Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Jan 12

by

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – When the Boston Celtics raised Banner 18 to the rafters of the TD Garden this past Fall, it marked the 12th title for New England area pro teams in 24 years, or since the year 2000. Since the New England Patriots drafted Tom Brady with the 199th overall selection in the 2000 NFL Draft, the Patriots led the way for titles with six since 2001. Banner 18 was the second NBA title for the Celtics in that span and MLB’s Boston Red Sox managed four championships after breaking the “Curse of the Bambino” way back in 2004.

The question at the dawn of 2025?

What happened?

First, let’s look at the Patriots:

Tom Brady, a legit VVIP in the Greatest of All-Time discussion amongst NFL quarterbacks, departed from Foxborough on St. Patrick’s Day of 2020 with six championship rings in his bag of tricks. Three days later, the fate of the Patriots was sealed when Brady (and eventually TE Rob Gronkowski) signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The two year deal lined Brady’s pockets with an additional $50m (and he added incentives, too) and put a seventh NFL championship ring on his finger in 2021.

Just preceding the development of Brady as the Patriots’ starting QB, head coach (and defacto GM) Bill Belichick took the reigns of New England and created an NFL dynasty like none other. From 2000 to his departure on January 11, 2024, the Patriots compiled a regular-season record of 266–121–0 over 24 seasons. Belichick is the most successful coach in Patriots history, by far, as his 266 wins with the franchise are more than quadruple those of runner-up Mike Holovak. Belichick compiled a 30–12 record in the playoffs with the Pats, including a 6–3 record in Super Bowls. He led the Patriots to 17 divisional titles, including five consecutive titles from 2003 to 2007 and eleven consecutive titles from 2009 to 2019. This streak of 11 consecutive playoff appearances is the most in NFL history for any team.

As most NFL fans know, when Belichick’s exit was combined with Brady’s departure, it sealed the Patriots’ fate.

Fast forward to the regular season just completed and an autopsy on the 2024 New England Patriots results in a (4-13) record with the only quality win coming in the final weekend of the season with a 23-16 win over Buffalo coming a week after the Bills had locked-in as the AFC’s No. 2 seed.

The season was a complete disaster, resulting in the one-and-done firing of coach Jerod Mayo, one of the most popular former players in New England history.

Aside from the drafting of QB prospect Drake Maye, the Patriots are depleted in talent department at nearly every position, aside from cornerback Christian Gonzalez and special teams ace Brenden Schooler. There’s no quick solution, although the Pats have more cap room than any other NFL team.

Of course, the Patriots didn’t help themselves when they won their final game of the season and went from NFL Draft first round pick No. 1 to pick No. 4. The only saving grace? The New England Patriots’ schedule for 2025 will include (Dates TBA):

Home @ Foxborough

*Buffalo Bills

*Miami Dolphins

*New York Jets

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Pittsburgh Steelers

New York Giants

Las Vegas Raiders

Road Games

*Buffalo Bills

*Miami Dolphins

*New York Jets

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

New Orleans Saints

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

*AFC East divisional opponents

Maybe the expected signing of former Patriots outside (and eventually inside) linebacker Mike Vrabel, will provide an added edge in training and execution next season. Vrabel, an accomplished NFL head coach and most recently a consultant with the Cleveland Browns, has been interviewing for head coaching jobs throughout the NFL. In addition to a key hire for head coach, the Patriots’ front office must draft very well over the next two seasons while improving via trades and free agency.

Now? A look at the Boston Red Sox:

Offseason moves include: The Sox’ moved for an ace in starting LH pitcher Garrett Crochet, acquired in a trade with the Chicago White Sox while shoring up the (possible six man) rotation and bullpen with free agent signing of reliever/closer Aroldis Chapman (age 36, 335 saves); signing of former LA Angels pitcher Patrick Sandoval and a stab at another ace in acquiring former Dodgers ace Walker Buehler could call for the 6th Man award!

Buehler, 30, went 1-6 with a 5.38 ERA during the 2024 regular season after missing the previous year recovering from Tommy John surgery. But in the 2024 postseason, he went 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA and added a save. Not bad.

The Red Sox lost free agent OF Tyler O’Neill who came out smoking in the spring of 2024 only to falter and fall to injury later in the summer. But, prospect Kristian Campbell will join OF Jarren Duran, INF Triston Casas and the Sox lone superstar in 3B Rafael Devers in a make-it-or-break-it offensive line-up.

