Tag: football

Ranking The Super Bowl (2000-2026)

AdamLeave a comment

It’s been several weeks since the latest Super Bowl match-up between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots! Just like I did at the end of the World Series last year, I’m gonna rank each and every Super Bowl match-up that has occurred since 2000!

For a few disclaimers, I will be referring to each Super Bowl that was played in the exact year that it did and NOT based on the regular season from a month prior of that Super Bowl match! Because of that, I will also include the Super Bowl match-up that took place in February 2000 between the St. Louis Rams and Tennessee Titans, even if those teams are based on a regular season that took place in 1999!

Also, since I’ve been making people wait long enough for this and wanted to get this piece out before March rolls around, I’m just gonna get straight to the point with each Super Bowl match-up! Just a sentence or two summary about how each SB went down and why they are placed where they are! This might change in the future if I’m still doing these rankings but for now, keeping it brief!

Let’s get right now to it!

27.) 2014- Super Bowl XLVIII- Seattle Seahawks vs Denver Broncos

Champion: Seattle Seahawks

Score: 43-8

MVP: Malcolm Smith, Linebacker

About as uninteresting and as much of a blowout as you could imagine for a Super Bowl event! What was expected to be a tight match-up between two highly competitive teams between the Seahawks and Broncos ended up being a laugher, leading to Seattle’s first ever SB crown! This was a game that was over from the very start and lacked any suspense of any kind!

26.) 2026- Super Bowl LX- Seattle Seahawks vs New England Patriots

Champions: Seattle Seahawks

Score: 43-8

MVP: Kenneth Walker III, Running Back

Sadly, the 2nd SB victory from the Seahawks wasn’t a whole lot better. Going up against a young Patriots team who cakewalked their way to success thanks to having the easiest regular season schedule in over 20 years, this was expected to be a steamroller for Seattle and we got exactly that. New England did make some fireworks in the 4th quarter, which does keep it from being dead last, but they were simply no match for Seattle, who was bare none the superior team in every way.

25.) 2001- Super Bowl XXXV- Baltimore Ravens vs New York Giants

Champion: Baltimore Ravens

Score: 34-7

MVP: Ray Lewis, Linebacker

It’s nice to see Baltimore achieve ANY kind of sport success this century but their matchup against the Giants was quite a sleeper. Baltimore’s defensive lines absolutely dominated New York, leading Ray Lewis to winning the MVP, and the offense did just enough damage whenever it could to take away any kind of advantage for their opponent. Unfortunately for the Giants, Eli had yet to show up to help get them a ring.

24.) 2003-Super Bowl XXXVII- Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Oakland Raiders

Champions: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Score: 48-21

MVP: Dexter Jackson, Safety

Infamous known as the “Jon Gruden Bowl”, Chucky, A.K.A. the head coach of the Bucs, ended up beating his former team in the Raiders, demolishing them in every single aspect of play. It was more of the behind the scenes drama that took the spotlight here than the actual game itself.

23.) 2021-Super Bowl LV- Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Kansas City Chiefs

Champions: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Score: 31-9

MVP: Tom Brady, Quarterback

What was expected to be an absolute dream match between young Patrick Mahomes and grandpa Tom Brady turned out to be quite a snoozer! If somehow you weren’t tried of Mr. Brady winning half a dozen SBs in New England, you get to see him do it again for the 7th and final time in just one year with Tampa Bay! Oh, and this also happened to take place during the Covid-19 pandemic, with a half-filled crowd and more people watching the match-up alone through their streaming devices than actual television with their friends and families.

22.) 2025- Super Bowl LIX- Philadelphia Eagles vs Kansas City Chiefs

Champions: Philadelphia Eagles

Score: 40-22

MVP: Jalen Hurts, Quarterback

After a devastating SB loss just two years prior, Philly was able to get their revenge against KC, with an absolute dominant performance from QB and MVP Jalen Hurts! The Eagles defensive exposed a deeply flawed and aged offensive lines that had plagued the chiefs all season, securing Philly a championship they had been so desperately craving in recent years. Despite best efforts from Mahomes and Kelece, the Chiefs didn’t stand a chance this time around!

