Tag: morning win

Utah’s women’s basketball team deserved so much better from the NCAA

The NCAA was reactive instead of proactive and this is the result.

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

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

The more information we get about Utah’s women’s basketball team’s awful weekend, the more I feel this should’ve been avoided.

To make a long story short, for part of the weekend, the Utes had to stay in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, instead of Spokane, Washington, where their games were being played because of a lack of space.

While staying in Idaho, the team experienced the worst parts of humanity. They were the targets of some racist attacks from people in Coeur d’Alene. As they were coming to and from dinner at their team hotel, they were harassed. They had people revving trucks at them and calling them the N-word. The attacks were so bad the team had to switch hotels.

READ MORE: Everything we know about the racist incidents experienced by Utah’s basketball team

That’s why Utah head coach Lynne Roberts said what she said after the team’s loss to Gonzaga on Monday.

“For our players and staff not to feel safe in an NCAA tournament environment, it’s messed up,” Roberts said. And she’s right — it is messed up.

This is supposed to be one of the best moments of her players’ lives. Instead, it became a moment of anguish for her team, staff and traveling party. That should never have been allowed to happen.

Look, I don’t want to blame the NCAA for people’s racism. It’s not the organization’s fault that these hateful people targeted Utah.

But, at the same time, sending this team to Coeur d’Alene was a clear mistake.

The surrounding region in northern Idaho has been known as a haven for white supremacists. The Aryan Nations — a Neo-Nazi hate group — was once rooted in the region for decades before being removed just 24 years ago in 2000. There are still remnants of folks who believe in the group’s principles.

A quick Google search tells you all of that. Do you mean to tell me that no one could’ve done that for Utah’s basketball team before they were moved into the town? It doesn’t take that much.

Truthfully, it’s a shame that the team even had to move in the first place.

I get it. There wasn’t enough space to house Utah in Spokane for the weekend with the men’s and women’s tournaments in the same area. The NCAA picked Spokane as one of the men’s tournament sites four years ago, according to The Athletic. The women’s tournament’s first few rounds use the home arenas of the first four ranked teams in each region as the tournament sites. It’s a tricky confluence of events, to be sure.

But shouldn’t the teams playing in the area get a bit of priority here? Why should they travel 30 minutes away just to come back and play a game the next day? That’s absurd.

The NCAA has come a long way with the treatment of the women’s tournament. It’s always been an afterthought — March Madness branding wasn’t even used for it. To be fair to the NCAA, that’s changed in recent years. This incident makes it clear the organization still has a long way to go.

Utah’s safety wasn’t a concern. The NCAA just treated it as a logistical piece. These women were placed in a space that was clearly unsafe, and the NCAA didn’t seem to care until the damage was already done. Now, here we are.

The NCAA released a statement condemning racism on Tuesday, per CNN. “The NCAA condemns racism and hatred in any form and is committed to providing a world-class athletics and academic experience for student-athletes that fosters lifelong well-being,” the organization said.

That’s nice. But you know what would be even nicer? If Utah was never put in this position in the first place.

Hopefully, the NCAA will be more proactive in situations like this moving forward.

Coach Cal is back in blue

Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

The thing we all knew was going to happen actually happened. Despite Kentucky’s upset loss to Oakland in the first round of the NCAA tournament, John Calipari will return as the head coach next season.

School Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart confirmed Cal’s return via Twitter.

“As we normally do at the end of every season, Coach Calipari and I have had conversations about the direction of our men’s basketball program and I can confirm that he will return for his 16th season as our head coach.” 

Oh, boy. To be a fly on the wall during those conversations. I can only imagine what was said before the decision to bring Calipari back.

Let’s be honest, though. Cal was never going anywhere — there are 35 million reasons why.

READ MORE: Kentucky is keeping John Calipari for another year and fans couldn’t believe it.

March Madness in the NBA

NBA basketball tends to go a bit under the radar in March with college hoops taking up all of our attention. But if you weren’t watching last night, you missed a treat from the Bucks and Lakers on Tuesday.

Milwaukee had a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter. The Lakers came all the way back to tie the game up and send it to overtime. Not behind some insane LeBron James barrage of 3-pointers. Not because of some incredibly dominant game from Anthony Davis (though he was great!).

Nope. Instead, it was Austin Reaves getting buckets. 29 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists and one turnover. Plus a dominant fourth quarter.

I’ll tell you what, man. If these are the Lakers that show up for the playoffs this year? That first-round series could be pretty fun … as long as they make it out of the Play-In Tournament.

READ MORE: LeBron James hilariously trolled Giannis by timing his free throws

Quick hits: Upset watch for March Madness … Shaq still thinks Caitlin Clark is the GOAT … and more

— Prince Grimes has four teams in men’s March Madness he’s putting on upset watch

— Shaq explains why he’s got Caitlin Clark as his GOAT in women’s basketball. Meg Hall has more.

— Here’s a video of how the NFL’s new kickoff will work. It’s weird…yet kind of fun? Charles Curtis has more.

— Here’s Andrew Joseph with our first MLB Power Ranking of the season. Baseball is back, folks!

— The Predators might be the hottest team in the NHL right now after this wild comeback. Here’s Cory Woodroof with more.

— Saquon Barkley is trying to bring Jason Kelce back to the Eagles. Hopefully, it works.

That’s all, folks! Thanks so much for reading today. I hope you have an amazing Wednesday. Let’s chat again tomorrow. Talk soon! Peace. We out.

-Sykes ✌️

We have no reason to believe Shohei Ohtani’s explanation on the betting scandal with his interpreter

We don’t believe you. You need more people.

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.

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

This Shohei Ohtani interpreter scandal just keeps getting worse by the day and, honestly, it’s all his fault. Ohtani and his team refuse to give us a plausible explanation for everything going on.

On Monday, Ohtani addressed the media for the first time since the Dodgers fired Ippei Mizuhara. He didn’t take any questions. Instead, he released a statement rehashing everything his team told us before. That doesn’t seem suspicious at all, right?

Here’s a quick summary: Ohtani says Mizuhara was approached by ESPN’s reporters and made a statement on his own accord about the $4.5 million in transfers to the bookmaker. Ohtani apparently didn’t know about his translator’s interview at all. He also says everything he said was a lie and that the money transferred in his name was stolen from him.

I’m sorry, man, but absolutely nobody believes this. We’ve all got questions. Or, really, I think we’ve all got the same question: If we’re to believe this, how on Earth did Mizuhara have this much access to Ohtani’s financials? Our Tyler Nettuno asks the question here:

“Further, if he did gain access to Ohtani’s accounts without his knowledge, how was he able to transfer millions of dollars to an individual who was already under federal investigation without flagging the attention of the bank’s risk management systems?”

That just seems impossible. And maybe there are perfectly reasonable answers to this. Personally, I found the first explanation of Ohtani simply helping a friend out to be plausible. Ohtani has a ton of money. He and Mizuhara were (maybe are still?) legitimately friends. If his buddy simply needed help here, I could see anyone in that position helping him.

But this? Nah, man. This ain’t it. Something fishy is going on here. Eventually, we’ll find out what it is — especially if legal action is being taken here.

In the meantime, though, people will fill this blank space with theories. Most of them will be about Ohtani having a gambling problem and him having his friend take the fall for it. That’s unfortunate. But that’s what happens when you give us a story that doesn’t make sense.

Jontay Porter might be done in the NBA

Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Speaking of gambling problems, Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter is being investigated by the NBA for betting irregularities in his stat lines, ESPN reports.

You probably don’t know this guy. He’s a fringe player and is also the brother of Denver’s Michael Porter Jr. He’s only appeared in 26 games so far this season.

Yet, here he is, at the center of a major NBA investigation. The league is investigating two games involving Porter: One against the Clippers on Jan. 26 and another against the Kings on March 20.

He mysteriously left both with ailments after playing a few minutes in both games, allowing his stats to hit the under. After multiple accounts reportedly attempted to bet $10,000 and $20,000 on Porter’s under in the Clippers game, red flags went up.

RELATED: Everything we know about the Jontay Porter investigation

Our Prince Grimes says if the NBA finds him guilty, he needs to be banned from the league ASAP:

The NBA can’t let that fly. If the investigation finds Porter was involved in some way, the punishment has to be heavy. He shouldn’t be allowed to play in the NBA ever again.

You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again, upholding the integrity of the game is the most important thing to sports leagues when it comes to betting. If players think they can get away with manipulating betting outcomes, what’s stopping the next bench-warmer (or referee) from trying something similar.

READ MORE: Jontay Porter should get a lifetime ban from the NBA if he’s guilty

The Sweetest 16

Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

If you haven’t been tapped into the women’s NCAA tournament, you should lock in as soon as possible. We’re about to see a ton of great basketball over the next few days.

The game’s biggest stars made it to the Sweet 16. We’ll have some incredible matchups to watch.

The biggest storylines: 

— The Freshman class: There are so many incredible freshmen who’ve carried their teams this far. Juju Watkins (USC), Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame), Madison Booker (Texas) and Mikaylah Williams (LSU) are the four I’m locked in on. They’re so fun to watch.

— Can LSU survive? Angel Reese and the Tigers will face their greatest test on the road to repeating yet with a Sweet 16 matchup against UCLA. Defending Lauren Betts down low is going to be a challenge.

— South Carolina’s dominance: Will South Carolina dominate Indiana the same way it did UNC and Presbyterian? I doubt it. Indiana’s defense is tough. But Dawn Staley’s team seems inevitable.

— Caitlin’s climb: Iowa has probably been the headliner of the tournament for obvious reasons. Everyone is either rooting for or against Caitlin Clark. The Hawkeyes almost faltered against West Virginia. Colorado isn’t going to be any easier of an opponent.

Lots of fun basketball, folks. Don’t miss out on this.

Quick hits: The NFL’s new kickoff rules explained … The Jalen Green dilemma … and more

— Christian D’Andrea has a breakdown of the NFL’s new complicated kickoff rules here.

— Here’s Bryan Kalbrosky with the latest Layup Lines on Jalen Green and the good problems he’s bringing to the Rockets’ table.

— Should the women’s NCAA tournament be played on more neutral courts? Fans seem to think so. Here’s Meg Hall with more.

— Robert Zeglinski is here with the latest NBA MVP ladder and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s case is rising.

— Is Geno Auriemma taking shots at Caitlin Clark? Charles Curtis lays out the case here.

— Speaking of Caitlin Clark, here’s Cory Woodroof with more on her classy goodbye to Iowa.

That’s all, folks! Thanks so much for reading. We appreciate you for taking the time. Let’s chat again tomorrow. Until then! Be well. Peace.

-Sykes ✌️

Shohei Ohtani’s moment of truth is finally here and he’d better not mess it up

Shohei Ohtani has a chance to clear things up.

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

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

Shohei Ohtani’s been lucky over the last week. The sports betting scandal involving his interpreter would be headlining news if not for the constant excitement of the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments. He and the Dodgers have had a bit of cover on this one.

But that cover comes off on Monday.

RELATED: Everything we know about the Shohei Ohtani interpreter scandal

Ohtani will address the situation to the media for the first time. At the very least, we know he’ll be making a public statement where he’ll have a chance to clarify his involvement in the situation.

I’ll make the long story short for those who may be out of the loop. The story boils down to this: a reported $4.5 million of Ohtani’s money was paid to an illegal bookmaker’s gambling operation to pay off gambling debts. We’ve been told the debt belonged to Ohtani’s friend and former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.

But the story has been so muddled that people don’t know what to believe. First, Mizuhara told ESPN that Ohtani knew about this and intentionally paid off the debt. The next minute, Ohtani’s lawyers released a statement disavowing everything Mizuhara said and claiming this was a “massive theft.” But if he knew, how was this a theft? Did he know? What in the world is going on?

READ MORE: This isn’t the sports betting scandal you think it is

Ohtani needs to finally clear things up because all the questions and unknowns about the situation have only made things look worse for him. It’s certainly plausible that he was paying off a friend’s debt, but it’s also not unreasonable for someone to think this might be a cover for Ohtani to hide a bad gambling habit.

And, if that’s the case? Whew, boy. Do even more questions come into play? Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

Speaking of addressing the media…

Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard/The Greenville News via USA TODAY NETWORK

Kim Mulkey’s weekend press conference, where she threatened to sue the Washington Post over an upcoming story, was bizarre. That feels like the only appropriate word for it.