Stiff competition in the AL East places the Red Sox solidly behind the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles, so a postseason berth is not likely in 2025.

Next up? The NHL Boston Bruins snapped a six-game losing streak with a big win at Florida on Saturday afternoon. The Bs (21-19-5) – went (8-9-3) early on to cause the dismissal of coach Jim Montgomery on November 19th after the club lost four of five.

Looking back, in his first season as Boston’s head coach (2022-23), Montgomery led the team to a historic season with the best single-season record in league history (65-12-5). The Bruins logged 135 regular season points and an .823 points percentage, also NHL bests. Montgomery won the Jack Adams Award that season as the League’s top coach. But, the Bruins lost to the Florida Panthers in seven games in the 2023 Eastern Conference First Round, and it was the Panthers – not the favored Bruins – who went on to the Stanley Cup Final.

It’s been downhill ever since with the retirement of Patrice Bergeron, the Bs highly respected captain and soul, leaving the club with quite a void. Can interim head coach Joe Sacco shed that preliminary title with a second half seson run to the Cup Playoffs?

And that brings us to the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics.

Without a doubt, the Celtics remain a solid contender for the 2025 NBA title, but they find themselves a distant third – behind the East’s Cleveland Cavaliers and the West’s Oklahoma City Thunder – when a look at the standings bring a realistic look of the ‘25 Finals.

The Celtics are a mediocre (8-7) over their last 15 games going into Sunday’s game against a struggling New Orleans Pelicans (8-31) team. Truth be told, the Cs have been battling a variety of injuries all season long. Bigman Kristaps Porzingis return brought hope, but he’s been slow in acclimating back into the regular rotation. Others – from PG Jrue Holiday to all-star swingman and Finals MVP Jaylen Brown to All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum to sharpshooter Sam Hauser to bigman Al Horford to reserve Luke Kornet to starting off guard Derrick White, have been in and out more often than teens at a Souther California burger joint. Boston coach Joe Mazzula has juggled 17 starting lineups during a first half-season timespan.

This week, a Friday/Saturday back-to-back against Orlando and Atlanta will provide another test. Will the Celtics regain that laser focus or will the likes of Tatum turn the ball over eight times, like he did this past Friday night in a 114-97 loss to the visiting Sacramento Kings?

In each round-up, there are far too many questions and not nearly enough definitive answers to the woes facing the New England clubs, the Celtics included.

It might be time for some major shake-ups at each and every club. The NBA Trade Deadline is February 6 (3:00pm ET).

And, how ‘bout dem Revs?

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: The NBA is investing in a biomechanics program, according to reports from Sports Business Journal, the sports business trade magazine that reported on of a league-wide memo to all 30 NBA teams. According to SBJ, the league established two biomechanics committees, studying “a number of factors — the size of players, the nature of the game, the number of games in the season, the hardcourt surface — (all indications) that there’s reason to think about biomechanics that could be as helpful in basketball as almost any sport,”

BANNED FROM BASEBALL: You think Pete Rose had issues? The two fans who interfered with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Mookie Betts during Game 4 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium have been indefinitely banned from all MLB stadiums and facilities. … The letter read: “On October 29, 2024, during Game 4 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium, you interfered with play by intentionally and forcefully grabbing a player. Your conduct posed a serious risk to the health and safety of the player and went far over the line of acceptable fan behavior.

“Based on your conduct, Major League Baseball is banning you indefinitely from all MLB stadiums, offices, and other facilities. You are also hereby banned indefinitely from attending any events sponsored by or associated with MLB. Please be advised that if you are discovered at any MLB property or event, you will be removed from the premises and subject to arrest for trespass.”

