Category: Morning Win

Make Black Friday a holiday you cowards

I hope you’re not working today!

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

Good morning, Winners! Hope you had a happy Thanksgiving. Thanks so much for being here and reading this.

To be completely honest with you all, I have no idea how I’m writing this right now.

I probably ate my weight in turkey, ham, sweet potatoes, mac and cheese and collard greens on Thursday. I woke up this morning with absolutely no idea what day it was or any concept of what I should be doing in the moment. The food-induced coma that I was in still hasn’t quite worn off.

SPEAKING OF FOOD COMAS: Matt Eberflus sure did seem to be asleep at the end of that Bears game

That’s the good and the bad of Thanksgiving, right?

The pros of the holiday are obvious. You eat your fill surrounded by the folks you love. Or, well, I should say mostly the folks you love. Just forget about that uncle that you can’t stand for a second. Then you get to watch football until you fall asleep for the first time and wake up around 7 p.m. to make your third plate. It’s great.

But then, there’s the obvious con to the holiday, too. It’s a Thursday holiday!

Some people have the day off today, sure. But lots of others had to find the strength to get up and resume their adult lives. How? No idea.

This is why I’m proposing a solution: Let’s make Black Friday a holiday. We might as well, right?

I know, I know. Black Friday kind of sucks. There are so many sales and so much chaos and noise. Every company out there is sending you emails and notifications to poke and prod you to buy everything for the upcoming holiday season.

So, yes, I propose this at the risk of creating yet another ultra-capitalistic holiday in our extremely ultra-capitalistic society. But I think this one is necessary! You can’t ask people to eat a whole turkey and expect them to be functional the next day. It takes time to recover from that bird!

Let’s give people that time. It doesn’t have to be Black Friday anymore. It can be called “Turkey Nap Day” or “You should take a seat after drinking all that egg nog” day. Maybe even, “I love my parents, but I’m really glad to be back home” day.

Call it whatever you want. All we need is that day. Somebody make it happen.

YOU KNOW WHO ELSE NEEDS A DAY? Bluey. She deserves one.

All the sports are back

Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

This is yet another reason folks need the day off. Check the sports calendar. Everyone is playing today! Like, right now.

The NFL: 

  • The Chiefs and Raiders kick off on Amazon Prime’s Black Friday game at 3:00 p.m. ET.

The NBA: The NBA Cup is running it up today. We’ve got two afternoon games today.

  • Hornets vs. Knicks tips off at noon ET.
  • Hawks vs. Cavaliers also tips off at 2:30 p.m. ET

College football: There’s a big slate on tap today in the CFB world, too, starting this afternoon.

  •  Boise State vs. Oregon State kicks off at noon ET
  • Oklahoma State vs. Colorado kicks of at noon ET
  • The Egg Bowl! Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET
  • Georgia vs. Georgia Tech kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET

I haven’t even mentioned college basketball. There’s are big slates on both the men’s and women’s sides with in-season tournaments in full swing. You’re going to need to make an appointment with the couch today.

Tom Brady stinks, part 752

Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Look, guys. Tom Brady isn’t exactly my cup of tea. Surely, you know this by now.

But the more the guy talks, the more I feel vindicated. He doesn’t seem like a very fun time! He ripped Daniel Jones for asking the Giants for a release, even though the Giants very clearly didn’t want him. It was so confusing. Here’s Charles Curtis with more on that.

“I don’t know how that whole situation went down, but to think that you’d ask for a release from a team that committed a lot to you is maybe different than I would’ve handled that,” he said.

“I always felt I wanted to get the trust and respect of my teammates regardless of the situation, knowing that I was trying to be the best I could for the team, cause that was the most important thing,” he added.

OK. Now, after reading that, I want you to imagine Tom Brady’s reaction to not only being benched, but being named a practice squad safety. Keep in mind that this is the same Tom Brady who was reportedly so salty about the Patriots’ decision to draft Jimmy Garoppolo in 2014 that it influenced his decision to leave the team in 2020 for the Buccaneers.

And you think that guy would’ve stuck around for the long haul after being named a practice squad safety? Please. Give me a break, Tom.

Photo Friday: Say hi, Minnie!

(Photo by Kena Betancur/Getty Images)

Somehow, 2024 was Minnie Mouse’s debut at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. Here she is saying hello to a few spectators on a balcony.

Quick hits: How to watch Chiefs-Raiders today … Josh Jacobs was hungry … and more

— Here’s Charles Curtis with a guide on getting a Prime subscription to watch Chiefs-Raiders today.

— Here’s Meg Hall on Josh Jacobs chowing down mid-interview after whooping the Dolphins.

— Terry Bradshaw is getting cooked for this Tua Tagovailoa take. Watch the Dolphins, Terry.

— Here’s Tyler Nettuno on Matt Eberflus defending is poor clock management strategy.

— As bad as Eberflus was, Caleb Williams was pretty awesome for the Bears on Thursday. Robert Zeglinski has more.

— Can we get Penei Sewell more touches, please? Thanks.

That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for rocking with us today. We’ll see you again next week. Happy Holidays.

Peace.

-Sykes ✌️

Someone needs to tell Dan Hurley to relax

Have you seen that guy when he’s mad?

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

Good morning, Winners. Welcome to the Morning Win. Thanks so much for reading today.

Yo, man. What is Dan Hurley’s problem? I’ve been trying to figure out what this dude is so mad about.

He’s coaching a back-to-back championship team. He got a raise this summer, thanks to the Lakers. He’s currently in Maui, for goodness sake. Life sounds pretty good for that dude right now.

Yet, for whatever reason, he’s completely lost it in back-to-back games at the Maui Invitational.

On Monday, Hurley completely cost his team with a late technical foul thanks to an outburst that gave Memphis a two-point lead that the Tigers never surrendered on their way to a win.

On Tuesday against Colorado, he did the same thing but was luckily held back by his coaches before he could get a technical. UConn lost anyway. It might not have been because of their coach, who couldn’t keep his composure. But I’m not not going to say it was because of their coach, who couldn’t keep his composure.

