Features

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‘Journey’ Made a Convincing Case That Video Games Could Be Art
Ten years ago, ‘Journey’ helped crystallize a new goal for video games: to evoke meaningful emotion through interactivity

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How Do the NBA Playoff Odds Look Heading Into the Season’s Final Month?
Our model breaks down how likely each team is to make the playoffs, who has the best chances of getting the no. 1 pick in the draft, and much more

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How the Deaths of Biggie and 2Pac Changed Rap Media Forever
Twenty-five years ago Wednesday, the Notorious B.I.G. was killed, marking the end of the most violent chapter in hip-hop’s history. For the writers and editors who covered his and Tupac’s lives and music, the tragedies stick with them to this day.

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It’s Showtime!
How the team behind ‘Winning Time’ brought prestige TV and basketball together to retell the glitzy, highly dramatic tale of the Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s

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The Top 25 Players in the NBA in 2021-22
Ranking the very best the league has to offer as the season nears its conclusion
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The Top 50 Prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft
The NFL combine has come and gone. How has a week of testing and interviews in Indianapolis affected our Big Board?
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The Future of NFL Defenses Lies in a Lime-Green Dot
Recently a few teams have shifted the responsibility of on-field headset communication from linebackers to defensive backs—a shift in thinking that could be just as impactful as putting headsets into helmets in the first place
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The Oral History of Prince’s ‘Batman’ Soundtrack
Batman is an eccentric hero with a cape, so when it came time to pick an artist to make the soundtrack for Tim Burton’s 1989 film, the choice was obvious
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America’s Favorite Dysfunctional Family: The Oral History of ‘The Osbournes’
Twenty years after the MTV reality show’s debut, family members and the crew behind the show reflect on the wild experiment that turned into a massive success
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The 25 Best Batman Villains, Ranked
Every superhero needs a nemesis—these are the ones who have given the Dark Knight the best fight on the big screen
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The Long and Twisted History of Designing Gotham City
Batman and his city are inextricably linked, and in developing their Dark Knight movies, filmmakers from Tim Burton to Matt Reeves have always paid special attention to how that city looks
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Welcome to the Age of Peak Tech TV
Starting this Sunday, three series centered on three infamous tech companies arrive to streaming services within three weeks of each other. It marks a new wave in television, and perhaps the end of another for startup culture.
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The Art of Passing
With defenses spread out more than ever before, the NBA has become a playground for the game’s most creative passers
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The Reunion of Baby Billy and Harmon Freeman
The cast of ‘The Righteous Gemstones’ reflect on staging the ultimate moment of redemption in Season 2’s penultimate episode—and how Macaulay Culkin helped
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The Many Dimensions of DeMar DeRozan
After enduring the darkest stretch of his life, the Bulls star has finally found joy in Chicago. DeRozan opens up about dealing with his grief, finding new success amid a record-breaking season, and discovering that life is about more than just surviving. "It’s about living."
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Remembering Linsanity
In an exclusive, illustrated excerpt from the upcoming book ‘RISE,’ Jeremy Lin remembers his road to the NBA and reflects on where Linsanity led
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From ‘Pig’ to ‘Dog,’ It’s a New Era of Animal Filmmaking
No longer are directors dressing chimps in tuxedos; now, the interiority of each animal is being legitimately considered
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Steph Curry Is Reimagining What’s Possible
As Curry’s Warriors struggled to rebound from Kevin Durant’s departure, as he suffered through the worst shooting slump of his career, and as his role in his family changed, the two-time MVP was looking for ways to get back on top
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It Was a Super Bowl Dream and Nightmare All at Once for Odell Beckham Jr.
Beckham’s Super Bowl, with its quick highs, its ill-timed injury, and its emotional displays, was a lot like a compressed and high-stakes version of his entire NFL career
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The Ringer’s 2022 NFL Mock Draft, 1.0
