Archive for October 11th, 2006
Continue Reading October 11th, 2006
So the plane that crashed into the Belaire buildling on the Upper East Side of Manhattan about two hours ago, freaking everybody around here the hell out?
Turns out, according to the FAA, it was licensed to, of all people, Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle.
(UPDATE: An aviation source, according to CNN, says “he believes Lidle was the man piloting the plane.” But that’s unconfirmed.)
(SECOND UPDATE: Here’s the FAA report on Lidle’s plane.)
(THIRD UPDATE: On CNN, SI’s Tom Verducci says the Yankees had talked to Lidle about his love of planes.)
(FOURTH UPDATE: The FBI has confirmed that Lidle was indeed on the plane, by himself. His passport was found on the street.)
(FIFTH UPDATE: The New York medical examiner’s office has confirmed that Lidle was killed in the crash.)
(SIXTH UPDATE: Here’s a story from Delaware Online specifically addressing Lidle’s disagreements with Yankees’ brass about flying. To quote:
“The Phillies weren’t enamored of pitcher Cory Lidle’s hobby of flying a four-seat airplane.
But now that Lidle is with the Yankees, it’s an especially sensitive topic.
In 1979, Yankees catcher Thurman Munson died when a plane he was piloting crashed near his home in Canton, Ohio. Lidle earned his pilot’s license last offseason, and has insisted his plane is safe.
“The whole plane has a parachute on it,” he told The New York Times. “Ninety-nine percent of pilots that go up never have engine failure, and the 1 percent that do usually land.
“But, if you’re up in the air and something goes wrong, you pull that parachute, and the whole plane goes down slowly.”)
(SEVENTH UPDATE: “Mike And The Mad Dog” are reporting that that Lidle had just told the team he was flying home to California. Here’s that interview.)
(EIGHTH UPDATE: Here’s the recent New York Times article on Lidle’s obsession with planes.)
(NINTH UPDATE: Here’s a picture of Lidle and his plane.)
(TENTH UPDATE: You might remember this quote from Arthur Rhodes’ tirade against Lidle after he was traded in July:
“The only thing Cory Lidle wants to do is fly around in his airplane and gamble. He doesn’t have a work ethic.”)
(ELEVENTH UPDATE: Mayor Bloomberg is saying that there was a passenger with Lidle on the plane.)
Continue Reading October 11th, 2006
We repeat our caveat: It’s very possible tonight’s Cardinals-Mets game is going to rain out. (Fortunately, you know, there’s some other baseball tonight, just in case, and we think it’s unlikely Oakland’s gonna get a rainstorm.) But nevertheless, the NLCS is scheduled to begin tonight, with the veteran glove-screamer Jeff Weaver taking on Tom Glavine, with whom you should never share a cab.
If they do end up playing, we suggest following along in the active commenting sections of Viva El Birdos, Detroit Tigers Weblog, Athletics Nation and Metsblog. No place is more fun to root around during the game than with the diehards. And feel free to chat around in here too.
And enjoy. We’re sorry “Nip/Tuck” was preempted.
Continue Reading October 11th, 2006
In a finding that should surprise no one who has every watched a sporting event, the American College of Emergency Physicians — every single organization in the country has a name that sounds fake, by the way — have discovered that male visits to the emergency room tend to increase directly after sporting events end.
[Dr. David Jerard’s] emergency room saw 75% more male patients in the few hours following a Division I college football game broadcast on TV and radio than during a comparable nongame period, 50% more male patients immediately following a pro football game, and 30%-40% more following a baseball game.
“Men should not risk their health by putting off going to the emergency room because they want to see the final results of a football game,” Jerrard says. “It could be the last game they ever see.”
That’s all fine and good, sure, but did you see that Eagles-Cowboys game Sunday? Death would be worth it.
Dying To Know The Score [Broadcasting And Cable]
Continue Reading October 11th, 2006
Barring rainouts, tonight is the one night of the baseball postseason that features two games going on simultaneously. Depending on where you are, you’ll be watching one series on FOX and the other on F/X. So if you’re a Tigers fan living in New York City, for example, you either need to find your F/X on channel 1023, or get thee to a sympathetic sports bar.
This is easier said than done. Two years ago, the Cardinals and Astros played in the best baseball postseason we have ever seen. (It’s unreal how outstanding that series was.) Unfortunately, we lived in New York City, and there happened to be an ALCS that was drawing a bit of attention in the city. And we also didn’t have cable. So we spent most of that week begging sports bars to give us one tiny television in the corner while everyone else in the place was losing their minds over Dave Roberts.
