| | | | | | | Presented By Eargo | | | | Axios Sports | | By Kendall Baker ·Nov 23, 2020 | | 👋 Happy Monday! NBA free agency got off to a blistering start, with hundreds of millions worth of deals signed over the weekend. Two nuggets that stood out: - Only three players in NBA history have signed multiple contracts worth $30+ million per year: LeBron James, Kevin Durant and ... new Hornet Gordon Hayward.
- Zion Williamson is now the longest-tenured New Orleans Pelican.
Today's word count: 1,992 words (8 minutes). | | | | | | 1 big thing: 🏈 Sunday's winners and losers | | Giphy Another Sunday of pandemic football is officially in the books, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes. - Tired: The NFC East is the worst division in football.
- Wired: The NFC East, sporting four teams with three wins apiece, is the most competitive division in football.
Winners- Taysom Hill fantasy owners: The Saints' Swiss Army knife started at QB (and did quite well) but was still eligible at TE in some leagues. Congrats to all the savvy managers who hit the waiver wire and started him at there.
- The XFL: Eight months after leading the XFL's Houston Roughnecks to a 5-0 record, QB P.J. Walker won his first NFL start with the Panthers, helping Carolina snap a five-game losing streak. What a ride he's been on this year.
- Chase Claypool: The Steelers' rookie hauled in yet another TD, becoming the first WR in the Super Bowl era with 10 TD through 10 career games.
- The Gores: Frank Gore Jr. (Southern Miss freshman) and Frank Gore (16-year NFL vet) both scored on the same weekend.
Photo: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images Losers- Joe Burrow: In the midst of an electric rookie campaign, the Bengals' No. 1 pick tore his ACL in a loss to Washington, ending his season. "Thanks for all the love. Can't get rid of me that easy. See ya next year ✊," Burrow tweeted. This sport can be so cruel.
- The Jets, again: With yet another loss, the 0-10 Jets were officially eliminated from playoff contention. In Week 11. With an expanded playoff field.
- Primetime Purple's debut: The Vikings may have lost to the Cowboys, but they looked great doing it in their new "Primetime Purple" jerseys.
- The Pats playoff streak: Following a loss to Houston, New England has an 8% chance of making the playoffs for a 12th straight season, per FiveThirtyEight.
Scoreboard: Chiefs, 35, Raiders 31; Washington 20, Bengals 9; Browns 22, Eagles 17; Saints 24, Falcons 9; Panthers 20, Lions 0; Steelers 27, Jaguars 3; Titans 30, Ravens 24 (OT); Texans 27, Patriots 20; Colts 34, Packers 21 (OT); Cowboys 31, Vikings 28; Broncos 20, Dolphins 13; Chargers 34, Jets 28 Tonight: Rams at Buccaneers, 8:15pm ET (ESPN) |     | | | | | | 2. 🏀 College hoops: Two days from tip-off |  | | | Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios | | | | With the college basketball season slated to begin on Wednesday, 35 men's teams are currently in "pause" and quarantining, per Stadium's Jeff Goodman. - Schedules are in constant flux as schools prepare to fly across the country. Take Illinois State, which was supposed to be in Lincoln, Nebraska, on Wednesday, but will now be in Columbus, Ohio.
- The Battle 4 Atlantis tournament was moved from the Bahamas to Sioux Falls, South Dakota — which is now a COVID-19 hotspot. Multiple schools have pulled out, but the Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic is still a go.
Between the lines: Some women's teams have no more than a handful of games scheduled and others are "lining up bus rides and home-and-home series like they're in baseball's minor leagues," AP's Doug Feinberg reports. - Coaches are so desperate to fill out their schedules that some have taken to Twitter to try and find games.
- Others have set up group texts so that if a game gets canceled, they can quickly set up a new game with someone else.
- "[We] all agreed that if we have an opening we'll play. We'll figure it out if it's home or away, things like that," said Louisville coach Jeff Walz.
The state of play: "The most effective organizing structure in college basketball right now, hilariously, seems to be the Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut," New York Magazine's Will Leitch writes. - Starting Wednesday, the casino will host 45 Division I games — both men's and women's — over 11 days in a semi-bubble environment after purchasing nearly 5,000 COVID-19 tests.
- Baylor coach Scott Drew is the latest coach to test positive, so the No. 2 ranked Bears will open the season at Mohegan Sun without him.
The last word: "We don't know a lot of things," said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. "We know we're going to have March Madness [and] a regular season. We just don't know much about both — and it's a hell of a way to run a railroad." No Cameron Crazies this year. Very sad. Screenshot: @DukeMBB (Twitter) | | | | | | | | 3. ⚽️ England players' union wants fewer headers |  | | | L to R: Dennis Viollet, Bobby Charlton and Johnny Giles in 1960. Photo: Hutchinson/Mirrorpix/Getty Images | | | | The union representing soccer players in England says that heading in training sessions "must be immediately restricted." Why it matters: This comes amid growing concerns about brain injury diseases among former professional players. - Five of the 11 starters from England's 1966 Word Cup-winning team have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's or other neurodegenerative diseases.
