March 27, 2013
Life Without KG: A Defensive Travesty for the Celtics
A 22-second summation of what the Boston Celtics face without Kevin Garnett for two weeks: What that clip shows: A skinny wing player, Iman Shumpert, stealing a rebound from two Boston front-line players who have initial inside position on him. Those two Boston players are Brandon Bass and Jeff Green, and the Celtics have allowed […]
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Branching Out for Bellator
For the combat sports fan, it’s all about maintaining focus. We attend live events, watch other shows at home, then program our DVRs to bridge the gaps. We listen to industry podcasts, check Twitter feeds, patrol various blogs, and maybe even leave some time for the Shin-Kicking Championships. In most circles, “mixed martial arts” really […]
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Men in Blazers: Special Guest Barry Hearn
Getting all hot and bothered over a 0-0 draw in which the United States was outshot 17-1 by an uninspired Mexico side will have to wait another week. With Roger away in Liverpool stocking up on Boddingtons and pies, the Men in Blazers offer GFOPs an extended interview with Leyton Orient chairman Barry Hearn in […]
Read moreThe Latest Andrew Wiggins Mixtape Is Barely Real
Andrew Wiggins, for those unfamiliar with his work, is the Canadian basketball sensation who spent this season as the Gatorade West Virginia Player of the Year at Huntington Prep. He still has yet to make a decision on where he’ll attend school (for six months), but I’d say this 2:55 puts him firmly next to […]
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March Madness Mailbag!
I got a ton of e-mails this week and most of them were worth publishing, but I decided to limit the number to 16 in honor of the upcoming Sweet 16. Let’s get down to business. Who do you see as the favorites to win it all, and why? Also, who has disappointed you? Between […]
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Where Does the USMNT Stand Now?
The fly-in, fly-out nature of international soccer creates a scenario in which an entire season’s worth of emotional highs and lows can take place within the span of a week. (In that regard, the whiplash emotional condition of the collective American fan base doesn’t help matters.) Eight days ago, the United States national team found […]
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Looking at the Sweet 16 Teams in 16 Words
Today we’re looking at every Sweet 16 team the only legitimate way: With just 16 words each. 1. Louisville: Russdiculous is so fast he just wrote this, deleted it, and did my taxes … for 2015. 2. Oregon: QUACKETY QUACK QUACKLES QUACKO QUACKS LOUISVILLE QUACK quackin QUACKER. (That’s DuckSpeak for: We are screwed against Louisville.) […]
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NBA Short-Attention-Span Power Rankings: Dirk’s Back
A survey of the players and teams making moves in last night’s NBA action. 1. Dirk Nowitzki Robert Mays: Well, don’t look now (actually, you probably should look), but the Mavericks are coming. Dallas is 10-4 in March, and with last night’s OT win against the Clips, the Mavs are a game behind the Lakers […]
Read moreThe Jalen Rose Report With David Jacoby
Jalen Rose and David Jacoby break down the mystery of missing jewelry in Miami, the Heat streak, and the Beyoncé beef. Listen to the full podcast here.
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NHL Trade Deadline: Evaluating Jarome Iginla’s Possible Life Choices
It’s not easy being Jarome Iginla. At 35 years old, his best days are clearly behind him. The only NHL team he’s ever played for, the Calgary Flames, hasn’t made the playoffs since 2008–09 and isn’t likely to break that streak this year. His contract is up at the end of the season, unrestricted free […]
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About Last Night: Here Come the Mavs
In case you were out all night looking for the afikomen, here’s what you missed in sports on Tuesday: Dallas got a crucial win in the Western Conference playoff race, beating the Los Angeles Clippers, 109-102, at home. Clippers forward Blake Griffin, who had a potential game-winning shot waved off at the end of regulation […]
Read moreMarch 26, 2013
Q&A: Gary Payton on Coaching, Playing Against John Stockton, and the Art of Talking Trash
Gary Payton has a hell of a basketball résumé. Almost certain to be a Hall of Famer, Payton was the only point guard to ever win a Defensive Player of the Year award. He was an All-Star nine times, named to the All-Defensive first team nine times, and picked up a ring in 2006 with […]
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Step Up Your Elephant-Passing Game, Derrick Rose
This was Robert Mays’s reaction to seeing this picture: “Eleven months later, Derrick, and you’re not even dunking off your left foot. RG3 is throwing passes to elephants, which, according to the Ringling Bros. dude who throws passes to elephants, is really hard.” Reggie Rose was not available to comment at press time.
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Hey, Don’t F*$% This Up: Keeping the Defensive Line a Strength in Detroit
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. It wasn’t too long ago that the Detroit Lions were […]
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8 Great NHL Trade Breakouts
If you’re an NHL general manager pulling the trigger on a trade, there are a few ways the move can blow up in your face. Maybe the star player you get back has nothing left. Maybe the deal messes up your team chemistry. Maybe somebody gets hurt. Maybe your owner panics and forces you to […]
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An Open Letter to Kobe Bryant About His Defense
Dear Kobe Bryant, In the middle of a playoff chase that has you clinging tenaciously to the no. 8 seed and yapping about how you have to take more control of the team’s defensive strategy, why are you doing this? In the 71st game of your 17th season, in the midst of a “heated” playoff […]
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Sports Guy Vault: USA-Mexico and the Insanity of Estadio Azteca
In 2009, Bill Simmons decided to cross another item off his bucket list by traveling south to Mexico City and Estadio Azteca to take in the sights, sounds and passion of a USA-Mexico World Cup qualifying match. CLICK HERE for all the details.
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NBA Short-Attention-Span Power Rankings: John Wall Goes Electric
A survey of the players and teams making moves in last night’s NBA action. 1. John Wall John Wall might be the best player in the NBA right now not named Kevin or LeBron. That should actually be an award: The M.V.P.N.N.K.L. Give that award to John Wall. Also, Ted Leonsis, fellow blogger, here’s a […]
Read moreBest of B.S.: Jerry West on the ’72 Lakers, the Heat, and Win Streaks
An NBA legend and member of the 1972 Lakers team that won 33 straight games, Jerry West talks to Bill Simmons about how the league was different during each streak, what West thinks of LeBron James, and whether he is rooting for his old team’s record to be broken.
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Fantasy Forecast: It’s All About the Pitching
Fantasy baseball ain’t what it used to be. Back in the day, you would have maybe one or two people in your league who did any research beyond glancing at last year’s Triple Crown stats and buying a couple of magazines. Any knowledge above and beyond that level and you were a virtual lock to […]
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About Last Night: Look Out, Old Tiger Is Back!
In case you were busy crashing Lark Voorhies’s birthday party (and if so, kudos to you), here’s what you missed in sports on Monday. Tiger Woods had a vintage weekend as he both reclaimed the no. 1 world ranking in golf and won his record eighth Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. When asked if […]
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