Category: Sports

Atlanta, while starving for a championship for an extended period of time before the 2020s broke the curse, has had a ton of great sports moments throughout the city’s history. It’s hard to narrow it down to just five great moments, but we’ve done our best to sum up the ones that made the entire city stand and cheer until their hands were sore. Here are our top five:

5. Primetime Shines

A lot of athletes end up playing multiple sports while they’re in high school or maybe even college, but it just doesn’t happen in the pros very often. Deion Sanders was a one-of-a-kind athlete who excelled in both baseball and football, and in 1992 he found himself on both the Atlanta Falcons as the team’s top cornerback and the Atlanta Braves as a part-time centerfielder for several seasons.

The man known as Primetime would split his duties between the Falcons and Braves, and in 1992, he became the only person to pull off the feat of playing an MLB game and an NFL game on the same day. Sanders suited up for the Falcons early in the day as the team played the Dolphins, and was able to make it to the National League Championship Series in time for the Braves. Though he didn’t see the field in the NLCS, what made it all the more impressive was that neither game was played in Atlanta.

4. Falcons Upset Vikings

Coming into the 1998 NFC Championship Game, all anybody could talk about was the top-seeded Minnesota Vikings. They had just capped off one of the greatest NFL regular seasons of all time with a historic offense and a 15-1 record. They were heavy favorites at home against the Falcons, but many people forget just how good Atlanta was that year.

The Falcons came in just one game behind Minnesota at 14-2 but were still 11-point underdogs. After three quarters, the Falcons trailed by three and were down by seven when Vikings kicker Gary Anderson missed for the only time in the 1998 season. The Falcons stormed back and won in overtime, stamping their ticket to the Super Bowl for the first time.

3. Braves Win 1995 World Series

The 2021 World Series was special for the Atlanta Braves, but it came as more of a surprise for a team that was ahead of schedule in a rebuild. The 1995 Braves, however, felt like the culmination of years of being oh-so-close and a massive sigh of relief. The Braves took on the Cleveland Indians, who were looking to break an extremely long World Series drought of their own, too.

The Braves took the first two games in Atlanta while Cleveland took two out of three at Jacobs Field. In game six, pitchers Tom Glavine and Jim Poole were in an absolute duel, and the game ended in a 1-0 win for the Braves for their first title in Atlanta. That one run came off the bat of David Justice, who bombed a solo shot in the sixth inning that would ultimately decide the Series.

2. The 1996 Olympics

Between 1905 and 1995, the only United States city to host the Summer Olympics was Los Angeles. That would change in 1996 when the city of Atlanta held the opening ceremonies to the Summer Games, and it ended up being one of the most-watched and successful Olympics in history. Atlanta was chosen to showcase a more modern version of the US south, while also serving as a great hub for travelers.

There were plenty of highlights for the 1996 Summer Olympics, as well. From Muhammad Ali holding the torch during the opening ceremonies to Michael Johnson and Kerri Strug becoming Olympic stars, the 1996 games had a lot to talk about.

1. The Home Run King

One of the most sacred records in all of sports is baseball’s career home run record. There were a lot of people who thought that Babe Ruth would never be topped when he hit home run number 714, but that would change when Hank Aaron started to get on that pace that would put him ahead.

On April 8, 1974, Hammerin’ Hank topped the ‘unbeatable’ record and rounded the bases in Atlanta in front of tens of thousands of screaming fans. Along the way, there’s a memorable shot of Aaron being greeted by two fans, which is something that seems unfathomable these days.

If you’re running a sports league, you know how hard it can be to get everyone on the same page. This is especially true if you’re trying to determine a champion of the league, but not all champions are crowned in the same way. There are several different formats to use to determine your overall winner, each with its pros and cons.

Let’s take a look at the most popular tournament formats that are used in professional and college leagues around the world. Then, you can decide which one is best for you and run it by your members to see if you can implement these formats into your next league season.

1. Single-Elimination Bracket

If you want the simplest format for tournaments in any sport, it’s the single elimination bracket. There are very few moving pieces involved in this type of tournament unless you re-seed people or teams after every round. The single-elimination bracket is typically used by professional sports leagues, however, the NBA is the only professional league in the United States that has a set single-elimination bracket without reseeding.

