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🚨 Headlines
🏈 Heisman finalists: Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter, Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty, Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel and Miami QB Cam Ward . The winner shall be introduced on Saturday.
⚾️ Sasaki formally posted: Japanese phenom Rōki Sasaki, 23, , kicking off a 45-day race for MLB groups to signal the right-handed flamethrower.
🏈 Bengals 27, Cowboys 20: Joe Burrow (369 yards, 3 TD, INT) and Ja’Marr Chase (14 catches, 177 yards, 2 TD) dominated for Cincinnati, who to win on “MNF.”
🏀 KAT stays scorching: Karl-Anthony Cities (24-15) had his thirteenth straight double-double (longest lively streak within the league) within the Knicks’ in Monday’s solely NBA motion.
⚽️ Angel Metropolis sacks coach: Angel Metropolis FC a yr after she was a finalist for NWSL Coach of the 12 months. Houston and San Diego even have teaching vacancies.
🏀 Crucial AP ballot of the season
It is solely December, however historical past tells us will win the nationwide championship.
Early congratulations, Tennessee,* Auburn, Iowa State and Duke! Begin mapping out the parade route, Kentucky, Marquette, Alabama and Gonzaga! Make room for a banner within the rafters, Florida, Kansas, Purdue and Oregon!
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The streak: The previous 20 nationwide champions had been all ranked within the high 12 of their respective season’s Week 6 AP ballot.
By the numbers: Throughout this time, the typical Week 6 rating of the eventual champion was 4.8. No different week was a greater barometer; not even the ultimate AP ballot earlier than the NCAA match, the place the soon-to-be champs had a median rating of 5.6.
The newest outliers: The final nationwide champion that did not crack the Week 6 AP high 12 was the 2002-03 Syracuse squad, which wasn’t ranked till mid-January however caught fireplace due to the heroics of Carmelo Anthony, Hakim Warrick and Gerry McNamara.
Earlier than that, it’s important to go all the way in which again to Danny Manning’s 1987-88 Kansas crew (aka. “Danny and the Miracles”).
The 11-loss Jayhawks earned that nickname due to their unbelievable match run as a No. 6 seed.
Wanting forward… Who’s the most definitely crew to defy 20-plus years of polling historical past and go from exterior the High 12 this week to chopping down the nets in April? The betting odds say it is No. 18 UConn, which has steadied itself (beat Baylor and Texas) after imploding in Maui final month (three losses to unranked groups).
*Large week for the Vols: Tennessee within the males’s AP ballot and after the longest drought in program historical past.
⚾️ Soto makes Ohtani seem like a discount
Within the wake of Juan Soto’s 15-year, $765 million take care of the Mets, Shohei Ohtani’s uniquely structured 10-year, $700 million pact with the Dodgers .
As a reminder: Ohtani will take dwelling simply $2 million per yr throughout his taking part in tenure with the Dodgers ($20 million whole). The opposite $680 million shall be doled out from 2034 to 2043, in $68 million annual increments.
That lowers the present-day worth of Ohtani’s contract from $700 million to someplace within the $460 million vary, relying on the speed of inflation.
Soto’s deal options no deferred cash and a $75 million signing bonus. The worth actually is $765 million, greater than $300 million past Ohtani’s estimated determine.
Between the traces: The promoting windfall that accompanies Ohtani primarily pays for the contract, which isn’t one thing that may be stated for Soto.
From Yahoo Sports activities’ Jake Mintz:
A current report from Jack Harris of the L.A. Instances estimated that the Dodgers earned 9 figures value of income from their new star in 2024. … As many specialists predicted, the promoting windfall that accompanies Ohtani primarily pays for the contract.
Soto, an especially in style participant, would not have almost that degree of affect. His arrival in Queens will promote tickets and invigorate the fan base, sure. However it won’t put lots of of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in advert income per yr again into the Mets’ pockets.
Such issues matter little to Mets proprietor Steve Cohen, who is likely one of the richest individuals on Earth. However the dynamic offers an impressive reminder that one yr after the preliminary sticker shock, Ohtani’s “$700 million” deal already appears to be like like a discount.
⚽️ UNC begins new period by successful all of it… once more
North Carolina beat Wake Forest, 1-0, on Monday to win the varsity’s .
