It's Just Sports - Archives

So this is not the end, my friends

Sun, 31 May 2009 14:09:03 UTC

We're back, find It's Just Sports at its new home.

This is the end, my friends

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:00:16 UTC

You probably noticed the relative lack of posts last week. You also probably noticed allusions to some staffing turmoil and a half-hearted attempt to recreate the vibe we once had that ultimately flopped. Sorry. Things are just different now. The truth is, we're not sure we can do it. And rather than stick around, we feel it's best to...

The truth is, we're not sure we can do it. And rather than stick around, we feel it's best to refocus our efforts elsewhere.

Pardeep and I started the blog in September and I think we both underestimated how attached to it we would become. We also underestimated how serious a time commitment it was to post consistently, try to have fresh content every time someone may check in for a quick diversion during a normal work day and do our real jobs as well. It meant a lot of late nights sifting through news and writing a lot, taking up a good part of our spare time (I should probably apologize to my wife about that at some point ... but like I said, I don't regret much, it was fun mostly).

Our original intent was to be a laid-back, sometimes informative, sometimes funny, sometimes condescending, sometimes serious place where people could hang out and (somewhat smartly) talk about sports. As you can see, our comments section wasn't exactly a vibrant community overflowing with viewpoints, so I am not sure we succeeded on that front.

But if you enjoyed what you found here, if you took the time to read our stuff, we sincerely thank you.

Along the way, we had other writers join us here, who all bring different talents to the table. I wish I had individual blogs that I could link to where you could find more of what they have to offer. I can do that with Eric Woodyard: our Swag consultant has his own blog, Flintstones, and also contributes at SLAM online. He's damn good. Read him.

Unfortunately, other contributors to the site -- myself, Pardeep Toor, Eric Fish, Bill Marshall -- don't have other places where you can read our stuff if you are interested. Probably speaks to the fact that we were all pretty happy doing that here. Hopefully there will be places you can read the rest of us in the future.

Anyways, enough sappy stuff. If we could leave you with anything, it's this: sports are fun. The coverage of them should be fun as well. Our culture would be a lot better place if that perspective became more prevalent.

The Book and his Boss: Pat Caputo shows some skin, talks Final Four and takes an unnecessary shot at GM

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:30:43 UTC

Pretty boring this week, except for another empty promise that the Book and His Boss will become more than a weekly show and a lame joke: "$70 million? Isn't that what GM loses in a day? HA!" Weak sauce Pat. Your industry is not exactly on solid ground either. If only your videos would catch on. You could save...

Pretty boring this week, except for another empty promise that the Book and His Boss will become more than a weekly show and a lame joke: "$70 million? Isn't that what GM loses in a day? HA!"

Weak sauce Pat. Your industry is not exactly on solid ground either. If only your videos would catch on. You could save newspapers!

Can we relax about the whole Tigers/Catholics fiasco?

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:45:49 UTC

The Spot Starters: Are Catholics mad as hell at the Tigers? If so, let's have some perspective: "I'm betting this situation comes up once every 20 years or so. There are plenty of things to get upset about in the world, I just don't think this is one that people should expel a lot of anger over. Quite often there...

The Spot Starters: Are Catholics mad as hell at the Tigers? If so, let's have some perspective:

"I'm betting this situation comes up once every 20 years or so. There are plenty of things to get upset about in the world, I just don't think this is one that people should expel a lot of anger over. Quite often there are Tigers games scheduled when I would rather be doing something else. I am then faced with a decision: Should I go ahead with my personal obligation or should I watch the Tigers? I'm quite certain this happens at least a dozen times per season.
If you are someone who is deeply religious and this game is a conflict, then you have a decision to make. Plain and simple. Let's just have some fun, okay. It's a game."

Morning Links: Amir's waves, TNT's haters and get used to Mark Sanchez

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:00:31 UTC

Please subscribe to our site. We promise we won't leave. We can't quit you. Dime via Detroit Bad Boys: Amir Johnson has the tightest waves in the NBA? Andrew Sullivan: Trans-gender, testosterone and women's sports. A good explanation, but it doesn't explain Juwanna Mann. Kevin Seifert: Does anyone else have a suspicion that Mark Sanchez is going to be...

Dime Magazine says Amir has the tightest waves in the NBA. I am not equipped to assess if that is correct.

Please subscribe to our site. We promise we won't leave. We can't quit you.

Dime via Detroit Bad Boys: Amir Johnson has the tightest waves in the NBA?

Andrew Sullivan: Trans-gender, testosterone and women's sports. A good explanation, but it doesn't explain Juwanna Mann.

Kevin Seifert: Does anyone else have a suspicion that Mark Sanchez is going to be a Lion?

