Sports Today with Francis & Chris

On the 50th episode of Sports Today, Francis discusses the state of New York basketball halfway through the NBA season. Both the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks are comfortably in the playoffs despite big blows to their starting rotations, but must avoid the play-in tournament at all costs. Does that mean the Nets should move on from Ben Simmons with his lack of offense? Who are realistic additions for this roster to help them get deep into the playoffs for once? What about the Knicks who look to at least make it past the first round? Do they need to rid themselves of some of their young talent to bring a star to Madison Square Garden? Find out who Francis would acquire and who he'd let go in today's episode.

The New York Giants took down the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Wild Card game on Sunday to advance in the playoffs. Daniel Jones played one of the best games of his career and had help from Saquon Barkley and his receivers. Big Blue's defense also was able to contain the Cousins-led offense of the Vikings, making Justin Jefferson a non-factor in the game. Can they do it again to take down their arch rivals in Philadelphia? Will the Eagles beat the Giants for the third time this season? A lot is on the line for these heated enemies and it will all be decided this weekend.

On today's episode we discuss the Premier League teams outside of the top 4 who are still trying to make a move up the standings. Tottenham Hotspurs are one of a few clubs dealing with major injury issues; is their current squad enough to sneak into the top 4? Fulham is one of the surprising teams this year competing with the big clubs and recently getting an upset victory over Chelsea. Are they legit or will they fall off soon? Liverpool is still not up to par after a good series of wins was brought to a halt with a defeat versus Brentford. Will the Gakpo signing bring them back on track? Brighton is right behind them and the two will face this weekend for a seventh place position in the standings. All the way in 10th place is Chelsea and their new signings haven't paid off just yet for the number of players missing due to injury. Is Chelsea doomed for disaster the rest of the way with Potter at the helm or will he be the newest Chelsea manager sacked? A lot of questions but also a lot of answers in episode 48!

On today's episode we discuss the top four of the Premier League as it currently stands on January 6th, 2023. Arsenal still have a five point lead over second place Manchester City after their scoreless draw against Newcastle United. Manchester City moves on from a 1-0 win over Chelsea on Thursday and look to steady the ship after a disappointing tie at home versus Everton over the weekend. Newcastle continues to concede the least amount of goals in the league to maintain a surprising third place. Finally, Manchester United seem to be moving on well since Cristiano Ronaldo's departure, winning four of their last five games. Is Arsenal comfortably on top, or are City due to dethrone them from the number one position. A big challenge for both of them in the coming weeks and it may be the decider for who comes out victorious this season. Tune in to find out about all of that and more.

(Jets talk 0:00 to 23:30, Giants talk 23:31 - 39:37) The New York Jets and New York Giants have solidified their fates for the 2022 NFL season: the Jets getting eliminated from playoffs contention in a disappointing performance against the Seahawks, and the Giants pushing their way through in commanding fashion over the Colts for their first berth in six years. What went wrong for the Jets? Should Mike White be their starting quarterback next season? How have the Giants made the playoffs despite their numerous injuries? Has Daniel Jones earned a new contract and the starting position for the G-men? Find out all of that and more in the first episode of 2023!

The New York Mets have just pulled off perhaps the greatest free agency in the history of baseball. They broke the news of their newest acquisition in the middle of the night and it was arguably their biggest one yet. Carlos Correa, originally headed to the San Francisco Giants, is the latest Metropolitan! Cohen has broken through the tax named after him and hasn't even flinched. Are the Mets now the forbidden World Series favorites? The other New York team, the Yankees, officially announced Aaron Judge on Wednesday but have plenty of spots to still fill up. Are they done spending? Find out all of that and the breakdown of Correa's odd situation in today's extended episode!

The 2022 World Cup is now over and Argentina are crowned champions! Messi finally gets the biggest trophy he's desired and it's the biggest one yet! Does this finally solidify him as the greatest of all time? Mbappe put on a solo performance for the ages but it was ultimately not enough. Who was to blame for France's defeat as reigning champions? Where was Benzema? Find out in today's episode.