Think of the NCAA basketball tournament as a good way to set up a single elimination bracket. The best teams are the ones given high seeds, and they take on the lowest competition in the first round. The teams that are right in the middle also meet in the first round and whoever advances then takes on the top.

2. Double-Elimination Bracket

Sometimes fluky things can happen in sports and a team or person that has the talent to win the tournament can get bounced out early due to bad luck. With that in mind, a double-elimination bracket may be a good way to truly determine the best of the best. This is seen in many sports organizations, most notably in college baseball and softball.

Once a team loses a game, they are placed into the “losers” bracket of the overall tournament. The winner of that bracket will then take on the champion of the “winners” bracket to see who wins it all. You can reset losses to make it a best-of-three in the finals like the NCAA does, or you can make it so that the losers bracket representative has to defeat their opponent twice in a row.

3. Round-Robin

The round-robin tournament is a simple format that doesn’t require a bracket and tends to avoid any team or athlete fluking their way to a championship. In this format, every single person or team takes on every other one as they rotate through the schedule. It can be as simple as a four-team round-robin and can go as far as you’d like.

This is a more popular style of tournament for running the regular season of a league that doesn’t have playoffs. Think of the English Premier League and how their season is handled. The entire season is a straight-up round-robin and whoever has the most points once all of the games are completed becomes the champion with no postseason tournament.

4. Multi-Stage Bracket

There’s an excellent combination of round-robin and single-elimination called the multi-stage bracket, and that’s how the World Cup champion is determined every four years. The first stage (group stage) is a round robin that takes the top one or two teams and places them into the next stage.

Once the teams are decided from the group stage, you can then place them into a single or double-elimination bracket to determine the winner. It makes for some very compelling storylines in your league when this is the format.

5. Guaranteed Games Bracket

When running a sports league, you want to make sure the participants are getting their money’s worth and not wasting their time. Nobody wants to travel a long way only to get knocked out in the first round and then have to turn around and leave right away. That’s why there are guaranteed games tournaments, which are quite common in youth sports, especially travel sports where multiple games can be played in one day.

Essentially what happens is that you extend the double-elimination bracket until you run out of space for “losers” brackets. Typically you can guarantee three games even with a small pool of teams (at least eight) and can guarantee even more as that number jumps to 16, 32, and beyond. 

In professional hockey, it can be hard to put together a dynasty thanks to the salary cap and free agency, but that’s not the case in the college ranks. Typically, teams that are toward the top tend to stay there, while the lower programs are only just a few players away from joining them.

Over the years, a handful of college hockey teams have had the sustained success that puts them above the rest. Between trips to the Frozen Four, national championships, and eventual NHLers that made it into the Hall of Fame, these are the five most successful NCAA hockey programs.

Before we get to the list, here are some of the teams that just missed the cut but have had tremendous program success: Boston University, Wisconsin, Minnesota-Duluth, Michigan State, Wisconsin.

5. Boston College

The Boston College Eagles come to mind for a lot of hockey fans in terms of teams that have had sustained success without piling up too many championships. Outside of their dynasty run from 2001 to 2012, the Eagles have just one NCAA Tournament championship which came in 1949.

The Eagles have still made the NCAA Tournament more often than not, though, so they are always near the top of the title contention scene. There have been a lot of great NHL players to come from Boston College, including Hall of Famers like Brian Leetch and Joe Mullen, as well as star players Johnny Gaudreau, Bill Guerin, and Brian Boyle.

4. Denver

The University of Denver was an absolute dynasty during its early years as they started play in 1949 and were the NCAA champions within a decade. Denver dominated in the 1960s and reached the Frozen Four regularly in the early 1970s. Throughout the rest of the decade and into the early 2000s, though, Denver was a sleeping giant.

Thankfully for the Pioneers, they were able to right the ship and have since become one of the top hockey programs in the NCAA once again. They won the NCAA Tournament twice during the 2000s, then again in 2017 and 2022. Among the notable NHL players to attend Denver are Paul Stastny and Tyler Bozak and Hall of Famers Craig Patrick and Glenn Anderson.

3. North Dakota

While ND might translate to Notre Dame for college football fans, it certainly means North Dakota when it comes to college hockey. The Fighting Hawks have been among the best teams in the NCAA since starting play in the mid-1940s and have reached the Frozen Four more than 20 times.