TIDBITS: The need to cancel a few games in Los Angeles doesn’t come close when comparing the toil of the all-out devastation on-going in the LA area as wild fires burn as much land, homes, businesses in spaces equal to the size of the City of Minneapolis or the island of Manhattan. The League and teams also had concerns as the support to the games and arenas would take away first responder personnel fighting the wild fires. … Said the league in a statement cancelling two additional games, “The NBA and the Clippers and Lakers organizations have been in communication with local officials in Los Angeles and Inglewood about the ongoing situation in the Los Angeles area and the game postponements ensure no resources will be diverted from the wildfire response efforts. … The league and its players put their money where their mouth is with a cool $1m donation. … “The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association are donating one million dollars for immediate relief to the American Red Cross, World Central Kitchen and other organizations to support those affected by this disaster and are working with the Lakers and Clippers on ways to support longer term assistance and rebuilding efforts.” … The NFL was forced to move its Monday Night Playoff games between the Minnesota Vikings and the LA Rams to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. … The LA Chargers changed their practice schedules to minimize their players’ outdoor time in coastal El Segundo. The Chargers are on the road Saturday against the Houston Texans in the wild-card round. … The LA Kings of the NHL were the first to postpone a regular season game, cancelling their Wednesday home game against Calgary at Crypto.com Arena. The Kings are now in the midst of a five-game road trip and play their next game January 20th against the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins. … The PGA Tour has not yet decided whether to play the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in LA, scheduled for Feb. 13-16. … There are several wild fires spread out across the neighboring towns of Los Angeles, including Pacific Palisades. At Santa Anita, the horse racing track is being used to stage fire fighting and relief equipment. The track, located in Arcadia, is near the smoldering Eaton fire that decimated Altadena. … The Palisades Fire is already the most destructive in Los Angeles history.

The Philadelphia 76ers are (4-17) against NBA clubs playing .500 or better basketball and that fact contributes to the Sixers’ (15-21) record overall. … If the NBA Playoffs began today, the once mighty 76ers would not qualify to play, nor attempt to play in.

selective focus photo of DJ mixer
Photo by Alexey Ruban on Unsplash

ADIEU VENU: That was quick. What was proclaimed to be the greatest viewing destination in the history of sports broadcasting has been scrapped. Gone. Left of the editing room floor. Kaput. Said Disney in a statement on the venture which would’ve been the mother of all ESPN, “After careful consideration, we have collectively agreed to discontinue the Venu Sports joint venture and not launch the streaming service. In an ever-changing marketplace, we determined that it was best to meet the evolving demands of sports fans by focusing on existing products and distribution channels. We are proud of the work that has been done on Venu to date and grateful to the Venu staff, whom we will support through this transition period,” the statement read.

Disney was supposed to join forces with FOX and Warner Bros. Discovery and package ESPN, ESPN2, ABC (Sports), Fox, Fox Sports 1, TNT, TBS and others for a whopping $42.99 per month.

Fubo-TV jumped into the fray and filed an anti-trust lawsuit to stop the venture. As of this week, Fubo has settled its lawsuit and will merge efforts with the Walt Disney Co. and its Hulu + Live TV streaming service and join together to create the second-biggest digital pay-TV provider.

IN OTHER SPORTS BUSINESS NEWS: Former NBA China CEO Derek Chang was named President and CEO of Liberty Media. In a January 8th announcement by Liberty Chairman John Malone, Chang’s work with leading the NBA China efforts from 2018 to 2020 when the league expanded its efforts and created a stand-alone entity with offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taipei. Greg Maffei stepped down from his CEO rile in November (2024). Maffei was a driving force behind Liberty’s acquisition of Formula 1 in 2017. After his stint with the NBA, Chang worked in executive roles with EverPass Media, DIRECTV, Scripps, Charter and TCI. EverPass Media was a 2023 effort between the NFL and RedBird Capital Partners to market the NFL League Pass and other sports offerings (Peacock, Thursday Night Football) to commercial customers.

XFINITY AND BEYOND: Here in Boston, Comcast’s Xfinity service has made a move that might take the NBA’s Celtics and NHL’s Bruins right off your remote come this Tuesday, unless customers are ready to anti-up and extra $20 a month for a premium sports package. Come springtime, the same goes for fans looking to watch the Red Sox on NESN. Comcast – Xfinity’s parent company – reached agreements with NESN and NBC Sports Boston to move the channels from its Popular TV (or basic cable package) to its Ultimate TV (premium) level of service. The midseason timing is a killer for Cs and Bs fans who are looking to save some money on their monthly bills.

PARTING WORDS AND MUSIC (from the The Appalachian lap dulcimer): Here’s a treat and something completely different from the usual weekly music clip. This week, a loyal reader sent along a very short clip – highlighting the great movie line, “It ain’t a fit night out for man or beast.” … The famous line comes from the 1933 W.C. Fields motion picture, “The Fatal Glass of Beer,” set in the Yukon. (By the way, a common mistake when quoting the epic is to use the word (nor) instead of the proper (or) when delivering the goods – which comes at the 4:55 mark or so. Enjoy.

