No one ever said that winning is easy. It doesn’t matter who you are, everyone has to learn to win the same way; through dealing with struggle and adversity, occasional failure and ultimately, with perseverance and a little luck. As the NBA regular season winds down, we are witnessing this process play out, as a small group of contenders make their moves to legitimize their claims to the title, and while the path to the championship, as always, seems to go through Golden State, it’s still all but a foregone conclusion. We’ve watched the Bucks grow from lottery team to nice story to Eastern Conference powerhouse. The Rockets have paid their dues, as have the Raptors, and through past failures could emerge stronger. The Nuggets are a team on the rise, but may still have some big-game lessons to learn. Meanwhile, in Boston, the Celtics are still searching for some kinda way to avoid a letdown on the lofty expectations everyone had for them coming in, and their untimely team dissonance could doom their season. With fewer than 20 games remaining, it’s time for teams to show what they’re truly made of, and as the schedule plays out over the next month, we’ll see who rises in the standings and who fades out of contention. So sit back, it’s the NBA, all NBA and nothing but the NBA, and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .

The heat is on in the NBA Playoff Race, and in the Western Conference, would-be contenders are operating on the slimmest of margins. There’s no leeway for Playoff hopefuls like the Lakers or the Kings; if they want in, it’s time to win, and the math says playing .500 ball just won’t be enough. Meanwhile, Nuggets fans dream of a Western Conference Finals win over the Warriors, but without home court advantage, that’s more of a fantasy for this terrible road team, so the pressure is on Denver to get that #1 seed. The Rockets are once again fully-assembled, with CP3 and Clint Capela back from injury, and are climbing the standings in hopes of a high seed, looking to vault the Blazers and the Thunder, like every team in the West, gunning for the champs. And in the midst of all of this chaos, all of the noise, it seems calm in Golden State, as the front runners roll on. But still waters run deep; as popular rumors have it, the Warriors are dealing with internal pressures of their own, and all that glitters may not be gold in Oakland. So sit back, it’s the NBA, all NBA and nothing but the NBA, and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .

Say what you will about the NBA All-Star Game, but any run, even an exhibition, that features that much talent on the floor at one time has to be worth watching. If you can see something that you’ve never seen before, like Steph’s sky-high, bounce-pass alley-oop to Giannis, well, that’s just a good time. Sometimes when we watch sports, we take it all little too seriously, and forget we’re watching children’s games. Sometimes you just need to let yourself be a kid again and just get caught in the moment, stargazing, as it were. But for those who can’t wait for the real action to return, well, fasten your seatbelts, cuz we’re gonna hit the ground rolling as we head down the stretch. With only 25 games left in the season, there are still so many unanswered questions, like can the Bucks run the East wire to wire, or will the trade deadline moves help the Raptors or Sixers to the top? And what the hell is going on in Boston? We’re about to find out, as we close out All-Star Weekend and enter the stretch drive. So sit back, it’s the NBA, all NBA and nothing but the NBA, and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .

It’s only human nature to look ahead and wonder what the future holds. We do it every week here on this very show, utilizing the knowledge we glean watching the games we love to predict how future action might play out. Speculation and predictions can be entertaining, but dwell in the what-if’s for too long, and you may lose perspective on the present. And that’s where we find ourselves as the Free Agent explosion of 2019 approaches. Guys like KD, Kyrie and Kawhi are gunning for rings, but all the talking heads want to pontificate about is where they’ll be playing next year. Meanwhile, between the dominance of Giannis and the Bucks, the ascendence of the Prodigy, Luka Doncic (#HalleLuka), PG13’s return to the elite, and the Beard’s historic scoring tear, along with the transcendent play of the aforementioned free agents to be, there’s an amazing NBA season going on. Let’s talk about that, huh? So sit back, it’s the All-Star break into the stretch drive in the NBA and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .

For 17 weeks dating back to September, Gaber and I watched a fantastic NFL regular season play out, and each week, in this very space, we marveled at the product the NFL was putting on the field. The League was in a great place, with loads of young talented new stars on the rise, parity throughout the conferences, less presidential discourse on football-related matters, and maybe most importantly, a ton of exciting, high-scoring games to enjoy. It only made sense that our expectations were so high coming into the Playoffs, right? But while Conference Championship Weekend left a bad taste in most fan’s mouths, at least it was memorable, unlike the game we saw in Super Bowl LIII. If the biggest argument coming out of the biggest game of the year was whether it was boring or not, that’s not a good sign. And no, it wasn’t boring, it was a close game. It just wasn’t a good game, and that’s how the 2018 NFL season goes out, with a whimper instead of a bang. And in the NBA, the trade deadline is imminent, and around the Association, teams are making moves, whether bolstering their lineups, or just shedding salaries. So sit back, another Super Bowl is in the books and the Pats are champs again, the NBA season offers yet more twists and turns and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .

Super Bowl Sunday is almost here, as the Patriots, the Rams and the fans alike all eagerly await the high holiday of American pro sports. The Pats may consider themselves underdogs, but who are they kidding? Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have practically become fixtures at the event, high-pressure scenarios like this are routine to them, and Vegas has them as 2.5 point favorites, so don’t let their false humility fool you. The Pats are playing for legacy here; admit it, a 6-3 Super Bowl record looks a lot more dominant than 5-4 in the history books. Meanwhile, this Rams team is new on the scene, and definitely not lacking in talent or confidence, but can they overcome their inexperience on the game’s biggest stage against the NE Empire? And in the NBA, one of the league’s biggest young stars has demanded a trade, and where he ends up will shift the landscape of the Association for years to come. So sit back, Super Bowl Sunday is just days away, the NBA season offers yet more twists and turns, and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .

Saints fans have every right to feel cheated this week, after the play Mike Lombardi dubbed the No Call in NOLA cut short what may have been a game-ending drive on Sunday. There were three penalties on the play, yet none were called, but is that what really decided the game? And as for Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the Pats, what more can you say? We all know that the end is near, as we try to predict the inevitable decline of the Pats dynasty, but when Brady got the ball late in the 4th quarter and again in overtime, anyone who watches NFL football already knew what was going to unfold. It was kinda like rewatching the Sopranos; you knew what was gonna happen, that Andy Reid was gonna get whacked, but with the drama, the amazing performances, it still captured the imagination. Love the Pats, hate the Pats, either way, you gotta admit that what you’re watching is truly special. So sit back, the NFL Playoffs have decided the Super Bowl matchup, the NBA season is heating up and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .

After a year on the bench with a torn Achilles, DeMarcus Cousins is coming back, scheduled to make his debut in the gold and blue of the Warriors on Friday. Sure, to many, the last thing the defending champs needed is the addition of the most accomplished true center in the Association, but for Warriors’ fans, it’s like a second Christmas. This is a franchise that has done everything possible over the last 30 years to try to find a true center (Rony Seikely or Todd Fuller anyone?), and now they’ve finally landed one of the best, but opinions are divided on whether he’ll ever be the same player he was before his injury, and how he fits with the Dubs. And in the NFL, it’s Conference Championship Weekend, and it’s all chalk, with the top 2 seeds from each conference facing off on Sunday in some truly intriguing matchups. So sit back, the NFL Playoffs are down to the final four, the NBA season is heating up and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .

The thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat. Jim McKay spoke truth every week in his introduction to Wide World of Sports, as Bears and Eagles fans will surely attest. Sure, the Bears are likely still in shock, left wondering about what could have been, but like Vinko Bogotaj, their pain is temporary and they’ll live to compete another day. After all, in sports, like life, the moment is just a part of the journey. For young teams like the Baby Bears, this loss may just be a pitstop on their way to the top, playoff seasoning as it were, while for vets like Philip Rivers, Drew Brees and Tom Brady, this may be their last shot at glory. This week four more teams will experience that thrill, and that agony, but for some, it might just be their last trip to the postseason, while for others, it will be the first of many. So sit back, the NFL Playoffs are here, the NBA season is heating up and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .

Wild Card weekend is here, and the NFL has to be stoked on the way the slate has lined up. The Colts and Texans have both been hot down the stretch and meet up in in what could be the Game of the Week. The Seahawks/Cowboys tilt is as evenly matched as you could ask for in a Wild Card game, while Chargers/Ravens offers a matchup of contrasting styles, as well as tons of storylines. And for the finale, we have the enigmatic Nick Foles, trying to spoil a magical season for the Baby Bears. Every game is potential gem; there’s not a dud in the bunch. And by the way, there’s an NBA season going on, and everything isn’t playing out quite the way we all anticipated. The Warriors are mortal, LeBron is out hurt, Giannis and his Bucks are the class of the Association, and I ask, did you really see all that coming? So sit back, the NFL Playoffs are here, the NBA season is heating up and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .