April 3, 2013
What the Carousel of Quarterback Mediocrity Says About This Year’s Draft Class
In the past month, the deck of quarterback mediocrity has seen plenty of shuffling. First, it was in Buffalo. Less than two years after getting $24 million guaranteed from the Bills, Ryan Fitzpatrick was released, off to Tennessee to back up Jake Locker. Three days later, the Cardinals, hoping to avoid a $2 million roster […]
Read moreVideo: NBA Referee Violet Palmer Being Delightful on Family Feud
HOW ABOUT MACE? This comes courtesy of a reader named Jess, from Virginia. From what I can gather, this episode was filmed in late 2010. This seems much more chill than having to make sure Matt Barnes and Lance Stephenson don’t kill each another, but if you can do both you have a full life, […]
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Kobe Bryant’s Selfish Unselfishness and the Lakers’ Best Hope for the Playoffs
As with everything related to Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, there is the tendency to make a giant deal out of every game-to-game adjustment Bryant makes. Kobe finished with 11 assists last night, reigniting the debate over whether the Lakers are “better” when he’s in “facilitator” mode, or even whether Bryant consciously toggles between “facilitator” […]
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Champions League Underdog of the Week: Galatasaray
It’s good to be the Emperor. Since reassuming control of the club where he played the bulk of his career, Fatih Terim, who is known in Turkey as the İmparator, has led Galatasaray to a level of success they haven’t seen in more than a decade. With players who match Terim’s attacking instincts, Gala, only […]
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Roster Doctor: I Sorta Don’t Give a Crap
It’s not easy being agnostic. Forget religion or politics. Try telling a buddy that you have no strong opinion either way on Breaking Bad. Or that all beers taste the same to you. Fence-sitting on any number of topics can and will get you an earful. So when a guy who writes about fantasy baseball […]
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NBA Short-Attention-Span Power Rankings: The Quiet Man
A survey of the players and teams making moves in last night’s NBA action. 1. Carmelo Anthony There was something quiet about Carmelo Anthony’s 50-point game in Miami last night. Maybe it was the already reserved Heat crowd seeming downright sunburned and hungover, with one eye on their postgame Chilean sea bass. Or maybe it […]
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Your NHL Trade Deadline Day Primer
It’s NHL trade deadline day, which means we can expect something like 15 or 20 trades to be announced by the end of the afternoon. Of course, not all transactions are created equal. As a quick primer, here’s a half-dozen types of trades to watch for today.
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About Last Night: Almost Famous
In case you were busy learning how boring Nevada is outside of Las Vegas, here’s what you missed in sports on Tuesday. Texas’s Yu Darvish was one out away from a perfect game, but he was forced to settle for a near shutout as Marwin Gonzalez singled late in the Rangers’ 7-0 win over the […]
Read moreApril 2, 2013
I Miss My Yankees: Jay-Z, Master P, and the History of Rap Sports Agencies
At 10:58 ET, ESPN reporter Darren Rovell’s Twitter account tweeted a tweet. Wow. Three minutes later: In the attached link, we learn many an important detail about the future of the new Roc Nation Sports. “[Cano] has left agent Scott Boras to sign with a company founded by Jay-Z.” “It [Roc Nation] is getting into […]
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You Smell Like Desperation: Losers of the College Basketball Coaching Carousel
To paraphrase Chris Rock, desperation is the worst cologne. And when it comes to the post–NCAA tournament coaching carousel, the landscape of college basketball feels cloaked by a cloud of metaphysical Drakkar Noir. The absurd time crunch and constant influx of hot new names on a daily basis make the whole process feel less like […]
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Hey, Don’t F*$% This Up: The St. Louis Rams’ Wide-Receiver Problem
With free agency and the draft process revving up, there are plenty of questions for every NFL team. But for most, there’s one issue that trumps the rest. This is the latest in a team-by-team look at the offseason tasks that just can’t get botched. Among Rams fans, the Greatest Show on Turf has that […]
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Relegation, Fascism, and Paolo Di Canio: A Sunderland Fan Takes Stock
So on Sunday night I get a text from Phil about fascists. Phil is my designated friend for casual abuse around the sporting arena. We share text messages full of sarcasm and invective that may well act as a social service for those around us, by being a valve for expressions of frustration and negative […]
Read moreVideo: Street Freestyle Stunt Crashes
The street freestyle motorcycle riders of the XDL describe the feeling of losing control of a 400-pound motorcycle mid-trick, and the resulting carnage.
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NBA Short-Attention-Span Power Rankings: Street-Fighting Men
A survey of the players and teams making moves in last night’s NBA action. 1. The Pacers That’s eight wins out of the last nine for Indiana, five straight, and the end of a 4-0 road trip, which included two victories in Texas (Dallas and Houston) and a big win in Los Angeles against the […]
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Bradley Providing Desperately Needed Hope for Red Sox
Eleven more days. If the Red Sox wanted top outfield prospect Jackie Bradley Jr. to become a free agent after the 2019 season rather than 2018, all they had to do was keep him in the minors for 11 more days. They didn’t wait. The lefty-swinging Bradley was in the lineup on Opening Day, against […]
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About Last Night: Kershaw Beats Giants All by Himself
In case you were busy dancing like no one was watching, despite the fact many, many people were watching, here’s what you missed in sports on Monday. Clayton Kershaw pitched a shutout and hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Francisco Giants, 4-0 to open […]
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