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Red Sox Add More with Moore

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FT MYERS – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Boston Red Sox added left-handed pitcher Matt Moore to the club’s 2025 Spring Training roster as a non-roster invitee. He will wear number 56.

Moore, 35, posted a 5.03 ERA (27 ER/48.1 IP) with 41 strikeouts in 51 relief appearances for the Los Angeles Angels in 2024. The left-hander did not allow an earned run from July 25 to August 19 (10.2 IP) and did not surrender an earned run in 37 of his 51 total appearances. Since the start of 2022, he owns a 2.98 ERA (58.0 IP/175.0 IP) and .210 opponent batting average (134-for-639) in 164 games. Originally selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the eighth round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, the Florida native has a 4.39 ERA (557 ER/1,142.2 IP) with 1,053 strikeouts in 369 career Major League games (164 starts) with the Rays (2011-15), San Francisco Giants (2016-17), Texas Rangers (2018, 2022), Detroit Tigers (2019), Philadelphia Phillies (2021), Cleveland Guardians (2023), Miami Marlins (2023), and Angels (2023-24). The 2013 American League All-Star has also posted a 3.33 ERA (9 ER/24.1 IP) in five career Postseason games with the Rays (2011, 2013) and Giants (2016).

Bring Back the Beards

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TAMPA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Where’s Johnny Damon when you need him?

Why?

It’s “Bring back the beards to the Bronx” year for the New York Yankees.

Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner declared “well groomed beards” would be permitted in declaring an end to the franchise’s longstanding policy that allowed mustaches but not beards or unruly sideburns.

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“In recent weeks I have spoken to a large number of former and current Yankees – spanning several eras – to elicit their perspectives on our longstanding facial hair and grooming policy, and I appreciate their earnest and varied feedback,” Steinbrenner said Friday morning in a statement. “These most recent conversations are an extension of ongoing internal dialogue that dates back several years. Ultimately the final decision rests with me, and after great consideration, we will be amending our expectations to allow our players and uniformed personnel to have well-groomed beards moving forward. It is the appropriate time to move beyond the familiar comfort of our former policy.”

The policy on player appearance includes the length of their mane — stating “hair cannot touch the uniform collar” — and came about in 1976. When George Steinbrenner died in 2010, his daughter and Yankees managing partner, Jennifer, insisted the team’s rule not be changed.

A generational shift that came too late for infamously shaggy stars such as Damon and Randy Johnson takes effect immediately.

Ironic timing or part of a plan as Steinbrenner claimed, there is at least one current Yankees player who appreciates the razor relief. New closer Devin Williams reported to Tampa with the goatee look he’s had for several years. When the topic of the facial hair policy came up, Williams was coy and said only “we’ll see” when pressed on his plans for altering his appearance.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox Sit Top Prospect

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FT. MYERS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s top prospect Roman Anthony was scratched from the Red Sox lineup Friday with right elbow soreness.

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Manager Alex Cora said the move is a precaution after Anthony was hit by a pitch in the right elbow on Thursday, and he might be back after sitting out Boston’s spring training exhibition opener against Northeastern.

Anthony was slated to hit leadoff and play left field with Boston’s “Big Three” prospects in the top three spots in the batting order. Second baseman Kristian Campbell and shortstop Marcelo Mayer remained in the lineup Friday.

“He’s sore,” Cora said after Anthony arrived to take batting practice.

The No. 2 prospect in baseball, Anthony was replaced by Trayce Thompson, a spring training non-roster invitee. Thompson has played seven seasons with five teams prior to joining the Red Sox.

Anthony, 20, was a second-round pick in the 2022 draft. Baseball Prospectus ranks him first among all MLB prospects with Major League Baseball Pipeline and Baseball America ranking Anthony second.

In parts of three minor league seasons, he has a combined .284 batting average with 32 home runs, 141 RBIs and 38 stolen bases in 245 games.

