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The second golf major championship of the year will tee-off Thursday at Aronimink Golf Club near Philadelphia. 

In 1962, the PGA Championship was played on this same golf course.

Future Hall-of-Famer Gary Player won that year with a 2-under par total.

Aronimink Golf Club was designed by the legendary Donald Ross and completed in 1928.  The superb layout has been stretched to well over 7,300 yards and will play as a par 70.

Though Gary Player’s total of 2-under par total was a reasonable score in his day, don’t be surprised if this year’s winner is at least 15-under par.  Today’s vastly improved golf equipment and balls are turning classic layouts such as Aronimink Golf Club into glorified drive, pitch, and putt tournaments.

The PGA Championship features a large field of 156 golfers.  That total includes 20 PGA club professionals who earned their way into this week’s tournament by finishing in the top 20 at a recent PGA club professional qualifying event.

Much like The Masters, past winners of the PGA Championship are allowed to participate in this event for as many years as the golfer desires to compete.

This weekend’s weather forecast looks delightful.

Abundant sunshine with moderate temperatures in the 70’s will slowly increase into the middle 80’s by Sunday.  The benign weather conditions will likely create a Philly birdie festival.

The PGA Championship has produced a number of champions who “came out of nowhere” to win their one and only professional major in this event.

Of the four golf major events, the PGA Championship has produced a large number of surprise winners in recent decades.

Let’s review some of those one-and-done major winners and, later, try to identify a few underdogs to win this year’s PGA Championship.

Rich Beem – 2002 – Hazeltine (MN) 10-under par

Then:  Rich Beem was fortunate just to have a PGA Tour playing card entering 2002.  He played well during the opening three rounds and trailed third round leader Justin Leonard by three shots entering Sunday’s final 18 holes.  Tiger Woods also charged up the final round leaderboard on Sunday to post a 67 and apply some serious pressure.  Rich Beem was able to hang on with a final round 68 to win by one shot over Woods.

Now:  The 55-year old Rich Beem will not be playing in this week’s PGA Championship.  In recent years, Beem has been doing golf commentary for Sky Sports.  He has not appeared recently on either the PGA or Champions (Senior) golf tours.

Shaun Micheel – 2003 – Oak Hill (NY) 3-under par

Then:  You may remember that Shaun Micheel hit the 7-iron of his lifetime on the 72nd hole at Oak Hill in Rochester, NY in 2003 to win the 27-pound Wanamaker trophy.  That was Micheel’s lone PGA Tour victory during a lengthy professional career.  He would often finish in the top ten, though.  Shaun Micheel recently admitted that he struggled for many years by putting too much pressure on himself to perform well on the golf course.  Micheel lamented, “I played every shot like it was life or death.”

Now:  The 57-year old Shaun Micheel plays in a few PGA Champions Tour events each season.  As a past PGA Championship winner, he will be in Philadelphia and plans to tee-it up on Thursday.

Y. E. Yang – 2009 – Hazeltine (MN) 8-under par

Then:  South Korean Y. E. Yang’s victory at the 2009 PGA Championship was memorable for two big reasons.  He became the first Asian-born golfer to win a major men’s golf championship.  Yang also gained worldwide notoriety by rallying in the final round to win by three shots over a highly-favored golfer named Tiger Woods.

Now:  The 54-year old Y. E. Yang remains active in professional golf.  He just finished in 14th place at last weekend’s PGA Champions Tour event in The Woodlands, Texas.  He has posted seven top 25 finishes this season on the senior tour.  Yang, like Shaun Micheel, will be playing in this week’s PGA Championship field on Thursday.  Y.E. Yang will be trying to make his first cut at the PGA Championship since the year 2015.

Jason Dufner – 2013 – Oak Hill (NY) 10-under par

Then:  Former Auburn University college golfer Jason Dufner had already won twice on the men’s tour coming into the 2013 PGA Championship in Rochester, New York.  The laid-back Dufner grabbed a two shot lead over Jim Furyk entering the final nine holes in Sunday’s final round. That  duo battled back and forth over the closing holes.  Dufner held on to claim the only major championship of his career.

Now:  The 49-year old Jason Dufner has won five times on the PGA Tour.  This year, he has played in only three PGA Tour events (missing the cut each time) prior to this week’s PGA Championship.  You may remember that Jason Dufner gained a different type of national notoriety during the spring of 2013.  At a Dallas-area PGA publicity event, Dufner appeared before a group of elementary school children.  While the teacher was busy talking (and talking), Dufner was photographed sitting on the floor alongside some of the kids.  He appeared in the picture to be slumped over in a rather relaxed, sleepy posture.

The term “Dufnering” was born.  “Dufnering” became even more popular among golfers a few months later after the ultra laid-back Jason Dufner won the 2013 PGA Championship.

Jimmy Walker – 2016 – Baltusrol (NJ) – 14-under par

Then:  Jimmy Walker took the lead at the 2016 PGA Championship with a blistering five-under par 65 in Round 1.  He would play well in each day of the tournament.  Walker posted a wire-to-wire victory and held off a fast-closing Jason Day.  It was Jimmy Walker’s first and only major championship title. It was also his last win on the PGA Tour through this week.

Now:  At age 47, Jimmy Walker is no longer playing regularly on the PGA Tour.  After his 2016 win at the PGA Championship, Walker went hunting with some friends.  Upon returning home, his health began to deteriorate.  Jimmy Walker told a reporter that he had contracted Lyme disease (generally transmitted by ticks).  His recovery was extremely difficult and very slow.  Walker’s return to professional golf was hampered by newfound difficulties with his chipping and putting games.  Nevertheless, Jimmy Walker is expected to be in the field on Thursday at Aronimink Golf Club.

Could there be another underdog winner at this week’s 2026 PGA Championship?

Absolutely!  Here are four golfers seeking their first major title and not receiving a lot of pre-tournament love from the media pundits this week.  I will also provide a fifth undervalued golfer looking to break into the winner’s column again this week with the 2026 PGA Championship title.  

Sam Burns – The former Shreveport resident is one of the tour’s finest putters.

If Sam Burns can keep the ball in play off the tee this week, he is quite capable of shooting some very low scores and winning his first major.

Thomas Detry – This 33-year old Belgian golfer plays on the LIV Golf Tour.

He just posted a solid sixth place finish last weekend.  That golf course in northern Virginia is very similar to this week’s layout at Aronimink.

Anthony Kim – Another LIV golfer who is coming off a hot finish last weekend in Virginia.

Kim shot a closing round of 10-under par 62 to post another top ten finish.

Brandt Snedeker – The 45-year old just won in Myrtle Beach last weekend for his first PGA win in nearly eight years.

When you’re hot, you’re hot, right?

Jordan Spieth – OK, I admit it.  I would LOVE to see Jordan Spieth find a way to win this weekend.  He hasn’t won a PGA Tour event since 2022.

More importantly, Spieth would finally complete golf’s career Grand Slam (The Masters, US Open, The (British) Open, and, finally, the PGA Championship) with a victory on Sunday afternoon.

Enjoy this weekend’s PGA Championship!

The post PGA Championship Preview – Watch out for Underdogs! appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

For one 2025 national champion LSU baseball team, last weekend’s games ended any remote chances that they will qualify for the upcoming playoffs with a chance to repeat.

For the other 2025 national champion LSU baseball team located in the northwest corner of Louisiana, their chance for a title repeat is very much alive and well today.

This weekend also featured the quiet return of one of the PGA Tour’s most popular golfers as he won for the first time in eight years.  Plus, the NBA’s Indiana Pacers attempt to tank and receive a top draft pick backfired in a big way on Sunday.

The LSU Tigers baseball team went 0-3 at Georgia – won’t defend title

Omaha will not be the final destination for this year’s 2026 LSU baseball team in June.  The 2025 national champions just dropped three straight games in Athens, Georgia over the weekend.

The Georgia Bulldogs downed the Tigers 11-8, 13-8, and (yikes) 12-1 after the infamous 10-run rule was invoked in Sunday’s finale.  That weekend sweep also gave the Dawgs the 2026 SEC regular season title.

UGA is now 41-11 overall and a very impressive 21-6 in the SEC.

LSU’s depleted pitching staff (giving up 5 ½ runs every nine innings) served up an assortment of tasty treats to Georgia’s eager batters all weekend.  The Tigers fell to 29-24 overall and a woeful 9-18 in the SEC.

Those 18 SEC losses are the most ever for an LSU baseball team.  It’s hard to believe Coach Jay Johnson’s baseball team has fallen this far after winning the national championship in 2025.

LSU’s regular season mercifully ends at home this weekend in Baton Rouge as the Florida Gators (34-18 and 15-12 in the SEC) visit Alex Box Stadium.  LSU remains in 14th place in the 16-team SEC.  Only South Carolina (7-20 in the league) and Missouri (6-21) have worse records.

In Shreveport, the defending NAIA baseball champion LSU-S Pilots are peaking at the right time

Last year’s LSU-Shreveport baseball team set an all-time college baseball record by becoming the first team to win every single game they played.  The 59-0 Perfect Pilots of 2025 have lost 12 times during 2026. 

However, they also have 41 wins, too.

LSU-S will host four other top regional teams in the NAIA opening round playoff series beginning today (Monday, May 11) at Pilot Field in Shreveport. 

LSU-S is a nifty 31-4 at home this year.  The odds favor the Pilots advancing into the second round of the NAIA playoffs next week.

Unlike their big brothers down in Baton Rouge, LSU-Shreveport’s pitching has been exceptional again in 2026.  The Pilots’ team earned run average is just 3.35.  Pitching ace Brock Lucas has posted a 10-2 record and allowed just 1.83 runs per nine innings.

Best of luck to the LSU-S Pilots as they try to bring home a second consecutive national baseball title to Shreveport! 

*Update – LSU-Shreveport won two games but also lost twice to Mid-America Christian University (Oklahoma City).  Mid-America Christian (42-13) won the Shreveport Regional and advanced to play in the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho on Friday, May 22.  They will face 47-9 Doane University of Crete, Nebraska. 

