#his last game against dallas he had 31/32

[scoringeffects]

outshot by over a factor of 2 and still won handidly joseph woll my close personal friend And owner the dallas stars

[kikiskeysgame]

Chicago Blackhawks Player Reviews (2020-21 season): Collin Delia

Games played: 6 Wins: 1 Losses: 3 OT: 1 Goals Against Average: 3.59 Save Percentage: .902 Shutouts: 0

Summary Collin Delia made his season debut in a 5-2 loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning on January 15, 2021 where he made 32 saves out of 37 shots on goal during the game.

Delia got the start in net again in a 5-2 loss against the Florida Panthers on January 17, 2021 where he made 31 saves out of 36 shots on goal.

After Kevin Lankinen and Malcolm Subban emerged later in the season as the starting goaltender and back-up goaltender respectively, Delia was assigned to the Rockford IceHogs for conditioning purposes on February 26, 2021.

Although he was recalled from Rockford to Chicago on March 8, 2021, it wasn't until May 3, 2021 that Delia got another chance to play with the Blackhawks in a 5-2 loss against the Carolina Hurricanes where made 19 saves out of 19 shots on goal in relief of Malcolm Subban (who was pulled from the game after allowing 4 goals against him).

On May 6, 2021, Delia got his first and only win of the season in a 2-1 overtime win against the Carolina Hurricanes, making 36 saves out of 37 shots on goal.

In the Blackhawks' last game of the 2020-21 season on May 10, 2021, he made 45 saves out of 50 shots on goal in a 5-4 overtime loss against the Dallas Stars.

Thoughts from my point of view I would say that Collin Delia was pretty overlooked this season. He had a pretty rough start back in January; when Kevin Lankinen and Malcolm Subban established their places on the roster, Delia was relegated to the taxi squad until he was sent to Rockford for the remainder of the season for conditioning.

When Lankinen and Subban were struggling late in the season, and with the Blackhawks officially out of contention for the playoffs this year, I hoped that Delia would get a second chance to see what he can do and for the last half of the season, he did very well which made me wonder why it took so long for him to get another chance.

Delia has shown that he can play well in a game just like Lankinen and Subban, but he just wasn't given a bigger opportunity to do so this year.

Collin Delia is signed through the 2021-22 NHL season. With Delia, Malcolm Subban & Kevin Lankinen each proving that they are capable of handling themselves and playing well as the starting goaltender, I have a feeling that the Blackhawks are going to have some tough choices to make about who will be the starting and back-up goaltender respectively next season. 

I wouldn't rule out the possibility of Delia playing again next season, but we'll just have to wait and see until then.

[tysonbearie]

here it is folks, my new passion project and hopefully weekly newsletter

also if you guys are interested i’ll be doing a poll soon on what to call it

So, I wanted to try my hand at some good old fashioned Sports Journalism™ and also maybe help newer hockey fans by making news and information more accessible to those still learning the lingo; plus, this was fun to make.

Weekly Recap:

NHL All-Star Weekend Last Man In voting ends January 10th, so head on over to nhl.com and vote for your favorites up to 10 times a day.

On January 1, the Boston Bruins faced the Chicago Blackhawks in Notre Dame Stadium under the watchful eye of Touchdown Jesus for the 11th annual Winter Classic. The Bruins won 4-2 in regulation.

Anaheim Ducks prospect and Team Canada captain Maxime Comtois has been repeatedly harassed on social media following Team Canada’s departure from the IIHF World Junior Championship.

The Edmonton Oilers recently acquired Brandon Manning from the Chicago Blackhawks, who you may remember as That Guy Who Broke McDavid’s Collarbone and Knocked Him Out of Calder Contention; more on this next week.  

Alex Ovechkin, of the Washington Capitals, was named captain of the Metropolitan Division for All-Star Weekend, but later announced he would not be attending. The NHL plans to penalize him by forcing him to sit out the first game immediately following All-Star Weekend.

The Philadelphia Flyers claimed goalie Mike McKenna off waivers from the Vancouver Canucks on Friday; McKenna is the seventh goalie the Flyers have had this season. While McKenna is expected to back Carter Hart, there is a chance he could be starting in net at some point in the near future.

Play of the Week:

During the December 31 matchup between the Dallas Stars and the visiting Montreal Canadiens, who beat the Stars 3-2 in Overtime, defenceman Jordie Benn (a former Star himself) incurred a penalty which resulted in a Power Play Goal scored by his own brother, forward Jamie Benn, captain of the Stars.

Players to Watch:

Forward Nikita Kucherov leads the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the league, with a total of 69 points; that’s 20 goals and 49 assists in 41 games, 17 of these points were notched in the last five games he’s played. Kucherov has a career total of 403 points in 406 games played.

Defenceman Tyson Barrie of the Colorado Avalanche became the all-time leader in scoring by a defenceman in franchise history on Friday. Barrie has 25 assists and 5 goals in 38 games this season. He has a career total of 278 points in 444 games played.

San Jose Sharks goalie Martin Jones has 17 wins, including 1 Shutout, and 4 Overtime Losses in 30 starts this season. Jones has faced an impressive 827 Shots Against this season, and has played a total of 1,751 minutes in 30 games played.

Prospect Watch:

Forward Filip Zadina, drafted 6th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in 2018, has 17 points in 27 games played this season. Zadina was recently loaned to Team Czech Republic for the IIHF World Junior Championship. He had a very successful career in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, where he played for the Halifax Mooseheads. He won the Mike Bossy award as the league’s Best Professional Prospect in 2017-18. Zadina currently plays for the Grand Rapid Griffins of the American Hockey League.

Defenceman Nic Hague, drafted 34th overall by the Las Vegas Golden Knights in 2017, has 17 points in 36 games played this season. Hague played for the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League. He led the Steelheads  in scoring with 35 goals and 78 points in the 17-18 season; he was awarded the Max Kaminsky trophy as Defenceman of the Year. Hague currently plays for the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League.

Forward Jordan Kyrou, drafted 35th overall by the St. Louis Blues in 2016, has 10 goals and 23 points in 23 games (in the AHL). Kyrou had a very successful career with the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League, tallying 109 points in 56 games during the 2017-18 season. He was awarded both the Red Tilson (Most Outstanding Player) and the Jim Mahon (Top Scoring Right Wing) trophies in 2017-18. Kyrou currently plays for the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League.

Team of the Week:

The New York Rangers, an Original Six team who are currently 5th in the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, were founded in 1926 and play out of Madison Square Garden. They have won 4 Stanley Cups, most recently in 1993-94. Notable alumni include Mark Messier, Wayne Gretzky, Jaromir Jagr, Tim Horton, Guy Lafleur, Pat LaFontaine, and Marc Savard.

Outside the NHL:

The Calgary Inferno lead the Canadian Women’s Hockey League with 27 points in 16 games played. Rebecca Johnston leads the team with 10 goals and 25 points in 16 games.

The CWHL All-Star Game will take place at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on January 20.

The Boston Pride lead the National Women’s Hockey League with 14 points in 9 games played. Haley Skarupa leads the team with 4 goals and 11 points in 8 games.

The NWHL All-Star Weekend will take place at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville February 9-10.

Weekly Thoughts:

The Carolina Hurricanes made some interesting moves this summer, though it doesn’t really seem to have worked out so well for them. The Hurricanes had dealings with both the Buffalo Sabres and the Calgary Flames, who appear to have gotten the better end of these deals.

The Buffalo Sabres have been continuously improving their game this season, and currently hold the number one Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Sabres forward Jeff Skinner, acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes this summer, has 28 goals and 41 points in 41 games this season. Last season, Skinner finished with only 49 total points in 82 games.

The Calgary Flames are number one in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference and are, at this point, guaranteed to advance to Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Forward Elias Lindholm, acquired from the Hurricanes this summer in a package deal along with Noah Hanifin, currently has 20 goals and 48 points in 42 games this season with the Flames. Lindholm finished last season with 44 points in 81 games.

Defenceman Noah Hanifin, who was drafted 5th overall by the Hurricanes in 2015, currently has 21 points in 42 games. He tallied 32 points in 79 games last season.

The Carolina Hurricanes are 6th in the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and are currently out of playoff contention.

Forward Michael Ferlund, acquired in a package deal from the Calgary Flames, has 12 goals and 19 points in 33 games. He tallied 41 points in 77 games last season.

Acquired in that same deal was defencemen Dougie Hamilton, who has tallied only 5 goals and 13 points in 40 games. Last season, Hamilton had 44 points in 82 games.

In exchange for Skinner, the Hurricanes acquired several future draft picks and prospect Cliff Pu, a forward, from the Sabres. Pu currently plays for the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League. He has a total of 3 points in 30 games this season.

