Sports Illustrated
2024 LPGA Tour Schedule: Dates, Purses, Winners
Members of the LPGA Tour will play for a record $116 million in 33 official events during the 2024 season.
The season begins with the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions from Jan. 18-21 in Orlando and concludes with the CME Group Tour Championship from Nov. 21-24 in Naples.
The LPGA Tour has five majors again in 2024 including the Chevron Championship.Thomas Shea/USA TODAY Sports
We'll track the winners and total purses for each event here.
2024 LPGA Tour Schedule: Dates, Winners, PursesJan. 18-21: Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, Lake Nona G. and C.C., Orlando, Florida, $1.5 million
Winner: Lydia Ko
Jan. 25-28: LPGA Drive On Championship, Bradenton Country Club, Bradenton, Florida, $1.75 million
Winner: Nelly Korda
Feb. 22-25: Honda LPGA Thailand, Siam C.C., Pattaya, Chonburi, Thailand, Purse: $1.7 million
Winner: TBD
Feb. 29-March 3: HSBC Women's World Championship, Sentosa G.C., Singapore, Purse: $1.8 million
Winner: TBD
March 7-10: Blue Bay LPGA, Jian Lake Blue Bay GC, Hainan Island, China, $2.2 million
Winner: TBD
March 21-24: Se Ri Pak LA Open, Palos Verdes Golf Club, Palos Verdes Estates, California, $2 million
Winner: TBD
March 28-31: Arizona Championship presented by JTBC, TBD, Phoenix, Arizona, $2 million
Winner: TBD
April 3-7: LPGA Match Play at Shadow Creek, Shadow Creek G.C., Las Vegas, Nevada, $2 million
Winner: TBD
April 18-21: The Chevron Championship, The Club at Carlton Woods, The Woodlands, Texas, $5.2 million
Winner: TBD
April 25-28: JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro, Wilshire C.C., Los Angeles, California, $3 million
Winner: TBD
May 9-12: Cognizant Founders Cup, Upper Montclair Country Club, Clifton, New Jersey, $3 million
Winner: TBD
May 16-19: Mizuho Americas Open, Liberty National Golf Club, Jersey City, New Jersey, $3 million
Winner: TBD
May 30-June 2: U.S. Women's Open, Lancaster Country Club, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, $11 million
Winner: TBD
June 7-9: ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer, Seaview, A Dolce Hotel (Bay Course), Galloway, New Jersey, $1.75 million
Winner: TBD
June 13-16: Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, Blythefield C.C., Grand Rapids, Michigan, $3 million
Winner: TBD
June 20-23: KPMG Women's PGA Championship, Sahalee Country Club, Sammamish, Washington, $10 million
Winner: TBD
June 27-30: Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, Midland C.C., Midland, Michigan, $3 million
Winner: TBD
July 11-14: Amundi Evian Championship, Evian Resort G.C., Evian-les-Bains, France, $6.5 million
Winner: TBD
July 18-21: Dana Open for Children, Highland Meadows G.C., Sylvania, Ohio, $1.75 million
Winner: TBD
July 25-28: CPKC Women's Open, Earl Grey Golf Club, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, $2.6 million
Winner: TBD
Aug. 1-4: Portland Classic, Columbia Edgewater Country Club, Portland, Oregon, $1.75 million
Winner: TBD
Aug. 8-11: 2024 Paris Olympics, Le Golf National, Paris, France
Winner: TBD
Aug. 15-19: Women's Scottish Open, TBD, Scotland, $2 million
Winner: TBD
Aug. 22-25: AIG Women's Open, St. Andrews (Old Course), St. Andrews, Scotland, $9 million
Winner: TBD
Aug. 29-Sept. 1: FM Global Championship, TPC Boston, Norton, Massachusetts, $3.5 million
Winner: TBD
Sept. 13-15: Solheim Cup, Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, Gainesville, Virginia
Winning Team: TBD
Sept. 19-22: Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G, TBD, Cincinnati, Ohio, $2 million
Winner: TBD
Sept. 27-29: Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G, Pinnacle Country Club, Rogers, Arkansas, $3 million
Winner: TBD
Oct. 10-13: Buick LPGA Shanghai, Qizhong Garden Golf Club, Shanghai, China, $2.1 million
Winner: TBD
Oct. 17-20: BMW Ladies Championship, TBD, South Korea, $2.2 million
Winner: TBD
Oct. 24-27: Maybank Championship, Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, $3 million
Winner: TBD
Oct. 31-Nov. 3: TOTO Japan Classic, Seta Golf Course, Shiga, Japan, $2 million
Winner: TBD
Nov. 6-9: LOTTE Championship, Hoakalei Country Club in Ewa Beach, Oahu, Hawaii, $3 million
Winner: TBD
Nov. 14-17: The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, Pelican G.C., Belleair, Florida, $3.25 million
Winner: TBD
Nov. 21-24: CME Group Tour Championship, Tiburon G.C., Naples, Florida, $11 million
Winner: TBD
Joe Burrow Had a Perfect Four-Word Message After Ravens Called for Taunting Penalty
The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow broke a nearly month-long silence on social media to tweet four words about the AFC championship game on Sunday.
“Let the guys taunt.”
Let the guys taunt.
— Joey Burrow (@JoeyB) January 28, 2024Burrow's comments refer to a somewhat controversial call in the third quarter of the Baltimore Ravens-Kansas City Chiefs game.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson found wide receiver Zay Flowers for a 54-yard gain down the field, but after securing the catch, Flowers appeared to stand over and taunt his defender L’Jarius Sneed.
The Ravens were slapped with a 15-yard taunting penalty and were unable to capitalize on the drive, which ended with an unfortunate fumble-turned-touchback in the Chiefs’ end zone.
Burrow’s short and sweet message to the NFL officials seems curious for the obvious fact that Baltimore is his biggest rival. The Bengals and Chiefs have locked horns before as recently as last year’s AFC championship game, but the Ravens remain Cincinnati’s longtime division rivals.
Burrow, whose 2023 season was cut short due to a torn ligament in his wrist, likely doesn’t want to see either AFC team go on to win the Super Bowl. He, along with the rest of the NFL community, is no doubt still intrigued to see who will come out on top on Sunday.
NFL Fans Roast Ravens’ Zay Flowers for Costly Fumble, Rookie Mistake
Baltimore Ravens rookie Zay Flowers made a pair of significant mistakes during a critical drive in the third quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs during Sunday’s AFC championship tilt.
