THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” SATURDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2025

“THE SCOREBOARD”

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD

HOMESTEAD.COM

BROWN COUNTY	84	LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN	58
FRANKLIN COUNTY	45	TALAWANDA (OHIO)	29
GARY WEST	61	GARY 21ST CENTURY	53
INDIANAPOLIS RIVERSIDE	55	KIPP INDY LEGACY	49
INDIANAPOLIS TECH	59	PURDUE POLY ENGLEWOOD	52
PROVIDENCE CRISTO REY	65	MTI KNOWLEDGE	44
VICTORY COLLEGE PREP	68	INDIANA DEAF	25
WEST VIGO	60	NORTH PUTNAM	37

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD

HOMESTEAD.COM

CLASS 4A
CROWN POINT
LAKE CENTRAL	47	MUNSTER	25
HAMMOND CENTRAL	67	HAMMOND MORTON	51
CHESTERTON
CHESTERTON	58	MERRILLVILLE	54
VALPARAISO	62	PORTAGE	22
LAPORTE
SOUTH BEND RILEY	52	LAPORTE	44
SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON	61	MICHIGAN CITY	32
WARSAW
NORTHRIDGE	63	GOSHEN	21
WARSAW	67	ELKHART	36
FORT WAYNE NORTHROP
FORT WAYNE NORTHROP	73	FORT WAYNE NORTH	29
FORT WAYNE SNIDER	58	CARROLL (FORT WAYNE)	53
HOMESTEAD
HUNTINGTON NORTH	62	FORT WAYNE SOUTH	32
HOMESTEAD	83	FORT WAYNE WAYNE	34
HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE)
LAFAYETTE JEFF	57	HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE)	45
MCCUTCHEON	54	KOKOMO	48
NOBLESVILLE
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN	59	ZIONSVILLE	40
WESTFIELD	61	NOBLESVILLE	52
MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE)
MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE)	53	RICHMOND	31
PENDLETON HEIGHTS	67	ANDERSON	25
LAWRENCE NORTH
LAWRENCE NORTH	89	INDIANAPOLIS TECH	12
LAWRENCE CENTRAL	53	NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS)	32
BEN DAVIS
AVON	60	BEN DAVIS	56
PIKE	64	PLAINFIELD	62
FRANKLIN CENTRAL
FRANKLIN CENTRAL	59	SOUTHPORT	22
MOORESVILLE	80	DECATUR CENTRAL	55
MARTINSVILLE
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH	59	TERRE HAUTE NORTH	19
BLOOMINGTON NORTH	46	MARTINSVILLE	40
COLUMBUS NORTH
EAST CENTRAL	51	FRANKLIN	38
COLUMBUS NORTH	70	COLUMBUS EAST	38
SEYMOUR
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE	55	NEW ALBANY	48
FLOYD CENTRAL	63	SEYMOUR	21
EVANSVILLE REITZ
EVANSVILLE REITZ	63	EVANSVILLE HARRISON	23
GIBSON SOUTHERN	39	CASTLE	37
CLASS 3A
GRIFFITH
EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL	54	GRIFFITH	38
HIGHLAND	70	HAMMOND NOLL	57
LOWELL
LOWELL	44	KANKAKEE VALLEY	40
HANOVER CENTRAL	48	RIVER FOREST	26
SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH
JOHN GLENN	36	MISHAWAKA MARIAN	30
CULVER ACADEMY	61	SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH	38
FAIRFIELD
FAIRFIELD	60	TIPPECANOE VALLEY	51
COLUMBIA CITY	49	WAWASEE	23
FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA
FORT WAYNE DWENGER	48	LEO	45	OT
EAST NOBLE	33	DEKALB	30
NORWELL
BELLMONT	53	NEW HAVEN	26
NORWELL	64	MISSISSINEWA	16
TWIN LAKES
PERU	43	WEST LAFAYETTE	36
MACONAQUAH	55	WESTERN	40
CONNERSVILLE
YORKTOWN	49	CONNERSVILLE	42
DELTA	59	JAY COUNTY	38
LEBANON
TRI-WEST	42	GUERIN CATHOLIC	36
DANVILLE	51	BREBEUF JESUIT	39
INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL
INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL	65	INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS	27
PURDUE POLY ENGLEWOOD	65	INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE	40
NORTHVIEW
OWEN VALLEY	65	INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON	12
NORTHVIEW	48	CASCADE	34
INDIAN CREEK
INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI	62	BEECH GROVE	38
NEW PALESTINE	35	SHELBYVILLE	27
LAWRENCEBURG
JENNINGS COUNTY	55	BATESVILLE	54
GREENSBURG	62	SOUTH DEARBORN	24
SCOTTSBURG
CORYDON CENTRAL	64	NORTH HARRISON	47
SILVER CREEK	69	SCOTTSBURG	48
JASPER
WASHINGTON	53	SOUTHRIDGE	23
PRINCETON	55	JASPER	47
EVANSVILLE CENTRAL
EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL	52	HERITAGE HILLS	49
EVANSVILLE CENTRAL	73	MOUNT VERNON (POSEY)	13
CLASS 2A
BOONE GROVE
ANDREAN	63	BOONE GROVE	20
WHEELER	55	HEBRON	20
KNOX
BREMEN	46	LAVILLE	27
KNOX	58	CAREER ACADEMY	18
CENTRAL NOBLE
CHURUBUSCO	47	PRAIRIE HEIGHTS	25
EASTSIDE	59	CENTRAL NOBLE	33
BLUFFTON
WHITKO	78	SOUTH ADAMS	23
BLUFFTON	57	FORT WAYNE LUERS	47
RENSSELAER CENTRAL
RENSSELAER CENTRAL	47	BENTON CENTRAL	33
NORTH MONTGOMERY	45	WESTERN BOONE	36
LEWIS CASS
LEWIS CASS	37	MANCHESTER	26
OAK HILL	39	ROCHESTER	21
SHERIDAN
LAPEL	64	ELWOOD	38
SHERIDAN	62	TIPTON	12
ALEXANDRIA
ALEXANDRIA	65	BLACKFORD	8
WAPAHANI	57	EASTBROOK	52
GREENCASTLE
PARKE HERITAGE	61	SOUTH PUTNAM	37
SOUTHMONT	66	GREENCASTLE	44
MONROVIA
MONROVIA	68	INDIANAPOLIS RIVERSIDE	10
COVENANT CHRISTIAN	47	UNIVERSITY	38
TRITON CENTRAL
EASTERN HANCOCK	64	IRVINGTON PREP	7
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN	69	KIPP INDY LEGACY	9
HAGERSTOWN
NORTHEASTERN	61	CENTERVILLE	30
UNION COUNTY	51	WINCHESTER	46
SOUTH RIPLEY
SOUTH RIPLEY	59	SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER)	51
BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL	48	AUSTIN	23
CRAWFORD COUNTY
EASTERN (PEKIN)	63	CLARKSVILLE	33
LANESVILLE	56	PROVIDENCE	50
NORTH KNOX
SOUTH KNOX	72	SULLIVAN	33
NORTH KNOX	53	WEST VIGO	15
FOREST PARK
PERRY CENTRAL	38	TELL CITY	32
NORTH POSEY	56	SOUTH SPENCER	41
CLASS 1A
BOWMAN ACADEMY
MARQUETTE CATHOLIC	54	WESTVILLE	43
WASHINGTON TWP.	51	MORGAN TWP.	36
WEST CENTRAL
TRI-COUNTY	51	WEST CENTRAL	25
PIONEER	38	NORTH WHITE	27
OREGON-DAVIS
ELKHART CHRISTIAN	51	TRITON	33
NORTH JUDSON	29	CULVER	21
BETHANY CHRISTIAN
FREMONT	43	BETHANY CHRISTIAN	29
FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK	67	HAMILTON	22
FOUNTAIN CENTRAL
FOUNTAIN CENTRAL	45	FAITH CHRISTIAN	30
LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC	62	RIVERTON PARKE	21
CLINTON PRAIRIE
ROSSVILLE	52	FRONTIER	33
CARROLL (FLORA)	50	CLINTON CENTRAL	32
TRI-CENTRAL
DALEVILLE	57	COWAN	25
NORTH MIAMI	38	SOUTHWOOD	22
RANDOLPH SOUTHERN
MONROE CENTRAL	67	UNION CITY	30
RANDOLPH SOUTHERN	40	CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN	19
ANDERSON PREP
INDIANA DEAF	59	PURDUE BROAD RIPPLE	25
ANDERSON PREP	54	LIBERTY CHRISTIAN	33
EMINENCE
INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN	52	TRADERS POINT CHRISTIAN	24
GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN	44	EMINENCE	41
SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE)
NORTH DECATUR	63	MORRISTOWN	60	OT
SOUTH DECATUR	52	WALDRON	28
HAUSER
OLDENBURG ACADEMY	59	MILAN	26
SHAWE MEMORIAL	62	JAC-CEN-DEL	39
CLAY CITY
WHITE RIVER VALLEY	65	DUGGER UNION	23
NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG)	50	SHAKAMAK	34
BARR-REEVE
VINCENNES RIVET	53	SHOALS	15
ORLEANS	50	BARR-REEVE	36
BORDEN
CHRISTIAN ACADEMY	45	NEW WASHINGTON	25
BORDEN	38	HENRYVILLE	21
NORTHEAST DUBOIS
TECUMSEH	43	SPRINGS VALLEY	41
NORTHEAST DUBOIS	51	EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN	38

INDIANA BOYS WRESTLING-REGIONALS, FEBRUARY 8

BRACKETS FOR EACH HOST SITE ARE AVAILABLE VIA TRACKWRESTLING.COM. 

1. HOBART | 9 AM CT | TICKETS | RESULTS 
FEEDER SECTIONALS: EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL, PORTAGE. 

2. CROWN POINT | 9 AM CT | TICKETS | RESULTS 
FEEDER SECTIONALS: CROWN POINT, LAPORTE. 

3. ROCHESTER | 9 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS 
FEEDER SECTIONALS: MISHAWAKA, PLYMOUTH. 

4. LOGANSPORT | 10 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS  
FEEDER SECTIONALS: LAFAYETTE JEFFERSON, TWIN LAKES. 

5. GOSHEN | 9:30 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS  
FEEDER SECTIONALS: ELKHART, WEST NOBLE. 

6. CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) | 9 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS  
FEEDER SECTIONALS: CARROLL (FORT WAYNE), NEW HAVEN. 

7. PERU | 9:30 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS  
FEEDER SECTIONALS: PERU, OAK HILL. 

8. JAY COUNTY | 8:30 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS  
FEEDER SECTIONALS: DELTA, JAY COUNTY. 

9. NORTH MONTGOMERY | 9 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS   
FEEDER SECTIONALS: CRAWFORDSVILLE, FRANKFORT. 

10. PENDLETON HEIGHTS | 9 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS  
FEEDER SECTIONALS: ELWOOD, INDIANAPOLIS ARSENAL TECHNICAL. 

11. PERRY MERIDIAN | 9:30 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS  
FEEDER SECTIONALS: PURDUE POLYTECH – DOWNTOWN, SOUTHPORT. 

12. RICHMOND | 9 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS  
FEEDER SECTIONALS: CENTERVILLE, FRANKLIN COUNTY.

13. MOORESVILLE | 9 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS  
FEEDER SECTIONALS: AVON, MOORESVILLE. 

14. BLOOMINGTON SOUTH | 8 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS  
FEEDER SECTIONALS: BLOOMINGTON NORTH, SOUTHRIDGE. 

15. JEFFERSONVILLE | 9 AM ET | TICKETS | RESULTS  
FEEDER SECTIONALS: JEFFERSONVILLE, JENNINGS COUNTY. 

16. CASTLE | 9 AM CT | TICKETS | RESULTS  
FEEDER SECTIONALS: CASTLE, EVANSVILLE CENTRAL. 

INDIANA MAT:

DUAL RESULTS: HTTPS://INDIANAMAT.COM/INDEX.PHP?/DUALRESULTS.HTML/BOYS-DUAL-RESULTS/

TOURNAMENT RESULTS: HTTPS://INDIANAMAT.COM/INDEX.PHP?/CURTOURNAMENTRESULTS.HTML/

RANKINGS: HTTPS://INDIANAMAT.COM/INDEX.PHP?/INDIVIDUAL-RANKINGS-MAIN.HTML/

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL SWIMMING ASSOCIATION: HTTPS://WWW.GOMOTIONAPP.COM/TEAM/RECHSIHSSCA/PAGE/HOME

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASTICS: HTTPS://INHIGHSCHOOLGYMNASTICS.COM/

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

TOP 25

#7 PURDUE 90 USC 72

#12 ST. JOHN’S 68 #19 UCONN 62

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

TOP 25

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

NBA SCOREBOARD

CLEVELAND 134 WASHINGTON 124

CHARLOTTE 117 SAN ANTONIO 116

BROOKLYN 102 MIAMI 86

DETROIT 125 PHILADELPHIA 112

ATLANTA 115 MILWAUKEE 110

OKLAHOMA CITY 121 TORONTO 109

PHOENIX 135 UTAH 127 OT

NHL SCOREBOARD

PITTSBURGH 3 NY RANGERS 2

WINNIPEG 4 NY ISLANDERS 3

CHICAGO 6 NASHVILLE 2

COLORADO 5 EDMONTON 4

LOS ANGELES 5 DALLAS 4

TOP NATIONAL RELEASES/HEADLINES

NFL NEWS

WHAT TO WATCH FOR IN THE SUPER BOWL IF YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT FOOTBALL

NEW YORK (AP) — You don’t have to be an American football fan, or even an American, to have heard about the Super Bowl. For the NFL faithful, the event is a final push toward the end zone following a season-long drive down the gridiron, each yard filled with shot nerves and high blood pressure. But for those who are just joining for the final sprint (and didn’t understand the metaphor in that last sentence), here’s everything you need to know to get caught up to speed.

Who’s playing?

Last year’s Super Bowl winners, the Kansas City Chiefs, will be playing against the Philadelphia Eagles.

If a Chiefs–Eagles Super Bowl sounds familiar, that’s because it is. Just two years ago, the two teams competed in Super Bowl 57, when quarterback Patrick Mahomes helped lead his team to victory.

