The Sportsletter - Super Bowl Stories: Part 1

BY JEFF YODER

JAN. 31, 2024 |  SUBSCRIBE  |  WEB VIEW

Good Morning 👋

The pre-Super Bowl hangover is real. This two-week wait is slow as sports journalists gather strength for next week's media circus. Let’s fill the void with some Super Bowl storylines we can't wait to watch, starting with today’s Part 1 on the 49ers’ youthful gunslinger.

Plus, there were a pair of top-5 upsets in college hoops last night. And it's time to get ready for intermission on ice with the NHL All-Star on the way this weekend.

Letter Rip!

  SUPER BOWL STORIES  

Brock on the Clock ⏱️

Photo: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images

Where Does Brock Purdy Rank Among NFL’s Youngest Super Bowl Quarterbacks?

It’s the run-up to Super Bowl LVIII, and the roman numeral means ’58’ (in case you haven’t brushed on your roman numerals in a while). With 57 past Super Bowls, the annual list of talking points for sportswriters and statisticians continues to grow. We’ll spend one section of our newsletter over the next week hitting on various Super Bowl storylines, starting with the youth movement. As great quarterbacks age, their Super Bowl clock starts ticking. Win that first one and all the pressure is off. But lose and more youthful challengers emerge. Tick, tock. It feels like every year we add a new name to this list, and we won’t be surprised to see another name on it soon.

When the San Francisco 49ers punched their ticket to Super Bowl 58 last Sunday, Brock Purdy punched his name onto a list of youth-centered accolades. Namely, this one. At 24 years and 46 days old (as of Feb. 11), Purdy will become the third-youngest quarterback ever to start in the big game. He's not even halfway to being a 49er ( get it?). Only Dan Marino and Ben Roethlisberger were younger.

The 10 Youngest QBs in Super Bowl History

1. Dan Marino (Dolphins) — 23 years, 127 days

2. Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers) — 23 years, 340 days

3. Brock Purdy (49ers) — 24 years, 46 days

4. David Woodley (Dolphins) — 24 years, 97 days

5. Jared Goff (Rams) — 24 years, 112 days

6. Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs) — 24 years, 138 days

7. Tom Brady (Patriots) — 24 years, 184 days

8. Jalen Hurts (Eagles) — 24 years, 189 days

9 Drew Bledsoe (Patriots) — 24 years, 347 days

T10. Joe Burrow (Bengals) — 25 years, 65 days

T10. Russell Wilson (Seahawks) — 25 years, 65 days

Only three of those QBs 24 years or younger actually won their debut Super Bowl appearance, and all three are surefire Hall of Famers — Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes. The good news for Purdy? He’s in elite company either way. The bad news? One of those three guys is on the other sideline.

*Check back each day for another Super Bowl 58 storyline as we build up to the big game.

Read More

Yardbarker: Brock Purdy Could Become 2nd-Youngest QB to Win a Super Bowl

Forbes: Brock Purdy Leads 49ers to Super Bowl And Now It’s Time to Pay Him

  NCAA  

🚨 Top-5 Upsets: Stoudamire Strikes Again

Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images

Georgia Tech Slays Another ACC Giant #3 North Carolina (74-73) & South Carolina Upends #5 Tennessee (63-59)

Not one, but two top-5 upsets took men’s college basketball by storm on Tuesday. Both happened in the same region of the country, too. Georgia Tech shocked #3 North Carolina (74-73) for their second significant upset of the season, and the South Carolina men’s squad toppled #5 Tennessee (63-59). There’s something special happening at Georgia Tech, and it’s about time the South Carolina men’s squad gets some respect. Read on to find out…

Georgia Tech’s Stoudamire Revival

Georgia Tech struck down the 3rd-ranked Tar Heels thanks to a game-winner from Naithan George inside 10 seconds, and that’s the Yellow Jackets’ second top-10 takedown of the ACC conference slate. They also beat #7 Duke at home in December (72-68), and head coach Damon Stoudamire has something brewing in Atlanta. The former NBA player is in his first season at the helm of his alma mater, and he’s building a culture that believes they can beat the ACC giants. The Yellow Jackets were once a college basketball power, reaching 15 NCAA Tournaments in 25 years (1984-2009), but it's been ugly in recent years. Until now. The student section is rocking at McCamish Pavilion, and Tech is now 10-11 with two top-10 upsets against Duke and UNC. They may not bust your bracket this season, but Stoudamire is reviving a dormant basketball powerhouse.

Watch: Georgia Tech Upsets #3 North Carolina (74-73)

Put Some Respect on South Carolina

We talk a lot about the South Carolina women’s team, and rightfully so. They’re undefeated and chasing history. But the men’s team? They delivered a message to those people who decide the polls. The Gamecocks (18-3) are unranked (still) and have been for the entire season. They’ve only lost three games, one to a ranked Clemson team, and they just held Tennessee to their lowest-scoring game of the year. There’s no reason this team shouldn’t be in the top-25, and they just proved their point. And by the way, that’s a collective 37-3 record for both the men’s and women’s teams from South Carolina. Goodness…

Watch: South Carolina Stuns #5 Tennessee (63-59)

  NHL  

Intermission On Ice: The NHL's All-Star Weekend

Photo: Mark Blinch / Getty Images

The NHL’s All-Star Weekend Features New Skills Challenges & Another Must-See 3-on-3 Showdown

It’s the last day before we turn the page to February, and that means all-star celebrations. Before the upcoming NBA All-Star Game and the NFL Pro Bowl, the NHL All-Star Game drops the puck on the festivities this weekend in Toronto. It’s another year under the unique format that features four teams and three games to determine a winner. Let’s take a look at the All-Star Weekend schedule and the current NHL standings before a short break from regular-season hockey.

