Sports

[phkrause]

👋 Good morning! De'Aaron Fox is headed to the Spurs and Zach LaVine is headed to the Kings in a three-team NBA trade that generated slightly less buzz than that other one you may have heard about.

‌In today's edition: The most shocking (and maybe worst?) trade in NBA history, Coach Cal wins in Lexington, Shields makes history in Flint, certified hockey guy, touchdown for Tiger, and more.

‌Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy.

 

🚨 ICYMI heADLINES

🇨🇦 Canada boos USA: Canadian fans booed the U.S. national anthem during Raptors, Senators, Flames and Canucks games after President Donald Trump announced stiff tariffs on American's northern neighbor.

‌🏈 More accusations: Four more massage therapists have accused Ravens kicker Justin Tucker of inappropriate sexual behavior, bringing the total to 10 therapists from five different spas.

‌🏀 Raised to the rafters: Iowa retired Caitlin Clark's No. 22 jersey (then upset No. 4 USC), and South Carolina retired A'ja Wilson’s No. 22 jersey (then won their 70th straight home game).

‌⚾️ Flaherty back to Detroit: RHP Jack Flaherty is signing a two-year, $35 million deal with the Tigers, who traded him to the Dodgers at last year's deadline. He was No. 12 on our Top 50 MLB free agents list.

‌⛳️ Save those scorecards: Rory McIlroy (-21) won the Pebble Beach Pro-Am for his 27th PGA Tour victory, and A Lim Kim (-20) held off Nelly Korda to win the LPGA season opener.

 

🏀 Blockbuster

THE MOST SHOCKING TRADE IN NBA HISTORY

"Yes, this is real." Those were ESPN reporter Shams Charania's words after breaking the news of a trade so shocking, so inconceivable, so seemingly lopsided that everyone assumed he'd been hacked.

‌ICYMI (which you definitely didn't): Luka Dončić is a Laker and Anthony Davis is a Maverick following one of the most stunning trades in the history of sports.

‌NBA players couldn't believe it, as word spread on social media and made its way to team benches during Saturday's late games. People who had sworn off X returned to the platform to partake in the chaos.

An old friend I haven't spoken to since middle school messaged me asking for my take. Mavs fans protested outside the arena. They made a joke about it at The Grammys. That's the magnitude of this.

Luka and LeBron: Since trading for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975, the Lakers have gone exactly seven seasons without a bona fide superstar. This trade ensures that number will stay exactly where it is when LeBron James retires (if he ever does).

‌They'll now pair the 40-year-old James, the current face of the league and still one of its best players, with the 25-year-old Dončić, one of a handful of candidates to become the future face.

Consider this: James and Dončić are the only players in NBA history with career averages of 27 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. They're also two of six players to reach 12,000 points at age 25 or younger.

As for the Mavericks... They'll pair Davis with Kyrie Irving to form a classic guard-big tandem, while allowing AD to play his desired position of power forward alongside Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II at center. One could argue this trade makes them a better, more balanced team (especially with Luka nursing a calf injury), but one could also argue that they'll have to win a title for this to not blow up in their face.

What is Dallas thinking? General manager Nico Harrison defended the move with a tried-and-true line: "I believe that defense wins championships," citing Davis' dominance on that end of the floor.

‌Dončić's conditioning, a constant concern throughout his career, was also reportedly a chief motivator for the Mavericks, who were months away from owing him a five-year, $345 million supermax extension.

As longtime NBA insider Marc Stein put it, Dallas' decision-makers had "decided that they no longer trusted Dončić as the heir to the franchise" mere months after he led them to the NBA Finals. Wild.

The biggest winner? Lakers exceptionalism, writes Yahoo Sports' Dan Devine.

‌Strip out the spin, and here's what’s left: The Lakers just traded a 31-year-old big man in his 13th season, a pair of 21-year-old guards not widely seen as future stars, a 2029 first-round draft pick and the Clippers' 2025 second-round pick… for one of the five best basketball players on the planet. Davis has long represented effective excellence, but Dončić offers breathtaking brilliance. And for decades, breathtaking brilliance has been the Lakers' brand.

‌The biggest loser? Luka Dončić exceptionalism.

‌However stunned you were to learn that Luka had been traded… imagine how stunned he must have been. Again: top-five player, already likely on a glide path to the Hall of Fame, just entering his prime fresh off a first Finals appearance, firmly entrenched as the sun around which everything in Dallas orbited… until, suddenly, he wasn't. Now, in one fell swoop, he has been moved, in the middle of the season, by the only NBA franchise he's ever known, without his say-so.

‌More from Yahoo Sports:

‌Vincent Goodwill: Does this signify a changing NBA landscape?

Tom Haberstroh: How the NBA All-Star Draft predicted this

🎙️ The Kevin O'Connor Show: Was trading Luka actually a smart move? Should the Mavs have shopped him more?

🏈 Yes, the Pro Bowl Games is still a thing... Congratulations to the NFC for winning this year's event, which featured dodgeball, relay races, a spin on "The Newlywed Game," and flag football starring Russell Wilson, who doesn't exactly scream "All-Star." Really thrilling stuff!

‌⏱️ Blink and you'll miss it: Everton's Abdoulaye Doucouré scored the fourth-fastest goal in Premier League history (10.18 seconds), Landon Slaggert scored the fastest goal in Blackhawks history (7 seconds) and Boston College hoops scored five points in four seconds to stun FSU.

‌🏀 Breaking news: The Wizards won a basketball game! Washington beat shorthanded Minnesota, 105-103, on Saturday to snap their 16-game losing streak and improve (?) to 7-41 on the season.

🏒 Certified hockey guy: James van Riemsdyk lost four teeth, needed 30-plus stitches (plus a bone graft and root canal) and was eating through a straw after taking a high stick on Friday. He was back in the lineup on Sunday and had an assist.

‌🏈 Buckeyes exodus: Reigning national champion Ohio State already saw its defensive coordinator get poached by Penn State and its general manager get poached by USC. Now offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is leaving to take the same job with the Raiders.

‌🇪🇸 Tight at the top: We have a title race in LaLiga! Real Madrid's shocking 1-0 defeat at Espanyol on Saturday left Los Blancos just one point ahead of Atlético Madrid and four points ahead of Barcelona.

 

📺 THE GARDEN

WATCHLIST: CONTENDERS CLASH AT MSG

The Knicks host the Rockets tonight (7:30pm ET, NBA) in a battle between the No. 3 team in the East and the No. 3 team in the West.

‌Head-to-head: The Knicks (32-17) have the NBA's second-best offense, while Houston (32-16) has the fourth-best defense.

‌More to watch:

‌🏀 NCAAM: No. 3 Iowa State at No. 11 Kansas (9pm, ESPN) … The Jayhawks will look to rebound after coughing up the biggest lead in school history on Saturday.

🏀 NCAAW: No. 10 Duke at No. 17 NC State (7pm, ESPN2) … The Blue Devils have won five straight, while the Wolfpack have won six straight.

🏒 NCAA Hockey: No. 10 BU vs. Harvard (5pm, ESPN+); No. 1 BC vs. Northeastern (8pm, ESPN+) … The 72nd annual Boston Beanpot.

Plus: Magic at Warriors (10pm, NBA); Unrivaled Week 3 (7pm, TNT); Caribbean Series (3pm and 8pm, MLB); Chelsea vs. West Ham (3pm, USA)

 

 

[phkrause]

🏈 Super Bowl week begins

Photo: Michael Owens/Getty Images Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs (above) and Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles (below) have arrived in New Orleans ahead of the Super Bowl. Photo: Michael Owens/Getty Images 100,000 people are expected to flock to New Orleans before Sunday — including, of course, Taylor Swift.

[phkrause]

👋 Good morning! Happy Tuesday.

‌In today's edition: Goodell backs DEI efforts, IT is running his own race, MLB offseason grades, dueling buzzer-beaters, and more.

‌Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy.

 

🚨 ICYMI heADLINES

🏈 NFL trade news: Six-time Pro Bowler and 2023 DPOY Myles Garrett has requested a trade from the Browns, who drafted him first overall in 2017; Cooper Kupp said the Rams are working to trade him immediately and doesn't seem too happy about it.

‌💵 Gambling probe expands: A gambling ring under federal investigation for its role in two NBA betting cases has been linked to unusual betting activity involving three men's college basketball programs: North Carolina A&T, Mississippi Valley State and Eastern Michigan.

‌🏀 Luka's dad slams Mavs: Saša Dončić, a former professional player and head coach, criticized the "secrecy" and "hypocrisy" of Mavericks brass. "Luka absolutely doesn't deserve this."

‌⚾️ MLB fires ump: After a lengthy appeals process, MLB upheld its decision to fire umpire Pat Hoberg for sharing a betting account with a friend who bet on baseball. Hoberg also intentionally deleted messages that were central to MLB's investigation.

‌🏀 Hamilton's last dance: Florida State men's basketball coach Leonard Hamilton will resign at the end of the season. The 76-year-old ranks fifth all-time in wins among ACC coaches behind Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams, Dean Smith and Gary Williams.

 

🏈 SUPER BOWL WEEK

GOODELL: DEI MAKES NFL BETTER, WILL CONTINUE

Donald Trump wants to rid America of DEI. The NFL isn't playing along, writes Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson from New Orleans.

‌The NFL's dedicated push to add diversity in all levels of America's most popular sport will continue. That was the message delivered by commissioner Roger Goodell on Monday during his annual state of the league address — declining to follow in the footsteps of some major U.S. corporations stripping away diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

‌It's a notable decision by the NFL, given the league's extremely strong public profile and the recent trends opposing DEI initiatives in the wake of Donald Trump's re-election to the White House. The NFL has supported a host of diversity initiatives throughout its structure, including the long-debated "Rooney Rule," which mandates the interviewing of minority candidates during the hiring process of high-ranking coaches and executives.

‌"We got into diversity efforts because we felt it was the right thing for the NFL," Goodell said on Monday. "And we’re going to continue towards that, because we've not only convinced ourselves, I think we've proven that it does make the NFL better."

‌"We're not in this because it's a trend to get into or a trend to get out of it," he continued. "Our efforts are fundamental in trying to attract the best possible talent both on and off the field. We see how it's benefitted the NFL. I think we'll continue those efforts. I think it's also clearly a reflection of our fan base and our communities and our players."

‌More from Media Night:

‌Chiefs have become the villains, and they're good with it

Eagles have different focus than they did two years ago

 

🏀 THE COMEBACK TRAIL

ISAIAH THOMAS IS RUNNING HIS OWN RACE

Eight years ago, Isaiah Thomas was garnering MVP buzz during one of the best scoring seasons in NBA history. Now, the 5-foot-9 guard is grinding it out in the G League in hopes of making it back to the big time, Jeff and I write.

‌The rise: Thomas — picked last by the Kings in the 2011 draft — enjoyed a steady rise to stardom, becoming a 20-point scorer in his third season, an All-Star in his fifth and a superstar in his sixth, when he averaged 28.9 points and finished fifth in MVP voting with the Celtics in 2017.

‌All signs pointed to Thomas landing a nine-figure contract and becoming a mainstay in Boston, where he was beloved by fans. Then, life went sideways.

On the eve of the 2017 playoffs, his sister died in a car crash. Weeks later, he re-aggravated a hip injury, which ended his season and ultimately derailed his career.

The fall: Two hip surgeries limited Thomas to 84 games and veteran-minimum deals across the next three seasons with the Cavaliers, Lakers, Nuggets and Wizards before he was traded to — and waived by — the Clippers a month before the pandemic began.

