Games in Old Yankee Stadium DVD (or the “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” set I found in my stocking. Or Bears-Packers. It’s a toss-up.) In the meantime, there’s Lego all over our living room. It’s a beautiful thing.
We’ll pop in occasionally over the holidays in between visits and travel, but rest assured we’ll be back in with an everloving vengeance in 2012. Which is apparently the end of the world or something? I’d better get a last trip to the Bronx in, in that case.
On behalf of the other Ladies…, hugs and kisses and this groovy Christmas tune, a nice antidote to that piece of Carey-Bieber dreck that you’ve been hearing this holiday season:
I’m a bad lady… and I forgot to post today before I headed off for family festivities, so you’re getting a late night/early Christmas morning double-dose of hotties. I assume you all won’t complain.
The Christmas Eve hottie is Taylor Pratt of the Phoenix Coyotes. Look at that jawline and those gorgeous baby blues and the scruff. Om nom nom….
Follow the jump for some more of the manly Coyote
Hot man. Stupid cap.
At some point earlier this week, Games Mistress pleaded in our Top Secret Ladies… Email Exchanges “[Would] someone please do Wes Welker. So hot, but so much a Patriot.” I offered to hold my nose and do the job.
OMG, YOU GUYS, THE SACRIFICES I MAKE FOR THIS BLOG! I cannot begin to describe the hardship – nay, the emotional distress! – involved in researching this post. I hope you’re all happy now! Y’all owe me!
I waited to post this next ACoH because I didn’t want to adversely affect his last game (shouldn’t have worried) or his Heisman chances (turned out to be a non-factor), or his school’s BCS championship game chances (ditto) and I think we’re far enough away from the Fiesta Bowl that any jinxing will wear off by then. Thus, I present for your enjoyment Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon.
Unfortunately for me, there is a bit of a dearth of yumminess on the Brewers. Its such a shame, really. But one of the completely underrated cuties is backup catcher George Kottaras.
Honestly, the absolute best thing about Kottaras is his accent. He’s Canadian and while he’s been playing in the MLB and minors for awhile, every once in awhile the Canada comes out it and its great. You can hear some of it when he answers the second question in this video
He’s also of Greek descent and is fluent in Greek – so there’s always that chance he’ll whisper sweet nothings in your ear and take you for fabulous vacations on Crete.
And if that doesn’t do it for you, Kottaras hit one of just two cycles in Major League Baseball this season.
Follow the jump to peak in on this Canadian cutie
I’m the farthest thing from an NBA fan, but we realized we’ve neglected those of you in our fanbase that find their hotties with big biceps and long shorts.
And since he’s been in the news so much lately, today’s hottie is recently named Los Angeles Clipper Chris Paul.
I don’t want to break any Hornets fans hearts, so I tried to steer away from the shots of him in New Orleans gear. I hope that hopes a little.
Turns out Paul wears a mean suit and isn’t afraid to flash the pearly whites. Follow the jump for some long overdue basketball love.
Happy first night of Hanukkah, everyone! Following our now annual tradition of recognizing some of our favorite hunks in the sports world that will be lighting the first candle along with me tonight, I can personally promise that this year will be quite exceptional. Night 1′s hottie after the jump!
Now, obviously if I’m a Buffalo girl, then it should follow that I’m a Sabres fan. And trust me, I am. With a healthy hatred for the Maple Leafs, Flyers, Bruins, and especially the Rangers. However, I feel it’s a little unfair to hold a hatred for the other NY team given that I live here, they’re seldom a threat, and they have a pretty cute goalie! Little older, but that’s never stopped me – meet Islanders goaltender Nick DiPietro.
I took a straw poll on Twitter looking for new and exotic hotties to bring to our readers for their viewing pleasure. I’ve been stuck in the soccer rut and the football suggestions we haven’t covered in recent years make me sad.
Thankfully, a friend pointed me in the direction of NASCAR where I found the cutest little button in Kasey Kahne. Who knew such an adorable dude was hiding under all that flame-retardant gear?
I mean, he’s got all the CuteSports prerequisites: eye-crinkles, gorgeous eyes, rosy cheeks and looking yummy in scruff. A girl cannot go wrong.
The worst thing I can say is there is a serious dearth of nekky pictures of NASCAR drivers. You know you’re hurting to see some skin when you save a picture of a guy getting miked up, showing a couple of inches of abs. How are the many lady NASCAR fans not in demand of pictures of these guys shirtless?
Enough with the chatter, bring on the hottie:
No really. Those eyes. Should never been hidden inside a helmet.
Follow the jump to see more where Kasey looks into your soul….
It’s Saturday night, I’ve had a lot of wine and baked brie, and I came home to…football on the NFL Network? I guess that would be the best place for it. So have some images of unfortunate Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder.
I can't decide which part of the picture is more hilarious: the Whalers jersey, Pronger's mullet or Burkie.
