Deadspin: the dugout

Light Dawns On The Patriots

thedugout — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 17:01:00 EST

We have made no secret of our enduring love of The Dugout, both in its original incarnation and its current, non-expletive form at AOL Sports. But you think these guys just know baseball? Pshaw.

Therefore, Football Guys, the official chatroom of the NFL. It will run here on Deadspin weekly, every Tuesday, until the end of the NFL season. So do enjoy, after the jump.

MNF At The Super Bowl

thedugout — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:30:15 EST

We have made no secret of our enduring love of The Dugout, both in its original incarnation and its current, non-expletive form at AOL Sports. But you think these guys just know baseball? Pshaw.

Therefore, Football Guys, the official chatroom of the NFL. It will run here on Deadspin weekly, every Tuesday, until the end of the NFL season. So do enjoy, after the jump.

Carlos Mencia Is The NFL's Dane Cook

thedugout — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:00:06 EST

We have made no secret of our enduring love of The Dugout, both in its original incarnation and its current, non-expletive form at AOL Sports. But you think these guys just know baseball? Pshaw.

Therefore, Football Guys, the official chatroom of the NFL. It will run here on Deadspin weekly, every Tuesday, until the end of the NFL season. So do enjoy, after the jump.

Inside The NFL Divisional Round

thedugout — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:30:36 EST

We have made no secret of our enduring love of The Dugout, both in its original incarnation and its current, non-expletive form at AOL Sports. But you think these guys just know baseball? Pshaw.

Therefore, Football Guys, the official chatroom of the NFL. It will run here on Deadspin weekly, every Tuesday, until the end of the NFL season. So do enjoy, after the jump.

Tough Times In Steeltown

Leitch — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 17:01:59 EST

We have made no secret of our enduring love of The Dugout, both in its original incarnation and its current, non-expletive form at AOL Sports. But you think these guys just know baseball? Pshaw.

Therefore, Football Guys, the official chatroom of the NFL. It will run here on Deadspin weekly, every Tuesday, until the end of the NFL season. So do enjoy, after the jump.

Brian Billick's Last Days

Leitch — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:00:24 EST

We have made no secret of our enduring love of The Dugout, both in its original incarnation and its current, non-expletive form at AOL Sports. But you think these guys just know baseball? Pshaw.

Therefore, Football Guys, the official chatroom of the NFL. It will run here on Deadspin weekly, every Tuesday, until the end of the NFL season. So do enjoy, after the jump.

Herman Edwards' Coors Light Commercial

Leitch — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 15:10:22 EST

We have made no secret of our enduring love of The Dugout, both in its original incarnation and its current, non-expletive form at AOL Sports. But you think these guys just know baseball? Pshaw.

Therefore, Football Guys, the official chatroom of the NFL. It will run here on Deadspin weekly, every Tuesday, until the end of the NFL season. So do enjoy, after the jump.

The 1986 Version of The Dugout. [The Fanhouse]

Leitch — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 10:30:29 EST

The 1986 Version of The Dugout. [The Fanhouse]

The Dolphins Climb Out Of The Hole

Leitch — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 16:10:25 EST

We have made no secret of our enduring love of The Dugout, both in its original incarnation and its current, non-expletive form at AOL Sports. But you think these guys just know baseball? Pshaw.

Therefore, Football Guys, the official chatroom of the NFL. It will run here on Deadspin weekly, every Tuesday, until the end of the NFL season. So do enjoy, after the jump.

Fun Time In Dolphins Land

Leitch — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 15:40:41 EST

We have made no secret of our enduring love of The Dugout, both in its original incarnation and its current, non-expletive form at AOL Sports. But you think these guys just know baseball? Pshaw. Therefore, Football Guys, the official chatroom of the NFL. It will run here on Deadspin weekly, every Tuesday, until the end of the NFL season. So do enjoy, after the jump.

Introducing The Dugout's "Football Guys"

Leitch — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:45:35 EST

We have made no secret of our enduring love of The Dugout, both in its original incarnation and its current, non-expletive form at AOL Sports. But you think these guys just know baseball? Pshaw.

We proudly introduce Football Guys, the official chatroom of the NFL. It will run here on Deadspin weekly, every Tuesday, until the end of the NFL season. So do enjoy, after the jump.

The Dugout's epic goodbye — sort of...

Leitch — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 12:25:31 EDT

The Dugout's epic goodbye — sort of — comes to a close. [The Dugout]

Does this mean The Dugout can't curse anymore?...

Leitch — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 10:30:22 EDT

Does this mean The Dugout can't curse anymore? These would make us incredibly sad. [The Dugout]

How Virginia Tech Touched Our Little World Here

Leitch — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 15:00:00 EDT

As you've surely noticed, we haven't gone into the Virginia Tech horrors too much around these parts; we felt we had nothing we could possibly add to something so unfathomable. But there are still ways the tragedy has touched our little world over here.

