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: 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.
Joe’s Notes: Should the NBA Playoffs Be Smaller?
Checking in after a rote Game 82. Then: Kentucky loves Mark Pope, the Coyotes are (probably) moving, and a case for believing in the Bulls.
Joe’s Notes: The Real Problem for John Calipari
The youth thing might be an issue. But it isn’t the main one. Also: Fixing replay review, Washington State in the clutch, and more thoughts on all of yesterday’s games.
Joe’s Notes: The Most Desperate Teams in the NCAA Tournament
Plenty of teams want a Final Four. Only one needs that championship more than the rest. And it’s not Purdue. Also: Conference correlation, the three Ohtani possibilities, and Otz vs. the Jacks.
Joe’s Notes: The Big East Will Be Just Fine
Plus: Justin Fields & Drew Brees, short track tires, and how our bracketology model performed.
Joe’s Notes: Chris Collins Has Done It Again
Is Chris Collins a good coach? It depends when you look. Also: WAB vs. SOR, Knecht vs. Zeigler, and a culture advantage for Iowa State.
Joe’s Notes: NCAA Tournament Selection Is Too Far in the Weeds
We can have nuance without fixating on Q1 wins. Also: Bunting for a hit, Texas/Texas Tech regression, and the Western Conference Play-In Tournament might be loaded.
Joe’s Notes: Why Is the MLS So Bad?
Theories. Also: How’s Jerome Tang liking Kansas State? With Bellinger back, who’s the Cubs’ biggest threat? And what’s going to happen with NIL now that it’s even more legal?
Joe’s Notes: It’s Still UConn and Purdue…Right?
Arizona and Houston have closed the gap, but has UConn widened it back? We regroup. Then: Kirk Schulz likes to talk, the Canes are always beefing, and we enjoyed our annual Mac McClung weekend.
Joe’s Notes: Why Caitlin Clark Became a Phenomenon When Kelsey Plum Didn’t
What’s different about Clark, and what’s changed in women’s basketball. Also: That signing deadline might be a good idea, UConn vs. Marquette, and NASCAR brings chaos as it returns.
Joe’s Notes: The Case Against Conference Tournaments
Conference tournaments are a moneygrab which makes competition worse. Also: The Big 12 is in bad shape, Jimmie Johnson’s Daytona 500 hopes are on the line, and there’s a reasonable rhyme to the Cubs’ deliberate rebuilding pace.
Joe’s Notes: What’s Going on With the Pac-2?
Summing up a noisy week in WSU/OSU news. Then: Pitchers and catchers, home-court advantage, and why now for Ohio State and Chris Holtmann.
Joe’s Notes: What Don’t Power Conferences Like About Charlie Baker’s Proposal?
The Baker Proposal evidently needs refining. Also: That NCAA Tournament expansion talk, the CFP’s game of chicken, and Bill Self’s five years without a bench.
Joe’s Notes: The Chiefs Are Good at Winning
Exploring the obvious. Also: Kyle Shanahan is still a strength, Arizona’s back in the national title picture, and Ryan Grubb adds a degree of difficulty for rebuilding Alabama.
Joe’s Notes: Why You Should Expect the 49ers to Win This Super Bowl
Dueling simplicity. Also: Nebraska and the bubble, Gonzaga and the bubble, and eleven other places our model and the consensus disagree.
Joe’s Notes: Trade Deadlines and Inefficient Markets
The odd economics of trades in professional sports. Also: Ranking the Boras Four, the Bulls’ empty deadline, and looking towards Opening Day.
Joe’s Notes: The Big Ten’s New Big Game (For a Year, Anyway)
Out: Ohio State vs. Michigan. In: Ohio State vs. (blank) Also: The NCAA didn’t win the VA/TN lawsuit, Iowa State didn’t lose in Austin, and the Bulls need to sell but that’s a problem with the NBA.