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TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Sept. 18

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – This week’s column goes out to the many readers/subscribers who work in the sports industry. They often read this weekly missive seeking sports business news, tidbits from industry conferences and behind-the-scenes insights into newsworthy happenings ripped from the headlines.

Instead of providing 100% sports business news from this week, it’s important to take a step back and realize the real reason many of us dedicate our lives to working in sports and to enhance our love for the game(s). Here’s the real life example and my personal schedule for the weekend:

Friday:

7:10pm – Kansas City Royals at Boston Red Sox: Instead of a usual view of the game from the press box, Friday night was enjoyed with visiting friends from the center field bleachers at Fenway Park, the exact 180-degree turn-around. The Red Sox won, 2-1, despite registering just two hits through seven innings and trailing 1-0 heading into the 8th. In that situation, the Red Sox won for just the fourth time this year and are 4-57. J.D. Martinez hit a two-out, bases-loaded RBI single in the 8th to give the Red Sox their 2-1 lead, much to the delight of the 33,180 fans still standing with me for the come-from-behind Boston victory.

Saturday:

The full day of “Sports for the Fun of It” schedule is provided as this column is being written as the temperatures dip into the high 40s early Saturday morning to accommodate:

9am: Cambridge: Meet-up with the friends to prep for a 10am tailgate in Somerville, Massachusetts leading into the first of three events for the day.

Noon: Trinity College at Tufts in a New England Small College Athletic Conference Division III game, featuring senior TE, No. 85 Thomas Walsh, son of dear friends Nancy and Tom Walsh who made the short trek from New York to watch their son play college football. As a junior, No. 85 led Trinity in yards per reception and was fifth on his team in pass receptions and receiving yards. He opened the game with a 22-yard catch that set-up his teammate William Kirby’s 53-yard run to make it 7-0, Trinity. The Bantams took a 26-3 halftime lead before allowing 20 unanswered second half points to win 26-23. The game was the opener for both the Jumbos and the visiting Bantams.

4:10pm – Kansas City Royals at Boston Red Sox: The Royals and Sox played the second of their three-game set at Fenway. The (70-75) Sox lost to the (58-88) Royals, in a (9-0) ear-slapping, as Boston’s disappointing season creeps towards a close with Boston in the 5th place cellar of the American League East. Kansas City has been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention while Boston is 17 games back from the division-leading New York Yankees. The Sox are 10 games out of a wild card berth, a gap too far to mend.

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7:30pm – Maine Black Bears at Boston College: The (0-2) Bears – losses at New Mexico (41-0) and to visiting Colgate (21-18) – visit The Heights to play the (0-2) Eagles. BC’s suffered through a home loss to Rutgers, 22-21, and on the road at Blacksburg, Virginia where Virginia Tech won the Atlantic Coast Conference battle. Boston College can not afford a loss to Maine and we’ll be in the stands Saturday night as this column is sent to its loyal and fast-growing following. (BC won 38-17).

Sunday:

Early AM: After the temps dipped to the high 40s Saturday, seasonal last weekend of summer weather will return, sending temperature to the low 80s for a day of rest. That means:

Noon: The NFL Today will be on for a good hour or so as the NFL kicks-off its Week Two schedule.

1:00pm: The NFL RedZone will dominate the TV screen, an addictive, all-encompassing look at every NFL game. For those not in the know, the RedZone is the reason NFL game ratings have dipped a bit as fans can watch every single score by every team in the league, sometimes on split screen and sometimes in a ridiculous “OctoBox,” where eight games are on in near postage stamp-sized screens. It’s a fabulous way to keep an eye on every game, rather than the three or four OTA (over-the-air) games assigned to Boston which include New England at Pittsburgh.

8:20pm: Sunday Night Football, Dick Ebersol’s gift to American sports fans who can tune-in this week to the Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers game. There’s nothing like an NFL “Black & Blue” division game to finish my weekend of “Sports for the Fun of It,” shared here to underline the importance of – sometimes – stepping back to enjoy the games we cover,

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: As you return to our regularly scheduled programming, the subject of the Phoenix Suns and team governor Robert Sarver must be addressed. This week NBA Commissioner Adam Silver held a press conference to announce the findings of an independent investigation into workplace issues in the front office and arena operations for the Phoenix Suns. Formerly a model franchise of the NBA, the investigation by the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz found that during his time with the Suns and the WNBA’s Mercury, Sarver used the N-word at least five times “when recounting the statements of others.” … The investigation also uncovered “instances of inequitable conduct toward female employees,” including “sex-related comments” and inappropriate comments on employees’ appearances, among other violations of proper workplace culture.

Silver announced a one-year ban and $10 million fine levied on Sarver. The ban requires the franchise owner to refrain from attending any games, practices, meetings and involvement in any basketball decisions for the Suns. Silver made the announcement as the NBA convened a Board of Governors meeting, a regular occurrence in the NBA’s yearly business calendar.

The NBA’s suspension and hefty fine were met with significant backlash by many of the rank and file players and the NBA players association, among others involved with the league. Saturday, the players’ union called for a lifetime ban and Suns sponsor – PayPal – which issued a statement that read: “PayPal is a values-driven company and has a strong record of combatting racism, sexism and all forms of discrimination,” PayPal CEO and president Dan Schulman. “We have reviewed the report of the NBA league’s independent investigation into Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver and have found his conduct unacceptable and in conflict with our values.”… “In light of the findings of the NBA’s investigation, we will not renew our sponsorship should Robert Sarver remain involved with the Suns organization, after serving his suspension.”

SportsBetting.ag set odds on whether or not Sarver will be the Suns team owner in 2024, and the outlook isn’t good for the disgraced businessman.

Will Robert Sarver be the Suns franchise owner in 2024?

Yes +200

No -300

This story is in the second quarter, heading downhill. The first quarter was a disaster.

FOLLOW THE BOUNCING BALL: Believe it or not, NBA training camps open this week for teams traveling overseas in the preseason. Here’s a list of key dates for the NBA for the rest of the year:

September 23: First allowable date for players participating in preseason games outside North America to report to their teams (no earlier than 11am local time).

September 24: Training camps open for all teams participating in preseason games outside North America.

September 26: First allowable date for all other veteran players to report to their teams (no earlier than 11am local time).