In contrast to the Hurricanes, their AHL affiliate the Charlotte Checkers are having a fantastic season. The Checkers currently lead the Atlantic Division and the entire Eastern Conference with 53 points; that’s 25 wins at two points apiece, and 3 overtime, or OT, losses, which are worth one point each. That’s 5 more points than the second overall team in the conference, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (48 points), and 6 points more than the number one team in the Western Conference, the Iowa Wild (47 points.)  

In addition to being the top team in the league, two Checkers forwards, Nicolas Roy and Martin Necas, have been named CCM/AHL Player of the Week. Forward Janne Kuokkanen and defenceman Trevor Carrick have also been named to the AHL All-Star Classic; Mike Vellucci (Checkers) will coach the Atlantic Division.

Weekly Vocabulary:

Icing: When a player shoots the puck across both the center red line and the opposing team’s goal line with the puck remaining untouched.

Off-Side: When a player crosses the blue line in the attack zone before the puck.

Chirping: Mocking another player/ref/fan.

Body Checking: Using the hip or body to knock an opponent, sometimes against the boards or to the ice. Illegal in women’s hockey.

Hooking: The act of impeding an opponent by placing the blade of a stick into their body. Hooking incurs a penalty.

Slashing: The act of contacting an opponent's body or stick with one's own as a result of a swinging motion. Incurs a penalty.

Roughing: The act of contacting an opponent with the hand or fist when making a punching motion. Can incur either a penalty.

Boarding: Checking a defenseless player and causing them to violently impact the boards. Incurs a penalty.

Cross-Checking: The act of checking an opponent with the shaft of the stick held in both hands. Incurs a penalty.

Minor Penalty: Any penalty lasting 2-4 minutes.

Major Penalty: Any Penalty over 5 minutes.

Weekly Trivia:

Every year during the NHL Awards, the Hart Memorial Trophy is awarded to “the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team." Winners are selected by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association in all NHL cities at the end of the regular season. Wayne Gretzky was awarded to Hart Memorial Trophy a total of nine times throughout his 20 season career, eight of which were consecutive from 1980-87. His ninth and final win came in 1989. Gretzky is one of two players who have won the Hart with more than one team; Mark Messier is the second.

Weekly Standings:

Eastern Conference

Metropolitan Division

Washington Capitals -- 52 points

Pittsburgh Penguins -- 52 points

Columbus Blue Jackets -- 49 points

Atlantic Division

Tampa Bay Lightning -- 66 points

Toronto Maple Leafs -- 54 points

Boston Bruins -- 50 points

Western Conference

Central Division

Winnipeg Jets -- 52 points

Nashville Predators -- 51 points

Dallas Stars -- 48 points

Pacific Division

Calgary Flames -- 54 points

Las Vegas Golden Knights -- 54 points

San Jose Sharks -- 51 points

*Note: all information was obtained prior to 12pm on Saturday January 5. Information occurring after the 12pm deadline will feature next week.

[justsportsgalore]

The Texans hardly showed themselves to be a Super Bowl contender in the New Jersey swampland Saturday, but they did show lots of heart – plus two outstanding hands, belonging to DeAndre Hopkins – in the end to hold off the Jets 29-22 at MetLife Stadium.

They scored 10 points in the final three minutes to secure coach Bill O'Brien's first 10-win season while moving a significant step closer to their third postseason berth in O'Brien's five years.  It was way harder than it arguably should have been, considering the Jets' 4-10 the Jets 29-22 at MetLife Stadium.They scored 10 points in the final three minutes to secure coach Bill O'Brien's first 10-win season while moving a significant step closer to their third postseason berth in O'Brien's five years. It was way harder than it arguably should have been, considering the Jets' 4-10 record and nowhere-bound status. After jumping out to a 16-3 lead, the 10-4 Texans let rookie quarterback Sam Darnold scare the pants off them. At least he couldn't beat them, as the Colts and Andrew Luck did last Sunday at NRG Stadium, ending a franchise-record nine-game winning streak. 

Darnold, the third overall pick in the 2018 draft directed successive scoring drives at the end of the first half (nine plays, 83 yards) and on the Jets' first possession of the third quarter (eight plays, 60 yards), finishing them with touchdown passes of 5 yards to Robbie Anderson and 13 yards to Andre Roberts. The Jets would have taken a 16-15 lead on the latter if kicker Jason Myers hadn't blown both of the extra points, but they did finally go ahead with five minutes left on a 15-yard, 73-play drive that Elijah McGuire finished, shoving his way rugby-style behind his resolute offensive line into the end zone from the 2 to put up the 22-19 lead with five minutes left.

However, Texans second-year quarterback Deshaun Watson responded with the hair-on-fire sense of urgency that dire situation required. Completions on the first two plays got the Texans across midfield and a holding call on Morris Claiborne gave them an automatic first down at the 44. He found Demaryius Thomas for 20 more and a typically tough catch by Hopkins provided another first down at the 14. On the next play, he pulled down another for the day-saving and possibly season-saving touchdown, his second of the afternoon.Myers did at least make a 26-yard field goal, good for an early 3-3 tie. The Texans were up 16-9 at halftime, meaning they have won 31 of the 32 games under O'Brien in which they held the lead through two quarters.A 45-yard Watson-to-Hopkins touchdown pass and Kai'mi Fairbairn's five field goals – in order, they covered 41, 32, 53, 49 yards and 37 yards – accounted for the Texans' other points. Fairbairn's last one, giving him an NFL-leading 33 on 37 attempts, had tied the score with 2:45 left.

Hopkins' 10 catches gained a season-high 170 yards. He also had 10 receptions for 169 yards and a touchdown in the 37-34 victory in Indianapolis Sept. 30 that launched the Texans' 9-0 run.Now, the Texans will be cheering loudly Sunday for that other Texas team. A Dallas Cowboys victory over the 7-6 Colts will eliminate them from the AFC South race and also knock the Eagles out of the playoffs, making next week's game in Philadelphia against the Texans meaningless for the defending Super Bowl champions.

If the Cowboys prevail and the Titans lose to the Giants on this same field, the Texans will be AFC South champions, also for the third time during O'Brien's mixed-bag tenure. They claimed the previous two with 9-7 records.The Texans scored the hat trick against rookie first-round quarterbacks this season by beating Darnold after taking down the Bills' Josh Allen and the Browns' Baker Mayfield. Although Mayfield threw for more yards with 397 two weekends earlier in what became a franchise-record ninth consecutive Texans victory, Darnold came far closer to pulling off the upset.After a disheartening start – the Texans drove the Jets straight backward on the opening series, forcing losses in each play of their three-and-out possession – he began regaining the confidence he had coming in after he'd led a game-winning touchdown drive in Buffalo against the Bills' top-ranked defense last weekend. He had a final chance to reprise those heroics with less than a minute left today, but the Texans' defense rose to the occasion.

A sack by Jadeveon Clowney left the Jets facing a fourth-and-18 and Darnold had no magic left. He went 24-for-38 for 253 yards. Watson finished 22-for-28 for 294 yards. Neither threw an interception. Watson and the Texans were turnover-free for the seventh time in eight starts.While the Jets were roaring back in the middle of the game, the Texans were rolling over, enduring a succession of eight plays for a combined 14 lost yards. Ultimately, Watson would be sacked six times and his 52 for the season is now the most in the NFL. 

Never mind that the Jets' 28 sacks coming in ranked only 25th league-wide.In what figures to be a huge issue going forward, Watson had virtually no run support after Lamar Miller suffered an early ankle injury, carrying himself for 26 of the Texans' season-low 41 yards on the ground. Worse, Hopkins had to be helped off the field following his game-winning catch, which gave him 10 on the season for the third time the last four seasons.There's no word yet on Hopkins' condition.J. J. Watt stayed in the conversation regarding Comeback Player of the Year honors – Colts' quarterback Luck, of course, remains the favorite – with a dominant effort that included two sacks and a forced fumble, leading to the game's lone turnover.

[hawkvalley]

Quick Review

The Denver Broncos lost to the Kansas City Chiefs for the second time this season, 23-30.

After the first matchup with KC, the spin out of Dove Valley was that they could beat KC if they cleaned up their mistakes. The Broncos lost the first game by 4 points. In game two they lost by a touchdown. That’s the sad part. The Broncos were unable to capitalize on their familiarity with the Chiefs. This begs the question, are the players improving with this staff or getting worse?