What’s all this chatter about a ‘three-peat’?

This year, all eyes are on the Chiefs. Not just because Taylor Swift’s boyfriend is on the team ( though it helps ) but because they have the chance to do something that no team has ever done before: win three straight Super Bowls.

Can they do it? We shall see.

Gamblers are split in the early wagering on the Super Bowl. Sports betting site BetMGM has the Chiefs as the favored winners with odds at -130. The underdog Eagles have their odds at +110.

When is the game, and how can I watch it?

At 6:30 p.m. EST on Sunday, Feb. 9, the two teams will face off at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The game will air on Fox, but for those without cable, the network will stream the game on Tubi, a free, ad-supported streaming service, for the first time.

How does football work again? What are the rules?

For all its ubiquity in the U.S., football is a surprisingly complicated sport. So let’s stick with the basics and talk through some terms you might hear on the broadcast.

There are two teams, and each one wants to score as many points as possible.

When a team has the ball, they will attempt to either run or throw the football down the 100-yard-long field in hopes of getting it into the end zone, thus scoring a touchdown, which is worth 6 points (a successful extra point kick after the touchdown would make it 7). The other team will seek to stop their opponent by either tackling the player with the ball, knocking the ball to the ground or intercepting the ball.

Teams have sets of offensive and defensive players. When a team has the ball, their offensive players take the field, pushing forward and protecting the player with the ball. The team without the ball has its defensive players take the field, attempting to stop their opponents from advancing. The team with the ball has four chances (called “downs”) to move 10 yards down the field. If they successfully advance 10 yards, the number of downs resets. If they fail, the ball must go to the other team.

There are a lot more details and exceptions, but these fundamental rules should help get you through the game.

Who are some key players to watch?

Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, #26, helped lead the Birds to the Super Bowl and had an incredible season. He signed a $37.75 million, three-year contract last March and became the ninth player ever to rush for 2,000 yards in a regular season. He also set an NFL record by completing seven touchdown runs of at least 60 yards in the regular season and playoffs.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, #1, had a great Super Bowl against the Chiefs two years ago, but he lost a fumble that was returned for a touchdown in the first half of Kansas City’s 38-35 comeback victory.

But that won’t cut it this time, especially not in Philadelphia.

As for the Chiefs, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, #15, or as his teammates and coaches call him, “ Laid-back Pat, ” is one of the greatest in the sport. He already has three Super Bowl rings and is chasing a fourth, and is a two-time league MVP who is shattering records every season.

Travis Kelce, #87, has been ranked by AP as the NFL’s top tight end two years in a row. Kelce is Mahomes’ most trusted pass catcher, so you can expect to hear the two players’ names mentioned in tandem a lot on Sunday.

Who are the coaches?

Nick Sirianni took the helm for the Eagles in 2021, his first time serving as head coach. He’s worked to fill the shoes of coach Doug Pederson, who led the team to a Super Bowl victory in 2017.

Sirianni has the highest winning percentage among active NFL coaches and the fifth-best in NFL history. However, he’s often ridiculed for his sideline antics that can overshadow his coaching success.

The Chiefs’ Andy Reid is an NFL stalwart who’s guided the team for over a decade.

Reid is no stranger to the Eagles himself. Before joining the Chiefs, he coached the Eagles for 13 seasons and was the most successful in the team’s history. Go figure.

Despite leading opposing teams, Reid and Sirianni have something in common: At some point, Eagles fans wanted them both fired.

What if football just isn’t my thing?

You don’t have to keep your eye on the ball to enjoy the big game. Here are a few things to watch out for this year:

1. Fun ads: Brands are paying big bucks to keep the nostalgia train rolling. Former “When Harry Met Sally” costars Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal will reunite for a mayonnaise commercial set in Katz’s Deli, and Chrises Pratt and Hemsworth will use their bromance (last seen on screen in “Avengers: Infinity War”) to promote Meta’s smart Ray Ban sunglasses.

2. The halftime show: Seventeen-time Grammy winner Kendrick Lamar will perform at this year’s halftime show, continuing his cultural domination with another victory lap following the release of his chart-topping “GNX” album and decisive triumph over Canadian rapper Drake in last year’s rap beef.

3. Taylor Swift’s presence: While it’s impossible to know where the superstar will be on any given day, it’s safe to assume she’ll be in New Orleans on Feb. 9 wearing red to support her boyfriend, Travis Kelce.

4. Betting on the game: If you’re over 18 and in a state where it’s legal, you can become one of the many millions of Americans who bet on the big game. And if the game itself doesn’t interest you, there are tons of other proposition bets that have nothing to do with football. They could be anything from what color the Gatorade will be when it’s dumped on the winning coach (a long-standing football tradition), to how long the national anthem run time will be and whether Kelce will propose to Swift at the end of the game. ( Yes, this is a real thing.)

SUPER BOWL LIX PREVIEW: A LOOK AT CHIEFS-EAGLES REMATCH

Two years ago, the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs put on quite a show in Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Ariz. They combined for 750 yards of offense and eight touchdowns, and it wasn’t decided until a field goal with eight seconds left in the game.

It was exciting and dramatic. It featured big plays and big performances by some of the NFL’s best players.

It was so good, in fact, that they have decided to do it again.

The rematch will take place in Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9 at the Superdome in New Orleans (6:30 p.m. ET on FOX) when the NFC Champion Eagles take on the AFC Champion — and two-time defending Super Bowl winners — Chiefs. The coaches and quarterbacks are still the same as they were two years ago, and they still feature many of the same players.

But there is no doubt that a lot about both teams has changed, and this could be a very different game. The last time they engaged in an offensive shootout.

This time they could end up locked in a much more defensive game.

That’s because neither team is built for the same kind of offensive explosion they were capable of two years ago. The Eagles might actually be closer to the juggernaut they were back then, but they’re not the same kind of offense. They are almost all about the run, powered by their newest star, running back Saquon Barkley. His near-record season with 2,005 rushing yards has powered them all year long and turned them into arguably the most dangerous rushing team in the league.

As a result, they lean much more on Barkley than they do on quarterback Jalen Hurts, who was an MVP candidate two years ago. Hurts showed on Sunday that he’s still capable of big games, throwing for 248 yards and a touchdown and running for three touchdowns in a 55-23 win over the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship Game. But offensively, at least, the Eagles are now Barkley’s team.

That doesn’t make them any less dangerous necessarily. But it does make them less explosive at times.

Meanwhile, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was the MVP two years ago when the Chiefs beat the Eagles for the championship, but he wasn’t even a Pro Bowler this season when he threw for 3,928 yards and just 26 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. Kansas City has been much more reliant on their top-10 defense — which, by the way, was particularly strong against the run all season long. That’s been what’s kept them in almost every game they’ve played, almost all of which have come right down to the wire.

In fact, the Chiefs have played 12 one-score games this season, leading many to think they might finally be vulnerable. But they’ve still won them all, including their dramatic 32-29 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night in the AFC Championship Game.

Mahomes did have one of his best games of the season against the Bills, throwing for 245 yards and a touchdown and running for 43 yards and two touchdowns. But it was still the Chiefs’ defense that was called on to preserve the win in the fourth quarter and kept Buffalo’s dangerous quarterback Josh Allen mostly in check, by limiting him to just 237 passing yards and 39 yards rushing.

Even if that defense finds a way to shut down Barkley and the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, though, the Chiefs still might need a little more, because Mahomes is going to have to find a way to break through against the No. 1 defense in the NFL. The Eagles don’t boast the same historic pass rush they had two years ago when they had 70 sacks in the regular season. But they are a better defense with a better scheme and better tacklers. And they have become dangerous in creating turnovers, like the four they forced on Sunday against the usually sure-handed Commanders.

CAN KANSAS CITY CHIEFS JOIN THE THREE-PEAT CLUB? THEY’RE NOT ALONE IN THE CHASE

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are one win away from making NFL history.

The Chiefs clinched their ticket to Super Bowl LIX with their win over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game, giving them the chance to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowl titles.

For perspective on the difficulty that comes with three-peating, nine NFL teams (eight franchises) have repeated as Super Bowl champions, but the first eight failed to make it back to the championship game the ensuing season, according to FOX Sports research. So, the Chiefs have already made history in that regard.

But the two-time defending Super Bowl champions aren’t the only team with such an opportunity in front of them.

The UConn Huskies are the back-to-back men’s college basketball champions. UConn appears to be on track to make the NCAA Tournament again in 2025, but it hasn’t been as strong of a team as it was the last two seasons. Through January, the Huskies already had twice as many losses (six) as they did the year before, when they finished 37-3.

There have been a pair of other teams who’ve recently had a chance to three-peat but fell just short. The Las Vegas Aces lost in the semifinals of the 2024 WNBA playoffs after winning two straight titles. Georgia had the opportunity to three-peat in 2023. However, it was left out of the College Football Playoff that year after losing to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.

With all that in mind, let’s take a look at some teams who have managed to pull it off.

Here are some of the teams that have most recently three-peated in their league across a plethora of sports — both professionally and collegiately — in reverse chronological order.

Premier League: Manchester City (2021-24)

Right now, it’s Manchester City’s world, and the entire Premier League is just living in it. Winners of six of the last seven Premier League championships, Man City has been a runaway freight train, headlined by the attack of Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland.

College Softball: Oklahoma (2021-24)

The Sooners have lost just 15 games over the past four years and have shown no signs of letting up under coach Patty Gasso. Oklahoma has beaten Texas and Florida State twice apiece to win its titles.

Champions League: Real Madrid (2016-18)

The one they call Ronaldo helped Real Madrid three-peat in the mid-2010s, along with the likes of Karim Benzema and Alvaro Morata (for one season in the three-peat stretch). Ronaldo’s final season with Real Madrid came in the final season of the team’s three-peat.

Women’s College Basketball: UConn Huskies (2013-16)

The game of basketball has treated the UConn faithful well over the past decade. Losing a whopping five games over four years (151-5), the Huskies were the unstoppable force of women’s college basketball, boat-racing teams up and down the floor. Breanna Stewart, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Morgan Tuck were part of what was arguably the golden age of UConn hoops.

NASCAR: Jimmie Johnson (2006-10)

Johnson drove laps around everyone in the latter half of the 2000s, winning 35 races from 2006-10 and six Cup Series championships in eight years. He ended his career with seven championships, tied with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the most in NASCAR history.

NBA: Los Angeles Lakers (2000-02)

Phil Jackson retired following the 1998 season with the Chicago Bulls — until, of course, he became the head coach of the Lakers in 1999. Led by the star power of Shaquille O’Neal and an emerging superstar by the name of Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles won three straight titles, while Jackson actually claimed his sixth consecutive title as a coach, as he won in each of his final three seasons at the helm in Chicago with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.

MLB: New York Yankees (1998-2000)

In what was the last true Yankees dynasty, the team won four titles in five years — with the wins in the three-peat coming in convincing fashion. Sweeping the San Diego Padres in 1998 and the Atlanta Braves in 1999 and then beating the New York Mets in the 2000 Subway Series, the likes of Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte cemented their respective places in Yankees history.

WNBA: Houston Comets (1997-2000)

The first four seasons of the WNBA were controlled by the Houston Comets, who won each of the first four league titles. As the Comets dominated the sport, Cynthia Cooper won two WNBA MVPs. Cooper and Tina Thompson each went on to have Hall of Fame careers, but the Comets disbanded as a franchise following the 2008 season.

NHL: New York Islanders (1980-83)

The pride of Long Island won its first Stanley Cup in what was the Islanders’ eighth season in the sport. A run that featured Hall of Famers Bryan Trottier, Mike Bossy, Clark Gillies and goalkeeper Billy Smith saw the Islanders sweep the Stanley Cup in 1982 and 1983 and avoid a Game 7 in each of the four seasons. This run came directly after the Montreal Canadians also four-peated.

College Baseball: USC Trojans (1970-74)

The Trojans baseball program was a behemoth under manager Rod Dedeaux, winning five consecutive World Series thanks to the contributions of George Milke and Russ McQueen, among many others. To date, the five-peat remains an NCAA Baseball record, with two being the most consecutive titles by any other team.

Men’s College Basketball: UCLA Bruins (1967-73)

Thought some of the aforementioned runs were impressive? Those don’t hold a candle to John Wooden’s UCLA teams of the late 1960s and early 1970s. A period that saw the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton and Curtis Rowe, among many others, put on the Bruins uniform saw UCLA win titles in nine of 10 seasons.

NFL: Green Bay Packers (1965-67)

No NFL team has three-peated in the Super Bowl era (1966-present), but the Packers did three-peat, as they won the final NFL championship in 1965 and then the first two Super Bowls in 1966 and 1967. Near the end of Vince Lombardi’s reign as head coach, Bart Starr, Jim Taylor and Willie Davis helped lead Green Bay to three consecutive titles, including a pair of blowouts in Super Bowl I and Super Bowl II. The Packers also three-peated from 1929-31.

College Football: Minnesota Golden Gophers (1934-36)

The Golden Gophers lost one game over their three-peat span (25-1) under head coach Bernie Bierman. Minnesota won two more titles under Bierman in 1940 and 1941. The head coach was ordered to report to the Marines during WWII, with him returning as Minnesota’s head coach in 1945.

UFL: Birmingham Stallions (2022-2024)

The Stallions have been on a tear since the second iteration of the USFL was announced in 2022. Birmingham won two league championships as a part of the USFL, as well as the inaugural UFL Championship Game in 2024 after the league merged with the XFL. Under the leadership of former NCAA football head coach Skip Holtz, the Stallions have compiled a 32-4 record in three years, never sustaining more than two losses in a single season.

HOWARD TWILLEY, WR ON UNDEFEATED DOLPHINS TEAM, DIES AT 81

Two-time Super Bowl champion Howard Twilley, a member of the Miami Dolphins’ undefeated 1972 team, has died at 81.

The National Football Foundation announced his passing on Friday, but did not provide a cause of death. The Texas native died on Wednesday.

Before landing in Miami, the wide receiver played at Tulsa. In 1965, he was named a unanimous All-American and the Heisman Trophy runner-up after averaging 13.4 receptions per game, which the NFF said remains an FBS record.

