For many years, the St. Louis Cardinals waited on outfielder Tyler O’Neill to fulfill his massive potential. The son of the 1975 Mr. Canada winner Terry O’Neill, he was a finely tuned machine – a perfect pairing of power and speed. Originally drafted by the Seattle Mariners, O’Neill came highly touted when the Cards traded lefthanded pitcher Marco Gonzales to acquire the youngster in 2017. He blossomed quickly, and he eventually won two Gold Glove Awards (in 2020 and 2021) for his prowess in the outfield. With his ability to drive the ball and steal a base from time to…
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The WWE King and Queen of the Ring Tournaments are in full swing, and the big finale is set for Saturday, May 25, 2024, at the Jeddah Super Dome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In that ‘progressive city’, the promotion will harken back to its illustrious past, and crown new royalty for 2024. There are certainly some impressive names remaining in this field, with stars like Gunther, Jey Uso, and Randy Orton still alive. Likewise, the ladies have some incredible wrestlers left in their field as well. Iyo Sky, Nia Jax, and Bianca Belair are in play to wear the crown…
The Detroit Lions’ aerial offense is filled with rising stars. They have an accurate quarterback, a playmaking tight end, and a steady set of linemen. But the most prodigious pair in the Motor City in 2024 will likely be a set of speedy superheroes. When wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown joined the Lions as a fourth-round pick in the 2021 draft, it turned out to be a steal, as he quickly emerged as one of the best and most explosive receivers in the NFL. When they selected Alabama All-American Jameson Williams in the first round just a year later, he…
After going 6-7 (9th in the Big 12) in 2023, the University of Central Florida is getting some potentially big help at the wide receiver position. Agiye Hall, formerly of the University of Alabama and the University of Texas, has enrolled at the school as a preferred walk-on. Hall, a 6’3″, 196-pound pass catcher, is a native of Valrico, Florida – a little over an hour away from the UCF campus. After a couple of stops at major programs, he could end up being a diamond in the rough for the Knights. He was a four-star prospect at Bloomingdale High…
The 2024 NBA Draft Lottery has come and gone, and the Atlanta Hawks possess the biggest ball of them all. Grasping the number one pick, GM Landry Fields will try to rebuild a franchise that once boasted superstars like Dominque Wilkins, Tracy McGrady, and Al Horford. Meanwhile, the next three picks will go to the Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets, and San Antonio Spurs, respectively. The Spurs – looking to build around phenom Victor Wembanyama – will also have the eighth overall pick, thanks to a deal with the Toronto Raptors. While the NBA Draft itself can often seem pre-determined and…
When it comes to judging fielders in Major League Baseball, excellence is often measured by how many Gold Glove Awards a player wins in their career. But what about those that are sorely lacking with the mitt? Should they be given the Iron Glove Award? An error can deflate a team, and a bad throw can cost you a base. Numerous games – both legendary and forgotten – have been won and lost based on a fielder’s folly. Of course, one of the most notable is the infamous groundball between the legs of Boston Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner…
The 2024 MLB season seemingly can’t get much worse for the St. Louis Cardinals. The vaunted franchise, known as one of the greatest in history, has fallen on hard times since making it to the postseason in 2022. After a 71-91 finish last year, the team is back at the bottom of the NL Central once again this season. And not only are they playing bad baseball, but they’ve also been hard to watch. For a fanbase that is used to excellence, this team has shown no signs of achieving anything right now. After an embarrassing homestand that saw them…
In recent years, the Detroit Lions have been recognized as one of the NFL’s fastest (and highest) rising teams, advancing to the NFC Championship game a year ago. Much of the reason for the team’s success centers around the man who takes the snaps: Jared Goff. The Lions quarterback has enjoyed his greatest success in Detroit despite already having taken the Los Angeles Rams to a Super Bowl before his arrival. When his career in Tinsel Town became a little too topsy-turvy for the team, they dealt him for fellow QB Matthew Stafford – leaving many in the Motor City…
This week, top MLB prospect Jackson Holliday was called up by the Baltimore Orioles, and folks around The Charm City rejoiced. It was time to break out the band and shoot off the fireworks, as the young man who had already been deemed their next franchise player was finally ready for prime time. They have reason to be holding a baseball Mardi Gras in Baltimore. Already one of the best teams in baseball after winning 101 games and the AL East in 2023, they also have some great prospects on the horizon. But Holliday stands above them all, and he…
WrestleMania XL may very well go down as the biggest event in WWE history. It was the end of an era for Roman Reigns, the crowning of Cody Rhodes, and the start of a new chapter for the company. And perhaps no one represented that better than Samantha Irvin, the ring announcer who can rip the roof off a place with her awesome intros. Among all the great WWE stars and legends, Irvin was one of the performers who had folks buzzing following ‘Mania weekend. You rarely see a ring announcer get that much attention, but there were moments when…
