This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.
Gooood morning, Winners. It’s probably not so good of a morning for the Atlanta Braves who became the third 100-plus win team to fumble an entire season away in as many days.
Braves fans, it’s OK if you don’t want to do this anymore. I mean, we get it. Trust me. We do.
When Ronald Acuña hit what we all for sure thought was a grand slam on Johan Rojas only for it to miraculously start dropping right into the outfield, I knew it was over. The Braves were cooked, man. There was nothing anyone could do about it.
This was shocking because Atlanta is one of the greatest offenses baseball has ever seen. It might be the best Braves team ever.
Atlanta’s .501 slugging percentage is the best of all time. The Braves also led the league in homers by a wide margin with 307 total. That’s not all. Atlanta led the league in OPS (.845), batting average (.276), on-base percentage (.344) and averaged 5.9 runs per game. None of that mattered. Not one bit of it. Nobody is ever going to remember any of that.
The only thing we’ll think of when we remember this team in the annals of MLB history is “Atta Boy, Harper.”
Orlando Arcia’s ribbing of Bryce Harper is going to go down in the history books of Major League Baseball as one of those pivotal moments — especially if the Phillies win it all.
To be clear, that’s not why the Phillies won. They shut down Atlanta’s explosive offense with elite pitching and a masterful job of managing the bullpen from Rob Thompson. The Braves don’t hit any better if reporters don’t catch Arcia talking cash.
But you can’t tell me that that moment didn’t change the tone of the series. It gave the Phillies something to rally around. It’s all over media. It’s on t-shirts. It just won’t go away.
Now, it’s what the greatest Braves team ever has been reduced to. What a shame.
Are we sure Sean Payton isn’t stealth-tanking?
Congratulations, Broncos fans. Sean Payton has graduated to the stage of actively hurting his team with a “boneheaded mistake.” Those are his words — not mine.
Sean Payton on calling a timeout after Wilson was sacked late in the first half: “Boneheaded mistake by me” pic.twitter.com/a0OSwu2DZ0
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) October 13, 2023
Payton called a timeout at the end of the first half on Thursday night against the Chiefs after Russell Wilson got sacked. That left the Chiefs with time on the clock once and they were able to kick this field goal.
Is this a stealth tank? That’s the only way I can possibly believe this is happening. Not Sean “Nathaniel Hackett is the worst coach I’ve ever seen” Payton!? He would never. Right? RIGHT?
Let this be a gentle reminder that, after six games, Nathaniel Hackett’s Broncos were 2-4. Sean Payton’s Broncos are now 1-5 after putting up a stinker against the Chiefs on Thursday night. And they gave up 70 points in one of those games.
It’s looking like Caleb Williams season. Broncos country, let’s ride.
The Houston Miracle
You won’t believe what happened in Houston vs. West Virginia on Thursday night. Two touchdowns. Twelve seconds. Yes, really.
West Virginia scores with just 12 seconds left on the clock. Houston gets the ball back. Then we get some magic. Charles Curtis has more here along with this awesome radio call of the play.
As called on Houston Cougars radio & heard on the @varsity app: pic.twitter.com/x22bAlCmbQ
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) October 13, 2023
This is just the best. This is why we love sports. Inject it into my veins, please.
Quick hits: NFL prop bets for Week 6 … The best NHL jerseys ranked … and more
— Christian D’Andrea has you covered with the best NFL prop bets for Week 6 action.
— Mary Clarke has been on fire with the NHL preview content. Here are the league’s best home jerseys, ranked.
— Nick Castanellos is the best. Pass it on. Charles Curtis has more.
— Still thinking of Halloween costume ideas? No worries. Caroline Darney has 9 of them for you here.
— Damarri Mathis is going to get lit up in the Broncos film session for this one.
— Want to know where ESPN College GameDay is headed this weekend? Here’s Charles again with the schedule for Week 7.
That’s a wrap, folks! Have a fantastic weekend. We’ll chat again on Monday! Until then.
-Sykes