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Dallas Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch announced he’s retiring from football Monday, three days after the team released him due to a failed physical designation. 

“I realize that I am no longer able to adhere to the unwavering standard of excellence that professional football demands,” Vander Esch wrote on Instagram. “I say this with a heavy heart: I am medically retiring from the NFL. I love the game of football so much, and my body won’t cooperate any longer. I cherished every moment of my NFL career, and it has been blessing to play the game for as long as I have played.”

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A post shared by Leighton Vander Esch (@vander_esch38)

Vander Esch suffered a neck injury on Oct. 8, 2023, in a game against the San Francisco 49ers that ended his season. The neck injury ultimately would be career ending. 

Over his six seasons in the NFL, the Boise State product tallied a total of 469 tackles, 3 1/2 sacks, three interceptions and three forced fumbles in 71 games. His best season came in 2018 when he was named second-team All-Pro as a rookie while notching 140 combined tackles in 16 games. 

Scottie Scheffler showed everyone on Sunday why he’s the No. 1 player in the world when he stormed back at TPC Sawgrass to win his second straight Players Championship. 

Scheffler fired a final round 8-under 64 and then had to wait to watch three players attempt birdie putts on the 18th hole that would have forced a playoff. 

The last miss came from Wyndham Clark, and it was a heartbreaker, as the the ball circled the cup and somehow didn’t fall in the hole. Scheffler didn’t see that putt until he was on the Golf Channel’s postgame show, and he had a perfect reaction to it: 

"I'm sure this won't be the last time this year that we're both on top of the leaderboard battling it out."

Scottie Scheffler reacts to seeing Wyndham Clark's putt on 18 for the first time. pic.twitter.com/4O4dDQ9vN0

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 18, 2024

“That’s tough,” Scheffler said.  

Yes, yes it was. 

More Weekly Read: Finally Talking to the PIF | Scottie's Putting Fix

With the PGA Tour in Florida, it’s the time of year when players who are in the Masters field work out details to get to Augusta National for practice rounds.

One of the perks of an invite is the ability to line up tee times at the famed course any time it is open and not holding a special event. Recently, two players who have yet to play in the tournament got their first look.

Wyndham Clark, the reigning U.S. Open champion who first qualified last May by winning the Wells Fargo Championship, visited the Tuesday of Arnold Palmer Invitational week. He had been at a Wells Fargo media day at Quail Hollow on Monday and accompanied course owner and Augusta member Johnny Harris to the home of the year’s first major.

With the Masters less than a month away, players are taking trips to see the course.

Andrew Redington/Getty Images

“It was amazing,” Clark said. “That’s a place I always dreamed of playing at and then to do it with my dad and brother was awesome. We were talking the first couple of holes and we were just looking at each other and saying this is cool.”

Nick Dunlap also visited recently. As the reigning U.S. Amateur champion, he earned a spot in the Masters field by winning at Cherry Hills. His also won the American Express Championship in January and has since turned pro.

“In my opinion, it’s the most special place in the world as far as golf courses go,” Dunlap said. “There’s a different feeling about it and it took me a day and a half to where I would just stop looking around and be like, man, I’ve got to play golf here. There’s such an awe factor. I mean, just driving down Magnolia Lane and then the golf course is just perfect. It’s the most nervous I’ve been for a shot that means nothing. It’s just different.”

Rory McIlroy, who has a chance to to complete the career Grand Slam with a Masters victory but hasn’t won a major in 10 years, is undecided whether he will go pre-Masters week as he often has in the past.

McIlroy is not playing the Valero Texas Open the week prior to the Masters and said he might go that week. He’s also had visits to the course to play with his dad, Gerry.

“I've done that a lot and it's really nice and I can certainly do that after the Masters, but when I do it before, I don't feel like I get a ton out of it,” he said. “Like in terms of like preparation for the week and actually getting into the mindset I need to get into. So maybe a quick pit stop on the way to San Antonio to play a practice round and spend some time. But as I said, nothing planned as of yet.”

The Valspar field … and other notes

Much has been made about the possible impact on regular PGA Tour events with the addition of the big-money, small-field signature events. And following a signature event as well as the Players Championship does not exactly do this week’s Valspar Championship any favors.

But the final event of the Florida Swing has attracted a strong field with two of the top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking, including Xander Schauffele and Brian Harman—runners-up at last week's Players Championship. Patrick Cantlay was entered but withdrew.

The tournament also has Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, two-time winner Sam Burns, Tony Finau and former champion Gary Woodland this week at the Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead course. For now it has 10 of the top 30 in the OWGR.

And a few more things ...

American John Catlin won the International Series event in Macau, China, on Sunday in a playoff over Spain’s David Puig, the LIV Golf player who was attempting to win for the third time on the Asian Tour. The playoff defeat cost Puig a spot among the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking, which would likely get him an invite to the PGA Championship in May. He is currently 105th. Catlin, a four-time winner on the DP World Tour, lost his card last season and earned an Asian Tour card by needed an invite to play the tournament, where he shot a third-round 59 with an 18th-hole eagle. It was the first 59 in Asian Tour history. ... Scottie Scheffler became the first player to win multiple events on the PGA Tour in 2024. ... He’s also the first multiple winner of the Players since Tiger Woods won his second in 2013. ... He is the first to win after trailing by five strokes entering the final round since Henrik Stenson in 2009. ... Scheffler’s worst score so far in 2024? A 71—which was 2 under par—at Kapalua during the third round. ...  Sam Ryder set a Players record with 27 birdies, breaking the mark of 26 set by Fuzzy Zoeller in 1994. Ryder tied for 16th. ... The first round of the Masters is in 24 days.

The men’s NCAA Tournament officially begins Tuesday night in Dayton, Ohio, when the first two games of the First Four get underway. Wagner and Howard are playing for the No. 16 seed in the West Region in the early slot and later on, Colorado State takes on Virginia for the No. 10 seed in the Midwest.

In the 2023 tournament, two First Four teams pulled off opening-round upsets after having to play their way into the Round of 64: No. 11 Pittsburgh beat No. 6 Iowa State and No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson took down No. 1 Purdue..

(Odds via FanDuel.)

No. 16 Wagner Seahawks vs. No. 16 Howard Bisons

Game Info: 6:40 p.m. ET | truTV
Spread: Wagner +2.5 (-102) | Howard -2.5 (-120)
Moneyline: WAG (+128) | HOW (-154)
Total: 128.5 — Over (-115) | Under (-105)

As often stated…TICKET PUNCHED for the Bison of @HUMensBB 🚨

Howard will face Wagner in the #FirstFour on Tuesday. The winner will advance to play No. 1 seed North Carolina in the West Region. #MarchMadness | #MEACHoops pic.twitter.com/1TJac6VFQR

— Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (@MEACSports) March 18, 2024

Wagner and Howard both had losing records heading into their conference tournaments. The Seahawks rattled off three straight wins — all on the road, no less — to clinch the Northeast tournament title and their second NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. Similarly, the Bison, with their backs against the wall, won three straight in the Mid-Eastern Athletic tournament to punch their ticket to the Big Dance for the second straight year.

Wagner (16–15) is the lowest-ranked team in the field of 68 by KenPom (293) and NET rankings (290) and Howard (18–16) isn’t much better in KenPom (276) or NET (273). The winner of Tuesday’s game in Dayton will advance to the Round of 64 to play No. 1 North Carolina on Thursday.

The Seahawks have one of the lowest-scoring averages in DI at 63.5 points per game. They shoot just 39.2% from the field as a team and 32.2% from beyond the arc. The guard trio of Melvin Council Jr. (14.6 ppg), Tahron Allen (10.8 ppg) and Julian Brown (9.6 pgg) account for the bulk of Wagner’s offense. Allen stepped up in the NEC title game to score a game-high 22 points in the 54–47 win over Merrimack. The Seahawks boast the No. 6 scoring defense in the country (62.1 ppg), which can partially be attributed to their tempo, which is second-to-last nationally. As a result, the under is 19–10 in Wagner games this year.

The Bison have a very different team profile than their First Four foe. They average 75.1 points per game and get up and down the floor much quicker than the Seahawks. However, Howard is no tough out on defense, allowing 74.4 points per game. Accordingly, the over is 19–12–1 for the Bison this season. Their leading scorer is Bryce Harris (16.6 ppg), but they have other options that defenses need to respect, such as Seth Towns (14.2 ppg) and Marcus Dockery (13.7 ppg, 41.2% from three).

Though this is a low total for Howard, it’s in line with expectations for Wagner, which has seen the under hit in six straight games. The Seahawks don’t seem capable of taking advantage of a suspect Bison defense and they’re strong enough on defense to keep Howard’s offense in check. Notably, Wagner has a top-10 three-point defense (29.5%), which will come into play against a team like the Bison.

Bet: Under 128.5 (-105)No. 10 Colorado State Rams vs. No. 10 Virginia Cavaliers

Game Info: 9:10 p.m. ET | truTV
Spread: Colorado State -2.5 (-110) | Virginia +2.5 (-110)
Moneyline: CSU (-140) | UVA (+116)
Total: 120.5 — Over (-110) | Under (-110)

Isaiah Stevens leads Colorado State in scoring and assists.

Isaiah J. Downing/USA TODAY Sports

Colorado State earned a spot in Dayton after its run in the Mountain West tournament ended against eventual champion New Mexico. Virginia, somewhat controversially, earned an at-large spot as well after falling to N.C. State, the winner of the ACC Tournament.

