st Page 2015 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

The Howie Spira Audio Archive
At nearly every turn in Howie Spira's tangled and antagonistic history, there was a phone call. And on the phone calls, he had his tape recorder. Howie's cassettes captured his rift with Dave Winfield, his conniving with George Steinbrenner, and his turn against Steinbrenner. They captured threats f...

The Last Act Of The Notorious Howie Spira
Howard Spira appeared in the Gawker offices one summer day as if summoned from the beyond, which in some sense he had been. He just stood there, anxiously clutching a black plastic bag, his enormous green eyes sweeping the room. His skin had the hue of a life spent mostly indoors and in poor health....

Meet Sgt. Stripes, One Very Unsettling Bowl Mascot
Let me tell you about the worst football game I've ever been to: it was Temple vs UCLA at RFK Stadium, in the 2009 EagleBank Bowl (the forerunner to the Military Bowl). It was well below freezing, it was windy, the stadium was empty, there were rats in the bathroom, my team lost, and I actually paid...

Howie Spira's Letters
Click in the lower right corner of the image to see it all....

The Big 12 Is Already Cheating On West Virginia With Louisville
So much for this. From The New York Times:...

Spotted: Albert Pujols, Yesterday, At Best Buy, In A Sleeveless Shirt, Buying <em>Captain America</em> On DVD
An esteemed sports author noted earlier this year that Albert Pujols wouldn't make a very interesting profile subject. Think again, kids! The Cards' first-baseman-cum-best-hitter-alive is a strange, adorable creature....


The Monster.com For Locked-Out Basketball Players
Lots of hoopsters will spend the lockout overseas—we told you about six-foot-nine human cannoli Brian Scalabrine, who is wrecking the Italian league, and Nets guard Deron Williams, who'll be hanging in Turkey. But there are others who don't have the immediate name recognition of Scal and Deron, and ...

Tony La Russa's Illusion Of Genius
The Classical launches in November, but the cruel folks behind it love baseball way too much to let the World Series pass without comment. Throughout the series, its writers will do a daily diary for Deadspin. Keep tabs on us @Classical....

Rajon Rondo Delivers The Realest Analysis Of The NBA Lockout Yet
"It's just boring." [Kentucky Kernel]...

Today In Well-Intentioned But Terribly Misguided Promotions
Depression is a serious problem, but tying the fight against it to a Wednesday night football game involving two teams from the Big East probably isn't the most ideal marketing strategy. [via @PantherLair]...

Don King Pops Down To Occupy Wall Street To Show Support, Famous Hair Erection
Courtesy of AnimalNY comes the latest celebrity sighting at Zucotti Park. King told Animal reporter Bucky Turco he's visiting the dirty 99% because their movement represents "Americana" and mumbled some stuff about the First Amendment. Only in a plutocracy! [AnimalNY]...

Vince Young Allegedly Gets Angry When You Deny Him $8,000 In One-Dollar Bills
The Dallas strip club manager who was assaulted by Vince Young over a year ago is now adjusting the narrative of the altercation because he would like some money for it—possibly in the form of dollar bills. Creiton Kinchen's lawsuit says that he did not provoke the Eagles backup by flashing an upsid...

Of Bad Mechanics And Torn Testicles; Or, Why I Love Adrian Beltre
The Classical launches in November, but the cruel folks behind it love baseball way too much to let the World Series pass without comment. Throughout the series, its writers will do a daily diary for Deadspin. Keep tabs on us @Classical....

Penn Tries To Reconcile NCAA Tourney Tradition With Fact That They Don't Make The NCAA Tourney Anymore
Back in 1969, UPenn began "The Line." The day before season tickets would go on sale, thousands of students would camp out overnight in the Palestra to be first in line. On Friday night, for the 2011 edition of The Line, 50 fans showed....

If You Have A Hard-On For Baseball-As-Talisman, The Bill Buckner Ball Is Up For Sale
As if I needed to tell you, today is the 25th anniversary of Darryl Strawberry's second inning, one-out walk against Roger Clemens in game 6 of the 1986 World Series. Oh, you didn't realize that? Maybe you're not that big of a baseball fan after all....

Joe Torre Says The Baseball Season Is Too Damn Long To Ask Players Not To Drink Through It
Every morning, the fine folks at Sports Radio Interviews sift through the a.m. drive-time chatter to bring you the best interviews with coaches, players, and personalities across the sports landscape. Today: Torre steps back from policing beer in the clubhouse....

Christian Laettner Is Still Trolling The State Of Kentucky, Even In Charity Games
Christian Laettner is not particularly popular in the state of Kentucky. Indeed, it's argued he's the most hated man in the state, a characterization that reflects both Kentucky's basketball-first attitude and its long memory (it's been nearly 20 years since Laettner hit the buzzer-beater that led...

Attention Oddibe McDowell: Your Water Bill Is Past Due
Via Broward County Water and Wastewater Services. Earlier coverage of Oddibe McDowell's water bill:...

West Virginia To The Big 12 Means The Big East Might Be Coming After Your Grade School
So much for all of that Big East solidarity talk in the wake of Pitt's and Syracuse's departures. Here it is one month later, and word is out that the Mountaineers have "applied and are accepted" as members of the Big 12. Pete Thamel of the New York Times played it straight by adding this: "The onl...