Dear RSS readers,
Our site is now hosted on a new service. so the link to the new RSS feed is below:
http://www.rodriguezandgrandersonaredead.com/?feed=rss2&cat=3
Thanks!
-Jose Mena
Premier League Preview, Part 4: The Title Contenders and End-of-Season Awards
Premier League Preview, Part 3: Dreaming of a European Adventure
Premier League Preview, Part 2: Mid-Table Mediocrity
by Kunle Demuren
This is Part 2 of 4 of our preview of the English Premier League season (see Part 1 here). We will proceed in reverse predicted order of finish, 5 teams per day, until all 20 teams have been covered.
This is Part 2 of 4 of our preview of the English Premier League season (see Part 1 here). We will proceed in reverse predicted order of finish, 5 teams per day, until all 20 teams have been covered.
In Case of Emergency, Use Stairs: A Tribute to Baseball's Greatest Unknown Slugger
By Ryan Dahn
They called him the “Professional Hitter.” A backhanded complement, yes — but they were not wrong about his bat. When he connected with a fastball or a hanging slider with that gawky swing of his, boy, that ball would soar off his bat like no other.
Generously listed at five-foot-nine, 200 pounds, he never tried to hide his sole goal at the plate. “I’m not going to lie,” he once said, the night he hit his most famous bomb. “I try to hit home runs and that’s it.”
They called him the “Professional Hitter.” A backhanded complement, yes — but they were not wrong about his bat. When he connected with a fastball or a hanging slider with that gawky swing of his, boy, that ball would soar off his bat like no other.
Generously listed at five-foot-nine, 200 pounds, he never tried to hide his sole goal at the plate. “I’m not going to lie,” he once said, the night he hit his most famous bomb. “I try to hit home runs and that’s it.”
Premier League Preview, Part 1: The Relegation Contenders
by Kunle Demuren
This is Part 1 of 4 of our preview of the English Premier League season. We will proceed in reverse predicted order of finish, 5 teams per day, until all 20 teams have been covered.
This is Part 1 of 4 of our preview of the English Premier League season. We will proceed in reverse predicted order of finish, 5 teams per day, until all 20 teams have been covered.
Boy Meets World, and by Boy I mean decision-making software and by World I mean NBA Jam
by Gavin Byrnes
Boomshakalaka! Of the many many things I already miss about college, few have the nostalgic pull that is the arcade version of NBA Jam.
Why Can't Lionel Messi Do It on a Wet, Windy Night in Buenos Aires?
by Kunle Demuren
This is a feature article exploring the differences in football players’ performance when playing for their countries, as opposed to playing for their club teams.
Lionel Messi is the two-time reigning World Player of the Year, mostly on the back of his transcendent performances in FC Barcelona’s incredible dominance of European football. Despite his numerous exploits for Barcelona, however, he has not replicated that form while playing for Argentina. Any review of the top players in European club football suggests that this is not an isolated phenomenon. Players such as Steven Gerrard and Cristiano Ronaldo produce transcendent form for their club sides, yet struggle to play as well at the international level. Meanwhile, the famous Polish-born German strikers, Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose, continue to bang in the goals for die Mannschaft, while struggling mightily to get goals and even playing time at club level.
This is a feature article exploring the differences in football players’ performance when playing for their countries, as opposed to playing for their club teams.
Lionel Messi is the two-time reigning World Player of the Year, mostly on the back of his transcendent performances in FC Barcelona’s incredible dominance of European football. Despite his numerous exploits for Barcelona, however, he has not replicated that form while playing for Argentina. Any review of the top players in European club football suggests that this is not an isolated phenomenon. Players such as Steven Gerrard and Cristiano Ronaldo produce transcendent form for their club sides, yet struggle to play as well at the international level. Meanwhile, the famous Polish-born German strikers, Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose, continue to bang in the goals for die Mannschaft, while struggling mightily to get goals and even playing time at club level.
