Latest news with #ChrisVannini
New York Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Three NBA Finals presentation adjustments NBA, ESPN should make for Game 2
'Everything about this NBA Finals presentation looks like a regular-season game,' The Athletic's Chris Vannini noted in the NBA Finals Game 1 live blog, in a good summary of some of the discourse online. The NBA Finals are all about game-to-game adjustments. Based on widespread fan discussion during the Indiana Pacers' thrilling win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Thursday night's Game 1, here are several changes the NBA and ESPN might consider heading into Game 2 or as the series travels to Indiana next week. Advertisement In 2014, the NBA removed the huge Finals logo decal from the court for player safety reasons. Fair enough. That doesn't mean the league can't put a smaller decal — the script 'Finals' is always an elegant look — on the court. Fans watching on TV might even be willing to accept a digitized overlay of the logo on the screen, if it's in the service of making the court visuals more fitting for the special occasion. 'This game doesn't look like an NBA Finals game,' The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov said Thursday night. 'Yes, the finals midcourt logo hasn't been there for a few years. And the only script visible on the court is for a beer company advertiser. 'Heck, the only way to guess it's a finals game is all the ads crammed onto the TV all at once (I'm counting five that can be seen at once just on the court). It is a little odd that the NBA put so much into making the NBA Cup so distinct visually that those games now look more distinct than a finals game.' While we're talking about the finals logo: The small patch above the player name on the back of each jersey is too subtle. The league can take a cue from the College Football Playoff and put something big and bold on the front, by the shoulder. (Not suggesting they cover the sponsor patch or the Nike swoosh, simply that they add in a more prominent patch that commemorates that the team is playing in the finals. It's not clutter, it's classy.) One way to help with the commonly held observation that these two teams are relatively unknown is to introduce the lineups through — quite literally — player introductions. Put a name to a face, mediated through a booming PA announcer's voice. Let viewers hear the OKC home fans boo visiting would-be villains like Tyrese Haliburton or go crazy for their hometown stars. How Thunder fans react to the introduction of Haliburton in Game 2 has become a real storyline of the game, along with how Pacers fans in Indiana greet him or the Thunder. Will Shai Gilgeous-Alexander earn a 'Free! Throw! Mer! Chant!' call from Indiana fans? Let fans sitting at home experience that. Advertisement Part of elevating this new generation of stars to casual fans is to do those little extra things that elevate them. An on-screen graphic of the starting fives, like it's a Thursday night in January, doesn't do the event justice. Shaquille O'Neal, along with his 'Inside The NBA' colleagues, will be joining the ESPN family next season after years of setting the standard for NBA entertainment on TNT. One of the best moments of Thursday's broadcast was Shaq unexpectedly crashing ESPN's pre-game set on live TV. .@SHAQ crashed the NBA Countdown set NBA Finals Game 1 | NOW on ABC — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 6, 2025 That kind of spontaneity and frolic put into relief ESPN's existing interpretation of the pre-game show — and why the network acquired the license to broadcast 'Inside The NBA' next season. With Shaq joining ESPN, the NBA and ESPN would be well-served to show him before the game, at halftime and during the game, if he is willing to chime in from his courtside seat. If Kenny Smith, also on-site helping with Turner's NBA TV coverage, can jump in, all the better. Fans can't get enough of the 'Inside'-style authenticity and camaraderie, and it has the additional benefit of highlighting that Shaq and the 'Inside' crew will be appearing on ESPN starting this fall. Are there any other adjustments you'd like to see from the NBA or ESPN about the game presentation? Leave them in the comments below.
