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🚨 Headline
🏀 Mr. Clark declares: Caitlin Clark waived another year of NCAA eligibility and declared for the WNBA draft.
⚽️ 4 years doping ban: Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba could be banned from football for four years after testing positive for testosterone.
🌭 No more dollar dogs: After 27 years, the Phillies are canceling their popular “Dollar Dog Night” promotion, citing disrespectful behavior by fans.
🏈 Bettors prefer three-peats: Almost 30% of the money bet on the winner of Super Bowl LIX is on the Chiefs (+750) even though the 49ers have the best odds (+650).
🏈 3-3-2-2-1 model
in the college football playoffs A new “3-3-2-2-1” format is gaining traction among major conference administrators, with the possibility of possibly expanding to 14 teams.
detail: The plan, first reported by Yahoo Sports, would see the Big Ten and SEC each earn three automatic qualifiers for the 14-team field, the ACC and Big 12 each earn two automatic qualifiers, and the Group of Five's best Teams will also qualify.
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Three general bids will be awarded to the highest ranked teams excluding automatic qualifiers.
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According to one version, the SEC and Big Ten champions would retain exclusive rights to the two first-round byes.
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The format is scheduled to launch in 2026 as part of the new CFP TV deal.
Conclusion: In this model, the stakes in the regular season are higher and the conference standings are more important, as the Power Four schools participate in automatic bids. But that would make the conference championship game even less meaningful than it already is.
🏀 Boston's historic advantage
celtics, The top teams in the latest NBA Power Rankings are having historically dominant seasons.
How dominant is it? Boston is outscoring its opponents by 10.43 points per game, a pace that ranks 10th all-time and puts it in an elite group alongside some of the best teams in NBA history.
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Six teams ahead of the Celtics won the championship that season.
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Boston is currently the favorite to win at BetMGM (+240), well ahead of the Nuggets (+450).
References: Why Kristaps Porzisis is central to Celtics' title hopes
⚽️ Premier League three-horse race
liverpool, manchester city, arsenal With 12 games remaining, the difference is close to two points, and a rare battle for the Premier League title between three teams has begun. Jeff writes.
Flashback: Barring any dramatic changes, Liverpool (60 points), Manchester City (59 points) and Arsenal (58 points) are the fourth teams in Premier League history to be within four points of each other at the top of the table. There is a possibility that
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2013-14: Manchester City (86), Liverpool (84), Chelsea (82)
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2007-08: Manchester United (87), Chelsea (85), Arsenal (83)
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1998-99: Manchester United (79), Arsenal (78), Chelsea (75)
Future prospects: The rest of the schedule for all three teams is similar, including tough matches against fourth-placed Aston Villa and fifth-placed Manchester United.
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Arsenal have just six games against top-10 clubs, leaving them with the easiest path of the three teams.
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City have the toughest road ahead with eight top-10 fixtures, but they also have the best chance of closing the gap. They play Liverpool next weekend and Arsenal at the end of March.
Dark horse: The last time they were in England's top flight was Aston Villa in 1981, and they are within striking distance of the top spot with an eight point difference. And they still have games left against the three top contenders.
🐊 In Pictures: Florida Man Game
1st “Florida Man Game” It took place this past weekend in St. Augustine, Florida, showcasing the best (or worst?) of what the Sunshine State has to offer. Jeff writes.
Inspired by a strange headline The contest, in which Florida residents find unique ways to run afoul of the law, was the brainchild of local radio personality Pete Melfi. “We're giving a person the opportunity to live a day of life like a 'Florida Man' without ever getting in a police car,” he told The Associated Press.
Events included There's a sumo wrestling match with a pitcher of beer, an “arrest obstacle avoidance course” featuring real police officers, and a bike race where competitors have to escape after “stealing” a catalytic converter (pictured above).
true florida man Things started when Jacksonville native Lane Pittman played the national anthem. Since 2016, Pittman has had a habit of going out shirtless during hurricanes, banging his head and waving the American flag.
📆 March 1, 1941: NFL's first commish
83 years ago today, Former Notre Dame football coach Elmer Layden has been named the NFL's first commissioner. Jeff writes.
First one of five: Leyden, a member of Notre Dame's famous “Four Horsemen” during his playing days, is one of only five people to hold the position.
Details for this day:
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⚾️ 1969: Mickey Mantle announced his retirement after an 18-year career that included three MVPs, seven World Series championships, and an AL-record 20* All-Star appearances.
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🏀 1996: Lenny Wilkens became the first coach in NBA history to win 1,000 games. His 1,332 career wins rank third behind Gregg Popovich (1,378) and Don Nelson (1,335).
