Snider Sports Network

A Softball Game for the Ages

2011-05-11T12:56:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday afternoon in California two high school teams got together for what became the highest scoring game in softball history. What is even more astonishing is that the two teams, Cuyama Valley and Coast Union, entered the game with only one win apiece. Cuyama Valley eventually prevailed in the four hour game after a 13 run 7th inning which capped off the 48-47 game.

The teams combined for an astounding 95 runs in the game, and despite giving up 47 runs, Cuyama starting pitcher Melinda Ramirez got the win. Ashley Armstrong of Cuyama valley had quite an amazing day herself, as she came to the plate 9 times and walked every single time, giving her a final stat line of 0-0, 9BB. As Cuyama Valley coach Mary Jo Harrington told the San Luis Obispo Tribune, "The girls were just so excited. They weren't going to give up that game. They weren't playing for much but they wanted to go down winning." Cuyama Valley also was able to capture the victory without using a single substitute in the game, as the softball team only has 9 players on the roster.

Even the Coast Union coaches and players were excited about the historical game, despite the heart breaking loss. "We battled back and we never gave up," said coach Rocky Fordyce. "We had fun. The girls were very positive about it."

Flop Alert: Joe Thornton Produces a Gem...

2011-05-10T15:34:00.000-07:00

Near the end of the first period in Game 5 of the Sharks and Red Wings series, Joe Thornton rivaled the world's best floppers. After getting tangled up with Red Wing Johan Franzen, Thornton decided to make his move. Albeit Franzen hit his stuck across the Thornton's ankles, Joe the Flopper as he will be called, took a dive right out of the old soccer playbook. After flailing onto the ice, Thornton remained there pretending to be in agony as the refs tried to sort out what happened. When it was all said and done, Franzen was sent to the penalty box for his "actions." Here is the flop:

Sir Charles Needs to Throw in the Towel

2011-05-08T09:10:00.000-07:00

Charles Barkley has without a doubt the worst golf swing in the history of the game. Fortunately for us it was on display last week at the Regions Tradition Pro-Am at Shoal Creek. Chuck arguably made the worst swing of his career that day, and in the mayhem that followed, his driver head flew even further than his golf ball. Here is a clip:

Panthers Take Cam Newton #1 Overall

2011-04-28T20:41:00.000-07:00

With the first pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers select...Cam Newton, quarterback from Auburn University. That's how it went Thursday night in Radio City Music Hall in New York City, as the NFL kicked off their 2011 draft. In Newton's interview following his selection he mentioned "it's a great feeling to be a Carolina Panther," and that "It's time to get to work now." Newton's first overall selection makes him the 3rd straight quarterback to be selected number one overall, and the 15th taken first in the last 25 years.

Newton really may not have been the surprise of the night though, as others like Jake Locker (QB-Washington) and Aldon Smith (DE-Missouri) were drafted much earlier than projected. Also, projected early pick Da'Quan Bowers, from Clemson fell completely out of the first round and will have to wait until tomorrow to hear his name called. Here is a recap of the first round:

