morning win – Syndication Server

Reggie Bush getting back the Heisman Trophy he never deserved to lose feels so good

It’s about time, man.

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.

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

I’m not going to lie to y’all. I had something completely different written here about the Phoenix Suns. It was done. I was finished. Ready to publish.

Then news broke that Reggie Bush was finally getting his Heisman trophy back and I deleted everything. This is the day’s news. This is such a big deal, folks.

Before I tell you why, let me give you the skinny. The Heisman Trust has reportedly decided to formally reinstate Bush’s trophy and give it back to him he forfeited it to the committee in 2010, according to ESPN, citing the “enormous changes in the college football landscape” as the reason why.

Let me translate that for you: The players are getting paid over the table now through NIL collectives by the same boosters who allegedly paid players like Bush under the table back in the day. So, because of that, Reggie can have his trophy back.

The catharsis is flowing right now. After all these years of lobbying and public complaints, the Heisman Trust has finally listened to the reason. Bush should never have lost this trophy in the first place.

Look, I get it. USC broke the rules. An investigation into USC found that the school allegedly showered his family with improper gifts and benefits during his time at the school from 2003 to 2005.

Sure, they’re stupid rules, but they’re still the rules. Someone had to pay for that. In a way, I guess USC did. The school was stripped of 14 wins that Bush played in, including its 2004 BCS title. But it’s always felt like Bush himself was more severely punished.

Not only did he lose his Heisman Trophy, but his stats were also vacated. He was banned from USC for 10 years after 2010. They quite literally erased Bush from the annals of college football after he made everyone fall in love with it.

Do you understand how infuriating that is? Bush is one of the greatest college football players ever — he might be the most exciting. Every time he played, it was must-see TV. Just watch a highlight. You’ll get it if you don’t already.

What makes it doubly infuriating is that this never actually had to happen. The NCAA doesn’t govern the Heisman Trust. Those two organizations are independent of each other. Bush losing the trophy was the trust kowtowing to the NCAA’s whim and saying, “If Bush’s numbers don’t exist, then neither does his trophy.” Both things have always been extremely unfair.

All the work he did, the numbers he put up, the exciting moments he gave us. We were just supposed to act like it never existed all because the NCAA was upset about a little cash flow. That’s silly. It never made sense.

Thankfully, this egregious mistake has been corrected. Good for you, Reggie. It’s about time.

A G5 Playoff?

All the talk about the expansion of the college football playoff usually centers around the Power Five (Power Four now?) conferences — specifically with the SEC and Big Ten holding most of the power.

The middling conferences are always usually left out of the conversation despite having some pretty good teams with lots of depth and talent.

It seems like those conferences are finally looking to do something about that by creating their own playoff, according to reporting from The Athletic.

“Multiple administrators from within the G5 conferences — the American, Sun Belt, Mountain West, MAC and Conference USA — told The Athletic that former college and NFL coach Derek Dooley has been the salesman on behalf of private equity firms, making contact with schools. The administrators, who were granted anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, made clear that nothing is imminent and they haven’t been presented with any numbers yet. But conversations are more real than they’ve ever been. Dooley did not respond to a request for comment. CBS Sports first reported on the talks.”

Nothing concrete seems to be laid out just yet. But if these schools can pull this off, it would be an incredible power move. They’d be baking their own pie instead of just taking morsels the SEC, Big Ten and other big players are leaving behind.

This means creating their own structure and bowl games to go along with it. It certainly wouldn’t be easy to pull off, but it’s totally plausible.

I’d love to see this happen.

Anthony Edwards is a visionary

Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

“They got KD, but we got Jaden McDaniels.” This clip of Anthony Edwards from All-Star Weekend 2023 is easily one of the funniest clips ever.

Funniest clip of all time pic.twitter.com/HPTX5uFaJP

— Mike (@MikeAdxx) February 19, 2023

But now, it’s kind of reality? Jaden McDaniels, y’all! He cooked Durant and the Suns in Game 2, which made the clip perfect. Charles Curtis has more:

“In an interview during All-Star week last year, the Minnesota Timberwolves star remarked, “They got KD, but we got Jaden McDaniels.”

KD would of course be Kevin Durant, and before you think that’s just Ant hyping up his T-Wolves teammate, maybe Edwards knew that in Game 2 of the Wolves’ playoff series against the Phoenix Suns, McDaniels would explode for 25 points, outplaying Durant (6-of-15 for 18 points).”

This is why you always show confidence in your teammates, man. Shoutout to Ant Edwards. The dude knows what he’s talking about.

Quick hits: The biggest NFL draft questions … Does Jerry Jones know how this works? … and more

— Here’s Cory Woodroof with 32 questions for all 32 teams as we enter into the NFL draft

— Jerry Jones got roasted because he doesn’t really seem to know how the draft works. Meghan Hall has more.

— Zach Edey to the Wizards? Nice. Very nice. Charles Curtis has more.

— Here’s Prince Grimes with prop betting guide to the NFL Draft.

— Here’s everything we know about the drama between a fan and Nikola Jokic’s brother. This isn’t a great look.

— Let’s hope Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze play together because the vibes are definitely there. Meg has more here.

That’s a wrap, folks! Thanks so much for reading today. Let’s do this again tomorrow. Until then! Peace.

-Sykes ✌️

LeBron James and the Lakers complaining about officiating after blowing another lead is pathetic

This is the only thing the Lakers have left against the Nuggets.

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

There’s nothing worse in sports than a sore loser. That’s what LeBron James and the Lakers look like today.

The Nuggets evaporated another double-digit lead behind a 20-20-10 triple-double from Nikola Jokic. Then Jamal Murray sealed the game with an impossible stepback fadeaway over Anthony Davis.

It was absurd, sure. But here’s the thing: The absurdity of it all feels regular. At this point, I guess it is. The Nuggets have beaten this team 10 straight times. They’re just better in every way than the Lakers. It’s very clear.

That’s probably why, instead of just tipping their cap to Denver after a tough win, the Lakers are opting to complain about *checks notes* officiating? Sure. Yup. Ok.

Specifically, James and the Lakers were complaining about an overturned call on Michael Porter Jr. And, to be fair, that foul probably shouldn’t have been overturned! Porter Jr. clips Russell’s face after the ball is released.