The Game stats

Time of Possession

DEN: 32:41 KC: 27:19

Play Selection

DEN 34 Passing Attempts, 262 yards: 30 Runs for 189 yards KC 34 Passing Attempts, 303 yards: 18 Runs for 49 yards

The Running Game

The Broncos Rushing Attack

Carries AYPC Long TD Fumble Lindsay 18 5 14 1 0 Booker 9 9 26 0 0 Patrick 1 13 13 0 0 Keenum 1 9 9 0 0 Sanders 1 -6 -6 0 1 *AYPC is average yards per carry

The Passing Attack

Receptions % Long TD Fumble Booker 4 100% 14 0 0 Sanders 4 100% 49 0 1 LaCosse 4 80% 8 0 0 Thomas 3 43% 11 0 0 Sutton 3 75% 42 0 0 Lindsay 3 100% 13 0 0 Patrick 1 100% 24 1 0 Heuerman 1 20% 4 1 0

The Quarterbacks

Keenum

Passing comp ypa TD INT Long Rating 68% 8 2 1 49 98 Rushing Att Yards Long TD 1 9 9 0 Sacked Times Yards Lost Fumbles 5 40 2

Mahomes

Passing comp ypa TD INT Long Rating 71% 9 4 1 40 125 Rushing Att Yards Long TD 2 -1 1 0 Sacked Times Yards Lost Fumbles 2 12 0

During the week

The Broncos traded Thomas to the Texans. Sanders was asked about the trade and radio personalities have interpreted those comments to mean, he’s sad that he wasn’t traded. He lives in Houston.

The highlight of Vance’s coaching career in Denver continues to be the Arizona game. That game reminds me of last years game against Dallas.

Talk about the future of Vance continued. What made this talk different than every other week, is that Vance has gained some support. Not as many people were calling for Vance to get fired. He has racked up several ‘moral victories’ this season.

Brief look at the Broncos winning percentage under Vance by quarter:

Qtr 1 Qtr 2 2018 WP 50% WP 25% 2017 WP 75% WP 0% *WP is winning percentage

The Chad Kelly trial gets started this week. He’s no longer a Bronco, but because he was at a team party, I suspect law enforcement has been looking into player activities this week. The fact that he was arrested near the end of the party means that for over four hours, he was welcome at the party and conducting himself well enough to not get kicked out. The police have said they didn’t find any trace of alcohol in his system. Local pot heads have said his behavior indicates he didn’t smoke anything. Enter in the TMZ reported theme of the party and we have a mystery on our hands.

Today’s teams ranked by stats

Broncos

Points: 20th

Yards: 13th

Passing yards: 20th

Rushing yards: 7th

Passing Touchdowns: 11

Rushing Touchdowns: 9

Pick Six: 2

Safeties: 0

Punt Returns for Touchdowns: 0

Fumble Returns for Touchdowns: 0

Net Turnovers: +1

Texans

Points: 15th

Yards: 15th

Passing Yards: 18th

Rushing Yards: 11th

Passing Touchdowns: 15

Rushing Touchdowns: 4

Pick Six: 1

Safeties: 0

Punt Returns for Touchdowns: 0

Fumble Returns for Touchdowns: 1

Net Turnovers: +3

Outlook

Houston has won 63% of their games, Denver 38%.

Today’s game is at home. Unfortunately for the Broncos, they haven’t won a game at home since week 2 against the Raiders.

Houston lost their first two away games of the season, but they did win their last away game versus Jacksonville in week 7.

Houston is on a five game winning streak.

During this period, Houston has outscored their opponents by 40 points. In that same time period, Denver has been outscored by 10 points.

Also, during Houston's winning streak, Houston beat two AFC conference opponents and two division opponents. Their net points, +42. Denver had a similar schedule during this period and their net points are -42.

Denver has yet to beat anyone outside their division in the AFC this year. In fact, in conference play, Denver has been outscored by 31 points this season.

Game time

Sunday afternoon 2:05pm MT

[bowljet]

I love coming to Austin — It’s a charming city with perhaps the most gracious fans in the country.  This was my second time attending a game at the University of Texas, my first was back in 2014 when the Longhorns hosted BYU.   They say everything is bigger in Texas, and the first thing you think as you approach Darrell K. Royal Stadium is just how big it is.   It’s one of  the biggest stadiums in the country, seating over 100,000 fans.  The gameday experience is fan-friendly with all kinds of interactive things for fans of all ages, and the tailgating scene is vibrant around the stadium and into Downtown Austin.  With No.13 West Virginia in town to face the No.17 Longhorns, I expected a good game.  I told a friend I was with that I expected a shootout and that the last team with the ball would win.  That’s exactly what we got!

Gameday in Austin

TEXAS FOOTBALL BEGINS

The University of Texas fielded its first permanent football team in 1893 managed by Albert Lefevra, the secretary-treasurer of the UT Athletic Association.  The team played four games, two in the fall and two more in the spring, winning all four while shutting out every opponent.  The first was played at the Dallas Fair Grounds against the Dallas Football Club that claimed to be the best in the state.  The game attracted a then-record 1,200 onlookers.

Texas officially hired its first coach, R.D. Wentworth for a salary of $325 plus expenses.  Wentworth’s teams shut out their first six opponents, outscoring them 191–0 before losing their last game of the year to Missouri 28–0.  There were a number of firsts in Wentworth’s one season as head coach at Texas.  The first ever meeting against Texas A&M, which resulted in a 38–0 shutout victory for Texas and the first ever meeting against Arkansas, which was a 54–0 Texas victory, setting the stage for long rivalries with the Aggies and the Razorbacks.

LEGENDARY COACHES

The Longhorns have had a rich tradition of coaches that have strolled the sidelines. Clyde Littlefield was the first to play for and coach the Longhorns.  He was head coach from 1927-36 and led the Longhorns to a 44-18-6 record during his tenure that included two Southwest Conference Championships.  During the Great Depression, Dana X. Bible was hired to be the coach and athletics director.  Bible previously had tremendous success at Nebraska and Texas A&M.  It was a bold move by the university and a decision that would lay the foundation for Texas Football.   In 1937, the Bible era debuted with a 25–12 victory over Texas Tech in Austin.  Texas would only win one more game in Bible’s first year, a stunning 9-6 defensive battle over 4th-ranked Baylor.  The 1938 season would not be any better as the Longhorns only victory of the season was in the final game of the season, a 7-6 win over Texas A&M in Austin.  Fans grew anxious, wanting Texas to dominate the college football scene.

Earl Campbell

Bible proved to be an outstanding recruiter as he brought several outstanding players to campus.   After two rough seasons where Texas won a total of three games, Bible successfully transformed Texas into a national powerhouse.  It began with the 1939 season, as Texas opened with a shutout win over Florida 12–0, followed by a 17-7 victory at Wisconsin.  Then the turning point came in October 1939 when Texas was playing Arkansas in Austin.  Down 13–7 with under 30 seconds to play, and fans heading for the exits, Longhorns Fullback R.B. Patrick flipped a short pass to Halfback Jack Crain who ran 67 yards untouched, to tie the game at 13.  Those same fans that were leaving the stadium came pouring back in and onto the field.  After the field was cleared, Crain booted the extra point and Texas defeated Arkansas 14–13.  This game became known as the “Renaissance Game” of the Dana X. Bible era.   The 1939 season was pivotal in providing momentum for the following decade as Texas would again become one of the most successful teams throughout the 1940’s.  National Championship talks began as Texas compiled their first All-American’s with Malcolm Kutner, Jack Crain, and Noble Doss.  Bible finished his coaching career with a 63-31-3 record, with three Southwest Conference titles.  He would later hire Darrell Royal to serve as head coach.   Darrell K. Royal, a native Oklahoman, coached at Mississippi State and Washington before being hired in 1957.   Royal would return the Texas football program to national prominence, winning Southwest Conference titles six years in a row, and making six straight Cotton Bowl appearances.  During his 20-years at Texas, the Longhorns never had a losing season.  He led the Longhorns to three National Championships, 11 Southwest Conference titles, 16 bowl games, and nine Top-5 poll rankings.  They would have streaks that included 30 straight victories, and 42 consecutive home wins, a run that lasted 1968–1976.  He retired as the most successful coach at the University of Texas, with a record of 167–47–5.   In 1998, Mack Brown was hired away from North Carolina and he quickly became a fan favorite. Brown had a tremendous career in Austin, as he led the team to a 158-48 record.  Under his direction, the Longhorns won two Big 12 Conference Championships, a BCS National Championship, and held a 3-1 record in BCS games.  He finished his career at Texas second in wins only to Royal.

Hook ‘Em Horns

FUN FACTS ABOUT TEXAS FOOTBALL

Texas has a lifetime record of 909-370-33  and a .703 winning percentage.

The Longhorns have won 32 Conference Championships.