ROUND 1
Pick	Team	Player	Position	School

1	Carolina Panthers	Cam Newton	QB	Auburn

2	Denver Broncos	Von Miller	LB	Texas A&M

3	Buffalo Bills	Marcell Dareus	DT	Alabama

4	Cincinnati Bengals	A.J. Green	WR	Georgia

5	Arizona Cardinals	Patrick Peterson	DB	LSU

6	Atlanta Falcons (from Browns)	Julio Jones	WR	Alabama

7	San Francisco 49ers	Aldon Smith	DE	Missouri

8	Tennessee Titans	Jake Locker	QB	Washington

9	Dallas Cowboys	Tyron Smith	T	Southern California

10	Jacksonville Jaguars (from Redskins)	Blaine Gabbert	QB	Missouri

11	Houston Texans	J.J. Watt	DE	Wisconsin

12	Minnesota Vikings	Christian Ponder	QB	Florida State

13	Detroit Lions	Nick Fairley	DT	Auburn

14	St. Louis Rams	Robert Quinn	DE	North Carolina

15	Miami Dolphins	Mike Pouncey	C	Florida

16	Washington Redskins (from Jaguars)	Ryan Kerrigan	DE	Purdue

17	New England Patriots (from Raiders)	Nate Solder	T	Colorado

18	San Diego Chargers	Corey Liuget	DT	Illinois

19	New York Giants	Prince Amukamara	DB	Nebraska

20	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Adrian Clayborn	DE	Iowa

21	Cleveland Browns (from Chiefs)	Phil Taylor	NT	Baylor

22	Indianapolis Colts	Anthony Castonzo	T	Boston College

23	Philadelphia Eagles	Danny Watkins	G	Baylor

24	New Orleans Saints	Cameron Jordan	DE	California

25	Seattle Seahawks	James Carpenter	T	Alabama

26	Kansas City Chiefs (from Falcons via Browns)	Jon Baldwin	WR	Pittsburgh

27	Baltimore Ravens (passed at No. 26)	Jimmy Smith	DB	Colorado

28	New Orleans Saints (from Patriots)	Mark Ingram	RB	Alabama

29	Chicago Bears	Gabe Carimi	T	Wisconsin

30	New York Jets	Muhammad Wilkerson	DT	Temple

31	Pittsburgh Steelers	Cameron Heyward	DE	Ohio State

32	Green Bay Packers	Derek Sherrod	T	Mississippi State

Play of the Week...

2011-04-28T16:58:00.000-07:00

This weeks play goes to Lionel Messi of Barcelona as he shredded the Real Madrid defense last night. Five defenders and a goalie?...No problem for Messi:

Air France Flys French National Hockey Team to the Wrong Country

2011-04-28T15:29:00.000-07:00

Oops...Air France, who chartered the French national hockey team's recent flight to the World Championships, decided to fly the team to the wrong country. Instead of landing in Slovakia, the team got a nice little vacation to beautiful Poland, before figuring out they were in the wrong place.

Luckily for the team, they landed in Krakow which is only a mere 185 miles from Kosice, where the championship is taking place. Instead of flying them the rest of the way, or because the hockey team was fed up with the national airline, the team boarded a bus for the 3 hour drive. At least Air France managed to do one thing right...all the teams bags made it safely to Poland with them...

Links...

2011-04-27T14:47:00.000-07:00

The Madden 2011 voting is officially over...and the new player on the cover is...

A 99-year old woman got the birthday present of a lifetime yesterday...

To continue tradition, if you have $63,000 lying around, log-on to ebay for this item...

Oh boy...even Tommy Tuberville is a "birther." Guess we should have guessed...he does coach in Lubbock, Texas.

And our haircut of the week goes to Tony Allen of the Memphis Grizzlies...

Our Fan of the Week...

2011-04-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

Johannes Schneider, the founder of the Winthrop student's fan club, is such a great fan of the university that he asked Big Stuff (the Eagle's mascot) to walk him down the aisle of his wedding. Only Schneider, his bride, and the parents of the two knew about the special guest for the wedding. Even Big Stuff, who has only revealed his last name (Waters) was surprised by the request, but eventually agreed to the super-fan's idea.

Schneider is such a big fan of the university that he attended every game last season with his torso fully painted, while only wearing the team's flag for pants. The Snider Sports Network salutes Schneider for his dedication to Winthrop University, as our Fan of the Week!

Play of the Week...and Blooper of the Week

2011-04-20T14:29:00.000-07:00

This weeks Play of the Week takes us to a Division II baseball game in Tennessee, where the pick-off move was taken to a whole new level. The pitcher pretended to throw the ball to 2nd base to pick of the runner, when he in fact kept the ball in his glove. With great acting from the shortstop, 2nd baseman, and the pitcher, then runner took off to 3rd, where he was easily thrown out. Here's the video:

This weeks Blooper of the Week comes to us courtesy of Baylor Forward Quincy Acy, as he attempts to write a paper for one of his classes. When realizing that he can't spell, and when spell check doesn't have answers, Acy decided to take his issues to Twitter and ask the entire world for help. Here is his Tweet:

We'll give Acy some credit though, at least he is still in school and going to class...that's a lot more than some college athletes can say.

Links...

2011-04-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

At least one Woods' family member still knows how to win a golf tournament...

Dwight Howard won his 3rd consecutive NBA Defensive Player of the Year award...

Today, North Carolina freshman star Harrison Barnes announced his plans for next year...

The Madden 2012 cover will come down to either Michael Vick, or this surprising player...

And finally, even famous NFL players are struggling to find places to practice during the lockout...

