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🚨Heads
🏈 Cousins on the couch: The Falcons benched Kirk Cousins in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr., who will make his debut as a starter on Sunday against the Giants.
⚾️ Bellinger to the Bronx: The Yankees landed former MVP Cody Bellinger in a trade with the Cubs, marking their first step in rebuilding their offense after Juan Soto.
🏀 New All-Star Game Format: The NBA is officially replacing the traditional All-Star Game format with a four-team tournament, debuting in San Francisco in February.
🏈 Costly blunder: A whopping 7.9% of public league Yahoo Fantasy teams that had Jonathan Taylor on the roster lost their respective games because he dropped the ball in front of the goal line on Sunday. Ouch.
⚽️ Goodbye, Becky: Former USWNT captain Becky Sauerbrunn, 39, announced her retirement on Tuesday. The center back has played 219 games in the national team, 10th in USWNT history.
🏈 Coach Vick: The next chapter of a redemption story
17 years after hitting rock bottom, Michael Vick has been hired as head coach at Norfolk State (FCS) and continues his comeback story, a lengthy atonement for all to see.
From Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports:
On December 10, 2007, Michael Vick walked into a federal courthouse in Richmond, Virginia, chewing gum and rocking bright white Nike Air Force 1 Mids, which coincidentally matched the stripes on his prison clothes.
He was there to be sentenced for his role in a brutal dogfighting ring that cost him his $100 million NFL contract, his record-breaking Nike deal and, most importantly, his freedom.
He came across at least with a degree of defiance – if not disbelief – when, for practical reasons at least, he should have been trying to project remorse and responsibility.
Federal prosecutors would soon list not only Vick’s crimes in running the Bad Newz Kennels, but also a list of foolish misdemeanors, even after he had pleaded guilty and knew all eyes were on him.
While awaiting sentencing, the government argued that Vick had failed to fully admit to some of his actions, engaged in deceptive practices to cover up others and even smoked marijuana just one night before a scheduled test found him certain would pick up, and did.
Even his own friends and family present, who saw any confinement as unnecessary, could only shake their heads. Disappointment hung in the air. This was a self-inflicted thing. All that potential was about to be brought to Leavenworth.
Vick had arrived that day and was given a prison sentence of twelve to eighteen months, with speculation that he would receive the minimum due to his lack of criminal record. If so, he could have been out in just over ten months, and back in the NFL shortly thereafter. Instead, his actions and attitude resulted in the sentencing guideline being increased to 18 to 24 months.
Vick ultimately got 23, more than all of his co-defendants, many of whom had a past. Officers soon led him out in handcuffs and on his way to confinement. His family just cried. This, they swore, wasn’t him, it wasn’t Mike.
“I’m prepared to say that if Michael Vick is given another opportunity, either in society or in the NFL,” his attorney, Billy Martin, said that day, “he will take full advantage of it.”
Seventeen December later, in the same Virginia where he had grown up, where he electrified the ball fields from Newport News to Blacksburg and where he was convicted, Michael Vick made good on his lawyer’s promise with a new title: Coach.
Norfolk State has reportedly hired Vick, now 44, to run its football program, which is just a half-hour drive from his hometown.
It’s the final chapter of a powerful redemption story in which Vick had already come to terms with his actions, paid his debt to society, triumphantly returned to the NFL and established himself as a powerful spokesperson for animal rights.
He went from maligned villain to role model and leader. And it’s not done. The Vick who stood in that courtroom, seemingly thinking he was as untouchable off the field as he was on it, is long gone. The new guy is here to prove himself again.
Read the full story.
🏀 Bucks top Thunder to win the NBA Cup
The Bucks dominated both sides of the ball en route to a 97-81 victory over the Thunder in the NBA Cup championship game.
Player of the evening: Giannis Antetokounmpo had a triple-double (26-19-10) and added three blocks and two steals. In a season where “teams take too many threes” has become a talking point, he attempted zero.
From Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports:
Antetokounmpo went through years of trying to become a three-point shooter, taking nearly five per game during his second MVP campaign (2019-2020), but he never cracked the 30% mark.
