Baseball: Lindor to Mets. Schwarber to Nationals. Lasorda dies. Allen to Yankees. Cole in Harkins text claims.
Basketball-NBA: Leonard hits 10k. Cousins and Morris ejected. Warriors win despite Curry being 2-of-16. Westbrook out for a week. KD back but Irving out.
Basketball-NCAAM: 3 undefeated teams left. UConn loses Rowe. Jones’ big day. Coach K returns. Tshiebwe to KT.
Football-NCAAF: National Championship tonight: Buckeyes or Bama? DeVonta Smith wins Heisman. 2021 HoF class. Harbaugh and Michigan til 2025. Boise St gets new HC and it’s fitting.
Football-NFL: Wild card weekend indeed. Pederson out.
Golf: English wins Sentry. Thomas says anti-gay slur. Tournaments leaving Trump courses.
Hockey: The NHL is back! Milbury is out of NBC.
Olympic Sports: US Figure Skating Championships this weekend. Friedrich wins #46. Goggia wins downhill. USATF Indoors canceled. Belarus host hockey champs still on.
Baseball:
- The Mets have found their superstar: SS Francisco Lindor. TBD on the length and financials of the deal. Lindor was previously with that other team in NYC so he doesn’t even have to move.
- The Nationals have agreed to a one-year deal with of Kyle Schwarber, rumored to be worth $10MM. Schwarber was previously with the Cubs when they won the 2016 World Series.
- HOF Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda has died of heart failure at age 93. Lasorda actually attended Game 6 over the Rays on 10/27. He was manager for the Dodgers for 2 World Series titles and then was an ambassador for the team for 71 years.
- The Yankees have traded LHP James Reeves to the Padres in exchange for OF Greg Allen.
- Brain Harkins claims that he was wrongfully fired after he was the supplying ball-doctoring substances to pitchers. And you might recognize one of the pitchers used as evidence: Garrett Cole. “Hey Bubba, it’s Gerrit Cole… I was wondering if you could help me out with this sticky situation [winky face]. We don’t see you until May, but we have some road games in April that are in cold weather places. The stuff I had last year seizes up when it gets cold …” This is not the last time we will hear about this.
- Sydney’s Blue Sox have released Manny Ramirez after a short COVID riddled season. You might be confused, I did say BLUE Sox. The former Red Sox player went to continue playing down in Australia as a 48 year old. However he has now been released as he had a medical issue during the season.
Basketball-NBA:
- Kawhi Leonard has scored 10,000 points in his career, and did so without his protective face mask (he had 8 stitches on his mouth on Christmas). He scored 35 points, including 7 3-pointers, in the win against the Clippers 130-127.
- The Lakers traded DeMarcus Cousins for Markieff Morris early last year and there was obviously some bad blood there. When the Rockets played the Lakers on Sunday, both got double technicals with 2:15 to go in the first quarter. Morris got ejected for his retaliation after a body check from Cousins. Cousins thn got ejected for hitting LeBron on the head. Cousins has been ejected 2 of the last 4 games. The Rockets lost the Lakers 120-102.
- The Warriors beat the Raptors 106-105 despite Steph Curry having one of the worst shooting days of his career. He went 2 for 16.
- Russell Westbrook will miss a week with a left quad injury. This doesn’t help the Wizards very much who have had a very disappointing start to the season, going 2-8. And the team has already lost C thomas Bryant to a partially torn ACL.
- Kevin Durant is back after being exposed to COVID and scored 36 points in the Nets’ loss to the Thunder 129-116. However now, Kyrie Irving missed his 3rd game for personal reasons. The team is electing to keep communications with Irving private.
- COVID has postponed the Pelicans/Mavs game and the Celtics/Bulls game.
Basketball-NCAAM:
- 3 teams remained undefeated: #1 Gonzaga, #2 Baylor and #7 Michigan.
- Former UConn men’s bball coach Dee Rowe has passed away at the age of 91. Rowe was a coach for 8 years for the Huskies and an ambassador for the school for 50 years. His overall record at UConn was 120-88. He also coached at Worcester Academy for 13 years.
- 3 years after his leukemia diagnosis, Texas G Andrew Jones scored the game winning 3-pointer against #14 West Virginia 72-70. During the game, Jones also scored his 1000th point. The Longhorns are now #4 after beating both Kansas and West Virginia. Their only loss was to #12 Villanova on 12/6. They play #15 Texas Tech on Wednesday.
- Duke has Coach K back and just in time for the game against #19 VTech on Tuesday.
- West Virginia F Oscar Tshiebwe has commited to Kentucky. As of the new year, Tschiebwe announced that he would step away from the Mountaineers and was considering Miami, NC St and Illinois. This isn’t the first time he has changed his mind. Tshiebwe originally entered the NBA draft last summer before withdrawing his name.
