Life's Too Sports

While the San Jose Sharks haven't yet had the luxury of playing at SAP Center this season (now slated to open their campaign with 12 consecutive road games), an abbreviated 56-game schedule provides "Team Teal" with little room for error. The Sharks entered Friday's contest against their Southern California rivals with an unflattering record of 3-5-0 on the young season.  All things considered, their fortunes could have been much worse. San Jose's first two victories of 2021 came by way of the shootout, while their third was secured courtesy of a brilliant individual effort from six-time NHL All Star Brent Burns. Meanwhile, the Sharks' losing efforts have typically been less tightly contested, including a dominant two-game stint from the Colorado Avalanche -- outscoring San Jose by seven goals. Thus, adopting a simple mindset seemed necessary on Friday: find a way to emerge from the first of back-to-back games in Anaheim with two points. Although the Sharks ex...

While professional sports are unpredictable by nature, millions of viewers across the globe can't help but weigh in with their unofficial analyses of star players, championship caliber teams, and other miscellaneous coverage. However, even the most astute sports analyst could not have projected a more perfectly scripted Super Bowl LV matchup for February 7, 2021. The headlines circling a winner-take-all contest between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs are nothing short of iconic. 43-year-old Tom Brady (presumably the greatest quarterback in NFL history) against 25-year-old Patrick Mahomes (indisputably the greatest quarterback of the new generation).  Mahomes was merely in Kindergarten when Brady clinched his first Lombardi Trophy in February 2002. Will the Chiefs' superstar usher in a new era by upending Brady to claim his second consecutive title? Or will the former Patriot singlehandedly surpass all 32 NFL franchises by snagging his seventh trophy in his 10th ...

For the Golden State Warriors, the 2010s were nothing short of remarkable. Having spent four decades mired in mediocrity, the Bay Area's team finally managed to assemble a dominant lineup en route to securing three championships, qualifying for the NBA Finals in five consecutive seasons from 2015 to 2019. While the basketball world largely fixated on the Warriors' iconic 73-9 record during the 2015-2016 season (as well as their subsequent NBA Finals' collapse and recruitment of phenom Kevin Durant), the history books will illuminate an unforgettable period of time in which rising superstars joined forces to immortalize their respective legacies. Unfortunately for Golden State, impermanence remains the harsh reality of professional sports, and the Warriors' reign of terror came to a screeching halt in the summer of 2019. In Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals, two-time defending NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon (ending not only his season, but hi...

The Atlanta Braves scored six runs in the sixth inning on Thursday, en route to their lopsided 10-2 victory over the Dodgers in NLCS Game 4. Despite being blown out in Game 3, Atlanta's bounce-back effort in Thursday's Game 4 propels them to a 3-1 series advantage as they seek to advance to their first World Series since 1999. As expected, the Braves' winning formula proved once again to be solid pitching and timely hitting, much as they received in their  Game 1 and Game 2  victories earlier in the week. Meanwhile, the Dodgers' October opposition benefitted (once again) from the inability of star pitcher Clayton Kershaw to deliver in a clutch moment. Despite allowing only one run through five innings of work, Kershaw's solid outing quickly crumbled in the sixth, and reliever Brusdar Graterol was unable to stop the bleeding. With the score tied, 1-1 in the bottom of the inning, Braves' first baseman Freddie Freeman stepped to the plate hungry to deliver a clutc...

The Atlanta Braves defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers by the score of 8-7 in NLCS Game 2 on Tuesday. For the Braves, this evening's victory propels them to a flawless, 7-0 record thus far in the 2020 MLB Postseason. Despite Atlanta's Game 1 win coming courtesy of a ninth-inning rally, NLCS Game 2 proved to be much less stressful . . . for awhile. As the contest progressed, the Dodgers' greatest threat seemed to come in a pivotal third inning plate appearance, when Will Smith grounded into a force-out to strand the bases loaded. From that moment forward, it was all Atlanta, as the Braves' star-studded lineup sought to capitalize on Clayton Kershaw's absence (due to back spasms). The Braves' offensive onslaught began in the fourth inning, when Freddie Freeman launched a home run for the second consecutive night to make it 2-0. In the fifth, however, their lead became nearly insurmountable. Cristian Pache and Freddie Freeman both recorded RBI knocks before Los Angel...

