morning win – Syndication Server

The Jets are not a real NFL team.

I refuse to fall for this anymore.

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.

The Jets are not a real NFL team.

I don’t mean that in the sense that the Jets are just so incompetent that they don’t compare to a legitimate NFL team. Obviously, that’s true. But that’s not what I’m saying here, Winners.

What I’m saying is there’s no way the New York Jets are an actual football team.

I refuse to believe this anymore. I won’t continue to fall for this trick that everyone is playing on us and you shouldn’t either. There’s got to be something else going on in the background that keeps those doors open every day. How else do you reasonably explain anything that happens around this team?

The “team” — if we’re still calling it that — operates more like an ABC workplace comedy sitcom than an actual football team. A rotating cast of characters comes in each day with new hijinks.

Usually, it’s Aaron Rodgers stepping on a rake and hitting himself in the face with the handle. Not today, though! Today, it’s Woody Johnson, the 77-year-old owner who is only open to the whims of his teenage boys, Brick and Jack, when running his team.

That’s the reported explanation for why Johnson nixed a trade for Jerry Jeudy. His te enage sons didn’t like his Madden rating, according to reporting from The Athletic.

HIS MADDEN RATING, y’all. Woody Johnson doesn’t even know what Madden is, man.

I need someone to explain to me — like I’m 5 years old — how the Jets aren’t simply a front for something. Has anybody peeked inside at the Jets’ front office lately? Are we sure it exists? What are they selling back there? My guess is jailbroken Firesticks with NFL League Pass included. That’s how unserious this operation is.

The good news for Jets fans — if you *do* actually exist out there — is that Johnson will probably be out of your hair soon if he goes to work for the first-ever president-elect to be a convicted felon.

The bad news is that Aaron Rodgers is inevitable. Sorry.

Jeremiah Fears has no fear

Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Sorry. I’ve been itching to type that headline for the last 12 hours. You’ve probably already seen 16 different variations of it online, but whatever. It’s perfect. And it’s true.

Oklahoma’s Jeremiah Fears’ game-winning shot against Michigan on Wednesday night is the stuff of legend.

The Sooners need 3-points to tie the game and send it to overtime. Fears did them exactly one point better. He hit the three and got the foul.

Oklahoma is undefeated at 11-0 and looks like one of the best teams in the country. For Fears to be this team’s leader as a freshman is extremely impressive, considering that he reclassified to play for Oklahoma this year.

He should be planning prom-posals and getting ready to graduate. Instead, he’s hitting big buckets and getting ready to cash in at the NBA draft next summer.

The value of an NBA team

Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Mat Ishbia and the Phoenix Suns decided to sell concessions for $2 in the Phoenix Suns arena, which is absolutely reasonable and exactly how it should be.

It was always ridiculous that people were paying more than that for bags of chips that were half filled with air and bottles of water that somehow still leave you thirsty.

Considering how much these teams are worth, those prices are even more absurd. Sportico released its annual NBA valuation data and the numbers are staggering.

A few numbers for you:

NBA teams are collectively valued at $138 billion.
The average NBA team is worth around $4.6 billion.
The Warriors were the highest team valued at $9.14 billion. The Grizzlies were the lowest at $3.06 billion.

You catch my drift here. The cheapest team in the league is worth multiple billions of dollars. You and I could pool together our resources with a few thousand other people like us and we probably still couldn’t buy a sliver of this team.

I’ll never buy another bag of chips from an arena again.

Quick hits: Doug Gottlieb the doofus … Diego Pavia is back … and more

— Doug Gottlieb really put his foot in his mouth with this one. Meg Hall has more on his hilarious blunder.

— Diego Pavia is returning to Vandy. Watch out, Hugh Freeze. Christian D’Andrea has more here.

— Here are our straight-up picks for Week 16 in the NFL. There are some good games on the slate this weekend.

— I love a fake punt-pass but this one takes the cake. Cory Woodroof has more.

— Josh Allen is head over heels, y’all. I love this. Robert Zeglinski has more.

— Mike Penix Jr. was doing the funniest thing when he got the news that he was the Falcons’ starting QB.

That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for reading. Have a happy Thursday. Peace.

-Sykes ✌️

The Bucks refusing to pop champagne after winning the NBA Cup is so incredibly corny

Yet, it also feels very on brand

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

First of all, before I completely roast these guys, let me congratulate the Milwaukee Bucks for winning the NBA Cup on Tuesday night. That’s an awesome moment. An extra $500k in pocket sounds extremely nice.

THE BUCKS WON IT ALL: Milwaukee is celebrating its NBA Cup victory, in photos

But here’s the thing. The Bucks refused to pop champagne after their victory and I cannot stop laughing about it.

The NBA meticulously planned all of this for Milwaukee, only for it to go untouched. Those bottles are collecting dust, baby. Take that plastic down. No bottles will be popped tonight — well, at least, not in the locker room. When the Bucks hit the strip last night their tune probably switched up.

The team didn’t indulge because it wanted to remain focused on the rest of the regular season. They did this at the behest of Darvin Ham, Chris Haynes reports.

Guys. DARVIN HAM.

Now, let me put some respect on that man’s name. He and Taurean Prince are the only two people in the world to go undefeated in two straight NBA Cup tournaments, after all.

