A Reset Year

Can you believe it's been five years since COVID upended all of our lives?!  Crazy, isn't it?  Anyway, after all the COVID cancellations/postponements and the reshuffling of schedules that they caused, we're almost back to normal.  By the end of 2025, we will be there.  Which is why I'm calling this year a "reset year."  Come 2026, the sports calendar will finally be back on its pre-COVID schedule.

It's true that the Olympics and Euro got back on schedule in 2024 after the 2020 editions of those events were delayed.  However, they were on an abbreviated three-year cycle instead of the typical four.  Now they're at the beginning of a new four-year cycle.  Not five.  Not three.  Like I said, it's a reset to what the schedule is supposed to be like.  Not jammed into three years without the off year in the cycle.

In most Olympic sports, there's a World Championships every other year in the odd years.  Since the 2020 Olympics were delayed a year, so were all of the 2021 World Championships.  Then they 2023 World Championships were held as scheduled prior to the 2024 Olympics.  Which means this year is five years in a row with a major global competition.

Then there are the quadrennial events that were scheduled for 2021 that also had to be moved back a year.  This year, it's their turn to have the abbreviated three-year cycle before their four-year clock resets.  This applies mainly to European women's soccer players.  Between Women's Euro 2021-22, the 2023 Women's World Cup, last year's Olympics and now the 2025 Women's Euro, it'll be four years in a row for them.

The World Indoor Championships in track & field typically take place in even years.  The 2020 edition, scheduled to take place in Nanjing, China, was one of the first events postponed because of COVID.  They were originally rescheduled for 2021 before being postponed again.  There have been two regularly-scheduled World Indoor Championships since then.  Finally, Nanjing will host World Indoors this March, five years later than planned.  There will be another edition next year, as well, but after three straight years with World Indoors, the meet won't be held in 2027 and they'll finally be fully back on schedule.

Swimming's World Championships also get back on schedule this year after the chaos created by COVID.  This will actually be the fourth straight year with a Swimming World Championships!  For reasons I still don't quite understand, there was a World Championships last February in Doha, just eight months after the 2023 World Championships and only five months before the Paris Olympics.  This year, they head to Singapore before finally taking a World Championships break in 2026.

Perhaps the most important thing for Olympic sports, though, is that they can finally reset their budgets.  Some of the smaller international federations rely on the funds they receive from the IOC to pay their expenses, and their balance sheets were heavily impacted by having to wait an extra year.  Now they're back to being able to budget and plan over a four-year period from 2025-28.

We'll also see a new event debut this year.  For the first time, FIFA has expanded the Club World Cup to a 32-team tournament that will serve as a test event for the following year's World Cup.  There's been plenty of criticism of the expanded Club World Cup and reasonable questioning of whether it's even actually a good idea.  FIFA wants to do it regardless, though, so it's happening.  It'll be in June and July in many of the NFL stadiums that'll be used at the 2026 World Cup.

Another event makes its debut this year in preparation for the NHL's Olympic return in 2026.  Instead of an All*Star Game, the NHL will hold the Four Nations Face-Off, featuring NHL players from the United States, Canada, Finland and Sweden representing their home countries.  The tournament is set for February in Montreal and Boston, with the NHL carving out a break in its schedule, just as it will next year when NHL players will participate in the Olympics for the first time since 2014.

Also set for 2026 is the next edition of the World Baseball Classic.  COVID really screwed up the schedule with that tournament, causing a six-year wait from 2017-23 before a three-year wait ahead of the 2026 tournament (when the cycle will presumably become four years).  So, with the full tournament being played in 2026, that means we'll get qualifying during Spring Training this year.

Women's basketball was one of the hottest sports out there in 2024, and 2025 will be another big year for the sport.  The WNBA added an expansion team, the Golden State Valkyries, and extended the regular season to 44 games.  The WNBA Finals have also finally been made a best-of-seven series.  That's not all, though.  The stars of the WNBA have banded together to create a new three-on-three league, Unrivaled, that will debut in a few weeks and play during the WNBA offseason.

NFL international games are a permanent part of the schedule now.  Next season, the number of international games increases to as many as eight.  In addition to the traditional slate in London, Berlin and Madrid will host NFL games for the first time.  The MLB season will start in Tokyo with two games between the Dodgers and Cubs, and there's a game between the Braves and Reds set for Bristol Motor Speedway in August.

Meanwhile, hockey isn't the only sport gearing up for the 2026 Olympics.  It's only 13 months until the Opening Ceremony in Milan, and Olympic qualification in winter sports has already gotten underway in earnest.  The 2024-25 winter sports season ends early in the year, and some spots should be awarded at the various World Championships.  Then, come November-December, it'll really heat up, and we should know most, if not all of the U.S. team headed to Italy before the calendar flips to 2026.

Those are just some of the highlights.  There's plenty to look forward to on the 2025 sports calendar.  Some of these events are annual.  Some are getting back on their normal cycle after having their schedule knocked out of whack by COVID.  Which is why 2025 will be a year to reset.

NFL 2024-25 (Week 18)

When the NFL went to an all-division-games schedule in the final week of the season, this is what they had in mind.  Game 272 is the first regular season game between two 14-win teams in league history!  And the craziest part about that is either the Vikings or Lions will be a 14-win wild card team!  The winner is the 1-seed, the loser has to go on the road in the playoffs.  Everything's at stake.  This is exactly what NFL fans want to see!

While NFC's 1-seed is yet to be clinched, there are plenty of playoff spots already locked in, which will definitely have an impact on this week's games...and the playoff races.  It's disappointing that Saquon Barkley won't go for the rushing record, but I get why the Eagles are sitting him.  We also know that Kansas City's sitting starters and the Bills likely will, too.  I'm curious to see what the other playoff teams will do, though.