But here’s the thing: At that point, the Lakers were nursing a 10-point lead heading into the final quarter. The Lakers still had every opportunity to win this game. No, scratch that. LA should’ve won this game.

But they didn’t. And now, here we are, with two of the team’s biggest stars complaining about officiating instead of just taking the L on the chin.

LeBron James went out of the way to call out officials at the end of his press conference, asking reporters, “What the [expletive] do we have a replay center for?” D’Angelo Russell ran to Twitter to tell everyone he was fouled as if there was something we could do about it.

Look, y’all. This isn’t a 76ers situation where officials missed a few calls at the end of Game 2 that led directly to Philly’s loss. That’s a team with plenty of room to complain.

Instead, we’re talking about a play that had no bearing on the game’s final moments. It didn’t matter. There was an entire quarter between that overturned call and the game’s final buzzer. The Lakers still had a lead and lost it.

That’s probably why we’re talking about this — the Lakers just realized there’s nothing they can do here. The reality is the Nuggets are just better. Denver has beaten LA 10 consecutive times in every way possible.

Instead of whining about fouls, maybe the Lakers should think about a way to defend Nikola Jokic a bit better. Because they don’t seem to have much of anything for that guy right now.

And Scott Foster ain’t coming to the rescue.

The saddest QB room ever?

Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

I’ve seen some pretty bad quarterback rooms in my day — especially living here in D.C. and seeing the Commanders up close.

But, man. The Broncos quarterback club might be the saddest one we’ve ever seen when opening weekend rolls around. Christian D’Andrea has more here:

“The most likely situation is either Denver stands pat at No. 12 and adds a passer there, or trades back to address other needs (there are several) and slides to a place where it’s a little more logical to take a non-top-four QB. Either way, the best rookie for which the Broncos can hope is probably either Bo Nix or Michael Penix Jr..

Which means their training camp quarterback room would look like this:

Jarrett Stidham (incumbent starter, somehow)

Zach Wilson

Ben Dinucci

Bo Nix/Michael Penix Jr./Rookie QB X

the smoking crater Russell Wilson’s $35.4 million in dead salary cap space left behind

Gross! There are other iffy situations across the league. The New England Patriots currently have Bailey Zappe, Jacoby Brissett and Nathan Rourke under contract. The Washington Commanders have Marcus Mariota, Jake Fromm and Jeff Driskel. The Vikings are desperate enough for competence that they staked a $10 million bet on Sam by-god Darnold.

But each of those teams has the draft assets to at least instill some legitimate hope for 2024 and beyond. The Broncos are in worse shape.”

Jarrett Stidham, the incumbent starter? YUCK. Also, who in the world is Ben DiNucci? Definitely sounds like a created player.

Nobody deserves that. Sorry, Broncos fans.

We need reverse ejections in baseball

Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

That’s what should’ve happened to umpire Hunter Wendelstedt during yesterday’s Yankees game. He ejected Aaron Boone for something he didn’t even do.

Here’s Andrew Joseph on that:

“In the first inning of the Yankees’ game against the A’s, Aaron Boone was evidently upset over a lead-off hit by pitch call. And ironically said something to Wendelstedt just as the ump missed a call in the Yankees’ favor.

Wendelstedt warned Boone to stop chirping and threatened him with an ejection. Boone seemed to take the message and stood at the edge of the dugout steps quietly. Yet, Wendelstedt mistook a fan’s heckling for Boone and ejected the Yankees manager anyway. The scene was absolutely wild.”

Wendelstedt literally admits that he doesn’t care what actually happened and that Boone was being ejected regardless.

That’s malpractice. Major League Baseball needs to step in here.

Quick hits: Anthony Davis is mad, too … Six NFL prospects who may not live up to the hype … and more

— WHEW boy the Lakers are upset. Anthony Davis didn’t have too much to say after Murray’s game-winner. Here’s Charles with more.

— Here’s Christian with more on six NFL draft prospects who may not live up to the hype this fall.

— The Nuggets live moneyline ticket is good money right now. Prince Grimes has more.

— Mark Stone’s goal last night has hockey fans kind of salty. Mary Clarke has more on why here.

— Cory Woodroof has five games that defined Matt Ryan’s Falcons career here.

— Cavs-Magic was somehow blacked out and fans were absolutely livid. Tyler Nettuno has more here.

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

-Sykes ✌️

The NBA’s next TV deal potentially including a major streaming service for its biggest games can go so wrong

The streaming wars are taking over sports, and that could include the NBA.

Good Morning, Winners! Happy Earth Day! I hope you’re well on this glorious Monday morning. Welcome back to the Morning Win.

There’s been a ton of NBA playoff action this weekend. Could you imagine having to go to, say, Amazon Prime to check it out? If the NBA has its way, that could potentially be in the cards moving forward.

ESPN and TNT’s exclusive negotiating window for the NBA’s television rights reportedly closes at midnight. If that does happen, a deal between the three sides can still be done. But it also opens the window for other partners to swoop in and woo the biggest basketball league in the world.

That’s what the NBA wants, according to the latest from The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand.

While the league seems interested in continuing its relationship with TNT and ESPN, it does not seem very interested in granting its two longtime broadcast partners the exclusive rights they had previously.

Particularly, Marchand says, the NBA is ready to get in bed with a streamer of some sort. While negotiations with TNT and ESPN are expected to continue, the league will also reportedly entertain overtures from Amazon, NBC, Netflix and more. The NBA is ready for a slice of that streaming pie, baby.

On one hand, you can’t blame the NBA here. Its contemporaries have all seemed to have varying levels of success playing the streaming game.

The NFL’s exclusive Thursday night window for Amazon has been a hit, with viewership reportedly increasing by 24 percent to almost 12 million viewers on average. The NFL also has the Peacock Playoff games that I thought we all hated. Yet, somehow, the NFL reportedly had 24 million viewers for those games on average.

When you view the NBA’s negotiating tactics here from that lens, it’s easy to see why the league is reportedly interested in streaming big games like conference title showdowns or even the NBA Finals on a streaming service. That’s a valuable platform.

But I think that could be a mistake — especially if those big games were exclusively paywalled like the NFL did with its games.

