Although it came in a losing effort, Diaz was sharp making his third spring training outing. After the Mets closer gave up a leadoff double, he retired the next three batters on a fly out, swinging strikeout and another fly out -- he threw 18 pitches (12 strikes).
"Better," Mets skipper Carlos Mendoza said of Diaz's outing. "From the first pitch, there was conviction. It’s spring training. The first couple of outings, you felt like after a couple of guys got on, that was when he was letting the ball go. Today, we saw it from the first pitch. Even though he gave up that double, he had to work today, make pitches and there was much more conviction behind it."
Diaz's first outing came back on March 6 against the Astros, where he allowed two runs on two hits and one walk, recording just one out. The All-Star closer was unfazed by his performance, calling it just "part of the game."
His next time out (March 9 against the Nationals), Diaz struck out three batters but walked two in his inning of work. It took him 27 pitches to retire the side.
Thursday was a different story. Diaz was efficient and attacked the zone. However, his fastball saw a dip in velocity. The 30-year-old's fastball averaged 95 mph and topped out around 96 mph. His final heater was clocked at 92 mph.
Mendoza was asked about Diaz's velocity and whether he was concerned.
"Nah, it’ll come up," he said. "I’m not worried about that."
If all is right with Diaz, the Mets should have a formidable backend of the bullpen with A.J. Minter making his impressive spring debut on Wednesday. The left-hander, who signed a two-year deal, pitched a perfect inning on just 10 pitches.
Minter had a delayed start to camp after recovering from offseason hip surgery.
Dedniel Núñez, who was impressive out of the Mets' bullpen last season, got through a two inning live BP session earlier this week "ok," per Mendoza. The skipper added that Núñez's next step will be making his spring debut on Monday against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Mets' next game is hosting the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — New York Mets All-Star infielder Jeff McNeil will open the season on the injured list because of a strained right oblique.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Thursday that the 2022 big league batting champion has a low grade strain. McNeil won’t participate in baseball activities for a week to 10 days and likely will be sidelined for three to four weeks.
“It’s low-grade, he felt it after playing a couple of days ago,” Mendoza said. “He came in sore, we gave him 24 hours and yesterday same thing so we decided to have imaging and it shows that strain.”
The 32-year-old McNeil hit .238 with 12 homers and 44 RBIs last year. His right wrist was broken on Sept. 6 when hit by a pitch from Cincinnati’s Brandon Williamson, and McNeil returned for the NL Championship Series.
McNeil played the majority of the season at second base, but also spent time in both corner outfield positions.
New York has had a series of injuries during spring training.
Catcher Francisco Alvarez broke his left hand during batting practice on Saturday and is expected to be out six to eight weeks. Left-hander Sean Manaea (oblique), right-hander Frankie Montas (lat) and infielder Nick Madrigal (fractured shoulder) also will miss the start of the season. Madrigal could be out all year.
CHIMCHIME, ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES - 2024/10/13: (EDITORS NOTE: Image taken with drone) In this aerial view, the domed roof at Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays, is seen ripped to shreds from Hurricane Miltonís powerful winds in St. Petersburg. The storm passed through the area on October 10, 2024, making landfall as a Category 3 hurricane in Siesta Key, Florida. (Photo by Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
SOPA Images/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays withdrew Thursday from a $1.3 billion project to construct a new ballpark adjacent to Tropicana Field, citing a hurricane and delays that likely drove up the proposal’s cost.
The team issued a statement by principal owner Stuart Sternberg saying “a series of events” in October, which included severe damage to the the Trop and financing delays, led to what he called “this difficult decision.”
“After careful deliberation, we have concluded we cannot move forward with the new ballpark and development project at this moment,” Sternberg said.
Displaced from the Trop in St. Petersburg, the Rays are set to play their home games this season across Tampa Bay at the New York Yankees’ spring training home, 11,000-seat Steinbrenner Field. Meanwhile, repairs are envisioned to the Trop, including replacing its roof shredded by Hurricane Milton, that would have it ready for the 2026 season.
“Major League Baseball remains committed to finding a permanent home for the club in the Tampa Bay region for their fans and the local community,” MLB said in a statement. “Commissioner (Rob) Manfred understands the disappointment of the St. Petersburg community from today’s announcement, but he will continue to work with elected officials, community leaders, and Rays officials to secure the club’s future in the Tampa Bay region.”
