On Tuesday night, the Phillies season came to an end in heartbreaking fashion. After having a 3-2 series lead in the National League Championship Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Phillies lost the last two games at home, which means their season ends in the most heartbreaking fashion possible.
The Diamondbacks struck first with an RBI ground ball to give them the 1-0 lead in the first inning. The Phillies responded quickly with an Alec Bohm second inning solo home run to left field tying the game at one. The Phillies began to part in the bottom of the third, as a Bryson Stott double put the home team on top. The lead quickly evaporated as the Diamondbacks scored two runs in the fifth inning to give them a 3-2 lead. The D’Backs then rode a stellar bullpen performance to a 4-2 victory.
The Phillies certainly had their opportunities to extend their lead when it was 2-1, or regain the lead when they were down 4-2. In the fourth inning, the Phillies loaded the bases but couldn’t score any more runs, with Johan Rojas striking out to end the threat. The seventh inning, however, is what will keep Phillies fans awake at night. With runs on first and second, and one out, the Phillies sent their two best and most paid hitters to the plate. With the season on the line, Trea Turner and Bryce Harper both flew out. This inning was the back breaker, with the Phillies not even getting a baserunner after this moment.
In both games six and seven, the pitching wasn’t as good as it had been, but was also terrible. These two losses fall squarely on the offense, with the team scoring just three runs in the last two games of the series. Trea Turner and Nick Castellanos had particularly disappointing final two games. The pitching only gave up five and four runs, respectively, in games six and seven, which as stated wasn’t great. For a team that has swung its way to victories all year long, this is no doubt a sad way to end the season.
Looking ahead to 2024 and beyond, the Phillies’ outlook is just okay. The team will be good next year, but not great. Key players such as Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwaber are over 30 years old, and starting pitcher Aaron Nola is a free agent. There are no game changing prospects on the way to help the cause.The Phillies will look to have to improve the roster by acquiring talent from free agency, which given their already high payroll, will not be easy. The Phillies will be good next year, and can still win a championship, but it will not be easy, and there is no doubt that their championship window just got one year shorter.
Despite the disappointing end, it was great to experience another Red October and to see the entire city embrace the team. The best thing about sports is that there is always next season, and next season will be another fun ride. Until then, the Eagles are off to a 6-1 start and the 76ers started another season last night. Another season of Phillies baseball is over, but there are still plenty of Philadelphia sports to look forward to.
Red October is in full swing, and up to this point, it has not disappointed. The Phillies faced off in the wildcard round against the Miami Marlins. Behind strong outings from Zach Wheeler and Aaron Nola, the Phils easily disposed of them and moved on to face the Atlanta Braves in the best of five National League Division Series.
At the time of writing, the series is tied at one game a piece, and up to this point, it has been everything a fan could hope for in a playoff series: tense, and nerve wracking. The Phillies won game one behind a great team pitching performance led by Ranger Suarez, and some outstanding defense, especially from shortstop Trea Turner. A Bryson Stott fourth inning single, followed by a Bryce Harper sixth inning home run propelled the Phillies to 3-0 victory and a 1-0 series lead.
Game two was a heartbreaker. Ace Zach Wheeler put on one of the most dominant pitching performances you will ever see, going seven strong innings. A first inning Alec Bohm single put the Fightins up 1-0. This was followed by a J.T. Realmuto third inning two run homer to put the Phillies ahead 3-0. Behind your ace, this lead should be enough to win most games, but unfortunately, it was not meant to be, as a tiring Wheeler gave up a two run home run to Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud in the bottom of the seventh inning, to cut the Phillies lead to just one run. Unfortunately, the Phillies bullpen could not hold onto the lead, and an eighth inning Austin Riley two-run home run was enough for the Braves to shock the Phillies and send the series back to Philadelphia tied at a game apiece.
This series has essentially become a best of three, with games three and four to take place at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday Oct. 11 and Thursday the Oct. 12. A fifth and decisive game, if necessary, will be in Atlanta on Saturday Oct.14.
Writer’s note: If you are not already watching this series, then you are missing out. Put simply, these teams hate each other, combined this with the best atmosphere in baseball, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s games will be unlike anything anyone has, or ever will experience. This series is on a knife edge, and it is all but guaranteed that there will be a moment, good or bad, that goes down in the history of Philadelphia sports Because sports are such a big part of this city’s identity, it is not an overstatement to think what happens between now and Saturday will go down in history as one of Philadelphia’s defining moments. No one knows what is going to happen, but it is going to be very fun finding out.
