Keep It Canadian

Canadian football is quirky.  Canadian football has some funky rules.  They're what make Canadian football unique.  They're what make Canadian football great.  More importantly, they're what make it distinctly Canadian.

That's why it was so disappointing when the Canadian Football League announced several significant changes for the 2026 & 2027 seasons that will completely change the way the game is played.  CFL football will no longer be distinct.  It'll essentially be American football with a few differences.  Which isn't improving the product the way they think it is.  In fact, it'll have the opposite effect.  That distinctness is, frankly, the reason to watch Canadian football.  By taking that away, they're taking away the reason to watch.

The biggest change is the most significant.  Instead of a 110-yard field with 20-yard end zones, they're reducing the size to a 100-yard field with 15-yard end zones.  The large field is perhaps the signature feature of Canadian football.  It'll continue to be wider than an American football field and they'll still have 12 players per side.  But the long return that isn't possible in American football will soon become a thing of the past.

When the CFL tried its failed American experiment in the mid-90s, one of the biggest problems was how Canadian football fields were too big to fit in the footprint of the American stadiums.  As a result, their end zones weren't 20 yards (except in Baltimore, the only American city that took being in the CFL seriously), which was obviously not ideal.  Now, it'll be the opposite problem.  Suddenly, there'll be a lot of extra room between the field and the stands.  (They can theoretically add a few extra rows, but that would require facility changes which may or may not be possible.)

They're also moving the goal posts from the front of the end zone to the back.  From a safety perspective, this is long overdue.  The NFL moved the goal posts back 50 years ago for that very reason.  It also eliminates the possibility of a pass falling incomplete because it hit the goal post.  With 20-yard end zones, it would've been nearly impossible to make a field goal if the goal posts were at the back of the end zone.  They'll still be 15 yards back rather than the 10 in the NFL, so a field goal attempt from the 30 will be a 45-yarder.  But, the reason I don't particularly like this rule change is because of how it affects the next one.

One of my favorite parts of Canadian football is the rouge, the single point you get for a touchback.  Every kick in the CFL is a live ball, so any missed field goal, punt or kickoff needs to be returned out of the end zone.  If it's not, the kicking team gets a point.  Teams can choose to return it or take a touchback and concede the point.  It's a huge strategic element of the game that comes into play more often than you'd think.  There are even multiple compilations on YouTube of walk-off rouges (including some deliberate misses because they were just going for the one point)!

Next season, though, the rouge will look very different.  And be much harder to get.  Teams won't be able to get those walk-off rouges anymore since there will be no more rouges when a missed field goal goes wide or a punt/kickoff goes through the end zone untouched.  You can only get one if the returner can't get the ball out of the end zone or takes a knee.  I don't know if that's the entire point, but, again, the rouge is a distinctly Canadian rule.  They should take pride in the unique way to win a Canadian football game.

While the changes to the field size and goal post placement won't take effect until 2027 since they require more time because of the necessary facility adjustments.  The new rouge rule will begin next season.  As will two others that are significantly less controversial.

Team benches will move to opposite sides of the field.  Frankly, I didn't even know that some CFL teams had both benches on the same side, but apparently some do.  It just makes more sense to be consistent and have the benches on opposite sidelines in every stadium.  Likewise with the automatic 35-second play clock, which will become the standard.  The current CFL play clock is 20 seconds, manually initiated by an official, which is obviously inconsistent.  Starting it at 35 as soon as the previous play is blown dead will make it uniform across the board.  So, neither of those is a bad thing.

As for the other changes, the CFL was obviously quick to defend them and gave the rationale behind the decision-making.  Their main thought process was about making the game more exciting and "highlight-worthy."  Specifically, they want more big plays and think it'll increase the number of touchdowns.  There's also an argument that it'll lead to more aggressive play-calling.

I can actually see that point about the play-calling.  Field goal attempts being 15 yards longer and knowing you can't get a single point on a miss could definitely result in deciding to go for it rather than kicking the field goal.  Likewise, the shorter field means you're starting closer to the end zone.  We've seen what a difference that can make in the NFL with the variable touchback starting yard line.

Touchdowns will increase, the thought-process goes, because, without the goal posts in the way, the entire end zone will be wide open.  Although, I must say, the precision CFL quarterbacks needed in order to throw around the goal post is mighty impressive.  They also showed their data breaking down the percentage of where touchdown passes are thrown which proves that most throws are to the side of the end zone.  It also shows how many balls are thrown to the back of the end zone, the area of the field that they're eliminating.

This appears to be a case where they're thinking "evolve or die."  This particular evolution could've been achieved without fundamentally changing the game, however.  They could've moved the goal posts back and made the end zones smaller while keeping the field 110 yards long.  The 110-yard field is as much a part of Canadian football's identity as three downs, 12 players per side and the rouge, which will suddenly become a lot harder to get.

Ultimately, that's my biggest issue with the rule changes.  Canadian football is a different sport than American football.  These rule changes will make the two a lot more similar.  Maybe that's the point.  But it shouldn't be.  Because Canadian football is great and exciting all on its own.  Most significantly, it's unique.  Not anymore.  Pretty soon, people won't even be able to tell the difference.

