12:30 PM After being suspended indefinitely on Wednesday, Tennessee Volunteers TE Cameron Clear has been dismissed from the team after he was charged with stealing a laptop from a UT baseball player.
12:15 PM A man who was arrested for streaking across Busch Stadium during a St. Louis Cardinals game Thursday night said he did it because he lost a bet.
With all of the teary-eyed farewells being given to the ballpark in the Bronx, few outisde of New York seem to realize that Shea Stadium is perhaps seeing its last weekend of baseball as well. But, as far as I can tell, ESPN didn’t shoot a stirring tribute to the stadium featuring a wistful Ron Swoboda embracing a feral cat.
While most aren’t going to miss the big lug, Shea’s pending demolition is going to throw the wrench in the day-to-day life of a very specific group of people who really don’t need a wrench thrown in their day-to-day lives: airline pilots. If you’ve ever been to a Mets game, you’ve heard the planes. Seems that Shea is one of the visual landmarks used to land them at La Guardia Airport, and its demolition might make things a little hairy.
BUSTED COVERAGE has photographic evidence that there are plenty of OSU fans who are quietly returning to Columbus today.
INGAMENOW rates the “Best Beards in Sports.” Shockingly, Brady Quinn’s girlfriend was not including.
FANHOUSE informs us that Fox’s experiment with “Team Oriented Analysts” looks to have been scrapped before it started. “Brian Billick has been doing a lot more Redskins stuff than he should under the rules.”
ESPN wouldn’t assign Purdue alum Bob Griese to a Purdue game, would they? Okay, but he wouldn’t wave the flag or anything like that? Right. (Video via BRAHSOME after the jump.)
As Yankee and Shea Stadiums both come to a close, the NEW YORK DAILY NEWS reports that hardcore fans are looking for keepsakes. And we’re not talking about a picture at the game or a overpriced souvenir soda cups.
Apparently, these fans have been listening to Rick Reilly and taking whatever isn’t nailed down. Among the pieces stolen is outfield bunting and a toilet seat from Yankee Stadium. I just hope that fan didn’t try to steal the toilet seat during the singing of “God Bless America”: he’d be in real trouble for sure then.
What better way to remember one of the least-beloved stadiums in baseball history than by purchasing two uncomfortable plastic seats? Now you can! The New York Mets are selling pairs of seats being removed from Shea Stadium at the end of the season for the low, low price of just $869.
NEWSDAY reports that team officials set the price where it’s at to remind fans of their World Series seasons of 1969 and 1986. This bit of numerological play is cute, even if it means apparently setting the price two to three times higher than experts had predicted they would go for.
New York’s Major League Baseball clubs are trying to adhere to a healthier lifestyle. The Yankees have junked the junk food from the clubhouse. And the Mets want to make Shea Stadium’s final season a smoke-free one.
(“PUT OUT THAT LIGHT!”)
Such news is a surprise to Atlanta manager Bobby Cox, as his Braves will be visiting the Mets this weekend. And the new stadium rules could affect one of Bobby’s favorite post-game rituals.
The tragic death of a 36-year-old man at Shea Stadium last night is no laughing matter. But the way the family and police are presenting conflicting details of his demise made us chuckle.
• INTENTIONAL FOUL tosses up a group of cheerleaders taking the whole “Be Aggressive! B-E Aggressive!” thing a bit too far, as they beat up a teammate - and are stupid enough to videotape it.
• THE DENVER POST throws out news that Mark Grace says he was only joking, but the Rockies aren’t laughing about the commentator’s comments that pitcher Manny Corpas“didn’t have enough Vaseline on that ball.”