He’s always been an ornery and combative head coach, but come on. As the head coach of a college basketball team, you’re supposed to be the adult in the room. The players are supposed to look to Hurley for guidance, support and direction in tight games.

But there’s a solid chance that if you look over at UConn’s bench during some of these crucial times, you might see a 51-year-old man throwing a tantrum like a six-year-old who didn’t get exactly what he wanted on Christmas Day. It’s a tough look. And certainly one unbecoming of one of the best head coaches in college basketball.

There’s always room for passion and emotion in sports. But there’s a line that shouldn’t be crossed. At least not frequently, anyway. Every once in a while is cool. But Dan Hurley seems to be a habitual line-stepper here.

We’ve already seen it cost his team when the stakes are fairly low. So you can only imagine what things will be like when the games matter most.

So the Dodgers actually can keep getting away with this

(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

The rich keep getting richer.

The Dodgers have added two-time Cy Young award winner Blake Snell to an already stacked pitching rotation that will include Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw if he returns.

Folks. When 2024 Clayton Kershaw might be the afterthought of your rotation, you know the deck is stacked.

The Dodgers are building All-Star teams via deferred money. Snell reportedly has around $62 million of his $182 million, five-year deal coming after the contract expires.

That means they’ve got deferred cash going out to:

  • Shohei Ohtani ($680 million)
  • Freddie Freeman ($57 million)
  • Mookie Betts ($115 million)
  • Blake Snell ($62 million
  • Will Smith ($50 million)
  • Teoscar Hernandez ($8.5 million)

Folks, that’s $972.5 million in deferred cash coming decades after these players finish playing for LA. Nearly a billion dollars! And the offseason is just beginning, so surely, the Dodgers will cross that threshold at some point.

I’m not saying this is something MLB needs to change, but it’s probably worth looking at when the next CBA rolls around.

Mike McCarthy’s life raft

Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

It seems it might not be curtains for Mike McCarthy after all? Jerry Jones told reporters on Tuesday that an extension for the Cowboys’ coach is not out of the question.

Our Meg Hall is calling that unserious.

“If you’re a Cowboys fan, I suggest you look away now because reading this might infuriate you. All Eagles, Commanders and Giants fans, prepare to have a good laugh because what is about to be shared is profoundly unserious behavior. On Tuesday, while speaking on a local radio station, Jerry Jones revealed that giving Mike McCarthy an extension is not something out of the realm of possibility.

“I don’t think that’s crazy at all,” Jones said. “That’s not crazy. Mike McCarthy’s one outstanding coach…This is a Super Bowl-winning coach. Mike McCarthy has been there and done that. He has great ideas…We got a lot of football left.” Sure, Jerry. Let us know how that works out. It’s fine. It’s not like McCarthy isn’t 1-3 in the playoffs with the Cowboys, and his last Super Bowl wasn’t 14 years ago. HOW ‘BOUT DEM COWBOYS.”

Meg has a point. McCarthy is sort of skating by on past glory right now. It also seems pretty clear this team doesn’t believe in him anymore.

This seems like Jones is just trying to give McCarthy a vote of confidence amid a lost season. But you know what a real vote of confidence would be? An actual contract extension.

Until that happens, nobody should believe this.

Quick hits: Oregon stays on top … QB Rankings … and more

— Here’s Michelle Martinelli with the latest look at the College Football Playoff bracket after Tuesday’s rankings. Oregon is still on top.

— Here are Christian D’Andrea’s latest QB rankings with Jared Goff at the top and Tua Tagoviloa making an MVP case.

— Ohio State is still the betting favorite for the natty. Blake Schuster has more on that.

— Ryan Day compared losing to Michigan to the death of a family member. Sheesh. Here’s Meg Hall with more.

— Danny Amendola really has the moves. Here’s Cory Woodroof with more.

— But Joey Graziadei is your DWTS champion.

That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks for reading. Have a happy Thanksgiving! No TMW tomorrow, but we’ll be back on Friday. Peace.

-Sykes ✌️

Saquon Barkley has to be the NFL’s MVP this year

The award simply can’t be a QB award this year

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

Good morning, Winners. Welcome back to the Morning Win. Thanks so much for rocking with us today. We appreciate you.

Guys, look. I know the NFL MVP award has always been a quarterback’s trophy. And, honestly, I’m not mad at that.

The quarterback is, by default, the most valuable player on the field. The position handles the ball more than any other. A quarterback is a distributor. The player must be the straw that stirs the drink. An elite quarterback is an MVP-worthy player.

But, folks. I’m sorry. That can’t be how it works this year.

Not after we just watched Saquon Barkley trample all over the Rams for 255 yards. Nope. Sorry. Nuh uh. I’m not going to act like I didn’t just watch that happen. That might be the best offensive performance we’ve seen from anyone this season, regardless of position.

Again, 255 yards. 303 all-purpose yards. Two touchdown runs of 70-plus yards. That’s insane.

THANK THE BIG GUYS: Saquon thanked the Eagles’ offensive line after his masterful performance

Even if you take away those two big runs, Barkley still would’ve finished with 24 carries for 113 yards. That’s a great day at the office for most backs in the NFL.

Not this guy, though. That’s your MVP.

It’s been 12 years since a non-QB won the MVP award. It was Adrian Peterson in 2012. He couldn’t be denied. He ran for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns. That’s the second-highest single-season rushing total ever behind Eric Dickerson’s 2,105 yards in 1984 — one of the greatest seasons in NFL history.

Here we are, 12 years later, and it feels like history is repeating itself.

After Barkley rushed for 255 yards against the Rams on the road, he’s on pace to finish with 2,154 yards this season. He’s already got 10 rushing touchdowns this year.

Will he get there? No idea. But, honestly, he doesn’t have to. It’s not the gaudy yardage totals that make him the MVP. It’s the impact. The moments. Who else is doing reverse hurdles, y’all? He’s been the best player on one of the best teams this season. The team he left is down in the dumps and looking for direction.

