Weekend Wrap-Up: MLB Is Back, March Madness Final Four, NBA Brawl, & More

#OpeningDay 2025 was a movie 🔥 pic.twitter.com/C5BCuanDne

— MLB (@MLB) March 28, 2025

While most of the usual MLB betting odds favorites, such as the New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals, and the reigning and defending World Series Champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, have gotten off to a perfect start, other potential contenders, like the New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, and Detroit Tigers, have yet to show they understand the season has already started.

We’ve reached the final four of undefeated teams after Opening Weekend:

-Los Angeles Dodgers
-San Diego Padres
-New York Yankees
-St. Louis Cardinals pic.twitter.com/kbho3k5muN

— MLB (@MLB) March 31, 2025

As four teams stand with a perfect record, who will be the last to continue with a zero in the “L” column?

How About Those Yankees Bats?

Of course, the biggest MLB news out of the first weekend of action was the Yankees’ new bats.

Showcasing a new “Torpedo” barrel bat, New York put on a home run hitting clinic this weekend, tying the league record for most homers in the first three games of the season, hitting 15 dingers in total, including a staggering nine on Saturday afternoon alone against the Milwaukee Brewers.

The @Yankees have tied the Major League record with 15 home runs in their first three games of the season! pic.twitter.com/FYoJcFGjF5

— MLB (@MLB) March 30, 2025

Following said show of power, it took less than a couple of seconds for people all over the league and in sports in general to start talking about the legality behind New York’s new wood.

On the one hand players like Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe wasted no time praising the new bats stating: “The concept makes so much sense, I know I’m bought in” when speaking of how these new bats, which are legal by MLB rules (no more than 2.61 inches in diameter, and 42 inches in length), make hitting that much easier considering the size of the barrel where you hit the ball.

On the other hand, though, confusion took over.

There seems to be a lot of confusion about the Yankees new torpedo-style bats, but they are perfectly legal.

MLB bats must be made from one piece of solid wood, be no more than 2.61 inches in diameter at their thickest part, and not exceed 42 inches in length.

No problems here. pic.twitter.com/70JSOVaoGi

— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) March 30, 2025

But looking at cold, hard facts, this style of bat is not new to the league per se.

This “torpedo” model had already started making waves around the league since last season, with players in other teams having tried them out.

The question now is, how long will it take for the rest of the teams in the league to start using the hottest new model of bats in the league?

Your March Madness Final Four Is Set

For all of you keeping up with March Madness, meaning everybody who loves basketball, this season’s Final Four teams are officially set!

In a scenario only seen once before, back in 2008, the tournament’s four number one seeds, the Auburn Tigers, Duke Blue Devils, Florida Gators, and Houston Cougars, will be headlining the semifinals in the hopes of reaching the national title game next Monday.

THE MEN’S FINAL FOUR WILL BE ALL 1-SEEDS FOR ONLY THE SECOND TIME IN NCAA HISTORY 😱 pic.twitter.com/AHVuYDRhvK

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 30, 2025

When it comes to cold blood running through their veins, the Gators lived up to their name putting up an amazing comeback to take out the Texas Tech Red Raiders, with a dominant performance from Walter Clayton Jr. who put up 30 points including a dagger of a three pointer to put Florida ahead late in the game.

The students live reaction to Walter Clayton’s go ahead 3 pic.twitter.com/536MsBIE88

— Florida Gators 🐊🔥 (@gatorsszn) March 30, 2025

In the second Elite Eight game from Saturday, Kon Knueppel, Tyrese Proctor, Khman Maluach and Cooper Flagg combined for 70 of Duke’s 85 points in their 20-point win over Alabama 85-65.

TO THE FOUR pic.twitter.com/o3Rg6W24XO

— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) March 30, 2025

Sunday saw another lopsided win, this time from Houston, as they made easy work of Tennessee, beating them 69-50 without breaking a sweat.

FINAL FOUR… we are coming HOME to TEXAS#ForTheCity x #FinalFour pic.twitter.com/mzMQbCovc3

— Houston Men’s Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 30, 2025

Finally, in the last quarterfinals game, Auburn, led by a 25-point performance from star forward/center Johni Broome, sent Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans team packing via a 70-64 victory.

Etched into Auburn History 💍#WarEagle | @carrier pic.twitter.com/lMh9MkpAMs

— Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) March 30, 2025

With the Final Four matchups set for Saturday between Auburn and Florida, followed by Duke vs Houston, who’s your March Madness odds favorite to make it to the title game?

Kevin Willard Takes Villanova Head Coaching Gig

Nobody’s ever said leaving a job is easy. Having to leave friends, colleagues, and a sense of belonging behind can get to people, no matter how good a new opportunity can be.

In Kevin Willard’s case, that could not be further from the truth.