But this is just objectively funny. The mere thought of Doc Rivers telling Chris Haynes that Ham told him the Bucks shouldn’t pop champagne, so the Bucks decided not to, is sending me to the moon.

We’re talking about the same Darvin Ham, right? My guy, you’re in Milwaukee for a reason.

Now, Ham is a fine coach. But I’m sure the Lakers’ decision not to pop the champagne after winning the NBA Cup probably had nothing to do with their relative success last year.

Doc Rivers is a better man than me. Because if Ham told me not to pop the champagne? Hand me a bottle right now. If I do this, the Nuggets may have mercy this time.

Look, I get it. Athletes are superstitious. Popping champagne after a regular season tournament would probably feel a little weird.

But, guys. Come on. There’s no need to be this weird about it. Give those rookies and two-way guys something to remember. Let them have a little fun. Some of them just doubled their salary! Somebody is going to buy a house tomorrow because of this!

That’s success worthy of celebrating. Stop being corny and celebrate it.

Peace up, Kirk Cousins down

Getting demoted on your day off has to suck. Kirk Cousins can tell us all about it.

The Falcons named rookie QB Michael Penix Jr. as the team’s starter for the rest of the season after another stinker from Cousins in Atlanta’s win over the Raiders.

It’s not often you see a team make a QB switch after a win. But you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’t think this is the right decision.

Our Cory Woodroof has more on what facilitated the end of the Cousins era in Atlanta.

“For as much as the idea of Cousins contending with the team for two or three seasons before an organic passing of the torch to Penix sounded great on paper and in press conferences, there was always the possibility that this timeline would hit the hyperdrive if Cousins struggled in a meaningful way.

Cousins throwing nine picks and a lone touchdown in five games, looking like a statue in the pocket and going 1-4 in that stretch served as the catalyst to his Tuesday benching.

Monday night’s abysmal performance from Cousins against a lowly Las Vegas Raiders defense sealed it. Even though Atlanta got the win, the offense looked stuck in place with Cousins throwing the ball and unable to escape even the smallest sliver of defensive pressure. The writing was on the wall.”

That’ll do it, folks. This dude doesn’t look good anymore. There’s potential for a trade down the line. Cousins could find himself a new home.

But, man. He’s 37 years old. It might just be time to hang ’em up, Kirk.

Mike Vick’s big move

The NFL legend has climbed the coaching ladder into a pretty fantastic job. After some confusion over the last few days, news finally broke that Michael Vick is headed to Norfolk State as the head coach of the HBCU’s football team.

Our Mitchell Northam did a deep dive into why this is so much more than just a celebrity coaching hire that you should check out.

Vick’s hire could save NSU’s football program entirely:

“Now, in this changing landscape of college football, Norfolk State has turned to a hometown hero and a big name who knows a thing or two about football that might help it harness some goodwill and garner some NIL contributions to keep the program afloat.

If Vick can turn Norfolk State into a winner quickly, it would represent a tremendous feel-good story for Vick and his legacy, Norfolk State and Hampton Roads, and all of college football.

And if Vick is as successful as Deion was at Jackson State, it will only make Brent Pry’s seat in Blacksburg warmer. If Vick’s Spartans have more W’s than Pry’s Hokies next season, expect their resumes to be compared, and expect folks in Blacksburg to call for a different kind of homecoming.”

I hope Vick finds success at Norfolk State, and I hope his tenure there lasts a long, long time. Seeing a good head coach stick around for a minute at an HBCU would be nice.

Quick hits: QB Rankings … Kirk Cousins landing spots … and more

— Here’s Christian D’Andrea with his latest QB rankings. Jordan Love keeps climbing that ladder like the Toyotathon merchant he is.

— Here’s Cory with five potential landing spots for Kirk Cousins after his benching.

— Meet Blades Brown: The golfer with an awesome name and a mom who was the first pick in the WNBA draft back in the day. Meg Hall has more.

— Here’s our list of CFB players skipping bowl games this season.

— We’ve also got a running list of players who’ve entered the transfer portal so far.

— Tom Izzo and Greg Kampe wearing matching Grinch sweaters is adorable. Bryan Kalbrosky has more.

That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for reading. Have a great Wednesday. Peace.

-Sykes ✌️

The Bucks-Thunder NBA Cup Final matchup is everything a true basketball fan could want

Stop picking reasons not to watch and just enjoy the basketball.

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

There’s so much hand-wringing about the state of the NBA these days.

Complaints about teams taking too many 3-pointers have reached an all-time high. Folks are paying more attention to the league’s ratings than the actual basketball on the court.

Take it from me, folks: That’s a massive mistake because some really good basketball has been played across the league. And we’ll probably get another good one tonight between the Bucks and Thunder for the NBA Cup final.

This Cup final is offering everything folks have claimed to want to see from the NBA over the last few years.

Did you want parity? You got it. The Thunder are an NBA title contender and the Bucks hope to be one. Did you want small markets? This is Oklahoma City and Milwaukee. Did you want stars? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a shot at the league’s MVP award this season and Giannis Antetokounmpo already has two of his own. Did you want stakes? There’s a championship at play here, even if it is just a regular season one. That doesn’t make it meaningless — there’s money on the line for these players.

