Howard Megdal

Team Thailand seeking International Crown title defense - The IX Sports In this edition of Golf Thursday, take a look at which teams have the best chance to win the 2025 Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown.

In this edition of Golf Thursday, take a look at which teams have the best chance to win the 2025 Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown.

Hi, hello! It me

Did Tyrese Maxey forcing VJ Edgecombe to wear a Goofy hat at Disneyland this summer ignite the rookie’s historic NBA debut MY COLUMN

YouTube video by The IX Sports BREAKING WNBA NEWS: Sandy Brondello is the first head coach in Toronto Tempo history! #wnba

BREAKING: Per @howardmegdal.bsky.social and @theixbasketball.bsky.social, Sandy Brondello will be the first coach of the expansion Toronto Tempo.

Inside the empathy that powers New York's Sandy Brondello - The IX Basketball Can the New York Liberty defend their WNBA title? It starts with what head coach Sandy Brondello brings from the bench.

With the news out via @howardmegdal.bsky.social and @theixbasketball.bsky.social that Sandy Brondello is officially going to be the inaugural head coach of the Toronto Tempo, I wanted to re-share a story I wrote in September about why Brondello is the way she is and who she is.

Of course, @classicjpow.bsky.social and I are here to break this all down for you @theixbasketball.bsky.social #WNBA

For the first time in a while I have free time before getting ready for and immediately going to bed, and I'm really thankful for the things I managed to write despite the crunch. There's a lot of Phillies stuff, some on purpose and some by coincidence. But here it is:

How leadership shapes the future of the WNBA - The IX Sports How leadership shapes the future of the WNBA — Geno Auriemma on UConn's chances all in the latest Basketball Wednesday.

Our @howardmegdal.bsky.social considers exactly what's at stake for the #WNBA around the question of Cathy Engelbert's future www.theixsports.com/features/how...

Carol Burnett Plays On The ninety-two-year-old comedy legend has influenced generations of performers. In a string of recent TV roles, she has been co-starring with some of her closest comedic heirs.

Best thing you will read this week. www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...

I feel seen

Jordan Wood is right there! bsky.app/profile/the-...

How Alex Klein, former Bryant basketball star, switched to bobsled - The IX Basketball Athletes often come to bobsled from track and field or football. But Alex Klein came from basketball — and nearly made the 2026 Olympics.

Alex Klein was an All-NEC basketball player at Bryant. But after an autoimmune condition ended her pro career, she reinvented herself as a bobsledder — all for the privilege of feeling like "you’re put into a trash can and ... thrown down the stairs."

Our @jennhatfield.bsky.social has the story:

Whether 8-Bit, 16-Bit, or Battle Royale, It's Always Super Mario Bros. The original Super Mario Bros, which turns 40 this week, is lucky: it got several remakes over the years that retained what makes it great.

The NES is 40 years old today, and so is the North American release of Super Mario Bros. I wrote about its various forms over the decades for @endlessmode.bsky.social: each a little different, but always vital, and always Super Mario Bros.

Dave Dombrowski Talks Phillies Future Built Around What’s Worked The Philadelphia Phillies fell short of their World Series championship goal. But as Dave Dombrowski detailed plans to stay the course, history supports his ideas.

My latest @forbes.com breaks down why Dave Dombrowski's decision to stay the course with the Phillies is the right one, and supported by Phillies history itself www.forbes.com/sites/howard...

Scandal at CSUB Leaves Softball Team in Shambles, Felony Charges for Basketball Coach, and Athletic Director Ousted The fallout from the stunning arrest of Cal State Bakersfield assistant men’s basketball coach Kevin Mays earlier this month has reached the school’s softball p

Absolutely astonishing story from @maren-angus.bsky.social, who finds a way to explain it all clearly. www.si.com/onsi/softbal...

2025-26 Big Ten Preview - The IX Basketball The Big Ten Conference is once again shaping up to be one of the better conferences in the country with multiple tournament contenders.

The @b1gwbb.bsky.social is a behemoth, with many of the collegiate powers set to do battle once more. Our @thomascostello.bsky.social and David Mendez-Yapkowitz take you inside each of the 18 teams as our conference previews roll on! #NCAAW www.thenexthoops.com/ncaaw/big-te...

Mark Davis did impromptu pressers tonight. One on the podium and another with a group of reporters. I asked him the status of the latest investigation that league opened on the Aces for salary cap circumvention.

