The Orlando Magic’s 2020-21 season could not have gone much worse. The two franchise building blocks, Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac, missed pretty much all of the season, while starting lineup linchpins Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon were dealt to Chicago and Denver, respectively. The Magic sank to the bottom of the NBA and sent … Continue reading Rooting Guide for the 2020-21 NBA Playoffs
The Riker Block mock draft has officially become a tradition. Last year's mock draft had no shortage of bold picks, with some (Justin Herbert at 3, Justin Jefferson at 16) making their drafters look like geniuses and a handful of correctly predicted picks. Most of last year's cast of characters returned for the 2021 iteration, … Continue reading 2021 NFL Mock Draft: Northwestern duo comes off the board early, Jones tumbles
As with most pro sports leagues nowadays, the term “offseason” has become a misnomer in the NFL. The months following the Super Bowl, the most-watched sports event in America, are packed with contract decisions, free agent signings, pro days and combine performances for prospects, and, the highlight of the offseason, the NFL Draft from April … Continue reading NFL Offseason: 49ers, Bucs Among Early Winners
Two gloomy, football-less Sundays have passed since the finale of the 2020 NFL season. But the football calendar hasn’t turned to its new year, giving me an excuse to return back to what was a thrilling season and knock out my season in review. In four downs, let’s look back on 21 weeks of madness. … Continue reading NFL Season in Review: Top Storylines, Quarterbacks, Games from a Thrilling Season
When Tom Brady joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, I was in absolute shock. The look of 20-year New England Patriot and owner of a record six Super Bowl rings in the red and black of the Buccaneers was jarring, the rare instance of an all-time legend joining a small-market, side note of a team. When … Continue reading Bucs stop here: Brady completes legendary season in Tampa Bay with Super Bowl win
Patrick Andres broke the news to me, as he does on many occasions. I was eating my carb-loaded dinner with Patrick, Drew and Davis in Allison Dining Hall when Patrick called across the table: Jon Lester to the Nats. A couple hours later, Lester’s one-year deal was official. This signing doesn’t send shockwaves through the … Continue reading Jon Lester, Washington National
John Harbaugh called Sunday’s Baltimore-Tennessee bout the biggest win of his career. The guy has won a Super Bowl and has the most road playoff wins in league history, but the case makes sense, given where the Ravens were a couple weeks ago, where they were a year ago and where they were a couple … Continue reading Ravens rally for thrilling Wild Card win
Option 1, 2020’s Burning Question: Which 10-win team is left out in the AFC? The NFL voted to expand the playoffs from six to seven teams per conference during the offseason. Yet entering Week 17, one double-digit team was guaranteed to miss the playoffs, a rarity even in a six-per-conference year. Baltimore left little doubt … Continue reading Week 17 Read Option: The Final Column
March 11, 2020 will go down as one of the most important days in the history of America. And of all aspects of American life to serve as an announcement of the arrival of the coronavirus to American shores, it was sports that took center stage. In the early evening hours, news broke that Utah … Continue reading 10 Burning Questions for the sports New Year
Option 1, Week 16’s Burning Question: Who clinches a trip to the playoffs? The penultimate week of the season presented a couple teams the opportunity to punch their ticket to the playoffs. The Browns and Bucs looked to end playoff droughts of over a decade, while a couple of division leaders, including Washington and Pittsburgh, … Continue reading Week 16 Read Option: Miami survives thanks to Mack Hollins, Fitzmagic
