Friday, January 18, 2008
Yes, Chess Is a Sport
Let me arbitrate the debate going on at DSCommenters: Yes, chess is a sport. (Presumably, it came up in the context of the death of Bobby Fischer.) -- D.S.
Take Today's Poll About the Pats
If you aren't a natural Pats fan, are you rooting for the Pats to go 19-0 or to choke and lose in the Biggest Loss Ever?*
I'm totally intrigued by the idea that there is one segment of the country that wants to see the Pats go 19-0 and there is another segment that desperately wants to see them lose. (Pats fans, of course, are ineligible from consideration for obvious reasons.)
I myself am torn over witnessing the superlative novelty of 19-0... it might just be the greatest feat in team-sports history... and wanting to see them lose, in what would be an all-time epic collapse*. (It's not a choke, per se, but I struggle for the right word to describe the superlative.)
Would I rather see the Pats lose this weekend in the conference title game or in the Super Bowl?
Losing in the Super Bowl would be more dramatic, but I think that the Chargers (even without Rivers) have a better shot of beating the Pats than the Packers or Giants (even on the Super Bowl's neutral field). The bottom line: I don't really care. Seeing them lose at all would be plenty interesting.
But I am curious as to what YOU think, both whether you are rooting for 19-0 or the Biggest Loss Ever* and -- if you are rooting for them to lose -- WHEN you would like to see it happen.
Take the poll in the upper-right-hand corner.
-- D.S.
* - The closest thing I can think of to compete with the Pats losing in either of the next two games would be the unstoppable 1991 UNLV team losing in the Final Four to Duke... but that UNLV team had an excuse -- there's a long-standing urban legend that they were on the take to tank the game. That's right, Duke fans: I discount any credit assigned for what was arguably the greatest win in Duke program history.
I'm totally intrigued by the idea that there is one segment of the country that wants to see the Pats go 19-0 and there is another segment that desperately wants to see them lose. (Pats fans, of course, are ineligible from consideration for obvious reasons.)
I myself am torn over witnessing the superlative novelty of 19-0... it might just be the greatest feat in team-sports history... and wanting to see them lose, in what would be an all-time epic collapse*. (It's not a choke, per se, but I struggle for the right word to describe the superlative.)
Would I rather see the Pats lose this weekend in the conference title game or in the Super Bowl?
Losing in the Super Bowl would be more dramatic, but I think that the Chargers (even without Rivers) have a better shot of beating the Pats than the Packers or Giants (even on the Super Bowl's neutral field). The bottom line: I don't really care. Seeing them lose at all would be plenty interesting.
But I am curious as to what YOU think, both whether you are rooting for 19-0 or the Biggest Loss Ever* and -- if you are rooting for them to lose -- WHEN you would like to see it happen.
Take the poll in the upper-right-hand corner.
-- D.S.
* - The closest thing I can think of to compete with the Pats losing in either of the next two games would be the unstoppable 1991 UNLV team losing in the Final Four to Duke... but that UNLV team had an excuse -- there's a long-standing urban legend that they were on the take to tank the game. That's right, Duke fans: I discount any credit assigned for what was arguably the greatest win in Duke program history.
Friday 01/18 A.M. Quickie:
Pats, Pack, Kwame, Butler, Garrett, More!
Today's SportingNews.com column is live (be sure to take today's poll in the upper-right!), and I coin what will surely be the catch-phrase of the next two weeks:
"The Slurper Bowl."
That's what we're going to experience if (no: when) Tom Brady and Brett Favre lead their respective teams to their conference titles on Sunday. (If you're going to use "Slurper Bowl," be sure to credit the source!)
Those are my picks: Pats and Pack. Not particularly bold, but I do contend that Randy Moss will catch at least 3 TDs, because Bill Belichick will want to offer a great big F.U. over the hating on Moss this week because of his alleged "incident."
Anyway: The column is loaded today -- Conference title-game previews, Lakers fans booing Kwame Brown, Linas Kleiza Mania, Butler upset by Cleveland State, Jason Garrett dissing the Falcons and Ravens for the Cowboys, more on the Golfweek controversy, Bud Selig, Rich Rodriguez and More!
Check it out here.
(Two more original DS.com posts coming at 10:30 and 12:30, so be sure to wander back around later today.)
-- D.S.
"The Slurper Bowl."
That's what we're going to experience if (no: when) Tom Brady and Brett Favre lead their respective teams to their conference titles on Sunday. (If you're going to use "Slurper Bowl," be sure to credit the source!)
Those are my picks: Pats and Pack. Not particularly bold, but I do contend that Randy Moss will catch at least 3 TDs, because Bill Belichick will want to offer a great big F.U. over the hating on Moss this week because of his alleged "incident."
Anyway: The column is loaded today -- Conference title-game previews, Lakers fans booing Kwame Brown, Linas Kleiza Mania, Butler upset by Cleveland State, Jason Garrett dissing the Falcons and Ravens for the Cowboys, more on the Golfweek controversy, Bud Selig, Rich Rodriguez and More!
Check it out here.
(Two more original DS.com posts coming at 10:30 and 12:30, so be sure to wander back around later today.)
-- D.S.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Shoals Joins Shanoff at SportingNews.com
This is turning into a hell of a columnist line-up: Shanoff, Swindle, Florio, McErlain, Pinto, Brian from Awful Announcing, Mottram... and now Bethlehem Shoals of Free Darko.
(I'm thrilled to note that I traded "Shanoff" for shidduch to help make this happen, 'cause I love me some Shoals and I love me some SportingNews.com. I'm a yenta among sports bloggers.)
(I'm thrilled to note that I traded "Shanoff" for shidduch to help make this happen, 'cause I love me some Shoals and I love me some SportingNews.com. I'm a yenta among sports bloggers.)
Mathew Kowald: Worst. Dad. Ever.
Mathew Kowald: Worst. Dad. Ever.
You are going to be hearing a lot today about Mathew Kowald, a 36-year-old Portage, Wisconsin nut-job who strapped his 7-year-old son down and forced the kid to wear a Packers jersey during the Packers' playoff game last weekend.
