With winter officially eight days away, the sports world perpetually keeps us warm and toasty as another podcast kicks off your week with plenty to delve into. On deck:
(2:57) NFL Week 14 didn't pack a lot of intrigue or suspense, but there has been some movement as teams try to make a run to the postseason, where others are flailing as they try to hang on for their dear lives. I'll go through my winners (i.e. Lions & Chargers) and losers (i.e. Raiders & Seahawks) I'll recap where we're at as we're approaching the final quarter of the season as certain teams in the AFC (Dolphins, Chargers, Jets, Patriots) and NFC (Giants, Commanders, Seahawks, even Lions) do their best to make a push to get to January playing in meaningful games.
(31:12) Army wins in the first ever OT game vs. rival Navy to where the Midshipmen fired their head coach. USC QB, Caleb Williams is your Heisman Trophy Winner. Now it's onto the Bowls, but I'll explain why I won't go full bore on the entire schedule and just focus on the College Football Playoff?
(33:22) The MLB Hot Stove has cooled off a little bit since the craziness at the Winter Meetings last week. But don't say that to Mets owner, Steve Cohen. He's continued to add to his already exorbitant payroll, re-signing OF Brandon Nimmo to an eight year, $162 million dollar contract. They've also agreed to sign the best Japanese pitcher out there in Kodai Senga to a five year, $75 million dollar deal. Is this what the Met fan (like myself) has been waiting for? Spending in free agency for a better shot at winning that elusive World Series? Or have they sold their souls to the devil that could end up a lot worse than the fan could ever expect?
(43:21) Is there a budding rivalry taking place in the NBA? The Suns and Pelicans played two back to back, hard fought competitive games that the Pels won. In the first game, it led to a fracas as Zion Williamson added a thunderous 360 slam dunk before the buzzer when the game was already over. There is one more matchup this season later in the month, so we shall see. The Warriors had their most complete game in an NBA Finals rematch against the Celtics. And sad news as longtime NBA player and coach, Paul Silas, passed away at the age of 73.
(47:45) As for what's happening on the ice, Kris Letang returns to the Penguins lineup, just twelve days after suffering his second stroke. The Pens are on a hot streak going 13-2-2 over the past 17 games. Alexander Ovechkin is now up to 797 goals, but the last four of them, have been empty netters. They do count, but some people feels they're cheapies. Are they right?
(50:22) Brittney Griner has finally made it to US soil late last week. It's been polarizing for a lot of citizens in this country regarding her exchange with the Merchant of Death, Viktor Bout and not have US Marine, Paul Whelan tag along with her. Will Griner be a catalyst, as she has stated, in doing her best to bring Whelan back home?
(54:31) We're now down to the Final Four in the World Cup as it's Morocco-France & Argentina-Croatia. Will the Cinderella Morocco team be able to get to a Final? Can France make it two in a row? And have a rematch against Croatia in the Final?
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Intro/outro music by Cyklonus.