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Of the 14 NBA teams outside playoff position entering the All-Star break, four reached the postseason last year. But only one of those four held anything better than a 7-seed. Only one added two superstars, one in his prime and one still excelling. A...

It's an aspiration for some, an expectation for others, but in no way a guarantee of joy: making the NFL playoffs. Because, as we've seen these last three weeks -- and as we'll see on one side in two more weeks -- the pain of losing is even more p...

Losing. It hurts. Especially to end the season, and especially on a major stage. That's what dozens of players and coaches learned this December and January, as 35 teams fell short of their bowl-winning goal. So, with bowl season officially ove...

Losing hurts. Especially when you're No. 1. That's what the Indiana Hoosiers found out Saturday, when plucky in-state rival Butler knocked off college basketball's top-ranked team in overtime. Of course, the Hoosiers weren't the only people to ...

Losing hurts. Double, if it comes by way of a thunderous punch to the head. That's what Manny Pacquiao found out Saturday night, when a single blow from Juan Manuel Marquez sent him to the canvas and a knockout loss. Of course, Pacquiao wasn't ...

Few things are more painful than watching a shot at a championship slip away -- especially when a mistake is involved. That's what happened to the Georgia Bulldogs, who lost 32-28 to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC championship game thanks in ...

Losing. It hurts. Even -- especially? -- on Thanksgiving weekend. That's what a number of teams, pro and college, found out in the past few days, and that is what Playbook and the aptly named Tumblr "The Agony of Defeat" aim to show in this colle...

Losing. It hurts. Especially when a trip to the BCS national championship game is on the line. That's what Kansas State and Oregon found out last weekend, and that -- plus NFL, hoops and more -- is what Playbook and the aptly named Tumblr "The Ag...

Losing. It hurts. Especially when the games mean so much. But it also makes for compelling images, shots of the coaches and players as they show on their faces what they're feeling inside: the agony of defeat. There's a blog for that, one with...

Losing. It hurts. Especially when the games mean so much. But it also makes for compelling images, shots of the coaches and players as they show on their faces what they're feeling inside: the agony of defeat. There's a blog for that, one with...

Losing. It hurts. Especially when the games mean so much. But it also makes for compelling images, shots of the coaches and players as they show on their faces what they're feeling inside: the agony of defeat. There's a blog for that, one with...

Losing. It hurts. Especially when the games mean so much. But it also makes for compelling images, shots of the coaches and players as they show on their faces what they're feeling inside: the agony of defeat. There's a blog for that, one with...

Losses. Bad breaks. When these things happen, players and coaches and fans wear the fallout on their faces, showing a side of sports that's painful -- but also compelling. Playbook is working with the Tumblr "The Agony of Defeat" to find the most eye...

Losses. Bad breaks. When these things happen, players and coaches and fans wear the fallout on their faces, showing a side of sports that's painful -- but also compelling. Playbook is working with the Tumblr "The Agony of Defeat" to find the most eye...

Losses. Bad breaks. When these things happen, players and coaches and fans wear the fallout on their faces, showing a side of sports that's painful -- but also compelling. Playbook is working with the Tumblr "The Agony of Defeat" to find the most eye...

Losses. Bad breaks. When these things happen, players and coaches and fans wear the fallout on their faces, showing a side of sports that's painful -- but also compelling. Playbook is working with the Tumblr "The Agony of Defeat" to find the most eye...