Deadspin > Sports News Without Fear, Favor or Compromise

The NBA has never been more fun. Three-point bombing, higher-than-ever talent, a global player pool and the best product in professional sports. But it's far from perfect. We've pinpointed five resolutions we want to see in 2024 that can improve the game on and off the court.Read more...

Ray Rice, the former NFL running back whose career ended after he assaulted his then-fiancee - the charges were dropped - will be honored by his former team Sunday.Read more...

The Atlanta Braves are acquiring oft-injured pitcher Chris Sale from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for infielder Vaughn Grissom, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.Read more...

The media and fans (not so) patiently waited for the two biggest free agents -Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto - to sign new deals with new teams. The American League MVP and the 25-year-old ace both inked pacts with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have spent more than $1 billion so far this offseason.

The Toronto Raptors are sending OG Anunoby, Malachi Flynn, and Precious Achiuwa to the New York Knicks in exchange for RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and a Detroit Pistons second-round pick. The Athletic's NBA insider Shams Charania was the first to report the full details of the trade.Read more...

Former University of Florida quarterback Jalen Kitna, who was arrested in November 2022 on five child pornography charges which were later dropped,will continue his college football career at UAB.Read more...

Fox News goofed when it displayed the wrong Frank Thomas during an In Memoriam" segment.Read more...

Washington Commanders defensive back Benjamin St-Juste and linebacker Jamin Davis have been named in the wrongful death suit of Olivia Peters, who was killed in a car accident while riding in the vehicle of former Commanders player and boyfriend Deshazor Everett in December 2021.Read more...

The Cotton Bowl felt like a watershed moment for anyone watching - or casually following along on gamecast. The latter would've been the preferred method for a slap fight that featured 16 punts. Missouri mercifully gave fans a touchdown to start the fourth quarter, and would add another score for a 14-3 win over Ohio...Read more...

Indianapolis Colts tight end Drew Ogletree was arrested and accused of domestic violence.Read more...

The NCAA is investigating an unnamed football team for gaining unauthorized access to materials on Catapult, a company that handles video and film for college football teams.

The great thing about bowl season is it lets fans check in on programs they may not have watched much during the regular season. With 86 teams participating across 43 exhibitions, and little else to do but veg out on football, this seems like a good time for a little peer review. On Thursday, Miami fans weighed the...Read more...

Hockey players are a different breed. While most sports see their stars fizzle out by the time they reach their late thirties, the NHL routinely has their stars shine well into their forties. Hockey players play the game with grit and resilience, unlike any other athlete. Maybe that's why they boast some of the oldest...Read more...

Local authorities in the Dominican Republic carried out raids on two homes looking for Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, according to a report from Dominican newspaper Listin Diario. - Cale Clinton Read MoreRead more...

Well, it didn't take long for Kevin Durant to find something to complain about it on his new super team.Read more...

Travic Kelce let it all out on an episode of his New Heights" podcast with brother and Philadelphia Eagles center Jason. After the Chiefs lost three of their last four games, Travis called it a frustrating f**king experience" and said that everyone - including himself - is contributing to the offense's struggles. -...Read more...

The NFL's Big Data complex, including Next Gen Stats and Pro Football Focus, would have you believe that numbers don't lie, but the truth is that numbers can be untrustworthy little digits. They don't explicitly generate faux stats, but accurate statistics can be framed deceptively. For instance, on Christmas Day,...Read more...

Welcome to the grand finale of Deadspin's IDIOT OF THE YEAR festivities. Here's hoping 2024 will be better. It probably won't.Read more...

As long as the nostalgia of 1990s beef still sells, I'll never feel old. I was but a child then. A child who looked at box scores in the Chicago Sun-Times and followed the daily drama of the 1997 Chicago Bulls contract negotiations. Even as a youngster I recognized that Jimmy Johnson and the Dallas Cowboys parting...Read more...

Despite the risk of hyperbole devolving into hot take, I'll say it: Year 6 Luka Doni looks a lot like 1988-89 Michael Jordan, or 2007-08 LeBron James. I'm not saying he's better than either of the GOATs. It's simply impossible to watch what he's doing, how he's still improving, and think any other young perimeter...Read more...

It is quite possible that Russell Wilson, 35, has played his last game in Denver after head coach Sean Payton announced he was benching the veteran play caller on Wednesday.Read more...

A-Rod's transition from tape-measure shots to three-point bombs seems to be complete.Read more...

Since 2023 has been filled with highs for Black quarterbacks, 2024 might as well keep the party going. And if things hold steady, Patrick Mahomes won't be the only one anymore.Read more...

After the Boston Celtics acquired Jrue Holiday in an early October trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, the five-time All-Defensive Team guard was billed as the solution to Boston's need for a tempo-setting orchestrator. In theory, he was also the fourth All-Star in the Eastern Conference's premier lineup.Read more...

I kind of like the idea of NFL players getting to be an honorary captain in their hometown. It would be a nice touch. The hometown kid done good can receive some love from his people. I am pretty sure, though, that is not currently standard NFL procedure. For Jaire Alexander to stroll out to midfield, uninvited and...Read more...

