Impossible. Even just thinking of something like that. I have been repeating this to myself every day for weeks: if they had told me Cristiano Ronaldo, Leo Messi, Jack Grealish, Jadon Sancho, Sergio Ramos, Romelu Lukaku and many others would have moved in the same summer, would I have believed it? The answer is simple: no, absolutely not. I have had the privilege of experiencing the transfer market for years and it is the most beautiful thing in the world for a reason: you never know what will happen.
Every prediction can change in an instant, due to a fax, a commission, a late phone call. Everyone – agents, managers, club presidents and owners – had been repeating for months: it will be a very poor window, the clubs are in crisis and th…
It looked like a marriage of convenience when Vincent Kompany returned to the north-west of England to take up the role of Burnley manager last summer. The former Belgium defender had spent an illustrious 11 years down the road in Manchester, where he had met his Mancunian wife and brought up children whom he was bringing home. But after last night’s 2-1 victory at Middlesbrough, with goals from Ashley Barnes and Connor Roberts, he can add promotion to the Premier League to his romantic regional ties.
The Clarets had spent a decade under the rule of Sean Dyche, which petered out with his sacking and the club’s relegation last May. Many of the senior players left and there were serious concerns over the club’s finances, so the appointme…
BELIEVABLE, JEFF
Confirmation of the Football Association appointing Thomas Tuchel as head coach of the England national team has prompted a variety of responses from the usual quarters, much of it measured and an unsurprisingly large amount of it totally and utterly deranged. Opinion seems divided into three distinct camps: those who think he’s the best candidate who is currently available and aren’t particularly fussed that the 51-year-old’s a forrin; those who would rather have an Englishman in charge of the national team (unless the man in question happens to be Pep Guardiola); and those who have been sent to the brink of total madness by the apparently extraordinary decision to hire a forrin so GERMAN, they f…
Nope, not really! But my editors and management insist that these posts are longer than three words, so I guess I’ll have to explain. If Manchester City waltzed to last year’s trophy, only really sweating in the final for about an hour against a stubborn Inter, they very well may never get out of a rolling beach chair to this year’s trophy. Even some of the usual powers like PSG and Bayern Munich look weaker than they were, and City kicked Munich’s ass up to their ears last year anyway. But they’re still going to play this, so we should run through the themes. I guess. So why should I watch if the outcome is already decided? Maybe you’ll feel wistful about the format? This is the last season of the “eight groups of four” system. Next season, the tournament will expand to…
Some people are fans of the Indianapolis Colts. But many, many more people are NOT fans of the Indianapolis Colts. This 2017 Deadspin NFL team preview is for those in the latter group. Read all the previews so far here. Your team: Indianapolis Colts. Your 2016 record: 8-8. Oh, the indignity. But we’ve only just begun! After all, who can forget the time they blew a 23-9 fourth-quarter lead against Brock Osweiler. Only a team coached by Chuck Pagano and overseen by tire company brand manager Ryan Grigson could pull off such things. They also cut Antonio Cromartie after an Anthem protest (27th ranked pass defense in the league). Then the punter retired so he could work for fucking Barstool. Good punters can play for 20 seasons and retire without catastrophic physical problems, an…
Some people are fans of the Baltimore Ravens. But many, many more people are NOT fans of the Baltimore Ravens. This 2014 Deadspin NFL team preview is for those in the latter group.
Your team: Baltimore Ravens
Your 2013 record: 8-8. God, wasn't it nice to have them out of the playoffs? It felt like a vacation.
Your coach: John Harbaugh, who is the worst Harbaugh. I can't believe any Harbaugh is worse than Jim Harbaugh, but at least Jim has some small, deeply cloaked understanding that he is a psycho who wears terrible pants. John lacks this final, molecular trace of self-awareness, and thus, he is the fucking worst. I hate him. I hate his face. I hate the way he bitches after every single goddamn play, like a scientifically formed hybrid of an NBA player and a W…
Hey, it's time for a fifth straight U.S. Open men's final. Hopefully you're watching at work. Novak Djokovic is gunning for his second Grand Slam of the year; Andy Murray, fresh off Olympic gold, is going for his first. It'll be a battle of defense v. defense. Let's watch. Drop your thoughts in Kinja below. …
Did you know that you can stream Coach on Netflix right now? It's true. So guess what? I'm going to do it and live blog a couple eps because, why the hell not, right? We can have this shared experience of having watched Coach on Netflix and it will be preserved for time immemorial. Get excited! Netflix series summary: As a college football coach, Hayden Fox tries to balance his professional goals and hunger for gridiron glory with his personal relations. Season 1, Episode 1 "Kelly and the Professor" 12:53 I am now watching Coach. It's filmed before a live studio audience I'm told. 12:56 Theme song. 1:00 a.m.: Hayden—that's Craig T. Nelson—just found out his daughter is dating a professor. Still not sure what this episode is going to be about.…
data-mm-id=”_6hah8a16b”>The New Orleans Saints are in the midst of their bye week, but Drew Brees is still leading his team to victory. Before his NFL days, Brees made a name for himself at Purdue University. He returned to West Lafayette on Saturday afternoon to provide some inspiration to the modern Boilermakers. Purdue's official Twitter account shared video of Brees addressing the team in the locker room prior to their Saturday tilt against Nebraska. "A streak, a run, has to start with one day, with one game," Brees tells the assembled players and staff. "Every season is full of defining moments, and you never know when those defining moments will happen. So I'm going to say, why not today? Why can't today be one of those defining moments.""I…
data-mm-id=”_2cvtzyifp”>The NFL has been pretty silent on the public side of things in the weeks after the Bengals reported the Patriots for sending a camera crew to record their sideline ahead of their Week 15 matchup. New England and Bill Belichick adamantly denied the camera crew had anything to do with their football operations, and were sent as a part of a docu-series by the Patriots' production team. The Washington Post now reports the NFL has found no connection between the camera crew and the football side of things within the organization. From Mark Maske: “The NFL has found no evidence to this point linking Coach Bill Belichick or others on the New England Patriots’ football staff to the video shot by a crew on behalf of the team showing footage of the Cincinnati Beng…