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Top 25 | The Battle in Seattle

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SEATTLE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) -The University of Kentucky’s Andrew Carr recorded 19 points and seven rebounds and prevented a potential game-winning shot to help No. 4 UK Wildcats notch a 90-89 overtime victory over No. 7 Gonzaga at the Battle in Seattle on Saturday night.

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Jaxson Robinson scored 18 points and Otega Oweh added 13 as the Wildcats (8-1) defeated Gonzaga after falling to the Bulldogs in each of the past two seasons. Amari Williams had 12 points and Brandon Garrison added 10 points and nine rebounds for Kentucky, which overcame an 18-point deficit in the second half.

Graham Ike registered season highs of 28 points and 11 rebounds for Gonzaga (7-2). Ben Gregg scored 14 points, Ryan Nembhard added 13 points and 10 assists and Khalif Battle also scored 13 points for the Bulldogs.

With Kentucky leading by one, Carr missed two free throws with 4.3 seconds left in overtime. Dusty Stromer got the rebound for the Bulldogs, but Carr knocked the ball away from behind in transition as Gonzaga failed to get a final shot.

No. 5 Marquette 88, No. 11 Wisconsin 74

Kam Jones matched his season-high with 32 points and David Joplin added 13 as the Golden Eagles pulled away in the second half for a nonconference victory over the Badgers as the in-state rivals met in Milwaukee, Wis.

Marquette (9-1), which trailed 39-37 at the half, went in front 61-53 with 12:17 remaining when Jones was fouled while sinking a 3-pointer and added the free throw. The Golden Eagles extended the lead to 70-55 on a three-point play by Stevie Mitchell with 8:49 remaining.

Max Klesmit snapped out of a shooting slump to lead Wisconsin with 22 points by going 6 of 11 from 3-point range. Klesmit entered shooting 25.4 percent from beyond the arc and had made just three of his last 21.

No. 17 Houston 79, Butler 51

LJ Cryer scored 18 of his 20 points in the second half and Emanuel Sharp finished with 16 points as the Cougars rolled over the visiting Bulldogs.

Cryer scored 10 of the Cougars’ opening 14 points in the second half to help Houston (5-3) seize control en route to its 26th consecutive home win, tied for the longest active streak in the nation.

Butler (7-2) had its six-game winning streak snapped. Patrick McCaffery and Augusto Cassia tallied 11 points each for Butler. Senior forward Jahmyl Telfort averaged 22.3 points over the prior three games but scored just four points on Saturday.

No. 18 Pitt 64, Virginia Tech 59

Jaland Lowe scored 19 points, including the go-ahead layup in the final minute, and Guillermo Diaz Graham had a key block to help the Panthers rally past the Hokies in both teams’ Atlantic Coast Conference opener in Blacksburg, Va.

Diaz Graham finished with nine points, seven rebounds and two blocks, while Ishmael Leggett scored 17 points for the Panthers (8-2, 1-0 ACC).

Toibu Lawal scored 16 points and Jaden Schutt netted 14 to lead the Hokies (3-6, 0-1), who dropped their sixth straight game.

No. 20 North Carolina 68, Georgia Tech 65

Seth Trimble scored a team-high 19 points, helping the Tar Heels get past the visiting Yellow Jackets in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams in Chapel Hill, N.C.

RJ Davis added 16 points, while Ian Jackson chipped in 15 off the bench for the Tar Heels (5-4, 1-0 ACC), who snapped a three-game losing streak. North Carolina shot just 39 percent from the field and 20.8 percent (5 of 24) on 3-pointers, while Georgia Tech shot 31.2 percent from the field and just 29.6 percent (8 of 27) from distance.

Lance Terry led the Yellow Jackets (4-5, 0-1) with 22 points, while Baye Ndongo had 19 points and 12 rebounds. Naithan George had 12 points and eight rebounds for Georgia Tech, which lost its second straight.

No. 21 Oklahoma 94, Alcorn State 78

Jalon Moore scored 19 of his 20 points in the second half to help the Sooners break out of an early slumber en route to a victory over the winless Braves in Norman, Okla.

Moore connected on all eight of his second-half shots and was 8 of 9 overall for the Sooners (9-0). Jeremiah Fears and Dayton Forsythe each added 14 points and seven assists for Oklahoma. Mohamed Wague had 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting and Brycen Goodine added 12 on four 3-pointers for the Sooners. Duke Miles had five steals and Fears contributed three for Oklahoma, which shot 54.7 percent from the field and was 12 of 37 from 3-point range.

