Chill Sports

Image From: Jamie Squire/Getty Images In a scene from Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight , Harvey Dent makes a philosophical proclamation to Bruce Wayne, amidst a deep discussion about society’s need (or want?) for a hero like Batman. One of the many reasons this film will be remembered as one of the finest ever made is its relevance beyond the time period in which it was released, perhaps with no example better than Dent’s famous quote: “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain” Although the circumstances of Bruce Wayne’s plight to save an ungrateful Gotham City from destruction may be much more dire, Dent’s words still ring true in the modern sports world. As a society, we love to build up a darling player or team that employs an exciting brand of play or has a unique personality or culture.  After that, we love even more to watch them burn. Patrick Mahomes and his Chiefs are no exception to this rule: we watched Mahomes put on the g...

Imagine a cold, snowy Sunday in late January. The wind is whipping around so wildly it makes the ginormous yellow goalposts look like they could fall down at any moment. The cold cuts all the way to the bone and you can barely move your fingers, much less grip a football. The snow is dumping so hard that you can hardly even see what's in front of you. In these conditions, it seems like a tall order to fire a cannonball in a straight line-- how could you possibly hope to throw an oddly-shaped ball of leather with any sort of consistency? “Football weather”, as it’s so lovingly called, is really anything but. Cold nights like these, typical of the winter seasons in the cities of perennial contenders such as the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers, turn the game we know into an unrecognizable and sometimes nonsensical affair.  And yet, games like these have the power to decide who advances to the Super Bowl, and who has a long plane ride home to think about how their months of...

There’s no question about who the hottest team in the NFL is; having ripped off seven quality wins in a row, the New England Patriots once again look like the class of the AFC, except this time without the employment of one Tom Brady (heard of him?).  The reasons for their recent success are clear. They are getting fantastic defensive play, led by a serious Defensive Player of the Year contender in Matthew Judon. Mac Jones is improving every single week and now plays smart football while still pushing the ball downfield (and dunking on all four quarterbacks picked ahead of him). And lest we forget, Bill Belichick still runs circles around any other head coach in the league.  They are dominating the headlines (and rightfully so) after a crucial Monday Night Football win over Buffalo Bills for control over the entire AFC. That, precisely, is why I want to talk about who I think is the next hottest team in the league. The second-hottest team in the NFL right now (coached...