What's in a name?

DJ Gallo, one of the few good writers left at EPSN.com, had some fun compiling sports nicknames. Throw in your own faves and/or ones from the missing files …

James “Bonecrusher” Smith
James Smith is a mediocre boxer with a 44-17 career record. James “Bonecrusher” Smith is a mediocre boxer with a 44-17 career record … who [...]

Selection Sunday

The four #1s, in order: Kansas, Kentucky, Duke, Syracuse.

Discuss away.

Brackets forming now!

Basketball

I finally saw the HBO documentary Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals last night. Like most documentaries… when it sticks to the subject — Magic and Bird — it is riveting. I also saw more fundamentally sound basketball in 5 minutes of highlights than one would see in 5 games of today’s [...]

Merlin Olsen — R.I.P.

Merlin Olsen (74) and Deacon Jones rush Johnny Unitas

Merlin Olsen, NFL Hall of Fame defensive tackle for the Los Angeles Rams’ Fearsome Foursome, actor in the 1970s on Little House on the Prairie and Father Murphy, and football color commentator with Dick Enberg has died at age 69 of cancer.

I liked Olsen a lot… [...]

Thursday Open Thread

Barack Obama Needs Some Culture

Ban fishing? Obama is the one who is a barbarian… Here are some cultural offering for him:

I’d include Moby Dick, but of course that was whaling.

The person who does not appreciate hunting and fishing does not fully appreciate God’s creation.

White House considering steps to ban recreational fishing

In an effort to further alienate every human being west of the Hudson, the Obama administration has cut off public input from a new federal strategy concerning recreational fishing. From that deranged right-wing outlet known as ESPN:

The Obama administration will accept no more public input for a federal strategy that could prohibit U.S. citizens [...]

For once, I agree with Keith Olbermann and Bill Simmons

Mainly when they trash each other. Olbermann was unimpressed with ESPN’s Bill Simmons inference that Tiger Woods comeback was analogous to Muhammed Ali’s, a point I would argue, that was made more for page hits and shock value than as an honest analysis.

Olbermann, unsurprisingly, was the first to attack.

In the interim I am again left [...]

Patriotic in Pittsburgh

The Buffalo Sabres (for whom Ryan Miller is goalie) played the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pitsburgh in the first NHL game back from the Olympic break. Sidney Crosby — game-winning goal scorer for Team Canada plays for the Penguins. The fans give Ryan Miller a great standing O for his great work for Team [...]

It's fantastic

Keep your Lakers and your Celtics, give me high school or college hoops come tourney time. As a struggling sports writer, March was my favorite time of year – minus the 80-hour work weeks. Living in my ultra-competitive nook of Ohio, my area regularly sent several teams to the lower division title games at state [...]

Tuesday Open Thread

Rejoice, Canadians! Sometimes you don’t lose on the ice (this will really bite me in the ass if the Canadians end up taking the long road to the gold) …

Olympian Hubba: Ryan Miller

Because in Son of Miracle on Ice, he blocked 42 shots.  Forty-two. Shots.

Because if you haven’t watched in the 30 years since (Thirty years. Since.), check out Team USA in Wednesday’s quarterfinals.

Because there’s finally a reason to watch MessNBC.

Because, did I mention, forty-two freaking shots??!?!!

Monday Open Thread

Olympian Hubba: Apolo Anton Ohno

Because he’s now the most-decorated U.S. Winter Olympian, ever.

Because he did it in the most uproarious of events: short-track speedskating.

Because sure: Eric & Bonnie have more Winter golds.  But they never had to do it with someone grabbing their ass.

Because he was also the best Dancing With The Stars champion.  Watch this ice skater’s leap [...]

Mystic Knights of the Shoe

I don’t watch any enough NBA basketball or enough NCAA games to be too familiar with these Nike commercials featuring Kobe Bryant and LeBron James puppets. Terence Moore, a write at NBA Fanhouse thinks they have gone into Amos N Andy territory (for you young ‘uns). He writes:

OK, I’ll admit it. In [...]

SI Swimsuit 2010

Dig the classic WWII airplanes and the models are as lovely as ever, but what is up with that annoying music?

Not Caring Any More Than I Previously Not Cared

A funny thing happened on the way to work today – an amazing thing actually – I was listening to ESPN and I found myself agreeing with Stuart Scott 100%. Everyone was all abuzz about the (then upcoming) Tiger Woods’ press conference, speculating about what he might say and what he should say. As my [...]

Thursday Open Thread

Olympian Hubba: Bode Miller

Because a certain short-track star was going to be first, until I saw this:

Because America’s all about Second Acts.  And he didn’t blow his.

Because I like how he embraced the spirit of the Olympics this time ’round.

Because this should be an all-nude shot after what I was forced to witness “below the fold” earlier on [...]

Snowboarding – not so proletariat

Nate Holland is upset at his fellow Olympic snowboarders. Apparently, snowboarders are dressing more “emo” and going with tight pants instead of the baggy look, favored by snowboarders and skateboarders the world over in prior years. This doesn’t sit with Holland because he favors the more “rebellious” look.

The problem, according to Holland, isn’t that [...]

Saturday Open Thread

Here’s a Little Somethin’ For the Ladies

Thuper Thuper

H/T: Work buddy Chad, who approves of this photo.

