Sports thoughts

Ethical quandary: Why do we make sports predictions and what are they supposed to prove anyway?

SB50 predictionPrediction accountability is important. I’m borrowing a phrase here from Eric Single, my coworker at SI. For him it’s sort of like a catchphrase, as a quick Twitter search shows. Although I think he’s half-kidding.

Predictions are a staple in sports media. They’re in newspapers, magazines, websites, pre-game shows, podcasts and everywhere else. Whether you’re a reporter, analyst, writer, commentator, studio host or fan on Twitter, you make predictions. Read the whole post

Happy New Year: Breaking down the 2016 Phillies wall calendar

2016 Phillies CalendarMy Phillies wall calendar arrived in the mail on Thursday.  This is an annual tradition, one of the perks of renewing my Sunday season ticket plan.

I’m sure this used to be an easier exercise for the Phillies’ marketing staff.  Utley!  Rollins!  Howard [when he was popular]!  Several really good pitchers!

Now… it’s a little harder to string together 12 solid months of players who fans will be excited to see as they flip through the year. Read the whole post

Ten years after Super Bowl 39

SB39The Super Bowl was five days ago, so you’re probably sick of reading about quarterback legacies and all the exhausting debates that go with them.

But today happens to be February 6, 2015— the 10 year anniversary of the Eagles and Patriots meeting in Super Bowl XXIX.

Since I already took one deep dive into a game from that season, when I wrote about the 10-year anniversary of Week 1 for The 700 Level in September, why not end the season the same way? Read the whole post