The Best & Biggest of 2023

As 2023 ends with a full day of football, it's crazy to think about how 2023 began.  On Jan. 2, Bills-Bengals was scheduled for Monday Night Football after the Rose Bowl, a huge game with massive playoff implications.  They were still in the first quarter when Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered an on-field cardiac arrest and the game was ultimately cancelled.  Remarkably, Hamlin made a full recovery and was on the Bills' roster to start the season.  It's safe to say the NFL Comeback Player of the Year vote will be an easy one.

Hamlin's story went from potentially tragic to incredibly uplifting, and it was definitely one of the biggest sports stories of 2023.  There were star performances and there were breakthroughs.  There were some spectacular games and plenty of upsets.  There were displays of dominance and massive disappointments.  And there were some things that will resonate far beyond 2024.

Like any other year, there were so many massive sports stories, in fact, that it's impossible to create a "complete" list.  You're bound to miss something.  So, instead, I've put together some superlatives in different categories.  These are in no particular order.  But they're definitely the things about 2023 that I'll remember.

Best Game: Super Bowl LVII-There were plenty of contenders for the Game of the Year, but none of them topped that exceptional Super Bowl between the Chiefs and Eagles!  Back-and-forth it went, with both Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes displaying their brilliance.  Philadelphia led 24-14 at halftime, only for Kansas City to go up 35-27 in the fourth quarter.  Hurts ran for a touchdown and the two-point conversion to tie the game with 5:15 left, only for the Chiefs to drive down and kick the game-winning field goal with eight seconds remaining.

Biggest Upset: FDU vs. Purdue-For only the second time in the history of the NCAA Men's Tournament, a 16-seed beat a No. 1.  It's made even more incredible when you consider why FDU was even there.  They only qualified as the NEC representative because Merrimack, who had beaten them in the conference championship game, wasn't eligible for the NCAA Tournament.  The Knights were the 68th overall seed in the 68-team tournament and had to beat Texas Southern in the First Four before playing Purdue.  After which they shocked the world, 63-58, becoming the second straight small school from New Jersey to knock Zach Edey and Purdue out of the NCAA Tournament.

Biggest Breakthrough: Coco Gauff-She burst onto the scene at Wimbledon in 2019, when she beat Venus Williams in her first-ever Grand Slam match.  Then she made the French Open final in 2022.  In 2023, Coco Gauff became a Grand Slam champion.  It was a brilliant run to the US Open title, too!  Gauff was dominant in the quarters and semis, then came back from a set down to beat Aryna Sabalenka (who had just become No. 1 in the world) in the final.

Best Individual Performance: Shohei Ohtani-Ohtani did his thing again this season, then his free agency was the talk of the offseason (more on that later), but I'm talking specifically about the World Baseball Classic here.  Ohtani played for Japan for the first time since coming over to the Majors and was absolutely brilliant both at the plate and on the mound.  He was named Tournament MVP after clinching Japan's championship by striking out then-teammate Mike Trout for the final out of a 3-2 victory.

Best Team Performance: Spain Women's Soccer-Heading into the Women's World Cup, Spain was considered a possible contender, but I'm not sure anyone thought they would win.  Especially after a 4-0 loss to Japan in the final group stage game.  In the knockout round, though, the Spanish were incredible!  A 5-1 demolition of Switzerland, an extra time victory over the Netherlands, a 2-1 semifinal win over favored Sweden, and a 1-0 triumph over European champion England in the final.  They got better as the tournament progressed and were worthy champions.  Some ugly stuff happened afterwards, but that takes nothing away from what this team accomplished.

Most Memorable Finish: (Tie) Australia vs. France & Sweden vs. USA-How could I pick between either of these Women's World Cup shootouts?  Sweden and the United States went to seven rounds.  Kelly O'Hara's attempt hit the post, then, after Alyssa Naeher got her hands on Sweden's last shot, it slipped behind her and (as replay confirmed) just crossed the line.  Then in the quarterfinals, Australia and France played a scoreless game before an absolutely epic 10-round shootout that the hosts won 7-6.

Most Surprising Development: PGA-LIV Golf Merger-Ever since LIV Golf was formed and started poaching players away from the PGA with multimillion-dollar salaries, there had been nothing but animosity between the two organizations.  There were lawsuits and countersuits, and it sure looked like there would be a prolonged legal fight.  So, it shocked everybody then when the PGA and LIV Golf announced that all litigation would cease and the organizations would merge instead.  We still have no idea what that will look like or if they'll even continue to operate as two separate entities, but the fact that they just randomly started playing nice certainly came out of nowhere.

Biggest Flex: Dodgers-Everyone knew Ohtani would likely set a record for the biggest free agent contract in baseball history.  The Dodgers gave it to him: $700 million for 10 years, despite the fact that he won't be able to pitch at all next season.  But they weren't done signing coveted Japanese free agents.  They also landed the biggest pitching prize of the offseason--Yoshinobu Yamamoto, for 12 years and $325 million.  That's over $1 billion spent on two players in a span of a few weeks!  Just because they could.

Most Significant Transaction/Injury: Aaron Rodgers-It played out like a soap opera.  Rodgers, who wasn't a free agent, declared that he'd "only play for the Jets" this season.  Rather than calling his bluff, the Packers gave him what he wanted and traded him to the Jets, who suddenly became a popular pick to make the playoffs (or even win the AFC).  They scheduled Rodgers' Jets debut for Monday Night Football...only for him to tear his Achilles on their first drive of the season!  Then the next four months were a ridiculous saga about his attempt to rehab quickly so that he can come back and play again this season.  The Jets were eliminated from playoff contention just before that decision had to be made, so he wasn't activated (as if there was ever any chance he'd actually be able to play).

But, above it all, there was absolutely one story that trumps all others as THE biggest of 2023.  It could definitely be classifed as the "Worst," too.  And it will certainly be the most impactful in 2024 and beyond.  And that would be the Death of the Pac-12.

UCLA and USC were already heading to the Big 10 after this season.  That much we knew.  Then Colorado announced they were returning to the Big 12 and all hell broke loose!  Within the course of a few weeks, eight of the 10 remaining Pac-12 members joined either the Big 10 or Big 12, leaving just Cal, Stanford, Washington State and Oregon State.  The former two then accepted an invitation to join the ACC, and suddenly Washington State and Oregon State were a conference of two.

This saga is far from over.  Washington State and Oregon State will operate as a two-team conference for two years, while also having working agreements with the Mountain West for football and West Coast Conference for other sports.  They'll try to keep the Pac-12 alive in the meantime, with the Pac-12's ultimate future likely decided by the outcome of the litigation.  My guess is some sort of merger with the Mountain West.  What that will look like is anyone's guess.

All of this, of course, had a ripple effect on all of college sports--most specifically football.  With the expanded College Football Playoff debuting next season, they've already changed the format from six conference champions and six at-large bids to 5 & 7.  The SEC and Big 10 figure to monopolize those berths, with the teams in those conferences figuring to make a ridiculous amount of money.  That'll certainly be one of the biggest stories of the upcoming year, and definitely something to watch out for as the calendar flips to 2024.

2023 NFL Picks, Week 17

It's crazy how interconnected the final two weeks of the NFL season are this year.  So many games this week impact what could happen in another next week.  Or they might not, depending on what happens this week.  And we could end up having all but like three games next week (sorry, Jets-Patriots) that matter for at least one team.  I've never seen anything like it before!  But first, we need this week to play out before we can worry about the Week 18 schedule (my bet for Sunday night: Bills-Dolphins).

Thursday Night: Cleveland (Win)

Lions (11-4) at Cowboys (10-5): Dallas-Dallas is two completely different teams.  The Cowboys are unbeaten at home, 3-5 on the road.  Unfortunately for them, their losses in Buffalo and Miami means it looks like they're going on the road in the playoffs.  The Lions, however, will NOT be going on the road.  At least for the wild card game.  Detroit clinched its first division title in 30 years last week, and I'm glad the Lions got that out of the way so that they didn't have the pressure of not having clinched yet hanging over them heading into Week 18.  As it is, next week will be meaningless for them since they'll already have the 3-seed locked up.

Patriots (4-11) at Bills (9-6): Buffalo-What a turnaround it's been for the Buffalo Bills!  They were 5-5 after a couple really bad losses.  They're 4-1 since and have a very realistic chance of winning the division.  They're also this week's team that has a ridiculous number of potential clinching scenarios (nine of which involve a Bills tie).  One of those bad losses earlier this season was to the Patriots, so there's no chance the Bills will be taking this game lightly.  Losing the first game might actually be a good thing heading into this one, though.  Because you know they'll be ready to play.

Falcons (7-8) at Bears (6-9): Atlanta-Atlanta's in a very interesting position.  The Falcons could go into their game with the Saints next week with everything at stake.  Or they could go into it eliminated from the postseason entirely.  The only part they can control is their matchup with a Bears team that has really turned it on in the second half and doubled last year's win total (yet, still has the No. 1 pick in the 2024 Draft thanks to that trade with Carolina).  Call me crazy, but I like the Falcons in this one, if only to keep the possibility of that crazy scenario alive.

Raiders (7-8) at Colts (8-7): Indianapolis-Like the Falcons-Bears game, this one matches a team that needs a victory to keep its playoff hopes alive against an opponent that has been playing some really good football of late.  The Raiders are a very different team under Antonio Pierce, who might've earned himself the job full-time by putting coal in the Chiefs' stocking.  This will be a dogfight.  But I do think the Colts will do enough to hang on to their 7-seed heading into the season finale.

