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Terry Lyons

Here Are the ’24 NFL Playoffs

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BALTIMORE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Baltimore Ravens haven’t been to the Super Bowl since the 2012 season and the San Francisco 49ers have had some close calls in recent years while chasing their first Super Bowl title since the 1994 campaign.

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The two clubs are in the favorite’s roles with first-round byes as the NFL’s 14-team playoff field came closer into focus on Sunday.

The Ravens are the No. 1 seed in the AFC and the 49ers are the top seed in the NFC as the competition for the Lombardi Trophy heats up.

The Dallas Cowboys earned the No. 2 seed and will host the No. 7 seed Green Bay Packers next weekend. The Cowboys perennially receive a lot of attention but the club hasn’t played in the Super Bowl since the 1995 season when quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith and receiver Michael Irvin were all superstars.

The Detroit Lions are the No. 3 seed and will host the red-hot No. 6-seed Los Angeles Rams in what will be the first playoff game held in Detroit in 30 years. The No. 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the No. 5 Philadelphia Eagles, the defending NFC champions who are spiraling downward with five defeats in six games.

The AFC matchups won’t be fully known until the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills complete their Sunday night showdown. The AFC matchups won’t be fully known until the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills complete their Sunday night showdown. If the Dolphins win, they would host the Bills again next week, and the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs would host the Pittsburgh Steelers. If the Bills win, they would host the Steelers next week and the Dolphins would travel to play the Chiefs.

The one fully known matchup in the AFC is that the No. 4 Houston Texans will host the No. 5 Cleveland Browns. Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud leads the Texans into battle against veteran Joe Flacco of the Browns.

Baltimore can rest this week and ponder why it has just two playoff victories since winning the Super Bowl. The 49ers have won six playoff games while qualifying in three of the past four seasons, but have failed to win it all despite three NFC title game appearances, one prior to a Super Bowl loss.

Green Bay Packers (9-8) at Dallas Cowboys (12-5)
Dak Prescott has yet to lead the Cowboys to more than one win in a single postseason. This time around, Dallas has a chance at two home games as it holds the tiebreaker edge over the Lions (oh yeah, the failure to report controversy). Jordan Love has quickly shown that the Packers can be viable without the departed Aaron Rodgers, who failed to come through on last season’s win-and-in contest while Love did get the job done Sunday.

Los Angeles Rams (10-7) at Detroit Lions (12-5)
Matthew Stafford went 0-3 in the playoffs in 12 seasons with the Lions and will now be looking to keep his former team winless in the postseason since the Barry Sanders-led club beat the Dallas Cowboys in the 1991 season. While “Restore the Roar” is real in Motown behind former Los Angeles QB Jared Goff, the Rams have won seven of eight games since their Week 10 bye. Los Angeles used a similar hot stretch drive two seasons ago en route to the Super Bowl crown.

Philadelphia Eagles (11-6) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8)
Baker Mayfield directed a ragged 9-0 victory over the Panthers on Sunday that sent the Buccaneers home to welcome the Eagles in a wild-card matchup. Philadelphia won just once since Thanksgiving, going 1-5 to crumble down the stretch and surrender the NFC East division lead to the Cowboys. The Eagles are facing huge injury questions surrounding the health of QB Jalen Hurts (finger) and WR A.J. Brown (right knee) after both exited Sunday’s loss to the Giants. But can Mayfield pull off a Tom Brady impersonation?

Cleveland Browns (11-6) at Houston Texans (10-7)
Stroud quickly revived the atmosphere around the Texans with a stellar rookie season that saw Houston almost equal its victory total (11) of the past three seasons. Cleveland is thriving behind Flacco, a former Super Bowl MVP who is 4-1 as the starter. Pretty ironic that Houston is hosting the Browns in a playoff game and former Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson isn’t on the field. The player infamous in Houston for sexually harassing massage therapists is out for the season with a shoulder injury.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Jan 7th

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While We’re Young (Ideas) on the PGA Tour and Happy 2024

BOSTON – The holidays are a busy time of year, but post holidays might be busier for sports fans. Here at WWYI, you might expect this column to be topped by predictions on the upcoming NFL Playoffs (I like SF and Baltimore – chalk city). Or, maybe a look at the College Football Championship finale between Washington and Michigan (I like Michigan (chalk city II).

Maybe it’s time to dig in deeper to the College Basketball season since the silly season is completed and team are already three or four games into their Conference schedules. St. John’s is (3-1) in the BIG EAST after a nice 10-point upset win at Villanova Saturday – more on that later.

We also have the exciting start of the all new Women’s Professional Hockey League with our hometown Boston entry – known as PWHL Boston instead of some catchy name like the Boston Koalas. (Bruin, by the way, is the Dutch word for brown). The new team and league have opened to much fanfare and full-page coverage in the local paper, even though the club is playing out in Lowell, Massachusetts at the University’s Tsongas Arena – a wonderful venue and good choice for the fledgling PWHL.

But, instead of more coverage of the English Premier League (EPL) or stoking the coals on the Hot Stove season of “The” Major League Baseball, or even talk and typewriting on the NBA or the NHL, I give you the start of the PGA Tour season, a.k.a. the “Opening Drive.”

The professional golfers, those who haven’t cashed checks in LIV Golf, all teed-it up at The Plantation Course at Kapalua on the Island of Maui in Hawaii. The course is several miles north of Lahaina which was devastated by wild fires but the PGA Tour and its significant charity wing will be dedicating money, time and additional resources to assist in the rebuilding and comeback for the town of Lahaina and also Maui as a hole.

On the Tour, 21 of the top 25 players in the world are playing at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, a tournament that expanded its field and increased its purse to $20m to go with 700 FedEx Cup points and full elevated designation by the PGA Tour.

While the Nor’easter bears down on the east coast, viewers can stream ESPN+ for a look at the 81-degree sunshine of paradise by the golf cart lights. At press time, the Sentry Tournament of Champions leaderboard was packed with big name PGA Tour players with the final round on NBC and The Golf Channel this afternoon and evening. Yes, evening as in primetime golf as the time zones help the Tour office open up in the best of times.

It’ll be the same thing next weekend as The Opening Drive’s second event is the SONY Open from Honolulu.

There’s plenty of news on the Tour, so this weekend, I’d urge readers to click HERE for a look at sister-publication – PGA Tour Brunch – as you enjoy your breakfast brunch, lunch or dinner – maybe even a late night snack, depending on where you’ll be watching from for the start of the golf season.

The PGA Tour dignitaries and the powers that be of LIV Golf were not able to complete a deal by their self-imposed December 31 deadline, but they’ve expanded the window and a settlement is expected soon (by April). PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan is under intense pressure to make good on a deal but also work the PR lines as the Saudi Investment Fund (often referred to as the PIF, as in Public Investment Fund or Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund) who combined might sink a whopping $3 billion into the PGA Tour and the sport of golf.

“Our goal for 2024 is to reach agreements with SSG (Strategic Sports Group, consisting of individual investors in sports like the Fenway Sports Group and Boston Celtics team managing partner Wyc Grousbeck), PIF and the DP World Tour, bringing them on board as minority co-investors in PGA Tour Enterprises. These partnerships will allow us to unify, innovate and invest in the game for the benefit of players, fans and sponsors,” said Monahan in a memo to the PGA Tour membership, a memo Tour star Collin Morakawa later called “fluff.”

With all the intrigue and drama, the expected deal by the time the entire golfing world tees-off at The Masters, the morning line sees two competing golf leagues on tour in ‘24, one playing four days and 72 holes to determine a champ for each tournament and the other playing three days and 54 (LIV) holes to crown a champ who might clear as much as $3 or $4 million for a single tournament title. (Thus, the increased purse of the PGA Tour’s elevated events – the winner at the Sentry will bank $3.6 million).

When the dust settles, the average golf fan might be left with a bad taste in their mouth as the gentlemen’s game – like seemingly everything else – is screwed up and in flux. Only time will tell if professional golf will settle down and maybe join forces to bring the best players in the world back together each week.

PGA TOUR COM’s Top Tour Players: Rob Bolton of PGATour.com went 223 players deep on his PGA Tour membership rankings chart, more-or-less a Golf Fantasy Cheat Sheet. For the sake of space on your mobile phone, we’ll pass along the Top 20:

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  1. Scottie Scheffler
  2. Rory McIlroy
  3. Viktor Hovland
  4. Collin Morakawa
  5. Justin Thomas
  6. Xander Schauffele
  7. Patrick Cantlay
  8. Max Homa
  9. Jordan Spieth
  10. Sam Burns
  11. Matt Fitzpatrick
  12. Ludvig Aberg
  13. Min Woo Lee
  14. Rickie Fowler
  15. Tom Kim
  16. Tony Finau
  17. Sahith Theegala
  18. SungJai Im
  19. Wyndham Clark
  20. Hideki Matsuyama

Chris Kirk Won at The Sentry AFTER a TL prediction:

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TL’s Two Cents for the Top PGA Tour Pros: Taking the Bolton Top 20 a little further, yours truly thinks the following golfers will break through in 2024:

  1. Tyrrell Hatton (Simply one of the best; could strike on a Major)
  2. Jason Day (Returns to form)
  3. J.T. Poston (That’s Boston, not Boston)
  4. Eric Cole (Rookie of Year takes the next step)
  5. Akshay Bhatia (Showed strong signs last year)
  6. Chris Kirk (Just get him to East Lake)
  7. Lucas Glover (Veteran returns to form)
  8. Harris English (Will battle back)
  9. Shane Lowry (Never count him out; Even at Augusta)
  10. Cameron Young, Cam Davis, Cam Anyone (They’re all good)

HERE NOW THE NOTES: Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was reinstated by the NBA following his suspension for striking Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić on Dec. 12, 2023. Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations, made the statement official and will be the man at the NBA keeping a close eye on Green, much the way his predecessor Rod Thorn had his watchful eyes on Dumars’ former teammates, Rick Mahorn and Bill Laimbeer back in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s – when the Pistons were known as the “Bad Boys.”

During the period of his suspension, which began on Dec. 14 and resulted in him missing 12 games, Green completed steps that demonstrated his commitment to conforming his conduct to standards expected of NBA players. He has engaged in meetings with a counselor and has met jointly on multiple occasions with representatives of the NBA, the Warriors, and the National Basketball Players Association, both of which will continue throughout the season.

