The time has finally arrived. It’s the third and final part of my 2017 NFC East predictions, and this week I’ll tell you who takes home the coveted crown.

Week 12:

The Dallas Cowboys play host to the Los Angeles Chargers for a Thanksgiving Day showdown 4:30 p.m. Nov. 23. San Diego takes an early lead due to a hot start from quarterback Philip Rivers. However, Dallas’ defense is able to force Rivers to throw two second half interceptions, and Dak Prescott leads a fourth quarter comeback to give the Cowboys a 28-24 victory.

On Thanksgiving night, the New York Giants travel to Washington to play the Redskins 8:25 p.m. Nov. 23. Kirk Cousins feels pressure from the New York pass rush all night long. Jason Pierre-Paul records two sacks for the Giants’ defense and Landon Collins has an interception. Eli Manning has a solid outing, throwing two touchdowns and keeping the ball out of harm’s way. New York wins 21-10.

Unlike the other three NFC East teams, the Philadelphia Eagles do not play on Thanksgiving and instead host the Chicago Bears 1 p.m. Nov. 26. Alshon Jeffery has a field day against his old team, going for 130 yards and two touchdowns. Carson Wentz dominates, throwing for 350 yards and four touchdowns. Philadelphia’s defense forces Mitch Trubisky to throw two interceptions. Philadelphia wins 31-13.

(NYG 8-3, PHI 7-4, DAL 6-5, WAS 4-7)

Week 13:

With both teams playing on Thursday for the second straight week, the Cowboys host the Redskins 8:25 p.m. Nov. 30. Much like it was in their matchup last Thanksgiving, the game is high scoring. Kirk Cousins throws for over 300 yards and three touchdowns, but he is outplayed by his Cowboy counterpart. Prescott completes over 75 percent of his passes, throws for two scores and rushes for a touchdown, leading Dallas to a 34-31 victory.

New York travels west to take on the Oakland Raiders 4:25 p.m. Dec. 3. New York’s offensive line struggles against Khalil Mack, who sacks Manning twice and forces a fumble by Paul Perkins. New York’s defense struggles against Oakland’s offensive line and Derek Carr throws for over 300 yards. Oakland wins 28-17.

In their first of a three game road stand, the Eagles travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks. Seattle’s “12th Man” rattles Wentz early, and he throws two first half interceptions. Russell Wilson plays well, throwing three touchdowns and rushing for over 70 yards. Wentz is unable to lead a comeback, and Seattle wins 24-14.

(NYG 8-4, PHI 7-5, DAL 7-5, WAS 4-8)

Week 14:

Looking to end their losing skid, the Redskins travel to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers 4:05 p.m. Dec. 10. Kirk Cousins and Philip Rivers engage in a quarterback battle, with both of them throwing for over 300 yards. However, Cousins gets the last laugh, leading a game winning drive in the fourth quarter. Washington wins 28-24.

Philadelphia is also in Los Angeles, but they are there to take on the Los Angeles Rams 4:25 p.m. Dec. 10. Bouncing back from a poor performance the previous week, Wentz has a strong showing. The second year quarterback throws two touchdown passes and runs one in. Legarrette Blount runs for over 100 yards, and the Eagles edge the Rams 27-14.

In hopes of staying alive in the divisional race, Dallas heads to New York to take on the Giants 4:25 p.m. Dec. 10. For the first time in two years, the Cowboys figure out New York’s defense. Ezekiel Elliott runs for 120 yards and two scores. Prescott throws two touchdowns passes and no interceptions. Dallas leads for most of the game, but the Giants, trailing by four with two minutes to go, have a chance to drive for a comeback win. However, the drive stalls when Manning overthrows Odell Beckham Jr. on fourth and eight. Dallas wins 31-27.

(DAL 8-5, PHI 8-5, NYG, 8-5, WAS 5-8)

Week 15:

Washington hosts the Arizona Cardinals 1 p.m. Dec. 17. Cousins plays well for the second straight week, and the Washington defense forces three turnovers. Washington wins 27-17.

The Eagles head to New York for a game that could decide the division crown at 1:00 p.m. Dec. 17. After Wentz leads a scoring drive on Philadelphia’s opening possession, Manning throws a pick-six to put the Giants in a 14-point hole. However, the Giants claw their way back into it, thanks to a gutty performance from Sterling Shepard. The second year receiver catches 10 passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Shepard’s second score comes with four minutes left in the game, and gives the Giants a four point lead. On the ensuing possession Eli Apple intercepts Carson Wentz, and the Giants win 24-21.

Dallas goes on the road to take on the Oakland Raiders 8:30 p.m. Dec. 17. The game is a shoot-out from start to finish. Derek Carr throws for over 350 yards and four touchdowns for the Raiders. Prescott and Elliott do their best to keep Dallas in the game, but Carr gets the last laugh by leading a game-winning field goal drive as time expires. Raiders win 37-34.

(NYG 9-5, DAL 8-6, PHI 8-6, WAS 6-8)

Week 16:

Washington hosts the Denver Broncos 4:25 p.m. Dec. 24. Denver’s defense causes problems all evening for Kirk Cousins, whose Christmas Eve ends with him having only one thing on his list: a better offensive line. Von Miller sacks Cousins twice, and the pressure Denver creates off the edges causes Cousins to throw two interceptions. Denver wins 21-13.

Dallas hosts the Seahawks 4:25 p.m. Dec. 24. Early on, the Cowboy offensive line is able to keep Seattle’s front seven from pressuring Prescott. However, the game takes a turn in the third quarter when Prescott throws a pick-six to Richard Sherman. With the momentum flip, Seattle’s defense returns to its championship form and holds the Cowboys to just two field goals in the second half. Seahawks win 24-20.

The Giants come out strong on the road against the Cardinals 4:25 p.m. Dec. 24. Manning has a big first half, throwing for 180 yards and two touchdowns in that time frame. New York’s defense slows down Arizona’s rushing attack and forces the Cardinals to commit three turnovers. New York wins 27-17.

The Eagles host the Oakland Raiders Christmas night 8:25 p.m.. Wentz plays well, throwing for 300 yards. Carr also has a solid game and leads a go ahead drive in the fourth quarter, which is capped by a touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree with 1:40 to go. However, Wentz leads an incredible comeback drive, culminating with a Blount touchdown run with just 15 seconds remaining. Eagles win 30-27.

(NYG 10-5, PHI 9-6, DAL 8-7, WAS 6-9)

Week 17:

Philadelphia plays host to Dallas for a game that will determine the final NFC  Wild Card team at 1 p.m. Dec. 31. Ezekiel Elliott stars for the Cowboys, rushing for 140 yards and two scores. However, Prescott struggles and Wentz shines. With his team trailing by four points early in the fourth quarter, Prescott throws an interception at midfield. Wentz capitalizes by leading a touchdown drive, and the Eagles never look back. Philadelphia wins 28-20.

New York hosts the Redskins with a chance to clinch the division crown 1 p.m. Dec. 31. Washington comes into the game looking to play spoiler, and early on it appears as if they will. Cousins comes out hot, leading a quick touchdown drive on the game’s’ opening possession. Manning responds with a scoring drive of his own, and the two quarterbacks go back and forth in the first half. However, New York’s defense settles down in the third quarter, holding the Redskins scoreless the rest of the way. New York wins 28-21.

Final standings: NYG 11-5, PHI 10-6, DAL 8-8, WAS 6-10.

That’s how I see it playing out. Only time will tell.

