Copa América is almost here! By the time you read this, we’ll be less than 24 hours from the South American tournament kicking off on our borders.
The opening match starts off this Thursday between defending Copa champions Argentina and Canada. When the teams step out onto the field, they will be doing so in their new jerseys that were released earlier this year. In fact, each of the 16 teams in the tournament enter Copa América with fresh jerseys
In any competition, you’ll have some fantastic jersey combinations. And, you will also have some hideous ones. Whenever a team takes the field for a major competition, their fans hope they are doing so looking good.
Unfortunately, some teams look better than others. And that’s what we’re here to discuss.
Across 16 teams, there are 32 jerseys. Let’s go through the list from worst to best team jersey sets at Copa América.
16. Panama
Panama has a new crest, but unfortunately it looks like they opted for Reebok’s plain templates. A plain red home jersey and plain white road jersey just doesn’t generate excitement.
15. Chile
Chile’s red home jersey has a sublimated design that makes it look better than a plain offering, but it isn’t enough to combat an away jersey that looks phoned in. They normally look good on the field, but right now they will get lost amongst the sea of red and white jerseys out there.
14. Uruguay
Uruguay left Puma for Nike, but their first offering leaves a ton to be desired. The small pinstripes on both jerseys don’t pop on TV, so you’re left with a jersey that just looks plain. For a team that expects to contend for the Copa América title, they should have done better on the jersey front.
13. Venezuela
The home Venezuela jersey boasts the Vinotinto color that they’re known for, but another jersey element would have helped here. The away jersey is interesting, but the design could have flowed better into the rest of the jersey. If the jersey had more yellow, it would have looked more distinctive.
12. Canada
Canada finally got some new jerseys after skipping out on some before the 2022 World Cup. While the old school Nike logo and pinstripes gives the away jersey a nice vintage feel, the home jersey seems like they needed another few years to design something a lot better. That’s a huge disappointment, especially given the wait.
11. Mexico
Objectively, Mexico’s away jersey might be one of the best in the tournament. That home jersey, however, might be one of the worst. It’s a controversial pick, but red is not their color and it should not be their home jersey. And the design just doesn’t work at all. Some may like it, but Mexico has a traditional look and this is a terrible departure from it.
10. Colombia
Colombia’s yellow jerseys are really nice, and so are the away black jerseys. There’s not a lot of design here, which is why they are in the bottom 6.
9. Bolivia
Bolivia has a nice home jersey, going with the light green as a departure from their normal forest green. Pairing that with a deep red away jersey makes for a pretty good look. Outside of the home jersey’s sleeves, there isn’t much in the way of design here, opting to focus on the color.
8. Costa Rica
Costa Rica really went for it here, and they did a decent job with it. The home jersey’s design is interesting, but the jury’s still out on whether it’s elite or a dud. They get some points for add some design to their away jersey as well to give it some pop, and the new crest looks great on the home.
7. Paraguay
Paraguay rarely has to do much with their traditional vertical red and white stripes, and still they are able to make it look good. Adding some elements within the red stripes and the royal blue trim ties in so well with their traditional them and looks great. There’s a cool Hawaiian vibe with their away jersey, and the light blue paired with the other blues makes for a very nice look.
6. USA
The away jersey may have mixed reviews, but it’s one of the best jerseys in this tournament and gets the USMNT barely into the top six. The home jersey has the flag elements on the collar and sleeve, but the mismatched royal blue on the collar and the navy blue numbers knock them down a bit. Conjuring the feels of the 2014 Bomb Pops, the away jersey does look really good with the red shorts.
5. Ecuador
Ecuador’s jerseys since their jersey rebrand have been really well done and they stick within a theme. Here, they have the navy sash on the yellow home jersey, and that blue sash becomes horizontal on the away jersey to give it some added pop. They will look great on the field as well, and hopefully they pair the white jersey with navy shorts for even more pop.
4. Brazil
Brazil’s home jerseys are iconic, and this year’s edition is really nice. The sleeve trim gives a nice touch of zing to the jersey. The away jersey is one of the better ones they’ve had with the horizontal pinstripes and the light green trim. The center crest is the only reason these aren’t ranked higher.
3. Argentina
Speaking of iconic jerseys, the home Argentina jersey is one of those that doesn’t need to do much to look good. What really sets them off is pairing it with an away jersey that has royal blue with their light blue as trim. Of course, the World Cup champions badge is unbeatable and really looks good on both the home and away.
2. Peru
Peru’s white jersey with a red sash is always amazing, and this might be one of the best versions of that. There’s a red trip across the bottom that flows into the sash on one side, and the gold trim makes it look elegant. The road jersey is a cool one, with the black torso and the maroon tiger stripes on the sleeves and shoulders. Once again, the gold trim makes it pop.
1. Jamaica
Jamaica has the best jersey set in this competition, full stop. The home jersey combines all their elements so well with the yellow jersey, the green sleeves and shoulders, and the black trim. The away jersey? Epic. The bespoke design is up there among some of the best national team jerseys on the planet, and they will always look good when they step on the field. They understood the assignment, and that’s why their jerseys are the best in this competition.
