#there's probably other players I could have done something equally compelling with this quote

[lovethytendytenderly]

The Take Over, the Breaks Over // an edit a day til penguins hockey, a countdown (day 25)

x x x

[junker-town]

Here are 4,700 words worth of Mike Leach’s most memorable quotes

The former Texas Tech and current Washington State head coach has a long history of saying stuff.

Mike Leach has opinions on everything. Fans and media members like getting him to express those opinions. Let’s get right to it. I’m sure I’m missing a lot, so throw them in the comments for now.

Acoustics

Oklahoma's [stadium is] louder [than Oregon]. A&M's louder. Texas is on the bubble. Nebraska was definitely louder. LSU’s louder. I never went to Alabama. We beat Alabama, but it was at Kentucky. Depending whether or not you at the cowbells, Mississippi State’s comparable. Georgia’s louder. Florida’s louder. Definitely in that one end zone at South Carolina’s louder. Tennessee’s louder.

Little Rock, Arkansas, it’s as if you had a football game in the neighbors’ basement and all the kids were yelling louder than hell, and you could tell when you were starting out. You’d clap your hands and you’d hear it five times and yell, ‘Go, go, go, go, hit, hit, hit, hit.’ Well, then after, and you figure there’s 45,000. You multiply that times five. That equals approximately 250,000.

Being the bad guy

It was right during the Gulf War, so we beat Navy, which was quite a deal, cause there was 300 million people that were ticked off and 250,000 that were happy. It’s like being the Oakland Raiders in the ‘70s. It was awesome.

The Chicago Cubs

There’s some teams — the Cubs are one of them — where there’s just too many fans. They’re one of those teams that, for whatever reason — I guess it’s cause people like the way their uniforms look or something — every yuppie with a BMW or some special attachment to its computer or some designer set of jeans or something like that is a Cubs fan and refers to it as ‘my Cubbies.’

If you say ‘my’ in front of your team, well, then that’s dubious, OK? You know, ‘my this, my that.’ Come on, now. And so you get ‘my Cubbies.’ You don’t get ‘my Indians.’ You get ‘my Cubbies,’ OK?

And I think there’s just too many out-of-the-woodwork people that like ‘em, that just like ‘em cause they like the uniforms, don’t know the first thing about baseball, probably have never even attended a Cubs game, but that’s just gonna be their team since they have something to talk about over the copy machine and the cooler.

So as a result, you know, going against the whole wave of probably seven-eighths of America, I want the Indians. Me and the city of Cleveland.

Coffee

Mike Leach cooling off his hot coffee while Mark Dantonio answers a question during the Holiday Bowl press conference is the best Mike Leach moment ever. http://pic.twitter.com/jN6QyuUhDS

— Sam Adams (@SWXSamAdams) December 27, 2017

Concentration

I’ve specifically concentrated on not concentrating on this, and up to this point, I’ve done a really good job.

Craig James, the ESPN commentator who got Leach outed at Texas Tech

I think my opinion is consistent with most of the rest of America's. This is illustrated by a poll done in the Dallas Morning News where people were asked who they would vote for senator: Mike Leach or Craig James. I got 96.5 percent of the vote.

Dancing

All Scandinavians feel a tiny bit self-conscious, of which I’m one. I’m supposed to be outgoing and interesting; no, I’ve always been insecure about dancing. I was when I was in high school.

They used to have a segment of P.E. when I was in grade school. I used to get kicked out when they’d have square dancing.

I have always felt insecure about dancing. My wife is a great dancer. But I don’t dance. I walk in place, if I’m forced out there. I don’t have any religious reservation about it, and I respect people who can dance great. I don’t look like Elaine from Seinfeld, but all I’m going to do is tread water in place and make it go away.

It’s like in junior high. You want social interaction. Long story short, if you’re a guy, you want to meet girls and vice versa. What a horrible social event. So I’m going to burst into dance? No, I’m not.

I was good at dodgeball. I bordered on great at dodgeball.

Dating in Cody, Wyo.

I'm a big movie guy. If you want to do it more like I did when I was your age, you can go to the Stars & Stripes Theatre because that's what they had in Cody, Wyoming. But otherwise, the movie theater's pretty good. But then you want to end it at some cool coffee shop-type of place, where there's bizarre-looking characters going in and out, so if the conversation isn't going well, you can reference some of the different characters you see coming and going from the place.

If it's a huge night and you're really having a good time, then you can trade computer schemes and emails and mischief that people are up to nowadays, which I know nothing about.

Dating in Lubbock, Texas

You want some place casual to begin with, because you don't want something real formal in the beginning. So some place casual. I recommend Cagle’s steakhouse, which is very casual. The other thing that's great about it is there's very little salad there at Cagle’s.

Dating in Moscow, Idaho

First take her to CDs Pit House BBQ in Moscow, ID. If she will get her hands dirty with some great BBQ, you will know you are on the right track!

Dating in Provo, Utah

Went to A&W [for my first date with my wife]. Had just finished a rugby game, went to A&W, had a coupon book. She said, ‘What are you getting?’ She’s looking at the menu, ‘What looks good? What are you getting?’ I handed her the 2-for-1 coupon book. I said, ‘I don’t know, but here’s the menu.’ Seems to me we got some kind of bacon hamburger thing. She got a root beer freeze. I do remember that.

Then there was a Polynesian food place called the Bamboo Hut but that was closed at that point. The Bamboo Hut was a middle of the day thing that was open from like 11 to 3 or something like that. That was a Joe Salave’a kind of place.

Dating in Pullman, Wash.

I would go to Black Cypress, if you really want to make a good impression. If you want just good, solid food and aren’t as into the atmosphere, I’d go to Mongolian Fire, which I really like. So one of those two. But if you go to the more high-end Black Cypress, I’d talk to Nick beforehand because he has the menu and it’s all really good. He’s got some great appetizers and he’ll come by and keep hitting you up — here’s this, try that — and I think it should work out really well.

Dating with financial savings

If you’re just trying to dress your life up a little and pretend you have a relationship, then maybe you don’t want to use the coupon book, if it’s some kind of a volume deal. But if you want to zero in on one or two [serious relationships], break out the coupon book, saw off the weak right off the top, so you can get down the path to find the right one.

