World Cup Round of 32 predictions

 The FIFA World Cup group stage is over, and it is now time to predict the inaugural Round of 32. 32 teams, 16 matches, 16 will advance. Let's get into it.

South Africa vs Canada: Canada wins 2-1

South Africa finished 2nd in Group A with 1 win, 1 loss and 1 draw. They only scored twice, but only allowed 3 goals, and that's important. It is going to be tough for Canada to score on them. But they did score 6 goals against Qatar, so that's something. They came in 2nd in Group B behind Switzerland. I am going to take Canada to win because I think they have the talent to score, but it could honestly go either way.

Brazil vs Japan: Brazil wins 3-2

Brazil finished on top of Group C via goal differential (tied with Morocco). Neymar, their best player, only played in one match, but Vinicius Jr picked up the slack with 4 goals. Brazil allowed only 1 goal during the group stage. Japan finished 2nd in a very tough Group F. They drew with the Netherlands and Sweden, and throttled Tunisia. Japan has a lot of talent, headlined by Daichi Kamada, who played the entire game against Sweden, scored against Tunisia and had a crazy header to tie the game against the Netherlands. I do think this will be a closer than anticipated game, but I think Brazil can get the job done.

Germany vs Paraguay: Germany wins 4-1

Germany finished on top of Group E by goal differential, smoking Curacao, beating C'ote D'Ivoire, and losing to Ecuador (they were resting starters in the 2nd half). Germany is oozing with talent, with Kai Havertz, Leroy Sane, Jamal Musiala, Deniz Undav and so much more. Paraguay were dominated in their opener against the US, but rebounded to finish 3rd in Group D. They only scored 2 goals, but their goalkeeping and defense was enough to earn them a spot in the knockouts. I'd very much be surprised if Paraguay won this game.

Netherlands vs Morocco: Netherlands wins 3-1

The Netherlands finished on top of Group F, arguably the toughest group. Brian Brobbey scored 3 goals in the group stage, and Cody Gakpo had 2. And who could forget about one of the best defenders in the tournament, Virgil Van Dijk? He was a stud in the group stage. Morocco finished 2nd in Group C behind Brazil, and they closed out the group stage in style, winning 4-2 over Haiti. They are led by Achraf Hakimi, arguably the best right back in the world. I want the Netherlands to win, and I think they will.

C'ote d'Ivoire vs Norway: Norway wins 3-2 (a.e.t)

C'ote d'Ivoire finished 2nd in Group E, allowing 1 goal all group stage. Nicolas Pepe scored 2 goals against Curacao, and the defense was very strong all group stage. Norway finished 2nd in Group I. Erling Haaland, Manchester City's star player, scored 4 goals in the group stage. They rested their starters in the final game against France despite having the chance to win the group. It will be interesting to see if that will affect them at all. I believe this game could go to extra time because both teams are evenly matched. But I will take Norway because of Haaland.

France vs Sweden: France wins 4-2 

The defending runners-up made it out of Group I unscathed. They scored 10 goals in the group stage. Ousmane Dembele and Kylian Mbappe had the majority of those 10 goals. They only allowed 2 goals in the group stage. It's gonna be hard to beat France, but Sweden could do it. They scored 5 goals against Tunisia. That same team needs to show up against France to have any chance. I don't think that will happen.

Mexico vs Ecuador: Mexico wins 3-1

Mexico topped Group A and didn't allow a single goal in group stage play. They are the only team to have not allowed a goal all group stage, and that's a big accomplishment. Goalie Guillermo Ochoa is 41 and in his final World Cup, and he went perfect. Will that continue? Ecuador hopes not. They defeated Germany to get here. Sure, Germany was resting starters, but it's still a big deal to beat them. Gonzolo Plata got the winning goal in that match. This should be an interesting game, but Mexico should take it.

England vs Democratic Republic of Congo: England wins 4-1

England finished on top of Group L, although there were some bumps in the road when they drew with Ghana. They came out on top thanks to Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, and goalie Jordan Pickford. Things are looking up for them. Congo came in 3rd in group K, but qualified for being one of the top 3rd place teams. They were in a group with Portugal and Colombia, so it's hard to be disappointed in them. They beat Uzbekistan to reach the knockouts. They are going to have their hands full with England, and I don't think they have a chance.

