Greetings from the sports desk located somewhere below decks of the Good Pirate Ship RedState. Sammy the Shark and Karl the Kraken are hard at work doing detailed research while getting ready for the big game this coming Sunday …
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Actually, they’ll most likely be watching the Puppy Bowl.
Based on the collective lack of interest in Super Bowl LIX, to be played on February 9, 2025, in New Orleans between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, word on the street is a lot of people are going to be watching the Puppy Bowl instead. This will mark the Chiefs’ fifth Super Bowl appearance in the past six years and the Eagles’ second in the past three. The truism that familiarity breeds contempt may not completely apply here, but it definitely brings the ennui.
The NFL, which, despite the league’s popularity, is not a shining example of messaging success, has felt the need to address charges of officiating favoritism on the Chiefs’ behalf. To paraphrase the Bard, methinks the league doth protest too much. Yes, superstar players and top-level teams usually get the benefit of the doubt when assorted referees and umpires make decisions on close plays. It’s called not biting, or in this case, not penalizing, the hand that feeds you. The intelligent way of dealing with the matter is ignoring it. By publicly commenting, all the NFL has done is invite even more scrutiny with the implication that by feeling the need to talk about it, there must be some truth to the allegations.
MORE: NFL Will Reportedly Scrap Racist End Zone Messages Ahead of Super Bowl
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The game itself offers some intriguing matchups. Kansas City’s defense has the unenviable task of trying to contain Saquon Barkley, otherwise known as The Man Who Saved the Running Back Position. No other defense has kept Barkley from scorching the field, so now it’s the Chiefs’ turn. On the other side of the ball, Philadelphia’s excellent defense gets to try and corral Patrick Mahomes. This game has great potential to be an exciting shootout. Too bad we’re so overly familiar with all the participants. About the only thing that could make this game must-see TV would be for the NFL to yank Kendrick Lamar from the halftime entertainment slot and sub in Travis Kelce’s girlfriend instead.
Elsewhere in the sports world, the NBA went absolutely bonkers before the trade deadline, with big names making even bigger moves to different teams. The most surprising was the Dallas Mavericks trading generational star Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers for star, albeit not a generational one, Anthony Davis. The Mavericks’ publicly stated rationale is that adding Davis enhances their chances at an immediate NBA title, while privately whispering that Dončić lacked proper motivation to get in shape and such. From the Lakers’ viewpoint, Dončić provides a star around which they can assemble talent once LeBron James exits stage left on his way to owning the NBA expansion franchise in Las Vegas everyone knows is coming. Dallas had better hope they were right. If not, the best advice available for the franchise is to emulate its name by going full maverick and getting out of town.
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Elsewhere, the Golden State Warriors acquired the talented malcontent Jimmy Butler in hopes of giving Steph Curry a shot at one more title before he calls it a day. The San Antonio Spurs greatly accelerated their rebuild around stud Victor Wembanyana by acquiring De’Aaron Fox from the Sacramento Kings, thus placing themselves firmly in the postseason conversation. Other trades involved known names to pro basketball aficionados, such as Khris Middleton going from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Washington Wizards (poor fella) in exchange for Kyle Kuzma. Still, for many, the most interesting moment this year for pro league basketball will be April 27, when “Mean Girls II” opens, starring Caitlin Clark versus the WNBA Bitters. In other words, WNBA training camps start.
Anyway, better stock up on fish crackers for Sammy and Karl. Enjoy the weekend, everyone.