We've all been there: We buy our infants or toddlers or kids the team gear, hoping they will be little reflections of ourselves -- what better way to bond than over a mutual love of a sports team? (Hell, most of you are probably fans of your favorite team because a parent was a fan and "passed it on" to you.)
But this is a cautionary tale: Taking it so far over the line as to constitute child abuse, rather than "super-fan" fun. Something to keep in mind as you pose your young child in the gear of your favorite team -- YOUR favorite team -- like some kind of Fandom Mini-Me.
Interested in your comments on this, either on this post or the simul-post at VarsityDad.com.
-- D.S.
This post was re-published from an earlier post at Varsity Dad, my blog about the intersection of sports and parenting.
You are going to be hearing a lot today about Mathew Kowald, a 36-year-old Portage, Wisconsin nut-job who strapped his 7-year-old son down and forced the kid to wear a Packers jersey during the Packers' playoff game last weekend.
We've all been there: We buy our infants or toddlers or kids the team gear, hoping they will be little reflections of ourselves -- what better way to bond than over a mutual love of a sports team? (Hell, most of you are probably fans of your favorite team because a parent was a fan and "passed it on" to you.)
But this is a cautionary tale: Taking it so far over the line as to constitute child abuse, rather than "super-fan" fun. Something to keep in mind as you pose your young child in the gear of your favorite team -- YOUR favorite team -- like some kind of Fandom Mini-Me.
Interested in your comments on this, either on this post or the simul-post at VarsityDad.com.
-- D.S.
This post was re-published from an earlier post at Varsity Dad, my blog about the intersection of sports and parenting.
Thursday 01/17 A.M. Quickie:
Sparano, Golfweek, Oprah, Pack Dad, More!
In today's SportingNews.com column at The Sporting Blog...
Bill Parcells vs. Bill Walsh!
Golfweek vs. the PGA!
Marion Jones vs. Oprah!
Randy Moss vs. Pac-Man Jones!
Joakim Noah vs. Ben Wallace!
Gerald Wallace vs. Chris Bosh!
Bobby Knight vs. History!
Tyler Hansbrough vs. The World!
Dayton and Xavier vs. UMass and Temple!
Tony Dungy vs. Jason Garrett!
The Tigers vs. Payroll Sanity!
WADA vs. MLB!
Mathew Kowald vs. Sports Parents Who Aren't Insane...
And More!
Here's the direct link. Or, keep your eye on this link.
Bill Parcells vs. Bill Walsh!
Golfweek vs. the PGA!
Marion Jones vs. Oprah!
Randy Moss vs. Pac-Man Jones!
Joakim Noah vs. Ben Wallace!
Gerald Wallace vs. Chris Bosh!
Bobby Knight vs. History!
Tyler Hansbrough vs. The World!
Dayton and Xavier vs. UMass and Temple!
Tony Dungy vs. Jason Garrett!
The Tigers vs. Payroll Sanity!
WADA vs. MLB!
Mathew Kowald vs. Sports Parents Who Aren't Insane...
And More!
Here's the direct link. Or, keep your eye on this link.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Anna Grant, Google Superstar
Anna Grant, the Pats fan and PPK winner who was booed by Colts fans last Sunday, is the No. 1 most-searched term on Google.
I don't think Grant became a story (the jeering happened Sunday) until the Pats announced she would be honored -- in Foxboro on Sunday -- in front of a more sympathetic crowd.
Grant is a great example of the "sports story" that catches fire in a "Good Morning, America" way:
Accessible to non-sports fans, because it involves a kid -- a teen girl -- and schadenfreude and redemption... and maybe because the Pats are a national sensation, even with non-sports fans.
Amazing: Another top ranking for the Patriots (and Boston sports). Even when they get booed, they turn up winners.
-- D.S.
I don't think Grant became a story (the jeering happened Sunday) until the Pats announced she would be honored -- in Foxboro on Sunday -- in front of a more sympathetic crowd.
Grant is a great example of the "sports story" that catches fire in a "Good Morning, America" way:
Accessible to non-sports fans, because it involves a kid -- a teen girl -- and schadenfreude and redemption... and maybe because the Pats are a national sensation, even with non-sports fans.
Amazing: Another top ranking for the Patriots (and Boston sports). Even when they get booed, they turn up winners.
-- D.S.
Tony Sparano Hired By Dolphins
Today's SportingNews.com column. Meanwhile...
Tony Sparano to Dolphins: Yes, I know that yesterday, I posted that Garrett was hired in Bal'mer. (Turned out to be just an offer.) But Glazer reports Sparano's been hired by the Fins, and I believe it:
Parcells is creating a management team with his guys -- GM, coach, more -- and that's an ideal way to construct an organization, particularly if you are as big of a control freak as Parcells is.
(No, really: Read today's column -- the A.M. post directly below has the short-hand teaser.)
Tony Sparano to Dolphins: Yes, I know that yesterday, I posted that Garrett was hired in Bal'mer. (Turned out to be just an offer.) But Glazer reports Sparano's been hired by the Fins, and I believe it:
Parcells is creating a management team with his guys -- GM, coach, more -- and that's an ideal way to construct an organization, particularly if you are as big of a control freak as Parcells is.
(No, really: Read today's column -- the A.M. post directly below has the short-hand teaser.)
Wednesday 01/16 A.M. Quickie:
Adderall, Garrett, LeBron, Rod, More!
Today's column is LIVE at SportingNews.com and The Sporting Blog:
Adderall vs. HGH, Selig/Fehr vs. Congress, Miguel Tejada vs. the D.O.J., Rich Rodriguez vs. West Virginia, Jason Garrett vs. Jerry Jones, LeBron vs. Joakim, Jarvis Varnado vs. Kentucky, Darrell Green vs. Cris Carter, Anna Grant vs. Colts fans and more!
Keep your eye on this link for today's column (which I just filed).Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Jason Garrett to Coach the Ravens Who?!?
UPDATE: Garrett hasn't taken the Ravens offer and is in Atlanta talking to the Falcons. Man, is that guy in a good position. I reiterate: Does Jerry Jones love Wade Phillips SO much that he's willing to lose out on hiring Garrett as his head coach?
