Basketball-NBA: AD out and 4 straight Ls for Lakers. Nuggets Jokic triple-double.
Basketball-NCAA: Unlike last week, there weren’t a lot of ranked vs ranked match ups but there were a number of upsets.
Football – NCAA: Bowl Game week 2. Recruiting classes.
Football- NFL: Week 16 of the NFL. Standings. Broncos fire HC.
Golf: Masters to allow LIV. Whitworth dies.
Hockey: Ovechkin scores 802.
Olympic Sports: Artistic swimming to allow men. Tokyo cost 20% more than previously thought.
Soccer: Pele on death bed.
Basketball-NCAA:
- NCAAM Week 7: Unlike last week, there weren’t a lot of ranked vs ranked match ups but there were a number of upsets. Lots of upsets on Tuesday this past week. #6 UVA lost two in a row this time to #22 Miami in a close one. Wake Forest destroyed #14 Duke by 11 and the Demon Deacons were leading by 9 at half. #15 Mississippi St lost their first game to Drake in a low scoring game 58-52. Another undefeated team goes down. #24 Marquette played a great game against Providence but lost in 2OT. All of that was on Tuesday. Sticking with that theme, #21 VTech lost to Boston College in OT. #25 Arizona St got their ass kicked by San Francisco 97-60. SF scored double ASU in the first half. Watch for Mizzou to be ranked there shortly after their upset of #16 Illinois where the Tigers won 93-71 and have only 1 loss.
Basketball – NBA:
- The Anthony Davis-less Lakers are struggling to say the least. They have now lost the last 4 straight without him and the 4th straight of an opponent reaching over 124 points. The Lakers are currently sitting as 3rd to last in the West.
- The Nuggets Nikola Jokic posted a triple-double in the game against the Suns on Sunday night. He scored 41 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists in their OT 128-125 win.
Football-NCAA:
- Bowl Games week 2: Despite putting up a good fight and making a bowl, that’s where UConn’s luck ran out losing to Marshall 28-14. Toledo beat Liberty in a close one in the Boca Raton Bowl. Air Force ends the year with 10 wins after beating Baylor by 15. Houston honored Mike Leach in their bowl game and then beat the Ragin Cajuns by a TD. Wake Forest scored in every Q to take a win away from Mizzou and the SEC. The Hawaii bowl was the only college game on Christmas Eve and it was a close one with Middle TN beating SD St by 2.
- Recruiting class news:
- Top 5 classes: Alabama (7 5-stars), Georgia (2), Texas (4), Miami (3) & Oklahoma (3)
- Texas signed QB Arch Manning – not exactly this week’s news but he was the #1 player in the country.
- Miami signed #2 CB Cormani McClain. Tennessee signed #4 QB Nicholaus Iamaleava. USC signed #3 QB Malachi Nelson and #5 WR Zach Branch.
- Peyton Bowen declared for Oregon after being thought to go to Notre Dame then signed with Oklahoma less than 24 hours later. #2 Safety in the country.
- Oregon entered into signing day in 14th but improved to top 5 before Bowen de-committed. The Ducks ended at 11 (as of today).
- Transfer news:
- Clemson QB DJ U to Oregon St (his bro signed with Oregon as a DE).
- Texas QB Card to Purdue
Football – NFL:
- Week 16: The Jags put the beat down on the Jets to start the week holding the NY team to only a FG, winning 19-3. The Texans got their 2nd win of the entire season beating the Titans at home by scoring 9 in the 4Q. The Eagles lost their 2nd game of the season losing a high scoring game to the Cowboys thanks to 4 turnovers. The Eagles were down their starting QB Jalen Hurts with a shoulder injury. Vikings squeaked another win against a not great team; this time beating the Giants by 3. The Panthers beat the hot streak Lions by 2 TDs. The Patriots tried to mount a comeback against the Bengals after trailing 22-0 at half but fell 4 points short. The Bills solidified the AFC East by destroying the Bears 35-13. No points were scored in the 1Q but otherwise the 49ers and Commanders game was a solid offensive game with the 49ers winning 37-20. The Rams hung half a hundred on the Broncos on Christmas which is a lot considering the Broncos are known for their defense… not in this game. The Bucs beat the Cardinals in OT by a FG.
- Standings:
- AFC: Bills clinched the East, the Chiefs clinched the West, The Bengals and Ravens have clinched a berth but not a division yet.
- Eliminated: Browns, Colts, Broncos and Texans
- NFC: The Vikings clinched the North, the 49ers clinched the West. The Eagles and Cowboys have made the playoffs but are in the same division so the East is still up for grabs esp if Jalen continues to be out.
- Eliminated: Rams, Falcons, Cardinals and Bears
- AFC: Bills clinched the East, the Chiefs clinched the West, The Bengals and Ravens have clinched a berth but not a division yet.