Rams (8-7) at Giants (5-10): Rams-After following up their Super Bowl title by going 5-12 last season, the Rams are on the brink of getting back to the playoffs.  They'll actually clinch a spot with a win and a Seahawks loss this week.  Even if Seattle wins, the Rams will almost assuredly guarantee themselves a place with a victory over the Giants.  Their only loss since their bye week came in overtime in Baltimore, so the Rams will have definitely earned that playoff berth, too.

Cardinals (3-12) at Eagles (11-4): Philadelphia-While I don't want to say they completely got their mojo back (they were playing the Giants, after all), the Eagles took care of business on Christmas and moved back into first place as a result.  And now, thanks to the 49ers' loss, the No. 1 seed is back in play, too.  One of the reasons they have the division lead is because of Arizona's win over Dallas.  They'll avoid repeating the Cowboys' result against the Cardinals and stay on track to become the first back-to-back NFC East champion since they won four in a row from 2001-04.

Saints (7-8) at Buccaneers (8-7): Tampa Bay-A part of me wants New Orleans to win just so we can have that ridiculous scenario where it's a three-way tie at 8-8 heading into next week (with the Saints-Falcons winner not even guaranteed to make the playoffs).  That does seem unlikely, though.  Because Tampa Bay has been playing some awfully good football.  The Bucs have gone from 4-7 to 8-7 and can clinch the division with a win.  Which, of course, likely means a wild card rematch with Dallas.

49ers (11-4) at Commanders (4-11): San Francisco-Things in the NFC sure got a whole lot more interesting on Christmas night, didn't they?  The matchup between No. 1 seeds was no contest, as the 49ers were completely outplayed by the Ravens.  Fortunately for them, they still have the inside track to homefield and the bye.  They have the same record as the Eagles now, though, so they really can't afford a slip up against a Commanders team they should take care of pretty easily.

Panthers (2-13) at Jaguars (8-7): Jacksonville-Jacksonville went from winning the AFC South easily to having a must-win in each of its final two games.  But, that's what happens when you go on a four-game losing streak in December.  Although, in fairness, all four of those opponents were better than or at least as good as the Jaguars.  The Panthers are not (even if they've been playing significantly better since the coaching change).  Look for Jacksonville to end the losing streak and once again play for the division title in Week 18.

Dolphins (11-4) at Ravens (12-3): Baltimore-This game could very well determine the No. 1 seed in the AFC.  If the Ravens win, they clinch and set up Miami vs. Buffalo for the AFC East next week.  If the Dolphins win, they clinch the East and have the head-to-head win over Baltimore.  It really is kind of puzzling that they left it as a 1:00 kickoff (they evidently didn't want to have the Ravens play in primetime three weeks in a row).  After what the Ravens did on Christmas night, is there any reason to doubt they win this one?

Titans (5-10) at Texans (8-7): Houston-If not for the already playoff-bound Browns, Houston would be an easy call as the most surprising team in the AFC this season.  Two weeks ago, they needed a field goal on the last play of overtime to avoid a tie against the Titans in Nashville.  If not for that kick, they wouldn't be in this position.  As it is, they get a win in the rematch, they set up what could very well be a winner-take-all game (likely on Saturday night) in Indianapolis next week.

Steelers (8-7) at Seahawks (8-7): Pittsburgh-Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season.  He needs just one win in his last two games to avoid his first, but that won't be easy with at Seattle at Baltimore to wrap up the season.  Pittsburgh, of course, needs a win to keep pace in that crowded AFC playoff race.  They're currently behind the Colts and Texans, who play each other next week, and have the head-to-head sweep of Cincinnati.  Call me crazy, but I think they go into Seattle and win.  Which puts the Seahawks into a must-win scenario in Week 18 against Arizona.

Chargers (5-10) at Broncos (7-8): Denver-Denver did all that work to get into the playoff mix, then essentially threw that chance away with a Christmas Eve loss to the Patriots.  And they'll be taking on the Chargers with Jarret Stidham, not Russell Wilson, under center.  Whether it's for performance reasons on because of the contract issue that Wilson just revealed is something on the team knows, but hopefully it's not a distraction heading into a must-win game.  And they really need this one because next week in Las Vegas is far from a guarantee.

Bengals (8-7) at Chiefs (9-6): Kansas City-Well, the Chiefs sure know how to keep themselves the topic of conversation, don't they?  Kansas City absolutely laid an egg on Christmas and sure doesn't look anything like a championship team.  They haven't even clinched the AFC West yet, which they can do this week in their home finale against a Bengals squad that's been a perpetual thorn in their side.  Cincinnati, by the way, has one of the strangest stats in the NFL.  The Bengals are 0-5 against the AFC North and 8-2 against every other division.  Make that 8-3.

Packers (7-8) at Vikings (7-8): Green Bay-The final game of 2023 (and the reason why there's no Miley Cyrus New Year's Eve special) is essentially an elimination game for the NFC North rivals.  They're going in completely opposite directions, though.  After Week 10, the Vikings were 6-4 and the Packers were 3-6.  Since then, Minnesota's 1-4 and Green Bay's 4-2.  And it'll be the Packers (potentially) playing for a playoff berth next week.

This Week: 1-0
Last Week: 9-7
Overall: 149-92

Male Athlete of the Year, 2023

Just in case you were wondering if Sports Illustrated had any credibility left after the whole AI saga, they let us know loud and clear that there isn't when they named Deion Sanders as their "Sportsperson of the Year."  Making Colorado relevant for a month in September does not, in any way, warrant selection for anything "of the Year," especially when you consider how the rest of their season went.  That selection not only takes away any shred of credibility for what was once the premier sports news organization, it's really disrespectful, as well.

Fortunately, there are plenty of people who are deserving of such an award.  You could easily give it to Shohei Ohtani and call it a day, but you could also say that about Novak Djokovic.  Or Noah Lyles.  Or Lionel Messi.  Or Nikola Jokic.  Spoiler alert: those are the five finalists for the Joe Brackets Male Athlete of the Year.  Before announcing the winner, though, let's go through the reasons why they're finalists.

Novak Djokovic: To say Djokovic had a difficult 2022 would be an understatement.  He got kicked out of Australia on the eve of the tournament, wasn't allowed to play in the US Open, and didn't get any points for Wimbledon even though he won.  As a result, he lost the No. 1 ranking.  In 2023, however, Djokovic came back with a vengeance and left no doubt who the best player of all-time is.

If not for a five-set loss in an epic Wimbledon final, Djokovic would've won the calendar-year Grand Slam.  He tied Rafael Nadal's men's record with his 22nd Grand Slam title in Australia, broke Nadal's record by winning the French Open, then tied Margaret Court for the all-time record with his 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open.  He also regained the No. 1 ranking (and broke Steffi Graf's record for most weeks at No. 1) and won the year-end Tour Championship.  Novak Djokovic has had a lot of great seasons throughout his career, but, especially after a tumultuous 2022, 2023 was one of his best.

Nikola Jokic: The second Serbian who's a finalist in Nikola Jokic.  He came into the 2022-23 season as the two-time reigning MVP.  Jokic didn't three-peat, but he was glad to trade that for what he did win.  The Nuggets won their first-ever NBA title, with Jokic leading the way.  He was named MVP of both the Western Conference Finals and NBA Finals, where he had an absolute tour-de-force in Denver's championship run.

He posted a triple-double in Game 1, then had another (his 11th of the postseason) in Game 3.  Jokic averaged 30.2 points, 14.0 rebounds and 7.2 assists in the Finals and led the NBA in all three categories for the entire postseason.  Because of the Nuggets' playoff run, he opted out of playing for Serbia at the FIBA World Cup, but he picked up right where he left off when the 2023-24 season began.  Jokic had a triple-double on opening night and already has 10 this season.

Noah Lyles: As the defending 200-meter World Champion, Lyles had a bye into the event at the World Championships.  As a result, he decided to only run the 100 at U.S. Nationals, setting him up to do a potential double next year in Paris.  Lyles finished third to make the team, allowing him to run both events in Budapest.  And, boy, did he put on a show at Worlds!

Lyles shocked the field by winning gold in the 100.  In a world-leading time!  Then he defended his title in the 200.  And, to cap it off, Lyles grabbed a third gold medal as the anchor leg in the 4x100 relay.  Three World Championship gold medals for the greatest sprinter since Usain Bolt.  After Worlds, he finished an undefeated season in the 200, further solidifying his status as the Paris Olympic favorite.

Lionel Messi: One year after leading Argentina to the World Cup, Messi left his mark on an entirely new league and an entirely different country.  He turned down millions to join the Saudi league and instead left PSG for Inter Miami CF, making him, by far, the biggest-name star ever to make the jump to MLS.  It might've been the most important transaction in MLS history, too.  And the impact was immediate.  In every aspect.

From jersey sales to ticket sales to streaming subscriptions, Messi has provided a financial boon to the entire league.  On the field, his presence proved just as significant.  Messi made his Miami debut at the Leagues Cup, and the team went on to win the tournament for its first-ever trophy.  He scored in his first official MLS game on August 26 and finished with 11 goals in 14 regular season games.  In addition to winning an eighth Ballon d'Or, Messi was selected as the Time Athlete of the Year for 2023.

Shohei Ohtani: Ohtani did his thing once again in 2023.  He continued his two-way dominance and won his second unanimous AL MVP award in three years (only Aaron Judge's historic 2022 kept him from three straight MVPs).  Ohtani had perhaps his best offensive season despite being shut down in mid-September with an injury that will require Tommy John surgery and keep him off the mound next season.

