The Sportsletter - 💰 Team Values & Friday Highlights

BY JEFF YODER

DEC. 13, 2024 |  SUBSCRIBE  |  WEB VIEW

Happy Friday 🙌

Congrats, team. You made it to another jam-packed sports weekend. We’ve got a fun Friday edition for you. Forgive us for the extended intro... Our favorite annual sports business report is available for your viewing pleasure. There's no "I" in "team," but there are two in "billion."

The Thursday Night Football game was beyond weird. No touchdowns? It was so ugly that one 49ers player went home in the third quarter. We call that move "the career-ender."

There was also a must-see women’s college hoops clash, college football awards, and a bunch of hat tricks in a busy night on ice. Plus… Bronny!

🚨 Prodigal Son Alert: Bronny James exploded for 30 points in a viral G-League performance for the South Bay Lakers. Watch Highlights

Letter Rip!

  PICKS  

NFL Pick 'Em (Week 15)

🏈 Play The Sportsletter's NFL Pick 'Em

Picks Take Approximately 60 Seconds

  SPORTS BUSINESS  

The Most Valuable Sports Teams 💰

Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images

Forbes' Annual List Features New York & California Franchises Still Chasing "America’s Team"

Over the years, we’ve learned the cyclical nature of the sports calendar as seasons change. As each year winds down, one thing we look forward to is the wildly popular Forbes report of the most valuable franchises in December. It gives us a peek behind the curtain, beyond the on-field product, to see which teams are really winning the business. Ironically, on-field success isn’t always the barometer for this list. The Cowboys will soon extend their Super Bowl drought to 29 years, but Dallas fans can rest easy knowing Jerry Jones hasn’t stopped printing money. The Cowboys are the No. 1 team for the ninth year in a row. Here’s a breakdown:

Most Valuable Sports Teams (2024)

1. Dallas Cowboys ($10.1 Billion) | —

2. Golden State Warriors ($8.8 Billion) | ↑1

3. Los Angeles Rams ($7.6 Billion) | ↑2

4. New York Yankees ($7.55 Billion) | ↓2

5. New York Knicks ($7.4 Billion) | ↑4

6. New England Patriots ($7.3 Billion) | ↓3

7. New York Giants ($7.3 Billion) | ↓1

8. Los Angeles Lakers ($7.1 Billion) | ↑7

9. New York Jets ($6.9 Billion) | —

10. San Francisco 49ers ($6.8 Billion) | ↑3

Franchises 11-20: 11. Las Vegas Raiders ($6.7B), T12. Philadelphia Eagles ($6.6B), T12. Real Madrid ($6.6B), 14. Manchester United ($6.5B), 15. Chicago Bears ($6.4B), 16. Washington Commanders ($6.3B), 17. Miami Dolphins ($6.2B), 18. Houston Texans ($6.1B), 19. Boston Celtics ($6B), T20. Barcelona ($5.6B), T20. Green Bay Packers ($5.6B)

Top-50 Breakdown (By Sport)

NFL: 29 Teams (N/A: Bills, Bengals, Lions)

NBA: 12 Teams

European Soccer: 6 Teams

MLB: 3 Teams (Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox)

📊 The World’s 50 Most Valuable Sports Teams 2024 (Forbes)

  NFL  

Rams Win Field Goal Fiasco 

Photo: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images

Rams Beat 49ers (12-6) in 1st Zero-Touchdown Game of 2024 Season (13 Punts, 6 Field Goals)

Thirteen punts. Six field goals. Zero touchdowns. Even Al Michaels couldn't feign enthusiasm for this one. Thursday Night Football’s NFC West showdown in the Bay was unique, if nothing else. The 49ers and Rams were both battling to stay alive in the division during a rainy night in San Fran. It resulted in a 3-3 halftime score (yawn). The Rams kicked three field goals in the 4th quarter to win with a crazy scoreline (12-6). This result came just four days after after both teams put up huge numbers. The Rams scored 44 on the Bills, and the 49ers hung 38 on the Bears last Sunday.

Rams kicker Josh Karty was 4-for-4 while 49ers kicker Jake Moody was 2-for-2, so there's that. It was so ugly at one point that 49ers LB De'Vondre Campbell walked off the field and went home. That whole saga deserves its own article, but a crucial win for the Rams keeps them in the hunt for one of the tightest division races in football.

NFC West Standings: Seahawks (8-5), Rams (8-6), Cardinals (6-7), 49ers (6-8)

Watch: Rams Outkick Niners in Ugly, Rainy TNF Field Goal Contest (12-6)

Read More

B/R: 49ers’ Playoff Hopes Take Huge Hit in TNF Loss to Rams

SI: 49ers' De’Vondre Campbell Left Game Early Because ‘He Didn’t Want to Play Today’

  NCAA  

Hidalgo's Irish Sham-Rock UConn 🍀

Photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images

Hannah Hidalgo (29 Points) Fuels Irish Upset of No. 2 Huskies (79-68)

Sham-rocked in South Bend! The No. 8-ranked Notre Dame women’s basketball team put on a show last night with an upset over No. 2 UConn (79-68) in the Shamrock Classic. Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo was downright lethal — 29 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals (6-for-11, 3pt) — as the Irish handed the Huskies their first loss of the season. Why is this is such a big story? Notre Dame has now knocked off three AP top-5 teams (including #4 Texas and #3 USC), and it’s not even Christmas. Even though the Irish (8-2) have fumbled away a few upsets of their own, they’re 3-0 against top-5 teams. That ties an NCAA women’s basketball record before January.

