nf Page 1118 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Somehow, Michael Jackson Was Partly Responsible For Magic Johnson's Greatness
I applaud Magic Johnson's ability to personalize it: "the way he controlled the band...the stage." But I'm sure he'd use the same approach if he were eulogizing a painter or a vacuum cleaner repairman. [Gawker]...

The Death Of Steve McNair And The War Against Cliché
The eulogies to Steve McNair are pouring in from all points on the compass, and one word seems to be showing up again and again. You know which one: "warrior."...

Oh, Jason, You've Really Gone And Done It Now...
Jason Whitlock wrote a face-slapper of a column about Serena Williams where he says things like this: "I am not fundamentally opposed to junk in the trunk, although my preference is a stuffed onion over an oozing pumpkin." Jezebels...ATTACK!...

Tomorrow Is The First Day To Watch Young People In Red Scarves Get Gored
Yes, right about now, 95% of the inhabitants of tiny Pamplona, Spain are getting good and sloshed to prepare for the annual San Fermin "religious" festival where large creatures are loosed upon Hemingway-inspired college kids through a wooden maze. Par-tay....

Long Snapper Pays Price For Saints' Poor Investment Decisions
Kevin Houser has played in every Saints game since 2000—only hiking the ball on kicks, but still—yet he was abruptly cut last week for no apparent reason. Unless you count failed investments that cost his teammates $2 million....

And Now Let's Dive Into This Bizarre Steve McNair Situation
First it was a double homicide. Then it was murder-suicide. Now it's just tragic and sad. And TMZ has pictures of the doomed couple parasailing....
![Steve McNair Found Shot to Death [UPDATE]](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/18j5kaupymhsojpg.jpg)
Steve McNair Found Shot to Death [UPDATE]
No joke. A Nashville news channel is reporting he was shot to death in downtown Nashville. A female has also been found dead. More obviously as soon as we know anything. Terrible, terrible news....

College Football's Career Passing Yards Leader Arrested for Allegedly Throwing Video Camera On Roof
There has to be more to the story than that. And there is!...

New, Fancy-Talking NFLPA Boss Knows His Shakespeare, Young Jeezy
DeMaurice Smith, the rookie executive director of what's left of the NFLPA, is dropping some serious oratory on his constituents these days, name-checking Hamlet, Nicolas Sarkozy, Napoleon, Iran and Young Jeezy, all in one speech. He's the realest!...

For Tony Romo, Fans Fumble Golf Etiquette
Tiger Woods teed off today with Tony Romo in his pro-am at Congressional Country Club. In Washington D.C. Spectators don't really like Tony Romo there, so they boo him. But Jessica Simpson — she's OK anywhere. [D.C. Sports Bog]...

The Plump, Svelte, Spirituelle And Statuesque Girls In Their Summer Dresses
Even in 1909, women-watching was the true appeal of a Princeton-Yale baseball game — especially for the venerable newspapermen who chronicled the "rattling good" game. [The Sexist]...

Why The "New" Alleged Steroids List Is A Crock
Yesterday, RotoInfo posted this widely forwarded "rumored 2003 Steroid list," which purported to enumerate the 104 players who flunked baseball's anonymous round of drug testing that year. Don't believe a word of it....

Anna Kournikova Reportedly Gets Shovey With Other Woman At Vegas Bar, Anonymous Bar Patron Says
The New York Post is reporting that former tennis person Anna Kournikova had a drink tossed on her at a Vegas nightclub which resulted in a mild lady-on-lady altercation....

Tim Lincecum's Haircut Is Now Self-Aware
Randy Johnson has had a tremendous impact on the San Francisco Giants' pitching staff, but not because of his experience and wisdom. It's because he has youngsters like Tim Lincecum believing in the power of the mullet....

John Feinstein Has Bypass Surgery
Feinstein, author of 4,285 books and a new, now poignantly named blog, writes: "The angiogram showed 'four to six,' blockages in my heart-one of them 100 percent." He went under the knife yesterday. [Feinstein on the Brink]...

He's Not A Coffeenerd, But Trent Green Loves His Kids And Niagara Falls
"It's one thing to play football in front of 80,000 fans on Sundays, but it's quite another to write about it knowing 1.5 million of you are used to a pro like Peter King." [SI.com]...

Hirshey: The Gulf Is Closing, But Not THAT Quickly
David Hirshey is the former soccer expert around these parts and one of the world-famous Soccer Jews. He talked to me, Emeritus, about yesterday's U.S. soccer loss to Brazil....

So We All Still Love Soccer Now, Right?
Does anyone know when the next USA soccer game is? Because unless it's this Wednesday*, I'm guessing our nation may have trouble parlaying the magical Confederations Cup showing into a nationwide love affair with the sport....

Brazilians. Yankees. Open Thread (Holy Crap, We're Winning Tied Losing We Lost)
It's the first annual Thrillerbowl, as the U.S. goes for their biggest soccer win ever. (Were you born in 1950? I didn't think so.) Follow in the comments, check the liveblogs, and watch out for the bees. [ESPN/Unprofessional Foul/Sporting News]...

The Answer Is None. None More Black
Athletes want to be musicians. Maybe they're not getting enough groupies on their day job, but the urge for a player to also be a troubadour seems overwhelming. Oftentimes Every time, it's a failure (I'm looking at you, Deion)....