ick Page 306 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
Francisco (not Frankie) Lindor, Roberto (not Bobby) Clemente, and the unintentional disrespect of Americanizing Latin names
Nicknames are endearing, but they’re not always respectful. ...
Which team played the villain role best?
With the Houston Astros now wearing the crown as the most hated team in professional sports — as indicated by the chorus of boos and piercing screams of “CHEATER!” that rang through the Oakland Coliseum (whatever ridiculous name it has today) last night on Opening Day (ahh… welcome back baseball, an...
On Opening Day, the signs of how much we’ve lost were everywhere
After getting the coronavirus vaccine on Wednesday, I was pretty out of it on Thursday, which meant that Opening Day was a different experience than usual. I woke up in the morning, had breakfast and walked the dog, then went right back to sleep, setting an alarm to be able to watch the first inning...
April Fools, these fake sports tweets probably got you too
We all want to be first. First in line for whatever you’re buying, first to discover new talent, first to see that blockbuster hit. In the media, we also want to be first to a story. You probably do too. That might be why you’re on Twitter — to follow the “Woj Bombs” or Schefter’s BREAKING news. But...
Negro League researcher Cam Perron talks about his new book, the Negro Leagues, and the times to come
In a profile over the summer, I asked Cam Perron what he’s up to next. At the time, the young Negro Leagues researcher, whose work of documenting players’ service time led to their receiving MLB pensions, was operating his memorabilia business and working on a book set to hit shelves in 2021....
Athletes who turned their careers into an April Fools joke on all of us
Happy April Fools Day to all. I hope everyone reading this hasn’t already gotten duped by one of their friends or loved ones. If you have, it’s okay at least you didn’t get fooled like these organizations did when they picked the “star” of their franchise. There’s been so many examples of these play...
Mick Cronin was UCLA’s third option, and he just ended the Bruins’ 13-year Final Four drought
The beginning of this movie got off to a rough start. And while the final scene hasn’t been written yet, it’s already a triumphant tale....
17 NFL games, 2,000 yards rushing, 7-9 records and more math to make your head hurt
The NFL has officially voted to expand the regular season to 17 games, opening up a whole can of oddities to accompany it. What happens to single-season NFL records? What about playoff seeding? What even is a .500 team? There’s so much to unpack. I’m sitting over here absorbing this news playing a h...
NL West Preview: The Rise of San Diego, the reign of L.A.
With Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado, the Padres have the best left side of the infield in baseball and two MVP candidates to lead their lineup....
NL East Preview: Are the Mets good enough to topple the Braves?
You could make a definitive argument that the National League East is the strongest 1-through-5 division in Major League Baseball, so long as no one fucks this up....
With Francisco Lindor and Anthony Rizzo seeking extensions, it's a tale of two owners
Lindor-palooza has apparently begun. News broke last night that the Mets have offered Francisco Lindor a 10-year, $325 million extension to his deal that ends after the season. Lindor is apparently after a 12-year, $385 million deal. As always, both sides are making noise about negotiations being cu...
The Flyers have eaten another one
As every sport relies more heavily on analytics to tell us what’s really going on, there are fewer and fewer occurrences that seemingly spring from a different plane of existence. Something beyond explanation. Things that are only familiar to Wiccans. We can just about always point to some number or...
Aaron Gordon would (still) like to remind everyone that he was robbed in two dunk contests
Aaron Gordon has a new team and with it, a new jersey number. Instead of the double zeros, the new Nugget will rock No. 50....
The last Opening Day
Of course it’s not the last Opening Day this week. There will be a baseball season after 2021. It’s likely that it will be in 2022. But it could not be! You can’t imagine that MLB owners and the MLBPA would lose a full season and another World Series to a work stoppage. But also, you can’t rule it o...
If white athletes took a knee after mass shootings, we’d have gun reform
The most glaring misconception about white privilege is that some white people believe it angers people of color not to have it. That’s a lie. We’re upset because we have to watch as you waste it, knowing all the good we would do with it if we had it....
NBA buyout market roundup: For once, you are allowed to be excited about it
The NBA’s buyout market is generally overrated....
Jarred Kelenic reassignment means Mariners aren't even hiding service time manipulation
Jarred Kelenic is a future star for the Mariners, who have not been to the playoffs since 2001. The centerpiece of the trade in which Seattle dumped Robinson Canó’s salary on the Mets, Kelenic came to spring training this year, got a real, not just happy-to-be-in-camp uniform number, 10, and then we...
UCLA’s Mick Cronin coming around on what a crappy, exploitative sham the NCAA is
UCLA coach Mick Cronin is peeved about Dashien Nix playing in the G League instead of the Bruins....
NBA trade deadline winners and losers (Can you guess which ones go where?)
There were 16 trades involving 23 organizations and 46 players yesterday, making it the most active trade deadline ever. ...
Bulls’ Nikola Vucevic pickup is a commitment to Zach LaVine
Nikola Vucevic is coming to save Zach LaVine....