A brand new period: That is the Tar Heels’ first title with out head coach Anson Dorrance, who retired in August after establishing this system in 1979 and spending 45 seasons on the helm of one in every of America’s best sports activities dynasties.* Damon Nahas took over on an interim foundation and .
How do they preserve doing this? Three legendary UNC coaches have retired within the final 4 years, and all three of their applications superior to the nationwide championship recreation of their first seasons with out them.
Males’s basketball: Roy Williams retired in 2021 as one in every of faculty basketball’s winningest coaches. His successor, Hubert Davis, led the Tar Heels to the 2022 title recreation, the place they misplaced to Kansas.
Subject hockey: Karen Shelton retired in 2022 after 42 seasons and a report 10 nationwide titles. Her former participant and successor, Erin Matson, then led UNC to the 2023 nationwide title at age 23.
*The dynasty: Dorrance constructed an absolute juggernaut in Chapel Hill, the place he compiled a 934-88-53 report and coached 55 future USWNT gamers. One of many wildest stats of all: There was a 25-year interval from 1986-2010 (over 600 consecutive video games) the place UNC both gained, tied or misplaced by just one objective.
📸 Picture gallery
Among the finest pictures from the weekend…
Kansas Metropolis — Chiefs security Justin Reid takes the sphere.
Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. — Lewis Hamilton does donuts on the monitor to rejoice his closing race with Mercedes, the place he gained six titles in 12 years. He is headed to Ferrari subsequent season.
Las Vegas — Michael Chiesa submits Max Griffin in a welterweight bout throughout UFC 310.
Porto Alegre, Brazil — Longtime Grêmio captain Pedro Geromel is thrown into the air by his teammates after his final match earlier than retirement.
📆 Dec. 10, 2002: MJ vs. Pippen
22 years in the past in the present day, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen confronted off as opponents for the primary and solely time of their careers.
Function reversal: When the duo gained six titles collectively within the ’90s, MJ was Batman to Pippen’s Robin. However this evening belonged to Scottie and the Path Blazers, who simply defeated Jordan’s Wizards, 98-79.
Head-to-head: Each gamers scored 14 factors, however the 37-year-old Pippen had a greater total recreation than Jordan, who would quickly flip 40.
Pippen: 14 factors (6-7 FG, 2-2 FT), 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
Jordan: 14 factors (6-10 FG, 2-2 FT), 5 rebounds, 1 help, 1 steal, 1 block
“My mules had been sick”: Jordan was visibly pissed off by his teammates’ effort and after the sport.
“I do know Pip, and I do know he wished to return out and play properly. Imagine me, I wished to return out and play properly, too. His horses had been prepared, and my mules had been sick. I’ve to take some razzing in the interim.”
Finish of the street: Jordan retired on the finish of the season. Pippen re-signed with Chicago the next yr, however accidents restricted him to only 23 video games and he referred to as it quits in 2004.
📺 Watchlist: NBA Cup knockouts
The NBA Cup knockout spherical* begins tonight on TNT, as 4 groups battle for spots in Saturday’s semifinals in Las Vegas.
Magic at Bucks (7pm ET): Giannis Antetokounmpo leads the league in scoring (32.5 ppg), whereas Orlando has now (Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner) to torn obliques.
Mavericks at Thunder (9:30pm): Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (29.8 ppg) is the NBA’s fourth-leading scorer and Luka Dončić (28.7 ppg) ranks fifth.
Extra to observe:
🏀 NCAAM: No. 1 Tennessee vs. Miami (6:30pm ET, ESPN); No. 14 Michigan vs. Arkansas (9pm, ESPN) … The thirtieth Jimmy V Traditional at Madison Sq. Backyard.
⚽️ Champions League: Matchday 6 (12:45-3pm, Paramount+) … .
*Pregame studying: (Dan Devine, Yahoo Sports activities)
📺 “The Simpsons” trivia
, with a real-time animated alternate broadcast that includes the Bengals and Cowboys within the cartoon world of Springfield.
Query: What’s the title of Springfield’s soccer crew?
Trace: The title is chemistry-related, very like Springfield’s minor league baseball crew, the Isotopes.
Reply on the backside.
🏈 School soccer NIT?
Enjoyable concept to ponder: Now that faculty soccer has a postseason match, why not add one other one for the next-best groups that do not make the 12-team CFP?
Trivia reply: Springfield Atoms
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