Belgium vs Senegal: Belgium wins 2-1 (a.e.t)

Belgium was looking dead in the water through the first 2 matches and didn't even look like they'd be here. Then they absolutely killed New Zealand and topped group G. They scored 5 goals, 2 from Leandro Trossard. They looked like the team they should've all tournament long, and that's encouraging to see. Senegal finished 3rd in Group I but scored 8 goals which helped them advance.  Papa Gueye scored 2 against Egypt. This should be close, and I even have it going to extra time, but I think Belgium wins it.

US vs Bosnia and Herzegovina: USA wins 3-2

The US finished on top of Group D, with 2 wins and 1 loss. The 1 loss was to Turkiye, and the US were resting their starters, but many people are concerned about it and are unsure that they can beat Bosnia. I understand that concern, but the starters weren't playing and they still almost got a point, so that's encouraging. Bosnia and Herzegovina finished 3rd in Group B, but made it through to the knockouts despite a negative goal differential, and being throttled by Switzerland. They beat Qatar and drew with Canada, which helped them advance. They aren't a pushover, but they are still a team the US should beat.

Spain vs Austria: Spain wins 4-2

Spain came in as a favorite to win the whole thing, and they cruised their way through Group H, despite drawing with tiny Cape Verde. They then creamed Saudi Arabia and beat Uruguay 1-0. They are led by Lamine Yamal, the 18-year old phenom who took the Euros by storm 2 years ago, Rodri, the best midfielder in the world, and Cucurella, one of the world's best center-backs. And I correct what I said earlier: Spain also didn't allow a goal at the group stage. Austria finished 2nd in Group J after drawing with Algeria in the final game of the group stage. They were dangerously close to being eliminated when Sasa Kalakjdzic scored the equalizer in stoppage time. I think they're talented but not good enough to beat Spain.

Portugal vs Croatia: Croatia wins 3-2 (penalties)

Portugal finished 2nd in Group K, after a scoreless draw with Colombia (that Colombia should've won). They had 1 impressive showing, and it was a 5-0 throttling of lowly Uzbekistan in which Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice. Ronaldo is likely in his final World Cup, and he wants to make it count. But they've got a tough test against Croatia. Croatia finished 2nd in Group L, after beating Ghana in the final game. Nikola Vlasic got the game winning goal in that game. I think this game goes all the way to penalties, but Croatia takes it.

Switzerland vs Algeria: Switzerland wins 3-1

Switzerland came on top of Group B, and they scored 7 goals in the group stage, including 4 against Bosnia and Herzegovina. They're led by Granit Xhaka, Johan Manzambi, and more. They're a threat to go far in this tournament, but they need to get past Algeria first. Algeria advanced on a crazy draw with Austria when it seemed they had won the game. They are led by Riyad Mahrez, Man City's midfielder. Algeria could win this game, but I just don't see it.

Australia vs Egypt: Egypt wins 2-0

Australia finished 2nd in Group D led by great goaltending and defense, and all around great play by the defense and midfield. They are going to have a tough time with Egypt, especially Mo Salah. The Pharoahs finished 2nd on goal differential. They are led by Salah and some great defensive play. I have to go with Egypt here just because I think they are more consistent.

Argentina vs Cape Verde: Argentina wins 5-0

Talk about a contrasting matchup. The defending champions vs the tiny debutants. The greatest to ever do it vs the unheralded players until a few weeks ago. It should be interesting, but Cape Verde doesn't stand a chance. 

Colombia vs Ghana: Colombia wins 4-2

Colombia finished 1st in Group K, led by Luis Diaz, Daniel Munoz, and goalie Camilo Vargas. They don't have many weaknesses, and that's important in a World Cup team. Ghana finished 3rd, thanks to great defense and goalie play, but I don't think it will last long. Colombia wins.

Those are my predictions for the round of 32. I know that by the time you are reading this, the match between Canada and South Africa will have been over. I started writing this before the match was done.

Weekend Recap

 Today I wanna do something a little different. I wanna do a recap on my weekend. I did a lot from Thursday to Sunday, and I am excited to tell you all about it.

On Thursday, I met my favorite YouTuber, Tom Grossi, a football-related channel (mostly Green Bay Packers) who was going to 30 NFL cities in 30 days. I have been watching Grossi for about 8 years now, and seeing him go from a substitute teacher to a YouTuber with over 1 million followers in that time frame is unbelievable. During his visit to Baltimore, my family and friends and I went to go meet him, and we got to have a conversation and take a photo with him. I was nervous, but I was thrilled to finally meet him in person. He's a really great guy that you should check out if you get the chance.

