Labar: All I Want for the Holidays...Sports Leagues Edition

By Abby Labar
Sportmoney Columnist

I know what you’re thinking…another one of “these” articles. But guys come on, bear with me here. There is a reason they are a fun read — and for me a fun write. Every week I’ve had the pleasure of diving into so many different topics, teams and leagues, so in all honesty it was a little tough to try to figure out where to allocate my time with this one because I wanted to do a Holiday Wish List that suited everyone. But then I thought, why can’t I? Now I can’t speak for all fans, who I am sure have very long and specific wish lists for their teams. So in an attempt to highlight some of the bigger topics lately, here is what I personally would love to see in sports next year. I hope you all support me by adding these in your letters to Santa:

MLB: Peace be with New York baseball Fans

Juan Soto is now the grinch of the Yankees but the greatest gift for Mets fans, and the divide between an already divided city when it comes to these two teams has grown much bigger. The animosity is at an all-time high. Yankees fans were struggling to forgive and forget, but hopefully the latest signings in Cody Bellinger, Max Fried and Devin Williams can provide a more optimistic fan base with less anger. As for Mets fans? I get it, you're proud, but bragging gets you on the naughty list. Let’s be nice.

NHL: 4 Nations Faceoff to be the gift that keeps on giving

Grow the game! Grow the game! Being a part of the NHL over the past several years, I’ve seen the popularity of this sport grow through up-and-coming talent, expansion teams, social media and marketing. The 4 Nations Faceoff is the first best-on-best international tournament since 2016. However, that 2016 tournament was restricted to under-24 talent. Sure that’s fun, but give us Crosby and Barkov and Hedman and Matthews. The rosters are incredible. The best veteran talent in the game is finally taking a stage where they can compete against one another. That’s better than waking up on Christmas morning. This could be the start of a truly remarkable in-season tournament that garners more and more attention to the game. 

NBA: The Bucks to not let their good cookies go stale

As somebody who isn’t super in tune with the NBA, I’ve been hearing “Giannis this” and “the Bucks that” for years now. The guy is a generational talent with a decorated career who is still very much in his prime. Milwaukee needs to find a way to win another while they have him and before their window of opportunity starts to close — not to mention the talent that he is surrounded with from the 2021 championship team, as well as Damian Lillard. Now is the perfect time to capitalize on the momentum this team has fresh off of winning the NBA Cup. They need to take those winnings hot and fresh out of the oven and try to savor the taste of what’s been working for them so they take advantage of having Giannis while they can. 

NFL: Another team to unwrap the biggest present under the tree

Don’t call me the grinch here, but all of you non-Kansas City Chiefs fans can probably agree with me. Can another team claim the title this year? I’m not saying the Chiefs haven’t been fun to follow and seeing them win back-to-back Super Bowls was pretty iconic, but who’s next?! Bills? Eagles? Lions? We’re looking at you. I personally have loved following the Lions the past couple of seasons, and it’s only a matter of time until it’s their time to shine. They’ve been so close yet so far. Witnessing the culture there from afar makes anyone want to run through a brick wall. But will it be enough with all of the late season injuries plaguing them? Regardless, the Bills and Eagles absolutely have what it takes to win it all this year too. So may the best team win…that’s not the Chiefs. 

MLS: Make a list and check it twice for their 2025 New Years Resolutions

The ebbs and flows in popularity of the league itself is telling: They need to find some consistency in how to market and draw in audiences. You’ll hear a lot about MLS in the news when there’s an expansion team, a hot new owner or Lionel Messi, but when the news cycle is complete the league headlines seem to fall off quickly. Per The Athletic, the recent MLS Cup TV audience saw a 47% drop. Why is this significant? Because the two teams that competed are in two of the biggest markets: LA and New York. MLS can look at the NHL and really see how that league has embraced an opportunity through marketing, social media, fan engagement, and partnerships, among other things, to push for more exposure among fans. When you have players coming from other countries, it’s often hard for them to relate to the fans and become active members in the community with language barriers and other obstacles. That’s not the players’ fault at all, but the league has an opportunity here to find unique ways to grow the game in the United States that they haven’t seemed to quite have figured out yet. I mean look at how big the sport is across the world. I want that type of energy and action at my fingertips instead of having to book a flight to Barcelona!

WNBA: Continue to fill up their stocking

What an unbelievable season for the WNBA in 2024. Caitlin Clark headlining the bulk of it was just a part of why this league continues to see exponential growth. The women are becoming more and more outspoken and active in the community, and they utilize social media to the WNBA’s benefit — gauging the interest of a generation of young girls who hope to play the game at the same level. I had the pleasure of attending a game between the Fever and the Liberty in Brooklyn, which I wrote about in a previous column, and boy was I blown away by the support and the level of play. It’s going to be tough to top this past year and all the drama and excitement that came with it, but they have a serious opportunity to capitalize this upcoming season. 

PWHL:  Keep adding to a long list of “nice” professional players

Spoiler alert: Next week’s column will be all about this league because I get to cover the game closely as a rinkside reporter for the league. That being said, I’ve gotten to know the PWHL pretty well lately. The growth from its inaugural season last year to year two is remarkable. You might have heard of names like Sarah Nurse, Kendall Coyne-Schofield and Hilary Knight? Guess what, the next generation of these incredible women are here and you can find them playing alongside and against these veterans. The products that came out of the NCAA and are rookies in this new league are one-of-a-kind athletes. The pace of play, the physicality, and the skill matches that of the NHL, and I encourage you guys to check out some games. This league is about to develop some of the best women's hockey players we’ve ever seen, and I can’t wait to watch it unfold.