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Good Morning 👋
Five teams scored 140-plus points in the NBA last night. That’s the most in a single night in NBA history (previous record: 4). Three other teams finished with 135-plus, so we nearly saw the record get doubled-up. Wild stuff. We’ll give the NBA a check-in, on top of a Rose Bowl ratings boom, MLB free agency and the return of the PGA Tour. But first, it’s the NFL Pro Bowl rosters (and snubs) alongside our final regular-season NFL Pick 'Em honors.
Letter Rip! |
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Congrats to our holiday NFL pick ‘em winner, Melvin Graham! In a double-weekend contest, Melvin hit on 81% of his picks to take the Week 15-16 prize. We also saw some repeats in the top-5 for the first time this season — Greg D. and Jeffrey B. must have seen the NFL script. All they do is pick winners. Week 15-16 Leaderboard 1. Melvin Graham (25/31 Picks) 2. Jeffrey Bigelow (24/31 Picks)
3. Greg Taylor (24/31 Picks) 4. Jeanne Schendt (24/31 Picks) 5. Greg Donahue (24/31 Picks)
There is no Pick ‘Em contest for Week 18 (with teams resting players to prepare for the playoffs). Next week, we’ll launch the NFL Playoff Pick ‘Em exclusively for all the top-5 finishers during the year. If you were a top-5 finisher at any point this season, watch your email for upcoming details. Thanks to the 5,000+ who joined us to make picks throughout the season! |
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The 2024 Pro Bowl Rosters |
Photo: Michael Owens / Getty Images |
49ers QB Brock Purdy Leads Pro Bowl Voting as 49ers (9), Cowboys (7) and Ravens (7) Top All Teams
The NFL revealed the final tallies for this year’s Pro Bowl honors last night. In lieu of a Week 18 Thursday Night Football matchup, fans can instead spend today arguing about which players got snubbed (that'll be the chatter on your daytime sports talk shows). The Pro Bowl isn’t the same anymore, but the honor is still a nod to excellence, and each player gets an invite to the Pro Bowl games on Sunday, February 4. Players were selected by the consensus votes of fans, players and coaches. 49ers QB Brock Purdy led all players with 452,000 fan votes — 20,000 more than the second-most, teammate Christian McCaffrey (430,000). Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa (414,500) finished third. Here’s a breakdown of this year’s Pro Bowl nods as we get ready to tie a bow on the NFL’s regular season.
Most Votes (By Team) 49ers: 9 Players Ravens: 7 Players Cowboys: 7 Players Eagles: 6 Players Dolphins: 6 Players Browns: 5 Players Chiefs: 5 Players Lions: 5 Players Pro Bowl Rosters
AFC - QB: L. Jackson (BAL), P. Mahomes (KC), T. Tagovailoa (MIA)
- RB: R. Mostert (MIA), J. Cook (BUF), D. Henry (TEN)
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WR: T. Hill (MIA), A. Cooper (CLE), K. Allen (LAC), J. Chase (CIN)
- TE: T. Kelce (KC), D. Njoku (CLE)
- OT: L. Tunsil (MIA), D. Dawkins (BUF), T. Armstead (MIA)
- OG: Q. Nelson (IND), J. Bitonio (CLE), J. Thuney (KC)
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C: C. Humphrey (KC), T. Linderbaum (BAL)
- DE: M. Garrett (CLE), M. Crosby (LVR), T. Hendrickson (CIN)
- DL: C. Jones (KC), Q. Williams (NYJ), J. Madubuike (BAL)
- OLB: T. Watt (PIT), K. Mack (LAC), J. Allen (JAX)
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LB: R. Smith (BAL), P. Queen (BAL)
- CB: P. Surtain II (DEN), S. Gardner (NYJ), J. Ramsey (MIA), D. Ward (CLE)
- S: J. Simmons (DEN), M. Fitzpatrick (PIT), K. Hamilton (BAL)
- P: A. Cole (LVR)
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K: J. Tucker (BAL)
NFC - QB: B. Purdy (SF), D. Prescott (DAL), M. Stafford (LAR)
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RB: C. McCaffrey (SF), D. Swift (PHI), K. Williams (LAR)
- WR: C. Lamb (DAL), A. Brown (PHI), M. Evans (TB), P. Nacua (LAR)
- TE: G. Kittle (SF), S. LaPorta (DET)
- OT: T. Williams (SF), L. Johnson (PHI), P. Sewell (DET)
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OG: Z. Martin (DAL), C. Lindstrom (ATL), L. Dickerson (PHI)
- C: J. Kelce (PHI), F. Ragnow (DET)
- DE: N. Bosa (SF), M. Sweat (CHI), A. Hutchinson (DET)
- DL: A. Donald (LAR), D. Lawrence (NYG), J. Hargrave (SF)
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OLB: M. Parsons (DAL), D. Hunter (MIN), H. Reddick (PHI)
- LB: F. Warner (SF), B. Wagner (SEA)
- CB: D. Bland (DAL), C. Ward (SF), J. Johnson (CHI), D. Witherspoon (SEA)
- S: J. Bates (ATL), B. Baker (ARI), J. Love (SEA)
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P: B. Anger (DAL)
- K: B. Aubrey (DAL)
Most Notable “Snubs”
QB J. Allen (BUF), QB J. Goff (DET), WR A. St. Brown (DET), OLB B. Chubb (MIA), WR B. Aiyuk (SF), CB L’Jarius Sneed (KC), S A. Winfield Jr. (TB) Read More
USA Today: Pro Bowl Voting: 49ers, Ravens & Cowboys Lead the Way
The Athletic: Josh Allen, Jared Goff Left Out: Who Was Snubbed From the NFL Pro Bowl?
