Getting a little international for this one – meet David ‘Dudu’ Aouate, Israeli goalie for Spanish team RCD Mallorca. Enjoy some bad boy smolder on this lovely Monday of night three. Especially if you love longer, wilder hair.
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.
Happy Columbus Day and Canadian Thanksgiving! The NHL season is finally underway, and yes, we realize we are a little late filing our previews. But it’s still early enough in the season – heck, TORONTO is tied for first in the East as I type this. I’m not joking! See?
(Screen shot courtesy tsn.ca)
Sorry. I know we’re two games in but it’s been far too long since I’ve seen these guys at the top of the standings. Just let me enjoy this Very Special Moment.
OK! On to the Northwest! Continue reading
…in other news, kittens are cute and water is wet. I know. But (with all apologies to CuteSports), how exactly is Charles Woodson Defensive Player of the year? By a 2 to 1 margin?
You have seen Darrelle Revis play, right?
Stat-nerds have been falling all over themselves in adoration of Franklin Gutierrez’s astounding CF defense, which is so stunningly awesome that the Mariners are hanging on to him for four more years. But don’t leave the F-Gut lovin’ to the statheads* – he’s someone the Ladies… can appreciate as well. Behold:
He is the WORLD. It says so right on his jersey.
*I, much like Crane, proudly belong to that set of people. Give me FanGraphs or give me death!
The NFL season officially begins tonight with the Steelers-Titans kickoff game and I, for one, couldn’t be happier. Maybe it’s just because we were all waiting around for the inevitable unretiring of You-Know-Who, but this year’s pre-season seemed interminable. Commitments prevent me from watching tonight’s game live, but here are some reasons why I’m just glad we are finally, officially, into football season.
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?
So it was a busy week as baseball got back into the groove of things after the All Star break. There was a whole lot going on. Brand new division leaders, a naked Tony Bernazard, and to top it all off, a PERFECT GAME! More on all of this week’s happenings after the jump.
Considering there was quite a bit of baseball, golf and various forms of racing happening this weekend, I was super excited every time I sat in front of the TV and there was international soccer on both ESPN and ESPN2.
The Confederations Cup is going on in South Africa. This is a tournament that happens every four years, the year before the World Cup. It pits the previous WC Champion against the winners of the various FIFA Confederations. Wikidpedia gives us this handy chart:
| Team | Confederation | Qualification | Participation |
|---|---|---|---|
 South Africa |
CAF | 2010 FIFA World Cup host | 2nd |
 Italy |
UEFA | 2006 FIFA World Cup winners | 1st |
 United States |
CONCACAF | 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup winners | 4th |
 Brazil |
CONMEBOL | Copa América 2007 winners | 6th |
 Iraq |
AFC | 2007 AFC Asian Cup winners | 1st |
 Egypt |
CAF | 2008 African Cup of Nations winners | 2nd |
 Spain |
UEFA | UEFA Euro 2008 winners | 1st |
 New Zealand |
OFC | 2008 OFC Nations Cup winners | 3rd |
So to celebrate , let’s check out some of the beautiful men who played the beautiful game this weekend.
Good morning. Please bear with me as I present you with my ESPN-implosion-inducing All-Star team.
1B (a.k.a Base the First, because I’m feeling medieval tonight): Justin Morneau (MIN). I dislike Mark Teixeira. I dislike Kevin Youkilis. I don’t care about Miguel Cabrera. Justin Morneau is both 1) Canadian, and 2) Totally hot.
Hit the jump for more.
I know how you feel, Roy. I know how you feel...
This has been a rough week for me as a sports fan. I have found myself in the odd position of having to defend my team, not only to others but to myself. I bitched all pre-season about how much I hated all the rankings. Too many expectations only means you crash harder when you inevitably slip from that lofty perch. I knew my team wouldn’t go undefeated; we didn’t last year and we are essentially the same team. But there is still nothing harder than watching the boys you love lose, and then LOSE AGAIN!!! (And then to watch that first team who beat you go on and lose to HARVARD. Harvard. I didn’t even know the Ivy’s had basketball!) There is also nothing worse than to kinda hate some of the members of your team. What was that Wayne Ellington? You thought you could go pro? How ’bout you jack up not one, not two, but THREE airballs?? That’s what they do in the pros, right? Or perhaps Ty Lawson. So called best point guard in all the land. Maybe you should have more points that turnovers in the first half. Sometimes that helps. Or maybe you should have atleast some ability to guard your man. Is keeping him from scoring 30+ points unreasonable? Is that too much to ask? Thank the sweet baby Jesus for Danny Green. And Tyler Hansbrough’s first half effort. Ugh. I haven’t even watched Sportscenter this week because I can’t bear to hear all the shit they are saying. It makes me kind of sick.
I’m sure there are people revelling in my despair.
The Minnesota Vikings traded away a first round pick and two third round picks to get Jared Allen from the Kansas City Chiefs last week. (And they still managed to get the Booty in the draft.) His contract could be worth up to $74 million over six years if he reaches certain incentives, including a guaranteed $31,000,069. (His jersey number is 69.) The signing bonus was $15.5 million. (He had 15.5 sacks last year). He is 26 years old, 6’6″, 270 lbs., he used to compete in rodeos and he owns riding horses. All the other hot, and not so hot, stats and information after the jump… Continue reading
I have a kind of tunnel vision when it comes to sports, and I wear it proudly. I have mountains to fling myself down in the spring and tennis to occupy me in the summer, but there’s nothing gets my blood going like the divine brutality that is football season. (What? Our god is a vengeful one. Look it up.)
During the offseason I spent an inordinate amount of time composing lists of ways to make baseball more compelling (“Article I: Infielders can tackle baserunners. Article II: But that’s fine and dandy, since the baserunners can take their bats with them.”), but not even Bacon Pants could ease the pain of the waiting game for me. Maybe if he’d taken a swing at the catcher’s dome.
So welcome back, fall. Welcome back, sunburn and frostbite and concussion hits. Welcome back, tailgating and GameDay and Coach O. Welcome back, blood season. Welcome back, football.
And, because this is Ladies…, after all, in honor of tonight’s SEC kickoff, look after the jump for some current and former LSU hotties in those tight yellow pants we so adore. Oh, and there’s a tiger. Rrrrrowwwr.
Continue reading
Rawlings declared 2007 the “Summer of Glove,” which sounds vaguely dirty to me, but we’ll go with it. They had fans vote for an All-Gold Glove Team and the winners have been announced. Let’s feast our eyes on some hotties, old and new, who make incredible feats of defense look like patty cake.
Pitcher: Greg Maddux
Mr. Maddux has notched 16 Gold Gloves, which is more than the 1st and 2nd basemen winners combined and tied for the most all-time by any position player (with Brooks Robinson and Jim Kaat).
Ladies... 