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Big East Update: UConn Edges BYU

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BOSTON – BIG EAST teams were 4-2 on Saturday, highlighted by No. 3/3 UConn’s win over No. 7/7 BYU in Boston in one of the top games of the 2025-26 season.  Georgetown moved to 4-0 with a win over Clemson, while St. John’s and Villanova used their high-powered offenses to earn victories at home.

UConn 86, BYU 84 – Box Score

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In one of the best games of the non-conference slate so far, No. 3/3 UConn held off a late surge from No. 7/7 BYU at TD Garden in Boston.  UConn connected on nearly 57% from the floor – including 8-of-18 from the perimeter.  A trio of Huskies tallied 21 points apiece – Silas Demary Jr., Alex Karaban, and Tarris Reed Jr.

Georgetown 79, Clemson 74 – Box Score

Four Hoyas reached double figures, led by a career-high 26 from KJ Lewis, as Georgetown moved to 4-0.  Lewis also tallied four boards, two assists, and five steals.  In a game that saw nine ties and two lead changes, a Malik Mack 3-pointer with 14:33 remaining started a 12-3 run, putting Georgetown ahead for good.  Mack finished with 16 points and seven rebounds.

St. John’s 93, William & Mary 60 – Box Score 

A 27-2 run to start the second half put the game out of reach for No. 13/13 St. John’s.  Five Red Storm players reached double digits – and 10 different players scored – in the win.  Bryce Hopkins and Joson Sanon each had 15 points for St. John’s, which has scored more than 90 points in each of its first three games for the first time since the 1971-72 season.

Villanova 87, Duquesne 77 – Box Score 

Villanova trailed by as many as six early, but used a 30-13 surge to close out the first half and never looked back.  Acaden Lewis led a trio of Wildcats in double figures, with a season-high 19 points to go along with six rebounds.  Bryce Lindsay had 18 points and Matt Hodge 15 in the win.  Duke Brennan corralled 13 boards.

SMU 87, Butler 85 – Box Score

Trailing by seven with 1:41 to play, Butler’s furious finish came up two points short on the road.  Finley Bizjack had 18 points on the night, connecting on 5-of-9 from the outside, while Michael Ajayi added 14 points. His 3-ball with 37 ticks remaining tied it at 85-85.  Butler made 13 3-pointers in the game.

Maryland 89, Marquette 82 – Box Score

A game of runs saw Marquette come up short at home.  The Golden Eagles got within five late but could not get any closer at home against Maryland.  Chase Ross scored a career-high 31 points on 10-of-18 shooting.  Ben Gold added 18 points and Zaide Lowery 14 in the loss.  Former BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year and All-American Jerel McNeal had his jersey retired in a halftime ceremony.

Georgia Tech Needs “W” at The Heights

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CHESTNUT HILL – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – No. 16 Georgia Tech wasted no time moving past its first loss of the season.

With their second bye week in the rear view, the Atlantic Coast Conference-leading Yellow Jackets (8-1, 5-1) are ready to bounce back when they visit Boston College (1-9, 0-6) for the first time since 2020 on Saturday afternoon on the gorgeous campus of Boston College.

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“We’ve got to use those emotions and feelings (of a 48-36 loss to NC State on Nov. 1) to continue to push us forward,” coach Brent Key said. “I talked to the team on Sunday about this. I said, you work from January when we first organized workouts and weight training…you do all that in hopes of playing meaningful games in November, and here we are.”

The loss came despite quarterback Haynes King racking up a school-record 511 total yards and four touchdowns. The redshirt senior accounted for 408 yards through the air, helping to up his ACC-best total yardage to 330.3 per game.

Conversely, NC State’s six touchdowns in 10 possessions and 583 total yards did in the Yellow Jackets. Playing without injured starting nickelback Jy Gilmore and cor

Cornerback Ahmari Harvey did not help, but they could be closer to returning to game action after practicing last week.

“(Their possible return) changes some of the coverages you can play, it changes how you look to protect a certain guy,” Key said. “At the end of the day, we’ve got to perform and play good defense. We’ve got to be able to stop the run and keep the explosives from going over our heads.”

Their status will become clearer later in the week, but Key is excited about where the team stands following the bye.

“Time is the best cure-all. It is,” Key said. “They’re all out there right now. … I thought Sunday’s practice, we came out and it was as fast and crisp and as much energy as we’ve had.”

Boston College coach Bill O’Brien was an assistant at Georgia Tech from 1995-02, a stint during which Key was a team captain. O’Brien knows that his Eagles will have to defend an ultimate weapon in order to have success against his former player’s team and earn their first FBS win of the season in the home finale.

“This guy has a ton of their production. The way they use him is incredible to me,” O’Brien said of King. “(Key and coordinator Buster Faulkner) do a good job with their offense, and he is the leader of it. He is a competitive, tough player.”

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The quarterback position has been uncertain for the Eagles of late, with both Alabama transfer Dylan Lonergan and incumbent starter Grayson James seeing significant action. O’Brien has not confirmed a starter for Saturday’s game.

