The most compelling storyline of the NFL Divisional round this weekend is Peyton Manning's return to the playoffs. I think it's pretty simple:
If Manning doesn't win, he fails to advance the Broncos any further than Tim Tebow did last year. And that would be just about as big of a failure as his regular season was a success.
Don't get me wrong: He SHOULD win. But if he DOESN'T? The season is a waste. For all the "MVP"-ness of Manning, they might as well have stuck with Tebow, if results are all that matter.
Picks:
Broncos over Ravens
Pats over Texans
Seahawks over Falcons
49ers over Packers.
One quick plug: Do you like Super Bowl ads? We have opened up USA TODAY's "Ad Meter" panel to anyone who wants to participate (it has historically been limited to a few hundred people). Click here and then click on "Be a Panelist" to register.
-- D.S.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Thursday, January 10, 2013
1/10 (Hall of What?) Quickie
Another day, another big milestone anniversary: Two years ago today, we launched Quickish.
I remember that day clearly -- it was one of the most thrilling of my life. In the year since we celebrated the one-year anniversary, obviously the big news is that the company was sold to Gannett and both Quickish and I joined USA TODAY Sports Media Group. With a huge brand and network behind it, expect big things from Quickish in its third year.
Let's get to it:
*Baseball Hall of Fame elects no one: The NYT had it right with its bold blank sports front page. The Baseball Hall of Fame is a joke. The stranglehold that the BBWAA has over the process is a joke. Given the sorry state of the Hall's finances and the insane grasp the BBWAA has, it took me five minutes and a blank napkin to sketch out a viable competitor for the Hall. Want to see changes? Lay out a vision where the Hall has to compete for fans and dollars.
*Brian Kelly interviews with the Eagles: Kelly coaching in the NFL is a "when, not if" proposition. The questions are: Is this the right NFL opportunity? If not, which one is? And will he be as sought-after if ND drops off even slightly? It is NOT about whether Notre Dame is a better gig. It is apples and oranges. Wetzel noted this today: Kelly's entire career has been about climbing a ladder, and even if Notre Dame is the pinnacle of that ladder at the college level, there is no indication that he wants to stop at the college level -- all that's left after that is the NFL. (And if he fails in the NFL -- like Chip Kelly, like Steve Spurrier -- he will have his pick of college jobs.)
*CBB Name to Know: Ben McLemore. The first-year Kansas guard might be the best player in college basketball. He is a sure-fire Top 5 pick in the NBA Draft -- given Bradley Beal's success, I could see him going as high as No. 2 or 3. If you can watch a Kansas game, do it -- he is that good.
*More CBB: With a win at Illinois, Minnesota is most definitely for real. The great thing about being a Gophers fan has to be that you are not beholden to "Final Four or Bust" thinking. If this team gets to the Sweet 16, that's a nice little season for a fan base that settles for much less, perennially.
*Tebow Watch: Jaguars fire Mularkey, and the only question is whether it is a prerequisite for his replacement that he be comfortable finding an innovative role for Tim Tebow. (I am guessing that it is.)
*The NFL's brain-injury problem: Junior Seau had CTE. Spoiler alert: They ALL have CTE. The day that there is a test for CTE that is as easy as a test for DNA -- or perhaps some kind of C-T scan (although that's a lot more costly and invasive) -- is the day that tackle football as we know it is over. Because we'll find out that not only does every NFL player have signs of CTE, but every college player will, too. And enough high school players will that the entire system will collapse.
-- D.S.
I remember that day clearly -- it was one of the most thrilling of my life. In the year since we celebrated the one-year anniversary, obviously the big news is that the company was sold to Gannett and both Quickish and I joined USA TODAY Sports Media Group. With a huge brand and network behind it, expect big things from Quickish in its third year.
Let's get to it:
*Baseball Hall of Fame elects no one: The NYT had it right with its bold blank sports front page. The Baseball Hall of Fame is a joke. The stranglehold that the BBWAA has over the process is a joke. Given the sorry state of the Hall's finances and the insane grasp the BBWAA has, it took me five minutes and a blank napkin to sketch out a viable competitor for the Hall. Want to see changes? Lay out a vision where the Hall has to compete for fans and dollars.
*Brian Kelly interviews with the Eagles: Kelly coaching in the NFL is a "when, not if" proposition. The questions are: Is this the right NFL opportunity? If not, which one is? And will he be as sought-after if ND drops off even slightly? It is NOT about whether Notre Dame is a better gig. It is apples and oranges. Wetzel noted this today: Kelly's entire career has been about climbing a ladder, and even if Notre Dame is the pinnacle of that ladder at the college level, there is no indication that he wants to stop at the college level -- all that's left after that is the NFL. (And if he fails in the NFL -- like Chip Kelly, like Steve Spurrier -- he will have his pick of college jobs.)
*CBB Name to Know: Ben McLemore. The first-year Kansas guard might be the best player in college basketball. He is a sure-fire Top 5 pick in the NBA Draft -- given Bradley Beal's success, I could see him going as high as No. 2 or 3. If you can watch a Kansas game, do it -- he is that good.
*More CBB: With a win at Illinois, Minnesota is most definitely for real. The great thing about being a Gophers fan has to be that you are not beholden to "Final Four or Bust" thinking. If this team gets to the Sweet 16, that's a nice little season for a fan base that settles for much less, perennially.
*Tebow Watch: Jaguars fire Mularkey, and the only question is whether it is a prerequisite for his replacement that he be comfortable finding an innovative role for Tim Tebow. (I am guessing that it is.)
*The NFL's brain-injury problem: Junior Seau had CTE. Spoiler alert: They ALL have CTE. The day that there is a test for CTE that is as easy as a test for DNA -- or perhaps some kind of C-T scan (although that's a lot more costly and invasive) -- is the day that tackle football as we know it is over. Because we'll find out that not only does every NFL player have signs of CTE, but every college player will, too. And enough high school players will that the entire system will collapse.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, January 08, 2013
01/08 (Roll Tide) Quickie
Taking Gabe to the Wizards-Thunder game last night was such an incredible experience that I can't do it justice here and need to find some time to properly write it up. In the meatime...
Roll Tide. (Again.) We are in the Saban Dynasty for as long as he wants to continue coaching at Alabama. What last night did was re-affirm a couple of things:
*The best team in the SEC should never be locked out of playing for the national title. It is absurd to think that if Oregon hadn't stumbled, Alabama would have been shut out of the national title game.
*If it feels a bit unfair that non-SEC national contenders don't have to go through a season-long schedule nearly as rigorous as the would-be SEC champ, it is unfair that the SEC champ gets a month to prepare for whichever non-SEC team they might face for the national title.
*Once again in this dynastic SEC streak, the runner-up -- which looked so good heading into the game -- was exposed. It started in '06 with Ohio State and it continued through Notre Dame last night. ND might very well have been the second-best team in the country (I suspect ND isn't as good as a half-dozen SEC teams, but I'll let that go and avoid the word "overrated"), but the gap between "second-best" and "best" is vast.
*The game was such a blowout that the biggest story coming out of the game was Brent Musberger's on-air fascination with AJ McCarron's beauty-queen girlfriend.
*There is no reason not to slot Alabama right back at No. 1 next season, and people can say all they want about Ohio State or Texas A&M or even Notre Dame, but Bama will roll over any of them.
*It's always a sad moment when the college football season comes to a close.
But, suffice to say, "Roll Damn Tide," indeed.
-- D.S.
Roll Tide. (Again.) We are in the Saban Dynasty for as long as he wants to continue coaching at Alabama. What last night did was re-affirm a couple of things:
*The best team in the SEC should never be locked out of playing for the national title. It is absurd to think that if Oregon hadn't stumbled, Alabama would have been shut out of the national title game.
*If it feels a bit unfair that non-SEC national contenders don't have to go through a season-long schedule nearly as rigorous as the would-be SEC champ, it is unfair that the SEC champ gets a month to prepare for whichever non-SEC team they might face for the national title.
*Once again in this dynastic SEC streak, the runner-up -- which looked so good heading into the game -- was exposed. It started in '06 with Ohio State and it continued through Notre Dame last night. ND might very well have been the second-best team in the country (I suspect ND isn't as good as a half-dozen SEC teams, but I'll let that go and avoid the word "overrated"), but the gap between "second-best" and "best" is vast.
*The game was such a blowout that the biggest story coming out of the game was Brent Musberger's on-air fascination with AJ McCarron's beauty-queen girlfriend.
*There is no reason not to slot Alabama right back at No. 1 next season, and people can say all they want about Ohio State or Texas A&M or even Notre Dame, but Bama will roll over any of them.
*It's always a sad moment when the college football season comes to a close.
But, suffice to say, "Roll Damn Tide," indeed.
-- D.S.
