The Sportsletter - Checking the Tags 🏷️

BY JEFF YODER

MAR. 6, 2024 |  SUBSCRIBE  |  WEB VIEW

Good Morning 👋

Yesterday was franchise tag deadline day in the NFL. Eight players got the designation, so we’re checking tags. Plus, the Champions League is back and Kylian Mbappe put Europe on notice. The Celtics’ 11-game win streak came to an end in a bizarre way. And to top it off, the Dartmouth basketball team voted to form the first union in collegiate sports. Down the rabbit hole we go…

⌛️ Selection Sunday: 11 Days

Letter Rip!

  NFL  

Checking the Tags 🏷️

Photo: Justin Casterline / Getty Images

8 Players Receive Franchise Tags for 2024 Season, And RB Saquon Barkley Isn’t One of Them

The next checkpoint on the NFL’s offseason roster rollercoaster came Tuesday afternoon as teams around the league scrambled to franchise-tag their best players before they hit free agency. For those who don’t fully know, the franchise tag allows teams to retain a talented player on a 1-year deal for a set amount (based on position) rather than commit to a multi-year contract extension. It’s not always the best deal for the player, but it can be used to “cook the books” and play the salary cap game. Eight players received the tag on Tuesday, including two star receivers, three defensive pass-rushers and three defensive backs. Not on the list? Giants RB Saquon Barkley. He’ll get to test free agency as an unrestricted FA for the first time in his career. Here’s the download:

Players Who Received Franchise Tag

WR Tee Higgins (Bengals)

WR Michael Pittman Jr. (Colts)

EDGE Brian Burns (Panthers)

EDGE Josh Allen (Jaguars)

S Antoine Winfield Jr. (Bucs)

DT Justin Madubuike (Ravens)

CB L’Jarius Sneed (Chiefs)

CB Jaylon Johnson (Bears)

Notable Players Not Tagged

RB Saquon Barkley (Giants)

*Becomes UFA for 1st Time in Career

DT Christian Wilkins (Dolphins)

*Set to Hit Free Agency

Other NFL Roster News

• Seahawks Release Safeties Jamal Adams, Quandre Diggs
• Texans Keep TE Dalton Schultz on 3-Year Deal
• Bears Make Trade With Bills for OL Ryan Bates
• Panthers Release TE Hayden Hurst 1 Year After 3-Year Deal

  SOCCER  

Champions League Knockouts

Photo: Christian Liewig-Corbis / Getty Images

Bayern Munich & PSG Become 1st Clubs to Advance to Champions League Quarterfinals

A wild week in the Champions League began on Monday when UEFA announced a new format for next year’s Champions League, including a 36-team league play instead of 32-team group play. Plenty will be discussed regarding that change between now and next year, but this year’s action is still kicking…

The first two tickets to this Champions League quarterfinal were claimed on Tuesday in a pair of no-doubters from European royalty. Bayern Munich doused Lazio with a three-goal rout to overcome a one-goal loss in Leg 1. Harry Kane struck twice for Bayern, and the Bundesliga juggernauts are on to the final eight. Over in Spain, Real Sociedad played host to PSG and ran into the buzzsaw known as Kylian Mbappe. PSG’s superstar notched two goals early on to give PSG a 4-0 lead on aggregate before cruising into the quarterfinals. Two more matches are on the way this afternoon.

Champions League Highlights

Bayern Munich def. Lazio (3-0)

*Bayern Advance on Aggregate (3-1)

PSG def. Real Sociedad (2-1)

*PSG Advance on Aggregate (4-1)

Today’s Schedule

Man. City vs. FC Copenhagen (3:00 pm ET, Par+)

Real Madrid vs. RB Leipzig (3:00 pm ET, Par+)

Read More

ESPN: Kylian Mbappe Sends Wake-Up Call to PSG’s Champions League Rivals

B/R: Champions League Reveals New Format for 2024-25 as League Play Replaces Group Stage

  NBA  

Overturned in Ohio

Photo: Jason Miller / Getty Images

Cavaliers Snap Celtics' 11-Game Win Streak With 22-Point Comeback (105-104) & Foul-Call Reversed on Final Play

Here’s a new one in the NBA’s challenge era. The Celtics entered Tuesday riding an NBA season-best 11-game win streak when they went into Cleveland. Jason and Travis Kelce — Cleveland natives — were on hand for the big game. Boston held a 22-point lead with nine minutes to play before the Cavs came roaring back. Cleveland’s bench star Dean Wade (23 points) caught fire, and he put the Cavs on top (105-104) with a dunk in the final 20 seconds. On the last play of the game, Jayson Tatum drew a foul on a jumper with 0.7 seconds left. It would’ve put him at the line with three shots to win the game, but a Coach’s Challenge overturned the call for a somewhat historic moment.

The NBA first allowed coaches one instant replay review per game beginning in 2019. In the first five years since its introduction, this appears to be the first time a call was reversed on the final shot of the game with less a second to play. And it snapped an 11-game win streak. Wild stuff.

