by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 1/30/2026 Here in New England, we are delighted but not shocked that the Patriots are back in the Super Bowl. We might have a young team led by a new Head Coach and a Quarterback only in his second year, but WE have what THEY don't... Championship DNA. We just win in New England. While everyone else is talking about how we shouldn't be here and every reason we don't deserve this Championship appearance, cough Cam Newton cough cough We've set ou

The NBA has spent the last few years searching for a way to revive the All-Star Game by making it competitive, meaningful and worth tuning in to for both fans and players. They may have cracked the code this season with a new round-robin tournament format, pitting U.S.-born players against international stars in a three-on-three series, adding real stakes and a fresh edge to the event. It also reignites the skill debate between U.S. born and international players: the last Am

By Elias Meredith 1/29/26 - Sportz Nation Photo by Nick Rahlman/The Gazette via AP Wednesday night, the USC Trojans finished their Midwest trip in Iowa after a narrow two-point win over Wisconsin last Sunday. USC looked to bring momentum into the matchup against the Iowa Hawkeyes. The Hawkeyes came into the matchup 10-1 at home, which made them favorites. Senior guards Bennett Stirtz and Tavion Banks led the way for Iowa, each scoring 20 in the comeback victory. The first hal

Joseph McLaughlin 1/29/26 - Sportz Nation Photo Credit: David Butler II/Imagn Images. Former Patriots Head Coach, Bill Belichick, received a phone call from the Professional Football Hall of Fame on Friday afternoon that left him disappointed. He was told he would not be inducted into Canton during his first year of eligibility. Belichick did not receive the 40 of 50 votes required to be inducted during his first year on the ballot. Several sources who talked to Belichick ov

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 1/29/2026 Team Leaders Passing Sam Darnold 67.7% completion 4,048 pass yards 25 pass TDs 14 INTs Rushing Kenneth Walker 221 carries 1,027 rush yards 4.6 yards per carry 10, 20+ yard rushes 5 rush TDs Receiving Jaxon Smith Njigba 119 receptions 163 targets 1,793 rec yards 4.4 yards after catch average 10 rec TDs Tackling Ernest Jones IV 126 combined tackles 4 tackles for loss 5 interceptions 7 pass deflections 1 Touchdown S

On Sunday, July 26, 2026, three new names will be etched in baseball history in Cooperstown, New York. Tuesday night, National Baseball Hall of Fame President Josh Rawitch announced that outfielders Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones will join Contemporary Baseball Era Committee electee Jeff Kent in the 2026 MLB Hall of Fame Class. Carlos Beltran Photo by Robert Deutsch/Imagn Content Services, LLC Career Statistics: BA: .279 | OBP: .350 | SLG: .486 | OPS: .837 | H: 2,725 | HR:

Photo Credit to Ian Maule via Getty Images Justin Gaethje vs Ilia Topuria Lightweight Championship Zak Drapeau I still believe we will see Makhachev vs. Topuria, but now that Gaethje is the interim champ, this fight should probably happen first. This also has Fight of the Night and Knockout of the Night written all over it as the probable heaviest and most technical strikers of the division square off. Who knows what Topuria's future holds and how his style, skill, and prowe

by Zak Drapeau 1/26/26 - Sportz Nation Finally the Patriots are back in the Super Bowl and will take on the Seattle Seahawks for the 2025 Championship. Photo by John Locher/ Associated Press Just last night, the Patriots finished a clean sweep of the best defenses in the AFC by defeating the Broncos 10-7 in Denver. With that one out of the way, the Patriots playoff resume now includes the #7 ranked defense of the Chargers, the #3 in Houston and #2 in Denver. With the final ga

-A Sportz Nation Special Report 🏁 Rebuilding—it has to start somewhere. Some franchises are set up like they cheated the system: one pick in the draft, and suddenly the next decade looks wide open. Other teams haven't been so lucky and are still searching, clinging to a “maybe” prospect and hoping their timeline finally reaches the promised land. And then there’s the middle: teams with a real threat in place, but he doesn't have enough help or hasn't developed yet to be the

Photo Graphic by Clutch Points And then there were two... The AFC Championship game is set, with the 2-seeded New England Patriots heading to Denver to take on the 1-seeded Broncos. New England, who are coming off a tough win against the Texans, will be looking for some more offense against a Broncos defense that is among the best in football. For Denver, they are, of course, without their quarterback Bo Nix this week, making backup Jarrett Stidham the starter on the biggest

