Health Is at the Heart of Deshaun Watson Debate in 2024

A picture—perhaps one taken from the Greenbrier resort in West Virginia—is worth a thousand words, as you’ve heard before.Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry must be one for brevity, then, because he delivered a snapshot of the team’s season in merely 21.Standing in the majestic mountain backdrop of The Greenbrier last month as the Browns opened training camp, Berry spoke about quarterback Deshaun Watson.“Our biggest focus with Deshaun is just making sure that he’s available,” Berry said. “I think the rest will take care of itself.”You don’t say.Still just 28, Watson counts youth on his side, if not durability. His lack of appearances and production since joining the Browns in 2022 are well-publicized.An 11-game suspension stemming from multiple accusations o…

2021's most inspiring sports figures

Just a few short years ago, there was a push for athletes to be nothing more than mute entertainers. Luckily enough, they refused to “shut up” or “stick to” whatever sport they played. And ever since a quarterback in San Francisco sat, then kneeled, during the national anthem and a group of WNBA players in Minnesota decided that enough was enough, with the help of social media, the world has been able to watch as athletes from every sex, gender, and race have been able to tell their stories and use their platforms for change. And as 2021 winds down, Deadspin would like to take this opportunity to shout out 10 of those athletes that made this world a little better for their communities, and humanity as a whole. Simone BilesSimone Biles said, “It’s your life. Do what’s best…

Markelle Fultz Is Shooting Left-Handed Jumpers, For Some Reason

No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz is currently unable to play for the Sixers due to an injury to his right shoulder. Since he’s right-handed, the injury has prevented him from shooting a basketball, and yet there he was today during a team practice, shooting jumpers … with his left hand. I suppose this is a way to keep Fultz participating in drills while his shoulder heals, but what good does that do anyone? The guy is hurt, just let him rest! …

2015 Payrolls And Salaries For Every MLB Team

Baseball is healthy and profitable and growing, and in 2015, the average major leaguer will make about $4.25 million—having nearly doubled in the past decade— according to analysis conducted by the Associated Press. You'll find the full numbers below, but they're up across the board. The Dodgers' opening-day payroll projects to be nearly $273 million, up a whopping $37.5 million from last year. Bringing up the rear are the Marlins, whose projected $68.5 million payroll is $24 million higher than 2014's cheapest team (the Astros). But—and this cannot be emphasized enough—just because there is more money does not mean the players are necessarily doing better. MLB's money is coming largely from its TV contracts, which are so lucrative that despite rising…

A Day At Paul Brown Stadium

So, we are sad to report that we did not make it to Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson's dramatic interpretation of the chicken dance at Cincinnati's Oktoberfest on Saturday afternoon; we figured by the time we actually made it downtown, we'd be too far away to see anything but the tip of Johnson's blondehawk. Turns out he shaved a bunch of mohawks for Bengals' fans, and that's another reason we didn't go: We can imagine being fired up enough by the chicken dance to get one. We did, however, make it to Paul Brown Stadium yesterday for the Bengals' sloppy but still convincing 34-17 win over the Browns; it was our first NFL game in nearly seven years, a gap we suspect is not unusual. Some thoughts from our trip: • Chad Johnson almost died, like, …

Notre Dame To Appeal NCAA's Revocation Of 2012, 2013 Victories

College athletics’ governing body is once again looking to make a statement via punishment; this time, Notre Dame—namely its 2012 national championship runner-up campaign—rests in its sights. A recently completed NCAA investigation found the school culpable for the cheating efforts of a student trainer and three student athletes; six other players were deemed to have received “impermissible benefits” from the trainer. In response, the NCAA is looking to place Notre Dame on probation for a year, implement a mandated two-year disassociation for the trainer, fine the school $5,000, and vacate all wins from the 2012 and 2013 seasons. The school quickly announced its intention to appeal the decision following the publication of the NCAA findings. Per ESPN, head coach Brian Kell…

Patriots, Dolphins Make More Betting History Heading Into Week 3

data-mm-id=”_tr3oncbd1″>The New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins are making further history on the betting lines, each on complete opposite ends of the spectrum.This pair of AFC East rivals are each involved in games that are predicted to be decided by at least 20 points. The Patriots are 22.5-point home favorites against another East squad, the New York Jets, while the Dolphins are -21.5 point underdogs against the Cowboys in Dallas. This is the first time there have been multiple 20-point favorites in a weekly NFL slate since 1987.The 1986 season was marred by a player’s strike that forced replacement players to be utilized during Weeks 4-6. In Week 5, the San Francisco 49ers were the biggest road favorites in NFL history, as the Atlanta Falcons (limited to three regula…

VIDEO: Monmouth's George Papas Sets New Standard For Ill-Advised Trash Talk

data-mm-id=”_5q1dvq51l”>The Kansas Jayhawks beat the Monmouth Hawks 112-57 on Friday night at Allen Fieldhouse. It was your typical early-season beatdown by a top ranked team at home against a smaller school. It was business as usual until George Papas got very involved in the final seconds. With the Jayhawks leading 110-55 in the final seconds, freshman guard Tristan Enaruna was dribbling out the clock. That's when Papas lost his mind. Papas played possum and then snuck up behind Enaruna and stole the ball. He then raced down the court and dunked. That alone would be noteworthy, but Papas then got in Enaruana's face and appeared to walk away shouting, "I don't give a f—." Monmouth coach King Rice addressed dunk incident with his team. "That is uncalled …

Isiah Thomas: I Never Had a Teammate Like Scottie Pippen

data-mm-id=”_x10egpeyq”>The 2020 NBA All-Star Game is in Chicago this year, and thus the First Take set is on-site for the weekend. They brought on Chicago native Isiah Thomas to chat about the league before the conversation inevitably veered towards the fierce Bulls-Pistons rivalry of the late 80s and early 90s. The crew got into a debate about whether the Pistons, who knocked Michael Jordan out of the playoffs three consecutive years as he was reaching the height of his power, were actually better than the Bulls. Max Kellerman pointed out that when Jordan had an All-Star team on his side in 1989 (when Scottie Pippen was first named to the team), he took the Pistons to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals. Thomas took this time to point out that he never played with a player o…

If the NBA Resumes Play at Disney World, They Need to Film Some Reality Shows Too

data-mm-id=”_7hfgr84fi”>With the possibility that the NBA could resume their season in some form on the Disney World property in Florida, a whole slew of other opportunities could present themselves. If the league is going to be in a place like this (isolated and surrounded by camera crews) they might as well optimize profitability. Most productions are shut down indefinitely during the pandemic, but if the NBA can really get this off the ground then they have so many opportunities to shoot possible reality shows to incorporate. Here are some of the best options. MasterChefThis is my personal favorite idea and something that should actually happen. Some of the other entries here are jokes, but this one is completely serious. Each NBA team's active roster is roughly the size of a M…