Green re-joins a team in disarray as indications are that coach Steve Kerr has “lost the locker,” or at least temporarily lost the respect of 2021 draft choice Jonathan Kuminga, who vented his frustration to reporters after he played only 18 minutes in a game, indicating he had “lost faith” in Kerr. A day later, Kuminga backed off his comments and in a media session Kerr tried to defuse the issue.

Kerr spoke with Kuminga and made it clear he wished any displeasure remained in-house. “You have an issue, I’m here. I’m the most accessible coach in the league probably. My door is always open,” said Kerr.

TID-BITS: The final weekend of the NFL brings a couple of games where it’s win or go home – in other words football at its best. Still others (like Pittsburgh at Baltimore) saw the Ravens sit MVP candidate and front runner in QB Lamar Jackson as a precaution since the Ravens had already locked up the No. 1 seed in the NFL’s AFC Conference. … Some teams are playing for their Playoff lives while others (see NY Jets and New England Patriots) have meaningless games, unless you think the Patriots should tank for a better draft choice. … Speaking of which, any player who tanks might see his club draft a player at his position, and that veteran player might be out of a job to a newcomer, so don’t think tanking is all that easy to do. … The Carolina Panthers clinched the slot as the worst team in the NFL, but the Chicago Bears have Carolina’s pick. … Of position players in the NFL in 2023, SF RB Christian McCaffrey outperformed all of his peers while Dallas WR Cee Dee Lamb paced the WRs. Miami wide-out Tyreek Hill wasn’t far behind Lamb, and Hill was nursing injuries late in the year. Amongst the higher scoring QBs, here are the Top 10:

  1. Josh Allen – Buffalo
  2. Jalen Hurts – Philadelphia
  3. Lamar Jackson – Baltimore
  4. Dak Prescott – Dallas
  5. Jordan Love – Green Bay
  6. Brock Purdy – SF
  7. Patrick Mahomes – KC
  8. Jared Goff – Detroit
  9. Tua Tagovailia – Miami
  10. Baker Mayfield – Tampa Bay
  11. C.J. Stroud – Houston

NCAA INKS a BIG DEAL: The NCAA signed a landmark eight-year media deal with ESPN for 40 championships domestically. Maybe that’s an indication that the sky is not falling within the ranks of the NCAA as bickering over NIL, college football playoffs (hear that, Florida State?) and dozens of other issues the NCAA is facing. (Relatively) new NCAA head honcho Charlie Baker, the former Guv’nah of Massachusetts, is settling issues one at a time.

Bills Take East; NFL Round-Up

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MIAMI – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Josh Allen passed for 359 yards and two touchdowns and Deonte Harty set a franchise record for the longest punt return touchdown as the Buffalo Bills notched a 21-14 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday night at Miami Gardens, Fla., to win the AFC East for the fourth straight season.

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Allen tossed the go-ahead touchdown to Dawson Knox midway through the final quarter as Buffalo (11-6) won its fifth straight contest. Taylor Rapp sealed the victory with an interception with 1:13 remaining.

Trent Sherfield also caught a touchdown pass and Khalil Shakir had 105 receiving yards for the second-seeded Bills, who will host the seventh-seeded Pittsburgh Steelers in next Sunday’s playoff contest.

Allen rushed for 67 yards and also completed 30 of 38 passes with two interceptions. He improved to 11-2 as a starter against Miami (including last season’s playoff victory) and has thrown 36 touchdown passes in those 13 games.

Tua Tagovailoa completed 17 of 27 passes for 173 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions for the Dolphins (11-6). Tyreek Hill caught seven passes for 82 yards and a touchdown and De’Von Achane added a rushing score.

Miami lost for the third time in five games while playing without running back Raheem Mostert (knee, ankle) and receiver Jaylen Waddle (ankle) for the second consecutive game. The sixth-seeded Dolphins will visit the third-seeded Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday night.

The Bills outgained Miami 473-275.

Buffalo’s only offensive touchdown in the second half was the decisive score to cap an eight-play, 74-yard drive. Allen connected with Knox on a 5-yard throw to give the Bills a 21-14 lead with 7:16 remaining.

The Dolphins went three-and-out on their next possession and didn’t see the ball again until 1:53 remained. But Rapp’s pick 40 seconds later ended any suspense.

Buffalo tied the score at 14 on Hardy’s 96-yard punt return with 13:42 left in the contest. The old team mark was 91 yards by Keith Moody against the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 23, 1977.

Hardy caught the ball at his own 4-yard line and exploded up the middle and moved into the clear as Miami players Cameron Goode and Alec Engold got tangled up. Hardy navigated to his left and raced down the sideline without any Dolphins in his vicinity.

The Dolphins struck first when Achane broke a 25-yard TD run with 8:51 left in the first half.

Buffalo tied the game when Sherfield caught a 6-yard scoring pass with 4:31 remaining in the half. Allen’s throw hit the helmet of Miami’s Andrew Van Ginkel and ricocheted high in the air and Sherfield was able to grab it in the back of the end zone while getting both feet down.

Miami took a 14-7 lead when Tagovailoa threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Hill with 1:43 to go before halftime.

Green Bay Packers 17, Chicago Bears 9

Jordan Love threw two touchdown passes and the host Green Bay Packers jumped into the NFC playoffs with a 17-9 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

Entering the regular-season finale needing a win to earn a wild-card berth, the Packers (9-8) punched their ticket as the No. 7 seed and will travel to Dallas to meet the No. 2 Cowboys next weekend.

Love went over 300 yards with his 26th completion of the game with 3:08 to play, and running back Aaron Jones clicked over 100 yards rushing for the third consecutive game on the game-sealing possession. He finished with 111 yards on 22 carries.

Bears quarterback Justin Fields left the game for one play in the fourth quarter to be checked for a concussion, but returned and finished the contest. He completed 11 of 16 passes for 148 yards and rushed for 27 yards on eight carries. Chicago finished the season 7-10.

Cowboys 38, Commanders 10

Dak Prescott threw four touchdown passes as Dallas clinched the NFC East title with a victory over Washington in Landover, Md.

Prescott completed 31 of 36 passes for 279 yards and CeeDee Lamb had 13 receptions for 98 yards and two touchdowns for the Cowboys (12-5).

Sam Howell completed 19 of 27 passes for 153 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions for Washington (4-13). The loss gives the Commanders the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Jets 17, Patriots 3

Breece Hall rushed for 178 yards and a touchdown as New York beat New England for the first time since Dec. 27, 2015, a streak of 15 losses, in the season finale for both teams in Foxborough, Mass.

Sunday also potentially marked the end of Bill Belichick’s tenure as coach of the Patriots. Belichick is reportedly set to meet with New England owner Robert Kraft this week to discuss his future with the organization.

Hall had a career-high 37 carries for the Jets (7-10) in snowy, frigid conditions. New York quarterback Trevor Siemian completed 8 of 20 passes for 70 yards. Bailey Zappe finished with 88 yards and two interceptions on 12-for-30 passing for the Patriots (4-13), who lost at least 13 games in a single season for the first time since the 1992 campaign.

Buccaneers 9, Panthers 0

Chase McLaughlin kicked three field goals of 36, 57 and 39 yards and Tampa Bay clinched the NFC South for the third season in a row by defeating Carolina in Charlotte, N.C.

The Buccaneers (9-8) won five of their last six games in the regular season. Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield, who began last season playing for Carolina, was 20-for-32 for 137 passing yards as the Buccaneers completed the season sweep.

Carolina (2-15) finished with the worst record in the NFL. Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall pick in last spring’s draft, was 11-for-18 for 94 yards and was sacked three times. Running back Chuba Hubbard gained 83 yards on 23 carries.

Bengals 31, Browns 14

Andrei Iosivas caught two touchdown passes and Joe Mixon ran for one score and caught another as host Cincinnati ended its season with a win over Cleveland, ensuring all four AFC North teams finished the season with a winning record.

Jake Browning threw for three touchdowns for the Bengals (9-8), finishing 18-of-24 passing with 156 yards and one interception before being replaced by AJ McCarron late in the third quarter.

The Browns (11-6) rested many of their starters, including quarterback Joe Flacco, with the fifth seed in the AFC sewn up. Jeff Driskel started and played the entire game, going 13 of 26 for 166 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Lions 30, Vikings 20

Jared Goff passed for 320 yards and two touchdowns, including a 70-yard strike to Amon-Ra St. Brown, as Detroit defeated visiting Minnesota.

St. Brown caught seven passes for 144 yards for the NFC North champion Lions (12-5), who will host the sixth-seeded Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round. Tight end Sam LaPorta caught a 2-yard touchdown pass but injured his knee late in the first half after making another catch.

Nick Mullens passed for 396 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions for the Vikings (7-10), who were officially eliminated from postseason contention. Justin Jefferson caught 12 passes for 192 yards and a touchdown.

Saints 48, Falcons 17

Derek Carr threw a season-high four touchdown passes and host New Orleans defeated Atlanta.

Carr passed for 264 yards while Kendre Miller had his biggest workload of the season in the absence of injured Alvin Kamara and rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Despite picking up the victory, New Orleans (9-8) was eliminated from playoff contention when the Packers beat Chicago.

Desmond Ridder, starting in place of injured Taylor Heinicke (ankle), passed for 291 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for the Falcons (7-10). Bijan Robinson rushed for just 28 yards, but he caught seven passes that went for 103 yards and a touchdown.

Titans 28, Jaguars 20

Derrick Henry rushed for 153 yards and a touchdown in what might have been his last game for Tennessee as the Titans quashed Jacksonville’s hopes of a second straight AFC South title in Nashville.

Ryan Tannehill completed 17 of 26 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns with an interception in what was probably his last game for Tennessee (6-11). Both Henry and Tannehill become free agents in March.

Trevor Lawrence hit 29 of 43 attempts for 280 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions for Jacksonville (9-8). It was a disappointing end to a highly anticipated season for the Jaguars, who lost five of their last six games to miss the playoffs.

Seahawks 21, Cardinals 20

Geno Smith threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Lockett with 1:54 remaining, then found Lockett in the back of the end zone for a two-point conversion, as Seattle defeated Arizona in Glendale, Ariz.

Despite the victory, the Seahawks (9-8) missed the playoffs, as they also needed a Green Bay loss to Chicago in the regular-season finale.

Arizona’s Matt Prater missed a 51-yard field-goal attempt on the game’s final play. Prater also was wide right on a 43-yard try with 2:59 left that would’ve given the Cardinals (4-13) a 10-point lead. Smith completed 16 of 28 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns.

Raiders 27, Broncos 14

Aidan O’Connell threw for 244 yards and two touchdowns to lift Las Vegas over visiting Denver in the season finale.

