Weekly Update – Week of February 3, 2020

Baseball – MLB: Granderson retires. Lindor waits. Story signs. Rizzo died.

Basketball – NBA: Raptors tie 11 game win streak. Irving out with sprain.

Football – NFL: SB LIV Champs: Chiefs. Brady “I’m not going anywhere”. XFL to start.

Golf: Simpson wins in playoff.

Olympic Sports: Athletics shoe rule changes. French skating sexual abuse scandal. USA luge up and downs. Cycling doping probs.

Tennis: Kenin and Djokovic win Aussie Open.

Baseball – MLB:

• Curtis Granderson, an OF for the Tigers, Yankees and Mets, has retired after 16 years in the league. He was a 3x All-Star with 344 HRs and 937 RBIs in his career. He played in the 2006 World Series (Tigers) and 2015 World Series (Mets) but never won a title.
• SS Francisco Lindor is waiting for the right deal from the Indians and it might be a huge payout to wait. He claims that he wants to stay but the team may not have enough money to keep him as the team tries to avoid salary arbitration. Technically he is under the Indians contract until 2021 after which he wants $500MM deal. Surprisingly, that’s not far-fetched seeing as Lindor is one of the best all around players and is entering his prime. Expect his deal to be the next Mike Trout, Bryce Harper or Manny Machado type of deal.
• Rockies and SS Trevor Story reached a $27.5MM 2 year deal, which would still leave him as a free agent after the 2021 World Series. 18 players will head to arbitration meetings.
• Phil Rizzo, scout and Nationals senior adviser has died at age 90. He was with the team, which is also managed by his son Mike, for the last 11 years.

Basketball – NBA:

• Raptors tie their team record of 11 straight wins, beating the Bulls 129-102. The team has had 11 straight wins 2 other times, Jan 2016 and end of Feb 2018.
• Kyrie Irving will be out at least a week after he sprained a ligament in his knee on Saturday night. Irving became entangled with Wizards’ Beal and fell awkwardly on his knee. This was a day after his highest scoring game of the season with 54 points.
• Current Standings:
  • Eastern:
    • Atlantic: Raptors
    • Central: Bucks
    • SE: Heat
  • Western:
    • NW: Nuggets
    • Pacific: Lakers
    • SW: Rockets

Football – NFL:

• The Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl Champs for the first time in 50 years. The Chiefs overcame a 10-point deficit to win 31-20. HC Andy Reid was the most winning-est coach without a Super Bowl until yesterday, which was his 222^nd
  • Patrick Mahomes was named MVP although so were JLO and Shakira. The Halftime show is being called one of the best ever.
• Patriots fans are happier than if they went to the Super Bowl and lost, Tom Brady starred in a Hulu Super Bowl commercial, where he literally said “I’m not going anywhere.”
• Think football is over? Think again! The XFL starts this weekend and I will have a post on Thursday to tell you all about it.

Golf:

• Webb Simpson won the Waste Management Open in a playoff against Tony Finau. Simpson had to birdie the final 2 holes to make a playoff and card 17 under in 4 rounds. This is Simpson’s 6^th PGA Tour title and his first ace on tour was on Saturday at hole 12.

Olympic Sports:

• New World Athletic rules have banned the Nike Vaporfly running shoes that broke the 2 hour marathon barrier and have been prevalent in several marathon records to date. That being said, Nike’s Vaporfly Next model, which is the mass marketed version, is not banned. The new rule specifically states that no shoes can be worn unless they are available to the general public for 4 months before the race as of April 30^th. This will end Nike and other companies experimental prototype shoes being worn during those competitions.
  • Yes, I am positive on this. There are many confusing headlines out there saying the Vaporfly is not banned. Many people predicted and reported that it would be legal to wear. Again, It has been banned. But not the mass-produced version of the Vaporfly.
• Didier Gailhaguet, the head of the French skating federation, will be questioned today following several accusations against coaches of sexual abuse and rape by young skaters. Specifically, Gilles Beyer, who although was investigated for rape in 2000, continued to work for the federation. This all has been thrust into the spotlight after Sarah Abitbol, a 10x French champion and 2000 world championship pairs bronze medalist, published a book detailing her rape by her coach, Beyer, for 2 years when she was underage. Beyer did admit to having ‘inappropriate’ relations with Abitbol. L’Equipe, which is a daily newspaper in France devoted to sports, published several articles digging into sexual abuse in the swimming, skating and tennis world in France.
• Danish rider, Jakob Fuglsang, is being investigated for doping and is believed to have worked with the same doctor as Lance Armstrong, Dr. Michele Ferrari. His team, Astana, denies any association with the doctor. Fuglsang has been on the team since 2013 and enjoyed his best year last year winning 3 races and a stage at the Spanish Vuelta.
• Summer Britcher won 2 luge medals for the USA during this weekend’s World Cup in the team relay (silver) and the women’s race (bronze). Although what should have been a joyous day for Americans in the sport of luge was damped by Emily Sweeney withdrawing due to her reoccurring neck injury. You may remember her scary crash during the 2018 Olympics and she has missed several later races due to the same injury. Sweeney announced that this caused her to end her season.
• The coronavirus has not impeded any prep for the Olympics.

Tennis:

• Australian Open Jan 20^th – Feb 2^nd
  • American Sophia Kenin won the women’s singles to become the youngest Aussie Open champion since Maria Sharapova in 2008. She defeated Spaniard Muguruza to claim her first Grand Slam title.
  • Djovokic won the men’s singles for his 8^th Australian open title and 17^th Grand Slam title. He beat Dominic Thiem in 5 close sets and will return to world #1 after this win.

What to watch this week

Basketball – NBA:

• Tues 2/4
  • Bucks at Pelicans @ 6:30pm on TNT
  • Spurs at Lakers @ 9pm on TNT
• Wed 2/5
  • Magic at Celtics @ 6:30pm on ESPN
  • Heat at Clippers @ 9pm on ESPN
• Thurs 2/6
  • 76ers at Bucks @ 7pm on TNT
  • Rockets at Lakers @ 9:30pm on TNT
• Fri 2/7
  • Raptors at Pacers @ 7pm on ESPN
  • Trail Blazers at Jazz @ 9:30pm on ESPN
• Sat 2/8 – Lakers at Warriors @ 7:30pm on ABC

Basketball – NCAA:

• Mon 2/3
  • UNC at 5. Florida St @ 6pm on ESPN
  • Baylor at Kansas St @ 8pm on ESPN2
  • Texas at 3. Kansas @ 8pm on ESPN
• Tues 2/4
  • Duke at Boston College @ 6pm on ESPN
  • Rutgers at 15. Maryland @ 6pm on FS1
  • Auburn at Arkansas @ 6pm on SEC
  • Penn St at 14. Michigan St @ 7pm on BTN
  • Mississippi St at 13. Kentucky @ 8pm on ESPN
• Wed 2/5
  • Villanova at 16. Butler @ 5:30pm on FS1
  • Iowa St at 12. West Virginia @ 6pm on ESPN2
  • Iowa at Purdue @ 6pm on BTN
  • Seton Hall at Georgetown @ 7:30pm on FS1
  • Wake Forest at 6. Louisville @ 8pm on ESPN2
  • LSU at Vanderbilt @ 8pm on SEC
• Thurs 2/6
  • Cal at 20. Colorado @ 7pm on Pac12
  • Tulane at 21. Houston @ 8pm on ESPNU
  • Loyola Marymount at 2. Gonzaga @ 10pm on CBSSN
• Fri 2/7 – 15. Maryland at 19. Illinois @ 7pm on FS1
• Sat 2/8
  • Miami at 5. Florida St @ 11am on ACC
  • Michigan St at Michigan @ 11am on FOX
  • Kentucky at Tennessee @ 12pm on CBS
  • Saint Louis at 7. Dayton @ 1pm on CBSSN
  • West Virginia at Oklahoma @ 1pm on ESPNU
  • Seton Hall at 8. Villanova @ 1:30pm on FOX
  • UVA at 6. Louisville @ 3pm on ESPN
  • Minnesota at 24. Penn St at 3pm on BTN
  • Oklahoma St at 1. Baylor @ 5pm on ESPN2
  • Duke at UNC @ 5pm on ESPN
  • Nebraska at 18. Iowa @ 5pm on BTN
  • Stanford at 20. Colorado @ 5pm on PAC12
  • SD St at Air Force @ 7pm on CBSSN
  • Gonzaga at Saint Mary’s @ 9pm on ESPN
  • Oregon at Oregon St @ 9:30pm on PAC12
• Sun 2/9
  • Butler at Marquette @ 11am on FS1
  • Wichita St at 21. Houston @ 2pm on ESPN
  • Northwestern at 25. Rutgers @ 5:30pm on BTN

