MLB’s Playoffs have been fantastic, this NFL season, amazing, but something has been missing. Wait, what’s that? Oh my god, it’s the NBA’s music! Yes, the Association has returned, and not a moment too soon for many sports fans. See, the NBA is king right now, the crown jewel of American sports, at least in terms of accessibility and popularity. As we’ve said here before, it’s another Golden Age in the league, reminiscent of a time in the late 80’s when a new contingent of talented players took the game to the next level. Well, here we are again, with innumerable young stars, an up-tempo style of play that’s fun to watch, and a historic run by an all-time great Warriors team. What’s not to love? So sit back, the NBA is returned, the NFL season is going strong, MLB Playoffs are riveting TV and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .

If you are what they say you are, the camera's here, the crowd is here and they want a show, you rise to the occasion on Sundays, much like Drew Brees has done so dependably over the past 18 years. You work hard and you accomplish whatever it is you set out to do; that’s how you become a superstar. Lesson learned Drew, and it looks like others, like Khalil Mack, Zeke Elliot and Todd Gurley have been taking notes. In pro sports, everyone is elite, the best of the best coming up, but when you get to the league, the journey has only begun. There’s another level of commitment that to takes to be the best of the best, and in the NFL, there’s a strong contingent of young players pushing hard to take their places among the true superstars. So sit back, the NFL season is going strong, MLB Playoffs are ramping up, the NBA season starts in days and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .

Midway into Sunday’s Week 4 afternoon slate, I realized I had dozed off during the action. I had dreamt that Mitchell Tribitsky had thrown 6 TDs for the Bears, that the Titans had just out-toughed the defending champion Eagles, and that the Bengals beat the Falcons at home to drop Atlanta to 1-3. No way that really happened, right? There’s so much weirdness going on in the NFL this year that defies what our expectations were coming in, it’s a little hard to tell truth from fiction. Patrick Maholmes cannot be stopped. No growing pains for the first year starter, just a meteoric rise to the top; didn’t see that one coming. Khalil Mack in a Bears uniform and leading them out of mediocrity and to the top of the NFC’s Norris division? Tell me you had that booked in August and I'll know you’re lying. Are any of these teams who we thought they were? Even Dennis Green is confused right now, but we’re gonna keep trying to make sense of it all. So sit back, the NFL season is off to an extremely entertaining start and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .

We kick it off (4:22) as Gaber and I go through the NFL WK slate and see how each team measures up against expectations coming into the year; then (1:06:20) we talk a little NBA preseason, before I go solo (1:20:00) to wrap up the MLB regular season and preview the Playoffs. 

Yes, that really is the 1-2 Pats looking up in the standings at the 3-0 Dolphins. Yes, Patrick Mahomes really has 13 TD passes and a 3-0 record in his first three NFL starts. And it’s true, we really have three teams with identical 1-1-1 records. These are the realities early in the 2018 NFL season, but really, did you honestly think your expectations would be on point, that it would all play out as anticipated? It never does, and that makes each week so exciting. With the twists and turns, reality starts to set in, as we reconcile our expectations with everything we’ve actually seen on the field, and we start to get an idea of what is really going on. So sit back, the NFL season is off to an interesting start and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .

So take everything you thought you knew about the NFL, and throw it out. History means nothing, good teams might be bad, bad teams might be good, a first year starter named Patrick Mahomes and a 34 year old journeyman named Ryan Fitzpatrick are the two best players in football, and if you’re trying to wager on it, it’s basically 3-Card Monte at this point. And yet here we are, still trying to make sense out of the fallout that was, the National Football League in Week 2. So sit back, the NFL season is off to an interesting start and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .

Week 1 of the NFL brought straight fire, confirming the fact that the brand is indeed strong (special shout out to the Bodega Boys). We got some surprise performances from the lowly Browns, the Jets, the Ravens and the Bengals, dominant showings from top defensive players like Von Miller, Khalil Mack and the star studded Rams D, and of course, Aaron Rodgers stole the week. But as great as the action was Week 1, Week 2 is already here, and as Bill Belichick would say, there’s no looking back, we’re on to the Jaguars. So sit back, NFL season is off to an exciting start and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .

Week 1 of the NFL regular season can be both illuminating and deceptive. Of course, by now we know better than to jump to premature conclusions based on immediate results, but after months of speculation and weeks of exhibition (read, fake) football, finally seeing the real thing can be intriguing. Like, can the Falcon’s offense fully utilize all of their weapons against the defending champs, or will Jimmy G be exposed by the Vikings’ stifling D, and how does a healthy Texans squad matchup with Tom Terrific and the Pats? By December, Week 1 will be a fading memory, but right now, it’s everything you want from the league. So sit back, NFL Week 1 is upon us and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .

It’s almost here. By this time next week, we’ll all be back in the thick of it, as the 2019 NFL season finally kicks off. And boy are we ready. We’ve already covered the Reclamation teams looking to improve on 2018, the Regression candidates we see struggling to maintain relevance, and the Limbo teams, stuck between the good teams and the bad. Today, it’s all about the Contenders. You know the ones; they’re the teams with QBs like Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, or explosive offenses like the Steelers, or stifling defenses like the Eagles or Vikings or Jags. You can see these teams coming from miles away, but even with all the hype surrounding them, none are champs yet, so we’re analyzing all the favorites, and all their strengths and weaknesses. So sit back, the NFL Preseason has the sports world buzzing, MLB is in the dog days of summer and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .

The NFL Preseason rolls along, and while exhibition games are better than no games at all, really all football fans can do is look ahead to September 6th. But even while the news cycle remains slow, the Roundup always brings fire, and today’s episode remains true to form, as we continue to break down all 32 teams and how they look headed into the season. We started off with the reclamation projects, teams that look ready to make the leap, then last week hit the regression candidates. This week, we’re breaking down the teams in limbo, those not quite ready to hit reset, but not ready to contend either. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it may be a long season for fans of these mediocre franchises. So sit back, the NFL Preseason has the sports world buzzing, MLB is in the dog days of summer and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .

Gaber is back, and Week 2 of the NFL Preseason is here, and while the action on the field, and on our screens, serves as a beacon of light heralding the coming season for excited football fans, we all know the illusory nature of exhibition games. After all, the Browns went 4-0 in last year’s preseason only to finish 0-16. But all of the sudden, there’s hope in Believe-Land once again. Baker Mayfield is the toast of the league after his Week 1 showcase, but against a second team defensive unit, was his performance just a mirage? For the record, the Roundup says Baker is for real, but the point here is that nothing is what it seems in the preseason. It’s a whole different game, but today, we’ll tell you what you can actually glean from these seemingly pointless exhibitions. So sit back, the NFL Preseason has the sports world buzzing, MLB is in the dog days of summer and we're breaking down how it's all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let's get rolling. . .