Jakobi Meyers caught a touchdown pass and ran for another score and Zamir White rushed for 112 yards on 25 carries for the Raiders (8-9), who won their eighth in a row against the Broncos.

Jarrett Stidham started his second straight game for Denver (8-9) and completed 20 of 34 passes for 272 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Chiefs 13, Chargers 12

Harrison Butker kicked a 41-yard field goal with 49 seconds left, enabling Kansas City to edge Los Angeles in Inglewood, Calif.

Kansas City (11-6) trailed by two points after Cameron Dicker made his fourth field goal of the day, a 20-yarder with 4:06 remaining that gave Los Angeles (5-12) its only lead of the game. But Blaine Gabbert ran for gains of 25 and 14 yards to put Butker in range for the game-winner.

The Chiefs rested quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and many other regulars in a game that didn’t affect their playoff seeding. Kansas City will be the AFC’s third seed. Chargers quarterback Easton Stick hit on 28 of 47 passes for 258 yards and also rushed for 77 yards on 13 attempts.

Giants 27, Eagles 10

Saquon Barkley rushed for two touchdowns and New York dominated struggling Philadelphia in the regular-season finale for both teams at East Rutherford, N.J.

Tyrod Taylor passed for 297 yards and one touchdown as the Giants (6-11) snapped a five-game losing streak against the Eagles. Xavier McKinney had two interceptions as New York defeated Philadelphia for just the third time in the past 16 meetings.

Jalen Hurts was just 7-of-16 passing for 55 yards and one interception before being pulled in the second quarter for the Eagles (11-6), who lost for the fifth time in six games. Philadelphia is an NFC wild-card team, and the No. 5-seeded Eagles will visit the No. 4 Buccaneers next week in the playoffs.

Rams 21, 49ers 20

Carson Wentz threw for two touchdowns and rallied Los Angeles by rushing for a late score and completing a pass for the two-point conversion in a win over San Francisco in Santa Clara, Calif.

The game was laden with reserves as both teams were assured of playoff berths. The 49ers (12-5) were locked in as the top seed in the NFC, and the Rams (10-7) locked down the No. 6 seed with the win.

Not sitting out Sunday was Los Angeles star wide receiver Puka Nacua. Nacua played into the third quarter, just long enough to set rookie records on consecutive catches. A 7-yard reception pushed his yardage total past the 1,473 mark of rookie Bill Groman of the Houston Oilers in 1960. On the next play, Wentz and Nacua connected for the fifth time, giving Nacua 105 catches, one more than the Miami Dolphins’ Jaylen Waddle in 2021.

–Field Level Media

NFL Game Previews: Playoffs or Bust

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MIAMI GARDENS – On Sunday, the Buffalo Bills travel to Miami for a game that will determine the NFL’s AFC East division but there are several other playoff determining games to be played both Saturday and Sunday, the final weekend of the NFL’s regular season.

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Saturday Games

Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) at Baltimore Ravens (13-3): Baltimore can rest key players, including Lamar Jackson, after the Ravens thrashed the Miami Dolphins 56-19 last Sunday for their sixth straight victory, clinching the AFC North and a first-round playoff bye in the process. Jackson threw more touchdown passes (five) than incompletions (three) as public support grew for the quarterback to win his second NFL Most Valuable Player award. The Steelers don’t mind facing Baltimore’s backups in Week 18. After staying in the AFC wild-card hunt with Sunday’s 30-23 win at Seattle, they have five paths to earn a playoff berth but no guaranteed ticket win or lose at Baltimore. The Steelers continue to place their hopes on the shoulders of Mason Rudolph, their third starting quarterback this season. In Rudolph’s two starts, two Pittsburgh wins, he has completed 68.6 percent of his passes for 564 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. Pittsburgh star T.J. Watt is tied for the league lead with 17 sacks. He recorded two sacks and recovered a fumble when the host Steelers defeated the Ravens 17-10 in October, Pittsburgh’s sixth win in the past seven meetings with Baltimore.

Houston Texans (9-7) at Indianapolis Colts (9-7): C.J. Stroud and DeMeco Ryans led the Texans to their first winning season since 2019. Now, they want a playoff berth. Indianapolis also would wrap up a postseason berth with a win. In addition, the Houston-Indianapolis winner would capture the AFC South title and get a home playoff game if the Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7) lose their Sunday road game against the Tennessee Titans. Indianapolis enters Week 18 with the AFC’s final wild-card spot in hand. While Stroud has breathed new life into the Texans as a rookie, the Colts are without Anthony Richardson, drafted by the Colts No. 4 overall last April. Richardson provided a tantalizing glimpse of his vast potential during a 31-20 thumping of Houston on Sept. 17, running for two first-quarter touchdowns before leaving due to a concussion. Backup Gardner Minshew helped steer the Colts and their own rookie head coach, Shane Steichen, into this position with a 23-20 win over the Raiders last week. The running game is crucial to the Colts’ success. Jonathan Taylor, in his second game back from thumb surgery, piled up 96 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries last week. Both defenses are in the top 10 in the NFL in sacks. Texans’ sack leader Jonathan Greenard (12.5) was ruled out with an ankle injury.

Sunday Games

Kansas City Chiefs (10-6) at Los Angeles Chargers (5-11): With no ground to gain in the AFC playoff picture and locked into the No. 3 seed for next week’s wild-card round, the Chiefs aren’t risking QB Patrick Mahomes’ health at Los Angeles. Blaine Gabbert will start and be surrounded by mostly backups while staring down a Chargers’ team with four consecutive losses and defeats in seven of its last eight games. Easton Stick, serving as the Chargers’ starting quarterback since Justin Herbert was placed on injured reserve with a broken finger Dec. 12, is tasked with getting the Chargers their first win in the past five games. Los Angeles is 1-7 since Nov. 6. Stick could be taking the field again without leading receiver Keenan Allen. He’s dealing with a heel injury and hasn’t played since Dec. 10. Allen has 108 receptions for 1,243 yards and seven touchdowns. Among Gabbert’s goals for the game: get tight end Travis Kelce over 1,000 receiving yards for the eighth consecutive season. He’s at 984 through 16 games. Kelce, who was inactive Week 1 with a knee injury, had a season-best 12 catches and 179 yards in Kansas City’s win over the Chargers in Week 7.

Philadelphia Eagles (11-5) at New York Giants (5-11): Philadelphia hasn’t won on the road since before Thanksgiving, and the Eagles didn’t beat anyone in December — except the Giants. After losing to the Arizona Cardinals last week, the road is the likely path for Philadelphia in the postseason. Despite a 1-4 December, a win still could give Philadelphia its second straight division title if the Dallas Cowboys (11-5) should stumble at Washington (4-12). Otherwise, the Eagles could be looking at the NFC’s No. 5 seed and all road games for the postseason. Philly’s failures have been on both sides of the ball. That includes a secondary that has surrendered 34 touchdown passes (only Washington has given up more with 35) and an inconsistent offense propped up by the overwhelming red-zone success of the “Brotherly Shove.” For the first time in franchise history, Philadelphia has lost three games where it held double-digit leads. The Eagles led the New York Jets 14-3 and lost 20-14 (Week 6), led the Seahawks 10-0 and lost 20-17 (Week 15) and built a 21-6 lead against the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday before falling 35-31. The Giants did put a scare in the Eagles in the first meeting with Tyrod Taylor coming off the bench for a near comeback. The Giants are on a three-game losing streak, including a 33-25 decision at Philadelphia on Christmas Day. New York has lost its past five meetings with the Eagles, including last season’s divisional playoff game. Taylor starts again Sunday after he passed for 319 yards with one touchdown and one interception in last Sunday’s 26-25 loss to the visiting Los Angeles Rams. The Giants are 3-4 at MetLife Stadium, where they have been outscored 139-86 this season.

Buffalo Bills (10-6) at Miami Dolphins (11-5): The Bills were three games behind the Dolphins in the AFC East with five games remaining, but are now thriving in playoff mode, one win away from thei fourth consecutive division titles. The Dolphins can block Buffalo’s path and snag the AFC’s No. 2 seed and a home playoff game next week by winning Sunday night — and claiming the division for the first time since 2008. The Bills own the tiebreaker by virtue of their 48-20 home beatdown of Miami in Week 4. The Dolphins were annihilated in every facet of the game against Baltimore last week while missing running back Raheem Mostert (franchise-record 21 total touchdowns) and receiver Jaylen Waddle (1,014 receiving yards). Waddle is fighting an ankle injury and Mostert is dealing with ankle and knee soreness. Back-to-back wins over two playoff teams — the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys — ignited Buffalo’s dynamite December, which also included wins over the Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots. Last weekend’s 27-21 home win over the Patriots was achieved behind Josh Allen’s two rushing touchdowns. He had a poor game against New England’s stingy pass defense, throwing for 169 yards and one interception. But Allen has fared well against Miami with a 10-2 starting record (including last season’s playoff victory). He has 34 touchdown passes and seven interceptions in those 12 games. Buffalo has clamped Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill in recent matchups — a season-low three-catch game earlier this season and two receptions for 33 yards when the Bills visited South Beach in 2022.

Los Angeles Rams (9-7) at San Francisco 49ers (12-4): Playoff-bound NFC rivals roll into a regular-season finale neither team wants to lose, but the blatant priority is avoiding injuries. With a wild-card spot clinched, the Rams take a nine-game regular-season losing streak to the 49ers to San Francisco, where Carson Wentz replaces starting quarterback Matthew Stafford. San Francisco clinched the No. 1 seed and homefield advantage throughout the NFC playoffs and plans to keep Pro Bowl quarterback Brock Purdy on the sideline this week in favor of backup Sam Darnold. Los Angeles clinched the NFC wild-card berth by winning six of its last seven games. The Rams will either be the No. 6 or No. 7 seed in the postseason.

Rams head coach Sean McVay wasn’t swayed by the seeding uncertainty and is resting Stafford and some other key players: RB Kyren Williams (1,144 rushing yards), WR Cooper Kupp (59 receptions), DT Aaron Donald (16 tackles for loss) and LB Ernest Jones (career-high 145 tackles). Wentz is making his 93rd career start. He appeared in mop-up duty once since joining the Rams in November, just days after a 20-3 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Los Angeles then went on its 6-1 surge. Though the Rams have their long streak of regular-season futility against San Francisco, they did beat the 49ers in the NFC Championship following the 2021 season en route to winning the Super Bowl. NFL rushing leader Christian McCaffrey (1,459 rushing yards) is out with a calf injury. No rest is planned for Rams receiver Puka Nacua, who has 101 receptions for 1,445 yards. He needs four catches to break the NFL rookie mark set by Jaylen Waddle of the Miami Dolphins in 2021, and 29 yards to surpass the rookie record held by Bill Groman of the Houston Oilers since 1960.

