MetaFilter posts tagged with espn

I Took That Punch as a Man

ob1quixote — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:41:34 -0800

23-year-old Garrett Holeve is an aspiring MMA fighter from Cooper City, Florida, just north of Miami. He trains six days a week, and has fought in amateur exhibition matches. He also has Down syndrome. This is his story Despite support from some in the MMA community, including former UFC Light Heavyweight Stephan Bonnar, Holeve has had difficulty finding a fight. The decision to allow him to fight at all is not without controversy. According to a review of the ESPN feature story by Zach Arnold at FightOpinion.com, I made several phone calls to doctors, athletic inspectors, judges, and individuals with medical knowledge who are involved in regulating combat sports. The reaction from the people I contacted was unanimous and swift — they were absolutely terrified. Not one person supported the idea of allowing someone with Down’s syndrome inside the ring for amateur or pro MMA. Holeve also faces criticism closer to home. His aunt and uncle thoroughly disapprove. My brother-in-law basically told me to my face that I was a bad father for letting my kid do this, Holeve's father Mitch says. Holeve himself doesn't appear to have any reservations. His fights speak for themselves.

Garrett "G-Money" Holeve
vs. Antonio "El Toro" Martin — 02 Dec. 2011
Round 1
Round 2
vs. Mike "Monster" Wilson — 23 Feb. 2013
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Post-fight Interview

"Len Bias would become the Archduke Ferdinand of the Total War on Drugs"

MartinWisse — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 07:15:25 -0800

Len Bias has been dead for longer than he has been alive. For ESPN Michael Weinreb examines how the tragic death due to a cocaine overdose of this young, up and coming basketball star affected both the sport and American drug policy. Meanwhile at Deadspin, Tommy Craigs explains how twentytwo years after his death Len Bias still makes everyone crazy.

The betting machine

Potomac Avenue — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 22:38:51 -0800

Meet The World's Foremost Quantitative NBA Sports Bettor: Raconteur and humorous tweeter Haralabos Voulgaris

The Bobcat in Winter

workingdankoch — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 16:39:24 -0800

Michael Jordan Has Not Left The Building. Wright Thompson of ESPN: The Magazine profiles Michael Jordan as he turns 50 and finds himself in a world where his body may age, but his obsessive drive to compete never goes away.

The Book of Coach

MattMangels — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 21:36:24 -0800

"For those who coached under Walsh, Finding the Winning Edge was a study of the genius beyond his playbook. For those who coached against him, it was a window into the mind of their nemesis." -- The Coaching Philosophy of Bill Walsh. The book is now out of print and even a used copy will cost you $1,249.99 on Amazon.

What you are about to read..is fucking awesome

Potomac Avenue — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 08:39:31 -0800

ESPN NBA blog The Hardwood Paroxysm has released a 2012-2013 Season Preview Guide [PDF] full of clever, opinionated (or sometimes data-driven) previews of each team and star player. But if you're in the mood to peruse on Basketball history instead, try the Championship Belt blog, which treats basketball as if it were wrestling.

Too weird to live, too rare to die

the man of twists and turns — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 04:27:57 -0800

"2. Airman Thompson possesses outstanding talent in writing. He has imagination, good use of English, and can express his thoughts in a manner that makes interesting reading 3. However, in spite of frequent counseling with explanation of the reasons for the conservative policy on an AF base newspaper, Airman Thompson has consistently written controversial material and leans so strongly to critical editorializing that it was necessary to require that all his writing be thoroughly edited before release." - A memo regarding Airman Second-Class Hunter S. Thompson's reporting for the base newspaper. The phrase 'Fear and Loathing' was a common refrain is his reporting: Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail in '72, re-released last summer with a forward by Matt Taibbi, about which Taibbi was interviewed by the Village Voice. Fear and Loathing in America, written almost immediately after the 9/11 attacks. The phrase spawned copycats: Fear and Loathing in Tampa, the Miami New Times guide to that 2012 Republican National Convention. And followers: Fear and Self-Loathing In Las Vegas, 40 years later (previously). A page from the FBI file on 'Hunter Stockton Thompson.' Thompson wrote for Playboy Magazine: The Curse of Lono, about a trip to Hawai'i. Playboy also published 10 years of correspondence between their editors and Thompson, previously. He wrote He Was A Crook (previously) on Nixon's death. Ian Johnston, at The Quietus, wrote an interview in 1998 that wasn't published until 2011. Thompson was also interviewd in The Paris Review.

I just usually go with my own taste. If I like something, and it happens to be against the law, well, then I might have a problem. But an outlaw can be defined as somebody who lives outside the law, beyond the law, not necessarily against it. And it's pretty ancient. It goes back to Scandinavian history. People were declared outlaws and they were cast out of the community and sent to foreign lands—exiled. They operated outside the law and were in communities all over Greenland and Iceland, wherever they drifted. Outside the law in the countries they came from—I don't think they were trying to be outlaws . . . I was never trying, necessarily, to be an outlaw. It was just the place in which I found myself.