After coming up with a completion on the drive, Flowers proceeded to taunt Chiefs’ L’Jarius Sneed, resulting in a penalty against the Ravens. The team was able to overcome that setback, but when Lamar Jackson targeted Flowers again a few plays later, the rookie fumbled the football in the end zone, resulting in a costly turnover forced by none other than Sneed.
Agree with the taunting call? pic.twitter.com/StcuPKSoEe
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 28, 2024LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, L'JARIUS SNEED!!! pic.twitter.com/rHw8hcuUgG
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 28, 2024A report from the CBS broadcast indicated that Flowers then proceeded to suffer a laceration on his hand amid his frustrations on the bench.
Needless to say, football fans weren’t pleased with what was a calamitous few minutes for the star rookie receiver, and they voiced their disappointment on social media.
Game Over. A taunting penalty by Flowers, followed by a fumble/touchback! Don’t get me started on the earlier penalties that led to KC scores. Now stupidity by Clowney w/ roughing the passer. Ravens will lose due to LACK OF DISCIPLINE/MATURITY….barring a miracle
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) January 28, 2024Man, poor Zay Flowers. Has been the best non-Lamar player on the Ravens offense by miles, but two absolutely back-breaking plays on a must-have drive.
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) January 28, 2024If the Ravens lose, one of the biggest factors will be shooting themselves in the foot with dumb penalties.
Knowing where the line is & not crossing it is an emotional maturity issue. Intentional hits to the head & taunting can’t happen.
You can’t give an inch if you are… https://t.co/5n4bayhjzx
Taunting.
Fumble at goal line.
Injure hand pouting after fumble.
That’s the knucklehead trifecta for Zay Flowers.
Zay Flowers makes a crazy play on L’Jarius Sneed for 50 yards and then flexes on him.
A couple players later, L’Jarius Sneed forces a fumble on Zay Flowers. Ultimate revenge.
Zay Flowers just had the best/worst possession I’ve seen from a wide out, 3 big catches, 1 stupid penalty & a fumble
— Dre (@DCSportsDre) January 28, 2024Wild 10-min sequence for Zay Flowers:
54-yard reception
15-yard penalty for taunting
14-yard reception to make up for it
8-yard reception
Fumble at the goal line
Cuts hand in frustration on sideline
NFL Fans Crushed Tony Romo for His Baffling Comment After Lamar Jackson’s Fumble vs. Chiefs
Tony Romo’s broadcasting career got off to such a hot start in his first few years on the job. But since then, fans have become more and more annoyed by the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and the things he says while calling big games on CBS.
Those feelings continued during Sunday’s Chiefs-Ravens AFC championship game when Romo had fans sounding off over a very weird comment after Lamar Jackson fumbled the ball away in the the first half.
Romo quickly blurted this out after the play: "In games like this, the ball matters more than any game."
Here’s how that played out:
"In games like this, the ball matters more than any game."
- Tony Romo. https://t.co/mfzwC4ceJZ pic.twitter.com/wyfxiTUwiA
NFL fans roasted Romo:
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 what the hell man https://t.co/DOsL1GK2EY
— Colin D'Cunha (@ColinsanityInc) January 28, 2024He just has nothing. Idk what CBS can do if that’s all he has to say https://t.co/fjvev7OSXJ
— David Thomas (@dthomas2003) January 28, 2024Christ Almighty, Romo… 🤦🏻♀️😂 https://t.co/rogOEvfd9z
— ⛄️miranda ⛄️ (@missmiranda) January 28, 2024Tony Romo in mid-season babbling form. https://t.co/7EsqMpGC9W
— Bob Greenburg (@BobGreenburg) January 28, 2024It’s statements like this why watching the game on mute is the move when Romo is on the call of the game. I wonder when CBS will start regretting the 10 year deal they gave him. https://t.co/2Y0ugqfQ8B
— zane dodge (@DodgeZane) January 28, 2024Haha yesssssss Tony https://t.co/9lfvdZy7wy
— Gary (@GDan1els) January 28, 2024“In games like this, the ball matters more than in any other games.” - Tony Romo after the Ravens turnover. pic.twitter.com/rL9fzlBryo
— Marisa Marino (@mustbemarisa87) January 28, 2024Tony Romo: “The ball matters more than in any game!” pic.twitter.com/Bc5wXfz2Rv
— Joe Wright (@Sctvman) January 28, 2024Even If a Deal to Unify Golf Is Near, It May Not Answer Every Question
The smoke signals are faint, but indications are a long-discussed deal between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia is near, if not already completed.
The problem for now is the results of the deal are unlikely to be completely satisfying to all, at least not in the short term.
Sports Illustrated has learned that significant progress was made recently and—barring the usual approvals from both sides, a process that is seemingly never quick—a new version of the "framework agreement" is set to be unveiled.
Jay Monahan and Yasir Al-Rumayyan have continued talking in efforts to unify the sport.Imago
Several plane-tracking services had the Aramco jet in New York last week at the same time the PGA Tour’s plane was there. Aramco is the Saudi oil company and the plane is one that Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the PIF, uses. The PGA Tour jet doesn’t go anywhere without commissioner Jay Monahan.
It seems unlikely they were there to chat about anything other than the conclusion or near-conclusion of the deal. According to a recent report, they had not met in person since the June 6 agreement was announced.
On Friday, Sportico reported that the Strategic Sports Group, which includes Fenway Sports and other high-profile sports owners, was set to begin investment in the PGA Tour as soon as this week. Months ago, the Tour announced it was in exclusive talks with SSG to form a relationship for private equity investment alongside the PIF.
The investment would be just shy of $3 billion and would be part of the new PGA Tour Enterprises, the separate entity outlined in the original framework agreement that would see a for-profit company under the PGA Tour banner while leaving the non-profit PGA Tour as it was constructed decades ago. It is unclear if the SSG deal will be announced first or in combination with a bigger agreement.
The PGA Tour has not commented.
That for-profit company was to see Al-Rumayyan serve as chairman of the board, with Monahan as CEO and a board comprised mostly of PGA Tour board members.
As part of the agreement, PIF would invest in this new company along with SSG, with the amount unclear. Apparently PIF would partner with the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and SSG to gain acceptance—as has long been viewed as its ultimate goal.
Such an arrangement—perhaps unveiled in parts—might also be by design as a way to appease the U.S. Department of Justice.