The Rams (24–10) enter the Big Dance with a much stronger resume than the Cavaliers (23–10). Niko Medved’s team is 38th in KenPom and 36th in NET rankings with a 6–7 record in Quad 1 games. Tony Bennett’s team ranks 69th in KenPom, 54th in NET and went just 2–7 against Quad 1 opponents. Still, UVA is making its second consecutive tournament appearance as it matches its lowest seed under Bennett. The winner will face No. 7 Texas on Thursday in the Round of 64.

Simply put, Colorado State is adept at putting the ball in the basket. The team shoots 48.8% from the field, 18th best in the country, and 75.4% from the stripe, a top-50 mark. The Rams don’t light it up from beyond the arc (34.1%), but they take good care of the ball (10.1 turnovers per game) and have one of the best distributors in the country in Isaiah Stevens, who averages seven assists per game and also leads the team in scoring (16.5 ppg). Joel Scott (12.9 ppg), Nique Clifford (12.2 ppg) and Patrick Cartier (10.5 ppg) all average double digits as well and they get it done on both ends as Colorado State allows just 68.4 points per game, a top-75 mark.

The Cavaliers make every game a grind. Their 64.6 points per game average is a bottom-10 mark in DI but they make up for it with a stifling defense that surrenders just 59.5 points per game, the third-fewest in the nation. Only two UVA players — Reece Beekman (14.3 ppg) and Isaac McKneely (12.5 ppg) — average double digits and the team only shoots 63.7% from the free throw line. The Cavaliers take even better care of the ball than the Rams as they average just 8.2 giveaways per game and have one of the best assist-to-turnover ratios in the country.

Even with the loss to New Mexico, Colorado State has been playing better basketball over the last few weeks than Virginia. The Rams upset Nevada, 85–78, in the quarterfinals of the MWC tournament while the Cavaliers needed overtime to get past Boston College, 66–60, in the ACC quarters. UVA, which has been held under 50 six times this season, just doesn’t have the offensive firepower to get past CSU.

Bet: Colorado State -2.5 (-110)

Related: 2024 March Madness: Odds and Spread for Every Round 1 Game

Related: March Madness 2024: Updated NCAA Men’s Basketball National Title Odds

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Duquesne men’s basketball coach Keith Dambrot announced he will retiring after the 2024 NCAA tournament.

The school called the March Madness tournament his “last dance.” Duquesne earned a tournament bid for the first time in 47 years after the team won the A-10 Championship game on Sunday.

Dambrot is in his seventh season at Duquesne. He previously coached 13 seasons at Akron, and he famously coached NBA great LeBron James in high school.

James posted a congratulatory tweet after the Dukes won the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament title on Sunday afternoon. The Los Angeles Lakers star played for Dambrot at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio, before famously skipping college basketball and heading straight to the NBA.

• March Madness 2024: News & Analysis | Schedule | Bracket
• Forde: 40 Things to Watch in NCAA Men’s Tournament

James tweeted again on Monday around the time the retirement news broke, stating that Dambrot is “the best.”

THE BEST!!!!!! 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾 https://t.co/KFRubsuOfL

— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 18, 2024

The 65-year-old Dambrot also served as the head coach at Central Michigan for two seasons in the early 1990s. His career college record as a head coach is 440–268.

The Last Dance.

After 26 years as a head coach, Keith Dambrot will retire at the end of the season. pic.twitter.com/PE3AsJfDoP

— Duquesne Basketball (@DuqMBB) March 18, 2024

Dambrot’s last dance will begin Thursday at 12:40 p.m. ET in Omaha, where the No. 11-seed Dukes (24–11) take on sixth-seeded BYU (23–10) in a first-round game in the East Region.

It’s Duquesne’s first appearance in the men’s NCAA basketball tournament since 1977.

1. Conspiracies are all the rage these days. It doesn't even matter what the topic is anymore; everything is a conspiracy.

So since everybody seems to love a good conspiracy, I thought I’d kick off this edition of Traina Thoughts with quite a doozy regarding the New England Patriots' series that is currently airing on Apple+.

The Twitter user below somehow figured out (unless he's pulling a fast one on us) that in The Dynasty: New England Patriots, former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles’s name was edited out of Al Michaels call of the “Philly Special” touchdown in Super Bowl LII. 

Michaels’s call went like this: “They’re gonna snap it. And it’s Trey Burton who throws. Caught. Foles. Touchdown.

On the Apple+ series, it sounded like this: "They're gonna snap it. And it's Trey Burton who throws. Caught. Touchdown."

I have uncovered an anti-Nick Foles conspiracy in this Apple TV show about the Patriots. pic.twitter.com/RRgrs4hvHK

— Todd Orodenker (@ToddO243) March 18, 2024

It appears that just "Foles" was edited out of the call. Why? Who ordered the code red? 

It couldn’t have possibly been anyone associated with the Patriots who asked that Foles’s name get cut out because the team is still so bitter about losing that Super Bowl, could it? And if not, why would any of the producers of the series decide to edit out “Foles?”

So many questions, as with any good conspiracy.

2. As we told you last week, CBS’s Greg Gumbel missed Sunday’s NCAA tournament selection show because he was dealing with a family illness. Adam Zucker filled in and did a very solid job. 

Here's how the show opened, with Gumbel's colleagues discussing his absence.

CBS begins the NCAA Tournament Selection Show with the crew sending their best wishes to Greg Gumbel.

Gumbel is absent from this year's NCAA Tournament due to family health matters (https://t.co/npWk1KCsN7). pic.twitter.com/26QvgjzofM

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 17, 2024

3. ABC/ESPN's Ryan Ruocco had a great call on Kyrie Irving‘s unreal game-winning shot for the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.

KYRIE IRVING GAME WINNER MY GOODNESS. 🔥🔥🔥🔥

pic.twitter.com/FfczbtMEmU

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 17, 2024

4. What a whirlwind for Joey Votto. Two weeks ago, he was on social media begging for a job.

missing ball pic.twitter.com/r8ZG9gfU2i

— Joey Votto (@JoeyVotto) March 6, 2024

Last week, Votto, who was born in Toronto, signed with the Blue Jays.

Minor league contract signed. 😃
It’s official, I’m a little Blue Jay now. pic.twitter.com/DOPH7XWNrc

— Joey Votto (@JoeyVotto) March 10, 2024

Sunday, in his first at-bat as a Blue Jay, Votto went deep.

First pitch swinging 😮

It's @JoeyVotto's FIRST homer in a #BlueJays uniform! pic.twitter.com/1cVrONpJ0N

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) March 17, 2024

Then he stepped on a bat and hurt his ankle, while also showing us that we don't use the word "dickens" nearly enough on a day-to-day basis.

Joey Votto had originally planned to play five innings today, not one.

“I accidentally stepped on a bat in the dugout, rolled my ankle and it hurt like the dickens.”

He expects that tomorrow’s off day will be enough, then he’ll be back at it. #BlueJays

— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) March 17, 2024

5. On March 4, I sent the following tweet:

According to his latest Instagram post, @TheRock is going to be on the next two episodes of Friday Night SmackDown. That means we have two more opportunities for a "Rock Concert." We don't want the "Rock Concert." We NEED the "Rock Concert.” pic.twitter.com/9oy32CqbH9

— Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) March 4, 2024

On Friday, The Rock graced us with a “Rock Concert” from SmackDown in Memphis. The show even included a dig at Memphis Grizzlies star, Ja Morant.

“Just like Ja Morant, when he’s waving a gun.”

— The Rock#SmackDown

pic.twitter.com/3vGU853Cag

— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) March 16, 2024

6. A brand new episode of SI Media with Jimmy Traina dropped this morning and it features a conversation with ESPN NFL analyst, Dan Orlovsky.

Orlovsky gives a breakdown of his unbelievably busy schedule, talks about how the NFL owns most of the sports calendar and shares his thoughts about the wild free-agency spree that took place this week.

Orlovsky also reveals that his ultimate goal is to call top games each week and whether he feels like networks have a bias against putting him in that role since he wasn’t a superstar player. He also weighs in on his relationship with Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, Mike Greenberg and Dan “Big Cat” Katz.

Orlovsky also shares some of his famous food takes, talks about what it's like to have triplets and much more.

Following Orlovsky, Sal Licata from WFAN and SNY joins me for the weekly "Traina Thoughts" segment. This week's topics include Aaron Rodgers as Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s running mate, the NFL Network moving Good Morning Football from New York to Los Angeles, Tiki Barber vs. Saquon Barkley, Love Is Blind and more.

You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify and Google.

You can also watch SI Media With Jimmy Traina on Sports Illustrated’s YouTube channel.

7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: Spoilers ahead: Last night's Curb Your Enthusiasm was the funniest of the season mainly because of Larry trying to deal with being on a group text chain. People thinking they are too good for a text chain is absolutely a thing, so it’s no surprise Larry would nail it.

Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out SI Media With Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

The Dallas Cowboys have restructured quarterback Dak Prescott’s contract to create space under the salary cap, according to the Dallas Morning News. The news was confirmed by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 

The team is converting Prescott’s $5 million roster bonus into a signing bonus, creating $4 million in 2024 salary cap space. The Cowboys also added two more voidable years onto the end of Prescott’s contract.

The signal-caller still will earn $29 million in 2024, and his salary cap number is $55.455 million, second to only Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns at $63.9 million. 

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott led the NFL with 36 touchdown passes and 410 completions last season. Both figures also were career highs.

Tim Heitman/USA TODAY Sports

Dallas has maintained that it wants to sign Prescott to a contract extension and has continued to work toward one behind the scenes, per ESPN’s Ed Werder. Prescott, 30, threw for 4,516 yards and career highs in touchdown passes (36) and completions (410) in 2023. Dallas went 12–5 to win the NFC East but lost to the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round of the playoffs. 