It’s worked out pretty good, because I’ve been married … I can’t remember, a long time. Thirty years or something.

Deflategate

With everything that’s going on, we're worried about how much air goes into a ball, when everybody uses their own ball. It's not like it's a forged football. We waste a lot of time with that, and then we worry about the Kardashians. How can it be that we laugh about England's obsession with the royal family? At least the royal family has college degrees and military service.

Disco

What a dark time for our country.

Doing live TV

I don’t even remember what I said. I hope whatever I said was cute and clever and maybe even a tiny bit humorous. I hope it wasn’t mindless babble, and if it was, hopefully everyone will forget about it pretty quick.

Expanding the College Football Playoff

(He’s been talking about this one non-stop for at least 11 years now.)

“Fat Little Girlfriends”

Leach has repeatedly used “Fat Little Girlfriends” as a symbol of distractions or something?

We pound on Kansas State, so A&M looks at the film all week. [My players] strut around and laugh, you know, ho-ho-ho, ha-ha-ha, and [my players] listen to their Fat Little Ol’ Girlfriends, and pretty soon, what happens in Manhattan happens [to us].

Well, the first thing we do is we go in our meeting and we talk about we're going to respect everyone; we're going to fear no one. We're not going to compare scores, and we're not going to listen to our Fat Little Girlfriends.

Later that week:

As coaches we failed to make our coaching points more compelling than their Fat Little Girlfriends. Now their Fat Little Girlfriends have some obvious advantages. For one thing, their Fat Little Girlfriends are telling them what they want to hear, which is how great you are and how easy it's going to be. I’m willing to go to fairly amazing lengths to make that happen. There will be some people inconvenienced, and if that happens to be their Fat Little Girlfriends, too bad.

Leach later made two editions of the Fat Little Girlfriends Cookbook with his wife.

Fighting

If you get into a fight, don't take your helmet off. We're looking for smart football players, not dumb ones. In the interest of time, don't get into any more fights today.

Fish

‘Now, why would you want to use live bait? It seems to me the faster, more active fish would have to take the live bait, but that's not what you want, is it? You want the big fish.’

He's addressing the air, or us, or no one in particular, or everyone, or maybe just the dying light of the sun burning a brilliant purple-red hole hole in the horizon.

‘If I'm a big, fat, lazy fish, I'm not gonna work. I'm gonna eat the dead fish. It wouldn't make a difference to me, would it?’

The captain says something, but it's cut off by Leach's closing argument.

‘Fish aren't smart. It's not like they have advanced degrees.’

Football plays, ranked

1. Four verticals

2. Stick routes

3. Inside zone

4. Receiver screens

5. Y-cross

Football terminology

‘Why do you call the slot receiver in your playbook the Elf?’

Leach laughs. ‘Because that was Wes Welker, and Welker looks like an elf? One time it's late, like 11 o'clock or midnight on Sunday, and we're having an offensive staff meeting when Welker comes in, and he's wearing an elf costume. Tights, the whole thing. He jumps up on the table and does a little jig. He's smiling, and then he jumps down, and just before he leaves he clicks his heels and then runs out of the door.’

Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Wes Welker, elf

Georgia’s gnats

‘The Macon crowd, it's funny, but they can sit there like nothing's happening and there can be gnats just biting the hell out of your face. And they'll just be, 'Da da da,' talking, and it doesn't even bother them. Even down in Valdosta, where the gnats rarely got down there, because it's too hot, I guess. This one high school coach, I'm down there recruiting, and he nudges me and says, ‘Try this.’ Well I've got these big, fat, old lips, so it doesn't really work as well. But he'd fire up a little puff and just blow the gnats right off.’

A reporter tried to ask a question.

Leach: ‘And then Skin So Soft, I don't know exactly what that is, but evidently gnats don't like that. So they'd rub that all over and there'd be these fresh-smelling people everywhere who still had some gnats on them and looked kind of oily, you know? And what I think is, the gnats don't really care about [the Skin So Soft], but it probably puts a little sheet of oil on you so it's harder for 'em to bite you. You don't feel the bites. That's just one guy's theory; I'm sure I'm wrong.’

Again, the reporter: ‘Can you talk about some of your marquee games as...’

Leach: ‘Well, that's a fascinating question. So, Valdosta. Valdosta's hotter, yeah, and you're right by the Okefenokee Swamp, and there's alligators and water moccasins, and great fun is had by all. Now what was your question?’

Goths

There’s all these goths, there’s like six goth people. Well, they’re more like between I’m gonna say 20 and 30-year-old goths. You know, they didn’t have school its not like they were skipping school. And who knows, I don’t know what they’re going to do — ‘Hey how you guys doing, great cemetery up here!’ — and they just kind of gave me a frowney goth look, and just sort of nodded.

Because goths aren’t in good moods anyway, I mean everything’s about spider webs and black hair, black this — really white faces.

So anyway, hopefully I made about six new friends, but they didn’t speak much, so.

Halloween candy

I think candy corn’s awful. You know, it’s like fruitcake. There’s a reason they only serve fruitcake once a year, because it’s awful. There’s a reason they only serve mint julep’s once a year, because they’re awful. Now, that does beg the question, ‘why they serve it at all?’ But anyway, that’s my opinion. You eat it by the handfuls, because that’s all that’s left, and you get sick.

Home defense

I do have a Viking axe by the bed, if I need to whack someone. My wife bought me a Viking axe. The axe side curls down so you can grab the adversary around the neck and you can use it to climb walls, as a grappling hook.

Incorporating others’ opinions

‘I called six, or our call for four verticals. We had it, and I called it, and Kliff [Kingsbury, the QB] shook me off. Now most of the time I'm fine with quarterbacks shaking me off, but we had this, and I got mad and called time out and said some things to Kliff.’

Leach spits in the ocean.

‘So Kliff goes out there, and I call six again, and he shakes me off again, and now we get delay of game. It's fourth down, and we're on our own 40, but I just call it again and have some words with Kliff. We hit it against that corner cheating up for a touchdown, and Kliff comes up and starts yelling at me angry on the sideline. “FINE, FINE, ARE YOU HAPPY NOW? WE DID IT YOUR WAY, AND NOW ARE YOU HAPPY?” And I was.’