The NFL makes it look easy, man. It’s king in the sports world. No matter when the games are, where they are or how they’re broadcast, people will watch them. It’s a true “if you build it, they will come” situation.

The NBA doesn’t have that or anything close to that. This is a league that’s building gimmicky tournaments in the middle of its season to not only sell something new to streamers but also keep people interested and invigorated.

Sure, the stakes of, say, the NBA Finals would intrinsically build that interest. I’d buy a Peacock subscription for that in a heartbeat. So would a bunch of other nerds like me.

But what about the casuals who don’t already have one? Would they be as interested? The answer is probably not. It’s just not the same draw. Nobody but the NFL has that.

Streaming the NBA would be fine. In fact, I’d even call it a good thing. Cable isn’t dead, but there’s no question that it’s fading. Streaming options are required for big sports leagues in this day and age.

But access is important. Going streaming exclusive would be a huge mistake. Let’s hope the NBA doesn’t make it.

Golf legends are building at the same time

We had a special weekend in the golf world, folks.

First, Nelly Korda won a record-tying fifth straight tournament on the LPGA tour after winning the Chevron championship over the weekend. She finished two strokes under Maja Stark to win her second career major.

With that win, Korda joins Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sorenstam (2005) as the only players to win five consecutive LPGA events. That’s surreal. If you’d asked Korda if she’d be in this moment back in 2022 while recovering from a blood clot that required surgery, she’d probably have said no.

On the other side in the PGA, Scottie Scheffler is building out quite the resume himself.

Scheffler won the RBC Heritage tournament on Monday after a rain delay. His lead was so demonstrative that a bogey on the final hole of the tournament didn’t even matter — he still finished 3-under 68 and held a three-shot victory over the competition.

Scheffler has won four of his last five starts and has taken home a purse of a bit over $16 million in the last 42 days.

I won’t call him Tiger-esque. I refuse to call him Tiger-esque … but it does feel pretty close, doesn’t it?

Golf is in a great place, folks.

Playoff hockey is the most stressful thing ever

Case in point: This goal from the Jets on Sunday night. I still have no idea how this went in. Our Mary Clarke doesn’t, either:

“In the midst of a wild back-and-forth Game 1, Adam Lowry extended the Jets’ lead to 5-3 in the third period after an absolutely bonkers sequence. Lowry’s shot hit both posts and then somehow managed to streak across the goal line just barely as it was spinning wildly in the air.

Originally this sequence was called no-goal on the ice, before replays caught the puck spinning right over the line before pivoting back out again.”

Look at how close this is, y’all. Come on.

I’m sorry, Avalanche homies. That’s a tough one. Especially in a tight game like that one? There were 13 total goals scored last night. Every single one made a difference — maybe none more than that one right there that was just mere inches away from not being a goal at all.

Like I said. Playoff hockey. It’s the most stressful thing in sports.

Quick hits: The underdogs rise up … NFL draft dads … and more

— The underdogs ruled the weekend in the NBA playoffs. Our Prince Grimes has more on that for you.

— There are a ton of NFL draft dads this year that will make you feel old as dirt. Here’s Charles Curtis with more.

— Christian D’Andrea has seven slept-on NFL prospects you should definitely keep an eye on.

— Joe Mazzulla being excited about Jayson Tatum’s hard fall here is so weird...but I like it. Robert Zeglinski has more.

— Damian Lillard didn’t go to Coachella this year and he’s so happy about it. Here’s Bryan Kalbrosky with more.

— There’s no way the White Sox should be this bad. This is wild. Andrew Joseph has more.

That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for rocking with me today. Appreciate you. Have a fantastic Monday. Let’s do this again tomorrow. Peace.

-Sykes ✌️

Nike needs to finally give A’ja Wilson a signature shoe or let someone else do it instead

This needs to happen. Now.

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

Mind if I get a little deep in my sneaker bag this morning?

News of Caitlin Clark’s new signature shoe deal with Nike hit the streets late on Wednesday night. Clark reportedly signed a multi-year, ten-figure signature shoe deal with the Swoosh, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

That’s well deserved. Seeing a rookie get a signature shoe deal is extremely rare, but this was largely expected for Clark. Her popularity is obvious — her Indiana Fever jersey sold out within an hour after she was drafted. Nike is banking on that same fever (pun very much intended) carrying over into the sneaker world.

But, yo. I’m sorry. Where on Earth is A’ja Wilson’s signature shoe?

Look, I don’t mean to railroad this Caitlin Clark news. I’m genuinely happy for her and glad Nike is capitalizing on her popularity.

But A’ja Wilson has been in line for a sneaker for a long time now and it just hasn’t happened yet. It’s getting pretty ridiculous.

The Aces’ superstar has been in the WNBA since 2018. She’s become a two-time WNBA champion, a two-time MVP, a Defensive Player of the Year winner and a five-time All-Star.

Even before that, her stardom bubbled at South Carolina. She actually won a championship there, too. She was also named as a Naismith Award winner and the 2017-18 National Player of the Year.

Off the court, she’s popping. She’s one of the W’s brightest personalities and easily one of the most likable characters in the league. She just made TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World list. She’s also now a New York Times best-selling author. She’s done every single GTA side mission at this point.

She’s even proven herself as one of Nike’s most valuable faces. Wilson was the headliner for the brand’s Cosmic Unity sneaker line and she got her own LeBron 21 Player Exclusive model that people reacted well to.

What else must this woman do to get a signature shoe on her feet? No one can say she isn’t marketable or good enough. So what’s the hold-up, then?

That’s what makes the announcement of a Clark signature shoe deal so frustrating. You see just how easily that deal reportedly got done before Clark even played a minute of WNBA basketball. What does it take to make this happen for A’ja?

We genuinely don’t know the answer to that question because Nike hasn’t said much about the situation. As of 9:00 a.m. E.T. this morning, I’ve contacted the brand for comment but have not gotten a response.

Instead of speculating, let’s focus on the facts. When you do that, this doesn’t look great for Nike.

Nike is expanding into women’s basketball again. That’s a good thing — especially as the brand searches for a new face with LeBron James’ retirement looming over everything. It could easily be a WNBA player who takes over that mantle — especially with how quickly the league is growing.

