Yankees vs. Phillies. Game 1 of the World Series starts October 28th. Read about the Yankees series victory over the Angels from TSN.ca:
NEW YORK - They dashed from the dugout and in from the outfield, swarming Alex Rodriguez in a sea of pinstripes only steps from his spot at third base.
“I couldn’t be more excited,” he said. “I feel like a 10-year-old kid.”
Making it to the World Series for the first time after all those misses will do that to you.
The New York Yankees, baseball’s biggest spenders, finally cashed in with their first pennant in six years Sunday night, beating the Los Angeles Angels 5-2 in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series behind the savvy pitching of that old October pro, Andy Pettitte.
Next up, New York hosts defending champion Philadelphia in the World Series opener Wednesday night. Cliff Lee is expected to face ALCS MVP CC Sabathia in an enticing pitching matchup between former Cleveland teammates — and the past two AL Cy Young Award winners.
Ridiculed in the past for his October flops, the three-time MVP played a huge role in helping his team advance through the playoffs, batting .438 with five home runs and 12 RBIs. Thriving under late-inning pressure this time around, the slugger earned his first trip to the Fall Classic during a 16-year career in which he’s accomplished almost everything else.
“That’s what you play for,” Rodriguez said. “In order to win a World Series, you have to get there first.”
Cameras flashed in the stands throughout the ninth inning as the crowd roared louder and louder with each pitch.
After Mariano Rivera fanned pinch-hitter Gary Matthews Jr. for the final out at one minute past midnight, Mark Teixeira, Derek Jeter and most Yankees rushed to mob a jubilant Rodriguez near third base.
Rivera received a huge hug from catcher Jorge Posada in front of the mound. Then, Rodriguez and the Yankees partied with beer and bubbly in their swanky, high-tech clubhouse.
“I feared that I wouldn’t be able to contribute, so I had a lot of limitations,” Rodriguez said about his previous playoff failures. “The whole year for me was about trusting my teammates and being one of the guys.”
The official medals for the 2010 Winter Olympics were unveiled Thursday morning in Vancouver, featuring original West Coast aboriginal designs of an orca and a raven.
In an Olympic first, each medal will be unique, featuring part of an image cropped from two large master artworks by Corrine Hunt, a Canadian designer and artist of Komoyue and Tlingit heritage based in Vancouver, B.C.
For example, each medal will include its own signature elements of the orca and raven artwork, such as the suggestion of the orca’s eye, the curve of its dorsal fin or the contours of the raven’s wing, said officials.
A silk scarf printed with the master artwork will be presented to each Olympian or Paralympian with the medal, enabling them to see how their medal connects with those awarded to other athletes at the Games.
Guided by tradition
Hunt said she drew on the meaning of the creatures in native traditions to guide the designs.
“The orca is a beautiful creature that is strong but also lives within a community. I felt the Olympic Games are a community, too, ” said Hunt.
The design for the Olympic medals feature parts of a West Coast aboriginal design of an orca on an undulating surface of circular medal. The design for the Olympic medals feature parts of a West Coast aboriginal design of an orca on an undulating surface of circular medal. (VANOC)”The athletes may be training but they’re always somehow connected to their community, to their teammates, or to their country. The orca is a creature that has wonderful capabilities but can’t really survive without its pod,” she said.
“My design for the Paralympic medal — a raven on a totem rising — is close to my heart and in honour of my uncle who is a paraplegic. The raven is a creature that is all things and I think Paralympic athletes have that in them,” she said.
“They’re sometimes given challenges and they rise above them and the raven does the same. I think the creativity of the raven gives us hope — to accept when things don’t work out and really rejoice when they do,” said Hunt.
Undulating surfaces
Also for the first time, the medals are not flat. Instead, they have an undulating surface intended to represent the West Coast landscape of mountains and waves and drifting snow.
The Paralympic medal will feature parts of a larger West Coast aboriginal image of the raven, imprinted on squared-circle of undulating metal. The Paralympic medal will feature parts of a larger West Coast aboriginal image of the raven, imprinted on squared-circle of undulating metal. (VANOC)Canadian industrial designer and architect Omer Arbel, also of Vancouver, created the innovative undulating design of the medals, which were struck nine times each to achieve the distinctive look as part of a 30-step medal fabrication process.
