The Chris Rawle Show: Recent Episodes
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An examination of the margins leads us down the wormholes of Baylor-BYU, Alabama-Texas, and Steelers-Bengals.
The NFL offers two things that every sport should aspire to: hope for every fanbase and night-in, night-out competition. How do college football and the NBA stack up in these two areas?
Week One of the college football season is complete and it’s time to examine the margins for Anthony Richardson, NC State-East Carolina, North Carolina-Appalachian State, Iowa-SDSU, and Florida State-LSU.
Week One of the college football season is complete and it’s time to examine the margins for Anthony Richardson, NC State-East Carolina, North Carolina-Appalachian State, Iowa-SDSU, and Florida State-LSU.
An ode to the true opening week of college football, a sport that offers what no other can.
College football is finally here and Nebraska’s season is already over. How does this keep happening and when will it ever end?
Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude - https://open.spotify.com/track/2XEFWSnkgjXe4eZ9gDqAgq?si=83173bde61154ede
College football is finally here and the NFL is quick to follow. What do we actually know about the greatest sport on earth?
Change is an inevitable part of life—projecting the depth and direction of that change is hard and at times, impossible. As Justin Herbert moves into his third season as starting quarterback of the Chargers, how different is our perception of him (compared to his senior season at Oregon) and what do we expect from him moving forward?
This is a reading of “Unclipped Strings,” an essay written by Chris Rawle about a passionate, lifelong exploration of the music of Bob Dylan. The full text can be found here: https://www.chrisrawle.com/unclipped-strings/
I have a deep, abiding respect for people who are unafraid to be what they want to be. Bob Dylan is a shining example and with football season nearly upon us, many teams are trying to mirror his approach. How do you find and solidify your identity?
College football is a sport that revolves around cycles of power. Nebraska, Florida State, Miami, USC, and Texas were great until they weren’t. The sport has recently been dominated by Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Clemson, and Oklahoma. Who has potential to fall and who can rise to replace them?
“Quarterbacks fail in the NFL, sure. But more often they are failed.” How many things need to align in order for a quarterback to find success?
Referenced in todays show: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/orgFuorCksb
Preseason camps have begun and NFL teams are trying to discern what is real and what is not. Through that lens, we examine Ja’Marr Chase, Romeo Doubs, Mitch Trubisky, Tua Tagovailoa, and Aaron Rodgers.
The search for superstar quarterbacks is fast, furious, and never-ending. What is the perceived value of those QBs who are competent, but not stars?
The passing game has never been important in football. With that understanding, how much value are NFL teams placing on the wide receiver position?
The passing game has never been important in football. With that understanding, how much value are NFL teams placing on the wide receiver position?
The Utah Jazz are committed to a full-scale teardown. Is the path forward for Utah energizing or demoralizing?
The Utah Jazz are committed to a full-scale teardown. Is the path forward for Utah energizing or demoralizing?
Winning a championship is all about versatility. Nowhere is this more true than at The Old Course at St. Andrews, site of the 150th Open, where Cam Smith became a major champion.
Winning a championship is all about versatility. Nowhere is this more true than at The Old Course at St. Andrews, site of the 150th Open, where Cam Smith became a major champion.
A discussion of the various ways to unlock the mind, featuring the words of author George Saunders, Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis, and golfers Jon Rahm and Tiger Woods.
A discussion of the various ways to unlock the mind, featuring the words of author George Saunders, Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis, and golfers Jon Rahm and Tiger Woods.
Is it true that happiness is found by bridging the gap between what you have and what you want?
The two biggest sports items of the week: Rudy Gobert traded from the Utah Jazz to the Minnesota Timberwolves, USC/UCLA agreeing to join the Big 10 in 2024. What is the story (past, present, and future) of both of these moves?
In order to win a championship, you must be good and you must be lucky.
Referenced in today's show:
Nathan McKinnon & Establishing A Winning Culture - https://anchor.fm/thechrisrawleshow/episodes/Nathan-MacKinnon--Establishing-A-Winning-Culture-e15nkjr
The Ascent Of Cale Makar - https://anchor.fm/thechrisrawleshow/episodes/The-Ascent-Of-Cale-Makar-e1ifckh
The ongoing saga of the PGA Tour vs LIV, money vs competition, and a question everyone should be asking of themselves: what do I value in life?
A discussion of culture, the PGA Tour vs LIV, the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Colorado Avalanche, and the Golden State Warriors.
For every talented player that is unearthed by a change in situation (Kurt Warner, Matthew Stafford, Andrew Wiggins, Valeri Nichushkin, Arturri Lehkonen), how many players slip through the cracks?
Across all sports, positional value is always changing. Traditional centers have been abolished in basketball, as have running backs in football. What is valued within a position is also changing. Steph Curry has transformed what we value in a point guard, Draymond Green has changed our minds on tweeners, and the Colorado Avalanche defense corps is built first and foremost upon puck-moving ability. What are the changes to come?
Merely being good enough to take advantage of the breaks of the game is usually interpreted as a backhanded compliment. However, outside of 2-3 teams per sport in any given season, this is the pathway to a championship. Who is (and has been) good enough for the breaks to matter?
The most simple yet complex questions of the playoffs: who is going to step up? Sometimes it’s a role player like Gabe Davis or Robert Horry. Sometimes it’s a good player like Jimmy Butler ascending even higher. Right at the top are players like Lebron James, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, and Cale Makar—stars who somehow become even more in the postseason.
The playoffs are a time to prove things are different from the past. As the Stanley Cup Playoffs continue, the remaining teams pull upon the levers necessary for success: star performances, depth scoring, goaltending, and luck. Is the past applicable to the present?
Professional sports are about finding the perfect equilibrium between body and mind. Certain athletes (Bryson DeChambeau, Tiger Woods, Sam Girard, Jordan Binnington) are currently fighting the physical component, while others (Rory Mcilroy, Mito Pereira) are battling the mental. What does it look like when body and mind come together?
To win a championship, a team must be willing and able to play in a variety of ways. What can be learned from the championship arcs of the Golden State Warriors and Tampa Bay Lightning?
