Archive for January, 2023

Kansas City Vs Cincinnati & Philadelphia Vs San Francisco In Championship Games

FOOTBALL

The NFC and AFC Championship games are set. In Saturday’s matchups, the Kansas City Chiefs (with quarterback Patrick Mahomes playing through an ankle injury) will head back to the AFC title game for the fifth consecutive time. The Chiefs beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-20. And, the Philadelphia Eagles will compete next week for the NFC title after demolishing the New York Giants 38-7.

On Sunday, the Cincinnati Bengals handily defeated the Buffalo Bills 27-10 and eliminated the need for the NFL to provide a neutral site for the AFC Championship game (which would have been necessary if the Bills and Chiefs played each other). In the final game of the weekend, the San Francisco 49ers eliminated the Dallas Cowboys 19-12.

Sunday, January 29th: Eagles host the 49ers, 3;00 ET, Kansas City hosts Cincinnati at 6:30 pm ET

 

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Cowboys Beat Bucs, Maher’s Record 4 Misses, Harbaugh Returns To UMich, C.J. Stroud Declares For NFL Draft

FOOTBALL

Dallas Cowboys’s quarterback Dak Prescott threw for four touchdowns and ran for another in an inspired Wild Card playoff win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The blowout win was partially overshadowed by Cowboys kicker Brett Maher who missed 4 extra points (a record for most extra points missed in a game). Thankfully, for Maher’s confidence, he made the last kick, and according to reports, there’s no discussion of replacing him next week in the divisional matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. Dallas 31, Tampa Bay 14.

Click here for the Playoff Schedule

In college football, coach Jim Harbaugh has officially stated he won’t throw his hat into the ring for the NFL and will return for his 9th season coaching Michigan. He said, I love the relationships that I have at Michigan — coaches, staff, families, administration, President Santa Ono and especially the players and their families. My heart is at the University of Michigan. I once heard a wise man say, ‘Don’t try to out-happy, happy.’ Go Blue!”

And, in a disappointment for Ohio State fans, two-time Heisman Trophy finalist C.J. Stroud announced he’ll declare for the NFL draft instead of returning to play another season for the Buckeyes.

 

 

 

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Wild Card Games-49ers, Jags, Bills, Giants Bengals Move On

FOOTBALL

The NFL playoffs began this weekend. Here’s a recap of the Saturday and Sunday games. The Cowboys and Buccaneers will square off Monday night to round out the Wild card weekend.

On Saturday, “Mr. Irrelevant” San Francisco 49er quarterback Brock Purdy put on a show and led his team to a 41-23 beat down over the Seattle Seahawks.

In the second game of the day, the Jacksonville Jaguars gave us one of the greatest comebacks in postseason history with a 31-30 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence showed real grit after a disastrous first half (4 interceptions) then threw for four touchdowns and the win. Fun fact, Lawrence has never lost on a Saturday while playing in high school, college or the NFL.

The Miami Dolphins put up a strong fight but ultimately lost to the heavily favored Buffalo Bills 31-34.

Thanks to an inspired performance from quarterback Daniel Jones, the New York Giants pulled off a 31-24 upset over the Minnesota Vikings.

The defining moment in the Baltimore-Bengals game occurred with the game tied 17-17 with 11:54 remaining. Quarterback Tyler Huntley, starting for the injured Lamar Jackson, tried a quarterback sneak on the goal line for a score, but the ball was batted away and Bengals team captain Sam Hubbard ran for 98 yards and the touchdown in a 24-17 win.

 

 

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Hamlin Out Of Hospital, Heat Arena No Longer FTX, Malcolm In The Middle Driving For NASCAR

FOOTBALL

Nine days after going into cardiac arrest, Damar Hamlin is now back from the hospital and will be continuing to rehab at home. The Buffalo Bills are hopeful he can return soon to cheer on the team during the playoff run (which begins this Sunday against the Miami Dolphins).

BASKETBALL

The Heat arena in Miami will no longer be named after FTX, the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange founded by Sam Bankman-Fried. The original deal was for 19 years and was worth $135 million. The Miami Heat are still in the regular season, so it’s unlikely the FTX logo will be removed anytime soon, but when it is removed, the new name will be “the Arena” until a new sponsor is found.

NASCAR

Frankie Muniz, the actor best known for starring in “Malcolm in the Middle” and “Agent Cody Banks” announced he’ll be driving full-time in NASCAR’s ARCA Series for the 2023 season. His first race will be at Daytona on February 18th. In announcing his new gig, he said, “Finally making my dream a reality, this one is for my son and showing him that you can always chase your dreams.”

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Hamlin Back In Buffalo, Georgia’s Blowout, Gronk’s Kick Of Destiny, Correa $270 Mill To Be A Twin

FOOTBALL

A week after he suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed on the field, Damar Hamlin returned home to Buffalo on Monday. He is still hospitalized but, according to the doctors, is no longer in critical condition.