It's quarter final time in the 2022 FIFA World Cup and Francis is ready to give you the winners for this weekend. Are there any sneaky upsets? Morocco already proved they can hang with the best by eliminating Spain. Is Portugal next to fall at their hands? Brazil's high powered attack is moving full steam ahead but Luka Modric and Croatia stand in their way. Argentina and Netherlands proves to be a very tight match but only one will move forward. Lastly, may be the game of the weekend: England, France. Is it finally time to come home or are the reigning champs going to reign superior. Find out in today's episode!

The Kyrie Saga: Where will it end up? Will the Brooklyn Nets actually trade Kyrie Irving? If so, where to? The Lakers, Knicks and Clippers all seem to be contenders but where Francis wants him to end up may surprise you. What do each of these teams have to offer the Brooklyn Nets for them to let go of their troubled super star? Will the future of Kevin Durant be affected if his close friend leaves? Only place to find out the answers to all of these questions is here!

Your new 2022 NBA Champions are the Golden State Warriors with Stephen Curry finally earning the Finals MVP trophy he's long desired. Does that mean that the Warriors trio of Curry, Thompson and Green are the new dynasty? The Celtics fall short after their impressive season in 6 game. Will Boston break up their stars in hope of winning the Larry O'Brien trophy? Plus, predictions on whether we'll see either of these teams here again next season. All of that and more on this episode of Sports Today with Francis & Chris!

The NBA Finals are tied at one a piece between the Boston Celtics and Golden States Warriors as the series now turns to TD Garden for Games 3 and 4. Stephen Curry goes for 29 and Jayson Tatum puts up 28, but it was the supporting cast and a dominant third quarter which gave the Warriors a Game 2 win. How did the Warriors bounce back from the 17-0 run at the end of Game 1? Why couldn't the Celtics keep up the momentum? Should Draymond Green have been given a second technical? Find out in the newest episode of season 3!

In this episode, Francis breaks down the extravaganza which was Deshaun Watson choosing Cleveland as his newest home. What does this mean for Baker Mayfield? Where will he go? While his future is up in the air, Davante Adams has found his future with the Las Vegas Raiders, making them a formidable threat in the AFC West. The Denver Broncos weren't left out with their blockbuster acquisition of Russell Wilson - so who's the weakest team in the division now? [09:16] The NFL free agency was paired with the MLB which means more fun for us! Freddie Freeman has picked the Los Angeles Dodgers and that means disaster for the rest of the league. Have the New York Mets done enough to compete in the National League? Will the New York Yankees advance in the playoffs with their new faces in the organizations? All of that and more!

Francis and Chris are back for season 2 and kick it off with Champions League action! The Round of 16 are underway and Paris Saint Germain strike first against Real Madrid to win their first leg matchup, with everything still to play for in the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. Meanwhile, other late game heroics by Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah put Liverpool on top over Inter Milan. The guys go over those big matchups last week, as well as the duels from this week with reigning champs Chelsea taking care of business.

Cristiano Ronaldo is a red devil - AGAIN! Join Francis and Chris as the two cover the world's biggest football news this weekend with the Manchester United legend returning home. Ronaldo chooses United over City when it seemed to be a done deal that the Portuguese superstar was going to be a Citizen. Tune in to hear our reactions and to find out what this might mean for Manchester United's title contention this season. 

Francis and Chris talk NBA free agency in the East as some major moves were done for playoff hopefuls and title contenders. Find out what signings will bring some teams over the top and what transfers signal the beginning of rebuild projects for others in todays episode!

The world of football received the biggest shock in possibly its history: Messi is leaving FC Barcelona (for real this time). Where does Barcelona go from here? Where will Messi play next? Find out what we think in today's episode!

