Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

Archives for January 2026

NFL Salary Cap to $301.2 Million

by

NEW YORK – (Wire Service Report) – NFL teams were informed on Friday that the 2026 salary cap is projected to increase from 2025’s record ceiling to between $301.2 million and $305.7 million. The new NFL numbers were first reported by the NFL Network, seemingly, a credible source.

This season, clubs each had a limit of $279.2 million, a $23.8 million increase from 2024. The projected number for next season is a boost of more than $20 million and almost $100 million more than the cap of $208.2 million in 2022, when it first crossed the $200 million barrier.

The league’s rise in prosperity and popularity has been reflected in TV rights deals with its broadcast partners and impacted the annual salary cap, which was $120.37 million in 2011.

The cap has risen yearly since 2011, except for 2021 when the league prioritized recovery from the pandemic, including loss of live attendance gate and concessions profits.

–Field Level Media

Filed Under: NFL Tagged With:

Maye Day! Maye Day!

by

FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report)New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye missed practice Friday due to illness, coach Mike Vrabel announced.

“He would have been at practice today if not for the illness,” Vrabel said of Maye, who also has been limited by a sore right shoulder.

Embed from Getty Images

The team is preparing for Super Bowl LX against the Seattle Seahawks on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara. Maye was listed as a limited participant because of the shoulder issue during an estimated practice on Wednesday as well as Thursday’s session.

Vrabel was asked how Maye’s shoulder responded to limited participation on Thursday.

“I would say favorably, he’s fine,” Vrabel said on Friday. “However you label limited, that’s how much he practiced. It wasn’t full. So if it’s not full, it has to be down as limited.”

Maye talked to reporters after Thursday’s session and said he “felt good.” The second-year player said he threw during practice in the Patriots’ field house and didn’t think he would be limited for the Super Bowl.

“That’s why you spend time; that’s why you have trainers,” Maye said. “I think it’s just been one of those things where it’s been a long season and sometimes things show up. I’ll do whatever I can to feel 100%, and I’m sure I’ll get if not there, as close as you can — 99, or do whatever I can to make sure I’m throwing and do whatever I can to help the team win.”

Maye, 23, landed on his right shoulder during a 13-yard run in the third quarter of New England’s 10-7 win over the host Denver Broncos last Sunday in the AFC title game.

Maye has started every game this season for New England, including playoff victories over the Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans and Broncos.

He led the NFL with a 72.0% completion rate and 113.5 passer rating while throwing for 4,394 yards with 31 touchdown passes and eight interceptions. Maye has four TD passes and two interceptions in the postseason.

With a victory over the Seahawks, Maye will be the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl.

The Patriots also continue to practice this week without linebackers Harold Landry III (knee) and Robert Spillane (ankle) and offensive tackle Thayer Munford Jr. (knee/illness). Spillane was injured during the AFC Championship Game, a contest that Landry missed.

-Field Level Media

Askew Leads ‘Nova

by

PHILADELPHIA – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Villanova connected on 13 3-pointers – led by five from Devin Askew – as the Wildcats improved to 16-5 and 7-3 in the BIG EAST with a win over Providence at home on Friday night.
Friday, Jan. 30
Villanova 87, Providence 73 – Box Score
Devin Askew scored a game-high 20 points, connecting on 5-of-8 from beyond the arc as Villanova used its long-distance shooting to propel it to a win over Providence.  The opening eight minutes of the game saw three ties and three lead changes before a 13-3 Nova run pushed the lead to 10 (28-18) with 9:16 left in the half.  The Wildcats would not trail the rest of the way.  In the second half, a 3-pointer from Providence’s Stefan Vaaks got the Friars within eight (59-51) with 9:51 to play, but a 13-1 push from Nova put the game out of reach. In addition to Askew, four Wildcats reached double-digits in the scoring column – Tyler Perkins added 19 points and six boards; Acaden Lewis had 12 points and eight assists; Bryce Lindsay finished with 11 and Matthew Hodge 10.  Providence was led by Vaaks’ game-high 25 points, as the freshman made 10-of-18 shots from the floor including five 3-pointers.  Jaylin Sellers added 16 and Ryan Mela 14.
Embed from Getty Images

 

