da Page 1218 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

It's The NFC East Pants Party
Considering the NFL season starts tomorrow, we figured it was probably time to stop dawdling and start previewing. You've seen all our NFL Season Previews — except for Dallas, which we're told is coming — and now it's time to go division-by-division. And do our yearly roundup of picks from around t...

NL Central, What Would We Do Without You, You Crazy Nut?
You mocked the National League's Central Division. Called it the race nobody wanted. But now it's September, and it's the most compelling race in baseball, with three teams within a game of each other atop the standings. You've got Carlos Zambrano pouting into his sippy cup. Rick Ankiel not caring ...

The NBC Sunday Night Crew Is Trying To Control Your Mind
You might think you want to watch the NFL on Sunday nights because it's often the best game of the week, or because you're related to one of the broadcasters, which, let's face it, as many as there are, is pretty likely. But no: You're watching football on Sunday nights because NBC is in your brain...

Don't Even THINK Of Ranking Michigan In Your Top 25
Dan Shanoff writes a weekly college football column for Deadspin. Email him to let him know what you think....

This Potential Chicago Riot Brought To You By The Letter Z
And so we witness the brave veneer begin to crack in the Windy City. The Cubs are still in first in the NL Central — shouldn't that be cause for unbridled joy? — but you'd never know it. Carlos Zambrano had a stinky outing on Monday and was treated to a chorus of boos by the Wrigley unfaithful. Zamb...

Women Are From Venus, Ivanovic's Are From Heaven
While it's always good to see Venus Williams healthy and playing at her peak I can't help but lament the loss of her opponent. Ana Ivanovic (previously featured for her sexiness in these parts by Dan Shanoff) was easily the sexiest creature remaining in the women's draw—although Rafael Nadal sure is...

Hugh II: The Nedessy Continues... Pt. 3
BACK COMES MICHIGAN! BACK COMES MICHIGAN! With a touchdown run that Michigan announcer Frank Beckmann described as "a Mike Hart to just have to see, it's undescribable!" Thanks, Frank, I'd love to see it! I hate you, Jim Delany. Not as much as Gary Bettman, but I still hate you. -AsInHowe...

Down Goes Sharapova! ...mmm
The U.S. Open's sex appeal took another big hit today when Maria Sharapova dropped a three set match to Agnieszka Radwanska an 18 year-old Polish girl in the third round. This is the biggest hit to the Open's overall sexiness since Marco Baghdatis got bounced before we all got another look at his gi...

Alright people, as you may know I've been unable to access the NCAADeadspin screenname to receive all of your Hugh Johnson goodnes. Taking PeteJayhawk's advice I've set up a new screenname where you can reach me. For today just send all of your correspondence to UnsilentDeadspin, I'm logged on to AI...

I Don't Care What the Calendar Says, Today Begins Fall
• 10:00 am — Soccer: Fulham vs. Tottenham Hotspur [FSC] • 11:00 am — Tennis: U.S. Open, Men's and Women's Third Round [CBS] • Noon — Soccer: Manchester United vs. Sunderland [FSC] • Noon — College Football(!!!): UAB at Michigan State (!!!) [ESPN2] • Noon — College Football: East Carolina at Virginia...

Let's All Get Baked!
Yeah, the Royals are pretty fucking terrible, but try to not let that diminish your appreciation of Scott Baker's masterful performance. A leadoff walk in the ninth inning spoiled the perfect game before a one-out single to pinch-hitter Mike Sweeney (but I thought Jesus loved no-hitters! Now I don'...

Broom For One More
Sentence from the AP story on Philadelphia's 11-10 win over the Mets on Thursday: Fans chanted "Sweep! Sweep! Sweep!'' as they left the ballpark. One man held a broom he sneaked in. What kind of a world is it where a Philadelphia sports fan has to sneak a broom into Citizen's Bank? After winning fou...

A Conversation With Dave Zirin
We've joked about being politically agnostic in these parts before, but that's not actually true. Like any breathing human, we have all kinds of political thoughts; we just don't think they belong on a sports site. Sports are one of the few realms that, if you try hard enough, can be separated from ...

Dancing With The Fantasy Football Stars
The Internet, we must confess, has mostly ruined the time-tested ritual of in-person fantasy football drafts. The Cheeto-stained cheat sheets, the endless (and mostly lame) trash-talking and the guy wearing the Jake Plummer jersey (ahem) ... all that's pretty much behind us. We have friends from all...

Just When We Think The Yankees Are Out Of It, Someone Pulls Them Back In
Roger Clemens — you may remember him — is back in the news, having been arrested in a Minnesota restroom for soliciting sex from an undercover ... whoa, sorry. Let's back up. I've made a painful error; let's start over. Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) threw six innings of two-hit ball against the Red Sox...

ESPN's "Fans" Seem To All Have espn.com Email Addresses
If you watched "Monday Night Football" earlier this week, you might have noticed a new segment called ESPN's Rowdy Friends, in which fans are encouraged to shoot videos of them acting like idiots — which is what networks and leagues think we are, as they remind us daily — so the "best" ones can be ...

More Proof That You Should Ride Your Kids HARD
You might remember old Southern California quarterback Todd Marinovich as the guy who was absolutely ruined by his hard-driving father. Once considered the "robo QB," Marinovich's dad famously didn't allow his son fast food and claimed he wanted to produce the "perfect" quarterback. As kids tend to ...

Jumpin' Jacques Flash Has Chicago Glowing
In a world where the Milwaukee Brewers spent 125 days in first place, there was danger in the air for every Cubs fan. But a new wind was about to blow ... . Jacque Jones was once the object of ridicule and scorn at Wrigley Field; Cubs fans going from actively booing him to simply sitting on their ha...