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Antonio Brown Buys Into the Empire

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ALBANY – Former NFL All-Pro Antonio Brown promised to be hands on in his new role as a part-owner of the Albany Empire of the National Arena League.

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Brown was introduced Thursday at a news conference in the New York State Capitol, where his father is a legend. Eddie Brown, who starred for the Albany Firebirds in the heyday of the Arena Football League, also is joining the franchise as vice president of operations.

The Albany Times Union said Empire owner Mike Kwarta declined to offer details about Brown’s ownership agreement but commented that they are “equal partners, if you would.”

“Touchdown” Eddie Brown played in Albany from 1994-2001, and Antonio Brown was in elementary school with his dad joined the Firebirds.

“It means everything to be back here in the community where I grew up as a kid,” Antonio Brown said. “It’s about keeping Albany football, sustainability, being here forever, and offering the community, the kids, the players, a great opportunity to be successful.”

He said he isn’t just investing money in the franchise.

“I just want to be here hands-on, help the players be successful on and off the field, and just be an advocate here in the community to bring it out. If that’s going out in the community, getting people to the game, getting kids to come out here, events in the stadium, so whatever it takes to help us be our best selves and hoist a trophy,” Brown said.

Kwarta said he had no worries about partnering with the controversial Brown, who faced suspensions, criminal charges and civil lawsuits in his NFL days. Kwarta said their conversations had focused on Brown’s “childhood, what his dad did here, the legacies, and what can we do for the community, and that’s completely what we’re focused on.”

Eddie Brown was voted the best player in Arena Football League history in 2006 as the league celebrated its 20th anniversary.

The current Arena league doesn’t prohibit player-owners, but Antonio Brown said that won’t happen.

“I did everything as far as playing in the career of football,” the younger Brown said. “I won’t retire because I still got the game, but just working on other things.”

Brown, 34, played 12 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs released him on Jan. 6, 2022, days after he left the field in a game against the New York Jets and threw part of his gear into the stands.

A four-time All-Pro, Brown won a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers in 2020. In 146 career games, he made 928 catches for 12,291 yards and caught 83 touchdown passes. He also returned one kickoff and four punts for TDs.

The Empire open the season April 16 at home against the Orlando Predators.

–Field Level Media

NFL Commanders Attract $5.5b Bid

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WASHINGTON DC – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Houston Rockets team owner Tilman Fertitta has submitted a $5.5 billion bid to buy the Washington Commanders, The Washington Post reported Sunday. Fertitta purchased the NBA franchise for $2.2 billion in September 2017.

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The only other known bidder is Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils owner Josh Harris, according to ESPN.

Commanders owner Dan Snyder announced in November that he and his wife, Tanya, had hired Bank of America Securities to consider “potential transactions” involving the NFL franchise.

ESPN reported Thursday that Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos had hired an investment firm to explore the possibility of bidding on the Commanders.

On Saturday, however, The Athletic reported that Snyder has barred Bezos from placing a bid.

Snyder, 58, has owned the team since 1999.

Media reports last month said the Commanders could be sold as soon as March but that no candidate met Snyder’s asking price of $7 billion in the first round of bids.

–Field Level Media

Super Bowl LVII Scores Big

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire service Report) – Super Bowl LVII earned an average TV audience of 113 million people, the Nielsen Company reported, making it the third most-watched Super Bowl on record and the third most-watched television broadcast of all time.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ 38-35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles came up just shy of the record of 114.4 million viewers, on average, that watched the New England Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX in February 2015.

Super Bowl LI, the Patriots’ famed 34-28 comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons in February 2017, hit 113.7 million for Fox between network and streaming, making Chiefs-Eagles Fox Sports’ second most-watched broadcast ever.

About 106 million viewers watched Super Bowl LVII on Fox and Fox Deportes, and the other seven million utilized streaming platforms that factored into the total.

It represents a modest bump over last year’s Super Bowl between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals, which reported 112.3 million viewers on average.

