Predictions

New Zealand vs Australia

James Rowe: New Zealand. The All Blacks are just the best rugby team in the world, enough said. The Wallabies might give them a good fight especially with the home crowd behind them, but there is too many question marks about them.

South Africa vs Argentina

James: South Africa. The Springboks are clearly the stronger side here. I like what I see from the Pumas, but after just getting a new head coach, it might be hard to catch fire that early after being appointed.

The Rugby Championship is arguably the best rugby competition in the world as the best four Southern Hemisphere nations play in this tournament, but it also is considered the best rugby competition because three of these nations are regarded as the top three best and most successful rugby nations in the world including the All-Blacks who have the highest winning percentage in the history of the sport and have won the most Rugby World Cups. New Zealand has won the most of any nation since the competition began in 2012 with five trophies (15 if including the Tri Nations era). With that in mind, let’s take a look at the participating nations:

New Zealand

Not only are they considered the best side in the world, they also might be the most complete as well.  According to TheRoar.com.au, they have an incredible scrum unit, a lineout that is close to flawless, a strong defense, and the best counter attacking in the world. The only question mark is at flyhalf as some have questioned whether Beauden Barrett is the right man, but they do have depth at the position with Richie Mo’unga and Damian McKenzie. Other than that, this team boasts a lot of the best talent in the world with the likes of Kieran Read, Sonny Bill Williams, Ryan Crotty, Dane Coles, Owen Franks, and Brodie Retallick, and because of that they are the favorite to win this year’s competition. Their depth is incredible as it will be tough to beat that and the only worry about this side is whether they are healthy enough.

 

Australia

The Wallabies used to lay claim to being the second best in the world according to the rankings, but ever since the rise of Ireland, they have fallen in the rankings plus they have been struggling of late. That being said, there is still high hopes. Having one of the better attacks with a very talented backs corps, their forwards have been inconsistent as it seems their scrum has gotten better, but their lineout has been languishing. Plus their defense is suspect. The injuries of Tevita Kuridrani and Samu Kerevi will hurt a lot, but getting back David Pocock will be absolutely crucial. A big question mark will be who will replace Stephen Moore at hooker. We will find out soon, but with the talent of Michael Hooper, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Kurtley Beale, Israel Folau, and Bernard Foley, plus a chance to see Tom Banks play as the word is he is turning some heads especially with his speed. While the picture painted might not be optimistic, they could make a challenge at the trophy.

 

South Africa

Another traditional power house nation that some have also regarded as the second best in the world and at one point the absolute best, the Springboks on paper have a very strong side. Their forward unit is one of the best in the world as their scrum and lineouts are incredible. While there is some question marks in the backs, they are very talented and should have no problem fighting for the trophy with New Zealand. The Springboks boasts stars on their roster such as Eben Etzebeth, Malcolm Marx, Tendai Mtawarira, Warren Whiteley, Willie le Roux, and Elton Janjies. Not having Lood de Jager playing will hurt, but they should have the depth to replace him. This could be a fun squad to watch.

 

Argentina

The weakest of all four of these competitors, they have certainly shown progress in becoming a top rugby nation as they showed in 2015 how good they were with a semi-finals appearance in the World Cup. With all four of these teams in the semi-finals, it showed the quality in this tournament got even better when Argentina joined. Plus with getting a team to compete in the illustrious club rugby competition Super Rugby, the Jaguares, these players will have no problem facing off against the other three sides. The forwards are usually their best asset, but now that is a question mark and could be crucial just to see how they perform in this tournament. They do boast some talent like Bautista Delguy, Nicolas Sanchez, Agustin Creevy, Santiago Grondona, and Julian Montoya. They could make some noise in this tournament.

Predictions

James Rowe: I firmly believe the All-Blacks are the best squad in this tournament and will take home the trophy easily. I actually think this tournament might be more predictable this time around than it has ever been and more so than this past edition of the Six Nations. However, I do think we will see a lot of competitive matches and we will see Argentina take a gigantic step forward.

How I think they will finish? 1. New Zealand 2. South Africa 3. Australia 4. Argentina

It is now a new season for arguably the best soccer league from around the world, and with the name of the Premier League, there is a good reason why. With 2018-19 campaign beginning, let’s take a look all the twenty teams that will competing for the coveted trophy.

Arsenal

It was an end of an era when Arsene Wegner stepped down as head coach leading way to Unai Emery to take the reigns. Emery will be inheriting a very talented squad with players like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Mesut Ozil, and Alexander Lacazette on the roster. Arsenal finished sixth last season and hope to finish in the top four.

Bournemouth

Led by Eddie Howe, this team has played well the last two seasons as they finished 12th in the standings. Bournemouth acquired midfielder David Brooks to help add to a team that has Nathan Ake, Jermain Defoe, Junior Stanislas, and Emerson Hyndman and they could make some noise in the table. There is some interesting talent on this squad.

Brighton & Hove Albion

Chris Hughton’s club managed to survive relegation last season and they brought in more talent in hopes of doing better. The squad consists of players like Pascal Gross, Glenn Murray, Jurgen Locadia, and Jose Izquierdo, but they did add Leon Balogun, Florin Andone, Yves Bissouma, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, and Bernardo. Keep a close eye on them.

Burnley

The team had a great season as they finished seventh in the table as Sam Dyche will hope to replicate that same success in 2018-19. There are some notable players on the squad like Chris Wood, Steven Defour, Jonathan Walters, Aaron Lennon, Johann Berg Gudmundsson, and James Tarkowski. They also brought in Joe Hart to be the likely number one choice at goalkeeper as their normal number one, Nick Pope, has injury problems. The two of them, along with Tom Heaton, will battle it out for the top position. It will be interesting to see if last season was a fluke or not.

