a Page 7257 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

I See You've Played Crocy-Spoony Before
The latest fad Down Under: swimming into baited crocodile traps. It's still safer than Aussie rules football. [Northern Territory News]...

Bulgarian Soccer Wives Narcing On Their Husbands
Bulgaria's soccer stars have been filing tax returns claiming they make the league minimum, and the Bulgarian IRS is investigating. But who tipped off the feds? Their WAGs, flaunting their wealth....

Your Early Games Open Thread
Most of you get Baltimore and Pittsburgh, two teams that wish their defensive legacies could actually take the field today. Expect a shootout. Keep us updated on the epic Cleveland/Oakland showdown in the comments. [The506]...

Once Bitten, Twice Lie
Aaron Rodgers says a Seahawks player bit him when they played last year. Darryl Tapp denies it. This is news because we have to manufacture interest in a Green Bay/Seattle game somehow....

Lady Ref Breaks The Gender Barrier No One Cared About
Sarah Thomas made history by becoming the first woman to ref a bowl game. And she acquitted herself nicely. And she only burned the roast a little bit! [Detroit Free Press]...

Of Ridiculous Contracts And Insubordination
The two highest paid players in their respective sports threw hissy fits and were sent home. One will play today; one might not play again. Want to guess which is which? (Hint: the one who's actually still good will play.)...

Little Caesars Still Getting The Hang Of This Sponsorship Thing
Because no one reads the newspaper, and SportsCenter's anchors are too perky for this early in the morning, Deadspin combs the best of the broadsheets and the blogosphere to bring you everything you need to know to start your day....

What Do You Want to Bet He Climbed Down the Ladder First?
Just going to let the text speak for itself on this one. "Perched on the rafters of the Georgia Dome, ready to drop parachuting stuffed cows, Maggie Smyth's heart was racing." How to meet a wife, after the jump....

Urban Meyer Resigns as Florida Coach, Presumably For More Than One Half
Reports are coming in that the University of Florida has announced that head football coach Urban Meyer is stepping down after the Sugar Bowl. Per the press release:...

John McCain is Pursuing His Hobbies in His Old Age
Apparently John McCain is a really big boxing fan to the point where HBO wanted him to "mediate the drug testing dispute" between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. Can I start hoping for Sarah Palin as ring girl? [ESPN]...

Pete Carroll is a Foxy Fox: Your Emerald Bowl of Nuts Open Thread
I just spent like 30 minutes browsing wire images of Pete Carroll. Love that guy. Anyway, USC takes on Boston College in the Emerald Bowl. It's like Jessica Simpson dating Billy Corgan. I'll let you decide which is which!...

Pat Riley Preferred to Parcel Out Looks of Disdain
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra dubbed himself "Santa Spo" and "presented players with a vocabulary calendar and the book The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work and Team with Positive Energy." Merry ... Christmas? [Miami Herald]...

I Was There: Even The Losers Get Lucky Sometimes
There are plenty of decade retrospectives happening everywhere right now, but we'd also like you to participate. Tell us about the best game you've seen in person this decade with the tag #iwasthere. Mine: Patriots at Giants, Week 17!...

Tiger Woods and Mike Wise Cheated on People. Have You?
"I am Tiger Woods," writes Mike Wise in a bracing column in today's Washington Post, "and I have poked fun at his travails because I use humor as camouflage." Not anymore....
![Papa, Let Your Babies Grow Up to Date Hockey Players [Canadian Ben Bernanke Update!]](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/18f10f85e5j4ajpg.jpg)
Papa, Let Your Babies Grow Up to Date Hockey Players [Canadian Ben Bernanke Update!]
Hunky Ottawa hockey player Mike Fisher proposed to Carrie Underwood early this week, breaking Drew Magary's heart/hand. Think those brunettes look jealous now? Ha, wait til they learn how much the ring cost. UPDATE! Meet the "Canadian Ben Bernanke":...

Last Night's Loser: Santa Stan Van Gundy
You know the NBA is pleased with its Christmas tradition when it earnestly compares Shaq and Kobe to Jimmy Stewart and Peter Billingsley. Casting Stan Van Gundy in the role of Scrooge was probably not part of the plan....

Snapped Femur? I Barely Even Know Her!
In memory of what once was Derrick Roland's intact leg, the Daily News presents us with a slideshow of Sports' Most Gruesome Injuries. (The final slide is captioned: "A shot of Evander, minus ear.") Fun for the whole family! [NYDN]...

All I Want for Christmas is to Never Hear That Song Again
Because no one reads the newspaper, and SportsCenter's anchors are too perky for this early in the morning, Deadspin combs the best of the broadsheets and the blogosphere to bring you everything you need to know to start your day....

Tell Me More, Tony And Eva, Tell Me More!
Is there a better Christmas present than a freshly wrapped copy of Tony Parker and Eva Longoria lip-syncing along to "Summer Nights"? Actually, no. I don't believe there is....
