Pointlessly yelling at my TV, trying to reach people who can’t hear me and inspire them to win a game that I’ve never played at even a fraction of their level — somehow, they can’t hear me. They make mistakes I swear I wouldn’t have made. 

The coaching would be better off if a toddler was in charge (no disrespect to toddlers). The referees have received the bribe — they’ve made it their personal mission to either look the other way on the opponent or call everything on my team. 

My blood pressure is at dangerously high levels, nervousness courses through my brain and my heart feels like it’s about to burst out of my chest.

After the loss, the crushing reality of coming up short mixes with unfulfilled promise and creates something that is disgusting to digest. Soon, the homework that I skipped out on doing to watch this is going to hit like a ton of bricks. 

Even if the season was overall positive, even if new players have caught my eye, even if I’ll likely move on by tomorrow — a meaningful loss still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. 

So, why do I believe my fandom of football, basketball and recently baseball is one of the most healthy aspects of my life?

Well, there is some fact backing me up. According to Daniel Wann, a psychologist who researches sports fandom at Murray State University, “fandom connects us to other like-minded people, satisfying our human need for belonging.” 

Fans also tend to have increased self-esteem, reduced loneliness and overall satisfaction with life in comparison to those who don’t follow sports. 

Once this psychological connection is formed, research has found it doesn’t dissipate with losing. There is still a mental benefit in watching your pathetic team scrounge its way to a bottom-of-the-barrel standing, especially if you follow it with other passionate fans. 

As a college student, I believe sports fandom can be a powerful tool to maintain mental health. It’s especially useful at a place like Tech, where the rigor can spawn feelings of alienation and dissatisfaction. 

When I came here from out-of-state, I was able to find a community and form meaningful connections through my fandom. 

These connections have grown into some of my most cherished friendships here. I do, in fact, “wait all day for Sunday Night” so that I can sit on the couch and argue about the game with my friends.

It’s a form of escapism — a break from the academic load, because now I’m just a fan watching my team as opposed to a student. But, fandom is also a bridge to home.

When I call my brother, who plays Little League baseball and loves the Philadelphia Phillies, it’s easy to reduce the separation by talking — mostly untrue — trash about how much better my team (the Mariners) is. Him playing baseball is actually what inspired me to understand the game further. 

Without the baseball fandom, I would have never had the impetus to play catch with him and now, it’s one of our favorite things to do. 

For my personal development, the skill, fortitude, swag and teamwork that I see in my favorite players is inspiring. If I see someone on my team gutting it out and shooting buckets with a sprained wrist, I can probably grind out two hours of studying for a test. 

Even if I’m probably never going to play in the NBA, the theme of pushing through something because it needs to be done will always be relevant in my life. 

As a disclaimer, I doubt my fandom will be good for my physical health forty or fifty years from now. Watching stupid play calls drives my blood pressure up to a level that won’t age well and I’ll probably have to ease up on the nervous snacking.

I also recognize that being a student at Tech means that it’s just not realistic to watch every game. However, the mental health benefits are never going to fade. 

I’d encourage everybody to find a sport they have any interest in learning or understanding and look for that one team, that one player, that one game that just gets you hooked. It just might change your life for the better. 

Throughout the six games of Super Wild Card Weekend and four Divisional Round matchups, the four best teams in the NFL – even if it wasn’t always pretty – persevered. 

In the NFC, the two-seed 49ers faced their division rivals, the seven-seed Seahawks, while the one-seed Eagles enjoyed their first-round bye during Super Wild Card Weekend. Even with stellar rookies and excellent play from revitalized former backup quarterback Geno Smith, the Seahawks were largely expected to struggle. 

While Seattle managed to go into halftime with a 17-16 lead, the Niners proved too much to handle. Penalties set the Seattle offense back and Smith had two costly turnovers that the hungry Niners defense was able to capitalize on. The Niners dominated the second half and won easily. 

The Niners then welcomed the Dallas Cowboys to Santa Clara after quarterback Dak Prescott ripped through a weak Tampa secondary for four touchdowns and the blowout win in a previous game. The Cowboys defense made Tom Brady look mortal, pressuring him constantly and forcing him into a bad interception. 

In a matchup of former Falcons coaches, Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn’s unit, led by hybrid edge/linebacker Micah Parsons and ballhawk cornerback Trevon Diggs, matched up well against Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan’s versatile offense. Both defenses came to play, with San Francisco holding onto a slim 9-6 lead at halftime. 

