The Sportsletter - Friday Flurries ❄️

BY JEFF YODER

NOV. 22, 2024 |  SUBSCRIBE  |  WEB VIEW

Happy Friday 🙌

We’re trying something different today. Last night was non-stop news and action across the sports world, and the weekend ahead is loaded with big games and events. In order to fit it all in, it’s a Friday “Fast-5” with a flurry of rapid-fire stories. Recruiting news, MLB MVPs and the snowstorm in Cleveland start us off. Weekend, commence!

Letter Rip!

  PICKS  

The Sportsletter’s NFL Pick ‘Em (Week 12)

Picks Take Approximately 60 Seconds

  SPORTS  

Friday's Fast-5 Flurry ❄️

Photo: Jason Miller / Getty Images

🏈 TNF: Browns Shock Steelers (24-19) in Cleveland Snowstorm

Thursday Night Football brought the first snowstorm of the year to Cleveland, and there's something special about football in the snow. The crazy weather mucked up the game flow and forced both teams into heavy ground attacks. That played well for the home team underdogs as the Browns upset the Steelers (24-19). RB Nick Chubb (2 TDs) punched in the game-winning TD with 57 seconds left to end Pittsburgh's five-game winning streak.

Photos: Daniel Shirey & Rob Tringali / Getty Images

⚾️ Judge & Ohtani Win Unanimous MVPs

Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers, NL) and Aaron Judge (Yankees, AL) won unanimous MVP awards on Thursday. They were both expected recipients, but two-for-one unanimity is quite a feat. The two towering sluggers led a historic home run chase with 112 total homers — Judge (58) & Ohtani (54). They were also the only two hitters with an OPS above 1.000. Ohtani also stole 59 bags for baseball’s first-ever 50/50 season. It was Judge’s second MVP and Ohtani’s third.

Image via Bryce Underwood Video / X.com

🏈 Blue Chip QB Recruits Flip Commitments

Both the No. 1 and No. 2 quarterbacks in the 2025 class flipped their college commitments on Thursday. Bryce Underwood (No. 1) flipped from LSU to Michigan in a huge win for Sherrone Moore. The 5-star Underwood is from Bellville, Mich. and he's one of the most-hyped quarterbacks in recent memory, drawing comparisons to Lamar Jackson. Julian Lewis (No. 2) is now going to play for Colorado and Deion Sanders. Lewis decommited from USC last week.

Watch: Bryce Underwood's Michigan Commitment Video

Photo: Jamie Sabau / Getty Images

🏒 Alex Ovechkin’s Injury Worse Than Expected

Alex Ovechkin was the NHL’s leading goal scorer (18) through the first month of the season until he injured his leg this week. It was initially expected to be a short delay, but a new report on Thursday revealed Ovechkin suffered a fractured fibula. He’s expected to miss more than a month, and his chase for Wayne Gretzky’s goal record (894) is on hold at 868.

Photo: Stacy Revere / Getty Images

🏀 NBA Plans to Revamp All-Star Format

The recent criticisms of the NBA All-Star Game have forced the league to make a change. The NBA announced a new tournament-style format with four teams of eight players and a target score of 40 points that resembles “pickup” games. Winning teams move on the finals. This year’s NBA All-Star Game is Feb. 16 at San Francisco’s Chase Center.

  HIGHLIGHTS   🎥

🏒 NHL

Blue Jackets def. Lightning (7-6, OT)

Zach Werenski Has Monster Game (2G, 3A)

Wild def. Oilers (5-3)

Frederick Gaudreau (2G, 1A)

NHL Scoreboard

🏀 NBA

Magic def. Lakers (119-118)

Franz Wagner (37 pts) Hits Clutch Go-Ahead 3

Hornets def. Pistons (123-121, OT)

Brandon Miller (38 pts)

NBA Scoreboard

🏀 NCAA Basketball

#13 Baylor def. #22 St. John’s (99-98, 2OT)

Baylor Hits Wild Buzzer-Beater in 2OT

  NEWS   📰 

⚽️ Pep Guardiola Signs Extension With Manchester City Through 2027 (NBC Sports)

🏀 Dallas Wings Hit Impressive Ticket Mark After Winning Rights to Pick Paige Bueckers (SI)

🏈 NFL Issues Security Alert to Teams Amid Mahomes-Kelce Home Burglaries (B/R)

🏀 91-Year-Old Hubie Brown in Final Season Calling NBA Games for ESPN (Yahoo! Sports)

🏈 Jets Reportedly Expect to Split With QB Aaron Rodgers After 2024 Season (CBS Sports)

⚾️ City Council Changes Course on $23 Million Decision to Fix Rays’ Tropicana Field (SI)

⚽️ Fever’s Caitlin Clark Joins Bid for Cincinnati NWSL Expansion Team (ESPN)

  SCHEDULE   🗓️

The Weekend Must-Watch List

You wanted a quiet sports weekend before the holidays? Too bad. It’s another round of chaos across America. The NWSL title game hits Saturday night amid a buffet of must-see college football games. The MLS Cup Playoffs continue, too. Celebrities are golfing. Formula 1 takes over the Vegas strip. The NBA and NHL don’t quit while Week 12 of the NFL has some noteworthy divisional rivalries. Buckle up!

⚽️ NWSL Championship

Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit (Sat. 8:00 pm, CBS)

🏈 College Football (Saturday)

#5 Indiana at #2 Ohio State (Noon, FOX)

#9 Ole Miss at Florida (Noon, ABC)

Kentucky at #3 Texas (3:30 pm, ABC)

#4 Penn State at Minnesota (3:30 pm, CBS)

#14 BYU at #21 Arizona State (3:30 pm, ESPN)

#16 Colorado at Kansas (3:30 pm, FOX)

#19 Army at #6 Notre Dame (7:00 pm, NBC)

#7 Alabama at Oklahoma (7:30 pm, ABC)

🏈 NFL (Sunday)

Vikings at Bears (1:00 pm, FOX)

49ers at Packers (4:25 pm, FOX)

Cardinals at Seahawks (4:25 pm, FOX)

Eagles at Rams (8:20 pm, NBC)

Full NFL Week 12 Schedule

⚽️ MLS Cup Playoffs

NYCFC vs. NY Red Bulls (Sat. 5:30 pm, Apple)

LAFC vs. Seattle Sounders (Sat. 10:30 pm, Apple)

Orlando City vs. Atlanta Utd. (Sun. 3:30 pm, Apple)

LA Galaxy vs. Minnesota Utd. (Sun. 6:00 pm, FS1)

🏀 NCAA Basketball

M: #12 Duke at #17 Arizona (Fri. 10:30 pm, ESPN2)

W: #6 Notre Dame at #3 USC (Sat. 4:00 pm, NBC)

W: #1 S. Carolina at #5 UCLA (Sun. 4:00 pm, FS1)

Other Events

⛳️ The Match: Superstars (7:30 pm, TNT)

🏁 Formula 1: Las Vegas GP (1:00 am, ESPN)

🏀 NBA Regular Season Schedule

🏒 NHL Regular Season Schedule

*All Times ET

Enjoy the weekend!

  THE TEAM  

Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Assistant Writer: Marissa Kasch

Social Media: Aaron Yorke

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