Championship Weekend Preview

And then there were four. Championship weekend in the NFL has finally arrived. We got one team on the verge of a three peat. One team that's looking to get its first title in eight years and second overall. We got one team looking to win a title for the first time in thirty years. And the last team is looking to win it's first ever Super Bowl.

But in order to do that, they have to win this weekend. Championship weekend is here and here's how we see it going down.

Washington Commanders @ Philadelphia Eagles 3PM
We got ourselves an NFC East battle for the right to go to the big one. Safe to say that Washington is heading into this game playing with house money. With a rookie QB under center in what was considered a rebuild year, nobody expected Washington to be still standing here at this point in the season. Its going to be a tight game. Daniels has been playing like a man possessed and has played solid football during the playoffs. Daniels play is going to be a factor here, because his counterpart in Jalen Hurts got his knee banged up against the Rams last week. When you have a dual threat under center, and somebody who's been so key for that potent run game, along with Barkley, it going to be a real test for the Philadelphia offense.

Somehow, the Philadelphia experience is going to win out at the end of the game. no doubt in my mind Washington has made a believer out of a lot people with this playoff run they've been on. At the end of the day, the clock is going to strike midnight on the season for the Commanders. It going to be a pretty close day, but at the end of it all the Eagles find a way.

Eagles 27, Commanders 17

Buffalo Bills @ Kansas City Chiefs 6:30PM
The big one on the weekend, the one everybody is going to want to watch. Mahomes and Allen again. For Josh Allen, he got a lot riding on this game. Buffalo hasn't been to a Superbowl in 30 years, let alone win one. He's got an entire city believing in him and he has the skills to be able to change that fortune around for Buffalo. And what gives Buffalo the advantage in this game is the ability to be able to limit and create turnovers. They had 35 takeaways this season, as compared to just 8 total turnovers. They control the ball very very well.

At the same time, you going against one of the very best to ever do it in Patrick Mahomes. He can pretty much find a way, in some ways nobody even imagined, to pull a game off. What worries me is how well this defense is going to be able to contain Allen. Not just on Allen's skillset, but lets be real here. This isn't as good a defense we've seen in Kansas City as we have seen the last two years. Don't get it twisted, they're good. But the quality level isn't quite the same. This is going to be a physical game and a nail biter. Its going to come down to whoever gets the ball last.

Chiefs 30, Bills 27

Baseball Hall Makes Call

This July, the Baseball Hall of Fame will grow by three. The 2025 hall of fame was announced its three newest members in Ichiro Suzuki, C.C Sabathia and Billy Wagner. They join Classic Baseball Era Committee electees Dave Parker and the late Dick Allen in enshrinement.

Ichiro got 99.7%  C.C got 86.8%. Wagner got 82.5%.

Ichiro had a great second career after a solid career to start in Japan. He played 19 years in the Majors, 14 years in Seattle, three with the Yankees and three in Miami. He played 2,653 games, collecting  3,089 hits, 117 home runs, 780 RBI, scored 1,420 runs and stole 509 bases, finishing as a .311 hitter. He won AL Rookie of the year and AL MVP in the same season in 2001. He was a ten time all star, won ten gold gloves and a pair of batting titles. Ichiro could do it all. He had a little bit of power, but lets face it, the guy was one of the best pure hitters that the game has ever seen. Oh yeah and lets not forget his defense in right. Outstanding glove and just as good of a throwing arm.

Then we have CC Sabathia, who also spent 19 years in the big leagues, 11 with the Yankees, 8 in Cleveland and a half a season in Milwaukee. In 560 career starts, CC picked up 251 wins, 38 complete games and 12 shutouts. He had 3,093 strikeouts in 3,577 innings pitched and a 3.74 lifetime ERA. He got a 2009 World Series title with the Yankees, won the Cy Young in 2007 with Cleveland and a six time all star. If you needed a big pitching performance, Sabathia could come up when he needed to. Look what he did in half a season in Milwaukee.

Then there was Billy Wagner. Wagner spent 16 years in the majors, nine years in Houston, four with the Mets, two in Philadelphia, one in Boston and one in Atlanta. He appeared in 853 games, earned a 47-40 record and 422 saves. He had a career ERA  of 2.31 and 1,196 strike outs. Nine times he had 30 or more saves in a season, two of which were 40 or more save seasons. His 225 saves in Houston are the most in the history of that franchise. He won Rolaids relief man of the year in 1999 and was a seven time all star. What makes Wagner induction more impressive is that he did all of this with 903 innings pitched are the fewest innings pitched among any of the relief pitchers in the hall of fame. Which speaks to how solid of a relief pitcher Wagner really was.

What do you think? Did the hall snub anybody for getting in this year?