The Trop opened in 1990 and has been the Rays’ home since they took the field in 1998. St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch, a driving force behind what was dubbed the “Here To Stay” initiative aimed at keeping the Rays in the city for another 30 years, said the decision was disappointing but “it is not unexpected.” It is also possible the Rays could be sold, he noted.
“If in the coming months a new owner, who demonstrates a commitment to honoring their agreements and our community priorities emerges, we will consider a partnership to keep baseball in St. Pete. But we will not put our city’s progress on hold as we await a collaborative and community-focused baseball partner,” Welch said.
Under their current contract with the city of St. Petersburg, the Rays would play three more seasons at their existing ballpark after it is repaired. Beyond that, the team’s future in the Tampa Bay area is uncertain. MLB and the Rays could evaluate attendance and fan interest during the team’s season at Steinbrenner Field as they consider alternate sites.
“The opportunity to play on the Tampa side could give insights into the Tampa Bay market as a whole that could be useful for the club moving forward,” Manfred said during a Wednesday interview with The Associated Press.
For now, the Rays are set to return to the Trop after a year across the bay.
“The City of St. Petersburg is currently advancing plans to restore Tropicana Field for the 2026 season,” Sternberg said. “We are thankful for their efforts and are excited to return to our home field next spring.”
The proposed 30,000-seat stadium is a signature piece of a broader $6.5 billion revitalization project known as the Historic Gas Plant District, which refers to a predominantly Black neighborhood that was forced out by construction of the Trop and an interstate highway spur.
Supporters say the development would transform an 86-acre (34-hectare) tract in the city’s downtown, with plans for a Black history museum, affordable housing, entertainment venues, plus office and retail space — and the promise of thousands of jobs.
That broader project, counting on the Rays ballpark to be an anchor, is also in limbo with this decision.
The Rays had faced a March 31 deadline to decide whether to continue with the new ballpark project. Under the agreement previously approved by the city and Pinellas County, the governments would cover about half the cost of the $1.3 billion stadium, with the Rays and their development partner Hines covering the rest, including any cost overruns.
The Rays previously said a delayed vote in October on the final financing plan by the Pinellas County Commission was a factor increasing projected costs beyond the team’s funding ability. The city already has approved its financing.
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — The Boston Red Sox will open the season with three starting pitchers on the injured list after right-hander Lucas Giolito strained his left hamstring.
Giolito left his first spring training start against Philadelphia on Tuesday after one inning when his hamstring tightened. Giolito told reporters the strain was low-grade.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said the right-hander will start the season on the injured list.
Giolito will join fellow starters Brayan Bello (shoulder) and Kutter Crawford (knee) on the injured list ahead of Boston’s March 27 opener at Texas.
The 30-year-old Giolito signed a $38.5 million. two-year contract with Boston before last season, but didn’t pitch all year after a partial tear in his right ulnar collateral ligament. He was 8-15 with a 4.88 ERA in 2023 with the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels and Cleveland Guardians.
The Yankees continued Grapefruit League play as they beat the Detroit Tigers, 8-6, on Thursday afternoon.
Here are the takeaways...
- Max Fried fared pretty well making his second start of the spring. Former Yankee Gleyber Torres struck for a solo homer in the bottom of the first, but that was the only serious damage against him in four innings of work. The southpaw allowed just that one hit and struck out four batters while throwing 57 pitches (35 strikes).
Fried now has a 4.26 ERA this spring. His addition on a historic eight-year deal this offseason became even more important to the Yankees this week with Gerrit Cole set to undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the entire 2025 season.
The Yanks will need Fried to stay healthy and pitch like the ace he was during his eight years with the Braves.
- Jasson Dominguez has been having a bit of a rough time both at the plate and in the field thus far this spring, but he put together a strong showing in this one. The youngster finished 1-for-3 with a walk and his second home run to get the Yanks on the board against Jackson Jobe in the fourth.
- Paul Goldschmidt's showing he may have something left in that veteran bat of his. He followed up Dominguez's blast with a solo shot of his own, and then drove in two more runs an inning later with a double down the left field line. The 37-year-old now has four extra base-hits over his last three spring games.
- Austin Wells continues to be a catalyst out of the leadoff spot -- reaching base two more times with a walk and a hit and scoring two runs. The young backstop is now hitting an impressive .360 with a 1.167 OPS through 25 spring at-bats.