“Howard Twilley was one of the greatest receivers in college football history with an uncanny ability to get open and change the course of a game,” said Archie Manning, NFF chairman. “He simply redefined what it meant to be a dominant receiver, and his performance at Tulsa during the 1965 season remains one of the greatest in our sport’s history.”

Both the AFL’s Dolphins and the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings selected him in the late rounds of their 1966 drafts, and he wound up in Miami.

He spent 11 seasons with the Dolphins, winning back-to-back Super Bowl championships after the 1972 and 1973 seasons. In 120 career games (82 starts) in the regular season, he caught 212 passes for 3,064 yards and 23 touchdowns.

He started all three playoff games in 1972, making four receptions for 61 yards and a score.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Howard Twilley, a founding player for the Dolphins in 1966,” the team said in a statement Friday. “His touchdown in Super Bowl VII helped the Dolphins cap the NFL’s only perfect season and his contributions to the organization will be forever remembered.”

Post-retirement, Twilley owned a chain of sporting goods stores and worked for an investment firm.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS

COLORADO ADDS HALL OF FAMER MARSHALL FAULK TO COACHING STAFF

Marshall Faulk is joining head coach Deion Sanders at Colorado, giving the Buffaloes three members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame on its coaching staff.

Sanders and Faulk were 2011 inductees in Canton, with Warren Sapp joining them in 2013.

Sapp is the Buffaloes’ senior quality control analyst on defense. Faulk will coach the running backs and will be tasked with improving a running game that ranked 134th in the nation with 65.1 yards per game.

Faulk brings a lengthy resume to his role as running backs coach at Colorado.

He was a first-team All-American three times at San Diego State and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

In the NFL, he was the league Most Valuable Player in 2000, a three-time Offensive Player of the Year and a three-time first-team All Pro. The No. 2 overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, he won the Super Bowl with the then-St. Louis Rams and its “Greatest Show on Turf.”

Faulk, 51, played 12 seasons in the NFL and tallied 12,279 rushing yards, 6,875 receiving yards and 136 total touchdowns.

Sanders is entering his third season as head coach at Colorado. The Buffaloes finished the 2024 season with a 9-4 record.

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

NO. 7 PURDUE’S DOMINANCE IN PAINT OVERWHELMS USC

Trey Kaufman-Renn scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Braden Smith dished 13 assists and No. 7 Purdue nearly led wire-to-wire in a 90-72 rout of visiting Southern California on Friday in West Lafayette, Ind.

The Big Ten Conference-leading Boilermakers (19-5, 11-2 Big Ten) overwhelmed the Trojans in the interior, establishing dominance of the lane early to take a double-digit-point lead less than seven minutes into the contest.

Purdue pulled ahead 21-10, with 18 of its points coming from inside. The Boilermakers outscored USC in the paint for the night 52-36 and nearly notched as many points in the key by halftime with 32 as the Trojans had in total with 36.

Kaufman-Renn set the tone, shooting 7 of 9 from the floor in the first half for 14 points. He finished 8 of 12. Combining with Caleb Furst, who grabbed another 10 rebounds, Kaufman-Renn helped Purdue post a 48-31 advantage on the glass.

The Boilers capitalized on poor shooting from USC, which went 4 of 26 from 3-point range. Clark Slajchert, who went for a season-high 24 points on Tuesday at Northwestern, shot 0 for 6 from 3-point range on Friday and 2 of 10 from the floor overall en route to seven points.

USC (13-10, 5-7) was without Desmond Claude for the second time in as many games after its leading scorer sustained a knee injury in the Trojans’ Feb. 1 win over then-No. 7 Michigan State.

Wesley Yates III picked up the scoring slack with a career-high 30 points. Isaiah Elohim added 11 and Jalen Shelley finished with 10 and a team-high six rebounds in the loss, which dropped USC to 0-2 on its Midwestern road swing after a defeat in the closing seconds at Northwestern.

Purdue, meanwhile, picked up its fourth consecutive victory and 11th in the last 12 games to maintain its pace in the Big Ten. Eight Boilermakers scored at least seven points, including Fletcher Loyer with 14.

Smith, who finished with nine points, had his highest assist total since distributing 14 vs. Nebraska on Jan. 12.

NO. 12 ST. JOHN’S RALLIES PAST NO. 19 UCONN FOR 10TH STRAIGHT WIN

Kadary Richmond and RJ Luis combined to score 16 of the final 20 points Friday night for No. 12 St. John’s, which overcame a 14-point first-half deficit to beat No. 19 UConn 68-62 in Storrs, Conn.

Luis finished with a game-high 21 points and also grabbed seven rebounds for St. John’s. Richmond scored all 12 of his points after halftime and added six rebounds and six assists as the Red Storm (21-3, 12-1 Big East) won their 10th straight game.

Zuby Ejiofor and Simeon Wilcher each had 11 points to help St. John’s snap its four-game losing streak to UConn.

Liam McNeeley, who missed the previous eight games with an ankle injury, had 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Huskies (16-7, 8-4). Tarris Reed Jr. paired 12 points with 15 rebounds and Solo Ball added 13 points as UConn had its two-game winning streak snapped.

The Huskies committed 22 turnovers one game after racking up a season-high 25 giveaways in last Saturday’s win over then-No. 9 Marquette.

UConn cut an eight-point deficit to 64-62 on a pair of free throws by McNeeley with 39 seconds left. Ball blocked Wilcher’s shot with 13 seconds to go, but the ball went out of bounds and Luis drained a jumper off the inbounds pass to give the visitors a four-point cushion.

McNeeley missed a layup at the other end, and Ejiofor hit two free throws to seal the win for the Red Storm.

Ball scored 11 quick points and Jaylin Stewart added eight to help the Huskies build a 26-12 lead at the 11:38 mark of the first half. St. John’s surged back with a 25-9 run that gave the Red Storm a two-point lead at the break.

Wilcher and Luis had seven points apiece during the charge, which ended with Ejiofor converting a traditional three-point play with 58 seconds left to put St. John’s ahead 37-35. UConn was 3-of-15 from the field with seven turnovers during the Red Storm’s run.

The Huskies scored the first five points of the second half.

St. John’s pulled even at 42-42 on a pair of free throws by Richmond before missing 11 straight shots and committing three turnovers during a seven-plus minute stretch. But UConn failed to seize control during the Red Storm’s drought, managing just six points.

Luis hit a jumper with 10:54 left to end St. John’s dry spell and pull the Red Storm within 48-44.

St. John’s soon took control with a 12-0 run, which featured eight points from Richmond, to go ahead 60-52 with 3:11 to play.

NBA NEWS

LUKA DONCIC EXPECTED TO MAKE LAKERS’ DEBUT ON MONDAY

Five-time All-NBA guard Luka Doncic is expected to make his debut with the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday against the visiting Utah Jazz.

The Lakers host the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, but coach JJ Redick said he wasn’t counting on playing Doncic, who is making his way back from a calf injury.

“Probably more likely Monday,” Redick said Thursday night. “No commitment made on anything, but probably trending more toward Monday.”

Doncic took part in 5-on-5 drills at practice on Wednesday without setbacks.

“All is well. All is positive,” Redick said. “Hopefully we get the word at some point in the next few days that he is going to play. We all want to see him in a Laker uniform.”

Doncic was acquired from the Mavericks in a blockbuster deal late Saturday that sent star forward Anthony Davis to Dallas.

Doncic, who turns 26 this month, has been working himself back to health after sustaining a left calf strain in the Mavericks’ game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Christmas Day.

He has averages of 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists in 22 games (all starts) this season. He has played only for Dallas in his seven-year NBA career after being selected third overall by the Hawks in the 2018 draft. Atlanta sent his draft rights to the Mavericks in exchange for the draft rights to Trae Young.

In addition to Doncic, the Lakers also picked up Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris in the trade. The Mavericks, in turn, received Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round draft pick.

The Utah Jazz helped to facilitate the trade and received Jalen Hood-Schifino and a 2025 second-round draft pick via the Los Angeles Clippers from the Lakers. Dallas also sent a 2025 second-round selection to Utah.

EAST-LEADING CAVS OVERCOME 45-POINT EFFORT FROM POOLE

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 33 points, Evan Mobley added 27 and the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled away late for a 134-124 victory over the Washington Wizards on Friday night.

Darius Garland added 23 points and Jarrett Allen had 12 points and 12 rebounds to help the Eastern Conference leaders win for the sixth time in their last seven games.

Jordan Poole scored a career-high 45 points for the NBA-worst Wizards, who were trying to extend a season-best winning streak to four games.

Richaun Holmes had 12 points and 12 rebounds for Washington, which lost its 12th straight to the Cavaliers.

MILES BRIDGES’ 3-POINTER WITH 1.4 SECONDS LEFT LIFTS HORNETS PAST SPURS 117-116 TO SNAP 6-GAME SKID

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Miles Bridges knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner off a wraparound feed from LaMelo Ball with 1.4 seconds left to lift Charlotte to a 117-116 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night and snap a six-game skid for the Hornets.

De’Aaron Fox appeared to respond with a winning 3 at the buzzer, but referees gathered after the play and ruled he did not get the shot off in time.

Bridges finished with 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting and Ball had 24 points and 10 assists for Charlotte after missing the last five games with an ankle injury. Nick Smith Jr added 19 points for the Hornets — his fourth straight game with at least that many — and Moussa Diabate was strong on the offensive glass, finishing with 15 rebounds after taking over as the starting center.

HEAT HELD TO 9 POINTS IN FOURTH QUARTER OF FIRST GAME SINCE TRADING BUTLER AND LOSE 102-86 TO NETS

NEW YORK (AP) — Cam Johnson scored 18 points, D’Angelo Russell had 17 and the Brooklyn Nets limited Miami to nine points in the fourth quarter of its first game since trading Jimmy Butler, beating the Heat 102-86 on Friday night.

Miami shot 2 for 21 (9.5%) in the fourth quarter and was outscored 31-9 after leading by six through three quarters.

The Heat didn’t have Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson or Davion Mitchell, the three players they acquired in what became a five-team deal when they sent Butler to the Golden State Warriors. Terry Rozier scored 20 points off the bench for the Heat and Bam Adebayo added 18.

Nic Claxton had 12 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks for Brooklyn.

Ben Simmons wasn’t with the Nets as the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft and the organization work on a contract buyout.

TRAE YOUNG HELPS HAWKS OVERCOME 21-POINT DEFICIT IN 115-110 VICTORY OVER BUCKS

ATLANTA (AP) — Trae Young had 24 points and seven assists and the Atlanta Hawks overcame a 21-point deficit to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 115-110 on Friday night.

Mouhamed Gueye had 15 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks — all season highs — and Dyson Daniels had 15 points and 10 assists. Atlanta ended a five-game home losing streak and won for only the second time in 11 games overall.

Bobby Portis had 26 points and 15 rebounds for Milwaukee, with All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo missing his third straight game because of tightness in his left calf. Damian Lillard had 23 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. The Bucks have lost five of six.

Kyle Kuzma, playing first game for the Bucks since being traded from the Wizards, had 12 points and seven rebounds in 24 minutes. All 12 of his points came in the first half.

WILLIAMS LEADS THUNDER PAST RAPTORS AS HOLMGREN RETURNS FROM INJURY

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Jalen Williams scored 27 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 25 and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Toronto Raptors 121-109 on Friday night in Chet Holmgren’s return from injury.

Holmgren, the runner-up for rookie of the year last season, played for the first time in three months after recovering from a pelvic fracture. The 7-foot-1 forward had four points, five rebounds and four blocks in 22 minutes.

Aaron Wiggins added 18 points for the NBA-best Thunder (41-9), who won their fourth straight.

Scottie Barnes scored 21 points and Gradey Dick added 17 for the Raptors, who lost their third in a row.

Toronto was short-handed. Scoring leader RJ Barrett was in the concussion protocol. Brandon Ingram, acquired from New Orleans before the trade deadline, was with the team but didn’t play.

The Thunder led 58-47 at halftime and maintained control in the third quarter. Midway through the period, Williams was fouled as he drove for a tough layup in traffic. The ball rolled in, and he flexed his arms and shoulders for the crowd. He made the free throw to give the Thunder a 79-64 lead.

BOOKER DROPS SEASON-HIGH 47, SUNS BEAT JAZZ IN OT AFTER ALLEN’S HEROICS

PHOENIX (AP) — Devin Booker scored a season-high 47 points, Grayson Allen hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to force overtime and the short-handed Phoenix Suns rallied to beat the Utah Jazz 135-127 on Friday night.

With 0.8 seconds left in regulation, Allen caught an inbounds pass and hit the 3-pointer from the right wing to tie it at 122. Allen opened the extra period with another 3 and the Suns scored the first eight points of overtime to pull away and snap a three-game losing streak.

John Collins led Utah with 21 points.. Lauri Markkanen added 20.

PISTONS DOWN SIXERS, BEASLEY SCORES 36

Malik Beasley scored a career-high 36 points and host Detroit rolled past Philadelphia.

Tobias Harris added 22 points and nine rebounds for the Pistons, who led by as much as 34 while ending a two-game skid. All-Star Cade Cunningham was a late scratch due to a right ankle sprain.

Tyrese Maxey’s 27 points and seven assists led the Sixers. Joel Embiid scored 20 of his 23 points in the second half, and he also logged seven rebounds and six assists.

NHL NEWS

NHL ROUNDUP: PENGUINS, WITHOUT TWO STARS, EDGE RANGERS

Philip Tomasino’s tiebreaking score highlighted a three-goal second period as the Pittsburgh Penguins, minus superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, gutted out a 3-2 road win over the New York Rangers on Friday night.

Blake Lizotte and Rickard Rakell also scored and Alex Nedeljkovic made 22 saves for the Penguins, who improved to 3-0-1 in their last four.

Vincent Trocheck had a goal and an assist and Adam Fox also scored for New York, which was trying for a third straight win. Igor Shesterkin stopped 23 shots.

Malkin (lower-body injury) was out a fifth consecutive contest, while Crosby (upper-body injury) had his streak of 229 regular-season games played end. It marked the first time since Nov. 13, 2021, that the Penguins were without Crosby and Malkin for the same regular-season game.

Jets 4, Islanders 3

Gabriel Vilardi scored two goals and Connor Hellebuyck made 32 saves as Winnipeg ran its winning streak to eight games with a victory over visiting New York.