Monday, January 07, 2013
01/07 (Next 10 Years) Quickie
If yesterday was about an appropriately quick note of the 10-year anniversary of the launch of the Daily Quickie -- the moment I met at least some of you -- then today is leaping headlong into the next day, so let's get right to it:
*NFL Playoffs: Absolutely, yes, Mike Shanahan screwed up. His attempts to talk his way out of responsibility were about as damning as anything we actually saw on the field. The reality is that even if RGIII was effective early, as his effectiveness became obviously diminished, Shanahan blew it by not removing him for Kirk Cousins. Shanahan's blunder cost the Redskins the game. Let's just hope it didn't cost Griffin even more.
*More NFL: Don't worry about the Colts -- they'll be fine. Meanwhile, if Ray Lewis' career didn't end last Sunday, it'll surely end next weekend. We have to get Manning-Brady for the AFC title. Over in the NFC, I'll take the 49ers punishing the Packers and the Seahawks rolling along by upending the Falcons in Atlanta. (If Atlanta's season is "Super Bowl or Bust," we know how it's ending.)
*CFB: BCS title game, and I'm picking Alabama to roll. I have come to appreciate Notre Dame, but even with the SEC's lackluster performance in bowl season, Alabama is like nothing ND has seen this year. The only reason it won't be a three-TD rout is because there will be enough clock-sucking running plays to keep the scores relatively low. But it will be decisive. Then, let the "Nick Saban to Cleveland" rumors begin!
*Jobs: So who's excited about Doug Marrone!
*NBA: Kobe and Dwight don't like each other? Go figure. Wonder if the Lakers can still trade Howard for Brook Lopez...
*Sports x Parenting: Thanks to my immeasurably generous friend Jack Kogod, I'm taking Gabe to the Wizards-Thunder game tonight. The Thunder are Gabe's favorite team; Russell Westbrook is his favorite player. This has all the makings of being the most formative moment of his sports fandom, which is an incredible thing to be aware of when it is happening.
*Hey, hockey starts Jan. 19!
-- D.S.
*NFL Playoffs: Absolutely, yes, Mike Shanahan screwed up. His attempts to talk his way out of responsibility were about as damning as anything we actually saw on the field. The reality is that even if RGIII was effective early, as his effectiveness became obviously diminished, Shanahan blew it by not removing him for Kirk Cousins. Shanahan's blunder cost the Redskins the game. Let's just hope it didn't cost Griffin even more.
*More NFL: Don't worry about the Colts -- they'll be fine. Meanwhile, if Ray Lewis' career didn't end last Sunday, it'll surely end next weekend. We have to get Manning-Brady for the AFC title. Over in the NFC, I'll take the 49ers punishing the Packers and the Seahawks rolling along by upending the Falcons in Atlanta. (If Atlanta's season is "Super Bowl or Bust," we know how it's ending.)
*CFB: BCS title game, and I'm picking Alabama to roll. I have come to appreciate Notre Dame, but even with the SEC's lackluster performance in bowl season, Alabama is like nothing ND has seen this year. The only reason it won't be a three-TD rout is because there will be enough clock-sucking running plays to keep the scores relatively low. But it will be decisive. Then, let the "Nick Saban to Cleveland" rumors begin!
*Jobs: So who's excited about Doug Marrone!
*NBA: Kobe and Dwight don't like each other? Go figure. Wonder if the Lakers can still trade Howard for Brook Lopez...
*Sports x Parenting: Thanks to my immeasurably generous friend Jack Kogod, I'm taking Gabe to the Wizards-Thunder game tonight. The Thunder are Gabe's favorite team; Russell Westbrook is his favorite player. This has all the makings of being the most formative moment of his sports fandom, which is an incredible thing to be aware of when it is happening.
*Hey, hockey starts Jan. 19!
-- D.S.
Sunday, January 06, 2013
01/06 (Quickie) Quickie
Ten years ago today, I published the very first edition of something called "The Daily Quickie" on ESPN.com. Here it is. What an amazing journey ever since. Thank you so much for joining me on it.
Friday, January 04, 2013
01/04 (Wild) Quickie
*I will miss Chip Kelly as a college coach, but I am really excited to see what he can do in the NFL.
*Oregon finishes the season as the most telegenic team (Manziel and Co. can make their closing argument tonight), but I can't help thinking that I was more impressed when watching Stanford and Alabama and (yes) Notre Dame and (yes, still) Florida and (yes, despite) Kansas State, at least when K-State was dictating the terms of the Fiesta Bowl during the middle portion of the first half.
*Bill O'Brien might be coming back to Penn State, but his dalliance with the NFL simply means that the proposition is "when" not "if." Penn State might have been able to guilt him into staying with "It's only been a year!" but O'Brien clearly wants in to the NFL -- and inevitably wants out of the continuing Penn State mess. Next year, "It's only been a year!" won't matter, and O'Brien will be no more committed to the program than he was this week as he peeked around for something better.
*NFL Wild Card picks: Green Bay, Seattle, Baltimore, Houston. (If that's chalk, all we can hope is that the games themselves are competitive and compelling.)
*CFB pick: Texas A&M over Oklahoma, teeing up the Aggies as a preseason Top 3 pick for next season. (Early prediction: (1) Alabama, (2) Notre Dame, (3) Texas A&M, (4) Florida, (5) Ohio State.)
*NBA: Hardly a shocker that the Spurs weren't able to get past a motivated Knicks team for SA's 8th straight win -- the thing to admire about San Antonio is that their entire system is built around competing for championships in the spring. Random games during the regular season? Meh.
*CBB: Yup, Colorado got the short end vs. Arizona, in what should have been a season-making upset win for the Buffs.
*Jobs: Anyone really think Andy Reid is going to be successful in Kansas City?
*Nuptials: Congrats to Phil Jackson and Jeannie Buss on their engagement.
*Want to be a part of USA TODAY's historic and influential Super Bowl "Ad Meter" panel that ranks the Super Bowl ads and picks the "winner?" Registration is open. Click "Be a Panelist" here.
-- D.S.
*Oregon finishes the season as the most telegenic team (Manziel and Co. can make their closing argument tonight), but I can't help thinking that I was more impressed when watching Stanford and Alabama and (yes) Notre Dame and (yes, still) Florida and (yes, despite) Kansas State, at least when K-State was dictating the terms of the Fiesta Bowl during the middle portion of the first half.
*Bill O'Brien might be coming back to Penn State, but his dalliance with the NFL simply means that the proposition is "when" not "if." Penn State might have been able to guilt him into staying with "It's only been a year!" but O'Brien clearly wants in to the NFL -- and inevitably wants out of the continuing Penn State mess. Next year, "It's only been a year!" won't matter, and O'Brien will be no more committed to the program than he was this week as he peeked around for something better.
*NFL Wild Card picks: Green Bay, Seattle, Baltimore, Houston. (If that's chalk, all we can hope is that the games themselves are competitive and compelling.)
*CFB pick: Texas A&M over Oklahoma, teeing up the Aggies as a preseason Top 3 pick for next season. (Early prediction: (1) Alabama, (2) Notre Dame, (3) Texas A&M, (4) Florida, (5) Ohio State.)
*NBA: Hardly a shocker that the Spurs weren't able to get past a motivated Knicks team for SA's 8th straight win -- the thing to admire about San Antonio is that their entire system is built around competing for championships in the spring. Random games during the regular season? Meh.
*CBB: Yup, Colorado got the short end vs. Arizona, in what should have been a season-making upset win for the Buffs.
*Jobs: Anyone really think Andy Reid is going to be successful in Kansas City?
*Nuptials: Congrats to Phil Jackson and Jeannie Buss on their engagement.
*Want to be a part of USA TODAY's historic and influential Super Bowl "Ad Meter" panel that ranks the Super Bowl ads and picks the "winner?" Registration is open. Click "Be a Panelist" here.
-- D.S.
Thursday, January 03, 2013
1/3 (Welp) Quickie
What was I saying yesterday? About what an awesome ending to the college football season it would be when Florida demolished Louisville?
Welp.
It's not like it was close -- it was Louisville domination, from start to finish. The Cards' game-plan was superior. Teddy Bridgewater was sensational. They just look like they wanted it more.
So I start the new year with a prolific Quickie Jinx -- good to see some things don't change.
-- D.S.
Welp.
It's not like it was close -- it was Louisville domination, from start to finish. The Cards' game-plan was superior. Teddy Bridgewater was sensational. They just look like they wanted it more.
So I start the new year with a prolific Quickie Jinx -- good to see some things don't change.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, January 02, 2013
01/02 (New Year) Quickie
Like everyone else, I am still astounded by Jadeveon Clowney's hit yesterday. The best reaction was from SBNation's Spencer Hall -- read it here.
Meanwhile, I have a pretty short list of "best endings to a college football season of teams I root for." 2006 and 2008 for Florida's national titles, 1995 for Northwestern's trip to the Rose Bowl (even if it ended in a loss). Maybe even 2009 - Tebow's last year - for the emotional roller-coaster of the SEC title game followed by the Sugar Bowl obliteration of Cincinnati.