RELATED: Kim Mulkey threatens a lawsuit ahead of a rumored report

We don’t know what’s in the report, but now we all desperately want to know because Mulkey drew so much attention to it here. She is livid about it:

“I’m fed up, and I’m not going to let The Washington Post attack this university, this awesome team of young women I have, or me without a fight. I’ve hired the best defamation law firm in the country, and I will sue The Washington Post if they publish a false story about me. Not many people are in a position to hold these kinds of journalists accountable, but I am, and I’ll do it.”

Kim Mulkey isn’t new to controversy. It follows her, as we pointed out here. But if Mulkey felt the need to get ahead of it like this, then there’s clearly a big problem here.

We’ll have to wait and see what it is.

Shame on you, Bill Self

(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)

After getting blown out by Gonzaga over the weekend, Kansas’ head coach revealed that he’s been thinking about next season for the last month, Prince Grimes writes.

Look. I can understand not being that excited about this team. It’s not Self’s best. And Kansas has a ton of talent coming in next year that should make it one of the best teams in college basketball again.

But to openly admit this for your team to hear? Man, that’s wild. Keep this to yourself, big dog. Prince agrees:

“What Self said isn’t actually the problem, though, and shouldn’t be interpreted as him quitting on the season. In fact, him acknowledging he can do better to improve the roster is actually a statement of accountability — an admission of his own failure to put together a team he could believe in this year. Where he went wrong is that he said it out loud. Self should have kept this to himself.”

His team deserved more respect than this.

Quick hits: Cameron Brink is the best … Charles Barkley roasts Grand Canyon … and more

— Cameron Brink had two NSFW words for an official after fouling out against Iowa State. Meg Hall has more.

— Charles Barkley says Grand Canyon’s second half vs. Alabama was the “dumbest game of basketball.” Here’s Charles Curtis with more.

— Angel Reese is so petty and I love it. Andrew Joseph has the scoop here.

— Robert Saleh says he’s hoping for more “quietness” with the Jets this season. Is Aaron Rodgers retiring? Here’s more from Robert Zeglinski.

— Jack Gohlke forever. Here’s Charles with more.

— Flau’jae Johnson is standing with Kim Mulkey no matter what. Here’s Blake Schuster with more.

That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks for reading! Let’s do it again tomorrow. Talk soon! We out.

-Sykes ✌️

Virginia’s First Four loss would be more shameful if it weren’t par for the course

I would like to say UVA should be better than this, but I don’t believe that.

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.

Gooood morning, folks! Welcome back to the Morning Win. Thanks so much for rocking with us here at FTW today. We appreciate you.

I’m sorry if you watched that stinker from Virginia on Tuesday along with the rest of us. If you didn’t? Bless your heart. I’m glad you were able to spend your time productively.

Virginia lost to Colorado State 67-42 in a battle of 10 seeds. Well, honestly, calling it a “battle” is probably putting a bit too much spin on it. This game wasn’t very competitive at all. The Cavaliers only scored 14 points on five made field goals in the first half. It’s a wonder UVA even finished with 42.

IT’S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY’s NCAA tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize.

This does nothing to diminish the good Colorado State basketball team on the other end. That team deserves a spot in the tournament earned it. I just wish UVA didn’t make it so easy for them.

Fans had no choice but to wonder if the committee got it wrong by picking them. Today, it’s very clear they did. We’d all rather have watched Robbie Avila do literally anything on the basketball court with Indiana State than what we saw.

The worst part is that I’d like to be surprised by this result. But I’m not. It’s become par for the course.

Tony Bennett has built a successful program at Virginia over the last 13 seasons. He’s had a ton of tournament success and, obviously, the 2019 championship goes a long way.

But here’s a wild stat for you: Since 2018, UVA only has six NCAA tournament wins. All six came from that 2019 title run. Every other year the Cavaliers have bowed out in the round of 64. Now we’ve got a First Four loss. It’s not quite worse, but it’s still pretty bad.

Tony Bennett is the guy at UVA. He’s not going anywhere. But it’s very, very clear that he’s got a lot of work to do to fix this.

SURVIVOR POOL: Free to enter. $2,500 to win. Can you survive the madness?

Betting big on Caitlin Clark and Women’s Basketball

Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

Hate her or love her, there’s no question that Caitlin Clark has changed the future of women’s basketball for the bettor. Did you catch that double-entendre? I sure hope so.

Our Ben Fawkes did some digging into Clark’s impact on sports betting in women’s basketball, and, yes, it’s as significant as you think it is. Here’s more from Ben:

“Clark has also led to an increase in betting interest across the 38 legal U.S. betting states, both on Clark and on women’s college basketball writ large. For several sportsbooks, that’s meant offering individual game props (e.g. Clark over/under total points) on women’s college basketball games for the first time, as well as an expanded menu of women’s games to wager on.”

DraftKings, in particular, shared that betting on NCAA women’s hoops is up 14 times year-over-year by handle and 13 times year-over-year by bets placed. Fawkes spoke with DraftKings Sportsbook director Johnny Avello, who told him that Clark is directly linked to this increase.

“She’s the primary reason why handle has gone up,” Avello told FTW. “We’ve done props on her scoring in individual games, breaking Pistol Pete’s record. All of it has added to the women’s handle.”

Clark is a catalyst for women’s hoops in so many ways. The only thing left to see now is if she can bring this same fervor to the next level when she finally makes her jump to the WNBA.

I’d bet on that going well, too.

READ MORE: How Caitlin Clark fueled the rise of betting on women’s college basketball

Seoul Series Forever

(Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

Did you wake up early enough to get a glimpse at the MLB Seoul Series in South Korea? It was a treat.

This morning’s game (or tonight’s game if you’re reading this from South Korea) was the first of two games between the Dodgers and Padres in Seoul, South Korea. It’s the first MLB game ever played in the country and, yes, though the regular season technically hasn’t started yet, these games do count as regular season wins and losses.

That’s good news for the Dodgers, who won the first game 5-2. We saw Shohei Ohtani’s first hit as a Dodger—a single in the third inning against Yu Darvish.

