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Wednesday Link-Off: It’s Not Unusual

It’s the middle of the week so we bring you the usual at this day and time. It’s another set of Wednesday links. Let’s start off with one of the new Victoria’s Secret models, Behati Prinsloo.

Facts had a good run. Facts had been around for some 2,400 years but couldn’t overcome a good story. (Chicago Tribune)

We all know that Fenway Park turned 100 years old this weekend. Did you know that Tiger Stadium would have turned 100 if it was still standing? (Deadspin)

Is it possible to make yourself smarter? One author investigates. (New York Times)

After the jump, the Canseco crisis, Limbaugh’s hypocrisy and CARLTON DANCE! Continue reading →

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Sunday Link-Off: The Aftermath

Back to back days with me? Bonus! Okay, nobody else is excited about back-to-back Steve. Maybe I can make up for it with Lindsay Ellingson. If there was such a thing as an underrated Victoria’s Secret angel, it would be her.

The NFL schedule came out last week. Since the NFL has a pretty rigid scheduling protocol, you’d think it would be pretty easy to put together a schedule. However, scheduling a 16-game schedule for 32 teams is a total nightmare. (New York Times)

Buzz Bissinger, one of my favourite sports writers, is allowed to cash in every now and then. He’s doing a follow-up book called “After Friday Night Lights.” Here’s an excerpt. (Grantland)

WWE announcers often like to refer to crowds who don’t follow the script as “bizarre.” However, crowds cheering and booing against the WWE’s wishes are becoming more the norm than the exception. (The Classical)

After the jump, ESPN thinks pot is destroying college athletics, the new look of KFC Japan and blowing random shit up in super slow mo. Continue reading →

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Wednesday Link-Off: That Indie Spirit

I’ve never heard of Emily Ratajkowski before (apparently she’s an actress in addition to being a model) and clearly that’s a massive oversight.

When the most popular wrestler in the WWE is Daniel Bryan and the least popular is John Cena, you know that independent wrestling is slowly taking over the major pro wrestling landscape. (Grantland)

We all know about The Masters tournament thanks to the many poetic stories from golf scribes and the endless TV coverage of the event but here’s the real story of Augusta during Masters Week. (The Awl)

Depending on the day of the week, ESPN’s Skip Bayless is either a troll or a moron. So it’s nice when an ESPN employee takes Skip down on his own show. (Awful Announcing)

After the jump, what scares Ilya Bryzgalov, which parts to buy for your desktop and we’re riding Solo… Han Solo, that is. Continue reading →

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Wednesday Link-Off: Headlines

I can’t believe it’s already Wednesday. Normally I wouldn’t complain about a week going by too quickly but this week is just ridiculous. Maybe it’s because I’ve been so wrapped up in the 2012 Hottest Canadian competition. Anyway, here’s Irina Shayk. And for once let’s avoid the obvious “And speaking of ridiculous” jokes that I ten to make.

There is lots of info that we do know about the murder of Trayvon Martin but what is fact and what is rumour accepted as fact? (Miami Herald)

To use one of his own catchphrases in his honour, Jason Whitlock does the damn thing in comparing George Zimmerman to OJ Simpson and the effect that the 24-hour news cycle has played in each story. (Fox Sports)

Speaking of OJ, a private investigator is releasing a book in which he proves that OJ was not only not guilty but innocent of murder (yes, there’s a distinction there). (With Leather)

After the jump, the state of the sitcom, trolling could become illegal and Yoda speaking correctly. Continue reading →

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Sunday Link-Off: The Main Event

It’s Sunday, Sunday. Gotta get down on Sunday. It’s not just any Sunday today. It’s actually WrestleMania Sunday! Are you ready for some wrestling?! I’m fairly certain the former WWE Women’s Champion Kelly Kelly is.

This year’s WrestleMania is really just an attempt by the WWE to recreate their biggest match ever. That would be Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III. This year marks the 25th anniversary of that match which made the WWE an absolute power house. (Grantland)

One of this year’s feature matches is HHH vs. The Undertaker in a Hell In A Cell match. Normally a match wouldn’t have political implications but given the WWE’s anti-bleeding policies and Linda McMahon’s political aspirations, this match is getting more attention than it otherwise would have. (The Atlantic)

Here’s a pretty good thought: Slap Shot might be the most honest sports movie ever made. It might be the only one to really grasp the fan/player/owner dynamic. (Deadspin)

After the jump, more WrestleMania links, the Leafs are a disaster and the Bohemian Rhapsody singer synced up to Queen. Continue reading →

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Wednesday Link-Off: Sporting Madness

Well, we’ve hit the ground running today. First, we opened up the voting on the final four of our 2012 Hottest Canadian contest. Now we have the mid-week links. And let’s kick off today’s WLO with Behati Prinsloo who you might recognize from Victoria’s Secret TV commercials.

