Tag: FTW Explains

Joel Embiid’s late scratch against Nuggets in Denver: Everything we know and how the NBA is reportedly responding

Here’s all we know about Joel Embiid’s last-second scratch in Denver and the NBA’s response.

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. Have you seen some things about Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid’s last-second scratch in Denver over the weekend? Are you wondering why this is a big deal for the NBA and why everyone keeps talking about it? Don’t worry. We’re here to help. 

The Philadelphia 76ers might find themselves in hot water soon.

Last Saturday in Denver was supposed to be a potential NBA Finals preview between Philadelphia and the reigning champion Denver Nuggets. The last two regular-season MVPs, Joel Embiid (2023) and Nikola Jokić (2021-2022) were at the center of the matchup. There was just one problem: Embiid was a last-minute scratch in what some see as a simmering controversy.

What the heck is going on here? What do the Nuggets and 76ers think? And what are the ramifications for the NBA? Let’s dive in.

Everything we know about the Philadelphia Flyers’ sudden trade of top prospect Cutter Gauthier

Here’s everything we know about the Flyers’ shocking trade of Cutter Gauthier to the Ducks and all the drama surrounding the move.

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. Are you wondering why the hockey world has exploded with talk about the Philadelphia Flyers and someone named Cutter Gauthier? Don’t worry. We’re here to help.

It’s not often hockey teams trade away top prospects on a random weekday, even more so in the middle of the season. But that’s exactly what happened on Monday when the Philadelphia Flyers traded 19-year-old Cutter Gauthier to the Anaheim Ducks in a stunning move.

If you’re not up to date on the Flyers’ prospect system or who Gauthier even is, we here at For The Win will give you everything you need to know about this trade that rocked the hockey world.

The pink Stanley cup craze at Starbucks and Target, explained

Why there’s so much hype around a cup.

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. Have you seen some stuff about a pink-colored Stanley cup that people are buying like crazy? And you’re very confused about that whole thing? Don’t worry. We’re here to help.

That’s right, there’s a limited-edition cup that a lot of people want and are doing all kinds of things in order to purchase it. Maybe you’ve seen it on TikTok or X (formerly Twitter) and been wondering why the heck there’s so much hype around it.

Let’s answer all of that:

The NHL’s digital board ads and why hockey fans hate them, explained

The NHL’s digital board ads are back for the 2023-24 season, but not everyone is happy.

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. Are you wondering why the advertisements on the boards during NHL games keep distracting you? If so, we’re here to help.

Fall is here and that means hockey season is officially back in full swing. The 2023-24 NHL season promises to be filled with exciting games, captivating stories, and some darn good hockey to boot.

While a lot of the talk this season will be centered on the action on the ice, you can be sure that NHL fans will once again be complaining about one thing in particular: the league’s digital board advertisements. So, what are these digital board ads and why do hockey fans hate them with a fiery passion? Let’s dive in.

Conference realignment and the fate of the Pac-12: Everything we know so far about college football’s shifting landscape

We’re here to help you make sense of all the chaos going on in the college football world.

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. Are you wondering what’s going on with the madness that is the latest round of college football realignment, especially as it relates to the Pac-12? We’re here to help.

We are just weeks away from kicking off the 2023 college football season, but right now, what should be an exciting time for the sport has largely been overshadowed by far more existential concerns.

The respective moves of Oklahoma and Texas moving to the SEC and USC and UCLA joining the Big Ten in 2024 proved to be the first signs of trouble in a rapidly shifting college football landscape, and the dam finally broke this week.

With the demise of the Pac-12 seemingly on the horizon, teams are searching for safe harbor in one of the three stable power conferences: the SEC, Big Ten and Big 12.

Much is still up to speculation, but here’s a rundown of everything we know so far as it relates to the latest round of conference realignment.

This story has been updated.

The NCAA’s ruling against Tennessee and former coach Jeremy Pruitt, explained

The NCAA found that Tennessee committed more than 200 unreported violations.

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. Are you wondering how former Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt is still impacting the Volunteers? We’re here to help.

On Friday, the NCAA Committee on Infractions made a ruling in the case regarding Tennessee football and alleged misconduct under former head coach Jeremy Pruitt.

All in all, the NCAA found that Tennessee committed more than 200 unreported violations, including 18 of the Level I variety (the most severe). The Volunteers received a historic $8 million fine from the NCAA as well as sanctions which include scholarship and official visit reductions.

The team must also vacate all 11 wins from the 2019 and 2020 seasons, according to ESPN’s Chris Low.

But that’s not the entire story, and the people most affected by this ruling haven’t been affiliated with the program in several years. Here, we’ll answer all your burning questions about the Pruitt saga.

Why Florida Panthers fans throw toy rats on the ice

Panthers fans love their rats!

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. Are you wondering why Florida Panthers fans are throwing rats onto the ice? We’re here to help.

Every sports team has their own traditions. Many times, traditions take the form of a victory song, like the Colorado Avalanche with “All the Small Things” and the Philadelphia Phillies with “Dancing on My Own“.

The Florida Panthers, however, have rats as their victory tradition.

No, not real rats! Thankfully, these ones are of the plastic variety and are often seen thrown onto the ice after a Panthers’ win. So, how did the Panthers’ tradition of throwing rats onto the ice begin? Let’s dig in!

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The drama between Willson Contreras and the St. Louis Cardinals, explained

Why are the struggling Cardinals blaming Willson Contreras?

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. Are you wondering about why the St. Louis Cardinals are relieving Willson Contreras of catching duties? We’re here to help.

We’re still just over a month into the 2023 MLB season, but it has been far from an ideal start for the St. Louis Cardinals. One season after St. Louis won 93 games and a National League Central title, the Cardinals are sitting at the bottom of the entire National League.

That has the whole organization looking for answers. After all, a team with Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado and winning pedigree should not be *this* bad. And for manager Oliver Marmol, newly acquired catcher Willson Contreras appears to be the problem.

Let’s break down what’s going on with the Cardinals.

Michigan’s Notice of Allegations and the Jim Harbaugh NFL rumors, explained

There’s been a cloud hanging over the Wolverines since the loss to TCU.

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. Are you wondering about the severity of Michigan’s alleged NCAA violations and whether Jim Harbaugh is heading back to the NFL? We’re here to help.

Even after it was eliminated against TCU in the College Football Playoff semifinal on New Year’s Eve, Michigan’s football program has remained in the headlines. Thursday, the Wolverines received a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA accusing the program of multiple Level II violations and one Level I violation.

This news comes amid rumors that Harbaugh could be looking to jump ship to the NFL. Here’s what we know about the whole situation, at this point.

What we know so far about the U.S. Soccer blackmail scandal involving Gregg Berhalter and the Reyna family

That escalated quickly.

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. Are you wondering about the drama involving U.S. men’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter and the Reyna family? We’re here to help.

The USMNT’s run at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar ended with a Round of 16 loss to the Netherlands. And one of the major talking points around the USMNT concerned Berhalter’s usage — or lack thereof — of Gio Reyna. The talented 20-year-old from Borussia Dortmund did not start a single match in Qatar and only appeared in three matches on limited minutes.

The context around that decision took a major turn on Wednesday. Let’s break down what we know so far.