The Sports Section -- Daily Intel -- New York News Blog -- New York Magazine

Archive of The Sports Section

The Sports Section

7/24/08

3:20 PM

Giuliani’s Son Sues Duke for Cutting Him From Golf Team

Andrew Giuliani in 2001.Photo: AP

And we wonder why Southerners hate us. Andrew Giuliani, the 22-year-old son of the former mayor, was cut from the Duke University golf team in February as coach O.D. Vincent abruptly decided to halve the size of the team. In what Giuliani's lawyers call "a bizarre Lord of the Flies scheme," the coach tried to rescind Giuliani's student-athlete responsibilities. When Giuliani wouldn't sign the paperwork cutting off his ability to train at Duke's state-of-the-art golf center, he claims Vincent tried to turn his teammates against him. According to the 198-page lawsuit that was filed yesterday in district court in Durham, North Carolina, the coach and the school are interfering with Giuliani's plans to live life as a professional golfer.

We know you have a lot of questions. So do we. Like, why is a 22-year-old only going into his senior year? Kidding, sort of. We bet you're actually wondering how good this kid was. Well, according to ESPN, he was ranked twelfth out of the fourteen members of his team. Knowing that, we're betting you're now wondering where he got the balls to sue his school for cutting him when they wanted to shrink the team. The answer to that question is obvious: from Donna Hannover, of course.

Some unbiased analysis from a UNC grad. »

More: andrew giuliani, donna hanover, duke, gold, rudy giuliani, sports

The Sports Section

7/24/08

2:20 PM

The Problem With All Those Yankees Wins

Don't get overconfident, Cashman.Photo: Getty Images

The Yankees have won six straight to open the second half, and they probably couldn’t have picked a worse time to do it. That’s because today is the front office’s pre-trade-deadline meeting in Tampa, where Brian Cashman, the Steinbrenner brothers, and a cast of thousands will begin to determine whether the team is good enough as is or if it will need reinforcements before July 31. And based on their play in the last week, they might just think the club can get by with starting Brett Gardner in left, handing Darrell Rasner the ball every five days, and going without a useful lefty in the bullpen.

Anyone but Farnsworth...would be terrible? »

More: sports, yankees

The Sports Section

7/23/08

10:05 AM

Last Night’s Big Mets Collapse Just the Beginning?

D'ohh! Phillie So Taguchi hits a two-RBI double in the ninth.Photo: AP

Even when everything was going right for the Mets in the weeks leading up to the All-Star break, there was still the nagging knowledge that Billy Wagner was the team's closer. And Mets fans had developed a sort of shared understanding that while Wagner was far from terrible, he was all too often a cause for concern. But after last night's disastrous ninth inning against the Phillies, Mets fans probably can't wait for the injured Wagner to return to the bullpen.

And yet they're scared to see what happens next. »

More: baseball, mets, phillies, sports

The Sports Section

7/23/08

9:00 AM

Jorge Posada’s Bad Signs

What, me worry?Photo: Getty Images

In The Dark Knight, Harvey Dent says, "You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." If you're willing to grant the parallel that Yankee Stadium bears more than a few passing resemblances to Gotham — vast class struggles, secret overlords as shadow rulers, men whose public faces disguise a tortured soul, nice river views — then anyone who has ever played for the Yankees too long can certainly understand what Dent meant.

A mere flip of the coin. »

More: baseball, jorge posada, sports, yankees

The Sports Section

7/22/08

3:35 PM

Joba Chamberlain Breaks XBox Guitars

Our photo editor quite rightly wondered after seeing
this photo: Does that customer have to take
that giant, Joba-signed check to DnD every time he
wants a coffee?Photo: Rebecca McAlpin

Last week, when the Mets and Yankees were both off, SportsNet New York killed some time on their SportsNite highlight show by airing a segment in which Joba Chamberlain played Guitar Hero for a few minutes. As you might assume, it was less than captivating stuff, but something struck us about the boyish Yankees pitcher: He seemed to be having every bit as much fun horsing around playing video games as he would, say, striking out the side in a big-league game. So when we caught up with Joba today at the Engine Co. 16 firehouse in Murray Hill — where he presented firefighter Chris DiBiase with tickets to the last regular-season game at Yankee Stadium and a year of free iced coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts — we were curious if he really was so passionate about his gaming.

“I get pretty happy doing about anything,” he told us. “I’m a kid, and I don’t think I’m gonna grow up for a while.” But when we asked his favorite song to play in the game, he got unnecessarily diplomatic. “You know you can’t really pick one,” he said. “All of them are good. Sometimes you can’t like one too much because it gets to be too hard when you start playing on Hard or Expert, so I usually break the guitar.”