MLB Rumors: Former Tiger Eulogio De La Cruz, part of the Miguel Cabrera deal, was traded to the Padres.

The Starting Five: There was some Playa Haters Ball-level hating going on by the TNT crew Tuesday night.

Busted Coverage: MSU women's basketball coach Suzy Merchant was way excited Tuesday night.

We'll be back tomorrow

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:16:01 UTC

Sorry for the lack of posts this week. We hope our readers (reader?) are still out there. Tomorrow will be business as usual ... that means it's pain time again for Mitch, Rosenberg, Killer, whoever.

Silence is golden

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 17:43:16 UTC

Things will be quiet today out of respect. Keep ya heads up.

Larry Brown has the Charlotte Bobcats one game out of a playoff spot

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:30:27 UTC

Hoops Addict: Perhaps no great coach's image took as big a hit as Larry Brown's following a messy split with Detroit and then a year trying to make sense of Isiah Thomas's attempts at being a real-life Playstation GM. But he's back, and back to being the basketball scholar/junkie he seemed to be during his two years in Detroit: Ryan...

Hoops Addict: Perhaps no great coach's image took as big a hit as Larry Brown's following a messy split with Detroit and then a year trying to make sense of Isiah Thomas's attempts at being a real-life Playstation GM. But he's back, and back to being the basketball scholar/junkie he seemed to be during his two years in Detroit:

Ryan McNeill: While doing research for this game I found out that you have interest in being part of the coaching staff for France. What's the story behind that?
Larry Brown: I said I would go watch them workout and practice because I wouldn't mind learning. But Boris (Diaw) and some of the guys asked me to be involved but I don't want to interfer with their coach so it's got to be okay with him. I've spoke to him already and I told him I would help in anyway (he needed) if he wanted me. But I would have probably been over there anyway watching because I admire the way they (play). The head of their Olympic committee was the head coach in 2000 when I was in Sydney so I have a lot of respect for him.

Morning Links: Is Graham Harrell the best quarterback in the draft and is Pro Football Talk lying to us about the Mark Sanchez rumors?

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:00:42 UTC

Please subscribe to our site. We need to feed our families. Pro Football Talk: Would the Lions take Sanchez over Stafford No. 1? It is PFT, and the Wayne Fontes Experience says don't get in Mike Florio's van, no matter how much candy he says he has. The Dagger: Marquette's Lazar Hayward, perpetual line-stepper. Need4Sheed: Rodney Stuckey scores 24...

AP PhotoShould the Lions pick Graham Harrell No. 1 overall? Mike Leach thinks so.

Please subscribe to our site. We need to feed our families.

Pro Football Talk: Would the Lions take Sanchez over Stafford No. 1? It is PFT, and the Wayne Fontes Experience says don't get in Mike Florio's van, no matter how much candy he says he has.

The Dagger: Marquette's Lazar Hayward, perpetual line-stepper.

Need4Sheed: Rodney Stuckey scores 24 against his idol, Dwyane Wade. Wade scored 39. Heat win.

AP: Now Shaq Twitters at halftime. Maybe Shaq can save newspapers, since people keep saying Twitter is the future of newspapering.

Bless You Boys: Zach Miner, no longer a starting rotation candidate. Yeah, he hasn't had a great spring, but it must be demoralizing to have it announced that you are out of the mix before they have announced D-Train is out.

Fantasy Sports 911: Magglio Ordonez comes in second on the top 10 "out of nowhere fantasy baseball seasons" list.

With Leather: Mike Leach says NFL coaches are dill-holes for not seeing that Graham Harrell is the best quarterback in the draft. It's Just Sports commenter sbeezy also loves him some Graham Harrell.

Week in Review: Tyson, swag and another record for most posts in a week. Good times.

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 20:00:31 UTC

Rip Hamilton shops for some illegal goods! - watch more funny videos Rip is a funny dude We are totally seeing the Mike Tyson documentary. Bill Marshall throws down some statistical analysis on Jay Cutler, but then gets taken to Swag School by Eric Woodyard when it comes to Manny Harris and Michigan hoops. Pardeep and I argued whether...

Rip Hamilton shops for some illegal goods! - watch more funny videos

Rip is a funny dude

We are totally seeing the Mike Tyson documentary.

Bill Marshall throws down some statistical analysis on Jay Cutler, but then gets taken to Swag School by Eric Woodyard when it comes to Manny Harris and Michigan hoops.

Pardeep and I argued whether the Pistons should try and make the playoffs, or try for the lottery.

I hastily threw together some information about every team in the NCAA Tournament: Midwest, South, East, West.