The Kentucky Wildcats booked a spot in Omaha for the first time in program history thanks to “chaos.” Kentucky found a way to manufacture runs all season long, relying on little things like bunts, stolen bases, aggressive base running, and more to beat teams. As for the Florida Gators, who Kentucky faced in an elimination game Wednesday, they were built to mash.
On Wednesday in Omaha, mashing won out.
The Gators overwhelmed Kentucky 15-4 to eliminate the Wildcats and keep their title hopes alive for at least one more game.
Kentucky scratched out a run in the top of the first inning, thanks to a walk and then a stolen base from leadoff hitter Ryan Waldschmidt, and then an RBI single from DH Nick Lopez.
Their 1-0 lead did not last long.
Florida, with a revised lineup at the top that saw Jac Caglianone leading off for the first time in Omaha, put up a crooked number in the bottom of the inning, and a big one at that. The Gators put seven runs on the board, with the big blow a grand slam off the bat of designated hitter Brody Donay:
The Florida DH was just getting started.
A Donay single in the third gave the Gators two runners on base with just one out. Kentucky recorded the second out of the inning and then walked Caglianone to get to their No. 2 hitter, 2B Cade Kurland.
The 2B responded with a single to shallow center, advancing to second using a nifty slide to avoid the tag. Two runs scored on the single, giving Florida a 9-1 lead.
Kentucky started to chip away at the Gators’ lead, scoring a run in the fourth and then two more in the fifth on a two-run blast from Emilien Pitre. But the Gators’ potent lineup had another crooked number up their sleeve, as Florida hung five more runs on the board in the fifth inning.
Some of those runs came via the long ball, as Donay went yard again down the left-field line for a solo shot to start the fifth. The blast came off the bat at over 117 miles per hour, the highest exit velocity recorded at Omaha this postseason:
But the runs kept coming, starting with Florida executing some small ball of their own. After Donay blasted his second home run of the game, Caglianone walked, then advanced to second on a wild pitch. He then swiped third, getting a huge jump off pitcher Jackson Nove Nove as the lefty failed to even look in his direction.
While Kurland struck out looking on the pitch, Caglianone was then 90 feet away from an insurance run for the Gators.
So they went with a little safety squeeze, with shortstop — and cleanup hitter — Colby Shelton getting the bunt down perfectly to bring Caglianone home:
The Gators plated three more runs in the inning, one coming on a double from Luke Heyman and two more from a single off the bat of Ashton Wilson. By the time the inning came to a merciful end for the Wildcats, the Gators had a ten-run lead and could start thinking about taking on Texas A&M in the nightcap.
But they were not done, because Caglianone had some history to make:
The likely top-five selection in the upcoming MLB Draft launched a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth, for his 75th career home run at Florida. That put him atop the school’s all-time leader list, topping the mark set by Matt LaPorta during his time in Gainesville, who was in attendance to tip his hat to the new school leader.
By the time the final out was recorded, the Gators had hung 15 runs on the board, for the final score of 15-4.
They’ll look to keep their title dreams alive later tonight, as they take on Texas A&M. The Aggies have yet to lose in Omaha, and defeated Florida 3-2 in the opening game for both teams on Saturday.
We’ll see if the Gators needed to save some runs for tonight’s game in just a few hours.
CROMWELL, Conn. — Scottie Scheffler will lean heavily on his caddie Ted Scott this week at TPC River Highlands, the host of the Travelers Championship.
It’s not as if Scheffler needs much help, as he has won five times already this season. But after a “frustrating” U.S. Open, in which he tied for 41st, Scheffler arrives in New England looking to rebound in the final Signature Event of the season.
“This is a golf course that [Scott] had a lot of success on, so if there’s a difference of opinion, I’m probably going to lean towards him a little bit more than myself, just because I haven’t had the success on this golf course specifically,” Scheffler said Wednesday.
“In a different tournament, I may lean more toward what I feel and think, whereas out here, he really does a good job of managing around this golf course.”
Before helping Scheffler win a pair of Green Jackets at Augusta National, Scott looped for Bubba Watson, who, like the current World No. 1, won The Masters twice in a three-year span. On top of that, Scott helped Watson win three times at TPC River Highlands, the site of this week’s Travelers Championship. Watson’s first victory at this course came in 2010, when the left-hander prevailed in a playoff over Scott Verplank and Corey Pavin.
Five years later, Watson won again, defeating Paul Casey in a two-hole playoff. He then won in 2018, winning by three, a much more comfortable victory unlike the previous two.
Scottie Scheffler at the 2024 U.S. Open.Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images
Meanwhile, Scheffler’s best finish at TPC River Highlands came a year ago, when he tied for fourth. He shot 7-under 63s on Thursday and Saturday, but an even-par 70 during Friday’s round prevented him from threatening Keegan Bradley, who won at 23-under.
Before that, Scheffler tied for 13th in 2022 and 47th in 2021 after missing the cut in his debut in 2020. He obviously has had success on this golf course and knows how to play it, but after being “mentally fatigued” over the past few weeks, he can rely on his looper to get around and pinpoint certain targets and shots.
