Liam Hanley Articles - Page 15

Entering the 2023 MLB season, the two givens in the American League West were as follows: the Oakland Athletics would finish in last place, and the Houston Astros were near-unanimous picks to win the division. The Seattle Mariners, coming off their first playoff appearance in 21 years, were expected to be Houston’s main contender. With almost […]

The 2023 MLB season has been a roller coaster so far for Milwaukee Brewers fans. The Brewers started brightly, sitting at 18-9 through the first month or so, then lost eight of 10, and have since played about .500 ball. The team has dealt with a litany of injuries in the bullpen, a weak offense, […]

The Utah Jazz have to enter the 2023 NBA Draft feeling pretty good about themselves. The franchise is coming off a surprising season in which it nearly earned a playoff spot despite trading away cornerstones Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. Lauri Markkanen earned the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award while averaging 25.6 points per game, […]

After years of maintaining one of the most efficient rushing attacks in the NFL, the Minnesota Vikings could barely get anything going on the ground last year. Minnesota averaged the fifth-worst rushing yards per game in the league. Star running back Dalvin Cook posted the lowest yards per carry of his career and only surpassed the […]

The latest rumor out of Minnesota is that Dalvin Cook is on his way out in. The Minnesota Vikings’ running game stagnated in 2022, as the team averaged less than 100 yards per game — posting the fifth-worst mark in the NFL. The franchise also re-signed backup Alexander Mattison to a two-year deal while conveniently […]

After underwhelming seasons in 2022, the New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders decided it was time for new quarterbacks in 2023. The Raiders brought in the oft-injured Jimmy Garoppolo from the San Francisco 49ers following Las Vegas’ ugly breakup with long-time starter Derek Carr. As for the Saints, they made Carr their guy for […]

Every year, the NBA Playoffs are advertised as a showcase of the best players in the NBA leading their teams in the quest for championship glory. Yet every year, the stars of the playoffs are unexpected figures. Jimmy Butler has willed the Miami Heat to within a game of the NBA Finals. He is backed […]

Green Bay Packers fans rolled their eyes when the team selected another defender in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Never mind that Iowa’s Lukas Van Ness was a 6-5, 275-pound, athletic freak. In the second round, the Packers selection of Michigan State wide receiver Jayden Reed once again boosted fan morale and […]

The rebuild is well ahead of schedule in Salt Lake City. After trading away franchise cornerstones Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert before the start of the season, a surprisingly resilient Utah Jazz team led by rookie coach Will Hardy finished the year 37-45. Finnish big man Lauri Markkanen led the team with 25.6 points per […]

Despite a 21-27 record, the hottest team in the National League right now is the St. Louis Cardinals, who have won eight of their last 10 games after one of the worst opening months in team history. This recent resurgence has primarily been via the Cardinals’ bats. St. Louis is averaging 7.2 runs per game […]

Looking at the Green Bay Packers roster, there is ample reason to believe that Jordan Love can be successful in 2023, his first season as the Green Bay starter. The running game — with a pair of stellar backs and a dependable offensive line — figures to be a threat once again, while the defense […]

Competing in a division that includes two of the highest payrolls in baseball, few expected the Arizona Diamondbacks to be a contender in the National League West. Yet more than a quarter of the way into the season, Arizona sits at 25-19 — the third-best record in the NL — and is only 2.5 games […]

After 18 years with Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback, the Pittsburgh Steelers entered the 2021 NFL season with a genuine QB competition. Veteran Mitchell Trubisky won out, but the team started slowly and entered its bye week with a 2-6 record. Then rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett took over, nearly leading Pittsburgh to a playoff spot. The […]

It was a grueling seven-game series that ended in embarrassment for the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers held a 3-2 the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics, and they even led Game 6 heading into the fourth quarter. The team proceeded to lose that contest at home before bowing out in Game 7 after an […]

To the surprise of many around the NBA, the Utah Jazz are well ahead of the curve for their scheduled rebuild. The team traded away franchise cornerstones Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert during the offseason, plus second-leading scoring Bojan Bogdanovic. Most teams would struggle after losing their core. Instead, Utah finished with a 37-45 record […]

Coming off a 5-12 season, the Denver Broncos were easily the NFL’s most disappointing team in 2022. The addition of superstar quarterback Russell Wilson was supposed to reignite a dormant Denver offense. Instead, the former Seattle signal-caller failed to adapt in the Mile High City. Playing behind an offensive line that gave up a league-high […]

What a difference a few months can make for a franchise. The Indianapolis Colts began the season with a respectable 4-5-1 record and even had hopes of a division crown in the weak AFC South. Then the season turned south, ending with seven straight losses and resulting in 4-12-1. There is hope for Colts fans, […]

