The practice squad should have known better than to try a backcourt trap; too talented a dribbler to be frustrated by a double-team, Jason pushed the ball down the middle of the court, never bothering to lower his head.  A freshman walk-on forward was on Kyle's hip, eager to tell his friends that he could shut down the big man on campus.  Standing forty feet from the basket, Jason bluffed a pass toward the left sideline…

Jason, the team captain, was always the first player to arrive at practice and the the last to leave the gym. These days, however, he lingered behind his teammates a few moments longer each day.  He knew that his remaining games were few.  The conference tournament was a week away; after that, there were no guarantees.  Professional scouts liked his court vision but doubted that he had the height – or the jump shot – to…

Michael Arrington is one ad hominem attack or non sequitur away from bailing on this year's political discourse altogether. I get it; your candidate is the greatest thing since . . . well, whatever your paragon of greatness might be; your candidate's opponent is a bad person / not a real Christian / an enemy of the state / a person who hates the rich / a person who hates the poor / a person who…

I considered hanging up before she could answer, but my hands didn't get the message quickly enough.  “I talked with the dean,” I began, wondering who had stolen my voice’s upper register; “He doesn’t like my chances for tenure.”  The silence on the other end of the line demanded a response.  “I’m so sorry for disappointing you,” I muttered, barely finishing before losing my breath.…