Jordan

Tip for newcomers: sit lower level behind the glass at least once. When a 200-pound player hits the boards 3 feet from your face at 20 MPH, you understand why people love this sport.

I grew up a football fan and went to my first Stars game in 2022 knowing nothing about hockey. It is now my favorite live sport. The speed, the physicality, the atmosphere — nothing else compares in person.

6.2% Cup probability from MoneyPuck is actually decent for a team in the wild card hunt. In the NHL, any team that makes the playoffs has a legitimate shot. The margins are thin.

The .918 save percentage over the last 30 games is the most encouraging number on this page. Goaltending wins in the playoffs and ours is trending in the right direction at exactly the right time.

$34M for that postseason alone is a bargain. What is a World Series championship worth? Much more than $34M.

The ALDS Game 3 start saved the season. Down 2-0, facing elimination, and Eovaldi delivered 7 innings of dominance.

Hotels in Surprise versus Scottsdale -- we stayed for $120/night and drove to Old Town for dinner. Best of both worlds.

Spring training in Surprise is the best baseball experience available. Small stadium, perfect weather, $15 lawn seats, and you are 50 feet from MLB players.

Health monitoring is quietly the most valuable application. Keeping pitchers healthy saves tens of millions in replacement costs.

$500M in public money for a billionaire stadium is the real issue. Brookings Institution research shows stadiums rarely deliver promised economic returns.

Cost-controlled players for 6 years is the economic engine of every successful MLB franchise. You need cheap, homegrown talent around the expensive stars.

Center field defense being elite is critical because the corner outfield defense is below average. You need someone in center who can cover the gaps.

FIP of 4.41 on the primary setup man while the ERA is 3.92 means regression is coming. He is getting lucky with balls in play.

Beltre\'s 3,000th hit makes me emotional just thinking about it. The standing ovation lasted 5+ minutes. He earned every second of it. Sixteen years of being one of the best players in baseball.

MLB.TV with a VPN is how most tech-savvy fans watch. $150 for every out-of-market game is a great deal. The blackout policy just forces people to find workarounds.

Sell scenario should be off the table entirely. This ownership group spent $744M to win. Selling at the deadline would be a slap in the face to the fanbase.

The Gold Glove defense is what pushes this from good signing to great signing. You are getting 25 home runs, 90+ RBI, AND elite defense at second base. Where is the flaw?

Texas Live before a big series game is electric. The 2023 ALCS watch parties there were packed with thousands of people. The energy rivaled being inside the stadium.

Park at Texas Live, have lunch, walk to the game, walk back to Texas Live after — it is the perfect Arlington day. One parking spot, multiple experiences.

The payroll dropping to $122M in 2029 with young prospects arriving from the farm system is the ideal scenario. Cheap, controllable talent supplemented by targeted free agent spending. That is how you sustain contention.

Tampa Bay and Cleveland producing elite pitching on small budgets while the Rangers spent $500M on free agent arms is the cautionary tale. Development is cheaper and more sustainable.

Texas Live is great for the convenience factor. Park once, watch the early game at Texas Live, walk to Globe Life for the main event. Perfect double-header day.

The long-term salary commitments are a concern but you know what? We have a trophy. No amount of future cap flexibility is worth more than a championship. Ask any fanbase that has never won one.

$744M in free agency spending resulting in a championship is the most direct cause-and-effect in recent baseball history. Ownership spent the money and it worked. Period.

Alex Rodriguez is the most talented player on this list and it is not even debatable. A shortstop hitting .305 with 52 home runs in a season. The controversy is real but the talent was generational.

The cheating scandal is why this rivalry has real teeth. Other rivalries are based on proximity. This one is based on proximity plus genuine resentment. Those 2017 Houston numbers were fake and everyone knows it.