Oh, and did I mention what he did in the World Baseball Classic?  He played for his native Japan for the first time since coming over to the Majors and was the tournament MVP.  In the final, it was a dream scenario, Ohtani on the mound vs. Angels teammate Mike Trout in the ninth inning of a one-run game.  Ohtani struck out Trout for the save, giving Japan the championship.  Trout and Ohtani are no longer teammates.  He became a free agent after the season and cashed in on the biggest contract in history, a 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers.

This really is a very close race and a very tough decision.  Three of the five are on the short list as the absolute GOAT of his sport.  Two of those three continued their dominance from 2022.  The third reasserted himself after a 2022 season that was trying to say the least.  And that, for me, is what put him over the top.  The 2023 Joe Brackets Male Athlete of the Year is none other than NOVAK DJOKOVIC.

After Djokovic's 2023 season, there's no doubt that he's the greatest men's tennis player in history.  The Big Three Era is over.  Federer is retired and Nadal will be joining him in retirement next year.  Djokovic, however, is still going strong.  Even with a new generation of young, talented competitors going against him, Djokovic remains at the top of his game and the top of the rankings.  He proved that once again in 2023, when he tied the all-time record for Grand Slam titles.

Female Athlete of the Year, 2023

As 2023 comes to a close, everybody is releasing their various year-end best-of lists.  That's what I'll be doing throughout this week (with a set of NFL picks mixed in).  Today, I'll get it started with the Female Athlete of the Year.

Before announcing the winner, let's first meet the five finalists, starting with Simone Biles.  Biles returned to competition in 2023 for the first time since the Tokyo Olympics.  She didn't miss a beat.  At her first event, the U.S. Classic in August, she won the all-around by five points.  Biles then won her eighth U.S. all-around crown, becoming the oldest woman to win the title.

Then, at the World Championships, she made the final in all four apparatus and was the top qualifier in three of the four.  Biles led the U.S. to gold in the team event by more than two points, then won her sixth world all-around title.  She added two golds and a silver in the event finals, finishing the World Championships with five medals and reaffirming her status as the greatest female gymnast in history, as well as the favorite in Paris.

Next up is Aitana Bonmati.  Spain, of course, won its first-ever Women's World Cup title with a 1-0 victory over England in the final.  Bonmati received the Golden Ball as tournament MVP, which was absolutely the right call.  Because she was absolutely the best player in the tournament.  Bonmati scored three goals in the tournament, including two in a 5-1 victory over Switzerland in the round of 16.  Spain's World Cup triumph is made even more remarkable because of the well-publicized strike Bonmati and 14 other players engaged in because of their grievances with the National Team (not to mention what happened after the World Cup).  Of those 15, she was one of only three who were on the World Cup roster.  

For Bonmati, the World Cup was just the icing on the cake.  She also collected plenty of awards during the 2022-23 club season.  She received the Ballon d'Or Femenin and was named UEFA Women's Player of the Year after leading Barcelona to both its fourth straight Spanish Primera Division championship and the Women's Champions League title, earning Champions League Player of the Season honors for her five goals in the tournament.  According to Nike, she had "The best season.  Of any footballer.  Ever."  A bit of an exaggeration perhaps, but the point is well-taken.

Someone else who had a season for the ages in 2022-23 was Caitlin Clark.  Name an award, she won it.  AP Player of the Year, Naismith Trophy, Wade Trophy, Wooden Award, Sullivan Trophy, Honda Cup, USBWA National Player of the Year.  And her run in the NCAA Tournament, where she led Iowa to the National Championship Game, was something extraordinary indeed.  She scored 191 points in six games, including back-to-back 40-point efforts.  Clark had a 41-point triple-double against Louisville to get Iowa to its first Final Four in 30 years, then had 41 in a National Semifinal upset of previously undefeated South Carolina.

After scoring more than 1,000 points while also leading the nation in assists last season, Clark came back for her senior year, and she has a very realistic chance of passing Pete Maravich for the most points in NCAA history--men or women.  She's a generational talent who single-handedly has made Iowa women's basketball the hottest ticket in town.  In October, the Hawkeyes played a preseason exhibition game in the football stadium.  The game set a women's basketball attendance record--55,646.

Choosing between Femke Bol and Faith Kipyegon as the track & field finalist was extremely hard.  I wanted to name both of them finalists.  But, ultimately, I decided to go with the one who was named (along with two others) World Athlete of the Year.  Faith Kipyegon.  The Kenyan who won two World Championships and set three world records in 2023.

Kipyegon broke the world record in the 1500 meters at the Rome Diamond League meet on June 2.  Exactly a week later at the Paris Diamond League, she took more than a second off the 5000-meter mark.  Then on July 21 in Monaco, Kipyegon ran the mile in 4:07.64 for her third world record in a third different event over a span of seven weeks.  She capped the year by completing a 1500-5000 double at the World Championships.

Finally, we have Mikaela Shiffrin, who shook off her disappointment at the 2022 Olympics with a record-setting 2022-23 season.  In March, she won her 87th career World Cup race, breaking the all-time record held by Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark.  Shiffrin has since increased that number to 91, and it's very likely that she'll have well over 100 World Cup wins when all is said and done.  It's quite possible she'll have already hit the century mark by the time the Milan Cortina Olympics roll around.

In addition to breaking Stenmark's record, Shiffrin was the overall season champion.  She was also the season champion in both the slalom and giant slalom.  At the World Championships, Shiffrin won gold in the giant slalom (remarkably, for the first time in her career) and silver in the slalom and Super G.  It was the third straight World Championships in which she medaled in three different disciplines.  That versatility led to Stenmark's declaration that Shiffrin is much better than he ever was.

An argument can be made for any of the five to get the nod, but I'm not gonna do that.  So, who will it be then?  I kept going back and forth between Clark and Kipyegon before ultimately settling on my choice.  Joining Sydney McLaughlin, the inaugural winner in 2022, on the list of the prestigious Joe Brackets Female Athlete of the Year award recipients is the University of Iowa's CAITLIN CLARK.

It's hard to describe just how remarkable Clark's year was.  What she did in the NCAA Tournament is unlike anything we'll ever see again (unless she has a repeat performance in 2024).  And she seems to thrive on the pressure, too.  No stage is too big.  In fact, I think the bigger the stage, the better she performs.  Caitlin Clark's just that type of player.  She would've been the top pick in the WNBA Draft had she not decided to return to Iowa, and the Indiana Fever (who own the No. 1 pick this April) probably already have No. 22 Clark jerseys in production.

Caitlin Clark has more to do at Iowa first, though.  And the unanimous 2022-23 National Player of Year has started her 2023-24 campaign in much the same way.  She scored her 3,000th point on Dec. 6, and it's very likely she'll also end up with 1,000 career assists.  But that's for 2024.  What she's done in 2023 (which includes one more game against Minnesota on Dec. 30), meanwhile, has been nothing short of spectacular.

2023 NFL Picks, Week 16

You know the NBA has to absolutely love it that the NFL scheduled a tripleheader on Christmas!  It's definitely not the NBA's holiday anymore!  Although, the NFL will only play on Christmas when it's an actual NFL gameday, so there won't be any Christmas games next year, when it falls on a Wednesday.  That'll likely be the only time for a while when there are no NFL games on Christmas.

Thursday Night: Rams (Win)

Bengals (8-6) at Steelers (7-7): Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh has spent the last few weeks playing itself out of the playoffs.  Cincinnati has spent the last few weeks playing itself in.  So, that means this one should be easy, right?  Wrong!  A familiar foe might be just what the Steelers need if they're gonna bounce back and give themselves a shot.  A loss here, they're done.  They'll play with an actual sense of urgency as a result.

Bills (8-6) at Chargers (5-9): Chargers-While the fact that this game is a Peacock exclusive is dumb, the fact that they're gonna have a commercial-free fourth quarter is awesome!  That's something they could only try on Peacock, and it'll be interesting to see what the response to it is.  As for the game itself, the Chargers wasted no time canning their head coach and GM after giving up 63 points to the Raiders last week.  The Bills, meanwhile, have gotten their groove back and will be a very dangerous team in the playoffs if they get there.  Not only can they get there, they've still got a very realistic shot at winning the AFC East!  They have to win this one first, though.

Colts (8-6) at Falcons (6-8): Indianapolis-Shane Steichen really deserves strong consideration for Coach of the Year.  Nobody expected much from the Colts this season, but he's led them to five wins in their last six games, which has moved them into a tie for the AFC South lead.  Not only are the playoffs a real possibility, they could actually win the division!  I thought the same thing about Atlanta a few weeks ago, but the Falcons have dropped two straight to give away that position, including a last-second 9-7 loss in Carolina last week.  This one will really turn the NFC South into a two-team race between Tampa Bay and New Orleans.

Seahawks (7-7) at Titans (5-9): Seattle-That win over the Eagles on Monday night was absolutely HUGE for the Seahawks!  At 6-8, Seattle would've been essentially out of it.  At 7-7, they're very much alive, and that brutal stretch is finally over.  Of course, they'll throw that all away if they go into Nashville and lose to the Titans.  That really depends on whether Drew Lock can follow up his outstanding game against Philadelphia with another solid performance.

Lions (10-4) at Vikings (7-7): Detroit-Detroit is thisclose to its first division title in 32 years.  The Lions need just one win in their final three games to clinch the NFC North...and two of those games are against the second-place Vikings.  You know they want to get it done this week, though, because their middle game is at Dallas and you know they don't want this coming down to a winner-take-all Week 18 contest at Ford Field.  Two of their losses this season are to their other two conference opponents, which will certainly be on their minds.  That division carat will either keep them focused and they'll blow the Vikings out or they'll feel the pressure and play like crap.  I'll go with Option 1.