That is important in the short term because, as one source told Sports Illustrated, there is still the issue of "what to do with LIV."
The idea that LIV Golf could have been shuttered was a possibility, but also didn’t seem realistic given the enormous costs associated with getting to this point. But folding it into the new entity apparently is not easy, either.
Rory McIlroy has suggested that the game needs to be "global" and said perhaps the LIV Golf team format could be played at specific times of the year. Others have wondered if LIV events could be "co-sanctioned," if you will, to have them count as PGA Tour or DP World Tour events.
Bryson DeChambeau said he wants a way for the game to come together so all the players can play together again and said last week on a LIV Golf conference call that he expected a deal soon.
"I think the deal is going to come quicker than you think," he said. "It might not be the next couple of weeks. Maybe a month or so. But it’s going to happen. There’s no way around it now. This is about the good of the game for the fans. The health of the game for the fans.
"As time goes on, we’re starting to see these fans are hungry for us all to come back together. I can’t wait for that day to happen."
But as it stands, it doesn’t appear the players will be coming together outside of the major championships anytime soon. That was always likely to be the case for this year, and now it's possible that 2025 plays out the same way.
LIV Golf has been operating under that assumption since last summer. It has proceeded as though it will continue into next year, signing team sponsorships and working out deals with venues. Most of the LIV players contracts expire after the 2025 season.
All of which leads to far more questions than answers.
If the PGA Tour and LIV play separate schedules again next year, how does that achieve the goal of bringing the game together? Does LIV Golf continue to play without world ranking points? What does PGA Tour Enterprises look like? And what is SSG actually investing in? The Sportico story said “domestic rights," does that mean the PIF’s investment will be for international rights? Will the PIF event venture into sponsorship on the PGA Tour?
Meanwhile, both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf have big events this week, finally away from the NFL. The PGA Tour plays its second signature event with an 80-player field at Pebble Beach. Jon Rahm makes his LIV debut in Mexico where the first of a 14-tournament schedule begins.
Dawn Staley Epically Leaned Into LSU Joke With Three-Letter Message on Sweatshirt
South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley went viral after the team’s 76–70 win over LSU on Thursday because of how she responded to the opposing crowd’s “boos” against her.
A reporter was asking her about how unfriendly the LSU crowd was to her, but Staley didn’t see it that way.
“Actually they were [friendly], they were calling me boo,” Staley jokingly said.
To play into this now iconic quote more, Staley showed up to the team’s game vs. Vanderbilt on Sunday wearing a sweatshirt that said “Boo.” It was definitely a fun way for her to lean into the joke further than just her response on Thursday.
Dawn Staley rocking the “BOO” hoodie today🤣@WLTX | #Gamecocks pic.twitter.com/aNT66vqkrm
— Chandler Mack (@chandlerdmack) January 28, 2024Thursday night’s matchup was full of intense emotions as the No. 1 Gamecocks came back to beat the No. 8 Tigers. South Carolina remained undefeated after the win, and it was clear that the LSU crowd was hoping to hand the Gamecocks their first loss of the season.
South Carolina won 91–74 on Sunday over Vanderbilt to remain undefeated.
NFL Fans Had So Many Gisele Bundchen-Tom Brady Jokes After Lamar Jackson’s Sweet Catch vs. Chiefs
NFL fans and media were dazzled by Lamar Jackson’s 13-yard pass to himself in the second quarter of the Baltimore Ravens’ AFC championship clash with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Social media immediately filled up with references to Tony Romo’s gushing call of the play on the CBS telecast and comparisons to Marcus Mariota completing a pass to himself (against the Chiefs) in the 2017 NFL playoffs for the Tennessee Titans.
However, many people quickly made a joke referencing gripes from supermodel Gisele Bundchen about her then-husband Tom Brady after the New England Patriots lost Super Bowl XLVI to the New York Giants.
“My husband cannot f—ing throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time,” Bundchen said, which was infamously caught on video.
As many fans pointed out, Jackson did just that against the Chiefs.
Gisele: "My husband cannot f---ing throw the ball and catch the ball."
Lamar: "Hold my beer."
Lamar Jackson confirmed better than Tom Brady pic.twitter.com/FiAS0h2NiF
— Motivational Pictures With Reality Deep Meaning (@doulbedoink) January 28, 2024Gisele: Tom can’t throw and catch the ball himself
Lamar:
pic.twitter.com/onGfQhCwdJ
Gisele-“My Husband cannot F*cking throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time.”
Lamar Jackson- “I ain’t ya husband” pic.twitter.com/UE5MdfCQEU
Gisele Bundchen was wrong … apparently a QB can throw it and catch it themselves 😂
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) January 28, 2024Gisele: “My husband cannot throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time”
Lamar: pic.twitter.com/TX7mRrHBMv
Gisele might wanna be sitting down for this one
pic.twitter.com/rRSUJEaFVH
The Ravens trail the Chiefs at halftime, 17–7, in part because Jackson hasn’t been able to throw to receivers besides himself. He currently has 67 yards passing, completing 5 of 12 passes. Zay Flowers leads Baltimore with two receptions for 37 yards and a touchdown.
Nuggets’ Michael Malone Appears to Criticize 76ers, Joel Embiid Over Injury Status
When it was announced that Joel Embiid would miss the Philadelphia 76ers' game against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, there was no shortage of disappointment. It meant fans wouldn’t get another round of the Embiid vs. Nikola Jokić rivalry, but apparently, it also left Denver coach Michael Malone a bit baffled.
Embiid had played in Philadelphia’s previous six games, including one against the Nuggets, a victory in which he poured in 41 points with 10 assists and seven rebounds. When the news came out, Malone discussed the topic and stated his belief that the league would look into Embiid’s absence.
“I don’t know how you go from being active, available, to out. I’m sure the league will do their due diligence. Because that’s frowned upon.” Malone told reporters after the game. “And we’ve had situations this year where we’ve talked to the league, and they told us if a player goes from active to out, there’s going to be an investigation.”
Then, Malone proceeded to say he saw Embiid get hurt in the previous game.
“I’m sure that Joel—he hurt his knee in the Indiana game, I guess real. We watched the game … so I’m sure he’s hurt,” Malone also said.
It’s a confusing run of comments from the Nuggets coach, who said he felt there was a “letdown” from his team when the news of Embiid’s absence came just before tip-off.
It’ll be interesting to see if Malone’s belief that an investigation is coming pans out. Regardless, the Nuggets went on to win 111–105 behind a well-rounded offensive effort featuring four players scoring 18 or more points. Jokić led the way with 26 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists.
