afterball Page 2 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
Learn About Grippers, The Affordable Way To Demonstrate Your Unnatural Forearm Strength
The man above is Manfred Hoeberl, a former fixture in the World's Strongest Man competitions they periodically rerun on ESPN2. He was—is?—very, very strong. But he doesn't use your silly, wasteful, boring means to test his strength. Nope. He uses grippers. They're affordable. And certified! Josh Lev...
Is Robert Griffin III Fast Enough To Run Track In The 2016 Olympics?
Is Robert Griffin III really a "world-class hurdler," as ESPN called him? In this week's Hang Up and Listen, Mike Pesca takes a look at RG3's times from high school and college and finds that, well, maybe it's not an exaggeration....
What's The Deal With Football Players And Barbecue Sauce?
Many ex-athletes have entered the food industry—or, more specifically, the meat industry—and in this week's excerpt from Slate's Hang Up and Listen podcast, Josh Levin ponders the marketing strategies of former NFL players who have come out with their very own barbecue sauce, the ultimate meat acc...
Why Isn't Synchronized Trampoline In The Olympics?
Last week we talked about the sports that haven't yet made it to the Olympics. In this week's excerpt from Slate's podcast Hang Up and Listen, Josh Levin makes the case for synchronized trampoline—another contender—to join the ranks of Olympic events. Especially if it saves the participants from a...
Learn All About The World Games, The Haven For Rejected Olympic Sports
The Olympics are often considered a great showcase for sports that really don't get any recognition in everyday life—like gymnastics. But what about the sports that don't even make the Olympics? When do Tchoukball and Fistball (which is the actual name of an actual sport) get to show the world wha...
Mike Schur Is "Ravenously Hungry" For More Replay In Baseball
According to Bud Selig, "the appetite for more replay [in baseball] is very low." Because what would baseball be if it were not for that certain "human element?" However, in this week's excerpt from Slate's podcast Hang Up and Listen, Mike "Ken Tremendous" Schur (last seen around Deadspin in Septe...
Perry Jones III Can Jump 38.5 Inches, But Does It Matter?
Perry Jones' pre-draft measurements listed his maximum vertical jump at 38.5 inches, but according to the blog Hardwood Paroxysm, Jones only jumped that high twice in his entire college career. The observation inspired NPR's Mike Pesca to ask whether or not it even matters for a player of Jones' s...
A Rich History Of Games Played Without An Audience
The mid-Atlantic storms last weekend weren't severe enough to derail the AT&T National, but they were enough to keep fans away. All of 'em, actually, per the tournament's decree. So Stefan Fatsis, on this week's excerpt from Slate's Hang Up and Listen podcast, went looking for other great moments ...
The Foul-Mouthed Greek Coach Who Failed To Lead The U.S. To Soccer Glory
Germany smashed Greece, 4-2, in Euro 2012 last Friday. There would be no revenge for the not-austere-enough nation. On this week's excerpt from Slate's Hang Up and Listen podcast, genuine Greek Stefan Fatsis explores the team's tortured history (and the US's!) through Alketas Panagoulias, who rece...
<em>Arnold Palmer And The Golfin' Dolphin</em> Might Be The Best Golf Book Ever Written
There were a few Arnold Palmer threads during this weekend's U.S. Open that sparked the mind of Slate's Josh Levin. So he was reminded of Arnold Palmer and the Golfin' Dolphin, P. Bryon Polakoff's 1984 masterpiece. Thank the lord. Listen up and learn how dolphins golf, and more, on this week's exc...
What Is The Worst Boxing Decision Of All Time?
After the Pacquiao-Bradley debacle on Saturday night, in which the stats said Pac-Man landed 94 more blows than Bradley did, Josh Levin endeavored to find the worst statistical decision in the Compubox era. The numbers in Roy Jones, Jr.'s screwjob in Seoul don't even compare to Dorsey-Paez I in Fe...
Inside The Great, Freaky Sport Of Cup-Stacking
Jeff Van Gundy joked while broadcasting this week about cup-stacking. He said he could have had a future in it. Little did he know, though, what it demanded of its competitors. Stefan Fatsis, on this week's excerpt from Slate's Hang Up and Listen podcast, explains all the terrifying details, with ...
Men's Field Hockey Has The Olympics' Best Blood Feud
Men's field hockey, as Stefan Fatsis explains on this week's excerpt from Slate's Hang Up and Listen podcast, will be one hell of a trip in the 2012 Olympics, even though the USA isn't playing....
David Segui Led A Parents' Uprising Against The Shady Coach At Bryce Harper's Junior College
Long before Bryce Harper injected D.C. with Natitude, he played for the College of Southern Nevada Coyotes. Harper was then the same athletic freak he is now. He left after one season because he was draft-eligible and the Nats offered a lot of money. But, according to sources quoted in the Las Veg...
Deconstructing Jimmy Johnson's Commercial For Medically Ineffective Penis Pills
It's one thing to sling Viagra, like Rafael Palmeiro and Mark Martin used to do. It's quite another to hawk Extenze, the "natural male enhancement pill" that has no evident medical benefits. But that doesn't stop the shameless Jimmy Johnson. These commercials have aired since 2010, but no one had ...
A Tour Of Sports' Least-Coveted Auction Items
Do you want a game-used rake from Cleveland Municipal Stadium? No? Are you sure? It could be yours. (Really, it could be. It's a nice thing to have.) Josh Levin explains how, and lists other excellent bits of memorabilia you might acquire, on this week's excerpt from Slate's Hang Up and Listen pod...
What Does The New Beach Volleyball Dress Code Have To Do With Sharia Law?
The eminences grises of the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball laid down their decree for the London games not so long ago: female beach volleyball players could, if they wanted, ditch their bikinis for shorts or bodysuits. According to the internet, this is yet another Olympic concession to ev...
This 10-Year-Old Quarterback's Parents Made Him A Ridiculous Blog
Meet 10-year-old quarterback Daron Brydon. He has a blog. DaronQB.blogspot.com, in fact. His blog has plugs from famous quarterbacks about his quarterbacking. Those famous quarterbacks include Ryan Perriloux and Marcus Vick. Really. On this week's excerpt from Slate's Hang Up and Listen podcast, ...
Who Needs <em>Magic/Bird</em>? This Is What A Real Basketball Musical Looks Like
Magic/Bird has premiered on Broadway, and, according to NPR's Mike Pesca, it underwhelmed. So Pesca, on this week's excerpt from Slate's Hang Up and Listen podcast, envisions—and, uh, sings—his ideal basketball musical. It's a wild ride. Join us, won't you?...
Raise A Pint For The Short, Fat, Drunk, And Dead Darts Legend Jocky Wilson
On this week's excerpt from Slate's Hang Up and Listen podcast, Mike Pesca tells the story of Scottish dartsman Jocky Wilson, who died in March. Wilson dominated the sport in the early 1980s, and spent the rest of his career as a wonderfully larger-than-life sort. Just one line from his obituary i...