Category: Sports

Categories
Sports

I want Allison Schmitt to Win all the Races

And Pat Forde explains why:

> Allison Schmitt is a walking spit take. Ask her about family dinners as the middle child of five growing up in Canton, Mich., and she’ll tell you about milk coming out her nose because she’s guffawing uncontrollably at her siblings. Ask her about anything, actually, and giggles are sure to follow.

> “When I hear someone laugh, I automatically start laughing,” Schmitt said. “I literally laugh at everything.”

Watching her pull away during the 4×200 relay yesterday was awesome. Currently, in the “my favorite Olympian of the 2012 games” contest, she has to be near the top.

Categories
Sports

Lavarnway Called Up

Fingers crossed he adjusts as well as Middlebrooks has.

Categories
Politics Sports

Webb Simpson Stands up to Chick-Fil-A

To read most coverage, you would never know there were people on the both sides of this issue. Yahoo Sports reports on what Webb Simpson treated yesterday:

> “Reasons for loving chickfila,” Simpson tweeted (all tweets, as always, sic’d): “They serve humbly They say “my pleasure” Food is great Polynesian is awesome Milkshakes are awesomest” Nobody on earth can disagree with that part about the milkshakes, at least.

Good for him. I have a ton of respect for someone willing to share his views, especially when his views are getting drowned out in the media coverage.

Categories
Sports

The end of the Lars Anderson Era (in Pawtucket)

Whenever the PawSox came to town, I was always excited about seeing Lars Anderson play. Sadly, there really is no place for him in the Red Sox system now that they have Gonzo at first for the foreseeable future. I wish him good luck in Cleveland. Unfortunately, his outlook does not seem very bright:

> He has always toted solid plate discipline skills and his first-base defense has improved in recent years as well. But Anderson has struggled to make contact as he progressed throughout the Red Sox farm system, and while the power is obviously there when he connects — he hit a prodigious home run off of the scoreboard at McCoy Stadium this year — connecting has been a struggle in and of itself.

Categories
Sports

The Black Shuttlecocks Scandal of 2012

> Then Bruce checked the internet and saw there was a brewing controversy over four women’s doubles teams throwing games during pool play in an effort to secure more advantageous spot in the quarterfinals

Of course teams were throwing badminton matches. This sport has been corrupt for years.[^ff]

[^ff]: I actually have no knowledge of any aspect of badminton.

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Sports

Fangraphs breaks down Will Middlebrooks

> Middlebrooks has shown the ability to hit the ball with authority in his short time as a major leaguer. To get the most out of this ability, he’ll need to make consistent contact. If he can take this next step, the Middlebrooks we’ve seen this year can be around for years to come.

I have my fingers crossed. I love Will Middlebrooks.

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Sports

Review of what the Red Sox did do and did not do at Yesterday’s Trade Deadline

Great review by the guys over at Fire Brand, including commentary on the [rumors of a deal that would have involved Beckett and Ellsbury](http://www.weei.com/sports/boston/this-just-in/21217731/red-sox-rangers-talked-blockbuster).

Categories
Sports

Clemson Signs another Top 50 Wide Receiver

Clearly, Dabo can recruit.

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Sports

Red Sox Win (with a little help from the Rain)

> The Tigers looked to be threatening in the top of the sixth inning, loading the bases with two outs against Morales, who had relieved Mortensen and looked poised to pitch for a while — perhaps setting him up to take Beckett’s turn in the rotation the next time through. But rain that had been steady throughout the game began falling hard enough that umpires waved the teams off the field. They never returned.

I’m sure Morales would have gotten them out anyway.[^win]

[^win]: Okay, I am not completely confident in that.

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Sports

NBC Apologizes for Last Night’s Spoiler Promo

> On Monday night, during its not-at-all-live primetime coverage of the Olympics in London, NBC aired a promo for Tuesday’s Today that trumpeted 17-year-old U.S. swimmer Missy Franklin’s gold medal win in the 100-meter backstroke — just moments before the race itself was to be broadcast (on a tape delay).

At least they’ve been consistently bad in all of their TV coverage.

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Sports

Red Sox Trade for Left Reliever Craig Breslow

> The cost for the Sox, meanwhile, is not terribly impressive. While Matt Albers has managed to avoid surrendering much in the way of runs, actually watching him pitch gave the impression that was not terribly sustainable. He pitches up in the zone too often, and just doesn’t miss bats with any regularity

Yeah, Albers was starting to make me nervous whenever he came out to the mound. Of course, Boston has proven to be a tough place for any reliever to do well. Here’s hoping Breslow turns out to be one of the few that can handle it.

