The Sportsletter - Story Before Glory 🏆

BY JEFF YODER

FEB. 1, 2023  |  SUBSCRIBE  |  REFER  |  WEB VIEW

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Good Morning,

And welcome to February. The month ahead features Super Bowl LVII, NBA & NHL All-Star Weekends, the return of the UEFA Champions League and the Daytona 500, all during Black History Month. There are plenty of great sports stories on the horizon.

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🏆 SUPER BOWL LVII

The SBLVII Storylines to Watch

Photo: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images

The Top-5 Storylines That Will Dominate The Next 2 Weeks

Super Bowl Sunday marks the largest event on the American sports calendar, and that means two weeks of an NFL media monopoly is ready to dominate the headlines for the next 12 days. There’s no shortage of storylines in this year’s big game — a matchup that features a few pieces of history prior to kickoff and a reunion of coaches both old and new. Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid are back again, but so are the Eagles with a new-look roster from their magic run five years ago. It's the Kansas City Dynasty against the Bird Gang from Philly, and it's going to be awesome. Here are the top five storylines you’ll be sick of by Super Bowl Sunday.

Top-5 Storylines for Super Bowl LVII

1. The 1st All-Black QB Super Bowl

The biggest storyline in SBLVII is the quarterback battle. Patrick Mahomes has put up legendary numbers once again en route to his third Super Bowl appearance, but the arrival of Jalen Hurts, and his first trip to the big game, equates to a historic first. Mahomes and Hurts will become the first duo of Black QBs to go head-to-head in the big game. And at the ages of 27 (Mahomes) and 24 (Hurts), their first battle might not be their last.

2. Andy Reid Against His Former Team

Andy Reid will make his fourth Super Bowl trip, but this time he’ll be facing his former team. Reid spent 14 years as the head coach of the Eagles (1999-2013) where he led Philly to five NFC title games and one Super Bowl loss. Now, Big Red gets a shot at his second ring by going against the birds. Reid ranks fifth all-time in wins among NFL coaches, and he'll be the fifth coach ever to face his former team in the big game.

3. The Kelce Brothers

Travis Kelce (Chiefs) and Jason Kelce (Eagles) will become the first set of brothers to play against each other in Super Bowl history. The two have a podcast called “New Heights” where they share stories and insights about their games each week. Both have one Super Bowl already, and their brotherly love will be a major focal point in SBLVII media days. As Travis said after the AFC Championship Game: “My mom can’t lose.”

4. Mahomes vs. Sackadelphia

As for “on the field” matchup storylines, there are plenty of Xs and Os to dissect. But what SBLVII could boil down to is the matchup between Mahomes and the Philly pass rush. The Eagles media came up with the term “Sackadelphia” this year with Philly leading the league in sacks, and it wasn't even close. They recorded 70 in the regular season — two shy of the all-time record — and they had three in the knockout punch against the 49ers in the NFC title game. Mahomes’ most notable loss came in Super Bowl LV when the Bucs beat the Chiefs (31-9) thanks to a pass rush that flustered Mahomes and caused three sacks. He was under duress the entire game. And with a high-ankle sprain still lingering, Mahomes against the Eagles pressure will likely be what decides SBLVII.

5. When Andy Reid Fired Nick Sirianni

One of my favorite storylines to follow is one that might fly under the radar. When Andy Reid was hired by the Chiefs in 2013, one of his first coaching staff moves was to fire a young offensive quality control coach — Nick Sirianni. Sirianni ended up landing with the Chargers under Frank Reich in 2016 before rejoining Reich with the Colts in 2018. In his first two years with Philadelphia, Sirianni is 23-11 with back-to-back playoff appearances and a 2-1 postseason record. Reid (64) and Sirianni (41) never coached on the same staff, but their roots and play styles share a lot of similarities.