And, by the way, the Thunder and Bucks are 9th and 15th in 3-point attempts per game, respectively. So if the 50 three-pointers the Celtics take aren’t your cup of tea, don’t worry. This isn’t that. There’s variance in the styles of play here. These teams are unique and interesting.

If you’re a basketball fan, there’s almost no reason to not watch this game. But I’m sure folks will find a way.

That’s the thing. A lot of the folks who are complaining about the game simply don’t watch the game. They’re not fans of the league. The NBA only serves as a punching bag to get off lukewarm takes that get a bunch of likes and reposts on Elon Musk’s rage-bait-y hellscape of a social media platform for those people.

Does the league get in its own way at times? Absolutely. NBA League Pass probably shouldn’t be so expensive if you want people watching your smaller markets. Also, media blackouts probably shouldn’t be a thing. Splintered television rights get in the way more often than not.

Plus, the NBA needs to start treating its small markets like it actually wants them to exist. Embarrassing copy like this about the Rockets vs. Thunder matchup should never be published. That’s dumb. You can’t expect fans to care about your teams when you don’t.

Regardless, though, the basketball this season has been very good. We’re in for another good one tonight. If you’re not watching, you’re missing out.

Meanwhile, in the NFL…

Mandatory Credit: Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images

We got yet another atrocious serving of Monday Night Football between two matchups: The Vikings vs. Bears and the Falcons vs. Raiders.

Both were pretty awful in their own ways. So bad that our own Meg Hall is begging the league to stop serving its fans slop in primetime television slots on MNF.

She makes the astute point that it’s kind of on us. When there’s a bad Monday or Thursday night football game, we don’t turn it off. We watch anyway. The NFL isn’t going to fix it if we don’t make them.

Here’s more:

“But perhaps that’s my fault. The NFL knows it can serve slop to fans because it doesn’t matter how terrible the product is; they will watch it. Frankly, I’m disgusted with myself and the league for subjecting me to comically lousy football.

Someone needs to pay for their crimes. We can’t go on like this. At this point, I’d be open to another alt-cast. What about Family Guy? Rugrats? Bluey? Something. ANYTHING other than what I watched Monday.”

Let’s be better, folks.

Golf’s dream matchup is here

The best players from the PGA and LIV are going head to head on Tuesday night in what they’re calling “The Showdown.”

Scottie Scheffler (No. 1) and Rory McIlroy will face off against Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau (No. 10) at Shadow Creek Golf Club in Las Vegas.

This is fascinating! Here’s more from the Sports Report on TikTok:

@the.sports.report

Who you got? #theshowdown

♬ original sound – The Sports Report

I’ve still got plenty of complaints about LIV Golf and lots of critiques about the PGA’s merger with the league.

WELL, THIS IS AWKWARD: Every quote that makes the PGA-LIV merger decision look as awkward as possible

But this is unequivocally a good thing for the golf world. These are the best players in golf, going at it.

Imagine getting LeBron James and Kevin Durant to play a two-on-two matchup in the offseason against Steph Curry and James Harden. That’s basically what this is.

Golf fans everywhere are certainly going to be tuned in. Let’s hope this lives up to its billing.

Quick hits: NFL Power Rankings … A new Logan Paul matchup? … and more

— Here’s Christian D’Andrea and Robert Zeglinski with the latest NFL Power Rankings, which have Josh Allen and the Bills sitting lonely at the top.

— Conor McGregor says he’s going to box Logan Paul before making an MMA comeback. Charles Curtis has more.

— This is the first time I’ve ever rooted for Adam Schefter. Charles Curtis will show you why.

— Christian D’Andrea says the Falcons have laid their ceiling bare with their putrid showing against the Raiders.

— Cory Woodroof has more on Justin Jefferson’s awesome shoutout to Randy Moss after scoring a touchdown.

— The Krafts seem very fed up with their own team right now. Yikes.

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

-Sykes ✌️

De’Vondre Campbell quitting on his team is actually kind of hilarious when you think about it

De’Vondre Campbell really quit work on his day on. That’s backwards.

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forwarad 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! Happy Friday!

De’Vondre Campbell just took quiet quitting to a whole new level, folks.

Surely you’ve heard that the 49ers linebacker told Kyle Shanahan that he didn’t feel like playing football last night. He headed into the locker room right after, knowing he’d never play a snap for the 49ers again.

HIS TEAM HATES HIM: Here’s everything we know about Campbell quitting on his team

On the one hand? I can’t blame the guy. The field looked disgusting! And the 49ers are not very good. Bashing your head in on a yucky field while playing for a yucky team has to be a nightmare.

On the other hand, quitting on your team stinks. Especially in the middle of a game.

But it is pretty funny, though!

I’ve been wondering all morning at what moment during last night’s 49ers-Rams game did De’Vondre Campbell decide, “You know what? Nah. I’m good.”

It must’ve been before Kyle Shanahan asked him to spell Dre Greenlaw in the fourth quarter. Way before that. My guy quit with conviction. Shanahan said Campbell told him “he didn’t want to play today,” before walking off. I don’t know about y’all, but to me, that’s someone who came into the game knowing they weren’t going to play today. He was just waiting for his moment!