However, the Niners defense forced Prescott into two big picks and dual-threat running back Tony Pollard went down, ending Dallas’s running offense for the night. Halftime made the difference — the Niners bottled up the run and forced Dak into several off throws. 

What makes San Francisco so dangerous is their array of playmakers on both sides of the ball. Rookie quarterback Brock Purdy — an unheralded seventh-round pick — has effectively distributed the ball to receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk and unlocked tight end George Kittle as a red-zone threat. 

On the ground, do-it-all running back Christian McCaffrey and premier left tackle Trent Williams make it difficult for defenses to control the line of scrimmage. Their defense is even better, led by the standout linebacker duo of coverage eraser Fred Warner and hard hitter Dre Greenlaw. 

In the trenches, dominant sack artist Nick Bosa (18.5 sacks this year) and defensive stalwart Arik Armstead pose a matchup nightmare for any offensive line. This is a tough, physical team that even has its wide receivers blocking with an attitude. They’re going to need to bring every bit of that attitude — because the Eagles team they’re facing is no slouch either. 

Unlike San Francisco, the Eagles had no problem dispatching their divisional round opponent. Coming off some much needed rest, they faced off against a six-seed upstart New York Giants team that defied expectations the whole year. 

In their first season under innovative offensive head coach Brian Daboll, the Giants snapped a six-year playoff drought by using a creative rushing and play-action offense that melded the talents of their superstar running back Saquon Barkely with the elusiveness of quarterback Daniel Jones. 

Those two players were instrumental in their upset Wild Card win over a three-seeded Minnesota Vikings team that found themselves on the right side of one-score games repeatedly. However, the Eagles were a different caliber of team that the Giants were not equipped to handle. Philly’s defense bottled up Jones and Barkley while the offensive line powered through the Giants’ vaunted defensive tackles, Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams, for over 200 rushing yards.

The Eagles’ strongest point is their defensive and offensive lines. Edge rusher Haason Reddick’s otherworldly speed and burst funnels quarterbacks into the arms of his powerful counterparts, Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham. Their interior defensive line runs five-deep with tackles Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph and Jordan Davis. 

If teams manage to throw against Philadelphia, cornerbacks Darius Slay and James Bradberry, as well as safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnston, can erase receivers and grab interceptions. The offensive line, bookended by standout left and right tackles Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson, works with ageless center Jason Kelce to keep dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts clean as he throws to talented wide receivers AJ Brown and Devonta Smith. 

Expect a physical matchup between them and San Francisco to determine who can out-muscle the other for a trip to the Super Bowl. 

Turning over to the AFC, it is a repeat of last year’s championship game as quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs hope to exact revenge against quarterback Joe Burrow and the Bengals. 

The Chiefs rested on Wild Card Weekend while the Bengals clashed with their division rivals, the Baltimore Ravens. Minus their star quarterback Lamar Jackson, the Ravens defense needed to carry the team and they couldn’t do it all. A late-game fumble return for a touchdown gave the Bengals the narrow victory, but they needed to quickly turn their attention to the Buffalo Bills. 

Carried by the rocket arm of Josh Allen and his connection with shifty route-runner Stefon Diggs, the Bills eked out a victory over a talented Miami Dolphins team that was without quarterback Tua Tagavailoa. Even considering their matchup against Dolphin’s speedy receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the Buffalo defense was not impressive in that game and it came back to bite them when playing Cincinnati. They looked slow and sluggish against a methodical Bengals offense that defied the snowy conditions to earn a win. 

Burrow’s poise and ability to extend plays is special, but he’s also throwing to maybe the most complete receiver in football in Ja’Marr Chase and the big-bodied Tee Higgins. Tyler Boyd is reliable as a slot receiver while running back Joe Mixon runs hard on the ground. 

On defense, edge rusher Trey Hendrickson and defensive tackle D.J Reader get pressure on quarterbacks and shut down run schemes while the safety duo of Jessie Bates III and Vonn Bell cleans up coverage on the back-end. The Bengals play great team football and can win shootouts with anybody, even if they don’t have a very talented offensive line. Under Burrow, they’ve never lost to Kansas City — could this be the year that changes?