Nascar Step Aside...Professional Chair Racing is Here

2011-04-18T12:55:00.000-07:00

Have you always dreamt of becoming a professional athlete...but lacked the whole 'athlete' part? Do you have fond memories of sliding down hallways and spinning endlessly in swivel chairs? If you answered yes to either question, we have the sport for you. Thanks to our friends in Germany, we now have a whole new genre of sport: professional chair racing.

In order to compete with the best of the best though, you'll have to work hard on your downhill 200-meter chair times. The current record, which was just set, is held by Luxembourger Pierre Feller, who raced down the course in an astonishing 26.95 seconds...which is about 22 miles per hour.

I don't know if professional chair racing will hit it big in America, but thanks again to our wonderful European friends, we have a new sport to awe and laugh at.

Another Trick Shot Video...

2011-04-15T10:55:00.000-07:00

We've seen trick shot videos from quarterbacks, basketball players, kickers, and even long-snappers....but here is a whole genre, soccer player trick shots. Here is UNC Asheville's goalkeeper, Lassi Hurskainen with his trick shot video:

Picture of the Week

2011-04-14T21:45:00.000-07:00

Here is the newest feature at Snider Sports Network...the Picture of the Week. Each week we will find the best picture from around the world of sports. This weeks picture comes to us from the one and only Kevin Garnett, and needs no caption as it speaks for itself:

Sacramento May Still Have a Chance to Keep the Kings

2011-04-14T21:30:00.000-07:00

After last night's hard fought OT loss at the hands of the Lakers, Kings fans thought it may be the last time they ever saw their team take the floor in Sacramento. New details have emerged today though, courtesy of Mayor Kevin Johnson, that tells a different story; one that hopefully means the Kings may remain in the central valley. Here is a tweet from Mayor Johnson that hopefully means good news for Sacramento.

New news Today is that billionaire Ron Burkle is very interested in buying the kings and keeping them in sac #kings

about 8 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone Reply Retweet Favorite

@KJ_MayorJohnson

Kevin Johnson

There are no indications that the Kings are for sale, but due to Burkle's finances and the Maloof's deep debt, there may be a deal to be made. Burkle, who's net worth is well over $3 billion, has already rescued the Penguins from moving out of Pittsburgh, and he has made it clear that he would do the same with the Kings. For the loyal fans of Sacramento hopefully this deal can be made...do we really need a 3rd LA team?

"A Good Walk Spoiled..."

2011-04-13T14:41:00.000-07:00

This famous phrase has embodied golf by those that understand the true difficulty of the game. Now, due to a recent development in Germany, the phrase may have to be changed to "a good ride spoiled."

In Lohmar, Germany golfers have no need for a caddie or a golf cart anymore, because they have an airport style moving sidewalk to usher them around the course. This has finally taken the game of golf to the extreme level, and demonstrates a whole new type of laziness.

Arizona State Unveils New Uniforms

2011-04-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

Normally a new uniform unveiling would only be big news for the school that is involved. This time though, these uniforms are so awesome that the world needs to check them out. Arizona State University, along with Nike, showed off the new uni's yesterday to very high praises. The Sun Devils have ditched Sparky from the uniforms, and have replaced him with the new pitch fork logo seen here:

More pictures of the uniforms can be seen here...

Blooper of the Week...

2011-04-13T09:03:00.000-07:00

It isn't the end of the week, so this blooper may be a bit premature, but we couldn't pass up the opportunity to call this play the blooper of the week...

Celtics player Von Wafer perhaps made one of the classic NBA bloopers on Monday night. With about 3:00 minutes to play in OT against the Wizards, Wafer went up for what he thought was a monster jam. He followed up the "dunk" by taunting the crowd and then turning and running into teammate Jermaine O'Neal. The only problem...was the fact that Wafer missed the dunk...He also didn't help his cause when he ran into Jermaine O'Neal, because O'Neal had the offensive rebound, and was looking to put it back up for a shot. Unfortunately for Wafer, the ultimate blooper didn't end with the dunk, as the refs called double-dribble on O'Neal due to the hitch in his dribble after being run into.

NCAA Spring Football Links...

2011-04-11T19:38:00.000-07:00

Here is an early look at some rankings for the 2011-12 College Football season, courtesy of CBS Sports...

Terrelle Pryor may be considering the NFL Supplemental Draft instead of taking part in what looks to be a dysfunctional season for the Buckeyes...

Purdue kicker, Carson Wiggs connected on a 67-yard field goal in the Boilermaker's spring game...

Florida State fans have taken their rivalry to all new heights with the Florida Gators...Literally...