Rihanna’s halftime show drew an average of 118.7 million viewers, Nielsen reported, making it the second most-watched Super Bowl halftime performance on record.

The average of seven million streams made Super Bowl LVII the most-streamed Super Bowl to date, Fox said.

Predictably, Kansas City and Philadelphia were the top two metered markets for the broadcast, followed by Cincinnati, Detroit and Pittsburgh.

NFL: Top 50 Free Agents for 2023

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NEW YORK – (Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – Running backs, defensive backs and defensive linemen could be popular when free agency begins in March.

The top players scheduled to become free agents are likely to be heavily considered for the franchise tag this month, including Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, before shopping can officially begin at 11:59:59 p.m. ET on March 15.

Teams face a March 7 deadline for the franchise tag.

Speculative free agents, such as players with looming contract negotiations that could lead to their release or a trade — Raiders quarterback Derek Carr or Titans offensive tackle Taylor Lewan — are not included.

Field Level Media’s Top 50 unrestricted free agents for 2023:

1. Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens
Former MVP isn’t going anywhere. Self-represented and negotiating without an agent, Jackson is using the fully guaranteed $230M deal Deshaun Watson signed with the Browns last year as his guidepost. Will the Ravens blink? Jackson is 26, but the Ravens might not have the salary cap room to use the exclusive franchise tag, which blocks other teams from negotiating with him, but runs $45 million compared to $32.5 million for the non-exclusive tag.

2. Orlando Brown Jr., OT, Chiefs
Jackson’s former teammate in Baltimore and a member of the same Ravens’ 2018 draft class, Brown has outperformed his draft slot (83rd overall) and contract. Unless general managers wait for the draft, the OT market is slim pickings. Brown has plenty of leverage. Tagged last spring at a value of $16.62 million for 2022, Brown declined a six-year, $139 million deal with a $30.25 million signing bonus last July.

3. Daron Payne, DT, Commanders
The 25-year-old might not make it out of Washington. If he does, a salary of $20 million is highly likely.

4. Josh Jacobs, RB, Raiders
Not going anywhere, the Raiders plan to keep Jacobs after his bounceback 2022 season.

5. Jessie Bates, S, Bengals
All too familiar with the franchise tag ($12.9M last year), Bates held out until Aug. 23 last summer when the two sides couldn’t reach a long-term agreement.

6. Javon Hargrave, DT, Eagles
The ideal fit in Philadelphia’s front after leaving a more restrictive role with the Steelers, Hargrave can command top dollar in free agency after posting a career-best 11 sacks last season.

7. Mike McGlinchey, OT, 49ers
With big contracts clogging the 49ers path to a huge raise for the 28-year-old, McGlinchey will not offer a home-town discount to stay.

8. Daniel Jones, QB, Giants
Jones is the priority for the Giants this offseason as stated by the head coach and GM, and could be a tag candidate. Last season, 14 quarterbacks were paid at least $29.7M in total outlay, making the $32.5 million tag rate for Jones look more palatable.

9. Geno Smith, QB, Seahawks
Maybe trust Seahawks GM John Schneider to balance the books, eh? Smith made a measly $3.5 million in 2022, a career year in which he outperformed expectations and Seattle’s ex-QB, Russell Wilson. By the way, Wilson signed a new five-year deal in 2022 that averages $48,517,647 per year.

10. CJ Gardner-Johnson, S, Eagles
A trade heist in 2022 brought Gardner-Johnson to the Eagles for mid-round draft picks. Keeping him won’t be quite as simple with the Jalen Hurts contract around the bend, but Philadelphia has a pair of first-round picks in 2023.

11. Jamel Dean, CB, Buccaneers
At 26, the former third-round pick can nearly name his price in a shallow pool of young free agent corners. Cap-strapped Tampa can’t afford to keep him.

