The New York Mets have been the story in baseball this week. For once, it’s not bad news.The famed McDonald’s mascot, Grimace, did not have his birthday celebrated with a milkshake this year. That’s likely due to the viral nature of last year’s promotion, which took the internet by storm for all the wrong reasons.Instead, the mascot celebrated his birth month by throwing out a ceremonial first pitch at Citi Field on June 12 before the Mets faced the Miami Marlins. Since that moment, the Mets are 7-0. They’ve won eight of their last 10 games, including a win over the World Series champion Texas Rangers.Out of nowhere, the Mets are one of baseball’s hottest teams. And it’s all thanks to Grimace.This first pitch was a local promotion, not orchestrated by the national McDonald&…
What's coming up in the world of minor league baseball … we proudly present you with Rick Chandler's Minor Enterprise! Does it seem as if Stubby Clapp Day is getting more and more commercialized every year? It used to be all about Stubby Clapp; the former Memphis Redbirds infielder who holds four franchise records. But now it's just about the presents. No other Memphis Redbird has worn No. 10 since Clapp left. In his four years in Memphis, Clapp hit .269 with 87 doubles, 19 triples, 222 walks and 258 runs scored. He holds the career records for doubles, triples, walks and runs. Following the game between Memphis and Omaha there will be an on-field ceremony to retire Clapp's jersey. Fireworks will follow the ceremony. To buy your Stubby 10 Pack or to purchase remai…
Some people are fans of the Arizona Cardinals. But many, many more people are NOT fans of the Arizona Cardinals. This 2019 Deadspin NFL team preview is for those in the latter group. Read all the previews so far here. Your team: Arizona Cardinals Your 2018 record: 3-13. Not bowl eligible. Outscored by a total of 200 points across 16 games. Even the Jaguars outscored these humps. How’d the Cardinals manage it? Well, dear reader, STRAP IN and I’ll tell you the tale of this broken down cheeseburger egg roll caravan out in the desert… First off, they signed the pile of discarded sandwich crusts that is Sam Bradford to a deal with $15 million guaranteed and released him in the middle of the season. They also signed Brad Johnson neck transplant recipient Mike Glennon to a deal and lat…
As anyone in media will be quick to tell you, this has been one long, grueling election. We’ve seen pope feuds, rigged podiums, and Ted Cruz’s innards. But for all its scandal and intrigue, this election has been largely devoid of one thing in particular: Motherfucking answers. In my time covering the various (largely Republican) campaigns for Gawker and, later, Deadspin, I’ve often sought comment from campaign spokespersons or Jeb. Sometimes, I’d get my answer. Usually, I would not. Were my questions occasionally blatant traps that offered no good solutions? I don’t know, maybe. Do the American people deserve The Truth regardless? Undoubtedly yes. In the spirit of transparency and justice, here are all the questions the 2016 campaigns were too afraid to answer. There’s…
Some people are fans of the Buffalo Bills. But many, many more people are NOT fans of the Buffalo Bills. This 2013 Deadspin NFL team preview is for those in the latter group. Read all the 2013 NFL previews so far right here. Your team: Buffalo Bills Your 2012 record: 6-10 after a 2-1 start. Every year, the Bills win one game early, and that one win—even if it's against a shitty opponent—is enough to turn every dumbfuck Bills fan into Ron Jaworski. I TELL YOU WHAT I REALLY LIKE THE BUFFALO BILLS I THINK THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO BE AN OUTSTANDING TEAM IN THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE. It takes virtually nothing to sucker these people in. They are the lab rat that keeps getting shocked by the electrified cheese. Your coach: Doug Marrone, who went 25-25 as the head coach of Syrac…
Greetings, Olympic fanboys! Or should I say … TOP OF THE OLYMPICS TO YE?!! The London Olympics are here at long last, and I think we're all excited for 16 days of corrupt amateur sports, monumentally wasteful publicly funded infrastructure, and totalitarian branding guidelines. Also, I'm told there will be gratuitous shots of the Middleton sisters. So let's pack up our kit (that's what people in England say instead of "clothes"), put some salad on our sandwiches (that's what people in England say instead of "lettuce"), and wash down a pint (that's what people in England say instead of "bukkake session"). It's time for us to spend an afternoon saying hateful, vile, repugnant things about these Olympics, because the Olympics…
We thought it would happen during last year's playoffs, but in the wake of a high-profile loss to the Red Sox last night, Indians fans have finally had enough: They're ready to take Joe Borowski out to the woodshed and, you know, do whatever you do to people behind the woodshed. Over at Clevescene, they're keeping their head about this whole thing. Here's their reaction to last night's game: Theiona diaevion aeionfvaewoivna!!!?!? Lidsj navienvae!! Hiag!!?@! Ghai;oehg!! $#&%*#&%!! Dihweof weonaweovi oeivna!!
Roughly translated: F*#k!!!!!! To be fair, anytime Borowski successfully saves a game, nobody notices; it's the blown saves that inspire the overheated reaction. (If the Tigers could ever win, Todd Jones would be going through the same thing…
data-mm-id=”_exewkb9wb”>Keith Law is a senior baseball writer at The Athletic. After becoming a huge part of ESPN's baseball coverage over the last decade, he joined The Athletic in January of this year. His scouting pieces, draft coverage and Top 100 Prospects list are all must-reads for baseball fans. This week I caught up with Keith to discuss his move and how his job has changed under quarantine. We also chatted about his new book The Inside Game, which explores cognitive biases through the lens of baseball. What was it about The Athletic that made it an attractive destination at this point in your career?The chance to do some different things, some different kinds of writing. To expand beyond being maybe just a prospect guy. I like what I do, I don't want to give that up…
data-mm-id=”_tdl60mwm9″>Dana White and the UFC may have already set their sights on the next fight card they will try to promote. Unsurprisingly, it is their next scheduled pay-per-view, UFC 250 on May 9th. Brent Okamoto floated the date on Get Up this morning. "May 9th … it's optimistic, but it's feasible."@bokamotoESPN on a possible return for UFC. pic.twitter.com/agRZ2n2tb1— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) April 10, 2020The fight was scheduled to take place in Sao Paolo, Brazil, but with most of the world shutting down for COVID-19, if it does take place, it will have to happen on the secretive Fight Island where Dana White is currently building an "infrastructure." White insisted on going forward with the UFC's schedule as scheduled, coronavirus be damned…
data-mm-id=”_nbak9ezrt”>James Harden's resume as a top-five player in this league is very strong. This year will mark the third year in a row he's led the league in scoring, a feat very few have accomplished before him. He has an MVP trophy. He has put up ridiculous statistics of all kinds, from 60-point games to triple-doubles left and right. Yet, time after time, Harden has come up short in the playoffs. There are plenty of reasons why. He isn't gifted whistles like in the regular season and has to scratch and claw for the plentiful amount of free throw attempts he usually enjoys. But the main reason Harden has come up short down the stretch is relatively simple, but still very impactful: he gets tired. The man has posted historic usage rates in every season since Mike…