The Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors will most likely meet each other in the NBA Finals this upcoming June. You know it. I know it. Even NBA Hall of Famer and current TNT analyst Charles Barkley knows it.

In a recent interview with NBA reporter Marc Stein, Barkley said “The toughest thing for me is I have to get on tv and fake it for the next seven months that it’s not going to be the Warriors and the Cavs in the Finals again.”

It’s hard to disagree with him. The Warriors and Cavs once again have the deepest rosters in the NBA and are led by superstars such as Kevin Durant and Steph Curry for the Warriors and Lebron James and Kevin Love for the Cavs.

The biggest threat to another Cavs-Warriors Finals rematch appears to be the Boston Celtics, who acquired free agent forward Gordon Hayward and traded with the Cavs for superstar point guard Kyrie Irving during the summer. The Celtics met the Cavs in last year’s Eastern Conference championship and were severely outmatched and eliminated in five games. Boston fans (and a lot of NBA fans) are hoping that these new additions will help the Celtics knock off the Cavs and claim the East title.

During the summer, it was reported that Lebron James wasn’t satisfied with what the Cavs had done during the offseason to improve the team after they lost in five games to the Warriors in the Finals. This led to speculation that Lebron would leave Cleveland for a second time and sign elsewhere as a free agent when his contract expires after this season. This motivated the Cavs to go out and improve the depth of their roster, adding veteran free agent players like Derrick Rose and Dwayne Wade. The Cavs also acquired all-star point guard Isaiah Thomas along with small forward Jae Crowder from the Celtics in the Kyrie Irving trade. Knocking off the Cavs in the East playoffs is now going to be harder than ever.

The Warriors have a firm grasp of dominance over the West, although several Western Conference teams added a few players that should improve their teams and make the West playoffs a little more interesting, like the Houston Rockets adding all-star point guard Chris Paul and the Oklahoma City Thunder adding all-star forwards Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. Although these additions make these respective teams better, it still isn’t enough to overcome the Warriors incredible roster that includes Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

While the NBA regular season might include some interesting moments and storylines, but it won’t matter in the end. Expect to see the same old story in June when the Warriors and Cavs meet again in the NBA Finals.

Now that NHL free agency is calming down and we’re getting deeper into the dog days of summer, let’s take a moment to review all of the offseason moves made by the Chicago Blackhawks so far.

Trades

It’s been an incredibly busy summer for Stan Bowman and company. After one of the worst playoff losses in franchise history, Bowman said that changes were coming. He’s been true to his word, and just a week after the Hawks were eliminated from the playoffs by the Nashville Predators, backup goalie Scott Darling was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2017 third round draft pick. Darling was set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and the Hawks weren’t in a position to give him a new contract with a pay raise. They moved him for a draft pick instead of letting him walk for nothing, which was the right move.

The Hawks them lost defenseman Trevor Van Riemsdyk to the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL Expansion Draft. Van Riemsdyk played three years with the Hawks and mostly served as a bottom pair defenseman.

In June, the Blackhawks hosted the 2017 NHL Draft at the United Center in Chicago. On the morning of the first round of the draft, the Hawks made a number of shocking moves. The first trade they made that day was sending longtime defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson to the Arizona Coyotes for defenseman Connor Murphy and centre Laurent Dauphin. Murphy was a first round draft pick by the Coyotes in 2011 and plays a similar game to how Hjalmarsson plays. He will attempt to replace Hjalmarsson on the Hawks’ blue line. However, Hjalmarsson is one of the best defensive defenseman in the entire NHL, and Murphy is still unproven. It’s a big gamble to take, but Bowman has thought very highly of Murphy since their time together at USA Hockey. Dauphin was a third round pick from the Coyotes in 2013, and could be a potential bottom six depth forward for the Hawks in the future.

