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🚨 Headlines
🏈 Cowboys vacancy: Mike McCarthy is out in Dallas after stalled contract negotiations, the latest baffling move by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. One potential replacement? Deion Sanders, who reportedly spoke with Jones about the job on Monday.
❤️ United in support: Los Angeles’ 12 professional sports teams pledged to donate more than $8 million to support victims of the wildfires and the first responders fighting them.
🏀 Clark’s stalker arrested: A 55-year-old Texas man was arrested in Indianapolis for allegedly sending threats and sexually explicit messages to Caitlin Clark.
🥊 Fury calls it quits: Two-time world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury (34-2-1) announced his retirement from boxing, though some believe it’s just a negotiating tactic.
🏀 AP polls: Auburn overtook Tennessee atop the men’s rankings but will be without star Johni Broome (ankle) indefinitely; the Minnesota women are ranked for the first time since 2019. They visit No. 8 Maryland tonight.
🏈 Jim Tyrer’s complicated candidacy
Should a murderer make the Hall of Fame? That’s a question voters must consider today when deciding whether nine-time Pro Bowler Jim Tyrer belongs in Canton.
The backstory: On Sept. 15, 1980, while his kids were sound asleep, Tyrer shot and killed his wife, Martha, before turning the gun on himself. The murder-suicide abruptly ended any talk of the Chiefs legend making the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which once seemed like a certainty. Now, half a century later, he’s a candidate again.
Back on the ballot: Tyrer, widely considered one of the best left tackles in NFL history, is among the five “Seniors category” finalists in the Class of 2025. He’ll need at least 40 of 49 votes today to be inducted, and he just might get them thanks to two factors that complicate his candidacy:
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Unlike the Baseball Hall of Fame, which has a “character clause,” the Pro Football Hall of Fame explicitly prohibits voters from considering off-field factors. So in theory, the tragic murder-suicide that orphaned four children isn’t on his résumé.
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Tyrer is believed to have had CTE when he committed his horrible final acts. That doesn’t excuse what he did, but it does add important context as scientists continue to gain a better understanding of the connection between football and brain disease.
A path to forgiveness? While the Hall’s bylaws are clear that only on-field performance should be considered, the reality is that most voters will be unable to separate what Tyrer did that night from what he did on the field. Tyrer’s family just hopes voters can forgive him — as they did long ago. “The guy that did what he did to our mom that night wasn’t our dad,” says Jim’s son, Brad.
What voters are saying (via ESPN):
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Yes: Longtime voter Ron Borges wrote last month that Tyrer earned the right to be in the Hall but was “denied it because the game he played destroyed his brain and led to a family tragedy.” He’ll advocate on Jim’s behalf today before opening the floor for others to speak.
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No: “It’s morally abhorrent and unacceptable to put a murderer in the Hall of Fame if you have the power to do otherwise,” said another longtime voter, who said he has “incredible compassion for the family” but can’t support Jim’s candidacy.
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Maybe: “When you see that this is a man, who had for decades lived a life that was admired by many, that this change in him was caused by [CTE] … that makes me look at it differently,” said another voter, who sounds like he’s on the fence.
Bottom line: This is a story about football, and the harrowing realities of America’s favorite sport. It’s a story about gun violence, loss and healing. It’s a story about four children forgiving their dad and hoping the man they once knew — “the model father, husband, citizen and captain” — is deemed worthy of celebration and honor.
The last word, courtesy of Kevin Patrick Allen, who produced a short film about Tyrer called “A Good Man” and is now working on a longer documentary…
“Jim Tyrer’s story isn’t about endorsing immorality. It’s about having the guts to see he was a moral man with a broken brain, exemplified by the continued love felt by those who knew him best. As his daughter recently told me: ‘I think the knowledge that CTE was the primary factor in my Dad’s actions is justice for Mom.'”
🏈 And then there were eight…
The Rams upset the Vikings, 27-9, on Sunday night in Arizona to punch the final ticket to the divisional round and book a date with the Eagles.
“That was for the people of Los Angeles who are struggling right now. We’re living it every day. It’s been a whirlwind. But to come out here and play like we did, in all phases, I’m really proud of this group.”
— Matthew Stafford
Opening lines:
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Rams at Eagles (-6)
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Commanders at Lions (-9)
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Texans at Chiefs (-8)
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Ravens (-1) at Bills
Embrace debate: Should the NFL change its seeding system? The league currently rewards home games to division winners regardless of record, which is why the Vikings (14-3), Commanders (12-5) and Chargers (11-6) hit the road this weekend despite having more wins than the Rams (10-7), Bucs (10-7) and Texans (10-7).
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We have this debate almost every year, but it was more of a conversation than usual this season thanks to the NFC North battle between the Lions and Vikings.
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The discourse intensified ahead of their Week 18 meeting, where the winner (Detroit) earned the No. 1 seed and the loser (Minnesota) dropped all the way to the No. 5 seed despite having the third-most wins in the entire league.
Looking ahead: The NFL reportedly plans to “take another look” at the seeding system this offseason and could alter the format to give the best four teams home games, regardless of division. I suspect the Vikings’ loss will only add fuel to that fire — even if they have nobody to blame but themselves for scoring nine measly points and stinking up the joint.
🏀 Cooper Flagg: Best freshman ever?
The hype is building around Cooper Flagg, which is saying something because he was already one of the most-hyped prospects ever when he arrived at Duke this summer.
