Remember this time a year ago when all we had to wager on was the NFL Draft? Oh sure, there were also some obscure soccer leagues (somehow) still running, emanating from the likes of Belarus and Nicaragua. Table tennis became big, too. But none of that came close to touching the intrigue and theatrics of a virtual draft. With this unique format came an endless list of possible bets to make, from the over/under on how many cats and dogs would be present to the type of alcohol — if any — that’d be consumed. This year will present a much closer return to the normal routine, one that at least has Roger Goodell back on a stage greeting a dozen or so of draftees that will be in attendance. It’s a far contrast from when The Commish was sunk deep into his comfy basement recliner, read…
The Portland Timbers extended midfielder Santiago Moreno's contract through the 2026 season. The deal announced Friday with the 23-year-old Colombia international includes a 2027 club option. Moreno tallied 10 goals and 21 assists in 78 MLS matches (60 starts) with the Timbers from 2021-23. "Santi has become an influential component of our attack since joining Portland as a young player a few years ago. He has taken necessary steps in his maturation on and off the field, which has been vital for his growth," general manager Ned Grabavoy said. "Santi has the capability to continue to raise his level, and we're excited to see him become an even more significant contributor with our group moving forward." Moreno led Portland with a career-high nine assists …
Top-ranked UConn remains unbeaten at home and can stretch its winning streak to eight games when the Huskies return from an extended breather eyeing a season sweep of Xavier in Storrs, Conn., on Saturday. The Huskies (17-2, 7-1 Big East) are 10-0 at home and 2-0 since they moved into the No. 1 spot in the Top 25 poll. They already have a win over Xavier this season with the rematch here only 17 days later. UConn's most recent win was last week in it's latest application of their own version of Newton's Law. When shots go up for Tristen Newton lately, they're almost certainly going down. He is coming off of his fourth 20-point game this season. He tallied 25 points in the 66-65 win at Villanova, his second-highest output of the season (31 vs. Kansas). Newton and C…
In the aftermath of last year's Boston Marathon attacks, the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) was faced with—among other, more serious problems—a pair of logistical issues. It had to consider how to provide the nearly 6,000 runners who were unable to finish the 2013 race with an opportunity to qualify for this year's race; it also had to decide how to treat their missing finish times, which were of real significance to the people who had an opportunity to fulfill a dream taken from them. Ultimately, all runners who completed the first half of the race but did not finish (DNF) received automatic entries. The BAA also pledged to provide official finish times for every runner who was still on the course when the race was halted, and made this a priority. I was a part of team…
For many years, prior to the Oscar nominations, the boy from Mattoon and his friend Tim put on their Ebert t-shirts and run down their personal best movies of the year. It's cute. Sometimes I chime in. My list is below. 10. The Third Rail, directed by Jackson Rake-Bartholmew. 2012 was a big year for films determined to spark public discourse about controversial topics, with somewhat mixed results. We started the year with Danish filmmaker Acthon Guntz's startling look at Germany's occupation of Budapest (Te Egy Zsidó?), which featured that now-famous bathtub scissor fight. It did big numbers at the box office, but critics were turned off by its length (323 minutes!) and its garish 3-D effects. Then there was outlaw director Miko Toklikis' bold documentary about be…
Have you heard? It's Sexy Saturday here at Deadspin. While it's not quite as down and dirty as Kenny Britt's Instagram post, here we have a picture of someone receiving oral sex from another someone, posted to former Lakers forward Devin Ebanks's twitter account. Once again, this is a penis-in-mouth situation, which is obviously NSFW. Ebanks deleted the tweet and said he was hacked. Hopefully, that's it for Sexy Saturday. There is always Sunday, though. Top image via …
data-mm-id=”_s44juvlpw”>The New York Jets have not fired Adam Gase yet, but the team is currently 1-7 and on pace to finish with their worst record since Rich Kotite was coach. Neither Todd Bowles or Eric Mangini ever won fewer than four games in a season with the Jets. This season seems unsurvivable for Gase. So where will the Jetropolitans turn next? Here are five candidates. 1. Mike McCarthyDylan Buell/Getty ImagesMike McCarthy interviewed with the Jets before they landed on Adam Gase so he's currently doing a gap year, possibly detoxing from a decade-long cheese addiction. If the Jets want a coach who has actually won a Super Bowl, they better hurry because McCarthy could end up on a lot of GM wishlists this holiday season.2. Eric BieniemyIndianapolis Colts vs Kansas City Chi…
data-mm-id=”_napk6q9ju”>The Jacksonville Jaguars have announce they will play two regular season games in London in 2020, as owner Shad Khan continues his fascination with taking his team outside the United States. While the Jaguars claim moving two games out of the country is actually good for Jacksonville, it's clear the opposite is true. Trey Wingo reported that a Jaguars official told him London games bring twice as much revenue than a regular home game and that the franchise would put that money into improving the gameday experience for fans in Jacksonville. Spoke to a @Jaguars source today who wanted to make it clear: The extra London game is about maximizing revenue which goes toward building a top of the line downtown stadium experience in Jacksonville long term— trey w…
data-mm-id=”_z2w0esan1″>Whether on the field or during interviews, Justin Herbert has never come across as a fiery type of guy. Stoic, serene and affable better describe the man who was born, raised and became famous in Oregon, an environmentally-focused state known to value those characteristics more than machismo and bravado. Yet, while Herbert seems to personify his state in so many ways, his personality doesn't necessarily fit what all NFL franchises seek in a leader under center. Tom Brady's in-your-face demeanor or Patrick Mahomes' inexorable passion are more prevalent characteristics of what coaches desire in today's NFL quarterback. For one of Brady's former coaches, Herbert's passive leadership seems to be at odds with what he's seeking. At l…
data-mm-id=”_slpgiwco9″>The MLS is Back Tournament wrapped up in Orlando earlier this week. The league has now restarted its regular season with hopes of crowning a champion in December. For now though, it's back to home markets to play in front of mostly empty stadiums. There will be limited capacity at some games, based on the advice of local health officials. That's why there were less than 3,000 fans in attendance for Wednesday night's match between between FC Dallas and Nashville SC.And thus, Dallas soccer fans became the first American sports fans to boo players for kneeling during the national anthem since Black Lives Matter protests were reignited following the killing of George Floyd. Players were not pleased. Via ESPN:””You can’t even have support from your own…