Omari Hamilton scored 16 points and Davian Williams added 13 points and seven assists for Alcorn State (0-10). Michael Pajeaud scored 12 points and Keionte Cornelius added 11 and Dhaji Binet had 10.

No. 23 Ole Miss 86, Lindenwood 53

Sean Pedulla scored 19 points and the Rebels used a dominant second half to run away from the visiting Lions in Oxford, Miss.

Mikeal Brown-Jones added 14 points for the Rebels (8-1), who outscored the Lions 47-20 in the second half. Ole Miss, which shot a season-best 56.7 percent from the floor in its last game, hit 57.7 percent in the second half and 51.7 percent for the game Saturday.

Reggie Bass was the only Lindenwood player to score in double figures, finishing with 10 points. The Lions (3-6) shot 32 percent from the floor in the second half and 35.3 percent for the game. Ole Miss committed just seven turnovers and Lindenwood committed 15.

No. 24 San Diego State 74, San Diego 57

Four players scored in double figures to help the Aztecs pull away in the second half for a home win over the cross-town rival Toreros.

Florida Atlantic transfer Nick Boyd led San Diego State (6-2) with 17 points, while Miles Byrd and Jared Coleman-Jones each added 13. Freshman Pharaoh Compton came off the bench to tally 12 points.

Bendji Pierre tallied 17 points in a reserve role for San Diego (3-6), which struggled to make shots against the Aztecs’ typically tough defense. San Diego hit just 30.9 percent of its attempts from the field, including a 6-of-32 performance from 3-point range, and committed 16 turnovers.

–Field Level Media

Celtics, Tatum Shoot Past Bucks

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 34 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Celtics extended their home winning streak to seven games by beating the Milwaukee Bucks 111-105 on Friday.

Boston used a 10-2 run to take a 105-101 lead with 1:29 left, and Jrue Holiday hit a jump shot that put the Celtics up 107-102 with 25.6 seconds to play. Holiday, who finished the game with 20 points, also made two free throws that handed Boston a 109-105 lead with 14.9 seconds remaining.

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Jaylen Brown added 25 points for Boston, which was outrebounded 51-41 and shot 32.1 percent from 3-point range (17 of 53). Derrick White was 0-for-8 from 3-point territory, 1-for-10 overall, and scored six points.

Damian Lillard tossed in a team-high 31 points for Milwaukee, which received 30 points and 11 rebounds from Giannis Antetokounmpo. Bobby Portis finished with nine points and 18 rebounds.

Khris Middleton came off the bench and made his season debut for the Bucks, amassing 11 points, five assists and two steals in 23 minutes. He had been sidelined after undergoing offseason surgery on both ankles.

Milwaukee’s Taurean Prince was scoreless in nine minutes during the first half and did not play in the final two quarters. He had been questionable to play due to an illness. Gary Trent Jr. started for Prince in the second half, and he wound up with 11 points.

Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis (injury management) did not play in the win. Porzingis is averaging 21.0 points and 7.8 rebounds in four games this season.

Boston led 29-27 after one quarter, but Milwaukee had a 57-53 halftime lead. The Bucks trailed throughout the first half until Trent hit a 3-pointer that gave them a 46-45 advantage with 3:33 remaining in the second quarter.

Lillard scored 20 points in the first half. Boston missed each of its 12 3-point attempts in the second quarter.

Milwaukee closed the third quarter on a 5-0 run and had an 82-78 lead with 12 minutes to play.

It was the third and final regular season meeting between the teams. Boston won all three games.

–Field Level Media

NBA to Return to China with Nets, Suns

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BEIJING – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The NBA’s relationship with China that turned cold over a general manager’s tweet in 2019 apparently is defrosting with an announcement expected Friday of two preseason games in Macao in October, according to multiple reports Thursday.

The Brooklyn Nets and the Phoenix Suns will play on Oct. 10 and 12, 2025, at Macao’s Venetian Arena, marking the first games since 17 NBA teams played 28 preseason contests in China from 2004 to 2019.

Basketball is extremely popular in China, and the market was worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the NBA. However, a rift was created when then-Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted support of anti-government protests in Hong Kong in October 2019.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver supported personal freedom of expression and did not punish Morey, the current GM of the Philadelphia 76ers.

In response, lucrative sponsorships were ended and league games were not shown on CCTV, the state-sponsored broadcaster in China, for one year after Morey’s tweet. Silver estimated in 2021 that the NBA lost $400 million that year because of the frayed relationship.

