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junker-town · 5 years

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The fatal flaw holding back each team in the NFC

Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images

The NFC is a bit of a mess. Except for the Niners, right?

Through four weeks, only one team in the NFC remains undefeated. Just as we all expected, it’s the 49ers.

Kyle Shanahan’s team is off to a 3-0 start after defeating the Buccaneers, Bengals, and Steelers to start the year. Although that’s no murderer’s row of opponents, it’s been enough to give San Francisco a way-too-early lead in the race for homefield advantage in the playoffs. The Cowboys, Rams, Saints, Packers, Bears, and Seahawks are all staring up at Jimmy Garoppolo through one quarter of the season.

So what are the odds the Niners can keep this up — and if they can’t, who will replace them?

The NFC was an unpredictable beast through the month of September. Philadelphia looked primed for a letdown season before upending a then-unbeaten Packers team in Green Bay. The Lions rebounded from a disappointing come-from-ahead tie against the Cardinals in Week 1 to upset the Chargers and Eagles the following two weeks. The Saints lost Drew Brees in a Week 2 loss to the Rams, then rallied behind Teddy Bridgewater to defeat the Seahawks and Cowboys. The Rams started their conference title defense with a 3-0 record, then gave up 55 (fifty-five!) points to the Buccaneers.

So while the AFC appears to be the property of either the Patriots or Chiefs, the NFC is still wide open for seemingly anyone other than Washington or Arizona. Who has the strongest claim to the throne? Let’s dig in:

Winless, and therefore unworthy of a writeup

Washington (0-4), Arizona Cardinals (0-3-1)

Right. Their fatal flaw is that they aren’t good enough yet to win games.

Heh, nope.

Atlanta Falcons (1-3)

The Falcons beat the Eagles in Week 2. In their other three games, they’ve trailed by 21, 17, and 17 at the half. Atlanta’s cache of wasted talent has been matched only by its enormous capacity for stupid mistakes through one quarter of the season.

Fatal flaw: Coaching. Dan Quinn’s team has found a way to bridge whatever skill gap he holds over opponents with a lack of preparedness.

Likely pretenders to the crown

New York Giants (2-2)

Daniel Jones breathed new life into the Giants, but he’s only beaten Washington and Tampa Bay while captaining a roster that was in rebuild mode this past offseason. New York’s offensive line has overachieved in its two-game winning streak:

giants run blocking has quietly been really good this season. even on still shots you can see the holes they're opening up pic.twitter.com/d5RqEt8Zli

— charles (ronald) mcdonald (@FourVerts) September 30, 2019

However, a look at the depth chart suggests that won’t last — which is bad news for Saquon Barkley fill-in Wayne Gallman.

Fatal flaw: Overall talent. The Giants may have put their rebuild ahead of schedule, but this is still a rebuild.

Carolina Panthers (2-2)

The Panthers got their two wins by beating the Cardinals and watching the Texans throw up all over themselves. Kyle Allen is undefeated as a starter, but he cooled off significantly and looked like a backup quarterback in Houston. Cam Newton could push this team up a tier if he returns to full strength — and he says he’ll wait until he’s 100 percent, though no one’s quite sure when that will be . Still, the playing-hurt version of Cam that showed up in Weeks 1 and 2 won’t be enough to make Carolina a contender, even if this turns out to be the best Panthers defense since 2015’s 15-1 campaign.

Fatal flaw: Quarterback stability. Newton’s hurt and Allen shrank in the face of the Texans’ pass rush.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-2)

The Buccaneers smothered the Panthers with their defense and lit up the Rams. They have also given up 30+ points in three of their four games so far. They’ve done that even in the midst of Shaquil Barrett’s breakout season, and he probably can’t maintain a 36-sack pace.

Tampa may have to rely on Jameis Winston to win shootouts on a weekly basis, which ... isn’t ideal. Fortunately for him, the team’s running game has made a major step forward this fall — Ronald Jones has put last year’s 1.9 yard-per-carry average deep in his rear view — and Winston has a tremendous downfield cheat code in Mike Evans, who should never be single-covered, ever.

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Fatal flaw: Winston. Bruce Arians has pushed him to his strongest statistical season so far, but the QB’s biggest concern is the lack of consistency that has haunted him over four-plus seasons. If Arians can turn Winston into an every-week above-average presence behind center, he’ll earn his share of Coach of the Year votes.

They’ve still got plenty to prove

Minnesota Vikings (2-2)

The Vikings would be in the “pretender” tier if it weren’t for a still-promising defense. Kirk Cousins has fumbled six times in four games and currently holds his lowest QB rating since becoming a full-time starter in 2015. Minnesota is allowing just 4.8 yards per play, which should hold some opponents down long enough for even a diminished Cousins to walk over them. But there’s also a chance his inability to sustain an offense sinks the Vikes to the bottom of the NFC North.

Fatal flaw: Cousins. The Bears shut down Minnesota’s running game in Week 4 and the Vikings crumbled to dust when their quarterback was asked to carry his team’s offense against a great D.

Detroit Lions (2-1-1)

The Lions couldn’t take advantage of the Chiefs’ mistakes in a last-second Week 4 defeat, which is why they’re a good team and not a great one. Their Week 2 win over the Chargers looks good on paper, but in reality was a comedy of errors for an LA team that outplayed Detroit all afternoon.

On the plus side, Matthew Stafford seems to have recovered from an awful 2018. The Lions may need everything they can get from him; they’ve given up at least 373 yards in each of their four games this season.

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Fatal flaw: Playing down to the level of their opponents. Matt Patricia’s early track record as a head coach indicates he’s able to get his team up for big games (vs. the Chiefs or in last year’s win against the Patriots), then struggles when he’s tasked with non-contenders — like when his team botched an 18-point fourth quarter lead in a tie against the Cardinals.

Philadelphia Eagles (2-2)

The Eagles still haven’t been able to push Carson Wentz back to his 2017 pre-injury MVP form, as the fourth-year quarterback has been solid but unspectacular (it doesn’t help that one of his most targeted receivers has an utterly memeable penchant for drops). Philadelphia needs him to be better if its pass defense can’t improve. The Eagles have allowed 7.4 net yards per pass attempt through four games, 25th-best in the NFL. They’ve given up 300+ passing yards in three of those games.

Fatal flaw: The pass rush. While Philly’s cornerbacks have been brutal to watch, they’ve gotten little help from their front seven. The Eagles rank dead last in the league in sack rate (1.7 percent).

Los Angeles Rams (3-1)

First things first: this team gave up 55 points to Tampa Bay. That was enough to drop LA from the top tier down to the “prove it” group. The Rams’ defense has been uneven to start the year, sandwiching two strong performances between Winston’s shredding and a season opener that saw a hurt Cam Newton put up 27 points. Los Angeles has struggled to get off the field on third down and is suspect in the red zone, turning a talented lineup on paper into a middling unit in practice.

Fatal flaw: Jared Goff’s sudden regression. The fourth-year quarterback has seen better protection than ever before (his 4.4 percent sack rate is the lowest of his career), but he’s using that time to make worse decisions. He’s throwing deep less often (his average throw depth has fallen from 8.2 yards in 2018 to 7.4 this year) and is getting picked off more — his six interceptions lead the league.

Seriously, what can't this dude do?!#GoBucs | #TBvsLAR pic.twitter.com/crRi9g74hl

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 29, 2019

Even though there have been some extenuating circumstances that led to this explosion of turnovers, it’s clear that right now, Goff isn’t the MVP candidate he was in 2018.

I want to trust you, but I’ve been hurt before

San Francisco 49ers (3-0)

The 49ers are 3-0 — and their best win came over a disheveled Buccaneers team in Week 1. They’ve since beaten the Steelers and Bengals, who may have been winless in September if not for the fact they had to play each other. San Francisco has overcome plenty of adversity in its first three weeks, winning without injured players like Tevin Coleman, Jimmie Ward, Nick Bosa, and Dee Ford in the lineup for stretches. It’ll be much harder to carry on without them as the Browns (Week 5) and Rams (Week 6) loom on the schedule.

Fatal flaw: An offense that may not be able to keep this up. Garoppolo has been carving defenses up with a ton of play-action passes — 38 percent of his dropbacks, per ESPN. Those plays have broken open for more than 10.5 yards per attempt, but the Niners’ dwindling stock of tailbacks and the growing tape library on San Francisco’s 2019 suggest defenses will catch on to this strategy sooner rather than later. If that threat is taken away, can the 49ers’ line continue to provide one of the league’s lowest sack rates for its oft-injured QB?

Seattle Seahawks (3-1)

Much like the Niners, Seattle’s impressive early record has come at the expense of the AFC North’s dregs. The Seahawks’ three wins have been against teams with one win between them, and that was the Steelers’ unwatchable victory over the Bengals.

Still, there’s plenty to like here. Russell Wilson remains a low-key MVP who has help from Chris Carson, Tyler Lockett, and the emergence of DK Metcalf and Will Dissly. No team has been more efficient in the red zone, where Seattle has turned 10 of its 13 trips into touchdowns.

Fatal flaw: Passing defense. The Legion of Boom salad days are over, giving way to a secondary that ranks 16th in opponent passer rating despite opening the season against Andy Dalton, Teddy Bridgewater, Kyler Murray, and three quarters of Mason Rudolph. This offense needs to be tested, sure — but the defense might run into even bigger problems once it has to face the high-powered offenses of the NFC West.