Enough Apple fanboy talk: Let's get back to sports fanboy talk...
Jason Garrett is reportedly going to coach the Ravens, a team that just came off a term with a highly regarded offensive coordinator.
Garrett has more buzz than any other assistant in the NFL. Job No. 1: He is going to have to find his Tony Romo, because the Ravens don't have one.
Now: Will Garrett push to draft a QB high... or learn from the Romo Experience that top NFL QBs don't have to come in the first round.
Meanwhile, for the Cowboys: I always had the sense that Jerry Jones wanted Garrett to be HIS head coach. Jones should have hired Garrett as the head coach last season, instead of Wade Phillips. Better to be a year too early than a year too late.
(Maybe Jones should have fired Phillips yesterday and immediately made an offer to Garrett, suspecting that Garrett was about to be poached by the Ravens. I guess he didn't want to keep him that badly.)
-- D.S.
Enough Apple fanboy talk: Let's get back to sports fanboy talk...
Jason Garrett is reportedly going to coach the Ravens, a team that just came off a term with a highly regarded offensive coordinator.
Garrett has more buzz than any other assistant in the NFL. Job No. 1: He is going to have to find his Tony Romo, because the Ravens don't have one.
Now: Will Garrett push to draft a QB high... or learn from the Romo Experience that top NFL QBs don't have to come in the first round.
Meanwhile, for the Cowboys: I always had the sense that Jerry Jones wanted Garrett to be HIS head coach. Jones should have hired Garrett as the head coach last season, instead of Wade Phillips. Better to be a year too early than a year too late.
(Maybe Jones should have fired Phillips yesterday and immediately made an offer to Garrett, suspecting that Garrett was about to be poached by the Ravens. I guess he didn't want to keep him that badly.)
-- D.S.
Tom Brady Contemplating Retirement?
I will be curious to see how many mainstream sports media outlets pick this up.
(Please read the above line again before pinging me. I chose my words carefully.)
Update: Please tell me you didn't buy this. Lesson: You've got to read the Tags!
(Please read the above line again before pinging me. I chose my words carefully.)
Update: Please tell me you didn't buy this. Lesson: You've got to read the Tags!
Tuesday 01/15 A.M. Quickie:
Romo, Celtics, Pitt, MLB, WTA, CFB, More!
Today's SportingBlog column is up.
In today's SportingNews.com column (posted shortly, refer to this link for now):
Introduces "Pulling a Romo"...
Engages in some rare Celtics-bashing...
Praises Pitt...
Mocks Bud Selig...
Winces at the WTA...
Surveys the NFL Draft early-entry landscape...
Hat-tips Kissing Suzy Kolber...
Explains why a college football playoff push is D.O.A....
And the obligatory and all-encompassing "More."
Just filed (7:30-ish), so up soon. (Update: OK, the column is up.)
Keep your eye on The Sporting Blog or this rudimentary archive page. And check back at DanShanoff.com later for all-new original posts. (Yesterday, I managed to do two.)
-- D.S.
In today's SportingNews.com column (posted shortly, refer to this link for now):
Introduces "Pulling a Romo"...
Engages in some rare Celtics-bashing...
Praises Pitt...
Mocks Bud Selig...
Winces at the WTA...
Surveys the NFL Draft early-entry landscape...
Hat-tips Kissing Suzy Kolber...
Explains why a college football playoff push is D.O.A....
And the obligatory and all-encompassing "More."
Just filed (7:30-ish), so up soon. (Update: OK, the column is up.)
Keep your eye on The Sporting Blog or this rudimentary archive page. And check back at DanShanoff.com later for all-new original posts. (Yesterday, I managed to do two.)
-- D.S.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Mary J. Blige vs. Roger Clemens
Both are involved in steroid scandals. Both have denied it. Who do you believe more? (Let me just say that I believe the protests of innocence from neither.)
But, really: "Say it ain't so, Mary J!" has a much better ring than "Say it ain't so, Rocket."
But, really: "Say it ain't so, Mary J!" has a much better ring than "Say it ain't so, Rocket."
Monday 01/14 A.M. Quickie:
Sneak Peek at the NEW Column!
Today's Sporting News column. (Why is the usual morning post on SportingNews.com and not on DanShanoff.com? Here's the exciting explanation.)
Today's Names to Know: Peyton Manning, Tony Romo, Eli Manning, LaDainian Tomlinson, Norv Turner, Tony Dungy, Tony Sparano, Chris Bosh, Mark Kotsay, Roger Clemens, Gus Malzahn, Roger Federer, Serena Williams and More.
Today's Storylines: Is Peyton back to being a choker? Is Eli the better Manning today? Should Cowboys fans blame Jessica or Tony? Has Norv Turner lost the "choker" label for good? Can the world survive the let-down from not getting Pats-Colts in the AFC Title Game? Is Chris Bosh an All-Star? Did you hear the latest on Roger Clemens? Is there a pick for the Australian Open BESIDES Roger Federer?
All that and more in today's first-ever edition of my new column at SportingNews.com and The Sporting Blog, the Wake-Up Call! Column just filed and should be published shortly. (You know, with the whole pesky "editors" thing!) I'll update here with links when it's live.
UPDATE: The Sporting News column is published. Here it is.More coming later today on DanShanoff.com, so be sure to check back!
-- D.S.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Sunday 01/13 (Sorta) Quickie:
Pats, Pack Advance in NFL Playoffs
Today's Names to Know: Pats, Ryan Grant, Kevin Love,
Pats dismiss Jaguars, doubters to advance to AFC title game: It was close for a half-plus, then not so much. I had been saying that the Jaguars had a "puncher's chance," and going toe-to-toe for a half or so is about right in that construction.
But they couldn't stop the MVP, who saved his best performance of a truly spectacular season for the biggest game yet -- the Pats' playoff debut.
Tom Brady was simply incredible: 26-for-28 for 262 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INTs... a staggering 141.4 QB rating. He broke Phil Simms' record for highest completion percentage in a playoff game (92.9 to 88.0).