In last week’s 45-13 loss to SMU, James attempted just two passes and got sacked three times before Lonergan — who started the previous game against Notre Dame — entered in relief and went 25-for-37 passing for 232 yards and a touchdown.

“They have to give us confidence. It’s important for us to have confidence in them,” O’Brien said. “They’ve each played a lot, and they’ve done some good things and some not so good things.”

Senior receiver Lewis Bond enters the game needing just three catches to break Zay Flowers’ all-time receptions record of 200. His 7.3 receptions per game rank fifth nationally.

“For him to have a chance to break the record is really a testament to him, his work ethic, his toughness, his competitiveness,” O’Brien said.

–Field Level Media

Henderson Leads Patriots Over Jets

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FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – TreVeyon Henderson found the end zone three times and the New England Patriots sailed to their eighth straight win, 27-14 over the New York Jets on Thursday night in Massachusetts.

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Henderson ran for a pair of 7-yard touchdowns during the second quarter and added a 6-yard scoring catch after halftime to put the Patriots (9-2) in firm control. Drake Maye completed 25 of 34 passes for 281 yards, and Henderson tallied 93 total yards (62 rushing, 31 receiving on five catches).

New England’s Stefon Diggs hauled in nine catches for 105 yards.

Justin Fields ran for a touchdown and threw for another for the Jets (2-8), who had a modest two-game winning streak ended. John Metchie III, in his second game as a Jet following a trade from the Philadelphia Eagles, had three receptions for 45 yards and a score.

The Patriots only led 21-14 entering the final quarter but soon tacked on two field goals by Andy Borregales (44, 26 yards). The latter kick was set up when Fields fumbled a low snap on the first play of a drive in the shadow of the Jets’ goalpost.

Fields took the Jets into the red zone on a late drive, but he was sacked by Elijah Ponder on third down and threw incomplete on fourth down. Fields connected on 15 of 26 passes for 116 yards and led the Jets with 67 rushing yards.

The Jets opened the game with a 14-play, 72-yard touchdown march, only for the Patriots to match it with a 13-play, 69-yard scoring drive.

New York converted four third downs on its opening drive before Fields hustled to the right corner of the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown. New England converted a fourth-and-2 with Maye’s 7-yard completion to DeMario Douglas before Henderson notched his first rushing score of the night in the first minute of the second quarter.

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The Patriots forced three consecutive three-and-outs while adding Henderson’s second score to build a 14-7 halftime lead. Borregales missed a 45-yard field-goal attempt as time expired in the half.

Henderson plucked a pass out of the air in the back of the end zone to put the Patriots up 21-7 with 7:46 to go in the third quarter.

The Jets responded when Fields hit a wide-open Metchie for a 22-yard touchdown with 3:10 left in the third.

–Field Level Media

MLB MVPs: Ohtani Wins, Raleigh Snubbed

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – While Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers had his greatness reconfirmed, Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners learned not even the greatest season by a catcher in Major League Baseball history could stop New York Yankees great Aaron Judge from adding another Most Valuable Player award to his trophy case.

Minutes after Ohtani secured his third consecutive MVP award and fourth in the last five years — leaving him just three shy of Barry Bonds for the most in MLB history — Judge was announced as the American League’s MVP in a close vote with Raleigh on Thursday night.

Ohtani and Judge became the first duo to win the Most Valuable Player Award in the same back-to-back seasons.

The New York Yankees outfielder secured 17 of a possible 30 first-place votes and 355 points. The Seattle Mariners catcher claimed the other 13 first-place votes and finished with 335 points.

In the end, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America voters determined that Judge’s MLB-leading batting average (.331), on-base percentage (.457) and slugging percentage (.688) outweighed Raleigh’s AL-best 60 homers and 125 RBIs.

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“It’s pretty wild,” Judge said. “You try not to think about it during the season. I try to keep my head down through all 162 and do whatever I can in today’s game to help our team win.”

For the 33-year-old Judge, it marks his third MVP award. That puts him in an exclusive neighborhood with the likes of Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, Mike Trout and a handful of others — but Ohtani no longer resides there.

The 31-year-old Japan native received all 30 first-place votes for the National League MVP.

Ohtani earned his latest honor after piling up a career-high 55 homers, a majors-best 146 runs and an NL-high a .622 slugging percentage and 1.014 OPS in 158 games.

He also returned to the mound after taking 18 months off and forged a 1-1 record with a 2.87 ERA in 14 starts. He registered 62 strikeouts versus just nine walks over 47 innings.

“It was a great year,” Ohtani said on MLB Network via translator. “Like I said, I’m grateful to my teammates, the coaching staff … but not only them. The fans were the ones who really rooted us on and supported us.”

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Ohtani added eight home runs in 17 postseason games while leading the Dodgers to their second consecutive World Series title, though his playoff exploits did not factor into the BBWAA voting.

Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, who produced a league-high 56 homers and 132 RBIs while playing in all 162 games, finished second in the balloting. He was followed by New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (43 homers, 38 stolen bases), Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (.290 average, 20 homers, 100 RBIs, 27 steals) and Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (league-leading .304 average with 36 steals).

In the American League, Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (30 homers, 44 steals) finished a distant third.

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (23 homers, 38 steals) and Detroit Tigers starter Tarik Skubal, who claimed his second consecutive Cy Young Award with a 13-6 record and 2.21 ERA, rounded out the top five.

–Field Level Media

NFL Monday Night Football Preview

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GREEN BAY – (Wire Service Report) – A matchup that could prove a pivotal turning point in the battle for home-field advantage in the NFC closes out the Week 10 slate, with the Philadelphia Eagles facing the hometown Packers on Monday night.

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The Eagles (6-2) are comfortably leading the NFC East, while the Packers (5-2-1) are only a half-game ahead of Detroit and Chicago in the NFC North. Just as important, however, is that both are trying to keep pace with the 7-2 Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks in the conference.

ODDS & TRENDS
Philadelphia is a consensus 1.0-point favor, with the spread sitting at 1.5 points at several sportsbooks Monday afternoon. BetRivers reported the Eagles being backed by 61% of the spread-line money at -1.0, while their -110 moneyline had drawn 73% of the money.

Green Bay has failed to cover the spread in five of its past six games, while Philadelphia has a seven-game winning streak against opponents with winning records.

The 45.0 total points line has seen heavy action on the Over, which has been backed by 85% of the money. Each of Philadelphia’s past five games against NFC teams have gone Over the total points line.

PROP PICKS
–Eagles QB Jalen Hurts Anytime TD (-107 at BetRivers): Hurts has scored five rushing touchdowns this season and enters with a streak of reaching the end zone at least once in seven consecutive Monday night games.

–Packers WR Christian Watson 40+ Receiving Yards (-156 at DraftKings): This has been the most popular player prop at the book, with the fourth-year receiver pulling in 85 and 58 yards worth of passes in his first two games back from a torn ACL. The concern with this prop is the unpredictable nature of who quarterback Jordan Love will target heavily in any given game, and Watson’s four targets in each of his first two games back hardly screams WR1 just yet.

INSIDE EDGE
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley has averaged just 2.1 yards from scrimmage per touch in the fourth quarter this season, which is tied for worst in the NFL among 36 qualified running backs, according to Inside Edge’s Remarkable engine. Philadelphia’s running backs are also third worst in the NFL, having been stuffed on 26% of all rushing attempts this season.

THE NEWS
Philadelphia has won four of its last five games against Green Bay, including a 22-10 victory last season in an NFC wild-card game, when the Eagles intercepted Love three times. The Eagles also beat the Packers in the opener last season, 34-29, in the first NFL game played in Brazil.

Hurts threw four touchdown passes in Philadelphia’s Week 8 victory over the Giants, and Barkley ran for 150 yards, including a 65-yard TD, before leaving with a groin injury. Barkley practiced in full on Thursday.

Green Bay has been inconsistent since opening with dominant home victories over the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders. The Packers let a 10-point lead slip away late in a 13-10 loss at Cleveland in Week 3, then salvaged a 40-40 tie at Dallas with a field goal on the final play of overtime the next weekend.

The Packers subsequently won three straight after a bye, but twice they had to rally in the second half.

Green Bay moved the ball against the Carolina Panthers but turned the ball over twice, missed a field-goal attempt and converted just 1 of 5 red-zone opportunities into a touchdown.

DEFENSE SPENDING
The Eagles bolstered their defense at the trade deadline, acquiring outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips from the Miami Dolphins, cornerback Michael Carter II from the New York Jets and cornerback Jaire Alexander from the Baltimore Ravens.

“Talented guys that have played a bunch of good football in the NFL,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said Thursday. “Each one of them bringing a different thing and bringing depth to our positions.”

Alexander, a former Pro-Bowl cornerback for the Packers, will not suit up against his former team as he continues to regain his form following a January knee injury.

INJURY REPORT
The Packers endured a crucial loss when tight end Tucker Kraft, who has a team-high six touchdowns among his 32 catches, sustained a season-ending knee injury against Carolina.

“Everybody has to pull a little bit more and do a little bit more,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “I would say that’s just not going to go on one position group. I mean, we need it from everybody from the guys up front to our runners, receivers, and our quarterbacks. So it’ll have to be a collective effort.”

Kicker Brandon McManus has struggled since missing two games with a quad injury. McManus, who made 20 of 21 field-goal attempts last season, is just 11 of 16 this season and 4 of 7 since returning, including 3 of 8 beyond 40 yards.

When McManus was out, free agent signee Lucas Havrisik hit all four field-goal attempts in two games, including a franchise-record 61-yarder. Havrisik is still on the roster, creating some uncertainty.

“We’ll kind of see where Brandon’s at in terms of his health and whatnot and go with who we feel like gives us the best opportunity to go out there and compete and win,” LaFleur said Thursday.

