Starting Five

Five sports topics that will be discussed at water coolers across America

1. Rangers Sweep Orioles… and love Creed?
The Scoop: The Texas Rangers swept (won all three games in the series) the Baltimore Orioles to advance to the American League Championship Series in front of a sell out crowd. So what’s the secret to their success? Well, as it turns out it may be a love for the band Creed. Players are rocking out in the locker room, fans are belting out the words, and even the band itself has gotten on board showcasing their Rangers fandom.

Conversation Starter: What niche band or musician would you blast in the locker room?

2. NHL Season is Back: Lightning Strikes Predators
The Scoop: The NHL season is back in action, and in the first game, the reigning champion Tampa Bay Lightning triumphed over the Nashville Predators 5-3. The Lightning look set to defend their title, but the Predators are out for redemption. See here for expectations for your local team!

Conversation Starter: Can the Lightning pull off another championship, or will a new contender emerge in this season's NHL?

3. Raiders Intercept Packers QB Jordan Love 3 Times to Win 21-17
The Scoop: The Las Vegas Raiders showcased their defensive prowess on Monday Night by intercepting Packers' young QB, Jordan Love, three times, securing a 21-17 victory. This is the Packers first year in a decade without Aaron Rodgers (you may know him as Shailene Woodley’s ex), and the offense has failed to click.

Conversation Starter: Is Jordan Love the future of the Packers, or is it too soon to tell?

4. NHL Bans "Pride" Rainbow Tape, Causing Controversy
The Scoop: The NHL's decision to ban players from using "pride" rainbow tape on their sticks has ignited controversy within the league. Players and fans are debating the move, highlighting the importance of inclusivity in sports.

Conversation Starter: What's your take on the NHL's stance on rainbow tape, and how can sports leagues better support LGBTQ+ communities?

5. Aces Dominate and Look to Repeat as Champs
The Scoop: The Las Vegas Aces set a WNBA record for most points scored in the first quarter (38) en route to a 104-76 trouncing of the New York Liberty. In what many were hoping would showcase the best talent in the sport, the series has been extremely one-sided.

Conversation Starter: Are you a fan of the women’s game? If not, what would make you want to tune in?

Sports Memes Demystified

Do you have a friend who always sends you memes you need context for? We’re here to give you that context. Feel free to ask us to demystify a meme here!

In 2022, KC Chiefs fan (ya know, Taylor’s new boyfriend’s team) going by the moniker “Chiefsaholic” was arrested for allegedly robbing banks in order to pay for season tickets. How did he get caught? He wore a dog mask during the robbery… the same dog mask he wears to every game. One savvy Kansas City fan, who is not Chiefsaholic, decided to have some fun with the viral story, giving us the below masterpiece.

What We’re Watching This Week

If you're at a bar, they might be showing these games. Here's what you should know:

College Football

#12 UNC Tar Heels (5-0) vs #25 Miami Hurricanes (4-1): Traditionally a basketball school, North Carolina has an explosive offense that will be on display Saturday night

#8 Oregon (5-0) vs #7 Washington (5-0): Who will be crowned best of the West this year? We might get that answer Saturday afternoon as the Ducks travel to Seattle.

#10 USC (6-0) vs #21 Notre Dame (5-2): USC has looked shaky, despite their undefeated record. This is their biggest test of the season traveling to South Bend to play under the lights in front of 100,000 screaming Irish.

MLB Playoffs

Divisional Round (See the live bracket here)

Texas Rangers vs Houston Astros: An all-Texas showdown for a spot in the World Series. Is the Creed magic enough for the Rangers to get past their perennial title contending rival?

Atlanta Braves vs Philadelphia Phillies: One spot in the NLCS is left, and the Braves need to win 2 straight to stay alive. Can the Phillies get redemption for last year or can the Braves make a comeback?

US Men’s National Team

USMNT vs Germany: While it’s just an exhibition, the “it’s called soccer” crew are ready to show what they can do against one of Europe’s best teams

Subscriber Question of the Week

Do you have a sports topic you want to get smart on? Let us know here.

This week, Jack from Michigan asked, "Why does the regular season matter? Champions are crowned in the playoffs?"

This is a question that haunts fans and team officials alike. For the NFL, the season is only 17 games, so to qualify for the playoffs, each win is very important. However, baseball has a 162 game season, so it’s worth losing a couple of games to give players rest and time off.

If you ever hear the term “load management” often sports fans are referring to this idea, that star players sit out a few games a year, to “manage the load” of a long season. The goal is to win enough games to qualify for the playoffs, and hit peak performance at just the right time.

So to answer your question, yes the playoffs are the most important. Each team should strategize on the best way to make the playoffs, but also keep their stars healthy to make a run to win the championship. We hope this helps!

We hope this helps!

Get Others in the Game

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Until next week,

The Fastbreakk