You can make arguments for other names. Lamar Jackson is awesome. So is Derrick Henry. But, man. Nobody is impacting their team as much as Saquon is right now.

THE CHANCES: Here’s a list of running backs who’ve won the NFL MVP award. 

Never miss a snap with 4th & Monday

What’s the sneaky-good NFL game of the week? Looking to dominate your fantasy league or survivor pool? Get pigskin prognostications, plus the top storylines each week with 4th & Monday, USA TODAY Sports’ expert guide to NFL action, game results and must-see moments.

Sign up here for our NFL newsletter and get that exclusive content delivered to your inbox each Friday and Monday during the season and every Monday in the offseason.

All good things must come to an end

(Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images)

That includes South Carolina’s 43-game winning streak. UCLA just handed Dawn Staley’s team its first loss since Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes knocked them out of the Final Four in 2023.

Yes, it’s been that long.

And the loss wasn’t close, either. Lauren Betts and the Bruins dominated South Carolina. Here’s Meg Hall with deets:

“The Bruins beat South Carolina on the boards (41-34), held four starters to under five points, and *checks notes* not a single starter went to the free-throw line. UGLY STUFF.

Furthermore, five UCLA players scored in double figures, including Londynn Jones, who was sensational from the line with five 3-pointers, and star center Lauren Betts, who had 11 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and four blocks. WHEW.

Postgame, Betts raved about her team and how proud she was, but she also sent a direct warning to college basketball. “If you’ve been sleeping on UCLA,” Betts said.  “You need to stop right now.”

The real story here is less about South Carolina having its winning streak snapped and more about how good UCLA is.

The Bruins are the real deal. We should all take Lauren Betts’ advice: Don’t sleep.

What’s up, WhatsApp!

Hey, gang! We’ve got a WhatsApp channel! No, we’re not going on an international vacation. This is a channel for you to keep up with everything we’re doing at For The Win. 

We’ll be posting the latest articles and videos from the site into the channel directly to you, our favorite Winners. 

Sign up for the channel here! We look forward to seeing you on WhatsApp. 

Chaos. Pure chaos.

Division rivalry games are always chaotic. But I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like what I saw during Sunday’s Commanders-Cowboys showdown.

The last minute of this game was stupid. Silly. Outrageous. All of the above.

So, starting from 2:49 left in the 4th quarter, we had:

  • A 99-yard kick return from KaVonte Turpin to put Dallas up 27-17 (2:49 left to play)
  • A 51-yard field goal from Austin Seibert to cut the lead to 27-20 (1:40 left to play)
  • An 86-yard touchdown pass from Jayden Daniels to Terry McLaurin to cut the lead to 27-26 (0:21 left to play)
  • A MISSED extra point on that McLaurin touchdown (0:21 left to play)
  • A 43-yard onside-kick return from Juanyeh Thomas to push the lead to 34-26 (0:14 left to play)

Then, finally, Daniels through his last interception of the game to end it all on a Hail Mary attempt. It was insane. ESPN’s win probability chart looked broken throughout that final stretch.

Never seen anything quite like this, man. Probably never will again.

AN EXTREMELY BAD BEAT: Prince Grimes shows us how terrible this was from a betting perspective

Quick hits: It’s time to worry about CJ Stroud … Capture the Flagg … and more

— Christian D’Andrea says it’s time to worry about CJ Stroud in his latest column on week 12 of the NFL season.

— Prince Grimes shows us how the Hawks are the worst kind of bad team in the NBA: One that’s bad, but not quite bad enough. The Spurs are loving it.

— Malik Nabers might be the only guy defending Daniel Jones at this point. Robert Zeglinski has more.

— Nick Sirianni isn’t the kid from Elf, but it’s a meme. Charles Curtis explains.

— The F1 Grand Prix returned to Vegas and went well. Here were all the celebs in hand for the event.

—Justice for Ryan Williams. Cory Woodroof has more here.

That’s a wrap, folks. Happy Monday. Thanks for reading! Peace.

-Sykes ✌️

Madden adding Saquon Barkley’s awesome reverse-hurdle completely ruins it

I know this is a video game move, but it shouldn’t be in the video game.

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

Good morning, Winners! Welcome back to the Morning Win. Thanks so much for rocking with us today. We appreciate you.

If you haven’t heard, Madden is adding Saquon Barkley’s incredible reverse-spin-hurdle-whatever we’re calling that thing into its game.

That’s probably a pretty cool thing for most people. I’m sure a lot of you who play Madden are thinking, “Wow! I get to do the awesome Saquon Barkley move! This is great.” And, you know what? If that’s you, I’m happy for you.

But, unfortunately, today I’m here to rain on your parade. Let me tell you why this actually isn’t that great.

MORE ON MADDEN: Madden is a pretty fun game these days, even if it feels incomplete at times.

None of us have ever seen anything like this before. Barkley had never done anything like that before. Nobody has. It was an incredible athletic feat that might legitimately be a once-in-a-lifetime thing because of how serendipitously it occurred.

He didn’t even mean to do it. Here’s what Barkley told Whistle Sports about how it happened:

“What really happened was, I was going to hit a double spin. I aborted it. When I spun, I went to spin again, and I just, like … It’s probably going to take away from how cool the play is. I thought he was going low, so I thought ‘I’ma cool if I just jump up. But my body kind of took over.”

First of all, that sounds awesome. How the body and mind work in concert is endlessly fascinating to me. Someone should write a book on the psychology behind this move by itself. I’d buy ten copies.

But, anyway, back to the point, this is exactly why I don’t think it belongs on Madden.

Yes, it’s a video game move in the sense that it’d be perfect in an arcade game like NFL Street. But in Madden? Guys. Come on. Barkley didn’t even know he was going to do this. Doing it in the game would probably feel awesome, but some stuff just feels better left alone.

This is like somebody adding the Slip-N-Slide to NBA 2K. Would that be awesome to see? I guess. Does it make sense? Absolutely not.

The move will be unique to Barkley in Madden, so it’s not like everyone will be able to do it. But good luck to all of you out there playing against the Eagles in online competition. The game can already be cheesy enough as is. This only adds another thick layer of cheese to the pot.

