Stewart Smith's Sports Talk Website

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Your College Football-Free Viewing Guide For 19 October 2013

Tired of lopsided matchups? Could you care less about a Bowden-less FSU/Clemson tilt? Then here's your College Football-Free Viewing Guide for 19 October 2013.
BEST BETS: The Cardinals locked up the National League Pennant last night, so it's the Sox and Tigers turn tonight as Boston looks to end the series in Game 6 on Fox. First pitch is at 8:07 ET, but some guides may still show 4:00.
- IndyCar's championship will be decided tonight. It's a fight between Scott Dixon and Helio Castroneves at Auto Club Speedway in California. Will Power will lead the field from pole at 8 ET on NBCSN.
- If you didn't get the reference in The Simpsons' third Treehouse of Horror XXIV story, "Freaks No Geeks", then turn in to Turner Classic Movies at 8:00pm for Freaks, the 1932 film about sideshow performers it was based on.
All times Eastern. For local stations, check local listings.

Baseball
ALCS Game 6: Detroit Tigers at Boston Red Sox - 7:30pm, Fox

Motorsports
American Le Mans Series: Petit Le Mans (Start) - 11:00am, Fox Sports 2
NASCAR Sprint Cup: Talladega Time Trials - 12:00pm, Fox Sports 2
American Le Mans Series: Petit Le Mans (Mid-Race) - 2:30pm, Fox Sports 2
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Talladega - 4:00pm, Fox Sports 1
American Le Mans Series: Petit Le Mans (Late Race) - 6:30pm, Fox Sports 1
IndyCar Indy Lights: Fontana - 7:00pm, NBCSN
IndyCar World Championships - 8:00pm, NBCSN
American Le Mans Series: Petit Le Mans (Finish) - 8:00pm, Fox Sports 2
AMA Motorcross: Monster Energy Cup - 9:00pm, Fox Sports 2

Soccer
Ligue 1: Paris St. Germain vs SC Bastia - 11:00am (Live), Univision Deportes; 12:00pm (Tape), BeIn.
EPL: West Ham United vs Manchester City - 12:30pm, NBC
Ligue 1: Ajaccio vs FC Nantes - 2:00pm, Univision Deportes
Primera Division: CA Osasuna vs FC Barcelona - 1:55pm, BeIn
MLS: FC Dallas vs Seattle Sounders FC - 3:00pm, NBC
Serie A: AC Milan vs Udinese Calcio - 4:15pm, BeIn
MLS: Colorado Rapids vs Vancouver Whitecaps - 5:30pm, Altitude
Liga MX: CD Tiburones Rojos de Veracruz vs Monarcas Morelia - 6:00pm, Univision Deportes
Liga MX: Tigres UANL vs Atlante FC - 8:00pm, Univision Deportes
Liga MX: Jaguares de Chiapas vs Pumas de la UNAM - 10:00pm, Univision Deportes

Rugby
Heineken Cup: Munster vs Goucester - 12:00pm, Fox Soccer Plus
Heineken Cup: Cardiff vs Toulon - 3:00pm, Fox Soccer Plus
Heineken Cup: Leinster vs Castres Olympique - 5:30pm, Fox Soccer Plus

Hockey
NHL: Vancouver Canucks at Pittsburgh Penguins - 1:00pm, NHLN
NHL: Toronto Maple Leafs at Chicago Blackhawks - 7:00pm, NHLN

Basketball
NBA Preseason: San Antonio Spurs at Miami Heat - 7:30pm, NBATV
NBA Preseason: Denver Nuggers at LA Clippers - 10:30pm, NBATV

Golf
PGA Champions: Greater Hickory Classic, Second Round - 2:00pm, Golf
PGA Tour: Shriners Hospitals For Children Open, Third Round - 5:00pm, Golf

MMA
UFC 166 Preliminary Fights - 8:00pm, Fox Sports 1

Other Programing
Freaks: Sideshow performers punish acrobat Cleopatra for humiliating Tiny Hans - 8:00pm, Turner Classic Movies