The seemingly safe(r) bets

Dallas Cowboys (3-1)

Dak Prescott didn’t put up big numbers in offensive coordinator Kellen Moore’s conservative gameplan against New Orleans, but he’d been outstanding his first three weeks. Prescott has emerged as an MVP candidate, leading the league in QBR (91.4) and averaging career highs in touchdown rate (7.1) and yards per pass (9.0). The Dallas defense has been nearly as impressive; the Cowboys have held opponents to fewer than 300 yards in each of their last three games and are allowing just a 26.5 percent conversion rate on third down.

Fatal flaw: Big-game playcalling. The Cowboys failed their first real test against a fellow contender when the Saints limited them to just 10 points in Week 4. New Orleans smothered the Dallas offense, shutting down Ezekiel Elliott and leaving Prescott lost in the wilderness and throwing into quadruple coverage late in the game.

The Cowboys, like the Niners and Seahawks, have done their best work against bad teams. There’s a chance they belong in the “I want to believe” tier, too.

Green Bay Packers (3-1)

Aaron Rodgers isn’t all the way back, and he may not have to be. Green Bay’s revamped defense has been better than advertised this season — though Week 4’s missteps against the Eagles’ running game may be cause for alarm. The Packers are 2-0 in games where they’ve scored 21 points or fewer so far. In 2018, Rodgers’ team was 0-6 in similar situations.

Fatal flaw: Matt LaFleur’s overthinking. The Packers’ offense excels early in games, but LaFleur struggles to create a dynamic gameplan once he has to deviate from his first quarter script. This was readily apparent in Week 4’s loss to Eagles, when he dialed up four straight passing plays in a first-and-goal situation from the Philadelphia 1. The Packers all failed in a seven-point loss.

New Orleans Saints (3-1)

New Orleans fell apart briefly after losing Drew Brees to a thumb injury in an 18-point loss to the Rams, then quickly picked up the pieces to dispatch the Seahawks and Cowboys in the following weeks. I’d previously written about how this version of the Saints was built to handle six to eight weeks of Teddy Bridgewater duty, but hot damn has this team risen to the occasion to escape the toughest part of its 2019 schedule at 3-1. New Orleans won a shootout in Seattle after giving up 514 yards in Week 3. The next week, it cut that number exactly in half against Dallas and stand alone atop the NFC South. While consistency may not be the Saints’ biggest asset, they have the conference’s strongest resume through four weeks.

Fatal flaw: Everything red zone, so far. New Orleans has only turned four of 11 red zone opportunities into touchdowns, but has allowed opponents to convert 10 of their 15 chances into six points. That’s a concern when all three of the Saints’ wins have come in one-possession games. The team has a -8 point differential through one quarter of the season, which is in no way sustainable for a playoff team.

Chicago Bears (3-1)

This is absolutely a championship-caliber defense. No team has scored more than 15 points against the Bears this season. Khalil Mack is unstoppable once again and has four forced fumbles and 4.5 sacks in four games. He’s just the biggest name on a depth chart loaded with playmakers. Chicago is so intimidating it can derail blockers with a sideways glance.

Danny Trevathan really beat Brandon Scherff with a "look over there" move pic.twitter.com/trLTc9hmdh

— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) September 24, 2019

But what about the offense? A multifaceted running game has averaged only 3.6 yards per carry this fall. And the passing game, well ...

Fatal flaw: Mitchell Trubisky. The third-year passer looked entirely overwhelmed when called on for big moments in his season opener against the Packers — his last seven dropbacks in that primetime game ended in one completion, one interception, and a game-ending sack on fourth down. While he recovered to carve up the Broncos in a clutch two-minute drill one week later, several questions remain about how he’ll stack up under the bright lights when his offense needs him most.

That said, the club proved it can win without him after defeating the Vikings with Chase Daniel behind center. If Trubisky can just be solid when he returns from a dislocated non-throwing shoulder, he’ll give the Bears enough juice to make a deep playoff run — especially now that the team seems to have a reliable kicker.

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apsbicepstraining · 7 years

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Kobe renders and Tebow thrives: our bold sports prophecies for 2017

On the heels of a boasts year that was chock full of amazes, Guardian US contributors make their bold prognosis for the months to come

Here are our daring projections for 2017. Please memo the daring ( or should that be bold ?) in bold prophecies these are to be taken with a pinch of salt. Especially the Tebow one.

Kobe Bryant will return from retirement

Few contestants are as prepared for their own lives after basketball than Kobe, a husband of diverse fascinates and prodigious worldwide prestige. Few athletes too are as ill-suited for retirement than Kobe, who burns to be on the court. These last-place few months away have to be killing him. He will mount a comeback, though probably not with the Lakers, who are building around a gifted young core of participates. Hes always wanted to play for the Knicks. Would Phil Jackson dare lower him on the same flooring as Carmelo Anthony? LC

Tiger Woods “re going to win” again

The notion that Woods could challenge for, let alone prevail, major championships was shortcoming even before his last and lengthy absence through injury. The depth of talent at golfs conference represents Woods will always be overawed and outplayed in such surroundings now.

Still, he can and will win lower tier PGA Tour events. Timbers has a inclination to prevail on the same tracks, as shows up his register. He holds more competitive ability than some of the individuals who win once or twice on Tour in any generated year. If fitness hassles certainly are behind Lumbers, he will return to the platform. Then? Cue more major consideration. EM

An American not appointed Serena will win a grand slam title

Serena Williams did acquire Wimbledon six months ago, so gives not make her in the soil just yet. But shes now closer to 40 than 30 there are still no question her stranglehold on the womens tour was faded during a year that determined the late-blooming Angelique Kerber triumph a duo of major entitlements to inherit “the worlds” No1 grading on deserve. The door has never been more open for the boasts 90 s babies. Garbie Muguruza and Karolina Pliskova took advantage in 2016; Madison Keys are as follows this year. The 21 -year-old from Illinois, who has played into the second week at the last six majors, has all the fires, and power on both wings. Look for her to give it all together and become the first American woman not reputation Williams to capture a major singles title since Jennifer Capriati in 2002. BAG

A wildcard crew will win Super Bowl LI

The NFL playoffs do not favor wildcard teams. To prevail the Super Bowl as a wildcard you have to win on the road three straight weeks and thumped three of the conferences top teams. That said, it has happened six hours before. Three of the last 11 Super Bowl champs came into the postseason as wildcards and 2017 s will as well. With no great, dominant crew, the footpath is wide open. The Lions stumbled late in the season but still have a potent offense and the Patriots would rather forget their Super Bowls against the Whale and Eli Manning. LC

Villanova will finish the regular season undefeated

Villanova are gazing red-hot again this season. Photograph: Steven Branscombe/ USA Today Sports

The Wildcats have moved to No1 in the canvas, but virtually no commentators predicted a recur for a Villanova team that rendered most of its title-winning 2016 crew. Aside from a shaky rendition against DePaul late in 2016, the Wildcats have been stellar this season. Josh Hart has been best available actor in the country, Jalen Brunson renders offense at will when he has the dance and Villanova are touching their threes something they didnt do until the tournament last-place season. Ken Pomeroys stats say the Wildcats have less than a 2% chance to go undefeated in the regular season, but with this unit I like those curious. DM

Sebastian Giovinco will return to Europe

Arguably the best actor in its own history of Major League Soccer, Sebastian Giovinco has stimulated himself a superstar at Toronto FC. But his success has come at a cost. Italy manager Giampiero Ventura, just like Antonio Conte before him, says the playmaker has no international future as long as he is a MLS actor. And so Giovinco could be tempted back to Europe, especially with the 2018 World Cup coming into view. GR

Tim Tebow will expand as a baseball player

At first glance, it seems that New York Mets farmhand Tim Tebow, super-athlete and sun of all of our lives, sufficiently flunked during the course of its stint in the Arizona Fall League, and thats maybe because of his measly slash course of. 194/.296 /. 242 over 70 plateful illusions. Tebow did not punched a single home run, but he did help save a fan having a seizure, staying with him until the paramedics arrived, and so its perhaps safe to say that the outfielder is more Moonlight Graham than Babe Ruth, right? Not so quickly: Tebow was emulating against some of the best potentials baseball has to offer, and picked up steam as he went, finishing with an 11 -game stretch where he stumbled. 281 and posted an OBP of. 425. In 2017, the Mets elude all logic and hopes by their May promotion of a surging Tebow to help with their droop mid-week attendance. The Wilpons exchange a package they call Tebow Tuesdays, which predicts at the least one pinch-hit image per-game and private autograph conferences for the first 50 to sign up. Tebow not only lives, but prospers, becoming a cornerstone in the Mets lineup as they acquire their first name since 1986. DL

Tom Brady will finally show signs of age

Tom Brady remains ahead of the youngsters … for now. Photograph: Reinhold Matay/ USA Today Sports

Tom Brady will turn 40 before the 2017 season. Saying a 40 -year old athlete in a contact sport will appear his age doesnt seem specially bold, but in Bradys case, it is. In his age 39 season this year, hes the favourite for league MVP and is having one of the best seasons of his vocation. But Peyton Mannings performance fell of a cliff from his age 38 to 39 seasons and Brett Favres did the same in the only season he opened as a 40 year-old. Perhaps Brady extends his youth a year or two beyond that duet, but the end is coming. Soon. Time, unlike the 2007 New England Patriots, is undefeated. DG

Floyd Mayweather makes a face turn

No one guesses hes genuinely retired, even if more than 15 months have legislated since he last clambered through the ropes. Not when one more contend could promote him to the singular differentiate of 50-0, one better than Bumpy Marcianos accepted epitome of fistic perfection. Not when he can effectively identify his own toll as a free agent, having fulfilled his six-fight contract with CBS and Showtime.