Cardiff City (Promoted from English Championship)

Possibly the weakest side in the entire league, Cardiff City and head coach Neil Warnock will look to stave off relegation as expectations are not high. With the likes of Aron Gunnarsson, Junior Hoilett, Greg Cunningham, Josh Murphy, Bobby Reid, and Sean Morrison, there is some talent here and these players will get their chance to shine on the big stage.

Chelsea

After just missing Champions League play, finishing fifth in the league, Chelsea will be looking once again to challenge for the top spot. The team hired Maurizio Sarri after Antonio Conte was fired, but Sarri inherits a roster that is loaded with talent with players like Eden Hazard, N’Golo Kante, Olivier Giroud, Willian, and Alvaro Morata, however they lost their goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to Real Madrid leaving a question of who will be their number one choice in the net. Expect them to make a run for the top spot, but they also will likely finish in the top four.

Crystal Palace

Roy Hodgson has a club that could make a run for a top of the table finish after finishing 11th and with a lot of promise. The squad boasts names like Wilifried Zaha, Cheikhou Kouyate, Andros Townsend, Mamadou Sakho, and Luka Milivojevic, but they did lose Yohan Cabaye and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. The season hinders on goalkeeping play as that had been a problem for a few years, but look for them to surprise.

Everton

A team that severely underachieved last season finishing eighth after a promising 2016-17 campaign, Everton, which boasts a ton of talent, look to finally break through. After acquiring players such as Richarlison and Lucas Digne, the roster is stacked as they join others like Gylfi Sigurdsson, Cenk Tosun, Yannick Bolasie, Idrissa Gueye, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, plus they boast one of the best up and coming goalkeeping stars in the world, Jordan Pickford. With a new head coach in Marco Silva, you can see why there is hope with this squad.

Fulham (Promoted from English Championship)

Some people in America might recognize this squad as this was where many Americans called home. With Slavisa Jokanovic at the helm, the hope is that they can be a mainstay in the Premier League once again. With Andre Schurrle on loan to the team, there is a good amount of talented players here like Ryan Sessegnon, Maxime le Marchand, Aleksandar Mitrovic, and Jean-Michel Seri that could suggest that they will make a run for a top spot in the table.

Huddersfield Town

Another side with low expectations after finishing 16th, just missing relegation, David Wagner will hope his team can surprise. There is some good talent like Aaron Mooy, Danny Williams, Jonas Lossl, Erik Durm and Terence Kongolo, however they need to be consistent if they want to win some games and avoid relegation.

Leicester City

Losing Riyad Mahrez will really hurt as that is a void that cannot be filled, Leicester City, led by Claude Puel, will hope to regain the magic from their 2015-16 campaign where they saw a magical run to the Premier League title. This team is still very talented with players like Jamie Vardy, Harry Maguire, Kasper Schmeichel, and Shinji Okazaki and then getting some more in the offseason like Jonny Evans, Adrien Silva and, Kelechi Iheanacho. This could be a fun side to watch especially as they hope to build off their ninth place finish from 2017-18.

Liverpool

One of the top squads every single season, Liverpool led by Jurgen Klopp should be a favorite as they finished fourth in 2017-18. There is so much talent on this club as they have the breakout star of last season, Mohamed Salah, along with an absolutely stacked cast of players like Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Daniel Sturridge, Jordan Henderson, Dejan Lovren, and new additions Xherdan Shaqiri, Alisson, and Naby Keita. It will be fun to see what they can do.

Manchester City

Manchester City and Pep Guardiola will be looking to defend their championship, and with high expectations, they could very well do that. With talented players like Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker, Illkay Gundogan, Sergio Aguero, and Vincent Kompany, plus getting a transfer such as Riyad Mahrez, this is possibly the best team in the league and should be expected to win it once again. They will be very tough to beat as they netted 100 points in the table standings last season and could do the same in this campaign.

Manchester United

Jose Mourinho might be a special coach, but he will be coaching one of the most recognizable soccer clubs in the world in what is arguably the best league in the world. He does have a lot of talented players on the team with a lot of fire power such as Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Sanchez, Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Anthony Martial, and Marcus Rashford on the roster. They will undoubtedly be a favorite to win the league hoping to do one better than a second place finish last season.

Newcastle United

Rafa Benitez is one of the more underrated head coaches in soccer as he leads a Newcastle United side that is hoping to finally breakthrough and finish in the top half of the table after finishing 10th in 2017-18. With players like DeAndre Yedlin, Jamaal Leschelles, Jonjo Shelvey, and Matt Ritchie, plus with the additions of Yoshinori Muto and Salomon Rondon, this squad is poised to do big things.

Southampton

One of the more intriguing teams in the league as they have lots of talent, but low expectations especially after finishing 17th, one spot above relegation. Mark Hughes will try to work with what he has and make a big run. On the roster they do boast players like Charlie Austin, Ryan Bertrand, Fraser Forster, Shane Long, and Manolo Gabbiadini. Maybe they could be the surprise side this season.

Tottenham Hotspur

Interesting enough, they made no acquisitions this offseason, but are still very much a strong contender to win the championship as they finished third in the table last season. Mauricio Pochettino will lead this team through treacherous waters and hope to win their first ever Premier League title as they have one of the best rosters in the league with players like Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Victor Wanyama, Christian Eriksen, and Eric Dier. Maybe this will be the year everything comes together for this squad.

Watford

Like Southampton, they are an interesting team with talent after finishing 14th last season. Javi Gracia will take over the head coach job after Marco Silva left for Everton as this will be a bit of a mystery of what they will do this season. They do have some talented players like Gerard Deulofeu, Troy Deeney, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Tom Cleverley, Nathaniel Chalobah, and Ben Foster. Watford is a bit of a wild card.

