bracket – Page 6 – Syndication Server

If Saints beat Bears, they’ll host winner of Tampa Bay at Washington

If the New Orleans Saints defeat the Chicago Bears, they’ll advance to face either the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Washington Football Team.

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A couple of playoff games have already wrapped up, and pieces are in motion for the rest of the tournament. After the early kickoffs on Saturday, the New Orleans Saints are watching the night game to see who advances: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or the Washington Football Team.

Should the Saints defeat defeat the Chicago Bears, they’ll end up hosting the winner of that matchup at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in the Divisional Round. It’s early, and New Orleans could very well lose Sunday’s tilt with Chicago. But it’s good to know who is on the Saints’ radar.

And the first quarter between Tampa Bay-Washington set the tone as well as could be hoped. The Buccaneers’ opening drive stalled out and settled for a field goal, while Washington quickly punted on their ensuing possession. Tampa Bay held onto their early 3-0 lead despite a punt of their own by intercepting Taylor Heinicke, pushed into a relief start with Alex Smith recovering from injury. Brady quickly struck with a touchdown pass to Antonio Brown, but the following extra-point attempt was blocked, leaving them up 9-0.

So this one is worth watching, even if it would be an upset should Tom Brady and his squad lose. They entered as heavy favorites despite the impressive Washington defense coached by Ron Rivera. Maybe the prospect of getting stomped by the Saints a third time in the next round is enough for Brady to rethink whether he really wants to win this game and risk that rematch.

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Vote for Chiefs to defeat Jaguars in Round 1 of the Homegrown Legends Tournament

The Kansas City Homegrown Legends team features the late Gale Sayers.

The best NFL players who hail from Kansas City and the surrounding area need your help, Chiefs Kingdom. Our all-star Homegrown Legends team features players such as the late Gale Sayers, Barry Sanders, Jordy Nelson, Justin Smith and other NFL legends. They’ve been pit against 32 other NFL teams in a bracket-style tournament.

In the first round, our heroes will face a Jacksonville Jaguars team quarterbacked by Tim Tebow and featuring NFL greats like Jack Youngblood and Brian Dawkins. Here’s what Doug Farrar’s power rankings had to say about the team’s from Jacksonville and Kansas City:

23. Kansas City

“The defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs are led by their quarterback in the real world, but although John Hadl was no slouch, you’d certainly want to hand the ball off as much as possible if Barry Sanders and Gale Sayers were your running backs. Also, quarterbacks will not enjoy throwing the ball against a secondary featuring Roger Wehrli and Nolan Cromwell, two of the most underrated defensive backs of their eras.”

12. Jacksonville

“There really isn’t a weak spot on this team outside of the obvious quarterback problem; perhaps the virtual Jaguars could play T-formation as their base offense and hope to surprise their opponents.”

The Chiefs are already at a disadvantage based on Touchdown Wire’s power rankings, but so far they’re leading the Jaguars in the poll. Voting for the first round of the tournament ends at Noon ET on Friday, Sept. 25. You can vote for Kansas City to take down Jacksonville at the link below:

Vote: Homegrown Legends Tournament Bracket, Round 1

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VOTE: Seahawks over 49ers in Homegrown Legends tournament

Cast your ballot and vote the Seattle Seahawks over the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the Homegrown Legends tournament.

The voting is now live for the first round of our Homegrown Legends tournament and this week features the Seattle Seahawks against the San Francisco 49ers.

But before you cast your ballot, here’s a little background on the contest and a look at Seattle’s roster.

Homegrown Legends: Seattle’s greatest products come home as virtual Seahawks

Which cities and states produce the best football talent? It’s an age-old debate, and Touchdown Wire asks you to help determine the answer.

We’ve imagined NFL rosters for the ages composed of the greatest players who grew up in the areas of the 32 current franchises. Our selection methodology is explained in detail in this article.

Touchdown Wire columnist Doug Farrar revealed his power rankings for our 32 Homegrown Legends rosters, providing the seedings for an epic virtual tournament.

Here’s where you come in. Cast your votes below in the first round of our Homegrown Legends tournament, and check back on Friday, Sept. 25, at approximately noon ET for results and the opening of second-round voting.

Click here to vote the Seattle Seahawks to the next round!

Vote: Homegrown Legends Tournament Bracket, Round 1

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Gators men’s basketball a No. 6 seed in latest ESPN bracketology

In the latest update from ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi to his 2021 NCAA Tournament predictions, the Gators were picked as a No. 6 seed.

Lunardi placed Florida in the West Region, where Gonzaga is the No. 1 seed, set to play the first and second rounds in Dallas. Its projected first-round opponent is the victor of a play-in game between No. 11 seeds Clemson and Seton Hall. If coach Mike White’s team were to survive the first game, it would likely play No. 3 seed Texas Tech in the second round. With this bracket, the Gators could also draw Kentucky in the Elite Eight.