‌The comeback trail: IT has been in and out of the NBA ever since, signing 10-day contracts with four different teams and making 53 appearances — often during garbage time. He went unsigned for the entirety of the 2022-23 season, but he hasn't given up.

‌A solid stint last spring with the G League's Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz affiliate) landed him a deal with the Suns, and he played his first NBA games in nearly two years.

Now, he's back with the Stars, where he hopes his undeniable ability to put the ball in the basket (29.3 points through three games) will jumpstart his next NBA comeback.

The last word: "Just running my own race!" Thomas tweeted last week after news broke that he was headed back to the minor leagues at age 35 (he turns 36 on Friday). "Don't be mad at me cuz I'm chasing something I love! Get yo ass up and do the same."

 

⚾️ REPORT CARDS

MLB OFFSEASON GRADES

(Taylar Sievert/Yahoo Sports)

All 30 MLB teams had the chance to get better over the winter. Some did; some did not.   📺 EAST AND WEST WATCHLIST: NBA DOUBLEHEADER The NBA is serving up quite the doubleheader tonight, with Celtics at Cavaliers (7:30pm ET, TNT) in a battle of the East's top two teams, followed by Lakers at Clippers (10pm, TNT) in a battle of crosstown rivals. ‌Pregame notes: The Cavs (40-9) and Celtics (35-15) split their first two meetings. The Clippers (28-21) beat the Lakers (28-19) in their only meeting of the season, which was way back when Luka Dončić* was still a Maverick. ‌More to watch: ‌🏀 NCAAM: No. 11 Marquette at No. 12 St. John’s (6:30pm, FS1); No. 14 Kentucky at No. 25 Ole Miss (7pm, ESPN); Baylor at No. 13 Texas Tech (9pm, ESPN2); No. 9 Michigan State at UCLA (9pm, Peacock); No. 20 Arizona at BYU (11pm, ESPN) 🏒 NHL: Panthers at Capitals (8pm, ESPN+); Hurricanes at Jets (8pm, ESPN+) … Four of the top seven teams in the league by points. ⚾️ Caribbean Series: Puerto Rico vs. Dominican Republic (5pm, MLB); Japan vs. Venezuela (10pm, MLB) … The final day of the Round-Robin Stage. Semifinals start tomorrow. ⛳️ TGL: Boston vs. Los Angeles (9pm, ESPN) … McIlroy, Matsuyama, Bradley and Scott vs. Morikawa, Theegala, Rose and Fleetwood. *Injury report: Dončić (calf strain) is expected to make his Lakers debut on either Feb. 10 (vs. Jazz) or Feb. 12 (at Jazz), which are the last two games before the All-Star break.

[phkrause]

🦅 Birds of a feather

Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders perform at Super Bowl Opening Night last night in New Orleans. Photo: Vera Nieuwenhuis/AP The Philadelphia Eagles' biggest fans can shell out as much as $27,000 for an all-inclusive trip to New Orleans for the Super Bowl, Axios Philadelphia's Isaac Avilucea writes. Multiple Philly-area travel agencies specialize in packages for diehard fans who want to follow their team on the road — including trips to spring training, road games and now the Super Bowl. 🔋 Philly sports fans aren't known for their measured expectations: Travel agencies started scouting New Orleans months before the Eagles punched their ticket. The logistics are daunting — chartering flights, booking hotels, arranging parties and locking down food, drinks, entertainment and guest appearances from former Eagles players. One company chartered two flights and rented out two riverboats to house its clients. Go deeper.

[phkrause]

Winning at 40 and beyond

Lebron James dunks against the New York Knicks at a game at Madison Square Garden on Friday, Feb. 1. Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images Elite athletes in different sports and around the world are competing at a high level into their 40s. Why it matters: They're changing what we thought was possible for athletes as they age. 🔭 The big picture: This isn't exactly new, but it used to be rare. What's changed is the frequency, the array of aides supporting the stars, and the reality — the expectation — that athletes can compete longer and produce, AP's Stephen Wade writes. "If you look at many elite athletes now, they have an army of supporting staff like a Formula 1 team," Hirofumi Tanaka, an exercise physiologist at UT Austin, told AP. "They have physical therapists, dietitians, massage therapists, strength coaches and so on." 🏀 Zoom in: Lebron James is still a top player at 40, and it's reported he spends $1.5 million a year on his body. "You meet with him and he's always soaking something or eating something or has some contraption attached to him," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has said. 🎾 Serena Williams won her last Grand Slam singles title in 2017 — at age 35 and while she was several weeks pregnant. ⛷️ Lindsey Vonn, who's also 40, is making a comeback with a new titanium knee. Vonn talks about the benefits of ice baths and new recovery methods that were not around earlier in her career, AP's Wade notes. 🏈 Tom Brady won his last Super Bowl at age 43 when he took down Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. ⚽ Cristiano Ronaldo turns 40 tomorrow, and he isn't quite ready to retire. He told the Spanish TV channel La Sexta, "I'm still very good. I'm still making a difference." The bottom line: These stars have access to the best therapies and teams of aides to keep them fast, strong and sharp for longer. But we can all take lessons from their refusal to step back or slow down just because of age.

[phkrause]

🎰 1 for the road: Sports betting record

Data: Covers.com. (Betting is active in all indicated states except Missouri.) Map: Axios Visuals Sunday's Super Bowl matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs could break records in legal betting in the U.S., Axios' Analis Bailey writes. Why it matters: The American Gaming Association estimates Americans will wager $1.39 billion on the Super Bowl. That's an 11.2% increase from the projection made by research firm Eilers & Krejcik Gaming for last year's Super Bowl. Keep reading.

[phkrause]

👋 Good morning! Four more sleeps until thousands of Americans bet their hard-earned money on how long it takes Jon Batiste to sing The Star-Spangled Banner. What a country.

‌In today's edition: The Superdome's most memorable moments, NBA power rankings, St. John's is back, where Chiefs and Eagles players went to high school, Tommy Paul's ridiculous shot, and more.

‌Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy.

 

🚨 ICYMI

heADLINES

🏈 Trump to attend Super Bowl: Donald Trump will become the first sitting U.S. president to attend the Super Bowl. Three Vice Presidents have attended: Al Gore (1994), George H.W. Bush (1982) and Spiro Agnew (1971).

‌⚽️ MLS record signing: Atlanta United have signed Middlesbrough striker Emmanuel Latte Lath for an MLS record fee of $22 million, smashing the previous record of $16.2 million set earlier this winter. Lath had 29 goals over the last two seasons with the English Championship club.

‌🏀 Mavs issue refunds: Amid fan protests and league-wide criticism, the Mavericks are reportedly offering refunds to at least some fans who canceled season tickets in the wake of the Luka Dončić trade. 18 games remain on the team's home schedule.

‌⚾️ Snubber still unknown: The singular BBWAA voter who snubbed Ichiro Suzuki for the Hall of Fame is still at large — and is likely to remain so after the organization's final release of ballots. 323 of 394 voters (82%) made their picks public, and they all voted for him.

‌🎾 Halep retires: Two-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1 Simona Halep retired on Tuesday at age 33, ending the injury-riddled comeback from a doping suspension that marred the last chapter of her career.

 

🏟️ JOURNEY THROUGH TIME

THE SUPERDOME: AMERICA'S GREATEST SPORTS VENUE

(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)

The Superdome, the flying saucer-shaped stadium in the heart of downtown New Orleans, has hosted more legendary sports moments than any other venue in the country. And more unforgettable memories could be made on Sunday. ‌ From Yahoo Sports' Jeff Eisenberg: ‌ Ask the average American sports fan to name the venues they most want to visit, and the Superdome isn't likely to crack many bucket lists. ‌ It doesn't have Wrigley Field's ivy-covered walls or Fenway Park's quirky design. It can't match the game-day atmosphere of a Saturday afternoon at the Big House or a clash of rivals at Cameron Indoor Stadium. It lacks the big-stage aura of Madison Square Garden, the modern amenities of SoFi Stadium or the postcard-worthy backdrop of the Rose Bowl. ‌ And yet, while the Superdome isn't as revered as other iconic American stadiums, it boasts bragging rights in at least one respect. No other venue in America has hosted more legendary sports moments. ‌ Since it opened its doors in 1975 with message boards flashing "Welcome to the Future," the Superdome has hosted Super Bowls and Final Fours, college football championship games and heavyweight title fights. ‌ It's where a college freshman named Michael Jordan buried a jumper to lift North Carolina over Georgetown. It's where Adam Vinatieri launched the Patriots' dynasty, where Roberto Duran said, "No más," and where Chris Webber called a timeout Michigan didn't have. ‌ "We're very proud of our 50-year history here," said Doug Thornton, executive vice president of SMG, the company that runs the Superdome. Thornton credited the vision and tenacity of Dave Dixon, the driving force behind the NFL awarding New Orleans a team and behind the concept of the Superdome. ‌ "He wanted to design it in a way that we could host baseball, football, basketball, convention events," Thornton said. "Well, you know what? It lived up to everything he imagined and more." ‌   🏀 VIBE CHECK NBA POWER RANKINGS: PRE-DEADLINE EDITION (Amy Monks/Yahoo Sports) From Yahoo Sports' Ben Rohrbach: ‌ Rumors are swirling, players are changing teams, and what is already the most consequential trade deadline in NBA history is still a day away (Thursday at 4pm ET). Luka Dončić is a Laker. De'Aaron Fox is a Spur. Zach LaVine is a King. Jimmy Butler is a chaos agent. Everyone else is uneasy, so let's vibe-check the league.   🏈 PREP TO PROS SUPER BOWL LIX: WHERE PLAYERS WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL (Rivals/Yahoo Sports) Where did Super Bowl LIX players go to high school? ‌ Top states: Florida leads the way with 13 players on Super Bowl LIX rosters (9 Eagles, 4 Chiefs), followed by Texas with 11 (8 Eagles, 3 Chiefs), California with 10 (7 Chiefs, 3 Eagles), Georgia with 7 (5 Chiefs, 2 Eagles), Virginia with 6 (4 Eagles, 2 Chiefs) and Ohio with 6 (4 Chiefs, 2 Eagles).   📺 21 WINS, 0 LOSSES WATCHLIST: CAN THE BRUINS STAY PERFECT? Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice are UCLA's top two leading scorers. (Greg Fiume/Getty Images) Top-ranked UCLA, the only undefeated D1 team in the nation (men or women), puts its perfect record on the line tonight at home against No. 8 Ohio State (9:30pm ET, Peacock). ‌ Total domination: The Bruins (21-0) have won by an average of 27 points per game with just one single-digit victory. Can the Buckeyes (20-1) make their new Big Ten foes sweat? ‌ More to watch: ‌ 🏀 NBA: Spurs at Hawks (7pm, ESPN); Suns at Thunder (9:30pm, ESPN) … De'Aaron Fox is expected to make his Spurs debut after being traded from the Kings. 🏀 NCAAM: No. 2 Duke* at Syracuse (7pm, ESPN2); No. 15 Missouri at No. 4 Tennessee (7pm, SEC) … The Vols have the nation's third-best scoring defense (58.6 ppg). 🏒 NHL: Bruins at Rangers (7pm, TNT); Oilers at Blackhawks (9:30pm, TNT) … Bruins RW David Pastrňák leads the NHL in goals (14) and points (29) in 2025. ⚽️ EFL Cup: Newcastle United vs. Arsenal (3pm, Paramount+) … Newcastle has a 2-0 lead entering the second leg of the League Cup semifinal.

[phkrause]

🎤 1 fun thing: Brady's Super Bowl switch

In his first Super Bowl inside the Fox broadcasting booth, Tom Brady will try to take the same approach he did in his previous 10 appearances in the big game as a player.