"I don’t know. If you could find out, would you please tell me."

Thank you, i will treasure this trophy and place it prominently in my office. (I do get a trophy, yes?)

Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink A handful of journalists rebel against a hedge fund that is gutting newspapers nationwide.

The documentary "Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink," about how Hedge fund Alden Global Capital is gobbling up newspapers across America and gutting them, is available to watch on PBS.

On @baseballprospectus.com I wrote about the Phillies' last two baseball games and how they've wriggled free of every narrative opportunity this year. Also? Hit the ball.
www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article...

Breaking down the 'gentrification' of WNBA head coaches - The IX Sports Breaking down the 'gentrification' of WNBA head coaches — Hear from DeWanna Bonner, Satou Sabally all in Basketball Wednesday.

Our @classicjpow.bsky.social checks in live from the #WNBA Finals with a breakdown of exactly how hiring of WNBA coaches is changing, and what it all means. Plus: hear from DeWanna Bonner and Satou Sabally ahead of Game 3! www.theixsports.com/basketball/w...

Our 2025-26 college previews kick off today, as Missy Heidrick ranks the top 25 teams in women's college basketball! Did your favorite team make the cut? Follow us all month long for more content that'll get you ready for the season! #NCAAWBB

Phoenix Mercury falter in Game 2, lose control of Finals to Aces - The IX Basketball The Las Vegas Aces have put themselves in prime position to win WNBA championship after besting Phoenix Mercury 91-78 in Game 2 of Finals.

After coming close to beating the Las Vegas Aces in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, the Phoenix Mercury lost Game 2 by a much bigger margin.

@dylankanesports.bsky.social outlines what went wrong for Phoenix and how the Mercury are feeling about Game 3 at home.

www.thenexthoops.com/features/pho...

Phillies on the brink: Star-studded Dodgers proving to be nightmare NLDS matchup

New column:

For 6 months, the Phillies' formula to win was simple

They had a better starting pitcher than you
Their stars were better than your stars
Their home-field advantage was better than your home-field advantage

Then the Dodgers came to town
www.nytimes.com/athletic/669...

Well, I’ve always believed he can hit lefties,” Thomson said. And it’s true, he’s said this consistently. The tell will be whether he starts playing against, for example, Eduardo Rodriguez, the likely pitcher the Phillies will face on Sunday when the Diamondbacks come to town. I am watching those decisions closely, because there is a clear profile here of a player with untapped talent, an answer for why he struggled, and both the will and a manager looking for him to grab additional playing time. You know who else is watching it closely? Right: Bryson Stott. I asked him how he’d know when he had convinced his manager he should be an everyday player again. “I don’t know,” Stott shrugged. “I guess it changes when it changes.”

Back in April, @baseballprospectus.com, I wrote that it didn’t just matter whether Bryson Stott hit LHP, it mattered whether or not Rob Thomson believed in his ability to hit lefties. Stott finished 2025 .225/.287/.288 vs. LHP. And the dynamic cost the Phillies Game 2.

The Phillies’ Harrison Bader has been painting since he was a kid. And it has helped shape his game. Bader took an interest in art history in high school and still paints. It’s helped him get through the highs and lows of his major league career, while keeping him in “the present moment.”

Everyone's favorite Art Guy www.inquirer.com/phillies/har...

Earl Weaver’s rolling over in his grave.

The Las Vegas Aces moved one step closer to securing another WNBA title by beating the Phoenix Mercury 91-78 in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals. Our Kelly Johnson ... Las Vegas Aces win Game 2 of the WNBA Finals

The Las Vegas Aces moved one step closer to securing another WNBA title by beating the Phoenix Mercury 91-78 in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals. Our Kelly Johnson reports from Michelob Ultra Arena.

youtube.com/shorts/goh-U...

Shohei Ohtani Makes History For Los Angeles Dodgers: ‘That’s Who I Am’ Shohei Ohtani didn't have his best game in Game 1 of the NLDS. But he did something historic, and the Los Angeles Dodgers won. That was always the plan.

From Philadelphia: Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers make history. Again. #MLB www.forbes.com/sites/howard...

With Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki, the Dodgers are the second team in postseason history with a win and save from Japanese-born pitchers in a game, joining:

2013 ALCS G6 Red Sox: Tazawa & Uehara

First with the win being the SP