Of  Note:
Saturday’s Action: Four games are set for Saturday, beginning with a trio of early afternoon tips – Marquette at Seton Hall (Peacock/NBCSN) and Georgetown at Butler (TNT/HBO Max) and noon ET and DePaul at Xavier (FS1) at 1 p.m. ET. Saturday’s action concludes with UConn visiting Creighton at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.
Saturday, Jan. 31
Peacock; NBC Sports Network
Marquette at Seton Hall – Noon ET
John Fanta (pxp); Jordan Cornette (analyst)
TNT; HBO Max
Georgetown at Butler – Noon ET
Brian Anderson (pxp); Grant Hill (analyst); Andy Katz (reporter)
FS1
DePaul at Xavier – 1 p.m. ET
Jack Kizer (pxp); Nick Bahe (analyst)
FOX
UConn at Creighton – 8 p.m. ET
Tim Brando (pxp); Donny Marshall (analyst)

Game Changers in Pro Futbol Biz

by

SEATTLE – (Staff Report from Official Company News Release) – Arkero, a new platform using Artificial Intelligence to effectively run the day-to-day operations of complex organizations in sport, recently announced a $6 million pre-seed funding round, and partnerships with professional sports organizations in the MLS, NWSL in the United States, along with users in the English Football League.

Embed from Getty Images

The investment was led by Roger Ehrenberg at Game Changers Ventures, with participation from Alexis Ohanian (776), David Tisch (BoxGroup), Garuda Ventures, Founders’ Co-op and strategic investors including Adrian Hanauer of the Seattle Sounders and Seattle Reign.

Arkero’s first partners include the Seattle Sounders, Seattle Reign, San Diego FC and Bolton Wanderers FC. Initial deployments focus on integrating AI into match day planning and season ticket renewals to help teams streamline coordination, reduce manual work, and operate with greater clarity across disconnected tools.

In early deployments, the Sounders and Reign project over 50% improvement in efficiency savings around matchday planning in 2026 alone, driven by reduced manual work, faster decision-making, and fewer operational errors.

Arkero centralizes operational data, workflows, and decisions into a single system, allowing business teams to plan, execute, and adapt in real time – without adding headcount or new layers of complexity. Because it is being built by operators who have run clubs themselves, Arkero reflects the realities of sports businesses: small teams, complex events, constant deadlines, and no margin for error. As a result, teams gain back time, clarity, and confidence – and can focus on growing the business rather than managing around broken processes.

“I own a football club. I’ve sat in the meetings, lived the chaos, and felt the cost of running a business on Excel and email,” said Shivaas Gulati, CEO of Arkero,“ The opportunity exists because this is broken from the inside.”

After leaving Remitly, the $8 billion IPO company he co-founded in 2022, Gulati joined the ownership group of English club Southend United FC, a 119-year-old club competing in the National League. Drawing on his hands-on experience from Southend United – and advising organizations such as the Seattle Sounders – Gulati has applied the operational discipline and best practices developed at Remitly to the global sports industry, a market exceeding $500 billion annually.

“On and off the pitch, our business is about constantly looking ahead to identify what we can do better and how we can use technology and the right partners to gain a competitive edge,” said Sounders FC majority owner Adrian Hanauer. “Our investment in Arkero is aligned with this approach, accounting for not just where we are as an organization today, but where we need to be going forward.”

“We made intentional decisions to prioritize how our teams could be optimized through AI,”said Hugh Weber, President and Chief Business Officer of Sounders FC. “Partnering with Shivaas and the Arkero team allowed us to embed AI into our operating system rather than layering on software which has made the technology a durable part of our culture.”

““We look for companies that have a clear grasp of where both sports and business are headed, near term and long term,” said Roger Ehrenberg of Game Changers Ventures. “While many are still debating how AI fits into real business solutions, Arkero is delivering tangible results. They’ve already demonstrated real impact with partners like the Sounders and the Reign, and we’re proud to support them as they scale.”

Seahawks Super Sale?

by

SEATTLE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – A week before the Seattle Seahawks will play in the Super Bowl, the team denied multiple media reports on Friday that it will be up for immediate sale following the title game.

