1. Top 10 Trivial Top-10 Lists

    Don’t take the title the wrong way because I love a good top 10 list. The more I read, though, the more I see the same ideas mundanely being pushed out just to post...

    Patrick Laird Written by Patrick Laird about 4 years ago 2 reads 8 comments

  2. NBA Playoff First Round Underachievers

    The first round has given us one forgettable seven-game series (Hawks-Heat) and one that may be unforgettable (Celtics-Bulls). Through them all, certain players have shown us that they are not ready to play on the big stage...

    Patrick Laird Written by Patrick Laird about 4 years ago 1,150 reads 31 comments

  3. NBA Playoff First Round Overachievers

    The first round has given us one forgettable seven-game series (Hawks-Heat) and one that may be unforgettable (Celtics-Bulls). Through them all, certain players have stood out and gone above and beyond what was expected of them in the first round...

    Patrick Laird Written by Patrick Laird about 4 years ago 612 reads 10 comments

  4. FIFA Shows Croatia Only a Yellow For Racism

    This piece was originally published on October 6, 2008 at Pickin' Splinters. I wanted to post it here at Bleacher Report for a wider audience...

    Patrick Laird Written by Patrick Laird about 4 years ago 364 reads 4 comments

  5. There's No 'I' in Aaron Curry

    The old sports adage states that there is "no 'I' in team." We love it because it succinctly yet thoroughly teaches everything we need to know about playing a team sport...

    Patrick Laird Written by Patrick Laird about 4 years ago 247 reads 15 comments

  6. Temple Owls' Supply and Demands For 2009-2010 Season

    The past two seasons have brought some hardware for the Temple Owls by way of two Atlantic 10 tournament championships. Unfortunately, high hopes of upsets in the NCAA tourney never came to fruition in either season...

    Patrick Laird Written by Patrick Laird about 4 years ago 236 reads 7 comments

  7. While Others Recruit, Michigan State's Tom Izzo Keeps Coaching

    As we approach the 2009 National Championship game for NCAA men’s basketball, I feel as if we’re watching two totally different programs face off...

    Patrick Laird Written by Patrick Laird about 4 years ago 894 reads 18 comments

  8. Villanova Busted My Bracket, but Taught Me About Allegiance

    I consider myself a Philadelphian, but not in the native or "born and raised" sense. Let's say I was adopted...

    Patrick Laird Written by Patrick Laird about 4 years ago 135 reads 3 comments

  9. Cleveland State-Arizona: Tale of the Tape

    Exposition: This 12-13 seed matchup comes compliments of No.4 Wake Forest's climactic collapse after a 16-0 start, and Arizona's not so unexpected win against No.5 Utah in the Midwest Region...

    Patrick Laird Written by Patrick Laird about 4 years ago 295 reads 0 comments

  10. Your NCAA South Regional Menu

    Welcome to the South Regional Cafe. The South loves its food, so browse the menu and see what your tastes may get you in the 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball South Regional bracket...

    Patrick Laird Written by Patrick Laird about over 4 years ago 92 reads 0 comments

  11. Note to Chelsea's Abramovich, Phoenix's Kerr: Don't Burn Down the Empire

    Let me first get this off my chest: I'm a closet Chelsea fan. I started following soccer in 2006 and have somehow morphed into a fan of the Blues...

    Patrick Laird Written by Patrick Laird about over 4 years ago 450 reads 13 comments

  12. White Hart Lane and the Importance of Frugality

    The only objection I have against European club football is not having playoffs. As an American sports fan, this is a hard concept for me to grasp. Despite no postseason, relegation encompasses all the anxiety and excitement of a playoff...

    Patrick Laird Written by Patrick Laird about over 4 years ago 119 reads 5 comments

  13. The Will of the Warriors: Zimbabwe's Quest for the World Cup

    This piece was originally posted on July 14, 2008 at www.pickinsplinters.com. The Zimbabwe national team has since been eliminated from 2010 World Cup qualifying finishing third in their respective group...

    Patrick Laird Written by Patrick Laird about over 4 years ago 38 reads 0 comments

  14. The Orange Coats Are Coming! The Orange Coats Are Coming!

    I loved war history in high school. The most intriguing would have to be the Revolutionary War. The idea of an underdog defeating its predecessor and claiming its independence had so many sports equivalents to me...

    Patrick Laird Written by Patrick Laird about over 4 years ago 474 reads 7 comments

  15. The Boss Explains the First Half '08-'09 Premier League Campaign

    What do Bruce Springsteen and The English Premier League have in common? Admittedly not much. But the Boss does have a way with words, and in honor of his much anticipated halftime ...

    Patrick Laird Written by Patrick Laird about over 4 years ago 67 reads 0 comments