For the past few years, Smackgirl has annually held a card featuring a one-day grappling tournament in a selected weight class. This year however, Smackgirl wished to expand the scope of the tourney by dedicating the majority of its July 23rd card to it, facilitating a capacity of four weight classes.
A nine woman 48 kilogram tournament, a five woman 52 kilogram tournament, a thirteen woman 58 kilogram tournament and an eight woman openweight tourney will fill the card. Additionaly, the card will feature two 2006 Next Cinderella Semifinal bouts acting as superfights to be showcased prior to the final round of grappling.
KM-MAKI will do battle with MITSUKI in the flyweight semifinal while Kazu Moroboshi takes on Kanako Takeshita in the Middleweight semifinal. Brackets for the grappling tournament will be released on the day of the event but the confirmed participants list reads like a who’s who of women’s MMA: Megumi Fujii, Masako Yoshida, Naoko Omuro, Hitomi Akano, Takayo Hashii, and Roxanne Modafferi.
Smackgirl and Upper Life Present Smackgirl: Grappling Queen Tournament 2006 July 23, 2006 Gold Gym South Tokyo Annex Ota-ku, Tokyo Doors Open: 12:00 Fights Start: 12:30
Tentative Fight Card (Card Subject To Change):
Smackgirl 2006 Next Cinderella Tournament Flyweight Semifinal 48 KG, 2R 5M KM-MAKI (RISE Fight Club) vs. MITSUKI (Dragon Gym)
Smackgirl 2006 Next Cinderella Tournament Middleweight Semifinal 58 KG, 2R 5M Kazu Moroboshi (Harajuku Dojo) vs. Kanako Takeshita (Wajyutsu Keisyukai Tokyo Headquarters)
So we’d never actually seen this old video of Kellen Winslow Jr., after a Miami game against Tennessee. He is answering a question about whether or not a player he leveled with a devastating block was hurt. And we get confirmation that Kellen Winslow, tight end for an Ohio football team, is a soldier.
Interestingly, this was the exact same take Winslow’s motorcycle had after his accident, about him.
Welcome to Minor Enterprise, where we preview, and occasionally review, the great events of minor league baseball. Each Wednesday we’ll take a look at the promotions, players and mascots which populate our minor league ballparks; the unsung heroes of our national pastime. (Minor Enterprise not responsible for items thrown by Joe Mikulik). If you have a good tip about a minor league promotion, or perhaps you’re dressed as a large mascot beaver and are hopelessly stuck in the suit, contact us at tips@deadspin.com.
It was just last week that the Sioux Falls Canaries suited up 83-year-old Jim Eriotes for an at-bat in an Independent Northern League game, making him the oldest person ever to play in a professional baseball game. Not to be outdone, the Kansas City T-Bones propped up former Negro League star Buck O’Neil, 94, for an at-bat in the Northern League All-Star Game on Tuesday. O’Neil got two at-bats, actually; he was traded between innings. He walked both times, swinging at one pitch and almost falling over. Ah, Independent League baseball. Catch the fever.
O’Neil was a lifetime .288 hitter and two-time Negro League batting champ, and Major League Baseball’s first black coach, with the Chicago Cubs. His appearance on Tuesday officially makes him a 70-year baseball veteran, although the last time he actually played in a game was in 1955. Those 51-year layoffs will play hell with your timing, we understand. It should be fun next week in the Northern League to see who steps up to break O’Neil’s record as oldest player ever. Piltdown Man, perhaps? Or an urn which contains the ashes of Cap Anson? We can’t wait.
• Jerry Lawler Appearance (Friday: Columbus Clippers vs. Pawtucket Red Sox, International League): A former professional wrestler best remembered for throttling comedian Andy Kaufman on David Letterman’s NBC talk show (the incident was later revealed to be staged), Lawler will show up at Columbus’ Cooper Stadium and distribute hats. Bring the kids.
• Used Car Night (Friiday: San Antonio Missions vs. Frisco RoughRiders, Texas League). Stand down Oprah, the Missions are handing out used cars to a dozen lucky fans at Nelson W. Wolff Stadium. Among the vehicles, a ‘91 Jaguar XJ6 and a ‘90 Cadillac Deville. Our new motto for the team, which they can have free of charge: The San Antonio Missions: One Sweet Ride. (All deals are final).