Super Bowl LVII

Eagles vs. Chiefs (Sunday, Feb. 12, 6:30 pm ET, FOX)

Additional Storylines

SI: Super Bowl LVII MVP Odds

B/R: Biggest Questions Facing Eagles & Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII

FOX Sports: Chiefs vs. Eagles: Who Has the Edge in Super Bowl LVII?

NFL

New Coaches on the Block

Photo: Wesley Hitt / Getty Images

Sean Payton (Broncos) & DeMeco Ryans (Texans) Hired as Next Head Coaches

Two more seats have been filled on the NFL coaching carousel, and big changes are coming to the AFC hierarchy. The Texans signed 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans as the franchise’s next head coach with a six-year contract, and the Broncos made a trade with the Saints to acquire the services of Sean Payton. Denver gave up a two draft picks (1st & 2nd) to secure Payton who was still under contract with the Saints through 2024. Meanwhile, Ryans returns to the franchise that drafted him in 2006. The Texans get one of the most coveted defensive coaches in the game, and they own the No. 2 and No. 12 picks in this year’s draft. Payton gets to try to revitalize QB Russell Wilson and compete in the loaded AFC West. Things are changing in the AFC. Here’s an updated look at the NFL coaching carousel:

NFL Head Coaching Carousel

Hired: Frank Reich (Panthers)

Hired: Sean Payton (Broncos)

Hired: DeMeco Ryans (Texans)

Open: Colts

Open: Cardinals

Additional Storylines

SI: Broncos Finalize Deal With Saints to Make Sean Payton Next Head Coach

Yahoo! Sports: DeMeco Ryans, Once a Star Linebacker for Texans, Becomes Houston’s Next Coach

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🎥 THE HIGHLIGHTS

🏀 NBA: LeBron’s Triple-Double Leads to History

LeBron James recorded his first triple-double of the season last night with a 28-11-10 performance in the Lakers’ overtime win against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden (129-123, OT). In the process, James passed Steve Nash for fourth on the NBA’s all-time assist list. He’s also within 116 points of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring mark (38, 387 points).

🏒 NHL: Canes Comeback Notches 6th Straight

The hottest team in the NHL heading into February needed a three-goal, third period comeback to stun the Kings (5-4, OT). After climbing back from a 4-1 deficit to force overtime, Sebastian Aho netted a power play goal with 54 seconds left in the extra period. The Hurricanes (74 points) are making up ground on the Bruins (81 points) for the East’s No. 1 seed.

🏀 NCAA Basketball Scoreboard

M: #8 Kansas def. #7 Kansas State (90-78)

M: #4 Alabama def. Vanderbilt (101-44)

M: #15 TCU def. West Virginia (76-72)

THE STORYLINES

🏀 NBA Trade Deadline Cheat Sheet

Here's how we'll prepare for what we hope is, in some form, and despite all evidence to the contrary, a busy-busy-busy Feb. 9 deadline. (Bleacher Report)

🏈 2023 NFL Mock Draft

Unlike a year ago, quarterbacks will be coming off the board early. We have four quarterbacks in the top nine picks. (CBS Sports)

⚽️ Winter Transfer Deadline Day

With USMNT star Weston McKennie among the biggest names on the move, an eventful winter transfer window came to a close Tuesday. (Sports Illustrated)

📰 THE HEADLINES

• Arsenal Set to Sign Chelsea’s Jorginho in £12 Million Deal (ESPN)
• Ravens QB Tyler Huntley Selected as Pro Bowl Replacement for QB Josh Allen (Yahoo! Sports)
• Marlins OF Jazz Chisholm Featured on Cover of MLB The Show 23 Video Game (USA Today)
• Virginia Girl’s High School Basketball Coach Fired for Playing on JV Squad, Impersonating 13-Year-Old Player (CBS Sports)

• Decorated California Swimming Coach Teri McKeever Fired After Bullying Investigation (B/R)

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Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Product Manager: Matthew Cahill

Lead Designer: Joe Stella

Technical Lead: Kevin Lonergan

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