Many insiders speculate a rematch with Manny Pacquiao towers, which, despite the tart aftertaste of their first installment, would still be the second-richest engage in biography. But it says here Mayweather will instead opt to fight Adrien Broner, an adversary who scarcely deserves the possibilities of but one who would allow Floyd to take on the unfamiliar capacity of good guy in the promotion.

Eight-figure paydays werent the norm for Mayweather until he swerved heel, trading in his respectful and humble Pretty Boy Floyd persona for a pantomime scoundrel whom more love pay to watch lose than watch win. But simply because he made the business decision to break bad doesnt signify he doesnt am worried about beings liking him. By going against the one fighter in the world more disliked than himself, Mayweather will exit video games as the cowboy in the white-hot hat. BAG

Los Angeles will be awarded the 2024 Olympics

Maybe this doesnt prepare as a bold prophecy, after all most of the other competitors have put out. But Los Angeles was formerly killed as a hopeful after the USOC opted Boston as the American city to push. It has never seemed like LA was a favorite of anyone to legion video games for a third time. The other competitors Paris and Budapest are more pleading choices. And hitherto LA might be the perfect Olympic city. The facilities are already in place. It is likely to be host the Competition next year. For the foregoing reasons Los Angeles will be the safe option. Probably the only choice. LC

Ronda Rousey redoubles down … and wins big

After being embarrassed by Amanda Nunes in Las Vegas on Friday, many have conjectured that Ronda Rousey wont fight again. Shes noncommittal but we say she will penetrate the octagon during the first half of the brand-new year, before Conor McGregor even books another combat, and get back to her winning practices. It wont is currently under 135 lbs, nonetheless. Rousey will venture up to the featherweight department and chase down a fight with Cris Cyborg Justino( presuming she available after a PED tussle with Usada) in a last trench effort to rebuild herself as a competitor and secure one more big-money fighting. JG

The Washington Nationals will miss the playoffs

Although the National did triumph the NL East by eight competitions in 2016, reciting in 2017 will be substantially more difficult. They should not expect Daniel Murphy to have the demon season that he had in 2016. Washington was also apparently chasing some bigger reputations this offseason including starting pitcher Chris Sale and closer Kenley Jansen , amongst other, but were unable to territory them. While having Max Scherzer and Bryce Harper on a listing can make any team a playoff hopeful, there are questions encircling their role players including an oft-injured Ryan Zimmerman and an aging Jayson Werth. With the Mets power limbs rendering from trauma, and other NL units including the St Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants becoming moves this offseason, the Nationals will have a rockier road to October. EF

An NFL player will come out as homosexual

Michael Sam was the first openly lesbian musician drawn up in NFL history. Photograph: Jasen Vinlove/ USA Today Sports

An active NFL player, one known to casual devotees, will come out as homosexual. As of now, the specter of Michael Sam, the defensive goal who came out prior to the NFL sketch and discontinued up never playing in a regular season activity, looms over the conference as a missed opening. Sams story isnt one that anyone wants to see recited. Because of this, I amply expect the first out player in the conference to be someone who is already established as an NFL-caliber player and has had significant know dealing with the national media, two advantages that Sam never had. HF

The NHL takes actual steps to increase scoring

Yes, I know. This is supposed to be a bold prediction, and suggesting that a pro boasts tournament will try to boost offense doesnt exactly definitely sounds like going out on a limb. Every league knows that tallying exchanges, and every conference manufactures sure the rulebook helps abundance of it. Its plays sell 101.

But this is the NHL were talking about. The tournament has talks to boosting offense for over two decades literally but they never actually do it. This time, the decided theyd tweak the goaltending material. Then, shrieks, they didnt constitute such adjustments in time, so good-for-nothing changed. Thats just how things go in the NHL.

But I think this year could be different. Maybe its wishful thinking, but todays NHL is parcelled with agitating young endowment like we havent considered to be in an entire generation. Surely now is the time to let them glisten. Surely now is when well lastly get some forwards fantasizing from a league addicted to its past. Surely we cant do three straight decades of throwing tallying charges while the powers that be twiddle their thumbs and wonder why ratings are down.

Or maybe we are in a position. But you asked for something bold. In the NHL, unhappily, this prepares. SM

The Los Angeles Lakers will construct the NBA playoffs

I can hear you rolled your eyes through personal computers. Real cute, but these projections are supposed to be bold, right? The Lakers are currently exclusively two games out of the eighth seed in the Western Conference. Granted, they are also only three games ahead of the cellar-dwelling Phoenix Suns, but that just goes to show you how mushy and undefined the merits of the West is right now. Anyone could catch fire for a few weeks and find themselves volunteering to be razed by the Fighters in four tournaments this spring.

The Lakers were poising around. 500 before Thanksgiving, then misplaced 12 of 13 during a brutal superhighway journey made worse by injuries to Julius Randle, DAngelo Russell, Nick Young, and Larry Nance Jr. A health Laker team still cant performance much protection, but they are unable score against anybody, as triumphs over the Warriors, Thunder, Rockets, and a short-handed Clippers team proves. Most importantly, they have as good an opportunity as anyone in the West basement. The Kings, Pelicans, Mavericks, Timberwolves, and Blazers all have genuine hotshots, but what the Lakers can offer is something close to the team cohesion that defines the elite forces in the NBA. This is still a bumpy gang that is dragging a few laughable contracts down special courts every night, but they have as good as possibility as anyone right now. DS

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footyplusau · 7 years

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AFL competition framework is better than ever. So can we stop the fiddling for five minutes?

If your definition of a great competition is every team having at least some sort of chance of beating any other team on a given day, then AFL football has never been in as good a shape as right now.

Take a look at the ladder. Two of the bottom three spots are currently filled by two of the three most successful sides of the past decade. The other has played finals the past three years and twice been within one win of a grand final berth.

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Cats slay Saints in final quarter

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FootyFix: Can the Tiges keep it up?

Rohan Connolly previews all the footy action ahead of round 5 in the AFL.

Cats slay Saints in final quarter

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Cats slay Saints in final quarter

Geelong remain undefeated after claiming a 126-88 win over a spirited St Kilda outfit at Etihad Stadium.

Tuohy tries a different tactic

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Tuohy tries a different tactic

Zac Tuohy tried something just a bit different as Tim Membreylined up a set shot.

AFL hit with another racist incident

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AFL hit with another racist incident

Footage shows a man launching a vile tirade at Saturday’s Brisbane Lions-Western Bulldogs game.

Heath Shaw’s insensitive sledge

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Heath Shaw’s insensitive sledge

Giant Heath Shaw has come under fire and since apologised after calling Swan Tom Papley a ‘f***ing retard’.

Dockers stun Kangaroos at the death

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Dockers stun Kangaroos at the death

Fremantle have claimed their third consecutive win, defeating North Melbourne 67-62 in Perth in a thriller that went down to the wire.

Outstanding Giants pour more misery on Swans

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Outstanding Giants pour more misery on …

Outstanding Giants pour more misery on Swans

Buddy Franklin’s 800th career goal was little consolation for the Swans as GWS condemned their cross-town rivals to a fifth straight loss.

Dockers’ last minute win

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Dockers’ last minute win

Having trailed since the first quarter the Dockers left it until the very last minute to make their push.

FootyFix: Can the Tiges keep it up?

Rohan Connolly previews all the footy action ahead of round 5 in the AFL.

Brisbane and Carlton, tipped almost universally this season to finish 17th and 18th, have at least won a game. And on Saturday, the Lions led the reigning premier by 38 points shortly before half-time, a Western Bulldogs outfit which came from seventh after the regular season to win a flag.

If that doesn’t signify evenness and unpredictability, what does? As for exciting games, we’re hardly short of them are we? So what’s with this incessant need to tinker, not just with laws of the game, but the very framework of an AFL competition that is working just fine?

The Bulldogs won the grand final from seventh place last year. Photo: AFL Media/Getty Images

We’ve become used to the annual night grand final kite-flying exercise. Last year there was a concerted campaign to offer Brisbane and potentially other clubs more assistance because they hadn’t been in the finals for – shock, horror – a few seasons.

And now we’re getting more impromptu “suck it and see” polling with the concept of a 17-5 fixture. Well, I’m sick to death of it. And I’m not the only one.

The 17-5 fixture concept is one of AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan’s favourite kites. And he’s got plenty of helpers (usually connected to TV networks) all too ready to take it out for a run seemingly every few weeks.

In the latest breathless dispatches, we’re told three groups of six teams would be ruled off after every team had played each other once, the top two “conferences” fighting out a top eight berth, but even more stupidly, a bottom-six side potentially given a finals chance as well as points to use in the next national draft.

Lions players look dejected after losing the round five AFL match against the Western Bulldogs on Saturday. Photo: Getty Images

The 17-5 model is necessary, apparently, because there’s not enough incentive for teams stuck in the bottom six after 17 rounds. Well, here’s one. Try winning more of your first 17 games. If you don’t, why on earth should you deserve a chance for a “wildcard” finals spot or whatever US sport-inspired jargon seems sexy right now?

Apparently, the fact that last year none of Carlton, Brisbane, Richmond, Fremantle or Gold Coast won more than one of their last five games highlights the need for a “new solution”. In fact, perhaps all it highlighted was that they just weren’t very good teams.

We play 198 home and away games a season now. News flash. Not all of them are going to be gripping, nor have finals spots riding on them. And even with close to 200 games to churn through, I’ll wager there’s a higher percentage that indeed do have something riding on them than the 132 we played in a 12-team competition until 30 years ago.