Seven different Game 7s (Bruins-Hurricanes, Lightning-Maple Leafs, Kings-Oilers, Penguins-Rangers, Stars-Flames, Bucks-Celtics, Mavs-Suns) were played over last weekend. What separated the winners from losers?
One of the most satisfactory aspects of fandom is following the arc of an athlete whose ceiling appears undefined. Over the last three seasons and change, Cale Makar has transformed into the best defenseman in hockey. What is his ceiling?
The playoffs are where legacies are defined. The playoffs are also where the margins are tiniest. In a strange way, the championship aspirations of many teams boil down to injuries and referees.
There is nothing the sports world despises more than a star player with zero team championships to their name. What is the definition of a playoff player and who qualifies?
When things are going well, the future always seems to extend to infinity. But just as quickly as a championship window opens, it can shut. Ask the 2002 Kings. Or the 2012 Thunder. Or the 2021 Jazz. How much pressure is on teams like the Phoenix Suns and Colorado Avalanche to win the championship this year?
Every year, one of the most interesting parts of the playoffs to monitor is this: who has room to grow, how do we give that to them, and when do we truly understand what a player is? We have those answers for players like Lebron James and Russell Westbrook. But what about the growth curve of younger players like Ja Morant, Karl Anthony-Towns, Trae Young, and Donovan Mitchell?
For most, the world of professional basketball revolves around a simple team-building strategy: the accumulation of talent trumps everything. As we are seeing in the first round of the NBA playoffs, however, this is not always the case.
In a team sport, situation matters. As teams downshift in the playoffs to small-ball lineups—maximizing their mobility and versatility—individual defenders are stressed in different ways. What is fair to ask of any one player?
The playoffs are a pressure cooker. Some players are built to withstand adversity—others are not. Some possess an innate feel for what is required in each individual moment—others do not. The opening games of the playoffs provided plenty of examples, including Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving, and the team defense of the Boston Celtics.
What works in the regular season and what works in the playoffs are not always the same thing. How much versatility is required to win four playoff rounds?
The Masters and Augusta National are universally praised for creating the best possible golfing experience for players and fans alike. Why does the PGA Tour struggle to mimic their recipe?
The Masters is in full swing and Tiger has returned to the world of golf. What are the differences in what we want in our own lives vs what we desire from athletes?
A long, winding discussion about the NBA and NHL, and how neither can find the balance between protecting their star players without lying down for them.
The race for NBA MVP is boiling down to Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. How much should team success be factored into an individual award?
This is a reading of “Falling Out The Other Side,” an essay written by Chris Rawle about becoming a college football fan early in life and sustaining that love into adulthood.The full text can be found here: https://www.chrisrawle.com/falling-out-the-other-side/
Two star wide receivers will be playing the 2022 season on new teams, Davante Adams for the Raiders and Tyreek Hill for the Dolphins. From the perspective of both players and teams (GB/LV, KC/MIA), what was the motivation for these trades to occur?
NFL teams are moving heaven and earth to acquire quarterbacks and pass rushers. Blockbuster trades are happening multiple times per week. What are the lessons to be learned from the insanity of this free agent period?
March Madness is upon us. The one-and-done format is both random and exhilarating, two things that bleed into other sports. What are the most entertaining aspects of the NBA, NHL, NFL, MLB, and college basketball, and why does college football’s current postseason format stick out like a sore thumb?
Plenty of games, past and present, have been decided by simple luck. Why is this important to note and how does it shape discourse moving forward?
The first two dominos of the NFL offseason have fallen: Aaron Rodgers has agreed to return to the Green Bay Packers, while Russell Wilson has been traded from the Seattle Seahawks to the Denver Broncos. The arms race at the quarterback position continues…
The longevity that is on display across the sporting world—and especially the level these athletes are still playing at—is truly astounding. Look no further than John Stockton, Karl Malone, LeBron James, Phil Mickelson, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Whitworth, and Alex Ovechkin.
Chance, luck, and evaluation play enormous roles in shaping the direction of a franchise, as shown by the careers of players like Ja Morant, Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, Patrick Mahomes, and Josh Allen.
Few things are more enjoyable to watch than a pressure-packed sporting event and understanding the stakes heightens the viewing experience immensely. As we reach the stretch run in three different sports (college basketball, NBA, NHL), who has the most pressure on them to win?
The past few years have been a boon for the championship-or-bust mindset, with teams like the LA Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Milwaukee Bucks winning championships by moving their chips to the center of the table. How many teams are willing to follow suit?
College football is all about anarchy, for good and bad. On the field the sport is magnetic: chess-level strategy requiring incredible speed and power, performed by athletic yet unpredictable teenagers. Off the field, however, college football is dumpster fire, characterized by the recent news that against the wishes of nearly everybody, the college football playoff won’t be expanding for at least another four years.
The NBA is experiencing a tanking crisis on both an individual and organizational level. Does the league actually care that teams and players are unwilling or unable to produce the best product night-in, night-out?
The LA Rams are Super Bowl champions after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals. What are the takeaways from this game, the entire NFL season, and the ways that narratives about player/team legacies unfold?
A discussion of Matthew Stafford, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and how elite quarterbacks play in the NFL playoffs.
Today’s show is the reading of an essay about Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. What are the ways a career can be measured and what are they ways that cannot?
For the full text, visit https://www.chrisrawle.com/aaron-rodgers-measured-unmeasured/
The Bengals and Rams have taken two very different paths to the Super Bowl. What are the team building strategies and philosophies that both franchises have used to arrive at the same place?
Six consecutive NFL playoff games have come down to the margins. The Bengals and Rams are advancing to the Super Bowl while the Chiefs and the Niners are going home. It is remarkable how slim the separation is between winning and losing in the NFL.
Topics discussed on this episode:
- The incredible swing plays that can decide football games, like the Bengals goal line stand at the end of the 1H to maintain an 11-point deficit.
- Joe Burrow, balling.
- Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense losing their collective minds in the 2H/OT of the AFC Championship game.
- Joe Mixon, fumble or no fumble.