College football programs are as volatile as ever during the transfer portal era. This time last year, the USC Trojans were one of the hottest programs in the country. Fast forward to the end of 2023, and the Trojans' 42-28 win over No. 15 Louisville, without Caleb Williams, felt oddly necessary.Read more...

Here they are: The biggest dummies of 2023. Most of them are starting to take up permanent residence here.Read more...

In case I did not make myself clear on Tuesday, the Deshaun Watson contract is never happening again. In the future, no NFL player will ever receive a fully guaranteed contract. For one thing, Patrick Mahomes is not going to push the Kansas City Chiefs for that type of deal. Two, when the Denver Broncos extended...Read more...

Ja Morant hasn't skipped a beat since his return to the Memphis Grizzlies lineup a week ago. The city of Memphis couldn't be happier. Without Morant in, the Grizzlies' holes were glaring. In his absence, Desmond Bane tried valiantly to hold down the fort, but the offense was abysmal without his backcourt mate, With...Read more...

The Dallas Mavericks officially have a new owner as the NBA approved Mark Cuban's sale of the franchise to Miriam Adelson and her family on Wednesday.Read more...

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Christmas Day that members of the Suns organization believed that Durant had grown frustrated with the team and their current roster amid injuries to Bradley Beal and Devin Booker. According to Wojnarowski, Phoenix has got to change soon" in order to right the ship.Read more...

Travic Kelce let it all out on an episode of his New Heights" podcast with brother and Philadelphia Eagles center Jason. After the Chiefs lost three of their last four games, Travis called it a frustrating f**king experience" and said that everyone - including himself - is contributing to the offense's struggles.Read more...

The Cleveland Browns have officially hit Riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma" status. As long as they have a quarterback with some name recognition - be it Deshaun Watson or Joe Flacco - the team plays with the confidence of a much more dangerous organization. Kevin Stefanski's club could be motivated by the...Read more...

Tommy Cutlets must have stuck around the fryer too long, because his fairytale ride as the Giants' starting QB appears to be toast.Read more...

File this one under Things to Do in Denver When You're Playoff Chances Aren't Dead?Read more...

There's never been a sports journalist who enjoys coach speak." That annoyance can become anger if another journalist is the reason coach speak" is what you get whenever you ask a question. We'll never know if that's what happened when New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll didn't tell Pam Oliver he was benching...Read more...

Cade Cunningham was special on Tuesday night. He played like the best guard in the NBA. Of his 41 points, he scored 37 of them in the second half. He went 13-of-16 from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 from the 3-point line. When the Detroit Pistons were down, 108-103, to the Brooklyn Nets with three minutes remaining...Read more...

Heading into the final two weeks of the NFL season, the Colts, Texans, Steelers, Bengals, Raiders, Broncos, Rams, Seahawks, Vikings, Falcons, Packers, Buccaneers and Saints are still alive for a playoff spot while only a game away from .500. Of those 12 organizations, which do you think has the best chance of winning...Read more...

Not everyone seems to be as disgusted" with NBA officiating as Golden State head coach Steve Kerr.Read more...

WHY? Why must professional athletics function as such a powerful magnet for stupid, impetuous people? Ugh.Read more...

With just a handful of weeks left before the end of the NFL regular season, it's time to evaluate the moves that defined the year in review. Everyone makes big deals about offseason moves and trades, but only in hindsight can we truly find the moves that defined the year.Read more...

It was about nine months ago when Lamar Jackson wanted to be traded from the Baltimore Ravens. The best quarterback in the history of two forever linked franchises - the Ravens and the Cleveland Browns - was on the open market. Jackson is the only player besides Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes to win an NFL MVP...Read more...

When rolling, the San Francisco 49ers look like they're never going to lose again. Until Monday night's loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the Niners were undefeated this season when Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffery, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle are healthy. And it looked as if that trend might continue - at least for a...Read more...

Bronco's safety Kareem Jackson was released Tuesday after his roster exemption expired. Jackson has accumulated $89,670 in fines this season for repeated violations of unnecessary roughness.Read more...

When the Detroit Pistons put their mind to losing, nobody has been better for the last decade, but they've outdone themselves now by recklessly assembling one of the worst examples of an ill-fitting roster in a league now predicated on spacing, efficient scoring at the rim or behind the arc, and adaptable lineups.Read more...

Monday night, Luka Doncic became the fastest player since Michael Jordan to hit 10,000 career points in the Mav's win against the Suns. It puts him seventh on the list of players to hit 10,000 points the fastest in their careers. Here are the rest of the top ten fastest to reach the plateau in league history.Read more...

Well, it didn't take long for Kevin Durant to find something to complain about it on his new super team.Read more...

This wouldn't happen to Kellen Moore, Ben Johnson or Mike McDonald. But for some odd reason," Antonio Pierce has to deal with it.Read more...

The conversation surrounding Mike Tomlin is so confusing. Pittsburgh is a game over .500, and with trips to Seattle and Baltimore remaining, the worst case scenario is the coach's 16-year streak of winning seasons snaps with an 8-9 record.Read more...

Of all the oldest players lists that we have compiled, the NBA's is easily the most star-studded. The list of players who played well into their 40s is decked out with Hall of Famers, All-Rookie players, and NBA Champions, a feat that few on our other lists can manage. Those who have the longevity and endurance to...Read more...