Ohtani also blasted a foul ball through the roof of the stadium they were playing in, which doesn’t count for anything but is still incredibly impressive.

Not only was there a ton of fun baseball being played, but South Korea also spoiled us with epic performances from aespa. Fun times!

Can baseball always be like this? Please and thanks.

Next game: Thursday, March 21 at 6 a.m. ET. 

Quick hits: Why Caleb Williams will be different for Chicago … Our staff March Madness picks … and more

— Robert Zeglinski paints the picture on why Caleb Williams won’t fail like every other Bears QB prospect has.

— Here’s Blake Schuster with all of our picks for the men’s NCAA tournament.

— Christian D’Andrea is coming to us with the Rhode Island Scumbag’s key to betting on the tournament. Good luck.

— I could never hit a pitch from Yu Darvish. I already knew that, but this video confirms it. Charles Curtis has more.

— Here’s Candace Parker on the big hurdle Caitlin Clark will face going to the WNBA. Meg Hall has more.

— Cory Woodroof has more here on the Jets trapping themselves into depending on Aaron Rodgers to lead them to glory.

Thanks so much for reading, folks. Hope you enjoyed today’s newsletter. Tap in tomorrow for more! Until next time. Peace.

-Sykes ✌️

Calling Anthony Edwards’ monster of a dunk on John Collins the dunk of the Year might be disrespectful

Anthony Edwards’ dunk is going to go down as one of the greatest in history

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

Good morning, Winners! Thanks so much for rocking with The Morning Win today. We appreciate you here.

I don’t even want to waste time with small talk. I know you saw that Anthony Edwards dunk on John Collins last night. And, if you didn’t, what in the world are you doing?!?

Here’s a look for the uninformed:

RELATED: Anthony Edwards’ posterization of John Collins in six photos

Yeah, man. Yeah. While his reaction involves a lot of NSFW language, it’s totally correct and appropriate. This dunk was nasty. So nasty. There’s a reason Kyle Anderson’s eyes popped out of his head. This is what it means to be baptized by a basketball.

I’ve seen so many people calling this the Dunk of the Year. And, yeah, that’s appropriate, I guess. There hasn’t been — and will not be — a better dunk than this this season.

But calling this the Dunk of the Year undersells this, man. It feels disrespectful to me. It’s much, much bigger than that. This might be the best dunk I’ve ever seen. It’s definitely the best one I’ve seen in at least a decade, at the very least.

This is the new Blake Griffin on Mozgov. It’s Michael Jordan on Patrick Ewing. Shawn Kemp on Alton Lister.

Yeah, we’ve seen other immaculate poster dunks from other dunkers recently. Ja Morant has quite a few. Zion Williamson’s got some here and there. Ant Man’s got some others out there, too.

But this one here from Ant? This is generational, man. We’re going to remember this one for a long, long time. This is the one that’s going to have kids dunking their friends into trash cans and calling out “ANT MAN” as they do it.

This is one of the best dunks I’ve ever seen. Shoutout to Edwards for giving us this treat. My condolences to John Collins for involuntarily being on the wrong side of history.

Palace intrigue in the MLBPA

Mandatory Credit: Greg Lovett-USA TODAY NETWORK

There might be some big changes coming to the Major League Baseball Players Association soon.

Players held a zoom call on Monday that ended with an informal vote to oust MLBPA deputy executive director Bruce Meyer with MLBPA — the No. 2 guy in the player’s association, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports.

Players want to bring in Harry Marino, who is the lawyer who spearheaded the effort to unionize minor league baseball in 2023. He’s a former minor league player himself.

Players have long had complaints about the current union leadership and their ability to get things done. There’s also a belief that super agent Scott Boras has a strong influence on the union through Meyer — a claim he denied back in 2021.

This friction is coming at such a fascinating time when teams spent nearly $3 billion this offseason on player contracts. On the surface, that looks great! Especially following the newly minted CBA.

But when you really dig into it, Shohei Ohtani ($700 million) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto ($325 million) are making over a third of that money with one team. Meanwhile, Passan writes, most teams are still spending less:

“Two historic financial behemoths, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, committed less than $50 million to free agents. Eight teams — the Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals, Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins, Miami Marlins, Cleveland Guardians and Colorado Rockies — guaranteed less than $15 million.”

The top of the league is doing great. The middle? Not so much. That’s a problem.

It’s hard to blame the players for wanting change when these are the results. We’ll see if Meyer ends up being the fall guy for it.

Keenan Allen keeps it real

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Keenan Allen doesn’t play about his paper. He was asked why he left the Chargers this season after being traded and, essentially, that was his answer. Robert Zeglinski has more here:

“As Allen explained during his introductory Bears press conference, when the Chargers approached him about restructuring his contract, his answer to his former employer wasn’t emotional. The 31-year-old playmaker said he bluntly told them it wasn’t happening because he was coming off one of his best statistical seasons. That’s it.”

I’m not mad at this at all. When you’re performing at your best, you expect to be paid for it. You definitely don’t expect your job to ask you to put that money on layaway. That’s unfair.

Allen is getting what he deserves from the Bears. Is it a worse situation? Maybe. But Zeglinski asks a poignant question in his piece: “Why take a pay cut or move around money you’re owed in writing just to help your employer, especially after you performed well?”

My thoughts, exactly. Get your money, Keenan Allen. Good on you.

Quick hits: Caitlin Clark and the rise of sports betting… The latest NBA MVP ladder … and more

— Ben Fawkes wrote an awesome story on how Caitlin Clark fueled the rise of sports betting in women’s college basketball.

— Here’s Robert Zeglinski’s latest NBA MVP ladder with Luka Doncic having a fantastic season that may wind up forgotten.

— Here are the latest NFL power rankings post-free agency from Christian D’Andrea and Zeglinski.

— Meghan Hall has you covered on injuries you need to know for both the men’s tournament and women’s tournament. Build that bracket.

— Here are some of the court designs for the NCAA tournament. These are kind of bland, honestly.

— And here’s Mitchell Northam with each of the 16 opening sites for the women’s NCAA tournament.

That’s all, folks! Thanks so much for reading today. We appreciate you. Catch us again here tomorrow. Peace!

