sports + biz + culture + life

Get REDEF delivered to your inbox

rantnrave:// The cardiac kids from North Carolina did it. From heartbreak to redemption in one year. They can forget Kris Jenkins now. It wasn't a good game, but it was a good ending. UNC didn't need any miracles, just sturdy defense and timely playmaking. Isaiah Hicks was clutch. Now they have their "One Shining Moment". ... Poor Gonzaga. Take a step back and remember these are still 18-22-year-old kids losing on a national stage. ... Leave the refs alone... Congratulations UNC! Can I interest you in a congratulatory trip to the White House? ... The black cloud of an NCAA investigation will follow the Tar Heels' championship parade all the way down Franklin Street. ... He won't get a trophy, but Shane Heneghan is our REDEF bracket winner. ... The last sports year has been so great that an NCAA tournament title game that came down to the last minute probably doesn't even register among the highlights. ... The real winner Monday night? Mother Earth because the court was made from sustainably harvested wood. ... It's disappointing to hear that the NHL won't let its players participate in the 2018 Olympics. Olympic hockey has been great marketing for the sport, especially in the United States. Those two weeks are some of the best publicity the NHL gets. While the debate was nuanced, allowing the players to skate would have been better off for the league. Will the league punish someone like Alex Ovechkin if he defies the ban to play for Russia? How? The NHL Players Association has already come out firing. ... Is gambling a sport? Or a game of chance? How much skill does it take to bet on politics? Dublin-based Paddy Power Betfair will let you put money President Trump being impeached. Just be careful with your money. Trump has already beaten the odds once. ... Everything in Washington is political.

Ever marveled at the gaudy belts hoisted and paraded around by the world's best WWE, WWF and MMA fighters? Well, chances are that Dave Millican made them. For 20 years, the Tennessee-based belt designer has been creating thousands of championship belts used by the world's biggest wrestling and fighting federations. "The Rock says: Thanks Dave!"

Great Big Story

A first-round draft pick of the Baltimore Bullets in the 1960s, Tal Brody could have followed his NBA dreams. Instead, he brought basketball to Israel.

Yaron Weitzman | SLAMonline

In the early '80s, an A/C repairman, an unemployed photographer and a Major League Baseball mascot became the dealers of choice for the city's sports stars -- and changed baseball history along the way.

Aaron Skirboll | Narratively

How did 24 players get selected before the Angels selected Mike Trout? Scouting baseball players is far from a perfect endeavor.

Pedro Moura | Los Angeles Times

Don't bemoan the commercialization of baseball -- embrace it.

Anna North | The New York Times

"It's not enough to be smart. You have to be curious."

Get REDEF delivered to your inbox