Archive for March, 2021

Drew Brees Retires, Brady Re-Signs, NCAA Bracket, China Providing Vaccines For Olympic Athletes

FOOTBALL

Drew Brees announced his retirement on Sunday, exactly fifteen years after he signed with the New Orleans Saints where he was drafted #32 overall.

Tom Brady, who at 43 is a year older than Brees, agreed to extend his contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for one year.

BASKETBALL

The NCAA men’s bracket was announced on Sunday night with Gonaga, Baylor, Ilinois, and Michigan as the number one seeds. Click here for the full bracket.

OLYMPICS

China will provide COVID-19 vaccines for athletes participating in the summer’s Tokyo Games and the winter’s Beijing Games.

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Duke Out Due To Covid, Chiefs Release Tackles, Mahomes One-Month Old Daughter Gets Soccer Scholarship, Cam Re-Signed

BASKETBALL

Duke’s basketball team was forced to withdraw from the ACC Tournament due to a positive COVID-19 test from one of the players. By canceling their quarterfinal matchup against Florida State, Duke’s season is over. The team wasn’t having their best season, but they had previously qualified for the NCAA tournament every year since 1995 and, under Coach Mike Krzyzewski, have won five national titles. For more NCAA tournament news, click here.

FOOTBALL

In a head-scratcher of a deal, the Kansas City Chiefs released both of their starting offensive tackles, Mitchell Schwartz and Eric Fisher (who were sidelined during the Super Bowl due to injuries, clearly hurting quarterback Patrick Mahomes who had to scramble all day to avoid getting banged up).

Speaking of Mahomes, Patrick’s one-month-old daughter Sterling Skye was offered a soccer scholarship to Texas Tech in 2039. The tweeted offer said, “An early offer, but worth the wait. We’ll be ready for her!”

In more NFL news, the New England Patriots re-signed quarterback Cam Newton to a one-year deal. Newton signed a one-year deal last summer as well.

 

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Finalists For Hall Of Fame, Anniversary Of Rudy Gobert’s Covid Test Shutting Sports, Kansas AD Fired

BASKETBALL

Paul Pierce, Chris Bosh, Chris Webber, and Bill Russell (as head coach) are among the 14 finalists for the 2021 Basketball Hall of Fame. The class will be unveiled on May 16th.

On March 11th a year ago, the sports world began to shutdown. Utah’s Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19, and by the end of the night, the NBA suspended play indefinitely. As Marc Stein of the NY Times wrote, “It was the thunderbolt that led to the postponement of Utah’s game in Oklahoma City that night and, some 90 minutes later, an abrupt announcement that the 2019-20 season was being placed on hiatus “until further notice.” The novel coronavirus had been thrust to the forefront of major team sports in North America.” Later in the day, the World Health Organization declared a pandemic.

FOOTBALL

A day after Kansas fired football coach Les Miles for allegations of inappropriate behavior during his tenure at LSU, the school also fired the person who hired Miles, the Jayhawks athletic director Jeff Long.

 

 

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Dak Prescott Now 2nd Highest Paid QB, Kansas Parts Ways W/Miles After Allegations Of Sexual Misconduct, Fairmont Files Bankruptcy-Knights Kicked Out

FOOTBALL

Quarterback Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys agreed to a four-year, $160 million contract, including $126 million guaranteed (with a record $66 million signing bonus). Prescott is now the second-highest-paid QB behind Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes.

Kansas parted ways with head football coach Les Miles after allegations surfaced of sexual misconduct while he was the head coach at LSU. The law firm’s review described how Miles “tried to sexualize the staff of student workers in the football program by, for instance, allegedly demanding that he wanted blondes with big breasts, and `pretty girls.”’

HOCKEY

The Vegas Golden Knights were kicked out of their hotel in San Jose, CA prior to their game against the San Jose Sharks last Friday when it was announced that the Fairmont Hotel had filed for bankruptcy. The players had already settled in, eating a pregame meal and taking an afternoon nap, when they were told to pack their bags. The Knights beat the Sharks 5-4 in overtime, then checked into a new hotel for the evening. Coach Pete DeBoer said, “It was just a surreal experience. Just another thing thrown at you, another thing to deal with.”

