US sports leagues reward inferior teams and routinely deny their best teams the championship. Richard Allen Smith and I have argued from time to time about the merits of the BCS vs. the NCAA basketball tournament. Rich defends the BCS, while I point out its unfairness and corruption. He argues that the BCS does (did) a good job at getting
Read moreIf multi-billion dollar football enterprise is forced to compensate players it will be the end of life as we know it. Did you catch NCAA Czar Mark Emmert talking with Greg Gumbel? Really fun stuff. Here’s the money shot: Would going to unionization mean no more NCAA? It’s entirely possible. Emmert said if student-athletes essentially became paid employees of universities
Read moreThird place was always the smart bet for a team in transition; Torres and Eto’o are well past the point where they can contribute to an elite side ALERT: If you’re a big Fernando Torres fan, you probably shouldn’t read any further. For Chelsea Nation, today was disappointing. [sigh] The thing is, while I have enjoyed how well the Blues
Read moreWe now know that highly rated Kansas center Joel Embiid has back and knee issues. What we don’t know yet is how Portland is going to secure the #1 pick so they can draft him.
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Pussy Riot’s commitment to social justice in the motherland is more than admirable. It perhaps merits a spot in Russia’s artistic canon. The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia closed today, and if you set aside the homophobia and generally strong-armed approach to governance by the host, one Vladimir Putin, these games were remarkable in just about every way. The
Read moreLeBron James is certain that he’s going to be on basketball’s hypothetical Mt. Rushmore someday. Who’s there now – Jordan, Bird, Magic, and who else? King James wants to see his face carved in granite. Hard to blame him for being confident. “I’m going to be one of the top four that’s ever played this game, for sure,” LeBron James
Read moreFearless leader Sam Smith earlier today launched an extended rant about subjective scoring in Ski Jumping and Moguls skiing. While he’s certainly right, he’s also overworking the problem. All you really need is a basic formula.
Read moreMichael Sam has made it easier for current gay players in the NFL. Will they do the same for him? By now you’ve probably heard that Missouri defensive lineman Michael Sam has publicly announced that he’s gay. A projected third-round pick in the upcoming NFL draft, this decision will (unless all 32 teams simply decide that they’re going to be
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It’s one thing to have “sports” with subjective judging when there’s no choice. But it’s unforgivable to introduce “artistic impression” and “style points” into sports that don’t need it. Imagine a world where the folks that brought you the Olympic Winter Games also created the Summer Games competitions. Brent Musberger: And there’s the gun! Usain Bolt is out of the
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Alexander Putin may not be preparing to invade Europe, but he understands the value of spectacle in establishing a nation’s place in the world. The Winter Olympics opening ceremonies in Sochi may have been the grandest show in history. It may also have been the grandest propaganda spectacle in history. It’s easy to get caught up in an artistic endeavor
Read morePart 2 of a series. How can we honor athletes for cheating and then talk to our children about honesty and integrity with a straight face? Matt Record’s post yesterday arguing that Major League Baseball should admit steroid users to the Hall of Fame gets a lot of things right. For instance: Ty Cobb? Sub-human PoS, no doubt about it.
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Everyone knows that the best team or athlete doesn’t always win. So why should we continue rewarding the inferior competitor? Did you see this? The US Olympic Committee has given the third women’s figure skating slot to the fourth place finisher instead of, you know, the third place finisher. And it’s all legal! …U.S. Figure Skating officials chose to look
Read moreVideo: Dennis Rodman sings “Happy Birthday” to Kim Jong-Un Happy Birthday, Mr. President. Happy Birthday, Supreme Leader.
Read moreI hope Auburn wins. I know how much it will mean to everyone in Alabama. #RollEagle
Read moreI’m usually a big fan of Adidas. But the soccer division is clearly where they put all the designers who have ideas. I mean, I thought it couldn’t get any worse than last year. I was wrong.
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