Month: July 2009 (Page 25 of 59)

      The Ohio State Buckeyes, a deaf fan, and a lawsuit…

      July 19, 2009 /

      http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0aHsdGM7Qq41n/610x.jpg

      SPORTSbyBROOKS has an article today concerning an Ohio State fan’s lawsuit against the school for not adequately accommodating his disability (he’s deaf). Before everyone gets up in arms though perhaps we should think about his complaint. He wants all the screens in the stadium to be closed-captioned. Brooks has this to say:

      You can’t follow a game without closed captioning? Your handicap isn’t broken ears, Vincent. It’s a cot-dayum broken brain. You follow a game with your eyes, son. Incredulous dismissal of Sabino’s claim by an angry blogger aside, the Americans With Disabilities Act requires that venues make “reasonable” accommodations for fans. The aforementioned game and scoreboard is surely plenty reasonable for anyone with a brain.

      Hell, have you ever attended a college football game? Most of the time, the announcers and referees are drowned out by tens of thousands of raucous, drunken fans anyway. Even people whose ears work fine have a hard time hearing things at games. Hey wait…having a hard time hearing things? Maybe hearing fans have a case, too. How much money could we make, anyways? Vincent, call write us and let us know!

      And that ladies and gentlemen, is a sassy response. OK, I pretty much agree with what he had to say about this lawsuit, but where I think the fan has a point is this: Would captions be so bad on the screens? Geez, I might enjoy having some too and I hear fine. Brooks himself admits that you can’t hear anything at a game, captions could conceivably then benefit everyone. I don’t think this situation should require monetary compensation for the plaintiff, but a little compromise wouldn’t hurt.

      Here’s an idea, how about we twitter the captions do those who need them? Just check your phone after every play…OK, maybe not such a great idea. Anyway, I think some middle ground could be reached without too many pounds of flesh paid. And then we can all go back to hoping the Buckeyes lose. Oh, did I mention I’m from Michigan?

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, College Football, News, Rumors & Gossip

      The NBA owes a lot to Yao Ming

      July 19, 2009 /

      http://thearchnemesis.com/images/yao-ming-running.jpg

      I’ve always loved that photo. It’s a safe bet that whatever happens over the course of the next year concerning Yao Ming and his health, he’s not going to going to be the same Yao Ming we’ve seen. Of course it’s sad when a big man falls after years of pounding a body unable to cope with the prolonged strain of basketball. But Yao Ming’s early retirement would result in more than just the loss of a star player. Adrian Wojnarowski at Yahoo! Sports has this to say:

      As the global game goes, he’s basketball’s most important player since Michael Jordan. He’s the reason the world’s most populated country grew smitten with the NBA. He’s the reason that the NBA makes hundreds of millions of dollars out of the Far East, why its American players were treated like rock stars in the Beijing Olympics.

      A lot of NBA players and commentators treated Yao with disdain upon his arrival, an overhyped stiff they promised to embarrass. Truth be told, there was a racial element to the criticism. Perhaps they didn’t want to believe an Asian could become an NBA star. Perhaps they feared an impending wave of Chinese 7-footers to gobble up jobs. Whatever the genesis, the criticisms of Yao pushed beyond legitimate basketball doubts and were nasty and needlessly personal.

      Perhaps, there’s never been a modern athlete with the burden that belonged to Yao…
      He won the respect of his peers in the NBA. He worked relentlessly, and became an unstoppable force when his body was well.

      This is absolutely true. I remember not believing he would amount to anything in the NBA, but I can safely say now that he has proven himself to me and countless others. If you still don’t think Yao is important to the NBA, you’d better remember that there’s a country of a billion and a half people across the ocean, and a large number of them (if you’ll pardon the generalization) don’t think the word “basketball” too often, but rather “that game Yao Ming plays.”

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, Fantasy Basketball, NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      Felipe Lopez traded to Brewers

      July 19, 2009 /

      lopez

      The Arizona Diamonbacks have traded second baseman Felipe Lopez to the Milwaukee Brewers for two minor leaguers. The Brewers have been without their second baseman Rickie Weeks since his season-ending wrist surgery. In his place, they’ve looked to veteran Craig Counsell and rookie Casey McGehee. Lopez is a confident leadoff hitter who now finds himself in a much stronger lineup.

      “It’s exciting,” Lopez said from St. Louis. “It’s tough leaving the guys here. At the same time, I’m excited for the opportunity.”

