Alex House Articles - Page 2

Royce Lewis emerged during the 2023 MLB playoffs, helping the Minnesota Twins end a mind-boggling postseason losing streak and advance to the American League Division Series. They ultimately fell short against the Houston Astros, but that October display was supposed to be a forerunner to a successful MLB career. Alas, the former No. 1 overall […]

The WNBA could not have scripted it any better if it tried. Caitlin Clark, the face of women’s basketball, returns from injury to lead the Indiana Fever into battle against defending champion and undefeated New York Liberty on ABC. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert was surely salivating at the scintillating set of circumstances that fell right into […]

The celebrity couple component of sports is not for everyone. The thunderous chorus of boos that surrounded Taylor Swift during Super Bowl 59 perfectly illustrates that fact. But the NFL will gladly endure the groans and eye rolls if it means it can resonate with throngs of more people who might not have previously been […]

When Edmonton Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard valiantly filled in for Stuart Skinner following a 3-0 deficit in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup — performing superbly in a 5-4 overtime victory over the Florida Panthers on Thursday –one major question emerged. Who will start in net for Game 5? Most fans had a clear answer […]

After spending a year and a half on the sidelines with a knee injury, it was unclear if veteran center Steven Adams would ever make a meaningful impact in the NBA again. He decisively answered those questions while helping the Houston Rockets grab the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference last season. He is […]

The state of Indiana is synonymous with basketball. Hoosiers have a profound love and respect for their hoops, and it shines through in the capital city of Indianapolis. Both the Fever and Pacers are exhilarating the community. The former, with Caitlin Clark front and center, has helped spark a WNBA revolution. And the latter is […]

The Los Angeles Lakers do not want to talk about it. Fans do not want to talk about it. And the NBA certainly does not want to talk about it, but LeBron James’ retirement is a topic the world cannot avoid. When the 40-year-old officially concludes his all-time great professional basketball career, a surreal moment […]

With a fairly manageable schedule and intriguing roster, the New York Jets could theoretically surprise people next season. But they do not necessarily need to clinch a long-awaited playoff berth for the campaign to be considered a success. A new culture and clear on-field improvement will suffice. Completing those crucial objectives revolves heavily around the […]

It cannot be easy for Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey to watch the Oklahoma City Thunder compete for a championship without him, given that he was once considered a key member of their young core. But he is still cheering on the men he shared a locker room with for the first three years of […]

The San Francisco Giants (40-29) have enjoyed a stirring first 69 games to their 2025 MLB campaign, and they have done so by understanding their identity. Top-notch pitching and timely hitting put this team in position to grab first place in the National League West, which it can do by overpowering the Los Angeles Dodgers […]

If a monsoon of misfortune was going to hit Citi Field, this is probably the best time for it. The New York Mets (45-24) own the best record in baseball and are currently riding a six-game winning streak. Therefore, they are seemingly equipped to absorb some of the additional adversity that just arrived on their […]

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and tight end George Kittle have been through a lot together. The former joined the franchise in 2017, and the latter was drafted a couple months later. They weathered some rough beginnings, as the team went just 10-22 during their first two years in the Bay Area. Eventually, […]

Although Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Justin Martinez had been succumbing to his pitching vices, walking nearly 18 percent of the batters he faced, the right-hander is still a critical component of the team’s bullpen. The thought of losing his electric arm for the rest of the year is tough to stomach, but that is indeed what […]

Some say life doesn’t begin until you turn 30. Aaron Civale is probably not one of those people. The veteran right-handed pitcher did not get to celebrate his birthday the way he intended to on Thursday, as the Milwaukee Brewers demoted him to the bullpen to make room in the rotation for MLB top-100 prospect […]

Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets endured an emotionally draining 2024-25 NBA season, one that included endless speculation and a number of exhilarating moments. When the 2025 NBA Finals conclude, it is possible this squad will have come within one win from eliminating the champions in the playoffs. And yet, there are still trying roster […]

The Edmonton Oilers forced a Game 7 after trailing the Florida Panthers 3-0 in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, so a Game 4 loss on Thursday night would not necessarily have guaranteed an end to their championship hopes. Still, one can only live on the edge for so long. And besides, they did ultimately lose […]

Before joining the Edmonton Oilers ahead of the NHL trade deadline, six-year defenseman Jake Walman had only played 15 and a half minutes during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He patiently waited for the opportunity to compete on the big stage, knowing full well he was unlikely to seize the spotlight on a team that features […]

Taylor Swift watched boyfriend Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in overtime in Super Bowl 58, so she is no stranger to epic finishes in a championship matchup. But they say nothing is quite like playoff hockey, and the music icon’s reaction to Game 4 of the  Stanley Cup […]

Although the Houston Astros (38-30) hold a four and a half game lead in the American League West, they still do not look quite like themselves at this point of the 2025 MLB season. The lineup is specifically an enigma, riding the see-saw for much of the first two and a half months of the […]

The general school of thought seems to be that if the Florida Panthers defeat the Edmonton Oilers in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, they will hoist hockey’s Holy Grail for the second straight year. Well, if that assertion is indeed accurate, then the Cats’ supremacy initially seemed to be on the verge of […]