Louisiana Softball – ULM women robbed of an NCAA playoff spot while LSU received the #16 overall seed

Fans of the ULM Warhawks sports teams haven’t had a lot to crow about in recent years.  The women’s softball team, though, has been a recent exception.

The Warhawks won their first-ever Sun Belt regular season softball title recently after posting a 19-5 league record.

Last weekend’s Sun Belt Conference tournament #1 seed ULM won its opening game against UL-Lafayette.  The Warhawks then dropped a 3-1 decision in the semifinal round to #5 seed and eventual tournament winner South Alabama.  UL-Monroe finished their season with a 38-20 record.

Sunday night’s NCAA 64-team women’s softball selection show placed Sun Belt tournament champion South Alabama into the field as expected.  However, the Sun Belt also received two additional spots in the NCAA tournament as well.

Both Marshall University (regular season #2 in the conference) and Texas State (regular season #3) received an NCAA invitation.  Marshall finished with a 37-17 record.  Texas State went 38-20.

Why didn’t the Sun Belt’s regular season champion ULM receive one of those two NCAA tournament spots?

The Warhawks were the hottest team in the conference over the last two months having won 19 of their final 22 games.

Yes, all three at-large Sun Belt teams (ULM, Marshall, and Texas State) had very similar records.  Shame on the NCAA for leaving ULM’s regular season champions out of this year’s post-season tournament.

In Baton Rouge, the LSU Tigers somehow wrangled the #16 overall seed and will host a four-team regional event this weekend at Tiger Park.  Coach Beth Torino’s team is 37-17 overall and has won nine of its last 12 games.  LSU just qualified for the softball postseason tournament for an incredible 20 years in a row.

The Women’s College World Series will be held at Devon Park in Oklahoma City from May 28 through June 4.

Golf – 45-year old Brandt Snedeker won for the first time in nearly eight years!

The sport of golf can be played well into your senior years.  However, it is rare to see very many winners on the men’s or women’s professional golf tours after they reach their mid-40’s.

Hall-of-Famer Sam Snead still holds the men’s professional record after winning the Greater Greensboro Open in 1965 at the age of 52.

Two-time Ryder Cup golfer Brandt Snedeker had already been selected to become the captain of this fall’s President Cup team. 

The honor generally goes to a popular PGA professional golfer whose playing career has already peaked.  Being the team captain usually means spending a lot of time handling team selections, tournament details, the media, and such.   Most team captains don’t have a lot of time for their own golf game.

The 45-year old Brandt Snedeker had lost his PGA Tour playing card a few years ago after several seasons filled with injuries and poor results on the golf course.  Snedeker was having to rely on sponsor exemptions in order to be added into several events over the past few seasons.

The likable Brandt Snedeker from Tennessee wanted to prove to himself and his family that his golf game was still good enough to win on tour again.

His 18-under par total at Sunday’s Myrtle Beach Classic PGA Tour stop was good enough to secure a one-stroke victory over a 36-year old winless golfer.  Mark “Hard Luck” Hubbard bogeyed the 18th hole to finish in second place.

With his win, Brandt Snedeker earned a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour and a place in this weekend’s PGA Championship outside of Philadelphia.

Nicely done and welcome back, Sneds!

Indiana Pacers flunked the NBA Draft ping-pong ball lottery on Sunday

Do you remember which team the Oklahoma City Thunder beat in the NBA Finals less than a year ago?

Me, either.

Last year’s #4 East seed Indiana Pacers surprised many with a late-season charge to win the NBA’s Eastern Conference title in 2025.  Indiana then fought gamely in the NBA Finals against #1 overall seed Oklahoma City before losing in Game #7 at OKC.

This year’s Indiana Pacers suffered a series of injuries during the first half of the NBA season.  The team went on to establish franchise records for the longest losing streaks in Pacers’ history during the second half of the season.

You could say that the Indiana Pacers were “tanking” on purpose in hopes to receive one of the top NBA draft picks in June.  The league “rewards” bad teams by giving them the highest odds of receiving a top draft pick.

Indiana lost with vigor.  This team lost and lost and lost.

The Pacers dropped 13 games in a row from mid-December into January.

They topped their own futility mark with a 16-game losing streak from February into March.

In what would turn out to be a colossal mistake, the Pacers also made a multi-player trade with the Los Angeles Clippers in February during a losing streak.

As a part of the deal, Indiana’s #1 draft pick for next season would be sent to the Clippers only if Indiana should be assigned a draft selection worse than #4 overall.

Not to worry, right?

Indiana finished with a franchise worst 19-63 record.  It firmly placed the Indiana Pacers as one of the top three worst teams in the NBA this year.

The NBA’s draft lottery rules assign an equal 14% chance of getting the top draft pick to the three biggest losers.  This season, those teams were the Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers, and Brooklyn Nets.

The next best odds (11 ½ %) were assigned to the Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings. Memphis (at 9%) was sixth. The other eight non-playoff teams received a descending percentage chance with #14 Charlotte having a minuscule ½% chance of receiving the #1 draft pick in June.

What could possibly go wrong for Indiana?

Plenty.

After the Washington Wizards’ ping-pong ball drawing gave them the #1 overall draft pick in June, Indiana was hoping to grab that #2 spot.

Alas, the second-worst team in the NBA this year watched in horror as their ping-pong ball drawing fortunes went horribly wrong.  The Pacers didn’t hear their name called until the #5 draft position.

As a result, Sunday’s ping-pong ball fiasco also handed Indiana’s 2026 first round pick over to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of this February’s trade.

Indiana won’t receive a first round selection in this June’s NBA draft.  Instead, the Pacers will receive Los Angeles’ first round pick in the year 2031.

Indiana Pacers’ President of Team Operations Kevin Pritchard later apologized to the team’s basketball fans.  He said, “I’m really sorry to all our fans. I own taking this risk.”

He sure does!

This also spotlights the NBA’s convoluted system of incentivizing lousy basketball teams to “out-lose” each other during the second half of the season.

The worst teams (generally) receive one of the top three or four draft picks.

In this case, the Indiana Pacers (historically a very competitive franchise) got burned trying to tank during the second half of the NBA season.

The team intentionally (but would never admit) dropped a record number of games this season convinced that they would be a statistical shoo-in to receive a top three draft choice in June.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver recently commented that the league’s draft lottery system is slated to receive an overhaul in 2027 to prevent teams from “tanking”.

He said, “You should assume for next season that your only incentive is to win games.”

Right, Commish!

I’m not from Missouri, but you’ll need to show me before I believe that the NBA has an effective plan to end the league’s tanking issues!

The post Your Weekend Sports Update appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

The 2026 United Football League (UFL) spring football campaign passed the halfway point recently.

Through six weeks of the league’s ten-game regular season, each UFL team is now on a similar path. 

The eight spring football franchises are experiencing a decline in attendance at the midway point of the 2026 season.

The UFL replaced teams in San Antonio, Detroit (Michigan Panthers), and Memphis this year. Those franchises were relocated to Louisville (Kings), Columbus (Aviators) and Orlando (Storm).

A primary reason for leaving San Antonio, Detroit, and Memphis was that all three teams played in large traditional football stadiums.  Those facilities cost the UFL a lot of money to lease.

Small crowds of 10,000 fans or less for games played in 50,000 seat facilities looked really bad on national television, too.

This new trio of UFL teams is playing their home games in soccer stadiums with seating generally less than 20,000.  The optics showing a crowd of 10,000 inside of a smaller football venue looks more visually appealing to home television viewers.

Let’s count that as a win for the UFL.  However…

The average attendance for those three new UFL franchises isn’t exactly turning heads, either.

Through game 6, the entire league is averaging a little bit more than 10,000 fans per football home game.  Half of the UFL franchises (Houston, Dallas, defending champion DC, and Orlando) still can’t pull more than 10,000 per outing to their games.

St. Louis (which led the league in attendance in each of the UFL’s first two seasons) is averaging 25,700 per game to lead the league in 2026.

Below is a chart showing the attendance for each UFL team through Game 6 last weekend.

Ticket prices for UFL games across the league are relatively cheap

You can buy a 20-yard line ticket to this Saturday night’s Birmingham Stallions home game against the Dallas Renegades for $15 and receive a free t-shirt, too!

Let’s say that the average ticket price in Birmingham was $25.  If the Stallions attract a crowd of 15,000 to this Saturday night’s game, that translates into ticket revenue of $375,000 for the week.

Over a five game home schedule, Birmingham would generate $1.85 million in ticket revenue.

With a roster of 50 players making an average of $60,000 per season, the personnel cost for the Stallions is $3 million.  Let’s also estimate that total expenses for the Birmingham UFL franchise (lease payments, coaching salaries, travel, game day costs and administrative expenses) are (conservatively) another $3 million.

Now, multiply that revenue shortfall by eight UFL franchises.  The numbers simply don’t work.

What about the television ratings for the UFL?

The television ratings for UFL games compared to the NFL are similar to upstart LIV Golf when compared to the PGA Tour.

UFL spring football brings about 5% of the average number of weekly television viewers which the NFL attracts for its games in the fall.

Television ratings in 2026 for the UFL have been difficult to quantify week-to-week.  In general, the four weekly televised games have settled into a predictable pattern.

FOX (one of the minority owners of the UFL) is into Year #2 of providing a Friday night prime-time football game. 

The six Friday night games in 2026 have averaged 638,000 viewers.

For Friday, May 3, the UFL spring football game on FOX (which attracted 670,000 viewers) finished in dead last behind primary competitors CBS, ABC, and NBC.

The CBS Friday night line-up averaged over 4 million viewers.  ABC attracted less than three million.  NBC (which featured horse racing from Churchill Downs) came in at less than 2 ½ million last Friday night.

FOX cannot be pleased about getting curb-stomped in the TV ratings every Friday night for two straight years.  The network’s Friday night UFL spring football games have been unable to crack the one million viewer mark one single time in two years.

A recent week of prime-time television ratings showed the FOX Friday Night UFL game finishing in 162nd place.