The arranagement is certainly strange: We think the average sports fan — and even the average advertiser, frankly — would rather be able to direct their full attention to one game, even if it’s at 4:30 in the afternoon on a Wednesday than have to do deal with two of the most important games of the season running against each other. Particularly with one of them on the Nip/Tuck station.
Continue Reading October 11th, 2006
Pond scum! Pond scum!
Most people probably won’t remember that mid-80s reference, and, honestly, that’s probably to your credit. Though we did enjoy when, riding the subway the other day wearing a Cardinals hat, someone yelled “Hey, John Tudor sucks!” We loved John Tudor.
Anyway, again, if the rain stays away, the NLCS will kick off tonight. There’s, uh, a prohibitive favorite.
Here’s a roundup of predictions from around the Web.
• Peter Gammons: Mets in six.
• Buster Olney: Mets in seven.
• Cool Standings: Mets in six.
• John Donovan: Mets in five.
• Baseball Musings: Mets.
• Baseball Prospectus: Mets in six.
• DEADSPIN: Cardinals in seven. Come on. You expected anything else? We’re helplessly biased. Also, Chris Carpenter would pitch a Game 7 on full rest … so we’d like our odds in that one.
We’re probably the only one, though, right? Give us your thoughts in the comments.
Continue Reading October 11th, 2006
It’s hard to believe, but the NBA season is just around the corner. So come with us now as we present five tiny tidbits on each team, just to get you in the mood. Today we continue with the Southwest Division, so do us a favor and send your tips to tips@deadspin.com.
• 1. NOOCH!. Beginning life as the Charlotte Hornets in 1987 (Kelly Tripuka! Yay!), the team moved to New Orleans in 2002, then to Oklahoma City in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina devastated southeastern Louisiana. The team is set to move back to New Orleans next season. Meanwhile, the Seattle SuperSonics were bought by a group of Oklahoma City businessmen and might move there in the near future.
• 2. Chandler Rules. Tyson Chandler, who attended Dominguez High School in Los Angeles, is the only member of the Hornets to have been profiled on 60 Minutes (as a freshman in high school, he was 6-foot-11).
• 3. Oklahoma, OK! Desmond Mason was born in Waxahachie, Texas, but played college ball at Oklahoma State; making him the Hornets’ only hometown star. Ironically, he was drafted (with the 17th pick of the 2000 draft) by the Seattle SuperSonics, who may be moving to Oklahoma City. He is an accomplished painter and artist.
• 4. Good Move, Peja. In addition to being married to Greek fashion model Aleka Kamila, Peja Stojaković once won two consecutive NBA 3-point Shootout titles (2002 and 2003).
• 5. The Legend Of Pistol Pete. “Pistol” Pete Maravich, a guard for LSU, and the New Orleans Jazz from 1974-79, had his No. 7 retired by the Hornets during their first game in New Orleans. Maravich is the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer, averaging 44.2 points per game without the benefit of a three-point line. He died of a heart attack in 1988. Just days before his death, Maravich was honored at the O’Reilly All-College Basketball Classic in Oklahoma City.
Continue Reading October 11th, 2006
As we await tonight’s hopefully-not-rained-out NCLS Game 1, we think back to 2000, when the Cardinals and Mets last met under these circumstances. This is known, of course, as the Rick Ankiel series, when the blistering lefthander, whose curveball was one of the most gravity-defying things we had ever seen (along with Skip Bayless), melted down in the most gruesome way possible, essentially ending his career and making Tony LaRussa hesitant to ever count on anyone under the age of 30 not named Pujols again.
We’ve written about our affection for Ankiel before, even going so far as to incorporate him into our wardrobe. He is a tragic story, and one of those times where you just hope a kid gets his head together, regardless of baseball or anything else.
That said, when we’re wearing our Ankiel jersey out tonight to watch Game 1, we fully expect to have things thrown at us, and we can’t say we’re not really asking for it.
Saying Goodbye To Rick Ankiel Once Again [Deadspin]
Rick Ankiel, Ex-Pitcher [The Hardball Times]
Continue Reading October 11th, 2006
Last night in Oakland, the Oakland A’s Booster club hoisted — great word, hoist — an American flag in center field for the Game One pregame ceremonies. We did not see the pregame ceremonies, but we’re sure it was as patriotic as any of those hippies in Oakland can get.
Anyway, we’ve always wondered about the people on the field during pregame ceremonies. Specifically, we’ve wondered where their seats are during the game. Is someone just holding them? Are they in a club box? Do they get to hang out in the bullpen?
Turns out … they don’t get to watch the game at all. In fact, after last night’s game, the A’s were looking for volunteers to hold the flag and then get the hell out of the stadium.
You see, maybe if they wouldn’t have gotten rid of that upper deck, they might have seats for people who hold the damned flag.
Holding The U.S. Flag [Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend]
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