Maybe I’m being the fun police here. Maybe this is something people will thoroughly enjoy and I’m worrying a bit too much about the sanctity of a video game. Maybe I just don’t want to see my linebacker reverse hurdled over when I’m playing online.

Regardless, you can catch me in franchise mode doing my thing. I will not be subjected to this foolishness.

Caitlin Clark is NOT Unrivaled

Hate to say we told ya so, but we did tell ya so. As it turns out, Caitlin Clark will not be joining the Unrivaled basketball league. At least not this season, according to the latest reporting.

Basically, Clark has stuff to do this offseason. And she’s taking a bit of a well-deserved break from basketball. Here’s what our Meg Hall wrote about this a month ago:

“Technically, Unrivaled has yet to fill its 30-athlete roster, leaving room for additional WNBA players to join, but I do not expect Caitlin Clark to be on that list. Why? She needs rest.

Caitlin has not had an entire offseason to do what she wants — rest, play golf or otherwise. Joining Unrivaled drastically cuts into her time to recuperate from what has at least been a nearly 12-month-plus grind. Since easily September of last year, she has been going almost non-stop and hasn’t had longer than a few weeks just to be Caitlin.”

That’s spot on. As much as we’d all love to see Clark playing here, it doesn’t make a ton of sense for it to happen. At least not now.

Salute to Geno

(Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images)

Geno Auriemma officially became the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history on Wednesday. Good on him.

He passed Stanford great Tara VanDerveer, who broke Mike Krzyzewski’s record last season. Auriemma’s 1,217th win puts him at the top of the ladder.

It’s been an incredible journey to watch. Geno has been very, very easy to hate at times considering how unapologetically hard-nosed he’s been throughout his career. His beef with Pat Summitt didn’t help, either.

But there’s no denying his dominance. His winning streaks are unbelievable. His resume is unflappable. He’s coached dozens of incredible players into the pro ranks, including more than a few Hall of Famers.

He’s got a legitimate claim as the greatest coach of this generation, like him or not. At the very least, you’ve got to respect that.

MORE GENO: Five photos of Auriemma celebrating his new all-time wins record.

Quick hits: Thanks for the memories, ATH … Eli Manning is a Hall of Famer … and more

— Around the Horn will be coming to an end next summer, Cory Woodroof writes. This sucks.

— Robert Zeglinski has one big stat that makes Eli Manning (an eventual) lock for the Hall of Fame.

— Here are our staff picks against the spread in the NFL for Week 12. Choose wisely.

— This ESPN mock draft actually doesn’t have Travis Hunter as the No. 1 overall pick. Here’s Charles Curtis with details.

— Meg Hall ranked the Unrivaled rosters from Sneaky Good to Title Contenders.

— Speaking of Unrivaled, here’s everything you need to know about the league.

That’s a wrap, folks! Thanks so much for reading. We appreciate you. Have a great Thursday. Peace.

-Sykes ✌️

Jerry Jones is only delaying the inevitable by waiting to fire Mike McCarthy

Jerry Jones. Buddy. Let’s get the ball rolling.

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

Good morning, folks. Welcome back to the Morning Win. Thanks so much for reading today. We appreciate you giving us a bit of your time.

The ceiling is caving in on Mike McCarthy and the Cowboys at Jerry World. That feels like an omen of things to come.

Listen, folks. I hate to say it, but McCarthy is not making it beyond this season in Dallas. You know it. I know it. It seems that even the Cowboys players know it if you listen to Micah Parsons.

Considering that, you might as well make the move now if you’re Dallas. You’d think losing six games in a row in historic fashion would be enough of a catalyst to make a coaching change — even if it’s not something you’d typically do. The Cowboys typically aren’t this bad!

But Jerry Jones seems to be cool with the status quo.

After Dallas’ 34-10 loss to the Texans in Dallas, Jones insisted that McCarthy hadn’t lost the locker room. He called the question “nonsense.” He also refuses even to consider letting go of McCarthy too early, no matter how often this team makes him make this face.

“I have made a change early on a coach with Chan Gailey, and I’ve always regretted that, and I’ve made a change during the season [on Wade Phillips] and regretted that, and that’s the music I’m listening to,” Jones said after the game.

And, well, I guess that’s fair. Past experience is always the best teacher. The Cowboys season is lost, anyway. What’s a few weeks of a head start on a coaching search going to do for this team? Probably nothing.

But, man. We all know what’s coming. I can’t help but feel like it’d be better just to get it over with.

A rivalry revisited

Rafael Nadal is officially retiring after the Davis Cup. Tuesday might actually be his final match!

This is it, folks. This could be the last we’ll see of this living legend on the court. It’s been a long time coming. He absolutely changed the game on his way to becoming one of the greatest players ever to pick up a racket.

One of his rivals — and friends! — Roger Federer wrote a sweet tribute about exactly that. Charles Curtis has more here.

Take a read:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DCi2LcnxT5O/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

“We were both at the start of our journey and it’s one we ended up taking together,” he wrote. “Twenty years later, Rafa, I have to say: What an incredible run you’ve had. Including 14 French Opens—historic! You made Spain proud… you made the whole tennis world proud.”

Hits you right in the feels, man. Happy trials, Rafa. Thanks for all the memories.

Happy birthday, Malice at the Palace!

AP Photo/Duane Burleson

Twenty years ago today, the Malice at the Palace changed the NBA forever.

What started as a run-of-the-mill scuffle between Ben Wallace and Ron Artest snowballed into one of the most unforgettable moments in league history.

This is simply one of those moments you remember where you were when you heard about it. Unfortuantely (or maybe fortunately?), I didn’t see it live. I only saw the replay on the news. But, looking back on it, this happened on national television with some of the biggest names in the NBA.

Ron Artest. Stephen Jackson. Ben Wallace. Reggie Miller (who didn’t even play!).  Dudes were in the stands fighting fans. It was so bad that Rasheed Wallace, of all people, seemed to try and play peacemaker. I still can’t believe it happened and it’s been 20 years since it did.