Embed from Getty Images

Paul Allen owned the Seahawks and the Portland Trail Blazers until his death in 2018. The clubs are currently controlled by his trust under the management of his sister, Jody Allen. Paul Allen’s request was that the teams eventually be sold, with the money going to charity.

“We don’t comment on rumors or speculation, and the team is not for sale,” a club spokesman said in a statement on Friday. “We’ve already said that will change at some point per Paul’s wishes, but I have no news to share. Our focus right now is winning the Super Bowl and completing the sale of the Portland Trail Blazers in the coming months.”

Per Sportico last summer, the Seahawks were valued at $6.59 billion, in the middle of the pack for NFL teams. Forbes’ December 2024 list of worldwide sports franchise values put the Seahawks in a tie for 24th place with the Los Angeles Dodgers at $5.45 billion.

The latest purchase of an NFL club was the $6.05 billion sale of the Washington Commanders in 2023. ESPN cited an anonymous team executive saying the Seahawks could be sold for $7 billion to $8 billion.

The highest-valued sports franchise is the Dallas Cowboys, listed by Sportico at $12.8 billion and by Forbes a year earlier at $10.1 billion.

Paul Allen spent $200 million in 1997 to buy the Seahawks from Ken Behring at a time when there was talk of the team relocating.

The Seahawks, who joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1976, will make their fourth Super Bowl appearance when they oppose the New England Patriots on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, Calif. Seattle lost in the title game to the Pittsburgh Steelers after the 2005 season, beat the Denver Broncos for the championship after the 2013 season and fell to the Patriots for the crown after the 2014 season.

–Field Level Media

To HELL with the HALL

by

CANTON – If everyone in the NFL-loving world thought it was going to be, “It’s on to Canton,” they’re wrong. No Pro Football Hall of Fame for former New England Patriots and current University of North Carolina coach Bill Belichick. The Halls of Canton await as it was announced Tuesday that Belichick will not make the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot, multiple media outlets reported Tuesday.

The stunning news comes a week before the Class of 2026 inductees are announced during the “NFL Honors” broadcast on Feb. 5.

Embed from Getty Images

Belichick’s six Super Bowl victories as a head coach are the most in NFL history. He went 266-121 (.687) in his 24 seasons leading the New England Patriots, with an undefeated regular season in 2007. He also won two Super Bowls as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants.

Per ESPN, Belichick was informed Friday that he did not reach the threshold of 40 out of 50 votes from the Hall of Fame’s selection committee.

Earlier in the process, the hall’s Coach Blue-Ribbon Committee chose Belichick as its sole coach finalist for consideration by the full selection committee. Other coaches on that list included Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Marty Schottenheimer and Mike Shanahan.

A different committee selected Patriots owner Robert Kraft as the finalist from the contributor category.

According to an ESPN report, selection committee member and former Indianapolis Colts general manager Bill Polian told some voters he believed Belichick should “wait a year” before induction as a form of reparation for the Spygate and Deflategate scandals during the Belichick-Tom Brady dynasty years.

Belichick, Polian and the Hall of Fame did not provide comment.

Belichick was a three-time NFL Coach of the Year and named to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019. With 302 wins as head coach of the Cleveland Browns (1991-95) and Patriots, he ranks third in league history behind Don Shula and George Halas.

The Patriots went 29-38 in Belichick’s last four years in New England once Brady left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he won one Super Bowl without Belichick. More recently, Belichick became a college coach for the first time at North Carolina, but his first season was a disastrous 4-8 affair.

–Field Level Media

No Super Handbook for Macdonald

by

SEATTLE – (Wire Service Report) – The Seattle Seahawks are heading to their fourth Super Bowl since 2006, but neither Mike Holmgren nor Pete Carroll are walking through that door, and, certainly, Rick Pitino “ain’t walking through that door.”

Instead, the job of preparing his team for Super Bowl LX falls to 38-year-old Mike Macdonald in just his second season as a head coach at any level.

Asked Monday what he expects the biggest challenge of the next two weeks to be, Macdonald replied, “It’s easy to say ‘process,’ but the days are gonna look a little bit different. So it’s really the intent behind what we’re trying to do every day. Just staying focused on the things that we can control, because there is so much extra. That comes with the territory. It’s exciting. It’s an opportunity to kind of get it right.”

