So, it’s almost October…how did that happen? We don’t know but what we do know is that it’s about to be prime sports season (think: post-season baseball, all the action in college and pro football… and the start of basketball)! So, get yourself pumped up with this video where Emmanuel Sanders saved an almost-interception and turned it into a touchdown, which ultimately helped the Denver Broncos defeat the Detroit Lions during Sunday night football.

QUIPS FOR THIS WEEK

NFL

Let’s talk about week 3 and what you need to know. The Indianapolis Colts finally won a game, this time against the Tennessee Titans. Tom Brady threw for his 400th touchdown pass in a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Ben Roethlisberger got hurt (he’ll be out for at least a month with a knee injury), but the Pittsburgh Steelers still beat the St. Louis Rams.  Oh, and the Seattle Seahawks shut out the Chicago Bears and the  Carolina Panthers beat the New Orleans Saints.

In other news, the New York Giants defeated Washington Redskins last Thursday night while the Dallas Cowboys lost to the Atlanta Falcons and the Philadelphia Eagles beat the New York Jets on Sunday. This leaves us wondering… who in the NFC East will step up and shine this season?

Monday Night Football features the Kansas City Chiefs versus the Green Bay Packers at 8:30pm on ESPN.

College Football

In college football, we’ve also got a few things to talk about in week 4. For starters, for the first time since 2009, Oregon is out of the Top 25 after losing big to Utah.

Elsewhere, Duke picked up a big win over Georgia Tech, Ohio State defeated Western Michigan, TCU got a big win over Texas Tech in a very close game and Ole Miss got the win over Vanderbilt in the SEC.

Other things to know: Utah, UCLA, and TCU are all still undefeated going into week 5.

Next week’s big games to watch include:

• MSU vs. Purdue – Saturday at 12:00pm
• Alabama vs. Georgia  – Saturday at 3:30pm on CBS
• Ole Miss vs. Florida – Saturday at 8pm on ABC

MLB

October is just around the corner… which means the playoffs are, too!

But first things first, let’s talk about this past weekend. Jake Arrieta continued his excellent season by getting his 21st win as the Chicago Cubs defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates (and put a stop to their 8 game winning streak) on Sunday night.

And, the Washington Nationals had a bit of a fight in their dugout over the weekend.

Now, back to the playoffs. This past week/end both the Kansas City Royals (who won the AL Central)  and the San Francisco Giants clinched wins and will be headed to October’s post-season play.

JUST FOR FUN

I believe I can fly…
Le’Veon Bell is in the air

STORIES FOR INSIGHTS, COOL FACTOR + DEBATE

September 22, 2015
90 percent mental and the other half is physical
Rest in peace to Hall of Fame baseball player and Yankees manager, Yogi Berra

9 minutes
5 goals in 9 minutes
Robert Lewandowski came out at halftime for Bayern Munich and made Bundesliga history by scoring 5 goals in 9 minutes

Sports Gambling
The legal loophole that created an industry
Fantasy sports, and how you have to be a gambler — not just a casual sports fan — to cash out

Welcome to fall, Team SQ! We’re loving the second week of NFL football, including Cam Newton’s performance this past weekend. Check it out:

QUIPS FOR THIS WEEK

NFL

It’s been quite the start to the NFL season and week 2 lived up to what we’ve seen thus far. Tom Brady threw for 466 yards  as the New England Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills, and Cam Newton led his Carolina Panthers to a win over the the Houston Texans. In other quarterback news, Jay Cutler left the game hurt as his Chicago Bears lost to the Arizona Cardinals, and both Jameis Winston and Johnny Manziel picked up their first wins (as starters) when Tampa Bay Bucs beat the New Orleans Saints and the Cleveland Browns beat the Tennessee Titans on Sunday afternoon. And on Sunday Night Football, the Seattle Seahawks lost again. This time to the Green Bay Packers, which means they are now 0-2 to start a long season.

In all things injuries, the Dallas Cowboys may have been NFC East rival the Philadelphia Eagles, but they lost Tony Romo to a broken clavicle bone that will keep him out for about 8 weeks.

Monday Night Football features the New York Jets versus the Indianapolis Colts at 8:30pm on ESPN.

