ja Page 692 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

At This Rate, There Will Be A Whitlock Channel In 2009
The Don Imus controversy has been very very good to Jason Whitlock... and it might only be getting better. Whitlock revealed yesterday that WFAN had been in touch with him about taking over the old Imus time slot. He talked about it on the air with Mike Francesa and Chris Russo (currently covering t...

Free Darko Playoff Pants Party: Jazz Vs. Rockets
With Wednesday night's wrapup of the regular season, the playoff matchups are set. There are eight conference quarterfinal contests, and the whole shebang kicks off this tomorrow....

Whitlock Called Out By His Old Network
So our old pal Jason Whitlock was all over the media last week, transferring his singular brand of bonjangling-calling-out from Scoop Jackson to Al Sharpton. It was his big media moment, and a lot of folks, including ESPN Magazine general manager Keith T. Clinkscales, aren't too happy with him....

Those Red Sox Fans Sure Do Travel Well
Thanks to The Tao Of Stieb, we present you this video from the Blue Jays-Red Sox game in Toronto. We didn't know men named Sully were allowed north of the border....

Apparently, The Weather Was Warm In LA This Weekend
Over the weekend, the University of Southern California athletics department hosted a fundraiser for physically challenged athletes. Ostensibly, the highlight was supposed to be a swim race between USC coach Pete Carroll and, uh, physically challenged athlete Will Carroll Ferrell, but it turns out t...

Marlon Wayans And Jeff Kent Remember Jackie Robinson
You know, nothing says Honoring Jackie Robinson than making his wife pose for an incredibly awkward photo with Bud Selig. (As if there are any other kind with that guy.) Seriously, this guy is the commissioner of Major League Baseball, and every photo of him makes him look like Professor Frink....

USC Will Be The Most Popular Basketball Team Among Nickelodeon Viewers
High school basketball phenom O.J. Mayo is most likely going to USC for one year and then bouncing to the NBA, and everyone thinks it's because that's what O.J. Mayo wants to do. Not so. Mayo's leaving after one year because he's afraid to suffer the indignity of losing his starting job to the artis...

Remembering what Jackie Robinson meant, and who he was
As we prepare for Jackie Robinson Day in baseball on Sunday — the Cardinals, among other teams, are considering having every player wear No. 42, which gives us the unique opportunity of seeing David Eckstein and Brad Thompson pay tribute to Jackie — we thought we would provide our own tribute to a g...

Blue Jays Not Afraid To Have Fun With Banned Cartoonish Violence
Well, maybe Canadians are too iffy about the violent striking of children to let the now infamous Frank Thomas pillow commercial hit the air, but that doesn't mean the Blue Jays can't still have some fun with it....

I Can Go With Both Hands, Myself
I'm sorry, Nate Funk, but you are no longer my favorite Creighton athlete. That honor now belongs to Pat Venditte, a pitcher on the Creighton baseball team that can pitch with either hand. From the New York Times:...

Cultural Oddsmaker: Who's the Next Minor League Mascot to Get All Dirty?
AJ Daulerio's Cultural Oddsmaker runs every Friday. Email him to let him know what you think....

It's Possible Garret Anderson Might Be Missing The Point A Bit
Several prominent black baseball players — not that many to choose from anymore — have taken the opportunity to honor Jackie Robinson by wearing No. 42 on April 15, the 60th anniversary of Jackie's first day in the bigs. (It was initially Ken Griffey Jr.'s idea, though, sadly, coming up with it caus...

If Frank Thomas Can't Hit A Child, What Good Is He?
As anyone who understands comedy can tell you, the sight of a small child in pain is the zenith of modern mirth. Which is why it's such a shame that this Blue Jays commercial with Frank Thomas has been banned by Canadian television....

NBA Roundup: The Kid's In The Hall
Phil Jackson, the greatest basketball coach that the state of North Dakota has ever produced, was on Monday sent straight to the Basketball Hall of Fame in his first year of consideration. We assume that it wasn't for his tenure coaching the Albany Patroons. Jackson of course won six titles with the...

Your AL East "Preview"
All right, whether you're ready for it or not, baseball is starting Sunday night. (The Mets will watch the Cardinals raise their World Series title flag. The Cardinals won the World Series last year.) The full slate of games kick off Monday, so we figured it was time to start previewing some divisio...

Your Long National Nightmare Is Over
Over the weekend, Pro Football Talk reported that everybody's favorite mathematician Joe Theismann was likely out as Monday Night Football "analyst," with his likely replacement being the infinitely superior Ron Jaworski. Today, The New York Times gets in on the act, confirming it with ESPN sources....

But Who Will Exchange Witty Banter With Jim Belushi?
You may have seen the last of Joe "Norman Einstein" Theismann in the Monday Night Football booth. Pro Football Talk is reporting that Theismann is out, and will be replaced by the great Ron Jaworski....

The Kansas/UCLA Open Thread
Kansas vs. UCLA will be tipping any time now. Hopefully, that one will make this one look like the JV game. There's no shortage of history and tradition there, of course, as will be mentioned during the obligatory shot of Bill Walton in the stands with his tiny Asian wife....

Sweet 16 Pants Party: North Carolina Vs. USC
North Carolina Tar Heels (30-6) vs. Southern California Trojans (25-11) When: 9:57 p.m. ET Where: East Rutherford, N.J....

Sweet 16 Pants Party: Kansas Vs. Southern Illinois
Kansas Jayhawks (32-4) vs. Southern Illinois Salukis (29-6) When: 7:10 p.m. ET Where: San Jose...