ja Page 639 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Which Sports Death Would Affect Us Like MJ's?
I was as surprised by the reaction to Michael Jackson's death as I was the death itself, though I shouldn't have been. Is there anyone in sports whose death we'd react to in a similar way?...

Leading By Example, One Headbutt At A Time
Youth baseball coaches choose from an array of options in the post-game handshake line. They can: shake hands (classy), fist-bump (terroristic), feign ignorance (juvenile) or headbutt the rival coach in the face in front of minors (aggravated assault). [Star-Ledger]...

The Lightning's Draft Pick Really Does Read The Articles
Q: What's the last book you read? Viktor Hedman: "I don't want to say. The last one was Jenna Jameson, How to Make Love Like a Porn Star." Delightfully tacky, yet literately unrefined. [JoeBoltsFan]...

The Way We Live Now
Calgary trades a defenseman who'll be an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday for...another defensemen who'll be an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday. [AP]...

When Tennis Players Ride The Crimson Tide
Lost in yesterday's huge win for American teenage Melanie Oudin was the loser, former world number one Jelena Jankovic. Turns out she was suffering from a malady you don't normally see on injury reports....

Japanese Baseball Is Cooler Than Ours
When they're not infuriating their fans with the unlikely martyrdom of Bobby Valentine, the Chiba Lotte Marines are busy defending the world from monsters. These posters may overstate the excitement of baseball, but only by a little. [Some Japanese Site]...

Ricky Rubio Makes Jay Mariotti Cringe
For shame, "anyone who projects Rubio as a superstar based on wishful thinking, stereotyping and nostalgia." Also in this column: a Spanish quote left untranslated and a play on "rube" and "boob." Yes he did! [FanHouse]...

Wayne Ellington, His Girlfriend And Grandma: An NBA Draft Tableau
OK, so you've all had your jollies with that photo of new draftee Wayne Ellington and his comely friend. For my money, though, this one right here is vastly more interesting. I mean, just look at it....

Sad About Michael Jackson's Death? Tack An Andre Rison Jersey To His Childhood Home
Yesterday, professional athletes and their Twitter universes reacted to Michael Jackson's death (some more than others), but this makeshift tribute at his childhood home in Gary, Indiana gives the tenuous sports-King Of Pop connection an absurd little twist....

The Thunder Go With Harden
3. Oklahoma City Thunder: James Harden, Arizona State. Stuart Scott is feeling the bow tie. Oh, and James Harden is a pretty good fit for the Thunder. He is an efficient offensive player and his game is NBA ready....

Michael Jackson Dies. Chad Johnson Says It's "Just As Sad As 9/11."
The LA Times is saying King of Pop Michael Jackson died today after suffering a heart attack. He was 50. Because this is a sports blog, here's a video, via NESW Sports, of Jackson playing one-on-one with Michael Jordan. RIP....

Please Join KOGOD This Evening For NBA Draft Insanity
Deadspin's official draftnik for 2009 will be "KOGOD" aka "Unsilent Majority" aka "Baby KOGODINO." He will live blog until he falls asleep in a comfy chair covered in peanut shells and Velveeta. Have fun with him. [KSK]...

LeBron, Meet Your New Teammate: Shaquille O'Neal
The Cavaliers and Suns have reached a deal in principle to send Shaquille O'Neal to the Land of LeBron, Yahoo! Sports reports. Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic and a pick to Phoenix. No confirmation from @THE_REAL_SHAQ yet. [Yahoo!, Twitter]...

Phil Jackson Only Interested In Coaching Home Games
Jackson says he would consider letting assistant Kurt Rambis coach some road games next season, so that the old man wouldn't have to travel so much. And maybe Kobe could only play on even-numbered Saturdays! [ESPN]...

Jay Feely Would Like To Set The Record Straight
"I have never said I believed Obama to be a socialist Muslim. It does bother me he is unwilling to defend America's greatness." [JayFeely]...

Why Twitter Is More Fun The Less You Use It
I started my Twitter account while sitting in the Twitter offices in San Francisco, interviewing Twitter head honchos Evan Williams and Biz Stone for this big feature story. I didn't know what Twitter was, though people thought I did....

USC Knows How To Pick Coaches
Trojan athletic director Mike Garrett says he'll put his hiring record up against anybody's record, provided that record doesn't include all the coaches who turned him down before he was stuck with Pete Carroll....

When On Hannity, Jay Feely Does As The Hannitys Do
What's new with Jay Feely? Well, he eagled the par-5 eighth at Liberty National on Monday, and he's all fired up. Oh, and later that day, he went on Hannity and told the nation he's scared of President Obama....

Tough Week For Phillies Fans All Around
First you have Marco Scutaro nabbing second after a walk as the Phillies infield snoozes, then you have two broads bashing each other in the stands at CBP because they're so distraught over it. [The Fightins]...

Financial Scammer Robs NHL Players To Throw Raunchy Parties For MLB Greats (And Joe Morgan)
There are many tales of financial woe to emerge from our economic meltdown, but few are more bizarre than the developer who bilked NHL players out of millions of dollars—only to lavish it on ex-baseball players?...