UF is one of seven SEC teams predicted by Lunardi to make the tournament, the third-most represented conference behind the Big 10 and ACC, which are each projected to put nine teams into the tournament. The other SEC teams slotted by Lunardi to make the big dance are No. 4 Kentucky, No. 4 Tennessee, No. 8 Alabama, No. 8 Arkansas, No. 8 LSU and No. 10 Ole Miss.

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What was LeBron James’ best season? The readers have spoken

LeBron Wire asked fans to decide the best regular season in LeBron James’ career, and the final voting results have been tallied.

The ballots have been tallied, and LeBron Wire readers have spoken.

We asked, “What was LeBron James’ greatest season?” by pitting his first 16 NBA campaigns against each other in a March Madness-style voting bracket.

When it was all said and done, fans selected his 2012-13 season with the Miami Heat. LeBron won his fourth (and most recent) MVP award that year, en route to winning his second NBA championship.

If you missed our previous rounds, you can view the results at the following links for the first round, second round and semifinals.

Champion

No. 3 seed: 2012-13 season – Heat

LeBron James Heat 2012 — (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG
76	37.9	26.8	8.0	7.3

LeBron captured his fourth MVP award — earning 120 of 121 first-place votes — while leading the Heat to a franchise-record 66 victories. He averaged eight rebounds per game for the first time and shot a career-best 40.6% from 3-point range. He also became the first player in league history to make 100-plus 3-pointers in a season while shooting at least 55 percent from the floor. LeBron and the Heat would repeat as league champions with a dramatic comeback against the Spurs in the NBA Finals.

Runner-up

No. 12 seed: 2015-16 season – Cavaliers

LeBron James Cavaliers 2015 — (Jason Miller/Getty Images)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG
76	35.6	25.3	7.4	6.8

LeBron became the first player in NBA history to average at least 25 points per game for 12 consecutive seasons – a streak that remains active in 2020 — despite playing the fewest minutes per game out of 11 seasons in a Cleveland uniform. He finished third in MVP voting behind Stephen Curry and Kawhi Leonard, then memorably delivered the first championship in Cavaliers history by leading his team back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Warriors in the NBA Finals.

Thanks for participating in the “LeBron’s Greatest Season” bracket. Be sure to stay tuned to LeBron Wire for the latest news about King James and the Los Angeles Lakers.

FINAL ROUND: Vote to determine ‘LeBron’s Greatest Season’

LeBron Wire asks fans to determine the best regular season in LeBron James’ career — 2012-13 with Heat or 2015-16 with Cavaliers.

Welcome to the final round of our “LeBron’s Greatest Season” voting bracket, as we tap fans to decide which NBA regular season was King James’ best.

If you missed our previous rounds, you can view the results at the following links for the first round, second round and semifinals.

We had a stunning upset in the semis, with LeBron’s return to Cleveland in 2015-16 ousting his first MVP campaign, 2008-09. Although our criteria asks readers to vote strictly on regular-season performance — same as MVP voting — it’s clearly difficult to forget LeBron’s amazing 2016 postseason en route to Cleveland’s first NBA title.

And that’s fine. This vote belongs to you, the fans.

Without further ado, we invite you to vote one last time below to determine the zenith of King James’ career.

Final: 3) 2012-13 vs. 12) 2015-16

No. 3 seed: 2012-13 season – Heat

LeBron James Heat 2013 — (Jason Miller/Getty Images)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG
76	37.9	26.8	8.0	7.3

No. 12 seed: 2015-16 season – Cavaliers

LeBron James 2016 — (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG
76	35.6	25.3	7.4	6.8

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Thanks for voting. Be sure to check back on Monday, April 27, shortly after noon ET to find out our winner.

SEMIFINALS: Vote in our ‘LeBron’s Greatest Season’ bracket

LeBron Wire asks NBA fans to vote and decide whether the peak of the Akron Hammer’s pro tenure occurred with the Cavaliers, Heat or Lakers.

Welcome back to LeBron Wire’s quest to determine the fans’ choice for King James’ greatest NBA season.

Scroll down to vote in the semifinals round.

Two of our four second-round matchups culminated in upsets. LeBron’s final season with the Cavs (No. 7 seed, 2017-18) ousted his second MVP season (No. 2, 2009-10), and his return to Cleveland (No. 12, 2015-16) bested his only scoring-title season (No. 4, 2007-08).

Two of LeBron’s four MVP seasons remain in the running: No. 1 seed 2007-08 and No. 3 seed 2012-13.

Again, a bit about our methodology: Like the NBA MVP award, postseason is not included – otherwise, there wouldn’t be much suspense. Seedings are ranked by win shares, as determined by basketball-reference. The suspended 2019-20 season is not included, as we all remain optimistic it will resume at some point.

On to the semifinals. Cast your votes and check back Thursday, April 23, shortly after noon ET for the championship round.