- Reminder: a quarterback is only as good as his kicker.
- Jimmy Garropolo vs Matt Stafford and the incredible swing in narrative that comes from a dropped interception.
- Sean McVay vs Kyle Shanahan: game management war of attrition.
- The absurdity of the NFL's first down measurement system.
- It will never make sense how one play in one playoff game can drastically alter perception of an entire person's career.
The way narratives emerge in the NFL playoffs can be maddening and illogical. What are the current talking points about two teams (the San Francisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills) and how would they be different if the outcomes were reversed last weekend?
An unforgettable weekend of football ends with the Titans, Packers, Buccaneers, and Bills eliminated from the playoffs. In the tightest divisional round in NFL history, what was the separation between winning and losing?
Eight teams remain in the NFL playoffs—four will exit after this weekend. The path to improvement is paved by honesty and belief. What is real about these teams and what is not? And who should have realistic championship aspirations?
The NFL playoffs have begun and two games (Raiders-Bengals, Niners-Cowboys) were decided on the margins. How is Mike McCarthy still coaching in this league?
The 2021 college football season is over. Georgia defeated Alabama to win the national championship, proof of concept for two things: consistency pays off, and there are different paths to the same goal. As we enter another murky offseason and try to understand the future of the sport, the powers that be are trying to solve the unsolvable riddle: what is best for college football moving forward?
The NFL, more than any other sport, is decided on the margins. Week 18 of the regular season—including Colts-Jags, Niners-Rams, and Chargers-Raiders—was insanity and further proof that the separation between teams can be virtually nothing.
A discussion of youth (Cale Makar, Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase) and experience (Aaron Rodgers), framed by a quote from Padraig Harrington at the 2021 PGA Championship: “People often ask in a general term about experience. Well, as you gain experience, you lose innocence. I suppose if you drew a graph, there's a crossing point of equilibrium where you have some experience and a certain amount of innocence and enthusiasm. As you get a little bit older and you get all this experience, on paper people might think you get better with experience, but as I said, you've seen a few things that you know in your game that you probably never wanted to see.”
The college football playoff was instituted in 2014. Since then, 23 games have been played and only 6 have been competitive. Why is playoff expansion seen as a solution for competitive imbalance?
Christmas day presented the opportunity to watch two generational athletes, Aaron Rodgers and Lebron James, both nearing the twilight of their careers. How can small stories—like individual games between the Browns-Packers or Nets-Lakers—carry such meaning?
It is stunning how quickly opinions change over the course of a 17-game NFL season. What can be gleaned from such a small sample size?
Finding success in one walk of life does not guarantee success in any others. Why do most people believe this to be a simple, linear transition?
There is a reasonable case to be made that societally speaking, we’ve never been more impatient. This trickles down into the chase for a championship, where teams are ridiculed for coming close but failing to break through, despite mountains of evidence pointing to the same idea: the only way to break through is to keep trying to break through.
The NFL regular season is drawing to a close and it’s time to reflect on the journeys of the teams who have separated themselves at the top.
Football is a complex equation that oftentimes is discussed in simple terms: the quarterback is solely responsible for the outcome. Does this match up with reality?
The college football playoff field is set: Alabama, Michigan, Georgia, Cincinnati, four teams looking to prove they have answers, the blend of identity and malleability needed to win a national championship.
The college football landscape is being altered by a series of seismic coaching changes. Two of these (Lincoln Riley to USC and Brian Kelly to LSU) illustrate the ongoing shift within the sport of where value lies.
A rivalry week for the ages is in the books. Oklahoma State and Michigan both exorcised demons and moved into the thick of the national title race. There is no better distillation of college football than what occurred on Saturday.
Every person, athlete, and team is momentarily capable of incredible peaks and valleys. Separation and understanding occurs in the stretch of time between the bright flashes, consistency that establishes how you are trying to be a better version of yourself every single day.
Change is inevitable. It is the process of growth, decay, and transformation that exists in every facet of life and every football season. From the beginning of the college and NFL seasons until now, who has undergone the most drastic transformation?
Sports exist as an outlet for passion in ways that are describable and ways that are not. In the continual search for understanding, how does one make sense of the huge complexities of the heart?
The weekend of college and professional football provided countless examples of flawed contenders. Who will rise above their flaws and who will be submarined by them?
The first College Football Playoff rankings were released yesterday. As always, determining the best teams boils down to two different trains of thought: what we think versus what we know.
A weekend of football games is decided on the margins. What were the chances Green Bay (missing key players up and down the roster) would prevail over Arizona? What were the odds of Clemson covering over Florida State on the final play? How many times can a referee make a roughing the passer call that nobody understands? How do the majority of NFL games boil down to what happens on the margins?
Welcome to Monday On The Margins, a weekly examination of how small the margins are between winning and losing. A bevy of games (including Illinois-Penn State, Oklahoma-Kansas, Oklahoma State-Iowa State, and Washington Football Team-Green Bay) come down to fourth down conversions, red zone execution, and measurements by referees.
Tom Brady and Michael Jordan are two of the most iconic athletes of all time. However, both rose to the top of their professions using drastically different motivational techniques. What is the best pathway to success?
At the highest level of any profession, everyone can find success. What separates the best from the rest is the ability to sustain that success. Two years ago, LSU and coach Ed Orgeron were celebrating a national championship; this week, they are parting ways. What changed?
The College Football Playoff rankings will be released two weeks from today. How will the top 5 (Georgia, Cincinnati, Oklahoma, Alabama, Ohio State) be ranked? Will the playoff committee ever treat a non-Power 5 team with respect?
Welcome to Monday On The Margins, a weekly examination of the fine line between winning and losing in college football, the NFL, and sports gambling. The funkiness of Buccaneers-Eagles on Thursday leaks into the weekend and portends strangeness in Kentucky-Georgia, Purdue-Iowa, and Cowboys-Patriots.
There are many different ways to play quarterback and find success. In the past, small, mobile quarterbacks were (in large part) ignored by the NFL. Now, Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals are showing what happens when an offense is built with a quarterback’s unique skills in mind.
