Jonathan Alfano Articles - Page 2

Week 1 of the 2023 college football season is officially in the books, and although there weren’t as many big games as past opening weekends, we still saw some great contests. Some of the highlights included Colorado pulling a massive upset over TCU in Deion Sanders’ debut and Florida State running over LSU in a […]

For much of the 2022-23 NHL season, the Florida Panthers seemed like they were going to be one of the more disappointing teams in hockey. After winning the President’s Trophy the year before and swinging a massive trade for star winger Matthew Tkachuk in the offseason, the Panthers were fighting just to make the playoffs. […]

No. 5 LSU football was feeling confident heading into Sunday’s matchup against No. 8 Florida State. So confident, in fact, that coach Brian Kelly said earlier in the week that “we’re gonna beat the hell out of FSU.” Well, Kelly and the Tigers couldn’t back up that talk in the game itself. After leading by […]

The eyes of the college football world were all on Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida on Sunday night. No. 5 LSU and No. 8 Florida State football met in arguably the biggest game of the week, and the only one to feature two ranked teams. After last year’s thrilling showdown in New Orleans, many […]

It’s rare for major NFL news to break in the middle of the night, but just that happened in the early hours of Friday morning. Specifically, reports emerged that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and star receiver Mike Evans are “at an impasse” in extension talks. Later on, Evans’ agent said in a statement that if […]

The Minnesota Vikings made tight end TJ Hockenson a very happy man on Thursday, signing him to a four-year extension worth $68.5 million a year before he was slated to hit free agency. Hockenson’s extension carries an average annual value of $17.125 million, barely surpassing New York Giants tight end Darren Waller for the highest […]

General manager Brad Treliving has had an interesting start to his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs. After some controversial moves at the draft and during the first day of free agency, Treliving has seemingly found his groove over the past few weeks. On the second day of free agency, Treliving signed both Tyler Bertuzzi […]

In the actual NFL, the running back spot may be the most devalued position today. In fantasy football, on the other hand, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Running back is arguably the most important position in fantasy, with wide receiver being the only true competition. They may not put up as many points […]

The NFL regular season is just around the corner, and that means fantasy football is as well. If one hasn’t already completed their fantasy draft, they likely will in the coming days. One of the biggest questions for any fantasy player is what running backs they will use. Unlike in real life, where the position […]

The Vegas Golden Knights are certainly feeling golden this offseason. After being a contender since they entered the league in 2017, the Golden Knights finished the job and won their first Stanley Cup in June. They didn’t just win a championship, they dominated and never faced elimination a single time. While 31 other teams are […]

The Nashville Predators are a team in transition right now. Their eight-year playoff streak came to an end, but they still came pretty close despite selling at the trade deadline. With a new general manager in Barry Trotz and a new coach in Andrew Brunette, a new era is beginning in Nashville. However, the exact […]

It truly is the most wonderful time of the year as NFL football is just around the corner. Of course, that also means that fantasy football is coming soon as well, which some fans may be even more excited about. As fans prepare for their fantasy drafts, or are evaluating their teams after their drafts, […]

The Florida State Seminoles finally have expectations once again in college football, coming in at No. 8 in the preseason AP top 25. There are plenty of reasons for that optimism, such as a six-game winning streak to close last season and many key players returning. However, arguably the biggest reason is the return of […]

Kickers: we all know them and we all love them. While kickers may not be the flashiest players in the world, a good one can make a world of difference for any team. The same is true in the realm of fantasy football, perhaps to an even greater degree. With the season just around the […]

The Houston Rockets have been in the NBA for well over 50 years now, and they’ve had some great success in that time. With back-to-back titles in the 90s and several other deep playoff runs, Houston fans have had plenty to cheer about over the years. Of course, the Rockets wouldn’t have their success without […]

The second half of August is now upon us, which means the college football season isn’t far behind. The preseason rankings are all out, and so-called “Week 0” games are just over a week away. After months of conference realignment talks dominating headlines, we’re finally at a point where we can start talking about the […]

For months, conference realignment has dominated college football headlines with how drastically it has changed the landscape of the sport. With the release of the AP preseason top 25 earlier this week, though, we’re finally at a point where we can start talking about football itself, rather than the behind-the-scenes stuff. Below, we will lay […]

A good NFL logo goes a long way toward creating a recognizable brand. A team’s icons should not only be appealing to the eye but also showcase its history and identity. The NFL is home to some of the most iconic teams in all of sports. With how well-known these clubs are, some of these […]

Since entering the league nearly 60 years ago, the Chicago Bulls have been one of the NBA’s premier franchises. Their most-successful stretch obviously came in the 80s and 90s, when Michael Jordan led a dynasty that won six titles in eight years with two separate three-peats. While they haven’t had anywhere near the same success […]