While We’re Young (Ideas) is a weekly (every weekend) collection of Sports Notes and News written by Terry Lyons. The posting of each notebook harkens back to the days when you’d walk over to the city newsstand on Saturday night around 10pm to pick-up a copy of the Sunday papers. Inside, just waiting, was a sports-filled compilation of interesting notes, quotes and quips in a column that always sold a few newspapers.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes is brought to you by Digital Sports Desk.

-TL-

Henry, Jackson Lead Ravens

by

BALTIMORE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Baltimore RB Derrick Henry rushed for 186 yards and two scores and teammate Lamar Jackson passed for two touchdowns to lead the host Ravens to a 28-14 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in an AFC wild-card game on Saturday night.

Embed from Getty Images

Jackson completed 16 of 21 passes for 175 yards and rushed for 82 yards on 15 carries while winning for the third time in seven attempts as a postseason starter. Rashod Bateman and Justice Hill had touchdown receptions for third-seeded Baltimore, which has won five straight games and will learn its next opponent on Sunday.

Henry, who carried 26 times, rushed for more than 150 yards for the fourth time in eight career playoff appearances. His postseason high of 195 came against the Ravens in the 2019 season divisional round when he was a member of the Tennessee Titans.

Russell Wilson was 20 of 29 for 270 yards and two touchdowns for sixth-seeded Pittsburgh, which trailed by 21 points twice while losing its fifth consecutive game. George Pickens had five catches for 87 yards and a touchdown and Van Jefferson also had a scoring reception for the Steelers.

The Ravens totaled 299 rushing yards and outgained Pittsburgh 464-280. Baltimore also had a 29-11 advantage in first downs.

The Steelers had just 29 yards on the ground with a long gain of five.

Baltimore receiver Zay Flowers (knee) missed the game.

The Ravens led 21-0 at halftime after dominating the first 30 minutes and putting together touchdown drives of 95, 85 and 90 yards.

Baltimore outgained the Steelers 308-59 and had a 19-2 edge in first downs in the half.

The Ravens took the lead on Jackson’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Bateman with 4:45 left in the first quarter. Henry’s 8-yard scoring run made it 14-0 with 4:09 left in the first half.

Jackson later scrambled out of trouble and hit Hill on a 5-yard scoring pass with two seconds remaining.

Pittsburgh suddenly displayed life in the third quarter as Wilson connected with Jefferson on a 30-yard scoring pass to cap a 98-yard drive with 8:05 left in the period. But Henry broke loose on the fourth play of Baltimore’s next drive and galloped 44 yards for a touchdown to make it 28-7 with 5:49 left.

The Steelers scored again five plays later as Wilson tossed a 36-yard touchdown pass to Pickens with 3:24 left in the third, but that would be the end of the scoring for the night.

–Field Level Media

Texans Too Much for Chargers

by

HOUSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Houston’s QB C.J. Stroud passed for 282 yards and a touchdown, Joe Mixon rushed for 106 yards and a score and Eric Murray returned an interception for a touchdown as the host Texans routed the Los Angeles Chargers 32-12 in an AFC wild-card game on Saturday.

Embed from Getty Images

Houston (11-7) advanced to the divisional round for the second straight season.

After throwing just three interceptions in 504 passing attempts during the regular season, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was picked off four times on Saturday. Herbert was 14-for-32 for 242 yards and a touchdown.

The Chargers scored the first six points, on field goals of 35 and 39 yards by Cameron Dicker. His second came after a Texans fumble gave Los Angeles a short field.

Ka’imi Fairbairn connected on field goals of 41, 37 and 30 yards for Houston.

Houston ran just four offensive plays during the first quarter and had two punts bookending a Stroud interception to start the second.

Fortunes changed just before halftime. Houston drove 99 yards in 13 plays, punctuating the possession with a 13-yard scoring pass from Stroud to Nico Collins with 58 seconds left in the second quarter.

Stroud extended the drive with a highlight-reel play entering the two-minute warning. He scooped up a fumbled snap, then scrambled to connect with Xavier Hutchinson for a 34-yard gain to the Los Angeles 49-yard line on third-and-16.

Herbert threw three straight incompletions on the ensuing Chargers possession, and Houston responded with Fairbairn’s 41-yard field goal to take a 10-6 halftime lead.

The Texans scored the first 13 points after intermission. Murray delivered the lone touchdown over that span with a 38-yard pick six with 13 seconds left in the third quarter.