NFL teams are going for it on fourth down at unprecedented rates. New Chargers coach Brandon Staley is continually making aggressive in-game decisions that fly in the face of conservative, traditional coaches of the past. Is he helping to usher in a new era of fourth down attempts and conversions?
Opinions are divided about the positional value of running back and the interchangeable nature of the position. Is there truly a separation in talent at RB, or do your surroundings dictate your ability to perform to such a degree that nothing else really matters? And how important is it to be able to run the football in a passing league?
Welcome to Monday On The Margins, an examination of the weekend’s football games and the marginal difference between winning and losing. Amidst a plethora of tight games (like Oregon-Stanford and Titans-Jets), Tom Brady returned to New England in a game that could only end in one way: a field goal doink.
When is the correct time to move on from a franchise icon? For teams with championship aspirations, it’s imperative to find a balance between patience and urgency. As Ben Roethlisberger struggles with the Pittsburgh Steelers, what can be learned from the final years of Drew Brees with the New Orleans Saints?
You are what your surroundings say you are. The NFL season is only 3 weeks old and hot takes are flying. This rookie quarterback class is garbage! Sam Darnold and Teddy Bridgewater are great! Matt Stafford is the MVP of football! While individual talent obviously plays a role, the ultimate ceiling of each of these players will be defined by their situation.
Every college football season is comprised of moments of truth, games that give us a window into who you are as a football team. This weekend features plenty of matchups for contending teams: Arkansas-Georgia, Mississippi-Alabama, Cincinnati-Notre Dame. What is the truth for each of them?
Welcome to Monday On The Margins, a weekly examination of the miniscule differences between wins and losses (like in Nebraska-Michigan State or Clemson-NC State), good bets and bad bets (hello, Akron-Ohio State and Notre Dame-Wisconsin), and public opinion surrounding clutch play (HELLO, Lamar Jackson-Justin Tucker and Aaron Rodgers-Mason Crosby).
QB is the number one position in sports that is evaluated improperly. Criticism abounds for quarterbacks who play in a non-traditional manner, or haven’t won a Super Bowl, or both. Two quarterbacks in particular (Lamar Jackson and Baker Mayfield) carry this criticism despite otherworldly college careers and so far, successful NFL careers.
Herm Edwards said it best: “You play to win the game!” A startling amount of teams and coaches don’t abide by this rule to the fullest extent. The very best coaches, from John Harbaugh to Bill Belichick, create weekly gameplans based upon what gives their team the best chance to win. In a sport where the margins between winning and losing are so small, every possible edge matters.
Who merits inclusion in a four-team college football playoff? Through the early weeks of the season, Clemson and Ohio State have fallen while a slew of other teams (Penn State, Oregon, Iowa, Mississippi, Arkansas) have impressed. Three squads in particular (Cincinnati, BYU, and Coastal Carolina) present a good litmus test for the college football playoff selection committee: how serious will non-Power 5 programs be treated in the national title race?
Welcome to Monday On The Margins, an examination of the tiniest, strangest things that decide the outcome of a football game: players, coaches, refs, weather, and simple twists of fate. This weekend featured a wide variety of games that boiled down to one play or one decision, including NYG-WFT, Florida-Alabama, Auburn-Penn State, Chargers-Cowboys, Vikings-Cardinals, and Chiefs-Ravens.
There is a simple question threaded through life, and sports: can you morph into something different, or will you always revert back to your base form? Nebraska heads into Saturday’s game against Oklahoma as fans wonder if the Cornhuskers possess the capacity to change their mistake-filled ways. Vic Fangio and the Denver Broncos head into a game against the Jaguars with Fangio seeking to expand his Week 1 coaching metamorphosis from conservative to aggressive. Is game-manger Jameis Winston here to stay? What can he learn from the 2009 season of Brett Favre? Can you change who you are as a team, coach, or player?
It is rare to watch a player and feel like their ceiling is unlimited. Patrick Mahomes, entering his fourth season as starting quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs and unquestionably the best player in football, seems destined to be an all-time great. What is his ceiling?
Football is great because the season is short. Every game seems (and to a certain extent, is) meaningful. With so few games compared to other sports, there is always a sense of urgency amplified by every loss. Week 1 of the NFL season is in the books and half the league (including the Packers, Bills, Browns, Jets, Jaguars, and Giants) is 0-1. When is the correct time to panic?
The largest part of a football coach’s responsibility is establishing the identity of a team. When it comes to a coach’s impact on wins and losses, this weekend featured a bevy of examples both good (Andy Reid, Kevin Stefanski, Mario Christobal) and bad (Mike McCarthy, Clay Helton, Mike Norvell).
One of the biggest questions of every NFL season is who can stay healthy. Last year’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad is a testament to the impact of good health, riding a talented roster and fortunate injury luck to a Super Bowl win. What role does injury luck play in shaping every NFL season? And what are expectations for star players (like Odell Beckham, Dak Prescott, Saquon Barkley, Nick Bosa, and David Bakhtiari) as they return from injury?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers return all 22 starters from last year’s Super Bowl championship squad, an unprecedented blend of talent and continuity. On the opposite end of the spectrum are teams like the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars, seeking to establish that continuity and cohesion with new coaching staffs and quarterbacks. In a sport that relies on 11-man units working in concert with one another, what is the value of continuity?
In present day, football is all about offense. Over the opening weekend of college football, however, multiple defenses (Penn State, Iowa, Georgia) seized the day. Is it possible for the sport to return to a balance of explosive offenses and ferocious defenses, with either capable of winning a national championship? Or is the transitioning of Alabama from defensive juggernaut to offensive powerhouse showing us that in college football, offense is king until Nick Saban says otherwise?
College football is anarchy presented as stable fact, a sport that emphasizes chaos over calm. Week one begins in earnest this weekend. What matchups seize the day? Ohio State-Minnesota or Boise-UCF? Penn State-Wisconsin or Indiana-Iowa? ULL-Texas or Alabama-Miami? How much chaos awaits in Georgia-Clemson? College football is back and it’s time to celebrate the most beautiful, imperfect sport in the world.
