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x24gee's review
3.0
This issue was even more uneven. I like the idea that Grantland.com covers the intersection of sports and popular culture, but Simmons really needs to mature beyond his obsession with reality TV. I know that he and his buddies love it, but I think he dramatically misjudges the interests of his readers. I also think it is time to take this endeavor past its initial basement blog navel-gazing and actually commission some writers to get out into the field and really discover some good long-form stories.
mikesmith's review
4.0
Grantland delivered another fun edition of the quarterly. As usual, not everything is great, but I find I appreciate the articles I wouldn't usually read when they show up online. But the quarterly manages to at least keep me somewhat connected to some of the pop culture that I often ignore. And I love the articles like the Eddie Murphy history that describe full careers in a way that allows the reader to connect with eras that have been forgotten or never experienced. The detailed story of the Palace Brawl was also great. It came at the perfect time when some of the protagonists are still relevant to the NBA, but we are far enough removed from the shock of the violence to more carefully examine it and come to more nuanced conclusions. I also felt the illustrations took a big step forward even if we all hate to see a Harvard grad on the front cover of a sports quarterly, it's hard to claim he shouldn't be there. And the end sheets of Hochuli and Tebowing were brilliant signposts of the sports/culture intersection.
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