yo Page 690 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Surgeons All Up In LeBron's Face
LeBron James had a benign growth removed from his jaw yesterday. The good news is that surgery went fine, but the bad news is that he refused to shake hands with his doctors. [AP]...

Howling Wolves And Scary Wizards Aren't Good Enough For Red Sox Nation
Got an image you'd like to see in here first thing in the morning? Send it to [email protected]. Subject: Morning crap...

Joyless Mike Breen Threatens To Make Boring Finals Even More Unbearable
Of the many reasons to feel generally blah about the upcoming Magic-Lakers series, there is, above all, this sad fact: Mike Breen, the only man who watches basketball and cheers for the refs, is still the voice of the NBA finals....

The New York Times Somehow Finds A Silly Reason To Loathe Yankee Stadium
Leave it to the Times — the publisher's kid, no less — to come up with one of the dumber reasons to hate the infinitely hateable Yankee Stadium: The kiddies can't get autographs anymore!...

David Ortiz Is Still Worth More Than General Motors
David Ortiz's putrid 2009 numbers — .185, 1 HR, 18 RBI, 48 strikeouts — don't qualify for a government bailout, as his statistics translate to an approximate worth on the free agent market of negative $5.2 million. At least he's more valuable than Delmon Young. [Fangraphs, via Simon on Sports]...

FIGJAM Returns, Some People Depart
This is actually good news for those who like golf and story lines ready-made for sports columnists aching to showcase their Nicholas Sparks technique: Phil Mickelson will return to the PGA Tour, including the U.S. Open....

How LeBron Could Have Avoided Handshakegate Without Shaking Hands
Sports columnists must love LeBron James. Not only does he provide fanciful fodder during the regular season and permit them to wax rhapsodic as witnesses during the playoffs, but even when his season is done, he gives them the material they need for their next-day opinions....

Sir Charles Continues To Be The Most Bulletproof Person In Media
After his audible "pussy" blurt during Saturday night's Inside The NBA broadcast , Charles Barkley was reportedly given a stern talking-to by the suits at the TNT. Of course, that's all he received....

One Man's Fight For A Home Run Ball...In Pictures
We'll call Meech the "Unhappy Youngster" from now on. The photos are pretty incredible, though. [The Fightins]...

Redick And Morrison, Reunited And It Feels So Good
"Remember when they cried in college? Remember when they played Halo against each other? They were like Magic and Bird in college, except that they weren't in any way." Redick scored seven points in the conference finals. Morrison hasn't played since April 14. Guess that settles SI's cover question!...

One Theory About Lamar Odom's Consistency Problem
His fondness for candy. Yes. A Dr. Daniel Amen writes in a long essay: "I've been telling my patients for years that sugar acts like a drug in the brain. It causes blood sugar levels to spike and then crash, leaving you feeling tired, irritable, foggy and stupid. [LAT]...

I Wonder What Kind Of Clever Anti-Kobe Shirts Orlando Has In Store?
Probably nothing as incendiary as the "Our Turn To Rape Kobe" t-shirt worn by this female Nuggets fan, but I hope for the best. Although it's probably highly unlikely if any Magic fans share the diminutive right brain size of Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi....

Charles Barkley Plays By A Different Set Of Broadcast Rules
Charles Barkley's impromptu, line-crossing NBA analyst technique is what endears him to millions and it continues to amaze me how much he gets away with on-air/off-court without any career-ending consequences. The latest installment: Last night's TNT broadcast where Sir Roundmound calls Kenny Smith...

It Only Took 25 Innings...
But the University Of Texas beat Boston College with a one-out single to secure a 3-2 victory. It was the longest NCAA baseball game in history. Other records of note: Texas reliever Austin Wood pitched 12 1/3 innings of no-hit ball; two Longhorns had a record-tying 12 at-bats." [MLB.com]...

The Posnanski Curse Proves Fatal For Cleveland
Pity the NBA fan whose interest in the next round hinged upon a Kobe-Lebron showdown. Not to be. Orlando's magicicianship was too formidable, even to those who Witnessed. Hopefully this match-up will prompt the Henson cobbling team to create a Hedo Turkoglu muppet. [SI]...

Who Wouldn't Want A Mo Williams Tall Tee?
Alex is the biggest Cavaliers fan that he knows, and he prefers to wear his passion in the form of homemade clothing dotted with references to LeBron's Team....

Kobe Holds Up His End Of The Bargain
NBA executives can breathe a sigh of relief — even if LeBron loses tonight, at least they'll have Kobe Bryant in the NBA finals. Bryant scored 35 and the Lakers pounded the Nuggets 119-92, showing off the killer instinct that they established at just the right time. [OC Register]...

Why Your Stadium Sucks: AT&T Park
This is a new weekly feature in which I (and maybe you, too, readers) detail the various reasons for hating your ballpark. This week: The San Francisco Giants' AT&T Park....

Rugby Player Guilty Of Manslaughter After On-Field Hit
A high school rugby player in Canada was convicted of manslaughter after he engaged in some "extracurriculars" as they like to say—or "a brutal unprovoked attack" depending on your point of view—that accidentally killed an opposing player. Should the fact that they were playing rugby make any differ...

Kobe Bryant's Greatness Lacks Airness
"...Jordan broke his challengers, convincing every player in the NBA that no one else had what it takes ...Kobe Bryant, too, tests his opponents' will-but sometimes they pass the test. The real lesson of the Olympics: "Pick up a few pointers from Kobe, and maybe you can take him." [Slate]...