Burke Sports Talk

NFL Cowboys part ways with head coach Mike McCarthy This isn’t a firing, as McCarthy’s contract is expiring, but obviously both sides are going separate ways. That seems to be more of McCarthy’s doing, though. The Cowboys likely engaged with him on staying around, but on a short-term deal. That’s a nonstarter, especially for a…

NFL Bills 31, Broncos 7 I predicted the Bills to win this game, 27-10, so it’s no surprise Buffalo rolled to victory. The Broncos struck first with a quick Troy Franklin touchdown — maybe an indicator of a small breakout next season — but it was all Bills after that. All Bills is no exaggeration,…

MLB Cubs sign SP Colin Rea to one-year, $5 million contract Chicago inking Rea marks a reunion of sorts. The 34-year-old pitched for the club in 2020 and also has experience playing for current Cubs manager Craig Counsell in Milwaukee in 2021 and 2023. Neither of those campaigns featured Rea’s best work — that came…

NFL Raiders fire general manager Tom Telesco Las Vegas hired Telesco last year, so I figured he was in the clear after the franchise fired Antonio Pierce. Apparently not. Starting over with a brand-new regime is sensible under the right circumstances, but Telesco was saddled with a roster bereft of talent. In this situation, the…

NFL 49ers promote Klay Kubiak to offensive coordinator This doesn’t change much for the 2025 49ers — Kyle Shanahan will still be the offensive play-caller — but there’s some significance behind this promotion. For starters, San Francisco hasn’t had an offensive coordinator since 2021, when Mike McDaniel held the title. McDaniel, of course, parlayed that…

NFL Titans fire general manager Ran Carthon Typically, it’s fair to afford general managers at least three seasons of roster building before deciding to move on. Drafts tend to a few years — at a minimum — to properly evaluate and those can make or break an executive’s tenure with a franchise. This situation is…

NFL Jaguars fire head coach Doug Pederson After an embarrassing 4-13 campaign, the Jaguars are wisely cleaning house and starting over with a new regime. Wait … Jacksonville didn’t fire general manager Trent Baalke?! In this instance, then, the Jaguars are moving on from Pederson, a well-respected head coach, for little reason at all. Pederson…

Wild Card Round AFC (2) Bills 27, (7) Broncos 10(3) Ravens 18, (6) Steelers 6(5) Chargers 24, (4) Texans 16 NFC (7) Packers 24, (2) Eagles 23(3) Buccaneers 28, (6) Commanders 20(4) Rams 23, (5) Vikings 17 Divisional Round AFC (1) Chiefs 27, (5) Chargers 20(3) Ravens 33, (2) Bills 30 NFC (1) Lions 29,…

Most Valuable Player Offensive Player of the Year Defensive Player of the Year Offensive Rookie of the Year Defensive Rookie of the Year Comeback Player of the Year Coach of the Year

NCAAF South Carolina transfer QB Robby Ashford commits to Wake Forest Ashford was a lot better in 2024 with South Carolina than he was from 2022-23 with Auburn, but that’s not saying much. While quarterbacking the Tigers, Ashford was dreadful, throwing nine touchdowns and nine interceptions across two seasons. After those two campaigns, the quarterback…

MLB Orioles sign SP Charlie Morton to one-year, $15 million contract The Orioles’ inexperienced rotation needed stability, and Morton, 41, certainly offers it. Plenty of it, in fact, as the right-hander hasn’t started fewer than 30 games in a full season since 2017. That’s great reliability, but this isn’t a great contract. For starters, Morton…

NCAAF (7) Notre Dame 23, (2) Georgia 10 I expected this matchup to produce the best game of the CFP quarterfinals. A narrow point spread? Check. Two teams wanting to win with ball control? Check. Two programs built through the lines of scrimmage? Check. The formula for a great game was there, at least. Alas,…

NCAAF (5) Texas 39, (4) Arizona State 31 There are wild games, and then there are strangely wild games. Texas, despite being significantly outgained, was in control for most of this contest, striking with big play after big play. That was until, of course, Arizona State began capitalizing on its yardage and time of possession…

MLB Nationals sign SP Trevor Williams to two-year, $14 million contract The National’s most likely won’t contend in 2025, but this deal is a bargain, making it hard to knock Washington for signing the 32-year-old. After years of serving as a middling starting pitcher, Williams excelled last season, finishing 6-1 with a 2.03 ERA over…

NBA Lakers receive: PF Dorian Finney-Smith and SG Shake Milton Nets receive: PG D’Angelo Russell, SF Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks Amidst a rebuild, it’s been an active trade season for the Nets. This was naturally the next order of business for Brooklyn after trading Dennis Schroder to Golden State two weeks ago. Despite…

NBA Kings fire head coach Mike Brown Most underachieving teams select a fall guy, someone held responsible for a season gone awry. For the 13-18 Kings, Brown inherits the blame. Ironically enough, Sacramento’s now former head coach is among the least responsible for the team’s struggles, but this reactionary move fits the bill for the…

NCAAF California transfer QB Fernando Mendoza commits to Indiana If it worked once, why not go back to the well? I’m referring, of course, to Indiana signing a tall quarterback from the transfer portal. The Hoosiers struck gold with Kurtis Rourke this season, who, like Mendoza, is a 6-foot-5 signal-caller with passing prowess. It’s unrealistic…

NFL Texans WR Tank Dell out for season with torn ACL We knew the second Dell suffered a devastating knee injury last Saturday that he would miss extended time. Yesterday’s news only confirmed that — and then some. Along with an ACL tear, Houston’s second-year receiver dislocated his knee and suffered other damage. Playing in…

MLB Red Sox sign SP Patrick Sandoval to two-year, $18.25 million contract There are worthwhile risks and then there’s this. Sandoval flashed in from 2021-22 with the Angels, but hasn’t been the same since, pitching to a 5.08 ERA over 16 starts last season. Moreover, the 28-year-old is recovering from Tommy John surgery, making a…

NCAAF Wake Forest hires Jake Dickert as head coach Dave Clawson stepping down was a relatively large blow to Wake Forest, but this is a decent response from the school’s administration. Washington State, no longer a power-conference program, is a difficult job in many ways, and Dickert still found success in Pullman. The Demon Deacons’…