NBA games, however, started appearing regularly on CCTV in 2022 and became available on a streaming service.

NBA players, including stars Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors and De’Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings, have made appearances in China. Macao will host a celebrity basketball game on Saturday featuring former NBA standouts.

The Venetian Arena is owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corp., which operates a casino there. Macao is the only place in China with legal casino gambling. Dallas Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont is the president and CEO of the Las Vegas Sands.

Joe Tsai, the co-founder and chairman of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, owns the Nets.

–Field Level Media

Lions Beat Packers with Buzzer FG

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DETROIT – (Staff and Wire Service Report0 – Detroit placekicker Jake Bates kicked a 35-yard field goal on the final play of the game and the host Lions extended their franchise-record winning streak to 11 games with a 34-31 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night.

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Jared Goff passed for 283 yards and three touchdowns (two to Tim Patrick) for the Lions (12-1). David Montgomery had 84 combined yards rushing and receiving and scored a touchdown.

Josh Jacobs scored three rushing touchdowns for Green Bay. Jordan Love, who was held to 31 yards passing in the first half, finished with 206 passing yards and a touchdown.

The Packers (9-4) are 7-2 over their last nine games with both losses coming against Detroit.

The Lions held a 17-7 halftime lead.

Detroit scored on its first possession of the game, with Montgomery finishing off the 11-play, 70-yard march with a 3-yard scoring run.

Love’s second completion of the game was fumbled by Christian Watson on the first play of the second quarter. The Lions recovered the ball at their own 46-yard line and turned the giveaway into three points, as Bates kicked a 43-yard field goal.

Cameron Young Leads Hero World

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – After a few months off, Cameron Young was pleasantly surprised to come out to the Bahamas and shoot an 8-under-par 64 at Albany Golf Club for the first-round lead on Thursday at the Hero World Challenge.

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A field of 20 players is in Albany for the exclusive exhibition event hosted by Tiger Woods. Young has a two-shot lead on Justin Thomas after Day 1.

“Yeah, kind of (surprised). I didn’t play great (Wednesday),” Young said. “You always feel like you can shoot a number like that, but I really felt very well in control, which isn’t necessarily surprising but it’s a nice thing to come out and just feel like yourself.

“Yeah, really happy with it. I feel like with the driver I was just really comfortable and that’s a huge key out here.”

Young spread eight birdies across his card without recording a bogey. His 21-foot birdie putt at the par-3 second hole set the tone for his round, and his last birdie was a 14 1/2-footer at another par-3, the 17th.

“I’m sure I missed a fairway or two, but for the most part I was really well in position,” Young said. “Then I made a couple putts early, which was nice. Just kind of got off to a nice start with the putter. There’s a bunch of par 5s and a couple drivable holes, so I feel that if you’re on top of it, especially off the tee, you can make a bunch of birdies.”

Young, 27, is one of the highest-ranked players in the world who’s yet to win on the PGA Tour. If he were to win the Hero, it would not count as an official tour victory nor gain him any FedEx Cup points, but Official World Golf Ranking points are on offer this week.

Thomas shot a blazing 6-under 30 on the back nine after posting one bogey and one birdie through nine holes. He rolled in four birdies in a row at Nos. 14-17.

“It was nice to make that birdie on 7,” Thomas said, “and had good chances there on 8 and 9, but then once 10, 11 happened I felt like I got in a nice
rhythm there on the back nine.”

Tied for third at 5-under 67 are World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Ludvig Aberg of Sweden, Akshay Bhatia and Sahith Theegala.

Scheffler, the defending champion, made a change to his putting grip and rolled in six birdies with one bogey Thursday.

“You know, this year I had thought about it from time to time and it was something that we had just said, ‘Let’s table that for the end of the season, take a look at it,’” Scheffler said. “Took a look at it this offseason and figured this is a good week to try stuff just because you can practice and practice and do all the stuff at home, but there’s just something different about being in competition. I really enjoyed the way it felt, I felt like I’m seeing some improvements in my stroke.”

–Field Level Media

Celtics Outplay Pistons

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jaylen Brown scored a game-high 28 points and dished out nine assists to lead the Celtics to a 130-120 victory over the visiting Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.

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Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis added 26 points and nine rebounds, and Sam Hauser made 5 of 10 3-point attempts while logging 20 points. Payton Pritchard contributed 19 points, Derrick White added 14 points and 11 assists, and Al Horford also had 14 points.