Nearly everything in life has a healthy dose of luck involved. Sports are no different, with one of the oldest cliches (“a game of inches”) continually ringing true. Football games can be decided by a fourth down mark (like 2016 Michigan-Ohio State) or even more absurdly, referee Gene Steratore measuring margins with an index card (like 2017 Cowboys-Raiders). When it comes to putting percentages on the PGA Tour, the difference 12 inches can make is vast. Many times it all boils down to luck.
Choking is one of the most common terms in the sports lexicon and for many, synonymous with losing. Bryson Dechambeau and Patrick Cantlay engaged in a scintillating duel at the BMW Championship with Cantlay emerging victorious after six playoff holes. This battle — one that featured emotional swings and incredible shot making in equal quantities — is the perfect place to ask and examine one simple question: what constitutes choking?
How do you find meaning in anything you do? There is no overarching answer to this question and motivation must be found on an individual level. Golf psychologist Bob Rotella once proclaimed you must “love the challenge of the day, whatever that may be,” words that contain revelatory truth for the Nebraska football program after a stunning season opening loss to Illinois. How does Nebraska embrace the challenge of rebuilding a once-proud program that makes the same mistakes, over and over, regardless of coaching staff or administration, with no end in sight?
Warped narrative has gained popularity as hot take culture has consumed the world of sports. If people see something talked about enough, many times it becomes reality. In this vein, Tom Brady is acknowledged as the ultimate winner while Chris Paul has been stamped as a perennial loser. As narrative continues to battle reality, are the words of Paul — “nobody cares about your story unless you win” — true?
Four teams (Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma, & Clemson) have a stranglehold on their conferences like never before. College football has always existed under the umbrella of two truths: there will always be a ruling class, but who those teams are is cyclical. Since the playoff was instituted in 2014 that has not been the case. Is the cyclical nature of things being replaced by the status quo?
In a world defined by urgency, patience can exist as both blessing and curse. Part of the championship puzzle for many teams (like the Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, and Arizona Cardinals) is trying to find a harmonious balance between patience and urgency. This extends to individual athletes like Josh Allen, Ryan Tannehill, and especially Tony Finau, whose recent victory at The Northern Trust represents the perfect case of patience rewarded.
The process of improvement in the game of golf mimics the team-building process in the world of professional sports. Both revolve around three foundational principles (constant self-assessment, identification of truth, and belief) and how they work in unison dictates the terms of improvement.
Speed is an essential component of the NFL, both on and off the field. Players running at warp speed comprise a sport where teams can jump from first to last (or vice versa) in the blink of an eye. As philosophies continue to move quickly, what is the most straightforward path to contention in 2021?
For the most part, fans and media alike subscribe to a certain mindset within the world of sports: winners win, losers lose. This raises a lot of questions about the impact one individual can have on winning a championship. Should losing always be considered failure? And is it possible for the best player ever to go championship-less?
The NBA regular season is about your strengths and the playoffs about your weaknesses. The Utah Jazz and Rudy Gobert are in the offseason, trying to bridge the gap between their league-best regular season and 6-game playoff flameout against the Clippers. What are realistic expectations for this particular Jazz roster and Gobert as one of their foundational pieces?
From 1969-2001, Nebraska had one of the most successful runs in the history of college football. Since then, not so much. How does the program balance expectations against reality, while not falling victim to past success?
Nothing is more valuable in the NFL than a quality starting QB on a rookie contract. Many NFL teams (like the Bengals, Chargers, Jaguars, and Jets) are seeking to find a balance between patience and urgency in order to maximize the financial flexibility of having a rookie under center.
There has never been a more relevant time to reflect on the past, present, and future of college football than now. As struggling blue bloods (like Tennessee, Michigan, Nebraska, Miami) try to find their way back to relevancy, successful upstart programs (like Kansas State, Virginia Tech, Boise State) try to understand their place within the sport. At its best, college football has always been a game of thrones scenario: a blend of blue bloods fighting for power versus up-and-comers eager to take their spot.
How do you establish a culture that is conducive to winning? Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche are in the process of establishing themselves as a Stanley Cup contender. As the best player on the team, MacKinnon is both a tone setter and responsible for demanding the best from himself and his teammates. What is the most effective way of maximizing the abilities of the team?
Over the last decade, college football has undergone a philosophical shift: passing wins championships. Nobody represents this transition more than Alabama, who has won 6 national championships since 2009 playing two drastically different styles of offense. Two other sports, golf and basketball, are also grappling with recent changes and whether or not those changes are positive. In the words of Bob Dylan, “The times they are a-changing.”
The future of the QB position in the NFL has never been brighter. It’s the biggest draw to the best sport in the world. It’s brightness is tied to its evolution and an increased understanding of the words of Peyton Manning: “There's a place for everybody and there are different ways to play the position.”
In football, the process of individual and organizational improvement are attached at the hip. Nowhere is this more true than at quarterback, a position dependent upon blockers, pass catchers, runners, and play calling. Over the course of 3 years, Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills have worked in unison to maximize the improvement of each party. Situation is everything.
A simple and enlightening fact of life: nobody knows anything. Franchises will make both terrible and awesome picks within the same draft, and terrible and awesome signings within the same free agency period. The smartest organizations agree that roster building becomes a numbers game: asset accumulation is the best pathway to success, because all organizations will (sooner rather than later) whiff on picks, signings, and evaluations.
In the past, upsets have been the beating heart and soul of college football. With the shift towards a 4-team playoff and now conference realignment, iconic upsets (like 2007 Boise-OU or 2007 Appalachian State-Michigan) are slowly being weaned out of the sport. What are the unintended consequences of Oklahoma and Texas moving to the SEC? In the words of Nick Saban, “No one can honestly tell you what is going to happen.”
Russell Westbrook is going to the Los Angeles Lakers in the biggest move of the NBA offseason so far. Will the acquisition of Westbrook’s talent overcome the questionable fit?
Aaron Rodgers held a press conference Wednesday afternoon that laid bare his grievances with Green Bay Packers management, saying, “I’m always going to be optimistic on change being possible.” Rodgers also traced the arc of his career, fully aware that time is running out.
