Hooked on Sports

With the L.A. Dodgers securing a 2020 World Series victory, John gives his evaluation of where Major League Baseball stands after completing the most unusual season in baseball history, a feat that seemed unlikely four months ago amidst COVID-19. He looks at where the balance of power in the sport stands now, and can anyone challenge the Dodgers next season? If so, John would identify teams that can challenge the Dodgers. How will free agency pan out, and will teams be willing to take on huge money to sign top available players, and which markets will be drawn back or benefit the most? And how can Steve Cohen's purchase of the New York Mets change the landscape of the league for years to come?

Week 8 of the NFL season has the opportunity to flip a lot of playoff races across the NFL. Some key divisional battles are on the slate this week, with the unbeaten Pittsburgh Steelers facing the Baltimore Ravens (favored by 3 1/2 points). The 49ers desperately need to beat the Seahawks (Seattle favored by 3) in Seattle to stay in the NFC West race, while the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles face off (Philadelphia is a 3 1/2 point favorite).

Through five games, the 2020 World Series has proven to be one of the most dramatic and intense World Series ever. The roller coaster events of Games 4 & 5 leave the Los Angeles Dodgers one win away from their first championship since 1988. But both the Dodgers & the Tampa Bay Rays have let Games 4 & 5 slip away from them, respectively, thanks to questionable managerial decisions by Dave Roberts and Kevin Cash. John explains in this week's podcast that whoever loses this World Series will be thinking about their decisions (Roberts in Game 4, Cash in Game 5) a lot during the offseason. Plus, with the Dodgers a win away, who has earned the most merit towards the World Series MVP award? Clayton Kershaw (2-0 with a 2.31 ERA in 11 2/3 innings pitched)? Corey Seager (8 hits, .471 batting average, 2 home runs)? Someone else?

The Pittsburgh Steelers made a significant statement in their 38-7 blowout victory against the Cleveland Browns, and Mike Tomlin deserves so much praise and credit for keeping the Steelers undefeated. But will their success carry over in a clash of unbeatens with the Tennessee Titans this week, who denied DeShaun Watson & the Texans a statement victory with shrewd coaching and a terrific offensive performance? John explains why the head coaching position mattered in the Titans' thrilling 42-36 overtime victory over Houston on Sunday. Plus, in a crowded NFC East basement, John explains bluntly why the Dallas Cowboys' championship window has closed.

Then, John picks the games against the spread, featuring the Steelers-Titans clash (Titans favored by one point). Will the L.A. Chargers, coming off their bye week, cover an eight point spread at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars? And can the Bills rebound from losses the last two weeks to Tennessee & Kansas City to cover a 13 point spread at MetLife Stadium against the winless Jets? 

The 2020 World Series, which seemed improbale several months ago, will begin on Tuesday night between the Los Angeles Dodgers, who clinched their third National League crown in four years, and the Tampa Bay Rays, who nearly avoided blowing a 3-0 series lead to get past the Astros in Game 7 of the ALCS. Who will win this year's World Series?

Plus, with the Jets now the NFL's lone winless team, will Trevor Lawrence (acclaimed as the best QB prospect since Peyton Manning over 20 years ago) try to avoid the Jets' struggles and go back to school for one more year? Or, if he decides to forego his senior season and head straight to the NFL, should the Jets draft him if they have the top pick in the draft? 

After a brief pause in the NFL schedule following COVID-related postponments, the NFL will commence Week 6 action on Sunday. There are some fantastic games on the schedule. Can the Cleveland Browns improve to 5-1 by taking down the unbeaten Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field? Can Tom Brady avenge his disastrous Week 5 loss to the Bears and lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to victory over the unbeaten Green Bay Packers? Can Josh Allen outduel Patrick Mahomes in Buffalo and send the defending Super Bowl champions to a rare 2-game losing streak? Join John as he breaks down these games along with the rest of the schedule this weekend.

In another big week in sports, the most popular teams in sports had different types of weeks: The Los Angeles Lakers claimed their 17th NBA title in franchise history on Sunday night, defeating the Miami Heat 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals, and it only adds to the argument of LeBron as the greatest basketball player ever, while the New York Yankees' World Series-or-bust season came crashing to an end as they lost to the Tampa Bay Rays 3 games to 2. John looks at what went right for the Lakers and Rays and where the Yankees went wrong last week, and why the Yankees' championship window may be closing sooner than the team thinks. 

Plus, with "The Bachelorette" season starting tomorrow night, John looks at coaches and general managers who are, as people on the show would say "here for the right reasons." John evaluates that phrases with five such coaches, including Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians following the team's loss to Nick Foles and the Chicago Bears on Thursday night, and Philadelphia Phillies manager Joe Girardi following a season where the Phillies blew 20 games in a 60 game season and missed the playoffs.

Another week of NFL action is in the books, and the NFL will be tested more now than ever with COVID-19 playing a daily role in the NFL. This week, Flynn gets into the biggest storylines from last week in the NFL and some NFL MVP conversation through the first month of the season, and he picks the games against the spread for Week 5 in the NFL.

TIMESTAMPS

Texans fire Bill O'Brien (1:56)

Packers in Super Bowl conversation (11:04)

NFL MVP Conversation (16:12)

Latest COVID-19 developments in NFL (19:24:)

Week 5 NFL Picks (21:29)

Straight Up: Last Week: 11-4, Overall: 46-16-1

Against the Spread: Last Week: 8-6-1, Overall: 35-27-1

The New York Jets at 0-4 are on a path to nowhere unless drastic changes are made everywhere. In this podcast, the main topic is John outlining a five-step plan to turn the Jets into perennial playoff contenders by 2023. It's simpler than the Jets think! Plus, the four NL Central teams that made the playoffs were all eliminated in the Wild Card round last week. John explains why their fate was sealed long before last week.

TIMESTAMPS:

MLB Playoffs & Divisional Series Picks (00:53)

NBA Finals after Game 3 (19:45)

Philadelphia 76ers hire Doc Rivers as head coach (22:09)

John's five-step plan to fix the New York Jets (24:08)

Three weeks into the season, and so much to discuss this week in the NFL. John reacts to the Chiefs taking down the Ravens on Monday night, the Saints' offense without Michael Thomas, and the state of the New York Giants under GM Dave Gettleman. 

Then, John picks the games in Week 4 of the NFL.

Week 3 Results: Straight Up: 10-5-1, Against the Spread: 8-8

Overall Results: Straight Up: 35-12-1, Against the Spread: 27-21