gop Page 15 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Ben Blood Upholds The Time-Honored Hockey Tradition Of Sucker Punching A Guy In The Handshake Line
His name is Ben Blood, for god's sake. Even if this wasn't the end of a contentious game between heated rivals Minnesota and UND, you should probably be guarding your grill any time you're within spitting distance of someone named Ben Blood. Regardless, Blood at least kept his integrity. Unlike Di...

Goldy Gopher Dancing To A Forgettable 80s Song Just Might Save Minnesota Football
Tipster Ryan sent us the above video, to which he added: "80's music and dancing gopher mascots. Embarrassing for Minnesota athletics." I'm not so sure. The University of Minnesota's football team has had little to savor for some time. Last week, head coach Jerry Kill suffered a seizure on the sidel...

The 2011 MLB Rookie Hazing Costume Collection
Forcing rookies to dress in costume is an MLB tradition that's as childish as it is time-honored. A gloriously dumb reminder that most baseball players are manchildren, forever stuck in high school. We are too; it's a major reason baseball players are perhaps easier to connect with than athletes in ...

Nice Backpack, Rookie
Your morning roundup for Aug. 29, the day we learned stale beer works wonders as a wood polish. Photo of Padres rookie Anthony Bass via Big League Stew. Got any stories or photos for us? Tip your editors....

The Mets Are Now Losing The Ability To Stand Upright
The Mets reached .500 with a 9-8 win over the Padres last night. They're now 57-57 and a mere 17.5 games out of first in the NL East. But on the second batter he faced, starter Mike Pelfrey did not inspire appropriate confidence for the 21,000 who made it out to Citi Field. We'll consider it just ...

A Year Ago, Diamondbacks 3B Sean Burroughs Was Drinking 8 Slurpees Daily, Eating Cheeseburgers Out Of A Trash Can
Sean Burroughs, if you'll recall, was once the fraught golden boy of early 2000s NL baseball—the smooth-swinging Padres third baseman who could only hit singles. (His career isolated slugging percentage, .078, is only a fuzz better than Juan Pierre's.) But Burroughs has since resuscitated his pro ca...

Even These Freaks Have More Business On A Baseball Field Than Jeff Francoeur
Your morning roundup for June 28, the day we celebrated an extinction. (Photo of Cirque Du Soleil throwing out the first pitch at the Padres game via Getty Images.)...

Something Of A Geek, Evan Scribner Is
Evan Scribner, pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays Padres, has a Yoda backpack that makes it look as if he is giving Yoda a piggy-back ride. At some point in the last few years, we reached a cultural juncture at which this could either make Scribner a nerd or a hipster. I'm not sure that he's either, but...

Baseball Advertising Creeps Into Fair Territory
In American sports we pride ourselves on keeping ads off the players, unlike in soccer. But they'll put ads damn near everywhere else: The Padres now have a giant golf club for a rightfield foul pole. Remember folks, if it hits the TaylorMade driver, it's a home run — of savings! [San Diego Union-Tr...

Brian Giles' Attorney Takes Ball Out During Trial Break And Has Chuck Knoblauch Sign It
Here's Brent Schrotenboer, who's making his career covering this trial like Star Jones did with O.J., writing in the San Diego Union-Tribune:...

This "He Said, She Said" Trial Involving An Ex-NL West Outfielder Is Getting Weird
Of course, we're talking about the palimony case of Olvera v. [Brian] Giles. What did you think we were talking about? Giles' ex-girlfriend is suing him for $10 million that he allegedly promised her after their breakup....

Devin Hester Wrote 436 Words About His Son
Don't let anybody tell you magazines don't contribute to the greater good. Take Chicago Parent, for example, wherein Devin Hester of the Chicago Bears debuts his literary skillz in April. Check it:...

Man Named Dokken Assaults Gopher Mascot Named Goldy
Before the rush to judgment commences, can we all agree that there is zero need for a buck-toothed mascot to obstruct the view of a 60-year-old guy who just wants to spend his Saturday enjoying some men's gymnastics? Cool....

Now, Blake Griffin Is Posterizing Backboards With His Head
Your morning roundup for Feb. 17, the day local politics in at least one American city gets real (entertaining)....

Padres OF Complains About Panda Express; Too Bad Team Owner Runs The Chain
On Tuesday, Cameron Maybin, the speedy outfielder traded from the Marlins to the Padres this offseason, tweeted this (@CamMaybin; it's since been scrubbed):...

Weekend Winner: Big Ten Gamblers And Conspiracy Theories
In sports, everyone is a winner-some people just win better than others. Like the Wisconsin Badgers, who were up 25 with 6 minutes left, and went for two. It didn't please Minnesota, but it pleased some people with money on the game....

Hockey Goons Are Born, Not Made
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 internets to bring you everything you need to know to start your day....

Remembering The Greatest Basebrawl Of All Time
Twenty-six years ago today, the Braves and the Padres decided to forgo their obligations of playing baseball and instead sporadically cleared their benches and punched each other in the face. It's one of the best baseball fights ever, if not the best....

Earthquake Interrupts Padres Game
A 5.7 earthquake struck during the eighth inning of last night's San Diego/Toronto tilt. Guess God isn't a fan of interleague play....

Mariners Fan Loses Bet, Dignity
Last weekend, the Padres and Mariners faced off at Safeco Field. San Diego took two of three, and one fellow on the wrong end of a bet produced this oddly whisper-filled love letter to the Padres. H/T Theodore Donald Kerabatsos....