Burke Sports Talk

NCAAF LSU 35, Wisconsin 31 Even without Jayden Daniels, LSU probably thought it would have an easier time with Wisconsin than this score indicated. Thankfully for the Tigers, wide receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas decided not to opt-out of this game, which was probably the difference. Moving forward without Daniels, generating points won’t seem…

NCAAF Nevada fires head coach Ken Wilson Wilson lasted just two seasons in Reno, but this is the correct call given the 59-year-old’s 4-20 record with the Wolf Pack. It’s unrealistic to expect Nevada to contend in the Mountain West every season, but the program should expect better than what Wilson gave them. Grade: A-…

NFL Panthers fire head coach Frank Reich Oof. Frank Reich probably isn’t in the upper echelon of NFL head coaches, but this move by David Tepper seems unfair and incorrect. Reports have emerged that the Panthers’ front office and coaching staff wisely preferred C.J. Stroud to Bryce Young in the predraft process, but were forced…

NCAAF Indiana fires head coach Tom Allen This is a somewhat risky move by Indiana — Allen did a decent job in Bloomington, and there’s no guarantee the program will find a better replacement. Indiana is one of the most difficult jobs in the Big Ten, and while Allen went 9-27 over the past three…

MLB Diamondbacks receive: Eugenio SuarezMariners receive: Carlos Vargas and Seby Zavala Suarez isn’t the high-end power bat he used to be, but he fits a need in Arizona’s lineup. It also doesn’t hurt matters that the Diamondbacks didn’t have to surrender any elite prospects to acquire the veteran third baseman. For Seattle, this deal is…

MLB Padres hire Mike Shildt as manager San Diego lost previous manager Bob Melvin to the Giants earlier this winter, and with hiring Shildt, is keeping it in-house. Shildt has plenty of managerial experience from his time with the Cardinals, so he should be well-equipped to handle the expectations facing him with the expensive Padres.…

MLB Cardinals sign SP Lance Lynn to one-year, $10 million contract To say Lynn is an accomplished starting pitcher would be an understatement. The 36-year-old is 136-95 with a 3.74 ERA over the course of his career, including last season’s less than stellar performance. With this signing, St. Louis is obviously betting on Lynn returning…

NFL Ravens 34, Bengals 20 The Ravens haven’t come close to slamming the door on the AFC North as a whole — the Steelers and Browns are each just a game back of Baltimore — but last night may have ended Cincinnati’s hopes for winning the division. In this game, the Ravens’ offense was humming…

NCAAF Mississippi State fires head coach Zach Arnett The Bulldogs did the right thing in promoting Arnett to head coach following the tragic passing of Mike Leach, but now, at 4-6, Mississippi State is also doing the right thing in searching for a new head coach. Mississippi State is probably a bottom-tier job in the…

NCAAF Boston College 17, Syracuse 10 There’s been plenty of discussion regarding Jeff Hafley’s job status with Boston College, but the Eagles are now 6-3 on the season and in fourth place in the ACC. With lower than ever expectations in Chestnut Hill, that’s good enough. An important reason why Boston College is now bowl…

MLB Dodgers sign 3B Max Muncy to a two-year, $24 million contract This is a bargain. Muncy will never set the world on fire with his batting average — he hit just .212 in 2023 — but he’s a good overall hitter that tied a career high with 36 home runs last season. Additionally, in…

NCAAF Bowling Green 24, Ball State 21 Ball State is in bad shape at 2-7, and it might be time to pull the plug on the Mike Neu era in Muncie. The Cardinals finished 7-1 under the Neu in the shortened 2020 campaign, but had more success under Pete Lembo. Perhaps a new head man…

NFL Bears receive: Montez SweatCommanders receive: 2024 second-round pick Sweat is an excellent edge rusher and is on track to have the best season of his five-year career, but the Bears are overpaying for the impending free agent. Sweat, even with his 6.5 sacks through eight games, doesn’t make sense on a Bears team with…

NFL Giants receive: 2024 second-round pick and 2025 fifth-round pickSeahawks receive: Leonard Williams The Giants are eating most of the remaining money owed to Williams, but getting a second-round selection for the impending free agent is good work by Joe Schoen. Williams is a talented defender and players like him don’t grow on trees, but…

NCAAF Army to move from Independents to the AAC in 2024 After losing SMU to the ACC, this is a logical move for the AAC. Army has been independent for most of its football history, but it has a natural rival (Navy) in the AAC, so this transition also makes sense for the Black Knights.…

MLB Giants hire Bob Melvin as manager The Giants are hiring Melvin away from a divisional foe in the Padres in this move. Melvin is an accomplished skipper, winning Manager of the Year three times, so Melvin’s experience should be a nice refresher for San Francisco compared to Gabe Kapler and his lack of experience.…

NFL Eagles receive: Kevin ByardTitans receive: Terrell Edmonds, a 2024 fifth-round pick and a 2024 sixth-round pick The Eagles are yet again Super Bowl contenders, so adding the talented Byard will only enhance the team’s championship odds. The cost to acquire the two-time first-team All-Pro is surprisingly low, but Philadelphia has found incredible value on…

Eastern Conference Western Conference Play-In Tournament 7 Hawks vs. 8 Raptors9 Magic vs. 10 Nets 7 Grizzlies vs. 8 Mavericks9 Thunder vs. 10 Pelicans 8 Raptors vs. 9 Magic 8 Mavericks vs. 9 Thunder First Round 1 Celtics vs. 8 Magic4 76ers vs. 5 Heat3 Cavaliers vs. 6 Knicks2 Bucks vs. 7 Hawks 1 Nuggets…

NFL Eagles sign WR Julio Jones to one-year contract Jones is basically finished as an NFL player — the 2011 first-round pick recorded just 299 receiving yards last season with the Buccaneers, — but the Eagles need wide receiver depth behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, so Jones might be able to help. The most…

NCAAF Middle Tennessee 31, Louisiana Tech 23 Louisiana Tech has a bit of a quarterback quandary. The Bulldogs started Jack Turner last night and then turned to Hank Bachmeier. Neither signal-caller performed particularly well in this game, but Bachmeier is far more accomplished as a college passer. Louisiana Tech should roll with him moving forward.…