Deadspin > Sports News Without Fear, Favor or Compromise

You know we’re nearing peak NBA midseason slog when teams resort to parlor tricks to attract fans and viewers. Case and point: The San Antonio Spurs hosted a game at the Alamodome on Friday that broke the NBA attendance record.Read more...

The San Francisco 49ers have a long road ahead of them if they want to win their first Super Bowl since 1995. Not necessarily because they’re going to face a lot of strong competition — the NFC is rather weak this year — but because they have to win four straight games with 2022's Mr. Irrelevant under center. Leading…Read more...

Social media combined with name, image, and likeness (NIL) has changed college athletics forever. That’s been a given since NIL was made available to student-athletes starting in July 2021. Athletes’ influence on social media has only gained more traction over the years as platforms lean into those with large…Read more...

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There’s been a ton of chatter this week about who’s on upset alert, and most of that talk has surrounded two NFC teams prone to losing in the most extravagant ways possible when it comes to the playoffs. The Dallas Cowboys and the Minnesota Vikings are 2.5- and 3-point favorites, respectively, in matchups against the …Read more...

Both North Carolina’s and Kentucky’s men’s basketball teams have already lost six games this season. Two of the college basketball’s blueblood programs are struggling, and the NCAA Tournament might not be in the cards for them — but it’s not like this hasn’t happened before.

Automatic strike zones, or ABS, or Robo-umps, have been the Valhalla for a certain section of baseball fans (one I happen to be a part of). Watching Angel Hernandez or Doug Eddings try and guess where the strike zone is today and then acting like the world’s biggest ass-boil when anyone points out that they shouldn’t…Read more...

The NFL postseason is upon us, and as usual, anything can happen when it’s, win or go home. This year’s AFC field feels like a three-team race, while the NFC looks pretty open. Some teams don’t have a great shot, but it’s always fun to play matchmaker and look at the most exciting potential Super Bowl matchups.Read more...

The NFL didn’t actually mess this one up. My apologies for bracing for impact on anything the league does these days, especially when it involves Buffalo. The league announced that a possible AFC Championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills would happen at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The…Read more...

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Thursday night’s playoff rematch between the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets will be like many big-time NBA regular-season matchups — incomplete.

So, it looks, feels, and now sounds like Derek Carr is officially done with the Raiders organization. Carr has been a big part of Raider Nation since entering the NFL in 2014. Carr was benched to end the season, and just days after the 2022 campaign ended, he posted what can only be categorized as a “farewell” tweet…Read more...

The MLS season always comes out of the weeds in a surprise fashion, mostly due to its placing its start right when the business end of the European season begins (Champions League knockout rounds, closing stages of domestic seasons, etc.). It’s only 44 days until MLS starts its season, and though the league always…Read more...

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Is it at all surprising that a more difficult entry point for Thursday Night Football games led to a drop in ratings? With the news that Amazon had to compensate advertisers because it didn’t meet the expected viewership numbers, it might be time to ask: How suitable is the streaming model for live sports?

Two former ESPN employees, reporter Allison Williams and producer Beth Faber, are suing the Worldwide Leader. Usually, when something like this happens, there’s some salacious accusation at its core. However, some lawsuits are so frivolous they’re clearly a cry for attention.

You know what’s more impressive than surpassing your season expectations? How about surpassing them with one fewer game than the rest of the league? Prior to the current NFL season, most sportsbooks listed the Bengals projected win total at 9.5, while the Bills were listed at 11.5. They ended the season with 12 and 13…Read more...

We now have video evidence of why no NFL teams were willing to sign Odell Beckham Jr. to a late-season contract. Dallas, New York, Los Angeles, etc. all passed on the mercurial wide receiver. What team would ever sign him after such deplorable behavior? Being removed from a plane crosses the line of human decency, and…Read more...

Soon-to-be former Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren is expected to take over as CEO and president of the Chicago Bears, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The move comes amid a rebuild with the team finishing the year 3-14, and landing the No. 1 pick in the draft. This is a vital stretch for the Bears as they…Read more...

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When the Houston Texans fired Lovie Smith on Monday after only a year on the job, the sorriest franchise in the NFL was following the same script from last year when they fired David Culley after one season. The last three men to have the title of “coach” within that organization have all been Black — and all three…Read more...

The relationship between the Miami Heat and failed crypto company FTX is closer to over, as the latter asked a bankruptcy judge to end its sponsorship of the NBA franchise’s arena. FTX filed for bankruptcy in November, and its CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried — who is charged with fraud, money laundering, and campaign finance…Read more...

It was such a perfect setting for Mercedes Moné, the former Sasha Banks, to arrive on AEW Dynamite last night. It’s not that Tony Khan could have possibly known ahead of time that the previous night, WWE would be awash in rumors and reports that they were selling to the Saudi PIF (later denied, though definitely with…Read more...

A Tuesday night Twitter storm gave way to endless speculation that WWE would be sold to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. It whipped professional wrestling fans into a frenzy, nearly blinding them to the denial that a sale had been completed by several prominent figures in wrestling media. The strangest part of…Read more...

For those who had questions about why Naomi Osaka dropped out of the Australian Open, or if she still cares about being a professional tennis player, you just got your answer.

Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most dominant NBA players to step on the hardwood. A four-time champion, three-time Finals MVP, and regular season MVP, Shaq is in many people’s top 10 all-time. The big Shaqtus is also known for being a total goofball. O’Neal was in quite the joking mood Tuesday night on TNT and debuted…Read more...