Denver Broncos (8-8) at Las Vegas Raiders (7-9): An eight-game winning streak over the Broncos that dates to 2019 is providing motivation on both sides of an otherwise insignificant game. Las Vegas beat Denver 17-16 in the season opener on Sept. 10. Since then, major changes have altered each team. Among those impacted by the in-season overhaul were both starting quarterbacks in Week 1. Jimmy Garoppolo took the field for the Raiders in the season opener, but injuries and ineffectiveness opened the door for rookie Aidan O’Connell to get a shot when head coach Josh McDaniels was fired. The Raiders have gone 4-4 over the past eight games. Russell Wilson started the first 15 games for Denver, but the Broncos decided to bench Wilson for Jarrett Stidham in a contract-related squabble similar to the drama that unfolded involving Derek Carr at the end of last season. At that time, Stidham was with the Raiders and was pushed into a starting role for the final two games of the regular season. The season finale is an ongoing audition for O’Connell, but also for interim coach Antonio Pierce, who took over after McDaniels was fired on Nov. 1. Las Vegas won its first two games under Pierce, but has gone 2-4 since, most recently losing to the Indianapolis Colts 23-20 last Sunday.

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Chicago Bears (7-9) at Green Bay Packers (8-8): If the Packers win for the sixth time in eight games, Green Bay is playoff bound behind first-year starting QB Jordan Love. But no defense has been stingier against opposing quarterbacks than the Bears in the past seven weeks, leading the NFL in defensive passer rating during that time while also holding the league lead in interceptions for the season. The Packers went 8-9 a season ago and missed a chance to reach the playoffs after losing the regular-season finale against the Detroit Lions. Love draws a much-improved Chicago defense than the one he lit up in Week 1 back in September. Since Week 11, the Bears have 16 takeaways and allowed fewer than 20 points four times. Chicago would love to spoil the playoff hopes of their biggest rival in the NFC North. Despite losing eight of their first 11 games, the Bears have continued to battle under coach Matt Eberflus and won four of their past five games. But the Packers are 5-0 against Chicago since quarterback Justin Fields took over at quarterback. The regular-season finale will offer another chance for Fields to try to clarify questions about his future.

Seattle Seahawks (8-8) at Arizona Cardinals (4-12): Seattle reaches the finish line of the regular season as it did last year — needing a Week 18 win and a big assist. A loss last week left the Seahawks in the same predicament they were in a year ago. They need a victory over a division opponent and a Green Bay Packers loss to make the NFL playoffs. Things worked out for the Seahawks last season, but can they go 2-for-2? The Seahawks needed a victory in Week 18 against the visiting Los Angeles Rams and for Detroit to win at Green Bay in the Sunday night game that added to the season-ending drama. This time Seattle will need to win on the road while rooting for the Packers to lose again at home, this time to Chicago. There will be some scoreboard watching with the games kicking off at 4:25 p.m. ET. The Cardinals rallied from a 15-point deficit to shock the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday. Now 3-4 since Kyler Murray returned from surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament, the Cardinals were thrilled with his second-half performance. Murray completed 25 of 31 passes for 232 yards and a season-high three touchdowns. Running back James Conner played a starring role, including the game-winning TD, which could be cause for concern after the Seahawks were demolished by Pittsburgh’s previously stagnant ground attack to the tune of 203 yards.

New York Jets (6-10) at New England Patriots (4-12): Coach Bill Belichick might be unsure what the future holds, but he’s not showing much emotion entering Sunday’s possible curtain call at Gillette Stadium. Belichick has patrolled the New England sideline for the past 24 seasons, but doubts have doubled that he’ll return for a 25th as the Patriots prepare to face the New York Jets on Sunday afternoon in Foxborough, Mass. But Belichick (333 victories) plans on coaching next season as he chases Don Shula (347) for the all-time wins record, raising the question of whether he can find the right fit elsewhere. For now, Belichick maintains he’s only focused on the Jets. The Jets have split their past four games following a five-game skid, most recently falling 37-20 to the Cleveland Browns on Dec. 28. Trevor Siemian completed 32 of 45 passes for 261 yards with a touchdown and an interception in his second start of the season for New York, which has never fully recovered from losing Aaron Rodgers to a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 1. Siemian will start again on Sunday, when the gameplan is likely to be turning to Breece Hall. He leads the Jets in rushing (186 carries, 816 yards, four TDs) and is second with 74 receptions for 579 yards and four TDs.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8) at Carolina Panthers (2-14): Even without a playoff spot clinched, the Buccaneers know there are worse predicaments to be in entering Week 18 than a win-and-in gig against the NFL’s worst team. Tampa seals the NFC South on Sunday with a win at Carolina. In their first season since Tom Brady retired, the Buccaneers are aiming for their third consecutive divisional title. The Panthers entertain their opening starter from last season — Baker Mayfield — and have some confidence of late. They nearly took down Tampa Bay in the first meeting, a 21-18 loss on Dec. 3. And Carolina knocked the Falcons out of a share of first place in the division last month in a rain-soaked 9-7 home victory. In the first matchup, Panthers QB Bryce Young was sacked four times and intercepted once. Carolina’s offense is averaging 167.1 yards per game for the second-worst mark in the league.

Atlanta Falcons (7-9) at New Orleans Saints (8-8): Winning this NFC South showdown in New Orleans won’t be enough to put either team in the playoffs. That requires a Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ loss at Carolina or, for the Saints, a win and losses by the Packers and Seahawks. Innumerable variables are in play with a whopping 20 of the NFL’s 32 teams still alive entering Week 18. New Orleans kept its playoff hopes alive and prevented the Bucs from clinching the division title when it won at Tampa, 23-13, last Sunday. The Falcons, who lost at Chicago, 37-17 in Week 17, defeated the Saints 24-15 on Nov. 26 in Atlanta. Atlanta ranks eighth in the NFL in rushing (130.1 yards per game) and had the most rushing yards by a New Orleans opponent (228) in the first meeting. The Falcons’ 41 attempts were the most by a Saints opponent this season and their average (5.6) was the second highest.

Minnesota Vikings (7-9) at Detroit Lions (11-5): The Lions have faint hopes of moving up to the No. 2 spot, but coach Dan Campbell says he’s not resting his regulars in the regular-season finale against Minnesota on Sunday afternoon. Detroit (11-5) needs a win, while the Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles would have to lose or tie in their games on Sunday in order for the Lions to snag the No. 2 seed. The Lions are still smarting from the 20-19 loss to the Cowboys on Saturday night, when mass confusion involving whether OT Taylor Decker reported as an eligible receiver wiped out the go-ahead two-point conversion when officials threw a flag. A week earlier, Detroit clinched the NFC North title with a 30-24 win at Minnesota. The Vikings haven’t been eliminated from the wild card race. But their playoff hopes were virtually snuffed out with a 33-10 loss to Green Bay on Sunday night. They need a victory on Sunday and losses by the Packers and Seattle, along with a loss by either Tampa Bay or New Orleans, to sneak into the postseason. Nick Mullens will start at quarterback this week. He threw for 411 yards and two touchdowns against the Lions but was also intercepted four times.

Dallas Cowboys (11-5) at Washington Commanders (4-12): Eliminated from playoff contention, the Washington Commanders can still deliver a parting gift to an NFC East rival. Mired in a seven-game losing streak, the Commanders (4-12) welcome the Cowboys (11-5) for the regular-season finale on Sunday, knowing a Washington win could erase Dallas from the top of the division standings and open the passing lane for the Philadelphia Eagles to crash into first. If the Cowboys win, Dallas would be the NFC East champion and the No. 2 seed in the conference. The Cowboys would head home for a wild-card playoff game at AT&T Stadium, where they are 8-0 this season. QB Dak Prescott was nearly flawless in the first matchup with the Commanders this season and his offense is featuring WR CeeDee Lamb — the NFL leader with 122 catches, second with 1,651 receiving yards — establishing single-season franchise records in each category. The Cowboys’ 45-10 blowout of the Commanders in November led to the firing of Washington defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. A similar result is almost certainly the final gavel for head coach Ron Rivera in Washington. The Commanders rank last in total defense (385.8 yards per game), 31st in pass defense (259.3 yards per game) and aren’t built for comebacks with an NFL-worst minus-12 turnover margin.

Cleveland Browns (11-5) at Cincinnati Bengals (8-8): Signed off the couch last month, Joe Flacco went from perceived Old Man Winter to Ice Cold Clutch and has the Browns spending Week 18 warming by the fire awaiting their playoff assignment. Cincinnati, out of playoff contention following a 25-17 road loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last week, won’t face Flacco while attempting to apply the brakes on the Browns’ four-game winning streak. A victory Sunday would seal the first 12-win regular season since 1986 for Cleveland. Regardless of the result, Cleveland is cemented as the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs, the first wild-card position. The Browns have won nine of the past 11 meetings with the Bengals, including a 24-3 rout in the season opener at Cleveland on Sept. 10. Browns backup Jeff Driskel starts for Flacco to become Cleveland’s fifth starting QB this season. The Bengals’ biggest motivation is to finish with a third straight winning season under Zac Taylor, but 9-8 still would be a disappointment following two straight division-winning seasons that ended with deep playoff runs.

Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7) at Tennessee Titans (5-11): Without Trevor Lawrence at Carolina, the Jaguars’ 26-0 shutout of the lowly Panthers put Jacksonville in a division-winning scenario at Nashville this week. A victory would give Jacksonville (9-7) the AFC South title and a home game in the first round of the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Whether Lawrence (shoulder) is 100 percent isn’t clear after a four-week stretch in which he was also fighting off an ankle injury and concussion. Injuries hit Lawrence back when the Jaguars were 8-3. But four consecutive losses followed, putting the Indianapolis Colts (9-7) and Houston Texans (9-7) in play for the division title. The Titans are literally and figuratively limping to the finish line. Tennessee lost 26-3 last week in Houston, their fourth defeat in five games, and they had 15 names on the injury report for Week 18. That list included rookie quarterback Will Levis, who is battling right foot and left ankle maladies that kept him out of practice. Levis wants to play, but this could be a spot for the Titans to send off 36-year-old Ryan Tannehill and 30-year-old RB Derrick Henry, who has rushed for 9,349 yards in eight seasons with the Titans. Both are in the final year of their existing contracts.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Dec 31

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – There are “No Days Off” for WWYI and Digital Sports Desk. Last week, we had our January to June 2023 (Half) Year in Review. This week, we’ll feature July to December 2023, all reminders of what was covered by this Sunday Notes column during the so-so Year of 2023.

