AFL/NFL legend and Hall of Famer Jim Otto has passed away at age 86. He’s survived by his wife, his son, and his 14 grandchildren. Jim Otto was known as “Mr. Raider” and “The Original Raider” because he was one of the first members of the organization in 1960. He also played 15 seasons for the “Silver and Black” and didn’t miss a single snap from 1960-1975. He predated Al Davis by three years and even wore the original black and gold Raiders uniforms from the 1960-62 seasons. Jim Otto was one of the greatest offensive linemen in the history…
Author: Alex Furtado
The San Francisco 49ers have been the dominant force in the NFC since the 2019 season. They’re the current NFC Champions and will look to improve on that. San Francisco comes into the 2024 season with extremely high expectations and the schedule reveal earlier in the week did nothing to lower those expectations. They have six games in primetime which is tied for the most in the league. They also get a chance to renew several rivalries while in addition getting a chance at revenge for their loss in the Super Bowl. They have to go up against the Detroit…
The Detroit Lions finally restored the roar to the dome. While other Detroit teams have disappointed, the Lions are standing tall and proud. Coming off of an appearance in the NFC Championship in 2023, the team has expectations for the first time in years. They won their first division title since 1991. They’ve also had an incredibly busy offseason that sets up their championship contention window. Head Coach Dan Campbell has done a job in Detroit that not many others could have done. He came in as a rookie coach and revived a dead franchise. He did it by establishing…
Legendary San Diego Chargers General Manager A.J. Smith has passed away at age 75. He’s survived by his wife and two children. A.J. Smith rose up from being a PE teacher in Providence, Rhode Island to the ranks of the NFL. He served as the director of pro scouting with the San Diego Chargers from 1986-1987, before spending 14 seasons with the Buffalo Bills as director of pro personnel. He then went on to serve as the General Manager of the San Diego Chargers from 2003-2012. Smith has a very complicated legacy amongst Chargers fans. When Smith took over the…
The San Francisco Giants came into the 2024 season with higher expectations after a big offseason. The first month of the season was a major failure. So far, the Giants record sits at 17-23. They’re locked in mediocre play that has been as boring as it has been uninspired. First-year manager Bob Melvin is looking across the Bay at his former team the Oakland Athletics, who are leaving the Bay Area this year, but at the very least playing inspired baseball. The team has been wrecked with a massive amount of injuries to start the season. Key offseason acquisitions like…
On Friday afternoon, Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce announced Aidan O’Connell will be getting the first snaps at quarterback over Gardner Minshew. This is stunning news as the Raiders gave Gardner Minshew a sizeable two-year contract in the offseason. The team is still expected to have an open competition for the starting quarterback position. But second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell will be the favorite to get the job. Aidan O’Connell is a former fourth-round pick out of Purdue. O’Connell took the starting quarterback job last season from prized 2023 offseason acquisition Jimmy Garoppolo. Compared to all of the other…
The Toronto Maple Leafs have decided to fire Head Coach Sheldon Keefe. The team again failed to get by the Boston Bruins in the first round. The Maple Leafs will be searching for a new coach for the first time since they hired Sheldon Keefe during the 2019-20 season. Keefe had a record of 212-97-40 in five seasons. The problem is that in five playoff appearances, the Maple Leafs had a record of 16-21. The furthest that the Toronto Maple Leafs managed to advance under Keefe in the playoffs was the second round in 2022-23 where they eventually fell in…
The Las Vegas Raiders will return to their former home state of California for training camp. They will be hosting training camp in Cosa Mesa, California. Previously, the Raiders had been hosting training camp in Henderson, Nevada since relocating in 2020. Before moving from Oakland to Las Vegas, the Raiders hosted training camp in Napa, California when they were the Oakland Raiders. They managed to outbid the Houston Texans for the site in Cosa Mesa. One of the key reasons for the move has to be the climate in Henderson. When the Raiders hosted training camp in Henderson, the outdoor…
With the 2024 NFL Draft in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look at how the Las Vegas Raiders offseason has gone so far. Compared to 2023, it’s been great. The Raiders entered this offseason with a new General Manager and Head Coach. This is nothing new for Raiders fans since there’s been constant turnover since 1995. However, this offseason has felt different yet familiar in some ways under Tom Telesco and Antonio Pierce. The team made a big move for a big name in free agency. They brought in a scrappy veteran quarterback on a 2-year deal. They also…
Once again, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins will battle in game seven. Once again, the battleground will be TD Gardens in Boston. The game is set for Saturday, May 4th, at 8 pm Eastern. The Bruins are attempting to prevent themselves from blowing a 3-1 series lead for the second consecutive season. The Maple Leafs will look to overcome the ghosts of 2013, 2018, and 2019, where each time they fell in 7 games to the Bruins. It should be noted that the Maple Leafs 2023 broke a 19-year streak of failing to advance past the first…
