Category: Other Sports

Football is back

Having real football back is the best. This time of year is awesome because we get to have football but the weather is still great. It only last around a month, so enjoy it.

Florida State vs Georgia Tech was as good an opening game as you can have. Two Power 5 schools, including a Top 10 team, playing each other and ending in a last second field goal to produce the first upset of the year is storybook. The whole game was basically a marketing campaign to visit Ireland and now I wanna go there.

This game also highlights why the 12 team expansion is good. FSU would likely have to kiss their season goodbye, but now they are still alive in the playoff race. They probably won’t get there because they do not look very good, but they still have hope.

Another positive consequence of the 12 team playoff is that elite teams will be more likely to play tough non-conference/early season games. Week 1 starts off hot with UNC @ Minnesota on Thursday night; TCU @ Stanford Friday night; 14 Clemson @ 1 Georgia; 8 Penn State @ West Virginia; 19 Miami @ Florida; 7 Notre Dame @ 20 Texas A&M; 23 USC vs 13 LSU Sunday night, and BC @ 10 FSU Monday night.

We are back.

Premier League Match Week 1 Reaction

Chelsea has such a a young team and so many talented players. Having 53 available players is insane and that will likely change as the season progresses. What they need is stability at coach and they slowly need to determine the best lineup possible and let those players grow together. What they don’t need is growing resentment from guys who don’t play which leads to pressure on the coach and key players. It’s a work in progress but the hope is there.

As for the game, I thought they played pretty well. Man City by no means dominated them and if they capitalized better on scoring opportunities, they could have won. Haaland scoring his 92nd goal in just 100 appearances for Man City is an amazing stat.

In other news, the Newcastle-Southampton game was a great game. However, the red card called on Fabian Schär was ridiculous. Ben Brereton Diaz unjustly ran up to Schär and shoved him over from behind. Schär got up and barley touched Brereton Diaz, who proceeded to perform an all-time flop to draw the red card. That is the type of stuff the Premier League needs to do better at not calling.

An American’s Guide the Premier League Part 2

Now that you’ve picked a team to root for, how does the Premier League work?

No Playoffs: The league consists of the 20 best teams in English Football. They all play each other at home and away for a total of 38 games. Each game is 90 minutes plus stoppage time and either ends in a win, draw, or loss. A win is worth three points and a draw worth one. At the end of the season, whoever has the most points wins the league. Many Americans don’t understand a lack of playoffs and I was the same way. But what makes it cool is that each game has the importance of the entire season being on the line. Most of the games are on Saturday and Sunday mornings which is great because it gives you something to watch early on weekend mornings and mostly doesn’t interfere with the NFL, college football, or other US sports leagues. The tie breaker for two teams with the same record is goal difference, so teams are incentivized to continue playing hard even in blowout games.

Relegation: The league has many great ways of ensuring teams continue to compete throughout the year. The bottom three teams get relegated to the 2nd highest level of English soccer (the Championship) and three teams from the Championship join the Premier League next year.

Domestic Cups: Throughout the season there are two domestic cups, the FA Cup and the EFL Cup. The tournaments are a one and done format. The FA Cup is absolutely awesome, with SEVEN HUNDRED AND TWENTY NINE teams competing this past year. I had to write out the whole number so I could capitalize it. Why so many teams? It would take super long to explain the English soccer system, but I’ll try to do it quickly. Basically anyone can start an English soccer team. That means you and I could start one and due to the fact that each level of the English soccer pyramid has relegation and promotion (no promotion in the Premier League because it’s the top dog) we could theoretically make our way all the way up to the Premier League. Unlikely, but the fact it’s plausible is still awesome. Basically the top 9 levels of the system all play each other for the FA Cup. It’s the equivalent of every single college football team in the country competing in a one and done, winner takes all tournament. That means the Division Three MIT Engineers football team could take on FBS powerhouse Alabama Crimson Tide. The EFL Cup (also know as the Carabao Cup due to sponsorships) is the same format as the FA Cup, but just consists of the top four levels of English soccer.

