Author: mmckenzie2

Hey there. I'm Mat, and I'm currently studying English with a concentration in professional and technical writing. As the blog posts would suggest, I wish to pursue a sports writing job after college, particularly in my hometown of San Francisco. When I'm not in school, you can find me kicking back on the couch and catching the game with my dogs. Feel free to have a look around and get in contact with me!
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Phoenix Rising, Bucks Unload, & Rockets’ Reckoning: Offseason Thoughts So Far

mmckenzie2

Well that escalated quickly, didn’t it? The NBA is in its usual bag of beautiful drama to keep us occupied through the offseason, despite this one being a short one. So with the draft, aka Prince LaMelo’s christening, upon us, here’s my thoughts on the three teams to make the most noise so far. SUNS ASSERT THEMSELVES After a literally perfect bubble, the Phoenix Suns put the NBA on notice that their days of being Western Conference pushovers were nearing a close. With their young core, led by lethal offensive guard Devin Booker, the Suns looked to be just one … Continue reading Phoenix Rising, Bucks Unload, & Rockets’ Reckoning: Offseason Thoughts So Far

BrownsLeave a comment

Marching Along: Chubb’s Return Heads Win

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The Texans came into FirstEnergy Stadium Sunday with the league’s worst run defense. The Browns, well, they like to run. Cleveland bounced Houston 10-7 to improve to 6-3 on the season, behind strong efforts from their defense and the dynamic running back duo of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Chubb returned after missing action since his Week 4 knee injury, racking up 126 yards and a TD, which would have been 2 had he not stepped out of bounds at the 1-yard line to ice the game completely. He showed signs of rust to start, but shook them off in … Continue reading Marching Along: Chubb’s Return Heads Win

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Blown Opportunities

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Get it? ‘Cuz it was windy as hell? I know, cheesy. The unfortunate bread and butter of my humor. The Cleveland Browns fell to the Las Vegas [but still very much Oakland] Raiders 16-6 in a game filled with should-be touchdowns that weren’t, field goals that Mother Nature claimed as her own, and Josh Jacobs running amok all over FirstEnergy Stadium. Fine, I’ll say it: I jumped the gun on the 9-2 by December thing. But give me a break, I’m still in the process of truly becoming a depressed Browns fan. My spirit is still in its naive infancy, … Continue reading Blown Opportunities

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A Debt Repaid: Baseball Gods Finally Smile Back at LA

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Good lord, it happened: the Los Angeles Dodgers are the champions of baseball. A salty statement to say aloud, an even uglier one the type out for this lifelong Giants fan. But as a fan of baseball, one can’t help but feel good for this star-studded team finally reaching the top of the mountain after having to hear about how immaculate they are for 4 straight seasons. So sensitive Giant fans look away, because I’m going to…(gulp)…say some nice things about the Dodgers. The team who paid the biggest price for those lousy, cheatin’, no good 2017 Astros seemed to … Continue reading A Debt Repaid: Baseball Gods Finally Smile Back at LA

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Big Plays, Bigger Concerns

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The Cleveland Browns survived Sunday’s game against division rival Cincinnati, riding a big-time performance from Baker Mayfield to a 5-2 record and momentum into their next matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders. Despite a dismal start, Cleveland’s quarterback bounced back immensely, answering every counterpunch rookie standout Joe Burrow and the Bengals fired at him with an impressive drive of his own. After starting 0-5 with an interception, Baker completed 21 straight passes, a new franchise record. The biggest completion of the day came with just 15 seconds left on the clock to Donovan Peoples-Jones, an absolute dime from 24 yards … Continue reading Big Plays, Bigger Concerns

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Job’s Finished

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(Wrote this the day after the chip, but held it for no reason at all.) Nearly a year after they began their 2019-2020 campaign, the Los Angeles Lakers are the reigning NBA champions. We were told that LeBron came to LA to make movies and ride off into the sunset. He was awarded his 4th Finals MVP and was the best player in basketball throughout the playoffs. We were told Anthony Davis was soft, too-often injured, and cost the Lakers too much in assets. He dominated every series with his superior length and ability, didn’t miss a single postseason game, … Continue reading Job’s Finished

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The Heat is On: Coming Full Circle

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Nearly a decade ago, a superstar from Akron, Ohio named LeBron James took his talents to South Beach, and joined the Miami Heat, leaving behind the Cleveland Cavaliers to pursue a title in Florida and shocking the sporting universe. After all the hype and media gushing about the NBA’s first “super team,” the Heat lost to a bunch of old guys and we were left questioning the King’s greatness. But James and the Heat bounced back in great fashion, and ultimately LeBron left Miami with two rings. He graciously returned home to Cleveland, promising his beloved hometown that he would … Continue reading The Heat is On: Coming Full Circle

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A Toast to the Clippers: Second Round Wonders

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In June of 2019, Laker fans rejoiced when the team traded for Anthony Davis, a once in a lifetime talent that would take their championship aspirations to new heights. However, they would only have a month or so to celebrate, as their roommates, the Clippers, signed Kawhi Leonard, the game’s best two-way player, freshly crowned his second Finals MVP. Leonard had made clear his intentions to become a Laker as soon as possible, but the thought of playing in LeBron’s shadow seemed to ward him off, and he chose the other LA team. Although they lost out on Kawhi, it … Continue reading A Toast to the Clippers: Second Round Wonders

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Go Small or Go Home

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Like, really fuckin’ small. It took the Los Angeles Lakers just five games to vanquish Portland in the first round. The Trail Blazers used Jusuf Nurkić and Hassan Whiteside to try to match size against the likes of Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard, and company, which in flashes did do some good in slowing down the Lakers from attacking the paint with ease. But, it was largely not enough to stop the aforementioned AD and LeBron James doing what they do best: punish opponents inside. The Lakers now advance to round two to face a Houston Rockets team that actively pretends … Continue reading Go Small or Go Home

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What to Make of the Giants So Far

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With their 6-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, the San Francisco Giants have mustered a 14-16 record halfway through this bizarro-world, abbreviated Major League Baseball season. The Giants came into the 2020 season, even before COVID-19 forced the league to create a fan-less, 60-game campaign for all, with little to no expectations. They were in their first real season of a ‘rebuild,’ looking to see what talent laid within their newcomers from last season, such as Mike Yastrzemski, Mauricio Dubon, and Alex Dickerson. It also aimed to see if their younger brass of outfielders, like Austin Slater and Steven Duggar, … Continue reading What to Make of the Giants So Far