Along the way, North Dakota has won several championships and routinely makes the NCAA Tournament. The top NHL players who make their way through the North Dakota hockey program include Dave Christian, Jason Blake, and Hockey Hall of Famer Ed Belfour. More recent players include Zach Parise, Jonathan Toews, and T.J. Oshie.

2. Michigan

Known by casual fans perhaps more for its football program, the University of Michigan has also had a rich tradition in hockey. Also, like the football team, Michigan hockey last won a national championship in the late 1990s despite routinely being one of the top teams in the nation.

Overall, Michigan has nine national titles between 1948 and 1998, and more than two dozen trips to the Frozen Four. Some of Michigan’s top players to reach the NHL include Andrew Cogliano, Mike Knuble, and former number-one overall draft pick Jack Johnson. Michigan was also home to the Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin.

1. Minnesota

The Minnesota Golden Gophers began play in 1921 and have been one of the top teams on an almost annual basis ever since. No team has won the Big Ten title more than Minnesota, and they’ve made the NCAA Tournament regularly since the early 1970s. Minnesota has more wins than any other NCAA program, as well.

Interestingly enough, Minnesota only has five national championship wins, but they’ve reached the Frozen Four well over 20 times, including every year between 1986 and 1989. Some of the most successful NHL players to come from Minnesota include Phil Kessel, Neal Broten, and Alex Goligoski.

The University of Wisconsin has a rich football tradition as one of the oldest teams in the Big Ten, and along the way has produced some terrific NFL talent. A handful of players have gone on to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and set records at the top level of football. Let’s take a look at the Badgers that put together the finest NFL careers.

Before we get into the list, let’s take a look at some of the Badgers that just missed the cut as part of our honorable mentions: Troy Vincent, Tim Krumrie, Chris Chambers, Travis Frederick, and Paul Gruber.

5. T.J. Watt

As you can probably guess, there is more than one Watt on the list, and it begins with outside linebacker T.J. Watt. T.J. spent four seasons in Wisconsin, and in his senior season, was named to both the All-Big Ten and All-American teams. Considered by some to be undersized, Watt was selected late in the first round, with the Steelers taking a chance on him at 30th overall in 2017.

Watt almost instantly became a perennial All-Pro, and even tied the single-season record for most sacks with 22.5. Watt was also named the 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and continues to rack up the accolades. By the time his career is over, there’s a chance that Watt could end up having the more impressive resume in the family.

4. Mike Webster

Hailing from Rhinelander, Wisconsin, Mike Webster spent the early 1970s in Madison and played center for the Badgers until 1974. After being named to two All-Big Ten teams, Webster was selected in the fifth round of the 1974 NFL Draft (125th overall) by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Webster spent most of his 17-year career with the Steelers and was named to the All-Pro Team in nine of those seasons. Webster was also a four-time Super Bowl winner and was named to Pittsburgh’s All-Time Team, as well as two different NFL All-Decade Teams.

3. Joe Thomas

Joe Thomas is the highest-rated player on the list that spent their entire college career with the Badgers, and he was named a two-time First-Team All-American. During his senior season, Thomas was also an All-American and was given the Outland Trophy as the best offensive lineman in the nation. At the 2007 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns made Thomas the third overall pick.

Thomas would end up becoming one of the best left tackles in NFL history and certainly the most durable. Thomas set the record for most consecutive snaps played in league history and was a 10-time Pro Bowler, as well as an eight-time All-Pro. Unfortunately for Thomas, the only downside of his career was never reaching the postseason.

2. Russell Wilson

Russell Wilson may have only spent one season with Wisconsin, but it was quite the season as he was named to the first-team All-Big Ten squad and was the Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year. Wilson wasn’t expected to do much in the NFL when he entered in 2012, however, as the Seahawks used their third-round pick (75th) overall to have him back up Matt Flynn.

Wilson assumed the starting role right away with the Seahawks and spent 10 seasons with the team. During that time, he compiled an impressive 104-53-1 record, throwing for 37,059 yards, 292 touchdowns, and 87 interceptions. Wilson also added 4,689 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns en route to nine Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl title.