September 27: NBA training camps open.

September 30: NBA preseason games begin.

September 30 & Oct. 2: NBA Japan Games, Golden State Warriors vs. Washington Wizards (Tokyo, Japan).

October 6 & 8: NBA Abu Dhabi Games, Atlanta Hawks vs. Milwaukee Bucks (Abu Dhabi, UAE).

October 14: NBA preseason ends.

October 17: Rosters set for start of 2022-23 NBA regular season (5pm ET).

October 18: Start of 2022-23 NBA regular season.

October 22: NBA G League Draft.

October 24: NBA G League training camps open.

December 17: NBA Mexico City Game, Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs (Mexico City, Mexico).

December 27: NBA G League regular season begins (32 games per team).

DIAMOND DUST-UPs: First reported by Sportico, the business arm of Major League Baseball is dividing international markets for its franchises, giving baseball clubs new commercial rights in specific areas around the world, according to multiple people familiar with the plan. … Baseball and softball are played by an estimated 65 million people around the world, according to the sport’s international governing body. Large concentrations for baseball exist in parts of Asia, Australia, Europe and South/Central America.

BREAKING – as in REALLY BREAKING NEWS: One of baseball’s best – Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies – left Saturday night’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies with a fractured right pinky finger, the team announced.

Albies was injured as he slid into second base in the fourth inning and the most recent setback occurred one day after he was activated from the 60-day injured list. Albies was sidelined because of a broken left foot suffered in June after making an awkward swing.

BY THE WAY: The countdown clock is on its last two weeks for most Fantasy Baseball Leagues. The MLB regular season will come to a close Wednesday, October 5.

LIV SHADE: The LIV Golf circuit displayed quite a bit of cockiness as they gained traction after the PGA Tour Championship and a few more players jumped to the Saudi-funded rival to the PGA Tour. That said, this weekend’s LIV Tournament in Chicago showed one of two major flaws in the new golf entity.

  1. Lack of a Network television deal
  2. Low attendance at events

Those two factors equal a tainted business model for LIV in 2022, but the endless stack of bucks allow for years of “runway” for LIV to land a deal and gradually build an audience.

Phil Mickelson, longtime fan favorite and multi Major champion expressed his views in a Friday interview in Chicago:

“The PGA Tour, for the last 20 or 30 years have had all the best players in the world,” Mickelson said at a Chicago LIV event Friday, reported both Reuters and ESPN. “That will never be the case again. LIV Golf is here to stay.

“The best solution is for us to come together. I think that the world of professional golf has a need for the old historical ‘history of the game’ product that the PGA Tour provides. I think that LIV provides a really cool, updated feel that is attracting a lot of younger crowds,” Mickelson added.

“Both are good for the game of golf and the inclusion of LIV Golf in the ecosystem of the golf world is necessary. As soon as that happens, we all start working together. It’s going to be a really positive thing for everyone.”

Cameron Smith (-10) leads Dustin Johnson (-8) heading into Sunday’s final 18 holes. Johnson won the previous tournament in a sudden death playoff here in Boston. In Chicago, the purse is $20 mil.

This weekend, the PGA Tour was in Napa. So no whining.

NCAA FOOTBALL POWER 12: Now, three weeks into the NCAA college football season, the popular TL Power 12 is back. This list simulates what we’ll see by 2026 when the College Football Playoff system expands.

  1. Alabama
  2. Georgia
  3. Ohio State
  4. Michigan
  5. Clemson
  6. Oklahoma
  7. USC
  8. Oklahoma State
  9. Kentucky
  10. Tennessee
  11. Arkansas
  12. NC State

*Some results not final

NFL POWER 10: Here’s the WWYI power ten for the NFL heading into Week 2:

  1. Buffalo
  2. Kansas City
  3. Tampa Bay
  4. New Orleans
  5. Baltimore
  6. Green Bay
  7. Philadelphia
  8. Indianapolis
  9. LA Rams
  10. LA Chargers

THE SPORTS PROFESSOR: When Rick Horrow, known in sports business industry circles as “The Sports Professor,” first released The Sports Business Handbook at a joint Harvard Law/Harvard Business conference two years ago, it was heralded as the most unique collection of commentary and advice from industry leaders in the $1.3 trillion business of sports.

Digital Sports Desk was at HBS for the launch.

This October, the newly revised and expanded edition of Horrow’s book, The Sports Business Handbook: Insights from 100+ Leaders who Shaped 50 Years of the Industry will be on sale and available for order online. It will have more insights skimmed from many of the sports industry’s brightest minds and influential executives.  It will include guidance for the sports business in a post-pandemic world.

Horrow will co-host a special book launch event – “Sports Business @ 50 Lessons & Leadership from Legends of the Game” – in New York City on Thursday, September 22nd, with former Major League Baseball president and book contributor Bob DuPuy at the offices of Foley & Lardner LLP (90 Park Avenue, New York) from 5:30 to 8:30pm.

Ready Sports Signs Pitt’s Kenny Pickett

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PITTSBURGH – Ready, one of the fastest growing sports nutrition brands in America co-owned by the NFL’s All Pro Aaron Donald and NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, signed NFL first round draft pick and Pittsburgh Steeler rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett as the latest “Ready athlete.”

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Pickett was already quite familiar with Ready having used its products while at Pitt, so the partnership was a logical extension. “Kenny already knew the fueling and recovery benefits of our products from his own experience. We really focus on our mentality and mission; and it became obvious he was a great fit to be a member of the Ready team,” said company founder and CEO Pat Cavanaugh.

Pickett will only promote products he uses during training, its Sports Drink and a few other select products in his various online and non-digital platforms. He joins NFL world champion Aaron Donald, NBA superstar and global basketball icon Giannis Antetokounmpo, and popular American female tennis player Jessica Pegula as Ready brand champions and ambassadors.

Pickett was the 2022 first-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers after a stellar senior season when he was a Heisman Trophy finalist, first team All-American, and voted ACC Football Player and co-Athlete of the Year while leading Pitt to an ACC Championship.

“Kenny is a great example of continuing to work hard and remembering it’s not where you start it’s where you finish, which is a pillar of the Ready mentality that defines our brand,” said Cavanaugh. “Throughout his career and breakout senior season, he continued to get better and better achieving one goal after the next. He’s just getting started.”

