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Deadspin’s deep dive into umpire stats: accuracy and consistency are key
Umpires are supposed to get every call right to the point where they have virtually no impact on the outcome of the game. Therefore, whenever an umpire does affect the outcome of a game, people start to take notice. ...

Carson Wentz putting best foot forward
After all of the drama surrounding Carson Wentz’s foot, which sparked major questions about the Colts’ chances this season, there seems to be some hope for both the quarterback and the Horseshoe....

Why does the NFL care about taunting?
I’m going to answer my colleague John Hoefling’s question from yesterday afternoon. Why does the NFL care about taunting? Because it scares old, white people....

It’s getting away from the Red Sox
In some ways it’s heartening, at least for those of us who aren’t part of The Nation, to see the Red Sox backing up. Because no team that trades Mookie Betts, then doesn’t really do much in the following offseason either, should return to the playoffs after only a gimmick season. Fenway Sports Group...

The Browns are smart not to lock up Baker Mayfield just yet
The Cleveland Browns come into the 2021-22 season looking to build off a campaign where the team registered its first playoff victory since 1995. To call this a drought is the understatement of the century. Some deserts aren’t as dry as the Browns have been in terms of winning the past 25 years....

What even <em>is</em> taunting, and why is the NFL fixated on killing it with fire?
First it was the Big 12 deciding that any Texas opponent who flashes the “Horns Down” gesture would be fined. Mostly everyone agreed that it was a pretty weak move by a football program that claims to have such an elite reputation. ...

Deadspin Waffles: Should the Bulls trade or keep Lauri Markkanen?
Over a week into free agency, Lauri Markkanen is still looking for his moment of clarity....

Let’s not give Bryce Harper the NL MVP just yet
At the All-Star break, the Philadelphia Phillies were a .500 team and weren’t being taken very seriously as threats to take the NL East crown from the Mets. Despite throwing everything and the kitchen sink at All-Stars Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto in 2019, the Phillies have not reached the playoff...

Once eyeing $100M+ deal, Dennis Schröder now may be lucky to get $6M
We should all bet on ourselves when the opportunity presents itself....

I don’t say this often, but the Lions are right
The disagreement over money between Calvin Johnson and the Detroit Lions just won’t end....

Rob Manfred must be looking to Barstool to keep Major League Baseball racist and white
It’s no surprise that the commissioner of the most historically racist and prejudiced pro sports league in America is in negotiations with America’s most racist, misogynist and prejudiced sports site in America to broadcast midweek games, to keep Major League Baseball racist, white, and prejudiced....

Dawn Staley should be the NBA’s first woman head coach
Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach. Dawn Staley can “do” both, and it’s why she should be the first woman to be a head coach in the NBA....

WWE will finally kill NXT
I guess the folly for all of us was thinking the NXT we loved could last a long time in the world of WWE, if reports are to be believed. I have to admit that I’m biased. While Daniel Bryan was the reason I started watching wrestling again, NXT was the reason I became such a huge fan. But it’s starti...

Are the Mets toast?
It’s rarely a good idea to try and judge what a team is in the middle of a losing or winning streak. No team is ever as good for a whole season as they are when winning eight in a row. Nor are they truly as bad as when they spend a week and a half looking like the Austro-Hungarian Empire. But these ...

Here come the Yankees... either up the standings, onto the COVID list, or both
The hope for most teams before and after the trade deadline is that their new acquisitions will lead to either some sort of inspirational turnaround or make it clear just how much more they’re solidified for the playoffs. It hasn’t worked out that way for a lot of teams....

Mauricio Llovera makes baseball history for wrong reasons
The Phillies are now atop the National League East by a game and a half over the Mets, whom they’ll send back to New York as a second-place team after Sunday’s series finale. Philadelphia’s 5-3 win on Saturday ensured that, after the Mets had held the lead since May....

Hear me out: Willy Adames has been second only to Tatis at shortstop this season
Who’s been the best shortstop in baseball this year? Fernando Tatis is probably the first person that comes to mind. I agree with that. Who’s number two? Bogaerts? Correa? Turner? Crawford? Bichette? Story? Yeah, those are all very good players....

Kirk Cousins gets cut!*
File this one under “Deadspin gets results?”...

Yes, it's a gold medal for Team USA, but what does that mean?
Nobody is going to argue that this was the best men’s basketball team the United States has sent to the Olympics. They’re gold medalists today thanks largely to Kevin Durant — throughout the tournament and including the title game against France; deciding that play time was over, and proceeding to w...

Deadspin carefully considers the complete overreactions coming from NFL training camps
NFL training camps have been underway for a few days now. But in just that small amount of time, numerous stories revolving around potential breakout players, big team brawls, and plexiglass, have emerged. While these stories may hold some merit down the line, it’s important to remember that we’re l...