The Celtics extended their home winning streak to six games and won for the ninth time in 10 games overall. Detroit took its third straight defeat.

Cade Cunningham amassed 27 points, nine rebounds and 14 assists for the Pistons, who lost despite making 20 of their 39 3-point attempts (51.3 percent). Tobias Harris also tossed in 27 points for Detroit, and Malik Beasley finished with 23.

Boston played without Jayson Tatum (right knee) and Jrue Holiday (left knee). Tatum is averaging a team-high 28.4 points per game and a team-best 8.6 rebounds per game. Holiday is averaging 11.7 points per contest.

Before the game, Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said Tatum is working through an ailment that is getting better each day.

The Celtics led 39-24 after one quarter and 72-58 at halftime. Before the break, Boston made 11 of 26 3-point attempts (42.3 percent) and shot 56.5 percent from the field.

Brown scored 23 of his 28 points in the first 24 minutes.

The Pistons were within 10 points after a Harris 3-pointer made it 90-80 with 5:19 remaining in the third quarter, but Boston stoked the advantage to 103-88 entering the fourth.

The Celtics led by 20 early in the final quarter before Detroit went on a 12-0 run to make it 109-101, capped by a Beasley 3-pointer. A Cunningham jumper cut the deficit to six with 6:48 to play, but the Pistons failed to get closer than five the rest of the way.

The contest was the second between the Celtics and the Pistons this season. Boston won 124-118 at Detroit on Oct. 26. The teams meet again in Boston on Dec. 12 and in Detroit on Feb. 26.

–Field Level Media

Bruins, Marchand Defeat Blackhawks

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CHICAGO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Brad Marchand scored two second-period goals 2:05 apart, Morgan Geekie also scored twice and Jeremy Swayman made 20 saves to lift the visiting Bruins to a 4-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday.

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Boston won for the sixth time in eight games until interim coach Joe Sacco, recovering from an early deficit to stretch its season-best winning streak to three.

Marchand sparked the Bruins with his second multi-goal effort of the season (Nov. 27), while Geekie had his first multi-goal game of the campaign.

Justin Brazeau, Mason Lohrei, Jordan Oesterle and David Pastrnak contributed two assists each.

Marchand’s first goal of the night came at 2:58 of the second period. Left unmarked as he darted from the slot to the right circle, he converted a backdoor feed from Pastrnak.

Marchand struck again soon after for what stood up as the game-winner, picking up a rebound of a Pastrnak shot and backhanding a second-chance opportunity past Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek.

Chicago took a 1-0 lead just 1:23 into the game, as Alex Vlasic tallied his first goal of the season on a wrist shot from the right circle off a pass from Nick Foligno.

Sustaining momentum wasn’t to be, however, a familiar refrain as the Blackhawks lost their fourth straight to match a season-worst skid.

Boston got the equalizer at 12:17 of the first period. Geekie followed his own shot from the slot and stuffed it home when Mrazek was unable to control the rebound.

The Blackhawks drew to within 3-2 late in the second period as Jason Dickinson wristed a shot from the left circle past Swayman. Connor Murphy notched his second assist of the night on the play.

A Chicago flurry that produced two shots on goal, a blocked shot and a missed shot over a 19-second span early in the third period nearly tied the game. Boston restored the two-goal advantage at 5:02 of the third on a Geekie breakaway off a long pass from Brazeau.

Chicago was whistled for too many men with 1:55 to play after putting an extra attacker on the ice too quickly.

Mrazek stopped 23 shots for Chicago.

–Field Level Media

Early NFL Playoff Picture

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DETROIT – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – All eyes are on the NFC North pecking order with a Thursday showdown between the Lions and Packers kicking off Week 14 in Motown.

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The Lions (11-1) already registered a win over Green Bay (9-3) at Lambeau Field and begin their second pass through the division with a 3-0 record in the North. The Vikings (10-2) sit between the teams in the standings, but there are tangible and desirous goals in play for Minnesota on Sunday.

With a win over the NFC South-leading Falcons, Minnesota would gain a game on the losing team Thursday and potentially push their former quarterback, Kirk Cousins, and Atlanta outside the playoff picture behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Bucs (6-6) host the 2-10 Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.

There’s less drama in the AFC, where the division leaders have enough cushion to breathe and ample motivation to continue putting up victories with home-field advantage not yet decided.

Last week, the Bills (10-2) clinched the AFC East and the Chiefs (11-1) can clinch the West on Sunday by beating the Los Angeles Chargers (8-4) in Kansas City.

