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The Pacers Are 1 Win from the Greatest Upset in (Recent) Finals History
Just when it looked like order might return to the NBA, the Pacers pushed the Finals to a decisive Game 7 — and prolonged the league’s season of…
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Neil Paine
The Florida Panthers Are a Dynasty That Rose From a Sweep
Florida was once the NHL’s most irrelevant team. Now they’ve won two straight Cups — and showed the rest of the league how to bounce back from a…
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Neil Paine
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Tiger at Pebble Is Still Untouchable
Twenty-five years later, Tiger Woods’ 2000 U.S. Open remains the most dominant major performance ever — and I have a new metric, ELDRICK, to prove it.
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Neil Paine
Is the College Football Playoff Going to Recreate the BCS' Formulaic Approach?
Everything old (and hated) could be new again (and hated).
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Neil Paine
The Pacers Have Always Been Just Good Enough to Fall Short. Could This Year Be Different?
After decades of near-misses and never-quite-fulfilled promise, Indiana finally has a chance to channel its dynastic past — and become great by beating…
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Neil Paine
1
The Fascinating Legacy of Andrew McCutchen
He was the symbol of Pittsburgh’s renaissance — and now, of its futility. Where does that leave his career?
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Neil Paine
3
The NBA's Era of Parity Goes Even Deeper Than You Think
The league’s streak of 7 straight unique champions is historic — but even more unprecedented is the revolving door of conference champs that made it…
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Neil Paine
5
The Celtics Are Having the Most Choke-Tastic Start to a Series in Modern NBA History
Boston has lost more late-game win probability than any team to begin a series in the modern era — and it might end up costing them everything.
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Neil Paine
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A Brief History of Toronto Maple Leaf Playoff Choke Jobs
Toronto keeps inventing new ways to lose in the playoffs. And if they blow a 3-0 lead to Ottawa, it will be their most on-brand collapse yet.
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Neil Paine
Can the L.A. Kings Finally Get Their Revenge on the Oilers?
With a 2-0 series lead, the Kings are close to ending their historic playoff losing streak against Edmonton... but they're not out of the woods quite…
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Neil Paine
How the NFL Draft Has Evolved — And What 2025 Tells Us About Football's Future
I tracked the NFL's positional power shift over four decades of draft data.
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Neil Paine
Team Timelines: How the Oakland A's Played Moneyball
A look at the different franchise eras that led up to the season immortalized by book and film — and the moves that made it all possible.
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Neil Paine
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