Macdonald’s Seahawks held off the Los Angeles Rams 31-27 in an instant classic NFC Championship Game on Sunday to advance to the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, Calif.

Much of Macdonald’s day-after press conference focused on what comes next. He said the players will have off Tuesday and Wednesday, but they were in the building Monday to discuss logistical things related to the Super Bowl week schedule.

A longtime assistant coach and defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, Macdonald said he would soon reach out to his old boss, John Harbaugh, for advice about what’s on the horizon. Macdonald joined Baltimore in 2014, which came after the franchise’s only Super Bowl trip under Harbaugh.

Macdonald also joked that he’s watched about five plays’ worth of New England Patriots tape. There will be ample time for game-planning in the days to come, but Macdonald insisted nothing fundamental should change about the Seahawks’ approach.

“I think one of the differences about how we’ve ran our program this year and the last few years is we don’t have a, ‘Hey, this is the Super Bowl handbook. This is how you handle all the things.’ Our mentality is, ‘Hey, look, we’re all in this together going into this experience and this is how we want to take it day by day and kind of get through all these hurdles, so to speak.’ Those guys will be right along there for the ride and leading the charge.”

Embed from Getty Images

The Seahawks do have one player who knows how to negotiate Super Bowl week and come out a champion on the other side.

When the Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, wide receiver Cooper Kupp was voted Most Valuable Player after catching eight passes for 92 yards and scoring two touchdowns. Kupp, 32, shared what he would tell his teammates about handling the distractions and extracurriculars of Super Bowl week.

“You take care of it and then you get ready to play football,” he said. “You’re inserting it into part of your day, but you know that around that stuff, you still gotta go out there and be present, be where your feet are. When it’s time to do the media thing, do the media thing, handle your business, protect the team, then you’re gonna move into football stuff and be where your feet are in that regard.”

Kupp acknowledged “it was cool” for him to beat his former team in the penultimate game of the playoffs. Earlier in the day, a column in The Athletic reported that members of Kupp’s camp believed the Rams badmouthed him in league circles after unceremoniously cutting him after the 2024 season — warning against signing the oft-injured former Offensive Player of the Year for more than the veteran minimum.

The rival Seahawks didn’t listen, inking Kupp, a Washington native, to a three-year contract in March worth $45 million.

“For the story to be what it was, that it had to be through the Rams to be able to get to where we wanted to go, in the NFC championship in that moment, the script writers did a great job with that one.”

–Field Level Media

Big East: Bizjack Player of Week

by

NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Finley Bizjack of Butler and Nigel James Jr. from Marquette were selected to earn BIG EAST Weekly Honors.  Bizjack averaged 26.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in a pair of wins for the Bulldogs.  James Jr. posted 26.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 2.0 steals in a 1-1 week for the Golden Eagles.
BIG EAST Player of the Week
Finley Bizjack, Butler, G, Jr.
Bizjack shined in a pair of wins for Butler, averaging 26.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.0 steal per game.  The 6-4 guard connected on 54.2% (13-24) of his shots from the floor, including 7-of-15 from beyond the arc and 19-of-21 from the free throw line.  Bizjack scored 24 points in a home win over DePaul, connecting on 7-of-11 shots and three 3-pointers.  Last time out against Marquette, he poured in a game-high 28 points to go with five rebounds and four assists.  The junior guard made 12-of-13 shots from the foul line in the win.  Bizjack has tallied at least 24 points in each of his last three outings and ranks third in the BIG EAST in conference scoring, at 19.0 points per game.
BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
Nigel James Jr., Marquette, G, Fr.
James Jr. shined for Marquette this past week, posting 26.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game in a 1-1 week.  The 6-0 guard connected on 64.5% of his shots from the floor, including 5-of-9 from the perimeter.  James Jr. poured in 38 points to go with three boards eight assists, and two steals in an overtime win over Providence on Jan. 19.  The 38-point performance is the most in a single-game in the BIG EAST this season.  Last time out at Butler, the freshman from Huntington, N.Y. tallied 15 points, four boards, eight assists, and two steals.  At the halfway point of the conference season, James Jr. leads the BIG EAST with 19.6 points per game in league contests. He is one of four freshmen nationally to lead his respective league in conference scoring.
BIG EAST Honor Roll
Solo Ball, UConn, G, Jr. 
Ball led all scorers with 24 points in UConn’s lone game of the week – an overtime win against Villanova.  The junior guard knocked down five 3-pointers, while also tallying five rebounds and three assists in 38 minutes of play.
Austin Swartz, Creighton, G, So.
Swartz scored 16 points and grabbed four rebounds in Creighton’s win over Xavier on Jan. 21.  The 6-4 guard corralled a missed free throw and scored the game winner high off the glass at the buzzer to propel the Bluejays to their sixth win in BIG EAST play.
KJ Lewis, Georgetown, G, Sr.
Lewis averaged 19.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game in a 1-1 week for Georgetown.  His best performance came at Providence, pouring in 21 of his game-high 26 points in the second half – including a key 3-pointer with 27 seconds left – to complete the Hoyas’ comeback.
Dillon Mitchell, St. John’s, F, Sr.
Mitchell shined in a pair of wins for St. John’s, averaging 17.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 3.0 steals.  He had a double-double – 17 points and 11 rebounds – in a win over Seton Hall, before tallying 17 points, seven boards, six assists, and four steals at Xavier.
Tre Carroll, Xavier, F, Gr.
Carroll averaged 30.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 2.0 blocks for the Musketeers last week.  The 6-8 forward had 29 points and four rebounds at Creighton and scored a career-high 31 points to go with three boards, two assists and four blocks versus St. John’s.

