Sports News

What a weekend!

Share

The GIST: The College Football Playoff (CFP) is set, with No. 1 Michigan, No. 2 Washington, No. 3 Texas, and No. 4 Alabama filling out the exclusive four-team field, and the selection committee leaving one undefeated team out in the cold.

• As a refresher, a team’s regular-season record takes them only so far in college football: a 13-member committee selects the four CFP teams based on metrics like schedule strength and conference championship wins, and that same committee is taking some heat for yesterday’s decision. Can you say drama?

How it happened: Following an undefeated 13-0 regular season and a 16–6 ACC Championship game win over Louisville on Saturday, Florida State landed at No. 5 in the final poll, listed outside the top four for just the second time this year.

• This marked the first time ever that the selection committee snubbed an undefeated Power Five champ, in part because of FSU’s unfortunate quarterback (QB) situation. Superstar QB Jordan Travis broke his leg on November 18th and the committee decided the current team was not worthy of a playoff bid without him. Double ouch.

• As for unfamiliar underdog ’Bama, the Tide rolled to a 27–24 SEC Championship game win over the two-time defending champs, No. 6 Georgia, squashing the Dawgs’ chance of a three-peat. Ruff.

What’s next: Some well-deserved rest before the CFP semis kick off on New Year’s Day. No. 1 Michigan will take on No. 4 Alabama in the Rose Bowl semi, while No. 2 Washington will face No. 3 Texas in the parallel Sugar Bowl. Let the countdown begin.

The GIST: Fire up The Hot Stove because generational talent Shohei Ohtani and more of baseball’s biggest stars could be on the move as MLB’s Winter Meetings get underway.

Shohei Ohtani: A two-time MVP, three-time All-Star, and holder of records not seen since some guy named Babe Ruth, Ohtani is truly in a league of his own. That’s why the priceless two-way player is expected to command the biggest contract baseball’s ever seen, with current estimations reaching a total value in the $500M range.

• Ohtani has spent the last six seasons toiling (and missing the playoffs) with the LA Angels and is hitting the market for the first time since his fanfare-filled 2017 signing with the Halos.

• The postseason mainstay LA Dodgers are the current favorites to land Ohtani, with the Angels, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays, and San Francisco Giants still in the running amid reports Ohtani could sign “within the next week.” Sho-time.

More names to know: Three-time All-Star outfielder Juan Soto could also be swapping jerseys, with reports that the San Diego Padres are open to trading the player they went all in to acquire just a year and a half ago. One of the game’s most consistent hitters, Soto would be a major boost to any offense.

• And the other player to look out for is one who hasn’t even played in MLB yet: Pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a five-time All-Star in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, the second-best league in the world. Remember the name.

The GIST: The Knockout Round of the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament begins tonight with four quarter-final games over the next 48 hours, a semis double-header on Thursday, and a first-time champion crowned in Las Vegas this Saturday. It’s a sprint, not a marathon.

How it works: After a group play round featuring all 30 teams, it’s win-or-go-home for the eight remaining squads still fighting for the $500K first-place check. Much like the NBA Playoffs, the Knockout Round follows a Western and Eastern Conference divide: the first seed in each conference plays the No. 4 seed while the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds follow suit in search of semis berths.

• And guess what? With bold courts, specialty uniforms, and a divisive point-differential in play, the league’s attention-seeking experiment is actually working, resulting in a 19% increase in average viewership, compared to this time last year. Not too shabby.

Quarter-final preview: Tonight’s 7:30 p.m. ET showdown between the No. 2 seed Indiana Pacers and the No. 3 seed Boston Celtics is a must-watch. While the Celtics made light work of the Pacers earlier this regular season, Indiana blazed through group play, going undefeated.

• And save some popcorn for tomorrow’s 10 p.m. ET No. 1 seed LA Lakers vs. No. 4 seed Phoenix Suns battle royale, especially with Suns star Devin Booker set to make his first appearance against the Lakers this season.

🇺🇲 With Serena Williams in attendance, Trinity Rodman and the USWNT beat China 3–0 in Saturday’s friendly. Catch the red, white, and blue’s final match of the year when the squads rematch tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET.

⚽ In more women’s soccer news, Sweden did not qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics after a Friday loss in the UEFA Women’s Nations League, while England kept their hopes alive with a comeback win over the Netherlands.

🎓⚽ Over in women’s college footy, No. 1 Florida State beat No. 1 Clemson in Friday’s semis, while No. 2 Stanford topped No. 1 BYU, setting up tonight’s 6 p.m. ET College Cup championship.

🏀 Thanks to a last-second shot from WNBA star Dearica Hamby, Team USA defeated Team Brazil to win the FIBA 3x3 Women’s AmeriCup title yesterday. Red, white, and booyah.

🎾 Twenty-two time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal, who missed the majority of the 2023 season with a left leg injury, announced on Friday that he’ll return to the court at the Brisbane International in January. Vamos.

⛳ World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler won the Hero World Challenge by three strokes yesterday, while tournament host Tiger Woods finished 18th in the 20-player field. Par-tee.

🏆 No. 3 Columbus Crew and defending champion No. 3 LAFC will meet in the MLS Cup final on Saturday, after defeating No. 1 FC Cincinnati and No. 4 Houston Dynamo FC to win the East and West, respectively.

As you read, the CFP field is officially set. Now that you have the gist on the final four, who’s your early pick to win the national championship? Share your hot take below.

On Friday, we asked “what’s your fave holiday movie” and the results were tight. “Full Court Miracle” and “Elf” came in tied at 28% while The Grinch and Home Alone tied at 22%.