Commanders (4-10) at Jets (5-9): Jets-Breaking news: Aaron Rodgers not only won't be activated this season, he admitted that his fantasy timetable was "overly optimistic."  So, wait, he actually admitted that you need the ability to walk in order to play football, and it takes more than four months to be able to walk again after tearing your Achilles?!  Shocking!  It'll actually be Trevor Semien under center for the Jets since Zach Wilson is out, too.  Regardless of who's playing quarterback, a home game against Washington should be a win.

Packers (6-8) at Panthers (2-12): Green Bay-Two weeks ago, the Packers were riding a three-game winning streak that had moved them into the 7-seed in the NFC.  Since then, they've lost two games they should've won against the Giants and Bucs, which has them now sitting two games under .500 with three to play.  If they want any chance at all to sneak back into a playoff position, beating the Panthers is absolutely imperative.

Browns (9-5) at Texans (8-6): Houston-Cleveland is currently the top AFC wild card and has eight different playoff-clinching scenarios this week (all of which involve multiple other teams losing).  Of course, all of those scenarios also involve a Browns win, which is by no means a guarantee.  That's because the Texans are legitimate playoff contenders themselves.  They'll actually move ahead of Cleveland with a victory (and they could even overtake the Jaguars and Colts for sole possession of first place).

Jaguars (8-6) at Buccaneers (7-7): Jacksonville-There are three games this weekend where two first-place teams face each other.  The one in Florida is perhaps the most crucial, since the Bucs and Jaguars both most likely won't get a wild card.  Tampa Bay has won three straight, including a huge December road win in Lambeau last week, and, thanks to the Saints loss, is in sole possession of first place at the moment.  The Jaguars, meanwhile, have dropped three straight to fall from 8-3 to 8-6 and into a three-way tie.  They need a win big time to get back on track.  Whether they get it or not really depends on Trevor Lawrence passing concussion protocol and starting.  If he does, go with Jacksonville.

Cardinals (3-11) at Bears (5-9): Chicago-For all of the yummy matchups involving playoff contenders this week, there's a Jets-Commanders and a Cardinals-Bears.  Although, to Chicago's credit, they're not nearly as bad as they were early in the season.  This is a team that started 1-5 and is 4-4 since.  Or, to extrapolate it out even further, they're 3-2 over their last five games.  The Cardinals, meanwhile, give up a lot of points.

Cowboys (10-4) at Dolphins (10-4): Dallas-This is one of the games of the week.  Miami clinches a playoff berth with a win, but has a brutal remaining schedule.  After the Cowboys, they go to Baltimore before ending the season against Buffalo.  The Cowboys are already in, so they don't have to worry about that, but they'll be battling the Eagles right down to the finish.  So, they both need a win here for very different reasons. They also both have something to prove--the Cowboys that they can win on the road, the Dolphins that they can beat a good team.

Patriots (3-11) at Broncos (7-7): Denver-Sunday Night Football gives way to "It's a Wonderful Life" on Christmas Eve, so Broncos-Patriots gets shifted to NFL Network.  It's Denver's second NFL Network game in a row after last week's Saturday night showdown in Detroit.  They need this one to go better if they want to have any hope at sneaking into a wild card spot.  Especially since the other teams in the mix are playing each other.  They lose to New England, the best they can finish is 9-8, and that's probably not gonna do it.

Raiders (6-8) at Chiefs (9-5): Kansas City-Guys, I'm concerned about Donna Kelce!  Where's she gonna spend Christmas?!  The Chiefs and Eagles are both home!  Although, I'm sure we can rest assured that Taylor will be in Kansas City.  And Travis will get her something she can't put under the tree.  A Chiefs win and another division title.  They haven't been their usual dominant selves by any means this season.  The end result, however, will be the same.  An AFC West crown and a home playoff game.

Giants (5-9) at Eagles (10-4): Philadelphia-Even after two straight losses, Philadelphia still controlled the NFC East going into their Monday night game in Seattle...especially after Dallas lost.  So, what did the Eagles do?  Lost to the Seahawks and lost their conference-record tiebreaker.  As a result, they're still the 5-seed with three games left.  The good news for them is that two of those three games are against the Giants, with a matchup against Arizona sandwiched in between.  That's a much easier remaining schedule than the Cowboys.

Ravens (11-3) at 49ers (11-3): San Francisco-Sometimes, when the NFL makes the schedule in April, they luck into the matchup they scheduled for Christmas night featuring the No. 1 seed in the AFC against the No. 1 seed in the NFC.  Possible Super Bowl preview?  It very well could be.  Because these are the two best teams in their respective conferences.  The Ravens are the only AFC team that's already clinched, and they can clinch the division if they win and the Browns lose.  San Francisco, meanwhile, has already won the NFC West and can theoretically wrap up the No. 1 seed as early as this week.  They'll do their part, but the other things they need to happen for that won't.

This Week: 1-0
Last Week: 11-5
Overall: 140-85 

FIFA's Gonna FIFA

You know, you've really got to give FIFA credit.  When they get an idea in their heads, they forge ahead.  No matter how many people tell them it's a bad idea, they simply laugh in the face of that criticism and forge ahead anyway.  I think it empowers them, actually.  "Yeah, well take your criticism and shove it.  We'll show you!"

The latest example of FIFA going ahead with an idea that only they seem to think is good is the long-rumored expansion of the Club World Cup, which will become a reality in 2025.  What's currently an 11-day, seven-team event will increase to a month-long, 32-team tournament held every four years in the year before the World Cup.  The 2025 edition will be held in the United States as the World Cup test event, which is presumably what it'll be moving forward, with the same country hosting the Club World Cup and regular World Cup back-to-back.

They also outlined how qualifying and the allotment of spots will work.  Not surprisingly, a majority of the berths (12) will go to UEFA, with the four Champions League winners during that span getting automatic berths.  The rest will be awarded based on a formula that takes a team's Champions League results over that four-year period into account.  The only caveat is that no more than two teams from the same country can qualify unless they're all continental champions (since Chelsea and Manchester City have won two of the last three Champions Legue titles, the only way England gets a third team is if Arsenal wins the currently ongoing edition).

CONMEBOL will get six berths--each of the four Copa Libertadores winners and two teams based on their four-year ranking.  (There will be three Brazilian teams since they're all Copa Libertadores champions.)  Africa, Asia and CONCAFAF will get four each (for the Champions League winner each season), while Oceania has one spot reserved for the best OFC Champions League winner over the four-year period.  The host country is also guaranteed one place, so there will be a second MLS team to join the Seattle Sounders (the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League winners).

If the 32-team format sounds familiar, it should.  The Club World Cup will have the exact same setup that was used at the men's World Cup from 1998-2022 and at this year's Women's World Cup.  Eight groups of four, with the top two advancing to the knockout stage.  The two finalists will end up playing seven matches over the course of the tournament.

It isn't the format that's creating the controversy, though.  It's the insertion of a month-long summer tournament into an already crammed calendar.  The 2025 UEFA Champions League Final is scheduled for May 31 in Munich.  The 2025 Club World Cup runs from June 15-July 13.  Then, assuming the European leagues start at the usual time (which they need to for the 2026 World Cup), they'll begin the new season in mid-August.

And that's just regular season club competition.  It doesn't take any National Team duty into account.  Or Champions/Europa League.  Or their national cup.  Including all competitions, players could easily end up playing close to 60 games in a season.  That's not even the worst part, though.  It would put some players in a situation where they're playing year-round with only a handful of three-week breaks.  That's not exactly enough time for proper rest and recovery!

Remember when the NBA only took about six weeks off between the end of the 2020 Finals in the COVID bubble and the start of the next season only to have the 2021 NBA Finals finish just days before the Olympics (Devin Booker literally went from the NBA Finals directly to Tokyo for the Olympics) then another short offseason so that they could get the schedule back to normal in 2021-22?  It was two years straight of nonstop basketball before the players finally got a break last summer.  The expanded Club World Cup could make it three years without a summer off for elite soccer players (2024 Euro/Copa America, 2025 Club World Cup, 2026 World Cup).

This is assuming the players actually participate in each event.  Although, it's not like they'll have the chance to opt out of any of them.  Their club team is their employer who actually pays their salary, so you know there's no way they aren't playing in the Club World Cup.  You also know there's no way they aren't playing for their National Team at the two biggest events on the global soccer calendar. 

I'm also not exactly sure how this would work with transfer windows and other roster changes.  Will guys be playing their first games for a new team in the Club World Cup?  And what about those who are leaving the club?  Will they play their final games with their old team in the tournament, potentially against their new club?  Or, if their new club didn't qualify, will they really want them to arrive late for preseason training so that they can help their old team in another competition?  Or, the worst possible scenario of all, a player leaving mid-tournament because his contract expired.

How much of a disadvantage will this put teams in compared to their rivals who don't have their best players playing all these extra games and traveling all these extra miles?  It would be crazy to think it wouldn't make a difference, especially for players who go deep into the tournaments.  How could it not?  Frankly, I think some teams would be better off NOT qualifying for the Club World Cup or making a deep run in the Champions League.

But wait, there's more!  Even though the Club World Cup is going from an annual to a quadrennial event, they'll still have the year-end competition between the continental champions from each of the six confederations.  The new FIFA Intercontinental Cup will replace it starting in 2024 and likely be played every December (during the domestic league break).  That's a short event and the European team will automatically be in the final, but it's still competitive games during one of the few breaks that players get during the season.

