SuiteSports' Selection Sunday Special

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SuiteSports brings you the most comprehensive Selection Sunday pre-show on all of the interwebs. Listen in as our own Jeremy Conlin and Joe Parello team with Roundball Daily's Kels Dayton for a journey across the country telling you who's in, who's out, and what to watch for during the NCAA Tournament.
All this and more on the "Taking You to School" Selection Sunday Special, presented by RF Sports Radio.

NFL Week 2 Primer (With Picks): Are You Not Entertained?

Are Tyrod Taylor and the Bills for real?

 By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin) and Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Jeremy said he was out for blood, and he wasn't kidding. He opened up the season with a 13-2-1 record against the spread, and he only lost the second game because, like a damn fool, he switched picks from Atlanta (who was getting three) to Philadelphia (who was giving three) at the last minute (out of embarrassment and shame, he deleted all Tweets that confirmed this, but Joe still has a screen shot of the text message and threatened to use it if Jeremy tried to weasel his way out).

Historically, Week 2 has been a bad week for us. We come into the season with certain expectations, but Week 1 often turns those expectations upside down. So Week 2 has a lot of uncertainty - do we stick to our guns, or do we change our mind based on what we saw Week 1? Luckily for Jeremy, he burned the house down in Week 1, so he doesn't really have much to correct (unless he just got inexplicably lucky with every pick, which, now that we think about it, is probably much closer to the truth). In any case, Jeremy rides into Week 2 with a 5-1 edge against Joe on disagreements, the biggest single-week victory that either side has had in the history of these picks (which is only two years and one week, but still).

Game(s) of The Week

New England @ Buffalo (1:00 p.m. Sunday, CBS)

It's last year's Super Bowl champion going up against the team that might have had the best start-to-finish performance of any team in the league last year (adjusted for opponent, at least - Kansas City or Cincinnati might have been better, but the teams they played are definitely not as good as Indianapolis). Brady lit up a porous Pittsburgh back seven, but Buffalo's staunch defensive line could make life difficult for Touchdown Tom. 

NFL Week 6 Primer (With Picks): Momentum

Are Matt Ryan and the Falcons for real?

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin) and Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

The first four weeks were tough. Neither one of us had a week better than 8-7, and we both entered the week at least six games under .500.

Once we rounded the NFL's quarter-pole, however, we turned things around. We each went 10-3-1 against the spread, and Jeremy even swept the 1 o'clock games on Sunday with a spotless 7-0 record against the spread. For the most part, we seem to have a good grasp on the league right now. That being said, we'll probably go 5-9 this week.

The league is still pretty wide-open. The Patriots, Vikings and Steelers are unquestionably really, really good. The Falcons, Broncos, Raiders, Packers, Cowboys, and Seahawks rate anywhere from "pretty good" to "really good." The Dolphins, Browns, Bears, and 49ers are all really bad and, for all intents and purposes, dead in the water. Everyone else is (vaguely) still alive, though.

There might be a few "loser leaves town" matchups this week. The Panthers and Saints both need a win to keep pace with the suddenly-really-good Falcons. Neither the Giants or Ravens look like division-winning material, so it's effectively must-win for both teams if they want to steal a Wild Card spot. Same for the Lions and Rams.

Also, with so many seemingly above-average teams in the AFC, the Chiefs and Raiders can't really afford too many losses. (Granted, the Raiders at 4-1 aren't at risk of their season going down the tubes with a loss here, but with the AFC West so competitive, they can't afford to drop winnable division home games - it's not "loser leaves town," but it's "loser needs to rebound.")

Game(s) of The Week

Cincinnati at New England (1:00 p.m. Sunday, CBS)

The Patriots look like they're clicking on all cylinders with Tom Brady back in the lineup, and Rob Gronkowski and Martellus Bennett at full strength. But the Bengals sit at 2-3, in third place in the AFC North. This might be a kitchen sink game for them - they just can't afford to lose. They'll be going all-out. This should be an entertaining game.

The Patriots and Preseason Trades

Logan Mankins (70) was dealt to Tampa Bay, but will the Patriots suffer for it?

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

Trades in the NFL happen significantly less frequently than they do in the NBA, NHL, and in Major League Baseball. There are a few reasons for this - first and foremost, contracts are structured in the most complicated fashion of the four major sports. There's the total value of the contract, which is split into a signing bonus (guaranteed money) and the player's yearly salary (often un-guaranteed or only partially guaranteed). Those two numbers are then used to calculate a player's "cap hit," or what figure they actually count against the team's salary cap. As NFL contracts are more complicated, it becomes more difficult to trade players for other players - almost exclusively, you see players traded for draft picks.

Trades happen infrequently in the NFL, unless you're talking about the Patriots in the two-week window before the regular season starts.

Real Madrid Crushes Atletico’s Dream… Again

By Justin Sherman (@JShermOfficial)

My pint glass of Sam Adams has seen its last drop, and what little is left of my voice was used to call out of work on account of “food poisoning.”

Yes, one of the strangest seasons in club soccer history came to a thrilling and unpredictable end yesterday evening.

Do Celtics, Anyone, Have a Chance Against Golden State This Year?

By Adam Lowenstein (@StatsAdam)

Why the Warriors’ Chances at 2018 Title are Still Sky High

While Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks dominate the current NBA news, the Warriors are readying themselves to defend their second championship in the last three years as the NBA’s heavy favorite to win the 2018 Finals.

Golden State is getting the band back together after registering the league’s best offensive efficiency, effective field goal percentage and true-shooting percentage during last year’s regular season. Although they were the Western Conference’s worst squad in terms of defensive rebounding, they were among the league’s top teams on the defensive end of the basketball.

NFL Week 5 Primer (With Picks): NFL Quarter Pole

It's unclear whether or not Terrell Suggs has terrified more fans at Heinz Field than Bane (he probably has), but it is clear that this old man is still (somehow) pretty good, and the Ravens are to be taken seriously the rest of the way.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin) and Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

The NFL season is one-quarter over, which sounds really depressing because it seems like it started yesterday.

Well, technically, it's not quite one-quarter over. Washington and Carolina have still only played three games because bye weeks started last week. Everyone else in the league, though, has played 25 percent of their schedule. That being the case, we figured we would run through what we've seen so far and hand out some "awards."

Last Minute Fantasy Start'ems and Sit'ems: Week 6

Sometimes in Fantasy Football you gotta dig deep! I'm talking Titans receiver deep.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

In a jam choosing between two borderline starters this week? I've got your back with my last-minute start'ems and sit'ems. Let's get right to it.

The 2013-2014 SuiteSports NFL Awards

We're not going to hold you in suspense. Peyton Manning is our MVP, and he should be yours too.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin) and Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Super Bowl week is now upon us, and SuiteSports will do its best to bring you Super Bowl-y content every day from here on out. But today, we wanted to focus on the incredible season that's been.

With that in mind, editors Jeremy Conlin and Joe Parello make their picks today for the 2013-14 NFL Award winners. Some of them, like MVP, were no-brainers, but what about Defensive Player of the Year and Coach of the Year? Those were a little tougher, as several deserving candidates emerged throughout the course of 2013.

So who did our editors go with? Find out below.

If MIAA Stars Entered the NFL Draft: 2019 Edition

Everett's Mike Sainristil has all the tools to be the top pick in our mock draft.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

We may have (mostly) shut down operations here at SuiteSports, but dammit, I'm not gonna end this school year without putting out our fun, but mostly pointless blog about where the best players in the MIAA would be selected, were they available in this week's NFL Draft.

If you need to get caught up, you can find our 2017 MIAA/NFL Draft here, and our 2018 edition here.

A reminder of the rules for players being taken in our MIAA/NFL Draft:

1. The player must be a senior. I know college juniors (and redshirt sophomores) can be taken in the real NFL Draft, but that's not how our draft works.

2. The player can be headed to prep school next year. Since we don't include ISL or other Prep School players in our draft, guys who are finishing up their MIAA careers and graduating from an MIAA school get the chance to be drafted.

Weekend Football Roundup: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Yeah, tell me how the new rules won't make guys go for the knees...

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin) and Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Every week, editor's Jeremy Conlin and Joe Parello bring you the good, the bad and the ugly from the pro and college football weekend that was.

The Good

Auburn's Luck

Seriously, something has just gone improbably right for Auburn every single week. Actually, this week's Ohio State loss in the Big Ten Championship Game was far more likely than the Tigers' Hail Mary win over Georgia, or their 100-yard (More like 109-yard) field goal return for a game-winning touchdown against rival Alabama.

Yeah maybe it's just their year.

-JP

Midweek #HotSportsTakes: Marathons are Really Long

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Midweek #HotSportsTakes is a weekly segment here on SuiteSports, where we offer shallow and somewhat incendiary analysis on random hot-button sports topics of the day.

Let's get right to it.

On Meb Keflezighi Becoming the First American in 20 Years to Win the Boston Marathon:

Let me first say how awesome this year's Boston Marathon was, and not just because the heavy police/military presence focused on keeping people safe, and not busting college kids for drinking out of solo cups along the race path.

It was a pretty inspiring race all around. If you haven't stood along the street for the last few miles of it, you're missing out. I don't mean when guys like Keflezighi are running by, though it was awesome to see him leading the pack at mile marker 23.5, I mean when the "normal people" are running.

You can see they're beat, and they're just digging down for every bit of strength they have to complete this life goal. Then you have the crowd on the side, yelling words of encouragement and giving high fives, it brings a smile to your face and, surprisingly, seems to actually give the runners a little extra wind.

Having an American finally win the Marathon this year, of all years, was incredibly sweet, but the guy who wins is never really the story. It's the triumph of those non-professional runners that complete the ultimate test of human endurance in front of their friends and families, and that's why the bombs struck a chord with so many Bostonians last year.

Plenty of Milestones in Sight for the 2018-19 Boston Celtics

By Adam Lowenstein (@StatsAdam)

The Celtics have a very similar roster to last year, but fans hope that the playoff roster rotation is vastly different from the one that fell to the Cleveland LeBroniers in the 2018 postseason.

Before looking ahead to 2018-19, let us rewind to the previous season with some team milestones. The 2017-18 Celtics allowed fewer than 10 offensive rebounds per game for the first time in franchise history.

In addition, the Celtics were the best in the league in defense. Boston allowed the second-lowest opponent effective field goal percentage in the NBA last season, and the team was strong in preventing corner 3-point attempts. Celtics’ opponents attempted just 18 percent of their 3-pointers from the corner, the best mark in the NBA last year.

The Suddenly "Normal" Yankees Lead the AL East

By Adam Lowenstein 

Although the Yankees lost to the Seattle Mariners on Thursday, they are still nine games above .500 and own the second-best record in the American League. They may finish as bottom feeders in 2013, as the experts predicted, but the first month and a half has been a success for the Bronx Bombers.

Greg Monroe's Qualifying Offer and the State of the Pistons

Greg Monroe looks good in Detroit's Red and Blue, but how much longer will he be wearing them?

By Bennett Corcoran (@CorcoranNBA)

As negotiations have prolonged into mid-August without a resolution, it appears Greg Monroe plans to accept the qualifying offer extended by the Detroit Pistons of about $5.5 million, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.

There is some risk involved for Monroe. He is leaving money on the table this summer, as he could have signed an offer sheet from another team or reached an agreement with the Pistons. If he gets hurt this season or underwhelms, that guaranteed money is no longer in play.

This path represents the quickest way out of Detroit, and it’s clear why Monroe would pursue an exit strategy based on the current roster construction.

Your Aussie Open Recap

Serena Williams' win in Australia moved her into third place on the women's Grand Slam list, and second place in the Open Era.