The La Salle women’s soccer team began their third week of A-10 competition by earning a commanding 5-0 victory over the George Mason Patriots on their senior day this past Saturday at McCarthy Stadium. The majority of the game was played in George Mason’s defensive third—as the Explorers overwhelmed the Patriots with their maintenance of possession, movement on and off the ball and execution in the final third. The Explorers set a season-high for goals scored and scored more goals against the Patriots than they have against any other A-10 team in regular-season play in the last five years. Forwards Haley Gschrey and Justyce Hollenbach and midfielders Madison McCready and Elizabeth Estrada added to their season tally for goals by finishing their chances in-play and giving the Explorers their fifth straight victory.
“That was one of the best halves we’ve had in many years. Right now we’re pressing as well as anyone in the country. I thought today our movement on and off the ball was tremendous. A lot of that credit goes to Brooksi, our assistant coach, who’s done a great job staying in their heads and keeping them upbeat.”
These are just some of the many good things Head Coach Paul Royal had to say about his assistant coach, Courtney Brooks, and his team’s performance after their historical victory on Saturday.
The Explorers hit the ground running in the first half, as Royal had the team line up in a defensive 4-3-3 formation to start the game. After kick-off, the Explorers maintained possession with precise ball movement and forced the Patriots to press them early. The Explorers played crisp short passes on the turf and were able to penetrate the Patriots’ defense early as well. Junior Haley Gschrey opened the scoring with a low shot to the near post from inside the 18-yard box in the third minute after being led by a through ball from midfielder Caitlin Donavan.
After scoring their first goal, the Explorers pressed the Patriots in their own half and quickly regained possession. Seven minutes after scoring their first, the Explorers would find the back of the net again as senior captain Madison McCready finished a low shot to the near post from six yards out on a counterattack in the 10th minute after receiving a short pass from Gschery after the forward intercepted a hospital pass made by George Mason’s Christiana Grant. This goal gave the Explorers a 2-0 lead. The Explorers continued to press George Mason and quickly regained possession after scoring.
The Explorers proceeded to distort the Patriots’ defense with a combination of medium and short passes and eventually broke through in the final third again as sophomore Justyce Hollenbach scored in the side netting of the near post from just inside the top of the key after being led by a penetrating horizontal pass from McCready that found its way past two George Mason defenders. Hollenbach’s goal increased the team’s lead to 3-0 in just 28 minutes of play.
Yet again, the Explorers regained possession almost immediately after the Patriots restarted play at the center circle. The Patriots would see glimpses of possession after the Explorers’ third goal but never for more than a minute. The Explorers hustled, outpaced, and fatigued the Patriots in every third of the field. If the Explorers were not first, they were second to every 50-50 ball—winning the aerial battle against the Patriots as well.
In the 43rd minute, the Explorers would score on another counterattack as sophomore Elizabeth Estrada scored a half volley that landed in the roof of the net after receiving excellent service on a chipped cross from the right wing. Estrada’s goal would raise the Explorers’ lead to 4-0 and be the last of the first half.
Via John Freeman
George Mason would kick-off the second half at center circle but quickly forfeited possession. The second half proved to be worse than the first for the Patriots as the Explorers led the Patriots in every attacking and defensive statistical category except for cards, fouls, and saves. The Explorers earned more set pieces (10), shots on goal (8), and dominated possession of the ball.
La Salle would send George Mason home with one more goal in the 65th minute. Senior captain Madison McCready would get in on the action again. After receiving a pass on the left wing, McCready dribbled the ball in from 30 yards out—leaving multiple George Mason defenders in her path, and cut in on her right foot to score a powerful low shot to the near post from inside the 18-yard box. McCready earned her first brace of the season with this goal and scored the last for the Explorers in the team’s 5-0 victory.
Before kick-off, Royal told his squad that “athleticism and speed of tempo” would be determining factors in how well they performed. The Explorers not only gave heed to Royal’s advice by drowning George Mason’s defense with sharp attacking play from quick restarts from set pieces and constant through balls, but also managed to limit George Mason’s presence in their defensive third by maintaining their defensive shape. This win marked the Explorers’ fifth straight shutout—all of which were earned in conference play. The Explorers play their next match at home against Fordham on Thursday, Oct. 12 on ESPN Plus.
La Salle Men’s Soccer (3-3-3) has tied two of their last three games—being outscored by their opponents 2-4. Only one of the team’s goals was scored in-play, and from the same three-game stretch, just 10 out of the Explorers’ last 18 shots were on target. The team has generally done well to create chances from set pieces this season but has struggled to fluidly score in play. This was mostly the case in the team’s last game against Rhode Island, where Sophomore Goalkeeper Filip Sabatti helped the Explorers maintain a clean sheet by making three crucial saves.