A solution to tanking? It’s talk that had some credence when teams stood to earn an extra priority draft pick as well as one for finishing at the bottom of the ladder. But the AFL dispensed with institutionalised priority picks five years ago.

Now that the only gap between clubs’ draft hands is determined by ladder positions, is the difference between draft selection No.1 as opposed to Nos. 2-3-4-5-6 on a 40-man playing list really enough to have AFL clubs even considering deliberately dropping games? Give me a break.

As for adding excitement? So the top six spend the last five rounds playing each other. Given they’re the best-performed teams to date, it’s more than likely they lock horns at least once again, if not more, during the finals proper. Is that more exciting? Or more a case of familiarity breeding if not contempt, boredom.

And speaking of incentives, if we adopted the 17-5 model, would clubs, knowing they could still potentially play finals even were they 13th on the ladder with just five games left, still hit the regular season as hard?

What would be the point if you only had to be somewhere vaguely beyond the bottom five to still have a chance in September? You could spell some players for half a season and have them hit a physical peak for two months only.

We could effectively call the first 17 rounds pre-season, scrap the home and away tag and have a nine-week finals series. See how ridiculous this gets?

Perhaps I’m getting old and cranky. But the goldfish memories, driving of agendas and constant refusal to consider history as context infecting football more and more drives me batty. The 17-5 fixture and the rationale for its necessity are just another example.

But I’m also not too old and wedded to the past to realise that right now, we have a framework of an AFL competition that is the best it’s ever been. The model isn’t broken. It doesn’t need fixing. How about we leave it the bloody hell alone for at least five minutes?

AND WHILE I’M AT IT

Up for grabs: North were unlucky to lose out in another close contest. Photo: Paul Kane

So how are North Melbourne going? Depends who you ask. My suggestion on Twitter on Saturday evening that the Roos had been stiff this season certainly drew plenty of scorn.

There was the usual “chokers” label regularly applied indiscriminately to any team which loses by a kick after leading. And in North’s case, the increasingly regular “Brad Scott must go” lines.

I wonder, though, how many people throwing those tags around expected much more from the Roos this season than they’re getting? Not many, I would have thought. And if those that did were unrealistic to expect more, I reckon they’re also being a bit harsh now.

This is a team that has calculatedly taken the rebuilding route, with the departures of five veterans at the end of last year shedding close to 1600 games worth of collective experience to do so. This year was never going to be smooth sailing, most people consigning the Roos to the bottom four, where with a 0-5 scoreline now, they’re every chance to wind up.

The question now is whether the focus, after three losses by under a kick, should be on the five-goal leads North have given up each time, or the effort in getting to those winning positions. I think it’s the latter.

Fremantle and North Melbourne line up for ANZAC ceremonies at Domain Stadium. Photo: Daniel Carson/AFL Media

Two of the defeats have been to a reigning premier and a preliminary finalist of last season, both in pretty decent form again. The other, on Saturday, was against a clearly revitalised Fremantle in Perth, the most difficult of road trips, where North have won just twice in their last dozen appearances.

It’s true the Roos under Scott have issues in the tight finish. In his eighth season as coach, North have lost 21 games decided by single figures, and won only nine. Then again, how many expected them to be that close to those three teams this season anyway?

The effort can’t be questioned. And the gains have been considerable, the Roos already using 29 players and handing six their AFL debuts, all of whom have had some sort of impact when given a chance.

Senior recruits Nathan Hrovat and Marley Williams have added plenty, Trent Dumont has improved out of sight, Mason Wood is now back in the mix, and while senior types Jarrad Waite and Ben Jacobs are still several weeks away, there’s more good kids ready to have a crack in Ryan Clarke, Sam Durdin and Corey Wagner.

If there’s one thing Scott should look at harder now, it’s playing even more of their like and having the courage to drop some under-performing veterans. But this is a team playing much, much better than a 0-5 win-loss record would indicate. And while it’s easy to parrot lines like you’re only as good as the scoreboard, in North’s case right now, that is patently untrue.

The post AFL competition framework is better than ever. So can we stop the fiddling for five minutes? appeared first on Footy Plus.

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getseriouser · 7 years

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20 THOUGHTS: Lest We Forget

A month of footy behind us, three teams remain undefeated, three teams remain winless. We might have thought Hawthorn would be in that first group, perhaps Richmond in the latter, but no, the world has been turned on its head and all of what we thought might happen in 2017 has been thrown out the window.

Let’s bust some myths, let’s disagree with some hard opinion, a lot of what many think is real is not, and a lot of what is being dismissed already should not be hastily so just yet.

1. �� Damien Barrett wrote a column on the AFL website suggesting Dion Prestia used his crystal ball and Medium qualities to see the future, to see that Richmond would start the season 4-0, Hawthorn 0-4, and thus chose the Tigers over the Hawks towards the end of last season. Rubbish. Richmond offered a young man more cash than Hawthorn did, it’s as easy as that. Who was so confident nine months ago that Richmond would start 2017 so much better than Hawthorn, who thought then too that the Tigers might be closer to a flag than the Hawks, who still thinks that now anyway? It was simply dollars Damo, don’t get sucked into sexy hindsight, for goodness sake.

2. Who has Richmond beaten? Carlton offered very little in Round One, narrowly edging Collingwood in 2017 is far from a glowing endorsement, West Coast in Melbourne in monsoonal rain will always be a coin toss and was anyone surprised in Brisbane losing another game? The Tigers are a fraudulent four and zero, let’s see how they are going in a month – they are still every chance to still miss the finals.

3. Before we move back to Hawthorn, who have Geelong beaten? Fremantle didn’t turn up this season until Round Three, North Melbourne found a way to lose a game they should have won, that’s the zero and four North Melbourne, Melbourne should have had Geelong all wrapped up by three-quarter-time yet somehow lost, and then the Cats defeated Hawthorn by as much as the Suns did the week prior. Still every chance to not make the finals as well.

4. So, the Hawks. Up the proverbial without an oar, paddle, boat, lifejacket, whatever you like, it doesn’t look good. To make matters worse, the compensation of a great pick in this year’s draft to facilitate the bounce back isn’t there because they have traded most of this year’s and last year’s good picks away to get O’Meara and Mitchell in. So they’ll need to be ruthless in the trade, and that means the likes of Rioli, Gunston, Smith, Puopolo and Breust. And if that sounds too fantastical, they’ve got form in moving big names, Mitchell and Lewis, so to not repeat the dose this year would be massively inconsistent, especially when it’s now even more important to do so.

5. David King is suggesting Jordan De Goey needs to come in ahead of time to help the Magpies out. De Goey did a seriously dumb thing and his three-match whack was on-point. To then say that he can come back early because the team needs him is awful – firstly, what kind of message is that sending about how strong your club is, and two – who made De Goey Chris Judd suddenly and that influential to a side with clearly more problems than just missing a 21-year old who hasn’t really proven anything yet?

6. And then Kingy’s second howler – sending Ben Reid forward. Sure, he is a nice catch of the ball and maybe a better target than White or Moore right now, but who’s to say he’ll kick any straighter, or even get a chance to hit the scoreboard with the way the Pies are butchering the ball going forward anyway? And even if Reid looks ok as a forward, what impact does it have the to the back six who are thin as it is for reinforcements. Not a good week for you David my man.

7. Any muppet who thought Jack Ziebell or Josh Gibson should have gotten weeks, a fine, anything for their hits, seriously needs to consider professional rubix cube or kite flying. Yes, protect the head, yes, heavily penalise those who take cheap shots or show a lack of sportsmanship. But a suspension, please, it’s a contact sport, sheparding and clean, fair hits are still promoted, I have no idea what’s going on sometimes.

8. The loser of Tuesday’s game is done for 2017. For Collingwood, to lose to an Essendon side that is vulnerable, beatable, and other than a rousing win in Round One are showing they are not yet on the way back up from 2016 – it would be the lowest of lows. Buckley will then be looking at when, not if, will be the right time to exit, during the year or at year’s end.

9. For Essendon, after that big win against the Hawks, it’s been flat since. Nothing gets a season back on track like a massive Anzac Day, and to take down Collingwood and get to 2-3 will be huge, the confidence it would provide the whole club can’t be measured. Lose though and its curtains.

10. How are the Demons not 4-0? Maybe ask Lewis and ol’ “Benson and Hedges” Hogan, but like I said earlier, they had Geelong on the ropes in the third quarter but still lost, and then Fremantle were admittedly great but the Dees should be winning that game every day of the week. They’re a good footy side, but they are dropping points which will hurt them down the road.

11. As for the Dockers, the eight is on track. They were MIA the first two weeks but should still win enough games to give seventh or eighth a real show. Any team that is coached by Lyon and has Fyfe, Mundy, Sandilands, Neale, Walters and now a couple of Hills will do well this year.

12. St Kilda are building a very strong case to maybe even host a final this year, let alone scrape in. They weren’t super last week against Collingwood but have all the ingredients to at worst win more games than they’ll lose, maybe even win 13-14..

13. A lot of talk about Collingwood’s pressure, especially the tackling. What’s been missed is the Sydney game was a false result. Because of the way the Swans dictate games you will always get more tackles than usual. So the mass spike in tackles by the Pies was not because of greater intensity but because of how that game was played. It’s like saying “oh, Richmond is usually great at set-shot accuracy but last week they were really bad, what’s gone wrong” if that game was played in the wet. So last week wasn’t so much a regression of effort per se against the Saint just that the week before was an outlier.