-Sykes ✌️

Kirk Cousins is just an OK NFL player, but he’s an absolute legend at his bank

Kirk Cousins is doing the Bankhead Bounce straight to the bank.

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! Thanks so much for reading the Morning Win today. We appreciate you taking the time here. I hope you had an excellent Monday.

You know who definitely did? Kirk. Freakin’. Cousins. That dude struck gold. Again. I have no idea how he continues to get away with this.

Cousins signed a four-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons worth up to $180 million with a $100 million guarantee. That man is doing the Bankhead Bounce all the way to the literal bank. He cashed out. Again. Somehow, man.

Everybody in the NFL should fire their agent and hire Cousins’ at this point. Mike McCartney is a legend at this point. This man has earned $331 million (and counting!) through his 12-year tenure in the league. It’s ridiculous.

He’s played chicken with so many front offices. He was franchise-tagged by the Commanders twice and somehow survived. He parlayed that into a fully guaranteed deal with the Vikings, ending with him tearing his Achilles. Even after that devastating injury, he still rises with pockets stuffed like piñatas.

It’s inspiring, really. Especially when you consider he’s been mediocre to solid every step of the way. He’s made nearly as much as Aaron Rodgers in his career while not being anywhere near as good. Cousins has only started in four playoff games in his career. He’s won one. And he’s lost to a team with Daniel Jones on the other side.

Atlanta doesn’t care, man. The Falcons have their QB — debilitating injury and all.

Look, I know this probably sounds like I’m hating. But I’m not! I promise! I get it. Here’s our Christian D’Andrea and Cory Woodroof explaining the why here:

“Cousins is a credible quarterback. He gets an offense capable of providing him the same caliber artillery the Vikings did in 2023. He should be able to pilot this team back to the postseason.”

Just being credible at the highest-paid position in the NFL gets you so far. Honestly, I’m rooting for him. Being just perfectly OK and getting the most money is simply the American dream.

Go, Kirk, go.

Meanwhile, in Chicago…

Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

The quarterback carousel is still going round and round.

At this point, it seems pretty clear that the Bears are planning on taking Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick in the draft. But does anyone know what Chicago is doing with Justin Fields?

RELATED: Williams goes first in our latest mock draft from Christian D’Andrea

The dude is in NFL limbo right now. It’s clear his current team doesn’t want him. The two rumored suitors in the Steelers and Falcons picked up seasoned veteran options at QB in free agency. So what now? That’s the question. And, as Robert Zegklinski writes here, it’s getting pretty hard to imagine what’s coming:

“Fields had long been rumored as one of the Falcons’ top trade targets. But then Cousins — a superior player — became available, and Atlanta could not reasonably pass up on the opportunity. Throw in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ addition of Russell Wilson, and it’s starting to get really hard to imagine what Fields’ next NFL home will be.”

The Bears very clearly have a price set on what they believe Fields is worth on the trade market. But it’s also clear the rest of the NFL doesn’t see Fields in the same way.

I don’t know what happens next, but I hope this ends soon. This process has been so painful to watch.

READ MORE: Five options for Justin Fields moving forward 

Hard work pays off

Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

Jamahl Mosley just cashed in with the Magic. The head coach just signed a four-year contract extension to stay in Orlando, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports, keeping him with the team through the 2027-28 season.

This is very well deserved. The Magic had been one of the laughingstocks of the NBA for years. But under Mosley, Orlando has improved its win total each year in since 2021, including this year, when the team already won 37 games. The Magic are the East’s No. 5 seed and have an outside shot at a home playoff game this year.

When Orlando hired Mosley, no one questioned whether he could be good. After being on the Mavericks bench behind Rick Carlisle, he was clearly ready to be a head coach. It was just a matter of whether the Magic were organized enough to be competitive.

We’ve got that answer now. Mosley has earned this.

Quick hits: Your big NFL free agent tracker … Our latest NBA MVP ladder … and more

— Christian D’Andrea has the top 102 NFL free agents and where they’ve all signed for you here.

— Jayson Tatum’s MVP case doesn’t look great right now. But did it ever really? Robert Zeglinski has more here.

— Shaq praised Angel Reese for not getting into South Carolina’s and LSU’s fracas. Meghan Hall has more.

— Victor Wembanyama getting dunked on is even spectacular. This guy, man. Charles Curtis has more.

— Here’s Christian with the 10 best free agents available on day 2 of NFL free agency’s tampering period.

— Robert has your winners and losers from free agency so far here.

That’s all, folks! Thanks so much for reading this morning. Have a fantastic Tuesday. Let’s chat again tomorrow. Until then! Peace.

-Sykes ✌️

Sean Payton is officially on the clock after releasing Russell Wilson from the Broncos

It’s all on Sean Payton now. Good luck.

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.

HOUSEKEEPING: I’ll be out traveling for work for the next few days, so TMW will return next Monday.

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

The Russell Wilson situation ended just about as ugly as we all thought it would, didn’t it?

The Broncos officially cut Wilson on Monday, leaving the team to navigate a historic $85 million cap hit. That’s how badly Sean Payton and company didn’t want the former Seahawks QB on the roster anymore.

This officially goes down as one of the worst trades in NFL history, by the way. The Broncos gave up so much for Wilson and essentially got nothing in return. During his first season in Denver he was a shell of himself. His second season was much better, but apparently not good enough to run whatever scheme Sean Payton wanted to run properly.

[lawrence-related id=2183483,2210774,2208154]

That’s the thing about this move, right? This was very clearly a Sean Payton decision. Payton decided to bench Wilson at the tail end of last season. He decided Wilson wasn’t good enough anymore and embarrassingly cast him aside as if he were an old play toy.

But, man. The grass isn’t always greener. Sometimes, it’s dead on the other side, too.

Now, the Broncos must search again for a quarterback — this time under Payton’s guidance. The fix won’t be easy. Denver is way over the cap and good quarterbacks don’t come cheap on the open market.

The Broncos have a good pick at No. 12 overall, but there’s a chance that four quarterbacks may be drafted by then. Denver could always try to trade up, but the Broncos used a ton of assets in the Russell Wilson deal and don’t have a second-round pick this year. Plus, there’s no guarantee that QB-needy teams won’t just stand firm.

