Deadspin > Sports News Without Fear, Favor or Compromise

Aside from the nonstop playoff losses, I imagine the worst thing about being a Washington D.C.-area sports fan is the fact that the Metro closes at 11:30 on weeknights, often before local games—especially playoff baseball—come to an end.

Carson Smith tossed one inning in relief for the Red Sox in yesterday’s loss to the Oakland A’s, giving up a home run to Khris Davis. After he left the game, he was apparently mad at himself, and he tossed his glove in frustration. That’s a normal and fine reaction, but Smith injured himself doing so, and according to…Read more...

At this point in time, Tomas Berdych is more useful as a benchmark for the progress of young people than as a tennis player unto himself. This is a little cruel, maybe, but it is not wrong.Read more...

Last week, the Overwatch League found itself encircled by controversy after pros and analysts hinted that stage 4 would run on an old version of the game that didn’t include Hanzo’s flashy new overhaul or a much-needed nerf to Brigitte. Today, the league finally confirmed that and explained its decision.

Because we are not fools, we can all agree that there are two major problems currently plaguing, to various degrees, the four major sports leagues in North America: tanking and games that start way too damn late. I can fix this.

This devil magic is tearing the entire GMG newsroom apart, and now you have to deal with it too. What is this robot saying??? I hear “Laurel” and I can’t even hear the faintest shred of “Yanny,” so please tell me what you hear.

Mariners second baseman Robinson Canó has been suspended for 80 games after failing a drug test. Domincan journalist Héctor Gómez first reported that Canó would be suspended, with Ken Rosenthal confirming shortly afterward. According to MLB, Canó tested positive for Furosemide, a diuretic that is banned by WADA…Read more...

Time for your weekly edition of the Deadspin Funbag. Drew’s gone! We have guest hosts. Got something on your mind? Email the Funbag. Today, we’re talking about what is acceptable to eat out of a can, alleged cheating in the minors, cursed flip-flops, and more.Read more...

A.J. Pollock has been among the top National League players in WAR for much of this young season, but he also just cannot catch a break. In the ninth inning of the Diamondbacks’ 7-2 loss to the Brewers Monday, the outfielder laid the hell out for a Tyler Saladino line drive that turned into an inside-the-park home…Read more...

If your mattress isn’t leaving you feeling as well-rested as you’d like it to, buying a new mattress pad can breathe new life into your bed and is a whole lot cheaper than buying a whole new mattress, especially today.Read more...

There are wiser ways to start an article about sports betting than this but still, I have to warn you: Murphy v NCAA—Monday’s Supreme Court decision that freed New Jersey to allow casinos and racetracks to open sports books—is boring as hell. I’ll do what I can to overcome this burden, but there is only so much that…Read more...

The Rockets had a plan. They were going to force Steph Curry to defend James Harden one-on-one, stick longer defenders on Curry to harass him on the perimeter, use Clint Capela’s length to disrupt Draymond Green’s pick-and-roll maneuvers, and pounce on any defensive lapses by kicking it out to their army of shooters.…Read more...

News broke today that hedge fund manager David Tepper is all set to buy the Carolina Panthers after Jerry Richardson was forced to put the team up for sale amid a sexual harassment scandal. Tepper will reportedly pay $2.2 billion for the team, and I know you’re wondering about one thing and one thing only: Is this guy…Read more...

Look. If we are being honest with each other, here, let’s acknowledge what we all know: The Rockets are 100 percent dead in this series, have virtually no chance whatsoever even to push it to a seventh game, and could spend Game 2 jump-kicking each other in the face for all the good they can do by even trying to make…Read more...

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Save big on SanDisk storage devices, an AmazonBasics dutch oven, a Dremel combo kit, and more of today’s best deals.Read more...

Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien is a big boy. Listed at 6-foot-5, 260 pounds, I would call him an immovable object if not for the fact that he’s usually moving toward you. And it’s gonna go badly for you.