In addition to trailing the four primary networks, the FOX Friday UFL game lagged behind top cable television offering on Fox News, ESPN, MSNow, TLC, HGTV, TBS, USA Network, Comedy Central, ESPN2, Food Network, Bravo, Hallmark, CNN, Discovery, History, and A&E.

That stinks.

ABC’s Saturday afternoon UFL games have shown the strongest viewer interest.  Last week’s Dallas Renegades at DC Defenders drew the league’s highest television audience of the season as 1,050,000 watched the game on Saturday afternoon, May 2.

The television networks need the UFL to consistently attract more than one million weekly viewers

Advertisers want their product to be seen by the greatest number of people in their desired demographic.  Football traditionally delivers a predominantly male buying audience and is highly coveted by certain advertisers.

UFL games are shown on the “big” networks like ABC, FOX, and ESPN.

That means that there are zero excuses why football fans are not finding and watching the games.  It is proof that most viewers simply aren’t interested in the product.

Has the UFL been targeting the growing online gambling market to stay afloat?

Like it or not, online sports gambling has been growing quickly.  Unfortunately, many college students are becoming increasingly involved with online gambling.

The UFL football games (especially those shown every Friday night in the spring) represent “the only game in town” for some bettors seeking football-oriented gambling opportunities.

It’s impossible to know whether the UFL or the owners of online gambling companies are actively pursuing younger audiences to wager on UFL spring football games.

The lack of growth in the UFL’s television audience from year-to-year seems to indicate that the gambling factions are not having a sizable effect.

Who is Mike Repole, and why has he become “Mr. UFL?”

The first two seasons of the UFL were financially underwritten by an ownership team of FOX Sports (50%) along with wrestling/media star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, his ex-wife Dani Garcia, ESPN, and RedBird Capital Partners.

The original set of owners has lost tens of millions of their own money during the first two UFL seasons.

Last summer, billionaire entrepreneur/promoter Mike Repole became a partner in the UFL, too. He purchased an undisclosed interest after the 2025 season ended.

Repole quickly jumped-in trying to remake the league with several of his own ideas.

The enthusiastic Mike Repole is about as subtle as the Kool-Aid guy bursting through the wall.

He has already told Oklahoma City that they will be granted a UFL franchise in 2028 once the city’s new soccer stadium is completed.  Repole wants the spring football league to double in size to 16 teams within the next few years.

It was Mike Repole’s idea to move three franchises to Columbus, Louisville, and Orlando this season.  He also spearheaded the UFL’s move into smaller soccer venues in 2026 to save cash and look better on television.

The 57-year old Mike Repole has also jousted with fans of the 2024 UFL league champion Birmingham Stallions franchise, too.  He let it be known that the Alabama-based franchise would be moved if local supporters didn’t show significant improvements in game attendance this season. (Note – the Stallions are #2 in UFL average attendance entering Week #7)

Yes, Mike Repole has been a virtual one-man crusader for the UFL over the past year.

Try as he might, the vital signs for his beloved UFL in 2026 are still the same.

The UFL remains on life support

Only the deep pockets of the UFL’s investors has kept this patient from an expected death.

Let’s forget about the size of the football stadiums.  When only 10,000 paying fans show up to watch any professional sport with massive fixed costs like football, the sports league is going to lose tons of money and eventually cease to exist.

Perhaps the UFL has been hoping to attract some type of life preserver from the National Football League.  It’s not that the NFL couldn’t have invested in the UFL from Day 1, though.

It simply chose not to.  The NFL has watched any number of spring pro football leagues come and go.  That’s because football fans aren’t interested in the product.

The NFL wisely understood that they “own” the fall sports calendar.

NFL franchise owners want football fans to be salivating in anticipation of the league’s return every year.

Remember that the NFL has already been through this with the American Football League back in the 1960’s.

Once the AFL achieved significant momentum with football fans and grew its television ratings, the NFL purchased their youthful competitor to end the challenge.

The UFL’s presentation on the field and for home television has been exceptional.   Games (though still a bit too low-scoring for me) are often entertaining to watch.

I will award the UFL an “A” for effort.

This spring football league and several others have tried mightily to get their product to take root.  Football fans simply have not reciprocated with an endearing love for spring pro football.

The UFL’s owners have every right to lose as much money as they desire hoping that their football league will eventually gain traction with the public.

When and if that ever should happen, the NFL is likely to respond.

The post UFL Midseason Report – Still on Shaky Ground appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

Let’s catch-up on a variety of sports action from the past weekend.

NBA 1st Round Playoffs and the Tragic Orlando Magic

When a basketball team (at any level) misses 23 straight shots during a game, that team is more than likely going to lose.

The NBA’s #8 seed Eastern Conference Orlando Magic was at home on Friday night.  They were leading the #1 Detroit Pistons 3-2 in their best-of-seven series.

The Magic raced out to a 60-38 halftime advantage and had their home crowd ready to celebrate the team’s biggest first round upset in history.

Then they played the second half.

The Orlando Magic couldn’t hit the proverbial broad side of a barn over the final two quarters. Orlando scored just 11 points in the third quarter.  The fourth quarter produced a paltry eight points. At one point, the Orlando Magic missed 23 consecutive shots.

The tiny 19-point second half total in Game 6 was the lowest ever recorded in the NBA’s long playoff history. Detroit was easily able to overcome the 22-point halftime deficit and won 93-79 to even the series at three games apiece.

Sunday night’s Game 7 found Detroit back at home to win the finale 116-95. The #1 East seed Pistons advance into Round 2 this week against #4 Cleveland.

On Monday morning, the Orlando Magic announced the firing of fifth-year coach Jamahl Mosley.

As I have mentioned over the years, it’s a lot easier for a professional sports team’s ownership to fire the head coach rather than an entire roster of players.  That coach wasn’t on the floor missing 23 shots in a row in Game 6.

The Boston Celtics did, indeed, die by the 3-point shot

Just like Orlando, the #2 Eastern Conference #2 seed Boston Celtics took at 3-1 series lead before losing three straight games to the #7-seeded Philadelphia 76ers.

As we covered a few weeks ago, the Boston Celtics thrive or die by their ability to make 3-point shots.  The NBA’s fourth-most prolific 3-point shooting team during the regular season clanked home just 13 of 49 long-distance shots (27%) in a 109-100 Game 7 home playoff loss to Philadelphia Saturday night.

The Celtics blew a 3-1 playoff advantage for the first time in the team’s storied history.  Boston had been 32-0 all-time when leading by such a wide margin.

This year’s Celtics also lost three of the four games played in their hometown at historic Boston Garden.

Philadelphia 76ers fans rejoiced after their team finally won a decisive Game 7 playoff game on the road in Boston for the first time since Julius “Dr. J.” Erving played for the Sixers in 1982.

Saturday night’s Game 7 in Boston saw the visiting 76ers zoom to a 30-15 first quarter advantage and never relinquish that lead.

Boston played Game 7 without injured star forward Jayson Tatum.  He was dealing with soreness in one of his legs and was held out of the game as a precaution.

Tatum and his teammates will now have five months to recover, practice their outside shooting, and, perhaps, consider adding a legitimate inside presence prior to next season.

The Houston Rockets failed to achieve a first round lift-off for the 2nd straight year

Houston’s Rockets sizzled during the 2024/2025 regular season but fizzled in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

The team quickly reacted by adding veteran sharpshooter Kevin Durant to beef-up the Rockets’ scoring during the 2025/2026 season.

Unfortunately, the NBA #5 Western Division seed Rockets crashed and burned in the first round of the playoffs once again.

In the first two games against the #4 Los Angles Lakers, Kevin Durant sparkled on offense. Unfortunately, the other four Houston starters seemed to stand around and wait for their designated shooter to carry the offensive load.

Durant was injured during Game 2 and didn’t play again for the rest of this series.

The Rockets looked likely to win Game 3 but then blew a six-point lead in the final 30 seconds to go down 0-3 against 41-year old LeBron James and the Lakers.

Houston found a way to win games 4 and 5 before getting drubbed 98-78 on Friday night in Los Angeles to conclude their season with a final loss.

The Lakers played the entire series without two of its key starters – Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

Houston may be looking at a few shake-ups for the roster and, perhaps, the team’s coaching staff after a second straight one-and-done playoff performance.

PGA Tour – Cameron Young put the sleeper hold on the rest of the field in Miami

The PGA Tour finally returned to Miami’s famed Doral Country Club Blue Monster golf course this past week.  While some golfers may have trembled while standing on the tee at the tour’s most difficult par-4 #18, stoic Cameron Young seemed to love every minute of it.

The bearded 28-year old golfer with the signature pause at the top of his backswing was winless in his first five seasons on the PGA Tour.  Notably, though, Young posted six top ten finishes in the tough golf majors in his early years on the tour.

Cameron Young was overdue to win.

Sundays’ victory became Young’s third title in the past nine months. He broke through with his first PGA victory in August, 2025 in Greensboro.  Young added The Player’s Championship title in March for career win #2.

Cameron Young told reporters Sunday, “When the golf course is difficult and the conditions are difficult, that tends to make it easier for me mentally.

Young led from start to finish in all four rounds of the Cadillac Championship tournament at Doral.  His 19-under par total was six shots clear of World #1 golfer and runner-up Scottie Scheffler. 

Cameron Young even called a one-stroke penalty on himself on the second hole as his golf ball wobbled on the fairway.

He said, “Your heart sinks when you see it move, but it moved.  That’s part of what golf’s about.  There’s no one who is going to give me a penalty there but myself.”

Keep your eye on this golfer in the upcoming PGA Championship, US Open, and The Open at Royal Birkdale in England.

Savannah Bananas packed 102,000 BananaFans into Texas A&M’s Kyle Field Saturday

It’s not football season yet, but you wouldn’t have known that in College Station, Texas on Saturday night.  Kyle Field is the massive football stadium home of the Fightin’ Texas Aggies.