Browns (3-13) at Ravens (11-5): Baltimore-During that three-games-in-11-days stretch, Baltimore went 3-0 and Pittsburgh went 0-3.  As a result, it's now the Ravens who are in control of the AFC North.  They clinch the division and 3-seed with a win in their finale, and they drew the Browns at home, the far more beatable of the two Ohio opponents.  And, yes, I say this knowing full well that Cleveland won the first meeting between the two this season (the Browns also beat the Steelers this year).  All the more reason why I think Lamar & Co. get themselves another home game next week.

Bengals (8-8) at Steelers (10-6): Pittsburgh-This is where it gets interesting.  If the Ravens win, the Steelers are locked into a wild card.  But I think they play to win anyway for two reasons.  For one, they've lost three straight and don't want to go into the playoffs on a four-game losing streak.  More importantly, if they lose, they're guaranteed to play the Ravens in Baltimore next week.  They'd much rather go to Houston.  Eliminating the Bengals would be an added bonus.

Panthers (4-12) at Falcons (8-8): Atlanta-Atlanta was a popular preseason pick to win the NFC South.  Even in the middle of the season, you would've liked the Falcons' chances.  Instead, they're looking up at Tampa Bay and know they only get in with a win and a Bucs loss.  They'll do their part against a Carolina team that had actually been playing some pretty good football before last week's shellacking in Tampa.

Commanders (11-5) at Cowboys (7-9): Washington-What a difference this season has been in Washington!  Jayden Daniels wrapped up Offensive Rookie of the Year last week, as the Commanders clinched their first playoff berth since 2020.  The fact that they did it with a week to go and don't need to rely on winning in Dallas was huge, too.  Now the pressure's off.  Although, if they win, they avoid playing the Eagles again.  That and beating the Cowboys should be enough motivation for playoff-bound Washington.

Bears (4-12) at Packers (11-5): Green Bay-Green Bay is 0-5 against the Lions, Vikings and Eagles (combined record: 41-7) and 11-0 against the rest of the NFL.  And all it will get them is either the 6- or 7-seed in the NFC playoffs.  And, if Washington beats Dallas, who will they end up playing?  Philadelphia!  There's nothing the Packers can do about that.  But you know that finishing the regular season by beating the archrival Bears at Lambeau will be a good way to head into the postseason.

Jaguars (4-12) at Colts (7-9): Indianapolis-Indianapolis had perhaps the easiest path to the playoffs of the four teams still in contention for the last AFC wild card after last week.  Beat the Giants and beat the Jaguars.  So, of course, they not only lose to the Giants, they get 45 points dropped on them!  Which makes this game totally meaningless.  I'm not sure the degree to which the Colts will care, so a Jaguars win wouldn't shock me.  I'll stick with Indianapolis, though.

Bills (13-3) at Patriots (3-13): Buffalo-Both the Ravens and Bengals need to win this week.  Which means Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow will both play the whole game and boost their stats.  Josh Allen likely won't.  The Bills can do whatever they want, and the decision to sit (or at least limit) him this week makes complete sense.  I just hope it doesn't negatively impact his MVP chances (personally, I think he should be the runaway favorite).  As for the team, a win doesn't change anything, but a franchise record for victories and an undefeated record in the division are nice things to play for.

Giants (3-13) at Eagles (13-3): Philadelphia-Entering last week, the Giants had the inside track at the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.  After beating the Colts, their chances at getting it are significantly slimmer.  Although, I don't necessarily think that's a terrible thing since there won't be a franchise quarterback available.  And, knowing the Giants, they'll go into Philadelphia for a meaningless game and upset the Eagles.  Seeing Saquon setting the rushing record against the team that decided they don't want him anymore would've been some sort of poetic irony, but, alas, he won't play.  He'll just have to settle for the satisfaction of seeing the Giants finish with the worst record in the league.

Saints (5-11) at Buccaneers (9-7): Tampa Bay-With a win or a Falcons loss, Tampa Bay is back in the playoffs once again.  They actually have a chance of moving up to the No. 3 seed, too, which means hosting the Commanders or Packers instead of the 14-win Vikings or Lions.  (Although, Tampa Bay has beaten Detroit this season.)  Baker Mayfield has been proving his doubters wrong ever since he came to Tampa and took over for Tom Brady.  That won't change against a Saints team that's been mailing it in under the interim coach.  The Bucs return to the playoffs.

Texans (9-7) at Titans (3-13): Houston-That embarrassment on Christmas locked the Texans into the No. 4 seed, but also left Houston knowing it had a lot of work to do.  They played two teams they'll potentially meet again in the playoffs and, after holding their own in Kansas City, were outclassed in every facet by Baltimore.  So, even though nothing will change for them seeding-wise against the Titans, Houston may want to use this one to work on getting things right before the games that really matter next week.

49ers (6-10) at Cardinals (7-9): Arizona-It really is remarkable the streak that San Francisco is on.  The 49ers either make the NFC Championship Game or miss the playoffs entirely.  This season, they went with Option B.  Too many injuries and too many close losses to overcome.  The Cardinals, meanwhile, have put together a nice season.  Sure, they're gonna end up below .500 and out of the playoffs, but there have really been some encouraging signs.  And 8-9 looks a whole lot better than 7-10!

Chiefs (15-1) at Broncos (9-7): Denver-The Dolphins and Bengals can't be too happy about Kansas City's decision to sit its starters.  Because they need a Broncos loss to have any hope at getting into the playoffs.  But with the Chiefs' starters sitting, the likelihood of Denver getting that win it needs have gone up exponentially.  After all, the Broncos would've beaten them in Kansas City if not for that blocked kick at the end of the game.  Of course, they'd already be in if they hadn't lost their last two games.  But that's the benefit of having a cushion.  The Broncos clinch the 7-seed and head to Buffalo.

