Jack Vita Show: Sports | MLB | Baseball | NFL | College Football | NCAA Basketball | NBA | Faith

Yankees Win 13 Straight, Mets Players Boo Back Mets Fans, NL MVP Race, Padres' Woes, College Football Week Zero

Jack welcomes back Jonathan "JJ" Jaggard to the show as JJ's Yankees are playing better baseball than anybody right now. Prior to Saturday's loss in Oakland, the Bronx Bombers had won 13 straight, and the Red Sox have jumped back in to the AL's second Wild Card spot, potentially laying the groundwork for a Red Sox-Yankees Wild Card game for the ages if the standings hold through September. JJ, a diehard Yankees fan, explains how the Yankees have been able to flip the switch in the second half and reemerge as one of the AL's best teams after a disappointing first half of the season. They also touch on the NL MVP race, the Padres' nosedive out of the NL Wild Card and the latest drama from the New York Mets. Unhappy with receiving boos from the fans, Javier Baez, Francisco Lindor and Kevin Pillar have taken to signaling "thumbs down" towards the fans as their new celebration, after receiving boos from the fans. It's their way of "doing the same" to the fans. Meanwhile, the Mets went 2-11 vs. the Giants and Dodgers over the past two weeks and now stand 7.5 games back of the Braves' division lead. Jack and JJ provide an update on the latest news from across the sport, as well as an update on the league's standings heading into the month of September. Later, they briefly recap Week Zero of college football action and look ahead to Week 1, coming later this week.Subscribe to the Jack Vita Show so that you don't miss any of our weekly football recaps this season, or our weekly baseball show running throughout the remainder of the season and the playoffs! Follow Jack (@JackVitaShow) on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and play in our College Football + NFL Pick'em Pool at jackvita.com and win prizes! Hurry! Pool closes Thursday, September 9! More info at jackvita.com.

2021 College Football Preview: Big Ten, SEC, and College Football Playoff Picks (Part 2 of 2)

Just a few days out from the kickoff of the 2021 college football season, Andrew Stem joins Jack to preview for part two of our two-part college football season preview. In today's episode, Andrew and Jack put the Big Ten and the SEC under the microscope (0:00 - 34:25). As a Michigan alum, what are Andrew's thoughts on Jim Harbaugh's Wolverines heading into the season? What is Jack's outlook for his beloved Northwestern Wildcats? What challenges will the Ohio State Buckeyes need to overcome in order to return to the College Football Playoff for the third straight year? Which team has the best shot at taking down Ohio State and winning the Big Ten? Then, they talk SEC (34:25 - 43:40). Between Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M and LSU, which team do Andrew and Jack like the most to come out of the SEC? Will the SEC produce more than one team in this year's College Football Playoff? Later they share their College Football Playoff picks (43:40 - END). Who's in their four? Tune in to find out!

2021 College Football Preview - Big 12, ACC, Pac-12, Group of 5, Independent Teams

College football season is coming soon! In part one (of two) of our 2021 College Football Preview, Andrew Stem and Jack Vita take a close look at the Big 12 (0:00 - 16:45), ACC (16:45 - 26:10), Pac-12 (26:10 - 40:25), and the best Group of 5 and independent teams (40:25 - END) in anticipation of the coming season. Oklahoma and Clemson are generating the most hype out of the teams in these conferences, but who are some potential sleepers to sneak in to the College Football Playoff? Could North Carolina or Miami steal an ACC title following the departures of Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne? Could this be the best Iowa State football team ever assembled, and could Brock Purdy and Breece Hall lead the Cyclones to a Big 12 Championship? Could the Pac-12 send a team to the College Football Playoff this year, and if so, which team would it be? Who will be the nation's best group of 5 and independent schools this season? Is there a path for a non-power 5 team to reach the playoff this season, or has that ship sailed? What should we expect from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish this year?
Subscribe to the Jack Vita Show, and don't miss part two of our two-part College Football Preview, where we dive deep into the Big Ten and the SEC, as well as reveal our College Football Playoff picks! Vote for the Greatest Sports Movie of All-Time at jackvita.com, and on Jack's Facebook (facebook.com/jackvitashow), Twitter (@jackvitashow) and Instagram (@jackvitashow).