While Hawks fans were still trying to process this trade, another even more shocking trade made by the Hawks happened just minutes later. In this trade, the Blackhawks sent forward Artemi Panarin, forward Tyler Motte, and a 2017 sixth round draft pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for forward Brandon Saad, goaltender Anton Forsberg and a 2018 fifth round draft pick. There was a lot to process in this trade. Panarin was an unbelievably good player during his two year stay in Chicago, winning the rookie of the year award after the 2015-16 season. He recorded over 70 points each season and became a fan favorite playing on a line beside Artem Anisimov and Patrick Kane. However, Panarin has been criticized for being too much of a one-dimensional player, and didn’t contribute very much during the Hawks’ first round playoff exits the past two seasons. Saad, on the other hand, is a dynamic winger who can score, forecheck, and contribute on the power play and penalty kill. Saad helped the Hawks win two Stanley Cups before he was traded to Columbus when the Hawks couldn’t afford to give him a new contract. After Saad was traded away, the Hawks had a tough time trying to fill his role on the first line left wing beside Jonathan Toews. Toews’ production has dipped since Saad left, and the Hawks hope the return of Saad will bring Toews back to his old self.

Forsberg has been a career minor league goalie since turning professional, and could potentially compete for the Blackhawks’ backup goalie spot behind Corey Crawford.

Although there are several reasons these trades happened from a hockey standpoint, contractual and financial reasons also played a part. Both Hjalmarsson and Panarin are signed through 2019. They are then set to become unrestricted free agents. It is hard to imagine the Hawks being able to sign both of those guys to new contracts based on the high salaries the Hawks are committing to other players on the team. Saad and Murphy are signed through 2021 and 2022, respectively. They are also younger players than Hjalmarsson and Panarin are. By trading Hjalmarsson and Panarin for younger players with longer contracts, the Hawks are hoping to extend their championship window beyond what it would have been had Hjalmarsson and Panarin remained on the team.

On July 2nd, the Hawks traded centre Marcus Kruger to the Vegas Golden Knights for future considerations. Kruger helped the Hawks win two Stanley Cup championships during his time with the team and played an integral role as a bottom six centre and penalty killer. However, Kruger’s cap hit of a little over $3 million became too much for the Hawks to afford, and the Hawks shipped him off to Vegas.

Free Agent Signings

The NHL free agency period began on Saturday, July 1st. The Hawks made a big splash early by signing winger Patrick Sharp to a one year contract. Sharp played for the Hawks from 2005-2015 and helped the Hawks win three Stanley Cup championships. He became a fan favorite during his time with the Hawks, and the news he was coming back made a lot of Hawks fans happy. However, there are some who believe Sharp’s best days are behind him. He’s older now, and he struggled with a number of injuries last season. The Hawks are hoping Sharp can provide a veteran presence for a younger locker room while also serving as a reliable depth player. The Hawks also signed free agent forwards Lance Bouma and Tommy Wingels to one year contracts. Both will be looked upon to serve as depth players in the bottom six forward group. Bouma previously played for the Calgary Flames, where he played a number of roles. He can play both the centre and winger positions and scored a career high 34 points three seasons ago. Wingels is a Chicago native, and took a discount to play for his hometown team. He previously played for the San Jose Sharks and the Ottawa Senators, and helped the Sharks reach the 2016 Stanley Cup Final and the Senators reach the conference final round last season.

The Hawks also signed free agent goaltender Jean-Francois Berube to a two year contract. Berube previously played for the Los Angeles Kings and New York Islanders, mostly serving as a backup. He is expected to compete with Forsberg for the Hawks’ backup goalie roster spot.

Marian Hossa

The most shocking offseason news for Blackhawks fans came on June 21 when it was announced that forward Marian Hossa will miss the entirety of the upcoming 2017-18 season due to a progressive skin disorder he has been receiving treatment for. The disorder has progressed to the point where Hossa might have to retire for the betterment of his health. This is a huge blow for the Blackhawks, as Hossa has proven himself to be one of the best players in the league. Despite his age, Hossa has been one of the most reliable top six forwards the Hawks have had since he came to Chicago in 2009. He helped the Hawks win three Stanley Cup championships and is considered a future first-ballot hall of famer. The Hawks will miss his veteran leadership in the locker room and his physical presence on the ice. Part of the reason the Hawks re-acquired Saad is to fill the physicality void that Hossa leaves.