Even though the Chiefs got a first-round bye, they still had to play the upstart Jacksonville Jaguars, who had a historic comeback against the LA Chargers in the Wild Card. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, a former ACC standout, showed Burrow-esque poise in the second half as he and running back Travis Etienne, along with a scrappy defense, set up the game-winning field goal. Unfortunately, the Jaguars weren’t in the same tier as the Chiefs, who looked unstoppable until Mahomes sprained his ankle while moving in the pocket. They were able to close the game out, but a hobbled Mahomes is worrying. The likely 2023 NFL MVP is the engine of the Chiefs offense, predicated on his connection with game-breaking tight end Kelce. 

It could be significantly harder to do so against Cincinnati in his injured state — which means it will come down to the pass-rushing tandem of Chris Jones and Frank Clark to pressure Burrow into turnovers. 

Cornerback Trent McDuffie is a young, talented player and linebacker Nick Bolton is a force in the middle, but this defense is short on shining stars outside of the pass rush. They need to hang with Burrow and his dangerous receivers to give Mahomes a chance to work all the magic he can muster – which makes for a truly unpredictable game.

A common theme in all four teams is having game-changers in the trenches, an elite quarterback or both. These are the traits of elite teams and the NFL should be happy that the four candidates for SB LVII in Arizona are equally deserving.

In the 2022 season, the Falcons were finally able to beat Tom Brady to finish the season on a high note. 2022 was an up-and-down season that concluded with a 7-10 finish, fourth place in a struggling NFC South division and no playoffs for the fifth season in a row. 

However, that playoff streak could have easily been broken. Three out of the four teams in the NFC South finished at 7-10, and the Buccaneers only won the division with a record of 8-9. If one or two of their eight one-score losses had swung the other way, the Falcons could have matched up with the Cowboys in the Monday, Jan. 16 Wild Card Round as the fourth seed and division winners. 

Considering the changes the Falcons went through prior to the season, they deserve some credit for not completely bottoming out. For the first time since 2008, quarterback Matt Ryan was not the Week 1 starter for the Falcons. His Falcons career, spanning four Pro Bowls, one All-Pro nod, one MVP award and a Super Bowl LI appearance, ended with a trade to the Indianapolis Colts. 

He was replaced by former Raiders backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, who seemed like a nice fit for the rushing offense coordinated by Falcons head coach Arthur Smith. Mariota was also expected to benefit from receiver Calvin Ridley’s return to the team after he stepped away from the 2021 campaign to focus on his mental health. However, Ridley was suspended for the entire 2022 season due to gambling on NFL games and was unceremoniously shipped to the Jacksonville Jaguars mid-season. On defense, the Falcons cut pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr., who did not produce much but played a lot of snaps. They hoped to surround lockdown corner A.J. Terrell and disruptive defensive tackle Grady Jarrett with better pieces going into the 2022 season. 

Losing Ridley forced the Falcons to draft USC wide receiver Drake London with the eighth overall pick. On paper, London’s 6’4” frame complemented rising star tight end Kyle Pitts as big aerial threats, opening defenses up for Mariota’s running ability and versatile running back/receiver Cordarrelle Patterson to gash them on the ground. They also snagged BYU running back Tyler Allgeier, who stepped in after a Week 5 injury to Patterson and earned more carries on the way to a historic season for Atlanta. He ended the season with 1,035 rushing yards and the Falcons record for the most rushing yards by a rookie. To backup Mariota, Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder was taken in the third round. On defense, they added pass rusher Arnold Ebiketie from Penn State and Montana State linebacker Troy Andersen, both of whom showed promising flashes in their rookie seasons. In free agency, they added veteran cornerback Casey Hayward to complement Terrell. 

In the season opener, the Falcons dropped a close game to the rival Saints largely due to mistakes, allowing the Saints to erase a 16-point lead aided by penalties and a conservative Arthur Smith punt. They came up short against the Rams a week later.

