Predicting the Top 10 Sports Storylines of Fall 2015
As summer starts to flicker out and fall rears its cool head, sports storylines will come and they will go. With only a few weeks left before fall hits, now's the time to predict the future.
What headlines will be made, and by who? Breaking down all the sports played during the fall, we came up with 10 storylines you're sure to see take place sometime in 2015.
From the NBA hardwood to the football field, it's time to illuminate the top 10 storylines of fall '15.
Honorable Mentions
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A few potential headlines barely escaped the cold, hard grip of our list. Here are some honorable mentions that just missed the cut:
- Jim Harbaugh's first season at Michigan
- Battle of the Quarterbacks: Jameis Winston vs. Marcus Mariota
- The Detroit Red Wings without head coach Mike Babcock
- Peyton Manning's effectiveness in Denver
- Patrick Kane's NHL future
- LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers
- Ohio State's ongoing quarterback competition
Tim Tebow's Playing Time with the Philadelphia Eagles
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Love it or hate it, the NFL's biggest 800-pound gorilla in the room is still Tim Tebow. In an attempt to rejuvenate his career, Tebow joined up with head coach Chip Kelly and the Philadelphia Eagles this past offseason.
At this point in time, his future with the team remains uncertain. Tebow is battling with a bunch of other names looking to make the 53-man roster.
In his preseason debut, the former Florida Gators signal-caller completed six passes for 69 yards and polished that stat line off with a rushing touchdown. Assuming his play improves and he does make the team, one of the biggest fall storylines is going to be how much playing time he gets in Philadelphia.
You'd be hard-pressed to find a person who believes that, based on talent alone, Tebow will be Kelly's starting quarterback. Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez and even Matt Barkley have a lot of more experience in the passing department. That being said, crazier things have happened.
Injuries can pile up and coaches are forced to turn elsewhere for answers. Seeing what happens with Tebow will be a compelling fall storyline, assuming he makes the team.
Kevin Durant's Contract Situation
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Kevin Durant leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder could be a repeat of LeBron James departing for Miami in 2010. As it stands today, Durant is headed for free agency at the end of the 2015-16 NBA season.
Similar to James' final year with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the media will salivate over a potential Durant saga. Questions about his loyalty to the franchise, his relationship with Russell Westbrook and where he's headed next should swipe headlines and blogs alike.
Even if Durant stays and pledges to that early on, you can bet the rumors will continue to swirl. That's why this is a no-brainer selection for one of the top storylines of fall '15.
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Jimmy Garoppolo and the New England Patriots
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Tom Brady's impending suspension—assuming it holds up in court—has paved the way for second-year QB Jimmy Garoppolo to take over the reins in New England.
For those who don't know, Garoppolo is a former Eastern Illinois product, which sounds familiar because Tony Romo spent his collegiate days there as well. If the New England Patriots are forced to roll with the 23-year-old signal-caller, this will be the first time a backup quarterback sees significant starting time since Matt Cassel did back in 2008, when Brady suffered a season-ending ACL tear.
The good news is that the Patriots are a resilient bunch. Head coach Bill Belichick and his staff understand how to facilitate talent.
Either way, watching No. 10 early in the 2015 season is going to be a tremendous headline-grabbing story. Will he turn into an excellent QB on the fly? Or will Garoppolo struggle, leading the Patriots to an 0-4 start?
Sting Returns to WWE Programming
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This storyline could emerge a lot sooner than we expect—SummerSlam 2015 at the end of August is still a distinct possibility. But there's also a chance that Sting will make his return to the WWE sometime this fall.
Having one losing battle against Triple H as your only in-ring WWE appearance is not exactly fair to one of the most iconic wrestlers in the business.
Sting may not be the youthful talent he was once—we saw that on TV when he lost to Triple H—but that doesn't erase what he's done for the sport. He deserves something far better than that, and the WWE has to understand this.
Throwing Sting into a match with The Undertaker, or even giving him a brief title run—only to have him give up the belt shortly after—would make for exciting times in the world of sports entertainment.
And what better time to do all of this than fall '15?
Which College Football Team Will Get Snubbed?
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No matter what system is installed by college football's brightest minds, certain teams always wind up getting snubbed.
Despite how successful last year's inaugural College Football Playoff was, you could make a case that TCU should have entered that coveted playoff picture. They didn't, and Ohio State walked away with a stunning national championship victory.
With the new format in full effect, you can bet that another group of teams will be left feeling like they were robbed this fall.
Floyd Mayweather Ends His Career Unbeaten
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There's a very good chance that Floyd Mayweather's September 12 fight with Andre Berto will be the last of his illustrious career.
Mayweather has a chance to end his career without a single loss attached to his record. Considering all that he's accomplished, it would be a fitting way to walk away from the sport.
The fight to determine that final record of one "Money" Mayweather isn't going to be intoxicating. Andre Berto has gone 3-3 over his last six fights, and besides a few bursts of power, he isn't the most endearing opponent.
A Mayweather vs. Berto fight represents the end of boxing's last established star. Love him or hate him, Mayweather generates ticket sales and revenue for the sport. Finding out if he winds up leaving the ring undefeated will, of course, become a prominent slab of news.
The NFL and Los Angeles
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The National Football League needs the city of Los Angeles. That might not actually be true, but it sure feels like it based on all of the media coverage the topic has received.
You have to go back to 1994 in order to find professional football in LA. That's the last time the now-Oakland Raiders and St. Louis Rams played home games in Tinsel Town.
By Nielsen's count, via TVB.org, Los Angeles is the second-largest media market in the United States. By that standard, it makes complete financial sense to pump NFL dollars into the city. With talk heating up about a potential move to a West Coast establishment, this fall should bring plenty more tidbits of information to draw one of the NFL's biggest stories to the forefront.
Early Heisman Trophy Watch
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Each year, the race for college football's Heisman Trophy is hotly contested. This season isn't going to be any different.
Considered to be the most sought after piece of hardware in the sport, the Heisman Trophy represents greatness. According to ESPN's Experts' Poll, there are already 16 names posted up on the early Heisman watch list.
Powerhouse backs like Ohio State's Ezekiel Elliott and Georgia's Nick Chubb are floating around on there, as well as more established names like Michigan State QB Connor Cook and Mississippi State signal-caller Dak Prescott.
The further the fall progresses, the clearer this picture will become. A fierce dialogue will ensue, and soon enough, this storyline will become a big part of 2015.
Ronda Rousey vs. Cristiane 'Cyborg' Justino
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It seems like the one fight everyone wants to see is undefeated UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey take on MMA expert Cristiane "Cyborg" Justino.
Cyborg vs. Rousey has become a dream bout in recent months. Seeing the sheer level of dominance put on display by Rousey has left the field of competition razor-thin.
In Cyborg, the former destroyer of Gina Carano has a shot to at least give Rousey a fight. What once seemed like a pipe dream may actually come true this fall. Back in May, even UFC president Dana White talked positively about a potential brawl on The Jim Rome Show (via MMAFighting.com's Chuck Mindenhall).
Let's hope both sides get everything straightened out so we can finally see a Rousey vs. Cyborg showdown.
The 2015 World Series
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There's a very good chance that the 2015 World Series will turn out to be the most exciting one to come along in years. With so many young, talented teams fighting for playoff positions, baseball fans are in for a treat.
Will the New York Mets come from seemingly nowhere and make a run? How about the Houston Astros? Is there any hope for the Chicago Cubs this late in the season? So many questions to answer, so little time.
Once the World Series gets underway, we'll all know who the top two teams in baseball are. Hopefully that duel will transpire into something special.
All stats and information provided by Sports-Reference.com unless noted otherwise.
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