He’d known all game that the very second that whenever Kyle Shanahan walked up to him to say, “Buddy, can you get in there?” he was going to pull one of these numbers:

I mean, come on. That’s hilarious. Pure comedy.

Don’t act like you didn’t laugh when Antonio Brown (blegh) took his pads off and shimmied off the field without a care in the world? There was also that time that Vontae Davis (may he RIP) retired mid-game. He didn’t just quit — he retired! What a legend.

Campbell goes into that group. The pantheon of dudes who’d just decided they’d had enough.

Campbell might not ever play a down in the NFL again after this. I can’t imagine this will go over well in other places around the league.

If this is his last NFL moment, at least it was a good one. Well, for us, anyway.

Caleb Williams is broken

The Bears stink that much. Caleb Williams looks so sad talking about how bad the team’s current 7-game losing streak is.

“I’ve never had a streak like this of losing.”

Caleb Williams on the Bears’ 7-game losing streak. pic.twitter.com/RL0rXmGtdb

— Marquee Bears (@BearsMarquee) December 12, 2024

Here’s Robert Zeglinski with more on the situation with Chicago’s QB:

“As a high school football player in the Washington, D.C., area, Caleb Williams took his team to a championship. While in college with USC, Williams never quite took the Trojans to such lofty heights, but he did win 23 of 33 career games while also taking home the 2022 Heisman Trophy.

The Bears are a different story. The Bears, led by overmatched general manager Ryan Poles, are a poorly-oiled machine that only produces pain and angst. The Bears — and their rampant losing in the most preventable ways — are something that Williams apparently wasn’t prepared for.

You gotta feel for the kid for clearly having more hope coming into the league.

Alas, the Bears will do that to you.”

When you come from winning, it’s hard to lose. Especially when you lose a lot.

The Bears have to turn this around. I never want to see Caleb Williams this sad again.

Juan Soto really hated the Yankees, huh?

It’s been pretty clear that Juan Soto didn’t really enjoy his time with the Yankees all that much. It only took $5 million more for the Mets to pry him away.

If that wasn’t enough to convince you that he doesn’t like the Yankees like that, then maybe his introductory press conference with the Mets will.

Soto was asked if he’d been in contact with any of his former teammates. His response? “I haven’t talked to any of those guys.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2HBEGqrIZPo

This doesn’t really come as a surprise. The Yankees didn’t really seem to want him that much, either?

Andrew Joseph has more on the vibes from the end of Soto’s Yankees tenure here:

“Soto — who helped lead the Yankees to their first World Series appearance since 2009 — decided to sign with the crosstown rivals for a 15-year, $765 million deal. Given how crucial Soto was to the Yankees’ success in 2024, one might have expected more of a recruitment effort from players like Aaron Judge or Gerrit Cole. But that wasn’t the case at all.”

Clearly, the feelings of apathy are mutual here.

Photo Friday: Ever wondered what it was like to be a hockey puck?

*** BESTPIX *** ELMONT, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 10: The New York Islanders defend the net against the Los Angeles Kings during the second period at UBS Arena on December 10, 2024 in Elmont, New York. The Kings defeated the Islanders 3-1. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

I imagine it probably looks something like this.

Quick hits: OBJ, please retire … Best bets of Week 15 … and more

— Meg Hall is trying to convince Odell Beckham Jr. to retire. I’m with her.

— Here are our best best for Week 15 in the NFL from Christian D’Andrea. Tap in.

— Bill Belichick says he didn’t write a 400-page book of demands for UNC. No one should believe him.

— De’Vondre Campbell’s teammates are ripping him for quitting in the middle of a game. Charles Curtis has more.

— Here’s Nick Swartz with winners from The Game Awards on Thursday.

— And Cory Woodroof has you covered with five big Oscar takeaways from the Golden Globe nominations.

That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for reading. Happy Friday! Enjoy your weekend.

-Sykes ✌️

Juan Soto’s gigantic Mets deal is an overpay that was necessary

Sometimes you have to risk it to get the biscuit.

Good morning, Winners! Welcome back to the Morning Win. Thanks for reading today. We appreciate you.

Now that the dust has settled from the sticker shock of Juan Soto’s megadeal with the Mets, we’ve collectively moved on to the next stage: The backlash.

That’s typically how free agency works across sports. The star player hits the market. Then, the star player signs a huge contract we’ve never seen before. Fans see the headlines about the deal and are in awe. Then that awe turns into “Well, is this actually a good deal?” and that’s where we’re now.

Juan Soto is overpaid. At least, according to two of the premier baseball analysts in the zeitgeist, he is.

Buster Olney and Jeff Passan discussed how the Mets overpaid for Soto on the Baseball Tonight podcast.

“Do we really believe that either Brian Cashman (Yankees GM) or David Stearns (Mets president baseball operations) is saying to their owner, ‘You know what? It’s a good baseball deal to give this guy $51 million when we know he’s probably going to be a DH for most of his career,” Olney said. “There’s no chance that happens. This is all about the two owners.”

Passan suggested that the Yankees might be “better off” long-term for missing out on Juan Soto. “This is not a good baseball deal. It’s just not. In the context of everything else in the sport, it is an exceptional overpay,” he said.

