Total_Sports_Talk

Jerry West, AKA "The Logo," passed away, leaving behind one of the greatest legacies the NBA has ever seen. Not only was he a phenomenal basketball player, he was a phenomenal executive, making him one of the very rare few men who succeeded in the league at both roles. Image retrieved from USA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2024/06/12/jerry-west-hall-of-fame-los-angeles-lakers-great-dies-at-86/74069280007/

The Panthers are up 2-0 on the Edmonton Oilers and now find themselves 2 wins away from their first ever Stanley Cup. They've been doing it with stellar defensive play and great goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky, just like how they've been doing it all postseason. Do the Oilers have any life left in them? Image retrieved from NBC Sports: https://www.nbcsports.com/nhl/news/panthers-top-oilers-4-1-for-2-0-lead-in-stanley-cup-finals

On the strength of 20 bench points from Kristaps Porzingis, the Boston Celtics dominated the Dallas Mavericks 107-89 in a game that was a lot worse than the score had indicated. It certainly didn't help the Mavericks that Kyrie Irving had arguably his worst playoff game ever. If they expect to win this series, they can't have another game like that from Irving. Image retrieved from wjtv.com: https://www.wjtv.com/sports/basketball/ap-brown-has-22-porzingis-returns-with-20-as-celtics-open-nba-finals-with-107-89-win-over-mavericks/

Tucupita Marcano has been banned for life from Major League Baseball for betting, making him the first active MLB player in the modern era to suffer a lifetime ban. As gambling becomes more and more prevalent, sports leagues are cracking down on it and letting players know that it will not be tolerated. Image retrieved from pix11.com: https://pix11.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-mlb-bans-tucupita-marcano-for-life-for-betting-on-baseball-four-others-get-one-year-suspensions/

It was bound to happen, but Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is now the highest paid receiver in the NFL. Actually, he's the highest paid non-QB. What does this ultimately mean for the Vikings? Image retrieved from heavy.com: https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/minnesota-vikings/justin-jefferson-contract-free-agent-news/

If you just looked at the stats and not the scores, you would think that the Florida Panthers would be ahead in the series against the New York Rangers. They have been far and away the better team and yet only find themselves tied in their series. Igor Shesterkin has been an absolute beast in front of the net for the Rangers, but does he have enough left in him to carry them to the Stanley Cup Finals? Image retrieved from mysuncoast.com: https://www.mysuncoast.com/2024/05/29/florida-panthers-are-nhl-eastern-conference-finals/

The Boston Celtics, who have been the best team in the NBA all season, have clinched their place in the Finals and will be awaiting either the Dallas Mavericks or the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Dallas Stars are up 2 games to 1 on the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Finals of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and MLB fans rejoice as Angel Hernandez officially retires from umpiring. Thumbnail image retrieved from arizonasports.com: https://arizonasports.com/story/3548236/boston-celtics-sweep-the-indiana-pacers-to-reach-the-nba-finals/

There's a number of NFL players set to earn new deals this offseason. We break down the players who will more than likely sign new contracts. Also, what can we make of this ugly battle between Georgia QB Jaden Rashada and Florida head coach Billy Napier? And did Pirates manager Derek Shelton make a mistake pulling rookie phenom Paul Skenes in the midst of a no-hitter?

Finally, the Conference finals for both the NBA and NHL are set. We discuss the matchups in depth

The NFL has now officially released the full football schedule for the upcoming 2024 season. Matthew and Ed discuss some of the key matchups. Which one sticks out the most?

The full NFL schedule will be released tonight, but there are some games we know about now. Also, some NFL players have gotten PAID including Antoine Winfield Jr. of the Bucs and Jared Goff of the Lions. And is there a conspiracy against small market NBA teams?

Everybody has an opinion. Everybody also has an opinion that might make others scratch their heads but they're willing to defend it passionately. What CFB opinions do we have that we'll defend with such passion?

The NFL has not created its schedule yet, but there are matchups that we know are going to happen. Which ones stick out the most? Also, the Knicks and the Pacers move on and will face each other in the 2nd round of the NBA playoffs. And the Maple Leafs and Bruins will face each other in Game Seven. Who will advance?

Down 3-1 in the series and on the road, the Sixers had their backs up against the wall facing a tough Knicks team. But Tyrese Maxey put the Sixers on his back with his 46-point performance. Do they have enough in the tank to force Game 7 and even possibly win the series?

The 2024 NFL Draft is officially in the books. Who won the Draft? What were some sneaky good picks? Which teams improved the most though the Draft? There's plenty to talk about from the event.

The Atlanta Falcons recently invested in Kirk Cousins with one of the largest QB contracts ever. Surely there was no way they were going to take a quarterback, at least not with their first overall pick, right? Wrong. The Falcons reminded everyone why they're the Falcons when they reached for quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the 8th overall pick.

In a move that's been long overdue, Reggie Bush will be in possession of his Heisman Trophy once again. Why is he finally getting it back after all these years? Does this set a precedent for more decisions being reversed?

The NFL Draft is almost here. One of the most common activities we see in the Draft is teams trading back. Why do they do it? How does it ultimately help them out? What teams in the upcoming Draft could potentially trade back?

The NHL regular season isn't quite over, but it's about to come to a close. After that comes one of the best times of the year: playoff hockey. Will the Lightning continue to assert their playoff dominance over the Panthers? Will the underdog Capitals defy the odds and upset the Presidents' Trophy winning New York Rangers? Will the Maple Leafs prove that their first round victory last year wasn't a fluke?

With the NBA regular season now over, what are some of the most intriguing postseason matchups to look forward to? Also, is Scottie Scheffler the most dominant golfer we've seen since Tiger? And what does the future for the city of Phoenix look like regarding the NHL?

It wasn't the name Kentucky fans (or really anybody) were expecting, but could Mark Pope be the right hire for that program? Only time will tell at this point. Also, who's atop the Masters leaderboard? And with the NHL season coming to a close, who will win the cursed Presidents' Trophy?

Our host Matthew Rairdon on Crain & Company this morning previewing #ufc300 and what fights to look for Image retrieved from Franchise Sports Media: https://franchisesportsmedia.com/ufc-300-alex-pereira-vs-jamahal-hill/

We're not even a full month into the MLB season yet, and we're already seeing injuries pile up. We're especially seeing it with pitchers. What's going on, and what can be done to fix the situation?

The men's and women's finals had a lot in common. In both cases, we had a team that had the clear-cut best player in the nation (Purdue with Zach Edey, Iowa with Caitlin Clark) go up against a team that had the clear advantage in depth (UConn and South Carolina). The lesson here is obvious: one player is not enough to win a national championship. Depth matters.

The Final Four is finally here. Will anybody be able to slow UConn down? Also, what are some overreactions from the first week of the 2024 MLB season, and which NFL QB placeholders will have the biggest impacts for their respective teams?