Brian Hamilton

"I tell people, my life's not real." To be an NFL long snapper is to have your worth measured by a half-dozen plays every week. It's also a shot at football nirvana. A story for @TheAthletic on the sport's last happy men, and what they're chasing. ✍️ nytimes.com/athletic/68029…

I'll just say I've never been prouder to know @JJStankevitz

Philadelphia is known for having some areas/towns/rivers that are rather difficult to pronounce. So @TheAthletic's very own @BFQuinn asked players (and @notthefakeSVP) to give it their best shot, with a surprise at the end. The results did not disappoint.

PGA Championship live blog over at @TheAthletic is the place to be all week. Many people are saying. nytimes.com/athletic/live-…

From yesterday Jon Rahm has come to look and sound like he knows his place in the game is not what it should be. A large man on a small island. nytimes.com/athletic/72740…

Notre Dame wants a 24-team College Football Playoff. At ACC spring meetings, I asked athletic director Pete Bevacqua to explain why. “I think 24 is not the only solution, but I think it's the best solution.” nytimes.com/athletic/72761…

“Is he a Hall of Famer or something?” I went to Christie Pits to watch Yasiel Puig’s debut with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Here’s free gift link to my story on a beloved Toronto tradition and the strange arrival of a fallen MLB star. nytimes.com/athletic/72740…

NEWS: Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke died at the age of 29, his agency confirmed Tuesday. A cause of death was not immediately announced. nytimes.com/athletic/72735…

For the past four and a half years, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy have been the dominant two forces in golf. But we’ve still never seen a true battle between both of them. Can this week’s PGA Championship at Aronimink be the one? Free to read: nytimes.com/athletic/72712…

The Dallas Wings have a roster widely predicted to get back to the playoffs. But could there be more in store for this team this season? Paige Bueckers holds the keys. nytimes.com/athletic/72667…

To open an anniversary season, the WNBA put one game on the biggest stage for many reasons. Two above all. Ask about the next 30 years, and answers start with the dueling careers of Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark. @TheAthletic column, free to read: nytimes.com/athletic/72667…

Everyone showed up Saturday for a lot of reasons. But two most of all. Ask about the *next* 30 years for the WNBA, and the answers start with the dueling career arcs of Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark. @TheAthletic column from Indy, free to read: nytimes.com/athletic/72667…

In the first WNBA season opener where both teams scored 100+ points, the Dallas Wings edged out the Indiana Fever 🔥 ◽️Paige Bueckers: 20 PTS ◽️Arike Ogunbowale: 22 PTS ◽️Odyssey Sims: 20 PTS ◽️Kelsey Mitchell: 30 PTS ◽️Caitlin Clark: 20 PTS ◽️Aliyah Boston: 23 PTS

Tonight, Flau'jae Johnson will make her pro debut against the team she called hers for no more than an hour because of a draft night trade people can't stop talking about. What happened? And what happens next for both teams? nytimes.com/athletic/72623…

Canada’s first WNBA franchise, the Toronto Tempo, will be a magnet for nationwide curiosity and operate at the forefront of the league’s global ambition. @_Brian_Hamilton details the 35 days of building the franchise, from front office hires to roster scouting: nytimes.com/athletic/72562…

"We don’t want to be the first expansion team to be getting our asses kicked. Nobody wants that." Thirty-five days to tipoff: Inside the Toronto Tempo’s mad dash to opening night. 🏀 Free to read: nytimes.com/athletic/72562…

Zero players as of April 2. A season opener on May 8. "I told my husband, 'Can you call my mom? Let her know I'm alive?'" In Toronto, a 35-day dash to the beginning while an entire nation waits. 🏀Free to read: nytimes.com/athletic/72562…

NEWS: The men’s and women’s tournaments will grow from 68 teams to 76 next season, the NCAA announced Thursday. 24 of the 76 teams participating will play in an expanded “March Madness Opening Round.” nytimes.com/athletic/72613…

"Oh, no, sir. They're saying, Boo-urns"

Deep into the night of Dec. 18, Ajay Mitchell’s smile broke. Ajay felt proud that he played, that he carried on, after the unexpected death of his father the night before. Barry Mitchell would’ve played. So, Ajay kept his dribble alive like he did any other night. “It was a dream of his to be an NBA player for as long as I could remember. Just trying to honor him in that way. I’m living this dream for me, obviously, but also for him.” More from @JoelXLorenzi: nytimes.com/athletic/72564…

The WNBA is on the verge of its most visible season yet. But the conversation around it? That’s at a crossroads. Fans can either elevate the discourse — or let it drift into the same noise that defines NBA spaces. Read for free: nytimes.com/athletic/72482…