Chargers (10-6) at Raiders (4-12): Chargers-I know I'm stating the obvious here, but Jim Harbaugh is a pretty good coach.  After missing the playoffs last season, the Chargers clinched a wild card with one week to go by dominating the Patriots last week.  This after their comeback win to beat the Broncos on Thursday night in Week 16.  Now they can put a bow on the regular season by beating the Raiders in Las Vegas.

Seahawks (9-7) at Rams (10-6): Rams-Thanks to the strength of victory tiebreaker, the Rams have already clinched the NFC West.  Which is a bit of a shame since it deprived us of this one being for the division title.  Either way, the Rams would've been my pick.  I just wish we still had that drama.  It's been quite a turnaround after that 1-4 start.  And they clinch the 3-seed with a win, which means avoiding the NFC North teams in both the wild card and divisional rounds.  Don't think that's an unimportant detail.

Dolphins (8-8) at Jets (4-12): Miami-Aaron Rodgers "accepts" that this might be the final game of his career.  Either way, it's his last game as a Jet.  That two-year experiment sure didn't work out, and his voluntary benching last week in Buffalo spoke volumes.  (Note to the Jets, don't sign anymore old, disgruntled future Hall of Fame Packers quarterbacks!)  Anyway, all the Dolphins can do is win and hope the Chiefs care enough to beat the Broncos.  Otherwise, great job to finish above .500.  But that 2-6 start was a season killer.

Vikings (14-2) at Lions (14-2): Detroit-As soon as the Vikings beat the Packers, we all knew this would be Game 272.  Yet the NFL made us wait until the end of last week's SNF game to announce it (which I get, but was still annoying).  The Vikings have turned winning close games into an art.  The Lions have made an art of winning in so many different ways.  Detroit might be the best, most complete team in the NFL.  They need the 1-seed, but not because it'll give them home field advantage.  They need the bye.  They haven't been off since Week 5!

Last Week: 12-4
Overall: 167-89

Best Games of 2024

For a while, my last post of the year was always a countdown of the best games of the year.  I had the number of games correspond to the year, which was easy in 2010 & 2011, but got incrementally harder as a game needed to be added to the list each year.  Then 2020 happened and I moved away from it in the COVID-impacted year.  So, it's been a while since I've gone my year-end top games list.

When I started thinking about how I wanted to end 2024, though, I couldn't help but immediately think of all the incredible games that we saw this year.  It started on literally the first day of 2024 when Michigan and Alabama met in that epic Rose Bowl.  There was the longest Super Bowl ever, Catlin Clark vs. Paige Bueckers in the Women's Final Four, more moments in Paris than I can count, and so much more!  (As well as some not-so-memorable games.  NBA All-Star Game, anyone?)

As a result, I made a decision to bring the year-end "Games of the Year" list back.  Although, for my own sanity, I'm limiting it to 10.  I've also decided not to rank them 1-10.  Instead, I'll list them chronologically and choose only a top game at the end.  I'm also sure that there are some games I missed, but if I can't immediately remember them, they probably weren't all that memorable, were they?

January 1: Rose Bowl (Michigan vs. Alabama)-Alabama's selection over Florida State as the final team in the last four-team College Football Playoff was controversial, but sure proved to be the right call.  The back-and-forth affair was an absolute classic, with each team matching the other after every score.  Michigan tied it with 1:34 left in the fourth quarter, then scored a touchdown in overtime before stopping Alabama on 4th & Goal from the Michigan 3 to win, 27-20, before defeating Washington for the National Championship a week later.  These two ended 2024 the same way they began it...by facing each other in a bowl game.

January 28: Australian Open Men's Final (Jannik Sinner vs. Daniil Medvedev)-In the semifinals, Sinner beat Novak Djokovic, snapping Djokovic's 33-match winning streak in Australia.  In the final, he dropped the first two sets before rallying to win, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 after three hours and 45 minutes.  It was Sinner's first Grand Slam title and just the start of an incredible 2024 that would also see him win the US Open and ATP Finals, lead Italy to the Davis Cup, and finish as the year-end No. 1.

February 11: Super Bowl LVIII (Chiefs vs. 49ers)-The Chiefs played the 49ers in the Super Bowl for the second time in four years.  And for the second time in four years, Kansas City won a classic.  San Francisco took a 19-16 lead with 1:53 left.  The Chiefs kicked the game-tying field goal with three seconds remaining, sending the Super Bowl into overtime for just the second time in history.  The 49ers got the ball first in OT and kicked a field goal, then with three seconds left in the fifth quarter, Patrick Mahomes connected with Mecole Hardman for a 3-yard TD pass to give the Chiefs their second consecutive Lombardi Trophy, 25-22.

February 18: NHL Stadium Series (Rangers vs. Islanders)-I'm a little biased here since I was at this one, but it was still legitimately a great game.  Of course, I didn't think so at first when the Islanders jumped out to a 4-1 lead early in the second period.  It was 5-3 with five minutes left when my man Scott Mayfield took two penalties, the Rangers scored on both power plays to tie it, then Artemi Panarin scored 10 seconds into overtime to win it, 6-5.  My brother-in-law and nephew didn't agree, but I found the final five minutes much more enjoyable than the first 55.

April 5: Women's Final Four (Iowa vs. UConn)-This game set a record (that would be broken two days later in the Championship Game) with 14.2 million TV viewers (which was double that of the first semifinal between South Carolina and NC State).  They tuned in to see Caitlin Clark vs. Paige Bueckers, the two biggest stars in women's college basketball last season, and they ended up seeing a great game that Clark sealed with a free throw to send Iowa into its second straight National Championship Game, 71-69.