1. J.J. Watt

J.J. Watt had initially gone to Central Michigan University, but the Chippewas wanted the walk-on from Pewaukee to become a tight end. After spending just one year in Mt. Pleasant, Watt made his way to Wisconsin to become a defensive end. As a Badger, Watt became a first-team All-American and won the Lott Trophy, leading him to be selected 11th overall in 2011 by the Houston Texans.

Watt spent 10 seasons with the Texans and was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year on three occasions. Watt finished his Texans career with 101 sacks before signing with the Arizona Cardinals in 2021, and Watt has also been named an All-Pro six times and was the 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year.

When there’s an expansion franchise in a professional sports league, the people of that city fully embrace the team right away. Look at how Las Vegas and Seattle fans have come to love their new franchises. When teams move, though, there can be an awkward period for the new city as they may feel like they ‘stole’ a team. There have been several instances of that happening in the NHL, and these five moves were the most surprising NHL relocations.

5. Atlanta (Twice)

The city of Atlanta, Georgia has had two attempts at hosting an NHL franchise, and neither time did it end out working for the city. Originally, Atlanta was the home of the Flames, which made sense in terms of team names because if you’ve been to the ATL, you know why they call it Hotlanta, as well. The team would keep the name, but move to the much more frigid Calgary in 1980 after eight seasons of financial troubles.

Just under two decades after the Flames moved, Atlanta got a second chance when the NHL expanded back into the city, and the Atlanta Thrashers were born. The Thrashers lasted just 11 seasons in Atlanta before the team ran into financial peril and, just like the last team, moved to Canada. The Thrashers became the new Winnipeg Jets (more on that later).

4. Quebec to Colorado

One of the best uniforms in sports history belonged to the Quebec Nordiques, who began play in the WHL in 1972. After the league merged with the NHL, the Nordiques came along in the package to expand the NHL’s influence in Canada. The Nordiques were the only pro team in Quebec City throughout their run but were placed up for sale in the mid-1990s.

Nordiques fans could see the writing on the wall when the team was sold, with an investor group from Denver, Colorado making the acquisition. After 16 years in Quebec, the franchise moved to Denver, becoming the Colorado Avalanche. Of course, immediately after moving, the franchise won its first Stanley Cup because life is unfair.

3. Winnipeg to Arizona

When you think of hockey, you think of Canada first and foremost. Before the 1990s, the last thing that you’d probably think of is the desert. That was, of course, before the Arizona Coyotes and Vegas Golden Knights came along. While the Knights were an expansion team, the Coyotes came about by taking an existing franchise.

The Winnipeg Jets had been part of the WHA-NHL merger and was founded in 1972. The team went through a sale as most franchises do, but the new owners wanted desperately to move to a larger city. With that, the Jets moved way down south, landing in Phoenix and becoming the Coyotes. Thankfully for Winnipeg, the Thrashers would move to their city 15 years later.

2. Hartford to Carolina

We’ve already mentioned teams that started in the WHA and have amazing logos, and the Hartford Whalers were one of those teams. The franchise known for playing in a shopping mall and having ‘Brass Bonanza’ blare over the speakers after every goal was a favorite of casual fans around the league. However, being in a small market meant that their days were numbered from the start.

The Whalers simply weren’t making enough money in Connecticut and upgrading their arena proved to be difficult. After 18 NHL seasons in Hartford, the Whalers moved down the Atlantic coast to Raleigh, North Carolina where they became the Carolina Hurricanes. Though the transition period was difficult, Carolina has fully embraced the team.

1. Minnesota to Dallas

If you had to come up with a list of the best American states for hockey, a lot of lists would have Minnesota at the very top. The state is synonymous with pond hockey and is essentially an extension of Canada. For more than a quarter-century, Minnesota was the home for the North Stars, but that would change in 1993.

The team flirted with the idea of moving to Anaheim, but Disney bumped ahead of them in line and the Ducks were formed. The backup plan to move to a larger market was to move the Stars to Dallas in one of the most head-scratching moves in terms of fan support.

The Chicago Bears have hit some home runs when it comes to signing free agents and drafting players, but there have also been some big misses. Not all of them have been misses due to talent, however. There are plenty of notable Chicago Bears players that have seemed like they were going to be great, but for one reason or another, ended up not meeting their full potential. Here are the five biggest what-could-have-been player stories in Bears history.