Rings culture would have you believe championships are the ultimate reflection of an individual’s performance. How long will people continue believing that a debate about individual quarterbacks in football, the most systemic sport in existence, can be solved simply by who wins or loses?
After a long, strange offseason, Aaron Rodgers has returned to the Green Bay Packers. It seems likely this is the final ride, a Super Bowl or bust season before Rodgers and Green Bay part ways. How do you find balance between joy and the pursuit of winning when the stakes are this high?
In conference realignment, there are far more losers than winners. Texas and Oklahoma have both announced they are leaving the Big 12 for the SEC, sending shock waves through the college football universe. Every realignment shift mirrors the butterfly effect: small change eventually begets enormous change. What is college football moving forward?
To what extent is change possible? Can you become somebody else entirely, or will you always revert back to whatever you are at your core? Golf is a game that demands constant change in order to achieve success and nobody has embodied this more over the past 5 years than Bryson DeChambeau. While he has shown a willingness to change physically, there are many questions that exist about his emotional and mental approaches to the game. Is change possible?
You can build the perfect team and still not win a championship. Unpredictable events shape every championship team (like the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks) and every team who falters (like the 2002 Sacramento Kings or the 2013 Auburn football team). It's the chaos theory of team building: control everything you can control on your side, then hope like hell the breaks of the game go your way.
The Milwaukee Bucks are the 2021 NBA champions after another otherworldly performance from Giannis Antetokounmpo. In a battle of small market teams, the Bucks won their first championship in 50 years as the Suns watched the opportunity for their first in franchise history slip away.
There are many roads to victory in professional sports. The NFL features recent examples like the KC Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while the NBA Finals has two teams who are embracing past strategies like interior domination and scoring in the midrange. The smartest teams and most talented players are able to blend past, present, and future into a championship combination.
Two incredible sporting events dominated the weekend, Game 5 of the NBA Finals and The British Open. Both featured star performances that fuel one of the more complicated yet enjoyable aspects of sports: the always changing legacies of players and teams.
Golf in its purest form is a physical, emotional, and mental test. The British Open, currently taking place at Royal St. George's in England, presents an immense challenge via the elemental side of golf. It is the most compelling viewing product in professional golf, one that allows a diverse range of skillsets and ages to contend, and a celebration of the ever-changing familiarity within the game.
X-and-O adjustments are fine and good, but many times the best adjustment in a playoff series is simply playing better. The Bucks defeated the Suns in Game 4 of the NBA Finals to tie the series at 2-2 and both sides were boosted by players (Devin Booker, Khris Middleton) delivering their best performances of the series. Who needs to play better in Game 5?
In the NBA, there is nothing more valuable than a proven playoff scorer. Donovan Mitchell is four years into his career and has already shown a tantalizing ability to score against multiple playoff defenses and individual defenders. It's the single biggest reason for hope within the Jazz franchise and part of the beautiful, optimistic amnesia that fills an offseason.
In a way that is hard to process, sports can be completely random. Unknowability in turn leads to wistfulness, a common feeling amongst fans that watch their team lose. It's one of the most powerful emotional threads that binds fans across a variety of sports: the feeling of what could have been.
For the second straight game, Giannis Antetokounmpo played a sublime individual game of basketball in the NBA Finals. In Game 2, the Suns won by 10. Last night in Game 3, the Bucks won by 20. What changed around Giannis's performances that resulted in such a drastic swing? An accumulation of small edges.
Giannis Antetokounmpo played an outstanding game of basketball in Game 2 of the NBA Finals and his team lost. The Phoenix Suns relied on team-wide contributions to trump a brilliant individual performance from Giannis, another lost performance of the playoffs and sobering reminder that situation is nearly everything.
Coaching is a piece in the championship puzzle, one of the razor thin margins between winning and losing in the playoffs. At times it is easy to understand, other times not so much. How much impact can a coach have on a player's career arc and a team's chase for a championship?
The Phoenix Suns, led by the star guard combination of Chris Paul and Devin Booker, are more than comfortable dissecting opposing defenses with midrange jumpers. That philosophy was on display in last night's Game 1 of the NBA Finals, as the Suns defeated the Bucks behind the pick-and-roll brilliance of their guards. While the majority of the NBA has leaned away from the midrange, the Suns have leaned in.
The greatest task in sports is building a team capable of winning a championship and this mission can be pursed in a variety of ways. Talent is always necessary. Beyond that, there are infinite ways of arriving at the same destination as teams attempt to find the balance between process and adaptability.
In all sports, unpredictability plays a major role. A golf ball hits the side of a hole and goes in or out. A hockey puck hits a post and goes in or out. A basketball bounces around a rim and goes in or out. An athlete is injured and another is asked to fill the void. It makes for incredible theater and produces some of the most memorable games (and moments) in sports.
For the first time in his 16-year NBA career, Chris Paul is going to the NBA Finals. His performance in last night's Game 6 was a masterpiece, made possible by the team that has been put in place around him. As a shift in narrative occurs, it's time to revisit familiar themes of team success, individual success, and what it takes to win a championship.
It’s always said that good health is a key piece to winning a championship. This year in the NBA, it might be the only piece. Giannis Antetokounmpo went down last night in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, joining Hawks star Trae Young as yet another injured superstar in these playoffs. The war of attrition intensifies in a year unlike any other.
The LA Clippers staved off elimination against Phoenix in Game 5. It's been a strange yet incredible run of resiliency for a team that was anything but in last year's playoffs. Leading the charge are two players, Paul George and Reggie Jackson, whose performances are flying directly in the face of past opinion.
Referees will always have a large impact on the outcome of a game. It's easy to remember when a call is egregiously bad and directly changes who wins or loses. It's harder to remember all the minimal ways a referee leaves an imprint, from the simple way a game is reffed to individual calls themselves. On some level, which way the whistle blows will always be a determining factor.
A tale of amateur golf, ice hockey, and the journey of learning from your losses in order to win.