August 3: Olympic Mixed 4x400 Relay Final-If you haven't seen this race, do yourself a favor and go watch it on YouTube (or I think it's still on Peacock, too).  The United States set a world record in the prelims and had the lead with 100 meters left in the final.  The Netherlands had Femke Bol, though.  The star 400-meter hurdler ran a blistering anchor leg to go from fourth place to the gold medal.  For all the thrilling track races there were in Paris, this one might've been the most exciting.

August 11: Olympic Women's Basketball Gold Medal Game (USA vs. France)-What a way to bring down the curtain on the Paris Games!  In literally the last event of the Olympics, the United States and France played an outstanding women's basketball gold medal game!  The U.S. hasn't lost an Olympic women's basketball game in 32 years, but France gave them everything they could handle and then some!  In front of a partisan sellout crowd, they played an absolute classic that featured 11 ties and six lead changes.  It was 65-64 when Kahleah Copper made two free throws with three seconds left.  Gabby Williams drove down and made a jumper for France as time expired, but her foot was clearly inside the three-point line and the U.S. held on, 67-66.

August 25: Little League World Series Championship Game (Florida vs. Chinese Taipei)-Chinese Taipei had a 1-0 lead going to the bottom of the sixth in the six-inning game.  Florida tied it on a two-out single when the Taiwanese pitcher inexplicably cut off the throw from left and tried to get the out at third, letting the tying run score without a throw.  (I know these kids are 12, but, still, poor baseball IQ.)  Then in the bottom of the eighth, there was the bunt heard round the world.  Florida tried bunting the automatic runner over, the pitcher and first baseman both charged, so there was no one at first to receive the throw.  The winning run scored on the error.

September 30: Mets-Braves Doubleheader, Game 1-All of the circumstances leading to this doubleheader being played the day after the regular season ended were crazy enough.  Then the two games were played!  The teams knew that they'd both make the playoffs with a split, and the Braves took a 3-0 lead into the eighth inning of Game 1.  The Mets put up a six-spot, only for Atlanta to get four in the bottom of the eighth!  In the top of the ninth, Francisco Lindor hit a two-run homer before Edwin Diaz (who had already blown the save) closed out the 8-7 win that sent the Mets back to Milwaukee (where they had just been!) for the Wild Card Series.

October 20: WNBA Finals, Game 5 (Liberty vs. Lynx)-One of the biggest sports stories of 2024 was how the WNBA, in its 28th season of existence, finally was accepted by mainstream America.  The league's newfound fans enjoyed an excellent WNBA Finals, capped by an outstanding winner-take-all Game 5.  Minnesota led by as many as 12 points in the first half and was up by seven at halftime.  The Liberty battled back and took the lead, but the Lynx went back in front late.  A controversial foul sent Breanna Stewart to the line with 5.2 seconds left and she made both free throws to send the game to overtime, where the Liberty pulled away for a 67-62 victory and their first-ever WNBA championship.

See why I didn't rank them from 1-10?  All of these games were incredible!  If I had to select just one to be the 2024 Game of the Year, though, I think it would have to be the Rose Bowl.  It was a very close call, and it came on literally the first day of the year.  But it set the stage for the tremendous sports year that was to come!

2024 Male Athlete of the Year: Leon Marchand

Shohei Ohtani did Shohei Ohtani things again in 2024.  His first season with the Dodgers was arguably the best offensive season of his career, and he capped the year by becoming a World Series champion for the first time.  The only thing he didn't do was pitch, which we can expect to return to his resume in 2025.  So, it should be a given that Ohtani's the Joe Brackets Male Athlete of the Year once again, right?  Wrong!

Ohtani is great.  He's a once-in-a-lifetime talent who does things on a baseball field that are truly remarkable.  As long as he continues to do them, he'll he in the Athlete of the Year conversation every year.  So why doesn't he get the nod then?  Because there's someone else who took the entire world by storm while bringing pride to his nation on the grandest stage.

During his speech at the Closing Ceremony of the Paris Olympics, Tony Estanguet, the President of the organizing committee said something that I'll never forget.  "We wanted to be inspired.  We got Leon Marchand."  Marchand wasn't just the swimming star of the Paris Games, he was the star!  And the star of the Games was from the host nation! 

The noise at Paris Le Defense Arena was deafening throughout the swimming competition!  And it only got louder as the Olympics progressed, especially when Marchand, their national hero, swam.  And their national pride was on full display every time they got to sing "La Marseillaise" during a Leon Marchand medal ceremony.  The entire venue was singing the national anthem!  I haven't seen anything like it at an Olympics since Virtue & Moir in Vancouver.

Marchand was supposed to be the star of the Paris Games too!  Just imagine how much pressure he must've been under.  The weight of those expectations.  A Frenchman at an Olympics in France.  He didn't just meet those expectations.  He exceeded them.  And his star only grew with each gold medal.

On July 28, the second night of the Olympics, Marchand set an Olympic record in the 400 IM, winning gold by more the six seconds.  Three nights later, he did something that hadn't been done in 48 years.  Marchand won gold in the 200 butterfly, setting another Olympic record.  There was roughly 90 minutes until the final of the 200 breaststroke.  Marchand set another Olympic record enroute to his second individual gold of the night (and third of the Olympics).

Then, on August 2, he won a fourth gold in the 200 IM, swimming, you guessed it, an Olympic-record time.  It made Marchand the first French Olympian EVER to win four gold medals at the same Games.  And he did it in his hometown!  Marchand wasn't done yet, though.  Olympic swimming always ends with the medley relay.  He swam the breaststroke leg for the French team, and they ended up on the podium with the bronze.  Five events, five medals (four of them gold).  The most decorated Olympian in Paris.