Barring something insane tonight, 2012 will make the list. If/when Florida demolishes Louisville, they will likely finish the season ranked No. 2 in the country, behind only the Alabama-Notre Dame champ. Given last season, this is just about as much as any fan could hope for (short of a national title itself, obviously).
Meanwhile, Northwestern won its first bowl game in 63 years -- of my (and many others') lifetime, not to mention an enormous boost for the program. Pretty good finish - with both teams lining up for even better results in 2013 (and, yes, I know what I'm saying about Florida with that statement).
Other than that, yesterday's bowl feast was defined by Stanford out-slugging Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl -- Stanford's success (and I entirely buy David Shaw's notion that they are still ascending) is a testament to solid recruiting, extraordinary coaching and phenomenal execution, which is really just a function of the first two. If/when Chip Kelly leaves Oregon, there is no reason to believe that Stanford won't fill the breach as the best team West of Alabama.
(The finish to South Carolina-Michigan was pretty incredible, too.)
*NFL Jobs: Andy Reid to Arizona? Zzz. I am far more intrigued which team will get Chip Kelly. And, perhaps even more intriguing than that, which team will get Penn State's Bill O'Brien -- the fact that he is even entertaining the idea of interviewing for NFL jobs undermines whatever allegiance he professed to Penn State. I don't blame him for leaving, but if he leaves after just a year? I don't care how PSU might have hood-winked him with promises of no NCAA sanctions, it's a tough move for him and a rough situation for Penn State. Meanwhile, pretty amazing that the hottest college coaching commodity for the NFL (outside of Chip Kelly and, perhaps, inclusive of Chip Kelly) is Syracuse's Doug Marrone.
*NBA: Denver's yellow-with-horizontal-stripe alt-uniforms are amazing -- not quite as amazing as knocking off the Clippers and snapping LA's insane win streak, but close.
*Would be really nice to start this new year with a labor deal for the NHL.
-- D.S.
Meanwhile, I have a pretty short list of "best endings to a college football season of teams I root for." 2006 and 2008 for Florida's national titles, 1995 for Northwestern's trip to the Rose Bowl (even if it ended in a loss). Maybe even 2009 - Tebow's last year - for the emotional roller-coaster of the SEC title game followed by the Sugar Bowl obliteration of Cincinnati.
Barring something insane tonight, 2012 will make the list. If/when Florida demolishes Louisville, they will likely finish the season ranked No. 2 in the country, behind only the Alabama-Notre Dame champ. Given last season, this is just about as much as any fan could hope for (short of a national title itself, obviously).
Meanwhile, Northwestern won its first bowl game in 63 years -- of my (and many others') lifetime, not to mention an enormous boost for the program. Pretty good finish - with both teams lining up for even better results in 2013 (and, yes, I know what I'm saying about Florida with that statement).
Other than that, yesterday's bowl feast was defined by Stanford out-slugging Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl -- Stanford's success (and I entirely buy David Shaw's notion that they are still ascending) is a testament to solid recruiting, extraordinary coaching and phenomenal execution, which is really just a function of the first two. If/when Chip Kelly leaves Oregon, there is no reason to believe that Stanford won't fill the breach as the best team West of Alabama.
(The finish to South Carolina-Michigan was pretty incredible, too.)
*NFL Jobs: Andy Reid to Arizona? Zzz. I am far more intrigued which team will get Chip Kelly. And, perhaps even more intriguing than that, which team will get Penn State's Bill O'Brien -- the fact that he is even entertaining the idea of interviewing for NFL jobs undermines whatever allegiance he professed to Penn State. I don't blame him for leaving, but if he leaves after just a year? I don't care how PSU might have hood-winked him with promises of no NCAA sanctions, it's a tough move for him and a rough situation for Penn State. Meanwhile, pretty amazing that the hottest college coaching commodity for the NFL (outside of Chip Kelly and, perhaps, inclusive of Chip Kelly) is Syracuse's Doug Marrone.
*NBA: Denver's yellow-with-horizontal-stripe alt-uniforms are amazing -- not quite as amazing as knocking off the Clippers and snapping LA's insane win streak, but close.
*Would be really nice to start this new year with a labor deal for the NHL.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, January 01, 2013
1/1 (Happy New Year) Quickie
My favorite storyline of 2012 -- a lot of people's favorite storyline of 2012 -- was the stretch of "Linsanity" in late January and early February that captivated everyone.
Among other reasons I loved it was that it was as entirely unexpected as it was thrilling. If you think back to Jan. 1, 2012, you would have had no idea something so marvelous was coming.
In the end, that's why I watch -- why I love -- sports: The thrillingly unexpected (or, I guess, the unexpectedly thrilling).
Aside from rooting for your own teams -- to wit: let's go Northwestern -- that's all you can really root for. The good news is that we know something amazing is waiting for us in 2013.
Best wishes for a happy and healthy new year to you and your families.
-- D.S.
Among other reasons I loved it was that it was as entirely unexpected as it was thrilling. If you think back to Jan. 1, 2012, you would have had no idea something so marvelous was coming.
In the end, that's why I watch -- why I love -- sports: The thrillingly unexpected (or, I guess, the unexpectedly thrilling).
Aside from rooting for your own teams -- to wit: let's go Northwestern -- that's all you can really root for. The good news is that we know something amazing is waiting for us in 2013.
Best wishes for a happy and healthy new year to you and your families.
-- D.S.
Friday, December 28, 2012
12/28 (Wrapping Up 2012) Quickie
2012 was an exciting bookend to 2011:
In 2011, Mrs. Quickie got pregnant.
In 2012, we had a beautiful (and smart!) little baby girl.
In 2011, Quickish launched.
In 2012, Quickish was acquired by Gannett.
In 2011, we relocated from New York to DC.
In 2012, we found the house we'll hopefully live in for the next 25 years.
Any one of those things is a big deal. Wrapped together, it made for a truly amazing year.
I am very (very) (...very) lucky, and every day I try to remember that and to certainly not ever take it for granted.
There won't be a new baby in 2013. There won't be a sale of a company I founded. There won't be another new house. (There will be turning 40, so the year isn't without its interesting milestones.)
If it will be slightly less intense, that's OK. I am looking forward to just... being.
Being a better spouse.
Being a better dad.
Being a better colleague.
There are a lot of pathways to "better" that I have been thinking about, and all I can do is pick the ones that make sense and commit to a good-faith effort to try to be better.
Hoping to have some New Year's posts up over the next few days, but if you're checking out until 2013, here's hoping you had a great 2012 and here's to an even better 2013.
-- D.S.
In 2011, Mrs. Quickie got pregnant.
In 2012, we had a beautiful (and smart!) little baby girl.
In 2011, Quickish launched.
In 2012, Quickish was acquired by Gannett.
In 2011, we relocated from New York to DC.
In 2012, we found the house we'll hopefully live in for the next 25 years.
Any one of those things is a big deal. Wrapped together, it made for a truly amazing year.
I am very (very) (...very) lucky, and every day I try to remember that and to certainly not ever take it for granted.
There won't be a new baby in 2013. There won't be a sale of a company I founded. There won't be another new house. (There will be turning 40, so the year isn't without its interesting milestones.)
If it will be slightly less intense, that's OK. I am looking forward to just... being.
Being a better spouse.
Being a better dad.
Being a better colleague.
There are a lot of pathways to "better" that I have been thinking about, and all I can do is pick the ones that make sense and commit to a good-faith effort to try to be better.
Hoping to have some New Year's posts up over the next few days, but if you're checking out until 2013, here's hoping you had a great 2012 and here's to an even better 2013.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
12/25 (Merry Christmas) Quickie
The best holiday-centric tradition in sports is the NBA on Christmas Day, this year bumping "Lions and Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day" from the top spot, on the strength of a Finals-ish Heat-Thunder -- the day's late-afternoon headliner -- and a frolicky Lakers-Knicks (the mid-afternoon appetizer, with the recently returned Steve Nash as your must-see player). It is the marquee event of the NBA regular season, and its expansion into a 13-hour marathon is welcome.
Enjoy the day. If you celebrate Christmas, enjoy however you might be doing so (and even if you don't celebrate Christmas, there is plenty about the holiday to love, like the "A Christmas Story" movie marathon -- which I will duck into at least a dozen times over the 24 hours -- and, at least for we Jewish people, the traditional Chinese food dinner.
So, to recap: Family, food, fun, NBA. If you are enjoying any level of abundance -- possibly material, but hopefully at least health and happiness -- I hope you can spare some cheer for those less fortunate.
A few notes:
*Rex Ryan says he's sure Tim Tebow would have played if he had been asked. So there's that.
*Chuck Pagano is back, and there can't be a more welcome return in sports this year.