The Golden Knights chalked up their Game 1 loss to effort. “They outworked us,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “We have to compete harder. We got to battle harder.” It’s the sort of thing a coach says all the time, but it’s also just about the only thing a team can try to change when they’re up against the most talented…Read more...

In the 1994 comedy The Mask, a shy bank clerk named Stanley Ipkiss (played by Jim Carrey) is plagued with the burden and the blessing of discovering an ancient mask containing the spirit of the ancient Norse god, Loki. Under the spell of the mask, Ipkiss, an otherwise meek man who has trouble with women, transforms…Read more...

In a game that saw the two best teams in basketball each play exactly how you’d expect them to, the Golden State Warriors beat the Rockets in Houston, 119-106, to take a 1-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals. Despite the best efforts of James Harden and his 41 points, the Warriors managed to expose the Rockets’…Read more...

After dispatching the Golden Knights with a three-goal barrage in the first-period of Game 1, the Winnipeg Jets found Vegas to be a much tougher opponent in their second series meeting, and couldn’t get anywhere near a repeat performance. The Knights rode a pair of first period goals and a brilliant bounce-back…Read more...

Rays shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria, fully recovered from his freak injury last week, blasted straight through his third-base coach’s stop sign while attempting to score a go-ahead run against the Royals, but redeemed himself with an elastic slide that eluded a cannon throw from Jorge Soler and a tag attempt from…Read more...

The Boston Red Sox have a nice storied history of bench players exploring their musical gifts while not taking part in the action on the field, specifically in the cases of a couple different “bullpen bands” that played instruments like “the water bottles” and “the spoons.” Before their game tonight against the A’s,…Read more...

Controversy struck at the U-17 Euros today as Irish keeper James Corcoran earned his second yellow card of the match during the penalty shootout of a match that finished full time tied 1-1, leading to the Netherlands to claim the win.Read more...

Former NFL player Greg Hardy will fight fellow former NFL player Austen Lane on June 12 in a heavyweight bout. The two will meet on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series, a show run by the ruddy UFC czar in which amateur fighters and others fight for a (non-guaranteed) chance at a UFC contract. Hardy trains with…Read more...

Former Overwatch League problem child Félix “xQc” Lengyel was streaming last night when he ended up in the same match as a frighteningly skilled Widowmaker player going by the handle “Kannagang.” When players on the other team suggested that he might be cheating, xQc investigated by looking at his player profile.

Beitar Jerusalem received some press Sunday when the Israeli soccer club announced that it would change its name to “Beitar Trump Jerusalem” as a gesture of appreciation for President Donald Trump for moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. (Today, Trump’s daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner celebrated the…Read more...

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Cecilia D’Anastasio: So Nintendo invited a bunch of Super Smash Bros. pros to showcase Smash 5 at E3 this year! And among some of my favorites—Armada, Zero and Hungrybox—are exactly no women. I didn’t notice an outcry. Frankly, it was about as surprising as walking outside and noticing the sky, which was very much not…Read more...

Pirates pitcher Jameson Taillon was pulled from his start against the Giants on Friday after three excellent innings because of a serious cut on his middle finger, which was likely the result of his thumbnail digging into his finger when he threw curveballs. Taillon was bleeding on the ball to point that he had to…Read more...

All right-thinking people on this planet and any others want to see Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who does very rude things to baseballs in very loud ways, called up to the majors as soon as possible. So you can imagine the excitement that was generated when Young Vlad posted this photo on Instagram:

Haha! Yes! We are back at it, tirelessly updating rosters from 22-year-old video games in order to bring you these highly accurate simulations of upcoming basketball games. WE ARE LIVE:Read more...

NASCAR teams cheat, or “bend the rules,” to say it nicely. They always have, and it’s kind of hilarious. But a “far more thorough” inspection system this year is causing all kinds of problems. Teams are mad that they keep failing, and NASCAR’s mad that teams can’t just bring legal cars.