European championships and qualification: Another incentive for teams to keep playing hard is qualification for next season’s European championships. The top four teams from the Premier League qualify for the Champions League which decides who’s the best team in all of Europe (and therefore the world). The top leagues from countries all over Europe have teams qualify and they play each other throughout the next season. Below the Champions League, there are other levels of European football teams can qualify for. The 5th place team and the FA Cup champion qualify for the 2nd highest level of European championships, the Europa League. If the FA Cup winner was one of the top 5 teams, the 6th place team gets into Europa League. Finally, the EFL Cup winner qualifies for the third tier of European Championships, the UEFA Europa Conference League. If that team already qualified, then the 6th place team will qualify for the Conference League or the 7th place team if the FA Cup winner led to the 6th place team making the Europa League. Basically, most teams have something to play for other than pride deep into the season.

How to watch as an American: If you want to really follow the Premier League you should get Peacock. They show most of the games and USA and NBC will also show some games.

There’s your primer from an American. If it sounds confusing, it starts to make more sense as you watch more games. There’s also some good YouTube videos and articles online that explain it well. The Premier League season starts up this Friday, August 16. Welcome to being a Premier League fan!

An American’s Guide to the Premier League Part 1

As I mentioned in last week’s article about the Premier League, if you want to get into English soccer and need a team, then pick one of the top 6 teams to follow. These are Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Liverpool. You might feel like a bandwagon, but it makes it a lot easier to get into soccer when the team you’re playing for is actually good. Plenty of us are cursed by being born into fandom of US sports teams that disappoint us and let us down. Don’t hurt yourself anymore by picking a team that will never win the Premier League or even compete. Also, very few American Premier League fans you meet will accuse you of being a bandwagon fan – they’ll just be happy to meet someone else who follows it.

Manchester United: Probably the most prestigious Premier League club, they are the equivalent of the New York Yankees. They have been historically great and won more league titles than any other club. However, they have been less dominant of late and haven’t won the league in over a decade. It’s an especially tough pill to swallow given the newfound success of their main rival who we’ll talk about next. If you like teams with an awesome history they are for you. Also, if you like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Glazer family also owns United.

Manchester City: The new kids on the block. They are basically the Kansas City Chiefs of the Premier League. For years, they were Man United’s little brother, but are now the best soccer team in the entire world. If there’s any team you’ll get shit for, for being a bandwagon fan, it’s probably them. However, if you want your team to dominate and win titles then this is your team. Also, if you like following a team that historically didn’t have a ton of success, but now is dominant, this is also the team for you.

Liverpool: They are similar to Man United in that they have an incredible history. Unlike Man United, they are having much more current success. If you like a team that is currently good and has great success in their past, then they are for you. A word of warning though, their coach just left, which could have a big impact this year. Also, Fenway Sports group owns them, so if you’re a fan of the Red Sox this is an easy team to pick. For any Lebron James fans, he’s a part owner of Fenway Sports Group, so this might also be the team for you.

Chelsea: Chelsea does not have the same long-term success as some other Premier League teams, but recently became one of the best clubs in the league winning 5 of the last 20 league titles. Unfortunately, the past two seasons have been tough, as their new owners have struggled to keep the team competitive. There is hope for the club, as the new owners seem very interested in making sure the team is competitive and have spent over a billion dollars since May 2022 in acquiring players. They currently have many young players with potential too. The other teams they own, the Dodgers and Lakers, have also had recent success, so it’s believable they will make the club successful in short order. If you are a fan of West London or the Dodgers and Lakers, Chelsea’s your team.

Arsenal: Arsenal has an incredible history, though not as prestigious as Liverpool and Man United. They have not won a league title for 20 years, but are one of, if not the most, promising young teams in the league. They are filled with young, exciting players and a young manager. If you want to a follow a club with an exiting history and future or really like North London, they are for you. The owner of the Colorado Avalanche, Denver Nuggets, and Los Angeles Rams, owns Arsenal so if you like those teams, this could be the team for you.

