mad Page 112 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Why "Madden" Designers Watch More Game Film Than John Madden
Meet the EA Sports designer who puts together the playbooks for Madden football games. He's the reason you need a three-year NFL assistant's gig to figure out the damn game. [Sports Prose]...

The Deadspin Pub Celebrates El Clasico
Barcelona is on the road to face Real Madrid in El Clasico, the marquee match on this weekend's schedule. Plus a full slate of action in the English Premier League....

The Hideki Irabu Era Is Not Over Yet
When last we heard of Japanese pitching sensation Hideki Irabu, he was drinking beer by the barrel and slugging bartenders back in his homeland. That was apparently just the warmup for his stateside comeback....

Troy Polamalu And Larry Fitzgerald Are Your New Madden Cover Boys
Both of them can't suffer knee injuries this year can they? [MaddenNFl10]...

Kevin McHale: Global Warming Denialist?
"25 years ago it was Global Cooling and they were telling us we were going to freeze to death....so when they tell you all about global warming don't worry about it." [Mad Dog Blog]...

Lest We Forget, More Than One Career Ended On Thursday
The retirement of John Madden, sadly, means his chief imitator is also surely consigned to the scrap heap. And so, fare thee well: Thou never shalt hear Frank Caliendo any more....

John Madden Retiring
Darren Rovell of CNBC just dropped it. It's time for the Cris Collinsworth era to begin. [NBCSports]...

Time Running Out To Bid On Bernie Madoff's Mets Tickets
Bernie Madoff's Opening Day Mets tickets are now on sale. Don't worry; nine innings with the San Diego Padres will only seem like a prison sentence....

Things Got A Bit Nuts In Chapel Hill Monday Night
I'm not good at estimating crowds, but there must be at least 200 people down there on the intersection of Franklin and Columbia. (Give or take 30,000.) Street signs were destroyed, things were set ablaze, and high-voltage infrastructure was heroically scaled. What is it about mobs that makes them l...

An Oddly Fitting End To Detroit's Final Four
All week long we heard about how much this game meant for the city of Detroit. Since the "Detroit" team was left a humbled, burned-out shell of its former self, I'd say that's appropriate....

North Carolina-Michigan State Live Blog
This one's for all the General Motors, laddies. Will it be the Tar Heels? Or the Tar Heels? Then again, the Tar Heels could pull it out. Time will tell....

Mayor Of Indianapolis Receives Hospitality, Detroit Style
Here's one last feel good story from the Final Four. Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard was robbed on the streets of Detroit after leaving Ford Field on Saturday night. Perfect....

Tom Izzo: The Early Years
Here's a great find: Tom Izzo's first day as a coach at Ispheming High School in 1977. His jacket scored 12 points. [The Daily Drink]...

It's Not So Cold In The D
Oh, did something happen last night? Right ... the basketball games. I almost forgot about that!...

Tyler Hansbrough, In All His White Doughy Glory
While watching the UNC-Oklahoma game with a friend who knows nothing about college basketball, she suddenly blurted out, "What's wrong with that guy's face? Why won't he close his mouth?"...

Siena's Drunk, Rowdy Fans Are Not Welcome Back To Ohio
The Siena Saints pulled off one of the more memorable wins over Ohio State in the NCAA tournament this year, but the behavior of their fans didn't do anything to endear themselves to local Ohioans....

This Is Not The Way To Watch The NCAA Tournament
This was the view I had of the Elite Eight games this weekend ... from my hospital bed. Don't worry—all the channels didn't come in that badly—only the one showing college basketball....

North Carolina Meets Oklahoma In A Test Of Round Ball Athletic Skill
And so it comes down to this: Your success in the office pool hinges on one man, as it always does. Time for Roy Williams, Destroyer of Dreams, Eater of $10 bills. [Sporting News]...

NCAA Sweet 16: (1) North Carolina vs. (4) Gonzaga
East Region: No. 1 North Carolina (30-4) vs. No. 4 Gonzaga (28-5) When: Thursday, 9:57 p.m., EDT Where: FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS 1) Make it Wayne Let's get this out of the way for those waking from comas: Tyler Hansbrough is the ACC's all-time leading scorer and Tywo...

NCAA Sweet 16: (2) Michigan State vs. (3) Kansas
West Region: No. 2 Michigan State (28-6) vs. No. 3 Kansas (27-7) When: Thursday, 9:37 p.m., EDT Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS 1) START THE CLOCK! I would like to thank Pete for reminding me about one of the darkest moments in MSU basketball history. (See b...