Last week, in Part 1 of my NFC East season predictions, the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles were in a three way tie for first place, each sporting a 3-2 record.

The Washington Redskins were in last place, holding a 1-3 record in their first four games.

Let’s get right back into it with Part 2 of my predictions.

Week 6:

The Eagles will head south to take on the Carolina Panthers for a Thursday Night Football game at 8:25 p.m. Oct. 12. Carson Wentz gets off to a hot start in the first half, but so does Cam Newton. Carolina’s defense settles down in the second half, holding the Eagles to just a field goal in the game’s final 30 minutes. Newton stays hot, lighting up the Eagles for a total of three passing touchdowns and two running scores. Carolina wins 35-24.

After a difficult start to the season, the Redskins catch a break coming off their bye week, playing the San Francisco 49ers at home 1 p.m. Oct. 15. Kirk Cousins has a career game, throwing four touchdown passes and for over 400 yards. Terrelle Pryor catches two touchdowns and Josh Norman intercepts a pass for a pick-six. Redskins win 38-17.

New York heads west to play the Denver Broncos in a Sunday Night Football showdown 8:25 p.m. Oct. 15. From start to finish, the two teams engage in a defensive battle. Denver’s front seven applies pressure to Eli Manning all night long, while New York’s secondary clamps down on the receiving corp of the Broncos. With the Giants trailing by four with two minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Manning’s comeback drive falls short and the Broncos run out the clock. Denver wins 14-10.

Dallas has its Bye.

(DAL 3-2, PHI 3-3, NYG 3-3, WAS 2-3)

Week 7:

The Giants return home to the Meadowlands to take on the Seattle Seahawks 4:25 p.m. Oct. 22. Coming off of a solid performance in Denver, New York’s defense gives a struggling Seattle offensive line fits. Russell Wilson is sacked five times and baited into throwing two interceptions. Manning throws an interception in the first quarter, but after that, he keeps the ball out of harm’s way and throws for two scores. Odell Beckham Jr. has a big game, picking up 120 receiving yards and a touchdown. Giants win in a close one 20-17.

Dallas heads to the Bay Area to play the 49ers at 4:25 p.m. Oct. 22. Much like they did last year, the Cowboys’ offense has its way with the 49ers. Ezekiel Elliott rushes for 140 yards and two scores while Dak Prescott throws three touchdowns. The Cowboys cruise to a 42-21 win.

Washington takes on Philadelphia for a Monday Night Football showdown 8:25 p.m. Oct. 23. Looking to avenge their home opening loss to the Eagles, the Redskins come out on fire. Cousins leads a quick scoring drive on Washington’s opening possession, and then the Redskins defense forces a quick three and out. Washington once again has a drive to the red zone, but it gets spoiled when Cousins’ try to force a touchdown pass to Pryor results in an interception. Capitalizing on the momentum, the Eagles offense scores quickly. Philly’s defense settles in, allowing just one more score the rest of the way. Wentz lights up the Redskins in the second half, throwing for 180 yards and two scores. Eagles win 28-14.

(DAL 4-2, PHI 4-3, NYG 4-3, WAS 2-4)

Week 8:

Philadelphia has a home game against the 49ers 1 p.m. Oct. 29. Philadelphia has no problem handling the 49ers as Carson Wentz throws for 380 yards and four touchdowns. Alshon Jeffery goes off in a 150-yard, three-touchdown-performance. Eagles win 38-17.

Washington plays host to the Cowboys at 4:25 p.m. Oct. 29. Kirk Cousins lights up the Dallas secondary, finishing the game with 350 passing yards and three touchdown passes. However, Dallas stays in the game due to a 150-yard-performance from Elliott. With Dallas trailing by four with under four minutes to go, Josh Norman intercepts Dak Prescott at midfield. Cousins marches the Redskins offense for a score and Washington pulls of the upset 35-24.

New York has its Bye.

(Phi 5-3, NYG 4-3, DAL 4-3, WAS 3-4)

Week 9:

Well rested off their bye week, the Giants play a home game against the Los Angeles Rams at 1 p.m. Nov. 5. Manning’s 113.7 passer rating in five games against the Rams is his highest against any team in his 14 year career. His success against them continues as he throws for 340 yards and three scores. Beckham ignites the home crowd with a 65-yard-touchdown off of a slant route on the game’s opening drive, and the Giants don’t look back from there. Olivier Vernon records two sacks and the Giants defense intercepts Jared Goff three times. Giants win 28-13.

Philadelphia plays host to the Broncos 1 p.m. Nov. 5. Denver’s defense gives Wentz problems and forces him to throw three interceptions. Unable to overcome their turnovers, the Eagles fall to the Broncos 21-13.

Dallas plays host to the Kansas City Chiefs at 4:25 p.m. Nov. 5. After a disappointing loss to the Redskins, the Cowboys take their frustrations out on Kansas City. Despite the Chiefs having a top ranked defense, the Cowboys offensive line gives Prescott all day to throw. With solid protection, Dak throws for two scores and has a rushing touchdown. Elliott runs for over 100 yards and has a rushing TD. Dallas wins 28-17.

Washington travels to Seattle to play the Seahawks at 4:25 p.m. Nov. 5. Seattle’s defense forces Cousins to throw two interceptions and Russell Wilson runs circles around the Redskins’ defense. Cousins leads a late scoring drive to get Washington within a score, but Seattle converts two clock-killing first downs and runs the clock out. Seahawks win 24-20.

(DAL 5-3, NYG 5-3, PHI 5-4, WAS 3-5)

Week 10:

Washington hosts the Minnesota Vikings at 1 p.m. Nov. 12. Minnesota’s defense dominates the Redskins, forcing a fumble and two interceptions. Sam Bradford keeps the ball out of harm’s way and throws for two scores to Stefon Diggs. Minnesota wins 21-14.

New York travels to the West Coast to take on the 49ers at 4:25 pm Nov. 12. Manning goes off, throwing for 350 yards and four touchdowns. Sterling Shepard has a big game, picking up 120 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Brandon Marshall also catches a score. Landon Collins comes away with two interceptions. New York wins 31-10.

Dallas goes on the road to Atlanta to face the defending NFC Champion Falcons at 4:25 p.m. Nov. 12. Dallas’ offense plays well throughout, but the Cowboys’ defense has no answer for Julio Jones and Matt Ryan. Jones goes for 150 receiving yards and two touchdowns, and the Falcons outlast the Cowboys in a shootout. Atlanta wins 35-28.

Philadelphia has its Bye.

(NYG 6-3, DAL 5-4, PHI 5-4, WAS 3-6)

Week 11:

The Giants host the Chiefs at 1 p.m. Nov. 19. Kansas City keeps New York’s offense at bay in the first half, holding the Giants to just a field goal. However, New York’s defense also blanks the Chiefs. In the third quarter, Beckham breaks the game open with a 70-yard-touchdown reception. Kansas City tries to play catch up, but Alex Smith is unable to engineer a touchdown drive until halfway through the fourth quarter. Manning puts the icing on the cake with a 15-yard-touchdown pass to Evan Engram with two minutes to go in the fourth. Giants win 17-7.

Washington travels to New Orleans to take on the Saints at 1 p.m. Nov. 19. The first half is a shoot-out, with both Drew Brees and Kirk Cousins throwing for over 200 yards. However, Washington’s defense finds its groove in the second half and holds Brees to just one scoring drive in the third quarter. Cousins remains hot, finishing the game with 400 passing yards and three touchdown passes. Redskins win 34-24.

