data-mm-id=”_wpff7epza”>There's been a spate of pieces decrying Major League Baseball's playoff format because the 100-win teams have been on the struggle bus. And of course there are because a few years ago sports media became hopelessly addicted to fixing things that are broken or otherwise. That toothpaste is out of the tube and will never be shoved back in. Some are even going so far to say that the No. 1-seed in each league is at a decided disadvantage because they have a layoff to get rusty as the six others in their bracket stare down potential elimination. There may be a shred of truth there, yet given the option of having a bye or needing an additional round, sanity dictates taking the earned advancement every single time. In the interest of fairness and concession, I agree that making division series best-of-seven instead of best-of-five would be perfectly okay. Numbers accrued over a 162-game season used to be sacred in baseball but have lost their luster so it would be perfectly fine to reduce the regular-season to 154 or 150 games to get the postseason started earlier. But on the other hand — and this is really crucial — sometimes the underdog wins in sports. Which is fine, unless you've developed some sort of parasocial relationship with the networks that air the championship series and World Series. Confusingly, a lot of people have done just that and it leads to lines like this from the New York Post. Who wants to see the Diamondbacks fighting for a spot in the World Series?I will never, ever understand why small-market teams must get hit with these sideswipes. Arizona went into Los Angeles and won the first two games of their series. They'll have a chance to close it out tonight at home and, even if it were a best-of-seven, a 3-0 lead is virtually insurmountable. The Texas Rangers swept the Baltimore Orioles to advance to the ALCS and would have prevailed in seven games barring a miracle. We could be looking at a Diamondbacks-Rangers Fall Classic. If that happens, it won't be the end of the world even if the ratings aren't as juicy as they might have been with a more traditionally attractive matchup. If that happens, both teams will have earned it because they played well enough to make the playoffs and played the best once reaching them. Why anyone who wouldn't benefit financially from the sexiest matchup would care that the two most worthy teams are playing for a title is a mystery. Sure, it'd be nice to see the game's biggest stars but at their base level, sports are a competition and we don't always get exactly what we want. To be clear, I don't want a medal for not giving a shit that the Dodgers and Orioles and Braves/Phillies will be watching at home — or not watching in this case — like the rest of us. What I do want is for teams who win fair and square and push through a more difficult path to get the respect they deserve. I want fans of those teams to not be inundated with swipes about their team from those who must constantly taste sour grapes. It really doesn't feel like too much to ask. Under the playoff format used from 1903-1969, the Braves and Orioles would already be playing in the World Series. The league championship series were then introduced and, believe it or not, were best-of-five until 1985. The wildcard was first introduced in 1995 and has grown from one team to three. Reasonable minds can disagree about which system has worked best. If we've learned anything, it's that there will be some tinkering going forward. I'm not trying to sound like a lunkhead here but every team that makes the playoffs is good and even the most proficient regular-season teams must play well to advance. That's not just baseball, that's every sport. In Atlanta's case, Philadelphia may be the hardest to vanquish. Sometimes the test comes in the opening round and gets easier in the seminfinals and finals. Again, not just baseball, but every sport. The sky is not falling. Teams that are perceived to be the best are simply falling on their face.
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data-mm-id=”_t2eu567kc”>Indiana and head coach Archie Miller made a pretty big statement Tuesday night during the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Despite missing their presumed starting point guard, the Hoosiers hammered No. 17 Florida State in Bloomington. The win proved that Indiana's 7-0 start wasn't a fluke and that Indiana might have something special cooking this season. Oh, and they probably don't want to hear any more questions about their first seven opponents.The Hoosiers beat a good Seminoles team 80-64 at Assembly Hall and got a stellar performance from senior guard Devonte Green. Green, a captain, poured in 30 points, added 6 rebounds and 3 assists and was a plus-24 on the night. It was the best game he has turned in since he arrived in Bloomington. He was shooting t…
data-mm-id=”_7wxwj61u0″>The XFL ratings dipped again in Week 4. Los Angeles at New York averaged 1.9 viewers Saturday on ABC, per ProFootballTalk. The late-day FOX matchup between Seattle and St. Louis drew 1.8 million viewers. Houston-Dallas aired to 1.1 million on FS1 Sunday, which was followed by a 1 million average from the ESPN2 viewing of D.C. and Tampa Bay.Three of the four games declined from the previous week. FS1 drew slightly below 1.1 million in Week 3.The continuous week-by-week decline is still not alarming. As we've been saying, it was expected. The key now will be how much further the viewership goes south. The XFL still has some wiggle room where the numbers can drop while remaining viable. Four weeks in, the viewership for the XFL is on par with the NBA'…