This time last year, the Explorers had only won two out of nine games and lost a total of five out of nine. While the team’s record has improved, their volume of attack has not. This time last year, the Explorers had scored 11 goals and placed 47 out of their 112 shots on target— in contrast to having placed 34 out of 76 shots on goal up to this point in the 2023 season. The departure of attacking forces such as Nigel Buckley, Omari Coterell and Isak Sedin could be considered as a reason for the team’s decline in effective attacking play. Another reason for the team’s regression could be their lack of experience against tougher out-of-conference teams with such a young squad—as 21 of the team’s 30 players are underclassmen. However, the Explorers still have capable attackers in Sophomore Americo Pereira and Senior Omri Ezra, as well as other young talent to contribute to the team’s attacking production. The Explorers are currently playing with a four-man backline and have created much fewer chances for themselves than in previous seasons where they held a backline consisting of five men. The diagnosis seems to be the lack of successful medium and long passes leading to meaningful chances. Many of the longer passes the Explorers attempted to make against teams like Saint Joseph’s and Rhode Island did not find the feet of their intended targets. The Explorers did well in making short passes at times to create build-up plays but things seem to break down for this team once those passes reach the final third.
A solution for the Explorer’s attacking struggles may be to focus more on maintaining possession in the midfield and taking longer shots from outside of the 18-yard box. The team is not benefiting from as many chances from counter attacks as they did last year with the speed and prowess of more experienced attackers in Buckley and Cotterell. Fortunately, Sabatti has been able to neutralize the team’s lack of attacking production with some clean sheets. Sabatti made some impressive saves in the team’s away game against Rhode Island on Saturday, one of which was a bullet from Rhode Island forward Inigo Etxegarai that led to a corner kick. These types of saves are ones that have kept the Explorers afloat this season and considerable contenders for the A-10 playoffs. Hopefully, this squad is able to combine their stellar shutouts with some dynamic goals scored in play to increase their likelihood of finishing the season in the top six of the A-10 as well. The Explorers will play their next game at McCarthy Stadium against George Mason on Saturday, Sept. 30. at 7 p.m. The game will be available to watch on ESPN Plus.
La Salle Women’s Soccer began their second week of A-10 competition by defeating the Richmond Spiders 3-0 at McCarthy Stadium on ESPN Plus. The Explorers were able to overcome the disadvantages of playing on a wet pitch and endured heavy rain by scoring both in-play and from a set piece. Forwards Sunni DiElmo, Courtney Butlion and Justyce Hollenbach added to their scoring tallies for the season. Both teams were aggressive from the kickoff. Head Coach Paul Royal had the Explorers line-up in a familiar 4-2-3-1 formation which sporadically changed as the match progressed. The Explorers gave chase to Richmond’s backline early on, as the Spiders maintained most of possession for the first five minutes. The Explorers would soon become more dominant in possession near the 6th minute but only for split seconds. Much of the first 25 minutes was a tug-of-war for possession. Both teams struggled to create chances up until this point, but each side became more creative as the game approached the 30th minute. Through balls played by each side’s back four and midfielders were futile due to the ball skidding from the rain; until Junior DiElmo fired a left-footed shot into the right side from the left flank after receiving a well-guided pass by Junior Forward Courtney Butlion in the 39th minute. DiElmo’s goal would not just open the scoring but ignite a strong end to the first half for the Explorers as La Salle began to assert themselves more in midfield and find their forwards more in the final third. Royal would substitute Hollenbach and Butlion for rest to commence the second half where the battle for midfield would regress to a tug-of-war between the two sides up until Hollenbach would return in the 55th minute. Progressing from here, the Explorers would quickly find their rhythm and begin consistently beating the Spiders to 50-50 balls and recording more shots on goal. Riding on this momentum, Hollenbach would later dribble horizontally to beat three defenders in spectacular fashion and score her third goal of the season in the 67th minute. Hollenbach scored on a low right-footed shot just inside the 18-yard box that ended up strolling into the far post after deflecting off of a Richmond defender. DiEmelo assisted Hollenbach with a short pass played across the inside of the key. The Explorers would lead Richmond 2-0 at this point. Butlion would return as a substitute in the 70th minute, and almost immediately collected a yellow card for a rash tackle in the 72nd minute. Butlion earned the Explorers their sixth foul of the match and second yellow card as well. However, just four minutes later, the lone striker would courageously step up to take a penalty awarded to the Explorers after the main official credited Richmond Defender Gwen Howell for a foul committed in a crowded 18-yard box. Butlion confidently finished the ball in the roof of the right side of the net to tally her second goal of the season and help the Explorers secure a 3-0 victory. For the remaining minutes, Richmond gambled by attacking high but to no avail. The Spiders also earned some late set pieces in corner kicks and free kicks in the last 10 minutes but could not convert them into meaningful chances. This win marked back-to-back conference wins for the Explorers and what the team hopes to be a part of a three-game win streak; as they face the VCU Rams on Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. on ESPN Plus.