The aftermath was crazy. Reggie Miller said the Pacers faced bomb threats the next time they visited the palace.

After this, the NBA banned hand-checking. It also enacted a dress code that very blatantly targeted hip-hop culture. It was extremely problematic, to say the least. But players adhered to it and, eventually, flipped it on its head. And, because of the hand-checking ban, we got the freedom of movement we have in the game today.

I won’t call the Malice in the Palace the defining moment of this current iteration of the NBA. The stigma still hasn’t left the league in a lot of ways. But it certainly did shape the NBA as we know it today, for better and for worse.

Quick hits: Shedeur Sanders to New York … Seattle Storm chaos … and more

— A new NFL mock draft has Shedeur Sanders heading to New York to play QB for the Giants. Charles Curtis has more here.

—  Here’s Meg Hall on the chaos brewing around the Seattle Storm. This story is so weird. We don’t know what’s happening.

— Caitlin Clark at Iowa games as a fan is the best. Here’s Meg again with more.

— Robert Zeglinski and Christian D’Andrea have their NFL Power Rankings together for the week. The Lions are that team. 

— Here’s Tyler Nettuno with winners and losers for this week in the college football world. Georgia just keeps hanging around.

— Cory Woodroof says it’s not time for the Falcons to play Michael Penix just yet.

That’s a wrap, folks. Happy Tuesday. Peace.

-Sykes ✌️

Tommy DeVito vs. Cooper Rush might be the best Thanksgiving day game ever

No, no. Don’t get me wrong. This game will suck. But it’s the perfect time for a turkey nap.

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

Good morning, folks! Welcome back to the Morning Win. Thanks so much for rocking with us today. We appreciate you giving us a bit of your time.

You know what I’m not giving any of my time? The Giants vs. the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day.

This is usually a matchup you’d be stoked to see. The Cowboys and Giants always give us good games whenever they play. That’s how the NFC East goes. It’s always been one of the weirdest divisions in football.

That ain’t how it’s going to go this year.

COSMIC PUNISHMENT: This is the Lions’ fault, somehow. I don’t know how. It just is.

Tommy DeVito is the starting quarterback for the New York Giants after the team (finally!) decided to bench Daniel Jones. There are salary cap ramifications to this move, of course, but you should make no mistake about it. New York is officially tanking for Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward or whoever it is they’ll decide is their future quarterback. They just know it won’t be that guy ever again. Who is that guy? Daniel Jones.

THE REAL IS BACK: Tommy DeVito’s agent has returned, much to the delight of everyone on staff here at For The Win. The memes, folks!

Meanwhile, in Dallas, Cooper Rush is the starting quarterback for the rest of the season as Dak Prescott deals with his hamstring injury. How’s that going? Well, the prevailing conversation after he threw just 45 yards against the Eagles two Sundays ago was about the sun shining too brightly in Jerry World. So there’s that.

This Thanksgiving day game is doomed. It will be awful. Maybe one of the worst games you’ve seen all season. Not only are these two teams bad, but they’ll be starting two of the worst quarterbacks in the league.

If you willingly watch this game, I can only assume that someone is paying you to do so, or you’re just a straight-up masochist. If you are, no judgment here! Well, actually. Maybe a little judgment. But it’s fine! Be you, homie.

Me? Well, this game is at 4:30 p.m. Eastern. I think that’s the perfect time for a lil turkey nap. That’s where I’ll be.

 Never miss a snap with 4th & Monday

What’s the sneaky-good NFL game of the week? Looking to dominate your fantasy league or survivor pool? Get pigskin prognostications, plus the top storylines each week with 4th & Monday, USA TODAY Sports’ expert guide to NFL action, game results and must-see moments.

Sign up here for our NFL newsletter and get that exclusive content delivered to your inbox each Friday and Monday during the season and every Monday in the offseason.

Dallas actually got a win on Sunday

UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) reacts after a basket against the South Florida Bulls in the first half at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

Paige Bueckers, you are (presumably) a Dallas Wing — much to the chagrin of Sparks fans, Sky fans and Mystics fans everywhere.

The Wings won the WNBA draft lottery on Sunday. And, while obviously not confirmed that Bueckers will be the No. 1 pick in the draft at this point, she will absolutely be the No. 1 pick in the draft when April rolls around.

Paige is the best player in the country right now. She’s averaging 21.3 points per game on 65 percent shooting from the field as a guard. The sample is small — we’re only three games into the season so far. But still, the production is gaudy. Bueckers is a surefire No. 1 pick.

Arike Ogunbowale and Wings GM Curt Miller are excited. The rest of the WNBA should not be. Bueckers is going to be a problem, folks.

De’Aaron Fox goes Super Saiyan

Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

It’s got to be the shoes, man.

In 24 hours over the weekend, De’Aaron Fox scored 109 points.

First, he dropped 60 points in a tough overtime loss to the Timberwolves. Anthony Edwards (who dropped 36 himself) hit a game-clinching shot that sealed the deal for Minnesota.

Then, he scored another 49 points against Utah the very next day in a clutch win over the Jazz.

This isn’t quite the same thing as Wilt Chamberlain scoring 100 points in a single game, but guys. This is insane. Losing a shoe couldn’t even stop the dude.

Only Wilt Chamberlain and Kobe Bryant have had scoring benders like this. Never would’ve thought Fox’s name might be included with those two, yet here we are.

Under Armour and the Curry Brand have to be thrilled.

Quick hits: Inside the NBA is saved … Josh Allen isn’t human … and more

— The NBA and TNT settled their lawsuit over the weekend and saved Inside the NBA. Cory Woodroof has the details.

— Here’s Christian D’Andrea on Josh Allen being Superman and more that we’ve learned from Week 11 in the NFL.

— Speaking of the Bills, Robert Zeglinski has more on how Buffalo finally has enough sauce to beat the Chiefs. They’ve just got to make it happen in January.

— Here’s Bryan Kalbrosky with the latest NBA Mock Draft, including one of Cooper Flagg’s teammates in the lottery.