Photo by John Weast/Getty Images

Kingsbury would go on to coach Texas Tech himself

Injury reports

Any stuff on that is so closely guarded. I don’t know if you saw Harry Potter, but in the basement of this building, it’s guarded by serpents and wild dogs and things like that, and you can go try to find the secret to that, but chances of survival ... always a risk. Heck, it took until movie five before he got it done himself, and he had magic powers.

Anyway, [QB Connor Halliday] is doing just fine.

In-laws

If there is any resistance to them letting her go to a Texas Tech football game, it is a clear indicator that they would make terrible in-laws, and you need to get out of that relationship as quickly as possible.

Lawyers

I got my law degree at Pepperdine. I think the legal profession is getting somewhat corrupted. When it comes to lawyers, I think it’s kind of a Catch-22. On one hand, there’s so much process, procedure and mess caused by the legal profession. But on the other hand, the only way to sort through all that process, procedure, and mess is through the legal profession. That’s why I think lawyers are both very destructive and very necessary. It’s like if you have guys coming after you with a sword, well, you better have a sword too.

Making memories

Our offensive line has to be tougher people ... That will be addressed tomorrow. It will be an experience they won’t forget. They’ll be talking about it when they’re my age.

Mascot battles

A cougar obviously kills a duck and a beaver.

A cougar against a husky, that's pretty well a massacre.

A cardinal or whatever: I don't know exactly what ... a cougar would either climb it, or I wouldn't want to think of what else he'd do on it.

Now golden bears could be kinda tough. I think you'd want to be a little fast and loose with them. You don't want to get caught by that bear.

The Ute ... you gotta dodge some arrowheads, but I still like the Cougar.

Buffalo ... I think the buffalo would be pretty tough to beat.

Wildcat: Cougars are bigger than wildcats.

Sun Devils, that's mythical anyway. Trojans, they may be as well.

The golden bear, bruin, and buffalo .. I think those are the tough ones.

You know, buffalo are significantly bigger than elk. I grew up near Yellowstone, so I've been near buffalo. Buffalo are huge. And then the other thing I've always gotten a kick out of: when you play Colorado, there's those buffalo dragging those six handlers around. Those handlers aren't dragging the buffalo. The buffalo's dragging him. Ralphie's not even a big buffalo.

Math

Go for two, or whatever... http://pic.twitter.com/rnKRnOTnyf

— WSUFootballBlog (@WazzuFBBlog) October 11, 2015

Motivation

Cal was playing harder than we were, so we sort of had a get-in-touch-with-your-feelings kind of conversation, where everybody got kind, fuzzy-gooey feelings for each other, and our intensity increased.

Musicians, ranked

1. Jimmy Buffett

2. Neil Young

3. Lynyrd Skynyrd

4. Jethro Tull

5. Bob Dylan

Opening remarks

Any questions?

The pirates thing

Leach has fully explained the massive pirates analogy that became Texas Tech’s identity. From 2005:

Last year, after a loss to Texas A&M in overtime, Leach hauled the team into the conference room on Sunday morning and delivered a three-hour lecture on the history of pirates. The analogy to football held up for a few minutes, but after a bit, it was clear that Coach Leach was just . . . talking about pirates.

The quarterback Cody Hodges says of his coach: ‘You learn not to ask questions. If you ask questions, it just goes on longer.’

Pizza

I’m a thin-crust pizza guy. I respect people who like thick crust, but in my view it’s mostly bread.

Pokemon Go

Reporter: Do you see your football players walking around-

Leach: Well, I’ve seen them doing that for the last 10 years, but nobody talks to people anymore. I mean, there’s people won’t even talk face to face. They’ll go across the room and text each other. I think it’s actually kind of disturbing. I think the days before cell phones, when it was dirt clod wars at construction sites, was a lot more wholesome and productive, to be perfectly honest.

Pregame meals

Mike Leach with the catch of the year http://pic.twitter.com/3GlGlkwXFW

— Jack McGuire (@JackMacCFB) November 26, 2017

Pro wrestling

My dad always watched wrestling and I seldom did. The one that comes to mind is the Vachon Brothers when I was a child. The image most prominent in my mind is the Undertaker.

Raccoons

One night, [my pet raccoon, Bilbo Baggins] got particularly feisty, so my dad and I drove him out to woods. Once we found a good spot, we stopped and I put him on the ground and took his collar off. He kind of ambled about, taking in the new surroundings. I preface this next part by saying I do think humans and animals share an unspoken understanding, to some extent. That’s why it’s so easy to bond with pets. So this is how I remember saying goodbye to Bilbo: He wandered 10 yards away or so from the truck, and then he turned and looked at us and kind of had this expression like, It was nice knowing ya.

Referees

It's a little like breakfast; you eat ham and eggs.

As coaches and players, we're like the ham. You see, the chicken's involved, but the pig's committed. We're like the pig. [Officials] are like the chicken. They're involved, but everything we have rides on this.

James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

Running up the score while up 56-17

There was 23 seconds on the clock. That's more than enough time. I think we all had a level of disappointment we didn't score one more touchdown.

Running up the score while up 70-10

Football is the only sport where [you’re supposed to] quit playing when you get the lead. In golf, you keep trying to improve your score every hole. In basketball, you don't stop shooting when you're ahead. In boxing, you don't quit punching when you're ahead.

Satellite camps

For all our posturing and pompously parading around and pretending everything is about the student-athlete, we've just cut out a whole bunch of opportunities for them, and we've done it for no better reason than we're selfishly, jealously, trying to guard our recruiting areas. Or we're too lazy to work the camps.

Are they really that sensitive, would they really be that paranoid and petty and say, ‘Okay, we're mad at Jim Harbaugh, and we don't like him or his tone of voice, and now we're gunna screw over the student-athletes a ton of other schools would have the opportunity to see and recruit because Jim Harbaugh was mean to us, and we didn't like what he said, and he hurt our feelings?’ And somebody down there went and chalked Jim Harbaugh's name on the side walk, and our feelings are hurt, and we live in fear, so please change the rule.