21.)  2019- Super Bowl LIII- New England Patriots vs Los Angeles Rams

Champions: New England Patriots

Score: 13-3

MVP: Julian Edelman, Wide Receiver

While this is easily among the most boring Super Bowls of this century, it still gets some credit from the incredible defensive lines from both New England and LA, which kept it a close game the whole way through. However, when you don’t score a touchdown until the last quarter and no points are on the scoreboard for a good chunk of the game, you don’t get much love from mainstream audiences! Oh, this also ended up being the last SB for New England through their near 20-year long dynasty!

20.) 2007- Super Bowl XLI- Indianapolis Colts vs Chicago Bears

Champions: Indianapolis Colts

Score: 29-17

MVP: Peyton Manning

Talk about a game that started off in shock, giving Chicago all the hope and momentum in the world and then just…..died. After a magical kickoff return from Devin Hester, things went downhill from there for his team. The Colts under Mr. Manning was able to bounce back from a rocky start, taking advance of a sloppy and messy game from the Bears’ point of view. It’s like watching a perfect teaser trailer for a movie and then you watch the movie itself and it….kinda sucks.

19.) 2006- Super Bowl XL -Pittsburgh Steelers vs Seattle Seahawks

Champions: Pittsburgh Steelers

Score: 21-10

MVP: Hines Ward, Wide Receiver

Ah yes! The one time where Pittsburgh was able to BS their way to a Super Bowl ring, more thanks to Refball and questionable calls rather than anything the Steelers or even Seahawks actually did on the field. Guess it’s time to take a ride on the Yinzermobile! *YINZER MODE ACTIVIATED*

18.) 2016- Super Bowl 50- Denver Broncos vs Carolina Panthers

Champions: Denver Broncos

Score: 24-10

MVP: Von Miller, Linebacker

Peyton Manning was able to end his career on a high note by helping the Broncos win their lone Super Bowl of the century! However, the real star here has to go to Von Miller, helping keep the Panthers defense in check and letting the offense do their business!

17.) 2010- Super Bowl XLIV- New Orleans Saints vs Indianapolis Colts

Champions: New Orleans Saints

Score: 31-17

MVP: Drew Brees, Quarterback

A super talented QB like Drew Brees had to grab at least ONE Super Bowl throughout his impressive career and he was able to do that for the Saints against the Colts! After a shaky first half, the onside kick by Sean Payton to kick off (no pun intended) the second half gave New Orleans all the momentum they need for their magical SB run! That in of itself knocks it up to around middle-of-the-pack!

16.) 2011- Super Bowl XLV- Green Bay Packers vs Pittsburgh Steelers

Champions: Green Bay Packers

Score: 31-25

MVP: Aaron Rodgers, Quarterback

Speaking of super talented QBs (at least ON the field) that deserves a ring, Aaron Rodgers was able to get the job done here for the Packs against Benny Boy and the Steelers, securing his legacy in Green Bay with the likes of Brett Favre and Bart Starr.

15.) 2020- Super Bowl LIV- Kansas City Chiefs vs San Francisco 49ers

Champions: Kansas City Chiefs

Score: 31-20

MVP: Patrick Mahomes, Quarterback

Back when the Chiefs were lovable underdogs that people wanted to see win, Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid were able to secure their first Super Bowl ring in come from behind fashion in a solid and dramatic game. 49ers fans still probably don’t what the heck was going through the players’ heads in the 4th quarter and Shannon still continues to be the meme of the NFL!

14.) 2005- Super Bowl XXXIX- New England Patriots vs Philadelphia Eagles

Champions: New England Patriots

Score: 24-21

MVP: Deion Branch, Wide Receiver

Any doubt of the New England Patriots NOT being a dynasty was put to rest here. Tom Brady was able to win his third Bowl in just four years, confirming that the Patriots were indeed the evil empire of the NFL! While Reid and the Eagles were left with disappointment, little did they know that they would find their own level of SB success later on down the road.