Tottenham: They are definitely the biggest underdog team of the Top 6. They haven’t won a league title since the early 1960s and are known as under achievers. If you like North London or like an underdog team that’s trying to overcome a harrowed past, this is your team.

Next week, I’ll post a quick guide to the basics of how the Premier League works.

Derrick Henry’s Underrated Football Career

Derrick Henry may have the greatest total football career of any player ever and it never gets talked about.

In high school, he rushed for 12,124 yards (most by a high school player ever) and 153 rushing TDs (5th most ever, which is crazy to imagine 4 guys have scored more than that). He did all this playing high school football in Florida no less, one of the best football states in the country. His senior year, he set a state-record 4,261 yards and 55 touchdowns. In four years, he averaged 252.6 YPG, 8.7 YPA, and never rushed for fewer than 100 yards in a game. He was a High School All-American, a 5 Star recruit, and ranked the No. 1 athlete in the nation in 2013.

He went on to play for the Nick Saban coached Alabama Crimson Tide, which is the greatest college football dynasty of all-time. As a junior, he set the SEC rushing yards and TDs record and led the country in rushing yards and TDs. He won the Heisman Trophy, the Doak Walker award (best running back), the Maxwell Award (best player), Walter Camp Award (also best player), was a unanimous All-American, SEC OPOY, and led the Tide to the National Championship. He ranks 2nd all time in rushing yards and TDs in Bama history.

His NFL career is still going, but so far he’s rushed for 1,000+ yards 5 times, 2000 yards once, 10+ TDs 6 times, and led the league in rushing yards and TDs twice. He is a 4-time Pro Bowler, 2-time All-Pro, and was the 2020 OPOY. He is 13th all-time in rushing TDs and has the most career games with 200+ rushing yards.

He is one of the few players to be a high school All-American, college All-American, and NFL All-Pro. He is the only player to have 2,000 yard rushing seasons in high school, college, and the NFL. Any way you cut it, he has had an absolutely insane career and I can’t think of a football player who has utterly dominated from high school to the pros as much as he has.

An American’s Perception of English Soccer

Growing up my whole life, I always thought soccer was such a dumb, boring sport. Going to New England Revolution games and my friends’ high school soccer games never changed my mind on the subject. In addition to that, European soccer always seemed so confusing with a lack of playoffs and all the different competitions these teams played in. Furthermore, I never had a team to root for, which made it even harder to get into.

However, my opinion forever changed in January of 2022, when I got an in depth tour of Stamford Bridge and then went to a Chelsea FC – Tottenham match there later that month. I can honestly admit how wrong I was about soccer, because at that moment I realized I had never witnessed high-level soccer with the best players in the world. Me watching the MLS and concluding soccer was boring is the equivalent of a European going to a UMass football game and deciding football is a boring sport not worth watching.

The atmosphere at pubs around the stadium and during the actual game was like nothing I’d ever experienced. The entire crowd singing the same chants in unison was awesome and the game was super interesting to watch. Easily the most surprising thing was how much more physical English soccer is than I would’ve thought. I never could get why soccer players were always on the ground so much, but getting slid into by a guy going full speed when you’ve played 70 minutes of a soccer match isn’t fun, and it’s obviously going to take you a little bit to get up. Seeing Chelsea win 2-0 was absolutely awesome and I’ve been a Chelsea fan since, even if the last two seasons have been rough.

I know not everyone can get the chance to go to a game in person, but anyone who thinks soccer is boring or soft should give the Premier league a chance. It’s not as entertaining as football or hockey, but it’s defintely worth watching. The games go by much faster than American sports and they tend to play Saturday and Sunday mornings so it doesn’t interfere with watching other sports later in the day.

A word to the wise, pick one of the top 6 teams to follow if you’re going to become a fan. These are Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Liverpool. You might feel like a bandwagon, but it makes it a lot easier to get into soccer when the team you’re playing for is actually good. Plenty of us are cursed by being born into fandom of US sports teams that disappoint us and let us down. Don’t hurt yourself anymore by picking a team that will never win the Premier League or even compete.