14. The Crows look great, but are they too hot too early? Can they sustain what they are doing, most certainly not. There’ll be a patch where they might cool off, but they need to make sure that when the whips are cracking they are able to turn the form they are currently showing back on, because it’ll win them a flag no question.

15. Hawthorn are in the dumps, and it’s a big fall from grace so I can get why it’s sexy. Yet, Isaac Smith kicks that goal after the siren in Week One of the finals and the Hawks make the Prelim. He doesn’t, and now they have won only two of their last eight games – not good.

16. However, how about North Melbourne just quietly. Many have forgotten their horror back-end to last year, so with their poor start to 2017 the Roos have now lost 14 of their last 16 games. They might be rebuilding, but still.

17. The third man up ruck rule fiasco is heating up. I like the new rule; it definitely helps ruckmen out. But the nominate thing, why do we need that, it’s just adding confusion. How about two ruckmen go for it, if a third player gets involved for whatever reason, free kick against? The nomination aspect seems totally excessive and redundant.

18. Three big games this week to highlight – firstly Melbourne against Richmond Monday night. Melbourne is a much better team, have been losing games they should not have, and Richmond is not too dissimilar to the likes of Geelong and Fremantle, so if they lose they’ve stuffed up big time.

19. Sydney take on the Giants on Saturday, the eighteenth franchise has never won at the SCG and in theory should do so quite easily however a slip up is a big chance. The Swans aren’t that bad, sure, the Giants are good, but has the potential for an upset this one.

20. St Kilda has Geelong this week in a monster game. The Saints are the superior team, no question. A reality check for Geelong backers is in store, St Kilda will show they have leapfrogged the once-mighty Cats.

(originally published April 21)

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junker-town · 7 years

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NFL power rankings 2017, Week 4: Upsets gave renewed hope to Bills, Jaguars

Some odd results in Week 4 turned the NFL upside down.

There weren’t many surprises in Week 2, but this weekend provided plenty of eye-opening results. The Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers all looked surprisingly vulnerable in defeats, while teams like the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars won easily.

Some things were normal: Tom Brady led a game-winning drive, the Browns lost again, and the Lions lost via weird rule.

But for a lot of the league, Week 3 turned things upside down and breathed life into a few teams that had a rough start.

Riding high

Tennessee Titans

The Week 1 loss to the Raiders took the wind out of the sails of the Titans early, but after scoring 70 points in the last two weeks against some good defenses, Tennessee has the right to be feeling pretty good.

In the annually weak AFC South, the Titans are tied with the Jaguars for first at 2-1, but own the tiebreaker currently after beating up Jacksonville in Week 2. Things are looking good for Tennessee.

Washington

The Raiders didn’t just lose on Sunday night, they got dominated by Washington. A 27-10 score doesn’t even really do justice when the total yards were 472 to 128.

Kirk Cousins looked amazing and Washington may be a real threat in an NFC East that looks completely up for grabs.

Philadelphia Eagles

Beating the Giants wasn’t as smooth sailing for the Eagles as beating the Raiders was for Washington, but Jake Elliott came to the rescue with two field goals in the last minute, including a 61-yarder to win.

If you haven’t already, watch Elliott’s parents get to see their son make his first game winner as a professional.

Probably the best reaction from @LFFStadium: Jake Elliott's parents. #FlyEaglesFly http://pic.twitter.com/5sy9IKjk0L

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 24, 2017

That’s good stuff. Don’t you dare be mean to those nice people, Philadelphia.

Low spirits

Baltimore Ravens

The good news is that the Ravens are still undefeated in the United States. The bad news is everything that happened between 9:30 a.m. and noon ET on Sunday. What the hell was that, guys?

Joe Flacco was terrible. The defense was terrible. Running back Alex Collins looked good and literally nobody else. Maybe it was just a London thing.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Another year, another season where Jameis Winston at quarterback is like spinning a roulette wheel. Sometimes he leads 29-7 victories like in Week 2, other times he throws three interceptions and the Buccaneers lose badly.

Tampa Bay has been waiting for Winston to stop making silly mistakes, but it seems engrained in his DNA.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Only beating the Browns by three in Week 1 raised eyebrows, but losing to the Bears warrants sounding some alarms. Especially because Chicago just capitalized on Pittsburgh mistakes and bullied the Steelers with a strong rushing attack.

Giving up 220 rushing yards is almost always a losing formula. The last team to give up that much and win was ... the Steelers. They gave up 231 to the Browns in Week 17 last year, but got a win in overtime.

It’s probably not a good habit to get into.

0-3 teams

A rough start was to be expected for rebuilding teams like the 49ers and Browns. But for the Bengals, Giants and Chargers, this is a disaster. New York, in particular, was a team many thought would be a real competitor after an 11-5 season last year.

The last team to make the playoffs following an 0-3 start was the 1998 Bills, so the reality is that all five teams that haven’t found a win yet are just about toast.

Full hope rankings

Weekly disclaimer: These aren’t your average power rankings and are instead an attempt to measure the current state of mind — or “hope” — for each team.

There will be weeks where a bad football team can come away feeling good about their future, or a good team will show serious weaknesses that damper spirits — like the Broncos and Raiders this week.

If you’re looking a ranking of who would beat who, this isn’t always going to be the best gauge:

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apsbicepstraining · 7 years

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Kobe renders and Tebow thrives: our bold sports prophecies for 2017

On the heels of a boasts year that was chock full of amazes, Guardian US contributors make their bold prognosis for the months to come

Here are our daring projections for 2017. Please memo the daring ( or should that be bold ?) in bold prophecies these are to be taken with a pinch of salt. Especially the Tebow one.

Kobe Bryant will return from retirement

Tiger Woods “re going to win” again

An American not appointed Serena will win a grand slam title

A wildcard crew will win Super Bowl LI

Villanova will finish the regular season undefeated

Villanova are gazing red-hot again this season. Photograph: Steven Branscombe/ USA Today Sports

Sebastian Giovinco will return to Europe

Tim Tebow will expand as a baseball player

Tom Brady will finally show signs of age

Tom Brady remains ahead of the youngsters … for now. Photograph: Reinhold Matay/ USA Today Sports

Floyd Mayweather makes a face turn

Los Angeles will be awarded the 2024 Olympics

Ronda Rousey redoubles down … and wins big

The Washington Nationals will miss the playoffs

An NFL player will come out as homosexual

Michael Sam was the first openly lesbian musician drawn up in NFL history. Photograph: Jasen Vinlove/ USA Today Sports

The NHL takes actual steps to increase scoring

Or maybe we are in a position. But you asked for something bold. In the NHL, unhappily, this prepares. SM

The Los Angeles Lakers will construct the NBA playoffs

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apsbicepstraining · 7 years

Text

Kobe renders and Tebow thrives: our bold sports prophecies for 2017

On the heels of a boasts year that was chock full of amazes, Guardian US contributors make their bold prognosis for the months to come

Here are our daring projections for 2017. Please memo the daring ( or should that be bold ?) in bold prophecies these are to be taken with a pinch of salt. Especially the Tebow one.

Kobe Bryant will return from retirement

Tiger Woods “re going to win” again

An American not appointed Serena will win a grand slam title

A wildcard crew will win Super Bowl LI

Villanova will finish the regular season undefeated

Villanova are gazing red-hot again this season. Photograph: Steven Branscombe/ USA Today Sports

Sebastian Giovinco will return to Europe

Tim Tebow will expand as a baseball player

Tom Brady will finally show signs of age

Tom Brady remains ahead of the youngsters … for now. Photograph: Reinhold Matay/ USA Today Sports

Floyd Mayweather makes a face turn

Los Angeles will be awarded the 2024 Olympics

Ronda Rousey redoubles down … and wins big

The Washington Nationals will miss the playoffs

An NFL player will come out as homosexual

Michael Sam was the first openly lesbian musician drawn up in NFL history. Photograph: Jasen Vinlove/ USA Today Sports

The NHL takes actual steps to increase scoring

Or maybe we are in a position. But you asked for something bold. In the NHL, unhappily, this prepares. SM

The Los Angeles Lakers will construct the NBA playoffs

The post Kobe renders and Tebow thrives: our bold sports prophecies for 2017 appeared first on apsbicepstraining.com.

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#IFTTT #WordPress

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junker-town · 7 years

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Which 2-0 and 0-2 NFL teams will see their fortunes change?

Some undefeated teams haven’t looked so convincing.

With the third NFL Sunday of the year on the way, eight teams are 2-0 and eight are 0-2. The Buccaneers and Dolphins, both 1-0, still yet to play a second game, while the 49ers are 0-3 after a Thursday night loss to the 2-1 Rams.

Since 2007, a 2-0 start has meant a trip to the playoffs 57.8 percent of the time. An 0-2 beginning to the season has ended with a spot in the postseason just 10.7 percent of the time.

The Miami Dolphins managed to rebound from an 0-2 — and eventually 1-4 — start to earn a wild card berth last year. Before that, the Texans and Seahawks bounced back from 0-2 records to get to the playoffs in 2015.

Basically, the season is far from over.

Teams at the top of the standings are in good shape, but have a long way to go, and teams at the bottom have time to turn it around. But we can still expect the majority of the 2-0 teams to keep the good times rolling and almost every 0-2 team to continue marching toward a top draft pick.

Which 2-0 teams will take a wrong turn?

Last year, the Minnesota Vikings climbed all the 5-0 before the season turned into a disaster. It’ll take more than just two wins for teams in 2017 to have a level of comfort that is warranted.

