Friday, February 07, 2014

2/7 Opening Ceremonies Quickie

Happy 40th birthday, Steve Nash -- one of my all-time favorite athletes (and not just because we're close to the same age)...

*Everyone ready for the Olympics to start?

*I have a very (very) hard time believing that Jameis Winston -- a lock as the No. 1 overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft (as he would be a lock as the No. 1 overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft) -- would put off the NFL any longer than he is required to.

*I'm not sold on the new Dunk Contest format, but I like that John Wall is participating. I don't think he'll win, but I do think he'll win All-Star Game MVP. (And I am certain Bradley Beal will win the 3-point contest. Although Damian Lillard playing in every event is the most fascinating participant of the weekend.)

*Arizona basketball just isn't that impressive anymore. It's not like I was picking them to win the national title anyway, but still.

*Most fascinating thing I read yesterday: "Databall," on the breakthroughs in statistical analysis in the NBA, by Grantland's Kirk Goldsberry. Worth the time to work your way through it.

*Condolences to family and friends of Ralph Kiner.

*I founded and ran the first (and only) monthly reading series dedicated to sportswriting, and it was one of my favorite things I have ever done. Last night, I went to a reading that reminded me how fascinating they can be -- if you are interested in parenting stuff, don't miss "All Joy and No Fun" by Jennifer Senior.


Monday, February 03, 2014

2/4 Great Super Bowl Day-After Reads Quickie

Filing this 8 hours ahead of the actual 2/4...

Grantland's Bill Barnwell: "Seattle's Best"

SB Nation's Matt Ufford: "Deserve has nothing to do with it."


Grantland's Brian Phillips: "Are we having fun yet?"

Yahoo's Dan Wetzel, on Peyton Manning's moment of failure.

SB Nation's Jon Bois with a hilarious cut of the data of the "whooping."

Deadspin's Drew Magary: On the Super Bowl party boat

The MMQB's Peter King: On the game. (God, I vividly remember editing the morning-after Super Bowl MMQB column 15 years ago.)

Big sports moments always produce really terrific day-after observations.

-- D.S.

2/3 Super Bowl Hangover Quickie

*Right about the Seahawks winning, wrong about the margin (but at least I wasn't one of those folks who picked the Broncos!) Should have been spot-on about Percy Harvin winning MVP.

*The Seahawks' defense is exceptional -- to do that to one of the best offenses in NFL history puts this performance among the greatest by a defensive unit in Super Bowl history.

*None of this changes Peyton Manning's place in history, except to the extent that in remembering his greatness, we'll always remember the way his team got shellacked in the Super Bowl.

*My personal favorite ads: Tim Tebow's two spots for T-Mobile, obviously. (As many folks bemusedly observed, he had a way better night than Peyton Manning, which fits with "Tebow ultimately wins" theory.)

*Looking ahead to next year: No reason not to install the Seahawks as favorites to win the Super Bowl again. (The AFC is less clear -- way less clear.)

-- D.S.

Sunday, February 02, 2014

2/2 Super Bowl Day Quickie

*Repeating myself from Friday: Seattle wins by 5. Percy Harvin as MVP.

*Speaking of MVPs, Peyton was a lock. And this is by far the most impressive MVP season of his career. (Or any other player's career.)

*"Syracuse-Duke is the best!" is the new "Realignment ruined college hoops rivalries!"

*Go figure: Arizona was overrated. (Meanwhile, this Florida team is better than any I have watched since the back-to-back title teams. The offense doesn't necessarily come easy, but the D is ridiculous.)

*I can't explain why my Wizards play so well against the Thunder, but I'm sure glad they do.

Enjoy the game.

-- D.S.