Much to the surprise of everybody, the Oakland Athletics have started 2024 with shocking momentum. They’re currently in 3rd place behind Texas and Seattle. The Oakland Athletics reached 14 wins by April 31st compared to the 2023 season, where they reached 14 wins on June 7th. They’ve been managing a better season despite the chaos swirling around the organization. The players and coaches can’t ignore any of the controversy, but perhaps it’s been a motivating factor. Manager Mark Kotsay was not given an easy job from the start. He’s done a wonderful job getting the most out of the cheapest…
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has revealed that his Hall of Fame career is nearing the end. LeBron has been in the league for 21 seasons. LeBron James was honest in a meeting with the reporters after the Lakers were eliminated. LeBron stated, “I don’t know when that door will close, but I don’t have much time left.” The news is not a surprise to most people as there is little left for LeBron to accomplish. LeBron James is the all-time leading scorer in NBA history. He’s also a four-time NBA Champion, having won championships on every team he’s…
The Seattle Kraken have parted ways with Head Coach Dave Hakstol. Hakstol was the only coach in the organization’s history. The Kraken made the playoffs under Hakstol in 2022-23 where they made it to the second round as a wild card. The team has only been around since 2021-22. In 3 seasons, Dave Hakstol went 107-112-241 for a win percentage of .490. After making the playoffs in 2022-23, the Seattle Kraken regressed in 2023-24. Jared McCann led the team with 29 goals, down from his team lead of 40 goals the prior season. March was particularly rough for the Kraken…
The San Jose Sharks will go into the 2024 offseason looking to hire a new head coach after parting ways with former coach David Quinn. It’s the team’s second head coach search of the decade after they previously parted ways with Bob Boughner in 2022. The team has not reached the playoffs in the last 5 seasons. It’s the longest playoff drought in team history. There’s hope in “Sharks Territory” that the next head coach will be the person who can both right the ship and lead the team through the tough rebuild. There will be pressure on San Jose…
With the 13th pick in the first round, the Las Vegas Raiders shockingly selected tight end Brock Bowers from Georgia. In the 2023 season, Bowers had 56 catches for 714 yards and 6 touchdowns. The Raiders are getting a phenomenal pass catcher in the passing game. He was widely regarded amongst draft experts as one of the top weapons in this draft. Adding Brock Bowers to an offense featuring Davante Adams and Zamir White will make the Las Vegas Raiders one of the top teams to watch next season. The Raiders also selected tight end Michael Mayer in the 2023…
The San Jose Sharks have fired head coach David Quinn following the 2023-2024 season. San Jose finished the 2023-24 season with a 19-54-9 record. David Quinn has been the Sharks’ head coach since 2022. In two seasons, the Sharks struggled mightily. He previously spent three years as the head coach of the New York Rangers from the 2018-19 season until the 2020-21 season, losing in the 2020 playoff qualifying round in his only postseason appearance. As it stands, the San Jose Sharks have the worst record in the NHL. They easily finished with the best odds for the top draft…
The Buffalo Sabres have brought back former head coach Lindy Ruff. Ruff had previously been the Sabres head coach from 1997 to 2013. As one of just four NHL head coaches to coach over 1,000 games with a single team, he’s familiar with the organization and the region. The Buffalo Sabres are looking to take the next step forward with a young core, featuring the likes of Owen Power. Ruff had a record of 571-432 with 78 ties and 84 overtime losses in his previous stint with the team. He led the Sabres to two division titles, a Conference Championship…
The 1970s Montreal Canadiens are amongst the greatest dynasties of any sport. The resume through the decade speaks for itself. This is the best hockey team to step foot in a hockey arena. You can throw out the ’80s Islanders, ’90s Red Wings, and the ’80s Oilers. None of those great teams locked down an entire decade like the Canadiens did during the 1970s. Montreal kept rivals like the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs from having more championships. They could skill it up or throw hands with the best of them. No team dominated like the ’70s Canadiens.…
Hall of Famer and longtime St. Louis Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog has passed away at age 92. Herzog was an integral member of the organization from 1980-1990. He led the team to a World Series title in 1982. Herzog was a popular figure who also managed the Kansas City Royals to success from 1975-1979. He also managed the Texas Rangers and California Angels. He managed legendary players, including George Brett, Keith Hernandez, Ozzie Smith, and Jack Clark. Whitey Herzog Was the Innovator of “Whitey Ball” http://gty.im/51455487 Perhaps Whitey Herzog will be forever remembered for creating a style of play known…
The 2024 season has officially seen the San Jose Sharks clinch the worst record in the NHL. They managed to fight off the Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks in the race to the bottom. This dubious distinction has clinched the Sharks the best odds to the first overall pick in the draft lottery. Per NHL rules, it also clinches them a guaranteed top 3 pick. That means at worst, they will have the 3rd overall pick. San Jose Sharks Have Hit Rock Bottom http://gty.im/2131692437 The biggest benefit for San Jose Sharks fans is that this is officially rock bottom. They…
