The Sportsletter - March in Full Effect

BY JEFF YODER

MAR. 2, 2022  |  SUBSCRIBE  |  BROWSER VIEW

Good Morning,

The midweek edition is short and sweet. March is in full effect with three more top-10 teams falling on Tuesday. Conference tournaments are about to get underway. Plus, baseball didn’t it get done and Opening Day has officially been canceled.

Letter Rip!

NCAA

The March Effect: Badgers Call Bank

Photo: John Fisher / Getty Images

Three More Top-10 Teams Fall; #10 Wisconsin Wins Big Ten Title With Bank Game-Winning 3 

March is in full effect, and the upsets are still rolling in. Three top-10 teams took another tumble on Tuesday, although two of those games weren’t necessarily in the “upset” department. Tenth-ranked Wisconsin used a game-winning banked 3 from Chucky Hepburn to beat #8 Purdue (70-67) and claim at least a share of the Big Ten title. Meanwhile, #11 Villanova held off #9 Providence in a Big East free-throw battle. The only true upset on Tuesday came in Fort Worth where TCU used a second-half burst to upend #6 Kansas. Conference tourneys begin next week, and we’re here for it. Bring on the madness!

NCAA Men’s Highlights

#2 Arizona def. #16 USC (91-71)

#4 Duke def. Pittsburgh (86-56)

TCU def. #6 Kansas (74-64)

#7 Kentucky def. Ole Miss (83-72)

#10 Wisconsin def. #8 Purdue (70-67)

#11 Villanova def. #9 Providence (76-74)

Additional Storylines

Draft Kings: Wisconsin Banks in Two Shots in Final 30 Seconds to Win Big Ten Title

ESPN: 2022 NCAA Tournament Bracketology: Memphis, Indiana & Rutgers on Right Side of the Bubble

MLB

Cancel Culture: Baseball's Opening Day

Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images

MLB Cancels First 2 Regular-Season Series After MLBPA Rejects Latest Proposal

After weeks of labor negotiations, I’m keeping today’s update short. The MLB Players’ Union rejected the league’s final proposal on Tuesday, resulting in commissioner Rob Manfred announcing the canceling of the first two series of the season. That means the number of games in 2022 will go from 162 to roughly 156 (at least) as talks continue this week.

Update: Both sides met 13 times over 16 hours on Monday before negotiations continued on Tuesday. With no deal reached, Manfred made the decision to cancel the first week of the season.

It’s the fourth time in MLB history that a work stoppage has caused missed games, but it’s the first time in 27 years. Time will tell how many more games fall prey to cancel culture.

Additional Storylines

The Ringer: Opening Day is Canceled, And MLB Has No One to Blame But Itself

Yahoo! Sports: 'The Dude is Lying': Players Blast Manfred After Cancellation of Games

USA Today: MLB Cancels Opening Day as Games Lost to Labor Dispute for First Time Since 1995

🎥 THE HIGHLIGHTS

🏀 NBA

Mavericks def. Lakers (109-104)

Wizards def. Pistons (116-113)

Celtics def. Hawks (107-98)

Raptors def. Nets (109-108)

Clippers def. Rockets (113-100)

Timberwolves def. Warriors (129-114)

🏒 NHL

Golden Knights def. Sharks (3-1)

Ducks def. Bruins (4-3)

Lightning def. Senators (5-2)

Oilers def. Flyers (3-0)

Blue Jackets def. Devils (4-3)

Red Wings def. Hurricanes (4-3)

Flames def. Wild (5-1)

Jets def. Canadiens (8-4)

Avalanche def. Islanders (5-3)

THE STORYLINES

🏀  Sweating on the Bubble

With one week left in the regular season before conference tournaments begin, every game for bubble teams will be scrutinized by the NCAA tournament men's basketball selection committee. (USA Today)

🏈  NFL Mock Draft 2022

It’s time for another mock draft drop, courtesy of Mel Kiper Jr. Kiper makes his predictions for Mock Draft 2.0 with all 32 first-round picks, including two trade projections and a new No. 1. (ESPN+)

✈️  Traveling Violation

The New York Liberty’s repeated chartering of flights, a violation of CBA rules, is a window into the state of ownership in the league. Here’s how airplanes became the WNBA’s biggest scandal… (SI Daily Cover)

📰 THE HEADLINES

Ukrainian Tennis Star Elina Svitolina Refuses to Play Against Russian Opponent at Monterrey Open

(CBS Sports)

U.S. Soccer Agrees to Media Rights Deal With Turner Sports & HBO Starting in 2023

(SI)

Chicago Blackhawks Hire Interim Placeholder Kyle Davidson as Team’s Permanent GM

(ESPN)

UFC Legend Cain Velasquez Arrested on Attempted Murder Charges

(Bleacher Report)

More Sports Ban Russia From Competitions Amid Invasion of Ukraine

(USA Today)

49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo to Undergo Shoulder Surgery, But Still Likely to be Traded

(Yahoo! Sports)

SUPPORT THE TEAM

Share The Sportsletter by using your unique Team ID to get rewards as you rack up points and climb the ranks!

Support The Sportsletter

Did Someone Forward You This Email? Subscribe Here
Feedback? Contact Our Editor: Jeff@TheSportsletter.com
Not Loving The Letter? Unsubscribe
Follow us on Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Copyright © 2022 The Sportsletter
717 Market Street, San Francisco, CA, 94103