This is the Sportacados Discussion Thread, for talking about all things sports! Feel free to live-chat games, talk about the latest news and rumours, discuss sports history, and anything else that relates to watching other grown adults throw or hit a ball. Hateration is allowed, but try to keep it within the realm of light banter.
News and Results
- It was another eventful weekend in college football, with six ranked-on-ranked matches. Florida opened up a can of whoop ass against Ole Miss, winning 52-28 and putting the Gators into the top 10 conversation for the first time in a long time. LSU bounced back from defeat by trouncing Texas A&M, Oregon beat USC despite a nasty hit on quarterback Dante Moore, and much to my chagrin Iowa beat Michigan with a last-second touchdown.
- The AFL Grand Final, Australia’s equivalent of the Super Bowl, took place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground with a record-setting TV audience. The Brisbane Lions won their third consecutive championship 96-89, defeating the Fremantle Dockers. Most importantly, Kylie Minogue played the pregame show!
- In sumo, Onosato won the Aki Basho tournament with a record of 12-3, beating Aonishiki on the last night. This is a return to the top for the yokozuna after struggling a bit with injuries and poor form. Aonishiki’s 11-4 record is also a strong start on his quest for promotion to yokozuna.
- Two of tennis’s biggest team tournaments took place this weekend. Czechia won the Billie Jean King Cup over Poland, with Linda Noskova and Karolina Muchova. Meanwhile, in a silly-billy exhibition which now has more normal rules than “grand slam” tournaments, Team Europe won the Laver Cup, led by Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud.
- The NFL continued its quest for world conquest with a game at Brazil’s historic Maracana stadium. There was a lot of worry about the state of the field in the lead-up to the game, but things seemed to go off well, with the Baltimore Ravens leading a late comeback against the Dallas Cowboys and hitting a soccer-style celebration afterwards. It was a chaotic Sunday overall, with a record-tying number of one-score games, and Super Bowl hopefuls Seattle, Los Angeles (both teams) and New England all losing.
- The MLB regular season is over, ending the summers of 18 teams. Notable events on the final week included Justin Verlander’s final game, the Houston Astros clinching the AL West title and becoming the first team to reach a full-season postseason with a losing record, and the Phillies staving off a late collapse to squeak into October. The full postseason bracket and schedule is below.
Select Schedule (Times EDT, TV US/Canada)
MLB Playoffs – Game 1s
- Philadelphia Phillies @ Atlanta Braves (Tue 2:00 PM, NBC/Sportsnet)
- Chicago White Sox @ Houston Astros (Tue 5:00 PM, Peacock/Sportsnet)
- Boston Red Sox @ NY Yankees (Tue 8:00 PM, NBC/Sportsnet)
- Chicago Cubs @ San Diego Padres (Tue 10:00 PM, Peacock/Sportsnet)
NHL
- Florida Panthers @ Carolina Hurricanes (Tue 5:00 PM, ESPN/SN+)
- Montreal Canadiens @ Toronto Maple Leafs (Tue 7:00 PM, ESPN Unlimited/Sportsnet)
- Vancouver Canucks @ Edmonton Oilers (Tue 10:00 PM, ESPN Unlimited/Sportsnet)
- Chicago Blackhawks @ Vegas Golden Knights (Tue 10:30 PM, ESPN/SN+)
Soccer
- AFCON Qualifier: Zimbabwe vs. DR Congo (Mon 12:00 PM, BeIN Espanol)
- UEFA Nations League: Belgium vs. France (Mon 2:45 PM, FS2/DAZN)
- Friendly: United States vs. Chile (Tue 8:00 PM, TNT)
Tennis
- ATP Chengdu (Tennis Channel/TSN+)
- ATP Hangzhou (Tennis Channel/TSN+)
WNBA Playoffs – Game 2
- Las Vegas Aces @ Indiana Fever (Tue 6:30 PM, Prime Video)
- Minnesota Lynx @ NY Liberty (Tue 8:30 PM, USA/TSN)
Other
- NFL: Philadelphia Eagles @ Chicago Bears (Mon 8:15 PM, ABC/TSN, see Avocado Thread)
- UFC Dana White’s Contender Series (Tue 7:00 PM, Paramount+)