After two weeks, these are the eight undefeated teams — not including the Dolphins and Buccaneers:

Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Carolina Panthers Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Kansas City Chiefs Oakland Raiders Pittsburgh Steelers

The most difficult paths probably belong to the three teams in the AFC West: The Broncos, Chiefs, and Raiders. Just having to play each other represents four difficult games on each team’s schedule. Only one can win the division crown while the other two will have to hope for a wild card berth.

But those also look like three of the least fluky teams in the league. It’s certainly possible one or two of the AFC West trio don’t end up in the postseason, but there are much likelier candidates for a collapse.

Panthers

The Panthers’ win over the 49ers wasn’t very impressive in Week 1 and the team struggled to get past the Bills in Week 2. Against a pair of awful offenses, Carolina allowed just a field goal in each win, but expecting the same result in the next few weeks with the Saints, Patriots, and Lions coming up is probably wishful thinking.

So it will be on the Panthers’ offense to look much better than it has so far.

Cam Newton hasn’t looked right so far, although a game against the New Orleans defense is a good way to return to form. If he doesn’t though, things could turn south for Carolina in a hurry.

Ravens

Baltimore has looked great so far. The Ravens boast the NFL’s second-best point differential, just one point behind the Raiders. The offense looks good, the defense has played lights out and the Ravens have plenty of reason to be optimistic.

But it was against the Bengals and Browns — a pair of offensively challenged teams, to say the least.

In each of the two wins, the Ravens forced five turnovers. That’s simply not going to continue and Baltimore is going to have to find wins against teams that aren’t prone to self-destruct.

Lions

Detroit has scored a ton of points to start the season. Then again, the Cardinals collapsed in the second half and the Giants are a thumbs-down failure so far.

It’s still reasonable to question the Lions’ defense, and their struggles to run the ball probably aren’t quashed, even if Ameer Abdullah found 86 yards against New York.

The Lions have proven plenty capable of ruining a good shot at the NFC North title, and a 2-0 start is far from something to feel comfortable about.

Which 0-2 teams can turn things around?

Teams that start the year 2-0 and then don’t make the playoffs is more common than the opposite. There are only 12 spots in the playoffs and good teams can get left out.

None of the eight 0-2 teams have come close to looking good enough. Those teams are:

Chicago Bears Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Indianapolis Colts Los Angeles Chargers New Orleans Saints New York Giants New York Jets

For some of those teams — like the Jets and Bears — expectations weren’t too high for the 2017 season. None of them are complete shockers, but it’s a been disappointing start for a few.

With a 41-39 loss Thursday, San Francisco dropped to 0-3 and could be included in the list as well. However, the last 0-3 team to reverse course and make the playoffs were the 1998 Bills, so it’s probably safe to write off the rebuilding 49ers.

But there’s still time for the others to turn a rough start into a good season, even if it still doesn’t end in a trip to the playoffs.

Saints

The offense is good and the defense is terrible. Where have I heard this story before? Oh, just about every season Sean Payton has been coach of the team with a few random exception years.

Still, the Saints are consistently competitive and starting the season against the Sam Bradford-led Vikings and the Patriots was tough. Games against the Panthers and Dolphins may allow for a rebound.

Browns

The Browns? Yeah, the Browns.

They’ve been the laughingstock of the NFL for basically forever, but there’s reason to believe in the way Sashi Brown and Hue Jackson are rebuilding the franchise. This Cleveland team is filled with young players and sometimes those are squads that can randomly get hot and start rattling off wins.

Games against the Ravens and Steelers were a tough way to start, but the Browns play the Colts, Bengals and Jets in the next three weeks — three others teams that are all sitting in the 0-2 pile.

Chargers

Two weeks in a row, Younghoe Koo lined up for a field goal at the end of regulation. Both times it was no good. His try against the Broncos would’ve tied the game, but was blocked. A shot to beat the Dolphins just went wide right.

The Chargers are a remarkably unlucky team and there’s a chance things turn around just because the law of averages dictates it probably should eventually, right?

With many more winnable games in the back half of the team’s schedule, the Chargers could salvage 2017 and finish with a decent record, but catching and passing any of the three teams at the top of the AFC West will be a challenge.

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junker-town · 7 years

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The NFC West is vying with the AFC South to be the NFL’s saddest division

We’re only two weeks into the season, but it’s not looking good for the Seahawks, Cardinals, Rams, and 49ers.

The first two weeks of the season haven’t been kind to the NFC West. Right now, the division looks similar to 2010, when the Seahawks won it with a 7-9 record.

The Seahawks didn’t score a touchdown this season until the fourth quarter in Week 2. Seattle is sitting at 1-1 right now, leading the division by virtue of beating another NFC West team, the 49ers. Otherwise they might still be winless.

Russell Wilson’s doing his best, but the offensive line is atrocious. Even Seattle’s talent on defense isn’t enough to overcome the weaknesses on the other side of the ball.

And speaking of San Francisco, they’re lingering at the bottom of this division with no wins so far. Few people had high expectations for the 49ers this season, as they go through the rebuilding process with a rookie head coach, Kyle Shanahan, and general manager, John Lynch.

Shanahan coaxed an MVP performance out of Matt Ryan in 2016, but Brian Hoyer ... well, he’s not Matt Ryan. Hoyer has thrown for 262 total yards over two games and has no touchdowns against two interceptions. He’s also taken six sacks so far, which isn’t helping.

The Niners defense actually looks a bit improved over last season, but it’s probably not going to be enough to be competitive with this offense.

And the Cardinals and Rams aren’t much better. Arizona gave up yet another fourth quarter comeback to Matthew Stafford and the Lions in Week 1, and their only win was over the hapless Colts in Week 2. The Rams look like the best team in the division right now, but you have to weigh that against how bad the rest of the division is.

Back in 2010, the best team in the division was the Seahawks, and they won it with a 7-9 record. They got to host a Wild Card matchup against the Saints at home. That was the day Marshawn Lynch’s Beast Quake shook the world, or at least a small part of it, and the Seahawks won and advanced to the divisional round.

So yes, the NFC West is looking pretty terrible so far. But someone’s got to win it, and who knows what could happen after that?

Here’s how the rest of the divisions are shaping up heading into Week 3.

AFC East

The Patriots obviously entered the season as the favorites to win the division, and the conference, and everything else, just like every other season. But it’s the Dolphins, who are in a bit of a weird spot after getting a Week 1 bye because of devastation from Hurricane Irma, at No. 1.

And the Bills are sitting at No. 2, and the Patriots are third after losing to the Chiefs in Week 1 and beating the Saints in Week 2, which is a dubious honor. Nobody’s surprised that the Jets are bring up the rear here.

1. Dolphins (1-0) 2. Bills (1-1) 3. Patriots (1-1) 4. Jets (0-2)

AFC North

This one’s shaping up about the way that you’d expect, except that the Ravens look better than advertised. Well, the defense does, anyway. The Ravens have eight sacks, eight interceptions, and three forced fumbles through two weeks.

The Steelers are undefeated despite the fact that Le’Veon Bell hasn’t done much, and the Bengals and Browns are struggling.

1. Steelers (2-0) 2. Ravens (2-0) 3. Browns (0-2) 4. Bengals (0-2)

AFC South

A division that’s been one of the weakest in the league over the past few years is, once again, one of the weakest divisions in the NFL. The Titans are at the front of the pack, but the Jaguars and Texans both have 1-1 records, too.

The Colts are truly abysmal, and if Andrew Luck can get healthy and on the field, maybe that will help. But this division is shaping up to be another one where some team will win with a 7-9 record for the consecutive season.

1. Titans (1-1) 2. Jaguars (1-1) 3. Texans (1-1) 4. Colts (0-2)

AFC West

The AFC West is actually good. Denver is coming off of a big 42-17 victory over the Cowboys. Oakland is back to form with Derek Carr behind center, and the Chiefs exploded into the season with a big win over the vaunted Patriots.

The poor Chargers haven’t fared so well. But the other three teams are looking like the teams to beat in the AFC.

1. Broncos (2-0) 2. Chiefs (2-0) 3. Raiders (2-0) 4. Chargers (0-2)

NFC East

Last season, this division was the Cowboys and everybody else. So far this year, there’s parity, except for the Giants. The Giants offensive line has been embarrassingly bad, and it’s made life a lot harder for Eli Manning. Even getting Odell Beckham Jr. didn’t help against the Lions on Monday night.

Everyone else is sitting at 1-1. The Cowboys were the favorite heading into the season. There are a lot of games left to play, but that’s looking like less of a sure thing after Dallas’ brutal loss to the Broncos on Sunday.

1. Eagles (1-1) 2. Cowboys (1-1) 3. Washington (1-1) 4. Giants (0-2)

NFC North

The Bears are just about where everyone expected them to be. They kept it close against the Falcons in Week 1, but got embarrassed by the Buccaneers on Sunday in Tampa Bay.

The surprise here is that it’s not the Packers atop the division, but the undefeated Lions. There’s no shame in a loss to the Falcons in Atlanta, but it did knock Green Bay down the standings. And the Vikings are sitting at No. 2 even though Sam Bradford is out with a knee injury.

1. Lions (2-0) 2. Vikings (1-1) 3. Packers (1-1) 4. Bears (0-2)

NFC South

Despite the fact that the Saints are 0-2, the NFC South is still looking like a pretty tough division. The Falcons look like they’ve avoided a Super Bowl hangover, and the Panthers seem to have shaken off theirs, which afflicted them all last season.

The Buccaneers are also undefeated, but with just one win after their Week 1 game against the Dolphins was pushed back because of Hurricane Irma. And the Saints haven’t won a September game since the 2014 season. They may be destined for another 7-9 finish.