Georgia won its second straight national title on Monday night in one of the least interesting title games in history. The 65-7 blowout victory over TCU goes down in history as the worst bowl game ever played. According to BetMGM, Georgia is already favored to win next year’s championship.

Former Tight End Rob Gronkowski will attempt a 25-yard field goal as part of a FanDuel commercial during the third quarter of the Super Bowl. Called the “Kick of Destiny”, if Gronk makes the kick, anyone who bet $5 on the game through the FanDuel site will share in $10 million in free bets.

BASEBALL

After a week of speculation, Carlos Correa agreed to a 6-year contract worth up to $270 million with the Minnesota Twins.

 

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Hamlin Awake And Asked If Team Won, Harbaugh In Trouble, Iranian Chess Player Faces Death For Removing Hijab, Navratilova Diagnosis

FOOTBALL

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin is awake and improving after going into cardiac arrest during the Bills/Bengals game on Monday night. Hamlin is connected to a breathing tube so has been communicating by writing and, according to reports, one of the first things he asked was “did the Bills win the game”. The doctors had a perfect response. They said, “The answer is yes, Damar, you won the game of life.” The NFL announced they are officially canceling the Bills/Bengals game, but the week 18 games will still be played on schedule. In what has hopefully been communicated to Hamlin, his toy drive fundraiser has now raised almost $8 million. Keeping our thoughts and prayers going for a thorough recovery!!!

In college football news, the University of Michigan faces a number of violations related to head coach Jim Harbaugh allegedly providing false or misleading information and failing to cooperate with investigators concerning impermissible contact with players during a COVID-19 dead period.

CHESS

One of Iran’s top chess players, Sara Khadem, has been warned not to return to her country after playing in a tournament in Kazakhstan without her hijab. According to reports, her life could be in danger if she returns to Iran.

TENNIS

The legendary 66-year-old Martina Navratilova has been diagnosed with throat and breast cancer. Sending our thoughts and prayers to one of the greatest players of all time.

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Hamlin Still In Critical Condition, Antetokounmpo Scores Career-High 55 Pts

FOOTBALL

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin is still in critical condition. Medical experts believe Hamlin experienced commotio cordis, which is a very rare condition (fewer than 30 cases per year) caused by a hit to the chest during a “brief, vulnerable moment in the heart cycle”.  NFL teams are resuming practice today, but there is no timeline for when the Bills/Bengals game will be rescheduled. While everyone is waiting for updates, all 32 teams changed their Twitter avatars to “Pray for Damar”, and over 200,000 people have contributed to Hamlin’s fundraiser for a Pittsburgh toy drive raising close to $6 million dollars.

BASKETBALL

Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a career-high 55 points in a win over the Washington Wizards. Giannis has scored at least 40 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists in three straight games, joining an exclusive group (Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, and Russell Westbrook).

 

 

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Thoughts And Prayers Going To Damar Hamlin

FOOTBALL

It was a scary night in the NFL. Monday night football’s matchup between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals was suspended and then postponed after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field midway through the first quarter. It’s been reported he suffered a cardiac arrest, following what looked like a normal tackle on Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. Higgins’s helmet appeared to hit Hamlin in the chest and head causing him to fall down. Hamlin then stood up for a second before collapsing. According to the latest reports, Hamlin is in critical condition. Sending our thoughts and prayers!

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Georgia & TCU To Play For Championship, Giants/Bucs Clinch Playoff Spot, Ronaldo Highest Paid Player In World, Pelé Passes

FOOTBALL

Georgia and TCU will play in the College Football Playoff Championship game on January 9th. Both semifinal games came down to the wire. TCU barely upset Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl in a game with a combined 96 points and over 1000 yards. It was the highest-scoring Fiesta Bowl in history. TCU 51, Michigan 45

Next up at the Peach Bowl, Georgia pulled out a 14-point fourth-quarter comeback and kept everyone on the edge of their seats in a remarkable win over Ohio State. To add to the drama, the Buckeyes missed a potential game-winning 50-yard field goal just as the clock struck 12:00 and we rang in the New Year. Georgia 42, Ohio State 41

In the NFL, the NY Giants clinched a playoff spot (for the first time since 2016) after destroying the Indianapolis Colts 38-10. Tom Brady rallied his Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a playoff spot (his 14th consecutive and 19th career division title) in a win over the Carolina Panthers. For more NFL news, click here.

SOCCER

Cristiano Ronaldo, who left Manchester United in November, has signed with Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr soccer club. Ronaldo is reported to be making more than $214 million per year, and with advertising incentives, will be the highest-paid athlete in the world.

Soccer icon, Pelé passed away at the age of 82. Pelé won three World Cups and was named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee

 

 

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