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rantnrave:// MLB's quest to shorten games gets the attention, but its attempt to create easier access to fans online is more important. Several teams have used Facebook Live to broadcast exhibition games or batting practice this month. A potential deal to broadcast one game a week on Facebook and a series of deals to allow in-market streaming is the digital reimagination of its broadcast deals. MLB has a draconian social media policy that cuts down on viral content and diminishes audience-generated content -- unlike the NBA basically deputizing Twitter users as GIF and Vine (RIP) producers. But in opening up new ways to let them watch the game, MLB is showing it understands the importance of its digital presence. ... The San Francisco Giants paid off the $170 million loan they took out on AT&T Park. I wonder if other teams -- or cities -- noticed that it's possible to pay for your own stadium? ... The history of how the 40-yard dash became so important for the NFL. ... NASCAR is dealing with its own concussion issue now. Danica Patrick revealed she has had at least 12 concussions, which comes after Dale Earnhardt Jr. missed half a season because of a concussion. What path will the sport take? Like the NFL, it has an intractable problem: Auto racing is too vicious a sport for concussions to be fully prevented. But if NASCAR has learned from the errors of the NFL and NHL, obstruction will not be its answer. ... Ronaldo is of far superior value to Nike than Lionel Messi is to Adidas. ... Bee soccer. ... FOX Sports 1 had another shakeup. Will this pull the network further toward takes or open up an opportunity for a pivot? If it leads to more Katie Nolan, that's a positive. She's one of the best personalities on TV. ... If President Trump wants to throw out the first pitch at an Orioles game, he'll need to apologize first. ... Many pigs and cows were harmed in the making of this meal.

Life for Orr's kids is part Kafkaesque absurdity, part "The Hurt Locker" foreboding. So basketball is a protector.

Rick Telander | Chicago Sun-Times

Wrestling legends from Ric Flair to The Rock made their careers by cutting great promos. So why don't more of today's stars work the microphone?

Chris Illuminati | Rolling Stone

NASCAR icon? Absolutely. But the lasting impact Dale Earnhardt Jr. will make is hiding in plain sight. And maybe yours will too.

Karen Crouse & Seth Berkman | The New York Times

The unglamorous hours in the stables means racing has long relied upon undocumented workers -- but recent federal raids raise pressing questions.

Daniel Ross | The Guardian

After a long winter without baseball, it's worth questioning leadership that keeps proposing increasingly bizarre ways to condense this game -- like omitting the four-pitch intentional walk.

Stacey May Fowles | The Globe and Mail

The sport is a premier event of the Winter Games, but it never caught on much in South Korea. So putting together a credible team has taken some creativity.

Karen Crouse & Seth Berkman | The New York Times

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

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