• "There's no scoreboard for us. Did we feel we approached the game the right way, and were we prepared? Ultimately, it comes down to two things: Was I confident in what I said, and did I enjoy myself? I think if those are yes, then we did a good job," Brady tells AP. "I'm very excited for what's ahead."

"To use your voice and vision for a live television audience, there's a lot of adrenaline in that. But it was very different from when I played: I would probably see all these things — I didn't have to verbalize them."

• Full interview (AP).

[phkrause]

👋 Good morning! We have an early leader in the clubhouse for best Super Bowl commercial: Matthew McConaughey x Uber Eats.

‌In today's edition: Butler to the Warriors, Trump signs trans ban, Super Bowl pregame reading, Six Nations, busy day on the links, Eli Manning: Hall of Famer (yes or no?), and more.

‌Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy.

 

🚨 ICYMI heADLINES

⚾️ The Polar Bear returns: Pete Alonso and the Mets have agreed to a two-year, $54 million contract that keeps the slugging first baseman in New York.

‌🏈 NFL in Melbourne: The Rams will host the NFL's first regular-season game in Australia during the 2026 season, and their opponent — while not confirmed — will likely be the Eagles.

‌🏀 Another 50-piece: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 50 points on the Suns, making him the ninth player in NBA history to score 50+ points three times in a seven-game span.

‌⚽️ NWSL settlement: The NWSL has agreed to pay $5 million to a "Restitution Fund" that will "compensate current or former players" who've suffered from abuse while playing in the league.

 

🏀 DEADLINE DAY

THE NBA IS STEALING THE NFL'S SPOTLIGHT

The NFL came for Christmas Day. Now the NBA has come for Super Bowl Week with one of the buzziest trade deadlines in years.

‌Players on the move: The madness began this weekend with the Luka Dončić and De'Aaron Fox trades. Activity picked back up in a big way on Wednesday, and more chaos is expected before today's 3pm ET deadline.

‌Jimmy Butler to Golden State: The Heat sent their disgruntled star to the Warriors in a four-team trade that lands Andrew Wiggins in Miami. Butler also signed a two-year, $121 million extension, guaranteeing him over $424 million in career earnings.

Brandon Ingram to Toronto: The Pelicans traded Brandon Ingram to the Raptors in exchange for Bruce Brown Jr., Kelly Olynyk, a first-round pick and a second-round pick. Ingram, 27, hasn't played since Dec. 7 (ankle) but hopes to return this month.

Lakers add a big man: The Purple and Gold are sending rookie Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish and picks to the Hornets in exchange for 7-foot-2 center Mark Williams, a lob threat that should pair nicely with Dončić (if he can stay healthy).

Elsewhere: The Bucks and Wizards swapped Khris Middleton for Kyle Kuzma, the Bulls extended Lonzo Ball amid trade interest, Kevin Durant's name keeps popping up in rumors.

 

🏳️‍⚧️ TITLE IX

TRUMP SIGNS ORDER BANNING TRANS ATHLETES

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday prohibiting transgender athletes from competing in female sports, and the NCAA has vowed to comply, Jeff and I write.

‌Details: The "No Men in Women's Sports Executive Order," which was signed on National Girls & Women in Sports Day, says that schools allowing trans athletes to compete in female sports will be in violation of Title IX, the 1972 law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in publicly-funded schools.

‌In other words, the Trump administration interprets Title IX as saying that trans girls playing women's sports constitutes sex discrimination against cisgender females.

That's a departure from the Biden administration, which interpreted the law as saying that discrimination based on gender identity would be a violation.

From Yahoo Sports' Jason Owens:

‌Wednesday's order targets entities that receive federal funding and empowers federal agencies, including the Justice and Education departments, to enforce the Trump administration's interpretation of Title IX.

‌Under the Obama administration, LGBTQ students received protections under Title IX. Trump rescinded those protections in his first term, and the Department of Education reinstated them under President Joe Biden.

‌Per AP, the new executive order empowers the Department of Education to penalize schools that allow transgender athletes to compete and puts those that do so at risk of losing federal funding.

‌Where it stands: 27 states have laws or policies banning trans participation in sports, the House passed similar legislation last month, and Wednesday's order was President Trump's fourth since taking office that directly targets transgender people. That includes one proclaiming the government will only recognize two sexes, and they "are not changeable."

 

🏈 THE BIG GAME

SUPER BOWL LIX: PREGAME READING

Dan Wetzel: Comparing dynasties: Chiefs vs. Patriots

‌For nearly two decades, the Patriots dominated the NFL like no other franchise ever. It's not a shock that some team would come along to challenge that run of greatness. It is that it happened immediately.

Jay Busbee: Philly's key to success: Raiding the Georgia Bulldogs cupboard

‌The 2024 NFC champion Eagles have the NFL's best defense, and it's not hard to see why: At the heart of it is the 2021 Georgia* defense, one of the best in college football history. Never in football has "getting the band back together" been a more appropriate, or effective, roster-building philosophy.

Jeff Eisenberg: The night the lights went out on the Super Bowl

‌The last time the Superdome hosted a Super Bowl, the lights went out in the middle of the third quarter, causing a 34-minute delay. This is the story of how it happened

Charles Robinson: Super Bowl ticket prices are sliding

‌Super Bowl tickets will never be cheap, but this week they're certainly cheaper.

‌*Prep to pros: Georgia has 6 players across the Eagles and Chiefs rosters. That trails only Oklahoma (7), which is the most well-represented school at the Super Bowl for the third consecutive year.

 

🏉 ACROSS THE POND

IN PHOTOS: SIX NATIONS

The 131st edition of the Six Nations Championship got underway over the weekend, as Ireland, England, France, Wales, Scotland and Italy began their annual five-match round-robin rugby tournament for the de facto title of best in Europe, Jeff writes.

The inaugural tournament back in 1883 was known as the Home Nations Championship and featured the four countries of the United Kingdom (England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales). It became the Five Nations in 1910 (France), and Six Nations in 2000 (Italy).

Two-time defending champion Ireland hopes to become the first team in history to win three consecutive outright titles. The highest-ranked nation in the field, and second in the world behind South Africa, got off to a winning start with a 27-22 comeback victory over England.

Round 2 of 5 is this weekend. If you want to more fully acquaint yourself, check out "Full Contact" on Netflix — a docuseries from the same team behind F1's "Drive to Survive." The second season, which follows last year's tournament, premiered last week.

 

✍️ ROUNDUP

EXTRA POINTS

🏀 Oh no, not again: On Tuesday, the Pistons lost to the Hawks on a Trae Young buzzer-beater. On Wednesday, they lost to the Cavaliers on a Darius Garland buzzer-beater.

‌⚾️ Caribbean Series: The 67th Caribbean Series Final is set, as Mexico's Charros de Jalisco will take on the Dominican Republic's Leones del Escogido on Friday night in Mexicali for the title.

‌🏈 The 18th game debate: The NFL has wanted to add an 18th game to the regular season pretty much since it added a 17th game in 2021, and commissioner Roger Goodell continued pushing that narrative earlier this week. The NFLPA? Not so much. "No one wants to play an 18th game. No one," NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell said Wednesday.

‌🍿 "Happy Gilmore 2" cameos: Netflix released a behind-the-scenes look at the filming of "Happy Gilmore 2," which comes out later this year and features cameos from the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Will Zalatoris and many others.

‌⚾️ MLB All-Injury Team: Sometimes the most important offseason "additions" are players fans are already familiar with — the ones who were hurt but are now healthy.

 

📺 PGA, LPGA, LIV

WATCHLIST: BUSY DAY ON THE LINKS

Three golf tournaments begin today in Arizona, Florida and Saudi Arabia, Jeff writes.

‌PGA: Phoenix Open (9:15am, ESPN+; 4pm, Golf) … "The People's Open" tees off at TPC Scottsdale. Let the annual party begin.

LPGA: Founders Cup (11am, Golf) … Bradenton Country Club hosts the first full-field event of the LPGA season.

LIV: Riyadh (10:15am, FS2) … The fourth season of the breakaway tour begins in the Saudi capital, with a key format change.

More to watch:

‌🏀 NBA: Mavericks at Celtics (7:30pm, TNT); Warriors at Lakers (10pm, TNT) … Anthony Davis (abdominal strain) is questionable to make his Mavs debut in this Finals rematch.

🏀 NCAAM: No. 18 Maryland at Ohio State (7pm, FS1) … The Terps are ranked for the first time in two years.

🏀 NCAAW: No. 5 UConn at No. 19 Tennessee* (6:30pm, ESPN); Stanford at No. 3 Notre Dame (8:30pm, ESPN)

🏒 Women's Hockey: USA vs. Canada (6pm, NHL) … The Scotiabank Centre in Halifax hosts Game 4 of the Rivalry Series.

⚽️ EFL Cup: Liverpool vs. Tottenham (3pm, Paramount+) … Spurs have a 1-0 lead entering the second leg of the League Cup semifinal. Winner faces Newcastle.

*Historic rivalry: The Huskies (11 titles) and Lady Vols (8) have combined for nearly half of all women's national championships (42).

[phkrause]

A second home

As a young boy, Kobe Bryant spent a lot of time in Italy, and that’s where he developed a love of basketball. A tiny playground in Reggio Emilia with hoops glued on opposing walls helped mold him into an NBA legend.   ⚾️ Ohtani's's ex-interpreter sentenced   Ippei Mizuhara, former interpreter to Shohei Ohtani, leaves the courthouse yesterday in Santa Ana, Calif., after his sentencing. Photo: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images The former interpreter for LA Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani was sentenced to almost five years in federal prison yesterday for stealing nearly $17 million from the Japanese baseball star. In addition to the 57-month sentence, Ippei Mizuhara was ordered by a federal judge to pay Ohtani nearly $17 million in restitution and $1.15 million to the IRS.

[phkrause]

🎉 Yahoo! It's Friday! You made it.

‌Poll results: 61% of you said Eli Manning is a Hall of Famer. Unfortunately, he'll have to wait at least another year after voters denied him entry as part of the Class of 2025.

‌In today's edition: Super Bowl LIX preview, Allen wins MVP, NCAA roster limits wreak havoc, Lindsey Vonn's comeback, Dickie V's return, and more. 

‌Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy.

 

🚨 ICYMI heADLINES

🏀 40 at 40: LeBron James put up a dazzling 42-17-8 line in Thursday's win over the Warriors, joining Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history to score 40 points at 40 years old. The King is also now both the oldest and youngest player ever to score 40.

‌⚾️ Mizuhara sentenced: Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter, was sentenced to 57 months in prison and has been ordered to pay back the $17 million he stole from the Dodgers superstar.

‌🏒 16 to go: Alex Ovechkin scored a goal in his fourth straight game on Thursday, giving him 26 on the season and 879 in his career — 16 shy of passing Wayne Gretzky for the most all-time.

‌🏈 Ryan Day extended: Ohio State gave head coach Ryan Day a contract extension through 2031, adding three years to his current deal and raising his salary to $12.5 million annually.

‌🥊 Blockbuster back on: Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford will fight for what should be an undisputed super middleweight title in September in Las Vegas, ending a chaotic week during which talks over their blockbuster bout repeatedly fell apart.

 

🏈 THE GRAND FINALE

SUPER BOWL LIX: CHIEFS VS. EAGLES, PART II

Super Bowl LIX kicks off on Sunday in New Orleans (6:30pm ET, Fox), where the Chiefs and Eagles will battle for the ultimate prize for the second time in three years, Jeff writes.

‌The Big Easy: The Superdome is hosting its record eighth Super Bowl and New Orleans is hosting its 11th, tied with Miami for the most.

