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 just starting to learn about sports, or need a quick summary of what’s up in your favorite league, or just want to know why your spouse keeps obsessively checking the sports scores on a smartphone during important social occasions, here’s what you need to know to talk with a sports fan the week of December 23, 2018. 

how to talk with a sports fan this week

we begin this week with a flicker of hope

It seems appropriate at this holiday season to start this week’s report with a shout-out to a dedicated group who kept hope alive in the depths of winter. Yes, we’re looking at you, Cleveland Browns fans.

You may recall that earlier this season, Bud Light unlocked coolers full of free beer for the city of Cleveland after the long-suffering team won its first game in two years. Until yesterday, the Browns were mathematically alive in the AFC playoff race, with a .0001 chance of making it to the playoffs.

Sadly, due to the Tennessee Titans’ win yesterday, they’ve been officially eliminated from the playoffs. For Browns fans, this didn’t end up being the year of the Christmas Miracle.

Still, we salute them for keeping hope alive in the face of daunting odds. That spirit is rare and inspiring. There’s always next year. Put the beer in the fridge.

what you should know to talk about sports this week 

For Those Who Do Not Avidly Follow Professional Sports and Need to Be Able to Talk to a Sports Fan, here are the happenings that you should know about for the week of December 23, 2018:

1. nfl news – it’s week 16, with 2 weeks remaining in the season

nfl must know:

With college football season over, the NFL has invaded Saturdays. For the remainder of the season, there will be games on Monday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Whether you view this as good news or bad, it’s important to know that there are only 2 weeks left in the regular NFL season. Then comes wild card weekend; the divisional championships; the conference championship; and then the Super Bowl.

As a refresher, here’s how the playoffs work. The first place team in each conference gets the 1 – 4 seeds (meaning they’re guaranteed a slot in the playoffs). The next 2 best records among the remaining teams become the wild cards.  The wild card teams play the number 3 and 4 teams on “wild card weekend,” while the number 1 and 2 teams get the first weekend off. That’s the coveted “bye week” in the playoffs.

Bewildered? Just remember our advice from last week: the best way to understand the NFL playoffs is to pick one team and follow them all the way through. If/when “your” team loses, pick another. That way, you can feel free to ignore everything else. If you like.

It’s a big weekend in the NFL, with every team playing and no “byes.” The stakes are high: all but 3 of the 16 match-ups have potential playoff implications. The only “meaningless” games with respect to the playoffs are the Packers-Jets, Falcons-Panthers, and Broncos-Raiders. Fans are jazzed that there’s this much suspense this late in the season.  

nfl nice to know:

The biggest game this weekend is the Kansas City Chiefs versus the Seattle Seahawks. The Chiefs are trying to hold onto their number one seed. If they lose, and the LA Chargers win, then the Chargers become number one in the West. And the Chiefs would drop down to wild card number 5. On the other hand, the Seahawks will clinch a playoff spot if they win. They’ve have been playing well (although they lost last week).

Other big match-ups? The New Orleans Saints versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Saints are still trying to be the number one seed, versus the LA Rams (who have an easy game this week versus the Arizona Cardinals). Meanwhile, the Steelers are playing for their playoff life. They beat the Patriots last week, but a loss here and a Ravens win would put them down into the wild card slot, or maybe out of contention altogether.

When the Baltimore Ravens meet the LA Chargers, the stakes are that the Chargers are trying to push the Kansas City Chiefs down in the playoff seed rankings. If the Ravens win and the Steelers lose, they move into the conference lead. Finally, there’s the Houston Texans and the Philadelphia Eagles. The Texans are hoping to stay ahead of the Patriots in the number two seed. The Eagles are resurgent under the leadership of backup quarterback Nick Foles. After last week, the reining Super Bowl champions actually have a slight hope of making it into the playoffs.

nfl extra credit:

New England Patriots fans were saddened by this week’s news about Josh Gordon. The troubled player was picked up by the team earlier this season, giving him another chance to get his football career back on track. Tom Brady’s locker was right next to his and the two seemed to have a strong working relationship. Unfortunately, Gordon has been suspended indefinitely for violating the terms of his reinstatement under the NFL’s substance abuse policy. While it’s a disappointment, Pats fans argue that this will allow the team to get back to the offensive groupings (including running back James White) that will allow them to win.

The Pats play the Buffalo Bills this weekend, and they are the strong favorite. If the Pats win, they clinch the conference. And if the Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers all lose, the Pats would move back up to the number 2 seed for the playoffs. However, if they lose this game, there will be panic in New England.

2. nba news

Must know: The NBA Christmas Day schedule is always the single best slate of games of the entire season. Avid fans consider it a holiday gift from the league.

Nice to know: The Golden State Warriors will play host to LeBron James (LBJ) and the Los Angeles Lakers in the marquee match-up of Christmas Day. The Houston Rockets welcome the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference’s best rivalry game. The Boston Celtics host the Philadelphia 76ers; the Milwaukee Bucks visit the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden; and the Portland Trail Blazers travel to Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Jazz.

Extra Credit: LBJ continues to shine, delivering a “triple-double” in a game on Friday night while not feeling well. He led his team to a victory over the New Orleans Pelicans and their center Anthony Davis (aka “Unibrow.”)

3. elsewhere in the world of sports

Must know: In college football, several Bowl games have already kicked off. But the big ones start during the last week of December, leading up to the College Football Playoff National Championship on January 7, 2019. The two Bowl games that really matter are the Cotton Bowl (No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 3 Notre Dame) and the Orange Bowl (No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Oklahoma), both on December 29, 2018.

Nice to know: Rumors are swirling about college football coaches who may make the move to coaching NFL teams. Head coaches Nick Saban of Alabama and Lincoln Riley of the University of Oklahoma are the two names being discussed as candidates for open head coaching jobs in the NFL. Saban is a legend college football. He tested the waters years ago with the Miami Dolphins – that didn’t last long before he returned to ‘Bama. Reports are that his “command and control” style didn’t work in the NFL. Our Sports Desk says that Riley is more likely to make a move. But it’s rare that these transitions work. It’s much different coaching college students than grown men who are also millionaires.

Extra Credit: In major league baseball, the LA Dodgers have traded Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp to the Cincinnati Reds in an attempt to free up space to sign free agent Bryce Harper. The Chicago White Sox look to be the team willing to give Harper the most money and the longest contract. Manny Machado had visits with the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies this week. The Yanks are rumored to be his first choice. But our Sports Desk says that money and length of contract will ultimately dictate where both he and Harper go.

Finally, on the friendly football pool front, we did OK this week. But this has been an undistinguished season for us so far – kind of like the Pats, actually. Our coach says we have to take more risks, so we’re going for it. When you have very little to lose, it’s a lot easier to go for broke. We’re doubling down on you, New England. Don’t leave us hanging.

That’s what you need to know to talk with a sports fan this week. You’re good to go.

By the way, if you’re looking for the perfect gift for the sports fans in your life, check out our gift guide, here.

The TWIST will be taking a holiday next weekend. We’ll be pursuing our own sports legacy out on a snowy mountain from now until the end of the year. But we’ll be back in January. Happy holidays to all!

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