The eight-game run matches the longest winning streak in franchise history, dating back to the 1999-2000 Atlanta Thrashers. Two of the Jets’ four all-time eight-game winning streaks have come this season, as Winnipeg also went 8-0-0 in its first eight games.

Alex Iafallo and Nikolaj Ehlers scored for the Jets, and Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor each had two assists. Simon Holmstrom, Marc Gatcomb and Kyle Palmieri scored for the Islanders, who lost for only the second time in 10 games. Ilya Sorokin stopped 23 shots.

Avalanche 5, Oilers 4

Martin Necas scored with 4:22 remaining in the third period to lift visiting Colorado past Edmonton despite losing a 4-2 lead.

Cole Makar had two goals and an assist and MacKinnon finished with a goal and three assists for the Avalanche, who have won four of five games. Artturi Lehkonen had a goal and an assist, Devon Toews registered two assists and Mackenzie Blackwood made 23 saves.

Leon Draisaitl and Corey Perry each scored two goals for the Oilers, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had two assists. Stuart Skinner allowed three goals on 12 shots in the first period. Calvin Pickard made 17 saves over the final two periods.

Blackhawks 6, Predators 2

Ryan Donato had two goals and two assists to lead host Chicago to a win over Nashville.

Frank Nazar, Connor Bedard and Seth Jones had a goal and an assist each and Patrick Maroon also scored for the Blackhawks, who snapped a three-game skid. Teuvo Teravainen and Alex Vlasic each had two assists, and Petr Mrazek stopped 31 shots.

Colton Sissons and Tommy Novak scored for the Predators, who lost their sixth straight. Juuse Saros made 24 saves.

BASEBALL NEWS

SPRING TRAINING PREVIEW: DODGERS ARE FAVORED TO BE MLB’S FIRST REPEAT CHAMPION IN A QUARTER-CENTURY

Miguel Rojas gladly gave up his No. 11 to Roki Sasaki and went back to 72, his jersey as a Los Angeles Dodgers rookie in 2014.

“I’m not asking for anything. I have everything that I want in life,” the 35-year-old infielder said. “All I ask for him is trying to get us another championship.”

He’s in the right spot. Spring training workouts start Sunday with the Dodgers trying to become the first repeat champion since the New York Yankees won three in a row from 1998 to 2000.

Coming off their second title in five seasons, the Dodgers added Sasaki, the prized 23-year-old right-hander from Japan, and left-hander Blake Snell to a pitching staff expecting two-way star Shohei Ohtani to return to the mound in April or May after recovering from elbow surgery.

“Kudos to them. They’re doing everything right,” said Toronto pitcher Max Scherzer, who pitched for the Dodgers briefly in 2021. “They have a well-oiled machine.”

Los Angeles opens the season in Tokyo against the Chicago Cubs with a two-game series starting March 18. The Cubs are the first team to start practice, on Sunday in Mesa, Arizona, and all clubs will be on the field by Thursday.

Chicago manager Craig Counsell also is switching numbers, to 11, yielding No. 30 to Kyle Tucker, the All-Star outfielder acquired from Houston. Counsell chose 11 in honor of Jim Leyland, one of his early big league skippers. When Leyland led the Florida Marlins to the 1997 World Series title, he reminded players they needed 11 postseason wins for the title, matching the number on his back.

“I’m hoping to use that speech a little bit later in the month of September,” Counsell said.

Chicago’s other team, the White Sox, is coming off a 121-loss season, the most in the major leagues post-1900,

“I hope our fans at some point understand that this is going to pay off long-term and us being very committed and disciplined is going to serve us well in the future,” general manager Chris Getz said.

Hooray for Hollywood

Los Angeles committed $452 million to eight players during the offseason. The Dodgers kept utilityman Tommy Edman with a $74 million, five-year contract, outfielder Teoscar Hernández with a $66 million, three-year deal and right-hander Blake Treinen for $22 million over two years.

In addition to Sasaki ($6.5 million signing bonus) and Snell ($182 million for five years), the Dodgers added reliever Tanner Scott ($72 million for four years), outfielder Michael Conforto` ($17 million for one season) and second baseman Hyeseong Kim ($12.5 million for three years).

Tyler Glasnow is projected for the rotation after finishing last season on the injured list. Three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw is expected to re-sign and return after he recovers from knee and toe operations.

“The Dodgers are a really well-run, successful organization,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said. “Everything that they do and have done is consistent with our rules. They’re trying to give their fans the best possible product. Those are all positives. I recognize, however, and my emails certainly reflect that there are fans in other markets who are concerned about their team’s ability to compete. And we always have to be concerned when our fans are concerned about something. But pinning it on the Dodgers, I’m not in that camp.”

Mets also paying top dollar

In search of the team’s first World Series title since 1986, New York Mets owner Steve Cohen gave a record $765 million, 15-year contract to outfielder Juan Soto, luring him from the rival Yankees, part of a $925 million splurge on eight free agents.

“If you want something that’s amazing, it’s going to be uncomfortable. It’s never going to be comfortable,” Cohen said. “And so I always stretch a little bit because I know that’s what it takes to get it done.”

Following an NL Championship Series loss to the Dodgers, the Mets also added right-handers Frankie Montas, Clay Holmes and Griffin Canning along with left-hander A.J. Minter, and re-signed first baseman Peter Alonso, left-hander Sean Manaea, right-hander Ryne Stanek and outfielder Jesse Winker. They acquired outfielder Jose Siri in a trade with Tampa Bay.

Searching for the ruby slippers

Tampa Bay and the Athletics will be preparing for vagabond seasons in minor league ballparks. After 57 years in Oakland, the A’s will play at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento for at least three seasons before moving to a planned ballpark in Las Vegas. The Rays will play at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the spring training home of the Yankees, for 2025 because of damage at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg caused by Hurricane Milton.

A pair of rules changes

MLB increased the penalty for a violation of the shift rule requiring two infielders to be on the infield dirt on each side of second base when a pitch is thrown. A batter will now reach on an error, with a manager having the option of taking the result of the play. During the 2023 and ’24 seasons, the penalty was a ball being added to the count or the manager taking the result of the play. There were just four violations of the shift rule in 2023 and two last year.

If a baserunner runs through second or third base on a potential force play and doesn’t try to hold the base or advance, he will be called out for abandonment. If a lead runner crosses the plate, a video review would determine whether he touched the plate before the trailing runner’s second foot touched the ground on the other side of the base. The intent is to discourage baserunners from going through second and third with no attempt to hold the base in order to allow a lead runner to score.

GOLF NEWS

TIGER TO MAKE 1ST START OF 2025 AT GENESIS INVITATIONAL

Tiger Woods committed to next week’s Genesis Invitational on Friday, marking his first start on the PGA TOUR in 2025.

Woods hosts the tournament usually played at Riviera Country Club but was forced to relocate to Torrey Pines this year due to the wildfires in the Los Angeles area.

Woods’ last tournament was the 2024 Open Championship in July.

THOMAS DETRY MOVES IN FRONT AT WM PHOENIX OPEN

Belgium’s Thomas Detry went on a late run and turned in a 7-under-par 64 Friday to grab the second-round lead before play was suspended due to darkness at the WM Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Thirteen players were still on the course after the announcement at 6:10 p.m. local time. The round will conclude Saturday morning.

Detry birdied three straight holes beginning at No. 9, went birdie-bogey at Nos. 13-14 and then grabbed the outright lead by playing the par-3 16th Stadium Hole at TPC Scottsdale to perfection.

He stuck his tee shot inside 3 feet of the pin and birdied to get to 11 under, adding one more at the par-4 17th.

Detry is two shots ahead of Michael Kim, who tied the low round of the day with a 63, and Alex Smalley, who posted a 65. Jordan Spieth (65), South Korea’s Tom Kim (66) and Christiaan Bezuidenhout of South Africa (66) are right in the mix at 9 under.

Justin Thomas (68) is part of a group tied at 8 under, and World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler improved on his first-round score by thee strokes, carding a 66 to get to 7 under.

Defending champ Nick Taylor of Canada (66) is at 6 under. First-round leader Wyndham Clark followed a 64 with a 2-over 73 to drop to 5 under, tied for 28th.

The projected cut line was 2 under par. Amateur Luke Clanton had a disappointing end to his second-round 67, as a missed birdie putt at No. 18 left him at 1 under for the tournament.

Had the Florida State golfer made the cut, he would have earned his 20th point in the PGA Tour University Accelerated standings and become eligible for a full PGA Tour membership.

Others on the wrong side of the cut line included Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick (1 under), Billy Horschel (1 over), Max Homa (3 over) and last year’s runner-up Charley Hoffman (4 over).

Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo made a hole-in-one at the Stadium Hole, the 12th at the famed hole in Phoenix Open history. His shot dunked into the cup without a bounce, and the crowd celebrated by tossing beer bottles down from the grandstands.

It mattered for Grillo’s scorecard, too, as he made the cut on the number at 2 under following his 69.

ADRIAN MERONK STILL ON TOP AT LIV GOLF RIYADH

Adrian Meronk of Poland remains two shots ahead of Colombia’s Sebastian Munoz to stay atop the leaderboard after both carded rounds of 6-under 66 on the second day of LIV Golf Riyadh on Friday in Saudi Arabia.

Munoz kept pace with Meronk, who fired a 62 in the first round and sits at 16-under par heading into the final day. Lucas Herbert of Australia shot an 8-under 64 to climb into third place alone at 12 under.

Legion XIII continues to dominate the team standings. Tyrrell Hatton of England and Caleb Surratt are tied for fourth at 11 under after both shooting 67, while captain Jon Rahm of Spain (67) and debutant Tom McKibbin (69) of Northern Ireland are in a tie for sixth at 10 under with Matthew Wolff (66).

That brought Legion XIII’s team score to 42 under through two days. Second-place Torque GC is a distant 11 shots behind.

Meronk, 31, has won four times on the DP World Tour but is in position for his first LIV title after joining the circuit ahead of the 2024 season.

“It would be special (to win) for sure, especially the first event of the year, as well,” Meronk said. “But I don’t want to focus on that. My only focus (Saturday) will be just one shot at a time and playing my best golf as possible, and we’ll see what happens.”

Munoz, 32, hasn’t earned a professional win since the 2019 Sanderson Farms Championship on the PGA Tour.

“It would mean a lot,” he said. “I’ve been putting in some good work in the offseason and just practicing really hard, and I think it’s beginning to show. I’ve just got to keep in my lane and see if things happen for me.”

There wasn’t much separating their Friday rounds. Munoz was bogey-free with six birdies, while Meronk converted seven birdies and limited himself to one bogey.

They won’t alter their strategies when they play together in the final round.

“Nothing changes,” Meronk said. “I’m just going to try to shoot as low as possible, make as many birdies as possible like I’ve been doing the last two days and see what happens on the 18th green.”

The field is playing under the lights for the first time in order to fit the broadcast window for LIV Golf’s new U.S. TV partner, Fox Sports.

“It has its moments where it’s pretty challenging,” Hatton said of playing at night. “There’s times where it’s quite hard to see the back of the ball and judging the lie and how that’s going to come out. Sometimes maybe in daylight you might read it coming out as a flier, and at nighttime it’s a little bit harder.

“But I think ultimately we’ve adjusted to it pretty well. I think the fact that the scoring is so low shows that everyone is able to get on with it just fine.”

JIN YOUNG KO BREAKS COURSE RECORD, JUMPS IN FRONT AT FOUNDERS CUP

Jin Young Ko of South Korea caught fire late and broke the course record with an 8-under-par 63 to take the second-round lead at the Founders Cup on Friday at Bradenton (Fla.) Country Club.

A former World No. 1, Ko birdied six of her final nine holes to climb to 12-under 130 for the tournament. Four players are two off her lead: Yealimi Noh (64), Angel Yin (66), Japan’s Minami Katsu (65) and South Korea’s Jin Hee Im (66). Lauren Coughlin shot a 67 to occupy sixth place at 9 under.

“I didn’t know I was shooting 8 under,” Ko said. “After I (went to) scoring and I checked my score, oh my God, I (was) shooting like 8 under. Was pretty good. Yeah, I focused very well and I’m just trying to do my best.”

Ko, who began her round on the back nine, reached 17 of 18 greens in regulation and rolled in birdie after birdie, including a three-hole run at Nos. 6-8.

Ko won the Founders Cup in 2019, 2021 and 2023, so if the pattern continues, she’s in line for another odd-year victory. What’s different is the course and place on the schedule: Bradenton is hosting the Founders Cup for the first time, after it was most recently held in New Jersey during May.

“I don’t have any pressure from outside,” Ko said. “I mean, I just want to be better than yesterday and that’s why I’m here on LPGA Tour. All the good players are here from the world, and so, yeah, I have to be better than yesterday.”

Noh was on track to shoot a 63 of her own, thanks in part to a four-birdie run, but her only bogey of the day came on her last hole, the par-3 ninth.

“18 was the only green I missed and a lot of putts dropped in,” Noh said. “Tempo was really good today. Just made it simple: Fairways and greens.”

Yin kept her card clean while making three birdies and an eagle at the par-5 sixth. Only two players are bogey-free through 36 holes: Ko and Yin.

Yin said she told her caddie she felt dehydrated as she was playing the sixth.

“So I was kind of dizzy,” Yin said. “It was good to be able to make an eagle when I’m not feeling that great. I was seeing two balls. So I’ll drink more water.”

Noh is searching for her first tour victory, while Yin has one title to her name, the 2023 Buick LPGA Shanghai.

Nelly Korda (68) is six shots off the pace at 6 under. Lexi Thompson shot her second consecutive round of 69 and stands at 4 under. Thompson is playing for the first time since retiring from full-time competition at the end of the 2024 season.

Among the notable names to miss the cut of even par were Danielle Kang (1 over), Stacy Lewis (2 over) and Canadian Brooke M. Henderson (4 over).

TOP INDIANA RELEASES/HEADLINES

INDIANA PACERS

GAME PREVIEW: PACERS AT LAKERS

The NBA’s hottest team will next face the squad that shook up the entire league before the trade deadline.

In front of a national audience on Saturday, the Indiana Pacers (29-21) will finish a four-game road trip on the West Coast when they take on the Los Angeles Lakers (30-19) at Crypto.com Arena.