Looming for the murky AFC wild-card picture are head-to-head matchups between the Denver Broncos and Chargers (Dec. 19) and Indianapolis Colts and Broncos (Dec. 15). And Baltimore’s closing schedule is unusual, if not tricky, with a Saturday division game against the Pittsburgh Steelers (Dec. 21) and a midweek, Christmas Day game pitting the Ravens and Texans in a 2024 playoff rematch.

The current playoff picture entering Week 14:

AFC Division Leaders
1. Kansas City Chiefs (11-1)
Up Next: vs. Chargers, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET

2. Buffalo Bills (10-2)
Up Next: at L.A. Rams, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3)
Up Next: vs. Cleveland Browns, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

4. Houston Texans (8-5)
Up Next: Bye Week

AFC Wild-Card Standings

5. Los Angeles Chargers (8-4)
Up Next: at Kansas City, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET

6. Baltimore Ravens (8-5)
Up Next: Bye Week

7. Denver Broncos (8-5)
Up Next: Bye Week

8. Indianapolis Colts (6-7)
Up Next: Bye Week

9. Miami Dolphins (5-7)
Up Next: vs. N.Y. Jets, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

10. Cincinnati Bengals (4-8)
Up Next: at Dallas, Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET

11. Cleveland Browns (3-9)
Up Next: at Pittsburgh, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

12. New York Jets (3-9)
Up Next: at Miami, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

13. Tennessee Titans (3-9)
Up Next: vs. Jacksonville, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

The New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders have been eliminated.

NFC Division Leaders

1. Detroit Lions (11-1)
Up Next: vs. Green Bay, Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET

2. Philadelphia Eagles (10-2)
Up Next: vs. Carolina, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

3. Seattle Seahawks (7-5)
Up Next: at Arizona, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET

4. Atlanta Falcons (6-6)
Up Next: at Minnesota, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

NFC Wild-Card Standings

5. Minnesota Vikings (10-2)
Up Next: vs. Atlanta, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

6. Green Bay Packers (9-3)
Up Next: at Detroit, Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET

7. Washington Commanders (8-5)
Up Next: Bye Week

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6)
Up Next: vs. Las Vegas, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

9. Arizona Cardinals (6-6)
Up Next: vs. Seattle, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET

10. Los Angeles Rams (6-6)
Up Next: vs. Buffalo, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

11. San Francisco 49ers (5-7)
Up Next: vs. Chicago, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

12. Dallas Cowboys (5-7)
Up Next: vs. Cincinnati, Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET

13. New Orleans Saints (4-8)
Up Next: at N.Y. Giants , Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

14. Chicago Bears (4-8)
Up Next: at San Francisco, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

15. Carolina Panthers (3-9)
Up Next: at Philadelphia, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

The New York Giants have been eliminated.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Dec 1st

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

NEW YORK – The naysayers are awaiting their failures. But, WWYI comes – not as a naysayer – but a realist … a teller of truths.

Entrepreneurial spirit, private equity, an abundance of time slots for programming on a growing number of global sports channels, and an endless amount of time and space for sports on digital-only, online sports sites, complete with your favorite mobile apps has created a monster for sports fans.

That monster is too many pro sports leagues.

How many is too many? Let us count the way.

But, first let’s pay a little tribute to a few upstart leagues that paved the vacant roads long ago. They come in all shapes and sizes for both men and women. Here are a few that deserve ultimate high fives:

  • Women’s Tennis – the WTA
  • Men’s Tennis Tour – the ATP
  • Women’s Golf – the LPGA
  • Minor League and affiliated baseball leagues (Cape Baseball)
  • The WNBA
  • The Premier Lacrosse League – Men’s lacrosse, aka the PLL
  • The NBA Summer League
  • Of course, the PGA Tour, NASCAR and F-1 are rock solid pro circuits
  • National Women’s Soccer League – the NWSL
  • Professional Women’s Hockey League – the PWHL
  • Pro Bull Riders – PBR (solid since ‘92 founding on The Nashville Network, Outdoor Sports Net = Versus but challenges ahead)

Spring (American-style) Football is in a category of its own. The UFL – with big time backers – seems to be finding a place on the sports landscape, after a few more failed attempts came up dry. The CFL (Canadian Football League) was founded in 1958 (66 years ago) and has stood the test of time. Former basketball execs turned CFL Commissioners Mark Cohon (2007-2014) and Jeffrey Orridge (2015-2017) each lent a hand in trying to build on the foundation but to no great lengths of change. The most recent Commissioner, Randy Ambrosie, announced his resignation on October 26, 2024, and it took effect following Toronto’s 41-24 victory over Lose-a-peg in the 111th Grey Cup. Ambrosie reportedly lost a vote of confidence among the league’s owners. They are currently seeking a new league commish to guide the grey lady.