— Prince Grimes’ Capture the Flagg column has been so fun in this early part of the NBA season. He makes the case that the Pelicans should tank it out.

— Here’s Charles Curtis on the Donald Trump dance taking over the NFL.

That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for reading. Enjoy your Monday! Peace.

-Sykes ✌️

Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul is totally gonna stink.

This is gonna stink.

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Charles Curtis.

Morning, friends.

So, yeah. There’s a fight on Friday night, have you heard? It’s between a 58-year-old who hasn’t fought since 2005 and a former YouTube star who seems to fight in only battles he can be competitive in.

It’s Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul! On Netflix!

We’ve answered a bunch of questions for you, like how much they’ll make (a lot), what time they’ll fight (late on the East Coast) and some of the special rules (shorter rounds!).

But the biggest question of them all: is this going to be a good fight?

The answer will be: absolutely not.

How do I know? Because Tyson is pushing 60. Because Paul is a showman. Because nothing this hyped can be this good. Because what’s really going to happen? A lot of hugging, a few punches thrown and lots of hands held up to the face a la Floyd Mayweather.

There’s a part of me that’s worried that we’re going to see Paul throw a punch that the older Tyson won’t see, and it’ll go from everyone cheering to everyone realizing we just watched a 27-year-old wreck someone twice his age. And that will stink in a very different way.

If it’s more the former than the latter, then, hey, we’ll always have the slap seen ’round the world. My prediction: it goes eight rounds, Paul wins by unanimous decision, but by Round 6, they’re exhausted and holding on to each other every five seconds.

The Commanders’ offense is broken

Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

You could blame the Commanders’ struggles on offense in Week 10 on the Steelers’ defense. And maybe Thursday’s 26-18 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles can be filed up “it was a short week!”

I think it’s also a little bit of Jayden Daniels rookie year fatigue. It happens to the best of first-year players and can be a learning experience for the future, and opponents scheme for what they see on tape in the first half of the season.

But whatever it is, the Commanders need to fix it. A date with the now-hapless Cowboys might help.

MORE FROM THIS GAME: This Eagles trick play was BAD.

Quick hits: Bluesky is a thing! … Some NBA observations … and more

— Our Blake Schuster gave you nine Bluesky starter packs to help you fill your feeds.

— We’ve got nine things we’ve learned about the NBA so far this year from Robert Zeglinski, including that Nikola Jokic is still absurd.

— 10 NFL coaching change predictions from Cory Woodroof!

— A look back at 41 of the funniest tweets ever written and 33 more of them.

Stephen Curry seems like a terrible friend to Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson’s homecoming was all about him until it wasn’t.

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

Good morning, Winners. Thanks so much for reading the Morning Win today. We appreciate you giving us a bit of your time.

You ever had a homie take over your birthday party? It’s not fun.

I remember when I was a kid at one of the last birthday parties I can remember. I got Pokémon Gold version —yes, this was a really long time ago, folks.

Everything around me stopped. I just had to play this game. Immediately. So I take it out of the box and throw it into my Gameboy Color — again, this was a very long time ago.

I’m playing it. The homies at the birthday party are watching. But then I come to a standstill. For some reason, I can’t win a certain battle. It’s embarrassing. So, one of the homies offers to give it a shot. And, whaddaya know, he wins! Nice. We can finally move on to the next town.

Except it’s not me who is moving to the next town. It’s the homie.

He just … didn’t give the game back. He kept playing until it was time for him to go. And I’m just watching. Watching someone else play my game and steal my thunder in front of the whole party, which was probably like three other kids at that point. The party was no longer mine — it was the other kid’s.

That was kind of how Klay Thompson’s return to the Chase Center on Tuesday went.

The adoring Warriors fans greeted him with a standing ovation while donning signature Klay Thompson captain hats. Every time he touched the ball, there was a cheer. It sounded like a home game for the Mavericks every time he shot it.

He may not play for the Warriors anymore, but those are still his fans, too. They showed him that much. He got the welcome home he always deserved. And, for a while there, it seemed like it would be his night. He hit six threes! He even did the Steph Curry shimmy after one of them.

Then, Steph took the game from him.

The Warriors’ star closed the game with a personal 12-0 run, punctuated by an absolutely ridiculous 3-pointer over Derek Lively II.  That’s just insane shot-making. He hit the Mavs with the night-night celebration and then reminded us who built the Chase Center.

Y’all can put on captain’s hats and cheer for Klay when he does well and be happy he’s back in the building again.

It might’ve been Thompson’s night, but don’t forget. It’s still all about Steph. It always will be in Golden State.

Colorado controls its own destiny

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

The latest College Football Playoff rankings were released on Tuesday with Oregon (1), Ohio State (2), Texas (3) and Penn State (4) rounding out the top four slots.

But that’s not the most interesting story here. Rather, it’s the position Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes (17) find themselves in.

A year ago, Sanders’ team completely floundered down the stretch after a 4-1 start. This season, after a return to the Big 12, Colorado controls its own destiny moving forward. They could win the conference!

Here’s Blake Schuster with more from his latest CFP winners and losers column:

“A week after the committee seemingly told the Big 12 it was only getting one team in the playoff, here comes the Buffaloes to challenge the narrative. Up three spots to No. 17 in this week’s rankings, Colorado controls its own destiny with remaining games against Utah, Kansas and Oklahoma State. None of those are cakewalks, but the Buffs will be favored in each matchup.

If both Colorado and BYU are undefeated heading into the Big 12 championship game, would the committee favor a one-loss conference runner-up over a two-loss SEC or Big Ten team?

Let’s hope we find get to out.”

It’s not completely surprising that the Buffs are here. This team is much better than last season and the schedule is a bit more favorable.

Potentially having this team in the playoff would be a huge win for college football. It can legitimately happen! Let’s see if the Buffs can hold up.

Stick to hoops, CC

(Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)

Don’t get me wrong — Caitlin Clark is a solid golfer. She’s been spending her offseason so far golfing.