After a decade-long absence, the Phillies are back in the playoffs for the second straight year! The first playoff game will be on Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park. The opponent and time of the game are not yet known.
Here is a quick rundown in case you need a refresher on how the playoffs work. The six best American League teams and six best National League teams qualify for the playoffs, with the two best teams in each league receiving a bye until the second round of the playoffs. The Phillies unfortunately do not have a bye this year, so they will have to play in the first round, which is known as the wild card round. As mentioned, the wild card round will take place next Tuesday through Thursday (October 3-5) at Citizens Bank Park. The wild card round is a best of three series, so the first team to win two games, advances, and the losing team goes home. If the Phillies are lucky enough to pass the wild card round, then they would play in the best of five National League Division Series (NLDS) against either the LA Dodgers or Atlanta Braves. If they win that then they go to the best of seven National League Championship Series (NLCS), and finally, if they win that, they earn the right to represent the National League in the best of seven World Series, which will determine this year’s MLB Champion!
It is safe to say that both the city and University are very excited for this addition of red October. “I am so excited,” said sophomore Maya Martin. “Last year,” she continued, “It was really fun being able to watch the games with my friends. Especially with the Eagles doing so well at the time, that was a great time for Philadelphia sports. I can’t wait to do it all again.”
Everyone has their favorite moments from last year’s remarkable run to the World Series, whether it be Rhys Hoskins’ bat spike vs the Braves, or Bryce Harper’s home run vs the Padres, the city will be hoping to make more memories with their favorite team again this October.
Citizens Bank Park packed for a night of September Baseball, via Maya Martin
Some La Salle students are liking the Phillies chances for another World Series appearance. “I like our chances,”said junior Anthony Vogel. “We have one of the best offenses in baseball, and as long as the pitching can do its part, then I have no doubt that we will be in for another memorable October run”
No matter if you are a die hard Phillies fan, or just beginning to learn the sport, there is no doubt that what is coming next week will be a great occasion for Philadelphia, and, win or lose, it will be another occasion that lives long in the minds of Phillies fans across the globe.
The Women’s Soccer Team tied Temple 2-2 in their match against The Owls. Forward Justyce Hollenback netted two goals for the Explorers in the second half of play to initiate her scoring tally for the season and record her first brace as an Explorer. The Explorers trailed Temple by a goal shortly after the second half commenced after Temple forward Sumaya Togba scored a curving shot to the far post in a crowded 18-yard box. Shortly after, Hollenback opened the scoring for La Salle with a low shot to the left side of the far post in the 18-yard box after being assisted by midfielder Giovanna Castorina with a low cross from the right wing.
Temple took the lead late in the game after midfielder Beky Myers scored with a clinical left-footed shot from just outside the 18-yard box. Hollenback would score the equalizer nine minutes later on a second-chance shot from eight yards out. The Explorers maintained possession and found a rhythm with short passes throughout the game. Each team recorded the same number of goals (2) and assists (1) and were comparable with their shots on goal as La Salle created seven chances and Temple created eight. This squad has been creative in the final third this year—creating 40 shots on goal in just eight games and scoring 10 of them. The theme for success for this year’s squad seems to be threefold: maintain possession, attack in numbers when possible, and create chances with shots from 25 yards or closer. These tactics have helped the squad score most of their goals this season and will likely continue throughout the rest of the fall. However, the Explorers must maintain defensive positioning and anticipate second-chance shots from their opponents in order to win games.
