Mr. Monday: Robbie Rogers

Sporting his national colours

So a little history took place this Memorial Day Weekend. Robbie Rogers, whom you may recall from the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup Team, not only came out of retirement to join the L.A. Galaxy, but became the first openly gay male athlete to actively play in a Major League Soccer game.

There’s been some debate about this in light of many recent “firsts”, namely that some sporty media types may have neglected to point out that Andrew Goldstein was the first openly gay male athlete to play in a professional league when he was active in Major League Lacrosse in 2005 (which I didn’t know because lacrosse.) Regardless, golf claps all around as we celebrate another step towards acceptance and focus on the REAL reason for this post:

Robbie Rogers is ADORBS!

Hump Day Hottie: Hockey Players with Pets

Troy Brouwer and one of his famous beagle puppies, Ari.

Who doesn’t love a cute picture of a puppy or kitten? Who does’t love a picture of a hot hockey player? OK, how about if you combine the two? That’s a recipe for swoon. (Well, at least it is for me.) Yesterday, I stumbled (or Tumbl’d?) upon an awesome Tumblr account dedicated to this topic: Hockey Players with Pets.

Here are some of the highlights from the blog: 

Hope Springs: Pitchers and Catchers Report!

Aren’t you impressed that I refrained from using a caps locky title with multiple exclamation points? BUT IT WAS SO TEMPTING!!!!

Monday was the big day for pitchers and catchers from several MLB teams to report. Others, like my Yankees, report Tuesday. And then you have those like my second husband Derek Jeter recovering from surgery and other ailments who have been at their respective training facilities for a while. All this to say HOORAY FOR BASEBALL’S WELCOME RETURN! How about a photo essay?

Let’s start with new Jay R.A. Dickey, who is kind of an awesome human being in case you weren’t aware. It’s going to be tough cheering against this new AL East foe.

There’s something about a maple leaf on R.A. Dickey’s hat that makes him even more endearing. (Canadian Press photo)

Hump Day Hottie: Torrey Smith

I know what you’re all thinking, “Enough with the Ravens, Raven!” But it’s not every day your favorite NFL team is in the Super Bowl. I feel kinda skeevy selecting Torrey Smith as a Hump Day Hottie, considering I’ve been a fan of his since he was 17. Torrey is a former Terp and you know I love my Terps. Also, I want to share the best smile in the NFL with the rest of the world. Enjoy!

Hit and Run: London is for the Ladies

We knew, going in, that the London Olympics would be the first to feature female athletes from every participating country.  We knew that there were more women than men on both the US Olympic team and at the Olympics overall.  But Thursday, with gold medal matches in both women’s football and water polo, and the first ever gold medals awarded in women’s boxing, seemed even more special for women’s sports (particularly if you happen to be a fan of the US).  The 1918 Hartlepool Expansion Ladies Football Team* up there would no doubt approve.

* Photo via The Public Domain Project, who have a great post of old team photos.

Thanks, Tyson Chandler

Last weekend, while watching the Knicks pull out their one playoff victory over the Heat, I realized that I had barely spoken about my newly discovered love for Tyson Chandler.  I enjoyed Linsanity, of course, and I still think the New York media should cut Melo a break, but I was raised on the bruising, defensive basketball of the Big Eight and Big XII — a true defensive star is always going to catch my eye. Although, there are other reasons for Tyson to catch my eye, which I will be happy to share with you while I gush.

Sports Developments That Don’t Make Me Want To Throw My Laptop Against The Wall

Let’s see, my beloved Sooner women’s basketball team lost a heartbreaker Tuesday, then yesterday there was You-Know-Who to the Jets, oh, and you might remember my boyfriend’s a Saints fan… it’s been a frustrating sports week.

Here are three things making me happy.

1. Brittany Griner and the Baylor Women’s Basketball Team. I suppose I should hate them since they smoked my girls twice this year, but they’ve smoked everyone this year (at 36-0, their margin of victory was in the single digits only 4 times; 3 of those victories were over Tennessee, UConn, and defending champion Texas A&M).  The Bears, and star player Brittany Griner, are so good that you can’t help admiring their skill.  I know accusing ESPN of bias is nothing new, but let’s just say that if this team had “UConn” on their jerseys we’d be hearing a lot of “Best Women’s Team Ever” talk out of Bristol.  Do yourselves a favor and check out one of their tourney games in the next couple of weeks.

