It is August in Chicago, and that, of course, means that young people have descended upon the city for Lollapalooza so that they can post Facebook albums of themselves drinking Budweiser tall boys with Kid Cudi in the background and the caption "post-punk punk is dead tho." It also means that it is very hot there, and as we all know, heat exacerbates assholery, and so the great hoopster tradition lives on. A full year has passed since the world took note of the fucking hoopsters, and yet they are still wearing their fucking basketball jerseys to places like Lollapalooza, where enterprising citizen journalists like Disco Choo can capture their shame and share it with the rest of us. But something to consider, before we begin: Is there any chance at all, in the wake of last summe…
data-mm-id=”_yqs3sxiyw”>Minshew Mania is sweeping the nation and the driving force propelling the narrative is the Jacksonville Jaguars. There's only one problem. That same team just committed over $50 million in guaranteed money to Nick Foles, who is currently stranded on the sideline with a busted collarbone, an injury suffered on his first touchdown throw of his Jags career. But what happens when Foles, who is expected to be out until around Week 11 at a minimum, is taken off of the IR? I'll tell you what. We've got a full-blown QB controversy in Jacksonville, should Gardner Minshew play close to this level for the next month and a half. Right now, Minshew is everyone's favorite quarterback (unless your team is facing him). He's brash, he's charismatic…
data-mm-id=”_aisb20tqp”>Derek Carr has changed the narrative around him this year. No longer viewed as a one-hit wonder who couldn't get back on track after a nasty injury, Carr is once again a beloved slinger out west capable of leading his team to wins and potentially a playoff spot. However, there is one stigma Carr can't shake, and, quite frankly, it's only going to get worse as the days pass: he sucks in the cold. That's not me saying it. That's former Raiders coach Jack Del Rio saying it. Del Rio pointed out Carr doesn't like playing in the cold. Turns out, stats support him. So @coachdelrio knows what he speaks of. Said Derek Carr does't like cold weather games. In games where temp is under 40 at kickoff.. here are his numbers:0-4152 Pass YPG51…
data-mm-id=”_g4lbugd6f”>When the PGA Tour returns to action and televisions this weekend with the Charles Schwab Challenge, CBS Sports will be operating in a new reality. Less than half its usual personnel will be on-site. There will be more production trucks to facilitate social distancing. Operations and backup operations will be strewn throughout the country, from Orlando to Stamford to Los Angeles. Two months of planning has gone into making it all work despite the complications.And there will be some changes. The unprecedented broadcast will have reality television DNA all over it. First, there's The Challenge of it all. A monumental one. “This is the most complicated production plan I’ve ever been involved in, including Super Bowls and Final Fours and other events,” CB…
data-mm-id=”_wjg3l26bb”>Four games into the KBO season, we've seen the cream rise to the top, all teams find their way to victory, and Americans embrace early call times and a steep learning curve. Though the sample size is small, it's enough to cobble together some power rankings. And yeah, your new adopted side isn't being shown enough respect.10. Samsung Lions (1-3): The Lions notched their first win of the year today against the Kia Tigers as six pitchers combined for a five-hitter. A lackluster offense has stumbled out of the gate as there is only one Samsung batter hitting over .200 thus far.9. Kia Tigers (1-3): The Tigers have been toothless as well, failing to push more than two runs across in three of the four games this year. Former Astro Preston Tucker has sho…
data-mm-id=”_13c14fzso”>Laura Rutledge is doing what we all should be trying to do in 2020 — making the best of a bad situation. Rutledge, in her first year as host of ESPN's NFL Live, has been dealing with very difficult circumstances. Between NFL Live and SEC Nation, she's very busy at work and doing a lot of it virtually, which means she's working from home, where her husband, former MLB infielder Josh Rutledge, is also working and, oh, yeah, who's watching the kid? "I think there are so many difficult parts to this so I try to count my blessings, but I’m certainly lucky with my husband and I both having full-time jobs," she told The Big Lead. "He’s working from home and having to watch Reese [the couple's one-year-old daughter] some of …
data-mm-id=”_hxg35zzmn”>This year's NCAA Tournament would have to stub its toe repeatedly and offer up a spate of boring games down the stretch to not go down as one of the greatest in history. Through three days, it's had everything, like a family-friendly version of whichever club Stefon visited over the weekend that's still raging on and flouting COVID restrictions. Upsets. Star performances. The triumphant return of Loyola Chicago. We are all experiencing fun at such a high and consistent level that it's becoming harder to know what to do with our hands. And as always, Turner/CBS has been up to the monumental challenge March Madness presents. To sit down for 13 hours in front of a television is to be bombarded with splendid work from a deep stable of talented pl…
data-mm-id=”_awilyquk3″>For about the last week or so, since the Tennessee Titans COVID outbreak began and continuing with Cam Newton's positive result, NFL insiders have developed an unmistakable habit on Twitter. It's been a running joke in The Big Lead Slack chat and I couldn't help but feel gen-pop (you) deserve to be made aware of this… How can I put it without coming off as rude… Disconcerting tendency seemingly all of NFL Twitter has recently adopted. It involves quote Tweeting a piece of breaking COVID news with the term "good news" or "bad news," usually the latter these days. There are variations to the phrasing, most commonly "not good," but overall, this infectious disease has spread unchecked for far too long. Not good. http…
data-mm-id=”_73fg0dxww”>Week 9 of the NFL season is here and with it come our regular predictions and picks ATS. Regretfully, this past week was not quite as fruitful as the last; thanks to the Giants keeping it close on MNF, Liam McKeone and Kyle Koster finished Week 8 with a 7-7 record. Their overall record now stands at 57-45. Could be better, for sure, but could be a lot worse.Anyway. Here are our Week 9 picks ATS (all odds via WynnBet).NFL Week 9 Predictions JETS (+10.5) over COLTS Mike White is everybody's favorite underdog after throwing for 405 yards in his debut. Will the magic continue? Probably not, but the Colts didn't exactly look like the cream of the crop after Carson Wentz's turnover problems reappeared. Indy should get back on track with a win, but a 10-…
data-mm-id=”_rv7j8baw2″>Michael Irvin's particular brand of high-energy analysis will be absent from Super Bowl coverage this week. The Dallas Morning News reported on Wednesday that NFL Network has sidelined the former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver this week after a woman accused Irvin of misconduct during an interaction on Sunday evening in Arizona. Irvin spoke to the Dallas Morning News and strongly denied the allegation, insisting that they had a very brief conversation in a lobby and that was it: Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin will not make any of his scheduled NFL Network appearances for the remainder of Super Bowl week after a woman complained about his conduct during an encounter Sunday evening in Arizona.Irvin described the interaction to The Dallas Morn…