As soon as the Pats complete the Perfect Season and presuming Brady continues to have games even close to that sick, he will pass Montana, Elway or any other QB as the greatest QB in NFL history. Performing in the regular season, performing in the playoffs, performing year-after-year... amazingly, given the season (and career) he has had, he's even better now than before.
As you all know, I had held hopes of a Jags upset; now I'll join the rest of the country looking ahead to a Pats-Colts AFC title game that will be as monumental as any conference championships in recent memory (last season's is the gold standard, and is threatened to be eclipsed... at least by the hype.)
Packers shut down Seahawks in the snow: Undrafted, unheralded RB Ryan Grant takes his place in mythology among Packers fans, after rushing for 201 yards and 3 TDs in the blizzard-ish conditions.
As for the losers: Was this Mike Holmgren's final game coaching the Seahawks? Can the Jaguars build on this breakthrough season behind David Garrard, or will they have to petition to move to the NFC?
CBB: UCLA holds off Washington State, 81-74. Wazzu made 7 3s in the final two minutes of the game to make it interesting. Otherwise, Kevin Love continued to establish himself as arguably the best freshman (perhaps even the best player) in college hoops: Love had a career-high 27 to go with 14 rebounds (his 8th double-double in 17 games this season), in the biggest game of the season so far for UCLA – and the biggest intra-conference game you'll see this year. (Yes, even more than UNC-Duke, which gets more pub, but is less meaningful this year.)
College Hoops Futility Watch:
Vanderbilt loses for the first time this season: The good news is that it was in double-OT (VU is putting up a fight); the bad news is that they lost to
(Patrick Patterson, who is battling Kevin Love and Michael Beasley for the title of Freshman of the Year, had 23 and 12. Isn't it interesting that all three are power forwards? Derrick Rose and Eric Gordon are in the mix, too. Put those five in a starting lineup and you could beat any college team in the country; might be your NBA Draft Top 5, too.)
NBA: Celtics lose on the road to the Wizards. It was the C's 2nd loss in 3 games. More troubling for
More: Do you think Isiah Thomas would actually tell the media the truth -- one way or the other -- about the rumors that he's going to resign as coach?
Roger Clemens meets the Texas High School Baseball Coaches: Needless to say, "training methods" weren't on the table as the boot-licking coaches made sure to kiss the needle-marked ass of the Rocket. "But what about the children?" indeed.
NFL Draft: Darren McFadden's dad ("McDadden?") says his son hasn't filed paperwork with the NFL to turn pro, which is curious. What is he waiting for?
NFL Front Office Moves: The Falcons might not be close to hiring Pete Carroll, but they ARE close to poaching from the Pats – Tom Dimitroff, director of college scouting, as their new GM. The Falcons can expect to receive tons of kudos, because anyone who works for the Pats MUST be a genius.
Recruiting: Text-message ban upheld. 241 of 306 schools voted to uphold the ban, which showcases the association's Luddite backwardness. Now, does that include email viewed through cell phones or Blackberries and Sidekicks? I'm sure the NCAA hasn't thought about it that much, given that they barely seem to understand what texting is all about. (Memo to Urban Meyer and the others who love to text: Sure, they've banned texting, but have they banned posting to Facebook pages? Not yet!)
-- D.S.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Saturday 01/12 (Very) Quickie
Note: Weekend "(Very) Quickies" will continue to appear here as usual, even after the move of the usual weekday early-morning post to Sporting News.
Waiting on NFL Playoffs...: T.O. will play Sunday (or so he implies)... everyone's talking about Ryan Grant as the key to the Packers winning... "21" (Tomlinson) vs. "21" (Sanders) is turning out to be THE numerical matchup of the season... How can you NOT root for the Jags?
Marion Jones sentenced to 6 months in prison: As she should have been. She may have become sympathetic; it doesn't change the crime she committed.
Hawks-Heat to replay contested December finish... in March: This is a wild NBA storyline. Faulty scorekeeping puts 51 seconds back on the clock of a Hawks win over the Heat, to be replayed before their game in March. Probably the most fascinating final minute of an NBA game to be played this regular season.
NFL Draft: Oregon RB Jonathan Stewart turning pro. Many scouts think he'll be the 2nd RB taken behind Darren McFadden. I'm not sure he'll be a better pro than Mendenhall or Jones.
Purdue's Joe Tiller retiring after next season, to be replaced by Eastern Kentucky's Danny Hope: What a difference in transition between Purdue and, say, Michigan.
MLB Hot Stove: Nats sign closer Chad Cordero to 1Y/$6M deal. Necessary part if the Nats want to progress next season (which they will).
College Hoops: Huge game this afternoon between Washington State and UCLA. Don't expect a whole lot of scoring (over/under on combined points: 100?), but it's two Top 5 teams in the intra-conference game of the year.
-- D.S.
Waiting on NFL Playoffs...: T.O. will play Sunday (or so he implies)... everyone's talking about Ryan Grant as the key to the Packers winning... "21" (Tomlinson) vs. "21" (Sanders) is turning out to be THE numerical matchup of the season... How can you NOT root for the Jags?
Marion Jones sentenced to 6 months in prison: As she should have been. She may have become sympathetic; it doesn't change the crime she committed.
Hawks-Heat to replay contested December finish... in March: This is a wild NBA storyline. Faulty scorekeeping puts 51 seconds back on the clock of a Hawks win over the Heat, to be replayed before their game in March. Probably the most fascinating final minute of an NBA game to be played this regular season.
NFL Draft: Oregon RB Jonathan Stewart turning pro. Many scouts think he'll be the 2nd RB taken behind Darren McFadden. I'm not sure he'll be a better pro than Mendenhall or Jones.
Purdue's Joe Tiller retiring after next season, to be replaced by Eastern Kentucky's Danny Hope: What a difference in transition between Purdue and, say, Michigan.
MLB Hot Stove: Nats sign closer Chad Cordero to 1Y/$6M deal. Necessary part if the Nats want to progress next season (which they will).
College Hoops: Huge game this afternoon between Washington State and UCLA. Don't expect a whole lot of scoring (over/under on combined points: 100?), but it's two Top 5 teams in the intra-conference game of the year.