On the podcast, https://t.co/fYcUOLa9S1 @JeffPassan talks about the Juan Soto deal pic.twitter.com/M9th88OrZZ

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 9, 2024

Here’s the thing: They’re absolutely right. This is an overpay.

Paying a guy $51 million annually for the next 15 years will certainly not make it easy to build the rest of the team out year after year moving forward. Unlike Ohtani’s megadeal last year, there are no deferrals there. This isn’t a “team-friendly” contract. It’s Juan Soto hitting the lottery.

But, guys. Let’s not overthink it. This is Juan Soto. He’s a 26-year-old slugger who is still a beast in the outfield and has one of the most unique batting styles we’ve seen. Even if he is a designated hitter in, say, five to seven years, so what? His OBP might still be stupidly good. He’s won’t magically suck in two years.

The Mets saw the opportunity to go get a guy that could get the franchise over the hump and Steve Cohen had the cash to make it happen. So why not go get the guy?

Sure, the Mets could’ve played it prudently and spread that money out a bit. But New York probably wasn’t going to win a World Series that way, either. As they say: Scared money doesn’t make money. And Steve Cohen has more money than anyone in that league. Might as well spend it!

Good on the Mets. Go win it all now.

The Cowboys broke Micah Parsons

Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK

Boy, I cannot WAIT to hear Micah Parsons on his podcast this week. What are the chances he demands a trade? Gotta be a greater than zero percent chance after Monday Night Football.

I don’t even know how to describe the sequence that broke him. Our Mary Clarke did a fantastic job here, so I’ll let her handle it:

“The Bengals were set to punt the ball away after the two-minute warning when the Cowboys blocked the punt! However, the Cowboys made the unfortunate mistake of touching the ball after the block and not recovering it, meaning the Bengals got possession back with a chance to score for the lead.

And score they did, as the Bengals went right down the field and made the game 27-20, which is how the game ended when all was said and done.”

I, for one, didn’t even know you could muff a blocked punt. Anyway, that led to Parsons losing it on the sideline. He looks so confused. To be fair, we all were.

Micah Parsons literally can’t believe it pic.twitter.com/hRSIaeFRlp

— Jordan Dajani (@JordanDajani) December 10, 2024

What a way to lose.

Was Karl-Anthony Towns born to be a Knick?

After Monday night’s game against the Raptors, it seems to be so. The game wasn’t anything special, really. But the moment that came after Towns hit a big shot to essentially seal the game felt like a pivotal one — at least in the scope of his career.

He hits the big 3-pointer and then points to his jersey.

Towns has been on the Knicks for months at this point, but this felt like the moment he became a Knick.

Good for KAT, man. He’s been one of the most maligned NBA players in the league since being drafted. Folks questioned his personality fit when the Timberwolves traded him to New York. People didn’t think he could take the bright lights.

Seems to be fitting in well so far.

Quick hits: The best moments from the Simpsons-cast … Jimmy Butler trade destinations … and more

— Here’s Cory Woodroof with the 15 best moments from the Simpsons alt-cast for Monday Night Football.

— Jimmy Butler is apparently on the trade block, folks. Here’s Bryan Kalbrsoky with three potential destinations for him.

— Tyler Nettuno has winners and losers from conference championship weekend.

— We’ve got a Caitlin Clark and Taylor Swift link up. The FTWvengers are uniting. Meg Hall has more.

— Joe Burrow’s kneel at the end of the game last night blew playoff chances for a lot of fantasy football owners out there. Prince Grimes has more.

— This Cowboys cheerleader rooting against her team but for her boyfriend is so wholesome.

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

-Sykes ✌️

The College Football Playoff selection process needs fixing. Here’s how to do it.

The CFP selection committee spends half the year talking itself into circles. Enough already.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the CFP committee backed itself into a corner AGAIN with its weekly rankings and subsequent explanations, some of which don’t make sense. Why would you not reevaluate teams idle during conference championship weekend when conference title games could make idle teams look better or worse? That pretty much guaranteed idle teams ranked lower than Alabama (e.g. South Carolina) last week couldn’t move up.

Even when the committee shares its reasoning, it’s often inconsistent, illogical and biased, which is why so many fans were bracing themselves for Alabama getting in over SMU. Thankfully, the committee made the right call there and didn’t punish the Mustangs for losing a close conference championship matchup.

But as recently as Saturday’s SEC title game, the committee was still getting criticized for botching last year’s four-team playoff with Florida State. The committee messed its rhetoric and criteria up so much this year that it has some of us feeling sorry for the SEC’s overlooked teams, like SOUTH CAROLINA.

An easy fix would be to only do playoff rankings the week going into conference championship weekend and then on Selection Sunday. That would keep the committee from setting arbitrary rules that then have to be followed for the rest of the rankings and limit how many explanations they offer and later contradict.

“My personal opinion is we come out with the rankings too early,” said Bob Bowlsby, the former Big 12 commissioner and architect of the 12-team format, via Yahoo Sports. “Doing it every week is hard on the chair and the committee. Two polls, one midseason and one at the end, would be better. But ESPN would flip out.”

Bowlsby is spot-on all around. No one complains about not getting March Madness rankings in early February, and the CFP committee could follow suit and offer indicators and hints without late-season weekly rankings.