13.) 2004- Super Bowl XXXVIII- New England Patriots vs Carolina Panthers

Champions: New England Patriots

Score: 32-29

MVP: Tom Brady, Quarterback

Damn, I’m ALREADY tired of talking about the Patriots and Tom Brady but here we go again! This was quite a tight match-up that made everyone thought it would go to overtime for the first time ever in a Super Bowl! But of course, Brady and company were able to take good care of business. Just how many more Super Bowls with Brady and the Patriots do we got here?!?!

12.) 2018- Super Bowl LII- Philadelphia Eagles vs New England Patriots

Champions: Philadelphia Eagles

Score: 41-33

MVP: Nick Foles- Quarterback

Welp, here we go again with the Patriots AND Eagles?! However, this time around, Philly was able to come through, with one of higher scoring SB match-ups this century. Despite Tom Brady’s impressive performance at throwing over 500 yards, he was still no match for backup Nick Foles, who won MVP and led the Eagles to their first-ever Lombardi trophy!

11.) 2023- Super Bowl LVII- Kansas City Chiefs vs Philadelphia Eagles

Champions: Kansas City Chiefs

Score: 38-35

MVP: Patrick Mahomes, Quarterback

Easily the better of the two SB matchups between KC and Philly, Mahomes was able to throw the game of his life despite playing with a near broken ankle in 2023. A very tight and competitive that was decided by a last minute field goal and controversial ref ball, the latter of which is the main reason why this was kept out of being in the top 10! This victory for the Chiefs proved that 2020 was no fluke and that KC was indeed a legit threat to the rest of the NFL!

10.) 2022- Super Bowl LVI- Los Angeles Rams vs Cincinnati Bengals

Champions: Los Angeles Rams

Score: 23-20

MVP: Cooper Kupp, Wide Reciever

This SB came super close to being a great underdog story for Cincy but unfortunately, the LA version of the Rams were just too good to put away! Putting aside the completely utter contempt for the owner of the LA Rams, this was a likable bunch that came together to win a tight game that could have gone either way from both angles. Maybe next time Bengals!

9.) 2012- Super Bowl XLVI- New York Giants vs New England Patriots

Champions: New York Giants

Score: 21-17

MVP: Eli Manning, Quarterback

Speaking of underdog NFL teams making it to the Super Bowl, good little Eli was able to lead his New York Giants to a swift and decisive against the stormtroopers from New England in 2012! They defied expectations and prevented Brady and Belichick from getting their fourth ring at the time. While not quite as satisfying as that OTHER super bowl match-up victory against the Pats, this was still a very tight and rewarding game all around.

8.) 2013- Super Bowl XLVII- Baltimore Ravens vs San Francisco 49ers

Champions: Baltimore Ravens

Score: 34-31

MVP: Joe Flacco, Quarterback

Here’s a match-up that had a little bit of everything. From personal family drama to shocking twists to numerous points on the board to even a power outage, the “Harb-Bowl” made for one of the more intriguing Super Bowls of this century. Despite all of the sports odds from Baltimore throughout the past 25+ years, they were able to make lightning strike twice by snatching another SB victory!

7.) 2000- Super Bowl XXXIV- St. Louis Rams vs Tennessee Titans

Champions: St. Louis Rams

Score: 23-16

MVP: Kurt Warner, Quarterback

Before they were forced back to LA due to crappy ownership, the Rams were able to grab a Super Bowl ring at St. Louis with an absolutely nail biter of a finish! Kurt Warner was able to rise to super stardom with an amazing underdog story, leading a Super Bowl that still is quite a classic! I’m sure Titans fans still cringe in horror of being a yard short from tying the game, LITERALLY!

6.) 2009- Super Bowl XLIII- Pittsburgh Steelers vs Arizona Cardinals

Champions: Pittsburgh Steelers

Score: 27-23

MVP: Santonio Holmes, Wide Receiver

In what has been the only Super Bowl that the Arizona Cardinals have played in, they gave it all they hard but not enough to beat the Steelers! Kurt Warner was able to beat Father Time and put together a heroic effort but not enough to beat Benny boy and Santonio Holmes to victory! This was a solid back-and-forth effort from both sides that Pittsburgh was able to come out on top on! Definitely one of the better Super Bowls this century!

5.) 2015- Super Bowl XLIX- New England Patriots vs Seattle Seahawks

Champions: New England Patriots

Score: 28-24

MVP: Tom Brady, Quarterback

Over a decade before we would see a match-up between the two, the prequel to that remains one of the best Super Bowls in recent memory! Seahawks fans are still haunted by the baffling decision towards the tail end to throw the ball at the goal line instead of just running with Marshawn Lynch to win the Super Bowl! For the Patriots, this made for their first Super Bowl victory in a decade, proving that their dynasty still had plenty left in the tank and can defy any kinds of odds..

4.) 2024- Super Bowl LVIII- Kansas City Chiefs vs San Francisco 49ers

Champions: Kansas City Chiefs

Score: 25-22 (OT)

MVP: Patrick Mahomes, Quarterback

This might be just two years old but I still stand by the fact this was an instant classic in 2024 and still is now! Only the second Super Bowl match-up to go into overtime, the Chiefs and 49ers gave all they got, delivering the best kind of SB rematch you could possibly ask for. Just like what happened four years prior, San Francisco had a lead but just couldn’t hold it in the final minutes. For the second year in a row, the trio of Reid, Mahomes, and Kelce prevailed, winning their third ring and establishing themselves as the new NFL dynasty. Some might bark about this one being too high on the list but I don’t care, this was a great game altogether!

3.) 2002- Super Bowl XXXVI- New England Patriots vs St. Louis Rams

Champions: New England Patriots

Score: 20-17

MVP: Tom Brady, Quarterback

This Super Bowl was quite iconic for two reasons: 1.) it was the first Super Bowl that occurred after 9/11 and 2.) it ended up being the first of many rings won by Brady, Belichick, and the Pats! In a tense game which saw the scrappy underdog Patriots going up against the juggernauts Rams (trying saying that when these two teams faced off again nearly two decades later), New England was able to get the job done, with a final field goal that gave the team their first Super Bowl victory in history and would just the beginning of many successful sport stories in Massachusetts to come!

2.) 2008- Super Bowl XLII- New York Giants vs New England Patriots

Champions: New York Giants

Score: 17-14

MVP: Eli Manning, Quarterback

If there was one person and team that managed to be the kryptonite of Brady and the Pats in the Super Bowl, that would be Eli Manning and the New York Giants! They were able to match every moment against New England, proving that any team didn’t have to simply roll over against the Evil Empire without a fair fight. If we are going by Super Bowl matchups that is favored by the haters of the Patriots, then this would likely be #1. However, if we are talking about Super Bowl matchups overall, then I think you know what #1 really is!

1.) 2017- Super Bowl LI- New England Patriots vs Atlanta Falcons

Champions: New England Patriots

Score: 34-28

MVP: Tom Brady, Quarterback

Regardless of if you view this matchup as being the greatest comeback in sports history or greatest choke in sports history, there is no Super Bowl that even compares to what the NFL scriptwriters cooked up in February 2017! The Atlanta Falcons were up 28-3 and were on their way to crushing Brady and the Pats, securing their first Lombardi trophy in franchise history. But….then, Atlanta repeatedly shot themselves in the foot for the rest of the game, Brady took advantage of literally EVERY single opportunity that the Falcs through at him, and the Patriots pulled off a come from behind victory that is still shocking nearly a decade later! Even if you hate the Patriots or Tom Brady with a burning passion, you can’t deny that there is simply no Super Bowl matchup this century and possibly even all time that compares to this game-flipping masterpiece!