See You in September

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“I’ll be alone each and every night
While you’re away, don’t forget to write,

“Bye-bye, so long, farewell
Bye-bye, so long

“See you in September
See you when the summer’s through.”

– The Happenings but written by Sid Wayne and Sherman Edwards for The Tempos

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – August, just like its namesake Caesar Augustus, is in the rearview mirror. We’ll See you in September.

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It will be a September without 2021 U.S. Open women’s tennis champion Emma Raducanu who lost her first round match to France’s Alize Cornet (6-3, 6-3) on the evening of August 30. It will be a September without two-time U.S. Open champions and multi-Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka who lost her first round match at Flushing Meadows to No. 19 seed Danielle Collins of America.

We’ll start September’s college football schedule with St. Francis of Pennsylvania at Akron (6pm, ET) but progress to match-ups like Central Michigan at No. 12 Oklahoma State, West Virginia at No. 17 Pittsburgh, and a tough B1G Ten opener for Penn State at Purdue. That’s just Thursday’s schedule.

We’ve already witnessed a Week Zero of college football with Northwestern upsetting Nebraska, 31-28, in Ireland, Illinois spanking Wyoming in similar style to Liz Cheney‘s recent primary defeat, 38-6.

We’ll have a lot to look forward to this weekend when college football really begins. On the local scene, Boston College opens with a “must win” at home vs the B1G Ten’s usual doormat, Rutgers. No. 11 Oregon will travel to play No. 3 Georgia in Atlanta, not Athens and No. 5 Notre Dame is getting (+17) when they play No. 2 Ohio St. before 102,780 fans at Columbus (7:30pm ET, September 3)

We’ll have to wait until Thursday, September 8 for the NFL to begin, but thankfully the NFL preseason is in the books and the regular season Week 1 awaits, complete with the AFC’s Buffalo Bills heading west to SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles to face the defending Super Bowl champion Rams.

The NFL will start without Jon Gruden coaching in Las Vegas but with Jimmy Garrapolo quarterbacking in San Francisco (really Santa Clara). Gruden’s coaching career went up in flames when an NFL investigation into then-Washington football executive Bruce Allen unearthed a slew of racist, anti-gay and misogynistic language in emails which first came to light in a Wall Street Journal article last Oct. 8. Strangely, of the 650,000 emails collected in the NFL internal  investigation, the lawsuit contends, Gruden’s were the only ones made public. Go figure?

The New England Patriots leave training camp behind but face a tough September schedule that just might leave them 0-3, or maybe 1-2. Anything better than that and the team is improved over that of last season and might have a chance. Both the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins stand in the way in the AFC East. The toughest thing many overlook, the Patriots close-out the regular season with games vs. Cincinnati and Miami and at Buffalo on a sure-to-be ice COLD January 8th. Those August days will be a long lost dream when the Bills and Pats tee-up the kick-off that day.

The Red Sox are happy to leave August (and July) in the past, but doubt the month of September will treat the club much better. In Rich Hill they trust.

With Rory McIlroy coming back from six strokes down to defeat Scottie Scheffler and company at the TOUR Championship last weekend, the 2021-22 PGA Tour season is behind us with only a few Fall tournaments, the President’s Cup and a few silly season events (think Skins Game) awaiting until the January 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions starts off the PGA Tour schedule. In the meantime, we have a LIV Golf on-going in Boston (Bolton, Mass) where dozens of former PGA Tour golfers have jumped ship in an attempt to earn fortunes of Saudi Arabian bucks to the tune of some $4 million for the tournament winner, plus team bonuses.

Golf will never be the same, as the two Tours duke it out for best players, key dates, qualification to the Majors and Ryder Cup teams and just about everything else worth fighting for … or should it be “fore?”

One thing is for sure as the days grow shorter and the sun sets earlier, come September 1 or, maybe on Labor Day in the USA, everyone seems to think the Season of Summer is over but like so much in the world these days, that is “misinformation.” Summer in the USA lasts until September 21, or the end of Week 2 for you NFL fans, Week 3 for NCAA football fans. In fact, in the northeastern USA, the weekend of October 1-2 is often one of the most beautiful of the entire year.

See you in October.

Musical Note: “See You in September” is a song written by Sid Wayne and Sherman Edwards. It was first recorded by the Pittsburgh vocal group The Tempos. This first version peaked at No. 23 in the summer of 1959. The most popular take on “See You In September,” by The Happenings in 1966, reached No. 3.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | August 21

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – For the Commissioners of sports, the best days are presenting MVP Awards, Championship Trophies celebrations, paying tribute to retiring legends or welcoming a new crop of rookies into the league at the annual Draft. The worst of days involve labor strife, work stoppages, enforcing the rules and – ultimately – suspending a player (or administrator) for a significant number of games or for LIFE.

At the NBA, players like Ron Artest (a.k.a Metta World Peace; Metta Sandiford-Artest) were suspended for fighting or conduct detrimental to the NBA for 86 games, Latrell Sprewell (68), GS minority team owner Mark Stevens (65). Others, repeat offenders of the NBA /NBA Players anti-drug program were tossed for life. Included were John Drew, Chris Washburn, Roy Tarpley, Richard Dumas and others who were able to re-apply after significant suspensions (Micheal Ray Richardson, Lewis Lloyd and Mitchell Wiggins), among others.

Donald Sterling, the disgraced team owner and Board of Governor of the Los Angeles Clippers, was banned for life and docked $2.5 million by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver for Sterling’s racist remarks and conduct.

There were others, of course, mostly for on-court transgressions such as LA Lakers’ Kermit Washington’s punch of Houston Rockets’ star and Hall of Fame coach Rudy Tomjanovich that cost Rudy T his Dec ‘77-Spring ‘78 season while Washington served a then-astronomical 26-game suspension.

The National Football League faced a significantly different and certainly more catastrophic issue with the case of former Houston Texans and current Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson. The talented QB was suspended for 11 NFL games this week, five more games than Sue Robinson, a disciplinary counsel had determined on August 1.

Watson was previously accused of multiple sexual assaults and other inappropriate conduct during massage therapy sessions in lawsuits filed by 25 different women. The lawsuits alleged that from March 2020 to March 2021, while Watson was a member of the Texans, he allegedly sexually abused each woman. One of the 25 lawsuits was dropped after a judge’s ruling in April 2021 that the plaintiffs needed to amend their petitions to disclose their names. Two other women filed criminal complaints against Watson but did not sue him.

