Photo via David E. Klutho/SI

Hailing from East Williamsburg, Louisville’s Russ Smith has led his team all the way to the National Championship game in the NCAA Tournament. Russ attended St. Cecilia’s School in Greenpoint and starred for Archbishop Molloy HS in Queens. Now averaging 25 points in the 2013 tourney, he once honed his skills at the Guachos Gym in the Bronx. The Daily News did a profile of his life growing up in NY that might be worth reading if for nothing more than this:

Craziness encircles the Smiths at times. The roots of the son’s unpredictability are evident on the same DVD that displays his innocent dribbling. It is footage recorded by his father, outside his barbershop in Harlem, on Frederick Douglass Blvd. There is a woman who shows up on the screen suddenly. She is fresh off a street fight when the man she was battling confronts her on camera. She fixes her hair weave, then takes a drag on a burning cigarette before grabbing an aluminum bat. She swings it wildly at the man before he grabs it and takes a cut at her. They are then separated and he throws the bat.

- @joshmorrissey

photo via Thrillist

I noticed a few articles about a new sports bar opening in Williamsburg called Roebling Sporting Club located at 225 North 8th. I was immediately intrigued as I am an avid sports fan who lives in the neighborhood. As it turned out they were remaking one of my favorite ‘burg standbys K&M into a sports bar. I got a little nervous about what it would become after reading this quote from one of the owners to Observer:

“I’m the new Williamsburg,” he boasted. “I’m the type of guy moving here. Those $3,000-to-$4,000 apartments? Those aren’t for hipsters. Those are for guys like me who like to watch sports at 6:30.”

Spoken like an Entourage character, I pictured the place being ripped to shreds and replaced with beer pong tables and filled with the fratty crowds that now form a line out the door of The Whiskey Brooklyn on weekends.

However, I stopped by and was happy to see the laid-back vibe appeared to be still firmly intact. In actuality every write-up should just be the six words “they put some TVs in K&M’”, because the place looks almost exactly the same as it was. A couple nice HD TVs are now behind the bar, and the projector displays sports instead of the old movies they used to show. No word yet if the occasional weekend dance parties that included Mark the dancing Hasidic Jew are still happening, but I sure hope so. On a side note I was inspired by the club and have started referring to my living room as a sporting club since I added an HD TV. The laid-back vibe also appears to still be firmly intact.

It’s playoff season. If you hate sports as much as I do, but hate missing out on the gluttony, I’ve got a new piece for you on The Awl:

With the NFL playoffs underway, multitudes of jock-averse women and effeminate, girlie men (like me) find themselves facing a challenging predicament over the next couple of weeks. On one hand, forgoing a “Millionaire Matchmaker” marathon on Bravo to watch a playoff game at a sports bar seems excruciating. Still, missing out on the camaraderie and, more importantly, the gluttony of the playoffs is even more upsetting. After all, nothing’s more fun than gorging oneself on well-prepared wings, burgers and quality beer, activities which can make any sporting event—even basebal!—entertaining.

The question, of course, is where can New Yorkers go to make the experience bearable. Those who are disinclined to jerseys, vomit, beer pong and getting their asses beat, should obviously steer clear of Nevada Smiths, the Pourhouse and the other frat houses that make up Third Avenue’s bro-row. Especially since there are plenty of superior alternatives. Granted, there’s no way to avoid the crowds or the meatheads when a big game is on, but here are a few establishments worth checking out for those among us more interested in the food and the beer than the homoerotic opera known as the NFL.

Find out where to go over at The Awl.

We’ve compiled a list of 11 bars here in Williamsburg we recommend for watching the World Cup based on your feedback, their World Cup specials, or the overall bar layout.

Berry Park (4 Berry St.)

“Berry Park, which shows soccer games throughout the sport’s regular season, is showing every Cup match, projecting them onto a large screen hung on one of its vast walls.” -Brooklyn Based

Iona (180 Grand St.)

“Ever dedicated to the sport, Iona will also be showing all the Cup games. The bar is on the small and narrow side, so be sure to get there early to score a seat.” – Brooklyn Based

Loreley Restaurant Williamsburg (64 Front St.)

“The just-opened Williamsburg outpost of LES restaurant/beer garden Loreley will be showing select games live (taping and then replaying the rest) on their projection screen. The original location (7 Rivington St) will broadcast all matches live.” – Eater

La Superior (295 Berry St.)

They’ll be screening three games a day on two large flat screens — the first at 10am game, followed by the noon game, and finally the 2pm game. They’ll have a World Cup menu for that first one, and will mostly focus on the Mexican, Spanish, Swedish, and Brazilian matches.

Rose Bar (345 Grand Street)

They’ll be showing the 2pm matches and doing a special food and sandwich deal with a beer for $10. They’ve got a big screen projector and stereo surround sound.

Mulholland’s (312 Grand Street)

It’s basically Williamsburg’s sports bar, and they’ll have all the games on. Some say it’s prevalence of TVs could be a bad thing as it takes away the focus on one particular match. That said, their wings are delicious.

South 4th Bar (90 South 4th St.)

“Cheap & a huge projection screen.” – @idratherwalk

Nita Nita (146 Wythe Avenue)

“A sleeper,” as in could be surprisingly awesome. – @jmascio

Harefield Road (769 Metropolitan Avenue)

It is super Irish, and @randyhate “saw quite a few of last world cup’s game at harefield road.”

Beco (45 Richardson ST.)

They’re just showing the game, but here’s the kicker. They’ll have a World Cup wall chart, where you pay $20 bucks to pick a winning team and if they win you get a $200 gift certificate!

Walter Foods (253 Grand St.)

“Showing all games on an 8ft screen, drop by early for their international breakfast menu featuring croque monsieur, bangers and mash, merguez and eggs and chilaquiles verdes.” – Eater

To be updated, we assume…

Thanks to everyone on Twitter who helped. If I missed any, which I probably did, hit me up on Twitter and I’ll update the post. Or, just leave a comment below.

Update: Spike Hill! They are “televising every single game on either their 10′ x 7′ screen or one of several big screen TVs. They’re also offering food specials + a sublime whiskey selection + Duvel Green, Southhampton Keller Pils, Hoegaarden, Sam Adams Summer Ale and Hacker Pschorr on tap.”

Update #2: The Counting Room will be showing all 10:00 & 2:00 games on a 70-inch projection screen plus they have amazing mixed drinks which makes any game even better.