- Right-hander Fernando Cruz, who was acquired this offseason from the Reds, continued his rough start to the spring. He allowed back-to-back doubles to Colt Keith and Javier Baez leading off the bottom of the fifth to bring his ERA to 10.13 -- but he did recover nicely, striking out the next three batters.
- Tim Hill also struggled for the first time this spring. The southpaw had put together four scoreless appearances coming into the day, but he allowed two runs on three hits in his lone inning of work.
Upcoming schedule
Allan Winans takes the mound as the Yanks continue their spring slate against the Phillies on Friday at 6:35 p.m.
The Mets lost to the Red Sox, 3-2, on Thursday afternoon as their spring training slate continued.
Here are the takeaways...
- David Peterson gave up a leadoff homer but limited the damage after that.
It was an uneven start for the left-hander, though, as he allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits while walking two and striking out one in 3.2 innings.
Peterson, who threw 69 pitches (43 strikes), has a 0.84 ERA this spring.
- Brandon Nimmo was back in the lineup for the first time since missing over a week of game action due to a knee issue that required a gel injection.
In his first at-bat, Nimmo smoked a single to right field. He finished 1-for-3 with a strikeout.
- Edwin Diaz allowed a leadoff double before settling in to retire the next three batters on a fly out, strikeout swinging, and a fly out. He threw 18 pitches, with 12 going for strikes.
It was a bounce back effort for Diaz, who was erratic during his first two spring appearances.
Diaz's strikeout came on a slider (which Triston Casas flailed at), while his fastball topped out at 96.3 mph.
He cleanly fielded a liner in the first inning but made an error on a hard grounder hit to his right in the second inning.
Baty made a really nice play to get the second out of the third inning, ranging far to his right before making an off-balance throw to first base for the out. He also assisted on the third out -- a routine grounder he fielded at the edge of the infield dirt and threw to first.
At the plate, Baty drew a walk his first time up. In the fifth inning, he led things off by looping a single to right field. He finished 1-for-2 with a walk, and has a 1.110 OPS this spring.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — When the Giants and Cleveland Guardians lined up for the national anthem on Wednesday in Goodyear, there were quite a few head nods and waves across the field. On the home side, manager Stephen Vogt stood alongside Craig Albernaz, who became his associate manager after years in San Francisco as the bullpen coach. To Albernaz’s right was Guardians field coordinator Kai Correa, who previously was the bench coach for Gabe Kapler and briefly replaced him at the end of the 2023 MLB season.
The visual was the latest reminder of just how much has changed at Oracle Park. Of the 10 coaches working under manager Bob Melvin, only three served on Kapler’s staff. This season, one of them is taking a huge step forward in his career development.
Just a few years removed from coaching high school baseball in Louisiana, Martinez in 2021 found himself in pregame meetings led by a future Hall of Fame catcher. His plan originally was to be quiet and listen to Posey, that day’s starter and pitching coach Andrew Bailey go over the game plan, but he quickly found that Posey had a routine. At the end of every pregame planning meeting, he would turn to the young assistant. “J.P., what have you got,” Posey would ask.
“I would always just wait for that moment and make sure the thing I would say is something he could actually use and not be fluff,” Martinez said on Thursday’s “Giants Talk” podcast.
When Posey took over baseball operations, he made it clear that any feelings he might have about a potential coaching move would take a backseat to Melvin’s preferences. For Melvin, the decision to promote Martinez wasn’t a difficult one. When he hired Price, his longtime friend, he felt that perhaps Martinez had been passed over. This round, there was no question.
“It was his time,” Melvin said.
Martinez will bring an interesting blend to the role, one formed through five seasons as a Minnesota Twins minor league coach and four on two very different big league coaching staffs. Kapler’s group tried to reinvent the game at times, but the pitching side was on the cutting edge of the advances that have been made over the last decade, as pitch labs have popped up in ballparks and players have had to learn new approaches and lingo.
Martinez learned under Andrew Bailey and Brian Bannister, and then spent last season with Price, who took a more traditional approach.
“I feel like an old-school guy with a new-school grad degree,” he said. “I got a really good education around a lot of the advanced metrics and pitch design and ball flight stuff with Minnesota, but Minnesota has a pretty rich heritage of player development and pitching and defense. When I came over (from the Twins) I was in a good position to learn from Bails — who had a rich playing career — and Banny, who had a really rich player development background.