Football – XFL:

• Sat 2/8
  • Seattle Dragons at DC Defenders @ 1pm on ABC
  • LA Wildcats at Houston Roughnecks @ 4pm on Fox
• Sun 2/9
  • Tampa Bay Vipers at NY Guardians@ 1pm on Fox
  • Louis Battlehawks at Dallas Renegades @ 4pm on ESPN

Golf:

• Thurs 2/6
  • AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am – Round 1
    • 2pm on Golf Channel
• Fri 2/7
  • AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am – Round 2
    • 2pm on Golf Channel
• Sat 2/8
  • AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am – Round 3
    • 12pm on Golf Channel
    • 2pm on CBS
• Sun 2/9
  • AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am – Round 4
    • 12pm on Golf Channel
    • 2pm on CBS

Hockey:

• Mon 2/3 – Flyers at Red Wings @ 6:30pm on NBCSN
• Tues 2/4
  • Avalanche at Sabres @ 6pm on RSNE
  • Blackhawks at Wild @ 7pm on NBCSN
• Wed 2/5
  • Maple Leafs at Rangers @ 6pm on RSN
  • Bruins at Blackhawks @ 8:30pm on NBCSN
• Thurs 2/6
  • Red Wings at Sabres @ 6pm on NBCSN
  • Penguins at Lightening @ 6pm on RSN
  • Sharks at Oilers @ 8:30pm on NBCSN
• Fri 2/7 – Wild at Stars @ 7:30pm on RSNE
• Sat 2/8
  • Senators at Canadiens @ 1pm on RSN
  • Flames at Canucks @ 9pm on RSN
• Sun 2/9
  • Bruins at Red Wings @ 11:30am on NBC
  • Blackhawks at Canadiens @ 6pm on RSN
  • Avalanche at Wild @ 6:30pm on NBCSN

Olympic Sports:

• Mon 2/3 – Speed Skating: ISU 4 Continents Championships – Day 2 @ 11pm on NBCSN
• Thurs 2/6 – Figure Skating: ISU 4 Continents Championships: Ladies Short Program @ 4pm on NBCSN
• Fri 2/7
  • Figure Skating: ISU 4 Continents Championship: Free Dance @ 7:30pm on NBCSN
  • FIS Freestyle Skiing Aerials @ 9:30pm on NBCSN
  • Figure Skating: ISU 4 Continents Championship: Mens’ Short @ 11pm on NBCSN
• Sat 2/8 – Figure Skating: ISU 4 Continents Championship: Ladies’ Free @ 7pm on NBCSN
• Sun 2/9 – Figure Skating: ISU 4 Continents Championship: Mens’ Free @ 11pm on NBCSN

Soccer:

• Sat 2/8 – Premier League: Everton vs Crystal Palace @ 7:25am on NBCSN
• Sun 2/9
  • Premier League: Sheffield United vs AFC Bournemouth @ 9am on NBCSN
  • Premier League: Manchester City vs West Ham @ 11:30am on NBCSN
  • Italian Serie A: Napoli vs Lecce @ 8am on ESPN2