Chiefs’ Travis Kelce Passes Jerry Rice to Stand Alone in NFL Postseason History
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce registered seven catches in the first half of Sunday’s AFC championship game against the Baltimore Ravens to pass Jerry Rice for the most postseason receptions in NFL history.
Kelce broke the record in the second quarter on an 8-yard pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes. It was the Chiefs star’s 152nd career catch in the playoffs. Rice, a three-time Super Bowl champion with the San Francisco 49ers, recorded 151 postseason catches in his 20-season NFL career.
It helps that Kelce has appeared in the playoffs every year since the 2015 season.
A postseason legend. Congratulations @tkelce! pic.twitter.com/x6pyPz4o0b
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 28, 2024Kelce also is chasing another of Rice’s postseason records. He scored his 19th playoff touchdown Sunday to cap the Chiefs’ first drive. Rice holds the NFL record for career postseason touchdowns with 22.
It’s uncertain whether the 34-year-old Kelce will continue adding to his playoff statistics after this season. Regardless, he already ranks among the greatest tight ends in NFL history.
Lamar Jackson Caught His Own Pass for a 13-Yard Gain, and Tony Romo Was Beside Himself
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson made a play during the AFC championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs that left everyone, especially CBS commentator Tony Romo, astounded.
Jackson somehow completed a pass to himself on a second-down play in the second quarter of the Ravens-Chiefs game. The presumptive NFL MVP attempted a pass, which was tipped straight into the air, then, along with three Chiefs defenders, tracked the ball like a baseball outfielder.
Jackson hauled in the pass and ran it for a 13-yard gain, leaving Romo practically giddy on the broadcast. Here's the play, which was posted onto the Ravens' account on X, formerly Twitter.
LAMAR TO LAMAR 😂😂😂😂
Tune in on CBS! pic.twitter.com/cHm40kcF9E
Here's another angle.
what in the world 👽
📺: #KCvsBAL on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/IIZbdmhqNS pic.twitter.com/x05SeTm8gH
"One of the greatest plays I’ve ever seen. This is intercepted 100% by the Chiefs [safety Justin] Reid, and Lamar uses the instincts, the God-given gifts, the awareness to beat him to the punch, and makes one of the greatest plays you’ll ever see in a championship game," exclaimed Romo.
It was indeed incredible awareness by Jackson, who made another highlight reel play earlier in the game on the Ravens' touchdown.
Judging by how Kansas City has looked in the first half, Baltimore may need some more Jackson magic to pull off a victory.
Ravens Offense Trolls Chiefs, Taylor Swift With Cheeky TD Celebration in AFC Championship
The Baltimore Ravens took little time to get on the board in the first half of the AFC championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Quarterback Lamar Jackson scored his first passing touchdown of the game in style, so naturally, he and the rest of the Ravens’ offense had to celebrate in style—and throw some shade at their opponents in the process.
In the first quarter, Jackson escaped heavy pressure and threw a 30-yard bomb downfield to Zay Flowers for a game-tying touchdown.
Afterward, Jackson, Flowers, and the rest of the Ravens’ team huddled up and broke out into a “Swag Surfin” celebration.
AYEEEEEEE pic.twitter.com/8lbAVwVqoZ
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 28, 2024Baltimore's touchdown festivities took a dig at two things: one, the fact that the Chiefs played the song “Swag Surfin” by the Fast Life Yungstaz at Arrowhead Stadium a few weeks ago at the request of linebacker Willie Gay.
Then, in the Chiefs’ wild card round playoff win over the Miami Dolphins, members of the Chiefs’ suite (including Taylor Swift) were seen swaying back and forth to the song, which turned into a cheesy viral moment.
In a championship game as competitive as this, expect more touchdowns—and more cheeky celebrations—on both sides.
The Chiefs are currently up 14–7 in the second quarter.
2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Full Field: 80 Players in Season's First $20 Million Signature Event
The PGA Tour's West Coast swing rolls on this week to iconic Pebble Beach, where the scenery will be beautiful as always but the golf will look a little different from decades of previous visits to the Monterey Peninsula.
This year's AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am is a signature event, with 80 players, no cut and a $20 million purse. That means all of the Tour's best together, from Rory McIlroy (making his 2024 Tour debut) to world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and everyone else from last year's FedEx Cup top 50.
Rory McIlroy makes his PGA Tour season debut this week at Pebble Beach.John David Mercer/USA TODAY Sports
But the pros will have the weekend to themselves, as the traditional Pro-Am has been shortened to 36 holes at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill. For decades, the Saturday broadcast focused heavily on celebrities.
This week's field includes the aforementioned 2023 top 50 in points, plus Nos. 51-60 following the FedEx Cup Fall. Nicolai Hojgaard is in the field by finishing atop the 2023 DP World Tour Race to Dubai. Matthieu Pavon, Grayson Murray, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Kevin Yu and Stephan Jaeger qualified by finishing atop a points list from the last three weeks, and newly turned professional Nick Dunlap is here thanks to his remarkable win at the American Express. Justin Thomas is in via his world ranking (the top 30 not otherwise exempt qualify). Got all that?
The winner will receive 700 FedEx Cup points; a "regular" Tour event winner gets 500.
Below is the full field list from the PGA Tour Communications Twitter feed.
Field for next week's AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
If Justin Thomas (currently No. 23) is in the top 30 when the Official World Golf Ranking for Week 4 is published, he will qualify and Hayden Buckley will move to first alternate. pic.twitter.com/YfA0pfk04j
Takeaways: Why Bill Belichick Won’t Get the Head Coaching Job He Wanted
By the end of Sunday night, Super Bowl LVIII will be set. And so are we, with this week’s Takeaways …
O.K., so it’s still weird that Bill Belichick wanted to be a head coach in 2024, and won’t be afforded that opportunity. It’s worth running through his résumé again. Six Super Bowl titles. Nine conference championships. Seventeen division titles. Thirteen AFC title game appearances. And all that over his first 20 years in New England.
How does a coach with that history get shut out?
Belichick completed a second interview with the Falcons on Jan. 19.Damian Strohmeyer/Sports Illustrated
Well, Belichick’s list of suitors likely got narrowed for the same reason Tom Brady’s did four years ago, simply by the conditions that would need to exist for a team to go get him. It’d have to be a team that felt like it was close to contending, in a location that appealed to Belichick, with a setup and roster that could be shaped in his vision. Try applying all those elements to this year’s eight openings, and you’ll see how quickly the number gets whittled down.
