It’s The Least Wonderful Time of the Year
July…one of the slowest, driest months in sports. While baseball and WNBA basketball are doing their best to hold things down, the truth is, people love football and NBA basketball more. In the meantime I’ve pleaded with professional boxing associations to give us a big name fight (Gervonta Davis, maybe? *wink wink*) to enjoy while we wait out the dry spell, but haven’t been very successful. (And no, Jake Paul’s “fights” don’t count.)
The silver lining is that dead-of-summer down time can be looked at as the calm before the storm. It’s the time we need to have as we prepare for our adrenaline to shoot up in the next few weeks. Here are a few things I am preparing myself for:
The Orioles Breaking My Heart
The Orioles have been playing good baseball lately, but not enough to get traction in the AL wild card race. According to Orioles reporter Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun, the Orioles were 7.5 games out of a wild card spot on June 5. As of July 11, they are still six games out. Simply put, they’ve gained little ground over the last month, which almost certainly means they will be sellers by the trade deadline on July 31. I expect some of my favorite players who are in the last year of their contracts — such as newly announced All Star Ryan O’Hearn and Cedric Mullins — to be gone soon. We could also see some pitching departures, as Dean Kremer has pitched himself into a category of a third rotation starter over the last few starts. (I’m not as sad about this as others. The Kremer Experience is a roller coaster.) There could be others on the chopping block, including Seranthony Dominguez, but certainly, O’Hearn and Ceddy will hurt me the most. I’m prepared for the Orioles to trade away some of their best players as they look toward the future. I’m not happy about it, but I understand.
While We’re Here…
Jackson Holliday was close, but no cigar, to reaching All Star status. The second baseman was a finalist to make the All Star roster, but didn’t get chosen, not even as a reserve. There’s been a lot of chatter on social media about Holliday getting robbed, and maybe it’s not all wrong. Did Holliday deserve to go? One could make a very good case for him. Is life fair? Not at all. The Orioles are at the bottom of the AL East and very low on the Wild Card totem pole. It’s happened before, but bad teams typically don’t get rewarded with multiple All Stars. The sooner we understand that this is a factor in how well the Orioles have played, the quicker we can accept the results and move on.
The Ravens Left Guard Battle
As we inch closer to NFL Training Camp, one position battle that I’m prepared to watch closely is the battle at left guard. For now, Andrew Vorhees is listed as the starter. Vorhees is going into his third NFL season, but missed his entire rookie season due to a knee injury he sustained while at the 2023 NFL Combine. He’s going to be fighting for his spot with Ben Cleveland, who is entering his sixth year with the Ravens. Cleveland has weathered adversity during his tenure, with some claiming that he’s in Coach John Harbaugh’s “doghouse.” Cleveland has dealt with some off-the-field adversity as well, with a DUI arrest and a public divorce filing shortly after. We shall see if he finds his way out of the doghouse — which could happen if he plays better than Vorhees.
The DeAndre Hopkins Impact (or not?)
DeAndre Hopkins’ recent signing felt essential for the Ravens to move past their playoff hurdle. Time will tell, but this could mean the difference between January heartache and a Superbowl success. “It seems like there’s been a piece that’s been missing,” Hopkins said of the decision. Although he wasn’t saying that the missing piece was him, fans have warmed up to that idea. At just 33 years old, he’s an upgrade at the third wide receiver spot over Nelson Agholor, who was last year’s WR3. He will be a great option for intermediate plays, moving the chains and red zone. Could Hopkins be the missing piece the Ravens’ offense needs? Or could Jaire Alexander be the missing piece to help the defense lose out games? We will find out, as training camp starts in a couple of weeks, and all eyes will be on Hopkins to find chemistry with Jackson and the offense.
The Return of College Football
Duh! My favorite sport is back in seven Saturdays. NIL has done a number on the sport, and I don’t have the answers to fix it. But that’s not for me to figure out, and I’m glad the players are getting paid. Politics aside, there is no experience quite like the college football experience, and I’m anxiously awaiting its return.