So, why is FIFA doing this?  That answer should be obvious.  Why does FIFA do anything?  Money.  They think there's money to be made from an expanded Club World Cup.  Plenty of it.  They know that supporters will travel.  Which means they'll have no problem selling tickets.  Just like they'll have no problem selling the broadcast rights for a new tournament that they're sure will generate plenty of interest.  And, of course, will garner plenty of sponsorship dollars, too.

Which is why FIFA doesn't care.  The players don't like it.  The fans don't like it.  The media doesn't like it.  The federations don't like it.  The different national leagues really don't like it.  None of that matters to FIFA, though.  So, like it or not, we're getting a 32-team Club World Cup in 2025.  As unnecessary and unwanted as it is on an already overloaded calendar, it's happening.

Six Winners

Earlier this week, World Athletics announced its 2023 Athletes of the Year.  Except, instead of picking just one man and woman as in years past, they chose six Athletes of the Year!  Track and field were separated for the first time, and they also selected an Athlete of the Year for the road events (so, basically, the marathon).  The reaction has been mixed to say the least.

On the surface, their rationale for splitting track and field into two separate awards does at least kind of make sense.  It's extremely difficult to compare field event performances with those on the track, especially since field athletes only compete in their specialty and the runners often race over several distances.  Likewise, you can't really compare anything the in-stadium athletes do with what the road runners do, especially since road runners will generally only race a few times a year.

While that's a fair point, it's also an incomplete one.  I'll give you that it's tough to compare a sprinter with a pole vaulter with a marathoner, but is it any easier to compare a long/triple jumper to a shot putter?  Or a decathlete, who does it all?  Or a 100/200 sprinter to a 1500/5000 runner?  Or, when he was at the height of his powers, Usain Bolt to anybody?  Which is something you're still doing even if you separate "track" and "field."

However, the bigger problem is that this change was kind of just sprung on people.  World Athletics said that they made the decision, in part, because of feedback they received during the voting process.  But the voting process was already underway!  When the finalists were announced and people were asked to vote for a winner, they thought they were only choosing one man and woman.  Then...surprise!  You weren't!

There are a few problems with this last-minute change.  The first is the most obvious--the lack of transparency about it.  People didn't actually know what they were voting for, and it does seem like it was a decision that a higher-up just made because they wanted to make sure somebody got recognized.  Then there's the fact that the finalists weren't divided by event.  They announced five finalists per gender, with no "track," "field" or "road" distinction.  Three of those five received the award.

The five men's finalists were three field event athletes (Neeraj Chopra, Ryan Crouser and Mondo Duplantis), one track athlete (Noah Lyles) and one marathoner (Kelvin Kiptum).  Since there were no other finalists in their event area, Lyles and Kiptum were obviously two of the three men's winners.  So, the only actual competition was between Duplantis, Crouser and Chopra, with Duplantis taking home the third Athlete of the Year award.

For the women, it was the exact opposite.  Yulimar Rojas was the only field event athlete among the five finalists, and Tigit Assefa was the only road runner.  The other three finalists were track athletes--Femke Bol, Shericka Jackson and Faith Kipyegon.  Really, it was a contest between Kipyegon and Bol, with the Kenyan rightfully being recognized after setting three world records and winning two gold medals at the World Championships.  Frankly, the competition between Kipyegon, Bol and the other three finalists wasn't even close.  If Kipyegon was going to share the award with anybody, it should've been Bol.  Instead, she shares it was Rojas and Assefa.

Lyles didn't seem to mind sharing the award.  He actually joked with Duplantis during the season that one of his goals for this year was to "beat" him and be named World Athlete of the Year.  It would've been a close competition between the two.  And, frankly, I don't know which one of them would've won.  My vote would've gone to Lyles, but it's not as if Duplantis would've been a bad choice.  Instead, we'll never know if it would've been Lyles or if it would've been Duplantis.  Because dividing the award between three athletes sure feels like World Athletics was taking the easy way out.

Fortunately, there are a few ways to rectify this moving forward.  If they plan on keeping the three separate awards (which isn't necessarily a guarantee after the backlash they've received), they need to increase the number of finalists and have that number be equal across all three disciplines.  I'd say you make it nine finalists, three from each group.  That way, when they do the online fan vote, fans actually have a choice between different candidates.  It won't feel like there are predetermined winners, which it did this year with four of the six awards.

Although, I'd suggest going back to one award.  Keep the three candidates from each category, but make them semifinalists.  The three winners in each discipline then move on as the finalists for the World Athlete of the Year.  They could even make a distinction if they want.  Call all three of them the "Athlete of the Year" for their specific event group (Track, Field, Road), with the winner of that final vote between the three declared the "World Athlete of the Year."  That solution could be the best of both worlds.  They still have the separate awards without making the distinction feel watered down.

That's my biggest issue with the six World Athletes of the Year.  The award was first presented in 1988.  For 34 years, they had absolutely no problem choosing between sprinters and distance runners and jumpers and throwers.  That, frankly, was the point.  They were determined to be the one best male and one best female athlete across the entire broad spectrum of track & field over that calendar year.  That's a big deal and a tremendous honor.

Don't get me wrong.  I'm not saying it's any less of an honor to be one of three winners per gender instead of the sole winner.  It's not the athletes' fault that World Athletics changed the rules.  From an outsider's perspective, though, there is a bit of an asterisk on this year's selections.  World Athletics was able to choose only one athlete for 34 years, then, suddenly, in the 35th year of the award, they decided that it was too hard to do that.  Which, frankly, is a weak excuse.  And it does take a little something away.

It's also not as difficult as they'd like you to believe to determine who was the best across all event disciplines.  On the women's side, it wasn't even close.  Faith Kipyegon was the clear World Athlete of the Year.  The decision between Duplantis and Lyles, admittedly, would've been tougher.  But three gold medals at the World Championships and an undefeated season in the 200 is hard to overlook, even compared to continued dominance and another world record.

Choosing the World Athletes of the Year is supposed to be hard.  It would be even if track & field wasn't such a diverse sport.  But it's not an impossible task.  And choosing three per gender instead of one might look more inclusive and make World Athletics feel better, but really all it's doing is diluting what should be the sport's highest honor.  So, hopefully this is the first and last time there are six World Athletes of the Year instead of two.

2023 NFL Picks, Week 15

Looking at this week's playoff scenarios is hilarious!  There are so many teams tied or in the mix for the wild cards in each conference that the four teams with a chance to clinch (Baltimore, Dallas, Philadelphia and Detroit) all have at least nine different scenarios, most of which involve the results of multiple games.  The only things that are straightforward are the Cowboys and Eagles are both in with a win, and the 49ers clinch the NFC West with a win.  The rest are just confusing!

Thursday Night: Chargers (Loss...yeah, I really missed the mark on this one!)

Vikings (7-6) at Bengals (7-6): Cincinnati-Last season, they gave Minnesota the early game in the Saturday tripleheader and they blew that massive lead before beating Indianapolis in overtime.  This year, they go to Cincinnati to face a Bengals team that's suddenly very relevant in the AFC playoff race.  Nobody seems to want to make the playoffs in the NFC, so the Vikings are holding on to the 6-seed.  They haven't played the Lions yet, though, so even their spot is precarious.  We'll see how precarious after they fall to 7-7.

Steelers (7-6) at Colts (7-6): Indianapolis-As it stands right now, these two are the No. 6 and 7 seeds in the AFC.  So, to say this is an important matchup would be an understatement.  Not only does the winner go ahead by a game, they'll also own the tiebreaker over the other.  Of course, Pittsburgh wouldn't be in this position if not for those absolutely miserable performances against Arizona and New England.  They've had a week and a half to lick their wounds, but is that enough time when they're traveling to face a motivated Colts team?

Broncos (7-6) at Lions (9-4): Detroit-Are the Lions good or not?  I'm not completely sure!  They sure haven't looked like a playoff team in the past few weeks, but is that simply a product of playing division rivals who are very familiar with them?  They're one of the teams that can clinch this week, though, and it just seems inevitable that they will (especially since they haven't played second-place Minnesota yet).  Which isn't to say they'll have an easy time against the Broncos.  

Bears (5-8) at Browns (8-5): Cleveland-Give the Browns credit.  They been able to stay out of that jumbled mess simply by winning.  At 8-5, they're the top AFC wild card and a game ahead of that six-way tie.  Of course, a loss somewhere along the way and all that changes.  It's a good thing, then, that they've got the Bears this week.  Chicago has played spoiler for two of its division rivals over the past two weeks, but it's not exactly like either of those performances was particularly inspiring.

Buccaneers (6-7) at Packers (6-7): Green Bay-Two 6-7 teams that are currently in playoff position.  Gotta love the NFL in 2023, don't you?  The Packers held on to the 7-seed despite their out-of-nowhere loss to the Giants, while Tampa Bay moved into the 4-seed with that win over Atlanta that gave them, at least for the moment, the NFC South tiebreaker.  We all know about their history in cold-weather games, though, and it's Lambeau Field in December.  That alone is enough of a reason for me to go with the Packers.

Texans (7-6) at Titans (5-8): Houston-How do you lose a game 30-6 when it was 0-0 at halftime?  That loss to the Jets is even more painful because of what it did to Houston's playoff positioning.  (The Texans went from in to out.)  The Titans, meanwhile, pulled out that miracle win in Miami and aren't dead yet.  Sure, they need to win out to have any chance, but there's still a chance.  It might be gone after the Texans come in and get the win, though.

