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 December 9, 2018. Ready to join the conversation?
what you need to know to join the conversation about sports this week
we begin this week with an amazing run
In the NFL, the best play of the season may end up being Thursday night’s by Tennessee Titan Derrick Henry. He rushed for 238 yards, including running 99 yards for a touchdown, throwing four stiff-arms at helpless Jacksonville Jaguars defenders along the way. Final score? Titans win 30-9. Henry’s 99-yard run ties Tony Dorsett’s as the longest in NFL history.
The Tennessee Titans’ Derrick Henry
And in other NFL news, the troubled player Josh Gordon, who was picked up by the New England Patriots earlier this season, this week credited teammate and quarterback Tom Brady for his recent success on the field. Brady has taken Gordon under his wing and the results are impressive. “I look up to the guy,” Gordon said. Nice.
Tom Brady and Josh Gordon of the New England Patriots
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 9, 2018:
1. nfl news – 4 weeks remaining in the season
nfl must know:
There are only 4 weeks left in the regular season. Then comes wild card weekend; the divisional championships; the conference championship; and then the Super Bowl.
nfl nice to know:
In the NFC, there are 6 teams to watch: the LA Rams, New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks, and Minnesota Vikings. The first four are likely to make it into the playoffs. Our Sports Desk says: the Rams have already locked in the Conference lead. They meet the Bears at home (in freezing temperatures) today. The Saints are bit deflated after their recent loss to Dallas. The Seahawks and the Vikings have some tougher games left, with no room for error.
The LA Rams
In the AFC, there are 5 to watch: the Kansas City Chiefs; New England Patriots; Houston Texans; Pittsburg Steelers; and LA Chargers. Again, the first four are likely to make it into the playoffs. Our Sports Desk says: Kansas City has a somewhat tough schedule, as do the Steelers. The Chiefs have been fading a bit recently, especially with the loss of Kareem Hunt (he was cut from the team when a video surfaced of him committing a violent assault against a young woman). The Texans have an easy schedule, and the Patriots and Chargers are medium. The Pats are looking to lock in their conference with a win today against the Miami Dolphins.
The Kansas City Chiefs
The New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49’ers, and Jacksonville Jaguars have already been eliminated mathematically. So you don’t need to know anything more about them for the season.
This weekend, the “big” games are the LA Rams at the Chicago Bears, and the New England Patriots at the Miami Dolphins. The former will be a lot about the weather: it’s cold in Chicago, and the Bears are 9-10 in their last 19 games when the mercury drops below 35 degrees.
nfl extra credit:
After last weekend’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals, head coach Mike McCarthy was fired by the Green Bay Packers. He had been in that role since 2006. It’s the first time since 1953 that the franchise will finish a season without the coach who began it. The rumor is that quarterback Aaron Rogers “offed” him, but Rogers denies this. Speculation is rampant about who will replace McCarthy in one of the best jobs in the NFL.
Aaron Rodgers
nfl bonus round:
Former Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt was not picked up by another team after being released by the Chiefs for a violent assault against a young woman caught on videotape. But one senior NFL executive predicted: “He will be – we just can’t help ourselves if the player is any good.” Note: Colin Kaepernick remains unsigned.
2. ncaa college football news
Must know: Last night, Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray won the Heisman Trophy, college football’s most prestigious individual award, edging out Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. It’s the second straight year that the honor has gone to a Sooner. Murray is a two sport star. He was picked in the first round of the MLB draft by the Oakland A’s. Will he play football or baseball? Or will he try to be the next Bo Jackson or Deion Sanders and play both? Watch this space for further updates.
Heisman Trophy Winner Kyler Murray
Nice to know: The four finalists have been named for the College Football playoffs: Alabama will meet Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. And Clemson will face Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl. Georgia fans are sore about being left out. Extra Credit: Urban Meyer, head coach of Ohio State has resigned after a tough year trying to weather the controversy over having hired an assistant coach with a known record of domestic violence against his wife. And Army beat Navy for the third straight time in their classic rivalry.
3. nba news
Must know: The LA Lakers are heating up, as is star player LBJ. Nice to know: The Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant said that LeBron is playing in a “toxic atmosphere” of media (our Sports Desk speculates that he said this mostly because he is jealous of the treatment King James gets from said media). Extra credit: Basketball superstar Steph Curry kept his promise to a young Northern California fan and is now having his shoes made for girls, too. Riley Morrison, the 9-year-old whose letter to Curry about girls shoes went viral last month, got a new pair of the hoop star’s Under Armour kicks delivered to her this week.
LeBron James of the LA Lakers
want more?
nhl news
The National Hockey League has granted the city of Seattle an NHL franchise. The cost for the owners was $650 million. This will be the NHL’s 32nd team – their name is still to come.
major league baseball news
In hot stove news, the New York Yankees continue to lose pitching free agents. This week, childhood Yankee fan Patrick Corbin signed with the Washington Nationals and Nathan Evoldi re-signed with the Boston Red Sox.
And for those who are wondering what “hot stove” means in major league baseball, here’s the explanation from our Sports Desk. “It started during off-season back in the day. There was a Hot Stove league for players to stay in shape. It has evolved from there to water cooler discussions about favorite teams and players being kept over a “hot stove” to stay warm. And now it refers to off-season activity: player moves, free agency, etc.”
That’s it! You’re good to go. If you’re looking for the perfect gift for the sports fans in your life, check out our gift guide, here.
See you next week.
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