2025 MLB Playoff Preview

Think games in July don't matter?  The Yankees played two absolutely terrible series in Toronto in July.  If they'd gone 2-5 instead of 1-6 in those seven games, they would've won the AL East by two games and been the No. 1 seed in the American League instead of a wild card team.  It works the other way, too.  The Tigers have been utterly horrendous since mid-August.  They somehow pissed away a 15-game lead in the AL Central.  Yet, despite their best efforts, they're still going to the playoffs on the strength of their excellent first half.

Detroit wasn't the only team that collapsed.  The Mets managed to play themselves totally out of the playoffs, with Cincinnati (despite not being much better down the stretch) getting the last NL wild card spot instead.  Terry Francona is a freaking wizard!  Don't be surprised if he ends up winning NL Manager of the Year.  And, while the Reds probably have little to no chance against the Dodgers, it's still pretty awesome that Elly de la Cruz gets to play on the postseason stage.

And how about Cleveland?!  They did what the Tigers did last year, and then some!  Detroit certainly helped them, but the Guardians went from completely out of the playoffs to AL Central champs, and now they get to host the Tigers in a rematch of last season's ALDS.  They just played each other last week, too.  This is either really good for the Tigers, who could easily morph back into the team they were for the first three months of the season, or they'll be the 2025 version of last year's Orioles.  Great in the first half only to flame out in the Wild Card Series.

As we enter the postseason, it's wide open.  Of the 12 remaining teams, there are seven I could easily see making the World Series, if not winning it.  But those seven are just as capable of losing in the first round.  So, instead of doing a series-by-series preview, I've decided to do power rankings based on which team I think is most likely to win it all.

12. Reds: Getting here was such a tremendous achievement.  While many people considered the Reds an up-and-coming team, very few thought they'd reach the playoffs this year.  Especially when it was the Mets they chased down.  Alas, they have to face the Dodgers on the road in the Wild Card Series.  Great story, but their run ends here.

11. Guardians: I have nothing against the State of Ohio.  Honestly.  And I wouldn't be totally surprised if the Guardians continue this insane run.  Especially since they've been doing it with pitching, and that's what wins in the playoffs.  However, while I can see them beating the Tigers, I can't see them beating Detroit, then Seattle, then an AL East team, then the NL pennant winner.  As such, they're No. 11.

10. Red Sox: Boston won eight straight against the Yankees this season and has Garrett Crochet and Bryan Bello pitching Games 1 & 2 at Yankee Stadium.  They can very easily advance to face Toronto.  Similar to the Guardians, though, while I can see them winning one or even two series (against division rivals), it's hard to envision them winning two more (when they stop playing other AL East teams).

9. Cubs: The difference between winning the NL Central and being the No. 4 seed was huge.  The Brewers obviously had an incredible season, which the Cubs couldn't really do anything about.  But, as a result of being the wild card instead of the division winner, they have to play San Diego in a best-of-3.  I'd like their matchup much better against anybody else in the National League.  I don't like the matchup against the Padres.  Thus, the Cubs are my top Wild Card Series loser.

8. Tigers: It really depends on which Tigers team shows up.  The one that went on an insane run to end last season and carried it over into the start of this year?  Or the one that faltered down the stretch and blew a 15-game division lead?  If it's the first one, this is one of the best teams in baseball.  They're still capable of being that team.  They need to find it fast, though.  Playing Seattle (the actual best team in the American League) in the Division Series doesn't help their case, either.

7. Padres: Now we hit the teams where making a World Series run wouldn't be a surprise at all.  Last year, the Padres had a 2-1 lead on the Dodgers in the Division Series, only to get shut out in both of the last two games.  Then, this season, they hung with the Dodgers for most of the season before ending up as a wild card.  On paper, they're just as good as, if not better than the Cubs.  (Fun fact: this will be the first Cubs-Padres playoff series since the 1984 NLCS.)  They can give the Brewers a run for their money, too.  And, if they get past Milwaukee, it's easy to see them also beating whoever survives that Phillies-Dodgers series.

6. Blue Jays: Winning the division and getting the 1-seed was vital for the Blue Jays!  They are such a different team at home on the turf.  For Toronto, the home field truly is an advantage.  Especially this year.  All they have to do is win their home games and they'll end up in the World Series.  I think their Division Series matchup will be important, though.  Especially since they know it'll be a division rival they'll be facing.  They'd probably prefer the Yankees over the Red Sox.  Either way, they need to get the pitching to back up the hitting they've had all season if they want to make this a truly special year.

5. Dodgers: Can the Dodgers repeat as champions?  Of course!  Would it be a great way for Clayton Kershaw to go out?  Absolutely!  I think there are a few things standing in their way as they attempt to match the 1998-2000 Yankees, though.  The first is how streaky they were this season, which is what we've seen from the Dodgers in the playoffs repeatedly until last year.  They also have to play the extra series, which could either be good or bad.  Most importantly, if they beat the Reds, they have to play the Phillies.  They avoided that matchup in the NLCS last year.  This season, they won't get so lucky.  And the Phillies are better than them.