West Ham United

Manuel Pellegrini will be the head coach of a squad that has underachieved the last couple of seasons as West Ham United always seems like they were going to big thing especially in 2017-18 where they finished in 13th. There is a lot of talent on this squad as they have the likes of Javier Hernandez, Andy Carroll, Robert Snodgrass, Manuel Lanzini, and Marko Arnautovic, plus they have brought in other talent like Jack Wilshere, Andriy Yarmolenko, and Issa Diop. This could be a fun team to watch.

Wolverhampton Wanderers (Promoted from English Championship)

Despite being a team that was promoted, Wolverhampton will have big expectations as they are likely to finish in the top half of the table. Nuno Espirito Santo will lead this team, but the bigger story is their acquisitions as they went out there and got Rui Patricio, Joao Moutinho, Adama Traore, Willy Boly, and Raul Jimenez to help with other studs like Ruben Neves and Danny Batth already on the team.

Predictions

James Rowe: You got to like Manchester City winning it all again and I feel like they won’t be quite as challenged this season. However, I see more of a battle for spots in the Champions League or for a top half finish. The teams that will be relegated almost seem like a foregone conclusion.

1. Manchester City
2. Liverpool
3. Chelsea
4. Arsenal
5. Manchester United
6. Tottenham
7. Everton
8. West Ham United
9. Leicester City
10. Wolverhampton
11. Fulham
12. Crystal Palace
13. Newcastle United
14. Burnley
15. Bournemouth
16. Watford
17. Southampton
18. Brighton & Hove Albion
19. Cardiff City
20. Huddersfield Town

Thomas Martin: Manchester City seems to be the favorite, and I’m not inclined to really disagree with that. After that, things get tricky. I suspect we will see a lot of movement this season.

1. Manchester City
2. Chelsea
3. Tottenham
4. Liverpool
5. Manchester United
6. Arsenal
7. Everton
8. Leicester City
9. West Ham United
10. Southampton
11. Burnley
12. Wolves
13. Brighton & Hove Albion
14. Crystal Palace
15. Bournemouth
16. Newcastle
17. Fulham
18. Watford
19. Huddersfield Town
20. Cardiff

Tali Raphael: Manchester City will win the title.

1. Manchester City
2. Liverpool
3. Arsenal
4. Tottenham
5. Chelsea
6. Manchester United
7. Everton
8. Wolverhampton
9. Burnley
10. West Ham United
11. Leicester City
12. Fulham
13. Newcastle United
14. Watford
15. Southampton
16. Brighton & Hove Albion
17. Cardiff City
18. Crystal Palace
19. Bournemouth
20. Huddersfield Town

John Illg: There are two legitimate contenders to win the title – Manchester City and Liverpool. Manchester City have the stronger, deeper squad and are coming off of a record-breaking season. Liverpool underperformed their expected goals (xG) defensively for the first half of the season before the addition of Virgil van Dijk and the promotion of Loris Karius meant that they matched City stride for stride after City’s blistering start. Luck also was not on the team’s side last season, in the form of penalties and improper offsides decisions given against them and penalties not called for them (ESPN’s luck index gives an accounting of this luck disparity here).

City have had far more exposure to the World Cup, with basically all of their key players sans Sane’ heavily involved. Liverpool have only had Alisson, Dejan Lovren, and Jordan Henderson as players who featured to a similar degree. Manchester City are the betting favorites, but I’m taking Liverpool with regression to the mean and fatigue bolstering their chances and holding City back. Besides, this is the year I think City make a deep Champions’ League run, which tends to cause even the best teams to drop league points.

Below that, Manchester United have a quality team that will be difficult to beat, but does not have enough individual firepower to overcome their lack of team offensive cohesion. Spurs are settled side with quality players that are lacking for depth after purchasing 0 new squad members over the summer. Arsenal and Chelsea are engimas with the capability for solid improvement and also for chaos.

Behind the top 6 teams is a big bowl of similarity, and I predict that there will be little stratification between the 7th team and the 16th team, making for a testy relegation run-in. West Ham have purchased several intriguing players and should play more progressive football under Manuel Pellegrini. Marco Silva is similarly an excellent upgrade for Everton over Sam Allardyce. Silva is in possession of a squad with more balance now that the team isn’t entirely composed of central attacking midfielders without pace. Burnley have a defined two-banks-of-four with goals coming from set-pieces identity that should keep them comfortably midtable. Rafa Benitez gives me more faith in Newcastle than just about any other part of the team deserves. Wolves were excellent last season in the Championship and I think that both they and Fulham will be closer to midtable than the bottom.

1. Liverpool
2. Manchester City
3. Manchester United
4. Tottenham Hotspur
5. Arsenal
6. Chelsea
7. Burnley
8. Everton
9. West Ham
10. Leicester City
11. Newcastle United
12. Wolverhampton Wanderers
13. Bournemouth
14. Fulham
15. Crystal Palace
16. Watford
17. Brighton and Hove Albion
18. Huddersfield Town
19. Southampton
20. Cardiff City

 

It’s the final week of the season and it’s the best part too, it’s to determine who is the champion of the 2018 Super Rugby season. The final match of the 2018 campaign will come down to the Crusaders and the Lions as it will be a rematch of last year’s Final.

The Crusaders showed why they were the best side all year as they beat the Hurricanes 30-12 in the Semi-Finals. Richie Mo’unga is showing why he’s becoming one of the best fly-halves in the world as he scored a try, nailed two penalty kicks, and converted on two point after attempts, but he was also helped by from his teammates as tries from George Bridge, David Havili, and Braydon Ennor helped the Crusaders to victory. The defense was also fantastic as they allowed only a try through the first 79 minutes, until giving up one more in the 80th.

The Lions executed their powerful offense to good use against the Waratahs as the Waratahs had their Achilles’ Heel exposed, their defense, with the Lions putting up a victorious 44-26 score. Elton Jantjies had a solid match as he chipped in two penalty kicks and converted on four point after attempts. However, their offense scored six tries as Kwagga Smith and Malcolm Marx each had two and Aphiwe Dyantyi and Courtnall Skosan.

