Alex House Articles - Page 12

When the New York Knicks ousted the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, anything less than an NBA Finals appearance became unsatisfactory. None of that is said to diminish what the Indiana Pacers have accomplished over the last two years. They play with infectious energy and remarkable solidarity, typically level up in clutch time […]

Houston Astros fans believe the team can re-establish itself as an American League contender if Yordan Alvarez can stay healthy and the pitching staff avoids any more brutal injury setbacks, but there is a key X-factor that should not be dismissed. What if Jose Altuve provides decent production? The franchise great has displayed signs of […]

The New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers are engaged in a tense series, with both teams desperately trying to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in two and a half decades. But Charles Barkley firmly believes that all the hard-fought battles will only amount to a consolation prize for whoever emerges victorious […]

When a player consistently makes a huge impact on the court for more than a decade, milestones will come pouring in at some point. Nneka Ogwumike has reached that stage of her distinguished WNBA career. The Seattle Storm star, who has already moved up on the all-time scoring and defensive rebounding lists this season, joins […]

The Las Vegas Raiders have carried themselves with purpose this offseason, bringing in Pete Carroll to serve as head coach, trading for quarterback Geno Smith and grabbing Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. These moves, besides revamping an offensive unit that lacked depth and production, communicate […]

The Carolina Hurricanes are trying everything they can to alter the trajectory of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals. A goalie change in Game 3 did nothing to slow down the Florida Panthers, who scored six goals on Pyotr Kochetkov to take a commanding 3-0 series lead. They are now switching back to their regular starter. […]

Since Markquis Nowell led Kansas State basketball to the Elite Eight in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, the Jerome Tang era has drifted off course. The Wildcats have failed to qualify for March Madness in each of the last two years, with the 2024-25 campaign being a particularly bitter pill to swallow. Despite investing heavily in […]

The Florida Panthers are just five wins away from winning the Stanley Cup for a second straight year, which would solidify them as an undeniable juggernaut in the NHL history books. They would not even have a chance to attain such greatness if not for their remarkable depth. Well, head coach Paul Maurice will have […]

Life in The Show has not gone as catcher Reese McGuire probably expected. The former Pittsburgh Pirates’ first-round draft pick has bounced around MLB, unable to earn a regular role behind the plate. He found a temporary home with the Boston Red Sox but was ultimately designated for assignment last summer. The 30-year-old did not […]

Baseball inspires many debates, but most fans are in agreement that the starting pitcher does not hold close to the same cachet as it did decades ago. There are few workhorses these days, as managers turn to their bullpen far quicker than many prefer. When people go to a game to specifically see an ace […]

The New York Knicks entered the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals with arguably their clearest view at an NBA Finals appearance this century, but they left Madison Square Garden down 2-0 versus the Indiana Pacers and drowning in a sea of ridicule. A formerly optimistic endeavor had turned sour on their own floor, continuing a befuddling […]

Caitlin Clark might take a little longer to fall asleep tonight following a tough 90-88 home loss versus the New York Liberty on Saturday afternoon. The Indiana Fever superstar knows she did not have close to her best effort, shooting 6-of-18 from the field and committing a ghastly 10 turnovers. Even on a bad day, […]

The Atlanta Braves (25-26) have been yearning for reinforcements during an adversity-filled first two months of the 2025 MLB season, and Ronald Acuña Jr. has immediately indulged them. The star right fielder does not look like a man coming off a torn ACL, as he blasted his second home run in less than 24 hours […]

The Chicago Cubs (31-20) are making up for lost time. Following a six-year run of disappointment, this franchise is looking reborn in the year 2025. The North Siders have a three-game lead in their division and currently own one of the five best records in MLB. Emerging star Pete Crow-Armstrong is arguably the National League […]

The Baltimore Orioles (16-33) are undeniably the biggest disappointment in the league after a shockingly dreadful start to the campaign, but make no mistake, the Boston Red Sox (26-26) are quite high on that list as well. In what is supposed to be a year of change, fans are witnessing the same tired cycle. The […]

Nebraska football began its steep fall from grace during the 200os. Former head coach Frank Solich kept the program in fairly strong standing for a few years following the storied Tom Osborne era, even if national championships were no longer in grasp, but the Cornhuskers declined at the tail-end of his tenure and fell completely […]

Considering all the playoff mishaps that Dallas Cowboys fans have specifically suffered through during the last decade (though, it goes back longer than that), it is easy to take for granted a consistent postseason presence. Every few years an injury-riddled campaign helps remind the city how much worse it is when there is nothing to […]

The Houston Astros, for all their misfortune and blemishes, are actually in a considerably better position than the one they were in this time last season. Through 50 games in 2024, Joe Espada’s ballcub was 22-28. The Stros are now 26-24 and could jump into first place in the American League West if they sweep […]

For the second offseason in a row, New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns made low-key moves to address the starting pitching rotation rather than pursue a high-profile free agent or trade option. The strategy appeared even riskier this year, though, as both Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas suffered injuries in spring training. […]

The Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics are at their own unique crossroads. The former wants to contend for another championship before the Stephen Curry-Draymond Green-Jimmy Butler era ends, and the latter is tasked with staying competitive while also addressing the financial anguish that lies ahead. There are some people who believe they can use […]

The Edmonton Oilers have exemplified elite resilience throughout the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, overcoming a 2-0 deficit versus the Los Angeles Kings and gutting out multiple wins against the Vegas Golden Knights in the previous round. Their redemption tour is ramping up as a rematch with the defending champion Florida Panthers comes into sight. But […]

It is hard enough to suit up in an official game with a new team after suffering a sprained ankle a couple weeks earlier, but that was far from the only adversity Sophie Cunningham faced in her Indiana Fever debut on Thursday night. The veteran guard, who was traded from the Phoenix Mercury to Indy […]

The Toronto Maple leafs are starting what could be a summer of significant change after moving on from one of the organization’s most influential figures in the last decade. They chose not to renew the contract of Brendan Shanahan, who served as the team’s president and alternate governor since 2014. This decision could have major […]

The Iowa State men’s basketball team watched a once promising campaign turn to dust due to injury troubles, while the football Cyclones enjoyed arguably their best season ever but missed out on a momentous Playoff berth after a blowout loss to Arizona State in the Big 12 title game. Despite those disappointing endings, both programs […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder continue to trust their process versus the Minnesota Timberwolves, using their defensive toughness and offensive efficiency to grind down their opponent in the 2025 Western Conference Finals. MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 38 points and eight assists, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren combined to form a potent secondary punch […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder have maintained a unified front over the last couple of years both during and after their games. They huddle together in courtside interviews and constantly horse around like they are back on the playground. Their youthful enthusiasm is pure and infectious. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the franchise’s leader and superstar, kept that strong […]

When Caitlin Clark is involved in a heated on-court exchange, a media feeding frenzy is bound to ensue. Four days after her hard foul seemingly upset Angel Reese, the Indiana Fever star was once again at the center of a viral moment. Near the end of the first quarter of Thursday’s 81-76 win versus the […]

The Atlanta Braves (24-24) overcame their early season mudslide and have shifted back into neutral mode. Now comes the hard part. Considering the depth in the National League, a genuine breakthrough is needed if this ballclub wants to contend for a playoff berth in 2025. There is plenty of time left in the season, and […]

Paul Skenes is a generational talent who, if he continues to produce on the mound, is guaranteed to make a substantial amount of money when he enters free agency. The Pittsburgh Pirates handed out their first $100-plus million contract when they signed outfielder Bryan Reynolds to an eight-year extension in April of 2023. They own […]

The Minnesota Timberwolves came out fairly strong in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, taking a 48-44 lead into halftime, but they had few answers versus the Oklahoma City Thunder on either side of the floor in the final 24 minutes. A 114-88 loss to the No. 1 seed will give them much to […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder bounced back from a slow first half and earned a convincing 114-88 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. There were plenty of intriguing takeaways, including the sparse 46 minutes that Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein combined for Tuesday night, but what should encourage fans […]

While few fans expected the catastrophic start the Baltimore Orioles are currently enduring, the storm clouds were easy to spot. The ballclub was below .500 in the second half of last season, scored only one run in a two-game sweep versus the Kansas City Royals in the American League Wild Card Series and then failed […]

The Minnesota Timberwolves were temporarily forced to gut it out without their superstar versus the Oklahoma City Thunder. Anthony Edwards suffered what looked to be an ankle injury after getting fouled early in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals Tuesday night. He limped to the free throw line but eventually exited to the locker […]

Being the face of a league or organization entails more than just possessing supreme talent. It requires perspective, gratitude, self-awareness and a commitment to inspiring fans, on and off the clock. Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark obviously takes her role as the most popular women’s basketball player in the world incredibly seriously. Hours before Tuesday […]

Jalen Williams has already seen his star rise this season after earning his first-career All-Star selection, but he has the opportunity to explode if he helps the Oklahoma City Thunder capture their first championship in franchise history. The NBA has its eye on him right now, but not all the reasons are positive. Following a […]

While there are people who abhor the fact that the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry spurs most of the national conversations surrounding the WNBA, there is no denying the overall positive effect it has had on the growth of women’s basketball. The NBA desperately needed a shot in the arm during the 1980s, and Magic Johnson […]

Those who are closely following the 2025 NBA playoffs can see that the New York Knicks have an abundance of talent and tenacity. Those two Ts helped the franchise advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since the beginning of the George W. Bush Administration. There is another important element that has […]

When Jayson Tatum suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the foreseeable future instantly turned murky for the Boston Celtics and their fans. There was speculation that roster changes would take place this summer, even before Tatum’s injury and the C’s shortcomings versus the New York Knicks. Considering that […]

Although the Chicago Cubs (28-19) lost Justin Steele for the year due to Tommy John surgery and placed Shot Imanaga and Ian Happ on the injured list in May, morale is still exceptionally high on the North Side. This ballclub is conquering all the adversity the baseball gods have cursed it with through the early […]