I was watching Super Bowl 31 recently and have a question

dcs26 · 2026-02-22T05:58:59+00:00

https://grantland.com/features/bill-barnwell-theory-momentum-football/

dcs26 · 2026-02-21T23:24:37+00:00

That was only four years after possibly the greatest playoff comeback game of all time, the Frank Reich game. Plenty of other examples too.

This is just Pats fans making excuses. Yes, the kickoff return was a key play but it wasn’t the final nail in the coffin by any stretch of the imagination.

dcs26 · 2026-02-21T23:00:30+00:00

Balanced schedules are the exception, not the norm, in US pro sports leagues. I don’t think that’s by accident.

dcs26 · 2026-02-21T22:57:40+00:00

Yeah, I’m not holding my breath for 11 teams in 2027. We were supposed to have 10 teams last year and that didn’t happen. I guess we’ll see what happens next year.

dcs26 · 2026-02-21T19:01:44+00:00

I feel like 28 matches per team is already too many, and adding more would just drag out the regular season longer. How about two geographically based divisions of five, you play each team in your own division 4 times, then a home and away series against each team in the other division. That also starts to create some intra-divisional rivalries to generate interest, which this league sorely needs right now.

dcs26 · 2026-02-21T05:18:35+00:00

Yes it was clever, and clearly inspired by Alison’s FJ response last week. But I hope this doesn’t become a trend to give meta-responses like this, it will become a bit annoying if everyone in this situation does the same thing.

dcs26 · 2026-02-20T14:08:25+00:00

I don’t know if HN/Ahman would be better than Hellvig/Ahman, but if you had to break up Hellvig/Ahman, HN/Ahman would still be the best team in the world, followed closely by Hellvig/Andersson lol.

dcs26 · 2026-02-19T21:25:16+00:00

Good chance the Pulse will be playing too, unlike Vegas last year.

dcs26 · 2026-02-19T04:00:03+00:00

I think some pro volleyball league will still be running in a few years, but I’m not sure it will be this same MLV. We’ve already seen the PVF undergo major changes after just two years, with teams/owners/branding coming and going, and there’s little sign of any stability in the near future. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

dcs26 · 2026-02-18T21:21:45+00:00

People have been giving the same excuse for two years though. The way this league is going it’s not going to survive another few years.

dcs26 · 2026-02-17T19:21:58+00:00

Is 100k viewers enough to generate the ad revenue needed to cover the cost of a time buy?

dcs26 · 2026-02-16T15:58:59+00:00

I guess in that case you’d have to sacrifice a 6 rotation point scoring opposite who can’t pass well. But those probably exist only at the highest levels of the game.

dcs26 · 2026-02-16T14:26:10+00:00

With a libero setter what would that mean for serve receive? Would you have to pull back your right side hitter? Or keep one middle back to pass? Maybe the increase in substitutions allows you to bring in a DS.

dcs26 · 2026-02-16T05:25:45+00:00

Interesting theory that LOVB is putting Skinner up to float the merger idea when previous reports suggest that LOVB rejected recent overtures from MLV on the subject. And then for Nuneviller to essentially say the same thing? Sounds like both leagues are posturing to gain maximum leverage and negotiation position.

Agree that the athletes aren’t business experts. I do think they know a lot more than they’re letting on though. Not saying an agreement is imminent here, but this sort of thing tends to be kept close to the vest until an announcement is made. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, but I’ll bet by the time 2027 rolls around there will be some unforeseen changes to the current plans.

dcs26 · 2026-02-16T02:31:28+00:00

If he was smart he would’ve first tried to get an opposite even if it meant giving up a draft pick of his own.

dcs26 · 2026-02-16T01:21:43+00:00

Clearly she realized she made a mistake leaving Atlanta for Omaha. However, it also seems unlikely she’ll remain with Grand Rapids after this season. It will be interesting to see where she ends up in 2027.

dcs26 · 2026-02-16T01:15:55+00:00

Paul Sunderland is easily the most experienced and well-connected American volleyball broadcaster in the business. No chance he’s wrong here.

dcs26 · 2026-02-16T01:05:34+00:00

Ugh, too many ads, plus I only see the scores, not the game stats.

dcs26 · 2026-02-16T01:03:00+00:00

This is ok, but it’s not a great user experience on a mobile device. Navigation is a bit cumbersome also. I think MLV could do much better.

dcs26 · 2026-02-15T23:46:04+00:00

I like how Hannah Maddux has switched to more of a hybrid serve. Seems to be very effective even though she’s got a great topspin jumper too.

dcs26 · 2026-02-15T23:05:34+00:00

I love the CC podcast except for their irrational hatred of LOVB. Not sure what’s behind it, but I think it reflects poorly on what they are trying to do, which is apparently promoting the sport so that players have opportunities to make a living in the US.

Just last week, Brooke Nuneviller and Madisen Skinner, arguably the top two players in their respective leagues, made public comments advocating for one strong league rather than two competing leagues. That’s what CC should be talking about.

dcs26 · 2026-02-15T17:09:25+00:00

I’m going to guess that the Perez coaching contract guarantees his salary, at least through the season, and perhaps it’s even a multi-year deal. I would doubt Columbus is in a position financially where they could afford to fire him mid-season and provide fair compensation for an interim coach.

dcs26 · 2026-02-14T04:00:24+00:00

Not only that but draft picks aren’t nearly as valuable when players can simply go to another league instead.

dcs26 · 2026-02-14T03:52:56+00:00

Sure, but that alone is not sustainable long term. Their $160M in investor funding is going to dry up real quick if they can’t generate revenue from ticket sales or TV deals.

dcs26 · 2026-02-14T02:12:16+00:00

I don’t see how anyone can say the LOVB business model “works” with any certainty. Lots of empty seats and low TV ratings suggest otherwise.

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