Let’s hope for better things to come in 2024.

First, a look at some NBA news generated by the one-and-only Steve Kerr. In case you missed it, take a look/listen on what he said last week after Golden State’s 120-114 Christmas Day loss to the Denver Nuggets, and I’ll comment on the other side.

First, the Golden State head coach has a decent point. It’s fair to state that the NBA – as a whole, and via the league’s Competition Committee and Officiating supervisors and staff – have always molded the NBA rules to return a slight edge to the offense. Yet, the defense always adjusts and catches up.

Look back to major reform, back when the late Commissioner David Stern and then-NBA Senior VP for Basketball Operations Rod Thorn called for a summit to discuss the fact teams had clamped down on the game to limit opponents to 84.3 to 88.9 points per game. Defenders locked down their opponents with stifling, firm hand-checks and made it damn near impossible to cut through the lane without being roughed-up. Thus, there was little movement on offense.

The first meeting resulted in a set of rule changes designed to even the playing court for the 1994-95 season. Hand-checking rules already on the books were more strictly enforced both on the perimeter and in the paint. The NBA also moved the three-point FG line in to a uniform 22 feet all around the arc. Previously, it was 22 feet in the corners but 23.9 around the top of the arc.

Although the three-point FG line was changed in order to help FIBA conform to one set of rules for all of basketball, the shortening of the distance allowed the superior NBA defenders to pack in around the lane but quickly get to the 22-foot line to defend three-point FG attempts. In other words, the move backfired on the NBA, and the rule was soon scrubbed and the line returned to 23.9.

For the entire decade, the NBA examined the game with input from some of the great basketball minds – a few that were actually the cause of the grind-it-down NBA. Pat Riley’s New York Knicks and Mike Fratello’s Cleveland Cavaliers limited possessions and played ultra-physical defense, but they joined in for the betterment of the game. Much of the trend was mirroring the success of Chuck Daly’s championship teams with the Detroit Pistons.

For every inch the league gave the offensive side of the ball, the defensive side always counted and quickly caught-up. Stern was a stickler for following the rules that were ALREADY in the NBA rule book and thus the officials were instructed (and new refs taught) to keep the offense free-flowing and enforce the very rules in the book.

Kerr was making a point of offensive players being smart and knowing how to draw contact and get to the free throw line. Back in the ‘90s, Utah’s Karl Malone was exceptional, and he led the league in free throw attempts eight seasons in a row. Interestingly, the Malones – Karl (9,787) and Moses (9,018) – are one-two in the all-time free throws made column.

Getting to the line to score is nothing new.

During the Christmas Day GS vs Denver game, reigning NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokić scored 26 points and went 18-for-18 from the line. Kerr was insinuating Jokić was a master chef in cooking up reasons the refs should call a shooting foul, and, as noted above, Kerr has a legitimate point. But, then again, Kerr’s best defensive player – Draymond Green – is serving an indefinite suspension for clocking Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkić in the face – earning a Flagrant 2 foul and ejection, then the suspension since it was a repeated violation and a potential harm to fellow players. (We’ve yet to hear why the NBA Players Association doesn’t reprimand Green for potentially injuring fellow union members).

That leaves us with the dilemma the NBA is facing in terms of Kerr’s criticism of the league – via its Competition and Rules Committee and the enforcement of the rules via the officials. Does Kerr’s view have serious enough merit to call for additional rule changes, or are we being cajoled by a head coach witnessing his best offensive players shooting (Steph Curry – 3-for-13) and (Klay Thompson – 3-for-10) an abysmal six-for-23 from three point range while the Warriors were outshot (26-for-32 to 20-for-23) at the stripe.

Play the game: Aging jump shooters vs. the league’s best at drawing fouls with the ability to “B.S” his way to the foul line” (Kerr’s words, not mine). Who is going to get the best result?

One important thing in Kerr’s defense is that he has a track record of integrity, honesty and very direct answers to media questions. He noted the Warriors didn’t play well enough – in “bringing the ‘A’ game vs. the NBA defending champs.”

Give the man credit.

Maybe it’s time for Kerr and current league Basketball Ops guru Joe Dumars to convene yet another summit to legislate some more physical play and defense back into the league?

We can call the new legislative agenda “The Jokić Rules.”

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: During the past two weeks, WWYI took time to stop and think of the amazing things in our lives that we are truly thankful for as Christmas brings joy to many, but pain and sorrow for some of our dear friends. Let us never forget those lost, this year, last year and the years before. A very special intention for my father, Timothy Francis Lyons (December 22) and his first son, my brother Timothy Francis Lyons III (December 16) and one other, for Mr Albert Nittoly, our loyal neighbor for so many years before he was taken by COVID-19.

As a lead off, this might surprise some as my favorite Christmas song is Luciano Pavarotti singing “O Holy Night,” … I love the original Spode Christmas Tree place settings. …Memories of three Matchbox cars under the Christmas Tree, a real evergreen complete with lighted village and running HO train set, the greatest machines ever build – Big Bruiser Tow Truck, the Flexible Flyer sled, my neighbor’s Easy Bake Oven, Hula Hoops, Whiffel Balls, the Hess Truck, a 45 rpm RCA Victrola, and tickets to the annual Holiday Festival at Madison Square Garden in New York City when St. John’s, Manhattan (Billy Campion) and Fordham (Charlie Yelverton) were all tough outs.

You’ve gotta love meeting interesting people. … People that know that Springsteen’s “The Rising” just might be the saddest song you’ve ever heard but it’s also so inspirational that it ROCKS.

Puppy Fur and Puppy Barks … U2 doing “Walk On,” … Christmas tree lights glowing in a dark living room … Turntables … Artwork of Paris by Constantin Kluge (1912-2003) … Johnny Winter … a well-done cheeseburger … Dowses Beach on East Bay in Osterville … Ditch Plains Beach at Montauk … the Chatham Light established 1808 … Chuck Leavell’s piano on Jessica by the Allman Brothers Band. …. Hello Old Friend by Eric Clapton with backing vocals by Yvonne Elliman … Corner Bistro West Village … the Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University in the underrated City of Baltimore … the 1,000 acre Vassar College campus in the City of Poughkeepsie, another underrated joint with great restaurants stemming from the nearby Culinary Institute of America Center for Research and Innovation.

Freihofer’s Chocolate Chip Cookies … good news from a Facebook post … Tannoy Speakers … a full tank of gasoline … discovering a new great jukebox … cleaning up on Trivia Night … old Saturday Night Live skits, before it was known as SNL … Ditka and ‘Da Bears … Bears 96, Lions 3 … halftime score … Camelback Inn – Where Time Stands Still (Suite 159) … thick, green grass … seeing it’s Curly and not Shemp when a Three Stooges episode airs … Football weather. … Late afternoon winter sun in Southern California. … Refreshing thunderstorms … Seeing Louie Carnesecca at a St. John’s game. … Bass guitar … Original hot Dunkin Donuts coffee. … The smell of freshly cut grass or freshly painted walls. … Red Tulips. …a new Zildjian 20 inch S Series Medium Ride Cymbal. … the Pressbox at Fenway Park. … the Theme from The Last Waltz. … the patter of dog paws on a hard wood floor. … a good haircut. … St. Patrick’s Day. … Breyer’s Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream. … Bruce Hornsby taking a hard turn in the middle of a hit song and it’s a tangent to heaven. … new Subway cars, we call it the T… Coast-to-Cost in First Class. … Late night Baseball on SIRIUS XM.

Frampton Comes Alive. … Earle Bailey on WLIR-FM 92.5. … Plenty of kindling and dry hardwood for the Fireplace. … F Troop re-runs. … The Turntable and listening to an album start to finish. … Christmas Tree smell until January 1st. … The late Christine McVie’s voice. … Replays of the ’69 Baltimore Orioles’ third-baseman, the Human Vacuum Cleaner, Brooks Robinson. … the sound of a golf ball hitting the bottom of the Cup. … See a red door and I want it painted black. … TOMMY’s back on Broadway. … A good clock, a good watch, a good time. … Joining a werewolf drinkin’ a piña colada at Trader Vic’s. His hair was perfect. … toast. … Top 1,000 Countdowns for Rock songs. … The guitar instrumental on ELO’s Fire on High. … Putt Putt golf. … Penny & Max. … Special ❤️ to CMM, VJL and AGL.

THE OLDEST RIVALRIES: College football is coming to a close for the 2023-’24 season. Here’s a quick look at the oldest rivalries in college footy:

  1. Princeton vs. Yale (1873)
  2. Harvard vs. Yale (1875)
  3. Harvard vs. Princeton (1877)
  4. Harvard vs. Penn (1881)
  5. Dartmouth vs. Harvard (1882)
  6. Lafayette vs. Lehigh (1884)
  7. Amherst vs. Williams (1884)
  8. Michigan vs. Notre Dame (1887)
  9. North Carolina vs. Wake Forest (1888)

OLDEST BOWL GAMES: It’s Bowl Game week(s) and we must salute the Taxslayer, the Pop-Tarts and other fine sponsors. An analysis of the Pop-Tart Bowl said there was $12.1 million in coverage generated for the sponsor. Okay.

  1. The ROSE BOWL – (Established 1902) but Played Year-after-Year (1916) – (Pasadena)
  2. ORANGE BOWL – (1935) – (Miami)
  3. SUGAR BOWL – (1935) – (New Orleans)
  4. SUN BOWL – (1935) – (El Paso)
  5. COTTON BOWL – (1937) – (Dallas)
  6. GATOR BOWL – (1946) – (Jacksonville)
  7. CITRUS BOWL – (1947) – (Orlando)
  8. LIBERTY BOWL – (1959) – (Memphis)
  9. PEACH BOWL – (1968) – (Atlanta)
  10. FIESTA BOWL – (1971) – (Phoenix/Glendale)

Oh, how we miss the Astro Blue Bonnet Bowl in Houston’s AstroDome!