Watson settled or agreed to settle all but one of the remaining lawsuits, which remains pending. In July, the Texans reached settlements with 30 women who made claims or were prepared to make them against the NFL organization for what attorney Tony Buzbee called its alleged “enabling” of Watson’s behavior, according to ESPN.

Where does it fall, now? Watson was fined $5 million and is suspended by the NFL for a mere 11 games, ranging from August 30th to November 28th, 2022. Watson will be available to play for Cleveland when the Browns coincidentally play against the Texans in Week 13 of the upcoming NFL season.

What length of suspension would’ve been more appropriate?

The NFL and its Commissioner, Roger Goodell, might take matters into its own hands, instead of the joint and impartial arbitrator assigned by the players and the league.

Regardless, an 11 game suspension for each of the 25 cases would not have been extreme. The issue is not player safety on the field, nor drug/substance abuse off the field, not breaking the law by speeding in a car not other crimes that are addressed by the appropriate authorities and legal system, State-by-State.

TWENTY-FIVE cases of sexual assault – all credible – seem to show for a significant amount of smoke where there was fire. Yet, all the while, Watson claimed his innocence, right down to this week’s 11-game settlement well short of a true “verdict.”

“I’ll continue to stand on my innocence, just because you know settlements, and things like that happen doesn’t mean that a person is guilty for anything,” Watson said. “I feel like a person has an opportunity to stand on his innocence and prove that, and we proved that from a legal side, and just going to continue to push forward as an individual and as a person.”

Will he eventually speak on his own behalf and tell the full story?

“That’s definitely the plan, that’s definitely the goal,” said Watson. “I feel like through the whole process I’ve been trying to tell my side of the story. But a lot of people just didn’t pay a lot of attention to it.”

What left?

Watson has to comply with and overall evaluation and treatment recommendations of a third-party behavioral expert to be fully reinstated, sources told ESPN.

“Deshaun has committed to doing the hard work on himself that is necessary for his return to the NFL,” Goodell said in a prepared NFL statement. “This settlement requires compliance with a professional evaluation and treatment plan, a significant fine, and a more substantial suspension. We are grateful to Judge Robinson and Peter Harvey for their efforts in addressing these matters, which laid the foundation for reaching this conclusion.”

Robinson, an independent arbiter jointly appointed by the league and players’ union, made the first ruling on August 1 while Harvey was a former New Jersey attorney general whom Goodell appointed to oversee the NFL’s appeal, as the league sought a more significant determination than the six games.

From the Brown’s stand-point, franchise co-owners Dee and Jimmy Haslem focused on a player’s right to a “second chances” and counseling.

I think in this country, and hopefully in the world, people deserve second chances. I really think that,” Jimmy Haslem said. “Is he never supposed to play again? Is he never supposed to be a part of society? Does he get no chance to rehabilitate himself? That is what we are going to do. … We think people deserve a second chance. … That does not mean we do not have empathy for people affected and we will continue to do so, but we strongly believe, strongly believe that people deserve a second chance; we believe Deshaun Watson deserves a second chance.”

No argument there, but maybe the second chance should be multiplied times the 25 cases and the result would be a minimum 50-to-275 game suspension and a (25 x $5m = $125 million) fine to be subtracted from the $230 million fully guaranteed contract with Cleveland.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: It’s a B$G week in Boston as the 20th WEEI Radio/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon begins this Tuesday, August 23, originating from Fenway Park. Since 2002, the charitable radio-tele-thon raised $62 million for cancer treatment and research, with The JIMMY Fund and Dana-Farber the key. To learn more, visit www.JimmyFund.org. … The telethon begins Tuesday at 6am (ET) and fans can tune in to WEEI-FM and NESN throughout the 36-hour broadcast to hear stories of courage and hope from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute patients, doctors, nurses, and supporters.

Even though the Red Sox were on the road, Fenway Park was ‘hoppin’ this week, hosting concerts on four consecutive nights: Bad Bunny On Thursday, Lady Gaga Friday, Imagine Dragons on Saturday, and comedian Bill Burr on Sunday, all to sold-out crowds. Burr is the first comedian ever to headline a gig at Fenway. … The Red Sox are off Monday before returning home for a brief six-game home stand, starting Tuesday against the Toronto Blue Jays.

TID-BITS: As the PGA Tour playoffs come to a close this week at the annual TOUR Championship at East Lake in Atlanta, the publication of our sister-missive PGA Tour Brunch will come to a close until the first week of January 2023. It’s a great time to sign-up to secure a gift for your golf-loving friends, as all issues from 2022 are archived for reference. … We’ve had a good look at the national college football polls, where the usual suspects (Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia and Clemson) are atop the crop. How about the Atlantic Coast Conference, home of the Boston College Eagles?

Atlantic (first place votes)

  1. Clemson (111)
  2. North Carolina State (44)
  3. Wake Forest (6)
  4. Louisville
  5. Florida State (2)
  6. Boston College (1)

Coastal

  1. Miami (98)
  2. Pitt (38)
  3. North Carolina (18)
  4. Virginia (6)
  5. Virginia Tech (3)
  6. Georgia Tech (1)
  7. Duke – 220

Overall Champion

  1. Clemson – 103
  2. NC State – 38
  3. Miami – 8
  4. Wake Forest – 4
  5. Pitt – 3
  6. Virginia – 3
  7. Florida State – 2
  8. North Carolina – 2
  9. Boston College – 1

Conclusion: One voter likes Boston College a lot while over 100 media members like perennial champion Clemson. … Five ACC teams are among the National Top 25. They are: Clemson, NC State, Miami, Pittsburgh and Wake Forest. … B1G Ten match-up Nebraska at Northwestern kick-off the schedule in Dublin (Ireland, not Ohio) on August 27th at 12:30pm (ET) on FOX.

 

NBA MUSIC: Frequent readers of this weekly column will recognized the constant attempt to merge great sports stories with appropriate musical selections, whether they be classic rock songs, artists or other genres.

