June 8, 2012
The Ifs, Ands, and Butts of Pacquiao-Bradley
Timothy Bradley first entered the boxing consciousness about five years ago with a handful of impressive victories on Showtime’s why-are-you-still-awake-at-this-hour boxing series, ShoBox. Back then, the ring announcers referred to him by his full name, Timothy Ray Bradley. Upon realizing they were attempting to advance the career of a boxer and not a serial killer […]
Read moreNBA Playoffs Shootaround: King’s Landing
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. LeBron James Field Goal Power Rankings LeBron James scored 45 points and grabbed 15 rebounds Thursday night […]
Read moreLeBron James and the Question of Clutch
With a line of 45-15-5, LeBron James was downright transcendent on Thursday night, highlighted by a 30-point first half carrying the Heat through Game 6 and into a deciding Game 7 against the Celtics in Miami on Saturday night. But was his performance truly clutch?
Read moreGame of the Night: Mets vs. Nationals
There is no shortage of reasons to marvel at R.A. Dickey. He’s a best-selling author whose book actually deserves that status. He climbs Mount Kilimanjaro for charity. He names his bats after Lord of the Rings swords and steps to the plate to the opening theme from Game of Thrones. All of these little quirks […]
Read moreAbout Last Night: LeBron Disappoints the Haters
In case you were out living a life of leisure, here’s what you missed in sports on Thursday. LeBron James choked by scoring just 15 points in the second half, including a mere four in the fourth quarter, as Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat overcame his nervy effort to beat Boston 98-79 and force […]
Read moreJune 7, 2012
For Your Consideration: Kevin Durant’s Staight-to-DVD Movie
Here’s the trailer for Kevin Durant’s new straight-to-DVD movie, Thunderstruck. I’m sure there’s a plot synopsis available online somewhere, but instead of looking at it, I’m going to tell you what happens in this film based solely on this trailer.
Read moreIs Derek Fisher More Important Than We Think?
Thanks to a brilliant second-half comeback and some questionable officiating, on Wednesday night the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since Clay Bennett pooped on the city of Seattle and moved the franchise to Oklahoma […]
Read moreWhy You Should Root for Denmark in Euro 2012
International football tournaments follow a fairly predictable script. The two most predictable scenes, after England failing to live up to the hype and the Dutch being eliminated on penalties, are the precocious young player who impresses and the small country that captures the hearts and minds of casual fans. When Euro 2012 kicks off this […]
Read moreThe Bizarre AL East, and Why It Might Stay That Way
Every single team in the AL East is .500 or better. You hear that stat bandied about a lot these days, and it is a strange phenomenon. But here’s my favorite fact about the division: The second-place New York Yankees have a +33 run differential, but the first-place Orioles only have +3. Wild, right? So […]
Read moreNBA Playoffs Shootaround: The Oklahoma City Forces of Nature
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. Do You Guys Want to Run It Back? This was a series that started with the Spurs […]
Read moreOklahoma City’s Winning Play
As they sought to close out the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder needed to keep scoring in the fourth quarter. To do so, they went to that play that confused the San Antonio defense and allowed Kevin Durant to score 16 straight points in the fourth quarter of Game 4. […]
Read moreFantasy Fiesta: Pitching Stock Tips
When Voros McCracken wrote his seminal piece on pitching and defense 11 years ago, he helped change the way people — fans, writers, even general managers — think about run prevention in baseball. Where once we used to throw most of the blame for a hit on the pitcher who gave it up, McCracken helped […]
Read moreAbout Last Night: Spurs Are Thunderstruck
In case you were out living a life of leisure, here’s what you missed in sports on Wednesday. Kevin Durant’s 34 points and 14 boards led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 107-99 win over the San Antonio Spurs and an NBA Finals berth. A despondent Tim Duncan began his postgame comments on a melancholic […]
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