Joseph McLaughlin 1/24/26 Sportz Nation Photo Credit: Charles Krupa/AP Photo via Spectrum News. Hockey’s greatest rivalry will be getting another chapter as the Boston Bruins prepare to take on the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. The matchup will be the third time the Original Six rivals have squared off this season. The Bruins took the first matchup in Montreal on November 15 by a score of 3-2, while the Habs got revenge on December 23 in a 6-2 blowout win in Boston. Now, bo

by Zak Drapeau and Matt Hylen 1/23/2026 - Sportz Nation Photo Graphic by UFC via ufc.com Justin Gaethje vs Paddy Pimblett Lightweight Championship (Pimblett -230) This should be an all-out war, even if it's between two fighters who aren't currently deserving of the title shot. Nonetheless, when the Highlight Reel and the Scouser come to blows, one has to assume that the veteran Gaethje should win the chess match when striking. The two have made claims that they plan to keep t

by Zak Drapeau 1/22/2026 - Sportz Nation Photo of Red Sox General Manager Craig Breslow from NESN NBC Interview via MLB.com Slow. One word that sums everything up pretty much. The Red Sox made a stunning move toward the beginning of the 2025 season by trading away Rafael Devers that set them to the rebuild we have seen over the past few months. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Offseason Moves Below are a list of the Red Sox moves this offseason: Signed: Ranger Suarez

by Joel Piton 1/21/2026 - Sportz Nation This year's Most Improved Player race is more competitive than it’s been in recent memory, with a growing list of players making undeniable cases for real, lasting growth. A handful are pushing toward their first All-Star selections, while others—once anonymous role players—have vaulted themselves into opposing teams' gameplans. These aren’t fluky hot streaks either, we're halfway through the season and these guys have not wavered. Thes

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 1/21/2026 Photo by Maddie Meyer/ Getty Images In 2002, the Patriots shocked the world by making a run for the ages in the playoffs and shocked the well-favored Rams to win their franchise's first Super Bowl. 24 years later and they have shocked the world again in the midst of another run for the Super Bowl. At the beginning of the season, Ceasar's Sportsbook had the Patriots Win-Loss Over/Under at 8.5 even though they finished last season at 4-1

by Zak Drapeau 1/11/2026 Sportz Nation Photo by Samantha Madar/ Columbus Dispatch/ USA Today Network via Imagn Images 1. Caleb Downs Safety 1 6'1" 204 lbs. Ohio State Strengths: - Great Special Teams Returner - High Production at both Ohio State and Alabama - Great processing speed when in deep and medium zone coverage. Uses zone IQ and athleticism to constantly threaten passing lanes. - Elite at sniffing out run plays and making plays in backfield. - Versatility. Can be dee

Photo Credit to Charles LeClaire, Eric Canha Round two of the 2025-26 NFL Playoffs is officially here, with the 2-seeded New England Patriots taking on the 5-seeded Houston Texans. New England, coming off a gritty 16-3 win over the LA Chargers, will be looking to exploit what is an elite Houston defense. As for Houston, who is coming off a 30-6 blowout win over the Steelers, the defense will need to step up once again with the offense banged up. The game is set to kick off on

by Zak Drapeau 1/16/2026 - Sportz Nation Photo by Steven Bisig/ Imagn Images Game Preview A rematch from only 2 weeks ago, this game should be one of the closest of the week and the only divisional matchup in the Divisional Round. These NFC West rivals played twice this year and split the series, but when the stakes were at it's highest in a Week 18 game that was for the #1 seed in the NFC and the NFC West title, it was the Seahawks that played stronger on their way to a 13-3

Photo: Justin Ford/GettyImages Just four years ago, Ja Morant electrified the league for 27 points per night, earning NBA Most Improved Player honors, and cementing himself as the face of the Memphis Grizzlies franchise. He wasn’t just a rising star; he was marketed as the future. Fast-forward to 2026, and that future hasn't panned out much at all. Off-court gun incidents leading to suspensions, fractured locker-room chemistry, injuries, and stretches of subpar play have shif

by Joseph McLaughlin 1/16/26 Sportz Nation Photo Credit: Landon Haaf via Denver7Sports and AP Photo. After a thrilling Super Wild Card Weekend, the NFL Playoffs are down to their final eight teams, all in search of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. The Divisional Round weekend will feature four games, the first of which will pit the No. 6 seed Buffalo Bills against the No. 1 seed Denver Broncos. The Bills and Broncos face one another in the postseason for the second consecutive y