On Saturday night, the stadium was filled with 102,000 fun seekers as baseball’s crowd-pleasing Savannah Bananas arrived to play (of course) the Texas Tailgaters.

“BananaBall” has been sweeping the nation with sell-out crowds everywhere they play.  This talented traveling team utilizes a number of “get the fans involved” humorous antics to help make baseball games more fun to watch.

It’s baseball’s equivalent of the Harlem Globetrotters – except on steroids.  Every Savannah Bananas baseball game becomes a party unto itself.

The actual game (as if it really mattered) was won by the Texas Tailgaters 4-3.

Speaking of baseball, NY Yankees’ legendary radio announcer John Sterling passed away early Monday at age 87

He was best known for his unabashed enthusiastic radio calls for his beloved New York Yankees.  John Sterling’s signature game-ending calls of “The….Yankees win!” were enjoyed by fans in the New York City metropolitan area for 36 years beginning in 1989.

At one point, John Sterling didn’t miss a Yankees radio broadcast for 5,060 consecutive regular season games.  That was a span covering more than 30 seasons.

The New York Yankees posted Monday, “John Sterling breathed life and excitement into Yankees games for 36 years while wearing his passion for baseball and the Yankees on his sleeve.  The symmetry between John and his audience was both undeniable and magical.”

John Sterling was at the microphone for the last five New York Yankees World Series championships.  He retired in 2024 after the season ended.  Sterling required heart surgery early in 2026.   

John Sterling’s enthusiasm and talent behind the mic will be sorely missed by all of us baseball fans.

The post A Weekend of Basketball, Golf, and BananaBall appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

Welcome back!  In my last post, we examined how LIV Golf is unlikely to survive after the Saudi Public Investment Fund ends its financial support soon. 

Will the PGA Tour choose to punish the LIV Golf stars who left in 2022 and 2023? 

Or, should the PGA Tour take the high road and find a reasonable way to bring back the LIV golfers for the benefit of professional golf fans? 

It’s time for ol’ SwampSwami to present a few possible outcomes should LIV Golf fold its operations following its final 2026 event in late August.  

Let’s start with my least favorite idea and conclude with my preferred solution.

First idea – The PGA Tour tells all LIV golfers that they are not welcome back.  Ever.

My Mom would have called this one, “Cutting off your nose to spite your face”.  It’s simply not going to happen.

I understand the angst.  Many pro golfers and fans are still hot about LIV’s top names accepting $100 million or more from a country (Saudi Arabia) which has a poor history on human rights issues.

The seed money and current operating capital provided to LIV Golf, indeed, originated from the Saudi Public Investment Fund.

However, a total ban on LIV Golfers would be a terrible business idea for the PGA Tour.  Golf fans want to see the best players competing on the course every week.

If you still can’t get over it, perhaps celebrate the fact that Saudi investors have lost more than $5 billion on LIV Golf over the past five years.

Second idea – The PGA Tour tells LIV golfers to sit out for at least one full year.  They would then be permitted to start over.  That involves earning a PGA Tour spot at the annual Qualifying school or playing in the Korn Ferry (developmental) Tour in 2027 in an attempt to earn a PGA Tour card for 2028.

This would likely send the majority of LIV Golf players to play in the DP World (European) tour next season.  The prize money for that tour is much lower, and the players’ travel costs are significant.

From the DP World Tour’s viewpoint, adding a number of LIV golfers would boost interest in their tour.  Perhaps the DP World Tour might add events at a few popular LIV Golf destinations such as Adelaide, Australia and in South Africa.

Another factor to consider is that an across-the-board ban by the PGA Tour for at least one year may cause some LIV golfers to sue the PGA Tour.

It is important to understand that PGA Tour golfers are not employees of the PGA Tour.  They are considered contract labor. 

PGA Tour golfers are not guaranteed any prize money when they tee-up at traditional full-field golf tournaments.  They earn money only after making the 36-hole cut by placing in the upper half of the field.

LIV Golfers could argue the contract labor position in court should the PGA Tour deny their right to compete for one or more years.

Third idea – Utilize the same method which recently allowed Brooks Koepka to return to the PGA Tour this year

Five-time major championship winner Brooks Koepka had one year left on his LIV Golf contract in 2026.  He quietly negotiated his way out of the final year of his LIV Golf contract following the 2025 season.

Brooks Koepka then visited with the PGA Tour and was able to cut a deal to return this year in 2026. 

Koepka had to agree to certain conditions:

He must pay a $5 million donation to charity.

Koepka is not eligible to participate in the new PGA Player Equity Program.

He is not eligible to receive any money from the season-ending FedEx Cup Bonus Pool.

Upon rejoining the PGA Tour, Brooks Koepka has received several tournament sponsor’s invitations to participate in full-field PGA events this spring.  Those tournament title sponsors should be permitted to add players (including other former LIV golfers) whose presence boosts local and national interest in their PGA Tour event.

The “Koepka Plan” could be applied to the other returning LIV Golf stars beginning in 2027.  A sliding scale could be used to determine the amount of each player’s charitable donation based on the size of that player’s LIV Golf signing bonus.

This idea seems plausible to me.  However…

The PGA Tour is unhappy that other top LIV golfers failed to accept this type of “olive branch” offer made earlier in 2026.  Revenge may sound like fun to some, but most pro golf fans just want to see the best players on the course every week.

The PGA Tour is a business.  Listening to golf fans who want to see the top players back in competition should be the Tour’s foremost priority.

It is also Customer Service 101.  The customer isn’t always right, but the customer is ALWAYS the customer!

Fourth and my preferred idea – Listen to the golf fans and let’s roll again in 2027!

Anyone who has watched the four golf major championships over the past few years can see how much golf fans enjoyed watching top LIV golfers like Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm competing in those events. 

The final twosome of DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy in the 2025 Masters made for some great final round drama.  It’s time for all parties to come together soon and make men’s golf stronger than before.  

A personal analogy may be in order.  

Perhaps you (like me) have been fortunate enough to have been hired by an employer, stayed for a number of years, left for another company, and then rehired by your original employer to fill an open position.    

We had our reasons for leaving.  Earning a good reputation during your first time working for that original employer laid the groundwork for your possible return.

Of course, most of us did not receive a hefty signing bonus from any employer. 

Pro golfers who left the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf received some rather large signing bonuses.  Whether the amount was $1 million or $300 million, it was a personal business decision which involved risks to be weighed by each player.

Importantly, the amount of the LIV Golf signing bonus received by a golfer should be none of the PGA Tour’s business.

The PGA Tour’s primary concern – today – should be in determining how much value their enterprise would gain by adding the top LIV golfers to some of their golf tournaments beginning next season.

Let’s get to work and create a win/win/win deal for the fans, the PGA Tour, and LIV Golf!

*The SwampSwamiSports.com favored proposal covers only the upcoming 2026-2027 PGA golf season

Step 1 – Allow each regular field (100 or more players) PGA Tour event to have the option of inviting up to ten former LIV golfers to participate in their local event.

This would be in addition to the normal number of PGA Tour players scheduled to appear that week.  No PGA player would lose a spot in the field.  Former LIV golfers would not be eligible to participate in any of the PGA Tour’s “no cut” reduced-field events or The Player’s Championship.  All former LIV golfers (regardless of the number of FedEx points they earned during the regular season) would be ineligible to participate in the 2027 FedEx Cup series of year-ending events.

Step 2 – Any PGA tournament earnings by a former LIV golfer in the 2026-2027 season will be split as follows – 1/3 to the golfer, 1/3 dedicated to the PGA Tour Players’ Retirement Fund, and 1/3 going to the local tournament’s primary charity or charities.

The golfer would be financially “punished” by being allowed to keep just 1/3 of his weekly earnings.  Having another 1/3 going directly into long-time PGA Tour players’ retirement accounts is intended to honor PGA golfers who didn’t bolt for LIV Golf.  The final 1/3 going to the local tour stop’s charity will help make a positive impact in that community.  It’s also a smart public relations move.

Step 3 – If any former LIV Golf player should earn enough FedEx points during the 2026-2027 season to qualify for a Tour Card in 2028, the player should be welcomed back onto the PGA Tour.

Let’s say that the Zurich Classic team event in New Orleans invites LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm to play as a team next spring.  If they should win the golf tournament, those two players may earn enough FedEx points to receive their PGA Tour cards for 2028.

LIV Golfers must earn their way back onto the regular PGA Tour – by their performance!

Step 4 – If any former LIV golfer earns enough FedEx points to qualify for a spot on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2028, the player is welcomed to join that tour.

A former LIV golfer may be able to place high enough during limited 2027 PGA Tour events may qualify to play on the Korn Ferry (developmental) Tour in 2028.  The player would spend their next season trying to win events on that tour in an effort to regain their PGA Tour card.

Step 5 – All LIV Golfers will be permanently ineligible to participate in the PGA Player Equity Program.

This relatively new long-term incentive bonus plan was designed to incentivize PGA Tour members who stayed with the Tour instead of pursuing an offer from LIV Golf.  It is only fair that the LIV Golfers should be permanently excluded from that bonus pool.

In summary:

My program would give PGA Tour tournament title sponsors the right to invite up to ten LIV golfers to play in their events to boost public interest without eliminating any PGA Tour players’ spots in the field.  Those tournaments may also decide not to invite any LIV Golfers if they so choose.

The LIV golfers must perform at a very high level in 2027 in order to have any chance of securing a PGA Tour card beginning in 2028.

PGA Tour players have little to be concerned about except for some added competition.  LIV Golf players would be at a serious disadvantage, because they are only eligible to play in a limited number of events.  However, any LIV golfer collecting enough FedEx points during next season to qualify for the PGA Tour or the Korn Ferry Tour would have earned a playing card based on performance.

The PGA Tour and its television partners also win.

There will be increased interest in traditional full-field tour stops which have traditionally struggled to attract to top PGA Tour names.  It’s good for business.

Most importantly, golf fans win big!  Local PGA tournament fields will include more top names in their fields beginning in 2027.

It’s time to get over the feuding and sniping.

