Unbalanced

The Unbalanced explores the world of sports and the culture surrounding it; from basketball to baseball, football, hockey, wrestling, and more.

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Stories in Unbalanced that you’ll love, handpicked by our team.

Playoffs? Are You Kidding Me?
Hello readers, I hope you all have been enjoying my recent posts. It’s been a while since I’ve written an NFL blog, but I’ve decided to give it another try. We are almost a third of the way through the 2022-23 NFL season and so far, there have been a handful of teams that did not make the postseason last year but have showed some noticeable improvement and/or displayed flashes of upside that seem to indicate they could be contenders when January arrives. I’ve identified seven such teams and consulted my (imaginary) magic eight ball to seek answers to the question… will (insert team name here) make the playoffs this season?
Michael Kinnaly
Published 4 months ago in Unbalanced
Yankees Are Beasts of the East
On September 27, 2022, the New York Yankees defeated the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-2, to clinch the American League East for the 20th time in franchise history, and the first time since 2019. Divisional play began in 1969, with the American and National Leagues divided into two divisions: East and West (the Central Divisions were formed in 1994). It wasn't until 1976 that the Yankees won the AL East for the first time, but despite that long wait, the Yankees' 20 division titles are the most in the division's history, with the Boston Red Sox being second with 10, which is half of the total of their hated rivals.
Clyde E. Dawkins
Published 4 months ago in Unbalanced
Why Did I Care?
The 2022 UEFA Women’s EURO competition has set attendance and viewing records. It’s been accompanied by a commendable and long-needed rise in campaigning against misogyny and online abuse, including Not Her Problem and Her Game Too. These are fantastic strides in the right direction, and send an overwhelmingly positive message to future generations of players and fans, of any gender, that they are welcome participants in the world’s most popular sport. It’s wonderful to see how far we’ve come in respecting women as athletes. But this progress also serves as a stark reminder to me of my participation in a shameful culture of holding women back.
Maddy C. Phillips
Published 6 months ago in Unbalanced
Why Demographics Are Indeed Destiny for the Growth of Women’s Professional Sports
Overview One thing we know that holds true throughout the history of American sports is this: There is - and has always been - an ongoing evolution when it comes to the popularity and interest in specific sports. There was a day, back in the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s, that baseball, boxing and horse racing were the 3 most popular sports in the land. And while football had done “well enough” for decades prior, the 1960’s and 1970’s were pivotal - with television, with technology innovations, and with the full integration of college football - in laying the groundwork for both professional and college football to become the big money, dominant sports that they are today. And what are some of the major sports today have not had smooth paths to their places of prominence today. The NBA’s ratings were so bad in the 1980’s that even many of their playoff games were shown on a delayed basis, rather than being shown live. The then-fledgling UFC was almost banned by the U.S. Congress in the mid-1990’s, with Senator John McCain labeling mixed martial arts not a sport, but “human cockfighting.”
David Wyld
Published 7 months ago in Unbalanced
Stanley Cup Final Game Six: After 21 Years...
Where were you on June 9, 2001? You know where I was? I was in my living room watching Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Final between the Colorado Avalanche and the New Jersey Devils. I watched as Alex Tanguay scored those two goals (one in the first, one in the second), and Joe Sakic put one in as well. I watched as the Avs won 3-1 and captured the Stanley Cup, and I remember that feeling so well. I wanted it again. Fast forward 21 years and 17 days, and that feeling returned.
Clyde E. Dawkins
Published 7 months ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: Oilers Swept in Chaotic West Final
The Battle of Alberta series didn't just determine who would represent the Pacific Division in the Conference Finals, it was a battle to see who would be the last Canadian team standing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That honor ended up going to the Edmonton Oilers, after a five game series win, and it was their first Final Four appearance since 2006--the year that the Oilers made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final and fell just one win short. The Oilers faced off against the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final, and it was a marquee matchup: Connor McDavid vs Nathan MacKinnon. I was one of many fans who was salivating over this battle between two of the biggest stars in the NHL.
Clyde E. Dawkins
Published 8 months ago in Unbalanced
Thank You Buster Posey
Seeing news circulate social media led to ultimately coming to terms with reality — Buster Posey’s retiring from Major League Baseball.
Joshua Charles Heflebower
Published 8 months ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: Flames Extinguished in Battle of Alberta
We were really excited for this, weren't we? For the first time in 31 years, we had the Battle of Alberta in the Stanley Cup Playoffs; an occurrence that--many say--was set to happen in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused that season to be paused. We all salivated over this, and yes, I was part of the "we all." I was six years old when the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers last met in the playoffs, and I wasn't even thinking about hockey at that time, so this was really my first time experiencing this. I was looking for a seven-game, knock 'em out, street fight between these two longtime provincial foes. Instead, we got a short series that went the way of the Edmonton Oilers.
Clyde E. Dawkins
Published 8 months ago in Unbalanced

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