But here’s the problem: The most prominent female faces of Nike basketball are set to be two white women in a league that is 70 percent Black. There go those racial disparities in the WNBA again.

I’m not saying that Nike is doing this on purpose or that there’s some sort of malicious intent here. I’m just saying that Wilson needs a signature shoe, like, yesterday.

And, whatever it takes to make that happen? I hope it happens. Even if that means the shoe doesn’t come from Nike at all.

So long, Coyotes

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

This entire Arizona Coyotes saga has been so strange. A move for this team has always felt like it’s been in play, but never actually serious. Until now.

The team is reportedly moving to Salt Lake City and it just all feels so sudden. One day, the move was proposed. The next, the NHL’s Executive Committee approved the deal. Yesterday, the team played its final game in Mullett Arena.

This has all been so strange. Charles Curtis captured the most emotional moments from the game here:

“With the Arizona Coyotes franchise packing up and heading to Utah in Salt Lake City, the NHL team that’s had a long history of struggles in the area, there was one last game in Tempe on Wednesday night. The awesome part is the Coyotes won it, but it was a night filled with poignant moments for fans, players and staffers.”

My heart goes out to you, Coyotes fans. It’s never easy to see a team move. But to have it ripped away like this? That’s tough. Hopefully, hockey will return to Arizona someday soon.

The Jontay Porter fallout

Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

Jontay Porter’s lifetime ban from the NBA is well-deserved. Not only did the dude bet on his own team, but he also influenced his prop bets in a way that violated the game and the intrinsic trust built between the league and its viewership.

That just can’t happen. He couldn’t be allowed to return after that. Our Prince Grimes has more on the situation here with five key takeaways from it all. Adam Silver is a man of his word:

“The first thing to understand here is Porter is done in the NBA. While the official release doesn’t put a time frame on the ban, it’s safe to assume it’s permanent. Commissioner Adam Silver told reporters last week Porter could face a lifetime ban if the accusations against him were confirmed. This is confirmation.”

It’s good the NBA caught this happening. At the very least, this proves its system is working. That’s the good part.

The bad part is that this happened in the first place and that it got as far as it did. Porter placed 13 NBA bets via someone else’s account before getting caught here. This went on for a while.

Hopefully, Porter is a good enough example for this to never happen again.

Quick hits: Speaking of Caitlin Clark jerseys … Another amazing Mike Breen call … and more

— Caitlin Clark’s jersey is going to be on hold for a while, man. Bryan Kalbrosky has more here.

— Mike Breen and free chicken are an amazing combination. Here’s Cory Woodroof with more.

— Meghan Hall has more on Tom Brady’s glowing A’ja Wilson tribute in Time Magazine.

— Zion Williamson’s latest injury is so heartbreaking. Prince has more here.

— Charles Barkley and Shaq roasting Kendrick Perkins is the best. Robert Zeglinksi has more.

— Here’s Meg with the eight best moments from Caitlin Clark’s introductory press conference.

Thanks so much for reading TMW today, folks! We appreciate you. Have a fantastic rest of your day. Peace.

-Sykes ✌️

Caitlin Clark and the 2024 WNBA draft class have arrived but the next part is the toughest

Making it in the WNBA is one of the hardest things in sports.

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

Hopefully, you watched the WNBA draft last night! That felt like a real watershed moment for the league. I don’t know how the ratings will turn out, but everyone on my social feeds was tapped into it.

Caitlin Clark was the night’s big draw, but folks were also there to see where Kamilla Cardoso, Angel Reese, Rickea Jackson and more would go. The names we know all now have homes in the WNBA.

But I’ve got to be honest, folks. I know some of us are new to the league. And I’m so glad you’re still watching. But for some of those names? I wouldn’t get too attached.

There’s a solid chance some players you heard getting their names called on Monday night might not be on those same teams by the end of the season.

Making it in the WNBA is hard. Just look at the 2021 draft class — four of the top five picks from that class were cut by the teams that drafted them within two seasons. That’s how it goes.

It’s a numbers game. There are only 12 teams in the league and 12 available roster spots per team. That’s 144 players without a ton of churn. Making room for 36 more players yearly is a tough proposition — especially when there’s no developmental space like the G League to place them.

This is why expansion matters so much for this league. More teams mean more roster spots. More roster spots mean more space for talent. The W is working on it — Cathy Engelbert said she expects the league to have 16 teams by 2028.

In the meantime, though, rookies remain at a disadvantage. It’s not that they’re not good — they just don’t know the tricks of the trade like the W’s vets do. They’ve been there already. They’ve done the work. The rookies still have a lot of heavy lifting to do.

This is why folks like Diana Taurasi scoff at the idea of a rookie dominating the league. The truth is, if Indiana wanted to (and this will absolutely never happen), it could cut Caitlin Clark in a month with no repercussions.

Best of luck to every single one of those ladies who heard their names called last night. They’ll need every bit of it over these next few years.

A wild finish on the ice

Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

We’re just a few days away from the start of the NHL playoffs and almost everything is settled…except the Eastern Conference race for the wild card. The landscape has changed a bit from a week ago.

You’ve got two spots available for four teams: The Washington Capitals (89 points), Detroit Red Wings (89 points), Pittsburgh Penguins (88 points) and Philadelphia Flyers (87 points).

The Capitals are in a “win and you’re in” situation on Tuesday night with the Flyers on schedule for their season’s final game.
A Washington win would give the Caps 91 points on the year and the top wild-card spot in the East since the team owns the tiebreaker over the Red Wings.
A Flyers win would give the Flyers, Caps and Red Wings 89 points on the year with the Flyers in pole position through tiebreakers.
Pittsburgh would have to beat the Islanders on Wednesday to get 90 points and become the conference’s top wild-card team.

It’s chaotic. It’s a mess. It’s playoff hockey. You love to see it.

One way the NBA In-Season tournament worked

Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

Debates on whether the NBA should’ve considered the NBA In-Season Tournament a success or failure raged on in the middle of December when we had nothing else to talk about.

It was the classic NBA ratings talk. Were people watching the games more because of the tournament? Sure. But was the impact large enough for the NBA to tout it as a huge win? Probably not.

However, the league did make some gains in another area because of the tournament: in-person attendance. The NBA released numbers on game attendance this year and set sellout records for the second consecutive year.