Fans simply want to see the best players in the world competing every week.  LIV Golf’s expected demise could result in a much improved PGA Tour very soon.

The post Fans WANT the top LIV Golfers Back – Part 2 appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

Uh-oh!  LIV Golf lost its financial life preserver this week.

The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) is pulling the Saudi P-LUG on LIV Golf at the conclusion of this season in late August.

Meanwhile, PGA Tour players and cheerleaders like Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee are doing the expected “I told you so” round of high fives late this week.

LIV Golf announced a restructuring plan Thursday “to support a transition from a foundational launch phase to a diversified, multi-partnered investment model”.

Let me offer a simpler translation. 

The Saudi money tree has dried up.  They are desperately seeking very wealthy people or cash-rich companies needing a billion-dollar annual tax loss.

Oddly, no one has confirmed (or denied) whether the Saudi Public Investment Fund has officially parted ways with funding LIV Golf.

The league’s Sugar Daddy cannot be happy with losing an estimated $5 billion over five golf seasons beginning in 2022.

Thursday’s announcement by LIV Golf included the addition of an independent board led by a couple of investment bankers.  Good luck finding those new pigeons, gents!

New Orleans’ first-ever LIV Golf event was expected to be played in late June.  Whose bad idea was that? 

Not to worry.  This week, we learned that the New Orleans LIV tournament has been “postponed” (perhaps) until this fall.

Louisiana’s state tourism group will receive a refund of more than $1 million already paid to LIV Golf to come to town.  However, the state’s taxpayers have already invested $2 million in making needed improvements to bring the former City Park layout (now renamed Bayou Oaks) into condition for a pro golf tournament.

At least Crescent City golfers will be able to enjoy the brand new driving range and other course improvements which have been made.

What are the chances that LIV Golf finds new backers and survives into next year?

Despite all of that flowery rhetoric, LIV Golf’s current business model simply doesn’t work.

The league initially paid more than $1 billion in signing bonuses to major golf champions such as Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, Cameron Smith, and Bubba Watson.  Other top names signed for less than $100 million each.

Brooks Keopka and Patrick Reed have recently left LIV Golf.  They both joined LIV Golf during its first year in 2022 and played through 2025.

The two major champions negotiated their own exit plans over the winter.  Koepka then cut a deal with the PGA Tour to return this spring.  Patrick Reed was required to wait until the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup concludes in late August before he returns to the tour.

LIV Golf’s biggest success has come in a few foreign countries starved to see some of the top professional golf stars.

Tour events in Australia and South Africa were sold-out this spring with more than 100,000 fans during their LIV Golf tournaments.  LIV Golf’s worldwide events are also quite expensive to transport people, equipment, and facilities to different countries every two weeks.

The league has played about half of its tournament schedule in the US.

Those events have generally failed to attract significant crowds or revenue.

LIV Golf pays its golfers a total prize money worth $30 million at each event in 2026.

If a US event draws a total of 40,000 fans at (let’s say) $50 average ticket prices, that generates only $2 million in ticket revenue.  The math doesn’t work.

LIV Golf’s television package with FOX Sports (which has been covered in a few previous posts) does not provide the league any significant revenue, either.  Playing in foreign countries brings major challenges for television.  Time zone differences have caused a few events to fall during the overnight hours back in the US.

It would require take a drastic reduction in LIV Golf’s tournament purses (back down into the $3-$5 million range) to give the league any chance of treading water financially.

Such a payday reduction would likely cause top LIV Golf names like Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau to leave once their contracts expire.  DeChambeau’s LIV agreement is set to expire at the end of this summer.

What type of investor wants to spend their money on such a risky business venture with its top attractions leaving?  Not many – if any.

Then again, the PGA Tour’s own financial picture isn’t all that great, either

The PGA Tour has always remained closely guarded when it comes to its own financial affairs.  Some at PGA headquarters may want to pop some champagne bottles upon hearing of LIV Golf’s likely demise.

In reality, the PGA Tour’s accountant should counsel them to put the bubbly back into the bar – at least for now.

Did you know that the PGA Tour abruptly (and very quietly) ended two long-time events staged in Hawaii?

The PGA Tour has held at least one annual golf tournament in Hawaii since 1965. 

Honolulu has played host to the Sony Open in Oahu for 51 years.

Another tournament called the Sentry (Insurance) Open was added in Maui beginning in 1999.  It featured the winners of each of the prior year’s PGA golf tournaments along with other leading money winners.

Attendance at both events has never been particularly strong.  However, January’s television coverage of golf being played in the warm sunshine of Hawaii had been great in attracting home TV audiences and the title golf sponsors.

The PGA Tour just said “Aloha” to these long-time events beginning next year

Cancellation of these two long-running PGA men’s golf events in Hawaii next year are not the only departures from the PGA Tour after 2026, either.

Farmer’s Insurance ended its long-time sponsorship of the PGA event in San Diego earlier this spring.

The insurance provider had been the title sponsor at Torrey Pines in San Diego for the past 17 years.

Other long-time PGA Tour sponsors such as Genesis (Los Angeles), Charles Schwab (Fort Worth) and Wyndham Hotels (Greensboro) face renewal decisions in 2026.

Primary PGA Tour sponsors are becoming increasingly skeptical about making significant multi-year financial commitments at increasing costs. 

The average PGA Tour title sponsorship now costs nearly $15 million per year with a multi-year commitment required from the sponsor.

These title companies expect more than just goodwill when forking-out a significant percentage of their annual advertising budget to sponsor a one week pro golf tournament.

Why are PGA title sponsorships priced so high today?

Let’s go back a few decades.  Phil Mickelson first teed-up on the PGA Tour in the summer of 1992.  He’s now 55 and was one of the first PGA Tour golfers signed by LIV Golf in 2022.

Tiger Woods has, for practical purposes, retired from the PGA Tour.  He turned 50 last December and now qualifies to play on the PGA Champions (Senior) Tour.

There was a dramatic increase for PGA tournament payouts during Tiger and Phil’s careers.  Fans of both golfers helped to generate a renewed interest in the game over the past 30 years.

The total prize pool for ALL PGA Tour events in 1994 was $57 million.  By 2024, the men’s golf tournament payouts had increased almost tenfold to $551 million.

Unfortunately, both Phil Mickelson and the oft-injured and recently out-of-sight Tiger Woods are no longer factors in recent years.

The competition from LIV Golf beginning in 2022 absolutely contributed to the PGA Tour maintaining and boosting its tournament payouts.  It was done to prevent other major PGA stars from jumping over to the new LIV Golf league.

Guess who has been footing the bill for those huge increases in tournament payouts? Tournament title sponsors, of course!

A golf tournament’s title sponsor generally covers all of the costs associated with bringing a PGA Tour event to each community.  The money goes to pay for operational costs on the ground plus that rising amount of tournament prize money being paid to the players.

That good ol’ economic concept of the elasticity of demand is in effect right now.

The loss of PGA Tour long-time tournament title sponsors has resulted in a reduction in the number of annual events.

Many PGA weekly tournaments feature a rather watered-down field with few of the top 50 players bothering to show up.  Some may not like the golf course.  Others are taking time to prepare for future events or spend the week with their families.

Tournament title sponsors, though, are left with a field with few “name” golfers.  That leads to lower local attendance and reduced national television exposure for the title sponsor of that particular golf tournament.

Today’s top PGA Tour fan favorites include Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler.

A little renewed competition from young major champion golfers like LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, and Cam Smith would definitely boost interest at some of the PGA Tour’s most neglected tournament stops.

The PGA Tour’s most recent media rights deals with CBS and NBC/Golf Channel provides annual revenue of $700 million through the year 2030.  It would be a smart business decision for the PGA Tour to add the primary stars of LIV Golf into the mix long before the next round of TV rights negotiations.

The PGA Tour shouldn’t gloat about LIV Golf’s financial failure

A $3 billion life preserver was provided to the PGA Tour in early 2024 from private equity partner Strategic Sports Group. 

That cash infusion has kept the long-term golf league in respectable financial shape.

Half of the $3 billion was utilized to create a new long-term bonus incentive program for the golfers.  Current PGA stars earn a portion of their bonus money based on their annual performance.  Importantly, they are required to remain a PGA member in order to collect that money in the future.

The other half of the $3 billion from Strategic Sports Group was slated for “PGA Tour business.”  What exactly does that mean?  Is it being used to cover tournament losses?  What about the cost of funding former PGA players’ retirement accounts? 

Nobody knows for sure.

Phil Mickelson had deep suspicions about how the PGA Tour was being managed.  That is one reason why Lefty jumped to LIV Golf in 2022. 

He claimed that the PGA Tour had been unfair to its players by retaining the exclusive rights to sell and market highlights of individual golfers to social media sites without compensation going back to the players.

An increasing lack of trust between top PGA Tour management and several key players came to a head once LIV Golf came knocking in 2022.

How can the PGA Tour patch things up with LIV golfers if that league folds soon?

Yes, I do have a few ideas.

Come back next time for Part 2.  Let’s work out a plan so that golf fans emerge as the winners!

The post Hey, PGA Tour! Most fans WANT LIV Golfers Back! appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

Last year at this time, the 2025 LSU baseball team was rounding into post-season shape as the Tigers charged to the school’s eighth national championship in June.

This year’s 2026 LSU baseball team (ranked #2 in the preseason) lost its ninth straight SEC contest on Sunday after being swept by Mississippi State in Starkville.  It marked the first time LSU has lost nine SEC baseball games in a row at any time in the school’s long and decorated history dating back to 1933.

The Tigers are 24-21 on the year.  LSU is only 6-12 in the very difficult SEC.  Only South Carolina (5-13) and Missouri (3-15) have a worse conference record through Sunday’s games.

Eight wasn’t enough for LSU at Mississippi State over the weekend

LSU scored eight runs in each of its three straight losses at Starkville, MS last weekend.  In each game, the Tigers got off to a fast start.  Unfortunately, the later innings saw the Tigers’ pitching falter while the offensive bats struggled against a talented Mississippi State bullpen.

