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How Donald Trump made the Penguins political, and why it barely matters in...
Rooting for the Penguins is easy. Rooting for Donald Trump’s political pawns is harder.The Pittsburgh Penguins’ banner-raising ceremony is a trip.My city’s hockey team is the best in the world, and...
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How The Process failed Jahlil Okafor
Jahlil Okafor pulls a blanket over his lap, leans back in the leather recliner, and gazes up at the projector screen. The lights dim and Reese Witherspoon begins to narrate the opening sequence of Home...
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SB Nation’s 2017-18 NBA preview
In a wild offseason, a legion of challengers have loaded up to chase the Warriors. Can anyone possibly beat them? And what is there to play for if they can't? A lot, actually.The 2017-18 NBA season...
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The Warriors never fully embraced Oakland
Is winning in San Francisco enough to appease Oakland fans?Oracle Arena, the current home of the Golden State Warriors, is in an East Oakland industrial park. The pedestrian walkway between the arena...
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A Celtics team 5 years in the making
The Celtics finally went for it. Now what?Take a trip down the rabbit hole of Danny Ainge’s transaction page on Basketball-Reference once more for old time’s sake. Explore that page long enough, and it...
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The culture that saved the Thunder
At least for now.Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump.This is how every Oklahoma City Thunder practice ends, in a cacophony of unmistakable noises that slowly fade out over an hour. It’s exactly what you...
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The 5-minute NBA season preview
Because A LOT happened in the past six months.Maybe you played some high school or college ball and decided to live your hoop dreams vicariously through the pros this year. Maybe you’re the casual...
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THE CULTURE THAT SAVED THE THUNDER
At least for now.Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump.This is how every Oklahoma City Thunder practice ends, in a cacophony of unmistakable noises that slowly fade out over an hour. It’s exactly what you...
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How Mike Gundy came home and built Oklahoma State football
(with a little help from T. Boone Pickens)STILLWATER, Okla. — “Sorry I’m late. We’re trying to figure out why we got our asses kicked on Saturday.” Mike Gundy is only 10 minutes late for our scheduled...
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Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State and the embrace of ‘basketball on grass’
STILLWATER, Okla. — Before its renovation in 2000, Oklahoma State's Gallagher-Iba Arena held a capacity of just 6,381 people. That was all it needed to be the loudest place I've ever seen a basketball...
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We’ve never seen anyone like Zion Williamson ... but will his game work in...
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The comfortable quietness at the Olympic Training Center was first broken by a loud smack against the backboard. A collective gasp came next, followed by a few unrestrained...
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The day Chris Long gave a season of NFL checks to charity
The Eagles defensive end’s career is football, but he won't let it be his legacy.Chris Long looks up from his phone in time to see the stoplight change from yellow to red. He slams on the brakes of his...
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Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are the best kinds of problems for the 76ers
Plus, is the league going to learn to love Lonzo Ball?The 0-3 Philadelphia 76ers, with a fourth-quarter lead against the Detroit Pistons, were waiting for their first victory of the season. It had...
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How a soccer team embraced Atlanta's culture and captured the city
Atlanta United FC shattered records in its inaugural season.ATLANTA — It’s a clear, calm Thursday night downtown. Nearly 70,000 Atlantans are descending upon Mercedes-Benz Stadium to support Atlanta...
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Nikola Jokic must keep playing like Nikola Jokic because no one else can
Plus, is Brad Stevens a witch?Under the bright lights at Madison Square Garden this week, Nikola Jokic put on a show the only way he knows how. With the Nuggets trailing the Knicks, Jokic collected a...
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2017 NCAA Basketball Top 100
The top 100 college basketball players for the 2017 season, ranked100. Tyus Battle, SO, G, Syracuse With Taurean Thompson out of the fold, there’s no question that Battle will be Jim Boeheim’s best...
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From Baghdad to Iwo Jima, an anthem for the dead
Two Marines — one a veteran of Iraq and the other a survivor of Iwo Jima — remember the fallen and weigh the meaning of a national anthem.Abner Greenberg doesn’t look like someone who was shot in the...
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The future for DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis is now and maybe never
Plus, how long can the Celtics keep this up?To watch these New Orleans Pelicans is to bear witness to the perils of potential. It's a familiar predicament for young upstarts: The boom-or-bust stakes,...
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Why do NFL teams ignore kickers?
Kickers account for nearly a third of all NFL scoring, yet no team — except one — is focused on coaching technique.In 2014 during an Arizona State football practice, I saw kicker Zane Gonzalez wander...
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College football at Fenway Park is a crass, silly money grab
(and it’s beautiful)It's the second quarter of the Brown vs. Dartmouth football game at Fenway Park and the Celtics are losing. I’m in the reception area that leads to the press box with some of the...
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