Sports movies

You can’t really talk about great sports movies, though, without mentioning Talladega Nights, that Ricky Bobby one. That movie is off-the-charts funny — and after getting to know some NASCAR guys over the years, I realize that it isn’t just a straight comedy. It’s part documentary. I know people who do stuff like name one of their kids Walker and the other Texas Ranger. If you go to any elementary school classroom in Texas, some kids in there are going to be named either Austin, Dallas, or Houston. That’s basically the same thing. I wouldn’t do that, or at least I’d try to get more creative with it. Name your kid Amarillo or Carrizo Springs. You know what, I’m going to move back to Texas, have another kid, and name him Fort Stockton.

System quarterbacks

If [2003 record-setter B.J. Symons] is a product of the system, then he’s not getting any of those touchdown passes and all those yards. That means our coaching staff is. That would also mean we could go down to 7-Eleven and get the clerk behind the counter and let him play quarterback.

Technology and the end of humanity

All this button-pushing and whatnot. I mean, you can just imagine, based on what’s happened in the last 15 years. Conversations won’t happen, 10 years from now. There aren’t going to be people to talk to. It’s going to be like this [mimes typing on a phone]:

‘Do you want to go out on a date with me?’

‘I don’t know. What do you look like?’

‘Well, I kind of look like this.’

‘OK, what are your interests?’

‘Well, what do you think my interests are?’

‘Looking into this thing and typing into this, just like yours are.’

‘Yeah, no kidding. That’s what everybody’s doing.’

‘Well, where do you want to go?’

‘Well, what difference does it make? Because all we’re going to be doing is looking into machines anyways.’

Well, that’s true, and in the end, it’s going to be tough to perpetuate the species.

Texas A&M cadets

How come they get to pretend they are soldiers? The thing is, they aren't actually in the military. I ought to have Mike's Pirate School. The freshmen, all they get is the bandana. When you're a senior, you get the sword and skull and crossbones. For homework, we'll work pirate maneuvers and stuff like that.

Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images

Texas A&M fans

A&M wants to rip on our fans and all that. Our fans are as good as their fans are. One thing our fans don't do is sit around and whine about other teams' fans. Why don't they worry about what themselves are like?

It's interesting to me that all these Aggies — whether they're at A&M or here — are sitting around with halos over their heads, and they have some divine expertise on fanmanship. I just don't believe that's the case. For the record, I think our fans are better than the Aggie fans.

Twitter, as of 2012

Twitter is now banned around here, so don't expect anything on Twitter. Twitter's banned, and quite frankly, if after today you see anything on Twitter from our team — and I don't care if it says ‘I love life’ — I would like to see it, because I will suspend them.

Twitter, as of 2017

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! http://pic.twitter.com/zBUsGhoIuF

— Mike Leach (@Coach_Leach) November 23, 2017

Upsets

Everybody's all surprised every time this stuff happens. It surprises me everybody gets surprised, because it happens every year like this that there are surprises. The most surprising thing would be if there weren't any surprises. So therefore, in the final analysis, none of it's really that surprising.

Weather

Weddings

The women lose their mind. Your fiancee’s gonna lose her mind, your mother-in-law is gonna lose her mind, your mom is gonna lose her mind, several of your sisters and female relatives are gonna lose their mind. And, they’re gonna barrage you with constant questions — ‘what should we wear?’ and of course my answer was ‘I don’t care.’ And then ‘what color should the invitations be?’ ‘ I don’t care.’ ‘What should we have for dessert?’ ‘I don’t care.’ ‘Should we sit this way, or that way?’ ‘I don’t care.’ But see, I don’t care’s not satisfactory at all, and you’re going to get caught in a catch-22 — and I’m certain that you already have — and that catch-22 is, ‘Well I want you to be a part of this too, so what color invitations?’ ‘Alright, the blue ones.’ ‘Well I kind of like the tan ones’ — ‘OK the tan ones then.’ ‘Oh you’re jut saying that bc you want this over, you’re not even thinking about it’ — which is, of course true. ‘What do you want for dessert?’ ‘I was thinking strawberry shortcake.’ ‘Oh, OK, strawberry shortcake would be good. Well, what about the blueberry pie?’ ‘Well I like the blueberry pie, we could have the blueberry pie’ — ‘Well I thought you wanted to have the strawberry shortcake?!’”

And it’s just gonna go back and forth, and they’re just going to play keep-away from you until after you’re married. There’s no answer that you give that’s going to be satisfactory or correct. And if you successfully please a few of them, a few others will be ‘Oh, well I just don’t feel like he’s that interested.’ So you need to work late, go in the back room and read a lot of books, take the groomsmen out so you make sure that they march in just right, and they know exactly, you know these swell outfits that you picked out, or however you’re doing it. And in the end, you’ll wish you eloped.

Wind superiority: Iowa vs. West Texas

I know that in Ames, Iowa, they fancy themselves being experts on the wind, but in Lubbock, Texas, we'll put our wind up against your wind in Iowa.

Wind superiority: Chicago vs. Wyoming

I'm proud to say I had a bet with a guy from Chicago who said Chicago is windier and colder than Wyoming. Wyoming dominated them.

Winter fashion in the Pacific Northwest

As we're going up College Hill, shoot, there's mini skirts and hot pants everywhere. So I ask [my wife], ‘What's the temperature?’ I go, ‘It's gotta be pretty warm out there, huh?’ Thirty-seven degrees! Thirty-seven degrees!

I don't know what's in the water and exactly how tough these people are.

Zombies

Some of [the players] have been great [at effort], and some of them have been very poor. Some of them have had kind of this zombie-like, go through the motions, everything is like how it's always been, that's how it'll always be ... some of them quite honestly have an empty corpse quality. That's not pleasant to say or pleasant to think about, but that's a fact.

[ber39james]

All the Best Writing from the 2017 NBA Finals

For the second time in three seasons, the Golden State Warriors can lay claim to being NBA Champions after they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 4-1, in the 2017 NBA Finals. Kevin Durant played a pivotal role for the Warriors’ championship run, averaging 35.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game on his way to being named NBA Finals MVP.

But there’s more to the story than the opening paragraph of this piece. There were viral moments, career-defining performances, amazing stories, and of course, controversy and drama. A great narrative unfolded over the past two weeks in Oakland, Calif., and Cleveland, Ohio.

For those who enjoy watching the best athletes in sport, the Finals provided fascinating entertainment. But for those who love the art of writing in any and all forms, the NBA’s global appeal was on full display as scribes produced compelling content on a daily basis.