-- D.S.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Friday 01/11 A.M. Quickie: Jags, NFL Picks, Ovechkin, R. Bush, Wazzu, Majerus, More!
Today's Names to Know: NFL Playoffs, Jaguars vs. Pats, David Garrard, Jim Schwartz, Tony Dungy, Alexander Ovechkin, St. Louis Billikens, Rick Majerus, Reggie Bush, Washington State, Rasheed Wallace, Felix Jones, Brian McNamee, Marion Jones, Edmund Hillary, Wright Thompson and More!
In case you missed yesterday's announcement. First of all, huge thanks to everyone for the Comments and emails. It meant a lot to me. Here is Darren Rovell's take on the news at CNBC, and MDS' take on the news at Fanhouse.
Second, to be clear: DanShanoff.com will not only continue, but be better than ever. Even though the usual morning post is over at SportingNews.com– there's going to be all new content and gimmicks, daily. Should be a pretty interesting day on Monday.
Now, on to business…
NFL Playoffs: The Jags will beat the Patriots on Saturday night. One astute Commenter noted that it is costless for me to pick the upset – if the Jags win, I claim otherworldly credit; if they lose, they were supposed to lose. (Well, thank YOU, Mr. Cynic.)
Here's the amazing part: I actually think the Jaguars can win. WILL win? That's a pretty strong statement to make – that's the kind of arrogant talk that I expect out of Pats fans. But you're crazy to think it's a Pats gimme. If the Jags can keep it close, David Garrard's legs will put them in position to win, just like he did against the Steelers.
So, meanwhile, I have a new definition of "America's Team." It isn't the Pats. It isn't the Cowboys. It isn't Favre's Packers. The answer is: "America's Team is whoever is playing the Patriots." This week, it's the Jaguars.
I actually think non-Pats fans are torn: On the one hand, it's pretty cool to contemplate witnessing the history of 19-0. On the other hand, it's pretty cool to contemplate witnessing the biggest Goliath-falling ("choke" is the wrong word) in NFL history: The Pats NOT going 19-0. Whether it happens this round or in the AFC title game or in the Super Bowl (yeah, right), it doesn't matter. I suppose it would be more dramatic if they lost to the Colts or blew it in the Super Bowl itself, but I'll take it this weekend, too. (Particularly if I call it.)
The rest of the picks taste chalky:
Colts over Chargers: But it's close.
NFC: Cowboys over Giants; Packers over Seahawks
Redskins interview Jim Schwartz, the Titans defensive coordinator: Schwartz is reported to have had a great interview with Dan Snyder, the first the team has conducted officially with any coaching candidate.
Here's an ironic twist: Snyder has spent his ownership career making incredibly splashy coaching hires; his best hire ever might just turn out to be the lowest-profile name he has ever pursued.
The best reason to support him: Schwartz is a guru of statistical analysis, a Thinking Man's NFL coach; he has worked with Football Outsiders, a group that most certainly would lead a momentum of approval, particularly from bloggers. (Would Schwartz hire F.O. as official consultants?)
More NFL: Is Tony Dungy retiring after this season? He has a career ahead of himself as a best-selling author, apparently. (Let's not insult anyone's intelligence by suggesting that the defending champs can be motivated by something as weepy as their coach announcing his retirement on the eve of, say, an AFC title game against the Pats.)
CBB: Worst. Scoring. Ever. St. Louis set a shot-clock era record by scoring 20 points in a loss to George Washington. 20 points! This is incredible – arguably the most fascinating result of the college basketball season. 7/48 FG… 1/19 3-pt… 7 points at halftime.
"We have some issues in terms of our offensive proficiency": Rick Majerus is one of the most colorful, quotable coaches in all of sports. Amazingly, this sentence was uttered without irony.
Most drubbings are either boring or painful; this one was gloriously epic: Superlatively bad. I have to believe fans in attendance were gleefully scoreboard-watching to see if they could witness history.
Alexander Ovechkin, NHL's highest-paid player ever: 13 years, $124 million. Wow. I don't care if you don't care about hockey; that's one big effing number. Quickie readers know that I am not much of a hockey fan, but I did grow up rooting for the Caps and maintain a nominal allegiance. I'm happy to go get my Ovechkin jersey T-shirt now. (Jersey T-shirts are the adult-acceptable version of wearing a jersey. They're my new fascination. I love 'em.)
Reggie Bush Watch: A new book says he was given $300,000 in cash during his USC career. That's a sensational number, but regardless: Does anyone really doubt that Bush was given some large amount of money while still playing college football by a sports marketer angling to be his representation? What is amazing is that the NCAA has managed to avoid actually investigating this under the glare of public scrutiny, particularly the part about "what did the USC coaches know and when did they know it?"
More College Hoops: Washington State won at USC, in the Cougars' biggest win of the season so far. Everyone talks about UNC, Memphis and Kansas – but Washington State is still unbeaten, too, and a damn good team. East Coast Bias, much? (Or is that East Coast Bias?)
Washington State at UCLA on Saturday afternoon sizes up not just as the best game of the weekend, but as the best in-conference match-up of the season. (Not a high bar, given the way the top teams are spread out throughout many conferences. But still: That's a hell of a statement to say this is the best game of the season between teams from the same conference. Can't argue with No. 4 vs. No. 5.)
NBA Stud of the Night: Rasheed Wallace, who had 23 points and 15 rebounds in a Pistons win over the Spurs.
David Stern: "The Knicks are not a problem at the moment." One thing to remember about the Commissioner: Like Alan Greenspan, he chooses his words VERY carefully, and never says anything without extraordinary care in his word-choice. Keep your eye on "at the moment." (That said, the league didn't punish Isiah, even though he was ejected the other night.)
NFL Draft: Felix Jones turning pro on Monday? He will make his announcement. We're still waiting on Darren McFadden, who must be waiting from the hand-cuff bruises to go away. The gold standard for RB tandems in the NFL Draft is Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams. I don't know if McFadden and Jones will BOTH go in the Top 10, but they will make a better pro pair than Brown and Williams.