This week, the two will become one with an attempt to match great NBA players with the legendary artists, musicians or bands they might represent. We’ll call it “The NBA Match Game.” Here it goes and the NBA player(s) and artists are listed in no particular order:

Bill Russell = Elvis

George Mikan = The Beatles

Magic Johnson = The Rolling Stones

Wilt Chamberlain = Stevie Wonder

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar = Tom Petty (while Earvin Johnson, James Worthy, Byron Scott, Silk Wilkes, and so many others were The Heartbreakers

Bob Cousy = Bob Dylan

Connie Hawkins = Led Zeppelin

Larry Bird = Eric Clapton … we passed on “The Byrds”

Elgin Baylor = James Brown

Bob Pettit = The Who

“Pistol” Pete Maravich = Ray Charles

John Havlicek = The Big Bopper

Satch Sanders = Miles Davis

Jerry West = The Beach Boys

Oscar Robertson = Marvin Gaye

Julius “Dr J” Erving = Jimi Hendrix

Michael Jordan = Prince

Earl “The Pearl” Monroe = Sly and the Family Stone

David Thompson = Bob Marley

George Gervin = Bruce Hornsby

Bill Walton = Grateful Dead

Jerry Sloan = Johnny Cash

Dan Issel = America (Horse with No Name)

Carol Blazejowski = Madonna

Sheryl Swoopes = Aretha Franklin

Lisa Leslie = Diana Ross

Diana Taurasi = Lady Gaga

Sue Bird = Adele

Dawn Staley = Heart

Shaquille O’Neal = The Ramones

Allen Iverson = Bubba-Chuck Berry

Scottie Pippen = Muddy Waters

Joe Dumars, Isiah Thomas, John Salley, Bill Limber, Rick Mahorn – The Cars

Chris Mullin = U2

Hakeem Olajuwon = Smokey Robinson

David Robinson = Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey (song)

Karl Malone and John Stockton = Simon and Garfunkel

Manu Ginobili = Carlos Santana

Pau Gasol = Enrique Iglesias

Artis Gilmore = Chicago (Big Band sound of the ‘70s)

Bob Lanier = Crosby, Stills & Nash

Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Ray Allen = The Allman Brothers Band

LeBron James = Jay Z

Steph Curry = The Clash

Run T-M-C (Tim (Hardaway/Mitch Richmond/Chris Mullin) = Run DMC

Nate Thurmond and Al Attles = Pink Floyd/The Wall – (Gilmour/Waters)

Dennis Rodman = Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam

Charles Barkley = Michael Jackson/Thriller

Kobe Bryant = Buddy Holly

Draymond Green = The Talking Heads

Steve Nash = Neil Young

Dan Majerle or Danny Ainge, with Walter Bellamy – Steely Dan

Tim Duncan = Jimmy Cliff

’69-70 Knicks = The Band

Marvin Barnes = Jim Morrison and the Doors

Webb Wilder = Gerald Govan (Wear glasses if you need ‘em)

Max Zaslofsky = ZZ Top

David Stern = Bruce Springsteen/a.k.a. “The Boss”

Rod Thorn = The Police

NOTE: Undoubtedly, there are hundreds, maybe thousands, more NBA player and musical artist(s) match-ups that can be added. Please feel free to submit others that come to mind. Either use the comments section or text/DM or email.

RealResponse Adds KC Chiefs and Denver Broncos

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KANSAS CITY/DENVER – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – . Both will use the system to proactively stay in communication with employees regarding feedback on areas impacting their wellbeing – both positives that are benefiting experiences as well as to gain additional insight into the issues that may need to be addressed.

“RealResponse is a critical tool that our organization will utilize at all levels to enhance our communication with employees,” said Nancy Svoboda, Executive Vice President of Human Resources for the Denver Broncos. “We are proud of our workplace culture and we want to continue to be proactive in supporting our staff by making sure that their voices continue to be heard. We are excited to be a part of this groundbreaking platform.”

“Creating an efficient, confidential and anonymous way to proactively identify and address issues and opportunities will make us better. We are proud to be a part of this emerging trend within professional sports,” said Kirsten Krug, Executive Vice President of Administration for the Kansas City Chiefs.

“The platform we have built is all about empowering athletes and employees’ voices and keeping those in leadership informed not just on issues, but on opportunities to better communicate and work together,” said David Chadwick, RealResponse founder.  “Whether it is a junior staff member receiving acknowledgement for going above and beyond the call or a senior administrator alerting leadership of potential issues regarding employee health and well-being.’

The two teams will begin implementing and onboarding staff into the system in the coming weeks. RealResponse already works with the NFLPA for player-related reporting, but having teams engaged will make the system more holistic and impactful across all areas of the organizations.

Originally founded in 2015 and then expanded in 2020, RealResponse is a partner with more than 100 colleges and universities as well as with the NFLPA, USADA, the NWSL, and USA Gymnastics, giving more than 100,000 athletes and staff the ability to anonymously share feedback and concerns in a safe and secure manner.

Super Bowl Preview: Bengals vs Rams

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Super Bowl LVI (56)

  • February 13, 2022
  • Time: 6:30pm (ET)/3:30pm (local)
  • TV: NBC Sports; Streaming on Peacock
  • Play-by-play: Al Michaels – Expert Analyst: Chris Collinsworth
  • Sideline Reporters: Michele Tafoya, Kathryn Tappen
  • Radio: Westwood One Network; Kevin Harlan, Kurt Warner
  • SoFi Stadium
  • Ingelwood, California
  • AFC Champion – Cincinnati Bengals (13-7)
    • Defeated: Las Vegas (26-19); At Tennessee (19-16); At Kansas City (27-24)
  • NFC Champion – Los Angeles Rams (15-5)
    • Defeated: Arizona (34-11); At Tampa Bay (30-27); San Francisco (20-17).

Rams Coach: Sean McVey

Bengals Coach: Zac Taylor

Notes: Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, a 13-year veteran and one time No. 1 overall pick by the Detroit Lions, is one of only five first overall picks to play over 100 games before making it to the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is the first second-year QB to start in the Super Bowl since Seattle’s Russell Wilson in 2013. … The Rams are seeking their second NFL title, the first coming in 1999. Similar to Tampa Bay last season, the Rams are enjoying home field advantage at their brand new SoFi Stadium. … The bengals are seeking their first Super Bowl title after losing in 1982 and 1989. Cincinnati is in its 54th season and a loss would mark the league record for most seasons without a championship.