2023: HALF YEAR IN REVIEW – Part Two (July to December)

July

2

  • Harrison Ford Tribute
  • Media in the Arts, Religion, Sports and Investigative Journalism
  • Professional Women’s Ice Hockey Future
  • SlamBall

9

  • FTX cryptocurrency collapse and sports
  • USA Basketball Named 2023 USA World Cup team
  • Nikki McCray-Penson RIP
  • Middle East new influence on global sport
  • NBA In-Season Tournament announcement

16

  • The Open
  • AI on The Open (Oops)
  • Gambling on the Special Olympics
  • USA Under-19 Women’s team – Kiki Rice
  • SlamBall Takes Shape for ESPN

23

  • Maureen Madill at The Open
  • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
  • The New York Times folds Sports Section
  • NHL Players Assn (Marty Walsh) on the Winter Olympics

30

  • Congress on Name, Image, Likeness
  • Messi and Mbappe
  • UMass coaching money tree
  • NBA Basketball w/o Borders

August

6

  • NFL and the Sunday Ticket
  • FIBA World Cup
  • Tubby Smith on the Transfer Portal
  • Demise of Pac-12 Conference

13

  • Pac-12 – Tournament of Posers
  • HBO HARD KNOCKS
  • NFL Team Valuations
  • PGA Tour FedEx Cup Playoffs

20

  • PGA Tour – No Boston Stop
  • Fallout on NIL and Collectives
  • USA Basketball Showcase tour
  • SlamBall Championship

27

  • Springsteen at Gillette Stadium
  • College Football ’23 Kick-off
  • Patriots Tough Start? (0-7) or (1-6) – How about (2-10)

September

3

  • College vs Pro Football Towns
  • Ten Best Colleges for Sports
  • The Un-Retirement Commercial
  • Sports Biz: Amy Latimer Promotion

10

  • Cable TV history lesson
  • The NFL Players You Wished You’d Drafted
  • USA Basketball World Cup Upended by Germany
  • Jimmy Buffett Memorial

17

  • Load Management in the NBA
  • 8.040 Days Since Sept. 11, 2001
  • Boston College and the Red Bandana – For Welles
  • Boston Bruins @ 100
  • NLL Lacrosse Entry Draft
  • Bruni

24

  • Ryder Cup Golf
  • Baseball Season Turns in to Football Season
  • The Worst Fans in the NFL
  • First Sighting: Travis Kelce Meets Taylor Swift
  • RIP: Dennis D’Agostino

October

1st

  • More on the 2023 Ryder Cup
  • Solutions for the USA Ryder Cup team prep
  • WNBA Finals
  • Stones, The Beatles and Bruce Springsteen Released Songs on Same Day

8

  • No High Payroll Teams Left in MLB Postseason
  • World 3×3
  • NWSL (Women’s Pro Soccer) Valuations
  • The Great Rivalries in College Football
  • Health in the USA
  • BIG EAST Predictions

15

  • Britney Griner/WNBA
  • College Basketball Blue Ribbon
  • Top 25 Predictions for CBB in ’23-24
  • ESPN’s Top 10 NBA Players (Active)

22

  • Dog Days of the NFL Season
  • Bill Belichick-Gate (Watch) Begins
  • Most Marketable Athletes
  • Sports Motion Pictures to Come
  • The Sphere

29

  • Improbable MLB World Series
  • NBA In-Season Tourney Spots
  • NBA Franchise Valuations
  • NBA on TNT
  • LPGA to Boston in 2024

November

5

  • RIP Coach Bobby Knight
  • Top NBA Team Salaries
  • More Really Bad Investments

12

  • Boston Common Golf
  • NHL and NBA Global Games
  • TL Sports Entrepreneur Podcast
  • Bill Hancock to Retire

19

  • Pardon My Take:  Charissa Thompson
  • Ben Bradlee
  • The Fall of Milan Lucic
  • TGL / Boston Common Golf: One Year Delay

27 – Thanksgiving Edition

  • Giving Thanks When Due
  • Pan Mass Challenge – Cancer Research
  • Mighty Max Joins the Family
  • World Basketball Day Approaching

December

3

  • Aaron Rodgers
  • The Fall of Sports Illustrated
  • NFL Power or Parity Ratings
  • MLB’s 2024 Look-Ahead

10

  • Army vs Navy Game (New England Style)
  • Bucket Lists for Sporting Events
  • Dodgers Land Ohtani
  • College Gameday
  • Imagine

17

  • Dodgers Have Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the Crosshairs
  • Need for MLB Salary Cap system
  • Draymond Green Indefinite Suspension
  • Get Well Soon: Kareem

24

  • Special Christmas Column
  • 2023: Year in Review (Jan to June)

31

  • Special Year End Column
  • 2023: Year in Review (July to Dec 31)
  • Special Thanks

PARTING WORDS and a TRIBUTE: Popular comedian of the ‘60s and ‘70s Tommy Smothers passed away December 26th. Tommy, together with his younger brother, Dick, formed one of the great TV comedy acts and earned a primetime show from 1965 to 1966 and then their “Comedy Hour” with more free-wheeling creative control on CBS in 1967. After the TV show was cancelled, the Smothers Brothers continued a successful comedy career, but in ‘67. Tommy bought a vineyard in Sonoma County, California which he kept through 2023 when he was diagnosed with lung cancer.

Here’s a classic scene from The Tonight Show, starring Johnny Carson.

While We’re Young (Ideas) is a weekly Sunday Sports Notebook and news column written by Terry Lyons. The posting of each notebook harkens back to the days when you’d walk over to the city news stand 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.

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

Last Chance for the Special Holiday Sale of While We’re Young (Ideas)

Special Holiday Offer: Visit —> HERE

SMU in Enemy Territory at Fenway Bowl

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – No. 24 SMU aims for its 10th consecutive win when it treks north to meet future Atlantic Coast Conference foe Boston College in the second-ever Fenway Bowl on Thursday at Boston’s beloved Fenway Park.

The Mustangs are 11-2, beating Tulane 26-14 to win the American Athletic Conference championship — their first crown since 1984 in the Southwest Conference — following an 8-0 record in league play.

SMU has outscored opponents by more than 23 points per game and has logged 466.2 yards of offense per game. The Mustangs’ only two losses came at then-No. 18 Oklahoma and TCU, which played for the national championship last January.

Despite the success, SMU was not selected for a New Year’s Six game.

“The bottom line is we’re still celebrating (a conference championship) and we’re not going to let things that maybe we don’t agree with overshadow that,” SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said of the bowl announcement.

After star sophomore quarterback Preston Stone broke his leg in the regular-season finale against Navy, SMU turned to Kevin Jennings for his first career start in the AAC title game. The redshirt freshman threw for 203 yards and a touchdown.

The Mustangs’ balanced offense has accounted for 32 passing and 28 rushing touchdowns. SMU has eight 300-yard receivers, led by RJ Maryland’s 518 with seven touchdowns. Jaylan Knighton has 720 rushing yards and seven scores.

SMU ranks second nationally in sacks with 47, behind Elijah Roberts’ 10. The Mustangs are sixth in scoring offense at 40.6 points per game.

Lashlee, who was UConn’s offensive coordinator for a 2017 game against Boston College at Fenway Park, knows the significance of finishing the season on a high note.

“We haven’t won a bowl game here (since 2012), we need to try to accomplish that,” Lashlee said. “Getting (win) No. 12 to tie the school record would be big time. Whether or not we win or lose, that game’s not going to really validate or diminish this team’s accomplishment, I think it’s pretty cemented.”

The Eagles (6-6) look to the bowl invitation as a fresh start after losing to Virginia Tech, Pitt and Miami consecutively to end the regular season, following a five-game win streak that was their longest since 2010.

Thomas Castellanos ranks third in the country for rushing yards by a quarterback with 957. The UCF transfer threw for 15 touchdowns – including seven to Lewis Bond – and ran for 11 during the regular year.

Coach Jeff Hafley feels that Castellanos is throwing the ball as well as he has as an Eagle.

“He’s got a chance to be special,” Hafley said. “I think we’re only seeing the very surface of it.”

The bowl will offer a glimpse of Boston College’s future. Team-leading linebacker and captain Vinny DePalma (87 total tackles) is one of only three graduate students listed as a definite starter on the depth chart.

“That’s rare around college football right now,” Hafley said. “The guys that are gonna play in this game, maybe less than five are leaving. I think it’s really important to keep building.”

The Eagles have been bowl eligible four times since 2018, but only the 2020 Birmingham Bowl was actually played due to weather or COVID-19 protocols during that stretch.

Louisville beat Cincinnati 24-7 in the inaugural Fenway Bowl in 2022.

–Field Level Media

Pro Football: Hall of Fame Finalists

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CANTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Defensive end Julius Peppers and tight end Antonio Gates — among the most prolific players at their respective positions — highlight the list of 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Modern Era Class of 2024. The short list was released Wednesday.

Embed from Getty Images

Peppers and Gates are the only players to make the list in their first year of eligibility. Nine players who made the final list in 2023 are back on the list in ’24, while four other players are finalists for the first time though not in their first year of eligibility.

Peppers, a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time first-team All-Pro, finished his 17-year career with 159.5 sacks, fifth all time and the most by any player not yet in the Hall. Taken second overall by the Carolina Panthers in the 2002 draft, Peppers was named Defensive Rookie of the Year after compiling 12 sacks to go with one interception and five forced fumbles in 12 games.

After 10 seasons with the Panthers, Peppers played four in Chicago with the Bears and then finished his career in Green Bay, playing three seasons with the Packers.

On the other end of the draft spectrum, Gates went undrafted after not playing football in college. Instead, he starred in basketball in his final two years at Kent State.

Combining his height (6-foot-4) with his rebounding skills, Gates first made a name for himself in the NFL as a jump-ball specialist in the end zone. He really broke through in his second season, scoring 13 touchdowns — then a single-season record for tight ends. He finished his career with 116 career TDs, seventh all time and the most ever by a tight end.

Gates made eight Pro Bowls and was a three-time first-team All-Pro in his 16 seasons. He finished with 955 receptions for 11,841 yards and the 116 touchdowns, spending his entire career with the Chargers (14 in San Diego and the final two in Los Angeles).

The four other players making the list for the first time are cornerback Eric Allen (in his 18th year of eligibility), safety Rodney Harrison (11th year), running back Fred Taylor (ninth) and offensive lineman Jahri Evans (second).

Punt/kick return specialist Devin Hester, who holds the single-season record for total kick-return touchdowns (six) and the career mark for punts returned for a score (14) is among those back on the list from 2023. Hester, who also made history with the first opening kickoff returned for a touchdown in Super Bowl history (Super Bowl XLI), is a finalist for the third time.

