Insane Ideas

A Defense of the NBA Play-In Tournament

At least one of Adam Silver's weird, technocratic initiatives is good, actually.

Apr 14 • Neil Paine

What I Learned From the 344 Posts I Wrote in 2025

I categorized every post I published in 2025 by type and sport to see what I actually spent the year writing about — then picked out the stories that…

Dec 31, 2025 • Neil Paine

If LeBron Wants to Pass Jordan, He Needs to Leave L.A. (and Win)

The Lakers are moving on soon — and 1 ring in a place like, say, New York City is worth more than 2 elsewhere.

Jul 18, 2025 • Neil Paine

Why We Might Need MLB's All-Star Game More Now Than Ever

In an era of gambling apps, algorithms and hyper-optimization, baseball’s pointless midsummer exhibition may be the last refuge of what sports used to…

Jul 15, 2025 • Neil Paine

The Yankees’ Torpedo Bats Are a Formula 1 Moment in MLB

What happens when a sport is totally blindsided by (legal) technological innovation?

Mar 31, 2025 • Neil Paine

There Is No Ethical Hooping Under Basketball Capitalism

Free throws are too efficient, and until that changes, foul-grifting is here to stay.

Mar 26, 2025 • Neil Paine

Which Sports Provide the Best Return on Your Time Investment?

And if we can’t shorten regulation games, can we at least shorten overtimes?

Feb 25, 2025 • Neil Paine

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