“I felt like my exposure to Bryan really just rounded that all out, so I definitely feel more prepared now than I did maybe before last season to be the pitching coach. But I also feel like I have a couple of different personalities I can occupy based on the situation or the need of the player.”
That last element is perhaps the most important part of the job. When Martinez was an assistant, the Giants found that he could just as easily connect with a Camilo Doval as a Logan Webb. This spring, he has formed a quick bond with Justin Verlander, who was part of the same draft class and is the same age.
The Twins took Martinez in the ninth round of the 2004 draft and turned the college starter into a reliever, which proved to be a blessing when he moved on to coaching. Martinez leaned on a four-seam fastball and curveball as a starter and then switched to sinker, slider and cutter as a reliever. In that respect, he is similar to former Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti, who could connect with both starters and relievers after doing both as a professional.
While Righetti spent 16 seasons in the big leagues, Martinez topped out at Triple-A despite posting a 3.36 ERA in the minors. He moved on to coaching high school and summer ball before returning to the Twins to work with rehabbing pitchers and young minor leaguers.
That first taste of coaching professionals came in 2015. A decade later, Martinez finds himself as one of 30 big league pitching coaches. It was his time, and the Giants are hopeful this is just the beginning.
“These (pitchers here) know what he’s all about,” Melvin said. “He knows the analytics, he knows the deliveries, he knows the spins, he knows the grips, he knows all that stuff — and all of these guys knew that before. He has kind of hit the ground running and it’s been pretty seamless.”
A more open-minded Rafael Devers spoke to the media Thursday in Fort Myers, Fla.
The Boston Red Sox slugger made his first public comments since Feb. 17, when he initially stated he would not be open to moving from third base to designated hitter with the arrival of Gold Glove third baseman Alex Bregman. However, after productive conversations with manager Alex Cora and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, Devers has softened his stance.
“We spoke already, and I’m good to do whatever they want me to do,” he said, per MLB.com’s Ian Browne. “I’m here to help. I’ve already spoken with them about that and they know where I stand, but I’m just ready to play.”
Moving Devers to DH with Bregman at third would greatly improve Boston’s infield defense, one of the club’s biggest weaknesses in 2024. Devers is the only third baseman in MLB history to lead the position in errors for seven consecutive seasons, committing 12 last year.
While Devers’ newfound willingness to DH is encouraging, the three-time All-Star’s absence from spring training games has raised concerns. He explained why he hasn’t been in the Red Sox lineup while confirming he plans to make his spring debut Saturday against the Atlanta Braves.
“Yeah, it’s just my decision, you know,” Devers said, via Browne. “Like I said, my shoulders are fine. They’re good. It was just my decision to want to take a little bit more time to get right. I hadn’t picked up a bat from the end of last season to when I got here in January, so I just felt like I needed that little bit of extra time.”
Bregman was initially expected to be Boston’s Opening Day second baseman with Devers remaining at third. However, this spring, Bregman has played almost exclusively at the hot corner with no appearances at second. That suggests he is all but locked in as the Red Sox’ third baseman for 2025.
If Devers does move to DH, the next question is how Masataka Yoshida fits into the equation. Yoshida served as the team’s primary DH throughout 2024 and was expected to reprise that role before Bregman’s arrival. Even if the Red Sox give him more time in the outfield, there’s a logjam there as well, with Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Rob Refsnyder, and top prospect Roman Anthony all expected to play key roles.
Cora has plenty to think about over the next couple of weeks as he finalizes his Opening Day roster. Boston will begin its 2025 campaign March 27 with a four-game series against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field.
SCOTTSDALE — The Giants moved Thursday’s first pitch up an hour to avoid the rain that was headed for the valley, but there was nothing that could be done about the wind. The flags were blowing straight out, which usually is a problem for pitchers.
But Robbie Ray, who continues to work on his changeup, found that the wind was surprisingly helpful. It allowed his off-speed pitch to appear even slower than it usually does.
“It was almost like it just never got (to the plate),” he said of the changeups he threw.
The pitch is a new one, with a grip borrowed from American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. Ray thinks it could be a game-changer in his second full season with the Giants, and right now it looks like he might have the same effect on the rotation.