*Mike Vick is back, too, because Nick Foles broke his hand. Week 17 will be ambivalent for Philly, but in all the discussion of it being Andy Reid's final game as coach, it is also the presumptive end of the Mike Vick Experiment, which had some thrilling highs that probably qualify it as "delivering," but only as a sideshow.
*Does anyone think that Ryan Freel's suicide wasn't connected to his many concussions?
*So: Who got/gave the best gifts this year?
Again, happiest holiday wishes to you and your family.
-- D.S.
Enjoy the day. If you celebrate Christmas, enjoy however you might be doing so (and even if you don't celebrate Christmas, there is plenty about the holiday to love, like the "A Christmas Story" movie marathon -- which I will duck into at least a dozen times over the 24 hours -- and, at least for we Jewish people, the traditional Chinese food dinner.
So, to recap: Family, food, fun, NBA. If you are enjoying any level of abundance -- possibly material, but hopefully at least health and happiness -- I hope you can spare some cheer for those less fortunate.
A few notes:
*Rex Ryan says he's sure Tim Tebow would have played if he had been asked. So there's that.
*Chuck Pagano is back, and there can't be a more welcome return in sports this year.
*Mike Vick is back, too, because Nick Foles broke his hand. Week 17 will be ambivalent for Philly, but in all the discussion of it being Andy Reid's final game as coach, it is also the presumptive end of the Mike Vick Experiment, which had some thrilling highs that probably qualify it as "delivering," but only as a sideshow.
*Does anyone think that Ryan Freel's suicide wasn't connected to his many concussions?
*So: Who got/gave the best gifts this year?
Again, happiest holiday wishes to you and your family.
-- D.S.
Monday, December 24, 2012
12/24 (Eve) Quickie
There is this phenomenon in sports newsrooms (and emergency rooms and restaurants and elsewhere) where the non-Christians are happy to work on Christmas Eve and Christmas, letting our observant colleagues enjoy the holidays with their families.
The skeleton crew lends itself to some relaxed moments, and you often will see stories hit the front page that might not otherwise. In that spirit, I'm going to lead with the Tebow debacle, because I'm working today and it's the story that interests me most. Fair enough? I promise not to belabor it, but I think it ties back to the spirit of the season:
*****
Simply put, Tim Tebow is as team-first as any player you will meet. He is single-minded in his interest in helping his team win. He clearly thinks (and has proven) that the best chance for that is with the ball in his hands, but he has also clearly demonstrated that he's willing to do whatever it takes to help.
There are plenty of people who are tired of (or annoyed with) the "Tebowmania" thing, but that is much more of a function of being annoyed with the media than being annoyed with him. If anything, even the haters begrudgingly respect Tebow's complete commitment to winning and to his team. Throughout this season, Tebow has taken any number of relative humiliations -- being assigned as punt protector the most glaring -- in stride and with a "whatever it takes to help the team win" mentality.
What does it say, then, that Tebow was willing to tarnish that very core of his appeal -- that very core of his personality -- by telling the Jets he didn't want to be part of their Wildcat (or faux-Wildcat) inanity this week. He must know he is more popular than the team, and he had to know the Jets would leak his request (or, framed less charitably, refusal) around playing time.
He had to know there would be blowback (with the most common response something akin to how Peter King put it: He totally agrees with Tebow that the Jets have miserably screwed him around, but you can't say you won't play.) He had to know it would instantly become part of the Tebow canon -- the December nadir to bookend the moment in January during the playoffs that would define both his NFL career and Tebowmania in general.
That is how miserable he was. The Jets managed not only to implode their own season, but they made Tebow...flinch. They had him so unhappy that he went against everything he is -- and a sizeable piece of why people believe in him: both off and on the field, his subordination to the greater good... to service.
That is how screwed up the Jets are. So screwed up they could screw up Tim Tebow.
The good news is that the relationship is almost over -- it is a sign of how much the Jets fear Tebow's popularity not just that they didn't play him before, but that when he wouldn't play for them now, they honored it without fuss (until it inevitably fussed). Tebow will land with another team -- probably the Jaguars -- one that will hopefully give him a chance.
It cannot possibly go worse in Jacksonville -- or anywhere else -- than it did in New York with the Jets. The Jets had absolutely no belief -- no faith -- in Tebow.
And, it seemed, Tebow eventually lost enough faith in something he believed in -- "team" -- that he would turn away from that concept for seemingly the first time in his life.
Aside from believing in the essential rightness of his own decision in this particular case, I cannot imagine that was anything but difficult for Tebow in the grand scheme of his unyielding belief in always wanting to do what is right for the team.
Faith -- in oneself, in your team (or the larger concept of "team"), in the human condition, in people we admire (yes, like Tebow)... in anything really -- is essential, not just on Christmas but every day.
To see that faith tested in such a stark way -- by someone who epitomizes faith in football (and I'm not even talking about religious faith) -- is a pretty good reminder of the core position of faith in our lives, however it manifests itself. And it is a pretty good reminder how tenuous that faith can be.
If anything, this is a good moment to remind yourself -- to reaffirm, really -- that no matter what it might be, you've always got to maintain a little faith. Especially for those moments when it is tested.
*****
Don't forget: Starting tonight, the greatest holiday movie of all time "A Christmas Story." 24 hours of it, and in this year's production, the role of Ralphie will be played by Russell Wilson, who -- as absurds as this seems -- deserves NFL Rookie of the Year as much as (or perhaps even more than) the rookie QB who has broken all the meaningful rookie-QB records and led his worst-in-the-league-last-year team to the playoffs AND the rookie QB who has become the most must-see player in the NFL and led his nearly-worst-in-the-league-last-year team to the cusp of the playoffs.
To those of you celebrating: Merry Christmas. And to those of you not? Enjoy the Chinese food and movies.
-- D.S.
The skeleton crew lends itself to some relaxed moments, and you often will see stories hit the front page that might not otherwise. In that spirit, I'm going to lead with the Tebow debacle, because I'm working today and it's the story that interests me most. Fair enough? I promise not to belabor it, but I think it ties back to the spirit of the season:
*****
Simply put, Tim Tebow is as team-first as any player you will meet. He is single-minded in his interest in helping his team win. He clearly thinks (and has proven) that the best chance for that is with the ball in his hands, but he has also clearly demonstrated that he's willing to do whatever it takes to help.
There are plenty of people who are tired of (or annoyed with) the "Tebowmania" thing, but that is much more of a function of being annoyed with the media than being annoyed with him. If anything, even the haters begrudgingly respect Tebow's complete commitment to winning and to his team. Throughout this season, Tebow has taken any number of relative humiliations -- being assigned as punt protector the most glaring -- in stride and with a "whatever it takes to help the team win" mentality.
What does it say, then, that Tebow was willing to tarnish that very core of his appeal -- that very core of his personality -- by telling the Jets he didn't want to be part of their Wildcat (or faux-Wildcat) inanity this week. He must know he is more popular than the team, and he had to know the Jets would leak his request (or, framed less charitably, refusal) around playing time.
He had to know there would be blowback (with the most common response something akin to how Peter King put it: He totally agrees with Tebow that the Jets have miserably screwed him around, but you can't say you won't play.) He had to know it would instantly become part of the Tebow canon -- the December nadir to bookend the moment in January during the playoffs that would define both his NFL career and Tebowmania in general.
That is how miserable he was. The Jets managed not only to implode their own season, but they made Tebow...flinch. They had him so unhappy that he went against everything he is -- and a sizeable piece of why people believe in him: both off and on the field, his subordination to the greater good... to service.
That is how screwed up the Jets are. So screwed up they could screw up Tim Tebow.
The good news is that the relationship is almost over -- it is a sign of how much the Jets fear Tebow's popularity not just that they didn't play him before, but that when he wouldn't play for them now, they honored it without fuss (until it inevitably fussed). Tebow will land with another team -- probably the Jaguars -- one that will hopefully give him a chance.
It cannot possibly go worse in Jacksonville -- or anywhere else -- than it did in New York with the Jets. The Jets had absolutely no belief -- no faith -- in Tebow.
And, it seemed, Tebow eventually lost enough faith in something he believed in -- "team" -- that he would turn away from that concept for seemingly the first time in his life.
Aside from believing in the essential rightness of his own decision in this particular case, I cannot imagine that was anything but difficult for Tebow in the grand scheme of his unyielding belief in always wanting to do what is right for the team.
Faith -- in oneself, in your team (or the larger concept of "team"), in the human condition, in people we admire (yes, like Tebow)... in anything really -- is essential, not just on Christmas but every day.
To see that faith tested in such a stark way -- by someone who epitomizes faith in football (and I'm not even talking about religious faith) -- is a pretty good reminder of the core position of faith in our lives, however it manifests itself. And it is a pretty good reminder how tenuous that faith can be.
If anything, this is a good moment to remind yourself -- to reaffirm, really -- that no matter what it might be, you've always got to maintain a little faith. Especially for those moments when it is tested.