LSU dropped Friday’s opener 10-8 in 11 innings.  Saturday night’s game had LSU bolt out to a 7-2 lead starting the seventh inning.  The Tigers lost 9-8.  LSU led Sunday’s finale 8-5 midway through the sixth inning before losing 13-8.

Mississippi State improved to 34-10 on the year and 10-8 in the SEC.

The Bulldogs are part of a 5-way logjam for fourth place in the SEC.  Mississippi State is tied with Auburn, Florida, Ole Miss, and Oklahoma at 10-8 in the league.

LSU has suffered through a number of key personnel losses in recent weeks.  Coach Jay Johnson can only do so much when his pitchers are getting hammered nightly and the Tiger bats go cold at the most inopportune moments.

LSU fans who already booked hotel rooms for Omaha’s College World Series in June might need to be on the lookout for another team to root for if they still go to Nebraska.

At least for the year 2026, the defending champions of NCAA Division I college baseball are toast.

Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia went undrafted by the NFL last weekend

Diego Pavia single-handedly made Vanderbilt football interesting to watch for the past two seasons.  His ability to scramble, run, and/or or pass kept SEC defenses off balance and the Commodores in the game.

The Vandy quarterback (generously listed at 6’0” by the school) helped the Commodores improve from 2-10 in 2023 to 7-6 in 2024.  Vanderbilt posted a school record 10-3 season in 2025.

Diego Pavia played with an incredible and very infectious confidence on the field during his two seasons with Vanderbilt.  He finished in second place in the Heisman Trophy voting last year.  Despite being relatively short by college QB standards, Pavia remained confident he would be drafted by an NFL team last weekend.

Diego Pavia’s belief in himself has gone a little over-the-top at times.  His ego can block a bit of reality.  Vanderbilt’s offense was wisely structured to take advantage of the quarterback’s skills.  NFL teams want their incoming quarterbacks to fit into the head coach’s system.

As his final season ended, Diego Pavia morphed another Johnny Manziel type of personality.

You might remember that Texas A&M’s “Johnny Football” won the Heisman Trophy in 2012.

Johnny Manziel was known for his personal confidence and arrogance (and off-field substance abuse).  It worked against him as a professional football player.  Selected in the first round by the Cleveland Browns, “Johnny Football” started just eight games and went just 2-6 over his two NFL seasons.

The NFL combine measured Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia at 5’9” tall.  He would become the shortest quarterback in the NFL this year.

Seven rounds and 257 names were called last weekend in Pittsburgh at the NFL Draft. Diego Pavia wasn’t one of them.  He became the first Heisman Trophy finalist to go undrafted since 2013.

The good news is that Diego Pavia was signed as a free agent by the Baltimore Ravens on Tuesday.  That team only had two quarterbacks on the roster.  Pavia will have a decent chance to become an NFL back-up QB if he performs well during training camp and in preseason games.

Texas Tech’s very expensive transfer quarterback is in deep trouble for gambling

Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson told the NFL Draft media last week that he turned down a $6 million NIL offer to stay at Bama for his final year of eligibility.

Instead, Simpson gambled on his NFL chances.  To the surprise of many (including me), Ty Simpson was selected with the 13th overall pick in Round 1 by the Los Angeles Rams.

One sports site reported that Ty Simpson’s first NFL contract will be worth $24 million over his first four years with the Rams.

Yes, that’s the same $6 million that Alabama allegedly offered.

Had Ty Simpson been drafted as the last selection of the first round (#32 overall), he would be slated to make an estimated $16 million over four years.

Texas Tech University in Lubbock has very wealthy athletics backers who have been funneling millions of dollars into the Red Raiders’ NIL cooperative.

Last season, Texas Tech effectively outbid other prominent schools to sign several key transfer players.  It culminated with the Red Raiders going 11-1 in the regular season and playing in the first round of the College Football Playoffs.

Texas Tech recently opened its NIL wallet to sign University of Cincinnati transfer quarterback Brendan Sorsby for a reported $5 million next season.

Sorsby started his college career at the University of Indiana prior to transferring to the Cincinnati Bearcats last year.

Brendan Sorsby’s lone season with Cincinnati had him tossing 27 touchdown passes with only five interceptions.  He had been one of the most heavily recruited players in the NCAA Transfer Portal a few months ago.

On Monday, Texas Tech announced that their new $5 million quarterback (who hasn’t played a down in Lubbock) had checked himself into a gambling treatment program.

Reports surfaced that Brendan Sorsby has a history of betting on college football games.  That includes games involving Indiana (to win) while he was on that team as a freshman.

Former LSU wide receiver Kayshon Boutte just completed his third year playing for the New England Patriots.  Boutte published a lengthy report in January, 2026 detailing a period where he was heavily involved with online sports gambling.

Kayshon Boutte claims to have lost $90,000 gambling involving thousands of wagers during a period at LSU where he was rehabilitating from a severe ankle injury.  He was arrested in January, 2024 (a year into his NFL career) as part of an online gambling investigation.  The charges were dropped six months later.

The ex-Tiger’s fascinating PG-13 rated story does have a positive ending and is worth the read (click here).

Kayshon Boutte believes that most college athletes who get involved in gambling are “going through something.”  He added, “Don’t give up on them. Maybe they just need some help.”

The NCAA is now investigating Texas Tech transfer quarterback Brendan Sorsby for gambling allegations.

Current NCAA rules call for significant punishment if a college athlete wagers more than a cumulative total of $800 or more.

Based on Sorsby’s voluntary check-in for gambling addictions, it’s safe to say that he is above the $800 threshold.

Sorsby could lose his final year of college eligibility.  Pro scouting reports indicated that Brendan Sorsby had a good chance to become a first round NFL draft choice next April.

All of that could be in jeopardy now.

Texas Tech will (of course) spend whatever money is necessary to cut a deal with the NCAA to give their $5 million transfer quarterback Brendan Sorsby a chance on the field this fall.  Voluntarily entering a gambling addiction treatment program could go a long way to help his chances with the NCAA.

Online gambling (all types including sports betting) has become epidemic.  Colleges report that 75% of all students gambled at least once during the last year.  Nearly 20% gamble weekly or more frequently.

Let’s hope that Texas Tech’s Brendan Sorsby (much like former LSU wide receiver Kayshon Boutte) can turn things around soon and help others going down that same path.

The post Watching the Balloons Pop appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

This week’s sports scene has featured an assortment of odd headlines and stories.  Let’s dive right in!

NFL Draft Day 1 in Pittsburgh featured a record 320,000 fans!

For 51 years, the NFL Draft was held in a major hotel’s ballroom or banquet facility in New York City.  There would always be a full house of (perhaps) several hundred interested spectators who had somehow finagled their way into the festivities.  Of course, New York’s Giants and Jets fans dominated the scene to cheer their teams and lustily boo their biggest rivals.

It was April, 2015 when the NFL smartly decided to capitalize on growing fan interest by taking its annual NFL Draft on the road.

That initial NFL Draft “road show” in Chicago became a rousing success.  A genius marketing idea was implemented to stretch the proceedings from two days to three.

Allowing Round 1 (which featured the most well-known college football players) to stand alone on a Thursday night was a big draw for fans.  Rounds 2 and 3 are held on Friday.  The festivities end on Saturday afternoon with Rounds 4, 5, 6, and 7.

Fans flocked to Chicago in 2015 to be part of that three day party.  The event was primarily held outside and attracted more than 200,000 fans over a three day period.

This annual party has become the NFL’s springtime equivalent of the Super Bowl itself.

Since 2015, the NFL Draft has taken place in Philadelphia, Dallas, Nashville, Cleveland, Las Vegas, Kansas City, Detroit, and Green Bay.  This year’s event is being held in Pittsburgh. The NFL Draft heads east to Washington, DC in April, 2027.

Thursday night’s opening round in Pittsburgh brought a record 320,000 fans to the Steel City.

Most fans literally just stand around within the designated fenced areas.  They wait to cheer for their favorite team and loudly boo draft selections made by the Steelers’ hated rivals (Baltimore, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Philadelphia and Dallas to name a few).

Detroit still holds the 3-day record with an estimated 700,000 people attending the 2024 NFL Draft.  Green Bay pulled-in 600,000 for last year’s 2025 NFL Draft.

Pittsburgh is off to a good start and might establish a new record.  However, there is an 80% chance of rain on Saturday which might diminish the turnout.

Speaking of the NFL Draft…

The Los Angeles Rams finished behind the Seattle Seahawks in losing the NFC title game.  They held the lucky 13th pick in the opening round of Thursday night’s NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.

In one of the biggest Round 1 surprises in recent memory, the Rams selected Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson.

The college quarterback had a shaky final season at Alabama and was widely expected to be taken very late in the first round or in the second round.

Plus, last year’s starting quarterback in Los Angeles was also last year’s NFL MVP, Matt Stafford.

The Rams could have easily traded down several spots, received an extra mid-round draft pick, and likely found Ty Simpson still available later in the first round on Thursday.

Apparently the Rams’ coaching staff saw something that the rest of us missed.

Did someone just mention Alabama?

Following Nick Saban as the head football coach at the University of Alabama could be one of the toughest jobs in football.

Former University of Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer accepted that position two years ago.  He has posted very un-Alabama type records of 9-4 in 2024 and 11-4 in 2025.

Many Crimson Tide fans already had their fingers ready on the “Let’s fire the football coach” button as Coach DeBoer begins his third season in Tuscaloosa this fall.

In a surprising move this week, the University of Alabama handed the football coach a brand new seven-year $12.5 million/year contract through the 2033 football season.

Coach DeBoer’s salary went up by $2 million per year despite posting back-to-back underwhelming (by Alabama standards) seasons.

If fired (without cause), Coach Kalen DeBoer will be due 90% of the remaining amount on his contract.

Bama fans appeared rather unhappy with this move and are openly questioning the sanity and decision making skills of Athletic Director Greg Byrne.

New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel’s problems are getting worse

This married pro football coach was caught on camera recently at a luxury Arizona resort cuddling with a younger sports reporter.  This week, New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was in the news again.

