Max Linsky is the editor of Longform and SportsFeat. OK, a quick word about top 10 lists: they're horseshit, of course. Totally arbitrary. Over at Longform we complied a dozen of them for our Best of 2011; in the process, we probably nixed 50 stories that were just as good as the ones that made the cut. Once you get beyond a certain quality level, it's a crapshoot. The list below, however, is even more suspect than the typical top 10. I was asked to keep it Deadspin-free, despite the fact that this site published as much amazing longform work as anyone else in 2011. So, my apologies to Alan Siegel, Katie Baker, and Luke O'Brien—your stories all deserved to make this list or be cut from it for no good reason. 1. Welcome to the Far Eastern Conference
Wells Towe…
data-mm-id=”_kat35a9y5″>Virality rules the social media world these days. It doesn't matter if it's something stupid or something important. A memorable five-second clip is more important than a year's worth of effort. Don't believe me? Just consider Tuesday night's sports coverage. In perhaps the most stunning moment of the MLB season, which started in March and is currently in its most important stage, the Tampa Bay Rays chased AL Cy Young favorite Justin Verlander after only four innings and beat the Astros, pushing the best team in baseball (based on regular-season record) to the brink of elimination with a decisive Game 5 to come on Thursday. But maybe you missed it and had no idea there was a baseball game last night. That's not surprising, because i…
data-mm-id=”_k6keyfm17″>Lamar Jackson has lit up the NFL in only his second year, leading the Ravens to the No. 1 seed in the AFC and putting together an ironclad MVP case. As a talented passer who can also juke defenders out of their shoes like he's a running back, the comparisons to Michael Vick have come hot and heavy, especially as Jackson continues to get better. The Get Up crew discussed the comparison on Thursday morning, and Dominique Foxworth said that Jackson is better at being Michael Vick than Michael Vick ever was. "Stop it. [Lamar Jackson] is better at being Michael Vick than Michael Vick was."—@Foxworth24 pic.twitter.com/tSEYYLDRTS— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) December 5, 2019"I understand why the comparison is made, but we should stop it. He's not M…
data-mm-id=”_6pd9fg3v1″>Like the rest of us, Giannis Antetokounmpo has no choice but to marvel at what LeBron James is doing this season. The young Buck said he was inspired by the 35-year-old's ability to bring it each and every night and compete with Antetokounmpo for MVP honors. It was enough to make this mid-30s sports blogger's eyes water. Finally, the younger generation is understanding the beauty of aging gracefully. Giannis on inspired by LeBron: “It’s amazing. He’s 35 and playing at a high level. He just leads the path for us. A lot of times we think that ‘Ok, we’re going to retire at 35, but seeing a guy at 35, being still top-3 best player in the world, that makes us want to be there.” pic.twitter.com/47Qf4Ixgba— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) March 5, 2…
data-mm-id=”_0gtvbvcoc”>The universal designated hitter appears set to come to Major League Baseball this season and a number of National League teams have to be thrilled at that prospect. Here's a look at the five NL teams that will benefit the most from the universal DH. Chicago CubsTwo words: Kyle Schwarber. When the Cubs selected Schwarber with the fourth pick in the 2014 MLB Draft, he was a catcher. But anyone who had watched him play at Indiana (Go Hoosiers!) knew he wasn't going to make it behind the plate in the big leagues. So Chicago tried to make him an outfielder, banking on his fairly decent athleticism relative to his size. That experiment has been a mess and has clearly impacted his ability at the plate. Schwarber's best position has always been DH. The 27…
data-mm-id=”_7eo4tevs8″>The NBA is three weeks from returning. It's quite exciting. We're used to a five-month hiatus between the final game of the NBA Finals and the first game of the following regular season. Now, less than three months will separate Game 6 of the 2020 NBA Finals and the opening of the 2020-21 regular season. More basketball is good for those who like basketball. But unfortunately, the shortened offseason is inevitably going to impact the product on the court, starting with the December 22 opening slate of games. The league announced the schedule for opening night today; the Brooklyn Nets, finally boasting both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, will take on the Golden State Warriors, while the reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers will face off against their cr…
data-mm-id=”_c8reabb7p”>LeBron James is having his usual excellent playoffs run, averaging 27.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 9 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.3 steals per game. The Lakers won their first round series against the extremely dangerous Portland Trail Blazers, 4-1, and have a 2-1 lead over the Houston Rockets.Kawhi Leonard is also playing well, averaging 29/9/5 on lower shooting percentages, and is also on a team with a 2-1 series lead. And if you thought Max Kellerman and Stephen A. Smith were going to wait a few more days until the Clippers and Lakers were officially set to face off in the Western Conference Finals before they started talking about how Kawhi rules and LeBron drools, well you're nuts. .@maxkellerman doesn't think LeBron has proven ANYTHING in the playoffs ye…
data-mm-id=”_dudpmy5kh”>The New York Jets are reportedly looking to trade running back Le'Veon Bell. Given how horrible they've been, that makes complete sense. Bell is a bad fit on the current roster. But with his big contract and history of criticizing the franchises he plays for, the Jets will struggle to find a trade partner. When Bell signed a four-year, $52 million contract ($35 million guaranteed) with the Jets back in 2019, the deal made little sense. New York was a long way from contending and making Bell the second-highest paid running back in the NFL didn't solve any of its biggest roster problems. It got even worse as Bell's relationship with coach Adam Gase deteriorated. In 2019, Bell rushed for 789 yards on 245 carries, averaging a career-low 3.2 yards…
data-mm-id=”_6t6zk2hnm”>UFC President Dana White wants people to leave Gina Carano alone. Carano has promoted anti-mask and QAnon content, conspiracies that the election was stolen from Donald Trump and put "boop/bop/beep" in her Twitter bio to mock people sharing preferred pronouns. Disney finally had enough when she compared conservatives to victims of the holocaust a few days ago. In White's opinion, "we all make mistakes." Dana White, regarding Gina Carano, says leave @ginacarano alone & calls Ariel Helwani a Douche #UFC258 pic.twitter.com/CZPcZk0nY0— Helen Yee (@HelenYeeSports) February 12, 2021While asking people to leave Carano alone, White took the opportunity to call ESPN's Ariel Helwani a "douche." White decided Helwani was a douc…
data-mm-id=”_hz7igfqqg”>Ja Morant went to Shotgun Willie's, a Denver strip club, a couple weeks ago and it might have derailed the Memphis Grizzlies entire season when he broadcast himself holding a gun on Instagram Live. While Morant and the team deal with the fallout from that video and a number of other incidents, we are learning that Morant also visited the club two nights earlier when the Grizzlies touched down in Colorado… and he was an exemplary customer. The New York Post obtained multiple images of Morant at Shotgun Willie's in the early hours of March 2nd and spoke with a number of people connected to the establishment and it sounds like that visit was much more productive than the one that ultimately got him in trouble. According to The Post, he arrived 80 minute…