The batteries in my remote are worn out, my internet is struggling to keep up with multiple streams, and my couch has a large human size indentation, all the results of the Great Sports Overload of the Fall of 2020. To quote the great American philosopher Kanye West, “That’s why I’m in it and I can’t get out”. Ideally, one would practice restraint and choose a few delectable morsels from the veritable cornucopia of sports delights offered each and every night, but no, I have to sample them all. So it’s LeBron chasing down another ring one night, the plucky Rays going up against the villainous Yankees another, and if all goes well, a complete slate of NFL games over the weekend. And here’s your rationalization for watching it all: this is a once in a lifetime occurrence, so you have no choice but to ride it til the wheels come off! Which, given the ongoing situation with the Titans, is always lingering as a possibility! But in the meantime, sit back, it’s the NFL, the NBA Finals and MLB Playoffs, now eclipsing on your screens, and we’re breaking down how it’s all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let’s get rolling . . .

And away we go! This is the very reason we do this show in the first place. We’re in the middle of unprecedented times in so many aspects of our lives, and as society tries to put everything back together again, so too does the sports world. For sports fans, the calendar suddenly becomes crowded with events, as each league rushes to complete their season. The NBA Playoffs roll on in Orlando, as the Heat and Lakers are set to face off in the Finals. The NFL season has come on strong, all gas, no breaks, per usual, and football Sundays almost feel normal. And to top it all off, here come the MLB Playoffs, starting Tuesday in an expanded tournament format. This is it, the great sports eclipse of 2020, and we’re strongly advising you to look directly into it and not to miss a second! So sit back, it’s the NFL, the NBA Playoffs and MLB Playoffs, all at once for the first time ever, and we’re breaking down how it’s all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let’s get rolling . . .

Alright, extenuating circumstances kept us off the mic last week, and there’s so much that happened around the sports world for us to catch up on, we have to just jump right in. First off, this little thing called the NFL is back, minus the usual crowds in the stands, but right on schedule. Week 1 felt almost normal, watching Mahomes and the Chiefs, Lamar and the Ravens, even Rodgers and the Packers dominate, but we got some pleasant surprises as well, as Kyler and the Cardinals, Josh Allen and the Bills, and the whole Washington Pro Football team showed big upside. On top of that, we’re also enjoying the unprecedented experience of watching the NBA Playoffs during football season, basically creating a perfect storm of sports viewing for fans. It’s Jimmy Butler vs the World, and also the Celtics, the Joker and the Nuggets vs the King and the Lakers, and football filling in the blanks. Who has it better than us? No-body! So sit back, it’s the NFL eclipsing the NBA Playoffs and we’re breaking down how it’s all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let’s get rolling . . .

For about 24 hours I, like many others, was thinking that the NBA season had ended. As Black Americans worked on processing the fact that another Black man had been the victim of another unwarranted police shooting, NBA players decided they’d had enough. As games were suspended all throughout the sports world, fan reactions ran the entire spectrum. Some were openly supportive, others critical, but what I, or anyone else, make of their decision is irrelevant. What is relevant is why they did it. It was first a reaction to grief, and then, a declaration of unity and strength, and a plea for help at the same time. Why would anyone want to play a game at THAT moment with feelings like those being so completely overwhelming? I love sports, I love the games, and I love basketball in particular, but if the human beings who play them can’t find the peace they deserve, I understand why they would walk away. In the meantime, the games go on, most likely with heavy hearts, but hope, as always, endures. So sit back, the players want to play and we’re breaking down how it’s all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let’s get rolling . . .

The NBA Playoffs look and feel different in the bubble, no doubt about it, but don’t be fooled; the competitiveness is contagious and the stakes are as high as ever. While the backdrops are reminiscent of the Vegas Summer League, the schedule feels like March Madness, and the intensity is all NBA. There was some doubt as to the validity of an NBA postseason in the middle of a pandemic, but as Round 1 progresses, it’s feeling more and more like the Playoffs we know and love. After all, there’s a whole roster of superstar players with impressive resumes for the Hall of Fame out there who have yet to secure the key to their legacy by carrying their team to title contention. Giannis, Harden, Embiid, AD, superstars every one of them, but they still have something to prove, and that desire, that need, that motivation, that’s what drives the NBA Playoffs. Bubble or no bubble, this year’s NBA title means as much to these players as any, and because the players bought in, the competition is fierce, and we the fans end up the real winners. So sit back, it’s NBA Playoff time once again, and we’re breaking down how it’s all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let’s get rolling . . .