Derek Stingley Jr. snagged two interceptions for Houston and Kamari Lassiter had another.

Herbert recovered from his third pick with an 86-yard pass-and run touchdown to Ladd McConkey. The burst followed two straight Texans sacks. Houston blocked the extra-point attempt, and D’Angelo Ross returned it to the end zone for two points.

Mixon, who had 25 carries, capped the scoring with a 17-yard run with 3:42 left.

McConkey caught nine passes for 197 yards and a touchdown.

Collins had seven receptions for 122 yards and a score.

Houston outgained Los Angeles 429-261.

–Field Level Media

Bruins Win with 1.2 Seconds Left

by

SUNRISE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s David Pastrnak scored with 1.2 seconds left in overtime for theBruins, who snapped a six-game losing streak with a 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers on Saturday afternoon in Florida.

Embed from Getty Images

Pastrnak, who finished with two goals and one assist, got the game winner on an attempted pass that deflected in off the stick of Florida’s Sam Reinhart. The puck carried over the head of goalie Sergei Bobrovsky for Pastrnak’s sixth goal in his past five games.

The Bruins, who earned their first win of the calendar year after an 0-5-1 stretch since 2025 began, got one goal each from Morgan Geekie and Oliver Wahlstrom.

The Panthers got two goals from Reinhart and one from Evan Rodrigues.

Welcome to Cooper’s Town

by

DURHAM – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Duke Freshman Cooper Flagg rang up 42 points and the No. 4 Blue Devils held off visiting Notre Dame for an 86-78 victory Saturday afternoon at Cameron Indoor in North Carolina.

Embed from Getty Images

Flagg made 11 of 14 shots from the field, including a 4-for-6 mark on 3-pointers, and went 16-for-17 on free throws. He became the first Duke player to reach 40 points since J.J. Redick did it twice in January 2006 and marked the most points for any Blue Devil since Danny Ferry’s 58 in 1988. Flagg also distributed a team-high seven assists and pulled in six rebounds.

Duke (14-2, 6-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), which has won 10 consecutive games, posted the game’s first 14 points to set the tone.

Khaman Maluach’s 19 points and 10 rebounds and Kon Knueppel’s 13 points also were a boost for the Blue Devils.

Markus Burton led Notre Dame (7-9, 1-4), which was coming off a pair of one-point losses, with 23 points. Braeden Shrewsberry notched 14 points and Tae Davis and Sir Mohammed each had 11 points for the Irish, who were helped going 14 of 23 on 3s.

Flagg is the most highly touted freshman in the country. He has racked up 24 or more points in four of the last six games.

Duke’s stellar start came at both ends of the court. Notre Dame didn’t have a field goal until more than five minutes into the game.

When Flagg was called for a push-off for an offensive foul late in the first half, it resulted in a technical foul assessed to irate Duke coach Jon Scheyer.

Flagg scored 15 points in the first half and 15 more in the first nine minutes of the second half, reaching a career-high mark by that point. His previous high was 26 points vs. Kentucky in the third game of the season.

Notre Dame was within 63-53 before managing only one point across the next three-plus minutes. Yet the Irish put together an 11-0 run to close to within 79-74 with 1:03 to play.

Duke’s Sion James made a free throw before Burton’s drive for a basket closed the gap to 80-76 with 36 seconds left. Flagg sank two foul shots.

Flagg drained three 3-pointers in the game’s first seven minutes, putting Duke up 19-8. The halftime score was 44-36.

–Field Level Media

Late Field Goal Lifts Irish

by

MIAMI GARDENS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Notre Dame’s PK Mitch Jeter’s 41-yard field goal with seven seconds left lifted Notre Dame to a 27-24 comeback win over Penn State in the Orange Bowl — one of the College Football Playoff semifinals — on Thursday.

Embed from Getty Images

The seventh-seeded Fighting Irish (14-1) won their 13th game in a row and advanced to the CFP national championship game, which will be played January 20 in Atlanta. Their opponent will be the winner of tonight’s Cotton Bowl matchup between fifth-seeded Texas and eighth-seeded Ohio State.

It will be the first time Notre Dame has played for a national title since 2013 when it lost to Alabama in a game played in Miami Gardens.

Christian Gray’s diving interception of a pass from Penn State quarterback Drew Allar with 33 seconds left set up the Fighting Irish’s winning score.

