Tag: Sports

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NBA

The Top Two Picks in the NBA Draft Rarely Become the Two Best Players

Victor Wenbanyama and Scoot Henderson are projected to be the top two picks in the 2023 NBA Draft

The 2023 NBA Draft is shaping up to be one of the rare instances in which there are multiple prizes.

In fact, experts are saying that this draft class may even have four or five players that could help transform a franchise. However, there is an absolute consensus that Victor Wenbanyama and Scoot Henderson should go first and second in the draft, respectively.

While Wenbanyama appears to be a generational talent and is the most hyped prospect since LeBron James, Henderson would be the top pick in almost any other year, so whatever team ends up in the second spot will have a hell of a consolation prize.

Still, that team should be wary. Rarely do the top two picks end up being the two best players in that class.

In fact, it has not happened more than five times since 1960. Five times in sixty years.

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NBA NFL Sports

I’ve Always Rooted for Players Over Teams

“Loyalty to any one sports team is pretty hard to justify, because the players are always changing, the team can move to another city. You’re actually rooting for the clothes, when you get right down to it. You are standing and cheering and yelling for your clothes to beat the clothes from another city. Fans will be so in love with a player, but if he goes to another team, they boo him. This is the same human being in a different shirt; they hate him now. Boo! Different shirt! Boo!”

Jerry Seinfeld

I grew up a Michael Jordan superfan. Not just a fan, a superfan. I had his posters and pictures all over my walls, stacks of his Fleer and Skybox cards in my collection, and collected everything I could, from Starting Lineup figures to Wheaties boxes.

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Writing

My Best Writing of 2020

Everyone knows 2020 was not a typical year. In fact, it was probably the weirdest and most stressful twelve months most of us have ever experienced.

Some of the items I wrote this year were in direct response to what was happening in the world – both in macro and the micro sense – while others could’ve been published any other time.

The biggest change to my writing routine was my output – or lack thereof.

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Categories
Writing

My Very Best Writing of 2019

Is it really going to be 2020?

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Week in Review

Week in Review (May 6, 2016)

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I’ve written before about how over the past few years I’ve fallen out of love with sports and that’s still half-true.

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Writing

My Very Best Writing from 2015

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Overall, 2015 was probably my best year as a writer. A lot of great things happened.

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Greatness Philadelphia

2004 Philadelphia Eagles Highlights

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The Philadelphia Eagles have never won a championship in the Super Bowl era. In fact, they’ve only ever made it to the Super Bowl twice, in 1980 and 2004.

I was born in 1980, so I don’t remember that team (although I’ve seen plenty of highlights) but the 2004 team is one of my favorite sports teams ever (behind the Michigan Fab Five, the 1992 Dream Team, and a few others). That year, Terrell Owens was a god in Philly.

This team was the pinnacle of the Andy Reid era and it doesn’t look like the Chip Kelly era is going to approach it either. So, rather than dwelling on Sam Bradford, soak up the greatness of Donovan McNabb, T.O., Brian Westbrook, and Brian Dawkins leading the best team in franchise history.

Christopher Pierznik is the author of eight books, all of which can be purchased in paperback and Kindle. His work has appeared on XXL, Cuepoint, Business Insider, The Cauldron, and many more. He has been quoted on Buzzfeed and Deadspin. Subscribe to his monthly reading review newsletter or follow him on Facebook or Twitter.