Unbalanced
The Unbalanced explores the world of sports and the culture surrounding it; from basketball to baseball, football, hockey, wrestling, and more.
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Stories in Unbalanced that you’ll love, handpicked by our team.
Wild Card Weekend Recap: What Happens Now?
I think I figured out why I love Wild Card Weekend so much. It's because it's the first playoff anything of the calendar year. The NFL season starts in the fall, and once upon a time, the champion was crowned either on or slightly before New Year's. The evolution of the NFL schedule has resulted in the playoffs starting just into the New Year, and currently, the final week of the season falls on the first weekend of the New Year, with Wild Card Weekend coming a week after that. So yes, chronologically, the NFL's Wild Card Weekend serves as the first playoff anything of the calendar year.
By Clyde E. Dawkins3 days ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: We Still Own You, Boston
A familiar saying comes to mind in this case: "The more things change, the more they stay the same." First off, let's talk about the fact that this was the best Wild Card Series round ever. Yes, we're only four seasons in to this format, but still. In the first three years, there were 12 series. Only two went the maximum three games: Mets/Padres in 2022, and Brewers/Mets in 2024. This year saw three deciding Game Threes, and the last one was between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees.
By Clyde E. Dawkins3 months ago in Unbalanced
It All Comes Down to This...
The 2025 MLB season has been filled with outstanding catches and moments. Now, the following teams are fighting for Wild Card spots and as the regular season winds down, every game matters. For context, I'll be focusing only on the American League in this story. I'll check in the following week to see how the records of the teams I'm about to talk about have changed. Also, next week, I'll be going over the Wild Card hunt in the National League.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 4 months ago in Unbalanced
NFL Week 11 Recap: About Damn Time
For the 52nd straight season, the 1972 Miami Dolphins can pop the champagne. The Buffalo Bills defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in the central game of Week 11 of the 2024 NFL season, doing so by a score of 30-21. This was a game were the Chiefs were lost for the most part, which had been the case in a lot of games this season. However, unlike past weeks, the Chiefs could not stumble their way out of this, especially with Travis Kelce being a ghost in this game, and Patrick Mahomes adding two more interceptions to his total for this year.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Lovin’ the PWHL
The inaugural season for professional women’s hockey is well underway and I, like many North American sports enthusiasts, have cottoned on to the excitement of the games and the fanfare. Most of the women playing are relatively well-known through previous media exposure during Olympic games, World Championships and Rivalry matches between Canada and the United States. Yesterday, March 8, being International Women’s Day, I decided that I would pay tribute to the women of the world in my own little sports-minded way, and watch a PWHL game between the teams from Toronto and Montreal. Casually observing the new teams since the start of the season, I had suspected that the Women’s league was somehow different from the NHL and other men’s hockey leagues around the world. Sometimes these differences don’t show up during the Olympic games or World Championships because of the media focus on winning gold medals and the like. However, during a regular season hockey game, be it a men’s game or a women’s game, one gets a chance to really notice what the respective games are all about. I would therefore like to weigh in on what have formerly been suspicions but now are being seen as true differences between men’s and women’s professional hockey.
By John Oliver Smith2 years ago in Unbalanced
A Spirit That Fears Nothing
There are many sound reasons to repudiate professional sport in general and NHL hockey in particular. After all, the game has been as utterly defiled by cynical, avaricious late-stage capitalism as every other aspect of contemporary existence. The ordinary fan is incessantly encouraged by marketers and advertisers to gamble, guzzle alcoholic beverages and devour kilograms of fast food, which is a bald oxymoron if you contemplate it for a moment. Salaries are stratospherically inflated, as are ticket prices, and what passes for discourse generated by the participants in, and commentators upon, the game is so full of cliches and verbal false limbs that Orwell’s ghost will never stop screaming.
By D. J. Reddall2 years ago in Unbalanced
The History of the Adams Division
I've followed the NHL in some form for 30 years, but I'm still learning about the league I enjoy watching. A long time ago, I did learn about the old divisions: Adams, Patrick, Norris, and Smythe. These divisions predated the geographical ones that we've known for the last 30 years, and the rivalries were immensely intense during that period. This will be the first of four stories focusing on those classic divisions, and I'll start geographically, even though the names had nothing to do with location. First off, the Adams Division.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
A Look Ahead to Week 18 of the 2023 NFL Season
Week 17 kicks off tonight, but I want to take a look ahead to Week 18, the final week of the regular season. We all love the final week, don't we? We've really loved it since they changed the final week's schedule back in 2010. The final week always completes the league's playoff puzzle, it's do or die for a lot of teams looking to get in and even clinch divisions. However, a lot of games lacked a lot of drama, and even saw teams not give their all when they know that they can't move up in the standings. So in 2010, the NFL decided to make all of the final week's games divisional, because regardless of where a team is in the standings, that team wants to give their all to defeat a division rival.