*****
Don't forget: Starting tonight, the greatest holiday movie of all time "A Christmas Story." 24 hours of it, and in this year's production, the role of Ralphie will be played by Russell Wilson, who -- as absurds as this seems -- deserves NFL Rookie of the Year as much as (or perhaps even more than) the rookie QB who has broken all the meaningful rookie-QB records and led his worst-in-the-league-last-year team to the playoffs AND the rookie QB who has become the most must-see player in the NFL and led his nearly-worst-in-the-league-last-year team to the cusp of the playoffs.
To those of you celebrating: Merry Christmas. And to those of you not? Enjoy the Chinese food and movies.
-- D.S.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
12/23 (Sunday) Quickie
Happy Festivus! My airing of grievances begins and ends with the Wizards...
We went shopping for a new couch last night, and it's hard to overstate how important the couch is for us -- for better or worse, it is the center of our home and we spend incalculable hours on it, hanging out or eating dinner informally or, typically, watching TV. All I can say is that I'm leaning toward the idea that it's probably worth spending a little extra if the couch is particularly comfortable. (Not that couches have to be necessarily expensive -- our current model, which we've had for 5 years, was a cheapie floor sample from Macy's on Fulton Street in Brooklyn, and it has held up great.)
I'm thinking of the couch because today is the second-to-last Sunday of NFL Red Zone, which in less than two seasons has become my favorite TV tradition -- basically 7 hours of being on/around/near the couch with the family, watching games and tracking fantasy teams and ducking in and out but otherwise enjoying the time with each other (and with Red Zone host Scott Hanson). The two boys are down in Florida for the week with their grandparents -- our own holiday tradition/"vacation" -- so watching Red Zone is not quite the same without them. But it just hit me this morning that Red Zone season is almost over. It'll be missed. But next year's season of Red Zone will feature an awesome new couch, so there's that.
Anyway, a few notes on a slow Christmas Eve eve...
*Tebow to the Jaguars? It has always made the most sense, and it sounds like it is finally going to happen. Tebow's No. 15 is even open, right between Justin Blackmon (14) and Jordan Shipley (16). It will be the biggest seller in the NFL next season -- and that's part of the point, isn't it?
*Falcons cruise past Lions and earn No. 1 NFC seed: It's Super Bowl or bust for this team, as it has been since August. Anyone else have zero faith the Falcons will get through the NFC playoffs? I'll be surprised if they win their initial Divisional at home against the 4-5 Wild Card winner.
*NFL Week 16: Good luck to anyone playing for their fantasy-league title. If I'm paying attention to any single game this week, it's the Redskins and RGIII.
*Great day in college hoops yesterday: If you didn't know the name "Ben McLemore" -- the Kansas star redshirt freshman who is taking college hoops by storm in his first season -- you do now, after KU beat Ohio State... Temple gets its annual win over a Top 10 team by KO'ing Syracuse... Another name to know: South Dakota State's Nate Wolters, who led the Jackrabbits over New Mexico in Albuquerque (by NBA Draft night, Wolters' stock will be sky-high)... Tough night for Florida...
*CFB: Boise State finally got its clutch field goal, a season or two too late.
*NBA: Steve Nash is back and the Lakers already look like a much better team. No coincidence there, of course. LA's playoff seed is irrelevant, as long as they make the playoffs and are healthy heading into late April.
*Wizards' fan lament: Any chance the Wiz can trade promising big man Kevin Seraphin for Sacramento's DeMarcus Cousins (now repped by the same agent as John Wall)? Seems like a decent trade for both sides, and if Cousins isn't quite a happy camper, playing alongside former college teammate Wall could only help, right?
-- D.S.
We went shopping for a new couch last night, and it's hard to overstate how important the couch is for us -- for better or worse, it is the center of our home and we spend incalculable hours on it, hanging out or eating dinner informally or, typically, watching TV. All I can say is that I'm leaning toward the idea that it's probably worth spending a little extra if the couch is particularly comfortable. (Not that couches have to be necessarily expensive -- our current model, which we've had for 5 years, was a cheapie floor sample from Macy's on Fulton Street in Brooklyn, and it has held up great.)
I'm thinking of the couch because today is the second-to-last Sunday of NFL Red Zone, which in less than two seasons has become my favorite TV tradition -- basically 7 hours of being on/around/near the couch with the family, watching games and tracking fantasy teams and ducking in and out but otherwise enjoying the time with each other (and with Red Zone host Scott Hanson). The two boys are down in Florida for the week with their grandparents -- our own holiday tradition/"vacation" -- so watching Red Zone is not quite the same without them. But it just hit me this morning that Red Zone season is almost over. It'll be missed. But next year's season of Red Zone will feature an awesome new couch, so there's that.
Anyway, a few notes on a slow Christmas Eve eve...
*Tebow to the Jaguars? It has always made the most sense, and it sounds like it is finally going to happen. Tebow's No. 15 is even open, right between Justin Blackmon (14) and Jordan Shipley (16). It will be the biggest seller in the NFL next season -- and that's part of the point, isn't it?
*Falcons cruise past Lions and earn No. 1 NFC seed: It's Super Bowl or bust for this team, as it has been since August. Anyone else have zero faith the Falcons will get through the NFC playoffs? I'll be surprised if they win their initial Divisional at home against the 4-5 Wild Card winner.
*NFL Week 16: Good luck to anyone playing for their fantasy-league title. If I'm paying attention to any single game this week, it's the Redskins and RGIII.
*Great day in college hoops yesterday: If you didn't know the name "Ben McLemore" -- the Kansas star redshirt freshman who is taking college hoops by storm in his first season -- you do now, after KU beat Ohio State... Temple gets its annual win over a Top 10 team by KO'ing Syracuse... Another name to know: South Dakota State's Nate Wolters, who led the Jackrabbits over New Mexico in Albuquerque (by NBA Draft night, Wolters' stock will be sky-high)... Tough night for Florida...
*CFB: Boise State finally got its clutch field goal, a season or two too late.
*NBA: Steve Nash is back and the Lakers already look like a much better team. No coincidence there, of course. LA's playoff seed is irrelevant, as long as they make the playoffs and are healthy heading into late April.
*Wizards' fan lament: Any chance the Wiz can trade promising big man Kevin Seraphin for Sacramento's DeMarcus Cousins (now repped by the same agent as John Wall)? Seems like a decent trade for both sides, and if Cousins isn't quite a happy camper, playing alongside former college teammate Wall could only help, right?
-- D.S.
Friday, December 21, 2012
12/21 (Pre-Christmas) Quickie
Well, I'll be filing all weekend and all next week, if you want to stick with me, but if not -- Merry Christmas to you and yours. Briefly:
*Nick Saban to the Browns? I heartily endorse this. Saban has nothing left to prove as a college coach. He has built a dynastic juggernaut at Alabama. He doesn't need money. He is already a Hall of Famer. So why not try to conquer the one thing he has yet to: Success in the NFL?
(BTW: Can you imagine the scrum to replace him if he leaves for the NFL? I can't even begin to think who might replace him. Will Muschamp seems unlikely to leave Florida, even for Alabama. Dan Mullen? He's not part of the Saban family. Chip Kelly? He has his own eye on the NFL -- meanwhile, does anything seem more fun than Kelly teaming up with Cam Newton in Carolina? The upshot is this: Is it possible that Nick Saban is irreplaceable at Alabama?)
*NFL Storylines I'm Intrigued By: (1) Is 49ers-Seahawks even more interesting than 49ers-Patriots? (2) RGIII returns vs. the Eagles. (3) The log-jam at the top of the NFC East -- not quite must-win for the Skins, Giants and Cowboys, but close to it. (4) Can the Bengals knock the Steelers out of the playoff picture? Not quite as impressive as Tim Tebow knocking the Steelers out of the playoffs in January, but close. (5) Greg McElroy.
*Bowl Mania: No bowl name makes fans smile like "Beef O'Brady's." So there's that. Meanwhile: Washington vs. Boise State in Las Vegas on Saturday should be a fun one.
*Jabari Parker picks Duke: Can't help thinking that there's a parallel universe where Northwestern fired Bill Carmody two years ago and hired Duke assistant Chris Collins, and yesterday Parker picks Northwestern. Alas.... (Meanwhile, is using Paul Pierce as Parker's comp a coded way of labeling him as unathletic?) Prediction: Parker stays two seasons at Duke, not one.
*NBA: And just like that, the T'wolves' bandwagon is filling up again. All it took was snapping the Thunder's massive winning streak.
*CFB: Steroids in college football? You don't say! Spencer Hall captures the smart reaction here.
*ICYMI: The New York Times put together a really terrific package of storytelling with "Snowfall." My only gripe: It seems unfair that reporter John Branch gets sole credit, when clearly so much of the piece's impact comes from the impressive graphics. Would have been cool for the story's producers to get top billing, along with its writer. Still: Well worth the 30 minutes to consume this.
