Today we’re talking about groomzillas, NFL bye weeks, Olive Garden, shitty teams, and more.

Perhaps you need something to read on the plane home, or something to distract you while you avoid your in-laws. Here are the most compelling long features and essays we published this year so you can catch up before we do it all again in 2019.

The cover of the newest issue of Bloomberg Businessweek dispenses with the magazine’s fondness for abstract, artsy covers. In one of a small handful of instances this year, the front page centers a single person with a straightforward headline. “How to Clean Up A #MeToo Mess,” reads the white text over an image of a…

D.J. Durkin was finally fired by the University of Maryland in October after a player died on his watch, an investigative report found a “toxic” culture in the football program, much of the rest of his team threatened revolt, the university president resigned, and the state’s governor took him to task. Naturally, he…

Irredeemable Vikings fan and beloved voice of Deadspin Drew Magary has been moved to the injured reserve list after an accident last week. He is receiving the best possible care, is surrounded by his family and friends, and is doing well under the circumstances. We miss his randomly capitalized exuberant tweets and…

It’s really tough to feel sympathy for goddamn Red Sox fans, but man. Staying up until 3:30 a.m. eastern time only to see minor-league journeyman and Oakland A’s flameout Max Muncy steal a game Boston should have had five innings earlier has got to be rooooooough.

After Hall of Famer Junior Seau took his own life as a result of CTE in 2012, at age 43, his family chose to sue the NFL individually instead of participating in the broader settlement that has become a nightmare for players with football-induced brain trauma. Six years later, the league has finally agreed to pay the…