The team pulled off an impressive first win of the season over the eventual playoff-bound Seahawks, where Patterson dominated en route to NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. In Week 4, the Falcons were able to ride their running game to a victory against the Browns. Now 2-2 heading into a showdown with a formidable Buccaneers team, the Falcons proved competitive but started too slow to win. Fortunately for them, they were able to channel that frustration into an upset 28-14 win over the future NFC West division champion San Francisco 49ers. This was a high point of the season — Mariota was efficient and accurate, Pitts scored his first career touchdown in Atlanta and the much-maligned Atlanta defense shut down one of the best offenses in football. This impressive performance was followed up with a thrashing at the hands of the Bengals, whose receivers tore through the secondary and powered a 35-17 win over the overmatched Falcons. In Week 8, the Panthers blew two chances to win on missed kicks, leading to the Falcons eking out a win in overtime, 37-34. However, this win would be followed by a series of games where the Falcons offense petered out and the defense could not do enough. Losses to both the Chargers and the Panthers, a narrow win over the Bears and a crushing loss to a middling Commanders team were all marked by poor to mediocre play from Mariota. He got one final chance against an unspectacular Steelers team and sealed a Falcons loss by throwing an interception. Ridder took over after Mariota stepped away from the team, ending his 2022 season with knee surgery and going on injured reserve. Ridder did not fare much better than Mariota in his debut against the Saints, but he kept the Falcons in the game until London fumbled to lose the game. Ridder — and the team — looked slightly better against Baltimore and Arizona, but by then, the Falcons were already eliminated from playoff contention. The team looked fine against a Buccaneers team with nothing to play for, closing the season out with a nice rushing performance from Allgeier and two-touchdown game from Ridder. While the season fizzled out, there are definite positives for Atlanta to build on. London and Allgeier both look like building blocks on the offense. Allgeier ran efficiently down the stretch, carrying the running game since Patterson did not return from his injury as the same player. Allgeier consistently broke the first tackle attempt by defenders. Atlanta’s rushing offense actually ranked third in the league, which was aided by an improved offensive line. Right guard Chris Lindstrom vaulted into the top five at his position in both run blocking and pass protection while right tackle Kaleb McGary bulldozed defenders to open up holes for Allgeier. London was a contested catch machine for Atlanta, winning 53% of his tough catches. However, the synergy with Pitts did not play out as planned as the tight end’s season ended in Week 11. 

Defensively, the Falcons pass rush was the second-worst unit in football. The defense ranked bottom-five league-wide, especially through the air. Terrell declined from his elite play last year due to injuries and Hayward’s season ended in Week 6 due to a shoulder injury. 

Going into the offseason, the Falcons have pressing questions at edge rusher, defensive tackle, a number two cornerback and linebacker. 

They will need to revamp this defense with the eighth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and about $80 million in cap space. There is also a discussion to be had if that pick should be spent on a quarterback, seeing as how Ridder did not definitively stake his claim to the job. 

Hopefully, they can build upon this season and bring playoff football back to Atlanta in 2023.

On paper, Miami matched up well with the Jackets. At 4-5, both teams had the same record heading into the game.

Miami starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke was ruled out following a shoulder injury suffered Nov. 5 against Florida State, so freshman quarterback Jacurri Brown, a first-time starter, got the nod to face a Tech team coming off a big win. In their comeback victory against Virginia Tech, the Jackets showed poise, freshman quarterback Zach Pyron helmed a fairly explosive offense and the defense forced takeaways in critical moments. Conversely, the Hurricanes were nursing a blowout loss to FSU where they looked like the team that lost to Middle Tennessee earlier this season.

It seemed that the defense would be able to continue taking the ball away, since Brown completed barely over half of his passes for 39 yards and an interception against FSU. If the Jackets’ offense could build on the previous week’s performance, especially given the lackluster nature of the Miami secondary, they had a clear path to victory. Unfortunately, the defense was ripped apart in the fourth quarter and failed to force any turnovers. The Miami defense forced four picks and handled a Tech offense that reverted to the punchless state seen too often this season. 

Miami set the tone from their first offensive drive, controlling the pace of the game with a 75-yard touchdown drive. Brown used his legs on numerous quarterback scrambles to extend the drive and capped it off with a touchdown pass to tight end Will Mallory. Unfortunately, while sophomore receiver Nate McCollum got going early with big catches of 16 and 11 yards, Pyron was picked off by Miami defensive back Kamren Kinchens. The defense was able to force a punt, but Pyron and the offense stalled out again on their next possession despite a 23-yard run by redshirt junior running back Dontae Smith. The Hurricanes had no such problems, using their ground game and a few well-timed throws from Brown to get into the end zone courtesy of a Brown touchdown pass. 

Down 14-0, the pressure was on the Tech offense to find a spark, but they were not able to advance and settled for yet another punt from sophomore punter David Shanahan. However, Tech’s next possession finally showed signs of life. Backed up on their own 1-yard line, the Jackets had a 99-yard drive to the end zone where Pyron and freshman running back Jamie Felix took over. Pyron and Felix were responsible for three of the third and fourth down conversions on this drive, keeping the Jackets going as McCollum made another big play and got into the end zone for the nine-yard score. Tech went into the locker room only down 14-7 at half, which seemed like a positive sign for the rest of the game. 