The Facelessness of American Soccer
by Jose Mena
This is a second part of our coverage of Jürgen Klinsmann's signing with US soccer. I get into some pretty abstract stuff - somehow I've turned into a writer about culture, which I don't understand either, and I swear it turns into soccer eventually.
We like to complain about the cultural void here in America. We’re not really a nation of literature, art or music. With industrial regularity and precision, we make Michael Bay films, Katy Perry singles and Dan Brown novels in clockwork fashion to please the stockholders. In general, we’re okay with this; most of us recognize intellectually that our culture is meaningless, but something about “Telephone” just feels so good.
This is a second part of our coverage of Jürgen Klinsmann's signing with US soccer. I get into some pretty abstract stuff - somehow I've turned into a writer about culture, which I don't understand either, and I swear it turns into soccer eventually.
We like to complain about the cultural void here in America. We’re not really a nation of literature, art or music. With industrial regularity and precision, we make Michael Bay films, Katy Perry singles and Dan Brown novels in clockwork fashion to please the stockholders. In general, we’re okay with this; most of us recognize intellectually that our culture is meaningless, but something about “Telephone” just feels so good.
A German in New York
by Kunle Demuren
To almost no one’s surprise, after Bob Bradley was fired as coach of the US men’s national soccer team last week, Jürgen Klinsmann was appointed as his replacement. While the team had made substantial progress and achieved some great victories under Bradley, there was a feeling that he had taken the team as far as he could. It remains to be seen whether that was due to the limitations of the players available or those of Bradley’s tactics.
To almost no one’s surprise, after Bob Bradley was fired as coach of the US men’s national soccer team last week, Jürgen Klinsmann was appointed as his replacement. While the team had made substantial progress and achieved some great victories under Bradley, there was a feeling that he had taken the team as far as he could. It remains to be seen whether that was due to the limitations of the players available or those of Bradley’s tactics.
Identity and American Sport: Like Crosstown Traffic, So Hard To Get Through To You
by Jose Mena
Something odd happens every couple of years in this country. We rise from the slumber of our Big Four sports and start deeply caring about events we know next-to-nothing about. Apolo Anton Ohno’s soul patch gains nationwide celebrity, Landon Donovan and Brandi Chastain become cultural icons and “fucking John Shuster” (former US curling skipper) becomes a popular refrain.
Something odd happens every couple of years in this country. We rise from the slumber of our Big Four sports and start deeply caring about events we know next-to-nothing about. Apolo Anton Ohno’s soul patch gains nationwide celebrity, Landon Donovan and Brandi Chastain become cultural icons and “fucking John Shuster” (former US curling skipper) becomes a popular refrain.
Q To 12: Quantifying The Unquantifiable Sport of Calvinball
by Gavin Byrnes
What is the greatest sport ever invented? Not soccer, not basketball, not biathlon, not steeplechase, not croquet, not water polo. There have been many beloved sports and games in the history of this Earth, but none quite so glorious as Calvinball, where the only rule is that you can't play it the same way twice.
What is the greatest sport ever invented? Not soccer, not basketball, not biathlon, not steeplechase, not croquet, not water polo. There have been many beloved sports and games in the history of this Earth, but none quite so glorious as Calvinball, where the only rule is that you can't play it the same way twice.
Manchester United in Seattle: In Which Kevin Durant Goes Missing
by Justin Knutson
Justin Knutson is a guest contributor to R&GAD. He lives in Seattle, and decided to check in on the nascent (or is it?) soccer scene in the Pacific Northwest for us.
Cities need heroes, people they can rally behind – people whose success and well-being is the very spirit of their hometown. In times of struggle, heroes are those we look toward for inspiration, and in times of prosperity, they are those who remind us not to become complacent. They are the firemen and women of 9/11 who put the lives of others before their own. They are the philanthropists whose contributions fight global poverty and genocide. They are healthcare workers, construction workers, and civil servants who keep our lives running smoothly. They are entertainers and athletes who remind us when times are bleak to put our best feet forward and act as role models for our youth.
