v Page 3262 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Accompanying The Heat And Tom Petty To The NBA Finals...
And your NBA Finals are set: It's old school vs. new school. It's a friendly, non-threatening German vs. The Diesel. It's a young, energetic, wide-smiling head coach vs. a crusty old man who hasn't smiled since 1983....

For Your Sunday Afternoon Viewing Pleasure...
12:00, NBC: Tennis. French Open, Third Round. Kick back with a croissant and enjoy the tape-delay action. 1:00, TBS: MLB. Arizona Diamondbacks @ Atlanta Braves. The D'backs are looking for the four-game sweep. 2:00, ESPN2: LPGA Golf. Shoprite Classic, Final Round. Ai Miyazato leads. I'm a huge fan...

Taking Steps Towards Shaq...
A Dallas win tonight could set up a Finals matchup between two of the most media-friendly guys in the league: Shaquille O'Neal and Mark Cuban. I believe it would be the first appearance in the NBA Finals for any team that was owned by a man with his own blog....

Ross Verba Is Once Again Employed
Ross Verba is an NFL offensive lineman. Well, he used to be, and then he wasn't, and now, I suppose he is again. Here's a quick list of things you should know about Ross Verba:...

Leftovers...
• An in-depth rundown of the American World Cup roster, including superhero comparisons for many of our players. Landon Donovan is Spiderman, sometimes saving the world, and sometimes "an annoying nerd." [That's On Point]...

For Your Saturday Afternoon Viewing Pleasure...
1:00, ESPN2: LPGA Golf. Shoprite Classic, Second Round. Annika Sorenstam's in the lead. That's right. Annika Sorenstam. 1:00, MTV2: Cribs Block Party. Most Valuable Players: Boarders, Ballers & Shot-Callers. It sounds like there may be an athlete involved here. I'm not sure. Does "boarder" mean "r...

Week In Deadspin: He Sees All
• Carl Monday, Freedom Fighter. • George Bodenheimer is a fool for romance. • Larry Hughes puts his clothes where his heart is. • How have we survived without Roger Clemens in our lives? • Your two-time NBA MVP. • Carson Palmer, cornholer. • We have World Cup fever, and we're not the least bit ash...

Leftovers: Praising Barkley And The Gang
• Why "Inside The NBA" is one of the best shows on television. [The New Republic] • Boy, the Phillies Eagles are doing anything they can to solve that wide receiver problem. [Philadelphia Will Do] • Man, Jim Caple is still doing that "24 College Avenue" series. [JimCaple.com] • Yeah, AJ Nicholson is...

World Cup Preview: Group C
The World Cup is almost here! So that you aren't caught flat-footed, we're previewing each group, in no particular order, to explain why your team has no chance to win (you'll thank us later). Today: Group C! If you have any thoughts on a particular group, send them to [email protected]. Our opera...

Is It Good To Be Dirk Nowitzki?
We've figured out why Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki, despite scoring 50 points in a Game 5 victory of massive import and generally making that leap into alpha dog status that we require of all our superstars, always fails to appropriately inspire us the way that, say, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade...

Phoenix, Dallas Rev 'Er Up Again
The two guys, in this Associated Press photo taken from Game 2 of the Dallas-Phoenix series, are, according to the caption, examples of how fans "are drawn to intense game situations because of their need for a competitive outlet and get rowdy at games because they want to feel involved, say exper...

Leftovers: Defending Arenas
• The real story of Gilbert Arenas' arrest. (The scoop: He doesn't seem to have done anything wrong.) [Washington Post] • Outstanding heckler Bryan Trottier hired by Islanders. [TSN] • Those scuffling Mavericks and their wives ... [Fox Sports] • Seriously, how did everyone miss on Tayshaun Prince? [...

World Cup Preview: Group G
The World Cup is almost here! So that you aren't caught flat-footed, we're previewing each group, in no particular order, to explain why your team has no chance to win (you'll thank us later). Today: Group G! If you have any thoughts on a particular group, send them to [email protected]. Our opera...

Question Seems Perfectly Logical To Us
Former Minnesota Twins Bert Blyleven occassionally takes time out of pleading for Hall of Fame election — justifiably, if you ask us — to broadcast Twins games for Fox Sports. The other evening, he was put in the unfortunate position of having to talk to former "American Idol" contest Ace Young (a...

With Nothing Between Sanity And Madness But A Thin Layer of Polyester
In truth, Kellia Ramares is dangerously obsessed. The middle-aged woman from Berkeley, Calif. has an unlikely fixation on Diamondbacks outfielder Eric Byrnes, in a way that prompted us recently to purchase an extra deadbolt for our back door, for no real tangible reason, just because. But as Ramar...

Leftovers: A Soccer Goalie Goal?
• The most impressive soccer goal you'll see for a while. [YouTube] • Jim Thome would like to take a road trip to ... Hawaii? [Philadelphia Will Do] • That Pat Croce ... what a character! [CNN] • Rudy Seanez is an ultimate fighter, apparently. [Nicholas Gannon] • This is FIFA's new twist on "media r...

The Virtual Ghost Of Scott Kazmir
One of our favorite aspects of this here Internets is something that should be self-evident: Its inherent appeal to obsessives. No matter what you care about, there's someone out there who cares just as much, probably more. Get it out there, someone will find you. We wonder, sometimes, if the Web ...

World Cup Preview: Group A
The World Cup is almost here! So that you aren't caught flat-footed, we're previewing each group, in no particular order, to explain why your team has no chance to win (you'll thank us later). Today: Group A! If you have any thoughts on a particular group, send them to [email protected]. Operators...

Steve Nash's Monstrous Chest Hair. See It. Love It.
A site we'd never heard of — but was probably inevitable — called Drunk Athletes has typically just posted the warmed-over Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Leinart, Dirk Nowitzki drunk pictures we've all seen countless times. Must give them credit today, though, because they dredged one up that was new to u...

Scott Sauerbeck Apologizes To His "Fans"
So, for those who might have missed it yesterday, Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Scott Sauerbeck was arrested with a female companion after weaving drunkenly through traffic and then hiding in some bushes behind a house. (That's his mugshot, there.) No explanation had been given for the sudden d...