But maybe this is a sign to chill a bit on the golf! Clark nearly took out spectators at the Annika Sorenstam LPGA Pro-Am with her shot off the tee. It was mostly funny. But look at how close this was!

Sheesh, CC. She can drop 30-foot bombs on the court at a moment’s notice. But getting the ball down the green? That’s a struggle.

El. Oh. El.

Quick hits: Russell Okung’s super late victory lap … Erik Spoelstra pulled a Chris Webber … and more

— Russell Okung waited 4 years to dunk on Bitcoin haters. Someone should let him know people stopped caring 4 years ago. Blake Schuster has more.

— Jalen Rose was all of us after Erik Spoelstra called a timeout he didn’t have. Charles Curtis has more.

— Here’s Christian D’Andrea with his weekly quarterback rankings, including Joe Burrow’s awesome play for nothing.

— Here’s Michelle Martinelli with a look at the CFP bracket if the playoff started today. Justice for Indiana.

— Robert Zeglinski makes the argument that Matt Eberflus is still the Bears’ biggest problem.

— Here’s how you can get a dozen donuts for nothing from Krispy Kreme on World Kindness Day.

That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for reading. Have a fantastic day. Peace.

-Sykes ✌️

The NBA Cup is back at a time when the league needs it to work the most

But will it? That’s the question.

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

Good morning, Winners! Welcome to the Morning Win. Thanks so much for rocking with us today. We appreciate your time.

The NBA Cup starts on Tuesday! Remember that? I know it’s been a while.

This is the NBA’s in-season tournament for those of you out of the loop. It didn’t have a name last season, but now it has an expensive new sponsor and an official title: The Emirates NBA Cup. Exciting stuff.

KEEP UP WITH THE NBA: Subscribe to Layup Lines for more top-notch hoops analysis and nuanced perspective from the world of basketball

How it works is simple. Every team in the NBA is siloed off into one of six groups organized by conference. This year’s groups are as follows:

Eastern Conference Groups

  • Group A: Knicks, Magic, Nets, Hornets, 76ers
  • Group B: Bucks, Pacers, Heat, Raptors, Pistons
  • Group C: Celtics, Wizards, Cavaliers, Hawks, Bulls

Western Conference Groups

  • Group A: Timberwolves, Rockets, Clippers, Trail Blazers, Kings
  • Group B: Thunder, Lakers, Jazz, Spurs, Suns
  • Group C: Warriors, Mavericks, Pelicans, Nuggets, Grizzlies

The team with the best head-to-head record in group play wins the group. The winners of each group, along with two wild card teams, advance to play in the knockout rounds. From there, it’s like the playoffs in the middle of the regular season. The teams play until someone wins the championship.

It’s a simple yet fun process that brings a bit of spice to the NBA regular season — a product that critics of the league have argued has needed to be much spicier for years now.

The regular season matters in the sense that teams need to perform well in it to make the playoffs and win a championship. But it doesn’t feel like it matters. Teams rarely seem to be going full throttle on a night-to-night basis. There aren’t many rivalries that get people excited about certain regular-season matchups anymore. The 3-pointer takeover has created a bit of monotony to the game that makes the product less interesting for casual viewers.

Whether those criticisms of the league are entirely fair doesn’t matter. What does matter is that people are clearly tuning NBA basketball out. Ratings are dipping. Year over year, viewership has declined sharply since the start of the season. The league is currently competing against a lot, from the NFL to a monster of a World Series to a presidential election. Capturing attention during this time is tough.

That’s exactly why the NBA Cup has to work for the NBA.

It needs something to click. The league needs a spark. The tournament brings a bit of intrigue to the NBA regular season that wasn’t necessarily there before. The question is, will it work?

It can! Last year’s championship game did well. It was the most viewed non-Christmas NBA game since 2018. Part of that was likely the Lakers’ influence, certainly. But still. That’s a good sign for the league.

There seems to be something here. The NBA is doing its best to tap into it. We’ll have to see if it works long-term, but the league is smart to lean in as hard as possible on this.

Please be serious, Tua

Jan 7, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) looks on from the field prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

I’m not one of those folks who winces every time Tua Tagovailoa takes some contact on the football field.

This is football, after all. The dude is going to get hit. His history with concussions is scary, but he knows the risk and is willing to take it on. That’s his choice. We shouldn’t fret over it ourselves if he isn’t.

With that said, I couldn’t help but cringe on Monday night when he dove headfirst to make a tackle after throwing an interception. Then he had the nerve to joke about it, writes Charles Curtis:

“Of course, Tagovailoa’s history of head injuries was on everyone’s minds — remember, he suffered another one earlier this season — but the Dolphins QB was OK after getting hit despite everyone’s concerns.

On top of that, he was asked about lowering his head after the game and he actually joked about it: “That was pretty bad tackling form, though,” he said with a smile.

Thank goodness it wasn’t much worse.”

Tua, buddy. Please. We want better for you. It would help if you wanted better for yourself.

Shane Waldron is out

(Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

Somebody had to take the fall for the Chicago Bears’ offensive struggles as of late. The team has only scored 27 points in its last three games. That’s unheard of.

There was talk about potentially benching Caleb Williams, but Matt Eberflus put that talk to bed.

Instead, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron takes the fall. Chicago reportedly let Waldron go on Tuesday morning. Eberflus released a statement on the decision:

“After evaluating our entire operation, I decided that it is in the best interest of our team to move in a different direction with the leadership of our offense. This decision was well-thought-out, one that was conducted deliberately and respectfully. I would like to thank Shane for his efforts and wish him the best moving forward.”

That’s a tough look for Waldron, but probably the right move. Benching Williams was a non-starter. He’s Chicago’s priority at this point. If it weren’t Waldron taking the fall here, it would’ve been Eberflus himself.

We’ll see how things go from here. But one thing is for sure: That hot seat is not cooling off just yet.

Quick hits: NFL Power Rankings … Nikola Jokic’s dominance … and more

— Here are Christian D’Andrea and Robert Zeglinski with their weekly NFL power rankings, including more on the Steelers surprising dominance so far this year.