“The total attendance of 22,538,518 in the 2023-24 regular season surpasses the previous record of 22,234,502 set last season. The other records include 873 sellouts (up from the previous record 791 in 2022-23), 71% of games sold out (up from 63% in 2022-23) and an average attendance of 18,324 (up from 18,077 in 2022-23). Additionally, NBA arenas were filled to an all-time-high 98% capacity.”

It’s hard to get people to come to games between the improving at-home experience and expensive ticket prices. The NBA getting these numbers is impressive.

Does it mean the In-Season Tournament is a no-brainer win? No. But it is a good sign that shows people are still interested in NBA basketball.

Quick hits: Nikola GOAT-ic … The Knicks made The Sopranos wack … and more

— Robert Zeglinksi has Nikola Jokic at the top of his MVP ladder again. A third MVP would put him in some pretty rare air.

— The Knicks making The Sopranos uncool is such a Knicks thing. Here’s Christian D’Andrea with more.

— What a fun Caitlin Clark photobomb. Charles Curtis has more.

— Here’s Cory Woodroof on the 11-man roster of Team USA’s men’s hoops squad. We’ve got one roster spot left to give.

— Mitchell Northam has you covered on everything you need to know about the Indiana Fever.

— And here’s Tyler Netunno with the best outfits from the draft.

That’s a wrap, folks! Thanks so much for rocking with us today. We appreciate it. Let’s do this again tomorrow! Until then. We out. Peace.

-Sykes ✌️

Rooting for Tiger Woods at The Masters is just simply hoping that he can still do this

Here’s to Tiger Woods just giving it his best shot.

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

It’s about that time, people. The tradition, unlike any other, has returned. The Masters is back and Tiger Woods is in it again. He’s been a fixture in this tournament for so much of our lives. For most of it, we’ve expected him to dominate.

Sure, he’s old. But he’s still Tiger Woods. And he told us, “If everything comes together, I think I can get one more.”

He’s earned having that mentality with his long history of dominance on this course. Of course, Woods believes that. Why shouldn’t he? This is the same guy who Augusta altered its course for back in 1997. I’m always going to give that guy the benefit of the doubt. Plus, we’ve seen what it looks like when everything comes together for him. Just go back and watch clips from his incredible 2019 run at The Masters that still feels so improbable today.

But we’ve got to be realistic. As much as we want to believe in this guy, rooting for Tiger Woods at The Masters in 2024 is simply hoping he can complete the course these days.

While that 2019 Masters run does exist, it feels like centuries ago. When you look at Woods’ recent history, things aren’t so rosy.

He withdrew from the Genisis Invitational earlier this year because of an illness. Last year, he withdrew from The Masters after making the cut for a record-tying 22nd time because of plantar fasciitis. After all his body has been through over the years, it isn’t cooperating anymore. It can’t operate like this for long stretches.

That’s why Woods simply making the cut would be an accomplishment. A good 36 holes from Tiger would be great. If he can finish the tournament? Whew, boy. We’re cooking with gas there.

The reality is that this Tiger isn’t that superhuman Tiger we’re all used to—he’s a bit closer to you and me these days. That’s OK. That’s life. That’s what makes him even going for it here so special.

Let’s hope he can give us a few special moments here to cheer for. We don’t know when it’ll be the last one.

Shohei Ohtani is in the clear

Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

The Shohei Ohtani translator scandal seems to be over, I guess? We all still had questions about Ohtani’s involvement with Ippei Mizuhara’s gambling problems and how his former translator could steal money from right under his nose.

It seems that those questions have been answered. Well, at least they were for federal investigators, anyway.

Mizuhara is reportedly in negotiations with federal prosecutors to plead guilty to theft, according to the New York Times. Ohtani has been cooperating with the federal investigation into the theft and an MLB investigation that seemingly puts him in the clear.

Things are still confusing, though. We don’t have any answers to how on Earth Mizuhara managed to move such massive amounts of money from Ohtani’s accounts without being caught.

Once details of this investigation are revealed, we may get the answers we’re looking for. Until then, we’ll just be confused.

SO. MUCH. CAITLIN. CLARK.

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Caitlin Clark hasn’t even been drafted yet and she’s already a huge part of the WNBA’s plans for this season. We’ll see a lot of her on TV this year — more than we’ll see the defending WNBA champs, the Las Vegas Aces.

Meg Hall has more here:

“On Wednesday, they released their television broadcast schedule for the upcoming season, which will have several games shown on networks like ESPN, ABC and CBS but will also spotlight the Indiana Fever with 36 nationally televised games. That’s more than the defending champion Las Vegas Aces (35 games) and the runner-up New York Liberty (31 games). That’s also a 35 percent increase from the 2023 season when the Fever had 22 games on national television.”

I’ve got to be honest, folks. This is ridiculous. To be fair, all of them aren’t on ESPN. Some games will appear on Ion and NBA TV. You can argue that those games might not count. But still, man. This is a lot of Caitlin Clark. It’s easy to see why players like Diana Taurasi will go so hard at her. The league is doing all this for Clark and she hasn’t done anything yet.

Good luck, Caitlin. You’re going to need it this year.

Quick hits: Coyotes on the move? … New Masters tee times … and more

— Here’s Mary Clarke with more on a potential move for the Arizona Coyotes to Salt Lake City.

— Charles Curtis has you updated here on the new tee times for The Masters after a rain delay.

— This morbid joke from Tara Van Derveer on her retirement is so on-brand. Meg Hall has more.

— Prince Grimes has five picks to finish in the top 10 at The Masters here.

— Here’s a hole-by-hole look at the course at Augusta National. This is so beautiful, man. Charles Curtis has the details.

— John Calipari’s blunt assessment of his roster at Arkansas is hilarious. Here’s Cory Woodroof with more.

Thanks so much for reading today, folks! Hope you enjoyed the newsletter. Let’s do it again tomorrow. Until then! Peace. We out.

-Sykes ✌️

NBA officiating has reached its all-time weirdest point with the Bucks-Celtics matchup

The NBA’s officiating just keeps getting weirder and weirder this season

Good morning, Winners! Welcome back to the Morning Win. Thank you for rocking with us this morning. Happy Wednesday. I hope your week is going well.

