SOUNDTRACK: RALPH STANLEY-Tiny Desk Concert #31 (October 13, 2009).
Ralph Stanley is apparently a living bluegrass legend, although I’ve never heard of him. He plays a clawhammer banjo (and apparently has for 63 years).
The concert lasted only 6 minutes, but in that time he sang three a capella songs: “Gloryland,” “Turn Back, Turn Back” and “Amazing Grace.”
It’s hard to assess a legend based on this performance. I’ve no idea how good his voice was back in the day. He sounds fine here, albeit understandably quite old. I’d have liked to hear his banjo.
[READ: January 3, 2014] Grantland #8
It is becoming apparent to me that Grantland loves basketball. Like, a lot more than any other sport. This issue had a ton of basketball in it. And, I have to admit I was a little tired of it by the end–there was a lot less pop culture stuff, too. So, it felt especially basketball heavy. I realize of course that the time frame covered was the playoffs, but still.
BILL SIMMONS-“Searching for a Superman”
A lengthy article about Dwight Howard, discussing the pros and cons of signing him again.
MARK TITUS-“How Did He Get So Good?”
A look at Paul George and Danny Green doing better than expected in the NCAA playoffs.
CHARLES P. PIERCE-“A Dark Day in Boston”
Pierce wonders about Boston after the Boston Marathon bombing–he says the city will come back stronger.
ZACH LOWE-“Three Kings”
The Miami Heat’s big three are why they keep winning.
SHEA SERRANO-“Text Messages to Gregg Popovich”
Text message jokes are always funny.
ALEX PAPPADEMAS-“Shane Black’s Third Act”
Shane Black made a bunch of action films, some were successful some tanked. And now here is making Iron Man 3.
KATIE BAKER-“The Pride of Chicago”
The Blackhawks win a second Stanley Cup in four years. Here’s how they did it.
ANDY GREENWALD-“Rains of Castamere on Your Wedding Day”
All about Games of Thrones, which I have not watched.
BEN LINDBERGH-“The Art of Pitch Framing”
I am now convinced that pitch framing is something very important that catchers must know how to do. And yet after almost 20 pages I’m still not exactly sure what it is.
BRIAN PHILLIPS-“The Islanders Come Home”
Islanders make the playoffs! I liked the idea of the Islanders being a working man’s team while the Rangers are for hedge fund children. Although the success of the Islanders doesn’t mitigate their move from Long Island (which fans are bummed about… but at least they stayed in New York).
JAY CASPIAN KANG-“The End of Don King”
King is still King, even if he’s old and may actually be insane for real.
DAVID JACOBY-“Did We Just Witness the Greatest Season of Survivor?”
Well, I didn’t witness it, anyhow.
REMBERT BROWNE-“When Good Intentions Go Bad”
L.L. Cool J and Brad Paisley’s “Accidental Racist” is really just awful.
RAFE BARTHOLOMEW-“Hit the Open Man”
The 2013 Spurs are a lot like the 70’s Knicks. With textual evidence to support the claim.
WESLEY MORRIS-“The Quiet Queering of Professional Sports”
More and more players are admitting to being gay and young fans realize its not a big deal. Perhaps the next generation will have no hang up about it at all.
ANDY GREENWALD-“Mad Men Postseason Awards”
Since I’ve still not finished Season One, I’m not sure what this is all about.
ROBERT MAYS, CHRIS RYAN, ANDREW SHARP AND BILL SIMMONS-“NBA Shootaround”
Chat about the 2013 NBA Playoffs.
CHUCK KLOSTERMAN-“Black and Brown Blues”
Klosterman travels to Cleveland believing he’s going to get an inside story on draft day. But he gets led on and shunted around and winds up with nuthin.
ANDY GREENWALD-“Closing Time”
The Office was better than you remember it, even if the last few seasons were very wobbly.
MOLLY LAMBERT-“Stuck in the Middle”
Don Draper and Mad Men at the end of season six.
MARK LISANTI-“Who is Bob Benson?”
He’s a character on Mad Men.