The Pacers and Lakers have trended up in the new year, as Indiana is 13-3 in 2025 – the best of any team in the league – and Los Angeles is 12-5 during that stretch, including four straight wins.

While Indiana didn’t make any major moves before the trade deadline on Thursday, the Lakers have been the talk of the sports world since Feb. 2 after acquiring 25-year-old superstar Luka Doncic in a trade from the Dallas Mavericks for 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis.

Doncic, a five-time All-NBA selection who is considered one of the brightest young talents in the league, helped the Mavs advance to the Finals last season while leading the NBA in scoring at 33.9 points per game.

Earlier this week, ESPN announced it had picked up the broadcast of the matchup in anticipation of Doncic’s debut in LA, but recent reports now suggest he may not suit up against the Pacers at all.

Before Los Angeles played the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night, Lakers head coach JJ Redick said the team is now targeting Feb. 10 for Doncic’s premiere. At the same time, Redick didn’t entirely rule out Doncic against Indiana.

Saturday will be the second straight game for the Pacers in the City of Angels, as they topped the Clippers 119-112 on Thursday in their first-ever trip to the Intuit Dome.

Indiana came up clutch in the victory, as they closed the game on a 19-7 run in the final 3:11 of action to escape with a win and avoid back-to-back losses for the first time since Dec. 27. In the topsy-turvy game, the Pacers trailed by 22 points in the second quarter, led by 13 in the third, and trailed by five in the fourth, before completing the comeback.

Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 33 points and 11 rebounds in the win, Bennedict Mathurin scored 25 points and Tyrese Haliburton recorded 14 points. Thomas Bryant came off the bench and logged 12 points and 10 rebounds for his first double-double as a Pacer.

Indiana could be without starting center Myles Turner against the Lakers, as he exited in the first quarter against the Clippers for a concussion evaluation and didn’t return. If Turner can’t go, expect Bryant to get extended minutes along with power forward Obi Toppin, who can play at center with smaller lineups.

If Doncic does take the floor on Saturday, the Pacers will face a tall task. In his last five matchups against Indiana, Doncic has averaged 34 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 8.8 assists. He was putting up 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists overall this season with the Mavs.

The Doncic trade wasn’t the only recent roster shakeup for the Lakers, as they also acquired 7-foot center Mark Williams on Feb. 6 for promising rookie Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, and a future draft pick.

Regardless if the new players take the floor, the Pacers will need to gameplan around limiting longtime foe Lebron James. James, now 40 years old, has shown few signs of slowing down in his 22nd NBA season, averaging 24.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 9.0 assists this season.

Of the current roster of Lakers, Austin Reaves (18.5 points per game) and Rui Hachimura (12.8 points per game) are the only two other players after James averaging double-digit points as Lakers this season.

The Lakers beat the Warriors 120-112 on Thursday behind 42 points, 17 rebounds, and eight assists by James and 23 points from Reaves.

After taking on the Lakers, the Pacers will return home for a rivalry game against the New York Knicks on Tuesday.

Projected Starters

Pacers: G – Tyrese Haliburton, G – Andrew Nembhard, F – Bennedict Mathurin, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Thomas Bryant

Lakers: G – Austin Reaves, G – Dorian Finney-Smith, F – Rui Hachimura, F – LeBron James, C – Jaxson Hayes

Injury Report

Pacers: Myles Turner – questionable (concussion evaluation), Isaiah Jackson – out (torn right Achilles tendon)

Lakers: Luka Doncic – TBA (left calf strain), Maxi Kleber – out (right foot fracture), Christian Wood – out left knee surgery recovery)

Last Meeting

March 29, 2024: The Pacers’ defense looked stout in a 109-90 victory over the Lakers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The 90 points were a season low allowed by the Blue & Gold.

Indiana never trailed after the first nine minutes of the game, leading by five points at halftime before outscoring the Lakers 32-23 in the third quarter and limiting their visitors to just 18  in the final frame.

The Pacers held the Lakers to 40.7 percent shooting, including just 5-for-30 from 3-point range, while shooting 48.3 percent themselves and making 10 threes.

Six Pacers players scored in double figures in the win. Tyrese Haliburton posted 21 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists while Pascal Siakam finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists to top the Blue & Gold.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis both played for LA despite battling injuries. Davis finished with 24 points and 15 rebounds, James logged 16 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists, and Austin Reaves added 16 points and 13 rebounds.

Noteworthy

Saturday’s game is the second of five Pacers games this season that will be broadcast for free over-the-air by WTHR in addition to FanDuel Sports Network.

The Pacers and Lakers have split their regular season series each of the last three seasons. Indiana will host the Lakers on March 26.

Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle, the reigning Eastern Conference Coach of the Month, coached Luka Doncic for three seasons in Dallas. Carlisle coached the Mavericks from 2008 to 2021.

Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton and the Lakers’ LeBron James won gold medals together for USA Basketball during the Paris Olympics this past summer.

Los Angeles also received Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris as part of the Doncic deal while sending Max Christie to Dallas and Jalen Hood-Schifino to the Utah Jazz. Hood-Schifino played his lone college season at Indiana University.

Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)

TV: WTHR/FanDuel Sports Network – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)

ESPN – Broadcasters TBA

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)

INDY FUEL

FUEL FALL TO NAILERS ON FRIDAY NIGHT

FISHERS- The Fuel hosted the Wheeling Nailers on Friday night. After scoring first in the first period, Wheeling took the 6-3 win with two shorthanded goals in the second frame.

1ST PERIOD

At 12:35, Kyle Maksimovich took the first penalty of the game. He headed to the box for tripping, putting the Fuel on the penalty kill.

Chris Cameron and Matthew Quercia each took a minor roughing penalty at 17:59, forcing two minutes of 4-on-4 hockey.

Exactly as time expired on those penalties at 19:59, Kyle Maksimovich scored to give the Fuel 1-0 lead right at the end of the period. Adam McCormick had the lone assist.

Wheeling outshot Indy 12-4 in the first frame, despite the score.

2ND PERIOD

Wheeling’s Chrystopher Collin scored at 3:11 to tie the game up 1-1.

At the 5:00 minute mark, David Drake took a holding penalty, giving the Fuel their first power play of the game.

The Nailers took the lead with a shorthanded goal at 5:31 by Matt Koopman. Just 29 seconds later, they allowed another shorthanded goal by Gabe Klassen to make it 3-1.

At 8:19, Fuel captain Chris Cameron took a double minor high sticking penalty, putting the Fuel back on the penalty kill.

Brandon Tabakin took a tripping penalty at 13:20 but Wheeling killed it off.

At 17:12, Indy’s Alex Wideman and Wheeling’s James Hardie took offsetting minor penalties for hooking and embellishment respectively.

Both of those penalties were killed off before time expired on the period.

After two periods, Wheeling was outshooting Indy 24-10.

3RD PERIOD

Twenty seconds into the third period, Kyle Jackson scored to make it 4-1 in favor of Wheeling. Sixteen seconds later, Matty De St. Phalle scored to make it 5-1.

Quercia took a boarding call at 1:05 to give Indy a power play chance.

At 4:58, Collin took a hooking call but thirty seconds later, Indy’s Maksimovich took a hooking call as well.

Kevin Lombardi took the third hooking call in a row at 7:58, to put the Fuel back on the penalty kill.

Chris Cameron took another penalty at 8:24 for interference, giving Wheeling a 5-on-3 chance.

The Nailers quickly capitalized with another goal by De St. Phalle to make it 6-1.

At 9:15, Jordan Martin scored shorthanded with the help of Darby Llewellyn to make it 6-2.

David Jankowski took a tripping penalty at 15:12 to give Indy another power play chance which they did capitalize on with a goal by Colin Bilek at 15:45. Lemos and Maksimovich claimed both assists on that goal.

After outshooting Indy 30-19, Wheeling took the 6-3 win.

INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL

STATEMENT FROM VICE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS SCOTT DOLSON ON THE STATUS OF IU MEN’S BASKETBALL HEAD COACH MIKE WOODSON

During a meeting with Coach Woodson on Wednesday, he informed me he wanted to step down as our program’s head coach at the end of the current season. He said it had been weighing on his mind for a while, and that it was an emotional and difficult decision. We have had subsequent thoughtful conversations about his decision and his desire to ensure that the program is in the best position it can be moving forward. At an appropriate time, Coach Woodson will articulate his feelings about his decision and his experiences these last four years.

It’s clear to me from our discussions in the last several days that his No. 1 priority is for the attention to be off him, and instead focused on uniting Hoosier Nation in support of our student-athletes, coaches, and, most importantly, the program. We still have much to play for this season as we prepare for Saturday’s game against Michigan and the remainder of the 2024-25 season, and we want to encourage Hoosier fans to rally around the program and support it in the same positive way that Hoosier fans did during Mike’s All-America and Big Ten MVP playing career.

Coach Woodson is a class act. During the last four years, he has led the program during a transformational time in college athletics and helped us become a national leader in evolving areas including NIL and the Transfer Portal. No one loves IU Basketball more than he does. I want to thank him for coming back to Bloomington and accepting the challenge of rebuilding our program and re-connecting it with its past and its foundation. In pursuit of that goal, it was important to him that he bring back other legendary Hoosier players such as Calbert Cheaney, Randy Wittman, and Jordan Hulls, all of whom share his love and passion for this program. That’s a group of individuals that combined for 375 wins at IU, seven Big Ten championships, two Final Fours, and a national title.

With this decision made, Coach Woodson and I share the desire to see Hoosier Nation unite beginning on Saturday afternoon in support of these players, coaches, and program.

PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL

KAUFMAN-RENN’S DOUBLE-DOUBLE POWERS NO. 7 PURDUE PAST USC

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Trey Kaufman-Renn had 24 points and 10 rebounds to lead No. 7 Purdue to a 90-72 victory over Southern California on Friday night for its fourth straight win.

Fletcher Loyer added 14 points for the Boilermakers (19-5 11-2 Big Ten), who outrebounded the Trojans 48-31. Braden Smith and Caleb Furst each just missed joining Kaufman-Renn with double-doubles. Smith finished with 9 points and a team-high 13 assists, and Furst also had 9 points and 10 rebounds.

Redshirt freshman Wesley Yates III scored 22 of his career-high 30 points in the first half for the Trojans (13-10, 5-7). Yates, whose previous high was 21 points, had to play most of the second half with four fouls after he picked up his fourth with 16:25 minutes left. Isaiah Elohim added 11 points and Jalen Shelley 10 for USC.

The Trojans played their second game in a row without leading scorer Desmond Claude, who’s sidelined with a knee injury.

The Boilermakers shot 67% in the first half to take a 48-36 lead into halftime.

Both teams struggled from the 3-point line: USC shot 4 of 26, while Purude was 6 of 26..

Takeaways

USC: The Trojans, who lacked scoring punch with Claude out, were 16 of 29 from the foul line.

Purdue: The Boilermakers moved two games up in the win column over Michigan State and Michigan, both 9-2, in their quest for their third consecutive Big Ten regular-season title.

Key moment

With an assist from Smith, Myles Colvin’s fast-break dunk energized the crowd and gave Purdue a 42-27 lead with 3:23 left in the first half.

Key stat

On a night when both teams had rough outside shooting games, Purdue held a 52-36 edge on points in the paint.

Up next

Both teams are back in action Tuesday night. USC will host Penn State, while Purdue is at No. 24 Michigan.

INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES

INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/

EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/

WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/

FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/

ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/

ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index

TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index

BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/

DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/

HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/

MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/

HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/

OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx

ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index

IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/

IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/

IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/

PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/

INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx

GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/

ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/

GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/

HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php

TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/

VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index

“SPORTS EXTRA”

NUMBERS IN SPORTS

7 – 15 – 99 – 33

February 8, 1963 – It  became official on this day that the American Football League franchise formerly called the Dallas Texans were now relocated to Missouri to be named the Kansas City Chiefs.

February 8, 1975 – “Pistol” Pete Maravich , wearing Number 7, scored 47 points as the New Orleans Jazz end a 28 game NBA road losing streak with a 106-102 win over the Hawks in Atlanta. If you go to our Sports Jersey Dispatch podcast titled Dodger Blue you can hear our friend Rick Loayza speak about Maravich.

February 8, 1982 – Los Angeles Dodgers traded 2B Davey Lopes, Number 15 to the Oakland A’s, breaking up MLB’s longest-playing infield playing together for nine seasons consisting of Ron Cey, Bill Russell, Davey Lopes and, Steve Garvey. In exchange the Dodgers received lance Hudson a minor league prospect at short stop.

February 8, 1983 – Wayne Gretzky, Number 99 for the Edmonton Oilers set an NHL All-Star game record of 4 goals in just 1 period!

February 8, 1985 – Bruce Morris, Number 33 of Marshall University, made a 92′ 5½” basketball shot against Appalachian State. This made field goal proved to be the longest in collegiate basketball history according to Guiness Book of World Records.

FOOTBALL HISTORY

Football History Headlines

February 8, 1936 – First ever NFL Draft took place as Jay Berwanger from University of Chicago was the first pick by Philadelphia Eagles. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s website, before this inaugural draft players could sign with any team they so desired, but this practice caused a great disparity in the NFL, in fact in many sports. Franchises such as the Bears and Giants held somewhat of a monopoly on the good players and thus they were perennial contenders. That is when the owner of the Eagles and future NFL Commissioner, Bert Bell introduced a proposal of the draft to help bring parity to the League. OF course the bigger market teams were against this but Bell and company convinced them that it was essential for the League’s survival. On May 19, 1935 the plan that called for teams to select players in inverse order of their finish the previous season was passed and then used in the 1936 draft.

February 8, 1960 – Oakland Raiders Co-owner Y.C. “Chet” Soda was named franchise’s first general manager per the Raiders.com website.

February 8, 1963 – AFL’s Dallas Texans moved out of the state of Texas and relocated in Missouri to become the Kansas City Chiefs.

February 8, 1996 – The NFL and the City of Cleveland allowed Art Modell to relocate his NFL franchise to Baltimore, Maryland but the Browns’ nickname was separated from that Modell owned franchise and had to stay in Cleveland.

February 8, 2004 – Aloha Stadium, Honolulu – Mark Bulger the St. Louis Rams quarterback won the Most Valuable Player Award for the NFL Pro Bowl as his NFC teammates outscored the AFC by the amazing final score of 55-52!