Guess Who Else Is Back?

First I hyperventilated. Then I started to cry. Then I had the presence of mind to read the news and call Mr. Bee. And after that, I couldn’t get anything done at the office for a good 45 minutes. Friends, ANDY PETTITTE HAS COME OUT OF RETIREMENT TO SIGN A ONE-YEAR MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT WITH THE YANKEES.

Best. Sign. Ever.

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!

Advent Calendar of Hotness: Day 4

I can already hear you saying “Bee, this is the Advent Calendar of HOTNESS! Where is my well-chiseled bare chested hunk? Because…for gawd’s sake, did I really wait all day for TIM THOMAS?!!”

Hit and Run: With Spring in our Step

Here's Marquette, whose victory over Syracuse last night made me cry. (Photo: Getty Images)

It’s Monday. How are your brackets looking? Like hell? Thought so.

First of all, a warm welcome to our special guest Ladies… Bracket Brawl participants: Melissa_thistle, Courknee35, Big10Bias and fellow Canuck/friend of the blog Andrew Bucholtz (you will go read his blog The 55-Yard Line now, won’t you?) Our current leader isn’t in our Ladies… group – due to technical difficulties, we had to create another group on ESPN.com so one gal could get her picks in. That gal is Buffalita, leading the pack with 460 points and picking Ohio State to win it all. CuteSports and Raven round out the Top 3 at 440 and 430 points respectively. Any hopes I had of repeating last year’s surprise success have been flushed down the proverbial toilet. I blame Butler.

Best of luck heading into Thursday! Sweet Sixteen will be hopefully be sweet for some of you.

So what else is going on?

Ladies and Gentlemen…

…Roy Halladay. Do I even need to say anything else?

HI EVERYONE ROY HALLADAY THREW A NO HITTER IN HIS FIRST POSTSEASON APPEARANCE AND I HAVE LOST THE ABILITY TO USE PUNCTUATION

PS IT WAS ONLY THE SECOND ONE IN A LITTLE THING WE LIKE TO CALL HISTORY

PS NUMBAH TWO: OH AND HE THREW A PERFECT GAME THIS YEAR ALREADY.

For real, I kind of think my husband would be okay if I left him for Roy. Actually, I kind of think he might leave me for Roy. I’m not sure I blame him.

The NHL Playoffs of Hotness: OVERTIME!

Hope you can forgive us for taking an extended holiday weekend (as for the Canadian, my excuse was Monday night soccer for one of my little Bees).

Thanks for all who voted in the first round of our NHL Playoffs of Hotness. Polls are now closed – or at least, they’re supposed to be. Polldaddy wasn’t playing nice earlier. Anyway, we have one wee little problem preventing us from moving on to Round Two.

We have a tie!

Everybody calm down!

Andrew McCutcheon, why so blue? (Getty Images)

Oh. That. (AP Photo)

What is it about April baseball that brings out the panic in all of us?

We interrupt this hiatus for…uh, wrestling.

Okay, we know we’re on vacation and everything, but sometimes something so unspeakably awesome happens that we just have to say something.

Today? Mick Foley happened.

Let’s catch up on Mick Foley, shall we? He’s gone by ‘Mankind’ and ‘Cactus Jack’ and ‘Dude Love’. He’s wrestled using a baseball bat covered in barbed wire and once lost two thirds of his ear in the ropes. Oh, and his finisher before he retired from the WWE was Mr. Socko: a dirty sweatsock shoved into the mouths of his opponents. We are not making that up.

But that’s Mick Foley the performer. Mick Foley the wrestler. Mick Foley the showman.

Mick Foley the person?

Is donating the ENTIRETY of his latest book’s profits to Children’s Fund International (benefiting rape victims in the Sierra Leone) and RAINN, the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network.

Oh, and he’s volunteering his time to work as an online counselor for RAINN’s support line.

We ladies may ogle, and we may joke, but in the end, we are a bunch of women writing about sports. We’re women.