Right now, Seattle needs a hero.
The Comprehensive Quidditch Statistics Compendium
by Gavin Byrnes
NOTE: In classic "That dude is irresponsible" form, I left my notebook containing my NHL Draft notes on a bus. It also got contaminated by sand and leaking mixed drinks over the weekend. So the Draft Diary ends abruptly at three entries. It wasn't like my writing was getting any neater. We now return to regularly unscheduled programming. About Quidditch.
NOTE: In classic "That dude is irresponsible" form, I left my notebook containing my NHL Draft notes on a bus. It also got contaminated by sand and leaking mixed drinks over the weekend. So the Draft Diary ends abruptly at three entries. It wasn't like my writing was getting any neater. We now return to regularly unscheduled programming. About Quidditch.
Yes, the All-Star Game Is Stupid. But It's Always Been Stupid.
by Ryan Dahn
You can almost pity the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Come July, sports fans are inevitably treated to a seemingly infinite amount of columns on why the All-Star Game is “broken”, how players and fans used to “care” about the game (Pete Rose running over Ray Fosse in 1970 is always cited), and how to “fix” the All-Star Game. The deluge of All-Star Game hate has itself become maddening.
You can almost pity the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Come July, sports fans are inevitably treated to a seemingly infinite amount of columns on why the All-Star Game is “broken”, how players and fans used to “care” about the game (Pete Rose running over Ray Fosse in 1970 is always cited), and how to “fix” the All-Star Game. The deluge of All-Star Game hate has itself become maddening.
Too Much Mumbling: NHL Draft Diary Part III
by Gavin Byrnes
As Day 2 begins, I am further and further removed from the notes I took. Which means that, if I had trouble reading before, it’s only going to get worse. Undeterred, I plunge on. Part III of not sure how many follows.
As Day 2 begins, I am further and further removed from the notes I took. Which means that, if I had trouble reading before, it’s only going to get worse. Undeterred, I plunge on. Part III of not sure how many follows.
2011 Women's World Cup: USA-Japan
by Kunle Demuren
This is the final installment of our coverage of the 2011 Women's World Cup.
It must be said, in the wake of the USA's run in the World Cup coming to an end in the final in a penalty shootout (3-1, after finishing 2-2 in extra time) that perhaps it was just not meant to be. Certainly, that must have been the feeling that American fans experienced as the match wore on, as the US failed to turn dominance into goals.
This is the final installment of our coverage of the 2011 Women's World Cup.
It must be said, in the wake of the USA's run in the World Cup coming to an end in the final in a penalty shootout (3-1, after finishing 2-2 in extra time) that perhaps it was just not meant to be. Certainly, that must have been the feeling that American fans experienced as the match wore on, as the US failed to turn dominance into goals.
2011 Women’s World Cup: USA-France
by Kunle Demuren
I will be covering the 2011 Women’s World Cup; this match review is part of that coverage.
The USA faced a major challenge coming into this game, coming down from a massively draining (physically and emotionally) victory in the quarter-final against Brazil, and also on one less day of rest (France also went the distance in their quarter-final against England, but they had 11 players for the entire time.) France are also the kind of team that could really rip into tired opponents, since they pass the ball so well and could force them to chase the ball to get any sort of possession. However, the United States showed little sign of their earlier exertions affecting them, as they came out 3-1 winners, with goals from Lauren Cheney, Abby Wambach, and Alex Morgan.
Listening To Phoenix While Phoenix Drafts: NHL Draft Diary Part II
by Gavin Byrnes
The NHL Draft, like Jay Bilas’ upside, is very long. In fact, by the time this part of the as-yet-unfinished NHL Draft Diary Fest Oh Eleven is done, I still won’t have gotten to the second round. I promise that, whatever reading and re-reading Dance of Dragons may be doing to my plans and sleep, it will not become the NHL Draft Diary Fest Oh Twelve. Back to Day I, Part II.