-- D.S.
*Nick Saban to the Browns? I heartily endorse this. Saban has nothing left to prove as a college coach. He has built a dynastic juggernaut at Alabama. He doesn't need money. He is already a Hall of Famer. So why not try to conquer the one thing he has yet to: Success in the NFL?
(BTW: Can you imagine the scrum to replace him if he leaves for the NFL? I can't even begin to think who might replace him. Will Muschamp seems unlikely to leave Florida, even for Alabama. Dan Mullen? He's not part of the Saban family. Chip Kelly? He has his own eye on the NFL -- meanwhile, does anything seem more fun than Kelly teaming up with Cam Newton in Carolina? The upshot is this: Is it possible that Nick Saban is irreplaceable at Alabama?)
*NFL Storylines I'm Intrigued By: (1) Is 49ers-Seahawks even more interesting than 49ers-Patriots? (2) RGIII returns vs. the Eagles. (3) The log-jam at the top of the NFC East -- not quite must-win for the Skins, Giants and Cowboys, but close to it. (4) Can the Bengals knock the Steelers out of the playoff picture? Not quite as impressive as Tim Tebow knocking the Steelers out of the playoffs in January, but close. (5) Greg McElroy.
*Bowl Mania: No bowl name makes fans smile like "Beef O'Brady's." So there's that. Meanwhile: Washington vs. Boise State in Las Vegas on Saturday should be a fun one.
*Jabari Parker picks Duke: Can't help thinking that there's a parallel universe where Northwestern fired Bill Carmody two years ago and hired Duke assistant Chris Collins, and yesterday Parker picks Northwestern. Alas.... (Meanwhile, is using Paul Pierce as Parker's comp a coded way of labeling him as unathletic?) Prediction: Parker stays two seasons at Duke, not one.
*NBA: And just like that, the T'wolves' bandwagon is filling up again. All it took was snapping the Thunder's massive winning streak.
*CFB: Steroids in college football? You don't say! Spencer Hall captures the smart reaction here.
*ICYMI: The New York Times put together a really terrific package of storytelling with "Snowfall." My only gripe: It seems unfair that reporter John Branch gets sole credit, when clearly so much of the piece's impact comes from the impressive graphics. Would have been cool for the story's producers to get top billing, along with its writer. Still: Well worth the 30 minutes to consume this.
-- D.S.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
12/20 (Thursday) Quickie
ICYMI: This year's Quickish "Best Sportswriting of the Year" list.
*****
Beyond the sadness we all deeply feel about the tragedy in Newtown, the story of Victor Cruz providing personal consolation to the family of 6-year-old Jack Pinto, a huge Cruz fan, is particularly affecting for me. That Gabe is in first grade, like so many of the children who were murdered, put the massacre in particularly horrifying perspective for me.
But, like Jack, Gabe is at the cusp of his die-hard life-long sports fandom. Gabe's favorite NFL player is Cam Newton and the Panthers. His favorite NBA player and team is Russell Westbrook and the Thunder. He watches highlights every day. He follows my fantasy teams (and wants to play next year by himself). He battles me each week making NFL predictions (he's currently beating me with two weeks to go.)
Being a sports fan is a huge part of Gabe's burgeoning identity, just as it clearly was for Jack Pinto and probably many other of the children who were killed. When you root for your teams -- when you watch sports -- think of Jack and how much he cared, in that way that is totally innocent and enthusiastic and cynicism-free.
When you watch sports with a 6-year-old, you simply can't say things you typically would with your buddies or at a sports bar, like "Cripes, he sucks." Partly, that's because you shouldn't talk that way around any 6-year-old and partly, that's because you can't -- you simply can't -- pierce the pure, wide-eyed love for sports that exists in a 6-year-old fan who cares so deeply about sports.
And thanks to Victor Cruz for caring back.
Awkward transition to shallow commentary about the latest sports news...
*Tebow era ending in NYC: It's for the best for everyone. I'm presuming he'll end up in Jacksonville. Meanwhile, it's possibly more intriguing that the Jets are ready to bail on Mark Sanchez. If only they didn't gum up the works with that idiotic contract extension last year.
(And then there's the idea floated out there that the Jets could be interested in Michael Vick. You know what? Great. He's better than Sanchez and could himself use a change of scenery from Philly.)
*Kevin Durant scores season-high 41: He is unstoppable, as is OKC. That the team is even better without James Harden is a testament to the evolution of Durant (and, for sure, Westbrook), but also to the "system."
*Clippers win 11th straight: Are they true contenders for the NBA title? Who cares? For this franchise, relevance and winning should be good enough.
*RGIII to start: But it's got to make Redskins fans feel a little less antsy to know that Kirk Cousins actually could step in if necessary. However: Fully expecting RGIII dominance, to maximize the narrative here.
*CBB: Myck Kabongo won't be able to play at Texas this season. If he goes to the NBA Draft -- as expected -- and ends up a 1st-round pick (as is his potential), then it begs the question why any player with first-round potential should play in college basketball, rather than sit out the mandatory year off and just train for the NBA (while taking advances on future paychecks).
*CFB: Was Brian Kelly the coach of the year? Oh, probably, although you could make a pretty good case for Bill Snyder or Will Muschamp or Kevin Sumlin.
*The best thing you'll read today: John Branch -- a 2011 Quickish "Best of the Year" honoree -- with a huge story on an avalanche in Washington's Cascades.
*Also really good: The Classical with an oral history of the legendary Website "Fire Joe Morgan."
-- D.S.
*****
Beyond the sadness we all deeply feel about the tragedy in Newtown, the story of Victor Cruz providing personal consolation to the family of 6-year-old Jack Pinto, a huge Cruz fan, is particularly affecting for me. That Gabe is in first grade, like so many of the children who were murdered, put the massacre in particularly horrifying perspective for me.
But, like Jack, Gabe is at the cusp of his die-hard life-long sports fandom. Gabe's favorite NFL player is Cam Newton and the Panthers. His favorite NBA player and team is Russell Westbrook and the Thunder. He watches highlights every day. He follows my fantasy teams (and wants to play next year by himself). He battles me each week making NFL predictions (he's currently beating me with two weeks to go.)
Being a sports fan is a huge part of Gabe's burgeoning identity, just as it clearly was for Jack Pinto and probably many other of the children who were killed. When you root for your teams -- when you watch sports -- think of Jack and how much he cared, in that way that is totally innocent and enthusiastic and cynicism-free.
When you watch sports with a 6-year-old, you simply can't say things you typically would with your buddies or at a sports bar, like "Cripes, he sucks." Partly, that's because you shouldn't talk that way around any 6-year-old and partly, that's because you can't -- you simply can't -- pierce the pure, wide-eyed love for sports that exists in a 6-year-old fan who cares so deeply about sports.
And thanks to Victor Cruz for caring back.
Awkward transition to shallow commentary about the latest sports news...
*Tebow era ending in NYC: It's for the best for everyone. I'm presuming he'll end up in Jacksonville. Meanwhile, it's possibly more intriguing that the Jets are ready to bail on Mark Sanchez. If only they didn't gum up the works with that idiotic contract extension last year.
(And then there's the idea floated out there that the Jets could be interested in Michael Vick. You know what? Great. He's better than Sanchez and could himself use a change of scenery from Philly.)
*Kevin Durant scores season-high 41: He is unstoppable, as is OKC. That the team is even better without James Harden is a testament to the evolution of Durant (and, for sure, Westbrook), but also to the "system."
*Clippers win 11th straight: Are they true contenders for the NBA title? Who cares? For this franchise, relevance and winning should be good enough.
*RGIII to start: But it's got to make Redskins fans feel a little less antsy to know that Kirk Cousins actually could step in if necessary. However: Fully expecting RGIII dominance, to maximize the narrative here.
*CBB: Myck Kabongo won't be able to play at Texas this season. If he goes to the NBA Draft -- as expected -- and ends up a 1st-round pick (as is his potential), then it begs the question why any player with first-round potential should play in college basketball, rather than sit out the mandatory year off and just train for the NBA (while taking advances on future paychecks).
*CFB: Was Brian Kelly the coach of the year? Oh, probably, although you could make a pretty good case for Bill Snyder or Will Muschamp or Kevin Sumlin.
*The best thing you'll read today: John Branch -- a 2011 Quickish "Best of the Year" honoree -- with a huge story on an avalanche in Washington's Cascades.
*Also really good: The Classical with an oral history of the legendary Website "Fire Joe Morgan."
-- D.S.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
12/19 (Best of) Quickie
Fun day yesterday: Released the 2012 edition of the Quickish "Best Sportswriting of the Year" list.
Check out the list here.
Check out my brief "liner notes" here.
There are a couple key components to every edition:
*Picking a top tier (12 in honor of 2012, in this particular case) is brutal. As much as anything, it's personal taste, but I try to get a wide variety of sources and styles.