Look, man. I get why the Broncos would move on. This isn’t the old Russell Wilson anymore. Paying him that much and continuing to build a team was somewhat untenable. But the way Sean Payton and company treated him on the way out the door was just downright shameful.

The team reportedly pushed him to the bench because he wouldn’t waive an injury guarantee. At every turn, it seemed, Payton was ready to downplay any success Wilson had at quarterback toward the end of the season. None of it was a good look on Payton or the organization.

But Wilson is gone now — exactly the way they all wanted. The deed is done. It’s time to start again. But if things don’t work out this time? There is no Russell Wilson to blame.

So, Broncos Country, your ride still isn’t quite over yet. You’d better hope Sean Payton still knows how to steer well because things are completely in his hands now.

WNBA x Toronto?

Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The WNBA has expressed the desire to have 14 teams by 2025. The Golden State franchise is locked in. That leaves room for one more team to enter the league.

That team might just be north of the border.

Canadian billionaire and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment minority owner Larry Tanenbaum has reportedly expressed interest in a Toronto expansion for the WNBA, CBC’s Shireen Ahmed reported on Monday.

More details: 

“Tanenbaum, a minority owner and chairman of sporting giant Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment which owns the Maple Leafs, Raptors, TFC, Argos and Marlies, is seeking the team through his holding company, the Kilmer Group.

CBC Sports spoke with three people familiar with the deal who requested confidentiality as they are not authorized to speak publicly about it.”

Ahmed reports that a meeting could happen between the W and Tanenmbaum as soon as May.

Toronto would make perfect sense. Tanenbaum obviously has experience in sports as a minority owner at MLSE, which owns the Raptors, Maple Leafs, Argonauts and more.

Plus, Toronto hosted a WNBA game in May. There’s a clear interest from the league in international expansion there. Someone with money has to make it happen.

It looks like Tanenbaum could be that guy.

Arch Manning is out

EA Sports’ College Football 25 video game reportedly has more than 10,000 players opting in to be part of the game. But Arch Manning won’t be one of them.

The Texas QB is opting out here to keep his likeness off the game. Why? To focus on football, according to him. But fans have some more hilarious theories behind it, according to our Charles Curtis.

“The Texas QB and nephew of Eli and Peyton Manning is reportedly not opting in, per Anwar Richardson (see below), which is kind of a curious thing. It’s the easiest $600 to make, right? And the speculation has begun on why he said no — Pro Football Talk suggested that “It seems more likely that Arch wanted more than $600, and that EA passed. Arch doesn’t need to be in the game, and EA doesn’t currently need him in the game, since he’s not the starter at Texas.”

Some think it’s because he wants more money. Others think it’s because he’s a backup. Honestly, the only person who knows is Arch.

It’s fine, though. If Arch doesn’t want the $600, so be it. We’ll all edit him in the game, anyway.

Quick hits: Our Bracket Betting Tracker … The NBA MVP ladder … and more

— Our Prince Grimes built out a comprehensive betting tracker for all 32 leagues in NCAA men’s basketball.

— Here’s Robert Zeglinski with an NBA MVP tracker. He’s got Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander neck-and-neck.

— Cory Woodroof has predictions for the Oscars here, including another big night for Oppenheimer.

— Here are the 8 best moments from Jason Kelce’s retirement speech

— Christian D’Andrea has the biggest draft risers and farthest fallers after the NFL Combine here.

— Speaking of mock drafts, this one here has the Bears making some interesting moves for Caleb Williams. Charles Curtis has more.

That’s all, folks! Thanks so much for reading. We appreciate you! Until next time, peace!

-Sykes ✌️

The Celtics just reminded us all that they’re one of the best teams ever by destroying the Warriors

The only thing that could stop the Celtics is themselves

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

Good morning, Winners! Thanks so much for reading the Morning Win today. We appreciate you all taking the time. I hope you had a fantastic weekend.

It surely went better than the Warriors’ weekend did after the Celtics completely trounced Golden State by 51 points on Sunday. Boston’s 140-88 win was one of the most thorough efforts of domination I’ve ever seen in my life. By halftime, the Warriors were down by 42, which was actually more points than they’d scored (38).

The loss was so bad it had Steph Curry talking about the good ole days. “That’s what we used to do to teams,” Curry told reporters after the game. And, yeah, that’s true. It is. Now, it seems, it’s Boston’s turn to be one of the greatest teams ever. That should be a terrifying thought for the league.

All season long, we’ve been talking about the Western Conference and how good teams are over there. Rightfully so — the defending NBA champion is in the West. Plus, the race to the top of the conference is so tight that it’s become the most compelling story in the league so far this year.

But let me tell y’all something. This Celtics team? This squad should be a lock to win the title right now coming out of the West.

And, look. I know Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets are over there on the other side. So are the Thunder and the Clippers. The Timberwolves, too. There are plenty of formidable opponents out there. But with the way these Celtics are trouncing teams right now? I’m just not sure any of that matters.

Boston has had three 50+ point wins so far this season. This is the first team in NBA history to accomplish that. EVER.

There’s more. Boston currently has the 5th highest point differential in NBA history at +11.42. The only teams above them are the 1972 Lakers, the 1971 Bucks, the 1996 Bulls and the 2017 Warriors. Guess what? They all won championships.

Obviously, all that math doesn’t guarantee anything. Just behind them on that point differential scale are the 2016 Warriors and the 1972 Bucks — neither of which won a championship. You still have to play the games and the Celtics still have to win in the playoffs. That’s part of the deal. Nothing matters with this team until it reaches the mountaintop.

But, man. It sure does seem like Boston will have a pretty easy time climbing there this season.

A historic weekend of hoops

(Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)

Two absolute legends did their thing this weekend.

First, on Saturday, LeBron James became the first human on the planet to score 40,000 points in a basketball league. Insane.

James got the record against the Nuggets on Saturday in the most classic way — a layup right at the rim.

 

Everyone is asking if James’ scoring record will ever be broken. Honestly, I don’t know. We can’t say — mostly because he hasn’t finished playing yet. I will say this: We thought Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record would never be broken either. Yet here we are.

Next, on Sunday,  Caitlin Clark became the all-time leading scorer for the NCAA after breaking Pete Maravich’s 3,667-point record.

The funny part is she did it in the most antithetical way ever — with a technical free throw. Shoutout to everyone who bet on that.