Ray gave up a wind-aided homer, but otherwise was dominant against a Texas Rangers lineup that was filled with regulars. He struck out the side in the first and whiffed eight overall in 4 1/3 innings.
In three Cactus League appearances, Ray has 17 strikeouts and no walks in 9 1/3 innings. After the latest appearance, manager Bob Melvin called it a “different look” from last year.
“We’ve seen him this spring look like Robbie Ray again,” Melvin said. “Right now, his stuff looks like it did before.”
The Rangers were a particularly good test Thursday, and not just because they brought a bunch of regulars across the valley. The first eight batters in Bruce Bochy’s lineup batted right-handed, which allowed Ray to repeatedly test his changeup against the pitchers it is meant for.
“It’s just another look and something that has some arm-side movement, something I don’t normally do,” Ray said. “Everything (I threw before) is kind of hard-in to righties. You’ve seen it so far this spring, it’s been really effective getting righties off my fastball-in. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a swing-and-miss pitch, it’s just something that gets them off of my swing-and-miss pitches. I definitely think it’s going to be a big pitch for me.”
The Future
The next game day at Scottsdale Stadium will feature a doubleheader. After Saturday’s game against the Seattle Mariners, the Giants will host a Spring Breakout game, featuring many of their best prospects.
Bryce Eldridge will return from minor league camp to highlight the Giants’ prospect-filled lineup, and Carson Whisenhunt (No. 2 on their MLB Pipeline top 30) will pitch. Last year’s first-rounder, James Tibbs (No. 4), will be on the roster, along with infielder Jhonny Level (No. 5), outfielder Dakota Jordan (No. 6), lefty Joe Whitman (No. 7), outfielder Rayner Arias (No. 8) and outfielder Bo Davidson (No. 9).
End Of An Era
The Giants entered the day with a Cactus League-leading 3.48 ERA, but the pitchers that followed Ray had a rough day. The 7-3 loss ended the Giants’ eight-game winning streak, although at 13-4-3 they still have the best record in the Cactus League.
The Kansas City Chiefs vs. Buffalo Bills in the AFC divisional playoff game at Highmark Stadium on Jan. 21, 2024, in Orchard Park, New York.
Familiarity must breed contempt because the dynastic Kansas City Chiefs have become America's antihero of pro football, triggering a groundswell of support for the Buffalo Bills to halt the perpetually reigning champs at Sunday's AFC championship.
There's slightly better than a 50-50 chance that the two-time-defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs will appear in their fifth title game in six seasons, much to the chagrin of football fans across the country.
"People are simply tired of the Kansas City Chiefs," Rob Holub, who teaches sports management at the University of New Haven, told NBC News. He recalled how the Chiefs, not that long ago, were themselves an inspirational Cinderella story.
"America always wants an underdog and always wants a new underdog," Holub said.
The Chiefs play host to the Bills in the AFC title game on Sunday night at 6:30 p.m. ET and are 1 1/2-point favorites to win and advance to the Super Bowl.
There are any number of justifications, real or imagined, why American sports fans would root for seeing fresh faces in the NFL title game.
The Chiefs are now firmly in the villainous heel spot, long occupied by the New England Patriots and their all-time great quarterback Tom Brady.
Americans have long complained about sequels after sequels in their sports title matchups. There was a time when the NBA finals used to be exclusive territory of Steph Curry's Golden State Warriors and LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers.
Despite this alleged disdain America has for the Chiefs, there sure seems to be a lot of eyeballs on them every Super Bowl.
"There's that whole aspect of, 'Here comes another dynasty. Do we really need another dynasty?'" said Daniel Green, director of the master of entertainment industry management program at Carnegie Mellon University.
"But watching that team play is always fascinating. Fox (this year's Super Bowl broadcaster), I'm sure, is hoping that the Chiefs get in because the storylines are so great," Green said.
"I watch a lot of sports talk shows, and on these shows they talk about the Chiefs as if they're like the new Dallas Cowboys. America loves to hate on the Chiefs," said former U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman, an avid football fan who has never been shy about sharing his gridiron takes on social media.
Taylor Swift reacts during the first quarter in the AFC divisional playoff between the Houston Texans and the Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 18 in Kansas City, Missouri.
"They got Taylor Swift, and at the last game they had Caitlin Clark too. They're what's popping right now," Bowman said. "And when you go on X, dare I say that's where the loser Twitter gangsters, who could never be cool, are there to bully people. And the Chiefs, right now, are the team they love to hate right now."