“Get In” to Super Bowl LX

by

SANTA CLARA – (Wire Service Report) – The get-in price for Super Bowl LX continued to escalate in the opening 24 hours since the matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots was finalized.

By Monday evening, the cheapest ticket for the Feb. 8 game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., was $6,620, according to ticket tracking service TicketData. That was 5.2% higher than shortly after the Seahawks won the NFC Championship on Sunday night, and nearly 9% higher than just before the kickoff of the Patriots’ AFC Championship Game in Denver.

According to TicketData, the get-in price soared by 11% in just the past three days and is over 40% higher than right after last year’s Super Bowl matchup was set between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles in New Orleans.

SUPER BOWL LX TICKET PRICES*
SeatGeak: $6,776
StubHub: $6,689
Vivid Seats: $6,630
Ticketmaster: $6,896
*Cheapest price per seat for two tickets together

This will be the Seahawks’ first Super Bowl since their loss to the Patriots in XLIX in Glendale, Ariz., 11 years ago. Since then, New England has appeared in three Super Bowls, but this is the first in the post-Tom Brady era and during the Patriots’ first year under coach Mike Vrabel.

Super Bowl LX will also be the first title game held at Levi’s Stadium since Super Bowl 50 in 2016.

Still, the Seahawks-Patriots matchup has a long way to go to match the record prices for Super Bowl LVIII two years ago in Las Vegas, where get-in prices topped $7,000 shortly after the matchup between the 49ers and Chiefs was finalized. The average get-in price ultimately rose to a record of nearly $8,900 before dipping to just over $7,000 on game day.

Last year’s Super Bowl prices eventually dropped to an average of $2,109 on game day, due in large part to New Orleans’ limited hotel capacity along with what was dubbed “Chiefs fatigue.”

Seattle is currently a consensus 4.5-point favorite to beat New England in Super Bowl LX.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Jan 26

by

By TERRY LYONS,

BOSTON – There is no day on the worldwide sports calendar that is better than AFC/NFC Championship Sunday.

The Super Bowl is wonderful, but take your pick – one game or two?

NCAA Final Four Saturday is a close runner-up and the half-hour before the tip of the first semi-final is as exciting a pre-gamer as you’ll ever see, but when CBS Sports rings in The NFL Today in advance of the AFC Championship game between the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos, there will be spine-tingling and seven hours of the best American Football on the planet.

Later in the evening, the NFC Championship game will kick-off, featuring the Los Angeles Rams at the Seattle Seahawks (6:30pm ET). That game will be covered by FOX Sports, although it’s been weeks-and-weeks for many New England/Boston area households to obtain a FOX signal via their Verizon FIOS television feeds. That blackout included two New England Patriots games and a good number of college basketball contests, never mind their normal day time and night time programming, should anyone care to watch. The lengthy dispute is apparently about something called – M-O-N-E-Y.

