The popularity of [virtual sports] games is easy to understand. Not only do they draw upon deep cultural passions and familiarity, they allow players to do things they’ve dreamed about doing since childhood—whether that’s bending it like Beckham or blocking like LeBron. | | | | | Virtual virtuosos. | | | | |  | “The popularity of [virtual sports] games is easy to understand. Not only do they draw upon deep cultural passions and familiarity, they allow players to do things they’ve dreamed about doing since childhood—whether that’s bending it like Beckham or blocking like LeBron.”
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| | rantnrave:// If esports is the future of sports, what's the future of esports? JONATHAN PAN, ALISON FARBER and ALEX WANG explore the next potential growth market in a new REDEF ORIGINAL, "Why Virtual Sports Games Will Drive the Next Wave of Growth for Esports"... Since HOLLY HOLM stunned RONDA ROUSEY last November, no one has successfully defended the UFC women's bantamweight belt. HOLM promptly lost it to MIESHA TATE, who was incinerated by AMANDA NUNES, who in two months will try to defend the title against Rousey, who hasn't stepped into the octagon since her crushing loss a year ago. Is this the great return of the once-invincible face of the sport? Or is she just stopping by one more time to say goodbye? UFC 207 happens Dec. 30 in LAS VEGAS... Lost in the (well deserved) hoopla over VIN SCULLY's retirement was the swan song of another sports broadcasting giant whose career stretched across six decades. DOM COSENTINO turns the spotlight onto DICK ENBERG (a childhood icon of mine) in this beautiful piece for DEADSPIN... In other broadcast news, JERRY HOWARTH, the radio voice of the BLUE JAYS, will not use the name of their opponents in the AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES. Howard swore off using the name INDIANS (as well as BRAVES) in 1992. I know a few NFL cities that could use his voice... COLIN KAEPERNICK v. RUTH BADER GINSBURG, round two... I'm good with loudmouths, braggarts, brats and the occasional temper tantrum, which are all expressions of the same ambition and spirit that drives certain athletes in the first place. Play hard, yell hard. But, ugh, NICK KYRGIOS. Go to your room. No dinner for you tonight, and no TV either. | | | - Matty Karas, curator |
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 | ESPN.com |
| For two decades, NBA ref Bill Kennedy was hiding in plain sight -- watched by millions but never truly seen. Then came the biggest game-changer of his life, the call he had to make. | | |
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 | Sports Illustrated |
| Miami's ace pitcher died in the early morning hours of Sunday, Sept. 25, and the reaction showed just how important he was for his team, his sport and his countrymen. | | |
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 | REDEF |
| We’re past the point of debating whether esports is “here” or not. It’s time to take a look why and how virtual sports games will drive the next phase of growth of this global phenomenon. | | |
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 | MLSsoccer.com |
| For years, Fred Lipka devoted his time and energy to developing the next generation of French talent at Le Havre, where the academy has churned out big names such as Lassana Diarra, Steve Mandanda, Dmitri Payet and Paul Pogba. For the past three-and-a-half years, Lipka's thrown his efforts behind | | |
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 | The Ringer |
| Receivers masquerading as backs, runners lining up under center - the NFL is increasingly position-free and less predictable than ever. | | |
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 | Bleacher Report |
| Five weeks into the NFL season, we've seen players test the limits of self-expression in the NFL in ways previously unseen. Kneeling for the national anthem, locking arms, speaking out--all have become increasingly prominent in NFL life. So, too, has a more subtle form of messaging--footwear. | | |
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 | The New York Times |
| Even Jeremy Lin lives in Brooklyn now. New York’s professional athletes have long gravitated to luxury Manhattan high-rises, trendy TriBeCa lofts and sprawling mansions on the Hudson. Not since there was baseball at Ebbets Field and the old Dodgers had homes in Bay Ridge have players chosen to actually live in Brooklyn. | | |
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 | Rolling Stone |
| NBA commissioner Adam Silver has been silent about the rape trial of New York Knicks star Derrick Rose. | | |
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 | Deadspin |
| Dick Enberg hummed his way through his most famous call. It was Jan. 9, 1970, and Enberg was working alone as the UCLA basketball play-by-play man for a game against Oregon. The Bruins were ahead, as they always were in those days, but this day were frustrated by the Ducks' zone. | | |
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 | SportTechie |
| This is part 1 of a two part series by Shayna Goldman that shares insights from six hockey analytics experts about how they integrate analytics into hockey analysis. | | |
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 | The Washington Post |
| Six consecutive home exhibitions have failed to attract 10,000 spectators. | | |
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 | ADWEEK |
| Many hikers set epic, long-term goals for themselves, like summiting a treacherous mountain or hiking a grueling trail. Paul Evans was no different. His lifelong dream was to hike the Appalachian Trail, but two heart attacks and his untimely death at age 53 left that dream unfulfilled. | | |
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| ESPN.com |
| As the Cubs make their playoff push, Dallas Kilponen, their biggest fan in Australia, rejoices. If Chicago wins it all, he says, "it will be one of the biggest sports stories in history." | | |
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 | Mercury News |
| After getting promoted to 49ers starting quarterback, Colin Kaepernick answers Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s critique of his national anthem protest. | | |
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 | The Atlantic |
| The league announced new protocols to protect players from head injuries. But is it enough? | | |
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 | FiveThirtyEight |
| On this week’s show, we bring you another edition of “Stat School.” That usually means that Statman, aka Neil Paine, will walk us through three levels of increasingly advanced statistics. But this time, the Statman hands his cape over to ESPN’s Mike Goodman, who serves as our guide to the complicated world of soccer statistics. | | |
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| The New York Times |
| The federation’s concerns have recently included displays of patriotism, workplace conditions and, most prominently, a dispute over equal pay involving the women’s national team. | | |
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 | BuzzFeed |
| The student government approved a $34 annual fee to support the office that handles sexual assault cases. Experts tell BuzzFeed News they’ve never seen such a fee -- and that students shouldn’t have to pay for the university’s shortfall. | | |
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 | Los Angeles Times |
| A Los Angeles Police Department detective who was investigating rape allegations against NBA star Derrick Rose died of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said Wednesday (Oct 12). | | |
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| Bleacher Report |
| “Meet in that Abel Heywood at nine,” says Pat Euston, a lifelong Manchester United fan. “It’s one of those pubs in the Northern Quarter where the regulars have beards, but it does a good breakfast, and it’s handy for getting to Old Trafford. The Blue will come too.” | | |
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 | via YouTube |
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