Football-NCAAF:
- National Championship tonight! The Ohio St Buckeyes vs the Alabama Crimson Tide tonight at 7pm.
- Alabama WR DeVonta Smith won the Heisman Trophy on Tuesday. He is the first WR to win since 1991 Desmond Howard, WR for Michigan and now a GameDay host. That was the year I was born so you do the math!
- Former OU coach, Bob Stoops, Carson Palmer, CJ Spiller and Tony Romo are in the 2021 College Football HoF class. Congrats Big Game Bob!
- Michigan has reached a contract extension with Jim Harbaugh. He will be wearing blue and gold until 2025. His new contract will increase his salary up to $4MM and it will increase each year $4.4MM. I’m sure the Buckeyes are happy to hear that.
- Boise St has a new HC, Oregon DC Andy Avalos. Avalos was a former player and assistant for the Broncos.
Football-NFL:
- The post season has started and wild card weekend lived up to its name.
- The longest undefeated team, the Steelers, fell to the Browns for the 2nd weekend in a row and this time it knocks them out. This was the Browns first playoff win since 1994. Sticking with the AFC, the Ravens squeaked by the Titans and the Bills beat the Colts in a close one. This was the Bills’ first playoff win since 1995.
- On the NFC side, the Rams handled the Seahawks. Brady and the Bucs beat the Washington Football team. And to no one’s surprise, the Saints trounced the Bears 21-9.
- For the winning teams, the post season continues this weekend in their Divisional games.
- In a sudden shift, the Eagles have fired HC Doug Pederson after 5 seasons. This past season, the Eagles went 4-11-1, which was their worst record since 2012. Over his 5 seasons, Pederson was 46-39-1.
- Tua’s Miami Dolphins jersey is the #1 seller in the NFL. Followed by Mahomes and Brady’s.
- Bills RB Zach Moss will miss the postseason due to an ankle injury which occurred during their win against the Colts this past weekend. This was Moss’ rookie season and he finished with 5 TDs and 576 offensive yards.
- Seahawks S Jamal Adams will go into surgery after he tore his labrum in his left shoulder in the Rams game this weekend.
Golf:
- The PGA Tour returned this weekend at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Harris English became the first winner of the year after he birdied the first playoff hole against Joaquin Neimann. This win ends his 7 year win draught. To catch Neimann, English birdied 4 of 5 holes on the back 9 and he still had to nail a birdie on the final hole to force a playoff. Neimann did his job, shooting 9 under, which tied the tournament low score.
- Justin Thomas had to apologize after he uttered an anti-gay slur when he missed a 5-foot putt this weekend. It was plainly audible on TV… Oops.
- The 2022 PGA Championship was originally scheduled for Trump National in NY, however the PGA has decided it will move the tournament. When the tournament was awarded to the Trump course in 2014, it was the first men’s major to be held at one of his courses. This isn’t the only major to be moved away from trump courses. Trump Turnberry has been taken out of the Open rotation until further notice.
Hockey:
- NHL analyst, Mike Milbury, will no longer be announcing at NBC after 14 years doing so. It’s believed that his comments during the Stanley Cup playoffs last year about how players are not distracted since there were no women in the bubble. This wasn’t his first insensitive comment either. One time last season, while in an empty stadium, he said it felt like being at a college women’s hockey game…
Olympic Sports:
- This week is the US National Figure Skating Championships! If Nathan Chen wins (again), he will be the first to win 5 consecutive titles since Dick Button, who won 7 titles from 1946-52. Alysa Lui won her first national title at the age of 13 and could be the first to win 3 consecutive titles since Michelle Kwan in 2005. Kwan took home 8 titles, the last of which was her 2005 title.
- GER Francesco Friedrich tied the World Cup record for the most bobsled victories with 46. Friedrich has won 30 of the last 41 World Cup races. He tied fellow German Sandra Kiriasis. The next race is in St. Moritz, SUI next weekend.
- Cancellations:
- USATF has canceled the indoor championships due to COVID. The event was originally set to take place on 2/20-21.
- Lauberhorn Swiss ski races have been canceled due to COVID. Oddly enough, according to ESPN, British tourists were to blame.
- Sofia Goggia, Olympic champion, won the World Cup downhill race this past weekend. She beat AUT Tamara Tippler and USA Breezy Johnson. Johnson placed 3rd in her 3rd straight downhill race.
- Belarus will still co-host the hockey world championships with Latvia in the summer. The President of the country defended its ability to do so after protests popped up in the country.