Now we get into the nitty gritty and to prove open-mindedness, the top of this list will include a few fledgling professional sports leagues that have a chance – or at least have a chance in the mind of WWYI.

  • Women’s Flag Football (NFL backed)
  • Pro Volleyball – (Real volleyball, not the Beach version but four women’s leagues will need to be condensed to one and the under-leveraged men’s circuit has value
  • The Snow League – (WWYI is not making it up) – see: SNOW
  • Pro Fight League – (the UFC owns the space, but there’s room here for growth)
  • Pro Women’s Lacrosse – (PLL Backed)
  • Canada’s Summer Pro Basketball League
  • Major League Rugby
  • Major League Cricket
  • Athletes Unlimited (Offerings in Volleyball, Lacrosse and Softball)
  • American Cornhole League (niche city but success on the rise)
  • The Pro eSports Leagues (i.e. The NBA 2K League) – Can they make it?

Now, from the sublime to the sometimes ridiculous, and new leagues that have little chance of surviving for the long haul.

  • Pro Dodge Ball
  • Pro Kickball
  • Pro Pop-a-Shot
  • Pro Table Tennis
  • Pro Pickleball (a great grassroots play, but not sure it can be a media property)
  • USL – W League (while men’s version is doing well, is there room for more women’s pro soccer teams and a league in USA?)
  • Roller Derby – (sorry to you Bay Area Bombers fans)
  • Pro Ultimate Frisbee (fun, but a hobby – not a pro sport)
  • Pro Ax Throwing
  • World Chase Tag – (Pro “Tag, You’re It” – Who knew?)

Let’s not forget Arena Football. The sport had its heyday, but is now being repackaged and re-launched. Currently, the headline on the homepage for Arena Football states, “2025 Season Announcements Coming Soon,” and there’s only 32 days until 2025. There’s a caution flag on the field for Indoor American Football.

And, how about men’s professional golf? LIV Golf had a rough start, has been relegrated to off hours on the CW Network but recent sports biz rumors have former NBA, former 76ers/NJ Devils/Prudential Center, former Merlin Entertainment CEO Scott O’Neill being named as LIV golf’s new CEO (The Athletic, Sports Business Journal and New York Times have all reported it as a done deal).

LIV Golf at Boston’s International (Photo by T. Peter Lyons)

LIV Golf has a very non-North American friendly schedule for 2025, and its end game of a possible merge with the PGA Tour remains elusive, but good things might be ahead for a complement to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. The LIV and DP world Tour are very likely to merge by 2026. Other changes can be expected with O’Neill at the helm.

Starting January 7, we’ll have TGL Golf. Six TGL teams representing six different cities will go head-to-head in a season-long competition at SoFi Center, a first-of-its-kind venue built specifically for TGL on the campus of Palm Beach State College. Matches will air on ESPN and ESPN+ in the United States. The concept calls for a hybrid of simulated golf which switches to live play around the holes. TGL has solid backing and great time slots on ESPN/ESPN2.

The overall future of indoor, simulated golf is good (think batting ranges, or the experience of bowling with buddies). Former NBC Sports PR colleague Mike McCarley is in charge of the TGL brand, via the TMRW investment vehicle set forth by Tiger Woods, and Rory McIlroy in partnership with the PGA Tour.

BACK TO BASKETBALL: There are a few others Pro ventures to be listed, but for the sake of brevity, let’s draw the line and delve deeper into women’s pro basketball, especially “Unrivaled,” the new women’s 3×3 league.

First, please remember this commentary is coming from a Title IX era sportsman, who as a youngster, witnessed and supported the growth of women’s participation in sports at all levels. Aside from the traditional women’s sports, such as field hockey, softball, gymnastics, swimming, track and field, at Trinity, there were championship-level teams playing women’s basketball, lacrosse, tennis, soccer and golf.

But as the mid-1970s evolved to the mid-2020s, there’s certainly a glut of professional basketball leagues dotting the landscape – some competing against women’s college basketball.

As background, there are two women’s professional basketball ventures launching in 2025. Since 1997, when the WNBA established an everlasting women’s pro basketball league competing mostly in the summer months, there are two additional leagues – Athletes Unlimited (in traditional 5×5 style) and Unrivaled Basketball (3×3 competition).