Dallas hosts Philadelphia for a Sunday Night Football battle at 8:25 p.m. Nov. 19. The Cowboys lead for most of the contest, with Prescott completing 75 percent of his passes in the first three quarters. After struggling for most of the game, Wentz comes to life in the fourth and leads two touchdown drives to tie the game at 27 with three minutes to go. The Cowboys try to answer with a scoring drive of their own, but Prescott makes a rare mistake and fires a costly interception. Wentz drives the Eagles into field goal range and Philadelphia wins 30-27 on a last second 40-yard-kick.

(NYG 7-3, PHI 6-4, DAL 5-5, WAS 4-6)

Hot takes and bold predictions are what make sports conversations fun. That’s why, for the second year in a row, I will try to accomplish the impossible task of predicting— way too early— game by game results for the NFC East.

During the 2016 National Football League season, the four teams in the NFC East combined for 39 wins, which was the highest win total by any division. With the current makeup of each roster, 2017 could prove to be just as competitive.

Much like I did last year, I will break the season down into three parts, with weeks one through five being featured in this edition. But before we get into the game picks, let’s take a look at how each team stacks up as we approach the beginning of the season.

Dallas Cowboys: Coming off of a season in which they won 13 games with a rookie quarterback and running back, the Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East in 2017. With arguably the best offensive line in football and a plethora of scoring weapons, Dallas has a high powered offense that can score on almost anyone. However, no team has repeated as division champion since the Philadelphia Eagles did in 2003-2004, so the Cowboys have history working against them. It also does not help that Ezekiel Elliott is having off field issues and defensive linemen David Irving and Randy Gregory will both be facing suspensions.

New York Giants: Behind the strength of its defense, New York went 11-5 in 2016 and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2011. With that elite defense returning most of its key contributors, the questions for the Giants lie on the offensive side of the field. In the offseason, the Giants added wide receiver Brandon Marshall to their roster in hopes of freeing up coverage on Odell Beckham Jr. They also drafted Evan Engram, an athletic tight end who is New York’s first legitimate receiving threat at that position since Kevin Boss. However, the Giants did basically nothing to address the left tackle and running back positions, which were arguably their two biggest problems last year.

Philadelphia Eagles: Following an up and down season in which they finished 7-9, the Eagles acquired some significant offensive weapons. Not only did they sign receivers Alshon Jeffrey and Torrey Smith, but they also picked up running back LeGarrett Blount, who led the entire NFL in rushing touchdowns last season. Now that Carson Wentz has some legitimate targets, you can expect to see him put up some big time numbers. Concerns for the Eagles will be with their defensive secondary, which happened to be ranked as the worst in the league last season by Pro Football Focus.

Washington Redskins: Ten years ago, if a player threw for close to 5,000 yards and completed 67 percent of his passes, it would have been considered one of the greatest quarterbacking seasons in NFL history. Unfortunately for Kirk Cousins, this is not 2007. With Cousins once again being franchise-tagged by the Redskins, the organization continues to show a lack of faith in their quarterback. It does not help Cousins that his two lead receivers from 2016, Desean Jackson and Pierre Garcon, departed through free agency in the offseason. With few significant improvements made to their roster relative to the rest of the division, the Redskins could be in for a long 2017 season.

Week 1:

We won’t have to wait long for the first NFC East matchup of the year, as the Eagles will go on the road to play the Redskins at 1 p.m. on Sept 10. In their first regular season game on the field together, Carson Wentz and Alshon Jeffery will make it known how dominant of a tandem they can be. Wentz will throw three touchdowns, with two of them being hauled in by Jeffery. Kirk Cousins will do his best to keep Washington afloat, but his fourth quarter comeback effort will fall short after an interception near the three minute mark. Philadelphia will hold on for a 27-20 victory.

For the third year in a row, and fourth time in five years, the New York Giants will open the season on the road against the Dallas Cowboys. It will be the first Sunday Night Football game of the season, with kickoff scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Sept. 10. New York’s offense will get off to a hot start, with Eli Manning finding Brandon Marshall in the end zone to cap off an impressive opening drive. Dallas will answer with a scoring drive of its own, but New York’s defense will clamp down after that. Due to a lack of talent on Dallas’ defensive line, Manning will have all day to throw against the Cowboys as he throws for 300 yards and three touchdowns. The Cowboys are able to overcome New York’s defense in the fourth quarter, but it’s too little too late. New York Wins 31-21.

(NYG 1-0, PHI 1-0, DAL 0-1, WAS 0-1)

Week 2:

The Eagles go on the road to face a familiar foe 1 p.m. Sept. 17: Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid. Behind a strong defensive effort, the Chiefs lead for most of the afternoon. However, Wentz is able to come through in the clutch and deliver on a go ahead drive to give the Eagles a 17-16 lead with three minutes remaining. Unfortunately for Philadelphia, Alex Smith is able to get the Chiefs in field goal range and set up a game winning kick as time expires. Chiefs win 19-17.

Looking to recover after a tough loss in their home opener, the Redskins go on the road to Los Angeles to take on the Rams 4:25 p.m. Sept. 17. Cousins gets off to a hot start in the warm weather and throws for 200 yards in the first half. Behind a solid performance from their quarterback, Washington pulls out a 24-20 road victory.

Dallas travels to the mile high city to take on the Denver Broncos 4:25 p.m. Sept 17. Denver’s defense is able to pressure Dallas’ offensive line all evening long. However, the Cowboy’s defense plays well against Trevor Siemian and company. In a close defensive battle, Dallas comes away empty handed. Denver wins 17-14.

New York plays its home opening game against the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football 8:30 p.m. Sept. 18. Manning struggles in the first half, throwing two interceptions as the Giants fall behind by 10 points. Despite his early struggles, Manning is able to find his stride in the fourth quarter and lead a late game go ahead drive, which is capped off by a touchdown pass to Sterling Shepard. Eli Apple intercepts Matthew Stafford to seal Detroit’s fate and the Giants win 24-20.

(NYG 2-0, PHI 1-1, WAS 1-1, DAL 0-2)

Week 3:

The Giants have lost the past three games they’ve played at Lincoln Financial Field, and that streak will continue when New York goes on the road to play the Eagles 1 p.m. Sept 24. Wentz dazzles the home crowd with a spectacular first half performance against New York’s top ranked defense. Philadelphia’s front seven is able to apply pressure on Manning and keep New York’s offense at bay. The score going into halftime is 17-7 in favor of the Eagles. However, the tide turns in the third quarter. New York’s offensive line is finally able to provide Manning with protection as he picks apart Philadelphia’s secondary. The Giants take a 21-17 lead with four minutes remaining, but they leave too much time on the clock for Wentz. After struggling for most of the second half, Wentz delivers on a clutch comeback drive to put Philadelphia ahead for good. Eagles win 24-21.

Washington takes on the Oakland Raiders in a primetime matchup on Sunday Night Football. However, the game gets out of hand quickly as David Carr lights up the Redskins with three touchdown passes in the first half. Cousins plays well, but is unable to rally his team and the Raiders come away with a 35-24 win.

Dallas travels to Arizona for a Monday Night Football matchup with the Cardinals 8:30 p.m. Sept 25. Ezekiel Elliott explodes for 130 rushing yards and two scores. Dak Prescott plays well, and the Cowboys pick up their first win of the season 28-17.