CBS Sports: 13 Zany & Crazy Things to Know About Week 18 With Postseason Berths on the Line |
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Photo: Harry How / Getty Images |
L.A. Clippers Keep Hot Streak Rolling In 2024, Stars Clicking in Wire-to-Wire Win Over Suns (131-122)
We’re guilty. We were one of them. Back in October, the L.A. Clippers swung a deal for James Harden, then they went on a losing streak. The media buried them and chastised the franchise’s never-ending saga of bad luck. We did, too. But those pesky Clippers have appeared to turn things around and flip the script. The Clippers never trailed in last night’s 131-122 win over the Suns, and their ‘Big 3’ looked as locked in (as a group) as they ever have. Paul George (33 points), Kawhi Leonard (30 points) and James Harden (22 points, 11 assists) combined for 85 points on a collective 55-percent shooting night from the floor (56.5%, 3-pt). The Clips led by as many as 23.
Clips Flip the Script: L.A. was just 3-7 after that horrific start that brought a six-game skid following the Harden acquisition. They were just 8-10 by the end of November, but they’ve been one of the hottest teams in the NBA through December, and beyond. L.A. has now won four straight and 13 of their last 15, with the only two losses since November coming at the hands of the Celtics and Thunder — both quality opponents. The Clips appear to have it figured out. They’re 21-12 and just three games back of 1st in the West. Few would've predicted that at Thanksgiving.
Watch: Re-Energized Clippers Beat Suns in Wire-to-Wire Clinic (131-122) |
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The Ultimate Teammate for Your 2024 New Year’s Resolutions
Feeling the food from your holiday feasts? Us, too. There’s nothing wrong with great food surrounded by friends and family, but the new year brings resolutions for all, and we’re using a tool that’ll change the game. Noom is a psychology-based program that changes your relationship with food so you can make better, healthier decisions and become the best version of yourself. They’ll help you achieve your health goals, and you won’t be miserable doing it.
How does Noom work? It’s a program that treats unhealthy habits at the source — your mind. Learn through psych-based lessons and utilize their groups, coaching and online communities to connect with resources that will help guide you along the way.
When it comes to New Year’s resolutions in 2024, there’s no better teammate than Noom. Try Noom Today and Get 2024 Started Right! |
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📺 The Rose Bowl Ratings
The Rose Bowl between Michigan and Alabama was the most watched non-NFL sporting event in five years, and the most watched CFB Playoff game since 2014. So what does it mean for upcoming TV contracts? (Y! Sports)
⚾️ MLB Free Agency Reset
In the first half of free agency, we had some splashy moves — you might have heard that Shohei Ohtani signed a $700 million deal? But plenty of MLB stars are still on the market, and lots of teams have holes to fill. (ESPN)
🏈 Russell Wilson’s Benching Ultimatum
The Denver Broncos’ benching and certain upcoming release of Russell Wilson proves it. The business of the NFL is a cold and heartless one, even for players who have been elite faces of their franchises. (SI) |
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🏀 NBA Bucks at Spurs (7:30 pm ET, TNT) Nuggets at Warriors (10:00 pm ET, TNT) 🏒 NHL Penguins at Bruins (7:00 pm ET, ESPN) Avalanche at Stars (8:00 pm ET, ESPN+) Panthers at Golden Knights (10:00 pm ET, ESPN+) ⛳️ PGA Tour
Sentry Tournament of Champions (12:45 pm ET) |
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