More Draft early-entry: It's a WR bonanza! Vanderbilt WR Earl Bennett (the leading-receiver in SEC history), Oklahoma WR Malcolm Kelly and West Virginia WR Darius Reynaud are all turning pro early, adding to a deepening WR class that includes Michigan's Manningham and Arrington. What is amazing is that if Texas Tech RS freshman Michael Crabtree was eligible, he might just be taken before all of them – but the NFL insists Crabtree "isn't ready" simply because of his age. Nevermind that he was the best WR in college football last season. After his sophomore season next year (technically three years in college), he can turn pro.
PED Scandal: The MLB and NFL gave $3 million each to the effort of steroid research. I'm not impressed by the number. As a percent of total revenue, it's a blip – particularly given how steroids, as a percent of total pain-in-the-ass for these leagues, is rather large.
Clemens Watch: Brian McNamee met with Federal prosecutors who are looking into PEDs in sports. Maybe that's why he isn't checking his mail for lawsuits from Rusty Hardin. Meanwhile, Clemens is going to speak in front of the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association on Saturday, making a mockery of their convention.
Marion Jones to be sentenced today: It could be anything from zero jail time to six months to a year.
Here's the prediction: Forgetting any underlying crimes (which is a shame, because perjury should be punished severely), I'm betting she gets zero jail time, with the judge buying her lawyers' notion that her public shame is punishment enough.
I could see the judge wanting to make an example that if a star athlete steps forward to admit cheating, their legal punishment won't be as severe.
That said, let's not give Jones TOO much credit: Don't think she would have said anything – anything – if it wasn't obvious that the Feds were going to be able to expose her as the lying cheater that she is/was.
R.I.P., Edmund Hillary, 88: If you consider extreme sports participants to be "athletes," then Hillary was one of the greatest athletes of all time. He's O.G.
Must-Read: Wright Thompson's latest for E-Ticket. Wright is one of my favorite writers; some say he may be the next Gary Smith. I say he's the NEW Gary Smith. Undoubtedly, he is our generation's Gary Smith and the antithesis to the current trend toward shallow (cough!), from-the-couch (cough!) "analysis." Here's an interview with Wright on TrueHoop. Start there, then get to the story.
-- D.S.
In case you missed yesterday's announcement. First of all, huge thanks to everyone for the Comments and emails. It meant a lot to me. Here is Darren Rovell's take on the news at CNBC, and MDS' take on the news at Fanhouse.
Second, to be clear: DanShanoff.com will not only continue, but be better than ever. Even though the usual morning post is over at SportingNews.com– there's going to be all new content and gimmicks, daily. Should be a pretty interesting day on Monday.
Now, on to business…
NFL Playoffs: The Jags will beat the Patriots on Saturday night. One astute Commenter noted that it is costless for me to pick the upset – if the Jags win, I claim otherworldly credit; if they lose, they were supposed to lose. (Well, thank YOU, Mr. Cynic.)
Here's the amazing part: I actually think the Jaguars can win. WILL win? That's a pretty strong statement to make – that's the kind of arrogant talk that I expect out of Pats fans. But you're crazy to think it's a Pats gimme. If the Jags can keep it close, David Garrard's legs will put them in position to win, just like he did against the Steelers.
So, meanwhile, I have a new definition of "America's Team." It isn't the Pats. It isn't the Cowboys. It isn't Favre's Packers. The answer is: "America's Team is whoever is playing the Patriots." This week, it's the Jaguars.
I actually think non-Pats fans are torn: On the one hand, it's pretty cool to contemplate witnessing the history of 19-0. On the other hand, it's pretty cool to contemplate witnessing the biggest Goliath-falling ("choke" is the wrong word) in NFL history: The Pats NOT going 19-0. Whether it happens this round or in the AFC title game or in the Super Bowl (yeah, right), it doesn't matter. I suppose it would be more dramatic if they lost to the Colts or blew it in the Super Bowl itself, but I'll take it this weekend, too. (Particularly if I call it.)
The rest of the picks taste chalky:
Colts over Chargers: But it's close.
NFC: Cowboys over Giants; Packers over Seahawks
Redskins interview Jim Schwartz, the Titans defensive coordinator: Schwartz is reported to have had a great interview with Dan Snyder, the first the team has conducted officially with any coaching candidate.
Here's an ironic twist: Snyder has spent his ownership career making incredibly splashy coaching hires; his best hire ever might just turn out to be the lowest-profile name he has ever pursued.
The best reason to support him: Schwartz is a guru of statistical analysis, a Thinking Man's NFL coach; he has worked with Football Outsiders, a group that most certainly would lead a momentum of approval, particularly from bloggers. (Would Schwartz hire F.O. as official consultants?)
More NFL: Is Tony Dungy retiring after this season? He has a career ahead of himself as a best-selling author, apparently. (Let's not insult anyone's intelligence by suggesting that the defending champs can be motivated by something as weepy as their coach announcing his retirement on the eve of, say, an AFC title game against the Pats.)
CBB: Worst. Scoring. Ever. St. Louis set a shot-clock era record by scoring 20 points in a loss to George Washington. 20 points! This is incredible – arguably the most fascinating result of the college basketball season. 7/48 FG… 1/19 3-pt… 7 points at halftime.
"We have some issues in terms of our offensive proficiency": Rick Majerus is one of the most colorful, quotable coaches in all of sports. Amazingly, this sentence was uttered without irony.
Most drubbings are either boring or painful; this one was gloriously epic: Superlatively bad. I have to believe fans in attendance were gleefully scoreboard-watching to see if they could witness history.
Alexander Ovechkin, NHL's highest-paid player ever: 13 years, $124 million. Wow. I don't care if you don't care about hockey; that's one big effing number. Quickie readers know that I am not much of a hockey fan, but I did grow up rooting for the Caps and maintain a nominal allegiance. I'm happy to go get my Ovechkin jersey T-shirt now. (Jersey T-shirts are the adult-acceptable version of wearing a jersey. They're my new fascination. I love 'em.)
Reggie Bush Watch: A new book says he was given $300,000 in cash during his USC career. That's a sensational number, but regardless: Does anyone really doubt that Bush was given some large amount of money while still playing college football by a sports marketer angling to be his representation? What is amazing is that the NCAA has managed to avoid actually investigating this under the glare of public scrutiny, particularly the part about "what did the USC coaches know and when did they know it?"