The MLB trade deadline came and went but it sure did not disappoint! There were huge moves in New York for both the Yankees and Mets, along with big moves for contenders such as the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants. While some rosters got more loaded than ever, the Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals depleted their championship winning rosters from a few season ago. No matter what team you root for, odds are there are major changes to your baseball club so if you missed it, tune in for Francis to break down the major moves that took place this week.

It is Italy. It is England. It is the EURO 2020 final between two of the biggest powerhouses in football history. Tune in to listen to Francis and Chris break down how these two foes made it to the final, what is at stake and what each must do to make history and come out victorious on the biggest European stage.

The NBA Finals are set between the Phoenix Suns and the Milwaukee Bucks and Francis and Chris are here to go over what took place in Game 1. Chris Paul followed up his 41 point performance to eliminate the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference Finals with a 32 points, 9 assists showing in his first NBA Finals appearance to soil Giannis Antetokounmpo's return from injury. The Bucks won their last two Eastern Conference Finals games without Antetokounmpo to beat Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks, but can they put up a great team performance to even up their series Thursday night? Find out today!

On this special episode, Francis and Chris are joined by special guest Andre Blake! The Philadelphia Union goalkeeper and Jamaican national team captain chimes in on the Union's impressive start to the MLS season following last year's lifting of the Supporter's Shield, the first trophy in club history. Blake also speaks on his preparations for the Gold Cup beginning July 11th and the expectations his team has to hopefully advance far into the tournament.

Francis and Chris get into more EURO 2020 action as all three contenders advance out of the Group of Death: France, Germany and Portugal. Teams with surprising early exits include Turkey, Russia and Poland - who were led by one of the world's greatest forwards, Robert Lewandowski. Now in the Round of 16, there are no shortage of star studded games headlined by Portugal vs Belgium. Tune in to hear all of the fixtures and our keys to success for some of Europe's strongest squads!

Francis and Chris discuss the conference finals in the NBA as the Los Angeles Clippers take Game 3 against the Phoenix Suns and the Milwaukee Bucks look to even up their series against Atlanta before heading to State Farm Arena for games 3 and 4. The Clippers have began their series down 0-2 for the third straight time in the playoffs, will they be able to pull off another comeback with Kawhi Leonard's status still unknown? Trae Young and the Hawks have nothing to lose and everything to win but Giannis Antentokounmpo can't say the same being heavily favored; could a series loss mean the end for the Greek Freak in Milwaukee? Find out in today's episode!

Francis and Chris update you on the NBA playoffs with a sweep of the Phoenix Suns over the Denver Nuggets and surprising turnarounds in the Nets and Jazz series. After being up 2-0, the Brooklyn Nets gave up two losses in Milwaukee with Kyrie Irving exiting Game 4 due to an ankle injury to get the series tied at two a piece. That changed yesterday with Kevin Durant's incredible person and having played every minute of Game 5 to give the Nets the edge over the Bucks; James Harden also made his return from his hamstring injury. The Atlanta Hawks evened up their series against the Philadelphia 76ers and Game 5 is going to prove monumental to determine who is going to break the tie. Finally, the Clippers have come back against the Utah Jazz in convincing fashion but will have to play Game 5 without Kawhi Leonard who is dealing with a knee injury. The playoffs are heating up and this is the place to be to stay caught up!

Francis and Chris sum up the first set of fixtures in the Euro 2020 tournament. Also, we reflect on the horrific visuals on the pitch when Denmark's Christian Eriksen collapsed and was given emergency treatment; he is now in stable condition. Aside from the scary news, we've already seen some exciting matchups and what may prove to be the goal of the tournament coming from Czech Republic. Belgium, Portugal, France and Germany started their action so tune in to find out how your squad did!

Francis and Chris move onto the West to discuss the early exits of the Lakers, Trail Blazers, Mavericks and Grizzlies, and the spicy matchups between the Suns and Nuggets, along with the Jazz and Clippers. The Phoenix Suns cruise over the Denver Nuggets in their first two games despite MVP Nikola Jokić's attempts to carry the load for his team. The Utah Jazz have been able to take care of business at home over the Los Angeles Clippers as things are getting interesting for Kawhi Leonard and Paul George after their second straight series down 2-0. Can either team turn it around? Find out in today's episode!