A New York City newspaper released photos of the coach getting frisky with that same woman in a New York City bar back in March, 2020.

The female reporter (who is also married) had her journalistic (uh) methods in obtaining information from the NFL coach questioned.  Her actions created a firestorm from other women within her profession.  She resigned from her most recent employer several days after the initial story broke.

As for New England coach Mike Vrabel, he told the media that he is leaving the NFL Draft this week prior to Day 3 (Saturday) to seek counseling.  Translated – he wants to avoid the media.

His counseling should involve marriage counseling plus a good legal counsel, too.

The New England Patriots have not signaled any specific actions (if any) the team might be taking with their coach.

You might remember that New England (under first-year coach Mike Vrabel) surprised many by reaching this February’s Super Bowl.  The Seattle Seahawks downed the Patriots 29-13.

Another WWE wrestling legend ended his long career this week

First, it was WWE superstar John Cena hanging up his wrestling boots.  One month ago, long-time WWE star and fan favorite A.J. Styles also joined the retirement club, too.

Last weekend, another legitimate wrestling giant decided it was time to end his pro wrestling career after his Wrestlemania event.

Brock Lesnar was never a classic professional wrestler.  He was weak at working the microphone and never seemed to get the hang of doing promos to help build suspense for his next match.

Lesnar was an absolute beast in the ring, though.

Most of his matches generally went less than five minutes.  The 6’3” 290 pound giant would toss pro wrestling opponents around like lightweight rag dolls using his signature “Suplex City” moves.

No matter what you think of pro wrestling, it hurt to be on the receiving end of any Brock Lesnar wrestling move.

Brock Lesnar was the NCAA heavyweight college champion in 2000.  He won 106 matches and lost only five times.  In case you didn’t know, the winners in amateur wrestling are not predetermined before the match.

Lesnar quickly advanced in professional wrestling.  He found himself on WWE’s national telecasts less than two years after leaving college.

After five years in the WWE, Brock Lesnar decided to try mixed martial arts with the UFC in 2008. He became their world champion within his first two years.

It was then back to the WWE for Brock Lesnar where he would dominate all comers for the majority of the next 15 years.

“The Beast Incarnate” would benefit from having WWE’s slick talking Paul Heyman at his side as a manager to help sell the sizzle for upcoming matches.

Now 48 years of age, Brock Lesnar stunned the crowd at Sunday’s Wrestlemania.  He lost a fairly quick match to up-and-coming 300 pound giant named Oba Femi.  This time it was Brock Lesnar being tossed around in the squared circle.

Ouch!

After the match, Lesnar took off his wrestling boots and left them in the ring.  That signaled to fans that they may have witnessed the final wrestling match of Brock Lesnar’s career.

Of course, we’re talking about the never-ending soap opera called professional wrestling.

The WWE might offer Brock Lesnar enough money to entice him to return into the ring again soon…if the price is right!

Did you see that great catch made by a baseball pitcher’s shirt this week?

You owe it to yourself to watch an amazing once-in-a-lifetime catch made in Major League Baseball this week.  Click here.

A line drive quickly coming right back at Seattle Mariners’ pitcher Logan Gilbert caused him to turn sideways to avoid being hit directly by a speedy oncoming baseball.

As the pitcher spun counterclockwise toward first base, the baseball somehow found its way into a tiny gap between two of the buttons on Gilbert’s baseball jersey.  The surprised pitcher quickly retrieved the baseball from inside of his jersey and produced it for the umpire to see.

Did the umpire call the batter out?   

Nope.

Leave it to Major League Baseball to have a rule covering such a weird play.

Rule 5.06 states that the fielder (pitcher, in this case) may not use his clothing or paraphernalia to catch a ball.

The rule was likely intended to prevent a player from using his baseball cap to catch an oncoming ball, for example.

In this case, the batter was awarded first base.  The play was scored as a single.

Seattle pitcher Logan Gilbert told the media afterwards that his stomach was a bit bruised from the play, but he was otherwise doing fine.

Wonder if he is going to request a few more buttons to be sewn onto his jersey prior to his next pitching assignment?

The post A Freaky Sports Week appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

The NBA’s 82-game regular season just wasn’t enough.

Thirty teams started the season way back in October.   There were 14 teams sent home on vacation in early April.   That left 16 still playing with a hope of claiming this year’s NBA title.

About those 14 losers…

“Inside the NBA” TV analysts Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Shaquille O’Neal, and host Ernie Johnson, Jr. have uttered their famous “One, Two, Three…Cancun!” vacation salute to the departing teams.

In case you might be wondering, the woeful Washington Wizards lost their final ten games of the season to post a 17-65 record.  They deserve the title of “Worst team in the NBA” for the 2025-2026 season.

The Putrid Pacers of Indiana sputtered into second at 19-63 to finish two games behind Washington.  A bronze medal goes to the Brooklyn “Nots” for this year’s lousy 20-62 final record.

A draft lottery will be held May 10 to determine the actual draft order for all 30 NBA teams.  The 14 non-playoff teams are the only ones with a chance to receive the #1 overall draft selection.

A trio of top losers (Washington, Indiana, and Brooklyn) receive a 14% chance of emerging from a rather complicated set of ping-pong ball drawings with the #1 overall selection in the NBA Draft on June 23.

The other teams in this year’s NBA draft lottery will be:

Utah Jazz – 22-60 – 11.5% chance of obtaining the #1 pick

Sacramento Kings – 22-60 – 11.5% chance

Memphis Grizzlies – 25-57 – 9%

New Orleans Pelicans – 26-56 – 6.8% (pick goes to Atlanta)

Dallas Mavericks – 26-56 – 6.8%

Chicago Bulls – 31-51 – 4.5%

Milwaukee Bucks – 32-50 – 3%

Golden State Warriors – 37-45 – 2%

Los Angeles Clippers – 42-40 – 1.5% (pick goes to Oklahoma City)

Miami Heat – 43-39 – 1%

Charlotte Hornets – 44-38 – .5%

The New Orleans Pelicans (who have perfected the art of losing) traded away their first round pick for 2026 one year ago in order to acquire the rights to 6’9” Maryland center Derik Queen in 2025. 

Queen started about half of the Pelicans’ games this season and averaged a pedestrian 12 points and seven rebounds per game.

Decisions like that are another reason why New Orleans has failed to reach the Conference finals in every year since the team’s inception in 2002.

There are 16 teams participating this week in a best-of-seven first round series

The NBA Western Conference produced the two teams with the best overall records in the entire league during the regular season.

Defending champion Oklahoma City won 78% of its games to finish 64-18.  The Thunder are facing #8 West seed Phoenix in Round 1.

The San Antonio Spurs finished second overall this year with a 62-20 record.  They are playing the 7th seed Portland Trailblazers in their opening round series.

Other Western Conference match-ups include #3 seed Denver Nuggets (54-28) against #6 seed Minnesota and the #4 Los Angeles Lakers (53-29) taking on the fifth-seeded Houston Rockets.

In the NBA’s Eastern Conference, the top regular season team was (are you ready?) the Detroit Pistons.  Motown’s favorite team posted a 60-22 record and is matched against East #8 seed Orlando in the opening round.

The Boston Celtics played most of the season without star forward Jayson Tatum.

He’s now back in the line-up for the playoffs.  The C’s finished second in the NBA East (56-26) and are playing #7 seed Philadelphia in Round 1.

New York’s Knicks finished third (53-29) in the NBA East.  They are matched against #6 East seed Atlanta in the first round.

The Cleveland Cavaliers came in fourth (52-30) and are playing #5 seed Toronto in another Round 1 match-up.

Is LeBron James still playing basketball?

Yes, indeed!  The 41-year old ageless freight train still plays for the Los Angeles Lakers.  He also still bowls-over defenders on his way to the basket – just like he always has.

It’s hard to believe that LeBron James (even at age 41) has never averaged less than 20 points per game over any season of his 23 in the league. The rumor mill claims that LeBron isn’t sure whether this year’s NBA playoffs will be the last of his long career.

You can be sure that NBC (which is now televising NBA playoff games this year) and ESPN/ABC will be rooting for LeBron’s Lakers to make a very deep run in this year’s playoffs.

Teams which live by the 3-point shot…

Did you know that the average NBA team attempted 40 three point field goals per game this season?  I found it a bit surprising that the majority of the top ten NBA teams taking the most 3-point shots did not qualify for the playoffs.

The Boston Celtics (4th in the league in 3-point shots) attempted an incredible 50 3-point shots during a 111-97 home playoff loss to the Philadelphia 76ers Tuesday night.  Unfortunately for Celtics fans, the home team connected on just 13 of those attempts (26%).

Boston took a total of 89 shots in the game.  When a team attempts more than 50% of its shots from long distance, a cold shooting night generally spells doom.

Here’s your three-point shooting math lesson for today.  Anything above a 33.3% success rate from long-range creates more points for a team than those which convert 50% of traditional two-point baskets.

However, attempting too many three point shots in a game may be an indicator that a team is lacking an effective inside presence (aka – a good center).

For the record, the Eastern Conference #1 seed Detroit Pistons finished 29th out of 30 teams in 3-point attempts this season with “only” 30 per game.  Boston checked-in at #4 (42 per game).  Defending champion Oklahoma City was 13th with 36 long-distance tries per game.

The NBA average for all shots attempted per game was 90.  That means that 44% (40 of 90) shots per game have been three pointers this season.

Yes, NBA teams have become quite addicted to three point shooting.

Look!  Up in the sky!  It’s a bird…it’s a plane…it’s Victor Wembanyama!

He is 7’4” tall and hard to miss – even on NBA basketball courts.

San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama just received every first place vote for the league’s Defensive Player of the Year.  He averaged three blocked shots and 12 rebounds per game this season.

He’s no slouch on offense, either.  The Spurs’ third-year big man averaged 25 points per game.  San Antonio is the #2 Western Conference seed and a legitimate threat to stop Oklahoma City from repeating as NBA champions.

