February 14, 2013
Hey, Jadeveon Clowney: Here Are Five College Football Stars Who Should Have Taken a Year Off
As a 32-year-old, 5-foot-6 Jewish guy from Philadelphia who has been rocking a buzzcut for the entire 21st century, I think it goes without saying that I relate to Kentucky’s flat-topped phenom Nerlens Noel in a multitude of ways. The most pertinent being that sometime around Valentine’s Day during our respective freshman years of college, […]
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The Designated Player: The Damned Polite (Notes on MLS ‘Access’)
“(The American) is always in the mood to move on … He is devoured with a passion for movement, he cannot stay in one place; he must go and come, he must stretch his limbs and keep his muscles in play. When his feet are not in motion, his fingers must be in action … […]
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NBA Shootaround: Under My Thumb
So much amazing is happening, and the Shootaround crew is here to help you keep track of it all. You’ll find takes on moments you might’ve missed from the previous night, along with ones you will remember forever. Pure and Easy Today marks the start of my 24th month as an Angeleno. Much of that […]
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We Went There: Real Madrid–Manchester United at the Santiago Bernabeu
“No hay mas que hablar.” This was the cabdriver’s response to my friend, who upon entering the taxi had given our destination simply as, “Al estadio, por favor.” I laughed to myself as we settled in for the ride, partly because I had spent most of the past two days looking for exactly “this” person […]
Read moreLooks Like Rays Pitcher Joel Peralta Got His Neck Injury … TO GO
YEAOWWWWWW. It’s not funny, guys. Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Joel Peralta tried to give it the extra 2 percent while getting out of his car to grab some sandwiches; instead he got himself a pain in the neck. Based on the dogged reporting of Tampa Bay Times writer Marc Topkin, who chased this story down […]
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In Defense of Landon Donovan
Eight days ago, the United States men’s national soccer team fell, 2-1, in Honduras to open the final round of 2014 World Cup qualification. The defeat was notable for a few reasons, one being the fact that it was the first meaningful Hexagonal round match that Landon Donovan’s missed in more than a decade. The […]
Read moreAbout Last Night: Somehow, the Celtics Keep Winning
In case you were out fighting off the pre-Valentine’s Day crowds at your local florist, here’s what you missed in sports on Wednesday. The Boston Celtics beat the Chicago Bulls, 71-69, at home in a low-scoring matchup of traditional Eastern Conference powers. “Even though we lost, tonight’s game was as if the perfect game of […]
Read moreFebruary 13, 2013
The Quietly Efficient Offense of David West
It’s hard to come up with an anecdote that encapsulates David West. It’s not because he isn’t worthy of one, though. It’s more that his yeoman-like approach rarely contains standout moments. His production from game to game has the consistency of a metronome and, unfortunately for West, the appeal of one, too. Consistency can be […]
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What We Do (But Mostly Don’t) Know About the Boston Celtics
The Celtics have one game left before the All-Star break, and you gotta imagine it can’t come soon enough. After playing the Bulls tonight, Kevin Garnett will head to Houston for the All-Star Game, Rajon Rondo will continue prepping for surgery, and Paul Pierce will drive home, where he’ll be enjoying a relaxing All-Star snubbee […]
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The Jeopardy! Teen Tournament Just. Got. Real.
Leonard Cooper of Little Rock, Arkansas, had a lot of catching up to do: After Day 1 of the finals of the Jeopardy! Teen Tournament, he was in third place with only three racks. But that was OK, because he was wearing the olive long-sleeve, so anything was possible.
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Big Ten Road Trip: Michigan State and the Wolverine Massacre
I first met Keaton Gillogly, the radio voice of the Michigan State women’s basketball team and a below-average pool player, at an East Lansing sports bar called Reno’s. He had offered to be my tour guide, and proceeded to do an excellent job. He introduced me to several morally dubious university ambassadors, coordinated an emotional […]
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Men in Blazers: Special Guest Gus Johnson
After dispatching Everton 2-0 over the weekend, Manchester United may now have the Premier League title safely in hand. But as for the rest, nothing is decided. The table is all wheels within wheels, battles within battles. The Premier League isn’t the only destination for must-watch soccer these days. This week, the Champions League returns […]
Read moreWorst MLB Contracts Mailbag
Monday’s breakdown of baseball’s 15 least tradable contracts triggered lots of responses on Twitter, especially of the “What? Player X didn’t make it?!” variety. We’ll tackle those questions, along with queries about replacement level, the Flying Hellfish, and more, in today’s Twitterbag. Here we go:
Read moreVideo: The Dominance of LeBron James
After LeBron James dominated the Lakers on February 10, the NBA Countdown crew — Magic Johnson, Jalen Rose, Bill Simmons, and Michael Wilbon — broke down his historic five-game run.
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Q&A: Dirk Nowitzki on the Mavs’ Struggles, His Favorite Shot Artist, and Refusing to Watch Shark Tank
The Mavs dropped to 22-29 after a crazy, last-second loss to Atlanta on Monday in Dallas, and they are in serious danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 1999-2000 — Dirk Nowitzki’s second year in the league. Dallas has known nothing but success since then, most of it built around a jump-shooting […]
Read moreTimofey Mozgov and the Triumph of the Human Spirit
I’m not going to lie to you all — I’ve been low. Life’s hard, ya know? There are times where stuff really starts to pile up, and there’s no worse sound than that alarm clock buzzing in your ear, no worse thought than having to put your feet on the floor. But do you know […]
Read moreAbout Last Night: King James Continues His Reign
In case you were busy finally figuring out the trick to seeing the hidden image in those Magic Eye posters, here’s what you missed in sports on Tuesday. LeBron James became the first player in NBA history to score 30 points on better than 60 percent shooting from the field in six consecutive games as […]
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