Gus Johnson hollered his way back into our hearts this weekend, while in the booth for the FA Cup final between Wigan and Manchester City. He isn't perfect, but Johnson is the greatest announcer alive when you're not sure exactly what's going on. More»

Derrick Rose could change the complexion of the Bulls-Heat series, but, to the dismay of many fans, the star guard still hasn't declared himself ready to play. Of course, only Rose can know, and we need to remember that he's only human too. More»

Evan Gattis may be the best story in baseball this year. But now that Brian McCann is back in the mix for the Atlanta Braves, the rookie catcher's role on the team is suddenly up in the air. What's a manager in a pennant race to do? More»

It's the same old story: A group of people in college sports are about to make a bunch of money, but that group doesn't include the athletes. The new SEC Network was announced on Thursday, and the SEC and ESPN will swim in even more cash. More»

Somehow Tim Tebow is still interesting to me, even as what he does on the field interests fewer and fewer NFL teams. Tebow has made it to that place only certain famous people reach: He's overrated and underrated at the same time. More»

Marcus Lattimore, who had both legs rebuilt while at South Carolina, has been terribly unlucky. He has also had amazing good fortune. He is the perfect story for the NFL draft, which is three days of guesses and gambles. More»

To those on the outside, they're just trees. To those at Auburn, they hold lifetimes of memories. Auburn fans said goodbye to Toomer's Oaks with a final roll on Saturday before the poisoned trees are removed, and all you could see were the memories. More»

Nine years ago, a 13-year-old football player died of a brain aneurysm, and his family gave the gift of life to five people by donating his organs. One of those people was a 73-year-old former football player turned broadcaster, Pat Summerall. More»

Marathon Monday -- Patriots' Day -- is the unofficial first day of spring in Boston. And at 4:09:43 on the race clock, it was a day of joy and achievement. If we could only freeze it there, before the explosion at 4:09:44. But we don't get to do that. More»

Augusta National may be one of the most exclusive golf clubs in the world, but occasionally the everyday hacker gets a crack it -- including me, at 23 years old in 1987, in a round filled with memorable moments. More»

Meet the Hawks from the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore. They've won the last two NCAA women's bowling titles, and three of the last five. They've finished first or second in every tournament this season. And they're just warming up. More»

Gorgui Dieng is the man who tidies things up on the Louisville Cardinals. After years of mastering his originally raw game, he's become not just an intimidating presence inside -- but an emotional leader during this emotionally taxing Final Four run. More»

The guard who helped lead Louisville to the Sweet 16 once drove Rick Pitino crazy with his undisciplined style of play. But now that he has matured, Russ Smith is a joy to watch on the court -- goofy, excitable and really, really good. More»

By some measures, Louisville had the best defensive efficiency in the country. But numbers can't covey how terrifying Louisville's press is. Only in person can you grasp their "mother-in-law defense: constant pressure and harassment." More»

For 365 days every year, one thing drives Butler coach Brad Stevens: the NCAA tournament. While the players hold steady with the 'one game at a time' cliche, everything Stevens does is meant to prepare the Bulldogs for March Madness. More»

Denny Hamlin may not be a household name, but he's now a hero to NASCAR fans two times over. First, he dared to criticize NASCAR's fancy new car. And second, after NASCAR fined him for his comments, he's refusing to pay. Time to FREE DENNY. More»

"Tell me a funny story about baseball," my father-in-law said. Baseball is the funniest sport. But all I could think of, there in the moment, was the bubble-gum prank. It's the kind of thing grown men and women don't do outside of sports. More»

Alabama and LSU are fighting over the same middle school football player. Why wait that long? If recruiting starts in the womb, college programs can dictate everything from nutrition to weightlifting from birth, effectively engineering the best team possible. More»

Jimmie Johnson has achieved greatness in NASCAR, and he has done it in a remarkable way: without putting any particular stamp of personality on his sport. But greatness is its own stamp. Johnson's style may be invisible -- but it's also very effective. More»

It was a proud offseason for Manny and Yvonne Upton, as their sons both joined the Atlanta Braves. Nearly 100 sets of brothers have played in the big leagues, but B.J. and Justin have the rare opportunity to play side by side in their primes. More»