With the news that Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger is out for the remainder of the NHL season, I figured fans of the Dryden, ON native might appreciate a post devoted to the Stanley Cup Champion-Olympic gold medalist-all-around devastating presence on the ice. Suffice to say that Pronger is no angel – he’s made his own negative impact on a few hockey careers. And this doesn’t necessarily mean his career is over…yet. But nobody likes to see a career shortened on account of a head injury, or any injury for that matter.
The dialogue on head injuries in the NHL has always been simmering, and I for one would love to just see this boil over already. In the last week, we’ve seen Claude Giroux, Jeff Skinner and a number of other players sidelined on account of head injuries – this, not long after Sidney Crosby put the brakes on his comeback after an 11-month hiatus, and not long after these revelations about Derek Boogaard. Habs legend, former Leafs president and former MP Ken Dryden wrote a thoughtful essay on the issue for Grantland this week that’s worth a read. I just hope Bettman read it too.
Oh…photos! I forgot this was about Pronger! Continue reading
Thank heavens for the New York Post. Without them, how would he know that Derek Jeter sends his single-serving ladyfriends away with gift baskets?
He used to give out t-shirts. True story.
But hey, trends spread like wildfire in baseball. By now, stars all around the game are in the post-booty gift basket game. Step into my office; I’ll show you the baskets I’ve been able to unearth so far.
Continue reading
I seem to have crazy football jinx powers lately (did you see last week’s Saints game?), everything baseball related just reminds me of You-Know-Who and the Team He Is No Longer On (I figure after Chrismas I’ll be over it. Maybe.), and I have done most of my favorite basketball players in previous years. A hockey ACoH it is, then!
Today: Detroit Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard
Source: JackDetroit
Apparently I’ll be your resident soccer-hottie provider during the Advent Calendar of Hotness. But that’s ok by me, since the pool of potential yummitude is pretty big. They wear a lot less clothes then football players, have gorgeous thighs, tooshes and abs and since soccer is bigger in europe, the paparazzi photos abound.
So today’s hottie is frenchman Thierry Henry. A player for the 1998 World Cup-winning French National Team, Henry played in Italy, for Premier League side Arsenal and in Spain with Barcelona. But happily for us American Ladies… he’s recently brought his smile (and talent) to Red Bull New York of the MLS.
Henry might not knock your socks off like Marco Boriello did, but there’s something about the facial parentheses he gets when he smiles that just makes him so darn adorable.
Follow the jump for more of that killer smile as well as some shirtless action.
Continuing on my second year football men trend, I accidentally stumbled on this adorable gem in my photo research for yesterday’s ACoH Ryan Mathews. I have to be honest – I’m not really a Broncos fan, so I sadly missed wide receiver Mr. Eric Decker up until now. If you’re familiar, you will certainly enjoy the abundance of photos I have collected. If you aren’t familiar yet, just thank me later ;)
Now, I know what you’re thinking – hey Buffalita, why would your pick for the ACoH hottie today be a running back that somewhat stomped all over your beloved Bills yesterday? Well, for two reasons – it’s intra-conference so it doesn’t really mean much since they’ll only play each other once every few years (plus let’s be honest – I had a bit of a hard time Billeiving that my poor team could pull one off against a team whose record is a tad closer to 500 than ours). Plus, I figured I should show a little appreciation for one of the only useful running backs left on my fantasy team. Smell the bitter from there? Sure, maybe I’m a little bummed that without Peterson or Peyton Hillis for most of the season, my lineup was relatively useless. But at least I could count on cutie Mr. Ryan Mathews of the San Diego Chargers to keep my head afloat.
I completely failed to post yesterday, so pardon my out of order post. But never say we withheld a hottie from you. So a day late and a dollar short, here’s Day 10′s hottie Iker Casillas.
He’s the captain of both Real Madrid and the Spanish National Team and he’s a goalie. He’s the most capped goalkeeper in UEFA history, the most capped player in Spanish National Team history and the most capped goalkeeper in Real Madrid history – and he’s just 30 years old.
Before we talk about how damn cute Iker is, I have to mention what a damn amazing goalie he is.
Here’s a bit of his “greatest hits:”
All those saves are sexy as hell, but he’s got the mug to back it up.
Follow the jump for more Spanish soccer studery
It’s my turn to be a complete homer. So much of a homer, in fact, that many of these photos are my own handiwork. Today’s hottie is Manuel* Pina, a catcher in the Royals’ system who caught a few games in the Majors last season.
That hair...
*He’s listed everywhere as “Manny,” but a little old bird told me he hates being called that.
You’ve been patiently waiting to open the door on Day 9, so we’re happy to deliver this sweet piece of perfection: veteran Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver. Never mind that the Houston native has had a fantastic Super Bowl-winning career and still has a few magnificent moves in his arsenal despite the years: we love him for his commitment to kids, as you’ll notice here. We also love him for his commitment to battling homelessness (a challenge he and his family dealt with when he was a child) through the Donald Driver Foundation.
So now you have an extra reason to cheer as the Pack continues their drive towards a perfect season Sunday against the Raiders (like we didn’t give you enough reasons last December…) Continue reading