Texas is the only football program that posted at least 10 wins every year from 2001–2009 seasons.

Texas ranks first in the Big 12 Conference for bowl game appearances and victories.

Texas holds the Big 12 Conference record for consecutive conference victories with 21 from 2004–2006.

Texas won the most Southwest Conference Championships with 27.   Texas won a record six straight Southwest Conference Championships from 1968–1973.

Texas ranks sixth among NCAA teams with 32 total conference championships.

The Longhorns were the first college team to implement the famous Wing-T and Wishbone offenses.

Texas has had 108 winning seasons out of 119 total seasons of football.

The Longhorns have had nine undefeated seasons, and 26 seasons they finished with only one loss and/or tie.

The Longhorns have had two Heisman Trophy winners, Running Backs Earl Campbell in 1977 and Ricky Williams in 1998.

Seventeen Texas players are in the College Football Hall of Fame, and four are in the NFL Hall of Fame.

Family photos with Bevo

BEVO

Tradition is rich here! I was absolutely blown away with the pre-game and in game fun! Bevo, a Texas longhorn steer, is one of most famous mascots in the country.  He first appeared during a 1916 Thanksgiving Day game against Texas A&M.  The first Bevo was actually named Bo but came to be called Bevo, after the campus magazine referred to him as Bevo.  The school did not have the money to take care of Bevo and he was not tame enough to be allowed to roam the campus.  He would be fattened up, and served at the football banquet in 1920.   There have been a total of 14 Bevo’s.   Bevo XIV has served since the 2004 season.  Over the years, there have been several great Bevo stories.  Bevo II charged a SMU cheerleader, who defended himself with his megaphone.  Bevo III escaped from his enclosure and ran amok on the campus for 2 days.  Bevo IV attacked a parked car, and Bevo V broke free and caused the Baylor band to scatter.

Big Bertha

THE BAND AND TRADITIONS

The Longhorn Band has two songs that capture the crowd. “Texas Fight” is the official fight song of the university, and it is sung to a fast tempo version of “Taps.” The schools alma-matter is “The Eyes of Texas,” sung to the tune of “I’ve been Working on the Railroad.”

Hook ‘Em Horns – the school hand signal, was introduced at a pep rally in 1955. The hand signal is known throughout the entire country and Sports Illustrated featured the Hook ‘Em Horns gesture in front of a Texas pennant on the cover of the September 10, 1973 issue.

Smokey the Cannon, a replica of a Civil War cannon is fired before kickoff and after Texas scores.

The Sweetheart of the Longhorn Band is actually a drum that measures more than 10-feet high.  Big Bertha is considered to be the world’s largest drum (actually second largest) and it is played at halftime and after Texas touchdowns.

Lighting the Tower (also known as the Main Building) in orange for various types of sporting victories. After National Championship victories, windows are lighted in the main building to display a large number 1.

RIVALRIES

West Virginia fans captured a classic

OKLAHOMA  – The “Red River Rivalry” with Oklahoma is one of the oldest and best known college football rivalries. The rivalry originated in 1900, and the schools play at a neutral site, the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, during the Texas State Fair.   The stadium is split, with each team having an equal number of supporters on each side of the 50-yard line. Texas state flags fly around the Longhorn end of the stadium and Oklahoma state flags on the Sooner side.    The meeting in 1976 was a heated affair as the Oklahoma staff was accused of spying on Texas’ practices, a move later confirmed by former OU head coach Barry Switzer.  Texas leads the all-time series 62–46–5.

ARKANSAS – These two schools are old Southwest Conference combatants first meeting in 1894.   The Longhorns blew out the Razorbacks 54-0 that first game.  Since then, the two programs have met 77 more times, with Texas holding a decisive 56–22–0 advantage.  The seriest have featured many big games, including the meeting in 1969 known as the true Game of the Century commemorating the 100th year of college football,  This game still does not sit well with Razorback fans to this day.   Arkansas lead the game throughout only to have Texas come from behind and win in the final minutes, 15–14, which led to the Longhorns 1969 National Championship.    The game was attended by President Richard Nixon who crowned the Longhorns the National Champion in the locker room.

TEXAS A&M – The Longhorns won the very first game against the Aggies back in 1894, a 38-0 victory, and actually won the first seven games in this series, all by shutout!   The Aggies decision to join the Southeastern Conference in 2012 effectively ended the 118-year rivalry, with   Texas leading the series 76–37–5.

Thrilling finish

OUR GAME

West Virginia’s Will Grier hit Gary Jennings with a 33-yard scoring pass with 16 seconds left and then ran for a two-point conversion to lead the Mountaineers over the Longhorns 42-41.  Grier’s heroics came just two minutes after Sam Ehlinger had connected with Devin DuVernay on a 48-yard pass, breaking a 34-34 tie.   There were nine lead changes in a game that featured 1,098 total yards and 56 first downs.   It was the best game I have seen this year.

Ready for football!

Fans from all over

Willie Nelson tribute

Willie Loves Texas

My Gameday experience in Austin . . . Horns Hooked by Mounties I love coming to Austin -- It's a charming city with perhaps the most gracious fans in the country. 

[kikiskeysgame]

Kiki’s Game Preview to the Chicago Blackhawks-St. Louis Blues Game (02/25/2020)

Previously in the Blackhawks' last game: The Blackhawks will be coming off a 2-1 loss against the Dallas Stars on Sunday with Dominik Kubalik scoring the only goal for the Blackhawks in the game. Corey Crawford was the losing goaltender; he made 31 saves out of 33 shots on goal during the game. Blackhawks vs. Blues Tonight will be the third time this season that the Blackhawks and the St. Louis Blues will play against each other. The last time both teams faced each other back on December 14, 2019, the Blues defeated the Blackhawks 4-3 with goals scored by Brandon Saad (who had two) and Patrick Kane. Corey Crawford was the losing goaltender; he made 34 saves out of 38 shots on goal during the game. The Blues will be coming off a 4-1 win against the Minnesota Wild on Sunday with goals scored by Jordan Kyrou, Brayden Schenn, Oskar Sundqvist (who also had an assist) and Ivan Barbashev. Jordan Binnington was the winning goaltender; he made 33 saves out of 32 shots on goal during the game. Players To Be Aware Of David Perron (who currently leads the team in points & goals; he has 57 points with 24 goals & 33 assists in 57 games so far this season; he had gotten 1 point with 1 goal in 1 out of his last 5 games; he had no points in the Blues' last game) Ryan O'Reilly (who currently leads the team in assists; he has 54 points with 11 goals & 43 assists in 63 games so far this season; he had gotten 3 points with 1 goal & 2 assists in 2 out of his last 5 games; he had no poins in the Blues' last game) Colton Parayko (who has gotten 5 points with 4 assists & 1 goal in 3 out of his last 5 games; he has 24 points with 7 goals & 17 assists in 56 games so far this season; he had an assist in the Blues' last game) Jaden Schwartz (who has gotten 4 points with 2 goals & 2 assists in 3 out of his last 5 games; he has 49 points with 20 goals & 29 assists in 63 games so far this season; he had an assist in the Blues' last game)

[junker-town]

7 NBA overreactions after one game of the 2021-2022 season

Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images

Let’s overreact to what we saw on opening night around the NBA.

The NBA is back, and it feels like it was never gone. The 2021-2022 season opened just over a year since the Los Angeles Lakers won the 2020 championship inside the bubble, and only three months after the Milwaukee Bucks won the 2021 title. Yes, the league had another short offseason to get back on its normal, pre-pandemic schedule, and it makes the return of games feel a little overwhelming from the jump.

All but four teams have been in action through the NBA’s first two days. The Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, and Atlanta Hawks won’t debut until Thursday. For everyone else, hot takes are suddenly fair game with one contest in the books.

Let’s wildly overreact to what we saw from teams through one game. It will be fun to check back on these at the end of the year and see what opening night taught us, and what it didn’t.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to win MVP

Last time we saw Giannis, he was dropping 50 points in Game 6 of the NBA Finals to clinch the Milwaukee Bucks’ first title since 1971. Milwaukee opened the season against the Brooklyn Nets — the team favored to win the championship this year even without Kyrie Irving — and, yeah, The Greek Freak is picking up where he left off.

WHAT A BLOCK, GIANNIS ✋ (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/mPqFjPmvfC

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 19, 2021

Milwaukee rolled past Brooklyn, and Giannis dropped a 32-14-7 line while looking dominant on both ends of the floor. He might be the best player in the league, and we know he has no problem going peddle to the metal in the regular season. Antetokounmpo already has two MVPs, and he sure looked like he’s capable of winning another coming off his first championship.