Johnny Depp writes in The Daily Beast about Thompson, and John Dolan at the eXile calls him A Hero Of Our Time in his obituary. Self Made hero covers some details of Thompson's childhood. Previously: the article The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved, a 75-minute documentary titled Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride

I'm completely capable of anything

catlet — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 14:36:14 -0800

Nico Calabria plays soccer and wrestles for Concord-Carlisle High School in Massachusetts. He summitted Mount Kilimanjaro at 13 [Vimeo] as a fundraiser to provide wheelchairs to people in Tanzania, he does some parkour, and this week he's in a race to have the "Best of the Best" video on ESPN's SportsCenter for a goal he scored in a recent game. Calabria was born with one leg and uses carbon fiber crutches when he plays; he's a starting forward on the US Amputee National Team.

I'm as high as a Georgia pine.

whimsicalnymph — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 09:41:23 -0800

The Long, Strange Trip of Dock Ellis. ESPN's Outside the Lines has created a digital reading experience worthy of its subject matter. An inspiration for Barbara Manning, a collaborator with US Poet Laureate Donald Hall, Dock Ellis was best known for pitching a June 12, 1970 no-hitter while under the influence of LSD. Despite having a long professional baseball career, Ellis struggled with addiction and later devoted his life to drug counseling. He died in 2008. (Bonus: Amazing animated dramatization.) Previously on the blue.

as if he just fell asleep watching the game

Sticherbeast — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 14:04:53 -0800

Team Spirit is a short documentary by Errol Morris about the funerals of passionate sports fans. (SLYT)

ESPN Body Issue 2012

Cloud King — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 10:07:46 -0800

ESPN: The Body Issue 2012 (nsfw)

"Never Be Satisfied"

zarq — Wed, 23 May 2012 22:09:25 -0800

"I'm just looking for a second chance. Other people get second chances. Alcoholics. Drug addicts. Spousal beaters. Not gamblers, though. But, if you want to put something on my tombstone that was very important to me, it’s 1,972. That’s how many winning games I’ve played in. So that makes me the biggest winner in the history of sports. No one else can say that." Here, Now is a short documentary that looks at baseball legend Pete Rose, as he lives his life today. Part of ESPN's upcoming season of 30 for 30. First season's website. (Last two links have autoplaying video.) Some documentaries from the first season are available on YouTube, and available for purchase and download at iTunes. * The Fab Five (Michigan Men's Basketball, Pay-for-Play Scandal) Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 * Run, Ricky, Run (Ricky Williams) * Into the Wind (The Story of Terry Fox) * The 16th Man: (Rugby in South Africa) Parts 1, 2, 3, 4 * The Two Escobars * Catching Hell (Steve Bartman): Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 * Roll Tide / War Eagle: (Auburn / Alabama RIvalry) Parts 1, 2, 3, 4

The Worldwide Leader

(Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates — Tue, 01 May 2012 15:43:41 -0800

Is ESPN columnist Sarah Phillips scamming people on the internet? Eight months ago, a writer who specializes in sports-betting was hired by ESPN, sight-unseen. Fast-forward six months and accusations are swirling that she is either not who she says she is, or she is using her platform to grift internet gamblers and content creators. A story that's about fifty percent JT Leroy and fifty percent Nigerian prince.

The Announcement

hippybear — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:46:12 -0800

Mr. George said in a telephone interview that his goal for “The Announcement” was not only to tell the inside story of Mr. Johnson’s personal deliberations but also to “make people aware this thing hasn’t disappeared.” He added: “People are still dying of the virus. People are living very tough lives because of it. It’s falling off the national agenda, I believe, and this in some way helps us reintroduce it.”*

On March 11, 2012 at 9pm Eastern, ESPN will air the documentary The Announcement, about Magic Johnson's diagnosis with HIV and his decision to go public with his diagnosis. The film is directed by Nelson George, a award-winning author and noted filmmaker whose sister is Andrea Williams, an HIV+ activist for AIDS causes in Brooklyn (and who inspired George's HBO movie Life Support, which won Queen Latifah several awards for her role as a fictionalized version of Williams).

Slumdog Golfer

vidur — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 14:19:57 -0800

The Golf Course and the Slum

Don’t Give Up . . . Don’t Ever Give Up!