The squad’s record to date is (2-4-2), consisting of losses to Townson, Delaware, and Bucknell at home, and Princeton away. Most of the losses were tightly-contested matches where the Explorers played well throughout the match but exhibited lapses defensively. In addition to tying at Temple, the squad tied NJIT 1-1 at Lubetkin Field, where attacker Madison McCready assisted fellow attacker Emily Banashefski in scoring her first goal of the season. In the squad’s two wins against Albany and Seton Hall, Head Coach Paul Royal had the Explorers line-up in a familiar formation with four defenders in these wins. Paul Royal entered his 21st season as head coach of the Explorers this fall, and secured his 200th win as coach in the squad’s win against Albany. This year’s squad possesses viable experience with 16 upperclassmen—who will likely serve as the backbone for the Explorers. The Explorer’s were ranked 8th in the Atlantic 10 Preseason Poll, and are currently 9th overall in the conference standings. Royal is supported by assistant coaches Courtney Tole and Matt Brooks this season as well. The Explorers will play their next game against The Saint Louis Billikens at Robert R. Hermann Stadium on Sept. 17 at 2 p.m.
La Salle’s Men’s Soccer team opened their season with an away game against Stonehill University on Aug. 24. The Explorers tied in the tightly-contested match where some familiar names initiated scoring for the 2023 season. Defender Americo Pereira scored the first brace of his collegiate career and forward Giammarco Rodio scored a penalty. The Explorers fought back from the 2-1 deficit that they faced early in the second half of play. Following their opener, the Explorers would embark on a three-game win streak—defeating both Army and Lehigh University at home on ESPN Plus, as well as Manhattan College on an away trip. The theme for the Explorers this year seems to be to attack early and often. While the team struggled to create chances against Lehigh, the Explorers have earned shots on goal in the first 25 minutes of four of their last five matches, excluding their recent loss against NJIT on Sept. 12.
More shots on goal for the Explorers will likely lead to more shots finding the back of the net and more opportunities from set pieces. Until their recent loss at NJIT in Newark, the Explorers were (3-1-1), with a .700 winning percentage according to the team’s homepage. The Explorers conceded three goals in a loss to Quinnaipiac at home which decreased their winning percentage to .583 and updated their season record to (3-2-1). Despite their recent losses, the Explorers have been able to capitalize on chances from five of the six matches they have played—as the team only went scoreless in their loss against Quinnipiac on Sept. 9. The team has also found chemistry with six of their goals being generated by assists. Defensive stability is an area the Explorers must improve in to keep their winning percentage above .500 and to make the Atlantic 10 playoff tournament. The team has conceded more than one goal in every match they have lost and conceded as many goals as they have scored so far.
Keeping clean sheets and maximizing opportunities from set pieces seems to equate to the team’s most successful matches and is likely to be on their agenda for the rest of the season. Taylor Thames entered his third season as head coach at the commencement of this season and will be supported by assistant coaches Ahmed Elgayar and Rich Kessler. The Explorers were ranked 12th in the Atlantic 10 preseason rankings after finishing (5-9-4) last season. This year’s squad has a healthy mix of Freshman (10), Sophomores (11), Juniors (3) and Seniors (6), with the underclassmen outnumbering the Juniors and Seniors. The Explorers will play conference rival Saint Joseph’s on Sept. 16 at McCarthy stadium on ESPN Plus for their next match. Kickoff time is 7 p.m.
In 2022, Nike shocked the world by taking over Majestic as the sole distributor of Major League Baseball jerseys. A year later, they introduced a new and creative concept that has driven a rift between baseball purists and new fans: The City Connect Series. Each year, a few MLB teams slowly roll out a new uniform set that has to do with the team’s city history. Many of these designs are bold and quirky, angering the old fans, but exciting the young ones. Below I have ranked each uniform, from worst to best and have given reasons why.
16. The San Francisco Giants
Courtesy of alamy
Starting in dead last are these hideous uniforms. The Giants design team has committed the cardinal sin of sports uniform design: They used a gradient. In addition to adding a cheap looking gradient to their main logo, which makes it hard to read, they also decided to brighten up the orange color in the jersey, resembling that of a highlighter. While I do like the Golden Gate Bridge on the sleeves, it can never take mind off the horrific gradient. The Giants missed the mark on this one.
Ranking: 3.5/10
15. The San Diego Padres
Courtesy of alamy
ESPN has this jersey ranked in their top five, probably because the Padres design team had the absolute correct idea behind a story for these. They wanted to tap into the Latin culture of San Diego by providing a jersey with pops of bright color everywhere. But that is also the reason for this being ranked last. I think they missed the mark with the way the jersey is presented though. The font is great, but having a mint and pink split color scheme across the word mark makes it hard to read and reminds me of children’s cereal that has mint and berry in it.