Semifinals: April 20 – April 23 (noon ET)
Finals: April 23 – April 26 (noon ET)

Semifinal: 1) 2008-09 vs. 12) 2015-16

No. 1 seed: 2008-09 season – Cavaliers

LeBron James 2009 — (Nick Laham/Getty Images)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG
81	37.7	28.4	7.6	7.2

LeBron earned his first MVP award while leading the Cavaliers to a franchise-record 66 victories. A year after winning the NBA scoring title, he finished second in that category to future teammate Dwyane Wade (30.2 ppg). LeBron led the NBA with 594 free throws made and won conference Player of the Week honors seven times – a single-season league record that still stands.

No. 12 seed: 2015-16 season – Cavaliers

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG
76	35.6	25.3	7.4	6.8

LeBron became the first player in NBA history to average at least 25 points per game for 12 consecutive seasons – a streak that remains active in 2020 — despite playing the fewest minutes per game out of 11 seasons in a Cleveland uniform. He then memorably delivered the first championship in Cavaliers history, leading his team back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Warriors in the NBA Finals.

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‘LeBron’s Greatest Season’ bracket: Vote in the second round

LeBron Wire asks NBA fans to vote in the second round to determine the zenith of King James’ storied professional career.

The ballots for the first round have been cast, and now we move to the second round of our “LeBron’s Greatest Season” bracket.

The results were mostly true to form by seeding, with a couple notable exceptions. The No. 12 seed, 2015-16, bounced the No. 5 seed, 2005-06 – perhaps fans were sentimental about the Cavs’ earning the top seed in the East on their way to the NBA title. Also, the No. 11 seed, 2011-12, eliminated the No. 6 seed, 2004-05 – as fans opted for the Miami era over his sophomore emergence.

The season in which LeBron won his only NBA scoring title, No. 4 seed 2007-08, squeaked by No. 13 seed 2016-17 by a single vote.

On to the second round. Cast your votes and check back Monday, April 20, shortly after noon ET for the semifinals.

Second round: April 16 – April 20 (noon ET)
Semifinals: April 20 – April 23 (noon ET)
Finals: April 23 – April 26 (noon ET)

Round 2: 1) 2008-09 vs. 9) 2013-14

No. 1 seed: 2008-09 season – Cavaliers

LeBron James Cavaliers — (Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG
81	37.7	28.4	7.6	7.2

No. 9 seed: 2013-14 season – Heat

LeBron James Heat — (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG
77	37.7	27.1	6.9	6.3

In LeBron’s final season with the Heat, he ranked second in the league in field goals (767), third in points (2,089) and third in points per game despite attempting a career-low 17.6 field goals per game. All that was possible because he shot a career-best 56.7% from the field, and his 27.1 points per game was his best average during four seasons with the Heat.

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VOTE: What was LeBron James’ greatest NBA season?

LeBron Wire asks NBA fans to vote and determine whether the zenith of King James’ career occurred with the Cavaliers, Heat or Lakers.

LeBron James greatest season — (USA TODAY Sports Media Group illustration)

At age 35, LeBron James is already on the short list of the greatest players in basketball history.

In reflecting on his career to this point, it’s interesting to compare and contrast his performances at different stages of his development. Is experienced LeBron is better than young LeBron? Was LeBron better with the Heat or the Cavaliers?

Let’s get even more specific: What was LeBron’s greatest NBA season?

LeBron Wire aims to answer that question with your help. Below is the first round of our “LeBron’s Greatest Season” voting bracket.

A bit about our methodology: Like the NBA MVP award, postseason is not included – otherwise, there wouldn’t be much suspense. Seedings are ranked by win shares, as determined by basketball-reference. The suspended 2019-20 season is not included, as we all remain optimistic it will resume at some point.

Without further ado, let the balloting begin. Vote early and often!

First round: April 13 – April 16 (noon ET)
Second round: April 16 – April 20 (noon ET)
Semifinals: April 20 – April 23 (noon ET)
Finals: April 23 – April 26 (noon ET)

Round 1: 1) 2008-09 vs. 16) 2003-04

No. 1 seed: 2008-09 season – Cavaliers

Age	G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG
23/24	81	37.7	28.4	7.6	7.2

No. 16 seed: 2003-04 season – Cavaliers

LeBron James rookie season — (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Age	G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG
18/19	79	39.5	20.9	5.5	5.9

LeBron was only 18 when he debuted as a professional, so his rookie stats should be viewed in that context. He shot 41.7% from the field that season, the only time in his career below 47%. Nevertheless, he was named Rookie of the Year, joining Amar’e Stoudemire as the only winners who went directly from high school to the NBA.

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Favorite Spartans of all time bracket round one: Magic Johnson region

Voting is open for the first round of matchups in The SpartansWire Favorite Spartans ever bracket

Hello and welcome to the official start of the SpartansWire Favorite Spartans of all Time Tournament. Sure, that’s a terrible name, but at this point, who cares? It’s a pandemic outside. Fictional bracket names don’t matter right now.

Today I’m going to lay out the Magic Johnson region, which is highlighted by overall number one seed–you guessed it–Magic Johnson. Players will be pitted against each other and the winner will be decided exclusively by fan vote.

Here’s the full region for a quick refresher.

As with every region, there are a number of big names in the bracket without much separating the top seeds from the lower seeds.

Let’s get to the matchups!

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