Yahoo Sports AM: Where things stand at the NHL All-Star break
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🚨 Headlines
⚾️ Blockbuster trade: The Orioles acquired 2021 NL Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes from the Brewers in exchange for infield prospect Joey Ortiz and lefty flamethrower D.L. Hall. What a week to be an O's fan!
🏎️ Hamilton to Ferrari: In a stunning move, Ferrari announced Thursday that Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes and join the team in 2025. Hamilton, 39, has the most wins in F1 history and is tied with Michael Schumacher for the most championships.
🏀 Embiid injury: Joel Embiid has a meniscus injury in his left knee. Barring a quick return, he's likely out of the running for MVP because he won't play the required 65 games. In happier Sixers news, Tyrese Maxey dropped 51 in a win over the Jazz.
🏈 Quinn to Washington: The Commanders have hired Cowboys DC Dan Quinn as their next head coach, filling the NFL's last vacancy.
🏈 Father and son: In other coaching news, the Browns are allowing offensive line coach Bill Callahan out of his contract so that he can join his son, Brian, in Tennessee, where he was recently named head coach.
🏒 NHL at the break
NHL All-Star Weekend has arrived, providing an opportunity to take stock of the season's first half, Jeff writes.
Playoff picture: If the postseason began today, the division-leading Bruins (Atlantic), Rangers (Metropolitan), Canucks (Pacific) and Avalanche (Central) would headline the following first-round matchups.
East: Bruins vs. Red Wings, Rangers vs. Maple Leafs, Panthers vs. Lightning, Hurricanes vs. Flyers
West: Canucks vs. Blues, Avalanche vs. Kings, Stars vs. Jets, Golden Knights vs. Oilers
Three up:
Bruins: Boston won't match its historic output from last season, when it won a record 65 games, but the B's 71 points are still tied for the league lead as they seek to become the first team since the Capitals in 2016-17 to win consecutive Presidents' Trophies.
Canucks: After missing three straight postseasons, and seven of the last eight, Vancouver is tied with Boston for the league's best record and leads all teams in goal differential (+59). And Wednesday's trade for All-Star center Elias Lindholm made it clear they're going all in.
Oilers: Since beginning the year an abysmal 5-12-1, Edmonton has won an astonishing 24 of its last 27 games and is currently on a 16-game winning streak, one shy of tying the longest in NHL history (1992-93 Penguins).
Three down:
Blackhawks: Chicago has lost a franchise-record 20 consecutive road games, the longest such streak by any team in 31 years. And their lone bright spot, rookie sensation Connor Bedard, is out at least another month with a broken jaw.
Sharks: San Jose is on pace for a -148 goal differential, which would be the worst mark in the last 30 years and the 11th-worst ever. And they'll likely only get worse after selling off parts at the deadline.
Islanders: They banked enough wins early to still be alive in the playoff race, but the past six weeks have been brutal. They've won just six of their last 21 games and parted ways with second-year head coach Lane Lambert.
MVP race: Five guys lead the way as clear betting favorites for the Hart Memorial Trophy (odds via BetMGM).
Nathan MacKinnon, COL (-135): Will he finally get his hardware after five top-6 finishes since 2018? His 84 points (31 G, 53 A) rank second this season.
Nikita Kucherov, TB (+300): The 2019 MVP leads the league with 85 points (32 G, 53 A).
Connor McDavid, EDM (+400): The reigning (and three-time) MVP has 67 points (20 G, 47 A), tied for fourth in the league.
Auston Matthews, TOR (+1300): The 2022 MVP is on pace for the first 70-goal season since 1993.
David Pastrňák, BOS (+1600): Last year's runner-up trails only Kucherov and MacKinnon with 72 points (33 G, 39 A).
ICYMI:Captains picked their teams in Thursday's All-Star player draft
🏀 NBA All-Star reserves announced
The NBA unveiled the East and West All-Star reserves on Thursday ahead of the All-Star Game on Feb. 18 in Indianapolis.
How it works: The game is returning to its original East vs. West format, meaning for the first time since 2017 there won't be a draft. LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo are still captains after receiving the most fan votes for their respective conferences, but their teams are already set.
East starters:
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
Joel Embiid (76ers)
Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
Damian Lillard (Bucks)
Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers)
Reserves: Jaylen Brown (Celtics), Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers), Jalen Brunson (Knicks), Bam Adebayo (Heat), Julius Randle (Knicks), Tyrese Maxey (76ers), Paolo Banchero (Magic)
West starters:
LeBron James (Lakers)
Kevin Durant (Suns)
Luke Donćic (Mavericks)
Nikola Jokić (Nuggets)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
Reserves: Stephen Curry (Warriors), Devin Booker (Suns), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Anthony Davis (Lakers), Kawhi Leonard (Clippers), Paul George (Clippers), Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves)
Worth a watch… Brunson got emotional during his postgame interview when asked what it felt like to make his first All-Star Game. The Knicks superstar dropped 40 points in a 109-105 win over the Pacers — New York's ninth straight victory.