*The meat of the list is the "Also Receiving Votes" section, up to 30-some pieces this year after half that a year ago. It's a function of how much great stuff there is at the top tier.
*But my favorite part is the "How could you miss...?" feedback from readers. No problem 'fessing up: There are bound to be glaring omissions. I love recognizing them. Please chime in if you see any.
Related to omissions, it is both odd and unfair that some of my favorite writers -- the ones who deliver every day -- are not represented. I'm thinking of folks like Grantland's Bill Barnwell, SI's Tim Layden and SL Price (whose Olympic coverage was unmatched), Deadspin's Barry Petchesky and Jack Dickey, Yahoo Sports' Les Carpenter, SB Nation's Andrew Sharp, the Wall Street Journal's Scott Cacciola and Ben Cohen, so many of my talented colleagues at USA TODAY Sports and many more folks who are recognized throughout the day, every day, on Quickish.
Regardless, I love creating the list and I am glad people seem to enjoy it. Had a few issues with a few too many people trying to access the site when the list went up -- I guess I try to see the bright side that the site crashing means that people want to see what we're producing.
Quick notes off the news:
*Jets bench Sanchez for McElroy: ...And, most relevant, NOT Tebow. Ugh.
*Wisconsin hires Utah State's Andersen: Really like this hire.
*Lakers barely beat Bobcats at home: This is what it has come to.
*Want to be a panelist for USA TODAY's famous Super Bowl "Ad Meter?" Sign up here.
-- D.S.
Check out the list here.
Check out my brief "liner notes" here.
There are a couple key components to every edition:
*Picking a top tier (12 in honor of 2012, in this particular case) is brutal. As much as anything, it's personal taste, but I try to get a wide variety of sources and styles.
*The meat of the list is the "Also Receiving Votes" section, up to 30-some pieces this year after half that a year ago. It's a function of how much great stuff there is at the top tier.
*But my favorite part is the "How could you miss...?" feedback from readers. No problem 'fessing up: There are bound to be glaring omissions. I love recognizing them. Please chime in if you see any.
Related to omissions, it is both odd and unfair that some of my favorite writers -- the ones who deliver every day -- are not represented. I'm thinking of folks like Grantland's Bill Barnwell, SI's Tim Layden and SL Price (whose Olympic coverage was unmatched), Deadspin's Barry Petchesky and Jack Dickey, Yahoo Sports' Les Carpenter, SB Nation's Andrew Sharp, the Wall Street Journal's Scott Cacciola and Ben Cohen, so many of my talented colleagues at USA TODAY Sports and many more folks who are recognized throughout the day, every day, on Quickish.
Regardless, I love creating the list and I am glad people seem to enjoy it. Had a few issues with a few too many people trying to access the site when the list went up -- I guess I try to see the bright side that the site crashing means that people want to see what we're producing.
Quick notes off the news:
*Jets bench Sanchez for McElroy: ...And, most relevant, NOT Tebow. Ugh.
*Wisconsin hires Utah State's Andersen: Really like this hire.
*Lakers barely beat Bobcats at home: This is what it has come to.
*Want to be a panelist for USA TODAY's famous Super Bowl "Ad Meter?" Sign up here.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
12/18 (Tuesday) Quickie
Today's Names to Know: Jeremy Lin, Mark Sanchez, Jim Boeheim, RA Dickey, Serge Ibaka.
Jeremy Lin playing terrific against the Knicks last night in his NYC homecoming was as predictable as it was awesome to see. It was a reminder of 2012's signature moment in (non-Olympic) sports: Linsanity, the three-week stretch in February that captured everything we love about sports.
This time, the MSG fans weren't quite as hysterical as they were 10 months ago -- they're forgiven the smattering of boos, because they were so packed with self-loathing -- but if they got to re-live that glorious stretch from last winter even for a minute, even with the center of their attention/affection playing for the other team, it is worth it.
Mark Sanchez playing terrible against the Titans last night in the Jets' coup de crap was also as predictable... as it was awesome to see.
(Aside from following hilarious comments about the game on Twitter, I tuned in long enough to see Tebow's lone series -- how about that first-down run on his first play? -- and the debacle that unfolded over the final two minutes: Sanchez INT -- his 4th -- and then the first-snap fumble after the Titans had gifted the Jets a last-gasp chance inside the 25-yard-line. It was more than enough to get the gist.)
Actually, I spent my time last night putting the final touches on this year's Quickish list of the best sportswriting of the year, which will be published sometime this week.
900 wins for Jim Boeheim: It is a monumental number. His career highlight is clearly the title run with Carmelo in 2003, with the 1987 runner-up and '96 Final Four team rounding out the Top 3.
NBA: In the West, it's the (footloose and Harden-free) Thunder, then everyone else. Hate to read too much into a single regular-season game, but OKC dismantled the Spurs, and the key was Serge Ibaka, who had 25 and 17 with 3 blocks, looking every bit like a full-fledged part of a new Big Three. OKC has won 11 straight. (FWIW, the Clippers have won 10 straight, but it's hard to see LA competing with the Thunder in May, when it counts. The Spurs? Yes. Anyone else? No.)
MLB: Dickey deal finalized with Jays. The Mets don't want to pay him, so the Jays happily will, and the competitive dynamic in the AL East is affirmed as the must-see show in baseball next year.
CBB: Should Butler join Georgetown, Villanova and the rest of the "Catholic 7" spin-off/start-up basketball league? Absolutely. It's a no-brainer.
RGIII sets NFL jersey-sales record: One more indicator that the rookie is already the face of the NFL.
-- D.S.
Jeremy Lin playing terrific against the Knicks last night in his NYC homecoming was as predictable as it was awesome to see. It was a reminder of 2012's signature moment in (non-Olympic) sports: Linsanity, the three-week stretch in February that captured everything we love about sports.
This time, the MSG fans weren't quite as hysterical as they were 10 months ago -- they're forgiven the smattering of boos, because they were so packed with self-loathing -- but if they got to re-live that glorious stretch from last winter even for a minute, even with the center of their attention/affection playing for the other team, it is worth it.
Mark Sanchez playing terrible against the Titans last night in the Jets' coup de crap was also as predictable... as it was awesome to see.
(Aside from following hilarious comments about the game on Twitter, I tuned in long enough to see Tebow's lone series -- how about that first-down run on his first play? -- and the debacle that unfolded over the final two minutes: Sanchez INT -- his 4th -- and then the first-snap fumble after the Titans had gifted the Jets a last-gasp chance inside the 25-yard-line. It was more than enough to get the gist.)
Actually, I spent my time last night putting the final touches on this year's Quickish list of the best sportswriting of the year, which will be published sometime this week.
900 wins for Jim Boeheim: It is a monumental number. His career highlight is clearly the title run with Carmelo in 2003, with the 1987 runner-up and '96 Final Four team rounding out the Top 3.
NBA: In the West, it's the (footloose and Harden-free) Thunder, then everyone else. Hate to read too much into a single regular-season game, but OKC dismantled the Spurs, and the key was Serge Ibaka, who had 25 and 17 with 3 blocks, looking every bit like a full-fledged part of a new Big Three. OKC has won 11 straight. (FWIW, the Clippers have won 10 straight, but it's hard to see LA competing with the Thunder in May, when it counts. The Spurs? Yes. Anyone else? No.)
MLB: Dickey deal finalized with Jays. The Mets don't want to pay him, so the Jays happily will, and the competitive dynamic in the AL East is affirmed as the must-see show in baseball next year.
CBB: Should Butler join Georgetown, Villanova and the rest of the "Catholic 7" spin-off/start-up basketball league? Absolutely. It's a no-brainer.
RGIII sets NFL jersey-sales record: One more indicator that the rookie is already the face of the NFL.
-- D.S.
Monday, December 17, 2012
12/17 (Monday) Quickie
Hell of a game between the 49ers and Patriots.
The Pats nearly pulled off a once-in-a-half-century comeback... Colin Kaepernick looked like a QB that could take this 49ers team to a Super Bowl... There was even a controversial 4th-down call by Bill Belichick...
We already knew the 49ers and the Pats were elite teams. And that the Pats' D was leaky but it's offense was capable of scoring in bunches on anyone (even the standard-bearing 49ers D). If you want to place an overly symbolic emphasis on anything, it would be Kaepernick coming into Foxboro in December in the cold rain in primetime and showing nothing but swagger.
It's not like the level-headed Alex Smith had a bad year last season -- he did lead the 49ers to the NFL's final four. But there was something about Kaepernick's ability to perform in a context that was just about as tough as it gets outside of the playoffs that stood out about this game.
ESPN.com's Ashley Fox was entirely fair in suggesting this was the Game of the Year in the NFL.
And SportsOnEarth.com's Mike Tanier put it nicely: This would make for a phenomenal Super Bowl match-up.