Watching the Celtics and Bucks play last night was…such a weird experience.

Of course, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s calf injury threw everything off. Anytime you see a non-contact injury to anyone, your heart sinks into your stomach. There were fears that he’d torn his Achilles during the game, which Milwaukee apparently avoided here. Antetokounpo just has a strained calf, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. What a relief.

But that injury wasn’t what made yesterday’s game so weird. It was the free throws — or a lack thereof.

The two best teams in the Eastern Conference combined for two (!!!) free throws in Tuesday’s game. Boston became the first time in league history to not shoot a free throw during a game, according to Yahoo! Sports’ NBA analyst Tom Haberstroh. Milwaukee only shot two and they came from Antetokounmpo.

The combined total of two free throws in this game is the fewest for two teams since 1983. The previous record for the fewest free throws in a game was 11, set back in 2019 during a Pacers-Magic game, per the Associated Press.

You can explain this away a bit if you try hard enough. Boston is mostly a jump-shooting team — they don’t shoot many free throws per game as is. Milwaukee lost Antetokounmpo, who tends to draw most of the team’s fouls.

One of the major stories in the league has been how officials have essentially swallowed their whistles during the second half of the season. The NBA had a mid-season crackdown on foul hunting in silence, and these are the results.

The result is a scoring crash around the league with shooting foul rates dipping across the NBA. This game seems to be the most extreme example of that.

But there’s something about this that I can’t shake. It’s strange to see two of the league’s premiere teams officiated this way with all the star power on both rosters.

Whether this is a good or bad thing is an interesting question. Of course, the games are quicker and fewer questionable fouls are called. The added physicality gives defenders some much-needed support. We can’t complain about that.

But this shadow protocol to officiate shooting fouls out of the game feels strange. There was no notice and teams had no adjustment period. That’s how we get games like this one where things are a little too unbelievable.

We’ll see how this works in the playoffs. That’s all that matters. Hopefully, it will make for better basketball in the end.

Happy Trails, Tara VanDerveer

One of the most fascinating things to come across my timeline today is this incredible quote from Tara VanDerveer when she left Ohio State for Stanford in 1985 after winning four consecutive Big Ten titles.

She was looking for a challenge.

“It’s probably hard for some people to understand when we’re doing so well, but it was a decision I had to make,” VanDerveer said at the time. “I felt I was becoming very one-dimensional. I feel very comfortable that I will be rewarded both personally and professionally. Stanford doesn’t have near the talent Ohio State has and the competition is not there yet, but I consider this to be the ultimate challenge.”

Ultimate challenge accepted. Ultimate challenge crushed.

After 38 seasons, three championships, 14 Final Four appearances and 15 Pac-12 championships, VanDerveer is finally calling it a career. And what a glorious one it’s been. Her 1,216 wins are the most ever in NCAA basketball history. If there was ever a time to walk away, it’s now.

Congratulations on an incredible career, Tara. Happy trials.

Tiger Woods still believes

Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Network

Tiger Woods hasn’t won a major tournament since the 2019 Masters.

Doesn’t matter. If you put him on that green, we’ll all believe he can make something special happen even if we haven’t seen it in a while. It doesn’t matter how old he is. That’s still Tiger freakin’ Woods.

It’s good to know Tiger feels the same way. Charles Curtis has more on that.

Tiger Woods has been through so many struggles at Augusta and beyond in the last year with his health.

But once again, he believes in himself, which makes sense. He’s Tiger Woods. That competitive streak is always going to be there.

The thing is: he’s being honest about his chances given all those injuries and aches. When asked if he could win on Tuesday while meeting with reporters, he had this to say: “If everything comes together, I think I can get one more.”

Would a lot have to go right? Absolutely. But it’s Tiger. I won’t stop believing until it’s time to stop believing. He won’t, either. I suggest you do the same.

Quick hits: Diana Taurasi’s beef with Caitlin Clark … The best 30-and-over players in the NFL … and more

— We’ve got an explainer cooked up on the beef Diana Taurasi has with Caitlin Clark. This is an interesting one.

— Christian D’Andrea and Robert Zeglinski cooked up a list of the best 30-and-over players in the NFL at each position. Yes, Dak Prescott is included.

— Here are five sleeper picks from our Prince Grimes to win The Masters this year.

— Haven’t seen the latest Mel Kiper mock draft at ESPN? No worries. Charles Curtis has you covered here.

— Blake Schuster has five good bets to miss the cut at The Masters.

— Victor Wembanyama just continues to be a walking video game. Cory Woodroof has more.

Thanks so much for reading, folks. Appreciate you taking the time. We’ll be right back at it again tomorrow. Talk soon. Peace.

-Sykes ✌️

The Chiefs and Royals need to do the right thing and stay in Kansas City

Kansas City deserves these teams.

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

The reigning back-to-back NFL champion Kansas City Chiefs might not actually be in Kansas City for much longer. Or, at least not the Missouri one, anyway. The same goes for the Royals, too.

On Tuesday, Jackson County citizens voted in the Missouri general municipal election. A stadium sales tax was one of the big-ticket items on the ballot.

If Jackson County citizens voted “yes” to Question 1, the county would’ve enacted a 3/8th cent sales tax for the Royals to fund a new $2 billion downtown ballpark and for the Chiefs to renovate Arrowhead Stadium completely for $800 million, according to ESPN.

The best-laid plans often go awry, however. A whopping 58 percent of voters voted no on the measure, completely killing it.

It’s time to start from ground zero. The Chiefs and Royals very clearly need to rebuild their proposal into something more amenable for Kansas City’s citizens. The Royals need to pick a better location for their downtown build. The Chiefs may need to throw in more private funding for an Arrowhead renovation. The process needs to be more thorough in its planning and more transparent. That’s what the citizens have been asking for. That’s all that’s needed.

What we don’t need are veiled threats, like the ones Team President Mark Donovan is sending right now.

Team president Mark Donovan said the Chiefs would do “what is in the best interest of our fans and our organization” as we move forward. Let me translate that for you: the Chiefs will move the team if the organization feels like there’s a better deal elsewhere.

