US Women Win Basketball Gold

T-shirt-wearing Toledo star can't compete in championship

(NEWSER) - University of Toledo basketball star Naama Shafir won't be allowed to compete in the upcoming European women's championship unless she shows more skin, the sport's European governing body has decided. Shafir, a point guard for the Israeli national team and an Orthodox Jew, wears a T-shirt under her jersey in accordance with Jewish modesty rules, and had requested an exemption from uniform rules, AP reports. More»

Aggies beat Notre Dame 76-70 for first title

(AP) - Danielle Adams scored 22 of her 30 points in a dominating second half and Texas A&M beat Notre Dame 76-70 on Tuesday night to win its first national championship. Texas A&M built an early 13-point lead with its aggressive defense, fell behind by seven in the second half, then rallied by pounding the ball inside to the 6-foot-1 Adams, who bulled her way to 9-for-11 shooting in the final 20 minutes. More»

Speed skating, hockey and Tanith Belbin makes Esquire list

(NEWSER) - If, like many, your interest in the Vancouver Games is lukewarm (kinda like the weather keeping the ski slopes snow-free), Esquire provides a list of the don’t-miss Olympic moments. Some highlights:

• Friday: Opening ceremonies. Vancouver’s spending less than half the $100 million Beijing did in 2008. Or you can rent Strange Brew.
• Saturday: See Apolo Anton Ohno go for a US-record sixth winter medal—as he and his fellow speed skaters sport the Stephen Colbert logo.

It's no NBA—but it shouldn't be, argues blogger. Plus, some players are hot.

(NEWSER) - The WNBA finals are going on, which has—in the past—led Sam Greenspan to joke, “Man I hope one of the players lands a one-handed breakaway dunk to seal the best-of-one series!” The league is “universally ripped on,” he writes for 11points.com, but the time has come to give it a break, and here’s why:

• The playoffs don’t go on forever: “As much as I love them, even I find the NBA playoffs to be farcically slow.”

A look back at a successful 2 weeks

(NEWSER) - The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games wrapped up today with a star-studded fireworks-filled extravaganza worthy of its opening, Reuters reports. With 51 golds, China easily topped the medal rankings, capping a near-flawlessly-executed couple of weeks that saw smog lifting, transport worries evaporating, and Tibet protests dwindling. Still, arrests and suppression of free speech marred China's image, say critics. More»