New York Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
The EA Sports College Football 26 teams we are most excited to play
By Antonio Morales, Ari Wasserman and Chris Vannini We're getting closer and closer to the release of EA Sports College Football 26's launch. There was a ton of hype and excitement surrounding last year's game, which was the return of the college football game after an 11-year hiatus. Now, we're starting to learn a little more as EA Sports has tried to work out the kinks from last year's return. EA released an official trailer for the game last week, and The Athletic's Chris Vannini played the game and wrote about the differences in this year's version. Advertisement As the July 10 launch date nears, three of The Athletic's EA College Football devotees (Vannini, David Ubben and Antonio Morales) have shared their thoughts on the teams they're looking forward to playing with in this year's game. Let's get to their choices. This time last year, Kevin Jennings was the best-kept secret on SMU's campus. By midseason, the dual-threat passer had officially taken over for returning starter Preston Stone, helping lead the Mustangs to the College Football Playoff. His speed is going to be maddening on the game, and he's due for a ratings upgrade after his breakout season. He was an 88 by season's end with 87 speed. Plus, LJ Johnson Jr. is due for a breakout season at running back, and RJ Maryland and Jordan Hudson should be a solid 1-2 punch in the passing game. The Wildcats were my online team last year, and working the quarterback run game with Avery Johnson and Dylan Edwards should be very satisfying again. Johnson should be improved as a passer on the game to give some balance, and Jayce Brown should get a speed boost (it was just 90 last year) to make defenses account for the vertical game more than they did a year ago. Plus, with the additions of receivers Jaron Tibbs and Jerand Bradley, the weakness of the offense should be upgraded. I'll miss trucking defenders with DJ Giddens, but Edwards' rating should get a boost this year. Nyck Harbor only caught 26 passes for 376 yards last year, but he's a cheat code in the game and opens up the entire offense. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound track star shouldn't have his 99 acceleration and 99 speed ratings dip, and that's good news for QB LaNorris Sellers, who was only an 82 overall on last year's game. Dylan Stewart was only an 87, and a freakish defensive end can change everything for playing defense. He might be pushing well into the 90s on CFB26. Alongside Harbor, Mazeo Bennett and Jared Brown give Sellers three receivers with at least a 92 speed rating. I'm scared just thinking about it. There's a reason the Gamecocks were one of the most popular teams online last year, and that may only grow this year. Speed kills. Advertisement I love to run the ball, and A&M has the craziest stable of backs on the game. Le'Veon Moss, Rueben Owens and Amari Daniels were all over 85 overall last year and should get some bumps this year for a team that's very good on the line of scrimmage, too. Plus, QB Marcel Reed should get a bump from being an 83 overall last year. The Aggies aren't a sexy team in the passing game, but running multiple-back sets from Collin Klein's playbook will give defenses a headache. There's nothing more demoralizing than knowing you can't stop an opponent's running game, and A&M might be the best running team on the game. Especially with the emphasis on Wear and Tear this year, having three big-time backs means never having to adjust your approach. New playbook! New Rice coach Scott Abell's gun option made him a force at Davidson, and with expanded playbooks on this year's game, I'm looking forward to digging into Rice's playbook for all kinds of option schemes out of all kinds of shotgun formations. There were some great plays and RPOs with options built on top of them on last year's game. And considering the unique nature of what Rice should be doing under Abell, I could see his playbook being very popular. I make my own custom playbook, and I know I'll be stealing a few pages from Abell's. I've already played with the Sooners in my brief hands-on with CFB26, and they're as fun as you would expect. With dual-threat quarterback John Mateer, running back Jaydn Ott and a strong defense, the Sooners might be the go-to team for a majority of casual online players the same way Alabama was last year. Mateer finished CFB25 as an 87 overall and Ott was an 89. Both should be better. Oklahoma was one of the biggest portal winners this offseason. It needs to show up on the real field for head coach Brent Venables this year, but on the virtual field, they're guaranteed fun. Quarterback Darian Mensah finished CFB25 as an 84 overall as a Tulane freshman, but he should get a ratings jump and be a lot of fun to play with at Duke as one of the better QBs in the country. Oklahoma transfer receiver Andrel Anthony should be a speedy deep threat (that 94 speed should improve), and the offensive line should be one of the better ones in the ACC. The defense returns a ton from a group that finished fourth in sacks and needs to get more respect than last year's ratings (80 overall). While the attention is rightfully on quarterback Dante Moore (81 overall, 79 speed in CFB25), don't overlook that the Ducks added Tulane running back Makhi Hughes (92 overall). I briefly played with Oregon in Orlando, and it is a fun team with an obviously fun playbook. I grabbed an interception with Purdue transfer safety Dillon Thieneman (90 overall in CFB25), and the Oregon defensive front will be strong again. Advertisement I always spend some time with a triple-option team, and Navy fits because of returning QB Blake Horvath (85 overall in CFB25) and its awesome playbook that could