It was also a milestone moment for the sophomore Hidalgo, who went head-to-head with Paige Bueckers, arguably the best player in college basketball, and won. Bueckers had 25 points. But the top two teams in the preseason poll — South Carolina (1) and UConn (2) — have now lost. Do I see a rarity of parity in women’s hoops?

Watch: Hidalgo Shines as #8 Notre Dame Upends #2 UConn (79-68)

  OTHER HIGHLIGHTS   🎥

🏀 NBA

Kings def. Pelicans (111-109)

Domantas Sabonis (32 pts, 20 rebs)

Heat def. Raptors (114-104)

Miami Wins 4th Straight Game

Celtics def. Pistons (123-99)

Payton Pritchard Double-Double (27 pts, 10 ast)

🏒 NHL

Flyers def. Red Wings (4-1)

Scott Laughton Scores All 4 Goals for PHI

Penguins def. Canadiens (9-2)

Bryan Rust Nets Hat Trick (3G, 1A)

Capitals def. Blue Jackets (2-1, OT)

Aliaksei Protas (2G) Scores OT Winner

Golden Knights def. Jets (3-2, OT)

Ivan Barbashev Wins it in Overtime

Oilers def. Wild (7-1)

Red-Hot Edmonton Wins 4th Straight

Lightning def. Flames (8-3)

Jake Guentzel Scores Hat Trick for TBL

Full NHL Scoreboard (14 Games)

🚨 Bonus: Flames’ Nazem Kadri Scores Goal of the Night

  STORYLINES  

⚽️ The Golden Boot Race

It’s Erling Haaland versus everyone else in what’s already been another fireworks-laden campaign for the Premier League’s Golden Boot award. (NBC Sports)

🏈 The College Football Awards

Travis Hunter became the first player to win both the Bednarik and Biletnikoff awards. Fellow Heisman finalist Ashton Jeanty won multiple honors, too. (CBS Sports)

🏀 NBA Power Rankings

We're nearing the end of 2024, but nowhere close to the end of what's been an intriguing 2024-25 NBA season. Here’s one big issue for all 30 teams. (ESPN)

  NEWS   📰 

🏀 LeBron James Mysteriously Steps Away From Lakers for ‘Personal Reasons’ (NBC Sports)

🏈 UNLV Hires Dan Mullen as Next Football Coach (SI)

🏈 Broncos & LT Garett Bolles Agree to 4-Year Extension (ESPN)

🏀 Jimmy Butler’s Agent Rips ESPN’s Shams Charania for ‘Fabricated’ Trade Rumors (Sporting News)

🏀 NBA Says Controversial Foul Call in Warriors-Rockets Game was Correct Call (CBS Sports)

🏀 Dick Vitale Announces He’s Once Again Cancer-Free: ‘Santa Claus Came Early’ (B/R)

  SCHEDULE   🗓️

The Weekend Must-Watch List

Strap in for the Army-Navy Game and the Heisman Trophy ceremony on Saturday! We’ll wrap up the CFB regular season and kickstart our bowl coverage next week. There are also two monumental NFL matchups between top teams who share a state (Pennsylvania) and a lake (Eerie) — it’s Steelers-Eagles & Bills-Lions. The NBA Cup, Manchester Derby, and much more will take us one step closer to the holidays. Catch ya Monday!

🏈 College Football

Navy at Army (Sat. 3:00 pm, CBS)

🏆 Heisman Trophy (Sat. 8:00 pm, ESPN)

🏈 NFL (Week 15)

Dolphins at Texans (Sun. 1:00 pm, CBS)

Colts at Broncos (Sun. 4:25 pm, CBS)

Bills at Lions (Sun. 4:25 pm, CBS)

Steelers at Eagles (Sun. 4:25 pm, FOX)

Packers at Seahawks (Sun. 8:20 pm, NBC)

Full NFL Schedule

🏀 NBA Cup (Semifinals)
Bucks vs. Hawks (Sat. 4:30 pm, TNT)

Thunder vs. Rockets (Sat. 8:30 pm, ABC)

⚽️ Soccer (Premier League)

Man. City vs. Man. United (Sun. 11:30 am, NBC)

🏀 NCAA Basketball

M: #17 Texas A&M at #11 Purdue (Sat. Noon, CBS)

M: Louisville at #5 Kentucky (Sat. 5:15 pm, ESPN)

M: #8 Gonzaga at #18 UConn (Sat. 8:00 pm, FOX)

W: #21 Iowa at #17 Michigan State (Sun. Noon, BTN)

🏀 Full NBA Schedule

🏒 Full NHL Schedule

⚽️ Full EPL Schedule

*All Times ET

  THE TEAM  

Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Assistant Writer: Marissa Kasch

Social Media: Aaron Yorke

Please consider supporting The Sportsletter, an independently operated and bootstrapped publication, and you'll receive our exclusive Sunday edition. Many thanks to everyone who already supports us!

Did Someone Forward You This Email? Subscribe Here
Feedback? Contact Our Editor: Jeff@TheSportsletter.com

*Sponsorship Has No Influence on Editorial Content*

Not Loving The Letter? Unsubscribe

Copyright © 2024 The Sportsletter
717 Market Street, San Francisco, CA, 94103