College Football

Let’s talk about week 3 in college football. Noteworthy results include: #6 Notre Dame topped #20 Georgia Tech, #21 Stanford defeated #19 USC, #3 Ole Miss upset #15 Alabama (‘Bama was higher ranked at the time)  and #17 Northwestern defeated Duke.

It’s still a little early to start predicting the college football playoffs, but thus far #1 Ohio State is still looking like its eye is on the prize — a repeat title — even though they had a slightly closer than expected win over Northern Illinois.

In terms of rankings, the Big Ten is looking as strong as ever. Ohio State and Michigan State are your top 2 ranked teams followed by Mississippi, TCU and Baylor.

Next week’s big games to watch include:

• #3 TCU vs. Texas Tech – Saturday at 4:30pm on FOX
• Vanderbilt vs. #3 Ole Miss – Saturday at 7pm on ESPNU
• #9 UCLA vs. #16 Arizona – Saturday at 8pm on ABC

MLB

Sunday Night Baseball featured a match-up of the New York squads: Mets and Yankees. The Yankees are dominated by older talent while the Mets feature rising stars, but nonetheless the Yankees won the series Sunday night… although the fight to be Kings of New York continues.

The first place Toronto Blue Jays suffered a pretty big loss against the Boston Red Sox on Saturday after a 5-run comeback in the 9th, decreasing their lead as top of the AL East. The race for October heats up!

In other news, the St. Louis Cardinals are the first Major League team to lock up a spot in the playoffs after a number of other teams lost over the weekend.

JUST FOR FUN

Runaway Love
Chicago Bears fan runs away with the football 

STORIES FOR INSIGHTS, COOL FACTOR + DEBATE

Are you ready for this?
NHL training camps have begun
We’re preparing ourselves by thinking back to last year, and thinking ahead to the upcoming season

In the books
August 2015’s best selling sports books
Sports aren’t all about stats and scores – there’s a lot to be said for the stories

Bling on the court
The NBA is investing in wearable devices
They’re investing in studies to create tech that monitors movement and health to keep players safer

Good Morning! Today, we’re all about the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner, Tennessee Titans’ Marcus Mariota. Last night, he had a fantastic start to the NFL season. Check out some highlights – we’re looking forward to seeing his season progress!

 

QUIPS FOR THIS WEEK

NFL

Week 1 of the NFL season featured quite a few interesting games on opening Sunday. The  Seattle Seahawks lost to the St. Louis Rams in OT, and despite an appearance by Johnny Manziel, the Cleveland Browns fell to the New York Jets.  Marcus Mariota put on quite a show with 4 TDs in his debut for the  Tennessee Titans, and beat Jameis Winston and the Tampa Bay Bucs. Mariota is the second player in NFL history to throw 4 or more touchdown passes in his first league game. Sunday night ended late with the Dallas Cowboys winning an NFC East showdown against the New York Giants.

Also of note, Luke Kuechly of the Carolina Panthers, Josh McCown of the Cleveland Browns, DeSean Jackson of the Washington Redskins, and both Lorenzo Mauldin and Antonio Cromartie of the New York Jets were all injured in their opening weekend games.

Monday Night Football features two match-ups: the Philadelphia Eagles vs. the Atlanta Falcons at 7:10pm EST on ESPN and the San Francisco 49ers vs. the Minnesota Vikings at 10:20pm EST on ESPN.

College Football

College football was back in full force for week 2. Many of the top teams looked strong, but several notable SEC teams had rough weekends and lost their games, including  Auburn, Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi State.

After the weekend, the latest poll shows Ohio State, Alabama, TCU, Michigan State and Baylor rounding out the top five. Stay tuned for next week as Alabama will take on another Top 15 team in Ole Miss.

Next week’s big games to watch include:

• Northwestern vs. Duke on Saturday – 12:30pm on ESPN3 and ACCN
• Georgia Tech vs. Notre Dame on Saturday – 3:3opm on NBC
• Stanford vs. USC on Saturday – 8pm on ABC
• Alabama vs. Ole Miss on Saturday – 9:15pm on ESPN

MLB

As we get closer and closer to the October baseball, injuries are starting to disrupt some teams’ post-season dreams. Troy Tulowitzki of the Toronto Blue Jays will be out for a least a couple of weeks after fracturing his shoulder, and Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals  left a game after a collision with Florida Marlins’ second baseman Derek Dietrich on Sunday.

