Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Unbalanced.
Early Failures For Jim Harbaugh Not Indicative of His Potential
Jim Harbaugh seemed like the perfect man for Michigan. He was a record-setting quarterback for the Wolverines in the 1980s. He took over a decaying deer carcass known as Stanford football and won the Orange Bowl. He took the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl just two years removed from a 6-10 season. He was a winner, and Michigan badly needed one.
By Alec Lower8 years ago in Unbalanced
Surprise Teams as the Calendar Flips
Ah, November 1. The NHL season has been under way for a few weeks, and it's been a delight as usual. Though, as there often is around this time, there are a few surprises in the standings. It's a wacky time, and certainly nothing to glean any valuable insight from. Simply a time to enjoy the wonder and mystery that makes the commencement of the NHL season so amazing.
By Steve Smith8 years ago in Unbalanced
We Should Take a Lesson from the Paul George/Oladipo & Sabonis Trade
If you're reading this right now there's a good chance you've already read something along these lines. Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis' exponential rise with the Indiana Pacers have been one of the most talked-about storylines of the early NBA season.
By Tony Heim8 years ago in Unbalanced
Brandon Ingram May Not Become a Superstar, but Why Can’t He Be?
“The next Kevin Durant." Those were the words on everyone’s lips throughout 2016, Brandon Ingram’s one and only year at Duke University. That year, he shot to the top of draft boards across the country.
By Myles Stedman8 years ago in Unbalanced
Bullpenning and Usage Featuring Brandon Morrow
After a year in which he notched a stellar K-BB% of 24.1 percent, Brandon Morrow fashioned himself into the most trusted reliever in the Dodgers bullpen not named Kenley Jansen. Morrow has appeared in 12 of the Dodgers 13 games this postseason, including every single game of the World Series. If 2016 was the year of bullpen usage in the highest leverage situations, 2017 has been the year of bullpen usage, period. Much has been made of the idea that “bullpenning” games work in the playoffs after Joe Girardi used his bullpen to shut the Twins down in the AL Wild Card Game. While a team with viable pitching depth, such as New York or Houston, can afford to pull their starters after two times through the order, let’s consider the toll bullpenning takes on individuals who are heavily counted on.
By Matt Mocarsky8 years ago in Unbalanced
MLB shows bark, no bite with Gurriel suspension
I'm going to save you the trouble of every other take on the Gurriel suspension that you've already read, and skip over the general talking points. Yes, Gurriel has no excuse for that behavior and his actions, he played in Japan and he should know better, racism is bad, yadda yadda. You've heard it all ad infinitum before. Glad we can all agree that racism is bad. It's far more important to address the MLB's response to Gurriel's actions, because we'll all forget about Gurriel come next spring (hell, Houston fans have already forgotten), but the precedent of the MLB's ruling will linger on for years and possibly decades.
By John Edwards8 years ago in Unbalanced
NFL Week 8 Picks Against the Spread
Many of the league’s teams will be halfway through the regular season after this week, and we got here fast. If it feels like you don’t really know which teams are good or bad yet, it’s because we don’t. An incredible 21 of the league’s 32 teams are within one game above or below .500, and each week, the underdogs continue to show up.
By Brandon Anderson8 years ago in Unbalanced
It's Time For LeBron To Hand The Crown Off To Giannis
For years, people have been trying to remove LeBron James as the league’s best player. Ever since he uttered the words, “not five, not six, not seven...” people have stormed the castle as they tried to find a possible suitor. The Anthony Davis believers have fallen quiet, as the extremely talented center has only carried his team to over 40 wins once in his career. Numerous stars looked like potential candidates, but simply haven’t been able to reach LeBron’s greatness. Some argue Kevin Durant did it last year, but those are just his burner accounts fighting the good fight for him.
By Dan O'Shea8 years ago in Unbalanced
The Man... The Myth... The Legend: What Makes Saquon Barkley So Great
Heading into this weekend's game against the Penn State Nittany Lions, the Ohio State Buckeyes probably have one thing on their minds more than any other, and that’s stopping Saquon Barkley. Although the Buckeyes are quite fond of dominant ball carriers, Ezekiel Elliott and Carlos Hyde just to name a few, this go-around they’ll be tasked with slowing one down as opposed to helping one eat up turf. Penn State's “Big Back,” in ability and sheer physical size, won’t be that easy to slow down though. This will be for many reasons, but mostly because he is just that elite, and illustrates it every time he is on the field. Just like the elite backs before him and that now play on Sundays, he has special traits that make it inevitable that whenever he touches the ball, something good is bound to happen. What are those traits you might ask? I thought you never would.
By Kenneth Wilson8 years ago in Unbalanced