The third quarter was a stout performance from both defenses. With Tech being down, they needed a score, but Pyron tried to throw the ball deep and was picked by defensive back Tyrique Stevenson to set Miami up at their own 9-yard line. Worse still, Pyron ended up hurting his shoulder in the third quarter and was ruled out for the remainder of the game. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Zach Gibson came in for Pyron to open up the fourth quarter.

If the Jackets had any chance of winning this game, it evaporated in the fourth quarter. Starting at their own 5-yard line, the Gibson-led offense drew a pass-interference penalty on Miami to reach their own 14-yard line. However, Gibson went deep and threw an interception to Kinchens on his second pass of the day that proved to be a Miami rallying point. Brown drove the Hurricanes down the field 51 yards and found wide receiver Colbie Young for his second touchdown of the day, making the score 21-7. Now down by 14, Gibson was sacked on first down and the Jackets stalled out on third down. Going for it on fourth down, Gibson threw an incomplete pass, setting the Hurricanes up with great field position at the Tech 34-yard line. They easily punched it in behind running back Jaylan Knighton and widened the score to 28-7. The run defense and an unnecessary roughness penalty on Tech safety Clayton Powell-Lee did the Jackets no favors and essentially sealed the game. 

Even though the next Tech offensive possession did not matter, Gibson put together a fairly nice drive, as the Jackets did not run a single time and got within the Miami 12-yard line. However, Gibson threw a red-zone interception to Kinchens, who recorded his third pick of the day and returned the pass 99 yards for the pick-six. With the game out of reach at 35-7, the Hurricanes could play it safe and conceded a harmless 7-yard touchdown pass from Gibson to Felix to end the game at 35-14. 

While ending the game with points, the Jackets offense often looked lost. They did not protect the football, giving it away four times and letting the Hurricanes build momentum. A large part of those turnovers was because the rushing attack disappeared. Pyron had over half of the team’s 129 rushing yards. The defense largely fell apart in the fourth quarter, especially on the ground, where the Hurricanes rushed for a total of 217 yards and Brown himself ran for 87 yards. Miami’s rushing success allowed them to control the game throughout — the Tech run defense failed to hold up at the point of attack. Even though Brown threw three touchdown passes, he only threw nineteen total passes because it was not necessary to throw more. Hopefully, the Jackets can improve the run defense and set a positive foundation for limiting opponents on the ground as they close out the year. 

Coming into Blacksburg, the Jackets did not appear to be at the top of their game. They followed up a heartbreaking 16-9 loss to Virginia with a 41-16 drubbing by FSU. For most of the week, it was not clear if sophomore quarterback Jeff Sims would be able to return from a foot injury sustained in the Virginia game. Ultimately, freshman quarterback Zach Pyron was named to his first career start. Against FSU, Pyron performed well in relief of redshirt sophomore quarterback Zach Gibson, but it was anyone’s guess whether Pyron — and the Jackets — could capture a much-needed ACC win. 

Tech’s first drive was far from encouraging. They gave up a five-yard sack on the very first play from scrimmage and went three-and-out. However, when the Jacket defense forced a punt on Virginia Tech’s first drive, the offense capitalized with a 70-yard drive punctuated by a 29-yard touchdown run from redshirt junior running back Dontae Smith. 

The opportunistic Tech defense kept rolling by forcing Virginia Tech quarterback Grant Wells to fumble, which sophomore defensive lineman Noah Collins recovered. Starting from their own 24, the offense was able to drive into field goal range and set up an easy 19-yard field goal for sophomore kicker Gavin Stewart, thanks to a 45-yard connection between Pyron and redshirt senior wide receiver E.J. Jenkins. Tech was able to shut out Virginia Tech in the first quarter, which was encouraging to see from a defense that had struggled the week before. 

Both offenses then traded punts to open the second quarter until the Hokies got into the end zone on a 3-yard touchdown run by Wells. The Jacket offense was not able to respond, punting on consecutive drives while the defense allowed Virginia Tech running back Keshawn King to score a 1-yard touchdown run to take the lead. Down by three points due to a blocked Virginia Tech extra point attempt, Pyron was sacked on first down, setting the Jackets too far back to convert. Unfortunately, Hokies kick returner Tucker Holloway tore through the Jackets punt coverage team and returned sophomore punter David Shanahan’s punt 90 yards for the score, putting the Hokies up 20-10 late in the second quarter. A rumbling 28-yard run from Smith set up a 27-yard field goal in the final seconds of the second quarter, but the Jackets were still down 13-20 heading into halftime. 