The next two weeks, I’ll post a quick guide to those six teams and how the Premier League works.

Best Athletes of 21st Century

This list will be controversial, because how could it not be? When it comes to best athletes of this century, we are only looking at what athletes did this century. For example, Michael Jordan (maybe the greatest athlete of all time) played 2 seasons with the Wizards in the early 2000s, but what he did for the Wizards wouldn’t qualify him for this list.

1. Lionel Messi – Soccer

2. Tiger Woods- Golf

3. Tom Brady – Football

4. Michael Phelps – Swimming

5. Lebron James – Basketball

6. Usain Bolt – Sprinting

7. Novak Djokovic- Tennis

8. Cristiano Ronaldo – Soccer

9. Floyd Mayweather – Boxing

10. Sidney Crosby – Hockey

10 Greatest Boston Athletes Ever

Below are the greatest athletes Titletown has ever seen. Simply putting up great numbers does not get you on this list. The cultural impact and importance to the city matters. The titles and accolades won also matter.

Tom Brady, Patriots 2000-2019

Not only was he the greatest football player of all time but he was the face of Boston sports during their most dominant period of all time. For two decades of Boston dominance, when you thought of Boston sports, you thought of number 12 holding up the Lombardi Trophy. While him leaving was tough, it made you realize how important he was, and he will forever be a legend in Boston.

Bill Russell, Celtics 1956-1969

I could simply say 11 titles in 13 years and stop there. But that would not be enough to capture his greatness on and off the court. He helped to start the tradition of Boston being the City of Champions with his tremendous play. The NBA Finals MVP was named after him for a reason. He was an important member of the Civil Right Movement and won a Presidential Metal of Freedom for all of his accomplishments.

Bobby Orr, Bruins 1966-1976

He revolutionized his sport more than any other Boston athlete. Never before had the NHL seen a defensemen who could score like a forward and out skate everyone on the ice. Injuries robbed him of potentially going down as the greatest hockey player and Boston athlete ever. However, Boston will always remember this legend, and his flying Stanley Cup-winning goal will be in Boston sports bars until the end of time.

Ted Williams, Red Sox 1939-1942, 1946-1960

The greatest hitter who ever lived. This man hit .406 in 1941, won the Triple Crown in 1942, spent 3 years serving his country in World War 2, and then won MVP his first year back from military service in 1946. He also gave up most of the 1952 and 1953 seasons to serve in the Korean War. Despite sacrificing 5 years during the prime of his career, he still put up monster numbers.

Larry Bird, Celtics 1979-1992

Bird kept the Celtics title machine going. His shooting and passing ability as a forward was way ahead of his time. His clutch play and trash talk also endeared him to Boston fans. His legendary rivalry with Magic Johnson helped make the NBA mainstream and the name Larry Legend is well deserved.

David Ortiz, Red Sox 2003-2016

It’s no coincidence that Big Papi coming to the Sox immediately led to their string of 21st Century titles. He will forever be loved by Boston fans for his clutch hitting in big moments and he is easily one of the most clutch althetes in sports history. Whenever the Sox needed a big hit, he was there. His awesome speech and heroics during the 2013 World Series season after the Boston Marathon bombings forever etched him into Boston lore.

Ray Bourque, Bruins 1979-2000

The 2nd greatest defensemen in NHL history behind Orr. He is the Bruins all time leading scorer despite being a DMan. Boston loves this guy so much that he left the Bruins, won a cup with another team, and Bostonians celebrated it with him.

Rob Gronkowski, Patriots 2010-2018

Similar to Orr, his career was cut too short by injuries, but when he played he absolutely dominated. We have never seen a tight end like Gronk. He was a matchup nightmare in the receiving game and blocked like an offensive lineman. His hysterical party personality was the exact energy the buttoned up Patriots dynasty needed.