And finally, Andrew Luck appears to have left off right where he ended last season...

Why Canada is Awesome!

2011-04-11T09:38:00.000-07:00

Canada is known for their beautiful landscapes, maple syrup, and of course...HOCKEY! The country is in fact so dedicated to the sport, that it comes before all else...even politics. A French language federal election debate was going to be held on Thursday, but it would have conflicted with the opening game of the Montreal-Boston playoff series. Bloc Quebecois leader, Gilles Duceppe, initially raised concerns over the debate's scheduled time and asked for it to be bumped up to Wednesday night. "In the name of democracy," Duceppe stated, "I ask you to add your voice to mine and contact the consortium as soon as possible...Hockey stands alone and will triumph on Thursday."

In America, we would be forced to choose between a debate, or a Monday Night Football game for instance...At least Canada has their priorities in check!

Your Baseball Skipper Tirade of the Week

2011-04-10T19:08:00.000-07:00

Rays manager Joe Maddon came flying out of the dugout today to argue what was perceived to be a blown call at first base. After being tossed out of the game by the the first-base umpire, Maddon went ballistic and decided to throw all of the umpires out of the game, one by one. Here is video of Maddon's brilliant tirade:

Cut Minor League Player Hits Million Dollar Jackpot

2011-04-09T20:02:00.000-07:00

Minor league player Joel Torres was recently cut by the Indians minor league affiliate, the Akron Aeros. Despite his bad luck on the baseball field, Torres made up for it yesterday when he hit the one million dollar jackpot for a scratcher that he bought in February. Torres' take home sum for the ticket will total over $660,000. He plans to first buy his mom a new home, and then use the remainder of the money to hopefully help fulfill his dreams of becoming a major league player. In his words, he will "keep swinging for the fences."

Blooper of the Week...

2011-04-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

This weeks blooper comes from Philadelphia, courtesy of the Phillie Phanatic, the Phillies world famous green mascot. He decided to go all-Lady Gaga in a recent game against the Astros, as he hatched from a giant egg and pranced around the field, taunting Astros players between innings.

New Florida Coach Will Muschamp Has Interesting Practice Strategy

2011-04-08T09:12:00.000-07:00

Traditionally, most college football teams keep their practices in the spring limited to fundamentals, the weight room, and basic formations and plays. New Florida coach Will Muschamp apparently thinks the game of football is an overrated way of preparing his team to...well, play football. Instead of the usual football pads, the Gators took to face masks and paintball guns, as Florida took a "team-building trip" to a local paintball site. I don't know if the paintball method will work for the first year head coach and his Gators, but if Florida can rebound after last years mediocre season (in the eyes of Gator-nation), then maybe this new Spring festivity will travel to other schools around the country.

Got an Extra $4 Lying Around?

2011-04-07T18:20:00.000-07:00

Hurry! Look under your couch cushions for some extra change, and maybe you can be part of this amazing one time deal. The Hubert Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota is currently giving tours of the progress being made on the new roof, after last years major collapse of the dome. Already too excited for words?....Well wait, there's more! Once you partake in this fabulous tour, you'll receive an actual piece of the former roof of the dome...Yes, the exact one that collapsed due to the weight of the snow in 2010. But you must act now, as only the first 2000 people to venture into the dome will receive the free piece of roof. Here is a schedule of the tours from the Star Tribune in Minneapolis:

"The dome is open to walk-up visitors April through November, on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 11 a.m. The tours depart from Gate F and the cost is $4 per person. After the roof is replaced, the tours won’t be offered on days when the stadium hosts daytime events."

Nashville Predators Shoot a Higher Percentage than Butler...

2011-04-06T20:57:00.000-07:00

By now, the entire world knows of the hideous shooting performance of the Butler Bulldogs in Monday's championship loss to the UConn Huskies. Layups, mid-range jumpers, and three pointers bounced off the rim all night in Houston, which in part may have been due to UConn's stifling defense, as well as the cavernous building, or pressure of the big game. Butler finished the night with a season-low 41 points, while shooting only 18% from the field.

As jockpost.com pointed out in a recent column, the Nashville Predators...YES, a hockey team!...outshot Butler on Tuesday night, by going 6-24 from "the ice," or in other words, a 25% shooting percentage. I hate to bash Butler after what they've accomplished over the last 2 years, but really?...How can you let a hockey team shoot a better percentage than you?