the-classical Page 1 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Dr. Z's Lesser-Known Book Was One Of The Truest Things About Football Ever Written<em></em>
Longtime football writer Paul Zimmerman, better known as Dr. Z, died today at age 86, his former colleague Peter King announced. Zimmerman hadn’t written for years due to a series of strokes, but for a time he was one of the best football writers out there and worth remembering today. Here’s what I ...

Whatever Happened To Sports On Earth?
Originally published at The Classical....

Best Ever: The Making Of "What Do You Think Of Ted Williams Now?"
This piece originally appeared in the eighth issue of The Classical Magazine. It is reprinted here with permission. ...

Richard Ben Cramer Takes On Ted Williams
I wrote about Richard Ben Cramer's Esquire story on Ted Williams for the latest e-magazine from The Classical:...

The Crime Novelist Who Reinvented Soccer Writing
The Books Issue is the eighth issue of The Classical Magazine. In addition to the piece below, it features writing by Alex Belth, Holly M. Wendt, and many more writing about such subjects as North Dallas Forty, the making of "What Do You Think of Ted Williams Now?," Harry Crews, The Pogues, and bike...


And Now We're Going To Return To The Classics
From my man Eric Nusbaum:...

Bud Selig, Interim Commissioner For Life: A Dialogue
The Same Old Game is the third issue of The Classical Magazine. In addition to this piece, it features writing by Carson Cistulli, Eric Freeman and more, as well as nine artists including Craig Robinson, Dmitry Samarov, and Amelie Mancini....

What Johan Cruyff's Flameout Says About Mexican Soccer's Problems
Republished with permission from The Classical, which just launched a fancy new web magazine. The magazine is available via monthly or yearly subscriptions, as well as single-issue purchases, on the Apple iOS newstand. It’s $2.99 if you pay monthly, $29.99 if you sign up for a year in advance, and $...

How One Man's Hard-Luck Journey Through The Indie Wrestling Circuit Ended Behind A Deli Counter
During his 10-plus year career, Nigel McGuinness, the former Ring of Honor World Champion, wasn't recognized much away from wrestling. There was that one time on the New York City subway, but he was commuting to a match and there were wrestling fans on the train. Being spotted in the Tampa delicate...

What One Writer Learned At Bleacher Report University
Nick Bond, writing for our friends at The Classical, recently went through the training program at Bleacher Report, a sort of orc pit out of which all B/R writers must climb before they write for the site. Bond's entire piece is well worth your time, but the best artifact is this horrifying paragra...

Harbaugh Like Me: A Harbaugh On Harbaugh Vs. Harbaugh
This post was originally published on The Classical, one day before the 49ers and Ravens advanced to the Super Bowl....

He Could Always Steal: Remembering Kenny Lofton's College Basketball Career
Republished from The Classical, which is currently in the midst of Kenny Lofton Week....

You Need To Read This Oral History Of Fire Joe Morgan
Our pals at The Classical are running a three-part oral history of the late and beloved blog, Fire Joe Morgan. It includes gems such as this:...

Cheerleaders, Endless Chants, And Fan-Created Performance Art: Why Baseball Games In The Far East Feel Like College Football Games
On my flight to Busan, South Korea I sat next to an older Korean woman sporting a Detroit Tiger hat. It seemed serendipitous that I'd be seated next to a fellow Tigers fan on a vacation planned entirely around seeing baseball games. The issue, which was a big issue, was expressing this....

The Specialists: What's In It For Oregon's Quarterbacks?
Finished in 2010 and funded by a $41.7 million gift from Phil Knight, the John E. Jaqua Academic Center rises from a reflecting pool like the pyramid of the Louvre, a monument to student-athletes gilding a busy Eugene, Ore. thoroughfare. This past August, the unveiling of the University of Oregon's ...

Going Under: What Happened To U.S. Synchronized Swimming?
There is a YouTube video of synchronized swimmer Mary Killman performing what is called a Rocket maneuver to the song “Johnny B. Goode” as part of her final solo at the 2011 synchronized swimming world championships in Shanghai. Killman, who will compete in this summer’s Olympics, says it is one of ...

Whatever Happened To The "Dangerous Damn Sport" Of Six-Day Bike Races?
"Erv was a professional 6 day bike racer who competed at Madison Square Garden, Chicago Coliseum, Montreal and Toronto, Canada. During WWII, he parachuted into Normandy Beach on D Day."...

A Dispatch From "Williamsburg Night" At The Brooklyn Cyclones Game
Last week, we treated you to a lovely photo essay from the Brooklyn Cyclones' "Williamsburg Night."...

The Happiest Man In The World: Teófilo Stevenson And Cuba's Lost Fighters
Teófilo Stevenson won his first Olympic gold medal in 1972 and his last world amateur championship in 1986. He won 302 fights and once went an unbelievable 11 years without a loss. Had Cuba not boycotted the 1984 Summer Olympics, many think Stevenson would have won an unmatched four gold medals in...