be even more dynamic this year. Offensive coordinator Drew Cronic's Wing-T option took off in a big way last year. I didn't get to the Midshipmen in my test, but I'm looking forward to it. Yes, really. The Hawkeyes actually had a really solid playbook last year, and now they've got South Dakota State transfer quarterback Mark Gronowski under center. He's coming back from a knee injury, so I'm not totally bought in in real life yet, but video game Gronowski will have no concerns — I'm curious how FCS transfers will rate in the game. Running back Kaleb Johnson must be replaced, but there's a group of talented running backs behind one of the best offensive lines in the country. To get ahead of it, Michigan may or may not be fun to play with this season. I tested out the Wolverines, but I didn't like quarterback Bryce Underwood's accuracy, and I really didn't like the playbook. I don't believe the players' ratings in the CFB26 test I did were final, so maybe that changes. While Alex Orji felt unstoppable early in CFB25, some ratings adjustments changed that, and I wonder what pre-adjustments will be made this year. Or if Underwood gets a boost for being on the cover. I had the most success playing the game online with the Gators last year. DJ Lagway is a stud, can make every throw in the game and is really valuable in the run game. The offensive line was solid, and the run game was diverse with good formations, particularly out of the pistol. Jadan Baugh is a tough, physical runner as well. I play with the D-line when I'm on defense, and Tyreak Sapp is disruptive on the edge. Those players should all be better this year, so there's a lot to like about Florida, especially if you're playing with the Gators in Road to the CFP, where you can grind out long possessions during those three-minute quarters. This is strictly for the running game. I tinkered with the Yellow Jackets last year and had some good moments with them online. I might utilize them a bit more this season because quarterback Haynes King is the perfect trigger man for this offense and is experienced, which should help when you run into an opponent with an overwhelming stadium pulse. Running back Jamal Haynes is a threat to score from anywhere on the field, and that speed complements King's running really well. There's an identity with this program, so if you're in the mood to run the ball, this is going to be a good option for you. As you can probably tell, my video game allegiances lean toward mobile, athletic quarterbacks. I watched Devon Dampier quite a bit at New Mexico last season and even created a dynasty with the Lobos in the game a few months ago. He's raw as a passer, but he's very much a dynamic playmaker (2,768 passing yards and 1,166 rushing yards in 2024). It helps that the Utes have two stalwart tackles — Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu — to protect Dampier and also run behind. Washington State transfer Wayshawn Parker is a good player at running back, and Utah's defense is always solid. Utah is coming off a tough year on the field, but it should be fun to use in the game. I'm all in on Huskies sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr. There was some buzz about him last offseason, but the greater college football world didn't really get a full glimpse of it until Washington's bowl game against Louisville. He's a gifted, explosive playmaker with good escapability, so he's fun to play with and the best sort of quarterback to frustrate your opponent. The Huskies have a standout running back in Jonah Coleman and made some shrewd additions on defense through the portal this season. Williams has the potential to be electric, and there are good pieces on the team that'll make Washington entertaining from a gameplay perspective. Advertisement I know there was a bit of a drop-off offensively last season, but the Hilltoppers at the very least have a productive passing game pretty much every season. I love the playbook. There's an HB Angle screen in there that became a go-to play for me. Whenever I started a dynasty in last year's game, I always changed my coach's playbook to WKU's. The Hilltoppers have cycled through offensive coordinators and quarterbacks almost every season, and this year they've brought in Abilene Christian OC Rick Bowie and quarterback Maverick McIvor, who teamed up to lead a productive FCS offense last year. I'm betting on the QB-playbook combination to be a fun one.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
WWE And Big 12 Expanding Partnership In A Unique Way
It appears that WWE and the Big 12 are reportedly expanding their partnership in an unexpected way later this year. Chris Vannini of The Athletic took to social media this week to reveal some interesting details behind the expanding partnership between WWE and the Big 12, tweeting out: Advertisement 'Sources: The Big 12 and WWE are expanding their partnership this fall. WWE will hold several episodes of Friday Night SmackDown in Big 12 markets, the night before football games. Includes a Week 0 show in Ireland before KSU/ISU and an Orlando show before UCF/UNC, Chris Vannini said in a post. This is a unique strategy by Triple H to attempt to engage with a new fanbase this fall and convert some college football fans into professional wrestling fans. Whether or not it will work remains to be seen. Stay tuned to WrestleZone for more on this expanding partnership as it becomes available. READ MORE: Adam Pearce Signs Former NXT Champion To WWE RAW Advertisement What do you make of this overall report? Are you excited to see WWE expand its partnership with the Big 12 later this year? Let us know your overall thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below. The post WWE And Big 12 Expanding Partnership In A Unique Way appeared first on Wrestlezone.