12. Saquon Barkley, RB, Giants
Barkley likes his fit in the Brian Daboll system and the Giants are interested in retaining the former No. 2 overall pick if the price is right. He turned 26 on Feb. 9, but other first-rounders have seen relative or dramatic letdowns on their second NFL contracts. Todd Gurley is only 28 and flat-lined two seasons ago with 6,082 career rushing yards. Ezekiel Elliott turns 28 in July and is showing severe wear and tear.

13. Lavonte David, LB, Buccaneers
Limited capital likely renders the Buccaneers as non-players in the David Sweepstakes, unless he’s willing to go with a team-friendly deal at age 33.

14. Miles Sanders, RB, Eagles
Depth in the free agency class and upcoming draft takes some of the leverage out of Sanders’ hands. He turns 26 a week after the NFL draft and has low mileage for a four-year pro. In 94 total games over the past seven pro and college seasons since enrolling at Penn State, Sanders has only 975 regular-season carries. By comparison, his predecessor at Penn State — Saquon Barkley — has 954 in 60 NFL games the past five seasons and tore his ACL in 2020.

15. Dalton Schultz, TE, Cowboys
Critical without a steady No. 2 wide receiver, the Cowboys might be willing to look toward the draft for his replacement or let understudy Jake Ferguson (fourth round, 2022) step into the lead role.

16. Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Bills
Drafted at 20 years old, Edmunds might not reach the Roquan Smith stratosphere of $20M annually, but $15 million per season isn’t out of the question. That’s too rich for the Bills, who are over the cap and signed linebacker Matt Milano to a new deal.

17. Tony Pollard, RB, Cowboys
Pollard was in the lead role for the Cowboys for only part of his fourth season, which ended at San Francisco in the playoffs due to a broken leg. His calling card is speed, and even with the focus on his physical recovery, there will be teams ready to bet on Pollard being their big-play back next season.

18. Jakobi Meyers, WR, Patriots
An undrafted free agent who became a nightmare matchup in the slot, Meyers should benefit from the rising market value for good and sometimes-great wide receivers.

19. James Bradberry, CB, Eagles
Before the holding penalty in Super Bowl LVII, Bradberry had one of the best seasons in pass coverage in the NFL. He’ll be coveted, but too pricey for the Eagles to retain.

20. Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, 49ers
Proven starter but unproven finisher with an expanding history of injuries. Garoppolo is 44-19 as a starter and the 31-year-old fits as a short-term option for teams potentially in transition (Buccaneers, Jets, Packers).

21. Evan Engram, TE, Jaguars
22. Yannick Ngakoue, DE, Colts
23. Jason Kelce, C, Eagles
24. Ben Powers, OG, Ravens
25. Dre’Mont Jones, DT, Broncos
26. Kaleb McGary, OT, Falcons
27. Dalvin Tomlinson, DT, Vikings
28. Marcus Peters, CB, Ravens
29. Kareem Hunt, RB, Browns
30. David Montgomery, RB, Bears
31. Marcus Davenport, DE, Saints
32. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Chiefs
33. Isaiah Wynn, OT, Patriots
34. Isaac Seumalo, OG, Eagles
35. Rodney Hudson, C, Cardinals
36. Jadeveon Clowney, DE-OLB, Browns
37. Brandon Graham, DE, Eagles
38. Fletcher Cox, DT, Eagles
39. Drue Tranquill, LB, Chargers
40. Allen Lazard, WR, Packers
41. Ethan Pocic, C, Browns
42. Dalton Risner, OG, Broncos
43. Cam Sutton, CB, Steelers
44. David Long, LB, Titans
45. Jordan Poyer, S, Bills
46. Mike Gesicki, TE, Dolphins
47. Devin Singletary, CB, Bills
48. Baker Mayfield, QB, Rams
49. Mecole Hardman, WR, Chiefs
50. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, N/A

– Field Level Media

Filed Under: NFL Tagged With:

Brady Files Retirement Papers

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – Tom Brady filed his retirement paperwork with the NFL and NFL Players Association on Friday, several reports said, cementing the seven-time Super Bowl winner’s Feb. 1 announcement that his playing days were over.