The Montreal Canadiens are the most successful franchise in NHL history, with their 24 Stanley Cups towering over everyone else. However, the last two years have not been kind to them. After a shocking run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021, Montreal has had back-to-back seasons in the league’s basement. Additionally, the Canadiens’ horrific […]

The Minnesota Wild have been through plenty of struggles in recent years, with no playoff series wins since 2015. However, one thing they’ve done very well is building for the future while remaining competitive in the present. Currently, the Wild are a solidly competitive team with superstar forward Kirill Kaprizov leading the way. Surprisingly for […]

The Seattle Kraken had an outstanding season in 2022-23, just their second year of existence. After a forgettable first season, Seattle improved substantially in Year 2 and even came just one win away from the Western Conference Final. Now, the NHL’s newest franchise seems set up for success in the short and long-term future. Not […]

The San Jose Sharks are committed to playing the long game. They were a consistent playoff threat for over 15 years, but the last few have been absolutely brutal with them finishing near the bottom of the Western Conference. Recently, the Sharks have made moves to tear down the roster and start over, and this […]

The Columbus Blue Jackets’ 2022-23 season did not go according to plan, to put it lightly. After landing the biggest fish of free agency in star winger Johnny Gaudreau, Columbus at least expected to compete for a playoff spot. Unfortunately, several injuries derailed the season before it could really get going, and the Blue Jackets […]

To say that the Washington Wizards have struggled throughout their existence would be a bit of an understatement. While they have won a title and made a handful of NBA Finals, those highs came over 40 years ago, before the team was even known as the Wizards. In terms of recent history, Washington hasn’t had […]

It may be hard to believe, but the Portland Trail Blazers have been in the NBA for over 50 years at this point. They’ve had some down years, but with 37 playoff appearances in 53 seasons, the Blazers have been a pretty solid team for most of their history. They even won a championship, which […]

Recent years have not been kind to the Philadelphia 76ers, as despite having great regular-season teams, they’ve come up short in the playoffs time and time again. With James Harden having one foot out the door and Joel Embiid soon to be 30, time is running out for the Sixers to capitalize on this window. […]

The Orlando Magic have not had a ton of success since joining the NBA in 1989. They’ve had some great teams and two appearance in the NBA Finals is at least a lot more than some teams can boast. However, sustained success and the Larry O’Brien Trophy have eluded them for a long time. The […]

The Miami Heat became an established NBA franchise ahead of the 1988-89 season and over this span, they’ve become one of the league’s most successful organizations. They have not one, not two, but three championships and the Heat are just one of two teams to have won a title after joining the league in 1980. […]

The Vegas Golden Knights are still riding high after winning their first Stanley Cup in franchise history in June. In just their sixth season of existence, the Knights became the fastest team to win their first cup in modern NHL history. Of course, Vegas now has the monumental task of following up that championship run. […]

After an eventful offseason, the Calgary Flames were a team many had an eye on heading into 2022-23. Calgary overhauled its core almost overnight, losing Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk but bringing in Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri and others. Even with a wildly different roster, some believed the Flames could repeat as Pacific Division champions […]

The Winnipeg Jets are coming off a relatively unspectacular season, all things considered. They started off hot but cooled off by the second half and nearly fell out of the playoffs. Their season then ended with a thud in a five-game loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round. Heading into the offseason, […]

The Minnesota Wild have been searching for playoff success since their inception. But aside from a Western Conference Final appearance in 2003, it has continuously eluded them. It has been especially agonizing in recent years, with seven straight series losses including a six-game defeat against the Dallas Stars earlier this year. As Minnesota tries to […]

The 2023 NFL season is fast approaching, and that means fantasy football is just around the corner as well. As fantasy football enthusiasts are planning for their upcoming drafts, one player who will definitely be near the top of the board is Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler. Over the past few years, Ekeler […]

The Nashville Predators are coming off a disappointing season by their standards, as their streak of eight consecutive Stanley Cup Playoff appearances came to an end. That said, the fact that they came very close to making it is impressive in its own right. After selling off assets at the deadline, Nashville went on an […]

After a very brief re-tool, the Los Angeles Kings have asserted themselves as a regular playoff team once again. With some exciting young players plus a few veterans like Anze Kopitar still performing at a high level, the Kings are an exciting team for both the present and future. In each of the past two […]

The 2023 NFL season is just around the corner, and that means fantasy football is almost back as well. Fans are making their preparations for their upcoming drafts and keeping an eye on some players to target early on. Undoubtedly, one such player is standout tight end George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers. Since […]

The return of the NFL is nearly upon us, with training camps now underway and the first preseason game on Thursday. As close as we are to the regular season officially kicking off, there are still a few notable free agents on the market. One such player is safety John Johnson, formerly of the Los […]

After a long offseason, the NFL is finally back. Every team is in the thick of training camp, some teams have unveiled beautiful alternate uniforms for this season and we even have our first preseason game on Thursday. It truly is a wonderful time to be a football fan. As the season is getting closer […]