The response to athlete protests only proves why they’re protesting in the first place. This column came on the heels on NFL player protest and the backlash that ensued during the discussion of those protests. This piece was recognized in the Pro Football Writers of America’s Dick Connor Awards for 2018.
A New Class Of Women Are Making Waves In Sports Media, But There’s Still A Long Way To Go
Sports media has long been filled with men yelling at other men about sports. A group of talented, engaging women are changing that so at the very least women can be yelling at men at sports too. In the piece, I look at the problems women have faced in the industry, how they’re trying to …
Nick Wright, LeBron James, And The Hostility Of Sports Debate In 2018
Thanks to Twitter, there are no reasonable sports conversations anymore. This piece tackles “Take” culture and the unique environment of NBA Twitter through the lens of Nick Wright and his contrarian LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan take. This piece speaks to my ability to recognize interesting trends in sports conversation and explicate them in a …
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Reining in the gunslinger
New Indianapolis head coach Frank Reich has to walk the fine line of keeping Andrew Luck healthy, and letting him rip. Good thing he has just the plan to make that happen. This feature for the SB Nation NFL season preview includes interviews with coaches, former players, and analysts showing my ability to take on …
How hard will it be for Marcus Mariota to transition from spread to pros?
Marcus Mariota is a system quarterback.” That was the narrative heading into the 2015 NFL draft. I talked to scouts, coaches, and former players about what it will take for Mariota to go from Oregon’s wide-open spread offense to the NFL, while explaining why it won’t be as different as many people believed.
New league hoping to bring a true minor-league system to pro football
Fewer practices, former underclassmen declaring than ever before, and a violent game conspires to rob the NFL of a true developmental system. I went behind the scenes with the co-founders and Tommie Harris, a former NFL player turned investor, to get the story behind the FXFL, a developmental pro football league.
C.J. Fair relishes chance to face top players at combine, draft workouts
As part of a pre-draft series, I tracked Syracuse senior C.J. Fair through the draft process from combine to team workouts and beyond. In it, he speaks candidly about feeling like he belongs in the class of elite players in the 2014 NBA draft.
O.C. pitcher Henry Owens makes his major league debut for the Red Sox
Working as a freelance writer for the Orange County register, I covered Red Sox pitcher Henry Owens’ major league debut at Yankee Stadium. The Huntington Beach native expounds on his experience in his first big league game on the road in the sports’ most important and storied rivalry.
A once-in-a-lifetime prospect? Scouts break down Jadeveon Clowney
Lawrence Taylor? Reggie White? Scouts and media people showered Jadeveon Clowney with praise heading toward the 2014 NFL draft, but what was the real story? What is he good at? Where does he stand out? And where does he rank among the best defensive prospects in recent memory. I sought out scouts and draft experts …
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McCarthy’s play-calling duties under microscope as Packers enter playoffs
Mike Holmgren made news in this story, telling me he’d insisted to Green Bay Packers’ head coach Mike McCarthy he not give up playcalling duties. I talked to Holmgren, as well as other former coaches about the responsibilities a coach has on the sidelines and whether it’s too much for a head coach to handle. …
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