NFL 2026 Playoff Predictions

AdamLeave a comment

That’s right! I’m back with a new sports piece on here for the first time in forever! I know there’s at least a couple of my followers that have been waiting for something like this. Since the NFL playoffs are on the rise, why not do my own predictions on how I believe things are going to go down in the postseason for 2026? Will I be wrong on nearly every single pick? Possibly, but hey, these are fun to make anyways!

American Football Conference Wild Card Rounds

Houston Texans (#5 Seed) vs Pittsburgh Steelers (#4 Seed)

Date: Monday, January 12th, 7:15 PM CST

Pick: Houston Texans

Reason: Another year, another incredibly mid Steelers team that’s able to pixie dust their way to another record over .500, keeping Mike Tomlin’s winning streak as head coach alive. However, just like the past several playoff trips for Pittsburgh, this is where the end of the road will likely be. Even if Houston’s offense leaves much to be desired, the Texans defense will keep the Steelers at bay very easily. The Steelers will be exposed once again as frauds and literally NO ONE but Pittsburgh ownership will be shocked by this.

Buffalo Bills (#6 Seed) vs Jacksonville Jaguars (#3 Seed)

Date: Sunday, January 11th, 12:00 PM CST

Pick: Buffalo Bills

Reason: When looking at playoff history, analytics and odds favor Jacksonville. The Jaguars are 4-1 at home in playoff games, while Josh Allen himself has yet to win a single playoff game on the road. Not to mention, Liam Coen has been the perfect fit in coaching Trevor Lawrence, who has been red hot for the past five stats. So, why would I go with the Bills here? Because Allen can carry a playoff run, Buffalo still has a running game around James Cook, and the Bills have had enough playoff experience to be able to match the moment this time around. Plus, with no Patrick Mahomes in the way, you just know Allen won’t tolerate one playoff game and go home! While the Jaguars have elite talent, the Bills have more experience in the playoffs and will use that to achieve victory!

Los Angeles Chargers (#7 Seed) vs New England Patriots (#2 Seed)

Date: Saturday, January 11th, 7:15 PM CST

Pick: New England Patriots

Reason: As much jokes have been made about the cake walk schedule that the Patriots have had all year, they are facing an absolute perfect storm in the LA Chargers! Their offensive lines are beat to hell, their defense hasn’t been much better, nearly all their free agent signings have been flops, and I don’t think there is a playoff team that has been bitten by the injury bug this hard. New England is still a far cry for what they once were from their two-decade long dynasty but they will have enough here to at least make it past one round.

National Football Conference Wild Card Rounds

Los Angeles Rams (#5 Seed) vs Carolina Panthers (#4 Seed)

Date: Saturday, January 10th, 3:30 PM CST

Pick: Los Angeles Rams

Reason: Some might cry foul on this predictions after Carolina’s recent victory against Los Angeles in Week 13. However, as history tends to show, the playoffs is a different animal all together. The Rams will most certainly learn from this experience, studying every move that the Panthers will make and come back stronger than before. Matthew Stafford getting Davante Adams back will definitely give the team a big boost along with beating aided by Puka Nacua, Krysten Williams, and the NFL’s best scoring offense. The Rams offensive lines will be too much for them to handle, certainly exposing the Panthers for playing in a garbage fire of a division.

San Francisco 49ers (#6 Seed) vs Philadelphia Eagles (#3 Seed)

Date: Saturday, January 11th, 3:30 PM CST

Pick: Philadelphia Eagles

Reason: San Francisco has had a good run but they are way too battered up right now. Trent Williams and Ricky Pearsall are key pieces that are injured, Brock Purdy has been sloppy the last four games (73.4% completion percentage in that time span), and the defense has allowed over 145 rushing yards per game in the past two contests. Not to mention, Philadelphia is 4-0 S/U at home when it had 100 rushing yards. For once, I’m going with what analytics says and go with the defending champs! Unless the 49ers are able to continue spreading their pixie dust, it will all run out here.