4. Brewers: When the Brewers got swept by the Yankees to open the season, you never would've thought they'd end up winning 97 games and with homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.  The question is can they carry their incredible regular season into the playoffs?  They have a lot of history to overcome, too.  Milwaukee has made the postseason in seven of the last eight years.  The only series they've won in that time was the first--the 2018 NLDS against Colorado.  It's been six straight playoff series/Wild Card Games lost since then.  Should the Brewers finally get over the hump and win a series, though, that first World Series appearance as a member of the National League could definitely be in the cards.

3. Yankees: Yes, it was against the Twins, Orioles and White Sox.  What the Yankees did down the stretch to completely erase their AL East deficit can't be discounted, though.  They're playing their best baseball heading into the playoffs and seem to have fixed the problems that plagued them for two months over the summer.  However, and this is a big however, their playoff path includes two division rivals against whom they went a combined 9-17 this season.  It's equally conceivable to see them winning the World Series as it is to see them lose to either of their division foes.

2. Mariners: Seattle is the best team in the American League and has been for two months.  The Mariners made a bold statement with the Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez trades and, absent a small hiccup, have looked like legitimate World Series contenders since those moves.  They have the lineup.  They have the starting pitching.  They have the bullpen.  They have the most talked-about player in the game.  They're the only team in the Majors that's never been to the World Series.  That could easily change by the end of this month.

1. Phillies: My pick to win the World Series, though, is the team that shares a parking lot with the one that won the Super Bowl.  I though the Phillies were the best team entering the playoffs last year, only for their bullpen to completely abandon them against the Mets.  They took care of that situation at the trade deadline, getting a closer in Jhoan Duran.  That was the only real flaw this team had, and Duran has been magnificent in Philadelphia!  They're the most complete team in the field, which is why I think they're the team to beat.

NFL Picks, Week 4

Last week sure was crazy, wasn't it?  Not only were there upsets, so many games were decided on interceptions or special teams plays in the last second.  There's always a week like that, and it's usually early in the season.  How will Week 4 compare?  Will it be anywhere as crazy?  Or will it go back to normal and more closely resemble Weeks 1 & 2?

Thursday Night: Arizona (Loss)

Vikings (2-1) vs Steelers (2-1): Pittsburgh-The NFL's first-ever visit to Ireland, and the first of back-to-back games across the pond for the Vikings.  That could either be really great for them or make for a really long trip home next Sunday.  Then you have the Steelers, who are only playing this one game overseas, but it still annoys Aaron Rodgers, who thinks they should've left earlier.  It wouldn't surprise me if that negative attitude carries over into how the team plays, but I'm picking Pittsburgh anyway.

Commanders (2-1) at Falcons (1-2): Washington-Atlanta goes from completely dominating Minnesota to getting shut out by Carolina.  Am I the only one who's utterly confused by this team?  I don't even think they know who's gonna show up each week!  They've changed offensive play callers and switched from Michael Penix to Kirk Cousins.  Will that make any difference at all against Washington?  Honestly, probably not.

Saints (0-3) at Bills (3-0): Buffalo-New Orleans is one of the worst teams in the league.  Arguably THE worst.  Buffalo is one of the best teams in the league.  Arguably THE best.  Seems pretty straightforward what should happen in this game.  But, then again, Cleveland beat Green Bay last week, which is all the proof you need that anybody can beat anybody.

Browns (1-2) at Lions (2-1): Detroit-Getting that win in Baltimore on Monday night could end up being a big result for the Lions.  There's a big difference between 2-1 and 1-2, especially since the Packers lost, creating a three-way tie at the top.  Green Bay's loss last week was to Cleveland, which is in the middle of an NFC North swing.  The Lions, meanwhile, are in the midst of an AFC string.  They'll get to 2-0 on it heading into their matchup with Cincinnati.

Panthers (1-2) at Patriots (1-2): New England-Was last week's shutout a turning point or a result of playing the Falcons?  Either way, this is a great chance for Carolina to gain some momentum and post back-to-back wins for the first time in a while.   The Patriots had a chance to do that last week, but they lost to Pittsburgh.  This is a good chance for them to bounce back.  If they can be 2-2 going into their Sunday night game in Buffalo, they'll feel really good about their September.

Chargers (3-0) at Giants (0-3): Chargers-Russell Wilson's out and Jaxson Dart's in.  Which, frankly, probably won't make much of a difference.  The schedule isn't doing the Giants any favors regardless of who their quarterback is.  The Chargers are 3-0 with three division wins under their belts.  That'll soon be 0-4 as the questions about Brian Daboll's job security get even louder.

Eagles (3-0) at Buccaneers (3-0): Philadelphia-There are six 3-0 teams in the NFL.  Two of those teams are Tampa Bay and Philadelphia, who square off this weekend.  This is a real litmus test for the Bucs.  The Eagles have already survived two tough tests against the Chiefs and Rams.  Tampa Bay, meanwhile, has played Atlanta, Houston and the Jets.  So, they haven't exactly run the gauntlet.

Titans (0-3) at Texans (0-3): Houston-Both the AFC East and AFC South have two 0-3 teams.  Both of those divisions see their 0-3 teams facing each other this week.  In the AFC South, it's to determine who's less bad between the Titans and Texans.  Tennessee was competitive against Denver before getting outplayed in its last two games.  Houston has been in all three, but gotten some bad luck.  The Texans finally get their first win of the season.