February 8, 2009 – The 2008 season’s NFL Pro Bowl was also played at Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii. The National Conference again defeated the American Conference this time by the score of 30-21. The MVP of the game of the season’s top players was Arizona Cardinals terrific Wide Receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

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HOF Birthdays

We have a few Hall of Famers to remember today!

February 8, 1920 – Faribault, Minnesota – Minnesota Golden Gopher Halfback Bruce “Boo” Smith was born per the NFF. Boo was famous for helping to grasp victory from the depths of  an apparent defeat, doing it with long-runs at dramatic moments and leading Minnesota to national titles in 1940 and 1941. In pacing the Gophers to the first of their back-to-back 8-0-0 campaigns, Smith was the man the team leaned on in 1940. Smith had a knack for producing scoring come-from-behind touchdowns that brought the crowds out of seats and escape threats by the likes of Nebraska, Ohio State and Michigan. The more Boo played the better he got. In 1941 he ran through the competition and won the Heisman Trophy. After graduation Boo was the MVP in the 1942 Chicago College All Star Game against the NFL’s Chicago Bears. Boo Smith was honored with induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1972 after the National Football Foundation tallied their votes.  

February 8, 1925 – The University of California’s great guard Rod Franz garnered his born on date.  The NFF reminds us that Rod helped turn around a sub par Cal program into contenders. Franz was an honorable mention All-America listing as a freshman,  but then Franz became only the second Pacific Coast player to become a three-time All-America. The National Football Foundation selected Rod Franz for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1977.

February 8, 1942 – Mount Prospect, Illinois – George Bork the fantastic quarterback from Northern Illinois arrived into this life. George was a four year football letterman at NI but only played quarterback in his final 3 seasons according to the footballfoundation.org.  Bork led the nation in total offense and passing in 1962 after his coaching staff installed the Shotgun Spread formation. George thrived in the system as he completed 232 passes for 2,506 yards. He repeated in 1963, with 244 completions for 3,077 yards. The school retired his jersey No.11 at the end of his Husky playing days. George Bork received the great honor of being selected for inclusion into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

February 8, 1948 – Northampton, Pennsylvania – The stud Penn State University Linebacker Dennis Onkotz was born. Dennis had a nose for finding the man with the ball and dropping him to the dirt as he earned All-America honors at linebacker in 1968 and 1969. According to the National Football Foundation Onkotz intercepted 11 passes and scored on picks sixes with three of them. He was also an outstanding and electric punt returner. In his three seasons he held an average of 13.2 yards per punt return. His talent extended beyond that too as he also led the Nittany Lions in tackles and was named as an Academic All-American. The National Football Foundation selected Dennis Onkotz for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995.

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

Feb. 8

1936 — Jay Berwanger, University of Chicago halfback and Heisman Trophy winner, is the first player ever selected in the NFL Draft. The Philadelphia Eagles make the pick and eventually trade his rights to the Chicago Bears.

1950 — Man o’ War is selected the greatest horse of the half century by The Associated Press. Man o’ War, as a 2- and 3-year-old, is a winner in 20 of 21 races and holds five track records.

1960 — Boston Celtic Bill Russell becomes 1st NBAer with 50 rebounds (51).

1962 — Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors scores 59 points in a 136-120 victory over the New York Knicks and beats his own single-season scoring record of 3,033 by six points.

1964 — Billy Kidd and James Heuga win the first men’s Olympic Alpine skiing medals for the United States with a silver and bronze in the slalom.

1970 — Gordie Howe becomes the first NHL player to score 750 goals. Howe gets the milestone by beating Philadelphia Flyers goalie Bernie Parent 3:10 into the third period, but the Red Wings lose 5-3 at Detroit’s Olympia Stadium.

1983 — Wayne Gretzky puts on a show, scoring four goals in the third period of the Campbell Conference’s 9-3 win against the Wales Conference in the NHL All-Star Game held at New York’s Nassau Coliseum. He breaks Ted Lindsay’s record of three goals in an All-Star Game, set in 1950.

1986 — Atlanta’s Spud Webb, at 5-foot-7, wins NBA Slam Dunk competition. Webb receives a perfect 50 from the judges in the last two rounds to shock defending dunk champion Dominique Wilkins and the crowd at Dallas’ Reunion Arena.

1987 — Seattle’s Tom Chambers, a last-minute replacement for the injured Ralph Sampson, scores a game-high 34 points to lead the West to a 154-149 overtime win over the East in the NBA All-Star Game before 34,275 at the Kingdome.

1997 — Scotty Bowman becomes the first NHL coach to win 1,000 games as Detroit beats Pittsburgh 6-5 on Brendan Shanahan’s overtime goal. Bowman, the coach of six Stanley Cup champion teams, is 1,000-452-255 in regular-season games and 162-101 in the playoffs.

1998 — Johanna Ikonen scores twice and Tiia Reima and Sari Krooks score a goal and an assist as Finland beats Sweden 6-0 in the first Olympic women’s ice hockey game.

2003 — Mario Lemieux becomes the 10th player in NHL history to reach 1,000 career assists. He has four in Pittsburgh’ 5-2 victory in Boston.

2004 — Marc Bulger throws a Pro Bowl-record four TD passes, and Detroit’s Dre’ Bly returns an interception 32 yards for the go-ahead score with 4:50 to play during the NFC’s rally from an 18-point deficit in the final 13 minutes of a 55-52 victory over the AFC. It’s the highest-scoring Pro Bowl in history.

2014 — At the Sochi Games, Norway’s Ole Einar Bjoerndalen becomes the oldest Winter Olympic gold medalist at 40 and ties Bjoern Daehlie’s record for most medals (12) won at the Winter Games. Bjoerndalen wins the men’s 10-kilometer biathlon sprint, breaking the record held by Canadian skeleton racer Duff Gibson, who was 39 when he won gold at the 2006 Turin Olympics.

2016 — Breanna Stewart has 25 points and 10 rebounds as No. 1 UConn again proves who rules the women’s game, running past No. 2 South Carolina 66-54.

2018 – Noriaki Kasai of Japan becomes first athlete in history to participate in 8 Winter Olympics in the ski jumping qualification prior to the Pyeongchang Games.

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Feb. 9

1912 — The U.S. Tennis Association amends the rules for the men’s singles championship play. The defending champion is required to play through the tournament instead of waiting for the tournament to produce a challenger.

1940 — Joe Louis beats Arturo Godoy with a split decision to defend his world heavyweight title at Madison Square Garden.

1966 — The NHL doubles in size — from six to 12 teams — when the Owners-Governors award franchises to Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and St. Louis.

1986 — Detroit’s Isiah Thomas scores 30 points and hands out 10 assists to lead the East to a 139-132 win in the All-Star Game in Dallas.

1988 — Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins scores a record six points — three goals and three assists — to lead the Wales Conference to a 6-5 victory over the Campbell Conference in the NHL All-Star game.

1991 — Terry Norris knocks down Sugar Ray Leonard twice and beats him up over 12 rounds in Leonard’s Madison Square Garden debut and final fight. Norris wins a unanimous decision.

1992 — Magic Johnson, playing for the first time since announcing his retirement on Nov. 7, scores a game-high 25 points and hands out nine assists to lead the West to a 153-113 win over the East in the NBA All-Star Game at the Orlando Arena.

1997 — Glen Rice breaks two scoring records in an MVP performance and Michael Jordan has the first triple-double in NBA All-Star game history. The East rallies to beat the West 132-120. Rice, who finishes with 26 points, sets records with 20 in the third quarter and 24 in the second half.

2009 — Lindsey Vonn wins the downhill for her second gold at the World Championships in Val D’isere, France. Vonn becomes the second American woman to win two golds at a worlds. Andrea Mead Lawrence won the slalom and giant slalom at the 1952 Oslo Olympics, which doubled as the worlds.

2013 — Cameron Biedscheid scores on a layup with 1:19 left in the fifth overtime, and Eric Atkins and Pat Connaugton add free throws in the final 19 seconds as No. 25 Notre Dame overcomes an eight-point deficit in regulation to beat No. 11 Louisville 104-101. The Cardinals led 56-48 with 51 seconds left in regulation. It’s the sixth time in the last eight meetings that a game between the Fighting Irish and the Cardinals goes into overtime.

2014 — Missouri All-American defensive end Michael Sam comes out to the nation. In interviews with ESPN, The New York Times and Outsports, Sam says he came out to all his teammates and coaches at Missouri in August.

2015 — San Antonio rallies from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit and gets an 18-foot baseline jumper from Marco Belinelli with 2.1 seconds left to give coach Greg Popovich 1,000 wins with a 95-93 victory at Indiana.

2018 – XXIII Olympic Winter Games open in PyeongChang, South Korea.

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Feb. 10

1908 — Tommy Burns knocks out Jack Palmer in the fourth round to defend his world heavyweight title in London.

1949 — Joe Fulks of Philadelphia scores 63 points in a 108-87 win over Indianapolis to set an NBA scoring record which would last for nearly a decade.

1952 — The Baltimore Bullets play the 48-minute game without making a single substitution and beat the Fort Wayne Pistons 82-77.

1962 — Jim Beatty becomes the first American to break the 4-minute mile indoors with a 3:58.9 in Los Angeles.

1968 — Peggy Fleming wins the women’s Olympic figure skating gold medal in Grenoble, France.

1969 — LSU’s Pete Maravich scores 66 points in a 110-94 loss to Tulane.

1971 — Former first baseman Bill White becomes the first black announcer in major baseball league history, signing to join the New York Yankees WPIX broadcast team.

1972 — Guy Lafleur becomes the first rookie in the NHL’s modern era to have three hat tricks in a season. Lafleur scores three goals and adds an assist in the Canadiens’ 7-1 win against the Chicago Black Hawks.

1989 — K.C. Jones of the Boston Celtics and Lenny Wilkens of the Cleveland Cavaliers are elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Also elected is William “Pop” Gates, who played during the game’s barnstorming years in the 1930s and 1940s.

1991 — Charles Barkley of the Philadelphia 76ers, playing with a stress fracture in his left foot, becomes the NBA All-Star MVP with 17 points and 22 rebounds after leading the East to a 116-114 victory.

1992 — Bonnie Blair becomes the first woman to successfully defend an Olympic gold medal in 500-meter speed skating and the first American woman in any sport to win gold medals in consecutive Olympics.

1998 — Picabo Street, Alpine skiing’s comeback kid, overcomes a mistake about midway through her run and charges to an Olympic gold by one-hundredth of a second in the women’s super-G — the games’ first Alpine medal after three days of snow-related postponements.

2003 — Detroit’s Brett Hull becomes the sixth NHL player to score 700 regular-season goals. Hull beats San Jose’s Evgeni Nabokov with a wrist shot in a 5-4 win over the Sharks.

2007 — Jaromir Jagr has three assists in the New York Rangers’ 5-2 win over Washington and becomes the 12th player in NHL history to score 1,500 points.

2017 — Golden State’s Draymond Green becomes the first player in NBA history to record a triple-double with fewer than 10 points scored. Green had 12 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 steals and 4 points in a 122-107 win over Memphis. Green also had five blocks, which made him the first player to record 10 steals and five blocks in a game since steals and blocks were first tracked in 1973-74.

2018 — Sweden’s Charlotte Kalla wins the first gold medal of the Pyeongchang Games and Norwegian cross-country skier Marit Bjoergen takes silver in the women’s 15-kilometer skiathlon to become the most decorated female Winter Olympian ever. Bjoergen captures her 11th career medal, breaking a three-way tie with Russian Raisa Smetanina and Italian Stefania Belmondo.

Feb. 11

1878 — The Boston Bicycle Club, the first bicycle club in the United States, is formed.

1949 — Willie Pep becomes the first boxer in the history of the 126-pound class to regain a lost championship with a 15-round unanimous decision over Sandy Saddler at Madison Square Garden.

1950 — Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings scores three goals for his first NHL hat trick. Howe also has two assists in the 9-4 victory over the Boston Bruins.

1952 — Philadelphia’s Paul Arizin scores 26 points to win MVP honors and lead the East team to a 108-91 win over the West in the second NBA All-Star game. George Mikan of the Minneapolis Lakers leads the way for the West with 26 points and 15 rebounds.

1970 — The Atlanta Hawks score 97 points, the most ever scored in the second half of an NBA game, en route to a 155-131 win at San Diego.

1971 — Montreal’s Jean Beliveau scores his 500th goal in the Canadiens’ 6-2 victory over the Minnesota North Stars.

1982 — Houston Rockets center Moses Malone grabs an NBA-record 21 offensive rebounds in a 117-100 win over Seattle.

1982 — For the first time in NHL history, referee Kerry Fraser awards penalty shots in the same period. Vancouver’s Thomas Gradin and Ivan Hlinka each score against Red Wings goalie Gilles Gilbert in the third period of a 4-4 tie at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena.

1988 — Wayne Gretzky gets his NHL-record ninth 100-point season. Gretzky scores a goal and has two assists in the Edmonton Oilers’ 7-2 victory at Vancouver to give him 101 points, He passes Marcel Dionne, who had eight seasons.

1990 — Mike Tyson loses for the first time when James “Buster” Douglas knocks him out in the 10th round and captures the heavyweight championship in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.

1992 — Anfissa Reztsova wins the women’s 7.5-kilometer biathlon event to become the first woman to get gold medals in two different Winter Olympic sports. She skied the final 5-kilometer leg on the Soviet Union’s winning 20K cross-country relay team in the 1988 Olympics.

1995 — For the first time an NBA team to has two of its players sweep the All-Star Saturday competition. Harold Miner wins the Slam Dunk and Glen Rice captures the Long Distance Shootout for the Miami Heat.

2000 — Boston’s Ray Bourque becomes the second defenseman, and ninth player, in NHL history to reach 1,500 points. Bourque he scores a goal for the Bruins in a 5-2 loss to the New York Rangers.

2007 — Anja Paerson captures the downhill, becoming the first skier to win gold medals in all five disciplines at the world championships. Paerson, who also won the super-G and combined titles earlier in the week, won gold medals in the giant slalom at the last two worlds and one in the slalom in 2001.