WR Stars: Los Angeles features WR Cooper Kupp, the league’s Offensive Player of the Year who led the NFL in receptions (145), yards (1,947) and TDs (16) this season; Cincinnati counters with Ja’Marr Chase who had 81 catches for 1,455 yards and 13 TDs this season. His 279 receiving yards in the postseason are already the most among rookies in a single playoffs, and he’s the only rookie receiver to have multiple 100-yard receiving games in a playoffs.

Defensive Stand-outs: The Rams’ defensive tackle Aaron Donald is considered the best defensive player in the league and will be pressuring Cincy QB Burrows while also downing Bengals running backs and receivers. He led the league in tackles with 127. Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (107 tackles, third in the NFL) ranks in the top three in first pressures this season, including the playoffs. Hendrickson was 11th in pass rush win rate (21.9%).

Costacos Unveils NFL QB Collection

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LOS ANGELES – (Staff Report from official News Release) – The Costacos Collection unveiled its second NFT drop in partnership with four legendary former NFL quarterbacks: Troy Aikman, Warren Moon, Jim McMahon, and Dan Marino. Following the company’s inaugural foray with baseball great Willie Mays, the QB Legends Collection re-imagines the four quarterbacks’ iconic ‘80s/‘90s Costacos posters in new digital form. In addition, the quarterbacks have worked closely with John Costacos and acclaimed digital artist Mike Campau to create all-new 3D art pieces capturing the defining moments and themes from the players’ legendary careers. A portion of proceeds from the drop will be donated to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinees Assistance Foundation, an organization that assists HOF members and their families.

Collectors can access the drop on the newly-launched CostacosCollection.com marketplace. The Costacos Collection has entered into a strategic technology partnership with GigLabs to build on the Flow blockchain, joining NBA Top Shot, NFL ALL DAY, and UFC Strike, created by Dapper Labs. The partnership has enabled the Costacos Collection to build a proprietary NFT marketplace on the environmentally-friendly Flow blockchain, joining other GigLabs partners that include CNN, Turner Sports, Athletes Unlimited, Speedway Motorsports, the University of Miami, and others. The Costacos Collection marketplace includes full credit card support and simple wallet signup requiring only an email address.

“We couldn’t have hoped for a more exciting group of legacy athletes with whom to partner for the launch of the Costacos Collection marketplace,” said CEO Justin Moorad. “Troy, Warren, Jim, and Dan, all with their own unique personalities and career paths, represent a generation of NFL culture that was captured in their original Costacos posters. It’s an honor to help bring those iconic images back to life, and a privilege to watch John and the players work together to create all-new digital art that we believe their legions of fans will be passionate about collecting.”

“We loved working with all the athletes, the pitchers, home-run hitters, point guards, linebackers, all of them,” said Costacos. “But there was nothing quite like creating an image with an NFL quarterback because the great ones are the guys with all the firepower that make the offense go. Jim McMahon was the first poster we printed back in 1986. There we were in Chicago, 2,000 miles from home, a couple of kids with an idea but no experience, who somehow convinced the NFL’s biggest superstar to dress up like Mad Max and take pictures next to a live bear cub in the middle of a thunderstorm. Jim was larger than life, he’d just led the Chicago Bears to their one and only Super Bowl victory and was at the forefront of sports pop culture. We may not have known how we were going to pull it off but somehow we did and had a ton of fun shooting it, and Jim did too. We got lucky with a break in the weather, the shots ended up working, and we ended up with one of the great posters of all time – and a lifelong friend in Jimmy Mac.”

“Being part of the Costacos Collection was what every athlete from our era dreamed about, it was like being on a Wheaties box but better, because you hung on the wall of every bedroom of fans across the country,” McMahon said. “It’s pretty cool that Mad Mac was the first one and the start of it all. I still have it on my wall. And it’s just as cool to be a part of this new era, I’m having tons of fun working creatively with John again. He’s the most creative guy I know, and when we’re done we always make sure to sit down for a beer or six.”

Sports Biz: Costacos Goes Digital

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SEATTLE – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Award-winning artist John Costacos, who established a genre of sports art with his famed sports personality poster creations, along with co-founder and CEO Justin Moorad and Digital Art Director Mike Campau, unveiled a new blockchain-based digital collectibles company, the Costacos Collection.

The Costacos Collection is partnering with an initial lineup of legendary NFL, MLB, and NBA players and their charitable foundations, including Warren Moon, Troy Aikman, Jim McMahon, Roger Clemens, Will Clark, and others to be announced in the coming weeks. The Costacos Collection – the predecessor of which sold over 30,000,000 posters from 1986-96 – utilizes the blockchain medium to help the world’s greatest athletes capture their most significant moments, tell their most meaningful stories, and create new digital experiences to connect with fan communities. In addition to re-imagining John’s revered poster art, the Costacos Collection is creating new digital art as NFTs, with the tokens serving as the ticket to the company’s upcoming Hall of Fame Metaverse.

The Topps Company will also be a partner of the Collection, drawing on content from its vast historical archives and working with Costacos to create new content with Topps’ current-athlete partners.

CostacosCollection.com will serve as the gateway to the company’s listings as well as post-sale experiences, which will include communities and experiences exclusive to NFT owners. The company plans to fill the gap where Big Tech’s social media has failed: enabling fans to connect with and support their heroes directly. Through community engagement features, museum-style social displays, games, raffles and giveaways, trading and staking based on live and AI-generated sporting events, and the bridging of the digital with physical items and events, the company is pursuing a vision not held back by any one particular partnership or association.

“We believe in the long-term power of the technology,” said CEO Justin Moorad. “With a chain-agnostic approach, we’re able to form partnerships across the ecosystem – from the highest-quality art minted securely on Ethereum, to games built on Solana, to opportunities for proprietary fungible tokens, the Costacos Collection is building technology that positions our athletes at the center of the evolving landscape.”