Colts (3-0) at Rams (2-1): Rams-Is there any story in the NFL better than Daniel Jones in the first month of the season?  He's found the Fountain of Youth in what's typically the Indianapolis QB Retirement Home.  Instead, Jones is the early leader for Comeback Player of the Year.  The Colts could get snapped back into reality this week, though.  Because the Rams are loaded.  And playing at home.

Jaguars (2-1) at 49ers (3-0): San Francisco-Jacksonville being 2-1 may be a bit of a surprise for some people.  Considering who they've played, their record doesn't really shock me too much.  How they've played certainly has, though.  Meanwhile, the 49ers being 3-0 isn't a surprise to anybody.  This is what they normally do when they're healthy.  That 3-0 is about to be 4-0.

Ravens (1-2) at Chiefs (1-2): Kansas City-One of these teams will end September at 1-3.  I don't think anyone saw that coming.  Although, when you consider who the Ravens and Chiefs have played this season, maybe it shouldn't be overly shocking.  The fact that one of them will be 1-3 doesn't change the fact that these are two of the best teams in football.  Yes, it was the Giants.  But last week was also the first time the Chiefs played like the Chiefs all season.  As for the Ravens, they'll be fine.  Even at 1-3.

Bears (1-2) at Raiders (1-2): Las Vegas-While either the Ravens or Chiefs will enter October at 1-3, either the Bears or Raiders will enter October at 2-2.  Which, again, shows that your early-season record is sometimes a sign of who you've played rather than how good you are.  Although, I must say, Chicago's win over Dallas last week was impressive.  Can they follow it up against the Raiders?  I don't think so.  At least not enough to leave Las Vegas with a win.

Packers (2-1) at Cowboys (1-2): Green Bay-This Sunday night matchup already had plenty of intrigue before the Micah Parsons trade.  Now you add that layer to it, too, and it becomes a must-watch.  Dallas clearly misses Parsons.  And could definitely use him.  You know Parsons will want to make a statement in his return to Jerry World.  Translation: Look Out Dak!  Expect him to be in the Cowboys' backfield all night and the Packers to rebound from that shocking loss last week in Cleveland.

Jets (0-3) at Dolphins (0-3): Miami-When they made this Part I of the Monday night doubleheader, I don't think the NFL expected both the Jets and Dolphins to be 0-3.  And, frankly, neither one has been worth watching at all.  The Jets' offense was good in Week 1, but has disappeared since.  Miami, meanwhile, has notched back-to-back division losses.  If they have any chance of giving Buffalo a race, they can't fall to 0-3 in the division.

Bengals (2-1) at Broncos (1-2): Denver-Part II of the Monday night doubleheader isn't much better.  Cincinnati's first game without Joe Burrow went about as well as you might've expected.  A 48-10 shellacking in Minnesota!  As for the Broncos, they may be 1-2, but their two losses came in road games to strong opponents by a combined four points.  At home against the Bengals, it should be a different story.

This Week: 0-1
Last Week: 11-5
Overall: 35-14

Judge or Raleigh

Back in 2012, there was a heated debate about who should win AL MVP--Miguel Cabrera or Mike Trout.  The Trout camp's main argument was "his WAR is so much better," while the Miggy camp had the fact that Cabrera won the Triple Crown in their favor.  The Tigers also won the pennant in 2012, while the Angels missed the playoffs (as they have in all but one season during Trout's career).  In the end, it wasn't even close.  Cabrera got 22 of the 28 first-place votes and easily won MVP honors.

It was a similar situation in 2022, when Aaron Judge set the AL home run record, but there was still the "Shohei Ohtani's WAR" group.  That MVP vote was an even bigger blowout.  Ohtani got only two first-place votes--from the two Angels representatives (who, it should be noted, were the ones accusing other voters of being biased)!  Judge unanimously won his second MVP last season, and this year he could win his third...unless Cal Raleigh wins it.

Judge and Raleigh have been the two best players in baseball this season.  If they played in opposite leagues, there's no question that they'd both be the MVP.  But, since they're both in the American League, only one can win and the other will have to settle for being First Team All-MLB.  And this time, unlike Judge's first two MVP campaigns, I don't think he's a lock.  In fact, I have no idea who'll end up winning.  The vote figures to be thisclose.

ESPN.com's Jeff Passan surveyed players a few weeks ago, and the players overwhelmingly chose Judge.  The players don't vote for the postseason awards.  The writers do.  And the writers are far less certain Judge is the MVP.  That doesn't mean he won't win.  It just means Raleigh has plenty of support.  Which he should.

A generational talent who's right smack in the middle of his prime, Judge will win his first batting title this season.  He's also hit 50 home runs for the fourth time, becoming just the fourth player ever with four 50-home run seasons.  Judge also leads the Majors in slugging, on-base percentage and OPS, and he's the American League leader in runs scored.  This is despite missing 10 games due to an injury to his throwing arm, then being limited to DH duty after he returned.

Raleigh, meanwhile, is having a historic season.  He has 60 home runs.  He's just the seventh player in Major League history to hit that many in a season.  It's the record for a catcher and the record for a switch-hitter.  Raleigh is also the American League leader in RBIs while playing 157 games, 121 of them as the starting catcher.  For a team that won its first division title in 24 years.