• Survivor Competition. (Monday through July 27: Savannah Sand Gnats vs. Lexington Legends, South Atlantic League). “The Sand Gnats’ second annual “Survivor” competition is an all-encompassing event, a week-long exploration of the limits of human endurance. Nine courageous Gnats fans have agreed to live in Savannah’s Grayson Stadium for the duration of the team’s upcoming homestand. The contestants are permitted to bring a tent, two blankets, two pillows and three non-electronic luxury items, and will live exclusively on ballpark food. During each game, these nine hardy souls will compete in various contests, and one will be voted off the ballpark each night. The winner will be treated like Minor League royalty, as the prize package includes lifetime admission to Sand Gnats games and round-trip airline tickets.” (Benjamin Hill).
• Minor League Mascot Of The Week: Aftershock, the shy, um, thing that represents the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the Singe-A California League. Here Aftershock is getting its ass kicked by a baby.
• Bobblehead Of The Moment: Bill Murray (Fort Myers Miracle). On July 8, the Miracle — which is co-owned by Murray — handed out 1,000 bobbleheads depicting the actor in a Gray Harbor Loggers uniform. This commemorates the day in 1978 that Murray — then a cast regular on Saturday Night Live – played for the Loggers for one day, and had two RBI. Reader Spencer Cordell was there and secured one of the mementos, providing a photo which we include after the jump. Thanks Spencer, you crazy nut.
Next Monday, Stephen A. will host embattled Cubs manager Dusty Baker. We have made fun of Baker many times and don’t think he’s a particularly talented strategist. But he has agreed to go on Smith’s show and answer his questions. How is the show responding? By encouraging its audience to boo him. From outstanding Cubs blog Goat Riders Of The Apocalypse:
I was recently EMailed by an Assistant Associate Audience Producer for Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith. Apparently, our own Dusty Baker will be on the show on Monday, July 24th at 11:15am, and they want some loud, raucus Cub fans to be there to boo or cheer Dusty as they see fit. No, actually, they just want us to boo him. The AAAP said, and I quote, “You guys can definitely feel free to BOO Dusty if you so please.”
We suppose that’s one way to increase the dreadful ratings: Turn into Springer!
It has been a while since a franchise actually up and moved: The most recent had the Expos heading to Washington, D.C., but that had been brewing for so long and had been handled so poorly that few in Montreal were particularly devastated to see them go. Therefore, it certainly warrants note that the Seattle Supersonics were sold yesterday to a group from Oklahoma City, with the possibility that the team could be moved if a new arena is not built (which of now looks unlikely).
Alert to basketball fans in Oklahoma City: As of Tuesday, your arena is already on the fast track to becoming a crap can, your owner is a wild-eyed venture capitalist and your team next year will pay maybe $50 million to a pimply teenager who doesn’t know a drop step from a drop kick.
We will be furiously checking all Sonics blogs on this; it’s morbidly fascinating to watch a city lose its team in real time.
• 1. It Hurts To Be The Mariners Right Now. Poor Seattle. The umpires are against them. Melky Cabrera is looking like freakin’ Stan Musial. Johnny Damon is disorienting them by playing first base. And they can’t even win in the rain, which is their natural element. It all adds up to a 5-4 win by New York in 11 innings, on Cabrera’s walk-off home run. In the ninth, Seattle second baseman Jose Lopez fielded a grounder and apparently threw out Jorge Posada at first, but umpire Mike Reilly called him safe (replays clearly showed he was out). That left runners at the corners, and Damon followed with a sacrifice fly that tied it at 4-all.
• 2. Your Powers Are Useless Here. If the Tigers end up winning the A.L. Central, they had better hope that Chicago doesn’t get the wild card; Detroit will never beat them in the playoffs. Despite owning the best record in baseball, the Tigers fell to 1-6 vs. the White Sox after a 7-1 defeat, in which Paul Konerko hit two home runs. Detroit still leads the divsion by 3 1/2 games.
