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Happy Friday 🙌 It’s a loaded weekend primer hot off the press. Super Bowl 58 is just three days away, but last night featured the NFL Honors, NBA Trade Deadline, and plenty more. There's even the craziest hole in golf -- the Par-3 16th at the Phoenix Open. The biggest sports weekend of the year has arrived. Editor's Note: The next 3-4 months in sports is non-stop excitement. Help the team and share The Sportsletter with a friend or family member. Letter Rip! |
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The Super Bowl LVIII Primer 🏆 |
Photo: Ethan Miller / Getty Images |
Everything You Need to Know for the Biggest Night in Sports Television Game 285 is finally here. It feels like yesterday we opened the 2023 NFL season with Lions-Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on Sept. 7. Five months later, those pesky Chiefs are back again. But the 49ers look to exact revenge for the Chiefs’ comeback win in Super Bowl 54. So here we go. It’s Super Bowl weekend — the biggest sports spectacle on the entire calendar — and it’s about to begin. Here’s everything you need to know leading up to the big game. How the Teams Stack Up Both Kansas City and San Francisco are pretty evenly matched in many facets of the game. They both rank top-10 in passing offense and scoring defense, but the Chiefs’ have failed to convert as many points, at least during the regular season. Kansas City’s scoring offense ranks just 17th overall. The 49ers rank 2nd, and so does their run game. The biggest Xs and Os battle on Sunday is going to come down to Kyle Shanahan’s offensive scheme against Steve Spagnuolo’s Chiefs’ defense. Kansas City’s secondary is stellar, so expecting 49ers QB Brock Purdy to throw for big numbers is unlikely. But good luck tackling RB Christian McCaffrey and WR Deebo Samuel. Officials Under the Microscope NFL officiating has been hammered by fans all year long. It’s sure to be no different in the Super Bowl after last year’s ending. The Eagles lost to the Chiefs (38-35) after a “questionable” holding call in the red zone. That call robbed fans of a potential overtime Super Bowl game. Expect scrutiny on Sunday, and lots of it. Bill Vinovich’s crew will officiate SBLVIII. It was Vinovich who was the head official in Super Bowl 54, too. And if you’re wondering how the 49ers and Chiefs have fared with Vinovich calling the game, look away San Francisco. Team Records With Official Bill Vinovich Chiefs: 5-2 49ers: 2-4 The Spectacle: Halftime, Media & Taylor Swift What comes with the Super Bowl, more than any other sporting event on planet Earth, is a crazy circus of media and entertainment. But you already know that. Expect some knock-your-socks-off commercials (no spoilers) and a hyped halftime performance by Usher. And of course, some live shots of Taylor Swift being a fan. We’ll share our favorite commercials on Monday morning. We could dissect every angle of Super Bowl LVIII, but you’re sports fans. You know what to expect on Sunday. It’s Chiefs-49ers, and it’s here. Super Bowl LVIII Chiefs vs. 49ers (Sun. 6:00 pm ET, CBS) Read More CBS Sports: 58 Things You Need to Know for Super Bowl 58 The Ringer: Who Should You Pick Against the Spread in Super Bowl LVIII? FOX Sports: Scouting Super Bowl LVIII: 5 Burning Questions to Determine Who Wins |
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NFL Honors: LJ Wins 2nd MVP |
Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images |
Lamar Jackson Wins 2nd NFL MVP Award; Plus All the Winners From the NFL Honors The NFL Honors, hosted by actor Keegan-Michael Key, brought stars out for a celebration of the league’s top awards on Thursday, and two teams came away with a haul. The Browns (3) and Texans (2) both won multiple awards on the night. And Ravens QB Lamar Jackson captured his second MVP award. Jackson — in the first season following his $252 million mega-deal — led the Ravens to the best record in football (13-4) and the No. 1 seed in the AFC. He also became the only player to throw for 3,000 yards and rush for more than 800 yards in a season, twice. He won MVP the last time he did it, too (2019-20). Fun Fact: Jackson is just the 11th player in NFL history to win multiple MVP awards. He joins a list of quarterbacks that includes Manning, Rodgers, Brady, Favre, Unitas, Warner, Young, Montana and Mahomes. All NFL Award Winners |