(PHI 2-1, NYG 2-1, DAL 1-2, WAS 1-2)

Week 4:

After picking up their first win of the season in week three, the Cowboys keep things rolling in their Oct. 1 home game against the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams have no answer for Elliot, who runs for over 100 yards. Prescott throws three touchdowns without putting the ball in harm’s way and the Cowboys go on to win 31-17.

New York makes a trip south to Tampa Bay, Florida, to take on the Buccaneers. Tampa’s offense, which features Jameis Winston, Mike Evans and Desean Jackson, gives New York problems all evening long. In somewhat of an offensive battle, the game is tied at 28 with three minutes to go. Winston leads the Buccaneers on a game winning field goal drive, putting Odell Beckham Jr.’s 130 yard receiving performance to waste. Buccaneers win 31-28.

Riding high off of a comeback win against a rival, the Eagles travel to Los Angeles to play the Chargers. Wentz lights up the Chargers’ defense in a four touchdown, 350 yard passing performance. Philly’s defense is able to hold Phillip Rivers in check for most of the game. Philadelphia comes away with a 34-21 win.

Washington continues to struggle, this time in a road game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football Oct. 2. Kansas City’s defense intercepts Kirk Cousins three times, and Alex Smith plays ball control for the Chiefs. Kansas City wins 17-10.

(PHI 3-1, DAL 2-2, NYG 2-2, WAS 1-3)

New York plays the Chargers at home 1 p.m. October 8. Manning has a big game, throwing for 300 yards and three touchdowns. Philip Rivers struggles against pressure from the Giants defensive line all afternoon. Olivier Vernon gets two sacks, and Landon Collins picks off Rivers on his final drive. Giants win 27-17.

The Eagles take on the Cardinals in a 1 p.m. home game at the Linc Oct. 8. Sadly for the Eagles, they catch David Johnson and the Cardinals offense on a bad day. Johnson runs for 130 yards and two scores. Arizona’s defense puts pressure on Wentz, forcing him to throw two interceptions. Arizona shocks Philadelphia in a 21-17 win.

In a rematch of last years epic NFC Divisional Round, the Cowboys host the Green Bay Packers for a game 4:25 Oct. 8. Once again, Dallas and Green Bay trade punches in an offensive showdown. Aaron Rodgers throws for 300 yards and four touchdown passes, but Prescott has the last laugh. The second year quarterback leads a last second drive to set up a field goal as the clock expires. Dallas wins 34-31.

Washington is on its bye week.

(DAL 3-2, PHI 3-2, NYG 3-2, WAS 1-3)

As Justin Bour slugged pitch after pitch deep into the right field stands at Marlins Park July 10, it seemed, at the moment, as if Aaron Judge would have no chance of advancing past the first round of the 2017 MLB Home Run Derby.

Bour, a Miami Marlins player, brought the Miami crowd to its feet by hitting a remarkable 22 home runs in his first round matchup against Judge.

By the time Judge, a New York Yankee outfielder and MLB’s current leader in home runs (30), stepped to the plate, the fans at Marlins Park erupted with boos. Not only was Judge favored to beat the hometown Bour, but Judge’s Yankee teammate Gary Sanchez had already eliminated Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton from the derby.

Despite being favored headed into the contest, 22 homers would be a tough act to follow, even for the 6-foot-7-inch, 282-pound Slugger Judge. With both the odds and the crowd against him, Judge went to work to try and challenge Bour.

Under the current home run derby rules, each player has four minutes to hit as many balls as they can over the outfield fence. There is also a bonus 30 seconds awarded to a player if he hits two balls at least 440 feet. Each player is also allowed to take one timeout.

With 2:17 remaining in his first round appearance, Judge had managed to hit just seven long balls and decided to call a timeout. He was well behind Bour’s pace by then.

However, after regrouping with a break, Judge came out on fire. In the final 2:17 of the round, Judge smashed 14 homers, including a 501-foot bomb that travelled over the Marlin statue in left center field. Having hit several balls over 440 feet, Judge was awarded with 30 seconds of bonus time, in which he delivered two more home runs, eclipsing Bour and advancing to the second round.

In round two, Judge’s opponent was Cody Bellinger of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Like Judge, Bellinger is a rookie slugger who put on a show in the first half of the season.

Bellinger led the round off by hitting 12 home runs. Yet, even before Judge stepped back into the batter’s box you got the sense that 12 homers wouldn’t be nearly enough. Unfortunately for Bellinger, he was going up against a machine.

In response to Bellinger’s 12, Judge posted 13 homers with well over a minute remaining in his second round at bat. Three of his homers travelled at least 500 feet, including a mammoth 513-foot shot, which was the furthest hit ball of the night.

After defeating Bellinger, Judge moved on to the finals where he faced Minnesota Twins’ Miguel Sano. Appearing to be fatigued, Sano struggled for much of the final round, but he managed to come on strong late and finish with 10 home runs.

As was the case for Bellinger, however, 10 home runs was not enough to stay ahead of Judge.

Having won over the Miami crowd with moonshot after moonshot, Judge worked quickly in the final round and hit 11 home runs well before the one minute mark, on his way to being crowned as the 2017 MLB Home Run Derby Champion.

Perhaps what was most remarkable about his performance is the fact that, while everyone else appeared to be gassed by the second round, Judge never seemed to break a sweat. It’s worth noting that Judge did not just pull the ball. Rather, he sprayed it to all fields.

After an electrifying first half of a rookie season that has him as the early favorite for American League MVP, Judge’s derby performance only serves to bolster his already rapidly growing legend. There’s something about power hitting Yankee outfielders — like Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris and Reggie Jackson — that resonates with baseball fans, and considering the struggles the sport has had recently with popularity, perhaps Judge is exactly what the game needs.

FINALLY: the one word that was on the mind of New York Knicks fans when it was announced on the morning of June 26 that Phil Jackson would no longer be associated with the organization.

As a Knicks fan myself, who has suffered pretty much my entire life through losing season after losing season, the news could not have come any sooner. From the very first day of the Phil Jackson era in New York, I knew he was doomed for failure. The Knicks needed someone who could rebuild a team, but instead they hired a man who had never built anything.

Sure, he has 11 NBA Championship rings as a coach on his resume, but being a coach and being an executive are two completely different things. Coaching is implementing strategy for and managing the egos of the players that are already on your roster. Being an executive is actually going out and finding those players.

The fact of the matter is, despite all of his rings, Phil Jackson has never spent a day in his life building a roster, not even when he was successful as a coach.

Jackson just happened to be the next man up on the coaching staff when the Chicago Bulls fired Doug Collins in 1989. In the late ’80s, the Collins-led Bulls were scratching the surface of a title, but they just did not have the depth nor the experience to get past a veteran Detroit Pistons squad. Although Michael Jordan was already the NBA’s most dominant player, Scottie Pippen had yet to develop into a viable co-star.

After the Bulls fell short to the Pistons in the 1989 Eastern Conference Finals, Collins was fired and Jackson took over. Jackson was gifted with both Michael Jordan at the peak of his powers and Scottie Pippen as he ascended to stardom. You can credit him for implementing the triangle offense and for managing player egos, but the truth is Jackson played basically zero part in the creation of that early ’90s Bulls roster.

The same can be said for the Lakers dynasty of the early 2000s. While Jackson gets all the credit for coaching Los Angeles to three straight championships, people forget that it was Jerry West who planted the seeds for that team’s dominance.

