December 11, 2014
Lightning Round: Gary Andersen Just Left Stepping-Stone Wisconsin for Dream Job Oregon State. Wait. What?
The 2014 college football coaching carousel has included the requisite weirdness. But on Wednesday, we went from weird to genuinely baffling, with second-year Wisconsin coach Gary Andersen jumping ship for Oregon State. It’s football, not feelingsball, but we’re going to share some feelings anyway.
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A Brief History of Utter Ineptitude: The Past 10 Years of the NBA’s Atlantic Division
The cumulative winning percentage of the non-dinosaur-branded Atlantic Division teams this season: .355. We’re one Kyle Lowry slip in the shower away from making NBA history.
Read moreDecember 10, 2014
‘The Grantland NFL Podcast’: Week 14, Midweek News, and Previewing Johnny Manziel’s First Start
Back for the second time in two days, Mays and Barnwell go through the midweek news and preview Johnny Manziel’s first career start before recapping the rest of Week 14.
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The Cubs Land Jon Lester, and Their Master Plan Proceeds As Foreseen
Nothing the Cubs have done this offseason has been a surprise. But that doesn’t mean it’s been underwhelming. By adding Jason Hammel, Miguel Montero, and ace Jon Lester, the perennial cellar-dwellers have positioned themselves to contend.
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Lightning Round: The Brooklyn Nets Fire Sale
On Tuesday, Marc Stein and Ohm Youngmisuk reported that the Brooklyn Nets had put three of their foundational players — Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, and “Iso” Joe “Jesus” Johnson — on the trading block. We could not resist pointing and laughing at the misery in BK.
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Who’s That Guy? Oakland Raiders Linebacker Sio Moore!
After the Raiders beat the 49ers this past weekend, Moore took to Instagram to call Colin Kaepernick a “freakin chump.”
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College Football Clip Show: No. 1 Alabama’s Path to the Playoff
And then there were four! We’ve come at last to our first College Football Playoff, and not one team in this inaugural cluster made it through to the semis without giving its fans occasional vapors. Here, we trace each squad’s journey, remembering the good times and the times their coaches were forced to praise them on television after a 14-13 victory over Arkansas. First up: No. 1 Alabama.
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Heisman Watch: And Then There Were Three (OK, One If We’re Being Honest)
The Heisman field has officially been whittled down to three. Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon, and Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper are the 2014 finalists and will head to New York for Saturday’s ceremony. We pretty much already know who will win, but who should win? And how will the race for second place shake out? We’ll explore that and more in the final edition of this season’s Heisman Watch.
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The New Michigan Men: Caris LeVert and the Pipeline of Unheralded Wolverine Superstars
The Wolverines hoops program, whose last McDonald’s All American was Daniel Horton in 2002, has reemerged as a national power in large part by developing undervalued talent.
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Q&A: Chris Bosh on Being No. 1 in Miami, Hitting the Books, and the Power of Trust
Chris Bosh visited with Grantland in Milwaukee to discuss his game, the highs and lows of the NBA Finals, and the state of the new Heat.
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Wait, What, and How: An Abbreviated Encyclopedia of the NFL’s Junk-Pass Masters
Depending on where you’re sitting, the junk pass is either the most fun or most backbreaking play in football, and 2014 has been a golden year for the form.
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