BY J.A. SCHWARTZ The American League East may well feature four of the top six teams in the league in 2022, with only the White Sox and perhaps Houston as being likely to win more games than the goliaths in the East. The Tampa Bay Rays are the defending AL …
Read More »A’s retool again as future in Oakland remains in doubt
BY J.A. SCHWARTZ The Oakland A’s have indicated their intentions about the 2022 season with a flurry of trades that may not be fully complete even when their season begins on April 7th. Despite qualifying for the playoffs three straight years, including a division title in the shortened 2020 campaign, …
Read More »Giants looking to repeat success of 2021 division champs
BY J.A. SCHWARTZ The Giants won a franchise record 107 games in 2021, baffling pundits all season long as they outplayed their bitter rivals to the south to the National League West division title. Though they unseated Los Angeles atop the division for the first time since 2013, the Dodgers …
Read More »Feisty 49ers facing uphill battle on the road in NFC Playoffs
BY J.A. SCHWARTZ Tampa Bay, led by the ageless Tom Brady, will start the defense of their Super Bowl title when the host the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the playoffs. The Eagles are the last franchise to defeat Brady in a Super Bowl, and will look to …
Read More »Wide-Open NFL playoffs kick off with AFC games on Saturday
BY J.A. SCHWARTZ The 2021 NFL season has concluded, and the playoff pairings are set. Aaron Rodgers has the Green Bay Packers sitting atop the NFC bracket, and they have the only bye in the conference with six other teams squaring off to to advance to the second round. In …
Read More »Curry and the Warriors back on top heading into 2022
BY J.A. SCHWARTZ The best three-point shooter in the history of the National Basketball Association (by percentage) works in the Chase Center in San Francisco. He’s the leader of the Golden State Warriors, and has been an iconic presence for the franchise since his arrival in 2014. On those days …
Read More »Recent sports scandals amplify “win at all costs” narrative
BY J.A.SCHWARTZ Sports franchises are driven by clearly defined forces that prioritize victory. When their teams succeed on the field of play, they’re likely to see local broadcast ratings improve, which helps drive advertising rates and interest in the club. Winning draws more fans, spending money on parking, concessions and …
Read More »October Baseball: Let the games in the National League begin
BY J.A. SCHWARTZ Following yesterday’s American League preview, we now turn our focus to the National League, with the 106 win Los Angeles Dodgers hosting the St. Louis Cardinals, winners of 19 of their last 22 games (including a franchise record 17 in a row), Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium. …
Read More »October Baseball: Let the games in the junior circuit begin
BY J.A. SCHWARTZ The MLB playoffs are now set to begin. The postseason format will revert to the pre-pandemic standard, and ten teams (as opposed to 16 in 2020) are in the mix, hoping for October glory. The final few playoff spots weren’t determined until the season’s final day, when …
Read More »NFL 2021: Contenders for the Super Bowl
BY J.A. SCHWARTZ Continuing our countdown of the best teams in the NFL heading into the 2021 season, here’s our Top 8: 8. Los Angeles Rams: When a team can put Aaron Donald, who has won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year twice in the past three seasons, in …
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