Still Chasing Boston: Despite the end of the 11-game streak, the Celtics (48-13) still hold a 5.5-game lead over the next best team in the league and a 7.5-game lead over second-place in the East.

Watch: Cavs End Celtics’ Win Streak (105-104) on Late Call Reversal

🏀 Other NBA Highlights

Pelicans def. Raptors (139-98)

Hawks def. Knicks (116-100)

Heat def. Pistons (118-110)

Nets def. 76ers (112-107)

Magic def. Hornets (101-89)

Pacers def. Mavericks (137-120)

Suns def. Nuggets (117-107, OT)

Rockets def. Spurs (114-101)

*Alperen Sengun Drops Career-High 45 Points

  HIGHLIGHTS   🎥

🏒 NHL

Penguins def. Blue Jackets (5-3)

Panthers def. Devils (5-3)

Islanders def. Blues (4-2)

Kraken def. Jets (4-3)

Canadiens def. Predators (4-3, OT)

Oilers def. Bruins (2-1, OT)

*Leon Draisaitl (2G) Scores in 3rd & OT

Bonus Highlight: Canadiens Score 2 Goals in 6 Seconds After Wild Center-Ice Goal Off the Glass 

🏀 NCAA Basketball

M: #3 Purdue def. #12 Illinois (77-71)

*Boilers Win 2nd Straight Big Ten Title

M: #7 N. Carolina def. Notre Dame (84-51)

*UNC Clinches At Least Share of ACC Title

  STORYLINES   

🏀 Dartmouth Basketball Votes for Union

Dartmouth men’s basketball players voted 13-2 in favor of the first labor union for college athletes. The vote could present a huge shakeup to the NCAA model, which currently only allows college athletes to financially benefit from name, image and likeness. (NBC News)

🏈 The ‘Tush Push’ Reality Check

It’s time to find out the real key to the Philadelphia Eagles’ unstoppable ‘Tush Push’ play. Now that Jason Kelce has retired, we might learn that he, not Jalen Hurts, was so crucial to the play in the Eagles’ offense. (Sports Illustrated)

🏒 Rangers’ Rempe Loves to Fight

Rangers’ rookie Matt Rempe, a 6-foot-7, 240-pound center, has one goal and one assist in his first seven games in the NHL. He also has 37 penalty minutes, five more than he’s spent actually playing on the ice. Is the “enforcer” role good or bad for the NHL? (Yahoo! Sports)

  NEWS   📰 

⚾️ Red Sox RHP Lucas Giolito (Elbow) Could Miss 2024 Season (ESPN)

⛳️ LIV Golf Gives Up Quest for Official World Golf Rankings Accreditation (SI)

🏈 Vikings Coach Hints at Kirk Cousins Tampering, Suggests QB Could Leave in FA (CBS Sports)

🏀 Caitlin Clark’s Iowa Finale Was Most-Watch Women’s Basketball Game in 25 Years (Yahoo! Sports)

🏀 Billionaire Exploring WNBA Expansion Team in Toronto (Sporting News)

⚾️ A’s Release Renderings of New Las Vegas Domed Stadium That Resembles Sydney Opera House (AP News)

  SCHEDULE   🗓️

Tonight's Must-Watch List

🏀 NBA

Clippers at Rockets (7:30 pm ET, ESPN)

Bucks at Warriors (10:00 pm ET, ESPN)

Kings at Lakers (10:30 pm ET, NBALP)

🏒 NHL

Sabres at Maple Leafs (7:00 pm ET, TNT)

Red Wings at Avalanche (9:30 pm ET, TNT)

⚽️ Concacaf W Gold Cup (Semifinals)

Brazil vs. Mexico (7:00 pm ET, ESPN+/Par+)

USWNT vs. Canada (10:15 pm ET, ESPN+/Par+)

⚽️ UEFA Champions League (R16, Leg 2)

Man. City vs. FC Copenhagen (3:00 pm ET, Par+)

Real Madrid vs. RB Leipzig (3:00 pm ET, Par+)

🏀 NCAA Basketball

M: #1 Houston at UCF (7:00 pm ET, ESPN+)

M: #4 Tennessee at #17 S. Carolina (7:00 pm ET, ESPN2)

M: #2 UConn at #8 Marquette (8:30 pm ET, FS1)

M: #20 BYU at #6 Iowa State (9:00 pm ET, ESPN2)

Women’s Pac-12 Tournament

Oregon vs. #18 Colorado (3:00 pm ET, PAC12)

Arizona State at #22 Utah (11:30 pm ET, PAC12)

  POLL   📊

Question of the Day

Do you think the Dartmouth Basketball team forming a union is a good thing for college sports and athletes? (click to vote)

Yes

No

Yesterday, we asked: Do you think the Broncos’ trade for QB Russell Wilson (in 2022) was the worst trade in NFL history? More than 2/3 of our readers said yes. Let’s ride.

Yes (Complete Disaster) — 67.2%

No (I’ve Seen Worse) — 32.8%

  THE TEAM  

Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Lead Designer: Joe Stella

Assistant Writer: Marissa Kasch

Social Media: Aaron Yorke

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