Jake Kemp

Texas

Contributor at D Magazine

Co-Host at The Dumb Zone

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Articles

What We Saw, What It Felt Like: Mavs-Kings

1 week ago | dmagazine.com | Jake Kemp |Mike Piellucci

The playoffs are complicated. Each series is its own story, and each game is its own chapter encompassing a dozen moments and plot points. But the playoffs can also be simple. Each of those moments, those plot points, falls into one of two buckets: the things we observe and the emotions they inspire within us. That’s what we’re here to talk about.
Luka Doncic Returns to Dallas Tonight. It's a Lot Bigger Than Basketball.

2 weeks ago | dmagazine.com | Jake Kemp |Mike Piellucci

Welcome to the Confessional Room. I’m going to let you in on a little secret, one that listeners of the show I co-host are well aware of: I sometimes wish I had been born into Philadelphia sports fandom. I know, I know. It’s bad. But I’m trying to be honest and vulnerable with you, so just give me a second. This isn’t something I felt as a youth, when the Cowboys were throwing parades.
The Mavericks Are Heading to the Play-In. It's on Anthony Davis to Take Them Further.

3 weeks ago | dmagazine.com | Jake Kemp |Mike Piellucci

According to the math, there is almost a 100 percent chance you will have the opportunity to watch the Mavericks in a single-game elimination contest against one of three Western Conference foes. It feels like a fitting rite of passage that in this the year of The Trade, the franchise will earn its first play-in berth, competing in the event everyone is talking about, the 2025 SoFi Play-In Tournament.
The Cowboys' Offseason Is Penny-Wise and Pound-Foolish

1 month ago | dmagazine.com | Jake Kemp |Mike Piellucci

There was a significant moment in the world of the Dallas Cowboys last week, but I will forgive you if you forgot to plan your annual party. The NFL released the list of compensatory draft picks awarded to teams for losing players in free agency. Perennial power players in these sweepstakes (Dak Prescott was a compensatory pick!), the Cowboys tied for the lead league, and will receive four comp picks in the 2026 draft.
Understanding the value of Liverpool FC’s return to adidas

1 month ago | sportcal.com | Jake Kemp

After months of rumors circulating around a potential deal between Liverpool FC and adidas, the pair finally announced a new partnership earlier this week. The club has agreed a multi-year partnership which marks a significant return to the major German brand. The sportswear giant previously supplied the team’s kits between 1985 to 1996 and 2006 to 2012.
Osa Odighizuwa's Contract Is a Welcome Departure From Typical Cowboys Business

1 month ago | dmagazine.com | Jake Kemp |Mike Piellucci

Hey there, would you like some good, extremely regular sports news? This week, the Cowboys inked 26-year-old defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa to a four-year contract extension, rewarding the 2021 third-round pick for the incredible progress he’s made since entering the league. There was no protracted, public back-and-forth over how much of “the pie” Odighizuwa would take up. We didn’t hear the implication that he was greedy. Nor did we catch wind about his willingness to negotiate, or lack thereof.
The Mavericks Were Becoming Kyrie Irving's Team. Now He's Gone, Too.

1 month ago | dmagazine.com | Jake Kemp |Mike Piellucci

It appears the beatings will continue until morale improves. Call it a curse, blame the random number generator: the punishment the fan base of the Mavericks is being subjected to is once-in-a-lifetime stuff. The Trade, on its own, was probably going to be enough to be the defining moment in the sports careers of most of the people involved, no matter what happened afterward. But then, everything happened afterward. And now everything has hit a new low.
Zack Martin Was the Cowboys' Standard

1 month ago | l8r.it | Jake Kemp |Mike Piellucci

“If we had picked Manziel, he’d guarantee our relevance for 10 years…When we were on the clock, I said, if we pick the other guy—any other guy—it would be a ticket to parity, more 8-8 seasons.”These were the comments of Jerry Jones after the Cowboys had selected Zack Martin, the other guy, with the 16th pick in the 2014 NFL draft. Eleven years later, Martin has announced his retirement after one of the best careers in Dallas sports history.
Zack Martin Was the Cowboys' Standard

1 month ago | dmagazine.com | Jake Kemp |Mike Piellucci

“If we had picked Manziel, he’d guarantee our relevance for 10 years…When we were on the clock, I said, if we pick the other guy—any other guy—it would be a ticket to parity, more 8-8 seasons.”These were the comments of Jerry Jones after the Cowboys had selected Zack Martin, the other guy, with the 16th pick in the 2014 NFL draft. Eleven years later, Martin has announced his retirement after one of the best careers in Dallas sports history.
Max Christie Is More Than Just a Silver Lining in the Luka Doncic Trade

2 months ago | dmagazine.com | Jake Kemp |Mike Piellucci

The group chats are in shambles. If you look away from your phone for a beat, you return to 10 more ways your friends have thought of to get mad about The Trade. The All-Star break was no break for Mavericks fans, as the entire weekend felt like an opportunity for the NBA to convene and talk about the horrible thing that happened to your team. Luka Doncic will wear a Lakers jersey and take the floor against the Mavericks next week.