–Field Level Media

Oh, CANADA 🇨🇦

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Canada’s Connor McDavid scored 8:18 into overtime, propelling his national team to a 3-2 win over the United States in the championship game of the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off on Thursday.

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McDavid, the Edmonton Oilers star received Mitch Marner’s centering feed and buried a wrist shot from the slot to score the golden goal, his third tally of the tournament.

Marner assisted on Canada’s final two goals. Sam Bennett scored the tying marker with six minutes left in the second period.

Nathan MacKinnon’s tournament-leading fourth goal opened the scoring for Canada.

Jordan Binnington made 31 saves in the Canadian net, including six in overtime.

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Binnington was spectacular while denying a U.S. surge early in the extra session, including a stop on Auston Matthews’ drive to the doorstep at 2:51. Less than two minutes later, the St. Louis Blues goalie stopped another Matthews shot, then saved Brady Tkachuk’s rebound chance.

Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson netted back-to-back goals to lead the U.S. out of an early 1-0 deficit. Matthews assisted on both.

U.S. goaltender Connor Hellebuyck stopped 24 shots.

It was the North American archrivals’ first best-on-best championship meeting since the 2010 Vancouver Olympics — also won by Canada 3-2 in overtime. The U.S. earned a 3-1 victory over Canada in the teams’ round-robin clash on Saturday in Montreal.

MacKinnon scored first 4:48 in, receiving Thomas Harley’s pass from the left point and curling into the slot to send a shot into heavy traffic and past Hellebuyck’s blocker.

ESPN: “Baseball Been Very, Very Bad”

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – ESPN and Major League Baseball will no longer be partners following the 2025 season, as the sides agreed to mutually opt out of their broadcast contract Thursday.

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MLB commissioner Rob Manfred sent a memo to clubs that was obtained by The Athletic, in which he confirmed ESPN had asked the league to “reduce the amount (ESPN) pay for MLB content over the remainder of the term.” MLB put that on the record in a statement released Thursday night.

“Unfortunately in recent years, we have seen ESPN scale back their baseball coverage and investment in a way that is not consistent with the sport’s appeal or performance on their platform,” the statement said in part. “Given that MLB provides strong viewership, valuable demographics, and the exclusive right to cover unique events like the Home Run Derby, ESPN’s demand to reduce rights fees is simply unacceptable. As a result, we have mutually agreed to terminate our agreement.

“… The positive energy around the sport has also led to significant interest from both traditional media companies and streaming services who would like to obtain rights to MLB games. We will be exploring those opportunities for a new agreement which would start in the 2026 season following the conclusion of ESPN’s agreement at the end of this year.”

ESPN’s current deal was for seven years and $550 million annually, and featured Sunday Night Baseball, the Home Run Derby and wild-card games. But Apple and Roku have since negotiated slimmer packages of games for less cash.

MLB did not want to renegotiate, and the league felt ESPN wasn’t doing enough to promote baseball on its platforms.

“Furthermore, we have not been pleased with the minimal coverage that MLB has received on ESPN’s platforms over the past several years outside of the actual live game coverage,” Manfred wrote in his memo.

“While ESPN has stated they would like to continue to have MLB on their platform, particularly in light of the upcoming launch of their DTC product, we do not think its beneficial for us to accept a smaller deal to remain on a shrinking platform. In order to best position MLB to optimize our rights going in to our next deal cycle, we believe it is not prudent to devalue our rights with an existing partner but rather to have our marquee regular season games, Home Run Derby and Wild Card playoff round on a new broadcast and/or streaming platform.”

“We are grateful for our longstanding relationship with Major League Baseball and proud of how ESPN’s coverage super-serves fans,” the statement said. “In making this decision, we applied the same discipline and fiscal responsibility that has built ESPN’s industry-leading live events portfolio as we continue to grow our audience across linear, digital and social platforms. As we have been throughout the process, we remain open to exploring new ways to serve MLB fans across our platforms beyond 2025.”