- Broncos fired their HC Nate Hackett after 4-11 start to the season and Christmas day’s loss to the Rams 51-14. The firing of Hackett is the shortest tenure of an non-interim HC in Broncos history.
Golf:
- The Masters announced this past week that any player (even LIV players) that previously qualified for the Masters tournament, will qualify for the 2023. That means that the 6 past Masters champs on the LIV Tour will be able to play (Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Patrick Reed and Charl Schwartzel. Also qualified is Cameron Smith (due to winning 2022 Open), Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka (for winning the US Open and PGA in the last 5 years) and Joaquin Niemann and Talor Gooch were in the season-ending Tour Championship before going to the LIV. Abraham Ancer, HVIII, Jason Kokrak, Kevin Na and Louis Oosthuizen were also in the Top 50 in the OWGR so they are invited.
- Kathy Whitworth, the winningest golfer in history, has passed away at age 83. She won 88 tournaments on a single tour. She was the first LPGA player to make $1MM and her victories spanned a quarter century.
Hockey:
- Keep racking them up, Capitals star Alex Ovechkin scored his 802nd goal which makes him the 2nd highest on the NHL goals list only behind the Great One, Wayne Gretzky. He has a way to go before he passes the Great One though, Gretzky has 894.
Olympic Sports:
- IOC announced that men will be able to compete in Artistic Swimming for the first time at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The rules will see a max of 2 men can be on the team. 10 nations will compete in the event.
- After their audit, the Tokyo Olympics cost 20% more than originally announced. $12.9Bn was the final total cost.
Soccer:
- Pele is in failing health and his family is now gathering at the local hospital in Sao Paulo where he has been since late November. His cancer has worsened according to his doctors and the future does not look bright for one of soccer’s biggest stars.
What to watch this week
Basketball – NBA: none on tv this week besides NBA TV
Basketball – NCAA:
- Tues 12/27
- Texas A&M Commerce at 6. Texas @ 7pm on LGHN
- Wed 12/28
- 7. Tennessee at Ole Miss @ 4pm on SEC
- Albany at 13. UVA @ 5pm on ACC
- Villanova at 2. UConn @ 5:30pm on FS1
- 19. 3 Kentucky at Mizzou @ 6pm on SEC
- Florida at 20. Auburn @ 6pm on ESPN2
- Vermont at 14. Miami @ 7pm on ACC
- 3. Houston at Tulsa @ 8pm on ESPNU
- 8. Alabama at 21. Mississippi ST @ 8pm on SEC
- 9. Arkansas at LSU @ 8pm on ESPN2
- 22. Xavier at St. John’s @ 8pm on FS1
- Colorado St at 22. NM St @ 8pm on CBSSN
- Thurs 12/29
- Florida A&M at 1. Purdue @ 4pm on BTN
- Fri 12/30
- 25. UNC at Pitt @ 11am on ACC
- 14. Miami at Notre Dame @ 1pm on ACC
- 11. UCLA at Washington St @ 10pm on PAC12
- Sat 12/31
- 2. UConn at 22. Xavier @ 11am on FOX
- 13. UVA at Georgia Tech @ 11am on ACC
- Texas Tech at 18. TCU @ 11am on ESPNU
- Louisville at 19. Kentucky @ 11am on CBS
- Florida St at 17. Duke @ 12pm on ESPN2
- Oklahoma St at 4. Kansas @ 1pm on CBS
- 5. Arizona at Arizona St @ 1pm on FOX
- 12. Baylor at Iowa St @ 1pm on ESPNU
- New Mexico at Wyoming @ 3pm on FS1
- Sun 1/1
- 11. UCLA at Washington @ 6pm on PAC12
Football-NCAAF:
| Bowl | Home | Visitor | Day | Time (CT) | TV | Stadium (State) | Line |
| Quick Lane Bowl | NM St | Bowling Green | Mon 12/26 | 1:30 PM | ESPN | Ford Field (MI) | +2.5 |
| Camellia Bowl | Georgia Southern | Buffalo | Tues 12/27 | 11:00 AM | ESPN | Crampton (AL) | -3.5 |
| SERVPRO First Responders Bowl | Memphis | Utah St | Tues 12/27 | 2:15 PM | ESPN | Gerald Ford (TX) | -7 |