‌By the numbers: You may have heard that the Chiefs are going for a third consecutive title? That and more below.

‌0 three-peats: Kansas City is already the first team to reach three straight Super Bowls; now they'll try to become the first to win three in a row.

9th rematch: Chiefs-Eagles is the ninth* Super Bowl rematch, including the fifth between head coaches (Andy Reid vs. Nick Sirianni) and the fourth between QBs (Patrick Mahomes vs. Jalen Hurts). Good news for KC: In every previous coach and QB rematch, the winner of the first game also won the second.

45 playoff games: Speaking of Reid, this will be his 45th career playoff game, breaking a tie with Bill Belichick for the most in NFL history.

17 playoff wins: Mahomes is a ridiculous 17-3 in the playoffs, already the second-most career postseason wins by a QB (Tom Brady, 35). But Brady didn't win his 17th game until age 35; Mahomes is just 29.

31 catches, 350 yards: Those are Travis Kelce's career numbers in the Super Bowl. With three more catches, he'll pass Jerry Rice for the most ever, and with 15 more yards he'll move into second place behind Rice (589).

30 rushing yards: That's all Saquon Barkley needs on Sunday to break Terrell Davis' record for the most in a season, including playoffs (2,476 in 1998).

3 rushing TDs: That's how many Jalen Hurts had two years ago, tying Terrell Davis for the most in a single Super Bowl. With two more on Sunday, he'll tie Emmitt Smith for the most career Super Bowl rushing scores.

Top-4 defenses: The Eagles (No. 2 scoring defense) and Chiefs (No. 4) both boasted top-four scoring defenses this season, led by superstar pass rushers Jalen Carter (PHI) and Chris Jones (KC).

64% win percentage: The Chiefs will wear white on Sunday, a color that has historically delivered success. 64% of Super Bowls (37 of 58) have been won by the team wearing white, including KC two years ago against Philly.

Care to make a wager? If so, you're hardly alone: A record $1.39 billion is expected to be legally wagered on the Super Bowl in the U.S., per the American Gaming Association.

‌Spread: KC -1.5

Moneyline: KC -120, PHI +100

Over/Under: 48.5

Props: Take your pick.

Pregame reading:

‌If you like old-school football, you should be rooting for the Eagles (Frank Schwab)

Saquon Barkley has been leaping over defenders since high school (Jeff Eisenberg)

Could accusations of refs favoring the Chiefs cause actual bias against Kansas City? (Dan Wetzel)

What Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts taught us about QB play this season (Jori Epstein)

*The other eight: Steelers-Cowboys, Dolphins-Commanders, Bengals-49ers, Bills-Cowboys, Patriots-Giants, Patriots-Rams, Patriots-Eagles, Chiefs-49ers

 

🏈 NFL AWARDS

ALLEN TOPS JACKSON FOR MVP

Josh Allen edged out Lamar Jackson to win his first MVP in the closest vote since 2003, when Peyton Manning and Steve McNair shared the award, Jeff writes.

‌By the numbers: Allen got 27 first-place votes and 383 total points, while Lamar got the other 23 first-place votes and 362 points. Saquon Barkley (120 points), Joe Burrow (82) and Jared Goff (47) rounded out the top five.

‌Allen is the third Bills player to win MVP, joining O.J. Simpson (1973) and Thurman Thomas (1991).

He's the first player since John Elway in 1987 to win MVP despite not being named a first-team All-Pro (the same 50 voters chose Jackson over him last month).

What he's saying: Josh kept his acceptance speech short and sweet, and ended it with a pretty great little kicker: "Be good, do good, God bless, and go Bills."

‌The other awards:

‌Offensive Player: Saquon Barkley (RB, Eagles)

Defensive Player: Patrick Surtain II (CB, Broncos)

Offensive Rookie: Jayden Daniels (QB, Commanders)

Defensive Rookie: Jared Verse (LB, Rams)

Comeback Player: Joe Burrow (QB, Bengals)

Coach of the Year: Kevin O'Connell (Vikings)

Plus… TE Antonio Gates, DE Jared Allen, CB Eric Allen and WR Sterling Sharpe were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. QB Eli Manning and kicker Adam Vinatieri were among those who didn't make the cut.

 

🎓 COLLEGE ATHLETICS

NCAA ROSTER LIMITS "CREATING HAVOC EVERYWHERE"

(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)

Thousands of college athletes will collectively make billions of dollars as a result of the historic House-NCAA settlement. But thousands more will see their roster spots disappear entirely if the terms of the settlement remain unchanged, Jeff writes. ‌ Catch up quick: The settlement, which was preliminarily approved in October ahead of this April's final hearing, has two primary parts: ‌ The $2.77 billion in backpay going to current and former athletes (mostly football and men's basketball players). The landmark revenue-sharing concept coming to college sports, which will see schools pay athletes directly. The other side: A less publicized part of the settlement is the new limit on roster sizes that will lead to as many as 15,000 D1 athletes losing their spots. Most of the cuts — some of which have already occurred — are coming at the expense of walk-ons and Olympic sports, whose funds are being reallocated to revenue-generating sports like football and basketball. ‌ Jack Tan, a North Carolina high school pole vaulter, saw his recruiting last fall suddenly slow to a crawl as schools began pulling scholarship offers to prepare for the new roster structure, with coaches flatly telling him, "We just don't have room for a male pole vaulter." ‌ At Liberty, an assistant track coach, Mark Fairley, sat around a campfire with his women distance runners earlier this January to deliver the news that 16 of them would be cut by the end of the spring. "All of us were crying," he said. ‌ And at Auburn, Heather Rice fears that her son, Keaton, will see his five-year SEC grant-in-aid agreement evaporate if he doesn't make the cut from the current 42-man swimming roster to the new SEC roster limit of 22, something that could cost the family an unexpected $45,000 annually in tuition, board and meals. ‌ What's next: Part of the settlement process is for the court to hear formal objections to its terms, and dozens if not hundreds are expected by today's deadline. ‌ "The roster limits are creating havoc everywhere," says Steve Molo, an attorney filing a bulk objection on behalf of over 100 athletes. "The standard of a settlement is that it needs to be fair, adequate and reasonable. This is not." "None of these objections change the fact that this settlement is overwhelmingly in the best interest of the class," says Jeffrey Kessler, one of the lead plaintiff attorneys who struck the settlement deal. "That's the only question for the judge." The last word: "If not for walk-ons, I wouldn't be talking to you," said longtime Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim. "I got a walk-on spot and earned a scholarship and it went from there. I just don't understand the reason behind it."   ⛷️ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS LINDSEY VONN IS BACK IN ACTION Lindsey Vonn retired from skiing six years ago due to a debilitating knee injury. But this weekend, one of the best to ever put on a pair of boots is back on the biggest stage at the Alpine World Ski Championships in Austria, Jeff writes. ‌Pursuing history: Vonn, 40, became the oldest woman to win an individual medal at worlds back in 2019 at age 34, the last time she competed here. If she reaches the podium again in Saalbach this week, she'll become the oldest skier to do so, period. ‌Her first race on Thursday didn't go as planned, as she failed to finish the Super-G after hitting a gate near the top of the run. Her next chance comes tomorrow morning in her best event, the downhill (5:30am ET, Peacock), and she'll also compete in the new team combined event next week. Rise, fall and comeback: Vonn — with 11 combined world championship and Olympic medals — long ago cemented her spot as one of the sport's GOATs, winning 43 downhill World Cup titles (most ever) and 82 across all disciplines (trailing only Mikaela Shiffrin's 99 among women). But a series of knee and leg injuries ultimately led to her retirement in 2019. ‌Last spring, after enduring years of pain, she opted for a partial knee replacement. Now, her new titanium-fortified limb has her feeling like herself again, and she's recorded five top-20 World Cup finishes since returning last December. "With this new knee … I feel like a whole new chapter of my life is unfolding before my eyes," she said. "I think I'm ready to compete for a medal, and that's really the only thing that counts here at World Championships." Looking ahead: Whether or not she medals this week, Vonn's got her sights set on an even bigger stage: The 2026 Winter Olympics begin exactly one year from yesterday.   📺 THE BIG GAME WATCHLIST: SUPER BOWL SUNDAY Here's everything you need to know about how to watch Super Bowl LIX, Jeff writes. ‌The broadcast: Kickoff in the Superdome is at 6:30pm ET on Fox, but coverage begins at 1pm with a pregame show live from Bourbon Street, featuring a lineup that includes Super Bowl champions Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Michael Strahan and Rob Gronkowski. ‌The booth: Kevin Burkhardt (play-by-play) will be on the call alongside Tom Brady (analyst), who will make his Super Bowl broadcasting debut in the same building where he won his first title 23 years ago. Sideline and rules: Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi will be the sideline reporters, while Mike Pereira will man his standard role as a rules analyst. The music: Six artists who've won a combined 38 Grammys will perform on Sunday, including four Louisiana natives who'll take the microphone before kickoff. ‌"The Star-Spangled Banner": Seven-time Grammy winner Jon Batiste "America the Beautiful": Two-time Grammy winner Lauren Daigle joined by Grammy winner Trombone Shorty "Lift Every Voice and Sing": Grammy-winning actress and singer Ledisi Halftime Show: 22-time Grammy winner Kendrick Lamar joined by five-time Grammy winner SZA The commercials: 30-second spots are costing advertisers between $7-$8 million this year, and as always, many have already been released. Our favorites so far? Matthew McConaughey's conspiracy theory that football was invented to sell food (Uber Eats) and David Beckham meeting his long lost American twin, Dave, played by Matt Damon (Stella Artois).

[phkrause]

Take it from locals: Super experience in New Orleans entails more than just the French Quarter

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Desiring a more local taste of Big Easy life during Super Bowl week?

https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-2025-new-orleans-guide-171a8bd6a2bc223c20b5a69e7ed6ddb8?

[phkrause]

Securing the Super Bowl

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

The Super Bowl is full of juicy targets for hackers — from stadium WiFi networks and mobile payment systems to fans' personal devices and the NFL's corporate infrastructure. If a hacker finds just one way in, they could make off with a treasure trove of data — fan credentials, payment information, even operational technology — that could be resold or exploited on the dark web, Axios cybersecurity expert Sam Sabin writes. 🔐 Cisco, which has helped secure the last four Super Bowls, started preparations for this weekend's game two years ago. It's had a team working 24/7 since Monday to keep hackers at bay, protecting not just the stadium but also nearby vendors and affiliated networks. "It's not a day — it's a week," Mike Storm, distinguished engineer at Cisco, told Axios. ⌨️ Threat level: Hackers stealing sensitive data is one of the top concerns for Super Bowl organizers, Storm said. Cyber risks go beyond just stolen credentials. Power stations, communications networks, video displays, broadcasting systems and payment infrastructure are all potential targets. Go deeper.

[phkrause]

⚜️ America's Game Day

Bourbon Street on Super Bowl Eve. Photo: Mike Allen/Axios Super Bowl kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ET at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, airing on Fox. Pregame performances will begin around 6 p.m. The Philadelphia Eagles are looking to stop the Kansas City Chiefs from becoming the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls, Axios' Kelly Tyko writes. Tight security, and a makeshift memorial, in the French Quarter this morning. Photo: Mike Allen/Axios 65% of Americans plan to tune in tonight. About 100,000 people are in the Big Easy for the game.