Wide receivers Reggie Wayne (whose Indianapolis Colts beat Hester’s Chicago Bears in that Super Bowl) and Torry Holt (a member of the St. Louis Rams’ famed “Greatest Show on Turf”) are both finalists for the fifth time, the most of any of this year’s finalists.

The Hall of Fame selection committee will elect the Modern Era Class of 2024 the week leading up to Super Bowl LVIII, with the class announced on Feb. 8.

Up to five members can be elected to the modern class (a minimum of 80 percent of the votes is required for possible election). Finalists from the Seniors and Coach/Contributor categories may also be elected.

Modern Era Class of 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame Finalists
(Name, position, years, teams)

–Eric Allen, Cornerback — 1988-1994 Philadelphia Eagles, 1995-97 New Orleans Saints, 1998-2001 Oakland Raiders

–Jared Allen, Defensive End — 2004-07 Kansas City Chiefs, 2008-2013 Minnesota Vikings, 2014-15 Chicago Bears, 2015 Carolina Panthers

–Willie Anderson, Offensive Tackle — 1996-2007 Cincinnati Bengals, 2008 Baltimore Ravens

–Jahri Evans, Guard — 2006-2016 New Orleans Saints, 2017 Green Bay Packers

–Dwight Freeney, Defensive End/Outside Linebacker — 2002-2012 Indianapolis Colts, 2013-14 San Diego Chargers, 2015 Arizona Cardinals, 2016 Atlanta Falcons, 2017 Seattle Seahawks, 2017 Detroit Lions

–Antonio Gates, Tight End — 2003-2018 San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers

–Rodney Harrison, Safety — 1994-2002 San Diego Chargers, 2003-08 New England Patriots

–Devin Hester, Punt Returner/Kick Returner/Wide Receiver — 2006-2013 Chicago Bears, 2014-15 Atlanta Falcons, 2016 Baltimore Ravens

–Torry Holt, Wide Receiver — 1999-2008 St. Louis Rams, 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars

–Andre Johnson, Wide Receiver — 2003-2014 Houston Texans, 2015 Indianapolis Colts, 2016 Tennessee Titans

–Julius Peppers, Defensive End — 2002-09, 2017-18 Carolina Panthers, 2010-13 Chicago Bears, 2014-16 Green Bay Packers

–Fred Taylor, Running back — 1998-2008 Jacksonville Jaguars, 2009-2010 New England Patriots

–Reggie Wayne, Wide Receiver — 2001-2014 Indianapolis Colts

–Patrick Willis, Linebacker — 2007-2014 San Francisco 49ers

–Darren Woodson, Safety — 1992-2003 Dallas Cowboys

–Field Level Media

Krasnoff: The Ties between Bay State and France’s Basketball Empire

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Although one of the NBA’s most awe-inspiring rookies is playing some 2,043 miles away from Boston this season, Victor Wembanyama’s story would be vastly different without the role of Massachusetts in France’s basketball fortunes.

By Lindsay Sarah Krasnoff – SPECIAL TO DIGITAL SPORTS DESK

PARIS – The Boston Celtics are primed for the long season ahead, buoyed by reinforcements who bring an international accent to the Bay State. Meanwhile, the league’s buzziest rookie, 19-year-old French unicorn Victor Wembanyama, is already lighting up courts with the San Antonio Spurs. While more than 2,000 miles separate the two, Texans owe Massachusetts for helping to pave the way for Wembanyama and his homeland to emerge as this season’s most spectacular basketball sensation.

It’s a history more than a century old, built on the foundations of informal sports diplomacy, the citizen-to-citizen exchanges that can collectively foster a slam dunk for global understanding. As illuminated in Basketball Empire: France and the Making of a Global NBA and WNBA (Bloomsbury), this evolution is the result of French-American admiration that superseded some of the cyclical, stereotypical transatlantic disdain that can mark popular memory. Instead, this amitié sportive ignited a basketball evolution that’s made the United States’ oldest ally a basketball breeding ground.

And it began 130 years ago on December 27.

Basketball’s first destination once it left American shores was France. Paris, to be exact, where the first basketball game on European soil was played at the newly custom-built YMCA building at 14, rue de Trévise. Today the Paris Y his home to the world’s oldest existing basketball court.

Yet, none of this would be possible without the role played by Melvin Rideout, one of the first young men to play the game that his teacher, James Naismith, invented in 1891. Upon graduation from the International YMCA Training School (now Springfield College), 22-year-old Rideout was dispatched to Paris to serve as the YMCA’s first-ever City of Light-based physical education director. He brought the game’s original 13 rules, but was also a symbolic ambassador, amongst the earliest, of the sporting ties between Massachusetts, the United States, and its oldest ally.

Perhaps even more consequential were the ways that Boston Celtics legends of the 1950s and 1960s imprinted parts of French basketball’s DNA. The story of Bob Cousy is perhaps more well known. His parents immigrated from France in the 1920s, and Cousy grew up speaking his parents’ mother tongue. But Spring 1959, Cousy and Red Auerbach stopped in Paris to run a clinic with the French national men’s team. Then known as Les Tricolors (today they’re called Les Bleus), the team absorbed some of the tactics, techniques, and advice that the Celtic imparted, one post-war link to powering up their style of play.

Far less known until unearthed in the process of researching Basketball Empire are the ways that Bill Russell left a significant mark on the French game. Its one he likely was never fully aware of, for there are no records of Russell doing sports exchanges in country. But it’s one that’s left an indelible mark.

The great defender’s defensive plays and aerodynamic stylings were studiously emulated by some of France’s most legendary players as they cut their teeth one hoop at a time. One was Henry “Gentleman” Fields, one of the earliest U.S. players to mark French hardcourts in the 1960s thanks to the defensive moves he introduced  after laboriously seeking to play like Russell. Another was 1970s shot king Jacques Cachemire, who as a boy in Guadeloupe discovered Russell through books and films at an American cultural institute near his house; throughout his career on the French mainland, Cachemire sported a beard in hommage to his Celtics idol. A third was hoops heroine Élisabeth Riffiod, who similarly studied game tape of Russell’s plays in order to amp-up her defense and land the one-handed jump shot (the first Frenchwoman to do so); Riffiod finally met the Boston great when her son, Boris Diaw, competed in NBA Summer League. “Speaking of Bill Russell, for me, it’s something very strong emotionally because he’s always been my idol,” Riffiod said for Basketball Empire.

These are all examples of technical and cultural exchange through sports diplomacy. As part of French basketball’s DNA, they highlight the role and importance of individual citizens on both sides of the Atlantic, and how in a globalizing sports world, one person can have far-ranging, long-reaching impacts.

France has quietly developed and exported a never-ending stream of defensive specialists to North American hardcourts, from Tariq Abdul-Wahad (the first French in the NBA, 1997) to three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and most recently Wembanyama. Today it is a basketball breeding ground, a pipeline for talent, a lineage that includes the Celtics’ Jérome Moiso (2000-01), Guerschon Yabusele (2016-19), and Evan Fournier (2021).

No other country outside of North America has sent more players to the NBA than France, according to the NBA. They’ve also sent a strong string of talents to the WNBA, too, including the thrilling “wow” factor of French wizard Marine Johannès with the New York Liberty. And, if you’re a fan of college basketball, you witnessed South Carolina’s 100-71 defeat of Notre Dame to tip off the 2023-24 regular season in Paris, a historic first ever for an NCAA opening night on foreign soil.

And hidden amidst this history is the surprising role played by Massachusetts in helping build France’s 21st century hoops haven–one that will be on display at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Lindsay Sarah Krasnoff is a historian and consultant, author of Basketball Empire: France and the Making of a Global NBA and WNBA, Adjunct Instructor at New York University’s Tisch Institute for Global Sport, and director of the FranceAndUS sports diplomacy project.

TL’s Christmas Notebook | Dec 25th

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While We’re Young (Ideas) Wishes You a Merry Christmas

By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Merry Christmas 2023 to all who celebrate the day. To others, this columnist wishes you sincere best wishes and joy for 2024 with peace in the holiday(s) you celebrate.

May we all wish for Peace on Earth and Goodwill Towards Men (and women)!

As in years past, this Christmas-themed column carries the torch of the legendary writings of the late, great Shelby Strother. It also takes a look back at 2023 with a week-by-week listing of what was covered by While We’re Young (Ideas). Also in years past, there’s been some details written about Shelby and his family. Check it out HERE, from this antique December 2013 column.

Let’s get to it.

Each Christmas Day Contains the Past, Present and Future

By SHELBY STROTHER

It did not matter that the wind-chill was life threatening. It was Christmas morning, and a bright sun stabbed the frozen land. And children were playing.

The decision over which to play with – the official World Cup soccer ball or the Turbo Football – never materialized. With all the snow, a soccer match was out of the question. So spirals of pink and black performed in the most sincere imitations of Rodney Peete and Joe Montana floated back and forth in the yard.

What a nice sight.

The Annual Second Chance is near – it’s called New Year’s Eve. It is the window of opportunity where the hopes and fears of all the year (not to mention the mistakes) can be erased.

But Christmas Day is a time of reinforcement and the essence of tomorrow. And children playing with toys are the finest examples of what that tomorrow looks like.

I look out the window. I’ve been in that yard. All young boys have. Sports become such a part of childhood. Santa is aware of all of this, naturally.

This particular day is exquisite, I think to myself. I take personal inventory, not only of blessings and personal satisfaction, but of the presents of Christmas past. Still the kid, I suppose.

I got my first basketball when I was six. I made my first basket a year later. There was a tetherball set; I must have been eight. And a football helmet when I was ten. A Carl Furillo-model baseball mitt at eleven. There were tennis rackets and fishing poles and boxing gloves and shrimp nets and a Mickey Mantle 32-inch Little League bat and one time, even a badminton set.

Every Christmas, I’d play out my dreams and my mind would fly over the rainbow, imagining my propulsion. Of course, I would become a major-leaguer, an All-Star, an all-time great, a Hall of Famer. We all would. My vision extended well beyond the day.

My athletic ability, alas, never kept stride. It was not the worst realization I would ever make.

But I have noticed a direct correlation between Christmas gifts and sporting dreams. The dreams are for the young. So are the gifts. Usually, the two disappear in unison. The rare few who project into greatness discover they do not need imagination to make those lofty flights of fantasy. Hope is not the co-pilot. Expectation is.

It must be a wonderful view.

I was thinking about all of this when another memory nudged me. My 17th Christmas I got a typewriter.