Other sites will break down the nuances of the games in greater detail. For Grammarly, we’re taking a close look at the crafting of stories. So after looking through the stellar coverage of the Finals, we’ve examined the top moments in writing and how you can be inspired when it’s your turn to write.

Let’s see who shined under the spotlight and had a Durant-like performance on their keyboard.

Game 1

Behind-the-scenes at Game 1 of the #NBAFinals as the @warriors go up 1-0 with big home W! #MiniMovie pic.twitter.com/26KgRZaW0Y

— NBA (@NBA) June 7, 2017

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Story Headline: What We Learned About the Warriors in Game 1 of the N.B.A. Finals

Author: Benjamin Hoffman

Source: New York Times

What We Liked: The lede

In a postseason in which they have seen little to no competition, the Golden State Warriors kept right on rolling and tied the N.B.A. record for consecutive postseason wins at 13 with a 113-91 drubbing of the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the N.B.A finals.

Why We Liked It: Hoffman captured the essence of the story in just 50 words. Anecdotal ledes are great, too, but sometimes it’s critical to offer the best snapshot of the story topic early to honestly explain it to the reader. Get. To. The. Point.

Story Headline: The Greatest NBA Finals Rivalry Is Kevin Durant vs. Robyn Rihanna Fenty

Author: Juliet Litman

Source: The Ringer

What We Liked: The story angle

What we could not have expected, though, would be (Rihanna’s) wide-felt impact Thursday. After her entrance was announced emphatically by (announcer) JVG (Jeff Van Gundy), she went on to support her favorite player (LeBron James) as only she can. Early in the fourth quarter, as the Cavs trailed by 22, Rihanna rose to pay her respects to the King. She bowed, and then let the presumably annoying fans around her know that a 22-point deficit means nothing to her. She indicated this with the dab.

Why We Liked It: When the subject of your story is dull—like the uninspired on-court product in Game 1—it’s always a good idea to take the story angle elsewhere. In this case, Litman’s decision to write about a human-interest topic on one of the most famous people on the planet was a wise one. Litman had some fun with the music superstar’s courtside presence and friendly in-game banter with Durant. By examining a social media trending topic in a not-so-exciting game, Litman showcased an admirable way to cover a secondary (maybe even tertiary) angle to a major event. Creativity should always be a main principle anytime you write.

Game 2

Behind-the-scenes at Game 2 of the #NBAFinals …won by the @warriors 132-113! #MiniMovie pic.twitter.com/lE69NH9NdG

— NBA (@NBA) June 12, 2017

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Story Headline: Are the Warriors’ brogrammer army the most hated fans in sports?

Author: DJ Gallo

Source: The Guardian

What We Liked: Humor and opinion

All due respect to the widely loathed supporters of the Patriots, Yankees, Cowboys and Lakers, but the Warriors are building a fanbase that could dwarf them all for unlikability. Golden State fans’ negatives are on a hockey stick growth curve as Oracle Arena increasingly fills with – apologies for the poor attempt at using Silicon Valley lingo – brogrammers who truly believe they offer a value add to the organization. (And for the sake of clarity, it is this new breed of fan that attracts ire, rather than the Warriors supporters who pulled for the team even during the bad old days.)

Part of the problem is simple demographics. Bandwagon jumpers are considered to be the lowest form of fan – even below drunk, belligerent and face-painted – whereas the diehard, thick and thin, fan-since-birth group is the most respected. Because of the massive influx of people into northern California with the tech boom, many of those filling the choice seats at Oracle Arena have ties to the region that are tenuous even compared to those of Kevin Durant. Yet they’re cheering their hearts out for their beloved Warriors every night, while across the street the last place A’s – with the second-worst attendance in all of baseball and portions of the upper deck covered in tarp – don’t seem to have captured the imagination of Silicon Valley big wigs. The new Warriors fan has not suffered anything near the sports heartache of a Cleveland lifer. Their toughest season to endure was one in which the Warriors won an NBA-record 73 games. Sad!

Why We Liked It: There’s a lot to unpack from those two graphs. You can’t entirely discredit Gallo’s opinions on how he views Golden State’s fan base. What you can appreciate, however, is the writer’s ability to offer sound reasoning for his views along with a dash of comedic wit. Further, the headline of the piece introduced the comedic tone that carried on throughout the story. It’s also refreshing to read this angle from an international outlet like The Guardian. It speaks to the NBA’s global appeal and why the Finals were the most-viewed in nearly twenty years.

Story Headline: The Warriors are making the NBA Finals noncompetitive. That’s scary for the league.

Author: Adam Kilgore

Source: The Washington Post

What We Liked: The big-picture view

These Finals must be making the league nervous. The team with the best player can never be counted out, and LeBron James remains the best player in the world, despite the argument Durant is currently submitting. It would be a mistake to dismiss Cleveland. It would be equally foolish not to recognize the strong chance that for the remainder of the Finals, and perhaps beyond, the Warriors’ only competition will be history.

“Sure, the fan in me would love to see more competition at times,” Commissioner Adam Silver said before Game 1. “But on the other hand, I’ve said it before, I think we should also celebrate excellence.”

Why We Liked It: Kilgore explored the significance of another lopsided Warriors win early in the series. In doing so, the writer wondered about the ramifications of the decisive victories for the league. He also tracked down the NBA’s commissioner, or pseudo-CEO, to get his view on how a non-competitive series could impact the league’s bottom dollar. Having the gusto to discuss a deeper viewpoint on a topic is one thing, but gathering supporting quotes, research, or commentary to further develop your point is the stuff of writing mastery. The biggest takeaway here is don’t be shy about getting the supporting information you need for your claims.

Game 3

Kevin Durant's BIG trey headlines the top clutch moments in @Warriors #NBAFinals Game 3 victory! pic.twitter.com/VcVg6et97U

— NBA (@NBA) June 8, 2017

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Story Headline: Warriors Rip Out The Cavs’ Still-Beating Heart

Author: Rob Mahoney

Source: SI.com

What We Liked: The headline and verbiage used within the story

Test the Warriors at your own peril. So many of the teams to stand in Golden State’s way this postseason have been subject to cold obliteration—the sort of blowout that leaves those involved shell-shocked and numb.