The New York Mets’ Matt Harvey rest-versus-play saga continues with the latest announcement that he will use half-outings to stay ready. Another pitcher will be used after Harvey so as to give him time on the pitch but not exhaust him.

In exciting news, David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox hit the 500th home run of his career in a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday.

Tennis

Flavia Pennetta is this year’s US Open women’s champion. On Saturday, she beat Roberta Vinci for the title. Vinci had defeated Serena Williams earlier in the week and ended the dream of a Serena Slam.

Roger Federer beat out Stan Wawrinka and world #1 Novak Djokovic beat out Marin Cilic to meet at the US Open men’s finals. Late Sunday night, after a rain delay and four sets against Federer, Djokovic took home his second US Open title and third major title of 2015.

JUST FOR FUN

Snooze-fest
KC fans fall asleep at the Chiefs/Texans game this weekend

STORIES FOR INSIGHTS, COOL FACTOR + DEBATE

A Legend
Rest in peace, Moses Malone
He was a Hall of Famer who enjoyed a 20-year NBA career and several MVP seasons

Talent agencies are investing in athletics
It’s one of the only growing arms of the entertainment industry 
The value of athletes as both players and marketers is skyrocketing, and the agencies are taking advantage of that business

Last fight
Floyd Mayweather won every round against Andre Berto
There was a lot of verbal back-and-forth, but the fight itself was a disappointment

Happy Tuesday! We hope you enjoyed an excellent long sports weekend and are ready for tonight’s matchup between Venus and Serena. Get hyped with the latest Beats By Dre commercial for Serena this morning!

QUIPS FOR THIS WEEK

College Football

College football kicked off this weekend with a number of great games, including the reigning champion Ohio State Buckeyes’ win over the Virginia Tech Hokies, 42-24. College football is officially back in action. Get ready!

MLB

The New York Mets announced that they might limit star pitcher Matt Harvey as September baseball begins to heat up in order to protect his health. Harvey will be pitching on Tuesday against the Nats in Washington as part of their series.

Giancarlo Stanton of the Miami Marlins may have to sit out the rest of the season  as he struggles to recover from a broken hand.

The Atlanta Braves ended their losing streak at 12 after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday night.

NFL

In case you missed it, Judge Richard Berman ruled in Tom Brady’s favor over the NFL last week. This means that his 4-game suspension will be overturned although it is expected that NFL will file an official appeal. Here is a helpful legal breakdown of the decision.

The New York Giants will meet with Jason Pierre-Paul for the first time since the July 4th fireworks accident that left him with an injured hand. JPP is expected to go in for a physical on Monday with the team.

Tennis

Serena Williams and Venus Williams will face off tonight night in the U.S. Open quarterfinals. This is not just a big match because they are sisters, but also because with a win, Serena is one step closer to a grand slam.

On the men’s side, Novak Djokovic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Marin Cilic advanced to the quarterfinals after winning their matches over the weekend.

However, Andy Murray is out of the Open after losing to Kevin Anderson on Sunday night in the 4th round. It’s a disappointing early exit for the British star.

Other

Congrats to Tony Parker of France (and of the San Antonio Spurs) who claimed the all-time leading scoring title in European championship history on Monday.

JUST FOR FUN

Grumpy Cat
The famous cat ‘throws’ out the first pitch at the Arizona Diamondbacks’ game

STORIES FOR INSIGHTS, COOL FACTOR + DEBATE

Beyond Sport Awards 2015
The shortlist features projects that use sport for positive social change
We’re so impressed by all of the initiatives on the short list – looking forward to seeing the winners at the Beyond Sport Summit!

50th Anniversary
The 2015 All-Africa Games: Brazzaville
The games were first held 50 years ago in Brazzaville, Congo, and feature over 50 nations

New Ideas
A philosophy of positive reinforcement
Pete Carroll is unique in the way he supports and nurtures his players