Will the real Brady Quinn please stand up?

By Newbear, Section College
Posted on Mon Sep 25 2006 at 8:30 PM EST
More on: Notre Dame, BCS, Brady Quinn, Shaq, Alex Rodriguez (all tags)

Pressure busts pipes.  An ESPN Instant Classic in East Lansing defined the difference between rebuilding a fallen program and the pressure of great expectations.

(3 comments, 629 words in story) Full Story

College Football: Week One Remix

By Newbear, Section College
Posted on Thu Sep 07 2006 at 3:03 PM EST
More on: College Football, Michael Bush, Notre Dame, PTI, Pat Fitzgerald, Texas (all tags)

It began with a "did that really just happen" moment on August 31 and ended (mercifully) around the twilight hour on Labor Day.

Here's what stood out from college football's opening week:

(1 comment, 1498 words in story) Full Story

Surprised Why Athletes Do Stupid Things?

By Newbear, Section NFL
Posted on Tue Aug 22 2006 at 7:20 AM EST
More on: Floyd Landis, Marion Jones, Justin Gatlin, Barry Bonds, Rhett Bomar, John Daly, Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan, Maurice Clarrett (all tags)

On your current sporting calendar, you won't see a championship event in any of the big three (sorry, Hockey, but you've got to earn your spot back).

As the pages of the calendar year turn and we build toward the preclusion to the World Series, the kickoff of the world's greatest game, the basketball World Championship and Tiger's world domination, I want to talk about reasons.

The reasons why athletes do things.

Stupid, ridiculous "can-you-believe-he-did-that" things.

Especially lately, giving me the feeling that the world's just a crazy, mixed-up place. And that most of the athletes listed below have been listening to Brad Paisely's "Celebrity" on loop.

(1178 words in story) Full Story

Pac-10 Preview S-W

By Newbear, Section College
Posted on Wed Jul 26 2006 at 1:54 PM EST
More on: College football, NCAA, Pac-10, Preview (all tags)

Round 2:  Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State.
*Note: specialists are counted as returning starters.

(2 comments, 2151 words in story) Full Story

Pac-10 Preview A-O

By Newbear, Section College
Posted on Mon Jul 24 2006 at 3:22 PM EST
More on: College Football, Preview, Pac-10, NCAA (all tags)

2006 Pac-10 team breakdowns for:  Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon and Oregon State.
*Note: specialists are counted as returning starters.

(3 comments, 2295 words in story) Full Story

Lost in Translation

By Newbear, Section Other Sports
Posted on Sat Jul 15 2006 at 7:14 PM EST
More on: 720 Dunk, Aaron Rowand, Ozzie Guillen, Rick Reilly, Jay Mariotti, NFL, Scoop Jackson, Andy Reid (all tags)

Tomorrow, I'm going to Best Buy and picking up a microphone.  I've got to start practicing five minutes ago.

(9 comments, 461 words in story) Full Story

World Cup Fan of the Week

By Newbear, Section Other Sports
Posted on Thu Jul 06 2006 at 1:04 AM EST
More on: MLB, All-Star Game, Chicago White Sox, World Cup, Soccer, Zinidine Zidane (all tags)

It's summertime.  I'm American.  Baseball is my nation's pastime, gearing up for the 77th installment of its midsummer classic and my hometown heroes, the Chicago White Sox, appear fit to defend their title.

But soccer is the world's game.  And I'm finally beginning to understand why.

(2 comments, 415 words in story) Full Story

Home-Field Disadvantage

By Newbear, Section MLB
Posted on Mon Jul 03 2006 at 7:01 PM EST
More on: MLB, Pregame Analysis, All-Star Game (all tags)

Place your votes and punch your ballots.  Right into sheer lunacy.

I'm guilty. I just max-voted for A.J. Pierzynski on MLB.com.  

25 times, I clicked on the circle next to his name and hit the "Vote Now!" button at the bottom of the page. You can also count 13 votes for Nomar Garciaparra and 12 for Billy Wagner on the National League side of my online ballots.  

After all, I'm a baseball fan, and the All-Star game is my chance to point and click my way to the definition of fanatical support for my hometown team and favorite players across both leagues.

(1 comment, 922 words in story) Full Story

Barry Back When

By Newbear, Section MLB
Posted on Wed May 31 2006 at 4:07 PM EST
More on: (all tags)

Remember when Barry Bonds could hit -- and that was all that mattered?

Even he forgot how he got there.

(2 comments, 768 words in story) Full Story

Heartbeating 2006

By Newbear, Section College
Posted on Tue May 16 2006 at 7:19 PM EST
More on: (all tags)

They say death smiles on us all; all we can do is smile back.

We all missed the greatest storyline of 2006.

(1 comment, 602 words in story) Full Story