A “League” of their own: RMU uses old blueprint to pioneer college esports
By Nick Zazulia “Video games aren’t a sport.” That has been a common refrain heard during the rise of esports. ESPN President John Skipper even famously declared it last year … seven months before his network began broadcasting tournaments. And rise they have, to the point that the 2014 League of Legends Championship in Seoul, […]
Different players shooting at a common goal
By Nick Zazulia If you are a professional hockey player assigned to an NHL team’s minor-league affiliate, such as the St. Louis Blues’ AHL partner, the Chicago Wolves, your all-encompassing goal is to get called up to the Blues and win a million Stanley Cups. Obviously. That nature of an AHL team means a lot […]
Chicago Wolves: The farm team that reaps what it sows
By Nick Zazulia Any sports team wants to win, but when you are a minor league team with a developmental deal to season prospects for another team, that can’t be your only priority. Can it? According to Wendell Young, the general manager of the American Hockey League’s Chicago Wolves, who are in their third year […]
Lonnieball: teamwork is money’s new best friend
By Nick Zazulia Lonnie Wheeler thinks sabermetrics is just great. The sportswriter and author of nine baseball books is constantly amazed by what advanced statistics can reveal about a player or team. He wants to make that clear, right up front. That said, they might just be missing something. Doesn’t it seem likely there is […]
Copley carries Wolves to second win over Moose
By Nick Zazulia 22-year-old winger Ty Ratti had notched four goals and three assists through three games for the Chicago Wolves when general manager Wendell Young got the call letting him know that Ratti would be promoted to their NHL affiliate, the St. Louis Blues. The division-leading Wolves lost their next game to the 2-3 […]
Daryl Morey on stats, surprises and shutdown defense
By Nick Zazulia You rarely hear basketball fans praise a missed shot by their favorite team. You will if you talk to Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey. In a telephone interview before the season started last week, Morey used that as an example of how the game has changed in recent years. As the […]
The UFC is embracing analytics, but are the fighters?
By Nick Zazulia HOUSTON – Hop on UFC.com during any fight and you’ll see live-tracking of strikes, knockdowns, submission attempts and time-in position figures all courtesy of Fight Metric. Log on to a fan forum or reddit’s MMA hub and you’ll find people discussing the statistical edges possessed by their favored fighters. Pop over to […]
Series ends with a whimper at local Cardinals bar
By Nick Zazulia The Cubs-Cardinals broadcast began Tuesday with only a few hardcore fans at North Center’s Cards haven, Tavern on Little Fort. The number maxed out at maybe 20, about four or five times fewer than the number that gathered there for the first three games of the National League Division Series, according to […]
Quick Hits: Cubs-Cardinals Game 4
By Jordan Ray Follow along throughout the day for quick hits and tidbits form around Chicago related to today’s Game 4 National League Division Series game between the Cubs and the Cardinals. THE LOCAL TAVERN MOOD AFTER THE NLDS CLINCH At a Cardinals fan watering hole: “Welp. Sad Cardbar. Friendly, though.” At a White Sox […]
