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Good Morning 👋
We’re going rapid-fire in the mid-week edition and giving the brackets a break. Shorter stories, more variety. The two biggest highlights last night took place less than a mile apart in South Philadelphia. But first — as expected — Monday’s women’s basketball blockbuster did the unthinkable...
📺 Women’s NCAA Viewership Record
The Iowa-LSU game drew a record 12.3 million viewers on Monday night. That’s the most for a women’s college basketball game, ever. It was also one of the most-viewed non-NFL sports events over the past year — more than most of the NBA Finals and World Series games in 2023. A special moment for women’s hoops. Letter Rip! |
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Photo: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images |
Bryce Harper Hammers 3 Home Runs (1 Grand Slam) in Rain-Soaked Philly Slump-Buster
A downpour at Citizens Bank Park was the setting for one epic sigh of relief in Philadelphia last night, a place where a hooded slugger was grinding through an ugly early-season hitting slump. Bryce Harper started the season 0-for-11 with five strikeouts before Tuesday night. Don’t worry. He’s fine. Harper hit three blasts (3-for-4, 3 HRs, 6 RBIs), including a grand slam in the 7th inning that launched the Phillies past the Reds (9-4). His six RBIs made the difference in a five-run game that Philly desperately needed for their second win of the year. Harper’s hat-trick home-run performance is one of historical significance, too. Jayson Werth (2008) is the only other Phillies player to record a 3-HR game (that included a grand slam) in franchise history.
On back-to-back nights to start this week, the MLB now has its first no-hitter and 3-HR games of the season. Hat tip, Mr. Harper.
Watch: Bryce Harper Smashes 3 HRs, Grand Slam in Phillies’ Win (9-4)
⚾️ Other MLB Highlights Blue Jays def. Astros (2-1)
*Davis Schneider Hits Go-Ahead HR D-Backs def. Yankees (7-0) *Zac Gallen Hands NYY 1st Loss Cubs def. Rockies (12-2) *Bellinger & Suzuki Blasts Lead Cubs’ Rout
Full MLB Scoreboard |
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The Process Returns (With Hope) |
Photo: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images |
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Photo: Yasser Bakhsh / Getty Images |
Cristiano Ronaldo Nets 2nd-Straight Single-Half Hat Trick in Al Nassr’s 8-0 Runaway
We're aware that Cristiano Ronaldo is playing in the Saudi Pro League for the twilight stage of his career (and thus, he's crushing it), but what he’s doing at 39 years old is absurd. Most athletes can’t play past 40, and that’s especially true of soccer players (sans goalkeepers). CR7 (nickname) scored another hat trick in Al Nassr’s 8-0 blowout against Abha yesterday, and he did it in the first 42 minutes. That performance came on the heels of another hat trick just three days prior when Ronaldo scored three goals in the final 26 minutes of the second half. A quick calculator check tells us that’s six goals from Ronaldo in roughly 70 minutes of game time.
Ronaldo’s Revival: CR7 has 56 goals in 60 matches with Al Nassr. 🇵🇹 Ronaldo (882 goals), 🇦🇷 Messi (826 goals) and 🇧🇷 Pele (762 goals) stand alone in the history of the world's game. Watch: Ronaldo Nets 2nd-Straight Hat Trick for Al Nassr in 8-0 Rout
⚽️ Other Soccer Highlights EPL: Newcastle draw Everton (1-1)
EPL: Tottenham draw West Ham (1-1)
ITA: Juventus def. Lazio (2-0) |
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Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images |
Bronny James (Son of LeBron) Expected to Enter Transfer Portal After One Unmemorable Season at USC
The rumor squad was at it again this week. In a first-reported story by the NY Daily News, LeBron James’ son, Bronny, has entered the transfer portal to leave USC after one underwhelming season. That story hasn’t been confirmed (or denied), but it does make sense. “I don’t know where it came from,” LeBron said. “But at the end of the day, Bronny’s his own man and he has some tough decisions to make. When he’s ready to make those decisions he’ll let us all know.”
U-S-C You Later: To Bronny’s credit, his freshman season still had flashes, and he did suffer a cardiac arrest before the season began. Playing at all this year was nothing short of miraculous. USC head coach Andy Enfield left for SMU after a 15-18 campaign, and that move leaves Bronny with an opportunity to reset somewhere else. He logged just 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in his freshman season.
Read More
B/R: LeBron Says Bronny Has ‘Tough Decisions to Make’ Amid Transfer Rumors
Sporting News: One Team Viewed as Early Favorite to Land Bronny James in Transfer Portal |
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🏀 Both Teams in the Final Four
2024 marks the first time that two schools have sent both teams — men and women — to the Final Four in the same season. UConn and NC State are in unprecedented territory. Can either team get two national titles in the same year? (Yahoo! Sports)
🏈 Landing Spots for Remaining FAs
The NFL world may be focused on the upcoming draft now that the calendar has flipped to April, but plenty of notable free agents still remain unsigned weeks after the new league year kicked off. (Bleacher Report)
⚽️ The April Soccer Viewer’s Guide
Georgia qualified for the Euros. Bayern Munich’s title streak all but ended. Man. City didn’t seize the Premier League. March gave us a lot to keep track of as we enter the penultimate month of the 2023-24 European soccer season. (ESPN) |
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🏒 NHL Devils at Rangers (7:00 pm ET, TNT) Kraken at Kings (9:30 pm ET, TNT) 🏀 NBA Thunder at Celtics (7:30 pm ET, ESPN) Cavaliers at Suns (10:00 pm ET, ESPN) ⚾️ MLB Rangers at Rays (1:10 pm ET, ESPN+)
Giants at Dodgers (10:10 pm ET, MLBN) ⚽️ Soccer EPL: Arsenal vs. Luton Town (2:30 pm ET, NBC)
EPL: Man. City vs. Aston Villa (3:15 pm ET, NBC) CON: Inter Miami vs. Monterrey (8:00 pm ET, FS1) |
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Rainstorms across the country have signaled the arrival of April, and the showers could be reason enough to stay indoors and watch a lot of sports this month. Which April sports event are you most excited for? (click to vote)
🏀 NCAA Final Fours (April 5-8)
⛳️ The Masters (April 11-14)
🏀 NBA Playoffs (Begin April 16)
🏒 Stanley Cup Playoffs (Begin April 20)
🏈 NFL Draft (April 25-27) |
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