Basketball

David Salinas’ suicide and the shady side of the NCAA

There’s a messy, tragic scandal brewing in the quote-unquote world of “amateur” basketball. It involves AAU coach David Salinas, who allegedly ran a Ponzi scheme that cost a number of NCAA basketball coaches millions of dollars, before being found shot dead of an apparent suicide at his Friendsworth, Texas home on July 19. Salinas operated an AAU basketball program in Houston, Texas, […]

Football

The quiet emergence of Brandon Lloyd

If you asked an average NFL fan who led the league in receiving yards last season, they might not be able to tell you. It wasn’t Larry Fitzgerald or Reggie Wayne, Andre Johnson or Roddy White. It was, if the headline of the story didn’t already give it away, Brandon Lloyd of the Denver Broncos. Prior to his 2010 […]

Baseball

Duck, duck, closer! Philadelphia’s relief pitching ensemble

The MLB closer is one of the most volatile positions in all of sports. Although occasionally ninth inning responsibilities change hands as the result of injury, more often than not, poor performance is the main cause for any turnover, the rate of which, between closers on Opening Day and at the end of the season […]

Hockey

Projecting the NHL’s breakout stars in 2011-12

With apologies to fans of the Edmonton Oilers, Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers and New Jersey Devils, it is highly unlikely the lottery picks from the 2011 NHL Entry Draft will immediately step into the league and breakout as stars in 2011-12. Instead, when examining players poised for coming out parties, one thing stands out: breakout […]

Basketball

Ming’s Dynasty: Yao’s impact exceeds NBA, China

When you think about Yao Ming, the image of him running the court comes to mind. You wouldn’t necessarily call his stride graceful but it was never awkward, either. It just looked so out of place. He looked out of place. He was so massive he stood out in a crowd of some very tall folks. […]

Baseball

Clint Hurdle: Even more popular with players than fans

When Pirates manager Clint Hurdle passed on a managing offer from the New York Mets during the offseason to become Pittsburgh’s new skipper, many reporters and baseball fans alike were quick to point out that he had his work cut out for him. They were right. Everyone knew about the Pirates’ stretch of 18 consecutive losing seasons, but the […]

Baseball

Do the Cardinals have enough pitching to make a run in 2011?

A lot has been said about the St. Louis Cardinals’ offense this year. While Albert Pujols isn’t showcasing his typical dominance, Lance Berkman and Matt Holliday are picking up the slack and keeping the Cardinals right in the thick of the NL Central race. It’s hard to deny that hitting has been the reason for the […]

Hall of Fame

Embracing the Twitter craze; Biz Nasty and the Gang

Tim McKeown, ESPN columnist, provided some insight on the world of social media two years ago. In 2011, his words still ring true: “If you are open and honest, occasionally funny and usually available, you can use the media to become a star.” For Phoenix Coyotes forward Paul Bissonnette – better known as “Biznasty” on […]

Football

Schedule may spoil NFC West progress

Simply put, the NFC West was awful last season, with all four teams in the division finishing below .500. Even with the 7-9 division champion Seahawks’ run in the playoffs, many people were calling for the NFL to review the seeding system for the league. But that’s not to say the division has no hope. As the NFL (finally) […]

Hockey

The QMJHL: From Sidney Crosby to Nathan MacKinnon

Of all three leagues in the CHL, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League has by far the least amount of players drafted from it. Luckily for the east coast-based circuit, times are rapidly changing and its reputation continues to soar upwards. It wasn’t too long ago that the best player in the world graced the QMJHL, as Sidney Crosby added to […]