If the committee wanted to help itself, it’d listen to Bowlsby’s and many others’ suggestions for improvement. Maybe it will when it comes to auto-bids and first-round byes, but we’re banking on the status quo for weekly rankings and ESPN’s show.

Juan Soto must’ve hated the Yankees

Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

That’s the only reasonable conclusion I can come up with after seeing the difference between his new deal with the Mets and what he was offered from the Yankees, Mike Sykes writes.

Soto signed the biggest contract in the history of professional sports. Fifteen years and $765 million. No deferred money. The Mets ponied up for this one and got their guy.

THE DETAILS: Everything you need to know about Juan Soto’s megadeal

But what’s wild is that the deal Soto signed was reportedly only $5 million more than the Yankees offered him. The Yankees deal also included an extra year, according to Jon Heyman. Soto basically took an extra $5 million to move across town.

Yankees bid $760M for 16 years. Soto is a Met.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 9, 2024

Now, let’s be honest. Any of us would do the same for $5 million without the context of the extra $760 million on the table. But for this contract? That’s nothing. The difference is negligible.

On one hand, you can say the Yankees should’ve gone bigger. Lots of folks out there are arguing that today. But, on the other, if $5 million made that big of a difference? It doesn’t sound like Soto wanted to be a Yankee for very long, anyway.

The Simpsons are saving Monday Night Football

No Byline Twentieth Century Fox HO – handout

Because the only way we were all tuning in to watch a terrible Cowboys team play a middling Bengals team is if you dropped the game in the middle of Springfield.

Bengals-Cowboys will be played on The Simpsons-themed alt-cast for Monday Night Football, similar to the Toy Story game from last season.

Here’s Cory Woodroof with more on how it’ll work:

“The alternative broadcast will air on ESPN+ and Disney+ via streaming and NFL+ via mobile, with Bart Simpson representing the Bengals and Homer Simpson representing the Cowboys.

“Each Bengals and Cowboys player will appear as a motion-enabled, animated player for the special primetime matchup,” a Disney release reads.

“Through state-of-the-art tracking technology enabled by NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Sony’s Beyond Sports, combined with Sony’s Hawk-Eye Innovations’ optical tracking, fans enjoying The Simpsons Funday Football will see every snap, run, pass, score, and more from the real-life Bengals and Cowboys matchup at AT&T Stadium as it happens.”

This will be the only reason I tune in tonight. Well, this and the fact that I desperately need Tee Higgins to catch six touchdowns so I can win my fantasy matchup.

Quick hits: Josh Allen is your MVP … Kirk Cousins was never real … and more

— Josh Allen was so good against the Rams, Prince Grimes writes, that he probably just locked up the MVP award.

— Here’s Christian D’Andrea on everything we learned from Week 14 in the NFL, including how much of a mirage Kirk Cousins is.

— Here’s Meg Hall with 12 photos of South Carolina absolutely whooping TCU, including Ashlyn Watkins’ incredible dunk.

— The Raiders and Giants are moving up (or down?) the tank ladder. Here’s Charles Curtis with the latest NFL draft order.

— The Chiefs can’t keep getting away with this. Or, well, maybe they can. Idk anymore.

— Juan Soto FaceTimed Donovan Mitchell after signing his new deal with the Mets. What a moment. Mary Clarke has more.

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

– Michelle & Sykes ✌️

The College Football Playoff committee has way too much respect for Alabama

You’d think Saban was still coaching the Crimson Tide with how much respect the committee shows Alabama.

It appears only one thing can slow the Crimson Tide. It’s not Nick Saban’s retirement and it’s not three losses (including two to unranked teams). It’s Clemson.

We should’ve known this rivalry wasn’t dead yet.

WINNERS AND LOSERS: Read Blake’s full winners and losers column from Tuesday’s CFP rankings

Alabama fans can continue hating on the Tigers because they are the only thing standing in the way of the playoff. If No. 8 SMU beats No. 17 Clemson, Alabama will be safely in the postseason. If Clemson wins, the Tigers get the ACC’s automatic bid and the committee will have to decide between SMU, Alabama and South Carolina for the final spot (more on this in a moment).

Essentially the only path that guarantees a playoff berth for Alabama is an SMU win, as College Football Playoff selection committee chair Warde Manuel explained:

"Alabama is 3-1 against current top-25 teams and Miami is 0-1. Alabama is 6-1 against teams above .500 and Miami is 4-2."

CFP Selection Committee Chair Warde Manuel on why Alabama is ranked above Miami in the latest CFP rankings. pic.twitter.com/0gWteS5nA8

— ESPN (@espn) December 4, 2024

“Those who are not playing [in conference championship games], we will not adjust those teams.” Manuel told ESPN.

And to think Alabama fans considered this year a disaster for most of the season.

Justice for South Carolina

Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports

This year’s recipient of the Florida State Award for worst snub has already been locked up by South Carolina. After defeating Clemson on the road, the Gamecocks were effectively told, “thanks, but no thanks” by the committee on Tuesday.

Manuel explained to ESPN that teams who aren’t playing this weekend will not be readjusted because there are no more data points to consider.

That is an astoundingly brutal blow to South Carolina, which would otherwise have a strong playoff case if the Clemson team it just beat wins the ACC title game. Instead, the committee apparently won’t take that into consideration on the Gamecocks’ resume.