Eagles center Cam Jurgens (knee) will also miss the “Monday Night Football” contest. Cornerback Jakorian Bennett (pectoral), guard Willie Lampkin (knee/ankle) and linebacker Nolan Smith (triceps) have questionable tags.

Packers cornerback Nate Hobbs (knee) and defensive lineman Luke Van Ness (foot) are listed as out against Philadelphia. Offensive lineman Zach Tom (back) and receivers Matthew Golden (shoulder), Dontayvion Wicks (calf) and Savion Williams (foot) are questionable.

PREDICTION
Winter football is here, with temperatures expected to be in the low 30s and dipping into the 20s during the game. Look for both offenses to rely heavily on their ground games. The Eagles are starting to get Barkley untracked, which is bad news for the rest of the league, and Philadelphia has routinely risen to the level of its competition in marquee matchups such as this one. –Eagles 27, Packers 23

–Field Level Media

Lenny Wilkens, 88

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SEATTLE – (Wire Service Report) – Legendary NBA player, all-star coach, Olympic team coach and champion Lenny Wilkens, one of the few inductees into the Hall of Fame as both a player and coach, died on Sunday. He was 88. Wilkens’ family announced the news but did not divulge a cause of death.

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Wilkens, a nine-time All-Star point guard from 1960-75, was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1989. He was enshrined as a coach in 1998 and guided the Seattle SuperSonics to the 1979 NBA title and held the NBA victories record of 1,332 when he retired after the 2004-05 season.

Wilkens also was a college star at Providence College in Rhode Island. His No. 14 was retired by the school in 1996 and he was named to the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Tom Heinsohn, Bill Russell, Bill Sharman and John Wooden are the other four who were enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame as both a player and coach.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver paid his respects Sunday to Wilkens, who was named to the NBA’s 75th anniversary team in 2021.

“Lenny Wilkens represented the very best of the NBA — as a Hall of Fame player, Hall of Fame coach, and one of the game’s most respected ambassadors,” Silver said in a statement. “So much so that, four years ago, Lenny received the unique distinction of being named one of the league’s 75 greatest players and 15 greatest coaches of all time.

“But even more impressive than Lenny’s basketball accomplishments, which included two Olympic Gold medal wins and an NBA Championship, was his commitment to service — especially in his beloved community of Seattle where a statue stands in his honor.

“He influenced the lives of countless young people as well as generations of players and coaches who considered Lenny not only a great teammate or coach but also an extraordinary mentor who led with integrity and true class.”

Wilkens had career averages of 16.5 points and 6.7 assists in 1,077 career regular-season games as a player and compiled a 1,332-1,155 record a an NBA coach.

Wilkens, a New York native, was selected with the sixth overall pick in the 1960 draft by the St. Louis Hawks. He spent eight seasons with the franchise and made the All-Star team five teams and finished second behind Wilt Chamberlain in MVP voting for the 1967-68 season.

Wilkens was traded to the expansion Seattle SuperSonics before the 1968-69 season and averaged a career-best 22.4 points in his first of four seasons with the team. He made the All-Star team three times and became one of the most popular figures in franchise history. He became player-coach of the SuperSonics and starred as a player while coaching the team for three seasons, including a 47-35 record in 1971-72.

After the 1971-72 season, Wilkens was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers and made his final All-Star squad that season. He played one more season with the Cavaliers before being traded to Portland prior to the 1974-75 season.

He served as player-coach of the Trail Blazers in what was final season as a player. He returned as the team’s coach the following season.

Then he returned to Seattle and topped 50 wins three times in eight seasons. The SuperSonics reached the NBA Finals in back-to-back seasons, losing to Washington in the 1978 finals before beating the Bullets the next season for the title.

Wilkens also coached the Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks in his 32 seasons as a head coach.

Wilkens now ranks third in coaching victories, trailing all-time leader Gregg Popovich (1,390) and Don Nelson (1,335).

In June, a statue of Wilkens was unveiled outside Climate Pledge Arena, the former home of the SuperSonics. The team moved to Oklahoma City after the 2007-08 season.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sport Notebook | Nov. 9th

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2025 MLB Champion Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB)

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

CHESTNUT HILL – Here’s the text of a letter to be sent to Major League Baseball this week. It addresses the 2025 MLB season:

Commissioner Rob Manfred

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball

1271 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10020

Dear Commissioner Manfred:

I trust you’ve had a modicum of rest since the grand finale of the 2025 World Series and I hope this letter finds you, your family and your talented staff in the best of health and spirits.

Each season, you probably receive thousands of letters, e-mails and other forms of communication broaching every known topic regarding Major League Baseball and I imagine most of them are filed under the vertical of complaints. Surely, team executives, club managers and fans write to you to address perceived problems in the game, poor umpiring, rising ticket prices or to address specific issues of poor fan behavior, suggestions or disagreements regarding rule changes or to share their opinions on everything from Baseball Hall of Fame inductions to Minor League (MiLB) baseball policies.