Ranking: 4.5/10
14. The Los Angeles Dodgers
Courtesy of Gettyimages
Yet another California team resides at the bottom of the rankings with these City Connect designs. While I once again enjoy the story behind these jerseys, it’s as if no effort was made with these at all. These uniforms are quite literally their normal jerseys with “Los” slapped in front of Dodgers with the colors swapped. At least the Padres took a bit of risk. However, these aren’t hideous looking.
Ranking: 4.8/10
13. The Boston Red Sox
Courtesy of Gettyimages
Sporting News and I agree wholeheartedly on this ranking. A design revolving around the Boston Marathon is an incredibly cool idea, however, I think these fall short as a Red Sox jersey. While they have a sweet replication of the marathon’s finish line, there is no red to be found anywhere on this jersey. This has a great design, but a Red Sox jersey with no red simply cannot be a Red Sox jersey.
Ranking: 5/10
12. The Houston Astros
While I love a good cohesive jersey where the top and bottom are the same color, the Astros did not execute it well at all with navy. These jerseys remind me of my high school softball team’s jerseys and not “two-time” MLB champion jerseys. The numbers on the pants are a bad look, but I love the NASA font and “Space City” is a cool and mysterious name. Perhaps if they wore white pants with these, I’d like them a lot more.
Ranking: 5.2/10
11. The Chicago Cubs
Courtesy of the MLB
Once again, the full navy uniform is an odd look. However, they stuck with their typical branding and didn’t take a whole lot of risks. I’m always a sucker for a powder blue and navy combo, though. Solid jersey, just a bit boring.
Ranking: 5.5/10
10. The Atlanta Braves
Courtesy of Gettyimages
No risks were taken here, but that’s okay. These are replicas of their timeless jerseys from the Hank Aaron era. “The A” patch on the chest is clean and not too busy, and the number on the front is nice. Good jersey, but nothing we haven’t seen before
Ranking: 6/10
9. The Texas Rangers
The most recent City Connect release has had fans up in arms. The rangers debuted these with people almost instantaneously calling them “trash.” But I think they look cool. While I’m not entirely sure about the story behind them, I think they did something different with the two tone look. The font on the front is cool and they have a very “old-timey” feel to them.
Ranking: 6.5/10
8. The Milwaukee Brewers
Courtesy of the MLB
The Brewers design team did a fantastic job with these jerseys. Powder blue, navy and gold is going to hit the mark ten times out of ten. I only have one slight problem with them that brings the entire design down, and that’s the “Brew Crew” saying on the front. It feels cheap and like something that I’d see on an MLB The Show game. If there was any other wordmark on the front, these would have top 3 potential.
Ranking: 7.2/10
7 and 6 TIED. The Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Angels
Courtesy of Gettyimages
A California team is finally featured in a good light on this list! The Diamondbacks and Angels jerseys are tied because I find them to be very similar. Both sandy colored jerseys pay homage to the sand in the state (beach and desert). Both contain numbers on the front left of the jersey. Both are overall really clean-cut and sharp jerseys. I love the different fonts they both used and I think these are absolute wins.
Ranking: 7.8/10
5. The Colorado Rockies
Courtesy of the MLB
Now that I have reached the top five, I want to put a disclaimer: Any jersey that is below another, I do not find to be “worse” than, it just so happens that I think the other is better. The Rockies did an incredible job here. Their uniforms are paying tribute to the state’s incredible license plate and they translate so well to jerseys. The deep green is a sleek color and everything about it is amazing. I would like to potentially see some purple in the mix, or white pants instead of the green, but other than that, these are perfect.
Ranking: 8.2/10
4. The Miami Marlins
Courtesy of the MLB
With that being said, I love these Marlins jerseys. Paying respects to their former minor league team “The Sugar Kings” is a great idea. The orange pops against the blue and white and it just screams “Miami Marlins.” Everything here is amazing.
Ranking: 8.5/10
3. The Kansas City Royals
Courtesy of the MLB
Not many people were excited by these uniforms when they were released, but I’ve loved them forever. The Navy with the light blue is gorgeous, the “KC” in the style of the many fountains within the city, and the large arm bands that are a nod to former Royals jerseys make these one of the best in baseball. Amazing.
Ranking: 8.9/ 10
2. The Washington Nationals
Courtesy of the MLB
After seeing the horrific attempt that their NBA counterparts made,I was terrified when I heard that the Nationals were going to be making a cherry blossom jersey. However, when I first laid my eyes on these, I was left speechless. The textured gray is perfect, the cherry blossoms on the hat and the chest don’t come across as cheap, and the large “WSH” font is amazing. These are incredible fashion forward and I can see people wearing these in public at any time. Washington, despite being an awful baseball club at the moment, at least looks good.