5. Rashaan Salaam

Rashaan Salaam was selected fairly low for a running back that won the Heisman, doing so in 1995 as a member of the Colorado Buffaloes. Salaam was a steal in his rookie season as he rushed for 1,074 yards and 10 touchdowns. Injuries would begin to hamper Salaam in his second season, though, cutting his production in half while also having off-the-field issues.

By his third year, Salaam played just three games and he was almost entirely out of the league. He never truly recovered from injury or his substance abuse problems, having just one more rush in 1999 with the Cleveland Browns. Had he continued down his path from his rookie season, he may have been an all-time great.   

4. Curtis Enis

Curtis Enis was one of the most hyped-up running backs throughout the 1990s, and many thought the Bears were going to get a surefire star when they used the fifth-overall pick on him out of Penn State in 1998. Enis struggled to find the field in his first season, starting just one game before tearing a knee ligament.

Enis saw significant playing time in his second season but didn’t look like the same running back as he did in college, rushing for 916 yards and three touchdowns. Injury troubles would only get worse, and he played just one more season in 2000, carrying the ball only 36 more times. Enis was signed by the Browns in 2001 but didn’t see the field again.

3. Cedric Benson

Yet another running back on the list, Cedric Benson was selected out of Texas with the fourth overall selection in the 2005 NFL Draft. Hopes were high for Benson, but he didn’t want to be on the team before he was even drafted. He held out before getting a big contract, missing all of training camp.

Benson disappointed on the field, too, and was held back from the starting lineup in his first two seasons. By his third season, Benson became the full-time starter but averaged just 3.4 yards per carry. He was released by the Bears and became a starter for the Bengals and was actually solid in Cincinnati before injuries mounted and ended his career in the early 2010s.

2. Mitchell Trubisky

The Chicago Bears moved up to the second overall spot of the 2017 NFL Draft, swapping picks with the San Francisco 49ers. It was clear they wanted a quarterback, but not many were sure which one they’d get. Could it be Patrick Mahomes? Could it be Deshaun Watson? It turned out to be neither, as the Bears drafted North Carolina’s Mitchell Trubisky.

While the other two quarterbacks turned out to be All-Pro talents, Trubisky lasted just four seasons in Chicago. While he compiled a winning record, he still put up disappointing numbers and became a backup for the Bills and Steelers after his fifth-year option wasn’t picked up by the team.

1. Gale Sayers

Gale Sayers could have been one of the best running backs of all time if not for a shared workload and multiples. Drafted fourth overall in 1965, Sayers led the NFL in rushing during his second season before splitting the carries with Brian Piccolo. In his fourth year, Sayers would suffer a bad knee injury and then suffered a major injury to his other knee just two years later.

Sayers would end up with 4,956 career rushing yards, which is nothing to scoff at, but he averaged well over five yards per carry prior to his injuries. Many wonder if he could have been the greatest running back in Bears history, which is saying something with Walter Payton on the list.

When it comes to the world of football, most of the attention is paid to Europe and South America. Southeast Asia can be overlooked by the global media, but they’re really missing out on some great football when doing so. Through the years, the region has produced some of the greatest players on a global scale, though some don’t get their time to shine until the World Cup every four years.

It may be hard to narrow down the best of the best when it comes to Southeast Asia’s greatest players since there are so many countries, but there are a few that truly stand out. Here are our picks for the top five, with some honorable mentions to make sure that everybody gets the recognition they deserve.

5. Bambang Pamungkas

Known to many as Bepe, Bambang Pamungkas hails from Semarang, Indonesia and played his youth football in the country for over a decade prior to making his senior career debut as a member of Persija Jakarta. In 126 appearances with the club, Bepe netted 80 goals and was sent on loan for a brief period to EHC Norad.

Bepe continued to be a dominant force when he played for two years with Selangor FA before returning to Persija Jakarta for another six years, this time scoring 73 goals in 149 appearances. After one year with Pelita Bandung Raya, Bepe finished his career with a third stint in Jakarta, finishing his senior career with 222 goals and 37 international goals.