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Brady retired last winter, walked it back 40 days later and played one final season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Buccaneers got three seasons with Brady, winning a Super Bowl in his first year on the scene and losing in the playoffs the next two seasons.

Now the bill has come due for Tampa Bay, as it will take a full $35 million dead-cap hit in 2023 as a result of Brady’s retirement.

Had Brady worked with the Bucs on a contract amendment to keep Brady on the books with so-called voidable years and processed his retirement after June 1, they would have been able to split the dead-cap hit between 2023 and 2024. Instead, multiple reports said, all $35 million will be assessed in 2023, putting Tampa Bay nearly $60 million over the salary cap.

 

NFC Championship: Niners at Eagles

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PHILADELPHIA – (Staff and Wire Service Report from Field Level Media) – San Francisco QB Brock Purdy emerged out of nowhere to become just the third rookie quarterback in NFL history to win his first two postseason starts.

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However, a bigger prize looms on the horizon when the San Francisco 49ers play in the NFC Championship Game for the third time in four seasons, visiting the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

Purdy will be striving to lead the second-seeded 49ers to their second Super Bowl appearance in the past four seasons. His rise from the 262nd and last pick in the NFL draft to unbeaten in seven career starts is becoming legendary stuff.

Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens in 2008-09 and Mark Sanchez of the New York Jets in 2009-10 are the other rookies to win their first two playoff starts.

“He doesn’t care if he messes up,” 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel said. “If he does, he’s going to go full speed and we’ll talk about it at the end of the day.

“I have seen him grow throughout the whole year from zero snaps to being the starter of this team.”

Philadelphia’s defense, which ranked second in total defense (301.5 yards per game) in the regular season, will be the best Purdy has faced. Counting the postseason, the Eagles have racked up 75 sacks, third most in NFL history. The only two higher outputs came from the mid-1980s Chicago Bears, who had a record 82 in 1984 and 80 in 1985.

Also part of the equation is the raucous Philadelphia crowd, which will provide noise.

“In these games, it all comes back to communication,” Purdy said. “How can you operate smoothly, get in and out of the huddle, get the play off in the right way and make sure everybody is on the same page. It’s definitely a big emphasis this week.”

The Eagles feature NFL MVP finalist Jalen Hurts at quarterback, an elite runner who has turned into a strong thrower. Hurts passed for 22 touchdowns and rushed for 13 during the regular season.

Hurts threw for two scores and ran for one as Philadelphia routed the New York Giants 38-7 in the NFC divisional round.

The 49ers led the NFL in total defense (300.6 yards per game) and scoring defense (16.3 points per game). San Francisco defensive end Nick Bosa (NFL-high 18.5 sacks) is a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year honors.

“They’re really good across the board,” Hurts said. “It starts out with their front seven and then adding a really good defensive back group. They fly to the ball at every position and they’re well-coached. We have a task in front of us and a really big challenge.”

The Eagles are in the NFC title game for the first time since the 2017-18 season when they went on to win the Super Bowl.

Philadelphia is a 2.5-point favorite at DraftKings and BetMGM, where the line opened at 2.0 but shifted with the Eagles drawing 76 percent of the spread-line bets and 85 percent of the money. The line is moving to 3.0 points in most shops.

The line had moved to 3.0 points by Saturday at BetRivers, where Philadelphia covering was drawing more than twice as much action (28.3 percent) than any other play among the two conference championship games (Bengals +1.0, 12.4 percent).

This will be only the second game of the season in which San Francisco enters as the underdog. BetRivers reported the 49ers have covered in nine consecutive games against NFC opponents and are 13-6 ATS this season.

PROP PICKS
Purdy Over 0.5 INTs (-140 at DraftKings): All three sports books are offering the same prop, with the potential payout slightly better at DraftKings as of mid-day Saturday. Purdy hasn’t thrown a pick since Week 17 and has 59 pass attempts through his first two playoff games without committing a turnover. But the Eagles’ defense can bring pressure from any angle, with four players registering double-digit sacks. Purdy is still a rookie, and under pressure he has a tendency to spin out of the pocket and will force the occasional ball downfield – and Philly’s defense rarely lets opportunities slip away.

