Author Bio & Stories

Bethlehem Shoals

Bethelehem Shoals is an editor at The Classical and the founder of freedarko.com. Follow him on Twitter @freedarko.

  • January 31, 2012
    Beyond Blue Collar

    The Sixers are enjoying a breakout season, with a young nucleus finally starting to come together and click. But the team isn't just winning. They're also making a statement, however subtly, about their city—and the way we view professional athletes. 

  • January 27, 2012
    Pam McGee's Journey — The Clog

    JaVale's mother does spoken word on Oprah.

  • January 27, 2012
    Kevin Love's Accidental Activism — The Clog

    The Timberwolves forward tried to make thing easy. He ended up a lightning rod.

  • January 23, 2012
    RIP JoePa, But Also... — The Clog

    Can an athlete offer condolences and create a controversy?

  • January 20, 2012
    Inverting the Court

    Rajon Rondo is identified by where he is, and isn't. He's the future of the Celtics, and he can't shoot jumpers. These are two of the most important markers of place in the NBA. Yet Rondo, remote by nature, isn't known for being where he should.

  • January 19, 2012
    What's the Deal with NBA Fedoras? — The Clog

    Rondo follows in Baron's footsteps. 

  • January 13, 2012
    Bron Bron's Burden

    Typically, we accept that even the most accomplished athletes can only do so much. LeBron James has a different kind of problem: he is always competing against himself, or what we know he can do. There's an imperative there for LeBron James for rule the sport. Acquire the bomb and you best come correct, as they say.

  • January 12, 2012
    Workin' on the Night Shift — The Clog

    Wait, that isn't the theme song for this year's Sixers bench? 

  • January 10, 2012
    The Eastern Conference Knows No Love — The Clog

    Why can't we just have a little fun with these teams? 

  • January 3, 2012
    Delonte West: Still Got It

    West is one of only a handful of professional athletes of note to acknowledge a diagnosis. Gonzo gun play and locker room quarantine are signs of a man in need of psychiatric care; it's a testament to West's value as a ballplayer, an open secret in NBA circles, that he's still around. His personal challenges are a largely private matter, but West will always come across as different. Even when West is medicated and functional, he raises eyebrows.