When it comes down to comparing the great players in the NBA today, Kobe Bryant is someone that i've always kept as the gold standard because of his ability to compete, desire to win, and proven track record.
Boston Celtics great Larry Bird saw the Los Angeles Lakers as the enemy during his playing days, but sees Bryant as the one current player he'd like on his side if he were playing today.

By Neil W. Blackmon Let's just get the disclaimer right out of the way, shall we? What follows won't do today justice. I would hope that's obvious. Some moments in life are too sensory, too "I wish I could have been there or seen that" for the written word. In the age of youtube and [...]

The Canadian soccer writing landscape has exploded over the last few years. It almost feels redundant to write this, but the number of Canadian soccer sources now available on the web is truly remarkable.
I don't want to get in a long-winded breakdown of the "history" of online soccer coverage in Canada, but suffice it to say, before the internet there were one or two newspaper reporters who owned the soccer beat, and even then, coverage was sparse.

The next to final mention of soccer in the ESPN history book is on page 715, courtesy of writer/personality Bill Simmons.
Now, I can appreciate that Simmons is a new fan to the sport of soccer, but honestly, nothing makes me roll my eyes more than a) Those who act as if Americans, not English, invented the word "soccer" for the game b) Those who act as if the sport needs to change to appeal to Americans.

The next to final mention of soccer in the ESPN history book is on page 715, courtesy of writer/personality Bill Simmons.
Now, I can appreciate that Simmons is a new fan to the sport of soccer, but honestly, nothing makes me roll my eyes more than a) Those who act as if Americans, not English, invented the word "soccer" for the game b) Those who act as if the sport needs to change to appeal to Americans.

From Mike Jacobs' column, Evansville Courier Press, June 19, 2011
At a time when Isiah Thomas is referenced more for his lack of coaching and management success than for his brilliance on the basketball court as a player, a story offers a lesson from Thomas into being a part of a championship team.

[Editor's note: We welcome back contributing writer and longtime friend Ryan Reft. He's kindly allowed us to repost this essay from his groupblog Tropics of Meta. For some of his past contributions to CultFootball see here, here and here.]

Over the past fifteen to twenty years, historians have increasingly emphasized the role of sports as both a driver and reflection of society.

Professional sports has probably never seen a championship coach like Phil Jackson. Jackson was the architect of the NBA World Championships of the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers, and was able to win by managing the personalities and egos of some of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game.

Have you seen the Twitter war between Bill Simmons and Keith Olbermann? Bill Simmons, of ESPN, and Keith Olbermann, formerly of ESPN and soon to be a host of a show on something called Current TV, have a history of not liking each other. The two rivals started up a Twitter war today that is actually getting pretty interesting.

Back when the Boston Celtics traded Kendrick Perkins to the Oklahoma City Thunder, we said it was a horrible trade. So far, it looks like we were right. Bill Simmons, in a recent podcast for ESPN, seems to have come to the same conclusion. He blames the Celtics recent struggles on the trade. Losing Kendrick Perkins, he says, has ruined team chemistry and has made the Celtics a lot softer.

- Jason Davis
This is a momentous American Soccer Show if ever there was one. Jared and I cover all of the pertinent American soccer news while making references to Jim J. Bullock and shameless pleas to Bill Simmons, but the real story is the end of the era of The Ginge.
We don't start there, of course.

-Chris Ballard
Following soccer in the United States can be difficult when you're a relative newcomer, and finding a team to call your own even more so. I've wanted to find a time to root for most of my time here. It's all very well staying aloof to the vagaries of the club season, but supporting a soccer team is fun, and I don't want to miss out.

LeBron James was going to sign with the Clippers. I was sure of it. Living in a city that prided itself on its basketball knowledge, I could not have been happier to defend my foolhardy (and completely non-researched) claim. I filled the microbreweries with my pomp and unbridled opinion, joyfully educating any local who dared to question my theory.