San Francisco 49ers fans are still bitter about a game-turning, Mahomes-to-Tyreek Hill pass in the fourth quarter of the 2020 Super Bowl.Niners pass rusher Nick Bosa appeared to be held and prevented from a sack that could have iced the game for San Francisco.
To a rational, dispassionate observer, the lack of flags on the Chiefs could simply be the result of Kansas City's superior talent. And that the missed Bosa hold was just one stroke of luck for the Chiefs, who still needed to pull off several other key plays to complete that Super Bowl LIV rally.
Bowman, the former college football player-turned-lawmaker, said he doesn't have a problem with the Chiefs getting some benefit of the doubt from zebras.
"Because they're so good, they've actually earned some of those calls," Bowman said. "I say some, not all, because I have seem some egregious calls (in favor of Kansas City). But no, they've earned that right."
But it’s interesting to note that since Kansas City’s dynasty took shape in the fall of 2019, the Chiefs have played in 17 postseason contests. And in 14 of those games, the other team has been penalized for more yards. There have been more yellow flags against K.C. opponents 13 times, with one tie.
That penalty imbalance has been particularly dramatic in the past 11 K.C. playoff games, when Chiefs opponents have been hit with more flags 10 times, with one tie. And in 10 of those 11 games, K.C. opponents have totaled more penalty yards.
“Yeah, that data — that data’s not helping” dispel conspiracy theories, said Nicolette Aduama, the senior associate director of the Center for the Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern University in Boston.
“I mean, then we could have the NFL disprove them, but I don’t know that they feel like that’s their burden.”
Not even football is immune to political tribalism
In this era of bitter 50-50 politics, it's hard to find a common target liberals and conservatives can agree to dislike.
Yet the Chiefs have found a way to draw near-equal hate from both sides.
To President Donald Trump's hardcore supporters, the Chiefs are an ultimate symbol of liberal elitism, with pro-Democratic Swift leading the way, and herpro-vaccine boyfriend Kelce close behind.
"You hear, 'Oh, we just need to get back to a football league of politics being out of it,'" Aduama said. "And then we have this team which has politics swarming all over it."
The radically divergent political forces aboard the Chiefs bandwagon have the practical impact of keeping the team front and center in public debate. And that's good for the bottom line.
"It gets the discussion going, then it gets the meme engines going, and that gets all the algorithms going, and then magically the Chiefs are again the No. 1 search thing," Holub said.
In another era, Green said, a player's political leanings were largely ignored.
"Because of the immediacy of media today, it is very hard not to politicize things that maybe 20 years ago we wouldn't even bring up," Green said. "And I think everything seems to be seen through a lens of identity politics, for the good and bad."
The Buffalo Bills, America's sweethearts — for now
Everybody is a Bills fan this weekend 💀
(via twitter / showtymezack)
In the factional world of professional sports, it might be hard to find a team that has widespread sympathy and support.
If there is such a unicorn franchise, it might be the "Wide Right" Bills.
Buffalo is among the 12 current NFL franchises to have never won a Super Bowl. No team has lost more Super Bowls, four, than the Bills and the Minnesota Vikings.
Buffalo's most famous title game loss came on Jan. 27, 1991, when Scott Norwood pushed a 47-yard kick just to the right of the goalposts that would've won Super Bowl XXV.
But Buffalo has rebuilt itself and emerged from the NFL wilderness as one of the league's best franchises and perennial playoff contenders, led by superstar quarterback Josh Allen.
But there's just one, nagging little detail that prevents the Bills from achieving complete Super Bowl redemption — Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chiefs have bested the Bills in all three of their playoff battles in the Mahomes era. When they met in last year's playoffs, Kansas City escaped with a 27-24 win at Orchard Park as Buffalo kicker Tyler Bass missed a 44-yard kick late in regulation.
Holub, the University of New Haven instructor, said Buffalo is clearly America's sentimental favorite right now — though that lovable loser tag could be fleeting.
"You know what? Once the Bills win, and if let's say the Bills win two or three more times (in the Super Bowl), we're never going to want the Bills win ever again," Holub laughed. "I think 'fickle' is a fantastic word for it. We always want something new and shiny, a new and shiny underdog every time."
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
