Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Unbalanced.
Qualifying Offer Part One: First Base
The World Series may have been an incredible finish to the 2017 season, but baseball is a year round business. All 30 teams had until the afternoon of November 6 to issue a Qualifying Offer to any of their pending free agents. The Qualifying Offer is a one year deal with a value equal to the average of MLB’s top 125 salaries in the most current season. This year, the value is $17.4 million.
By Matt Mocarsky8 years ago in Unbalanced
How Brad Stevens Is Accomplishing Defensive Genius in Boston
Over the past five years, we’ve seen magic in Boston. This isn’t a reference to the number of street performers you might see while strolling around Faneuil Hall or the halftime show at TD Garden. It has to do with the rabbits that Brad Stevens constantly pulls out of his hat on a yearly basis. We’ve seen him turn rebuilding teams into playoff participants, manufacture after timeout plays that become guaranteed points, and even transform a 5'9" point guard into a perennial All-Star. Yet through the first few games, we already seeing how Brad Stevens saved his best trick for this season by turning these Celtics into the best defensive unit in basketball.
By Dan O'Shea8 years ago in Unbalanced
Has the Qualifying Offer Been Worth It?
The off-season is officially upon us, and the ups and downs of the playoffs have been replaced with hushed whispers of trade rumors and the frantic refreshing of Ken Rosenthal's Twitter feed. Free agents officially filed this Monday, and nine players were tagged with qualifying offers — one-year contracts for a league-set salary from a player's former team that, if declined, entitle the former team to a draft pick between the first and second round of the 2018 MLB Amateur draft. Of all of the players who have received qualifying offers, only five have ever accepted them for various reasons. How has each player who took the QO fared after taking the offer?
By John Edwards8 years ago in Unbalanced
Will Duchene Make The Sens Better?
Well, it finally happened. After months of speculation and prognostication, Matt Duchene has finally been dealt by the Colorado Avalanche. The winners of the Duchene sweepstakes are the Ottawa Senators, who were involved as part of a three-team trade to earn the coveted centerman.
By Kyle Vandenberg8 years ago in Unbalanced
San Antonio Spurs: The Standard of Excellence
This hurts to write coming from a die-hard Laker fan. But, while the Spurs do not have the rings to contend with Boston and Los Angeles, they have etched their place as the third greatest franchise in NBA history. When Gregg Popovich is not busy becoming America’s favorite coach by lambasting the President of the United States, he is busy winning.
By Kyle Jordan Ferguson8 years ago in Unbalanced
Super Teams Don't Care About The Regular Season
The Cavs and Warriors are not atop their respective conferences (or non-respective in the East's situation), and it is making people crazy. After three straight years of a Cavs and Warriors Finals, people expect to see it again this season.
By Stone Strankman8 years ago in Unbalanced
Early Failures For Jim Harbaugh Not Indicative of His Potential
Jim Harbaugh seemed like the perfect man for Michigan. He was a record-setting quarterback for the Wolverines in the 1980s. He took over a decaying deer carcass known as Stanford football and won the Orange Bowl. He took the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl just two years removed from a 6-10 season. He was a winner, and Michigan badly needed one.
By Alec Lower8 years ago in Unbalanced
Surprise Teams as the Calendar Flips
Ah, November 1. The NHL season has been under way for a few weeks, and it's been a delight as usual. Though, as there often is around this time, there are a few surprises in the standings. It's a wacky time, and certainly nothing to glean any valuable insight from. Simply a time to enjoy the wonder and mystery that makes the commencement of the NHL season so amazing.
By Steve Smith8 years ago in Unbalanced
We Should Take a Lesson from the Paul George/Oladipo & Sabonis Trade
If you're reading this right now there's a good chance you've already read something along these lines. Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis' exponential rise with the Indiana Pacers have been one of the most talked-about storylines of the early NBA season.
By Tony Heim8 years ago in Unbalanced