At 3:40 p.m. local time Wednesday in Flowery Branch, Ga., an hour North of Buckhead, Kirk Cousins’s agent, Mike McCartney, was dropped off in front of the Atlanta Falcons’ facility. Twenty minutes later, the quarterback himself pulled in, timing his entrance for 4:01, and carrying a garment bag with a silver suit, white dress shirt, and shiny, solid red tie inside it.

Falcons coach Raheem Morris, flashing his trademark, 10,000-watt smile, was waiting, as was GM Terry Fontenot, and much of the Atlanta staff, to welcome their new franchise quarterback.

An hour later, after introducing him to folks around the building, Cousins was reunited with his wife, Julie, who arrived at Falcons headquarters on her own, from her parents’ place in Alpharetta, Ga. She had the couple’s sons, Cooper and Turner, with her in a conference room near Morris’s office—and, as little kids tend to do, they were busy generating general chaos.

Cousins is ready for the next chapter of his playing career with the Falcons.

Matt Krohn/USA TODAY Sports

Approaching the scene, McCartney smiled and assured Morris, “It’s not like this every day.”

“Mike,” Morris shot back, “Yes, it is, because I’m here. I’m the same way as these kids.”

It was a joke, of course. Viscerally, though, two points were illustrated.

One, the excitement in the Falcons’ building over landing their quarterback, just two months after Morris and his staff arrived, was palpable. And, two, the fit for Cousins and his family, at least as first days go, was promising to be every bit as good as he’d hoped it would be two days earlier, when he gave McCartney the go-ahead to push a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons over the goal line.

But just as it was a beginning for Cousins, it was also an ending to his six-year run in Minnesota, and a protracted, two-year negotiation with the Vikings. This was, for the quarterback and those around him, different than the last time, when he became a Viking after things disintegrated in the years leading up to his 2018 departure from Washington. He loved Minnesota. He was close with Kevin O’Connell. He had a really good situation football-wise, too.

There was no personal animus in his decision to leave. Simply, it was business.

And as much as Cousins’s arrival in Atlanta felt great—the same way landing in Minneapolis did six years ago—the good feelings Cousins had for the Vikings made it a tad bittersweet.

That said, he was ready for the next step, another chapter with years, plural, left in it.

In the end, that the Falcons were willing to go there with Cousins was his personal deciding factor.

So he’s ready to leave the past behind, and lead them. And we have the story of how he got to that point.

With a week of NFL free agency in the books, we have a ton to dig through. So over in the takeaways, you’ll find …

• A full appreciation for Aaron Donald’s career from his two head coaches.

• Why the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback upheaval will put Mike Tomlin on the spot.

• How the Chicago Bears’ return for Justin Fields fell through.

And a whole lot more. But we’re starting with the inside story of Kirk Cousins’s departure from Minnesota, and his arrival in Atlanta.

O'Connell and Adofo-Mensah met with Cousins's agent at the NFL combine to try and work out a deal for their quarterback to stay in Minnesota.

Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports

It was on the third floor of the JW Marriott in downtown Indianapolis, 25 months ago, that the first Cousins-related meeting between the Vikings’ new regime and the quarterback’s camp took place. O’Connell and McCartney picked a high-top table, out in the open, and in front of everyone, to talk shop.

A Band-Aid, one-year, $35 million extension was coming, but the coach and agent weren’t there to talk about that. Instead, O’Connell laid out his plan for maximizing Cousins, who he had coached in Washington under Jay Gruden in 2017. The quarterback was still playing well, but in cycling through offensive coordinators under Mike Zimmer, O’Connell thought stability could bring out another level in Cousins’ game.

The overarching idea was simple: make Cousins the best version of himself. And in 2022, Cousins threw for 4,547 yards and 29 touchdowns in his first season back with O’Connell, posting the best win-loss record of his career by a wide margin at 13–4.

That led to O’Connell and McCartney meeting again, in that same hotel, a year later, with Cousins again headed for a contract year. This time, the coach and agent were joined by Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and EVP of football operations Rob Brzezinski in an open room that they’d found to negotiate in.

McCartney carried Cousins’s history into the meeting with him. He and Cousins had hatched a plan in Washington to weaponize fully guaranteed franchise tags. Absent a suitable, market offer from the team that drafted him, Cousins would play on consecutive tags, betting that Washington wouldn’t tag him a third time in 2018 at 144% of his ’17 number. Cousins and McCartney won the bet, which is where the Vikings came into the picture.

With a team coming off an NFC title game appearance, the Vikings won the bidding war by giving Cousins, contractually, what he wanted—a fully guaranteed deal that would effectively assure that he was the guy for the team. He signed a three-year, $84 million contract, affording him the leverage to negotiate fully guaranteed extensions: two years, $66 million for 2020 to ’21, and one-year, $35 million for ’23.

Add it up, and Cousins played eight consecutive seasons on fully guaranteed contracts.

At the 2023 combine, McCartney wasn’t pressing for a fully guaranteed deal, but he was transparent with the Vikings contingent that structure and guarantees would be even more important to Cousins than just raw total money. So where often a team will increase overall money in an offer to get a player to back off guarantees—and essentially build itself a contractual escape hatch—Minnesota had a player who was willing to take less to close those escape hatches.

The conversation was cordial, but the signs of a philosophical divide were there.

The Vikings didn’t want to offer much in the way of guarantees past 2024, and hinted that, in the couple of years to follow, the search for Cousins’s successor would be on. So putting the pieces together, the concern for Cousins’s camp was the very real sense that the Vikings would draft a quarterback, maybe in the first round in ’24, which would almost certainly lead to Cousins’s exodus in ’25, with the potential that the starting job could go away before that.

So knowing Cousins would be the team’s starter in 2023, McCartney saw the proposal as assuring the quarterback one extra year, and nothing beyond that, which wouldn’t be nearly enough for him to pass on the potential of hitting the market in March of ’24. The sides knew there was a healthy difference in outlook, so they resolved to keep talking, and McCartney and Brzezinski did.

At the end of the first wave of free agency, in mid-March of 2023, after McCartney sent one last counteroffer, Brzezinski said the team would pull back and let things play out a little. McCartney agreed, “Hey, let’s just get through the draft.”

For all intents and purposes, negotiations were tabled for 2023.

Cousins played his last game as a Viking against the Packers, throwing for 274 yards and two touchdowns before sustaining an Achilles injury.

Benny Sieu/USA TODAY Sports

McCartney watches games on Sundays in the basement of his suburban Chicago home. He has a 70" TV with 55" TVs on each side of it. This year, given the circumstances, the Vikings had a permanent spot on the big screen, and it was on that screen that the agent watched as Cousins dropped back, planted his foot awkwardly in the Lambeau Field grass and quickly crumbled to the ground.

It was Oct. 29, and Chris Hutchinson, a Detroit-area emergency room doctor and the father of McCartney client Aidan Hutchinson, texted the agent almost immediately.

“I think it’s his Achilles,” Hutchinson wrote.

He was right. Cousins’s season was over. McCartney scrambled to call Cousins’s father, Don, and assure him that, given his experience with clients’ Achilles ruptures, he had a list of specialists that’d give Kirk the best chance at a speedy recovery.

Cousins texted McCartney with confirmation that it was a torn Achilles shortly thereafter, and by the time he called back, McCartney had a choice of four surgeons lined up: Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles, Robert Anderson in Green Bay, David Porter in Indianapolis, and Vikings team doctor Chris Coetzee. The two jumped on a call with Cousins’s personal trainer, Chad Cook, to map out a Minneapolis-based rehab plan.

The next day, from the Admirals Club lounge at Chicago O’Hare Airport—with McCartney booked to fly to Detroit for that evening’s Lions–Raiders Monday nighter—the group reconvened over conference calls to talk with doctors and set up surgery. Hours later, Cousins called McCartney—who was now on the turf during pregame at Ford Field—to tell him he was leaning toward Coetzee. On Tuesday, McCartney was navigating another of his clients, Joshua Dobbs, being traded to the Vikings to take Cousins’s spot on the depth chart. On Wednesday, Coetzee operated on Cousins.

Two weeks later, on Nov. 16, McCartney had an Excel spreadsheet ready, with the quarterbacking landscape for 2024 sketched out. He had the Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots, New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers listed in the “strong needs” category at the position. He had Atlanta, Chicago, the Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota and the Los Angeles Rams listed as “concerning,” and the New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders as “teams to watch.”

In early December, he’d moved the Vikings into the “strong needs” category. Later that month, the Falcons were also in that category. And by the time January rolled around, the revised research McCartney had done showed Atlanta, Denver, Vegas, Minnesota, New England, Tampa, Washington and the Jets as the eight in the “strong need” category, with the Buccaneers and Vikings in with quarterbacks as free agents, and the Jets at the off chance that Aaron Rodgers would wind up retiring.

Meanwhile, as the coaching carousel spun, fortune shined on the Falcons. Morris spent three years with Cousins in Washington as a defensive backs coach and (as coaches from the Shanahan tree do) cross-trained some on the other side of the ball, putting him in the quarterbacks room with Cousins regularly, where the two built a bond. Then, there was Morris’s new OC, Zac Robinson, who’d worked under O’Connell with the Los Angeles Rams, and actually faced Tom McCartney, Mike’s brother and a Colorado high school coach, as a prep quarterback near Denver.

As it turned out, it wasn’t long before the Falcons were doing some research of their own.

Morris spent three years with Cousins in Washington as a defensive backs coach.

Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports

Morris, a defensive coach by trade, was purposeful in stacking his first Atlanta staff with quarterback-adjacent coaches. The hire of Robinson was just the start. Quarterbacks coach T.J. Yates played seven seasons as an NFL quarterback. Assistant quarterbacks coach D.J. Williams (Doug Williams’s son) and offensive assistant K.J. Black were quarterbacks, too, with experience coaching the position. And senior offensive assistant Ken Zampese has coached quarterbacks in the NFL for decades.

So once the dust settled, Morris and Fontenot directed all those coaches, plus assistant GM Kyle Smith and director of player personnel Ryan Pace, to aggressively grind through both the college and pro quarterbacks. They wanted to come up with a coherent plan to, once and for all, plug the hole that their predecessor, Arthur Smith, hadn’t over the previous three years.

To run the offense they’d collectively envisioned—behind Robinson’s leadership—they needed a quarterback who could be an effective distributor, throw with accuracy and anticipation, and be a multiplier for the young skill-position guys already assembled.

So the ideal fit was a quarterback like Drew Brees, who Fontenot and Pace had grown up with as young Saints personnel men. Interestingly enough, those in the Shanahan tree who were with Cousins in Washington, long felt Cousins, under the right circumstances, could be a quarterback who’d mirror Brees in a lot of ways.

So at the end of the deep dive, the Falcons had Cousins as their top veteran target, Tampa’s Baker Mayfield after him, and a comfort level with the top quarterbacks in the draft as well, which brought Atlanta to the 2024 combine in position to investigate a trade up.

While the likelihood was Cousins would remain the top target, the Falcons resolved to look into moving within the top five. Inquiries with the Bears, Commanders and Patriots at the combine didn’t go very far—none of the three were willing to move, at least not at that early juncture. And waiting for that to change would mean missing the market for veterans, a risk the Falcons were never going to take.

To prepare for the game of musical chairs, though, the possibility of having a rookie helped to inform alternate plans. One would include an expensive quarterback such as Cousins or Mayfield. The other would have a more economical player at the position, be it a rookie or a vet such as Justin Fields, and more spending on defense, with the potential pursuit of stars such as Danielle Hunter and Christian Wilkins.

Meanwhile, the Vikings were still looking to see if they could take Cousins off the table for the Falcons, and everyone else.

Cousins and O'Connell had a good bond in Washington in 2017, and that bond became stronger during their two years together in Minnesota.

Mark Konezny/USA TODAY Sports

Two years removed from McCartney and O’Connell being able to meet unbothered in that open area of the JW Marriott, the Vikings rented a conference room to get those two, Adofo-Mensah and Brzezinski away from the hysteria that seemed to be enveloping their unstable quarterback situation at the 2024 combine.

Everyone was looking for information.

Would it be $25 million per year? $35 million? Were the Falcons taking the lead?

Very few knew outside of the four in that room.

And as the negotiations resumed, the first purpose, clearly, was for Minnesota to show it genuinely wanted Cousins back—a sentiment the agent felt strongly from O’Connell, who’d been in touch with his team captain since the season ended. McCartney didn’t doubt the Vikings’ intentions on that. Conversely, he couldn’t shake his feeling that the team was going to draft a quarterback two months later, and that Cousins was being offered a bridge contract that would guide the Vikings through the transition.

Minnesota was coming up in its proposal. The overall money was really good, and, after only nominal guarantees had been built into 2025 in previous offers, the Vikings offered to guarantee more cash.

Still, the numbers allowed for Minnesota, given how offsets work, to bail out of the deal after a single year without much monetary damage—if it drafted a quarterback in April and wanted to fully hand him the keys after the 2024 season. And that was why the structure of guarantees took precedence over total cash for Cousins—because it tells the quarterback how long a team will be committed to him as starter before it gains the flexibility to pass the torch.

After about 40 minutes in the room, and trading potential creative fixes, the differences remained in how guarantees would be structured. McCartney said to Brzezinski, “Rob, listen, I owe it to Kirk to go to the market.” Brzezinski agreed.

At that point, the Vikings had given Cousins an offer that, if the market wasn’t as strong as it had been six years prior, he might wind up taking. But Minnesota also had to prepare for the possibility that the market would be strong—just like Atlanta, the Vikings were working on alternate plans.

Minnesota viewed Mayfield as a viable second option, too, but, at the same time, doubted he would leave Tampa Bay. After that, there was the idea that the Vikings could sign an affordable vet with upside, and pursue quarterbacks in the draft. Minnesota, by then, had become intrigued with San Francisco 49ers backup Sam Darnold, the 26-year-old who’d washed out after going third to the Jets in the 2018 draft.

As O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah studied Darnold’s 2022 tape, they saw a guy who went 4–2 at the end of a lost season with a Carolina Panthers team that wasn’t much different than this year’s 2–15 version. The traits that made him a top pick were there, and he flashed an element of “overcoming” with the plays he was creating off-schedule. The year-over-year growth was there, too, in how he’d cleaned up his feet and was playing faster with the offense in the little time he had as a 49er (and in the end of a blowout loss to the Ravens, in particular).

So Darnold would be a target, and the team would start looking at positioning itself to have the flexibility to move up for a quarterback, too—which would have to start with acquiring extra capital. Meanwhile, like the Falcons had, there was a second element of the plan to use some of the money saved (in not spending on the quarterback) on defense.

But all these things were still hypotheticals as McCartney and Vikings people left that conference room in Indy.

They resolved to talk daily from there on out.

Adofo-Mensah told McCartney early in the negotiation that he wanted to be solution-oriented in his approach. And going into the final week before free agency opened, the Vikings and Cousins hadn’t given up on finding one.

On March 6, the Wednesday before free agency, Brzezinski had a final, longer phone call with McCartney. Both sides had pushed and moved their limits to try and find common ground but just couldn’t seem to get there. The Vikings’ three-year offer allowed too much wiggle room in 2025 for McCartney’s liking. That was when the time had come for the two to start mapping out the following week.

One key agreement was that, for everyone involved, a fast, efficient decision would be best, allowing for Cousins to move on, and for the Vikings, Falcons and anyone else involved to enact their Plan B before the market at quarterback and other positions passed them by. McCartney’s experience as a personnel director in Philadelphia two decades ago gave him perspective and empathy for the others’ situation, making that as much a priority for him as it was for the teams.

O’Connell and Cousins had an hour-long conversation on March 7 so both could have some clarity on where things stood. The coach and quarterback had a good bond in Washington in 2017, and that bond had become exponentially stronger over their two years together in Minnesota. Their wives and kids knew each other, so the looming split would go beyond football. The two talked again on March 10, the day before the legal tampering period would begin.

Later that evening, Cousins and McCartney huddled, with McCartney asking for Cousins’s permission to move on an offer if it had a second year fully guaranteed and guarantees into a third year. Atlanta, at that point, seemed like the most obvious suitor and, as luck would have it, the most natural landing spot for the quarterback’s family. Julie grew up in suburban Alpharetta, went to the University of Georgia, and she, Kirk and the kids had even planned a family road trip for that week to go see her folks in Atlanta.

Cousins, not lacking the financial wherewithal to fly his family (private, if need be), loves road tripping. He told McCartney he’d get to Alpharetta, leave Julie and the kids with her family, and be ready to go anywhere—be it just down the interstate or through Hartsfield back to Minnesota—for a press conference on Wednesday. And that, yes, the agent could move forward if the right offer came along.

By Monday, the Cousins’s family journey was well underway; the Falcons and Vikings GMs and coaches were at their respective team headquarters; and McCartney was back in his home office.

Fontenot’s first call just after noon local time on Monday (11:01 a.m. where McCartney and the Vikings were) was to Cousins’s agent, and it was direct and straightforward. They’d be willing to guarantee the first two years of a contract, and get well into the $40-million-plus range on average per year. They were open to talking about a third-year guarantee. They wanted Cousins and were ready to show it.

The conversation lasted 20 minutes, and McCartney knew he was in good shape.

Meanwhile, the Falcons’ GM then had to set up failsafes. Mayfield had agreed to terms with the Buccaneers the day before, and that meant, for both Atlanta and Minnesota, their respective plans would change significantly if Cousins wasn’t coming. So Fontenot took a call from David Mulugheta, the agent for Wilkins, and a text from Zeke Sandhu, the agent for Hunter, both of whom told him they expected the bidding on their free agents to get to, and probably past, $25 million per year.

McCartney called Cousins to give him the update, then his partner at VaynerSports, Kyle Dolan, to connect him with Falcons negotiator Chris Olsen, so those two could touch base on some more finite details. The Broncos and GM George Paton had also touched base with McCartney, letting him know that, while the team was a little hamstrung cap-wise, he and Sean Payton liked Cousins a lot, and would be interested if the market changed a bit.

Then, the agent called the Vikings.

McCartney said to O’Connell, Brzezinski and Adofo-Mensah, “It’s not over, but I’m getting hopeful.” Brzezinski asked McCartney if he got guarantees into a third year. McCartney responded that he didn’t, and that’s why it wasn’t over yet, but he was fighting for it, and thought he was going to get to $45 million per year.

At that point, Minnesota had a pretty good idea that the ship was sailing, and the change in tone of the conversation was a good indication of it, so McCartney dove in with the Falcons.

The agent landed a $10 million guarantee for 2026, the third year of the deal. It wouldn’t, of course, assure that Cousins was on the team that fall, but it would make it even harder for the Falcons to exit the deal after ’24. And it would give Cousins the assurance that he’d be Atlanta’s starting quarterback in ’25.