San Antonio’s cast of characters surrounding Victor Wembanyama have been improving, too.  Guards De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle score 35 points per game between them this year.

The San Antonio Spurs have the ingredients to surprise many during these two months of NBA playoff action.

Does any team in the NBA East have a legitimate chance to win the title?

There’s no question that the Western Conference trio of OKC, San Antonio, and the Denver Nuggets are the odd-on favorites to win the NBA championship this year.  Are there any legitimate threats coming out of the NBA’s Eastern Conference?

The #1 Eastern Conference seed Detroit Pistons won only 14 games two years ago.  This season, the Pistons won 60 to claim the top position in the East.

The Pistons play exceptional team defense and possess a deep bench if the team needs a burst of scoring or a fresh defender on the court.  Whether Detroit has the ability to withstand playoff pressure and adversity will be determined over the weeks to come.

Boston won the NBA title just two years ago.  This team still features its “Big Three” of high scoring guard Jaylen Brown, clutch shooting guard Derrick White, and All-Star forward Jason Tatum.  The remainder of the Celtics line-up can look like a group of interchangeable parts.  Boston’s playoff experience could lead them to the NBA Finals this year.

Neither Detroit nor Boston is going to be favored in a match-up vs. the eventual NBA Western Conference winner.  The Pistons or Celtics (or whichever team emerges from the NBA East) must play their best basketball of the season in the NBA Finals’ best-of-seven series just to keep it interesting.

And the winner is…

I feel fairly certain that the NBA Western Conference winner will emerge as the eventual league champion this season.  Last year’s Oklahoma City Thunder played better than everyone for the entire season.  They were not a surprise champion.

If OKC can withstand Denver and San Antonio to win the Western Conference, they will likely bring a second straight NBA championship trophy home to Oklahoma.

The post Your Guide to the NBA Playoffs appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

This week’s annual NFL Draft will be held in the Steel City of Pittsburgh beginning Thursday night. 

Several hundred thousand NFL fans will come to town to support (or boo) their favorite team’s selections for three days.

Thursday is exclusively dedicated to Round 1.  Friday night brings Rounds 2 and 3.  The event ends Saturday with a marathon of Rounds 4, 5, 6, and 7.

Every team will arrive in Pittsburgh with a shopping list for the NFL’s “grocery store” to select several talented young players capable of upgrading their team this fall.  

The non-playoff teams must uncover the best bargains at the NFL Draft “store” to upgrade their chances of playing in the postseason this fall.

In western Pennsylvania, fans of the host city’s black and gold Steelers are (as usual) discussing who should or shouldn’t be their next quarterback.  Aaron Rodgers hasn’t signed-on for a second year yet.  Pittsburgh (a city with six Super Bowl trophies) has struggled at the position following the 2021 retirement of likely Hall-of-Famer Ben Roethlisberger.

QB or Not QB?  That is the question!

It’s not just Pittsburgh in need of a new leader at the quarterback position.  Several of the NFL’s 32 teams could use an upgrade at that position.

The problem with this year’s NFL draft is a perceived lack of top-level quarterback prospects coming out of college.  Indiana’s Heisman Trophy and national championship quarterback Fernando Mendoza is easily at the top of this year’s rookie class.

But is he really worth the top overall pick for the Las Vegas Raiders?

Curiously, the Raiders recently sunk $20 million into acquiring expensive journeyman Kirk Cousins from the Atlanta Falcons.  Vegas has the option to retain Cousins for a total of five years if they are willing to part with a total of $172 million.

Why would the Raiders select Fernando Mendoza when this team still has an offensive line with more holes than Swiss cheese? 

I’m still of the opinion that the Raiders may consider a last-minute trade of the #1 overall pick – for the right price.

Arizona’s Cardinals have the #3 pick in the first round and could use a top quarterback, too.  Their investment in 2019 #1 overall selection Kyler Murray failed.  The Cardinals played in just one playoff game over Murray’s seven seasons in Phoenix.  Kyler Murray was released recently and quickly signed by the Minnesota Vikings.

Host city Pittsburgh won’t select until the 21st pick in the first round.  The Steelers started 42-year old veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers last year and made it into the first round of the playoffs.

Rodgers is playing coy once again and is 50/50 as to whether he returns to Pittsburgh this fall.  He is a free agent and appears to be seeking a combination of cash and a reasonable chance to win his second Super Bowl ring.  Aaron Rodgers might also retire, so the Steelers should draft as if Rodgers won’t return this fall.

The New York Jets select #2 overall and are loaded with top picks

New York’s Jets have two first round selections (#2 and #16 from Indianapolis).  They are slated to make four of the opening 44 picks in this year’s draft.

That’s the good news for Jets fans.  The bad news is that the J-E-T-S have a long history of making poor choices with their top draft choices.  Look for the Jets to consider making a few more deals prior to the end of Thursday night’s first round.

Washington QB Jayden Daniels would Love to add the Notre Dame running back!

Will Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love be available for Washington at #7 on Thursday night?  Former LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels could use another offensive weapon to give opposing defenses something else to focus on next season.

If Washington does not select the talented running back in the first round, look for them to take a top wide receiver instead.  Washington’s offense needs more spark.

New Orleans is now on the clock at #8 and solved its QB problem last year

The Saints’ second round selection of former Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough paid handsome dividends for Louisiana’s favorite black and gold team.  New Orleans desperately needs another talented wide receiver to take the pressure off Chris Olave.  Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson could make a good choice. 

Perhaps Texas A&M’s cocky “I am the best wide receiver in this draft” wide receiver KC Conception might be in play here.

Then again, the Saints (which finished 6-11 last year) could use some help on both the offensive and defensive lines.  Don’t be surprised if New Orleans trades down a few places from the #8 pick to add a third or fourth round pick this year.

Surprise! The Kansas City Chiefs hold the #9 pick in the first round

Kansas City’s reign of terror for other NFL teams ended in 2025.  The Chiefs sputtered all season long and crashed to Earth with a 6-11 record.  They will get the #9 pick in the opening round of the draft Thursday night.

Many expect KC to go shopping for a top defensive or offensive line player such as Miami defensive end Reuben Bain, Jr. or Utah’s massive offensive lineman Spencer Fano.  Quarterback Patrick Mahomes may have some input about the first round selection, so don’t be surprised if KC opts for a speedy wide receiver.

Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys select at #12 and 20 Thursday night

The Dallas Cowboys just celebrated their 30th year without an appearance in the Super Bowl or even the NFC championship game.  An entire generation of Cowboys fans is waiting for their favorite team to participate in a meaningful title game.

Big D really needs a D (as in defense).

The Dallas offense scores nearly 30 points per game.  However, the Cowboys finished 7-11 last year, because their defense gave up even more points.  Look for Dallas to select the best defensive player available with their first round pick.  Most anyone available at #12 should be an automatic upgrade for this team’s defense.

Dallas also has the 20th choice in the first round as compensation for sending defensive specialist Micah Parsons to Green Bay.

Anything less than a rousing success with picks #12 and 20 on Thursday’s opening night will be blamed on 83-year old meddling team owner Jerry Jones.

Pittsburgh Steelers are on the clock with the 21st pick

The chants of “Here we Go, Steelers!” will sound like a big pep rally as Pittsburgh makes its first round selection Thursday night.

Terrible Towels will be waved by thousands in the crowd as Steelers Nation breathlessly awaits their team’s first round selection.

It was 2001 when Michael Vick was selected with the #1 overall pick by Atlanta.  After that, no other quarterbacks were taken until Purdue’s Drew Brees was picked early in the second round.  Yes, the same Drew Brees entering the NFL Hall-of-Fame this summer.

This year could mimic 2001 with the #1 pick likely to be quarterback Fernando Mendoza.  Pittsburgh may be tempted to jump the gun and select Alabama’s hot and cold quarterback Ty Simpson at #21 (if he is still available).

Steelers fans are rightfully nervous about Ty Simpson in the first round.

Pittsburgh “reached” for local college product Kenny Pickett at #20 in Round 1 just four years ago,  Unlike the prolific Pickett at Pitt, Ty Simpson’s final college season at Bama was rather unimpressive.  Pittsburgh could use offensive line help and wait for other QB prospects in later rounds.

The Philadelphia Eagles (at #23) will be booed even louder than NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell

There’s no love lost in Pennsylvania between the AFC’s Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFC’s Philadelphia Eagles which roost at the eastern fringe of the Keystone state.

The green-clad pioneers of the NFL’s Tush Push are expected to trade their perpetually unhappy (but well paid) wide receiver A.J. Brown soon.  That might give the Eagles some trade bait to move up from their current #23 spot.  Drafting a talented replacement wide receiver makes perfect sense for Philly.

Houston Texans don’t need defensive help selecting at #28 of the first round

The Texans developed into a terrifying defensive team in 2025.  They returned to the playoffs and were a tough out. 

It’s their on-and-off again offense which needs a difference maker to give this team a jolt.

The best offensive player available (including at quarterback) should be what the Texans go for at pick #28 late Thursday evening.  I believe that current quarterback CJ Stroud could use a little competition.  Don’t be surprised if the Texans take a chance to add another young quarterback during the early rounds of this week’s draft.

Truth – Most NFL drafts don’t turn a team into a Super Bowl contender in Year #1

There is a reason why some teams keep showing up early in the first round most every year.  The ability to properly identify your team’s needs and then select the player(s) which best fill the needs of your team is difficult to master.

Eight quarterbacks (Cam Ward, Caleb Williams, Bryce Young, Trevor Lawrence, Joe Burrow, Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield, and Jared Goff) have been taken with the #1 overall draft selection in the past ten years.

Only Joe Burrow’s 2021 Cincinnati Bengals and Jared Goff’s 2018 L.A. Rams have made it to a Super Bowl (both teams lost).

The Raiders may, indeed, select quarterback Fernando Mendoza at #1 on Thursday night.  Las Vegas has nine other draft selections (including three in Round 4) which must be just as solid in order to give this team a much-needed lift.

It’s possible, but don’t hold your breath.

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