Now, Tom went to Philadelphia the next day. I live half an hour away from Philadelphia, so why did I go to Baltimore and not Philadelphia? I have a good reason. You see, I went to a bowling event in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It was a meet and greet for the upcoming Battle of the Brands event, where professional bowlers from different bowling brands had a meet and greet the day before their event. I got to meet some of my favorite bowlers, including EJ Tackett, Bill O'Neill, Patrick Dombrowski, and my personal favorite, Jason Belmonte, who inspired me and so many other people to start bowling with 2 hands instead of 1. I am so happy I finally got to meet him, and my friend got to hug him. 

But that was nothing compared to what happened on Sunday. I was in line waiting for the doors to open for the Norm Duke Open, when Norm Duke himself came out. I was expecting to see him that day, but I was expecting to see him in the building. Anyway, 10 years ago, I watched Norm and the Dallas Strikers bowl a perfect 300 in the Elias Cup semifinals, and I wrote a letter to Norm. To my surprise, about a month and a half later, he actually got back to me. I showed the letter to Norm and he cried. He was so moved that I kept a 10-year old letter from him. I couldn't believe how much I impacted him, and I felt fantastic about it, especially coming from a legend like Norm Duke. I was in shock. After we met Norm, we got to see an absolute classic of a tournament, won by Marshall Kent in a roll-off. It was an unbelievable day to cap off an unbelievable weekend.

That was my weekend. I wanna thank Tom, Norm, and all the people who came out to the meet and greet for a great time. And I can't believe any of this happened.

Stanley Cup and NBA Finals review

 The NBA and Stanley Cup Finals are finished, and it's time to do a little recap of them.

In the NBA Finals, the New York Knicks were up 3 games to 1 heading for game 5 in San Antonio. I wrote an article on game 4, if you want to check it out. Long story short, they pulled off the best comeback in NBA Finals history. So you can imagine the momentum they had going into game 5. They fell down 15 in the 3rd quarter, but cut the lead down to 7 at the end of the quarter. The 4th quarter was the Jalen Brunson show. He scored 15 points in the 4th, and 45 in total in that game. With 26 seconds left, the Knicks were up 2 points, and Josh Hart was sent to the free throw line. He made the first free throw, but missed the second. But Mitchell Robinson swooped in and got the rebound, and passed it to OG Anunoby, Game 4's hero. Anunoby was fouled and also made 1 of 2 free throws. The Spurs called a timeout, and Victor Wembanyama shot a 3 pointer and missed, but Stephon Castle got the rebound and the basket to cut the lead to 2. Mikal Bridges then took a turn at the free throw line and HE made 1 of 2 shots. Then it was Dylan Harper's turn. He did NOT make 1 of 2 shots. He made 0 of 2, and Anunoby shot 2 free throws and, you guessed it, made 1. Wembanyama missed another 3, Anunoby got the rebound and the Knicks were champs for the first time since 1973. 

In the NHL, the Carolina Hurricanes and the Las Vegas Golden Knights faced off in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Golden Knights fell behind 2-0 in the first 10 minutes of the Finals, but rallied to win game 1 5-4. The Hurricanes returned the favor by falling behind 2-0 in the first 2 periods and winning 4-3 in overtime. Game 3 was an instant classic. Vegas jumped out to a 4-0 lead, and it looked like they were gonna cruise their way to a 2-1 series lead. Not so fast. Carolina scored 4 goals in the 3rd period to send the game to overtime. There was still no winner after overtime, so we went to double overtime. Shea Theodore scored the winner in double overtime to win it for Vegas. In game 4 the Hurricanes got a 5-3 victory to even it up. Then they got a dominant 4-2 win in game 5 before getting a 3-0 shutout to clinch the Cup.

These were 2 incredible championship rounds, and 2 satisfying conclusions. I don't like the Knicks but it was nice to see them end a long drought. I am very happy that the Golden Knights lost because I can't stand John Tortorella. I think he's egotistical and as a Flyers fan, he did a terrible job as their coach. That's my thinking.

And that concludes the NBA and Stanley Cup Finals. They were 2 classics and I can't wait for them next year.

