Tough look. Then: Appreciating the Calder Cup, appreciating the Riverside Stride, and is the advertising industry ok?
Stu’s Notes: We Were Right. Beekeepers Belong in Sports.
Also: Joe Kelly’s groin, these Brewers’ first real scrap, and why we stopped liking Georgia.
Stu’s Notes: The NIT Is Dominating the Transfer Portal
Also: Revisiting the opt-outs, spin rate and the NBA, and Kawhi Leonard should have retired young.
Joe’s Notes: Will the 2025 NFL Draft Be Deeper Than 2024’s?
Our best guess at Howie Roseman’s reasoning. Then: A potential settlement in House v. NCAA, Mike Trout’s knee surgery, and is LeBron worth the hassle?
Stu’s Notes: Which NBA Teams Are Deserving of Respect?
Four of them are still in action. Then: Which NHL teams should exist? Is Arizona the most tortured sports state? And take a look at baseball players’ privates while the opportunity is there.
Joe’s Notes: The Toronto Maple Leafs Are Rich and Bad
Uniquely so. Also: Will the Suns and Kevin Durant part ways? Should the Braves be World Series favorites? And how good will UConn’s latest additions be?
Joe’s Notes: Big 12 Football Needs a Juggernaut
The New Big 12 just produced only one first-round draft pick. Also: Which first round series are over, Jackson Holliday’s demotion, and the Bears’ real accomplishment.
Joe’s Notes: What Conventional Wisdom Gets Wrong About Home-Ice Advantage
The good thing about getting a series to 1–1 is not stealing home-ice advantage. It’s avoiding going down 0–2. Also: The problem with “hit rate,” the good thing for the Celtics, and Iowa State’s going to Dublin.
Stu’s Notes: Three Terrible Ways to Lose
How do you bounce back if you’re the Sixers, Lakers, or Islanders? Also: Caleb Williams and Eli Manning, designated scapegoat Zach Wilson, and April’s place among the sports months.
Joe’s Notes: Replay Review Is About Fairness, Not Perfection
The ending of last night’s Knicks game was imperfect. Was it fair? Also: Mark Stone and LTIR, Kyle Hendricks’s injury, and Tyrese Hunter is transferring to Memphis.
Joe’s Notes: One-and-Dones Aren’t Just Freshmen
So far, first-year transfers come with a firm ceiling. Also: Mason Miller and the trade deadline, fuel savings and crash avoidance, and where the Bulls go with LaVine and DeRozan.
Joe’s Notes: FedEx’s Memphis NIL Investment Is a Non-Story
Money is fungible, and $25 million isn’t that much. Also: The size of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Alex Caruso’s status tonight, and updates on Core Score and Gelo.
Stu’s Notes: Coby White Has the Best Smile
The Bulls are still standing. Also: NBA Playoff team likability, Shane Doan’s banner, and Oregon’s ditching the woodsy court.
Joe’s Notes: The WNBA CBA Is Holding Back Caitlin Clark
The league and its union did not account for a generational superstar. Also: What Jimmy Butler’s injury does to the Heat, Reed Sheppard goes pro, and Jameson Taillon prepares for his season debut.
Joe’s Notes: Indiana Will Always Be a Factor in College Basketball
Ballo to Bloomington. Also: Shilo Sanders might be running recruiting for Colorado, the Warriors might have breathed their last, and the Bulls’ very specific moment has arrived.
Stu’s Notes: Is the In-Season or Play-In Tournament More Like the NIT?
Then: Watching the NBA Playoffs on behalf of our country, Michael Busch keeps homering, and dugout dinger celebrations will soon go the way of the bench mob.
Joe’s Notes: Why the Flyers Might Pull Their Goalie Early Tonight
The Eastern Conference tiebreaker situation. Also: A potential issue with college sports’ transfer markets, BYU’s hire, and playoff experience vs. playoff inexperience.
Stu’s Notes: Scottie Scheffler Should Get Better at Golf
A recommendation. Also: The Brewers have more beef, a note about Two Dog Special, and what if the Fever don’t pick Caitlin Clark?