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Sports

Red Sox Should Bring Back Justin Materson

Yes.

Categories
Sports Technology

Tip for Making Sure to You Do Not Miss Olympic Medal Events Live

The [NBC Olympics Live Extra](http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=r*bqlTuiXSo&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fnbc-olympics-live-extra%252Fid542511686%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30) app is great[^ff] for watching Olympic events live. Unfortunately, it is not as good for sending notifications when certain events, especially medal events, are occurring. That’s where the [London Olympics app](http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=r*bqlTuiXSo&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Flondon-2012-official-results%252Fid536513070%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30) comes in. In the London Olympics app, you can get a daily schedule of the sports, including an indicator for when there is a medal round for a particular sport:

When you click on one of the sports, then you get a more detailed view of all the events in the sport, including which ones feature medal rounds at a particular time:

[![Sports](/images/post_images/IMG_1303_thumb.png)](/images/post_images/IMG_1303.png)

Tap on the little clock icon and you’ll get a notification when a medal event is about to start.

[![Events](/images/post_images/IMG_1304_thumb.png)](/images/post_images/IMG_1304.png)

Yes, the process is a little kludgy, but at least it gives you a notification so you do not miss something you want to see.

[^ff]: The overall review of the app and NBC’s Olympics coverage are at best “mixed.” I have been lucky so far and only had a one event where I missed the a key moment because the app hiccuped.

Categories
Internet Sports

Reporter has Twitter Account Suspended for Criticizing NBC’s Olympics Coverage

Dan Wetzel explains what happens to one reporter who criticized NBC’s Olympics coverage:

>Guy Adams works as a writer for The Independent, a national newspaper in Great Britain. He lives in Los Angeles. Throughout the Olympics, he’s taken to Twitter and ripped NBC repeatedly for its coverage of the Games in America.

> Namely, he’s criticized the network’s reliance on using tape delays, a frustration shared by millions of viewers.

> Only in a marriage of old media and social media, Guy Adams no longer has a Twitter account. It was suspended Tuesday …

Wow.

Categories
Entertainment Sports

ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Coming Soon” to Netflix Instant

These are great. I might just set the [Red Sox one from their 2004 World Series win](http://www.netflix.com/Movie/30_for_30_Four_Days_in_October/70170094) on a loop when I am not watching anything.

Categories
Sports

Red Sox Take 2 out 3 from the Yanks

I still cannot figure out this Red Sox team. I would be fine with them just letting all the young guys play though. I am about 3 games away from ordering a Pedro Ciriaco Fathead for my wall.

*See also* [Fenway West’s Recap](http://www.fenwaywest.com/2012-articles/july/yankee-killer-pedro-ciriaco-does-it-again.html)

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Sports

Silver for US in 4×100 Freestyle

> And during the fast and furious 200 seconds that it took the race to play out, some hastily reached conclusions underwent radical revision. Ryan Lochte plummeted from being labeled the greatest swimmer on Earth to being unfairly labeled a goat. Michael Phelps was reclassified from fading to formidable.

Great summary by Pat Forde of a great race to watch. Too bad the US came up just short.

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Sports

Opening Ceremonies Too Complex for Viewers

> [A[n emailed statement that the ceremonies “are complex entertainment spectacles that do not translate well online because they require context, which our award-winning production team will provide for the large prime-time audiences that gather together to watch them.”

Because if anyone had the option to turn of Lauer and Vieira they would have.[^f1]

[^f1]: If the comments are Twitter were any indication, I am not alone in thinking that the commentary during the opening ceremonies was atrocious. Of course the reason they did not put the ceremonies online was because they wanted to get a huge ratings number for the event, and of course they are not going to come out and say that.

Categories
Sports

Why the Red Sox Will Make the Playoffs

> Although Adrian Gonzalez’ bat has gone missing, Carl Crawford is just now wading back into the pool of full-time play, and Nick Punto continues to exist, the 2012 Sox are fully capable of going on an absolutely torrid stretch. And I mean torrid in a good way, not in an “every episode of ‘Happy Days’ after Ron Howard left the cast” way. In fact, a 21-8 August is not entirely out of the question. Neither, of course, is the thought that a race of alien Jessica Biels will abduct me and whisk me away to their home planet to help them repopulate. But just work with me here.

I’m trying to be this optimistic, but I just do not think this team is going to go on some kind of winning streak. I hope I’m wrong.

Categories
Sports

Wally the Green Monster Costume Stolen

The way this season is going, I would expect nothing less.

*UPDATE: Wally’s been located. It was apparently an employee who took it without permission. No charges filed.*