Green Bay Packers (#7 Seed) vs Chicago Bears (#2 Seed)

Date: Saturday, January 10th, 7:00 PM CST

Pick: Green Bay Packers

Reason: The good news for the Bears is that they are finally good again. The bad news for the Bears is that this might be where the road ends. This should be a tight game all around, with both teams being evenly match, as their two showdowns during the regular season proved. However, I can’t help but get the feeling that Jordan Love will shine under the spotlight, with Matt LaFleur keeping the aggression on offense. Chicago will have to rely too much on the running game and Caleb Williams won’t be able to match Love on the passing and throwing gain. It’s nice to have the Bears playing in important games but they are not ready to take the next step forward this year.

American Football Conference Divisional Rounds

Houston Texans (#5 Seed) vs Denver Broncos (#1 Seed)

Date: TBD

Pick: Denver Broncos

Reason: I know it’s easy to favor Houston here since Denver will CLEARLY be plagued with the #1 seed curse. To be fair, I can see the concerns. While their defense has been excellent with the most amount of sacks from any team, their offense has been inconsistent as hell and only seems to pull the UNO wildcard when the timing is convenient. The thing is, the EXACT same thing can be said about the Texans! And considering Denver has home field advantage and proven they can thrive in super close games, I still say Houston’s success will stop here and Denver will move on!

Buffalo Bills (#6 Seed) vs New England Patriots (#2 Seed)

Date: TBD

Pick: Buffalo Bills

Reason: While New England’s can succeed against a injured-plagued mess like the Chargers, Buffalo is a different story. Despite the glaring flaws of the Bills, they are a team of scrappy dudes and grinders. Josh Allen will continue to carry the team on his back along with his masterful running mates while the youth of the Patriots will not be able to thrive in the spotlights this time around. It’ll still be a good year overall for New England! Take this core and build upon it for the future!

National Football Conference Divisional Rounds

Los Angeles Rams (#5 Seed) vs Seattle Seahawks (#1 Seed)

Date: TBD

Pick: Los Angeles Rams

Reason: This will be Seattle’s worst nightmare. The Rams are Sam Darnold’s kryptonite, they know his every move and expose him as hard as TMZ when they cover a big celebrity! Not to mention, Seahawks offense lines always tend to need time to settle in each game, something which they can not afford against LA’s stellar offense lines. LA will advance and the memes of Sam Darnold will be eternal!

Green Bay Packers (#7 Seed) vs Philadelphia Eagles (#3 Seed)

Date: TBD

Pick: Philadelphia Eagles

Reason: The Packs flaws will be on full display here, a solid enough offense line that will not be able to overcome their messy and beaten up defense. The Eagles will overcome their also messy and flawed offense by keeping Green Bay in check on the defensive of side. Once again, the tush push will prevail! Philly better hope that the NFL doesn’t ban it because all they can do and spam it to even sniff at the Super Bowl for a second year in a row!

American Football Conference Round

Buffalo Bills (#6 Seed) vs Denver Broncos (#1 Seed)

Date: TBD

Pick: Buffalo Bills

Reason: Denver’s luck will run out here! Buffalo’s offensive lines will cause them problems too early and by the time they have some momentum, the damage will be done and it will be far too late! All it takes is for the Broncos to be out of their comfort zone and they will be finished. That tends to be the case with most #1 seeded teams! The Bills will pass and literally run their way to victory, leading Allen to his first Super Bowl appearance in his career!

National Football Conference Round

Los Angeles Rams (#5 Seed) vs Philadelphia Eagles (#3 Seed)

Date: TBD

Pick: Los Angeles Rams

Reason: I don’t know how or why but I just got the gut feeling the football gods will randomly give LA mega powers and take out the defending champs on their home turf, preventing a second straight SB appearance and third of this decade. I can see the Eagles putting up a fight but since the sports gods want to torture me, they will allow the team owned by Satan himself in is Stan Kroenke to another Super Bowl appearance! Please, don’t fail me again, Josh! You are my only hope!

