Posts by Chris Ryan
-
Hanley Ramirez Wearing a Nirvana Shirt, Hanging With Jay-Z
Sure. Why not? I wonder if Hanley Ramirez, who posted this photo to his Twitter account, has a favorite Nirvana song. “Pay to Play,” probably. (Just kidding.) Seriously though, Jay-Z looks like he has no idea who Hanley Ramirez is.
-
Hollywood Prospectus Podcast: Game of Thrones, Mad Men, and Hologram Tupac
It’s all smoke monsters and orange sherbet this week as Chris Ryan and I tackle the twin titans of Sunday-night television, Game of Thrones (1:30) and Mad Men (10:30). But talk of nihilism in Westeros and nostalgia on Madison Avenue eventually gave way to a more zeitgeisty discussion about holograms in the desert. Specifically, what […]
-
Chris Christie Not Exactly Sentimental About Nets Leaving New Jersey
I have only hazy memories of my time in the tri-state (PA, N.J., DE) area, but I could have sworn I once spent an otherwise forgettable night in a South Jersey watering hole with a guy who looked A LOT like Chris Christie and, dollars to doughnuts, I would bet this dude had a tattoo […]
-
Saying Goodbye to Brian Dawkins and Weapon X
Along with Allen Iverson, Brian Dawkins is my favorite Philadelphia athlete ever. They both arrived in Philly in 1996, right when I left. And they both played with complete disregard for their own personal well-being, willing to do absolutely anything to win a game. There was nothing outside of the sport they were playing, nothing […]
-
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark: Cristiano Ronaldo’s La Liga–Winning Goal
He could have celebrated, he could have expressed relief, he could have run over to his teammates or made a bee line to the visitors’ bench to embrace his manager. Instead, when Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 73rd-minute game-winning goal (his 42nd in 34 La Liga 2011-12 matches), he made an iconic gesture of self-worship and […]
-
Pepe, the Destroyer
On Saturday, Real Madrid will play Barcelona in El Clasico. The prize, ostensibly, is the Spanish Primera Division title. (If Madrid wins, they go seven points clear of Barca; lose and their lead shrinks to one.) Jose Mourinho will gesticulate. Pep Guardiola will walk around the technical area in a suit woven by actual angels. […]
-
Lords of Tankonia: Jerome Dyson’s Night at the Stripe
I feel like I would get along with New Orleans coach Monty Williams. For one thing, he had a sense of humor when he got pegged with a peanut during a Hornets game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center in March. Another reason? I once saw him eating at Lawry’s Carvery, which is […]
-
Five Lessons from the Champions League Semifinals’ First Legs
1. They Are Playing for the Champions League Trophy, Not Our Entertainment It’s hard to pick one symbolic moment coming out of these first legs of the Champions League semifinals, so I am going to go with my favorite: Didier Drogba, writhing on the ground and clutching the Drogba family jewels, as no less an […]
-
Lords of Tankonia: Your Crown Awaits, Manny Harris
When you go to the NBA’s YouTube page and click on Tuesday’s Top 10 Plays the guy who does the voice-over says, “After mining through 240 minutes of hoops action, our editorial geniuses at NBA.com have decreed that YES we are going with the full top 10.” Just so we’re clear, THE NBA ITSELF is […]
-
Rankonia: The Triangle Power Rankings
1. Kentucky’s Starting Five: DEUCES It would be easy to be flippant about the starting five on Kentucky’s national championship basketball team all declaring for the NBA draft, in unison, on Tuesday. You could mock coach John Calipari for building his program around one-and-done players, you could raise an eyebrow at noted NBA power broker […]