Why We Liked It: The Warriors came from behind to beat the Cavs in gut-wrenching fashion. This headline summed up the feeling perfectly. It was just the best. But to add significant context to a mic-drop headline is just as critical for a writer. Just because you’ve come up with something clever and click-bait worthy doesn’t mean your job is done. Unlike the Cavs in Game 3, you have to finish what you started. Mahoney achieves this with excellent descriptive writing in his piece. He also explains why the Warriors have been able to demoralize their opponents. Sharp language, excellent descriptions, and well-researched presentation are achieved in this post.

Story Headline: Kevin Durant Closes The Door On LeBron

Author: Chris Herring

Source: fivethirtyeight.com

What We Liked: Data presentation within the story

The pace in this matchup has played a key role in that dynamic — particularly for James. But the accumulation of minutes and miles on James’s legs this season — and over the past seven seasons, during his incredible Finals streak — probably hasn’t helped, either. This year alone, in which the 32-year-old averaged an NBA-high in minutes per game, James has run 47 miles more than the 28-year-old Durant, who missed just over a month’s worth of games during the regular season following an injury. (Golden State went 16-4 without him.)

Why We Liked It: Writing to make your point with data is something that truly enhances the reader’s experience. Herring achieved this as a writer and visually by introducing the thought of Durant having more production at the end of games than James. Herring backed up his claim by breaking down his findings in a myriad of ways with visual representations. If you’re looking for a free way to boost your data claims, Google’s new data GIF maker is a superior way to boost your visual presentation.

Game 4

LeBron's off-the-glass SLAM in Game 4 of the #NBAFinals… as heard around the world! pic.twitter.com/44veJ5bK2N

— NBA (@NBA) June 12, 2017

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Story Headline: Even J.R. Smith can’t believe LeBron James’ dunk from Game 4

Author: Chris Barnwell

Source: CBSSports.com

What We Liked: Building a story around a brilliant quote

“You see it in the park and stuff growing up. You never think about somebody doing it in a game. Doing it in a Finals game. Game 4 when you’re down 3-0.”

“He dunked on Tristan. That was the craziest part of it. He had the whole lane until Tristan came in there. He’s a Gatorade baby, man, he was made in a lab somewhere.”

That’s how incredible LeBron’s dunk was. Even Smith, a guy who once said he prefers to shoot contested shots because open ones are boring, was shocked at what James did. Maybe he’s on to something with James being a “Gatorade baby” made in a lab somewhere. If he’s still stunning his teammates at this point of his career, then what more is there for him to do?

Why We Liked It: When you have a must-read quote to use in your piece, there’s sometimes heavy-handedness in how a writer reacts to it. In this instance, Barnwell explored the clever, “Gatorade baby” quip but doesn’t step on the beauty of the comment. Instead, Barnwell featured the quote as the subject of his post. James’ highlight-worthy dunk was one of the most memorable plays of the game. Barnwell seized the opportunity by showcasing the best soundbite on the play and wrote his story accordingly. Writers should try to include credible speakers to add authority to a story when it makes sense. They should also figure out the best ways to not overcomplicate the message of the quoted speaker with unnecessary commentary. Knowing how to handle great quotes is something all writers should take into account.

Story Headline: Draymond Green tech-foul fiasco part of tension-filled Game 4

Author: Brian Windhorst and Baxter Holmes

Source: ESPN.com

What We Liked: Factual tone

Referees said a miscommunication with the scorer’s table led to confusion following a Draymond Green technical foul in the third quarter of Game 4 of the NBA Finals, leading to Green initially being announced as ejected before that call was overturned.

A technical foul in the first quarter that official John Goble called on Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr was incorrectly recorded by the official scorer as being on Green. It was announced as being on Green, and it remained in the official box score that way. The mistake was not corrected.

So when Green was called for a technical foul by official Marc Davis in the second half, it seemed as if Green should’ve been ejected. Only then was the mistake fixed, and Green was allowed to stay in the game. It was confusing for both teams and the crowd, who believed Green should’ve been ejected for having two technicals.

Why We Liked It: There was a lot of confusion about officiating in Game 4. Many in the media complained about it. Knowing that this was a storyline with how Cleveland won its first game of the series, two ESPN scribes joined forces to state the facts on what led to some head-scratching decisions by the refs. Knowing the objective of your story is crucial. Windhorst and Holmes were aware that their readership wanted to understand what happened in the game and why it created so much confusion. Instead of being humorous or introducing quotes, the writers explained what happened in an educational tone. Knowing what your audience is expecting based on your subject or title is critical.

Game 5

Kevin Durant & Stephen Curry lead @Warriors to Game 5 victory to secure 2017 #NBAFinals title! #DubNation pic.twitter.com/E20rky2zTy

— NBA (@NBA) June 13, 2017

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Story Headline: Stephen Curry, the Warriors’ cornerstone, finds the redemption he sought

Author: Marcus Thompson II

Source: Bay Area News Group

What We Liked: The conclusion

On the biggest stage, and healthy, Curry proved he wasn’t a flash in the pan. That his two MVPs and 2015 championship wasn’t a fluke. Despite not having the freakish size of the likes of LeBron James and Kevin Durant, he proved he belongs. LeBron made it clear there is nobody in the NBA better than he. But there should be no more doubt Curry is in the mix with the game’s elite.

Perhaps it was just a matter of time before he got here. Or maybe he needed to go through that collapse, feel the sting of not showing up, hear the jabs at his worth from across the nation, to become even better. Either way, the end result from this three-year run — two MVPs, 207 regular season wins, and two championships — is that he’s here now.

This is what validation looks like.

Why We Liked It: Most of our examples have touched on story angles, introductions, voice, quote usage, and even headlines, but once you’ve fully grabbed your readers and given them multiple reasons to read your writing and stick with it, you’ll want to make the full experience worthwhile. Thompson accomplished that in his coverage of Curry’s Finals redemption. Sure, most of the attention this series went to Durant and James, but Curry’s selflessness was a big reason the Warriors were able to win it all once more. Thompson nails that sentiment perfectly and sent the reader off with a perfectly crafted final line to his story. It was short and sweet, just like Curry the ballplayer.