Despite not seeing the record christened with a 30-foot 3-point attempt, it was still quite the moment for Clark in what turned out to be an amazing day. She met her idol (and my personal GOAT), Maya Moore. Travis Scott and Jake from State Farm came through. Nike dropped an amazing commercial after.

It was an incredible day for an incredible player who made incredible history. I can’t wait to see what she accomplishes on the next level.

RIP Mort

(ESPN via AP)

The weekend also brought a bit of terrible news. Longtime ESPN NFL Insider Chris Mortensen died on Sunday morning.

The ESPN legend was 72 years old. Last year, he’d stepped down after the NFL draft to focus on his health and his family. He’d become such an inspiration to so many while battling cancer and somehow still doing the tremendous work he did.

The tributes poured in on Sunday and you’d be hard-pressed to find a bad word anyone had to say about the guy. This Adam Schefter tribute will have you in shambles.

RELATED: NFL Analyst Daniel Jeremiah pays tribute to his late mentor, Chris Mortensen

If you’re like me — which, let’s face it, we all love sports here — then Mort was an essential part of your experience in watching sports. Mortensen stayed on my screen growing up. I wouldn’t know the NFL without him. I’m so thankful for him.

I did not know this man personally. But this news still hit me like a ton of bricks, as I’m sure it did for most of you.

But don’t fret, folks. That feeling that you feel only means life was a job well done by Mortensen. That’s a good thing. Rest well, Mort.

Quick hits: The top NHL players on the trade market … NFL Combine winners and losers… and more

— Our Mary Clarke has you covered with a list of the best NHL players on the market ahead of Friday’s trade deadline

— Here’s Robert Zeglinski with winners and losers from the NFL Draft Combine.

— This moment between Nikola Jokic and LeBron James is hilarious. Robert Zeglinski has more.

— Could J.J. McCarthy go in the top 10 of the NFL draft? This latest mock draft says it’s possible. Charles Curtis has more.

—Wrestling legend Sting’s retirement was a doozy. Christian D’Andrea has more here.

— Xavier Worthy’s NFL record 40-yard dash time at the combine was great…but it’s even better when you line it up against Patrick Mahomes. Andrew Joseph has more.

That’s all, folks! Thanks so much for reading today. We appreciate you. Tap in again tomorrow! Until then — peace! We out.

-Sykes ✌️

Caitlin Clark is not taking a pay cut by going to the WNBA, and anyone saying otherwise is being intentionally obtuse

I wish we could stop talking about this.

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

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

I regret to inform you that today’s conversation is, once again, about the notion that Caitlin Clark — and, really, women’s basketball players in general — are taking pay cuts by going to the WNBA.

I know, I know. We’ve had this talk before. Multiple times. Like, over and over again. But despite there being a ton of evidence pointing to the contrary, this dopey narrative continues to not only stick around but thrive in various internet circles.

Today’s culprit is Darren Rovell, who felt the need to belittle Caitlin Clark and her moment by immediately talking about the imaginary pay cut she was taking after she announced that she’d be going to the WNBA this season.

RELATED: Yes, she’ll still be doing March Madness

His argument is this: Clark’s NIL valuation is currently $910,000, per On3 Sports. She’ll go to the WNBA and make a $75,000 salary annually as a No. 1 pick. Clark’s NIL valuation is “essentially” (his words, not mine) a salary for Clark at Iowa. Her salary in the W would only be $75,000, which is obviously below $910,000.

Here’s the thing: That’s so laughably wrong. It shows a tacit misunderstanding about how all this works.

Her current valuation isn’t a salary — it’s a valuation of how much her endorsement deals are worth. Her current salary is a whopping $0 because Iowa doesn’t pay its student-athletes.

As far as that valuation number goes? Contrary to popular belief, that’s not going anywhere. Our Mitchell Northam explained this two months ago the last time we had to have this conversation.

Her endorsement deals are with national brands like Nike, Gatorade, Buick, State Farm and more. Do we really think they’re just dropping Caitlin Clark because she doesn’t play ball at Iowa anymore? That’s silly. Some of them have already confirmed they’ll continue working with her, Mitch writes:

“She will still be a household name with more than 825,000 followers on Instagram, and her profile could grow even more should Iowa make another Final Four run or if she competes in the Olympics this summer.

Those brands are more than likely going to stick with Clark, continue to back her and continue to reap the rewards from endorsing an athlete of her caliber. Gatorade has already committed to this, as its deal with Clark is a multi-year one. In a statement announcing a partnership with Clark, State Farm Chief Marketing Officer Kristyn Cook said, ‘We can’t wait to drive progress forward together with Caitlin for years to come,’.”

Maybe Rovell’s point would have a bit of validity if  Clark was mostly paid by Iowa’s NIL collective. Those collectives are funded by school boosters.  It’s a way to allow the bagmen of college sports to do their work over the table instead of under it.

But in Clark’s case specifically, she reportedly isn’t paid a dime by Iowa’s NIL collective, according to The Wall Street Journal. It’s all those same national brands above that are pledging to continue working with her. That money isn’t in any danger of evaporating.

Rovell and others’ points here have been completely nonsensical from the beginning. All it takes is a five-minute Google search to clear things up. It’s that easy.

Not only is this conversation intellectually dishonest, but it’s also beginning to feel more sinister. It’s as if folks like Rovell and others out there are just looking to disenfranchise young women looking to play pro basketball and are dead set on devaluing the WNBA.

No, the W isn’t perfect. The league surely has its problems, but so do its counterparts. Are the salaries small on a pro sports scale? Sure. But the league is still growing – it’s not even 30 years old yet.

Adding a national star like Caitlin Clark is sure to work wonders for its growth and popularity. Instead of trying to downplay this kid’s dream, Rovell and others need to just sit back and watch her shine.

Almost there

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James continues to build on his illustrious career. He’s already walking in uncharted territory in his 21st season while still putting up unfathomable numbers every night.

But with the very next game he plays, he’ll do something that maybe no one else in NBA history will ever do: Score his 40,000th point.

After embarrassing my Wizards with 31 points in an overtime win on Thursday, James is just nine points away from 40k career points.