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey Anytime TD (-120 at BetMGM): This has been the most popular NFC prop at several sportsbooks. McCaffrey missed practice time with a calf injury this week but has vowed to play. When he plays, McCaffrey typically finds the end zone — including at least once in eight consecutive games entering Sunday.

Over 46.5 Total Points (-110 at BetRivers): It’s easy to lean Under given the strength of these two defenses. But that inclination hasn’t played out over the course of the season, with the sports book reporting these are two of only six teams to hit the Over in more than half of their games. Good defenses also create short fields, which create scoring opportunities. And both offenses have plenty of offensive firepower to take advantage.

Eagles WR A.J. Brown Over 68.5 Receiving Yards (-115 at BetMGM): The Giants didn’t do much right defensively last week other than hold Brown to 22 yards on a trio of catches. That has been the exception to the rule, with Brown topping 68.5 yards in the six games leading up to the Eagles’ playoff opener. He will draw a difficult matchup with Charvarius Ward likely tracking him most of the game, but Ward proved vulnerable to another big, physical wideout in Seattle’s D.K. Metcalf two weeks ago.

Hurts Anytime TD (+118 at BetRivers): This has been the second most popular NFC prop at the sportsbook, drawing 3.1 percent of the total tickets and the second most money. Hurts has six rushing touchdowns in his past five games, including one last weekend as the Eagles have increasingly relied on his legs with opponents also having to respect Philly’s ground game near the goal line.

INJURY REPORT
49ers: QB Jimmy Garoppolo (foot) was officially ruled out. McCaffrey (knee) and fellow RB Elijah Mitchell (groin) missed multiple practices this week but are expected to play. McCaffrey is expected to play while Mitchell was listed as questionable along with CB Ambry Thomas (ankle). Coach Kyle Shanahan said Charles Omenihu (oblique), who was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic violence earlier this week, would play if healthy.

Eagles: MLB T.J. Edwards (ankle) was the only player listed as limited in Friday’s practice and Philadelphia is expected to have everyone available.

PREDICTION
Purdy has been unflappable in winning his first seven career starts, including a pair of playoff games. He also hasn’t faced a defense the likes of the Eagles, who will bring a slew of different looks and pressure from all angles. The 49ers’ defense is equally impressive, but Philly capitalizes on a turnover or two and takes advantage of shorter fields to win a tight contest throughout. –Eagles 26-23

DSD PREDICTION: McCaffrey gets it done and the 49ers team defense holds Hurts and Philly down. 49ers 21-17

Sunday Night: Cincinnati Bengals Have QB Edge Over Injured Baltimore Ravens

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CINCINNATI – (Staff report by Field Level Media) – With the oft-injured injured Lamar Jackson out, the Baltimore Ravens reportedly plan to use both backup quarterbacks during Sunday night’s AFC wild-card game against the host Cincinnati Bengals.

Multiple reports said the Ravens will deploy the unusual strategy with Tyler Huntley and Anthony Brown, despite challenges with each.

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Huntley, 24, is dealing with tendinitis in his right shoulder as well as a wrist injury. He was listed as questionable on the official injury report.

As a starter in his career, Huntley is 3-5. His injured shoulder hampered his performance this season, with Huntley completing just three passes of at least 20 yards in four starts.

When asked at Friday’s practice if he’s ready to return to the field, Huntley reported he has “no nerves.”

Just excited to get back out there after missing one week,” Huntley said. “It’s a privilege to go out there and play football and I appreciate it.”

Meanwhile, the Ravens’ other backup quarterback, Brown, 24, is an undrafted rookie who’s made only one career start, last Sunday’s 27-16 loss to the Bengals. In that game, he threw for 286 yards with two interceptions and a fumble.