Bobby Cox is 71 and has been retired for three years. And though his Braves' legacy is secure -- 14 division titles in a row, five National League pennants, one World Series -- he continues to mentor the young Atlanta team this spring as if he never left. More»

With Daytona a week from Sunday, NASCAR enters the 2013 season facing an identity crisis. The sport has lost its character and its momentum, and the biggest story at Thursday's media was the Danica Patrick-Ricky Stenhouse relationship. More»

The race for best celebrity sports fan in America isn't close. Bill Murray is Secretariat at the Belmont. And the gap widens every year. His latest escapade included a riotous appearance at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. More»

National signing day is bizarre, uncomfortable, and a little creepy. So I think we should double down on this thing. What we really need is an NFL signing day: Let teams recruit players, pick a day for everybody to sign, and settle in for the drama. More»

Ole Miss hasn't won the SEC in 50 years, but it's starting to ruffle some feathers in the nation's most powerful conference. It all starts on the recruiting trail, where coach Hugh Freeze is selling kids on joining one of the best classes in the nation. More»

Golf is not designed for perfection, but on Thursday at the Phoenix Open, Phil Mickelson came so close to the lower limit. He may have just missed, but in a weird start to 2013 for sports, he at least helped make sports about sports again. More»

President Obama says that the violence in college and pro football should be addressed so "we won't have to examine our consciences quite as much." Now fans must decide -- what kind of game are we willing to live with so that lives won't be put at risk? More»

There have been 94 Super Bowl slots open over the years, and with parity in the NFL, 28 franchises have played in at least one ... But four have never made it. We take a look at them here in order of their fans' accumulated pain. More»

The best-case scenario at this point is that Manti Te’o believed he had a loving girlfriend despite many strong clues that she did not exist. Which would make him delusional. Good thing nobody else involved with college football is delusional... More»

I’m not ready to believe Manti Te’o. Not yet. But for the next few minutes, let's say that Manti Te’o was the victim of a hoax. If you believe that, and you think about what it means, you can reduce it to a single image: a star football player, alone in his room at night, texting his love to a girlfriend he’s never met. 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»

In college football, there are two nations, and only two: Notre Dame and Alabama. Both teams carry the weight of cultures bigger than their sport and bigger than their universities, and Monday night they meet in Miami in pursuit of another national title. More»

Alabama center Barrett Jones has put together one of the most remarkable college football careers in history, both on and off the field. A third national championship in four years could help alleviate the bittersweet feeling of that career ending. More»

The Sugar Bowl was such a curbstomping that you had to wonder: Did everybody overrate the SEC this year? After all, look at the bowls! But maybe not: bowl games are always weird, and the Sugar Bowl is weirdest of all, especially for the SEC team. More»

Florida State and Northern Illinois played a football-like substance Tuesday night, bleeding into Wednesday morning. The final score was 31-10 FSU. It wasn’t that close. Neither was it that far apart. This game twisted space and time. More»

Most of the credit for Notre Dame's undefeated season goes to the defense, and justifiably so. But it helps to have talent at the most important position in sports, and as a freshman starter, QB Everett Golson has once again answered the call. More»

One of the weird things about football press boxes is that they’re often glassed-in, the crowd muffled. But at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, when the Florida Gators played LSU, The Swamp moved. And at that moment, I believed in the power of sports. More»

The rumor won’t die: anonymous reports keep linking Saban to the Cleveland Browns’ coaching job. But in Tuscaloosa, he has his own statue, made $5.3 million last year, and literally has someone to carry his water. Why would he leave all that? More»

Let's face it, the way bowl games pick teams needs to be revamped. It's time for a draft, NBA-style -- the bowls will pick their teams on live TV, complete with Bloomin' Onion tossing and frozen envelope-draws, to get matchups like Florida vs. Stanford. More»

Bobby Petrino has left nothing but trouble in the wake of his coaching stops, but Western Kentucky decided to take its chances in the name of winning anyway. Make no mistake: This isn't about redemption. It's about winning football games. More»

Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel, a.k.a. Johnny Football, is now a 20-year-old with a Heisman. He also became the first freshman ever to win the trophy, reminding us all that these college players may be big and strong, but they're still just kids. More»