“Whatever he says seems to go for me in my head, just because he’s had the success, he has the pedigree, he knows where to put the ball and where not to put the ball,” Scheffler further explained.
“Especially when it comes to a lot of course management stuff: clubs to choose off the tees, what areas to play into, just because he has seen Bubba win here numerous times and he knows exactly how to get me there.”
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThroughfor more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
When someone who was larger than life passes on from this life, you often hear people say that it’s “impossible to put into words” just how important that particular person was. While that might be 100 percent true when it comes to the legendary Willie Mays, it’s also true that maybe words are the best way to talk about The Say Hey Kid and his impact on the game of baseball. Simply put, you can’t tell the story of baseball without talking about Willie Mays — it is impossible to overstate just how much of an impact he had on the game.
I could go on and on about his on-field exploits. If you’ve watched baseball on TV for, let’s say, the past 70 years then there’s a near 100 percent chance that y’all have seen the astonishing over-the-shoulder catch that he made in the abyss that was deep center field at the Polo Grounds during the 1954 World Series a million times now. Even now, watching him make that catch is just like how commentator Jack Brickhouse describes it: It’s like looking at an optical illusion.
It’s also one of those plays that only gets more impressive the more you watch baseball since it becomes clear that this isn’t the type of thing that happens often — or at all, really. Jim Edmonds made an absolutely incredible catch back in 1997 — a catch that was immediately compared to what Willie Mays had done 43 years earlier and both catches are still firmly implanted in every baseball fan’s imagination here in 2024. What sets Willie Mays apart from the rest of the pack is that if you ask him, that wasn’t even his best catch.
Instead, he told Bob Costas on MLB Network back in 2010 that his actual best catch happened on April 11, 1970. That was when he took flight and robbed not only Bobby Tolan of what would’ve at least been extra bases but he also robbed Bobby Bonds of making the catch on his own merits. That’s because Mays sped towards where the ball was going to land, took flight and made like the Jumpman logo about 18 years before the Jumpman logo came into existence in order to rob the home run and keep the Giants up 1-0 at that point in the game. If the man himself says that this was the best catch that he ever made, then who are we to argue with him? I’m not about to argue with Willie Mays!
The fact that Mays himself was 100 percent certain that he was going to make that catch says everything about the unique type of ballplayer that Mays was — right along with the fact that both he and Bonds stayed in the game after Mays essentially knocked himself out while making the catch. Everything about that sequence of events shows just how much Willie Mays loved baseball and the fact that we’re still talking about it to this day is an example of how the game loved him back. It’s also amazing to consider that he did this when he was 39 years old!
The circus catch took place during the season before his age-40 season in 1971, which is when he proceeded hit .271/.425/.482 with a .406 wOBA, 18 home runs and a 157 wRC+ for the season. His 5.9 fWAR as a 40-year-old in 1971 is still the best single season by a player 40-or-older in MLB history. Most baseball players could only dream of producing a six-win season at any point in their career but Willie Mays was not like “most baseball players.” There was only one Say Hey Kid and Willie Mays absolutely left a unique mark on the game of baseball like few other players could.
Photo by Charles Hoff/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images
When I say that the story of baseball can’t be told without Willie Mays, I really and truly mean it. If you want to talk about Barry Bonds and what he did to the record books, you can’t go long without mentioning that Willie Mays was his godfather and served as a constant source of wisdom and inspiration for the future career leader in home runs. If you want to talk about Ken Griffey Jr., it’s impossible to do so without eventually bringing up how The Say Hey Kid influenced The Kid on both a professional and a personal level. Griffey and Bonds are two absolute titans of the sport and as great as they were, they’ll also be the first two people to say that Willie Mays was the best to ever do it in the game of baseball.
The story of baseball also includes Negro League baseball and Willie Mays will forever be a part of that legacy as well. Even though he’s only credited with 13 games played in 1948 with the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League, those 13 games are now formally considered to be the beginning of Mays’ big league career. It would’ve been incredibly fitting to see Willie Mays in attendance for the big game at Rickwood Field on Thursday. It’s where the legend started his illustrious career and it would’ve been an incredible moment to see him get recognized at the newly-revitalized gem of a ballpark with the eyes of the baseball world set squarely upon Birmingham, Alabama.
Instead, the Rickwood game will now surely be a tribute to not just all of the Negro League baseball players from the past but it will especially serve as tribute to Willie Mays and the impact that he left on the sport of baseball. While he wouldn’t have been able to make the trip had he hung on for a bit longer, that doesn’t change the fact that he will be remembered like the baseball royalty that he was. The recognition that he will receive won’t be enough, just like the recognition that the baseball world gave him wasn’t enough even while he was still with us.
