sports Page 880 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

The Last, Best Sports Staff
A long, long time ago, when writers puffed on cigars in the press box and sipped scotches with their sources, the best sports journalism lived in print. And nobody did it better than The Boston Globe....

Yes, The Jonas Brothers Were On SportsCenter Last Night
Earlier this week, Sports Media Journal questioned the purpose of hosting SportsCenter in Los Angeles, prompting ESPN flacks to defend the move, in part, by citing "additional access to sports and entertainment celebrities." Like the Jonas Brothers!...

Make Some Space On Your CBS Sports Fantasy Teams
Stephen Strasburg wasn't one of The Chosen Ones, but he is otherworldy enough to be one of Washington's starting pitchers before the MLB Draft. In all fairness, CBS' geeksquad was probably just prepping for summer vacation. [CBS Sports]...

Tracking Bryce Harper's Moonshot
Sports Illustrated claims that Chosen Person Bryce Harper, as a 15-year-old, hit a 570-foot home run in Las Vegas, an anecdote that is equal parts Sidd Finch, Paul Bunyan and Jesus. And I'll be damned: It just might be true....

A Portrait Of The Columnist As A Young Virgin
Long before John Rocker offered him his thoughts on New York City transit, SI.com columnist Jeff Pearlman was a rosy-cheeked collegian who was more than happy to share his sexual habits with the world....

<em>Sports Illustrated</em>'s Many, Many Chosen Ones
Here's the cover of the new Sports Illustrated, in which 16-year-old Bryce Harper is declared the "Chosen One." Sound familiar? It should....

<em>Sports Illustrated South Africa</em> Distances Itself From Hitlery Ad Campaign
Remember that rather gauche Sports Illustrated South Africa fake-cover ad campaign? The one with Der Führer getting the ol' SI jinx dropped on his head? Well, the magazine now claims it didn't like the ads, either....

<em>Sports Illustrated South Africa</em>'s Quirky New Ad Campaign: Black Panthers, Hitler
It can't be easy marketing an American-style sports magazine in a country only 15 years removed from apartheid, which is probably why Sports Illustrated South Africa feels the need to give the hard sell now. By which I mean, Hitler....

Only The British Can Make Soccer Sound Like Fellatio
The Guardian, liveblogging Barca-Man U: "Stroke … pass … triangle … slide-rule pass … back-heel … tip … tap … slide-rule pass … neat triangle … neat triangle … neat triangle … through-ball … languid stroke … flick … trap … deft touch … chest … clatter … hoof." [Guardian]...

Whoops, Sports Aren't So Recession-Proof After All
Turns out, it's proving difficult for the next Theo Epsteins and Jerry Maguires to catapult from frat parties to their dream jobs, so they're stuck cleaning minor league stadiums and taking unpaid internships at women's tennis tournaments. Tell me about it. I would write more, but Daulerio needs lun...

The Evil Umpire: Who Once Called Pitches For Randy Johnson?
Tom Verducci wrote up Randy Johnson in last week's Sports Illustrated and included this odd — and oddly unnoticed — anecdote:...

Patriots Team Up With State Lotto; NFL Conveniently Forgets That It Pretends To Hate Gambling
Remember the NFL's feigned outrage over sports gambling in Delaware? All that sanctimonious stuff about tarnishing the game's image and leading children to degenerate lives of laying the points with the Pats on the road? Well, apparently none of that applies to state-run lotteries....

In Praise Of Dr. Z
In an otherwise touching account of Monday's benefit for the stricken Dr. Z, Peter King shares this depressing detail: "It's been almost six months since he's spoken, and he can't write, and he can't read."...

The Sportswriting Of Malcolm Gladwell Reaches A Tipping Point
By now, you've probably made it through all three parts of the Simmons-Gladwell ESPN.com tandem bike ride. Let's thin-slice! Here's my reaction: Could Malcolm Gladwell please stick to being wrong about dog trainers and Enron?...

The Fighting Sioux Will Fight No More
North Dakota will drop its Native American-inspired nickname and logo next year. My vote for the new mascot: The Communists. [FOXNews]...

USC Athletics Not Entirely Above Board
Are you sitting down for this? It seems that USC—the Trojans!—might not be the most outstanding citizens in the world of college recruiting. Set your faces to stunned....

Sports League Built On Backs Of Gamblers Makes Token Effort To Stop Sports Gambling in Delaware
So it appears the Delaware sports betting bill will be signed into law later this week. And, on cue, the NFL is making a big production of being outraged....

Is EA Sports Robbing College Athletes?
The college version of EA's Madden juggernaut does not use actual players in their game (wink, wink), but there are some who think the amateurs are getting screwed out of that sweet video game money....

Sportswriting Declared Dead. Again.
Next month's Texas Monthly has a story about the death of sportswriting. It's official: Writing about the death of sportswriting is finally dead....