*He is one of four other players named to at least 20 All-Star teams: Hank Aaron (age 25), Willie Mays (age 24) and Stan Musial (age 24). The trio and Mantle were helped by the fact that from 1959 to 1962, two games were held each year.
📺 Watchlist: Unraveling history
Caitlin Clark appears in court On Sunday in Iowa City, he was 18 points away from breaking Pete Maravich's NCAA scoring record. Jeff writes.
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Clark has scored at least 20 points in every game this season, so there's no doubt he'll reach that mark in the final regular-season game of his career.
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Average number of tickets for the matchup between No. 6 Iowa and No. 2 Ohio State (1 p.m. ET, Fox) It cost $557, making it the most expensive women's basketball game ever, college or professional.
Also noteworthy:
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🎾 Netflix Slam: Rafael Nadal vs. Carlos Alcaraz (Sunday 3:30 p.m., Netflix) …an exhibition match at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
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🏁 F1: Bahrain GP (Saturday 10 a.m., ESPN) …First game of the 2024 season.
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👟 Athletics stadium: world indoor championship (Fri-Sun, Peacock) … 651 athletes from 130 countries will take part in 26 events in Glasgow, Scotland.
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⚽️ CONCACAF W Gold Cup: Quarter finals (Saturday and Sunday, Paramount+) … The USWNT will face Colombia in the fourth and final game of the weekend. (Sunday 8:15pm).
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🏀 NBA: celtics mavericks (Friday 7:30 p.m., ESPN); Bucks vs. Bulls (Friday 10 p.m., ESPN); Lakers Nuggets* (Saturday 8:30 p.m., ABC); 76ers vs. Mavs (Sunday 1 p.m., ABC); Celtics Warriors (Sunday 3:30 p.m., ABC); Knicks vs Cavs (Sunday 7 p.m., ESPN); Thunder at Sons (Sunday 9:30 p.m., ESPN)
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🏀 NCAAM: No. 24 Florida vs. No. 18 South Carolina (Saturday 12 p.m., ESPN); 7th place Kansas vs. 15th place Baylor (Saturday 1 p.m., ABC); No. 5 Market at No. 12 Clayton (Saturday 2:30 p.m., Fox); No. 4 Tennessee vs. No. 14 Alabama (Saturday, 8 p.m., ESPN). No. 23 Gonzaga vs. No. 17 St. Mary's (Saturday 10 p.m., ESPN)
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🏀 NCAAW: 1st place in Tennessee, South Carolina (Sunday 12 p.m., ESPN); 22nd Louisville vs. 17th Notre Dame (Sunday 2 p.m., ESPN)
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⚽️ MLS: 14 games (Saturday and Sunday, Apple TV+) … 5 games are free, including Orlando vs. Miami vs. the Foxes. (Saturday 4:30pm).
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⚽️ Premier League: man city vs man united (Sunday 10:30 a.m., Peacock) …192nd Manchester Derby.
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🏈 NFL Combine: Days 2-4 (Friday-Sunday, NFL) …QB, WR, RB will be played Saturday at 1 p.m.
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🏒 NHL: red wings panthers (Saturday 3pm, ABC); Devil of Kings (Sunday, 3:30pm, TNT/Max)
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⛳️ PGA: Cognizant Classic (Friday-Sunday, ESPN+/Golf)
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⛳️ Liv: Jeddah (Fri-Sun, CW) …Anthony Kim returns for the first time in 12 years.
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🏁 Nascar: Las Vegas (Sunday 3:30 p.m., Fox)
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🏒 PWHL: toronto at ottawa (Saturday 3:30pm, YouTube); Boston in Montreal (Saturday 4pm, YouTube); Minnesota at New York (Sunday 12:30pm, YouTube)
*Chasing the 40K: LeBron James (39,991 career points) should launch the 40,000-point club on Saturday.
🏎️ F1 Trivia
Who was the last F1 champion? Isn't his name Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen?
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Nico Rosberg
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Fernando Alonso
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Sebastian Vettel
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kimi raikkonen
The answer is at the bottom.
🏈 No more chain gangs?
The NFL reportedly conducted a test. Optical technology tracks first downs in multiple games, including February's Super Bowl.
No more chain gangs? If approved, the technology would replace long-outdated systems on sideline chain crews that introduce human error and guesswork to high-stakes first-down measurements.
Trivia answer: Nico Rosberg (2016 Champion)
I hope you enjoy this edition Yahoo Sports AMa daily newsletter that brings you the latest information on all things sports. Please register here Get emails delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.