Story Headline: An inside look at Kevin Durant’s first three hours as an NBA champion

Author: Anthony Slater

Source: Bay Area News Group

What We Liked: Descriptive access

Now past 9 p.m., the Warriors finally rampaged back to the locker room for the champagne celebration, all the players handed a Moet & Chandon bottle on their way through the door. Durant was met by a dancing Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, already geared up in ski goggles, bottles popped, spraying the room.

But Durant had some trouble. He struggled to get the bottle open initially. Then he failed in his attempt to bash a couple beer cans together for a booze shower, Stone Cold Steve Austin style. It’d been awhile since he’d had a drink. Nearly four months, actually.

Throughout most of the season, Durant regularly went out after games, often drinking with dinner. But when he sprained his MCL back in late February, he decided to give up alcohol during the extended rehab process.

“If I had been drinking as much as I had been drinking, the recovery wouldn’t have been as easy,” Durant said. “So I decided to put it down and once I got back healthy, I was like let me see how this is, let me roll with it for the rest of the playoffs.”

So by the time Monday night’s celebration rolled around, his tolerance was lower and the booze hit quicker. The PR staff whisked him away from the locker room celebration around 9:25, first to do an interview with Scott Van Pelt on SportsCenter and then to his press conference on the other side of the arena.

Why We Liked It: Slater puts readers in a place they desperately want to be—backstage with Durant after the biggest triumph of his basketball career. Access can make or break a written piece. If you’re experiencing something that nobody else is seeing, don’t internalize—publish it. Find the appropriate way to express your point of view of the event that you’re witnessing. Slater might not have written about everything he heard and observed after the game, but there’s enough detail in here to give the reader proper context as to what the whirlwind moment was like for a basketball hero. Once you’ve gained a unique vantage point to your topic, don’t waste your opportunity to describe it in detail. Slater’s words about Durant’s trouble with consuming alcohol wouldn’t be the same without the writer correctly setting the scene with the cause and effect.

All of these stories were written to inform, entertain and document an important period in sports history. They were also produced under tight deadlines by professionals who love their craft. Aspiring writers at all levels can learn from reading expert coverage on topics they enjoy or ones they don’t fully understand. Good writing is good writing, as they say. It comes in all forms.

Now it’s your turn to write with creativity, detail, and authority. You can do it. We know you can.

The post All the Best Writing from the 2017 NBA Finals appeared first on Grammarly Blog.

from Grammarly Blog https://www.grammarly.com/blog/best-stories-from-2017-nba-finals/

[sportsleague365]