The Kansas City Royals (34-34) have kind of sneaked up on everybody this season, but not in the way that they intended. Following a promising campaign that saw the franchise increase its win total by 30 and clinch a playoff berth for the first time in nine years, KC sits in fourth place in the […]

While the New York Knicks keep shooting their shot at a possible new head coach, Josh Hart is taking to social media to defend the team’s former one. Following an unsuccessful outcome in the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals, the organization opted to dismiss Tom Thibodeau from his post. The decision produced polarizing reactions, to say […]

The San Diego Padres (38-28) avenged Monday’s bitter defeat to the Los Angeles Dodgers (40-28) with a unique offensive barrage on Tuesday, exploiting their opponent’s shorthanded pitching staff in an 11-1 win. Oddly enough, only one of those runs came via a homer, and it was unleashed by the perpetually hitting-challenged Martin Maldonado. That was […]

The Los Angeles Chargers more than doubled their win total last season and returned to the playoffs, bringing about what many hoped was definitive change. A turnover-ridden, blowout loss to the Houston Texans on Wild Card Weekend stifled fans’ enthusiasm and opened up wounds that were starting to close. However, as long as Jim Harbaugh […]

Buffalo Bills star quarterback Josh Allen arrived in mandatory minicamp a married and focused man, as he and the franchise once again prepare for another trying climb to the NFL mountaintop. As expected, the media questioned the 2024 MVP about his new marriage to actress and singer Hailee Steinfeld, but another interesting query came up […]

The WNBA is making a concentrated effort to promote both the Commissioner’s Cup and some of the brightest stars the league has to offer. Tuesday’s clash between the reigning champion New York Liberty (9-0) and struggling Chicago Sky (2-6) seemed to intrigue plenty of people, including Vanessa Bryant and her children. The wife of the […]

Baseball is a fickle mistress. Brandon Marsh just enjoyed what is so far the high point of his 2025 MLB campaign, recording his first career walk-off hit to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a desperately-needed 4-3 extra-innings victory on Monday night. Neither he nor the club were fortunate enough to hold on to that joyous […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers (40-27) are a true enigma. They are one of the only major sports franchises that can draw the ire of fan bases around the country during the offseason and then somehow morph into an underdog story during the regular season. And the reason is quite simple. LA boasts an abundance of […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers (40-27) own a top-three MLB payroll and boast one of the most lethal top-halves to a lineup in recent history, which are obviously contributing factors to their success, but where president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman really shows his skills is in the low-key transactions he makes. The top-notch executive frequently […]

The New Orleans Saints embraced change when they hired Kellen Moore to be their new head coach and tapped Tyler Shough as a potential long-term starting quarterback option. But Derek Carr’s surprising retirement decision removes a safety net for the new HC/QB duo. Although the four-time Pro Bowler was unlikely to suit up next season […]

Mitch Marner struggled in the latter part of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, as the Toronto Maple Leafs fell in seven games to the defending champion Florida Panthers. The star right winger, in what could be his last run with the franchise that drafted him a decade ago, lumbers into the […]

Boston Celtics fans are already preparing for the possibility of Jayson Tatum missing the entire 2025-26 campaign while recovering from a ruptured Achilles, but will his fellow franchise pillar also be absent during C’s games? The organization is entering a pivotal period in which it is almost guaranteed to make considerable payroll cuts this offseason, […]

There are certain ballclubs that fans just believe will eventually figure things out and find a way into the playoffs. The Atlanta Braves have comfortably occupied a seat in that exclusive club for the last few years. Their impressive depth and unwavering tenacity was on display in 2024, as they overcame prolonged batting slumps and […]

Former Second-Team All-Pro Haason Reddick had a wildly polarizing one-year run with the New York Jets, initiating a lengthy holdout that lasted until October. He then proceeded to scuffle on the field, surely eliciting feelings of regret and nausea among the team and fan base. Needless to say, the veteran outside linebacker entered free agency […]

Following several months of speculation, the Green Bay Packers are finally parting ways with veteran cornerback Jaire Alexander. They intend to release him, which will free up approximately $17 million in salary cap space and allow them to potentially work out a contract extension with valuable offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins. However, the details of this […]

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, who was placed on administrative leave in August of 2023 before being moved to the restricted list last July, is now officially facing another legal case. He is currently standing trial in his native Dominican Republic for the alleged sexual abuse of a minor, sexual exploitation against a minor […]

The Florida Panthers gutted out an instant classic on Friday to tie the Stanley Cup Final at one game apiece, but even in defeat, Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid continued to mystify the defending champions and hockey fans around the world. The 2024 Conn Smythe Trophy recipient tallied three assists in the 5-4 double overtime […]

Considering how dominant the country has been in the Olympics for the last decade and a half, it is easy to be numb to a Team USA gold-medal victory. Although international competition is deeper than ever, many Americans still consider anything short of the top spot on the podium a failure. There was something distinctly […]

Because Aaron Judge has posted one of the best first-thirds of any MLB season ever, Cal Raleigh is not garnering as much attention as he deserves for his own terrific 60-plus-game sample size. The Seattle Mariners catcher continues to defy logic, displaying elite power at a position that can absolutely punish the body. He was […]