BY J.A. SCHWARTZ As the 2023 season draws near, a bit of reflection about the relative state of the conferences may be required to fully understand the challenges and opportunities presented to each franchise as they seek to become Super Bowl champions in February of 2024. Ironically, the crowning contest …
Read More »Jackson’s saga spotlights lack of guaranteed contracts in NFL
BY J.A. SCHWARTZ Of the four major North American sports leagues, the NFL is the only one that does NOT have fully guaranteed contracts. Every contract signed by an MLB, NBA or NHL player is fully guaranteed the moment it is signed. Those players know they’ll receive the money their …
Read More »Padres quickly closing the gap on Dodgers in NL West
BY J.A. SCHWARTZ The Dodgers had the best record in the Majors last season but only played four games in October after getting knocked off by San Diego in the opening round of the playoffs. Change is in the air in the NL West as the two Southern California rivals …
Read More »Astros seeking to hold off flourishing Mariners in AL West
BY J.A. SCHWARTZ Thirty seasons after making his managerial debut with the Giants, Dusty Baker finally lifted his first World Series trophy in 2022. All roads to a championship will continue to go thru Houston, but after breaking a 21 year postseason drought the Mariners are poised to stake their …
Read More »Top heavy NL East boasts three World Series contenders
BY J.A. SCHWARTZ The 2022 season saw the heavyweight Braves and Mets both win 100 games and battle for the NL East title until the final day of the season, only to watch as the upstart Phillies surpassed them both in the postseason to capture the NL pennant and a …
Read More »Cardinals and Brewers a cut above the rest in NL Central
BY J.A. SCHWARTZ The NL Central has been a two team race between the Cardinals and Brewers in recent seasons and will likely be again in 2023, with the rebuilding Cubs probably still a year away and the frugal Reds and Cubs barely competitive. This is the third of six …
Read More »Loaded AL East shaping up as one of the best in Baseball
BY J.A. SCHWARTZ The AL East has long been one of Baseball’s heavyweight divisions, with the Yankees and Red Sox consistently near the top of the sports highest payrolls. With the powerful Blue Jays poised to compete for a title, the always overachieving Rays, and the resurgence of the young …
Read More »Francona and Guardians poised to repeat in AL Central
BY J.A. SCHWARTZ 2023 is a World Baseball Classic year, the first since the 2017 version that saw the United States win the tournament. The pandemic cancelled the 2020 edition, which means the US have been defending champions for the past six years. Superstars Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Pete Alonso, …
Read More »NFC Playoffs open with 49ers well positioned for deep title run
BY J.A. SCHWARTZ It’s the second week of January, and now that the college football title game has been decided, fans of the sport will be riveted to their televisions to track which NFL team will emerge from a group of 14 hopefuls to lay claim to the Super Bowl …
Read More »Wide open AFC playoffs begin with serious challenges to Chiefs
BY J.A. SCHWARTZ The Kansas City Chiefs secured the top overall seed in the AFC with their 14-3 record, but they’re not assured of home field advantage through the AFC Championship Game due to the the cancellation of the game between Cincinnati and Buffalo after Damar Hamiln’s tragic, near fatal …
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