After the Bird’s Nest, What’s Next?

There’s nothing really special about this basketball hoop. It’s your basic portable model, regulation 10′ at the rim, glass backboard. Except that it’s inside the Forbidden City in Beijing. Now, it’s an established fact that the emperors of the Ming Dynasty were ballers, and that Chairman Mao’s indefensible hook shot was what kicked off the Cultural Revolution. It’s even been surmised that the Great Wall of China is simply the ultimate zone defense, or at the very least a fine example of boxing out.

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But what’s happened to Chinese sports? Since the 2008 Olympics, when the Chinese impressed the world with their ability to build cool-looking swimming pools and harnessed the power of totalitarianism spirit of volunteerism to put on a dazzling opening ceremony, the biggest news in Chinese sports has been about the end of Yao Ming’s career.

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It’s your civic duty: Go vote for your favorite minor league ballpark food

Minor League Baseball’s website is holding the greatest and most disgusting contest you’ll ever see. The MiLB Foodfight ballot will determine fans’ favorite concessions at minor league parks in four categories: Gut Busters, Hogs ‘n’ Dogs, Local Legends, and Scrumptious Sandwiches. Each time you vote, you are entered in a drawing for a free angioplasty, which you will require after even looking at the entries. Here’s what my final ballot looked like, but I encourage you to go vote.

food-ballot

 

Dick Trickle finished…

He never won a race at NASCAR’s highest level. If anything, he’s known mostly for being the butt of a running gag on ESPN’s Sportscenter. But #64 took his own life today, so perhaps the best way to celebrate him is to acknowledge — as he did himself — that his name was hilarious. To that end, here’s a list of the best (or worst) named athletes of all time. (They’re all real athletes. Really.)

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It Gets Better: An Open Letter To Maple Leafs Fans From a Longtime Boston Sports Sufferer

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Dear Maple Leafs fans,

I’m a Bruins fan and Bostonian. I’ve come here not to gloat but to offer words of comfort. I know, this probably sounds like B.S. but hear me out.

A lot of feelings and images surged through my brain when the horn sound and the red light flashed in OT last night.

Milan Lucic scoring the Bruins’ third goal with less than 90s second left in regulation and, defiant as ever, yelling obscenities as he embraced his line mates and tried to rally the troops.

The normally reserved Patrice Bergeron skating to center ice in jubilation after scoring the game-tying goal with less than a minute left, completing the Bruins’ furious rally.

Tuukka Rask, yet another big play, stonewalling Mattin Frattin’s breakaway with four minutes left, which would have iced the win for the Leafs.

And of course, Bergeron swooping in for the game winning goal in OT.

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