This letter comes under an area not related to any of the previously mentioned topics. It comes to you as a message of sincere thanks and congratulations on a job well done for the recently concluded season. I honestly wonder just how few letters you receive that simply say, “Thank You,” and point out a few of the things that made this season your best, your crowning jewel of accomplishment in your tenure as the Commissioner of Baseball.

The 2025 Baseball season can be compared to the finest things life has to offer. It might equate to the very best vintage of Opus One. The season enjoyed the best finishing stanza since Eric Clapton wrote the closing instrumental for “Layla.” This season was everything a professional sport strives for in its entire existence.

Surely, there were problems. There were some bench (and bullpen) clearing brawls, some bad calls, some rained-out games, and some untimely player injuries. There were unfortunate job losses to Managers and a few players waived into the abyss of eternal free agency. There were broken bats and Baltimore chops. There were some games played in freezing cold and unbearable heat, but that’s what Mother Nature had in store for some games that began way back on March 26 and concluded on November 2.

In 2025, we lost Hall of Famers like Dave Parker and Ryne Sandberg and even the great Bob Uecker who must be in the “front row” up in heaven’s Field of Dreams. Speaking of which, I understand that the Philadelphia Phillies and the Minnesota Twins will play in Iowa next summer. Nice move, sir.

But, all of the ups and downs are somewhat out of your control as the supreme leader for professional baseball played in the United States and in Canada. You must focus on the bigger picture and sometimes look five, ten or twenty years down the baseline. With that in mind, this letter is to underline and congratulate you for the finer things in Baseball.

First, was last. Yes, the last game of the 2025 World Series was an instant classic, as were the vast majority games of the Series and the MLB postseason. Together, we witnessed the very best in Baseball, some performances of the Century, to be sure.

World Series Most Valuable Player in Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto put forth a performance in Los Angeles’ 5-4 victory in Game 7 of the World Series which surely will go down as one of the greatest pitching performances in the annals of baseball history. Not to be overlooked was his complete game, one run outing in Game 2.

Yamamoto-san’s fellow Japanese teammate, Shohei Ohtani, had an equally impressive World Series and an MLB postseason for the ages. His .333 batting average included nine hits, three homers, five RBIs and six runs scored in the seven games of the 2025 World Series. Of course, he pitched quite well and started Game 7 with the weight of Los Angeles and an entire nation on his shoulders.

While the players from Japan have been recognized, how about an all-out salute to our neighbors to the north in the Toronto Blue Jays, American League pennant winners and another team for the ages. The Blue Jays had most of Canada rooting for them and rightfully so as Montreal-born and Dominican-bred Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. was magnificent. Historians of the game could close their eyes and see tiny, four-year old Vlad, Jr. tipping his little batting helmet as his father was given a standing ovation as he stood in his No. 27 Montreal Expos uniform – a picture worth ten thousand words.. Now, it’s Vlad, Jr’s turn to soak in the applause, and he was just a few outs shy of a World Series win at home.

There were others – far too many to mention in this missive to you, dearest Commissioner – but those others aren’t just from the two World Series teams. The MLB All-Star Game had two impressive rookies in pitcher Shane Smith and shortstop Jacob Wilson. And, that James Wood of Washington is something else, isn’t he?

The rule changes adopted a season or two ago have paid off with ten times their basic value, a gamble – yes- but one that made sense and reduced overall games times to make a night out at the ballpark quite enjoyable, especially in the shrines that are Fenway Park in Boston and Wrigley Field in Chicago.

As to those locales, Pete Crow-Armstrong is entertaining the fans at Wrigley while Garrett Crochet and Roman Anthony have rejuvenated the mighty Red Sox for sellout crowds at tiny Fenway. Paul Skenes looks great in Pittsburgh and Tarik Skubal is among the best pitchers the game has ever seen.

You might have some work to do out in Colorado with those Rockies, but that worry is for another day.

This is all about celebrating the present and your work during the 2025 big league season. It was magnificent.

So, on behalf of Baseball fans everywhere, from Sea (of Japan) to shining (Caribbean) Sea, and all those in between, it’s been a great 2025, crowned by a World Series that earned the tag, “Fall Classic.”. Congratulations go out to you, Commissioner, and to all your hard-working colleagues at the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball, along with the MLB Network, MLB Advanced Media, MLB.com, the MiLB and the umpires, too. Thanks for a great year.

Fully knowing you have club owners’ and GMs’ meetings, the annual Winter Meetings and plenty of other things to attend to before Pitchers and Catchers report on or about February 11, 2026 and the World Baseball Classic will be staged once again next spring, I hope you can take a short break and relax. But, your planned retirement, circled for January 2029, will come around faster than you think, so enjoy – maybe treasure – the remaining days of your service to the game of baseball. Ride the high wave of 2025 to even greater heights in 2026 with the winds of appreciative fans breezing behind you until you choose to sail toward the sunset.