MLB’s other main broadcast partner on linear TV is Fox. Comcast (NBC) and Paramount (CBS) may have interest in working with the league, while Amazon and Netflix are potential streamers to join Apple and Roku as Manfred eyes a larger streaming package for 2028.

–Field Level Media

A Walk Down NBA All-Star Memory Lane

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – The NBA All-Star Game has taken a few lumps over the past few years. After years and years of entertaining games – earning the recognition as the best All-Star Game in sports – the Sunday night All-Star Games and the NBA Rookie/Rising Stars Games turned into three-point hoists and dunk fests, with barely a lick of defense being played on either end of the court.

The final scores of the last four All-Star Games tells the tale:

  • 2024 – East 211, West 186
  • 2023 – Team Giannis 184, Team Lebron 175
  • 2022 – Team Lebron 163, Team Durant 160
  • 2021 – Team Lebron 170, Team Durant 150

In 2020, barely a month before the global pandemic shut down the NBA, the world of sports and then the world itself, the league experimented with the infamous “Elam Ending” which resulted in a Team Lebron 157, Team Durant 155 thriller at the United Center in Chicago.

It was at the 2020 game in Chicago when the critics and nay-sayers thought the NBA finally stumbled into the perfect solution to the end the lackluster games. The fourth quarter of that 2020 NBA All-Star Game was as intense as any NBA Playoff game, the biggest stars in the league holding nothing back, blocking shots, taking charges, you name it. At the end of three quarters, a 133-124 Team Giannis lead over Team Lebron placed the final/winning “target score” at 157.

Team Lebron came storming back with James’ teammate Kawhi Leonard taking MVP honors and Anthony Davis draining the game-winning free thrown to cement the comeback victory. The intensity and excitement was back in the NBA All-Star Game, but the wonderous story of Chicago was short-lived. The most recent pair of ASGs sealed the deal. Changes had to be made.

That brings us to this weekend as the NBA has completely changed the format and instituted a Friday night play-in for one team to advance to Sunday. The G-League All-Stars faced the Rising Stars, the latter led to victory by San Antonio’s Stephon Castle who helped his team qualify for Sunday night. The four teams of eight players will compete in a mini-tournament with all three games played to the target score of 40.

The Friday night contests were highly competitive and entertaining, so there’s some cautious optimism for a tripleheader of great games Sunday Night. WWYI is sticking to its deep-rooted thoughts of enjoying the All-Star Weekend and not putting the exhibition to the same litmus test as a regular season or playoff game. Overall, the weekend is supposed to be fun. And that means fun for everyone, the fans, the players, the NBA industry as a whole (sponsors, guests, family members). Too often it is forgotten that the All-Star Game was initiated by original NBA publicity man Haskell Cohen, on March 2, 1951, as a way of gaining interest in the game of basketball. In other words, it’s a giant photo op.

Let’s not forget that on Sunday night.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: This section of notes might qualify as a “Humor Me” and “Read On” section as the NBA All-Star Weekend brings back a lot of great memories from this columnist’s 25+ year stint of attending the games. Here’s a random list of memories, anecdotes and some “Inside Stuff” from the 1981-1993 era of NBA All-Star events. I’ll shoot for 1993 to 2025 another day.

1981: Although I’d watched many an NBA All-Star Game (ASG), and scored a bunch in my very own basketball scorebook, my first ASG working with the NBA put me in front of the TV screen once again. … As an intern, I did not make the cut to attend the game in Richfield, Ohio as the NBA celebrated its 35th Anniversary. I did create my very first NBA Media Guide, cranking out bios of dozens upon dozens of players to prepare for the 24 players selected to play. There were a few traveling hockey tournaments when “the boys” were playing cards or going out for a refreshment and I was holed-up in my hotel room typing (yes, typing on paper) a half-dozen or more bios per night.

