Happy Friday everyone! You made it through the last NFL-free week of the year, and we have a full college football slate coming up.
Let’s cut to the chase.
Hello everyone, but especially to…
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THE CLEVELAND RIDERS…
The Cavs are ready to win now. Donovan Mitchell is the last and biggest piece of the puzzle. Cleveland acquired Mitchell in a blockbuster trade with the Jazz which continues the rise of Cleveland and confirms the reconstruction of Utah. Here are the details:
Riders get:
Jazz gets:
It’s a huge, huge trade for Cleveland. Mitchell, who turns 26 next week, is an absolute star. He’s been an All-Star each of the past three seasons, and he has at least 25 points per game each of the past two seasons. For what it’s worth, the last Cavalier to average 25 points per game in a season is james lebron. Mitchell is even better in the playoffs: His career 28.3 PPG in the playoffs is sixth all-time (min. 30 games), second only to James.
This is the exact type of backcourt the Cavaliers need, writes NBA expert James Herbert. Credit Cleveland for even getting to a place where he could acquire a star. In 2018-19, the Cavaliers went 19-63, tied for the league’s second-worst record. They have since added…
- Darius Garland (5th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft)
- isaac okoro (4th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft)
- Evan Mobley (3rd overall in 2021 NBA Draft)
- Jarrett Allen (acquired from Nets in the trade that sent James Harden from Houston to Brooklyn)
All these players are 24 or younger and, with Mitchell, form a strong core. While neither Garland nor Mitchell are very good defensively, the rim-protecting Mobley-Allen pairing should alleviate some of those issues. here’s how Twitter reacted to the trade. Finally, while Mitchell had long been linked to the Knicks, New York actually made the smart decisionsays NBA guru Brad Botkin.
… AND ALSO HELLO TO RUSSELL WILSON
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Broncos Country, Let’s Ride…for the foreseeable future. Russell Wilson signed a five-year, $245 million extension which keeps him in Denver until 2028.
- The deal includes $165 million guaranteedbehind only Deshaun Watson ($230 million) and Kyler Murray ($189.5 million).
- Wilson, 33, said that he wants to play until he is 45.
- Since entering the league in 2012, Wilson ranks third in touchdown passes, second in wins and fifth in passer rating among qualified quarterbacks.
This is Wilson’s first year in Denver. The Broncos haven’t made the playoffs since winning the Super Bowl to cap the 2015 season. Wilson, meanwhile, made the playoffs in eight of his 10 seasons in Seattle, including a Super Bowl victory in the 2013 season.
Honorable Mentions
Not so honorable mentions
College Football Week 1: Pitt, PSU Score Wild Wins; best scenarios for a huge weekend 🏈
Week 1 of the college football season kicked off last night and if last night is any indication, we’re in for a wild ride.
First, let’s review this crazy Penn State-Purdue finish:
- With over eight minutes remaining and Penn State leading 28-24, Sean Clifford threw a pick-six at Chris Jefferson.
- After three consecutive drives ended in a punt, Purdue got the ball with 4:28 to go and the chance to run time or add to their 31-28 lead.
- He did neither. throw after a single first try. And thanks to oddly aggressive play calls, Penn State only had to use one timeout.
- Then came redemption time for Clifford, who developed a eight plays, 80-yard drive capped by his touchdown throw at Keyvone Lee with 57 seconds to go.
Oh yes, did I mention the Backyard Brawl was awesome too? It was.
Now, what should we be looking for this weekend? Denis Dodd has answersincluding a great opportunity for No. 7 Utah in Florida.
- Dodd: “College football needs a Cinderella. An expanded playoff will most certainly provide that. So far, Cincinnati is the closest thing to it after going 12-0 last season before being sent off by Alabama in PCP. Whether Utah enters the Football Four this season, it would be the third debutant in the group in the past two years (Michigan and Cincinnati the others). That’s why the Pac-12 jokes and jabs can stop (or at least be muffled) in Gainesville, Fla., on Saturday night.“
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Who is more dangerous in the playoffs: the Dodgers or the Mets? ⚾
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The two best teams in the NL — the Dodgers and the Dishes – met for the seventh and final time this season on Thursday with the Mets winning 5-3 against take the season series 4-3. The good news for the Dodgers? Clayton Kershaw came back and threw well. Oh, and they’re still seven games ahead of the Mets for first place in the NL.
The bad news? It was Los Angeles’ first series lost since late July.
But what is the most dangerous post-season team? Our MLB experts responded that in the latest Batting Around roundtableand Dayn Perry says…
- Pear: “I must say Dodgers, despite the health problems associated with the rotation. The offense is elite, and they have the roster depth to play matchups very well. Also, the bullpen, despite being screwed up for much of the year, has been one of the best in MLB in that they’re likely going to have some tough roster decisions. relievers in the playoffs. »
NFL teams that could go from worst to first 🙌
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Going into last season, the bengals were coming off a 4-11-1 season, Joe Terrier was coming back from a torn ACL and the biggest storyline surrounding Ja’Marr Chase was he couldn’t catch. Fast forward a few months and the Bengals made the Super Bowl, Burrow established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and Chase had a rookie year for the ages.
It’s funny how quickly things can change in the NFL – remember, that means “Not for long” – and it’s especially true for the lower-ranked teams.
Since the NFL realigned its divisions in 2002, there have been 27 teams that finished last in their division one year and first the next. Which team or teams could join this list in 2022? NFL expert John Breech reviewed the eight candidatesand his first choice is a team that would have to dethrone the Bengals to do so.
- Cylinder head: “In what may be an NFL first: crows are actually FAVORITE to win the AFC North a year after their last place. … The thing about Baltimore is that their 8-9 record in 2021 was arguably impressive considering how many players they’ve lost to injury. … Not only did they lose lamar jackson for five games, but they also lost key starters like cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphreyas well as ball carriers JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards.”
What we’re watching this weekend 📺
Friday
🎾 Ajla Tomljanovic vs. Serena Williams7 p.m. on ESPN
🏈 West Michigan at No. 15 Michigan State7 p.m. on ESPN 2
🏈 TCU in Colorado10 p.m. on ESPN
Saturday
⚽ AC Milan vs Inter Milan11 a.m. on Paramount+
🏈 Georgia No. 11 vs. Oregon No. 33:30 p.m. on ABC
🏈 No. 23 Cincinnati at No. 19 Arkansas3:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏈 Nope. 7 Utah vs. Florida7 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ Twins at White Sox or Mariners at Guardians7:15 p.m. on FOX
🏈 No. 5 Notre Dame at No. 2 Ohio State7:30 p.m. on ABC
Sunday
🏀 sky in the sun1 p.m. on ESPN 2
🏀 Ace to the storm3 p.m. on ABC
⚽ Gotham FC vs Courage5 p.m. on Paramount+
⚾ Padres at Dodgers7 p.m. on ESPN
🏈 Florida State at LSU7:30 p.m. on ABC