[phkrause]

🎤 1 for the road: Historic halftime show

Kendrick Lamar performs during the Super Bowl in New Orleans last night. Photo: Matt Slocum/AP Kendrick Lamar took a victory lap in his long-running feud against Drake — and enlisted "SZA, Samuel L. Jackson, Serena Williams and Mustard for an ode to Compton on the biggest stage in the world," Variety writes. Why it matters: Lamar was the first solo hip-hop artist to headline the halftime show. Tennis legend Serena Williams dances during Kendrick Lamar's halftime show. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation "The million-dollar question leading into the Super Bowl: Would he, or wouldn't he, perform 'Not Like Us,'" the diss track that refers to Drake as a "certified pedophile." He did. "He stood in an X on the field and stated, 'I want to perform their favorite song, but you know they love to sue,'" according to Variety. Photo: Emilee Chinn/Getty Images Above: Samuel L. Jackson narrates Kendrick Lamar's halftime show dressed as Uncle Sam. Go deeper.

[phkrause]

Eagles deny the Chiefs a Super Bowl three-peat with dominant defense in a 40-22 rout

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Yo Philly: Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni are world champions.

https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-2025-eagles-chiefs-score-e2ff209c074a00a6faff39750ff048f8?

Super Bowl LIX

The Philadelphia Eagles dominated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in Sunday's Super Bowl in New Orleans. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was named the game's MVP for his stellar performance — and for breaking his own record for the most rushing yards by a QB in Super Bowl history with 72. Hurts praised his teammates after they overwhelmed the Chiefs' offense and tormented star quarterback Patrick Mahomes with a flurry of sacks, a forced fumble and two interceptions. Mahomes told reporters after the game that he takes ownership of the loss and will "have to be better next time." The Chiefs had sought to become the first team to win three straight titles in the Super Bowl era but were left in disbelief after their dynasty was disrupted.

[phkrause]

👋 Good morning! I am devastated for Taylor Swift. But thrilled for Bradley Cooper! Congrats, Philadelphia.

‌Super Sick Monday: 22.6 million Americans plan to call in "sick" today. Don't hate the player, hate the game.

‌In today's edition: Philly demolishes Kansas City, Eagles catch the A's, Hubie's farewell, Luka's debut, Baker's Dozen, and more.

‌Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy.

 

🚨 ICYMI heADLINES

🏈 NFL offseason: Eagles OC Kellen Moore is expected to be hired as the Saints' next head coach; the Jets are moving on from Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams; the 49ers gave Deebo Samuel permission to seek a trade.

‌🏀 Down goes Davis: Anthony Davis is expected to miss multiple weeks after suffering a left adductor strain in his Dallas debut. He was sensational (26 points, 16 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks) before exiting with the injury. Mavs fans are in hell.

‌🏀 Top teams fall: No. 6 Florida upset No. 1 Auburn (men) on the road, Clemson upset No. 2 Duke (men) to snap their 16-game winning streak, and No. 4 Texas upset No. 2 South Carolina (women) to snap their 57-game SEC winning streak.

‌🎾 Alcaraz makes history: Carlos Alcaraz won the Rotterdam Open to clinch his first indoor championship and become the youngest man to win titles on all tennis surfaces (indoor hard, outdoor hard, grass, clay).

‌⚽️ FA Cup stunner: Liverpool (first place in the Premier League) was knocked out of the FA Cup after losing 1-0 to Plymouth Argyle (last place in England's second division).

 

🏆 SUPER BOWL LIX

DYNASTY DEMOLISHED: EAGLES DETHRONE CHIEFS

Eagles players hoist the Lombardi Trophy. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Fly Eagles Fly. Two years after an agonizing loss in Super Bowl LVII, Philadelphia got sweet revenge by blowing out the mighty Chiefs to end their three-peat dreams, Jeff and I write.

‌

Eagles 40, Chiefs 22: That final score belies just how lopsided this game was. Kansas City had 23 total yards in the first half and went into the locker room down 24-0. Philly led 40-6 with three minutes left before a couple garbage-time scores narrowed the gap.

‌A season to remember: The Eagles entered their bye week at 2-2 and looked out of sorts, prompting fans to call for head coach Nick Sirianni's job. He and his team responded by going 16-1 the rest of the way with nine double-digit wins and a 17-point average margin of victory in the playoffs.

The MVP: Jalen Hurts was famously benched during halftime of the 2018 CFP title game. Seven years later, he's a Super Bowl MVP after accounting for 292 total yards and 3 TD while breaking his own record for most rushing yards by a QB in a Super Bowl (72).

‌The other MVP: Philly's defensive line. The Eagles did not blitz on a single one of Patrick Mahomes' 42 dropbacks, which is incredibly rare. Instead, Vic Fangio's unit relied on its front four, who generated 16 pressures and recorded six sacks, one shy of the Super Bowl record and the most Mahomes has ever taken.

Game notes:

‌Birthday boys: Saquon Barkley broke the single-season rushing record on his 28th birthday, and rookie Cooper DeJean (22) became the first player to score a birthday TD in the Super Bowl.

Going west is best: This was the ninth time this century that one team traveled west to the Super Bowl and one team traveled east. And for the ninth straight time, the team that traveled west won.

Roll Tide: Hurts is the fourth Alabama QB to win a Super Bowl as a starter (Bart Starr, Joe Namath, Ken Stabler). That breaks a tie with Purdue (Len Dawson, Bob Griese, Drew Brees) for the most of any school.

Breaking the curse: For the first time in four Super Bowl rematches between QBs and five between head coaches, the loser of the first game won the second.

Beasts of the East: The NFC East was already the only division to have all four teams win the Super Bowl. Now, all four have won multiple Super Bowls.

Quick links:

‌Read: Recap

Watch: Highlights

Listen: Analysis

Run it back? The Eagles are early favorites to win next year's Super Bowl (+650 at BetMGM), followed by the Ravens (+700), Bills (+750), Chiefs (+750) and Lions (+800).

 

🐐 GOAT DEBATE

BIG WINNER: TOM BRADY'S LEGACY

Philly was the biggest winner on Sunday. The second-biggest winner? The legacy of Tom Brady, who watched from the broadcast booth as the phenom chasing him struggled mightily and suffered the kind of loss he never did.

‌From Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel:

‌With Mahomes, fair or not, almost everything is framed in his pursuit of Brady and the title of Greatest of All Time. This was supposed to be another step in that direction.

‌Instead Mahomes stayed stalled on three – albeit at just 29 years old. Worse though, he was part of a nightmare of a game for the Chiefs, the kind of blowout Super Bowl loss that Brady never experienced.

‌Brady's three defeats came by a combined 15 points. In one of them he threw for 505 yards. When Brady did have his own first-half meltdown against Atlanta, he rallied New England from a 28-3 hole for the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. For the Chiefs on Sunday, it just kept getting worse.

‌This is how the GOAT debate gets settled and it is a credit to Mahomes that he is dead in the middle of it. It reminds of Tiger Woods trying to chase down Jack Nicklaus — the true greats play against the generations. Especially on this stage, where each mistake is magnified.

‌Mahomes has been brilliant in getting Kansas City here; this is his fifth Super Bowl in six seasons. Yet some of the team's core is aging and while the Chiefs have made it look easy, it isn't.

‌Brady won three titles in his first four seasons as a starter. Then he didn’t get another for a decade. Mahomes knows how precious the chances are, and how small the window is.

Patrick Mahomes exits the field. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Postgame comments: "Any time you lose the Super Bowl, it's the worst feeling in the world," said Mahomes. "It will stick with you for the rest of your career. You need to capitalize on these … Now it's how do you respond? Hopefully we can learn from this like the last loss [to Brady's Bucs] and continue to get better … to make hopefully another run."

‌Bottom line: Mahomes will almost certainly be back on football's biggest stage. But for now, after this, the argument for Brady is still intact, and actually a bit wider than before.

 

🦅 PHILLY'S FINEST

THE EAGLES FINALLY CATCH THE A'S

A portrait of the Athletics at Philadelphia's Shibe Park, circa 1930. (Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images)

For the past 71 years, the Philadelphia sports franchise with the most major championships was a team that no longer played there. ‌ Wait, what? The Athletics won five World Series in Philly under legendary manager and owner Connie Mack before moving to Kansas City in 1954. Now the A's have company, with Sunday's victory giving the Eagles five championships of their own. ‌ Philly's trophy case: ‌ ⚾️ Athletics: 5 (1910-11, 1913, 1929-30) 🏈 Eagles: 5 (1948-49, 1960, 2017, 2024) ⚾️ Phillies: 2* (1980, 2008) 🏒 Flyers: 2 (1974-75) 🏀 Warriors: 2 (1947, 1956) *Just 2? The Phillies' two World Series titles are the fewest among the eight still-active MLB teams founded in the 19th century. The Cardinals (11), Dodgers (8), Giants (8), Pirates (5), Reds (5), Braves (4) and Cubs (3) all have more.   ✍️ ROUNDUP EXTRA POINTS 👋 Hubie signs off: Hubie Brown called his final NBA game on Sunday in Milwaukee, bringing his storied broadcasting career to a close. Fittingly, Brown's 50-year NBA journey ended where it started: His first pro coaching job was with the Bucks, way back in 1972. ‌🤯 My new favorite stat: Tony Gwynn had more assists in four seasons on the San Diego State basketball team (590) than strikeouts in his 20-year MLB career (434). Insane!!! ‌❤️ Emotional returns: Dick Vitale returned to the booth after nearly two years of battling cancer, and Randy Moss returned to "NFL Countdown" after undergoing successful surgery to remove cancerous cells. ‌⚾️ Guess who's back, back again? Kiké's back, tell a friend. The Dodgers are re-signing utility player Enrique "Kiké" Hernández, who has now returned to the team four times during his 11-year career: twice via trade and twice via free agency. ‌⏱️ Must-see race: American distance runner Grant Fisher (two bronze medals in Paris) smashed the 3,000-meter indoor world record on Saturday at the Millrose Games, finishing in 7:22:91. Right behind him was Cole Hocker (one gold in Paris), whose 7:23:14 time also would have broken the record.   📺 THE LAKE SHOW WATCHLIST: LUKA'S DEBUT Luka Dončić will make his Lakers debut tonight (10:30pm ET, ESPN) at home against the Jazz as the Purple and Gold look to win their sixth straight game. ‌Trade nixed: The Lakers were hoping to pair Dončić with 7-foot-2 center Mark Williams, but they backed out of their trade with the Hornets due to "multiple issues" with Williams' physical. ‌More to watch: ‌🏀 NBA: Warriors at Bucks (8pm, NBA) … Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf strain) is out tonight and will miss the All-Star Game. 🏀 NCAAM: UNC at Clemson (7pm, ESPN); Baylor at No. 5 Houston (9pm, ESPN) … The fifth-ranked Cougars have the nation's top-ranked defense (57.0 points allowed). 🏒 NCAA Hockey: No. 1 BC vs. No. 8 BU (7:30pm, NHL) … The Golden Eagles and Terriers meet in the 72nd Men's Beanpot Championship. 🏀 Unrivaled: 1-on-1 Tournament (7pm, TNT) … 23 players from the new 3-on-3 women's basketball league compete in a single-elimination bracket for $350,000.* *Prize pool: The winner of the tournament will receive $200,000, and their five teammates (each Unrivaled team has six players) will receive $10,000 each. The runner-up gets $50,000 and the semifinalists get $25,000.

[phkrause]

Eagles fly

Photo: Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images Philadelphia plans to cancel school for an Eagles victory parade on Friday, The Philly Inquirer reports. More on the parade.   Photo: Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images

[phkrause]

👋 Good morning! Roughly one in three Americans watched the Super Bowl. What were the other two doing?

‌In today's edition: Remembering the three-peat champs, Luka's Lakers debut, MLB payrolls, NHL playoff picture, Super Bowl excitement index, and more.

