i Page 8239 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Where's Barry Manilow When You Really Need Him?
Attention all aspiring songwriters: Spain needs lyrics for its National Anthem. This is especially important considering the Summer Olympics are coming up, and Spanish athletes want to sing, sing, sing! Their fans are tired of sitting there mute during the medal ceremony as the Swiss are belting out...

Creeping Fascism Update: Terror At The Ballpark
Be warned, rowdy baseball fans: If you act up at Seattle's Safeco Field, you're just liable to get a red card. Yep. Seattle Weekly is all over the story of the latest trend among Major League Baseball teams; cracking down on rude, loutish behavior in the stands (nothing yet on stifling Gary Sheffiel...

Don't Give Up Hope On Barry Bonds Yet
As we wonder how the heck Barry Bonds can be out with shin splints when he never actually runs, we point out that, because of his injury and his recent slump, it is no longer an absolute certainty that he's going to break Hank Aaron's record....

Look Out, Kids: It's MLB Draft Day!
The much-anticipated — really — MLB Draft begins in about half an hour, and we couldn't be more excited. It's gonna be quite the party. Hopefully, you'll recognize ... uh, one name, maybe two....

The Last Horsie Race
• We don't know about you, but we've got Belmont fever. [Pulling Hair & Betting Horses] • How much do the standings in June really matter? [The Smittblog] • On Saturday, the nation gets to finally see what has happened to the Pirates. [Just Sayin'] • More fun with the Cubs. [Hanging Curves] • The fr...

Free Darko NBA Finals Pants Party: San Antonio Spurs
Because we feel that no one understands the NBA more like the way we wish we understood the NBA than the gang at Free Darko, we've asked them to write up previews of every playoff series throughout the postseason. You've seen all these by now: It will help us understand what's at stake in each serie...

It's Almost As If You Shouldn't Make People Play Pro Golf At 13
You know, it's almost as if Michelle Wie was rushed into golf too young and is having a difficult time handling it. Apparently, she had a bit of a meltdown during a Pro-Am on Monday. From The Baltimore Sun:...

Arizona Is Prettier Than Tennessee, And Knows It
Last night — in ESPN programming we were not watching — the Arizona Wildcats softball team beat Tennessee 5-0 to win the NCAA Championship. One of the fun aspects of NCAA softball is that, if you have one good pitcher, she can just pitch every game. Tarnye Mowatt pitched all 60 innings for the Wildc...

We Have To Ask ...
Suggested questions for today's ESPN SportsNation chatters ... • 1 p.m. Ruffian author Bill Nack: Rainbows, green pastures. Second printing in paperback, a treat for all well wishers. Grow sales, grow! Affirmed. All my love. • 2 p.m. MLS with Rapids' Kyle Beckerman: Doesn't the cup go on the inside ...

Do Not Taunt Julian Tavarez
Of all the athletes you'd want to make fun of while he's holding a baseball, Julian Tavarez seems like a particularly dangerous choice....

Sebastien Gacond Is Gay (As Long As You Make It Clear It's The "Happy" Kind Of Gay)
This is Sebastien Gacond. He is a professional triathlete, which is impressive; it must be difficult to be an athlete with three major appendages. He is also not gay. Not gay at all. Nothing gay about Sebastien Gacond. He is all man. It is extremely important that you understand this....

Ducks Fans, Your Decade-Plus Of Suffering Is Over
We congratulate the Anaheim Ducks on their first Stanley Cup title last night. We can't imagine the relief of Ducks fans across the nation, who were able to sleep easy last night, knowing they must no longer fear that they, like their grandfathers and other ancestors, will die without seeing their b...

About Last Night ...
What you missed while being decidedly more awake today than yesterday ... • NHL: Mighty Impressive ... Ducks bring Lord Stanley to California. • MLB: He's the Hoff ... Trevor Hoffman and the 500 saves. • College softball: Ladies ... Taryne Mowatt pitches Wildcats to title....

Watch, Hoof, Watch!
You've sat through "The Sopranos," waiting for them to just settle the whole matter already so you can stop seeing ads for it. You ordered HBO for one reason only. And the night you've been waiting for is among us: It's the HBO Barbaro Documentary....

To Watch Tonight
What you'll watch once you get to The Winchester ... • College softball: World Series, championship series, Game 3, Tennessee vs. Arizona, at Oklahoma City. One run to rule them all. [ESPN2] • MLB: Philadelphia at New York Mets. Danny DeVito, NOOO! [ESPN] • NHL: Stanley Cup Finals, Ottawa at Anaheim...

Like The Bachelor, But Somehow Dumber
Remember Mark Philippoussis? He was a vaguely douchey tennis "star" who dated Paris Hilton before it set your genitals on fire to date Paris Hilton. (This could be when she was nine.) Well, he has made the next logical jump in his "career;" He's appearing on a dating reality show. That NBC dating sh...

Blowing Up In Charlotte
• Goodbye to The Hive. [The Jaunt] • Of all the things to fight over in a divorce, why Braves tickets? [Atlanta Journal-Constitution] • The Nationals have a lot of nerve raising those ticket prices. [My Brain Says Rage] • Using betting lines to find the best team in the National League. [Vegas Watch...

With Special "Look For Real Killers" Action!
This is going to sound morbid, but we've always wanted the opportunity to play as O.J. Simpson in a football video game. His combination of speed, power and downfield slashing action, we've always thought, would make us unstoppable. And, of course, deadly....

Come See Rick Reilly Make Armpit Noises
We've encouraged you to come to the Varsity Letters Reading Series in New York before, but if you come to tonight's endeavor, you'll be in for a special treat. (Depending on how you define "special.") The headlining reader is Sports Illustrated columnist/stand-up comic Rick Reilly. (Donald Evans and...
