There are many qualities the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks have in common, from superstar goalies who have waited in the wings for their chance to lead their teams deep into the playoffs to exceptional depth at every position and well-respected captains ready to do anything to win. They also have, perhaps most importantly, management with a ton of roster patience.

Back in May, Denver coach George Karl won the NBA’s Red Auerbach Trophy, the award given to the association’s best coach, as selected by a panel of sportswriters. Within a month, the Nuggets fired Karl. It wasn’t a case of things going south for the Nuggets; if anything, they surpassed expectations this year. Despite lacking […]

The Minnesota Twins have a long history of success. Unfortunately, it’s one that’s been marred of late by injuries to key players and various cases of underachievement. Luckily for Twins fans, their fortunes have already started to course correct in the form of superstar prospect Byron Buxton. Will 19-year-old Buxton eventually save the franchise?

Five years ago, Austin Kent published an open letter addressed to Greg Oden’s neck beard. Five years later he exhibits a glaring lack of development both in terms of maturity and the quality of his content. No matter, sometimes we can tell a lot about an individual by the way they choose to wear their hair. Sometimes it’s the only thing holding them back.

In sports, much like life, there are moments bound to live on forever. Whether it’s a moment filled with joy or heartbreak, an inspirational moment or a deflating one, experiencing glory in victory and agony in defeat is evidence of how inexorably linked sports and life have become. Sport is woven into the cultural fabric […]

The Cleveland Cavaliers made history recently by becoming only the second team in NBA history to win the first pick in the draft two times in three years. The Cavs could make history again at the 2013 NBA Draft by becoming the first team to trade the first overall pick since the Orlando Magic dealt away Chris Webber back in 1993. Gerard Spalding considers their options.

While college basketball lore is filled with stories of underdog programs rising to great heights under the national spotlight of March Madness, the reasons such teams are considered underdogs in the first place is because they have no proven track record of success. These days, coaches like Shaka Smart and Brad Stevens are giving their previously unheralded programs the stability needed in order to contend year in and year out.

The Ottawa Senators might not be the most decorated NHL franchise of our generation, but that doesn’t take away from the organization that team captain Daniel Alfredsson has built from the ground up. With 17 seasons under his belt, including 13 wearing the C, Alfredsson has risen to the occasion as one of the sport’s greats.

It looks like Major League Baseball finally got their man, and 19 others to boot. Following the 2011 season Ryan Braun was named National League MVP. Later still in 2011, word leaked to ESPN that Braun had tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs and would receive a 50-game suspension to begin 2012. The case was dropped on a technicality then, but has come back to haunt him.

Whether it’s the typical grinding marathon or this year’s furious sprint, every point earned during the regular season is gained with the hope of not just making the playoffs, but securing home-ice advantage. The Presidents’ Trophy is valuable not because anyone truly cares who won the regular season, but because it ensures the ever so important advantage in every round of the playoffs. This year, more than in year’s past, we’re seeing why it makes such a difference.