RIP Grantland

Farewell, Old Friend

Well… I wouldn’t say “old” per se, after all, Grantland was a website that lasted as long as my high school tenure (4 years).

Since it is a site that so many enjoyed, it is time for a brief eulogy.

ESPN is shutting down Grantland, a website founded by former employee Bill Simmons as a platform for long-form sports journalism. Grantland quickly expanded to include pop culture and current events and was the home of some great writing talent.

We saw the writing on the wall:

1. ESPN cut ties with Bill Simmons 5 months ago
2. A lot of the writers left with Bill Simmons
3. ESPN cut 350 jobs very recently

With these cuts comes the loss of a website that I ready quite frequently, and I know a lot of friends of mine do, too! Besides people who are losing their jobs (ESPN will honor Grantland staff writer contracts if they are related to sports only), the real loss here is a platform for longform journalism on the Web.

Grantland was named for named 20^th century sportswriter Grantland Rice. He was best known for his elegant pros and time spent writing and broadcasting on the radio.

Let’s not say that Grantland failed. Because that would not be true. It was given a poor chance by ESPN to succeed. The site started as a special project, headed up by Bill Simmons. Expectations were not that high. Writers such as Wesley Morris, Zach Lowe, Katie Baker, Andy Greenwald, and Alex Pappademas were some of my favorites. Rembert Browne’s story from the front lines of Ferguson was fantastic.  So many other stories stood out to me, and I would take the time to read. People would listen to the podcasts at work on in the car.

ESPN fired Bill Simmons in May 2015. Simmons did not care who he offended. ESPN did not like that. He would voice his opinion whenever and wherever and that ultimately got him fired. Simmons and his projects embraced the digital age and the Internet. They were about entertaining but in a way that was not cheap or without quality. They were edgy and fun and informative. In letting him go, Grantland’s days were numbered.

From here, I will say shame on you ESPN. The writers deserve better. Those of us who enjoy reading and listening to quality journalism deserve better.

An Optimists Guide to the Knicks 2015-2016 Season

This is based on last night’s opener…

Merry Knicksmas! This is what long-suffering Knicks fans say each year at the start of an NBA season. Why? Because people are filled with hope around the holidays. This play on words (Merry Christmas = Merry Knicksmas) represents the hope that Knicks fans have each year when the season starts. We write our letters to the white haired, bearded man (in this case Phil Jackson… not Santa Clause) and ask for him to gift us with a winning season, a playoff berth, and if we are greedy kids, a playoff run or a championship.

Enough with the holiday analogies – it is not even Halloween yet! This blog is not Wal-Mart (aka not ready for Christmas much too early. I always feel the need to explain myself.) But what I am ready for is the start of the NBA season to see what this year’s New York Knicks team can bring to the table.

The Knickerbockers opened their season last night against Jason Kidd’s Milwaukee Bucks. Last year, at the end of the season, the roster looked like that of the Albany Men’s City League… aka no one knew them. Due to draft picks, a few signings, and some trades, as well as a (hopefully) healthy Carmelo Anthony, the New, New-Look Knicks were ready to take the court.

The Knicks went on the road and beat the Bucks 122-97. They crushed a team that made the playoffs last year. This means they will be playoff bound this year… right!?

Okay, let me backpedal a little bit, but I am going to list what I think are positives about the Knicks based on what I’ve seen and what we could potentially see:

To the tune of 12 Days of Christmas… 

On the first day of Knicksmas, my team gave me to me… (Okay I am back on the holiday stuff. Sorry, not sorry!) One opening day victory!

The Bench

(One of) the keys to a successful playoff run is a good bench. The Knicks bench recently outscored starters in a scrimmage, according to sources. Last night, the Knicks bench outscored the Bucks bench in a big way. Grant, Williams, Thomas, and Galloway keep up the good work.

Carmelo Anthony

Anthony had a bad night… and they still won. A superstar wants the ball all the time (especially with the game on the line) but he still needs to make sure the basketball is shared. Carmelo Anthony and his ability to bounce back after surgery remained a concern. We will see if he improves with his next performance. He looks great and he is saying all the right things. Perhaps he can discover the chip on this shoulder and be a good teammate and maybe prove the a team can be successful with him on it.