Super Bowl LX

Buffalo Bills (#6 Seed) vs Los Angeles Rams (#5) Seed

Date: Sunday, February 8th, 5:30 PM CST

Pick: Buffalo Bills

Reason: This will be Buffalo’s year! I can feel it! The Bills have probably the most wide-open change imaginable to secure their first ever Super Bowl trophy than I think they ever will for the immediate future! No Mahomes, No Burrow, and No Jackson! Josh Allen will play the game of his life, Bill’s No. 1 rushing attack will lead the charge and expose the holes in the LA Rams, and Buffalo’s rather flawed defense might do a LOT of bending but they will NOT break! This may not be the best Bills team of this core or the best NFL team on paper but as we have seen many times before, the best team on paper is NEVER guaranteed a championship! Congrats, Mr. Hailee Steinfeld! You finally got your ring!

Why The St. Louis Blues Firing Craig Berube Will Backfire

AdamLeave a comment

After yet another tough loss on Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings, the St. Louis Blues announced that they have fired their head coach Craig Berube, a man who has been the coach for them since 2018 and let the team to their first ever Stanley Cup championship in 2019. Hired to take his place in the meantime will be Drew Bannister, coach of the Springfield Thunderbirds, St. Louis’ AHL affiliate. General Manger Doug Armstrong has gone on record claiming that this is only a hire to fill in the gap for the time being and will be looking for a new head coach that will guide the Blues for the future.

In hindsight, you can see why the Blues were compelled to let the one man that was able to win a cup in St. Louis go. The Blues were coming off a massively underwhelming season last year and this year seems no different so far. Much like the previous year, there have been stretches were the team got red hot and looked like they could make a potential playoff push but that momentum would easily get killed when they cut back to reality and play like crap for a good portion of the season. The biggest reason for this is the inconsistency of the regular players, key injuries, and the addition of veteran players that have not gone as planned.

At the moment, St. Louis sits one point out of the last wild card spot in the Western Conference. The Blues are 26th in goals per game, 22nd in goals against per game, and land in an ABSYMAL 31st place in power play goals. They’ve been hurt by the lack of production of top players such as Jordan Kyrou and Torey Krug along with a lack of a reliable or consistent back up goaltender, forcing franchise star Jordan Binnington with more work than ever behind the net. Of course, losing key pieces of that 2019 cup core in recent years such as David Perron, Vladmir Traenskeo, and ESPECIALLY Alex Pietrangalo has not helped any wonders either.

When it comes to Craig Berube, while he was undoubtedly the perfect man to lead the team to their Stanley Cup run in 2019, that presence he brought when he was hired as head coach back in 2018 has not seem to carry over five years later. Perhaps this has to do with the fact that Berube’s prior teams were more filled with older veteran and experience skaters that could handle the toughness which these newer core of players can not. Perhaps he’s just a coach that’s always in a “win now” mindset that he has no problem ripping into players in ways that younger hockey players can not handle which leads to worse results on the ice. Or perhaps that he has been given a roster that is just absolutely lackluster and is not meant to strive deep into another Stanley Cup run that those brief hot stretches are more of just quick blimps in the radar! Even if I can understand a reason or two, I along with many Blues fans strongly believe that this firing is going to backfire spectacularly.

I know the first thing someone will point out is how the last time the Blues fired their coach in Mike Yeo back in 2018 and brought in a new voice in Craig Berube, that ended up being the voice that the team needed to hear and that group would go on to become Stanley Cup champions later on down the road. However, these are MUCH different circumstances with this current Blues team. That 2018-2019 team was always a good team that just had a poor coach that couldn’t keep the team together. This 2023-2024 squad on the other hand is an example of a good head coach doing what he can to win with a team that simple is not qualify or build to win meaningful games. With how many holes this roster has in terms of sloppy play and constant poor response to adversity from game-to-game, I don’t see how a new coach is going to change that much.