Ranking: 9.3/10
1. The Chicago White Sox
Courtesy of the MLB
Perfection. Absolute perfection. From the full black jersey, to the white pinstripes, to the “Southside” on the front, there isn’t a single flaw in this jersey. There will always be the classic Yankees pinstripes, and the Phillies powder blues, but these jerseys may be one of the best of ALL TIME. They’re intimidating, cool, fashion forward and look amazing on the field. These are the best City Connect jerseys we have gotten so far. It’s just a shame that this was the third jersey to be released, because Nike will never top this one.
Ranking: 11/10 Nike has a long way to go with these uniforms. I ranked half of these uniforms below a 7, meaning there’s a lot of D tier and F tier jerseys out there. They have 4 more to debut this year alone and then 10 more to go with some iconic teams. My only note for Nike is to not mess with tradition when it comes to the Yankees, Mets and Phillies because they will anger a lot of fans.
Wrestlemania season has officially come to an end and what a success it was. From some of the best female wrestling the sport has seen to possibly the best tag-team match of all time this Wrestlemania will definitely go down as one of the best WWE has put on. Here are some thoughts and my ratings of the matches.
Night 1
Austin Theory defeats John Cena to retain United States Championship
Starting the whole weekend event we got to see one of the best wrestlers of all time, John Cena, back on the grandest stage of them all square off against Austin Theory, a guy the WWE is clearly trying to push to a main eventer. While it was awesome seeing John Cena back, this match was such a let down. The match took a while to get going and once it did it was just filled with cheap shots coming from Theory which ultimately lead to him retaining the United States Championship. Best part of this fight was Cena’s five knuckle shuffle, where he thanked the fans before pulling it off. Makes you wonder if this is our last time seeing him in the ring?
Rating: 6.1/10
Men’s Fatal Four-Way Showcase: The Street Profits vs. Alpha Academy vs. Viking Raiders vs. Ricochet & Braun Strowman. Winners: The Street Profits
This match had to be the shock of night one for how awesome this was. For no buildup going in, it ended up being one of the most powerful, high flying and energetic matches of the night. For someone who has never seen wrestling before or does not care, I would show them this match. The Street Profits end up winning this match in an awesome ending. Rumor has it that Triple H is making big changes on Monday Night Raw and if there are two sets of tag team titles I would love to see this team carry them. Rating: 8.9/10
Seth Freakin’ Rollins Defeats Logan Paul
Ah yes, Logan Paul. Internet Star-turned-Boxer turned Entrepreneur turned WWE Superstar continues to prove he can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the WWE. Even die hard fans can not deny Paul has great in-ring talent. For how great Paul looked for his fourth match in the WWE, Seth Freakin’ Rollins outshined him. Rollins is currently the biggest babyface in the company. Whenever someone tries to cut a promo against Rollins the entire crowd just chants his theme song. I think it is time for Rollins to be back in the main event picture and fight against Roman Reigns. All in all this fight was great from the KSI appearance to the chants this fight had it all. I would have liked to have seen more buildup but not much you can do with Paul’s busy schedule. Rating: 8.6/10
While it was great seeing Trish Stratus back and how she proved she definitely can still wrestle, I felt this match was a little dull. As much as I loved watching Lita back in the day, I think it may be time for her to hang up the boots. She botched a few of her moves and clearly could not move as well as the others. Other than Lita, Becky Lynch looked amazing and proved why she is one of the best Female Wrestlers in the business and Damage CTRL did a lot of fun moves and pops for the crowd. It is unfortunate this match came after two amazing matches or else I could have seen myself liking it more. Rating: 6.4/10
Rey Mysterio defeats Dominik Mysterio
Besides the bloodline storyline this had one of my favorite buildups this Wrestlemania. Dominik Mysterio, while it was not believable at first, has cut some amazing promos leading up to this event and has truly embraced being the villain. How could you not enjoy this fight? From Rey Mysterio riding in a convertible with Snoop Dogg to honor the late great Eddie Guerrero, Rey beating Dominik with a belt, to Dominik throwing water in his sister’s face, this match had it all for a great storyline ending. This match could very well be Mysterio’s last fight as well and if it is he left on a high note. Rating: 9.1/10
Rhea Ripley defeats Charlotte Flair for Smackdown Women’s Championship