John Havlicek, Celtics 1962-1978

He helped the Russell Celtics win some of their later titles and even won two as the star of the team after Russell retired. His legendary steal will always be remembered, and Hondo is forever a Boston legend.

Carl Yastrzemski, Red Sox 1961-1983

He took over left field the year after Williams retired and didn’t skip a beat. Yaz holds many Red Sox records including games played, hits, and RBIs.

The fact this was such a tough list to make shows how lucky Boston fans are to have had so many legends play in our city. There are many other deserving players who could have been included in this list. With current stars like Jayson Tatum and David Pastrnak, this list could include some new names in the somewhat near future.

Best Sports Cities in the US

Below are the top 10 sports cities in the United States. Factors included how many Big Four teams each city had, the passion of the fanbases, the success of the teams, whether teams have recently left there, and whether teams in the city exist that no one cares about. Just because a city has a lot of teams does not automatically put it on here. Having no teams in a sport goes against you, but also having a team that no one cares about (i.e. the Angels in LA) hurts a city’s ranking.

Boston, MA

Titletown is an easy top choice. First off, Boston has the best sports fans in the entire world. All four sports teams in the city are heavily followed and cared about. No NFL team has won more Super Bowls than the Patriots and they boast the greatest football player and coach of all time. The Red Sox have the most famous stadium in all of American sports and have won more World Series this century than any other team. The Bruins are the oldest American team in the NHL and hockey in Massachusetts is massively popular. Last, but not least, no NBA team has won more championships than the Celtics. In addition to the great teams, Boston has had the best collection of athletes out of any city and Boston’s Sports Mount Rushmore of Tom Brady, Bill Russell, Ted Williams, and Bobby Orr is light years ahead of anyone else’s.

Chicago, IL

Chicago is a great sports town that has five franchises that are deeply cared about. The Bears are one of the oldest NFL teams. Despite not having a lot of success, they are a well-known and cared about team in the city. The Cubs play in the 2nd most famous stadium in American sports and have tons of history and great players. The White Sox are not as prestigious as the Cubs, but still have a loyal following. The Blackhawks are an Original Six NHL team and the had the only NHL dynasty this century. The Chicago Bulls are one of the best NBA teams of all time. They also had the greatest NBA player and maybe athlete of all time in Michael Jordan.

New York City, NY

The Giants are one of the best NFL franchises of all time and had the greatest defensive player ever in Lawrence Taylor. However, the Jets are an embarrassment that taints NYC’s football image. The Yankees are an all-time great sports franchise and the best franchise in MLB history. No other team boasts the championships and players that have come through the Bronx. Their logo has become a cultural symbol, which speaks to the success of the team. The Mets have struggled though and slightly bring down New York’s baseball rating. The Rangers are an Original Six team, the Islanders had one of the best dynasties in NHL history, and the Devils have also had success making the city’s hockey teams extremely impressive. Basketball is a different story as the Knicks and Nets are two of the most under performing franchises in any league. NYC also gets points for having Madison Square Garden, which is the most famous arena in the world. In terms of fans, people go to games, but a fair share don’t seem to be true fans and are mainly just there to have something to do.

Philadelphia, PA

As annoying and downright messed up as Philly fans can be, you have to concede that they love their teams as much as any other city does which boosts their score. The Eagles have a long history, some great players, and some recent success. The Phillies have a loyal following and are currently an exciting team. The 76ers are an all-time NBA franchise and have had many great players. The Flyers are one of the most legendary non-Original Six teams.

Detroit, MI

Detroit is extremely underrated as a sports city. The Lions have had iconic players like Barry Sanders, but not much success until lately. That being said, there were reports this year that Detroit’s drop in crime was due to the Lions being so good. The Red Wings are an Original Six team and one of the best teams in NHL history. The Pistons have had some all-time teams and the Tigers are one of the oldest teams in the MLB.

Denver, CO

It all starts with the Broncos in Denver. They have had the privilege of two of the greatest QBs of all time and their team has had a lot of success. The Avalanche have historically been good, and are currently filled with stars. The Nuggets are probably the best team in the NBA right now and have the best player in the league. The Rockies lag behind the rest of the teams, but having been to a game at Coors Field, it’s a pretty cool place to watch a game.