That’s not for lack of trying — I’m sure that whatever is in store for the game at Rickwood Field on Thursday will be spectacular and one good thing I can say about the culture of baseball is that Willie Mays definitely got his roses from the baseball community while he could still smell them. This sport truly idolizes its legends and Willie Mays was treated as such even long after he had retired. We’re talking about a legend who was banned from baseball for life for simply taking on a job as a part-time greeter at a casino, only to get reinstated (alongside Mickey Mantle) almost immediately as soon as Bowie Kuhn’s successor took the job. The new commissioner didn’t even make any changes to the rules or anything like that — this was just a case of restoring the feeling. Baseball just ain’t baseball without guys like Mickey Mantle and especially Willie Mays and that’s why they were both reinstated.
Willie Mays lived to be 93 and it’s obvious that he made the most of every single one of the years that was blessed to live for. There are very few baseball players who captured the imagination like The Say Hey Kid did when he played. He continued to live on as a legend long after he finished playing and to say that his impact on the game is still being felt to this day would be a complete and utter understatement. The game lost a legend with his passing but as the fictional version of Babe Ruth put it, “Legends never die.” As long as baseball exists then Willie Mays will be remembered. If you don’t believe me, then come back to this article in 2054 when they’re celebrating 100 years since that catch at the Polo Grounds and then we can chat again.
The 2024 NBA Draft’s lack of superstar talent has helped make the biggest name in the class a player who might not even be selected. Bronny James, the oldest son of LeBron James, entered the draft after one season at USC. James’ freshman year started with a terrifying heart scare when he collapsed at practice in July, and he never really found his footing after returning to the lineup.
USC was disappointing, finishing under .500 and missing the NCAA tournament despite having another top freshman guard in Isaiah Collier. James made his debut in Dec., mostly coming off the bench to space the floor and defend. He ended up averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game on 36.6 percent shooting from the floor and 26.7 percent shooting from three-point range.
It’s rare that a freshman who scores less than five points per game gets drafted into the NBA, but of course James isn’t a normal freshman. With NBA Draft approaching on June 26-27, James and his agency Klutch Sports appear to be keeping teams away from James so they can steer him to a particular destination.
NBA teams have been unable to bring James in for workouts, according to ESPN’s Jon Givony, with two big exceptions. James had a workout for his father’s team, the Los Angeles Lakers (who own the No. 17 and No. 55 pick), and is scheduled to have a second workout with the Phoenix Suns (who own the No. 22 pick). Here’s Givony’s latest reporting:
“NBA teams that I talk to say they cannot get Bronny James into the building,” Givony said. “The sense among teams is that his agent, Rich Paul, does not want him on a two-way contract. […] It’s looking like Bronny James is going to slide to No. 55. I don’t think any NBA team wants to pick him and deal with the repercussions of that.”
This may feel like James is getting special treatment as the son of an all-time legend, but it’s really not. Players and their agencies try to push their way to a certain destination all the time, especially those projected to go in the second round. One recent example is Lakers guard Austin Reaves, who bypassed a chance to go No. 42 to the Pistons so he could be undrafted and sign with LA.
Fred VanVleet is another example of a player who turned down second round opportunities to go undrafted so he could choose his team.
ESPN’s latest mock draft has Bronny James going to the Lakers at No. 55. The Suns don’t currently have a second round pick, though they could acquire one on draft night. Playing with a veteran Phoenix team led by Kevin Durant would be a nice outcome for James, but it sure feels like he’s destined to fulfill his father’s dream by being drafted by the Lakers.
SB Nation’s latest mock draft had the Lakers taking G League Ignite forward Tyler Smith at No. 17.
The real question is what does Bronny want? He shouldn’t be a pawn in his father’s legacy dreams. His career deserves to be taken seriously on its terms. Playing with his famous dad will only bring more pressure, and it’s fair to wonder what happens once LeBron Sr. finally retires.
Everything that’s happened to Bronny over the last year has been kind of sad. We scouted him extensively in high school and believed he was good enough to NBA consideration without his father’s help. The heart issue and the pressure put on by his father have made Bronny’s career seem like a sideshow. Pretty soon, it will be time to sink or swim.
On June 12, the New York Mets’ entire season took a shift.
Entering the day eight games under .500 despite having the payroll of a world superpower, the Mets were struggling and on the brink of digging themselves into a hole that they couldn’t get themselves out of.
Then a hero came along. A purple blob of a hero.
After Grimace threw out the first pitch, the Mets have simply been one of the best teams in baseball. New York has been on a seven game win streak, including a come-from-behind victory over the defending champion Texas Rangers. Baseball players can be superstitious sometimes, but the Grimace-led vibes are something even Mets players can get behind.
This also comes in conjunction with the Mets celebrating Pride Month, and since posting the Pride flag and hosting Grimace, the Mets have been the hottest team in baseball.
It’s gotten to the point now where even McDonalds is in on the Grimace Mets.
Mets fans are loving it:
Just tried to explain the gay Grimace Mets winning streak to my wife who said “I didn’t ask for any of this information” and “none of these were words I understood.”
Just tried to explain the gay Grimace Mets winning streak to my wife who said “I didn’t ask for any of this information” and “none of these were words I understood.”
The NFL is inching closer and closer to an expanded schedule, which will likely mean an 18th game is coming in the not-so-distant future.
In an April interview with ESPN’s Pat McAfee, commissioner Roger Goodell said the conversation surrounding an extra game has already begun.