We may not ever write about wrestling ever again, but we’re women. And as women, we salute Mick Foley.

And now we’re back on vacation.

Johnny Weir tonight! Not that NBC mentioned him…

A strange NBC promo made NO mention of the Fabulousity That Is Johnny Weir. As fans of La Weir, the Ladies will not stand for this snub.

Check out the promo, then vote in the poll below.

Leaving Weir out of Olympics promo:
(polls)

In Honor of Valentine’s Day… The Best Sports Bromances

H/T to Your Nation's Capital over at Japer's Rink for the image. She put all the pretty hearts around my two favorite Russians: Alex Ovechkin and Alex Semin!

Sometimes there is one person that can make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  It could be a spouse or significant other.  Sometimes it’s a crush or a close friend…and sometimes it’s a teammate.  So in honor of Valentine’s Day and teammate love, I bring you some of the best sports bromances!

Follow me after the jump to see if your favorite duo made the cut!

An exercise in drawing cartoon hearts.

So by now, you may have seen this profile of Saints linebacker Scott Fujita.

If you’re me, you’ve now spent the last twenty minutes drawing hearts around his name while daydreaming about skipping through New Orleans hand-in hand and dispensing bon mots about social justice and equality.

Then again, if you’re a normal person, you thought ‘Huh, cool.’ and went on with your daily life.

Let’s just jot down the reasons why Scott Fujita is my new boyfriend who just doesn’t know it yet, shall we?

Advent Calendar of Hotness – Day 6

Here’s Vancouver Canucks centre Ryan Kesler, currently #2 on the team in points behind Henrik Sedin and #1 in our hearts.

Advent Calendar of Hotness – Day 2

Me? Hilariously predictable? Well, I never.

He’s one of exactly one people who can be hot while wearing those extra sleeve-under-the-sleeve things.

The Ladies … Give Thanks

Games Mistress is thankful both of these men wear Cardinal red.

Happy (American) Thanksgiving from the Ladies!

While we’re thankful for family, friends, and the chance to stuff ourselves with food while in the company of said family and friends, we here at Ladies… are also thankful for what the sports world has given us over the past year.

Ladies… Hero: Brendan Burke

This article is a long one.

It’s a long one, and it’s an important one, and it’s the only article from a major media outlet that has ever made me cry.

By coming out, Brendan Burke is standing up and showing the entire LGBTQA sports community a level of courage that very few other athletes have ever shown. And by accepting him and supporting him and loving him, his father is sending the message that there’s nothing to be afraid of with gay athletes. That having a gay man in the clubhouse is no worse than having a black man there or a Jewish man there, which is to say, there’s nothing wrong with it at all.

And you know, maybe as a queer girl and as a Maple Leafs fan, I’m biased. But unlike homophobia, my bias won’t hurt anybody.

So congratulations to Brendan Burke, my hero of the year.

Brendan and his father Brian

Why playing time is not an argument against voting a pitcher MVP

A hitter plays every day and hits once every nine spots in his team’s lineup.

A pitcher plays every fifth day and faces all nine spots in the other team’s lineup.

For example:

Albert Pujols has had 21 plate appearances in the last five games. For the season, he averages 21.3 PAs per five games.

Tim Lincecum had 29 plate appearances against him in his most recent game. For the season, he averages 28.6 PAs against per game.

Joe Mauer has had 20 plate appearances in the last five days. For the season, he averages 22.1 PAs per five games.

Zack Greinke had 29 plate appearances against him in his most recent game. For the season, he averages 28.2 PAs against per game.

In Which I Point Out That Someone Has Done Something Awesome

If you haven’t already, go read this article from Beyond the Box Score.

IT MAKES STEPS TOWARDS QUANTIFYING CATCHER DEFENSE.

TOO COOL.

Still unquantifiable: Erick Aybar's socks.

Yes, that’s a random photo. But it’s a neat image. So there.

Try to survive the night.

(Aaaaahhhhh someone is quantifying catcher defense!!!)

Oh, and, uh, guys? I promise I’ll say something interesting over the weekend. Just a thought to get you excited for my upcoming angry ramblings and rants: Who do you think is having the best season? Andy LaRoche, Jason Bay, or Manny Ramirez?

