8:00 PM CSN Baltimore has video of Marcus Smith, a U.S. soldier who dressed as a minor league umpire to surprise his children at a Bowie Baysox game with a home visit from Afghanistan.
7:45 PM A Japanese Harley-Davidson motorcycle that was swept out to sea during last year's tsunami washed up on a shore in British Columbia last month. The bike's owner asked that the motorcycle be displayed at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee as a memorial to the tsunami victims.
7:30 PM Buffalo Bills receiver David Clowneytweeted the results of his HIV test which came back negative. And to the critics of his decision to share his results, Clowney added: "Some people are Ridiculously stupid ... And can't see the bigger picture about things that are important in this world."
Let’s be honest with ourselves: the Penguins are done. Sure, technically all Detroit did on Sunday night was hold home ice advantage with their 3-1 win over Pittsburgh in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals, the same score as Game 1. But their 2-0 lead pretty much feels insurmountable - does anyone feel like the Penguins can take four of the next five games against the Red Wings? Didn’t think so.
Especially since the Red Wings and their old, tired legs, were able to outhustle, outskate and just plain outplay the Penguins 24 hours after Game 1, a made-for-TV contrivance that was supposed to be their downfall. Pittsburgh’s Big Two of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have combined for one goal in the first two games, half as many as Detroit’s Justin Abdelkader, who was playing minor-league hockey in May. And both of his goals have been beauties, including his singlehanded effort last night:
The bottom line for Pittsburgh is simple: when their main goal scorers are being held in check, and their goaltending is soft, they are going to lose. It doesn’t matter how much revenge they want, or if Evgeni Malkin tries to start fights to fire the team up - Detroit is just the better team (and doing this without Pavel Datsyuk, mind you).
Speaking of Malkin’s fisticuffs: despite picking up an instigator penalty at the end of Game 2, which should be an automatic one-game suspension, the NHL has decided that Malkin will be on the ice when the serious returns to Pittsburgh. Think the league wants to avoid a sweep?
OK, remember how Texas beat Boston College 3-2 in 25 innings Friday night-slash-Saturday morning in an NCAA baseball tournament game? Well, their following opponents were Army, and while the game ended in nine innings, it was just as dramatic as the BC contest. The Longhorns scored eight times in the ninth inning for a 14-10 win, including a walk-off grand slam by Preston Clark. Check out the highlights here:
With the win, Texas advances to the Super Regional, where they will play TCU in a Best-of-Three series that will likely come down to the final pitch of Game Three. Seriously, guys, it’s OK just to win a 5-1 snoozer every once in a while. (Or if you are Florida State, a 37-6 snoozer.)
Finally, congratulations for Jamie Moyer for getting his 250th career win yesterday, a 4-2 Phillies win over the Nationals. (And really, shouldn’t that could as half a win?) The achievements of the 46-year-old goes to show that not being able to throw hard enough to break glass isn’t a prerequisite to being successful. And it also shows that if you are a lefty with a durable arm, even a 4.23 career ERA can’t keep you from reaching some big milestones.
Give Brad Childress credit for having a good sense of humor: he busted out a nifty fake wig atop his notorious chrome dome at practice, and then said that he would only wear it during the season “if it had ‘Reebok’ across the top of it.” Here’s the photographic evidence (and it still looked better than Jared Allen’s hair):
BLACK SPORTS ONLINE wants LeBron James to “man up” and shake hands after getting knocked out of the playoffs, or come to the post-game press conference. Two things he didn’t do last night after the Magic bounced the Cavs.
I’m making a list of pitchers who don’t want to go to the Chicago White Sox, and apparently every No. 1 is on the list. First it was Jake Peavy of the Padres rejecting a deal, and now the HOUSTON CHRONICLE is saying that Roy Oswalt of the Astros will exercise his veto rights to nix any deal. But I’m sure Barry Zito is still available.
Here’s one way to break out of 0-for-18 slump: Ali Gardiner ripped a grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the last inning to lift the Florida over Alabama 6-5 to send the Gators to the College Softball World Series championship game.
How not to win your first PGA Tour tournament: miss putts inside 10 feet on the final hole of regulation and the first hole of a playoff, and then have your approach on the second playoff hole ricochet off the pin and roll back more than 20 feet from the hole. Steve Stricker was the beneficiary of Tim Clark’s bad luck/meltdown, picking up the Crowne Plaza Invitational.