In 1996, it was West who stole Shaquille O’Neal away from the Orlando Magic in free agency. It was West who traded Vlade Divac to the Hornets in exchange for 17-year-old Kobe Bryant. It was West who drafted Derek Fisher late in the first round. A year later, it was West who acquired sharpshooter Robert Horry.

All of these moves took place while Michael Jordan was busy helping Phil Jackson in the middle of a second championship three-peat for the Bulls. After Jordan retired in 1998, Jackson decided to do the same. Meanwhile, over in the Western Conference, the Lakers were getting better and better each year.

In 1998, with Del Harris as their head coach, the Lakers won 61 games in the regular season and claimed the three seed in the West. Los Angeles was able to get all the way to the Western Conference Finals that year, but they were swept by a veteran Utah Jazz team that had more depth and playoff experience. Sound familiar?

The following season in 1999, the Lakers were swept in the Conference Semifinals by the eventual champion, the San Antonio Spurs, a team that featured the twin towers of Tim Duncan and David Robinson. While Los Angeles had Shaq, the most dominant player in the league, on its roster, his co-star Kobe Bryant was still only 20 years old and had yet to develop into a legit second option. Jordan and Pippen much?

Looking for a coach who could take his young roster over the top, West fired Harris and asked Phil Jackson to come out of retirement to coach the Lakers. It was a no-brainer for Phil, who would take over what was by far the best young roster in the NBA.

In the 1999-2000 season, Jackson’s first year in Los Angeles, Bryant took a huge step forward and O’Neal was the clear-cut favorite for MVP. With the league’s most unstoppable force, a young assassin as their second option, and solid role players in the starting line-up and on the bench, Los Angeles dominated the League for the next three years.

Again, credit Jackson for implementing the triangle, but he was not the one who put that great team together. In terms of roster building, all Phil Jackson ever did was have fortunate timing at his side.

This was the “roster building” experience Jackson had when he was hired by the Knicks in 2014, and his first big move as an executive made it immediately evident that he had no clue what he was doing. After a tumultuous 2013-14 season, Jackson decided to give Carmelo Anthony, at the age of 30 years old, a five-year maximum contract with a no-trade clause.

He gave an aged star player, who was arguably already past his prime, a contract that would do nothing but clog up cap space until it expired.

It was no secret that New York was not going to compete with Cleveland for the East that year. Signing Melo was a five-year guarantee of mediocrity, and mediocre is the worst thing a franchise in the NBA can be. With an aged Anthony as their centerpiece, the Knicks wouldn’t be good enough to compete for a title, but they also wouldn’t be bad enough to get a good pick in the draft lottery.

However, in the first year of his max deal, Melo was hurt half way through the season, and the Knicks were atrocious. This gave fans hope, as Karl Anthony-Towns was the top prospect in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Growing up in North Jersey, I watched Anthony-Towns throughout his high school career and wanted nothing more than for the Knicks to be in a position to draft him. At the beginning of the 2014-15 season, it appeared there was no chance that would happen, but with Melo out for the second half of the season, I had hope.

With just three games to go, the Knicks had the worst record in the league. All they had to do was lose out and they would have the highest odds to get the first pick. All Jackson had to do was instruct first year head coach, and terrible hire, Derek Fisher to rest his starters and Phil would have a chance to put a potential future Hall of Famer alongside Melo.

But no. The Knicks won two of their next three, including a road victory against the Atlanta Hawks, who happened to be the one seed in the East. You’ve got to be kidding me, right? Jackson couldn’t even tank correctly.

With the two late season wins, New York finished one game better than the Minnesota Timberwolves. Minnesota not only got the highest odds for the draft’s first pick, but it also won the lottery and drafted Anthony-Towns.

With the second highest odds, New York unluckily dropped all the way to fourth in the draft. Come selection time, it was between Emmanuel Mudiay and Kristaps Porzingis, and I thank my lucky stars each day that Jackson somehow made the right choice.

Despite the idiotic reactions by many Knicks fans at the draft Porzingis was the right pick, even before anyone had seen him play. He was a seven-foot, three-inch big man with a 35-inch vertical and three point range. If he wasn’t Karl Anthony-Towns, he was the next closest thing.

Jackson lucked into drafting Porzingis with the fourth pick, and that is really the only bright spot on his resume with the Knicks. That’s why I was ready for New Yorkers to stage a protest outside of Madison Square Garden when the Porzingis trade rumors started to circulate a week ago.

How could you you even think about trading someone who has such a high ceiling? Perhaps that that was the final straw for Knicks owner James Dolan, but I can’t believe it took this long for Jackson to be gone.

“In this fall, this is very tough, in this fall I’m going to take my talents to The Alamo and join the San Antonio Spurs.”

Okay, perhaps LeBron James learned from the first time around that it’s a bad idea to have a televised event in which he makes his decision on what team he’s going to sign with for the upcoming season. That’s probably why, when he returned to Cleveland, he wrote a letter professing his choice instead of holding a press conference.

However, the point still remains, James could very well be in a Spurs jersey before the end of his career and it makes all the sense in the world. I’m sorry to say this Cleveland, I really am, but he might just leave again.

Just imagine being LeBron James right now. You’re averaging 32 points, 12.3 rebounds and 10.3 assists while shooting 55.4 percent from the floor in the NBA Finals this year. Efficiency wise you could argue, in your already illustrious career, you have never played this well on the NBA’s biggest stage, yet your team is still losing by an average margin of 15.3 points.

You’re taking a look around, as LeBron, and realizing the Cleveland Cavaliers, in their current construction, just don’t have the firepower to compete with Golden State.

Kyrie Irving has been up and down on the offensive end. Kevin Love is too slow at the power forward position to offer any kind of defensive effort against Kevin Durant, and Love’s offensive production comes nowhere close to outweighing his deficiencies on the other end.

J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert are far too inconsistent at the shooting guard position, and when Klay Thompson gets rolling, Cleveland has no answer for him. Tristan Thompson, and centers in general, are too slow to keep up with Draymond Green in the fastbreak.

The icing on the cake is the fact that you, LeBron James, are likely wearing down physically at age 32, and not only have to carry the load on nearly every offensive possession you’re involved in, but you’re also tasked with trying to guard Durant on every play.

That’s the nightmare that LeBron is living as we speak!

This Warriors team is just too good, and even with LeBron doing all that he can, and doing it well, it’s nowhere close to enough.

“My motivation is this ghost I’m chasing. The ghost played in Chicago,” Lebron said in an interview with Sports Illustrated shortly after winning the 2016 Finals. If that’s true, James knows he will never truly catch that ghost unless he approaches six rings.

If the Cavaliers lose to the Warriors this year, LeBron will fall to 3-5 in the NBA Finals. The sports media will pose three questions. One, is Kevin Durant the best player in the world now that his super team beat LeBron? Two, is LeBron’s legacy tarnished with yet another Finals loss? Three, will LeBron ever win again?

As these stories begin to circulate, in the back of his mind, James will no doubt be contemplating if staying in Cleveland is worth it for his legacy. With the Cav’s pretty much maxed out in terms of cap space, and the Warriors having a significantly younger roster, it’s likely that James will never get a ring again if he stays in “Believeland.”

So the answer to King James’ problem is to once again depart from home, this time moving to Texas. It’s kind of absurd if you think about how perfect a fit LeBron would be with the Spurs.

The only thing that doesn’t work perfectly is the timing, as James would have to wait until after 2018 to make this move. However when the time comes, LeBron should get up and leave for San Antonio, and here are all the reasons why.