More College Hoops: Washington State won at USC, in the Cougars' biggest win of the season so far. Everyone talks about UNC, Memphis and Kansas – but Washington State is still unbeaten, too, and a damn good team. East Coast Bias, much? (Or is that East Coast Bias?)
Washington State at UCLA on Saturday afternoon sizes up not just as the best game of the weekend, but as the best in-conference match-up of the season. (Not a high bar, given the way the top teams are spread out throughout many conferences. But still: That's a hell of a statement to say this is the best game of the season between teams from the same conference. Can't argue with No. 4 vs. No. 5.)
NBA Stud of the Night: Rasheed Wallace, who had 23 points and 15 rebounds in a Pistons win over the Spurs.
David Stern: "The Knicks are not a problem at the moment." One thing to remember about the Commissioner: Like Alan Greenspan, he chooses his words VERY carefully, and never says anything without extraordinary care in his word-choice. Keep your eye on "at the moment." (That said, the league didn't punish Isiah, even though he was ejected the other night.)
NFL Draft: Felix Jones turning pro on Monday? He will make his announcement. We're still waiting on Darren McFadden, who must be waiting from the hand-cuff bruises to go away. The gold standard for RB tandems in the NFL Draft is Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams. I don't know if McFadden and Jones will BOTH go in the Top 10, but they will make a better pro pair than Brown and Williams.
More Draft early-entry: It's a WR bonanza! Vanderbilt WR Earl Bennett (the leading-receiver in SEC history), Oklahoma WR Malcolm Kelly and West Virginia WR Darius Reynaud are all turning pro early, adding to a deepening WR class that includes Michigan's Manningham and Arrington. What is amazing is that if Texas Tech RS freshman Michael Crabtree was eligible, he might just be taken before all of them – but the NFL insists Crabtree "isn't ready" simply because of his age. Nevermind that he was the best WR in college football last season. After his sophomore season next year (technically three years in college), he can turn pro.
PED Scandal: The MLB and NFL gave $3 million each to the effort of steroid research. I'm not impressed by the number. As a percent of total revenue, it's a blip – particularly given how steroids, as a percent of total pain-in-the-ass for these leagues, is rather large.
Clemens Watch: Brian McNamee met with Federal prosecutors who are looking into PEDs in sports. Maybe that's why he isn't checking his mail for lawsuits from Rusty Hardin. Meanwhile, Clemens is going to speak in front of the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association on Saturday, making a mockery of their convention.
Marion Jones to be sentenced today: It could be anything from zero jail time to six months to a year.
Here's the prediction: Forgetting any underlying crimes (which is a shame, because perjury should be punished severely), I'm betting she gets zero jail time, with the judge buying her lawyers' notion that her public shame is punishment enough.
I could see the judge wanting to make an example that if a star athlete steps forward to admit cheating, their legal punishment won't be as severe.
That said, let's not give Jones TOO much credit: Don't think she would have said anything – anything – if it wasn't obvious that the Feds were going to be able to expose her as the lying cheater that she is/was.
R.I.P., Edmund Hillary, 88: If you consider extreme sports participants to be "athletes," then Hillary was one of the greatest athletes of all time. He's O.G.
Must-Read: Wright Thompson's latest for E-Ticket. Wright is one of my favorite writers; some say he may be the next Gary Smith. I say he's the NEW Gary Smith. Undoubtedly, he is our generation's Gary Smith and the antithesis to the current trend toward shallow (cough!), from-the-couch (cough!) "analysis." Here's an interview with Wright on TrueHoop. Start there, then get to the story.
-- D.S.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Dan Shanoff Partnering with SportingNews.com
Qualifying as a pretty big announcement (at least for DanShanoff.com), I have entered a partnership with the Sporting News.
Starting Monday, my signature morning product – that began with the Quickie and migrated to the sports blogosphere at DanShanoff.com – will be found on SportingNews.com, both as a stand-alone column on the front page and as part of the Sporting Blog.
As with this blog's daily morning post and the old Quickie, there will be a permanent URL you can bookmark, along with an individual permalink to each day's column (for easy blog linking!)
What can you expect? The exact same thing that you get here! Only with a much spiffier brand attached to it.
The shallow analysis? Still there!
The quick-hit format? Obvs!
The takes on all the must-know storylines? Of course!
The "instant history" and half-baked notions? Um...yes!
The superlatives? (Best. Superlatives. Ever.)
The daily frequency? Monday-Friday!
The "Must-Reads" and hat-tips? Absolutely.
The pop-culture and political sidebars? Is Bunk a drunk?
The grudges and biases? (The guy who hired me is a Florida guy.)
Available when you get to work? If not, what's the point?
The fact is: The signature post I've been doing every morning over the last 16 months on the blog is exactly what you'll still get. (Now, whether THAT is something you find valuable is entirely different.)
DanShanoff.com will continue to be here and active: Better than ever, actually, with more single-topic posts, new enhancements and content gimmickry that I will be rolling out and experimenting with over time.
Each morning on DanShanoff.com, I will tease the Sporting News column with the day's "Names to Know," then point you to the Sporting News column's URL. Other posts will pop up as inspiration allows. (But you are encouraged to access the column at SportingNews.com or TheSportingBlog.com directly, making both the column and my blog each a daily destination. I will be able to publish those URLs on Monday.)
Comments at DanShanoff.com are still welcome (though still moderated), and you can always try to join the on-topic conversation at DScommenters.blogspot.com.
Why am I making this return to "mainstream online sports media?" Duh: The money! (Kidding.)
Honestly, there are two factors at work:
One reason was buried in my Deadspin "In/Out" list for 2008: Near the end of 2007, there was a lot of attention paid in old sports media to old sports media journalists jumping online.
The really exciting trend was, not unsurprisingly, left underreported by the mainstream media too fixated on bemoaning the state of their own industry: Mainstream sports media hiring bloggers, as they recognize the value that these new voices bring.
