Deadspin > Sports News Without Fear, Favor or Compromise

It obviously seems way too simple to distill the NLCS that kicks off tonight between the Phillies and Padres as two teams that just traded for or signed a bunch of good players. It’s a damning statement on where MLB is at the moment that this seems such a radical fucking idea. It’s the easiest thing to conclude that…Read more...

Last season we did our weekly rookie quarterback tracker, but with only one taken in the first round of 2022, we’ve moved onto another highly coveted position. For 2022 we’ll keep track of all six first-round wide receivers and their progress throughout the year. Some of our first-round rookies are already off to the…Read more...

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They say, “out of sight, out of mind.” Thankfully, that hasn’t been the case for Brittney Griner, largely due to her wife and the women of the WNBA.Read more...

When Montrell Washington muffed that punt with just over five minutes remaining in overtime, here’s what Troy Aikman had to say about the Denver Broncos:Read more...

It’s time to check in on the teams that can’t get out of their own way. The first few weeks of the 2022 NFL season have been somewhat unpredictable, but there are always a few teams we expect to disappoint their fanbases. Now let’s get into the Powerless Ranking for Week 6.Read more...

As a Bears fan, I can’t help but grin at the plight of the Denver Broncos on national TV. See, it can happen to someone else! The Broncos have been on an island game already four times this season, and there are three more to go. And in every game, they’ve been awful. To be clear, they’ve been awful all season, but…Read more...

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They’ve lost three consecutive games, all by double digits. A team that was supposed to have an outside shot at the playoffs in a weak NFC South, currently is the frontrunner for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Bryce Young sweepstakes may not be the international story of the NBA’s for Victor…Read more...

Last season, as Real Madrid went on their bloodless procession to both La Liga and Champions League title, those of us who aren’t decked out in white could console ourselves in the fact that sometimes, there are things you just can’t help. Their league triumph was due to the fact that Barcelona had become the biggest…Read more...

The Cardinals got scooped by a bigger bird when the Seattle Seahawks’ 32nd-ranked defense held Arizona out of the end zone. In Arizona’s 19-9 defeat, quarterback Kyler Murray threw for fewer than 300 yards for a third consecutive week. Murray’s contract extension has been the subject of endless scrutiny and mockery in…Read more...

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Todd Bowles has forgotten where he came from — and who he is. Hopefully, Sunday’s loss from Mike Tomin (and Brian Flores) helped him remember.Read more...

Having no love for the Dodgers (I was threatened with far too many stabbings in the Dodger Stadium upper deck at an impressionable age to get over it), I certainly am gleaning at least a modicum of joy over their fans’ wailing about seeing a 111-win team eat it at the first hurdle in the postseason. Yeah, the playoffs…Read more...

Cooper Rush’s fairy tale story ground to a halt Sunday Night, minus the Hollywood ending. In this rivalry game, the Philadelphia Eagles took care of the Dallas Cowboys, 26-17, and exposed Rush as the undrafted backup quarterback he’s always been.

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Even before another wildly impressive Patrick Mahomes vs. Josh Allen showcase, it was clear that Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are no longer the featured performers at quarterback in the NFL.Read more...

Happy spooky season to all of you with pumpkin emojis in your social media names. May your costumes get you all of the likes, loves, eye emojis, and finally noticed by your crush.

Surely many of you believe that Kansas City Chiefs vs. Buffalo Bills should’ve been the Sunday Night Football matchup. It’s arguably the two best players and best teams in the league, played in front of a crowd that would be worked up into a lather no matter the weather.

The past 24 hours or so have been filled with shrieking referendums on the MLB playoffs and its structure. Not that this structure is really all that different from what came before. But the hope, expressed by yours truly as well, was that making the lower-seeded teams play one or two more games before even getting to…Read more...

The New York Jets are good.

The NBA will give everyone their first real look at the league’s rapidly transforming landscape and its latest rookie class when the regular season tips off on Tuesday, but the preseason is a window into what to expect from certain teams. Wins and losses are mostly meaningless, so don’t read into the Milwaukee Bucks…Read more...

In professional sports, it’s understood that if a team has a legitimate chance to win a championship, the front office needs to operate as if they’re in the final frame of play, and down by one score.

The city of Philadelphia is rocking right now, and quite frankly, it’s a little sickening. Their beloved Phillies advanced to the NLCS Saturday night for the first time since 2010. The Eagles are the lone standing undefeated team in the NFL entering Week 6, and of course, the NBA is gearing up again, and you can’t get…Read more...

Coming into the weekend, we knew at least three unbeaten programs were guaranteed to end Saturday with a smudge on their immaculate records as six perfect top 13 teams were set to face off against each other.Read more...

The USC Trojans came into this season with very high expectations, and that’s saying a lot considering their a historic program whose fans expect nothing short of a Pac-12 title and a top-10 postseason finish every year. The additions of head coach Lincoln Riley and quarterback Caleb Williams had Southern California…Read more...

