john Page 230 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Athlete Run-Ins: Smokin' John Elway
We only have one athlete run-in story today, because it's the day after Thanksgiving and we're taking a half day. Wednesday's Scott Podsednik story was excellent — though it had a few people wondering if Podsednik had a legitimate, serious alcohol problem — but today's brings up something we alway...

Baseball Owners And Their Emoticons
In yet another example of how Red Sox fans are so frighteningly devoted that they can get the people who run their team to do anything, Red Sox owner John Henry showed up on Sons Of Sam Horn yesterday to respond to various fans' questions. Say what you will about the coldness of Red Sox management...

Chad Johnson Loves Even Non-Lesbian Cheerleaders
We know the Bengals lost yesterday, but it's pretty obvious now that Chad Johnson is our favorite player in the NFL. He has brought a new, brilliant quality to touchdown celebrations: The backstory. Earlier this year, Johnson did the Riverdance against the Bears that might very well have been mock...

The Mystery AL 'Roider: Sheffield, Says You
The results are in from our poll asking you who the mystery steroid postseason AL outfielder was, and the winner: Yankees outfielder Gary Sheffield! We supposed we could have guessed that. Despite several commenters' insistence that it couldn't be Sheffield because the story was confirmed by the m...

Coles To Tell His Oprah-Worthy Tale On Oprah
Jets wide receiver Laveranues Coles spoke out last month about being molested by his stepfather, and tomorrow he will reap the inevitable glory: He'll talk about it on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." He will appear with an "entertainment reporter and Park Avenue socialite" who went through the same orde...

ESPN Proceeding With World Domination Plans
Big huge story in Business Week this week looking at the challenges facing ESPN Networks and ABC Sports president George Bodenheimer as the network looks for more opportunities to grow. (Because that's what ESPN needs: To be bigger.) The story is a fascinating look at a company — and a leader — th...

Randy Johnson, KILLER ROBOT
For those of you who haven't met him yet, Korean cartoonist Choi Hoon draws the most hysterical, inexplicable cartoons on the Web. Hoon, who says baseball is "the best sport of all" because "it has the most organized and systematic rules" (which is as good an explanation as we can come up with), m...

Meet The New ESPN Guy: John Skipper
See that guy right there? That's John Skipper, a guy of whom it is very difficult to find a picture online. (A helpful reader sent us this larger one; Mark Shapiro, on the other hand, was smiling and waving everywhere we looked.) Skipper is also the new guy in charge at ESPN. As first reported by ...

Chad Johnson's Evil Genius
Fans are still buzzing about Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson's inspired touchdown celebration against the Chicago Bears a couple of weeks ago, in which he aped Michael Flatley's Riverdance routine. Funny, definitely, and certainly original. But was it a quiet, brilliant rip on Bears linebacker ...

Those Raving, Chattery, Jittery Ballplayers
Remember that famous episode of "Family Ties," when Alex P. Keaton, way behind on his studying for his midterms, has to take speed to stay awake and ends up getting addicted? (Our favorite part is when he paints the hallway at 3:30 in the morning and installs an underground sprinkler system.) We'r...

Mark Shapiro's Many Missteps
As we continue to glance backward at ESPN alpha dog Mark Shapiro's tenure, we take a look back at some of the more serious missteps during his reign....

Congressional Steroid Hearings End Four Days Early
Wrapping Up The Congressional Steroid Hearings:...

We Watch Steroid Trials So You Don't Have To
We love you so much, that we're actually willing to sit through these Congressional steroid hearings, chaired by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who we still think could beat up the entire "Inside The NFL" staff in a fight. (We're not counting Bob Costas, who you totally know would just run away.) Any...

To Watch Tonight ...
What light through yonder window breaks? 'Tis Doritos, and this picante sauce is the sun ... • College FB: Tennessee at LSU. The only group of Volunteers who are not welcome in Louisiana. [ESPN2] • MNF: Chiefs at Broncos. If you have any idea what John Madden is talking about, please let us know. [A...

The NFL Wouldn't Let Us Give Money
Like all of you, we're sure, we were moved and stirred by the NFL's selfless Katrina Telethon last night. John Elway, answering phones! Frank Gifford! Danny Kanell! We were touched by the willingness of such sainted former football players to roll up their sleeves and pitch in; they were answering...

Leftovers: Take This Job And Shove It
• There is nothing more dangerous than an angry man in compression shorts: Lance Armstrong re-retires. [Instant Punditry] • Kim Clijsters' coach quits, perhaps in a huff, we're not sure. [tennisace] • Fantasy Prison Camp: Former Braves pitcher sent to the Gray Bar Hotel. [Atlanta Journal-Constitutio...

Groupies Cause Battery Feud
Some great fun from the is-it-fictional-or-not-who-cares? groupie blind item On the DL this morning. Here's today's highlight:...

We Hope You Like Joe Morgan
Bad news for those who are driven to murderous rage by the voice of ESPN analyst Joe Morgan: ESPN and Major League Baseball have extended their broacast agreement through 2013. Sunday Night Baseball with Morgan and Jon "Hey, Don't Look At Me, I Don't Know What The Hell He's Talking About Either" M...

Marvel: No Road Rage Here
Earlier, we reported — as much as we "report" anything — that ESPN.com "executive editor" John Marvel had left/been forced out of ESPN after an incident in the ESPN parking lot. Marvel apparently has his Finger On The Pulse Of The Sports World, because he saw the item and wanted to clarify some ma...

Executive Editor Bounced From ESPN.com
Do you know this man? His name is John Marvel, and he was vice president and executive editor of ESPN.com until very, very recently. But now the Bristol folks have canned him/asked him to resign, and a reliable tipster tells us it's because of what they're calling a "road rage incident in the ESPN...