gi Page 119 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
Kawhi Leonard has entered the chat in the NBA MVP conversation
For fans who tend to skip over much of the NBA regular season, you’ve probably missed the recent uprising in talk about Kawhi Leonard having a claim in the MVP conversation. Most years, Leonard’s numbers are great. But since he blossomed into a star toward the end of his run in San Antonio, “The Cla...
Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker saved Arsenal’s season
We spend a lot of time trying to unearth the little tactical nugget, or superlative performance from one player, or decoding the 3D art that most soccer matches at the highest level usually are to figure out why one team won or lost and why this team is higher in the table than the other. But someti...
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP heist is nearly complete
Joel Embiid’s departure from the MVP race while he undergoes minor surgery to repair a displaced flap in his meniscus has created a vacancy. His coronation has now become a vastly different two-man heat. With due respect to Luka Doncic’s gaudy numbers, he’ll be a long shot as long as the Dallas Mave...
These are the current and former NBA players who need their own podcast
A decade ago, who would have thought that current and former players would be the best analysts and commentators in the NBA? A novel idea, eh? Former players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson’s “All The Smoke” and Gilbert Arenas were early purveyors of player-run podcasts. It’s since evolved to includ...
Jalen Brunson is the best point guard in the NBA
At his introductory press conference on Sept. 22, 2022, Jalen Brunson sat at a podium, decked out in a crisp number 11 New York Knick jersey, and said the following, “I’m not a savior in any way, shape, or form. I just want to be able to contribute to the team.”...
A week in Las Vegas: Godspeed to those embarking upon that journey for Super Bowl week
The best Las Vegas experience is usually one that is a whirlwind. A couple of days of cards, dice, shows, and booze that goes by so fast the most vivid memory of the trip might be time spent at Harry Reid International Airport. Vegas at warp speed is the best way to go, but that does not work for th...
Your guide to hate-watching Super Bowl 58’s Chiefs-49ers rerun
The best 2024 could give us for Super Bowl LVIII is a rerun. The Kansas City Chiefs marching into a showdown against a defensive juggernaut helmed by a lowly-regarded quarterback is another reminder that time is a flat circle. We even got a Shanahan-McCaffrey revival 25 years after Ed McCaffrey and ...
How many points does Steph Curry have to score in a loss before we write off the Warriors?
Among the signs of the apocalypse, Steph Curry scoring 60 points in a Golden State Warriors loss is right up there. That the 141-134 defeat came against the Atlanta Hawks is even more frightening. The Hawks are five games under .500, and appear to be well on their way to resetting the roster around ...
Carl Weathers and the professional athletes who became actors
Acting and sports have a lot in common. It takes a ton of body control to do either, both are consumed by millions, and the biggest stars usually have a ton of charisma. These are the athletes who broke out of their sports and became big stars in Hollywood. ...
Carl Weathers was countless Americans’ Happy Place
I just want to start this off by saying, I’m dedicating this piece to Carl Weathers, and if Shooter McGavin tries to claim otherwise, I will rattle off a stream of obscenities that’ll make Lee Trevino shake his head from Garland, Texas. ...
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey is more powerful than the NCAA
In any drug kingpin story worth watching, there’s inevitably the scene where a policeman gets threatened or flat-out killed as a warning or retribution. Usually, it precedes and prompts the anti-hero’s downfall. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey more or less sent the NCAA a hand-written note with the nam...
Former Raider, <i>Rocky</i> star Carl Weathers dead at 76
Carl Weathers, the actor who starred in the Rocky franchise, Predator, and The Mandalorian, died on Feb. 1, according to Variety. He was 76. ...
Admitted steroid user Gary Sheffield claims MLB tried to blackball him for speaking out
Former slugger Gary Sheffield claims MLB tried to force him out of the sport in the 1990s after he spoke out about the growing steroid scandal. ...
Red Sox Theo Epstein re-hire shows team is punting 2024 season
The first major acquisition of the Boston Red Sox offseason is…Theo Epstein? ...
![Big Ten, SEC partnership won't circumvent NCAA, Sankey says [Updated]](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/69c6cd8cc13f4f1ea2feaef11133225c.jpg)
Big Ten, SEC partnership won't circumvent NCAA, Sankey says [Updated]
Updated Feb. 8: SEC commissioner Greg Sankey took some time Wednesday to shed light on the new strategic partnership, insisting that there is no plan to circumvent the NCAA. Sankey appeared for an interview on The Paul Finebaum Show and stated that the purpose of the partnership was to create a more...
![92 percent of players prefer grass over turf: NFLPA [Updated]](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/e57da684ba20d8cb65d03d6156acee40.jpg)
92 percent of players prefer grass over turf: NFLPA [Updated]
NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell continued the turf field debate Wednesday at the NFLPA news conference, pointing out that a vast majority of the player’s union wants to play on natural grass fields. ...
Lakers-Celtics said a lot about both teams — little of it good
The Los Angeles Lakers earned their most impressive win of the season Thursday night, while the Boston Celtics arguably ceded their worst loss. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis sidelined with injuries, Austin Reaves and Co. handed a fully staffed C’s team their third home defeat of the season, 11...
Ben Simmons is the hero the NBA Players Association didn’t know it needed
Ben Simmons shows up to work, posts up on the bench in vibrant fits, shades, and quietly monitors the Nets from afar. The Nets’ well-compensated point forward has one of the best desk jobs in the NBA. Simmons being back on the shelf to rest another affliction once made him a maligned figure, but he ...
Ranking the new NFL head coaching hires
With the Washington Commanders hiring Dan Quinn, the NFL’s head coaching cycle has officially concluded. Barring any unforeseen firings, eight coaches have new jobs, and none of them are Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll, or Mike Vrabel. With the dust finally settled, it’s time to see how each team fared...
Has everything 'Bill Belichick' been shadow banned by NFL franchises?
The NFL’s coaching carousel is done spinning, with two of the seemingly most sought-after candidates — Bill Belichick and Mike Vrabel — still on the their plastic horses. When the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans announced they were moving on from their respective coaches, I would’ve bet my...