Up in The Rafters
NFL
Featured article
Up in The Rafters
How Does the NBA Cup Work? I Went Through All 201 Cup Games
How does the NBA Cup work? Thirty teams play four group games, eight advance to a single-elimination bracket, and every game but the final counts in the standings. I went through all 201 Cup games to show how wild cards, point differential and 3-way ties really decide who gets in.
About Up in The Rafters
Up in The Rafters is an independent sports publication built by lifelong fans who care about context as much as headlines. We cover MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, golf, and more with a mix of data-backed analysis, historical perspective, and firsthand fan insight. Our goal is simple: publish clear explainers, sharp commentary, and useful reporting that helps readers understand the game beyond the final score.
Meet our writers on the author pages, where we share bios, backgrounds, and the work each contributor brings to the site. Compare sourced referee, umpire, and judge pay in the Official Pay Clock, or see what time an MLB, NBA, WNBA, NFL, NHL, college, or soccer game usually ends with the game length estimator.
Latest picks
Subscribe for more
MLB
Should MLB Have a Salary Cap? No. Baseball Needs a Floor
NFL
Are NFL Refs Held Accountable? Yes, in Secret, and That's the Problem
MLB
The Brewers' First World Series Title Was Eight Octobers in the Making
MLB
What Is a Walk-Off in Baseball? I Counted 2,149 MLB Walk-Offs
NFL
What Is a Pick Six in Football? I Counted 1,287 NFL Pick Sixes
NBA
What Is Traveling in Basketball? I Counted 58,018 NBA Travels
NHL