d Page 7597 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

A Look At The Sunday NBC Crew
Earlier today, new NBC broadcaster — it feels weird to type that; we haven't quite adjusted to the NFL being back on NBC — John Madden went to visit Oakland Raiders camp and hang out with his former player Art Shell, the new coach (again) of the Raiders. Since it's a slow, non-sexual-harassing day...

Was This Why Harold Got The Axe?
We can't say for sure why Harold Reynolds was fired from ESPN yesterday, because ESPN hasn't put out a statement or anything (and they don't have to), but we can tell you what the chatter in Bristol is: Everyone is hearing sexual harassment. Every single email we've received from the inside about ...

A.J Hawk's Shotgunnish Wedding?
If you were trying to book a wedding next March in Columbus, Ohio, over the last few months — not that anybody we know might have been — one of the primo spots in town was booked for a huge, lavish wedding between former Ohio State Buckeyes and current Green Bay Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk and La...

A Short Note On The Royals
It's the sentence we never thought we'd live to hear. But there it was, just sitting there in the notes column of the Kansas City Star's Royals gamer on Sunday. It is at once awesome in its randomness, and frightening for the images it conjures. Even more terrifying: we know that someone, somewher...

Blogdome: Back Off Of Reggie
• Listen, people ... Reggie Bush isn't going to sit out a year. Relax. [The Out Route] • So, how does the "new" RFK look? [Awful Announcing] • Whitey Ford and ... Salvador Dali? [Consumerist] • It's impossible not to have fun with the Detroit Lions. [Kissing Suzy Kolber] • The best fake training cam...

Well Worth Losing The World Cup
Want to know why alleged Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho struggled so much during the World Cup? It wasn't the world-class competition, the pressure of the international stage or being hypnotized by teammate Ronaldo's gut. It was orgasms and video games....

He Homers In Peace
For all the talk about how baseball's All-Star Game has become boring and irrelevant, it appears the Japanese All-Star game has figured out how to liven up matters: Aliens in the dugout....

Not Shaq And Kobe AGAIN?
The Christmas Day NBA doubleheader is the unofficial kickoff of the NBA season; it's typically the first nationally televised network game, the league's highest-profile moment, its chance to shine....

That's Quite An Offseason Transformation
Amazing find from The Wizard Of Odds: This appears to be a shot of Oklahoma offensive lineman George Robinson one year ago, and Oklahoma offensive lineman George Robinson from Sooners training camp today. We haven't been able to confirm it's the same guy — though we see no reason they'd change numbe...

Contagious Headbutting Sickness Strikes Again
Hey kids, time to drag out those scissors and the colored construction paper once again, because there's a horse in trouble. No, not Barbaro; he's relaxing in Pennsylvania watching premium cable. This time it's City Affair, a race horse in Britain which was — get this — headbutted by jockey Paul O...

We Have To Ask ...
Suggested questions for today's ESPN SportsNation chatters ... • 11am. Baseball with Joe Morgan: How many phone books do you sit on to reach the microphone? By the way, have you talked to Harold today? Is he all right? • 1 p.m. Cold Pizza's Skip Bayless: Hey, how come you don't leave a reflection in...

The Closer: It's A Joe, Out Of Control
Notes from a day in baseball ......

Say Goodnight, Harold
In a world where a failed general manager can make a perfectly good living on television pretending to be a successful general manager, we supposed there just isn't much room for a failed second baseman....

About Last Night ...
What you missed while mowing your eyebrows ... • MLB: Maddux gets first win since June 9 as Cubs prevail 8-7 over Mets. • Tennis: Agassi Hardcourt Farewell Tour rolls over Xavier Malisse in Countrywide Classic. • WNBA: Because you've been dying to know, Connecticut 89, New York 71....

It's Carl Monday Night At The Ballpark
As you know, we're big fans of minor league baseball, particularly the odd promotions they put together from time-to-time. (We still think our favorite is the time a team gave away free vasectomies on Father's Day.) And a couple of weeks ago, we pointed you to the Dunedin Blue Jays' professional w...

To Watch Tonight
What to watch as TiVo blackmails you with all those Lifetime Network shows you're recorded ... • MLB: New York Yankees at Texas. A chance for away fans to boo A-Rod for a change. [ESPN] • MLB: Red Sox at Athletics. Being big fans of both the colors red and green, we're torn. [NESN] • Softball: Phila...

How To Ruin Fantasy Football
It is just us, or is everyone pumping fantasy football a couple of weeks too early this year? Both Sports Illustrated and ESPN: The Magazine have already come out with their fantasy season previews — SI's included a cover photo of a guy who might not actually play for his team next year — even thoug...

Leftovers: Ty Law? TY LAW
• Ty Law, heading to Kansas City. [New York Times] • Not his fault, but we still blame Bill Simmons for this. [Detroit Free Press] • Some solid Brett Myers signage. [The 700 Level] • The true importance of the signing bonus. [I Want To Be A Sports Agent] • Wait ... everything is quiet in Eagles' cam...

At Least It's Not "Life Is An Open Road To Me"
After the Roberto Clemente backlash of this morning, we're wary of going this direction ... but hell, somebody's gotta do it....

More Mascot Nightmare Fuel From Our Friends In Japan
Japan is hosting the World Basketball Championships this year, and you know what that means: confusing cartoon mascots. You'll feel exactly like you've been hit over the head repeatedly with a Pachinko machine after viewing BAD Badtz-Maru — some sort of bad-ass penguin, we're told — and his "frien...