1982: The game was at the brand-spanking new Brendan Byrne Arena in beautiful East Rutherford, NJ (Meadowlands) and I was excited to work (and enjoy) the festivities as hotel HQ was the Grand Hyatt in NYC. The league was kind enough to furnish me with some tickets for friends and family, too. … Trivia note: The Saturday of the 1982 weekend was the starting point for official NBA All-STAR SATURDAY events. In ‘82, that merely consisted of a few media pick-up games and the Continental Basketball Association All-Star Game.

Now, I’ll start a little word association for a whole slew of games but will call it quits with this section in about 1993.

1983: Marvin Gaye doing the greatest USA National Anthem of all-time at The Fabulous Forum and CBS Director, the late Sandy Grossman in his Century Plaza suite, playing a recording of the anthem and the first 10-minutes of the game itself, which might’ve been one of the great segments in NBA history. Every time someone new came into the suite, Sandy cranked it up again, saying, “You’ve gotta see this!” (I’d rank the ‘83 game as No. 2 on my all-time list).

1984: The “real” beginning of NBA All-Star Saturday. A great “Old Timer’s Game,” featuring the likes of the late Celtics’ great Tommy Heinsohn and Chicago’s Johnny “Red” Kerr pulling on each other’s shorts, then tossing pinpoint behind the back bounce passes for lay-ups. … A post ASG recap meeting hatched the idea of calling them all “Legends” rather than Old Timers and that term certainly stuck. Legends they are.

1985: A crowd of 43,146 witnessed Michael Jordan getting the 10th Avenue Freeze-Out and Earvin “Magic” Johnson deciding Ralph Sampson was going to be the MVP. One memory stands out: The game was played in the inflatable Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis, and at some point someone wrongly opened a door and the air flow created a giant draft that blew every single piece of paper, including all of our special 1985 NBA All-Star Game logo play-by-play sheets all over the Dome in the pregame.

1986: In a pregame production meeting, CBS producer extraordinaire Michael Burks asked that we have an old fashioned chalk board in the East Locker Room because KC Jones would always sketch-out some plays and important team goals and instructions, and Mike wanted the visual – something he could never do in a “real” game. The problem? Reunion Arena had not an old fashioned chalkboard in the house. … However, the Hyatt Regency had a very nice chalkboard or two, and it was within walking distance to the arena, across a large courtyard. … Seemed fine, until a rare winter, ice storm hit Dallas that Saturday when I “stole” the blackboard and wheeled it to Reunion in the snow. … I wonder if that chalkboard ever made it back?

1987: A great overtime All-Star Game when injury replacement Tom Chambers of the Seattle SuperSonics won (and earned) MVP honors in a sold-out Kingdome. There’s memorable footage of Dallas’ Rolando Blackman draining two free throws to put the game into OT, shouting, “Confidence, baby, Confidence.” → MUST WATCH CLIP is HERE. (Notice the four East players converging on Blackman as he drove the lane).

1988: Chicago Stadium. Coldest day I’ve ever experienced in my life, but a “normal” day for anyone from Chicago. The Saturday temperature read (-22) – (-60 with the wind chill factor) but it warmed up to a balmy ZERO degrees on Sunday. Larry Bird won the Three-Point Contest in grand fashion and Michael Jordan took flight that weekend, that is for sure. (I’d rank this one as No. 3 on my list).

1989-90-91: Houston, Miami and Charlotte. … In Houston we utilized the infamous Astrodome, a place I’d seen on TV as a young New York Mets fan when the Mets played against the Toy Cannon (Jimmy Wynn) and the Astros. … In 1990, the All-Star Saturday buzz was undermined when Buster Douglas upset heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in Tokyo. … In ‘91, the Gulf War broke out about 10 days before the ASW and security became a main focus, turning a lot of plans made the previous March (I scouted the ACC Tournament) upside down and sideways. … A stunning national anthem by pianist Bruce Hornsby, accompanied by Branford Marsalis stands out more than Charles Barkley’s MVP effort. Getting that piano on and off the court was a major accomplishment.

