Rick Barry had a free-throw routine that looked like something from another era. He brought the ball between his knees and sent it toward the basket with both hands. It looked unusual, but it worked remarkably well. That shot is often the first thing people remember about Barry. His career, though, included scoring titles in college basketball, the NBA and …
The High-Altitude Arrival of the Colorado Stampede Professional spring football has returned to Colorado, and it arrived with a plan rather than a prayer. The Colorado Stampede enter the United Football League as its newest expansion franchise, and they do so carrying something almost no startup club has ever possessed: a complete, functioning football operation on day one. Head coach …
Three NHL clubs reach their 100th birthday this fall: the Blackhawks Rangers and Red Wings Turn 100. The Chicago Blackhawks, the Detroit Red Wings and the New York Rangers all joined the league for the 1926–27 season. Chicago played its first game on November 17, 1926, and Detroit followed a day later. All three ran centennial programs a year early, …
Two years ago, the Chicago White Sox lost a modern-record 121 games. Last season, they lost 102 more. This spring, ESPN projected them at 61-101, while the bookies made them +1600 long shots to reach the postseason, tied for the second-longest odds behind only Colorado. Now, with a shock playoff berth secured, the latest MLB lines make them a +2000 shot not …
When Expansion Teams and Arenas Pick Their Rooms: The Valkyries, the Dream, and the History of Franchises Outgrowing Their Arenas Some of the best problems in sports are real estate problems. Nobody schedules a championship series hoping the building will be too small, yet that is exactly what happened in Atlanta this month. The Dream, with the WNBA Finals arriving …
A New Era for the Ocean State: The Arrival of the Breakers Few American states carry a sense of place as concentrated as Rhode Island. Its coastline, its lighthouses, and its working harbors have shaped local identity for generations, and professional football has rarely tried to bottle that identity — until now. The United Football League (UFL) has announced the …
Football fans can forgive a losing season, but losing the entire team is another story. NFL relocations, often called NFL Teams Leave Town, have sparked fierce battles with consequences that linger decades after the final game. An NFL team can spend decades building a history in one city, only for its owner to decide that its future lies somewhere else. …
The San Diego Padres have spent more than half a century building an identity shaped by dramatic peaks, difficult rebuilds, and several unmistakable franchise icons. Founded during Major League Baseball’s expansion era, the Padres initially struggled to establish themselves before Tony Gwynn helped transform their national profile. This is the Story of the San Diego Padres. Later generations brought a …