What’s Your Fantasy? The Ladies… talk Fantasy Baseball

Smart move: Drafting Grady Sizemore. Bad Move: Losing your job over it!

So if you’re like me, not only do you love sports, you love fantasy sports, as well.  Personally, I feel like managing a fantasy teams helps me be a better fan.  But that’s a topic for another day.  Today, I’m going to let you in on my drafting strategy.  I know we’re just past the All-Star break, but it’s never a bad time to discuss the make-up of your team and how it came to be.  Now is the time in the season where you take a step back and evaluate your talent. 

It’s make or break time, people!  If you’re looking for the answers to your fantasy team woes, this post may not be the best answer, but I can sure help you with some strategy for the future after the jump.

Hump Day Hotties: Sports Movie Crushes

Today has officially been dubbed “Dead Day” at my work since we’re hurting for any type of live sporting event.  Some of my coworkers have suggested having a sports-themed movie day, and that got me thinking about some of my favorite sports-centric movie characters.  I polled the Ladies to see what movie characters they crushed on as teenyboppers (or as grown women – we don’t judge!).

Follow us after the jump to see our crush-worthy choices!

Friday Fellow: Joe Sakic

How can you smile at a time like this, Joe? *sniff* (Getty Images)

Yesterday we said “Happy trails!” to one of the classiest guys to ever lace up skates. After 20 seasons in the NHL (with the same franchise, no less), Joe Sakic of the Colorado Avalanche called it a day. Sadness!

A native of Burnaby, BC, Sakic was chosen 15th overall by Quebec (NORDS!) in the 1987 NHL draft and made his debut with the team in October of 1988. The list of accomplishments over the next two decades would describe any hockey player’s dream career: two Stanley Cups with Colorado (1996 and 2001), Conn Smythe and Lady Byng winner, member of Canada’s Gold-winning men’s hockey team at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, 16 straight seasons as captain for Quebec/Colorado, 8th all-time in NHL points scored (1,641)

It’s a shame that Joe couldn’t call it a career under better circumstances. His final season was plagued with nasty injuries and the Avalanche crumbled. We probably won’t see him on the ice for the 2010 Vancouver Games. I’m keeping my fingers crossed hoping he’ll be there in another capacity, and I don’t mean ticket holder.

So enjoy our final tribute to the cuteness that is Joe Sakic – at least until he makes the Hockey Hall of Fame – after the jump.

Hump Day Hotties: The Call-Ups

So I know we all get excited when baseball season is underway.  We love watching our hotties play and our teams do well.  For me, when my beloved Orioles start to suck again, it can be hard to devote my time to following the team.  That is why I have come to love the mid-season call-up.  Trust me, I know who the hotties are on the team, but I’m curious about those boys in the minors.  I know names and who is supposed to be good, but I don’t necessarily know their faces.  So I always look forward to a new face in the clubhouse.

After the jump, I’ve hand selected some drool-worthy hotties. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

All-Star Posts, All-Star Posts, Come And Get Yer All-Star Posts

Good morning. How can you just walk on by without one tear in your eye?

(Incidentally, that song reminds me of this, which I swear only makes me cry because I’m listening to that damn song. Insert “unhealthy obsession” comment here.)

(Yes, I know that you’re getting this post after the afternoon post. It’s still morning in California.)

The current All-MLB RAR leader.

The rest of the All-Star awesomesauce is after the jump, but first: SPOILER ALERT! NO RED SOX OR YANKEES! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEE!.

In Which I Have Something To Say About Stephen Strasburg

Good morning. Stephen Strasburg’s mechanics suck and he’s going to get hurt.

Definitely hyperabducts, and definitely has a timing problem. Hey, at least he wears his socks the right way. Seriously, though, observe the difference between that photo, and a photo of someone with good mechanics:

Straight line from elbow to elbow, leading foot positioned to land much more square to the place, and the ball held above the shoulder right before footstrike. Yeah, that’s what I call flawless.

So hey, Strasburg? You have a lot to learn, buddy. I mean a lot. Good luck.