The Crusaders will be looking for their ninth Super Rugby title as the Lions will be looking for their first. The Lions have made the Final for the third straight season and are hoping that third time is the charm. The Crusaders will be hoping to add another title as they have eight, the most ever in Super Rugby history as the closest are the Blues and Bulls with three each. The two sides met in Week 7 as that was the only meeting between them and the Crusaders won that one 14-8. No matter what, there will be history as the Crusaders look to solidify themselves as the most successful rugby club in the world and look to go back to back, while another team looks to win it’s first ever championship.

Predictions

James Rowe: Crusaders. I hate to be the bearer of bad news for the Lions, but the “third time is the charm” luck won’t occur here. The Crusaders are clearly the best team, though the Lions fire power will be hard to contain. I truly believe defense wins championships and the Crusaders have the best one. Hard not to pick them.

Today is the Major League Baseball Deadline. You can follow along with all the major trades and updates as deadline comes to an end. Rowe Sports Talk Network has all the coverage for every trade made.

Yesterday, a slew of trades were made as Second Baseman Ian Kinsler is heading to Boston, Reliever Keone Kela is heading to Pittsburgh, Outfielder Adam Duvall is going to Atlanta, Starter Lance Lynn was shipped off to the Yankees, Seattle acquired Relievers Adam Warren and Zach Duke, Houston brought in Reliever Roberto Osuna, and in exchange Reliever Ken Giles is going to Toronto.

Keep an eye on what happens with Nationals Outfielder Bryce Harper as they announced that he is available, but General Manager Mike Rizzo has already exclaimed that he is not going anywhere. But Washington is open for business as some other assets could get traded. There’s been rumors swirling around that Tampa Bay Starter Chris Archer and Miami Reliever Brad Ziegler will be traded today. Other names that have been thrown around are Giants Outfielder Andrew McCutchen, Reds Starter Matt Harvey, Marlins Catcher J.T. Realmuto, and Orioles Outfielder Adam Jones.

11:00 AM-First reported trade

The Tampa Bay Rays have acquired Cardinals Outfielder Tommy Pham for minor leaguers Justin Williams (Outfield), Genesis Cabrera, and Roel Ramirez (both Pitchers).

12:23 PM

Hearing from Bob Nightengale of USA Today that Ziegler has indeed been traded, but not to the Cubs in which there had been a false a rumor that Ziegler was going to them. Looking for more updates.

12:31 PM

The Indians have acquired Outfielder Leonys Martin from the Detroit Tigers for a minor leaguer Willi Castro who is a middle infielder.

12:48 PM

Seeing reports that the Diamondbacks are going to trade for Ziegler. Looking to confirm that report now.

12:52 PM

While technically not official until the teams make the announcement, Ziegler will indeed go to Arizona pending medical information. Looking to lock down the full details.

1:25 PM

According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports, the Phillies and Rays are having some deep talks about Catcher Wilson Ramos.

1:28 PM

Minor League Reliever Tommy Eveld will be headed to Marlins in the Ziegler trade.

1:35 PM

Talks intensify for Rays Starter Chris Archer as the Braves, Brewers, Pirates, Dodgers, and some others have been talking with Tampa Bay according to a Ken Rosenthal, of The Athletic, tweet. Will keep updating the situation.

1:37 PM

Seeing reports from Bob Nightengale that the Braves are heavily pursuing Reds Starter Matt Harvey.

1:40 PM

The Hot Stove is starting to heat up as Ken Rosenthal reports that Padres Reliever Craig Stammen is being pursued by the Cubs and Athletics.

1:45 PM

According to Jon Heyman, the Brewers and Cubs are now in the mix to acquire Matt Harvey and not likely the Braves.

2:09 PM

According to Michael Duarte of NBC LA, that the Dodgers are interested in Reds Reliever Raisel Iglesias.

2:16 PM

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Orioles are close to making a trade. What the trade is is a mystery.

2:24 PM

Bob Nightengale is now reporting that the Marlins are on the verge of trading Outfielder Cameron Maybin.

2:35 PM

Ryan Divish is reporting that the Mariners will be acquiring Maybin for a prospect and international money. Looking to confirm that report.

Starter Kevin Gausman of the Orioles is getting some serious attraction from Rockies, Braves, and Brewers as the notable teams interested in his services according to Jon Heyman.

2:40 PM

Rosenthal reports that the Brewers are talking to the Nationals for Starter Gio Gonzalez.

2:52 PM

Eduardo Encina says the Orioles are in discussions to trade Second Baseman Jonathan Schoop and possibly Gausman.

2:53 PM

Mark Feinsand reports now that Ramos will indeed go to Philadelphia. Final updates will be looked for.

3:00 PM

Going into the final hour of the trade deadline. Rosenthal is now reporting that the Cubs are close to acquiring Reliever Brandon Kintzler from the Nationals.

Ramos will be acquired for a player to be named later and cash.

3:05 PM

Archer is “very, very likely to be traded” according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

3:07 PM

According to Rosenthal, the Cubs have indeed acquired for Kintzler. Looking for final details.

3:25 PM

The Giants are now in the mix for Matt Harvey according to Jon Heyman.

3:26 PM

Rosenthal is now tweeting that the Dodgers are close to acquiring Second Baseman Brian Dozier of the Twins.

3:27 PM

Ben Nicholson-Smith is reporting that Blue Jays Reliever Aaron Loup is going to the Phillies for prospects.

3:29 PM

Braves apparently have a deal for Gausman according to Jon Heyman.

Dozier to the Dodgers is a done deal according to Jerry Crasnick. Waiting on full details.

3:31 PM

Pitching prospect Jacob Waguespack is headed back to the Blue Jays in return says Feinsand.

