Still drinking Buffalo Trace- just nursing my bourbon as we head into the Holiday Season.
Various thoughts:
NFL- I'm no longer a Cleveland Browns fan, and I doubt I will be again in the future. However, the city of Cleveland loves the team, so I learn about the ins and outs of the franchise by osmosis. I'd much rather learn about the Cavaliers or Guardians, but right now the most interesting team is the Browns.
They've hit a particularly nasty catch-22. They drafted a QB in the fifth round (Shedeur Sanders) who they didn't really want, only all of the QBs ahead of him were either traded or injured. He's played all right- not great, but the team has a poor offensive line and even worse receivers. The Browns are currently 5th in the draft and will likely get one of the top two QBs in the draft if things don't change.
So, if they decide that Sanders is good enough to lead them to the playoffs, they can trade down and pick up several picks that can help them. If they decide Sanders isn't good enough, they can draft one of the top QBs and start over. Sanders has played just well enough that it's not an easy decision either way.
Regardless, the one thing we know is that whatever decision the Browns make, it will be the wrong one.
MLB- The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) expires at the end of next season, and people are fearing a lockout between the owners and the players. I've changed my mine- I no longer think a lockout will happen.
The system is broken- look at the salary disparity. It's well over 10-1, even worse when only looking at active players. The top tier teams outspend the small market teams. And when a small market team developes a great player, the market forces pushes them to a larger market and larger salary just as they are in their primes.
The system is broken- but who wants to have a lockout to change it? Not the large market owners, who get a ton of money from their local sports stations to justify the expense. Not the small market owners, who get a profit from the luxury tax without having to spend a lot. Not the players, who earn a fortune in their salaries. Not MLB, who love 'Great Teams'.
Really, the system only sucks if you're a fan of a small market team, knowing the only way you'll see your homegrown players contend is to leave your team for one of the big markets. And no one really cares about them...
Merry Christmas, everyone! We'll wrap up 2025 and make predictions for 2026 soon.
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