      The 29-year-old Lopez is hitting .301 with six homers, 25 RBIs and six stolen bases in 85 games in his first season with the Diamondbacks. He can become a free agent after the season.

      “Felipe is an accomplished veteran player who gives us versatility at three infield positions,” Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said. “He has been a very productive player at the top of the order with respect to both batting average and on-base percentage.”

      The Diamondbacks, who fell to 39-53 after Sunday’s 2-1 road loss to St. Louis, got outfielder Cole Gillespie and right-hander Roque Mercedes from the Brewers in the deal. Arizona began Sunday 18 games behind Los Angeles in the NL West.

      “With our place in the standings, we have to consider trades like this,” Diamondbacks general manager Josh Byrnes said. “Felipe will be a free agent at the end of the year, and we acquired a couple of guys with long-term value.”

      The Brewers will be Lopez’s sixth team in his nine-year career. Apart from the Brewers and Diamonbacks, Lopez has also played for the Blue Jays, Reds, Nationals, and Cardinals. Funny thing is, he’ll probably be on another club next year since Lopez will be a free agent and Weeks will be back.

      MLB

      Stewart Cink wins British Open

      July 19, 2009 /

      cink

      Along with Lance Armstrong’s recent performance at the Tour de France, 59 year-old Tom Watson’s run toward his sixth British Open championship has been both fun and inspiring. This is the same guy who hasn’t won a major since 1983. Unfortunately, Watson’s legs started to give out in the four-hole playoff and Cink soon prevailed.

      Those four holes will rank in the annals of sporting cruelty along with leaving Willie Mays in center field when he could no longer shag a fly ball, letting Joe Namath heave interceptions for the Rams or, worst of all, standing by while the great Ali was pummeled by unworthy hacks like Trevor Berbick.

      Throughout this most unforgettable of weeks, he’d remembered the man he used to be, resurrecting the champion who’d won the famous Duel in the Sun on these beautiful acres 32 years ago against the mighty Jack Nicklaus.

      When his eight iron hit the 72nd green, immortality was to have become a formality. Two putts to win.

      And that’s when Tom Watson lost his nerve. That’s when he betrayed his age and the long years it’s been since he’d been a golfer capable of winning majors.

      “The playoff was just one bad shot after another,” Watson said, “I didn’t give (Cink) much competition.”

      It was obvious, given the polite but lukewarm reception for Cink, that everyone had really come to see Watson achieve this most impossible of dreams.

      The writer of the piece, Robert Lusetich, does a nice job describing the showdown. While it’s a shame Watson didn’t win, a story like this is great for sports.

      Golf

      Tour de France: Armstrong in second, teammate in first

      July 19, 2009 /

      armstrong

      It seems like those Lance Armstrong commercials for Nike are no joke. Dude is a competitor. This is Armstrong’s first Tour de France since his comeback and, at age 37, the young man still has it. Armstrong has since moved up to second place after completing the race’s 15th stage. Only problem is, his teammate Alberto Contador is 1 minute and 37 seconds ahead.

      The Spaniard dominated the first stage in the Alps to take the overall lead on Sunday — his first chance to wear the yellow jersey since winning the 2007 Tour de France. Armstrong, who started the 15th stage in fourth, moved up to second overall but is 1 minute, 37 seconds behind his teammate and rival.

      “The differences now are pretty big, and the team’s bet should now be me, no?” he said. “I’m sure my teammates are going to put in great work to back me up just like they did today.”

      “I think when Alberto went, he showed he’s the best rider in the race, certainly the best climber. … Hats off to him,” Armstrong said.

      The American vowed that he would not go against team orders and attack Contador later in the race.

      “That’s not going to happen,” he said. “There’s been a lot of drama between Alberto and me … but at the end of the day we sit as a team.”

      The 26-year-old Spaniard broke away from other pre-race favorites with 3.5 miles left in the 128.9-mile ride from Pontarlier, France, to the Swiss ski resort of Verbier — and he kept extending his lead to the end to finish in 5 hours, 3 minutes, 58 seconds.

      I know I’m not the only one who doesn’t completely understand how the Tour de France works. Apparently, you ride for a sponsor who puts together an entire team. This character Alberto Contador is on the same team as Lance Armstrong. The cycling legend is showing true sportsmanship in promising not to try and pass Contador. However, Contador rubs me the wrong way, at least judging by his quotes. For the sake of comedy, I’d love Armstrong to throw something in his spokes and dash ahead during the last leg of the race. For the sake of comedy, of course. For the sake of sports, I guess that’d be bad.

      General Sports

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