— Here’s Robert on Nikola Jokic’s dominance keeping the Nuggets afloat in a tough Western Conference.

— Speaking of saviors, Prince Grimes writes that Joel Embiid is returning just in time to save the 76ers from the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes.

— Here’s Cory Woodroof with the 7 teams most likely to make a QB change in 2025.

— Here’s Tyler Netunno with CFB’s winners and losers for Week 11.

— This might be the best wrong answer Wheel of Fortune has ever blessed us with. Wow.

That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for reading. We appreciate you. Have a fantastic day. Peace.

-Sykes ✌️

The Lions-Texans proves the NFL’s watchability problem this year is real

Football might have a watchability problem.

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

Good morning, Winners! Welcome back to the Morning Win. Thanks so much for reading today. We appreciate you for giving us a bit of your time.

Did you see the Lions-Texans game Sunday night? If you did, I’m sorry.

I’m not going to lie to y’all — by the time Jared Goff threw his third interception, I tapped out. That game was unwatchable for me! There were seven total interceptions between the two quarterbacks and two fumbles (both recovered by the offense).

THE WORST QBS: Jared Goff is a lock on our grossest QB performance list this week.

I wasn’t subjecting myself to that foolishness. Yes, folks. I am saying I’m too good for sloppy football. Especially when the team I root for isn’t involved. If it’s my team?  Maybe I’ll stick it out. Otherwise? No. Absolutely not. Y’all are out of your minds.

This game was exciting, yes. But it was exciting in the same way that it’s exciting to watch a dumpster fire. When you see one, you’ve probably never seen one before. So you’re like, “WOW. A dumpster fire!” But then, you realize what you’re watching. And you’re like, “Huh. This is a dumpster fire.”

That’s the perfect way to describe the Lions’ improbable (and undeserving!) comeback. Detroit made history by being the first team since 1970 ever to throw at least five interceptions, be down by 15 points or more, and still find a way to win the game.

That’s awful. To me, it says much more about the game’s actual quality than it does about how resilient or awesome that comeback was. To pull off a comeback of that nature, your opponent has to kind of stink. And we’re talking about two teams who are supposed to be Super Bowl contenders here. The Lions might even be the best team in the NFL!

I guess it’s great to be able to find a way to win games no matter what. And y’all know I’m a Dan Campbell guy.

But, man. This was bad. I couldn’t do it. Sorry. I do not love football that much!

This game speaks to an overarching problem I think football has right now. The quality of play in the NFL just isn’t quite what it used to be. Tom Brady (of all people!) tried to warn us about this and we didn’t listen. But he was right: A lot of mediocre football is being played these days.

How do you fix this? I don’t know. But somebody needs to find a way. Because, man, a lot of these games stink.

 Never miss a snap with 4th & Monday

What’s the sneaky-good NFL game of the week? Looking to dominate your fantasy league or survivor pool? Get pigskin prognostications, plus the top storylines each week with 4th & Monday, USA TODAY Sports’ expert guide to NFL action, game results and must-see moments.

Sign up here for our NFL newsletter and get that exclusive content delivered to your inbox each Friday and Monday during the season and every Monday in the offseason.

Giannis is a child

Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

That was Jaylen Brown’s response after Giannis Antetokounmpo left him hanging on Sunday.

The Bucks’ star elbowed the reigning Finals MVP in the head on an offensive foul during their matchup against one another. Giannis seemed to be making a piece offering to Brown when he did this instead.

I like it! Give me a little bit of spice in my hoops, man. This is fun. I mean, the elbow wasn’t fun. It was kind of dangerous. But it happens! The rest of this is a good time.

Brown got the last laugh with the 113-107 win. Antetokounmpo’s Bucks are 2-8 and still have a lot to figure out at this point.

But it seems the slow start hasn’t broken Antetokounmpo’s spirit. Not yet, anyway.

What’s up, WhatsApp!!!

Hey, gang! We’ve got a WhatsApp channel! No, we’re not going on an international vacation. This is a channel for you to keep up with everything we’re doing at For The Win. 

We’ll be posting the latest articles and videos from the site into the channel directly to you, our favorite Winners. 

Sign up for the channel here! We look forward to seeing you on WhatsApp. 

The Bears are … bad?

Oct 13, 2024; London, United Kingdom; Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus watches from the sidelines against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second half during an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

A few weeks ago it looked like the Chicago Bears were in a solid position in a tough NFC North division.

They weren’t at the top, but at 4-2 they were in solid position to make a run if they could just scrounge up a few wins over the next few weeks.

Those next few weeks have not gone well. Chicago has only scored 27 points total in three straight losses. Worst of all? Robert Zeglinski says the Bears are breaking Caleb Williams:

“After a promising start to the year, the Bears appear to be breaking Caleb Williams, and they seem to be quitting on their coaches.

The Bears cannot continue on like this for another eight games. The players have clearly made their statement about how they feel about the current situation. Parading on with no meaningful changes whatsoever (offensive coordinator Shane Waldron getting fired/losing play-calling duties? Eberflus getting fired? Both getting fired?) would be a slap in the face to their current roster and any fans still, somehow, watching them.”

This team has got to have the worst vibe in the NFL by far.

Quick hits: What we learned in Week 10 … Jerry World’s big flaw … and more

— Here’s Christian D’Andrea on everything we learned from Week 10 in the NFL, including the Jets being a mess.

— The sun shining through the roof of AT&T stadium completely disrupted the game between the Cowboys and Eagles multiple times. Fans roasted Jerry Jones for defending it.

— Are we the Chiefs and Lions on a collision course for the Super Bowl? Week 10 makes you think so.

— Ricky Pearsall might be breaking out for the 49ers and that’s awesome to see. Here’s Charles Curtis on his fantasy impact.

— Bryce Yong, guys!!! He’s making progress. Maybe. Christian has more on that.

— Here’s Shawn Hoculi calling penalties in German. This is cool. Prince Grimes has more.

That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for rocking with us today. We appreciate you.

Peace.

-Sykes ✌️