By Andy Dougherty (@AndyDougherty10)

Since you were probably more focused on a pretty big football game, and most of these matches aired at 3 in the morning, you might have missed one of 2015’s biggest tennis tournaments. Here’s what happened over the last two weeks in Australia.

The men’s and women’s tournaments started on very different paths. The Top-10 men’s seeds all reached the third round while, eight of the 32 women’s seeds lost on the first day of the tournament, including No. 5 Ana Ivanovic and No. 9 Angelique Kerber. Ivanovic had beaten Serena Williams in the fourth round of last year’s tournament, so her loss to Czech qualifier Lucie Hradecká was especially surprising.

The only top men’s seed who struggled early on was No. 3 Rafael Nadal. An illness kept Nadal from playing his best tennis against American qualifier Tim Smyczek, who played the best match of his career. Smyczek took a 2-sets-to-1 lead, and it wasn’t until 5-5 in the 5th set that Nadal found his top form and closed out the match 7-5.

He also got a little help from some exceptional sportsmanship by Smyczek. A fan called out during Nadal’s motion while he was serving for the match, causing Nadal’s serve to miss. When the umpire did nothing, Smyczek called for the point to be replayed. Nadal ultimately won the point, and after the match, he congratulated Smyczek for the way he acted at such a critical moment.

A Tale of Two Cities: Championship Nights in Miami and Boston

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

I normally try to write in a way the average sports fan can relate to, but I'm pretty much gonna throw that out the window here: I just spent the last two nights at a Stanley Cup game in Boston and at Game 7 of the NBA Finals in Miami.

Before you dismiss this as a blog from a pompous jerk bragging about an awesome experience, give me the benefit of the doubt, and at least get these three points out of this.

1. Boston is a great sports town (Something you already knew).
2 South Florida is a weird freakin' place (Something you may have known).
3. My dad is awesomely crazy (Something you surely know if you've ever met the man).

Let's start with that last one, as I explain my recent championship night experience.

I called my dad on Father's Day, and the first thing he said to me was "Joe, it's Father's Day, but I've got a present for you."

The Lakers Have A New Approach to the Pick and Roll

I have a nephew and he's growing up. He's eight now, and I'm twenty-two. He likes to fight; more specifically, he only enjoys it if I play the Rihanna to his Chris Brown. They are typically one-sided bouts wherein I surrender due to a combination of his quickness and raw power. It's a fun game, and we both play it. He knows I could decimate every bone in his face if I wanted to (at least, he does if he knows what's good for him). Ultimately, we have a better time together and I spend considerably less time in prison if I pretend that it's a close fight and I don't try.

The Over Thought Podcast: Over Thinking the Super Bowl

On this week's episode of The Over Thought Podcast, the gang tackles the Super Bowl and football at large.

How has Super Sunday become an unofficial holiday in the United States, and what are some cultural implications of both the game and NFL? Plus, some obligatory comparisons to religion and politics, along with putting Cam Newton and Peyton Manning into boxes days before their show down in Super Bowl 50.

Check out our latest episode below, and give us a "like" on Facebook for the latest content.

Good-Bye NBA; I'll Miss You

If this is the last image we see of Tim Duncan on an NBA court, it will be a fitting one.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

At the end of the 2013 season, I said that the Spurs deserved better.

2014 was what they deserved.

After losing the Finals in the most heartbreaking way possible, losing a series only because the rules say one team has to win and one team has to lose, the Spurs rebounded and claimed their spot atop the NBA world.

The 2014 Finals didn’t elicit the same giggling schoolgirl response that the 2013 Finals did. But the 2014 Finals weren’t about beauty, they were about revenge. It was a brutal assault on the establishment. The Spurs, with all their class and professionalism, would never admit to being motivated by something as dark as revenge. But make no mistake, the Spurs wanted to go through *this* Heat team on their way to the title. That they won so convincingly makes it so much sweeter.