The playoffs are a pressure cooker: step inside, see who hardens, and who explodes. Everyone deals with pressure but it can be vastly different depending on the situation of the team. What are the differences (or similarities) between the pressure facing the Golden Knights, Canadiens, Islanders, Lightning, Bucks, and Hawks?
With very rare exceptions, situation is everything for a player. Public perception shifts depending upon what a player is asked to do, and how his teammates perform around him. Deandre Ayton's game-winning alley oop (and overall performance) is the perfect catalyst for a discussion around situation and role.
The Utah Jazz season is over after blowing a 25-point second half lead in Game 6 versus the LA Clippers. After a successful regular season, the Jazz were small-balled to death by LA as their defense cracked at the foundation. Another Donovan Mitchell playoff scoring explosion couldn't cover up their defense flaws or an injured Mike Conley. The offseason looms and with it, uncomfortable questions must be asked and answered.
Nothing brings out emotion like the playoffs and nothing in the playoffs brings it out like Game 7. This weekend featured two Game 7s (Bucks vs Nets, Hawks vs Sixers) that gave fans everything: the razor thin margin between winning and losing; another great, lost performance of the playoffs; winning players playing poorly and losing players playing well; and the inevitability that a flawed team will win a championship.
The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Utah Jazz 119-111 in Game 5 to take a 3-2 series lead. The highs of Game 1 were met by the lows of Game 5. No Kawhi. Jazz going 3/24 from 3 in the second half. Paul George dominating. Reggie Jackson closing. It's time for the Jazz to dig deep with a possible season-ending game looming on Friday night.
There are two themes consistently threaded throughout the sports watching experience: awe for world-class athletic performance and sympathy for the losing side. Game 5 of Bucks-Nets tapped into both sources. Kevin Durant played the greatest game of his playoff career and pushed Milwaukee to the brink of elimination, forcing the Bucks to confront yet another possible playoff failure.
The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Utah Jazz 118-104 in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals. It was an ass kicking in every sense of the word. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George both went off. The Jazz offense struggled mightily against LA's ability to switch and swarm on defense. Have the Clippers tapped into something unstoppable with their small ball lineup, or are there adjustments Utah can make going into Game 5?
The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Utah Jazz 132-106 in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals. It was a white-hot shooting night for nearly every Clipper. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard did whatever they wanted. Donovan Mitchell was constantly double-teamed and ended his night with a tweaked ankle. What can the Jazz change going into Game 4?
The Utah Jazz defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 117-111 in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals. In another close affair, the Jazz relied heavily on six players (Mitchell, Gobert, Bogdanovic, Clarkson, Ingles, O'Neale) to seize control of the game. It was an emphatic answer to the constant playoff question: how do you respond to adversity?
The Colorado Avalanche's season is on the brink, down 3-2 with Game 6 against Vegas tonight. It's time for reflection because it's easier to reflect before the end occurs, if it occurs. What does it mean when something comes to an end?
The Utah Jazz defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 112-109 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals. On a court with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, Donovan Mitchell was the best player during an emotional night inside Vivint Smart Home Arena, filled to max capacity for the first time since the pandemic lockdown.
The Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks have constructed their rosters in very different ways, yet ended up in a similar place: hopeful championship contenders built upon star power. Through two games of their second round playoff series, Brooklyn has overwhelmed Milwaukee with the combination of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Is it possible for the Bucks to make adjustments moving forward, or is the Nets star power truly an unstoppable force?
The margin between winning and losing in the playoffs is razor thin. To be in that position, however, you need star power. Yesterday's Game 7 between DAL and LAC featured two superstars, Kawhi Leonard and Luka Doncic, at the peak of their powers. It was a historic series for both players and a reminder of an unshakable truth: supporting cast matters.
A loss is not always an indicator a player performed poorly. Three nights ago, Dame Lillard pieced together a historic 55-point, 12-assist performance against Denver in Game 5. The Blazers lost, and were eliminated from the playoffs last night in Game 6, as Dame's performance joins the long list of the lost performances of the playoffs.
The Utah Jazz defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 126-110 in Game 5, finishing off their first round series and advancing to the second round. Donovan Mitchell was superb in only 29 minutes, the catalyst behind a first quarter offensive explosion that buried Memphis in an avalanche of threes. What is his ceiling and what is the ceiling of the Utah Jazz? As Utah waits for their second round opponent, two major questions loom. What is the health of Mike Conley’s hamstring? And why has the defense struggled in their last two postseason series?
Zora Neale Hurston said, "There are years that ask questions and years that answer." This echoes the continual search by teams (like the Toronto Maple Leafs) and players (like Ben Simmons) to find a better version of themselves in the playoffs. What are the questions that have arisen? Are there answers?
The Utah Jazz defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 120-113 in Game 4 to take a 3-1 series lead. For the second straight game, Mike Conley made enormous crunch time plays, Donovan Mitchell provided quality scoring and creation, and the Jazz bombed away from 3. What are the Jazz learning about themselves through these baptism by fire moments of the playoffs?
The Utah Jazz defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 121-111 in Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead. The good: the guard combo of Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell, and Utah's 3-point shooting. The bad: Utah's defensive struggles through 3 games, especially when it comes to limiting the Grizzlies ability to score in the paint.
There is a razor thin margin between winning and losing in the playoffs. A large portion of this margin is injury luck. One of the most compelling series of the first round is Lakers-Suns, a matchup that has been affected by injuries to Lebron James and Chris Paul. Lebron is playing as a diminished version of himself and Paul infinitely more so. How do teams adjust when injuries strike?
The Utah Jazz defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 141-129 in Game 2, knotting their first round playoff series at 1-1. The storylines are endless. Donovan Mitchell returned from injury and provided Utah with an emotional boost. Mike Conley was superb. The Jazz drilled a boatload of 3-pointers. Ja Morant was INSANE. Rudy Gobert was significantly more impactful than Game 1. What to monitor moving into Saturday night's Game 3: the Jazz's 3-point shooting vs the Grizzlies ability to score in the paint.
