It’s no secret that the New York Rangers are a legitimate NHL contender. Last season, however, the team’s gruelling, physically exacting, John Tortorella-style campaign fell apart when it mattered most. This year, with a shortened season and having had more time to recover over the offseason, look out. Can the lockout be attributed for the New York Rangers being this year’s favorite to win the Stanley Cup?

We’ve seen the grainy footage, we’ve heard the myths, but not until the 2009 release of “Red and Me” have basketball fans taken a good long look at the relationship between Bill Russell and Red Auerbach. Although the book may leave those desperate for historical details wanting, it’s a pleasant summary of what goes down as one of the most successful coach-player dynamics in NBA history.

The London Knights went on a 25-game winning streak which was snapped to ring in the new year in an overtime loss. The point-scoring streak ended this past weekend after 28 games. The domination suggested by the streak doesn’t exactly hold up when look at the in-game numbers, though. Are the Knights really this good, or are they just extreme beneficiaries of gratuitous amounts of luck?

Four big-name quarterbacks wound up on the wrong side of the score this weekend and many have already blamed each of them for their team’s respective losses. It’s understandable, quarterbacks get much of the attention in any game, win or lose. However, just as pivots are often heaped with undeserved praise following poor performances in a win, they often get undeserved criticism after turning in a solid showing in a losing effort. Andrew Bucholtz explains.

There’s no denying that the annual IIHF World Junior Championship produces some of the most fascinating hockey fans of the sport will see in a given year. Lucas di Giovanni weighs in on all the subtleties within the Federation’s unique rulebook that its more famous counterpart – the NHL – could stand to benefit from.

For the eighth time in history, the Baseball Hall of Fame will not welcome any new members. As we begin the precarious time where those suspected of cheating during MLB’s “Steroid Era” are becoming eligible for induction, the Baseball Writers of America have spoken and decided that nobody is worthy this year. And there’s nothing you can do about it.

It wasn’t long ago when John Wall was the on- and off-court start of the Kentucky Wildcats while backcourt-mate Eric Bledsoe tagged along contributing under the radar. These days, with Wall’s struggles in Washington well-documented, Bledsoe has thrived in a beautiful situation with the Los Angeles Clippers. If you had to draft one today, who would you take?

Andre Drummond is a bloody fascinating figure. Sometimes though, as we get older, it gets harder and harder to express the appreciation we have for our favorite athletes. Austin Kent takes a therapeutic look at his relationship with the first-year Pistons big man, what exactly Dre means for the Detroit franchise, and – perhaps most importantly – how to actually root for a professional athlete like a full-fledged adult.

As it usually does at the World Junior Hockey Championship, controversy once again reared its ugly head. There was no shortage of controversial moments, from suspect officiating (see Ty Rattie’s bizarre goal) to questionable suspensions, but no incident sparked more debate than Anthony Camara’s devastating hit on Slovakia’s Patrik Luza. IIHF officiating rarely draws rave […]

After evaluating the AFC teams on Monday, Dwayne Riley-Grant checks out who’s real and who isn’t in the NFC. Can Aaron Rodgers continue to lead the Packers to glory? Are Pete Carroll’s Seahawks truly contenders? Will the drama surrounding Alex Smith cause the 49ers to collapse?