October 16, 2012
We Went There: Giants-Cardinals Game 2
I had been in my seat for all of five seconds and already I was booing. The plan was to sit down before the national anthem to fully focus on the soothing vocal stylings of Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, and Giants third-base coach Tim Flannery (whose 12 recorded CDs skew toward “mostly Irish bluegrass with […]
Read moreThe Legend of Stoichkov Lives On in Chicago
The Chicago History Museum’s grand banquet hall is overflowing with nearly 500 Chicago Fire Soccer Club fans, bubbling with excitement at the club’s supporter-organized 15th-anniversary celebration. The room’s layout (long, narrow) is not ideal for speeches, but speeches certainly have to be made because of the occasion, a special one for the club and the […]
Read moreBQBL: The Alex Smith Confidence Meter
The way we define a benching is by asking the question, “If he had played well, would he still be on the field?” I bring this up because there were some borderline benching calls this week — a couple of those sympathy benchings, those-bruised ego benchings, those “If you throw another pick I am going […]
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The Chargers Pee Their Pants (Again)
When I was in first grade, there was a kid named Thomas who couldn’t go more than a couple weeks without peeing his pants. Every day he’d come to school dressed in a collared shirt and a nice pair of slacks, and every day you’d think, “Will Thomas pee his pants today?” It wasn’t a […]
Read moreFourth-and-Short: A Tale of Two Halves, and Other Week 6 News
This week, Fourth-and-Short travels around the league to touch on three notable news bits, beginning with Denver’s stunning comeback victory over the Chargers last night. I Can’t Believe I’m Going to Defend Norv Turner, But … As you might suspect, 24-point comebacks don’t happen frequently. Only once in the history of Monday Night Football has […]
Read moreThe NFL’s Political Ad
Did you catch that new political ad? A concerned mom — a woman who worries about her son in these uncertain times — asks a question. A good-looking man has just the answers she’s looking for. The man is Tom Brady. The woman’s question is about football safety. The ad was made not by Obama […]
Read moreMLB Playoff Wrap: Giants Riding the Momentum
The San Francisco Giants have their hands full: They might have just lost their starting second baseman, and after Game 3 of the NLCS, their starting rotation becomes a total mystery. But that doesn’t matter today, because they are heading back to St. Louis with the series tied. For that they can thank a pitcher […]
Read moreAbout Last Night: Cardinals Caged
In case you were out living a life of leisure, here’s what you missed in sports on Monday. Ryan Vogelsong pitched seven strong innings and Marco Scutaro broke the game open with a two-RBI single as the Giants crushed the Cardinals 7-1 to level the NLCS at one game apiece. After reading the headline “Giants […]
Read moreOctober 15, 2012
B.S. Report: Cousin Sal, JackO, and Joe House
In Part 1, Cousin Sal joins Bill to commiserate over heartbreaking losses for both the Cowboys and the Patriots; then they turn their attention to the Week 7 betting lines. In Part 2, JackO and Joe House join Bill to talk baseball. JackO mourns the loss of Yankee captain Derek Jeter and Joe House mourns […]
Read moreThe True Cost of Winning in MLB
With their elimination at the hands of the Tigers, the Oakland A’s once again fell victim to the dreaded small sample size. The things that make them successful over 162 games are less reliable over a five-game divisional series. Less esoteric is the reality that they had to face Justin Verlander twice in those five […]
Read moreThe Pacers Are Now the Hans-BROS … Also, Gerald Green Can Fly
BEN HANSBROUGH!? Is it even legal to have two Hansbroughs on the same team?
Read moreThe Ivan Johnson Chronicles: Season 2
There were a few mini-phenomenons of the shortened 2011-12 NBA season that proved perfect for distracting fans from the 16 games that were taken from our poor, basketball-loving hands. One of the most left-field of these was a simple man by the name of Ivan Johnson. Between his athletic past (troubled), his temper (short), and […]
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What Happens When the Tide Comes to Town
If I learned anything from The Grey, it’s that inevitable doom can be a big help with self-reflection. That’s why as I sat on my couch Saturday afternoon, waiting for Nick Saban to dismember my alma mater’s football team, I started thinking about how exactly it was that we got here. My four years at […]
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NFL Run & Shootaround: Sea-fense!
On any given Sunday (or Monday, or Thursday), your NFL Run & Shootaround crew will be gathered around multiple televisions, making inappropriate jokes and generally regressing to the mean. Catch up on all the NFL action right here. U Mad Bro? The day after the Seahawks announced that Russell Wilson would be their Week 1 […]
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Sizing Up Small Ball: How the Celtics, Lakers, and the Rest of the League Are Responding to Their Rivals
Doc Rivers is a candid guy and a very good coach, but I’m not totally buying what he’s selling here (via the Boston Herald): Although the Heat occupy his thoughts, Rivers said the current edition of the Celtics wasn’t conceived with any one opponent in mind. “That’s the one thing we don’t do,” Rivers said. […]
Read moreRoute One in the Rain: USMNT Gets Needed Three Points in Antigua
Eddie Johnson’s first goal for the United States Men’s National Team came in the forward’s first start on October 10, 2004. Johnson, then 20 years old, netted three more three days later against Panama and finished 2006 World Cup qualifying with seven goals in six games. The Florida-born Johnson was strong, fast, and talented, exactly […]
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Donaire’s Opponents Quickly Go From Fighting to Surviving
It’s unclear whether Nonito Donaire’s opponents enter the ring afraid of the 122-pound super bantamweight champion’s power, or if they realize sometime early in the first round that they’ve bitten off more than they can chew. In fact, since Donaire’s last six opponents have all been well-regarded current or former world champions, we know that […]
Read moreWe Went There: Nationals-Cardinals Game 5
Immediately after Jayson Werth’s walk-off home run on Thursday night, I knew I wanted to make my way down to D.C. for Game 5 of the Cardinals-Nationals series. I’m nominally a Red Sox fan; the Nationals have been near and dear to my heart during this baseball season for gambling purposes. On the same December […]
Read moreAbout Last Weekend: Down Goes the Captain
In case you were out living a life of leisure, here’s what you missed in sports over the weekend. The Detroit Tigers took a 2-0 lead on the Yankees in the ALCS with a 3-0 win on Sunday after Derek Jeter suffered a season-ending ankle fracture during Saturday’s loss. “As horrible as the pain was, […]
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