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TNF, What’s Good?: Old Man Edition

By: Justin Fishman

Who is the true king in the north? TNF this week gives us a division battle of two Super Bowl champion starting QBs in their 40’s. This marks the third time in history both starters are 40+ years old. The Steelers lead the all time series 71-40. Flacco is 10-11 all time as a starter against Mike Tomlin and has never beat Rodgers (0-3). However, the Steelers are 0-6 under Mike Tomlin in divisional TNF games on the road. Something has got to give. 

Cincinnati Bengals Outlook

Ja’Marr Chase has topped 90+ yards in back-to-back games, but with Jalen Ramsey likely shadowing him, Flacco might spread the ball around more. Keep an eye on Tee Higgins, who’s averaging 7 targets per game over the last three weeks. With competent QB play finally back in Cincinnati, (sorry, Jake Browning. Jk not sorry, you suck) the Bengals’ offense looks ready to remind everyone what it can do. 

Pittsburgh Steelers Outlook

Rodgers has logged 200 yards in four of five games thus far and is now facing a bottom two passing defense. DK has also found the endzone in four straight games, and looks to continue building chemistry with Rodgers. So, the question remains: will Rodgers tighten his grip on the division, or can Flacco finally notch his first win against him? 

Hmmm 🤔

DK Metcalf Anytime TD (+135) — 4 touchdowns in his last 5 games.

Tee Higgins o/u 46.5 yards — Has hit this over in 2 of 6 games this year.

Aaron Rodgers o/u 217.5 passing  yards — he’s gone over this mark in just 2 of 5 games, but Bengals’ opponents have cleared this in 5 of 6. Only Carson Wentz failed to do it.

Disclaimer: Do not take these picks and get pissed when they do not hit. This article does Not constitute gambling or financial advice. Just sit back, enjoy the show, and appreciate two legends still slinging it in their 40s.

Week 7 of the NFL Kicks Off Tonight!

The Hook and Ladder Game of the Week: Holy War

By: David Keller

This Saturday, there are five top-25 matchups in what’s shaping up to be an excellent slate, but my eyes will be absolutely locked in on the late game. The #23 Utah Utes will travel less than 50 miles south on I-15 to take on their archrival, the #15 BYU Cougars, in what might be the best rivalry in college football. I’ve attended The Game (Ohio State / Michigan), The Iron Bowl, and Army/Navy, so I feel like I have the credentials to tell what makes a rivalry game a rivalry game. Let’s break it down.

Proximity: Ohio State / Michigan is extremely intense, but there’s something to be said about facing off against your former high school classmates in an in-state rivalry like Utah / BYU. You have to choose your allegiance on Saturdays, as both games are happening in the Salt Lake City metro area on Saturdays.

Origin: Disputed! They can’t even agree on when they started. Utah claims the series started in 1896, while BYU says 1922. Thus, Utah claims 3 more rivalry wins and losses compared to the Cougars.

Moment: In the 1999 matchup in SLC, a Utah cheerleader ran down the visiting BYU sideline with a Utah flag, and was later tackled by a BYU fan that ran on to the field, but not after the cheerleader got 7-8 punches in. “Even our cheerleaders are kicking your butt.” -Utah wide receiver Steve Smith, 1999.

Colors: As much as I love the Red River Rivalry, Oklahoma and Texas are red and orange. The Holy War has BYU’s royal blue opposite Utah’s red. The 2024 edition of the game featured all-blue vs all-red uniforms: a sight to behold.

Name: It’s called “The Holy War”, next.

This Year: Undefeated BYU is coming into the game off an OT thriller against Arizona, while Utah (led by former BYU player Kyle Whittingham) just pummeled #21 Arizona State 42-10. The Utes’ lone loss came at the hands of Big 12 frontrunner Texas Tech.

Both teams have their eyes on the CFP, and a win would be a significant resume booster for either team; however, Saturday will be about much more than that.

Other games to watch: 
#10 LSU @ #17 Vanderbilt. 12 PM ET
# 5 Ole Miss @ #9 Georgia. 3:30 PM ET
#11 Alabam @ #17 Tennessee. 7:30 ET
#20 USC @ #13 Notre Dame. 7:30 ET

Lighting the Lamp: Weekend Ahead

By: Jacob Rothenberg

With another great hockey weekend ahead of us, it is time to take a look at the games, players, and stories to look out for this weekend.

Thursday 10/16

Penguins @ Kings - 2010s Throwback

If you were born before 2005, you remember a time when Sid the Kid (Crosby) versus the powerhouse Los Angeles Kings in October could have been a preview for the Stanley Cup final. The superstars from that era are still on the rosters, with younger talent there to help them out. In Captain Kopi’s final year, you won’t want to miss him facing off against 87 and 71 for the Pens.

Oilers @ Islanders - Battle of #1 overall picks

Connor McDavid (#1 overall 2015) and the Oilers will travel to Long Island to battle Matthew Schaeffer (#1 overall 2025) and the New York Islanders.

Honorable mention:
Panthers @ Devils
Jets @ Flyers

Friday 10/17

Lightning @ Red Wings - Battle of the Atlantic

On Friday night we will be treated to a game between two franchises looking to get back to their glory days. The Lightning would like to return to the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2022 on the back of star forward Nikita Kucherov as Dylan Larkin looks to captain the Red Wings to the playoffs to end their nine year drought.

