The NFL will not be stopped, Team USA seems like it could be stopped…
and Garrett Crochet may want to go.
USA All The Way?
What Happened: The first events of the 2024 Paris Olympics kick off tomorrow (even though the Opening Ceremony is Friday, explain that) and it’s a foregone conclusion that Team USA will reign supreme in men’s basketball.
Should fans of the Red, White, and Blue be pumping the brakes a bit?
In exhibition matchups leading up to the Paris games, Team USA beat Australia by a mere six points, nearly lost outright to South Sudan as a 43.5-point favorite, and nearly blew its last tuneup game against Germany before LeBron James stepped in to save the day.
Why It Matters: Does anyone seriously think anyone besides the Americans will don gold medals by the end of the tournament? Probably not, but the odds at least make it worth looking at other teams.
Team USA is a -500 favorite (per ESPN BET,) leaving little value as a betting option. Throw in some notable struggles recently, and fading the fav will certainly appeal to some bettors.
Canada (+1200) and Serbia (+1400) are both squads chock-full of NBA talent, while France (+1600) boasts the NBA’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, as well as its Rookie of the Year. Basketball is a global game; the days of the 1992 Dream Team are over.
No team has more talent than USA, but if this collection of superstars struggles to jell or adjust to FIBA’s more lax officiating, it could spell trouble for the favorite in France.
How We’re Feeling Today
Wondering if/when the NFL will ever stop…
NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell has disclosed that the NFL and the Players Association have had “very high level” talks about adding an 18th game to the regular season schedule.
Of course, it was just three seasons ago that the move from a 16-game to a 17-game schedule took place. In the meantime, we’ve seen Roger Goodell’s shield expand to games on the day after Thanksgiving and for this upcoming season, games on Christmas, aka regular season pigskin on a Wednesday.
While NBA observers wonder if 82 regular season games are too much, and MLB grapples with the ever-present issue of a triple-digit slate of games, the NFL forges ahead in the other direction. Mark our words: soon, we’ll be wondering how the hell the NFL plans to play a game in the July heat of Las Vegas. But they’ll pull it off; it’s just a matter of time.
The Look Ahead
Garrett Crochet STRIKEOUTS – The White Sox currently own the worst record in MLB, and more than 10 games separate them from the Marlins at the bottom of the standings. Chicago’s best bargaining chip as the trade deadline approaches is lefty starter Crochet, and if ever there was a player motivated to perform well and get shipped off to a team that knows how to play baseball, it’s Crochet. The Pale Hose ace has a line of 6.5 strikeouts for tonight’s start against the Rangers; in six June starts, Crochet eclipsed that number five times, and another strong start would only ramp up interest from contenders to add Crochet for a playoff push.