John Costacos’ posters included imagery, slogans, and nicknames that stuck with players for the rest of their careers, including his first poster, Kenny Easley’s “The Enforcer”, the Oakland A’s “Bash Brothers,” Charles Barkley’s “Get Off My Backboard,” Jerry Rice’s “Goldfingers,” Michael Jordan’s “Space, The Final Frontier,” Joe Montana’s “The Golden Great,” Jim McMahon’s “Mad Mac,” Walter Payton’s “Chicago Vice,” Rickey Henderson’s “Man of Steal,” Troy Aikman’s “Strong Arm of the Law,” and many others with athletes such as Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Ken Griffey Jr., Bo Jackson, John Elway, Karl “Mailman Malone, Dominique Wilkins, and Magic Johnson. In addition to working with legacy athletes, Costacos will create new digital artwork with a growing number of today’s future Hall of Famers, Rookies of the Year, and Heisman-level college athletes.

“As an athlete of color and an entrepreneur, and as someone with roots in Seattle personally and professionally, nothing exuded cool more than a Costacos poster,” said Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon. “The Costacos Collection will now be able to recapture that cool in digital art, which is going to be fun for all the veteran athletes from all sports who became part of his ‘must have collection’ as well as for a new generation who will be engaging with this unique artwork for the first time. It’s an honor to be part of this unveiling.”

“My relationship with every athlete came from listening to their creative process and thinking of what we, as fans, would want to see, and that process has never really changed over the years,” Costacos said. “The growth of digital technology gives us an exciting chance not just to offer pieces in digital form, but to take them and retell the story with the athlete’s input now 20 years later with additional custom content.”

“John Costacos and his artwork helped expand the reach of the most legendary athletes of a generation to fans who knew us for being in unique artwork sometimes more than what we did on the field,” said Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez. “Now being able to revisit that artwork as NFTs will open new doors for fans who can collect the pieces yet again. I know for the LatinX audience that craves connecting with its heroes, this will be a fun and unique experience that should open more opportunities for NFTs as well.”

Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, Costacos attended the University of Washington and graduated with a degree in Finance, notably with no formal education in graphic design, photography, printing or art. A lifelong sports fan, John and his brother Tock had a fascination with mixing sports and pop culture in a time when the two areas rarely shared a stage. He created T-shirts of his alma mater’s football team titled “Purple Reign,” a reference to the Washington Huskies’ purple colors and Prince’s song “Purple Rain,” and quickly sold out of his initial run of 20,000 T-shirts. That led to a second project when John dreamed up the slogan “Real Men Wear Black” and put it on a T-shirt for LA Raiders fans. That popular design, with no marketing budget, was a massive commercial success. It sold out in very short order and got the brothers an invite to the Raiders headquarters in El Segundo, California, where they met All-Pro defensive back Lester Hayes, who asked them to create “Lester’s Court,” modeled after a reference to “The Judge” nickname Hayes earned while playing at Texas A&M and an allusion to the very popular “The People’s Court” television show. The images were shot in a courthouse with Tock dressed in San Francisco 49ers colors, presenting footballs marked with game dates of Hayes’ interceptions. The Hayes imagery was wildly popular and the pair started to pursue poster-making in full force, beginning with local Seattle Seahawks star Kenny Easley. The Easley poster led to another poster of Chicago Bears sensation Jim McMahon, and the business skyrocketed from there.

Costacos was out of the art and sports world for almost two decades until 2016, when he was commissioned to relaunch his unique point of view for a poster of then-rising star Russell Wilson, to raise money for Wilson’s “Why Not You” Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to education, children’s health and fighting poverty.  The fundraiser for the release of the poster, hosted by ESPN’s Kenny Mayne, netted $435,000, highlighted by the auction of the first two printed posters for $30,000 each. In 2018, Costacos created a poster of New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge for Adidas to announce their endorsement deal with him. It was prominently featured on billboards and bus stops across New York City and became a must-have piece for thousands of fans. The interest in the original Costacos pieces has also never waned, as evidenced by UFC President Dana White purchasing 40 original Costacos works in a New York art gallery for over $100,000 alongside Hall of Famer Alex Rodriguez who spent nearly $40,000 himself on a series of posters the last time the original pieces were on public sale a few years ago. These recent instances, along with the encouragement and persuasion of a growing list of elite athletes and collectors, raised the itch for Costacos to get back in the game.  But this time Costacos, ever the pioneer, presents a unique twist to the traditional, combining his rare mix of artistic vision and his penchant for capturing sports figures, into breath-taking, cutting-edge digital form.

True Tales of Cowboys and Patriots

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By TERRY LYONS

FOXBOROUGH – These two true tales began with the announcement of the National Football League schedule back on April 17, 2019. The vaunted Dallas Cowboys were scheduled to visit Gillette Stadium to play Tom Brady and the New England Patriots on November 24, a day I would personally celebrate a benchmark birthday.

A good friend would be in town, too, and the fact he grew up in the land of Don Shula’s Miami Dolphins but was a lifelong fan of the Cowboys was cause for our plans to hatch that very April day, only to be fully concocted by mid-summer 2019. Tickets were purchased, and everything was set, only to await game day.

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When that November day came along, the Dallas Cowboys were (6-4) and mired in the NFC East division dog pile where someone would have to win the divisional title, almost by default. Dallas did pack a top-notch and league-leading offense, orchestrated by QB Dak Prescott, RB Ezekiel Elliott and a receiving corp of wide variety and game-breaking talent. The hometown Patriots were (9-1) with only a November 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens as the blemish on their 2019 record.

Everything was in place. Plenty of week-long hype. Plenty of Brady vs Prescott comparisons. Plenty of network promotion for the 4:25pm late day, featured game on CBS Sports. One thing went awry.

Sunday, November 24, 2019 was a day even the toughest, weather-beaten New Englanders dread. The day-long storm strengthened as the clock ticked and by 4pm, Gillette Stadium was storm center central for a combination of rain, sleet, snow and wind gusts pushing 50 mph. When the rain wasn’t pelting the players, the wind was applying a deep freeze. A football, inflated/deflated/whatever, tossed up in the air would end up landing 10 yards behind and rolling in the opposite direction.

What could be worse?

Although layers and layers of clothing and rain gear were packed and in place, our dynamic duo faced another combination of our very well, advance-planned and now weather-related consequence. Our tickets were the best football tickets money could buy. Upper level, first row, dead center, 50-yard line. Perfect sight lines and no chance of anyone blocking the view. On a beautiful, wind-free fall day, it would’ve been heaven.