Meanwhile, Dolan and Olsen worked through terms, including a $2 million incentive for a Super Bowl title built into each year, with Atlanta willing to drop the threshold that Cousins had to be MVP to get it (which he had in Minnesota). A no-trade clause was built in, along with the timing of Year 3 and Year 4 roster bonuses, and the payout of the signing bonus was negotiated, too.

As negotiations continued, McCartney called Cousins, who was driving with his family somewhere in Tennessee.

“Hey, we’re done with Atlanta,” the agent told Cousins. “We feel great about it.”

McCartney then took Cousins through the key points of the agreement, and Cousins then said, “O.K., so when are you going to release this?” McCartney told him he planned to reach out to Brzezinski, and then post the news to X, the former Twitter. “Your phone’s about to blow up, buddy,” McCartney said, with a laugh.

The agent touched base with both Brzezinski and Adofo-Mensah. At 2:24 p.m. ET, Cousins texted O’Connell to let him know it was done, and he’d be a Falcon.

At 2:36 p.m. ET, 1:36 p.m. in his home office in Illinois, McCartney hit send: “Excited for @KirkCousins8 agreeing to a 4 year deal with the @AtlantaFalcons.”

Within five minutes, McCartney had some 80 texts, including some from friends in the business and others from reporters hungry for details.

The Falcons added another weapon for Cousins, signing speedster Darnell Mooney from the Bears.

Mike Dinovo/USA TODAY Sports

There wasn’t much time for anyone to sulk or celebrate less than three hours into free agency.

The Falcons pivoted off Hunter and Wilkins, and over to more economical options to add speed to their young core of skill-position players—choosing receivers Darnell Mooney as a free agent and Rondale Moore by trade, to add to former top-10 picks Kyle Pitts, Drake London and Bijan Robinson. The Vikings, meanwhile were purposeful in stocking the defense with rising young talent, adding Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel and Blake Cashman while letting Hunter go, and swooping in to add Aaron Jones after Green Bay cut the tailback.

Minnesota also moved forward at quarterback, first on a one-year, $10 million deal with Darnold, then on a trade with the Houston Texans (talks on it started before free agency) that’d give the Vikings a second first-round pick, arming them for a potential trade up. They also had plans in motion for quarterbacks coaches Josh McCown and Grant Udinski to be in Ann Arbor for Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy’s pro day this Friday. Minnesota also arranged a private workout on campus with McCarthy for next week, with O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah set to make that trip.

And as for McCartney, he did give himself a tick to enjoy it before diving back into work.

Because of the trust he and Cousins had, the two didn’t even have to talk much throughout the negotiation. After all they’d been through—from the unique approach they’d jointly taken nearly a decade earlier to his Vikings contracts—Cousins knew he and McCartney were on the same page, and their vision was shared. On the other end of the partnership, having a client with the stomach to do what Cousins has was never lost on McCartney.

“He is extremely comfortable in his own skin,” McCartney said during the week. “He’s a very confident guy. When I laid out the vision all those years ago, he was quickly in favor of it. It’s not easy to completely bet on yourself, but he’s willing to bet on himself. He’s got a strong faith—extremely strong faith. Dad’s a pastor, and I know he prayed a lot about it. He was comfortable enough to bet on himself. So it’s his faith, his confidence, his willingness to bet on himself …”

Then, now with time to reflect, McCartney recalled recruiting Cousins out of Michigan State in 2011. Through that football season, he’d only talked to Cousins’s father, who then asked McCartney to meet him at the Hudsonville Ice Cream creamery in the quarterback’s hometown of Holland, Mich., a two-hour drive from Chicago. As McCartney met with Don and his wife, Maryann, the owner of Hudsonville came over and said he wanted to give the agent some ice cream to take home to his kids.

McCartney didn’t quite understand what he was accepting at the time. Before he knew it, workers were loading a dozen cartons on dry ice into his back seat. The agent will never forget it, because his kids were never so happy to see him come home from a work trip.

He’d also remember it, because at that point he hadn’t even met the quarterback yet, and, in time, he’d come to learn the story was so perfectly, and authentically, Cousins. The same way it was very Cousins to be on a cross country roadtrip with his family when he found out he’d landed $100 million guaranteed with a new team, or to have kids going crazy around that conference table as his new head coach entered the room Wednesday.

The fit, Morris and Cousins knew pretty quickly, was the right one. And they can only hope the rest of their new story plays out as perfectly as the start did.

Wisconsin lost a hard-fought battle to Illinois in the Big Ten tournament championship game in Minneapolis on Sunday afternoon, but Badgers coach Greg Gard didn’t want his team to focus on negative feelings after the loss.

Gard wanted the Badgers (22–13) to shift the energy toward the upcoming NCAA tournament without dwelling on Sunday’s 93–87 loss to the Illini (26–8). The words he chose for his postgame speech in the locker room were sharp.

“I’ve been part of a lot of, almost 25 years, amazing battles, in this league, in this tournament, in the NCAA tournament. That may be one of the best I’ve ever seen,” Gard said. “It’s you guys sticking together, coming together, picking each other up. I mean, raise your hand if you fouled out.”

“We aren’t done yet,” Gard reminded the Badgers.

Gard and the team then broke out into a celebration dance as House of Pain’s Jump Around played in the background.

The Badgers learned hours later that they earned a No. 5 seed in the South Region and will play 12th-seeded James Madison on Friday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. 

A video of the coach giving this postgame locker room speech went viral on Sunday as Gard’s positive message carried the day, and it caught the eye of Colorado football coach Deion Sanders.

• March Madness 2024: News & Analysis | Schedule | Bracket
• Forde: 40 Things to Watch in NCAA Men’s Tournament

Sanders, who’s had his fair share of inspirational locker room speeches, praised Gard for his words.

“I absolutely Love it. God bless you Coach & your Team!!!!” Sanders tweeted.

I absolutely Love it. God bless you Coach & your Team!!!! https://t.co/5UCFQq0VZg

— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) March 17, 2024

More Weekly Read: Finally Talking to the PIF

Much has been made of Scottie Scheffler’s putting. To put it simply, it has undoubtedly cost him some tournaments over the past year, when he’s been the most consistent player in the world by far. Scheffler retained the No. 1 ranking through the end of last year and now despite going a year between victories.

The subject has become uncomfortable at times as Scheffler both anecdotally and statistically was missing too many putts. He experimented with technique. He tested different putters, including the model he went to prior to winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The TaylorMade Spider putter is a mallet and it was interesting to hear Scheffler explain why it helped him.

Scottie Scheffler and his TaylorMade Spider putter have been a winning match the last two weeks. 

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

“At times last year I struggled lining the ball up in the middle of the face, so I lined the ball up on the toe sometimes, and I struggled with a tiny bit of a heel strike, and that ... just became kind of my miss. Like if I was fighting a duck hook off the tee, I was fighting a little bit of a heel miss with the putter.

“This Spider putter is really easy for me to line up. I don't have to use the line on the ball. I line the putter up really well, and I line up in the middle of the face, and pretty much as simple as that. Kind of gives me just a really good visual.”

And ... 

“It's good for me visually, and I like the way kind of the ball comes off the face, and so it's helping me just be more kind of outward with my putting than focusing on what’s going on right here, just focusing on the picture of the putt,” he said.

Scheffler went on to explain that he took off the line he had on his golf ball because it bothered him if he felt it wasn’t rolling correctly when watching.

“At times last year I think I definitely tried too hard on my putting, and the idea of not going to the line is to become more free over the ball,” he said. “I've found a putter now where when I line up very well, and the line on the ball I was using to help myself line up. I wasn't using it as trying to hit it perfect each time or using it in anything else other than to try and help myself line up.

“At times I think it got to the point where a ball would go in, but if that ball didn't roll end over end, at the back of your head, you're like, wait, did I hit that putt really good? I think sometimes I expected perfection out of myself, and I'm like that in a lot of different things, so when it comes to the putting, now not using the line just to be more free to not try as hard, which is a heck of a lot easier said than done. . . It’s about sticking to my process and controlling what I can control, and that’s having a good attitude and hitting a good putt, and not using the line has helped a lot in that.”

Scheffler was not as solid on the greens at TPC Sawgrass as he was in winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational, but he still had a strong putting week at the Players Championship, doing plenty good enough given how well he, again, hit the ball off the tee and into the greens. And he needed just 51 putts on the weekend, 26 on Saturday and 25 Sunday.

San Diego Padres pitcher Matt Waldron is part of a dying breed. When he made his big league debut last season, he was the MLB first pitcher since 2019 to have a knuckleball as part of his arsenal. 

Because Waldron’s knuckleball is such a rarity, hitters often find themselves totally flummoxed by it. He had a chance on Sunday to torture some new victims when the Padres faced the LG Twins of the Korea Baseball Organization in an exhibition game. In the fourth inning, Waldron struck out Austin Dean with a knuckleball that left the batter in knots. 

Matt Waldron, Knuckleball. pic.twitter.com/dYFaYQMQXJ

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 18, 2024

It’s tough enough to face an unfamiliar pitcher in an exhibition game between teams from different countries. It’s even harder when you have to face an unfamiliar pitcher who throws such an unfamiliar pitch. 

Dean is no scrub, either. He played 126 games in the majors across five seasons before making the jump to Korea. He batted .314 with 23 homers last season. But he never stood a chance against Waldron’s fluttering knuckleball. 

Kevin Long remembers the concern he heard on the telephone in the voice of New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. The Yankees were close to pulling off a December deal with the San Diego Padres to acquire outfielder Juan Soto. Long says Cashman called him as part of due diligence. He knew Long, a former Yankees hitting coach, was Soto’s hitting coach with the Washington Nationals from 2018–21, before Long joined the Philadelphia Phillies.