data-mm-id=”_qmcuh8i01″>UPDATE: The leaks (below) were accurate. Here are the Rams new uniforms. Here are the #Rams new uniforms, finally raveled.pic.twitter.com/3PofxBuHx0— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) May 13, 2020The Rams' new jerseys are being released today. At least that's what Jared Goff indicated on Twitch yesterday. Jared Goff revealed when the Rams’ new uniforms will be released while on Alex Bregman’s Twitch stream READ: https://t.co/wsp1l2k3X4 pic.twitter.com/OeXnZd34E4— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) May 12, 2020You can hear him say tomorrow and then try to backtrack quickly and say this week. But let's assume, for the point of this exercise, that he was being honest and they will be released today. Of course, we're an impatient species and can&#…
data-mm-id=”_iaw4sjply”>Alex Cora is speaking out months after being suspended for a year due to his role in the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal. The general narrative about the scandal is that Cora and Carlos Beltran came up with and ran the operation. While Cora accepted blame for his actions during an interview with ESPN, he refutes that version of events. Cora was the Astros' bench coach in 2017 when the scandal occurred and Beltran was a designated hitter in the final year of his major league career. Obviously, both men were instrumental in Houston's run to a World Series title that season. Here's what Cora had to say about the prevailing narrative:””There has been a narrative out there of what happened. Ever since mid-November until the commissioner announced …
data-mm-id=”_4a6v6hok2″>Giannis Antetokounmpo will contractually be at a crossroads after next season but it may be in Milwaukee's best interest to expedite the breakup sooner if it feels inevitable. The Greek Freak could help the franchise get a significant haul as opposed to nothing for the current MVP if he decides his long-term future isn't on shores of Lake Michigan and is honest about it. That is to say: the big, NBA-bending event may not take place for months but that doesn't mean there aren't precipitating events happening furiously right now that will dictate what the ultimate shape of his career looks like. So travel with me a bit down a hypothetical road in which tonight could serve as the defining moment in Antetokounmpo's future home. Down 3-0 to t…
data-mm-id=”_a87asi5dv”>It was more of the same from the Los Angeles Chargers last night. They blew their second consecutive 17-point lead, which is only the fifth time that's happened in NFL history. They also extended their record to 3-13 in one-score games since the start of the 2019 season, which also has to be some sort of record. As if Nostradamus was creating their graphic packages ahead of the game, ESPN broadcast a video showcasing the Chargers' futility in winning close games during the Monday night telecast. It featured an animated Joey Bosa and Keenan Allen trying to jump up and grab a W in the Chargers locker room. Unfortunately for them, just as in real life, the W eludes their grasp. It made me laugh. It also made ESPN play-by-play man Steve Levy laugh. Maybe y…
data-mm-id=”_818iz7pxk”>Taylor Heinicke has signed a 2-year extension with the Washington Football Team reportedly worth $8.75 million. As far as middling quarterbacks with no real resume who are not on a rookie deal, it's not an outrageous number, but still, Heinicke was on the bench in the XFL a year ago today. So how did this happen?The Washington Football Team has agreed to terms on a 2-year extension for QB Taylor Heinicke, sources say, worth $8.75M. There are also incentives depending on how many games he starts. Real security for their resilient QB who started and impressed in the playoff game.— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 10, 2021Ian Rapoport says that Heinicke "impressed" in a playoff game, but did he really? Or were we all just blinded by the desire to …
data-mm-id=”_cbdxx1onn”>We've got just a couple of weeks left of NFL action, there are several fantastic sportsbook promos available for Ohio users that you're running out of time to claim. After only a few minutes, you'll secure $400 in bonus bets GUARANTEED in addition to up to $1,500 in bet credits! There's still time to become a BIG winner, but you need to act quickly. See below a ranking of each excellent offer and how to claim each.1. FanDuel Ohio Promo CodeIf you sign up for FanDuel and bet $5 or more on any NFL Conference Championship game, you'll win $200 in bonus bets GUARANTEED even if you lose! How's that to start off our rankings?All you need to do is follow these steps to get your $200:Sign up for FanDuel with this link (no promo code requi…
data-mm-id=”_xvvlsts5x”>Yesterday's massive news that Dave Portnoy had bought Barstool Sports back from Penn Gaming after ESPN came calling is one of the rare win-win-win situations in sports media. The deal worked out for everyone in a way and Portnoy's payoff will come more immediately as he's now regained the wheel of what was once a true pirate ship. There's a new boss in town and he's a lot like one of the old bosses because he is one of the old bosses. And the vibe has changed a bit in the direction of Barstool's old-school ways. Look no further than a blog posted shortly after 10 a.m. by the self-proclaimed El Presidente himself calling his employees "brain dead," which came on the heels of Portnoy waiting for two hours at the New York off…
data-mm-id=”_rwd39ykzx”>It wasn't easy. It wasn't always pretty. And it may not have been all that impressive. But the Kansas City Chiefs are AFC West champions for a ridiculous eighth straight year. They'll host a Wild Card game and then probably have to play at least one game on the road if they'd like to return to the Super Bowl. It doesn't feel like a vintage KC side and no one would be shocked if they bowed out with an early postseason exit. On the other hand … Patrick Mahomes. How are you going to doubt Patrick Mahomes? How are you ever going to be comfortable knowing a quarterback of his caliber is capable of transcending all dimensions and winning the whole damn thing if he'd like?The answer? Just be Stugotz. Because on today's Le Batard Sho…