The Tech defense was able to sack Wells on the first drive of the second half and bring the offense quickly back on the field. Some big runs from senior running back Hassan Hall and timely throws from Pyron to senior wide receiver Malachi Carter allowed Stewart to convert another field goal to make the score 16-20. 

However, the next offensive drive saw Pyron make his biggest mistake of the day. Rolling out of the pocket, his pass was picked off by Virginia Tech linebacker Keli Lawson and returned for a pick-six that put the Hokies up 16-27. The 11-point deficit seemed like too much for the offense to overcome, as the next two offensive drives did not get a first down. The third quarter ended with the Jackets looking lost and defeated. 

However, the Jackets came alive in the fourth quarter and essentially closed out a victory in the last 10 minutes of play. It began with a game-changing forced fumble by redshirt sophomore defensive lineman D’Quan Douse who also blocked the point-after try earlier in the game. On the Tech 10-yard line, Pyron took advantage of the redemption opportunity to engineer one of the best offensive drives of the season. In only five plays, the Jackets scored on a 56-yard touchdown pass from Pyron to sophomore wide receiver Nate McCollum. 

Down five, the pressure then fell on the Jackets defense to hold the Hokies in check. Once again, they came up big. A deflection by redshirt junior defensive back Zamari Walton ended up in the hands of freshman safety Clayton Powell-Lee for the timely interception. Starting from their own 27, Pyron showed some clutch ability, erasing the deficit himself on a nine-yard touchdown run to put the Jackets up, 28-27. Feeding off the momentum, the Tech defense forced another punt, thanks to a key third down sack. Unfortunately, on their next possession, the Virginia Tech offense got hot and advanced to their own 42. However, senior linebacker Charlie Thomas had other ideas, teaming up with Powell-Lee to force another fumble on Wells that officially ended the game.  

Statistically, this was the Jackets best offensive performance of the year as they amassed a season-high of 463 yards to capture the important ACC win. While the Virginia Tech pass defense was not particularly imposing, Pyron performed well in a big spot and recovered nicely from his pick-six. 

Pyron was aided by McCollum setting a new career high of 103 receiving yards, big runs from running backs Hall and Smith, and a similarly impressive defensive performance. Douse’s 2.5 sacks, Powell-Lee’s clutch takeaways and Thomas setting a new career high in tackles with 16 played a huge role in limiting the Hokie offense to zero points in both the first and fourth quarter. Pyron, Powell-Lee and Thomas all earned ACC recognition for their performances. 

Interim head coach Brent Key will also have to make an important decision on the starting quarterback next week. Hopefully, Sims will return fully healthy, but Pyron’s performance suggests that he might be a better option if Sims’ injury limits him in any way. The Jackets rebounded nicely as a team from a disappointing two-week stretch. If the Jackets can sustain this explosive offense and strong situational defense, they can make some noise in a weak ACC Coastal Division.

Fans will be watching as the Jackets take on Miami in Bobby Dodd Stadium on Nov. 12 in hopes of capturing another important ACC win and moving within a game of bowl eligibility. 

During the opening night of the 2022-23 NBA season on Oct. 18, the Golden State Warriors received their championship rings from last season — but Stephen Curry had more than basketball on his mind. The superstar point guard pleaded with the nation to keep thinking about Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner, who has been imprisoned in Russia since February of 2022. 

“Brittney Griner’s birthday is today. She’s 32 years old. … we hope she comes home soon,” Curry said. 

It proved timely — a week later, Griner’s nine-year prison sentence was upheld and her detention continues with no end in sight. To free her, the Biden administration needs a solution that results in the freedom of Griner and other trapped citizens without further damaging a fraught U.S.-Russia relationship. 

While traveling to Russia in February of 2022, Griner, who also plays overseas for UMMC Ekaterinburg, was detained after airport officials allegedly found electronic cigarette cartridges with cannabis oil. Per Article 228 of the Russian Criminal

Code, Griner was charged with drug trafficking/smuggling and taken into custody. This statue is known as “the people’s statute” because over a quarter of Russian prisoners are imprisoned under this single statute.

The official announcement of detention came from Russian customs two weeks later on March 5. It took another two weeks for U.S. officials to contact her, but access was tightly restricted by Russian authorities. 

