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6
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From Our Editors
SubscribeUpdated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
Dick LeBeau Recites 'The Night Before Christmas'
Dick LeBeau, the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator, takes time every year, in the the last team meeting before Christmas, to recite to his players "The Night Before Christmas." And it's become something pretty special for everyone involved.
Safety Ryan Clark added, "It's awesome. I kind of teared up the first time I heard it." LeBeau spends the first couple of minutes setting the scene, and then begins to recite the poem around the 2:20 mark.
Merry Christmas.
by Ryan Hudson • Dec 24, 2009 11:52 PM EST
Michael Beasley No Longer Dropping 20k A Night Partying
Heat forward Michael Beasley has had more than his share of well-chronicled problems. But the AP's Scott Reynolds gives perhaps our best glimpse yet into how out of control the Heat's second-year forward was last season during his rookie year, and how he's tried to take control of his life since:
Beasley certainly isn't the first professional athlete to run into money problems. Personal bankruptcies among athletes are actually depressingly common; whether as a result of getting taken in by a financial fraud, or simply living beyond one's means (ahem, Antoine Walker, ahem), or usually some combination of the two.
Here's to hoping Beasley really has turned his life around. You can check out the rest of Reynold's worthwhile piece here.
by Matt O'Brien • Dec 24, 2009 4:47 PM EST
Sportscasting Pioneer George Michael Dies
Legendary sports ancher George Michael has passed away after battling cancer the last two years.
While Michael was a staple in the D.C. area, where he was an anchor for NBC Washington from 1980-2007, he was well known nationally for his syndicated highlight show "The George Michael Sports Machine." The show launched in 1984, and at the time was groundbreaking -- it brought local markets national sports highlights from all over the country, covering all sports (and pro wrestling). ESPN was already doing something similar with "SportsCenter," but that required cable. Anyone with a TV and rabbit ears could see "Sports Machine."
Here's a promo explaining how the show works from 1985:
The show ran until Michael's departure from NBC in 2007, all the while using the same oversized flashing buttons and outdated sets. This is part of what gave the show its charm. The rest was thanks to Michael himself, who was an anti-Berman to a generation of sports fans. No cheesy catchphrases or nicknames, never unnecessarily loud or obnoxious, Michael just pushed his brightly lit buttons and showed us the video highlights, thanks to satellites and tape-technology. "Sports Machine" was everything good about "SportsCenter" -- highlights, incredible plays, scores -- with none of the noise.
Michael was 70 years old.
UPDATE: The Washington Post's Mike Wise offers a heartfelt tribute to George Michael the person, beyond what he meant to Washington DC sports. Check it out.
by Chris Mottram • Dec 24, 2009 10:49 AM EST
Sad Day: 'Nuke' LaLoosh And Annie Savoy Call It Quits
As you've no doubt heard by now, Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon, Hollywood's liberal-est, activist-est couple, have announced they are splitting up after 23 years of ... dating? I guess that's what they were doing, because the two were never married. "Actress Susan Sarandon and her partner of 23 years, actor Tim Robbins have announced that they separated over the summer," her rep, Teal Cannaday, says in a statement to People. "No further comments will be made."
Sigh. Sad day, indeed. If you don't mind, I'll continue to think of them in simpler times, back when he was just a promising AAA pitcher trying to figure it all out and she was simply a promiscuous baseball groupie helping him with his Fernando Valenzuela windup. Back when Nuke was trying to make it to the show ... and taking advice from Kevin Costner.
by Ryan Hudson • Dec 23, 2009 10:00 PM EST
Human Suffering, In Race Form: Ironman Triathlon To Re-Air Christmas Day
If you find yourself suffering with family, lousy presents or too much NBA on TV this Christmas Day, worry not, for you'll be able to watch others put themselves through suffering far worse than any overly-talkative aunt.
The 2009 Ford Ironman World Championship (the one from Kona, Hawaii) will be re-aired on Thursday, at 9:00 PM EST on Universal Sports. If you're not familiar with the Ironman, it goes like this: a 2.4-mile swim in the Pacific (wetsuits not allowed) followed by a 112-mile bike ride through lava fields that whip wind against the competitors and then finally a 26.2-mile run (that's a marathon) in Hawaii's heat. It was originally held, like most insane competitions, to settle an argument about who was the best athlete amongst a group of Navy Seals.
The world's best do it in a little more than eight hours; for the amateurs, the cutoff time is 17 hours.
by Ryan Hudson • Dec 23, 2009 8:07 PM EST
Meet Y! Sports' All-Decade College Football Team
The crew of Dr. Saturday (where yours truly toils as an orderly by day) has assembled its all-decade team, with nominees for each position selected by the staff and voted on by the reader base. Offense is here; defense is here. There are your shoo-ins (Jake Long), your close calls (Vince Young), and your trendy-but-deserving current events picks (Ndamukong Suh). Most importantly, this being the internet, there's bound to be something for each and every one of you to take umbrage at. Interesting factoids:
by Holly Anderson • Dec 23, 2009 7:20 PM EST
The Top 20 Most Valuable College Football Teams
If you’re the type of person that loves shiny pictures and lists, you probably don’t really care about money. By contrast, if you’re the type of person who loves money, you probably consider yourself "too busy" to click through and look at a bunch of lists (you bastard).
