Time for tip-off: Zach Lowe on covering the end of the NBA lockout
Posted: November 29, 2011 Filed under: NBA, SI.com, Zach Lowe | Tags: nba blog, nba free agency, NBA Lockout, new nba cba, the point forward, top 100 nba players Comments Off
The unrest that held the NBA hostage left Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_SI) chomping at the bit for the opportunity to write about X’s and O’s rather than labor negotiations. But he admits that, with the end of the lockout, transitioning back to straight basketball writing won’t be seamless.
“I’m going to have to retrain my brain to watch the game and break it down,” he says. “There’s going to be some rust during those Christmas Day games as I try and remember what sets the Heat like to run.”
Such an adjustment period is understandable considering that Lowe’s blog, The Point Forward, was essentially a lockout news feed since the summer. For every piece such as the Top 100 NBA players—a mix of informative facts and statistics that has become a Point Forward forte—Lowe had three to four stories updating readers on what was on the NBA negotiation table at any given time. All of that came to head on Saturday, at a time when most people were preparing for a restful Thanksgiving weekend.
Also from Sports Illustrated: The nicest player in the NFL, the trade that shaped the Division Series and Brandon Jennings’ Twitter hoops tour
Posted: October 5, 2011 Filed under: Lee Jenkins, Players Poll, Tom Verducci, Weekly Issue | Tags: brandon jennings twitter, curtis granderson, desean jackson bullying, mlb division series, NBA Lockout, nicest nfl player, tim tebow, troy polamalu, yankees tigers diamondbacks trade Comments Off
You’ve seen all three of this week’s Oct. 10 covers and read about the rise of both the Lions and Alabama’s defense and seen our NHL predictions. Here’s what else is in this week’s issue, on newsstands now.
SI PLAYERS NFL POLL
Who is the nicest player in football? (page 17)
- Troy Polamalu, Steelers S….8%
- Drew Brees, Saints QB….6%
- Peyton Manning, Colts QB….4%
- Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals WR….4%
- Matt Hasselbeck, Titans QB….3%
[Based on 272 NFL players who responded to SI’s survey]
FAST FACTS: Polamalu, the 2010 Defensive Player of the Year, is known for his devastating hits (any chance Joe Flacco voted for him?), but he has clearly made an impact with his personality as well. He, Eagles CB Nnamdi Asomugha (2%) and Broncos S Brian Dawkins (1%) are the only defensive players in the top 15. (Eight of those first 15 are QBs.) In a Facebook poll Broncos QB Tim Tebow (39%) was the fans’ pick for Mr. Nice Guy.
Team Philly vs. Team Melo: Recapping “The Battle of I-95″
Posted: September 26, 2011 Filed under: SI.com, Sports Illustrated on TV | Tags: battle of i-95, Carmelo Anthony, charity game palestra, chris paul, LeBron James, NBA Lockout, philadelphia basketball, si.com video Comments OffEarlier today, SI.com announced that its production of “The Battle of I-95” — an exhibition game featuring 16 NBA stars that aired online at SI.com yesterday night, live from the Palestra in Philadelphia — resulted in more than 235,000 video streams. This was the first live basketball game ever produced and streamed by SI.com and featured SI staff writer Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) providing insight and analysis from courtside, where he was joined by Newsday’s Alan Hahn in the second half. Mannix also conducted pregame interviews with the team captains, Hakeem Warrick (for Team Philly) and Carmelo Anthony (Team Melo).
The game featured the strongest compilation of star power since the NBA Finals this past June. Headliners included All-Stars Anthony, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul and Tyreke Evans in addition to Philly hoopsters Kyle Lowry, Lou Williams, Mardy Collins, John Salmons, Wayne Ellington and Ronald “Flip” Murray.
Read and watch more about “The Battle of I-95″ by clicking through to the following links:
- Video: Top 10 highlights from the game
- Photo gallery: Team Melo vs. Team Philly
- Game recap: LeBron, Carmelo, Paul fall short to Team Philly in “Battle of I-95″
- Bryan Armen Graham (@BryanAGraham): Tribute to Philly’s proud basketball tradition
- The Point Forward/Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala): Sights and sounds from the Philly-Melo showcase
An Insider’s View of the NBA Lockout: Q&A with Ian Thomsen
Posted: July 26, 2011 Filed under: Ian Thomsen | Tags: Derek Fisher, NBA Insider, NBA Lockout Comments Off
With the resolution of the NFL lockout yesterday, the number of North American professional sports leagues embroiled in a labor crisis is down to one. So what to make of the current state of the NBA? Senior writer Ian Thomsen (@SI_IanThomsen) – who profiled National Basketball Player’s Association President Derek Fisher in last week’s issue – answers some of our questions about the issues at hand and what to expect.
On the Tablets: What Are the Second-Half Keys for Every MLB Team? Tom Verducci Has the Answers.
Posted: July 21, 2011 Filed under: Tablet Extras, Tom Verducci | Tags: FINA World Championships, MLB Second Half, NBA Lockout, Women's World Cup Comments Off
There are at least a dozen baseball teams with realistic chances at postseason play. So what will it take for each team to realize those October dreams? Few people know the answers to those questions as thoroughly as award-winning senior baseball writer Tom Verducci. And readers on the tablets this week are in luck. For this week’s SI Digital Bonus, Verducci spends one minute each on the 30 MLB teams and breaks down everything you can expect from now to the end of the regular season—and in some cases, beyond. Can the Phillies’ rotation be beat? Is Boston’s pitching strong enough? Will the Rangers run away with the AL West? Are the Pirates—yes, the Pirates—for real? Download the tablet version of the July 25 issue to find out.
