Author Archives: John Ettinger

On Friday, “Moneyball” finally hits the silver screen. I, for one, couldn’t be more excited. Will Brad Pitt or Jonah Hill deliver an Oscar-worthy performance in this adaptation of Michael Lewis’ 2003 novel? Decidedly not. But it couldn’t matter less. Friday presents a glamorous opportunity to reflect on the book that changed the way we »

Football is back. Following a humbling lockout, a frenzied free-agency and a dramatic preseason, it feels like an eternity since Aaron Rodgers hoisted the Vince Lombardi trophy back in February. Yet, here we are again. As the leaves turn gold and the summer air begins to chill, we start anew. Hope springs eternal in this »

Ready or not, the NBA lockout has arrived. As players make a mad dash for international leagues, it’s unclear what the future holds. It’s possible that, like their NFL counterparts, the two sides hammer out a compromise before the start of the season. Perhaps, as happened in 1998-’99, the lockout will lead to a shortened »

I never thought I’d say this, but I’m gonna have to go with Stan Van Gundy on this one. Stan and I are in perfect agreement about who should be the NBA’s 2010-’11 MVP: Dwight Howard. We also agree that he’ll finish second in voting to Derrick Rose. Let me first make clear that this »

Oh, what a difference 11 days can make. Most baseball fans aren’t privy to the mysterious world of “service time.” And why should they be? We go to the ballpark to watch icons launch mammoth home runs, not to get lost in the intricacies of baseball’s labor agreement. Service time, however, is an exceptional little »

As the calendar flips to spring, America welcomes one of its finest traditions: Opening Day. With its blank slate, Opening Day brings limitless possibility. Last year’s Pirates could be tomorrow’s Rays. The narrative of baseball begins anew, and hope springs eternal from San Francisco to St. Pete. Of course, not all hope is created equal »

March is a special time for most sports fans, and the first week of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament didn’t disappoint. There were upsets. There were buzzer-beaters. There were controversial calls. There were more games decided by one point than I care to count. Four double-digit seeds advanced to the Sweet 16, and top-seeded Pittsburgh »

Carmelo Anthony is a Knick. How exciting is that? You can’t call yourself a true Knicks fan if the image of Amar’e Stoudemire tossing up an alley-oop to Carmelo doesn’t give you goosebumps. Heck, I haven’t been this excited to watch the Knicks play since Stephon Marbury was operating the pick-and-roll to perfection with fan »

Pitching wins championships, and the Yankees are about to learn this the hard way, for better or for worse. Recent rumblings about C.C. Sabathia’s opt-out clause got me thinking about the future of the Yankees’ starting rotation. To be blunt, it has been brighter. Indeed, a lot of doomsdayers have projected that the Yankees pitching »

Last night, the Cleveland Cavaliers fell 117–90 to the much-despised Miami Heat. With the loss, their 21st in a row, the Cavaliers became the NBA’s first 40-loss team. When I saw last night’s score, I thought to myself, “Things can’t get much worse in Cleveland.” Over the years, however, I’ve come to learn that this »

What was Tony Reagins thinking? Buried beneath the hustle and bustle of last week’s NFL showdowns was perhaps the most lopsided trade of baseball’s new millennium. The trade saw the Blue Jays’ Vernon Wells (complete with four-year, $86 million commitment) sent to the L.A. Angels in exchange for catcher Mike Napoli and outfielder Juan Rivera. »

So Cam Newton is a national champion. Kudos to him, really. It’s an incredible accomplishment and one that will stay with him for the rest of his life. Sports media is doing its part by showering him with well-deserved accolades. This is a big win for Cam, a big win for Gene Chizik and a »