Happy Friday 👋
You’ve made it to the weekend. We’ve got a Thursday Night Football shootout, a bombshell report from the NBA and a blockbuster trade in the NHL. Enjoy the last weekend before college hoops tips off.
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NFL Colts Run Wild On Jets 
Photo: Andy Lyons / Getty Images Colts Crush Jets (45-30) Behind NFL Season-High 260 Rushing Yards
Week 9 kicked off with the Colts taking down the Jets on Thursday Night Football. The biggest story of the night was the Colts’ ground game, as they put up an NFL season-high 260 rushing yards. Jonathan Taylor provided the biggest bulk of the rushing, putting up 172 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns, including a 78 yard house call to put Indy up 42-10. Carson Wentz also followed up a disappointing performance against the Titans with an efficient night.
Another Backup QB Shines For New York Heading into the game, all eyes were on backup quarterback Mike White, who made headlines last week after throwing for over 400 yards in place of the injured Zach Wilson during the Jets’ victory against the Bengals. It looked like he was on pace to have another promising start after throwing for a touchdown early, but he left the game in the second quarter with a forearm injury. Josh Johnson then came in and put up a valiant effort of his own, throwing for 317 yards and 3 touchdowns, marking the second straight week the Jets have had a stellar performance from their backup QB.
QB Comparison J. Johnson (NYJ): 27/41, 317 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT C. Wentz (IND): 22/30, 272 yards, 3 TDs
Watch: Jets vs. Colts Week 9 Highlights
Additional Storylines Yahoo! Sports: Taylor, Ground Game Help Colts Find Easy Path Past Jets IndyStar: Colts Prove Ready for Prime Time with 45-30 Blowout of Jets
NBA Phoenix Rocked by Sarver Report 
Photo: Harry How / Getty Images New ESPN Report Shares Years of Racism, Misogyny From Phoenix Suns Team Owner Robert Sarver
While the Phoenix Suns are currently in the midst of defending their Western Conference title, a jaw-dropping ESPN article written by Baxter Holmes was published yesterday that painted a haunting picture of the front office environment. The extensive article recounted a number of incidents involving owner Robert Sarver and his repeated incidents of racism and misogyny over the course of his last 17 years in charge of the Suns. The allegations include Sarver casually throwing around racial slurs in front of staff, passing around NSFW images of his own wife, and various inappropriate behaviors.
These actions seemed to have trickled down the entire organization as the article also notes how Sarver’s conduct led to an overall toxic work environment where racial insensitivity, sexual harassment, and a useless HR department became the norm when working for the Suns.
Sarver’s legal team strongly denied him being racist/sexist, countering almost every story in the article. Various current and past employees, including general manager James Jones and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, have noted that the news came as a shock to them and that they weren’t aware of this behavior.
Adrian Wojnarowski announced via Twitter that the NBA has launched an official investigation into both Robert Sarver and the Phoenix Suns. On the heels of their deepest playoff run in more than 20 years, the Suns now have an off-the-court saga that could linger through the 2021-22 season.
Additional Storylines Yahoo! Sports: Earl Watson, Draymond Green Respond to Racism, Sexism Allegations Against Suns Owner Robert Sarver
NHL Sabres Send Eichel to Vegas 
Photo: Jared Silber / Getty Images Golden Knights Acquire Sabres’ C Jack Eichel in NHL Blockbuster
An injured Jack Eichel is heading to the desert. The Buffalo Sabres’ No. 2 overall pick from 2015 was traded to the Golden Knights on Thursday in exchange for a haul of players and picks. Eichel wanted out of Buffalo after a disagreement on how to treat his herniated disk last offseason. Now, with the 25-year-old set to have surgery this week, he’ll return to the ice for Las Vegas in roughly 12 weeks.
Trade Details Golden Knights Get: Jack Eichel Sabres Get: Peyton Krebs, Alex Tuchs, Future 1st & 2nd Round Picks
The Calgary Flames were also deep in trade talks with the Sabres but the asking price was too high. Eichel is entering Year 4 of his 8-year, $80 million contract.
Additional Storylines SI: The Eichel Trade: Vegas’ Cup-Clincher, or Vegas’ Icarus Moment? CBS Sports: Jack Eichel, Sabres Saga Explained: How a Medical Disagreement Led to Trade
THE STORYLINES 🏈 Grading 2021 1st-Round NFL Draft Picks Half a season does not make an NFL player's career, but as a draft analyst it's only natural that we check in on the rookies at the midway point of the regular season, right? (CBS Sports)
⚾️ MLB Power Rankings Entering Offseason With the 2021 World Series in the books, the MLB offseason is officially underway. That means it's time for an updated version of our leaguewide power rankings. (Bleacher Report)
🥊 UFC 268: Usman vs. Covington 2 Since their first meeting, Kamaru Usman has defended his title three times, while Colby Covington smothered a fading former champ. (ESPN+)
📰 THE HEADLINES Odell Beckham Jr. Excused From Browns Practice for 2nd Straight Day (ESPN)
Christian Pulisic Returns, Sergino Dest Out With Injury for USMNT Squad (CBS Sports)
Kyrie Irving Could Rejoin Nets if New York Lifts COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates (Yahoo! Sports)
Georgia LB Adam Anderson Under Investigation After Rape Allegation (SI)
Tennessee Football Not Self-Imposing Bowl Ban After Recruiting Scandal (USA Today)
Giants Catcher Buster Posey Officially Retires From Baseball (NBC Sports)
🗓️ WEEKEND SCHEDULE The Must-Watch List NFL Week 9 (Sunday) Broncos at Cowboys (1:00 pm) Patriots at Panthers (1:00 pm) Browns at Bengals (1:00 pm) Cardinals at 49ers (4:25 pm) Titans at Rams (8:20 pm)
College Football (Saturday) Missouri at #1 Georgia (Noon) #9 Wake Forest at N. Carolina (Noon) #3 Michigan State at Purdue (3:30 pm) Navy at #10 Notre Dame (3:30 pm) #13 Auburn at #14 Texas A&M (3:30 pm) LSU at #2 Alabama (7:00 pm) #4 Oregon at Washington (7:30 pm) Full College Football Schedule
NBA Knicks at Bucks (Fri. 7:30 pm) Pelicans at Warriors (Fri. 10:00 pm) Jazz at Heat (Sat. 7:30 pm) 76ers at Bulls (Sat. 8:00 pm)
NHL Bruins at Maple Leafs (Sat. 7:00 pm) Flyers at Capitals (Sat. 7:00 pm)
Soccer EPL: Manchester Derby (Sat. 8:30 am)
UFC 268 (Saturday) Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington 2
NASCAR Playoffs Championship 4 — Phoenix Raceway (Sun. 3:00 pm)
*All Times Eastern
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