The biggest argument for Raleigh is the home runs.  There's no denying that it's a staggering total.  Especially for a catcher.  Hitting 60 home runs doesn't guarantee you the MVP, though.  In fact, of the nine previous 60-HR seasons, only four of them resulted in an MVP.  In 1998, when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa had their epic battle, it was McGwire who set the record, but Sosa who was the NL MVP.  That stat comes with an asterisk, though, since Babe Ruth wasn't eligible for AL MVP in 1927 because they had a stupid rule where you couldn't be MVP more than once at the time.  (The craziest stat in baseball history, BTW, is how Sammy Sosa has three 60-home run seasons, a Major League record, yet NEVER led the league in homers!)

He's so much more than just the homers, though.  The fact that Raleigh is doing all this while playing catcher can't be discounted.  Catchers aren't supposed to put up this type of offensive numbers.  Especially not to this degree.  And the fact that he's been able to keep it up all season while playing a premium defensive position can't be discounted.  If Ohtani can get credit for doing what he does offensively while pitching, it stands to reason that Raleigh should get the same consideration for catching.  (Plus, Big Dumper is one of the best nicknames in sports!)

Team success should be a factor, too.  It's why it's called Most Valuable Player instead of Player of the Year.  The value he brings to his team matters.  We know the value Judge brings to the Yankees.  His importance was especially felt during his absence.  But the Yankees would still be a playoff team without Judge.  Can you say the same about the Mariners without Raleigh?  He's the biggest reason why they won their first AL West title since 2001 and have a very realistic chance at their first-ever World Series appearance.

Since both the Yankees and Mariners will make the playoffs, the team success thing is really kind of a wash.  Which means it'll come down to the other numbers.  Raleigh obviously has the advantage in home runs and RBIs.  Judge has the head-to-head lead in everything else.  By a lot.  Which swings the pendulum back on Judge's side.  Still, though, I don't think it's a lock for either player.  This isn't like last year where Bobby Witt Jr. was clearly going to finish second in MVP voting.  Judge and Raleigh should be 1-2 on all 30 ballots, but in which order?  That could decide who gets it.

I'm obviously a Yankees fan and a Judge fan.  But even I'm torn about it.  Judge is having another tremendous year.  If not for what Raleigh's doing, he'd be a lock for his second straight MVP and third in the last four seasons.  But Raleigh is doing what he's doing.  And what he's doing, from the catcher position, is so impressive that I think I'm actually leaning in that direction.

There's another possible factor that could come into play here, and it'll be very interesting to see if it does.  Will Raleigh benefit from Judge fatigue?  Has Aaron Judge become so exceptional that his "average" season would still be considered outstanding for somebody else?  And, voters who may not want to vote for Judge actually have somebody else they can vote for without it looking suspicious.  Cal Raleigh gives them an excuse not to vote for Aaron Judge.

That argument goes both ways, however.  I wouldn't necessarily categorize it as "Judge fatigue" as much as I'd consider it "spreading the wealth."  Judge has already won two MVPs and could easily win a few more if he keeps doing what he's doing.  Especially now that Ohtani is in the National League.  Cal Raleigh is having a career year.  He may never put up numbers like this again.  So, why not take the opportunity to reward that and give the MVP to someone new in the process?  I'm not saying this is what'll happen.  But I'm also not saying there's anything wrong with that thought process.

When MLB awards season hits in November, AL MVP will be the award people are most interested in.  Because it really could go either way.  An argument can be made for Judge.  An argument can be made for Raleigh.  I don't envy the voters who'll have to make that decision.  Because they both deserve to win AL MVP this season.

Africa's Turn

When the Tokyo Olympics were postponed, then held behind closed doors, World Athletics President Seb Coe promised that, as a way of making it up to them, the World Championships would come to Tokyo and be held in the Olympic Stadium.  He made good on that promise, with the recently-completed World Championships taking place in Tokyo.  The next World Championships are in Beijing, which may also be a consolation prize for their pandemic-affected Olympics.  The 2029 World Championships haven't been awarded yet, but the continent where they should happen is obvious.  Africa.

The 2022 World Championships were given to Oregon without a vote because World Athletics wanted to hold the meet in the United States.  That really pissed off a lot of European cities that wanted to bid.  But it also set a precedent that if World Athletics has a specific host in mind and a reason why, they'll make sure that location gets the opportunity.  And it's beyond time for Africa to get that opportunity.

It's by no means a guarantee, though.  We'll have back-to-back World Championships outside of Europe and four out of the last five dating back to Doha 2019.  There have never been three in a row outside of Europe.  Since Europe is the hotbed of the sport, you know they'll make the case that the 2029 Worlds should be somewhere on the continent.  London, in particular, is interested in staging another World Championships after the spectacular 2017 edition.

There's a very strong case to be made for holding the 2029 World Championships in London or somewhere else in Europe.  It would be completely reasonable for World Athletics to do that, and it wouldn't really be controversial.  But in that case, the 2031 World Championships (which will be awarded at the same time as 2029) should definitely go to Africa.  They can't not award one of the two to an African city.  Because it's long past due.