He became just the third male swimmer in history to win four individual gold medals at the same Olympics.  The names he joined?  Only two of the sport's all-time legends.  Mark Spitz and Michael Phelps.  Marchand had already been dubbed "the next Phelps" after his exploits at the 2022 & 2023 World Championships, as well as during his NCAA career at Arizona State (where he's coached by Phelps' coach, Bob Bowman).  Phelps was among the people who's anointed Marchand as his successor.

Just as Spitz was honored to pass the torch to Phelps, no one is prouder of the Phelps-Marchand comparison than Michael Phelps.  Phelps was in Paris doing some work for NBC and attended some of Marchand's races.  When he wasn't at the pool, he was in the studio watching with Mike Tirico.  After the race, they'd cut to "Phelps Cam" and show his live reaction.  He couldn't have been more excited!  Michael Phelps is the biggest Leon Marchand fan out there!

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Leon Marchand is his age.  He's all of 22.  He wasn't even alive yet when Phelps made his Olympic debut in Sydney and was six when Phelps went 8-for-8 in Beijing.  Then you add in the fact that he had the weight of a nation on him in what will be the only home Olympics of his lifetime.  And he more than lived up to the hype.  He inspired a nation.  I don't want to give Leon Marchand all the credit for the success of the Paris Games, but the hometown hero starring during the opening week sure didn't hurt!

That's something Phelps mentioned in his praise of Marchand.  He (Phelps) never got the chance to swim in a home Olympics.  It's obviously got to be the coolest experience of any athlete's career.  But the pressure that comes with it also must be immense.  Especially when the expectations are as high as they were for Marchand.  To come through.  At home.  On the biggest stage.  It's something Marchand and everyone who watched him will never forget.

Every Olympics has that one athlete or one moment that will be forever tied to those Games.  Cathy Freeman in Sydney.  Michael Phelps in Beijing.  Usain Bolt in London.  Simone Biles in Rio.  For all the stars who competed in Paris, history will remember the 2024 Games as the Olympics of Leon Marchand.

At the Closing Ceremony, Marchand wasn't just acknowledged.  He had an active, important role.  Since the Olympic cauldron was located outside the Stade de France in the Tuileries Garden, Marchand took the flame, carried it in a lantern and brought it to the stadium so it could be extinguished.  The star of the Paris Olympic Games was the steward of the Olympic flame, symbolically transferring it from Paris to Los Angeles, where he'll likely again star in 2028.  Except next time, it won't be at home.

So, will all due respect to Shohei Ohtani, Patrick Mahomes, Jannik Sinner and all those who had a memorable 2024, the choice for Male Athlete of the Year is clear.  The Olympics were in Paris.  A Parisian was the star.  Leon Marchand's 2024 will not soon be forgotten.  That's why he's the 2024 Joe Brackets Male Athlete of the Year.

2024 Female Athlete of the Year: Caitlin Clark

When I first started thinking about my Joe Brackets Athletes of the Year earlier this month, I was focused mainly on athletes who appeared in Paris.  That's typically what happens in an Olympic year, when the Olympics take center stage for two and a half weeks.  And there were plenty of women who did their thing in Paris who'd be plenty worthy of the honor.  Gabby Thomas and Simone Biles are two who immediately come to mind.

The more I thought about it, though, I kept coming back to a woman who wasn't in Paris, a point that was controversial in and of itself and led to plenty of discussion.  As it turned out, during the Olympics was seemingly the only time all year when we weren't talking about her.  That's just one of the many reasons why, for the first time ever, I'm awarding the Joe Brackets Female Athlete of the Year to the same person in back-to-back years.  The 2024 Joe Brackets Female Athlete of the Year is none other than Caitlin Clark.

Caitlin Clark's impact goes far beyond what she's done on the basketball court.  Her basketball talent made it all possible, of course.  But she's far more than a basketball player.  It's because of Caitlin Clark that the WNBA exploded in popularity in 2024...popularity that only figures to continue to grow!

Indiana averaged just over 4,000 fans a game in 2023.  In 2024, more than 300,000 people attended Fever games.  They regularly sold out the 17,000-seat Gainsbridge Fieldhouse.  The "Caitlin Clark Effect" wasn't limited to home games, either.  Attendance across the board was nearly doubled when she played, and multiple teams moved games against the Fever to the larger NBA arenas to accommodate the demand for tickets.

It wasn't just in-person attendance, either.  The WNBA's TV ratings were up, as well.  Indiana Fever games drew well over a million viewers per broadcast.  While the ratings for non-Fever games were nowhere near that level, they were still up significantly across the board.  And it was a boon for the entire league!  Thanks to people tuning in for Caitlin Clark, they saw how great the WNBA's product is!  Would they have found out otherwise?  Maybe, maybe not.

Some of Clark's critics don't want to give her all the credit.  Players like Angel Reese believe that they've had just as much of an impact on the WNBA's growing popularity as Caitlin Clark.  While it's true that the outstanding rookie class of Clark, Reese and Cameron Brink has helped raise the league's profile, it's ridiculous to suggest that it doesn't happen if not for Clark's immense popularity.  And, frankly, it reeks of jealousy.

Here's the other thing about it, too: what difference does it make?  Caitlin Clark has risen the profile of the entire league!  Everyone (including those players who are whining) has benefitted.  And, to her credit, Caitlin Clark isn't stooping to that level.  She's just disappointed that it's come to this instead of celebrating the new appreciation people finally have for the WNBA after all these years. 