The Olympic medals are circular in shape, while the Paralympic medals are a superellipse, or squared circle, drawn from traditional West Coast native designs. At more than 500 grams each, the medals are amongst the heaviest in Olympic and Paralympic history.
“I’ve always thought of the Olympic Games as a catalyst for great contemporary design. It’s exciting to have arrived at a piece of work that challenges people’s expectations of what a medal can be,” said Arbel.
Read the rest at CBC.ca/News
WatchMojo.com follows a group of BMX riders as they shred it up and tell us about life in the Presence crew.
Amazing. Mark Buehrle should buy this guy a new car or something….
Here’s a great list from TheHoopDoctors.com:
10 - Jannero Pargo (Free Agent - PG)
After declaring for the draft in 2002, Jannero Pargo went undrafted. The 6′2″ point guard was signed by the Lakers in the 2003-04 season. Despite averaging around 10 minutes per game, Pargo was only able to average 2.5. points per game. After another season with the Lakers and a season in Toronto, he was traded to Chicago where he put up career high numbers in minutes (26.5), points (13.5), and assists (3.6). He is currently a free agent.
9 - Kelenna Azibuke (Golden State Warriors - SG)
Kelenna Azibuke, a Shooting Guard for the Golden State Warriors, began his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, playing a few preseason games before being waived. But that didn’t stop Azibuke from working hard to accomplish his dream. He was signed by the Fort Worth Flyers of the NBA D-League and led them to the championships. Along the way he collected several honours and opened the eyes of NBA scouts. Houston was the next team to pursue Azibuke but shortly waived him and rejoined his former NBA D-League team. After leading the D-League in scoring, he was finally given a permanent chance to play in the NBA. The injury-plagued Golden State Warriors signed Azibuke. He finished the season with career highs in minutes (32.1), points (14.4), rebounds (5.0), and assists (1.6). He is currently considered one of the best upcoming young players in the NBA at the young age of 25.
8 - Jamario Moon (Miami Heat - SF)
Jamario Moon, a highflying small forward from Goodwater, Alabama, currently plays for the Miami Heat. He has spent most of his career playing with teams in several different countries, including the legendary Harlem Globetrotters in 2004, and in the NBA D-League. He is known for his superb dunking and jumping abilities. He exceeded expectations of Toronto’s coaching staff after being invited to a 3 day mini-camp with the Raptors. His performance gained him a 2-year deal. He was the Rookie of the Month for January, 2008, was invited to the Rookie-Sophmore game at the All-Star Weekend in New Orleans, and participated in the Slam Dunk competition where he finished in 3rd place.
7 - Udonis Haslem (Miami Heat - PF)
Udonis Haslem, a standout at the University of Florida, helped lead them to 4 straight Final Four appearances. Despite his success, he went undrafted in 2002. After signing with a team in France, he made it into the NBA Summer League and was later signed by the Miami Heat. In his rookie season, he was named to the 2nd NBA All-Rookie Team and was a starter in the Rookie-Sophmore game during the All-Star Weekend He was an instrumental part of Miami’s success in 2006, winning the first and only NBA championship of his career.
6 - Raja Bell (Charlotte Bobcats - SG)
After signing with the San Antonio Spurs in 2000, Raja Bell never played a game with them and was released. The next season, Bell helped rally his team from a large deficit in game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, scoring in double figures. During the 2005-06 season, Raja Bell put up career highs in minutes (37.5), points (14.7), assists (2.6), and steals (1.0). In addition, he was selected to participate in the Footlocker 3-Point Shootout however declined the opportunity for personal reasons. During his career, Bell was named to the NBA All-Defensive First and Second team, one time each.
5 - Bruce Bowen (San Antonio Spurs - SF)
Bruce Bowen, an alumni of Edison High School, went undrafted 1993. Despite going undrafted, he is considered one of the best defenders in the game today. From 2001-2008, he received consecutive nominations for the NBA All-Defensive Teams. In addition, Bowen finished 2nd in NBA Defensive Player of the Year 3 times, to Ben Wallace twice and Marcus Camby once.