Jets (5-8) at Dolphins (9-4): Miami-What happened to the Dolphins on Monday night?  It's hard to even try to explain!  Anyway, they all but eliminated themselves for the 1-seed with that loss to the Titans, and their hold on the AFC East isn't as secure as it probably should be.  Their final three games aren't easy, either (Dallas, Baltimore, Buffalo), so they can't afford a slip-up against the Jets.  They get a win here, though, and they'll all but clinch.

Chiefs (8-5) at Patriots (3-10): Kansas City-Congratulations to the Chiefs and Patriots on being the first teams ever flexed out of Monday night!  You can see why it was, too.  This season has been a disaster in New England.  So much so that Bill Belichick is reportedly on his way out.  The Chiefs, meanwhile, not only haven't been their dominant selves, they have a very serious problem with drops.  They've dropped two straight, three out of four and four out of six.  Yet, they still lead the AFC West.

Giants (5-8) at Saints (6-7): New Orleans-Even though they're currently No. 3 in that three-way tie atop the NFC South, the Saints have a very realistic path to the playoffs.  In order to follow that path, though, they have to beat the Giants at home.  There's really no way around that.  They saw what happened to the Packers last week, so they must be ready for the growing legend of Tommy DeVito (who's basically every stereotypical Italian guy from New Jersey you've ever known).  The Giants have suddenly won three straight with DeVito under center.  Alas, traveling to New Orleans is a much different assignment than two home games and a trip to Washington.

Falcons (6-7) at Panthers (1-12): Atlanta-If you think the NFC wild card standings are confusing, try taking a look at the NFC South.  The Falcons are currently behind the Bucs, but will regain the division lead with a win in Carolina (regardless of what Tampa Bay and New Orleans do).  The Panthers have only played five home games, so they've got a chance to build some momentum for next year with three of their last four at home.  It's the exact opposite for the Falcons, who'll need to get some road wins down the stretch if they want to host Dallas/Philadelphia on Wild Card Weekend.

Commanders (4-9) at Rams (6-7): Rams-Don't be surprised if the LA Rams sneak into the playoffs.  They've got a big one on Thursday night against the Saints, but they should go into it at 7-7 after beating the Commanders.  Washington mercifully finally had its bye last week.  In the two games prior, the Commanders gave up 45 points in each.  While I don't think the Rams will reach that number, they might get close.  They've scored 37, 36 and 31 in their last three games.

49ers (10-3) at Cardinals (3-10): San Francisco-Remember when the 49ers lost three straight in the middle of the season and people started freaking out?  Yeah, I think San Francisco is just fine.  So fine, in fact, that they're the first team in the playoffs.  They'll take care of the division by beating the Cardinals, but they'll need to keep winning if they want that No. 1 seed.  They have the tiebreaker on both NFC East teams, so the top seed is theirs to lose.

Cowboys (10-3) at Bills (7-6): Dallas-It's not an exaggeration to say the Bills saved their season last week.  Not only would they have dropped under .500 with a loss, they would've been behind a whole slew of teams.  As it is, they can now afford a loss here and still have a shot if they win out (which is very doable).  The question is which Dallas Cowboys team will show up.  They've been playing some outstanding football during their five-game winning streak, especially on the offensive end.  Can they keep it up on the road against a good Buffalo defense?

Ravens (10-3) at Jaguars (8-5): Baltimore-Baltimore seems to be the only AFC division leader that actually wants the 1-seed.  And the Ravens can go a long way towards locking it up on Sunday night in Jacksonville.  The Jaguars, meanwhile, need to careful.  Their division lead has all but disappeared, and they could find themselves in a tie with a loss here.  Unfortunately, I think that's the exact situation they'll find themselves in.  Because Baltimore's gonna do its thing again and move to 11-3.

Eagles (10-3) at Seahawks (6-7): Philadelphia-Dallas took over the division lead with that dominating performance on Sunday night, but the Eagles will win the NFC East if they win out.  Confused yet?  (It would essentially come down to Philadelphia's loss to the Jets, since then the Eagles would have a better conference record than Dallas).  Anyway, this is the end of their long, difficult stretch that has exposed their weaknesses.  And that two-game losing streak has seen them fall from No. 1 to No. 5.  Seattle is also concluding a brutal stretch that started on Thanksgiving night when the Seahawks were 6-4.  Three losses later, they're 6-7 and staring at a fourth.

This Week: 0-1
Last Week: 6-9
Overall: 128-81

NFL Really Going Global

When the NFL added the 17th game to the schedule three years ago, it seemed pretty obvious what the ultimate goal was.  They wanted to expand the number of international games, and adding a 17th game for each team was the easiest way to do it.  And the teams that have the ninth home game won't actually have an extra game at home.  Instead, they'll be the "home" team in an international game.

Sure enough, that's exactly what's happening.  The NFL has been gradually increasing the number of international games each season, and number will double from four to eight in 2025.  And, you'd also figure, that as the number of international games increases, more and more destinations will be introduced.  Sao Paulo, Brazil, will be the latest place added to the list next season, hosting one of the four games along with two in London and one in Munich.

The owners also passed a resolution requiring teams to play internationally at least once every four years.  That obviously fits with their desire to double the international inventory to eight games a year (that would mean everybody is the home team in an international game once during that four-year cycle).  They also won't be required to play outside of North America more than once per season, unless they specifically choose to (the Jaguars played back-to-back games in London this season).

It's also worth noting that the Jaguars' annual game at Wembley Stadium isn't included.  That's a completely separate contract between the team and the stadium.  So, as long as that contract remains in effect, there will be however many international games the NFL schedules plus the Jaguars' London game.  Which effectively means there will be nine international games each season starting in 2025.

They've established the two games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London as a regular feature of the international schedule.  Will London potentially be getting a third (or, technically a fourth, if you include the Jaguars).  Likewise, I think the game in Germany is now an annual thing.  Last year, it was in Munich, while it was the Frankfurt this season.  Next season, it's back to Munich.  Will we see games in both German cities moving forward?

Sao Paulo, which will host the first-ever NFL game in South America, was chosen over Munich for the fourth international game in 2024.  You'd have to figure that Madrid will be on the docket for 2025.  And you know it won't be the last city added.  My question is where does the NFL go next?

Since 2022, the NFL has allowed teams to select an International Home Market (this does not include the Bills and Lions with Canada because of how close they are to the border).  That setup's currently in place in 14 different countries.  Not every team has taken advantage, while some have more than one International Home Market!  So, if you want an idea of where the NFL might be thinking and what teams would be playing in those countries, that's a good place to start.

I figured that the first game in South America would be in Brazil, but not in Sao Paulo.  I assumed it would be at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro.  Don't be surprised if that one happens sooner rather than later.  With the flag being planted in South America, do they shoot for Australia or Asia?  Olympic Stadium in Tokyo?  The Bird's Nest in Beijing?  Stadium Australia in Sydney?  With flag football being played at the 2028 Olympics, maybe schedule a game in Brisbane in the leadup to the 2032 Games?  Would they be crazy enough to play in Doha?

There are also plenty of other European cities that, you would think, would want to open the door to a relationship with the NFL.  More specifically, European soccer teams that would love to establish a relationship with the NFL.  After the renovations at Camp Nou in Barcelona are done, don't be surprised to see an NFL game there (the Barcelona Dragons were one of the powerhouse teams in the early days of NFL Europe, too).  What about Berlin?  How about a game in Paris?  Or Milan?  I wouldn't be surprised to see other European markets emerge, too.  Maybe even another city in England (just imagine an NFL game at Old Trafford).

Let's not forget about the international markets much closer to home, either.  Mexico City has hosted five NFL games and will almost certainly rejoin the hosting rotation once the renovations they're making at Azteca for the World Cup are complete.  I'm curious to see if the NFL will go back to Canada, though.  The Bills played an annual game in Toronto for a few years, but that's no longer an option with the changes the Blue Jays are making to the stadium.  Do you try a game at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, though?  Or have the Seahawks host one in Vancouver, which is only 140 miles from Seattle?

But, as I said, I'd be very interested to know the NFL's level of interest in Canada.  Canadians already have access to Red Zone and Sunday Night Football, and plenty of Canadian fans cross the border every week already to attend Bills and Seahawks and Lions and Vikings games.  Plus, they really don't want to step on the CFL's toes, so any game in Canada would have to be after the Grey Cup.  Is there really a benefit to playing in Canada in late November/early December?  There might not be.

More European games obviously have one other major selling point that you know the NFL will gladly exploit.  Those games start at 9:30 am Eastern.  The Jaguars game was on ESPN+ this season, while the others were on NFL Network.  They obviously won't all be in Europe so they won't all be at 9:30, but it wouldn't be hard for the league to sell the international games as a separate TV package to the networks/streamers.  And, if they're smart, they'll schedule all non-European international games on Monday nights, which only increases the value of ESPN's package.

Requiring every team to play an international "home" game is a smart move, too.  It shows the NFL's commitment, and it's fair since teams won't be picked a disproportionate amount of times.  It's also the entire point of the 17th game, so it's not like the teams didn't see this coming.  They'll also each be allowed to choose two home opponents that can't be selected for their international game, so teams won't have to worry about a marquee matchup being moved out of their own stadium...unless of course they want it to be!

This phenomenon isn't exclusive to the NFL.  MLB has series scheduled in South Korea, Mexico and London next season, and the NHL just finished playing its "Global Games" in Stockholm.  The NBA has even gotten in on the act, playing one game in Mexico City with another coming up in Paris (they also had preseason games in Abu Dhabi).  And, with the success the NFL has seen since it started playing international games, you had to figure it was only a matter of time until it was expanded.