Further reading:Biggest snubs
🏈 NFL mock draft: Drake over Caleb
Drake Maye headlines the latest mock draft from Yahoo Sports' Nate Tice, with fellow QBs Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels right behind him.
Fun fact: If those are the first three players selected in April's draft, it would mark the fourth time in NFL history that the top three picks were all QBs.
2021: Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars), Zach Wilson (Jets), Trey Lance (49ers)
1999: Tim Couch (Browns), Donovan McNabb (Eagles), Akili Smith (Bengals)
1971: Jim Plunkett (Patriots), Archie Manning (Saints), Dan Pastorini (Oilers)
Why Maye over Williams? Here's Nate…
Maye is the Lex Luger-esque total package at QB. He's a blend of size, athleticism and arm talent, paired with an aggressive mindset. He has a clean path to elitedom. As a thrower, Maye already shows a deep toolbox. He can drive or layer throws over the middle, win over the top and place the ball consistently on underneath routes. He constantly creates and extends plays with his athleticism as a scrambler or ad libber, and generates positive or at least neutral outcomes when the play was set up for something negative.
There are still a few months of the draft process to go and Maye can still work on aspects to his game, like more consistently stepping up in the pocket and cooling down some of his heat-check moments. He has already improved upon both of those things. As just a redshirt sophomore, Maye has me currently stacking him as one of the best QB prospects I've recently scouted.
Big board:Top 40 prospects
⚾️ Is this the dumbest person on the planet?
Former Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon received a 15-year show-cause penalty from the NCAA on Thursday for violating wagering and ethical conduct rules.
It's essentially a lifetime ban for Bohannon, who had been Alabama's coach since 2018.
Any school that hires him would have to suspend him for the first five regular seasons of his employment.
Catch up quick: Bohannon was fired last May when it was discovered that he had passed along inside information (Alabama's scheduled starter wouldn't be able to pitch) to his friend, Eugene Neff Jr., who he knew would be placing a bet on the Tide's game.
This is unbelievable… Here's an excerpt from the NCAA's findings. Is Neff the dumbest person on the planet? I mean, come on man!
Shortly after receiving the electronic messages from Bohannon, the bettor attempted to place a $100,000 wager on the LSU baseball team at the BetMGM sportsbook at the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati but the sportsbook staff limited the bettor to a $15,000 wager.
The bettor then attempted to place additional wagers involving the April 28 Alabama vs. LSU baseball game, but the sportsbook staff declined the wagers due to suspicious activity. This suspicious activity included the bettor's insistent demeanor to get the bet placed and statements to sportsbook staff that the bet was "for sure going to win" and "if only you guys knew what I knew."
The suspicious activity also included the bettor showing sportsbook staff messages from Bohannon and explaining that the messages were Bohannon informing the bettor that Alabama was scratching its starting pitcher before the game and before Bohannon alerted LSU.
🌎 The world in photos
Boston — The Lakers pulled off one of the most unlikely upsets of the season on Thursday, beating the NBA-best Celtics, 114-105, without LeBron James or Anthony Davis. Austin Reaves led the way with a season-high 32 points.
Pebble Beach, California — Tom Brady and Josh Allen were in the same group during the first round of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Brady was paired with Keegan Bradley, while Allen teamed up with Keith Mitchell.
Park City, Utah — Noe Roth of Team Switzerland takes a run during aerials training ahead of this week's Freestyle International Ski World Cup at Deer Valley.
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — Al-Nassr handed Inter Miami an embarrassing 6-0 defeat in a friendly between the Saudi Arabian and American clubs. Cristiano Ronaldo sat out with a calf injury, while Lionel Messi played just seven minutes.
📆 Feb. 2, 1936: The inaugural class
88 years ago today, the National Baseball Hall of Fame's inaugural class was revealed. And with five inductees, it remains the biggest ever, Jeff writes.
The inductees: Ty Cobb (98.2% of the vote), Babe Ruth (95.1%), Honus Wagner (95.1%), Christy Mathewson (90.7%) and Walter Johnson (83.6%).
Crazy stat: Of the 50 players to show up on that first ballot, only eight failed to eventually make the Hall.
⚾️ 1876: A group of team representatives met in New York City and formed the National League*, beginning in earnest what we now know as Major League Baseball.
🏀 1968: With 22 points, 25 rebounds and 21 assists, Wilt Chamberlain put up the first 20-20-20 game in NBA history. Only Russell Westbrook (20-20-21 in 2019) has joined him.
*Eight founding members: The Chicago White Stockings (Cubs) and Boston Reds (Braves) still exist, while the remaining six folded by 1880: Hartford Dark Blues, St. Louis Brown Stockings, Louisville Grays, New York Mutuals, Philadelphia Athletics (not the current A’s) and Cincinnati Reds (not the current Reds).
