Burke Sports Talk

MLB Reds sign SP Chase Burns to seven-year, $105 million contract extension In a season lacking much joy, yesterday was a day to celebrate for the Reds. Burns, 23, is one of MLB’s best young starters, and he’s now tied to Cincinnati through 2033. The right-hander was previously controlled through 2031, so this extension buys…

MLB’s Home Run Derby was last night. It’s fairly standard for me not to watch, though it appears I missed an entertaining event. For as long as I can remember, it’s aired on ESPN. This year it moved to Netflix, and that didn’t exactly elevate my interest. I’m not looking forward to several big regular-season…

Happy MLB draft day! Baseball’s draft is the least interesting of the three main ones (football and basketball) to me. That’s likely because it’s more of a crapshoot. I’m a fairly patient person, but waiting three-plus years for the typical first-round pick to make his major-league debut takes at least some allure away from the…

NBA Pacers sign PF Larry Nance Jr. to one-year, $4 million contract Nance, 33, signed with the Cavaliers last offseason to mild fanfare. The veteran’s second stint with Cleveland didn’t go completely according to plan, however. Playing in just 35 games, Nance posted career lows in points, rebounds and true shooting percentage. It was fair…

NBA Cavaliers sign SG Donovan Mitchell to four-year, $273 million contract extension Mitchell’s contract was originally set to expire following this season, when he would’ve been eligible for a five-year, $353 million extension. That scenario would’ve created some uneasiness for both the Cavaliers and Mitchell. The comforting situation for all parties was to agree to…

Happy Fourth of July! NBA Celtics sign C Neemias Queta to four-year, $56 million contract extension The Celtics are picking up Queta’s team option for this season. This extension will kick in beginning next year, and run through the 2031 campaign. Queta earning a four-year extension would’ve been unfathomable this time last year. Over his…

I’m not one for the heat. Sure, there are absolutely people that won’t — or can’t — tolerate it more than me, but high temperatures aren’t for me. The first day or two of 90-plus degree weather can actually feel refreshing. After all, early July in a way still feels like we’re recovering from the…

NBA Heat sign SF Andrew Wiggins to three-year, $64 million contract The configuring around Giannis Antetokounmpo in Miami begins. Wiggins had a $30.2 million player option for next season, which he opted into as part of this contract. He’ll also now have the same option in 2028, after two years of this new pact. Wiggins,…

The round of 32 of the FIFA World Cup started yesterday. Do-or-die stakes are exactly what the tournament needed to keep my (high) interest. There are three games today, which should be chock-full of action. I figured Canada would prevail over South Africa yesterday, though I profit boosted South Africa to win to +364. Alas,…

NBA Celtics sign SF Ron Harper Jr. to three-year, $9 million contract The Celtics declined Harper’s $2.6 million team option to make way for this new agreement. I don’t see the vision here. Harper, 26, is good enough to be on an NBA roster but isn’t a player I’d invest in over the medium term.…

NBA Thunder sign C Isaiah Hartenstein to three-year, $75 million contract Hartenstein had a $28.5 million team option for next season, which the Thunder declined in favor of this new pact. It’s a prudent financial decision for Oklahoma City, as it secures its starting center for a few more years at a slightly reduced annual…

I’ve been locked in for the FIFA World Cup over the past two-plus weeks. Soccer isn’t normally a sport I follow — again, bandwidth. There are far too many clubs and players that I would need to familiarize myself with, and it simply wouldn’t be worth my time. This World Cup, however, has been exciting…

Happy NBA draft day! The first of two rounds is tonight, and it’s one of the better drafts in quite some time. ESPN’s poor coverage and presentation of the event dampens my enjoyment, but I’m still greatly looking forward to it. I no longer do extensive draft preparation and a big board. Time constraints are…

Pretty much all of my bandwidth for sports consumption goes to the NFL, college football, NBA, college basketball and MLB. As such, I don’t normally follow other leagues and tournaments. The slower summer months tend to offer an opportunity for that to change, and I’ve seized it this year. The U.S. Open is this weekend.…

NBA Spurs 118, Thunder 91 Briefly in the first half, the NBC broadcast pondered if this was the best Western Conference Finals since 2018, when the Warriors defeated the Rockets in seven games. Jamal Crawford thought so, and I agree. Despite last night’s blowout, this has been a thrilling series. Game 7 should be cinema.…

The NBA announced yesterday that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won MVP. It’s rare for a player to earn the honor in consecutive years, as it’s only happened 14 times in league history. Last season, I thought Nikola Jokic deserved MVP. This time around, I have no qualms with Gilgeous-Alexander winning the award, even though he played in…

One of my weaknesses is a big, juicy steak. I’m on a fitness journey, but that will never stop me from ordering one at a high-end steakhouse. I ate dinner at Hyde Park last night. The restaurant falls short of the likes of Mastro’s and Smith & Wollesnky. The service was mediocre, and the overall…

The NFL schedule released yesterday, in case you hadn’t heard. As a planner, I enjoy looking ahead at future dates. I don’t anticipate attending any games this season, but it’s exciting to know when each contest will be played. To my memory, I’ve been to 11 NFL games in my lifetime. My least favorite thing…

I’ve been trying to enjoy the little things in life lately. We understandably tend to get caught up in our work, relationships, hobbies and other matters, but that sometimes causes us to lose sight of the bigger (or smaller) picture. Nature is amazing, and so is the sound of birds. A rainy day can be…

I have an admittedly bad habit of going down internet rabbit holes. I think many of us do. The habit doesn’t even require boredom — just curiosity and time. Curiosity is good, and so is time. But they’re only good if used properly. Alas, I found myself looking at the standings, specifically point differentials, across…