The Maine Event: Flagg made local news in Maine back in 2021 when he received a D1 scholarship offer from Bryant College as an eighth-grader. Less than four years later (he skipped a grade), the 6-foot-9 forward is being mentioned in the same breath as some of basketball’s all-time greats.
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Following his 42-point outburst on Friday, Dick Vitale said Flagg is “right there” with the three best players he’s ever seen in-person at a young age: LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson.
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Draft analysts are comparing Flagg, who only just turned 18, to Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett, citing his versatility, shot-blocking prowess and playmaking ability.
By the numbers: The freshman sensation is averaging 23.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists in ACC play (six games) on 59/55/88 shooting splits… all while playing elite defense for the red-hot Blue Devils, who haven’t lost since November.
Player of the Year? Flagg is the current favorite to win the Wooden Award, which is something only three freshmen have ever accomplished: Kevin Durant (2007), Anthony Davis (2012) and Zion Williamson (2019).
“This kid is the best thing happening in the sport. What he just did against Notre Dame was utterly insane. … I would pick him right now to win National Player of the Year … The last time that was done [by a freshman], we were talking about Zion every morning. Start talking about Cooper Flagg’s greatness every morning.”
— John Fanta, Fox Sports (via The Field of 68)
My thoughts… Flagg does almost everything well, which is what makes him such a special all-around talent. But the biggest takeaway for me so far has been his motor. The kid plays hard all the time, something ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony commented on last year:
“It’s hard to remember another player universally considered the No. 1 prospect in high school basketball who legitimately plays harder than any player in the country.”
What’s next: How will Flagg follow up his historic 42-point game? We’ll find out tonight when No. 3 Duke hosts Miami (9pm ET, ESPN).
📸 The world in photos
La Jolla, California — Surfers walk along Black’s Beach after a recent afternoon session.
Hayfield, England — An ice climber ascends Kinder Downfall, a frozen waterfall in the Peak District National Park.
Bisha, Saudi Arabia — I look at this photo of a driver competing in the 47th Dakar Rally and all I can hear is the “Dune” soundtrack. Lisan al Gaib!
Tamworth, England — The main stand in Tottenham’s $1 billion stadium holds 17,500 people. The main stand at The Lamb Ground, the charming shoebox of a stadium where they nearly lost this weekend, holds 518.
✍️ Extra points
🏀 Ball in the family: LaMelo Ball is a candidate to start in the NBA All-Star Game, Lonzo Ball has reclaimed a starting role after two years sidelined, and now LiAngelo Ball has inked a record deal worth up to $13 million after his song “Tweaker” took the sports world by storm and shot up the charts.
🎾 Another upset in Melbourne: A day after unseeded American Alex Michelsen beat No. 11 Stefanos Tsitsipas, 18-year-old Brazilian João Fonseca — a qualifier making his Grand Slam debut — upset No. 9 Andrey Rublev in straight sets. The second round of the Australian Open begins tonight.
📈 Straight to No. 1: On Saturday, Jim Murphy’s self-help book “Inner Excellence” ranked 552,709th in sales on Amazon. By Monday morning, it was No. 1 thanks to Eagles WR A.J. Brown, who went viral for reading it on the sideline during Sunday’s win over the Packers.
🏈 Crazy Commanders stats: Washington has won its last five games on the final play from scrimmage (here they are); Jayden Daniels already has more career games (3) where his team has zero punts and zero turnovers than the combined careers of Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Peyton Manning and Patrick Mahomes (2).
📺 Watchlist: Top of the table clash
Nottingham Forest’s magical season will be put to the test today (3pm ET, USA) when the third-place club hosts first-place Liverpool.
Surprise contender: Forest (12-4-4) have already far exceeded their win total from last season (9-9-20), when they narrowly avoided being relegated to the Championship (second tier), which is where they’ve spent most of their existence.
More to watch:
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🎾 Australian Open: Second round (7pm, ESPN+; 9pm, ESPN2)
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🏀 NBA: Cavaliers at Pacers (7pm, TNT); Nuggets at Mavericks (9:30pm, TNT)
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🏀 NCAAM: No. 15 Mississippi State at No. 1 Auburn (7pm, SEC); No. 21 Ole Miss at No. 4 Alabama (7pm, ESPNU); No. 11 Texas A&M at No. 8 Kentucky (7pm, ESPN2) … Just a sampling of tonight’s stacked slate.
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🏀 NCAAW: No. 24 Minnesota at No. 8 Maryland (7pm, BTN)
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🏒 NHL: Panthers at Devils (7:30pm, ESPN+/Hulu/Disney+)
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⛳️ TGL: Los Angeles vs. Jupiter Links* (7pm, ESPN)
*Tiger’s debut: Tiger Woods will play in his inaugural TGL match alongside Max Homa and Kevin Kisner (Jupiter Links Golf Club). They’ll take on Justin Rose, Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala (Los Angeles Golf Club).
⚾️ MLB trivia
Dustin Pedroia, who is on the 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, is one of four players in MLB history to win ROY and MVP in consecutive seasons (2007-08).
Question: Who are the other three players?
Hint: 1982-83 (AL), 2005-06 (NL), 2015-16 (NL).
Answer at the bottom.
🏈 AFC Final Four: Who ya got?
For the second straight postseason, the Chiefs, Texans, Bills and Ravens are in the AFC Final Four. Last year, Baltimore and Buffalo hosted games; this year, it’s Kansas City and Buffalo.
Click to vote: Who ya got winning this weekend?
Trivia answer: Cal Ripken Jr. (Orioles), Ryan Howard (Phillies), Kris Bryant (Cubs)
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