Of all possible African candidates, the most obvious would seem to be Nairobi.  Kenya has already submitted its paperwork to bid for 2029, and Kenyan officials were in Tokyo, where they met with Coe.  Kenya previously put in a bid for this year's edition, but they were awarded to Tokyo not just to fulfill Coe's promise, but because of infrastructure concerns.  To address those concerns, they've made upgrades at three different stadiums in Nairobi, a clear sign that they're serious and making the necessary preparations.

Kenya also has a history of hosting World Athletics events.  The final edition of the World U18 Championships in 2017 was held in Nairobi, as were the 2021 World U20 Championships.  Those events are/were obviously a much smaller scale than the senior World Athletics Championships, but Kenya staged them both successfully (one of them during a pandemic), showing their ability and preparedness to hold the main event.

Also of note is how Kenya is one of the most successful nations at the World Championships.  In fact, Kenya is second all-time behind the United States in both gold (72) and total medals (182).  Kenya was also second on the medal table in Tokyo with seven gold and 11 total medals.

They're no longer just a distance-running power, either.  The strength of Kenya's team is still its distance runners, obviously.  But Julius Yego, the 2015 World Champion and 2016 Olympic silver medalist, finished sixth in the men's javelin and they had a team in both men's relays, as well as the mixed 4x400.  Ferdinand Omanyala made the final in the men's 100 at Worlds two years ago and won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.  So, they're becoming a very well-rounded team, especially on the men's side (historically, Kenyans haven't competed in most of the field events).

Africa's success in Tokyo wasn't limited to Kenya, either.  Botswana emerged as a major player, taking gold and bronze in the men's 400 before winning another gold in the men's 4x400 relay, with South Africa grabbing bronze in that race.  (That doesn't even include Botswana's Olympic 200-meter champion Letsile Tebogo.)  Tanzania won its first-ever World Championship in the men's marathon.  Former World Champions from Morocco, Algeria and Nigeria all came home with silver.  So, it wouldn't just be the host country's athletes on display.  A World Championships in any African country would be a home meet for all of them, too.

While Kenya is the logical choice, it isn't the only option.  Ethiopia, Kenya's big distance-running rival, has also expressed interest in hosting the 2029 or 2031 Worlds.  I'd say Kenya would have the upper hand with World Athletics.  But the fact that multiple African federations have stated their interest shows just how big a deal this is for the entire continent.  I'm not even sure they care whether it's Kenya or Ethiopia.  They just want the World Championships in Africa.

Hosting the World Athletics Championships could be a precursor to the ultimate goal, too.  Africa is the only continent to have never hosted the Olympics--something observers of worldwide sport are keenly aware of.  The Youth Olympics will take place in Dakar, Senegal next year, the first IOC-organized event ever held on African soil.  Then Morocco will co-host the 2030 World Cup.  The World Athletics Championships are the biggest global sporting event outside of the Olympics in terms of number of athletes and participating nations, so it would be the logical next step before the first African Olympics.  (It's worth noting here that the IOC is how headed by an African, Zimbabwean Kirsty Coventry.)

Which isn't to say there wouldn't be concerns.  The U.S. didn't attend the 2021 World U20 Championships, citing safety concerns, among other issues (some of which were pandemic-related).  So, athlete safety and logistics would both need to be seriously considered and addressed in the bid materials.  Is that enough of a reason not to bring the World Championships to Africa for the first time, though?  Absolutely not! 

And, let's call a spade a spade, too.  The U.S. withdrew from the 2021 World U20s because USATF didn't really care about the meet.  The regular World Championships?  Different story!  Even if those security concerns still exist, there's no way the U.S. isn't going to the World Championships!  That's also true for every other country in the world.  So, while those concerns may be legitimate, fear for athlete safety won't and shouldn't be the reason why the World Championships don't go to Africa.

Most importantly, World Athletics knows all of this.  They know the significance of bringing the World Championships to Africa for the first time and how bad the optics will be if passed over for both 2029 and 2031.  Which is why I'm confident Nairobi will be awarded one of the two editions, with the other likely going to a city in Europe.  The order, frankly, doesn't matter.  As long as we know the World Championships are headed somewhere they've never been--Africa. It's long past time to remedy that glaring omission.

Tops In Tokyo

The 2025 World Athletics Championships are over, and with them so is that ridiculous run of five global championships in five consecutive years.  It ended where it all began--in Tokyo, with one major exception.  This time, there were fans.  And what a difference it made!  A packed stadium full of cheering fans brought out the best from track & field's best.  Tokyo waited four years for it, and they were treated to quite the spectacle.

Mondo Duplantis broke the world record.  Because he always does.  Which was just one of several all-time great performances during the week.  Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone showed just how special a talent she really is by winning the 400 without hurdles.  Olympic champions followed up their gold medals in Paris with a World title.  There were some disappointments and surprises, too, as well as some breakthroughs.  They're the ones who we need to keep an eye on leading up to LA.

After winning 14 gold medals in Paris, Team USA won 16 in Tokyo!  There are 48 events at the World Athletics Championships.  Americans won a third of them!  Those 16 gold medals set a record.  The other 32 gold medals were split between 20 countries, with Kenya grabbing seven of them.  Overall, a record 53 countries won medals, including first-timers Samoa, Saint Lucia and Uruguay and first-time gold medalist Tanzania.

Those were just some of the superlatives we saw over nine days in Japan.  There were too many to count, in fact.  But I'll, of course, give it a try anyway!