The rage emanating from Columbia is justified.

The NBA In-Season Tournament looks awesome

Speaking of unveilings, the final bracket for the NBA Cup has arrived. These matchups look awesome. Here’s a look via Bleacher Report.

We’re getting:

Luka Doncic vs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at the top of the West bracket.
Steph Curry vs. Dillon Brooks’ shenanigans at the bottom of the West.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the resurgent Bucks vs. Franz Wagner and the powerhouse Magic at the top of the East.
Trae Young vs. Madison Square Garden at the bottom of the East.

These are some Grade A hoops, folks. And it only features one of the Big 3 of LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry.

The NBA Cup isn’t so bad after all.

The knockout round starts on Tuesday, Dec. 10. The semi-finals will be in Las Vegas on Dec. 14 and the finals will be in Vegas on Dec. 17. Can’t wait.

Quick hits: The full CFP ranking … HVL’s redemption tour … and more

— Here’s Cory Woodroof with the full college football playoff ranking, which is chock full of disappointment for Ohio State fans.

— Hailey Van Lith is on a redemption tour, folks. She is COOKING right now. Let Meg Hall tell the story.

— Here’s Prince Grimes’ conversation with fantasy guru Matthew Berry, who says you’re probably sleeping on Bo Nix. I know I am.

— Did the WNBA just reveal the Toronto expansion team name? Maybe. Here’s Meg Hall with more on that.

— Here’s Charles Curtis on how to get your Spotify Wrapped for the year.

— Here’s Christian D’Andrea with his quarterback rankings this week. Russell Wilson is elite, y’all.

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

-Sykes ✌️

Oklahoma’s young offensive coordinator will make you feel so old or very unaccomplished

Good for him though!

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

Ready to feel old, you guys? Meet Oklahoma’s new offensive coordinator, Ben Arbuckle.

The Sooners poached him from Washington State, where he was the offensive coordinator and quarterback’s coach. Oklahoma is going the Lincoln Riley route again. Brent Venables is hiring a young, offensive mind from West Texas to give the program some juice again.

Make no mistake about it — Arbuckle is one of the country’s best coordinators. Washington State has one of the best offenses in the country this year. The Cougars rank 12th in scoring offense this season and 22nd in total offense.

He’s one of the best offensive minds in the nation. It’s easy to see why Oklahoma plucked him from the Pac-6 or whatever that shell of a conference is called these days.

But here’s the thing: He’s also just 29 years old.

Yes, that’s right. 29. Two. Nine. That’s it. And he’s walked right into a big boy job in the SEC as the OC for one of the biggest programs in the nation. Granted, that program stinks this year.

REMEMBER FLAG PLANTING? Yeah, Oklahoma got it really bad this season.

But still! He’s 29 years old, man. That’s so young.

What was I doing at 29 years old? Well, certainly not creating an offense for one of the most prominent CFB teams in the country. Actually, I was blogging about Elmo fighting a rock. That’s a pretty great service if I do say so myself. But it certainly isn’t coaching at Oklahoma.

Shoutout to Ben Arbuckle. He’ll probably be a head coach soon if Oklahoma is successful next season and Cam Ward (who he coached at Wazzu for two seasons) lights up the NFL.

I only ask that whoever hires him next waits a few years to get it done. Not because he can’t do the job, but please. The rest of us already feel old enough.

Father Time is fighting back

Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images

LeBron James has been whooping Father Time’s you-know-what for years. He’s nearly 40 years old and has broken record after record, including the NBA’s all-time scoring title.

But, man. This latest stretch from James has got to be some of the worst basketball we’ve ever seen him play.

Over his last six games, LeBron is:

Averaging more shots (18.0) than points (16.9) on 38 percent shooting from the floor.
Averaging 5.0 turnovers per game to 8.7 assists.
Shooting 10 percent from 3-point range on five attempts per game.

Simply put, this is not the LeBron James we’re used to. Not even close. Watching him struggle has been pretty jarring.

James has been so good throughout his career that I can’t even think of a comparable stretch. If there is one, it’s probably something from his rookie year back in 2003.

The Lakers seem to be considering resting James soon despite his desire to play all 82 games this season. While that’s commendable — and, honestly, something I wish more players would aspire to — if it hampers LeBron in this way then he should sit for a game or two.

It’d be better for himself, the Lakers and the NBA.

Wemby is now even more terrifying

Folks. Victor Wembanyama is an 8-foot-tall sharpshooter. It’s completely ridiculous and unfair, but it’s true. This dude is diabolical.

Bryan Kalbrosky wrote about Wemby’s 3-point explosion this season for our Layup Lines newsletter.

“Admittedly, on his jumper, he had a slow start to the 2024-25 campaign. During his first nine games of the season, the big man shot just 22.6 percent from beyond the arc. It was the worst of any player who had at least 50 or more attempts in that span.

But as the old saying goes, and since then, he has turned the corner. He has made 5.1 shots from beyond the arc per game in his eight games since then, which is the most in the league.

For comparison, that is more than Stephen Curry (4.8) and LaMelo Ball (4.7) as well as everyone else in the NBA.”

Alright, man. If you’re going to be that tall but also make more 3-pointers than Steph Curry, what in the world are teams supposed to do? How do you guard this man?