The two QBs have different strengths, with Brown the better passer while Huntley is more proficient at using the same run-oriented offense as Jackson.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh has been tight-lipped about the situation, declining to name a starter after Friday’s practice.

“We’ll see when the time comes,” Harbaugh said.

Jackson, who was ruled out for a sixth straight game with a left knee injury, “suffered a PCL Grade 2 sprain, on the borderline of a strain 3” and his knee “remains unstable,” according to Jackson’s own tweet on Thursday.

The Ravens enter Sunday night’s matchup against the defending AFC champion Bengals as a heavy underdog.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sports Notebook | Jan. 8th

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While We’re Young (Ideas) on NFL, Damar Hamlin and Tons of Notes

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – Staying in the moment. It’s the sports equivalent of being cool. Staying cool and calm. The term is usually uttered by coaches who preach to their players to worry about the next play and not to look back at a missed opportunity, a missed shot, a missed field goal from the third quarter. When the game is on the line, stay in the moment.

The Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals are the two up & coming, rock solid AFC teams, challenging the proud and proven Kansas City Chiefs. Last Monday night, with the Bengals leading the Bills, 7-3, with about six minutes remaining in the first quarter of an incredibly important NFL game, the world stopped for Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin.

A few of the players on the field panicked and screamed for help. The ESPN Monday Night Football crew froze and did their best to keep an commentary to a minimum and, unfortunately – FILL TIME. To their credit, there was zero speculation.

Truly staying in the moment were the combination of:

  • The Buffalo Bills’ athletic training team
  • The Cincinnati Bengals’ athletic trainers
  • The visiting team Emergency Response Unit

As the unimaginable horror played out from television cameras right into our TV or living rooms, the medial team(s) stayed in the moment and responded in a matter of seconds. Then, they did their jobs. They worked as a cohesive unit, well trained and executing immediate, life-saving mechanisms to quickly revive Damar Hamlin.

Damar Hamlin, Safety, Buffalo Bills

At the time, it was unbeknownst to Hamlin’s teammates and opponents, to a Paycor Stadium crowd of 65,515+ and a MNF record national television audience of 23.8 million, but the medical teams were performing life-saving CPR and utilizing a cardioversion machine (defibrillator) to spark Hamlin’s heart back to rhythm after his cardiac arrest episode.

Although ESPN opted NOT to show a replay, other news outlets (CBS the next morning, CNN and others) showed the brute force of Bengals wide-receiver Tee Higgins (6-4, 219 lbs) out of Clemson barreling through the line. Hamlin made a move, then a football play to make a tackle of the wide-receiving version of NFL freight train Derrick Henry, a running back for the Tennessee Titans. It was a play performed 1,000 times a season but on Monday Night, the timing and positioning of the impact, combined with the milli-second timing of Hamlin’s heartbeat created the catastrophic series of events.

From the field, the transportation to the nearby University of Cincinnati Medical Center where trauma teams were notified and ready to respond. All in a matter of seconds – on the field – and minutes once the Bills-Bengals-and-EMS services stabilized Hamlin. All of that precious speed obviously saved his life. The medical team stayed in their moment, did their jobs and, much to their credit, not a word was uttered to fuel speculation to the national audience.

Hamlin’s immediate family was at the game, so they were getting confidential first-hand information. Media hustled to UC Medical Center but were asked to report from blocks away from the Emergency Room, thoughtfully as no one could predict another trauma situation in progress from another part of town.

The key elements from the night:

  • Everyone, from teammates and opponents to coaches to fans to the NFL kept the life of Damar Hamlin as their first and only priority. Even geeks in Fantasy sports leagues put the player first.
  • That fact resonated everywhere. Everyone did the right thing, especially the medical teams.
  • Cincinnati Bengals ticket holders filed out of the Stadium, many in small prayer vigils – all in full understanding of the severity and importance of the situation.
  • Bills fans filed out as well, in shock and worried. Bengals fans walked with them arm-in-arm, in silence.
  • Almost immediately, a charity Toys for Kids fund that Hamlin had started this winter saw donations flowing in so fast, they brought a $3,900 fund balance to $8,327,000 in a matter of four days. Most of the donations are not rounded to zero, but finish with a three – Hamlin’s uniform number. Some donations are $3,333.