Then, there’s how things with the Atlanta Falcons went. My understanding is Blank went into the process wanting to hire Belichick as coach. But those around the owner, fearing what that could mean for them, nudged him in different directions. After a while, the amount of change hiring Belichick could require weighed on Blank. Especially when taking into consideration that making that amount of change might only get him two years of Belichick.
And, again, none of this is really Belichick’s fault. It’s just that if you’re going to hire him, you have to go all in on that and, given that he’s not going to coach for another decade, it makes sense that that’d be hard for an owner to reckon with.
Now, all of that being said, it’s Belichick. The fact that no one is hiring him isn’t a great reflection on the league.
Aside from Belichick’s candidacy—I’ll say that I think the Falcons hit a home run in getting Raheem Morris. The Los Angeles Rams’ defensive coordinator is still just 47 years old, and he will have had a dozen years of experience in between his head coaching stints, going to Super Bowls with two teams along the way. He’s coached on both sides of the ball, he’s always had the leadership traits necessary, and everyone vouches for him.
All of which played into the decision that Arthur Blank made to hire him last week.
For Blank, really, the path here started with those ringing endorsements from people like Sean McVay, Mike Tomlin, Kyle Shanahan, Matt LaFleur and Mike McDaniel, each of whom have been with Morris at different points. And within those endorsements was something pretty interesting. All of them (save for Tomlin, who became a head coach before Morris did) explained that Morris helped them by being open about his own experience and showing a deep humility about how his three years in Tampa Bay went.
That Blank (and CEO Rich McKay) knew Morris from his six years as a Falcons assistant only further brought all of that to life for the committee, especially since those two had seen him as an assistant head coach, a secondary coach, a receivers coach, a defensive coordinator and, finally, in 2020, an interim head coach.
Then, there were the details that they picked up in the interviews. The first was with a search committee headed up by McKay, GM Terry Fontenot, assistant GM Kyle Smith and team president Greg Beadles. The second was in-person at Blank’s home and offices in Buckhead, Ga.
Morris was one of the most sought-after play-callers in this coaching carousel.Kevork Djansezian/AP Photo
• Morris showed a real capacity to keep growing, and that was reflected in how his defense changed, first from his Tampa-2 roots to fit what Quinn had run in Atlanta, and then to where the Rams were in a Vic Fangio–centric scheme in Los Angeles.
• Everyone knows Morris’s ability to galvanize, but having him in the room showed just how much he could connect with people from all walks of life, and how he could build key relationships to manage a team in the tough moments.
• Morris gave the team a combination of head-coaching experience and the feel of something fresh and new. Atlanta tried to tailor the process to the candidates. Belichick, for example, had his first interview one-on-one with Blank and was the only one to meet with the owner during that round. Vrabel and Jim Harbaugh met with smaller groups, rather than meeting with the whole committee. With Morris, it almost didn’t matter how the Falcons did it. And that made an impact.
• The Falcons knew Morris would also be able to attract an all-star staff, with people like Los Angeles’s sought-after pass-game coordinator Zac Robinson on his list (who is already on board).
• And, finally there was his ability to coach everyone on the roster. Anyone, the thought went, could coach Jake Matthews or Chris Lindstrom or Grady Jarrett. But Morris could do a lot more than that, able to get in the weeds at any position with his experience coaching both sides of the ball.
And with all that taken into account, this one ended similarly to how the Tennessee Titans closed on Brian Callahan (which we will get into below). Atlanta did second interviews with 49ers OC Bobby Slowik and Carolina Panthers DC Ejiro Evero. The Falcons also had one scheduled with Callahan, and Harbaugh, too. Plus, they had plans to travel to Detroit to meet with Johnson and Glenn, and to Baltimore to visit Macdonald and assistant head coach Anthony Weaver.
But with Morris scheduled to go to Seattle to interview Friday, and all the information to gather, to paraphrase that draft analogy again, there was no need to wait until February to hire a guy they loved in January. So it got done, then and there.
While we’re there, it’s worth mentioning, too, that owners now more than ever want going to work to be fun. I know how that sounds kind of silly. But it’s true. I remember hearing one reason why Jerry Jones drifted from his commitment to Bill Parcells in the aughts was because being owner wasn’t as much fun when Jones was more disconnected from it, nor when his football operation was so militaristic.
Nearly two decades later, my sense is a lot of owners think that—almost as if to say, implicitly, I didn’t spend billions on this team to not have a blast with it.
Add to that the fact that players aren’t coming up under drill sergeants in high school and college the way they used to (one reason Belichick would always pluck from Nick Saban and Urban Meyer’s programs was he knew their players could handle the rigors of being a Patriot), and you can see how good hiring logic can line up with what an owner wants to do anyway.
And while I don’t think all this is the only reason Belichick was left out, I do think it is a reason for it. And maybe it’s a reason with Mike Vrabel too. The likelihood Vrabel gets shut out is just as mind-blowing to me as the icing out of Belichick.
The Titans found out what a lot of people already knew: Callahan was a coach not just worth investigating, but one worth pursuing. The team’s search committee finished up with the Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Monday and sent him off to meet with the business folks, the trainers and the analytics department. Tennessee then gathered its thoughts, with a shared sentiment that owner Amy Adams Struck was first to voice.
“This felt right,” she told the high-end group of her employees. “This felt right.”
By the time Callahan came back to the football side of the operation, he had an offer, and the Titans were canceling their interviews for the week. Tennessee, more or less, didn’t want to leave anything to chance. “It’s just like drafting someone,” one staffer says. “If you draft him at 13, why not take him?” Or, in this case, why gamble that the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers would see what the Titans did in Callahan, and let him take his second interviews there?
So Strunk had her coach, 13 days after firing Mike Vrabel.
What happened in the interim is interesting, and merits recounting, if for no other reason than Tennessee wasn’t a team planning to run a search when the season ended.
• The process kicked off, in earnest, as GM Ran Carthon finished his presser on the afternoon of Jan. 9—just hours after Strunk went into the meeting with Vrabel not knowing what she would do, and came out of it without a head football coach. Carthon and assistant GMs Chad Brinker and Anthony Robinson huddled Tuesday night and into Wednesday to compile names, landing on nine to send requests to that afternoon.