Sincerely,

A Fan

cc: Gary B. Bettman (NHL); Roger Goodell (NFL) and Adam Silver (NBA)

bcc: Mark Walter, Chairman of MLB club owners

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HERE NOW, THE NOTES: After a total debacle with their partnership with Barstool Sports, PENN Gaming now has folded the deck in the midst of a $2 billion deal with ESPN. Earlier this week, PENN made two timed announcements before the markets opened Thursday morning.

First: PENN Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: PENN) (“PENN”) and ESPN announced that they have mutually agreed upon the early termination of their exclusive U.S. online sports betting (“OSB”) agreement, effective December 1, 2025.

Under the terms of the original commercial agreement, announced in August 2023, ESPN agreed to provide PENN with media, marketing services and the exclusive right to the ESPN BET trademark for OSB in the United States in exchange for $150 million per year in cash payments to ESPN and warrants to purchase common stock of PENN. The agreement had an initial term of 10 years, with the right for either party to terminate the agreement after the third year if specific market share performance thresholds were not met.

“When we first announced our partnership with ESPN, both sides made it clear that we expected to compete for a podium position in the space,” said Jay Snowden, CEO and President of PENN Entertainment. “Although we made significant progress in improving our product offering and building a cohesive ecosystem with ESPN, we have mutually and amicably agreed to wind down our collaboration. We plan to refocus our digital strategy on our growing iCasino business, while continuing to capitalize on our omnichannel advantage as the nation’s leading regional retail casino operator.”

Snowden continued, “Looking ahead, we plan to rebrand our OSB offering in the U.S. to theScore Bet®, with a target date of December 1, 2025 to coincide with the expected launch of sports betting in Missouri, subject to regulatory approvals. We currently operate theScore Bet brand in Ontario, Canada.

The termination cut the losses to $450 million, according to reported terms of the deal.

Upon completion of PENN’s deal with Barstool, Snowden oversaw the sale of the Barstool deal back to Barstool head honcho Dave Portnoy for a grand total of $1.00 a few years after the $380 million PENN acquisition of Barstool in 2020. That’s $387,999,999 down the drain.

Secondly: ESPN PR issued this news release, stating: ESPN and Draft Kings Inc. (Nasdaq: DKNG) (“Draft Kings”) announced an agreement, naming Draft Kings the exclusive Official Sportsbook and odds provider of ESPN, effective December 1, 2025. This agreement, which unites two of the most iconic brands in sports, will deliver fans premium sports betting content and experiences.

Beginning in December 2025, Draft Kings entertainment products will be exclusively integrated across ESPN’s ecosystem with a full rollout expected in 2026. Fans will be able to enjoy betting features and access to offerings including DraftKings’ sportsbook, daily fantasy, and Draft Kings Pick 6 at launch.

Together, Draft Kings and ESPN will collaborate to advance their shared commitment to responsible gaming, by dedicating prominent assets to educate, raise customer awareness and promote responsible play through campaigns and integrations.

“Our betting approach has focused on offering an integrated experience within our products,” said Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, ESPN. “Working with Draft Kings, a leader in the space, will allow us to build upon that foundation, continue to super-serve passionate sports fans and grow our ESPN direct-to-consumer business. We are excited about this new collaboration with Draft Kings.”

Draft Kings will also play a major role across ESPN’s digital platforms. Draft Kings will power the betting tab within the ESPN app and their customers will receive special promotions for ESPN Unlimited, ESPN’s newly launched direct-to-consumer product.

“ESPN’s unmatched visibility across the world of sports make this collaboration a natural fit,” said Jason Robins, CEO and Co-Founder of DraftKings. “As an innovative leader in digital sports entertainment, DraftKings is uniquely positioned to integrate our technology and products with ESPN’s iconic brand and storytelling power. Together, we’re delivering a seamless, engaging, and responsible experience that elevates how fans connect with live sports.”

Put together, ESPN will not skip a beat, or even a Bad Beat.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: A few random thoughts and items from the notebook … A strong opinion – besides the headline grabbing gambling scandal that rocked the start of the NBA regular season – the NBC Sports/Peacock broadcasts (and studio shows) have been terrific. What a novel idea: Focusing on the game at hand and the league/basketball news. Amazing how that works so well. It’s certainly better than Stephen A. Smith and Ben Stiller’s blabber/non-X and O/fan/rah, rah approach witnessed last year from Madison Square Garden. … I’d love to see Stephen A. come back down to eaarth and play it straight alongside an accomplished coach. … Amazon Prime doing quite well, but admittedly, I find my viewing habits much more on the FIOS cable side, rather than switching over to the streaming side of the screen. … It was great to see Ernie, Chuck, Kenny and Shaq back in action. … Underdog, too. … On the music side, circle December 12-13 in Providence, Rhode Island for Goosemas 2025.

On Friday, the NCAA announced xix former men’s college basketball players at three schools — New Orleans, Mississippi Valley State and Arizona State — participated in gambling schemes that included game manipulation or sharing information with known bettors, according to informed sources. … Two cents? Beware of the Mid-Majors with this issue.