Send your thoughts to theeditor@football365.com More first touches Best touch ever for me was Marcelo Salas (remember him?) vs England at Wembley in ’98, Under pressure – check, David Batty in close attendance Running at pace – check, he could move Long distance pass – check, a Pirlo-esque ball Ball moving at speed, check, no room for error Sheer wow moment- double check! Do love Ronaldo’s back control vs Real Sociedad too but it had been done by Ronadinho before so doesn’t count! Bryn (nappies and politicians changed for the same reason) Belfast …I hope I’m not too late for this but this is the best touch I remember actually seeing on tv on a live game, not on a highlight reel, Robbie Keane vs América in the prestigious Concachampions. The gk didn’t exactly cover himself in glory but Keane left him and the defender for dead just with his touch. It has the bonus that you probably don’t see much Concachampions in England I’m guessing, so probably not many of you saw this goal. Rd Mexico …Loving the mailbox this afternoon, some incredible clips. The commentary on the Bergkamp vs Argentina one is brilliant from Barry Davies and the Jack Van Gelder. On the flip side, the US guy talking about Ayjax was special. How does Ronaldinho not get a look in though? In between partying he had some magic touches. Also I want to second a suggestion in the comments. Can we now move on to worst ever touches? My nomination would be this from Bramble. I was watching it with a Wigan fan, and I’ve always been grateful to Titus for the laugh. Tall Paul (AFC) Best first touch XI Limited myself to players I’ve seen live and to be honest, tried to vary the teams a bit. GK: Jorge Campos LB: Paolo Maldini CB: Paul McGrath CB: Lothar Matthaus RB: Dani Alves CM: Steffan Effenberg CM: Cesc Fabregas CM: Zidane ST: Ronaldinho ST: Denis Bergkamp ST: Ronaldo I’d fancy that 11 against most. Doug, AFC, Belfast Only Chelsea can challenge Real ​I felt compelled to write in about the recommended reading of Gabriele Marcotti’s piece on the contenders to topple Real Madrid from their perch atop the European football pyramid. Firstly, what the f**k was that? Bar Chelsea, none of the English teams even deserve a mention on that list. The reason for Arsenal being in there is particularly hilarious with the same cliches of a big stadium and a lovely city being brought up. Wonder why he didn’t bring up the 2-ply toilet paper or the great bantzz while he was at it. To even mention a team that is, at the very least, 24 months away from usurping the current champions is ridiculous and seems shoehorned in there for Gooners’ pleasure. I’m waiting for his piece on Leeds being legitimate contenders for the Premier League title. The inclusions of Manchester United, Tottenham and Liverpool are equally ridiculous.​ All of those clubs are a fair distance away from becoming serious European challengers at the moment. I fully get that Tottenham had a great season but to suggest they are contenders for Europe is to greatly underestimate the competition. It’s not like they’ve shown us anything in Europe so far that suggests they will even get to the Quarter Finals. Liverpool is still a work in progress and though they have a magic worker in Klopp they still seem to struggle with attracting top talent, an issue that isn’t going to go away anytime soon unless an investment from the Middle East is forthcoming. As for United, all I’ll say is Real Madrid have won 3 out of 4 Champions League titles since Jose Mourinho’s departure. That little fact is greatly amusing to me and I’m sure it has not slipped his prying eye. Their squad is also far from settled with improvements needed in basically every zone of the pitch bar goalkeeper (if De Gea stays). The inclusion of PSG is also curious. If there’s one thing European competition has shown is that it doesn’t matter how much money is spent, you can still get spanked by Krasnodar and the likes. Ask Manchester City who found that opulence might get them the league but the Champions League requires something different. One thing City have over their fellow petro-dollar club is their manager who seems to know what it takes to play the way European competition demands. While his shortcomings in the Premier League were there for all to see, I am quite confident that with the right signings City have a decent chance of having a go for the Champions League. Realistically, it is difficult to look past Barcelona and Juventus as challengers for European long-term supremacy. None of the other clubs seem to be able to keep squads together for too long and end up being cyclical. For example, Monaco’s present generation if infused with more experience would be formidable but it is unlikely that they will be allowed to develop together as I fully expect the vultures to come and pick at the core of that squad. Barcelona is inoculated from this thanks to its endless supply of talent from the youth set-up and an profile so big that a move anywhere else seems a step-down. Juventus, while not necessarily relying on young talent, seem to have first dibs on all the talent coming through Italy. They also seem to have carved out an identity for themselves and have a young manager who, if they keep long-term, will no doubt go down as one of the greatest managers of his era in both Italy and Europe. As for the English teams, Chelsea are on to something special with Conte and the only question mark over them is whether they can get rid of their habit of diving head first into turbulence and uncertainty. At present they are the Premier League’s greatest, and only, hope for the co-efficient. If they end up replacing Costa with Lukaku be prepared for an era of dominance from them at least domestically and perhaps even in Europe, and it hurts me physically to say that, as a Gooner. Pranav, AFC Never gonna happen Having read Thavz’s mail, I must point out some other minor inconveniences in the plan. Even if Mourinho could get Costa to play decently (which I very much doubt), any transfer in January would leave them both cup-tied for the knockout stages of the Champions League (assuming United get there this time). The only way around it would be to have both clubs agree not to play the strikers in the group stages, which I dont see Mourinho ever agreeing to as it would require him to rotate. Add to that that United would be left in a weak bargaining position given that Atleti would expect United to match Griezmann’s release clause, and would also get to decide Costa’s value in the swap deal as that would be the only point open to negotiation. Also, am I the only one who feels that players are increasingly being treated as cattle? Aditya, MUFC Released XI GK – Caballero (MCI) LWB – Gael Clichy (MCI) CB – John Terry (CHE) CB – Martin Caceres (SOU) CB – Alex Bruce (HUL) RWB – Bacary Sagna (MCI) CM – Joe Ledley (CRY) CM – Sebastian Pocognoli (WBA) RF – Jesus Navas (MCI) LF – Shaun Maloney (HUL) CF – Zlatan Ibrahimovic (MUN) Shockingly low on quality this year overall, with Caballero and Zlatan the only players capable of competing at top 7 clubs really. Hopefully the European clubs will show some decent players and can we can get some bargains like Zlatan and Matip last year. Lets follow up straight away with a non-Premier League free XI. GK – Casillas (Porto) LB – Benoit Tremoulinas (Sevilla) CB – Gonzalo Rodriguez (Fiorentina) CB – Pepe (Real Madrid) RB – Denis Aogo (Schalke) CM – Miguel Veloso (Genoa) CM – Keisuke Honda (AC Milan) LW – Eric Chupo-Moting (Schalke) RW – Rachid Ghezzal (Lyon) CF – Mario Balotelli (Nice) CF – Fernando Torres (Atletico) Still not an amazing side, but would more than run the prem side around, even if I did pick the prem in the sexy 3-4-3 and this one in classic 4-4-2. KC (Kolasinac has already signed, so was ruled out) Deluded Fergie Could not have been more disappointed when I read SAF’s section and didn’t read this quote in it’s entirety about a ball being kicked at Van Persie; “In the Van Persie situation you can clearly see that he could have been killed,” Ferguson told Sky Sports News. “The FA has got to look into it regardless that he has been given a yellow card. He should be banned for a long time because that was the most dangerous thing I’ve seen on a football field for many years. “It was absolutely deliberate. The whistle has gone, the game has stopped and he has done that right in front of the referee, he could have killed the lad. It was a disgraceful act.” DBM (#PrayForRobin) MCFC Moyes on the money Life is a self-fulfilling prophecy, and David Moyes most certainly proved himself right. He said Sunderland had to accept that they were always a relegation-battling side, and lo and behold. Right again, Moysie. Danny, THFC More on Nagbe Reading Niall, Denver’s glowing report of Darlington Nagbe, of the US Men’s National Team, I thought I’d offer an alternative view. I’m a season ticket holder at the Portland Timbers. I have watched a lot of Nagbe and concur that he is a great talent. However, his comparisons to Kante are quite a long way wide of the mark (but we do have a Kante-lite in our midfield- Diego Chara). Nagbe has proved a constant source of equal frustration and inspiration in his career with his effortless ability to ghost past defenders and his commitment to making the wrong decision. He is a player that is a joy to watch and has, quite probably, the most natural talent of any home-grown US player (Niall is right that Pulisic is the real deal but he has been developed in Europe) but that may actually be part of his problem; he is a product of a soft footballing culture. In any other country Nagbe’s talent would’ve been spotted early and he’d be placed with other, potentially, elite players. In this environment he would have been forced to improve, to learn. However, here in the US he drifted into the college program where he could casually run rings around the opposition and team mates. Then he’s been drafted into an league that has no real accountability for under-performance or pressure to succeed (the issues of MLS really are worth another entry all by themselves). Every coach he’s ever had from college to the US U23’s to the Timbers (actually all the same coach) and on to the national team is simply in awe of his raw talent and thus have never pushed him. Don’t get me wrong, in a country with the ability to develop elite talent he may not have survived. He seems like a genuinely nice, shy, family man (he cried at the announcement of a team mate retiring) and perhaps the comfort he finds himself in suits his skill set. But the shame is we’ll never know. Soon to turn 27 his time has most likely passed. He was supposedly close to joining Celtic last summer and, even as someone who has a vested interest in the Timbers doing well, I really wanted him to go for it to test himself but for whatever reason it fell through and that looks to have been his last chance. All of this to say that, whilst talented, Kante he is not. A player who lacks the personality to stamp his authority and obvious talent on a sub-par league like MLS does not deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as a player like Kante who’s desire and commitment to improving himself should be held up as an example to everyone. With the same mental attributes Nagbe could well have been a world-class midfielder, his natural skill is superior to many top players, Kante included. But it just goes to show that talent alone won’t take you too far in the modern game. tjpkean (Oh, and in terms of playing style they are totally different. I see Nagbe more as a lightweight Moussa Dembele, the Tottenham one) The post Mails: Only Chelsea can get close to Real Madrid appeared first on Football365. #RealMadrid #BarryDavies #PremierLeague