Rick Bowness and The Future of The Columbus Blue Jackets
Dean Evason was fired early Monday Evening by the Blue Jackets front office. For many of the Columbus faithful, this was long overdue. There was an obvious, growing frustration within the organization as well as fans— as Columbus has a strong, young core with barely any results to show this season.
The Blue Jackets have just 11 regulation wins on the year—19 including overtime, and currently sit in last place in the Eastern Conference. Although the Eastern Conference is very competitive and a 19-19-7 record is nothing to be discouraged about, the frustration has mainly stemmed by the ways in which they are losing.
Columbus has 14 blown leads this season— 9 of which occurred in the 3rd period. The Blue Jackets lead the entire league in blown 3rd period leads. They have consistently put themselves in positions to win almost every night they touch the ice. However, the serious tactical and mental hurdles have been evident since the start and Evason just couldn’t find the solutions.
Evason had implemented several tactics, specifically the “dump and chase”. Although this tactic can be effective in certain systems, this strategy did not compliment Columbus’ roster and caused issues amongst players.
The Blue Jackets organization seemed to be contemplating the decision to move on from Evason behind closed doors for quite some time— as Rick Bowness was immediately announced new head coach in the very same statement as Evason’s firing. The front office announced Monday:
“We’ve relieved head coach Dean Evason and assistant coach Steve McCarthy of their duties and hired veteran NHL coach Rick Bowness as the club’s head coach.”
Bowness has coached the most games in NHL history as a head coach or assistant— 2,726 games in total. After retiring in 2024 with the Winnipeg Jets, Bowness was not expected to make a return to coaching. “There’s only a few teams I would’ve come out of retirement for and this is certainly one of them.”, Bowness stated in his opening press conference.
He clearly sees the potential of Columbus’ roster and wants to accomplish something special this season. Bowness has stressed the importance of playing with grit, confidence, and willingness to control possession— especially late in games.
With just 36 games left, Columbus is still looking to turn their season around and make a late playoff push. The Blue Jackets making the playoffs this year would be instrumental in retaining future UFA’s Mason Marchment and Charlie Coyle— as well as RFA’s Adam Fantilli, Cole Sillinger, and captain Boone Jenner heading into the 2026-2027 season.
Building Your Own Legacy: The Story of Curt Cignetti and The Indiana Hoosiers
In the modern era of college football, nothing is constant. Whether its NIL, the transfer portal, or coaches leaving for better opportunities— everything is changing.
The CFP era has turned into complete chaos since the NCAA began allowing players to make money through their name, image, and likeness in 2021. Athletic departments are going all in. Alumni all over the country are putting together millions, if not billions of dollars, to give their alma maters an edge.
Universities and their NIL funding collectives have set a standard— raise as much money possible in order to obtain as many 5-star recruits and players from the transfer portal as they can.
However, the most dominant team of the season has completely shocked everyone with their sudden success against the biggest brands in college football. The Indiana Hoosiers are by no means your traditional program. Since Curt Cignetti was hired by Indiana in late 2023, over 50 players have transferred to Indiana on scholarship.
This can be very common when a new coach arrives. A whole system must be set in place— coaching staff, trainers, and players that fit their preferred style. But what separates Cignetti from the rest is that he is not interested in seeking the most glamorous recruits and transfer portal prospects. Cignetti’s first 13 transfers going into Indiana all came from his former program, James Madison.
No disrespect to James Madison— but they are not the typical hub for the most talented players in the nation. Cignetti’s philosophy is about building the toughest and smartest team possible— regardless of the ratings— regardless of what the experts say. In fact, Indiana’s roster consists of zero 5-star recruits.
The NIL era has exposed many big brands in the sport. You simply cannot create a successful program by throwing money at the biggest names—expecting them to perform. Building a culture and developing players will always separate the good teams from the great ones.
Fernando Mendoza is a prime example of talent being developed, not bought. Mendoza was a 3-star recruit out of high school. He showed promising flashes at Cal, throwing 30 touchdowns in his first two seasons. Cignetti took a chance and offered Mendoza a spot on the Hoosiers roster through the transfer portal.
This season, Mendoza went off—throwing for 41 touchdowns and over 3,000 yards. He capped off the season by winning the Heisman Trophy along with becoming a Big Ten Champion.
Cignetti does not buy into the hype in regards to blue chip programs. The Indiana Hoosiers have statistically been one of the worst football programs of all time. Out of 136 D1 programs, the Hoosiers rank 127 in winning percentage (.424).
Last year in Cignetti’s first season, the Hoosiers finished 11-2 overall— with their only losses coming to the eventual National Champions and National Runner-ups in Ohio State and Notre Dame, respectively.