The NHL Draft, like Jay Bilas’ upside, is very long. In fact, by the time this part of the as-yet-unfinished NHL Draft Diary Fest Oh Eleven is done, I still won’t have gotten to the second round. I promise that, whatever reading and re-reading Dance of Dragons may be doing to my plans and sleep, it will not become the NHL Draft Diary Fest Oh Twelve. Back to Day I, Part II.
2011 Women’s World Cup: USA-Brazil
by Kunle Demuren
I will be covering the 2011 Women's World Cup; this match review is part of that coverage.
I can unequivocally say that this was the most thrilling game I have ever seen an American team play in, and it was even one of the most thrilling games I have ever watched (and mind you, I watched the 2005 Champions League final). The USA’s victory by winning a penalty shootout 5-3 (after drawing 2-2 in extra time: more on that part below) had everything a good drama needs: suspense, injustice, more injustice, a few villains, (I will refrain from making the obvious pun here about the USA’s goalkeeper), and some heroes. I’ll get to that goal soon enough, but first, some quick hit thoughts from the game.
I will be covering the 2011 Women's World Cup; this match review is part of that coverage.
I can unequivocally say that this was the most thrilling game I have ever seen an American team play in, and it was even one of the most thrilling games I have ever watched (and mind you, I watched the 2005 Champions League final). The USA’s victory by winning a penalty shootout 5-3 (after drawing 2-2 in extra time: more on that part below) had everything a good drama needs: suspense, injustice, more injustice, a few villains, (I will refrain from making the obvious pun here about the USA’s goalkeeper), and some heroes. I’ll get to that goal soon enough, but first, some quick hit thoughts from the game.
2011 Women's World Cup: England-France
by Kunle Demuren
I will be covering the 2011 Women's World Cup; this match review is part of that coverage.
As one of the few Americans who actually watched France’s victory on penalties (4-3, after it finished 1-1 after extra time) over England, I would like to give my impressions, especially since it was a thrilling game that has largely been overshadowed by the USA’s even more thrilling win over Brazil, and because France is the USA’s next opponent.
Hooray for Winnipeg: NHL Draft Diary, part 1
by Gavin Byrnes
Through some pretty sweet fortune, I found myself in the Twin Cities for the NHL Draft, participating in some scouting discussions for a team and getting to sit in a nifty draft suite. Since 1) I had no responsibilities during the draft, 2) I know very very little about the NHL, and 3) There's only so long you can be entertained just by eating chicken, I decided to 4) take notes for a ex post facto "live" blog. And 5) here it is. Or, at least, here’s part 1 of like damn a lot.
Winning and NHL Salaries: The Passion of the Cap
by Jose Mena
This is the first of a multi-part series examining sports economics under salary caps. This week features the NHL and its hard cap, what you should hope for your GM to do and why Flyers GM Paul Holmgren is taking a massive risk. There’s some math involved that we gloss over in this article; if you want the complete argument it’s all here.
Winning and NHL Salaries: Technical Note
by Jose Mena
I’d like to take some space here to discuss the methodology we used to analyze NHL salaries and their relation to success over the past four years. This way, it’s clear where I’m coming from with all of my arguments, and so that it’s easier for people to start a discussion in case I’ve made a mistake.
I’d like to take some space here to discuss the methodology we used to analyze NHL salaries and their relation to success over the past four years. This way, it’s clear where I’m coming from with all of my arguments, and so that it’s easier for people to start a discussion in case I’ve made a mistake.
Welcome to Rodriguez and Granderson Are Dead!
I’m not going to regale you with some epic story about the genesis of this blog. It wasn’t something that was long in the making; there’s no interesting circumstance under which it was born; hell, we weren’t even drunk when we came up with the idea. I think the best way to put it is that one day I figured we’d write about sports, and then made it happen.
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