NFL Divisional Round

Then there were eight. Divisional weekend has arrived in the NFL and we got our elite eight left standing. Three more wins to claim football's ultimate prize. Two teams in this mix are looking to make the big game for the first time ever. One is looking to become the first three peat. One is looking to finally get over that magical hump when it matters. All those questions will be one step closer to being answered by the time all is said and done this weekend.

Here's how we see the Divisional Round going down in the NFL

Chiefs over Texans 27-17
Houston is one of the teams looking to finally get to the big game. They have made great strides in getting closer to it, but this year won't be their year. Kansas City is just too darn good. Is Kansas City as good or dominating as they have been the last couple of seasons? Not really no. But they are still a force in the AFC and with the attack that they have it might be too much for Houston to handle.

Lions over Commanders 38-20
Lets give credit where it's due, nobody really expected to be talking about the Washington Commanders to be still playing football by the time this weekend rolled around. But here we are. And they are heading into a really tough place to play in Detroit. There's no denying that Jaylen Daniels is going to have himself a solid day. But with the balanced offensive attack that the Lions have, it will be tough for Daniels to really be able to control the clock. Detroit walks away with the victory.

Eagles over Rams 20-10
Last time these two teams hooked up, Sequan Barkley ran wild. He rushed for 255 yards in the Philadelphia win that day. It's not going to be quite the same on this afternoon as it was back in week twelve, but the Eagles run game will control the Rams potent pass attack. That's not to say that the Eagles don't have a good pass game, because they do. That will also have itself a solid showing against the Rams. Nothing against what the Rams did in knocking off Minnesota last week, but this is something totally different going up against the Eagles.

Bills over Ravens 30-27
This will be the closest ballgame of the entire weekend. And probably the closest game I have to getting wrong all weekend long. This is going to be a fight between two of the best quarterbacks in the entire sport. It going to come down to ball control and that's where Buffalo gets the advantage and comes away with another trip to the AFC title game

NFL Wild Card Weekend

The time has arrived. The seven best teams in each conference in the NFL are left standing. Wild card weekend is here. When all is said and done a month from now the NFL will have its Champion. We got some pretty intriguing matchups to kick off the post season. So lets not waste anymore time, here's how we see the opening round going down!

Texans over Chargers 27-23
Pretty good chance I misread the room on picking this game. Houston did win three of the final five, including the last day of the season. Sure, the offense has underperformed a little since Diggs went down in week seven, but they still have a solid run game. That's going to be a key this time of the year. Chargers make it a strong game, but Houston going to pull it out on the final drive of the afternoon.

Ravens over Steelers 30-27
Maybe off on the score prediction, but not on the end result. Facts are two fold here. Lamar Jackson has been operating at close to, if not already at, MVP level again this season. Over 4,100 yards passing and almost a thousand yards rushing. Hell Derek Henry had a monster year running the ball, with 1,921 yards in his own right. This is a running team that has the ability to almost match it through the air as well. And they come in riding a four game win streak. Pittsburgh is trending the other way, losing the final four of the season to let the division slip away,. Pittsburgh may make it close, but the Ravens are just playing too good of football right now to be stopped by the Steelers.

Bills over Broncos 28-17
Not expecting this one to really be close. Denver stumbled a little down the stretch, and the only reason they closed out the way they did last week was because KC had rested pretty much everybody. That's not to take anything away from the Broncos, who are a solid team. But they playing a really good Buffalo team. Buffalo, Much like Baltimore, is a run happy team. They going to be doing that quite a bit against Denver. Oh and Josh Allen can make plays with his arm too. Buffalo should have this game on lock.

Eagles over Packers 34-21
The only knock you can have against Green Bay this season is they happened to get stuck in the division with Detroit and Minnesota. And both those teams went off this year. Green Bay is a solid club, but they going up against another really good team in the Eagles. Philly has the best runner in the game this year in Barkley, they got the best overall defense in the entire league. Green Bay going to keep it somewhat close, but the Philly run game helps them advance to the next round.

Buccaneers over Commanders 31-27
Tampa, much like they did last year, got hot at the right time. As the season went along, despite all the injuries, they showed they were more of a second half team. They got an underrated run game, which if they want to go on a deep run this year, need that to be a factor in this game. And it will. Give credit where its due to Jaylen Daniels in his first year in Washington, putting up the year he had. At the end of the day its not going to be enough as the Bucs come away with the win.

Vikings over Rams 34-14
The Rams almost shot themselves in the foot last week by losing to Seattle. Because now they have to face the 2nd best team in the conference in Minnesota. Not to take away anything from that Rams offense, but the way Minnesota has played most of the year, this one should be one of the easier games of the entire weekend to pick.

