Burke Sports Talk

NCAAF 2026 four-star QB Julian Lewis commits to USC At this point, it’s fair to argue that nobody recruits quarterbacks better than Lincoln Riley. As a 2026 recruit, Lewis is the No. 1 player in his class, and thus essentially a five-star prospect. There’s a chance Lewis reclassifies to 2025, and if that occurs, he…

MLB Mariners 7, Astros 6 Seattle had a bit of a storybook regular season in 2022 followed by an alarming 11-16 start to this season. Based on that start, there was certainly reason to worry, but that’s deep in the past now. The Mariners have now won six straight, including this sweep against the Astros,…

NCAAF 2024 five-star EDGE Colin Simmons commits to Texas Simmons, the No. 8 player in his class, is a game changer, but Texas needs him to be a program changer. The Longhorns have plenty of talent, and should compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff this season, but the program needs guys like…

NBA Knicks sign SG Josh Hart to four-year, $81 million contract extension Hart isn’t the type of player that will fill up the scoring column, but he’s a solid all-around talent that helps teams wins. Over $20 million per year is a hefty price to pay for a role player, and Hart will be 33…

MLB Phillies 8, Nationals 4 Kyle Schwarber hits some of the prettiest home runs you’ll see. The ball just flies off his bat like a supernova. In this game, Schwarber hit home run Nos. 29 and 30, and it feels like the 62-52 Phillies are in solid shape to grab an NL wild card spot.…

NFL Lions sign QB Teddy Bridgewater Details regarding this contract haven’t been released, but I’m assuming it’s a one-year deal. Bridgewater is one of football’s top backup quarterbacks, and should fit in nicely behind Jared Goff on a Lions team that has big aspirations for 2023. The 30-year-old wasn’t great last season, as he threw…

NCAAF Oregon and Washington leave Pac-12 and join Big Ten While at least somewhat expected, this is a seismic move that leaves the Pac-12 near peril and makes the Big Ten the NCAA’s first super conference. In addition to losing Oregon and Washington, the Pac-12 is also being abandoned by Arizona, leaving it with just…

NCAAF 2024 five-star WR Perry Thompson commits to Auburn Hugh Freeze has yet to coach a game for the Tigers, but he’s already proving himself on the recruiting trail. A few days ago, Auburn flipped five-star Demarcus Riddick from Georgia, and now Freeze has added Thompson to the mix, flipping him from arch rival Alabama.…

MLB Dodgers receive: Lance Lynn and Joe KellyWhite Sox receive: Trayce Thompson and two prospects This trade is a bit puzzling for the Dodgers. Lynn is an accomplished starter, but he’s been just plain bad in 2023, and Kelly hasn’t been much better. Surrendering Trayce Thompson doesn’t hurt Los Angeles one bit, but Nick Nastrini,…

MLB Marlins receive: David RobertsonMets receive: Two prospects The Marlins could use some bullpen help, so Robertson helps fill a void in Miami. The 38-year-old’s $10 million salary is pretty fair, so the low-budget Marlins adding it to their payroll shouldn’t be much of an issue. In exchange for Robertson, Miami is sending out Marco…

NFL Chargers sign QB Justin Herbert to five-year, $262.5 million contract extension The total amount of this contract surpasses the deals for Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts, but this still feels low. Part of the reason for this pact coming in lower than expected, at least on a per-year basis, is because it’s only for…

MLB Braves 7, Diamondbacks 5 There might not be a more underrated hitter in baseball than Matt Olson. Atlanta’s first baseman, after smashing home run Nos. 31 and 32 yesterday, is on pace for over 50 this season. Arizona is in the thick of the NL pennant race, so losing a Zac Gallen start, even…

NBA Jazz sign SG Jordan Clarkson to three-year, $55 million contract extension This extension includes a raise in 2024 for Clarkson, one of the league’s best scorers off the bench. There’s almost no reason to dislike this deal for the Jazz. If the team fails to become a winner over the next few seasons, the…

NBA Pacers sign PG Tyrese Haliburton to five-year, $206 million contract extension No surprise here. Haliburton is Indiana’s franchise player, so the club rightfully inked the guard to this max extension, which includes escalators that could make it worth up to $260 million over five years. That’s a lot of money, but Haliburton will be…

NBA Hawks receive: Rudy Gay and a second-round pickJazz receive: John Collins More than anything, this was a move by the Hawks to create breathing room under the luxury tax threshold. Trading away Collins will likely make Atlanta a bit less talented, at least on paper, but players such as Onyeka Okongwu, Saddiq Bey and…

MLB Cubs 9, Cardinals 1 The Cubs’ position in the NL Central is starting to even out. For awhile, Chicago maintained the division’s only positive run differential, but it wasn’t translating to wins. That’s changed of late, as the Cubs have won nine of 10 and are just three games back of the division leading…

NBA Warriors receive: Chris Paul and 2023 57th overall pickWizards receive: Jordan Poole, Patrick Baldwin, Ryan Rollins, 2030 protected first-round pick, and 2027 second-round pick This feels a lot more like Golden State chasing a big name than it does Golden State making a move to better its organization. For starters, can Stephen Curry and…

MLB Braves 4, Phillies 2 Doesn’t it feel like the Braves, winners of seven in a row, should be up by more than 5.5 games in the NL East? Anyway, Atlanta will extend its lead in the division if Ronald Acuna continues to play at an MVP level. Acuna went 2-for-5 with an RBI last…

My NBA Draft big board might now be posted Thursday morning, instead of Wednesday, to allow more time for evaluations.