“He said, ‘We can’t be wrong about this one!’ ” Long says. “We’ve got to be right about this!’”

The Yankees were coming off an 82–80 season, their worst season in 31 years while missing the playoffs for the fourth time in 11 years. Recent big-name acquisitions Giancarlo Stanton, Carlos Rodón, Josh Donaldson and Frankie Montas returned a combined WAR of –1.6 while earning $84 million. The pressure was on to get this blockbuster right.

“I told him not to worry,” Long says. “Juan Soto is about as reliable as it gets in this game. He’s going to hit, he’s going to take his walks, he’s going to produce. Period.”

On Dec. 6, Cashman pulled the trigger on the deal, sending five players to San Diego to get one year of Soto—after that, the line forms to sign Soto to a free-agent contract that could challenge Shohei Ohtani’s record $46.06 million present day average annual value. The Yankees also obtained centerfielder Trent Grisham in the deal.

As trades go, it was a no-brainer. The Yankees have been desperate for left-handed power ever since they didn’t want Bryce Harper as a free agent—especially one who can help Aaron Judge see more pitches to hit. The last time a lefty posted an OPS+ of 142 for the Yankees was 11 years ago, when Long was working with Robinson Canó.

Why 142? That’s what Soto has produced in the worst of his six seasons. That’s his floor. That’s another reason why the deal was a no-brainer. Nobody in baseball history has been this reliably prolific through age 24. Check out this list:

Most Seasons OPS+ 142 or Greater Through Age 24

1. Juan Soto

2018–23

6

2. Ty Cobb

1907–11

5

Jimmie Foxx

1925–32

5

Josh Gibson

1930–36

5

Mickey Mantle

1952–56

5

Mike Trout

2012–16

5

There is one reason why this deal could go sideways—and it’s the exact reason people erroneously are pointing to as the reason why Soto will have a “monster” season: Yankee Stadium.

Yankee Stadium and its short porch do not help Soto. His power comes naturally toward left-centerfield because he allows the ball to get deeper than most hitters. If he starts trying to catch the ball farther out from the plate to pull the ball, the Yankees and Soto are in trouble.

“You tell Juan,” Long says, “that if I see him trying to jack the ball out to right field, he’s going to hear from me. But no way do I expect that to happen.”

Says Soto: “No, that’s not me. I’ll be all over left field, low line drives that way. That’s what I’m going to try to do. I think this stroke is what I chose when I was a little kid. Because even when I was a kid, I was able to hit the ball the other way. I never tried to pull any balls when I was a kid. Every hard-hit ball that I hit was like left-center and center. That was the way I hit my whole life.”

Pat Roessler, assistant Yankees hitting coach, says Soto has the best “barrel awareness” he has ever seen.

“Nobody I’ve seen squares the ball up like him,” Roessler says. “He doesn’t miss. You hear hitting coaches sometimes go, ‘Good swing! Good swing!’ when a guy fouls it back. A good swing is hitting the ball on the barrel of the bat. That’s what he does constantly. He works at his routine every day. The other day he had about eight people watching him, including [shortstop Anthony] Volpe. People are amazed.”

Soto arrives in the Bronx with big expectations after three consecutive All-Star appearances.

Kim Klement Neitzel/USA TODAY Sports

Yankee Stadium—old and new versions—has been known to get inside hitters’ heads because of that short porch. When the Yankees signed Jason Giambi after the ’01 season, they thought they were getting Soto-like reliability from one of the best pure hitters in baseball. With Oakland, Giambi was a .308 hitter who slugged .545 and pulled the ball 27% of the time—even better rates than Soto (.284/.524/30%). But as a Yankee, Giambi became more of a pull hitter and a worse hitter: .260 average, .521 slugging percentage and 33% pull rate.

Besides, the short porch is generally overrated for lefties. It does favor right-handed hitters who don’t have to square up a pitch for an opposite-field home run. Of the 21 homers Volpe hit last season, for instance, six were off fastballs he carved slightly over the wall in right field.

For left-handed hitters, pull-side power often means no-doubter type home runs. According to Statcast, Soto’s 35 home runs last year equate to only 27 at Yankee Stadium. Only PNC Park in Pittsburgh, with another deep left-center, would have been less favorable to Soto (26 homers) than Yankee Stadium.

“What makes Juan special is that he sees the ball longer,” Long says. “He has two more clicks than the average hitter when it comes to swing decisions.”

If Soto starts chasing pull power, which requires hitting the ball out front, he forfeits his biggest advantage.

“No, I don’t think the stadium is an issue for me,” Soto says. “I think it’s going to be better. Why? Because sometimes you get out front with an off-speed pitch and maybe those go out.

“We also have some guys in the league that pound you in. And against those guys I’m probably going to be like, ‘Okay, I’ve got to get my barrel a little bit out front.’ But nothing like I’m trying to pull the ball. I’m trying to hit the gaps, maybe the right-center gap. If I happen to pull it, that’s fine. But I never think that way, like ‘I’ve got to pull this guy.’

“Even against guys other guys think you really have to pull, I don’t like that at all. I remember this guy [Tyler] Rogers, from San Francisco. A lot of guys think like they have to pull the ball against him. I still think, I ain’t pulling. And I have had a couple of nights pulling off my front side against him, but I never think, Oh, I’ve got to pull the ball against this guy.”

Soto is one of the best young hitters the game has ever seen. Allowing a home ballpark to upset his craft would be foolish. He is at his best when he uses the entire field, with his opposite field power ranking as much more special than his pull side power:

Soto Career Hitting by Direction

 * Among 89 players to see 10,000 pitches, 2018–23

Avg.SLGMLB SLG Rank*

Opposite

.369

.720

5th

Middle

.355

.593

20th

Pull

.363

.721

54th

Soto’s hitting by direction is driven more by the location of the pitch than by velocity. This is an extraordinary breakdown when it comes to home runs off fastballs:

Soto Career Home Runs by DirectionHRFBPct. Off Fastball

Opposite

48

32

66.7

Middle

50

33

66

Pull

62

41

66.1

Speaking of extraordinary, this is a home run Soto hit last year off a 3-and-2 fastball from Charlie Morton. Why is that extraordinary? Soto has seen 13,907 fastballs on the outer third of the strike zone in his career. That was the first and only one he pulled for a home run. (And one of only four such hits.)

There is one other test Soto will face as a Yankee: the daily accountability that comes with playing in New York. When the Yankees or New York Mets acquire a player, it’s another element the team must investigate, and no other market is quite like it. How will the player respond to the scrutiny? Will he get buried by a bad start?

I will never forget the day the Yankees completed the trade for Soto. I was on the MLB Network set when Johnny DiPuglia, the scout who helped the Nationals sign Soto, happened to be walking by.

“One thing about Juan,” DiPuglia told me, “is he always wanted to play in New York. He loves it.”

I ask Soto about it.

“I don’t know. I mean, I always wanted to play in D.C.,” Soto says, smiling. “That was the first thing, but definitely it was fun to play in New York. No doubt about it. Like, it was always fun to come play against the Mets. Face those guys, face the Yankees ... There’s a different vibe. There’s a different energy. You have a crowd full of people booing you and I get a lot of guys cheering you.

“They even boo you and then they go, ‘Oh, okay, you’re the man. You’re the best.’ Like, ‘I hate you, but I love you at the same time.’ You know? It’s a different kind of feeling. It’s great. It’s cool. It’s going to be fun. I think it’s going to be great.

“I don’t care about the pressure of the fans or whatever they say. I think it’s going to be more fun than pressure.”

Last season Soto was part of a San Diego team that wilted under the pressure of expectations. The Padres underachieved without clubhouse cohesiveness. “Sometimes you have one of the best teams,” Soto says, “but it never clicks. It’s just baseball.”

Expectations always are heavy for any Yankees team, particularly one that is trying to get Judge, who turns 32 next month, to his first World Series.

“He’s unbelievable,” Soto says. “The way he just handles himself and how he treats everybody. That’s insane. It’s pretty cool to be right next to him and working with him in the outfield and everything.

“This is an unbelievable group of guys. The Yankees, with the way they treat players, are the best organization in the league. That’s the only thing I hear about. And now I’m seeing it. Now I’m feeling it. They just treat players a little different than anybody else. Everybody you ask, they just talk about the Yankees and the Dodgers. And it’s a great feeling to be here.”

Soto presents little risk for the Yankees. For the trade to work for New York, it needs only a typical season from Soto, who has made greatness typical. His career OPS is .946. No Yankee left-handed hitter has reached that mark in a season since Giambi did 18 years ago. What they don’t need is Soto swinging for the short porch in Yankee Stadium.

The men’s March Madness bracket is set and the No. 1 overall seed and defending national champion UConn Huskies (+400) stand atop the field as the favorites to cut down the nets in April.

Fellow No. 1 seeds Houston (+600) and Purdue (+700) are close behind UConn in the betting market, while North Carolina (+1600), the top team in the West Region, is tied for the fifth-best odds to win its seventh national title. No. 2 Arizona (+1500) has better odds than the Tar Heels and No. 2 Tennessee (+1600) is tied with UNC. Seven of the last 10 teams to win it all have been No. 1s. The lone exceptions are 2016 Villanova, a No. 2 seed; the 2014 Huskies, a No. 7 seed; and 2023 UConn, a No. 4 seed.

No. 4 Auburn (+2000) could be headed for a Sweet 16 clash with UConn in the East if both teams survive the first weekend of the tournament. Elsewhere in the region is, No. 2 Iowa State (+2300), No. 3 Illinois (+3000) and No. 5 San Diego State (+8000). The Aztecs were a Final Four team a season ago and the Cyclones and Illini both won their conference tournaments to punctuate their resumes.