More:
Question of the Day: How many fantasy playoff games were won (or lost) thanks to Kirk Cousins?
(Given how few playoff teams probably started Cousins -- even those who might have needed a handcuff for RGIII -- he more appropriate question is how many fantasy playoff games were won thanks to Russell Wilson, who has proven himself every bit as worthy of Rookie of the Year as RGIII and Andrew Luck, a fairly remarkable thing if you think about it.)
Huge win for the Cowboys: The final two weeks of the NFC East playoff race are going to be fantastic, and let's hope it comes down to a playoff-ish play-in between the Redskins and Cowboys in Week 17.
Huge win for the Falcons? OK, they destroyed the Giants. No, I still don't buy them as a legit Super Bowl contender.
Meanwhile: The "just like last year" playoff field is rounding into form -- the league is worse off for it, by the way.
The amazing Adrian Peterson: How can you not be rooting for him to break Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record?
MLB: The Mets giving up on RA Dickey -- regardless of who they got back in a trade from suddenly fascinating Toronto -- is worse than the Knicks giving up on Jeremy Lin.
(There aren't many stories in sports better than Lin's -- in 2012 or ever -- but Dickey's is one of them. Dickey is also more productive than Lin, with a better chance at maintaining his peak form for the length of his contract extension.)
NBA: Andrew Bynum's point that Kobe stunted his development is entirely well-taken, but he's not really in a position to be griping about it right now.
CBB: Love the little details coming out about how Butler's Brad Stevens and Indiana's Tom Crean were sniping at each other from the sidelines throughout Saturday's game.
MNF: Is it too much to ask for the Jets to finally give Tebow a chance to succeed? Probably, but for the 15th straight week, I'll be watching just in case.
-- D.S.
The Pats nearly pulled off a once-in-a-half-century comeback... Colin Kaepernick looked like a QB that could take this 49ers team to a Super Bowl... There was even a controversial 4th-down call by Bill Belichick...
We already knew the 49ers and the Pats were elite teams. And that the Pats' D was leaky but it's offense was capable of scoring in bunches on anyone (even the standard-bearing 49ers D). If you want to place an overly symbolic emphasis on anything, it would be Kaepernick coming into Foxboro in December in the cold rain in primetime and showing nothing but swagger.
It's not like the level-headed Alex Smith had a bad year last season -- he did lead the 49ers to the NFL's final four. But there was something about Kaepernick's ability to perform in a context that was just about as tough as it gets outside of the playoffs that stood out about this game.
ESPN.com's Ashley Fox was entirely fair in suggesting this was the Game of the Year in the NFL.
And SportsOnEarth.com's Mike Tanier put it nicely: This would make for a phenomenal Super Bowl match-up.
More:
Question of the Day: How many fantasy playoff games were won (or lost) thanks to Kirk Cousins?
(Given how few playoff teams probably started Cousins -- even those who might have needed a handcuff for RGIII -- he more appropriate question is how many fantasy playoff games were won thanks to Russell Wilson, who has proven himself every bit as worthy of Rookie of the Year as RGIII and Andrew Luck, a fairly remarkable thing if you think about it.)
Huge win for the Cowboys: The final two weeks of the NFC East playoff race are going to be fantastic, and let's hope it comes down to a playoff-ish play-in between the Redskins and Cowboys in Week 17.
Huge win for the Falcons? OK, they destroyed the Giants. No, I still don't buy them as a legit Super Bowl contender.
Meanwhile: The "just like last year" playoff field is rounding into form -- the league is worse off for it, by the way.
The amazing Adrian Peterson: How can you not be rooting for him to break Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record?
MLB: The Mets giving up on RA Dickey -- regardless of who they got back in a trade from suddenly fascinating Toronto -- is worse than the Knicks giving up on Jeremy Lin.
(There aren't many stories in sports better than Lin's -- in 2012 or ever -- but Dickey's is one of them. Dickey is also more productive than Lin, with a better chance at maintaining his peak form for the length of his contract extension.)
NBA: Andrew Bynum's point that Kobe stunted his development is entirely well-taken, but he's not really in a position to be griping about it right now.
CBB: Love the little details coming out about how Butler's Brad Stevens and Indiana's Tom Crean were sniping at each other from the sidelines throughout Saturday's game.
MNF: Is it too much to ask for the Jets to finally give Tebow a chance to succeed? Probably, but for the 15th straight week, I'll be watching just in case.
-- D.S.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
12/16 (Very) Quickie
Still stunned and shaken by what happened in Newtown, and my heart goes out to the families of the people murdered. That the kids were the same age as Gabe... it's near-impossible to process.
I feel awful pushing ahead with "So how about Butler being Indiana!" or "Will we get a Rex Grossman sighting today?" or "Is the Mets letting RA Dickey go worse than the Knicks letting Jeremy Lin go?"
So I'm going to put aside the post for the rest of the day and come back to things tomorrow. Doesn't lessen the impact of Friday's tragedy -- at all.
-- D.S.
I feel awful pushing ahead with "So how about Butler being Indiana!" or "Will we get a Rex Grossman sighting today?" or "Is the Mets letting RA Dickey go worse than the Knicks letting Jeremy Lin go?"
So I'm going to put aside the post for the rest of the day and come back to things tomorrow. Doesn't lessen the impact of Friday's tragedy -- at all.
-- D.S.
Friday, December 14, 2012
12/14 (Gone Bowlin') Quickie
One of the Quickie's longest traditions: The annual bowl-sponsor quiz. In an ever-shifting landscape, see if you can match the sponsor to the bowl game. Answers at the bottom of the column:
(1) Gildan
(2) Hyundai
(3) R&L Carriers
(4) Autozone
(5) AdvoCare V100
(6) Bridgepoint Education
(7) Taxslayer.com
(a) Gator
(b) Holiday
(c) Independence
(d) New Mexico
(e) New Orleans
(f) Liberty
(g) Sun
More:
*Lakers lose in NYC: Kobe's getting frustrated, but isn't it hard to judge this team until they have Nash and Gasol back? By April, they are solidly in the playoffs and the new meme is "Nobody wants to play the Lakers."
*Bengals beat Eagles, stay in playoff contention: The best quip I heard about this game came from NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal: "When I watch the Bengals, I don't think:"Let's squeeze more borderline teams into the playoffs!'"
*Angels sign Josh Hamilton: When money isn't an issue, you can do things like lock up two aging superstars -- in this case, Hamilton and Albert Pujols -- for close to $50M a year, just for the two of them. This team was already "Playoffs or bust." The most interesting analysis I saw was item No. 2 in Dave Schoenfield's take on ESPN.com.
*Big East break-up: I'm totally on "Team Catholic Seven," and it feels like most people are. Repeating my suggestion from yesterday: They launch a cable network dedicated entirely to the awesomeness of college basketball, even beyond the teams involved in whatever new league they set up.
-- D.S.
Answers: 1-d, 2-g, 3-e, 4-f, 5-c, 6-b, 7-a
For trivia's sake, here are the bowls whose sponsor IS the bowl name: Famous Idaho Potato, Beef O' Brady's, Little Caesar's, Belk, Russell Athletic, Meineke Car Care, Buffalo Wild Wings, Chick-fil-A, Capital One, Outback, GoDaddy.com.
(1) Gildan
(2) Hyundai
(3) R&L Carriers
(4) Autozone
(5) AdvoCare V100
(6) Bridgepoint Education
(7) Taxslayer.com
(a) Gator
(b) Holiday
(c) Independence
(d) New Mexico
(e) New Orleans
(f) Liberty
(g) Sun
More:
*Lakers lose in NYC: Kobe's getting frustrated, but isn't it hard to judge this team until they have Nash and Gasol back? By April, they are solidly in the playoffs and the new meme is "Nobody wants to play the Lakers."
*Bengals beat Eagles, stay in playoff contention: The best quip I heard about this game came from NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal: "When I watch the Bengals, I don't think:"Let's squeeze more borderline teams into the playoffs!'"
*Angels sign Josh Hamilton: When money isn't an issue, you can do things like lock up two aging superstars -- in this case, Hamilton and Albert Pujols -- for close to $50M a year, just for the two of them. This team was already "Playoffs or bust." The most interesting analysis I saw was item No. 2 in Dave Schoenfield's take on ESPN.com.
*Big East break-up: I'm totally on "Team Catholic Seven," and it feels like most people are. Repeating my suggestion from yesterday: They launch a cable network dedicated entirely to the awesomeness of college basketball, even beyond the teams involved in whatever new league they set up.
-- D.S.
Answers: 1-d, 2-g, 3-e, 4-f, 5-c, 6-b, 7-a
For trivia's sake, here are the bowls whose sponsor IS the bowl name: Famous Idaho Potato, Beef O' Brady's, Little Caesar's, Belk, Russell Athletic, Meineke Car Care, Buffalo Wild Wings, Chick-fil-A, Capital One, Outback, GoDaddy.com.
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