After an offseason of minimal spending and head-scratching signings, Milwaukee Brewers fans had tempered expectations entering the 2023 season. The year started with promise- the Brewers opened at 14-5- but has lost momentum, as Milwaukee is 9-13 since. Fortunately for the Crew, the rest of the NL Central has been mired by the same inability […]

The reigning NFC North Champs and owners of a 13-4 record a year ago, the smart money is on regression to the mean for the Minnesota Vikings in 2023. The Vikings set an NFL record with 11 wins in one-score games, all while amassing a -3 point differential during the regular season. Regression is not the […]

The Philadelphia 76ers were one quarter away from the Eastern Conference Finals. The Sixers held a two-point lead over the visiting Boston Celtics yet managed to lose Game 6 by scoring just 13 points over the final 12 minutes. A few days later, the Sixers trailed by only three at halftime during the decisive Game […]

The NFC South is one of the most wide-open divisions in all of football. With the addition of Derek Carr, the New Orleans Saints will consider themselves among the favorites to win the divisional crown. Carr has the luxury of playing with one of the most talented running back duos in the game: Alvin Kamara […]

The Green Bay Packers enter the 2023 NFL season in an unusual position, as they prepare just their third different Week 1 quarterback in the last 32 seasons. Aaron Rodgers is a New York Jet, meaning the Jordan Love era is finally here. Love inherits an 8-9 team with a new-look group of receivers plus […]

It has been an unusual start to the 2023 MLB season, as many postseason contenders currently find themselves near or at the bottom of their divisions. In the NL Central, the St Louis Cardinals are 13-25 and already eight games out of first place, with 11 losses in a recent 12-game stretch solidifying their spot […]

It was a tumultuous offseason for Green Bay Packers fans; cathartic for some, heart-breaking for others, but emotional for all Wisconsinites. Regardless of your opinion on Aaron Rodgers, he is no longer on the team after joining the New York Jets in a blockbuster trade. Jordan Love is the Packers’ quarterback, and he will be […]

After six years in New York Yankees pinstripes, hard-throwing reliever Aroldis Chapman found himself on the move this off-season. The 35-year-old lefty joined the Kansas City Royals on a one-year, $8.75 million deal — with $3.75 million in guaranteed money. Throwing alongside another nasty left-hander in Amir Garrett, Chapman has rediscovered the stuff that once made […]

After trading away all-stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, as well as veteran scorer Bojan Bogdanovic, the outlook this season was grim for the Utah Jazz. Yet rookie coach Will Hardy steered the Jazz to a respectable 37-45 finish. A major reason for Lauri Markkanen, who blossomed into a superstar in Salt Lake City. The […]

With the first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers selected 2021 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Bryce Young out of Alabama. The Panthers traded up to do so, sending 2023 first and second round picks, a 2024 first round pick, and wide receiver D.J. Moore to the Chicago Bears in exchange for the coveted […]

The Derek Carr era is officially underway for the New Orleans Saints. The ex-Las Vegas Raiders quarterback joined the Saints on a four-year, $150 million — including $100 million guaranteed. He inherits a roster that looks very similar skill-wise to what his predecessor Andy Dalton had last year: a strong defense, a weak wide receiver […]

Just two years removed from a 93-win season, the Chicago White Sox struggled in 2022 due to injuries. Still, they entered the 2023 MLB season with the expectation of challenging for the AL Central title. Instead, the Sox currently sit at 12-24—the third-worst record in baseball—with signs of discontent already beginning to show. Not the […]

Coming off a 7-10 season in the surprisingly weak NFC South, the New Orleans Saints are one of the hardest teams to forecast entering the 2023 campaign. Alvin Kamara was a shadow of the Pro Bowl-level player he has been in the past, as this Saints team relied on its stout defense to keep games […]

If your bingo card read, “Pittsburgh Pirates lead the NL Central at the end of April,” give yourself a pat on the back. The Pirates lead their division by half a game entering play on May 8 as they look to rebound from a pair of 100-loss seasons. Pittsburgh’s biggest strength so far has been […]

The Minnesota Vikings are coming off a 13-4 season in which they ran away with the NFC North but fell to the New York Giants in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. The Giants amassed 431 total yards and scored 31 points — both well above their season averages — taking advantage of a Vikings […]

Madison Bumgarner looked to be a steal for the Arizona Diamondbacks when he signed a five-year, $85 million deal with the club before the 2020 MLB season. High-rollers like the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers seemingly had the inside track on the former Cy Young candidate. But it was an up-and-coming D-Backs team who […]

For the first time in 15 years, the Green Bay Packers will begin the season with someone other than Aaron Rodgers under center. The veteran quarterback’s departure leaves backup Jordan Love as Green Bay’s signal-caller, and he will be throwing to a much different group of pass-catchers. Gone are wide receivers Allen Lazard and Randall […]