NBA Player Alec Peters Talks "Valparaiso Beacons", European Basketball, Time in NBA, MLB, Cubs and Bears

Former NBA Phoenix Suns forward and current European basketball player Alec Peters visits the Jack Vita Show to discuss Valparaiso University's name change from the Crusaders to the "Beacons", his time playing at Valpo, his decision NOT to transfer from Valpo (find out which schools tried to pry him from Valpo!), his rookie season in the NBA (and career game where he went OFF for 36 points and 9 rebounds), differences between playing in Europe vs. America, the Chicago Cubs' rebuild, his outlook on the Bears entering the 2021 season, and the latest Major League Baseball news, including the slumping Padres and Phillies, the red-hot Braves and Yankees, Mets' owner Steve Cohen's questionable tweet, and much, much more! Log on to jackvita.com for more content, and follow Jack on Twitter and Instagram to vote in the Greatest Sports Movie of All-Time Bracket!

"Field of Dreams" Game, Ideas For Future MLB Showcase Games, Braves On Fire, Justin Fields' Debut + More

Jack welcomes back Joey Ricotta, host of the podcast Stuffing the Stat Sheet and blogger at On Tap Sports Net and Prime Time Sports Talk, back to the show. After Jack attended the Bears' first preseason game on Saturday, he and Joey share their takeaways from the Dolphins-Bears game, mostly concentrated on the play of young quarterbacks Tua Taglovailoa and Justin Fields.
 
Joey argues that Fields should be the Bears' week 1 starter; Jack disagrees (0:00 - 38:50). Later, they return to baseball talk, recapping the latest news and stories from the past week from around the league. The Field of Dreams game was a huge success; it was baseball's highest-rated regular season game in 16 years. Jack and Joey discuss the game itself, the appeal of it, and share ideas for future MLB showcase games that could reach out to more fans in the future. They also talk Tyler Gilbert's rookie debut no-hitter, the Braves' hot stretch that has them in first place, the Padres' recent struggles (and the return of Fernando Tatis Jr., now playing center field), as well as the American League and National League playoff landscapes. All this, and plenty more from the wide world of baseball! Vote for the Greatest Sports Movie of All-Time at jackvita.com, and on Jack's Facebook (facebook.com/jackvitashow), Twitter (@jackvitashow) and Instagram (@jackvitashow)

8.9.21 NL East Race Heats Up: Phillies in First Place, Mets Slump, Braves Above .500; the Impact of Managers + More

Jack Vita is joined by diehard Phillies fan Jake Paliga, who is riding high as the Phillies currently have an 8-game win-streak and counting. Jack and Jake provide an update on the Best Sports Movie of All-Time Bracket, then assess the infrastructure of the NL East after the Phillies swept the Mets over the weekend and moved into first place, and the Braves have finally gotten above .500 for the first time this season. How worried is Jack about the Braves surpassing the Phillies in the NL East? Jake and Jack discuss the impact managers have on teams (including Joe Girardi and Tony La Russa), the NL MVP race (and Bryce Harper and Freddie Freeman's place in the race), other division races (AL West, AL East, NL Central and NL West), the collapse of the Mets and Red Sox, the red hot Reds, and news from around the league.

Survivor: South Pacific's Albert Destrade Talks Sports Movie Bracket, MLB Trade Deadline Winners and Losers, Injuries, Labor Negotiations, NL MVP Race and More

Former Survivor: South Pacific contestant and host of the podcast, It's Not Polite to Ask with Albert Destrade, Albert Destrade returns to the Jack Vita Show for his fourth appearance to talk sports movies and baseball.
 
Albert and Jack discuss the latest surrounding the Cubs' rebuilding process, including some negative feelings from Anthony Rizzo and positive feelings from Kris Bryant, as well as an assessment of the return the Cubs received from their trades. Albert's a diehard Atlanta Braves fan; he and Jack get to talking about the Braves' flurry of moves prior to last week's deadline, and what the club's chances are now just 2.5 games out of first place in the NL East. Can the Braves heat up at the right time and steal their fourth-straight division title? Albert and Jack also take a look at the AL East, after the Rays swept the Red Sox over the weekend; the BoSox have now lost five straight. Which club, aside from the Rays would Albert and Jack buy stock in? Later, they talk NL MVP race, the sport's biggest stars getting injured, and what this winter's labor talks might entail. Should MLB expand the postseason field, or keep it as is, and how does that topic connect to last week's exciting trade deadline? All this, and plenty more!

2021 MLB Trade Deadline Recap: Cubs Sell Everything, Dodgers-Nationals Super-Trade, NL West Arms Race

Jack welcomes Ryan Pacatte to the show for a full recap of the 2021 MLB trade deadline. Sit back, relax, and let Jack and Ryan catch you up on every trade that happened this week, just before the deadline, including a full rundown of what may have been the most action-packed and exciting trade deadline of all-time. Find out how each of these trades impact the MLB playoff picture. Jack shares his thoughts on the Cubs' fire sale - what exactly is going on in Wrigleyville? *No tears were shed in the making of this podcast!