Chris Duarte will make the All-Rookie First Team

Duarte was 24 years old when the Indiana Pacers took him with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, making him the oldest first round pick in the class. The former Oregon Duck found himself into the starting lineup from game one with T.J. Warren and Caris LeVert injured for Indiana, and he showed he could contribute right away. Duarte finished with 27 points on 6-of-9 shooting from three as the Pacers lost late to the Hornets.

Duarte was a skilled shooter and disruptive perimeter defender during his time with Oregon, and the shooting immediately translated on opening night. New Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle typically doesn’t trust rookie, but an older rook like Duarte might buck that trend. A spot on the All-Rookie team wouldn’t be too surprising.

LaMelo Ball is going to be an All-Star

Okay, this was one of my preseason predictions, too. I’m feeling pretty good about it after Ball started his second season by dropping 31 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in a late second win over Indiana.

LaMelo went 7-of-9 from three on the night. If he’s shooting anywhere close to that, he’s going to be a sensation this season.

Zach LaVine is going to average 30 points per game

LaVine put up 27.5 points per game on wildly good 64 percent true shooting last year. This year, he finally has some good teammates and won’t be the sole focus of opposing game plans any more. LaVine looks terrific in his season debut, putting up 34 points on 11-of-17 shooting in a win over the Pistons.

Nikola Vucevic took a team-high 21 shots and DeMar DeRozan attempted 17 field goals, so it’s possible LaVine just won’t get enough shots to significantly improve his scoring average from last season. There’s no doubt he’s the best player on the Bulls, though, and at 26 years old he’s just starting to hit his prime. He’s an awesome scorer who is capable of putting up 30 per game.

The Knicks were no fluke last year

Knicks-Celtics was wild on Tuesday night. The Celtics had a wild comeback in the fourth quarter to force overtime, but New York would eventually win the game in double-OT. Julius Randle was awesome (35 points, nine assists, eight rebounds), and new addition Evan Fournier (32 points) added some badly needed offensive firepower. Obi Toppin looked good off the bench, too.

It’s hard to remember that the Knicks were the No. 4 seed this year. Las Vegas expects them to be a .500 team, but Tom Thibodeau’s ‘Every Game is Game 7’ mentality should help them win a ton of regular season games. Prediction: the Knicks will make the playoffs in the East without having to go through the play-in tournament.

Patty Mills will win Sixth Man of the Year

Patty Thrills went 7-for-7 from three in his debut for the Nets.

Someone has to score if Kyrie is going to be out. Mills is a perfect fit playing off Kevin Durant and James Harden, and will probably be in for a big year.

Russell Westbrook is going to inspire the wildest takes all year

Was Russ good in his Lakers debut? No he was not.

The Lakers' Big Three showed up on opening night LeBron, AD, and, Melo combined for 76 PTS, 26 REB, and 9 AST in a loss vs. the Warriors pic.twitter.com/6ZhZ6OVTWN

— SB Nation (@SBNation) October 20, 2021

The truth is that Russ has started slow the last few years. He’ll be better by mid-season, count on that. The concerns about how he’ll fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis during the playoffs are legitimate, though. We’ll spare you a Westbrook hot take after one game and just say he’ll be the biggest lightning rod of the season.

[tkmedia]

Fantasy TE PPR Rankings Week 4: Who to start, sit at tight end in fantasy football

Shocker -- the tight end position has been unproductive through the first three weeks of the regular season. We'll save time lecturing you about starting your studs if you have a top-tier guy. This is one position where fantasy football owners are rarely tempted to steamer a waiver wire pickup over a consistent starter, especially this season. Our Week 4 fantasy TE PPR rankings don't differ much from past editions, but there are a few potential sleepers possibly starting to emerge.  Especially in PPR, we're going to overreact any time a tight end sees a lot of targets -- like Maxx Williams in Week 2 who saw seven targets (but followed it up with three last week). Last week, Tyler Conklin (eight targets) was a surprise standout, and he remains an interesting play against Cleveland this week. Pat Freiermuth (@ Packers) is another guy who had a solid Week 3, and with Pittsburgh suffering some key WR injuries, he's in play as a potential streaming option against a Green Bay defense that's had problems with TE this year. Austin Hooper (@ Vikings) can also be considered with Jarvis Landry (knee) out. WEEK 4 PPR RANKINGS: Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | D/ST | KickerJared Cook was a dud at Kansas City, but he was drawing Tyrann Mathieu in coverage often. Las Vegas' defense has looked better overall, but it was roasted for 10 catches and 86 yards by Mike Gesicki last week. Cook is in play in PPR leagues. Kyle Pitts (vs. Washington) had his worst game in his early NFL career in Week 3, but there's almost nothing he can do to free fall in the rankings. Based on talent and passing volume alone, his ceiling remains sky-high. Cole Kmet (vs. Lions) has also a small amount of appeal given his matchup, but with Chicago's offense stuck in the mud, he's tough to trust.  WEEK 4 STANDARD RANKINGS: Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | KickerHunter Henry and Jonnu Smith (vs. Buccaneers) get the treat of being matched up with Lavonte David and Devin White in Week 3, but the Bucs have allowed a fair amount of catches to TEs, so perhaps one or both can have some PPR value. Gesicki (vs. Colts) has a tough matchup, but he's at least in the conversation again in PPR leagues.To put it mildly, this position is flat-out gross to evaluate. We know fantasy football involves a fair amount of luck, but if you don't have a consistent stud at the position, you might as well be playing with fire when putting your trust in a middle-of-the-pack tight end. We haven't even been able to completely rely on Pitts, George Kittle, Mark Andrews, Noah Fant, or T.J. Hockenson this year. If you drafted Travis Kelce or Darren Waller this year, then congratulations. If not, you share our frustration.NOTE: We'll continue to update these TE PPR rankings throughout the week, so check back for the latest player movement and analysis.

Fantasy TE PPR Rankings Week 4: Who to start at tight end

Rankings based on full-point PPR scoringRank Player 1 Travis Kelce, KC @ PHI 2 Darren Waller, LV @ LAC 3 T.J. Hockenson, DET @ CHI 4 George Kittle, SF vs. SEA 5 Logan Thomas, WAS @ ATL 6 Noah Fant, DEN vs. BAL 7 Rob Gronkowski, TB @ NE 8 Mark Andrews, BAL @ DEN 9 Kyle Pitts, ATL vs. WAS 10 Dallas Goedert, PHI vs. KC 11 Tyler Higbee, LAR vs. ARI 12 Robert Tonyan Jr., GB vs. PIT 13 Jared Cook, LAC vs. LV 14 Pat Freiermuth, PIT @ GB 15 Mike Gesicki, MIA vs. IND 16 Evan Engram, NYG @ NO 17 Hunter Henry, NE @ TB 18 Tyler Conklin, MIN vs. CLE 19 Jonnu Smith, NE @ TB 20 Austin Hooper, CLE @ MIN 21 Cole Kmet, CHI vs. DET 22 Dan Arnold, CAR @ DAL 23 Zach Ertz, PHI vs. KC 24 Dawson Knox, BUF vs. HOU 25 Gerald Everett, SEA @ SF 26 Tyler Kroft, NYJ vs. TEN 27 Jack Doyle, IND @ MIA 28 Dalton Schultz, DAL vs. CAR 29 Maxx Williams, ARI @ LAR 30 Juwan Johnson, NO vs. NYG 31 Adam Trautman, NO vs. NYG 32 Albert Okwuegbunam, DEN vs. BAL 33 Eric Ebron, PIT @ GB 34 Blake Jarwin, DAL vs. CAR 35 Pharaoh Brown, HOU @ BUF 36 C.J. Uzomah, CIN vs. JAX 37 Anthony Firkser, TEN @ NYJ 38 Mo Alie-Cox, IND @ MIA 39 Jimmy Graham, CHI @ MIN 40 Will Dissly, SEA @ SF 41 David Njoku, CLE @ MIN 42 Hayden Hurst, ATL vs. WAS Read the full article

[kikiskeysgame]

Kiki’s Game Preview to the Chicago Blackhawks-Dallas Stars Game (04\05\2019)

Previously in the Blackhawks’ Last Game: The Blackhawks defeated the St. Louis Blues 4-3 in a shootout on Wednesday night; they have finished their second series against the Blues with a record of 4-1-0. They have also improved their shootout record to 3-1 on the year, currently pace all NHL teams with 24 overtime games played this season and have scored a goal in each of their last 8 periods.

Jonathan Toews scored his 35th goal of the season, making it a career high for goals in a season for him, surpassing his previous mark of 34 goals (back in the 2008-09 season). 

