SB Nation Arizona: All Posts by Cory Williams

Introducing Polygon's new article page

2013-05-23T14:19:12Z

Welcome to the brand-new Polygon article page! We've completely redesigned the look and feel of our articles, making your reading experience our top priority.

There is a lot to unpack here, so let's get started!

Faster reading experience: Page load has always been a big concern, so we took drastic steps to make articles faster and more functional. We've minimized page load, allowing content to load inline and putting Polygon on your screen as quickly as possible.

Brand new sidebar: On your right, you'll see a sidebar that sticks to your browser window, following you as you read the article and comments. Clicking an article in the sidebar loads up the content inline using PJAX, quickly serving up the next story.

There are several icons to choose from, including Latest, Video and Forums. Each offers a quick look at what's new and what's interesting on Polygon.

Keyboard navigation: Finished an article and want to read the next one? Use your keyboard! The left and right keys take you to the next article, further enhancing the speed and functionality of the article page.

User-friendly browsing: One concern we addressed was the difficulty users had in finding more content related to the article they were reading. The "Latest" sidebar now has dropdown menus for groups such as PlayStation, Xbox and Video. Now you can quickly find new, related content in a convenient location.

Better StoryStreams: The Xbox One was just announced, and Polygon wrote 77 articles (and counting) about the next-generation console from Microsoft. Our new sidebar offers an excellent way to see all StoryStream stories in chronological order, allowing you to seamlessly browse through them much like one would thumb through a magazine. Not interested in this article? Flip to the next one.

We're more responsive: Users on tablet and mobile can easily navigate our content without having to search for it. Polygon offers a smooth browsing experience whether you're on the go or at your desk. The articles will load faster than ever!

As with any new product, there are bound to be bugs or usability issues. If you see something you'd like to report, please email support@polygon.com with your issue, browser, operating system and any helpful screenshots you can provide. We will work to quickly resolve all the issues that come up due to this new article page.

Welcome to Polygon's Xbox One forum!

2013-05-21T18:11:51Z

Today, Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One. You can read all about it in the following stories:

Xbox One, Microsoft's next-generation console revealed | Polygon
Microsoft unveiled its new console, the successor to the Xbox 360, at an event at the company's headquarters in Redmond, Wash. today.

Xbox One released 'around the world later this year' | Polygon
The next Xbox will be released 'later this year,' Microsoft announced at the unveiling of its new console today.

Xbox One not backward compatible with Xbox 360 games | Polygon
The Xbox One won't play any existing Xbox 360 games, said Microsoft's Marc Whitten in an interview with The Verge.

Microsoft announces Xbox One partnership with NFL | Polygon
Microsoft has entered into a partnership with the National Football League for exclusive content on the Xbox One, Microsoft announced during its reveal event for the console today.

The Full Xbox One StoryStream

Feel free to discuss now! How do you feel about the new Xbox One?

Today, Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One. You can read all about it in the following stories:

Xbox One, Microsoft's next-generation console revealed | Polygon
Microsoft unveiled its new console, the successor to the Xbox 360, at an event at the company's headquarters in Redmond, Wash. today.

Xbox One released 'around the world later this year' | Polygon
The next Xbox will be released 'later this year,' Microsoft announced at the unveiling of its new console today.

Xbox One not backward compatible with Xbox 360 games | Polygon
The Xbox One won't play any existing Xbox 360 games, said Microsoft's Marc Whitten in an interview with The Verge.

The Full Xbox One StoryStream

Feel free to discuss now! How do you feel about the new Xbox One?

Google+ on SB Nation!

2013-05-15T13:27:36Z

Google+ on SB Nation!

Cool new House of Sparky feature.

Polygon teams up with Google for full Google+ integration

2013-05-15T00:38:46Z

We're proud to announce that Polygon is one of the 120 partners in 2013's Developer Sandbox at Google I/O. As part of this partnership, Polygon is bringing to you a brand new way to read and share your favorite Polygon stories through full Google+ integration — including Google+ Sign-In.

What does this mean?

New users can sign up for Polygon using their Google+ account, and existing users can link Google+ to their current account to make signing in easier than ever.

To link your Polygon account to Google+, simply go to your account settings:

Next, click "Connect with Google+". Depending on your current Google login state, you'll either be asked to login to Google or your account will sync immediately. After you do that, you'll be able to login directly through Google+ Sign-In.

We've also made it easier to share Polygon stories through Google+ with a distinct share button on every article, feature and review.