Vomit Eaters

I have been amused and sickened by the latest campaign of N.O.W. (Nat’l Organization of Weenie-haters) to smear Focus on the Family — the sponsor of the infamous Pam/Tim Tebow ad — you know the one that argues that having a child is a good thing — so he can then abuse you. Now [...]

Tuesday Open Thread

Manning didn’t pull a Favre

I wondered how long into Monday’s post-Super Bowl coverage it would take for the “Manning choked” meme to spread, and it didn’t take long. On ESPN this afternoon was a full-bore segment on “Manning’s legacy.” Given Manning possibly has five years left in his career – at the least – it may be early to [...]

Super Sunday Open Thread (BUMPED) — LiveBlog

*** Can’t guarantee I’ll be here the entire game — especially if it starts to suck, but feel free to comment on ads, game, half-time, Katrina mentions…

How Dare They?!?

Here is that outrageous and woman-hating anti-choice Tim Tebow ad that those homophobic zombie-worshiping Christianists aired in the Super Bowl pre-game. Stay tuned during the game for more woman-hating propaganda. Watch it — if you can.

/snark off/ Anyone who sees anything sinister in this ad needs some serious spiritual help. You [...]

Sunday Gospel

Barely…

What’s a Gay, Mentally Challenged, Biracial, Male Cheerleader Got to Do…

…to get a set of pom-poms?

From the Seattle Times Weekly:

Benjamin Grundy is a student at Garfield-Palouse High School (local population: 1,100) who says the school is discriminating against his wishes to do what all the other cheerleaders are doing. Namely, dance, wave pom-poms, wear a proper uniform and not just stand like there like a [...]

Time is money

Building a Super Bowl team takes a lot of preparation. The Wall Street Journal published this study on the man hours spent yearly by an NFL franchise – the numbers are stunning.

According to an operational study of National Football League teams prepared for The Wall Street Journal by Boston Consulting Group, the typical [...]

In The Spirit Of The Super Bowl

comes this from CDR Salamander.

Saints fullback Kyle Eckel used to be a Midshipman at the Naval Academy. Greg Doyle wants to know why Mister Eckel isn’t serving alongside his brothers. Good question.

If you came here looking for answers, you’re out of luck. I have no answers. Not when the topic is New Orleans [...]

The other Punxsutawney P

Wonder if this is good or bad for John Nolte’s Tru(e) Crime fixes…

Tom Brookshier — R.I.P.

Tom Brookshier, former Philadelphia Eagles DB and CBS football broadcaster died last Friday of cancer at age 78. Before it was John Madden-Pat Summerall it was Tom Brookshier and Pat Summerall through Super Bowl XIV. Another part of childhood in the 1970s passes with Mr. Brookshier. Saturdays belonged to Keith Jackson and [...]

By Jiminy!

Since the Superbowl is a week away, and meaningful baseball seems impossibly distant in the middle of a New England cold snap, I give you…

…cricket?

Le Hawk

Andre Dawson, the only player elected to the baseball Hall of Fame this year will go in as an Expo — or at least the cap on his plaque will be an Expos hat. He preferred to go in as a Chicago Cub.

The hall announced its decision Wednesday. Dawson told WMVP-AM in Chicago that [...]

Congrats to the Saints.

Championship Thread

I confess to having no dog in this hunt.  In fact, all due respect, I’d be okay with all four of ‘em losing.

But I am very fond of love adore light a small candle & chant to a picture of his dad, so he wins the money shot.

Bring on March Madness.  In the meantime, chat away.

Classic Pick O’ the Day: January 24

Breakfast At Tiffany’s (1961)
A young writer gets caught up in a party girl’s carefree existence. Cast: Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Patricia Neal. Dir: Blake Edwards. BW-115 mins, TV-G, CC, Letterbox Format. 4:00 PM EST. TCM

I’ll be watching the NFL conference championships — it’s what I do, but I’ll be DVR’ing this for [...]

Purple Lame

Despite beyond jaw-droppingly electrifying Super Bowl and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame performances last decade, Prince seems to have fallen back to earth, real hard, with his latest project, a fight song for the Minnesota Vikings. Not only has James Brown’s heir to the King of Funk produced a tune that wouldn’t have even [...]

Coach Reeves: Race Traitor?

Aren’t we all tired of high-flying dunks and super-tall basketball players. Well if you yearn for the days of peach baskets, set shots, chest passes and lay-ups then your day is almost here. From the Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle:

A new professional basketball league boasting rosters made up exclusively of white Americans has its eyes [...]

He’s Going to the Angels… Sorta

Arizona Fall League MVP and A’s prospect Grant Desme has retired from baseball at age 23 — to seek the priesthood. From the San Francisco Chronicle’s A’s blog The Drumbeat:

Desme, the Arizona Fall League MVP, said he has been considering becoming a priest for a year and a half, but he had decided to [...]

Say Ah!

Tracy… don’t let the kids watch!

Feeling Minnesota

This song sums up today’s Cowboys-Vikings game.

In any case… there’s nothing to say but to tip my hat especially to the Vikings defense. The game would’ve been a lot closer if not for the Vikes D.

Good Clean Fun