Dave McKenna

Writer at Defector

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Articles

I'm The Idiot Who Bet Against Ovechkin

2 weeks ago | defector.com | Dave McKenna

For somebody who followed Alexander Ovechkin's chase for as long and closely as I had, I didn’t get much fun out of his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky. A small, stupid wager I made with a buddy more than a decade ago screwed everything up. See, I bet against the Great 8. Dammit. I was listening to the local radio broadcast on Friday night when Ovechkin scored two goals against the visiting Chicago Blackhawks to tie Gretzky at 894.
My Friend Has Been Naming Shitty TV Characters After Me For 20 Years

2 weeks ago | defector.com | Dave McKenna

I'm not much of a TV guy. Sure, I’ll grab the remote and a seat on the couch for any live sports broadcast. But the last scripted series I watched was Derry Girls, and only because I had a pending work trip to Ireland and hoped it would prepare me for the brogues I’d encounter. (Not much. But, what a show!)But I broke my fast to watch Zero Day, the prestige TV poli-sci-fi thriller starring Robert DeNiro and Angela Bassett. Nothing against the Oscar winners, but they weren’t what drew me.
Texas Tech Made It Feel Like Destiny

3 weeks ago | defector.com | Dave McKenna

In a game from the gods, Texas Tech played its way into a not-so-sweet 16-point second-half deficit against Arkansas, then played its way out. And then some. The gutsy and fun Red Raiders used a late bank shot from Darrion Williams and some great last-second defense to beat John Calipari’s Razorbacks, 85-83, in the first overtime game of this year’s NCAA Tournament. Tech now advances to Saturday’s West Region final.
George Foreman Got As Good As He Gave

1 month ago | defector.com | Dave McKenna

George Foreman could take a punch. Foreman, who died Friday at his home in Houston, was better known for other things. Like, most obviously, throwing a punch. He’s remembered as one of the hellaciousest hitters the sweet science ever saw, and his ring record (76-5 with 68 knockouts) and lots of YouTube highlights bolster that.
France Deposes Ireland As Six Nations Champs While Disappointing Failed Imperialist Country Where Rugby Was Invented

1 month ago | defector.com | Dave McKenna

Dammit. At least England didn’t win. Heading into the final round of this year’s Six Nations, Ireland needed a win over Italy and lots of help from above to get back to the top of the table and take an unprecedented third consecutive continental championship. The Irish did their part, creaking past Italy, 22-17, for a bonus-point win in Rome. The gods? Not so much. So there will be no three-peat. Tres bien, France.
John Feinstein Never Stopped Doing Everything

1 month ago | defector.com | Dave McKenna

The Washington Post database shows that John Feinstein wrote his first story for the newspaper in 1977. It was about college basketball. Feinstein also wrote a story about college basketball that ran in the Post on Thursday, the day he died. Between his first and last Post pieces, Feinstein went from a local D.C. reporter to a national powerhouse and back.
Gervonta Davis Escapes With A Draw After Hair Care Debacle

1 month ago | defector.com | Dave McKenna

A fighter can’t call a timeout in boxing. Unless, that is, you’re Gervonta "Tank" Davis. Because in the heat of battle during the ninth round of a shockingly fabulous and dramatic WBA lightweight title fight Saturday night against underdog challenger Lamont Roach in Brooklyn, Davis did just that. And he got away with it. Then again, this fight was full of the unexpected. Not the least of which was the majority draw the judges gave the fight after 12 fascinating rounds.
High School Basketball Team Forfeits Season Over Violation, Is Still Eligible For State Championship

1 month ago | defector.com | Dave McKenna

The top public school boys basketball program in Prince George’s County, Md., which by any objective measure (or if you just ask me) is the best basketball county in the country, went 0-20 this season. Or anyway the official record book says so now, thanks to punishments doled out in yet another high school sports cheating scandal. Going by the scoreboard, the boys team at Dr. Henry A.
We'll Take More Bivol Vs. Beterbiev, Less Of Everything Else

1 month ago | defector.com | Dave McKenna

“Leave ‘em wanting more” is a good show biz tenet. So Dmitry Bivol vs. Artur Beterbiev was good show biz. And great boxing. Bivol got a majority decision over the previously undefeated Beterbiev after 12 rounds of near-perfect punches from both on Saturday in Riyadh to capture the undisputed light heavyweight championship, meaning Bivol now has all the 175 lbs. belts that matter: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO and The Ring. But more to the point: Damn, are these guys great.
Ireland Continues Moving Toward Historic Rugby Threepeat With Assist From Failed Imperialist Nation Where Game Was Invented

2 months ago | defector.com | Dave McKenna

Ireland came out strong and finished stronger while defeating Scotland, 32-18, in a Six Nations rugby tilt Sunday evening in Edinburgh. Ireland, the tournament's two-time defending champs, came out of the weekend as the only remaining undefeated side after only two rounds. Ireland struggled to get going last week in Dublin in its Six Nations opener before blitzing England with 22 unanswered points to put the match away in the second half. There was no such slow start against the Scots.