Clockwise from top left: UConn guard Cam Spencer, Purdue center Zach Edey, Houston forward Ja’Vier Francis and Arizona guard Caleb Love

In the South, No. 2 Marquette (+2100) seemingly poses the biggest threat to the top-seeded Cougars, but blue bloods No. 3 Kentucky (+3000) and No. 4 Duke (+4000) are also looming large. The Blue Devils were in the Final Four in 2022 while the Golden Eagles and Wildcats have both been bounced early in recent years. Marquette hasn’t advanced to the second weekend since 2013 and, believe it or not, UK’s last Sweet 16 trip was in 2019.

Out West, Arizona and No. 3 Baylor (+3500) could stand in North Carolina’s way of getting back to the national championship, not to mention No. 4 Alabama (+3500) or No. 5 Saint Mary’s (+5500). No. 9 Michigan State (+6000) also stands out. The Spartans hardly ever have an early exit and they’re tied for the 18th-best odds despite their seeding.

In the Midwest Region with Purdue are some March Madness regulars. The Volunteers haven’t missed the tournament since 2017 and No. 3 Creighton (+2000) has been in the Big Dance each of the last three years. No. 4 Kansas (+3500), which won it all in 2022, is in the tournament seemingly every year as is No. 5 Gonzaga (+5500).

Of course, upsets tend to happen in March. Just ask the Boilermakers, who fell to No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson last season and No. 15 Saint Peter’s the year before. The Peacocks are back in the Big Dance this season as a No. 15 seed and Tennessee is looking to avoid the same fate Kentucky suffered in the 2022 tournament as a No. 2 seed that drew Saint Peter’s in the Round of 64.

You’ll see below all the double-digit seeds have long odds at making any kind of run in March. No. 11 New Mexico (+8000) has by far the best odds of any double-digit seed, followed by No. 10 Nevada (+10000) and the No. 14, 15 and 16 seeds are all tied at +100000.

2024 Men’s College Basketball National Championship Odds

(via FanDuel)

No. 1 Connecticut +400
No. 1 Houston +600
No. 1 Purdue +700
No. 2 Arizona +1500
No.1 North Carolina +1600
No. 2 Tennessee +1600
No. 3 Creighton +2000
No. 4 Auburn +2000
No. 2 Marquette +2100
No. 2 Iowa State +2300
No. 3 Kentucky +3000
No. 3 Illinois +3000
No. 4 Alabama +3500
No. 4 Kansas +3500
No. 3 Baylor +3500
No. 4 Duke +4000
No. 6 BYU +5000
No. 5 Wisconsin +6000
No. 9 Michigan State +6000
No. 5 Gonzaga +5500
No. 5 Saint Mary's +6000
No. 7 Florida +8000
No. 11 New Mexico +8000
No. 5 San Diego State +8000
No. 7 Texas +10000
No. 6 Texas Tech +10000
No. 8 Nebraska +10000
No. 10 Nevada +12000
No. 7 Washington State +13000
No. 6 Clemson +13000
No. 8 Mississippi State +13000
No. 10 Colorado +15000
No. 9 Texas A&M +15000
No. 9 TCU +15000
No. 10 Drake +15000
No. 6 South Carolina +17000
No. 11 Oregon +20000
No. 10 Boise State +20000
No. 8 Utah State +20000
No. 8 Florida Atlantic +20000
No. 7 Dayton +20000
No. 10 Colorado State +20000
No. 9 Northwestern +25000
No. 12 Grand Canyon +25000
No. 12 James Madison +25000
No. 11 NC State +35000
No. 10 Virginia +50000
No. 12 McNeese +50000
No. 13 Yale +50000
No. 13 Samford +50000
No. 13 Vermont +50000
No. 11 Duquesne +50000
No. 12 UAB +100000
No. 13 Charleston +100000
No. 14 Morehead State +100000
No. 16 Longwood +100000
No. 16 Stetson +100000
No. 14 Oakland +100000
No. 16 Wagner +100000
No. 15 South Dakota State +100000
No. 14 Colgate +100000
No. 16 Montana State +100000
No. 16 Howard +100000
No. 14 Akron +100000
No. 15 Western Kentucky +100000
No. 15 Long Beach State +100000
No. 16 Grambling +100000

Related: 2024 March Madness: Odds and Spread for Every Round 1 Game

Related: March Madness 2024: Complete Schedule, Bracket, How to Watch, Game Times, Odds for Men's NCAA Tournament

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There is a fine line between cocky and confident, and San Antonio Spurs rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama knows how to walk it like a seasoned veteran.

The No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA draft has remained humble with a team-first focus throughout his rookie season. Still, his personal growth and dominance of late are impossible for observers—and even Wembanyama himself—to ignore.

Wembanyama averaged over one assist and one rebound more per game in February than in January. He also improved his three-point shooting, jumping from 32.4% to 41.3% over that span. In February, Wembanyama averaged a personal best in assists (4.5), blocks (3.9) and steals (2.0) per game while posting his highest three-point shooting percentage in any one full month.

When asked Sunday night about the impressive progression and growth throughout his rookie season and whether he thinks about how big the jump could be after a full offseason, Wembanyama was candid in his response.

“It’s a day-by-day thing, but what’s for sure is that I’m not even close to being at my best,” Wembanyama told reporters after Sunday’s overtime win against the Brooklyn Nets in Austin. “I don’t see my progression stopping anytime soon, so it’s good for confidence, and there’s a lot to correct.”

Wembanyama’s belief that he’s not close to reaching his potential is scary for the rest of the NBA. It’s also proving to be true on nearly a nightly basis as the 2023-24 NBA regular season winds down.

In each of the past three months, the 7’4” rookie has averaged at least 21.3 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game. Wembanyama’s shooting has improved throughout the season, as he has knocked down 47.1% of his field goal attempts over those three months.

UConn’s win over St. John’s in the Big East tournament semifinals Friday produced some intense moments on the court between coaches Dan Hurley and Rick Pitino, which observers later assumed transferred over to social media.

At one point in the game, the coaches received technical fouls in the same minute. Hurley’s technical stemmed from his wanting a loud St. John’s fan kicked out of Madison Square Garden. In that moment, his dad, legendary high school coach Bob Hurley, was standing by his son’s side.

The tension was palpable.

So when Pitino tweeted about a “special” moment between father and son, many fans assumed the Red Storm coach was trolling his Huskies counterpart.

“Love that Danny Hurley has his Dad next to him - so special,” Pitino wrote on X, formerly Twitter, Saturday evening.

Love that Danny Hurley has his Dad next to him - so special

— Rick Pitino (@RealPitino) March 16, 2024

• March Madness 2024: News & Analysis | Schedule | Bracket
• Forde: 40 Things to Watch in NCAA Men’s Tournament

A couple hours later, Pitino clarified his intent and said he meant no offense in the tweet.

“What is wrong with people, I meant that Bob Hurley Sr. being there with his son is so so special,” Pitino wrote. “Absurd society.”

What is wrong with people, I meant that Bob Hurley Sr. being there with his son is so so special. Absurd society 🤦🏼‍♂️

— Rick Pitino (@RealPitino) March 17, 2024

Pitino later focused his energy on St. John’s missing out on an NCAA tournament bid. The Red Storm coach also pre-emptively declined a potential invitation to the NIT.

Even Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was impressed by Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving‘s incredible buzzer beater, which propelled Dallas to a 107—105 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday afternoon.

A joyous Irving, who hit a left-handed running shot from about 20 feet away from the basket to clinch the victory, was practically bouncing around the arena after the game, carrying one of his children in one arm. 

The Mavs guard linked up with Mahomes, who had just three words to say after witnessing the game-winning shot. Here’s the interaction, courtesy of the Mavs’ account on X, formerly Twitter. 

Kai was lost for words 🥹@KyrieIrving // #MFFL pic.twitter.com/QqxiNEu8ts

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) March 17, 2024

“Greatness, dawg. Greatness,” Mahomes said with a smile as he embraced Irving moments after the game.

Mahomes, who just won his second straight Super Bowl title and Super Bowl MVP award, certainly would recognize greatness.

In addition to congratulating Irving for the winning shot, Mahomes gifted Mavs guard Luka Dončić a signed Chiefs jersey in the locker room. Mahomes, a native of Tyler, Texas, watched the game courtside with his wife, Brittany.

Life is good for the three-time Super Bowl champion QB—and for Irving after his sensational play on Sunday.

The champ is always welcome in our locker room 🤞@luka7doncic x @PatrickMahomes pic.twitter.com/FMQNz3xZZm

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) March 18, 2024

Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. I’m genuinely impressed by the greatness of Connecticut’s college basketball teams. One of the smallest states in the nation has five teams going dancing this year: UConn men and women, Yale men, Sacred Heart women and Fairfield women.

In today’s SI:AM:

✅ Expert March Madness picks

💔 Heartbreak on the PGA Tour

🏈 NFL free agency winners and losers

If you’re reading this on SI.com, click here to subscribe to receive SI:AM in your inbox every weekday.

The brackets are finally here

After a wild weekend of conference tournament action, the men’s and women’s NCAA tournament brackets are set. Let’s break them both down.

Men’s bubble teams got unlucky

Plenty of men’s teams are steaming this morning after being left out of the bracket. That includes Oklahoma, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Providence and Indiana State. Part of the reason those teams got excluded was because there were several so-called “bid thieves” this year. Duquesne, NC State and Oregon all unexpectedly won their conference tournaments to earn spots in the field, effectively reducing the number of at-large bids by three.