Much of the blame involving the current state of the St. Louis Blues has to go back to General Manger Doug Armstrong, who has been in his role as GM since 2010. While he has plenty of success with the Blues in terms of the number of winning seasons, playoff appearances, and bringing home the franchise’s first every Stanley Cup, he has made quite a number of mistakes that has hurt the team since the 2020s rolled around. There was letting fan favorites and key core pieces of that 2019 squad walk such as Alex Pietrangelo, Vladmir Tarasenko, Ryan O’Reilly, and David Perron, there was the poor signings of the likes of Torey Krug, and there’s the incredibly poor play from young players such as Jordan Kyrou. There is also basically betting the farm of goaltender Jordan Binnington for their future, who has been quite inconsistent since his phenomenal 2019 rookie season. Needless to say, Armstrong has not handle this team very well since their Cup win.

Even going back to that Cup win in 2019, a big reminder that the team was HORRIBLE to start off the 2018-2019 campaign. They were literally in dead last place in the entire NHL by the time that New Years rolled around. It was only once Craig Berube was able to settle in nicely as the interm coach along with the call-up of breakout rookie star goaltender in Jordan Binnington that the Blues were able to take off completely and make their remarkable Cup push. Imagine if neither one or those two worked out and the Blues ended up having as underwhelming of a season that they have had for the past two seasons. Would Doug Armstrong have the reputation he has gained for being one of the better GMs in hockey or would he have likely been shown the doors by the time that season ended, struggling to find a new job somewhere else? Your guess is as good as mine but no doubt, it was Berube and Binnington that made Armstrong look much better in 2019 than he is looking right now.

Which honestly convinces me that this firing will completely backfire on the Blues. Even if the Blues finish in a much better place by the end of the year or are even able to squeak into the last Wild Card, that will not fix the roles that are currently present on this roster. It’s not strictly the coaching that has been a factor into the lackluster play of the Blues as of late, it’s quite simply the roster construction. You have an offense who can’t score a power play goal to save their lives, you have a defense that is as soft as glass and are made as hard as swift cheese, you have backup goaltenders that can’t finish their own games on nights that Binnington needs a rest, you have a group of overpaid veterans whose mind is only on how much money they are stealing from Tom Stillman’s wallet, and lastly, you have a group of young players who crumble when facing even the slightest bit of adversity. As much as Craig Berube has not been able to get much results this year, you can’t make lemonade without proper lemons. It’s only when the right tools at play where a great coach like Berube can do some proper fixing.

I don’t know what the future of the Blues hold but there is one thing that remains clear, Doug Armstrong MUST pick a proper direction for this team going forward. Either go all in and pursue more talent or tear it all down and start over from scratch. This “one foot in, one foot out” approach doesn’t work and will only constantly lead to inconsistent results because of the team’s refusal to evolve and Armstrong being so ego-filled. Even if I don’t approve of the firing of Berube, what’s done is done. I along with other Blues fans can only hope that he has finally woke up and realize that major changes have to be made.

The biggest change out of all them that must come is Doug Armstrong being removed as his place as General Manager. He’s had a good run but it’s clearly time for a fresh voice, with someone that has a proper direction of where to go from here on out and know how to handle a rebuilding/reloading process. Despite all the success that Armstrong has had with the Blues, he has dug quite a hole for himself and the team ever since their Stanley Cup victory. All of those signs and more indicate that he no longer has anything to offer to the St. Louis Blues and it’s time to pass that mantle onto someone else. I don’t know if owner Tom Stillman agrees but clearly Armstrong has to be filling some sort of pressure with the way things have played out as of late.

Regardless, the St. Louis Blues will be playing in their first game under interm coach Drew Bannister tonight against the Ottawa Senators. It’s only then we will see if this firing is the actual correct move and will turn around this massively inconsistent season that the Blues are having. Guess we will all have to wait and find out!

Even so, despite his abrupt firing, Craig Berube will always be a legend in St. Louis. He will always be remembered as the man who led this this franchise to their first ever Stanley Cup championship and there is NOTHING that can take anything away from that! I wish him the best of luck wherever he goes next! Wouldn’t be surprised if he has a new job by the time the New Years rolls around!

Thanks for everything, chief!

Thanks for allowing me to see the team that I rooted for my whole life win their first every Stanley Cup!