We’ve had two straight weeks of multiple NBA games every single day to close out the regular season, leading into another two weeks of daily quadruple headers starting on Monday and what do I do on the only day without basketball? That’s right, we’re doing a podcast about basketball. What can I say, the Playoffs start tomorrow, so today, it’s a full-blown, knock-down, drag-out Playoff preview. If we’re gonna settle in for hours of high stakes hoops every day, might as well be prepared and know what to watch for. You want specifics? First off, everyone wants to see if Dame can continue to carry his Blazers, but we also have Luka’s Playoff debut, Gobert vs Jokic in an epic battle for dominance of the paint, the OKC/HOU grudge match, and that’s just the beginning. It was a long road here hoops heads, and there were times the whole bubble concept was in doubt, but it looks like this season might actually be decided on the court after all.  So sit back, it’s NBA Playoff time once again, and we’re breaking down how it’s all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let’s get rolling . . .

I don’t want you to be worried, but the symptoms are all there; lethargy, lack of focus or attention, occasional hypertension, maybe a shortness of breath at times, but, again, don’t be alarmed, it’s not Covid that’s afflicting me. You see, since last Thursday, every day has featured multiple back to back NBA games, many of them matchup gems, and like a fiend having jonesed for over 4 months, I’ve just been on NBA OD. It’s painful to have to pull myself away from the TV, knowing I have real world responsibilities and can’t reasonably rationalize watching basketball for at minimum, 10 straight hours everyday. It’s ridiculous! But, uh, low-key, I hope it never ends, regardless of the fact that it’s turning me into Michael Anthony from the Bodega Boys Pod, fiending for that hot bag. So sit back, the NBA is returned, coming to you live every night from the bubble, and we’re breaking down how it’s all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let’s get rolling . . .

Even discounting my fanboy bias, all things considered, the NBA’s comeback is already an incredible accomplishment. After all the preparations, everything was looking good, with over a week of clean tests, a slate of scrimmages played without a hitch, and tonite, finally, after four long months, the season resumed. The Association has done everything in their power to assure their success and to keep the bubble intact, but there’s one last factor they’ll need to pull this off. The NBA has to convince fans to suspend their disbelief, to somehow complete the illusion that this is actually a real season. The bag is secure, the players are ready for action, the fans are jonesing for games to watch, but as it all plays out, will everyone buy in? The way it’s all lining up, this will either be the most memorable end to an NBA season ever, or the most forgettable. So sit back, the NBA season finally continues, and we’re breaking down how it’s all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let’s get rolling . . .

For months, we as sports fans have collectively waited for the games we love to resume, patiently maintaining, and keeping on keeping on, as society dealt with much larger issues. While it was inevitable that sports would eventually return, the question was always, when, and under what circumstances? As plans were conceived, protocols enacted, deals brokered and preparations made, it actually started to seem like it was really happening. And now, here we are. Pro sports are back! MLB led off with a season-opening doubleheader Wednesday, while the NBA resumes their season in less than a week, and while we celebrate by binge watching nearly every game, I think we all realize how tenuous it all is, and how each sport faces challenges specific to their circumstances. But because of the financial implications, the show must go on, and I have a feeling that there will be no short supply of viewers. Early on, it’s the NBA that seems best prepared to handle these challenges; the bubble seems secure, with 100% of NBA personnel testing negative this week. Given the strict enforcement of bubble life, there’s a great chance we’re watching high level NBA action through October. MLB is back in action, but their players are out there, traveling from city to city, and how things play out for them will definitely influence how the NFL manages their return. Let’s face it, given the current conditions, each league’s season is a gamble, a gamble that most players seem willing to take, and considering how much I’ve missed baseball, football, and oh yes, pro hoops, I’ll be there for it all, watching each and every minute. So sit back, the Big Three in American sports are making their return and we’re breaking down how it’s all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let’s get rolling . . .

First off, apologies that it’s been three weeks since the last show, but when you do a podcast about sports and there are no games, content tends to run a bit thin. Sports is a world that is based in absolutes, wins vs losses and raw statistics, but without any actual games, all we’re left with is the theoretical. So we wait, we speculate, all the while running through all the hypotheticals for the the games’ eventual returns. And now we watch as the major sports leagues slowly start to make their way back, and while I’m sure many sports fans are encouraged and excited to see the action resume, a cloud of uncertainty still lingers. It’s not gonna be easy, it might not be pretty, but sports are gonna try to make a comeback. And if they do, maybe, just maybe, we might actually get to actually see Cam Newton in a Patriots jersey this season. So sit back, by all accounts, the games are returning and we’re breaking down how it’s all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let’s get rolling . . .