Shervon Fakhimi Articles - Page 19

The Green Bay Packers have made some interesting decisions amid all the chaos brought by the roster cuts this time of the year. There have been a number of key departures, though there are also some key survivors who avoided being released. Interestingly, looking at the Packers’ decision, there’s one sneaky roster cut survivor who […]

The San Francisco Giants fell back to Earth last season. A year after the Giants shocked the nation by upsetting the Los Angeles Dodgers for the NL West crown in 2021 with a 107-55 record and a gargantuan +210 run differential, the Giants missed the playoffs entirely in 2022. They went from 26 games above […]

The Texas Rangers are one of the best teams in all of baseball. Their 72-53 record is the fifth-best in all of MLB behind only the Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Tampa Bay Rays. Only the Atlanta Braves have a better run differential than the Rangers. The Braves are also the only […]

When the Texas Rangers signed Jacob deGrom, Corey Seager, and Marcus Semien across the last two offseasons, it was a signal that they wanted to become more competitive. The Rangers haven’t been to the postseason since 2016 when they got swept in the ALDS. They’ve been below .500 in every season since then with the […]

The Baltimore Orioles have been the biggest and most pleasant surprise in MLB this season. Las Vegas projected the Orioles to win 76.5 games this season. The calendar hasn’t flipped to September yet and the Orioles have already hit the over on that win total with 77 wins. They lead the stacked AL East by […]

The 2023 season hasn’t been all that promising for the New York Yankees. They’re 17 games behind the Baltimore Orioles in the race for the AL East. They trail the Seattle Mariners by nine games for the final AL Wild Card spot. They’re the only team in the AL East with a negative run differential. […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers are one of the hottest teams in baseball right now. Ever since the second-half of the season began after the All-Star break, the Dodgers have been perhaps the best team in MLB. If not the best, certainly one of them. After entering the All-Star break 51-38, the Dodgers have gone 25-9 […]

To call this season a disappointment for the New York Yankees would be a massive understatement. They’re 17 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Yankees are the only team in their division with a negative run differential (-27) and they’re nine games behind the Seattle Mariners for the […]

The preseason is all about competition with each NFL team. Many players are competing for starting spots, but the large majority of them are competing for roster spots. Every roster spot has to be earned. Unfortunately, not everybody can make it on the 53-man roster. Even those who were expected to make the 53-man roster […]

The college football season is almost here, with Washington football set to play their first game in two weeks time. The first games kick off in about a week from now on Aug. 26th. The Washington Huskies won’t be one of those teams to begin their season in Week 0. The Huskies have made a […]

Preseason is the time for players to make a name for themselves. To put themselves on the team’s radar. To prove to coaches they have earned themselves some playing time once the regular season arrives or, in the case of fringe players, that should make the final roster. Things go in the opposite direction for […]

Preseason is the time for young and unheralded players to make a name for themselves. To make the case to coaches to not only crack the 53-man roster but maybe even earn themselves some playing time once the regular season arrives. That could possibly go the other way though. Players who don’t perform up to […]

Preseason is when players make their case–be it vying for a starting spot, getting a place on the 53-man roster, or whatever the case may be. It also could work the other way. Players who don’t perform up to par in the preseason could watch their playing time slip right from under them. Or, in […]

The Los Angeles Angels went for it. They could easily have traded Shohei Ohtani, perhaps the greatest baseball player of his generation and even beyond but also a pending free agent after this season, for an absolute treasure trove bounty of a haul. But, with a wild card spot within their grasp, they bought. They […]

Preseason is the time for young and/or unheralded players to make a name for themselves. To make the case to coaches to not just make the 53-man roster, but to also get some playing time. It also could work the other way. Players who don’t perform up to par in the preseason could see themselves […]

The NBA In-Season Tournament is debuting in the 2023-24 season. For those unaware, this is how it will work: there are six groups consisting of five teams. They will first compete in Group Play, with the top teams in each group after the whole round qualifying for the quarterfinal. Two more Wild Card teams qualify, […]

The NBA In-Season Tournament debuts in 2023-24. Here is how it will work. There are six groups consisting of five teams. The team with the best record in group play (a period where teams play the rest of their group mates) in each group qualifies for the quarterfinals and the team in each conference (East […]

The 2023-24 campaign will be the first time we see the NBA In-Season Tournament. For those still confused by its structure, here is how it works. There are six groups consisting of five teams. The team with the best record in group play (a period where teams play the rest of their group mates) in […]

The Carolina Panthers kicked off the Bryce Young era on Saturday. Hopefully, for their sake, the 2023 season isn’t followed with the result they incurred on Saturday when they got whalloped 27-0 at home by the Hard Knocks-featured New York Jets. Young was just 4-6 for 21 yards. The starters barely played before giving way […]

While NFL training camp is controlling the sports airwaves, it isn’t the only training camp that is soon to take place. The NHL season feels like it ended just a few days ago, but 2023 training camp is about to commence in roughly a month. Across the league, veterans will want to sharpen their steel […]