2023 Picks, Week 14

Well, I finally did it.  I gave in and signed up for Amazon Prime.  It was kind of by accident since I got a 30-day free trial when I put in the shipping info for a Christmas present that I ordered, so I just said "screw it, why not?"  That was on Thursday, so I actually watched some of Thursday Night Football live as a result.  Which means I got to see the Pittsburgh Steelers make NFL history and lose to a 2-10 team for the second time in five days!  A truly impressive level of futility!

The Steelers aren't the only team trying to play themselves OUT of the playoffs.  Heading into Thanksgiving, the Vikings and Seahawks appeared to have the second and third NFC wild cards on lockdown.  Now they're in a four-way tie with the Packers and Rams (and Seattle's next two games aren't exactly easy).  There's also a four-way tie for the AFC wild cards at 7-5 (at least there was until the Steelers lost).  In other words, things are getting crazy.  Must be December.

Thursday Night: New England (Loss)

Buccaneers (5-7) at Falcons (6-6): Atlanta-While it hasn't been pretty, Atlanta has won two straight to take over first place in the NFC South and solidify that standing.  The Falcons are the best team in a weak division, which is enough to get you a home playoff game.  They've got a chance to really take control of the division by completing a season sweep of Tampa Bay.  A loss, however, makes the NFC South very, very interesting heading into the stretch run.

Lions (9-3) at Bears (4-8): Detroit-Chris Russo went on a hilarious rant about the NFL's insistence to show the Bears on national TV last week after that ridiculously awful Monday night game in Minnesota.  He was absolutely right!  And, as you know, I've been saying the same thing pretty much all season!  Funny thing is the Bears almost won in Detroit three weeks ago (and probably should've).  I'm curious to see what happens in the rematch.  I think the Lions actually show up before the middle of the fourth quarter this time.

Colts (7-5) at Bengals (6-6): Cincinnati-Are the Bengals going to make the playoffs?  Probably not.  Are they going to make life difficult for teams that might?  Absolutely!  Are they going to end up knocking somebody out by beating them?  Without a doubt!  That team could very well be Indianapolis.  In fact, a Bengals win here gives them the same record as the Colts and the head-to-head tiebreaker.  This AFC wild card situation could end up getting crazy!

Jaguars (8-4) at Browns (7-5): Jacksonville-Jacksonville was in prime position to take over the top spot in the AFC on Monday night.  Instead, they lost to the Bengals and are currently No. 4.  Their current playoff opponent?  Cleveland.  And it just so happens, that's who they're playing this week!  How the Browns are currently the top AFC wild card team is beyond me.  But, hey, they are!  (All three AFC wild cards are confusing, actually.)  Is this a playoff preview?

Panthers (1-11) at Saints (5-7): New Orleans-A few weeks ago, there was a possibility that we'd have a three-way tie atop the NFC South.  That possibility again exists this week.  The Saints don't have any of the tiebreakers on anybody, so they can't move into a playoff position even if they do their part by beating the Panthers.  If they can't do that, especially at home, they not only don't deserve to make the playoffs, they'll have virtually no chance of getting there.

Texans (7-5) at Jets (4-8): Houston-Until the Packers decided to become relevant, it looked like a good possibility that this game might get flexed into Monday night.  Instead, Texans-Jets stays on Sunday afternoon, and Houston may end up going the entire season without appearing in primetime.  Too bad.  Because C.J. Stroud is certainly worth watching!  America will at least get to see him in the playoffs.  The Texans moved into a spot with the Steelers loss, and their chances of getting there will look that much better after they move to 8-5.

Rams (6-6) at Ravens (9-3): Baltimore-Nobody's talking about the Ravens, but they might just be the best team in the AFC.  Baltimore's defense, especially, is outstanding.  They're seriously the most unheralded 9-3 team.  Which is just fine with them.  Because they know they need to keep winning to stay ahead of their division rivals, who are all in the wild card mix.  The Rams have gotten themselves into the NFC wild card race with three straight wins, but a cross country trip to face that Ravens defense may be a bit much to ask.

Vikings (6-6) at Raiders (5-7): Las Vegas-Last season, the Vikings went 13-4 on the strength of their ridiculous record in one-score games.  Their record in one-score games this season is also ridiculous.  On the other side.  They've reverted to the mean big time.  Problem is, reverting to the mean has resulted in some losses to teams they should beat, including that 12-10 display against the Bears they subjected America to two weeks ago.  They lost to Denver by one and Chicago by two.  Does that mean they lose to the Raiders by three?

Seahawks (6-6) at 49ers (9-3): San Francisco-With a win and a Raiders win, San Francisco can officially become the first team to clinch a playoff spot.  Then they'll sit around, watch the Sunday night game and know they'll move into the No. 1 seed in the NFC if the Cowboys win.  And to think, the first time they played the Seahawks on Thanksgiving night, it was a battle for first place.  Now, Seattle is on the outside looking in and faced with falling below .500.

Bills (6-6) at Chiefs (8-4): Kansas City-Let's call a spade a spade.  That was a blatant pass interference the officials missed at the end of the Chiefs-Packers game.  That aside, Kansas City never should've been in that position.  The Chiefs simply aren't as good this season as they've been over the past several years.  Neither is Buffalo.  And the Bills have put themselves in a precarious position by losing some games they should've won.  With road games against Kansas City and Dallas the next two weeks, it's time for them to put up or shut up.  The Chiefs will all but eliminate them with a win here.

Broncos (6-6) at Chargers (5-7): Denver-Denver's winning streak came to an end last week in Houston, but the Broncos are still very much a player in the AFC wild card race.  This is almost an elimination game for both teams, especially the Chargers.  Lose here, and they have to win out just to get to 9-8, which still might not be enough.  Unfortunately, I think that's the exact situation they'll find themselves in.  Denver rebounds from the loss to the Texans with a win at SoFi.

Eagles (10-2) at Cowboys (9-3): Dallas-It's crazy how the Eagles could've essentially locked up the NFC's No. 1 seed last week and are now potentially looking at dropping to No. 5 with a loss in Dallas.  So, yeah, this is a big game.  It's also a chance for Dallas to make a statement and show they belong in the discussion.  The Cowboys have a tendency to lose every time they play a quality opponent.  A loss here all but guarantees them a visit to the NFC South champion on Wild Card Weekend.  Instead, I think they take over first place, at least temporarily.

Titans (4-8) at Dolphins (9-3): Miami-Miami is currently the No. 1 seed in the AFC.  Pretty remarkable when you consider the Dolphins are 1-3 against teams that are currently .500 or better.  But you can only play the teams on your schedule, and they're 8-0 against teams they should beat.  The Titans are one of those teams.  If they win their next two, they can lock up the AFC East before they get Dallas and Baltimore back-to-back.  So, that's plenty of incentive right there.

Packers (6-6) at Giants (4-8): Green Bay-Somehow, the Green Bay Packers, who at one point were 3-6, are sitting in playoff position in Week 14.  And, as a result of their sudden rise to relevance, their game against the Giants didn't become the first ever to be flexed out of Monday night.  There's no reason to think Green Bay won't keep rolling.  They make it four in a row and suddenly, as crazy as it sounded a month ago, their playoff chances look very real.

This Week: 0-1
Last Week: 8-5
Overall: 122-72

A Good Deal For Both Sides

While the baseball world still waits for Shohei Ohtani to sign, the biggest news that came out of the Winter Meetings was the Juan Soto trade.  As the Meetings were concluding, the Yankees and Padres finalized a deal sending Soto and Trent Grisham to the Bronx for five players--four pitchers and catcher Kyle Higashioka.  It's a trade that seemed inevitable and made so much sense for both teams, but it was so much more than that.  It's a trade where the Yankees finally started acting like the Yankees again.

In the past, when the Yankees wanted somebody, they made sure they got him.  Whether it was signing a free agent or making a trade, they usually got their guy.  It was George Steinbrenner's playbook.  Under his son, Hal, not so much.  Sure, they spent big on Gerrit Cole and did what they needed to do to keep Aaron Judge in pinstripes when it looked like he was headed to San Francisco.  But Hal is most definitely not his father.  For better or for worse, he's been much more reluctant to spend that kind of money.

That approach, however, hasn't been working.  And everyone knew it.  Most especially Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman knew it.  The team went 82-80 last season.  That's simply unacceptable to everyone in the organization.  So, they knew they needed to improve significantly.  And that they needed to make a big splash.  Trading for Juan Soto did just that.  Combine that with the trade for Alex Verdugo 24 hours earlier, and suddenly the Yankees had their swagger back.

This is what tends to happen every time the Yankees miss the playoffs.  They missed the playoffs in 2008, then signed CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira the following offseason.  The result was a World Series championship (their most recent) in 2009.  After the disaster that was 2023, Juan Soto was the priority.  And, just like in the winter of 2008-09, the Yankees got their man.

Most importantly, Soto and Verdugo are both left-handed hitters.  Yankee Stadium is a haven for left-handed hitters.  It always has been.  Yet, the Yankees had the second-fewest left-handed at-bats in the Majors last season.  That wasn't just a 2023 problem, either.  A team that plays its home games at Yankee Stadium wasn't just overwhelmingly right-handed.  Outside of Anthony Rizzo, it was almost exclusively right-handed for several years.