Monday, October 14, 2013

High School Football Wins Again In Rape Case

Even after Steubenville, there are still stories of towns choosing football over the welfare of other people. As the Kansas City Star's Dugan Arnett reported, it's happened in Maryville, Missouri. In January 2012, 14-year-old Daisy Coleman (her name released by her family to raise awareness of the case) and an unnamed 13-year-old friend claimed they were raped while unconscious. Daisy's attacker was identified as 17-year-old Matthew Barnett, senior defensive end for the high school Spoofhounds, who'd already been arrested for drunken driving. The 13-year-old's attacker was an unnamed 15-year-old, and a third individual, junior Jordan Zech, was a linebacker who videotaped the whole thing on a phone. The next morning, Daisy's mother found her dumped on the front porch, left unconscious outside to fend for herself on a 30-degree night. Police were called when her mother took her to a hospital, and the sheriff's department had evidence, confessions, and what they felt was a solid case.
Except the town turned on the Colemans. Death threats came through, threats to assault Daisy's older brother who was booed in wrestling matches, and a girl showing up to a dance competition wearing a shirt saying "Matt 1, Daisy 0." Daisy was cut from the cheerleading squad unexpectedly, and her mother fired from the local veterinary clinic. Then the charges were dropped, and the video of the assault was conveniently never found. One of the first tweets towards Daisy read, "Fuck yea. That’s what you get for bein a skank : )." The entire town turned on them so horribly the whole family moved out, leaving their house up for sale. This April, a fire struck the home, burning it to the ground: there's very little doubt foul play wasn't involved.
Daisy still lives with her stigma, being in regular therapy, spending four stints in a local hospital, attending a local Girls Town, and attempting to take her own life twice. Two of the accused are now at Northwest Missouri State, both unscathed, and one's mother asking the Colemans for an apology. Matthew Barrett is now at Central Missouri, where this tweet got collected by the Kansas City Star before he went private:

“If her name begins with A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z, she wants the D.”

The horrible truth in this case is how often high school football players, no matter how deep the evidence, are protected by their town. And no doubt little will change; a year after Steubenville, a Gawker article featured a citizen who defended her town. Her excuse was an applause for an opposing team being boat raced by their town's Big Red: "If we were such terrible, football-obsessed people, why would we have clapped?" Yes, because applauding a losing team shows you were not willing to stick your heads in the sand and ignore a rape. And like Steubenville, rumors of Anonymous descending on the town have circled, meaning things could get very ugly.
But for now, it's another sad reminder of our country: football always wins. No one is an exception.
Read more of Dugan Arnett's story in the Kansas City Star, and if you can, send it to as many people as you can, so that his excellent journalism can be seen. A true dialog needs to happen: the Navies, Steubenvilles, and Lizzy Seebergs need to stop. Now.
Top image courtesy MaxPreps.

Get Ready To Cheer For Your Las Vegas Mobsters!

Looks like Bob Costas is about to shit himself with the announcement of America's latest semi-pro soccer franchise, the Las Vegas Mobsters of the PDL (4th tier). Obviously they're far away from becoming an MLS franchise, but expect false outrage over the name to begin shortly.
Read more at SI's Planet Fútbol.

Even Unemployed, Tim Tebow Finds Ways To Be Noticed

You gotta hand it to him, who else would be found on a beach in Hawai'i in the middle of football season? And in neon-yellow shorts, nonetheless. And before you ask, the chick lathering him down is his sister.
Read more at The Big Lead.

Michael Waltrip's Dropping The 56

Over a month after attempting to fix the finish of a race to clinch one of his car's Chase spot, then sponsor NAPA leaving over the controversy, and following weeks of blaming Twitter, Michael Waltrip has announced his team will be dropping the 56 car driven by Martin Truex, Jr. Despite being the only car not directly involved in the subterfuge, the 56 has suffered most of the punishment.
MWR was hit with double bad news on Monday, as Brian Vickers announced he will be sidelined once again with blood clots.
Read more at MRN Radio.