There’s an increasing trend of people in power, mostly white men, using cancel culture as a rallying cry to garner support for whatever their cause may be. Indianapolis Colts GM Chris Ballard said he didn’t want to be “canceled” because he “failed” the organization, and banned NWSL coach Paul Riley offered up “woke,…Read more...

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Well, it was more than just Scott Boras using Jon Heyman as a puppet (though one suspects Boras enjoys doing that whenever he can, whether it’s a tactic or an actual leak or just a guy playing with his toys). Carlos Correa didn’t want anything to do with the Mets’ NFL contract offer after his original deal with them…Read more...

It’s difficult to out-blowhard Skip Bayless. The internet troll come to life had a searing Damar Hamlin take the night of the young Buffalo Bills’ cardiac arrest, but as is the case in the online age, it didn’t take long for someone to hand Bayless their beer to hold. Enter Larry Johnson, the former Chiefs running…Read more...

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Sixty-eight quarterbacks started at least one game in 2022. That’s a list that includes signal-callers like Mike “F’n” White, David Blough, Trace McSorley, Skylar Thompson, Desmond Ridder, Jarett Stidham... and “Mr. Irrelevant” Brock Purdy.Read more...

Unlike Davante Adams, DeAndre Hopkins has had enough. Following a tumultuous year on the Arizona Cardinals that he’d probably prefer to expunge from his record, Hopkins wants a fresh start. This offseason, Arizona’s All-Pro is expected to demand a trade out of the undetermined level of Hell that has been his Arizona…Read more...

Whatever happens with Lamar Jackson’s contract, don’t blame it on him not having an agent, especially after Roquan Smith’s new deal.

It’s funny how life works sometimes. One minute you’re a nine-year-old kid who becomes a social media meme for giving the stink eye to a camera at Popeyes, the next, you’re a college freshman signing a name image and likeness deal with the same fast-food chain that made you famous. Thus, the full circle moment has…Read more...

Even if the egregious quartet of Paul Riley (pictured), Richie Burke, Christy Holly, and Rory Dames never would’ve coached American professional soccer again after their despicable actions towards individual players and teams became widely known, making the official move to ban the foursome from the National Women’s…Read more...

The Chicago Bears have an opportunity to make the king of all shrewd football decisions this offseason, and I’m not talking about replacing Justin Fields. No, no, no. What I’m offering is much more… drastic. Chicago is as well positioned as any rebuilding team, and there’s one coach who’s basically up for auction as…Read more...

If Vince McMahon has indeed sold WWE to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, well, that’s something every wrestling fan knew could happen for a while. Though no deal has yet been officially confirmed or even addressed, it’s always been a distant buzz in the ether. Rumors of a sale of the company have been louder,…Read more...

Someone should have told the designers of SoFi Stadium that “It never rains in Southern California,” by Tony! Toni! Toné!, was not meant to be taken literally. Sadly, that didn’t happen before the college football national championship.

Relax. The Golden State Warriors are fine despite their apparent demise, which has been declared by a particular sector of the NBA community. A sluggish start to the season, coupled with a Steph Curry injury that caused him to miss 11 games, is part of the reason some fans and media personalities had all but written…Read more...

The Los Angeles Clippers are a bifurcated roster. Without one or both of their wings, they are in a steep nosedive. There are three different incarnations of Ty Lue’s rotation. The Kawhi Leonard Clippers are almost mechanical in their execution as the two-time champion keys the offense. Paul George’s Clippers are the…Read more...

Just one month ago, two-time All-Star Carlos Correa was a San Francisco Giant. After a few medical examinations from Giants’ staff, the team couldn’t bring themselves to give Correa the 13-year, $350 million contract they’d agreed upon. Instantly, Correa was snatched up by the New York Mets, who offered a similar…Read more...

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The Dallas Cowboys ended the 2022 regular season the same way it began — with a loss. After dropping their Week 18 matchup to the Washington Commanders, the Cowboys get a rematch with the team who gave them a Week 1 thrashing — the Tampa Bay Buccaneers led by Tom Brady aka Father Time. The 45-year-old future Hall of…Read more...

The NFL regular season has ended, and while there was lots of excitement and big plays from these gladiators, there were also plenty of decisions worthy of being called flops that happened throughout the year. From coaching decisions and offseason moves to questionable calls by medical staff, this National Football…Read more...

After CM Punk did his professional impression of the Hindenburg, Ace Steel reportedly bit Kenny Omega, and whispers of the alleged backstage brawl after All Elite Wrestling’s All Out started to percolate, Sean Ross Sapp knew he wasn’t sleeping much for the next few days. Rarely did a professional wrestling story from…Read more...

To show how unlikely TCU’s run to the College Football Playoff was, at 200-1 odds to begin the season, it’s worth a look at which teams currently have those same chances to be 60 minutes from lifting a national championship a year from now. According to BetOnline.ag, six teams have +20000 chances to be the 2023 kings…Read more...

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On New Year’s Eve, Georgia experienced — for the first time all season — how hard it can be to repeat as National Champions. On Monday night, the atmospheric river that dumped rain all day on Southern California may have been more of an obstacle for the Bulldogs than TCU was.

The 2022 NFL season has ended, and it was a wild one full of triumphs and disappointment. Now, let’s look at the final powerless ranking of this NFL season.