Kristaps Porzingis

When the Knicks drafted this kid, I almost jumped ship. I mean… really guys!? I mean it was indicative of Knicks bad luck that they didn’t get a higher draft pick after having a 65 loss season. But, this is supposed to be an optimistic post, so here is my optimism. Porzingis is young. He’s 20 years old, meaning he can’t drink legally (and there’s no JR Smith to corrupt him and sneak him into nightclubs). You can coach height, and it’s America… the portion size will allow him to gain the weight he needs. Plus quality NBA trainers can help too. Porzi seems to have a personality right for New York. Perhaps Phil Jackson might know what he is doing. Let’s see how he develops.

New Additions

The Knicks didn’t get the big they wanted in free agency. So welcome Robin Lopez. What I like about Lopez is his reputation in the league as being a good character guy. Someone like that is needed in a locker room where the coach is fairly new, the team is building, and you need to get fans to buy in. More importantly, Robin Lopez wants to be and is a better defender than his twin brother Brook, who plays in Brooklyn. And any Knicks fan knows this… they need defenders. Badly. Aaron Afflalo should return soon, too. We shall see what he brings to the table as far as quality guard play along with Calderon.

Good news for New York… they play in the Eastern Conference. There are some awesome teams at the top, and then there is a lot of teams in the middle, and a lot of teams who are just really, really bad. Can the Knicks get out of the “really, really bad” category? Hey, anything is better than a 65 loss season for an 82 game schedule!

NFL Week 6 Superlatives

Most Likely To Be a Lifetime NFL Blooper

The Indianapolis Colts, mainly the play call. In their first matchup since Deflategate, a botched fake punt and a questionable play call took the air out of this game. Chuck Pagano’s status as head coach remains up in the air. (Inflate, deflate puns intended always.) The Patriots won, which we knew would happen. But not like this. Injuries have been the story of the Colts’ season. Brady’s play at quarterback has (almost) made us forget about the scandal. Good thing for Indy, the rest of the AFC South is as soft as a doctored football, so they still have a chance at making the playoffs when (and if) Luck returns.

Rex Ryan Penalty Award

This goes to the Buffalo Bills and Rex Ryan. Rex Ryan’s team was heavily penalized against the New York Giants in Week 4. It hasn’t gotten much better. They have 50 penalties in for home games. They had 8 for 93 yards against the undefeated Bengals. The Bills defense has some studs, yes, but you are putting a lot of extra pressure on them when you special teams keep on giving the opposing offenses great field position on account of penalties! Especially when you are playing a team like the Bengals where Andy Dalton is giving gingers everywhere some street cred. The Bengals are definitely for real!

All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go Award

This goes to Philip Rivers. If you take a look at this guy’s career stats, you are more than impressed! The guy puts up numbers. Yesterday, he threw for over 500 yards and zero interceptions. Yet he lost. On a goal line stance by the Packers defense. The closing moments of the 4^th quarter of that game represent Rivers career. All these stats, and nothing to show for it. Some say that the Chargers got the better end of the deal with Rivers over Eli Manning. But Manning has 2 Super Bowl rings.

Joe Falco Replacement Award

This goes to Landry Jones of the Pittsburg Steelers. (Not to be confused with Joe Flacco, the QB for the Baltimore Ravens. I am referencing the role played the Keanu Reeves in the sports comedy “The Replacements.) Big Ben goes down. Michael Vick goes down. In comes Landry Jones who leads the Steelers to victory over the Arizona Cardinals. Sure, a lot of returning players have contributed to the Steelers success. La’Veon Bell is back, and now Martavis Bryant. But if the Steelers can hang on until Big Ben comes back, they are still very much alive in the playoff hunt.

The Other “What The What” Play in Week 6

Golden Tate’s “catch” versus the Chicago Bears. This play prompted Tony Dungy to say “I don’t know what a touchdown is anymore.” We are all confused, I think. Bears fans have another reason to be frustrated, and Detroit can finally add a win to their season.

Pull Ups “I’m a Big Kid Now” Award

This one goes to the Carolina Panthers. They remain undefeated this season, and I think the win against the Seattle Seahawks showed that these guys are for real. Cam Newton and his maturity have been questioned. I took the Carolina Panthers defense for my fantasy football team this year, and they have been more than okay on several occasions – especially with the return of Luke Kuechly. And Josh Norman is a very good player! Also, it is important to point out that the Seahawks defense has shown vulnerability on several occasions this year! We will see, though, how they finish out the season. Last year, they finished strong and made the Super Bowl for the second straight year.