Instead, as the National Anthem was being played and we turned a corner from the ramps that led up to our seats, a stadium security attendant warned us to be careful as we advanced to our position, just past a concrete wall. It was good and much-needed advice, as upon another step or two, those wind gusts kicked in and we had to hold onto the railings for dear life. The rain was falling sideways and the winds were howling directly in our faces. A Nor’easter to be reckoned with for the entire game. And the game was a good one, thank God.

After a Dallas “three-and-out” and a New England “six-and-out” pair of punts, Dallas regained the ball and somehow drove 53 yards in seven plays but were forced to attempt a 46-yard field goal when faced with a 4th Down and six yards to go from the New England 28 yard line. The reliable PK Brett Maher bopped it off the left upright.

New England scored first after Matthew Slater blocked a Dallas punt and Tom Brady hit N’Keal Harry two plays later to give the Patriots a 7-0 lead after the freezing first quarter. New England veteran PK Nick Folk made it 10-0 with an impressive 44-yarder (with the wind). Dallas countered with two second quarter field goals as Maher got back on track while Folk went on to miss a pair of place-kicks (46 and 48 yard attempts).

Halftime brought more rain and wind and the third quarter would grind to a weather beaten, alternating punt-fest, as the first six possessions resulted in each team volleying the ball back and forth, via punts. In the fourth quarter, each team traded field goals to close out the scoring and the Patriots had their 13-9 win in a hard-fought and intense game.

We sprinted to the car to jack-up the heater, tear off soaked weather gear which was damp and heavy  despite the use of two large Hefty garbage bags per half as the outer protection against Mother Nature.  Once dry clothing was in place and the car warmed up, we marveled at the players’ and coaches’ ability to perform in such a raging storm. Death, Taxes, Father Time and Mother Nature remain undefeated.

Fast-forward to today, October 17, 2021 when the NFL schedule-makers again placed the Dallas Cowboys at Patriot Place in Foxborough. Although that same good friend was, again, in town, the glaring differences in the two days were otherwise plentiful.

First, the most noticeable, Tom Brady was NOT in the building. Secondly, instead of a large Hefty Bag, my bud had the guts to wear his favorite Dallas Cowboys sweatshirt in the land of Bill Belichick‘s dirty, dingy, sleeves cut-off sweats. And, lastly, instead of a combination Hurricane-Monsoon-Nor’easter, your intrepid pair of spectators enjoyed a bright sunshiny Autumn afternoon with no meaningful wind and warm temperatures in the high 60s.

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The game was highly entertaining with peaks and valleys, ebbs and flows, perfect execution and woeful play – all at the same time. Dallas was penalized 12 times for 115-yards while Prescott threw for 445 yards on 36-of-51 with three TDs. New England jumped out to a 14-7 lead as RB Damien Harris and QB Mac Jones showed some true grit against the Cowboys who ended up leading 17-14 as the fourth quarter began,

At that point, a very good football game became a crazy and unbelievable back-and-forth game. The Patriots scored twice, the latter on a 75-yard break-away pass play from Big Mac to Kendrick Bourne that, along with a two-point conversion, gave New England a 29-26 lead with 2:11 to play in regulation.

With only :20 seconds remaining, Dallas PK Greg Zuerlein hit his third of four FG attempts to tie the game, but that came after combinations of interception returns, a Zuerlein must-make FG that missed and assorted blown opportunities and officiating calls. Nevertheless, the resulting electro-cardiogram for everyone in attendance was that the game went into overtime.

Dallas prevailed when Prescott hit wide-out CeeDee Lamb for a 35-yard, game-winning touchdown just 3:52 into overtime. But, while Dallas rejoiced with the victory which brought their record to (5-1) and a commanding lead in the otherwise weak NFC East division, the Cowboys’ star QB suffered a right calf strain on the final play of the game.

Sunrise, sunset, stormy days, windy days, perfect days, each with sweet victories, disappointing losses.

On October 17, 2021, 65,878 fans were entertained. Two thirds of them went home devastated with the Patriots’ loss and their (2-4, 0-4 at home) record while one third, most pop them in their Cowboys’ jerseys enjoyed the important OT victory.

“We went toe-to-toe with them for 60 minutes,” New England Coach Belichick said after the game. “They just made a few more plays than we did.”

 

 

 

 

 

Patriots Lose to Miami in NFL Opener

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FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Services Reports) – Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa passed for 202 yards and a go-ahead three-yard touchdown to rookie Jaylen Waddle as the Dolphins spoiled New England’s rookie quarterback Mac Jones’ NFL debut with a 17-16 win over the Patriots in the season opener on Sunday afternoon.

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Waddle, the No. 6 overall pick in this year’s draft, grabbed his first career touchdown catch with 10:51 remaining in the third quarter to put Miami on top for good at 17-10. Nick Folk‘s 42-yard field goal with 2:50 left in the third and another from 33 yards out at 10:36 of the fourth pulled New England within 17-16.

Tagovailoa, who also had a rushing touchdown, finished 16-for-27 passing and was also intercepted by New England defensive back Jonathan Jones with 8:07 to play in the fourth. Mac Jones and the Patriots drove 41 yards before running back Damien Harris lost a fumble at the Dolphins’ 11-yard line.

Waddle finished with four catches for 61 yards and the score and DeVante Parker had four catches for a team-high 81 yards for Miami (1-0).

Mac Jones, the No. 15 overall pick in this year’s draft, completed 29 of 39 passes for 281 yards and a touchdown in his pro debut. Harris rushed for 100 yards on 23 carries and Nelson Agholor made five catches for 72 yards and a score for New England (0-1).

Miami and New England were tied 10-10 at halftime.

Tagovailoa capped a 10-play, 80-yard opening drive with a three-yard TD run off the right tackle to put the Dolphins up 7-0 with 5:29 to play in the first quarter. Folk kicked a 27-yard field goal to put the Patriots on the board at 10:17 of the second.

Jones connected with Agholor for his first career touchdown pass with 2:30 left in the half to put New England ahead 10-7. The rookie faked a handoff to Harris before firing a seven-yard strike to Agholor.

Jones and Tagovailoa were teammates at the University of Alabama. Tagovailoa led the Crimson Tide to a national championship in the 2017 season and Jones guided the program to its 18th title last season.

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