On Monday, I took submissions for the best sports stories on Substack this month. Y’all came through with a bunch of great work. I’ve sorted the submissions into a roundup of 10 for your weekend deep dive.
If you had any additional favorites, drop them into the comments or the chat, which is now open again.
The Rise and Fall of The Draft Network
In 2018, a draft analysis website launched with the intention of improving NFL draft coverage. It changed the industry. And now it seems to be disappearing. What happened?
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Submitted by : “I literally the other day lamented to a colleague about The Draft Network's fall from grace and asked ‘whatever happened there?’ Then days later this spectacular piece dropped. The free portion was incredible and I immediately subbed to read the rest.”
Can basketball bring us meaning?
Hanif Abdurraqib's exploration of life's biggest questions in "There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension"
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Meet NC State's Jannah Eissa, the ACC's first hijab-wearing basketball player
"Your hijab is not going to stop you from doing anything."
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The Art of the Tennis Comeback
A bonus chat with Kim Clijsters
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Rebuild Retrospective: Oklahoma City Thunder
From demolition to contention, quickly
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By and
Submitted by
: “The Dirty Sports Podcast recently joined Substack and is well worth a subscription. Joe and Andy give a breath of fresh air to the dull and corporate sports media coverage that plagues all the major networks today. Their background as comedians makes the show very funny and entertaining as well.”One Year of Formula Flash
How Substack launched my career in motorsport and brought me back to journalism
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Submitted by
: “Incredibly inspiring.”Michael Jordan is the GOAT and We're Not Done With the 90's
The GOAT is real and not just a product of nostalgia
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To front or box out? Looking at how NHL teams systematically block shots
I got stuck in a tactical wormhole this week and you have to come with me.
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Submitted by : “Really enjoyed Sean Shapiro's piece breaking down the decision to block shots or box out your man in the defensive zone. Interesting numbers, insight from NHL execs and coaches, video examples, etc.”
Good Legs and Guts
In 1971, baseball joined the rest of the country and put on the shortest short-shorts it could find
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Submitted by
: “Project 3.18 has been on absolute fire of late.”
@Quinn Everts mentioned ‼️‼️🗣️🗣️
Thanks for including my piece on the Thunder, Austin! Can't wait to dive into all the other stories on here 😁