3:32 PM

Pitching prospect Jhon Romero is going to Washington in the Kintzler deal.

3:33 PM

Prospect Bryson Brigman is going to Miami in the Maybin trade.

3:34 PM

According to Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press, Tigers Starter Mike Fiers is close to being dealt to Oakland.

3:36 PM

Jerry Crasnick reports that the Diamondbacks are pursuing Rangers Reliever Jake Diekman.

3:37 PM

Apparently the Archer deal to Pittsburgh is a deal done. Looking for confirmation.

3:38 PM

Twins will acquire Second Baseman Logan Forsythe, Outfielder Luke Roley, Pitcher Devin Smeltzer for Dozier.

3:40 PM

Gausman to the Braves is a done deal according to Jon Heyman.

3:43 PM

Marc Topkin reports that Pirates Pitcher Tyler Glasnow is being traded to Tampa Bay in Archer trade. Also Outfielder Austin Meadows is reportedly in the trade. A third piece has been mentioned.

3:49 PM

White Sox have acquired Pitcher Hunter Schryver from the Rays for international money according a release by the Pale Hose.

3:51 PM

Diekman to Diamondbacks is a done deal pending medicals according to Jerry Crasnick.

3:54 PM

Brewers and Orioles are in discussion for Jonathan Schoop.

3:56 PM

Bob Nightengale reports that the Dodgers have acquired Blue Jays Reliever John Axford.

3:58 PM

Fiers deal to Oakland now not happening according to Jerry Crasnick.

3:59 PM

Pitcher Corey Copping will be headed to Toronto in Axford deal.

4:00 PM

The deadline has hit. Waiting on final reports.

Matt Harvey was not dealt by the Reds.

Final Report:

Indians acquire minor league Outfielder Oscar Mercado from the Cardinals for Outfielders Conner Capel and Jhon Torres.

Brewers acquire Jonathan Schoop for Second Baseman Jonathan Villar, and minor leaguers Pitcher Luis Ortiz, and Infielder Jean Carmona to the Orioles.

Braves acquire Kevin Gausman and Reliever Darren O’Day for a bunch of minor leaguers Infielder Jean Carlos Encarnacion, Catcher Brett Cumberland, and Pitchers Evan Phillips and Bruce Zimmermann to the Orioles.

Pirates acquire Chris Archer for Tyler Glasnow, Austin Meadows, and a player to be named later.

Diamondbacks acquire Jake Diekman from the Rangers for Pitcher Wei-Chieh Huang.

Crusaders vs Hurricanes

Just as some expected, both the Crusaders and Hurricanes won their matches and advanced to the semi-finals. Some have even claimed that this match will determine who wins the final next week as these were the two best sides in the league this season.

The Crusaders won easily against the Sharks as the final score was 40-10. The Crusaders showed why they were the best squad in Super Rugby as they got five tries from five different players (Bryn Hall, David Havili, Matt Todd, Braydon Ennor, and Peter Samu) and allowed only one try and one penalty kick. Richie Mo’unga converted on three of his point after attempts and nailed three penalty kicks.

The Hurricanes won over the Chiefs 32-31, but that score line was a little deceiving as the Hurricanes towards the end of the match made it mathematically impossible for the Chiefs to win. Hurricanes got two tries from TJ Perenara and one from Ben Lam and Julian Savea (in the first minute of the contest) each. Beauden Barrett converted on two of his point after attempts and nailed two penalty kicks while Jordie Barrett converted a point after attempt as well.

The Crusaders and Hurricanes each won a match in the two contests that were played against one another this 2018 campaign with the Crusaders winning most recently in Week 15. The Hurricanes are only one of the two teams in the league to defeat the Crusaders this year so it could make for an epic clash. These were the two best sides in 2018, but the Hurricanes have had experience playing the Crusaders as they played in the same conference and defeating them already could give them some insight of how to beat them. Because of that, it could be a very interesting matchup to watch.

Predictions

James Rowe: Crusaders. While I like the Hurricanes, the Crusaders are just so good and they have won 12 matches, including last week, in a row while the Hurricanes are just coming off a rough patch.

 

Lions vs Waratahs

The Lions played a close one against the Jaguares last week, but they pulled away late with a 40-23 victory. The Lions got tries from Andries Coetzee, Malcolm Marx, Harold Vorster, and Ruan Combrinck, but the story of the match was Elton Jantjies who converted on all four point after attempts, chipped in three penalty kicks, and even scored a drop kick as he accumulated 20 points, half of what the team put on the board.

The Waratahs edged out a very good Highlanders side 30-23 to advance to the Semi-Finals. Bernard Foley had one of the matches in his career as he scored two tries, converted all three point after attempts, and chipped in three penalty kicks while Israel Folau also scored a try. The Waratahs defense was better than it had been all season as they allowed only two tries.

If the Waratahs want to keep up their run to the final, their defense has to continue being superb as the Lions do have a good offense especially with Jantjies playing as well as he did last week. Stopping him might be the key for the Waratahs if they plan on advancing. However, the two squads met in Week 10 with the Lions winning 29-0. While that was long ago, that could hint at what type of match that is played.

Predictions:

James: Lions. I just think the Lions have more talent on their roster and the Waratahs defense is always suspect. However, the game will hinge on whether the Waratahs defense can shut the Lions down and if Jantjies can continue his hot play.

The Super Rugby regular season is finally over and the playoffs are about to begin as there might be one side trying to defend their crown, another making their playoff debut and hope to claim a championship in it’s first try, and there will be a few more looking to dethrone the current champions. With a brand new, but very controversial playoff system, this will be an interesting first take. Let’s take a look at the matchups.

