A bigger, stronger Bryce Harper showed up for spring training. He looked fit to be a middle-of-the-lineup hitter for the Washington Nationals, and the numbers show he’s playing the part.
Only 5 yards separated the San Francisco 49ers from completing a historic comeback. Colin Kaepernick, the NFL’s most dangerous running quarterback, surely could cover that distance with his long legs.
When a couple of young guns from Oakland make headlines, it’s not always good news. But these shooters have the best intentions, and Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are the hottest thing going in the NBA.
In the NBA, reputations are made in the playoffs. Carmelo Anthony is an exception because he entered the league with star status and never has lost it despite rarely winning in the playoffs.
Maybe the NFL Draft is a dog and pony show, not to mention a showcase for the cartoon character known as Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN’s hair-raising talent evaluator.
Most guys can tell a regretful story about the one that got away, and it’s usually a personal tale about a girl. The biggest regret of Peyton Manning’s professional career has to be a double-overtime game that got away in January.
All signs point to a sequel. LeBron James stole the show from Kevin Durant in their first meeting, and, nearly a year later, the NBA’s top two players appear set for Part II.
Anyone who has hooked a shot from the tee into the trees can appreciate Phil Mickelson. Every round he plays has the potential to turn into a wild ride, a combination of beautiful and boneheaded shots.
Even when he was not on top, Tiger Woods was the hottest topic in golf. Of course, when his secret sex life was exposed, the X-rated details dominated the discussion.
What was considered a crapshoot a few weeks ago is now a game in Rick Pitino’s control. He has been rolling such a hot pair of dice, the odds are in his favor.
It took a magic trick by sophomore point guard Trey Burke to get Michigan to the Final Four. To win two more games, he might need to mimic a great escape artist.
Sometime during the second half, Mike Krzyzewski looked for help and found none. He might have reminisced that it was a lot easier coaching a crew of NBA All-Stars in the Olympics.
In the blink of an eye, it seems, Mike Trout has become the best player in baseball. He’s a freak and a phenom who plays as if he’s on a double shot of 5-hour Energy.
In what likely was junior guard Jamaal Franklin’s final game at San Diego State, he became a forgotten footnote to the biggest story of the NCAA Tournament. Nothing beats a good underdog story, and this is a great one.
Dunks are more exciting than free throws, and that’s stating the obvious, but Doug McDermott is the type of player who excites bettors even though he’s not a big-time dunker.
It was not predetermined, and this is unlikely to be a popular pick. Even since the return of senior forward Ryan Kelly from a foot injury, Duke has been far from dominant. So how did it come to this?
It’s tough to predict how far Oklahoma State will go in the NCAA Tournament, but few teams are loaded with better young talent, starting with freshman point guard Marcus Smart. He’s a good bet to go early in this summer’s NBA Draft.
It was not important how many points Shabazz Muhammad scored, at least to those in the sports book, which felt like an overcrowded elevator Thursday. The point spread was the priority, and, after push came to shove, we’ll call it a push.
Writing off a talented team with a good coach is a foolish thing to do in February, and the same is true in the first week of March. So this is not the time to pen an obituary for Arizona, because Sean Miller can coach and he’s working with talent.
No longer is LeBron James a comical figure or a punch line. The King owns one ring, is getting fitted for a second, and at last count has 7.4 million Twitter followers, which in today’s society means he’s a big deal.
A quick look at the updated NBA Draft board, topped by Kansas guard Ben McLemore, explains in part why this college basketball season has become a circus of unpredictability.