“If we got to 18 (regular season) and 2 (preseason games), that’s not an unreasonable thing,” Goodell said. “The other thing it does, [Super Bowl Sunday] ends on up Presidents’ Day weekend, which is a three-day weekend, which makes it Sunday night and then you have Monday off.”
When the league moved from 16 games to 17 in 2021, it gave the owners some leeway in trying to push for 18. However, the players pushed back and a compromise of 17 was agreed upon. But it’s only a matter of time before 18 is the new norm.
Once again, if the league adds another game, the players will need some type of compromise. There’s already pushback from players saying that a 17-game schedule is grueling enough, so some changes will have to be made if and when the league adds another game.
The NFL can also get creative when expanding to 18 games, so here are three ways the league’s schedule can change by adding an additional contest:
Labor Day Weekend Kickoff
Obviously, a week or two will have to be added in order to expand the schedule, and the easiest way is by starting the season a week earlier.
Let’s take this year’s calendar as an example: Labor Day is Sept. 2 on a Monday. But with a big kickoff weekend, let’s stretch this out as much as possible and get teams on national TV.
We can start with the annual Thursday night kickoff on Aug. 29 between the defending Super Bowl champions hosting an opponent of intrigue. Then, as seen with this year’s Friday night kickoff game, this turns into more of a weekend.
Saturday is for college football, as always. So the NFL takes a rest.
There are 14 remaining games up for grabs for Sunday and Monday, but these games can and should be spread out as much as possible. Let’s have a mere four games on in the early window, two games late, one for CBS and another for FOX, and a Sunday Night Football matchup on NBC in primetime.
And then, let’s repeat that on Monday. After all, it is a holiday, so football should be part of it.
This gives each fan base a chance to not only see their team on in a (mostly) uninterrupted setting, but it gives the national base a chance to see a bunch of games to kick off the season when there already is the added anticipation from preseason and training camp.
Add a second bye for all teams
Before 2002 when the NFL had 31 teams, it was customary for teams to have multiple bye weeks. So that should also be the case if the league adds one more game.
Teams should have a bye in October during Weeks 7-10, and another in December between Weeks 13-17.
In each bye week, two divisions, one from the AFC and one from the NFC, will all be totally off. Then they will each play a division rival the following week. This will eliminate any advantage with each team coming off a bye, and it also allows these teams to be as healthy as possible going into a divisional matchup.
With two bye weeks and 18 games, this means there will be 20 weeks of play during the regular season. The final week of games would take place on the third Sunday of January.
President’s Day Weekend Becomes Super Bowl Weekend
Every year, workers say that Super Bowl Monday should be a holiday, and this schedule change would (sort of) make that a thing — at least for people who don’t have to work on President’s Day.
If the playoffs didn’t start until the end of January, we’re looking at Conference Championships going into February and the Super Bowl would take place two weeks later on the Sunday of President’s Day Weekend.
Perhaps a schedule change like this would move the country one step closer to officially making Super Bowl Monday a national holiday.
The Kansas City Chiefs should already be considered a dynasty, as the only other teams in NFL history to win at least three Super Bowls in a five-year span or less are the 1974-1979 Steelers, the 1992-1995 Cowboys, the 2001-2004 Patriots, and the 2014-2018 Patriots.
Not only is that exclusive company; the Chiefs also reached the Super Bowl in 2020, losing to Tom Brady’s only “non-dynasty” team, and Patrick Mahomes has played in six straight AFC Championships for Andy Reid.
Now comes the crazy part: Is this only the beginning?
In part one of a two-part series ranking all 32 teams based on their chances of winning the Super Bowl in either of the next two seasons—2024 or 2025—the Chiefs come in first place by an absolute landslide. Who is the closest challenger to stop Kansas City from winning their fourth championship in a six or seven-year span?
First, you have to understand the 7 categories that all teams are being judged by:
The 7 categories
HC/Stability – Ranking not only the quality of the head coach, but also how STABLE is he in the job? Mike McCarthy could be a really good head coach, however he’s also on the hot seat.
Recent History – What have you done for me lately?
Non-QB Roster, 2024-2025: Accounting for all the non-QBs on the roster, how much talent is there and how likely is it that the good players will be good and on the team for each of the next two years?
QB/Passing Success – Ranking not only the quarterbacks, but also the passing game; so it’s not just “Geno Smith” in a bubble, it’s Geno plus DK Metcalf, plus the offensive line, plus the offensive coordinator, all culminating in answering “How good is the entire passing offense?”
DEF/Passing Un-Success – So the opposite of the QB/Passing Success question, looking at the defenses and defensive coordinators
Division Hierarchy Situation, also known as DHS – Teams were ranked on a combination of Overall Division Quality + Their place in the Hierarchy. So the Browns are a good team, but they’re fourth in the hierarchy of the toughest division in the NFL.
Dealer’s Choice – For all variables that didn’t get a category, like salary cap situation, and ownership, and probability of injury regression, etc., this is my own personal stamp on the rankings.