- That includes Bobby Charlton (pictured above), who was recently diagnosed with dementia, and his brother, Jack, who died after being diagnosed.
By the numbers: A 2019 study found former male professional soccer players were 3.5 times more likely to die from Alzheimer's, and other neurodegenerative diseases. What they're saying: "In the short term, football [soccer] cannot carry on as it is," said PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor. - "There is a big issue here, and based on the increasing evidence available, it is clear we need to take immediate steps to monitor and reduce heading."
- England manager Gareth Southgate recently said he fears getting dementia after his 18-year playing career, and former player Tony Cascarino went so far as to say that heading will be gone from the sport by 2040 (subscription).
The backdrop: In January, soccer officials in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland banned heading at practice for kids under 12, following the lead of the U.S. Soccer Federation, which in 2016 banned heading for kids under 11. Go deeper: Why women's soccer players are worried about their brains (B/R) | | | | | | | | A message from Eargo | | Hear life to the fullest with Eargo's huge Black Friday offer | | |  | | | | Bring your world to life with Eargo--the virtually invisible, comfortable and rechargeable hearing aid with lifetime professional support. And now until Black Friday, Eargo Neo Hifi is $450 off. Buy now online or talk to a specialist to see if Eargo is the right fit for you. | | | | | | 4. 🎾 ATP Finals: Medvedev downs Thiem |  Table: Axios Visuals Daniil Medvedev won the ATP Finals on Sunday in the event's farewell to London, avenging his U.S. Open semifinal loss against Dominic Thiem, Jeff writes. The backdrop: The ATP Finals, which pits the top eight players in the world against each other in a round-robin event, has been held in London since 2009. - Past winners: Roger Federer's six titles are the most ever. Pete Sampras, Ivan Lendl and Novak Djokovic are tied for second, with five.
- Looking back: The event was first held in 1970 in Tokyo (and was dubbed the Grand Prix Masters). Since then, it has rotated around cities like Lisbon, Sydney, Houston, Shanghai, New York and Frankfurt.
- Next stop: Turin, Italy will host the ATP Finals from 2021 to 2025.
The big picture: Medvedev and Thiem beat Rafael Nadal and Djokovic, respectively, to reach the final, and Federer has been out since June. It certainly begs the question: Are we witnessing the beginning of the end of an era? - On one hand, it's been five years since Nadal, Djokovic or Federer won the ATP Finals, and Djokovic is the only one to even finish runner-up in that time.
- On the other hand, the big three have continued dominating the Grand Slams, winning 57 of the last 69 and 14 of the last 15.
The bottom line: Perhaps the ATP lapse is just a quirky footnote in the story of their greatness. Or perhaps it's the latest sign that the tides are finally turning, giving way to a new generation. | | | | | | | | 5. 🏈 AP poll: Final look ahead of CFP rankings |  Data: AP; Table: Axios Visuals The top eight teams held their spots for the second straight week, providing some clarity ahead of the first College Football Rankings, which debut tomorrow. - Alabama is the first unanimous No. 1 this season and the first team to do it in the regular season since 2018.
- Northwestern moved up eight spots to No. 11 after beating Wisconsin, 17-7, the program's highest ranking since 1996.
- Conference call: SEC (5), ACC (4), Big Ten (4), Big 12 (4), American (2), Pac-12 (2), Sun Belt (2), C-USA (1), Independents (1).
Heisman watch: - Kyle Trask has 31 TD passes through seven games. That's the second most in FBS history, trailing only former Texas Tech QB B.J. Symons (32 in 2003).
- Justin Fields threw three interceptions in Ohio State's 42-35 win over Indiana, matching his career total up until Saturday.
- Mac Jones plays the highest-profile matchup of the three this weekend, with Alabama hosting No. 22 Auburn in the Iron Bowl.
Elsewhere: - Penn State fell to 0-5 for the first time ever (1887–present).
- Michigan survived in 3OT after giving up more points to Rutgers (42) than they'd allowed in their five previous meetings combined (37).
- Utah became the 127th and final FBS team to kick off their season, falling to No. 19 USC, 33-17.
