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Good Morning 👋
We're taking a short break on the Super Bowl coverage today, but SBLVIII media week picks up tomorrow and Friday. Yesterday, we speculated on whether or not this is Andy Reid’s last ride. We aren't the only ones wondering. He was asked the question at Super Bowl media week. His response? “Today is not the day.”
In Today’s Edition: The Oilers’ win streak comes to an end just short of history. One small-market MLB team is changing the narrative. And yours truly went searching box scores (for far too long) to confirm what I suspected was unfolding this season in college basketball — top-10 upsets like never before. Original research incoming… Letter Rip! |
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Top-10 Tailspin: No One Is Safe |
Photo: Name / Getty Images |
Another Top-Ranked Team Tumbles as Clemson Shocks #3 North Carolina (80-76), And College Basketball's Top-10 Futility is Staggering
Does it feel like you’re seeing the same story on repeat in our college basketball recaps? It’s because history is being made almost nightly. Unranked Clemson took down #3 North Carolina last night (80-76), and that’s another upset for an unranked challenger against a top-10 team in men’s college hoops. Clemson had won just one game in their last 60 trips to Chapel Hill before last night. P.J. Hall (25-9-3) and Joseph Girard III (21-6-3) combined for 46 points for the Tigers. It was UNC’s second loss to an unranked opponent in the last week, and that doesn't even scratch the surface of what's happening in college hoops.
Watch: Clemson Takes Down #3 UNC at Chapel Hill (80-76) Top-10 Futility & Humility
The Tar Heels had won ten straight games to climb all the way to No. 3 in the rankings before losing two of their last three, but they’re not the only top-10 team going through trials. On Monday night, #4 Kansas lost to unranked Kansas State in overtime. No. 6 Wisconsin lost to Nebraska last Thursday, and Florida upset #10 Kentucky last Wednesday. Are you counting? That’s four in just the last week. No one is safe! So I went digging... 🚨 Top-10 vs. Unranked Teams (39 Losses!) Top-10 teams have lost to unranked opponents a whopping 39 times this college basketball season, including
27 losses in the last 37 days (since Jan. 1, 2024). Overall, those top teams have a winning percentage of just .754 (120-39) against unranked foes, meaning the
unranked underdogs are beating teams in the top-10 a quarter of the time. The numbers are skewed significantly further when you remove the non-conference, early-season tune-up games. Top-10 teams started the year 52-6 against those mid-majors early on. They’re just 68-33 (.673) since early December, meaning unranked teams are upsetting top-10 conference opponents 1/3 of the time. For Reference: Top-10 teams typically boast a win percentage between .850 to .900 on the year against unranked adversaries. It's difficult to call this a "conclusive record" in early February, but it's on pace to be the most top-10 upset-heavy season of all-time, depending on your definition of "upset." How ‘Bout on the Road?
Top-10 teams actually have a losing record (23-27) on the road against unranked opponents this year — a winning percentage of just .460. That’s the worst in the poll era, and it’s not even close. For reference, top-10 teams held a win percentage of .753 (2022) and .733 (2021) on the road in the past two seasons.
Big Picture: Parity in College Basketball
At the end of the day, this boils down to a growing parity in college basketball, which is awesome for March Madness. There isn’t a top-heavy group of teams like that of the college football landscape. And even the teams at the top — UConn, Purdue, Kansas — can all fall in an instant. The transfer portal might have an impact on the parity, too. There was even one week this year where four of the top-5 teams all lost to unranked foes.
Another night (Jan. 9) saw both #1 Purdue and #2 Houston get upset just minutes apart. Regardless of who holds the top seeds in March, expect an upset-heavy bracket season. |
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Photo: Jeff Bottari / Getty Images |
Golden Knights Knock Off Oilers (3-1) to End Edmonton’s Historic Win Streak at 16 Games — 1 Short of NHL Record
The break hurt ‘em. Before the NHL All-Star break, the Edmonton Oilers were riding a 16-game win streak. They were just one game away from tying the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins for the longest streak in NHL history (17). Seven days off will get ya. Last night, it was a trip to visit the defending champs in Las Vegas. You could tell the Golden Knights didn’t want to be on the wrong side of history, especially against their Pacific Division rivals. Vegas notched a 3-1 win to snap the streak. Goaltender Adin Hill was the hero with 30 saves, and Chandler Stephenson had the go-ahead goal and an assist for an open-netter in the third period.
