What happened since the last time I wrote on here?

A lot actually....

I thought I would use this blog as an outlet for all of my useless sports theories and help bring a little entertainment to you. Those are all well meaning thoughts, but that only works if I get on here and actually write something. I've been slacking on that end. But hopefully, out of the tens of you that are bored enough to read this, you get something out of it!

NFL:

The NFL is basically just parity at this point. Anyone can beat anyone on any given weekend. 8-8 teams have a shot at getting into the playoffs. And Buffalo actually made it into the playoffs for the first time in 20 years! Seriously, I was 3 the last time people form Buffalo had anything to celebrate besides wings.  And to put a bow on top of this gift wrapped parity prize, the New England Patriots will probably win the Super Bowl again...Because that's just what Boston needs, another sports championship.

In spite of all of the predictability that is the NFL, some awesome things did happen the past couple of weeks in the playoffs:

AFC
The Jacksonville Jaguars advanced to the AFC Championship after beating the Steelers, in a year where everyone thought we would have a Patriots vs. Steelers matchup. The boys from DUUUUVALLLL are playing the role of underdog well, and Blake Bortles is not sucking.

Great stat: Blake Bortles has more playoff wins than Tony Romo, and in the last 20 seasons the Jaguars have more total playoff wins than the Cowboys.

Could Jacksonville be America's new team? Food for thought.

Too bad Sacksonville will have to play the Patriots and that juggernaut in Foxborough. But hey Blake Bortles is undefeated in the Playoffs. Tom Brady, several losses. These are just the facts.

The greatest playoff QB of all time and Tom Brady shaking hands 

Too be honest, I'm openly rooting for the Jaguars. I know that will come back to haunt me, but Boston sports and especially the Patriots need to be knocked down a peg. I know that you'd be hard pressed to humble a fan base that has seen 5 Super Bowl victories and hasn't known losing since 2001, but a loss to the Jaguars could probably do just that. I've heard Patriots fans say the season doesn't start until the playoffs and that is entirely too cocky for anyone in to be in this life. Go Jags!

NFC

If you weren't watching the NFC divisional round then I don't know what you were doing with your life (probably being a productive member of society, but who wants to do that?). The NFC saw two very good divisional round playoff games, and one was a game for the ages.

The Eagles and the Falcons played a game where no one could score but it came down to a final play where the Falcons, who have been under performing all year, had a chance to win it on a throw to Julio Jones in the endzone and he couldn't come down with it. That's not unbelievable because Jones only had three touchdown grabs all season, but it is unbelievable that the Flacons got all the way down to the two yard line and couldn't score. 

Philly even though they were the best team all season, will carry their underdog mentality into the NFC Championship.

In the other game, the Saints and the Vikings had one for the ages. And if you missed it, this is pretty much all you need to see...

As awesome as that was, the Vikings had no business winning that game. They basically were begging the Saints to win, but the Saints and Marcus Williams pulled a Bill Buckner and now we have a powerhouse QB matchup in the NFC. Nick Foles vs. Case Keenum. All I need is a Keenum vs. Bortles Super Bowl. Inject that into my veins! The NFL would lose it's mind. 

In all seriousness, I am happy for Keenum. Everyone including the Houston Texans, didn't want this guy and now he is going to get paid by someone.

NCAA: 

Alabama won another National Championship. What else is new? 

For anyone who thought that Georgia was going to actually win that game, bless your heart. That's southern for "What an idiot." I was actually saying that Alabama was going to win in regulation but when they trotted that kicker out there, I knew there was no way on God's green earth that he was making that kick. I actually thought Nick Saban was about to throw that poor kid into the sun, but as far as I know he is still alive, and Bama won another championship. That's pretty much how sports works. You think your team has a shot, they don't. Alabama won another championship, and the Patriots, Yankees, and Duke will probably win another one as well, because those are the rules. 

NBA:

In one of the more hilarious stories you'll ever see, the Rockets tried to Trojan Horse the Clippers. Okay it really wasn't like that, but it is funny to think that the Rockets, led by Chris Paul, who has been on the Rockets for half a season, led his new team into a battle against his former team, through a "secret passage" no less.

Also the fact that Gerald Green, who was picked up by the Rockets off the street, is so ride or die, that he is willing to get suspended for teammates that he has known for about a week. Thats a dude you want on your team. 

Also the Rockets beat the Golden State Warriors for the second time this season as are undefeated when Harden, Paul, and Capela all play. But I'm not emotionally invested or anything. 

MLB:

The Hot Stove for the MLB has been very cool this year. You thought that when the Miami Marlins and Yankee great Derek Jeter, gave Giancarlo Stanton to the Yankees for a bag of baseballs, that things would heat up. They really didn't. It seems like every team has been hesitant to make a move or begin to pay players. 

That was until the Astros decided to go out and get Gerrit Cole from the Pirates. Now I will hopefully write a blog breaking down this trade by the Astros a little further, but just so you know the Astros didn't give up much to get a former ace. Cole is two seasons removed from a 19-8, 2.60 ERA season, where is was an All-Star and came in 4th in Cy Young voting. 

The Astros rotation will look something like this: Justin Verlander, Dallas Keuchel, Gerrit Cole, Lance McCullers Jr., and Charlie Morton....Deadly. 

This got the wheels turning only slightly as the Pirates traded their franchise cornerstone and former MVP, Andrew McCutchen to the Giants, who also quietly traded for Evan Longoria earlier in the off-season. I'm happy that the these two, who have been on terrible teams most of their careers, will get a chance to play for an organization that seems to win the World Series every other year, albeit that they were garbage last season. 

It will be interesting to see the moves that are made from here. Talented pitchers like Yu Darvish and Jake Arrieta are still on the market, and pitchers and catchers will report to spring training in less than a month. J.D. Martinez, Lorenzo Cain, and Eric Hosmer still don't have homes yet either. Someone is going to have to pay these guys. Don't be surprised if the Yankees, Red Sox, and Cubs get in on one or more of these players. They always have money to blow and don't mind flaunting it. It is is just strange to me that no one has pulled the trigger this close to the beginning of Spring Training.

Oh well. I'll just sit here and watch Astros World Series highlights until something happens.