When you write about sports, you're allowed to engage in mischief. Nothing is at stake. It's a bicycle race! | | | | Cyclists can't escape their shadows at the 53rd Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey.
(Robertus Pudyanto/Getty Images) | | | | | | “When you write about sports, you're allowed to engage in mischief. Nothing is at stake. It's a bicycle race!”
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| | rantnrave:// The US MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM isn't going to the 2018 WORLD CUP. Took a day to sink in. Though it still doesn't make sense. Five stages of grief aren't needed here. Just two: rage, and revolution. Changes are coming. What will they look like? Is there an argument for keeping coach BRUCE ARENA and US SOCCER president SUNIL GULATI? Was Arena tasked with too large a clean-up job once JURGEN KLINSMANN was fired? Does Gulati get leeway after building up USMNT to a level where so many care about it? How much will this loss impact US soccer? The loss is the result of a troubled organization. Worst loss in US Soccer history is a strong headline. Missing the WC is disastrous. But the problem is that USMNT was in such a desperate position. Would a win have allowed the US to paper over systemic issues and let them linger? There are benefits to losing. It means a reckoning can't be ignored and starts sooner. The player pipeline needs fixing. The future is bright but player development has issues. A new coach can set a direction for a team that was obviously floundering during the entire WC qualifying period. The costs of missing the WC are clear. Sponsorships will take a hit. FOX SPORTS is sad the US won't be in RUSSIA to prop up ratings, but the US will also miss out on possibly over $10 million in revenue. TIM HOWARD, CLINT DEMPSEY and MICHAEL BRADLEY don't get one last WC ride. Most vital question: Will this hurt growth and enthusiasm for soccer in the US? World Cups grow the fan base, get kids interested in soccer, recruit new players, and sell merch. Without success in 2002, 2010, and 2014, where would USMNT be today? Missing 2018 will hurt, but it'll be a waste if things don't change. You can argue US Soccer has been on the decline since 2014. Will hitting rock bottom be the catalyst to the rebuild the USMNT needs?... The team that won 22 straight blew a 2-0 lead in the ALDS. Can we call the YANKEES plucky? That BRETT GARDNER at-bat. If you type “heartbreak" into GOOGLE you get a picture of INDIANS fans... The girl in the No. 8 jersey scored the winning goal. You might tear up reading about it... "This is for COLIN, ball up a fist and keep that s--- balled"... The VICTORIOUS MINOTAURS line, out today. | | | - Mike Vorkunov, curator |
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| | | donovan in the 91st minute |
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| In the past three years, the Warriors have won two NBA titles with the most explosive offense in history. This is the inside tale of how it all began -- on a plate of appetizers. | | |
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| World Cup soccer in the United States is not just about watching a bunch of players run around a field. It's about coming together, with people from all walks of life, to support a common cause. And we all lost that on Tuesday night (Oct 10). | | |
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| Hint: It’s Not All Jurgen’s Fault | | |
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| Now the guns are finally silenced after 53 years of conflict in Colombia, the Marxist Farc, formerly one of the most powerful and feared groups in the world, want to have a professional team | | |
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| Jonah Keri talks to with Hockey Night in Canada host Ron MacLean. | | |
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| Nate Weber is representing the stars and stripes in a way few Americans ever do - times two. | | |
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| Man on an island? Nah. Most confident man in the NBA? Bet. Don't ask him? C'mon now--guy's got takes for days! Chapter 2 of B/R Mag's NBA preview. | | |
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| In this film by Orco Videos, Buenos Aires-based artist Martin Gordopelota shows us Argentina's football subculture of beers, barbecue, and brotherhood. | | |
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| About 600 miles from Las Vegas, the girl with the long ponytail scored the winning goal. | | |
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| | | paul caligiuri's shot heard 'round the world |
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| In a tense environment for political discussion, ESPN's goals of having engaging voices and avoiding controversy are increasingly irreconcilable. | | |
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| Our kids look at athletes as heroes, and what they do (or don’t do) can be excellent entry points to talk about equality, cooperation and fair play. | | |
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| The story of Syria's national team is far more complex than a team coming together and offering unity and diversion for its people | | |
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| European football chiefs are worried that broadcasting big games on social networks could dent TV revenue. | | |
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| Isaiah Thomas is out to prove the Celtics made a mistake by giving up on him. | | |
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| Big mountain skier Jackie Paaso spent years in a dark, depressed state. Through skiing, she found the light. | | |
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| There is a certain type of American who, as he or she watched the seconds tick down on the USMNT’s devastating loss to Trinidad & Tobago and, moments later, those in Honduras’s stunning win over Mexico, felt a rush of self-important pride. Whether it be for reasons of philosophical differences about how to organize soccer development in this country, or because the person is that insufferable type who supports some tenured European side and now doesn’t have to compete for a spot at the bar with... | | |
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| Slate's sports podcast on Jerry Jones and Jemele Hill, the baseball playoffs, and Iceland's World Cup dreams. | | |
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| "I'm unsure if I'm still on the team. Am I really a part of this process? Am I really a part of this culture?" | | |
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| I was beginning to think I was falling out of love with "Jeopardy!" Earlier this year, for the third time, I auditioned for the show. And, for the third time, they didn't take me. They never confirm you're not wanted -- they just never call. Gutting. | | |
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