‌Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy.

 

🚨 ICYMI heADLINES

🏈 Record viewership: Sunday's game drew a Super Bowl record 126 million average viewers, peaking at 135.7 million in the second quarter before the game turned into a blowout.

‌🏀 All-Star Game replacements: Trae Young is replacing Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf strain) and Kyrie Irving is replacing Anthony Davis (adductor strain) in this weekend's NBA All-Star Game in San Francisco.

‌⚾️ Forever a Yankee: C.C. Sabathia will wear a Yankees cap on his Hall of Fame plaque, making him the only member of the 2025 class not to choose his original team. He spent his first eight years in Cleveland.

‌🏀 Get your popcorn ready: Auburn is No. 1 and Alabama is No. 2 in this week's AP poll ahead of their game this Saturday in Tuscaloosa, which will be the first-ever 1 vs. 2 matchup in SEC men's basketball history.

‌💵 A-Rod, the owner: Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore are finally set to take majority ownership of the Timberwolves and Lynx after arbitrators ruled in their favor over current owner Glen Taylor.

‌

🏆🏆🏆 3 IN A ROW

THREE-PEAT CLUB: STUCK ON 16

The Chiefs' three-peat bid fell short on Sunday, which means the exclusive club of "Big Four" teams to win back-to-back-to-back championships will remain at 16 for at least a little while longer, Jeff writes.

‌🏈 NFL (2)

‌1929-31 Green Bay Packers: The first three-peat was also the only one that didn't feature a championship game or series. NFL champions were determined by regular-season winning percentage until 1933, and Green Bay got the job done with a combined record of 34-5-2.

‌1965-67 Green Bay Packers: Vince Lombardi's Packers won the last pre-Super Bowl NFL championship before winning Super Bowls I and II.

🏀 NBA (5)

‌1952-54 Minneapolis Lakers: It didn't take long for the NBA to birth its first dynasty, as the George Mikan-led Lakers won five of the first eight NBA/BAA championships.

‌1959-66 Boston Celtics: No league has ever seen anything quite like Bill Russell's Celtics, who won a record eight straight titles and 11 of 13 during his incomparable career.

‌1991-93 Chicago Bulls: Michael Jordan led the Bulls to the NBA's first three-peat in a quarter-century. Before they could try for four, he shocked the world by retiring.

‌1996-98 Chicago Bulls: After nearly two full years away from basketball, MJ returned and didn't miss a beat, winning two more MVPs and clinching the Bulls' sixth title in eight years with one of the most iconic shots ever.

‌2000-02 Los Angeles Lakers: Two three-peats wasn't enough for Phil Jackson, who went West and built another dynasty alongside Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.

🏒 NHL (5)

‌1947-49 Toronto Maple Leafs: The Leafs are the only team whose three-peat included a sub-.500 regular season. They snuck into the 1949 playoffs at 22-25-13.

‌1962-64 Toronto Maple Leafs: Fun fact: The Leafs' third straight title came the same year that their future Hall of Fame defenseman, Tim Horton, opened the first location of his eponymous breakfast restaurant franchise.

‌1976-79 Montreal Canadiens: The NHL's first three-peat of the expansion era (the Original Six era ended in 1967) came under Scotty Bowman, who has 275 more wins than any other coach in league history.

‌1980-83 New York Islanders: The Isles began the 80s by winning 19 straight postseason series and advancing to five straight Stanley Cup Finals. That represents more than half the franchise's total playoff series wins (37) and their only championship appearances.

⚾️ MLB (4)

‌1936-39 New York Yankees: Go figure. The Yankees never won more than two straight World Series with Babe Ruth, but the year after he retired they started a run of four in a row. Of course, it didn't hurt that they had Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio.

‌1949-53 New York Yankees: A decade after their four-peat, the Bombers one-upped themselves with a five-peat behind an aging DiMaggio, an in-his-prime Yogi Berra and a young Mickey Mantle.

‌1972-74 Oakland Athletics: Talk about making up for lost time: The A's went four decades without making the playoffs before returning in 1971 and beginning their three-peat in 1972.

‌1998-2000 New York Yankees: Mariano Rivera faced 150 batters across 28 games during the Yankees' third three-peat. He allowed three earned runs.

Other notable three-peats: Minnesota football (1934-36), UCLA men's basketball (1967-73), USC baseball (1970-74), UNC women's soccer (1982-84, 1986-94), Tennessee women's basketball (1996-98), the WNBA's Houston Comets (1997-2000), UConn women's basketball (2002-04, 2013-16) and Oklahoma softball (2021-24), to name a few.

‌Who's next? How about the team that's already two-thirds of the way there? UConn is chasing a third straight men's basketball title this season, and the Huskies currently have the ninth-best odds to cut down the nets in April (+3000 at BetMGM).

 

⚾️ MONEYBALL

SPRING TRAINING: PAYROLLS ENTERING CAMP

(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)

Pitchers and catchers report to camp in Arizona and Florida this week after another offseason of historic spending — at least by a few teams, Jeff writes. ‌By the numbers: Five teams (Dodgers, Mets, Phillies, Yankees, Blue Jays) are currently over the luxury tax threshold of $241 million, with a sixth (Padres) projected to join them by Opening Day, per Spotrac. But the Dodgers and Mets are really in a league of their own. ‌L.A.'s current payroll ($378.5M) would break the Mets' single-season record from two years ago ($374.7M). They have 15 players making at least $10 million this season (based on average annual value). New York isn't far behind, joining last year's Dodgers as the only clubs to spend over $1 billion in a single offseason. Of course, most of that went to Juan Soto and his record $765 million contract. Highest-paid players: 15 of the top 25 (by AAV) play in either Hollywood or the Big Apple. (*Signed this offseason) ‌Shohei Ohtani, DH/RHP: $70M (Dodgers) Juan Soto*, RF: $51M (Mets) Zack Wheeler, RHP: $42M (Phillies) Aaron Judge, CF: $40M (Yankees) Jacob deGrom, RHP: $37M (Rangers) Blake Snell*, LHP: $36.4M (Dodgers) Gerrit Cole, RHP: $36M (Yankees) Mike Trout, CF: $35.5M (Angels) Anthony Rendon, 3B: $35M (Angels) Corbin Burnes*, RHP: $35M (Diamondbacks) Francisco Lindor, SS: $34.1M (Mets) Carlos Correa, SS: $33.3M (Twins) Corey Seager, SS: $32.5M (Rangers) Nolan Arenado, 3B: $32.5M (Cardinals) Manny Machado, 3B: $31.8M (Padres) Rafael Devers, 3B: $31.4M (Red Sox) Mookie Betts, SS: $30.4M (Dodgers) Vladimir Guerrero Jr*, 1B: $28.5M (Blue Jays) Tyler Glasnow, RHP: $27.3M (Dodgers) Trea Turner, SS: $27.3M (Phillies) Max Fried*, LHP: $27.3M (Yankees) Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP: $27.1M (Dodgers) Carlos Rodón, LHP: $27M (Yankees) Freddie Freeman, 1B: $27M (Dodgers) Pete Alonso*, 1B: $27M (Mets) What to watch: Most of the biggest free agents have already signed, but seven of our top 50 are still available. That includes No. 4 on the list: two-time All-Star and reigning Gold Glove third baseman Alex Bregman.   🏒 SWEET 16 PLAYOFF PICTURE: NHL AT THE BREAK (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) As the two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament begins, the NHL playoff picture is sharpening. ‌ East: The Capitals (80 points), Panthers (71), Hurricanes (70), Maple Leafs (68), Devils (68), Lightning (66), Senators (62) and Red Wings (60) are currently in playoff position. (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) West: If the season ended today, the Jets (81), Oilers (72), Golden Knights (72), Stars (72), Wild (70), Avalanche (68), Kings (65) and Canucks (63) would make the field.   📺 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WATCHLIST: CITY VS. MADRID Madrid's Vinícius Júnior and City's Erling Haaland after a 2023 Champions League match. (David Ramos/Getty Images) The world's two richest soccer clubs face off today (3pm ET, Paramount) when Manchester City hosts Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League playoff tilt.* ‌ Rolling in dough: Real Madrid brought in roughly $1.08 billion in revenue during the 2023-24 season, securing its place atop the Deloitte Money League. Manchester City was second at $866 million. ‌ More to watch: ‌ 🏀 NBA: Knicks at Pacers (7:30pm, TNT); Grizzlies at Suns (10pm, TNT) 🏀 NCAAM: No. 5 Tennessee at No. 15 Kentucky (7pm, ESPN); No. 3 Florida at No. 22 Mississippi State (7pm, ESPN2); No. 7 Purdue at No. 20 Michigan (7pm, Peacock) *Champions League format: The top eight finishers from the league phase (Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter, Atlético Madrid, Leverkusen, Lille, Aston Villa) advanced to the Round of 16 knockout stage. The next 16 finishers (9th-24th) made the playoffs, where the eight victors will complete the Round of 16 field.

[phkrause]

🏀 1 fun thing: New-look Lakers

Jerseys marking the debut of LA Lakers guard Luka Dončić were draped on every seat at Crypto.com Arena before last night's game against the Utah Jazz. Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Imagn Images For last night's LA Lakers debut of new star Luka Dončić, all 19,000+ fans at Crypto.com Arena in LA found a No. 77 T-shirt at their seats. The arena played Serbian music during warmups. "I mean, special," Dončić said, per The Athletic. "The way they received me, everybody, it was amazing to see." 🤬 The other side: In Dallas, fans are still livid at the Mavericks for trading away the superstar — a move that sent shockwaves through the NBA. Multiple fans were ejected from the Mavericks' game last night for booing or taunting team executives.

[phkrause]

🏈 1 for the road: TV record

Data: Nielsen. (Includes both live TV and streaming.) Chart: Axios Visuals Fox's broadcast of the Super Bowl from New Orleans on Sunday was the most-watched Super Bowl and U.S. telecast of all time, with 127.7 million viewers, Axios' Sara Fischer writes from Nielsen figures. Why it matters: The Super Bowl is a rare live TV event that can still bring people together for a shared experience. 🧮 By the numbers: Viewership was up 3% from 123.4 million people who tuned into the game last year. Kendrick Lamar's performance drew an average of 133.5 million viewers, setting a record for the most-watched Super Bowl halftime show in history. Keep reading.

[phkrause]

👋 Good morning! Happy Hump Day.

‌

In today's edition: 4 Nations Face-Off, KD joins the 30K points club, Emma Hayes wants to revolutionize U.S. Soccer, the Super Bowl three-peat you probably missed, fantasy baseball mock draft, and more.

‌

🚨 ICYMI heADLINES

⛷️ Shiffrin makes history: Mikaela Shiffrin (alongside teammate Breezy Johnson) won the new team combined event on Tuesday at the World Championships for her eighth gold and 15th medal overall at worlds — both modern-era records (since WWII).

‌⚽️ Madrid stuns City: Real Madrid stunned Manchester City on Tuesday, scoring twice in the final minutes for a 3-2 victory in the first leg of their Champions League playoff. Full scoreboard.

‌⚾️ MLB offseason: Kenley Jansen, MLB's active saves leader, is heading to the Angels (1 year, $10M); Clayton Kershaw, MLB's active ERA leader, is reportedly nearing a deal to return to the Dodgers for an 18th season.

‌🏀 Raptors extend Ingram: Brandon Ingram, traded from the Pelicans to the Raptors at the deadline, signed a three-year, $120 million extension with Toronto on Tuesday.