There will be six teams of six players each in the 3×3 Unrivaled. The team names are the Laces Basketball Club, Lunar Owls Basketball Club, Mist Basketball Club, Phantom Basketball Club, Rose Basketball Club and Vinyl Basketball Club.

Unrivaled gives credit to co-founders Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier – both WNBA players – for the foundation of the league, along with Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell. They named former WTA tennis executive Micky Lawler as the league’s first commissioner.

Unrivaled was met with a blue chip list of investors including, former Warner Bros CEO Ann Sarnoff, and athletes like NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony and Steve Nash who invested through the venture capital firm led by U.S women’s national soccer team captain Alex Morgan.

Unrivaled’s next step was luring former head of ESPN and DAZN John Skipper and former Turner Sports president David Levy. They joined forces with leadership and landed a TV deal with Levy’s former employer for games to be broadcast by TNT and Tru TV starting January 17, 2025.

Meanwhile, the established but still trying to establish an audience Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball is utilizing traditional 5×5 rules but competing directly against the NBA, men’s and women’s college basketball. In its fifth season of Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball, the entity is attempting to find its footing as a minor league offering in a crowded space. It will have a short run from February 5 to March 2, 2025, at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium.

There’s surely a chance the new basketball leagues will work out, but these leagues are splitting an audience with Women’s College Basketball which has made great strides in recent years, much to the credit of Caitlin Clark. But, please remember, there’s a long history of successful and entertaining women’s college basketball teams and players, dating back to clubs like the 1980 Old Dominion squad with Anne Donovan. Add: Great teams from Tennessee under the guidance of Pat Summitt, USC with Cheryl Miller, the 1974 Immaculata team with Maryanne Stanley, the great Carol Blazejowski and the Montclair State (NJ) team of the mid-1970s, a slew of great – let’s call them historic – teams from Delta State, Louisiana Tech, Notre Dame, Baylor, South Carolina, Stanford, Texas Tech, Rutgers, Maryland, Oregon, UCLA and Texas.

Now, toss in the decades of great (championship) teams from UConn – from Rebecca Lobo to Sue Bird to Diana Taurasi to Breanna Stewart and you’ve got Hall of Famer coach Geno Auriemma’s resume.

One of the WNBA’s tent pole establishing decisions was to go for the summer months rather than compete head-to-head with women’s college basketball.

So it’s a “Battle for Nielsen Ratings” – Pro Women’s 3×3 vs. College hoops?

All the leagues mentioned in all the sports claim “percent emergence.” They all promise they’re the “fastest growing sport,” a claim the sport of lacrosse has made since WWYI was While Yet to be Born Ideas.

At some point, it’s just too much. There’s a glut of emerging sports ventures and something has got to give. Overall, the make it or break it on sports franchises involves three simple factors. They are:

  • Market
  • Money
  • Media

You can weigh all the factors, the sports and make up your own mind on the future of emerging pro sports leagues.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: The Top 10 of the FIBA Men’s World Basketball Rankings remains unchanged from its summertime posting. USA Basketball solidified its No. 1 place with the Gold Medal at the Paris Olympics Games. As a reminder, here are the national teams in order of their rank, along with some formidable challengers:

  1. USA
  2. Serbia
  3. Germany
  4. France
  5. Canada
  6. Spain
  7. Australia
  8. Argentina
  9. Latvia
  10. Lithuania

Challengers include: Brazil, Slovenia, Greece, Italy and Puerto Rico

TIDBITS: BIG EAST teams were (55-20, .733) going into the weekend games. UConn was down as (4-3) with four wins coming at home but three losses coming from its trip to the Maui Classic. … Thursday marked the 14th straight NBA season without a game scheduled for Thanksgiving Day.

As the NFL bounds through it Thanksgiving Day weekend schedule which always marks the home stretch of the regular season, games are averaging a healthy 17.5m viewers per game, the largest average audience per game through 12 weeks since 2015. That does not compute NFL International Series Games and the use of the NFL RedZone channel by many as their go-to way to watch the Sunday games. … Forty-seven of the Top 50 TV shows since September are NFL broadcasts, according to NFL Media. If you look back to 2023, the NFL season and playoffs captured 93 of the Top 100 audiences of the year.

The others?