Reason One: Chris Paul.

There have already been rumors circulating that CP3 is interested in departing from the Los Angeles Clippers in order to team up with Kawhi Leonard and Gregg Popovich. LeBron has hinted, on multiple occasions, that he is interested in playing alongside CP3, who happens to be close personal friends with King James.

The only problem with that line of thinking is that CP3 has a max contract for next year, and the Spurs do not have the cap space to fit him on their roster, even if they traded for him. However, if this move is being made in 2018, CP3 would be a free agent, and the Spurs will have gotten rid of Pau Gasol’s $16.2 million contract by then. Tony Parker also becomes a free agent, freeing up even more cap room.

Assuming the Warriors walk through the Western Conference again, Paul would be a 33-year-old star who is still ringless, constantly being asked questions about his legacy. With that in mind, Paul likely would not be opposed to taking a pay cut to play for a winner, so the Spurs pick up the veteran point guard for a discounted price.

All that’s left is to clear cap space for LeBron, so San Antonio puts Lamarcus Aldridge on the block in order to get rid of his contract. While his more than $22 million hit against the cap will be a turnoff for most, there would likely be a franchise or two interested in a power forward who is capable of averaging 20 points per game.

The Spurs could trade Aldridge for scraps to clear room for James, who, like Paul, might take a pay cut to help his legacy. With a core of LeBron, CP3 and Kawhi, the Spurs would be immediate contenders. And knowing the Spurs, even if the “scraps” they trade Aldridge for are late first round picks, they could probably find some solid role players through the draft.

Reason Two: Wade and Melo.

“I really hope that, before our career is over, we can all play together … At least one, maybe one or two seasons — me, Melo, D-Wade, CP — we can get a year in,” James said in an interview with Bleacher report earlier this year when asked if he’d like to play on the same team as Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony.

In 2018, both Wade and Anthony will be on the free agent market. By then, Wade and Melo will both be ages 36 and 34 respectively. While they won’t be their superstar selves, the two would likely be solid veterans who can play key roles on a championship team.

Given that Wade will have spent two years in Chicago earning a max dealing, there is a good chance he’d be willing to take a pay cut to play for a contender, especially if he can reunite with James. Melo, who has never won a ring, will be fresh off of a five year max deal that will have earned him over $120 million. Having already been paid well, Melo could take a smaller contract to finally both play and win with his friend James.

So in this scenario, you’ve got a starting lineup that features Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, Kawhi Leonard, Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James, with Danny Green to space the floor as another shooting guard off the bench.

Now, some people may be critical of the age of those players at that point in time. That’s where Reason Three comes in.

Reason Three: Gregg Popovich.

By the start of the 2019 NBA Playoffs, James and Paul will be 34, Anthony will be 35 and Wade will be 37. Leonard, at 27 years of age, would be the lone youth superstar on the team, likely in the prime of his career.

For most coaches, managing a core lineup that old for an entire 82 game season would be a struggle. Most coaches aren’t Gregg Popovich.

Popovich is the man who began the trend of resting star players during marquee matchups in the regular season. While he took a great deal of criticism for having guys like Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili not even show up to the arena for road games during the 2013-14 season, his method had results as the Spurs won a championship.

Somehow, Popovich milked solid years out of Duncan when he was already well past his prime. He’s done the same thing with Ginobili and Tony Parker, and who’s to say he couldn’t do it with another group of stars.

On talent alone, a lineup with LeBron, Wade, Melo, Leonard and Paul could be up by 20 points headed into the fourth quarter against more than half the teams in the NBA. Key players on that roster would barely have to average 30 minutes a game. The biggest kicker would be when the Spurs have a road matchup with Golden State in the regular season, and Popovich leaves all of his starters back in San Antonio due to “illness.”

Then, assuming the Spurs grab the two-seed in the West that year, they would only have to play two playoff rounds until they face the Warriors. Have you noticed how gassed LeBron is in the Finals against Golden State? Imagine if, instead of having to win 12 games before taking on the Warriors, James and his teammates only had to win eight.

That Western Conference Finals would be a “Showdown for the Ages”: LeBron vs. Durant, Curry vs. Paul, Melo vs Draymond, Clay vs Kawhi, Popovich vs. Kerr.

Would the NBA Finals and the regular season be ruined? Probably. But Kevin Durant already ruined the regular season by going to Golden State, and Adam Silver has taken the position that super teams are apparently good for the league, so there’s nothing the NBA can do to stop this.

Reason Four: Popovich’s Game Planning.

Even if this “Super Spurs” team meets with the Warriors in the 2019 Western Conference Finals, there is no guarantee that they could upstage the Warriors. Golden State would have an advantage in youth, team chemistry and tempo.

However, San Antonio can combat those two obstacles thanks to the brilliance of Gregg Popovich. With weapons like Paul, Melo, Leonard and James at his disposal, there is no telling what kind offense he could run.

He could keep the tempo slow, with Paul facilitating to Melo and James on a pick-and-roll while Leonard sits wide open in the corner. He could ask them to play fast, with Paul and LeBron orchestrating a fastbreak as Leonard, Green and whatever role players they pick up run to the three-point line. He could have LeBron or Melo play isolation on the low block against a defensive mismatch.

There would be so many different offensive schemes the Spurs could run to disrupt the Warriors all-time fast pace.

Defensive matchups would be interesting as well. In an effort to preserve LeBron’s energy, Leonard could cover Durant, and James could stick Draymond. Paul, a solid defensive point guard, would cover Curry. Danny Green and Dwyane Wade would take turns guarding Klay Thompson.

If these two hypothetical teams met during the playoffs, it would be a seven game series for the ages.

So, will LeBron leave the Cavs for the Spurs? I don’t know, I’m not LeBron. However, I do know that if LeBron really wants to chase down Michael Jordan’s ghost, the best place for him to do it is San Antonio.

Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout (27) grimaces after hurting his hand sliding safely into second base during the fifth inning against the Miami Marlins on Sunday, May 28, 2017 at Marlins Park in Miami, Fla. (Patrick Farrell/Miami Herald/TNS)

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim star outfielder Mike Trout will undergo surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb, an injury he suffered May 28.

Recovery time from the surgery is an estimated six to eight weeks.

Trout’s injury is particularly frustrating to both him and baseball fans everywhere because the 25 year old was off to the best start of a season in his phenomenal six year career. In each of his first five seasons in Major League Baseball, Trout finished in no worse than second place for the American League most valuable player award, winning it twice (in 2014 and 2016).

At the time of his injury this week, Trout was leading the league in home runs (16) and was among the leaders in batting average (.337) and RBIs (36). Though it is still early in the year, one could only imagine that, had he been healthy all year, Trout would have had a chance to contend for the triple crown. He was also MLB’s leader in walks (36), OBP (.461), SLG (.742), OPS (1.203) and OPS+ (225).

If he were able to sustain numbers like that for an entire season, Trout would not only be the clear cut favorite for MVP, but he would also have a year that many experts would consider one of the greatest hitting seasons of all time. It’s just a shame that this injury had to occur when Trout appeared to be taking a step forward in his game, which was greatly unexpected considering how well he had already played throughout his career.

Adding a third MVP to his mantle would have greatly boosted Trout’s resume. Only seven other Major Leaguers have won at least three MVPs. The only player to ever win more than three MVPs was Barry Bonds, and he holds the all-time record with seven.