Crusaders vs Sharks

The Crusaders are the defending champions from last season and they look to repeat as they nabbed the number one seed in the tournament. They comfortably nabbed 14 wins out 16 matches played and were ahead of the table comfortably with 63 points (Hurricanes were the next closest with 51) as they clinched the New Zealand Conference with ease. With such a strong season, they are the favorites to win again as they scored the most tries and allowed the least during the season. They truly are the most complete team in the league. They do boast a lot of talent from the All-Blacks like Israel Dagg, Sam Whitelock, and Ryan Crotty. They even have some veterans in Owen Franks and Kieran Read which makes them very good.

Sharks had a disappointing campaign, but nonetheless they have a chance to prove themselves in their matchup with the Crusaders. While they might have snuck into the playoffs with a 7-8-1 record and 36 points in the table, they got a wild card spot on the last day of the regular season. They also have some talent on their squad like Robert du Preez, Ruan Botha, Curwin Bosch, and Tendai Mtawarira and could push the Crusaders. However, they have scored the third least amount of tries this season, which is a big concern. They never faced one another in the regular season.

Predictions

James Rowe: Crusaders. They boast way more talent and they simply dominated all season. Sharks had high expectations, but stumbled into the playoffs.

 

Hurricanes vs Chiefs

The Hurricanes might have been the second best team (11-5-0, 51 points) in the league in terms of points in the table, but they were stuck in the same conference as the Crusaders which hurt their chances of getting a higher seed as they nabbed the four seed in the playoffs and they also limped their way into the playoffs as they have lost four of their last five contests. Despite making it to the semi-finals last year, they lost to the Lions and didn’t have a chance to defend their crown. Like the Crusaders, they boast a lot of talent as well as they have Beauden Barrett, TJ Perenara, Julian Savea, Nehe Milner-Skudder, Ben Lam, Ngani Laumape, Vince Aso, and Jordie Barrett.

There they will take on the Chiefs whom finished just behind the Hurricanes in the table as they went 11-5-0 and 49 points. They also unfortunately were affected by playing in the same conference as the Crusaders and Hurricanes as their chances for a higher seed were also affected like the Hurricanes as they earned the five seed in the playoffs. The Chiefs lost to the Crusaders in the semi-finals last season in the playoffs and would very much like to have a chance at them again if that is indeed who they would face in the next round if both teams win. They are also hot going into the playoffs as they have won their last three matches (and those wins were against three good teams in the Brumbies, Highlanders, and Hurricanes). The Chiefs were in the top five of scoring tries and conceding them, plus their pack is extremely good. With the likes of Sam Cane, Liam Messam, Brodie Retallick, and Damian McKenzie, this team is very good and could make for a very exciting match against the Hurricanes. Both teams split the season series 1-1, but the Chiefs have the momentum after they won 28-24 in the final week of the season against the Hurricanes, and also with the Hurricanes losing four out of their last five and with their only win against the Blues (who have struggled all season), this could get interesting.

Predictions

James: Hurricanes. I like the Chiefs a lot, but I have got to give this one to the Hurricanes despite momentum being on the Chiefs’ side. I feel like the Hurricanes will come around and regroup to finally get back into form.

 

Lions vs Jaguares

Lions were the winners of the South African Conference (9-7-0, 46 points) as they got the two seed in these playoffs. The Lions made it all the way to the championship match against the Crusaders last year, but lost to them. They will hope to make it back and finally get that championship. If they want that to happen they will have to rely on Andries Coetzee, Franco Mostert, Kwagga Smith, Lionel Mapoe, Warren Whiteley, Malcolm Marx, and Rohan Janse van Rensburg to get back to where they were last year.

There they will face the Jaguares from Argentina (9-7-0, 38 points) who earned the seven seed in these playoffs. What’s remarkable is that they came out of nowhere this season and made the playoffs for the first time in their team’s short history. Led by Agustin Creevy, Nicolas Sanchez, Gonzalo Bertranou, Julian Montoya, Bautista Delguy, and Emiliano Boffelli (basically the majority of the Argentinian national side), they do matchup well with the Lions and could make an upset in this round. It has been a while since they both matched up as they played in Week 2 and 6, both sides each won a match in the season series. This may look to be an even matchup, but also one of the best ones in the playoffs.

Predictions

James: Lions. I have many questions about the Lions ability as they took advantage of a controversial seeding system and they underachieved despite being very talented. While I think the Jaguares will put up a good fight, the Lions are more experienced and are more of a sound squad and will win.

 

Waratahs vs Highlanders

The Waratahs (9-6-1, 44 points) finished in first place in the Australian Conference and clinched the three seed in the playoffs as they are the only side from their conference to make the playoffs as the Rebels just fell short of the playoffs. However, that isn’t to say that this team isn’t all that good, in fact they are dangerous as they have scored the third most tries this season. They came back from a bad 2017 to make the playoffs and earn a high seed too. There is a ton of talent here as they have Israel Folau, Bernard Foley, Rob Horne, Kurtley Beale, Rob Simmons and Michael Hooper. However, there is a concern with their defense, which has hurt them thus far this season.

They will be playing the Highlanders (10-6-0, 44 points) who placed fourth in the New Zealand Conference and also being screwed out of a higher seed in the playoffs. The Highlanders are returning to the playoffs after they they lost to the eventual champions Crusaders in the quarterfinals. They are led by Liam Squire, both Aaron and Ben Smith, Lima Sopoaga, Rob Thompson and Teihorangi Walden as they have some exciting talent on their squad. They do tend to play defense a lot, but that could hurt them with the explosive offense that the Waratahs have. They only played each other once this season where the Waratahs won big 41-12.

Predictions

James: Waratahs. I was torn here as I personally think the Highlanders are the better side, but the Waratahs have an offense that is hard to keep up with.

While I agree with the decision that was made, I miss how serious the MLB All-Star Game was. Usually All-Star games are meant to be good fun, but Major League Baseball managed to make theirs the absolute best. I really miss how the All-Star Game used to work as it made the game even more interesting. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, why don’t you just follow along.

