in Page 4050 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Hey, The Couch Is Better Than Atlanta. Totally.
If you're one of those Frank Rich-obsessed souls who read the TimesSelect column, you already know this, but if not, we should make this clear before we start talking about the Final Four: We did not make it to Atlanta. Because Peter King is the only person left on earth who doesn't recognize that i...

Opening Day Eve, Or Whatever They Call This
Tonight, The St. Louis Cardinals begin their defense of the World Championship. Providing the opposition for the World Champion Cardinals will be the New York Mets, who are not World Champions, and who the Cardinals beat in the NLCS last year en route to a World Championship. On the hill for the Met...

There Are Ways To Support Your Brother That Don't Involve Murder
I really wish Demetrius M. Pepper was either less devoted to his brother, or better at stealing cars. Pepper shot and killed a 60-year-old woman, and shot a store clerk, in the process of stealing their cars so he could get to South Carolina's spring game and watch his brother Nathan, a junior Gamec...

Ricky Williams Wants Back In Your Life
The ball is rolling for Ricky Williams to get himself back in the National Football League. His agent, Leigh Steinberg, claims that Ricky's in the best shape of his life (though I don't know if an agent has ever said that a client of his wasn't in the best shape of his life) and has passed all of hi...

Michael Phelps Will Have Eight Gold Medals Over Ian Crocker's Dead Body
Michael Phelps wanted to swim eight events at the World Swimming Championships, and he wanted to win 8 gold medals. The biggest obstacle in his way was fellow American Ian Crocker, the worst record holder in the 100m butterfly, an event in which Crocker would be swimming against Phelps....

The Final Four Open Thread
I'm afraid I won't be with you for tonight's basketball festivities — I decided to try actually watching a game without a keyboard in front of me. I don't know what that's going to be like, but I've heard it's wild....

If The Indians Win, Do Native Americans Get Civil Rights?
In about a half an hour, Major League Baseball is going through with something they're calling "The Civil Rights Game," which was a really really nice idea ... until Major League Baseball screwed it up about as badly as anything can be screwed up....

5, 4, 3... Wheee! Uh Oh...
If you slept at all, chances are, you slept more peacefully than Michael Ruffin last night. Between the guilt, the "Dear God, what have I done" thoughts, and the endless "Thanks a lot, dickhead" phone calls from teammates, Michael Ruffin probably didn't sleep well....

Week In Review: Yes, Virgina, There Is A Final Four
• Screw off, Selig. • Goodbye, George Solomon. • Peyton Manning blows us away with his ability to be vaguely amusing. • Look what happens when you get these guys together in a room. • Dance, Gus Johnson, dance. • Duke ladies. • See ya, Joe Theismann. • You, too, can coach the Wolverines. • David Hir...

What's More Beautiful Than Atlanta In March?
After what seemed an interminable week off, we're finally back moving with the NCAA Tournament tomorrow night, and we kind of can't wait: After last year's wretched Final Four — three lousy games — we should be in store for some double-plus pleasantness....

Think You Can Avoid The Legend Of Barbaro? Go Ahead, Try
Two months after he cantered off of this mortal coil, further proof that the Barbaro phenomenon is still bigger than all of us....

Cultural Oddsmaker: What'll Be The Next Disgusting Act During A Sporting Event?
AJ Daulerio's Cultural Oddsmaker runs every Friday. Email him to let him know what you think....

Don't Smoke Crack. It's A Ghetto Drug
Some people will work / Some never will / But they'll complain and complain and complain and complain and complain ......

Your NL Central "Preview"
Look, guys: We didn't pick the Cardinals! (We still think they'll win the wild card.) Yes, our flirtation with the Brewers continues; we actually picked them to win the wild card at midseason last year. So there's that....

Ironically, Goebbels Actually Liked The Jets
Not a good sign for the New York Giants: Tom Coughlin is beginning to crack under the pressure, and it's not even April. Get those season tickets now, fans! From the New York Daily News:...

Seriously, You Should Be Very Honored, Mountainers
We'd like to congratulate the West Virginia Mountaineers on their NIT championship last night; that's something that can never be taken away from them. In fact, fans can buy the officially licensed T-shirt above. Truly, it's quite an honor....

Your NL East "Preview"
We should probably warn you: The Phillies are one of those teams we pick to win the National League East a lot. If you haven't noticed, they haven't won the NL East in a long, long time. But we're gonna try again anyway....

NBA Roundup: Yep, Bulls Are In The Playoffs
Notes on Thursday's games in the National Basketball Association ......

Your AL West "Preview"
All right, last one of the day until tomorrow ... we think this is actually the easiest division to pick, which is why, obviously, we're going to have it entirely wrong....

Strangely, The Statue Is All Natural
See, this is why you should hold off of bronzing your players until they've been retired for a while....