With Trout being the ripe young age of 26 by the end of this year, a third MVP trophy would have given both a legit shot to become MLB’s second four time MVP and also a glimmer of hope of one day matching Bonds’ record. Sadly, however, this scenario is now a mere hypothetical.

For baseball fans, it  is tough to bear this. The game has undoubtedly declined in popularity over the past decade. If you don’t believe me, just ask your friends if they know who Mike Trout is, and see how many can answer without looking it up on their phones.

It would have been blasphemy for someone in the 1950s not to know who Mickey Mantle was, but significantly less people know of Trout in today’s world. That is sad when you consider the fact that Trout has a chance to eclipse not just Mantle, but perhaps everyone who has ever played the game. The MLB has arguably never had a more complete player, but the league has also never had so poor of a following, and now that Trout is hurt, so too are the few who still passionately follow America’s pastime.

The evil empire has returned. In a season where most experts predicted that they might barely contend for a wild card spot, the New York Yankees are off to one of the best starts by any Major League Baseball team this season.

With their May 24 game postponed due to rain, New York currently sits in first place in the American League East, boasting a 27-17 record and a two-and-a-half-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles.

Much like the championship teams of the past, the Bronx Bombers have done most of their damage this season with their bats. Despite their stud young catcher Gary Sanchez, who homered 20 times in just 53 games last season, missing the first month of the season, the lineup has been on a tear. As of now, the Yankees have hit the second most home runs in the Majors (69), trailing only the Washington Nationals (70).

Aaron Judge went from looking like a late career Adam Dunn last season to a young Mark McGwire this season. While many expected Judge to take a step forward this year, I don’t think anyone could have predicted that he would be tied, at this point in the season, with Mike Trout for the most home runs in Major League Baseball (15). In person, the 6-foot-7-inch, 282 pound right field appears to be a the real life version of Paul Bunyan.

Judge always had power, but in the 84 MLB at bats he had in 2016, the tall righty struck out in half of them. What has changed for Judge is his ability to consistently put the ball in play. This year, in 149 at bats, Judge has been retired on strikes just 51 times, which is a significant improvement from last summer. His statline not only makes him the clear favorite for rookie of the year, but you could also argue he’s been good enough early on to be the League’s MVP with a .315 batting average, 15 homers, 30 RBIs, .420 OBP and .678 SLG.

However, Judge is not the only present surprise for the Yankees’ offense thus far. Outfielder Brett Gardner has transformed, seemingly overnight, from a slap-hitting base stealer into a middle of the lineup slugger. Gardners is having his finest season as a Major Leaguer, batting .280 with nine homers and 20 RBI’s in 40 games.

Second baseman Starlin Castro has been a spark plug in the middle of the lineup. Not only is Castro leading the team in hits, 59, and second in average, .328, but he has also found his power stroke, launching seven homers thus far.

Outfielder Aaron Hicks has also exceeded expectations. In just 34 games, Hicks has drilled eight dingers, which is three shy of his career high.

Matt Holliday has been a solid addition at the designated hitter spot. In 41 games, the veteran righty has eight homers, a .280 average, and 28 RBIs.

Shortstop Didi Gregorius has returned from injury and picked up right where he left off last season. Coming off of a career year in which he homered 20 times, Gregorius is now leading the Yankees with a .330 batting average.

However, as great as the offense has been this season, the pitching staff could be what costs this year’s Yankees team a shot at the title. New York’s ace Masahiro Tanaka is having, by far, the worst year of his MLB career. Tanaka has been slapped around his past few starts as his ERA has ballooned to 6.56.

Luis Severino and Michael Pineda have been solid, but with no clear ace to take the mound in a crucial game, there is no telling who the Yankees will turn to for a big spot in the postseason.

Obviously, it’s very early on in the season. The Yankees have 118 games to go until they reach the finish line, and a lot can happen between now and October. However, if this early season run the Yankees are on indicates anything, it’s the fact that the youth movement in the Bronx has a bright future. Add a few young arms to the mix, and there is no telling how good this team can be in a few years.

His 11 point performance in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals proves that LeBron James lives in the most difficult era ever to be the National Basketball Association’s best player.

“Jordan never would have had a game like that. Kobe never would have come up short. Bird or Magic wouldn’t let that happen. See, I told you the Cleveland Cavaliers weren’t that good, I told you the Celtics would take them in seven.” You might have heard statements like these at some point this week in the streets, or in barbershops, or on talk radio, or on twitter or facebook.

The haters will look for any and every minor detail and mistake LeBron makes in an attempt to tarnish the legacy of a player who is easily one of the league’s five best to ever do it, if not already higher on that heavily opinionated list. And while I’m sure star players in previous generations faced scrutiny, the backlash that LeBron gets is magnified by social media.

LeBron haters will undoubtedly be up in arms after reading both the first sentence of this article and the sentence immediately before this one, but I don’t care anymore. My patience for the ignorant hate of a superstar who plays the game the way it was meant to be played has grown far too short. Whether or not you think he is better than Jordan or Bird or Magic or Kobe, can you at least acknowledge that no player has ever been crucified more for his errors, which are minimal at that, than King James?

We live in a world where Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and several other social media sites allow us to spread messages and opinions at the click of a button. In many ways, social media has fostered great changes for our society. However, it is easier now, more than ever before, to make a completely false statement and get dozens, if not hundreds of people to quickly believe it as fact, all because of social media.

Statements like “Jordan would have never played this poorly,” are both easy and absurd to make because there is no factual evidence backing them. That’s just the first thing that pops into a lazy fan’s mind who thinks, likely because he went 6-0 in the finals, Jordan never made a mistake on the court. If you were a responsible NBA follower, you’d do your research and see that Michael Jordan didn’t actually walk on water. Regardless of what Nike, Gatorade and Skip Bayless want you to believe, “His Airness” had flaws, just like everyone else.

Have you ever seen Jordan’s statline from the 1996 Finals, when the Bulls were up 3-0 and trying to close out the season in which they set a record for wins? Sure, if you go by the series averages, Jordan played phenomenal. However, if you take a deeper dive into the game by game box scores, you’ll learn that even MJ, at the peak of his power, had bad games on the biggest stage.

In Game 4 of the Finals that year against the Seattle SuperSonics, with a chance to clinch a sweep, Jordan shot a not-so-sexy six of 19 from the floor as the Bulls lost 107-86.

If that surprises you, go look at Game 6 from that same series. Again, with a ring on the line, and this time with the Sonics having clawed back to make the series 3-2, the great Air Jordan failed to be his usual self, going a horrendous five of 19 from the floor. Fortunately for him, the Bulls played unreal defense that night because they had Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen, arguably two of the five best defensive players in league history, on the court alongside Jordan.

Chicago won the series clinching game in spite of its superstar scorer, but why don’t we ever talk about the help Jordan got? Why don’t we ever talk about the bad games Jordan had, not just in the 1996 Finals, but throughout his career?  Maybe it’s because, in those moments, the Joe Schmo’s of the world with 200 followers on Twitter didn’t have the ability to tweet out from their phone “See, I told you Jordan wasn’t that good,” all based upon a rare, poor performance from an all-time great.

Allow me to further demonstrate this point. LeBron’s playoff statline this year, excluding the Game 3 loss to Boston in the ECF, is as follows: he’s averaged 34.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 7.0 assists and a plus-minus of 15, all while shooting a dominant 56.8 percent from the floor, 43.1 percent from three and 73 percent from the free throw line, not to mention the Cavs are 11-0 in those games. Up until this week, people across sports media platforms were saying they had never seen an individual play at such a high level.