There’s a bunch of traffic while you’re behind the wheel. It’s frustrating you can’t get to your destination when you want. As soon as the road opens and you see the accident causing the congestion. It gets your complete attention for a few seconds before moving on with your life. That’s the scenario that’ll play out…Read more...

The New York Giants have shocked the NFL world through five weeks, going 4-1 with wins against teams like the Tennessee Titans (3-2) and Green Bay Packers (3-2) to boot. Still, despite their impressive record, the Giants are viewed in a mostly negative light by the NFL elite. The G-Men head into their Week 6 matchup…Read more...

The Philadelphia Eagles are tied for the ninth most difficult remaining strength of schedule in terms of combined winning percentage, with their remaining opponents a combined .533. That looks tough on paper, but when you read between the lines, it looks like Philly could run away with the top seed in the NFC.

The Philadelphia Eagles are tied for the ninth most difficult remaining strength of schedule in terms of combined winning percentage, with their remaining opponents a combined .533. That looks tough on paper, but when you read between the lines, it looks like Philly could run away with the top seed in the NFC.

As the now-Commanders acquired Carson Wentz to be its next quarterback after three decades of unsuccessful options — none lasting more than three seasons as Washington’s primary starter — the fan base just sighed. Wentz was never going to be the guy. He looks like Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf on back-to-back plays and…Read more...

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The Dodgers, Braves, and Yankees combined to win 311 regular season games over the course of the regular season, but the playoffs have been a beautiful disaster so far. Mid-’90s alternative rock references notwithstanding, all three clubs received first-round byes, and only New York isn’t on the brink of elimination —…Read more...

This year more than others in recent memory seems to have a lot of standout teams. It feels like the top 10 squads have evaded missteps that they might normally fall prey to. We saw the Tide escape against Texas A&M, Georgia overcome a brain fart against Mizzou, USC barely get by Oregon State, the Vols survive OT…Read more...

What do athletes, politicians, and celebrities all have in common?Read more...

It’d been about a month since Cleveland Browns fans decided to mock the victims of Deshaun Watson’s alleged sexual misconduct before their home opener. And his 11-game suspension is about half over. But Watson is facing more trouble after another civil lawsuit was filed against against him Thursday night, this one…Read more...

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Sam Presti is lucky he’s in Oklahoma City. He would be held accountable for his screwups if he were in charge of a larger market franchise with a longer-tenured and demanding fanbase. But, before we tackle those, Presti has proven to be one of the best judges of talent and character. He has crushed most of his…Read more...

The criticisms against Lamar Jackson are exhausting at this point. The Ravens defeated the Bengals on Sunday Night Football, and like clockwork, Matt Hasselback was on SportsCenter afterward talking about how Jackson has to improve as a pocket passer.Read more...

The first half of last night’s primetime game between the Washington Commanders and Chicago Bears was horrendously boring. The snooze fest that was Thursday Night Football Week 5 crept over into the first half of Week 6. Three points, seven punts, and ugly play from Bears quarterback Justin Fields.Read more...

Calling all tankers. Calling all tankers. If you are desperate to improve your chances at drafting Victor Wembanyama, there is a disgruntled guard on the Los Angeles Lakers who is on an expiring contract, and not as athletic as he used to be.

Once Clint Eastwood turned into his character from “Gran Torino” I haven’t paid as much attention to the Hollywood legend’s movies. So forgive me, I just saw “Trouble with the Curve,” and aside from more evidence that Justin Timberlake isn’t an actor, I walked away pleasantly surprised. It was a pretty harmless…Read more...

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The MLB world was a little shocked when it was announced that Correa would sign with the Minnesota Twins prior to the 2022 season. Everyone expected the former Rookie of the Year to head to a big market and compete for a World Series. Instead, he went north and signed a three-year $105 million deal with opt-out…Read more...

It’s still blackmail if it’s done in plain sight. Daniel Snyder’s alleged antics to uncover disparaging information about other league owners — and possibly NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell himself — were detailed in Thursday morning’s near-8,000-word ESPN expose written by Don Van Natta Jr., Seth Wickersham, and Tisha…Read more...

There’s a rage-inducing aspect of NBA 2K every year that makes me feel like I need to take those seminars to avoid turning into my dad. A few crazy-talented teams become fan favorites and get overused to the point of exhaustion due to sheer star power despite being middling to garbage in real life. It’s the antithesis…Read more...

This week is a real treat on Thursday Night Football, with the Washington Commanders and Chicago Bears squaring off in a battle of sub-.500 teams in prime time. It’s unclear what anybody did to deserve this, but here we are.

Champions are made of heart, grit, determination... and perhaps a little dash of pop-punk nostalgia?Read more...

Sometimes a promotion is just an extended two-week notice.Read more...

Six weeks through the College Football season, just 15 unbeaten teams remain.