1. Falcons (2-0) 2. Panthers (2-0) 3. Buccaneers (1-0) 4. Saints (0-2)

NFC West

I won’t belabor this, because I went into detail about it above. But the NFC West looks pretty bad — bad enough that whatever team wins it could do it with a sub-.500 record, just like 2010.

1. Seahawks (1-1) 2. Cardinals (1-1) 3. Rams (1-1) 4. 49ers (0-2)

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junker-town · 8 years

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Which Premier League team can least afford to miss out on the Champions League?

Five teams are fighting for three spots behind Chelsea in the top four. We take a look at who really needs to get the job done.

With the international break now upon us, we have a moment to look at the state of play in the world's most important footballing competition: the Premier League's Race for the Top Four. Legends will be made, reputations will be trashed, and money will slosh around the place.

Unusually for the Premier League, there are six teams that will have started the season targeting a top four finish, and accordingly there will be two that will end the season disappointed. We've taken a look at all six, and tried to work out what, if anything, missing out on the Champions League might mean for their futures.

1. Chelsea

played 28, 69 points

Never mind the top four. For Chelsea to blow the title from here would be one of the most spectacular and ludicrous collapses in the history of football, and Roman Abramovich would be morally obliged to shutter the club and start again in non-league. But it isn't going to happen.

2. Tottenham Hotspur

played 28, 59 points

On a practical level, Tottenham, two points clear in second place, are perhaps the side best equipped to end up in the Europa League. This is because Tottenham's Champions League adventures are occasional rather than regular, and so we can probably assume that their business plans, shopping budgets, sponsorship deals, and all that other romantic stuff isn't built around regularly hearing "THE CHAAAAAMPIOOOOOONS (bom bom bom bom bom BOM-BOM)".

However, a late collapse would be symbolically disastrous, because along with Manchester City, Spurs have a certain ingrained farcical quality. In their case, the inherent curse of Spursiness. It's not a constant: at times this season, Spurs have looked genuinely brilliant, and they the only team in England to have beaten Chelsea since Antonio Conte realised that three defenders was better than two, particularly where one of the two is John Terry.

But if they were to slump out of the top four, it would pile up with last season's climax — they almost managed to manufacture a two-horse title race, then came third — and this season's European campaign to suggest that here is a team capable of occasional brilliance, but with an unhappy habit of blowing the crucial moments. A team fundamentally unsuited to campaigns, however well they can play in individual games. And a team that is, despite the joyous football of Dele Alli and Harry Kane and the promise of Mauricio Pochettino, exceedingly and appropriately Spursy.

3. Manchester City

played 28, 57 points

For Spursiness, read Cityitis. As with the north Londoners, a meander down the table at this point would, when taken with their European exit, feel very on brand. Whether it would have any more serious impact beyond being funny is an interesting question.

The general utility of finishing in the top four isn't just the Champions League football and the money that comes with it. It's the ability to attract the best players, and so ensure that progress is always being made. A virtuous circle of status and reward that in theory returns glory and giant silver vases, but at worst means that Champions League football one season begets Champions League football the next.

The implication is that if a club misses out on the Champions League, then all the world's best players will look at them with disdain and contempt. Or at least ask for more money. And we know that City have plenty of rebuilding to do this summer. There's nearly an entire defence needed, along with half a midfield, and the Europa League won't be doing much of the heavy lifting.

So it's just as well they've got the Pep Guardiola Project and the money to back it up. They'll be fine regardless.

4. Liverpool

played 29, 56 points

As a proud and righteous warrior against English football's obsession with the transfer market, Jurgen Klopp presumably has little time for the get into the Champions League to get the best players line of thinking. He's here for the project, and his Liverpool side, once he's finished, will consist entirely of youngsters moulded by progressive coaching into gegenpressing soldiers. His inevitable victory will be both literal and moral.

Still, missing out on the top four this season might not be a promising sign. Like Chelsea, Liverpool have had the benefit of no European football this season; unlike Chelsea, they haven't been able to alchemise this extra training time into consistent brilliance. And since they're likely to end up with European football of some kind next season, re-cluttering the calendar, it might as well be the one that has more money and prestige. It's a fun competition. And if they did want to pick up a player or two, it couldn't hurt.

Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Liverpool missing out would also be kind of peculiar. Last weekend's draw against City completed Liverpool's set of fixtures against the rest of the top six, and means that they've gone the whole season undefeated against their other Champions League pretenders. Finishing behind at least four of them would truly demonstrate that league football, despite the television scheduling, isn't about competing in the big games. It's about charging through the smaller ones.

5. Manchester United

played 27, 52 points

For United, missing out on Champions League football for the second season in a row would raise all sorts of intriguingly awkward questions. That, after all, was one of the reasons Louis van Gaal was asked to clear his desk. There is also reportedly a clause in their deal with Adidas that, in the event of a second season outside the elite, cuts the amount of money United receive from 'cosmically ridiculous' to just plain old 'ridiculous'.

United, being a money-fuelled monstrosity with a lopsided squad, will be doing some serious shopping come the summer. But while their name and their wage budget remain as potent as ever, this would be a second season outside the Champions League. It would also be another campaign in which Jose Mourinho has looked distinctly mortal. Both those things look, from some angles, like a pattern.

In any case, watching them fail to score against the Premier League's mid- and lower-table, it's hard to put together any kind of case that will get into the top four. Yet the incompetence of Arsenal means that United's long, passionate affair with sixth place is over. They have two games in hand and only a four point gap to Liverpool in fourth, and there's the wild card option of the Europa League. Maybe everybody gets to play in the Champions League …

6. Arsenal

played 27, 50 points

… well, almost everybody. The arrival of the international break means March will end with Arsenal's Victories losing 2-1 to Arsenal's Protest Planes. They've been dumped out of the Champions League in brutal fashion, slipped below a deeply ordinary United side in the league, and while they did manage a 5-0 win, that came against non-league Lincoln City.

This might be down to Arsene Wenger's fundamental obsolescence, and so require his departure; alternatively, it might just be that Arsenal can cope just fine with three superior teams and struggle when presented with four. But Wenger's case isn't helped by the fact that in his late period, he's placed so much emphasis on regular Champions League qualification as an achievement — a trophy! — in itself. No matter how embarrassingly they depart the competition, they're back again next year.

As such, Arsenal and Champions League qualification are fundamentally intertwined, to the point that the thought of the club missing out is vaguely unsettling. It's almost an existential question: at the moment their fifth place finish is confirmed, the sun will dim and the earth will shake. The mural of Arsenal's legends that wraps the Emirates will rip from top to bottom. Most unlikely of all, Ivan Gazidis will make a statement:

"Weird."

And then Arsene Wenger will sign his new contract.

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circle111e-blog · 8 years

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Kobe returns and Tebow thrives: our bold sports predictions for 2017

On the heels of a sports year that was chock full of surprises, Guardian US contributors make their bold predictions for the months to come

Here are our bold predictions for 2017. Please note the bold (or should that be bold?) in bold predictions these are to be taken with a pinch of salt. Especially the Tebow one.

Kobe Bryant will return from retirement

Few athletes are as prepared for a life after basketball than Kobe, a man of diverse interests and immense worldwide fame. Few athletes also are as ill-suited for retirement than Kobe, who burns to be on the court. These last few months away have to be killing him. He will mount a comeback, though probably not with the Lakers, who are building around a gifted young core of players. Hes always wanted to play for the Knicks. Would Phil Jackson dare drop him on the same floor as Carmelo Anthony? LC

Tiger Woods will win again

The notion that Woods could challenge for, let alone win, major championships was flawed even before his last and lengthy absence through injury. The depth of talent at golfs summit means Woods will always be overawed and outplayed in such environments now.

Still, he can and will win lower grade PGA Tour events. Woods has a propensity to prevail on the same courses, as shown by his record. He retains more competitive ability than some of those who win once or twice on Tour in any given year. If fitness troubles really are behind Woods, he will return to the podium. Then? Cue more major discussion. EM

An American not named Serena will win a grand slam title

Serena Williams did win Wimbledon six months ago, so lets not put her in the ground just yet. But shes now closer to 40 than 30 and theres no question her stranglehold on the womens tour was weakened during a year that saw the late-blooming Angelique Kerber win a pair of major titles to inherit the world No1 ranking on merit. The door has never been more open for the sports 90s babies. Garbie Muguruza and Karolina Pliskova took advantage in 2016; Madison Keys will follow this year. The 21-year-old from Illinois, who has played into the second week at the last six majors, has all the shots, and power on both wings. Look for her to put it all together and become the first American woman not named Williams to capture a major singles title since Jennifer Capriati in 2002. BAG

A wildcard team will win Super Bowl LI

The NFL playoffs do not favor wildcard teams. To win the Super Bowl as a wildcard you have to win on the road three straight weeks and beat three of the leagues top teams. That said, it has happened six times before. Three of the last 11 Super Bowl champions came into the postseason as wildcards and 2017s will as well. With no great, dominant team, the path is wide open. The Lions stumbled late in the season but still have a potent offense and the Patriots would rather forget their Super Bowls against the Giants and Eli Manning. LC

Villanova will finish the regular season undefeated

Villanova are looking hot again this season. Photograph: Steven Branscombe/USA Today Sports