However, after Cleveland’s ECF Game 3 loss, the haters came out from under the rocks LeBron had been forcing them to take shelter beneath in order to voice their entirely too cruel criticisms of a man who, for the 10 previous postseason games, had played basketball as well, if not better, than anyone who has ever lived.

LeBron James is a flawed human being, just like you and me. Even King James can have an off night, but it’s not the off nights we judge greatness on. Rather, it’s the consistently high level of play that stars demonstrate which allows us to determine where in the all-time rankings we place them.

In a close out Game 7 at home against the Celtics during the 2010 NBA Finals, Kobe Bryant shot six for 24 from the floor, but was aided in a 83-79 victory by a 20 point performance from Ron Artest. In the 1984 Finals, Magic Johnson played so poorly that he earned the nickname “Tragic Johnson,” because everyone blamed him for the the Los Angeles Lakers losing the series. In Game 4 of the 1987 NBA Finals, with the Celtics trailing by one, Larry Bird missed a relatively open jumper at the sound of the final buzzer, which capped a seven of 19 shooting night for him. Had Bird’s shot gone in, the series would have been tied 2-2 and Boston may have found a way to win that year’s Finals, instead of being beaten four games to one by the Lakers.

I bring up all of these indisputable facts to prove the point that you can nit-pick the career of anyone you choose, but their rare off nights are not evidence that they are worse than another player. It’s the frequency in which athletes perform at high and low levels that should be taken into account, but with the way social media works, it’s so much easier to focus on the mistakes, mostly because they are so rare by those who are so great.

When LeBron James missed that dunk towards the end of the third quarter in Game 4 of the ECF May 23, I found a GIF of it on twitter within five minutes of the play happening live. People were up in arms about it. It was such a big deal, there was a story headline on Snapchat declaring that LeBron had butchered a wide open fastbreak slam.

Why is that? Maybe it’s because most people had never seen LeBron miss a dunk before, and the haters quickly wanted to use that one play to make the childish point that “Jordan would have made the dunk.” That’s funny though, because you can find footage on YouTube  of Jordan missing a wide open fastbreak slam in Game 3 of the 1992 ECF Semifinals against the New York Knicks.

Relative to his missed dunk, there was not much said about the 22 points LeBron scored in the second half of Game 4, despite him being in foul trouble throughout. As a matter of fact, all the praise went to Kyrie Irving, who was undeniably great in a 42 point outburst. For some reason, though, Irving gets infinitely more credit from the haters for helping LeBron than Pippen did with Jordan, or Shaq did with Kobe, or Kareem did with Magic, or McHale did with Bird.

The only chance LeBron has of completely silencing the haters is if he somehow vanquishes Golden State Warriors with newly added Kevin Durant, that appears ready to avenge its finals loss from last season. And not only does he have to beat a team in the finals that will be a heavy favorite, but he also has to average either 30 points or more points than Kyrie, nine rebounds and eight assists, otherwise he wasn’t “dominant enough.” And not only does he have to do all that, but he also has to win three more titles after that and be the NBA Finals MVP in all of those, and that still might not be enough. At least that’s what the haters will tell you.

The truth is, if you are a real fan of the game of basketball and you’re watching LeBron James play right now, you’re not buying into the naive tweets, or the hot takes or the opinions of Jordan fan boys who aren’t yet ready to admit that someone might just be as good. If you are a real fan of the game, you’re watching this NBA Playoffs and realizing that you are seeing one of the best to ever do it, and you know that if the Cavs some how beat the Warriors in the finals, LeBron will have pulled off a basketball equivalent of the Rumble in the Jungle. So put down your phones, close your laptops, turn off your radio and just witness greatness, because there’s no guarantee we’ll ever see a player this good again.

After a 5-4 walk off victory in the first game of a doubleheader May 6, the Drexel University softball team lost the second game of the day 10-0 and then fell 10-2 May 7, finishing the season with two straight losses to Hofstra University.

Prior to the first game that was played May 6, eight Dragons, Baeley Reed, Vanessa Lightfoot, Tara Konopka, Jourdan Skirha, Kimberly Chan, Savanna Johnson, Erin Okoniewski and Sharon Zamora, were honored in front of the home crowd at the Drexel Softball Field during a Senior Day Ceremony.

The starting lineup for Game 1 of the doubleheader consisted of seven seniors. The only senior who did not start was Kimberly Chan, who was injured earlier this season. However, in a surprise move, Drexel’s coach Carl Taylor had Chan pinch hit to lead off the bottom of the first inning for Drexel.

Chan drew a walk and, for the final time in her career, made her way to first base, much to the pleasure of both the home crowd and her teammates. As soon as Chan reached first, coach Taylor had a pinch runner come onto the bases paths for her, and Chan returned to the dugout, receiving a round of applause.

Despite the Dragons getting a runner on to being the bottom of the first, they were unable to bring a run across the plate. Drexel was held scoreless by the Pride for the first five innings as Hofstra had built a 4-0 advantage

However, Drexel was able to gain some momentum in the bottom of the sixth, once again thanks to standout freshman Linda Rush. With sophomore Janelle Ladrido on bases, Rush launched a screaming liner over the left field fence for a two-run homer, cutting the Pride’s lead to 4-2.

Senior Tara Konopka, who was the game’s starting pitcher, pitched a scoreless top of the seventh to give Drexel a chance for a comeback in the bottom half of the inning.

Freshman Mari Gardner was the first Dragon to reach base in the bottom of the seventh, thanks to a one-out walk. Ladrido followed up by hitting a single up the middle, which put the tying run on base. Lightfoot followed up with another single up the middle, which loaded the bases for Rush.

After getting ahead in the count 2-0, Rush smacked a line drive into the right-centerfield gap, which rolled all the way to the wall. Gardner and Ladrido scored easily, and coach Lightfoot made a bold decision to send Lightfoot home. That decision paid off as the throw to home plate sailed high, allowing Lightfoot to score the game winning run before being mobbed by her teammates.

Rush practically won the game on her own as she was responsible for all five of Drexel’s RBIs.

Unfortunately for the Dragons, they were unable to repeat their success in the second game of the double header. The Pride took command of the game out of the gate, scoring five runs in the top of the first. Alyssa Irons, the starting pitcher for Hofstra, kept the Dragons at bay the entire game, holding them scoreless for five innings. Hofstra managed to score 10 runs by the end of the fifth, which allowed them to pick up a mercy rule victory over the Dragons.

Sunday was basically the same story as Hofstra came away with a 10-2 mercy rule win after five innings. The one bright spot for the Dragons on the day was a home run that Skirha hit in the bottom of the second. It was just the second homer of her Drexel career, and she hit it in her final game.

Drexel finished the season with 19-30 record overall and a 4-16 mark in conference.

Rush finished her record setting freshman campaign with a .414 batting average, 14 home runs, 50 RBI’s, 16 doubles, an .850 slugging percentage, and a .480 on base percentage. In the Colonial Athletic Association, she finished in first place for batting average, home runs, slugging percentage and on base percentage and came in second for RBIs and doubles.

For her efforts, Rush was named to the CAA Rookie Team. Somehow, however, despite her ridiculously impressive resume, Rush was snubbed not only of the CAA Rookie of the Year Award but also of CAA First and Second Team honors. How could a player who finishes no lower than second in every major offensive category not be considered for one of these awards? I’m sure that question is on the mind of everyone who is associated with Drexel softball.