Some people are fans of the Philadelphia Eagles. But many, many more people are NOT fans of the Philadelphia Eagles. This 2018 Deadspin NFL team preview is for those in the latter group. Read all the previews so far here. Your team: Philadelphia Eagles Your 2017 record: 13-3. Super Bowl champions. You know, if you had told me prior to last season that my team’s home stadium would play host to one of the greatest Super Bowls ever, and that the New England Patriots would find themselves beaten and humiliated in that game by an unheralded backup quarterback, and that a long-suffering fanbase would finally experience True Football Ecstasy … I think I would have been overjoyed at the prospect. I would have been positively GIDDY at the news. All my football wishes coming true! And yet…

With the NFL giving up its tax-exempt status, we assumed that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s 2014 salary was the last that would have to be publicly reported. But thanks to some logistical issues, the league had to reveal the commissioner’s salary one last time. This means that Goodell was hit with a $2.1 million pay cut, continuing a downward trend that began in 2012, when he earned $44 million. The intriguing thing about this pay cut is that it comes on the heels of Goodell’s complete and embarrassing mishandling of a variety of scandals within the league, including the Ray Rice fiasco. His 2014 pay was approved before Rice and Ballghazi and the league’s meddling in concussion research could be taken into account, so this is the first time we’ve been able to get a sense…

With two outs in the ninth in a tie ball game, Starling Marte tripled off the right field wall, and came home on a throwing error on the relay. He was called out at the plate. A year ago, this game would have gone to extra innings. But thanks to replay review, the Pirates got to enjoy some delayed gratification. After a review of just 1:14, umpires declared Marte safe, the game over. Marte was asked whether he's a fan of instant replay. "Yeah," he joked. "Sometimes I like it." Tough luck for Giants starter Tim Hudson, who went 8 and two-thirds while giving up just the two runs, one earned. If it's any consolation, he wouldn't have earned the complete game (loss) had it gone to extras. ''Replay is going to provide the final conclusion,&#x27…

Just watch this Christmas-themed compilation of the best serves, saves and spikes from the 2011 Table Tennis season, then try to tell me these guys aren't athletes. (Revised conventional wisdom for 2012: they are athletes, but their sport is dumb.) [ via Kottke.org] …

data-mm-id=”_b8ay3hql9″>The New England Patriots were unable to continue their torrid start on the defensive side of the ball once the schedule picked up and they played teams that were not from New York or Washington. No one will deny that the unit is talented enough to be considered one of the best in the NFL, but all that talk about its place in history next to the truly great defenses of the past has rightfully been put to bed. One player, however, has not slowed down one bit: Stephon Gilmore. The South Carolina product is having the best season of his career, and one of the better seasons we've seen from any cornerback in this new pass-happy NFL. As the best player at the most important non-quarterback position in the league, with the season he's having, Gilmore should r…

data-mm-id=”_jqxh8ju6s”>The NBA has introduced coach's challenges for the first time this season. So far, it hasn't gone terribly well, as they've run into the same problem that the NFL has — referees are extremely reluctant to overturn the initial call on the floor, even in the face of overwhelming evidence. I wrote about this problem back in November. Things haven't changed. Calls are rarely being overturned and coaches are getting aggravated. It's even getting Brad Stevens mad, and he's as even-keeled as they come. On Sunday, the Celtics played the Knicks. During the contest, Julius Randle made a bucket over Grant Williams, who was called for a blocking foul on the play. Stevens challenged the blocking foul with his coach's challenge and was right…

data-mm-id=”_bqz9d9nun”>James Lipton has died at the age of 93. The New York Times adroitly states he plumbed the dramatic arts during a 23-year run as host of Inside the Actors Studio. He was multitalented and ever-curious. The biggest names in show business came to his intentionally-spartan studio and sat as equals. Substance was celebrated over celebrity, and the human behind the marquee name was always the favored guest. Lipton was part teacher, part host, and fully in control of the little world he created, which merged art and life into one. He was also a visionary ahead of his time, creating content that would become intensely in-demand as the decades passed, demand oftentimes created by those who cribbed heavily off his playbook. Inside the Actors Studio was an incubator for cr…

data-mm-id=”_x8wbt0e9o”>The UFC returned over the weekend for the first live sporting event on American soil in two months. UFC 249 took place in Jacksonville, Florida at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. The event was held without any fans in attendance. Those who were lucky enough to get through the doors – those working and fighting – were asked to sign a waiver saying they would not criticize the UFC's coronavirus protocols. That included media members. Today, the MMA Journalists Association put out a statement advising members not to sign. Via MMAJA.com:”It is our opinion that this document is overly broad and overreaching in its scope, and may interfere with the ability of media members to do their jobs fully and effectively. We are advising members not to sign this document, …

data-mm-id=”_nlwtoclvu”>Tacko Fall has become something of a cult figure in the NBA despite scoring 19 total points in his career thus far. The height, of course, is the big draw. It's impossible to ignore a 7-foot-5 man, especially when he's interviewed by a 4-foot-11 person. But it's his lighthearted personality that plays the biggest role in fans' infatuation with him. Like Shaq, he's not only an oversized human, he's also an oversized kid at heart. So Tacko, if you read this, have some fun and admit this shot of yours is terrible. Tacko Tatum☘️ pic.twitter.com/xYqpXTULIz— Danny Ainge (@danielrainge) June 11, 2020Tacko Tatum really says it all. Danny Ainge knows Tacko developing a 3-point shot is a joke, so why not have fun with it?First of all, t…