Knicks comeback down 29 points to win NBA Finals game 4

 The New York Knicks came back down 29 points to win game 4 of the NBA Finals and get a win away from their first NBA title in 53 years. They were trailing 76-49 at halftime and 81-52 with 9 minutes in the 3rd quarter to the San Antonio Spurs, but went on a 13-0 run in the next 5 minutes to make it a 16 point game, and eventually cut it down to 90-75 entering the 4th quarter. The Spurs went on a 5-0 run in the first 2 1/2 minutes of the quarter, but then the Knicks went insane and before you knew it, it was a single digit game. The Knicks took a 105-104 lead with 1:22 left in regulation, their first lead of the night. But then the Spurs' Stephon Castle was fouled by Josh Hart and had to shoot 2 free throws. He made them both to give the Spurs a lead. The following sequence was wild. Jalen Brunson, the Knicks' best player tried a floating shot. He missed and the Spurs' De'Aaron Fox got the ball. Instead of dribbling out the ball, he tried to dunk and was blocked by OG Anunoby. The Knicks got the ball with 5 seconds left. Brunson chucked up a 3-pointer from 30 feet out, but he missed. Anunoby swooped in and tipped the ball in to complete the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history and put the Knicks a win away from ending their half-century long drought.

I do not like the Knicks at all as a 76ers fan, but I have to give them credit for this amazing comeback. I thought for sure San Antonio had them by the throat and was ready to finish them off. But the Knicks didn't quit. In front of a bunch of celebrities, including Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David, and even Taylor Swift, the Knicks were the ones that shined the brightest. And any Knicks fan that left the game early made the biggest mistake of their lives. 

Will the Knicks finally end their title drought? Or will the Spurs make an incredible comeback of their own down 3 games to 1? We'll see.

2026 World Cup group stage predictions

 The 2026 FIFA World Cup is here, and so I am going to try and predict what is going to happen in the group stage, which starts tomorrow. I'm not the biggest fan of soccer, but I follow it enough to understand it. And I'm so excited for this to begin, especially because this year it's coming to the US. Let's go!

Group A

1. Mexico

2. South Korea

3. South Africa

4. Czechia

Mexico is historically very good in North/Central American play, but in terms of World Cup play, they're not as good. But this isn't the best group, so I think they can win it.

Group B

1. Switzerland

2. Canada

3. Bosnia and Herzegovina 

4. Qatar

Switzerland apparently has rattlesnakes at their training camp. Will that inspire them to play better? I mean, probably not, but I do think they're the best in this group. Maybe Canada or Bosnia win this, but I don't think so.

Group C

1. Brazil

2. Morocco

3. Haiti

4. Scotland

The winner here is pretty easy to predict. Brazil should run away with the group, as they're definitely the most talented. Then Morocco, who shocked everyone by making the semi-finals in 2022 (the last tournament. The World Cup is every 4 years. Should've mentioned this earlier....), should come in 2nd. Then who comes in 3rd? I'm gonna have to go with Haiti, because Scotland is historically pretty bad.

Group D

1. United States of America

2. Turkiye

3. Australia

4. Paraguay

I know we're hopeful the USA does well, and I could be biased, but I do think they'll win the group. Will they do much better? I don't know.

Group E

1. Germany

2. Ecuador

3. C'ote D'ivoire 

4. Curacao

Germany has had a rough past 2 World Cups after winning it all in 2014, but this isn't a very tough group. I think they come away with it easily.

Group F

1. Netherlands

2. Japan

3. Sweden

4. Tunisia

I am Dutch, so I want the Netherlands to do well, and I think they will. They have a ton of talent, especially in defense with Virgil Van Dijk. This is actually a pretty good group, and I'm curious as to who will win it.

Group G

1. Belgium

2. Iran

3. Egypt

4. New Zealand

Belgium is honestly kind of a dark horse to go all the way this year. I mean, everyone knows they're good, but it's almost like, how good are they really? We don't know. But we'll see for sure soon.

Group H

1. Spain

2. Uruguay

3. Saudi Arabia

4. Cape Verde

The top 2 should be pretty straightforward. Spain is a favorite to go all the way, and Uruguay is always a bet to go far. 

Group I

1. France

2. Senegal

3. Norway

4. Iraq

This is an interesting group to predict, honestly. It would be a shock if France didn't come on top, but the real mystery is everyone else. It's kind of wide open. 