The last True Top Ten until after the bowls features Notre Dame in the top spot again. Time to start compiling briefs in the case of Fighting Irish v. Crimson Tide, so read up on Brian Kelly's smirk and the odds of a brawl with Nick Saban at midfield. More»

Georgia stood toe-to-toe with Alabama for 60 minutes in Saturday's classic SEC championship and came close to a BCS bid. But the Bulldogs fell short, delivering an indescribable punch in the gut to head coach Mark Richt, players and fans. More»

In their last meeting four years ago, Alabama gave Georgia a butt-whipping so profound that it altered the fortunes of both teams. Since then, Alabama is 54-7 with two national titles. Georgia hasn’t even sniffed one. Can Mark Richt change that? More»

Let’s just say it: This might be the best college football season of all time. Any of the teams in this week’s True Top Ten could beat any of the others. It's hard to remember a season with such balance at the top, but for now it's still Notre Dame at No. 1. More»

Bitter college football rivalries can make or break seasons, and nowhere is that truer this weekend than Los Angeles, where a disappointing USC team can achieve a nice consolation prize by ruining rival Notre Dame's run at perfection. More»

Kansas State and Oregon, the top two teams, went down within 10 minutes of each other Saturday. Now seven teams have a shot at the national title. Everyone agrees on who’s No. 1. But who’s next? That’s what you come to the True Top Ten to find out. More»

Derek Dooley's fate was finally sealed with an embarrassing loss to Vanderbilt. He had originally come along at a time when Tennessee was an emotional wreck, and, to be honest, nothing in particular suggested he would be the right guy for the job when he was hired. More»

In one of the wildest nights in college football history, Kansas State and Oregon surrendered their pole positions in the national title race in the time it took to hit one button on the remote control -- and that was something we were doing a lot of. More»

The SEC owns the last six national titles, but this year it might not even have a team in the championship game. Why? Six teams, ranked 4-9 in the BCS, conducted a season-long playoff of sorts, knocking each other out in the process. More»

Heading into last weekend, Kansas State was the unbeaten with the biggest cause for concern: the health of Collin Klein. But the star quarterback led his team past TCU, Texas A&M upset Alabama, and look who's back atop the True Top Ten. More»

Texas has a lot of songwriters, and some budding Lyle Lovett is surely composing “The Ballad of Johnny Football,” because Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel took the Aggies into Tuscaloosa and stunned the top-ranked team in the country. More»

Why Alabama? The Bear. Fourteen national titles (at least by their count). Under Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide wins the same way it won under Bryant, and it does it with the weight of all that history and passion on its shoulders, every week. More»

Alabama's schedule didn't stack up with the other top contenders through the first two months of the season. But after winning on the road against LSU, the Crimson Tide has finally earned the right to take hold of No. 1 in the True Top Ten. More»

Every time you looked, Oregon was eating up big chunks of the Coliseum field with precision and speed. With Kenjon Barner leading the way, the explosive Ducks had a historic night vs. USC, moving them a step closer to the BCS title game. More»

Lane Kiffin seems molded by destiny to be the coach at USC. The problem is, nobody really likes him, and his career record in the NFL and college is 36-30. Attention follows him, but the hyped Trojans have two losses and Oregon next. More»

Many of us thought this would be the week when the top four teams in the country would pair off against each other: Alabama at LSU, and USC at Oregon. But they're not in the top four anymore. They can thank K-State and Notre Dame for that. More»

For a few hours, sports bring some clarity to life. My clarity comes Saturday. I want Georgia to dominate and Florida to get a flat tire on the way back to Gainesville. I want these things because years ago I chose a team. And this is our big game. More»

Kansas State can run, it can pass, it can stop the run and it can stop the pass. And although the Wildcats have five tough games left, they have the best shot of anybody at going undefeated. But that's just one reason they're No. 1 in this week's True Top Ten. More»

As recently as two weeks ago, pretty much everybody thought Geno Smith had run away with the Heisman. But 'tis no longer. Now the top college quarterback in America is Kansas State's Collin Klein. Of course, he'll probably tell you otherwise. More»

