The National Football League released its 2020-21 schedule last Thursday, and while the future is unknown with regards to empty stadiums, neutral locations, or whether there will be a season at all, the excitement is still palpable. We all have our opinions when it comes to living in a world with COVID-19, and whether we choose to stay quarantined, go out, or function somewhere in the middle.  The NFL has that choice as well, but I believe there are 16 billion ($) reasons that football will be played on Sundays. The NFL brought in $16 billion in revenue last year, and half of that revenue was... Read More

  On the surface, the title seems like an ignorant tailgate cheer.  Bring college football back so fans can paint their chest, shotgun a beer, and get back to the way things were.  Over a million COVID-19 outbreaks alone in the United States, and over 70,000 deaths and we have the audacity to talk about football.  But it’s deeper than that.  The professional game will come back in due time when the billionaire owners and the millionaire players decide that things are safe.  But the college landscape is not as simple. In a perfect world, deaths and the virus disappear tomorrow.  In... Read More

With apologies to the Johnsonville Cornhole Championships that recently aired on The Ocho, Thursday night marks the return of live, meaningful sporting events.  The NFL Draft will commence as scheduled despite the lack of medical examinations, face-to-face interviews, and private workouts of year’s past.  The Denver Broncos have 10 picks in this year’s draft, including the 15th spot in the first round where many are guessing wide receiver. But unless John Elway gives up some equity and moves up the draft board in order to grab a CeeDee Lamb or Jerry Jeudy, I see an offensive lineman instead,... Read More

While the hungry sports fan has to settle for games of H.O.R.S.E, NBA2K, and replays of March Madness from 1992 as the world quarantines, there has been some optimism recently as many leagues start to brainstorm about returning to their games. The NHL has reported that cities across the country have shown interest in hosting playoff games at neutral-site locations. MLB has reportedly discussed the possibility of the rearrangement of leagues, increased double-headers, and reduction in games.  And the NBA has even toyed with the thought of moving the entire league to the Bahamas until COVID-19... Read More

With no professional sports, no collegiate athletics, and the Summer Olympics postponed until next year, the assumption is that sports are gone for now as we sit and wait for it all to return. But that’s not true. Even with the quarantine limiting our access, and changing life’s rules, sport continues on. Here are the top seven sports of quarantine. Tik Tok – Once considered a basic social app that just needed a teenager, a trendy song, and a simple 15 second dance routine, Tik Tok is now a major sport in most households. With nothing but time on our hands, Tik Tok now requires 37 takes... Read More

Dear Sports,   I know that I’m not one to express my feelings in words, or have my emotions lead me towards tears.  (Except in that last scene in the movie Rudy, when he goes sprinting on to the field at the end).  But last night I found myself staring out the window, lost and empty, wondering if you were ever to return. Please know that I don’t blame you for walking away.  In fact, the distance between us has allowed me some time to reflect.  The truth is that I never appreciated you like I should have, nor did I give you the attention that you richly deserved.  All those nights... Read More

As if things weren’t bad enough now that our lives have turned into quarantines, social-spacing, and toilet paper scavenger hunts, we have no sports to distract us for a few hours, no game to provide just a touch of normalcy, and no heroes to dazzle us with their athletic prowess. The seasons have all been canceled or postponed, leaving us with no NBA Playoffs, no March Madness, no race for Lord Stanley’s Cup, and no spring training.  The coronavirus is so cruel that it didn’t even leave us the XFL to watch in our isolated misery. But the virus didn’t take our movies.  And if the virus... Read More

With the ongoing concerns of coronavirus, sporting events from around the globe have had to adjust their routines and make difficult decisions in order to protect players, fans, and all that are involved.  The NBA has postponed the season, the Ivy League cancelled their conference tournament, professional soccer leagues have played in empty stadiums, and the state of Washington has employed a rule that states no more than 250 people may gather in one place. The reality is such that March Madness may be played in empty or near empty arenas, the NBA playoffs may need to be postponed, and with so... Read More

Basketball is an 82-game season in which the occasional upset is bound to occur.  Fresh off a big win over the Toronto Raptors, the Denver Nuggets got embarrassed at the Pepsi Center on Tuesday night by the last place Golden State Warriors with the final score of 116-100. In sports terminology, it was the typical “trap game” as the Nuggets, a double-digit favorite, played poorly and underestimated their hungrier opponent in tasting defeat.  But to panic at this point seems extreme considering that Denver is still 41-20 with quality wins over the Lakers, Clippers, and Bucks on their resume. But... Read More

March is around the corner, and with that comes the NCAA Basketball Tournament and the chance of finally winning your office pool.  You’ve watched numerous games, analyzed teams, and narrowed it down to a dozen possibilities and a couple of favorites.  All you need now is your bracket and the matchups. And yet, year after year, your bracket sheet is filled with more bad picks crossed off by black sharpies than good one’s highlighted by, well, a highlighter. Here are ten mistakes to avoid when it’s time to make your picks again this March. Don’t pay attention to the Conference Tournaments.... Read More