2017 — Ajee’ Wilson breaks the American record in the women’s indoor 800 meters to win the event for the fourth straight year in the NYRR Millrose Games. Wilson finishes in 1:58.27 at The Armory to break the mark of 1:58.71 set by Nicole Teter in 2002.

2017 — Henrik Lundqvist makes 32 saves for his 400th career win and the New York Rangers beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-2.

2018 — In Pyeongchang, South Korea, David Gleirscher is a surprise winner giving Austria its first gold in men’s luge in 50 years. Chris Mazdzer, who’s season hit rock-bottom less than a month ago, makes history for the U.S., giving the Americans their first men’s singles medal by finishing second in 3:10.728.

2018 – Dutchman Sven Kramer becomes only male speed skater to win same Olympic event 3 times, claiming gold in the 5,000m at Pyongchang; first man to win total 8 Olympic medals in the sport.

2024 — The Kansas City Chiefs win back to back titles defeating the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 OT in Super Bowl LVIII. Patrick Mahomes named MVP. Super Bowl LVIII is the most-watched TV program in US history, averaging 123.4 million viewers across television and streaming platforms.

_____

Feb. 12

1937 — Cleveland is granted an NFL franchise. The Rams play in Cleveland for nine years before moving to Los Angeles. After the 1994 season, the Rams move to St. Louis.

1947 — Boston’s Bill Cowley becomes the NHL all-time scoring leader when he scores a goal and an assist for the Bruins in a 10-1 win over the New York Rangers. Cowley’s 529 points is one more than Syd Howe, who retired one year earlier.

1958 — Boston’s Bill Russell scores 18 points and grabs 41 rebounds to lead the Celtics to a 119-101 victory over the Syracuse Nationals.

1968 — Jean-Claude Killy of France wins the men’s giant slalom in the Winter Olympics at Grenoble, his second gold medal en route to the Alpine triple crown.

1972 — The Soviet Union ice hockey team wins the gold medal with a 5-2 victory over Czechoslovakia at the Winter Olympics. The United States is awarded the silver because it had beaten and tied Czechoslovakia.

1982 — Wayne Gretzky scores 153rd point of season, breaking NHL record.

1985 — Pittsburgh’s Mario Lemieux becomes the first rookie to be named most valuable player at the NHL All-Star game. The 19-year-old center scores two goals, including the game-winner, and has an assist to lead the Wales Conference to a 6-4 win over the Campbell Conference.

1989 — The largest crowd (44,735) in NBA All-Star Game history turns out at the Houston Astrodome to watch the West beat the East 143-134. Utah’s Karl Malone win MVP honors after scoring a team-high 28 points.

1993 — The San Jose Sharks tie an NHL record by losing 17 straight games, the latest a 6-0 defeat by the Edmonton Oilers.

1994 — Loy Allen Jr. becomes the first Winston Cup rookie to win a pole in the Daytona 500. Allen is .031 seconds quicker than six-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt.

1995 — Sacramento’s Mitch Richmond scores a game-high 22 points and wins MVP honors in leading the West to a 139-112 triumph over the East in the NBA All-Star Game at America West Arena in Phoenix.

1997 — Morocco’s Hicham el Guerrouj breaks indoor track’s oldest record, winning the mile in 3 minutes, 48.45 at the Flanders meet held in Ghent, Belgium. Ireland’s Eamonn Coghlan ran 3:49.78 in 1983 in New York.

2005 — Allen Iverson scores 60 points, a career high, to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 112-99 victory over the Orlando Magic.

2007 — Duke, saddled by its first four-game losing skid in 11 years, falls out of The Associated Press men’s poll for the first time since the end of the 1995-96 season. The Blue Devils had been in the media poll for 200 straight weeks — the second longest streak behind UCLA’s record 221 weeks.

2014 — Tina Maze of Slovenia and Dominique Gisin of Switzerland tie for gold in the Olympic women’s downhill. Both speed down the Rosa Khutor course in 1:41.57 seconds for the first gold-medal tie in Olympic alpine skiing history.

2018 — Virginia is ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press men’s basketball poll for first time since 1982, when Terry Holland was the coach and Ralph Sampson was the Cavaliers’ star player.

2018 – Dutch speed skater Ireen Wüst becomes first Winter Olympian to win an individual gold medal in 4 straight Games with victory in the 1,500m at Pyeongchang; first speed skater to win 10 Olympic medals.

2023 — Super Bowl LVII, State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona: Kansas City Chiefs beat Philadelphia Eagles, 38-35; MVP: Patrick Mahomes, KC, QB.

_____

Feb. 13

1923 — The New York Renaissance, the first all-black pro basketball team, is organized. Rens become one of the dominant basketball team of the 1920s and 1930s.

1937 — Maribel Vinson wins her ninth and final U.S. figure skating singles championship. Robin Lee wins his third straight men’s title.

1937 — The NFL Redskins move from Boston to Washington.

1948 — Dick Button, the Olympic gold medalist, beats Hans Gerschwiler again to win the men’s World Figure Skating championship in Davos, Switzerland.

1954 — Furman’s Frank Selvey scores 100 points in a 149-95 victory over Newberry. Selvey breaks the record of 73 points, set by Temple’s Bill Mlkvy in 1951, with 41 field goals and 18 free throws.

1973 — Frank Mahovlich of the Montreal Canadiens scores his 1,000th career point with an assist in a 7-6 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.

1975 — Boston’s Bobby Orr gets an assist in the Boston Bruins in a 3-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres to become the first player in NHL history to reach 100 points in six consecutive seasons. It’s the final 100-point season of his career.

1977 — Julius Erving, playing in his first NBA All-Star Game, is voted MVP, despite his East team losing 125-124. Erving scores 30 points and grabs 12 rebounds.

1990 — Bryan Trottier of the New York Islanders becomes the 15th player in NHL history to reach the 500-goal mark, scoring in the second period of a 4-2 loss to the Calgary Flames.

1994 — Tommy Moe wins the men’s downhill over local hero Kjetil Andre Aamodt at the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. Moe won by .04 seconds, the closest Alpine race in Olympic history. Norwegian speed skater Johann Olav Koss has a world record-setting gold medal performance in the 5,000 meters in 6 minutes, 34.96 seconds.

1995 — Connecticut is voted No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 and joins the school’s women’s team at the top. It is the first time teams from one school were ranked No. 1 in the men’s and women’s college basketball polls.

1999 — Steve Jaros rolls the 13th televised 300 game in PBA history en route to winning the Chattanooga Open.

2003 — Teresa Phillips becomes the first woman to coach a men’s Division I team, but her presence couldn’t stop Tennessee State from losing for the 17th straight time, 71-56 at Austin Peay.

2015 — Ted Ligety wins the giant slalom at world championships held at Beaver Creek, Colo. Ligety defeats Austrian rival Marcel Hirscher by 0.45 seconds, to attain his third straight world giant slalom title.

2018 — Chloe Kim saves the best for last in winning women’s halfpipe snowboarding event at the Pyeongchang Games. The 17-year-old from Torrance, California, puts up a leading score of 93.75 on the first of her three finals runs, and then betters it with a near-perfect 98.75 on her final run. Kim, with the gold already well in hand, becomes the first woman to land back-to-back 1080s, confirming her dominance in the sport.

2022 – Super Bowl LVI, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA: Los Angeles Rams beat Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20; MVP: Cooper Kupp, LA Rams, WR.

TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

1901    Rumors of the Phillies’ star second baseman Napoleon Lajoie jumping to the Athletics, the Philadelphia franchise in the new American League, prove true. The National League’s leading hitter, clearly in violation of the reserve clause, switches to the Junior Circuit, winning the Triple Crown, leading the league with a .426 batting average, 14 home runs, and 125 RBIs.

1942    At the Folsom Correctional facility in California, the annual game between big leaguers and the prison inmates occurs after a delay when the guards need to search for two convicts attempting an escape. The contest does not resume after escapees are apprehended, with the visiting team ahead 24-5 at the end of seven innings.

1956    In Philadelphia, former A’s manager and owner Connie Mack, 93, dies of “old age and complications from his hip surgery.” The ‘Tall Tactician’ set records for major league wins (3,731) and losses (3,948), compiling a .486 managerial mark during his 54 years as a skipper, including his three seasons with the Pirates before the turn of the century.

1972    The nine-man Negro Baseball Leagues Hall of Fame Committee selects Josh Gibson and Buck Leonard for enshrinement, making them the second and third Negro League players, behind Satchel Paige the year before. During his playing days, Josh Gibson, a power-hitting catcher, was called the “black Babe Ruth,” and Leonard, a teammate of Gibson on the Homestead Grays, who once turned down an MLB contract believing he was too old to compete at that level, was ranked #47 on a 1999 Sporting News poll of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players.

1973    The owners announce ‘Early Bird’ spring training, scheduled to begin next week, will only occur once they complete negotiations with the Players’ Association. The 23-day lockout caused by a disagreement over salary arbitration will not affect the start of the regular season.

1982    The Dodgers trade Davey Lopes to the A’s for minor leaguer Lance Hudson, a middle infielder who will never appear in a major league game, marking the end of the longest-running infield in baseball history. The 36-year-old former LA second baseman had played with Steve Garvey, Ron Cey, and Bill Russell since 1974.

2006    After rejecting an earlier proposal by an 8-5 margin a few hours ago, the District of Columbia Council reverses its decision, approving a revised lease for a new Washington (DC) ballpark. At the urging of Mayor Anthony A. Williams, the council reconvenes and votes 9-4 to approve the deal after attaching legislation capping the district’s total cost at a bit less than $611 million.

2006    Wayne Krivsky, a leading candidate for the job in 2004, is finally selected as the Reds’ general manager. The 51-year-old former Twins executive replaces Dan O’Brien, who Bob Castellini dismissed due to the new owner’s desire to choose his baseball people.

2006    Johnny Damon, the former beloved Red Sox outfielder who signed as a free agent with the hated Yankees, takes out a full-page ad in the Boston Globe, thanking fans for their loyalty and support. As one of the most popular players in franchise history, the long-hair self-proclaimed ‘idiot’ incurred the wrath of the Fenway Faithful when he agreed to a $52 million, four-year deal to play in the Bronx.

2008    In a long and drawn-out 5-for-1 deal, the Mariners finally land Erik Bedard (13-5, 3.16) from the Orioles. In exchange for their Opening Day pitcher last season, Baltimore receives center fielder Adam Jones, veteran southpaw reliever George Sherrill, and pitching prospects Chris Tillman, Tony Butler, and Kam Mickolio from the Emerald City.

2008    The Brewers exercise Ned Yost’s 2009 option after the 53-year-old skipper led Milwaukee to its first winning season since 1992, finishing second in the NL Central with an 83-79 won-loss record. The skipper will never manage a game in his extended contracted year after being dismissed with 12 games remaining this season, taking the blame for the under-achieving team’s swoon in August and September.

2009    In the softball championship game of the Leadoff Classic, Kylie Reynolds of Kent State strikes out 18 Stetson batters en route to throwing a nine-inning no-hitter. The Golden Flashes’ junior sets a new school record for strikeouts in her 1-0 masterpiece at Patricia Wilson Field.

2010    As a tribute to his fellow countryman, Omar Vizquel will wear the number 11 this season to honor Luis Aparicio. The White Sox will temporarily “unretire” the Hall of Famer’s number for the Venezuelan shortstop, recently acquired by the team as a free agent.

2010    The Brewers announce the club plans to erect a seven-foot statue of former owner Bud Selig, with the sculpture unveiling scheduled during a pregame ceremony at Miller Park in August. Selig, the current baseball commissioner, led a group of investors that moved the bankrupt Seattle Pilots to Milwaukee in 1970.

2011    Tony Malinosky, the oldest living major leaguer, dies at 101 in Oxnard, California. In 1937, the Brooklyn infielder, a survivor of the Battle of the Bulge, played 35 games for the team before being honored on his 100th birthday in 2009.