Aryna Sabalenka, the top-ranked women’s tennis player in the world will play and exhibition against former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios in a “Battle of the Sexes” match in Dubai on December 28th. It’s not exactly Billie Jean King vs. Bobby Riggs, but it should be fun. The match will be staged at the 17,000-seat Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai (UAE). Both Sabalenka and Kyrgios will be featured in an exhibition at New York’s Madison Square Garden on December 8 but not against each other: Sabalenka will play Naomi Osaka and Kyrgios will face Tommy Paul.

WHEELS UP: The Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators will depart their respective cities for a pair of regular-season games at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, scheduled on November 14 and November 16. The clubs will begin practices on Tuesday, November 11th. The 2025 NHL Global Series will mark the 15th NHL season to include regular-season games outside North America. The event marks the league’s return to Sweden and is a pillar of the NHL’s continued international focus, following the success of the 4 Nations Face-Off. The two games featuring the Penguins and Predators will mark the 17th and 18th games played in Stockholm, which has hosted more NHL regular-season games than any other city outside of North America. The games will be covered for TV locally and via the NHL Network.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: In preparation for a special THANKSGIVING column, I encourage our legions of readers to post a comment/note or to Direct Message your roving reporter with a “Favorite Thing” or something you are especially Thankful for this year. Indicate if you’d like your name used or not. The Sunday Notes of November 23rd will be dedicated to Thanksgiving while the November 30th column will be a hodgepodge of notes and observations from my personal Thanksgiving Week (Nov. 24-29th). We’ll see if it is just a few notes or if it merits timeline. One note on that: The apple wood chips have already been purchased for the all day smoking of two birds.

More to come on Thanksgiving, so send in your faves.

THE BEATLES: Did you know that on this date (November 9) in 1961 Brian Epstein travelled to The Cavern Club in Hamburg, Germany to see The Beatles play for the very first time. It would take several more trips before Epstein and the lads would agree to have Epstein manage the band which he did until his death in 1967. Coincidentally, on November 9, 1966, Beatles great guitarist and song writer, the late John Lennon, met Yoko Ono for the first time. Lennon’s future wife was showing of her work at the Indica Art Gallery in London and she supposedly didn’t know who Lennon was at the time. The two wouldn’t “come together” until 1968.

THIS JUST IN a.k.a. the BUTT FUMBLE? Former New York J-E-T-S quarterback Mark Sanchez will not return to the Fox Sports analyst both as the former NFLer faces a trial stemming from his alleged attack on a truck driver last month. “We can confirm that Mark Sanchez is no longer with the network. There will be no further comment at this time,” a Fox Sports spokesperson said Friday.

Sanchez had been off the air since the October 4 dust-up at the Westin Hotel in downtown Indianapolis. Sanchez was in Indy for the NFL game between the Colts and Las Vegas Raiders when he confronted a truck delivery man before allegedly attacking and injuring him.

Sanchez was stabbed in the chest in the incident and he spent a week in an Indiana hospital. The trucker, who claimed self-defense and has not been charged, is suing Sanchez and Fox Sports for unspecified damages.

To replace Sanchez, Fox hired Super Bowl-winning quarterback Drew Brees.

NFL Sunday Night Football Preview

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Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3) at Los Angeles Chargers (6-3)

Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET

FanDuel odds: Chargers -2.5, Total 44.5

Series Rewind: The Steelers won 20-10 last season for their 11th win in the past 15 meetings, including the postseason.

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Aaron Rodgers wasn’t the least bit unnerved when Tuesday’s trading deadline came and went without the AFC North-leading Steelers adding a receiver. Now comes prove it time for the four-time NFL MVP with 520 career touchdown passes. The Steelers rank 21st in passing offense at 200.9 yards per game despite having the future Hall of Famer at the controls. Rodgers’ season high for passing yardage is just 249 and his season output of 1,692 yards is less than erratic Tennessee Titans rookie Cam Ward (1,760). Offseason acquisition DK Metcalf leads the team with a modest 29 receptions, 467 yards and five scoring catches. The Pittsburgh defense helped a bunch in last weekend’s taming of the Indianapolis Colts by recording five sacks and forcing five turnovers. The Steelers caused a sixth turnover on special teams. The Chargers look to attack that defense with Justin Herbert, who ranks second in the NFL with 2,390 yards. Ladd McConkey (524) and Keenan Allen (520) are both having solid seasons. The offensive line is beat up and that caused a deadline-beating trade for Trevor Penning from the New Orleans Saints. Penning worked out at both tackle spots on his first day in town. Joe Alt (ankle) joined fellow star tackle Rashawn Slater (knee) on injured reserve. Linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu (team-high 7.5 sacks) would like to cause issues for Rodgers.

Arrests Come Down on MLB Pitchers

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BROOKLYN – (Wire Service Report) – Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been indicted after being accused of rigging bets in Major League Baseball games. The indictment was handed down earlier this week in U.S. District Court of the Eastern Division of New York and made public on Sunday by the Department of Justice.