The Atlanta Braves defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers by the score of 5-1 in NLCS Game 1 on Monday night. Both teams entered the contest with flawless postseason records of 5-0. The Dodgers swept the Brewers and Padres. The Braves swept the  Reds  and  Marlins . Thus, in Game 1 of the NLCS, something had to give. The first inning brought immediate joy to the Atlanta fanbase, as veteran Freddie Freeman shook off the rust with a solo shot to give the Braves a 1-0 edge. In the fifth, however, Dodgers' infielder Enrique Hernandez launched a solo blast of his own, knotting the score at one run apiece. Predictably, runs were difficult to come by in Monday night's matchup. Braves' starter Max Fried posted a truly impressive line (6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 SO). Meanwhile, Dodgers' starter Walker Buehler posted a respectable line in his own right, despite a high pitch count due to a plethora of walks issued (5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 7 SO). Nonetheless, Atlanta flexed thei...

The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the New York Yankees by the score of 2-1 in Game 5 of the ALDS on Friday evening.  Despite finishing their 2020 campaign with the best record in the American League (40-20), Tampa Bay's season hung in the balance in a decisive ALDS contest against their pesky division rivals. Both the Rays and Yankees swept their American League Wild Card Series matchups (against the Blue Jays and Indians, respectively) to qualify for Major League Baseball's final eight. And in Friday's decisive Game 5, it seemed as though the 27-time MLB champion Yankees may be poised for yet another ALCS appearance. In the first inning, the Rays had a golden opportunity to jump out to an early lead with the bases loaded, but failed to capitalize. In the fourth, Yankees' outfielder Aaron Judge went deep to give New York a slim 1-0 advantage. However, Tampa Bay responded in the fifth with a solo shot of their own, courtesy of leadoff hitter Austin Meadows. Aside from two midd...

For the first time since 2001, the Atlanta Braves are headed to the NLCS. Through the opening two rounds of the 2020 MLB Playoffs, Atlanta posts an impressive 5-0 record (including four shutouts): NL Wild Card Series Game 1: Braves 1, Reds 0 (13) Game 2: Braves 5, Reds 0 NL Divisional Series Game 1: Braves 9, Marlins 5 Game 2: Braves 2, Marlins 0 Game 3: Braves 7, Marlins 0 In NLDS Game 3 on Thursday, the Braves left no doubt that they belong amongst baseball's final four. Despite stranding the bases loaded in the second inning, Atlanta's offensive firepower seemed poised to break Miami's spirit in the ensuing innings. In the third, Atlanta scored four runs, including perhaps their biggest offensive contribution of the contest -- a two-run double from their red-hot catcher, Travis d'Arnaud. During this inning, Marcell Ozuna also drove in a run to extend his hot streak, and Dansby Swanson recorded a sacrifice fly for good measure. In the fourth, Atlanta struck again -- ...

The Oakland Athletics tallied five unanswered runs in the late innings of ALDS Game 3 to extend their season. Despite  edging the Chicago White Sox  in the American League Wild Card Series, the Athletics' window of success seemed to be closing against the rival Houston Astros in the 2020 ALDS. The Astros took Game 1 by the score of 10-5 and Game 2 by the score of 5-2. Thus, the A's entered Wednesday's contest in need of three consecutive victories to stave off elimination and propel themselves into the ALCS. While there's still much work to be done, Oakland has to feel thrilled with their comeback efforts in Game 3. After squandering two early leads and allowing the Astros to score five times in the fifth inning, all hope seemed to be lost for the scuffling A's. With the seventh inning underway, Houston led Oakland 7-4, standing merely nine outs away from their fourth consecutive ALCS appearance. And then, Chad Pinder struck for an electrifying three-run shot to kno...

The Atlanta Braves overcame the Miami Marlins by the score of 2-0 on Wednesday to take a 2-0 series lead in the NLDS (best-of-5). For Atlanta, it's been relatively smooth sailing thus far in the 2020 MLB Postseason. Following a  Freddie Freeman walk-off  in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series, the Braves dropped the hammer in Game 2 to sweep the Cincinnati Reds, winning their first postseason series in 19 years. Atlanta followed up their Wild Card Series success with an  explosive 7th inning  to propel them to victory in NLDS Game 1 against the Marlins. However, Wednesday's victory seemed to carry additional weight, as the Braves now stand only one win away from their first NLCS appearance since 2001. Though the scoreboard reflects a close contest, Game 2 was never truly in doubt. Dansby Swanson homered in the second inning, Travis d'Arnaud homered in the fourth, and the Braves carried their 2-0 lead throughout the remainder of the afternoon. However, per...