By Clyde E. Dawkins2 years ago in Unbalanced
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Rule Changes in CFL Football
Wow, practically every governing body for every sport in the world has altered rules to make that sport better, faster, more exciting, etc. That is, with maybe the exception of soccer, which is so mired in what is thought of as necessary tradition that it will never move into the 21st century or beyond. Volleyball, badminton, baseball, hockey, NFL football, basketball, curling and so many more have all made changes to rules that served to improve the games for participants and officials but especially for spectators of the game. Even chess has evolved versions of its game to include speed chess (blitz chess) and matches including multiple opponents and combinations of the two and resulting in games lasting less than one minute.
By John Oliver Smithabout 9 hours ago in Unbalanced
A Grand Night for James
It can be said that the 2025-26 season has been a bit magical for Northland senior point guard Diante James. Not only is he hitting buzzer beaters and game-winning shots on a seemingly weekly basis, he added a new accomplishment to his basketball resume.
By Winners Onlya day ago in Unbalanced
China Asks Companies to Stop Using US and Israeli Cybersecurity Software. AI-Generated.
China has told many of its companies to stop using cybersecurity software made by firms from the United States and Israel, according to people familiar with the matter. This move shows how serious China is about protecting its data and reducing its reliance on foreign technology. It also highlights the growing technology and political tensions between China and Western countries.
By sehzeen fatimaa day ago in Unbalanced
Wild Card Weekend Recap: What Happens Now?. Top Story - January 2026.
I think I figured out why I love Wild Card Weekend so much. It's because it's the first playoff anything of the calendar year. The NFL season starts in the fall, and once upon a time, the champion was crowned either on or slightly before New Year's. The evolution of the NFL schedule has resulted in the playoffs starting just into the New Year, and currently, the final week of the season falls on the first weekend of the New Year, with Wild Card Weekend coming a week after that. So yes, chronologically, the NFL's Wild Card Weekend serves as the first playoff anything of the calendar year.
By Clyde E. Dawkins3 days ago in Unbalanced
Christian Kirk: From Rising Prospect to Proven NFL Playmaker. AI-Generated.
Christian Kirk has steadily carved out a reputation as one of the NFL’s most reliable wide receivers, blending speed, versatility, and consistency to become a key offensive weapon. While he may not always dominate national headlines, Kirk’s journey reflects the value of development, adaptability, and quiet professionalism in modern American football.
By Asad Ali3 days ago in Unbalanced
Rolland Courbis: A Defining Voice in French Football Management. AI-Generated.
Rolland Courbis is a name that evokes strong reactions in French football. To some, he is a sharp tactician and fearless leader; to others, a controversial figure whose career has been marked by both success and turbulence. Regardless of opinion, Courbis remains one of the most influential and recognizable personalities in France’s football landscape, known for his managerial stints, media presence, and uncompromising honesty.
By Asad Ali3 days ago in Unbalanced
Homestand Part II: Not-So-Usual Suspects
On Thursday, the Colorado Avalanche's long homestand began against the Ottawa Senators, and it was a slaughter. An 8-2 victory that saw the Avs put six pucks in the net during the middle period. Martin Necas and Brock Nelson each reached the 20-goal mark during that game, and the highlight was Josh Manson's Gordie Howe Hat Trick--two goals, two assists, and a fight, with his dad, legendary player Dave Manson, in attendance.
By Clyde E. Dawkins4 days ago in Unbalanced
Vikings slide past Hayes
In a period of seven days, Northland (7-4) has had two games that have been decided by a two-point margin. The Vikings are 2-0 in those contests as seniors Diante James and Daneal Krylov have made big shots that won both games respectively. On Jan. 3, at Columbus Academy, James knocked down a shot with less than two seconds remaining to deliver Northland to its biggest win so far this season. On his way to 19 points, James has proven to be one of the most confident shot makers in central Ohio. His big time basket led Northland to a 58-56 win over Westland which is currently 7-2.
By Winners Only4 days ago in Unbalanced
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