While he remains in critical condition, and that is never to be overlooked, Hamlin’s medical team has been encouraged with day-by-day improvement and medical proof of positive neurology and all movement. The news also included a sign that every competitor in the world related to, right away.

Hamlin’s first question, once heart support and breathing tubes were removed and he could speak free of any medical machinery, was the question that proved why the University of Pittsburgh product from McKees Rocks, PA – a town of 5,920 in Western Pennsylvania – is a coach’s dream.

“Did we win?”

The Red Panda was at Boston College for the BC v Duke game

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: When the Red Panda unpacked her unicycle at Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, the fans of Boston College basketball knew it was a big game. The Duke Blue Devils were in town and Conte was sold-out, although with the student body home on Christmas break rather than boarding at The Heights, many fans wore Duke blue rather than BC’s maroon and gold.

Saturday, Boston College (8-8, 2-3) had a legitimate chance to beat ACC rival and blue blood Duke (12-4, 3-2), ranked No. 16 in the nation in men’s college basketball. Duke’s Kyle Filipowski made the difference when he drained two free throws for a 65-64 advantage with 0:12 seconds remaining.

BC’s final play ran amok and Makai Ashton-Langford missed a jumper and a scramble and ridiculous and unnecessary Duke inbounds play allowed BC a final desperation heave by BC’s 7-footer Quintin Post which rattled off the backboard.

These are the games a team like Duke wins. Under new coach Jon Scheyer, the Blue Devils shot 89.5% from the free throw line as they shot 17-of-19, indicative of an afternoon of powering it inside to take advantage of mis-matches and height advantages. BC shot a respectable 85.7% from the line but shot only 6-of-7 because of perimeter jump shots rather than any success of working an inside game against their conference opponent.

The color commentator cliches of controlling the boards, limiting turnovers, winning the contest for 50-50 balls and hitting free throws proved correct. In fact, BC forced 15 Duke turnovers while the Eagles kept their TOs to nine.

Duke finds a way to win and winning an ACC game on the road is a major accomplishment. Don’t be surprised if the Blue Devils are in the ACC Tournament finals and play deep into March as they continue to improve throughout January and February.

ALL THE ROWDY FRIENDS ARE HERE FOR MONDAY NIGHT: When Georgia faces upstart TCU on Monday night for the college football national championship, Georgia coach Kirby Smart will be looking at the typical W-L barometers as the difference-makers. What will he he look for in his team in such an important game? “Well, the same thing it does in every football game — who can control the line of scrimmage, who can be explosive, who doesn’t turn the ball over.

“The game never changes. You just have more cameras here. You have more people viewing, bigger stage, a lot further away from home. But football’s football. And our guys prepare for that – really – all year. So we’ve got to go play a really, really good football team and we’ll have to play one of our best games of the year to be able to compete.”

It’s that simple and that difficult to win a national championship.

TO TANK OR NOT TO TANK: While most NFL fans will be scoreboard watching for home field advantages, higher playoff seeds or “win and in” scenarios in the NFL’s final week of play, the fans of the Houston Texans (2-13-1, .156) and the Chicago Bears (3-13-0, .188) will be watching for the position to hold the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. … While the NBA and the NHL have moved to Lottery events to include multiple clubs to determine the top pick in their respective drafts, the NFL lets it ride. May the worst team win, tank or no tank. … Chicago hosts NFC North rival Minnesota with the Vikings (-7). … Meanwhile Houston is on the road to a (4-11-1) Indianapolis Colts team, nearly as inept as the Bears/Texans crew. Houston is getting (+2.5) points but the chances of them winning and dropping the No. 1 pick is one in a million.