 

🏒 NHL AT THE BREAK

BEST-ON-BEST HOCKEY: THE 4 NATIONS-FACE OFF

(Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports)

Instead of an All-Star Game this season, the NHL is staging the 4 Nations Face-Off, a week-long tournament beginning today that features national teams made up entirely of NHL players from Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States, Jeff writes.

‌

NHL back on the world stage: This is the first best-on-best international hockey tournament since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, and the timing is no mistake: The 4 Nations serves as a "bit of an appetizer," says NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, for the NHL's return to the Olympics next year — the first Winter Games featuring NHL players since Sochi 2014.

‌

Notes:

‌

Schedule and format: The four-team round-robin runs from today through Monday. Whichever two teams have the best record will play in the championship on Feb. 20.

Venues: This week's games are at Montreal's Bell Centre (Canadiens); next week's, including the championship, are at Boston's TD Garden (Bruins).

Two teams left out: The first-place Capitals and last-place Sharks are the only teams without a player in the 4 Nations.

Stars take the ice: 25 of the league's top 50 current scoring leaders — including seven of the top 10 — are playing in the tournament.

Betting odds: Canada is a slight favorite to win (+145 at BetMGM) ahead of the U.S. (+150), while Sweden (+425) and Finland (+1000) are the underdogs.

What they're saying: 82% of the NHL players surveyed by The Athletic ($) are excited for the 4 Nations. "I think it's sick. Best-on-best. That's what everybody wants to see," said one player. Not everyone agrees, though. "I'd rather go back home to [my home country]," said another player who's actually competing in the tournament. "I'd rather a two-week break."

Sidney Crosby, pictured here at practice ahead of the 4 Nations Face-Off, led Canada to gold at the 2014 Olympics. (Vitor Munhoz/4NFO/World Cup of Hockey via Getty Images)

The rosters: Each 23-player team has 13 forwards, seven defenseman and three goalies.

‌

🇨🇦 Canada: Lightning head coach Jon Cooper leads a squad headlined by captain Sidney Crosby and assistant captains Connor McDavid and Cale Makar.

‌Forwards: McDavid (Oilers), Crosby (Penguins), Sam Bennett (Panthers), Anthony Cirelli (Lightning), Brandon Hagel (Lightning), Seth Jarvis (Hurricanes), Travis Konecny (Flyers), Nathan MacKinnon (Avalanche), Brad Marchand (Bruins), Mitch Marner (Maple Leafs), Brayden Point (Lightning), Sam Reinhart (Panthers), Mark Stone (Golden Knights)

Defenseman: Makar (Avalanche), Drew Doughty (Kings), Josh Morrissey (Jets), Colton Parayko (Blues), Travis Sanheim (Flyers), Shea Theodore (Golden Knights), Devon Toews (Avalanche)

Goalies: Jordan Binnington (Blues), Adin Hill (Golden Knights), Sam Montembeault (Canadiens)

🇺🇸 USA: Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan leads a squad headlined by captain Auston Matthews and assistant captains Charlie McAvoy and Matthew Tkachuk.

‌Forwards: Matthews (Maple Leafs), Tkachuk (Panthers), Brady Tkachuk (Senators), Matt Boldy (Wild), Kyle Connor (Jets), Jack Eichel (Golden Knights), Jake Guentzel (Lightning), Jack Hughes (Devils), Chris Kreider (Rangers), Dylan Larkin (Red Wings), J.T. Miller (Rangers), Brock Nelson (Islanders), Vincent Trocheck (Rangers)

Defenseman: McAvoy (Bruins), Brock Faber (Wild), Adam Fox (Rangers), Noan Hanifin (Golden Knights), Jake Sanderson (Senators), Jaccob Slavin (Hurricanes), Zach Werenski (Blue Jackets)

Goalies: Connor Hellebuyck (Jets), Jake Oettinger (Stars), Jeremy Swayman (Bruins)

🇸🇪 Sweden: Former national team head coach Sam Hallam leads a squad headlined by captain Victor Hedman and assistant captains Mattias Ekholm, Erik Karlsson and William Nylander.

‌Forwards: Nylander (Maple Leafs), Viktor Arvidsson (Oilers), Jesper Bratt (Devils), Leo Carlsson (Ducks), Joel Eriksson Ek (Wild), Filip Forsberg (Predators), Adrian Kempe (Kings), Elias Lindholm (Bruins), Gustav Nyquist (Predators), Elias Pettersson (Canucks), Rickard Rakell (Penguins), Lucas Raymond (Red Wings), Mika Zibanejad (Rangers)

Defenseman: Hedman (Lightning), Ekholm (Oilers), Karlsson (Penguins), Rasmus Andersson (Flames), Jonas Brodin (Wild), Rasmus Dahlin (Sabres), Gustav Forsling (Panthers)

🇫🇮 Finland: Antti Pennanen, a head coach in the Finnish Liiga, leads a squad headlined by captain Aleksander Barkov and assistant captains Sebastian Aho, Mikael Granlund and Mikko Rantanen.

‌Forwards: Barkov (Panthers), Aho (Hurricanes), Rantanen (Hurricanes), Granlund (Stars), Joel Armia (Canadiens), Erik Haula (Devils), Roope Hintz (Stars), Kaapo Kakko (Kraken), Patrik Laine (Canadiens), Artturi Lehkonen (Avalanche), Anton Lundell (Panthers), Eetu Luostarinen (Panthers), Teuvo Teräväinen (Blackhawks)

Defenseman: Henri Jokiharju (Sabres), Esa Lindell (Stars), Olli Määttä (Utah), Nikolas Matinpalo (Senators), Niko Mikkola (Panthers), Urho Vaakanainen (Rangers), Juuso Välimäki (Utah)

Goalies: Kevin Lankinen (Canucks), Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Sabres), Juuse Saros (Predators)

 

🏀 EASY MONEY

KD JOINS 30K POINTS CLUB

Kevin Durant on Tuesday became the eighth player in NBA history to score 30,000 career points, dropping 34 in the Suns' loss to the Grizzlies.

‌The 30K points club:

‌LeBron James: 41,623

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 38,387

Karl Malone: 36,928

Kobe Bryant: 33,643

Michael Jordan: 32,292

Dirk Nowitzki: 31,560

Wilt Chamberlain: 31,419

Kevin Durant: 30,008

What's next: Durant will make his 15th All-Star Game appearance this weekend in San Francisco. Only LeBron (21), Kareem (19) and Kobe (18) have more selections.

 

⚽️ USWNT

EMMA HAYES WANTS TO REVOLUTIONIZE U.S. SOCCER

Ever since she returned from Paris, where the USWNT won Olympic gold in her 11th week on the job, head coach Emma Hayes has been constructing a plan to dismantle the men's soccer blueprint on the women's game, writes Yahoo Sports' Henry Bushnell.

‌She wants to use her power, as the highest-paid coach of the sport's most popular team, to fundamentally rejigger how everyone — from coaches to performance scientists to data analysts to U.S. Soccer Federation marketing execs — approaches the women's game.

‌Countless customs, rules, tactics, systems and so on have been copied or adapted from men's soccer. Hayes has been asking provocative questions that boil down to one: If they weren't copied, and were instead designed principally for women, how would they be different?

‌She has been "challenging everybody across the federation, internally," to reflect on "how they've been viewing the women's game through that male lens." Hayes wants to replace it with a "female lens" that, she believes, could reshape the sport — and keep the USWNT atop it.

‌That is the vision and "mission" she's presented, powerpoint and all, to youth national team staff and U.S. Soccer leadership: "Architect a 'Female blueprint' to win and set the bar for the global game."

‌The last word: "I've worked my entire career to get to a place where I've got the ability to influence, and the power to influence something much broader and much bigger than me," Hayes told a small group of reporters via Zoom. And she intends to use it.

 

✍️ ROUNDUP

EXTRA POINTS

🏀 Down go the favorites: Three unranked men's hoops teams took down ranked opponents last night: Indiana beat No. 11 Michigan State, 71-67; Kansas State beat No. 13 Arizona, 73-70; UConn beat No. 24 Creighton, 70-66.

‌🏈 There was a three-peat after all: Eagles offensive lineman Darian Kinnard just became the second player in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowls after the third-year pro out of Kentucky spent his first two seasons with the Chiefs.

‌🥍 And they're off: The New York Charging beat the Maryland Charm, 14-13, in the inaugural game of the Women's Lacrosse League, which kicked off its Championship Series on Tuesday. The other two teams, the Boston Guard and California Palms, debut tonight.

‌⚽️ USA 22, U.S. Virgin Islands 0: Team USA's U-17 national team destroyed the U.S. Virgin Islands, 22-0, in Monday's World Cup qualifier — the most goals ever scored by a U.S. team in World Cup qualifying at any level.

 

📺 UPS AND DOWNS

WATCHLIST: NBA DOUBLEHEADER

Tonight's NBA doubleheader on ESPN features a surging contender in the East and a team in the West having one of the most nightmarish weeks in recent memory, Jeff writes.

‌Spurs at Celtics (7pm ET, ESPN): Boston is back on track, winning six of its last seven after losing six of its previous 12.

Warriors at Mavericks (9:30pm, ESPN): After losing yet another big man to injury and ejecting two fans who called for GM Nico Harrison to be fired, it's clear that the Luka Dončić trade could not have gone worse for Dallas.

More to watch:

‌⚽️ Champions League: Playoffs (12:45-3pm, Paramount+) … Celtic vs. Bayern Munich (3pm) headlines the slate of four first-leg matches.

🏒 4 Nations Face-Off: Canada vs. Sweden (8pm, TNT) … The tournament-opener in Montreal.

🏀 NCAAM: No. 9 St. John's at Villanova (6pm, FS1) … The Red Storm (21-3) have their highest ranking in 25 years.

⚽️ Premier League: Everton vs. Liverpool (2:30pm, USA) … The 245th Merseyside derby*.

*End of an era: This will be Everton's final derby at Goodison Park, where they've played since 1892. They're moving into a much larger stadium next season at the nearby Bramley-Moore Dock.

 

⚾️ YAHOO FANTASY

FANTASY BASEBALL MOCK DRAFT

Now that football is over, it can mean only one thing: It's almost fantasy baseball season! To help you prepare, our experts have you covered with a first-round mock draft.

‌Shohei Ohtani (UTIL/SP, Dodgers)

Bobby Witt Jr. (SS, Royals)

Aaron Judge (OF, Yankees)

Gunnar Henderson (SS, Orioles)

Elly De La Cruz (SS, Reds)

José Ramírez (3B, Guardians)

Kyle Tucker (OF, Cubs)

Mookie Betts (2B/SS/OF, Dodgers)

Corbin Carroll (OF, Diamondbacks)

Juan Soto (OF, Mets)

Julio Rodríguez (OF, Mariners)

Fernando Tatis Jr. (OF, Padres)

[phkrause]

👋 Good morning! TCU's Vasean Allette did his best Christian Laettner impression to beat Oklahoma State at the buzzer.

‌In today's edition: Americans in England, Bregman to Boston, NBA scoreboard, throwback photos from spring training, the highest-paid athletes of 2024, "Capture the Flagg," and more.

‌Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy.

 

🚨 ICYMI heADLINES

⚾️ Bregman to Boston: Longtime Astros 3B Alex Bregman is reportedly signing a three-year, $120 million contract with the Red Sox. That $40 million average annual value ties him with Aaron Judge for the fourth-highest in MLB behind Juan Soto, Shohei Ohtani and Zack Wheeler.

‌🏒 Canada wins opener: Canada beat Sweden, 4-3 (OT), in Wednesday's thrilling 4 Nations Face-Off opener behind three assists from Sidney Crosby and an overtime game-winner from Mitch Marner.

