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NFL Week 9 Recap: The Beasts of the AFC East
With the New York Jets racking up win after win after win, the question is asked every week: When do we start taking them seriously? Though the Jets have played better than they have been in the last decade, they still hadn't established themselves as anything more than a disruptor, though there is nothing wrong with being a disruptor. Disruptors get some attention, but that's still not the same level as being a contender. The test came with this week's divisional battle against the Buffalo Bills, and yes, this was the Jets' biggest tests in many, many years.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Aaron Rodgers Deserves Better Than This (and He Could Have Had it Years Prior)
I've said this many times; I am numb to the immense amount of incompetence that Aaron Rodgers is surrounded by, have been for years. I'm just used to it. So is Rodgers. But much like Rodgers, just because I'm numb to it doesn't mean I have to like it. This week was supposed to be the start of something good for the struggling Green Bay Packers, who lost four straight entering Week 9. The Packers were facing the Detroit Lions, which is the NFL's way of giving this team a free gift-wrapped win. Instead, what happened was mistake after mistake after mistake, which resulted in the Packers somehow having no points by halftime against the 32nd ranked offense in the league! Per usual, Rodgers fought his way back, but because he had even less targets than usual (Romeo Doubs got injured earlier in the game), it wasn't enough. The Packers actually lost, 15-9, to the Lions.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
World Series Game Six: Redemption?
Game Six of the 2022 World Series became part of baseball history days before it was even played. When the Houston Astros won Game Four to even the series, that forced a sixth game, and thanks to the rain postponement pushing everything back a day, Game Six took place on November 5--the latest date ever for a baseball game. The Series returned to Houston, with the Astros entering with a chance to clinch their second championship in franchise history. For the Philadelphia Phillies, they had to win back-to-back games on the road in order to win their first championship in 14 years.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
The Matt Duchene Trade: 5 Years Later
Hard to believe that it's been five years since the famous Matt Duchene trade. I watched the game that featured the trade and even now, I still can't believe what I saw. Even more amazing was the impact left from the deal, which included three teams: the Colorado Avalanche, the Nashville Predators, and the Ottawa Senators. Before I mention that fateful Sunday evening, I have to start this story with the 2016-17 season.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
World Series Game Five: A Long Time Coming
The Houston Astros are coming off a historic evening--pitching the second World Series no-hitter in baseball history. The combined no-no evened the Series at 2-2, and more importantly, earned the Astros a trip back to Houston. But they couldn't dwell on either of those attributes, as they still had one final game in Philadelphia remaining. While Game Five took place in Philadelphia, Houston hosted a Thursday Night Football contest between the Houston Texans and the Philadelphia Eagles, and that game saw the Eagles emerge victorious and remain unbeaten.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
World Series Game Four: History in the Fall Classic
One year ago today, the Houston Astros' quest to prove the doubters wrong fell short, as they lost that year's World Series to the Atlanta Braves. The Astros, of course, found themselves back in the Fall Classic, but they were playing from behind for the second time, as they were down two games to one. Game Three saw the Astros fall victim to the longball, with the Philadelphia Phillies hitting five home runs in their victory. The Astros were looking to even the score against the Phillies, because a 3-1 hole would mean certain death for Houston.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
World Series Game Three: Raining Longballs
November 2, 2009. On that day, the Philadelphia Phillies played Game Five of the World Series against the New York Yankees, which was a win for the Phils that kept hope alive, but they would lose Game Six. That day was the last time a World Series game took place in The City of Brotherly Love, and after nearly 13 years, Philly was ready for the World Series to make its long awaited return. Then Mother Nature happened. Rain caused Game Three of this year's World Series to be pushed back a day; in fact, the entire series was pushed back one day, meaning that the latest date for the Series is now November 6.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
NFL Week 8 Recap: Going South
Week 8 began with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers facing the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday Night Football, and that outing was not a good one for the Bucs. They found themselves dominated by the Ravens defense, as the Bucs couldn't do a thing until it was too late. The Bucs lost, 27-22, which is their third straight loss--a trait that is very foreign to Tom Brady. So why am I mentioning this with the main photo centering the Atlanta Falcons? It's simple. Because of Tampa Bay's loss, the Falcons and the Carolina Panthers' head to head game was for first place in the NFC South.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
NHL October 2022 Review
The 2022-23 National Hockey League season got off to a very exciting, interesting, and chaotic start; beginning with a pair of games in the Czech Republic just days before things got started in North America. As usual, 32 teams competing, 31 of them hungry for the Stanley Cup, while one team is looking to repeat. The month of October is setting a very wild tone to the season, and here are some of the teams who made some waves in the opening month.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
World Series Game Two: A Game of Inches
With their first loss of the 2022 Postseason, the Houston Astros had their backs to the wall. Game Two was a must win for the Astros, because going down 2-0 heading on the road could be certain death for the team. On the flip side, a 2-0 lead would be absolutely golden for the Philadelphia Phillies, as they would face the benefit of not needing to play all three of their home games. The pitching matchup was Framber Valdez (HOU) vs Zack Wheeler (PHI), and for the latter, it was not a good start, as the Astros struck him for three first-inning runs.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
CFL Week 21 Recap: Let's Get Nuts!
The 2022 Canadian Football League season ended with a weekend's worth of games that had absolutely no meaning in the standings. This was because the playoff puzzle was completed during Week 20, which saw first place in the East Division wrapped up, and the last playoff spot ended up filled, resulting in the playoff matchups being set in stone. Even with that, the regular season still had to be completed, and though the Edmonton Elks completed their immensely disappointing season (at 4-14), the remaining eight teams still had to finish their campaigns.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
World Series Game One: An Improbable Comeback
For the second straight year, the World Series got underway in Texas' largest city: Houston. The one difference was the Houston Astros' opponent, as this time, they faced off against the Philadelphia Phillies, and based on the standings alone, this was yet another case of David facing Goliath. The Astros were in their second straight Series, and were looking to win this year to remove a lot of the stench from their tainted 2017 championship. As for the Phillies, they weren't even supposed to be in the playoffs, let alone the World Series. Season declared dead early in the summer, then a change in manager resulted in a great 2nd half and a postseason berth, which saw them go 9-2 en route to their first pennant in 13 years.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