It was quite the run for Edmonton after a sloppy start to the season. They're now firmly in the playoff picture with 30 games to play. Here’s where the Oilers’ streak stands in NHL history:
Longest Win Streaks in NHL History 1. Pittsburgh Penguins (1992-93): 17 Wins T2. Edmonton Oilers (2023-24): 16 Wins
T2. Columbus Blue Jackets (2016-17): 16 Wins T4. New York Islanders (1981-82): 15 Wins T4. Pittsburgh Penguins (2012-13): 15 Wins The Golden Knights (66 pts) hold a slight advantage over the Oilers (59 pts) in the Pacific race, but it’s the Canucks (73 pts) who lead the division and the entire league.
Watch: Golden Knights Snap Oilers’ Streak 1 Game Shy of NHL Record |
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Photo: Bobby Witt Jr. / Getty Images |
How Kansas City Decided to ‘Play Ball’ & Upend the Small-Market Dilemma
In a week when Kansas City is trying to repeat as Super Bowl champs, there's another team from the City of Fountains making headlines. The Kansas City Royals aren’t known for handing out mega deals. Neither are most small-market MLB franchises. In fact, Kansas City spent the last five seasons with an average opening day payroll of 25th (out of 30). That’s why this week’s Bobby Witt Jr. signing is a fascinating win for the Royals, and small-market teams everywhere.
Witt Jr. and the Royals agreed to an 11-year, $288 million contract on Monday, effectively keeping him in KC until 2035. The deal also puts him in the top-10 richest contracts in MLB history. While it wasn’t in the ballpark of Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million deal, it is a sign that the Royals might be ready to “play ball.”
Small Market Perspective
To put the contract in context, only eight players in baseball history have ever signed a larger deal than Witt Jr.’s $288 million. Almost all of them were from major-market teams — The Yankees (2), Dodgers (2), Phillies (2), Rangers and Padres — and they include names like Ohtani, Judge, Harper and Machado. So what makes Witt Jr. so intriguing at an early age? Just look at his NFL counterpart.
The Mahomes Correlation
Remember when the Chiefs gave QB Patrick Mahomes a ridiculous 10-year, $500 million deal back in 2020? It was a genius move by Kansas City. Just four years later, Mahomes’ annual salary isn’t even top-5 as quarterback values have inflated. There was one other thing Mahomes did with his new bag. He bought a minority stake in... dun, dun, dun... the Royals! It made him the youngest part-owner of a sports franchise.
So here we are, four years later, with a Mahomes-owned small-market team handing out a Mahomes-esque 11-year mega contract that could be very team friendly if, in fact, Witt Jr. is a superstar in the making. He ended last season with 30 home runs, 49 stolen bases, batting .276, and finished seventh in MVP voting, all at the age of 23. Read More ESPN: Match Made in 11: Witt’s 11-Year Deal Gives He & K.C. Time to Build The Athletic: In Extending Bobby Witt Jr., Royals Make Statement Signing & ‘Begin to Dream a Bit’ |
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🏈 The NFL’s 180 on Las Vegas
Not that long ago, the NFL didn’t deem Las Vegas worthy of a 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl. Now, it's hosting an actual Super Bowl there. The city’s image and a culture shift around sports betting have led to a complete 180, and the NFL's relationship with the city is only growing stronger. (Yahoo! Sports) 🏀 The Seattle Storm Super-Team
The 2016 WNBA MVP Nneka Ogwumike signed with the Seattle Storm on Monday, joining Skylar Diggins-Smith, who signed with Seattle last week. The two star free-agent acquisitions will pair with Jewell Loyd, and there may be a new WNBA super-team in Seattle. (The Athletic)
⚽️ Messi’s Asia Tour Letdown
After disappointing fans in Hong Kong with a no-show on the pitch last weekend, Lionel Messi left open the possibility of playing in Inter Miami's friendly in Tokyo, saying he felt "much better” than he did a few days ago. Another absence on the pitch would add to the PR nightmare.(Reuters) |
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🏀 NBA Warriors at 76ers (7:30 pm ET, ESPN) Pelicans at Clippers (10:00 pm ET, ESPN) 🏒
NHL Lightning at Rangers (7:00 pm ET, TNT) Wild at Blackhawks (9:30 pm ET, TNT)
We'll see you tomorrow for more coverage of Super Bowl Stories, the NBA Trade Deadline and the South Carolina (women's) undefeated season. Cheers! — The Sportsletter Team |
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