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Category Archives: Sports
“Choke” Movie Review
You know the stories – the guy in the emergency room with the hamster/light bulb/champagne bottle stuck in his rectum, the lady with the peanut butter and a hungry dog… But have you ever heard the one about the sex obsessed guy who may be the illegitimate offspring of Christ?
Sam Rockwell stars as med school dropout and sex addict Victor Mancini in actor Clark Gregg’s directorial debut Choke. Victor spends his days working at a colonial theme park, acting as a “historical interpreter” while he hits on the milk maids and wastes time with his chronically masturbating, scene stealing buddy Denny (the hilarious Brad William Henke).
Due to the expense of keeping his mother Ida (Anjelica Huston) in a pricy psychiatric hospital, Victor makes additional income by choking at restaurants, allowing himself to be saved by unwitting diners. As Victor explains it, these people feel indebted to him, sending cards and cash to help the poor bastard out.
Through flashbacks, we learn of Ida’s unorthodox method of child rearing, which consists of kidnapping young Victor from foster families in order to teach him such life-saving lessons as the hidden meanings of announcements at department stores.
Buffalo anyone?
You might just be coming back for the Linc, all soaked and depressed, or you might be finding this out for the first time. Heck, you might have been the one person who has ESPNU and watched the game on TV (featuring TTN’s own Asst. Sports Editor Anthony Stipa making a guest appearance on the broadcast).
The Owls lost 12-9 in a real ugly game.
Lucky for me, I was in the press box and the weather wasn’t a factor. For those of you that braved the conditions to watch the game, feel free to drop a comment about the experience of sitting through a more than three hour football game in a tropical storm.
It would have all been worth it had the Owls won, but much like last year, the officials just didn’t seem to want it to happen.
The chain gang’s botched handling of the Dy’Onne Crudup holding call in overtime might not have made a difference, but who knows. A first-and-four means a free shot at the end zone, maybe the Owls capitalize and then we’re going to a second overtime.
Maybe not.
Either way, the football team is 1-1 on the young season and opens up conference play next week as they visit Buffalo.
Anyone making the trip? It’s only seven hours away! Who’s with me?
So long, Spectrum
Tradition is important to Philadelphia sports fans. After 100 consecutive seasons without a championship title, some are meant to be broken. But certainly not all.
That’s why Philadelphians may get sentimental over the Spectrum, the oldest and smallest sports arena in South Philadelphia that has since been overshadowed by the Wachovia Center, Lincoln Financial Field and Citizens Bank Park.
“This will be the final year of the Spectrum,” Comcast-Spectacor chairman Ed Snider announced this morning.
The Temple News reported in January that plans for the possible demolition of the Spectrum to make way for an entertainment complex were in talks. The talks have now materialized into reality.
The Spectrum, host to many concerts and shows, will be a lost home to its sports teams, the Philadelphia Kixx, the Phantoms and, ocassionally, the Soul, who are preparing for their championship game Saturday. They played their most recent game in front of a nearly sold-out crowd at the Spectrum.
No word on the future of the soon-to-be homeless teams. Rumors originally said the Phantoms could move to Camden or Atlantic City.
The Flyers and 76ers called the building home from 1967 to 1996 before moving to the Wachovia Center. The Flyers won their first Stanley Cup there in 1974, and the Sixers hosted many playoff and finals games inside, also.
Comcast-Spectacor said many “surprise” events are planned for the final year of the Spectrum, including Sixers and Flyers home games and returning concert players.
This will likely be the final demolition at the sports complex for at least a few years, as the oldest building, the Wachovia Center, is only 12 years old. Veterans Stadium, home to the Eagles and Phillies, was imploded in 2003.
Temple Owls go for Olympic gold
The 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing will see three former Temple Owls competing for gold in Men’s Crew.
CSTV.comis reporting 2003 Temple grad, Marcus McElhenny will serve as coxswain for the USA team and Jason Read, a 2002 graduate will be an alternate.
Rowing the Irish National Team in Beijing will be Sean Casey, a 2001 Temple graduate.
UConn coach to replace Staley
The Associated Press is reporting that Tonya Cardoza will be replacing Dawn Staley as the Temple women’s basketball coach.
Cardoza has been at the University of Connecticut for 14 seasons. She helped coach the Huskies to numerous national championships.
It is expected that Temple will make the official announcement tomorrow.
Barack’s Bracket
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has taken a bit of time out of his uber-busy campaigning schedule and $10 out of his campaign fund to fill out a bracket for the NCAA tournament.
He shunned Temple, picking Michigan State to win in the first round. Who cares if he was right?
His final four picks: North Carolina over Kansas and UCLA over Pitt, with North Carolina winning it all.
CBS News has further analysis of his picks and their political connotations, here.
See Obama’s complete bracket here.
In other Obama basketball news, check out “Barry” Obama’s high school basketball highlight tape:
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYCEnVmNkpE]
Double Your B-Ball, Double Your Fun
Let’s play two?
You bet’cha.
The men’s and women’s basketball teams would’ve made Ernie Banks proud this afternoon after indulging in a double-scoop of hoops action in front of 5,373 at the Liacouras Center Saturday.
The back-to-back basketball attack began smoothly, as the women’s squad waltzed over a winless Fordham team to the tune of a 65-46 win.
Senior center Lady Comfort scored 12 points, hauled in nine rebounds and added one funny quote:
“We just didn’t want [Fordham] to have that win over us … Let them keep being [zero] and whatever they are …”
There were no laughs on the men’s side, however.
Philadelphia scores pro soccer team
On Feb. 28, Major League Soccer will tentatively announce plans to establish an expansion team in Chester, just outside of Philadelphia, according to a Philadelphia Inquirer article today.
The unnamed team will play in a $115 million yet-to-be-built, 18,500 person stadium.
Philadelphia is currently the largest city in the country without a MLS team.
Ed. Note: That may not actually be Alycia Lane. Stay tuned.
More, More, Mor-ris (How Do You Like It? How Do You Like It?)
So whose high school gym does St. Joe’s play their basketball games in?
Wait, that’s their gym? Really?
Oh.
Well, anyway, the women’s basketball team went into a very cramped, very cozy Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse and downed the Hawks, 63-60, Wednesday. Senior guard Ashley Morris continued make her bid of Atlantic Ten Conference Player of the Year, as she scored 20 points, including 17 in the second half and eight in the final three minutes of the game.
With her team down by six and time running out, the Central High product simply took over. But that’s really nothing new, she’s been doing it all year.
Coach Dawn Staley also became the program’s all-time leader in wins with 167, as the Owls advanced to 16-11 overall and 9-2 in conference.
Read TTN’s game story: “Morris leads women’s basketball team over St. Joe’s”
(Post written by TTN reporter Todd Orodenker. Archived photo courtesy of TTN photographer Ron Davis.)
