2012 Page 17 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Pole Vaulter Realizes It's Not His Day As His Pole Shatters Mid-Vault
Cuba Lazaro Borges finished second in the world at last year's championships. But when he cleared 5.90 in South Korea, presumably he did it with a pole that didn't snap into three pieces underneath him....

Field Hockey Player Ends Up Bloody After Getting Whacked On The Head With A Stick
Field hockey players might wear skirts, but that doesn't mean they aren't tough. Check out New Zealand striker Katie Glynn here. She tries to knock the ball away from her opponent, but instead gets bonked on the noggin. Listen to the crowd let out a collective "oohhh" as it happens, and again as i...

North Korea And Australia Are Now At War: Foreign Olympics News NBC Didn't Like Enough To Tape-Delay
Deadspin and Gelf Magazine bring you the best (or at least the most interesting) foreign-produced journalism about the London Olympics. ...

Even U.S. Troops Are Getting Screwed By NBC's Olympic Tape Delay
If you're stationed in Europe or in Afghanistan as a U.S. military member, you get one advantage when watching these Olympics: The time difference is smaller. But of course they're screwed, too....

Columnist Who Says Canadian Soccer Should Stop Whining Admits He Turned Off The Game After 35 Minutes
Tuesday's Olympic semifinal between the U.S. and Canada was one of the most thrilling, dramatic games you'll ever see. It also had some damn curious refereeing....

Nic Batum Delivered A Mighty Nutshot To Juan Carlos Navarro In The Closing Moments Of Today's France-Spain Game
Spain knocked France out of the Olympic men's basketball tournament, though the French team delivered a final blow—in the form of a Nic Batum punch to Juan Carlos Navarro's nether-regions....

BMX Is Underway At The London Olympics, Which Means We've Had Our First Bloody Gnarly Crash
The tough times for America's Olympic BMX team started before the Games were even underway: star Arielle Martin had to drop out after a devastating crash on the team's last day of training before leaving for London. Martin's replacement, Brooke Crain, didn't fare much better during today's seeding...

France Stunned Spain With A Handball Quarterfinal Buzzer-Beater
Handball's been a bit of a breakout sport for American audiences, though today's quarterfinal between reigning gold medalist France and Spain wasn't aired live in the U.S.. That's a shame, because it was a battle befitting the two pan-sport rivals, one finally seized by the Gauls when William Acc...

Why Your Team Sucks 2012: Atlanta Falcons
Some people are fans of the Atlanta Falcons. But many, many more people are NOT fans of the Atlanta Falcons. This 2012 Deadspin NFL team preview is for those in the latter group. Read the other Why Your Team Sucks 2012 previews here....

How Aly Raisman, The Steady Teammate, Won Individual Gold
On the final day of Olympic gymnastics, American Aly Raisman broke through—winning bronze on the balance beam and then gold, decisively, on the floor. Till now, Raisman had been mainly celebrated for her consistency and leadership: a steady competitor under pressure, with a record of team success an...

Chris Hoy's Parents Can't Believe Their Eyes
Sir Chris Hoy claimed his sixth Olympic gold yesterday in men's keirin, adding to the home nation's medal count and inspiring fanciful ledes, like the following from The Independent:...

Your Daily Olympic Schedule: August 8 - Day 13
In effort to save you the time that it takes to both find and decipher the NBC Olympics schedule while trying to figure out which events are even worth watching, we've created our own (better) daily schedule of Olympic events. All events are listed in Eastern Daylight Time (no math) at the time tha...

The Most Popular Theory On Why Lolo Jones Didn't Medal At The Olympics
Mortal enemy of The New York Times Lolo Jones came in a disappointing fourth place during the finals of the 100-meter hurdles today in London. Lolo Jones is also a virgin. Shockingly, there are a few people who think one has something to do with the other. Of course, missing out on a medal had noth...

It Seems Everybody Loves Aly Raisman's Parents Except The Guy Who Had To Sit Behind Them
Who loves Aly Raisman's parents? Lots of you, it seems. Who doesn't? Sweater Guy who had to sit behind her dad during today's floor exercise final. Down in front! [NBC]...

Mitt Romney Will Do Anything To Secure The Chicago Cubs Vote
The caption info tells me GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney was in Chicago today for a couple of fundraisers, including one at Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse and Bar. But this photo is too excellent for any rational explanations. We won't have them, dammit....

Racewalking Has A Doping Scandal On Its Hands
When Alex Schwazer of Italy won the 50k racewalk in Beijing four years ago, he shaved more than a minute off an Olympic-record time that had stood for 20 years. Schwazer was among the favorites to win the event again this year—the 50k race is scheduled for Saturday—but it appears he won't get that c...

British Newspaper Celebrating British Gold Accidentally Puts Dutch Team On Front Page
Another huge day for the Brits at the Olympics. They're up to 22 gold medals, their biggest haul since they hosted the games in 1908....

NBCmetrics: After 22 Medals, NBC Finally Mentions South Korea For The First Time
During the Olympics, we'll be analyzing NBC's primetime coverage sort of the way we analyze SportsCenter in Bristolmetrics. We'll break down what countries the Peacock is talking about, and which athletes are getting the most attention....

Justin Gatlin Still Feels Usain Bolt Is Beatable
Every morning, the fine folks at Sports Radio Interviews sift through the a.m. drive-time chatter to bring you the best interviews with coaches, players, and personalities across the sports landscape. Today: You just have to catch Bolt on a bad day....

That Runner Who Got Kicked Out Of The Olympics For Tanking Just Won The Race He Actually Cared About
Yesterday we brought you the story of Taoufik Makhloufi of Algeria, who tanked out of his qualifying heat in the 800m in order to conserve his energy for the 1500m final, a stunt that got him kicked out of the Olympics altogether. Makhloufi was later reinstated when he obtained a doctor's note clai...