Most coaches would see this job as a stepping stone, in hopes to one day get an offer from the Penn States or Alabamas or Ohio States of the world. However, in October, Cignetti signed an 8-year extension with the Indiana Hoosiers. He is in it for the long haul. He wants to make Indiana a winner.
This season, the Hoosiers are currently 15-0 with a chance to bring home their first ever National Championship on January 19th against the Miami Hurricanes. Regardless of the outcome, Cignetti has put Indiana Football on the map— building his own legacy.
Four Divisional Titles On The Line For The 2025-2026 NFL Season Finale
Week 17 is officially in the books. As Week 18 approaches, all but two spots are locked for the 2026 NFL Playoffs. Apart from the final two spots, four divisional titles and seeding is still undetermined. The #1 seeds will be rewarded with first-round byes. Several teams must also play for higher seeding in order to gain home-field advantage.
Final Playoff Spots
The season finale will feature a winner-take-all game between divisional rivals. The AFC North title will be settled on Sunday Night Football between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens. The NFC South title will likely be determined Saturday evening between the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, there is a caveat. If first place Carolina wins, they obviously win the NFC South. In the scenario where Tampa Bay wins, they still need help on Sunday. The New Orleans Saints will take on the Atlanta Falcons. Although neither team can make the playoffs, the Falcons own the tie-breaker between Tampa. This means that if Atlanta wins, Carolina makes the playoffs regardless of a win or loss on Saturday.
Summary
Steelers Win = Pittsburgh makes Playoffs
Ravens Win = Baltimore makes Playoffs
Panthers Win OR Falcons Win = Carolina makes Playoffs
Buccaneers Win AND Falcons Lose = Tampa Bay makes Playoffs
#1 Seeds
The NFC #1 Seed is simple. The Seattle Seahawks will play the San Francisco 49ers for a winner-take-all game to determine not only the #1 seed but also the NFC West title. Similarly, this exact scenario happened last year between NFC North rivals, in which the Detroit Lions defeated the Minnesota Vikings for the #1 seed and division title.
Three teams can claim the AFC’s #1 seed depending on the outcomes in Week 18. Here are the scenarios.
The current first place Denver Broncos control their own destiny. They will clinch the #1 seed and a first-round bye with a win on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers. However, if the Broncos lose, the second place New England Patriots will own the top seed with a win against the Miami Dolphins. The third place Jacksonville Jaguars path is not nearly as simple and requires three outcomes. They must win Sunday against the Tennessee Titans along with Broncos’ and Patriots’ losses. Although, this dream scenario for the Jaguars could turn into a nightmare with a loss/tie and a Texans’ win, as Houston would win the AFC South title outright.
Summary
Broncos Win = Denver #1 Seed
Patriots Win AND Broncos Loss = New England #1 Seed
Jaguars Win AND Broncos/Patriots Loss = Jacksonville #1 Seed/AFC South Title
Texans Win AND Jaguars Loss/Tie = Houston AFC South Title
LeBron James Scoring Streak Ends. Lakers Still Win In Dramatic Fashion.
LeBron James’ scoring streak of 10 points or more ended Thursday Night in Toronto at 1,297 games. With Luka Dončić out, the Lakers offensive scheme shifted with Austin Reaves as the 1st option and LeBron James as the 2nd. Reaves had another outstanding performance with 44 points and 10 assists. On the other hand, James recorded a poor shooting night from the field making just 4 of his 17 shots (0/5 from the 3-point line). He did register 11 assists and no turnovers but the Raptors ultimately held James to just 8 points (last regular season game in single digits since Jan. 5, 2007).
However, the most notable play of the night came on James’ 11th and final assist. With the score tied at 120, the Raptors double-teamed Austin Reaves. Reaves fed LeBron the ball with 4 seconds left. James drove to the basket and unexpectedly passed to Rui Hachimura in the corner. Hachimura let it fly and sunk the three, leaving Scotiabank Arena stunned.
The Raptors ended the streak but the Lakers still came away with the win 123-120. Most viewers were expecting James to take the final shot in the dying seconds of the game to potentially salvage the streak. In poetic fashion, LeBron made the right play and passed to the open shooter, something he is often criticized for. When asked post-game, Hachimura stated, “(LeBron) told me right before this, I got you. It’s going to come to you”.
With James essentially being the 3rd option most nights when Luka is on the court, the streak had become an ongoing distraction. In his post-game interview, LeBron seemed to be more relieved rather than disappointed. James was asked about his feelings on the streak ending. His response was simply, “None. We won”.