• 3. No 11-Run Innings This Time, Sorry. Time for some positive Cubs news for a change. Phil Nevin had a three-run homer to lead Chicago to a 4-2 victory over the Astros. Even so, the Cubs are 20 games under .500 (oops).
• 4. Cheers For Boston. Well, we can’t ignore a one-hitter, even if it was over eight innings. Rookie Jon Lester is 5-0 after his stint on Tuesday, with Jon Papelbon pitching a perfect ninth, as the Crimson Foot Underwear beat the Royals 1-0.
• 5. There’s No Such Thing As Too Much Choo Freeman News, In Our Opinion. Since we talk about the Rockies, like, never, we should point out that Matt Holliday had a two-run homer and Jamie Carroll had three RBI to lead a 13-4 win over the Pirates. Oh, and “Yorvit Torrealba,” and “Choo Freeman.” You’re welcome.
In the first two games at the brand new stadium of the team for which we have directed a considerable amount of our psychic energy over the last 26 years, the home team has been outscored 29-8. When a baseball team is blown out, it is often to referred to as a “football score;” the final tally was so high that one would think a football team had notched it. Allow us to refute this notion. There were no 15-3 or 14-5 games in the NFL last season. Mercifully.
Anyway, much to the chagrin of Cardinals fans everywhere, we’ll be back at this again tonight: One more game at the new Busch. At this point, we are simply cheering for competitiveness: The Cardinals have been down 6-0 in the third inning of two consecutive games now. That is a difficult hole for even the most rabid fan to pull themselves out of. The game was over — again — before we’d opened the second beer.
This is no way to begin a life with a new baseball stadium.
Stop crowding the plate!The oldest man ever to walk the face of the earth played pro baseball last night. That’s right. Oldest. Man. Ever. The. Of. Night. John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil slipped the ol’ wooden cleats on last night, and dug in the batter’s box. At 94 years young, Buck took two at bats during a minor league baseball game in Kansas City, Kansas. Before the game O’Neil spoke the words that struck fear in the opposing pitcher and paramedics within a 50-mile radius:
I might take a swing at one.
Unfortunately for everyone involved, Buck ended up going 0 for 0 with 2 walks. However, we’d like to draw your attention to Mr. O’Neil’s picture as he digs in. Notice anything odd? No? Let us help you out. He’s standing right on the fucking plate! What the hell? It’s ridiculous when these young punks come in here and act like they own the joint. The pitcher should’ve thrown one high and tight and dusted his ass off. Then we’d see if he went diving back out over the plate.
The kids today just don’t respect the game like they did back in the day. We don’t know because we’re not really hip, but we assume those jeans that he’s wearing are just another way to show up the opposing pitcher, too. It’s unfortunate. It’s sad. It makes us long for the days of 1904, when things were simple, and quarters only cost a nickel.
Welcome to Minor Enterprise, where we preview, and occasionally review, the great events of minor league baseball. Each Wednesday we’ll take a look at the promotions, players and mascots which populate our minor league ballparks; the unsung heroes of our national pastime. (Minor Enterprise not responsible for items thrown by Joe Mikulik). If you have a good tip about a minor league promotion, or perhaps you’re dressed as a large mascot beaver and are hopelessly stuck in the suit, contact us at 
You know how audience coordinators at “Quite Frankly With Stephen A. Smith” are always 
It has been a while since a franchise actually up and moved: The most recent had the Expos heading to Washington, D.C., but that had been brewing for so long and had been handled so poorly that few in Montreal were particularly devastated to see them go. Therefore, it certainly warrants note that the Seattle Supersonics were sold yesterday to a group from Oklahoma City, with the possibility that the team could be moved if a new arena is not built (which of now looks unlikely). 
Notes from a day in baseball …
In the first two games at the brand new stadium of the team for which we have directed a considerable amount of our psychic energy over the last 26 years, the home team has been outscored 29-8. When a baseball team is blown out, it is often to referred to as a “football score;” the final tally was so high that one would think a football team had notched it. Allow us to refute this notion. There were no 15-3 or 14-5 games in the NFL last season. Mercifully.
