NOT SO SUPER

Fred Faour: Here are 5 clickbait hot takes that someone will have in the wake of Super Bowl LII

Fred Faour: Here are 5 clickbait hot takes that someone will have in the wake of Super Bowl LII
The Eagles should trade that Carson Wentz guy. They don't need him. Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Super Bowl LII turned out to be a thriller, and the Philadelphia Eagles are your new NFL champions. 

As always, there will be instant overreactions.  If there is one thing you can count on, it's Hot Takes from talking heads and writers hoping to boost ratings and pageviews. Here are five that someone will have today that are silly, "hot take" clickbait-type stuff -- and why they won't happen.

1) The Eagles should trade Carson Wentz. Hey, they just won their first ever Super Bowl with Nick Foles at quarterback. Why can't they do it again? What do you think the Browns would pay for Wentz? Philly could load up on draft picks and make multiple runs with Foles at quarterback.

The reality: Wentz is a special talent who will be the man in Philly for a long time. Foles was terrific in the playoffs and should start somewhere. But this is Wentz's team moving forward.

2) Tom Brady is done. He gave up a strip sack fumble in the clutch on Sunday and can no longer mount comebacks. At 40, it is time to hang it up.

The reality: Um, he did the comeback thing just two weeks ago. He threw for over 500 yards against the Eagles. Brady can probably play until he is 50. 

3) The Patriots lost three Super Bowls. They aren't that great.

The reality: This is the greatest dynasty of the Super Bowl era. Five titles, eight trips to the Super Bowl, a contender year in and year out. That they have been this good this long in the salary cap era trumps anything done before. 

4) The Patriots won't get out of the AFC next year.

The reality: While they will be favored, this might not be a stretch. The Steelers still have the most offensive talent in football. Jacksonville is not a fluke and will be back in the mix next year. Even the Texans with a healthy Deshaun Watson could be a threat. But New England will enter the season as favorites to make the Super Bowl again unless Bill Belichick bails.

5) This was the best Super Bowl ever. 

The reality: Um, remember last year? Possibly top five and it was a great game to watch, but it is not in the same category as some of the other Super Bowls. But you can bet someone will be spouting that today.

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Christian Walker got on base twice in the opener. Composite Getty Image.

The Houston Astros return to action Wednesday night with a chance to get back on track and even their three-game set against the visiting Chicago White Sox.

White Sox continue to have Houston's number

After falling 4–2 in Tuesday’s opener, the Astros now trail the season series 3–1 and will turn to Ryan Gusto (3-3, 4.78 ERA) in hopes of steadying the ship and reinforcing their grip on first place in the AL West.

Houston enters the matchup at 36–30 overall and 22–13 at home, a mark that reflects just how comfortable they've been playing in front of their fans. Though the offense has been inconsistent at times, the Astros are an impressive 19–4 when they manage to keep the ball in the yard — a stat that will be key with Gusto on the mound. The young right-hander has had an up-and-down season, but he'll be tasked with limiting a White Sox offense that did just enough to sneak away with a win in the opener.

Chicago, meanwhile, continues to play with a bit of unexpected edge despite sitting in last place in the AL Central. At 23–44, the White Sox have struggled most of the season — particularly on the road, where they’re just 7–26. Still, they've now won four of their last five games and will hand the ball to Sean Burke (3-6, 4.03 ERA), a righty who’s shown flashes of command and competitiveness in his rookie campaign.

The Astros will once again lean on their veterans to lead the way at the plate. Jose Altuve continues to be a consistent presence at the top of the lineup with nine home runs and 24 RBIs on the year. Yainer Diaz, who’s 10-for-39 with three home runs over his last 10 games, has started to find his swing again and could be a factor in the middle of the order. Houston will need more of that timely hitting if they want to avoid dropping their second straight at home — something that hasn’t happened often this year.

On the other side, Chase Meidroth has quietly become one of Chicago’s more reliable bats. Hitting .293 with five doubles and a pair of homers, Meidroth’s emergence adds some much-needed spark to a lineup that’s lacked consistency. Andrew Benintendi, hitting .257 over his last 10 games with four doubles, has also begun to warm up at the plate.

Both teams come in with nearly identical offensive production over their last 10 games — the Astros hitting .227 to the White Sox’s .226 — but Houston holds the edge in ERA at 3.44 compared to Chicago’s 4.04. That said, the Astros have been outscored by five runs over that stretch, and will need to clean up a few things on both sides of the ball to avoid falling into a mini-slide during this six-game homestand.

First pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. ET from Daikin Park, with Houston looking to reassert itself against a team it hasn’t solved yet this season. A win would not only even the series — it would also be a reminder that the Astros remain very much in control of their own narrative heading into the summer grind.

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -181, White Sox +150; over/under is 8 1/2 runs.

Here's an early look at Houston's lineup for Game 2

Jacob Melton is hitting last and remains the left fielder with Altuve back at second base. Diaz is once again in the cleanup spot as Walker is hitting fifth. Victor Caratini will hit behind Walker and serve as the DH. Otherwise, a pretty typical lineup for Joe Espada's club.


*ChatGPT assisted.

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