But it wasn’t just that there were fewer available spots for bubble teams. The committee also made some puzzling decisions in filling those spots. The inclusion of Virginia is the biggest head scratcher. The Cavaliers are 54th in the NCAA’s NET rankings and 69th in KenPom. They have a 2–7 record against Quad 1 opponents. St. John’s, by comparison, is ranked 32nd in NET and 25th in KenPom. Indiana State, ranked 28th in NET, became the highest-ranked team in that metric to ever be left out of the tournament.

Questionable men’s seeds

The controversy doesn’t end there. The committee is also drawing plenty of criticism for the way it seeded the men’s bracket. Was Duquesne, which went 10–8 in a not-so-good A-10 really deserving of an 11-seed? Why was Iowa State, considered by many to be a contender for a No. 1 seed, placed as a No. 2 seed in the same region as No. 1 overall seed UConn? Did Michigan State, with a 19–14 overall record, deserve to be solidly in the field as a No. 9 seed?

The most intriguing trend with the seeding, though, was how the committee treated the Mountain West Conference. The league got six teams into the tournament, tied for the third most of any conference, but only San Diego State (No. 5 seed) was seeded higher than eighth. Two MWC teams—Colorado State and Boise State—were among the last four teams into the field. Nevada, ranked 34th in NET and 36th in KenPom with a 6–6 record in Quad 1 games, got a No. 10 seed. How can the committee decide that the MWC is good enough to get more teams into the field of 68 than the ACC (five), Pac-12 (four) and Big East (three), and not reward its teams with seedings more reflective of the league’s strength?

Caitlin Clark’s tough road to a title

Here’s the good news for Caitlin Clark and Iowa: The Hawkeyes are on the opposite side of the bracket from South Carolina, meaning a showdown against the undefeated juggernaut wouldn’t occur until the national title game. But here’s the bad news: Iowa’s region is totally stacked.

The No. 2 seed in the region is UCLA, which is ranked No. 6 in NET. The No. 3 seed is defending champion LSU. The No. 4 seed is Kansas State, which beat the Hawkeyes in Iowa City in November. The No. 5 seed is Colorado, which burst on the scene with a season-opening win over LSU on a neutral court. At the risk of looking too far down the road, if Iowa can emerge out of that region, a potential matchup with USC looms in the Final Four. (That would be a great torch-passing moment between Clark and the incredible Trojans freshman JuJu Watkins.) Winning a national title is never easy, but it might be especially difficult for Iowa this year.

Two Ivy League teams in the women’s bracket

For the first time since 2016, the Ivy League is sending two teams to the women’s tournament. Princeton won the conference tournament in convincing fashion with a 75–58 win over Columbia (on the Lions’ home court), but Columbia is still going dancing. The Lions were the only Ivy League team to beat Princeton this season and played a difficult out-of-conference schedule that included three games against Big East teams and two against the SEC. They went 9–4 in non-conference games and were rewarded for challenging themselves by earning their first NCAA tournament bid in school history.

The best of Sports Illustrated

Bob Self/Florida Times-Union

• Here are Kevin Sweeney and Pat Forde’s full men’s prediction brackets.
• Sweeney and Forde also broke down each bracket region in detail. Check out what they had to say about the East, West, South and Midwest.
• These are the eight games that Sweeney is excited to watch in the first weekend.
• Emma Baccellieri has everything you need to know about the women’s bracket.
• Bob Harig was at the Players Championship in Florida, where Scottie Scheffler became the event’s first repeat winner in dramatic fashion.
• Alex Miceli wrote about the tournament from the perspective of Wyndham Clark, who suffered as heartbreaking a loss as you’ll ever see.
• Albert Breer has the inside story of how Aaron Donald decided to retire.
• One week after the start of NFL free agency, Gilberto Manzano declared some early winners and losers.

The top five...

… things I saw yesterday:

5. The premature confetti drop at the A-10 championship game.

4. Matt Knowling’s layup at the buzzer to give Yale the Ivy League men’s championship.

3. Bam Adebayo’s deep three at the buzzer to beat the Pistons.

2. Wyndham Clark’s putt on the 18th hole that swirled around the cup before popping out, giving Scottie Scheffler the win at the Players Championship.

1. Kyrie Irving’s outrageous 21-foot, left-handed floater/hook shot over Nikola Jokić to beat the Nuggets.

SIQ

Though it didn’t officially count because it came in a spring training game, which notable career first did MLB pitcher Jim Abbott (best known for having one hand) achieve on this day in 1991?

• First home run
• First hit (a triple)
• First shutout
• First stolen base

Friday’s SIQ: On March 15, 1974, San Francisco Giants pitcher Ron Bryant, who had led the majors with 24 wins the year before, was injured while at spring training in Arizona. He went on to post a 3–15 record that season. How did he get hurt?

• Motorcycle crash
• Swimming accident
• Bitten by a dog
• Slipping in the shower

Answer: Swimming accident.

“Bryant received 25 stitches along the right side of his body when he tumbled off a pool slide last night and hit the side of a hotel swimming pool before going into the water,” United Press International reported at the time.

Bryant was the Giants’ best starter in 1973, posting a 24–12 record and 3.54 ERA, and he was initially penciled in to be the Opening Day starter in ’74. The injury, though, kept him sidelined for the first three weeks of the regular season. In his first start back, he didn’t get out of the third inning, walking four of the 16 batters he faced and allowing five runs (two earned).

Bryant went on to have a terrible season, bouncing between the rotation and the bullpen as he posted a 5.61 ERA. He was traded to the Cardinals early in the next season and pitched 10 games before being released, his MLB career over at the age of 27.

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani won’t be pitching this season as he recovers from offseason elbow surgery, but that doesn’t mean he won’t play defense. Manager Dave Roberts told media members Monday that there’s a possibility Ohtani could play in the field at some point during the regular season. 

“Shohei this year is primarily going to be the designated hitter,” Roberts said in Seoul, South Korea, per the Associated Press. “Once we get back to the States, he is going to start his throwing program, which he hasn’t started yet. We’ll see how that progression goes. If his arm is healthy enough, we’ll have that conversation in the field. I do know he’s not going to pitch this year.”

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani is 11 for 22 at the plate with two home runs during spring training this year.

Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports

Ohtani, who signed a 10-year deal worth $700 million this offseason, has batted .500 in eight spring training appearances this year and tallied two home runs. Although his dominance on the mound and at the plate are apparent, playing in the field would be an entirely different animal for the reigning AL MVP. Ohtani made just seven appearances in the outfield over six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels—all of which came in 2021. 

The Dodgers will open the regular season Wednesday and Thursday in Seoul against the San Diego Padres in a two-game Korean series. Both games begin at 6:05 a.m. ET. 

Former men’s college basketball head coach Tom Crean went on an passionate rant on ESPN Sunday night to express why he thinks big-name schools that didn’t make the NCAA tournament field should accept bids to the NIT.

Some of the notable teams that spurned this year’s NIT are St. John’s, Pittsburgh, Memphis, Ole Miss, Indiana and Oklahoma. 

Crean, who coached Marquette, Indiana and Georgia, took his teams to four NITs, so he can see firsthand the benefits of playing in the second-tier tournament. 

Crean, who took the Golden Eagles to the Final Four in 2003, opened his argument by explaining how there’s “plenty of time” for the transfer portal and recruiting, but there’s no substitute for the experience of game action.

• March Madness 2024: News & Analysis | Schedule | Bracket
• Forde: 40 Things to Watch in NCAA Men’s Tournament

“There’s not plenty of time to play. There’s not plenty of time to get your players on the floor and give them a chance to get better. There’s not plenty of time for guys to continue to play that may never get to play again, and that to me is absolutely ridiculous,” Crean said. “It’s each coach’s choice. I get it. But if you take away a chance to play the games, to put your team on the floor, let them opt out. The bowl season has it all the time. Let it happen. Who cares?”

Tom Crean goes off about college basketball teams declining invitations to the NIT. 🏀🔥

(h/t: @Matt_Fortuna) pic.twitter.com/0O9SpdO1GT

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 18, 2024

After the San Antonio Spurs’ win over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday night, coach Gregg Popovich and star rookie Victor Wembanyama both said their team will play in France next season.

The NBA has played three regular-season games in France since 2020 but hasn’t announced which teams will play there next season. Despite nothing being official, it’s expected that the Spurs will be one of those teams given the fact that Wembanyama was born in Le Chesnay, France, a suburb of Paris.

Sunday’s game was played in Austin, Texas, approximately 80 miles up the road from San Antonio, and when discussing where the team could possibly play next season, one reporter quipped, “How about Paris?”

“Well, we’re going there,” Popovich responded. 

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich talks about his team's win over the Nets, playing in front of the Austin crowd and lessons learned from playing a close game.#PorVida | @Spurs | @BallySports 📺 pic.twitter.com/XQAyP5iTgJ

— Bally Sports San Antonio (@BallySportsSA) March 18, 2024

When it was Wembanyama’s turn to face the media after the 122–115 win, he was asked about his coach’s comment. 

“I’m looking forward to it very much,” Wembanyama said. “Obviously it’s going to be probably the game or the games that are going to be very important for me, because of course it’s me coming back from where I come from, especially might be in my city or around the city. So it’s going to be very special. Also, it is going to allow me to see maybe my family in the middle of the season, which doesn’t happen often. So it’s great.”

Wemby on Pop saying Spurs will play in Paris next season: pic.twitter.com/iJXP0t43Fe

— Tom Orsborn (@tom_orsborn) March 18, 2024