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard completed 15 of 23 passes for 223 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions and converted a key first down on the Fighting Irish’s final drive to set up Jeter’s game-winner.

On third-and-3, Leonard found Jaden Greathouse for 10 yards to the Penn State 25, and Leonard subsequently ran for 2 yards to make the attempt closer. Jeter, who is 7-for-8 on field-goal attempts in the playoffs, snuck the ball just inside the right upright.

Greathouse, who finished with a career-high 105 receiving yards, made his biggest catch when he hauled in a 54-yard touchdown pass from Leonard to level the score at 24 with 4:38 to go.

The Fighting Irish regained possession after forcing a Penn State punt. However, Notre Dame’s own ensuing drive fizzled at midfield when Leonard was sacked by Coziah Izzard, forcing a punt with 47 seconds left.

The sixth-seeded Nittany Lions (13-3) were looking for a shot at their first national title since 1986. They fell despite a stellar game from Nicholas Singleton, who tied an Orange Bowl record with three rushing touchdowns.

Inaugural TGL Match a Success

by

PALM BEACH GARDENS – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – The first match of the new TGL was a one-sided affair lacking true suspense. But there wasn’t any disappointment or sad faces to be found after Bay Golf Club rolled to a 9-2 victory over New York Golf Club on Tuesday night in South Florida.

Embed from Getty Images

The new venture, which includes Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy as driving forces, was played at SoFi Center, a custom-built 1,500-seat arena. It was certainly much different than what golfers typically experience. And that was just fine by Bay Golf Club’s Ludvig Aberg.

“It was awesome. I always said I was so jealous of basketball and football players because they get to do this a lot and we don’t,” Aberg said. “So this whole stadium-like feel is awesome to be a part of, and it gets you going a little bit differently from a normal golf tournament.”

Bay GC clinched the victory on No. 10 of the 15-hole match that lasted just over two hours. The 15-hole course was custom-designed, and the competition is part virtual and part real life.

The high-tech indoor league features six teams and a 15-match season.

“Just to have the ability to showcase our sport,” Woods said of why he’s excited about the venture. “It’s not traditional golf, but it’s golf — and that’s the main thing.”

Players hit tee and approach shots into a simulated screen that has hole layouts, greens, bunkers and anything else you’d see on a golf course. After the ball lands, the rest of the shots and putts are hit inside the facility.

The fans in attendance were allowed to be vocal — kind of different than the marshal at Augusta holding “quiet” or “no noise” signs.

“You don’t hear that at most events,” Woods said, “but you’ll hear that here.”

Wyndham Clark and Shane Lowry also played for Bay Golf Club, while Min Woo Lee sat out.

“I thought it would be a little bit more of a match,” Clark said. “There wasn’t much trash talk to do because we beat them so bad.”

Lowry liked the atmosphere inside the venue, but he needed some time to adjust.

“It’s quite an intimidating place to play golf because it’s somewhere we’re not used to,” Lowry said.

New York’s team consisted of Xander Schauffele, Rickie Fowler and Matt Fitzpatrick. Cameron Young was inactive.

Schauffele was surprised his team couldn’t give Bay GC more of a match.

“They played pretty well,” Schauffele said. “It seems like every time their ball hit the screen it was going down the middle, and our ball would hit the screen and be 30 to 40 yards to the right … We have nobody else to blame but ourselves.”

A wrinkle the golfers had to get used to was the 40-second shot clock. A violation results in a one-stroke penalty.

“I didn’t feel rushed,” Fitzpatrick said. “I wish that was in real golf as well.”

Teams rotate possession of the hammer. When used, the hammer doubles the point total of a given hole.

Lowry hit the first tee shot in TGL history to get the festivities going.

Bay GC took a 1-0 lead on the first hole (The Plank) when Aberg made a 9-foot birdie putt.

After Fowler hit his tee shot, he professed to be feeling anxiety.

“This is a new environment,” Fowler said. “So this isn’t something we’re fully used to. You feel the nerves a bit.”

On No. 3 (Set in Stone), Bay GC elected to use the hammer and Clark’s ensuing 7-foot, 7-inch putt was good and worth two points to give Bay GC a 3-0 advantage.

On the fourth hole (Boomerang), Lowry’s 3-foot, 8-inch putt boosted Bay GC’s lead to four.

Aberg came up big on the fifth hole (Craic On) by sinking a 32-foot, 1-inch putt to make it 5-0.

New York earned its first point on the ninth hole (The Spear) to trail 6-1 at halftime.

