January 10, 2013
NBA Shootaround: Los Angeles Kings
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. A Tale of Two Cities (GIFs by HeyBelinda) Earlier this week, one of our copy editors asked […]
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The Back of the Book: The Return of the NHL and Memories of the 1972 Summit Series
The end of the hockey lockout couldn’t have come soon enough for our friend Norm Macdonald. Here’s his take, along with a retooling of his thoughts on the 1972 Summit Series, which ran in a slightly different form as a collection of tweets on his Twitter feed back in September of 2012. “Our long national […]
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Austin Hollins Rises in ‘The Moment,’ Minnesota Beats Illinois
I’m a big believer in how brief moments can influence and often define outcomes, especially in sports. I freely admit there’s probably some kind of bias at play, and the best name for that bias might be “narrative.” At the same time, I hate the artificial stats/story dichotomy that’s emerged over the past … 15 […]
Read moreVideo: Bill Simmons and Adam Carolla Watch Ron Lyle vs. George Foreman
Bill Simmons and Adam Carolla watch “the greatest round of boxing on YouTube,” Round 4 from George Foreman vs. Ron Lyle in 1976. The violent style is unlike anything you would see in boxing now, and Howard Cosell offers a legendary call.
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Lakers Sports Talk Radio: The Texas Two Step
For the rest of the season, Jay Kang will be processing all the calls into local Los Angeles sports-talk radio shows. Aided by a computer program, Kang will spit out what the computer believes to be the most average question asked about the Lakers. And then he will answer that question. The second-most expensive dog-and-pony […]
Read moreHall of Fame Ballot Breakdown
We got The Great Hall of Fame Shutout of 2013, a no-vote by the Baseball Writers Association of America that ensured induction weekend will be free of living beings for the first time in 50-plus years. Players accused (Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa) or known to have used performance-enhancing drugs whether through failed tests or admissions […]
Read moreWhat Went Wrong for Brian Burke?
Let’s start with the easy part: Brian Burke failed in Toronto. There’s really no way to spin it otherwise. Some people will try, because that’s how these things always work, but it’s futile. Brian Burke failed. He came to the Maple Leafs in 2008 when it seemed that the franchise had hit rock bottom, and, […]
Read moreAbout Last Night: Rock, Chalk, OT, Then Jayhawk
In case you were out doing some very last-minute ballot-box stuffing for the People’s Choice Awards, here’s what you missed in sports on Wednesday. Kansas avoided an upset in their Big-12 opener beating Iowa State, 97-89, in overtime, as freshman sensation Ben McLemore banked in a game-tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation. “When it […]
Read moreJanuary 9, 2013
In Defense of the College Football Recruiting ‘Hat Dance’
Now that Notre Dame has been buried in a deep grave, we should probably talk about recruiting. If there’s a January ritual fans hate, it’s the recruiting “hat dance.” It goes like this: A recruit holds a ceremony at his high school gym or at a TV station. In front of him are the flat-brim […]
Read moreThe B.S. Report: Aaron Schatz
Smart Guy Wednesday: Aaron Schatz joins Bill Simmons to discuss Round 2 of the NFL playoffs. To listen to this podcast, you can download it on iTunes here or go to the ESPN.com PodCenter.
Read moreThe Fallacy of the Baseball Hall of Fame
The voters have spoken: No living soul will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year. The announcement that no players from this year’s Hall of Fame ballot netted the 75 percent vote needed to gain enshrinement has triggered outrage in baseball circles, and will surely bring more of the same for the Hall […]
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With Anderson Varejao Injured, the Cavaliers Will Contend … for the No. 1 Draft Pick
People realize this is happening, right? That the Cavaliers have a real chance of finishing with the league’s worst record this season, after finishing with the second-worst record in Year 1 of the Post-LeBron Era and the third-worst record in Year 2 of the PLE? Their chances got better today, when the team announced that […]
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Men in Blazers: The FA Cup, Liverpool, and Luis Suarez’s Handball, With Special Guest John Oliver
Apparently, England’s antiquated past is the new present here in the U.S. The weekend offered a welcome return of everyone’s favorite aristocratic family, the Crawleys, of PBS’s Downton Abbey. We laughed, we cried, we gasped at the audacity of Sir Anthony’s bold sexual advances upon Lady Edith’s virtue. Elsewhere on the dial, the FA Cup […]
Read moreVince Wilfork’s Family Has a Robot That Cleans Their House
This popped up on the YouTubes right as I was beginning my several-week eggnog bender, so thank you to reader Brian from scenic Corvallis, Oregon, for bringing this to my attention. Now, last time we checked in on a great moment in local advertising, we were marveling at Joe Flacco’s Pizza Hut jersey and wondering […]
Read moreSports Guy Time Machine: Baseball HOF Revisited
Here’s a column I wrote about the Baseball Hall of Fame in January 2007 for ESPN The Magazine, back when I still cared who made it. Six years later, I find myself saying, “I don’t even care anymore, the place has been ruined.” Alas. Normally, I enjoy the week the Baseball Hall of Fame inductees […]
Read moreVideo: Kevin Garnett, Carmelo Anthony, Honey Nut Cheerios, and Trash Talk in the NBA
Jalen Rose, Bill Simmons, and David Jacoby examine the most recent incident between Kevin Garnett and Carmelo Anthony, the unwritten rules of trash talk in the NBA, and how Honey Nut Cheerios got involved.
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Why Nikola Vucevic Could Be the Next Marc Gasol
It’s been nearly five years since the Memphis Grizzlies sent Pau Gasol to the L.A. Lakers in what was one of the more vilified deals in NBA history. In exchange for an All-Star big man who helped the Lakers secure two titles, the Grizzlies received luminary talents Kwame Brown and Javaris Crittenton, aging veteran Aaron […]
Read moreAbout Last Night: Heat Humbled, by George
In case you were back out at the karaoke bar trying to redeem last night’s off-key performance with a heartfelt rendition of “Ruby Tuesday,” here’s what you missed in sports on Tuesday. The Indiana Pacers continued their hot play at home, downing the Miami Heat, 87-77. Paul George, who led the Pacers with 29 points, […]
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