Goodbye, Grantland

It really was (via Grantland.com)

While we were all preparing our scariest and most revealing Halloween garb, Grantland, the sports and culture site founded in 2011 by epochal sports personality Bill Simmons, was shut down by ESPN, its parent company, on Friday. In the blink of an eye, the go-to place for all things witty, zany, and relevant was no longer producing content. I am, in a word, sad. Grantland was where I caught up with all of my sports coverage. Their NBA writers were second to none, the Hollywood Prospectus never failed to make me laugh, and they pumped out a zillion different podcasts that were tons of fun to listen to.

Most importantly to us, they gave so much to the pantheon of great tennis articles. The two primary providers, Brian Phillips and Louisa Thomas, were brilliant, funny, fair, and lovers of the sport and its history. Whether it was an ode to Venus and Serena or a timeline of rudeness from Judy Murray to Yoko Ono, Phillips and Thomas penned thoughtful words which will live with the tennis community for a long time. Here are some of my personal must-reads:

Novak Djokovic: The Shot and The Confrontation

This is the quintessential Djokovic article regarding the biggest forehand of his career and the events that unfolded very shortly thereafter. Of the four match points Roger Federer lost against Novak at the U.S. Open in 2010 and 2011, the third of those has stung more than any of the others, and is the one of the most memorable shots in recent history. Phillips digs deep into Djokovic's personality and his underwhelming appeal to the average tennis fan. He, more than any other writer, seems to understand what makes Novak tick.

The Pain and Joy of Sloane Stephens and Serena Williams

As a fan of both women and of the Sloane-Serena rivalry as a whole (yes, it is a rivalry), Thomas paints the picture of the second of two matches that ignited the contentious relationship between the two. This article mirrored my feelings at the time: anguish for Serena and exuberance for Sloane. Thomas helped me realize that those two emotions can be experienced simultaneously.

Broken at Love

Probably the funniest article ever posted in the tennis section (with the Grantland Tennis Dictionary coming in a close, yet distinct second), Phillips gives us the highlights of Monica Seles' novel The Academy. If you haven't read the book itself, this piece is the next closest thing. Thanks for saving me a couple of bucks, Brian.

Rembert Explains America: Discovering the Glorious All-Iowa Lawn Tennis Club

As far as random articles go, this one takes the cake. Written not by Phillips or Thomas, but by Rembert Browne, my favorite Grantland contributor, the article takes you to Iowa and Middle America's answer to Wimbledon. Never have I been more enthralled with a four-letter state. Browne is hilarious and observant, exactly what is needed to understand the vibe at the vaunted AILTC. It makes me want to add Iowa to my bucket list of tennis destinations.

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I implore everyone to go through the archives of these writers on Grantland (note: the site didn't really perfect their tennis archiving until mid-2013, so some of the earlier columns are lost under random tags like "Art" and "College Sports"). This is the type of writing that we won't find Tennis.com or on ESPN's tennis page. Wise, insightful, emotional, hysterical all in one place, mostly from just two authors. It will be sorely missed.

What are some of your favorite pieces from Grantland, tennis or non-tennis? Leave a comment or hit me on Twitter! Both Phillips and Thomas will continue to write and inspire, and I will be sure to read and love their content as usual.