 

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All-Star Weekend: Curry, Simons, Sabonis Win, While Team LeBron Over Team Durant, Blake Griffin To Nets

BASKETBALL

Golden State Warriors phenom Steph Curry won the 3-Point Contest during Sunday’s All-Star extravaganza. Portland’s Anferenee Simons won the dunk contest by blowing a kiss to the rim, and Indiana Pacers Domantas Sabonis won the Skills Challenge.

Thanks to Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo’s perfect game sinking 16 of 16 shots for 35 overall points, Team LeBron handily beat Team Durant 170-150 in the All-Star Game. Antetokounmpo won his first NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award. Philadelphia 76ers Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons were supposed to play but got ruled out when it was discovered they had come into contact with a Barber who had tested positive for COVID-19.

Not everyone was excited to be participating in the games. LeBron James openly stated he thought holding the All-Star Festivities during the pandemic was a “slap in the face,” and that if selected he’d be there “physically, but not mentally.” James lived up to his promise by scoring only 4 points.

As victors, Team LeBron donated more than $1 million to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, while Team Durant donated $500,000 to the United Negro College Fund.

In other NBA news, six-time All-Star Blake Griffin will leave Detroit and join his former Lakers teammate Deandre Jordan on the Brooklyn Nets.

 

 

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NBA All-Star Weekend Rosters, Ravens OT Rule Change

BASKETBALL

The NBA All-Star Game takes place this weekend but will look very different from years past. The much-anticipated skills events (Skills Challenge, 3-Point Contest, and Slam Dunk Contest) which usually entertains us on Saturday before the Sunday game will now take place before and during Sunday’s All-Star Game. The Skills Challenge (Robert Covington, Luka Doncic, Chris Paul, Julius Randle, Domantas Sabonis, Nicola Vucevic) and 3-Point Contest  (Devin Booker, Jaylen Brown, Stephen Curry, Zach LaVine, Donovan Mitchell, Jayston Tatum) will be before the game, and the Slam Dunk Contest (Anfernee Simons, Cassius Stanley, Obi Toppin) will be during halftime.

For the All-Star Game rosters….

On Team LeBron: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Steph Curry, Luka Dončić, Nikola Jokić, Damian Lillard, Ben Simmons, Chris Paul, Jaylen Brown, Paul George, Domantas Sabonis, Rudy Gobert

On Team Durant: Kyrie Irving, Joel Embiid, Kawhi Leonard, Bradley Beal, Jayson Tatum, James Harden, Devin Booker, Zion Williamson, Zach LaVine, Julius Randle, Nikola Vucevic, Donovan Mitchell

FOOTBALL

The Baltimore Ravens proposed a “spot-and-choose” rule change for overtime. This new proposal allows one team to choose the yard lane to start overtime, and the other team to choose whether to play offense or defense.

 

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J.J. Watt Signs With Cardinals, U.S. Soccer Federation Repeals Kneeling Policy, Hawks Fire Head Coach

FOOTBALL

After 10 years with the Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals pass-rusher J.J. Watt signed a two-year $31 million deal with the Arizona Cardinals.

SOCCER

The U.S. Soccer Federation’s National Council voted to repeal a policy requiring players to stand for the national anthem. The original policy passed in 2017 stated, “All persons representing a Federation national team shall stand respectfully during the playing of national anthems at any event in which the Federation is represented.”

BASKETBALL

The Atlanta Hawks fired head coach Lloyd Pierce after a 14-20 start to the season.

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Golfers Wear Red/Black To Honor Tiger, Jason Sudeikis Wins Best Actor, NFL’S First Commissioner

GOLF

Colin Morikawa finished 18-under par to win the WGC-Workday Championship. There was a swarm of golfers around the world wearing red shirts and black pants on Sunday in honor of Tiger Woods who is recovering from a major car crash last week. From his hospital room in LA, Woods commented, “It is hard to explain how touching today was when I turned on the TV and saw all the red shirts. To every golfer and every fan, you are truly helping me get through this tough time.”

SOCCER/FOOTBALL

At the Golden Globe Awards, Jason Sudeikis won Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as a loveable and earnest coach in “Ted Lasso”.

FOOTBALL

Eighty years ago, Elmer Layden became the first commissioner of the NFL. In the history of the League, there have only been 5 commissioners. Back then, Layden was given a five-year contract for $100,000. Compare that to the NFL’s current commissioner Roger Goodell’s salary of $200 million over 5 years.

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