Every team was ranked 1-32 in each category and then we split it up into AFC and NFC. You get 1 point for being ranked 1st, 32 points for being ranked 32nd, and just like golf the lower your score, the better.
1. Kansas City Chiefs (Points: 17)
Overall ranking: 1 Best ranking: HC (1), Recent (1), QB (1), Dealer’s Choice (1) Worst ranking: Non-QB Roster (8)
It was practically a clean sweep for the Chiefs, as they had the top ranking in recent history (obviously), coaching/stability, quarterback/passing success, and dealer’s choice. That gave the Chiefs less than half the point total of the second place team, so if you’re betting on a team to win either of the next two Super Bowls, it has to be Kansas City. Andy Reid recently signed an extension, but even if he retired after 2024, there are several experienced veteran coaches already in place to carry the torch with a solid infrastructure built for Patrick Mahomes.
As for Mahomes’ increasing salary, with a cap hit of $66 million in 2025, the Chiefs can restructure or re-negotiate the deal to bring that down and they probably will in order to keep free agents like Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith. Keeping players or surviving without them hasn’t proven to be an issue for Reid yet, and the Chiefs remain the last team anybody wants to see in a playoff situation.
The biggest loss, defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, had a rising star waiting in the wings behind him named Zach Orr, so perhaps we will find out that the Ravens aren’t much worse off on that side of the ball. The one thing holding back the Ravens on this list was their DHS (Division Hierarchy Situation). Though Baltimore sits atop the AFC North, it still appears to be the toughest division in the NFL, and look what happened to the Bengals last year, as they went from AFC Championship game losers in 2022 to out of the playoffs.
Say what you want about the receivers room: I don’t think it matters as much when you have Josh Allen, the second-to-last QB I’d want to see in the playoffs. The Bills have won four straight division titles, and parting ways with Stefon Diggs and Tre’Davious White might end up making the Bills a stronger team overall because it increases the odds that the team will spend the offseason, the season, and the 2025 season with the same players.
This seems early for the Texans, but look at this way: Which teams have the best odds of winning their division in EACH of the next two seasons? The Texans seem to have the all-important triumvirate of a successful NFL team: DeMeco Ryans, C.J. Stroud, and a really good defense. But they also have a top-10 offensive line, a deep group of supporting skill players, and they just put Danielle Hunter opposite of Will Anderson. The AFC South could be the best division in a couple of years depending on the development of the four quarterbacks, but right now it belongs to Houston. Look at this way: Would you rather be the second-best team in the AFC North or the best team in the AFC South? I’d rather have that guaranteed playoff home game.
5. Cincinnati Bengals (Points: 74)
Overall ranking: 8 Best ranking: HC (6), Recent (6), Dealer’s Choice (6) Worst ranking: Def/Pass (24)
If we were only ranking quarterback/passing offense and recent success, the Bengals would be in the top 3. There are numerous obstacles to overcome in the next two years, however, including how competitive it is in the AFC North, Joe Burrow’s health, the contract situation for Tee Higgins, and a defense that couldn’t get the job done last season, ranking 32nd in yards per pass attempt and 30th in yards per carry allowed. But they do score high in those other things.
Have you tried ranking the quarterbacks lately? It gets very hard to do outside of the top 10, if not the top 5. Try it. I put Deshaun Watson and company 19th, which seems high given how bad he’s been the past two seasons in Cleveland, but there aren’t a lot of attractive options behind him either and there is a strong supporting cast of coaches, offensive linemen, and skill players around him. By the way, the strongest correlation of any two categories is between “recent success” and “QB/passing play” so take that as you will. I don’t think saying that better quarterbacks win more games than average or bad quarterbacks will make your head explode.
In his previous stint as an NFL head coach, Jim Harbaugh took over a 6-10 team from Mike Singletary and went 13-3 in his first season. These Chargers are more talented than those 49ers, but Harbaugh didn’t have to worry about Patrick Mahomes back then. Still, look at the talent around Justin Herbert after adding Joe Alt, Ladd McConkey, Gus Edwards, J.K. Dobbins, Will Dissly, D.J. Chark, and Hayden Hurst to an offense that wasn’t lacking in talent and you can see how L.A. might be a legitimate Super Bowl contender in 2025.
t7. Jacksonville Jaguars (Points: 97)
Overall ranking: t13 Best ranking: QB/Pass (8), DHS (8) Worst ranking: HC (19), Non-QB Roster (19)
The Jaguars are in a division they can win, with a head coach who has won a Super Bowl, and a defense that has two under-27 pass rushers who posted double-digit sacks in 2023. Can you believe the Jaguars have been to an AFC Championship game more recently than the Steelers?
The Dolphins are definitely more talented than some teams ranked ahead of them here, and Mike McDaniel is one of, if not the best, offensive play callers in the NFL. But Miami has to figure out how they can pay Tua Tagovailoa while keeping everyone else happy, as well as whether they even should pay Tua, plus many of their stars are either over 30 or will be soon. Are Tyreek Hill and Jalen Ramsey going to be playing at the same high level next year, and can players like Terron Armstead, Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, and Tua stay healthy? They have as much talent as they do uncertainty.
