» The Triangle

About Last Night

September 5, 2014

by Spike Friedman

About Last Night: Still Federer

In case you were busy making last night the last night, here are the top five stories you missed in sports on Thursday.

College Football

September 4, 2014

by Holly Anderson

Week 2 College Football Viewing Guide: Twist and Pout

MSU-Oregon. USC-Stanford. Michigan–Notre Dame. Virginia Tech–Ohio State. There’s a whole lot of icky, sticky cupcake action on the Week 2 slate, but there’s also plenty of delicious goodness. Eat up!

NFL

September 4, 2014

by Sal Iacono

Cousin Sal’s Week 1 Prop Bets!

This season’s blog will primarily focus on the Thursday-night games. That way, if you go against me, you’ll have a nice nest egg heading into the weekend.

College Football

September 4, 2014

by Matt Hinton

The Pac-12 Is Ready for Its Close-Up

The Pac-12 will take center stage this weekend, when Stanford hosts Oregon in the best conference game and Oregon hosts Michigan State in the top nonconference showdown. The SEC may have your hearts, but given its talent, money, and promise, it’s time for the Pac-12 to have your heads.

NFL

September 4, 2014

by Andrew Sharp

Is This Where the Seahawks Era Starts?

There’s no shortage of people talking about how great the Seahawks are right now. But we should probably be talking more about this: They can still get better.

NFL

September 4, 2014

by Kirk Goldsberry

Quarterbacks Illustrated: Mapping the Passing Interests of NFL QBs

Different players obviously have different skills and approaches to throwing the ball. Further, every quarterback’s performance is heavily dependent on environmental context. In most cases, a quarterback can only be as good as his team’s schemes, blockers, and receivers, and his numbers reflect far more than just his own abilities. Just ask Philip Rivers.

NFL

September 4, 2014

by Robert Mays

32 NFL Teams, 32 Questions, Part 1: The NFC

Preseason may be over, but that doesn’t mean all the questions about teams have been answered. In a lot of ways, the regular season is about answering questions. Not the “Is Joe Flacco elite?” kind, but specific, granular queries about whether certain units or players can perform enough to help their teams win.

NFL

September 4, 2014

by Bill Simmons

The League That Never Sleeps

Welcome back to the NFL, the one professional sports league whose commissioner has seen to it that, good, bad or ugly, it’s always on your mind.

MLB

September 4, 2014

by Mark Lisanti

Derek Jeter’s Diary: Like Sands Through the Hourglass

You can’t dodge the question, even if it’s coming from inside your own head. You’ll do better next time, you tell yourself. Then you ask the tough follow-up: Isn’t each missed opportunity just more sand running through the hourglass of your final season?

MLB

September 4, 2014

by Ben Lindbergh

Who Are Those Guys? Five September Call-Ups MLB Fans Need to Know!

Who’s That Guy is an ongoing Grantland series and an orientation tool to use in the vast sports landscape. This week, that landscape expanded along with MLB’s active rosters to include several high-profile prospects who are making their major league debuts. Here’s a primer on five brand-new big leaguers you need to know.

Grantland Channel

September 4, 2014

by Bill Simmons and Sal Iacono

Bill and Sal’s 2014 NFL Degenerate Gambling Preview: NFC West and Prop Bets

Bill and Sal wrap up their 2014 NFL gambling preview with two more videos: a look at the NFC West, and a rundown of the many glorious prop bets of 2014.

Tennis

September 4, 2014

by Louisa Thomas

Vive La Monf: The Revitalized Man Who Can Beat Roger Federer

He’s been called one of the most gifted athletes ever to play the game. One of the most fun to watch. One of the more disappointing. Suddenly, Monfils is “relevant” again. Two days ago, he beat one of the brightest young stars, Grigor Dimitrov, a semifinalist at Wimbledon, in the fourth round of the U.S. Open, and made him look pedestrian doing it. Today, he plays Roger Federer in the quarterfinals. He has yet to lose a set in this tournament.