NHL Playoff Pickem: Second Round: The second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs are underway. Pick the winner and number of games for each series and four props. I'm leading by 3 over Rumple with some props yet to be tabulated.

posted by rcade to hockey at 04:24 PM - 30 comments

Remembering Torino FC 75 Years Later: On May 4, 1949, nearly the entire Torino FC team and staff died in a plane crash returning from a match in bad weather. Eleven days later, Umberto Motto took the field when their entire youth team was promoted. Now 92, Motto remembers the team president telling him in the locker room that day, "Boys, your masters are watching you." "Grande Torino" had won four straight championships and was awarded a fifth after the tragedy. Torino has only one championship since.

posted by rcade to soccer at 04:53 PM - 0 comments

NBA Playoff Pickem: Second Round: The second round of the NBA Playoffs has begun. Make your picks, which can be changed up to game time of each series opener, and choose your props. The Cavaliers' game seven win over the Orlando Magic has Ic23b and myself in a tie for first with 80 points.

posted by rcade to basketball at 03:52 PM - 16 comments

Lakes Fire Coach Darvin Ham After 2 Seasons: Darvin Ham has been fired as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers after going .574 in two seasons and winning the NBA's first In-Season Tournament in December. Stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis played the most together this year since they became teammates in 2018, but the first-round exit to the Denver Nuggets cost Ham his job.

posted by rcade to basketball at 02:45 PM - 2 comments

What Happened to Deion's Colorado Castoffs?: The Athletic tracked 53 scholarship athletes who left Colorado after Deion Sanders' arrival a year ago -- most who were told they were not in his plans. "In our O-line group chat, one of the offensive line coaches texted the group and said, 'Good luck fellas.' And then he just removed all of them. It said these five people were removed from the chat. We were like, 'Huh? What happened?'" -- offensive tackle Jake Wiley, who transferred to UCLA

posted by rcade to football at 01:52 PM - 3 comments

Enter the NBA Playoff Pickem: Though four teams are still playing tonight to earn their spot, the NBA Playoffs begin Saturday at 1 p.m. when the Orlando Magic play the Cleveland Cavaliers. To play in our pickem, choose the winners of eight playoff series, the games needed, and four props.

posted by rcade to basketball at 10:43 AM - 10 comments

Enter the NHL Playoff Pickem: The puck drops on the 2024 NHL Playoffs at 5 p.m. Saturday when the New York Islanders play the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena. Play in our pickem by choosing the winners of all eight playoff series, the number of games required, and four prop bets.

posted by rcade to hockey at 08:31 AM - 16 comments

NFL Playoff Pickem Champion: rcade: This news is ridiculously late to everyone but me -- the NFL Playoff Pickem champion is Rogers "The Greek" Cadenhead. I really wish I'd placed an actual bet on the Chiefs to win by 3. I still have one more week to hit the tiebreaker, since I predicted a Taylor/Travis breakup on April 27. Some of you believe in the power of love.

posted by rcade to football at 11:33 PM - 2 comments

NBA Pickem Champion: rcade: Another NBA regular season is in the books and the SportsFilter NBA Pickem champion is Rogers "The Greek" Cadenhead. Ufez Jones made a late climb but a blown Celtics lock against the Bucks at the start of the final week kept them too far back. I probably won't be buying the Wilson Evolution basketball I owe me.

posted by rcade to basketball at 09:31 PM - 2 comments

NBA Pickem: Final Day Edition: ESPN has added two TV games on Sunday, the final day of the NBA regular season. Chicago visits New York and the L.A. Lakers visit New Orleans. The Pelicans may be playing to stay out of the play-in games and the Knicks may be playing for home court as a 3rd or 4th seed in the East. Make your picks.

posted by rcade to basketball at 10:26 AM - 1 comment

NBA Pickem: Final Week Edition: There are six national TV games on TNT and ESPN in the final week of the NBA regular season, starting Tuesday night. My lead was cut by 31 after a dismal week and now I'm in first by 32 over Ufez Jones. Make your picks.

posted by rcade to basketball at 09:43 PM - 11 comments

Iowa Advances Past LSU to Final Four: Caitlin Clark had 41 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds to lead Iowa past defending champ LSU and advance to the Final Four. She tied a tournament record with nine three pointers in the game, moved ahead of Diana Taurasi for most tournament three pointers in a career and broke Taylor Robertson's record for most career three pointers in Division I.

posted by rcade to basketball at 10:59 PM - 5 comments

NBA Pickem Week 21: Second-to-Last Week Edition: There are just two weeks left in the NBA regular season. There are six games on TNT and ESPN, beginning Tuesday night when Oklahoma City visits Philadelphia at 7:30 p.m. on TNT. Howard_T wins the week with 34. NoMich picks all dunks and suffers the agony of defeat. Make your picks.