Toews became the third Blackhawks player this season to score at least 35 goals (along with Patrick Kane, who has 42 goals and Alex DeBrincat, who has 41 goals). 

Toews, Kane and DeBrincat became the first Blackhawks trio since the 1987-88 season (where Denis Savard had 44 goals, Rick Vaive had 43 goals & Steve Larmer had 41 goals) to each score 35-plus goals in a season.

Patrick Kane had a multi-point game with his 42nd goal and his 65th assist of the season on Toews’ goal, reaching a career high of 107 points (with 42 goals & 65 assists), surpassing his previous total of 106 points (with 46 goals & 60 assists) in the 2015-16 season. 

Kane’s 107 points are the most by a Blackhawks player since Jeremy Roenick (who had 107 points with 46 goals & 61 assists) back in the 1993-94 season. Kane’s 65 assists on the year are also a career high, which is five more than his previous mark of 60 assists back in the 2015-16 season.

Artem Anisimov scored his 15th goal of the season; Anisimov has scored at least 15 goals in four consecutive seasons and currently 7th on the team in goals.

Drake Caggiula got his 9th assist of the season on Toews’ goal, making his first game as a Blackhawk where he has gotten points in back-to-back games.

Dominik Kahun got his 24th assist of the season on Anisimov’s goal; Kahun currently leads all Blackhawks rookies in points, goals & assists, and is currently 8th among NHL rookies in points.

Dylan Strome got his 36th assist of the season on Kane’s goal, making it his second consecutive point in two games; Strome is currently 5th on the team in points.

Duncan Keith got his 33rd assist of the season on Kane’s goal; Keith is currently 2nd among Blackhawks defensemen in points, goals & assists.

Brandon Saad got his 23rd assist of the season on Anisimov’s goal; Saad is currently 6th on the team in points.

Dennis Gilbert made his NHL debut in the game, making him the sixth Blackhawks player to make his debut in the 2018-19 season (along with Dominik Kahun, Henri Jokiharju, Alexandre Fortin, Luke Johnson and Jacob Nilsson). Gilbert led all Blackhawks skaters with 6 hits and blocked one shot during the game.

Cam Ward was the winning goaltender; he made made 37 saves out of 40 shots on goal during the game. Ward has posted at least 15 victories in 11 of his 14 seasons in the NHL.

Blackhawks vs. Stars: Tonight will be the last time this season that the Blackhawks and the Dallas Stars will be playing against each other; the last time both teams faced each other back on March 9th, the Blackhawks defeated the Stars 2-1 with goals scored by David Kampf and Alex DeBrincat; Corey Crawford made 26 saves out of 27 shots on goal during the game.

The Stars will be coming off a 6-2 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night with goals scored by Jason Dickinson (who had an assist), Esa Lindell (who had an assist), Alexander Radulov (who had two goals and two assists), Tyler Pitlick and Blake Comeau. Tyler Seguin (who had 2), John Klingberg (who had 2), Mats Zuccarello, Radek Faksa and Roope Hintz each got assists; Anton Khudobin made 32 saves out of 34 shots on goal during the game.

Players to Be Aware of:

Tyler Seguin (who currently leads the team in points, goals & assists; he has gotten 6 points with 2 goals & 4 assists in his last 5 games; he had a multi-point game with 2 assists in the Stars’ last game; he has gotten 77 points with 31 goals & 46 assists so far this season)

Alexander Radulov (who is currently second on the team in points, goals & assists; he has gotten 9 points with 5 goals & 4 assists in his last 5 games; he had a multi-point game with 2 goals & 2 assists in the Stars’ last game; he has 70 points with 29 goals & 41 assists so far this season)

John Klingberg (who currently leads all Stars defensemen in points & assists; he has gotten 3 points with 3 assists in his last 2 games; he had a multi-point game with 2 assists in the Stars’ last game; he has 44 points with 10 goals & 34 assists so far this season)

[junker-town]

NBA playoff predictions: 1 big question about each Western Conference series

The West is wide open. Our team communities preview each series and give their predictions.

The NBA playoffs are finally here, and they arrive with what appears to be a wide open race in the Western Conference. Yes, the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers are back again, but they enter the postseason as a No. 7 seed after needing to qualify through the play-in tournament. LeBron James and Anthony Davis have battled injuries all year, and there are several teams who think they have what it takes to dethrone the Lakers as conference champs.

The Los Angeles Clippers are back in the playoffs after blowing a 3-1 series lead against the Denver Nuggets inside the bubble during last year’s playoffs. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George lead a team that will be one of the favorites to win it all, but they again have to go through Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks to start their playoff run.

The most enticing series of the first round might be Denver vs. the Portland Trail Blazers. These two teams played an instant classic seven-game series in 2019, and you know presumptive MVP Nikola Jokic and Blazers star Damian Lillard are ready to put on a show.

Now that the playoffs are finally here, we asked the SB Nation NBA communities to preview their team’s matchup by asking one big question about each series. The communities also gave their predictions on who will win the series, as did staffers Sabreena Merchant, Sydney Umeri, and Ricky O’Donnell.

No. 1 Jazz vs. No. 8 Grizzlies: Predictions and preview

Jazz 52-20 vs. Grizzlies 38-34

Offensive efficiency: Jazz 116.5 (4th) | Grizzlies 111.7 (15th)

Defensive efficiency: Jazz 107.5 (3rd) | Grizzlies 110.5 (7th)

Net rating: Jazz +9 (1st) | Grizzlies +1.2 (14th)

Season series: Jazz won 3-0. The Jazz swept the season series, but two of their wins were decided by four points or less.

Who is the most important player for your team in this series and why?

James Hansen of SLC Dunk: For Utah the most important player is Rudy Gobert. Gobert was the reason Utah had the #1 record in the league during the regular season and the Jazz need that dominance to carry over into the playoffs. Gobert’s ability to patrol the paint while also guarding his man will be the thing that gives the Jazz a chance to win every game. The narrative that Gobert gets played off the floor in the playoffs will be put to bed pretty quickly if Gobert does in the playoffs what he did all season.

Parker Fleming of Grizzly Bear Blues:

Ahead of the series, our Grizzlies community wrote:

Ja Morant rose to the occasion like no other, going toe-to-toe with a MVP finalist — one of the 10-15 greatest players of all time. As the national media clamors about Morant’s shooting, he made them when he count, drilling a career-best 5 three-pointer’s. No matter who was in front of him, he managed to find his way into the paint to get off that floater. He also locked in defensively (5 steals) by getting into passing lanes and staying aggressive on both ends of the floor.

The Grizzlies have a future superstar that is built for these moments, and he’s only going to continue adding to his legacy.

Prediction from Ricky O’Donnell: Jazz in 4.

Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

No. 2 Suns vs. No. 7 Lakers: Predictions and preview

Suns 51-21 vs. Lakers 42-30

Offensive efficiency: Suns 116.3 (7th) | Lakers 109.8 (24th)

Defensive efficiency: Suns 110.4 (6th) | Lakers 106.8 (1st)

Net rating: Suns +5.9 (3rd) | Lakers +2.9 (8th)

Season series: Suns 2-1. Phoenix won the first two matchups, and the Lakers won in May.

The Lakers are the heavy favorites to win the series despite being a No. 7 seed going up against a No. 2 seed in Phoenix. What worries you most about the opposition going into this series?

Harrison Faigen of Silver Screen and Roll: If I was coaching the Lakers — which I’m not, so please stop tweeting me your suggestions for the center rotation — I would definitely be most afraid of Devin Booker as far as threats from the Suns go. Los Angeles should have enough big men to limit Deandre Ayton, and their corps of guards should be able to make life hell on Chris Paul over the course of a series, even if they obviously won’t stop him.

But while Booker isn’t huge at 6’6, he most reasonably approximates the type of big wings the Lakers have most frequently struggled with this season, and they don’t necessarily have a perfect matchup for him. Wesley Matthews and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are both good options, but I’d be much more confident in Alex Caruso, Dennis Schröder and Caldwell-Pope slowing the smaller Paul than I am of the Lakers making things quite as hellaciously difficult on Booker. The offensive end and the Lakers’ health concern me most in this series, but if we’re picking Suns threats, Booker is the one I’d most fear. I’m confident they can win this series relatively handily if healthy because of their matchup advantages in AD and LeBron, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Booker has one or two big games.