Clicking this button will reveal a modal that makes sharing simple, easy, and fun.

We're proud to give Polygon users another convenient way to sign into Polygon and share the stories they love. We hope you'll find Google+ integration useful! Feel free to ask questions in the comments below.

What does this mean?

New users can sign up for Polygon using their Google+ account, and existing users can link Google+ to their current account to make signing in easier than ever.

To link your Polygon account to Google+, simply go to your account settings:

We've also made it easier to share Polygon stories through Google+ with a distinct share button on every article, feature and review.

Clicking this button will reveal a modal that makes sharing simple, easy, and fun.

Rushel Shell: Pitt blocks transfer to ASU, Arizona according to report

2013-04-05T15:22:33Z

Earlier this week, we covered a potential coup for the Sun Devils: Rushel Shell, a five-star running back for the Pitt Panthers, was considering a transfer out of the Rust Belt. One of the many options was Arizona State, where former Pitt head coach Todd Graham had taken root.

Today, the wind has been taken out of the sails by Pitt, and a transfer to either ASU or Arizona has been blocked, according to Joe Schad.

Former Pitt running back Rushel Shell will not be released to transfer to Arizona State to play for former Pitt coach Todd Graham.
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) April 5, 2013

Schad goes on to clarify that neither ASU nor Arizona will be allowed to give him a scholarship for the upcoming season.

Shell won't be released to Arizona State or Arizona. Also considering Cal and UCLA.
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) April 5, 2013

It's a vindictive move, and one that Rushel Shell should appeal if ASU or Arizona was his top choice. Under normal circumstances, teams block transfers to other teams in the same conference, while also protecting themselves against future out-of-conference opponents. Arizona State is neither of those things.

Panther Lair was all over this news, also noting that the Arizona coaching staff has former Pitt staff:

#Pitt is likely concerned that releasing Shell to ASU or AZ could open the door for more players to transfer to those schools.
— Chris Peak (@PantherLair) April 5, 2013

The University of Pittsburgh has allowed an internal issue (the departure of Todd Graham and other staff) to adversely affect the future of a student-athlete who wishes to leave the school for a better fit. Why would Pitt want to do this? As Panther Lair pointed out above, it's worried about a domino effect. However, that should not be a consideration.

Hopefully we'll have more on this story -- there can still be a happy ending if the decision gets overruled by someone with a lick of sense. Besides, ASU wouldn't want to play against Shell if he were to transfer to UCLA or Cal.

Sports fans, we have some sad news: Pick 6 has gone into early retirement

2013-04-01T20:17:15Z

Pick 6 came to SB Nation last year, and many of us worked long hours to develop the best possible daily fantasy experience. We continued to support it throughout the baseball season and even released a football version of Pick 6 for NFL fans.

The developers on the Vox product team poured our collective energy into this game, which is why it is so difficult to make this announcement: Pick 6 is going into retirement. We did not take this decision lightly, and we regret any disappointment this has caused for our loyal fans.

Polygon 1.3 - The Video Browser

2013-03-26T19:44:46Z

Well, it's finally here - a video browser on the FP of Polygon. Check it out now!

What are your thoughts? What are your questions? Please do fire away!

Version history right here.

Well, it's finally here - a video browser on the FP of Polygon. Check it out now!

What are your thoughts? What are your questions? Please do fire away!

Version history right here.

NIT Bracket 2013: Full Monday schedule, featuring BYU, Southern Miss and Providence

2013-03-25T15:16:02Z

After taking a backseat over the weekend to the NCAA Tournament, the National Invitational Tournament wraps up its second round on Monday night with three games.

Maryland, Iowa, Baylor, Alabama and Virginia await the results of the final games tonight, the results of which will determine locations for the Elite 8 games. All times below are Eastern.

MONDAY, MARCH 25

No. 4 Providence (18-14) vs. No. 8 Robert Morris (24-10), 7 PM, ESPNews: The winner of this game will travel to Waco, Texas to play Baylor in the next round.

No. 3 BYU (22-11) vs. No. 7 Mercer (24-11), 9 PM, ESPNews

No. 1 Southern Mississippi (26-9) vs. No. 5 Louisiana Tech (27-6), 10 PM, ESPNU

The second and third rounds will run through March 27th at campus sites, with the NIT semifinals and finals (the Final Four) being held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The semis will be on April 2 and a champion will be crowned on April 4.

Looking for a printable NIT bracket that you can fill out yourself? Print one here!