In 2002, MLB held the All-Star Game in Milwaukee. While it was a fun game to watch, MLB commissioner Bud Selig decided to end the contest after 11th inning and it was a 7-7 tie. Fans were upset with how that decision and Selig thought something needed to be done to get fans interested in the All-Star Game again. So, he decided to change the format of the game that would make it more fun to watch. And you know what? It worked.

For the 2003 All-Star Game and on, the contest would decide which league would hold home-field advantage in the World Series. It used to be that home-field advantage would alternate between the American and National League every year (i.e. an AL team would hold home field advantage in 2000, the NL would hold the advantage in 2001, then back to the AL in 2002). However, that would no longer be the case as the All-Star Game would decide who would hold it. They even had a great slogan: “This Time It Counts”

What was great about it was that it set up some really fun games to watch and there was a lot of strategy involved. It really had the managers strategically use the best players in baseball in order to win and help their league win home-field advantage which they could use if their team was still in the playoff hunt and they could even hold back players from playing just in case an extra inning situation did happen. Even the players were playing hard because they wanted to help their teams if they were in the playoff hunt and to get their squads the home field advantage if they advanced to the World Series. It truly made the All-Star Game great to watch as it gave some exciting moments to watch and it made it more competitive. That’s what fans want to see, a competitive game.

However, the MLB All-Star Game had always been great as it was very competitive before the new format began. For many years there had been a lot of tension between the NL and AL as they all legitimately hated one another. Because of that, the players truly wanted to win the game to show which league was better and because they just wanted to beat the other one. It was truly a great “rivalry” back in the days. The hatred has since fizzled, but the “rivalry” still rages on. Both leagues are now on friendly terms, but it has become more so of bragging rights than anything else. Once they introduced the new rule to the game, there was more intrigue and it made the “rivalry” even better. That changed after the 2016 season when it was agreed upon to get rid of that rule making the All-Star Game just an exhibition and it didn’t count anymore. Home-field advantage would now be determined by which team in the World Series had the best record in the regular season.

While MLB got it right and I agree home-field advantage should be determined by teams with the best record, I will still miss the old format. Lot’s of people thought it was stupid, but if you did think that, you missed what was so great about how it worked. It’s too bad it’s gone as it truly made the best All-Star Game in sports even better.

With the MLB All-Star Game to be played tonight, I thought it would be great to reminisce on the past All-Star Games that were played. I also decided to list off my favorite games and explain why they were. Here are my top five favorite All-Star Games:

5. 2006

This game was a lot fun for me as it was managed by Ozzie Guillen of the White Sox, a very eccentric manager to say the least, but what made this such a great spectacle was that the American League came back in dramatic fashion to win the game and to keep home field advantage in the AL for whomever would represent them that year (Detroit would go on to the World Series that year).

4. 2005

You’ll see a pattern here as being a White Sox fan, but this was great as I got to see this game played (which was surprisingly better than people thought) by some of the White Sox players as this helped the American League win the home-field advantage which it turned out helped the Pale Hose as they got that advantage in the World Series.

3. 2008

This was an exciting one to watch for many reasons. One of those reasons was seeing it played at Yankee Stadium, but the others were seeing a Red Sox player set up for Mariano Rivera of the Yankees (Jonathan Papelbon, if you may remember), J.D. Drew of the Red Sox hitting a dramatic game-tying home run, it went into extra innings, and it being a walk off victory for the American League. It was a really fun contest to watch as each side had a great opportunity to win the game, but each side was so evenly matched that each manager did a good job of matchups and everything else. This contest was the best display of strategy.

2. 2003

I’m a little biased here as I actually attended this one, but this was a great contest as well. Being the first All-Star Game that resulted in which league holding home-field advantage in the World Series, it was actually a really fun one to watch. The National League actually held a big lead in this one, but the AL kept chipping away until a Hank Blalock home run in the eighth inning gave the AL the lead for good in what was a great game to watch. Plus it was held at the home park of the White Sox, which made it even more fun for me at 13 years old.

1. 2001

When you see your all-time favorite player hit a home run before he retires at the end of the season in this game, how can it not be your all-time favorite. I had grown up with Cal Ripken Jr. my entire life and he was my absolute idol. He was also a legend who helped bring back baseball when it needed it so to see him retire was very sad. What made things incredible in the game, in his very last All-Star Game, he hit a home run which made things all the more emotional. Plus it was cool to see Ripken play at shortstop one last time (which he did for one inning).

Honorable Mention: 1999

This one will be a very brief one, but what so memorable for me in this game was getting to know who Pedro Martinez really was. It was so much fun to watch him strike out so many of the games top hitters by just absolutely blowing it by them. And he did so in front of his home crowd.

Tonight in Washington, D.C. will be the 89th MLB All-Star Game being held at Nationals Park. With both the American League and National League tied at 43 wins and two ties each, this game will be a tiebreaker of sorts. Let’s preview each team’s roster:

National League

Starting Lineup

1. Javier Baez-2B, Chicago Cubs
2. Nolan Arenado-3B, Colorado Rockies
3. Paul Goldschmidt-DH, Arizona Diamondbacks
4. Freddie Freeman-1B, Atlanta Braves
5. Matt Kemp-LF, Los Angeles Dodgers
6. Bryce Harper-CF, Washington Nationals
7. Nick Markakis-RF, Atlanta Braves
8. Brandon Crawford-SS, San Francisco Giants
9. Willson Contreras-C, Chicago Cubs

SP: Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals

This is a very good lineup as there is power from every hole, but the hardest part will be facing the very top of the lineup as Baez, Arenado, and Goldschmidt are very powerful and have the advantage over Chris Sale (the American League starting pitcher). The middle part with Freeman, Kemp, and Harper is very difficult, but with Chris Sale on the mound for the AL, the AL holds that advantage. The bottom part with Markakis, Crawford, and Contreras is at a disadvantage if they face Sale as well, but Contreras might be the hardest batter to face in that part of the lineup. Expect Scherzer to throw a lot of gas especially in front of his home crowd.