Left field has also been a multi-season problem.  They went into 2023 knowing that they needed to address left field yet did nothing about it.  Brian Cashman finally acknowledged both of those issues and took care of them in one fell swoop.  Was Cashman feeling the pressure?  Of course!  Did he know what needed to be done?  Absolutely!  But all it took was 24 hours to deal with two glaring needs (which is also a frustrating reality if you think about it).  And now he can move on to the pitching staff and the pursuit of Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Soto's a free agent after this season, so the Yankees may only be getting him for one year.  So what?  It was a move they had to make and they knew it.  If they only end up getting one year out of him, so be it.  Or, maybe playing in New York for a year will make him more likely to sign an extension next offseason.  Either way, the fact that this may essentially turn into a one-year rental was not enough to turn them off on a trade that was obviously so perfect.  Nor was the Padres' initial asking price.

San Diego was asking for a lot, knowing that nobody would meet their price.  Soto's a generational talent, but the Padres weren't getting seven or eight players for a guy somebody knew they might only have for one year, even a player of Soto's caliber.  However, they also knew that the Yankees were really the only team that could come anywhere close.  The Padres can't afford Soto.  That's why they had to trade him.  The Yankees can.  And the Yankees had enough prospects to make it work.  Like I said, it was almost too perfect.

Specifically, the Padres needed young, controllable pitching.  Their starting rotation is losing 600 innings, and their closer, Josh Hader, is also a free agent.  One thing the Yankees had is pitching prospects.  Most importantly, they had guys who can help San Diego in the Major Leagues this season. Michael King is one of them.  King was one of the Yankees' more valuable pitchers last season, and they had big plans for him in 2024.  For this reason, they were reluctant to include him in the trade.  But he's also a guy the Padres really wanted.  And, as much as you may like him, you're not letting Michael King prevent you from getting Juan Soto.

King wants to be a starter and figures to slide right into the Padres' rotation.  It's possible that Jhonny Brito and Randy Vasquez (who made his Major League debut against San Diego) will join him.  Or they'll be swing guys like they were for the Yankees.  And Drew Thorpe, who the Yankees also didn't want to include at first, is one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball.  He won't help the Padres in 2024, but he certainly can in 2025 and beyond.

Let's not forget about Kyle Higashioka, either.  The formerly longest-tenured Yankee comes over with all of these pitchers he's been working with and will be a veteran complement to Luis Campusano, who the Padres love, but also don't think is ready to be an everyday catcher.  That's five players, four of whom can help them in the Major Leagues in 2024, and salary relief!  Not a bad haul for a guy they weren't gonna be able to keep anyway!

For the Padres, the best part is that they'll now be able to do other things.  They plan on being competitive in the NL West and still have long-term commitments to Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts and Yu Darvish.  Now that they don't have to pay Soto, they've freed up that money to make other moves to improve their team.  And this certainly won't be the last thing they do this offseason!  Even with the guys they got for Soto, they still need at least one more starting pitcher.  (It also seems likely that Jake Cronenworth will be traded, which, frankly, is crazy to me.)

Bringing this back to the Yankees, though, this is the type of move that they made in the past.  It's the in your face, we're doing it because we're the Yankees and we can type of signing that makes other teams and their fans hate them.  The difference here, however, is that they didn't just go for Soto to say they got Soto.  They went after Soto because he filled a glaring need and is an absolutely perfect fit for Yankee Stadium.

Even though Soto going to the Yankees seemed like the inevitable conclusion, it was still important for to get it done before Ohtani signed.  The Yankees were never in the mix for Ohtani, so they had to make sure they got Soto while they were the only real trade partner.  Once Ohtani signs, all of the losers in that sweepstakes will suddenly have the money earmarked for Ohtani available...and might've wanted to spend it on a year of Soto.  Now they can't.  The Yankees made sure of it.

And suddenly, people are talking about the New York Yankees like the New York Yankees again.  A team that went an incredibly disappointing 82-80 in 2023 got its groove back.  At the very least, it got back its swagger.  Which is something that's definitely been missing at Yankee Stadium more often than not recently (especially last season).  And in doing so, they completely changed the perception of the team heading into 2024.

The Yankees think the 2023 season was an aberration.  But it also exposed flaws that needed to be addressed.  And there's no doubt that the Yankees' roster is much better today than it was at the beginning of the week.  What a difference a couple of trades can make!

Still Stupid, But At Least Worth Trying

When the NBA announced that they would be debuting an In-Season Tournament this season, I was skeptical.  If I remember correctly, my exact reaction was, "Boy, that sounds incredibly stupid."  Well, now that we've reached the knockout round of the inaugural event, I'm slightly less skeptical.  I still think the entire idea is incredibly stupid, though.

The whole thing was the brainchild of NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who's apparently been wanting to get something like this off the ground for a few years.  He was inspired by European soccer, which has their domestic cups and Champions League/Europa League during the week, with their league games on weekends.  Silver wanted to do something similar and incorporating into the regular season, similar to what the WNBA does with the Commissioner's Cup.  Thus, the NBA Cup was born.

In 2021, the WNBA started the Commissioner's Cup, which has been a huge success.  The WNBA Commissioner's Cup is straightforward and easy to understand.  Each team's first home and first away game against their five conference opponents are designated as Commissioner's Cup games.  The team in each conference with the best record in those 10 games (which also count for the regular season standings) advance to a neutral-site championship game (which does not count for the regular season).

Meanwhile, the NBA In-Season Tournament is anything but straightforward.  Each conference was divided into three groups of five.  But instead of just doing it by the existing three divisions of five, teams were randomly drawn based on last season's standings.  And they only play four tournament games, one against each opponent in their group (two at home, two away).  The three group winners and a wild card advance to the quarterfinals, while the 22 teams that don't make the quarterfinals play their final two regular season games against other teams that didn't qualify.

Here's the thing about the In-Season Tournament scheduling that makes no sense, though.  They designated seven Tuesday and Friday dates in November as days when only tournament games would be played.  But teams also played random non-tournament games mixed in.  They could go one tournament, three non-tournament, two tournament, another non-tournament, then their last tournament.  Are you as confused by that last sentence as I am?  And, since there were seven dates to play four games, not everybody played every night.

With groups of five, somebody in each group would obviously have to be off on tournament nights.  What they should've done, though, was have five tournament nights (not seven), with two games in each group on every tournament night.  Every team would get the one bye, but have a game on each of the other four nights.  And it would be five consecutive games, too.  That way the tournament is a designated part of the schedule without random other games mixed in between.

I'd say that you keep all of the tournament games on the same nights, but I understand that would cause an issue for TNT and ESPN.  So, maybe instead of designated days (Tuesday and Friday), you designate two full weeks for the tournament.  Teams don't necessarily all play on the same night, but they know that they'll play all four of their In-Season Tournament games consecutively within that window (and it doesn't affect TNT and ESPN's normal schedules).  Also, why not just do their existing divisions?  Wouldn't that be easier?

Then there are the tiebreakers, which might be the most convoluted part of the entire thing.  Head-to-head is straightforward enough, but the teams that finish second in each group (and thus going for the single wild card in each conference) don't play each other, so you can't use head-to-head.  Instead, they use point differential, which led to teams leaving their starters in at the end of blowouts so that they can run up the score.  In any other situation, that would be considered terrible sportsmanship.  During the In-Season Tournament, though, it's encouraged.  Which goes against everything that's ingrained in how NBA players play the game.

Now, if and when the NBA expands to 32 teams, that solves both of those issues.  We all know from our years of watching the World Cup that 32 teams gives you a nice and easy four groups of four (which could be division- or standings-based).  They could then go to a six-game group phase where you play a home-and-home with the other three teams in your group and the four group winners advancing to the quarterfinals (no wild card, thus no tiebreakers used to determine the wild card).

Next, let's talk about those hideous courts.  I get the idea from a marketing standpoint.  The design template they chose, however, was incredibly ugly.  And, multiple players complained about them being too slippery, which is something that easily could've been anticipated seeing as the entire thing is paint!  It also seems like an unnecessary expense to have everybody change the paint job on their home floor for just two games, only to have to switch it right back to the regular design again.

Although, while this tournament isn't my cup of tea, I understand that some people are enjoying it.  Mike Breen is one of them.  He said that he's "never had this much fun" broadcasting early-season games and thinks that the point differential tiebreaker is actually a good thing since it brings a different level of excitement with teams keeping one eye on their own game while simultaneously keeping track of what's happening somewhere else.

That was actually one of the biggest reasons why Silver was so gung-ho about this tournament.  The NBA season is long.  They play 82 games in six months, plus playoffs.  It can be a drag.  November/early December is the part of the season that drags the most.  The idea behind playing the tournament now is to inject some life into a part of the season that people don't normally care about.  In that regard, it's been a success.  (After all, it's even got me talking about the NBA!)

There's also no doubt that this will be a financial windfall for the NBA.  Especially once they begin selling naming rights to the tournament itself and/or the various different elements of it.  (I do like "NBA Cup" as the name of the trophy, but they have to come up with something better than "East Group A", etc.)  Likewise, the neutral site semifinals and final in Las Vegas were a brilliant move, not just so that nobody has homecourt advantage, but to make sure they maintain a presence in the city (once the A's move, the NBA will be the only Big 4 league without a team in Las Vegas).

So, even though I still think the idea of an in-season tournament is dumb and unnecessary, I can't write it off as a complete failure, either.  And, let's not forget, this is just Year 1.  I'm sure that moving forward, they'll make some changes that improve it.  And it'll either become a regular part of the NBA calendar or it'll be quitely dropped and eventually forgotten.  So, was it an experiment worth trying?  Yes.