You'll notice who isn't complaining about Caitlin Clark, too.  It isn't Breanna Stewart or A'ja Wilson or Brittney Griner.  They get it.  They know she's good for the league.  That's why she was offered a record amount to join Unrivaled, the new 3-on-3 women's basketball league featuring WNBA players set to launch in January.  Clark declined, but it's a standing offer, so we could very well see her playing with Unrivaled in 2026.

Now let's talk about the Olympics.  People were up in arms because Caitlin Clark wasn't on the 12-player Team USA roster.  Their argument was that it was "stupid" not to include her because it would impact NBC's ratings for women's basketball games.  The fact that they thought USA Basketball should care about NBC's ratings more than winning a gold medal (which they did) says all you need to know about how important Caitlin Clark has become to the sport of women's basketball as a whole.  And, yes, she'll be a fixture of USA Basketball for the next decade.

Her impact wasn't just on the WNBA, either.  It's easy to forget because it seems so long ago, but she finished her college career at Iowa as the NCAA's all-time leading scorer, men or women.  Iowa's game against UConn in the Women's Final Four was an absolute classic that drew 14.2 million viewers, ESPN's largest audience for a women's basketball broadcast ever.  The National Championship Game against South Carolina was on ABC and set a new record by averaging 18.9 million viewers!  Overall ratings for the NCAA Tournament doubled between 2023 and 2024.

She was obviously going to be the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft.  The question was how she'd adjust to the pro game.  And it was definitely a struggle at first (although, the WNBA didn't help matters by giving the Fever a brutal early-season schedule).  Clark eventually found her groove, though, and won WNBA Rookie of the Year.  She was also a First Team All-WNBA selection.  As a rookie, Caitlin Clark was one of the five best players in the entire WNBA!

After losing their first five games and starting 1-8, the Fever were 11-15 at the Olympic break.  Once they came back from the Olympic break, they went 9-5 to finish 20-20 overall.  Indiana ended its seven-year playoff drought, the longest in WNBA history.  This is a team that won just five games two seasons ago and went 13-27 in 2023.  While the turnaround can't be attributed entirely to Caitlin Clark (they also took Aliyah Boston with the No. 1 pick in 2023), her impact is obvious.

As for her individual exploits, Clark had one of the finest rookie seasons in WNBA history.  She was just the fifth rookie in league history and the first since Candace Parker in 2008 to be named First Team All-WNBA.  Clark's 337 assists were a WNBA single-season record.  Her 122 three-pointers were the second-most for a season in league history.  She led the league in assists and had two triple-doubles.

There's also the jersey sales, the logo threes that go viral, the Saturday Night Live appearance, and so much more.  Caitlin Clark's impact on and off the court was so significant that she became just the second woman EVER to be named Time's Athlete of the Year.  So, ultimately, there was no other choice.  Caitlin Clark is your back-to-back Joe Brackets Female Athlete of the Year.

NFL 2024 (Week 17)

Patrick Mahomes and Ben Roethlisberger have spoken out about the NFL's decision to play on Christmas this season, despite it being a Wednesday, and forcing four playoff teams to play three games in 11 days as a result.  They aren't wrong.  But here we are.  The end of the brutal stretch for Steelers, Chiefs, Ravens and Texans before they get at least 10 days off.  (See how much dumber that looks when you put it in that perspective?)

Anyway, with the Christmas games and the NFL Network tripleheader, there are eight games in national windows this week!  There are only eight games total on Sunday afternoon!  And, by the end of the Monday night game, the NFL will have played on 11 of 16 days from December 15-30.  That's a lot of football!

Chiefs (14-1) at Steelers (10-5): Kansas City-Kansas City just finds ways to win.  It's been the same story all season.  They play a one-score game seemingly every week.  Every week, they manage to win.  So, why should we think their matchup with the Steelers will be any different?  Sure, we saw them lose to the Raiders last Christmas.  Their only loss since then came in Buffalo in Week 11.  They wrap up the three games in 11 days stretch with another one-score win, while Pittsburgh (who had by far the most difficult schedule of the four teams) finishes it 0-3.

Ravens (10-5) at Texans (9-6): Houston-The last time Beyonce performed at halftime of a Ravens game, she made the power go out and Baltimore almost blew a 28-6 lead after it came back on.  Yes, that was 12 years ago.  Let's hope it doesn't happen again.  Although, she's from Houston, so it's a much easier trip for her this time.  This matchup could easily be repeated two weeks from now in the wild card round.  Playoff preview or not, look for the Texans to win it.

Seahawks (8-7) at Bears (4-11): Seattle-After back-to-back home losses against the Packers and Vikings, Seattle's playoff hopes are hanging by a thread.  The Seahawks went just 3-6 at home this season, which really is remarkable when you consider how much of a home field advantage they've typically had through the years.  Anyway, they're on the road this week.  And playing the Bears.  If they can't beat Chicago, they'll need some help from the Cardinals to have any shot at having next week matter.

Chargers (9-6) at Patriots (3-12): Chargers-You really don't know what you're getting from the Chargers week-to-week.  They got their butts kicked in the second half by Tampa Bay, then completely turn around the Denver game with a free kick field goal at the end of the first half.  And it's got them in prime position to return to the playoffs in Jim Harbaugh's first season at the helm.  Their path is much easier than Denver's too.  The Chargers finish with the Patriots and Raiders and only need to win one.

Broncos (9-6) at Bengals (7-8): Denver-This is effectively a playoff game for Denver.  If they beat the Bengals, they're in for the first time since they won Super Bowl 50 nine years ago.  If they don't, they need to beat Kansas City next week.  Even though they arguably should've beaten the Chiefs the first time, they don't want to rely on that.  Especially since it's not just the Bengals who have a chance at catching them.  Cincinnati, meanwhile, needs to win both this game and next week in Pittsburgh to have any chance.