Yes, they have made the playoffs in three of the last four years and went 10-7 last season. They also haven’t won a playoff game since 2016 and they haven’t had a “really good” playoff win since beating the Ravens in the Divisional Round in 2010. Unless Russell Wilson is to the Steelers what Kurt Warner was to the Cardinals, Pittsburgh could have their first losing season since 2003 and they’re a fourth place team if Deshaun Watson is halfway decent for the Browns. But they got top-10 grades in coaching, non-QB roster, and defense.
If Aaron Rodgers is healthy and not on vacation during the regular season, the Jets roster is as good as it’s ever going to get. The offense gets four new offensive linemen (Tyron Smith, Olu Fashanu, Morgan Moses, John Simpson), two recent early draft picks to round the line out (Alijah Vera-Tucker, Joe Tippmann at center), plus the addition of Mike Williams as the No. 2 receiver.
That’s for 2024. So are they all-in? No, because even if Rodgers is slowing down next year, the Jets are projected to be sixth in cap space in 2025 and owner Woody Johnson has proven that he’s willing to overspend whatever it takes. Keep in mind, the Jets are only tied for 17th so this isn’t like predicting they’ll make it to the Super Bowl, they’re just higher on the list than Baker Mayfield and Kirk Cousins.
Between the Colts and the Saints, two teams I’ve got ranked third in their respective weak South divisions, I prefer head coach Shane Steichen to Dennis Allen. And though I’m far from sold on Anthony Richardson, he’s got plenty of upside while Derek Carr has none. I also wouldn’t be shocked if first-round edge rusher Laiatu Latu wastes no time in having an impact.
If firing Mike Vrabel was a bad decision, then why do I feel more optimistic about the Titans because of Brian Callahan? Probably because head coaches who call offensive plays are more in style than those who don’t. Is that fair or unfair? I’m not here to judge. The Titans might have the most room between their QB’s head and the ceiling though: Will Levis was too inconsistent as a rookie to be a starter, so Tennessee brought in Callahan to call the offense and signed Calvin Ridley, Tyler Boyd to catch passes, and also drafted a new tackle in J.C. Latham in the top 10.
The Broncos had the second-highest ranked head coach situation of any team in the bottom half of the list (I have Kevin O’Connell one spot ahead of Sean Payton), which tells you just how bad Denver looks on paper. I’m not going to criticize drafting Bo Nix, because it’s not that uncommon for a quarterback picked outside of the top 5 at the position to have success, but it would seem that a lot does hinge on that decision. However, the Broncos’ ranking isn’t really low because of Nix. They have a lot of projected starters “with something to prove” because they failed to gain or retain starting jobs on their previous teams, and it’s hard to imagine Denver finishing higher than third in either of the next two seasons.
After the Broncos fired Josh McDaniels in 2010, they reached five straight Divisional Round playoff games and two Super Bowls. Could Antonio Pierce provide a similar rebound in Las Vegas? Maybe only if Peyton Manning comes out of retirement and brings a time machine. (Those Broncos did win a playoff game with Tim Tebow, but this isn’t the 2011 AFC West.) It seems like the Raiders want to do as well as they can this season, then wait to see if Dak Prescott or Tua Tagovailoa becomes available next year. Teams won’t be going the draft route this time, tanking has no endgame, and I think the Raiders anticipate being the most aggressive team on the market in 2025 and that it’s highly probable that a big-name quarterback will change teams.
Left tackle Chukwuma Okorafor will be protecting quarterback Jacoby Brissett (pre-Drake Maye), throwing to Kendrick Bourne and Ja’Lynn Polk, with plays called by Alex Van Pelt, who was fired by the Browns in January. Even giving Maye a chance to prove he’s good in 2025, New England could be the worst offense in the NFL right now. Even if the Jets and Dolphins both collapse, will the Patriots beat the Bills or win an AFC Wild Card? Not likely before 2026.
Hall of Famer Willie Mays, one of the greatest players in Major League Baseball history, passed away on Tuesday.
Mays made his MLB debut with the then New York Giants in 1951, and was named the MLB Rookie of the Year after hitting 20 home runs that season, helping the Giants to their first pennant in 14 years. Mays won his first MVP Award in 1954 — after missing the 1953 season due to military service after he was drafted by the U.S. Army during the Korean War — and was a part of the Giants team that won the 1954 World Series.
In Game 1 of that World Series against the Cleveland Indians, Mays delivered a play known as “The Catch,” an over-the-shoulder grab of a long drive off the bat of Vic Wertz in the eighth inning.
The play, considered one of the greatest in baseball history, kept the game tied at 2-2:
The Giants would win in extra innings on their way to a sweep of Cleveland.
The “Say Hey Kid” won his second MVP Award over a decade later, when he slashed .317/.398/.645 for the Giants in the 1965 season, hitting a career-best 52 home runs.
Mays played over 20 seasons in the major leagues, retiring from the game following the 1973 season. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first try in 1979, at the time becoming just the ninth player in baseball history to earn a spot on Cooperstown in their first year of eligibility.