It’s tough to be on the roster bubble during NFL training camp. Practices take their toll on these players’ bodies, but jobs are on the line. They have to keep going. Every rep is an opportunity and those opportunities are essential for these guys to make a 53-man roster. The chances of making that 53-man […]

The Houston Texans kicked off their preseason with a 20-9 win over the New England Patriots. It was most notably the debuts of CJ Stroud and Will Anderson Jr., the second and third overall selections of the 2023 NFL Draft. But a few other players made their NFL debuts. One of whom was John Metchie […]

The Green Bay Packers kicked off their preseason on Friday with a 36-19 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. The world got to get more familiar with Jordan Love’s game as the Packers continue their transition to him as their new franchise quarterback. But while most eyes were on Love, he wasn’t the only player on […]

The Philadelphia Phillies are a very good team. They’re 65-54 with a healthy but not spectacular +33 run differential. Their record would have them leading two of the six divisions across the MLB, but fate having them stay in the same division as the Atlanta Braves, who they trail in the NL East by a […]

The Arizona Cardinals kicked off their preseason with an 18-17 win over the Denver Broncos. While the result of the game may not matter in the preseason, what happens during the game does matter. How coaches are deploying certain players, what formations are they lining up in, etc, that stuff is important and can help […]

The bed was made for the Chicago White Sox this season. They decided to lay in it at the trade deadline. They were one of, if not, the biggest sellers at the deadline. The sale began days before the August 1st deadline when the White Sox dealt Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez to the Los […]

The Cincinnati Reds were supposed to be rebuilding this season. But no one told the players, especially phenom shortstop Elly De La Cruz. The Reds were merely 27-33 when they called De La Cruz up to the big leagues, but have soared since he arrived, as he has provided a spark to that entire franchise. […]

The AL Central is anyone’s for the taking. Any by anyone, that really means the Minnesota Twins and the Cleveland Guardians. The Twins are 60-57 and the Guardians are 56-60. Yes, both teams would be in at least fourth place in any other American League division, but they aren’t in another division. They have pretty […]

College football isn’t the only sport in the United States that is dealing with a phase of realignment. Major League Baseball has a realignment issue of sorts to deal with as well. The Oakland Athletics became the first team since 2004 to relocate to a new market after ownership failed to reach an agreement with […]

The DeMeco Ryans era is underway! The Houston Texans played their first preseason game against the New England Patriots. Training camp is a long, tedious grind, so getting to actual games, even if they are preseason games, is a worthwhile sight for many players. Guys like CJ Stroud, Will Anderson, John Metchie III, and Tank […]

The state of the Arizona Cardinals’ quarterback room in 2023 is a complete wild card. Kyler Murray tore his ACL on against the New England Patriots last season. He is making good progress, but is still on the physically unable to perform list. It seems most likely that Murray will not be ready by Week […]

It’s tough to be on the roster bubble during NFL training camp. Bodies ache, minds are fried, but jobs are on the line, and that makes every rep an opportunity. Those opportunities are crucial for these guys to make a 53-man roster. There are hunters of players all across the NFL who are going through […]

Every NFL team dreads cutdown day. Not only do many players’ dreams die or take a major hit, but their overall livelihood hinges on whether or not they make the 53-man roster. It happens all over the NFL, and the Cleveland Browns are no exception. Seeking a bounce-back season, the Browns need all hands on […]

It’s grueling to be on the roster bubble during NFL training camp. Practices are a grind and jobs are on the line. That makes every rep critical and taken with the utmost of importance. Fail to execute consistently and a player’s chances of making the 53-man roster dwindle. That is the case for several guys […]

It’s hard being on the roster bubble in any training camp, particularly in the NFL. Practices are hard, bodies take a toll, and jobs are on the line. For that every rep is precious. They must be executed with proper precision. If not, a player’s chances of making the 53-man roster decrease by the day. […]

The players who have it the hardest in NFL training camps are the guys on the roster bubble—the fringe guys who may not make the 53-man roster. Those guys are fighting for their livelihood, let alone a roster spot. For that reason, every rep gets magnified and is a glorious opportunity that cannot go to […]

No one has it harder in training camp than the fringe guys. The guys on the roster bubble. Those guys are fighting for their livelihood. For that reason, every practice rep is precious. Make a play and the chances of making the 53-man roster are bolstered. Make a mistake and those chances tumble. Every rep […]

If Ohio State football hasn’t become quarterback university (QBU) yet, they’re getting close. They’ve had three quarterbacks selected in the first round of the NFL Draft since 2019, thanks to Dwayne Haskins, Justin Fields, and CJ Stroud. For all the talk Ohio State’s wide receivers get, they’ve had some really talented players to get them […]

NFL training camps are officially underway. With each team’s camp a week or two in, that means the NFL season is gradually starting to come closer. Starters are sharpening their swords in preparation for the regular season. Backups are competing for starting roles. Guys on the roster bubble want to be on inside looking out […]