pr Page 624 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Did Mesut Özil Actually Suck Last Year? Whose Fault Was That?
It was easy to blame Mesut Özil, because it's easy to blame any athlete for anything. But last year, it was particularly easy to blame Mesut Özil. He arrived under the halo of his record £42.5 million fee at Arsenal, implicitly anointing him Savior, a title that almost always preempts failure....

Mauro Zárate Drills Home Magnificent Volley Off The Deflection
West Ham United took a 1-0 lead on Crystal Palace today when Mauro Zárate—in his first start for a new squad—lined up a volley after a sky-high deflection of a shot from teammate Mark Noble....

Matt Simms Celebrates Touchdown Pass With Salsa Dancing
Fans who tuned into tonight's Big Apple Derby between the Giants and Jets might have expected to see some salsa dancing from G-Men receiver Victor Cruz. That didn't happen, but the Jets' scrub QB Matt Simms filled in the gap with some terrific white dude moves after a late-game touchdown heave to Gr...

How Philly's Little Leaguers Reclaimed "Taney" From America's Shame
You may never hear from Mo'ne Davis again. But even so, she and her teammates have already accomplished something amazing: They've taken back the name "Taney" from history's shit list. In a wonderful stroke of ironic resonance, the name that now evokes a mixed-race, inner-city little league team tha...

The Darkest Knight
Dig this profile of Frank Miller by Sean Howe for Wired:...

Complaint: Le'Veon Bell Had No Idea He Could Get A DUI For Weed
WPXI in Pittsburgh has obtained and released part of the criminal complaint for Wednesday arrest of Steelers running backs Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount in Ross Township, outside of Pittsburgh. Yesterday, just before they played in a preseason game against the Eagles, the two were formally char...

Premier League Text Message Scandal Is Making Everybody Stupid
May you never have to be defended by Harry Redknapp. ...

Shea Weber Can't Find The Net
Here's a really worrying portent for the accuracy of Shea Weber's slapshot, as tweeted out by teammate Seth Jones:...

British Skip Bayless Has A Strong Take On Mario Balotelli
We'll have more on this as an actual soccer move when (if?) it becomes official, but it's looking pretty near certain that AC Milan striker/international style icon Mario Balotelli will be returning to the Premier League, slotting in at Liverpool to replace Luis Suárez. Chris Bascombe over at the Te...

Search For <em>MILF Island</em>: On Reality TV's Extreme-Matchmaking Revolution
According to IMDB, many people who like VH1's new self-explanatory reality show Dating Naked have also enjoyed a 2000 home video titled Totally Nude Aerobics. Which makes sense: Both titillate via strategic pixilation. What's different this time is the tantalizing prospect of watching real human...

Giants Protest Rain-Shortened Loss, Win First Appeal In MLB Since 1986
This is neat. Thanks to the tarp shenanigans at Wrigley Field Tuesday night, the Giants-Cubs game was called after a four-hour and 34-minute delay. With four-and-a-half innings in the books and the field an unplayable mess, crew chief Hunter Wendelstedt called the game, and awarded the Cubs a 2-0 wi...

The Lady Was A Champ
The latest from Michael Brick over at SB Nation:...

A Conversation With Phillip Roth
Check out this 1974 interview from the Ontario Review with Joyce Carol Oates and Phillip Roth....

Poll Results: What's A Sport And What's Not?
Here, visualized, the results of a poll that are as interesting as they are unscientific. Click expand and commence arguing over what makes something a sport as opposed to a game or an activity....

How Chelsea's Missing Piece Fell Into Their Lap
Yesterday, Chelsea kicked off their season against Premier League minnows Burnley. When the match started, their new, star midfielder Cesc Fàbregas looked strange, out of place donned in blue. He didn't seem like he fit. ...

Washington Players Paid Tribute To Michael Brown
Last night, Washington's defensive backs entered the field with their hands held high, a silent but striking tribute to Michael Brown, the unarmed 18-year-old shot to death by police in Ferguson, Mo., earlier this month....

32 Paragraphs About 32 Teams: A Thinking Fan's Guide To The NFL Season
The following is excerpted from the team chapters of the always-excellent Football Outsiders Almanac. Buy it here....

Chelsea, <em>Hot Damn</em>
It's too early to declare something a goal of the year contender...right?...

Al Pacino And Paul Pierce Chilling On A Private Jet
After all these years, Al Pacino finally found The Truth...and justice for all. ...

West Ham Idiot Runs Length Of Pitch, Takes Free Kick For Spurs
An Idiot On The Field invaded the pitch at Upton Park today, and made the most of his time in the spotlight: he took a crucial free kick for the visiting Tottenham Hotspur....