📺 Watchlist: A weekend for the ages
This weekend feels a lot like March in men's college hoops, with four matchups between top-10 teams, including a certain rivalry game on Tobacco Road, Jeff writes.
No. 4 Houston at No. 8 Kansas (Sat. 4pm ET, ESPN)
No. 7 Duke at No. 3 UNC (Sat. 6:30pm, ESPN)
No. 5 Tennessee at No. 10 Kentucky (Sat. 8:30pm, ESPN)
No. 2 Purdue at No. 6 Wisconsin (Sun. 1pm, CBS)
The women's slate is also loaded: No. 15 USC at No. 4 Stanford (Fri. 10pm, Pac-12); No. 3 Iowa at Maryland (Sat. 8pm, Fox); No. 17 Virginia Tech at No. 24 UNC (Sun. 12pm, ESPN2); No. 10 Indiana at No. 8 Ohio State (Sun. 12pm, FS1); No. 2 Kansas State at No. 12 Texas (Sun. 2pm, FS1); No. 7 UCLA at No. 4 Stanford (Sun. 4pm, ESPN2)
More to watch:
🏈 NFL: Pro Bowl Games (Sun. 3pm, ESPN/ABC)
🏒 NHL: All-Star Skills* (Fri. 7pm, ESPN); All-Star Game (Sat. 3pm, ABC)
🏀 NBA: Suns at Hawks (Fri. 7:30pm, Peacock); Lakers at Knicks (Sat. 8:30pm, ABC); Clippers at Heat (Sun. 6pm, ESPN)
🏈 CFB: Senior Bowl (Sat. 1pm, NFL) … Seniors, as well as younger prospects who've declared for the NFL draft, play their annual showcase in Mobile, Alabama.
⛳️ PGA: Pebble Beach Pro-Am (Fri-Sun, Golf/Peacock/ESPN+)
⛳️ LIV: Mayakoba (Fri-Sun, The CW)
🏉 Six Nations: Round One (Fri-Sat, Peacock) … The first of five rounds in the annual rugby tournament featuring England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.
⚽️ Premier League: Arsenal vs. Liverpool (Sun. 11:30am, Peacock)
⚽️ AFCON quarterfinals: Nigeria vs. Angola (Fri. 12pm, beIN Sport); DR Congo vs. Guinea (Fri. 3pm, beIN Sport); Mali vs. Ivory Coast (Sat. 12pm, beIN Sport); Cape Verde vs. South Africa (Sat. 3pm, beIN Sport)
🏁 NASCAR: Clash at the Coliseum (Sun. 8pm, Fox) … Annual preseason race on the temporary track inside the L.A. Memorial Coliseum.
🏒 PWHL: Minnesota at Toronto (Sat. 12pm, YouTube); New York at Ottawa (Sun. 1pm, YouTube); Montreal at Boston (Sun. 3:30pm, YouTube)
⚾️ Caribbean Series: Days 2-4 (Fri-Sun, ESPN+) … Three games each day.
*NHL skills competition: 12 players will compete in eight events: Fastest skater, hardest shot, stick handling, one-timers, passing challenge, accuracy shooting, shootout and an obstacle course. The winner takes home a $1 million prize.
🏈 NFL trivia
Now that every vacancy has been filled, can you match the NFL's eight new head coaches with the teams that hired them?
Coaches: Brian Callahan, Dave Canales, Jim Harbaugh, Jerod Mayo, Mike Macdonald, Raheem Morris, Dan Quinn, Antonio Pierce
Teams: Chargers, Commanders, Falcons, Panthers, Patriots, Raiders, Seahawks, Titans.
Answer at the bottom.
🏀 Tony Snell's mission to return to the NBA
Longtime NBA player Tony Snell is currently in his second season with the Maine Celtics, Boston's G League affiliate. The former first-round pick is on a mission to return to the NBA — and it's bigger than just basketball.
From Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer:
The 32-year-old 3-and-D specialist seeks to find his way onto an NBA team's active roster by Friday, signed for the rest of the season, in order to compile a 10th year of service for the players association's retiree benefits program.
That additional season would make Snell eligible for the union's premium medical plan — beyond his current single qualification — which would also cover his whole family, including his two sons, Karter, 3, and Kenzo, 2, who were both diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
"Of course, I want to come back and play, but I have a bigger purpose now," Snell told Yahoo Sports. "It's not about me anymore. It's about my boys."
Trivia answer: Brian Callahan (Titans), Dave Canales (Panthers), Jim Harbaugh (Chargers), Jerod Mayo (Patriots), Mike Macdonald (Seahawks), Raheem Morris (Falcons), Dan Quinn (Commanders), Antonio Pierce (Raiders)
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