Fifteen years ago Monday was the infamous line brawl between the Detroit Red Wings and the Colorado Avalanche. As a Wings fan, I’m obliged to lead off with this link. I’m also obliged to point out that we kicked their asses! (SportsGrid)

While this story is about the NBA, I’m sure the same principals can apply to the NHL. Is there a way to prevent teams from tanking to get the first overall draft pick? To put it another way, is there a way to disincentivize incompetent management? (True Hoop)

With Tiger Woods winning his first PGA Tour event since 2009, the only story heading into The Masters is Tiger Woods vs. Rory McIlroy. (Golf.com)

After the jump, Mike Tyson’s one man show, all about Assassin’s Creed III and they sure get excited over winning money in Australia. Continue reading →

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Wednesday Link-Off: Newsbeat

We’ve actually got some news links to cover in today’s linkdump. Since I don’t actually have anyone in the news to kick off the post with, let’s just go with Jennifer Lawrence who’s in a new movie opening this weekend.

I didn’t think the old saying “love conquers all” included the NHL’s Battle of Ontario. But there was a wedding proposal in Saturday’s edition as a woman proposed to her girlfriend. And the fact that they were cheered and the NHL put a video on their website shows that hockey just might be one of the most progressive major sports in the world. (Puck Daddy)

Why has Tiger Woods’ golf game gone downhill since 2008? Well, it might have less to do with his action on the side as it does with his obsession with the Navy SEALs. (New York Times)

The Obama Administration calls it a war against al-Qaeda. The Republicans call it a war on terror and radical Islam. Guess whose name for the conflict hurt Osama bin Laden’s cause more. (Slate)

After the jump, the celebrity philanthropy lie, the real cost of your cable bill and will the real Mitt Romney please stand up? Continue reading →

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Sunday Link-Off: Hung Up And Hungover

It’s 8:00 AM on the east coast on the day after St. Patrick’s Day so I don’t expect anyone to read this until at least six hours after it was posted. Anyway, I’ve been a bit busy this week covering the entertainment beat and working on the 2012 Hottest Canadian showdown. However, I haven’t forgotten the usual Sunday posts. But first, let’s kick this one of with my favourite SI Swimsuit model Cintia Dicker.

Would you believe that the biggest casino in America is actually in Connecticut? But Foxwoods Casino might not be able to hold onto that title as the casino industry is in massive trouble. (New York Times)

Don’t like the current state of professional wrestling? Well, blame Rick Santorum. The candidate for the Presidential nomination for the Republican Party was a lobbyist who helped get the wrestling industry deregulated which started us toward modern pro wrestling. (Mother Jones)

If you thought wrestling was bad for doping, wait until you find out what’s happening in wheelchair curling. (Deadspin)

After the jump, strange sports stats no one asked for, the guy behind Kony 2012 has too much fun in public and Gus Johnson’s greatest hits. Continue reading →

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Wednesday Link-Off: Twitter Wars

It’s a busy week on the blog this week between the Hottest Canadian bracket and our 2012 F1 season preview. But we still have time for the mid-week links. To kick things off, we have… Miley Cyrus? I guess she’s not banking on Disney dollars anymore. And that’s a good thing.

The latest Twitter feud wasn’t so much a fight as an absolute massacre. It was Norm McDonald vs. Rick Reilly. If this was a boxing match, Norm would’ve won by KO in the first sixty seconds. (Awful Announcing)

For such an influential man in many lives, Don Cornelius’ death went by without much of a mention. The Times profiles the man and his fall from grace. (New York Times)

The new purpose of the Gawker Media Group is to out people behind anonymous comedy Twitter accounts. This includes their recent investigation of @DadBoner. (Deadspin)

After the jump, March Madness, the science of video game difficulty and Community returns tomorrow. Continue reading →

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Sunday Link-Off: In Like A Lion

It’s the beginning of another week and another month here at The Lowdown Blog. I’m hoping to get a big post or two done this week. That’s unless the craptacular weather keeps screwing me up. Anyway, here’s Freida Pinto.

I remember watching this live on WDIV, AKA NBC Detroit, but I didn’t know the whole story. It’s an oral history of the Malice at the Palace. (Grantland) As an aside, because this is a feature article, Grantland won’t let you comment on the article. That difference in treatment between commenting on feature and blog articles is a massive failing of Grantland.

Mothers, lock up your daughters. Brett Favre is on Twitter. Fortunately for the sexting fiend, he’s getting some tips on how to properly use the social network. (Sports Pickle)

Obscenely cool fact of the day: Jon Hamm reads and used to comment on Deadspin. (Deadspin)

After the jump, a Community roundtable, Canada and Iceland could be joining forces and Jimmy Kimmel’s ideas for Oprah’s TV network. Continue reading →