The Captain Gets His Due

For fourteen years, David Wright was the New York Mets. He was the face of the franchise and the team's best overall player for almost as long. Nobody showed more pried in a Mets uniform during that time then the Captain. This summer, Wright is getting his just due. On July 19th, when the Mets play host to the Cincinnati Reds, Wright is getting a double celebration. That afternoon, not only will the Mets retire Wright's #5 but he will also be inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame.

A double honor well deserved for one of the best players the franchise has ever had.

His career numbers speak for themselves, like seven All-Star appearances, two Gold Gloves and two Silver Slugger awards. He is in the top ten in every single offensive category in the history of the franchise. It was a given after his final game was played in 2018 that he was going to get both his number retired and induction into the Mets Hall. It was a matter of when, not if.

There isn't anything more that can be said that hasn't already said about David Wright during the course of his career. He's done everything that you can do for this team. The only thing Wright wasn't able to do was win a World Series, even though they came close with a series appearance in 2015.

Now this leads to another debate or two. Who gets the next number to be retired? Who else gets into the Mets Hall of Fame?

For number retirement, there's only two I can think of off the top of my head that MIGHT deserve to get such an honor. Maybe #7 for Jose Reyes and maybe #15 for Carlos Beltran. That's a stretch for both. Both guys put up outstanding numbers with the team, but neither were lifers with the club. Reyes left and came back. Beltran had a good career both before and after he left the Mets. But never the less both guys did put up fantastic career in blue and orange. There's been a few out there that have floated around retiring #8 for Gary Carter. For me, Carter never played long enough in Queens to really deserve the honor, and that's no knock on what Carter did by any means.

As for the team hall of fame, two guys mentioned earlier, Reyes and Beltran, both deserve to be inducted for what they did for this team during their time in Queens.

Let's Take This Outside

The time has finally happened. The NHL is taking it outside in the Sunshine State.

2026 NHL Winter Classic and Stadium Series are coming to the state of Florida. The 2026 Winter Classic will take place on January 2nd at Loan Depot Park in Miami between the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers. Following that up will be the Stadium Series. February 2nd 2026 from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa the Tampa Bay Lightning will play host to the Boston Bruins.

The NHL has had outdoor games in all kinds of venues and markets, but this is the first time they are venturing to the state of Florida for outdoor games. And it's about time. The last five Eastern Conference Champions, and three of the last five Stanley Cup Champions have resided in the Sunshine State. This has turned into very much a hockey state.

The NHL is finally expanding the hockey market to the south with these outdoor games. These two venues should have no problem drawing the crowds that the NHL is looking for. Hockey has grown leaps and bounds in the state of Florida since teams have joined down here in 1993. This will not be the first time the NHL has attracted huge crowds for stadium games in the state of Florida. The Lightning played at the ThunderDome, the domed stadium now known as Tropicana Field, from 1993-96. They drew 28,183 for their 4-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals on April 23, 1996. That was the NHL record until the League began playing outdoor games in 2003.

The opponents for these two games are pretty good choices. The Rangers are a huge draw playing in Miami. As for who Tampa, it's fitting they facing one of their biggest rivals in the Boston Bruins.

Both Florida teams have been a draw and it's going to get even better with these outdoor games coming up

NFL Clinching Scenarios Week 18

We have hit the final weekend of the NFL Season. Sixteen games over the next two games and a lot to digest for clinching the final playoff spots for the 2024 season. Lets not waste any more time and dive right into it. Here's how teams can lock up playoff spots on the final weekend of the year.

AFC:
Clinched: Kansas City Chiefs (#1 Seed, AFC West), Buffalo Bills (AFC East), Houston Texans (AFC South), Baltimore Ravens (Playoff Birth), Los Angeles Chargers (Playoff Birth), Pittsburgh Steelers (Playoff Birth)

Baltimore Ravens
-Baltimore can clinch the AFC North and the 3rd seed with a win OR a Pittsburgh loss

Pittsburgh Steelers
-Pittsburgh can clinch the AFC North and the 3rd seed with a win AND a Baltimore loss

Cincinnati Bengals
-Cincinnati can clinch a playoff spot with a win AND losses by Denver and Miami

Denver Broncos
-Denver can clinch a playoff spot with a win OR losses by Miami and Cincinnati

Miami Dolphins
-Miami can clinch a playoff spot with a win AND a Denver loss

NFC:
Clinched: Philadelphia Eagles (NFC East 2nd Seed), Los Angeles Rams (NFC West), Detroit Lions (Playoff Birth), Green Bay Packers (Playoff Birth), Minnesota Vikings (Playoff Birth), Washington Commanders (Playoff Birth)

Detroit Lions
-Detroit can clinch the NFC North and top seed with a win

Minnesota Vikings
-Minnesota can clinch with the NFC North and the top seed with a win

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
-Tampa Bay can clinch the NFC South with a win OR an Atlanta loss

Atlanta Falcons
-Atlanta can clinch the NFC South with a win AND a Tampa Bay loss

2025 Pro Bowl Rosters

The Pro Bowl. The one week of the year where the best of the best from the NFL regular season get together for the annual All Star Game. The weekend before the Super Bowl, the NFL best gather in Orlando to see who really is the best of the bunch. Games will be played to find out who has the best from each conference. 