Five-timers Club: Saturday Night Live isn't the only one with a Five-timers Club.  Ryan Crouser (men's shot put), Mondo Duplantis (men's pole vault) and Faith Kipyegon (women's 1500) are track & field's Five-timers Club.  They won the gold medal in their event at all five of the global championships from 2021-25, starting and ending their runs in Tokyo.

Hello, World: Collen Kebinatshipi celebrated his coming out party.  The 21-year-old won gold in the men's 400 in an electrifying world-leading 43.53 seconds.  He then anchored Botswana to gold in the men's 4x400 relay.  This guy was the breakout star of the World Championships and could be the face of the 400 meters for the next decade.

It's Melissa's World, We're All Just Living In It: Melissa Jefferson-Wooden entered the World Championships as the favorite in the women's 100.  No one expected a dominant, Championship-record 10.61-second performance.  Then she won the 200 in similarly dominant fashion.  In the women's 4x100 relay, she made it 3-for-3.

Finally A World Champ: Val Allman won a surprise Olympic gold in Tokyo four years ago.  She then won bronze and silver at the World Championships before defending her Olympic title in the women's discus.  The only thing that was missing was the World Championships gold medal.  Until now.  In the same stadium where she won her first Olympic title, she finally won her first World title.

She Has Arrived: Anna Hall has been the Next Big Thing in the heptathlon for the past few years.  Heptathlon legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee is her biggest fan.  Hall won bronze at the 2022 World Championships, then silver in 2023.  Last summer in Paris, she was injured and finished fifth.  In Tokyo, she reached the top of the podium, joining her friend and mentor as the only Americans ever to win the World Championship in the heptathlon.

That's One Way to Bounce Back: Cole Hocker won Olympic gold in the men's 1500 last year and was among the favorites in Tokyo.  He was disqualified in the semifinals, though.  Hocker was still entered in the 5000 and ended up leaving the World Championships with a gold medal anyway...in his weaker event.

From Selling Phones to Grabbing Gold: Cordell Tinch was out of track & field from 2020-22, selling cell phones in Wisconsin.  He returned to the sport in 2023 and made the team for the World Championships.  Last year, he finished fourth at Olympic Trials.  Now he's a World Champion.

Sweet Redemption: At the Tokyo Olympics, Rai Bejamin lost to Karsten Warholm in the Race of the Games and arguably the best 400 hurdles race in history.  Noah Lyles was the heavy favorite in the 200 at those Olympics, but settled for bronze in the empty stadium.  In their return to Tokyo, Benjamin left no doubt who the best men's 400 hurdler in the world currently is, backing up his Olympic gold with his first World title.  Lyles, meanwhile, ran a 19.51 in the semifinals and a 19.52 in the final to join Usain Bolt as a four-time consecutive World Champion in the 200.  They also anchored the U.S. relays, with Lyles adding another gold in the 4x100.

Yes, She Cam: We've become accustomed to Mondo Duplantis bettering his world record by a centimeter every time we see him.  There's another field event athlete who's just as dominant in their event.  Camryn Rogers in the women's hammer throw.  She had the five furthest throws of the competition en route to her second straight World title.  That's just the half of it, though.  Rogers became just the second woman in history with an 80-meter effort.

Saying Farewell: Two legends of the sport called it a career in Tokyo.  Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the five-time World and three-time Olympic champion in the women's 100, made the final and finished sixth before winning her 17th career World Championships medal--a silver--in the 4x100 relay.  Dalilah Muhammad, the former world record holder and 2016 Olympic champion in the women's 400 hurdles (before Sydney McLaughlin and Femke Bol took over the event) made one last World Championships final and finished seventh in her last race.

NFL Picks, Week 3

After two weeks, the NFL was pretty evenly divided.  There were 10 teams that were 2-0, 12 that were 1-1 and 10 that were 0-2.  Although, those records are not equal.  Some are the result of who you've played more than anything else.  There are 0-2 teams that are better than 2-0 teams.  So, there's still plenty that we don't know (and we probably won't for a long time).  The 3-0 Bills, though, are a safe bet to be in the mix all season.

Thursday Night: Buffalo (Win)

Packers (2-0) at Browns (0-2): Green Bay-Green Bay is another team that we can already tell is really good.  The Packers won two games in five days against opponents that made the playoffs last season.  That had never happened before in NFL history.  And now they've had 10 days off before their matchup against a team that very much did not make the playoffs last season.  The Packers go to 3-0 and the Browns go to 0-3.

Colts (2-0) at Titans (0-2): Indianapolis-Leave the Giants, become the best player in the league.  That's apparently how it works.  It happened with Saquon Barkley, and it's happening so far with Daniel Jones.  Can he keep it up?  Probably not.  But he's got the Colts off to a 2-0 start and in first place in a weak division.  They should be able to build on that lead by picking up a division victory here.

Bengals (2-0) at Vikings (1-1): Minnesota-Cris Collinsworth said it best on Sunday night.  The Vikings have played one really good quarter of football this season and seven really bad/mediocre quarters.  Yet that one quarter was enough to get a win.  They should get a second against a Cincinnati team that'll be without Joe Burrow for the next two months at least.  As we saw when he got hurt two years ago, the Bengals simply aren't as good without him.

