off Page 51 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

After defeating Alabama, only haters are still hating on Michigan
Michigan vs. Everybody isn’t just a catchy phrase on a t-shirt. It’s more than a rallying cry when the entire sports world is cheering against you. It’s a declaration that anybody can get it — line ‘em up and knock ‘em down. On Monday night, Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide got their names cr...

Michigan’s talent level stops another Jim Harbaugh dry heave
There were many who had their headlines and stories written, piling on a third-straight CFP semifinal loss for Jim Harbaugh on top of his lost Super Bowl and two lost NFC Championship games. Nice sets come in threes and all that. And he still may add that next Monday. ...

I love it when Dan Campbell gets that crazy look in his eyes
From the jump, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell has shown zero interest in moral victories, and Saturday in Dallas was further proof of that. Down 20-19 with 23 ticks, the coach eschewed the tie and went for two and the win three consecutive times. After an illegal touching penalty overruled a ...

New Year’s Six bowl games kicked off with a barely watchable product
The Cotton Bowl felt like a watershed moment for anyone watching — or casually following along on gamecast. The latter would’ve been the preferred method for a slap fight that featured 16 punts. Missouri mercifully gave fans a touchdown to start the fourth quarter, and would add another score for a ...

This week in the NBA: Kevin Durant unhappy in Phoenix?; Ja Morant in more hot water; Cade Cunningham can't save Pistons
Well, it didn’t take long for Kevin Durant to find something to complain about it on his new super team....

Jalen Hurts’ fugazi QB record is evidence that sometimes numbers do lie
The NFL’s Big Data complex, including Next Gen Stats and Pro Football Focus, would have you believe that numbers don’t lie, but the truth is that numbers can be untrustworthy little digits. They don’t explicitly generate faux stats, but accurate statistics can be framed deceptively. For instance, on...

IDIOT OF THE YEAR 2023: The complete rankings
Welcome to the grand finale of Deadspin’s IDIOT OF THE YEAR festivities. Here’s hoping 2024 will be better. It probably won’t....

Old beef still sells. Just ask the Cowboys and Jimmy Johnson
As long as the nostalgia of 1990s beef still sells, I’ll never feel old. I was but a child then. A child who looked at box scores in the Chicago Sun-Times and followed the daily drama of the 1997 Chicago Bulls contract negotiations. Even as a youngster, I recognized that Jimmy Johnson and the Dallas...

Anybody up for a game of boff, marry, kill with some fringe NFL playoff teams?
Heading into the final two weeks of the NFL season, the Colts, Texans, Steelers, Bengals, Raiders, Broncos, Rams, Seahawks, Vikings, Falcons, Packers, Buccaneers and Saints are still alive for a playoff spot while only a game away from .500. Of those 12 organizations, which do you think has the best...

IDIOT OF THE YEAR: The annual descent into madness continues (40-31)
Welcome once again, dearest and most beloved reader, to Deadspin’s vaunted IDIOT OF THE YEAR awards, the global phenomenon in which we say churlish things about people we dislike. Huzzah!...

Dear Santa: All I want for Christmas is my sports suggestions taken seriously
By and large, sports are pretty awesome. I have learned to keep my childhood favorite teams at a healthy distance and I advise all Chicago sports fans to do the same. I spend most of the year in awe of the artistic displays of the most brilliant athletes in the world. ...

This week in the NHL: Sidney Crosby is having a moment; Devon Toews is not happy; the Flyers, well, they're the Flyers
It hasn’t worked in Pittsburgh. While the Penguins made perhaps the offseason’s splashiest move by trading for Erik Karlsson, pairing another surefire Hall of Famer with the three they already had, they’re still only being propped up in the Metro Division by the pointless Blue Jackets. They’re only ...

If Florida State’s goal is to never get snubbed again, leaving the ACC is a terrible idea
Florida State’s rush to leave the ACC is reactionary in every way. After getting snubbed from the College Football Playoff, the school tried to use the courts and Gov. Ron DeSantis to overturn the committee’s decision. Those methods predictably failed and now the Seminole brass is onto the next dumb...

If Florida State leaves the ACC, where does it go?
Updated Dec. 21: Florida State University’s Board of Trustees will meet Friday, with the Seminoles’ conference affiliation as the meeting’s central focus. According to a report from Yahoo Sports, the school may seek a declaratory judgment action in an attempt to argue that it is not bound to its con...

What Ja Morant did Tuesday night is why I want him to stay out of trouble
What is most important for Ja Morant is to stop moving recklessly in his life. He recently appeared in court for an alleged fight with a 17-year-old. Both times the NBA has suspended him, it wanted him to stop making decisions that are capable of ruining — and possibly ending — his life. All of that...

NFL refs making offensive offside calls during crucial moments
Why are there so many penalties on offensive players showing up in the NFL as of late, and why do they all seemingly come at the most crucial times?...

A Black vs. white NFL game might teach league talent evaluators to give white players a chance at all positions
I do not agree with Rashard Mendenhall, entirely. In my humble opinion, people of all races and ethnicities talk entirely too spicy about professional athletes. No professional is above criticism just because the critic is not one. However, regardless of whether someone can dunk at an open gym or be...

Why don't Florida politicians have the same energy for FAMU’s national title as they do for FSU’s snub?
A social media post is one thing. The launching of an investigation is another. Florida A&M University received the former from Florida politicians after winning a college football national championship. Florida State University got the latter. ...

The Los Angeles Chargers epitomize the frustrations of Black coaches in the NFL
A Black coach was fired at the beginning of 2021. But instead of the team with the Offensive Rookie of the Year hiring the hottest offensive coordinator in the league, who was Black, they chose a white coach. After two and a half seasons, that white coach was fired because he was worse than the Blac...

The Cowboys getting beat down by the Bills might help them in the long run
Taking an ass-whooping can is a part of life. Whether getting physically dominated or simply enduring a hard loss, that moment is eventually almost unavoidable for most people. The Dallas Cowboys got their ass kicked in a physical sense all throughout their Week 15 matchup against the Buffalo Bills....