Group J

1. Argentina

2. Austria

3. Algeria

4. Jordan

This is honestly pretty easy. The reigning champions, Argentina, in what could be the last ride for the generation-defining Lionel Messi, should crush this group.

Group L

1. Croatia

2. England

3. Ghana

4. Panama

Last but not least, 2 teams that are very hungry for a World Cup and 2 teams that are scrappy and ready to pounce.

Those are my predictions for the group stage of this year's World Cup. I highly doubt I'll be right, but who knows?

(TRIPLE FEATURE) Browns trade Myles Garrett to Rams, Eagles trade AJ Brown to Patriots and NBA Finals Preview

 It's been a long time since I've done a double feature, and I was planning on doing one today.That is until the Browns decided to trade the best defensive player in football away to a championship contender in the LA Rams. We all anticipated AJ Brown heading to New England, and I wanted to do an NBA Finals preview today, so why not combine all 3 into one? I think that's a perfect idea.

Let's start off with the most shocking news of the day. The Cleveland Browns traded 2-time Defensive Player of the Year and the guy with the most single-season sacks in NFL history, Myles Garrett, to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round draft pick, a 2028 second round pick, and a 2029 3rd-round pick. Garrett has talked about wanting to leave Cleveland for years now, and it's understandable as he was playing the best football of his career on a team that repeatedly lost 10 or more games. Jimmy Haslam is a terrible owner, and the front office is full of idiots. I'm not a Browns fan, but it's annoying that they had a generational talent and completely wasted his prime.

Mostly, I'm mad the Eagles didn't get him (more on that later). Howie Roseman is a fantastic general manager, but you're telling me he couldn't field a single offer for Myles Garrett? I mean, you could've gotten a few first-round picks for him! Or especially.....AJ Brown.

And that leads into the next part of the article. The Philadelphia Eagles have decided to trade Pro Bowl wide receiver AJ Brown to the New England Patriots in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round pick and a 2028 first-round pick. Brown has been rumored to be in New England pretty much since the off-season began. However, the Eagles couldn't trade him until today because they'd have no cap space if they did it before. Now they have the cap space they need to start making some moves. The thing that annoys me is that we were gaslit into thinking it wasn't a done deal. We all knew it was official, but they kept gaslighting us, and some people fell for it. I understand that it's the media trying to get clicks or keep us on our toes. That doesn't mean I have to like it. As for the trade itself, I will say this. I think Brown is a great receiver and a franchise legend. However, I feel it was time to move on. And here's why. Brown was a bit of a diva, and he was complaining about not getting the ball enough, and it's annoying. I don't care how good you are, that doesn't excuse your attitude. And it would be one thing if he was playing well, which he was, but in the biggest moment of the year, he absolutely crapped the bed. In the wild card round against San Francisco, he dropped the ball 3 times, including one that ended the season. This is a move that needed to be made, but I will miss Brown, as he was one of the best receivers in Eagles history.

Last but not least, my NBA Finals predictions. Normally, I would do a full on breakdown of how each team got to this point, but I feel like you guys have already read enough, and I don't want you to read much more. But I don't want to just give my prediction right to you, so here's what I will do instead.

The Knicks have been absolutely dominant in the playoffs. They only lost 2 games in the Eastern Conference Playoffs, both to the Atlanta Hawks. They are led by Jalen Brunson, Karl Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges, among others. The Villanova championship squad has been stepping up huge, especially Brunson, the Eastern Conference Finals MVP. Coach Tom Thibodeau has this team on the right track.

The Spurs have been the NBA's feelgood story this year. In the years following Manu Ginobili's retirement in 2017, the team has failed to win a playoff series after winning 4 championships with Ginobili. This decade, they missed the playoffs every single year, until this year. The Spurs won 62 games, their most in 10 years. Victor Wembanyama went from a solid player to an excellent one, and the post Gregg Popovich era is starting off fantastic. They shocked the world in the conference finals by beating the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in 7 games. Wembanyama, unsurprisingly, took home Western Conference Finals MVP honors. Mitch Johnson has been a fantastic replacement for Popovich and there's no reason to dislike San Antonio.

I'm not gonna waste time here. I think the Spurs will win, but I think the Knicks will make it close. I see the series going 6 games and Wembanyama cements himself as a legend.

I know that was a lot to take in, but thanks for sticking with me through this point. I appreciate you all.