Let’s take a quick look at the AFC match-up:

Denver vs New England can be summed up in three words – No Bo Nix.

Denver took quite a beating vs the Buffalo Bills in earning the right to face the Patriots, and one of the casualties was their starting quarterback who is out for the game with a fractured ankle. In Nix’s place will be former Patriot reserve Jarred Stidham – mediocre at best – with the pressure of the moment quite apparent.

What Denver does have is the best defense in the league and they’ll most likely need to use it to score off turnovers – maybe more than once.

What New England has will counter that point of view, as Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is 8-0 on the road as he’s put together what is very likely to be an MVP season. Also, New England’s running game is superior to that of Denver. Two players – RB Rhamondre Stevenson will need to post 50-60+ yards gained while his counterpart – rookie RB TreVeyon Henderson can break a long run at any point in the game, even against a tough defense.

Stidham will face New England’s No. 2 defense – one that allowed only 224 total yards per game in the regular season.

For an in-depth look at the AFC Championship, click HERE.

In the NFC Nightcap:

The Seattle Seahawks are tough at home (6-2) and have won seven in a row, overall. But, the LA Rams possess the league’s leading scoring offense and one with the most yards gained (394.6 yards) during the regular season.

Credit MVP candidate QB Matthew Stafford who had 46 TDs in the regular season, 10 of them to All Pro wide-out Puka Nacua.

The Rams’ running back combo of Kyren Williams and Blake Corum are among the very best tandems in the league.

Seattle, too, has a formidable RB with Kenneth Walker III, but his back-up Zach Charbonnet is out with a season-ending “significant” knee injury – a major setback to Seattle’s ground game. During the regular season, Charbonnet led the Seahawks with 12 rushing touchdowns, and his 730 yards gained was second to Walker’s 1,027.

The Seahawks roll with WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba who also scored 10 TDs during the regular season, all coming from QB Sam Darnold a cast away of the New York Jets, Carolina, San Francisco and Minnesota who’s found a home in the Pacific Northwest.

For a complete look at the NFC Championship, visit HERE.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Blades Brown (T1/-17 after 36 holes) is all the rage! Brown is playing on a sponsor exemption in his 10th PGA TOUR start, and he posted a career-low (60) on Friday. His previous best was a (64) in R2/2025 American Express when he ultimately missed the cut. At 18 years, 8 months, 2 days, Brown became the youngest player in PGA TOUR history to record a round of (60) or better with the prior youngest being Patrick Cantlay at 19 years, 3 months, 7 days. Brown set the tournament 18-hole scoring record at the Nicklaus Tournament Course. The previous best was (61), seven times. Brown also shot a (60) last year on the Korn Ferry Tour at the 2025 Compliance Solutions Championship (finished T43).

Of course, Blades Brown isn’t playing by himself. Scottie Scheffler (T1/-17 after 36), the world’s No. 1 golfer, posted a second-round bogey-free 8-under (64) at the Nicklaus Tournament Course. That marked his 11th consecutive round in the 60s at The American Express.

Scheffler held his 20th career 36-hole lead/co-lead on TOUR and has converted four of his last five 36-hole leads/co-leads into wins (2025 Open Championship, 2025 CJ CUP Byron Nelson, 2024 TOUR Championship, 2024 Memorial Tournament presented by Workday).

On Saturday, Brown shot a (68) and remains tied with Scheffler (-22) but at second place behind tournament 56-hole leader Si Woo Kim (-23).

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: According to the Boston Business Journal, and other local reports, a serious 2026 FIFA World Cup championship contender has chosen Greater Boston as its home base. “Les Bleus,” the French national soccer team will train for the World Cup at Babson College in Wellesley. It is expected the team will stay in the city of Boston, but that is not confirmed as suburban Boston or Providence, Rhode Island are closer to the (No Sponsor) Stadium.

HOLD: The National Basketball Association postponed a game between the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves scheduled for Saturday night at Target Center. The decision was made to prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community (amidst unrest in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area after a controversial ICE deportation unit shot and killed a 37-year old on the streets of the city).

