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Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ta-Nehisi Coates - Ta-Nehisi Coates is a senior editor for The Atlantic, where he writes about culture, politics, and social issues for TheAtlantic.com and the magazine. He is the author of the memoir The Beautiful Struggle. More

Born in 1975, the product of two beautiful parents. Raised in West Baltimore—not quite The Wire, but sometimes ill all the same. Studied at the Mecca for some years in the mid-’90s. Emerged with a purpose, if not a degree. Slowly migrated up the East Coast with a baby and my beloved, until I reached the shores of Harlem. Wrote some stuff along the way.

The folly of pre-season picks

By Ta-Nehisi Coates
Sep 3 2008, 3:50 PM ET Comment

Peter King unveils the prophecy action, not just telling us who will be in the Super Bowl, but who will be Defensive Rookie of the Year. Zounds, man! Your remarkable crystal ball is supreme!

...anyway, I seriously resent him choosing the Cowboys for many reasons. Look I've been a Cowboys fan since I was five and saw that gorgeous blue star on the silver helmet. But seriously, we commit too many penalties under Wade Phillips, and tend to come up big in the small games, and small in the big games. Love the players. The team, not so much. Second, picking the Cowboys just about guarantees that I'm right. The NFL is notoriously unstable, these days--in a good way. No one would have picked the Giants. But I guess "I Have No Fucking Idea" wouldn't amount to much of a column.


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