USA Today
30-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
An extensive timeline of the Maple Leafs' Stanley Cup Playoff elimination game woes
An extensive timeline of the Maple Leafs' Stanley Cup Playoff elimination game woes The Toronto Maple Leafs are 1-13 in series-clinching games since 2018, now losing two straight to Ottawa after a 3-0 series lead. Leafs lost 11 straight clinching games before ending that streak in 2023. — Chris Vannini (@ 2025-04-30T01:54:24.033Z The Toronto Maple Leafs have been here before. Many, many times, in fact. After taking a 3-0 first round lead in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Ottawa Senators, the Maple Leafs have lost two consecutive games — and the overall momentum in the series. Now facing another game in Ottawa, the Maple Leafs are staring down a Game 6 and possible Game 7 scenario with the potential to be reverse swept by their Canadian rival. This is not a new feeling for the Maple Leafs. Heading into Thursday night's Game 6, the Maple Leafs' record in series-clinching games is a dismal 1-13 since 2018. Yes, the Maple Leafs have won just one series-clinching game — back in 2023 — in 14 attempts over recent years. As expected of Toronto, fans and media alike are not taking this recent slide by the Maple Leafs well. And given the team's extensive history of not being able to close out playoff series, it's no wonder the mood in Toronto has quickly turned to apathy. MAPLE LEAFS MISERY: Anthony Stolarz's message about Maple Leafs' Game 5 close-out failure is painfully naive. Let's take a look at the Maple Leafs' recent failures in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with this handy timeline of events. Before 2018 Let's set the scene a little. Leading up to 2018, the Maple Leafs had already garnered a reputation of being playoff chokers. Toronto had hit a postseason dry spell between 2006 and 2012, missing the playoffs for seven straight seasons. Then, in 2013, when the Maple Leafs played the Boston Bruins in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Toronto held a 4-1 lead in Game 7 with 11 minutes left in the third period. The Maple Leafs then coughed up the 4-1 lead and allowed the Bruins to tie the game and eventually win the series in overtime. Thus spawned the "it was 4-1" memes that continue to haunt the Maple Leafs over a decade later. 2018: The Boston Bruins As you can probably tell, the Bruins will feature quite heavily in the Maple Leafs' postseason misery. In 2018, the Maple Leafs fell behind in their first round series 3-1 before winning two straight games to force a Game 7 in Boston. It seemed like the Maple Leafs had all the momentum coming into the game, right? Wrong, as the Maple Leafs coughed up a one-goal third period lead and allowed the Bruins to score four goals in the final frame to the tune of a miserable 7-4 loss. 2019: The Boston Bruins, again The Maple Leafs won twice in Boston in the first five games of the series to hold a 3-2 series lead coming into Game 6. However, Toronto managed to score just three goals total in Game 6 and 7 as their offense dried up and Boston — once again — bested the Maple Leafs in a first-round playoff series. 2020: The Columbus Blue Jackets The COVID-shortened season and unusual playoff format was an adjustment for many, but unfortunately for the Maple Leafs, their inability to close out a series struck again. After battling back from a three-goal deficit in Game 4 to force a decisive Game 5 in the qualifying round, the Maple Leafs were shut out by the Blue Jackets in the final game of the series and were once again forced to go home after failing to win a playoff round. 2021: The Montreal Canadiens Yet again, the Maple Leafs took command of a series early, this time going up 3-1 after three straight wins and putting the Canadiens on the ropes for Game 5. And much like before, the team collapsed with two overtime losses to force the series to a Game 7. In that Game 7, the Canadiens held a three-goal lead with only a late garbage time goal from William Nylander as the Maple Leafs' only score in the game. 2022: The Tampa Bay Lightning The Maple Leafs and Lightning traded wins and losses in the opening games of this series, but Toronto got the 3-2 series advantage with a gusty, comeback 4-3 win in Game 5. However, the Maple Leafs once again failed to capitalize on a series lead, as the Lightning won the final two games of the series to eliminate Toronto in yet another Game 7 failure. 2023: Revenge against the Tampa Bay Lightning The good news for the Maple Leafs is that in 2023, the team actually managed to win a series-clinching game! Toronto took a 3-1 series lead over Tampa Bay and, despite a home Game 5 loss, were able to pull out a clutch overtime Game 6 victory to advance to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in 19 years. Unfortunately, the Maple Leafs' joy was short-lived as the team managed just one win over the Florida Panthers in the second round before bowing out of the playoffs. 2024: The Boston Bruins, for a third time Stop me if you've heard this before, but the Maple Leafs failed to win a first round playoff series against the Boston Bruins in a Game 7 scenario. Toronto ended up battling back after a 3-1 series deficit to force a Game 7, but ended up losing 2-1 in overtime on a heartbreaking David Pastrňák goal. 2025: The Ottawa Senators This series isn't set in stone just yet, but the Maple Leafs could add the Ottawa Senators to their list of playoff failures when all is said and done. And it very well might end up being the worst result of them all if the Senators are able to complete the reverse sweep. Time will tell!
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
March Madness men's Elite 8 tips off Saturday night
(NewsNation) — It's March Madness. Chris Vannini, The Athletic senior writer, joins 'Morning in America with Hena Doba' to break down Friday night's Sweet 16 games and to look ahead to Saturday night's Elite 8 matchups. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
