Deadspin | Nikita Kucherov makes mockery of All-Star Weekend; Here's to Devin Hester; The Royals are finally spending?

There’s a fallacy out there that any All-Star Game is “for the fans.” That idea flew out the window long ago, especially for the NBA and NHL. The All-Star Game is merely a junket for the league’s biggest sponsors to get the chance to hobnob with the game’s top stars, a reward for their support of the league and more importantly the money they provide. Oh, and it’s also a chance for the players to get drunk with each other for a couple nights, which along with various contract bonuses, is what they’re really interested in. Most of the tickets are held for sponsors and whoever else is connected to them. - Sam Fels Read MoreDeadspin | Nikita Kucherov makes mockery of All-Star Weekend; Here's to Devin Hester; The Royals are finally spending?

If there’s a surer sign that baseball has had a winter of discontent, at least for everyone outside the LA metro area, it’s that the highest payroll in the American League Central belongs to the Kansas City Royals. That’s after they Deadspin | Nikita Kucherov makes mockery of All-Star Weekend; Here's to Devin Hester; The Royals are finally spending? inked star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. to an 11-year extension that’s worth $288 million. Witt has opt-outs after years seven, eight, nine and 10. Should he not take any of them, the Royals have a three-year club option that would net Witt another $99 million and some change. - Sam Fels Read MoreDeadspin | Nikita Kucherov makes mockery of All-Star Weekend; Here's to Devin Hester; The Royals are finally spending?

I have to sit here throughout the football season, and now even a month afterwards, and read all the other jackasses on this staff say stuff about the Bears. None of them are from here, most of it’s wrong, and even if it’s correct what gives them the right? Everyone’s got a goddamn thought and none have earned the pleasure of mocking this furshlugginer franchise like I have (and maybe Julie). They just want to kick us while we’re down to score some points. - Sam Fels Read More

It’s easy to tell when there will be leather popping and maple and ash cracking on some distant Florida or Arizona field. No, it’s not the fact that it doesn’t quite get dark at 4 pm anymore. Not even Valentine’s Day or President’s Day. Nope, spring training is always around the corner when the PECOTA projections come out and various fans around the nation go all looney toons over something that doesn’t have emotions and can’t hear them. - Sam Fels Read More

There is a throughline to some joke about a player in the future being shown a blue card and then having an arduous and impatient wait to be released out of a penalty box/sin bin. I’m clearly too mature to make such a joke. - Sam Fels Read More