The NBA playoffs have begun and Francis and Chris review first round action in the Eastern Conference. Plus, the Brooklyn Nets take a 2-0 lead over the Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers even up their series with the Atlanta Hawks. Can Giannis and the Bucks turn their series around? Will Philly's Game 2 win boost them to take command of their series? Find out on today's episode!

The NBA playoffs have started and the first team to take a 2-0 lead are the Milwaukee Bucks over the Miami Heat; they get there after their overwhelming performance against the team from South Beach and the lackluster showings from Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. The Denver Nuggets have tied their series up after last night's dominating play from MVP finalist Nikola Jokić, and head over to Portland for a decisive Game 3. Ahead of tonight's games, we look at what the Celtics can do to stop Brooklyn's Big Three, what the Lakers must get from their stars to even up their series against Phoenix and how Kawhi Leonard and Playoff P must perform to overpower wonderkid Luka Dončić and the Mavericks.

In today's episode we go over what Manchester City and Chelsea did in their semifinal matchups to advance to the final of the Champions League. What does Real Madrid's collapse mean for them this season and the next? And who do we see winning this years final?? Find out by tuning in!

The two first legs of the Champions League semi-finals are now over with Real Madrid tying Chelsea at home and Manchester City coming back from behind to beat Paris Saint-Germain in Parc des Princes. Who will come out on top in the second leg? Will Mbappe show up for PSG or will Manchester City finally advance to the UCL final? Find out in today's episode!

Francis and Chris welcome MSG broadcaster for the New Red Bulls and former New York Cosmos great, Shep Messing who joins the show to talk about the 26th MLS kicking off and the Red Bulls' hopes for the new season. Messing also provides his input on the proposed Super League so it's an episode you will not want to miss! 

Francis and Chris discuss the huge news that dropped in European football over the weekend with the announcement of the Super League involving the 12 giants of the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A. Listen in to get updates, statements and reactions all over the football world and to contemplate what this could mean for the future of the football as we know it.

Francis and Chris sum up the Champions League quarter finals as the last four teams are set: Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid. Find out how each of these European giants made it to the semis on today's exciting episode!

On this episode of Sports Today with Francis & Chris the guys talk about more European football, this time: the Europa League! Manchester United get an important win at Granada, while Arsenal draws against Slavia Praha at home. But those weren't the only matches that took place... tune in to hear about the other fixtures! Afterwards, it's time to pick winners and losers in the trade that sent Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers. Last but not least, the guys speak on the biggest rivarly in club football: El Clásico!

On this episode of Sports Today with Francis & Chris the guys go over the quarter final results between the last eight teams left in the Champions League: Real Madrid beat Liverpool in convincing fashion despite losing their two best defenders in Sergio Ramos and Varane, Manchester City outlast Borussia Dortmund in the last minute of regulation (but not without controversy), Chelsea defeat Porto after a couple of costly mistakes from the Portuguese giants, and the clash of titans from last season's final repeats itself, this time with PSG coming on top over Bayern Munich without Lewandowski.

Francis and Chris open today's episode with Opening Day baseball as the New York Yankees hosted the Toronto Blue Jays and the Mets' game was postponed due to a positive Nationals' coronavirus test. March Madness is down to its final four teams and the guys make their picks for the final. Afterwards, it's time to talk Lamarcus Aldridge to Brooklyn and Andre Drummond to the Lakers: what team benefited more from their acquisitions? All of that and more in today's episode!

On this episode of Francis & Chris, Francis gets through the big NBA trade deadline moves of the day with the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls getting huge additions to their teams. Then it's more signings for the New York Giants and Jets which New Yorkers are thrilled about. Lastly, it's time to digest the Champions League and Europa League draws. The episode is full of big news and you don't want to miss any of it!