Many people are calling this Blackhawks offseason the most dramatic the franchise has had since 2010. A lot of uncertainty still surrounds the roster, but one thing that is certain is next year’s Hawks team will look dramatically different than the one that won 50 games last season.

Last week was truly a horrible week for football. All four games ended up being blowouts and not entertaining at all. Hopefully this week will be better with some more quality matchups.

AFC Playoffs

Houston Texans vs. New England Patriots

Saturday at 7:15 pm on CBS

There’s nothing really to say about this matchup.

My Prediction: Patriots win 35-7

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Sunday at Noon on NBC

This should be a good game. The Steelers looked dominant in their win against the Dolphins last week, and the Chiefs have consistently looked like one of the best teams in the AFC all year. The key matchup here is how effective Antonio Brown will be against the Chiefs’ secondary. If he’s able to make some big plays, the Steelers will be in good shape.

My Prediction: Steelers win 24-21

NFC Playoffs

Seattle Seahawks vs. Atlanta Falcons

Saturday at 3:30 pm on FOX

This is another intriguing game. The Seahawks have been the team that turns it up a few notches in the postseason the past couple of years. They certainly looked good against the Lions last weekend. But they face a much tougher team in the Atlanta Falcons this week on the road. The Falcons are coached by former Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who will be looking to knock his former team out of the playoffs. Matt Ryan will be looking to quiet the critics who say he can’t win in the playoffs.

My Prediction: Falcons win 30-27

Green Bay Packers vs. Dallas Cowboys

Sunday at 3:30 pm on FOX

The Cowboys beat the Packers in Green Bay earlier this season. The Packers have won seven straight games, and Aaron Rodgers has looked like the MVP of the NFL during the streak. But the Cowboys have looked like arguably the best team in the league all season behind superstar rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot. If the Cowboys can get a big game out of Elliot, they’ll be in good shape. They Cowboys will also be getting some key players returning from injury on the defensive side of the ball, including cornerback Morris Claiborne.

My Prediction: Cowboys win 31-28

Lets hope this weekend will be better than last week, or else Meryl Streep will be right.

Well, we’re here. After the Bears played sixteen games this season and won only three, they will miss the NFL Playoffs for the sixth straight year. Shockingly, the playoffs will continue without them. Here’s a quick preview of the games that will be happening this weekend.

AFC Playoffs

Raiders vs. Texans

Saturday at 3:30 pm CT on ABC

This game is going to be garbage. Both teams are on their backup quarterbacks and whoever turns the ball over three times instead of four will end up winning the game. The Raiders have the second best record in the AFC, but they’ve looked totally inept the last few weeks of the season and the loss of quarterback Derek Carr has only made things worse. The Texans are injured still can’t figured out their quarterback situation. This truly is a toss up.

Prediction: Texans win 10-6

Dolphins vs. Steelers

Sunday at Noon CT on CBS

This game also isn’t a very good matchup. The Dolphins are on their second string quarterback, while the Steelers are experienced and just look like a better team.

Prediction: Steelers win 28-7

NFC Playoffs

Lions vs. Seahawks

Saturday at 7:15 pm on NBC

The Lions are limping into the playoffs having lost their last three games of the regular season. The Seahawks, usually dominant during this time of year, are 3-3 in their last six games. Seattle’s defense and 12th man should be too much for the Lions.

Prediction: Seahawks win 31-10

Giants vs. Packers

Sunday at 3:30 pm on FOX

This is by far the best game of the weekend. Two of the hottest teams in the NFL meet up at historic Lambeau Field. The Giants have a history of winning big playoff games in Lambeau in recent years, but Aaron Rodgers has looked incredible during the Packers’ current win streak.

Prediction: Giants win 28-21