edm Page 26 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Study Of Most Loved, Loathed Baseball Teams On Internet Fails To Account For Actual Internet
Remember that totally, rigorously, kite-flyingly super-scientific Nielsen Co. study of the most loved and hated teams in baseball, according to the internet? The one that concluded that everyone loves the Giants and hates the Indians? Yeah, one problem:...

A Happy Ending For Hideki Matsui
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....

Basketball Players Should Touch Each Other More Often, Science Urges
Scientists, those smart people who split the atom and cured polio, have charted hugs and high fives for every NBA team and concluded that, as The New York Times puts it, "good teams tended to be touchier than bad ones."...

Bulin (Pub) Crawl
Nikolai Khabibulin, "recuperating" from season-ending back surgery, got busted for doing 70 in a 45 in his Ferrari, and, oh yeah, being drunk. [Calgary Herald]...

Live Chat With Mark Bechtel
Mark's in the comments. Topics for discussion: Daytona, rubbing, smutty NASCAR romance novels, Richard Petty's loopy handwriting, the art of dodging fireballs on the speedway, Cale Yarborough's karate kick, the Swimsuit Issue, and why Mark is in Vegas right now....

Book Excerpts That Don't Suck: <em>He Crashed Me So I Crashed Him Back</em>
Today's selection is from Mark Bechtel's He Crashed Me So I Crashed Him Back, a romp through NASCAR's pivotal 1979 season. Watch the video below, read the excerpt, and chat with Mark at 1 p.m. in a followup post....

Tomorrow: <em>Sports Illustrated</em>'s Mark Bechtel Joins Us To Chat About Fightin' In NASCAR
We'll excerpt Bechtel's He Crashed Me So I Crashed Him Back, an account of NASCAR's 1979 season, when America discovered the pleasures of watching people drive fast and occasionally throw helmets at each other. Chat with Mark at 1 p.m....

Don't Celebrate Just Yet: Brilliant Strategy Tainted Win, Says Football Genius
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....

Sports Fella Summons His Inner Black Guy For LeBron James Column, With Humorous Results
Bill Simmons watched LeBron James play basketball in person and he's very excited about it. We're talking 3,144 words of excitement and awe and Witnessing. Then he some how managed to go overboard beyond his usual overboarding....

The Edmonton Oilers Will Pay For Shooters By the Bottle Or Not At All
The following story pits millionaire athletes versus a publicity seeking, possible-price-gouging restaurateur. And you will be required to choose sides. This is one of them moral quandaries, like when you're attracted to pictures of your wife when she was fourteen....

Fans, Media Recruited (And Manipulated) In Fight Over Televised Sports (Updated)
Some media outlets want you to rage against a new lobbying organization that claims to represent sports fans, but is actually a front for satellite companies looking to destroy cable TV sports. But who is really manipulating who here?...

Oilers' Souray None Too Pleased With Ex's 'Erotic Revue'
I'm not sure, but I think this might be the first time we've linked to a Robin Leach story....

Your Food/Finance/Heavy Construction Metaphor Of The Day
"[W]hen a team gets on a postseason roll, it usually produces a steamroller effect. Sometimes the roll goes stale, but if you get a fast bite after it leaves the oven, it still tastes good and pays dividends." [NYDailyNews.com]...

Gretzky Heads To Toronto In 46-Player Trade?
A new book claims former Leafs owner Harold Ballard once tried to trade his entire franchise to Edmonton. (He wanted to swap cities with the Oilers in exchange for $50 million.) Then Janet Jones would have married Darryl Sittler. [TorontoStar]...

What’s The Next Big Late Night Scandal? LET’S PLAY ODDSMAKER!
I was deeply offended by David Letterman's admission last week that he shits where he eats. Not on any moral issue, mind you, but because it gave me a mental image of David Letterman fucking....

You're Not Dispelling Any Stereotypes Here, CFL
Think that Browns rookie was pissed? After a practice spat, a CFL lineman stormed off the field, then returned waving a shovel. What a uniquely Canadian way to settle an argument. [AP]...

Vin Scully Talks A Lot, Science Proves
The quants at the Wall Street Journal, continuing their whimsical efforts to reduce the sporting universe to a ranked list, have scientifically determined which of our baseball broadcasters is the chattiest. And, somehow, it isn't Michael Kay....

Matt Ryan Is A Handsome Man, Science Proves
The screeching teenyboppers at the Wall Street Journal bring word that Matt Ryan is the most knee-meltingly dreamy quarterback in the NFL. It's true because science says so. And believe it or not, this actually sort of matters....

And Here Comes The "Pitino Is A Baby Killer" Hysteria
Shockingly, Louisville's pro-life students are not impressed with how their coach handled the post-restaurant floor mom-banging: "Rick Pitino was willing to take his own child's life in order to cover up a cheap, tawdry affair."[ALL.org]...

CFL Lineman Sacks Purse Snatcher On Streets Of Edmonton
Because we all need to believe in the power of sport again, here's a story involving an athlete that has a happy ending. If reading about a thief get crunched by a professional football player makes you happy, that is....