‌🎰 Casinos score big: Nevada sportsbooks won a net $22.1 million on Super Bowl LIX, which is a record for the state. Although the betting on the final score was "relatively balanced," they cleaned up on prop bets (notably, Saquon Barkley not scoring a TD).

‌🏈 Buckeyes to hire Patricia: Ohio State is finalizing a deal with former Lions head coach (and longtime Patriots DC) Matt Patricia to become their next defensive coordinator. He replaces Jim Knowles, who was poached by Penn State last month.

‌🏀 Prince allegations: TCU's Sedona Prince, one of the most high-profile names in college basketball, is facing multiple allegations of sexual and physical abuse, according to an investigation by the Washington Post.

 

⚽️ ACROSS THE POND

THE AMERICANIZATION OF ENGLISH SOCCER

Everton hosted Liverpool on Wednesday in the 245th edition of their historic rivalry — and the first to feature two American ownership groups. Welcome to the new normal.

‌Americans in England: Prior to 2005, there were no American owners in the English Premier League. Two decades later, 10 of the 20 clubs in England's top flight are owned by Americans.

‌Arsenal: Stan Kroenke

Aston Villa: Wes Edens

Bournemouth: Bill Foley

Chelsea: Todd Boehly, Clearlake Capital

Crystal Palace: John Textor, Josh Harris, David Blitzer

Everton: The Friedkin Group

Fulham: Shahid Khan

Ipswich Town: ORG, BPSP and Avenue Sports

Liverpool: Fenway Sports Group

Manchester United: The Glazer Family

Zoom out: Americans also own nine of the 20 clubs in the EFL Championship (one tier below the Premier League) and roughly one third of all teams in the the country's top four leagues. And it's not just England: U.S.-based owners now control over 20 clubs across Europe's "Big Five" leagues, including three of the biggest teams in Italy (Inter Milan, AC Milan, Roma).

‌What's driving this trend? Part of the appeal of European soccer clubs is the lower valuations compared to equivalent assets in the U.S. The "promotion" system is also a draw for investment-minded owners, who can essentially buy the equivalent of a Triple-A baseball team and generate huge returns if they make it to the big leagues.

Culture clash: Many of the owners listed above are running their Premier League clubs more professionally than ever as they attempt to "Americanize English soccer" (think: club seats, upscale dining, global partnerships). But that hasn't gone over well with some English fans, who don't think of their teams as "businesses" in the same way Americans do, notes Bruce Schoenfeld in The New York Times Magazine:

‌Most of the Americans spotted in the owners' box from time to time — or, worse, seldom spotted there at all — are disdained by their club's fans. "We've reached a point," says [one former player], "where there is something of a stigma against American ownership."

‌Gary Neville, a former Manchester United player and now a commentator on Sky Sports, has called American owners "a clear and present danger" to the game's "fabric." Henry Winter, one of England's most respected soccer journalists, wrote that [Chelsea owner] Todd Boehly is "rebranding the club into a business where the sport feels almost secondary."

Rob McElhenney and Tom Brady ahead of September's Birmingham City-Wrexham match, which was dubbed the "Hollywood Derby" and turned into a paparazzi frenzy. (X)

The celebrity element: In addition to American billionaires and private equity firms buying up England's richest clubs, American celebrities are also increasingly getting involved as minority owners. LeBron James (Liverpool), Michael B. Jordan (Bournemouth), Will Ferrell (Leeds United) and J.J. Watt (Burnley) all have stakes in Premier League and Championship clubs, while Tom Brady (Birmingham City) and the duo of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney (Wrexham) are battling for promotion in the third division.

 

🏀 LET IT RAIN

NBA SCOREBOARD: ALL 30 TEAMS IN ACTION

(Yahoo Sports)   All 30 NBA teams were in action on Wednesday night, and 28 of them surpassed 100 points. Shame on you, Charlotte and Philadelphia. ‌Wild stat: There were a combined 1,119 three-point attempts (37.3 per team), which is the most on a single day in NBA history.   📸 JOURNEY THROUGH TIME THROWBACK THURSDAY: SPRING TRAINING (Bettmann Archives/Getty Images) To celebrate the arrival of Spring Training, I dove into the Getty Images archives and picked some of my favorite photos from the past century. Take my hand, and let's journey through time…   1925: Babe Ruth was in poor health for most of the spring in St. Petersburg, Florida, and fell ill on the train back to New York. So ill, in fact, that the London Evening News pronounced him dead. Ruth spent seven weeks in the hospital before returning to the Yankees lineup on June 1, 1925, which was coincidentally the starting date of Lou Gehrig's consecutive games streak. (Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images) 1946: For the better part of 30 years, the Cubs held spring training on Catalina Island (south of Los Angeles), which had a 12-story dance hall, a movie theater, horses… and was literally owned by the team. The Cubs moved their spring training facility to Arizona in 1952, though the Wrigley family maintained control of the island until 1975. (Department of Commerce Collection/PhotoQuest/Getty Images) 1948: The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League held spring training in Opa-locka, Florida, ahead of the 1948 season. The Fort Wayne Daisies (above) advanced to that year's championship series, where they lost in six games to the Rockford Peaches, one of the AAGPBL's founding clubs and the focus of the 1992 film, "A League of Their Own." (Hy Peskin/Getty Images) 1957: The Milwaukee Braves held spring training in Bradenton, Florida, where Hank Aaron (above) and other Black players were forced to stay in a crowded house in the "dilapidated Negro section" of town while white players stayed in nice hotels. Aaron, 23, went on to win NL MVP in 1957 while powering the Braves to the only World Series title in Milwaukee history. (Focus On Sport/Getty Images) 1980: Here we have Nolan Ryan, who threw the most no-hitters in MLB history (7), and Sandy Koufax, who threw the second-most (4), posing for a photo in Florida. Ryan was entering his age 33 season (which meant he still had 14 seasons left!), while Koufax was serving as a pitching coach in the Dodgers' farm system, where he helped shape future generations of hurlers.   💰 MONEY MOVES THE HIGHEST-PAID ATHLETES OF 2024 (Lev Akabas/Sportico)   For the second straight year, Cristiano Ronaldo topped Sportico's list of the world's 100 highest-paid athletes after earning an estimated $260 million in 2024 — $215 million in salary and $45 million in endorsements, Jeff writes. ‌The big picture: The top 100 athletes earned an estimated $6.2 billion last year (up 14% YoY), with $4.8 billion coming via salary/prize money and $1.4 billion coming via endorsements. ‌Top 10: ‌⚽️ Cristiano Ronaldo ($260M) 🏀 Stephen Curry ($153.8M) 🥊 Tyson Fury ($147M) ⚽️ Lionel Messi ($135M) 🏀 LeBron James ($133.2M) ⚽️ Neymar ($133M) 🥊 Oleksandr Usyk ($122M) ⚽️ Karim Benzema ($116M) ⚽️ Kylian Mbappé ($110M) ⛳️ Jon Rahm ($105.8M) At a glance: ‌By sport: The NBA leads the way with 36 players in the top 100, followed by the NFL (22), soccer (12), MLB (12), golf (9), boxing (6), tennis (2) and F1 (2). By nationality: The U.S. leads the way with 62 athletes, followed by the UK (5), Japan (3), France (3), Cameroon (2), Brazil (2), Spain (2) and Canada (2). 19 other nations have one athlete on the list, bringing the total countries represented to 27. Youngest/oldest: 21-year-old Carlos Alcaraz earned $40.4 million (87th), while 49-year-old Tiger Woods brought in $62.1 million (27th). See the full list.   📺 4 NATIONS WATCHLIST: USA VS. FINLAND USA takes on Finland tonight (8pm ET, ESPN) in the 4 Nations Face-Off, where the Americans are seeking their first title in a best-on-best tournament since the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, Jeff writes. ‌X-Factor: The Americans' title hopes rest on the shoulders of Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who leads the NHL in goals allowed per game (2.06), shutouts (6) and save percentage (.925). ‌More to watch: ‌🏀 NCAAW: No. 3 Texas at No. 8 Kentucky (7pm, ESPN2); No. 1 UCLA at No. 6 USC* (10pm, Peacock) … Four of the nation's top eight teams in action? Sign us up. 🏀 NBA: Thunder at Timberwolves (8:30pm, TNT) … Oklahoma City (43-9) has won six straight games by an average of 26 points. ⛳️ PGA: The Genesis Invitational (12:30pm, ESPN+; 4pm, Golf) … 46 of the world's top 50 golfers tee it up at Torrey Pines in San Diego. ⛳️ LIV: Adelaide (11pm, FS1) … The Grange Golf Club in South Australia hosts the second tournament of the season. 🏁 NASCAR: Daytona Duels (7pm, FS1) … Two 60-lap, 150-mile qualifying races will determine the starting order for Sunday's Daytona 500. 🥎 NCAA Softball: No. 9 Florida State at No. 16 Missouri (10am, ESPN2) … The Tigers are one of 13 SEC schools ranked in the top 25. *Battle for Los Angeles: The Bruins (23-0), the nation's only undefeated team, and the Trojans (21-2), led by sophomore phenom JuJu Watkins, meet for the first time as Big Ten foes.   ✍️ GO DEEPER GOOD READS (Hassan Ahmad/Yahoo Sports) 🏀 Tom Haberstroh: Capture the Flagg: Which NBA teams have the best shot at landing the No. 1 pick? ‌The NBA trade deadline is in the rearview mirror. The All-Star break is nigh. For teams chasing postseason glory, there is plenty of regular season left to finetune. For the rest of the NBA? It's high time to Capture the Flagg. 🏈 Frank Schwab: 2025 NFL offseason previews for all 32 teams ‌What are your team's top needs? Who are their priority free agents? What's their salary cap situation? Who might they target in the draft? What could move the fantasy needle? All of that and more as the offseason gets underway. ⚾️ Jordan Shusterman: College baseball season preview ‌Can Tennessee repeat? Will Rintaro Sasaki live up to the hype? What does the Texas A&M-Texas rivalry look like after an eventful summer? Here are all the storylines to watch as the Division I baseball season gets underway.

[phkrause]

⚾️ Play ball!

Baseball is back — or at least, getting close.

• Pitchers and catchers for every MLB team have now reported for spring training. Full-team workouts and the first spring training games will be in full swing by next week.

🇯🇵 What's next: Opening Day is March 27 — the earliest ever, according to ESPN.

• But the season will begin a few days early, when the Cubs and Dodgers face off in Tokyo. The two-game series will showcase five Japanese players: Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shota Imanaga, Roki Sasaki and Seiya Suzuki.

[phkrause]

Philly flies

Photo: Emilee Chinn/Getty Images Massive crowds took over the City of Brotherly Love today for the Eagles' Super Bowl parade, Axios Philadelphia's Isaac Avilucea reports. 📣 Fans started lining the route early this morning, cheering and dancing while waiting for the team to pass by. About a million people were expected to attend the all-day festivities. Photo: Charles Fox/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP 🏈 At LOVE Park, paradegoers spotted a new installation: "LOVE HURTS," honoring Eagles MVP quarterback Jalen Hurts, the Super Bowl MVP. "I didn't know if I would ever see a Super Bowl team in my lifetime," local artist Roberto Lugo told Axios while posted up on Ben Franklin Parkway. "This is a bucket-list item for me." Photo: Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images Go deeper ... Philadelphia turns green on Valentine’s Day to celebrate Super Bowl champions PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia was awash in green on Valentine’s Day to celebrate its Super Bowl champions. https://apnews.com/article/philadelphia-eagles-super-bowl-parade-13a0ef26a02b9a8405bc09a1b1eb37d8?