4 - Mike James (Washington Wizards - PG)
After 3 seasons in the Euroleague, Mike James decided to join the NBA after going undrafted in 1998. He played for the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Milwakee Bucks, Houston Rockets, and Toronto Raptors. His most memorable season was with Toronto where he averaged career highs in virtually every category, including 20.3 points per game. He is the first undrafted player in NBA history to average more than 20 points in a season.
3 - Jose Calderon (Toronto Raptors - PG)
Jose Calderon, who is of Spanish decent, is a point guard for the Toronto Raptors. Calderon started out his professional basketball career in the Euroleague where he spent 6 successful seasons with several teams. In August 2005, Calderon signed with the Toronto Raptors. During the 2006-07 season, he helped lead the Toronto Raptors to the playoffs and in the 2007-08 season, he exceeded his expectations and eventually took over the role of starting point guard from T.J. Ford. Last season was definitely Calderon’s best where he averaged career highs in minutes (34.3), points (12.8), assists (8.9), rebounds (2.9), and steals (1.1). In addition, he abolished the NBA free-throw shooting percentage record, shooting 981% from the line, has an Olympic silver medal, and a gold medal from the World Championships in 2006.
2 - Brad Miller (Chicago Bulls - C)
During his career, Brad Miller has bounced around the NBA, playing for the (now defunct) Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, and Sacramento Kings. Brad Miller has represented the United States at the World Championships twice, where he has won 2 bronze medals and is a 2 time All-Star. Miller is regarded as one of the best shooting big men in the league.
1 - Ben Wallace (Cleveland Cavaliers - C/PF)
Ben Wallace, who is nicknamed Big Ben, is a 6′9″ center/power forward for the NBA’s best team currently, the Cleveland Cavaliers. He has received countless awards recognizing his defensive ability. He was an NBA champion in 2004, is a 4 time All-Star, 4 time Defensive Player of the Year (a record which he shares with Dikembe Mutombo), a 6 time All-Defensive Team member, and a 5 time All-NBA Team member.
Fairfax, VA (April 8, 2009) — Time Life will release the critically-acclaimed documentary THRILLA IN MANILA on DVD on June 2nd, a powerful film that reveals a previously unknown side to the final fight between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali in the Philippines through the eyes of the oft-overlooked Frazier. Variety describes the film as “unavoidably fascinating,” while Salon.com declares it “riveting,” the Boston Herald called it “a knockout” and GQ.com says “this film is worth its weight in gold.” The DVD comes with 30 minutes of bonus material not seen in the original film, including archival interviews with Frazier, Larry Holmes, and Frazier’s own son.
An Official Selection at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, THRILLA IN MANILA chronicles one of the most bitter face-offs the sports world has ever seen, recounting a tale of personal betrayal that was stoked by the racial politics of 1970s America. Featuring archival footage and exclusive interviews with boxing insiders, including Ferdie Pacheco, Butch Lewis and Dave Wolf, as well as Imelda Marcos (former First Lady of the Philippines), the documentary tells the story of two great fighters forever linked by three epic bouts, and looks at their final fight, considered the most brutal, from Frazier’s perspective for the very first time. The match was a near-death experience for both of them - highlighting the contrasting styles with which they fought, and the vitriol they hurled at each other for so long. It has come to represent an extraordinary personal battle and captured a particular moment in US social history.
Directed by John Dower (”Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of The New York Cosmos”), THRILLA IN MANILA tracks an extraordinary personal battle between two friends, and captures the poignant moment in the socio-cultural history of the country when they became American sports icons and legends. While Ali was a symbol of the civil rights struggle and anti-Vietnam War movement, Frazier was cast as the symbol of the pro-war, conservative segment of American society, some would say unfairly.
In 1967, Ali was stripped of his heavyweight crown after refusing induction into the armed forces. The film reveals how Frazier subsequently befriended Ali and supported the renewal of his boxing license and status, showing the intense feelings of betrayal he felt after Ali returned to the ring in 1970 and subjected him to race-baiting attacks.
In the ring, Joe Frazier was a fighter who refused to be defeated. It was that relentlessness that defined Frazier’s boxing career, carrying him to an Olympic gold medal and to the heavyweight championship of the world. And it was that relentlessness that made him the perfect foil for his rival, Muhammad Ali.
Using incredible archival footage and music of the time THRILLER AND MANILA is the definitive account of this iconic event, which remains controversial to this day.