Commenter of the Week:

Whether they are funny, informative or argumentative, we tried to establish an environment where people could be free from the useless noise that can often be found in comments sections on the Internet here at It's Just Sports. Like here, for example.

We learned that is wrong, however. But sadly, we did not learn in time to spare this week's winner, GunnerKK. All that's left on that post is my response to him. I would like to apologize to GunnerKK for trying to fight low-brow, poorly thought-out comments. That's my bad. Without further adieu, here is GunnerKK's winning comment:

"First!!!!!"

See you next week peeps. Be good this weekend (I'm looking at you, East Lansing kids).

Afternoon Links: Title IX, Gettin' paid and Henry Abbot shows great leadership by addressing readers' concerns

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 19:00:23 UTC

(Alex O's new celebration. Sweet. ... via Puck Daddy) Basketbawful: Introducing the Mark Jackson drinking game. I hate Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy and Hubie Brown. I'm a hater. I need silence. Hugging Harold Reynolds: Obama supports Title IX in schools. I'm not ready to talk about it yet. D.C. Sports Blog: DeAngelo Hall talks about getting paid: "I...

(Alex O's new celebration. Sweet. ... via Puck Daddy)

Basketbawful: Introducing the Mark Jackson drinking game. I hate Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy and Hubie Brown. I'm a hater. I need silence.

Hugging Harold Reynolds: Obama supports Title IX in schools. I'm not ready to talk about it yet.

D.C. Sports Blog: DeAngelo Hall talks about getting paid: "I just felt like in Oakland, there was a lot of people that hated anybody who got paid," he said. "A lot of guys resented me from the moment I walked in there. From the moment I walked in here, it was kind of a whole different vibe ... When I went to Oakland, man, I had a lot of guys on the team that was like, 'Man, I should have got paid, why'd they pay him, da da da da da.'" That was beautiful.

TrueHoop: Henry Abbott addresses complaints that his famous basketball blog all of a sudden sucks. That's the right way to do business. Newspapers, do you hear me? Transparency is a beautiful thing.

The final dagger in Reggie Miller's career is where amazing happened

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:45:06 UTC

(Yes, I'm obsessed with these commercials)

(Yes, I'm obsessed with these commercials)

Highlights of Michigan/Clemson, including Terrence Oglesby's ejection

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:15:17 UTC

Watch CBS Videos Online (via Zoner Sports)

Watch CBS Videos Online

(via Zoner Sports)

Rinku and Dinesh (and I) are sick of Slumdog Millionaire

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:45:18 UTC

Bobby Gosh: I've already expressed my national pride for two Pittsburgh Pirates prospects, Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel, but I'm even happier to find out that they are sick of Slumdog Millionaire just as much as I am: "But speaking with me, a fellow Indian who speaks their native Hindi, they could be more candid. Minutes into our first conversation,...

Bobby Gosh: I've already expressed my national pride for two Pittsburgh Pirates prospects, Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel, but I'm even happier to find out that they are sick of Slumdog Millionaire just as much as I am:

"But speaking with me, a fellow Indian who speaks their native Hindi, they could be more candid. Minutes into our first conversation, Singh, the taller and, at age 20, the older of the two, preemptively asks, "You're not going to compare us to those kids in that movie, are you?" As I begin to answer, the 19-year-old Patel interrupts. "We're not from the slums, and we're not millionaires," he says, softly but firmly. "We are not characters from a film. We want to be taken seriously, as baseball players, as professional pitchers."

Morning Links: Blake Griffin gets flipped and Jeremy Pargo dunks on a random redhead

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:00:49 UTC

We'll go all college basketball in this morning's links. Please subscribe to our site. And here are my NCAA previews from yesterday, in case you missed them: Midwest, South, East, West. The Dagger: There is already ample reason to hate Duke. But, as Yahoo!'s Chris Chase points out, the referees love them. Is Coach K the Dick Cheney of...

AP PhotoManny Harris is about to be the star of the tourney. Please don't go pro yet though.

We'll go all college basketball in this morning's links. Please subscribe to our site. And here are my NCAA previews from yesterday, in case you missed them: Midwest, South, East, West.

The Dagger: There is already ample reason to hate Duke. But, as Yahoo!'s Chris Chase points out, the referees love them. Is Coach K the Dick Cheney of college basketball?

MGoBlog: Brian Cook, with a Muppet-influenced celebration of Michigan's win last night.

UM Hoops: A statistical look at UM's win over Clemson. We all know what did it though ... Manny's swag.

Ballhype: Jeremy Pargo destroys an Akron fire crotch.

Ballhype again: Ameer Ali flips future Piston Blake Griffin, gets ejected.