When Bay GC won No. 10 (Serpent), the victory was clinched — but the remaining five holes were still played due to season tiebreaker reasons (most holes won).

The TGL is starting up one year later than initially planned. The original arena roof collapsed during a storm in November 2023.

The four other teams in the league are Atlanta, Boston, Jupiter (Fla.) and Los Angeles.

Next Tuesday, Los Angeles and Woods-led Jupiter square off in the league’s second match.

–Field Level Media

FOLD the MAYO

by

FOXBOROUGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The New England Patriots fired coach Jerod Mayo on Sunday shortly after the team completed a 4-13 season. Mayo, 38, was in his first season on the job after replacing legendary coach Bill Belichick after last season.

Embed from Getty Images

The move was made after the Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills 23-16 to halt a six-game losing streak.

“After the game today, I informed Jerod Mayo that he will not be returning as the head coach of the New England Patriots in 2025,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement. “For me, personally, this was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made.

“I have known Jerod for 17 years. He earned my respect and admiration as a rookie in 2008 and throughout his career for his play on the field, his leadership in the locker room and the way he conducted himself in our community. When he joined our coaching staff, his leadership was even more evident, as I saw how the players responded to him.

“Unfortunately, the trajectory of our team’s performances throughout the season did not ascend as I had hoped.”

The Patriots defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in Mayo’s debut and then dropped their next six games. New England won two of its next three games before the second six-game skid that ended with a 40-7 beatdown by the visiting Los Angeles Chargers.

New England, which won six Super Bowl titles under Belichick, missed the playoffs for the third straight season. The Patriots haven’t won a playoff game since winning the Super Bowl following the 2018 season.

“We have tremendous fans who expect and deserve a better product than we have delivered in recent years,” Kraft said. “I apologize for that. I have given much thought and consideration as to what actions I can take to expedite our return to championship contention and determined this move was the best option at this time.”

Mayo was a linebackers coach with the Patriots from 2019-23 before being promoted to the head coaching gig. He also was a two-time Pro Bowl linebacker for New England and racked up 802 tackles, 11 sacks and three interceptions in 103 regular-season games from 2008-15.

One available coach who should interest the Patriots is Mike Vrabel, who recorded a 54-45 record in six seasons with the Tennessee Titans from 2018-23. He guided the Titans to three playoff appearances, including a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2019 season’s AFC title game.

Vrabel, 49, also played for the Patriots from 2001-08 and earned three Super Bowl rings.

–Field Level Media

Kings, Six in a Row for the Day

by

BOSTON – Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis had 23 points and a career-high 28 rebounds to help the visiting Kings extend their winning streak to six games by beating the Boston Celtics 114-97 Friday night.

YouTube player

Sabonis became the first player to grab more than 24 rebounds in a game at the renovated TD Garden (the mark was reached hundreds of times at the old Boston Garden). Sacramento had a 56-43 rebounding edge in the win.

The game was tied after three quarters, but the Kings outscored the Celtics 38-21 in the fourth. Sacramento led by as many as 19 points in the fourth quarter.

DeMar DeRozan tossed in 24 points for the Kings, who received 22 from Malik Monk and 19 from Keegan Murray.

Jaylen Brown led Boston with 28 points, and Kristaps Porzingis finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Jayson Tatum had 15 points and 12 rebounds, but committed eight turnovers.

Boston shot 40.5 percent from the field (34 of 84) and 26.8 percent from 3-point territory (11 of 41). Derrick White was 1 of 8 from the field (0 of 6 on 3-point attempts) and was held to three points.

The Kings improved to 6-1 under interim coach Doug Christie.

Sacramento played its third straight game without point guard De’Aaron Fox (glute contusion). Fox is averaging 26.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game this season.

Sacramento built a 10-point lead in the first quarter and led 34-27 entering the second. The Kings made eight 3-pointers in the first 12 minutes.

Boston held a 43-37 advantage after scoring 16 of the first 19 points in the second quarter. A 7-0 run gave the Kings a 44-43 lead later in the quarter, but Boston was up 55-53 at halftime. Sabonis had 16 rebounds in the first half.

Boston led 72-63 with 6:51 remaining in the third quarter, but Murray and Sabonis scored to ignite a Sacramento surge. In the final 1:01 of the quarter, Murray dunked and DeRozan hit a jumper to tie it 76-76 by the start of the fourth. Tatum turned the ball over five times in the third.