Team owner Clark Hunt has made it clear that the team is not interested in renewing its lease for another 25 years in Kansas City without a major renovation. But the lease expires in 2031 — there’s still plenty of time to make this work. There’s really no need to allude to moving at this point. Instead, the Chiefs should be steadfastly committed to staying in Kansas City.

In the end, the organization owes that to those fans. The same goes for the Royals. They rooted for those teams through both the highs and the lows. Chiefs fans filled the stands when championships didn’t even seem possible. Royals fans waited decades for another World Series in 2015.

Both franchises have seen success more recently — especially the Chiefs after winning three titles in four years. And now you’re telling people it’s possible that you just pick up and leave? That’s gross, man. That’s not what this thing is supposed to be about.

I get that this is a business. Bottom lines are at the center of everything for these teams. Whatever it takes to improve that, these teams will do.

But come on, man. Let’s be real. Neither of these teams have a backup plan. This was just a poor effort to get something done. Let’s just set profit maximization aside for a second and do what makes sense.

Go back to the people of Kansas City and figure this thing out.

All eyes on Iowa and LSU

We knew that the Iowa and LSU rematch would get plenty of attention from sports fans everywhere, but y’all. The viewership numbers on this one are kind of insane.

Iowa vs. LSU clocked in 12.3 million viewers, according to ESPN. That number is pretty insane on its own. Here’s our Andrew Joseph with a little more perspective on that number.

“To put that figure into perspective, the NBA Finals — which aired on the more accessible ABC — averaged 11.64 million viewers. The 2023 World Series averaged 9.08 million viewers on Fox and didn’t have a single game average more than 12 million viewers. So, yeah, this was an incredible number for ESPN.”

It’s incredible how far women’s college basketball has come. The best part is it’ll only continue to grow with names like Juju Watkins, Hannah Hidalgo and more leading the way.

The future is bright, folks.

The sad state of the A’s

Nobody knows what’s going on with the Oakland Athletics anymore.

We thought they were moving to Las Vegas but there’s not even a stadium built there yet. So now the team is trying to stay in Oakland for a few more seasons through 2027 until it can officially move to Vegas, but that might not work either. So the A’s are in talks with … Sacramento for a potential temporary relocation now?

It’s a lot. It’s confusing. And it’s clear fans are fed up with it. How do we know? Because these empty stadium photos pulled by our Charles Curtis make it clear that no one cares anymore.

Just look, man.

Tragic, man. Just tragic.

Quick hits: Bronny’s future … DJ Burns on the NFL … and more

— Rumors about Bronny James entering the transfer portal came and went on Tuesday. We don’t know what’s next for him, but his dad is fully behind him. Cory Woodroof has more here.

— DJ Burns didn’t say yes to potentially playing in the NFL someday…but he didn’t say no either. Bryan Kalbrosky has more.

— Charles Curtis has details on this latest NBA mock draft with Zach Edey heading to the Milwaukee Bucks. That’s a nice fit.

—Here’s Prince Grimes with odds and picks for the women’s Final Four. This is going to be fun.

— Aaron Rodgers’ hilariously low performance bonus from the NFL is the best.

— Geno Auriemma is trying to butter up Caitlin Clark. Probably not going to work. Robert Zeglinski has more.

That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for reading today. We appreciate you taking the time! Y’all are the best.

P.S. … I got my days mixed up yesterday! I’ll be out for tomorrow’s newsletter, not today. You’ll be in good hands tomorrow, though. Don’t worry! Talk soon.

-Sykes ✌️

Angel Reese’s humanity is exactly why she’s one of the best players college basketball has ever seen

Thank you for everything, Angel Reese

Goooood morning, folks! Welcome back to the Morning Win! Thank you so much for being here with us this morning. We appreciate you taking the time.

Last night’s instant classic between Iowa and LSU might’ve been the last time we see Angel Reese suit up for the Tigers. She has a big decision to make — is she returning for another season at LSU or is her future with the WNBA?

She’ll figure that out in due time. When she does, we’ll know it. But for right now, I want to give her so many flowers for how incredible she’s been through it all.

So many incredible hoopers and their stories were but on the backburner in the year of Caitlin Clark. Reese might be chief among them. She’s been an amazing ambassador for women’s basketball through it all. Not perfect, of course. But always visible. And always being herself, authentically, through both the good and bad.

It hasn’t been the most fun ride. Let her tell it: The year she’s had since winning a national championship in 2023 has been awful. Follow the news stories, and you can see why.

At the start of the season, LSU loses to Colorado and the vultures begin circling. Then you’ve got Reese’s mysterious suspension that we still don’t know much about. That didn’t stop people from speculating — we heard rumors about everything from something as minuscule as a low GPA to something more soap opera-y like beef with teammates and their parents.

That time was awful. It felt so gross. And it wore on her. Her words from her press conference after the Iowa loss paint that picture for us. She felt the need to remind us of her humanity. Think about how that feels at 21 years old. She spilled her heart out in that presser:

“I’ve been through so much; I’ve seen so much. I’ve been attacked so many times. Death threats, I’ve been sexualized, I’ve been threatened. I’ve been so many things, and I’ve stood strong every single time, and I just try to stand strong for my teammates because I don’t want them to see me down and, like, not be there for them. So, I just want them to always just now, like, I’m still a human.”

That’s a lot. But you can understand why she feels that way with all that she’s been through.

But that’s the thing, man. That’s why, to me, Reese is so admirable. Through it all, she’s never backed down. She’s never stopped talking. She’s never stopped playing. She never quit. She’s always been the same Angel Reese we’ve come to know, respect and love. That’s the best part about her.

No matter what happens next for Reese, she’ll always be one of the best ambassadors college basketball has ever seen. And I’m so thankful we get to watch her.

Up next: Caitlin vs. Paige

Folks, the moment has arrived. Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, and part two. I cannot wait. They haven’t played against each other since 2021, when they met in the Sweet 16.

Honestly, it’s looking back on that moment is funny. Bueckers’ and Clark’s dispositions have flipped since then.

Clark was an incredible talent back then, too. But Bueckers was regarded as the best player in college basketball as a freshman. Watching that game, you can see why. She didn’t even give her best but still nearly came away with a triple-double on a stacked UConn team.

Today? Clark is a living legend. She’s the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer and a player who some think is the best player they’ve ever seen. Because of injuries, Bueckers has moved to the back burner. It’s been an out-of-sight-out-of-mind thing. She went 720 days between playing in tournament games.