After defeating the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Wild Card Series, the Atlanta Braves entered Tuesday's NLDS contest poised to defy history. In recent weeks, there has been much talk of the Miami (Florida) Marlins' impressive playoff history. Despite 2020 serving as their third postseason appearance, the franchise has never lost a playoff series in its 28-year history -- winning two World Series titles and posting an overall series record of 7-0. Although Ronald Acuna Jr. went deep in Atlanta's first at-bat of Game 1 on Tuesday, the momentum quickly shifted in favor of Miami. Miguel Rojas knotted the score with a home run in the second inning -- and in the third, the Marlins tacked on three additional runs, courtesy of RBIs from Garrett Cooper and Brian Anderson. The Braves managed to cut into their deficit in the bottom of the third with a pair of RBI doubles from Marcell Ozuna and Travis d'Arnaud. However, Marlins' starter Sandy Alcantara helped his tea...

Despite falling to the Chicago White Sox in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series, the Oakland Athletics rebounded with consecutive wins in Games 2 and 3 to snag their first postseason series victory in 14 years, advancing to the ALDS for the first time since 2013. After digging a 3-0 hole in Thursday's decisive Game 3, Oakland rallied with four runs in the fourth inning to take the lead. However, their biggest hit of the afternoon came in the bottom of the fifth, with the score tied 4-4. In perhaps the most crucial plate appearance of his life, Chad Pinder stepped to the plate with an opportunity to defy history. Prior to this at-bat, Pinder had posted a 2-for-35 career mark with the bases loaded. However, on Thursday, he came up with a massive two-run single to propel the A's to a 6-4 advantage. And they didn't look back. Oakland now looks forward to a best-of-5 series with the Houston Astros to be played on neutral ground at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Needless to say, th...

The Atlanta Braves defeated the Cincinnati Reds by the score of 5-0 in Game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series on Thursday. Atlanta's first postseason series victory since 2001 sends them to an NLDS match-up with the victor of the (3) Cubs - (6) Marlins series -- beginning on Tuesday, October 6. The Braves' offensive firepower was largely held in check in their  Game 1 victory , and for the majority of Game 2, the Reds stifled this team once again. However, it's pretty difficult to lose a series when your opposition fails to score -- and that's exactly what happened here. Atlanta's second consecutive shutout was largely due to the efforts of starting pitcher Ian Anderson, who went six scoreless innings -- allowing two hits, two walks, and striking out nine batters. The Braves broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth, when Ronald Acuna Jr. drove an RBI double to left-center field to score Austin Riley. And in the eighth, Atlanta buried any h...

The Atlanta Braves defeated the Cincinnati Reds by the score of 1-0 in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series on Wednesday. Despite Reds' starter Trevor Bauer pitching an absolute gem (7.2 IP, 2 H, 12 SO), the Braves managed to capitalize in the clutch moments of a scoreless contest. Atlanta didn't make an error on Wednesday afternoon. Their defensive capabilities were on full display in the seventh inning, when Austin Riley's diving tag prevented Aristides Aquino from breaking the scoreless tie. Meanwhile, the Braves also received a stellar performance from their young starter Max Fried (7.0 IP, 6 H, 5 SO). As the matchup crept closer to becoming the longest scoreless game in MLB postseason history, however, it was Atlanta's relievers who repeatedly dealt clutch strikes to escape jams. In the 11th inning, Tyler Matzek struck out Mike Moustakas to strand the bases loaded. In the 12th, Matzek struck out Freddy Galvis with two runners in scoring positi...

For the first time since 2004, the Tampa Bay Lightning are Stanley Cup Champions. Despite faltering in Game 5 of the 2020 Stanley Cup Finals, the Lightning clinched eternal glory on Monday night with a 2-0 victory in Game 6. The deciding goal came off the stick of young phenom Brayden Point in the opening period, as the Dallas Stars mustered only 22 shots in the series finale. After falling in six games to the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals, Monday's victory had to feel particularly sweet for the Lightning, who endured 15 postseason overtime periods -- the most in NHL history -- en route to their second title. Emerging as the best in a 31-team league is no small feat, and the 2019-2020 NHL season tested this explosive Tampa Bay squad in more ways than one. After a four-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Lightning secured their spot as the 2-seed in the Eastern Conference following a series of mid-summer Round Robin matchups. However, a ...