Pittsburgh, PA

The first city on this list without 4 major teams. The fact they made it, speaks to the success of their teams. The Steelers may be the most impressive NFL Franchise ever in terms of how much they’ve won and the legends that have put on the black and gold. The Penguins likewise have been super successful and have had some of the greatest NHL players ever. The Pirates also have a rich history and some all-time greats, even if they haven’t had the same recent success as the other two.

Dallas, TX

Not surprisingly, football carries this Texas city’s sports culture. The Cowboys are the most expensive sports franchise in the world (and it isn’t even close). They have had amazing players and tremendous success, despite underwhelming the past 30 years. The Mavericks are a popular team and like the Cowboys, are buoyed by an extremely famous owner. The Rangers just won their first World Series and appear on the come up. The Stars lack behind the others, but the fact a Texas city can support a hockey team and they get lots of people at their games is impressive in itself.

Washinton, D.C.

Had the Commanders not had an awkward last 5 years and a terrible owner who made the team a laughing stock, they may be higher. They still have had success in their history with three Super Bowls and people care about the team. The Capitals have a deep following, which has been aided by an all-time great player in Alexander Ovechkin. The Nats likewise are well liked and have had recent success. The team that lacks behind all the others is the Wizards, which is one of the worst franchises in the NBA.

Bay Area, CA

The Bay Area barley sneaks in because they have such large discrepancies between their teams. The 49ers are one of the most popular franchises in the NFL and have had many all-time greats. On the flip-side, the Raiders abandoned Oakland for Vegas. For baseball, there is a similar situation playing out. The Giants are a legendary team and have had a lot of recent success, but the Oakland A’s want to leave Oakland even though no one else wants them, creating an awkward situation for everyone. The Golden State Warriors dominated the NBA for a decade, forming the best dynasty since the 90s Bulls and are super popular. The Sharks are not very popular and bring the overall area down.

Most Liked Teams in Sports

This is an odd list to make as opposed to my list on most hated teams in sports. Most fans really only like the teams that they root for, and anyone outside of that is either irrelevant or hated. This list is the teams that fans of other organizations like for various reasons.

Army Black Knights Football and Navy Midshipmen Football (tie)

This one speaks for itself. The fact all the people on these teams are joining the military to fight for our country, makes them so easy to root for. The legendary game they play each year is also one of the best events in sports.

Buffalo Bills

They are loveable for two reasons: their fans and the fact they keep coming up short. You can make the argument that Bills fans are the best in all of sports. Despite the terrible upstate New York weather, they come out to games in full force. The lack of success in big moments also leads fans of other teams to feel for the Bills

Boston Red Sox

For years they were the loveable losers, bound by the Curse of the Bambino. They have shaken off that curse this century, but still have fans all over the country and are a well-liked team. Having the most iconic stadium in sports in Fenway Park helps their mystique.

Green Bay Packers

Despite being a super successful franchise, they are not hated at all. The combination of being from a small city, being owned by shareholders rather than a billionaire, and the iconic Lambeau Field make the Packers easy to like.

Chicago Cubs

They have a lot of the same traits as the Red Sox with having overcome a long drought and having a legendary stadium.

UConn Huskies Basketball

They are the anti blue blood college basketball program. Whereas other successful CBB teams have an air of superiority, they have been spectacular the past 25 years, but still feel like a blue collar program

Detroit Lions

This is a team that has long suffered from not achieving despite having great players like Calvin Johnson and Barry Sanders. They are a legendary franchise that’s easy to root for.

St. Louis Cardinals

An iconic franchise with some of the best jerseys in sports makes them easy to like. The backdrop of their stadium and the surrounding area is also awesome.

Oregon Ducks Football

This is mainly due to their connection with Nike. Oregon is known for having such cool uniforms and going against the traditional teams like Michigan and Alabama, and it’s super interesting.