Don’t let that fool you, though. Paige is still nice. Dawn Staley thinks she’s the most elite talent in the game today. I can’t disagree with her.

Friday can’t come soon enough.

Tiger? Is that you?

There’s a chance that Tiger Woods just might be playing in the Masters this year, folks. At least, according to the internet sleuths out there, anyway.

Here’s our Charles Curtis with more:

“Here’s what we do know: Per those who track his private jets, Woods took a plane to Augusta earlier this week, presumably to start ramping up his practice for the tournament next week, which is the first major of the PGA Tour season.

Which means that until you see absolutely official word from the actual PGA Tour or Tiger himself, assume that he’ll be teeing it up next week.”

Please, Golf Overlords. Let this happen.

Quick hits: RIP Vontae Davis … The reverse Jordan shrug … and more

— Rest in Peace Vontae Davis. Here’s more on the former NFL corner’s tragic death from Robert Zeglinski.

— You know how Michael Jordan once shrugged after hitting a bunch of 3s? Caitlin Clark was so good she made her opponents shrug for her. Here’s Cory with more.

— Tyrese Haliburton calling Buddy Hield to brag about a dunk during his press conference is the best. Bryan Kalbrosky has more.

— Robert Zeglinski has two best friends at the top of his NBA MVP ladder this week.

— Paige Bueckers classily consoling Juju Watkins after UConn beat USC is what the tourney is all about. Here’s Charles Curtis with more.

— Christian D’Andrea ranked all 43 Wrestlemania events from worst to best here.

That’s a wrap for today, folks! I’ll be out tomorrow, so I’ll chat with you again on Thursday. Until then! Peace. Thank you so much for reading TMW.

-Sykes ✌️

The NCAA still doesn’t care about women’s sports and the Texas-NC State 3-point line debacle proves it

We’re so tired of waiting on the NCAA to be better.

Good morning, Winners! Thanks so much for reading the Morning Win today. We appreciate you spending a bit of time here with us today. Hope you had a fantastic weekend.

The NCAA had an opportunity to really put women’s sports on a pedestal it’d never been on before this season with the women’s NCAA Tournament.

Unfortunately, it’s failing. Badly.

Don’t get me wrong. The basketball so far has been excellent. These ladies know how to put on a show. The Elite 8 is going to be absolute must-watch television. LSU and Iowa’s rematch will be one of the most-watched college basketball games ever.

The players are holding up their end of the bargain. The NCAA is not. That’s the only explanation for what happened in Portland this weekend.

NC State and Texas played an Elite 8 game where the 3-point lines on the court were different distances. That’s unfathomable to me. Could you imagine a Duke-UNC game on the men’s side like that? The answer is no. Because it’d simply never happen.

It was discovered only because NC State and Texas pointed it out just before their Elite 8 matchup. But, by then, it was too late. The teams had already warmed up and players were prepared to play ball, so they just continued as if it was business as usual. It essentially was because, well, that’s how the NCAA has always treated women’s sports.

No, those things aren’t quite the same as skimping on weight rooms or canceling entire golf tournaments, but let’s be honest. How far is that stuff from sending Utah off to Idaho Coeur d’Alene or making Hannah Hidalgo remove her nose ring in the middle of a game because of an obscure rule? Or painting 3-point lines wrong, for that matter? It’s all in the same bucket.

The women’s basketball tournament is still looked at as secondary despite all the inroads women’s basketball has made. You’ve got stars galore in the game. College basketball’s most popular players play on the women’s side these days. Their NIL deals are crazy. One would think that, with that being the case, the NCAA would make sure these ladies get the best and only the best.

But no amount of NIL deals or Instagram followers matters here. Women’s basketball — and women’s sports overall — just don’t seem to be a priority at this point. And that’s so unfortunate because the game is so good. The stars are so bright and fun. They all deserve so much better. We’re all just waiting for the NCAA to give it to them finally.

Maybe they will someday. It’s just unfortunate that today does not seem to be that day.

Thank you so much, UVA, for giving us NC State in the Final Four

Man. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen someone’s downfall so ironically bring so many people joy in this way. But if not for this missed free throw from UVA in the ACC tournament, do we even know who DJ Burns is?

NC State misses the tournament if not for this shot. Now they are headed to the Final Four 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ccJl2z4kzK

— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) March 31, 2024

The answer is probably not. But here we are. UVA missed. NC State won. And, now, Gen-Z Bo is America’s favorite player. It’s incredible how things work out sometimes.

Things only get tougher from here. NC State is playing Purdue in the Final Four, and Burns will face Zach Edey, who’s been quite the problem himself. It’ll be a tough one.

No matter how things end, though, we’ll always be pulling for you and your thicc boi buckets, Big Burns.

The MVBiid is back

Joel Embiid is nearing his return with the Philadelphia 76ers after tearing his meniscus, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.

ESPN Sources: Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid is nearing a return and expected to play this week. The reigning MVP has been out since January 30 with a left meniscus injury. His status for Tuesday vs. OKC is expected later today. pic.twitter.com/Rn4mb6Qizv

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 1, 2024

He’s been out since January 30 but could play later on Monday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

This is huge news. The 76ers are currently the 8th seed in the East and need every win they can get to get out of the play-in tournament. Embiid’s return should help with that.

Quick hits: More on those awful MLB jerseys … DJ Burns in the NFL? … and more

— MLB players aren’t wearing the see-through Fanatics pants to start the season. I can’t blame them. Andrew Joseph has more.

— Could DJ Burns be playing left tackle for somebody in the NFL next season? Here’s Charles Curtis with more.

— ESPN is out here accidentally tipping pitches. This is wild. Mary Clarke has more.

— I don’t know what kind of magic The Simpsons have, but I do know I need it. Here’s Prince Grimes with more.

— Here’s Angel Reese explaining her relationship with Caitlin Clark. They don’t hate each other. Here’s Andrew again with more.

— Here’s Dan Hurley with a perfect explanation on why so many people hate UConn. Charles has more.

That’s a wrap, folks! Tap back in tomorrow for more. Thanks so much for reading today. We out. Peace.

-Sykes ✌️