Second Stringers

SHOCKER!!! The Celtics blow another lead in Game 1 of the second round against the 76ers. Of course this is not the first time this season, not even the first time this playoffs the Celtics have had leads late and given their opponents a string of possessions to cut the lead. It almost caused them to go 7 games against the Atlanta Hawks. However, it was not the biggest collapse of the season. That goes to the Milwaukee Bucks against the Miami Heat as the number 8 seed took down the league leaders in the first round. Don't worry, "it wasn't a failure." Second Stringers dives into these first round matchups and the remaining series from the NBA playoffs as well as previewing the next round with predictions for what is to come.

With the NBA regular season coming to a close, Second Stringers take a look back at the entire regular season and grade each team's season. Naji and I take a look at what took place preseason, during the trade deadlines, key players getting injuries, and many more aspects to give a holistic view. Teams like the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets undoubtedly deserve their praise for the hard work on the court and smart moves to fill much needed holes in the offense. Whereas teams such as the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons which have not had much going for them all season, except the inability to win games, will not be rated highly. This episode dives into the entire regular season and debates key moves from the 2022-2023 NBA season.

The end of the regular season for the NBA is approaching as teams enter the last stretch of their busy schedules. Although this season has been filled with some shocking trades and break out performances, a majority of teams are still uncertain about their future. Even though "power" teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, and Golden State Warriors crafted star studded lineups, they still are in the mixer that is the Western Conference. Going into these final weeks, 10 teams are fighting for spots in the playoffs and play-in. With only a few games left in the season, every day is critical in making a push for playoff basketball. Second Stringers takes a look back at the teams battling it out, and gives their takes on who has a shot of making it, and who will be packing their bags for the summer. We also give our KIA MVP picks for the season and who will be the teams to beat in the finals.

(Disclaimer - Yes we are Celtics fans, yes we are biased, but yes they are one of the top teams to beat.)

The start of the NFL season has begun, and many teams and notable players have wasted no time singing contracts, with many causing people to do a double take on their notifications. Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson seem to remain in a weird purgatory about the future of the former MVP, but even without a definite contract in place teams are not showing interest in the injury prone elite quarterback. Jackson is not the only quarterback whose future is undecided at the moment. Aaron Rodgers has announced his interest in the New York Jets, but contracts are still under negotiations right now. Rodgers is not the only seasoned quarterback to make a move across conferences. Even without this, the New England Patriots are in hot water as they desperately try to turn around their string of bad seasons since the departure of Brady. Maybe a potential trade for Deandre Hopkins could be in the cards, but until then Patriots fans must be content with a TikTok dancer (JuJu) and a man who should never dance (Gesicki).

Typically the NBA trade deadline only produces a couple of moments that really send the media into a frenzy, but not this year. The Brooklyn Nets traded away two all stars alone. Kyrie Irving has teamed up with Luca Doncic in Texas for the Dallas Mavericks, while the still injured Kevin Durant has formed a super trio, yet again, in Phoenix. Brooklyn was not the only team to try and reassemble a squad worthy of putting out on the court. The Lakers traded away key pieces of their organization of turmoil to hopefully fill in the missing piece they have desperately searching for. With all these promising future talents and plenty of second round picks being traded from franchise to franchise, Second Stringers highlights the winners and losers of these trades. Additionally, we take a quick preview as to what these new teams have looked like coming out of the All Star break. 

Super Bowl LVIII lived up to the hype. It was an offensive battle between two great quarterbacks. Mahomes and Hurts battled it out in one of the great Super Bowl matches of the last decade. However, the star play of the game was not made by either QB, but by the men in black and white. The late penalty flag under the two minute warning in the fourth quarter has caused much discussion. The late call in the game leaves Eagles fans heartbroken as CB James Bradberry pulled ever so slightly on WR Juju Smith-Schuster's jersey/body. At the end of the day, Bradberry admits to the call, and the city of Philly remains unharmed.

Tom Brady has retired... again. Will this be the last? Or, he he bound for another unsuccessful year potentially tarnishing his legacy even further. However, Brady may not be the only QB to enter the retirement part of his career with the possibilities of Aaron Rodgers leaving Green Bay. Whether that be for another franchise or for a permanent seat on the Pat McAfee show, it is too soon to tell. With Brady's second retirement that means it is time for the new face of the league to full take over, and with Mahomes going into his 3rd Super Bowl, could he be the one to dethrone the Goat? All of this and much more NFL playoff take on this weeks episode of Second Stringers sports podcast. 

Keeping you updated on all the need to know information about your favorite sports teams. In this episode Second Stringers recaps the high scoring and intense action from Week 13 in the NFL. From Brady making yet another miraculous fourth quarter comeback, to the Aaron Rodgers still owning the Bears it was a must watch week in the NFL. After going through the recap, Joe and I drafted players from a CBS player draft post (make sure to vote in the poll below for whose team was the best.) Finally, as always we finished off this episode with predictions for the upcoming matchups and how the remaining schedule will effect the playoff picture. 

Keeping you updated on all the need to know information about your favorite sports teams. In this episode we recap the Week 12 matchups. Although Thanksgiving provided a lot of entertaining football, it was not most enjoyable for Patriots fans as it left New Englanders questioning the referees yet again. On top of three incredible Thursday games, Week 12 shook up the standings and playoff matchups heading into the final third of the season. As always Second Stringers ended with our predicted winners of the week and highlighting the Matchup of the Year.