NFL Desk: Fully Charged

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INDIANAPOLIS – (Staff and Field Level Media Wire Report) – Quarterback Justin Herbert passed for 235 yards and RB Austin Ekeler ran for two touchdowns to help the Los Angeles Chargers clinch a playoff berth with a 20-3 win against the host Indianapolis Colts Monday night.

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With their third straight victory, the Chargers (9-6) qualified for the postseason for the first time since the 2018 season.

Nick Foles took over as the starter at quarterback for Indianapolis this week and finished 17-for-29 for 143 yards and three interceptions. He was also sacked seven times.

Matt Ryan was benched after the Colts blew a 33-0 halftime lead on Dec. 17 in a 39-36 overtime loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Indianapolis (4-10-1) was held to 173 total yards in its fifth straight loss.

The Chargers did not record a first down on their first three drives, but they marched 70 yards on 13 plays on their fourth and took a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Ekeler with 8:41 left in the second quarter.

The Chargers intercepted two passes in the first quarter, including one by All-Pro safety Derwin James, who had missed the previous two games with a quad injury.

James was involved in a helmet-to-helmet tackle on Ashton Dulin with 5:19 left in the first half. James was disqualified from the game and Dulin was later ruled out with a concussion.

Chase McLaughlin capped the drive with a 46-yard field goal to cut the lead to 7-3 with 4:21 left in the half.

Cameron Dicker booted a 24-yard field goal as time expired to give the Chargers a 10-3 halftime lead.

Asante Samuel Jr. intercepted the third pass for Los Angeles on its first defensive series of the second half, and the Chargers cashed that in with a 21-yard field goal by Dicker for a 13-3 lead with 6:01 left in the third quarter.

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Ekeler scored on another 1-yard run to extend the lead to 20-3 with 8:20 left in the game.

The Colts played without running back Jonathan Taylor, the leading rusher in the NFL last season, who was put on injured reserve last week after sustaining a high ankle sprain early in the loss to Minnesota.

–Field Level Media and Digital Sports Desk

NFL Sports Desk: Christmas Round-Up

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MIAMI – (Staff and wire Service Report) – Green Bay veteran QB Aaron Rodgers completed 24 of 38 passes for 238 yards, a touchdown and an interception to lead the Packers to a 26-20 comeback win over the Miami Dolphins on Christmas Day.

Green Bay (7-8) won its third consecutive game and kept its NFC playoff hopes alive. The Dolphins (8-7) dropped their fourth in a row but still would clinch an AFC wild-card berth if they win their last two games.

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Jaire Alexander, De’Vondre Campbell and Rasul Douglas each had fourth-quarter interceptions of Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to help the Packers put the game away.

Tagovailoa threw a career-high three interceptions in a game, completing 16 of 25 passes for 310 yards and an 84-yard touchdown to Jaylen Waddle.

Buccaneers 19, Cardinals 16 (OT)

Ryan Succop capped a four field-goal performance by drilling a 40-yarder with 3:41 remaining in overtime to lift Tampa Bay to a victory in Glendale, Ariz.

Tom Brady completed 32 of 48 passes for 281 yards and a touchdown to rookie Rachaad White for the Buccaneers (7-8), who remained one-game ahead of the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints atop the NFC South.

James Conner rushed 15 times for 79 yards and a touchdown for the Cardinals (4-11), who have lost five in a row. Trace McSorley completed 24 of 45 passes for 217 yards and an interception in his first career start.

Rams 51, Broncos 14

Rams oft-injured running back Cam Akers ran for three touchdowns, and newly acquired, journeyman QB Baker Mayfield connected with Tyler Higbee for two more and Los Angeles thoroughly embarrassed Denver in Inglewood.

Akers ran for 118 yards on 23 carries, becoming the first Los Angeles running back to crack the 100-yard mark this year. Mayfield picked apart the Broncos (4-11) to the tune of 24-for-28 passing for 230 yards.

It was a season-high point output for the Rams (5-10), who led 31-6 at the half and never looked back. Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson was 15 of 27 for 214 yards and three interceptions in his first game back after missing one game due to a concussion.

–Field Level Media