ing Page 1198 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Who Hugged The NFL Commissioner Longest At Last Night's Draft?
We don't know if, as a child, Roger Goodell dreamed of one day being best known for embracing enormous men and then, later, taking money from them. The Draft Day Hug Era is at its peak, and like last year, we decided to find out who hugged the NFL commissioner longest....

It Looks Like David Kahn's Reign Of Terror Has Come To An End
Steve Aschburner of the NBA's Hangtime blog is reporting that Minnesota Timberwolves general manager David Kahn is on the cusp of being relieved of his duties. His likely replacement will be former T-Wolves coach Flip Saunders....

Schilling's Shitty Video Game Company: A Case Study In Bad Delusions
Originally published in Bloomberg View...


Basketball Jones
If you are of a certain age you'll recognize the paintings of Ernie Barnes either from the cover of Marvin Gaye's "I Want You" album or the credits of the TV show "Good Times." Barnes played professional football before he became a full-time artist. He died in 2009 at the age of 70. Check out his we...

The Goon Show
It'll come as no surprise that my favorite series at Grantland is the "Director's Cut" feature curated by Michael MacCambridge. He does a beautiful job and I'm always eager to see what gift he gives us next. Here's an especially good one—"The Making of a Goon," by Johnette Howard, which originally ...

How Will A Meniscus Tear Affect Russell Westbrook?
We learned today that Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook will undergo surgery for a torn lateral meniscus in his right knee. This is great news for Western Conference hopefuls and bad news for anyone who loves basketball: We still don't know how long he'll be out, and the NBA playoffs without Westbro...

"Stand Up, Asshole!"
It's tough to tell if a fight actually broke out during the draft tonight, but somebody definitely called somebody else an asshole in close proximity to someone yelling out something about the Jets....

Scouting Report: Roger Goodell
With the NFL draft now upon us, we feel it's only appropriate to present this scouting report on commissioner Roger Goodell. What follows are the assessments of various NFL players, plus one television executive, and one online dictionary. ...

Te'o Still Has An Odd Explanation For Skipping Girlfriend's Funeral
After all that waiting—you were waiting for this, right?—the NFL draft has finally popped up on our calendars. Which means it's as good a time as ever for fresh eyes to try to figure out what exactly happened with Manti Te'o, who could go toward the end of tonight's first round (although he won't be...

Infographic: Where Do NFL Draft Picks Come From?
Tonight, we get to watch the first round of one of the saddest NFL drafts in recent memory, with teams tripping over each other trying to trade down in a weak year. Even in the good years, success in the college game doesn't always translate to the pros, but some regions and conferences have a reput...

The Weight Of Tex Cobb's Belief
Here's the second of four Pete Dexter columns about Randall "Tex" Cobb's heavyweight title fight against Larry Holmes. Click here for part one. Originally published Nov. 24, 1982, as "Gifts Aren't Everything" in the Philadelphia Daily News, this column appears here with the author's permission. ...


More Than Somewhat
Damon Runyon was a big shot sports writer in the 1920s and he became an even bigger deal as a chronicler of life on Broadway. Here is a good introduction to his work, including the short story, "Romance in the Roaring Forties." ...

Feedbag: Why Does My Cooking Suck? Your Questions, Answered
Welcome to the Feedbag, where all the dumb questions about food, drink, cooking, eating, and accidental finger removal you've been embarrassed to ask can finally receive the berating they goddamn deserve. Also: answers. Send all your even-vaguely-food-related questions to [email protected]....

The Night Tex Cobb Saved My Life
In November 1982, Philadelphia Daily News columnist Pete Dexter went to Houston to watch his friend Randall "Tex" Cobb fight Larry Holmes for boxing's heavyweight championship. In the coming days, we'll republish Dexter's four columns from the event. Below, you'll find the first one, originally publ...

Pete Dexter: A Writer Who Makes Writers Want To Give Up
Pete Dexter was a columnist at the Philadelphia Daily News for close to ten years, from the late Seventies through the mid-Eighties. He wasn't just any old columnist but one of the most original we've ever had. His columns often read like short stories so it's no surprise that he went on to write no...

J.R. Smith's High School Yearbook Quote Was "Get Chicks Or Die Trying"
He's come so far since then....
