how to talk about sports this week like a pro

TWIST: This Week in Sports Talk is our weekly recap of how to talk about sports this week like a pro. If you’re not a sports fan, or you’re just starting to learn about sports, here are your talking points for the week of November 18, 2018. Ready to join the conversation?

what you need to know to join the conversation about sports this week

we begin this week with the match

For those who are curious about how The Big Golf Match on pay-per-view (PPV) went last weekend, here’s the short story. Tiger Woods played Phil Mickelson for a $9 million prize. Mickelson won. The slow-moving match made for rather dull TV. Which was a blessing of sorts, because it didn’t end up being PPV after all. A snafu allowed some viewers to stream it for free. So everyone who paid is getting a refund.

It seems that PPV has some kinks to work out before it becomes the next big thing in sports. Watch this space for further updates.

what to know to talk about sports this week like a pro

For Those Who Do Not Follow Professional Sports, here are the happenings that you should know about for the week of December 2, 2018:

1. nfl news – lots of drama heading into the final quarter of the season

nfl must know:

On Thursday night, the Dallas Cowboys ended the New Orleans Saints’ 10-game winning streak in a stunning upset. It was an unusually low-scoring game (the final was 13-10). Suddenly, the battle for home field advantage during the playoffs in the NFC has gotten more interesting. As the season enters its final quarter, the rivalry between the (10-1) LA Rams and the (10-2) Saints will be the one to watch. Meanwhile, the Cowboys are quietly on a 4-game winning streak and currently lead the NFC East.

Last Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Denver Broncos, 17-24, on a last-minute interception in the end zone. (It was remarkably similar to the end of the New England Patriots – Steelers game last year). With that, Pittsburgh drops from #2 seed to #4, and returns to dysfunctional behavior. Quarterback “Big Ben” Roethlisberger criticized his receiver Antonio Brown for the loss, and said he wished he had thrown to JuJu Smith-Schuster for the last four plays.

Meanwhile, Denver has become a spoiler. This was their second straight upset of a playoff-bound team after the prior week’s 1-point upset over the LA Chargers.

Baker Mayfield, quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, caused a stir after meeting up with his ex-coach, Hue Jackson, on the field after Sunday’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals (Jackson is now the head coach of the Bengals). Despite the fact that Jackson was the coach who drafted him into the NFL, the QB was cold and distant, offering only a cursory handshake. Immediately afterward, Mayfield downplayed the incident, saying it had more to do with Jackson’s now coaching a rival. But in the days to follow, the quarterback would call the coach ‘fake’ and point a finger towards ‘internal discord,’ similar to what Browns’ ownership referenced when parting ways with Jackson. Expect emotions to continue to run high, given that these two teams play each other twice a season.

nfl nice to know:

The big games this weekend are the Cleveland Browns at the Houston Texans; the Minnesota Vikings at the New England Patriots; and the LA Chargers at the Pittsburgh Steelers.

nfl extra credit:

This week, the San Francisco 49’ers cut linebacker Reuben Foster. Foster had been the subject of domestic abuse allegations in college. San Francisco signed him “un-drafted,” after he was excluded from the draft because of the charges against him. Last week, he was arrested in Tampa and charged with domestic violence. The 49’ers promptly released him. In a shocker, the Washington Redskins immediately picked him up on waivers, even though he was later suspended by the NFL. No one can figure out what the Redskins were thinking on this one. Foster is prohibited from playing until the league clears him.

nfl bonus round:

The four playoff finalists from last year – the New England Patriots (8 – 3), Minnesota Vikings (6 – 4 – 1), Jacksonville Jaguars (3 – 8) and Philadelphia Eagles (5 – 6) are collectively less than .500 this season. Take the Pats out and it is a truly miserable performance. Proving how hard it is to repeat in the NFL.

2. ncaa college football news – playoff picks becoming clearer

Must know: This weekend’s Conference Championships will help determine the Top 4 teams in the playoffs. Nice to know: In the SEC Championship Game, #1 Alabama came back from a 14-point deficit to beat #4 Georgia, 35-28. #5 Oklahoma beat #14 Texas in a 39-27 victory in the Big 12 Championship Game. #6 Ohio State defeated # 21 Northwestern, 45-24, to win the Big Ten title. And Clemson won the ACC championship for the fourth straight time.

3. nba news – raptors on a roll

Must know: Kawhi Leonard, a top 5 player, has led the Toronto Raptors to the top rank in the Eastern Conference, and the best record in the NBA at 20-4. The Raptors defeated the fearsome Golden State Warriors in overtime this week. Nice to know: Despite that loss, Kevin Durant scored 51 points in the game. KD is on fire, having just signed his first sneaker deal (not with Nike, Adidas, or Under Armor, but with New Balance). Scottie Pippin said in an interview this week that Durant should leave the Warriors, so that the world can see “the full KD.” Extra Credit: There’s growing controversy over the fact that the LA Lakers are conserving LeBron James’s playing time, instead of playing him all out.

want more?

major league baseball news

It may be the off-season, but the MLB is still generating headlines this week. A blockbuster trade that gained momentum throughout the week has been completed, as the Seattle Mariners have agreed to deal All-Star closer Edwin Diaz and veteran second baseman Robinson Cano to the New York Mets, according to multiple reports.

That’s it! You’re good to go. See you next week.

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