Dave King of Bright Side of the Sun: Well obviously what worries me are Anthony Davis and LeBron James, two of the top five players in the NBA when they are healthy. Even playing a little slow on Wednesday, Bron posted a triple double and drained a half-blind 34 footer to seal the win. So that’s a worry. A big worry. And two weeks ago, without Bron there, Anthony Davis dropped 42 points on the Suns in regular season game. Given his performance in the Bubble last year, you’ve got to worry that AD is the best 7-foot jump shooter in the playoffs. Other worries include the Lakers’ top-rated defense making up for their non-Bron-non-AD offensive struggles. The Suns will have to execute like madmen and limit turnovers (which they are good at) to overcome the Lakers defensive pressure. I do think every game is going to come down to: (1) the 3P shooting will decide the first 47 minutes and (2) if it’s close, it’s all about who makes the hero shots and who misses.

Silver Screen and Roll: Lakers in 5

Bright Side of the Sun: Suns in 7.

Sydney Umeri: Lakers in 6.

Ricky O’Donnell: Lakers in 6.

Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images

No. 3 Nuggets vs. No. 6 Trail Blazers: Predictions and preview

Nuggets (53-29, expected: 55-27) vs. Trail Blazers (50-32, expected: 51-31)

Offensive efficiency: Nuggets 107.7 (4th) | Trail Blazers 104.7 (10th)

Defensive efficiency: Nuggets 104.4 (20th) | Trail Blazers 101.5 (11th)

Net rating: Nuggets 104.4 (20th) | Trail Blazers 101.5 (11th)

Season series: Cavaliers 3-1. Chicago beat Cleveland 113-98 on Feb. 13, but the Cavaliers bested them in the other three meetings.

These two teams played a classic seven-game series in 2019. There are tons of storylines on both sides. What will be the swing factor in this series?

David Deckard of Blazer’s Edge: Obviously any discussion of Portland versus Denver starts with superstars and styles. Nikola Jokic is the presumptive MVP, the most unique player on the floor. He can stand in the middle of Portland’s defense, commanding the floor. If the Blazers single-cover him, he’ll score. If they double, he’ll pass. The Blazers are decent defensively when they can hem opposing players into defined spaces and swarm them. Jokic provides a natural counter, making them move their feet...a serious weakness.

Lillard provides a different kind of threat. He might as well be an Olympics-level skier, the way he gets downhill whenever the Blazers need a bucket. You cannot stop him from getting into the lane and either picking up the foul or a layup. That ability has freed him up for his preferred shot: the three. He has range to the moon and nerves of steel. Like a boss battle in a poorly-designed video game, opponents see Portland’s hit point bar nearing zero and think they have the game won, only to watch Lillard take on superhero form, pour in 17 points in the quarter, and lead his side to victory. They can’t stop anything he does, let alone everything he does.

If those two superstars end up cancelling each other out, the series will probably come down to whether Portland’s three-point shooters can counter Denver’s ability to create mismatches. Michael Porter, Jr. is a 6’10 small forward. The Blazers field 6’4 Normal Powell at that position. Carmelo Anthony and Enes Kanter play significant minutes even though their defense is so sus, it might as well be wearing a “Imposter” name tag. If the Blazers can’t pour in points, they either have to get their Denver counterparts in foul trouble or hope the Nuggets have an off shooting night.

Ryan Blackburn of Denver Stiffs: Health on the perimeter is the most concerning factor for the Denver Nuggets entering this series. It’s no secret that the Portland Trail Blazers have plenty of firepower, and while the Nuggets have big strengths up front with Nikola Jokić and Michael Porter Jr., the guard position has become something of a rotating M.A.S.H. unit. Jamal Murray is out for the season which cannot go understated. Monte Morris is back but still dealing with the effects of a hamstring strain. Will Barton is still working his way back from a similar injury. PJ Dozier, maybe Denver’s best defensive guard, may not be back for this series.

The Nuggets are going to have an ordeal surviving without their normal guard firepower. They will likely be starting Facundo Campazzo, an older rookie, and Austin Rivers, who they signed on April 20th. They also brought in Shaquille Harrison, an excellent defensive guard and complete non-shooting threat offensively. That, along with the returning Monte Morris, is the extent of Denver’s guard rotation.

Let’s see if Nikola Jokić can work some much needed magic.

Denver Stiffs: Nuggets in 7

Sabreena Merchant: Nuggets in 7.

Sydney Umeri: Nuggets in 6.

Ricky O’Donnell: Nuggets in 6.

Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images

No. 4 Clippers vs. No. 5 Mavericks: Predictions and preview

Clippers (53-29, expected: 55-27) vs. Mavericks (50-32, expected: 51-31)

Offensive efficiency: Clippers 107.7 (4th) | Mavericks 104.7 (10th)

Defensive efficiency: Clippers 104.4 (20th) | Mavericks 101.5 (11th)

Net rating:

Season series: Cavaliers 3-1. Chicago beat Cleveland 113-98 on Feb. 13, but the Cavaliers bested them in the other three meetings.

The Clippers won this series in six games last year. Do you think the outcome will be any different this year based on what you’ve seen during the season?

Sabreena Merchant of ClipsNation: This series barely went six last year thanks to Luka Dončić’s heroics. This year, despite the two teams ranking closer in seeding, the Clippers are better by point differential, the Mavericks are worse, and L.A. has an axe to grind after the humiliation suffered in the bubble last year. The Clippers should win in five. The key will be Kawhi Leonard and Paul George playing like the all-NBA players they are and forcing Dallas to play whack-a-mole to figure out a way to defend the two of them together. George struggled in the bubble, but he’s in a much better mental space now and coming off a dynamite regular season.

The Clippers are simply too talented for the Mavericks. They have the edge at every position in the starting lineup except for point guard, and all five of those players can defend Dončić in a pinch, giving the Clippers the ability to run a variety of different coverages and keep the third-year wunderkind off balance. They also have a deep experienced bench, including two former champions in Rajon Rondo and Serge Ibaka, and a jack-of-all-trades in Nic Batum, all of whom are new to the Clippers and don’t carry the burden of this franchise’s history. They chose this matchup, and they’re going to show why.

Kirk Henderson of Mavs Moneyball: Largely no. At this point, Dallas fans quite understandably hang on to the game four superhuman performance from Luka Doncic resulting in the overtime stepback game winner. They look at the series outcome and say “we took two games from them!” That’s true on paper, as a win is a win. But they really only felt in control of the other victory. The Clippers dominated the rest of the series, piling up double digit leads with relative ease. There are some differences, of course. This time around, Dallas has a bit more depth with Jalen Brunson and Dwight Powell playing. But just as the Mavericks are healthier, Los Angeles seems to be getting healthy at the right time too.

Scoring won’t be a problem for the Mavericks this series. It’s the defense that should be of concern. Mainly because the Clipper offense is quietly dominant, with a fleet of guys shooting the ball *really* well. The Dallas defense, though, is a problem; after an off season that attempted to correct some of their defensive struggles (mainly through a Seth Curry for Josh Richardson swap), the Maverick defense has been worse for large chunks of the 2020-21 season. The root cause for that lies primarily at the feet of Kristaps Porzingis who tore his meniscus in the bubble playoffs and came back slow to start this season. Frankly, he looks like a shell of himself on defense, barring a short stint in March where he showed promise. There’s a lot of thought and hope that he’s been dogging it in May following an ankle injury, just so he wouldn’t get hurt before the playoffs. But any astute observer would note that defense is as much about timing and rhythm as skill and athleticism and Porzingis hasn’t looked right for a while and just about any metric would back that up. If he looks like even a passable defensive player, the Mavericks might have a chance. Otherwise this might be the same song as last year, just a different verse.

Clippers Nation: Clippers in 5.

Ricky O’Donnell: Clippers in 5.

Sydney Umeri: Clippers in 6.

[techcrunchappcom]

New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/nfl-power-rankings-saints-packers-new-nfc-front-runners-after-buccaneers-seahawks-plunge-for-week-10/

NFL power rankings: Saints, Packers new NFC front-runners after Buccaneers, Seahawks plunge for Week 10

Week 9 in the NFL saw more shakeups in the league pecking order. A couple of NFC contenders, New Orleans and Green Bay posted statement victories, while two others, Tampa Bay and Seattle showed all kinds of weakness.

Meanwhile, in the AFC, Kansas City, Baltimore and Buffalo flexed in tough games, with Miami and Las Vegas did more to pump up their wild-card playoff campaigns. 

Going into Week 10, here’s how we stack every team from No. 1 through No. 32 in Sporting News’ latest power rankings

MORE: Updated NFL standings, playoff picture | 2021 mock draft

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NFL power rankings

1. Kansas City Chiefs 8-1 (last week: 1)

The Chiefs are getting a little pass-happy with Patrick Mahomes in the middle of the season but he’s also playing at a crazy high MVP level. They need to get better defensively and against the run to maximize his presence on the field.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers 8-0 (2)

The Steelers escaped from Dallas with a victory when their defense struggled at times and their running game wasn’t reliable. Ben Roethlisbeger, knee injury aside, made the big plays when it counted to save them to their talented wide receivers.

