We're looking at the the players voted into the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA, position by position, to figure out what the Baseball Writers' standard has been through the years. Today, we look at the BBWAA's chosen first basemen and how this year's candidates stack up. More»

I've written before that I wished the Hall of Fame had an "inner circle," to separate the Willie Mayses and Babe Ruths from the Jesse Haines and High Pockets Kellys. Then I realized: It's already true. There are two Halls: the BBWAA's, and the other one. More»

In order to best convey the experience of watching Pete Rose on a reality show, I decided to simply describe everything Pete does in the pilot episode, “The Family Hustle,” factually, no embellishment, no fancy writer tricks. Here are the hits and misses from the first hour of "Hits & Mrs." More»

By the time the Patriots' win over the Texans rolled around Sunday evening, just about everyone was exhausted from one of the most memorable football weekends ever. Don't worry: Mandatory Monday is here to pick up the divisional pieces. More»

For North Carolina State, ending rival Duke's undefeated season was a celebration years in the making. So can you really blame Wolfpack fans for storming the court? The jubilant scene was just one highlight in a colossal weekend for college basketball, a sport that takes back seat to no other in terms of drama. More»

No country is more sports-mad than Australia -- and yet no Australian man has won the Australian Open since Mark Edmondson in 1976, and no Australian woman has won the Australian Open since Chris O'Neil in 1978. Why not, and when will the draught end? More»

Andray Blatche has not been accused of sexual assault, but he was staying in a suite with two friends who are. The complete dismissiveness of everyone in the Nets’ organization who’s spoken publicly, and the lack of noise in the media about it, is striking. More»

For one agonizing quarter, it looked like painful history would repeat itself for the Falcons. But Matt Ryan stepped up, Tony Gonzalez hauled in the catch of his career -- and a booming 49-yard kick sent the city of Atlanta into a state of long-awaited euphoria. More»

Nothing in Colin Kaepernick's prior seven starts gave the Packers any indication that he was capable of the type of performance he delivered Saturday night, which included a new rushing record and passing for more yards than Aaron Rodgers. More»

Saturday’s Ravens victory over the Broncos, one of the biggest upsets of the year, one of the longest, greatest, most astounding games in NFL history, felt like every other Ravens or Manning playoff game ever played, compressed like a panini. More»

There had never really been a glamorous tight end in the NFL before Tony Gonzalez. But after a career in which he has surpassed just about every other player at his position in history, there's something else he wants. And that remains elusive. More»

Jeff Idelson has learned, in his tumultuous time as president of the Baseball Hall of Fame, that you can’t ever get too caught up in the moment. The Hall of Fame is about history. History takes time. Time takes patience. But he does, still, have faith in the process. More»

Bill Belichick's voice reveals no modulation, no emphasis. The listeners have to be here in case Belichick has been slipped some truth serum in pill form with his breakfast and decided to say what he really thinks about something, anything. This has never happened. More»

The stretch run to the NBA's February trade deadline has begun, and teams will be desperate to plug holes and find difference makers. At the center is the Lakers, who may be willing to do almost anything and will certainly be trying to get rid of Pau Gasol. More»

Sunday's Divisional action features a hot rookie quarterback, an outstanding rookie class, a bruising running back and an organization with all the answers: the 2012 Seahawks or the 2008 Falcons? Meanwhile, the Texans will try to fake out the Patriots. More»

We have reached the greatest NFL weekend of the year, one better than the conference championship games and even the Super Bowl. The divisional playoffs bring a weekend of important games, and, looking back for the 10 best, bring deep history with them. More»

When Barry Bonds received only 36.2 percent of the Hall of Fame votes, I felt some regret and sadness. A little of it was for him, a lot more was for the mess that radiated from the summer of 1998, after Bonds watched as Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa swung for Roger Maris’ record. More»

Colin Kaepernick has been surrounded by palace intrigue, controversy and quirky tales as he earned his role as the starting quarterback of the 49ers midway through the NFL season. Only an evil twin and a case of amnesia were missing from the drama. More»

There were no full-blooded “winners” on this year’s Hall of Fame ballot. But a look at the results suggests that some won more than others. We know WHY these guys didn’t get elected. What’s more interesting now is: What happens next? More»

Any way you look at the Kings' potential move, there’s nothing that’s good or noble, even if poetic justice is eventually served to Seattle. In the process, the Maloofs will fill their pockets with piles of money, cutting a deal to satisfy their huge, empty egos. More»

We are a culture that documents everything, and we now have this massive, bottomless pit of space that we call the Internet that can organize it for us. There has to be someone who recognizes ESPN Passport’s potential and tries to do something with it. More»

If you take a quick spin around the Internet today, you can read a bit about an amazing man and writer named Richard Ben Cramer, who died Monday. I knew Richard, and I will remember his kindness for the rest of my life. But right now I want to talk about his writing. More»

The NHL lockout is over and regular-season play is on its way, yet it's hard to be excited. It's difficult to discern why the sport needed a lockout, and it's essentially impossible to determine that this one solved anything. Did the NHL just waste four months of our time? More»

Nick Saban spends only 48 hours celebrating a national title before turning his attention toward next season, so we’ll follow the lead of the obsessive coach. It’s more than seven months until kickoff, but here’s a look at the Top 25 contenders for 2013. More»

Let's start with this: Nobody is getting into the Hall of Fame through the Baseball Writers door this year. And it isn't just the ferocious reaction to steroid use that will make this year's ballot a blank slate. No, there's something else involved. More»

Drenching a coach in Gatorade has become a football tradition since the mid-80s. But haven't we evolved since then? Not if the recent bowl season is any indication, as even arcane games saw their share of celebratory showers. Time to start thinking outside the bucket. More»

By every measure, Texans end J.J. Watt has had an all-time great season, one that will land him the Defensive Player of the Year award. As he gets ready for Sunday's game against the Patriots, we ask: Just how dominant has Watt been? More»

They pay him to talk on television, so what was Brent Musburger supposed to do when they turned the camera on Miss Alabama, just stare? Well, maybe if you’re 73 years old, as Musburger is, and Miss Alabama is 23, as Katharine Webb is, maybe you don’t go all Hugh Hefner on her. More»

What can we learn from the percentage of Hall of Fame votes that eligible players have gotten over the years? And what if anything can those numbers, and the journeys of players like Ralph Kiner, tell us about Hall voters and the chances of players on the current ballot? More»

The Baltimore Orioles have been quiet this winter. But maybe that's as it should be: the makeup of the team right now, the new CBA and the current market have intersected at such a unique angle that Baltimore’s current inactivity is the best of many bad options. More»

Notre Dame never stood a chance Monday night. Alabama blew out the Irish, claiming its third national title in four years. Some day, coach Nick Saban will appreciate it, but for now, he'll stay focused on maintaining his modern dynasty. More»