The nine: Callahan, Las Vegas Raiders interim coach Antonio Pierce, Ravens DC Mike Macdonald, New York Giants OC Mike Kafka, Slowik, Lions DC Aaron Glenn, Panthers OC Thomas Brown, Dallas Cowboys DC Dan Quinn and former Stanford coach David Shaw. The rest of the day, the three chief personnel people culled questions for the interviews, coming up with nine criteria on which to grade the candidates.
• Zoom meetings started Friday morning, and Callahan was first. Carthon, Brinker and Robinson had asked their scouts to dig on the candidates, while the three canvased their contacts and did the same. And what Callahan showed in his references, and through the first interview, was a consistency in how he saw things, and how his vision and philosophy matched what those who’d been around him said.
Carthon and Bengals coach Zac Taylor worked together with the Los Angeles Rams, and the rapport the two had helped the Titans go deeper into Callahan’s background, plus learn his responsibilities in Cincinnati. In the end, Taylor’s recommendation was one that resonated.
Callahan has a completely different approach to coaching than Vrabel did.Joseph Maiorana/USA TODAY Sports
• From there, the Titans identified five candidates for second interviews, and for this round, it was more than just Carthon, Brinker and Robinson. Strunk was there, as were board chair Kenneth Adams (Strunk’s nephew), team president Burke Nihill and director of football strategy Bryce Wasserman.
Before the group, Callahan again articulated his vision and beliefs, detailed his experience developing quarterbacks, and explained how working with stars at the beginning (Joe Burrow), middle (Matthew Stafford) and end (Peyton Manning) of their careers gave him a complete education on how to handle the position.
But it was after all that when Callahan may have shoved this one over the goal line—sitting one-on-one with Carthon and getting him out of interview mode, to a place where the two were just having a natural conversation about football. Not long after that, Callahan said goodbye to the seven powerbrokers he was tasked with winning over, en route to those other meetings that were set up for him, not knowing he’d effectively ended Tennessee’s search.
Because, as Strunk told the room, everything about it felt right.
Seattle’s search is a little different than most, because the Seahawks didn’t go into the process the way most teams do, looking for some massive level of change. The roster has a nice well of young talent. The atmosphere in the building was good last year. The unique energy that radiated over Pete Carroll’s 14 years remains, too.
And along those lines, I get the sense that owner Jody Allen, GM John Schneider & Co. would like to build on everything Carroll left behind, not tear it down.
That, to me, is reflected in the names that are still alive in the search. Former defensive coordinator Quinn, Evero, Kafka (an Andy Reid disciple) and Raiders DC Patrick Graham (even with his New England roots) have a positive, cerebral approach to the job. So, too, do Johnson and Macdonald, both of whom, as we detailed Friday, remain in the hunt. Seattle is hoping to travel to Detroit this week to meet with Johnson, while the rules make things more complicated on interviewing Macdonald.
Regardless of what happens, the list does hint at a group of decision-makers leaning into what the Seahawks already are, and what’s brought them so much success, instead of going the other way. Which in this case is a pretty wise way to approach it.
Jerod Mayo’s first staff in New England is likely to blend new and old. First, I’d expect an announcement shortly to make public the promotion of defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington to defensive coordinator. I could still see the Patriots backstopping that hire to help Covington on the back end of the defense, with Denver Broncos DBs coach Christian Parker on the radar.
All signs point to the Patriots promoting DL coach DeMarcus Covington to defensive coordinator, per sources. Should be official early next week, New England has called other candidates to tell them they're out.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 27, 2024Then, there’s the two phases Mayo has less involvement.
On offense, Rams tight ends coach and former Patriots assistant Nick Caley will get the first crack at a second interview: He flew in from Los Angeles on Sunday, with dinner that night and meetings Monday. Niners assistants Brian Fleury and Klint Kubiak interviewed along with Lions assistant Tanner Engtrand, and the team plans to talk with Raiders assistant Scott Turner and former Bears OC Luke Getsy. The Patriots also met with former Seahawks OC Shane Waldron, who ultimately landed in Chicago, and Robinson, who we mentioned above is headed for Atlanta.
And coming with Caley from Los Angeles for his own second interview is Rams special teams assistant Jeremy Springer.
My guess is the Patriots will have most of the big hires wrapped up this week. It is interesting to see the blend here between coaches with New England experience, such as Covington, and folks from the McVay–Shanahan tree (Fleury, at this point, would be a name to watch), plus Caley, who has worked his way into being a combination of both.
How Fangio fits in Philadelphia bears watching. The Eagles announced their hiring of Fangio on Saturday night, and thus ended what really was a two-year courtship of the former Broncos coach from Philadelphia. Through 2022, the team did everything but have Fangio measure out an office to line him up as their contingency plan, in the event Jonathan Gannon bolted for a head coaching job. Officially, he served as a “consultant.”
All of that came apart simply due to timing. Gannon did land a job with Arizona, but that didn’t crystallize until just before last year’s Super Bowl, which was well after Fangio agreed to take the Dolphins job, at $4.65 million per year. Fangio went to Miami, and the Eagles turned to Sean Desai instead.
Since, Desai and Fangio have both effectively been fired. The former was first stripped of play-calling, then dismissed. The latter’s situation was messier. Fangio’s one-voice approach to running the defense wore on other coaches—an example being that he didn’t allow position coaches to present their work to the defense, instead gathering information from them and doing it himself. That sort of approach is decidedly old school, and seeped through to players who, by the end of the season, started to tune Fangio out.
So while Fangio may have wanted to go to Philadelphia all along, his departure from Miami wasn’t exactly voluntary. And my sense is whoever’s next (former Chargers coach Brandon Staley meets with the Dolphins on Sunday) will have to employ a more collaborative style, plus mesh better with stars such as Jalen Ramsey.
Before heading from Maryland to Alabama, here are my quick-hitters going into Super Bowl bye week (and Senior Bowl week) …
• In Friday’s Tip Sheet, GMs weighed in on the importance of Senior Bowl week, which kicks off Monday on the Gulf Coast. Indianapolis Colts GM Chris Ballard got back to me just after it ran, so I figured this would be a good spot to run his take.
“The Senior Bowl is an extremely important and valuable scouting opportunity for the entire league,” Ballard texted. “It’s really the first opportunity to interact with [the players] and get to know who they are as a person. It also helps confirm everything we saw over their careers in college. Jim [Nagy] and his staff do an outstanding job of getting the best talent at the game so we can see them compete against equal-like talent. It’s invaluable.”