I guess Topps is really throwing everything at the wall at this point? Read more from Fortune.com:
NEW YORK (Fortune) — “I’ll trade you two Bernie Madoffs for a Derek Jeter and David Wright.”
Baseball card collectors could soon be saying something along those lines as the Topps Company will be issuing a trading card of confessed swindler Bernard Madoff as part of a product due out early this summer.
The Topps 2009 Allen & Ginter release will include cards of some 260 baseball players along with cards of historic figures and “world champions” from realms outside baseball. This year’s product, though, will also nod to Madoff’s financial chicanery as part of a group of cards featuring the “world’s biggest hoaxes, hoodwinks and bamboozles.” Among the other do-badders in the subset are Charles Ponzi, The Runaway Bride, and Enron.
“These cards feature 20 perpetrators of some of the most notorious pranks, dubious claims, and outright frauds of the last 2 centuries,” boasts a Topps sell-sheet for the collection.
That means collectors who open a pack of the cards at their local hobby shop could find Madoff right alongside notable sluggers like Alex Rodriguez or Albert Pujols. Packs of the cards will sell for $3 apiece at retailers including Target (TGT, Fortune 500) and Wal-Mart (WMT, Fortune 500). The odds of finding a Madoff will be one in 12 packs on average.
The hoaxes subset, originally inspired by the case of 1970’s skyjacker D.B. Cooper, was in the works even before the Madoff scandal hit the headlines, according to Topps spokesman Clay Luraschi. Madoff, in fact, was a late addition to the checklist, Luraschi says. “Ironically, the economy takes a dive and all these characters start washing out, like Bernie Madoff. We thought, hey, if anyone should be in this set it should be him.”
The Madoff card is not the only gimmick included in the set. Topps will again be issuing so-called DNA relics, cards featuring actual hairs of historical subjects including Napoleon, King George III, Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Edgar Allen Poe, George Washington, Jefferson Davis, Geronimo, Abraham Lincoln and Beethoven. But the Madoff card is the one most directly linked to current headlines.
“I think it will add some interest to the hobby in terms of non-collectors, more mainstream people getting into it just because of those cards,” says Chris Olds, editor of Beckett Baseball, a publication for collectors. “They try to touch on unusual things that people would latch onto — stuff that’s out of the ordinary, especially stuff you wouldn’t expect to find in a pack of baseball cards.”
Some collectors on one popular trading-card blog seemed less than eager to see Madoff captured on cardboard.
“I think if I pull a Bernie Madoff card it will be getting burned or shredded,” one poster noted.
Another collector noted that Madoff isn’t the first infamous criminal to be featured on a trading card.
“I was pretty appalled when I found out about the Bernie Madoff card too,” that blogger wrote, “but they’ve had Jesse James and Jack the Ripper in previous sets so I guess Bernie is the designated scumbag criminal for this year’s set.”
From TSN.ca:
Sources say the New York Rangers and John Tortorella have an agreement in place that would make him the next head coach of the NHL team, but that the Tampa Bay Lightning have not yet granted him permission to do so.
A current NHL on TSN analyst, Tortorella remains under contract to the Lightning for the balance of this season. In order for him to become head coach of the Rangers, he requires the blessing of the Lightning. Sources also tell TSN that the blessing has yet to be granted, however the NHL’s head office is now involved in an attempt to resolve the situation.
Tortorella led the Tampa Bay Lightning to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup title in the 2003-04 season as the Bolts defeated the Calgary Flames in seven games. His 239 career wins is second to only Peter Laviolette as the most ever by an American-born NHL coach.
The Boston-born Tortorella began his NHL coaching career as an assistant with the Buffalo Sabres in 1989. He then captured the AHL’s Calder Cup in 1996 as head coach of the Rochester Americans.
Tortorella replaced Steve Ludzik as Tampa Bay’s head coach in 2001. The Lightning reached the playoff four times on Tortorella’s watch, winning the Southeast division twice in the process.
Tortorella was fired by the Lightning after the team missed the playoffs last season. He was immediately scooped up by TSN, joining the NHL on TSN panel.
Stay tuned to TSN.ca for more details as they arrive
Can you believe that they ever played without goalie masks? It doesn’t make any sense at all. Check out a recent feature from our sister site WatchMojo.com:
Is this even possible? Man he is huge:
PLAY