Mays began his baseball career playing for the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues before he made the move to the Giants, and his passing comes just days before he was to be honored, along with the rest of the Negro League, in the MLB Game at Rickwood Field Thursday between the Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals. The game will be played at historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, which was the home field for the Black Barons.
Earlier this week, Mays released a statement saying that while he would not be traveling to Birmingham for the game, his “heart” would be with everyone in attendance.
“I’m not able to get to Birmingham this year but will follow the game back here in the Bay Area,” Mays said told the San Francisco Chronicle. “My heart will be with all of you who are honoring the Negro League ballplayers, who should always be remembered, including all my teammates on the Black Barons. I wanted to thank Major League Baseball, the Giants, the Cardinals and all the fans who’ll be at Rickwood or watching the game. It’ll be a special day, and I hope the kids will enjoy it and be inspired by it.”
The final Signature Event of the 2024 season has arrived, as 71 golfers will tee it up at this week’s Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut.
Rory McIlroy will not be there, as he opted to take some time off following his heartbreaking finish at the U.S. Open. But Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, and Ludvig Åberg will be. So, too, will defending champion Keegan Bradley, who blistered a soft course last year en route to shooting 23-under-par, setting a new tournament record in the process.
But this year’s course will play much firmer and faster with temperatures hovering in the 90s throughout the week. Luckily, this limited-size field will not have to endure the speed and difficulty of Pinehurst No. 2, but the weather will feel more or less the same as it did in North Carolina. The Northeast is experiencing a heatwave this week, with heat advisories extending from the Great Lakes through the Mid-Atlantic and all the way through New England. That means everyone at TPC River Highlands will need to hydrate, including the putting surfaces, which will turn crisp quite easily in these conditions.
This golf course is also the shortest one played on the PGA Tour all season, requiring precision into the greens and an exquisite short game. Get ready for a birdie barrage, too; although, with this week’s weather, scores likely will not go as low as they did a year ago.
The 15th green at TPC River Highlands during the final round of the 2023 Travelers Championship.Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images
So let’s get to our Staff Picks, with Jeanna Kelly from SB Nation’s NFL site stepping in as our guest picker this week:
Jack Milko — Staff Writer, Golf
For the third time this season, a Canadian will emerge victorious on the PGA Tour.
I am going with Corey Conners, fresh off a strong tie for 9th at the U.S. Open, to break through at the Travelers Championship and win for the third time on tour. Funny enough, Conners won a pair of Valero Texas Opens, in 2019 and 2023, but this time, he finally wins an event outside of the Lone Star State.
Last year, Conners finished in a tie for 9th at TPC River Highlands, shooting four impressive rounds in the mid-60s to finish at 17-under. His best score came on Saturday, when he posted a 5-under 65. But what I love about Conners is that he is one of the best iron players on the PGA Tour. He ranks second in strokes gained approach, sixth in greens in regulation percentage, and seventh in total birdies made, as Conners has poured in 253 par-breakers to date.
The one knock on him is his putting and short game, but both facets showed up at Pinehurst No. 2, relatively speaking. Conners ranked 28th in strokes gained around the greens and 30th with his putter at last week’s U.S. Open, which featured some of the most diabolical greens seen anywhere in the world. But best of all, his tie for ninth helped him clinch a spot in the 2024 Olympics, giving him plenty of confidence and momentum going into the summer.
With all of this in mind, I believe the stars have aligned for Conners to win, especially on a week when plenty of other top players mail it in after a grueling major.
DraftKings Odds: +3500
Corey Conners at the 2024 U.S. Open.Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Jeanna Kelley — Associate Director, SB Nation NFL
When I make NFL picks, I consider many factors: recent performance, injuries, weather forecasts, and so on. Since this is my first time making golf picks, I tried to follow a similar strategy.
Obviously, the easy pick here would be Scottie Scheffler, who’s once again the odds-on favorite to win. Prior to the U.S. Open, and depending on that outcome, I thought I’d pick Rory McIlroy, but he’s withdrawn from the Travelers after last week’s fiasco. So I’m actually going with Collin Morikawa this week. He’s been playing really solid golf the past several weeks. His putting hasn’t been a liability, and eventually, these factors are going to lead him to a win. It might as well be this weekend.
DraftKings Odds: +1200
Collin Morikawa during the 2024 U.S. Open.Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images
Savannah Richardson — Staff Writer, Golf
I am going with Ludvig Åberg this week. He tied for 24th last year, but now he returns to TPC River Highlands with some familiarity with the course.
His game is in good form, but he just had a weird weekend at the U.S. Open, where two triple bogies stymied him.
But this golf course suits him, given his exquisite iron play. He ranks 11th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained approach and ranked 15th in that metric last week at Pinehurst No. 2. Luckily for him, TPC River Highlands does not have any greens like the 13th at Pinehurst or as difficult as the par-4 2nd, so he should not make any more triples this time around.
I think he runs away with it.
DraftKings Odds: +1400
Ludvig Åberg on the 6th hole at Pinehurst No. 2.Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
For all other sports betting content, check out SB Nation’s DraftKings site.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThroughfor more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
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