Newmark's Door

"Manti Te'o's NFL Draft Stock Is Soaring For A Completely Irrational Reason"

Interesting.

Wait, Te'o's draft stock soared two entire rounds because of ZERO POINT ONE SECONDS?!?!

This can't possibly be rational.

"10 Greatest Coach Meltdowns"

Guess--go ahead, guess--who's number 1. 

Three reasons I'll root for Florida Gulf Coast

Their coach and his wife: "Florida Gulf Coast's Basketball Coach Is A Self-Made Millionaire Who's Married To A Former Model".

More honest than most colleges, Florida Gulf Coast University not only is a resort, it looks like one. 

And you just gotta love this: "Florida Gulf Coast Has An Unapologetically Pro-Capitalist Economics Department, And Every Student Gets A Copy Of Ayn Rand".

Two recent soccer clips

Italian announcer loses his mind. 

Los cules lose theirs. 

"Rare Video Of Bill Russell Leaping Over A Defender In College"

Here.

In case someone ever wants to argue with you about who the greatest athlete in team sports was: Bill Russell's team played for a championship 16 times. Bill Russell's team won 14 times. One of the other two times he was injured and didn't play.

There is no discussion. There is no debate. 

UPDATE: "Bill Russell Remains One of Most Influential Athletes in History, More Than NBA’s Greatest Winner".

“Forget the stories of magic leprechauns in the rafters of Boston Garden and how the cramped visitors’ dressing room and psychological games created some sort of Celtics’ mystique,” Oscar Robertson observed. “No matter how good the players surrounding him were, no matter how competitive his coach was, Bill Russell was the Celtics’ mystique.”

“He was the greatest,” admired Knicks center Willis Reed, who would get anxious before All-Star games about letting down his East teammate. Russell’s teammates never wanted to let him down — not even in All-Star games.

“Bill’s the most valuable player in the history of the game,” legendary Sixers coach Alex Hannum said. “He’s proved the unheralded parts of the game, defense and rebounding, really are as important as shooting and playmaking.”

Early look at Duke University's two-guard of 2029

Here. 

Give this guy an A in forecasting

Jack Bell, New York Times, 3/11:

With Barcelona, we are not talking about some Sunday beer-league team. Memories can be short, and there is no doubt that stars like Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi and Gerard Piqué will be hellbent on stifling their critics by erasing the two-goal deficit against A.C. Milan on Tuesday at Camp Nou.

Talent and skill will trump all, even an expertly organized Italian team that will probably try to thwart Barcelona with smothering tactics. One of soccer’s old saws is that a 2-0 lead is the most dangerous. It is, and it will be. 

On 3/12 Barcelona beat Milan 4-zip and advanced.

"The Happy Warrior Meets the Obsessive Competitor"

An extended look at a question that has long interested me: to be a top athlete--or a top anything worthwhile--do you have to be a jerk? With analysis of the Manning brothers, Bob Knight, Roger Federer, and more. 

"Former NBA All-Star Vin Baker rebounds from life of booze and excess with help from Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem"

I love stories of redemption. 

He's a little tough to bring down

Running back David Fangupo supposedly goes 6'2" and 348 pounds.

And he's in high school.