Her detention continued until her trial in July of 2022, where she pled guilty to the charges but claimed that she accidentally brought a small amount of the oil for medicinal usage. The trial continued through early August, concluding with the judge sentencing Griner to a nine-year sentence and a fine of 1 million rubles (approximately $16,700). Her defense attorney appealed the sentence, meaning that Griner would stay in detention until the October appeal. 

The appeal before Russian judges did not get Griner any closer to freedom, but it revealed more about a defendant locked away from the outside world. In her hearing, Griner begged the court to adjust her sentence because of the traumatic impact on her mental health — to no avail. After the denial of her appeal, those feelings have rightfully magnified with her lawyers telling journalists that Griner feels “doomed.”

Griner is a foreigner in a country with one of the most conservative drug policies in the world, seeing as how it is illegal to promote or even encourage drug use. Furthermore, Griner admitted to possessing the cartridges, but also submitted documents validating their medical usage as pain relievers. Unfortunately, the Russian courts were not interested in the oil’s medicinal applications. 

The cartridges contained 0.04 ounces of hashish oil, an amount smaller than a paperclip, but Russian prosecutors are calling for nearly the maximum ten-year sentence permitted for drug trafficking. Per Griner’s Russian lawyers, similar cases received an average sentence of five years with a third of the cases being granted parole. What is different about Griner’s case?

It is clear that Moscow sees Griner’s detention as an opportunity. A summer offer of

Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in a prisoner exchange for Griner and fellow jailed American, Paul Whelan, was reportedly offered to Moscow, but Russia opted to wait for the result of Griner’s appeal. The U.S. offering Bout is significant because he has gone through American prosecution for conspiracy to kill Americans and terrorist activities. However, U.S. officials are concerned that the exchange of Griner and Whelan for Bout would equate a serious terrorism conviction with what the American government considers a sham trial process. It might also create motivation for American citizens to be targeted abroad by foreign governments. 

Now that Griner’s appeal is done, it is possible a deal could be reached if Griner does not  contest the charges further. Even though the offer was not acted upon in June, Russia is still reportedly interested in Bout being freed. But public advocacy efforts from Griner’s friends and family have put more pressure on the Kremlin and complicated the exchange process since the increased attention could result in an adverse response from Russia. 

Barring a breakthrough in negotiations, the next notable opportunity for significant headway to be made is the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia. President Biden will have an opportunity to speak directly to President Putin on Griner’s behalf. In the meantime, Griner and her supporters will have to wait for a diplomatic solution to break through the hostility and secure her freedom. For the sake of the human being involved, let us hope a solution arrives soon. 

However, the reason why Griner was in Russia in the first place should not be ignored. She is one of the biggest names associated with the WNBA, yet that counts for little in terms of her earnings. Due to a lack of domestic interest in the league, the maximum salary for WNBA players is around $230,000 while international leagues can pay nearly $1 million per season. Both figures pale in comparison to the salary of NBA players, who do not need to play in multiple leagues to support themselves. If the practice of playing in multiple leagues is to continue, the WNBA needs to educate its players about the risks associated.

The WNBA and NBA need to explore new ways of marketing its players and generating more interest in the league so that its future players do not experience these situations. While it is critical to acknowledge the role of sexism in this disparity, the league recently received $75 million from investors in February of 2022. If the league is serious about “redefining women’s basketball for a new generation,” they need to effectively invest that sum into ensuring Griner’s case is the last one of its kind.

As the lockout-delayed 2022 MLB regular season enters its last month, baseball fans are getting closer to see the new, 12-team playoff format resulting from CBA discussions. 

The division winners with the two best records get a bye while the third division winner and three wild card teams are pitted against each other. 

Once the playoffs proceed past the wildcard round, the format remains the same as years past. 

This historical playoff race starts in the NL East, where the division-leading New York Mets boast slugger first baseman Pete Alonso, ace pitching tandem Max Scherzer and Jacob DeGrom, a top closer in baseball in Edwin Diaz, and a returned-to-form star shortstop in Francisco Lindor. 

However, the bullpen gap between Scherzer/DeGrom and Diaz is being rapidly thinned out due to injuries just as the hometown Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are riding
hot streaks.

The Braves roared back into the playoff picture in June, winning 14 consecutive games and hitting the lights out to the tune of 35 homers over that span. Superstar third baseman Austin Riley has put together an incredible season, aided by the likes of outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr., first baseman Matt Olson and young star center fielder Michael Harris, who has provided incredible defense and baserunning all while hitting north of .280 with 12 home runs. 