Cardinals (7-8) at Rams (9-6): Rams-While I don't think it's likely, it's possible the Rams could clinch the division this week.  (They need a win and either a Seahawks loss or a bunch of other teams winning.)  Quite the turnaround for a team that started 1-4!  And they're only getting better too!  That'll be quite a game against the Packers in the playoffs!  I'm getting ahead of myself a little bit, though.  They play Seattle next week in a game that should officially decide the division title (my guess would be on Saturday night).

Jets (4-11) at Bills (12-3): Buffalo-It'll be interesting to see how the Bills handle this game if the Chiefs win on Wednesday and clinch the 1-seed.  They'll actually be locked into the 2-seed if Kansas City and Houston both win.  Things will obviously be much different if either or both of the AFC North teams win, so you know they'll be paying attention on Christmas.  Regardless of what their situation is, I'd imagine they'll play their starters against the Jets, then use Week 18 against New England as their quasi-bye before the playoffs.

Titans (3-12) at Jaguars (3-12): Jacksonville-Third place in the AFC South will be decided here.  When these two met three weeks ago, it was a 10-6 slog won by the Jaguars.  Since then, Jacksonville has lost to two other bad teams (the Jets and Raiders), while the Titans have been competitive against Cincinnati and Indianapolis.  Even still, the game is in Jacksonville, which is enough for me to say the Jaguars take it and sweep the season series.

Raiders (3-12) at Saints (5-10): New Orleans-That was the first shutout in the NFL this season on Monday night.  Needless to say, it wasn't a good showing by the Saints' offense.  They won't be exposed to the elements or the frigid December Green Bay air this time, though.  They're back at home in the climate-controlled Superdome against a bad Raiders team.  That Raiders team is coming off a win, however.  It was against Jacksonville, but it was still a win.

Colts (7-8) at Giants (2-13): Indianapolis-Indianapolis has very realistic playoff hopes.  The Broncos are playing Cincinnati and Kansas City.  They're playing the Giants and Jaguars.  Of course, they can win both and still not make it.  And if they lose one, they'll be eliminated.  Which they'll deserve to be.  The Giants, on the other hand, can "accomplish" two things with a loss.  They can finish winless at home and lock up the No. 1 pick in the Draft for the first time since 1965.

Cowboys (7-8) at Eagles (12-3): Philadelphia-How long will Jalen Hurts be out?  That's the big question surrounding the Eagles.  With their loss last week, the 1-seed is pretty much gone.  But, more significantly, they haven't clinched the division yet.  So, they need to get a win and wrap that up.  And you know that the Cowboys would love to come into Philadelphia and play the spoiler.  It's so crazy that a Cowboys-Eagles game was flexed out of the national doubleheader spot, too.

Panthers (4-11) at Buccaneers (8-7): Tampa Bay-Tampa Bay is going to end up ruing that loss in Dallas.  The Bucs were in control of the NFC South, but now find themselves trailing Atlanta and needing some help to win another division title.  Of course, the Falcons are in Washington, so that help might come.  They absolutely can't lose to Carolina, though.  And they know this will be a tough game.  The Panthers won last week and the game went to overtime when these two met in Charlotte.

Dolphins (7-8) at Browns (3-12): Miami-Did the Dolphins dig themselves too big of a hole to make the playoffs?  Miami is 5-2 since starting the season 2-6 and ends with Cleveland and the Jets, so that could easily be a 7-2 finish.  Both of their remaining games are on the road, though, so it's not a lock.  The Dolphins need to win both if they're to have any chance at a wild card berth that seemed so far out of reach just a few weeks ago.

Packers (11-4) at Vikings (13-2): Minnesota-Are they just waiting until this one's over to announce Vikings-Lions as Game 272?  Because I really don't know what else it'll be.  And, if Minnesota wins on Sunday, it'll be guaranteed to be for the division and 1-seed in the NFC regardless of how the Lions do on Monday night.  Should the Packers win, however, Detroit can clinch the division on Monday night.  Although, it is relevant that Green Bay is 0-4 this season against the three NFC teams with fewer losses than them, including a loss to the Vikings at Lambeau.

Falcons (8-7) at Commanders (10-5): Washington-Somebody's got a chance to clinch something on Sunday night.  Washington can secure its first playoff berth since 2020 (and first wild card since 2007) with a win, while the Falcons could potentially wrap up the NFC South with a win and a Tampa Bay loss.  Atlanta hasn't been to the playoffs since 2017, when their head coach was...current Commanders coach Dan Quinn!  Good call to flex this one into Sunday night!  

Lions (13-2) at 49ers (6-9): Detroit-When the schedule was made the NFC Championship Game rematch in the final Monday night game of the season seemed like a no-brainer.  Except the Lions were the only team that got the memo.  They're going for the 1-seed, while the 49ers have already been eliminated.  Detroit will know going into the game whether they can clinch the 1-seed, but they also have the luxury of knowing that even with a loss, they can play for it in Week 18.

Last Week: 10-6
Overall: 155-85

Festivus Airing of Grievances

Along with the aluminum pole and feats of strength, the highlight of any Festivus celebration is the airing of grievances.  I've got a lot of problems with you people, and now you're gonna hear about them.  I have a wide range of grievances.  Some are very nitpicky personal preferences.  Some are on a much larger scale.  And hopefully some of them will be resolved in 2025.

FIFA: Where do I start with FIFA?  Their corruption was on full display in 2024.  They put three games of the 2030 World Cup in South America just so they could say the continent used its turn as "host" and use that as an excuse to give Saudi Arabia 2034 unopposed.  They expanded the Club World Cup to a 32-team event using the old World Cup format even though there was no desire for it and despite complaints from the players who'll actually have to play the games.  But, who cares about player safety when there's money to be made?