He can attack the basket much better and he has found a home within 18 feet, making him a much more dangerous scorer. This season he has not scored below 50% in any match.
It has contributed to his career 61.4% accuracy, as he averages fewer than one triple per game – the lowest mark since his third season, the year before his first All-Star appearance.
The Bucks are back: After starting the season 2-8, Milwaukee has been on a tear. They went 7-0 in the NBA Cup and this was their thirteenth win in their last sixteen games, although this will not be part of the official record.
Shoutout to OKC… The Thunder couldn’t finish the job, but it’s been an incredible season for America’s Team so far.
📸 Photo gallery
Frisco, Texas — Memphis defeated West Virginia 42-37 on Tuesday in the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl, which ended with head coach Ryan Silverfield being doused in cold brew.
Las Vegas— Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy (PGA) dominated Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka (LIV) in “The Showdown,” taking home $10 million in crypto for their win.
Doha, Qatar — Two months after finishing second in the Ballon d’Or, Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior was named FIFA Player of the Year. Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmatí won the women’s prize.
🏈 NFL power rankings: Eagles at the top
The Bills are the talk of the NFL after defeating the 12-1 Lions following another standout performance from MVP favorite Josh Allen. But they aren’t the best team in the NFL yet.
From Frank Schwab of Yahoo Sports:
As great as Josh Allen and the Bills were on Sunday, they still gave up 42 points, including 494 yards and five touchdowns, to Jared Goff. A week earlier, they gave up 44 points to the Rams and lost.
There is another team that hasn’t lost since September. Another team with a great defense that has combined for 48 points over the last three games, while having an offense that ranks in the top 10 in points scored and yards gained.
The Eagles may not have a highlight win like Buffalo’s win in Detroit, but their overall dominance and consistency are why Philly is currently No. 1. They started 2-2, but were without star receiver AJ Brown in both losses. They are a perfect 10-0 since their bye.
Full ranking: Analysis for all 32 teams
📆 December 18, 2017: Mamba forever
Seven years ago today, the Lakers retired both of Kobe Bryant’s jersey numbers (8 and 24) in a ceremony at Staples Center. Two years later, he and his daughter Gianna disappeared.
Words to live by: Bryant gave an emotional speech that night about hard work and chasing your dreams, and it has stuck with me ever since. Here he is, addressing his three daughters:
You guys know that if you put in the work, dreams come true. You know that, we all know that. But what you hopefully take away from tonight is that those moments when you get up early and work hard; those times when you stay up late and work hard; those moments when you don’t feel like working, but you do it anyway. That’s actually the dream.
It’s not the destination, it’s the journey. And if you can understand that, your dreams will not come true, but something greater will. [Points to the rafters]. And if you can understand that, then I’m doing my job as a father.
📺 Watchlist: Back-to-back Bowl games
Bowl season continues tonight with back-to-back games on ESPN.
More to watch:
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🏒 NHL: Flyers at Red Wings (7 p.m., TNT); Panthers in the Wild (9:30 p.m., TNT)
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🏀 NCAAM: Xavier at No. 11 UConn (7 p.m., FS1); No. 21 Memphis, Virginia (7 p.m., ESPN); No. 14 Oklahoma at No. 24 Michigan (9 p.m., ESPN2)
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🏀 NCAAW: No. 19 UNC vs. Florida (6:30 p.m., ESPNU); No. 18 Tennessee at Memphis (8:30 p.m., ESPNews)
*The Rebels have never been in the AP poll this season. They will need to win tonight to finish the season in the Top 25.
⚾️ MLB Trivia
Seven US states have exactly two MLB teams. Can you name them?
Answer below.
⚾️ Who will be MLB’s first player worth $1 billion?
One day, a major league player will sign a $1 billion contract. Who will it be? Gunnar Henderson? Ethan Vacation? Or someone baseball fans haven’t even heard of?
Let’s dive down that rabbit hole and theorize irresponsibly.
Trivia answer: New York (Yankees and Mets), Illinois (Cubs and White Sox), Texas (Rangers and Astros), Florida (Marlins and Rays), Pennsylvania (Phillies and Pirates), Ohio (Guardians and Reds), Missouri (Cardinals and Royals)
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