Here's a look at this year's Pro Bowl Selections.

AFC:
Offense:
Quarterback: Josh Allen (Buffalo), Joe Burrow (Cincinnati), Lamar Jackson (Baltimore)
Running Back: Derrick Henry (Baltimore), Joe Mixon (Houston), Jonathan Taylor (Indianapolis)
Fullback: Patrick Ricard (Baltimore)
Wide Receiver: Ja'Marr Chase (Cincinnati), Jerry Jeudy (Cleveland), Nico Collins (Houston), Zay Flowers (Baltimore)
Tight End: Brock Bowers (Las Vegas), Travis Kelce (Kansas City)
Offensive Tackle: Dion Dawkins (Buffalo), Laremy Tunsil (Houston), Rashawn Slater (LA Chargers)
Offensive Guard: Quenton Nelson (Indianapolis), Joe Thuney (Kansas City), Trey Smith (Kansas City)
Center: Creed Humphrey (Kansas City), Tyler Linderbaum (Baltimore)

Defense:
Defensive End: Myles Garrett (Cleveland), Trey Hendrickson (Cincinnati), Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas)
Defensive Tackle: Cameron Heyward (Pittsburgh), Chris Jones (Kansas City), Nnamdi Madubuike (Baltimore)
Outside Linebacker: Nik Bonitto (Denver), T. J. Watt (Pittsburgh), Khalil Mack (LA Chargers)
Inside/Middle linebacker: Roquan Smith (Baltimore), Zaire Franklin (Indianapolis)
Cornerback: Derek Stingley Jr. (Houston), Patrick Surtain II (Denver), Marlon Humphrey (Baltimore), Denzel Ward (Cleveland)
Free Safety: Minkah Fitzpatrick (Pittsburgh)
Strong Safety: Kyle Hamilton (Baltimore), Derwin James (LA Chargers)

Special Teams:
Long Snapper: Ross Matiscik (Jacksonville)
Punter: Logan Cooke (Jacksonville)
Placekicker: Chris Boswell (Pittsburgh)
 Return Specialist: Marvin Mims (Denver)
Special Teamer: Brenden Schooler (New England)

NFC:
Offense:
Quarterback: Jared Goff (Detroit), Sam Darnold (Minnesota), Jayden Daniels (Washington)
Running Back: Saquon Barkley (Philadelphia), Jahmyr Gibbs (Detroit), Josh Jacobs (Green Bay)
Fullback: Kyle Juszczyk (San Francisco)
Wide Receiver: Justin Jefferson (Minnesota), Amon-Ra St. Brown (Detroit), CeeDee Lamb (Dallas), Terry McLaurin (Washington)
Tight End: George Kittle (San Francisco), Trey McBride (Arizona)
Offensive Tackle: Penei Sewell (Detroit), Lane Johnson (Philadelphia), Tristan Wirfs (Tampa Bay)
Offensive Guard: Landon Dickerson (Philadelphia), Tyler Smith (Dallas), Chris Lindstrom (Atlanta)
Center: Frank Ragnow (Detroit) Cam Jurgens (Philadelphia)

Defense:
Defensive End: Nick Bosa (San Francisco), Micah Parsons (Dallas), Rashan Gary (Green Bay)
Defensive Tackle: Dexter Lawrence (NY Giants), Jalen Carter (Philadelphia), Vita Vea (Tampa Bay)
Outside Linebacker: Jonathan Greenard (Minnesota), Andrew Van Ginkel (Minnesota), Jared Verse (LA Rams)
Inside/Middle Linebacker: Fred Warner (San Francisco), Zack Baun (Philadelphia)
Cornerback: Jaylon Johnson (Chicago), Byron Murphy Jr. (Minnesota), Jaycee Horn (Carolina), Devon Witherspoon (Seattle)
Free Safety: Xavier McKinney (Green Bay)
Strong Safety: Budda Baker (Arizona), Brian Branch (Detroit)

Special Teams:
Long Snapper: Andrew DePaola (Minnesota)
Punter: Jack Fox (Detroit)
Placekicker: Brandon Aubrey (Dallas)
Return Specialist: KaVonte Turpin (Dallas)
Special Teamer: KhaDarel Hodge (Atlanta)

See you in Orlando in early February!