4. Neil Etheridge

We now turn our attention to the Philippines, the home of goalkeeper Neil Etheridge. He made history by becoming the first-ever player from the Philippines to make it to the English Premier League as he played his youth career with both Chelsea and Fulham. He’d make his senior debut in 2008 with the latter club, though he didn’t see on-field action in the EPL.

Instead, Etheridge was sent on loan to several clubs between 2008 and 2014, and then finally settled down with Walsall in 2015. He then joined Cardiff City and eventually Birmingham City, making dozens of appearances with both clubs.

3. Dang Van Lam

Etheridge isn’t the only goalkeeper on the list as Dang Van Lam of Vietnam has also enjoyed a long professional career and started minding the net for his home country starting in 2015. Dang was actually born in Moscow, Russia, but his father hails from Vietnam while his mother is Russian.

Instead of following in his parents’ footsteps and getting into performance arts, Dang went the football route and it ended up paying off big time. He started his senior career with Hoang Anh Gia Lai before moving to several other clubs, most notably with Hai Phone from 2015 to 2019 and Muangthong United from 2019 to 2021.

2. Thanawat Suengchitthawon

Thanawat Suengchitthawon was born in Suphan Buri and spent his first several years in Thailand before joining the Nancy in France as part of the club’s youth program. Thanawat then began his senior career with Nancy II, making 16 appearances with the club and netting one goal as a midfielder.

In 2020, Thanawat made headlines when he became the first Thai player to join the English Premier League as he was transferred to Leicester City. Thanawat proved to be a major player with the Premier League 2 team and was moved to the senior squad beginning in 2021. Thanawat also represents Thailand on the international circuit instead of France.

1. Paulino Alcantara

You have to go way back in time to find the greatest Southeast Asian football player of all time. His name was Paulino Alcantara, who was born in Concepcion, Philippines in 1896 and lived to be 67 before his death in 1964. Alcantara moved to Barcelona as a child and came into the professional ranks with Barca back in 1912.

Alcantara made 40 appearances for the club, scoring 40 goals during that time. In 1916, he would shift clubs to Bohemian for two years, but returned for nearly another decade with Barcelona. This time around, he had 130 appearances and 102 goals, causing many to consider him the greatest Southeast Asian player ever.

In the case of most running backs in fantasy football, we’re more than satisfied with our RBs scoring one touchdown and rushing for 100 yards. There are days, though, when we see a running back explode and find the end zone several times while also padding on the yardage.

There have been some weeks in fantasy football in which a running back put up enough points to beat an entire team along the way. Throughout NFL history, though, these five running backs had the best single-day fantasy points total, leaving owners crying with joy and their opponents wondering how unlucky they could be.

Note: For this list, we used standard scoring instead of PPR (points-per-reception).

5. Doug Martin (51.2)

There are some big-time names on this list, but the “Muscle Hamster” had one of the shorter careers for a fantasy stud. Martin had some fine performances in his brief window, but none finer than his one against the Raiders in 2012. Martin received 25 carries, rushing for 251 yards and four touchdowns.

Meanwhile, he added four catches for 21 yards, bringing his total scoring to 51.2 points. Surprisingly enough, Martin’s rushing yardage total was the highest in the top five of scoring, and he would have been number one on the list had he scored just one more time.

4. Jamaal Charles (51.5)

At one time, Jamaal Charles was a fantasy running back stud who was routinely putting up huge numbers. In 2013, the Chiefs were well on their way to the playoffs thanks in large part to Charles, and they were taking on a Raiders team looking forward to the season coming to an end.

Charles lit up the Raiders in what would end up being a 56-31 shootout. The rushing stats don’t sound great, as he had just 20 yards on only eight carries. However, Charles had eight catches for 195 yards and four touchdowns, including a 71-yard scamper. Charles ended the day with 51.5 points and was the season’s top fantasy running back.

3. Shaun Alexander (53.1)

In a very unexciting game on paper, the 0-3 Minnesota Vikings visited the 0-3 Seattle Seahawks early on in the 2002 season. The game would be a must-watch for fantasy owners, though, especially those with Shaun Alexander. Alexander finished with 139 yards on the ground, which doesn’t sound that great, but there was much more.

Alexander had four rushing touchdowns and would have had a solid day for a WR1. He finished with 92 receiving yards and scored one more touchdown through the air. In total, Alexander ended the day with 231 yards and five touchdowns, good enough for 53.1 fantasy points.

