Sports

This St. Patrick’s Day two members of the Sabres coaching staff weren’t very lucky. Head coach Ralph Krueger and assistant coach Steve Smith were dismissed from their positions earlier that morning. While it’s not surprising given the ten game losing streak, it has caused quite the stir for the hockey media and the disappointed fan base.

After thrashing Crystal Palace 7-0, Liverpool sat at the top of the league one point ahead Manchester City. However, this was all the way back on December 19th of 2020. Since then, Liverpool have been in a seemingly endless slide in the performance and standings. Today they sit on the 6th spot 25 points behind the 1st place Manchester City. There have been a few reasons for this major dip.

Manchester City’s twenty one match winning streak was ended by Manchester United last Sunday at a derby match that ended 2-0, with a goal scored by Bruno Fernandes during a penalty kick in the first minute of the game and a second-half breakaway by Luke Shaw. This was City’s first loss in all competitions since November. They retain their position at the top of the Premier League, with Man United eleven points behind them in second place, and are also top of the Champions League with a three point lead over FC Porto.

After an ATP Cup dominated by Russia, all eyes were on the Australian Open. Novak Djokovic, the World No. 1, was chasing his 9th Australian Open title. The two time defending champion sought to extend his Grand Slam count to 18, two behind both Nadal and Federer. On the other hand, Nadal was looking to capture his second Australian Open title to pass Federer and break the record for most Grand Slam titles, a highly coveted achievement. Other contenders in red hot form were Russians Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev. Neither player lost a match in the ATP Cup, a team tournament leading up to the AO.

As controversy surrounded quarantine and the upcoming Australian Open, the ATP Cup was a breath of fresh air for many top tennis players. Looking for early practice, thirteen of the top fourteen players in the world were set to compete, with the lone exception of World No. 5 Roger Federer, who was recovering from knee surgery.

One of the best scorers in the NBA, James Harden, was granted his wish to be traded. The trade included 4 teams: Cleveland Cavaliers, Brooklyn Nets, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers. I will break down the winners and losers of this 4 team trade.

While the loss to Kansas City in the AFC Championship is difficult to deal with, the Buffalo Bills brought some much-needed light to Western New York and their fans everywhere this season. From setting new franchise and league records to donating to good causes, the team brought the community together with something to celebrate.

Weeks before it was scheduled to start, there was uncertainty surrounding the Australian Open and if the tournament would go on. Organizers and Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley (who is also director of the Australian Open) were in negotiations about what would happen for the opening Grand Slam of the year.

After beating the Baltimore Ravens 17-3 on Saturday, the Buffalo Bills are heading to the AFC Championship. The last time the team made it this far was the 1993 season before star quarterback Josh Allen was even born.

On January 14, the Sabres played their opening game to the 2020-21 season against the Washington Capitals. Buffalo lost 4-2 after a long, slow-paced game. The following night the Sabres improved their defensive game but couldn’t create enough offensive momentum in a much closer 2-1 defeat. (It’s important to note that while both Linus Ullmark and Jack Eichel played in the games, neither of them were prepared enough due to Ullmark’s immigration issues and Eichel’s upper-body injury acquired in off-ice training.) This is clearly not what the team or fans wanted for the first double header.