In a move that caused quite the stir in NCAAB rumors sites, the former Maryland coach decided to jump at the chance and take the head coaching gig at Villanova.

Welcome to Nova Nation, Coach Willard ✌️@KevinWillard has officially been named the William B. Finneran Endowed Villanova Men’s Basketball Head Coach!

Release: https://t.co/5BYQPcV30W#GoNova pic.twitter.com/hdwh1LliS2

— Villanova MBB (@NovaMBB) March 30, 2025

What was foreseen by experts and analysts as an inevitable move in the making, Willard, who had been Maryland’s head coach for the past three seasons, wasted no time following the Terrapins’ Sweet 16 loss against Florida to pack his bags and head back to the Big East where he previously coached Seton Hall for over 10 years.

What’s seriously ticking people off here is the way Willard, who became one of Maryland’s biggest critics while training the team, got up and left the school after publicly bashing the team’s fund management for its men’s basketball program.

“We’ve been one of the worst, if not lowest, in the NIL in the last two years. So that’s first and foremost.” Words from Willard when speaking of the school’s apparent lack of support for his former team.

Of course, it took no time for Willard to understand that returning to Maryland was no longer an option, especially considering he is now one of the most, if not the most, hated basketball-related people for Terrapins fans.

I’m not one to wish a team ill, so let me spare Villanova here.

But as far as Willard goes, bitch moves are usually followed by bitch consequences. So, it’s safe to say he shouldn’t expect anybody to celebrate anything he does anytime soon.

Seven People Ejected In Pistons vs. Timberwolves Brawl

Remember the “Bad Boys” in the ’80s? All it took was a bad look or a strong foul for Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman, Joe Dumars, and Isiah Thomas to start dishing out haymakers left and right.

And what about “The Malice at the Palace”? There’s even a Netflix documentary on the historic brawl between Pistons players and fans against the Indiana Pacers.

Well, not to be outdone, yesterday, Detroit decided to show fans in 2025 that when it comes to throwing hands, nobody does it like the Pistons after a massive fight broke out in their 123-104 loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

A fight breaks out between the Pistons and Timberwolves

Donte DiVincenzo, Naz Reid, Ron Holland, Isaiah Stewart, Marcus Sasser, Pistons HC J. B. Bickerstaff and Wolves assistant coach Pablo Prigioni were all ejected pic.twitter.com/TJA3OczOxB

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 31, 2025

With 8:36 left in the second quarter, following a layup attempt from Minnesota’s Naz Reid in which Reid was fouled by the Pistons’ Ron Holland, words were said, faces were pointed at, and then a fight ensued.

Former New York Knicks player Donte DiVincenzo was the first to step in to back Reid, grabbing Holland’s torso, trading shoves, and then wrestling him to the ground.

What ensued was a baseline fight between multiple players and coaches from both teams, which would end up seeing DiVincenzo, Ried, Holland, Isaiah Stewart, Marcus Sasser, Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, and TWolves assistant coach Pablo Prigioni all get ejected.

What’s that? Do you need a better angle of the fight?

Say no more!

Here is the court side angle of the #TWolves #Pistons fight. pic.twitter.com/prOTkDRpYj

— GopherHole.com (@GopherHole) March 31, 2025

Now, if I may interject for a second, let me give some props to one of Minnesota’s stars here.

Looking at Rudy Gobert’s stats from the game, besides yet another double-double performance with 19 points and 25 rebounds, he should also get recognition for literally being the bigger person in the squabble, trying to separate everybody instead of inciting more violence.

Good on Rudy!

NFL Owners Rally to Ban Tush Push

Last but not least, over in Palm Beach, Florida, the annual NFL Owners’ meeting started with two very important discussion topics taking center stage.

On the one hand, the idea of adding one more regular season game, going from 17 to 18, is floating around.

But more importantly, it seems as if teams are rallying to make a stance on the “Tush Push,” Philadelphia’s version of the quarterback sneak, to be banned from games.

From the League Meeting: the Tush Push now has some support within the competition committee to be banned, via @kalynkahler:https://t.co/G2GzgjqZSd

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 31, 2025

Teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, and Buffalo Bills have all made their opinions loud and clear on wanting Philly’s play to be banned, citing player safety and pace of play as reasons to ban the play.

What’s funny here is that when you look at NFL stats from last season, Buffalo ranked second as the team that did the play most often behind Philly.

So, why complain now?

#Bills HC Sean McDermott says being “proactive” on banning the tush push to prevent injuries, even if the data is not there now, is the best way to proceed: “We’re going to always act in a way that’s best for the health and safety of the players.” pic.twitter.com/sHCPRIsKh8

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 31, 2025

Anyways, until next week, stay classy peeps!