To be completely honest, I was not invested in this match leading up. This was one of the worst builds for a World Championship going into Wrestlemania and it was pretty clear Ripley was going to win. After the fight was over I had to say it out loud, this was the greatest Women’s wrestling match I have ever seen in my life. It was a slow burn to start and I was nervous we would have to sit through a boring match until one of the most highly anticipated matches in recent history. Once it gained momentum the two superstars absolutely shined and showed why they are the two best in the ring. As predicted by most people, Ripley became the new Smackdown Women’s champion but was still an incredible match. Ripley hitting her finishing move, the Rhiptide, off the top rope for the win made me jump out of my seat. Ripley is going to hold this belt for a very long time and she deserves it. Rating: 9.5/10
Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens defeat The Usos for the Tag-Team Championship
I will say it, this was the greatest tag-team match of all time. When was the last time anyone cared about a tag match? The bloodline storyline is the best storyline I have ever seen in WWE since the CM Punk John Cena storyline in 2011. This storyline is the reason why I started watching wrestling again. Everything about this match was perfect. I do not know what else to say besides this was done so well. Rating: 10/10
Night 2
Brock Lesnar defeats Omos
This matches’ buildup was just two big boys going at it to kickoff Wrestlemania. It was cool seeing Lesnar hit Omos with an F5 but besides that this match was just fine. Rating: 5.8/10
Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez vs. Natalya & Shotzi vs. Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler vs. Chelsea Green & Sonya Deville. Winners: Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler
I was really hoping this would shock me like the men’s showcase on night one. In the beginning it was certainly trending that way as all the superstars really had moments to shine. The ending however was so lackluster with former UFC Champion Ronda Rousey just walking into the ring and putting Shotzi in an armbar and winning. The ending definitely knocked a few points off of my rating for this one. Rating: 6.0/10
Gunther defeats Sheamus and Drew McIntyre in Triple Threat Match
Looking at this match on the card I asked myself, how could this be bad? Three massive men just beating the heck out of each other for over twenty minutes was awesome and there was decent buildup leading up with Sheamus vs McIntyre. I have never seen so many chest slaps in a match ever. Everyone thought Sheamus should have won to complete his career grand slam but Gunther is a young rising star and needed this win for his resume to be propelled to the top.
Rating: 8.2/10
Bianca Belair defeats Asuka for Raw Women’s Championship
While watching this, I really wanted Rhea Ripley to somehow interfere to set up Rhea becoming a universal champion like Roman Reigns. Yes it was wishful thinking but she is just such a great wrestler that I want to see more of. This fight was still good even though I felt Asuka should have won. Overall a very decent fight and a reminder of how far Women superstars have come in this industry and how great these fights have been. Rating: 7.9/10
Edge defeats Finn Balor in a Hell in a Cell
The Hell in Cell returns to Wrestlemania as well as Balor’s “The Demon” gimmick which looked awesome. This match is as close to the attitude era we could get in this PG era. Chairs, ladders, tables, and kendo sticks were all on display. What turned the vibe around however was Balor getting injured about ten minutes into the match. Edge threw a ladder at Balor and instead of his head going in between the stairs of the ladder, it hit him square on the temple resulting in a major cut on his head and blood dripping on the mat. They had to let doctors into the ring to check in on Balor delaying the match by a few minutes. When they began to wrestle again doctors had to stay in the cell to make sure he was ok which was odd but luckily Balor continued to perform at a high level, even taking a chair shot to the head to end the match. Great match but I am nervous about Balor’s health. Rating: 8.6/10 *bonus points for how sick Edge’s entrance was
Miz’s matches
Before I get to the main event I figured I would quickly talk about the Miz and the two random matches he had. The first match was against Pat McAfee and kind of George Kittle? It really just made me want to see McAfee on commentary as I dislike Corey Greaves there. Next was the awesome return of Shane McMahon but only lasted thirty seconds as he tore his quad. Snoop Dogg with the improv of the year as he hit the Miz with the peoples elbow. I think Wrestlemania could have done without either of these matches. Rating: 2.4/10
Roman Reigns defeats Cody Rhodes for Universal Championship
Wow. Just wow. You can not tell me watching both entrances you did not get goosebumps. Going into this fight I felt it was time for a new era with Rhodes as champion. When Reigns won I was upset along with the rest of the WWE Universe. I keep going back and forth on how I feel about this ending. Because a Rhodes win at Summerslam is not going to hit as hard as it would’ve last night, but then again are WWE fans ready for Reigns not to be champion anymore? He is the best wrestler on the roster, he is the best heel on the roster, everyone loves to hate him, but he is the Tribal Chief and we need to acknowledge him. Rating: 9.2/10