Can I be honest for a second? I was kind of terrified that he’d do it against Washington in an overtime game against the worst team in the league that absolutely no one cared to watch. But now, he’ll likely get it done against the Nuggets on Saturday, which is a much better scenario.

Let’s just hope the Lakers don’t stop the game this time around for it like what happened when James broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record. That was… weird.

I’m sorry, what?

You just have to see this story from Prince Grimes to believe it. To make a long story short, super gamlber Xaviar Babudar — aka Chiesfaholic — is facing charges for robbing banks to support his gambling habit.

And his lawyer is out here using football analogies to defend him. It’s bad. Really bad.

“But the story here is Babudar’s lawyer. Because after the hearing, said lawyer addressed the media to explain how Babudar was taking accountability for his actions, and let’s just say he fumbled the message with the most unnecessary football analogy.

“From the beginning of this case, folks, the government has been blitzing. And Xaviar’s pocket was collapsing,” he started. “But today, Xaviar stepped into the pressure,’.”

Yeah, man. Chiesfaholic is cooked.

Photo Friday: The moment ROY was won

(AP Photo/Darren Abate)

Every time these two line up against one another something special happens. This is Victor Wembanyama blocking Chet Holmgren’s shot late in the fourth quarter in a win over Oklahoma City.

The entire sequence was enthralling. It’s worth a watch. Vic probably sealed Rookie of the Year here.

I can’t believe this guy is real.

Quick hits: The top 16 is here … NHL Power Rankings … and more

— Our Mitchell Northam has the winners and losers for the NCAAW top 16 reveal

— Here’s Mary Clarke with her latest NHL Power Rankings ahead of the trade deadline

— The Shaq and Kobe comparisons for Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark are great. Meghan Hall has more.

— Michael Penix Jr. and JJ McCarthy are still showing out. Charles Curtis has more.

— Prince Grimes has the best bets for NBA division winners here. Those Nuggets are creeping up on the Thunder, man. Watch out.

— Caroline Darney has the scoop on Dune 2 reviews and they all look great. I cannot wait to see this.

That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for reading today. Have a fantastic weekend. Let’s do it again next week. We out. Peace.

-Sykes ✌️

Justin Fields unfollowing the Bears is not a big deal and we don’t need to make it one

Let Justin Fields live, people.

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

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

Over the last day or so there’s been a ton of talk about Justin Fields and his social media activity. Not anything wild or out of line. No regrettable tweets or weird Instagram posts.

Instead, all people are talking about is how he unfollowed the Bears on IG. That’s it.

Fields has been at the center of a lot of trade talks this offseason with the Bears having the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. The projected No. 1 pick for most evaluators is either Caleb Williams or Drake Maye, who are both quarterbacks. That’s the same position Fields plays.

To avoid those rumors — and, really, football in general — Fields said on the 33rd Team podcast with Amon-Ra St. Brown and  Equanimeous St. Brown that he unfollowed the Bears and the NFL.

“I still mess with the Bears, this and that. I’m just trying to take a little break [from football content]. I unfollowed the Bears and the NFL. I’m just trying to not have football on my timeline.”

That feels like a reasonable take, right? Yet, a portion of the conversation surrounding this is how Fields is “soft” or taking things too personally here with his unfollow.

But let’s be real. Think about if your employers were thinking of shipping you out. You had no idea where they’d be sending you or when they’d be doing it — just that you could be going because they didn’t think you were good enough.

RELATED: Justin Fields is actually at peace with all the trade talk

Would you really want to see that job on your Instagram timeline? I think not. Personally, I’ve unfollowed social media accounts for less. I’m sure many of you reading this have, too. We’re all human here. None of us are above it.

It’d be dope if we all just remembered for a second that Fields and his colleagues across the league are human, too.

The CFP is doing too much

(AP Photo/Roger Steinman, File)

Just yesterday, we talked about how the NCAA had officially decided on what the 12-team College Football Playoff would look like.

Apparently, that’s not good enough.

The very next day after ratifying this new format, the College Football Playoff management committee was already discussing a 14-team expansion of the format by 2026, ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Heather Dinich report.

Why? It’s the money, man. It’s always the money.

With the Big Ten and SEC now hosting a majority of the teams in the Power 4 conferences, they’re currently searching for a new contract that will give both conferences a bigger slice of the pie. Plus, adding two more slots would add more space for automatic qualifiers, which would mean more Big Ten and SEC teams in the playoff.

But, man. Come on. How much is too much? Because I think we’re there.

Adding two more teams to the equation does nothing but dilute the waters of the College Football Playoff. This isn’t supposed to be a thing where everybody can get in — the playoff is supposed to determine who is the best of the best.

If we’ve got multiple two or even three-loss teams making it in, then what exactly are we doing besides adding more money to the pot? Do we care about quality anymore?

That’s rhetorical. I already know the answer. You probably do, too.

Auston Matthews is on fire

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Auston Matthews is on a historic run right now with the Maple Leafs. He’s unstoppable.

Matthews scored his 50th and 51st goal of the season on Wednesday against the Coyotes. Toronto won the game 6-3, pushing the team’s current winning streak to five. But that wasn’t the big story from last night. Matthews was.

The rate this dude is scoring goals is out of this world. He’s currently on pace for 76 goals this season, which would be the fifth-highest total for a single season in NHL history and the most since the 1992-93 season.

Make history, Auston Matthews. We’re rooting for you.

 

Quick hits: 1 question for every NBA team … A key free agent target for all 32 NFL teams … and more

— Here’s Robert Zeglinski with a question for all 30 teams in the NBA coming out of the All-Star break.

— Christian D’Andrea has one big free agency target for all 32 NFL teams

— Sue Bird thinks Juju Watkins is going to be one of the best college basketball players ever. I tend to agree. Meghan Hall has more.

— Charlie Woods on the PGA Tour?!?! It could happen! Here’s Blake Schuster on how.

— Patrick Mahomes really is Michael Jordan. Here’s Robert Zeglinski on the Raiders new strategy against him.

— Uhhhh somebody should probably do something about these pants in Major League Baseball. Here’s Blake again with more.

That’s a wrap, folks! Thanks so much for reading today. Appreciate you. Have a fantastic Thursday. Let’s chat again tomorrow. Peace.

-Sykes ✌️