Gonzaga/Arizona Survive, Cinderella's Highlight Madness. Browns Gamble With Watson, Braves Shrewd Move As Freeman Walks. NHL Trade Deadline: Panthers Make Big Move. Warriors Slide Concerning?
Spring is finally here and I have a little spring in my step. Not only for the new season but the latest podcast as I have lots to share when it comes to the sports landscape as Episode #243 shines bright for the diehard or casual fan. On deck:
(4:51) March Madness has certainly lived up to its' billing as we've seen a #1 seed go down (Baylor) two others (Gonzaga & Arizona) were on the brink of elimination, Kansas had little to no trouble in winning their two games and the double digit Cinderella teams in Miami, Iowa St., Michigan and St. Peter's have all punched their ticket into the Sweet Sixteen. How has the tournament been to date? Can we expect an encore this upcoming weekend? Who could be the Final Four teams that'll make their way down to New Orleans the weekend after next?
(25:50) The next three segment all center around one thing: player movement. I'll start off with just about everyone's favorite sport, that being football and the NFL. The move that rocked and shocked the league was Deshaun Watson acquired by the Cleveland Browns, sending a boatload of draft capital to Houston. This deal has so many layers. The amount paid by the Browns to procure the embattled QB. The region who's still looking for their first Super Bowl appearance and the pressure that'll be placed at the feet of Watson trying to not just deliver on the field, but be a model citizen off of it. I'll also discuss the future of Baker Mayfield, moves by the Raiders (i.e. Davante Adams & Chandler Jones), the Bills (what Von Miller's impact on a team trying to get over the hump.
(40:01) On deck with player movement is the MLB as the Braves made hay as they traded for A's 1B Matt Olson and signed him to a long term deal, signaling the end of the Freddie Freeman era in Atlanta. Was it a smart move? Was it the right move? Plus, other big signings that I dissect in Trevor Story (somewhat surprising), Kris Bryant (very surprising), Carlos Correa (absolutely shocking) and other acquistions that are important to the baseball landscape, as well as, the latest with vaccination status pertaining to the Mets and Yankees in NYC that you won't want to miss.
(56:19) The NHL trade deadline is scheduled for 3pm today as teams jockey for position to put themselves in the Stanley Cup Playoff mix. The biggest deal to date is former Flyers captain Claude Giroux as he was dealt to the Eastern Conference leading Florida Panthers. Is he the final piece to their championship puzzle? What will some of the other teams do as the deadline approaches?
(1:03:00) The top stories coming out of the NBA in the past week are Kyrie's stellar performance in Orlando (but still waiting for the vaccination mandates to be lifted. We know the impact that will have on the Nets come April, May, etc.) Steph Curry's ankle injury with the Warriors flailing a bit and another milestone for LeBron James as he passes Karl Malone for second all time in scoring.
(1:10:43) To wrap up, my Hero and Zero of the Week.
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Intro/outro music by Cyklonus.