Sharks @ Mammoth - Up and coming

Two teams on the come up. The Sharks and Mammoth are worth the watch in this Friday night matchup. Macklin Celebrini (Sharks) and Dylan Gunther (Mammoth) are key players to watch as these teams look to have a stronger season than last year.

Saturday 10/18

Hurricanes @ Kings - Playoff staples

In the past few years, you could almost guarantee that these two teams would make the playoffs. Seth Jarvis (Hurricanes) scored the game winning goal in both of Carolina’s first two games, and Adrian Kempe (Kings) is one of the best two way forwards in the National League.

Penguins @ Sharks - Old guard vs New guard game of the week

Sidney Crosby (Penguins) and Evegeni Malkin (Penguins) have been doing it in the NHL since Will Smith (Sharks) and Macklin Celebrini (Sharks) were born. As the penguins visit the Sharks on Saturday, the kids will look to steal one from their childhood heroes.

Honorable mention:
Bruins @ Avalanche
Flames @ Golden Knights

Sunday 10/19

Ducks @ Blackhawks - Battle of the Rebuild

Two teams who have been rebuilding in the last few years, but are in very different spots. The Anaheim Ducks look to be in the tail end of their rebuild as their promising young core has been impressive to start the year. The Blackhawks still have a ways to go, but have promising young talent in Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar.

Canucks @ Capitals - Sunday Matinee

Our first game of the day on Sunday will feature the Canucks led by Norris trophy (NHL’s best defender) candidate Quinn Hughes battling against the best scorer of all-time Alex Ovechkin and then Capitals. With two playoff hopefuls, this should be a game to watch.

Today's NHL Games:

By: Andrew Gersh

Mr. Hockey’s Big Entrance (10/16/1946)

79 years ago, 18-year-old Gordie Howe made his eventful debut for the Red Wings. Although many know him as the guy whose jersey Cameron wore in the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off, he is one of the undisputed greatest hockey players of all time. In his debut game, he scored a goal, got in two fights, and even hit the post later in the game. Detroit won 3-0, and Howe went on to rack up 801 goals (the most ever at the time) and five decades of dominance. Want to know who broke his record?  Keep reading.

The Great One (10/15/1989)

36 years ago, Wayne Gretzky became the NHL’s all-time points leader, passing Gordie Howe. Gordie Howe stormed onto the NHL scene in style with his fighting and goal-scoring ability. Fast forward 43 years: Wayne Gretzky quietly glides past Howe’s all-time points record like it’s a Sunday skate. Howe? A legend, a tough guy, an icon. Gretzky? Basically a magician on ice: scoring, assisting, and proving that sometimes finesse beats force… by about 1,000 points. Oh, and even if you took all of his goals away, he would still be the all-time points leader.

The Great Fleecing of ‘89 (10/12/1989)

Also 36 years ago, the Dallas Cowboys pulled off what appeared to be a blockbuster. They traded their star running back, Herschel Walker, to the Minnesota Vikings for, well, basically half of Minnesota. The Vikings thought they were one superstar away from a Super Bowl, and the Cowboys thought they robbed Minnesota blind. Dallas turned those picks into the core of a 1990s dynasty (think Emmitt Smith, Darren Woodson, and a few shiny Lombardi Trophies), while Minnesota got a short stint of Herschel hype and a long hangover. It remains the NFL’s greatest example of how one man’s trade bait became another man’s championship parade.

Turning Two

By: Spence Millrood

As both of these series shift back to the lower seed’s stadiums, both of the regular season NL and AL leading teams find themselves in uncomfortable territory on the road in front of raucous crowds. 

A thrilling complete game from Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2 in Milwaukee sets us up for a dominant Dodgers return to LA, where they look almost invincible through the early stages of the NLCS. A high-payroll heavy roster has completely capitalized on their opportunities, whether that be great pitching and timely hitting, great defending or just the mental side of the game, they are an absolute force to be reckoned with. Whichever AL team comes out of the ALCS will have an uphill battle to climb. Despite a somewhat shaky bullpen, the Dodgers have given their starters a long-leash, and the moves have paid off in full. 

The Brewers, now on the brink of elimination as the series has shifted away from them, both in location and series score, will be all hands on deck for Games 3 and 4 to try and get this series back to Milwaukee. 

Tyler Glasnow will take the rubber, looking to piggyback off his great performance against Philadelphia in a series-clinching Game 4 where he tossed a six inning, 8 strikeout shutout performance. Brewers will likely take the bullpen approach, where you’ll likely see an opener (a reliever that comes in and pitches one inning and hands the ball to a starter) coupled with Jacob Misiorowski, the rookie phenom who has taken the league by storm this week. With production and threats up and down the lineup, I will not be surprised to see another classy Dodgers win, almost cementing their spot as the NL representative in the world series. 

In game four in Seattle, the Mariners will line up with Luis Castillo, who excels at T-Mobile park, with much better pitching performances there as compared to his road starts. The Blue Jays aren’t necessarily struggling, they’ve battled back and had timely hits in the early innings, but the Mariners have kept their foot on the gas through all 9, taking 2 in a tough environment in Toronto. The Blue Jays will start Max Scherzer, who will probably only be out there for a few innings if all goes well, then onto the bullpen where everyone will be available to pitch, even their best starters, to keep them alive in the series.

Yesterday's MLB Recap:

TORONTO BLUE JAYS 13 @ 4 SEATTLE MARINERS (Series Score: Blue Jays 1 - Mariners 2)

Today's MLB Games:

5 Days Until Tipoff

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