–Field Level Media

Celtics Make Move in 4th Quarter

by

DENVER – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jayson Tatum had 29 points, his teammate Kristaps Porzingis finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds and the visiting Celtics beat the short-handed Denver Nuggets 118-106 on Tuesday night.

YouTube player

Jrue Holiday scored 19 points and Jaylen Brown contributed 14 for the Celtics, who used a strong fourth quarter to break open a close game.

Boston was without starting point guard Derrick White due to an illness.

Russell Westbrook scored 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Denver, which played without reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and power forward Aaron Gordon. Jokic (illness) missed his fourth game of the season, with Dario Saric starting in his place. Saric didn’t score in his 17 minutes of court time.

Jamal Murray and Julian Strawther each scored 19 points, Michael Porter Jr. had 15 points and 10 rebounds, Peyton Watson contributed 14 points and Christian Braun finished with 12 points for the Nuggets.

Denver led by two twice early in the third quarter, but the Celtics snatched the momentum and were up 86-79 following a Tatum 3-pointer with 1:47 to go in the period. Boston took an 88-83 edge into the fourth.

Strawther tied the game at 88 with a triple just 1:10 into the final frame. It was later 93-93 when the Nuggets went cold, as they failed to score for over four minutes while watching the Celtics go on a decisive 15-0 run that made it 108-93 with 4:29 remaining.

Tatum punctuated the rally with a trio of free throws.

Despite punching back with seven straight points to trim its deficit to 108-100 with 3:26 remaining, Denver didn’t have enough gas in the tank to complete a comeback and lost for the second time in three games.

Boston saw a 15-point lead vanish in the first half and had to settle for a 57-57 tie at the break. By then, the Nuggets already had five scorers in double figures.

–Field Level Media

In a Bay Club State of Mind

by

PALM BEACH GARDENS – (Staff Report from Official TGL News Release) – The Bay Golf Club’s Shane Lowry had the honor of the first shot in TGL history, but forgot to bring a tee to the hitting area to open the match. Following a laugh and a deep breath, the Irishman launched his tee shot into the massive simulator Screen, and it flew safely into the fairway, setting the inaugural season in motion Tuesday under the lights of the indoor SoFi Center in South Florida.

Embed from Getty Images

Lowry would go on to record the clinching point for The Bay Golf Club over New York Golf Club, besting Rickie Fowler in Singles at the par-5 10th to make it 7-1 and secure the victory for himself and teammates Wyndham Clark and Ludvig Åberg with five holes left. The remaining holes were played out for a final score of 9-2.

NYGC (0-1) fell behind on the first hole with Fowler, Xander Schauffele and Matt Fitzpatrick looking on as Åberg drained a nine-foot birdie putt at The Plank for the early 1-0 lead. It was that kind of night for NY Golf Club, which found itself on the wrong side of an early two-point swing.

TBGC (1-0) began the match with the Hammer and held onto it for the first two holes. Then, with Clark feeling confident standing over a 7-foot birdie putt to win the par-3 third hole, Set in Stone, TBGC threw the Hammer to increase the point value of the hole to two points and show how quickly it can change the momentum in a match.

NYGC accepted and Clark drained the putt to give his team a 3-0 lead through three holes.

TBGC continued grinding out points with steady play and several spectacular highlights from Åberg. The 25-year-old Swede helped earn another point at the fourth hole, Boomerang, hitting his team’s third shot into the 582-yard par 5 to just four feet. Lowry made the birdie putt to put TBGC ahead, 4-0.

Åberg tacked on another at the par-3 fifth hole, Craic On, draining a 32-foot birdie putt to win the hole and make it 5-0 TBGC with 10 holes to play.

TBGC won its fourth consecutive hole with a stress-free par at the sixth, but NYGC finished strong in Triples thanks to a crafty chip from Fitzpatrick at The Spear, the par-5 ninth hole. That resulted in a conceded birdie and the first point on the board for NYGC with the score 6-1 entering Singles.

TBGC earned two points in the SoFi Cup Standings with the victory, while NY Golf Club will look to pick up its first point of the season in their next match.

NYGC returns to action at 7 p.m. on Jan. 21 against Atlanta Drive Golf Club, while The Bay looks to keep it rolling with two matches on Feb. 17 against Atlanta Drive (4 p.m.) and Boston Common Golf (7 p.m.) as part of a TGL tripleheader.