ERIC RASKIN-“The Birth of a Moneymaker”
A fascinating article about the first World Series of Poker when Moneymaker, an internet amateur, took it all. I found this surprisingly engaging.
BRYAN CURTIS-“Miami’s Blue Period”
Blue refers to the empty seats in Marlins stadium. And that face value tickets of tickets is currently….one dollar.
BILL SIMMONS-“Legacy Check” [Special Section: Game 6]
Everyone has something to prove in Game 6
ZACH LOWE-“Instant Classic” [Special Section: Game 6]
Game 6 was “the greatest, most insane NBA Finals game in years.”
JONATHAN ABRAMS-“Loose Cannons”
NBA players Ricky Davis and Lance Stephenson are loose cannons and have a lot in common (I’d not heard of either of them).
THOMAS GOLIANOPOULOS-“The Secret History of Kobe Bryant’s Rap Career”
Kobe Bryant was actually a very good rapper, but his project was shelved after the studio made his first “single” a total joke.
SEAN FENNESSEY-“Career Makeover: Will Smith Edition
Will Smith hasn’t done anything great in at least ten years. He needs a makeover: join an ensemble, do a rap album (with Kanye), heck take a chance.
KATIE BAKER-“An Ageless Beauty on the Ice”
Jaromir Jagr is still amazing at 41 and he’s not thinking about retiring yet.
ANDY GREENWALD-“Cut to Black”
RememberingJames Gandolfini. A touching tribute.
EMILY YOSHIDA-“Miley Cyrus Will Be Just Fine”
Miley is just a kid acting out, stop worrying about her so much.
SEAN McINDOE-“What Kind of Depressed Hockey Fan Are You?”
Title says it all, but he offers you 20 options from The Fan Who Punches a Wall, to The Single F-Bomb Fan to The Pessimist to The Non-Reaction Fan to The Fan Who Manages to Maintain Perspective (no one has ever met this fan).
CHRIS RYAN-“Overrated, Underrated or Properly Rated; Ethan Hawke”
Ethan Hawke is far better than anyone realizes.
ZACH LOWE-“Anatomy of a Deal”
A very long article about a trade deal. You have to care a lot about basketball to follow things this closely.
BILL BARNWELL-“Winter of Gronk”
Rob Gronkowski is likely done.
LOUISA THOMAS-“Candace Parker Knows What She Wants”
The best WNBA player has it all mapped out. This makes me want to watch her, she sounds amazing.
ROBERT MAYS-“The Season-Long Colin Kaepernick Experience”
He’s a guy from San Francisco.
STEVEN HYDEN-“Yeezus, Take the Wheel”
The only thing that seems to scare Kayne is fatherhood.
ALEX PAPPADEMAS-“The Many Lives of the Man of Steel”
Superman is so iconic he can survive any of the bizarro films that have been made about him. A fun history of the franchise (including cartoons).
BRIAN PHILLIPS-“Out in the Great Alone”
A wonderful article about the Iditarod. It answered so many questions I didn’t know I had.
CHARLES P. PIERCE-“The American Way”
About the murder of Odin Lloyd and the conviction of Aaron Hernandez
MARK LISANTI-“Should You See It: Star Trek Into Darkness”
Several reasons why you should, and a big one why you shouldn’t.
WESLEY MORRIS-“Notes from the Croisette”
Sexual politics at the 2013 Cannes film festival. This looks at the explicit (and award winning) lesbian film Blue is the Warmest Color [La vie d’Adèle] aka the movie everyone adores except for everyone who hates it.
ANDREW SHARP-“The Patriot”
If you can’t root for Tim Tebow, damn it, you can’t root for America. Why won’t he just fade away?
DAVE ZIRIN-“The Changing Tide in Washington”
Hey Dan Snyder, “redskins” is offensive you colossal ass.
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Aside from too much basketball, this issue was okay. I just wish someone would take the time to realize that when you put an online article into a book, referencing jpgs and videos that aren’t there is kind of a tease (at least give us a url).
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