Diamondbacks outfielder Steven Souza was mic’d up during yesterday’s game against the Nationals, and that was good news for anyone who likes their baseball accompanied by wry commentary.

On Sunday night, the Nationals completed their four-game sweep of the Diamondbacks in a primetime thriller that featured a freeze-the-outfielder smash from Bryce Harper, two Mark Reynolds dingers (?), and the third solid start in a row from Jeremy Hellickson (??). This all means exactly as much as a mid-May game can,…Read more...

Look, man, you’re not going to draw a walk here. You only get one crack at the baby sex reveal pitch, and while the father in question here does at least make a wise adjustment of trying to catch the wayward pitch instead of just letting it pass like this dude did, you have to swing. No hesitation.

Assume by default that Rafael Nadal wins any big event on clay. Take it as a given that his teeth are pressing into the trophy well before the first match gets underway. This has been true for many long swaths of the last decade, but it has maybe never been truer than right now, with Rafa still bull-strong at 31, his…Read more...

Charismatic veteran knockout artist Paul Daley did not have a good time at Bellator 199 this weekend, spending most of his fight with Jon Fitch getting ground into meat against the mat and the cage. Late in the third round, Daley was getting his head punched right next to the Bellator broadcast booth when he took…Read more...

Jorge Linares is a flashy, creative athletic freak who has, over a period of many years and much pain, been pushed into the mold of a textbook boxer, like a wild, raging river channeled into an orderly canal. Thus he possesses both the physical gifts of the freak and the carefulness of the technician. When subjected…Read more...

If you have any furniture you’ve been anxious to replace, you can save up to 70% off home goods from this huge Wayfair Summer Sale. Peruse their bed and bath discounts, home decor selection, outdoor gear, and more, and you’re sure to find at least a couple things you like. Just remember, shipping is free on any orders…Read more...

Here is a thing that happens way too often in the NBA: Two teams with stars at the same position face each other and, instead of the cool stars checking each other, so that they are competing directly at both ends of the floor, the coaches assign various other designated defenders to do the job of getting crossed-over…Read more...

Eric Reid’s collusion grievance has been in the news, but Reid’s specific situation has overshadowed a rather curious offseason phenomenon involving him and his entire position group: NFL teams aren’t keen on signing free-agent safeties.Read more...

Overwatch League matches move fast, and one key aspect of clutch plays often stays off-screen and unacknowledged: the support players who heal up the pros pulling off those killstreaks. Most of those successful takedowns happen while the damage-dealing player is in the pocket—that is to say, getting healed…Read more...

The Supreme Court just released its ruling on the state of New Jersey’s challenge of a federal law that prevented sports gambling from being legalized on the state level. In a 7-2 decision, the court ruled that the federal anti-sports gambling law was unconstitutional, giving New Jersey, and every other state for that…Read more...

The New York Mets, a team that began the season 11-1, lost their ninth game of their last 11 in Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon. Ace Noah Syndergaard, who was scheduled to start Saturday’s rained-out game against the Phillies, was skipped for reasons vague enough to be weird. Less-hairy co-ace Jacob deGrom, who…Read more...

Shohei Ohtani has a fastball that he can pump up to 100 mph and dot on all four corners of the strike zone. He has a splitter that dives straight into hell and takes the souls of many batters with it. Those are two very good pitches. If you throw those two pitches exclusively, you’re basically late-era Roger Clemens…Read more...

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There aren’t many players in the world that can hijack a Game 1 blowout loss simply by flexing their steel trap of a memory. Then again, there aren’t many folks out there like LeBron James.

I’m sorry, what? The Caps spanked the Lightning last night. That’s two consecutive spankings! What is going on here? It would be a little too psychologically neat to posit that all the Ovechkin-era Capitals ever needed was to be underdogs, finally without pressure. Or that once they were finally able to dispatch their…Read more...