It was about the same time that I’d maneuvered my fantasy a few extra miles. I’d received a baseball scholarship to pitch at a small school in Florida. There were other opportunities, other colleges available. But none that would allow my athletic vision to continue.

I had expected a Christmas of more games in the yard. More dreams to celebrate. I got a typewriter instead.

“What am I going to do with a typewriter?” I asked.

My mother said I’d need it for college. But she also said, “Sometimes you get too old to play games. But you never get too old that you can’t use your imagination.”

Sometimes Christmas is taken for granted. Almost always, in fact. I think Christmas music, and I hear bells. I turn on the radio and I hear someone named Elmo and Patsy lamenting their grandmother’s head-on collision with a reindeer. I think of the meaning of Christmas, and I think of the most special birthday in the history of the world. But I turn on the TV and there are all these Claymation raisins doing Doo-Wop homages to the joys of buying machines wherein a microchip can seize command of entire generations.

Christmas (will soon) be gone, 364 days to go. But children still play. They chase the wonderful image of themselves as they would like to be seen. Christmas is their favorite arena. But they settle for lesser stadia.

But remember this – the present is sometimes confused with the package it comes wrapped in. Sometimes the gift is simply the freedom to imagine. There may be no greater one.

It was a great typewriter. I still play with it.

– A column by Shelby Strother

Digital Sports Desk was founded on January 1, 2012 and was redesigned October 1, 2016. For Sunday Sports Notes columns posted on Christmas or Christmas Eve over the many years, I’ve alternated by posting memorable columns from a few of my all-time favorite writers. This column is, by far, my favorite column of all-time so read on my friends and “followers.” Here is to Shelby Strother and a Peaceful Christmas to his widow, Kim, and to all.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Let’s take a look back at 2023 with Part One to follow and Part Two to come in next week’s missive. Here’s January to June 2023:

Part One – January

1st

  • New Year’s wish for World Peace – the difficulties of today and tomorrow
  • Sentry Tournament of Champions Preview
  • Salute to David Bowie

8th

  • Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin Injury
  • Hamlin’s Toys for Kids charity went from $3,900 to $8,327,000 in four days
  • Duke vs BC at Chestnut Hill
  • College Football Playoff
  • NFL Tanking

14th

  • MSG – World’s Most Famous Arena
  • Favorite Moments/Events at The Garden
  • KC Chiefs Top NFL Power Rankings
  • Salute in Memory of Jeff Beck

22nd

  • Prediction: Red Sox = Cellar Dwellers
  • Boston Bruins = Leading the NHL
  • Major League Pickleball
  • LIV Golf Schedule

29th

  • Pointing fingers at Bill Belichick
  • AFC/NFC Championship Preview
  • Chef of ‘da Future
  • EPL Franchise Valuations

February

5th

  • Dog Days of Winter; 19 NBA Ts in five Days
  • Marty Walsh to NHL Players Association
  • Charlie Baker to NCAA
  • Sports Catch Phrases – “Just Like That”

12th

  • Super Bowl LVII Preview (KC vs Phila)
  • PGA Tour’s Phoenix Open – LODR than LOUD
  • World Baseball Classic
  • Tennis Player Younes Rachidi Banned for Life

19th

  • Mass shooting and murder on campus of Michigan State
  • Coach Ed Cooley Feature
  • 40th Anniversary – Marvin Gaye National Anthem at ’83 NBA ASG

26th

  • PGA Tour Load Management
  • NBA Load Management Issue
  • Ideas for a Better NBA All-Star Weekend – None
  • Music: One Hit Wonders

March

5th

  • Memorial Tribute to David Benner

12th

  • Timeline of the 2023 BIG East Basketball Tournament

19th

  • St. Patrick’s Day Salute
  • March Madness Upsets
  • World Baseball Classic

26th

  • Willis Reed Memorial Tribute
  • Rick Pitino Hired by St. John’s
  • National Lacrosse League Playoffs
  • MLB Opening Day

April

2nd

  • Opening Day at Fenway Park
  • Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes
  • Jim Nantz’ Last NCAA Final 4 Broadcast

9th

  • The Masters
  • LIV vs. PGA Tour Golf
  • MLB and Austin Meadows’ Mental Health

16th

  • Boston Marathon
  • Amazing Shohei Ohtani
  • Bruce Springsteen and Last Man Standing

23rd

  • The Curse of the NHL President’s Cup
  • NHL Team Valuations
  • NBA Playoffs and Injuries
  • Suggestion: LIV World Team Golf

30th

  • Sports Gambling in Massachusetts
  • NBA Moves Up Finals Start Times
  • QB Aaron Rodgers to J-E-T-S
  • NCAA, Committees and Charlie Baker
  • Death of Boston Celtics’ veep Heather Walker

May

7th

  • Future Days for Saudi Basketball
  • Euro Soccer Team Valuations
  • Kentucky Derby Review

14th

  • Michael Jordan Barcelona Olympics Jacket Auction
  • Buzzword Bingo
  • MLB’s Oldest Ball Parks

21st

  • World’s 10 Highest Paid Athletes
  • Troubles of NBA’s Ja Morant
  • Beginning of the End for the PAC-12
  • Baseball Buzzword Bingo
  • Set Tribute to Meatloaf (RIP)

28th

  • Send-off to TNT’s Very Best (Tara, TK)
  • Brandel and Brooksie Mix It Up for PGA Tour/LIV
  • Busy Summer of ’23 Listings
  • SBJ Awards
  • TNT’s “Yes” Man

June

4th

  • Connor McDavid, Jack Michael and Nikola Jokic
  • Stanley Cup Final or NBA Finals – “s” or no “s”
  • Sox Chris Sale Out Again
  • NHL Stadium Series – NY/NJ Style

11th

  • Surprise of Potential PGA Tour/LIV Merger
  • Most Beloved USA Athletes
  • Harvard’s/WCVB-5 Mike Lynch Inducted Mass Broadcasters Hall of Fame

18th

  • NYC Father’s Day Fire
  • Ja Morant More Trouble – 25-game suspension (ended 12-19)
  • The Four’s is Closed
  • Bradley Beal shipped to PHX
  • Sports Hall of Fame Line-ups

25th

  • PGA Tour: The Traveler’s Championship
  • 2023 NBA Draft
  • No. 1 Pick: France’s Victor WembanyamaSlamBall is Back (and on ESPN)

(Tune-In Next Week for the rest of 2023 Look Back – July 1st through December 31st)

TIDBITS: You’ve heard of World Team Tennis which debuted in 1974 with Billie Jean King leading the way as player-coach of the Philadelphia Freedom, runners-up to the champion Denver Racquets, coached by Tony Roche. The league had talented stars such as Jimmy Connors who led the Baltimore Banners. Here in Beantown, we had the Boston Lobsters. The team played at the Walter Brown Arena and lost about $300,000 in its first year of operation … Fast forward to the conclusion of the 2021 WTT season and you’ll note the tennis league vanished. The following July, the WTT announced it was seeking expansion franchises at $1 million a clip. That news release was the last we heard of World Team Tennis. “World TeamTennis, the nation’s only professional, mixed-gender team tennis league, has announced that it is accepting expansion proposals from prospective ownership groups and markets that are interested in acquiring a WTT franchise.” … With WTT in the history books, tennis fans now have the World Tennis League, based in Abu Dhabi. Saturday morning, the Tennis Channel aired Taylor Fritz’ extra time match vs Daniil Medvedev and the new version of team tennis, featuring the Kites and Hawks, the Falcons and Eagles. The new league is big on entertainment and concerts, but short on match results and realtime stats. … Sports Business Journal’s media mind John Ourand announced he’s leaving the post he’s held since 2006 to join Puck.

MLB: A week ago we wrote of the urgent need for Major League Baseball to enact a form of maximum team salary after the LA Dodgers broke the bank and the concept of deferred compensation with a $700 million deal to pay for the services of Shohei Ohtani. This week, the Dodgers landed prized free agent in Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto who scored a 12-year, $325 million deal Thursday, per multiple media reports. Yamamato’s deal out-distanced New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole’s deal by $1 million, making it the largest contract for a pitcher in major league history. The Dodgers will also pay $50.6 million in a posting fee for Yamamoto. … A posting fee is MLB terminology for a transfer fee.

Celtics: Kings for a Day

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SACRAMENTO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jaylen Brown and Derrick White scored 28 apiece and the Celtics bounced back from an overtime loss 24 hours earlier in San Francisco to thump the host Sacramento Kings 144-119 on Wednesday.

Playing without Jayson Tatum, who sprained his left ankle Tuesday at Golden State, and Al Horford, who got a night off in the second game of a back-to-back set, the Celtics overcame a 41-point Kings first quarter with improved defense over the final three periods.

Kristaps Porzingis returned to the Celtics’ lineup and scored 24 points. He was rested on Tuesday. Boston snapped a four-game road losing streak and won for the sixth time in seven games overall.

De’Aaron Fox produced a game-high 29 points for the Kings, whose three-game winning ended.

Getting three 3-pointers from Fox and two from Keegan Murray, the Kings sprinted out to a 23-11 lead in the game’s first 5:09.

The Celtics got within 41-38 by period’s end, then held Sacramento to 25 and 24 points, respectively, in the middle two periods while running out to a 113-90 lead by the end of the third quarter.

Despite shooting 47.3 percent overall and 47.7 percent on 3-point attempts, the Kings never posed a threat over the final 12 minutes, adding just 29 points to their total.

In accumulating its second-biggest point total of the season, Boston did the hosts better in both shooting categories, making 55.4 percent overall and 52.4 percent of its 3-point tries. The 22-for-42 night from beyond the arc came one night after the Celtics went just 17-for-58 (29.3 percent) from long distance against the Warriors.

White’s 28 points consisted mostly of 3-pointers, as he went 6-for-9. Payton Pritchard buried six of 11 3-point shots off the bench en route to 20 points, while Jrue Holiday went 4-for-6 from long range as part of a 21-point, 10-assist performance.

Porzingis was Boston’s leading rebounder with nine. He made seven of his 11 shots.

While the Celtics had five players score 20 or more points, the Kings had just Fox with his 29. He made six of his eight 3-point attempts, while his teammates were just 15-for-36 (41.7 percent).

Domantas Sabonis pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds to go with 13 points and eight assists for Sacramento. Murray (13), Keon Ellis (12), Trey Lyles (11), Harrison Barnes (10) and Malik Monk (10) also scored in double figures.

–Field Level Media