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Good Morning 👋
In case you missed it, the Madness is here. Two teams were sent packing last night, and four more games (2 men, 2 women) hit the court tonight. The real dance? One more day, team.
In other news: Aaron Rodgers got a receiver upgrade. The MLB regular season starts today (in South Korea). And 4-seed Kansas will enter the NCAA Tournament without Kevin McCullar Jr. — their leading scorer. Rock chalk, let’s talk. Letter Rip! |
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*No purchase necessary. One bracket entry per user. Must use email address associated with your Sportsletter subscription. Participants must be subscribed to The Sportsletter to be eligible for prizes. Brackets lock Thursday (Mar. 21) at Noon ET. |
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First Four: Dancing Shoes On |
Photo: Ben Solomon / Getty Images |
#16 Wagner & #10 Colorado State Advance to the Big Dance (+ The AP All-America 1st Team)
The main event doesn’t begin until Thursday, but we’re already dancing in the NCAA Tournament. Last night welcomed the ‘First Four’ with play-in action between 16s and 10s. The 16s gave us a game. The 10s? Blowout. The AP All-America 1st Team was also revealed. One more day until the true official beginning of March Madness. First Four Highlights
#16 Wagner def. #16 Howard (71-68)
This game belonged to Wagner until a late Howard run made things interesting. The Bison overcame a double-digit deficit in the final five minutes to pull within three, and they got three separate looks at a game-tying 3 in the final possession — all rim. It was Wagner’s first NCAA Tournament win in program history. Next, they’ll take on 1-seed North Carolina. #10 Colorado State def. #10 Virginia (67-42)
Talk about a cakewalk for Colorado State. Virginia looked undeserving of their bubble bid last night. The Cavaliers scored just 14 points in the first half, and they didn't hit a field goal in the final 9:19 before halftime (0-for-14). CSU’s Joel Scott (23 points) led the way for the Rams. They’ll face 7-seed Texas tomorrow night. Tonight’s NCAA Tournament Schedule *Check tonight’s First Four games (men and women) in today’s must-watch section. Men’s AP All-America 1st Team C Zach Edey (Purdue)* F Dalton Knecht (Tennessee) G R.J. Davis (North Carolina) G Tristen Newton (UConn) G Jamal Shead (Houston) *Edey's 2nd Straight Unanimous Selection
Read More SI: Virginia’s Awful 1st Half Had Fans Questioning NCAA Tournament Committee CBS Sports: The Best Team on Each Seed Line (1-16) in March Madness |
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Photo: Stephen Maturen / Getty Images |
Jets Ink WR Mike Williams to Give Recovering Aaron Rodgers a Game-Changer
Last week’s NFL free agency fiesta was a non-stop barrage of high-profile deals, and it’s not done. The Jets signed ex-Chargers WR Mike Williams to a 1-year, max-$15 million deal on Tuesday. We might look back next fall and consider this one of the biggest steals of free agency. Williams gives recovering Jets QB Aaron Rodgers a major upgrade at receiver opposite Garrett Wilson. Williams, 29, comes with some durability questions after missing most of last season with a torn ACL, but his 15.9 yards per catch average over the last five seasons ranks 1st in the NFL. New York ranked 31st in yards per catch (as a team) in 2023. Williams is also 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds — a bigger target than Rodgers’ other wideouts. We call that a “first-class upgrade” for these Jets.
Most Yards Per Catch (Past 5 Seasons) 1. Mike Williams (LAC) — 15.9 ypc 2. A.J. Brown (Eagles) — 15.7 ypc 3. Mike Evans (Bucs) — 15.2 ypc
Other NFL Deals Broncos Give WR Jerry Jeudy 3-Year, $58 Million Extension
Bengals Sign OT Trent Brown to Fortify Offensive Line
Lions Add Pro Bowl OG Kevin Zeitler to Offensive Line |
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Seoul-Search: MLB Opening Day |
Photo: Mary DeCicco / Getty Images |
2024 MLB Regular-Season Opens Today With 2-Game Series in Seoul, South Korea
Baseball is officially back! But America’s pastime won’t be throwing out the first pitch in America. The Dodgers and Padres open the 2024 MLB regular season with a two-game series today and tomorrow at the Gocheok SkyDome in Seoul, South Korea. It’s the first game as a Dodger for both Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim will get to open the season in his home country. Fun stuff! The time difference will make the games hard to catch live in the United States, but rest assured, highlights will come. This morning’s game is already underway (6:05 am ET). Game 2 of the series will begin at the same time tomorrow.
Dodgers-Padres Seoul Series Game 1: Today (6:05 am ET, MLBTV / ESPN) Game 2: Tomorrow (6:05 am ET, MLBTV / ESPN)
The full Opening Day celebration for the rest of the MLB is next Thursday (Mar. 28) when all 30 teams will play in North American ballparks. But hey, these two games are official (they count). Let’s play ball! Read More
MLB: San Diego to Seoul: The Rise of Ha-Seong Kim (Video)
NY Post: Shohei Ohtani Reported Target of Bomb Threat Ahead of MLB Opener in Seoul |
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📝 Sports Illustrated Lives On
The next chapter in Sports Illustrated’s saga will be written by management at Minute Media, which recently acquired the digital and print licensing rights to continue publishing the storied magazine. (Sportico)
🎧 March Madness Mixtape
The power of music. Nothing like it. Think about the bands and artists that mean the most to you, how they reflect your personality and have shaped who you are. College basketball coaches are no different. (CBS Sports)
🏈 Mel Kiper Jr.’s Mock Draft 3.0
There are still several free agents available, but the big-money signings have passed for the most part. We also have a much better idea of which positions teams could target in Round 1 next month. (ESPN) |
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🏀 NCAA First Four (Men) #16 Grambling at #16 Montana State (6:40 pm ET, truTV) #10 Colorado at #10 Boise State (9:10 pm ET, truTV)
🏀 NCAA First Four (Women) #16 Presbyterian at #16 Sacred Heart (7:00 pm ET, ESPNU) #12 Columbia at #12 Vanderbilt (9:00 pm ET, ESPNU)
🏀 NBA Heat at Cavaliers (7:00 pm ET, NBALP) Bucks at Celtics (7:30 pm ET, ESPN) Grizzlies at Warriors (10:00 pm ET, ESPN) 76ers at Suns (10:00 pm ET, NBALP)
🏒 NHL Maple Leafs at Capitals (7:30 pm ET, TNT) Wild at Kings (10:00 pm ET, TNT) |
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Poll Results: Champ Picks |
Yesterday, we asked: Which of the top teams in the NCAA Tournament do you think is most likely to win it all? UConn is the overwhelming favorite to repeat, but Houston and Purdue are next in line. The other 1-seed, UNC, and 2-seed Iowa State finished 4th and 5th in the votes. Here's a look at the overall tallies: |
Other Category: Marquette (6%), Arizona (5%), Tennessee (5%), Kentucky (5%), Illinois (4%), Creighton (2%), Baylor (2%), Duke (2%), Auburn (2%), Kansas (1%), Alabama (1%), Other 5-Seed or Higher (1%) |
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