The game has been rescheduled for Sunday (Jan. 25) at 5:30pm ET/4:30pm (local) at Target Center.

TOP 100: MLB (dot) com (via its Pipeline Column) issued its annual Top 100 prospects but after tapping their top three minor leaguers last season, none of the Top 10 are in the Red Sox organization.

The Top 10

1. Konnor Griffin, SS/OF, Pirates

2. Kevin McGonigle, SS, Tigers

3. Jesús Made, SS/2B, Brewers

4. Leo De Vries, SS, Athletics

5. JJ Wetherholt, INF, Cardinals

6. Nolan McLean, RHP, Mets

7. Sebastian Walcott, SS/3B, Rangers

8. Samuel Basallo, C/1B, Orioles

9. Colt Emerson, SS, Mariners

10. Max Clark, OF, Tigers

Boston’s top prospect, left-handed pitcher Peyton Tolle, came in at No. 19 on the league’s 100 best players in the minors.

Since MLB Pipeline started ranking Top 50/100 prospects in 2004, the Rays (95), Dodgers (89), Pirates (78), Twins (74) and Padres (73) have had the most players ranked on preseason lists. The teams with the fewest ranked prospects over that time are the Angels (41), Giants (46), Astros (46), Athletics (48) and Nationals (50).

red blue and green heart shaped decor

NO RINGS FOR YOU: A longtime national sports coverage leader – The Washington Post – made a monumental decision this week, one that goes against its decades and decades of coverage of Team USA at the Olympic Games. Kimi Yoshino, a managing editor of The Washington Post, sent a terse and unexpected email to more than a dozen WaPo journalists Friday, notifying them that their coverage plans were abruptly being changed.

“As we assess our priorities for 2026, we have decided not to send a contingent to the Winter Olympics,” Yoshino wrote. “We realize this decision and its timing will be disappointing to many of you, so please reach out to me if you want to talk further.”

Nationally renowned newspapers like The New York Times, USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune and Boston Globe have a legendary history of covering the Olympic Games – both Summer Games and Winter. The United States Olympic Committee used to gauge credentials and access, depending on the number of reporters and photographers dispatched by the media outlets. Preferential treatment went to news outlets covering Olympic Trials, World Championships, non-US competitions leading up to the Games – like European Championships.

The decision by The Washington Post sends a horrendous message to its readers, and thus its standing amongst the nationally-respected media outlets which cover sports. The Post’s move is second only to the July, 2023 decision by The New York Times to disband its sports newsroom and discontinue publishing a daily sports section. The Athletic coverage is now run in place of dedicated New York Times staff.

BRODIE: San Francisco 49ers great John Brodie, the 1970 NFL Most Valuable Player, died Friday. He was 90. The star quarterback played all 17 of his NFL seasons with the 49ers from 1957-73. “The 49ers family is saddened to learn of the passing of one of the franchise’s all-time great players, John Brodie,” 49ers co-chairman Dr. John York said in a statement. “As a kid, my 49ers fandom began by watching John play quarterback on television. He displayed an incredible commitment toward his teammates and his support of the organization never wavered after his playing days.

“John became a dear friend of mine, and he will always be remembered as an important part of 49ers history. We express our deepest condolences to his wife, Sue, and the entire Brodie family.”

Brodie guided San Francisco to the NFC Championship Game in the 1970 and 1971 seasons, but the club lost to the Dallas Cowboys on both occasions. He played college football at Stanford from 1954-56 and was a consensus All-American in his final season, and was the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft, selected by the 49ers. He was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1986.

He was also on Stanford’s golf team and later played on the Senior (Champions) PGA Tour. Brodie won the Security Pacific Senior Class in 1991, outdueling George Archer and Chi Chi Rodriguez in a playoff at Los Angeles. Brodie played in the U.S. Open in both 1959 and 1981 — a record 22-year difference between appearances — and failed to make the cut both times.

Brodie also served as a football and golf commentator for NBC. He was in the booth with legendary play-by-play voice Curt Gowdy and Merlin Olsen for the Super Bowl XIII broadcast on Jan. 21, 1979 for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ memorable 35-31 victory over the Cowboys.