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, family! Welcome back to the Morning Win. Thanks so much for rocking with us today. We appreciate you here.
Shoutout to Bengals fans out there. I know today is a bit of a rough day for you. It isn’t every day that your quarterback puts up nearly 500 passing yards and four touchdowns and your receiver catches 11 balls for 264 yards and three touchdowns and you somehow lose the game.
In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything quite like this.
Personally? I blame Zac Taylor. I think you have to. That two-point conversion attempt? Come on, man. What are we doing here?
ZAC TAYLOR ROASTED: Fans let Taylor have it online after his ridiculous decision-making.
Look, I get it. You’re trying to end the game. After the Ravens put up 35 points on your defense, you probably don’t trust the unit to get the stop at that point in the game.
I also understand that the officials completely botched this one, too. Two key calls were missed on the attempt — roughing the passer and defensive holding. The gamble Taylor took here probably should’ve paid off with a score or, at the very least, another attempt a bit closer to the goal line.
Instead, the Ravens win. And Taylor’s Bengals — despite all-world performances from his stars — are 4-6. That’s thanks to his late-game decision-making.
Maybe this is just a bit too much Friday morning quarterbacking from me, but shouldn’t you just kick the extra point there? You’ve got to do everything you can to give Burrow and company a chance to win the game without completely risking it. Taylor reversed that and risked everything for a chance to win. Considering where Cincinnati is in its season, that’s far too risky.
Taylor made things way harder than they needed to be. The playoff race isn’t over for the Bengals, but it’s entirely possible the team’s hopes just collapsed along with that two-point conversion.
That may have cost Cincinnati its season. It’ll also probably cost Taylor his job.
The Bucks finally won again
After a six-game losing streak following a season-opening win, Milwaukee has finally won again.
That’s probably more about the team the Bucks played and less about the Bucks — the Jazz are all in for Cooper Flagg now. But whatever! Take the wins where you can get them, Milwaukee.
MORE ON FLAGG: The NBA needs him in the Eastern Conference.
Doc Rivers finally shook things up a bit and played Milwaukee’s young guys more. They started Andre Jackson Jr. and played AJ Green a bit more and — whaddaya know! — they were pretty good!
Yesterday, the Milwaukee Bucks were a +19 in Andre Jackson Jr.'s minutes and a +13 in AJ Green's 18.5 minutes.
It's almost like…they are better when they play their young guys!
— Mat Issa (@matissa15) November 8, 2024
A win against the lowly Utah Jazz isn’t enough to quell the Giannis trade rumors that have been bubbling up. Legitimate concerns remain about whether Milwaukee can bounce back from its slow start.
But a win is a win. And it’s been a while since the Bucks had one of these. So they’ll certainly take it and run.
Candace Parker is spot on
In a world where women’s sports is bubbling up in a way we haven’t seen it before, many people are wondering why we’re just beginning to see this explosion. Why didn’t this happen before?
Candace Parker has the answers. It’s because it was buried and the networks that play it now had much to do with it.
Here, she talks about it in an interview on Bloomberg.
Candace Parker criticizes networks for burying women's sports for many years. (via @bbgoriginals)
"The first time they put the Women's NCAA game on ABC was the first year that Caitlin Clark made the championship game. Are you surprised that the viewership was up? Are you… pic.twitter.com/Mt4AiI8tuZ
— WNBACentral (@TheWCentral) November 7, 2024
“The first time they put the Women’s NCAA game on ABC was the first year that Caitlin Clark made the championship game. Are you surprised that the viewership was up? Are you surprised that people actually saw the product? It was buried for so long on ESPN.
…
The NBA doesn’t want to clash with NFL playoffs or NFL opening week. So why would we then put the WNBA? I don’t care if that’s the time slot that they’re giving you. Let’s fight for another one or let’s find something else.”
Couldn’t have said it any better.
Photo Friday: It’s a bird … It’s a plane … No! It’s Spiderman!
OK. This isn’t sports. But I know I can’t be the only one excited to see this awesome Spiderman float in the Thanksgiving Day parade. This looks fantastic.
Quick hits: CFB Spread Picks … The worst of the NFL … and more
— Here’s Michelle Martinelli with our weekly staff picks against the spread for the college football weekend.
— Cory Woodroof is ranking the top 10 teams in the NFL who could potentially get the No. 1 overall pick.
— Christian D’Andrea has his best bets for the NFL week and they include … DANIEL JONES?!?!?
— Kevin O’Connell giving words of encouragement to Anthony Richardson is so cool. Robert Zeglinski has more.
— Here’s Meg Hall on when Geno Auriemma could break the NCAA’s all-time wins record.
— Stephen A. Smith for president? Yikes, guys.
That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for reading. Have a fantastic weekend. Peace.
-Sykes ✌️