T.D. Strange — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:06:12 -0800

Jim Valvano and 6th seeded North Carolina State completed one of the all time greatest Cinderella upsets in basketball history, winning the 1983 NCAA tournament title over the top ranked "Phi Slamma Jamma" out of Houston, featuring two future Hall of Fame and Top 50 all time NBA superstars Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon. On March 3, 1993, shortly before his death from bone cancer diagnosed the previous year, Jimmy V delivered an iconic speech at the inaugural ESPY awards announcing the creation of The Jimmy V Foundation, an organization dedicated to finding a cure for cancer. Jimmy V week is celebrated each year on ESPN and has since raised over $100 million for cancer research.

49ers-least talked about comeback story?

Carillon — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 12:24:27 -0800

The 49ers are back, but who's paying attention? Sitting on top of a weak NFC West, is the Niner's impressive rise going overlooked? While the NFC West performed its best since the reorg in 2002, the 49ers are still on top at 8-1. They beat the playoff bound Giants, gaining the edge 18-17 in the overall series. This is their first win against the Giants since the 2002 Wildcard playoff game when a dramatic miss by the Giants kicker gave the 49ers the win in the last second, cementing the second greatest comeback in playoff history. The 49ers have deflected praise this season though. Rookie coach Harbaugh even seemed to ask for it saying "I believe in you guys, the media I believe that you will find a way (to underrate the 49ers). As long as all that is written is being written against us, we'll be happy." Justin Smith similarly dismissed his game winning block by attributing it not to skill or planning, but to his sheer tiredness and inability to press on. The 49ers may be on their way to the playoffs, but should their rapid rise be making more waves?

Ultimately, there is no separating Vick from his circumstances: his race, parents, economics and opportunities.

furiousxgeorge — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 11:32:02 -0800

What if Michael Vick were white? The cover of the September issue of ESPN The Magazine features an image of the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, but another picture might end up getting more attention. Vick has resurrected his career in Philadelphia after acts of horrific animal abuse left him hated and contributed to the loss of his freedom for two years and most of his wealth. His story of redemption as a player and a person has impressed some but continues to disgust others. His problems with money should soon be over as negotiations for a potentially huge new contract with the Eagles continue and Nike has signed on for a new endorsement deal.

Warning: something you have to care about sports to care about

Horace Rumpole — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 08:26:07 -0800

Launching at 12:00PM ET today is Grantland.com, a new site from ESPN's Bill Simmons which will feature longer-form articles and a mix of sports and pop culture, with an impressive roster of contributors, including Malcolm Gladwell, Dave Eggers and Chuck Klosterman. The site takes its name from the legendary early-20th-century sportswriter Grantland Rice.

It happens

ThePinkSuperhero — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 12:48:46 -0800

The Tao of Poo We can exhaustively explore every aspect of athletic life -- victory, defeat, violence, racism, drugs, brain damage, paralysis, death -- but nothing reveals as much about the physiology, psychology and sociology of sport as the excretory experience of athletes.

Sort of a one-man [sports] Metafilter

beagle — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:31:10 -0800

Quickish is a new site offering "real-time-ish" short-form sports news and analysis links, gathered and recommended by the site's proprietor, Dan Shanoff. Link suggestions from readers are welcome. NiemanLab interviews Shanoff. If his name sounds familiar, it's because he used to do the Daily Quickie on ESPN.com.

Duke vs Michigan

auto-correct — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 12:45:04 -0800

On Sunday, ESPN aired an acclaimed documentary about the University of Michigan's Fab Five. In one segment the members of the Fab Five discuss their hatred of the Duke University basketball program, and Jalen Rose goes so far as to say that at the time he felt like Duke players were "Uncle Toms". Link goes to clip of relevant segment (1:24), after a short ad. Grant Hill, who played for Duke against the Fab Five, responded in today's New York Times. The NYT version was edited for space constraints, so the full version is available on Hill's website. The full documentary is on Youtube, starting here.

32 Posters for the participants of the World Cup

Keith Talent — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 14:50:51 -0800

ESPN commisions 32 posters for each of the participants in the upcoming tournement. In addition to the cool art, here's an interactive calender to help you plan your viewing courtesy of Spanish website Marca.com.

"I left my stamp."

The Card Cheat — Mon, 31 May 2010 15:58:31 -0800

I scored a goal in the FIFA World Cup Final. A series of short films produced by ESPN about players ranging from Uruguay's Alcides Ghiggia in 1950 to Italy's Marco Materazzi in 2006. Please note that each clip is preceded by a 15 second commercial.

Joe Gaetjens scored a goal in the World Cup, died as a political prisoner of Papa Doc Chevalier

Kattullus — Mon, 31 May 2010 07:09:24 -0800

A heartbreaking 10-minute documentary on Joe Gaetjens who scored the single goal in the USA's shocking victory over England at the 1950 World Cup. Gaetjens was a Haitian accounting student at Columbia University who went to Europe shortly after the 1950 World Cup and returned to Haiti a few years later. His story, and the story of the upset victory, was until recently largely unknown in the US.