Steelers (1-1) at Patriots (1-1): Pittsburgh-Maybe the Steelers got a little too amped up for Week 1 and the Jets.  Because they had absolutely nothing against the Seahawks.  New England also surprised me last week the other way.  I didn't think much of the Patriots' chances in Miami, but they came away with the road win.  So, this one presents a very interesting matchup.  I think Pittsburgh is better, though.  And I think the Steelers are eager to bounce back and show that last week was just a bad game.

Rams (2-0) at Eagles (2-0): Philadelphia-The Rams are the team that came the closest to beating the Eagles in the playoffs last season.  You know Philadelphia remembers that.  They certainly won't be overlooking the Rams.  Will the Rams have enough to beat the Eagles, though?  That's the question.  I'm not sure they'll have enough.  Especially since everyone got the Eagles all fired up and pissed off because of the conversations about the Tush Push (which should be banned) during the week.

Jets (0-2) at Buccaneers (2-0): Tampa Bay-In Week 1, the Jets marched back and forth up the field, matching the Steelers score for score.  In Week 2, their offense completely disappeared in a loss to Buffalo.  Will they remember to bring it with them to their first road game of the season?  For Tampa, it hasn't exactly been pretty.  But they've gotten the job done.  This team finds different ways to win games.  Which will make them very dangerous come playoff time.  That's a long way away, of course.  They'll just have to settle for a 3-0 start.

Raiders (1-1) at Commanders (1-1): Washington-For as good as the Commanders looked against the Giants, the Packers' defense sure brought them back down to Earth.  They aren't as good as they were in Week 1.  They aren't as bad as they were in Week 2.  Like most things, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.  Maybe it's playing at home against teams they should beat that's the difference.  I guess we'll find out against a Raiders squad that will annoy the crap out of them, but is a team Washington should easily be able to handle.

Falcons (1-1) at Panthers (0-2): Atlanta-Well, would you look at that?  Atlanta's defense showed up last week!  I don't want to get too far ahead of myself since the Falcons beat the Eagles in Week 2 last year and we saw how that season ended.  But there's definitely something encouraging about their performance on the road against Minnesota.  The fact that Carolina is their next opponent certainly bodes well for their being a follow-up performance.

Texans (0-2) at Jaguars (1-1): Houston-Here's where we start to really find out about the Texans.  Their first game against a team that wasn't an NFC division winner last year.  Are they 0-2 because of who they've played or because of who they are?  And who are the Jaguars?  The team that looked great beating Carolina in Week 1 or the team that had trouble stopping Cincinnati in a loss last week?

Broncos (1-1) at Chargers (2-0): Chargers-We might be experiencing a changing of the guard in the AFC West.  Because the Los Angeles Chargers haven't been home yet (officially) and they're already 2-0 with a pair of division wins.  A win here not only makes them 3-0, it makes them 3-0 in the division and gives them a two-game lead (with the tiebreaker on all three currently).  That's a pretty good position to be in after only three games and could easily put them in the driver's seat the entire rest of the way.

Saints (0-2) at Seahawks (1-1): Seattle-Did Seattle get a little lucky last week?  Absolutely!  But they also really took it to the Steelers for most of the game and earned that victory.  The Saints, meanwhile, are already 0-2 against the NFC West after losses to Arizona and San Francisco.  Make it 0-3.  They haven't done anything to show me they can go into Seattle and win.

Cowboys (1-1) at Bears (0-2): Dallas-Jerry Jones said after the Giants game that the Cowboys needed help on the pass rush, which is why they signed Jadeveon Clowney.  Now, they wouldn't have needed help on the pass rush if they hadn't traded their best pass rusher a week before the season started, but I digress.  Brandon Aubrey's two clutch kicks are the reason they won that instant classic last week.  They were thisclose to being 0-2.  Instead, they'll be 2-1 after Week 3.

Cardinals (2-0) at 49ers (2-0): San Francisco-There's a three-way tie atop the NFC West, where the Cardinals, 49ers and Rams are all 2-0.  That'll obviously change this week with Arizona meeting San Francisco.  They both won surprisingly close games in New Orleans, while the Cardinals barely held on against Carolina last week.  So, we'll find out how good their 2-0 actually is as they play by far their strongest opponent of the season so far.

Chiefs (0-2) at Giants (0-2): Kansas City-This is an example of not all 0-2 records being equal.  You know there's a large number of people enjoying the fact that Kansas City started the season with two losses, completely ignoring the fact that those losses were to the Chargers and Eagles.  The Chiefs will be fun.  In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see them still end 13-4.  The Giants, meanwhile, really needed to hold on last week.  Because things aren't getting any easier for them.  Five of their next six games are against playoff teams from last season (the three from the AFC West and Philadelphia twice).

Lions (1-1) at Ravens (1-1): Baltimore-Neither one of these two has had it particularly easy to start the season.  They both lost on the road to playoff teams in Week 1, then beat up on a weaker opponent in Week 2.  Now they play each other, and one of them will fall below .500.  That won't be the end of the world for a good team that will have lost to a pair of good teams, but it's not a situation either wants to be in, either.  It's the situation the Lions will find themselves facing, though.

Last Week: 12-4
This Week: 1-0
Overall: 25-8