Francis and Chris go over today's Europa League results as Manchester United and Arsenal move but Tottenham Hotspurs are upset in heroic fashion. Chelsea and Bayern Munich have also sealed their tickets for the quarter finals of the Champions League as we await the draw for both tournaments tomorrow. And there is more NFL news so we play big deal or no deal (Giants fans, we have a pretty big deal for you!). Join the show and listen for the best and worst news in sports today!

Francis and Chris talk Champions League with Real Madrid and Manchester City easily taking control of their opponents to move on from the round of 16, the heated New York rivalry just got revived with Brooklyn's victory last night and there's also a lot of NFL moves to break down so listen in to hear all about it!

It's an all football (soccer) episode for today as Francis & Chris talk yesterday's Barcelona elimination from the Champions League against Paris Saint Germain and Liverpool's victory against Leipzig - sorry you lost your bet Chris. Then it's on to the Europa League with the star studded clash between Manchester United and AC Milan as well as Arsenal facing Olympiacos. Listen in to hear all about it!

Francis and Chris discuss Juventus' elimination in the Champions League as their win against Porto wasn't enough to make up for the Portuguese giants' away goals on aggregate. Then it's more of the same: Erling Haaland continues to score as his brace against Sevilla was enough to push Borussia Dortmund past the round of 16. The two also look onto tomorrow's games as Chris has a bold prediction for the Liverpool-Leipzig tie you don't want to miss. Finally, Blake Griffin is now a Brooklyn Net. Will it be enough to make the Nets clear favorites for the NBA championship? Find out in today's episode!

Francis and Chris discuss JJ Watts' decision to join former teammate Deandre Hopkins in the Arizona Cardinals along with the team's new potential to make it into the playoffs. It's also time to give credit where it's due: the New York Knicks are currently in the playoffs with a winning record! Lastly, the two talk about Real Madrid managing a point over the weekend while Atletico Madrid and Barcelona win their respective games 2-0 and intensify the La Liga title race.

Francis and Chris talk Champions League football as Chelsea get the best of Atletico Madrid with Olivier Giroud's wonderful bicycle kick that found the back of the net and Bayern Munich absolutely tears up Lazio's defense. The guys give their thoughts on tomorrow's exciting clashes as Real Madrid play Atalanta and Manchester City battle Borussia Monchengladbach. An update on Tiger Wood's terrifying accident will also be provided in today's episode so be sure to listen and talk sports with us!  

Francis and Chris talk Champions League Football with Juventus' shocking defeat yesterday and Haaland's impressive brace against Sevilla. Then it's onto the Europa League where other big teams competed in their respective first legs. Finally, shocking news as Carson Wentz is traded to the Indianapolis Colts. Much to get into so tune into today's episode of Sports today with Francis & Chris!

Francis and Chris react to the Champions League showdown between Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain led by Kylian Mbappe's wonderous performance. Then it's time for the Liverpool vs. Leipzig breakdown as the Reds get a 2-0 victory in a neutral site. Finally, the guys talk about the huge breaking news of JJ Watt being released by the Houston Texans.

Francis and Chris talk Derrick Rose's return to the Garden in a Knicks uniform, Liverpool's disastrous weekend adding to Manchester City's lead in the EPL table and Atletico giving up points to bring a burst of life to Real Madrid and Barcelona. All of that and more in today's episode!

Listen in as Francis gives you his reaction to the Super Bowl as Tom Brady wins his seventh Super Bowl and fifth Super Bowl MVP while handing Mahomes his first Super Bowl lost.

Francis gets you ready for Super Bowl Sunday as Tom Brady chases after his seventh ring against the reigning champions Kansas City Chiefs who try to make it two straight Super Bowl victories led by Patrick Mahomes.

After their matchup on Saturday, Arsenal and Manchester United responded in very different ways. Ronaldo's done it again for Juventus and will Nolan Arenado be the difference for the St. Louis Cardinals? Find out on today's episode of Sports Today with Francis & Chris!