2. Alvin Kamara (53.2)

Alvin Kamara had an absolute field day on Christmas against the Minnesota Vikings, and it could have been even better. Kamara started off the first quarter with touchdown runs of 40 yards and 1 yard, and he didn’t slow down from there. All in all, Kamara found the end zone six times.

Kamara didn’t have that many yards, totaling 155 on the ground and 17 through the air, but the touchdowns more than made up for that. Many fantasy owners were upset when there was another one-yard touchdown, but it went to Taysom Hill instead of Kamara.

1. Clinton Portis (55.4 Points)

In what was one of the biggest games of 2003, the 11-1 Kansas City Chiefs headed to Denver to take on the 7-5 Broncos who were fighting for a playoff spot. Running back Clinton Portis fought harder than anybody, and he had one of the best fantasy days ever for an NFL running back. On 22 carries, Portis was able to rush for 218 yards and a whopping five touchdowns.

He added another 36 yards through the air to pad on to his points total. All in all, Portis scored 55.4 points on the fantasy scoreboard. Strangely enough, he still finished nearly 80 yards behind the all-time single-game record, but the touchdowns gave him a legendary fantasy total.

It’s always interesting to see a wide receiver go off in fantasy football as they can be a huge variable. Very few times do you see a player consistently get the ball and break off long touchdowns, but it does happen from time to time. 

Then, there are cases where it happens three or more times per game and a receiver adds enough yardage to score well over 40 fantasy points. Here are the five best single-game fantasy football performances ever from a wide receiver where that exact situation happened.

Note: For this list, we used standard scoring instead of PPR (points-per-reception).

5. Jimmy Smith (47.1)

In just about every record-setting fantasy performance, the player that’s breaking new milestones is on the winning team. That wasn’t the case for wide receiver Jimmy Smith in 2000, however, as his Jacksonville Jaguars lost 39-36 to the Baltimore Ravens. It was not Smith’s fault the Jags lost, though, especially in the first half.

Smith had touchdowns of 45 yards and 43 years in the first quarter alone. With less than two minutes left, Smith added a third to put the Jaguars ahead before Shannon Sharpe won the game for Baltimore. Still, Smith finished with 291 yards on 15 catches and three touchdowns, giving him 47.1 fantasy points.

4. Jerry Rice (47.9)

Of course, the greatest wide receiver of all time is on the single-game fantasy football list, and this isn’t the only time he’s on the list. The first time comes from his performance against the visiting Minnesota Vikings. The 49ers were rolling in with a 10-4 record and headed to the playoffs, and Rice made sure they got in.

During the 37-30 shootout, Rice exploded for 289 yards on 14 catches, missing on just two targets. Rice also found the end zone three times, putting up a long of 52 yards. Rice even had 10 rushing yards during the game, bringing his fantasy total to 47.9 points. Quarterback Steve Young also had himself a fine day with 425 yards, three touchdowns, and a rushing touchdown.

3. Harold Jackson (47.8)

The Los Angeles Rams were on a roll to start the 1973 NFL season, and they extended their record to 5-0 thanks to a massive first half against the visiting Dallas Cowboys. Wide receiver Harold Jackson dominated early on, scoring touchdowns of 63 and 16 yards in the first quarter. He then added a 67-yarder and a 36-yarder in the second quarter.

All four of Jackson’s touchdowns came in the first half, as did most of his yardage. Jackson finished the day with 238 yards total, giving him a final fantasy tally of 47.8 points. His quarterback John Hadl had just 41 yards throwing to receivers that weren’t Jackson that day.

2. Jerry Butler (50.7)

Early on in the 1979 season, the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets were going head-to-head in an AFC East matchup. The Jets struggled through the air, but that wasn’t the case for the home team. The Bills threw early and often, mostly to Jerry Butler. Out of quarterback Joe Ferguson’s 19 completions, more than half (10) went to Butler.

Butler would rack up 255 yards on those 10 catches, including a 75-yard touchdown. That was one of the four touchdowns that Butler scored during the game. The Bills would ultimately win 46-31, getting back to .500 at 2-2 while Butler added another 12 yards rushing to bring his total to 50.7 fantasy points.