That being said, inconsistent hitting since their hot streak, pitching inconsistency from Charlie Morton and a laundry list of injuries to 2021 World Series contributors could damage their standing down the line. If they can overcome those problems, they can steal the division crown from the Mets. 

Unfortunately for Atlanta, the Phillies aren’t going anywhere, despite reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper being sidelined. 

Thanks to third baseman Alec Bohm, Philadelphia’s defense has taken leaps forward while power-hitting outfielder Kyle Schwarber continues to carry the offense. An improved defense, well-built bullpen and solid — albeit streaky — offense make the 2022 Phillies a likely candidate to break a ten-year playoff drought. 

Out in the NL Central, the St. Louis Cardinals are in the driver’s seat to be the division winner without a bye, even with an elite infield of MVP candidate first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, rock-solid second baseman Tommy Edman and superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado. Furthermore, designated hitter Albert Pujols’ return to St. Louis, as he chases 700 career home runs, has been a subplot for their season. 

The NL West has two drastically different types of playoff contenders: the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres. LA has the best record in the NL because of stars like outfielder Mookie Betts, shortstop Trea Turner and the legendary former Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, along with an elite bullpen boasting a league leading ERA of 2.84 and .211 opposing batting average through Aug. 23. 

The Padres saw that collection of talent and attempted to match it, adding a young superstar in outfielder Juan Soto, former All-Star first baseman Josh Bell and all-around third baseman Brandon Drury to a lineup with superstar infielder Manny Machado and solid second baseman Jake Cronenworth. However, the Padres have gone 6–10 since the deadline, their additions have underwhelmed and star outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. won’t suit up in 2022 due to suspension. This team’s hold on a playoff spot is far from secure. 

Moving over to the American League, the AL playoff race is even tighter with only a few games separating the wild card contenders. 

In the AL East, the Yankees were playing at a historically good level for most of the season. 

Since the start of August though, even MVP contending outfielder Aaron Judge has not been able to save them from their offensive slump and pitching woes. They have a talented bullpen and the bats have been uncharacteristically cold, but they need to get right fast with the Tampa Bay Rays and the Toronto Blue Jays hot on their tail. 

The Rays’ strong pitching rotation and bullpen, led by Cy Young candidate Sandy Alcántara, and star shortstop Wander Franco’s return from injury will be impactful, but they suffer from overall mediocrity. 

They’ll need to contend with the Toronto Blue Jays, who have weathered down seasons from elite sluggers first baseman Vlad Guerrero Jr. and shortstop Bo Bichette with the contributions of outfielder George Springer, breakout catcher Alejandro Kirk and a solid bullpen. 

Both teams have to watch out for the Baltimore Orioles, who sit only a couple games out of a wild card spot led by AL ROY contender catcher Adley Rutschman. 

The AL Central race deserves just as much attention since the Cleveland Guardians, Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox are all fighting for the division crown. Of these three teams, the Guardians have the best record, led by AL MVP contender third baseman José Ramírez, with a dynamic pitching duo in former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber and Triston McKenzie supported by a deep bullpen. However, Cleveland’s home run production is below average while the White Sox and Twins are only a couple games back. Assuming health, the White Sox should be able to count on offensive production from shortstop Tim Anderson, outfielder Luis Robert and former AL MVP first baseman José Abreu. The Twins are strong too, with a slugging trio of outfielder Byron Buxton, shortstop Carlos Correa and infielder Luis Arráez. 

Finally, the AL West is a tale of two powerhouses in the Houston Astros and the Seattle Mariners. Outfielder Yordan Álvarez leads the Astros at the plate. His 31 home runs and 77 RBIs, combined with his .400 on-base percentage are the centerpiece of a roster flush with talent, including star second baseman José Altuve, quality third baseman Alex Bregman, and Álvarez’s All-Star outfield partner, Kyle Tucker. They have created distance between themselves and potentially the first Seattle playoff team in 20 years. AL ROY frontrunner outfielder Julio Rodríguez, All-Star first baseman Ty France and a top-of-line pitching rotation and bullpen bolstered by ace pitcher Luis Castillo bolster the lineup, but the Mariners need consistency to make history and break the streak.

Even though the official seeds and matchups haven’t been decided yet, it is shaping up to be an extremely entertaining postseason come October. There are juggernauts in both leagues, but the month of September should cut pretenders out from the field and leave teams with upset potential.