1992: The ‘92 All-Star Game was the best and most memorable of my lifetime. The entire story of Earvin “Magic” Johnson retiring from the NBA after he learned he had contracted the HIV virus shook the league (and the sports industry) at the core. Earvin’s performance was a storybook unfolding one play at a time until the 4th quarter crescendo of amazement. No writing can do it justice.

1993: A very vivid memory leads me to a last two minutes of the ‘93 game and a sprint around courtside which produced an MVP vote that was never counted, as the

ASG at Salt Lake City went into OT. We tore up the ballots and, ten minutes later, it was deja vu all over again. The West defeated the East 135-132 and hometown stars, Karl Malone and John Stockton actually tied for All-Star MVP. I remember doing the counting on a press table in the far right corner of the Delta Center and showing the media who happened to be sitting there the result to prove its authenticity, stacking the voting ballots (if I remember it was six-six and one for Michael Jordan). I think I counted it three times before we passed the news of the tie along to the NBA Game Operations people at the scorer’s table and to NBC Sports as they staged the presentations.

There are thousands of other great memories from 1994 to 2008 when I bid adieu to my job at the NBA. There’s also quite a few from ‘08 until today, as I rarely missed a game – either returning in person in NOLA (twice), Houston, or watching on TV.

In general, I might call myself a traditionalist but for the ASW, I like the new ideas and attempts by the league office to make the weekend more exciting and the games more competitive. We’ll see on Sunday night if it works in the new format.

THIS JUST IN: The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced this weekend that Boston Celtics Vice President of Media Services and Alumni Relations, Jeff Twiss, has been named the 2025 recipient of the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award.

The John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award was instituted by the Basketball Hall of Fame’s Board of Trustees in 1973 and is the most prestigious award presented by the Hall of Fame outside of Enshrinement. Named in honor of Hall of Famer John W. Bunn (Class of 1964), the first chairman of the Basketball Hall of Fame Committee who served from 1949-64, the award honors coaches, players, and contributors whose outstanding accomplishments have impacted the high school, college, professional, and/or the international game.

“Jeff’s contributions to the Celtics organization are too numerous to list, but perhaps his biggest impact is as a living embodiment of the best aspects of what it means to be a Boston Celtic,” said Rich Gotham, President of the Boston Celtics. “It was Red Auerbach who said, ‘The Celtics are a way of life,’ and Jeff represents the selflessness and the drive to uplift others for the greater good that is at the heart of that notion.”

Jeff Twiss has been a leader of the Celtics PR staff through 40 post-season experiences, including nine Eastern Conference Finals appearances, seven NBA Finals appearances, and four NBA Championships (1984, ‘86, ‘08, ‘24). Twiss joined the organization in 1981, after being hired by Red Auerbach. He has served as a conduit for the media with Celtics coaches, players and staff and has overseen alumni relations for the organization. Twiss was elected by his peers to serve as President of the National Basketball Public Relations Directors Association in 1987. In 1992, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Vermont. In 1999, Twiss received the University of Massachusetts Sports Management department’s Harold J. VanderZwaag Distinguished Alumni Award. In September 2004, he was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame. And in 2005, Twiss received the NBA’s McHugh/Splaver “Tribute to Excellence” award. Twiss was recognized by the Boston Press Photographer’s Association as their Sports Personality Award winner for 2009. On September 18, 2024, he received the International Sports Heritage Association Legacy Award.

“Jeff Twiss is a beloved member of the Celtics, and we are all so excited that he is being honored with the John Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award,” said Boston Celtics President of Basketball OperationsBrad Stevens. “Jeff is the definition of a servant-leader and has made an incredible impact not only within these walls, but on his peers across the league. In addition to his great work in Public Relations, he has been a caretaker of our history and an ambassador that keeps multiple generations of Celtics players and staff connected. I’m personally thankful to have had the privilege of working with Jeff for the past twelve years – roughly a quarter of his total time with the Celtics. When I think about that impact over time, it’s clear why he’s a Hall of Famer.”