What to Watch This Week
Basketball – NBA:
- Wed 1/13
- Nets at Knicks @ 6:30pm on ESPN
- Pelicans at Clippers @ 9pm on ESPN
- Thurs 1/14
- Heat at 76ers @ 6:30pm on TNT
- Warriors at Nuggets @ 9pm on TNT
- Fri 1/15
- Mavericks at Bucks @ 6:30pm on ESPN
- Pelicans at Lakers @ 9pm on ESPN
Basketball – NCAAM:
- Mon 1/11
- 25. UConn at DePaul @ 5pm on FS1
- Tues 1/12
- 9. Wisconsin at 7. Michigan @ 6pm on ESPN
- 10. Tennessee at Vanderbilt @ 6pm on ESPN2
- 19. Duke at 20. VTech @ 6pm
- 6. Kansas at Oklahoma St @ 7pm on ESPN+
- 13. West Virginia at 2. Baylor @ 8pm on ESPN2
- Wed 1/13
- Notre Dame at 18. UVA @ 3:30pm on ACC
- Northwestern at 21. Ohio St @ 6pmon BTN
- 16. Louisville at Wake Forest @ 7:30pm on ACC
- 15. Texas Tech at 4. Texas @ 8pm on ESPN2
- 14. Illinois at Nebraska @ 8pm on BTN
- Thurs 1/14
- Pepperdine at 1. Gonzaga @ 4pm on ESPN2
- 11. Houston at USF @ 6pm on ESPN2
- Michigan St at 5. Iowa @ 8pm
- Arizona St at 22. Oregon @ 8pm on ESPN
- Fri 1/15
- 9. Wisconsin at Rutgers @ 6pm
- Sat 1/16
- 21. Ohio St at 14. Illinois @ 11am
- 17. Mizzou at Texas A&M @ 12pm on SEC
- 7. Michigan at 23. Minnesota @ 1pm on ESPN2
- TCU at 13. West Virginia @1pm on ESPN+
- 2. Baylor at 15. Texas Tech @ 3pm on ESPN
- 8. Creighton at Butler @ 3pm on FS1
- Vanderbilt at 10. Tennessee @ 5pm on SEC
- 18. UVA at 12. Clemson @ 5pm on ESPN
- 1. Gonzaga at St. Mary’s @ 7pm on ESPN
- Kansas St at 4. Texas @ 7pm on LGHN
- 16. Louisville at Miami @ 7pm on ACC
- Arizona at 22. Oregon @ 9pm on ESPN
- Sun 1/17
- UCF at 11. Houston @ 1pm on ESPNU
- 20. VTech at Wake Forest @ 5pm on ACC
Football – NCAAF:
- Mon 1/11 – National Championship @ 7pm on ESPN
Football – NFL:
- Sat 1/16
- Rams at Packers @ 3:35pm on Fox
- Ravens at Bills @ 7:15pm on NBC
- Sun 1/17
- Browns at Chiefs @ 2:05pm on CBS
- Bucs at Saints @ 5:40pm on FOX
Golf:
- Thurs 1/14 – Sony Open: Round 1 @ 6pm on Golf Channel
- Fri 1/15 – Sony Open: Round 2 @ 6pm on Golf Channel
- Sat 1/16 – Sony Open: Round 3 @ 6pm on Golf Channel
- Sun 1/17 – Sony Open: Round 4 @ 5pm on Golf Channel
Hockey:
- Wed 1/13
- Penguins at Flyers @ 4:15pm on NBCSN
- Blackhawks at Lightning @ 7pm on NBCSN
- Blues at Avalanche @ 9:30pm on NBCSN
Olympic Sports:
- Thurs 1/14
- Figure Skating: Pairs Short @ 5pm on NBCSN
- Figure Skating: Women’s Short @ 9pm on NBCSN
- Fri 1/15
- Figure Skating: Rhythm Dance @ 3pm on NBCSN
- Figure Skating: Women’s Free @ 7pm on NBC
- Sailing: America’s Cup @ 8pm on NBCSN
- Skiing: Men’s Downhill @ 10pm on NBCSN
- Sat 1/16
- Swimming: TYR Pro Series Day 1 @ 12:30am on NBCSN
- Figure Skating: Men’s Short @ 3pm on NBC
- Figure Skating: Free Dance/Pair’s Free @ 8pm on NBCSN
- Sailing: America’s Cup @ 11pm on NBCSN
- Sun 1/17
- Figure Skating: Men’s Free @ 2:30pm on NBC
- Luge: FIL World Cup @ 11pm on NBCSN
Soccer:
- Tues 1/12
- Premier League: Burnley vs ManU @ 2:10pm on NBCSN
- Wed 1/13
- Premier League: Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion @ 11:55am on NBCSN
- Premier League: Tottenham Hotspur vs Fulham @ 2:10pm on NBCSN
- Thurs 1/14
- Premier League: Arsenal vs Crystal Palace @ 1:55pm on NBCSN
- Sat 1/16
- Premier League: Wolverhampton Wanderers vs West Brom @ 6:30am on NBCSN
- Premier League: Leeds United vs Brighton & Hove Albion @ 9am on NBCSN
- Sun 1/17
- Premier League: Sheffield United vs Tottenham Hotspur @ 8am on NBCSN