The Wildcats have moved to No1 in the polls, but virtually no analysts predicted a repeat for a Villanova team that returned most of its title-winning 2016 team. Aside from a shaky performance against DePaul late in 2016, the Wildcats have been stellar this season. Josh Hart has been the best player in the country, Jalen Brunson generates offense at will when he has the ball and Villanova are hitting their threes something they didnt do until the tournament last season. Ken Pomeroys stats say the Wildcats have less than a 2% chance to go undefeated in the regular season, but with this team I like those odds. DM

Sebastian Giovinco will return to Europe

Arguably the best player in the history of Major League Soccer, Sebastian Giovinco has made himself a superstar at Toronto FC. But his success has come at a cost. Italy manager Giampiero Ventura, just like Antonio Conte before him, says the playmaker has no international future as long as he is a MLS player. And so Giovinco could be tempted back to Europe, especially with the 2018 World Cup coming into view. GR

Tim Tebow will thrive as a baseball player

At first glance, it seems that New York Mets farmhand Tim Tebow, super-athlete and light of all of our lives, sufficiently failed during his stint in the Arizona Fall League, and thats probably because of his measly slash line of .194/.296/.242 over 70 plate appearances. Tebow did not hit a single home run, but he did help save a fan having a seizure, staying with him until the paramedics arrived, and so its probably safe to say that the outfielder is more Moonlight Graham than Babe Ruth, right? Not so fast: Tebow was competing against some of the best prospects baseball has to offer, and picked up steam as he went, finishing with an 11-game stretch where he hit .281 and posted an OBP of.425. In 2017, the Mets defy all logic and expectations by their May promotion of a surging Tebow to help with their sagging mid-week attendance. The Wilpons sell a package they call Tebow Tuesdays, which promises at least one pinch-hit appearance per-game and private autograph sessions for the first 50 to sign up. Tebow not only survives, but prospers, becoming a cornerstone in the Mets lineup as they win their first title since 1986. DL

Tom Brady will finally show signs of age

Tom Brady stays ahead of the youngsters … for now. Photograph: Reinhold Matay/USA Today Sports

Tom Brady will turn 40 before the 2017 season. Saying a 40-year old athlete in a contact sport will look his age doesnt seem especially bold, but in Bradys case, it is. In his age 39 season this year, hes the favorite for league MVP and is having one of the best seasons of his career. But Peyton Mannings performance fell of a cliff from his age 38 to 39 seasons and Brett Favres did the same in the only season he opened as a 40 year-old. Maybe Brady stretches his youth a year or two beyond that pair, but the end is coming. Soon. Time, unlike the 2007 New England Patriots, is undefeated. DG

Floyd Mayweather makes a face turn

No one believes hes really retired, even if more than 15 months have passed since he last climbed through the ropes. Not when one more fight could lift him to the singular mark of 50-0, one better than Rocky Marcianos recognized paragon of fistic perfection. Not when he can effectively name his own price as a free agent, having fulfilled his six-fight contract with CBS and Showtime.

Many insiders believe a rematch with Manny Pacquiao looms, which, despite the tart aftertaste of their first installment, would still be the second-richest fight in history. But it says here Mayweather will instead opt to fight Adrien Broner, an opponent who hardly deserves the opportunity but one who would allow Floyd to take on the unfamiliar role of good guy in the promotion.

Eight-figure paydays werent the norm for Mayweather until he turned heel, trading in his polite and humble Pretty Boy Floyd persona for a pantomime villain whom more fans pay to watch lose than watch win. But just because he made the business decision to break bad doesnt mean he doesnt care about people liking him. By going against the one fighter in the world more disliked than himself, Mayweather will exit the game as the cowboy in the white hat. BAG

Los Angeles will be awarded the 2024 Olympics

Maybe this doesnt qualify as a bold prediction, after all most of the other competitors have dropped out. But Los Angeles was once eliminated as a contender after the USOC chose Boston as the American city to push. It has never seemed like LA was a favorite of anyone to host the games for a third time. The other competitors Paris and Budapest are more appealing choices. And yet LA might be the perfect Olympic city. The facilities are already in place. It could probably host the Games next year. For this reason Los Angeles will be the safe choice. Probably the only choice. LC

Ronda Rousey doubles down … and wins big

After being embarrassed by Amanda Nunes in Las Vegas on Friday, many have speculated that Ronda Rousey wont fight again. Shes noncommittal but we say she will enter the octagon in the first half of the new year, before Conor McGregor even books another fight, and get back to her winning ways. It wont be at 135lbs, however. Rousey will venture up to the featherweight division and chase down a fight with Cris Cyborg Justino (presuming she available after a PED tussle with Usada) in a last ditch effort to rebuild herself as a competitor and secure one more big-money fight. JG

The Washington Nationals will miss the playoffs

Although the Nationals did win the NL East by eight games in 2016, repeating in 2017 will be substantially more difficult. They should not expect Daniel Murphy to have the monster season that he had in 2016. Washington was also reportedly chasing some bigger names this offseason including starting pitcher Chris Sale and closer Kenley Jansen, among others, but were unable to land them. While having Max Scherzer and Bryce Harper on a roster can make any team a playoff contender, there are questions surrounding their role players including an oft-injured Ryan Zimmerman and an aging Jayson Werth. With the Mets power arms returning from injury, and other NL teams including the St Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants making moves this offseason, the Nationals will have a rockier road to October. EF

An NFL player will come out as gay

Michael Sam was the first openly gay player drafted in NFL history. Photograph: Jasen Vinlove/USA Today Sports

An active NFL player, one known to casual fans, will come out as gay. As of now, the specter of Michael Sam, the defensive end who came out prior to the NFL draft and ended up never playing in a regular season game, looms over the league as a missed opportunity. Sams story isnt one that anyone wants to see repeated. Because of this, I fully expect the first out athlete in the league to be someone who is already established as an NFL-caliber player and has had significant experience dealing with the national media, two advantages that Sam never had. HF

The NHL takes actual steps to increase scoring

Yes, I know. This is supposed to be a bold prediction, and suggesting that a pro sports league will try to boost offense doesnt exactly sound like going out on a limb. Every league knows that scoring sells, and every league makes sure the rulebook encourages plenty of it. Its sports marketing 101.

But this is the NHL were talking about. The league has been talking about boosting offense for over two decades literally but they never actually do it. This year, the decided theyd tweak the goaltending equipment. Then, whoops, they didnt make the adjustments in time, so nothing changed. Thats just how things go in the NHL.

But I think this year could be different. Maybe its wishful thinking, but todays NHL is packed with exciting young talent like we havent seen in a generation. Surely now is the time to let them shine. Surely now is when well finally get some forward thinking from a league addicted to its past. Surely we cant do three straight decades of plunging scoring rates while the powers that be twiddle their thumbs and wonder why ratings are down.

Or maybe we can. But you asked for something bold. In the NHL, sadly, this qualifies. SM

The Los Angeles Lakers will make the NBA playoffs

I can hear you rolling your eyes through the computer. Real cute, but these predictions are supposed to be bold, right? The Lakers are currently only two games out of the eighth seed in the Western Conference. Granted, they are also only three games ahead of the cellar-dwelling Phoenix Suns, but that just goes to show you how mushy and undefined the bottom of the West is right now. Anyone could catch fire for a few weeks and find themselves volunteering to be demolished by the Warriors in four games this spring.

The Lakers were hovering around .500 before Thanksgiving, then lost 12 of 13 during a brutal road trip made worse by injuries to Julius Randle, DAngelo Russell, Nick Young, and Larry Nance Jr. A healthy Laker team still cant play much defense, but they can score against anybody, as wins over the Warriors, Thunder, Rockets, and a short-handed Clippers team proves. Most importantly, they have as good a chance as anyone in the West basement. The Kings, Pelicans, Mavericks, Timberwolves, and Blazers all have true superstars, but what the Lakers can offer is something close to the team cohesion that defines the elite squads in the NBA. This is still a rough unit that is dragging a few ridiculous contracts down the court each night, but they have as good as chance as anyone right now. DS

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/jan/02/bold-sports-predictions-for-2017

The post Kobe returns and Tebow thrives: our bold sports predictions for 2017 appeared first on Hockey Elite Group.

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circle111g-blog · 8 years

Text

Kobe returns and Tebow thrives: our bold sports predictions for 2017

On the heels of a sports year that was chock full of surprises, Guardian US contributors make their bold predictions for the months to come

Here are our bold predictions for 2017. Please note the bold (or should that be bold?) in bold predictions these are to be taken with a pinch of salt. Especially the Tebow one.

Kobe Bryant will return from retirement

Tiger Woods will win again

An American not named Serena will win a grand slam title

A wildcard team will win Super Bowl LI

Villanova will finish the regular season undefeated

Villanova are looking hot again this season. Photograph: Steven Branscombe/USA Today Sports

Sebastian Giovinco will return to Europe

Tim Tebow will thrive as a baseball player

Tom Brady will finally show signs of age

Tom Brady stays ahead of the youngsters … for now. Photograph: Reinhold Matay/USA Today Sports

Floyd Mayweather makes a face turn

Los Angeles will be awarded the 2024 Olympics

Ronda Rousey doubles down … and wins big

The Washington Nationals will miss the playoffs

An NFL player will come out as gay

Michael Sam was the first openly gay player drafted in NFL history. Photograph: Jasen Vinlove/USA Today Sports

The NHL takes actual steps to increase scoring

Or maybe we can. But you asked for something bold. In the NHL, sadly, this qualifies. SM

The Los Angeles Lakers will make the NBA playoffs

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/jan/02/bold-sports-predictions-for-2017

The post Kobe returns and Tebow thrives: our bold sports predictions for 2017 appeared first on Hockey Elite Group.

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