From Henry Abbott joining ESPN.com at the start of the year to Jamie Mottram jumping from AOL Fanhouse to Yahoo Sports to Will Leitch being a staple of the New York Times' Op-Ed pages, sports-blogger value is skyrocketing (as it should be), and the opportunities are emerging as mainstream media recognizes that value.
The second factor: I was intrigued and energized by the specific and unique opportunity to join the Sporting News – for the chance to reach a wider audience, for the chance to help innovate one of the most famous brands in sports media and for the chance to work alongside some of the most respected names in the sports-blog universe.
The columnist lineup that SportingNews.com has put together is really impressive. Three recent additions are notable – king-of-their-sport talents who I really respect and admire: Spencer Hall (aka Orson Swindle) of Every Day Should Be Saturday, THE definitive college football blog; Eric McErlain of Off Wing Opinion, THE definitive hockey blogger; and Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, who blew up in 2007 as arguably the most influential voice in NFL media.
But, wait, there's even more: Brian from Awful Announcing, the premier sports-media-criticism blog, is involved. SportingNews.com had already been using David Pinto from Baseball Musings. They have Will Leitch going down to the Super Bowl. And running the new "Sporting Blog" initiative is Chris Mottram, Jamie's brother and a rising online-sports programming talent in his own right.
I love being part of the sports-blog community, full of the most talented, enthusiastic people and engaged, knowledgeable fans I have ever encountered. Sincerely, it has been (and continues to be) one of the highlights of my career. I am still a sports blogger – now I just export a little blogger "cred" to mainstream sports media, an ironic twist given my origins as a guy who launched an indie sports blog entirely leveraged on my career in mainstream sports media.
And so tomorrow's "A.M. Quickie" will be the last weekday version published in its entirety on DanShanoff.com before the move on Monday to SportingNews.com and TheSportingBlog.com.
I hope you will still drop by DanShanoff.com daily for fresh opinion to see what's going on – and I hope you will continue to make the new (but familiar!) SportingNews.com column a weekday morning routine.
-- D.S.
Starting Monday, my signature morning product – that began with the Quickie and migrated to the sports blogosphere at DanShanoff.com – will be found on SportingNews.com, both as a stand-alone column on the front page and as part of the Sporting Blog.
As with this blog's daily morning post and the old Quickie, there will be a permanent URL you can bookmark, along with an individual permalink to each day's column (for easy blog linking!)
What can you expect? The exact same thing that you get here! Only with a much spiffier brand attached to it.
The shallow analysis? Still there!
The quick-hit format? Obvs!
The takes on all the must-know storylines? Of course!
The "instant history" and half-baked notions? Um...yes!
The superlatives? (Best. Superlatives. Ever.)
The daily frequency? Monday-Friday!
The "Must-Reads" and hat-tips? Absolutely.
The pop-culture and political sidebars? Is Bunk a drunk?
The grudges and biases? (The guy who hired me is a Florida guy.)
Available when you get to work? If not, what's the point?
The fact is: The signature post I've been doing every morning over the last 16 months on the blog is exactly what you'll still get. (Now, whether THAT is something you find valuable is entirely different.)
DanShanoff.com will continue to be here and active: Better than ever, actually, with more single-topic posts, new enhancements and content gimmickry that I will be rolling out and experimenting with over time.
Each morning on DanShanoff.com, I will tease the Sporting News column with the day's "Names to Know," then point you to the Sporting News column's URL. Other posts will pop up as inspiration allows. (But you are encouraged to access the column at SportingNews.com or TheSportingBlog.com directly, making both the column and my blog each a daily destination. I will be able to publish those URLs on Monday.)
Comments at DanShanoff.com are still welcome (though still moderated), and you can always try to join the on-topic conversation at DScommenters.blogspot.com.
Why am I making this return to "mainstream online sports media?" Duh: The money! (Kidding.)
Honestly, there are two factors at work:
One reason was buried in my Deadspin "In/Out" list for 2008: Near the end of 2007, there was a lot of attention paid in old sports media to old sports media journalists jumping online.
The really exciting trend was, not unsurprisingly, left underreported by the mainstream media too fixated on bemoaning the state of their own industry: Mainstream sports media hiring bloggers, as they recognize the value that these new voices bring.
From Henry Abbott joining ESPN.com at the start of the year to Jamie Mottram jumping from AOL Fanhouse to Yahoo Sports to Will Leitch being a staple of the New York Times' Op-Ed pages, sports-blogger value is skyrocketing (as it should be), and the opportunities are emerging as mainstream media recognizes that value.
The second factor: I was intrigued and energized by the specific and unique opportunity to join the Sporting News – for the chance to reach a wider audience, for the chance to help innovate one of the most famous brands in sports media and for the chance to work alongside some of the most respected names in the sports-blog universe.
The columnist lineup that SportingNews.com has put together is really impressive. Three recent additions are notable – king-of-their-sport talents who I really respect and admire: Spencer Hall (aka Orson Swindle) of Every Day Should Be Saturday, THE definitive college football blog; Eric McErlain of Off Wing Opinion, THE definitive hockey blogger; and Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, who blew up in 2007 as arguably the most influential voice in NFL media.
But, wait, there's even more: Brian from Awful Announcing, the premier sports-media-criticism blog, is involved. SportingNews.com had already been using David Pinto from Baseball Musings. They have Will Leitch going down to the Super Bowl. And running the new "Sporting Blog" initiative is Chris Mottram, Jamie's brother and a rising online-sports programming talent in his own right.
I love being part of the sports-blog community, full of the most talented, enthusiastic people and engaged, knowledgeable fans I have ever encountered. Sincerely, it has been (and continues to be) one of the highlights of my career. I am still a sports blogger – now I just export a little blogger "cred" to mainstream sports media, an ironic twist given my origins as a guy who launched an indie sports blog entirely leveraged on my career in mainstream sports media.
And so tomorrow's "A.M. Quickie" will be the last weekday version published in its entirety on DanShanoff.com before the move on Monday to SportingNews.com and TheSportingBlog.com.
I hope you will still drop by DanShanoff.com daily for fresh opinion to see what's going on – and I hope you will continue to make the new (but familiar!) SportingNews.com column a weekday morning routine.
-- D.S.
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