Simply put, this is unfair. But it would always be this when Big Vic got to the league.

Best of luck to his opponents. You’re going to need it.

Quick hits: The spiciest WNBA games … NFL Power Rankings … and more

— Meg Hall plucked out the 20 spiciest matchups from the WNBA’s upcoming schedule for you here. Can’t wait for Paige vs. Caitlin Clark.

— Christian D’Andrea and Robert Zeglinski held it down in the NFL Power Rankings this week. Check ’em out.

— Tyler Nettuno put together a transfer portal tracker for college football for you here.

— Tyler also has you covered with CFB winners and losers for the week here, with Ohio State taking the biggest L imaginable.

— The NFL suspended Azeez Al-Shaair for three games after his late hit on Trevor Lawrence. Here’s Charles Curtis with more.

— Mary Clarke has you covered with NHL Power Rankings for the month.

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

-Sykes ✌️

Baker Mayfield is right: College football needs to embrace the hate with flag planting

Let’s not ruin college football, guys.

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

Folks, I want us to decide if we like college football rivalry weekend or not right now.

Because, after the kerfuffle that broke out at The Game over the weekend, I’m seeing a lot of hand-wringing and finger-wagging that makes me think people don’t actually like the sport’s best weekend at all.

Look, I get it. Nobody likes to see fighting. Seeing Michigan and Ohio State’s players get tangled up like that certainly isn’t the best look. Violence is never encouraged, so when it happens, it’s a bit jarring.

But, folks, this is rivalry weekend! This is the thing. This is how it goes.

Baker Mayfield gets it. As the former Flag-Planter Supreme of the college football world, he was asked about the shenanigans this weekend.

“College football is meant to have rivalries. That’s like the Big 12 banning the ‘horns down’ signal. Just let the boys play,” Mayfield said.

You see that? That’s a guy who gets it. That’s somebody who understands what rivalry weekend is all about.

It’s OK to wave goodbye to fans. It’s OK to plant a flag or two in the middle of your opponent’s field after you gave them the business. It’s OK to be petty! That’s what makes this weekend special.

The money is so intertwined in college football these days that it’s easy to forget that. Conference realignment has changed things. These days, the simple crosstown rivalries don’t matter. Not like they used to.

But when college football is at its best, we’re watching a game that is literally being played to accomplish one thing: Ruining someone’s year. It doesn’t matter what happened before that game. It doesn’t matter what happens after. Ryan Day and Ohio State could win a national championship and Michigan fans won’t care. They’ll still have that win over the Buckeyes. And they’ll still have planted that big blue flag with the M on it in the middle of the Buckeye’s field. For that team, that’s just as good as any national championship. It’ll probably please some boosters, too.

So, folks, all I ask is this: Before you reprimand players for getting feisty and call for a ban on flag planting, please remember what sport you are watching. Don’t ruin this for the rest of us.

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Dearest mother, the World’s best burner is back

Guys. Guys, guys, guys. GUYS. It’s happening. Andrew Luck has a new job as the general manager for Stanford’s football program.

Let me be clear: I have no idea what the GM does for a college football team. I imagine it’s some mixture of collecting cash from boosters for the program, scrounging up NIL collective money and convincing the best recruits to come to the school.

Whatever, though. That’s not what I’m here to tell you.

I come with the glorious news that, at the behest of the esteemed Cardinal, General Andrew Luck has indeed returned to the battlefield, as rumor would have it. After nearly a year in solitude and sporadic communication, he has broken his silence to announce that, henceforth, he shall lead the next generation into battle. We are most fortunate for this development.

Oh, captain. My captain. What a joy it is to see your return.

Kim Mulkey is back at it again

There will never be another like Kim Mulkey. What I mean by that is that there will never be another coach who wears outfits so egregiously bad that they somehow work.

Meg Hall has more on Mulkey’s bright pink tiger sweater that she wore as she got her 100th win with LSU.

“On Sunday, as LSU marched to a resounding victory, Kim Mulkey was wearing tigers — neon pink tigers striped like candy canes. We’re not kidding. As Kim earned her 100th win with the program, she was fittingly wearing a wild exotic tiger sweater, and it’s so on-brand (and so awful) that it’s glorious.”

The sweater in question:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DDDUzG-SPHO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

This is so bad, y’all. I love it.

Quick hits: Josh Allen’s Fantasy GOAT moment … Aaron Rodgers’ days as a Jet are numbered … and more

— Josh Allen threw a touchdown pass to himself, guys. Prince Grimes has more on that incredible moment from a fantasy football perspective.

— Here’s Christian D’Andrea with everything we learned in Week 13 of the NFL season, including just how far Aaron Rodgers has fallen.

— This Kirk Cousins interception was basically a punt. This is so bad. Andrew Joseph has more.

— Did Travis Kelce curse Justin Tucker? Maybe. Charles Curtis has more.

— Azeez Al-Shaair apologized to Trevor Lawrence for his awful late hit. That’s good to see.

— Shedeur Sanders isn’t the first quarterback off the board in our 2025 NFL mock draft.

-Sykes ✌️

Make Black Friday a holiday you cowards

I hope you’re not working today!

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

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!

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 ✌️