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In the case of Clase — a three-time All-Star and two-time Marino Rivera American League Reliever of the Year — investigators tied him to pitches he allegedly rigged for bettors, tipping them off about what he would throw and when. According to the indictment, he sometimes communicated his upcoming pitches via cellphone during games.

Both players face four charges: wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy. If found guilty of all charges, they could spend a maximum of 65 years in prison.

Ortiz was arrested Sunday in Boston and scheduled to appear in federal court on Monday. Clase is not in custody in the United States.

In a statement to ESPN, Major League Baseball said: “MLB contacted federal law enforcement at the outset of its investigation and has fully cooperated throughout the process. We are aware of the indictment and today’s arrest, and our investigation is ongoing.”

Law enforcement began its investigation in the spring.

“Beginning in or around May 2023, Clase, a relief pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians, agreed with corrupt sports bettors to rig proposition bets — or ‘prop’ bets — on particular pitches he threw,” per a news release from the Justice Department.

“The bettors wagered on the speed and type of Clase’s pitches, based on information they knew in advance by coordinating with Clase, sometimes even during MLB games. Clase often threw these rigged pitches on the first pitch of an at-bat. To ensure certain pitches were called as balls, Clase threw many of them in the dirt, well outside the strike zone. The bettors used the advanced, inside information that Clase provided about his future pitches to wager thousands of dollars at online sportsbooks.

“Clase at times received bribes and kickbacks from the bettors in exchange for providing advanced, non-public information. He also sometimes provided money to the bettors in advance to fund the scheme. The indictment includes numerous examples of pitches that Clase rigged, including one in the Eastern District of New York in a game against the New York Mets. In total, by rigging pitches, Clase caused his co-conspirator bettors to win at least $400,000 in fraudulent wagers.”

Ortiz is alleged to have joined the scheme in June 2025 and received bribes and kickbacks for throwing balls instead of strikes. Clase was the connection between Ortiz and the bettors, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Ortiz allegedly was paid $5,000 to throw a ball on purpose in Cleveland’s June 15 game against the Seattle Mariners, with Clase getting the same amount for setting it up. For a June 27 game against the St. Louis Cardinals, they each received $7,000 for a similar act, according to the indictment.

That was the final game Ortiz pitched in 2025.

Ortiz and Clase were placed on leave July 3 and July 28, respectively. On Aug. 31, Major League Baseball and its players association extended the non-disciplinary paid leave of the right-handers “until further notice” amid an ongoing sports betting investigation.

Clase, 27, was 5-3 with a 3.23 ERA and 24 saves in 48 appearances in the 2025 season. He had a career-high 47 saves in 2024.

Clase is 21-26 with 182 saves and a 1.88 ERA in 366 career games (one start) with the Texas Rangers (2019) and the Guardians.

Ortiz, 26, was 4-9 with a 4.36 ERA in 16 starts this season. He was acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates as part of a three-team trade that included the Toronto Blue Jays last Dec. 10.

–Field Level Media

NFL’s Tagliabue, Dead at 84

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CHEVY CHASE – (Wire Service Report) – Paul Tagliabue, who served as the NFL’s commissioner for 17 seasons, died Sunday morning at the age of 84. Per Tagliabue’s family, the apparent cause of death was heart failure complicated by Parkinson’s disease. He passed away at his home in Maryland.

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Tagliabue replaced Pete Rozelle as the NFL’s commissioner in 1989. He was succeeded by current commissioner Roger Goodell in 2006.

Under Tagliabue’s watch, the league signed what was then the largest television contract for the NFL, enjoyed 17 seasons of labor peace, and expanded to 32 teams after adding the Carolina Panthers (1995), Jacksonville Jaguars (1995), the reborn Cleveland Browns (1999) and Houston Texans (2002).

Tagliabue, who also ushered in an era of state-of-the-art stadiums, was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a contributor in 2020.

“All of us in the NFL are deeply saddened by the passing of Paul Tagliabue, whose principled leadership and vision put the NFL on the path to unparalleled success,” Goodell said.

“Throughout his decades-long leadership on behalf of the NFL, first as outside counsel and then during a powerful 17-year tenure as commissioner, Paul served with integrity, passion and an unwavering conviction to do what was best for the league.

“Paul was the ultimate steward of the game — tall in stature, humble in presence and decisive in his loyalty to the NFL. He viewed every challenge and opportunity through the lens of what was best for the greater good, a principle he inherited from Pete Rozelle and passed on to me.”

The terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and Hurricanes Katrina in 2005 also came to pass during Tagliabue’s time as commissioner. He canceled the weekend’s NFL games in the aftermath of Sept. 11, and ensured the Saints would return to New Orleans after being dispatched to San Antonio during the 2005 season.

A native of New Jersey who captained the basketball team at Georgetown in college, Tagliabue is survived by his wife, Chandler, son Drew and daughter Emily.

–Field Level Media