Title: Two Steps Forward: The Lucas Nogueira Story
Date: November 2, 2016
Original Source: Sportsnet
Synopsis: For my latest feature at Sportsnet, I looked at Lucas Nogueira’s long path to NBA relevance, why it’s been stunted on so many occasions, and how he stays positive through it all.
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Title: KEEPING PACE WOULD BE A HUGE STEP FORWARD FOR THE RAPTORS
Date: October 26, 2016
Original Source: Vice
Synopsis: In my latest for Vice Canada, I previewed the Toronto Raptors’ upcoming season from a macro, organization-building perspective.
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My tenth grade girlfriend burnt my blink-182 t-shirt.
This, of course, sounds patently ridiculous. Not only is the idea of a broken-hearted 16-year-old setting an ex’s clothing aflame beyond cliché, it’s also just hard to imagine anyone deciding on a goofy-rabbitted blink-182 shirt, of all merchandise, to set fire to, even in effigy. Of all the angsty bands I have and continue to listen to, blink – particularly pre-self-titled blink – seems an ill-advised avatar. After all, who takes blink-182, a band that became unthinkably popular while refusing to take themselves as such, that seriously?
As it turns out, I do.
Title: WITH THE CRUISERWEIGHT CLASSIC, WWE IS GETTING OUTSIDE ITS COMFORT ZONE
Date: July 13, 2016
Original Source: Vice
Synopsis: For my latest at Vice, I previewed WWE’s latest new undertaking: The Cruiserweight Classic, a 32-man tournament with a feel and presentation style mostly foreign to WWE that wrestling fans should be excited about.
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Title: WHY FIRST-ROUNDER SIAKAM IS EXACTLY WHAT THE RAPTORS NEED
Date: July 13, 2016
Original Source: Sportsnet
Synopsis: For my latest feature at Sportsnet, I looked at how Pascal Siakam came to be the Toronto Raptors’ No. 27 pick, why he’s a sure bet to be a fan-favorite, and how he can become more than “just” a hustle player.
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Title: CANADA BASKETBALL IS BEING HELD BACK BY COMMITMENT, NOT TALENT
Date: July 11, 2016
Original Source: Vice
Synopsis: In my latest for Vice Canada, I looked at Canada’s failure to qualify for the Olympics, why it happened, and what the program needs to do next.
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Title: Brother Versus Brother Versus Everything: The Batshit Beauty Of “The Final Deletion”
Date: July 7, 2016
Original Source: The Classical
Synopsis: For my debut at The Classical, I got the rare opportunity to write about pro wrestling. Specifically, I looked at the strangest, most bizarre wrestling feud of all time, as Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy squared off in The Final Deletion.
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Title: MELVIN EJIM’S BREAKOUT YEAR HAS PUT NBA, NATIONAL TEAM ON NOTICE
Date: June 9, 2016
Original Source: Vice
Synopsis: In my latest for Vice Canada, I looked at the development of Melvin Ejim, whose improvements this season could be big for Team Canada and for his NBA prospects.
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Title: WHAT DID WWE NOT SEE IN CODY RHODES?
Date: May 26, 2016
Original Source: Vice
Synopsis: For my latest at Vice, I got the rare opportunity to write about pro wrestling. Specifically, I looked at the strange release of Cody Rhodes, wrestling royalty and someone who seemed like he should check every box for WWE.
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Title: How Powell and the Raptors turned his jumper from a liability to a weapon
Date: May 3, 2016
Original Source: Sportsnet
Synopsis: For my latest at Sportsnet, I did a deep dive into how Norman Powell and the Raptors reworked his jump shot.
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Blake Murphy Sports Writing 