TV SPORTS SATURDAY

NBA REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
Houston Rockets vs Dallas Mavericks	3:00pm	KFAA SCHN
Indiana Pacers vs Los Angeles Lakers	4:00pm	FanDuel Sports IND Spectrum
Atlanta Hawks vs Washington Wizards	7:00pm	FanDuel Sports ATL MNMT
San Antonio Spurs vs Orlando Magic	7:00pm	FanDuel Sports SW FanDuel Sports FL
Portland Trail Blazers vs Minnesota Timberwolves	8:00pm	FanDuel Sports North Rpi City
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Memphis Grizzlies	8:00pm	FanDuel Sports OKC FanDuel Sports MEM
Golden State Warriors vs Chicago Bulls	8:00pm	NBCS-BAY CHSN
Boston Celtics vs New York Knicks	8:30pm	ABC ESPN+
Denver Nuggets vs Phoenix Suns	9:00pm	AFSN ALT
New Orleans Pelicans vs Sacramento Kings	10:00pm	GCSN NBCS-CA
Utah Jazz vs Los Angeles Clippers	10:30pm	KJZZ FanDuel Sports SoCal
NHL REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
New Jersey Devils vs Montreal Canadiens	1:00pm	ESPN+ Sportsnet MSGSN
Utah Hockey Club vs Carolina Hurricanes	1:00pm	ESPN+ Utah16 FanDuel Sports South
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Detroit Red Wings	1:00pm	ABC ESPN+
Vegas Golden Knights vs Boston Bruins	3:30pm	ABC ESPN+
New York Rangers vs Columbus Blue Jackets	7:00pm	ESPN+ MSG FanDuel Sports OH
Chicago Blackhawks vs St. Louis Blues	7:00pm	ESPN+ CHSN FanDuel Sports MW
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Vancouver Canucks	7:00pm	ESPN+ Sportsnet
Ottawa Senators vs Florida Panthers	7:00pm	ESPN+ Sportsnet Scripps
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Philadelphia Flyers	7:00pm	ESPN+ ATTSN-PIT NBCS-PHI
Buffalo Sabres vs Nashville Predators	8:00pm	ESPN+ MSG-BUF FanDuel Sports South
New York Islanders vs Minnesota Wild	8:00pm	ESPN+ MSGSN FanDuel Sports WI
Dallas Stars vs San Jose Sharks	10:00pm	ESPN+ Victory+ NBCS-CA
Seattle Kraken vs Calgary Flames	10:00pm	ESPN+ Sportsnet KONG
Anaheim Ducks vs Los Angeles Kings	10:30pm	ESPN+ Victory+ FanDuel Sports West
MEN’S NCAA BASKETBALL	TIME ET	TV
Oregon at Michigan State	12:00pm	FOX
Richmond at Davidson	12:00pm	USA
Tennessee at Oklahoma	12:00pm	ESPN/2
South Carolina at Kentucky	12:00pm	ESPN/2
Seton Hall at Georgetown	12:00pm	FS1
Florida Atlantic at Tulsa	12:00pm	ESPNU
Boston University at Holy Cross	12:00pm	NESN
Navy at Lafayette	1:00pm	Lafayette Sports
Michigan at Indiana	1:00pm	CBS
Wisconsin at Iowa	1:00pm	NBC
Virginia Tech at Notre Dame	1:00pm	CW
Texas at Vanderbilt	1:00pm	SECN
Wagner at Fairleigh Dickinson	1:00pm	NEC Front Row
Youngstown State at Detroit Mercy	1:00pm	ESPN+
Bucknell at Army West Point	1:00pm	ESPN+
The Citadel at VMI	1:00pm	ESPN+
NJIT at New Hampshire	1:00pm	ESPN+
Lipscomb at Queens	1:00pm	ESPN+
TCU at Iowa State	1:00pm	ESPN+
Georgia Southern at Western Michigan	1:00pm	ESPN+
Troy at Miami (OH)	1:00pm	ESPN+
Marquette at Creighton	2:00pm	FOX
Kansas at Kansas State	2:00pm	ESPN
Miami (FL) at Louisville	2:00pm	ESPN2
Lindenwood at Tennessee State	2:00pm	ESPNU
UNCW at Drexel	2:00pm	CBSSN
Robert Morris at Northern Kentucky	2:00pm	FanDuel Sports Ohio
Bryant at Binghamton	2:00pm	SNY
UMBC at Maine	2:00pm	ESPN+
North Alabama at West Georgia	2:00pm	ESPN+
UCF at Baylor	2:00pm	ESPN+
Charleston Southern at Gardner-Webb	2:00pm	ESPN+
Louisiana Tech at FIU	2:00pm	ESPN+
Yale at Cornell	2:00pm	ESPN+
Brown at Columbia	2:00pm	ESPN+
Harvard at Dartmouth	2:00pm	ESPN+
Niagara at Quinnipiac	2:00pm	ESPN+
Saint Peter’s at Manhattan	2:00pm	ESPN+
Saint Francis U at Chicago State	2:00pm	ESPN+
Loyola Maryland at Colgate	2:00pm	ESPN+
American at Lehigh	2:00pm	ESPN+
Wofford at Mercer	2:00pm	ESPN+
South Alabama at Akron	2:00pm	ESPN+
Coastal Carolina at Bowling Green	2:00pm	ESPN+
Old Dominion at Eastern Michigan	2:00pm	ESPN+
Louisiana at Northern Illinois	2:00pm	ESPN+
Southern Miss at Ball State	2:00pm	ESPN+
App State at Ohio	2:00pm	ESPN+
Arkansas State at Kent State	2:00pm	ESPN+
Georgia State at Buffalo	2:00pm	ESPN+
James Madison at Toledo	2:00pm	ESPN+
William & Mary at Delaware	2:00pm	FloSports
North Dakota State at Omaha	2:00pm	Summit
Le Moyne at Mercyhurst	3:00pm	NEC Front Row
Providence at Butler	3:00pm	Peacock
Radford at Longwood	3:00pm	ESPN+
Milwaukee at Cleveland State	3:00pm	ESPN+
Canisius at Merrimack	3:00pm	ESPN+
Boston College at Syracuse	3:15pm	CW
Texas A&M at Missouri	3:30pm	SECN
Rice at Charlotte	3:30pm	ESPN+
Pitt at North Carolina	4:00pm	ESPN/2
Florida at Auburn	4:00pm	ESPN/2
Penn State at UCLA	4:00pm	BTN
Sam Houston at Liberty	4:00pm	ESPNU
Towson at Monmouth	4:00pm	CBSSN
Stony Brook at Hofstra	4:00pm	MSG
New Mexico at Air Force	4:00pm	ALT
Hampton at Northeastern	4:00pm	NESN+
Rhode Island at George Mason	4:00pm	MNMT
Samford at ETSU	4:00pm	WCYB-DT3
UAPB at Alcorn State	4:00pm	YouTube
UNLV at Wyoming	4:00pm	MWN
East Texas A&M at Nicholls	4:00pm	ESPN+
Western Carolina at UNCG	4:00pm	ESPN+
Houston at Colorado	4:00pm	ESPN+
Eastern Kentucky at Stetson	4:00pm	ESPN+
Tarleton at Utah Valley	4:00pm	ESPN+
St. Thomas at Denver	4:00pm	Summit
Mississippi Valley State at Jackson State	4:30pm	SWACN
New Orleans at Houston Christian	4:30pm	ESPN+
Furman at Chattanooga	4:30pm	ESPN+
Wake Forest at California	5:00pm	ACCN
FGCU at North Florida	5:00pm	ESPN+
Central Arkansas at Austin Peay	5:00pm	ESPN+
WKU at Jacksonville State	5:00pm	ESPN+
Middle Tennessee at Kennesaw State	5:00pm	ESPN+
Sacramento State at Idaho	5:00pm	ESPN+
Portland State at Eastern Washington	5:00pm	ESPN+
Utah at West Virginia	5:00pm	ESPN+
Northwestern State at McNeese	5:00pm	ESPN+
Pepperdine at Washington State	5:00pm	ESPN+
Texas State at Central Michigan	5:00pm	ESPN+
Georgia Tech at Virginia	5:30pm	CW
Bethune-Cookman at Prairie View A&M	5:30pm	SWACN
Duke at Clemson	6:00pm	ESPN
BYU at Cincinnati	6:00pm	ESPN2
Illinois at Minnesota	6:00pm	BTN
UIC at Southern Illinois	6:00pm	ESPNU
Mississippi State at Georgia	6:00pm	SECN
Loyola Chicago at Duquesne	6:00pm	CBS SN
Elon at Charleston	6:00pm	WCBD
Florida A&M at Texas Southern	6:00pm	YouTube
Southeastern Louisiana at UIW	6:00pm	ESPN+
A&M-Corpus Christi at Stephen F. Austin	6:00pm	ESPN+
Tulane at North Texas	6:00pm	ESPN+
NC State at Stanford	7:00pm	ACCN
Gonzaga at Pacific	7:00pm	KHQ
Stonehill at LIU	7:00pm	NEC Front Row
Green Bay at Purdue Fort Wayne	7:00pm	ESPN+
IU Indianapolis at Wright State	7:00pm	ESPN+
Iona at Marist	7:00pm	ESPN+
Sacred Heart at Fairfield	7:00pm	ESPN+
Siena at Rider	7:00pm	ESPN+
UTRGV at Lamar	7:00pm	ESPN+
Vermont at UAlbany	7:00pm	ESPN+
Bellarmine at Jacksonville	7:00pm	ESPN+
Winthrop at USC Upstate	7:00pm	ESPN+
UNC Asheville at High Point	7:00pm	ESPN+
San Diego at Santa Clara	7:00pm	ESPN+
Alabama at Arkansas	8:00pm	ESPN
East Carolina at UTSA	8:00pm	ESPNU
UIC at Southern Illinois	8:00pm	CBSSN
North Dakota at Kansas City	8:00pm	KMCI
South Dakota at Oral Roberts	8:00pm	KGEB
Montana State at Northern Colorado	8:00pm	ESPN+
Montana at Northern Arizona	8:00pm	ESPN+
Grand Canyon at California Baptist	8:00pm	ESPN+
UTA at Seattle U	8:00pm	ESPN+
Southern at Alabama A&M	8:00pm	BulldogsAllAccess.com
Ole Miss at LSU	8:30pm	SECN
Abilene Christian at Southern Utah	8:30pm	ESPN+
San Francisco at Loyola Marymount	9:00pm	ESPN+
Idaho State at Weber State	9:00pm	ESPN+
UTEP at NM State	9:00pm	ESPN+
CSU Bakersfield at UC Riverside	10:00pm	Spectrum
Texas Tech at Arizona	10:00pm	ESPN
Saint Mary’s at Oregon State	10:00pm	ESPN2/U
CSU Bakersfield at UC Riverside	10:00pm	ESPNU
San Diego State at Colorado State	10:00pm	CBSSN
Northwestern at Washington	10:30pm	BTN
NCAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL	TIME ET	TV
Oral Roberts at South Dakota St.	12:00pm	CBSSN
Xavier at Seton Hall	2:00pm	FS1
BU at Holy Cross	9:00pm	FOX
GOLF	TIME ET	TV
DP World Tour: Qatar Masters	4:30am	GOLF
Champions Tour: Trophy Hassan II	8:00am	GOLF
PGA Tour: Phoenix Open	1:00pm	GOLF
PGA Tour: Phoenix Open	3:00pm	CBS
SOCCER	TIME ET	TV
La Liga: Celta de Vigo vs Real Betis	8:00am	ESPN+ fuboTV
Serie A: Udinese vs Venezia	9:00am	CBSSN Paramount+ fuboTV
Serie A: Monza vs Hellas Verona	9:00am	Paramount+ fuboTV
Bundesliga: Wolfsburg vs Bayer Leverkusen	9:30am	ESPN+
Bundesliga: Freiburg vs Heidenheim	9:30am	ESPN+
Bundesliga: Hoffenheim vs Union Berlin	9:30am	ESPN+
Bundesliga: Borussia Dortmund vs Stuttgart	9:30am	ESPN+
Bundesliga: Mainz 05 vs Augsburg	9:30am	ESPN+
La Liga: Athletic Club vs Girona	10:15am	ESPN+ fuboTV
Ligue 1: Nice vs Lens	11:00am	Fanatiz beIN Sports
Serie A: Atalanta vs Torino	12:00pm	Paramount+ fuboTV
La Liga: Las Palmas vs Villarreal	12:30pm	ESPN+ fuboTV
Bundesliga: Borussia M’gladbach vs Eintracht Frankfurt	12:30pm	ESPN+
Serie A: Bologna vs Como	2:45pm	Paramount+ fuboTV
La Liga: Real Madrid vs Atlético Madrid	3:00pm	ESPN+ fuboTV
Ligue 1: Saint-Étienne vs Rennes	3:05pm	Fanatiz beIN Sports
Liga MX: León vs Toluca	8:00pm	VIX
Liga MX: Tigres UANL vs Atlas	8:00pm	fuboTV
Liga MX: Juárez vs Monterrey	10:00pm	FS2 fuboTV
Liga MX: Cruz Azul vs Pachuca	10:05pm	VIX

TV SPORTS SUNDAY

NFL	TIME ET	TV
Super Bowl LIX: Kansas City vs. Philadelphia	6:30pm	FOX
NBA REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
Charlotte Hornets vs Detroit Pistons	1:00pm	FanDuel Sports CHA FanDuel Sports DET
Toronto Raptors vs Houston Rockets	2:00pm	SCHN Sportsnet
Philadelphia 76ers vs Milwaukee Bucks	2:00pm	ABC ESPN+
NHL REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
Utah Hockey Club vs Washington Capitals	12:30pm	ESPN+ Utah16 MNMT
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens	1:00pm	ESPN+ Sportsnet FanDuel Sports Sun
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL	TIME ET	TV
George Washington at St. Bonaventure	12:00pm	USA
Xavier vs. Villanova	12:00pm	FS1
Rutgers at Maryland	12:00pm	BTN
UMass at La Salle	2:00pm	USA
Temple at Memphis	2:00pm	ESPN2
Ohio State at Nebraska	2:00pm	BTN
Arizona State at Oklahoma State	2:00pm	ESPN+
Wichita State at South Florida	2:00pm	ESPN+
SOCCER	TIME ET	TV
DP World Tour: Qatar Masters	3:30am	GOLF
PGA Tour: Phoenix Open	1:00pm	GOLF
PGA Tour: Phoenix Open	3:00pm	CBS
SOCCER	TIME ET	TV
Serie A: Venezia vs Roma	6:30am	Paramount+ fuboTV
FA CUP: Blackburn Rovers vs Wolverhampton Wanderers	7:30am	ESPN+
La Liga: Deportivo Alavés vs Getafe	8:00am	ESPN+ fuboTV
Ligue 1: Olympique Lyonnais vs Reims	9:00am	Fanatiz beIN Sports
Serie A: Lazio vs Monza	9:00am	Paramount+ fuboTV
Serie A: Cagliari vs Parma	9:00am	Paramount+ fuboTV
Bundesliga: Holstein Kiel vs Bochum	9:30am	ESPN+
FA CUP: Plymouth Argyle vs Liverpool	10:00am	ESPN+
La Liga: Valencia vs Leganés	10:15am	ESPN+ fuboTV
Ligue 1: Auxerre vs Toulouse	11:15am	Fanatiz beIN Sports
Ligue 1: Strasbourg vs Montpellier	11:15am	Fanatiz beIN Sports
Bundesliga: RB Leipzig vs St. Pauli	11:30am	ESPN+
Serie A: Lecce vs Bologna	12:00pm	Paramount+ fuboTV
La Liga: Real Sociedad vs Espanyol	12:30pm	ESPN+ fuboTV
FA CUP: Aston Villa vs Tottenham Hotspur	12:35pm	ESPN+
Serie A: Napoli vs Udinese	2:45pm	Paramount+ fuboTV
Ligue 1: Angers SCO vs Olympique Marseille	2:45pm	Fanatiz beIN Sports
La Liga: Sevilla vs Barcelona	3:00pm	ESPN+ fuboTV
Liga MX: Pumas UNAM vs Mazatlán	7:00pm	VIX
Liga MX: Guadalajara vs Tijuana	9:05pm	Peacock Universo fuboTV
RODEO	TIME ET	TV
PBR: Monster Energy Team Challenge	1:30pm	CBS Paramount+ fuboTV
SKIING	TIME ET	TV
Alpine World Championships	1:30pm	NBC Peacock
SNOWBOARDING	TIME ET	TV
World Cup	3:00pm	NBC Peacock