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In developing this sports blog, I wanted to come up with a sincere, unique, sports-centric name. To which, you might be now thinking to yourself: "he failed." But I'll have you know that "the hesi" is, in fact, a commonality among all sports. A Hall of Fame quarterback drops back, scans the field, pumps to his left, hesi tates, then throws back to the sideline to his right. The pass is incomplete. The quarterback is Lamar Jackson. A superstar NBA center (nevermind, that position is dying almost as fast as the good branding for Tide pods) A superstar NBA guard takes the ball at the top of the key, jab steps to his left, then right before the screen comes, hesi tates again before using the screen and draining a fall back, 28-footer. This NBA guard is, in fact, James Harden. Or maybe Jamal Crawford (but only if the fadeaway comes from 35+ feet). In baseball, the pitcher leans in to get the pitch from his catcher. If he's Craig Kimbrel, he's leaning...

10. Westbrook. Russell Westbrook, for the length of his career, has played each quarter of each game with the intensity of a thousand burning suns. Every time I hear his name, I close my eyes and picture him hurtling down the court at an unsettling speed and slamming down over some pour soul. Or, if there's not a rim-throttling dunk, there's a seemingly off-balance pull-up jumpers from 29 feet that effortlessly sinks through the net. Westbrook comes to my mind when I think of players that I have watched thinking to myself, " holy crap, this guy plays with an effort that's unreal*,"  probably not unlike how viewers in the late 80s and 90s watched Rodman. 9. Shaq.  I am a massive Shaquille O'Neal fan. The infatuation covers several different realms: he was drafted by the Orlando Magic the year I was born just outside Orlando, my dad wrote a book on him, he had so many goofy names (Big Diesel, Big Cactus, Big Artistotle, Big Shamrock, etc.), he inexplicably ...

Whereas July 1 was the central date for the time of year when I excessively scroll through and then refresh, and then scroll through and refresh Twitter constantly as if my soul depends on it, now comes the spot in the calendar when I keep track of MLB Trade Rumors like my soul demands that for its survival. With a week to go before the non-waiver trade deadline on July 31, here are the ten guys most likely to change addresses which I deem most valuable as this deadline approaches. (Editor's Note: If I get all or any of these predictions correct, I might just have to apply for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim GM position. They could use the help. YOU HAVE MIKE TROUT. DO SOMETHING WITH THAT INFORMATION.) 10. Khris Davis: $5 million salary this season, arbitration eligible through 2020, age 32 Davis, like a few others on this list, would inevitably service a team looking for some added pop to its lineup. However, the hold-up on Davis is that if he's not knocking it into ...

I'm here to talk to you about one of the greater institutions in this world of ours. No, not the US Constitution. Not Netflix. And we can chat another day about rolled ice cream. Yes, I'm here to talk to you today about bat flips. No, not bottle flips . Bat flips. I'm talking pimping a double , or a  triple . I'm talking sling that sucker . I'm talking CHUCK THAT BAD BOY WHERE THE SUN DON'T SHINE ! Bat flips are innately fun. No, scratch that--bat flips are flippin' glorious. Look, I'm all about not showing up the game, and not showing up opponents or teammates. But having uncorked (bad verb. Sorry, Sammy ) a few bombs at the beach with friends and whipping that bat into the horizon, bat flips are a tremendous experience for both the flippee and the observer. I think this discussion comes at a relevant time for Major League Baseball especially. Last week was the All-Star game. And while the game itself was boring and without ...

I'm back at it again on the Trade Machine. So here we go with today's fake trade: ​ ​ S M L XL  No picks changing hands in the swap. Straight up. In this deal, the Knicks finally purge themselves of Carmelo Anthony and the drama he carries with him, and end up with a terrific haul in the process. Melo can instantly vault the Mavericks into the playoffs at the very least, playing alongside Dirk, Wes Matthews, and impending star Dennis Smith Jr. at the point. The Mavs are able to immediately contend with two aging stars in Melo and Dirk, while they're also able to surround their young talent (most notably Smith and Dwight Powell) with veterans who know what it takes to win. Anthony gets to play in a tax-free state in Texas, and while it's not Houston, I don't necessarily know if Houston has the pieces to acquire Melo to begin with. At least Melo would (we hope) be pleased with an exit from NYC. The Mavs get Melo for the length of Dirk Nowtzki...

I feel like this concept--off-season winners and losers--is the most saturated idea that comes with the rise of the NBA off-season, a rise I discussed on my podcast earlier this week. Where there is activity in the League, there--apparently--is the need for talk and incessant debate and this topic creates just that. Having said that, I do think it's still important to affirm those teams that have done a terrific job this off-season, as it is equally important to patronize those franchises and individuals that are operating with the IQ of a toddler. Without further ado, my 2017 NBA off-season champs and chumps. WINNERZ 1. China-Klay-- When the NBA season ended and summer began, Klay Thompson was ready. The Splash Brother went to China and immediately got to channeling his inner Dirty Dancing having the time of his life. Whether dunking and falling flat on his back , eating quite hot Chinese food , arm wrestling ,  having a ball at late-night dance clubs , or do...