NHL All-Star Weekend

All-Star Draft(Thurs. 6:00 pm ET)

4 Teams Selected by 4 Division Captains

Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon & Jack Hughes

All-Star Skills Event(Fri. 7:00 pm ET)

12 Players, 8 Events, 1 Winner

The player with the most points takes home $1 million prize

All-Star Game(Sat. 3:00 pm ET)

4 Teams, 3 Games, 1 Winner

3-on-3 Format With 10-Minute Halves, 2 Winning Teams Play in Finals

Read More

ESPN: NHL All-Star Game: Rosters, Schedule & More

B/R: Roundtable: 3-on-3 2024 NHL All-Star Mock Draft

NHL Standings Update 📊

Atlantic Divisional

1. Bruins (31-9-9) — 71 Points

2. Panthers (31-14-4) — 66 Points

3. Lightning (27-18-4) — 59 Points

Others: Maple Leafs (58 pts), Red Wings (57 pts), Sabres (48 pts), Canadiens (48 pts), Senators (40 pts)

Metropolitan Division

1. Rangers (30-16-3) — 63 Points

2. Hurricanes (28-15-5) — 61 Points

3. Flyers (25-18-6) — 56 Points

Others: Islanders (52 pts), Penguins (51 pts), Devils (51 pts), Capitals (51 pts), Blue Jackets (42 pts)

Central Division

1. Avalanche (32-14-3) — 67 Points

2. Stars (30-13-6) — 66 Points

3. Jets (30-12-5) — 65 Points

Others: Blues (54 pts), Predators (54 pts), Coyotes (49 pts), Wild (47 pts), Blackhawks (30 pts)

Pacific Division

1. Canucks (33-11-5) — 71 Points

2. Golden Knights (29-15-6) — 64 Points

3. Oilers (29-15-1) — 59 Points

Others: Kings (54 pts), Kraken (52 pts), Flames (49 pts), Ducks (36 pts), Sharks (30 pts)

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  STORYLINES  

🏀 Curry vs. Ionescu in 3-Point Contest

For the first time ever, the NBA All-Star festivities will feature an NBA-WNBA 3-point contest on Feb. 17. The 1-v-1 event features Steph Curry and Sabrina Ionescu, two of the greatest shooters of all-time.(ESPN)

⛳️ Jon Rahm’s ‘Legion XIII’ Roster

LIV Golf officially unveiled Jon Rahm’s new four-man team on Tuesday after former Ryder Cup teammate Tyrrell Hatton joined LIV last week. It’s the league’s 13th team, named Legion XIII.(Sports Illustrated)

🏈 Vegas Super Bowl Ticket Prices

Early ticket prices for Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas made history on Monday with the average ticket price (more than $9,000) nearly double last year’s game and well above the previous record set in 2021.(FOX Sports)

  NEWS   📰 

• Steelers Hire Ex-Falcons Coach Arthur Smith as New Offensive Coordinator(SI)
• Tennessee Under Investigation From NCAA for NIL Violations(ESPN)
• Lions OC Ben Johnson Withdraws From Commanders & Seahawks Jobs to Stay With Detroit(CBS Sports)
• Former NBA Star Rajon Rondo Arrested on Gun & Drug Charges in Indiana(B/R)
• AFC & NFC Title Games Drew 55 Million Viewers for CBS & FOX(Yahoo! Sports)

• Rangers’ World Series Star Corey Seager Undergoes Sports Hernia Surgery(CBS Sports)

• Orioles Owner John Angelos to Sell Team for $1.725 Billion(ESPN)

• Tom Brady Confirms TV Debut for FOX as No. 1 Game Analyst in 2024 (B/R)

  SCHEDULE   🗓️

Today's Must-Watch List

🏀 NBA

Kings at Heat (7:30 pm ET)

Mavericks at Timberwolves (8:00 pm ET)

Nuggets at Thunder (8:00 pm ET)

Suns at Nets (8:30 pm ET)

Bucks at Blazers (10:00 pm ET)

🏒 NHL

Kings at Predators (7:30 pm ET)

Sharks at Ducks (10:30 pm ET)

⚽️ Premier League

Liverpool vs. Chelsea (3:15 pm ET)

🏀 NCAA Basketball

M: Northwestern at #2 Purdue (6:30 pm ET)

M: Florida at #10 Kentucky (8:00 pm ET)

M: Providence at #1 UConn (8:30 pm ET)

W: #11 UConn at Villanova (6:30 pm ET)
W: #2 Kansas State at Oklahoma (7:00 pm ET)
W: #10 Indiana at Maryland (7:00 pm ET)
W: #3 Iowa at Northwestern (8:00 pm ET)

  THE TEAM  

Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Lead Designer: Joe Stella

Assistant Writer: Marissa Kasch

Social Media: Aaron Yorke

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