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🚨 HEADLINES
🏈 Amazing ratings: A massive 19 million people tuned in to watch Michigan triumph over Ohio State on Saturday, marking the most-viewed regular-season college football game since 2011. Scandal sells.
🏀 15 consecutive losses: The Lakers clinched a 133-107 win against the Pistons, extending Detroit’s losing streak to 15 games, the longest in the franchise’s history.
🏈 Bobby’s return: Bobby Petrino will be coming back to Arkansas as their offensive coordinator, 11 years after being fired as head coach following a controversial motorcycle crash.
🏀 Upset in Fayetteville: Unranked Arkansas pulled off a surprising 80-75 win against No. 7 Duke, leading to a traditional court storm by Razorbacks fans.
⚾️ Top relievers: Félix Bautista (BAL) and Devin Williams (MIL) were named the AL and NL Relievers of the Year, surpassing Emmanuel Clase (CLE) and David Bednar (PIT).
🏁 Seven years, $7.7B: NASCAR sealed new media rights deals with Fox, NBC, Warner Bros. and Amazon for a combined $7.7 billion. The seven-year deals will come into effect in 2025.
🎙️ TNF: BEHIND THE SCENES WITH ANDREW WHITWORTH
Cooper Neill/Getty Images
Andrew Whitworth, who retired as the NFL’s oldest offensive tackle in 2021, is finding new joy in the game as a “Thursday Night Football” analyst for Amazon.
In an interview, Whitworth confessed that he didn’t consider himself a football fan during his playing days. However, since his retirement, his love for the sport has blossomed, and he relishes every game he gets to watch. Interestingly, he mentioned that figuring out how to watch all the games on Sunday was one of the most frustrating experiences after retiring.
After hanging up his boots, Whitworth contemplated various ways to stay connected to football and then landed the opportunity with Amazon, finding it immensely enjoyable. He has also found fulfillment in sharing his insights with players, adding a new dimension to his post-football career.
An ordinary week in the life of Whitworth involves juggling his “TNF” duties with family commitments, coaching his kids’ sports teams, and finding time during the week to prepare for the next game.
Tonight, Whitworth and his team are gearing up to cover the NFC clash between the Cowboys and Seahawks.
⚽️ THE PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE RACE IS HEATING UP
Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports
Manchester City is on a quest to clinch an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League championship, but they face fierce competition in one of the most intense title races in recent years.
Arsenal currently holds a slender lead over City, with several other teams hot on their tail, making for an electrifyingly close contest.
🏈 WHO YA GOT: NIX OR DANIELS?
Taylar Sievert/Yahoo Sports
Oregon’s Bo Nix and LSU’s Jayden Daniels are in a dead heat in the Heisman race.
Nix: 3,906 pass yards, 37 TD, 2 INT, 78.6 completion percentage, 189.8 passer rating; 159 rush yards, 6 TD … 11-1 record
Daniels: 3,812 pass yards, 40 TD, 4 INT; 72.2 completion percentage, 208.0 passer rating; 1,134 rush yards, 10 TD … 9-3 record
Nix will look to bolster his credentials in the upcoming Pac-12 championship game, while Daniels faces the disappointment of LSU finishing third in the SEC West.
⚾️ DAWSON’S REQUEST: CUBS OVER EXPOS
Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
Hall of Famer Andre Dawson has petitioned the Hall of Fame to change the logo on his plaque from the Montreal Expos to the Chicago Cubs, expressing his desire to “right a wrong” that has troubled him for decades.
Dawson, who was inducted in 2010, spent twice as much time with the Expos as the Cubs. Still, he has always regretted the decision to represent Montreal rather than Chicago in the Hall of Fame.
The Cubs fanbase would certainly support this change, and it would only add to the storied history of the team and the deep ties that the Hawk shares with Chicago.