Soccer's Streaming Obsession: Speaking of FIFA, they made a deal with Netflix for U.S. rights to the next two Women's World Cups.  Yet another soccer event that will be stuck behind a paywall.  I'm not trying to sound like an old man complaining about streaming, which will only grow.  Still, it's gotta be tough to be a soccer fan and having to pay for different streaming services to watch the Women's World Cup (Netflix), MLS (Apple), the Premier League (Peacock), the Champions League (Paramount+) and whatever European leagues are on ESPN+.  Some of them at least have deals that combine linear TV and streaming, but it's not exactly the most user-friendly setup.  Especially with the U.S. hosting the 2026 World Cup, they should be doing everything they can to make it easier to watch games.  Having different leagues/tournaments on every conceivable streaming service isn't doing that.

The New York Rangers: This season started so well.  Then it was...not.  They won the President's Trophy last season and brought virtually everybody back from that team.  Then all of the dirty laundry got aired.  Players were traded or waived and made it known they weren't happy about it.  Lines got shuffled and guys taken in and out of the lineup.  That hasn't worked, either.  For all the complaining about their defense and hanging the goalies out to dry, the team has completely lost the ability to score!  Which is just as much of a problem!

NCAA Eligibility Rules: The eligibility rules in college sports keep changing so much it's enough to give you whiplash!  I'm not just talking about the NIL and college athletes receiving revenue sharing, either.  First there was the transfer portal, allowing players to change schools whenever they want without having to sit out and causing rosters to completely turn over from one year to the next.  Now there's the whole thing with JUCO players getting a full four years of NCAA eligibility.  It's ridiculous.  You're gonna have guys with eight-year college careers and guys still in college who graduated high school with pros (and I'm not talking rookies here...I'm talking multi-year veterans).

MLB Contract Loopholes: Nothing the Dodgers are doing with all of this deferred money garbage is against the rules.  At least not currently (although, hopefully it'll be addressed in negotiations for the new CBA).  And it's true that every team can theoretically do it.  But the idea of signing players to massive contracts and deferring a good portion of their salary to bring down the amount they count against the luxury tax goes against the entire spirit of the luxury tax rules.  This is a loophole I'd love to see closed. 

NHL Roster Manipulation: Nobody does roster manipulation like the Vegas Golden Knights.  They've become masters at it.  For the past several seasons, the Knights have put guys on IR so they can stockpile veterans at the trade deadline without going over the salary cap.  Then all of those "injured" players magically get healthy and return for the playoffs!  Again, not against the rules.  But it should be.

NFL White Helmets/Uniforms: Plenty of teams took advantage of the NFL's decision to start allowing alternate helmets again.  Some reintroduced cool throwbacks.  Others made I'll go with "interesting" calls that some people probably love while others hate.  But what's with all the teams that introduced white helmets and all-white versions of their uniform to go with it?  None of them look good!  (The Cardinals, Colts, Dolphins, Bills and Chargers are exceptions since their primary helmets are white.)

City Connect Uniforms: There is something worse than the NFL's white helmets/uniforms...the MLB City Connect uniforms.  Far too many teams have them, and, while some aren't as bad as others, they're all terrible!  MLB even had its own City Connects with the AL and NL All*Star uniforms, which this season were so bad that Rob Manfred actually gave in to what fans wanted and said they'd go back to team uniforms at the All*Star Game next season in Atlanta.  (The same could also be said about the abundance of different uniform options in the NBA and WNBA.)

NFL Scheduling Decisions: Why are the Chicago Bears featured on national TV so frequently?  They aren't good!  Same thing with the Bengals.  Ditto about that early season obsession with the Jets.  Even with flex scheduling improving some of the matchups later in the season, some of the teams/games selected for the national windows are just odd at best, questionable at worst.

The Paris Olympic Ceremonies: As great as the Paris Olympics were, the Opening and Closing Ceremonies left a lot to be desired.  The ambitious Opening Ceremony on the Seine was either gonna be great or an absolute mess.  Unfortunately, it was the latter.  It was memorable alright, but not for the right reasons.  The Closing Ceremony wasn't much better.  The bar was set pretty low, and they barely cleared it.  The only cool part was Tom Cruise's entrance and exit during the LA handover portion (and that concert on the beach for LA's part wasn't exactly great, either).

Clay Holmes: Yes, he gets his own grievance!  That's what happens when you're so bad that you keep finding new and creative ways to blow saves before Yankees fans were finally put out of their misery after lucky No. 13 on a walk-off grand slam in Texas in early September.  Why he then pitched all five games of the World Series is beyond me!  Fortunately, the Yankees traded for Devin Williams and will have an actual closer for the first time since Aroldis Chapman was demoted and fired for Holmes, who signed with the Mets to be a starter.  They can have him.  Although, I'm not sure how he'll be able to blow saves at the beginning of the game.

NFL Players Wearing Whatever Number They Want: It's been a few years since the NFL started letting players wear whatever number they want regardless of position (with the exception of offensive linemen, who still have to wear ineligible numbers).  I'm still not used to it and I still don't like it.  Not only do we have random defensive guys wearing single-digit numbers left and right, we've got kickers wearing numbers in the 20s, 30s and 40s because all the single-digit numbers are taken.  It just looks so wrong.  This is the NFL.  Not college or high school football.

Those are my main grievances for this Festivus.  As I said, some make a much bigger difference than others.  But that doesn't mean it can't be a grievance.  And, frankly, it's good to get these off my chest.  It's a Festivus Miracle!