Month: October 2024

This post, written by Josh Burt, is republished with permission from The Spoiler. Go there often if you like soccer stuff. After the small furor thanks to an intriguingly timed episode of Panorama, and then yesterday's hot photos of Britain's Next Male Model finalists — Prince William, Davids Beckham and Cameron — boarding an Easyjet to Zurich, there's now the small matter of the actual World Cup vote. But how the bloody hell does this work? If you're in the dark, allow The Spoiler to bring you into the light after the jump… A mob of England campaigners will be out in Zurich, putting in an impressive 110 per cent to ensure that their voices are heard above the cries from Russia, Spain/Portugal, and Holland/Belgium. Some will hold private talks with FIFA membe…

The Cincinnati Enquirer is reporting that the Reds will host baseball's All-Star Game in 2015, the first time since Riverfront Stadium hosted in 1988. Bud Selig will officially announce it on Wednesday, but it's a done deal—after seven years of lobbying by the team. It used to be, you build a new ballpark, you get an All-Star Game. But the stadium boom has outpaced the calendar, and the Great American Ball Park will have been open for 12 years by 2015. The 2013 and 2014 games will be held at Citi Field and Target Field, respectively. [ Enquirer] …

American icon Nick Diaz is back, as an 18-month suspension the Nevada State Athletic Commission laid on him for possibly having smoked weed before a fight with Anderson Silva ended today. Is he still Nick Diaz, the guy who once mugged Mayhem Miller on broadcast TV as an appalled Gus Johnson shouted? Well, here’s what he had to say to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto about the top of the UFC welterweight and middleweight divisions: Taking a step back and seeing and having a look at these guys who have done things in, amazing things in their careers but still they haven’t, you know they haven’t, they have’t done the things that I, they haven’t fought the best guys like I’ve fought, I’ve beat guys that have beat these guys that have beat the guys that these guys have beat. And here’…

Vijay Singh admitted to using deer antler spray, a "supplement" containing the banned substance IGF-1. But deer antler spray is so ineffective at delivering IGF-1 that the PGA tour has decided not to punish him. This is almost more embarrassing for Singh: he may not be suspended, but he did get scammed. You do remember deer antler spray, right? Sports Illustrated did a whole blowout on the "scandal," and stupidly, it became the main story of Super Bowl week since Ray Lewis was accused of using it. But the SI story was a remarkable reach that failed at both science and reporting: the growth hormone IGF-1 cannot be delivered orally. SI's story implicated no one, and served as a massive press release for the spray's manufacturer, a half-crazy, self-promoting…

The stars of the 2008 Boston Celtics are, somehow, still mad at former teammate Ray Allen for leaving Boston in 2012 and signing with the Miami Heat. They are not only so mad about it that they didn’t invite Allen to their 10-year anniversary party, but so mad that they went on national TV last night to talk about how mad they are: This is a segment from last night’s NBA broadcast on TNT, in which Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Glen Davis, and Rajon Rondo lay out why they are still angry at Allen, all these years later. Their side of the story essentially boils down to this: They aren’t mad that Allen decided to leave the Celtics for the Heat, but that he didn’t give them advance warning before going. On the one hand, this is a really interesting look into team dynamics, and it’…

data-mm-id=”_5gli9nkh0″>As they try to cement their position in this season's College Football Playoff, Ohio State couldn't have asked for a more favorable late-season schedule.This week, they faced a Maryland Terrapins team that basically amounted to an early-season FCS cupcake. The results on the field showed it — a 73-14 victory in which the game was effectively decided after the first quarter. During that first quarter, an Ohio State defense missing the services of defensive end Chase Young held the Terrapins to a single yard of offense, while the special teams attempted and recovered an onside kick while up two touchdowns.This has to put a scare in Ohio State's next opponent, an even more hapless Big Ten school on their second head coach of the season – Rutgers.For…

data-mm-id=”_n1jabjt7f”>It is altogether possible we have seen the last of Drew Brees on an NFL field?According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, retirement is still a possibility for the 41-year old New Orleans Saints quarterback, who is now an unrestricted free agent. Dan Graziano just said Drew Brees could still retire, which puts the Saints in an awkward position with Teddy Bridgewater, the draft and free agency, though I do think Brees will come back.— Brian Giuffra (@brian_giuffra) February 9, 2020Two weeks ago, just before he suited up for the Pro Bowl, Brees set a timetable on when he would make his ultimate decision. While he did not rule out retirement, he did rule out the possibility of playing for a team other than the Saints."At this stage of my career, it's not a g…

data-mm-id=”_g5g0am5bq”>In November 1944, baseball found itself without a commissioner following the death of Kenesaw Mountain Landis. While searching for a successor, owners were nervous their players would be made eligible for the military draft to help support World War II in Europe. Thus, they decided they needed someone with weight to throw around in Washington on their side. On April 24, 1945, former Kentucky Senator Albert "Happy" Chandler was named commissioner of baseball. Of course, the war officially ended seven months after Chandler was named commissioner, so he didn't need to pull any strings to keep players from the war (that we know about). Much did happen under his watch, however. The Mexican Baseball League was offering big money to any MLB players who w…

data-mm-id=”_5x6rl753c”>Major League Baseball's unwritten rules guys are up in arms and their target is Fernando Tatis Jr., who happens to be the most exciting player in baseball. The San Diego Padres were crushing the Texas Rangers, 11-3, in the top of the eighth Monday night, when Tatis stepped to the plate with the bases loaded. Pitcher Juan Nicasio got behind Tatis 3-0, and proceeded to lay a fastball down the middle. Tatis launched it into the right-center field bleachers for a grand slam. It was his MLB-leading 11th home run of the year. Fernando Tatis Jr.El Niño.The face of baseball. pic.twitter.com/Y5VF5EIBKt— San Diego Padres (@Padres) August 18, 2020The Rangers were not pleased. Texas manager Chris Woodward appeared to bark at the Padres, then Ian Gibaut replaced Nica…