Sox Officially Ink Bregman

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FT MYERS – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – After a few days of speculation, the Boston Red Sox today signed infielder Alex Bregman to a three-year MLB contract through the 2027 season. He will wear No. 2. To make room on the 40-man roster, Boston placed left-handed pitcher Patrick Sandoval on the 60-Day Injured List. 

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Bregman, 30, is a two-time All-Star (2018-19), two-time World Series Champion (2017, 2022), and winner of the 2019 Silver Slugger Award and 2024 Gold Glove Award at third base. He has earned American League Most Valuable Player votes in four seasons (2018-19, 2022-23), finishing second in 2019 and fifth in 2018, and was named Ted Williams All-Star Game MVP in 2018. The right-handed hitter has batted .272 (1,132-for-4,157) with an .849 OPS, 694 runs scored, 265 doubles, 18 triples, 191 home runs, and 663 RBI in 1,111 career games with the Houston Astros (2016-24). Selected by Houston in the first round (No. 2 overall) of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft, he has made 977 career starts at third base, 107 at shortstop, 13 as the designated hitter, and two at second base.

In 145 games during 2024, Bregman batted .260 (151-for-581) with 30 doubles, two triples, and 26 home runs while making 142 starts at third base and three as the designated hitter. It marked his fifth season with as many as 30 doubles (also 2017-19, 2022) and his fourth season with 25 or more home runs (also 2018-19, 2023). From May 9 through the end of the season, he batted .280 (127-for-454) with 25 doubles, 25 home runs, and an .838 OPS in 112 games.

The two-time World Series Champion has played in the Postseason in each of his eight full Major League seasons (2017-24), tied for the longest current streak in the Majors. In those eight seasons, he has reached the American League Championship Series seven times and the World Series four times. Since his debut in 2016, his 99 Postseason games are tied for most in the Majors. In that span, he ranks second in runs scored (63) and extra-base hits (37), and tied for second in home runs (19) and RBI (54).

Bregman owns the highest OPS (1.240) of any player with at least 75 career plate appearances at Fenway Park and ranks second in on-base percentage (.490), trailing only Ted Williams (.496). In 21 games at the ballpark, Bregman has hit .375 (30-for-80) with 24 runs scored, nine doubles, and seven home runs. The New Mexico native was selected by the Red Sox out of Albuquerque Academy High School in the 29th round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft, but did not sign and attended Louisiana State University.

Along with his wife, Reagan, Alex founded the Bregman Cares Charity to accelerate life-changing resources to those in need. The foundation has focused on autism awareness and at-risk youth, raising two million dollars. He was named the Astros’ Roberto Clemente Award nominee three times (2019-21).

Sandoval, 28, was signed by Boston to a two-year contract on December 23, 2024. The left-hander made 16 starts for the Los Angeles Angels in 2024 before undergoing Tommy John surgery on June 26. Originally selected by the Houston Astros in the 11th round of the First-Year Player Draft, the California native has posted a 4.01 ERA (239 ER/536.0 IP) with 529 strikeouts in 107 career Major League games (100 starts) with the Angels (2019-24).

UConn Earns Top 25 Win

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OMAHA – UConn earned a top 25 road win behind freshman forward Liam McNeeley’s career night, while Marquette outlasted DePaul at home.

In front of a boisterous full house, UConn earned the first win in program history in Omaha, Neb, outlasting No. 24 Creighton, 70-66. The Huskies (17-7, 9-4 BE) trailed by as many as 14 in the opening half. Led by McNeeley, UConn overcame a double-digit deficit and outscored the Bluejays 47-29 over the final 23:04. The freshman sensation posted 38 points and 10 rebounds, while shooting 12-of-22 from the field and making five from beyond the arc. The 38-point outing was just three points shy of the BIG EAST freshman scoring record set by Marco Lokar of Seton Hall on Feb. 20, 1990. Ryan Kalkbrenner and Steven Ashworth both scored 13 points to lead the Bluejays (18-7, 11-3 BE).