  • College Football accounts for three
  • State of the Union
  • MACYs Thanksgiving Day Parade
  • The Academy Awards
  • The Super Bowl

In college football news reported by ESPN Saturday morning, former No. 1 overall NFL pick Andrew Luck is now following his dad (Oliver) into a new college sports management role. ESPN reported that the 35-year-old former Stanford Cardinal QB is returning to his alma mater to be the General Manager of the men’s football team, a role that will “place him in charge” of the entire program.

St. John’s Coach Lou Carnesecca, 99

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JAMAICA ESTATES – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Hall of Fame coach Lou Carnesecca ‘50C, ‘60Ged, ‘00HON, who led the St. John’s men’s basketball team for 24 seasons and endeared himself to generations of New Yorkers with his wit and warmth, passed away on Saturday surrounded by family. He was 99 years old.

The legendary head coach leaves behind his beloved wife of 73 years, Mary, as well as his cherished family – daughter Enes, son-in-law Gerard (Jerry), granddaughter Ieva and her fiancé Frank, his dear niece and nephew, Susan Chiesa, John Chiesa and his wife, Nancy – as well as his extended family and his closest friends join them in their loss.

A 1992 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, “Looie” led St. John’s to 24 winning campaigns in 24 seasons at the helm from 1965-70 and 1973-92. His teams advanced to the postseason each year, appearing in the NCAA Tournament 18 times while registering six National Invitation Tournament (NIT) appearances. Those postseason berths were highlighted by an appearance in the 1985 Final Four and the program’s fifth NIT title in 1989. His teams also recorded an additional pair of Elite Eight appearances in 1979 and 1991.

Carnesecca was named the National Coach of the Year twice, BIG EAST Coach of the Year three times and Metropolitan Coach of the Year six times during his storied career. He led St. John’s to a pair of BIG EAST titles in 1983 and 1986 and his teams produced a 112-65 regular-season record against tough BIG EAST competition, tying for three regular-season titles and winning one outright.

Overall, Carnesecca registered a 526-200 mark, winning at least 20 games 18 times in 24 seasons as the head coach at St. John’s with a career winning percentage of .725, good enough for one of the top 100 marks in Division I history. His teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 for 161 weeks during his career, including more than 70 as one of the top 10 teams in the nation.

A native New Yorker, Carnesecca graduated from St. Ann’s Academy in Manhattan (now Archbishop Molloy) before enlisting the United States Coast Guard during World War II. Upon returning home from the Pacific, Carnesecca enrolled at St. John’s, graduating in 1950. As an undergraduate, Carnesecca played on the St. John’s baseball team that advanced to the 1949 College World Series. Also on that team was Jack Kaiser, Carnesecca’s lifelong friend who would also go on to dedicate his professional life to St. John’s as both its baseball coach and athletic director.

Upon graduation, Carnesecca took over the reins at St. Ann’s and built the team into a powerhouse, winning two CHSAA titles. In 1958, Carnesecca handed over the program to another coaching legend, Jack Curran, in order to take a position on the staff of his mentor, Joe Lapchick, at St. John’s.

Over the next eight seasons on Lapchick’s staff, Carnesecca helped lead St. John’s to a pair of NIT titles in 1959 and 1965. Following Lapchick’s retirement in 1965, Carnesecca was named the 12th head coach in St. John’s men’s basketball history. His first five seasons at the helm were highlighted with trips to the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals in 1967 and 1969, as well as advancing to the NIT Championship game in 1970.

In 1970, Carnesecca left St. John’s for three years to coach the New York Nets of the American Basketball Association. During his tenure in the professional ranks, he took the Nets to the playoffs in each of his three seasons, reaching the finals of the league championship in 1972.

Carnesecca returned to his alma mater in 1973, beginning a transformative period in the history of the program that featured the birth of the BIG EAST Conference, of which St. John’s remains a charter member. In addition to his sweaters providing the sartorial highlights of the league’s early heyday, Carnesecca was also an early cornerstone of the league alongside its founder, Dave Gavitt.

Carnesecca once said, “at St. John’s, it’s all about the players.” In his four decades coaching at his alma mater, Carnesecca coached more than 40 NBA Draft picks including first rounders LeRoy Ellis (1962), Sonny Dove (1967), John Warren (1969), Mel Davis (1973), George Johnson (1978), Chris Mullin (1985), Bill Wennington (1985), Walter Berry (1986), Mark Jackson (1987), Jayson Williams (1990) and Malik Sealy (1992). Carnesecca remained an integral part in the lives of his former players, as his annual reunions drew hundreds of them to Queens.