If you have watched a lot of sports over the past 40 years, Verne Lundquist has been a part of your life. He has put words, in the moment, to some of sports' most meaningful stories. He saw what just happened, same as you, and he can't believe it either. More»

Say it with me: It is hard … to win … on the road. Kansas State earned another solid victory away from home, while Alabama and Oregon have yet to earn the quality road wins necessary to rise to the peak of the True Top Ten. More»

Arkansas won last Saturday, and it's sad that it's news. After everything the Razorbacks had gone through in the offseason, they were hopeful of this year, with top-shelf talent, a good schedule and John-El. But hope is far from Fayetteville now. More»

Our college football True Top Ten doesn't measure talent or style; it measures the strength of the season a team has put together. And after a thrilling Week 6, a handful of résumés have risen to the top of the pile. But one in particular stands out. More»

This isn't the Florida we're used to seeing, with Tim Tebow and Chris Leak whipping the ball around. These Gators run and beat up your QB -- and they did both to LSU on Saturday. Believe it: UF has the best résumé in college football now. More»

At 5-0 and ranked No. 6, South Carolina is having one of its best seasons ever. But as the Gamecocks begin a three-week gauntlet of top-10 teams, it's hard for their fans to believe. And considering the program's history, you can't blame them. More»

Oregon State has won three games in three different styles now, starting with a pair of strong road wins and then a victory over Wisconsin. There's no denying the Beavers are legit. But are they good enough for the True Top Ten? More»

Several teams (see above) posted impressive wins this week, but what really impresses the True Top Ten is multiple wins over good teams -- especially on the road (sorry to rain on your parade, Oregon). Here's who made the cut after Week 4. More»

The drama of college football has many variations, and one of the best is when a big favorite at home is in danger of losing. You can feel the creeping terror in the stadium … just as it did in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday. More»

Life appears the same at Tulane. The football team still practices in the damp New Orleans mornings. Classes still meet throughout the week. Students still live among each other on campus. But it's not the same now. Devon Walker isn't there. More»

Not just any wins will get a team into our True Top Ten. No, no. Wins against legit opponents, Good Wins -- those are what get a team in our rankings. And after Week 3 of the college football season, it's clear which team deserves the top honor. More»

Week 3 in college football was one of clarity. Good teams started playing legit opponents, and with the heightened competition, nearly every blemish was visible. Turns out some teams are uglier than we thought, but others are just breathtaking. More»

Notre Dame was the last great independent, so it’s strange, and a little sad, to see the Irish joining the ACC, maneuvering to get better players and find shelter in case of hard times. But they still have a name, and they still have a big TV contract. More»

The True Top Ten is not about which team will end up with the title, or which would hypothetically beat another. It's about which team is having the best season so far. And after Week 2 ... well, let's just say RichRod's newest team ain't half bad. More»

One of the great things about college football is the diversity of styles. Every team has a theory on which is better, or which is more advanced. Missouri had its own theories, but it found out the hard way that 'old-man football' can still dominate. More»

Tyrann Mathieu has drawn up his own play. After LSU booted him from the football team, he has decided to stay on campus, work on his studies and try to improve himself as a human being. It says a lot about college football that this sounds crazy. More»

The flaw of most college football polls is they tend to stick with the same old powers from the preseason. But to make it in our weekly rankings, you have to actually beat a quality opponent -- just like Bama, MSU and Clemson did this weekend. More»

Michigan was supposed to have the chops to stick with Alabama. But Bama’s 41-14 beatdown leaves college football fans no closer to answering the question they’ve been asking for the last six years: Can’t somebody stand up to the SEC's elite? More»

Radio analyst Allen Pinkett paid for his words when he said Notre Dame football needs more 'criminals.' And rightly so. But while his advice was poorly crafted, his logic was sharp. More»

A black cloud hangs over Fayetteville, Arkansas, but the new leader of the Razorbacks only sees bright skies. John-EL, as his players call him, hopes to make things right again. But let's be real: No team has more riding on this season than Arkansas. More»

With all the drama, craziness and villainy packed into a single season, college football could easily pass for a soap opera, albeit a high-speed one. But this year figures to be especially intriguing. These are the top 10 storylines to watch. More»