At Fiserv Forum, No. 18 Marquette got back in the win column, defeating DePaul 68-58. TheGolden Eagles (19-6, 10-4 BE) were led by 19 points from senior guard Kam Jones, who etched his name into the No. 3 spot in the MU career scoring record book and moved past 2009-10 Associated Press All-America selection Lazar Hayward (1,859 points). DePaul (11-14, 2-12 BE) was led by CJ Gunn’s 14 points and two assists.

BIG EAST action continues Wednesday with a pair of matchups. Riding a 10-game winning streak, ninth-ranked St. John’s hits the road to face the nation’s leading scorer Eric Dixon and the Villanova Wildcats at 6 p.m. ET on FS1. The Red Storm (21-3, 12-1 BE) hold a two-game advantage in the loss column of the league standings, while the Wildcats (14-10, 7-6 BE) look to increase the gap for fifth place.

At 8 p.m. on Peacock, Providence hosts Xavier in the first matchup between the two foes this season. The Musketeers (14-10, 6-7 BE), led by Zach Freemantle in both scoring (16.6 ppg) and rebounding (7.0 rpg), are looking to rebound from Sunday’s road loss at Villanova. TheFriars (11-13, 5-8 BE) want to snap a three-game losing streak. Providence is led on the offensive end by Jayden Pierre (12.8 ppg) and Bensley Joseph (12.7 ppg).

Philly Devours Chief-Steaks

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NEW ORLEANS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Philadelphia Eagles earned their second Super Bowl championship in franchise history Sunday, using two first-half interceptions to build a 24-0 halftime lead and defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 at Super Bowl LIX in the Caesars Superdome.

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The Eagles, who had previously won Super Bowl LII 41-33 against the New England Patriots, got after Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes to the tune of six sacks and a fumble as well as the two interceptions, limiting Kansas City to six points through 57 minutes.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts completed 17 of 22 passes for 221 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He also led the team in rushing with 72 yards and a score on 11 carries. He helped Philadelphia exact revenge on Kansas City after the Eagles lost to the Chiefs 38-35 in Super Bowl LVII two years ago.

Rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy hauled in eight catches for 157 yards and two touchdowns for the Chiefs, who were emphatically prevented from becoming the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls.

Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley, the NFL Offensive Player of the Year, celebrated his 28th birthday by setting two NFL records in the first half, becoming the single-season scrimmage yards leader (regular season plus playoffs) on his first carry before breaking the single-season rushing yards record on the final play of the first half.

Barkley finished with 57 yards rushing on 25 carries and added six catches for 40 yards. Across the regular season and postseason, Barkley finished with 2,857 yards from scrimmage and 2,504 rushing yards to break both records, previously held by the Denver Broncos’ Terrell Davis (1998).

After back-to-back sacks of Mahomes during a second-quarter drive, Eagles rookie defensive back Cooper DeJean, who was also celebrating a birthday (his 22nd), broke in front of a pass and returned his interception 38 yards for a touchdown with 7:03 left in the second quarter to stake Philadelphia to a 17-0 lead.

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Two drives later, edge rusher Josh Sweat, who finished with 2 1/2 sacks, pressured Mahomes into his second interception, which linebacker Zack Baun collected at the Chiefs’ 14-yard line. Two plays after that, Hurts found A.J. Brown for a 12-yard touchdown, putting the Chiefs in a 24-0 hole with 1:35 left in the half.

The Eagles went up 27-0 on Jake Elliott’s 29-yard field goal, and after the Chiefs failed on a fourth-down attempt, Hurts found DeVonta Smith alone behind the defense for a 46-yard scoring play and a 34-0 lead.

Mahomes, who completed 21 of 32 passes for 257 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, finally got the Chiefs on the board with a 24-yard scoring pass to Worthy with 34 seconds left in the third.

On the Eagles’ first score, a pass by Hurts down the right sideline was reeled in by Jahan Dotson for 27 yards to set up a first-and-goal from 1 yard out. Hurts punched it in a play later out of the “tush push” formation to help Philadelphia go up 7-0.