The Orlando Magic thought they had lost All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson to injury for the season back in February, but now the ORLANDO SENTINEL is saying that the rehab for his shoulder injury is “dramatically” ahead of schedule and he might be available for the NBA Finals.
Arkansas DT Lavunce Askew was arrested on Saturday after allegedly stealing a laptop from an apartment. His teammate Matt Marshall also stole an iPod Touch, but was not charged after he returned it to the doorstep and helped police track down Askew. See, Marshall might be a thief and a stool pigeon, but his heart is in the right place.
World champion hurdler Jana Rawlinson was forced to confirm an embarrassing, poorly-kept secret circulating around the track world for months. Not that she’s using PEDs, but that she had breast augmentation. You would think if there’s one sport where being busty is a disadvantage, it’s hurdling. Check out some Russ Meyer-approved before and after action:
It’s natural for guys to sometimes feel embarrassed about their father’s behavior. But in Jim DeShaies’ case, he really should be proud of dear ol’ Dad - not many old dudes can sneak in a kiss with a sideline reporter.
AWFUL ANNOUNCING pitches up the story from Tuesday afternoon’s spring training game between the Houston Astros & New York Mets. DeShaies was doing color commentary for the Astros when an FSN reporter chatted it up with Jim’s dad, Herb. But when the interview was done, Herbie wasn’t going to be satisfied with just a cordial goodbye.
Video of Herb getting hot ‘n’ heavy after the jump.
Aaron Boone doesn’t have the heart to play baseball. So that’s why he’s leaving the Houston Astros to undergo surgery.
Jose De Jesus Ortiz of the HOUSTON CHRONICLE reports that the 11-year MLB veteran will have to have open-heart surgery to replace an aortic valve. As a result, Aaron bid adieu to his Astros teammates, coaches & GM at spring training in Kissimmee, Florida, on Wednesday. And it’s unsure when, or if, he’ll return.
Geoff Geary. Go ahead, take a moment. If you don’t play in a 14-team NL-only fantasy baseball league, you may spend a few moments trying to remember which soap he was on and then give up and turn to the almighty Google. However, Philly fans are very familiar with the former Phillie pitcher, traded for Brad Lidge last offseason.
(For perspective, this is what Phillies fans do when they’re happy.)
My last year before I got traded, there were fans who were threatening my life and threatening other people, saying they were going to follow me home and beat up my fiancée at the time.
Wait, people follow Phillies pitchers around and threaten their significant others? Maybe Brett Myers really did have a case! Read more…
During his Major League career in the ’90s, Derek Bell spent time on the rosters of the Blue Jays, Padres, Astros, Mets and Pirates. Now he can add one more roster spot on his resume: the prison duty roster.
(The orange-colored jail jumpsuit reminds Derek of his days in Houston)
The ST. PETERSBURG TIMES reports that the 39-year-old Bell has been arrested on drug charges. Bell was booked into a Hillsborough County jail Tuesday morning, where he’s facing three misdemeanor counts of possessing drug paraphernalia.
Oh, weddings. Celebrations of life, love, joy, and peace. Wait, what was that last one I wrote? Did I say peace? Because I meant DEATHFIGHTS AND RAGE AND HEY THERE’S THE POLICE LET’S FIGHT THEM.
And by “I,” of course, I mean Astros pitcher Brandon Backe, whose season stats now include 9 wins, 14 losses, a 6.05 ERA, and one ruined/awesome wedding.
DC SPORTS BOG takes aim on Chris Cooley’s tale of the Redskins’ team bus being egged by some overzealous Eagles fans. They also returned home to find a flaming bag of dog poop on the front steps of FedEx Field. Cooley’s tales led radio host and former Redskin Jon Jansen to fondly recall old ladies mooning the team bus.
I was watching Glengarry Glen Ross the other night, and it finally clicked who Bud Selig reminds me of: Dave Moss, the sad sack salesman played by Ed Harris. Nothing is ever his fault, and the only thing keeping him from being a success are other people and the fates conspiring against him.
Take the whole mess involving MLB moving a critical series between the Astros and the Cubs to Milwaukee following Hurricane Ike. The HOUSTON CHRONICLE reports that on the same day that MLB announced a $500,000 donation to Hurricane Ike relief funds, they also took out a full-page ad in the paper to respond to criticism by Houston fans over moving the game so close to Chicago.
