Yes, this is a basketball blog, but right now the world is humming with football. Opening week does that. The storylines are fresh, the debates are loud, and basketball is sitting quietly in the corner. Which, to be honest, feels like a relief. The Phoenix Suns don’t have a circus trailing them into the 2025–26 campaign, no breaking-news drama or sky-is-falling commentary. After a couple of years of riding the Kevin Durant hype train, I’ll take the calm.
So football it is. You go into work, that’s
the conversation. My day was no different. A coworker and I went back and forth about Sunday night’s Ravens–Bills game, the one where Buffalo trailed 40–25 in the fourth quarter and somehow walked out 41–40 winners. Let’s go Buffalo, am I right?
And then there was the take from The Bill Simmons Podcast. The Ravens, ‘ole Bill said, are the James Harden Rockets. A flashy team that can fill up the box score, a team that fires away in bunches, and a team that never seals the deal.
The comparison lands. For all of Lamar Jackson’s brilliance, Baltimore has yet to cross the finish line. Of course, in the AFC, there’s only been one road through the last six years, and it runs straight through Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Five Super Bowl trips in six seasons. That’s a dynasty with no apology.
So that’s where the conversation landed. And you know what my coworker said? Something that made me stop and think.
He didn’t think the Ravens were the Harden Rockets. He thought they were the Seven Seconds or Less Suns. And I couldn’t argue with him. Lamar Jackson, a two-time MVP. Steve Nash, also a two-time MVP. Both led teams that could overwhelm you with offense, bend the game to their style, and win a lot of battles. But neither made it to the big stage to take their shot at the war. And both wore purple, which has to count for something, right?
Now sure, the Ravens lean on defense in a way the Seven Seconds or Less Suns never did. But the spirit of the comparison fits. Explosive talent, relentless pace, regular season brilliance, and the lingering ache of falling short. Credit where it’s due, Dre, you changed my mind on that one.
So what do you think? Who are the Baltimore Ravens? Are they the Seven Seconds or Less Suns? Are they more like the recent versions of the Suns, heavy with expectations but unable to cash them in? Or is it Week 1, and we’re all getting a little ahead of ourselves? Am I too bored trying to find storylines?