Ooh! So what does he do with a Red Sox when he plays him? »

More: coffee, dunkin donuts, guitar hero, joba chamberlain, sports, yankees

The Sports Section

7/22/08

12:00 PM

Mets, Phillies to Flail It Out for Desperate Fans

Billy Wagner, Jimmy Rollins: Who shall stumble ungallantly across the finish line?Photo: Getty Images

In a world where the ongoing Red Sox–Yankees “saga” is rudely interrupted by the Tampa Bay Rays, it is no wonder that the artificial construction of a Mets-Phillies rivalry has been so labored and dogged. Simplicity requires a fake hatred between two contending East Coast teams, battling it out for division titles over multiple seasons, and because the Rays are ruining the party over in the American League, we’ll have to settle for these National League flailers.

Only eight more matches to go! »

More: baseball, mets, phillies, shea stadium, sports

The Sports Section

7/21/08

6:15 PM

Jeremy Shockey, We Hardly Cared About Ya

Photo: Getty Images

In his book I Dream in Blue — an amusing, “insider” account of a season with the New York Giants (the wrong season, it turned out, the one before they won the Super Bowl) — author Roger Director makes a point of never writing Jeremy Shockey’s name without an exclamation point. “Shockey” will not suffice; only “Shockey!” could capture the outsize personality and influence of the man who has just now been traded to the Saints.

Now a simple, unpunctuated Shockey will do. »

More: football, giants, jeremy shockey, sports

The Sports Section

7/21/08

1:30 PM

Thank Heavens: Mike Lupica Found a Seat at the All-Star Game

"I enjoy box seats, yelling, daisies ..."Photo: Getty Images

When Deadspin posted photos of Daily News columnist Mike Lupica arguing with a Yankee Stadium security guard over entrance to the box seats at the All-Star Game last week, we took a moment from soaking in the Schadenfreude to give him the benefit of the doubt. Sure, his reputation is less than stellar, and yes, his column the next morning was on the pregame ceremonies, but it’s possible he had a perfectly legitimate reason to be there. Right?

Umm ... »

More: daily news, media, mike lupica, sports, yankees

The Sports Section

7/18/08

2:30 PM

The Yankees’ ‘Voice of God’ May, in Fact, Turn Out to Be Immortal

Living proof that, in America, even a mummy may
attain his greatest dreams.Photo: Getty Images

If you’ve been to Yankee Stadium this season, you’ve likely noticed that the PA announcer hasn’t been the legendary Bob Sheppard — who’s held that position since 1951, earning the nickname “The Voice of God” — but his backup, Jim Hall, who essentially announces names in a half-hearted Bob Sheppard impression. Sheppard, 97, has been on the PA-announcers’ disabled list since last season with an illness, and he’s said that he isn’t sure if he’ll be able to return at all this season. At the risk of sounding morbid, we have to wonder if he’ll ever return to the mic. After all, he’s 97. Which is why we were excited to see this CNBC article detailing text-to-speech technology that could allow Sheppard’s voice to announce lineups in perpetuity.

The team need only make a pact with the devil. »

More: bob sheppard, sports, yankees

The Sports Section

7/18/08

10:29 AM

Mets Slide Into First, But Is It Too Soon for Hope?

We've always thought this was his best side.Photo: AP

Thanks to a two-run homer by David Wright last night against Cincinnati, the Mets have pulled into first place in the NL East — tied with Philadelphia. Their record at this point in the season is 52-44, with an 18-9 record since new manager Jerry Manuel took over for the ousted Willie Randolph.

Last year at this time, the team was in a much similar place – they had a small lead in the NL East coming out of the All-Star break, and a 52-42 record. They would go on to build on this lead until late September, when they legendarily experienced one of the greatest collapses in late-season baseball history.

Fans have every reason to be psyched — the team is playing steady ball, and Jerry Manuel, for all his verbal hilarity, is a reason for hope. But for Shea regulars, reckless exuberance is something they've learned better than to indulge in. Johan Santana's exciting gamble as a starting pitcher hasn't panned out — and last season's nightmare is weighing heavily on everyone's mind. Now that the team is pulling itself together, there are two choices: Do we get our hopes up? Or do we just steel ourselves for disappointment yet again?

Mets, With Late Push, Pull Even With Phillies [NYT]

More: baseball, david wright, jerry manuel, johan santana, mets, mlb, sports, willie randolph