Grantland already down

The articles at Grantland have been solid so far, but something's gone wrong at the site:



It's certainly being noticed at Twitter:



But the people running the site don't seem to have noticed yet.

Link roundup

1. GQ has a lengthy excerpt from a new book about ESPN. The excerpt is all about what a talented jerk Keith Olbermann was:

Suzy Kolber
SportsNight co-anchor

The night before we went on the air, they were still making major, major changes. We were all in this giant room while they were doing it, and I vaguely remember Keith sitting on the floor in the corner. I just felt that Keith was an unhappy person. He made a lot of people unhappy around him. I'm sure he made me unhappy.

Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN is half off at Amazon.

2. From an interview with NBA Jam creator Mark Turmell:

Yeah. I was really a pyromaniac. My buddy Elmer and I would walk through autumn, and we had matches. We’d flick matches into the leaves and then walk away for a certain amount of time before we’d turn around. Then we’d have to run back and put it out. We’d do this in the middle of the night, and we were always starting fires.

3. How to make a Tardis Murphy bed. Relatedly, this video shows how CalTech students put a Tardis on a building at MIT.

Link roundup

1. From an article about Donald Trump's unusual manner of commenting on blog posts:

One of my favourite passages in Nicole LaPorte’s DreamWorks biopic, The Men Who Would Be King, describes how Jeffrey Katzenberg had an intern carry out Internet searches on his behalf, videotaping the results so he could watch them later.

2. Trash talk in the NBA:

The Lakers aren't as good at it, but the defending champs have an edge over most other teams because Kobe can talk with the best of them while he lights you up and Ron Artest is just weird. One reason he's a great defender is he'll get way too close and whisper in your ear.

3. Interesting observation from a long article about the government's action against poker sites:

Another concern is that poker coverage on television could significantly decrease, since it relies heavily on advertisements placed by companies like PokerStars — in some cases being tantamount to infomercials. ESPN, which has been responsible for much of the coverage but tends to be very cautious about how it applies its brand, has pulled PokerStars advertisements from its Web site, and is reviewing whether to continue poker programming at all, although there are indications that they will continue to broadcast the World Series of Poker. Some smaller tournaments have already been cancelled.

Super athletes by UDON for ESPN Rise

Alvin Lee of Udon created several illustrations for ESPN's magazine about high school athletes - ESPN Rise:



Illustration of Michael Gilchrist, top high school prospect out of St. Patrick, NJ.



Illustration of Daniel Norris, who has already pitched a perfect game.



Illustration of Jadeveon Clowney, a defensive lineman who will play for South Carolina (and who told ESPN that Nick Saban is short and boring).



Illustration of Nick Vena, shot put champion.


And speaking of ESPN Rise, right now they have a article about Chance Anthony, a one-armed high school football receiver. Here's a great video about him:

Link roundup

1. A whole lot of Supermans at Burning Man.

2. It seemed like ESPN's NFL coverage on Monday morning was 90% "Albert Haynesworth's refusal to participate in a defensive huddle the sideline shows he's checked out on the team." Turns out defensive linemen like Haynesworth weren't supposed to be in that huddle.

3. Great term for office wear - - move over "business casual," here's "business sexual."

*Buy vintage Superman toys at eBay.

Lady Midakko and Pennagolan (link roundup)

As I understand it, this is a Lady Midakko and Pennagolan miniature, painted by Sébastien Picque, from the game Okko. Japanese demons are the coolest. Via.

And a few more links:

1. And here I was so looking forward to football coverage - - John Clayton apparently does not have a pony tail. Thanks, Phil.

2. Don't mess with this Little Red Riding Hood.

3. Arakune paper toy (from BlazBlue).

*At Toycutter: Lots of tutorials on painting miniatures.

*Buy Little Red Riding Hood toys at eBay.

Wonderland travel poster (link roundup)

Wonderland travel poster by Mario Graciotti. See more fantasy land travel posters at the link.

And a few more links:

1. Interview on Reddit with an anonymous ESPN employee. My favorite exchange:

freddyprinzjr
Does John Clayton's ponytail look ridiculous?

eyespian
No one has ever seen it, but it is talked about. I used to work his remote cameras (he does his hits from his house) and never have seen any evidence of one! It seems to be an urban legend.

iiviip3
I have seen it in person and it is quite long, perhaps to the shoulder blade region. I hadn't heard any rumors about any such ponytail before either so it took me by surprise. I have to say, John Clayton is just a weird looking guy in general!

This occurred at a funeral service last year for Mike Kahn, a longtime friend of Mr. Clayton's whom I had the pleasure of working with.

Via. UPDATE: Apparently, it's not true.

2. Great news if you live in LA - - Rick Bayless is opening a restaurant on Melrose. Via.

3. Braised Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Golden Raisins and Pasta recipe.

*Previously: Ice Kingdom travel poster.

*Buy travel posters at eBay.