Reserves

Position Players

Yadier Molina-C, St. Louis Cardinals

Buster Posey-C, San Francisco Giants

J.T. Realmuto-C, Miami Marlins

Jesus Aguilar-1B, Milwaukee Brewers

Joey Votto-1B, Cincinnati Reds

Ozzie Albies-2B, Atlanta Braves

Scooter Gennett-2B, Cincinnati Reds

Eugenio Suarez-3B, Cincinnati Reds

Trevor Story-SS, Colorado Rockies

Charlie Blackmon-OF, Colorado Rockies

Lorenzo Cain-OF, Milwaukee Brewers

Christian Yelich-OF, Milwaukee Brewers

A lot of first time players here, but this is also a very stacked bench. The three catchers are in the top five of the best in the entire MLB. The Reds also sent three of their most productive bats in Gennett, Votto, and Suarez and you can see them being used strategically (Suarez especially as he could be used as a pinch hitter with runners in scoring position). Cain and Yelich could be used as late defensive replacements, but if the game goes into extra innings, they are productive bats. Aguilar, Blackmon, and Story will like be early replacements in the game and Albies could be used as a pinch runner.

Pitchers

Patrick Corbin, Arizona Diamondbacks

Jacob deGrom, New York Mets

Sean Doolittle, Washington Nationals

Mike Foltynewicz, Atlanta Braves

Zack Greinke, Arizona Diamondbacks

Josh Hader, Milwaukee Brewers

Brad Hand, San Diego Padres

Kenley Jansen, Los Angeles Dodgers

Jeremy Jeffress, Milwaukee Brewers

Jon Lester, Chicago Cubs

Miles Mikolas, St. Louis Cardinals

Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies

Ross Stripling, Los Angeles Dodgers

Felipe Vazquez, Pittsburgh Pirates

The bullpen for this squad is very good, but there are a lot of underrated players in here like Ross Stripling and Mike Foltynewicz. Nola and Mikolas have come out of nowhere and have been very good. Josh Hader has been the talk of baseball as he has been practically unhittable. Kenley Jansen is no doubt the best closer in baseball, but he will have some help from Brad Hand, Sean Doolittle, and Jeremy Jeffress. The rest of the pitchers are having outstanding seasons, but expect Lester to come in either early or late in the contest. Greinke could come in after Scherzer so look out for that.

 

American League

Starting Lineup

1. Mookie Betts-RF, Boston Red Sox
2. Jose Altuve-2B, Houston Astros
3. Mike Trout-CF, Los Angeles Angels
4. J.D. Martinez-DH, Boston Red Sox
5. Jose Ramirez-3B, Cleveland Indians
6. Aaron Judge-LF, New York Yankees
7. Manny Machado-SS, Baltimore Orioles
8. Jose Abreu-1B, Chicago White Sox
9. Salvador Perez-C, Kansas City Royals (playing in place of injured Tampa Bay Rays’ Wilson Ramos)

SP: Chris Sale, Boston Red Sox

This lineup is absolutely scary. There are no easy outs here, but a lack of a left handed bat could be troublesome. Ramirez can hit from the left side as he is a switch hitter, but the rest are right handed hitters. However, this lineup is so good that Jose Abreu, normally a third hole or cleanup hitter, is hitting eighth. Sale is undoubtedly the best pitcher in the AL, but with such a violent delivery, a lot of the NL’s lineup will be on their toes even if they have the advantage with their first three hitters of the game.

Reserves

Position Players

Yan Gomes-C, Cleveland Indians

Mitch Moreland-1B, Boston Red Sox

Jed Lowrie-2B, Oakland Athletics

Gleyber Torres-2B New York Yankees

Alex Bregman-3B, Houston Astros

Francisco Lindor-SS, Cleveland Indians

Jean Segura-SS, Seattle Mariners

Michael Brantley-OF, Cleveland Indians

Shin-Soo Choo-OF, Texas Rangers

Mitch Haniger-OF, Seattle Mariners

George Springer-OF, Houston Astros

Nelson Cruz-DH, Seattle Mariners

This will be an interesting bench for the AL as they only have one back up catcher (Gomes) and one backup first baseman (Moreland). The infield is pretty versatile like Jed Lowrie and plus they have a lot of good bats who are outfielders, but the lack of another first baseman or catcher could be concerning. Expect Nelson Cruz to be used as a pinch hitter if the AL is down or tied.

Pitchers

Trevor Bauer, Cleveland Indians

Jose Berrios, Minnesota Twins

Aroldis Chapman, New York Yankees

Gerritt Cole, Houston Astros

Edwin Diaz, Seattle Mariners

J.A. Happ, Toronto Blue Jays

Joe Jimenez, Detroit Tigers

Craig Kimbrel, Boston Red Sox

Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians

Charlie Morton, Houston Astros

Luis Severino, New York Yankees

Blake Snell, Tampa Bay Rays

Blake Treinen, Oakland Athletics

Justin Verlander, Houston Astros

This is where the AL has the biggest advantage as their bullpen is exceptional. Even though it’s mostly comprised of starting pitchers, they can come in and be lights out. Heck, Morton has had experience coming out of the bullpen as if the game goes into extras, he can be used for many innings. Edwin Diaz and Aroldis Chapman will likely be the setup and close for this team respectively as they throw absolute gas and are hard to keep up with, but Treinen is a crafty pitcher himself and could be used strategically too. Also expect Corey Kluber to come out of the bullpen after Chris Sale is done.

Predictions

James Rowe: American League victory. While the game does not count, this should be a fun one to watch.