Alabama’s Evan Neal is rising up draft boards—could a tackle be the top pick for the first time since 2013? And where will quarterbacks like Malik Willis, Kenny Pickett, and Matt Corral land?
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How Couples Watch TV: A Valentine’s Day Investigation
As trivial as it may seem, TV plays a significant role in romantic partnerships, and not always a frictionless one. This is a story about how our choices around what to watch can be about so much more than entertainment.
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The New Prince of ‘Bel-Air’
Morgan Cooper went from striking gold on YouTube to reimagining ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ for Peacock. But he’s only just beginning.
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2022 NBA Trade Deadline Winners and Losers
The James Harden–Ben Simmons blockbuster actually happened—as did about a zillion other trades before the buzzer. We break down the best and worst of the deadline, including the new-look Sixers and Nets, the revamped Pacers, the stagnant Lakers, and more.
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The Game Plans That Could Decide the Super Bowl
The Bengals and Rams both have stellar quarterbacks, coaches who’ve worked with each other, and stout defenses. So the teams’ game plans will be crucial—and here’s how they might look.
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The 50 Best Works of Will Smith’s Career
From movies and TV to albums and songs—and a few miscellaneous items in between—here is the definitive ranking of everything Will Smith
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When ‘The Simpsons’ Bet Big on the Super Bowl
Thirty years ago, when legal sports betting was just a pipe dream, Homer Simpson discovered that his daughter could pick winners. This is the story of "Lisa the Greek."
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The Drive Behind Jabari Smith Jr.
Auburn’s star freshman doesn’t carry himself like a future lottery pick, but he’s been following the blueprint to become one his entire life. Can the son of a former NBA player realize his dreams and exceed his dad’s in the process?
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The Legacy of Linsanity, 10 Years Later
A decade ago, Jeremy Lin took the NBA by storm—and by embracing the lasting legacy of Linsanity, Lin is amplifying his influence as an Asian American trailblazer and role model
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Designing the Apocalypse
Movies like ‘Independence Day’ and ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ made Roland Emmerich a master of destruction. Now with ‘Moonfall’ he’s trying to top himself once again—but that’s an arduous process full of hard decisions.
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The Top 32 Players in the 2022 NFL Draft
Should Kayvon Thibodeaux or Aidan Hutchinson—or someone else—be the no. 1 pick? Which quarterback will rise to the top of the class? Welcome to draft season.
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Why ‘Jackass’ Is Forever
The fourth movie in Johnny Knoxville, Jeff Tremaine, and Spike Jonze’s profanely hilarious series is a reminder that there’s far more to it than broken bones and nut shots
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The Past, Present, and Future of Faraway Worlds
Thirty years ago this month, astronomers first confirmed the existence of planets beyond our solar system. The anniversary comes as NASA’s ultra-powerful James Webb Space Telescope gets ready to begin its work, raising the question: What kinds of extrasolar discoveries await?
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How Seth Curry Became the Perfect Blend of Steph and Dell
Seth Curry knew he’d never be the focal point of an NBA offense like his brother, Steph, so he modeled his career after his father, Dell. Through his own historic shooting, he’s become the perfect blend of the two: the role player that every superstar wants to play with.
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A New Wave of American Buyers Has Set Its Sights on European Soccer
For wealthy investors priced out of the North American professional sports market, the Old Continent represents a ripe opportunity—or so they think
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The Uniquely Confounding Career of Curt Schilling
The onetime postseason hero was denied entry into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday, most likely not because of his résumé, but rather his recent inflammatory rhetoric. But his career remains impressive—even more so when considering how it started.
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How Rasul Douglas Finally Got His Chance to Show Up and Show Out
When the Packers signed Douglas off the Cardinals’ practice squad in October, he had no idea what was in store for him. Three months later, his team has the no. 1 seed in the NFC—and he’s a major reason.
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How ‘Yellowjackets’ Found Casting Magic Across Two Timelines
Showtime’s breakout hit centers on a team that’s unafraid to revel in its victories. But as the actors and casting directors can attest, the real win in Season 1 was capturing dual-timeline performances that felt so fully from the same playbook.