posted by rcade to basketball at 10:28 PM - 6 comments

NBA Pickem Week 20: Crunch Time Edition: As the NBA regular season nears its end, this week's picks are tonight's ESPN doubleheader followed by five NBA TV games. I'm in first by 65 over Ufez Jones, a sign that Dallas Mavericks fans are basketball savants. Make your picks, gentlefolk.

posted by rcade to basketball at 11:14 AM - 6 comments

NBA Pickem Week 19: Little Penny Edition: There's an 11-game national NBA week stretching from a TNT doubleheader tonight to an ESPN doubleheader next Monday. Last week was carnage in our contest with Howard_T scoring 23 to win the week. Make your picks and enjoy this old school NBA moment.

posted by rcade to basketball at 11:57 AM - 8 comments

NBA Pickem Week 18: Don't Miss Tipoff Edition: There are 11 national NBA games this week beginning with a doubleheader tonight on TNT. In our contest Ufez Jones wins the week with 88 points and is now 74 back in second place. Make your picks promptly. Don't be late like Anthony Edwards.

posted by rcade to basketball at 11:46 AM - 11 comments

Max Strus Sinks Mavericks with 59-Foot Buzzer Beater: After the Dallas Mavericks went ahead by 2 with 2.6 seconds left, Max Strus of the Cleveland Cavaliers scored a 59-foot three-pointer to win the game Tuesday night. It's the second longest buzzer beater to win an NBA game in the three point era.

posted by rcade to basketball at 12:31 AM - 4 comments

NBA Pickem Week 17: Enough Basketball For You Edition: There are 13 games this week on TNT, ESPN and ABC, starting tomorrow night with a TNT doubleheader of Sixers/Celtics and Rockets/Thunder and ending Sunday with ABC and ESPN doubleheaders. Howard_T won week 16 with 30. Make your picks.

posted by rcade to basketball at 09:36 PM - 7 comments

The Life of an NBA Beat Writer: HoopsHype talked to several longtime NBA beat reporters, past and present, about their jobs. "The money has changed things," said Kerry Eggers, who covered the Portland Trail Blazers for The Oregonian in the 1990s. "And more of the players are not willing to do media interviews. They don't feel like they have to. I remember sitting down with Michael Jordan before games -- just me for a few minutes. Now, that would never happen."

posted by rcade to basketball at 09:10 AM - 0 comments

NBA Pickem Week 16: Ufez Gets Results Edition: There's a shortened schedule of five national games in the week leading up to the NBA All-Star Game. First up is a TNT doubleheader Tuesday of Thunder/Magic and Kings/Suns. I won the week with 40 after switching to Mavs over Knicks to test whether Ufez being in attendance influences the outcome of games. Spoiler alert: It does. Make your picks.

posted by rcade to basketball at 03:20 PM - 4 comments

Marathon World Record Holder Dies: A few days after learning his 2:00:35 in Chicago had become the certified world record, Kenyan marathoner Kelvin Kiptum died Sunday with his coach in a car accident in his country.

posted by rcade to other at 08:38 PM - 6 comments

NFL Playoff Pickem: Super Bowl 0x3A: The San Francisco 49ers meet the Kansas City Chiefs in Las Vegas Sunday night for Super Bowl 0x3A. Though the Chiefs are the defending champions, the Niners are favored to win by two. Werty leads the contest by 7. Make your picks.

posted by rcade to football at 09:20 PM - 15 comments

NBA Pickem Week 15: Blown Locks Edition: There are eight NBA games this week, including a TNT doubleheader tonight and games on ABC Saturday and Super Bowl Sunday. Locking the Lakers to lose turned out to be a terrible idea last week. I have regrets. Howard_T wins the week with 23. Make your picks.

posted by rcade to basketball at 09:43 AM - 9 comments

NBA Pickem Week 14: Luka Puts Up 73 Edition: There are eight NBA games on national TV this week, starting with Tuesday's TNT doubleheader of Pacers/Celtics and Sixers/Warriors. Howard_T wins the week with 30. I hold onto first. Make your picks.

posted by rcade to basketball at 04:01 PM - 5 comments

49ers Come Back from 27-7, Advance to Super Bowl 0x3A: Up by 17 at halftime, the Detroit Lions turned back into a pumpkin, losing to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. Detroit coach Dan Campbell's risk-taking on fourth downs cost the Lions a third quarter field goal that would've restored the lead to 17. The 49ers took the turnover on downs and drove for a touchdown after a miraculous Brandon Aiyuk catch on a long bomb that deflected off the defender's head.

posted by rcade to football at 10:09 PM - 3 comments