Kansas City safety Bryan Cook snuffed out the Eagles’ second straight scoring opportunity with an interception of Hurts at the Chiefs’ 2-yard line, but a drive later, Philadelphia made it 10-0 on Elliott’s 48-yarder, capping a seven-play drive.

The Eagles held a 179-23 edge in first-half yardage and outgained the Chiefs 345-275 for the game.

Elliott connected on field goals of 48 and 50 yards to conclude the Eagles’ scoring. Mahomes threw two late touchdowns to DeAndre Hopkins and Worthy.

– Field Level Media

New Orleans Reveling in Super Glory

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NEW ORLEANS  – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Never a city short on color, New Orleans has been looking positively brightly adorned in recent days, as the city undergoes its makeover for Super Bowl LIX.

Murals have sprung up all over downtown, along with big, bold placards and advertisements, signaling that the city with a reputation for throwing a great party is once again hosting the biggest sports party of them this week.

This year’s Super Bowl logo and art style feature a colorful beadwork design, inspired by the local Black Masking tradition. That unique form of expression was created by Black Americans who were excluded from mainstream Mardi Gras celebrations for much of the city’s history and continues today.

The commissioned art, designed by local artist Tahj “Queen Tahj” Williams, incorporates bright red, green and yellow colors, and that theme is on display on the streets surrounding the Caesars Superdome, the site of this year’s game.

“I wanted the rest of the world to see what I saw when I saw this culture for the first time here in New Orleans,” Williams told Reuters.

Megan Braden-Perry, a local entertainment and culture reporter, sees the ramp up in accompanying events being typical for such a huge occasion. From drag brunches and celebrity-centered events to more typical tailgates and fan fests, New Orleans is hosting a buffet of entertainment options for hungry visitors.

According to Braden-Perry, the city prides itself on being “built to host,” and that comes directly from the people within the community who are experienced through decades of hosting big celebrations.

“We are raised from little to grow up and work in the service industry or retail, with a lot of jobs being concentrated downtown,” Braden-Perry said. “If we are still here working, we are absolutely still here hosting.”

Kevin Pedeaux, owner of CR Coffee Shop and operator of the St. Roch Market, agrees that the community is ready for the influx of tourists that some estimates put in the neighborhood of over 100,000 visitors.

“There has never been a better time to come to New Orleans since I’ve been alive,” Pedeaux said. “We are so excited to host this huge event and have visitors in our beloved city again. We want to share New Orleans with the world.”

That spirit to host has yet to be dampened, despite some recent challenges.

Most seriously, the city endured a terror attack on January 1, in which a man drove a truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street, killing 14 and injuring dozens of others.

That incident called security for Super Bowl LIX into greater question. Cathy Lanier, chief security officer for the NFL, revealed Wednesday in a call with reporters that security has been ramped up in the wake of that tragedy, though she declined to get into too many specifics, emphasizing the importance of flexibility.

Still, she acknowledged that thousands of federal, state and local law enforcement officials are on hand while noting that “this team is ready” following almost two years of planning. She added that the league has received “no specific or credible threats.”

“I think the most important thing is, very clear and unequivocal, saying without hesitation that we are really confident in our security plan going into the Super Bowl,” Lanier said.

Anecdotally, Pedeaux saw business slow in the wake of that attack, though a more recent snowstorm, in which New Orleans saw 10 inches of snow in a single day — the biggest snowfall since at least 1895 — had a much greater impact on business and Super Bowl preparations.

“It was looking like we were finally picking up again, and then the snowstorm pulled the rug out from us again,” Pedeaux said.

But with snow melted, security in place, and Mardi Gras right around the corner, the community is excited to once again put its best foot forward.

“We New Orleanians are happy to show both teams and their fans a fun and safe time, and we hope they make lifelong memories here,” Braden-Perry said.

Pedeaux echoed the sentiment.

“We’re ready … Come be a part of the excitement!”

– Field Level Media