| Ticketsmarter Birmingham Bowl | Coastal Carolina | East Carolina | Tues 12/27 | 5:45 PM | ESPN | Protective (AL) | +10.5 |
| Guaranteed Rate Bowl | Wisconsin | Oklahoma St | Tues 12/27 | 9:15 PM | ESPN | Chase (AZ) | -3 |
| Military Bowl pres by Peraton | UCF | Duke | Wed 12/28 | 1:00 PM | ESPN | Navy-Marine Corp Memorial (MD) | +1 |
| Autozone Liberty Bowl | Kansas | Arkansas | Wed 12/28 | 4:30 PM | ESPN | Liberty Bowl Memorial (TN) | +3 |
| San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl | 15. Oregon | UNC | Wed 12/28 | 7:00 PM | FOX | Petco Park (CA) | -14 |
| TaxAct Texas Bowl | Texas Tech | Ole Miss | Wed 12/28 | 8:00 PM | ESPN | NRG (TX) | +3.5 |
| Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl | Syracuse | Minnesota | Thurs 12/29 | 1:00 PM | ESPN | Yankee (NY) | +7.5 |
| Cheez-It Bowl | Oklahoma | 13. Florida State | Thurs 12/29 | 4:30 PM | ESPN | Camping World (FL) | +7.5 |
| Valero Alamo Bowl | 20. Texas | 12. Washington | Thurs 12/29 | 8:00 PM | ESPN | Alamodome (TX) | -6 |
| Duke’s Mayo Bowl | Maryland | 23. NC St | Fri 12/30 | 11:00 AM | ESPN | BoA (NC) | -1.5 |
| Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl | Pitt | 18. UCLA | Fri 12/30 | 1:00 PM | CBS | Sun Bowl (TX) | +6 |
| Taxslayer Gator Bowl | 21. Notre Dame | 19. South Carolina | Fri 12/30 | 2:30 PM | ESPN | TIAA Bank Field (FL) | -2 |
| Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl | Ohio | Wyoming | Fri 12/30 | 3:30 PM | Barstool | Arizona (AZ) | -1 |
| Capital One Orange Bowl | 6. Tennessee | 7. Clemson | Fri 12/30 | 7:00 PM | ESPN | Hard Rock (FL) | +6.5 |
| AllState Sugar Bowl | 5. Alabama | 9. Kansas State | Sat 12/31 | 11:00 AM | ESPN | Caesars Superdome (LA) | -3 |
| TransPerfect Music City Bowl | Iowa | Kentucky | Sat 12/31 | 11:00 AM | ABC | Nissan (TN) | -2 |
| PlayStation Fiesta Bowl – Semifinal | 3. TCU | 2. Michigan | Sat 12/31 | 3:00 PM | ESPN | State Farm (AZ) | +7.5 |
| Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl – Semifinal | 4. Ohio St | 1. Georgia | Sat 12/31 | 7:00 PM | ESPN | Mercedes-Benz (GA) | +6.5 |
Full Bowl Game schedule HERE.
Football – NFL:
- Mon 12/26
- Chargers at Colts @ 7:15pm on ESPN
- Thurs 12/29
- Cowboys at Titans @ 7:15pm on Prime
- Sun 1/1
- 9 games at 12pm on FOX/CBS
- CBS:
- Broncos at Chiefs
- Dolphins at Patriots
- Colts at Giants
- Jaguars at Texans
- FOX:
- Cardinals at Falcons
- Bears at Lions
- Saints at Eagles
- Panthers at Buccaneers
- Browns at Commanders
- CBS:
- 49ers at Raiders – or – Jets at Seahawks @ 3:05pm on FOX
- Vikings at Packers – or – Rams at Chargers @ 3:25pm on CBS
- Steelers at Ravens @ 7:20pm on NBC
- 9 games at 12pm on FOX/CBS
- Mon 1/2
- Bills at Bengals @ 7:30pm on ESPN, ABC & ESPN2
Hockey:
- Tues 12/27
- Sabres at Capitals @ 6:30pm on hulu
- Wed 12/28
- Bruins at Devils @ 6:30pm on TNT
- Flames at Kraken @ 9pm on TNT
- Fri 12/30
- Panthers at Hurricanes @ 6:30pm on hulu
- Oilers at Kraken @ 9pm on hulu
- Sun 1/1
- Islanders at Kraken @ 7pm on ESPN
Olympic Sports:
- Sat 12/31
- Triathlon: Daytona @ 2pm on NBC
Soccer:
- Mon 12/26
- Premier League: Leicester City vs NewcastleU @ 9am on USA
- Premier League: Aston Villa vs Liverpool @ 11:30am on USA
- Tues 12/27
- Premier League: Chelsea vs Bournemouth @ 11:30am on USA
- Premier League: ManU vs Nottingham Forest @ 2pm on USA
- Wed 12/28
- Premier League: LeedsU vs Manchester City @ 2pm on USA
- Fri 12/30
- Premier League: West Ham vs Brentford @ 1:45pm on USA
- Sat 12/31
- Premier League: Wolves vs ManU @ 6:30am on USA
- Premier League: NewcastleU vs LeedsU @ 9am on USA
- Premier League: Teams TBA @ 11:30am on NBC