2024 Hall of Fame Class - Dwight Freeney (DE, Colts/Chargers)
- Julius Peppers (DE, Panthers/Bears/Packers)
- Patrick Willis (LB, 49ers)
- Devin Hester (PR/KR, Bears/Falcons/Ravens)
- Andre Johnson (WR, Texans/Colts/Titans)
- *Randy Gradishar (LB, Broncos)
- *Steve McMichael (DT, Patriots/Bears/Packers)
- *Senior Inductee
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Lakers Unveil Kobe Statue |
Photo: Gina Ferazzi / Getty Images |
Kobe Bryant Immortalized With Massive Tribute to 81-Point Game Outside Lakers’ Arena The Los Angeles Lakers unveiled a bronze statute of Kobe Bryant last night prior their home game against the Nuggets. The 19-foot, 4,000-pound monument shows Kobe pointing to the sky. It’s a nod to the iconic photo of Bryant in his white No. 8 jersey as he walked off the court following his 81-point game against the Raptors in 2006. Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s widow, stole the show with a pull-quote for anyone who disagreed with the statue’s pose. “For the record, Kobe picked the pose… So anyone who has any issues with it, tough s—t.” The first statue is the first of three planned to honor the Lakers icon. The second will feature his No. 24 jersey, and the third will depict Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, who died with him and seven other people in that unforgettable helicopter crash in 2020. “This statue may look like Kobe, but really it’s what excellence looks like,” said Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. “What discipline looks like. What commitment looks like.” Kareem, Derek Fisher, and Phil Jackson all spoke at the ceremony while other famous Lakers like Magic Johnson and Pau Gasol were in attendance. To this day, Kobe and Gianna’s death remains one of the sudden, staggering and sobering moments in recent sports history. Read More B/R: Kobe Bryant Statue Unveiled (Video) LA Times: Plaschke: Kobe Statue a Perfect Portrayal of Lakers Legend’s Inclusiveness & Defiance |
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Trade Deadline: The Biggest Deals |
Photo: Jacob Kupferman / Getty Images |
NBA Trade Deadline Heats Up on Final Day With More Than a Dozen League-Shifting Moves The NBA Trade Deadline was suspiciously quiet up until the final day. More than a dozen trades went down on Thursday, and many of them included key role players and quality subs. Buddy Hield, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Gordon Hayward are all on the move, as well as the Mavericks’ bold play to add P.J. Washington alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Here are the seven biggest trades from yesterday. Buddy Hield (Pacers) → 76ers Gordon Hayward (Hornets) → Thunder Bojan Bogdanovic (Pistons) → Knicks Kelly Olynyk (Jazz) → Raptors Dennis Schroder (Raptors) → Nets P.J. Washington (Hornets) → Mavericks Patrick Beverly (76ers) → Bucks *All Links to Trade Details Other NBA Moves Kings Acquire Robin Lopez (Bucks) Suns Acquire Royce O’Neal (Nets) Pistons Release Former No. 7 Pick Killian Hayes NBA Trade Deadline Tracker |
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The Weekend Must-Watch List |
It’s the big one! Obviously, all eyes are on Super Bowl 58 this weekend. But don’t sleep on the rest of the sports schedule before Sunday night. There’s plenty of NBA and NHL, per usual, but a wild slate of college hoops brings us ever closer to March Madness with rivalry games and Caitlin Clark’s (potential) record-breaker Sunday afternoon. Enjoy! 🏈 Super Bowl LVIII 🏆 Chiefs vs. 49ers (Sun. 6:00 pm, CBS) 🏀 NBA Pelicans at Lakers (Fri. 10:30 pm, NBA TV) Thunder at Mavericks (Sat. 3:00 pm, NBA TV) Pacers at Knicks (Sat. 7:30 pm, NBALP) Suns at Warriors (Sat. 8:30 pm, ABC) Celtics at Heat (Sun. 2:00 pm, ABC) Full NBA Schedule 🏒 NHL Canucks at Red Wings (Sat. 1:00 pm, ESPN+) Capitals at Bruins (Sat. 3:30 pm, ABC) Avalanche at Panthers (Sat. 6:00 pm, ESPN+) Oilers at Kings (Sat. 10:00 pm, NHLN) Full NHL Schedule ⛳️ PGA Tour Waste Management Phoenix Open (All Weekend) 🏀 NCAA M: Gonzaga at #17 Kentucky (Sat. 4:00 pm, CBS)
M: #13 Baylor at #4 Kansas (Sat. 6:00 pm, ESPN) M: Indiana at #2 Purdue (Sat. 8:00 pm, FOX) W: #2 Iowa at Nebraska (Sun. 1:00 pm, FOX) W: #11 UConn at #1 South Carolina (Sun. 2:00 pm, ESPN) *All Times ET |
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Who are you picking to win the big game? (click to vote) |
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