1. Jerry Rice (52.5)

Earlier we mentioned that Jerry Rice would make another appearance on the list, and naturally, it’s at the very top. The 49ers were looking to improve their perfect record against the Atlanta Falcons in 1990 and would wind up winning the game in a shootout, 45-35. Rich would be the biggest piece of that puzzle for the 49ers’ offense, too.

Rice hauled in 13 catches that day against the Atlanta defense, which was good for 225 yards and a whopping five touchdowns. Overall that would give him 52.5 points, all without having a single carry or a reception of at least 30 yards. As for his quarterback, Joe Montana had one of the greatest fantasy days for a QB with 476 yards and six touchdowns.

The Chicago Cubs were once known for making some puzzling moves with their roster, but there have also been some times when the front office has looked like a collective of geniuses. Trades happen for every team, but it’s easy to get burned, especially when you’re relying on prospects to turn your franchise around. Throughout Cubs history, there are a few trades that benefitted the franchises for years after they happened. Here are the five best trades in Chicago Cubs history.

Third Base Staple

Dominican Republic native Aramis Ramirez, believe it or not, signed all the way back in 1994 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Four years later, he made his debut as the youngest player in the MLB and was solid with the Pirates for his first couple of seasons as the Cubs were gearing up for a postseason run, the team aimed at the present and future, making a big deal with the Pirates.

The Cubs traded away Matt Bruback and Bobby Hill to Pittsburgh in exchange for Ramirez to be the cornerstone of their franchise at third base for years to come. To help immediately, the Cubs also acquired Jose Hernandez and Kenny Lofton. Ramirez played nine seasons for the Cubs and batted .294 with 239 home runs.

Captain Rizzo

First baseman Anthony Rizzo was drafted in the sixth round by the Boston Red Sox and was quickly traded to the San Diego Padres. While he was still trying to crack the Major Leagues, the Cubs traded for Rizzo by sending Andrew Cashner and Kyung-Min Na. Fans were perplexed at the time since there was still hope for Cashner to live up to his first-round draft position.

While Cashner enjoyed nearly a decade in the Major Leagues, Rizzo became a Cubs icon. He helped the team win the 2016 World Series as the captain, becoming a perennial All-Star and Gold Glover winner. In 10 seasons with the Cubs, Rizzo batted .272 with 242 home runs and 784 runs batted in. Of course, it’s the World Series that means the most.

Ryno the Afterthought

Larry Bowa had been a Philadelphia Phillie for a very long time, but in the early 1980s wanted nothing to do with the franchise anymore. He demanded a trade, and the Cubs perked up immediately. The Cubs were willing to take on the veteran but told the Phillies that they wanted a young Ryne Sandberg as part of the deal.

Bowa had a mediocre career with the Cubs, but Ryne Sandberg became a Hall of Famer over his 15 seasons in Chicago. He would end up with a .285 batting average and 282 career home runs to go along with an MVP Award and 10 trips to the All-Star Game.

Fergie Flipped

Larry Bowa isn’t the only former Phillie to end up having a Hall of Fame career with the Cubs. Fergie Jenkins started his career in Philadelphia as a relief pitcher but was quickly traded to Chicago in exchange for Larry Jackson and Bob Buhl. The trade paid off big time for the Cubbies as Jenkins made three All-Star Games and won a Cy Young in Chicago.

During the second half of the 1970s and into the 1980s, Fergie played with the Rangers and Red Sox before returning to Chicago in 1982. He ended his career with the Cubs, finishing with a 167-132 record and a 3.56 earned run average with the franchise en route to a Hall of Fame induction wearing a Cubs hat in 1991.

Slammin’ Sammy

Whether you love him or hate him, and no matter how you felt about his possible use of performance-enhancing drugs, there’s no doubt that Sammy Sosa revitalized baseball in the Northside of Chicago. After coming up with the Rangers, Sosa was actually part of the Southsiders squad, though.

The Cubs acquired a slumping Sosa along with Ken Patterson in exchange for a disgruntled George Bell in a rare crosstown trade. Sosa, of course, became one of the best sluggers in Major League history, hitting 545 home runs in a Cubs uniform while putting up a .284 batting average. He also won the MVP Award in 1998 and hit over 60 home runs in three different seasons.