MORE: Steelers ready for ‘everybody’s best punch,’ says Mike Tomlin

3. New Orleans Saints 6-2 (5)

The Saints marched away with a dominant victory in Tampa Bay, sweeping the season series and becoming the clear NFC South and conference favorites. They’ll get a shot at the fading reigning champion 49ers next.

4. Baltimore Ravens 6-2 (6) 

The Ravens needed a gritty, old-school defensive win with the passing game not coming through. Lamar Jackson and the running game get plenty of credit for out-slugging the Colts in a critical rebound game.

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5. Buffalo Bills 7-2 (7)

The Bills needed that kind of stellar performance against the Seahawks to feel great about Josh Allen and the offense again. The even more encouraging sign was how many big plays the defense made, too.

6. Green Bay Packers 6-2 (8)

The Packers and Aaron Rodgers took care of the 49ers nemesis. They also should feel good about beating the Saints, even though they lost badly to the Buccaneers. They are right back in the NFC top seed conversation.

7. Seattle Seahawks 6-2 (3)

The Seahawks stumbled with terrible pass defense against the Bills and more critical mistakes from Russell Wilson. Their hot start took advantage of an easy schedule. Now they need to sweat out winning the NFC West first before thinking about anything bigger.

IYER: Why Seahawks are fading fast as NFC title contenders

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6-3 (4)

What was that? The Bucs had their biggest opportunity to show they were the new NFC favorite in their biggest game of the year and the entire team now has made it really hard to win the NFC South. Tom Brady and the defense are best off forgetting the Saints nightmare, hoping for a third matchup down the line.

9. Tennessee Titans 6-2 (11)

Remember the Titans as a factor in the AFC race? They got a much-needed defensive-fueled victory over the Bears for Mike Vrabel to also create some breathing room against the Colts in the South.

10. Miami Dolphins 5-3 (14)  

The Dolphins also want a say in the AFC in the end with their defense continuing to make big plays for Brian Flores and their offense finding a different kind of groove with Tua Tagovailoa. They can keep it going with a very favorable schedule over the next month.

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11. Arizona Cardinals 5-3 (9)

The Cardinals played a classic young QB duel with the Dolphins with Kyler Murray not having the same field-goal fortunes as Tagovailoa. The defense, which had seemed to turn a corner, was most disappointing. 

12. Los Angeles Rams 5-3 (12)

The Rams enjoyed a bye knowing they are doing it differently in the NFC than the other playoffs, leaning mostly on their running game and defense when they’re playing their best. Sean McVay should have some great adjustments in store for the second half.

13. Las Vegas Raiders 5-3 (16)

The Raiders are locked in offensively with Derek Carr with the right balance from Josh Jacobs and the running game. They won’t get much better defensively in 2020, but it’s all about making timely stops for them to keep winning.

MORE: Colts’ Philip Rivers tripped by turf monster while attempting tackle

14. Cleveland Browns 5-3 (17)

The Browns had an eventful end to the bye week with Baker Mayfield landing on the COVID-19 list. Their wild-card chase got a lot harder with the Raiders and the Dolphins winning close games. They must take advantage of three very winnable games ahead.

15. Indianapolis Colts 5-3 (10)

The Colts keep trying to win battles of attrition with their running game and defense, but it’s hard to hide Philip Rivers when he’s not playing well. They need to upgrade at quarterback with a true franchise option in 2021.

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16. Chicago Bears 5-4 (13)

The Bears are stuck with Nick Foles with Mitchell Trubisky hurting. They keep making a few mistakes offensively to hold them back and put too much of a burden on their stout defense.

17. San Francisco 49ers 4-5 (15)

The 49ers are a shell of the NFC champions from last season and Kyle Shanahan and Robert Saleh can do only so much with their play-calling. It won’t get any easier with the Saints, Rams and Bills in the next three games.

MORE: Tom Brady at loss after Bucs’ blowout loss to Drew Brees’ Saints

18. Philadelphia Eagles 3-4-1 (18)

The Eagles had a bye to get healthier all around and should be feeling more confident about their NFC East chances with Washington and Dallas losing while they didn’t play. They do get some NFC litmus tests with the Seahawks, Packers, Saints and Cardinals all on the upcoming schedule.

19. Minnesota Vikings 3-5 (23)

The Vikings are creeping back into the NFC wild-card race. Consider four of their losses are to above-.500 times, including the Packers, the Seahawks,the Colts and the Titans. Dalvin Cook and a favorable schedule makes them a team to watch in the second half.

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20. Detroit Lions 3-5 (19)

The Lions blew their chance to take second place behind the Packers with another mess of a defensive game against the Vikings. The writing is on the wall for Matt Patricia now.

21. Denver Broncos 3-5 (20)

The Broncos played inspired comeback football with Drew Lock again in Atlanta, but it wasn’t enough despite their passing offense coming to life. Vic Fangio’s defense keeps opening too many holes.

22. Carolina Panthers 3-6 (21)

The Panthers got Christian McCaffrey back and made a lot of great plays to stay in the game against the Chiefs, having the ideal ball-control game plan. But their pass defense didn’t cooperate when it was needed most.

23. Cincinnati Bengals 2-5-1 (22)

The Bengals had a bye to get healthier on the offensive line and also heal running back Joe Mixon. As for quarterback Joe Burrow, he will continue his push for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

24. New England Patriots 2-5 (25)

The Patriots play Monday night with their season on the line against, of all teams, the winless Jets. The Bills and the Dolphins are both positioned to pull away from them.

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25. Los Angeles Chargers 2-6 (24)

The Chargers lost another close game on the final play. What a surprise. Justin Herbert and Anthony Lynn both deserve better breaks than that.

26. Atlanta Falcons 3-6 (27)

The Falcons have found their way defensively a little more, enough to complement Matt Ryan and the offense, which has found its groove again. Now it’a. a bye to try to keep it up under Raheem Morris in the second half.

27. Houston Texans 2-6 (29)

The Texans’ defense is a major liability and the main reason for their record. Deshaun Watson is doing everything he can to help them win with a short deck.

28. Washington Football Team 2-6 (26)

WFT got swept by the Giants as their defense broke down more than expected after a bye and had to deal with a devastating second QB change from Kyle Allen to Alex Smith. Perhaps Dwayne Haskins deserves one last chance?

29. Dallas Cowboys 2-6 (28)

The Cowboys did their best to find a spark with Garrett Gilbert and it worked for a long time as the entire offense played inspired in a tough matchup. Unfortunately, the defense improved greatly against the run, only to break down against the pass in crunch time.

30. New York Giants 2-7 (30)

The Giants finally finished a close game because of defense and turnover-free offense. Joe Judge needed that one in Washington.

31. Jacksonville Jaguars 1-7 (31)

The Jaguars did their best to compete at a high level with Jake Luton, who really didn’t look much different operating the offense than Gardner Minshew did. Unfortunately, he can do nothing to help a shell of a defense.

32. New York Jets 0-8 (32)

The Jets play on Monday night, which means they also will lose on a different day of the week for a change under Adam Gase.

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Rodgers, Packers beat Rams 32-18 to reach NFC title game

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- — Don’t tell Aaron Rodgers the lack of capacity crowds in a pandemic will limit the Green Bay Packers' home-field advantage in the NFC championship game.He's been waiting too long for this moment to have any such negative thoughts.Rodgers threw two touchdown passes and also ran for a score as the top-seeded Green Bay Packers beat the Los Angeles Rams 32-18 in an NFC divisional playoff game Saturday. He will play a conference championship game at home for the first time in his Hall of Fame-caliber career.“I'm definitely a little emotional, just thinking about what we've been through,” said Rodgers, who went 23 of 36 for 296 yards. “It got me emotional with the crowd out there today.” สล็อตRodgers threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Davante Adam s and a game-clinching 58-yarder toAllen Lazard with 6:52 left. Rodgers also had a 1-yard touchdown run,the first by a Packers quarterback in a playoff game at Lambeau Field since Bart Starr’s winning sneak in the Ice Bowl against Dallas on Dec. 31, 1967.The Packers (14-3) reached the NFC championship game for the fourth time in seven seasons as they chase their first Super Bowl berth in a decade. It will be their first NFC title contest at Lambeau Field since hosting for the 2007 season, when they fell to theNew York Giants 23-20 in overtime.Green Bay won the Super Bowl for the 2010 season as the NFC’s No. 6 seed, and has lost at Seattle, Atlanta and San Francisco in its last three conference championship game appearances.