💬 Quoted: Saturday's Clemson-FSU game was postponed after a Clemson player tested positive for COVID-19. Dabo Swinney has now accused FSU of using the virus as an excuse to avoid playing the Tigers. "This game was not canceled because of COVID. COVID was just an excuse to cancel the game. ... We were there. We were ready. We met the standards to play. In my opinion, they forfeited the game." — Swinney | | | | | | | | 6. 🇳🇿 Field trip: New Zealand | | Thanks for choosing Axios Airlines. We'll be traveling to a new destination each morning this month. Sit back and enjoy the flight. Screenshot: Google Maps - Location: Queenstown, New Zealand
- Coordinates: 45.0302°S, 168.6616°E
Welcome to Queenstown, New Zealand, where things are shockingly normal and there isn't a face mask in sight. Photo: James Allan/Getty Images The Queenstown Marathon, billed as the "World's Most Beautiful Marathon," attracts tens of thousands of runners and spectators every year. Photo: James Allan/Getty Images Despite border closures, this weekend's event still attracted a full field, with domestic demand making up for the decrease in international runners. Photo: James Allan/Getty Images Go deeper: New Zealand uses science to avoid coronavirus lockdown (Axios) | | | | | | | | 7. ⚡️ Catch up quick | | Photo: Print Collector/Getty Images - 🏀 Tampa Raptors: Unable to secure a plan with Canadian health officials, the Raptors will begin the season in Tampa. They'll play at Amalie Arena, home of the Lightning and frequent NCAA basketball tournament site.
- ⚽️ Wild shootout: Orlando City beat NYC FC in a bonkers shootout, which featured a defender playing goalie in a pinch — and making a huge save.
- 🚫 One-year ban: Auburn men's basketball has self-imposed a one-year postseason ban as part of the investigation into bribery charges brought against former assistant coach Chuck Person.
- 🐦 $1.9 million bird: A Belgian-bred racing pigeon sold for a record $1.9 million at auction to an anonymous Chinese bidder.
- 🎬 Coming soon: What happens when Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Sam Cooke, and Malcolm X get together in a Miami hotel room? That's the setting of the upcoming film, "One Night in Miami."
Jim Brown (L) and Muhammad Ali in 1966. Photo: Staff/Mirrorpix/Getty Images | | | | | | | | 8. Nov. 23, 1904: 🥇 America's first Olympics | | The grounds of the 1904 World's Fair. Photo: Buyenlarge/Getty Images 116 years ago today, the third modern Olympics — and first held in the U.S. — ended in St. Louis, concluding one of the most bizarre events in sports history. - By the numbers: 523 of the 630 athletes were Americans, and the U.S. won 239 of a possible 280 medals. Second place Germany won just 13.
- The backdrop: St. Louis was chosen because it was already hosting the World's Fair. This also led to the Games' unwieldy length, lasting nearly five months instead of the now-normal two weeks.
Felix Carvajal de Soto. Photo: Chicago History Museum/Getty Images The lowlight: The 1904 marathon was a tragicomedy of errors. - Cheating: The original winner, Fred Lorz, was DQ'd after it was discovered he'd completed half the race in a car (?!).
- Poison: The eventual winner, Thomas Hicks, was poisoned — twice! — by his own handlers, who believed strychnine acted as a muscle stimulant in small enough doses. It did not.
- Detours: Felix Carvajal de Soto, a Cuban mailman who hitchhiked most of the way to St. Louis, finished fourth despite taking a mid-race detour through an apple orchard for a snack and a quick catnap.
- Mad scientist: Event organizer James Sullivan used the marathon as a sadistic experiment, testing his theory that forced dehydration would improve performance. The race was held on a blistering hot day along a dusty route with just one water station. Multiple runners nearly died, and the winning time (3:28) was a half hour slower than any other Olympic marathon.
Temple of Birth, 1904 World' Fair. Photo: Universal Images Group via Getty Images Go deeper: | | | | | | | | 9. 🍿 Movie trivia |  | | | Roger Federer after winning his first major (2003 Wimbledon). Photo: Thomas Coex/AFP via Getty Images | | | | The last year that Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic all failed to win a Grand Slam was all the way back in 2002. - Question: Name the top three movies at the global box office that year.
- Hint: Both were the second entry in a famous series.
Answer at the bottom. | | | | | | | | 10. 🎥 Weekend's top plays |  | | | Photo: Adam Bettcher/Getty Images | | | - 🏈 Adam Thielen!
- 🏈 CeeDee Lamb!
- 🏒 Gorgeous goal
- ⚽️ Filthiest strike
- ⚽️ Game-winner
- ⚽️ Filthier strike
- 🏀 No-look assist
- ⚽️ Filthy strike
- 🏈 Tip and pick
- 🏈 Hockey-style
Watch all 10. | | | | | | | | A message from Eargo | | Federal employees and retirees get Eargo Hearing Aids at no cost | | |  | | | | Did you know that active and retired federal employees may be eligible to receive Eargo's virtually invisible, rechargeable hearing loss solution at no cost through their FEHB insurance plan? If that's you, inquire today and we'll take care of everything – even the paperwork. | | | | Talk tomorrow, Kendall "Hooked on a Thielen" Baker Trivia answer: "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" ($936.7 million); "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" ($879 million) | | Invite friends to follow Axios Sports Use your personal link to track how many readers you bring into the community  You currently have 00 referrals. Share with a friend For questions email referralsupport@axios.com. Participation in the Axios Sports Referral Program constitutes your acceptance of the Axios Terms and Conditions of Use, which can be viewed here. | | | | Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters.
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