But now these personality types can coexist. Forbes ranks the Top 20 most valuable college football teams in a new photo gallery, and it's pretty cool. Here’s the Top 5:
So to all the people complaining about Texas coach Mack Brown’s new contract? You people probably like shiny lists and pictures. Mack or no Mack, Bevo’s grazing on a cool $60 million-a-year out in that pasture.
by Andrew Sharp • Dec 23, 2009 5:03 PM EST
Why Buffalo Poses A Real Threat To The Colts And 16-0
The Indianapolis Colts have been a juggernaut this season, rolling through the NFL to a 14-0 record (and 23 straight regular season wins dating back to 2008). With just two games remaining, against the Jets and at the Bills -- and their combined records of 12-16 -- a perfect season not only seems likely, but nearly inevitable. Or is it?
The Wall Street Journal's Daily Fix points us toward some numbers that would indicate the Colts are headed for a 15-1 finish. And they can blame it all on their pesky domed stadium.
Perfect record or not, Indy already has home field locked up for the playoffs, but it's there that Lucas Oil Stadium may again prove to be more of a disadvantage than an advantage.
by Ryan Hudson • Dec 23, 2009 4:22 PM EST
Meet Gary Patterson, The Best Football Coach In The Country
The name "Gary Patterson" doesn't necessarily conjure the image of a college football coach. "Bob Stoops" or "Mack Brown" sound like guys that strike fear and admiration into the hearts of 18 year-olds in Texas.
"Gary Patterson" sounds like your next-door neighbor, the one who's way too excited about his new lawnmower, and always gives you a disturbingly cheerful hello when you're passing by. What's his deal, anyway?
It's unclear, but you should get to know the name, because this "Gary Patterson" just might be the best coach in the country. The Associated Press thinks so:
In addition to this season's impressive haul, TCU's had at least 10 wins in four of the past five seasons. Considering the handicaps they face, wedged between Texas and Oklahoma, that's a pretty staggering statistic. And if this year's any indication, it's only getting better for the Gary Patterson and the Horned Frogs.
You may not know the name yet, but you will soon. He's got a great foundation at TCU, and whether it happens there or elsewhere, it seems he's headed for big things. He's Very Important.
by Andrew Sharp • Dec 23, 2009 2:36 PM EST
SB Nation's Bowl Picks Off To Rousing Start
SB Nation’s Aggregate Bowl Pick ’Em is off to a perfect start: 0-4, a record clean and free from the contaminating elements of victory or accuracy. There are excuses for the complete failure of our “experts” to even coming close to a correct pick thus far:
Wyoming beats Fresno State? Incorrectly located Wyoming on map, confused with Saskatchewan, and went with the American team because we’re all patriots here at SBN. It would have been treason to do anything less.
Rutgers over Central Florida. Apologies, George O’Leary swore they were going to win, and he’s a double Nobel Laureate. Additionally, betting was heavy on Rutgers for the game, and Jersey guys have a way of influencing outcomes that can’t be refused, really. (Please let UCF’s mothers go now. No one likes hostage situations.)
MTSU over Southern Miss. Because be honest: even you can’t find MTSU on a map. (I can, but it’s because someone there used to buy us all beer there in high school. Like a camel returning to an oasis in the desert, you never forget the essentials.)
BYU destroys Oregon State. Well, it’s not our fault someone slipped BYU their first caffeine before warmups.
The excuses will continue as long as needs be, though going winless for all 34 games will be considered a kind of spectacular achievement in redefining failure. Any excuse to pop a bottle is something we’ll take at this point.
Sincerely,
The Management.
by Spencer Hall • Dec 23, 2009 2:19 PM EST
Ty Detmer Wants To Make You Rich!
There are very few certainties in life, but here’s one: if an investment group is trying to pitch 32% returns on your money, and using Jeff Blake, Ty and Koy Detmer, and Chris Weinke to woo you, don’t just turn them down, but please, run in the other direction. Run for your life.
The company is called Triton Financial, and they are currently engulfed in an SEC investigation. Sports Illustrated reports on the veritable who’s who of D-list sports celebrities that were involved in the caper (or scammed themselves):
Does the Triton braintrust just not watch pro football? It seems like they went blindly down the list and just hired former Heisman winners. But I think I speak for everyone: the words "Chris Weinke," don’t really make me think "return on my investment." Although to be fair, they did avoid any relationship with Eric Crouch.
The greatest nugget out of this story? Jeff Blake was e-mailing NFL players with an opportunity at 32% investment returns. How can I get on THAT mailing list? If we’re to be bombarded by spam e-mails, at least make ‘em interesting. Forget helping some fake church in Nigeria, Jeff Blake’s handing off an offer you can’t refuse!
by Andrew Sharp • Dec 23, 2009 12:36 PM EST
Derrick Roland's Ghastly Leg Injury Will Spoil Your Lunch
Texas A&M guard Derrick Roland probably had his career ended by a grotesquely broken leg last night. Roland's tibia and fibula both snapped as he came down from a scoring attempt, meaning his foot was hanging of the end of his leg like a tennis ball dangling off a CB antenna. If you can stomach what that might look like, you go ahead and watch.
Roland will make a full recovery, but even his teammates allow for the possibility of Roland's career being done at Texas A&M. (HT: Buster Sports.)
by Spencer Hall • Dec 23, 2009 10:38 AM EST
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