In the 1980s, the baseball card industry was nearly as hot as Major League Baseball itself was. At the time, everyone from huge collectible stores to private dealers began cashing in on something that went from a children’s hobby to a big business. In the process, what seemed to the average person as just little pieces of cardboard became a valuable keepsake – or a financial investment – for those who purchased them. Fueled mostly by the idea of getting a player’s first-ever issued card, or ‘Rookie Card’, fans would scour stores, flea markets, and trade magazines in search of…
On Friday night, the legendary Paul Heyman will take his place among the immortals, when he’s inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2024. And, quite frankly? That’s exactly where he belongs; there’s absolutely no debate. And the fact that WrestleMania 40 weekend is taking place in the fighting city of Philadelphia brings it all full circle. As a mouthy manager, a precocious promoter, and eventually a ‘Wise Man’, he has worn many hats and played several roles in his pro wrestling lifetime. Along the way, he carved out a unique and decorated legacy. Each chapter of his…
In the world of baseball, something about the color red makes the grass a little greener and the ball seem to shine whiter. Red represents pure emotion. And if you’re a St. Louis Cardinals fan, red means you’re home. Home, as in Busch Stadium, where the Redbirds will finally play in front of their faithful following when they take the field on Thursday against the Miami Marlins. Righthander Lance Lynn will take the ball for the Cardinals (3-4), while lefty Ryan Weathers will get the start for the Fish, who have skidded out of the blocks at 0-7 to start…
Sometimes, an athlete goes on a journey that eventually culminates in One Shining Moment. Other times, it happens on a Showcase of the Immortals. And quite often, that path to glory has a few curves in the road along the way. However, in the end, their crowning achievements will eventually guarantee both WWE’s Cody Rhodes and Iowa’s Caitlin Clark iconic status. It’s a very rare occurrence, to see someone reach the mountaintop, capturing our emotions along the way. Even more rarely do you see it happen to two separate people concurrently. But that’s what could happen this weekend, as two…
If there was ever a perfect ‘video game player’ in the history of the NBA? It’s Victor Wembanyama. The 7’4″ San Antonio Spurs star is someone you almost couldn’t even create in an onscreen simulation. He’s that much of a physical anomaly… and his skills are almost immeasurable. Nicknamed ‘The Unicorn’, the French sensation has taken the league by storm with his amazing combination of size and skill. Blessed with the height of a center and the skills of a shooting guard, Wembanyama is starting to prove to the world that he can live up to the hype. Drafted number…
For the past few years, there’s been no debate about who the most physically dominant player in NCAA Basketball is. Purdue’s Zach Edey – all 7’4″ of him – is easily college game’s reigning giant. And as his Boilermakers keep moving along in March Madness, he continues getting more and more national attention. A Canadian native, the hulking Edey harkens back to the glory days of basketball when a dominant center was easily the biggest man on campus, in more ways than one. From George Mikan to Wilt Chamberlain to Patrick Ewing and Shaq, the guy in the number five…
The St. Louis Cardinals recently signed third-year manager Oliver Marmol to a contract extension, which left some in the fan base a little bit confused. The skipper did make a postseason run in 2022, but his team fell to 71-91 (last place in the National League Central) in 2023. That season of discontent was also marked by Marmol’s public squabble with now-departed outfielder Tyler O’Neill, and a muddled mass of pitching that produced a 4.29 team ERA. Meaning of St. Louis Cardinals Extention for Marmol Entering the season, most in Cardinal Nation felt as if Marmol was somewhat on the…
Over the past few seasons in the NFL, there have been a few things you can count on. Kickoffs are going to be boring, replays are going to take too long, and Justin Jefferson is going to make some spectacular catches. As arguably the most complete receiving weapon in the National Football League, Jefferson has forged quite a career in his short tenure with the Minnesota Vikings. The speedster burst on the scene in 2020, with 1400 yards receiving. By that season’s end, he had set numerous records for a first-year player and captured the Sporting News Rookie of the…
It’s hard to describe the excitement many fans of the St. Louis Cardinals have for the future. While the team finished 71-91 and in last place in the National League Central in 2023, there’s hope on the horizon. The Redbirds’ farm system has yielded plenty of prestigious prodigies. These players should help the club as they march into 2024 and beyond. While it may be argued that players like outfielder Victor Scott II and pitcher Tink Hence are still a work in progress, two other young stars within the organization appear ready to prove that the future is now. St.…
The Nebraska Cornhuskers may traditionally be known for their exploits on the gridiron, but this year’s hoops squad has been the talk of Lincoln lately. It’s mid-March, and for once? The upcoming Spring football schedule isn’t the only thing on everyone’s minds. That’s because the latest crop of hooping ‘Huskers went 23-10 this season, and 12-8 in the Big Ten (3rd overall). With that, they clinched their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2014. Currently, Nebraska is the only Power Five program to have never won a game during March Madness, but head coach Fred Hoiberg has his team poised to…