• Evero has emerged as an interesting figure to watch in the next few weeks. He’s on a deal at over $3 million per year to be the Carolina’s defensive coordinator, but was hired as part of a Frank Reich’s staff now being inherited by Dave Canales. Meanwhile, the Packers and Rams—whose head coaches know Evero well—have openings. They would both have the 43-year-old, if available, near or at the top of their lists. And those places, at least on paper, could better pipeline Evero into a head-coaching shot. So … stay tuned.
• While we’re with the Panthers, the hire of Chiefs VP of football operations, Brandt Tilis, has been in the works for a couple of weeks (he’s cleaned out his office in Kansas City, and wasn’t on the trips to Buffalo or Baltimore). It should set Carolina up in a way similar to how the Lions, Rams and 49ers are, with a scouting type as GM paired up with someone adept on the cap, analytics and operations side. In this case, new GM Dan Morgan would be Brad Holmes, Les Snead or John Lynch, and Tilis would be Mike Disner, Kevin Demoff or Paraag Marathe.
• And one last thing on Carolina—Canales’s connection to Morgan helped him land the job there, but he will ultimately be judged on how Bryce Young develops at quarterback. Canales spent the past five of 13 years in Seattle working with the quarterbacks, helping in the transition from Russell Wilson to Geno Smith, then guiding Baker Mayfield back out of the quarterbacking wilderness this year. So his résumé with guys at that position is pretty good.
• Harbaugh may be on the verge of his first Chargers’ win, with the expected news that Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter will follow him to Los Angeles. Among those who worked with both in Baltimore years ago, Minter is considered a pretty close comp to Macdonald. (Harbaugh was picking between the two in 2021, took Macdonald, then hired Minter to replace him when Macdonald returned to the Ravens.) And we’ve seen what Macdonald has accomplished in two years as John Harbaugh’s DC. I wouldn’t be surprised if Minter is among the NFL’s best defensive coordinators in short order.
Minter spent four years on the Ravens’ staff as well.Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports
• The Eagles’ hire of Kellen Moore is interesting in that Moore will be the first OC that Nick Sirianni has had who he did not have previous experience. Sirianni and Shane Steichen were together with the Chargers, and Brian Johnson had two years as their QB coach before becoming OC last year. How that works, and how much the Eagles change an offense tailored specifically to Jalen Hurts, bears watching.
• Slowik has done well in interviews, sitting down twice with the Washington Commanders, who he has a natural connection with after he and GM Adam Peters were together in San Francisco. But at this point, it looks more likely that Slowik will be back in Houston—which would be great news for C.J. Stroud, even if it is just for one more year.
• Speaking of the Commanders, as we said Friday, they’ll have a full contingent in Detroit on Monday to meet with Johnson and Glenn. Meanwhile, Quinn will be traveling to Washington to meet with all of them back in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday. So that one is moving too.
• For what it’s worth, Panthers OC Thomas Brown did really well interviewing for the Titans’ job. As was the case with the highly regarded Evero, Carolina’s season did weigh Brown’s candidacy down a bit, naturally. But he’s one to keep an eye on in 2025, for sure.
• Lastly: I’ve heard a lot of complaining about the new rules and hiring timeline, and how awkward or weird it is for both candidates and teams involved. Having to do everything over Zoom through the first two weeks only seems to serve to save owners money, because they were the ones traveling to interview playoff teams’ coaches. It wasn’t the other way around. It’s left a lot of teams scrambling for assistants, and assistants scrambling for jobs at a later point in the calendar, which really helps no one.
We’ll see if it gets adjusted again.
Taylor Swift Had a Priceless Reaction to Travis Kelce’s TD vs. Ravens in AFC Championship Game
Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs are battling the Baltimore Ravens in what should be a very good AFC championship game and it didn’t take long for the star tight end and the defending champs to find the end zone.
Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City offense drove down the field on their first drive of the game and got on the scoreboard with a nice 19-yard touchdown pass to Kelce.
Kelce was fired up after the score, and so was his girlfriend, Taylor Swift, who could be seen celebrating with everyone in her luxury suite.
Check this out:
TD Trav ‼️
📺: #KCvsBAL on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/IIZbdmhqNS pic.twitter.com/hNIAFTBSKU
We'll have to wait and see if the Chiefs and Swift will be celebrating any more during Sunday’s game in Baltimore.
Jim Harbaugh Bluntly Explains Reason for Leaving Michigan for NFL Job
Jim Harbaugh is heading back to the NFL.
Fresh off of a win in the College Football Playoff national championship with Michigan, Harbaugh announced that he would be leaving the Wolverines to return to the big leagues, accepting the top job with the Los Angeles Chargers.
On Sunday, Harbaugh was in Baltimore to watch as his older brother John led the Ravens into the AFC Championship against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Before the game, the younger Harbaugh sat down with the CBS crew to discuss his return to the NFL. According to Harbaugh, the decision came down to one simple factor.
“It was tough. I was torn,” Harbaugh said. “My wife, kids. I love Michigan. But I love the NFL too. There’s no Lombardi Trophy in college football. I only have so many sands left in the hourglass, and I want to take a crack at that.”
“I love Michigan, but I love the NFL too. There’s no Lombardi Trophy in college football.” - Jim Harbaugh on leaving Michigan for the @Chargers pic.twitter.com/Gbc9U1ysvq
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 28, 2024Harbaugh will have a tall task if he’s to lift the Lombardi Trophy, as the Chargers compete in an AFC West division that has been dominated by the Chiefs for nearly a decade.
The 2024 season can’t come soon enough.
Patrick Mahomes Fired Up Chiefs With NSFW Speech Before AFC Title Game vs. Ravens
Patrick Mahomes was locked in ahead of Sunday's AFC championship game matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.
Clearly, emotions are running high heading into the game, as Mahomes brushed aside Ravens kicker Justin Tucker's psychological troll attempt during pregame warmups. Then, Kansas City Chiefs players were involved in some pushing and shoving with Ravens defensive back Arthur Maulet.
It's no surprise, then, that Mahomes carried this intensity into an NSFW pregame speech to the Chiefs, which was recorded by Adam Teicher of ESPN and shared onto his account on X, formerly Twitter.
Mahomes can be heard shouting, "How bad do you f***ing want it?" in the fiery speech.