First, the Nationals all wore Virginia Tech hats last night, though we wonder how much comfort anyone can possibly take from Dmitri Young. In addition, it turns out that one of the victims, Brian Bluhm, was a Tigers fan and one of the frequent posters at MotownSports.com; he had been set to graduate in two weeks.

And even closer to home: As some of you might know, Nick Dallamora, one of the three geniuses behind The Dugout, is a student at Virginia Tech and a resident of the Ambler Johnston dorm where the initial shooting happened. Nick is fine, if obviously shaken (The Dugout is taking a few days off), and has been writing about the experience at The Fanhouse. We've been emailing with Nick the last few days, and he accepted our invitation to write about the experience in Blacksburg. His words are after the jump.

Through Hokie Eyes [The Fanhouse]
The Dugout
Nationals Finally Do Something Right [Saved By The Blog]
We're All Hokies Today [Politico]

—————————-

When Monday's incidents unfolded nothing hit like hearing those numbers climb so drastically. I remember seeing Fox News report 30 deaths and saying to my roommate "This is why I hate Fox News they always blow numbers out of proportion. Change it." When CNN reported 32, I checked MSNBC, who reported 33. It felt like my head had been frozen for 10 years and was just now decaying. How many? Are you sure?

It sounds cliche, but it wasn't until [Tuesday] that everything began sinking in. Prior to today's convocation I cursed that messed-up bastard to everyone I talked to, and in the few spare moments I had to myself I cursed him under my breath. The fiery hate in my chest masked what I should have been feeling, which was sorrow. I was pissed at how a demented psychopath could walk behind me on my way to class, bear left and kill 30 kids at no expense of his own. What kind of messed up world is it where you aren't safe in a small southern college town? I was pissed at society as a whole, like we could all have been that twisted and it just happened to be that guy's day. That was until today.

Today I saw what I eyeballed at 20,000+ people in attendance at the convocation. When the basketball stadium filled they overflowed us into Lane Stadium where we covered the playing field and stands. We were all either in suits, dresses, or our Saturday's best. It was the only time I can remember feeling overdressed in mesh shorts, a football jersey and a cap. We shared, we cried, and we patted each other on the shoulder with a solemn nod. For 24 hours we were all lost, but today we came back together to support each other.

It was there that Nikki Giovanni gave the most spine-tingling speech I have ever heard. She ended with:

We are strong and brave and innocent and unafraid. We are better than we think, not quite what we want to be. We are alive to the imagination and the possibility we will continue to invent the future through our blood and tears, through all this sadness. We are the Hokies! We will prevail, we will prevail! We are Virginia Tech!

The crowd absolutely blew up. I think we all realized just what being a Hokie meant at that point. It's not that we didn't know before, but yesterday it changed and it won't ever be the same again. Being a Hokie means being strong, supporting and helping those around you through adversity, and knowing the rest of us are here for you when things get too heavy.

We are the Hokies and we will prevail.

Dmitri Young's Rehab Experience

Leitch — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 17:15:55 EDT

In case you haven't heard, Tigers designated hitter Dmitri Young is still evading police after failing to make a court appearance for a charge that he choked his girlfriend at a Detroit hotel. Several sources say he's at a rehab facility, but no one, including his lawyers, seem to know for sure.

It's a prickly situation, which means it's precisely the kind the brilliant minds at The Dugout specialize in. In their fantasy scenario, Dmitri is hanging out with Betty Ford and Dwight Gooden, discussing his woes and some possible treatment ... until a surprise visit from a family friend.

If you needed any more proof that The Dugout is a gift dropped to us from on high, this is it. Boom, bitch!

You Have Entered The Betty Ford Center Chatroom [The Dugout]
Young, Attorney No-Shows At Hearing [Detroit Free Press]

Julio Franco's Career, In Pixels

Leitch — Wed, 17 May 2006 12:00:18 EDT

How long has Mets octogeniarian Julio Franco been around? So long that his career actually spans the whole era of video game baseball. From the Atari 2600 to Bases Loaded to MLB 06, Franco has been around for all of it. The great minds at Progressive Boink — those responsible for the genius that is The Dugout, which provides us with pretty much the first belly laugh we have, every day — has put together a retrospective of Franco's career, set to all your favorite video game baseball hits of the '80s, '90s and today.

Want to know how Julio got his start? He describes life in 1986, with RBI Baseball. "I don't know, I just didn't take care of myself," he confesses. "I gained weight big-time. Fans used to point at me and be like, 'Hey, isn't that the cartoon astronaut from the opening credits of Reading Rainbow?' It hurt a lot."

The whole retrospective ends with a stirring video of Franco homering off video Mark Prior, to some damn stirring tunes, if we so say ourselves.

Go read this, then read The Dugout, and come back in an hour or so. We'll still be here, happy to wait.

The Dugout [Progressive Boink]
Julio Franco, A Life In Pictures [Progressive Boink]