The proving ground of the playoffs is where reputations are created and solidified. How do we judge individual success relative to a team's failings? Is it true that, in the words of Connor McDavid, "the regular season doesn't mean anything?" And why is it so hard to comprehend the razor thin margin between winning and losing in the playoffs?
A memorable PGA Championship is in the books and Phil Mickelson is the oldest major champion in history. The Kiawah Island Ocean Course was a perfect setting for golf expressed as an art form, finding the spiritual balance between mental grind and physical demand. The tournament, the sport, and Phil's journey are perfectly summarized by the words of Zora Neale Hurston: "there are years that ask questions and years that answer."
The Utah Jazz lost to the Memphis Grizzlies in the opening game of the NBA playoffs, 112-109. For Utah, the refinement process begins as old familiar playoff questions pop up. What does it mean for this team to have homecourt advantage, especially in a Covid year? What does it mean to structure your offense around the 3-point shot? What is the difference between Rudy Gobert's defense in the regular season vs the playoffs? And what is going on with Donovan Mitchell?
Every sport presents challenges both physical and mental, and every athlete is continually searching for the perfect blend of body and mind. Whether you're an amateur golfer or professional hockey player like Auston Matthews, the process of refining your physical tools and mental abilities is constant. And when blended at the highest level, it's awe-inspiring.
Conventional wisdom of the NBA Playoffs says defense wins championships and last night's Warriors-Lakers battle was a good reminder. However, the league is playing offense at a higher level than ever before: this season alone, seven different teams set an all-time record for offensive efficiency per 100 possessions. Leading the charge is the Brooklyn Nets, a combination of isolation scoring the league has never seen. A question looms: will this offensive explosion carry over into the playoffs, or will history hold true and defense (as it has before) reign supreme?
Lebron James and Steph Curry square off tonight in a much anticipated play-in game. They are two of the brightest stars of all-time. There hasn't been an NBA Finals without at least one of them since 2010. Curry, the ultimate agent of chaos, is coming off his greatest offensive season. Lebron is coming off a long injury layoff and attempting to morph into Playoff Lebron. What will happen?
In 2018, the Supreme Court struck down federal controls on sports gambling and turned the decision over to each individual state. Since then, 22 states have legalized sports gambling with 5 soon to follow. Utah is dragging its feet because on a governmental level, the state has a strange relationship with perceived vices and what is (or is not) acceptable.
Every sport is in a constant state of change, attempting to strike a balance between the soulful nostalgia of the past and the bright-eyed optimism of the future. In a week where the NHL/NBA playoffs are hitting their stride and the PGA Championship is taking place, Major League Baseball is quietly slipping to the back burner. Is it impossible for baseball to find middle ground between the past and future?
There is plenty of warped analysis when it comes to postseason success, or lack thereof. What does it mean when a player misses the playoffs? Why do we hold postseason losses against a player, especially if they happen in the Finals? How can opinions change drastically over the course of years for a player who is performing at the same level? All of these questions are examined through the careers of Jordan, Lebron, Brees, Manning, Rodgers, Zion, Shaq, Barkley, and Devin Booker.
At their best, sports are the blend of known and unknown, measurable and unmeasurable, the tug-of-war between analytics and gut instinct. Even experts have different opinions on what information matters and how to interpret it.
The Utah Jazz have never won an NBA championship. This season, the Jazz have their best team in over two decades, begging a simple yet complex question: is this the year Utah's hopes and dreams of a championship are realized?
Every fan hopes this is the year their team wins the championship. It's the great lure of sports, because hope realized offers a sense of fullness and awe that very few things do. The Stanley Cup playoffs begin soon and this means, especially for fans of a team like the Colorado Avalanche, it's time to hope.
Both Steph Curry and Connor McDavid are having transcendent offensive seasons. Both are interesting case studies in how we celebrate and judge individual success, especially when team success doesn't follow.
The NBA play-in format is generating buzz, increasing competition, and creating spectacular theater. Why aren't more professional sports leagues experimenting with the process of trial and error, and finding a balance between what is most scintillating for the consumer and what is most equitable in determining a champion?
Aaron Rodgers doesn't want to play for the Green Bay Packers. The Green Bay Packers want Aaron Rodgers to play for them, but have shown no sense of urgency in maximizing his championship window. It seems like the end is near, which means it's also time to reflect on a quarterback whose team demanded him to be perfect in order to win.
The game of ice hockey is a beautiful sport built upon speed, skill, physicality, and violence. To some extent, the history of hockey is a history of violence and because of this, the NHL is continually facing a very hard question without clear answers: what is the acceptable level of violence in a sport that has always celebrated it in the past?
Nikola Jokic is a -500 favorite to win the MVP, one of the most unique players in basketball, and is being celebrated for his accomplishments. From a roster construction standpoint, Jokic and the Nuggets are mirror images of the Utah Jazz, a small market team featuring a unique player of their own in Rudy Gobert. As we examine both teams and players, how do we refuse the old means of measurement?
The Phoenix Suns are currently the #1 seed in the NBA, yet lack the playoff experience many believe is a prerequisite for winning a championship. Chris examines the idea of being baptized by fire, the fine line between "taking your lumps" and becoming a "playoff loser," and the notable playoff failures of MJ and Lebron.
The first round of the NFL Draft is complete. Teams are drafting more quarterbacks in the top 10 than ever before and less running backs, engaging with the idea that the easiest way to create hope for an NFL franchise is to draft a first round quarterback.
The NBA and NHL playoffs are quickly approaching, gambling is being embraced by professional sports leagues as both a revenue stream and a way to strengthen emotional bonds, and the lure of believing your team is destined to win a championship.
What does college football mean to each individual? As College Football Playoff expansion looms, Chris explains his nostalgic connection to the sport ("A twinge in your heart, far more powerful than memory alone") and reminisces on The Way Things Were.
The Jazz lost a heartbreaker to Minnesota and Georges Niang, the minivan himself, bled all over the basketball. Chris examines both the metaphorical and literal bleeding of the Jazz, and segues into a larger conversation about MVP candidates, Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, and how fans tend to legitimize players and teams retroactively.