Mahomes message to the Chiefs as they took field for warmups: "How bad do you f---ing want it?" pic.twitter.com/oECjf6kee4
— Adam Teicher (@adamteicher) January 28, 2024One could make the case that this year's AFC championship game means even more to Kansas City, given that the road to this point has been rockier than they've become accustomed to during the Mahomes era.
It will be apparent just how bad the Chiefs want it on Sunday, as the Ravens, the AFC's top seed, will be far-and-away the best team they've faced this season.
Chiefs’ Travis Kelce, Ravens’ Justin Tucker Squabble Before AFC Championship Game
The Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens started clashing before the AFC championship game even kicked off on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who already made headlines thanks to his pregame outfit, appeared to take exception to the location Ravens kicker Justin Tucker chose to conduct his warmups, which was in close proximity to Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Kelce took matters into his own hands, grabbing Tucker's helmet and ball and tossing each piece of equipment away from the Ravens placekicker. Tucker, with an amused look on his face, continued to stretch in front of Mahomes, who was making warmup throws.
Here's the moment, captured by NFL Network's James Palmer.
Travis Kelce told Justin Tucker he needed to move because their QB Patrick Mahomes had to warm up. So Kelce kicked his ball away and threw his helmet. 😂 pic.twitter.com/pFF0DC1yA7
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) January 28, 2024And this wasn't even the first interaction that the Chiefs and Ravens stars had in the pregame, as Mahomes seemingly kicked Tucker's holder away, which prompted the two to have words, a conversation that Kelce then joined.
Patrick Mahomes and Justin Tucker going at it pregame 😂. Mahomes keeps kicking Tuckers holder away. pic.twitter.com/KeqhYyle4t
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) January 28, 2024It's not clear what's being said, but what is apparent is that the Chiefs and Ravens are engaging in some good, old-fashioned gamesmanship before what promises to be an entertaining title game.
Elsewhere during warm-ups, a second minor scuffle developed near midfield.
Chiefs and Ravens exchanging some words on the field before kickoff. 👀 pic.twitter.com/eBCqrs4ru4
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 28, 2024Get your popcorn ready, folks.
Ex-NBA Guard Warns Kyle Lowry As Buyout Looms: Lakers Want to ‘Make You the Fall Guy’
Following the Miami Heat‘s trade to acquire Terry Rozier from the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday, it appears likely that veteran guard Kyle Lowry, who was included in the deal, could find his way to the buyout market. Charlotte is expected to try to negotiate a trade involving the 37-year-old guard, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski previously reported, but if that doesn’t pan out, Lowry could have a chance to select his next team.
With a buyout possibly on the horizon, former NBA guard Evan Turner gave some advice to the former Heat guard: Don’t go to the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Kyle, do not go to the Lakers, they are trying to make you the fall guy,” Turner posted on X, formerly Twitter. “Think about your legacy.”
It’s reverse recruiting at its finest by the 10-year NBA player, who spent time with five different teams. For good measure, Turner, who was the No. 2 pick in the 2010 NBA draft, never has played for Los Angeles, Miami or Charlotte. He’s also never played on the same team as Lowry, so the advice is interesting.
Kyle Lowry was traded from the Heat to the Hornets on Tuesday and could be on the move again in the coming days.Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
But what likely led to Turner’s post was the end of the brief Russell Westbrook era for the Lakers and a potential trade on the horizon involving guard D’Angelo Russell. Regardless, the Lakers will be a team to watch on the buyout market for any player who can add value as a shooter or defender.
NBC’s ‘Today’ Show Snubs Lions Ahead of NFC Championship Game vs. 49ers
Sunday marks the first NFC championship game appearance for the Detroit Lions since the 1991 season, as the Lions face the San Francisco 49ers for a chance to play in Super Bowl LVIII.
Unfortunately for the Lions, though, not everyone remembered this historic moment for the team ahead of Sunday’s game. To wit, the Today aired an incorrect graphic while discussing the game’s weather forecast. The graphic included the Lions’ logo, but referred to a “Packers vs. 49ers” matchup.
The snub was almost certainly unintentional, but the reference to the NFC North-rival Green Bay Packers had to sting for Lions fans.
Wait a second here...🤔
(To be fair, 'Today' immediately corrected the error...nonetheless)
H/T @ChiTownSports pic.twitter.com/PSKmdA4Or4
“I’m hoping for a Packers-Ravens game,” meteorologist Michelle Grossman said of her ideal Super Bowl matchup.
NBC host Peter Alexander quickly corrected the mistake, but the lion was out of the bag.
“I should correct us, because it should say Lions versus Niners,” Alexander said. “So if you pick the Packers, that’s a good choice—but they don’t have a shot.”
The Lions and 49ers are scheduled to kick off the NFC championship game at Levi’s Stadium at 6:30 p.m. ET Sunday on Fox.
LeBron James, Stephen Curry Candidly Reflect on Epic Rivalry After Lakers-Warriors Classic
LeBron James and Stephen Curry authored another riveting chapter in the storybook of their epic NBA rivalry on Saturday night, as James’s Los Angeles Lakers defeated Curry’s Golden State Warriors, 145—144, in double overtime at the Chase Center.
Both James, 39 and Curry, 35, have a great appreciation for the rivalry, given that it’s unknown how many more clashes the two superstars will have with their respective careers slowly drawing to a close.
The two shared an embrace immediately after the game, then, in separate postgame interviews, offered candid thoughts about their battles over the years. Here’s James, who said he’ll be able to tell his grandkids that he “played against one of the best.”
"It's something that you will truly take all in when you're done playing... to watch with your grandkids and say that I played against one of the best players to ever play this game."
LeBron, on another special battle with Steph 💯 https://t.co/CIoNoLkL7q pic.twitter.com/zP5UfFTfNa
Then, Curry put the rivalry into perspective with this thoughtful quote.
“Every year that we get to do this and go back and forth, the battles—the Finals runs, the playoff battles last year—after the horn sounded tonight there was a little laugh of, I can’t imagine a scenario where a game like tonight happens, [with] him in Season 21 and me in Year 15,” Curry said.
Curry went on to say that he and James have a “mutual respect of what it takes” to maintain their high levels of play.
The rivalry between the two took off when James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014. Since that point, the two clashed multiple times in the regular season, NBA Finals and playoffs, creating some iconic—and sometimes tense—moments.
Saturday’s battle, which saw James drop 36 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists while Curry scored 46 points, was yet another classic, even if Curry and Warriors coach Steve Kerr took exception to the officiating.