MLB standings 2021: Updated playoff bracket, magic numbers as of
The 2021 MLB season is rapidly winding down, and as it nears its finish several postseason races have drawn most of the focus. All but one of the divisional races are locked up. The Giants have quietly been the best team in baseball for most of the season, yet find themselves holding off an incredibly talented Dodgers…
Glanville: As a Black broadcaster, how would I respond to
The news cycle has moved on, and the three teams advancing to the championship series and an impending Game 5 between the Dodgers and Giants should be the most important stories in Major League Baseball's postseason. But over the past several days, I have found myself balancing my passion and my profession, sorting out the…
I’ve had it with relievers
Relief pitchers. Who needs them?Photo: Getty ImagesMaybe I’ve rebelled against getting older as long as I can, and I’m coming to accept the hair growing out of my ears combined with the opinions that something in a modern sport isn’t as good as I remember. It’s weird, because I don’t remember having any attachment to…
NHL 2021-22 breakdown: Key dates, divisions and more on upcoming
In the blink of an eye, the NHL is back in action. The 2021 season ended July 7 when the Lightning won the Stanley Cup; now, the 2021-22 season is just around the corner. As the preseason kicks into high gear and teams shake off the rust, all the key dates are starting to form. While the…
So is Christian Yelich dead?
It’s been quite a tumble for the former MVP.Image: Getty ImagesThe Milwaukee Brewers, probably the playoff team that everyone thought about the least, bit the dust yesterday in a fashion befitting a team that most didn’t realize were even there. They scored six runs across four games, got shutout twice, and while maybe not quite…
Remember Ray Fosse for the good man, catcher and broadcaster
Illustration: APA word on the passing of A’s broadcaster Ray Fosse, who died from cancer last night.He was 74.The A’s have always been my second-favorite team, or were until this new stadium/Vegas nonsense made it as distasteful as being a supporter of any other team. I was at an age where the unkempt nature of…
Dominique Wilkins is owed an apology and the only asterisk
The Human Highlight Reel deserves to be named one of the 75 greatest players in NBA history.Image: Getty ImagesDominique Wilkins is owed apologies from a lot of you people. That restaurant in Buckhead apologized for not seating him because of his attire, but that deserved a joint apology from the restaurant community in metro Atlanta…
Which NFL teams are most, least analytics-advanced? We surveyed 22
The Cleveland Browns have taken over the title of the NFL's analytically advanced franchise from a division rival.When we surveyed analytics staffers across the league a year ago, they voted the Baltimore Ravens as the most analytically advanced -- defined by a combination of the level of data-driven work produced and the degree to which…
Book excerpt: Tom Brady’s bumpy ride to the top and
Editor's note: On Oct. 12, ESPN senior writer Seth Wickersham's book, "It's Better To Be Feared," will be published. This condensed excerpt is from the chapters documenting the bumpy ride New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had to the top -- and the man who believed in him from day one but never got to…
Soccer’s biggest clubs offer U
Barcelona are one of many top clubs with academies or developmental relationships in the United States. The goal? Unearthing the next soccer gem. Courtesy of Barcelona residency academyFALLS CHURCH, Va. -- Yurem Linares arrived with his father moments before soccer practice. He walked up a steep dirt path to the field, past an overflowing trash can…